Chapter 3- Trails to Trials

'Yes, she eez very bright in 'er school?' A voice woke Hermione, and she realized that she was lying on her bed at her Aunt's house, and the voice was her cousin, Krista.

'Who're you talking about?' Hermione asked wearily.

'Why, you, of courz!' Krista said with her heavy French accent.

'Oh, well who're you talking to?' Hermione said, a little bit more awake, now that she was having a conversation.

'Uncle Doug, he eez behind you,' Hermione felt sort of embarrassed that she hadn't even noticed her own father, standing right beside her bed.

'Well Krista, we should let Hermione get dressed and awake. Just meet us down in the kitchen hen you're done, dear,' Mr. Granger said to his niece and daughter.

'Alright, thank you,' Hermione said, grateful to be alone for a few minutes. She was still worrying about Ron, she didn't want him to be mad, but she didn't love him, so why did it matter so much to her? She hoped that by the time she was at Hogwarts she'd forget all about last year and just be able to move on.

When Hermione entered the kitchen she said good morning to her Aunty Lena, and her mother. And then she continued to pour herself some cereal.

'How has school been Hermione?' Hermione looked up from her cereal, and looked toward her mother. She wasn't sure if her Aunty Lena knew about Hogwarts. Her mother was looking at her expectantly, giving no sign as to what to say.

'Oh, um, it's been good… classes were- uh- interesting,' Hermione tried to make it sound like she was talking about every school, magical or not, when her mother put in:

'Oh, your Aunty knows dear, about Hogwarts, she thought it was quite neat that your Great Grandpa Logan's genes went into you. She knew it would happen sooner or later,' Hermione gaped at her mother. She had never told her that her Dad's grandpa had been a wizard. And she was always surprised that Mrs. Granger had said this all so normally, like it happened every day.

'Oh, why didn't you ever tell me?' Hermione didn't want to get mad at her mother, but she couldn't believe she had never told her.

'I thought you knew, I'm sorry dear, but we can talk about his later. We can start to plan the day with your Aunty Lena.

'Vhat a great idea, I vas tinking that ve could go to zee horseback riding lesson, down at zee stables. Vhat do tink about that Hermione?'

'Oh, that would be wonderful, Aunty Lena! I'll just go and get ready. Do you want me to tell Krista and Dad?' Hermione was overjoyed at the thought of getting on a horse again. She used to go every weekend until she started going to The Burrow. This thought made her sad at the thought of Ron and his family, but happy that she didn't have to deal with it right now.

'Yes, please go tell your cousin and father to get ready, dear,' Mrs. Granger told her only daughter. Hermione left and ran upstairs, she knocked Krista's door, and found her reading one of her spell books.

'What are you doing Krista? Did you find that in my room?' Hermione tried to keep her patience with her ten year old cousin. She treasured her books, and didn't like people stealing them.

'Oh, yes. I'm very sorry Hermione, I only just vanted to see it. It looked so intervesting. Would you mind if I told you sumzing, Hermione?' Krista had a worried look on her face, she looked almost nervous. Hermione sat on the side of her cousin's bed and nodded her head to signal her to go on.

'Vell, it's just that I got zis letter in zee mail. On zee envelope there is an emblem zat says Beauxbatons, but zat eez not an elementary school in zee area, I vas afraid to open eet, I thought you could help…' Krista trailed off, and Hermione wasn't quite sure how to tell her cousin that she was a witch, and would be going to a magic school.

'Umm, let me read the letter and I'll see what I can do, alright?' Hermione was using her kind voice to let Krista know that she wasn't angry or annoyed by her plea for help. Krista handed her the envelope and Hermione took the letter out and read through it.

'It's all in French Krista. I can't read it. But I do know that Beauxbatons is a magic school, so you are probably a witch, just like me!' Hermione made this sound fun, and inviting.

'Yay! I vas hoping that vould be eet!' Krista had a huge grin on her face and hopped up out of bed, and ran downstairs. Hermione guessed that she was off to tell her mother the good news.

Hermione left down the hallway and nearly bumped into her dad.

'Hi, hun, what's the rush?' Mr. Granger looked at his daughter and Hermione told him that they were going to go to the stables for a ride if he wanted to join. He never was a big fan of the riding though.

Hermione got ready, and went back downstairs. She looked in the kitchen, but no one was there. She saw a piece of paper on the table and went over to read it.

Hermione,

We left to get Krista's things for Beauxbatons. Hope you aren't disappointed; we can go horse back riding another time.

Lena, Krista, Katherine, and Doug

Hermione was more than a little disappointed. Could they have not waited just three extra minutes? Why was Krista so important? Hermione could have gotten her things for school to. She left the kitchen and went to the spare room where she slept when she visited. She sat her desk and took out a quill. She was about to write to Harry and Ron, but she realized that they probably wouldn't be very sympathetic. So instead she curled up with a book she had gotten from her mother's bookshelf, and read. She finished the book, and just lay on her bed thinking everything over. She concluded that life just isn't fair.