Chapter three – The Dawn of a Journey
Hermione had visited London only three times in her eleven years. Once with her grandparents on her sixth birthday, once with her school to see the national history museum and once with her parents last year when they were driving back from their holiday in the forest of Dean. Hermione remembered they had stopped off at Tottenham court road because Hermione said she was thirsty, they had then ended up spending most of the day in London seeing the sights. Today they arrived at Euston station, ten minuets before they were due to meet professor McGonagall. In Hermione's pocket were the acceptance letter and the list of equipment they needed to buy, now soft from Hermione unfolding it, reading it and re-folding it so many times. Her parents both bought cups of coffee at a small coffee shop and bought Hermione an iced smoothie. Whilst they were waiting Hermione got out, once again the equipment list and read;
UNIFORM - Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions
First-year students will require:
sets of plain work robes (black)
plain pointed hat (black) for day wear
pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)
winter cloak (black, with silver fastenings)
Please note that all pupil's clothes should carry name tags.
COURSE BOOKS – Flourish and Blotts
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 - Ollivanders
1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2) – Potage Cauldren shop
1 set glass or crystal phials - Wiseacre's Wizarding Equipment
1 telescope - Wiseacre's Wizarding Equipment
1 set brass scales - Wiseacre's Wizarding Equipment
Students may also bring and owl OR a cat OR a toad. - Magical Menagerie
PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS
Although Hermione had memorized the list the day it was given to her, she was still fascinated by the strange names ad titles, and what she had to wear, robes a pointed hat and a cloak! Hermione was still struggling to take it all in. After a little while she felt her mother tap her shoulder and looked up to see professor McGonagall standing a few metres in front of the bench she and her parents were occupying.
"Good Morning" Said Professor McGonagall crisply
"Good Morning" Replied the three Granger's standing up.
"I'm afraid we've got a bit of a walk, we're heading to Charing Cross Road"
Hermione and her parents nodded and the four of them set out down Melton Street
"Now would be a good time to ask any questions you have miss Granger, you won't see me again until you begin school after this" Said professor McGonagall looking down at Hermione.
Hermione hesitated, wanting to ask intelligent questions, but desperate to know even the smallest of details about magic. Finally she decided to ask a polite easy question first.
"What do you teach at Hogwarts, professor?"
Professor McGonagall looked slightly surprised at her question but answered it never the less. "I teach transfiguration Miss Granger"
Hermione had begun to speculate what transfiguration meant when she saw it written on her spell book list, she asked the next question tentatively, afraid that she may have guessed wrong.
"Is transfiguration changing one thing into another using magic?"
Again Professor McGonagall looked surprised
"Yes Miss Granger, that's exactly what transfiguration is, in your first year we begin changing one small object into another and then throughout the years the objects get progressively larger, until we move onto living things, small animals for example."
Hermione nodded, fascinated.
"And is it possible to transfigure humans into objects or animals professor?"
This time professor McGonagall looked so surprised she turned to face Hermione
"Are you sure you've grown up with muggles Miss Granger? You seem to have an awfully good understanding for someone who has known about magic for all of six days"
Hermione laughed "I'm just curious, and quite good at guessing"
Professor McGonagall nodded, looking impressed.
"Well then, in answer to your question, yes it is possible to transfigure humans into objects and other animals using very advanced spells, but it is also possible for witches and wizards to change at will to an animal of there choosing, but that is a very difficult area of magic that takes many, many years of training. The witch or wizard who learns this wouldn't need to use a spell but can simply change into the animal whenever the wish. These witches and wizards are called animagi. Due to its difficulty very few people chose to do this, in this century only seven people have become legal animagi."
Hermione was in awe, she imagined a person simply melting into another animal, then a thought occurred to her.
"Are you one of the seven Professor?"
"Yes Miss Granger, as a matter of fact I am, I can transform myself into a cat"
Hermione looked up at her new teacher, a huge respect already growing in her chest for her.
"Professor, do you keep your human thoughts and abilities when you're in animal form? Only if you turned into an animal completely, you wouldn't be able to get yourself back"
Professor McGonagall turned and, for the first time today, gave Hermione a small smile.
"Right again Miss Granger, in animal form the witch or wizard still keeps human knowledge, memories and emotions, however they gain the instincts of the animal which they have transformed to"
Hermione had been so absorbed in the conversation that she had failed to notice that they were now nearing Charing Cross Road.
"Professor, where exactly is Diagon Alley? If it's just a normal street don't muggles no about it?" Hermione asked
"Diagon Alley is accessible through a pub that only witches and wizards can see named the leaky cauldron. You will be able to see it yourself in a minute"
Hermione nodded, taking this new information in her stride as well. After a few more seconds Professor McGonagall stopped out side a small, grimy pub that was nestled in between a bookshop and a record shop. Hermione probably wouldn't have noticed it if Professor McGonagall hadn't shown it to her. Her parents then came to a stop beside them.
