June 21, 1990.
Eiffel Tower,
Tour of the tower,
Eiffel viewing level,
Paris, France.
11 AM.
Hermione/Jane had a spectacular year ever since waking up on Harry's birthday last year. She was looking at the River Seine from one of the levels on the Eiffel Tower. Peering at the ground a few hundred metres away, Hermione identified the Hotel Les Invalides. She turned to the map and then located the Louvre. As she looked again into the Seine, she noticed an image, and then the image blinked.
"Mum, Dad, can we go there?" said Hermione to her parents.
"The Louvre museum?" asked Monica.
"Across the river," Hermione approached the tour guide and questioned in perfect French, "Is that right, the sixth district?" The guide smiled and said, "Yes, your French is good," said the guide, then his face changed into one of interest, "You can see the revolving door, can you not?"
Jane/Hermione blinked, and the guide imitated her, revealing falcon eyes. Jane did not react but recalled that a character in the story, Madam Hooch, had a similar set of eyes to the ones in front of her.
Alter-ego Jane fed the information to young Hermione, and together the two replied in one voice, "I can see a door, yes," The guide blinked, and his eyes returned to human. He added, "Good, the door will appear in Place de Furstenberg," then he turned to the next set of American tourists, questioning loudly.
Hermione began glowing with joy. The Grangers observed their daughter and noticed the changes. They could still remember a different version of Hermione before the start of August last year; the current contrast was evident.
Hermione was not as painfully shy in school. She was careful with her presentation. With the new routine of boxing and ballet lessons, her previous self-awareness, distracted manners, and ill-balanced gait became less apparent, and she began resembling that fairy princess of dreams.
She still had a colour-coded calendar. She now had a list of chores she would do before the week ended. She studied, kept her room clean, organised her bookcase, and helped in the kitchen, preparing small things such as tea, placing sweets on a plate, and always ready with a pencil and paper to take down phone messages.
It was quite a joy for them to see her do the grocery shopping. She carried a calculator and a list. She complied with the things required at home.
Her paranormal episodes had reduced drastically to none ever since she began working out at the gym.
The Grangers were sure that Hermione was in control of her paranormal gifts ever since she applied her athletic attitude to her life as a student at school.
When classmates tried their bullying routines, Hermione quietly arranged for the bullies to meet her in a closed space and taught them not to bother her. If there was a persistent thug(s), she then took the issue in front of an audience.
Wendell and Monica were left speechless at the image of Hermione integrating boxing, ballet, and kickboxing into an art. Information was readily available when Hermione imparted a lesson to two girls and a boy. That trio kept harassing her until that day when her parents stood present for the public performance.
The last episode brought the attention of the school principal. The man in question, a puffed-up unpleasant bureaucrat, tried to intimidate Hermione by marking her school record after witnessing the lesson Hermione provided to the last set of bullies.
It was funny to see Monica raise an eyebrow and add, "My daughter informed us of several bullies that kept picking on her. I had to replace at least two school books and a couple more from the library. Not to mention, I had to tend to her contusions. I called the school and provided the names of the little ruffians, and now you are telling me that my daughter is in the wrong. Because she got tired and defended herself? Are you mad?"
"Miss Granger never reported the bullies. I have to apply discipline, or else this school will turn into a circus," defended the Headmaster.
Wendell got close to the man and, though he wasn't as physically a fit man as he was in the armed forces close to fifteen years before, he grabbed the smarmy bloke by the lapels of his jacket and said, "A circus, you say? Well, you are the clown, and I'll be the gorilla."
Wendell punched the principal in the eye, knocking out the man in one move. Monica and Hermione turned to the mild-mannered man and blushed for different reasons. Hermione looked at her father like she was staring at a star in the heavens. Monica smiled a shark-like smile. Wendell blushed to the quiet admiration and added, "Well, that was a very productive conversation. Hermione dear, violence is not the answer, but the last alternative. I know you tried to talk to the little brutes that got a lesson before. But seriously, you are far more intelligent than this." He cleared his throat and offered his arm to Monica. Hermione was hugging him.
The girls giggled because they knew they were old enough to walk alone, but Wendell Granger felt like an Alpha male. The Granger women enjoyed the attention Wendell shared as they walked away in Hollywood style.
