Chapter 3: Diagon Alley
Hermione woke up to a beautiful morning. Birds were chirping, and she felt like strangling them! How dare they be so happy! She got up and got ready. She didn't even bother looking in the mirror, she knew she was a mess, but she didn't care. She threw on a pair of blue jeans and a green shirt. Little did she know the transformation that had taken place over night. She grabbed her wand and purse and takes a hold of the doorknob on her door. "Strange," she murmured. "Is it my imagination or is this knob lower than it was yesterday?" She shrugged her shoulders and left the room. As she runs downstairs she yells into the kitchen,
"Mom, I'm going to meet Ron and Harry at Diagon Alley. You don't need to come with, I'll be just fine!" She went out the front door and caught the train to downtown London. She entered the Leaky Cauldron and waved at the bartender.
"Hi, Tom!" she managed a cheery tone. He gave her a strange look.
"Well, hello there, missy. How can I help you?"
"Oh, nothing, I'm just on my way to Diagon Alley for school supplies." She hurried on not noticing the strange look from Tom of unrecognizing.
Once she entered Diagon Alley she felt a peace come over her and felt right at home. Looking down at her watch she saw that it was the regular time that she met Ron and Harry every year.
"Now if I were Harry or Ron, where would I be?" she said aloud. Without hesitation she answered her own question. "The Quidditch Shop." She headed straight there to find a tall red headed boy and a shorter untidy black haired boy drooling at the newest broom in the shop window. She overheard Ron whispering in awe.
"That's the wickedest broom ever! The Dragon Blaze. Look at it! Even the broom straw is bewitched to look like flames!" Hermione edged in closer to see a long sleek black handled broom with gleaming red flames painted on the side and the tail end was a roaring fire.
Hermione tapped the boys on the shoulder. "You guys can stop drooling now. Let's go get some ice cream before we get our things." Harry and Ron turned around and stared at her. A long time.
"Uh, excuse me? You must have mistaken us for someone else," Harry said slowly.
"What are you talking about, Harry?" she asked. Ron looked dumbfounded and then he said,
"Your voice is familiar, but we don't know you." Hermione gasped in disbelief.
"Very funny guys, it's me. Hermione!" Harry and Ron shook their heads.
"No, you're not. We think we know Hermione when we see her."
"No really, it's me! Remember, Moaning Myrtle has a crush on you and I got turned into a cat?" Suddenly Harry burst out laughing.
"Gosh, Hermione, have you been fooling around with Polyjuice Potion again?" Ron was not convinced. Hermione saw his doubt.
"Ron, your pet Scabbers was a certain Peter Pettigrew?" He finally realized it was Hermione.
"Geez, Hermione. We got your letter! What's happened? You look so different! We didn't even recognize you!" Hermione frowned.
"I don't understand. How do I look so different?" Harry pointed to the shop window.
"See for yourself." Hermione walked up to the glass. She was taller. That explains the door knob. And her face was different. Her chin was sharper, her nose narrow and her eyes were dark. Her hair was black long and sleek. No more frizz ball. At least that was good, but other than that she was no longer Hermione Granger. She was a Snape and looked like one too. Not knowing what else to do she screamed. Everyone nearby stopped and stared. Harry laughed nervously.
"Uh, she just found out she broke a nail." People shrugged and continued on their way. Then he turned to his friend. "All right, Hermione. Spill the beans. Tell us what's happened." But just then before she could say even one word a familiar voice hissed,
"Well if it isn't Weasley and Potter. I'm surprised your Mudblood girlfriend isn't hanging all over you, Potter. And Weasley, I wouldn't even think about that broom. It would cost your father 50 years worth of wages to buy it." Ron looked about read to thrash Draco and Hermione looked about ready to strangle him. All of a sudden Draco's eyes fall on Hermione in her new form and his mouth drops open slightly. He glided over and took her hand. Gazing into her eyes he said softly, "Why would such a beautiful angel such as you be among such trash?" and then lowering his head he delicately kissed her hand. Ron looked about ready to throw up but Harry looked just about fit to burst into laughter.
As this was happening Professor Snape and Lucious Malfoy came out of a Potions Shop talking. Immediately Snape's eyes fell on the scene with Draco, Harry, Ron and a dark haired girl. He froze for just then Draco brought the girl's hand to his lips revealing a dark snake-like birthmark which was wrapped around her wrist. At that moment he knew who she was. For only the direct line of the Snape family ever had that birthmark. He was the only one left except for his child. He had found her and she was the spitting image of her mother with a slight Snape resemblance. She had his eyes and his dark hair, not to mention his chin. He smiled slightly and excused himself from Lucious.
Just then Hermione snatched her wrist away from Draco's grasp. "How disgusting!" and Harry was almost choking from holding in his laughter. Draco smiled. He was head over heels. Harry grabbed Hermione's birthmarked wrist.
"Come on. Let's go get that ice cream." Just then Snape walked up.
"Harry Potter, get your hands off of my daughter." All the boys froze, dumbfounded into shocked silence. Draco, being the first to recover his voice said,
"Professor, I didn't know you had a daughter."
"I do and she's coming with me right now." Ron and Harry stared at Hermione and as Snape grabbed her wrist she whispered,
"I'll explain everything on the train!" and was yanked away.
Draco sighed. "I knew she was an angel." Harry burst out laughing.
