Chapter One: Magic
Hermione was finishing up tomorrows homework, her teacher was used to this by now. "Almost done," Hermione thought out loud. As she started the next problem, Hermione took a quick glance out the window when she spotted a curious looking elderly couple. As they walked down the street, Hermione saw a long silver beard on the man. She observed the woman as well. The old lady's hair didn't touch her floor-length robes because of how tightly it was pulled back in a bun. Same as the woman, the man was draped in robes only his were decorated with stars. Hermione was sure that those threaded stars were shining off of that man's cloak as if it were magic.
Hermione probably wouldn't have stopped staring if the couple hadn't crossed the street and headed toward her house. By the time she tucked her bushy brown hair behind her ears, the man and woman were on the Granger Family's porch.
"Mum. There are people at the door," Hermione motioned to her mother in the kitchen. Only being eleven years old meant no answering the door, at all. Hermione's mom walked calmly to the front door and opened to see the old man and woman standing shoulder-to-shoulder. Hermione, not caring about being nosey (as she was called that), walked up the doorway. She saw how both of them were a good few inches taller than her mother. Hermione also saw, now in complete detail, the man's star-filled robes.
The aged man spoke first. "Hello I am Professor Dumbledore and this is Professor McGonagall. I am the Headmaster of Hogwarts, a school of Witchcraft and Wizardry."
"How do you do?" Professor McGonagall asked sweetly as she stuck out her fairly wrinkled hand.
Taking her hand nervously, Hermione answered. "G-good I guess. Wait a minute did you say witchcraft?" Hermione tried her best to be polite and follow the rule her mom taught her, respect your elders. But this was different. This was weird. She had read in storybooks about magic but never in non-fiction or history books.
Professor Dumbledore invited himself in and sat down on the squishy couch. "I will explain. Oh and tea would be nice, if you will."
Shocked by his presence and the way he addressed himself, all Hermione's mother could do was stutter in gibberish. It seems as if she were about to ask them to leave but turned and left the room to the kitchen. Hermione could hear her scrambling around to make tea. She was obviously following the respect your elders rule as well as Hermione. She was glad of course that her mother was listening to the same rule that Hermione had to adhere to. That was one thing that Hermione didn't get. Why do adults tell you to do something in a certain way or not to do something at all when they don't listen to those rules themselves? Then they give the same explanation every time. They are an adult and they have special privileges when they really are just setting a bad example. But her mother was different, most of the time.
"You must be Hermione Granger, I assume," Dumbledore guessed.
"Y-yes sir" Hermione replied recalling yet another set of rules, use sir or ma'am with strangers.
"Well I have news, Ms. Hermione Granger," he paused and looked her in the eyes as if to ask if she was ready for this. "You are a witch," the Professor said with a twinkle in his eyes.
She couldn't believe this. Hermione thought that this old man was being absolutely absurd! Ridiculous! Crazy, even. She did not understand what on earth would drive this man into saying that. There was no such thing as wizards or witches. No such thing! At this moment Hermione's mother walked into the room but with a look of disbelief on her face instead of the tea.
"Excuse me, but is this a joke? Are you trying to tell me that my daughter is a witch? As in broomsticks and evil? Because she is most certainly not!" Hermione's mom was absolutely amazed that this old man thought he could just walk in here and make crazy assumptions. "Magic is not real!"
"Oh but it is. Perhaps Ms. Hermione Granger would like to add some of her own opinion," Professor McGonagall interrupted.
"Well, to prove that a fact is a fact and not an opinion, you need proof," Hermione piped up then instantly felt awkward for thinking that the adults would take her sayings into place. But at that moment, the tea kettle in the kitchen whistled in an ear-pitching screech. As Hermione's mom stood up to get the tea Dumbledore raised his hand as if to say no need because the tea, already in cups, floated over to the coffee table and sat themselves down before the two professors.
"How…what is this?" Hermione's mother stumbled.
Dumbledore said one simple word. The word that was his world. The word that was soon to be the life of Hermione. "Magic."