Chapter 9

Gretchen Gryffindor

Hermione spent the rest of Defense Against the Dark Arts class reading. When Professor Quirrell had finished stammering through his lecture, the first-year students made their way back to the first floor for lunch. When she entered the Great Hall, Hermione spotted the Professor eating at the staff table. Hermione barely ate, instead, watching McGonagall, waiting for her to finish her meal and stand up.

When she did, Hermione grabbed her bag and waited to intercept her as she left the hall and said, "Hello Professor, I'm Hermione Granger, can I ask you a question?"

Looking down at Hermione over the top of her glasses, McGonagall inspected her, then she nodded curtly and said, "Yes, walk with me Miss Granger."

Hermione followed McGonagall out of the Great Hall. She led them up to the fourth floor, taking a more direct route than the one Hermione and the other first-years had found. Hermione took note, thinking again about finding, or making, a thorough map of the school.

McGonagall did not speak as they walked and Hermione had to hurry to keep pace with the taller woman's stride. They arrived at a door labeled 'Minerva McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress, Professor of Transfiguration, Head of Gryffindor House'. After unlocking the door, McGonagall led them in, closed the door, sat at a desk, and gestured for Hermione to sit on a burgundy armchair facing her.

Once Hermione had sat, McGonagall looked at her and said, "You visited the Muggle Liaison Office in London this summer, correct?"

"Um, yes, I met Mr. Scott. He told me where to buy my school supplies," Hermione told her, somewhat surprised at the question.

"As well as altering your parents memories and lying to them about the nature of Hogwarts," Professor McGonagall said, a sour look on her face, "I was informed of this by Mathilde Hopkirk, who also told me about the illusion charm you cast."

As she opened her mouth to explain, McGonagall held up a hand, forestalling her comment, and continued, "You are not in any trouble, but I want to make sure you understand that students are not to use magic outside of school until they reach the age of seventeen, and even then, magic should never be used around muggles."

"I understand," Hermione said, trying not to sound petulant, "But when I cast that spell I hadn't read the International Statute of Secrecy yet."

McGonagall shook her head, "Unfortunately, ignorance of the law does not protect you, but so long as you do not perform any more magic outside of school, you won't face any consequences from the Ministry for this one infraction."

The corners of her mouth tilted up a fraction of an inch, and Hermione guessed McGonagall meant it to be a comforting smile, though it still seemed closer to a scowl.

"I'll be careful from now on," Hermione said, then she tried to move the conversation in a different direction, "Professor, I want to send a letter to my parents, but they don't… well they don't have an owl, and they wouldn't know what to do if one showed up at their house."

Thankfully, Professor McGonagall understood immediately and she had a solution, "Send your letter by owl to Mr. Scott. He can forward it on through the muggle postal system, and your parents can send their post to the 3A Abbey Orchard address in London. I will write to the Muggle Liaison Office myself, letting Mr. Scott know this is the least he can do after the incident with your parents' memories."

"Thank you Professor," Hermione said brightly, glad to have resolved the problem so quickly,"

Hermione rose to leave, but McGonagall raised a hand again, stopping her and said, "Before you leave, let me give you the names of the other muggle-borns in your house. They may have some advice for you, having gone through similar experiences."

McGonagall stood and pulled a ledger book from a shelf, flipping through until she found the right page, she set it on her desk, and began to copy names from the book onto a small piece of parchment. As she wrote Hermione glanced at the list of student names. They were written in small precise letters, hundreds of names crammed onto each page. Next to each name were two letters, some said 'HB', others 'PB'. Hermione realized the letters must stand for half-blood and pure-blood. She searched, and managed to spot a single name with 'MB' beside it before McGonagall finished writing and handed Hermione the slip of paper

"Transfiguration starts soon, we best be off." McGonagall said, standing up and gesturing towards the door.

They walked a short distance back to lecture hall B, and Hermione found a seat while McGonagall went down to the blackboards and began to sketch a large triangle. Li arrived, taking a seat next to Hermione, and five minutes later class began.

