Hermione's Almond Shake
Hermione Granger had finally accepted the fact that she was a witch when she was thirteen years old. She had faced (and was still facing) many criticism as she was from a Muggle background.
Her mother had told her about a new analogy of life, she said, life was like Almond Shake. Hermione's favourite Muggle drink. Hermione was skeptical. Though she knew that her mother always came up with different analogies. Life is like a dream, life is like a radio, life is like a game, et cetera, this was something new.
She had looked up curiously at her mother and had said, "I don't understand, Mum,"
Her mother had smiled sagely and said, "Oh, you will understand in time,"
Hermione looked at her mother in exasperation. She did not like not knowing things.
After probing her mother again and again, her mother finally answered, "So what do you know about almond shake?" Her mother had asked, with a knowing smile.
"It's made of almonds?" Hermione replied, it was a question rather than statement.
"Look," Hermione's mother said, taking her to the kitchen counter and extracting the ingredients to make almond shake.
Hermione had looked on curiously as her mother sliced the almonds into thin pieces with a knife and mixed it with the boiling milk.
"You see, Hermione?" She had asked.
Hermione had looked confused and raised a questioning eyebrow at her mother, who shook her head whilst smiling calmly, "You see, these almonds?" She asked, "They don't mix with the milk, like sugar and other ingredients do."
Hermione nodded slowly, the analogy still not making sense, "But, mum-"
Her mother had stopped her in mid-sentence and asked, "Will the almond shake be the same without the almonds?"
Hermione laughed at the silliness of her mother's question, what would be an almond shake without almonds?
She had voiced her opinion, "Mum," she chuckled, "Almond shake won't be almond shake without almonds."
She laughed again at the silly repetition of word "almonds" and her mother nodded.
"That's what I am trying to show you, pumpkin," she said, "You are like these almonds,"
Hermione had looked at her mother with a black expression, her mouth forming a slight 'o', only her mother could make her this clueless.
"I know you, or any other, what do they call it, yeah, Muggleborns, do not mix with the Wizards," Her mother replied, "And I know that it wouldn't be possible to just leave behind the beliefs of eleven years of your life, so you might not mix with them at all."
Hermione nodded, this made so much sense. She understood that she was not supposed to blend in with the Wizarding World, she must stand out and bring changes in the Wizarding World.
She was not to blend, but to remain different, like the crunchy almonds, which bring the actual difference to almond shake.
That day she had sworn to change the view of the world.
And so she did it, fought against the Darkest Wizard of all time and played a major role in his demise. Took up a job in the Ministry, became the Head of her Department, worked for the welfare of house-elves, centaurs, were-wolves, vampires and even for goblins (even though they are grateful they won't tell it to the humans).
So when asked about the best analogy of life by her eleven year old daughter she smiled and said, "Life is like almond milkshake."
Fin
Word Count: 577
Written for the Crayola Crayon Challenge, prompt almond. And Disney Character Challenge with the prompt, Mad Hatter, write about someone with odd views, here Mrs. Granger. Prompt 2: knife
Dedication: To my mum for mother's day. Even if I forget to tell you, I love you and that won't change even when we fight.
Happy Mother's Day to all those celebrating it.