When You're Young

The First Impossible Spell

Aurora's P.O.V.

"Happy birthday..."

I speak up just as I find Hermione. My little sister is in a corner of the library surrounded by books. Hermione's head goes up and I instantly notice her aura is more distant than usual. This only gets me to ask suspiciously.

"Did you get Mom's letter?"

"Huh- Oh, yeah."

Hermione mumbles and glances down at her book she's been reading before shutting it. Most of the library is empty besides a few stragglers, but that's probably why Hermione comes here at this time. She likes the Library empty and to herself. Glancing at the open letter near her bag, Hermione informs me, sounding a bit tired.

"They can't wait to see us in the summer..."

I frown from getting the sense the letter was short and to the point. This year the letters from our parents became less and less. We know it's because we're growing up and our parents have lives of their own that don't involve magic, but it still feels like a stab.

Hermione has a lantern near her on the floor where she's sitting down with her bag and books. Coming to sit down next to my little sister on the floor, I pull out a wrapped present in the shape of a book. Hermione takes one look at it and sends me a face before mumbling.

"You know, I need no more books-"

"Yeah, yeah. Just open it." I sigh, frustrated knowing Hermione would start with that line. "It's your birthday and... it's not what you think."

Ever since they started going to Hogwarts, Hermione never got to see their parents on her birthday and they used to do a little thing at the house for her. I figured out only last year that Hermione would try being busy with school work on her birthday. Opening up the present, Hermione smiles and lets out a single laugh as she sees the first wizard book I was given before saying.

"You know, Aurora... I assumed you gave this to me when you tried throwing it away."

"Open it..." I whisper in a light voice with a soft smile on my lips. "The first page."

Hermione scrunches her eyebrows at me before opening it and searching through the first page. She reads a spell she's never heard of in my handwriting on the bottom of the first page. Hermione's face relaxes, realizing what her present really is.

She stares at the spell for a moment longer with emotions of shock and disbelief flash through her eyes. Still reading the spell as if it was impossible to do, Hermione whispers out a cough.

"Y- You found it?"

"It's the exact spell in the book."

"You did it... But, how... I-" Hermione mumbles while looking at it in amazement before turning to me with a smile I haven't seen since we were ten and eleven. "Brilliant... Really. You... You want to try it?"

I stare at her for a moment in silence and blink a few times. For whatever reason, when Hermione said that, I saw my little sister just before we went to Hogwarts. I saw the little sister who's scared and nervous about what house we'd be sorted into but yet still excited about all the magical possibilities.

Somehow I've seen Hermione as this grown-up girl who has so much on her plate. Yet, she's still the little girl who couldn't wait to know the unknown. I realize after a moment that I've said nothing and smile before saying in a soft voice.

"Yeah, yes ... Of course, Hermione. I thought you wouldn't want-"

"Rory..." Hermione stops me from saying anything more by laughing softly. She quickly wipes a tear that's threatening to fall from her eye and confesses. "I've tried to find the spell myself for years... But I couldn't find anything like it."