A Secret
Chapter One: Entering without Permission
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, or anything related to it. I only write this story.
She had a secret. A secret no one knew. A secret that would destroy everything she had. A secret that was so secret, she hadn't told him yet. A secret that she wasn't sure she wanted yet.
Hermione Jane Granger led a normal life. A normal life for a fifteen-year-old witch.
She was home for the summer. Her mother and father were ecstatic that she was home. They hadn't seen her since Christmas, when she had left abruptly to be with the Weasleys, and after hearing what had happened to her at the end of the past school year, Anne and Eric Granger had become overprotective of their only child. They took her everywhere they went; they wanted to spend as much time as possible with her. Anne and Eric didn't want Hermione to leave again.
'Mum, I've been home for almost a month. When can I go visit Ron?' Hermione asked and then added, 'Harry and Ginny?' as an afterthought.
'Sweetheart, your father and I miss you so much when you are gone at school. Do you have to leave so soon?' Anne Granger said, trying to sound gentle and nice, but she just didn't want her child to leave again. 'I have talked to Mrs Weasley and she insists that you stay here for a little longer, and then maybe Ron and Ginny, and even Harry, could visit you here?'
Hermione knew that no matter what, her mother wouldn't give in. 'That would be wonderful, Mum,' Hermione told her, as she sat down and ate her breakfast.
Anne smiled at her only child. Hermione had grown up so much, and Anne was disappointed that she had missed a lot of it.
Hermione finished her eggs and bacon, and walked up to her room. Before she entered the room, she stopped and remebered when it had been painted just before her ninth birthday, almost six years ago. Hermione couldn't believe all the things that had happened since then.
'Please? Pretty please?' Hermione begged her father. Her bushy, uncontrollable hair had been forced into two pigtails. She wore a pink and yellow shirt, that matched the ribbons in her hair.
'A pink room?' Eric Granger asked his daughter doubtfully.
'Please, Daddy? And don't forget the yellow flowers!' Hermione pleaded. Her brown eyes shone with innocence when she looked up at him.
'Oh, Eric! Why can't she?' Anne asked her husband. Her fair hair flowed in the breeze, as the small family stood in their front yard, discussing how to design Hermione's new room.
The Grangers had decided to move last spring for three reasons. One, the old house they used to live in was a fairly small house and they felt they needed a new one. Two, Anne and Eric had broken away from their old dentistry practice, and had decided to open a new one on the other side of town. And three, many odd things had occurred around Hermione in the past five years and she was constantly bullied for it. It had become so bad that Hermione didn't have any friends. All of these reasons led Anne and Eric to look for a new home and they had finally found it.
The house was a two-storey, three-bedroom house. It was in a nice neighbourhood, in the suburbs of Surrey. Their house backed onto a quiet little lane that was useful for riding bikes along. Their neighbourhood was so lovely and there was a private all-girls' school only three streets away. Surrey Girls' Academy was not overly expensive, and Hermione's parents were easily able to afford the fee for Hermione to attend the Academy.
The only complication of the move was the fact that Hermione wanted a pink room with a yellow flower border. Eric didn't want to hire a professional painter, but he wasn't sure he wanted to do it either.
'Oh, Daddy! Please?' Hermione hugged him tight, and looked right up at him. 'Please?'
'Oh, fine!' Eric gave up. Hermione and Anne jumped around in a circle, smiling.
The next weekend found the Grangers all dressed in overalls. Hermione had pink paint all over her, as she had the job of painting the dresser. Anne was painting the yellow flowers and Eric was painting the ceiling yellow as well. They had the radio on and were singing along with it. All was peaceful.
The finished room turned out wonderfully. Hermione would spend almost all her time in it, reading. There was nothing she enjoyed more than reading. Fantasy was her genre. Hermione loved the sound of magic. Witches and wizards were always in trouble from evil dragons or other witches and wizards who had gone evil. But somehow, the good always prevailed over evil.
School was going much better for Hermione. She was the top student and had begun to make friends. Several even came to her house for afternoon tea. Everything was going wonderful.
Then in the summer before she turned twleve, Hermione received a letter that changed everything…
Miss H. Granger
The Pink Flowery Room
11 Crescent Wood Road
Sydenham Hill
London
Inside was a letter from a lady by the name of Professor Minerva McGonagall, telling Hermione that she had been accepted to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. There were two more letters enclosed in the envelope. One was a supplies list and the other was an explanation of everything that Hogwarts was about. It also told Hermione how to get her supplies and how to get on the train to Hogwarts, and it included her train ticket.
