887CHAPTER TWO
Summary: Hermione's recently discovered she's a witch and is off to attend the prestigious Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry. There, she meets a strange family of redheads, the famous chosen one - Harry Potter, a tight-knit group of pranksters and Quidditch players, along with meddling professors and ghosts. All of who, change her life. What will happen when long-kept secrets are finally revealed? Will the new bonds of friendship and love that develop at Hogwarts create the saviours that are needed?
Disclaimer: All canon/original characters, plotline and rights belong to the author J.K. Rowling. Non-canon events and characters belong to me. I am not making a profit from posting this story. Some of the characters may be OOC and the plot is a mixture of both canon and non-canon with some of the main events from Rowling happening differently to canon.
Page count: 4
Hogwarts: Professor Dumbledore's Office – Wednesday 14th August 1991
Once she landed at the apparition point in Hogsmeade Village she quickly made her way to Hogwarts, the gates closed and locked after her passing through. Professor McGonagall couldn't believe it. It was true, everything she had been told was true.
It was her. It had to be.
McGonagall made her way towards Professor Dumbledore's office, silently contemplating to herself what she now knew. He was going to a have a field day once he hears what she had learned and all too soon she was standing in front of the gargoyles guarding the staircase to the headmaster's office.
"Bertie Bott's every flavoured beans," she spoke.
'Honestly, his obsession with sweets is ridiculous and wildly known, it wouldn't be a challenge to gain entrance to his office,' she thought to herself.
Once the stairs appeared she stepped onto the bottom step and the stairs began to wind their way up towards the office door. Wrapping her knuckles against the door she waited before opening the door.
"Come in, Minerva," she heard and then entered the office, closing the door behind her.
There was no need for warding as the room has been permanently warded to stop any eavesdroppers and prying eyes, not that there was a possibility of that happening. The gargoyles guarding the staircase hadn't yet failed in keeping the likes of those sorts away.
"Good evening, Albus."
"Good evening, there is no need for you to knock, My Dear; I already knew you were in the castle and making your way towards my office," the headmaster said with a smile. McGonagall took the seat opposite the desk Dumbledore was currently residing at.
"Of course, you did," McGonagall responded, rolling her eyes good-naturedly.
Albus looked at her with those signature twinkling eyes.
"And how have your visitations found you, this day?"
"Eventful, as always, Albus, now ask me what you really want to know, there's no point in beating around the bush, now, is there?"
"No, I suppose there isn't, you can always see straight through me."
"I delivered the letters, gave explanations on the Wizarding World and made further appointments to accompany the students to Diagon Alley to gather school supplies, the usual tasks that are always on the agenda, as you well know. Today, I met with Mr. Justin Finch-Fletchley, Miss. Sally-Anne Perks, and Miss. Hermione Granger. Tomorrow, I will be visiting Miss. Megan Jones and Mr. Zacharias Smith. That should conclude the visitations of the Muggleborn students for this school year, leaving the acquirement of school supplies which should be completed by the end of next week."
"How is she, Minerva?"
McGonagall knew exactly who he was referring to; she had been waiting for him to broach the subject from the moment she had entered the office, and to be honest, he had lasted longer than she'd thought he would've.
"She looks well, Albus, happy and excellently cared for. She's a spitting double of her mother thought she does appear to have her father's eyes and curls. You chose well placing her in the protection of the Grangers."
"The Muggle World offered her the protection that we could not. Does she suspect?"
"No, I don't believe so; I had a quiet conversation with Jean and Richard when she excused herself to use the restroom. They informed me she knows about the adoption."
At her response, Albus' head snapped to attention and looked away from the document that had previously occupied his attention.
"How does she know?"
"Unfortunately, it seems that as the child grew older she began to notice the differences in the characteristics between herself and her parents. Jean and Richard tried to put off telling her as long as possible but they eventually told her about the adoption when she was five-years-old. As far as the girl is concerned, the Grangers are her parents, she doesn't ask after her biological parents."
At her explanation, Albus released the breath he hadn't realised he'd been holding.
"Good, that's good. But does she suspect?"
"I don't believe so; she was only told of being adopted, not the circumstances surrounding it. We have successfully convinced her that she is a Muggleborn and Jean and Richard were rather convincing during the visit, claiming no knowledge of our world or magic. If I didn't know any better, I would've believed them myself," she replied and at this Dumbledore chuckled.
"How did she take the news?"
"Just as all Muggleborns do, Albus. She's quite curious. It seems she has a great love for books; she likes to gain knowledge about most things and anything that piques her interest. I wonder where she got that from," the professor said, a tone of sarcasm to her voice.
Dumbledore gave her a knowing smile as he allowed his memories of her parents to come to the front of his mind.
"When are you accompanying her to Diagon Alley, Minerva?"
"Wednesday morning," at her words he nodded. "She's going to be a Gryffindor," McGonagall supplied.
"You're getting a new lion cub?"
"Do you doubt me?" She cocked an eyebrow. "Care to make a wager?"
"What are the stakes?"
"If she is a Gryffindor, you have to buy all the faculty drinks at the Three Broomsticks during the first Hogsmeade visit of the term."
"And if she isn't a Gryffindor?"
"If she isn't a Gryffindor, I have to be on Peeves duty until the first Hogsmeade visit of the term."
Albus' blue eyes twinkled behind his half-moon glasses. "Agreed," he tipped his head, and they shook hands to complete the deal. "She's destined for great things."
"That's what the prophecy says," stated McGonagall with an annoyed twitch in the corner of her eyes.
"A witch will be born in the ninth month. With her, a new future may be formed. Once of age and her mates have been found, the power she will possess will be immense. She will be the beacon of light to banish darkness from the world," he spoke the memorised words effortlessly.
"She may not be the subject of the prophecy."
Minerva had no doubt that the young cub to be was the subject of the prophecy, but she had to protect her from the tricky headmaster. She was certain he had good intentions but sometimes his methods could be called into question.
"I will watch over her to be sure, Minerva."
"You will not, Albus! You will leave her to have a normal life and you will not meddle or interfere. If the prophecy is about her she will learn of it in due time. I will not have you disrupt her." McGonagall gave Dumbledore a look that would have a fully transformed werewolf fleeing in fear.
Begrudgingly, Dumbledore agreed. He knew he would never win such an argument when one of her cubs was involved. She was fiercely loyal and protective when it involved a member of her Gryffindor house.
Both professors continued to talk pleasantly about the other Muggleborn students that have either been visited or are yet to be visited, as well as the start of term preparations.