Hermione's parents, Monica and Wendell Granger were surprised to see the usually late sleeper, awake and ready to go out. What was going on? Hermione usually had to be dragged out of bed, and she always had her massive mess of curls ready for battle.
Monica had tried teaching her daughter the subtleties of hair care but Hermione was not interested in following those instructions. According to Monica, Hermione had put her foot down and added that the world would not come to an end due to her hair being out of place, not now, not ever. To Wendell, it was surreal to see his princess dressed in sports gear and trainers. Hermione hated exercise that would take her away from her books. Her brain had all the action required. Something was up, more so when Hermione turned to them and said, "Would it be okay if we went to Surrey, later today, I need to give a friend of mine his birthday card, and wish him a good year?"
"You have a friend?" Asked Monica.
"A boy-friend?" Asked Wendell.
Monica then noticed the smirk in Hermione's face. Wendell began sweating. His mind screamed, 'No! Boys are not allowed, not until she turns eighteen!' Monica sensed the imminent crisis Wendell had brewing and gently pressed her fingers to his hand. This made Wendell take a step back and she then asked. "Sorry about that. Surrey, your friend lives in Surrey? Why don't you call him and let him know we'll be stopping by to pay him a visit?"
"I actually want to surprise him mum, if that's okay with you and dad?" Asked Hermione in return.
"Oh, well, let's have breakfast and then, we'll drive up to Surrey, sure," said Monica.
"Good, mom, if it's okay, I would like to bake him some biscuits, I got all of the ingredients. I just need a bit of help mixing the dough, can you help me?" Asked Hermione to Monica.
Wendell blinked and said, "Okay, who are you and what have you done to our daughter?"
Jane blinked, and then noticed the barely noticeable smiles on Monica and Wendell, the two were quite impressed and charmed about Hermione's initiative to give a boy biscuits.
Jane/Hermione smiled and brought the cook book and showed Monica the recipe she was keen on baking for her friend, Harry.
The next step was following the plan on how to keep Big D and his gang away, as well as Ripper. She was sure the entire Dursley family was at 4 Privet Drive. Jane/Hermione bit her lips and tried not to smile too much. Oh, she had an idea.
2 PM. Little Whinging Park, Surrey.
Harry Potter was sitting on a swing, watching Dudley and his gang eat sweets. Dudley told stories of all of the stupid birthday gifts he binned days ago, plus all the money he received for the offence of not getting what he asked for in the first place. A bit later someone walked up to the swings next to Harry.
It was a girl who had a lunch box. She left the lunchbox in a corner, just to avoid hitting it with her feet as she rocked gently in the swing. To Dudley and his gang, this was a golden opportunity to snatch the stranger's box right under her nose.
Just like Harry feared, he watched with a bit of embarrassment and sadness how a little girl's food was taken from her by that pig with a wig who was now also a thief. He turned to the girl and something felt odd, she wasn't yelling to give it back. No, she kept swinging and a slow smile, a naughty smile framed her face, while she added to the air above, "Gotcha!"
Dudley stuffed his face with all the biscuits, his gang, and even Ripper had gotten to the scraps. Not a minute went by, before, the children began running with their hands behind their backs, afraid to lose their bowels before reaching a bathroom.
"That will teach that prick not to take things that are not his again," said the little girl to the air.
To date, Harry never laughed so hard in his life, he was scared, amazed, and shocked that someone, a girl, could be so awesome. She stopped swinging, and he noticed that she had golden eyes. He'd seen those eyes in eagles in the telly, only briefly, but he had, then she added, "Hi, I'm Hermione, Hermione Granger and you are?"
"You knew," said Harry.
"Well that's a strange name, and I know about strange, my name is Hermione," added Hermione.
"Oh, sorry, I'm Harry, Harry Potter. But, you knew that my cousin was going to do something like that, and you let him, what was in those sweets?" Asked Harry with no less reverence in his voice.
Hermione looked at him, and again smiled without teeth, and answered, "Magic,"
"What?" Asked Harry.
Hermione took a step closer, and said, "Look Harry, I don't have time, I just came here to say, nice to meet you, I wanted to give you something amazing for your birthday, I think that watching that little pig running with his hands on his back, trying not to soil his pants counts, right?" She dusted her hands and added, "my job is done, oh and by the way, you are my friend, and I made a card for you, happy birthday, Harry," she unfolded a drawing of them swinging.
Harry stared at the picture and then turned to the girl to say thanks, but she had disappeared, she took her lunchbox too. Harry noticed one of her hairpins was on the ground and he tucked the picture and the bobby pins away as proof that he had laughed at Dudley without a care and he felt good. He would remember that name. That Granger girl rocked. The odd thing he never questioned was, how she knew when his birthday was. At this point, it didn't matter, well not to him anyway. Harry giggled as he silently recalled, 'she called Dudley a prick,'