Harry Potter: Hermione's Story
Summary: Sure we all know that Hermione is a know-it-all, but what about before? Before she got her Hogwarts acceptance letter? Before she even knew that there really was magic? Read on. This is what I think...
Chapter One:
Hermione was an ordinary girl. She had naturally brown, bushy hair and large front teeth. She couldn't care less about what she looked like though. What she worried about were her grades. She was failing nearly all of her classes and her parents were not too happy about it.
Until around grade four, she had never paid attention in class because she figured the future was too far off to be worrying what she would be doing every day of her life for the rest of it. However, on the first day of grade five, a teacher asked all the students of her class what they wanted to be when they grew up. Every one seemed to know what they wanted to be; every one, that is, except Hermione. She had never paid attention to it, she had told the teacher, so why should she now? The teacher instantly began to lecture her about decisions and how important they are and how they affect life in the future, no matter how small they may be. Hermione zoned out then, but that question would linger in her mind for the next few weeks. 'What am I going to be when I get older?'
Her birthday came and she had finally turned 10. 'Now I only have nine more months of school left and I go into middle school... That's closer to being all grown up... I wish I could do better in school. On September 16, 1990, Hermione decided to improve herself to become a better student. 'It can't be that hard. All of those dworks at school make it seem so easy.' (A/N: replace the word 'dwork' with the word dork and you'll be fine. Go Raenella!)
However, trying to be a better student would prove to be more difficult than said. Much more difficult. However, she didn't care too much for any of her subjects. It was English she hated the most. Now don't get her wrong. She liked reading. In fact, she loved reading! It's just what they read in class that bothered her. The teacher always seemed to choose really boring history novels for them to read. Hermione preferred fantasy. To be more specific: magic. There had always been an obsession with it since she realized how difficult things could get. She just loved the though of being able to just pull out a wand and having something disappear like that. She wondered so much, what it would be like to go to a magic school.
Christmas came and went and she got several new books about witches and wizards but it did not satisfy her quench for real magic. She had easily finished reading all of them before the new year of 1991. Hermione made a wish that she could somehow find a school of magic and never have to worry about her English mark again. She was positive that if she went to a school for magic she would do wonderfully well because it would be what she what she wanted to do. That's when it happened.
The moment the clock struck midnight, an owl came in through her living room window. Her mother screamed, her father yelled but she stayed calm. 'Was this a sign?' she wondered. She quickly noticed that the owl had a letter tied around its foot. Hermione rushed over to alleviate it from the owl. She saw that the envelope had her name on it. She was shaking all over. Could this be it? Would she be forever free of English and all those other horrible classes? She could only hope. She read the heading of the letter and couldn't believe her eyes. It read:
HOGWARTS SCHOOL
of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY
Hermione didn't believe it. It only was fake, right? 'I have sense,' Hermione thought to herself. 'And this makes none. Therefore, I'm going to use my sense and say that this doesn't exist and it's not happening. Magic isn't real. I just want it to be. I just really wish it could be real...'
She continued to read the letter:
Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore
(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock,
Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. Of Wizards)
Dear Ms. Granger,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.
Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31.
Yours sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall,
Deputy Headmistress
She turned to her parents and said, "Really funny. Thanks for putting me on like that. You almost had me going there."
"What are you talking about dear?" her mother asked looking genuinely puzzled.
"This letter of course! You didn't think I would know it was you so soon, did you? You knew how much I wished that magic could be real so you decided to send me this letter. The owl was a real nice touch though." Hermione turned and left the room.
"What was that all about?" Hermione's father asked her mother.
"I have no idea..." answered Mrs. Granger in complete honesty.
~*~*~*~
The next morning, when Hermione woke up, the first thing she saw was an owl perched on her bedpost. Not knowing what else to do, she yelled. Her mother came in quickly and was about to ask her what was wrong, when she saw the owl. She too started to yell, as she was terrified of birds. Hermione quickly regained herself when she realized that her mother was yelling as well. 'Some one has to be the grown up...' she thought to herself. Once again, she noticed that the owl had a letter around its leg. She quickly removed it and opened the letter:
Dear Ms. Granger,
We have noticed that you believe our letter to be a fake. This is completely real. It was overlooked that you were a muggle (non-magic person). Enclosed is an extra book list for your help to more understand our world. Please reply with this owl confirming that you will join us this year at Hogwarts.
Yours sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall,
Deputy Headmistress
'Could this be real?' Hermione asked herself again. She flipped to the other sheet of paper. On it was a moving map from her house to a place called 'Diagon Alley.' Hermione frowned. She should really talk to her mother about this...
