Author's note:

Hello there! Here is a new chapter! Do read and review! Hope all of you liked it, as usual. Enjoy!

Hermione – The Dark Lady: Thanks for your wonderful review. Glad you liked my story. Hope to hear more from you soon.

And now, on with the story!

HG/LV/HG/LV/HG/LV/HG/LV

Chapter 7: The Diary and the Wand

Hermione's alarm clock went off at seven-thirty. The little girl immediately sat bolt upright, reached for the old clock and switched it off. Sleep was all gone from her mind now, for this was the day that she had been waiting for so eagerly, although it was hardly a day ago that she discovered her true self. Today, she was going to set foot into her world; the world made out for her, the world where she belonged, and most important of all, the world where she was famous and looked upon highly by the folks there. She was going to leave all her misery behind in less than two months after this, and she was very glad about this. No longer will she be tormented, teased or treated badly by the children here, and no longer will that horrible woman of a matron, Mrs. Cole boss her around as though she was the orphanage's slave. In the wizzarding world, no one will call her a freak; no one will think that she was weird, as all of them probably have seen enough of magic in their lives.

A broad smile lit up Hermione's small face, as she swung her legs over the edge of the bed and went into the bathroom. She brushed her teeth, took a quick shower, and then looked in her wardrobe for something presentable for the trip today. After pondering her options, she finally selected an orange satin dress, which Martha; the daily help had bought for her on her seventh birthday. At that time, their relationship was still excellent, and Martha will always buy her gifts to please her. Although they were mostly dresses or books, she loved them and will thank Martha for her generosity.

Thing have changed, Hermione thought sadly as she slipped into the dress. It fitted her perfectly, showing her perfect figure, which was not too plump or too thin. To sum it up, the dress looked as though it was specially tailored for her. It was quite a simple dress; with small sunflowers embroided on the front, puffed sleeves, and a ribbon at the back, where one can tie it into a bow if they liked.

Hermione than combed her hair and pulled it back in a tight bun. She was not going to make her hair into a ponytail this time, she decided. She planned to show Dumbledore just how creative she was. Another smile lit up her face at the thought of the kind old man. Hermione gazed at her reflection in the mirror above her dresser and smiled satisfactorily when she saw how well dressed she was today.

She did not looked like someone from an orphanage at all, she mused.

The rest of the morning was spent in her room. Hermione had no desire to go down to the dining room to have breakfast. Surely she will be teased again by the other children [if they feel up to it] and tormented by Mrs. Cole. For some reason, the woman will always have something to criticize Hermione about whenever they bumped into each other. She was definitely not going down there to spoil her happy mood now, thank you very much.

Hermione passed the hour by reading her unfinished novel. As time passed, she was getting more and more nervous. Finally, with a huff, she marked her page and put down the book; she could not read anymore, she gathered. Nothing seemed to make sense to her for the time being. She will just wait until she got back from getting her things, she decided. Then, she will be able to concentrate fully on what she was reading.

Hermione ticked off the minutes with her fingers. Her agitation and excitement increased as the hands of the clock moved closer to point at nine o'clock. Any time now, Dumbledore will be here to collect her. She was already prepared for his arrival.

Five minutes before nine, Hermione straightened up, and started to make her way downstairs. Before she opened the door of her room, she glanced at her reflection in the mirror for one last time and find that everything was in place. She headed down the hallway, passed the dining room, which was bustling with activity, passed Mrs. Cole's living quarters and headed straight for the front door.

Just as she was stepping into the sunny gardens of the orphanage, there was a soft "pop" and the next moment, she was staring into a pair of twinkling blue eyes. Hermione blinked. How could someone just appear like this? This was amazing, Hermione thought.

Dumbledore stepped forward, and extended his right hand towards Hermione. Hermione took his extended hand, and gave it a warm and welcoming shake. They both smiled at each other for a moment, before Dumbledore stepped beside Hermione.

"You look pretty in that dress," he commented, looking Hermione up and down.

Hermione suppressed a blush. "Thank you, professor. That's the best that I have for now."

Dumbledore gave her another warm smile, and for a moment, Hermione thought that she could detect a hint of sadness behind his twinkling blue eyes.

"Are you ready to go?" Dumbledore asked. Hermione nodded eagerly, and her heart skipped a beat.

"Now, as you are still under age, we'll be going there by side along apparation. I will guide you; you just need to relax," Dumbledore said, putting a gentle hand on Hermione's shoulders.

"Apparation?" Hermione asked, giving the old man a questioning look.

"Oh, pardon me, child. I forgot that you're still new to our world," Dumbledore chuckled, an apologetic look crossing his features. "Apparation is a method used by wizards and witches which are of age to go to places they desire. It is a very quick process. One will appear in the place they wanted to go in just a few seconds."

"So, you traveled here by apparation just now, professor?" Hermione asked. No wonder Dumbledore could just pop up like this, Hermione figured. This is amazing, and she could not wait until she was able to do it on her own in the future.

"Yes," Dumbledore nodded, offering Hermione a lemon drop from the packet in his pocket, which he had produced. Hermione accepted it and popped it into her mouth with a smile.

"Apparation is quite complicated, and if one was not careful in the process, he or she will be splinched; meaning that their body parts will be separated and scattered in various locations."

Hermione shuddered at the thought of this. She will learn it properly, she decided. After all, she had no desire to be splinched; it will definitely be a horrible sight to witness.

"Don't worry, child. If you are careful and follow the procedures correctly, you will turn up in the place you wished to go in good shape," Dumbledore assured her, after looking at her worried look. Hermione just nodded.

"Now, to apparate, you need to have three things in mind; destination, deliberation and determination. Close your eyes. Concentrate hard on your destination, picture the place in your mind as clear as possible, and it will increase your determination. After assuring that you have the deliberation to travel to this place, turn on the spot swiftly. You will be right at the place you wanted to go when you open your eyes. And that's just it!"

