Chapter 3

Harry walked up to his room after his talk with his aunt with his mind reeling. If it wasn't for the voice, he would've had a lot of trouble believing what she had told him. He sat down on his bed and thought about what she had told him. He knew there was something different about him, even before the voice came to him. Wierd things always seemed to happen to him or around him. Now he knew why, he was a wizard, or at least he probably was according to his aunt Petunia. His dad had been a wizard and his mom had been a witch. She told him that when he turned eleven he would get a letter inviting him to attend a school named Hogwarts where he would learn magic. She wasn't able to give him any details since she wasn't magical and hadn't gone there. She did say that she would look and see if she had any of her sistr's old school things for him. He was brought out of his thoughts by the doorbell ringing.

He went his bedroom door and opened it just as his aunt opened the front door.

"May I help you young lady," she asked whoever was at the door.

"Yes. I'm here to ask if Harry can come over and play," a voice he recognized as Hermoine's replied.

Before his aunt could say anything, Harry walked downstairs and stopped next to his aunt.

"Can I aunt Petunia," he asked.

She looked down at him and thought about it for a few seconds before telling him yes but reminding him to be home before his uncle got home from work.

"I will," he said, "thank you."

Hermoine grabbed his hand and they left towards her house.

"Thanks Mrs. Dursley," she called over her shoulder before Petunia closed the door.

She released his hand when the got to her house and they walked around back to her backyard where she had a playground that her dad built for her. Her parents were both dentists and doted on their only child. She waved at her mom who was watching through their kitchen window. Both of her parents worked, but during the summer since she started school her parents would take turns staying home with her. Today was her mom's day.

"What do you want to do first," she asked him?

He eyed the play equipment and smiled as his eyes locked on the swingset.

"Let's go swing for awhile," he replied excited.

He never got to play on the swings at school because Dudley, his cousin, always made sure to keep him away from what he had called his swings. It hurt at first but then Harry figured that there was still all kinds of things for him to play on that it didn't matter. He would have told his aunt and uncle about this , but he knew it was no use as Petunia doted on her son and Vernon encouraged Dudley's behavior, especially towards Harry. He shook those thoughts out of his head as they ran towards the swings and they started swinging. They were in a competition to see who could go higher when, all of a sudden, when Hermoine was at the top of a full swing, one of the chains on her swing broke and she went flying through the air. She screamed as she started plummeting to the ground.

"Hermoine," Harry screamed as he looked on in horror.

He reached out to her like he was going to catch her when all of a sudden she slowed down and floated gently to the ground. He ran to her and made it to her at the same time as her mom.

Hermoine was a mirror image of what her mom looked like at her age and she had gotten beautiful as she got older. Emma Granger was a very beautiful woman, especially if you asked her husband Daniel. They had tried for years to have a child and she had miscarried several times. They were about to give up when she finally got pregnant and after a very difficult pregnancy she gave birth to Hermoine. They were crushed when the doctor told her that because of the complications she had it would be very dangerous to try and have another child. So on the doctor's advice, she had her tubes tied. They were a very happy family and they both adored Hermoine and took great care of her, although they avoided spoiling her. Hermoine didn't want for anything but, also didn't get everything she wanted just because she wanted it. Emma had taught her daughter that if she wanted something, she had to come up with a very good reason for it and then explain it to them. If, after listening to her argument, they agreed, they would get it. That's not to say that when she was younger that she didn't try to argue with them or, the very few times, throw a fit when she didn't get her way. Emma was looking out the window watching her daughter play with her friend when she saw the chain break and Hermoine go flying through the air. She ran to the door and opened just in time to see the young boy scream her daughters name and then, all of a sudden her daughter slowed down and made it gently to the ground. She was at her daughter's side in an instance and pulled her to her, checking her for injuries trying to make sure that she was alright.

"I'm fine mom," Hermoine said after her mother looked over her a few times.

"I know baby," Emma said to her daughter still checking her over, "I just want to make sure."

Hermoine rolled her eyes at her mother's behavior and looked at Harry to see fear in his eyes.

"I'm okay Harry," she told him trying to alleviate his fears.

"What happened," Emma asked when she was satisfied that Hermoine was uninjured.

"I don't know mom," Hermoine answered, "the chain broke."

"I know that sweetheart," she said gently, "I was asking about how you didn't slam into the ground."

Hermoine scrunched up her face as she thought about it.

"I don't know," she finally said, "I was so scared though."

They both thought for a minute before they looked at Harry who still had a look of fear on his face. Before either of them had a chance to say anything to him, he stood up and ran home as fast as he could.

When he got to the house he ran to his room and hid under his covers, fear gripping his heart, while the tears flew down his face.

"She's gonna hate me know," he said to himself.