Chapter Text
The next day was overcast, with light rain drizzling outside. Hermione's parents had left for work, leaving her alone at home. Looking out the window, she noticed a dark cloud against the grey sky, oddly reminiscent of McGonagall's pointed hat, and thought: “Everything's changed so fast! Just a few days ago, I had no idea about magic, unicorns, or wizards... And now, I'm about to step into that magical world myself!” This thought thrilled Hermione. She was eager to take a closer look at her magical supplies from Diagon Alley.
Yesterday they returned home late - her parents wanted to check out a few other stores “...since we are already in London,” as they said. So, they all went straight to bed upon arriving home. Now, with nothing in her way, Hermione was ready to dive into magic! She decided to start methodically. She quickly prepared breakfast, ate while watching the raindrops slide down the window, and then went to her room to go through her purchases from yesterday.
The amulet interested Hermione the most. She found it among the other items and carefully removed it from the small paper bag it was in. Now, the amulet just seemed like a plain blue stone in a setting. It looked so unremarkable that it wouldn't have a chance to catch anyone's eye. Hermione turned it over in her hands, trying to see if there was even a tiny spark inside, but the stone stayed dull and uninteresting.
“Could it really have been just a glint of the sun?” Hermione thought, “Did I imagine it glowing from the inside?” Then she decided to try something different, using a flashlight to light up the amulet from all sides. Still, no glimmers showed up. What's more, when Hermione tried to shine the light right through it, the stone seemed to swallow the light instead of reflecting or letting it pass through. This struck Hermione as pretty weird. Feeling a bit upset, she decided to tackle the amulet's mystery another day and moved on to the rest of her stuff.
The next thing she picked up was her magic wand. Holding it in her hands, Hermione gave it a wave like she did back at the store, hoping to reconnect with that magical feeling. But nothing happened this time. “Guess that's the special magic of Ollivander no one gets,” she thought. After fiddling with the wand a bit more, Hermione put it aside and turned to the books.
She was mainly keen on books about spells, especially those with diagrams showing how to move the wand. Hermione went over a few spells carefully, paying close attention to their descriptions and pictures. After practicing the motions a few times, she decided to give it a real go. Focusing, with her wand in hand, she aimed at a book in front of her, waved the wand, and loudly said:
“Locomotor!”
Nothing happened. She kept trying, varying how fast and loud she was, but the book didn’t budge. It was like magic just ignored everything she did. After flipping through the spell book, Hermione tried a few different spells, but nothing changed. It seemed there was something else required for magic than just getting the moves and words right.
The History of Magic book kept Hermione hooked for hours. It felt like a fairy tale to her, just a really long one. It started with mysterious stories about magic from the few sources that have survived to our times. Long ago, there were people who could do amazing things. They were called shamans, the first to explore magic and use it in daily life. Their magic was simple at first, meant to help their tribe survive by finding food and dealing with bad weather. But over time, they began to use magic for their own gain, sparking the initial conflicts between magical and non-magical people…
Hermione got lost in tales of ancient magic, learning about how the first magical societies formed and fought for power. In times when the lines between good and evil were blurred, wizards didn’t think twice about using dark spells against their foes. The stories were filled with fierce battles, where all tricks were fair play. Reading on, Hermione learned about the first magic laws introduced to control the previously unrestricted use of magic, which had started to threaten human existence.
Finally pulling away from the book, Hermione realized it was already past noon. Stretching, she decided her eyes needed a break from all the reading. While rummaging through her things, her eyes landed on her school robe. "Why not try it on?" she thought to herself. Slipping into the robe, Hermione walked over to the mirror in her room.
In the mirror, Hermione saw a little witch, just like the ones she had seen in Diagon Alley the day before. Even though the robe felt odd and a bit uncomfortable, for the first time, Hermione truly felt like she belonged to that magical world she had been so excited about.
Grabbing her magic wand, she started posing in different ways in front of the mirror, pretending to cast spells. In her imagination, she found herself at meetings of ancient wizards, where they decided on the first magical laws. She pictured herself among shamans fighting for their causes and vying for power…
Spending a little more time in front of the mirror, Hermione put her wand aside and picked up her amulet. Holding it up to her chest, she tried picturing how it would pair with her robe. Sadly, it didn’t look as great as she’d imagined... “Maybe I should get a chain or a cord for it,” she thought. “I can’t just carry it in my bag all the time.” Plus, having it on a chain would mean she could easily check for that mysterious glow that caught her eye in Diagon Alley anytime she wanted.