"Wow," Hermione said, "that sounds wonderful and exciting. Destination, deliberation and determination."

Dumbledore smiled at Hermione again.

"Now, having said that, I think it's time we go gets your things. Ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be, professor," Hermione said.

Dumbledore stepped closer to Hermione and extended his right arm. "Now, take my arm. That's it, child. Close your eyes."

Hermione obeyed. "Now, relax. Mind you, this might be a bit suffocating."

Hermione did as she was told. Slowly, she let go of all worries and feelings, and relaxed her whole body and mind.

"Now concentrate hard. The place that we're going to go first is Diagon Alley. Just think of the place in your head. Don't worry, I'll be right beside you."

Hermione obeyed once more. "Diagon Alley, Diagon Alley, Diagon Alley." Her mind kept on chanting the two words.

"And now, off we go," Dumbledore said, and turned on the spot slowly. Hermione felt as though her whole body was being compressed into a tube. She found it suffocating and difficult to breath. She was about to scream when the compression stopped. She blinked and opened her eyes.

Her eyes widened in surprise. They were no longer in the empty gardens of Wools Orphanage, for she could no longer see the gray building with its iron panels and grill gates. Instead, they were standing directly in front of a brick wall which was hidden behind a large dustbin.

Dumbledore smiled after noticing her reactions. "So, how do you find apparation?" he asked after Hermione had managed to calm herself.

"It's…quite wonderful, save the suffocation part," Hermione answered truthfully. Dumbledore just grinned and stepped in front of the brick wall.

"You'll get used to it when you started practicing in the future," he said. Hermione watched excitedly as Dumbledore reached into his pocket, and produced a wooden stick. Wow, was this a wand?

"Professor, is that a wand?" Hermione asked before she could stop herself. Dumbledore gave her a wink and held the wooden stick up for Hermione's inspection.

"Wow, I can't wait to get one of these," she said, staring open-mouthed at the wooden stick in the old man's right hand.

Dumbledore just gave her another grin before turning to face the brick wall.

"Now, are you in for another wonderful surprise?" he asked. Hermione nodded eagerly. She could not wait to see more magic.

"Two across, and three upwards," Dumbledore murmured to herself, "now, that's right."

Hermione watched as Dumbledore tapped a few bricks at the center of the wall. In front of her own eyes, she saw the bricks start to move and rumble. This was just like the brick wall back in the sea cave, she thought. She wondered what will be on the other side this time.

"Muggles will not notice this, in case you're wondering," Dumbledore said. "They probably did not think twice to look behind that big dustbin." Dumbledore said. Hermione nodded. How clever, she mused.

The bricks stopped moving, and in the center of the wall, there was a big hole, which was large enough for a few people to squeeze into it.

"After you, Hermione," Dumbledore said, gesturing Hermione forward.

Hermione's heart skipped another beat as she walked towards the hole. She was here at last. She was going to step into the magical world!

Taking a deep breath, Hermione squeezed through the hole, and emerged onto the other side.

Her mouth fell open in surprise when her eyes focused on the sight before her. There was a winding cobblestone pathway, with various shops as one walked along it. The shops were brightly lit; most of them selling rare items. Hermione continued to stare around her.

She turned when she heard a low chuckle from behind her. Dumbledore was smiling up at her, his blue eyes twinkling madly behind his half-moon spectacles.

"Professor, this is…oh!" she was loss for words.

Dumbledore stepped in line beside her, and started to steer her forward. They passed several shops, and Hermione could not help craning her neck and turning her head in every possible direction to look through the windows of every single shop they passed through.

There were shops selling telescopes, shops selling cauldrons, books, parchment and ink, uniforms and so many other interesting things that Hermione had to stop herself from gawking. They bumped into several other people along the way, each of them carrying large shopping bags containing most of the things sold in the shops.

"Now, where do you want to go first, Hermione?" Dumbledore asked, producing a small leather pouch from his pockets at the same time.

Hermione was so excited that she did not even know which shop to look into first. After giving it some thought, she finally decided to go and get her books first.

"Fine then. First stop will be Flourish and Blotts," Dumbledore announced, handing the leather pouch to Hermione.

"Your money from the loan," Dumbledore said when Hermione gave him a questioning look. Hermione took the pouch and opened it. Inside, she saw three different types of wizard coins.

"These are Knuts, Sickles and Galleons," Dumbledore started to explain, teaching Hermione how the money system in the wizzarding world worked. As a bright student, all of this was quickly absorbed into her mind. Hermione nodded when Dumbledore had finished and they continued on their way.

Flourish and Blotts was quite a large shop, which will immediately catch the eyes of those who looked at all the other shops on the beautifully decorated street. It stood out easily, as it was sandwiched between a large shop selling Potions supply and another shop selling Quidditch equipments, according to the large and colourful sign which hung at the front door. [Hermione had no idea what Quidditch was, but she kept it to herself. She will perhaps ask Dumbledore about it later, she decided.]

They stepped into the beautifully decorated bookshop. As they entered, a light bell tinkled, and the smell of old leather immediately caught Hermione's sense of smell. She gazed around her. There were books of various sizes, piled neatly on tall bookcases and high shelves. Near the window, a tall bookcase displayed books which were on discounts, with large stickers and tags hanging above the shelf and facing the window, so that passer-bys will have no trouble noticing them, as they were done up nicely with attractive large letters which shimmered and glittered when the rays of sunlight reflected upon them. Hermione felt excitement bubbling up in her again. Never in her life had she came across so many books before, not even in an ordinary bookshop, where she will normally spent her time when she had a free period during recess. It was just across from the primary school where she was studying, and she will sit there until she heard the school bell rang in the distance. She will pick a book, sit cross-legged on the floor and thumbed through it. The bookshop owner did not seem to mind it at all; in face, she always welcomed Hermione into her shop and sometimes, when she felt up to it, she will offer Hermione a light treat such as a bar of chocolate or some cookies.

Hermione was brought out of her musings by Dumbledore's voice.

