"Hi," Rose tentatively shook her hand. "I've never met anyone your age with that name, only really little kids." The woman laughed.
"Yes, it's funny how that works, isn't it?" She adjusted the bag on her shoulder, "are your parents home? I need to speak with them, and you."
"Sure, one second." Rose left Hermione standing on the doorstep and ran out to the garden. "Mum, dad! There's a woman at the door who wants to talk to you." Charlotte turned to William.
"We're not expecting anyone, are we?" William shook his head. They both took off their gardening gloves and followed Rose into the house and out to the front door. Hermione was still standing there, looking up and down the street. She turned when she heard their footsteps. Her face lit up with a smile, and she extended her hand.
"Professor Watford, pleasure to meet you." Charlotte was puzzled, but shook Hermione's proffered hand. "And Dr. Benson. So nice to meet you. I'm Hermione Granger." Charlotte and William both smiled at that.
"That's not a name you here everyday. I know there are a bunch of Harry Potter's running around the world, but I'd have thought Hermione Granger would be rather rarer." Charlotte said. "Oh, and both of us go by 'Watson,' we combined our names when we got married."
"Oh, my apologies, I was given faulty information. I know this all seems rather out of the ordinary, but would it be alright if we went inside. I have some things I would like to discuss with you about Rose's education." Charlotte hesitated, but her sense of British politeness won out and she quickly ushered her in and offered tea. Once that had been made, the four of them sat at the kitchen table. Hermione took a deep breath.
"I'm not really sure how to begin, I've never done this before." Hermione took a sip from her tea. "You noticed my name, well, how do I put this? I am Hermione Granger, the one from the books." Rose, Charlotte, and William all stared at her.
"What do you mean?" Rose finally asked.
"Hogwarts is real. The books aren't fiction, at least not for the most part." She rummaged around in her bag and pulled out a letter. "This is for you." She handed it to Rose. Rose turned the letter over in her hands. It read Rose Watson/ the upstairs Bedroom/ 5 Pemberly Lane/ Oxfordshire in green ink. She turned it over and found the envelope sealed with red wax, with the imprint of the Hogwarts crest stamped into it. Slowly she opened it and saw the text:
Dear Ms. Watson,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry…
"Is this a joke?" Rose turned from her parents to Hermione. "Is this because I was so upset that we'd finished the books?" Her parents scanned the letter.
"We had nothing to do with this," William said. He turned to Hermione, "what's going on?"
"I'm sorry, I'm doing a terrible job of explaining, I've never done this before. Basically, there is a Wizarding World. Slightly different from the ones Joan wrote about in her books, but real nonetheless. When a witch or wizard is muggleborn, like you Rose, an adult is sent to deliver the letter and explain the contents and other logistical things."
"I don't believe you." Rose was sitting at the table with her arms crossed over her chest, a scowl on her face. "Prove it."
"Alright, I understand." Hermione pulled a wand from her pocket. Rose's eyes widened. "What spell would you like me to do?"
"Wingardium Leviosa!" Rose responded. And with a swish and a flick Hermione sent the letter rising above the table. Rose's eyes widened.
"Oh my god. Oh my god I'm going to Hogwarts!" She got up and started running around the kitchen. "I'm going to do magic and go to Hogwarts. I'm a witch!" Charlotte and William sat staring at the letter that hung, suspended in midair.
"Did I give birth to a witch?" Charlotte asked, dumbfounded. William nodded. "That is probably the most amazing thing I have ever done." She turned to William and smiled. "This is wildly ridiculous, but positively fabulous." He nodded "Rosie, love, come sit back down." Rose slowed her mad circles and came to sit in her chair once again. She bounced in her chair, obviously bursting with questions.
"Rose," Hermione's face turned serious. "I know that this is probably the coolest thing that has ever happened to you, and that you want to run off and tell all of your friends and scream it from the rooftops. But you can't. This needs to stay a secret." She turned to Charlotte and William, "you'll tell people that Rose has been accepted to a prestigious boarding school up north, called The Horris School of Arts and Sciences. There's a fake website which looks very legitimate, and I've brought brochures for you to keep if anyone asks. I know that keeping this a secret is difficult, it was the hardest part of attending Hogwarts when I was a student there, but it's necessary."
"Can I tell Ben? He won't tell anyone. He's really good with secrets." Rose asked, concern marking her words."
"Who's Ben?" Hermione asked.
"My best friend forever, and I have to tell him."
"Alright, but only Ben. And you have to make sure he doesn't tell anyone else. Ok?" Rose nodded.
"Can I ask you a question?" Rose asked. Hermione nodded. "Are you actually married to Ron?" Hermione laughed.
"Rosie, it's not polite to pry into other people's personal lives." William admonished.
"Oh, no it's quite alright. Yes, we are indeed married. For the most part Joan was faithful to our actual love story. Though we're both a bit peeved that he's been portrayed in a less, how shall I say, intelligent way than he is in reality. May the record show that my husband is a pretty smart cookie. And not as vaguely sexist as he is in the books. Anymore questions?"
"A million! What's it like to fly on a broom?" Rose's head was filled with visions of her soaring through the air, it would be like riding a bike, but 100 times better.
"I'm not much of a flyer to tell you the truth. But you'll start flying lessons once you get to school, so you'll know soon enough."
Rose prattled on, and Hermione with the patience of a saint (or a parent) answered them all. And then fun questions flowed into boring logistics: how to get wizard money, how to keep in contact with Rose once she got to Hogwarts, term dates, and the like. Hermione offered to take them the next day to Diagon Alley so Rose could buy her school supplies, and Rose enthusiastically accepted. They planned to meet each other in central London the next morning. Before leaving Hermione gave them her mobile number. When they were puzzled with why she had one she answered.
"I use it to keep in touch with my parents and muggle friends."
"Where has everyone gone?" Ash appeared at the doorway to the kitchen, "has the Queen come to tea?" Ash was currently in a phase where he thought himself immensely clever. The family stood in silence, unsure of what to say. Finally, Hermione broke the silence. She strode over to Ash and extended her hand.
"Hello, I'm Hermione Granger, how do you do?"
"Hi, I'm Ash. Why is everyone so quiet?"
"Because I'm a witch and I'm going to Hogwarts!" Rose practically screamed. She grabbed her Hogwarts letter from the table and thrust it at Ash. "Read it!" Ash quickly scanned the letter.
"Wicked! My sister's a witch!" His face turned serious, "you better not be sorted into Hufflepuff."
Hermione turned on the threshold.
"It was so lovely to meet you all today, I look forward to tomorrow."
"Are you going to apparate home?" Rose asked.
"I am indeed, it does make travel frightfully easily. Bye now." Hermione was halfway down the front walk when Rosie darted from the front door and hugged Hermione.
"Thank you. Today was the best day ever."
"It's my pleasure, my dear. I'll see you tomorrow. Shall I tell Ron that you say hello?" Rosie nodded enthusiastically, and Hermione laughed. "Alright then, it's been lovely meeting all of you."
As soon as the door shut the four of them screamed, at the exact same moment,
"We have a witch in the family!"
Author's note: this is not the last we'll see of Hermione, and she will be answering more questions about the wizarding world. If anyone has questions they'd like to see answered, comment on the story!
Also, I'm going on holiday soon and wifi will be spotty, so no promises that another chapter will be posted this week.
