Unraveling Legend

The young witch had finally found her. The most prestigious author of the modern generation had finally been located by the most ambitious journalist of the time. Katherine Hood had been looking for her for the last five years, had grown up listening to stories told to her by her grandmother. The battle with the troll, which led to the most famous friendship of all time, the tri-wizard tournament, the Order of the Phoenix. All were of course well documented and celebrated within the wizarding world, forever associated with Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and of course the person of her obsession, Hermione Granger.

The years of research had finally led her to the small house in the leafy suburbs of Surrey where Katherine now stood. She thought of the legend that she would now meet and she had never felt more nervous. She had so many questions . it would also be the scoop that would launch her career. She stood just looking at the door in the driving rain for a full twenty minutes, building her nerve, her hand was shaking when she finally got the courage to knock on the door.

As the door opened Katherine was slightly disappointed, the small elderly woman was nothing like the stories, if you had walked past her in the street you wouldn't have given her a second look, only offered her your seat on the bus, or helped her across the road.

"Can I help you?" she said, very much like anybody's grandmother.

"I hope so" Katherine replied, "I'm here to see Hermione Granger"

If anything was to convince Katherine that she had would Hermione it was the look of shock or anger that flashed across the old woman's face. Katie, as she was known to her friends, could see for the first time that this was not someone to take lightly, there was an air of power and determination that only a fool would fail to note.

"There is no one of that name here" the old woman tried to close the door, but for Katie's foot, it would have slammed shut.

"I believe that you knew my grandmother, Katherine Bell .. Katie Bell" Katherine said the words quickly, trying to prolong the encounter and playing the only trump card that she had. It worked, the old woman sighed and reopened the door, before finally stepping out of the way to allow Katherine entry.

"Your soaked, come and warm yourself by the fire, I'll make you some tea." Hermione shuffled the young girl to one of the two Chesterfield chairs in front of the open fire, before heading to the kitchen.

As Katherine sat, grateful for the warmth that the fire provided, she marveled that the mountain of books that grace the walls. The old woman was Hermione Granger alright, her grandmother had told her that she would go to Quidditich practices and read.

"How is Katie?" Hermione said as she re-entered the living room.

"She died two years ago" Katherine said as she grasped the cup of steaming tea that Hermione handed her. Hermione stopped her awkward walk to the other Chesterfield for a beat.

"I'm sorry to hear that, she was a good friend" She reached her chair and finally looked in more detail at her young visitor "You look at lot like her, now I look at you"

"We were very close, I think that she would have liked to be a better friend to you . but she said that you just left ." Katherine didn't like the tactic's that she was using and wasn't surprised when she was interrupted.

"What do you want Miss Hood?"

"To tell your story. I know the legend, anyone over five could tell it, but I want to know the real story."

"How do you know what you have been told isn't the real story, it seems to satisfy everyone else." Hermione showed no emotion.

"No one could be that perfect, Harry Pott."

"You know nothing of Harry Potter and if you are on some mission to discredit what ." Katherine saw fire in Hermione's eyes, she had planned to get to Hermione of course but there was danger in the old woman's voice and Katherine had to backtrack.

"No, I don't want discredit anyone. I want to know the truth, to tell the real story"

Hermione looked at the reporter so intently that Katherine gulped, loud enough that Hermione sniggered and relaxed.

"Any other time I would have told you to leave, but I have little time left and so I guess that there is no harm in telling you now." As Katherine started getting out her quill from her bag Hermione stopped her "I will tell you this story on the condition that you not write it now, listening is the first rule to writing, first you listen, and then you write. You can not do both at the same time."

Katherine nodded and put her quill back in her bag. "So tell me about the final battle"

Hermione looked away and into the fire. "The final battle, you mean the day I killed Harry Potter."