"Now, we'll just give Mr. Blotts over there the booklist. He will be sure to pack all the necessary books for you," Dumbledore said. "I'll get your books for you, Hermione. Perhaps you'll love to wander around on your own while we wait for your books to be ready?"

"Okay," Hermione said, handing the booklist to Dumbledore. As Dumbledore made his way towards the counter, where a plump wizard sat, Hermione glanced around the bookshop. There were so many isles, that she had trouble deciding which isle to explore first. Finally, after pondering her options, she headed for the isle which was at the far end of the shod. "Dark Arts" was written on a large tag which hung at the isle's entrance. Hermione pushed passed the large plastic tag, and started to gaze at the titles displayed on the shelves. "Dark Arts of the Modern Times", "Modern Theory of Defence: 101 Dark Curses and Their Countercurses", "Magic's Darkest Potential", "Journey through the Dark World of Magic", and oh, the list just went on and on. Hermione pulled down book after book from the shelves and started to thumb through them. Oh, how she wished she could read all the books here! For a crazy moment, Hermione imagined herself buying all the books in the shop. She will be as happy as a merry soul then. No longer will she be lonely, for she will get to read all of the books she bought. Oh, wouldn't that be wonderful?

Hermione sighed, and placed the last book back onto its respective shelf. She went on to the next shelf, and found more interesting titles there. She skimmed through the books quickly, and moved on to another shelf when she had finished with the current one.

Hermione sighed with relief and awe as she reached the end of the isle. All the books there were so interesting. She secretly hoped that she will be able to purchase one of the titles there, but she knew that will be impossible, as her loan was probably just enough to cover her expenses for her main supplies.

She was about to turn away when she heard footsteps behind her. Thinking that it was Dumbledore, she turned around, and came face-to-face with another wizard. It was not Dumbledore after all.

The wizard was tall and thin, with blond hair, watery blue eyes and a mouth which curved upwards into a smirk. He wore dark robes and boots which had an expensive heir about it when one looked at it. To sum it all up, everything that this wizard wore had a certain grand air surrounding them. He must be a well-to-do wizard, Hermione thought.

However, a strong sense of dislike quickly swelled up in Hermione the moment she set eyes on this wizard. He had a certain smug and arrogant look about him which Hermione disliked immediately. She figured that this wizard was probably not the person that she wished to mess with, as she had no desire to get into trouble. She was still new here, and she doubted that rich aristocrats like that wizard [she assumed that this was the case] will be as kind as Dumbledore.

Her instincts told her to distance herself as fast as possible from the wizard before it is too late. Her instincts were normally right, and she started to turn away and walk into the opposite isle.

Before she managed to turn into the other isle which is "Transfiguration and Ancient Runes", she felt a hand on her shoulder. She let out a small gasp and turned around. She stared straight into the pale blue eyes of the wizard. He had managed to catch up with her, and she must act fast now. She had a bad feeling that trouble will come soon if she did not leave soon.

"Ahem," the wizard started to clear his throat, not taking his eyes off Hermione. Hermione fidgeted slightly and tried to offer him a half smile.

The wizard paused for a moment before continuing.

"Good morning, young lady. First year, I assumed?" the wizard said, giving her a smile. Hermione noticed that he spoke in a drawling and bored voice, which she immediately disliked.

Hermione tried to give him a half smile and nodded silently.

"Ah, I see you're wandering off into other sections, little girl. "Dark Arts" for a first year, eh? Are you sure you can handle it?" he drawled, giving Hermione another quizzical look.

Swallowing hard, Hermione forced out, "Excuse me, sir. I've every right in deciding what is good for me and what is not. Sorry if I seemed rude, but I don't think that what I decided to browse through concerned you, as it's not your business."

The smile on the wizzard's face faltered, and it was replaced with a scowl. Nevertheless, he quickly masked it with another half smile before answering.

"Oh, is that so?" he drawled. "In case you're wondering, I'm Lucius Malfoy, the Governor of Hogwarts, where you will probably be going to in a few weeks time."

It seemed that this wizard was hinting at something, and Hermione, after a few minutes, got his message. He was threatening her, it seems. She was not afraid of this. She had handled various situations similar to this one in her primary school, where she would have to defend herself when one of her awful classmates taunt her and accused her of something which she had never done before. Thus, she was more than prepared to face this wizard now. She did not care whether she sounded rude; he had mocked her and disturbed her earlier. She had no intention of getting to know this Mr. Malfoy or whoever he was.

Pulling herself to her full height, Hermione looked straight into the wizzard's eyes, and said in a confident voice: "Oh, I see."

"So, you will watch your mouth, kid, or you will find that your year at Hogwarts turning up unpleasant," the wizard forced out, smirking at Hermione. "The old fool of a Headmaster will not be able to do much, I'm afraid."

The nerve of this wizard, Hermione fumed angrily. How dare he insult Dumbledore like that? She was sure to hate this man for her whole life, she decided.

"I will watch my mouth, don't worry. I believe that it's time for me to go find my guardian. Good day to you, Mr. Malfoy, and please accept my apology if I offended you," Hermione said. She had no desire to face this horrible arrogant wizard any longer.

"Oh, don't worry. We Malfoys have a large and warm heart. We forgive other people's mistake easily. Seeing that you're a first year, which is the same as my son, I'll definitely forgive you, little girl. Make sure not be rude to me again next time we meet." He smirked.

Anger was welling up in Hermione and she tried her best to control it. She had no desire to harm this wizard, as she will really land herself in hot soup. She was not going to let her accidental magic lash out at this wizard; she was not prepared to face the consequences, thank you very much.

"I don't believe you've properly introduced yourself, young lady," the wizard said before Hermione could turn away. "May I have the pleasure of meeting you, so that I can introduce my son, Draco to you? I'm sure the two of you will get along just fine, as he was also interested in the dark arts."