"Are we here? Surely you can't buy spell books in there" Said her mother nodding towards the book shop.
"No mum, we go through this pub to get to the place where you can buy all the supplies" explained Hermione
"What pub dear?" Asked her mother, looking bemusedly at Hermione
"That one" said Hermione, pointing behind her.
"Hermione that's a closed down shop"
"Mr and Mrs Granger, I'm afraid this may be rather a strange experience for you" interrupted Professor McGonagall "Miss Granger, if you could take your parents hands and follow me" she was now addressing Hermione.
Extremely confused Hermione grabbed her parents' hands and strode after Professor McGonagall. Her parents let out cries of refusal as Hermione dragged them through the doorway. Once inside, Hermione realised it wasn't just the outside of the pub that was grubby, the inside was dark and shadowy. It was however warm, and despite its darkness still gave off a homely, comforting feel. Inside were some of the strangest people Hermione had ever seen. People dressed in both colourful and dark….well Hermione could only guess that they were robes. People wearing oddly shaped hats, people with long beards and strange accents. It was fascinating for Hermione, but she couldn't stare for long as her attention was drawn back to her parents who were making spluttering noises.
"Mum, dad I really don't get…"
"Because of your parents being muggles Hermione, what they saw when they looked upon the pub was a broken-down shop, they could also see through the windows which showed them a desolate room, quite different to the one they have just stepped into, don't you think" Explained Professor McGonagall, standing beside her.
"This is getting to strange for me already" muttered her mother.
"Well believe me Mrs Granger, it will only become stranger form here on in" Said Professor McGonagall crisply before she strode off through the pub.
Once again Hermione hurried to catch up with her, her parents hot on her heels this time.
"Good morning Tom" said professor McGonagall to a bald man behind the bar, he smiled a toothless grin at her.
"Morning ma'am"
Professor McGonagall did not stop to chat as she continued to stride to the back of the pub and out into a small courtyard that was scattered with a few dustbins. Hermione watched as Professor McGonagall took out her wand and looked at the wall opposite the door they had just come through.
"Now remember this Miss Granger, from this bin" she pointed to the bin standing against the wall "three bricks up, two bricks across and three taps with your wand"
Hermione stared fascinated as the Professor McGonagall tapped the brick she had been pointing to three times with her wand, the brick began to move trembling slightly, then to Hermione's amazement a small hole appeared, before Hermione's eyes the whole widened, until it formed a stone archway. Beyond the archway Hermione could see a twisting cobbled street lined with brightly coloured shops. Hermione glanced back at her parents to see that both there mouths had dropped open in shock. Hermione then looked up at Professor McGonagall, who didn't seem at all shocked by the archway forming before her eyes, or by the Grangers dumbstruck faces.
"This is where I leave you" said Professor McGonagall turning to face the Granger's behind her "I would suggest the first thing you do is visit Gringotts bank at the end of the street, you will have to exchange your money for wizard currency. Here is your ticket for the train to Hogwarts Miss Granger" Now she handed Hermione another thick yellow envelope "Now listen carefully because this is important, your ticket says you leave from platform nine and three quarters, obviously this is also hidden from muggle views. To get to the platform you need to go to the barrier dividing platforms nine and ten and walk straight through it. Don't hesitate, just hold your parents hands and walk straight through, do you understand"
Hermione nodded quickly
"It's been a pleasure meeting you Miss Granger, I'll see you on September the first"
And after shaking Mr and Mrs Granger's hands she spun around and disappeared with a faint 'pop'. Hermione mother gave a shaky laugh and muttered
"Madness, utter madness"
There was a pause where none of the Granger's new quite what to do with themselves. Finally Hermione stepped out of the courtyard, through the archway and into the cobbled street of Diagon alley. She turned around to see that after her parents had stepped through the archway whet smoothly back to a brick wall.
"What's left Hermione?" asked her mother as they walked out of Flourish and Blotts, laden with twice as many books as the school list had required. As soon as Hermione had walked into the bookshop she was hooked. There tens of thousands of books all about magic, after finding all of her books from the list Hermione had poured over the shelves, looking at fascinating titles at itching to read the words inside. Hermione parents, amused at there daughters ferocious interest had said that Hermione could pick out a few extra books. Although Hermione had protested at first, worried about the cost of all the new things they were buying today her parents had insisted, saying they would have had to buy new things for whatever school she was going to, and that her birthday was soon. Hermione had quickly picked out Modern Magical History, Hogwarts: A History, The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts, Jinxes for the Jinxed, Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Centaury and Important Modern Magical Discoveries. Now all three Granger's were sweating under the weight of the books and the summer heat.
