AN: Thank you for all the kind reviews! The next chapter should be posted next Friday. By the way, if anyone is interested in being a beta for this story it would be greatly appreciated. I am managing on my own, but two pairs of eyes is always better than one!

An Academic Opportunity

It was approaching noon at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Corridors that just the week previously had rung with the laughter of school children were so quiet that the footsteps of Deputy Headmistress and Transfiguration Professor Minerva McGonagall echoed loudly off the stone walls.

Stopping in front of a large mahogany door, Professor McGonagall drew her wand and tapped it on the doorknob. With a muttered incantation the lock clicked open and she stepped into her sunlit study. Sitting behind the large desk in the center of the room and opening the top right drawer she removed her meeting schedule and a thick parchment envelope. Upon glancing down at the appointment list she saw that today she would meet with Miss Hermione Granger and her family.

Minerva smiled. One of her favorite parts of being deputy headmistress was meeting muggle-borns and seeing their first reaction the discovery that they were a witch or wizard. The most satisfying part of the whole day would be watching the family's awe-struck faces when the archway at Diagon Alley opened.

A week and a half ago letters had been sent- through the muggle post of course- to all eleven year old muggle borns, stating that they had an additional academic opportunity and requesting a private meeting to discuss the matter more thoroughly. The first response had come from Mr. Granger, who wrote that the Grangers would be glad to meet with her, but also that his daughter, Hermione, had already been accepted on scholarship to a highly prestigious secondary school and was unlikely to change her mind. Minerva was quite confident that once Miss Granger heard about what Hogwarts had to offer she would be much more willing to reconsider.

After double checking the address of the Granger residence, Professor McGonagall stood, placed Miss Granger's acceptance letter into the pocket of her muggle jacket, and exited the study.

A short time later Professor McGonagall stood facing a large brick house in one of London's many suburbs. While walking up the front path Professor McGonagall checked her watch and saw with satisfaction that it was precisely noon. If there was one thing Minerva McGonagall took pride in, it was the fact that she was never late. She rang the doorbell and after a short pause it was answered by a tall man with curly brown hair. He was neatly dressed in tan trousers with a blue shirt and argyle sweater-vest.

"You must be Professor McGonagall" he said kindly, "please come in."

He led her into a spacious hallway and through a door on the left. The living room was large, but not ostentatious. The walls were painted a light, creamy yellow and in the center of the polished oak floor lay a beautiful oriental rug of deep burgundies, greens, and blues. Directly across from the door was an ornately carved stone fireplace and to the left a set of bay windows that overlooked the front garden, radiant in the full bloom of summer flowers.

As Minerva entered she saw what must be Mrs. and Miss Granger seated on the sofa facing the fireplace. Mrs. Granger was a thin woman with honey-blonde hair that just barely brushed her shoulders. She wore a grey skirt, a purple blouse, and a warm motherly smile.

Miss Granger, Minerva noted with satisfaction, had obviously been taught how to act like a young lady. She was not slouched over or disheveled, but sat erectly in her sunshine yellow blouse with her hands folded neatly in her lap and legs crossed delicately at the ankle.

After introductions had been made and the Professor and Mr. Granger were sitting in armchairs on either side of the fireplace, Minerva decided it was time to get the conversation started. "Well, Miss Granger," she said, "I suppose we should get right down to business?"

"Yes Professor"

"Miss Granger, do you believe in magic"

Hermione thought this was a very strange question indeed and made the first reply that came to mind saying, "Of course not Professor. I was under the impression that we were going to discuss my academic opportunities. I don't see how this is relevant."

"Your impression is correct. We are here to discuss academics. And magic has everything to do with the option I am going to present to you. Firstly however, I believe a demonstration is in order. Professor McGonagall stood gracefully and drew her wand from an inside pocked. With a complicated motion and a final flick at herself the black skirt suit that she had been wearing disappeared and in its place was a set of long green robes. Another wave and the Granger's piano began to play a Mozart sonata. One last complicated gesture and a tea service appeared on the coffee table before them, complete with crumpets and several flavors of jam.

"I've changed my mind professor," said Hermione a little breathlessly. "I believe in magic now."

"Very good Miss Granger. I have come to tell you that you have magical abilities of your own. Tell me, has anything unexplainable happened to you when you were upset, or frightened, or happy."