Hermione turned away quickly. Meeting the father was enough for her, she do not think that she could tolerate his son. They were probably the same; arrogant, boastful, smug-looking and disgusting to look at. She wished that she could hex them right on the spot; perhaps turning them into white ferrets, which no doubt suit them well [if the son looked just like the father, Hermione mused]. She had read about that spell in a book which she had browsed through just now.

"I believe that is unnecessary, Mr. Malfoy. You will not know me, as I'm new to the wizzarding world." Hermione started to walk away, but Lucius Malfoy caught up with her and put a hand on her shoulder to stop her. She gingerly pushed his hands away and turned around to face him.

"New?" he said, looking her up and down. "What do you mean new?"

"Well, if you must know, Mr. Malfoy, I'm a Muggle-born," Hermione said, hoping that this will do the trick.

Dumbledore had told her a bit more about the wizzarding world as they were on their way to Flourish and Blotts just now. She learned that some of the wizards and witches came from pureblood families [which are ancient families which had a clear historical background, and whom bloodline can be traced back to pure magical folks], half-bloods [where only one of the parents is a magic folk] and Muggle-borns, just like herself. Certain pureblood families will look down at the others, Dumbledore had explained.

True enough, Hermione's words did the trick. Lucius Malfoy immediately stepped back with a disgusted look on his face.

"I see," he drawled and gave her a cold look. "A mudblood indeed."

He took one last look at her before turning away. "Pity," she heard him murmured under his breath before walking off, wiping his hands frantically on his robes. No doubt he was worried that touching her just now had contaminated him. Hermione smirked.

"Good day to you, Mr. Malfoy. Sorry that my blood status bother you. I hope I didn't ruin your pureblood superiority just now." Hermione added this as an afterthought, to irritate the wizard. Dumbledore had told her that most purebloods who looked down on the Muggle-borns and half-bloods will give them disgusted names, and mudblood was among them. It means "dirty blood", initiating that the Muggle-borns were unworthy living beings that were accepted into the wizzarding world. Hermione had felt angry at this form of prejudice. Why must that be such a standard in the wizzarding world, she wondered. Couldn't everyone just live together happily?

Hermione sighed, and turned around. After skimming isle after isle, she was finally satisfied with herself. At least she got to read through all the books in the store, though not thoroughly. She would buy these books some day, all of them, she promised herself when she could afford it.

She made for the front of the store, looking for Dumbledore. She was just approaching the counter, where Dumbledore was chatting happily with the short and plump wizard who was packing her books into two big boxes, when she noticed a movement from the corners of her eyes.

She squinted closely, and saw that someone was up to something at the back of the shop, at the end of the Defence against the Dark Arts isle. Curiosity overtook her. She had a bad feeling about this, and her instincts told her that what was going to come next was not good at all.

Making up her mind quickly, she smiled at Dumbledore, who had just caught sight of her, and signaled to him that she needs to check out another book. Dumbledore nodded, and gave her a smile.

"I'll be back in five minutes, professor," Hermione mouthed silently and Dumbledore nodded.

Quietly, Hermione made her way along the isle. She stopped a few feet away where a figure was crouching. One glance was enough to tell her who it was. There was no mistaking about platinum blond hair on the figure's head. It was Mr. Malfoy again.

What was he up to, Hermione wondered. Quietly, she hid behind a tall bookshelf, and crouched down to have a better look. Mr. Malfoy was directly opposite her now.

She could see that he was nervous. For a moment, his gaze darted around every corner, as though making sure that no one was around. Then, she saw him removing something from his robe pocket quickly. He held the object in his hands, which were beginning to tremble. Hermione could tell that the wizard was scared of performing whatever task he had come to do. She wondered what was the object in his hands. It looked like a book, judging by its square shape and leather cover, but she will have to take a closer look to confirm this.

The wizard straightened up after a few more seconds of pondering, picked out a dusty book from one of the shelves, and crouched down again. He flipped through the dusty pages quickly, and stopped at a particular page, which seemed to be the middle part of the book. Hastily, he placed the object in his hands onto the open book, and snapped it shut. Then, he walked a few paces back, and slipped the book over the edges of the shelf where Hermione was hiding. The book fell with a loud on the floor, barely missing Hermione by a few inches. She let out a breath of relief.

The wizard then straightened up, and walked away quickly, without looking back.

Oh yes, he was definitely up to no good, Hermione decided. From where she was crouching, she concluded that no one would noticed the fallen book, as the gap between the shelves were too small, and just enough for her to squeeze in. So, the book will definitely gone unnoticed for quite some time, until the owner decided to clear the shelves.

Quickly, Hermione stretched out her hands, and pulled the book towards her. She carefully opened the book and found the page where the wizard Malfoy had hidden the particular object a few seconds in no time.

She was indeed correct. The object in question was a diary, which was just the right size for writing and easy to carry. She picked up the diary. The leather smelled quite new, but the diary looked old. However, Hermione was surprised to find that it was not tattered at all.

"This must be some sort of bad plans which Malfoy need to destroy before he got himself into trouble," Hermione thought. "Or else, why dispose a diary here?"

Excitedly, Hermione started to open the diary. If it was indeed something fishy, she will not hesitate to inform the shopkeeper and Dumbledore about it. She was keen to see Malfoy suffer some punishment when he was wrong. Hermione could tell that he was up to no good the first time he started to talk to her.

She flipped through the pages of the diary, and her eyebrows shot up in surprise. The pages were all blank. So, why would Malfoy bother to dispose an empty diary? She flipped to the front and glanced at the first page.

"Ah," she said, when she saw a line of neat writing on the front page of the diary.

T.M. Riddle

"Who is this T.M. Riddle?" Hermione wondered. It must be someone Malfoy had worked with, she concluded. She was determined to check it out.

"Was he a friend of Malfoy? Or some bad guy?" she continued to wonder aloud.

A sudden feeling of familiarity overcame her. Without knowing what she was doing, Hermione picked up the diary, and stuffed it into her dress pocket. She hoped that the top would not show, and pushed the book as deep as she could manage into her pocket.