That was the last act before Hermione was taken out of the school system and would start a leap year of study abroad with personal teachers and tutors.
The family welcomed summer abroad and were currently on vacation in France. An hour later, they were standing in Place de Furstenberg. Hermione observed a man cough and a statue move. The man then disappeared. She turned to her parents and noticed the two looked around unimpressed; Monica and Wendell missed the previous entry of a wizard. Hermione smiled and guided them by the hand and coughed. The statue came alive and signalled the entrance to the magical district.
On the inside, their world changed. The Grangers got introduced to the secret magical marketplace. A different bank, a goblin bank. Hermione learned to trade her saved money for galleons. She made those purchases only dreamt of before by her alter ego, Jane. She enchanted the French ministry worker at the Q&A desk. The Grangers received an eye-opening lecture about magic and got invited the next day to attend an orientation workshop for non-magical parents with magical children provided by Beauxbatons.
The visit to France proved to be a life-changing experience. While in Gringotts, Hermione inquired about a budget plan to ward the Granger's dental practice and home.
The goblins added that they had to get a Magical guardian and provided a list of the muggle-born and old-blood barristers available for a fee. Hermione immediately asked for the information on Theodore Tonks.
The Grangers agreed that a barrister with a similar life experience to Hermione was ideal.
The goblins added that Hermione needed a magical medical record. The bank also provided the name of a Hospital in the area for Hermione to get vaccinated and treated for any other magical ailments. Because it was the first time visiting Gringotts, the goblins said that the treatment would be free of charge.
When the Grangers returned to Britain, they decided to contact Mr. Tonks.
Theodore Tonks was surprised to receive a phone call at his place of work. He installed the phone to fill out the lease contract in the mundane world. Andy called him regularly, but she did it after six pm. He answered, and when he learned that the goblins recommended his services abroad, he smiled. Of course, the clients had to be foreign and recommended by goblins. As he stepped into Granger dental, it all made sense. The Grangers were the parents of a muggle-born child.
It was a refreshing experience for Barrister Tonks to meet Hermione and her parents, the Grangers. Educated folk and magic seemed a contradiction nowadays, except for Andy, his wife.
When Hermione began asking about job options and if it would be a good idea to follow in his footsteps, a career that could cover both magical and mundane worlds. Ted shared that being a barrister was one, but she could also study medicine and become a potions Mistress. France or Australia were the best spots to get a degree. England was almost rock bottom thanks to Severus Snape's methods of teaching students in England.
When Ted found out about Manchester Magical Academy, he decided to let the bomb drop. Hermione was of mundane origin, and Magical Britain was biased against hiring new bloods. Manchester was a school that probably had student exchange programs with countries such as America, Australia, and Canada, but not with the British Ministry. Hermione could also work for the Goblins. They had programs for Tomb Raiding, Assassins, and healers. Hermione could stay and rub the pureblood inbreds' faces with a successful life as a professional witch, but working for the Goblins.
Alter ego Jane was impressed with the choices. Indeed, being a healer, Potion Mistress, and Assassin seem like a fantastic choice, and if she did it for the Goblins? Her position wouldn't hurt anyone's ego. She recalled she needed to be invisible. Hermione's receptive brain felt like she had seen a green light at the races. Her smile scared the adults. She added, "The goblins, huh? I understand. I could study potions in MMA and get my Medical degree and Healer diploma in France, following a career with the goblins and get paid what I'm worth. Alright, I'll do that."
The adults felt like a cold chill rose through the air as the deceptively young fairy princess/witch considered all of the job descriptions.
Ted knew that the best person to judge a character was Andromeda, his missus. The next time, Ted proposed meeting Andy to see if Hermione still considered Potions Mistress a viable career later in life.
Hermione's magic manifested in waves of heat. The TV short-circuited. It was convenient when the ministry's lackeys/Obliviators knocked on the door. Magical guardian Ted Tonks got to answer, and the workers left with a warning.
Hermione raised an eyebrow and said, "You're a hero, you know?"
Ted smiled and said, "If you say so, thank you, Miss Granger."
Ted only felt like a superhero once before. That time, he stole the Black Princess from her family. Yeah, the Grangers were in a league of their own.