Prologue
It was an accident. An embarrassing and satisfying accident. The teacher's monitoring lunch pointedly ignored Hermione most days, but today the entire faculty would stare at Hermione Granger.
Kimberly Cross was a pretty and chatty girl in Hermione's third-grade class. Cross held court at the same lunch table every day, always with a different audience. It never mattered who sat with Kimberly, only that she remained surrounded by other classmates.
Four months into the school year, Hermione finally worked up the courage to sit at Kimberly's table. Taking the last seat at the edge of the table, Hermione was giddy with excitement at finally participating. Cross always sat at the same table by the largest window and close to the kitchens. The table left Kimberly's seat empty and waiting, and watched in unison as their 7-year-old leader walked into the lunchroom. Hermione met Kimberley's eyes with an awkward smile that fell at the site of Cross's blank look.
"I think I should try sitting somewhere new. There is a large bush blocking my sun today." Kimberley said, leaning into the shadow cast by Hermione's frizzy hair for emphasis. Cross's table laughed and stood in unison, and Hermione remained in her new seat. Hermione's classmates moved elsewhere in fits of giggles while making other snide remarks, "I didn't really want to watch how beavers eat, either."
Hermione slowly looked to the nearest teacher, who turned away pointedly. Kimberly sat at a new table with her back to Hermione on the opposite side of the lunchroom, and Cross's court filled in around her.
What a horrible girl. Kimberly, the faculty, and all the other students were horrible. They make people feel horrible, and they make the world a worse place through their behavior; Hermione glared through her thoughts and muttered to herself-
"The world would be a better place with Kimberly Cross." Hermione closed her eyes tightly to avoid her tears and was startled at the sound of a dozen young shrill screams. Chairs clattered loudly as students backed away from Kimberley's table.
"What happened?!" The teacher who had ignored Hermione's shunning earlier asked in a rush as she tried to console a dozen crying children.
"Kimberly! She's gone! She just disappeared! While we were watching her, and she was talking! Mid-word, she vanished!" A boy offered horrified, just as hysterical as the girls but more coherent without tears.
Chapter 1
Accidental Magic Reversal Squad
Magic was explained in very simple terms to a stunned Daniel and Helen Granger in their middle-class living room by a tall man in a dark purple pinstripe suit that seemed to be caught between the last two centuries.
"Your daughter is already a very powerful witch, and our world will be lucky to have her- but only when she is ready. In a few years, she will be offered a place in a magical school where she will learn to control her magical ability properly. Until then, it is of the utmost importance that another incident like the one that occurred today does not ever happen again. If she were of legal age, Hermione would face legal repercussions for what she did to that muggle girl." The wizard's face remained stern and looked to Hermione directly with a severely reprimanding look.
"Did you bring the girl back?" Helen whispered fearfully. Daniel Granger cleared his throat and nodded, "Will the girl from school be returned to her family?" Daniel asked with false strength.
"We should discuss that privately, I think." The wizard evaded the worried eyes of the Granger parents.
"She can't come back," Hermione whispered dejectedly.
"I meant it too much. She's gone now." Hermione looked directly at the wizard who nodded slowly, trying to gauge the expression the young muggle-born witch wore.
"I am afraid your daughter is right. We will magically alter the memories of everyone who has met this young muggle girl. Sadly no one will remember her. We can offer the same solution for you three as well, if you wish." The wizard drew his wand in preparation.
"In a few years, you will still be invited back into the magical world for schooling, and this is unfortunately a common form of accidental magic. It saved many young witches and wizards during the witch hunts, but the government accepts and expects these type of accidents in the muggle-born." The wizard attempted to ease the young witch's tense expression and patted her shoulder.
"I'll go first then, Helen next, and then Hermione." Daniel stepped forward while holding his wife's hand.
This was the first true magic Hermione witnessed.
The ministry obliviator moved his wand subtly and fluidly, and Hermione watched in awe as a pale white and blue cloudy stream flowed from her father's temple under the direction of the wizard's wand. The cloudy blue and white stream of magically suspended memory floated in the air for a moment before evaporating. Hermione watched her father slump unconscious into the sofa, and Helen Granger shed a silent tear. Helen quickly wiped her face and kissed her daughters temple before approaching the pinstriped wizard as well.
"I love you, Hermione. This was just a big accident. This won't change a thing in the world. We will always love you, sweet girl." Helen murmured as her eyes grew heavy and she slumped into a deep sleep on the sofa next her husband.
The wizard and Hermione remained, and as the elder turned towards the little witch he was struck by the girl's direct gaze.
"I would like to remember what I did today. Am I allowed to remember?" Hermione asked the wizard, stepping just a pace outside his arms reach.