Her pulse quickened. Why was she doing this, she wondered aloud? For an unknown reason, she felt comfortable holding the diary, and sudden warmness enveloped her. She just wanted to keep the book close to her.

"Was it jinxed?" she wondered aloud. If it was, then she was doomed. She had fallen into Malfoy's trap. He was probably luring some innocent and ignorant people to pick it up, and then put a jinx on them Hermione decided. This must be it, she gathered finally. Why else would someone with perfect sense and a certain degree of respect in the wizzarding society leave a blank diary in a bookshop just like that? She was not falling into that trap, thank you very much.

Hastily, she pulled the diary out of her pocket, and held it up to the light. She examined the book thoroughly. She had managed to read a whole chapter in a book entitled "The Signs and Side Effects One May Find on Curse Objects", and she tried to look more closely at the diary to see if she could see such signs on it. Thank God she was a fast learner, and had learned that chapter by heart.

She turned the diary over, and flipped through the pages again. Nothing happened. The blank pages stared back at her, as though daring her to challenge them. There was also no sign that the book had been cursed or jinxed.

"Perhaps I'm thinking too much," Hermione said. She held the diary close to her. However, the warmness she felt just now did not coursed through her body this time.

"It must be my own silly imaginations the first time," she said to herself. "I'm really thinking too much."

She started to ponder her options. She realised that she had not much time left. Dumbledore will be suspicious when she did not emerge from the isle, and will probably come looking for her. She should think fast.

Finally, Hermione arrived at a decision.

"I'll keep this diary for now," Hermione said, pocketing the diary quickly. "When I've gathered sufficient evidence, I'll inform Dumbledore about it, and have Malfoy suffer the consequences. Dumbledore will probably laugh at me if I told him that Malfoy was up to no good. After all, he seems to have a grand air about him. I have no doubts that he was among one of the most respectable wizards in th3e wizzarding world. Dumbledore will probably not believe me now. After all, who will believe a new Muggle girl, who was just starting to step into her own world?" Hermione mused silently. She decided that she will strike out when the time was right.

She straightened up, and walked out of the isle.

"Done," Hermione said cheerfully, skipping beside Dumbledore, who was now holding two large boxes in his hands.

"Well, off we go then," Dumbledore said. "Just pay Mr. Blotts here for your books first, dear child. Do you still have the pouch?"

Hermione smiled, and removed the leather pouch from her dress pocket, at the same time taking care that the diary was well hidden from Dumbledore and Mr. Blotts' views.

"That's five galleons and twelve sickles, miss," the shopkeeper said. Hermione reached into the leather pouch Dumbledore had given her, and quickly counted out the money. She placed it on the counter, and the shopkeeper took it with a smile.

"Enjoy your first year, Ms. Granger. Professor Dumbledore had told me that you are a fast learner. We expect great thing from you soon."

Hermione just smiled and nodded. Dumbledore conjured a small trolley by waving his wand, and placed the two boxes on it. They walked out of the shop.

"Now, let's get your uniform and other school supplies before heading for Olivanders, shall we?"

Hermione nodded. She tried to keep the excitement and anxiety in her speech and actions. She was actually feeling nervous now. She longed to find out more about the diary. Only then could she proceed to find out about Malfoy's plan.

"Hermione, are you alright?" Dumbledore asked, as Hermione had gone very quiet all of a sudden.

"Yes," Hermione said. "I was just thinking about something else."

Dumbledore gave her a quizzical look, and fearing that he will be able to read her mind, Hermione quickly turned away. They continued to walk in silence, and proceed with their shopping.

By mid afternoon, the small trolley was loaded with Hermione's supplies. Hermione felt very happy today. She now had a few pairs of robes, some working gloves, two cloaks and two jumpers. She also have a full box of quills, three large bottles of ink, a telescope, scales and chopping board and cauldron for potions and a pet owl, which Dumbledore had insisted to buy for her.

"Treat this as your birthday present from me, Hermione," he said, when she refused to take the cage which contained a beautiful white snowy owl.

"Professor, you don't have to…" she started, but Dumbledore cut her off.

"No worries, child. It's my pleasure. After all, it's not everyday in my life that I got to but a lovely young girl like you a present, eh?" His blue eyes twinkled warmly behind his half-moon spectacles.

"Thank you, professor. No one had given me presents before for my birthday," Hermione said, finally extending her hand, and taking the cage from Dumbledore. A soft hoot was heard from within. Hermione reached through the small bars of the cage, and gently stroked the soft and warm feathers of the owl. It gave her another hoot, before placing its head under its wings.

"It seems to like me," Hermione said, smiling at Dumbledore. She was touched by his kindness.

Dumbledore smiled, and they continued to walk along Diagon Alley. By now, the crowd had become smaller. There were fewer shoppers and less noise now. The street was half cleared now.

Hermione was glad about this. She was tired of bumping into somebody and apologizing to them. The problem is, whenever they noticed her scar as she pushed locks of her long black hair out of her eyes, they will gawked at her and stand rooted to their spots. Then, they will rush forward, and shook her hand, offering compliments and welcoming her into the wizzarding world.

"Doris Crockford, Ms. Granger, and I'm so happy to be able to meet you at last," an elderly woman with a pipe in her mouth had said, giving Hermione's little hand a shake which sent Hermione's knees buckling.

"Welcome back, Ms. Granger. I'm Dedalus Diggle," a man with a high and pointed wizzard's hat said, rushing forward to shake her hands. In his excitement, his hat fall off his head, and he had to bent down several times before he could retrieved it and made his way through the crowd to shake Hermione's hand again.

"I'm blessed, Ms. Granger. I though I will not be able to meet you," an elderly man was sandy hair said, holding up a large hand for Hermione to shake. "I'm Amos Diggary, by the way. M'boy's starting at Hogwarts this year as well. I'm sure he'll be delighted for making your acquaintance."

