Hermione Granger, Another Life - Year One

Bursts of Magic

It was January 11, 1984, when Professor McGonagall received a letter from the ministry about a burst of magic in a muggle neighborhood. They had a suspicion it was a muggleborn witch or wizard who had its first burst of magic, since it wasn't registered at the ministry. So, McGonagall read the address on the bottom of the letter and summoned her coat before she walked out in the snow to Hogsmeade. She apparated to Epsom, Surrey and transformed in her cat form behind an abandoned house and toddled over to the town house around the corner. When she hopped on the windowsill in the garden she peered inside, already hearing the voices from inside.

"Mummy, I don't know what happened." The girl said as she sat down on the barstool.

"Macy's mum said you threw a snowball right in her face."

"But I didn't! I was reading on the playground and when I looked up a snowball came flying towards me. I held up my hands, but it never hit me. When I looked up Macy was on the ground, snow all over her face."

"I believe you sweetheart. I know that Macy girl is mean to you." Her mother smiled and wrapped her up in a hug. "If she bothers you again tell me alright or tell a teacher."

"Mum, if I tell the teacher my life would get even worse."

Her mother hummed as she looked down at her young daughter. "Alright. Now want to make some granola bars with me?"

The young girl smiled broadly as she hopped off the barstool and started gathering the supplies. It was from then on Professor McGonagall would check on the girl every so often as she hid under a tree in her tabby cat form.

The tabby cat sat stiffly underneath a tree watching a now 7-year-old girl reading Alice in Wonderland on her own, as she slowly swayed on a swing set. She has been watching the girl for several weeks ever since she had her latest outburst of magic. The last time a bug-eyed girl at school was teasing her, and out of nowhere the girl flew back, landing in the grass a couple of meters further. The bushy haired seven-year-old was still clutching her books as she watched the bully fly back. Now the girl was so lost in her book, she didn't notice when it started to rain. The cat's eyes widened as she watched how the girl and her book didn't get wet. It looked like she was hidden under an invisible dome.

"Hermione, sweetie?" Her mum called out the kitchen window. "Come inside, it's raining."

Hermione looked up from her book and gazed in the direction where she heard her mother's voice come from. The moment her attention was averted from the book in front of her, raindrops started to fall on her hair, on her book. She looked up to the grey sky in surprise before she hurried inside.

A year later the tabby cat sat on the little stone wall just outside Hermione Granger's school watching the girl as she sat in class. She had already finished her assignments and was now working on next week lesson that laid on her lap. When she finished it, she leaned her head on her hand as let her gaze wonder outside in boredom. Her eyes fell on the disguised Minerva McGonagall and her eyes widened in recognition. She had seen the cat several times over the last years. Appearing under the tree in her garden, sneaking around at her school. When Professor McGonagall saw her staring, she calmly turned in a circle before she rolled up in a ball. The eight-year-old smiled at the cat before turning her attention back to her teacher.

At 9 years old Hermione got angry with a teacher because she was explaining a math problem wrong. When the teacher didn't want to listen to her and waved her off, a burst of magic flew from her towards the teacher making her trip and fall, headfirst against the school board, the side of her face covered with white chalk. When the teacher excused herself to freshen up, Hermione walked over to the board and fixed the problem, before sitting back at her desk pretending like nothing happened. All to the amusement of the cat sitting outside the window once again.