And into the next chapter we go!
This one is about the wine festival, you may see a face or two that will show up later, by the way.
Harry is now Merlot, which will be their sort of bonding with Scortwit. Alana's spirit pointed her out to Scortwit, and he is now raising her as his own. I feel like it fits the story well, she's their Merlot.
Scortwit is a dragon lord, just like if you've ever seen "Merlin". He's also pretty powerful when it comes to magic in general. To be fair, he's a middle aged wizard who has lived alone for several years, tending to dragons. It would only make sense that he is magically powerful.
There will be a sort of magical scaling system, but that won't be shown until the tri Wizard tournament. It adds more to the weighing of the wands than just "this is your wand, yay!"
But that won't be for a while.
Anyways, let's get in with this chapter!
—0—
"Okay, I get wizard robes and all the magical clothing, but is this one really necessary?"
Charlie chuckled as Merlot walked out from her room, dressed in the attire Scortwit had procured for the festival.
The man had picked out tight pants and a button down shirt. Over top of those was a short white apron, which matched the bonnet on the girls head.
"What's wrong with it?"
"It just feels, I dunno…" Merlot picked at the bonnet. "This hat isn't for me. And won't these pants get stained?"
"You roll up the ends of the pant legs." Charlie answered.
The girl huffed and did as Charlie said. Halfway through cuffing the first pant leg, she huffed and tore the bonnet from her head.
"So I take it that the hat is definitely a no go?"
"I am not stomping around in a giant fruit basket for all to see me with that thing on my head!" Merlot hissed.
"Okay! Okay!" Charlie laughed, catching the bonnet and quickly backing up a few steps. "The bonnet was a joke. Come on, it's still early, let's get some breakfast before the start of the festivities."
"Fine. But if it's pancakes I want two more than last time."
"You sure you can eat them all?"
Merlot smirked. "More than sure."
—0—
"Sweetie, it's time to get up!"
Hermione Granger let out a groan as her mother prodded her side. "Do I have to?"
"Your father wants to go to the local festival today."
"The stupid wine festival?" Hermione grunted tiredly.
"Come now, don't be that way." Her mother chided. "Wine crushing has a lot of history, you know."
"It isn't important history, like science or politics." Hermione yawned, sitting up from her bed.
"Maybe, but wars were waged over less than wine dear. Come on, it's old traditions at work!"
Hermione looked at her mother boredly. "Mom, you may enjoy old culture more than me, but that doesn't mean you have to shove it in my face."
"I'm just trying to get you excited, dear." The woman answered softly. "Besides, this trip was all because your father finished his doctorate. We're here to celebrate him."
Hermione nodded and stood up from the bed. "Is there any traditional clothing that I should wear? Maybe count draculas cape?"
"Hermione!"
"It's Romanian history! Much more interesting than wine festivals!"
"I want you dressed in nice daywear and down for breakfast in ten minutes young lady. Come on now!"
"Yes mum."
The girl sighed and changed out of her pajamas in favor of a fall dress that her parents had given her last Christmas. She had grown since then, but the dress was a bit big when they gave it to her, as they had anticipated that.
The bushy haired girl pulled on a pair of sneakers and attempted to brush her hair, even though her mother had always been much better at it than she was.
Soon giving up on her mess of curls, Hermione stepped out of the room of their rented cabin, which was more of a shack in her opinion, and walked into the kitchen for breakfast.
"Did you sleep well sweetie?" Hermione's father asked, taking a sip of coffee as he read through the weekends newspaper from England.
"Like Schrödingers cat."
"So you were asleep? You were awake?"
"That is for Schrödingers sleeper to know." Hermione smiled, causing her father to roll his eyes.
"I just had to have a little genius." The man rolled his eyes. "Well, eat your omelet. The wine festival awaits!"
Hermione nodded and began eating, listening as her father gushed about the event to her mother. The topic of the conversation wasn't interesting to her, but it was nice to see her father happy, instead of tired from work and burnt out from writing papers.
"The girl even has her name plastered across the event! Merlot! Isn't it funny to think that a wine maiden would be named after wine?"
Hermione blinked. "Is that normal?"
Her father turned, his face glowing with happiness. "Why, I don't really know. You see, while there are records of wine maidens stomping grapes, there aren't many records of their names. Grape stomping is widely used by many modern vineyards, but they never have a festival like the one here."
"Your father saw the sign and was interested, mainly because in his research they found many wine maidens' bodies had pristine teeth."
The man blushed. "Yes, well. I do want to know how they had better dental health than the rest of medieval europe."
