Chapter 1

Ohmigawd, I'm a Witch

I remember it like it was yesterday, even though it was a lifetime ago. What had started as another school year suddenly went off the rails when a strange letter arrived at our door. It was September 19th, my eleventh birthday. I had just arrived home from school and was doing my homework before preparing for my birthday party. My parents had closed their dentistry office early so they could treat my friends and me to a performance of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs at the theater in my hometown of Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire followed by ice cream and cake.

The knock came at the door just as I was finishing my two chapters of reading in The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. I jumped up and hurried to the door. It was odd for anyone to call on us at our residence during normal office hours. I thought it might be one of my friends showing up early for the party.

When I opened the door, I found a letter stuck to it. Strangely, a large owl was sitting on our sidewalk. The only owls I had ever seen were at the zoo. This was a unique and startling situation. As I took the letter, the owl took flight and disappeared.

The letter was addressed to:

Miss Hermione Granger

Rock Hill

Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire, OX7

The back of the envelope had a red wax seal with a fancy emblem and a printed coat-of-arms from someplace called Hogwarts.

I opened the envelope to find the most curious letter I had ever received. Surely, it was a birthday prank by one of my friends. But which one would devise such an elaborate ruse? The text read:

HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY

Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore

(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock,

Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)

Dear Miss Granger,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment. Because of your special status as a muggle-born witch, a representative from the school will call on your family on 4 September to explain things further.

Term begins on 1 September 1991. We await your acceptance by no later than 31 July 1990.

Yours sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall

Deputy Headmistress

The second page contained a list of various items I would need for school. It all seemed to be a very elaborate stunt.

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I took the letter into my parents' office and showed it to them. They agreed with me that it must be a joke of some sort. I put it aside and nothing more was thought about until Saturday morning when there was a knock at our door as we finished breakfast. Being a proper daughter, I scurried in to answer it.

"Ca-ca-can I help you," I sputtered as I opened the door. In front of me was a tall, black woman dressed up like it was Halloween even though it was still six weeks away. Her hat was right out of my fairy storybooks, as was her cloak.

"Are you Hermione Granger," she asked.

"Ye-ye-yes,"

"I am Professor Aurora Sinistra from the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I am here to talk to you and your parents about the letter you received last Wednesday."

"Oh. You mean that prank letter," I said. "We were amused by it."

"I assure you that it is not a prank letter," she said in a stiff voice. "Now, if you could take me to meet your parents, we can discuss things."

"Okay," I replied as I suppressed a giggle. "Please follow me."

"We walked through the house to the family room. My parents were now watching the telly and chatting. As we walked in, they looked up. Both of their faces looked perplexed as they saw the professor walking with me.

"This is Professor Aurora Sinistra," I said, proud as always of my sharp mind and memory. She is from the Hogwarts School and wants to talk to you about that letter I received on my birthday. She wants to talk to us about it."

"Of course," said my dad. "I'm Alan Granger, he said. And this is my wife, Jeannine."

"Please to meet you both," said the professor. "My name is Aurora Sinistra. I am the Astronomy Professor at Hogwarts. I am here representing the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

"Can we get you anything?" said my mother. "A drink or a snack?"

"Maybe in a bit. I am fine, for now."

"I'm a bit confused," said my father. You're from a school of witchcraft and wizardry, you say. Are you here to recruit our daughter into becoming a witch?"

"No. Not exactly," replied the professor. "I am here to tell you that your daughter actually is a witch."

"What?" responded my father with an incredulous look. "Excuse me for saying this. However, that sounds a bit barmy." My mother and I also looked dumbfounded.

"It always does," said the professor in a calm voice like she had expected this very response. "If you will please hear me out, I think I can set things straight. Then we can have the real discussion."

"Well. Okay, I suppose," said my father. "But just for a minute."

"Have you ever seen things happen or done things that seem odd…almost magical?" she asked as she looked at me.

"I don't know. Maybe, I guess."

"I think I would like that drink you offered me, now."

"Oh," said my father as he started to stand up.

"Wait," said the professor as she pulled what I would later learn was a wand out of her robe. "I'll get it."

The professor made a little wave and said 'Accio glass'. A glass sailed out of our kitchen and into her hand as our jaws hit the floor. Then, with another little wave, she said 'Aguamenti'. The glass filled itself with water and she took a drink.

"There," said the professor as she sat the glass down on a nearby magazine.

We were speechless as she smiled at us.

"Let's see what you can do," she said as she offered me her wand. I was too scared to say no. I took it and timidly smiled at her. "Wave it like this," she said making an arch with her finger.

I did as she said. "Now do it again, but say 'lumos' as you do it."

I made the arch and said 'lumos'. The end of the wand sparked and I jumped.

"Don't worry," she said. "Do it again. But say it like you mean it."

"Lumos," I said firmly. The tip of the wand glowed, filling the room with light.