Glancing out the window, Hermione saw the weather had cleared and the rain had stopped. Taking it as a sign, she decided it was the right moment to go out and look for a chain for her amulet. Quickly getting ready, she headed to the nearest shop.
Now that she had seen the magical world, regular, non-magical shops seemed incredibly boring to Hermione. The items, from toys that couldn’t move on their own to books with static and silent pictures, just didn’t grab her attention anymore. Even the air in these places started to feel staler to her.
As she walked by a kitchenware shop, Hermione couldn’t help but smile, thinking back to her chat with Mr. Bridge about cauldrons. Comparing regular pots to Diagon Alley’s self-stirring cauldrons seemed almost laughable now. To her, everything in the non-magical world felt like a repeat: ordinary goods, ordinary people, ordinary Tommy…
“Hey, Hermione!” Tommy shouted happily when he saw her by the shop. “Thought you were cooped up at home. You didn’t seem like you wanted to go out.”
Hermione was bursting to spill the beans to Tommy — to tell him about wizards, unicorns, and Diagon Alley's mysteries. She pictured his astonishment and awe, listening to stories of a world that would sound like a fairy tale if it hadn’t become so real to her. But the strict warning from Professor McGonagall rang like a bell in her head: the non-magical world must remain clueless to the existence of wizards, and that included even her closest friends.
“Just wanted to get some air…” Hermione looked away, wrestling with the temptation to tell Tommy everything.
“Anything up?” he asked, noticing her distraction.
“It’s fine, really,” she rushed to reassure him.
“Is it?” he sounded a bit skeptical. “Alright then, let’s go for a walk… school’s about to start soon again, right?”
“Speaking of school,” Hermione suddenly said, realizing Tommy was unaware of her decision to move to Hogwarts, “I need to tell you something.”
“What’s that?” he asked, slightly cautious, “You chose Silverleaf in the end?”
“Not Silverleaf, and not Oakridge either,” Hermione said softly, feeling a twinge of regret as she met his gaze.
“Where then?” He was surprised. “Ain’t too many schools around. You’re not going to commute, are you?”
“It’s called Hogwarts,” Hermione replied, “It’s far up north, and I’ll stay there until the Christmas holidays…”
“So, that means…” Tommy’s face fell, and he gave Hermione a confused look. “But why? You said we’d stay friends… How's that gonna work if you’re… till Christmas…” he stuttered, his face darkening with hurt.
“Well, just try to understand me… That school fits me perfectly, and I…” Hermione tried to explain, but Tommy interrupted, sounding bitter:
“I understand!” He turned and walked off.
“Tommy, wait!” Hermione shouted at him, but he didn’t stop and soon vanished around the corner.
In that moment, Hermione understood that her life’s changes weren’t just about school. She’d now face hurdles in her friendships and close relationships too. She couldn’t talk about Hogwarts, the lessons, or the times with new friends at school.
Realizing this new reality, Hermione aimlessly roamed the shop for a bit, as though bidding farewell to the world she once was part of. Finally, she found the perfect chain for her amulet, purchased it, and slowly headed home.
Back home, Hermione found it still quiet and empty. A touch of loneliness hit her. She had no friends around to share her fresh adventures with, nor her parents, who were out at work. Switching to the calm of studying her textbooks felt tough after the excitement of the past couple of days.
Hermione entered her room, slipped the amulet onto the new chain, and hung it around her neck. Approaching the mirror, she looked at herself… That’s when her amulet sparked, and a weird feeling wrapped around her.
The air seemed to come alive, giving her skin the cool touch of a light breeze. Then, a vibrating warmth that originated from the amulet on her chest quickly spread to the tips of her fingers and hair. In a moment it transformed into an electric tingling and… vanished. Hermione was left stunned, trying to figure out what had just happened.
The amulet went dark again. She tried taking it off and putting it on a few times, but nothing else happened. The magic was gone.
***
After several days deep in magic textbooks, Hermione felt she needed a change. The books certainly opened up a world of incredible knowledge, but they left out the day-to-day life of the wizarding world, its heart, and the basics of etiquette. To get a grip on these aspects of magical life, she picked up a bunch of newspapers and magazines in Diagon Alley.
The first paper she picked up, ‘The Daily Prophet,’ had a headline that caught her eye right on the front page:
Hogwarts' Most Famous Student!