"Just a wand, that's all" Answered Hermione "the list, says we can get that from Ollivanders"
So struggling with the vast amount of packages the three Grangers made there way down the street to were they could see the peeling, faded sign of Ollivanders. The bell tinkled softly as they walked into the shop that smelled strongly of dust. Already in the shop was a family of four, a mother and father, a young boy who could be no older than seven and a pink faced girl with blonde pigtails who was around the same age as Hermione. The family were just leaving as the Granger's arrived and although they nodded happily at the Hermione and her family, they regarded her parent's clothes curiously. This was not the first time that had occurred today, but Hermione stared back with just a big as interest at the parent's robes. As the bell tinkled on the door as the family left a soft voice spoke to them from one of the shadowy corners of the room.
"Good afternoon"
Before them a man appeared, he had pale, thin skin and his faced was lined, showing a vast age. He had white hair and large pale eyes and overall gave of the affect of being quite ghostly.
"Ah you're family have never bought a wand from here before, I would recognize your face" At this the old man looked past Hermione to her parents standing behind her "I see, you are a muggle born, what is your name?
"Hermione sir, Hermione Granger" Hermione answered timidly
"Well Hermione I am Mr Ollivander and today I will find you a suitable wand to begin your magical career"
He spoke as if he were reading from an old fashioned story book, and although Hermione was slightly intimidated by him, she was desperate to know more about wands, as they seemed to be the basis of most magic.
"Is every wand different then?" Asked Hermione, looking around at the thousands of boxes piled high around them.
"Yes Miss Granger, each wand is made a different length, from a different wood and with one of three cores; Phoenix feather, unicorn hair or dragon heartstring"
At this Mr and Mrs Granger blanched and Mrs Granger choked "Dragon!" at the same time Mr Granger said "Unicorn!"
Mr Ollivander nodded slowly, unfazed by the three Granger's amazement "Yes, yes, the wand chooses the wizard Miss Granger that is how magic is most powerful"
Hermione was now quite confused by the whole ordeal, how could a piece of wood chose it's owner. But now Mr Ollivander had gotten out a long tape measure with silver marking on.
"Your wand arm?" he asked
"Right?" Hermione said, unsure, she was right handed, was it the same?
Mr Ollivander nodded then began to measure Hermione, from different parts of the arm, to different parts of the leg, around the head, all sorts of places that Hermione felt sure had nothing to do with wands, the amazing thing was the tape measure was doing this all on it's own Mr Ollivander had wandered over to the shelves and had begun looking through boxes.
"I find that willow often favours muggleborns" Said Mr Ollivander opening the box he had just picked from the shelf and handing Hermione the wand inside " 9 inches, willow with a unicorn hair core…..well wave it then"
The tape measure had stopped now and Hermione, unsure of what would happen waved the wand through the air. Nothing happened. Mr Ollivander quickly took it from her.
"Perhaps not, right then lets try oak, seven and a half inches, phoenix tail feather" He handed Hermione another wand, again nothing happened when she waved it.
Mr Ollivander didn't seemed fazed though and kept thrusting wand after wand at Hermione, calling out there names each time. With each wand Hermione grew more and more worried, what if there wasn't a single wand that would work for her, what if Mr Ollivander just said 'sorry you can't be a witch then, goodbye!". Now he handed Hermione her fourteenth… no fifteenth wand.
"Vine, ten and three quarter inches with dragon heartstring core, a strong wand"
Hermione accepted the wand from him and immediately felt a slight warmth in the tips of her finger, intrigued Hermione made a swishing motion through the air and a stream of periwinkle-blue sparks flew from the tip of the wand, lighting the dusty shop momentarily in twinkling lights. Hermione parents gasped and Mr Ollivander called.
"Oh well done Miss Granger, well done, a good choice"
Hermione smiled as he took the wand from her and began to pack it into its box
"That will be seven galleons Miss Granger" Hermione nodded and her parents quickly took out the money and paid Mr Ollivander. Hermione thanked him and left the shop with her parents, feeling very pleased. She had all her school supplies and was practically jumping out of her skin to go home and read her books and perhaps try out some spells.
This chapter was fun to write, I wanted to make sure I really got Hermione's eagerness to the point of being annoying. Only a one or two more chapter (Haven't quite decided) until she meets Ron though so don't worry. Oh and did you know that Hermione wand is vine because in the Celtic calendar that's the wood based on her birth date! It's the same with Ron and Harry's, it's a connection J.K wanted them to have from the beginning!
Hannah x