August 17th, 1971
At the expectant wave of the wand in her hand, a noise similar to a growl resonated from the back of the shop, followed by the sound of boxes falling to the ground.
Trying and barely failing to hold back a sigh, Hermione placed the piece of carved wood back in its box and watched as Ollivander disappeared once again behind the shelves. Holding tight to her pride, the girl kept her back straight and her head high as she refrained from turning back to look in the direction of her brothers who were patiently waiting for her.
Twelve wands later, Hermione started to doubt she would ever find one for herself. The wandmaker had said the wand chose the witch, but what if none of the wand made by Ollivander thought her good enough to be chosen? She eyed critically the floor that was littered with papers and objects of all kinds thanks to the wands that rejected her and was readying herself to ask her brothers to leave when Ollivander came back from behind a shelf with a new box in hand.
"I think I found something that would fit you," announced the old man whilst showing her the piece of wood covered in intricate carvings. "Ten inches, blackthorn wood and unicorn tail hair. This one has been waiting for many years to find its match in a wizard, but who knows? It is a tricky one, quite like you, but I have a feeling you might like each other."
Cautiously grabbing the dark wood and testing its grip in her hand, Hermione sent a look at the wandmaker who was watching with interest before flicking her wrist. Light immediately appeared at the tip of the wand which seemed to sing at the contact of Hermione's magic. It was easy, effortless, and a voice at the back of her head pointed out that the disastrous attempts with the other wands and the anxiety it had caused her had been worth it. Mesmerised as she was by the sight of the wand in her hand, she missed Ollivander's calculating gaze and the sound of her brothers approaching from where they waited behind her.
"Is her wand meant for ambitious wizards like mine?" asked her twin while observing the piece of dark wood over her shoulder. "That would place both of us in Slytherin."
"A wand merely indicates the presence of certain traits of character in a wizard," explained Ollivander, "it doesn't determine your House. Your sister's wand is actually fitting for a warrior. It is surprising to see it matched with a Lady, but I suppose it means her future will be most interesting to observe."
"A warrior? Not on my watch."
Near the counter, Hermione's older brother was frowning as if the mere idea of his sister being involved in something dangerous was a personal offence. Not wanting for their day out to be ruined, Hermione simply smiled at him and grabbed his free hand, silently prompting him to forget about the old man's words. Sure, wands were magical artefacts and Ollivander was a genius as far as wandmaking went, but what could a piece of wood truly know of her future?
The three siblings left the shop as soon as the wands were paid and made their way through the crowded street towards their next destination.
Madam Malkin's was, unsurprisingly, packed with Hogwarts students wishing for new sets of uniforms. If some appeared surprised when the shop assistants went straight past them at the sight of the new arrivants, most simply rolled their eyes at the obvious preferential treatment. If her brothers seemed to not even notice the other clients' annoyance, Hermione couldn't help but feel embarrassed and found herself feeling relieved when they eventually left the seamstress' shop.
"Let's take a break and go to Quality Quidditch Supplies," suggested her twin to his siblings who shared an amused look.
The boy would be a Slytherin for sure, but he still lacked the subtlety and cunning the House was known for. He also lacked focus, and Hermione couldn't help but frown as she looked at the list in her hand.
"We still need our cauldrons and our books. Let's buy our supplies first, we might forget something if we get distracted."
"Sure," drawled her twin in answer, "'cause you're only going to Flourish and Botts for the books from the school list."
"It's different for me, we have to go to Flourish and Botts anyway!"
"Well the quidditch supplies shop is barely two minutes away from it so it's not that big of a detour."
Before anyone could say anything else, their older brother was standing between them with a hand on each of their shoulders to remind them to keep their voice low.
"What if we split up? The two of us can go to the quidditch supplies shop and Mina can go to Flourish and Botts. We'll join her there once we're finished over here and go together to Potage's for your Pewter Cauldrons."
"Why do you have to come with me?" whined the younger boy as Hermione nodded her head at the offer. "I'm old enough to go on my own, I don't need a nanny elf."
"Yes you do," snorted both his siblings at the same time.
"Besides," added the eldest as he affectionately ruffled his brother's hair, "I want to look at their new keeper's gloves collection."
Despite being closer to Quidditch Quality Supplies, the boys walked her to Flourish and Botts in a show of good manners Hermione was so used to she didn't even notice.