"In Britain you are allowed to remember by laws protecting accidental magic. It is your right as a witch, that you are allowed to remember magic - but… you are very young Miss Granger. This could become a traumatic memory for you, and your magical development could be hindered by remembering this day.
"I would still like to know what i did today. I… I am bullied a lot by what you've called 'muggles'. Everyone thinks I'm strange and if I forget what I did to-"
"You may do the same again?" The wizard asked with a sad consoling look at the young muggle-born witch.
"I know I would." Hermione looked at her feet to hide the anger flashing in her eyes. There were at least a dozen more students that deserved to disappear from her current school, besides the ones from schools she had already been excused from.
"I understand Miss Granger. My wife is muggle-born like you, and her childhood was also difficult. Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry will send you a letter only when you turn eleven years of age, so you still have few more years until you can enter the magical world." The wizard pushed out his purple suit's long tails and knelt down to Hermione's level, and rested his wand on his knee. The wizard waved his wand and conjured a scrap of parchment paper that seemed to swirl in existence from absolutely nothing.
"You still have a few years until you can enter the magical world through Hogwarts, but if anything like this should happen again the ministry will be alerted to the magic cast. If you need magical help before it gets to that point- this is my muggle home phone number." The wizard offered Hermione the conjured scrap of parchment paper.
Hermione's eyes widened as she took the paper delicately, afraid it would return to nothing if handled roughly.
"Thank you, Mr…?"
"Peasegood. Arnold Peasegood. My wife's name is Anne, in case she answers the phone. I think you have a bright future ahead of you, Miss Granger. Do not let this accident discourage you. Goodnight." The man turned on his heel and vanished with a loud thundering crack. The living room returned to silence, interrupted only by the soft snore of Mr. & Mrs. Granger.
Hermione called the Peasegood house once a month when she could sneak away from her parents. Anne Peasegood shared stories of her childhood and consoled Hermione during the bad days. They were bullied in the same way through prank calls, assault during school sports, vandalized bookbags and homes.
Hermione called after the first day of fourth grade, in hysterical tears.
"They put permanent glue in my hair during assembly, and my mums just shaved my head! I- " Hermione squeezed out her words and stopped short, choked by further sobs.
"Oh, Hermione! Are your parents home now?" Anne's voice was tight with emotion. Children used to put gum in hair, but they had obviously gotten smarter in the years since Anne's youth.
"They're home now. Dad's on the phone in the kitchen with the dean. He's pulling me out of this school too." Hermione had seen three muggle schools in as many years and had already gone through every local school. The next closest school she would be sent to was more than an hour away.
"Listen closely, Hermione. Arnie and I will come to your house tonight. Can you give me a call once your parents have gone to bed?"
"Yes!" Hermione answered immediately.
"Good girl. There's a common potion that can fix your hair in a single night's sleep. Arnie will alter your parent's memories, but that's all he can do. I think you should still have to change schoo-" Anne's voice stopped short as she realized something.
"Miss Anne?" Hermione asked after a moment of silent phone static.
"Im here dear. I've just had an idea that Arnie will undoubtedly hate. Hermione Granger, I have a very important question to ask you." Anne smiled hopefully and paused.
"Do you think you will continue to live in the muggle world in the future? After your magical schooling?" Anne asked.
Hermione thought for a second of her parent's framed degrees in the lobby of their dentist's office. Hermione thought of the mean smirk Kimberley Cross once wore daily. The buzz of Daniel Granger's electric shaver cropping Hermione's honey colored mane to a buzzcut, still rang in the little witch's ears.
"No. I would rather scrub floors in the magical world than live any amount of time in this muggle world." Hermione spoke quietly but honestly.
"I understand, dear. I will see you tonight. Do not fret, your hair will return by morning and this horrible day is almost over as well. I'll be waiting for your call tonight. Goodnight, dear." Anne hung up the clunky rotary phone, and floo-ed to her husband at the ministry.
-
"Annie, I want you to remember this moment next time we argue." Arnie Peasegood murmured as he crouched in a shrub with his wife of 20 years.
"Hmmph. Save it for your pensieve Arnie. Re-live this moment as many times as you like. I will only ever be grateful to you for this. The lights went out upstairs- justwait for her signal." Anne spoke lowly and crouched down further. Arnie rolled his eyes and smirked at his wife; she should've been a HIT witch.
"There it is! The light goes on once, then off. Once more, and we know it's our little witch. There! Let's go!" Anne shuffled to the door, staying lower than the hedge line, and alohamora-ed herself into the almost sleeping Granger home. Arnie waved his wand widely as soon as he stepped through the doorway.
"Hello, Hermione! So lovely to finally meet you!" Annie knelt down to hug the stricken bald girl with wide scared eyes.
