The Mists of Hogwarts - Part the First

By Lev Stone

This is a retelling of the story of Harry Potter in the style of the late, great Marion Zimmer Bradley. That means that the perspective is shifted from Harry to Hermione. It also means that there will be a conflict of religious beliefs. This does not reflect any of my beliefs. This is in no way affiliated with Marion Zimmer Bradley or J.K. Rowling except to show how much I appreciate and admire them both. The story was written in the spirit of fun, and is not to be taken seriously. I have retained some dialogue from the book that I felt was important. One final note, Bradley often changed the spellings of her most famous characters. In that spirit, I am changing Hermione's name to Hermiony because it looks more archaic.

Part I - The Prologue

Hermiony Granger woke up to the warmth of the mid-morning sun. Certainly today seemed glorious. But Hermiony knew better. In a few hours time she board be on a train to Scotland heading directly into its stormy, highlands weather. She didn't care. For soon, she would be back at Hogwarts, the only other place she could truly call home. There she could be free. Free from the Muggle world and its blind rules. Free to practice her craft in peace. There she would be among her friends. She could never be happy among Muggles. Only at Hogwarts.

"Well, that's not completely true," she thought to herself as a half-drowsy smile crept across her face. She had just spent the most marvelous summer in Bulgaria with her boyfriend, Viktor Krum. During the last term, he had asked her to visit him. "I never felt this way about any girl before," he had told her just before inviting her. Every time she thought about that, she flushed with pleasure. Viktor Krum was not just an ordinary nineteen year old wizard. He was a Qudditch hero. As seeker, he led the Vrasta Vultures to their twelfth consecutive Bulgarian League championship, and she had been there, cheering for him all summer as the Vultures competed for the European Cup. Vrasta did not win. The winners, the Holyhead Harpies from Wales, eliminated the Vultures in the semi-finals. As much as Hermiony had cheered for Viktor, she could not help but smile when thinking about the Harpies triumph. They were unique among professional Quidditch teams. Every member since the club's founding in 1203 had been female. Being in the stands cheering for Viktor, Hermiony felt like a grown woman.

Hermiony had long considered herself an adult despite not yet reaching her fifteen birthday. Certainly she was far more mature than her classmates, and most of the older students too ("Just look at Fred and George Weasley - they haven't grown up yet, and they're entering their final year.") But even she had not been ready for what had happened this summer. Viktor told her he loved her.

"I don't expect you to feel ze same way, Herm-own-ninny," he had told her, "but I love you. I never loved anyone before. Even time I am near you, I feel light-headed."

Hermiony rose out of bed and looked at herself in her bedroom mirror. It didn't speak to her like the mirrors in wizard houses, but she didn't need it to say anything. "You're beautiful, bushy hair and all." she told herself not without a little pride and faint trace of humor. Viktor was quite the gentleman, and he would be a great husband to a lucky witch. But Hermiony did not love him. There was no spark between them. Her heart belonged to Ron Weasley. Since their first year at Hogwarts they had fought over everything. So many sparks between them. That's how she knew. He didn't, of course, but she did. That's why he was so jealous of Viktor.

"Hermiony, get ready. We're taking you to King's Crossing in an hour," called her mother from downstairs. Hermiony felt a sharp pang of guilt. Her parents had desperately wanted her to stay home this summer. Since she entered Hogwarts, hundreds of miles away, she rarely saw them. She knew that they were afraid they would never see her again after her graduation. They were afraid that she would hurt herself with dangerous magic (they were not happy when they realized she allowed her formerly long front teeth to be shrunk magically. They wanted her to get braces like a normal girl, but they were both dentists so they were bound to be a little suspicious.)

But as she finished packing up - just final touches like putting Hogwarts, A History in her trunk and some treats for her cat Crookshanks in her pockets - a sad thought crossed her mind. Her parents had no idea about the real dangers of her world. Hermiony had seen true evil. For she had been entrusted with a sacred task - protecting her dear friend, Harry Potter from the dark wizards who wanted him dead.