Hermione thought and for the first time allowed herself to examine the strange things that had happened to her, things that had earned her the label of freak. Memory upon memory came flooding into her mind and hope surged within her heart. She was finally going to understand why she was so different.

"A lot of odd things have happened to me. Are you saying that it's because I can do magic?"

"That is exactly what I am telling you. I would like to offer you a place at Hogwarts where you will be able to learn to use and control your abilities." she said as she withdrew a heavy parchment envelope from her robes and handed it to Hermione. With trembling fingers Hermione slit the wax seal and removed the enclosed letter.

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 Ms. Granger,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed list of all necessary books and equipment.

Term Begins on September 1. We await your own by no later than July 31.

Yours sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall

Deputy Headmistress

Hermione turned the page and began to read the list of supplies.

UNIFORM

First year students will require

Three sets of plain work robes (black

One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear

One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)

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) 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 in 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

A million thoughts and questions chased each other around Hermione's mind. Her head was swimming and her heart was beating very fast. Amid the internal chaos there was one thing that she knew for certain. She was magical. She was magical and she was going to this school where she could learn magic. There was a burning need within her, as though something that she didn't even know had been missing was suddenly restored. She was going to Hogwarts and nothing anyone said or did was going to stop her.

Hermione was abruptly brought back to the present when Professor McGonagall's crisp voice reached her ears. "Well, Miss Granger, I assume you have a lot of questions."

There were so many questions she wanted to ask. Everything from the fact that dragons existed to how a magic wand actually worked and whether there was a book that could explain it all to her. Unable to settle on any one question she allowed her gaze to wander around the room until it landed on the tea service on the coffee table in front of her. Without stopping to think, she blurted, "You just made that tea appear out of thin air! How?"

Professor McGonagall gave a small smile and said, "You may as well learn now, Miss Granger, that no one can make food appear out of thin air. Food is the first of the five principle exceptions to Gamp's Law of Elemental Transfiguration. I merely summoned it from the kitchens at Hogwarts where I had it prepared earlier this morning. You will study Gamp's law in greater detail if you decide to pursue advanced transfiguration studies at Hogwarts."

"Oh," said Hermione fascinated. Magic had rules and laws just like science? There were things to learn and study. And surely, surely, with magic the possibilities had to be endless.

Hermione turned to her parents with as much seriousness and maturity as she could muster. She wanted to beg and plead to be allowed to go to this magic school, but she knew that her parents never gave her anything when she begged. They had always taught her to present the things she wanted in a rational and adult way. Trying to sound as grown-up as possible she said, "Mum, Dad, I would very much like to go to Hogwarts. I think I have magic. I think that's why all those things that we never talk about happen to me. I just know that I need to go and learn how to use these powers and abilities. Please, may I go? Please?"

She could not keep a note of desperation out of her voice at the very end, but as she watched her parents they both seemed to be considering what she had said and thinking very deeply about what they ought to do. Finally, her father opened his mouth and addressed Professor McGonagall.

"I must say, Professor, I believe in magic now. That was quite an impressive display. And, if Hermione really does have magical powers, I think it would probably be good for her to learn to control them. These unexplainable occurrences have only increased as Hermione has gotten older. Somehow I can only see that pattern continuing. We can't have her going off to secondary school making things explode or float around and such. At the same time," he continued after taking a deep breath, "I don't know anything about this Hogwarts. Where is it? How much does it cost? What will Hermione learn there? Will it actually help her in the future?"

For the next hour and a half Professor McGonagall answered these and many more of the Granger's questions. Hermione learned that Hogwarts was in Scotland, but that its exact location was "unplottable," that the school had one of the most extensive magical libraries in the world, and that she would be able to learn more magic than she could wrap her mind around at the present time. After several more demonstrations of magic, a thorough discussion of tuition and fees, and a viewing of several informational pamphlets about Hogwarts, it was decided that Hermione would be allowed to attend.

Since Professor McGonagall and the Grangers had the afternoon free, and since Hermione simply couldn't wait to get her hands on her new course books, it was decided that Professor McGonagall would accompany them to buy Hermione's new supplies that afternoon. To Mrs. Granger's astonishment, Professor McGonagall informed them that everything on Hermione's list could be found in London, if one knew where to look.

Professor McGonagall gave Mr. Granger directions. Then all four of them climbed in Mr. Granger's car and sped off towards London.