Hermione woke up to a beautiful morning. Birds were chirping, and she felt like strangling them! How dare they be so happy! She got up and got ready. She didn't even bother looking in the mirror, she knew she was a mess, but she didn't care. She threw on a pair of blue jeans and a green shirt. Little did she know the transformation that had taken place over night. She grabbed her wand and purse and takes a hold of the doorknob on her door. "Strange," she murmured. "Is it my imagination or is this knob lower than it was yesterday?" She shrugged her shoulders and left the room. As she runs downstairs she yells into the kitchen,
"Mom, I'm going to meet Ron and Harry at Diagon Alley. You don't need to come with, I'll be just fine!" She went out the front door and caught the train to downtown London. She entered the Leaky Cauldron and waved at the bartender.
"Hi, Tom!" she managed a cheery tone. He gave her a strange look.
"Well, hello there, missy. How can I help you?"
"Oh, nothing, I'm just on my way to Diagon Alley for school supplies." She hurried on not noticing the strange look from Tom of unrecognizing.
Once she entered Diagon Alley she felt a peace come over her and felt right at home. Looking down at her watch she saw that it was the regular time that she met Ron and Harry every year.
"Now if I were Harry or Ron, where would I be?" she said aloud. Without hesitation she answered her own question. "The Quidditch Shop." She headed straight there to find a tall red headed boy and a shorter untidy black haired boy drooling at the newest broom in the shop window. She overheard Ron whispering in awe.
"That's the wickedest broom ever! The Dragon Blaze. Look at it! Even the broom straw is bewitched to look like flames!" Hermione edged in closer to see a long sleek black handled broom with gleaming red flames painted on the side and the tail end was a roaring fire.
Hermione tapped the boys on the shoulder. "You guys can stop drooling now. Let's go get some ice cream before we get our things." Harry and Ron turned around and stared at her. A long time.
"Uh, excuse me? You must have mistaken us for someone else," Harry said slowly.
"What are you talking about, Harry?" she asked. Ron looked dumbfounded and then he said,
"Your voice is familiar, but we don't know you." Hermione gasped in disbelief.
"Very funny guys, it's me. Hermione!" Harry and Ron shook their heads.
"No, you're not. We think we know Hermione when we see her."
"No really, it's me! Remember, Moaning Myrtle has a crush on you and I got turned into a cat?" Suddenly Harry burst out laughing.
"Gosh, Hermione, have you been fooling around with Polyjuice Potion again?" Ron was not convinced. Hermione saw his doubt.
"Ron, your pet Scabbers was a certain Peter Pettigrew?" He finally realized it was Hermione.
"Geez, Hermione. We got your letter! What's happened? You look so different! We didn't even recognize you!" Hermione frowned.
"I don't understand. How do I look so different?" Harry pointed to the shop window.
"See for yourself." Hermione walked up to the glass. She was taller. That explains the door knob. And her face was different. Her chin was sharper, her nose narrow and her eyes were dark. Her hair was black long and sleek. No more frizz ball. At least that was good, but other than that she was no longer Hermione Granger. She was a Snape and looked like one too. Not knowing what else to do she screamed. Everyone nearby stopped and stared. Harry laughed nervously.
"Uh, she just found out she broke a nail." People shrugged and continued on their way. Then he turned to his friend. "All right, Hermione. Spill the beans. Tell us what's happened." But just then before she could say even one word a familiar voice hissed,
"Well if it isn't Weasley and Potter. I'm surprised your Mudblood girlfriend isn't hanging all over you, Potter. And Weasley, I wouldn't even think about that broom. It would cost your father 50 years worth of wages to buy it." Ron looked about read to thrash Draco and Hermione looked about ready to strangle him. All of a sudden Draco's eyes fall on Hermione in her new form and his mouth drops open slightly. He glided over and took her hand. Gazing into her eyes he said softly, "Why would such a beautiful angel such as you be among such trash?" and then lowering his head he delicately kissed her hand. Ron looked about ready to throw up but Harry looked just about fit to burst into laughter.
As this was happening Professor Snape and Lucious Malfoy came out of a Potions Shop talking. Immediately Snape's eyes fell on the scene with Draco, Harry, Ron and a dark haired girl. He froze for just then Draco brought the girl's hand to his lips revealing a dark snake-like birthmark which was wrapped around her wrist. At that moment he knew who she was. For only the direct line of the Snape family ever had that birthmark. He was the only one left except for his child. He had found her and she was the spitting image of her mother with a slight Snape resemblance. She had his eyes and his dark hair, not to mention his chin. He smiled slightly and excused himself from Lucious.
Just then Hermione snatched her wrist away from Draco's grasp. "How disgusting!" and Harry was almost choking from holding in his laughter. Draco smiled. He was head over heels. Harry grabbed Hermione's birthmarked wrist.
"Come on. Let's go get that ice cream." Just then Snape walked up.
"Harry Potter, get your hands off of my daughter." All the boys froze, dumbfounded into shocked silence. Draco, being the first to recover his voice said,
"Professor, I didn't know you had a daughter."
"I do and she's coming with me right now." Ron and Harry stared at Hermione and as Snape grabbed her wrist she whispered,
"I'll explain everything on the train!" and was yanked away.
Draco sighed. "I knew she was an angel." Harry burst out laughing.