A/N: A/N: Sorry for the wait with the update, I can only apologise. Once again thanks so much for all of you that have faved, followed and reviewed. As an apology for the wait I am posting two chapters at once so I hope you enjoy.

Also, massive thanks goes out to my beta Freyre Archeon.

Revelations

Dumbledore sat in his office sucking on one of his favourite sherbet lemons, life he thought to himself was good, harry potter was coming to Hogwarts he had been waiting so long for this day to...

His thoughts were interrupted by the storming in of one very angry, black-clad Severus Snape.

"What did you want old man that was so important as to disrupt my weekend" he snarled

"Ah Severus I'm so glad you came, you see I have a job for you to do"

"A job?" Snape said with disbelieve tinting at the edge of his voice

"Oh, yes Severus nothing too much or demanding I need for you to go and visit a muggle-born and give her a Hogwarts letter"

Snape stared at him has eyebrows raised high, and his mouth drawn into a tight scowl.

"You see the Hogwarts birds keeping coming back with the letter, it's quite a mystery" the man continued as if oblivious to Snape's expressions

"Why me, you or Minerva would be a better choice, I have never done it and had no wish to"

"Severus you know Minerva and I are both externally busy at the moment" his face becoming distant and vacant.

"Oh yes preparing for potters return to the wizarding world," he said dripping venom into his tone

"Well will you do it Severus or not" Dumbledore stated any humour lost from his voice as he extended a piece of parchment out towards him. "Here is the letter, have fun"

And with that, Snape swirled around and stormed out of the door.

He apparated to the town Dumbledore had given him and looked for the address on the Hogwarts letter, there wasn't one. Well that odd, the potions master thought to him. Of course, as I am delivering it there would be no need for an address. Pulling his wand out and muttering a quick point me spell, he soon found himself at the entrance to a decrepit park.

It was not, if he was honest with himself, where he expected to find the girl. Quietly disillusioning himself he crept around looking for the girl in question. It took him two laps to notice that he had walked right past her at the entrance, she didn't look allot. A small frame, with little flesh on them, her clothes looked old and well worn and hung to her fame. The girl's hair though seemed to have a life of its own. It sprung in every direction like a birds nest. But as he neared she called out

"Whoever's there reveal yourself?"

This made his blood run cold how did an eleven year know he was there,

"I know you're there"

He slipped behind some trees and reappeared, he looked down at his robes and frowned, these would not do, much too unusual and noticeable. Instead of turning them into a white shirt and black trousers, quite nondescript and generally very muggle.

She looked him up and down as he neared as if searching for a threat. That in itself was odd, but maybe in a town like this, it was only natural.

Hermione noticed that there was somebody watching her, even if she couldn't see them yet. A tingling sensation was travelling down her spine and all the hairs on her arms prickled. She called out; expecting them to run away, but instead after a few minutes had passed a man emerged from the bushes.

He looked so ordinary at first, his clothes normal, almost a copy of the perfect man! Then looking at him more closely she could see the finer details, he carried himself confidently but still agile and understating his environment, he was constantly looking over his shoulder. His face was fixed firmly with a scowl as if by her noticing him put him in a bad mood. And then she noticed a stick underneath his sleeve. This was most peculiar, but he didn't seem mad, or out of touch like the previous two, maybe she could play this to her advantage. She was after all curious about who those people were and why they had targeted her.

"What do you want?" she asked confidently, this was going to be on her terms.

The man almost looked taken aback before handing her an envelope addressed to her; she looked at him apprehensively but went along opening it. It was made of a thick textured paper, parchment Hermione would have said but she wasn't sure. It had a wax seal on the back imprinted with an H surrounded by 4 animals; Hermione didn't look much closer as she was more concerned with its contents

HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY

Headmaster: ALBUS DUMBLEDORE

(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)

Dear Miss 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 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July.

Yours sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall

Deputy Headmistress

HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY

UNIFORM

First-year students will require:

1. Three sets of plain work robes (black)

2. One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear

3. One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)

4. One winter cloak (black, with silver fastenings)

Please note that all pupils' clothes should carry name tags.

