June 2, 1991
Years passed, but the unanswered questions only grew for the Grangers. Hermione had turned 11, and she was a smarter and kinder daughter than anyone could ask for. She wasn't very happy though. Her intellect would have always put distance between Hermione and her peers, but the strange and unexplainable things that often happened around her made her classmates fear her.
Mr. and Mrs. Granger watched and worried. Their daughter had such a solitary lifestyle. She had skipped 2 years at school, which made her younger and smaller than anyone in her class. Hermione had been so excited to learn more. She didn't seem bothered that the only person who appreciated her presence in the classroom was her teacher (at least until her Year 7 teacher became annoyed at Hermione's constant interruptions). Hermione's room, which had once been full of fairy tales and children's chapter books, was bursting with books on every subject from metaphysics to sign language to calculus.
Currently, only Hermione's bushy hair could be seen popping out at all angles around a rather large tome about unexplained phenomena. Hermione was once again trying to find some answers. She didn't really believe in this stuff. Hermione's parents had raised her to be a firm believer in science, but the facts didn't lie. Last week, her teacher had taken away a book that she had been reading during class and locked it in a cabinet. The teacher told Hermione that she could have it back at the end of the day, but it had appeared in her bag by the lunch bell. Hermione wasn't sure how to explain that. She honestly wasn't sure how to explain much of what happened to and around her, and Hermione didn't like that. There were very few questions in life that she had not been able to answer from the pages of her precious books, and she was determined to solve this one as well. Hermione was going to find out why strange things always happened to her, even if she had to read every false account of aliens and witchcraft the library had in order to do it.
Hermione's determined page-flipping reverie was broken by the familiar light jingle of the doorbell. She sighed before leaving her book on the dilapidated orange armchair's cushion and walking down the stairs to go answer the door. All thoughts of the mystical events surrounding her life vanished when she opened the door to see a tall, stern-looking woman brilliantly dressed in a green cloak standing on her doorstep. The woman brushed her tightly spun bun gently before reaching out a long cloaked arm to Hermione and announcing that she was from "Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry".
"MUM!" Hermione shouted, without taking the woman's hand. Hermione didn't know whether the woman was insane or collecting money for something, but she wanted her mother to come deal with it so that she could get back to her book. Mr. and Mrs. Granger appeared from around the corner, and Mr. Granger politely shook the woman's still outreached hand.
"It's nice to meet you. I'm Professor Minerva McGonagall. I was hoping to tell you about the school I work at for magically gifted children. Hermione would do well there." Professor McGonagall said and handed Mr. and Mrs. Granger a large stack of papers that looked suspiciously blank to Hermione. Hermione expected her parents to send the strange woman away. The woman was obviously unstable. Hermione was going to a specialist school for gifted children next year anyways, but to her great surprise they were studying the pamphlets that Professor McGonagall had given them with great interest.
The Grangers invited Professor McGonagall into their home, and she sat primly on their well-worn sofa. The professor looked very out of place perched on the red corduroy fabric and surrounded by a wall of pictures featuring a bushy-haired Hermione and her rather large teeth in various stages of her youth. Hermione's parents were still carefully reading the blank pieces of parchment that this woman had given them, and Hermione was beginning to get nervous.
"I'm sorry, but there must be some mistake. I'm going to a specialist school next year. It will help me study to get into politics" Hermione said, looking apprehensively towards her parents.
"I'm sorry, this must be very confusing for you. I'm sure you have a great deal of questions, but magic is real, and you have the opportunity to go to Hogwarts and become a witch. There are many witches and wizards living in secret all over the world, and you could join them in learning all about the magical world. I will be happy to answer all of your questions, but first, I am sure you would like to see a demonstration of some of the things that you can learn at Hogwarts." Professor McGonagall said with a gentle smile as she pulled a long spindly stick out of the fold her cloak. She began to wave the stick around and said a few words that Hermione thought might have been derived from Latin. Hermione gazed dubiously at the woman who was pointing a stick at an innocent basket of freshly baked blueberry scones that her mother had placed on the mahogany coffee table. Her doubt soon faded into shock as the scones turned into a basket full of mewing tabby kittens. Hermione stared with her mouth slightly agape to reveal her front teeth as the Professor waved the stick again so that the kittens returned to their original blueberry scone state.
"Hope you don't mind if I indulge." The Professor said with a smile as she picked up one formerly feline scones and bit into it with her mouth upturned in what could be called a slightly mischievous smirk.
Hermione's parents both looked a bit faint as they sunk into the waiting plaid plush of their living room couch. Hermione, however, had questions.
"I don't mean to offend you, Professor McGonagall, but that could have just been some sort of illusion. Can you give me any more proof that magic exists?"
In the end it took Professor McGonagall levitating all of the pictures in the room, turning the teacups pink, and conducting a tap dance with the decorative pillows before Hermione accepted the possibility that magic was real. Hermione had always wondered about the strange fires and mysterious incidents that surrounded her, but even with her wealth of metaphysical books she struggled to believe in magic.
"Now that your questions are settled for a moment, I have some rather important mail for you."