"Excellent, Hermione. Now wave the wand like this and say 'Nox'," she said, making a movement like a wave in the water.

I did as instructed. The light on the wand went out.

"Bravo, Hermione. I knew you could do it."

I smiled as I looked at her and my parents. They were sitting still, not saying a word. I started to hand the wand back to the professor.

"No. No. Let's try something else. Make a movement like an upside-down raindrop," she said.

I did as she requested.

"Do you remember how I said 'Accio glass' to make the water glass come to me? I nodded in the affirmative. "Point the wand at that little pillow on the sofa and say 'Accio pillow."

"I did as instructed and the pillow flew up and hit me in the face. I nearly fell over backward.

"You have to catch it," laughed the professor. "That's why we used a pillow instead of a glass. Now, try it, again."

"Accio pillow," I said with a wave. The pillow flew up and this time I caught it.

"You're a natural," she said as she clapped her hands. 'Very few students do these things successfully so quickly."

"Did you see that, Mom…Dad? I did magic."

"Yes, dear," they said, their voices full of emotions ranging from fear to wonderment to joy.

"If I let either of you try this, you will fail," said the professor as she looked at my parents. "It is like I told you, your daughter is a witch."

"This is very startling," said my mother. "How can our Hermione be a witch? Neither of us are witches."

"That is a phenomenon we cannot explain," came the reply. Almost all young witches and wizards come from families with magical blood. However, every now and again a young person like Hermione comes about from muggle um-uh-uh non-magical parents. I was just in Maidenhead last evening having this same conversation with a family named Finch-Fletchley about their son, Justin. They are very excited that Justin will be coming to study at Hogwarts."

"Yes. About that," said my dad. "What is it you are asking of my daughter and us?"

Two hours later. My parents and I were thrilled that I was going to be studying witchcraft at Hogwarts. Tomorrow, we were going to go to someplace called Diagon Alley. I was going to get some of the basic supplies I would need for my studies.

I barely slept that night. I was going to study to become a witch. "OHMIGAWD, I'M A WITCH!".

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In the morning, we had breakfast. I could barely contain myself as I ate my porridge. When the knock on the door finally came, I nearly exploded out of my seat and ran to the door. It was Professor Sinistra and another professor she introduced as Charity Burbage, Professor of Muggle Studies.

The five of us got into our family car. I sat in the back between the two professors. I chatted with them as we were directed into the Charing Cross Road in the center of London. Almost two hours later, we arrived in front of a building with no sign and an odd door.

"We are going to be entering the world of magic on the other side of this door," said Professor Sinistra. "Be prepared to see things the likes of which you have never before seen in your lives. Don't worry. You are one hundred percent safe with us. Just relax and enjoy your visit."

We followed the professors through the door into a place called The Leaky Cauldron. It looked like something out of an old movie about medieval days. We were greeted by a very friendly man named Tom. The professors said we were there to take Hermione shopping for her school supplies. He wished us luck as made our way to the back of the place and into a small space surrounded by a brick wall.

"Get ready," said Professor Sinistra. "You're about to enter a place few non-magical people have ever visited." With that, she tapped the wall several times with her wand. The brick started moving and the wall suddenly opened into the most amazing sight I had ever imagined.

Dozens of people were walking and talking happily. They were all dressed more like the professors than us. The stores were alive with moving signs. We saw shops for cauldrons, clothes, inks and quills, books, supplies for something called quidditch, animals, and much, much more. Two hours later, I had purchased most of my list with money supplied by the professors. We were in a shop enjoying lunch and drinks.

When we finished our lunch, Professor Burbage said, "The only things left to buy are a familiar and your wand. Let's get your wand. Then we can go to the pet store.

A couple of moments later, a bell was tinkling as we entered a store called Ollivander's - Makers of Fine Wands since 382 BC. A thin man with slightly wild, white hair greeted us.

"Hermione is here to be fitted with her first wand," said Professor Sinistra.

"Well. Hello, Hermione. Let's see if we can find a wand that likes you," he said with a raspy voice.

"Excuse me," I squeaked. "Are you saying the wand is picking me, sir?"

"Yes, Hermione. As those of us who study wand lore know, it is perfectly clear that the wand selects the wizard or witch."

"Oh."

"Now. Let's get started," he said.

I spent the next hour waving and testing all types of wands. There were several I liked and wanted but he said they did not fit me. Finally, a wand felt totally different in my hand. It was like electricity was passing through me. My whole body tingled and the air glowed. I walked out of the store with a beautifully carved wand made of Vinewood that was 10¾" long and had something he called dragon heartstring in it. I did not think it could possibly be something from a real dragon. After all, dragons do not really exist. At least, that is what I thought at the time.

A short while later, we were heading home to Chipping Norton. I had my supplies and a British Shorthair Cat named Domino that the school arranged for me until I acquired my own familiar.

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