"If anything happens, call Mipsy and tell her to bring you right back home," instructed her older brother as he gave her a small pouch of galleons that was more than enough to buy ten times the number of books needed for both hers and her twin's school year. "Don't leave the shop by yourself, even if it is with someone you know. Also, don't buy more than five books for your personnal collection."
"What does that have to do with my security?"
"Nothing, but I'm the one who has to carry the bags and I'm not an elf."
Sticking her tongue out at him and ignoring her twin's laugh, Hermione turned on her heels and entered the shop. There were only a few people inside, which was fine by her, and she immediately took her list out to collect the books she needed. Holding her growing pile of books in her arms, she expertly made her way through the shop while dodging the few people too engrossed in their book to be cautious of the small girl carrying a stack of books taller than herself.
"Mipsy," She called in a whisper when she found the last book on her list.
Immediately, a small pop resonated in front of her and her books were lifted from her hands and levitated beside her.
"Missy called for Mipsy?"
"Could you take these," asked Hermione as she pointed towards the books that were floating next to her, "and wait for me near the counter? I want to look for more advanced textbooks, it shouldn't take long."
Another pop and both the elf and the books disappeared. A similar noise resonated near the entrance and Hermione smiled at the sound a surprised customer let out in response to Mipsy's apparition.
Determined to respect her brother's five books limit, Hermione started to wander around the shop. She was in the Transfiguration aisle, trying to choose between Proper wand movements in transformation and Transmutation and other disregarded arts when the sound of someone running, stopping and gasping loudly behind her reached her ears. Turning away from her dilemma, Hermione found herself facing a boy around her age who was paler than a ghost.
"Are you alright? You look like you saw a boggart."
She was merely trying to be polite but grew genuinely worried when the boy didn't answer. The large scar on his jaw and the smaller scars on his neck and hands did nothing to put her mind at ease, even though they all seemed properly healed and fairly old.
"Did something happen to you? Do you need help?"
She was getting closer as she spoke, which prompted the boy to take a step back and bump into the shelf behind him. The impact brought him back to the present and suddenly his cheeks were a bright red. The change of complexion almost made her laugh and she tried her best to smile and seem friendly to help him feel better.
"I'm sorry," croaked the boy. "I didn't mean to… I mean it's weird. Not you! You're not weird. Well, I don't know you, but… I-I didn't mean it like that. Oh God, I'm rambling, I'm sorry."
By the end of his rant, his face was even redder than before which he tried to hide by burying his face in his hands.
"Don't be, it's alright," assured Hermione who still couldn't understand what his problem was. She tried to think of something else to say and just when the silence was becoming too oppressive did she see the Hogwarts letter sticking out of his pocket.
"Are you going to Hogwarts too?"
The mention of the school was enough for him to stop hiding behind his hands and straighten up.
"It'll be my first year," replied the boy with a tentative smile.
"Me too! Are you excited to go?"
"Who isn't?"
"My brother told me some people were scared to leave their parents," confided Hermione in a tone that suggested this information was a secret. "He obtained his N.E.W.T.s last year so he won't go back in september, but he told me some first years often cried on their first night in the dorms."
It wasn't like her to tell stories and be chatty with strangers, but the boy was growing more confident with each word she said and she found she liked the way his green eyes widened in surprise at the mention of crying students.
"I suppose it can be scary to be alone in a big castle for the first time," he nodded thoughtfully.
Right at this moment a woman dressed in distinctly muggle clothing appeared at the end of the aisle and approached them, causing Hermione's eyes to widen at the sight. The light blouse and colourful skirt the woman was wearing contrasted almost violently with Hermione's stuffy robes but the girl held her tongue, too curious to say anything.
"Remus, honey? Why did you run all the way here? Your father and I were worried."
The boy's eyes travelled between his mother and the girl he had just met and his shoulders slumped a little as he said goodbye.
"I'll see you in Hogwarts, right?"
His voice was hopeful, far too hopeful for it to be normal but Hermione simply assumed the boy was a muggleborn who didn't know anyone else in the wizarding world.
"Of course, we might even be in the same house."
The boy and his mother were almost out of her sight when a thought reached her mind and without thinking twice, she called him.
"Remus? My name is Hermione, by the way. Hermione Lestrange."