Hermione quirked an eyebrow. "So… you're trying to find a correlation between wine stomping and dental health? Wouldn't it be better to look at the diet of said wine maidens?"
"But this is Aldencrav, the greatest old time village in all of europe!" The man grinned. "Apparently it was founded by a wizard!"
"Magic isn't real dad." Hermiobe rolled her eyes.
"Okay then, explain why it's in their history then." Hermione's father spoke.
"Just as with religion. People need some way to explain the unexplainable, especially because back then, they didn't have physics." Hermione shrugged.
"You know, sometimes I wish you still had a bit of child in you."
"But I do. I'm just smart." Hermione smiled.
"Yes… yes you are."
—0—
The drive to the vineyard was windy. Hermione could see the landscape change from rocky with bits of grass, to rolling hills with trees as they passed the sign for "Scortwit family Vineyard."
"That's odd…"
"What?"
"Just, at the sign. It's like we crossed a border between two different worlds. Look, even the grass is different."
The girl was right, of course. The grass around the forest and the vineyard was lush and beautiful, even beneath the cloudy gray sky. Hermione could see people in old fashion robes walking to the vineyard, some young, some old.
As they parked and got out of the vehicle, Hermione heard someone greet them.
"Hello there!"
A young man with fiery red hair stood with a stack of papers. He was dressed in odd robes, which looked like modern takes on the older wear of the village they were staying in.
"Hi!" Hermione's father greeted. "Sorry if we just stopped here, we didn't know where to park."
"Oh that's quite alright, we don't get many drivers like you around here anyways." The young man chuckled. "My name's Charlie, I'm the owner's apprentice. Here's a map for you to find your way around. We don't have much, per say, but we have the grape stomping, some music and dance. It's the vineyard's first festival in a while…"
"I see." Hermione's father said, looking at the map. "Oh look honey! They even have fun treats for kids. Fizzing whizbees indeed!"
Hermione rolled her eyes as the man led them into the festival. While the air seemed to be filled with cheer and happiness, with many locals flocking around the event, Hermione couldn't help but feel out of place.
"It's such a wonderful area you have here." Dan commented to Charlie, who smiled and gave a nod. Hermione could see the young mans eyes flitting left and ruight, scoping out different angles.
Was he going to try to kidnap her?
It wasn't unheard of. In every case of the matter, Hermione had to admit that the young mans disguise was very well put together, and his story was quite believable. Yet, it was his nerves that ultimately betrayed him.
Mentally applauding her deductive reasoning, Hermione slowly drifted between her parents, protected from both sides. If someone tried to nab her, they would have to go through both of them first, and Hermione knew that her mother and father could definitely hold their own. She had known ever since her uncle had gotten drunk at her cousin's sixth birthday party.
The family meandered through the festival, ducking in between different visitors and looking at tables filled with bottles of wine, fresh grapes, and jellies. All manner of cheeses sat upon one table, which held a business card for the cheese crafters building in the village.
Hermione's attention was soon drawn to clapping and music. A lively jig was being performed by a quintet of violins who sat next to a large wooden platform.
At the bottom of the platform was a large basin that was filled with deep red juice. A middle aged man stood beside the basin, using a ladle to scoop out the juice into bottles, and every so often, cups that he would hand out as samples.
Upon the top of the platform sat a large basket, where a beautiful girl was dancing around in a sea of frech grapes, her feet falling and keeping a steady beat as she crushed the tiny fruits into the basin below.
Hermione found that she couldn't take her eyes off of the girl. She was shorter than herself, dressed in plain clothes that bore several purple and red stains. Even the girls cheek had a small blotch of purple upon its surface.
"That's Merlot." Hermione's father whispered in her ear.
"The wine maiden?" Hermione asked in a hushed voice. "She's really pretty."
"She's your age, you know." the man said with a smile. "Maybe you can be friends."
The crowd gave a cheer as more grapes were added to Merlots basket and she continued to walk around, keeping the steady rythm as she caught her breath, before picking up her dance once more.
"Would you like to try some?" The middle aged man asked, pointing to Hermione.
"Me? Well… isn't it dirty? She's in there barefooted."
The man chuckled and shook his head. "The juice is clean. No better way to have it than this!"
Hermione looked at her father, who smiled. "Could I have a sample, sir?"
"Of course! Of course!" The man handed Dan a small glass of grape juice.
"I have to say, this has got to be the most brilliant event I've ever been to!"
"Why thank you sir!" The man smiled. "It's the first in a long time, if you haven't heard. I stopped doing them several years back after my wife passed."