~*~*~*~
It was agreed then. She would go to this school, Hogwarts. Or at least they would try to find this place called 'Diagon Alley.' If it was a real place and not a hoax, then perhaps she might attend otherwise she would continue at her current school. But now it was time to concentrate on regular school.
That was definitely harder said than done. Instead of having her marks increase with all of her studying efforts, they went down. Her parents were proud of her nonetheless because they noticed the change in her studying habits and were happy that she was at least trying to improve... Well, that's what they thought... While Hermione was 'studying', she actually was trying to do as much research on magic as she possibly could. She started off studying each time, but she always got off track and would look something up about magic and make a mental note about it that would forever stay in her mind. She had troubles like that and therefore probably the reason why she was such a bad student.
June came by quickly and report card day was coming up soon. Hermione's marks had almost all dropped by a few percent, but she did not care, as soon she would go to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
On the first day of summer break, Hermione dragged her parents off the where the letter said The Leaky Cauldron was located. They came across a dingy looking pub. Her parents looked at each other nervously and her mother quietly asked if she was sure that this was the correct place. "I'm positive. Look, it says the address right here and it says that this is the place there," Hermione replied first pointing to the letter then to the number under the Leaky Cauldron's sign. "The only part I don't understand is that the letter says to ask the bartender Tom to help us enter Diagon Alley. Why would we need help?"
They cautiously entered the pub and looked around. There was an assortment of strange people in the establishment. People varied from very tall to extremely short and not being able to touch the floor, to people that wouldn't show their faces. As they walked over to the counter, they heard a woman under a baklava ask for a dish of raw liver. Hermione shuddered, as she couldn't even eat liver cooked without wanting to throw up. They made it up to the counter and asked for a Tom. A man with few teeth came up to them quickly and asked them gruffly what they wanted. Hermione showed him the letter and his face lit up. He quickly apologized for being rude and explained that it was to frighten away any regular muggles that might have been able to see the establishment.
He led them into a side chamber and pulled out a stick from his coat pocket. He strategically tapped the wall several times with it. Nothing happened. "Please wait a moment. My wand isn't what it used to be," he said kindly. Hermione looked at the stick in his hands in shock. She was about to question him about it when the bricks started to shift. Hermione and her parents gasped in shock as the bricks started to rearrange themselves to make a wide doorway.
"This," Tom said, "is Diagon Alley."
Summary: Sure we all know that Hermione is a know-it-all, but what about before? Before she got her Hogwarts acceptance letter? Before she even knew that there really was magic? Read on. This is what I think...
Chapter One:
Hermione was an ordinary girl. She had naturally brown, bushy hair and large front teeth. She couldn't care less about what she looked like though. What she worried about were her grades. She was failing nearly all of her classes and her parents were not too happy about it.
Until around grade four, she had never paid attention in class because she figured the future was too far off to be worrying what she would be doing every day of her life for the rest of it. However, on the first day of grade five, a teacher asked all the students of her class what they wanted to be when they grew up. Every one seemed to know what they wanted to be; every one, that is, except Hermione. She had never paid attention to it, she had told the teacher, so why should she now? The teacher instantly began to lecture her about decisions and how important they are and how they affect life in the future, no matter how small they may be. Hermione zoned out then, but that question would linger in her mind for the next few weeks. 'What am I going to be when I get older?'
Her birthday came and she had finally turned 10. 'Now I only have nine more months of school left and I go into middle school... That's closer to being all grown up... I wish I could do better in school. On September 16, 1990, Hermione decided to improve herself to become a better student. 'It can't be that hard. All of those dworks at school make it seem so easy.' (A/N: replace the word 'dwork' with the word dork and you'll be fine. Go Raenella!)
However, trying to be a better student would prove to be more difficult than said. Much more difficult. However, she didn't care too much for any of her subjects. It was English she hated the most. Now don't get her wrong. She liked reading. In fact, she loved reading! It's just what they read in class that bothered her. The teacher always seemed to choose really boring history novels for them to read. Hermione preferred fantasy. To be more specific: magic. There had always been an obsession with it since she realized how difficult things could get. She just loved the though of being able to just pull out a wand and having something disappear like that. She wondered so much, what it would be like to go to a magic school.
Christmas came and went and she got several new books about witches and wizards but it did not satisfy her quench for real magic. She had easily finished reading all of them before the new year of 1991. Hermione made a wish that she could somehow find a school of magic and never have to worry about her English mark again. She was positive that if she went to a school for magic she would do wonderfully well because it would be what she what she wanted to do. That's when it happened.