This went on as Hermione continued to shop for her supplies. Dumbledore merely greeted a few of the witches and wizards, and nodded to some of them. His smile broadened each time one of the wizards or witches who recognized Hermione rushed forward and shake her hand.

Hermione just smiled, and thanked those who complimented her. She really did not know what was said; she was rendered speechless.

"See for yourself, my child. You're famous!" Dumbledore chirped happily beside her, popping a lemon drop into his mouth.

"Oh, well…" Hermione trailed off. She was getting tired. She wished she could just return home now, even though this means that she will be going back to Wools Orphanage. She had had quite enough for one day.

As though reading her thoughts, Dumbledore finally cleared his throat, straightened up and said: "One final stop before we go for dinner, I think this is the moment that you're waiting for, Hermione. Let's get your wand."

Hermione's heart skipped a beat. A wand! She was going to have a wand! At last!

All tiredness drained out of her. Her body was bursting with energy again. Finally, she was going to hold a wand, a magic wand.

She smiled and followed Dumbledore along the street. They reached a small and dusty-looking shop at the far end of the street.

"Olivander – Wand Maker since the 16th century"; a dusty sign which was hung above the shop read.

"Ready?" Dumbledore said, pushing open the door to the tiny shop. Hermione nodded, and stepped into the show. A bell tinkled lightly as the door closed behind them.

Dumbledore walked towards a bench at the far end of the shop, and sank down on it. Hermione on the other hand, did not think that she will be able to sit down just yet. This shop was just extraordinary. Unlike other shops, it was small, dusty, and boxes were piled high onto benches and shelves. She wondered whether those boxes held wands, judging by their oblong shape, which was just the perfect size to fit a wand.

However, there seems to be no one in the shop at that moment. Hermione's spirits fell. She was quite disappointed. Perhaps Mr. Olivander, or whoever it was, did not have the time for her today. Does that mean that she has to come back some time later?

"Hello?" she called out, hoping that someone will emerge from the back of the shop.

There was no answer.

"Hello?" she tried again, raising the volume of her voice to an octave higher than before.

There was still no answer. Sighing, Hermione glanced around the shop. The sun outside was just setting; its crimson rays reflecting on the dusty boxes piled high from floor to ceiling. Dusty chandeliers hung above the ceiling, glittering with a dim glow which made the shop look shabby and slightly eerie.

"Good evening."

A soft voice from behind her made Hermione jumped. Hastily, she turned around, and came face to face with an old man. The man had white hair, a wrinkled face and blue eyes which were just as piercing as Dumbledore's. His crooked nose almost touched Hermione's face as he bent down closer and observed her from behind a pair of ordinary spectacles with thin lenses.

"Ah, I should be expecting you sooner, Ms. Granger," he said in his soft voice again.

"Olivander," Hermione sighed with relief when he heard Dumbledore's voice from the far end of the shop.

"Ah, Albus. Twelve and a half inches, Holy. Dragon heartstrings. Swift and flexible," Mr. Olivander said, beaming at Dumbledore. "Oh yes, I still remembered."

"I'm bringing Ms. Granger to buy her supplies, Olivander," Dumbledore said, smiling at the old man.

"Indeed," Mr. Olivander said, still not taking his eyes off Hermione.

There was an awkward moment of silence.

"Hello, Mr. Olivander," Hermione finally said, and held out her hand. Mr. Olivander grasped it and shook it warmly.

"It was as though as it had since only yesterday that He was here, buying his first wand…" he trailed off. "I detected that same dark aura when He first stepped inside my shop. So there I was, busy daydreaming at the back of the shop today, and it happened again, just as before…"

What was he talking about, Hermione wondered. She figured that he will not ask Mr. Olivander about it, as it would seem rude.

"Oh yes, indeed. I can see the similarities…" the old man continued to mutter to himself, "and this is where all is explained…"

He reached out and touched Hermione's scar gently with his long fingers. Hermione flinched slightly at the icy cold touch.

"Ah, enough of that," Mr. Olivander suddenly straightened up. "Forgive me, Ms. Granger. Now, let's get down to business."

Hermione managed to give him a half smile. Mr. Olivander reached into his pockets and produced a measuring tape.

"Which hand do you prefer, Ms. Granger?" he asked.

"The right hand," Hermione said, guessing that he was asking her which hand she will prefer to use when holding the wand. She hoped that she was correct on this assumption.

"Very well. Hold out your right hand, Ms. Granger," Mr. Olivander said.

Hermione did as she was told, and the measuring tape uncoiled itself and started to measure her arm on its own accord.

"Stop!" Mr. Olivander cried at one point, and the measuring tape fall onto the floor with a loud clatter. Mr. Olivander bent down, picked it up and placed it back into his pocket.

"Now, let's see," he said, walking around his shops, and taking down various boxes from their respective piles.

"Try this," Mr. Olivander said finally, opening a box and pulled out a wand. Hermione took the wand in her hands, and stood still. She was not sure of what to do next. Did Mr. Olivander expect her to perform some spells?

"Ten and a quarter inches, mahogany, dragon heartstrings and unicorn hair, flexible and swishy," Mr. Olivander said. "Go on, try it out. Just give it a wave."

Holding the wand in her right hand, Hermione waved it slowly. There was a loud bang, and the chandelier above the ceiling exploded into pieces.

"Not to worry, not to worry," Mr. Olivander said, repairing the damage with a swift flick of his wand.

"Try this: Phoenix feather and unicorn hair, twelve and a half inches. Easily bent and strong when performing Transfiguration."

Hermione took the wand and was about to wave it when Mr. Olivander quickly snatched it back from her.

"No!" he said. "Let's try another one, shall we?"

They continued in this manner for quite some time. Each time Mr. Olivander gave Hermione a particular wand, he will quickly snatched it back before Hermione was able to wave it. On other times, Hermione will be free to wave the wand, and another terrible explosion will occur, which was repaired by Mr. Olivander. Dumbledore just sat quietly on the bench at the far end of the shop, observing the situation.

