The following two days were achingly long. As much as I loved my lessons, I couldn't think of anything other than the anticipation over meeting Nathalie Andrews and getting myself situated at my new school. I wondered what my lessons would be like; what subjects I would study. I always loved reading about British history, I wondered if there was an entire history of the magical world that I knew nothing about. I assumed there was. I felt little nervous butterflies fluttering in my stomach; was I at a disadvantage as a…what did Professor McGonagall call it? A Muggleborn? My classmates from magical families probably grew up knowing the things I didn't know. I was confident I could catch up but my competitive spirit always made me jealous of anyone who knew things I didn't. This would literally be a whole new world for me, I hoped I would fit in.
While my former friends were still ignoring me, it no longer hurt. I didn't need to trouble myself over them anymore I would soon be surrounded by others just like me and with any luck, I'd never be an outsider again. I raced home from school on the second day and ran up to my bedroom. I stared at my open closet, agonizing over what I should wear to make a good impression on Nathalie. I might have already been accepted to Hogwarts, but I didn't want to risk Nathalie reporting something negative back to Professor McGonagall. I pulled on a pair of new jeans and a sensible slate blue jumper. I changed from my school shoes into a pair of new black trainers and sat at my dressing table, glaring at my frizzy hair. Perhaps there was a spell to tame it. I made a mental note to learn that spell as soon as possible. I tried combing it but my hands shook with anticipation; I sighed and just pulled it up as best I could. Professor McGonagall didn't tell us what time to expect our visitor but Mum set an extra place for dinner, just in case.
"I hope she doesn't come too late in the evening." Mum worried. We sat around the dinner table, each of us nervous for our own reasons. We usually talked casually while we ate but that night was very different. The sounds of utensils scraping against plates were the only things that broke the anxious silence. I squealed when the buzzer went off; quickly wiping my mouth on my napkin and I bolted to the door.
I expected to see someone dressed like Professor McGonagall, in a black robe. The young woman on my doorstep didn't fit any of my expectations. She appeared to be about 20, was only slightly shorter than my father and had long, shiny blonde hair. She had a small purse slung over her shoulder and she wore jeans, a slouchy, off the shoulder black cable knit jumper and black boots. To look at her, you would think she was an ordinary university student. She smiled wide at me when I opened the door.
"Good evening, I'm looking for Hermione?" She said. She tucked some of her hair behind her ear and I saw tiny stud earrings from her lobe all the way up her ear, there must have been eight of them.
"I'm Hermione." I said nodding shyly. "Come in." I stepped aside so she could enter. I noticed that her dark olive skin smelled like a warm vanilla lotion when she walked by me. The hygienist at my parents' dental practice, Kate, wore the same one. She smiled at me and looked around the foyer.
"Are you hungry?" I asked. "Mum set a place for you at the table, we didn't know when to expect you…"
"And I'm late, oh goodness, I'm sorry." She shook her head apologetically.
Nathalie followed me into the dining room where my parents were still quietly eating. I took a deep breath and held it in, hoping one of them would speak first. To my relief, Nathalie introduced herself and took the lead.
"Mr. and Mrs. Granger, I'm very sorry for being late. There's a lot happening at the school right now, all sorts of preparations being made for next year." She said, sitting down.
My father took her soup bowl and gave her three heaping ladles full of Mum's chicken soup. My parents smiled congenially at her.
"What exactly is the school preparing for?" Mum asked her, Nathalie's eyes lit up with excitement.
"The arrival of a very important person, Mrs. Granger. Very important indeed. He saved the entire wizarding world from sure destruction! His name and the date of his arrival at the school is well known to every witch and wizard the world over. Harry Potter has practically been a hero since the day he was born." Nathalie gushed.
"This…Potter…is a child?" Dad asked incredulously.
"I know it sounds a bit ridiculous, Mr. Granger, but I assure you I'm not exaggerating." She replied earnestly. She proceeded to tell us about "the Most Evil Wizard who ever lived" and his defeat at the hands of this one year old boy. Even as his parents lay dead, this small child barely able to talk had vanquished a man who had killed dozens.
"Well…that's quite a story…" Mum said, stunned.
"So you see why we're all deeply excited for his return. He was brought to Muggle relatives to be raised outside the scope of our world. That was our Head Master, Professor Dumbledore's idea." Nathalie explained proudly.