The moment the clock struck midnight, an owl came in through her living room window. Her mother screamed, her father yelled but she stayed calm. 'Was this a sign?' she wondered. She quickly noticed that the owl had a letter tied around its foot. Hermione rushed over to alleviate it from the owl. She saw that the envelope had her name on it. She was shaking all over. Could this be it? Would she be forever free of English and all those other horrible classes? She could only hope. She read the heading of the letter and couldn't believe her eyes. It read:
HOGWARTS SCHOOL
of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY
Hermione didn't believe it. It only was fake, right? 'I have sense,' Hermione thought to herself. 'And this makes none. Therefore, I'm going to use my sense and say that this doesn't exist and it's not happening. Magic isn't real. I just want it to be. I just really wish it could be real...'
She continued to read the letter:
Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore
(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock,
Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. Of Wizards)
Dear Ms. Granger,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.
Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31.
Yours sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall,
Deputy Headmistress
She turned to her parents and said, "Really funny. Thanks for putting me on like that. You almost had me going there."
"What are you talking about dear?" her mother asked looking genuinely puzzled.
"This letter of course! You didn't think I would know it was you so soon, did you? You knew how much I wished that magic could be real so you decided to send me this letter. The owl was a real nice touch though." Hermione turned and left the room.
"What was that all about?" Hermione's father asked her mother.
"I have no idea..." answered Mrs. Granger in complete honesty.
~*~*~*~
The next morning, when Hermione woke up, the first thing she saw was an owl perched on her bedpost. Not knowing what else to do, she yelled. Her mother came in quickly and was about to ask her what was wrong, when she saw the owl. She too started to yell, as she was terrified of birds. Hermione quickly regained herself when she realized that her mother was yelling as well. 'Some one has to be the grown up...' she thought to herself. Once again, she noticed that the owl had a letter around its leg. She quickly removed it and opened the letter:
Dear Ms. Granger,
We have noticed that you believe our letter to be a fake. This is completely real. It was overlooked that you were a muggle (non-magic person). Enclosed is an extra book list for your help to more understand our world. Please reply with this owl confirming that you will join us this year at Hogwarts.
Yours sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall,
Deputy Headmistress
'Could this be real?' Hermione asked herself again. She flipped to the other sheet of paper. On it was a moving map from her house to a place called 'Diagon Alley.' Hermione frowned. She should really talk to her mother about this...
~*~*~*~
It was agreed then. She would go to this school, Hogwarts. Or at least they would try to find this place called 'Diagon Alley.' If it was a real place and not a hoax, then perhaps she might attend otherwise she would continue at her current school. But now it was time to concentrate on regular school.
That was definitely harder said than done. Instead of having her marks increase with all of her studying efforts, they went down. Her parents were proud of her nonetheless because they noticed the change in her studying habits and were happy that she was at least trying to improve... Well, that's what they thought... While Hermione was 'studying', she actually was trying to do as much research on magic as she possibly could. She started off studying each time, but she always got off track and would look something up about magic and make a mental note about it that would forever stay in her mind. She had troubles like that and therefore probably the reason why she was such a bad student.
June came by quickly and report card day was coming up soon. Hermione's marks had almost all dropped by a few percent, but she did not care, as soon she would go to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
On the first day of summer break, Hermione dragged her parents off the where the letter said The Leaky Cauldron was located. They came across a dingy looking pub. Her parents looked at each other nervously and her mother quietly asked if she was sure that this was the correct place. "I'm positive. Look, it says the address right here and it says that this is the place there," Hermione replied first pointing to the letter then to the number under the Leaky Cauldron's sign. "The only part I don't understand is that the letter says to ask the bartender Tom to help us enter Diagon Alley. Why would we need help?"
They cautiously entered the pub and looked around. There was an assortment of strange people in the establishment. People varied from very tall to extremely short and not being able to touch the floor, to people that wouldn't show their faces. As they walked over to the counter, they heard a woman under a baklava ask for a dish of raw liver. Hermione shuddered, as she couldn't even eat liver cooked without wanting to throw up. They made it up to the counter and asked for a Tom. A man with few teeth came up to them quickly and asked them gruffly what they wanted. Hermione showed him the letter and his face lit up. He quickly apologized for being rude and explained that it was to frighten away any regular muggles that might have been able to see the establishment.
He led them into a side chamber and pulled out a stick from his coat pocket. He strategically tapped the wall several times with it. Nothing happened. "Please wait a moment. My wand isn't what it used to be," he said kindly. Hermione looked at the stick in his hands in shock. She was about to question him about it when the bricks started to shift. Hermione and her parents gasped in shock as the bricks started to rearrange themselves to make a wide doorway.
"This," Tom said, "is Diagon Alley."