To Brew A Scandal by stars_in_motion

Chapter 2

- NOT MY STORY!! ALL CREDITS TO @stars_in_motion ON A03!!

Hermione was nearly twelve years of age around the time a mysterious visitor came knocking at her family's home and explained that she was, in fact, a witch.

It certainly made some sense, although at first, it sounded preposterous. The ability to end up in places she shouldn't have been in the first place, even after her mother's consistent scolding; how she could, on occasion, inexplicably pull an object from a high shelf that she wanted, without moving her body at all; or how she once conjured up a raincloud to douse Mr. Crenshaw in water when he had dismissed her talent for reading and writing so thoroughly.

Hermione winced slightly at the memory.

Yes, being a witch certainly explained many things.

The visitor, Professor McGonagall, they learned after Mr. Crookshanks introduced her, eyed him warily as she entered the family sitting room. She stood tall before them, telling them all the news. Distraught her own father questioned her furiously, "How do we know you're not some kind of mad woman?"

In lieu of answering directly, Professor McGonagall transformed into a cat before them, managing both a very human and cat-like glare at him before swiftly transforming back.

Hermione couldn't stifle her own gasp of excitement. "You can transform into a cat?"

Her mother watched the display with wide eyes, before fainting gracefully onto the couch behind her. Her father cried out in a panic, "Mr. Crookshanks, fetch the smelling salts!"

After a few minutes of restoring her mother to consciousness, the conversation reluctantly returned to the original topic of discussion.

"To answer you, Miss Granger, yes, I can transform into a cat." Professor McGonagall turned slightly to glance at Mr. Crookshanks, who still stood faithfully by the door, frighteningly unfazed about what was taking place before his eyes. "It is called being an animagus."

Before Hermione could reply with more questions, eager to learn more, her father stood from his chair.

"You cannot expect us to believe this, this, madness," he said, suddenly pacing along one side of the room. "Why tell us now?"

"Now that your daughter is of the right age, it is time for her to go off for schooling to learn how to control her magic."

"Schooling?" Her mother finally spoke. She gripped Hermione's hand tightly with her own. "Where?"

"Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry," Professor McGonagall replied. "It's located in Scotland, and where every witch and wizard in the region is accepted in order to be taught magic."

Mr. Granger stopped pacing, instead leaning forward on the couch where Hermione and her mother were sitting. He still looked incredulously at Professor McGonagall, who only raised a brow and offered a thin smile.

"If you're still unsure if I am telling you the truth, you need only ask your butler," Professor McGonagall turned fully for the first time to Mr. Crookshanks. "Crookshanks."

Mr. Crookshanks looked oddly guilty. He dipped his head in deference to her. "Professor," he replied, his voice low with esteem. Her parents gaped at him.

"Are you one of them?" her father cried. Hermione remained quiet, though more in shock than ever having learned Mr. Crookshanks was a wizard the entire time.

"I did attend school at Hogwarts, yes," Mr. Crookshanks said. "Unfortunately, I did not graduate. I graduated from the school on my papers, sir. I never lied about that."