"Would no one else have him?" Dad asked.
"Have him? There were any number of wizard families who would be deeply honored to take care of Harry Potter. Dumbledore thought it best that he live with his maternal Aunt and Uncle, where he could be raised like any ordinary child." Nathalie replied.
"Sounds as if he is anything but ordinary." Mum observed, Nathalie nodded her head.
"So you see, Hermione is in an exciting and unique position if she will be attending. She'll be in the same year as the most famous boy in the wizarding world." Nathalie said smiling wide at me.
I smiled back but I puzzled. "I thought you said he was going to be at Hogwarts next fall?" I asked.
"That's right. All sorts of extra protective spells are being placed on the school, so he and all of the new first years like yourself will be safe next September." She folded her hands in her lap.
"But I'm 11 now, can't I go to Hogwarts this year?" I said, my voice trembled. I couldn't bear the idea of another year in my school, not when I'd know I belonged somewhere else.
"I'm very sorry, Hermione but that would be impossible. Our laws state a child must turn eleven before the 16th of August in order to be admitted to Hogwarts on September the First."
"The 16th of August?!" I exclaimed sadly, "But my birthday is less than a month after that! Surely I could catch up on whatever I've missed so far!" The tears choked in my throat. Nathalie frowned, I had made the fresh flowers Mum had in a vase on the table wilt and turn dark brown.
Nathalie removed her wand from her pocket and revived the flowers with a single wave. "I can see you're extremely determined and obviously gifted, Hermione. You must have made quite an impression on McGonagall – she requested a special dispensation from the Ministry of Magic on your behalf but they don't grant them easily. I'm afraid if you are going to attend Hogwarts, you must wait until next September."
"Another year? But…" I looked to my parents and they shared a hopeful expression – as if keeping me out of Hogwarts for an extra year might mean I'd change my mind.
"Rules are rules, Hermione. And they have changed within the last ten years. All students regardless of blood status receive their acceptance letters on their eleventh birthday. Formerly, all Muggleborn students were notified of their acceptance on the first of August. It discouraged Muggleborn students from attending, you see. As the term starts on the first of September, parents and the children would have less than a month to come to terms with the idea of having a witch or wizard in the family, inform themselves about our world and Hogwarts and to purchase all the necessary schoolbooks and supplies. Enrollment of Muggleborns was low for quite a while. I'm very happy all of that changed after the fall of…You Know Who; Muggleborns are so important to our world." She smiled at us.
"Why are they so important?" My father sat forward in his chair, obviously intrigued.
"Well, diversity, frankly. Not only to introduce young witches and wizards to their peers raised in the Muggle world, but also genetic diversity as well. Some of the older Pure-blooded families inter-married to keep the line free of Muggle blood. The result has been some rather unsavory offspring. I'm a Half-Blood myself, my mother is a Muggle." Nathalie took a big gulp of water and let everything sink in.
My parents are very reserved people, always calm and collected. Their faces hardly ever revealed what either of them were thinking. Mum spoke first.
"Nathalie…we are indeed very proud of Hermione. She's always been at the very top of her classes and she's very gifted academically. My husband and I have given it a good deal of thought and discussion since Professor McGonagall's visit and we have decided." She took Dad's hand and stared at the table a moment.
"You have?" I asked. My voice broke, betraying my nervousness.
Dad smiled at me. "Hermione, we want what is best for you. As strange as all of this is for us to understand, we feel it would be cruel of us to not allow you to attend Hogwarts."
"We only had one child so we could focus all of our love and attention on you, Hermione. We were dreading the day you'd go to university and leave home but…this is an opportunity you cannot miss, despite how much we are going to miss you." Mum wiped a tear from her eye.
I leapt from my seat and wrapped my arms around them, elated tears flowing freely.
"You can always come home if you want to." Dad said, kissing my cheek.
"And we can take a holiday every year for Christmas, somewhere just the three of us." Mum added.
"I don't know what to say. Thank you." I said, looking at them both. I turned towards Nathalie and she was smiling shyly.
Nathalie was beaming at me. "I can't tell you how excited I am for you, Hermione. You clearly have wonderful parents. Not all Muggleborns are so lucky." She reached down to the floor where she had tucked her purse. She placed it on the dining table and before our eyes, she pulled out two enormous, ancient-looking books and plunked them down. I stared in awe, there had to be a charm or something on her purse, it was not nearly big enough to hold either of the giant volumes she'd just removed.
