–Happy Birthday, Hermione!†Hermione’s parents cried. Hermione groaned and looked over at her old-fashioned clock on her bedside table.
–Five-fifteen?†she complained. She liked getting up early, but this was going too far.
–Oh, I know, we’re six minutes late, but we tried our best,†her mother said. Hermione groaned again. –It’s not my fault that I was born this early in the morning. Can’t you have waited a little longer?†Hermione asked grumpily. Her father laughed. –Oh, believe me, we couldn’t.†Hermione rolled her eyes. She hadn’t meant it that way.
There was a sudden crash from downstairs and both of Hermione’s parents rushed downstairs. Hermione sighed, glad for an excuse to sleep, not worried at all about the sound from downstairs until she heard gasps and another person’s voice that she didn’t recognize.
–Hermione! Get down here!†her mother called from downstairs. Still in her nightgown, Hermione pulled on her robe and ran downstairs, embarrassed. The last thing she wanted to do right now was meet a visitor - let alone in her pajamas. She pulled her robe more tightly around her chest as she walked into the room, nervous. She was shocked to see a woman in a stiff, formal-looking, black suit in her living room.
,p>–And you must be Hermione,†the woman said. Hermione blinked twice, making sure this was all real. –Yes.†She nodded.–I’m Minerva McGonagall, and I’m here on a special occasion. Before we talk about that, how about we sit down.†The woman smiled slightly at Hermione, but she could tell that this was not a normal occasion. Hermione’s mother looked rather taken aback at being told to sit down in their own house, but said,
–Yes. You can take off your shoes, Miss McGonagall.†She did so. Hermione sank onto the couch, wondering what in the world was going on. Minerva McGonagall sat across from her. –Now Hermione, I have a special something to tell you. You have been chosen to come to our school. Hogwarts.†Hermione’s father started to protest at once.
–We haven’t put her up for any schools, especially one with a name like that.â€
–No,†McGonagall assured, –You were not involved in this process. We have picked Hermione to come here. She posesses special.....talents that we welcome in our school.â€
–And what are these special talents?†Hermione’s mother asked indignantly. –Hermione is quite brilliant, yes, but what else can she do that is so special?â€
–Now Hermione, I know the answer to this question already, but I am going to ask you anyway. Have you had anything strange happen to you, when you are feeling....angry? Or threatened? Or scared?†Hermione nodded excitedly, glad to find out the secret of these happenings. McGonagall looked at her, nodding, then turned to her parents, who had given themselves as much distance from the woman as they could. –Your daughter....is a witch.†Hermione squinted, looking at McGonagall.
–What?â€
–You can do magic,†McGonagall answered. Hermione’s father stood up in his seat, while her mother looked as if she was about to faint.
–Preposterous!†he cried. –There’s no such thing as magic!†Hermione felt in the same position as him until McGonagall took a wand from her pocket, pointed it at a bowl on the counter, and it shattered into pieces. Hermione’s mother squealed and jumped to her feet, but sank down into her chair faintly as McGonagall waved her wand again and fixed the bowl in seconds. Hermione watched her mother sink down to the floor. Hermione’s father stayed still, staring at the bowl as if wondering if it was real.
McGonagall looked at them, her face without expression.
–Now do you believe me? I am sure your daughter has done things quite similar to that, although, unlike now, she did not do them on purpose or know what she was doing.†McGonagall looked at their stunned faces calmly. To Hermione’s surprise, they both nodded.
–So,†McGonagall said. –We will be starting term soon, meaning that Hermione will need to get her schoolbooks and such. I will go with her on this journey, just meet me here on August sixteenth. We will go together, and if you don’t want to come, that will be perfectly fine. And don’t worry about money, we have a small share for our new Muggle-born wizards. Now, if you excuse me, I have to be meeting someone in.....†she looked at the clock. –Promptly thirty seconds.†And with that, she disappeared into midair. Hermione gaped at this magic, watching her mother faint into her chair again when she realized the strange shoes the woman had had on her feet were still there.
For Hermione, it seemed like August sixteenth could not come quickly enough. She had stopped reading nonfiction books completely and had stuck solely to fantasy books with people who could do magic, always imagining herself being the one who was casting the spell or brewing the potion. But one day, the day that never seemed it would come did come, and the strangely-dressed woman was outside their front door again. This time Hermione’s parents let her in more willingly, having seen what she could do. Today, McGonagall was dressed in a long green robe and a pointed witch hat to match. Does she not realize it’s summer? Hermione wondered. She stepped outside into the hot but slightly breezy outdoors and let McGonagall in.