Hermione had filled three pages with notes by the time McGonagall dismissed them. Transfiguration utilized Geometry, though Hermione still did not fully understand how the relationship worked. Angles seemed to have corresponding types of matter they worked best with, and the length of sides related to both wand movements and incantations in a way that did not seem properly explainable by mathematics alone.

Thrilled to feel challenged by a subject, Hermione smiled cheerfully as she exited the classroom for their break between classes. Neville stood by himself near a painting of a pack of wolves that paced, growling at the nearby students. He held the Transfiguration textbook and looked slightly panicked as he skimmed through its pages.

"Hey Neville," Hermione said brightly, "You alright? Wasn't that class amazing?"

"I don't think I understood half of what she was talking about," Neville said woefully, looking close to tears, "What am I going to do on Thursday for our practical lesson?"

A pair of nearby Gryffindor boys snickered at Neville, and one said, "What a cry-baby."

Hermione threw a glare at the boys, then turned to Neville and consolingly said, "It's our first week of classes, no ones going to expect you to turn a desk into a pony. If you want, I could help you study during fourth-period tomorrow."

Neville looked a little less pale as he said, "Really?"

Hermione said, "Of course, actually I wanted to ask for your help on an idea I had."

"What could you need my help with?" Neville asked, seeming skeptical.

"I want to make a map of the castle," Hermione explained, "I saw your handwriting in Herbology, and your drawings on the train, you're incredibly talented. I was thinking you could draw the map and I might be able to find some spells to help. Our History of Magic textbook referenced a magical map, that part about the Vampire Hunting Guild in the seventeen hundreds."

"I, um, haven't read that part yet, but I could try drawing a map. How big were you thinking?," Neville asked, looking sheepish, but much less distraught than he had before Hermione began talking to him.

They chatted through the rest of the fifteen minute break, discussing the map idea, the Professors, and getting lost on the way to the Great Hall, which had happened to both of them.

As the first-years began moving back into the lecture hall, Neville asked Hermione, "You really think my handwriting is incredible? The other boys in my dorm said it looks girly."

Rolling her eyes, Hermione said, "They're probably just jealous because they can barely write their names without help. Also, I'm a girl, and my handwriting isn't that great."

Neville smiled, and sat next to Hermione as she found a desk by Li. Their final teacher for the day was a vivacious woman with long dark hair and lips dark with purple lipstick. She introduced herself as Professor Vector. She differed from McGonagall in both speech and mannerisms. Her motions were energetic and lively, and her voice was melodic and sweet. Unfortunately, the quality of her lesson was very different than the Transfiguration Teacher's

Professor Vector's lecture only covered topics from the first chapter of their theory book, and she did not ask the students questions as McGonagall had. Hermione grew bored, but forced herself to listen, feeling she shouldn't read through another class.

At the end of the period, Hermione had only taken one note. Professor Vector had called magical wands 'pseudo-sentient entities'. This phrase intrigued Hermione, making her want to look for a book on wand-lore in the library. It also reminded her vaguely of a dream she'd had the night before.

"Back to the common room?" Li asked as they stood

Hermione stretched, feeling stiff from sitting most of the day, and said, "No, I want to head to the library, join me?"

Li yawned and shook her head, "I need a nap."

"I'll see you at dinner," Hermione told her with a wave, heading in the direction of the library.

After getting advice from a librarian, Hermione found a few books on maps. Most were unhelpful, but while flipping through 'Cartography for the Modern Wizard' she found exactly what she'd been hoping for, a spell to map the surrounding area. It specified that the spell worked most effectively when used on a pre-existing map. It could fill in details, add names, and generally make a map more specific, but it could not plot an area the caster had no knowledge of.

Hermione noted that the spell required ink, something she did not have multiple bottles of like the other students, but she hazily recalled a bit in the student information letter about a school store. Hermione decided she would try to find it in the morning before Herbology.

After taking notes on the cartography spell, Hermione turned her attention to the books she'd found on Godric Gryffindor. She'd carried them in her bag all through the day, but hadn't had a chance to start either. With another hour until dinner, Hermione found a desk on the second floor and began to read. Fifty pages in, she found something relating to what the Sorting Hat had told her.