This year, Hogwarts' corridors will welcome not just a regular student, but the wizard everyone's talking about—Harry Potter! ‘The Daily Prophet’ has learned from reliable sources that Harry, a name that's already legendary in the wizarding world, is set to join Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Undoubtedly, his arrival will be a historic moment for the school, its students, and its teachers.
Known as the boy who lived, Harry is to join one of the four houses. The burning question on everyone's mind is: Which house will Harry join—Gryffindor, Slytherin, Hufflepuff, or Ravenclaw?
With the immense interest of the Britain magical community in the upcoming event, the ‘Crystal Ball’ betting shop has begun taking bets on which house he will join. Slytherin is currently topping the charts. Many wizards and witches believe Slytherin would be the perfect fit for a wizard as notable and talented as Harry Potter.
“We're taking bets on all four houses, but the interest in Slytherin is really extraordinary,” comments Felix Fortunatus, owner of the ‘Crystal Ball’. “Sure, the magic world is always full of surprises, and only the Sorting Hat has the final say, but that's not stopping our customers from wanting to test their luck,” he adds.
No matter where the Sorting hat places Harry, it will be a great honor for that house. His arrival is set to make school life way more exciting. We're all on the edge of our seats, waiting to see what challenges and adventures await him and how he'll shake things up at school. One thing's for sure: the whole magical world will be watching Hogwarts closely.
‘The Daily Prophet’ will keep an eye on how things unfold and will bring you the latest on Harry Potter's Hogwarts saga. Stick with us for all the updates straight from the source!
Arthur Diggle, ‘The Daily Prophet’ correspondent
Hermione put the newspaper aside and gazed out the window, pondering. “Who is this Harry Potter, anyway? Is he some kind of magic prodigy that makes everyone around gasp in amazement? Maybe he was born with a magic wand in his hand, ready for great deeds?” she thought, a bit mockingly, feeling a twinge of jealousy within. After all, as someone from a Muggle family, she has to prove her place in the magical world right from the start, while it seemed to her that others, like Harry, get it easy.
“What's it like to arrive at Hogwarts already famous? Not having to prove yourself to anyone,” Hermione couldn't help thinking that Harry might not have to put in much effort. “Does he already know all the spells by heart? Then what's he going to do at Hogwarts?” The questions kept coming, sketching in her mind the image of a spoiled kid always surrounded by a crowd of fans.
Suddenly, she thought of Barbara Grayson, always surrounded by a group of friends and mocking Hermione all year long. “Harry Potter might just be a male version of Barbara,” she briefly concluded, feeling an immediate sense of dislike for the boy. “Well, let's see what he's really about, apart from his big name. And how he'll do at Hogwarts! As for me... I'll show I can match up to any celebrity!” Hermione resolved, gearing up for the challenge.
Going back over the article, she noticed the bit about ‘the boy who lived.’ “Really, so making it to school is now an achievement?” Hermione thought with a touch of sarcasm, but then paused to think more objectively. Her first impression was tainted by her experiences with Barbara Grayson. Maybe there was more to the story, something that explained why this boy was so famous. “I should probably find out more about him before making up my mind,” she decided, guessing that Harry Potter's real story might be a lot more compelling than just another favored child's tale.
Hermione started digging for info on Harry Potter, but looking through newspapers and magazines, she quickly saw it wasn't going to be straightforward. Instead of stories about Harry, she found the pages filled with debates over Ministry of Magic policies, law discussions, and all sorts of arguments happening in the wizarding world. One argument that really caught her eye was about using the ‘Obliviate’ spell on Muggles who'd seen too much magic. Some said it was essential to keep the magical world secret and safe. Others argued it was wrong to wipe people's memories, sometimes erasing important personal moments.
Another hot topic was the registration of Animagi. There were fiery debates between those who pushed for strict registration for safety reasons and those who thought it was a breach of personal freedom. Hermione was amazed at how much this reminded her of Muggle debates on privacy rights.
The deeper she got into the politics of the magical world, the more she realized that magical or not, political maneuvers and scandals were pretty much the same. Power struggles, scandals, corruption charges — Hermione found it all too familiar. “Politics is politics, magical or Muggle,” she thought with a hint of irony.
She stumbled across loads of articles that both amused and caught her interest. While reading "The Five Most Ridiculous Spells Banned at Hogwarts," Hermione couldn't help but laugh, picturing a whole day spent speaking in rhymes due to one of those spells. Another piece that grabbed her attention was "How to Keep Your Garden Mole-Guardian from Scaring the Neighbors: Etiquette for Subterranean Creatures." Apparently, wizards use mole-guardians to keep pests out of their gardens, but sometimes these little guys accidentally freak out the Muggle neighbors by popping up in their yards.
