It was an unbearably hot summer day in the street of Privet Drive and little Harry Potter was forced to be outside in it. His cousin, Dudley, had pushed him out the door because he was 'using up all the cold air in the living room'. Harry decided to take a walk to the park and see if any of the other kids wanted to play with him. If not, perhaps he could read under the shade of a large tree. Though he was only seven years old the Dursleys let him cross the street alone. So he did and when he approached the playground he noticed no one was playing on it.

It must be too hot. They're probably all at home.

But he was wrong. There was one little girl playing alone in the sandbox building what looked to be a very large sandcastle.

Maybe she needs some help and I can make a new friend.

She looked up at him as he walked toward her.

"Hello. Can I help you?" She said to Harry.

"No, I was just wondering if you wanted to play." He replied.

"Oh. Do you want to help me? I'm building a palace big enough to fit me inside it. It could probably fit two."

"Cool." Harry sat down beside her and picked up some sand and placed it on one of the towers she had already begun building.

"What's your name?" Harry asked.

"Hermione. But I don't like it very much." She told him. Hermione didn't like her name because everyone thought it was too weird and sometimes the older kids at school made fun of her.

"What's your middle name?"

"Jane"

"Then I'll call you Jane"

"What's your middle name" Hermione asked turning the question on Harry.

"James"

"Well it's nice to meet you, James," Hermione said and held out her hand as if to make calling each other by their middle names official.

"You too, Jane," He said taking her hand in his and shaking it. The two new friends continued to build their giant sized castle until dusk when they realized it was too late for a couple of seven year olds to be out. Harry and Hermione left their castle in the sandbox with promises to return early the next morning.

Harry and Hermione walked to the park on their own everyday they could after that. Sometimes Hermione's sisters would accompany her and sometimes she would be alone. When school started up again Harry often came straight to the park after, leaving Dudley to play with his gang. They'd play in the sand and talk together about everything and nothing all at once.

"And just where do you think you're going?" Aunt Petunia questioned as Harry walked out the door.

"To the park. I don't want to breathe up too much of your cold air," he retaliated. Harry walked out the door before his aunt could hold him back. As he approached to the sandbox he noticed his and Hermione's latest sand masterpiece was in ruins but what was worse was Hermione's reaction. She was leaning up against a tree crying with a book hanging loosely from her right hand.

"What's wrong, Jane?" Harry said leaning down beside her. He took the book from her hand and set it on the ground. It was The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.

"Last night, my-my dad…he yelled at me for-for b-being late and made me c-come and knock down our s-s-sandcastle and my sisters laughed at me." She said through her tears. "Then he sent me t-to bed without any supper. I'm sorry, J-James."

"It's alright. We can always rebuild the castle. I got yelled at too," Harry whispered trying to comfort the sobbing Hermione. She looked up at him incredulously. "You did?" Harry just smiled at her. "Yes, I did and they put me in my cupboard without any food, too."

"Guess we're in the same boat. I wish I could just get away from it all. We could make a land all our own. We need a place," she said, "just for us. It would be so secret that we would never tell anyone in the whole world about it. It might even be a whole secret country." Hermione continued, "and you and I would be the rulers of it"

"Right, follow me. I want to show you something." Harry picked up the book and started to walk toward the woods. He beckoned Hermione to follow. She pushed herself up from her spot beneath the tree and jogged to catch up to him.

"Where are we going, James?" Hermione asked. She seemed unsure about following him into an unfamiliar forest. But he threw her one of his smiles and Hermione saw in his eyes that she could trust him.

"You'll see in a second. If we're gonna have a secret country it oughta be where nobody'll come, Jane," Harry explained to her as they walked along trail and into the woods. Then he veered off the path. They walked for about five minutes when Hermione faintly heard the sound of running water. It grew louder as they continued though the underbrush. Then Harry stopped and put a hand out to stop Hermione.

"Look…"

Harry pulled back a large branch that blocked her view. Hermione gasped when she got her first look of the clearing in front of her. It was the most beautiful sight she had ever seen in all her seven years. There was a slightly steep dirt covered slope leading a stream that ran horizontal to them. On the other side grass and wildflowers flourished. Hermione slid down the slope and stopped just short of the stream's bank.

"This is so beautiful and perfect! It could be a magic country like Narnia," Hermione exclaimed, steadying herself on the giant trees that towered over her to the left and right on either side of the stream. Harry followed her down the slope and looked around.

"How do we get across?" Harry asked. He didn't much feel like getting wet today. Hermione looked around her too.

"There's a rope over there. Let's try it." Harry walked over to the rope and yanked on it.

"I think it'll work. Lemme go first." Harry said.

"Be careful, James!" Hermione called as he stepped back a bit and then ran out over the stream hanging tight to the rope. He landed somewhat clumsily on his hands and knees on the other side.

"Now it's your turn, Jane." He threw the rope back to her and she grabbed it. Hermione landed next Harry a little more gracefully than he had with both feet firmly on the ground.

"This'll be our secret place and the only way to enter it is by swinging across the stream with this magical rope."