COURSE BOOKS

• All students should have a copy of each of the following:

• The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1) by Miranda Goshawk

• A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot

• Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling

• A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch

• One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore

• Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger

• Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander

• The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection by Quentin Trimble

OTHER EQUIPMENT

• 1 wand

• 1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)

• 1 set glass or crystal phials

• 1 telescope

• 1 set brass scales

• Students may also bring an owl OR a cat OR a toad.

PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS

This was the most elaborate trick anywhere, she started laughing

"What happened the first years got cocky with their broom skills, and have started a mopping competition instead?"

The man scowled at her, but with faint amusement catching in his eye.

"So now you've invited me to a school of magic I'm going to run along and catch the next flying carpet at the station, nice to meet you"

Hermione started to walk away, but the man called after her

"Let me ask you one question and then you can go catch that flying carpet"

She turned slowly and said confidently

"Fine"

"Have you ever done anything you couldn't explain when you're emotions are strongest"

She stared him down.

And then something magical happened, the bin that was next to the bench started to levitate.

She looked thrilled as if everything now made sense, she was so happy inside, and she just started talking

"So you're like me you can do weird things too"

"Yes, but what I do is intentional and what you've done in the past is called accidental magic, you couldn't control it, as it was due to emotional outbursts."

Hermione frowned, she knew what she was doing with her magic and she certainly felt like she could control it, it certainly didn't feel like it was accidental. So she did the only thing she thought necessary she decided to show him.

Snape was wondering what was passing through the girl's mind as she closed her eyes it looked as if she was falling asleep, and then he looked around him. All of the leaves around him had started to float into the sky. Opening her eyes to face him, the girl then started laughing, her face painted with a look of glee and smugness.

Snape was shocked, did she do this, did she have enough control over this to manage this control already. This was amazing. Extraordinary and he wouldn't be able to train her as she was muggle born. Dam.

"Are you doing this he asked" doubt creeping into his voice

He doubted her, oh great, to prove her point the leaves started swirling making pretty patterns, then forming animals, she finally settled on a dragon.

"Yes, of course, I am it's not going to be the leaves themselves that wanted to become a dragon"

Her reply was filled with bitterness

He started laughing, for the first time in many years.

"This is amazing and you don't even know it."

Hermione looked doubtful at him

"So this Hogwarts then can teach me more, how to get better"

"It will teach you how to gain more control over this and advance your magic, you'll also study other magical disciplines you don't know yet like potions, herbology and care of magical creatures"

"Well just go and speak to your parents to get it all sorted out"

The girl's dementor changed for a slight second that he almost missed it.

"They're at work at the moment but I can pass on this, they have suspected I'm not quite normal for a while so this will come as no big shock to them"

Snape suspected the girl was lying, curious to why he sent a legitimus probe into her outer thoughts and was immediately stopped with a solid wall of ice, he walked the perimeter looking for a way in, but it was vastly long, tall and thick. He sent a small warming charm and it started to melt, but instead of opening the water washed him straight out of her head.

When he reappeared her gaze narrowed and her eyes seemed to penetrate straight down to the bone

"If you ever, ever do that again you will regret it. Understood?"

"Perfectly" Snape replied, for some reason he knew that her threat was not empty, and deciding in that split second he didn't want to be enemies with this mystery girl he tried to change the mood.

"Shall we go and get your supplies."

"But I didn't reply to the owl, by the date do I still get to go," Hermione's voice asked warily

"It wasn't your fault the owl couldn't find you, so yes you can still go"

The girl certainly perked up at this and all hostility was washed away

Snape thought to himself that apparition was probably not the best idea, so he called for the night bus.

"In our word we don't have flying carpets readily available for transport so you'll have to make do with a magic bus."

Whatever Hermione was expecting with a magic bus this was not it, for a start it was purple, three-deckers and was driven by what was seemingly a blind man. There were shrunken heads that gave you your location and instead of seats there were beds, which had privacy curtains and wheeled around as they drove. What madman had designed this?

Hermione looked at the man sat on the bed opposite her and suddenly realised she didn't know his name

"Excuse me but I'm not too sure what to call you"

"You may call me professor Snape at school but for now you may call me Severus"

Hermione didn't mind the ride that much, in fact, she quite enjoyed it she imagined this was what rollercoasters were like in theme parks. Severus, however, didn't seem to enjoy it at all.

