Chapter 2
After finding the Leaky Cauldron in London, I felt like the beginning of my story had finally started. Thankfully it wasn't too hard to find, I mean really I just had to follow the freaks stalking London in wacko clothes and eventually I got lucky enough that they led me straight to where I wanted to go. Since Hermione's family lived nearby it wasn't terribly difficult to sneak off to the Wizarding World for a couple of hours every few days while Hermione's parents presumed I was at the library.
Getting Tom to open the entrance for me every outing wasn't too hard either, all I had to do was smile shyly and make my eyes go wide with innocence. Works every time. Which led me to where I currently was. At a wizard beauty parlor. Because if there's one thing I knew, Hermione didn't have it easy in the Wizarding World.
In this society she was basically on the bottom of the totem pole, being a muggle born and all. So I wanted all the advantages I could get.
Morally right or not, in every person is something inside of them that is drawn to beauty. Like moths to a flame, people were always suckers for a pretty face. Thankfully, my canvas was already pretty to begin with, but I was here to tie up the loose ends.
"So what are we doing today lass?" the kind women asked as I sat down in the chair.
"Well, I start school soon, so I'm hoping to look my best and make lots of friends!" I gushed, giving my best dimpled grin.
"Of course love! Anything you have in mind?"
That's how we got here, with me smiling at the mirror, admiring my "new" look. Really, nothing much had changed. My teeth were shrunk down just slightly, still natural and charming but no longer quite so bunny like. My hair too had been changed. From a frizzy lions mane, to soft and defined looking curls that added to my doll like appearance. And lastly, just some curled eyelashes to make these Bambi eyes pop.
"Thank you so much miss!" I chirped as I handed over the galleons.
"No problem! Excited for Hogwarts dear?" she said as she handed me the change.
"Oh yes! I hope to make Gryffindor!" I beamed.
Her eyes softened as she said, "I'm sure you will."
As I left I heard her utter "What a lovely girl," and smirked at my success.
I'd gone a little power happy after discovering how easy it was to charm people as a kid. Really kids don't know what they've got until its gone. So far every adult I'd met had been putty in my hands and I was totally loving it.
To be honest maybe I had gone too far with the beauty spells. I mean, besides the teeth I could have just curled my lashes or done a curly girl hair routine and gotten the same results. But let's be honest, this was magic! Anddddd I was also lazy. Sure it cost a lot, but in case you didn't know, Hermione's parents were dentists. Both of them. And Hermione was an only child, so basically I got whatever I wanted. As long as I didn't abuse it, of course!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
So far my plan was to make my Hogwarts life as easy as possible.
1.) Learn as much as I could about magic before school
2.) Fit in socially with the wizard kids and their society, I'm talking learn the culture people! No one likes a transplant.
3.) Become Gryffindors golden girl
Easy enough right? Well, kinda? I mean first of all I don't know if I would even be sorted into Gryffindor but really the plan relied on it. Truthfully, Wizarding Britain was prejudiced. And most people favored one of two houses, those being Slytherin and Gryffindor. Not that there's anything wrong with the other two but I was trying to be the star people, not some side piece! With Slytherin off the table for obvious reasons, it all came down to Gryffindor. Plus it fit my aesthetic! I mean come on, we were practically meant to be! Probably... Anyways, like they always say 'fake it till you make it' so I wasn't too worried.
As for the rest, I think the main reason Hermione struggled to make friends was because she was trying too hard to fit in but still ended up failing. Plus she was a little snotty at times.
Adapting to the culture was key. I didn't want to be like other muggle borns, flailing around like chickens with their heads cut off as they adapted. Good thing my excursions to Diagon Ally had really been helping. I was up to date with wizard gossip, their fashion, heck even their music!
And lastly, learning magic was surprisingly easy as well. Hermione herself was practically a genius in the books, and me being an adult before I died, well you'd expect greatness either way right? To be honest in my old life I was nothing to laugh at either but in Hermione's body I'd reached a new level of academic success. It was like her brain was made for studying! Everything I learned soaked into my brain faster than I could read it. With my unlimited allowance for books (thank you Hermione's parents!) I already had a whole shelf on my bookcase dedicated to magical literature.
Speaking of magic, it was finally time to try it out for the first time.
I'd scoured dozens of books, waited until my "parents" had left me home alone for a date night, and slunk off to the shed in the backyard. A little emo, but if it went sour, I wasn't trynna blow up the Grangers' prime real-estate house.
Even without a wand, I thought there was a strong possibility I could "cast" my first spell. After all, magic is all about intent right? As an adult I assume I'd have an easier time at this compared to a kid. Heck, even Snape could do controlled wandless magic as a child! Like I said before I'd never live it down if some middle schooler beat me at something. Call it ego but I knew it was possible so I had to do it. Period. I was about to manifest this magic shit up in here if it was the last thing I did.
Kids have bouts of accidental magic all the time in Harry Potter, but so far nothing had happened to me. A big part of me was scared that me landing in this body had fucked it up so bad that I killed all the magic inside of it on the spot. Like squashing a bug you didn't even know was under your foot.
Disregarding that depressive thought, I couldn't deny that there was something there. Something I'd felt ever since I first woke up in this new life. Like a hum under my skin, or a whisper I could barely hear. There was some warmth inside me, an energy like the sun, that I'd never known in my past life. It could always be acid reflux or some medical mystery but where's the fun in that! So for now I chose to believe it was magic. After all this was my new life! This time I would live how I wanted, and get what I wanted too!
"All right, it's now or never. Let's see if I really am a witch," I muttered as I focused with my whole being on my palm and what I was about to do next.
Thanking God no one would bear witness to this cringe moment, I felt like a cheeseball with a live-wire in my belly as I called out a loud and proud "Lumos" in the darkness of the shed, forcing myself to believe with all my might that it would work.
After a couple seconds, a faint blue glow started to enshroud my hand kinda like a glow stick cracking. What a relief to be honest, because any longer and I might have popped a blood vessel from squeezing my whole body trying to go super saiyan up in this bitch.
I laughed breathlessly in disbelief, mesmerized by the glow as it turned into a full on light bulb.
"Im a witch." I breathed out. "Im a witch!!!" I shrieked through breathless giggles. Thrusting my glowing palm sky high, jumping to my feet and running around the small room.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
That night, lying awake in bed, I knew. I was all in baby. Because nothing could explain the exhilaration I felt after casting magic for the first time. Like I was standing on top of the world, I knew it was a high I'd chase for the rest of this life.