Well, I was going to skip right to King's Cross in the interest of chronology, but it seemed people were interested in this, too. So we'll make this about Hermione's introduction to the Magic society instead.

Well, I don't own Harry Potter (or Hermione Granger, for that matter). It all belongs to J.K. Rowling. Oh, and: fifty points to anyone who can tell me where the name "Sedgwick" came from.

Enjoy!

-The Author

"I think this is the right street," said Mrs. Sedgwick. "Is this the right street? Can you tell?"

"What am I looking for?"

Mrs. Sedgwick looked at a slip of paper in her hands. "The Leaky Cauldron."

Hermione stood on her tiptoes and looked around again, peering her head back and forth. She pushed her brown bush of hair out of the way and squinted off down the street. There, farther down, with peeling green paint and odd golden letters, was a sign that read The Leaky Cauldron.

"Is that it?"

"Where?"

Hermione pointed.

"Oh, heavens, I wouldn't know," said Mrs. Sedgwick. "I've never been there, to be honest. But you think it's down there?"

Hermione bit her lip and nodded, suddenly doubting the sanity of her guide. She followed the peppery-haired librarian down the road. "Tell me when we get there," said Mrs. Sedgwick. Hermione gave her a little distance. Mrs. Sedgwick stopped and waited for Hermione to walk up to her.

"Heavens! You'd think you'd never been to the city before. I need you to keep up with me and tell me when we get there. Here, hold my hand." Mrs. Sedgwick gripped her hand tightly, and Hermione felt defeated. They continued on again, until they walked to the Leaky Cauldron.

They walked past the Leaky Cauldron.

"Mrs. Sedgwick?"

She stopped. "Is it here?"

"We walked right past it."

"Oh," said Mrs. Sedgwick. "Well. I told you to tell me when we get there. I can't see it."

"Why not?" Hermione looked at the two hands gripped together. What was wrong with her?

"I'm a Squib, remember?"

"A Muggle born into a Magick family," said Hermione.

"Exactly," said Mrs. Sedgwick. "You can see things that I can't. Come on, take me inside."

Frowning, Hermione led Mrs. Sedgwick inside the little pub. She opened the door and was surprised when Mrs. Sedgwick held her breath and squeezed her eyes shut. She didn't open them, didn't release her breath, until the door slammed shut behind them.

Hermione stared. This was a Magick pub? It looked like any other, dark and broken down. A well-worn bartender wiped transparent glasses and chatting with a skinny little man at the bar; a man in a turban sat silently by himself, sipping from a mug; some old women sat drinking from shot glasses. They really did look like Witches, so Hermione wanted to introduce herself to them. Another woman sat puffing on a pipe, swirling her brandy glass around.

"Can you see them?" Hermione whispered.

"Of course," said Mrs. Sedgwick. She released Hermione's hand, wiped them on her skirt, and approached the bar. "Excuse me."

The hairless bartender smiled and approached them.

"First time here?" he asked.

"Hi," said Mrs. Sedgwick. "We," she gestured to Hermione and herself, "Need to get into Diagon Alley and I was told someone at the bar could help us? I'm a Squib and she…" Mrs. Sedgwick's voice faded out.

"Alright," said the Bartender. "Follow me."

He smiled down at Hermione as he stepped out from the bar, and led them into the back. He took out a long stick from his apron pocket. Hermione gasped. The stick must be his Magic Wand! She was about to see Magick, for the first time in her whole life! She looked so she wouldn't miss a thing. Was he going to say a poem or a word, or sing, or maybe wave it funny? Was there going to be bright lights everywhere?

He tapped a brick three times and put the wand back in his pocket.

Hermione swallowed a moan of disappointment.

Then the brick he tapped began to move. Hermione stared. All the bricks around it began to wiggle and squirm, and they jumped away from each other, like they were dancing, until there was a huge arch where there had just been a wall.

And then they were there. It was bright and noisy and somehow clean, and Mrs. Sedgwick put her hand on Hermione's shoulder just before she ran out into the middle of it. She took Hermione's hand (it was tight and trembling – was she scared?), and led her inside one step at a time.