When they arrived, she was slightly disappointed, the wizarding world was inside a pub, the disappointment must have shown up on her face as Severus remarked

"It doesn't exactly look much, but it's what's beyond here that is why we here."

Hermione entered the smoke-filled room; it smelled of old beer and it looked like it had forgotten a century had passed. When she glanced towards Severus, she was shocked to find him not in the ordinary clothes she had first seen him in, but a long flowing black robe that billowed when he strode.

She had to almost run to keep up with him, as he created a pathway through the crowded pub. People in the way literally parted to make way for him. Hermione wondered what kind of reputation this teacher had to make people in a pub do that. At last, they made it through the crowded pub and into, what seemed to be a cupboard. Severus then got his stick, which she now knew was a wand, out of his sleeve and started to tap a series on the bricks inform of them. To heroines amazement the bricks started to move, they shuffled and turned, each moving away leaving behind a stone arch to which Severus proclaimed

"Welcome to Diagon Alley, the wizarding high street"

It was amazing Hermione thought she had never seen anything so perfectly crazy, it was like an explosion of colour, smells and sounds. In each shop, window magic was thriving and everything was moving on its own. All the screeches and hooting surrounding her was almost overwhelming. Before she had processed the havoc around her Severus was striding off, he started pointing things out to her, this is Flourish and Bots the bookshop, that Madam Malkin's where you'll need to get your robes, that's Slugg and Jiggers, they have all the things you will need for potions.

"Where are we going first," she asked her voice full of excitement

"We need to go to Gringotts, that's the wizarding bank to exchange your money"

Hermione froze, money, what money oh shit. He expected her to have access to her parent's money this was a disaster, she couldn't steal any, and she couldn't lie her way through this. She had to escape before he saw her lies come crashing down.

Snape turned around when he got to Gringotts steps and found he had lost Hermione. Where had she gone she was right behind him he started to look around panic filling him? She was new to all of this and he had lost her. Well, shit. He started asking around describing her appearance with no luck. She had just vanished. He started thinking to himself; I lost a muggle born in Diagon alley speech when he remembered he was a wizard. He sent his Patronus, the doe skipping down the alley creating havoc as it went. He waited anxiously for a reply. He had asked her to wait where she was and tell her location to the doe. What he got as a reply entirely shocked him.

The doe in her voice stated that she'd had to go home as it had got late and her parents would be worried and she couldn't get his attention she was safe, she thanked him for his help and said she was capable in continuing her shopping another day without him as a guide.

This made him mad, why the stupid chit had run off without him in a world that was far less safe, and extremely unfamiliar to her than her one. Of course, she would end up in Gryffindor with a mentality like that.

Hermione was hiding in a dark alley, away from prying eyes when a doe filling her with happiness approached her and spoke in Severus' voice. It asked her where she had gotten to and she was filled with dread. Would this magical doe be able to tell she was lying, hopefully not as she spouted some soft story about her parents being worried? She couldn't have a repeat of today so she stated she had got the just of today's visit and that she could cope on her own. She didn't want to appear rude so she thanked him for all his help. She felt awful as the beautiful doe skipped off, she slunk against the back wall and waited for night to fall tomorrow she would go about trying to procure all the things she needed now where was that list.

Hermione woke to see a brick wall instead of her usual park environment and started to panic, it took a few more seconds for her to remember the events leading her to the position she was now in. So this was the wizarding world, it looked as the sun had just come up as the street she was currently camped in was deserted. She dragged herself off of the floor and decidedly went exploring, she left the darkened alley and went back to the main street she was on before, she looked around once more wondering how the whole thing actually stayed up. Buildings upon buildings just kind of leaned upon each other. Magic Hermione said out loud to no one in particular.

Right time to get down to business, first breakfast she said decidedly to herself, this, however, was a problem there didn't seem to be any open food stall, bar the pub she walked through so she pushed her growling stomach far from her mind and went about starting on her list.