"We trace Gryffindor's family line through his son and his brother. It is known that Godric's daughter Gretchen had multiple children, but none ever attended Hogwarts nor any of the other Wizarding schools in Europe, thus her part of the family line was lost to history."

Hermione went to the index at the back of the book and found other pages with references to Gretchen. The Gretchen on page eighty-four wasn't the daughter of Godric, but on page one hundred thirty-seven, Hermione found another relevant paragraph.

"Godric's daughter married a muggle man that she met on holiday in Spain. For centuries, rumors have existed claiming Godric killed the muggle, but the sources that claim this are all second hand accounts."

Hermione frowned, and started to turn back to the index to find more references to Gretchen Gryffindor, but her growling stomach reminded her that she had not eaten very much during lunch. Planning to read more later, Hermione left the library and walked through a light rain on her way to the main castle building. She found Li at the Ravenclaw Table in the Great Hall and sat across from her. Ravenous, Hermione served herself a large plate of broccoli, rice, ham, and carrots. Once she'd eaten, Hermione and Li returned to Ravenclaw Tower. Li started working on their homework, but Hermione decided to write Mr. Ollivander a letter.

"I'll send it tonight, as well as the one to my parents," Hermione thought.

Then she realized she didn't know where the school owls were, so she asked Li.

Li shrugged in response, so Hermione walked over to ask Taylor Goldstein who sat on a couch with some other fifth-years.

"Halfway up the astronomy tower," He informed her in a brisk tone before turning back to his fellow fifth-years, looking annoyed at the interruption.

Hermione walked up the stairs towards her dormitory, but rather than entering her room, she continued upwards, stopping at the window she'd found the day before. Rain pattered against the glass, the weather having grown worse as the day progressed. Hermione thought it made the perfect spot to be alone with her thoughts. Taking her bag off her shoulder, Hermione sat on the steps, pulled out her notebook and began to write.

The first letter she wrote included everything. The full text of the poem she'd discovered, questions about how broomsticks worked, a list of twelve questions about wands, and even an inquiry about how many pounds a galleon was worth. After reading it through, Hermione started again, including only basic pleasantries and six questions.

"Mr. Ollivander,

My name is Hermione Granger. We met at your shop in Diagon Alley a few weeks ago. You invited me to write you with questions and I thought I'd take you up on that generous offer.

Firstly, why were you willing to sell me a wand for less than half of its price in exchange for answering a few questions? I assume many people would be happy to share their experiences with instinctual magic, why were you so interested in my particular story?

Secondly, Were you a Ravenclaw? And if so, do you know anything about a hidden room at the top of Ravenclaw Tower?

Finally, I want to learn more about wands. Is there an author or book on the subject that you would recommend? Also, why are wands needed if it is possible to do magic without one? Goblins and house-elves can perform magic without a wand, and I did it hundreds of times before I heard about Hogwarts.

I hope you are well, it was lovely to meet you this summer, and if you have time to answer my questions I would greatly appreciate it.

Sincerely, Hermione Granger

P.S. I've included four sickles and ten knuts as payment for my wand, as agreed."

After reading her second draft, Hermione folded it, and placed it inside of an envelope, addressing it to, 'Mr. Ollivander, Diagon Alley'. Then she set off for the astronomy tower.

It took Hermione a fair bit of wandering to find it, but once she did she quickly climbed until she found a room labeled, 'Owlery'. She opened the door and found a room with many perches, roosting boxes, and no outer wall. The opening let some of the rain, and the howl of the wind grew louder. Shivering, she shut the door and began looking for an owl. When she found one, a speckled long-eared owl, she tentatively held out the envelope with the letter and coins inside. The bird looked at her with intense yellow eyes, then held out a foot, wickedly sharp talons open wide as if it wanted her to hand it the letter.

Hermione cautiously extended the letter and said, It's going to Diagon Alley in London. Do you know where that is?"

