McGonnagall shows up to the Granger household, ready to meet another muggleborn and show them the world of magic. Simple procedure.
The conversation with the adult Grangers started normal for her with her introduction and explanations. They didn't ask questions and didn't inturrupt her. They didn't look surprised either.
"Professor McGonnagall...I'm sorry you came all this way for nothing but that is what this is...we are not muggleborns, as you seem to presume. I am a squib actually. My wife..." his voice catches. Mrs. Granger pats him on the knee in reasurrance before continueing what he started.
"I am from a long forgotten wizard family who had been cursed. The Curse of the Cat. Stupid but accurate name. I have grown strong enough to go hours without being forced to change back into my cat form. I'm honestly lucky I have someone who loved me enough to deal with it. My daughter...my daughter was hit with the curse when she was 5 years old. She's brilliantly smart but hasn't been able to shift back yet. I'm afraid a wand is no use to her right now. She would love your school, I would have, but I don't see how she will be able to do the things the other students are able to do until she can grow strong enough to shift into a girl long well enough to perform her magic." She explains. Minerva was shocked. But she processed this new information quickly.
"I ...see. Well, I appreciate you telling me this. In fact, I would like to take her on as my apprentice then, if you are willing." Before their eyes she shifted into her animangus cat form and back. An american Main Coon came bunking down the stairs near them to land on the coffee table between her parents and the Professor. She had been listening this whole time.
"Hermione! What did I tell you about being on the coffee table," Mrs. Granger scolds her.
"Hello Ms. Granger." Minerva greets the large cat. She was white and light brown. her chest and maine white with spots of it poking out of the pale brown across the rest of her body. Quite beautiful compared to McGonnagall's tabby. Hermione meows at her. Minerva decides to teat her theory forming in her mind and shifts back into her tabby.
'Hello dear.'
'You can hear me? I've never met a cat shifter before.'
'I am called an animangus. Something we have to learn to be able to do. A rare skill for someone to have. Though not everone is a cat. I think I am the only one here in Britain. Now, onto about Hogwarts. I am the professor of transfiguration. I an help you learn to be able to shift back and forth at will if you are interested. Once you are able to we can discuss you getting private tutoring in the other subjects with the oother professors. Instead of a direct student, you can be my apprentice. Though if you want to sit in the other classes form time to time, you may if they allow it. You might even be able to do wandless magic in this form if you work hard enough. Do we have a deal? I gain an apprentice, you get an education and help with your cat form. I'm assuming theres no breaking the curse?'
'No, it's a permanent thing. Only the last few generations have been able to shift into their human form like my mum. It's always temporary though. I don't necessarily mind though. Every generation still find a way to be able to find love and have careers and have a life. I can still read books and it's neat that I can talk to other animals. I was thinking of becoming a zoologist or veterinarian when I grow up. Do you have somethign liek that in your world? I know magic exist of course. My mom had a wand even if she can't use it often. I haven't been allowed to go to get mine yet. Does this mean I can get mine? Do I have to wait til I shuft back to get it? I would love to be your apprentice! Sorry I'm asking so many questions, I haven't talked to any human outside my mom since I was struck by the curse.'
'It's alright dear. Ask away. How about I take you and your parents for your school supplies. You may not be able to use them right away but it will be good to have them on hand. We can stop at Ollivander's and see if getting your wand is possible. If not, theory is what we will work on until then.'
That seemed to set them in motion. They discussed the plans with the Grangers before setting off for Diagon Alley. Her father was the only one large enough to hold her on their shoulders so that's how she rode along. Her parents luckily had a spare set of robes in the back of their closet for an occasion like this as while her father may not be part of the family any longer, his brother still visited when possible. Sometimes they went to the Leaky Couldron for some brother time. All of this though was a first for Hermione. And she loved every minute of it. Uncle Garrett even joined them 30 minutes after they arrived. He wanted to use his money to pay for all her things, including all the extra books she wanted. He had no children of his own and had been talking to RIchard about making Hermione his heir not that he was the new Lord of the family.
The robes were the main tricky part. They decided int he end to pick a size and have it custom spells to resize to fit her once she was able to put them on.
Ollivander's was last.
"What an interesting party we have here," an old white haired man pops up, making her jump alittle, now on her uncle's shoulder to give her dad a break.
"We are here to see if Ms. Granger will be able to find her wand while in her cat form," Professoor McGonnagall informs him. He nods in understanding. She couldn't cast a spell but she could place her paw on the little sticks of magical wood. They went through 10 wands before one appeared that made her feel warm and safe. A few gold sparks even came out of it at her touch. She was happy as she watched her family pay for it and place it in her new trunk along with a light brown wand holster.
Before they went their separate ways that evening, Professor McGonnagall presented her with a green velvet jewelry box big enough for a necklace.
"I know this will be a tough road, but I know it was the right decision to make you my apprentice dear. We will give it everything we got!" She opens it to present a brown leather collar with a gold medallion on it. "My seal that marks you as my apprentice. It can clip off to fit on your apprentice robes once you are able to shift."
'Thank you' Hermione knew she couldn't understand her at the moment but the older woman nodded anyways, understanding what she was saying.
Despite, Professor McGonnagall having taken her trunk to the castle already, she wanted Hermione to take the train.