Let's start with the uniform first, that seems pretty crucial, were did Severus say that was from, ah yes madam maligns. She walked up along the row of fascinating shops until she saw her target. Her assumption was that many people would be buying these things so all she had to do was wait for someone to come out after buying it. It was not a fast process, the first Hogwarts student was a boy, drat, she thought and then a girl that was obviously not a first year, it took her a few hours before a bright pretty girl with slightly reddish hair and an innocence glow about her, bingo. The fitting seemed to last for around half an hour and when she and her aunt (Hermione had overheard the girl say) emerged from the store Hermione started to follow them. She could see the package she was looking for in the aunt's bag, so she slipped round in front, and bumped into them spilling the contents of their bags everywhere

"I'm so sorry, let me help you with that" Hermione exclaimed

"Oh don't worry accidents happen," the tall lady said, and together they collected all of the packages minus one

Hermione smiled to herself triumphantly as the pair walked away none the wiser

She opened the package to find all of her uniform bar the gloves. Well, she thought that a start.

What's next she thought, let's get those gloves, it turned out the gloves, cauldron and vials all came from the appocathry, and her luck was in just as she rounded the corner she saw a pudgy boy walk out with what looked like his grandmother. And his hand was clutching a cauldron, this was just too easy. She walked up to the boy and tapped him on the shoulder.

"Hi I was just wondering if you could tell me where I go to get a wand"

The boy stared at her," oh your muggle born"

"Yes, I'm still trying to find my way around" Hermione replied sweetly, trying to seem like an innocent first year too

"it's just round that corner Ollivanders, it's called" the boy putting down his cauldron to point her in the right direction"

"Thank you so much" Hermione squealed and went to hug him

Before she made contact the timid boy ran away leaving the cauldron on the floor. Thank god for shy boys!

She rounded a corner and examined what was inside, it turned it not only did it contain the vials and gloves but also the scales and telescope. She felt quite bad about that, she was aiming for only taking one or two things from each person, not the whole set. Never mind, she'd try to make it up to him at school.

All she needed now was the books and her wand, both of these things she wanted for herself, as for the books she knew she wanted far more than just those and from what she'd heard she would have to buy her own wand. So that meant she needed money. This was more fun. She eyed the crowd looking for the most arrogant richest snob she could find, as it was just after lunch the street was getting busier and there were certainly more targets to choose from. It took a few minutes before the perfect man walked into view. He had long blond hair, a cane which seemed more for decoration and a large full looking bag hanging from his pocket. His nose was turned up in disgust and his face was fixed in a mixture between disapproval and condescension. Right how to go about him, he didn't seem to be the sort to give directions, thankful it was busy, so as he walked passed she just brushed against him, taking the pouch and leaving him none the wiser.

She didn't know how much a wand was, so as it seemed very important she made her way towards Ollivanders. As she approached she admitted it didn't look like much, the paint was peeling the store looked scruffy. Was anything as it seems here? Razing the entirety of her courage she pushed open the door.

The shop itself was extremely long and narrow, each side towered with small boxes, with each shelf sat at the oddest angle. As she entered a small bell rang to indicate she was there. There were so many boxes how was she going to find the one for her.

"Hello can I help you" a voice chirped rousing her from her thoughts.

"Hello, I'm looking for my first wand"

"Aha muggleborn, if you'd like to hold out your dominate hand we'll get started"

A magic tape measure appeared as Hermione held up her right hand

Ollivander went into the depth of his shop and returned with a few boxes

"If you want to pick one and give it a wave we'll see what happens"

It didn't go well. The first blew all the glass from all of his windows. Hermione threw the wand back on the counter.

"Definitely, definitely not" Ollivander seemed to squeal

It only got worse from there

The next set his desk on fire, the one after that made the entire shelf collapse. One apparently with unicorn tail as a core plunged the entire store into darkness for around ten minutes.

After that Ollivander seemed quite excited for some reason

"So definitely not unicorn hair for you, pity I was sure that was the one, right then what's next"

This process went on for about two hours, the unwanted pile on Ollivanders desk was so tall it was at least triple the height of Hermione. Ollivander looked distraught, an expression similar to as someone had died.