It was a dream-come-true for Hermione. But Eric and Anne were sceptical. Before they decided yes or no, they contacted Professor McGonagall with the owl that she told them to send to her if they had any questions. She had arrived at the Grangers' house clad in her emerald cloak. She explained everything she could and reassured Anne and Eric about Hermione going to school at Hogwarts. McGonagall was so convincing that the next weekend, the Grangers went to London.
They had driven to the nearest train station and had caught the 9:55 Saturday morning train to King's Cross Station. Professor McGonagall had told Hermione to look for a grungy café, between a bookshop and a record store. Hermione had been warned that her parents might not be able to see it at first, but Hermione should be able to.
Sure enough, when Hermione noticed London Central Bookstore and Magi Records, there was the grungy café. Hermione nearly missed it, but she knew that it had to be there. She just had to focus and there it was. The Leaky Cauldron.
Hermione pointed it out to her parents, who after a few minutes were able to see it. They went in, and Hermione's life was never the same afterward.
Hermione never regretted going in there, until now. Being away from her parents had started to take a toll on Hermione. Each visit proved that they were drifting apart, slowly but surely.
She knew that she was a witch, and her parents were Muggles, and those facts alone would always separate them. Hermione just never wanted to lose them forever.
Hermione was lying on her pink bed, looking up at the ceiling. Everything in the room looked exactly as it had been when she had left five years ago. Hermione hadn't bothered changing it as she was only in her room an average of maybe only a month and a half each year. The only hints of magic in the room were her trunk in the corner, a magic moving picture on her bedside table of Harry, Ginny, Ron and herself, and her textbooks on her desk.
'I miss them,' Hermione thought as she rolled over and looked at the picture of the four smiling teenagers. 'Ron, especially.'
Last year, something had developed between them. They had even kissed a few times. But the two had never had the courage to tell Harry.
Hermione didn't know what she and Ron were exactly. They weren't just friends anymore, but she didn't think they were quite boyfriend/girlfriend.
'Tap, tap.'
Hermione sat straight up and took out her wand, ready for anything. But all it was were two owls who looked remotely familiar.
'Hedwig! Pig!' Hermione walked over to her window and let the persistent birds in.
'What do you have for me today?' Hermione asked rhetorically as she undid the bundles of letters each bird had. But before she read the letters, she gave both Hedwig and Pig a drink and a nibble.
The letters were from Ron and Harry. They both missed her, and Ron even asked her to come to The Burrow early. He wrote, 'I need to see you. I have something I need to tell you.'
Hermione, once she read that, stopped. It took her by surprise and she felt she needed to see him too. She needed him, but she didn't know exactly why she needed him right now.
Before Hermione could ponder it any more, there was a crash and a scream downstairs. Hermione grabbed her wand and ran toward the stairs and halted.
Her eyes held a horrifying sight. Downstairs, her beloved Muggle parents were surrounded by ten Death Eaters. Death Eaters. Ten Death Eaters who had masks on their faces, but many of whom Hermione remembered from the past year, especially one.
'So who do we have here? Mudblood Granger's parents. How lovely to meet you. Your daughter should know my son. Though I doubt you would know that,' Lucious Malfoy sneered as he walked up to a petrified Anne and removed his mask. His white face terrified Anne, as did his raised wand that was touching her face.
Hermione was scared stiff, but she knew she had to something. She reacted quickly before Malfoy saw her or hurt her parents. Hermione hurriedly tiptoed back into her room and tore off two strips of parchment off the bottom of the letter from Ron and scribbled onto one -
Ron-
Death Eaters at my house. My parents. Please come quickly. With the Order.
-Hermione
And on the other-
Harry-
Death Eaters at my house. My parents. Please come quickly with the Order.
-Hermione
Hermione attached one to Hedwig's leg and the other to Pig's.
'Go quick, Hedwig, to Harry,' Hermione whispered to Hedwig. She then whispered to Pig, 'Go fast, Pig, to The Burrow.'
Hermione didn't know what she should do before help came, but she knew she had to go downstairs and face Malfoy. Hermione put on a brave face and took out her wand once again.