The Hogwarts Letter

Chapter 1

Hermione strolled home from school. New leaves rustled on the branches and flower buds were just opening, but Hermione saw none of it. Her nose was buried in a thick book of Norse myths. Consequentially, she didn't notice the gang of boys on the street until she almost walked into them.

"Look, it's the bookworm!" the leader shouted mockingly. Hermione shut the book and sighed. She hoped that with their ending exams fast approaching, the boys would have been studying or at least doing something other than hanging out on the street and terrorizing school children, but she was wrong. This gang was a couple years older than her and the worst bullies in the neighborhood.

"What's this trash?" the leader demanded, yanking the book from her hands. "Norse myths? Still like fairy tales, huh? Too bad! This is the real world, not some stupid fairy tale! Where's your prince, huh? Where's your magical opportunity now?" He spit on the book and tossed it to the boys behind him, who ripped it up and threw it in a nearby mud puddle.

"No, stop! That's a library book!" Hermione yelled, fighting against the boy who restrained her. "Please, no!"

The leader laughed and punched her in the gut. Hermione fought for breath as they dropped her and strolled away. Tears sprang to her eyes as she saw the ripped up book in the gutter, but she held them in. This was the third book they'd destroyed this month, and the fifth time they'd stopped her. She's told her parents, who told the local police, but since the gang's leader was the mayor's son, nothing happened. Kids kept getting beaten up, stores continued to be vandalized, and walking home was misery for Hermione. It just wasn't fair at all! Things like this would never ever happen in one of her books.

Hermione gathered up the pieces of the book. She would take them to the local librarian, who knew Hermione too well to hold her accountable for the damage. She tucked them in her backpack and continued on her way home.