Hero of the Story || James Potter x Hermione Granger Fanfiction

3 | it seems they have been chosen

"Congratulations, love," Anya said, leaning over to affectionately pat Hermione's hand.

"I don't want to leave you alone, Mum," Hermione honestly replied, catching her mother's hand and giving it a tight squeeze.

Anya rolled her eyes. "If you stubbornly refuse to go, I'm going to be tempted to write to Dumbledore this time," she warned, prompting Peter to turn red in the face and for Hermione to burst into giggles.

"I hope you get Sorted into Gryffindor," Peter said, distractedly reading his own letter for his second-year essentials.

"I think Hermione will be a Ravenclaw," Anya claimed.

Peter paused and frowned, glancing down at his sister. "Well, that is highly likely too," he said. "Since you're a terrible swot."

"Hey!" Hermione claimed, but Peter merely gave her a lazy grin.

"We can all go to Diagon Alley tomorrow," Anya said. "Sound good?"

Identical sounds of agreement escaped from the siblings.

"All right," their mother said. "Now finish up your lunch so that you can start with your chores."

Peter exclaimed a loud groan, earning him a reproachful look from his mother. "I'm not going to wash the dishes," he warned.

Hermione sighed, extended her upturned palm, and bent her fingers to motion a silent 'gimme' at his direction. Peter rolled his eyes and fished a bunch of toffees from his pocket. "Bribery," he hissed.

She smirked and merely shrugged her shoulders.

__________

August 6, 1972

Since they were living in a Muggle part of London, the Pettigrews had to ride the London Underground in order to reach Charing Cross Road.

Peter was bustling with energy and had been excitedly chattering about all the brilliant things in Diagon Alley. Hermione had opted to skip coming with Peter when Anya brought him to Diagon Alley last year, using the excuse that she was feeling under the weather. In truth, she wasn't ready to face the place which she had once feared going to, having witnessed numerous attacks and battles—numerous deaths. She knew it was inevitable now, and to conceal her nervousness, she indulged Peter by answering his giddy questions at the right time.

When they stopped in front of an inn crammed between a delightful bookshop and an old record shop, Hermione couldn't stop herself from gawking at the Leaky Cauldron. In her past life, the whole pub had been thrashed down until it was unrecognisable, as the Death Eaters had realised members of the Resistance oftentimes gathered there to convene their secret meetings. Also, since it was usually the way for Muggleborns living in the Muggle world to enter the Wizarding World, they made sure such access was restricted to keep them away from entering.

Hermione swallowed down her rising bile when they stepped inside the pub. It was brimming with people, raucous laughter echoing at a table as one drunk wizard started to climb up and do a funny dance. She half-expected the loud alarms installed by the Death Eaters to start ringing shrilly, but then caught herself and shook her head to keep those dark thoughts away.

"Are you all right, Hermione?" Anya worriedly asked, comfortingly clutching her elbow.

"I'm just a bit overwhelmed," she lied with a tight smile.

"It's wicked, isn't it?" Peter gushed out, beaming widely at the chaos that was happening inside.

Anya brought them towards the brick wall separating the Leaky Cauldron and Diagon Alley. She pulled out her wand and started tapping the right bricks, waiting for the wall to rearrange and reveal a passageway. Hermione almost backpedalled at how the whole alley was bustling with life.