Too Late

Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own anything and this is the only time I'm saying it. And I don't own the name Van Tassel, which belongs to the very talented Tim Burton, and the movie 'Sleepy Hollow'.

A/N: Sorry I deleted my other story but I'm hoping to make it up to you all with this one.

"Hermione Aurora Granger. What on earth are you doing sitting in your room, reading a book on such a lovely day?" Hermione looked up from her huge book to look up at her mother, who stood in her doorway.

"I'm waiting for my Hogwarts letter." Hermione replied looking back down at her book. Jane Granger walked over to her daughter's bedside and took the book from her hands.

"Outside now. Go for a walk, go to the beach, hell go to the mall. I promise that this book will still be here when you get back." Jane said setting the book on Hermione's desk.

"Alright, alright I'm going" Hermione stood up, gave her mother a I-can't-believe-you-took-me-away-from-my-beloved-book look and walked out of her room down to the front hall, grabbed her light jacket and purse, and headed out the door.

'Where should I go?' Hermione thought to herself, 'I know, I'll go to that new bookstore in the mall. And then I'll go to the park to read it.'

Hermione walked down the road that led into town and stopped at the bus stop. As she waited there she thought she caught a glimpse of familiar blonde hair.

"No, it can't be him. He wouldn't dare come to a muggle town. He's too afraid he'll die from the 'germs' us lowly muggles have." Hermione scoffed silently. She was taken out of her musings as the bus pulled to a stop in front of her and opened its doors. She took the money needed out of her purse and walked up the small stairs and deposited the coins and proceeded to walk down the isle to an empty seat. She took her iPod out of her purse and put the headphones on and turned the volume up.

Hermione stood in front of the entrance to the bookstore with a vast smile on her face. She walked in ad immediately went to the shelf with the biggest books in the store. She pulled a rather large and dusty one off the shelf and looked at the cover. There wasn't a title on an author on it, 'That's strange' she thought. She opened it up and read a few pages. 'What on earth is a book like this doing in a muggle store? Unless…' Hermione walked up to the clerk, a man around 40.

"Excuse me sir, would you by chance be a wizard?" Hermione knew it was a risk, but the curious side had taken over her.

"Well aren't you clever. Yes I am, why?" he asked.

"Because I'm a witch and I saw this book and I knew it was a book that held magic things init so I wondered whether or not you were a wizard." Hermione stated.

"Oh, well would you like to buy it?"

"Yes I would."

"That's 17 pounds." Hermione handed him the money and he bagged the book, "Thanks for shopping" He said to her with a smile.

"Thanks for the book." Hermione walked out the door and decided to go to the food court.

Hermione stepped off the bus and began to walk down the road that would take her out of the busy town and into her neighborhood. As she as passing the park that was about a hundred yards away from her house, a police car flew by. Followed by a fire engine and an ambulance. Hermione became very paranoid and panicked thinking it was her house that was on fire. She took off down the street, running as fast as her legs would carry her. She almost fainted on the spot as she stared at what use to be her house. In place of the beautiful white house was a mound of wood, glass, and furniture. Hermione kept still as one of the police officers walked over to her.

"I'm sorry Miss but you can't be here." The officer said.

"That was my house," she paused. "Are my parents alright?" the look Hermione gave the officer made him hesitant to answer.

"I'm afraid they didn't make it." The officer caught Hermione as she fell and carried her over to the cop car and laid her in the backseat, told the other officers and drove off to the police station.

At Hogwarts

"Are you sure it was He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, Albus?" Professor McGonagall asked the Headmaster as she turned to look at him.

"Yes Minerva, I'm sure. But I do not know why he would attack the Granger's. Hermione will have to come back to Hogwarts early. Send Tonks an owl and tell her to report here." Dumbledore said to McGonagall. McGonagall turned and walked out the door and up to the owlery. She quickly wrote a note to Tonks and tied it to the owl's leg.

"Take this to Nymphadora Tonks please." She said to the owl. The owl took off out the open window.

Albus and Minerva sat in his office waiting the arrival of Tonks. Both looked up when they heard a loud pop.

"You owled?" she asked.

"Yes, we have some very unfortunate news. Hermione's parents, Jane and David Granger, were murdered by Lord Voldemort. Their house was destroyed. Luckily enough, Hermione was in town when this happened. So she is physically safe. Mentally though, is another matter. She is currently at the police station. We need you to go there and act as her aunt and bring her back here." Albus explained to Tonks, who was looking at him with her mouth agape.

"But why would Voldemort want to kill Hermione's parents?" she asked.

"We believe its because she is friend with Harry Potter." Was all the Head Master answered.

"Alright. I'll be back shortly." With another loud pop Tonks disappeared.

At the police station

"Excuse me, I'm looking for Hermione Granger. I'm her aunt." Tonks said to the women at the desk.

"She's this way." The women lead Tonks to a room in the back. When she opened the door, Tonks saw Hermione crouched in a corner with her knees to her chest.

"Oh, Hermione I just heard." Tonks rushed over to Hermione and pulled her into a hug, "I'm your aunt alright." She whispered in to Hermione's ear. Hermione just nodded in reply.

"Come on Hermione we'll go home and I'll get you all settled in and you can rest, alright?" Tonks asked while picking Hermione up off the floor and put an arm around her shoulders.

Hermione nodded.

As soon as they were out of the station the apparated to Hogwarts.

Tonks led Hermione to a chair and sat her down.

"My dear, we are all very sorry for your loss, but if it would make you fell any better, they weren't your real parents. Your real name is Hermione Van Tassel. Your family is one of the oldest magical families and one of the richest, even more so than the Malfoy's. At the beginning of the feast you shall be resorted, I'm not sure which house it will be, but it will most likely be Slytherin. And we would also like to tell you that you are Head Girl this year. Also we are very, very sorry to have to put all of this on you at this point in time, but you may go rest as long as you like if you don't have any questions." Albus explained to the distraught girl in front of him.

"Why was I adopted?" Hermione asked in a small voice.

"I thought you would ask that." Dumbledore gave her a small smile.

"When you were born, Voldemort was at his most powerful stage. Your parents, Ariana and Adrien, were both followers of Voldemort. But not out of free will. He threatened to kill your older brother Aiden, and take you when you were born and then kill them, so that he could raise you as his own.

"Your parents agreed to become followers. As soon as you were born they took you to a muggle orphanage. Before entering the cast a disillusionment charm on you to change you hair color and eye color. They told the person at the desk to tell the family that adopted you that your birthday was September 16, 1988. And then they left you there. The next day, you were adopted by Jane and David Granger. And from there you know what happens." Professor McGonagall finished.

"When will my hair and eye color go back to normal?" Hermione asked.

"It should be back by tomorrow morning. Why don't you go up to your new dormitory? Tonks will show you the way. The password is 'Contra Mundum'." (A/N: if you need to know what it means email me.)

Hermione walked into her room after setting her password (Vita sire libris mars est) and looked around. It was lavishly decorated in dark red and gold. The furniture and the fireplace mantle were made out of a dark cherry wood. The bedspread was a dark red silk. The sheets were a gold silk and the curtains around the bed were made of a sheer red and silk. The fireplace was made of black marble. Her desk was large and made of the same wood as her bed and dresser. The floor was a wooden one but had a large rectangular area rug over it.

Hermione walked over to the large bed a laid down. She fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.

A/N: Sorry about the really long description of her room. Kinda got carried away. Well I hope you liked the first chapter. Please review.