Professor McGonagall handed over a thick yellow envelope addressed to Ms. Hermione Jean Granger from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The envelope was made from heavy parchment and covered in heavy calligraphy writing. It didn't feel like something that came from Hermione's world. Her hands shook slightly as she broke the maroon wax seal and found a letter inviting her to attend Hogwarts. The single sheet of parchment did not seem to contain enough information, and several phrases might as well have been written in a different language. Hermione traced over the words "Order of Merlin, First Class" which seemed to be some sort of accomplishment attributed to one Albus Dumbledore, who was considered a headmaster. The letter quite mysteriously stated that they were awaiting an owl by no later than July 31st. Hermione did not know what to make of it. She turned it over slowly in her hand as if there might be more explanation on the back, but it was resolutely blank. She sat the letter aside and took out the second and last sheet of parchment in the envelope. It was a lengthy list of supplies that caused Hermione to raise an eyebrow. She didn't know anywhere in London that she could find a wand or a cauldron. The books sounded wondrous, but just as hard to locate. Hermione would love to read A History of Magic or A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration, but she still doubted they existed.
"There is a place called Diagon Alley where wizards go to shop. It is hidden from muggles, or non-magical people, and you can find everything you need there. I can take you and your parents later this week. I know it is hard to believe, but Hogwarts is real. As long as you study and apply yourself, you will be just fine there" Professor McGonagall said while gently placing a hand on Hermione's shoulder.
Hermione peppered Professor McGonagall with an extensive list of questions. Her parents chimed in occasionally with queries about school rankings or living arrangements, but Hermione seemed determined to learn about the entirety of wizard society in the few hours that she was there. Professor McGonagall had never had such an inquisitive pupil. She began to explain about the house system at Hogwarts.
"There are four Hogwarts Houses. Every student is sorted into one, and it is a little bit like your family while you are at school. You will sleep in your house dormitory and go to class with your housemates. Gryffindor was my house. It is known for the students who show exemplary amounts of bravery. The students who will fight for the rights of others. You said you were interested in politics. Gryffindor might be the place for you. The other three are Slytherin for the very cunning, Ravenclaw for those who love learning, I could see you doing very well in Ravenclaw as well, and Hufflepuff for those who are very loyal. In each house you will find students who value similar qualities to you."
Hermione listened eagerly to every bit of information about Hogwarts. She loved the idea of houses where she could find other students like herself. Hermione didn't admit it very often, but she was lonely. Hogwarts sounded like a dream, but her mother's crocheted pillow was still hopping rhythmically in the corner so she was having a hard time dismissing magic. Once Hermione accepted that magic existed, however, it wasn't so hard for her to believe that she had it. Hermione had been searching for answers for years, and it looked like she had finally found them.
"But what about after school?" Her father was asking. "What sort of jobs can someone expect to get after an education of spells or potions?"
"There are many job opportunities in the wizarding community, and most of our graduates are able to easily find a career that suits them. However, if a student was interested in working a job in the muggle community we can supply the necessary transcripts so that there will be no uncomfortable questions asked. Wizards have many jobs available to them such as Healers, working at the Ministry of Magic, or working with magical creatures."
"Oh" Both of Hermione's parents were looking a little bit dazed again.
"Can I assume then, that Hermione will be attending?" Professor McGonagall asked in a business-like voice.
"I suppose that is up to her." Mrs. Granger replied, carefully watching her 11-year-old daughter. She didn't want to send her away for most of the year, but she couldn't deny that Hermione was different. Hermione did not fit into her school, and Mrs. Granger doubted that it would be different next year. She deeply wanted her daughter to find her place in the world, and she knew now that her place was not here.
Hermione took a deep and steadying breath. It would be hard to leave her parents for months at a time, but now that she knew about the magical world she was desperate to learn more. She wanted to know absolutely everything.
"I'm going to go to Hogwarts. When can we go to Diagon Alley?" Hermione asked firmly.
Professor McGonagall smiled and began to work out all of the details for the upcoming shopping trip. They decided to meet up on the coming Thursday and McGongall assured the Grangers that she knew just where to go. The professor finally stood up to leave and pulled a large and neatly wrapped package out of her cloak. She handed it to Hermione with a smile.
"I've heard you like to read quite a bit. It looks like you have a nice large library here." She said gesturing the large filled bookshelves around the room. "This is a copy of Hogwarts: A History by Bathilda Bagshot, it has all sorts of information about Hogwarts in it, and I thought you might enjoy it." Professor McGonagall pressed the package firmly into Hermione's hands.
Hermione undid the bow primly tied over the brown wrapping paper with enthusiasm. She immediately began to flip through the book, before catching her father's eye and realizing that it might be rude to ignore her guest. Professor Mcgonagall chuckled and told them all goodbye. She was surprised by how well the girl had taken it, and how many questions she had had. Most prospective students hid behind their parents while decisions were made for them, but Hermione was different. Professor McGonagall supposed it was a bit wrong of her to try and sell the girl on Gryffindor, but she could certainly use a bright, young pupil like that in her house. She was still smiling as she disappeared with a small pop. Hermione started as she stared at the place where the professor had been standing moments ago. She had a feeling that her life would never be the same.