"Oh… I'm sorry for your loss." Dan nodded with a soft expression.
"It's quite alright. I know she's watching over us." The man nodded. "I'm Scortwit, Charles Fontaine Scortwit to be precise. That's my adopted daughter Merlot."
"A beautiful name." Dan said.
"I think so too. Alana would have loved her… Where are my manners. Would your daughter like a glass of juice?"
"Of course, and one for my wife as well please." Dan nodded.
"Certainly."
The man handed over two more glasses of juice and began filling another bottle. "So where do you haul from? It isn't often that the villages see someone with a car."
"We're from England, near London." Dan answered.
"Ah, and how is the homeland? I only get to visit once or twice a year myself."
"You're from England?" Hermione blinked.
"Born and raised! Well, born in London, grew up here and there. Still have a bit of a Scottish accent from my mother." The man smiled.
"What are you doing here then?"
"What does it look like I'm doing?" The man laughed. "Making wine! And caring for dragons of course."
"Dragons?" Hermione blinked. "More of the area's history I take it?"
The man chuckled as Hermione's mother put a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry about it. It's good to be skeptical, especially at that age."
"Still, it was a rude response." Hermione's mother said.
"Well I thank you for your concern, but I've heard far worse. We're about to let Merlot take a break from stomping around in there, would you like to meet her?"
Dan turned to Hermione. "I think that's a wonderful idea!"
"Dad!"
"Oh come on Hermione! Why not?"
The girl frowned as her father sighed. "Sorry about this. She's normally very nice."
"This area can have that effect on people." Scortwit shrugged. "It is quite alright. Merlot, are you finished with that round of grapes?"
"Yes sir!" The girl called down to him.
"Take a break and get some lunch, okay?"
The girl smiled as she stepped out of her pool of fruit. "Thank you!"
"Make sure to get some cheese from Grigoras cheese table! I haven't had a good slice of his Gollandsky in years!"
The girl nodded and hopped down from the platform. Hermione blinked at the smooth skin of the girls exposed legs. They were stained wine red, with a few bits of grape skin still on her toes.
The girl looked up at Hermione's face. "Oh, we… hello. My feet are clean, just so you know."
Hermione nodded silently. Dan coughed and nudged his daughter with his elbow.
"Dad!" Hermione hissed under her breath. It only received her another nudge in the side.
"Fine… hi. I'm er… I'm Hermione."
Merlot blinked. Her brilliant green eyes regarded Hermione with shocking intensity. It made Hermione feel small as the girl stared her over.
"I'm Merlot." She finally said. "Merlot Lily Scortwit."
"You're very pretty…" Hermione spoke.
"Thank you. You're pretty too." Merlot held out a hand. "Do you want to go get some cheese with me?"
Hermione looked at the hand and blinked, before looking at her dad, who smiled.
"I would love to." She replied, taking the other girls hand.
The parents smiled as the two girls walked off into the crowd, heading towards the cheese table.
"She made a friend…" Dan smiled.
"With a little pushing." His wife grinned, elbowing him in the side. The two turned to Scortwit who chuckled and shook his head.
"Younguns." He said simply, beginning to fill yet another bottle.
The couple decided to stay and talk to the man as he skimmed the top of the fresh juice. They chatted about their work and England. Scortwit told them tales of dragons which they listened to, but brushed off as one of the local charms.
Meanwhile, Hermione sat with Merlot at a rock that was along the side of the vineyard riverbed. The raven haired girl nodded banked on some cheese and grapes while Hermione watched a few bugs skate across the water.
"So… is this all you do here? Make wine and cheese and bread the old fashioned way? Have old times festivals and make up magic?"
Merlot shrugged and picked up a small stone, before tossing it into the rushing water in front of them. "Why are you so quick to write magic off as a lie?"
Hermione blinked at Merlot. "Because it's impossible. There are things that a man cannot hope to control. You cannot force plants to grow, you cannot command fire or lightning. Such things are simply fairytales."
Merlot blinked. "I wasn't aware that fairies had tails."
"They don't, it an expression." Hermione said, before seeing the playful grin on the other girls face. "But you knew that, didn't you."
"Yeah. I did."
"You tricked me." Hermione pouted.
Merlot chuckled and stood up. "I know your type."
"My type?"
"Hard to make friends because nobody is as smart as you, adults don't take you completely seriously, or they make comments about how you don't act like a child."
Hermione blinked as the girl spoke. Merlot hopped down into a small stone that jutted out of the stream, and then out to one further in the water.