Quidditch was another revelation. Reading about this sport left Hermione baffled – how could a game with players zooming around on brooms chasing balls be so exciting? To her, Quidditch was just another pointless sport, a distraction from the real world and academics. She couldn't understand why adults and smart folks would waste so much time and energy on it.
Flipping through a magical fashion magazine called "Wizarding Chic" and its headlines like "Tooth Color Changing Spells: The Latest Trend Among Teens" and "The Latest in Robe Fashion: From Puffy Sleeves to Glowing Hems!" She decided to save it for when she'd really run out of things to do.
At last, in one of the magazines, she spotted an article about the last wizarding war... It was about the tenth anniversary of the war's end. As she read, she found out that even the wizarding world has its wars, and not everything is as perfect as it might seem. Ten years ago, the magical world nearly fell to ‘You-Know-Who’ and his gang, the Death Eaters. But from the article, Hermione couldn't figure out who this guy was or why his name was never mentioned. What she did learn was that Harry Potter's parents died protecting him from this weird and extremely dangerous wizard. And when ‘You-Know-Who’ tried to kill baby Harry, he himself either died or vanished. That's why Harry Potter got the title of ‘the boy who lived’. He became famous because he helped get rid of such a dangerous wizard.
Finding out that Harry Potter was raised by a Muggle family and, per the article, had no clue about his magical roots until recently was another shocker! “Wow, I got it so wrong,” Hermione thought, surprised. “There's a real chance he's way nicer than Barbara Grayson. Maybe I should try to be friends with him. He grew up in a Muggle family too, just like me.”
Hermione sat there, mulling over everything she'd read. The wizarding world she was starting to discover through newspapers and magazines wasn't at all like she'd imagined. It made sense, though, since until now, Hermione’s understanding of the magical world came mostly from fairy tales. And fairy tales don’t often touch on things like politics, sports, or fashion. However, as it turned out, the world of magic was much more similar to the world of ordinary people than she had assumed. More accurately, to Muggle world, as Mr. Bridge would correct her.
Still lost in thought about the magical world, Hermione absently picked up her wand. She pointed it at the spellbook open in front of her on the table and, almost without thinking, made a movement and said:
“Locomotor!”
To her surprise, the book sprang to life and moved across the table towards her. It bumped into her mom's favorite vase, which fell to the floor and broke into countless pieces with a loud crash.
“Oops!” Hermione blurted out, staring at the broken vase pieces. She was shocked. All her previous attempts at magic failed, but now, a spell spoken without real intent, more out of boredom, actually worked. Then, realizing those were shards of her mom's favorite vase on the floor, she thought, “Mom is not going to be happy about this.” But quickly, she had a bright idea. Grabbing the spellbook, Hermione quickly found what she was looking for, aimed her wand at the shards, and said:
“Reparo!”
The vase pieces trembled but didn’t move. Hermione frowned, focused even more, and repeated:
“Reparo!”
This time, the shards moved, fitting back together until the vase was whole again. Hermione couldn't help but squeal and jump from excitement. She was really doing magic! “Weird, what changed since last time?” she thought. But then, hearing her parents’ car and voices, Hermione quickly put the vase back and ran to meet them at the door.
When she opened the door, there stood her parents. Dad was holding a bunch of carnations — her favorites. He walked up to her, a bit of regret in his voice, and said:
“Hermione, I'm sorry I didn't support you right away. It was hard for me to accept your choice. I think you understand… But now, seeing how much you're into all this, I'm sure you’re going to be a great witch!”
He gave Hermione a hug, and she leaned into him. Mom, watching from a bit away, had a soft smile on her face.
Then they all went into the living room. Emma was about to put the flowers in the vase… but found just a heap of shards on the table. Hermione’s smile vanished.
“Mom, that was me... I bumped it,” she whispered, opting not to bring up the magical mishap. She had just reconnected with her dad and didn’t want magic causing any issues again.
“It’s alright,” her mom said, smiling warmly at her.
***
Summer was winding down, and with every day, the August heat seemed to get worse. In the evenings and on weekends, Hermione tried to spend more time with her parents, realizing that they would soon be far apart. The thought of separation was making her anxious, as she had never been away from home for such a long stretch before.