"Difficult customer, eh?" Mr. Olivander said, taking down more boxes from the shelves. By now, the floor was piled up high and littered with boxes. The more boxes he opened, the more excited Mr. Olivander become, Hermione noticed.

An hour later, they had still not managed to find the right wand for Hermione. She was beginning to get worried. Maybe all the wands decided that she was not their rightful owner after all. Maybe Dumbledore had really made a mistake after all, and she was not a witch at all.

"Don't worry," Mr. Olivander said, taking down more boxes from the shelves. "I'm sure the right wand will come soon. The wand chooses its master, you know?"

Hermione took comfort in those words. She hoped that Mr. Olivander was right.

"Ah, I wonder…" Mr. Olivander said suddenly, and a thoughtful expression crossed his features.

With a flick of his wand, all the littered boxes on the floor began to arrange themselves neatly on their respective shelves.

"Just give me a moment, Ms. Granger. I'll be right back," he said, and disappeared to the back of the shop.

Hermione let out a deep sigh, and shifted her weight from one foot to the other agitatedly. She was getting nervous and worried. She hoped that all would be well.

Five minutes later, Mr. Olivander emerged from the back of the shop, holding another box in his hands. The box was very tattered and dusty. It seems that it had been kept at the back of the shop for quite a number of years.

Mr. Olivander brushed off the thick layers of dust from the box with his hands, and opened it.

"Try this," he said in a small voice. Hermione could detect a sense of excitement and anticipation in the old man's voice.

She took the wand from Mr. Olivander's hands. A sudden warmness touched her fingers as they closed around the slender piece of wood. The warmness coursed through her arm and traveled up her shoulders. This had never happened before, Hermione observed. Maybe this was indeed her wand!

"I wonder…" Mr. Olivander trailed off again. Another thoughtful expression crossed her face. "Thirteen and a half inches, yew, phoenix feathers, powerful wand indeed."

From the opposite side of the room, Hermione heard Dumbledore shifting in his seat. Hermione looked at Dumbledore, but the old man just smiled at her before exchanging a knowing look with Mr. Olivander.

"Ah," Dumbledore said softly. "Do you think so, Olivander?"

Mr. Olivander just gave Dumbledore another wink, before turning back to Hermione.

"Go on, give it a wave," Mr. Olivander said, his blue eyes twinkling.

Slowly, Hermione raised the smooth and slender piece of wood, and brought it down swiftly. Immediately, red sparks shot out from the tip of a wand, followed by a string of silvery mist.

"Ah!" Mr. Olivander clapped his hands together. "At last! The wand chooses the wizard! This wand had chosen you, Ms. Granger!"

Hermione was bursting with excitement. At last, she had found her wand. It had chosen her!

"Curious…very curious indeed…" Mr. Olivander was muttering to himself again, as he took the wand from Hermione and put it back into its box. "I should have guessed…"

Hermione was finding it hard to contain her curiosity. She wanted so badly to find out what was Mr. Olivander talking about. For the last two hours, the old man had been acting strangely; muttering to himself and smiling to himself all the while.

"Excuse me, sir?" Hermione asked after clearing her throat. "May I know what is so curious?"

"Ah, my dear child," Mr. Olivander said, giving Hermione a sympathetic look. He was quiet for quite some time afterwards. Hermione assumed that he was not going to answer her, but was surprised when the old man leaned in closer to her and started to speak again after another long pause.

"I remembered every single wand that I've made, Ms. Granger; every single wand," he started to said. "You must know that no two wands are ever alike. Every wand has their special characteristics, strengths and weaknesses.

However, during the last century, when I was making wands, an unusual thing happened. It turned out that the phoenix, which tail was used to make the core of your wand, decided to give another feather. Just one more so that a twin core wand can be created.

I thought that this was amazing and particular, but the next happening surprised me even more. It turned up that the particular yew tree, which bark is used to make your wand, just decided to give another bark as well! It was totally unexpected! The bark was so thick and I thought it was unusual when I collected it. Then, during the wand making process, it simply splits into halves of the same length.

Thus, it seemed to be possible to create two similar wands, with same tree barks and twin cores. How amazing!"

"Is it unusual?" Hermione asked. She still could not get it. She could not understand what is the big deal of her and another person getting the same wand. It will be as though both persons obtained a same textbook, wouldn't it? Why was Mr. Olivander thought that it was curious?

"Ah, indeed it is," Mr. Olivander said. "It is unusual that this particular wand decided to choose you, when his brother gave you this." Here, Mr. Olivander straightened up, and pointed at Hermione's scar with his index finger.

"What…" Hermione started to say, but the pieces finally clicked together in her head. A chill ran down her spine, and her knees buckled slightly.

"You mean that…" she trailed off.

Mr. Olivander gave her a questioning look. Swallowing hard, Hermione tried again.

"Are you telling me that I have the same wand as Lord Voldemort?"

"Ah," Mr. Olivander said, nodding slowly. "You really are the brightest witch for your age, Ms. Granger. Yes, indeed. Both of you shared the same wand. I should be blaming myself for this; for I've made the wand which will destroy the whole world…"

A sad look crossed the old man's face. "It's too late now…It had fallen into the wrong hands…"

"Mr. Olivander," Hermione said, reaching out and patting the old man's wrinkled hands gently. A tinge of sympathy for the old man grew in Hermione's chest. That poor man was probably blaming himself for the terrible disaster in the wizzarding world.

"It was my fault too that you lost your parents," Mr. Olivander said, straightening up again and wrapping up the box containing Hermione's wand with brown paper.

"And you made me famous too," Hermione said, trying to sound cheerful. "I've yet to thank you for that, Mr. Olivander. Without the creation of that wand, I'll not be known as the girl-who-lived and became famous! Don't blame yourself for this; it was not your fault, sir."

Mr. Olivander gazed at her, and then he smiled slowly. "You're amazing, child," he said, smiling at her fondly again.