"Let me clear these things away…" Mum said, standing.
"No, please, Mrs. Granger, allow me." Nathalie waved her wand and the dishes were gone before our eyes. The distinct sound of our dishwasher clicking on could be heard a moment later.
"Hermione you really must learn that spell, darling." Dad joked.
"I had so hoped you were going to permit Hermione to attend. I've brought along some reading materials for you. It's going to be a long year for you; I can see you're keen to get started." She pushed the larger of the two books at me and with her wand she flipped it around so I could read the faded title, gold leaf chipping away off of the ever-desiccating leather binding.
"This is Hogwarts, A History." Nathalie said. "It's not required reading, but I think you'll find it extremely interesting and helpful. You're at a bit of a disadvantage as a Muggleborn. The other students, even the Half-Bloods are told all about Hogwarts from a very young age. Just about everything you could possibly want to know about the castle itself and the school is detailed in here." She winked at me. I reverently lifted the book off the table and examined the delicate leather cover.
"What's that other book you have there?" Mum asked, squeezing my arm excitedly.
"This is the Standard Book of Spells, Level 1." It's an older edition than what Flourish and Blotts sells now but until you can get to Diagon Alley to purchase your supplies, you can peruse this one. Technically, under-age students are not allowed to practice magic outside of the school but as you're not a student yet, I don't see any harm in you reading the book. That brings me to my final gift to you." She stood and reached into her purse one more time. She pulled out a small, clear glass vile. She pulled the stopper out and tipped it over. A speck of wood, no bitter than a splinter, fell onto the table without any noise at all.
Nathalie waved her wand and said "Engorgio" and the splinter was suddenly transformed into a wand on the table.
I approached it carefully, as I it were a living thing and at any moment it could bite me.
"Is that my…" I began to ask quietly.
"Not yours, no. That was my first wand, I bought it when I was your age. It's precious to me, I've only lent it out to students once or twice before you. If the mood strikes and you would like to try a spell, a small one, you may use this. When you go to Diagon Alley and buy your own, please leave it with Mr. Ollivander, he will see that it gets back to me." Nathalie smiled kindly down at me. I felt like hugging her.
A wand. A real wand, right in front of me.
"Go on, you know you want to!" She giggled. I reached my hand out; just before I touched the smooth mahogany, I felt a warm vibration rush up my arm. I'd first felt the sensation two days earlier when Professor McGonagall permitted me the use of her wand. I felt as if I were being greeted by a friend. A warm blanket was wrapped around me when I clasped my hand around the wand.
"It's so warm!" I exclaimed.
"Just wait until you go to Ollivander's and find your own! You won't believe it. Mr. Ollivander always says that 'the wand chooses the witch', Hermione. You'll no doubt have to try a few of them but when your wand is placed in your hand for the first time, it will feel like you've grown a third arm." Nathalie crossed her arms over her chest and nodded approvingly.
I smiled at her and diverted my eyes back to her wand in my hand. "Teach me a spell?" I implored, sounding more desperate than I wanted to. Nathalie looked around the dining room. She raised her wand and gave it a flick.
A crystal candlestick floated mid-air towards us and landed gingerly on the table in front of me. A second flick produced a long blue and bronze tapered candle out of nowhere. She laid it down on the table. My parents were seated across from us, completely mystified expressions on their faces.
"Astonishing." Dad said quietly. 'This is absolutely astonishing."
Nathalie shrugged. "Parlor tricks, really, Mr. Granger. I assure you, Hermione will master much more complex magic before she's through!" She winked and turned her attention back to me.
"Now Hermione, this exercise is a typical assignment for a First Year student. It teaches a not-very-complex spell, but also control and concentration. You will certainly be able to levitate things much heavier than a candle by Seventh Year but if you can't control where you put them down, you can have quite a mess on your hands."
I grimaced, suddenly reminded of The Thing. I shook my head and paid closer attention to Nathalie.
"Did Professor McGonagall teach you the 'swish and flick' wand movement?"
I shook my head and demonstrated it.
"Well done! Now point the wand at the candle, swish and flick and say Wingardium Leviosa."
I did. The candle jerked slightly but nothing else.
"No one gets it right at first, don't fret about that. Try again."
Wingardium Leviosa. Nothing.