–Now, I suppose you’re wondering how we are going to get your school supplies. You see, us wizards and witches do not use cars or vehicles like muggles - non-magical people - do. We will be travelling by Floo Powder, which will allow you to travel through the chimneys. Normally, your chimney would not be able to do this, but under the circumstances, it has been temporarily connected. Now, I will show you how it’s done.†She showed Hermione how to travel by Floo Powder, then turned to Hermione’s parents. –I suppose you’ll be wanting to say goodbye now.†Hermione hugged her parents both goodbye. Her mother was crying, but Hermione thought this was partly because of the fact that she was going away with a strange woman to a strange place.
–I’ll be fine, mum, and I'll be back in a few hours,†she said to comfort her. Her mother just nodded, tears streaming silently down her face, and smiled at her daughter.
–You’re quite brave, sweetie,†was all she said. Hermione didn’t know whether to take this as a compliment or not, but decided to just go. She hugged her father one last time, and, doing what McGonagall said, stepped into the fireplace, dropped in a pinch of what she had called ‘Floo Powder’, and said,
–Diagon Alley!†She spun through the chimneys, keeping her arms at her side as she had been told. She stopped at a fireplace inside of some sort of shop and stumbled out, her white blouse now rather dirty. Seconds later, McGonagall stepped out behind her.
–We should be off, then, shall we?†she asked Hermione. Hermione nodded excitedly, eager to begin. They walked out of the store and entered a long pathway with many shops on the sides. The streets were crowded with witches and wizards dressed similarly to McGonagall, and suddenly Hermione felt that she was the one who was out of place.
–Let’s start with your books first, shall we?†McGonagall pointed to a bookshop with the name Flourish and Blott’s. Hermione nodded and looked down at the list of supplies. Hermione stepped into the bookshop that was crowded with people after Professor McGonagall, and was amazed by the number of books that it held. It looked small from the outside, but on the inside, it carried thousands, maybe millions of books. McGonagall looked at Hermione’s wide eyes and said,
–I’ll start finding your books, you can have a look around.†Hermione nodded gratefully, glad for a chance to look around. She scanned the shelves for interesting titles to look through, though it didn’t take long to find something interesting. There was House-Elves & Self-Hatred, a series telling about magical creatures working as servants for magical people and the punishments they had to give themselves, which Hermione found barbaric and cruel, Voyages With Vampires by Gilderoy Lockhart, who was quite good-looking, Hermione thought, Goshawk’s Guide to Herbology by Miranda Goshawk, Achievements in Charming, Practical Defensive Magic and Its Use Against the Dark Arts, and many other non-fictional books from the wizarding world. There were fictional books too, but the ones that fascinated Hermione the most were the ones on magical law. She stayed there in the corner of the bookstore with a pile of books next to her until McGonagall found her. Hermione stood up suddenly and started hurriedly putting the books on the shelves. She wasn’t exactly afraid of McGonagall. She just felt that she couldn’t fool around with her.
–Enjoying yourself, are you?†said McGonagall slightly sternly.
–Well.....yes, Professor,†Hermione decided to tell the truth. –I could stay here my life.â€
McGonagall nodded.
–I bet you could. I’ve found all of the books that you need. How about we go to get your cauldron next? And would you be interested in a pet? There’s enough money for one, but I suppose you could use that for extra books....†McGonagall looked to her for an answer.
–Oh...I suppose I’ll get some books,†said Hermione. She thought the animal would be interesting, but all of these books surrounding her were just calling her name. She hurried to pick out a few books, pay for them and the ones McGonagall had gotten, and go to get her cauldron.
After getting her cauldron and most of the other things she needed, she went to get a wand at Ollivander’s. After just a few tries, she got one that Mr. Ollivander claimed to be,
–Ten and three-quarter inches, vine wood, dragon heartstring core.†Hermione’s eyes widened at the wand and she looked down at it in her hand, smiling at the power she held. McGonagall led her out of the store and into another to use the Floo Network to bring her back home.
When they departed, Hermione smiled and thanked McGonagall for all of her help. Hermione’s parents, however, seemed quite scared of McGonagall still, but nonetheless glad that they had gotten their daughter back. When they found that Hermione had a wand and many other tools to make magical things, they ordered her to immediately put them into her room and expected to never see them out until the day she needed them.....which would be fourteen days away from then. Hermione felt that she would never be able to wait.