"I want you to still have that experience, dear. It will give your family a chance to send you off properly as well." In this she agreed. The Grangers arrived early enough to not look weird dropping off a cat and before there were too many students on the platform to accidently step on her.
She did plenty of wandering on the train at first. Even helped a toad find its owner before she eventually found a lone boy in oversized clothes sitting alone. Another red headed boy started trying to sit with him but she hissed at his pocket that was giving her bad vibes and he ran away, his hands pulling out a rat to protect it against his chest. The lone black haired boy chuckles at her antics as he pets her.
"Protective, aren't you. Thank you." She didn't like that he was so lonely. He needed friends. WIth that in mind, she gets up and meows at him to follow. It takes him a moment to understand but eventually he does get up. She peers into every compartment before continueing on. He smiles at her actions but doesn't say anything.
She picks a compartment with a large group of children in it that looked her age. She nudges the boy inside.
"Apologies for intruding, she decided I couldn't sit alone. Would it...would it be okay if I sit with you? I'm Harry. Harry Potter." He waves. A blonde boy stand sup first to shake his hand.
"Draco. Draco Malfoy. Please sit." She could see he was a spoiled ponce but she could tell part of it is just a cover. He needed friends too. Many of them seemed to have a mask on. She didn't know how she did but she went with it. Her instincts have never been wrong before.
She sits on Harry's lap as he is introduced to everyone. Draco Malfoy, Theodore Nott, Pansy Parkinson, Daphne Greengrass, Blaise Zabini, Gregory Goyle, and Vincent Crabbe. Petting her seems to give Harry the confidence to answer all the questions thrown his way. Including about his clothes. He was honest about it. They become protective of him right away. Blaise opens his trunk to give him a set of clothes to change into. They call in a Slytherin prefect to adjust the clothes to fit him. She could see Harry was happy.
"And who's this pretty girl?" Daphne leans forward from her seat to scratch her head.
"I don't know actually. She appeared in my compartment and of course led me here. Maybe we will find out who she belongs to soon."
"Well she has a collar. Maybe one of the older students will recognize her or the symbol." Pansy suggest. The next hour was spent going through compartments looking for her non existant owner. No one recognized the cat. Eventually it was the head boy though that at least recognized the seal.
"That seal belongs to Professor McGonnagall. Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts. She teaches Transfiguration. Cat must be new." He shrugs but at least their questions were answered. They go back to prepare for their arrive into Hogsmeade.
Hermione uses Harry's shoulders to see over the crowds as they got off the train. All 1st years were led to some boats. She didn't know how to swim so held on a little too lightly as Harry got into a boat with Draco, Theo, and Blaise. She sat in his lap as the giant man named Hagrid set the boats off across the water.
The view was amazing. The castle beautiful. Theo told them a bit of its history as they floated across the lake. She knew plenty of it as she read it form Hogwarts a History, but she still learned more from the curly hairs boy.
She took turns on each of their shoulders once they were out of the boats and led to a double set of giant doors. Professor McGonnagall was waiting for them. They listened to her speech about houses, rules, and house points. Before she left them to prepare to bring them in, she turns to her, where she was now sitting on Daphne's shoulders.
"Come Hermione, you'll see your new friends soon." Hermione meows at her friends before following the Professor. The students get out of her way, leaving a path for her to walk through.
Professor McGonnagall leads her into the Great Hall where sat 4 rows of long tables filled with students. She was led to a stoll sitting in front of another long table full of adults she assumed was the other Professors.
"You will stand with me as we sort the students. You can sit with any of your new friends when we are through. After the feast, you will follow me where I can show you your new room. All your belongings are already there and put away." McGonagall tells her in a low voice. She nods with a small meow that had those close enough to hear her aww at her. She stays next to the stool which held a rough going looking hat, while McGonnagall walked away to lead the 1st years in.
She stared in fascination as the hat went on to sing a song and then was placed on all the new students heads. She could tell it was talking to the students somehow in their heads before announceing out loud what house they were now in. To her joy and amusement, all Harry and their new group got sorted into the same house. Harry being sorted into Slytherin seems to have put the whole Hall into a shock. While she read a bit about him and his history that he, she already knew from the conversations in the train, didn't even know about himself, that didn't mean he was destined to be in a specific house. Her cat hearing picked up they all thought he would be in Gryffindor because his parents were in that house. While there was nothing wrong in her eyes about any of the houses, Harry was not his parents. He was also not raised by them. He grew up having to keep himself safe in a house that hated him. That wasn't about bravery, that was about survival. That would mean being resourceful and self reliant, and self preserving. Sounds like a Slytherin from what she read about the houses.
The feast commenced after that. She sat next to Harry. A small plate appeared before her and her friends took turns putting some food on it for her. She was glad no one has tried to give her cat food like the neighbors back home tried to do a few times.
She let her thoughts wonder as she ate. She saw real potential in her future. When she was home, she often couldn't help feeling hopeless that she would never see her face again. SHe knew it wouldn't be the one she remembered. Not just from getting older. The effects of the curse meant she'd have some similarities to a cat in human form. Her eyes possibly. The way she walks, her lack of sound. She'd also have advanced healing and hearing. She'd be lean and graceful. Her mother went through that experience as well as her grandmother. She hoped to be as pretty as they were.