The owl snatched the letter, gave her what was unmistakably an offended look, and flew off, leaving behind a feather that floated lazily to the ground. Hermione repeated this process with a smaller screech owl, giving it the letter to her parents. She made sure not to question the raptor's knowledge of local geography, and it too disappeared into the dark, stormy night sky.

Hermione checked her watch and discovered she had thirty minutes before curfew. Thinking of the poem and feeling restless after a day consisting mostly of boredom, Hermione left the Owlery and continued up the steps of the astronomy tower. A trap door stopped her when she reached the top of the stairs. It was locked, and Hermione had underestimated how long it would take her to climb up here. She checked her watch and saw she had less than twenty minutes to find her way back to the Ravenclaw common room.

Despite her worries about being late, and her general trepidation at breaking rules, Hermione pulled her wand out of her pocket while reciting the lines, "To get around the locks, a clever witch must climb. Up the tallest tower, which sadly is not mine."

Then, recalling one of the spells she had memorized, Hermione pointed her wand at the lock and whispered, "Alohomora."

There was an audible 'click', and the lock opened. Hermione, heart racing, opened the trap door and climbed onto the roof. All that she found was gray stone, wet with rain. Hermione's robes were soaked in less than a minute and as she looked around she could see nothing of note to investigate. Giving up for now, but resolving to try again another time, Hermione went back through the trapdoor and hurried down the stairs, dripping water with each step.

She heard a clock chiming the hour as she hurried back towards her common room and frantically, Hermione thought, "I'm going to be late, what was I thinking?"

Professor Flitwick stood in front of the door with no handle when she arrived at the base of Ravenclaw Tower.

Looking stern, he said, "Ten minutes late young lady. Until you are a fourth-year you need to be in your common room by nine o'clock."

Hermione found his cute, high-pitched voice hard to take seriously, but she forced herself not to smile and said, "I'm sorry sir, I got lost."

Flitwick shook his finger and said, "I'll let you off the hook this time. I don't like taking points from my own house, but if it happens again, you will lose an equal number of points to the number of minutes after curfew that you arrive.

He let Hermione enter the common room, staying where he was, likely to catch more younger students getting back late. Hermione passed Li and Padma working on their History of Magic timelines, and went up to her dormitory. She pulled out the book she'd been reading before dinner, sat on her bed, and flipped to the index to find the next reference to Gretchen. On page three hundred and six, Hermione read a pair of paragraphs that made her feel sick.

"While Godric argued for accepting students into Hogwarts, regardless of blood status, he did not believe in treating them equally. Godric would refuse to teach advanced defensive spells to any of his students who were not pure-blooded. When his daughter married a non wizard, Godric used the 'Cruciatus Curse' on her in an attempt to get her to say she did not love the muggle. Despite the torture, Gretchen refused to denounce her love.

I recently discovered the scraps of Godric's personal journal in the village that bears his name. On one of the few pages that remain in tact, there is an eye-opening quote,

"Would that I had not let her leave that night. She will waste her talent, her blood, soiling it with mud, and weakening the wizarding world."

Salazar is well known for his dislike of muggle-borns, but few seem aware that the term mud-blood, which did not become popular until the mid thirteenth century, may have originated with the supposedly brave and noble Godric Gryffindor."

Hermione set the book aside, feeling disgusted, thinking, "This is what the Sorting Hat meant. I wonder how many people know."

Feeling wide awake, Hermione got back up, grabbed one of her notebooks from her trunk, retrieved her wand from the bedside table, and got back under the covers. If she couldn't sleep, Hermione figured she could work on a spell. While looking through 'Standard Book of Spells, Year Two' with Li, the 'Disillusionment Charm' had caught her attention and she'd taken some notes on how it worked.

After drawing the curtains on the side of her bed shut for privacy, Hermione tapped her wand on her hand, whispering the incantation written in her notebook. It worked, and Hermione grinned, a sense of accomplishment replacing the disappointment and revulsion she'd been feeling.

That night Hermione fell asleep with her wand lying on the sheets beside her. One hand, still partially invisible, laid lovingly across the thin piece of wood.