They continued to chat for a while, before Dumbledore announced that it was time to go. Hermione bid Mr. Olivander goodbye and the old man wished her best of luck in her future.

"Use it well," Mr. Olivander said, pointing to the long, thin package at the top of the pile on the trolley. "We expect great things from you soon, my dear."

"Don't worry, I will be sure of it," Hermione said, giving Mr. Olivander another warm smile. "Good evening, Mr. Olivander."

Dumbledore walked out of the shop, and Hermione followed behind him. They headed down the street, which was now totally deserted. They passed through all the shops, and stepped out of the hole onto the other side of the sidewalk once more.

"Now, dinner at the Leaky Cauldron, and then you shall be getting back to Wools Orphanage," Dumbledore said, leading Hermione into a small and shabby-looking pub.

"Another magical place?" Hermione enquired. She observed that the shop was well hidden from view. Passer-bys tend to overlook it, judging by its shabby appearance. Their gaze would mainly fall on the large bookshop and the video shop, where the shabby pub was sandwiched in between.

"Yes, indeed. I daresay that you'll be meeting a lot more of people here. Are you prepared for another round, Hermione?" Dumbledore asked, grinning.

Hermione sighed, and gave Dumbledore a tired smile.

"Fine then. I'll ask Tom to arrange a private room for us upstairs. I personally think that you had had enough for one day."

"Thanks, professor," Hermione said, giving Dumbledore an appreciative smile.

They stepped into the pub, and Dumbledore hastily signaled for a balding barman forward. The pub was very noisy. Hermione could hear the clinking of wineglasses and the sound of cutlery, as the customers drank from their wineglasses and cut up their food.

Dumbledore had a quick and quiet exchange with the barman, who nodded and signaled for the both of them to follow him. They walked up several flights of stairs after passing through the occupied tables. Hermione took care in bending as low as possible, so that her face and scar will not be visible. She had no desire to be ambushed by a crowd who will start to compliment and congratulate her a moment later.

They reached a wide landing, and headed down a quiet corridor. The barman produced a rusty little key from his pocket, and unlocked a door at the end of the corridor.

"Dinner will be here in ten minutes," he said, before hurrying off downstairs. As he passed, a look of respect crossed his face when his gaze fell on Hermione.

While waiting for their food, Hermione and Dumbledore chatted for a while. Hermione found out more about the magical world. She now gets to know what Quidditch was all about. It was some kind of wizzarding sport, by the way Dumbledore described it. However, Hermione found that for some reason, she was not quite interested about Quidditch, as it seemed boring, as the description was akin to soccer played in the air.

Dinner was wonderful. Hermione had not eaten anything so nice and tasty before in her entire life. The chicken stew and meat pie was simply tempting. She almost finished half of the food Dumbledore ordered. Dumbledore just smiled at her, and waved off her rudeness and apologies simply when Hermione mentioned it.

"Oh, it's not like you've a nice meal before, eh?" Dumbledore said, patting her gently on the shoulder.

After desert [lemon tarts and strawberry ice-cream], which was also delicious, Hermione and Dumbledore apparated back to Wools Orphanage.

Hermione felt sad all of a sudden. Dumbledore would leave her now, and she will have to endure this miserable life for at least another two months before she was free to go again. Nevertheless, the thought of her new school books, her supplies, her wand and her pet owl made her cheered up a little. At least these will occupied her time, she decided.

"Now, I will leave you here, Hermione," Dumbledore said. With a wave of his wand, the small trolley which held all her supplies disappeared, along with her supplies.

"Your supplies are now safely in your room," Dumbledore said. "You wouldn't like the other children gawking at you as you went up to your room holding weird packages, eh?"

Hermione smiled at the light joke, and shook Dumbledore's hand warmly. The old wizard gave her another warm smile, and gave her small hand a squeeze.

Then, Dumbledore reached into his pocket, and produced a small brown envelope, which he handed to Hermione.

"Here's your ticket," he said, grinning. "Just be at platform nine-and-three-quarters before 11 a.m. on 1st September. Just ask around if you're unable to find the platform."

"Okay," Hermione said, taking the envelope from Dumbledore's hands, and pocketed it.

"I must be off then. I've some other business to attend to," Dumbledore said, smoothing out the creases on his long cloak. "See you around, Hermione. Enjoy your holiday!"

And without another word and before Hermione could open her mouth to thank him once more, Dumbledore turned on the spot, and disappeared.

Hermione blinked, and turned away. Slowly, she made her way towards the grill gates of the orphanage. Into the garden, passed the front door, passed the dining room, up onto the first floor, and finally, she turned the corner which lead to her room.

She bolted the door, and sat on the bed excitedly. Two big bags were placed at the foot of her bed. She gathered that all of her supplies were inside them.

Taking off her dress, Hermione went into the bathroom, and had a quick shower. Then, she dressed quickly and sat down on her bed.

She removed the diary from the pockets of her dress, and started to trace its cover thoughtfully.

Where should she begin?

Tiredness overtook her, and her mind refused to turn the necessary gears for now. Sighing, Hermione placed the diary beside her, lie down on her bed and fall asleep instantly. The events of the day had tired her out. She will figure out the diary on tomorrow, she decided.

Managing a small yawn before her eyelids drooped completely, Hermione rolled onto her side, clutched the diary tightly against her chest, and drifted off to dreamland.

HG/LV/HG/LV/HG/LV/HG/LV

^^ Yay! Finally it's done!

^^ Sorry for the long wait. My degree had started, and I'm very busy now. So, do not expect anything more until early November, when my term break starts! Hope all of you will be patient! Pursuing a law degree is not something easy, and I wanted to concentrate hard in my studies without letting anything affect my grades! However, I used to write when I'm too stress or feeling up to it sometimes, :D. So, do stay on!

^^ The plot of the next chapter is already in my head! It just needs to be typed out in words that are all!

^^ Enough of this for now. Hope all of you enjoyed this chapter. Do review!

~~Hermione Hean Fui~~