Thus, on the last Sunday before Hermione was set to leave for Hogwarts, the whole family gathered in the living room, talking about her upcoming departure. Sitting close to her mom, she couldn’t help but wonder whether she would find friends at her new school and avoid feeling too alone.
“Mom, Dad, I'm really worried. This is all so new to me, and I have no clue who I'll be with in my classes. What do they look like? How do they behave?”
Hermione had been wrestling with these questions for a while and decided it was time to share her concerns with her parents. Her mom gave her a look filled with care and said:
“Honey, feeling anxious about stepping into something new is completely normal. But just remember, you're smart and strong, and you can get through any challenge. The key thing is to make friends as soon as you can. It’ll make life in this new place a lot more fun and easier.”
When Emma mentioned friends, Hermione immediately thought of Tommy. They had recently reconciled, yet Tommy was still feeling a bit hurt. He had been looking forward to going to the same school and being there for each other. Hermione felt bad that her move to Hogwarts might have messed up their friendship, but it was too late to change anything now. As for the new school and making new friends, she had no idea what to expect.
“What if they don't accept me? What if I'm seen as an outsider? I don't come from a magical family; there's so much I don't know about their world,” Hermione recalled the unfriendly glances at the ‘Leaky Cauldron’.
“Don't worry, there will be people who will value you for who you are, no matter where you come from,” her mom said softly. “You'll find friends once they see how great and kind you are.”
Hermione's frown eased a little.
“Just remember, we're always with you. Ready to help if anything goes wrong,” her dad chimed in.
“And don't forget to keep in touch, Hermione. Give us a call whenever you can,” her mom added.
“There aren't any phones at Hogwarts,” Hermione mentioned, “but we can keep in touch with letters and owls.”
Hermione's parents had quickly gotten used to getting mail not just from the postman, but from owls too. Hermione had zipped through her first set of books and now was ordering all sorts of new stuff by owl post.
“Don't worry, I'll show you how to deal with the owls, so we can keep in touch,” Hermione told them, trying to put their minds at ease.
Emma let out a worried sigh and shook her head. This was all so odd and new to her. Different world, different rules...
“I also need to ask you to forward my letters to Tommy,” Hermione said, feeling a bit awkward. “I can’t send him owl post since he's not supposed to know about the wizarding world.”
“Sure thing, love,” her mom said with a nod.
Suddenly, with excitement in her eyes, Hermione exclaimed:
“I’ll prove to everyone that I can be a real witch! Look what I learned yesterday!” She aimed her wand at the windowsill, where a flowerpot sat quietly, and said:
“Wingardium Leviosa!”
As Hermione spoke the spell, the flowerpot gently rose into the air, gracefully floating above the windowsill. Her parents' faces lit up with surprise and admiration — it was their first time seeing their daughter perform magic. They showered Hermione with praise, eager to support her and distract her from thoughts of their upcoming separation.
At that moment, loud exclamations of surprise came from outside. Hermione looked out the window and was shocked. Right in front of their house, two stone gnomes, previously lifeless and guarding the neighbor's garden gate, were now tumbling through the air. The neighbor was running around them, shouting for her family to come and see the unbelievable sight!
Hermione quickly lowered her wand, and the flowerpot crashed back down onto the windowsill. The gnomes, losing their magical lift, fell heavily to the ground and shattered into pieces. Neighbors gathered around the debris, eagerly talking about what had just happened. One after another, more curious onlookers came over to ask about the strange event.
Suddenly, there was a loud crack in the Granger's home, and a tall, grim-looking man with a thick beard materialized before them. His stern gaze shifted from Hermione, who was frozen with her wand in hand, to the anxious crowd outside the house. His voice was firm and uncompromising:
“It is strictly forbidden for children to use magic outside of school! You are not yet under official supervision, since school hasn't started, but an incident that draws this much attention from Muggles cannot be ignored. From now on, Miss Granger, you will be under Ministry of Magic surveillance. Any further use of magic in front of Muggles could lead to your immediate expulsion from Hogwarts.”
Hermione stared at him, petrified, while her parents looked at each other with worry and disbelief. Her mother put an arm around her, trying to provide a sense of protection, while her father stood up, adjusting his glasses, and clearly preparing to defend his daughter. But the stranger didn't wait for him to speak. He turned and left the house, walking towards the crowd. With a wave of his wand and a spoken spell, people began to calmly disperse as if nothing had happened. He then carefully restored the shattered gnomes, placed them back at their original spots, and disappeared without a trace.