"Sir are you alright," Hermione asked tentatively, not wanting to upset the man further

"I'm sorry, Hermione but I can't find you a wand, not one of them in the entire store is suited to you"

Hermione was angry and upset and downright pissed off

"What do you mean I can't have a wand, how the hell will I ever get good enough a magic without one. Fine I give up"

As this exchange was occurring all of the boxes that she had destroyed, and all the damages she had done to the shop all started to be repaired. The boxes flew away back to their shelf, the windows had new glass fitted and all the things she had broken fixed themselves

Hermione felt awful, it wasn't his fault that he didn't have a wand for her

"I hope you will accept my apology, I just really wanted to fit into this world"

Ollivander looked round in shock; this slight girl had fixed his entire shop without batting an eyelid.

"I think I know why no wand would choose you, it's because you simply don't need one. You have such great control over you're magic already you don't need a wand to aid you with it!"

"So I won't need a wand" confusion filling her tone

"Maybe one day, you may find the perfect wand for you but right now I dare say you'll do perfectly right without it."

With that echoing in her mind Hermione thanked Ollivander and made her way to flourish and bots, it was filled with books, the whole store crammed with every book she could ever want, she started with her book list, she counted through her acquired sack to find enough gold coins to buy whatever she wanted. So with books filling her arms, she staggered to the counter. The store clerk looked slightly surprised but didn't say anything as he rung through books on wandless magic, defence, extra potions texts which she thought looked surprisingly similar to chemistry, one of her favourite subject. Added to the pile were books on customs, law, the ministry and an entire encyclopaedia of wizarding diseases. Couldn't be too careful, after all of them had been rung though she had only used half her money. She asked the clerk if there was anywhere here that sold trunks, or bags. He absentmindedly pointed her towards another dingy shop. Walking in it was filled with trunks, bags and baskets, some in piles some hanging off the ceiling covering every service. Behind the counter stood a bored looking young witch, rising on her tiptoes she cleared her throat. The woman jumped to life as if awoken from a daydream.

"How may I help you today, I presume you're after your first Hogwarts trunk"

"Um, yes please, I was looking for a bag too, one I could fit quite a lot in"

The shop assistant perked up at this. "Let's find you that trunk first then we will see about that bag. "

The lady lead her off to a pile of trunks in one corner and started telling her about them, the basic one seemed a little ropy, but after a while, as more and more were fished out she saw one she really like. It was a cream material with an olive green embellishment, the pattern swirled over the trunk and looked almost as if was alive. It had silver hinges and looked perfect.

"What about that one"

The shop assistant looked shocked,

"Well that one's a bit fickle, it chooses who it opens it, no one had even got it to budge, it's been here years!"

"Can I try?" Hermione asked, the woman nodded, what's the worst that could happen?

The trunk popped open as soon as Hermione put her had on the claps. It had so many compartments, some for clothes, the other for books, it was perfect.

"I'll take this one, now about that bag"

The woman led Hermione to a different area of the shop filled with handheld bags. The assistant asked if she had any preference

"Not any handbag, I was looking maybe for a satchel of some kind"

There were three to choose from one was bright pink, definitely not, there was a brown worn one and a purple one left. The purple one was deep, it was almost black. The shop assistant said that that one had anti-theft charms built into it and an unlimited undetectable extension charm. It also had a feather-light applied meaning whatever she added it would still weigh the same, and it was sold. Hermione asked the lady if she could unshrink all of her books, as she didn't know how yet and the lady happily obliged she loaded all of the books into her new bag. The lady said it had an unlimited capacity and if you wanted to find something all you had to do was say what you wanted to the bag and it would come to the entrance.

She paid for he purchases and loaded the trunk into the bag; it was magic Hermione thought to herself! And then assessed what she could do now, she still had a few gallons left so headed towards the pub she had seen to order something to eat. When she entered the whole pub seemed to be buzzing with some confusing news about harry potter the boy who lived, ignoring the commotion she ordered some soup and ate hungrily. She sat there for what must have been at least four hours reading after she'd finished eating, she'd made it through all of her course books and through most of the potions one. This subject looked so fascinating; she just couldn't wait to try it.

Tomorrow was a big day in her envelope she spotted her ticket. The Hogwarts express it read, on platform nine and three quarters. Of course, ¾ was a perfectly logical place to catch a magic train to a magic school. Of for god sake, how on earth did she get to it? That was a problem for tomorrow. She went back to her alleyway and drifted back to sleep, thought of magic trains filling her head.

I hope you liked it!