"Try snapping at the wrist, just a bit…" she instructed while chewing her bottom lip.
Wingardium Leviosa! The candle slowly rose off the table and my parents both clapped in celebration. I smiled wide but as soon as I looked up at them, the candle plopped back down again.
"Excellent! Very, very good!" Nathalie clapped her hands. "Try again, try to hold your concentration this time. In your mind, tell the candle where you want it to go."
Wingardium Leviosa! The candle obediently lifted off the table again, this time it stood straight up. "Candlestick." I thought. "Get into the candlestick."
It slowly floated towards the crystal candlestick, Mum clasped her hand over her mouth, stifling a gasp.
"In the candlestick. Down a bit…to the left…"
The candle dropped down onto the table and rolled to the floor. I squished up my face in a frustrated expression but everyone else was applauding me again.
"That was brilliant!" Dad said laughingly. "You almost had it!"
"But I didn't! I didn't break concentration or anything." I said, crossing my arms.
"I agree with your father, Hermione! You did very well. Very few young witches come any closer than you did, most barely are able to lift the candle. You might just be a Ravenclaw, like me!"
"Raven-what?" Mum asked. I wanted to pretend I knew, just to not look ignorant to Nathalie but I had no idea what that meant.
"Oh, Ravenclaw was my House at Hogwarts. Most of the smartest witches and wizards are in Ravenclaw – 'Wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure!'" She replied. She proceeded to tell us about the other houses. Gryffindor, Hufflepuff and Slytherin. From what Nathalie said, it didn't matter much which house I joined at school – except Slytherin. From the way she sneered when she described Slytherin House, I didn't want to have any part of it.
"Ravenclaw would be lucky to have you, Hermione – you'd be following in my footsteps! Gryffindor is an excellent house as well. My boyfriend Charlie's family is Pure-Blooded and every single one of them has been in Gryffindor for as long as anyone can remember!" She put an arm around my shoulders and waved her wand; the candle lifted off the floor and floated right into my hands.
"I thought you said these Pure-Blooded families were all stuck on each other?" Dad asked.
Nathalie nodded. "It's true, many of the Pure-Blooded families harbor prejudices against those of us with Muggle blood. Not Charlie's though. It's true that none of them have married Half-Blood or Muggleborn but they certainly embrace the Muggle culture." She shrugged her shoulders. She checked her wristwatch.
"Oh, Merlin's earwax, I'm afraid I have to leave, I'm very nearly late!" She made quickly to gather herself and tossed her purse over her shoulder. She waved her wand and a mirror appeared in her hand which she used to check her hair and eye make-up.
"Another appointment with a prospective student?" Dad asked, Nathalie blushed and casually made the mirror vanish.
"I'd say she was running late to meet this Charlie fellow." Mum said winking at Nathalie. Dad nodded and left the room to answer the telephone ringing in the parlor.
"I am, I'm afraid. It's no bother, Charlie is always late for everything. Even at school he was the last one in the classroom for every lesson." She suddenly looked sad.
"What's wrong?" I asked.
"Oh, it's nothing to concern yourself with, Hermione. Charlie's moving. In a week. Tonight was sort of going to be our last hurrah before he leaves, it might be the end of us altogether. I would go with him in a heartbeat if he asked me to." She frowned deeper and sighed. "Anyway, I'm sorry, didn't mean to bore you with my boy problem." She smiled slightly.
"Is there a way I can contact you, Nathalie? If I have any questions?" I asked. She reached into her purse and handed me a card.
"You can reach me by telephone at home, any time. I'll also be in touch in the next few months – and of course, I'm your official escort into Diagon Alley when it's time to buy your school things!" She looked back at her watch. "Drat! I really must dash off. Thank you very much for dinner, Mrs. Granger! It was lovely meeting you all! Hermione, practice the candle exercise – I won't have one of the other Muggleborn First Years showing you up!" She smiled widely with a laugh and hurried out of the dining room. I tried following her but I turned the corner into the parlor and she was gone.
My parents were suddenly behind me, each with a hand on my shoulders. We all stared at the place in the room where Nathalie ought to have been standing if she didn't possess the ability to vanish.
"Remarkable young woman." Dad said, unsure of what else to say.
"Indeed she is. Excellent role model you have there, Hermione." Mum added.
"Apart from her taste in young men." Dad said.