"Shh! They've only just gone to bed! You have to be quiet!" Hermione's urgent tone and fearful eyes cemented Arnie's decision to help.
"I've cast a silencing spell, they won't hear a thing." Arnie Peasegood spun his wand between his fingers and nodded towards the stairs.
"Come re-introduce me to your parents, then ill leave you with Annie." Arnie waited for Hermione to lead the way before following the little witch up the stairs.
"Did Annie tell you which memories im changing for your parents?" Arnie asked softly, as the small girl lead him down a dark carpeted hallway.
"No. I have ideas. I imagine you'll be erasing their memory of the incident earlier today- what happened to my hair, I mean."
"Yes. Annie will fix your hair for you and ill make it so it never happened in the first place for your parents. The issue is that you've already been pulled from your school. I will be performing complex mind magic on your parents, meaning that after this- they should never experience mind magic again. It is delicate magic, and such heavy-handed use can be dangerous. Especially for muggle minds." Arnie stopped Hermione as she reached for her parent's bedroom doorknob.
"Do you understand, Hermione?" Arnie asked pointedly.
"Can you fix my teeth? And make them forget they used to stick out like this?" Hermione sat her two front teeth on her bottom lip in an exaggerated way, like a bunny rabbit.
"What?" Arnie asked with a confused grin.
"If this is the very last time you can trick my parents like this, I would like to avoid muggle braces. They're a painful metal device they glue to your teeth, and they tighten the wires in them so teeth straighten out over many years."Hermione explained upon seeing Arnie's confusion.
"That sounds horrible!" Arnie starred as the little witch's bunny teeth and smirked.
"Annie is great with delicate wand work so it should be quick work for her. Just a word of warning, your parents may be a little forgetful for the next couple of weeks. In about a month, their minds will naturally forget and fill in any gaps from today." Arnie shoved his cloak behind him and rolled up his shirt sleeves.
"But they'll still be normal eventually?" Hermione asked suddenly worried for her parents.
"Oh yes. Completely fine, they just might forget very small things- like 'did I do the dishes', or 'where is that thing I just put down'. After a few weeks, their minds will completely absorb the magic and the false fragmented memories." Arnie explained before reaching for the handle and disappearing into the dark shadows of Hermione's sleeping parents' room.
-
Hermione crouched awkwardly on top of a kitchen chair, hanging her bald head over the kitchen sink.
"I'm just going to paint your head with this salve, then rinse with the first potion. The second potion I left on the table is for drinking before you go to bed tonight. It tastes exactly like honey but is a bit thicker. Drink all of it, and your hair will be longer than it was by first light." Anne withdrew a wooden paintbrush from her cloak pocket and unscrewed the jar of salve.
"This stage smells. Very bad. Hold your nose, dear." Anne cast a quick bubblehead charm on herself and painted Hermione's scalp with the foul-smelling purple paste.
"Just another moment and we can rinse," Anne murmured.
"Thank you, Annie!" Hermione's pinched nose made her voice more nasally than normal, and Anne smiled sadly. This little witch was so young, and Anne could not believe she herself had been that young she had been bullied. The rocks the other children had thrown had seemed big and painful then, but Anne knew she could turn those same rocks to dust without a second thought now.
"And rinse!" Annie waved her wand to siphon the entire potion from it's vial and suspended it over Hermione's head with a strong bubblehead charm on just her scalp. Maintaining the charm was difficult, so Hermione did the manual scrubbing.
"Good. Rinse with water now, and you'll start to feel the slow growth immediately."
"It feels itchy." Hermione grimaced as Anne scrubbed her scalp with faucet water.
"All done upstairs, love." Arnie strolled into the kitchen and smiled while watching Annie scrub Hermione's head at the kitchen sink.
"As far as your parents know, you have always had the hair and teeth that you'll wake up with tomorrow. And you were pulled from school because you were offered private education from a very accomplished private tutor, named Anne Peasegood." Arnie smirked as a stunned Hermione whirled around to gape at him.
"What?" Hermione's now lengthening buzzcut dripped water down her face, and Anne gave up trying to cover the girl's head with a towel.
"You heard him. I'll come here every morning and tutor you in the main subjects until you start at Hogwarts next year." Anne grinned, as Hermione fixed her with a wobbly and tearful smile.
"No more tears, little witch." Annie sang and dried Hermione with a warm gust of air from her wand.
"Thank you! Thank you, Annie! Thank you, Arnie!" Hermione hugged her magical rescue team and pretended she wasn't sobbing into Annie's dress.
"I'm sorry Arnie, but what did you say about teeth?" Annie looked at her husband clueless.
AN: Hermione's accidental magic was originally written as a one-shot, but I got distracted by the idea of merciful elderly muggle-born witches