"I don't think that's safe-"
"You just need to relax!" Merlot smiled, her raven black hair gently bouncing as she tilted her head back. "There's a whole world around you, and the fact is, you're so stuck up that you don't enjoy it."
"Stuck up?" Hermione pursed her lips, climbing down to the first stone. "I am not!"
"Sure you are! I outsmarted you and you got angry with me."
"Because you think you're smarter than I am." Hermione glared, watching as Merlot leapt to another rock.
"And what if I am?"
"You aren't."
"You haven't convinced me otherwise." Merlot chuckled.
Hermione growled in frustration. "Fine, what makes you so special then? So much smarter?"
"For starters, I don't immediately think I'm the smartest." Merlot answered, hopping to a final large stone which sat in the center of the churning water. "I can talk to people without coming across as a know it all."
Hermione carefully hopped to the next stone, following Merlot. "So? I don't need to waste my time on people who don't know as much as me."
"Not those who come close. You don't like your throne being challenged." Merlot sat down, watching Hermione hike her dress up over her knees to make the next jump:
"Because I'll learn more, and be smarter than they are." Hermione said, making the last jump. The girls foot slipped on the edge of the stone and she began to fall, but Merlot caught her.
"And then what? You'll be alone."
Hermione's panicked breath slowed as her face turned red. Merlot helped her sit down.
"So what, you're saying I should believe in magic?"
"Not exactly, but it's a good place to start."
"And do you?"
"Do I what?"
Hermione turned. "Do you believe in magic?"
The smirk on the girls face made Hermione blush even more. "You did it again. You tricked me."
"To answer your question, I do." Merlot nodded.
"But-"
"Hermione… my last home… it wasn't a good place. I was beaten and starved. Scortwit and Charlie say it isn't my fault, but I think it still is. Now I'm here, is it really wrong to believe in something so wonderful?"
Hermione looked down at the water, where the water bugs skated, even against the speedy current. "I guess not…"
Merlot smiled. "We should probably get back, I have to keep stomping grapes."
Hermione nodded. "Could you help me across this time?"
Merlot smiled and leaned in close to the bushy haired girl. "Don't tell anyone I showed you this."
Hermione blinked as Merlot took out a strange length of wood. "Ready? Remember, no telling."
Hermione nodded and Merlot pointed the stick at her. "Wingardium Leviosa."
Hermione's breath left her as she floated into the air and back to the edge of the riverbed. Merlot smiled and set her down before hopping back across the line of stones to her side.
"W-wha- but- But you."
"Shhh." Merlot smiled, putting the stick away. "No telling."
Hermione walked along behind Merlot in a daze as they returned to the festival. Merlot skipped along a smile on her face as a breeze blew gently through the vineyard.
"Hermione! It's time to go!"
"Coming mom!" Hermione shouted. "Merlot!"
"Hm?" The wine maiden turned with a smile.
"What you did…"
"Hm? I did something?"
Hermione blinked. "Er… right, sorry. What you um… didn't do. Can I also… not do it?"
Merlot smiled. "Well, it couldn't hurt to try, could it?"
Hermione nodded and waved goodbye. "Thank you!"
Merlot smiled and skipped back to the grape crushing platform. Hermione watched her go before returning to her mom and dads car.
"Mr. Scortwit was nice enough to send us with a few bottles of his wine. Aged for around fifteen years… I believe." Hermione's father smiled as he drove away from the vineyard.
Hermione looked it the window to see villagers wandering back home, some stowing sticks beneath their robes as they saw the car pass by, some sneering and not bothering to hide it.
Hermione blinked as she saw a shape flit between two clouds, large, with great wings and a long tail. As her parents told her about the stories Mr. Scortwit had shared, she only had one thought on her mind.
'Magic is real…'
—0—
And there's the festival! I hope this was a fun way to introduce Hermione, even if we won't see her again until Hogwarts.
Also, the way I write Hermione is going to be quite different from other stories. I know that in the books she's smart and can be rather… well… Hermione… but I don't want a living library cop out. It hurts me to see stories where Hermione is just a know it all who gets her ideas shut down by Harry and his friends. This Hermione is different. Making connections between science and magic in order to show how muggle studies can blend with magical spells, using a combination of calculus and chemistry along with runes to figure out spells that have stumped thousands.
I'm making a Hermione who wants to prove why magic simply is, and what it is, going more towards the life of an unspeakable than the life of a politician, even if I did mention it in here.
Anyways, I hope you enjoyed. Leave a review, and feel free to ask any questions.
Until next time,
Adios.