GREEN AND SILVER » discontinued

three

HERMIONE WALKED into Ms Fleming's office timidly and sat down. She wasn't sure why she was so nervous, Ms Fleming had already told Hermione she believed her. But still, she couldn't exactly control my feelings. Hermione fiddled nervously with the hem of her school skirt, rubbed her hands together and shivered. Was it just her, or was it cold in here?

Ms Fleming followed Hermione in, and she noticed that my parents weren't there. Was I going to die or something? Was Ms Fleming secretly a monster? Was I a demigod?! "Ah Hermione, good to see you've already got yourself a seat" she said, smiling warmly at Hermione . Ok so maybe she wasn't a demigod, she probably would've been attacked by then. Ms Fleming sat down awkwardly, seeming not to know how to start.

"Hermione, dear, you know all the...strange...things that happen around you?"

"Yes" Hermione replied curiously. Was she finally going to find out why everything happened to her?

"Well, you know that you're the common factor, don't you?"

"Yes" she replied, getting frustrated. Could Ms Fleming just stop beating around the bush and get to it?

"You're a wizard" she blurted out "Well, a witch actually" she corrected.

Hermione found it extremely hard not to laugh. Her, a witch? "Aren't witches the ugly ones with warts and pointy black hats?" Ms Fleming looked affronted "That's a clichéd view. We're not like that"

"We? As in, you're a witch? With magic and all that?" Ms Fleming smiled and nodded. She reached into her desk and extracted an ornately carved stick of wood. She tapped a teacup on her desk and all of a sudden it grew legs and began to tap dance! Hermione couldn't help but laugh in delight at the sight of a little teacup tap dancing.

Hermione suddenly had a thought and frowned "How can you prove that I'm a witch?" Her whole life had been based on cold, hard, fact, and she wasn't about to throw that all away to join a world of wishy washy 'magic'. "Oh, yes! That reminds me, I have something else for you" Ms Fleming reached into her desk again and extracted an envelope made of yellowish parchment, with a large, red, crest on it. On the front, the envelope had her address and c/o Professor Fleming. It seemed that Ms Fleming was some sort of guardian, and was there to 'guide her through the wizarding world'? Well, at least it was someone she knew.

Hermione took the letter out of the heavy envelope. It too was made of that heavy, yellowish parchment and had the same crest on top. It read:

HOGWARTS SCHOOL of  WITCHCRAFT and  WIZARDRY

Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore

(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc,. Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)

Dear Ms Granger,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.

Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July.

Yours sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall

Deputy Headmistress

Hermione detached the second piece pf parchment from the first and eagerly read on.

HOGWARTS SCHOOL of  WITCHCRAFT and  WIZARDRY

Uniform

First-year students will require

Three sets of plain work robes (black) One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar) One winter cloak (black, with silver fastenings)

Please not that all pupil's clothing should carry name tags.

Course Books

All students should have a copy of each of the following:

The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1)

By Miranda Goshawk

A History of Magic

By Bathilda Bagshot

Magical Theory

By Adalbert Waffling

A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration

By Emeric Switch

One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi

By Phyllida Spore

Magical Drafts and Potions

By Arsenius Jigger

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

By Newt Scamander

The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection

By Quentin Trimble

Other Equipment

1 wand

1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)

1 set glass or crystal phials

1 telescope

1 set brass scales

Students may also bring, if they desire, an owl OR a cat OR a toad.

PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS

ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICK

Yours Sincerely,

Lucinda Thomsonicle-Pocus

Chief Attendant of Witchcraft Provisions

Hermione had to sit there for a while and read the letter a couple of times over, it was a lot to process. Her, a witch? Wow. But another thing burst her bubble at that point. "Excuse me, Ms, I mean Professor Fleming, but where can we get this? It is, after all, non magical England"

"Dear, we won't be buying this in muggle-"

"Muggle?"

"Non-magical people, dear. Now, as I was saying, we'll be venturing into Diagon Alley"

"What's Diagon Alley?"

"I guess you'll have to wait and see"