Born From Madness (Harry Potter Fanfic)

1

Hermione woke up to the sound of something tapping against her window. She groaned as she tossed and turned in her bed, trying to capture her dreams again. She hadn't had the best nights of sleep lately. Hermione was haunted throughout the night with dreams that felt so real to her that they seemed more like memories than dreams. However, every time Hermione woke up, she would forget exactly what she had dreamed about. Almost like an eraser had rubbed away the writing from paper... like her mind was forcing itself to forget something it never meant to reveal to her in the first place. 

The tapping on her window grasped her attention again. She grunted as she pushed herself onto her hands. She peered to the side as her eyes widened when she caught sight of what seemed to be a small brown owl, staring back at her with a letter logged in its mouth. Hermione crawled out of bed, dressed in her bright purple PJs, as she headed to the door. 

She carefully opened the window enough for the owl to feel free to hop inside her room. It dropped the letter on top of her desk, gave a little shriek, before fluttering out the window again. Hermione didn't know what to make of the owl's appearance.  She picked up the letter and examined it a bit. It was addressed to her. Hermione focused for a minute of the strange seal. It was a banner of some sort with four different animals. A lion, an eagle, a snake and a badger. 

She opened it carefully, tearing the seal open with her nails, and pulled out the letter inside. She unfolded it and proceeded to read over it. At first she thought she was going mad. For written on the first line of the letter was stating that she, Hermione Jean Granger, was accepted to a school called Hogwarts for witches and wizards. She shook her head. 

This had to be some insane joke. Someone had to be pulling her leg. There were no such thing as witches and wizards. They were only in myths and fables you read to small children. However, the letter was in deep details of what she needed for this school from textbooks and school uniforms. She couldn't help but laugh as she proceeded to scurry downstairs. 

She could hear the chatter of pans and pots going about as her Mother was making her breakfast as Dad was making the table. She even could hear from the kitchen her Grandma Elka Ostrovsky, telling her mother how she was making breakfast all wrong. As she was walking into the kitchen, Grandma Elka turned and started chuckling. 

"There's my Granddaughter! Bright and early... and on a Saturday. You should be sleeping in, dearie, but if I know my bookworm, you're in a mood to go to the library today aren't you?" Grandma asked her. Hermione shook her head as she held up the letter to Grandma Elka. 

"Actually I woke up because there was this owl tapping on my window and when I opened my window, it dropped off this," Hermione told her Grandmother. Grandma Elka took hold of the letter as she scanned it quickly. 

"What is it, Ma? What does the letter say?" Hermione's mother asked, wiping her hands on a rag. Something flashed over Grandma Elka's face for a moment, but then changed dramatically to conceal it as she cleared her throat. 

"Says here, Hermione is accepted to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." Grandma Elka said like this was something to expect on a regular basis. Hermione's Dad chuckled. 

"This is some kind of joke. There's no such thing as Witches and Wizards." Her Dad stated, still laughing as if he heard another joke. Grandma Elka, however, had a stern face and glared at the back of Hermione's Dad's head. 

"There is a school of Witchcraft and Wizardry and Hermione is going." Grandma Elka stated with a firm voice that wasn't going to change its mind. 

"Mother what are you talking about? There's no such thing as magic at all. Have you been taking your meds, Ma?" Her Mom corrected Grandma Elka. Grandma Elka shot a glare at Hermione's Mother.

"Jean, I know what I'm talking about. There is such a thing as magic and I can prove it." Grandma Elka claimed with a grin. She gently took hold of Hermione's hand and gently patted. 

"Hermione, I need you to get dress. We've got a full day ahead of us with shopping for your books, your school uniform and other such stuff. We need to get you prepared for Hogwarts." Grandma Elka ordered her. Hermione knew better than to disobey her Grandma. If going along with what her Grandma said would help prove to Hermione that none of this was real, than so be it. Without another word, Hermione hurried up to her bedroom to change.