Mistress of Fire

When Hermione Granger was born, it was a hot day in early autumn. She had gorgeous dark brown eyes, dark skin, and a shock of curly dark brown hair. Jean and Dan Granger thought she was the most gorgeous baby they had ever seen and they were extremely proud of her. As Hermione got older her chocolate eyes lightened to an almost amber colour with flecks of red and gold, and her hair had become a cloud of curls, and she was a surprisingly intelligent child, she understood work that was years ahead of her year level.

The early years of this intelligent child were mostly unremarkable; a few times, she had books float to her or a warm breeze blow when she was cold in winter. Fire seemed to follow her around in the grate or fire pit and she was never too hot even in summer when it got to 30˚. That all changed though when a few months before her twelfth birthday, a letter delivered by an owl showed up in the morning during breakfast, Hermione thought it was an elaborate prank from the neighbourhood kids who didn't like her. When a woman in green tartan clothes that could only be described as robes showed up on their doorstep a few hours later she was confused.

"Mum, there's someone at the door!" Hermione yelled from the front room as she watched the strange woman walk up the front path. "Be there in a second, Mya darling." Jean replied drying her hands as she walked out of the kitchen. Opening the door Jean let in the bizarre looking woman and told Hermione go upstairs for a bit.

"Actually Mrs. Granger I came to speak to both you and your daughter, my name is Minerva McGonagall and I am the Transfiguration professor and deputy headmistress of Hogwarts. You got your acceptance letter this morning and I came to explain more about the school." The woman, McGonagall, said. Hermione paused and turned to her, "I thought it was a prank. Magic isn't real." She said frowning. "No dear, magic is quite real, and you are a witch." Professor McGonagall replied. Hermione rolled her eyes and scoffed, "if magic is real how come nobody knows about it? Security cameras should have caught it, and people would see it." Professor McGonagall frowned, thinking about her answer, "Muggles that have seen magic have been Obliviated, I am unsure of how to explain security cameras except that magic causes technology to malfunction." She replied. Hermione and her mother both frowned at McGonagall and the woman realised that she would need to prove to them that magic is real.

Minerva pulled her wand out, "Would you like to see some magic? I could shrink your front teeth for you, or I could transfigure something for you." She said. Hermione's brow furrowed, "could you set something on fire?" she asked. Jean frowned at her daughter, "Hermione your fascination with fire is not magic. It's a form of pyromania, your therapist has been talking to you about that." She chided. "Actually, Missus Granger, there are several different types of fire magic in witches and wizards. The most common is a pact with the fire, I remember a witch called Aideen Dunne who used to have a very good understanding of fire spells. The next is fire resistance, there are people who can never be burned by fire. The third and rarest type of fire magic is the fire elemental, they can control and summon fire when they grow older and have been trained. All of these abilities come with a fascination with fire." McGonagall replied before she nodded to Hermione and flicked her wand.

A piece of paper appeared and she flicked her wand again to set it on fire. Jean gasped and went to put the fire out but Hermione stuck her hand out, the fire leapt upwards into her hand. McGonagall gasped and flicked her wand to put out the fire, but it didn't go out. It leapt up into Hermione's hand and Mrs. Granger screamed, Hermione however just laughed. "Mum look, the fire likes me!" she exclaimed happily as it danced in her palm. "Hermione Jean Granger put that fire out right this instant!" her mother shrieked. Hermione pouted but closed her hand over the small ball of fire and watched it extinguish.

Professor McGonagall looked shell shocked when Hermione put the fire out. "Miss Granger do you mind if I do a scan of your magical core? It wont hurt and it should confirm something that I suspect will put your mother's mind at ease." She asked. Hermione nodded her consent and Minerva waved her wand in an intricate pattern muttering under her breath until Hermione began to glow. At first the light was white but it started to subtly shift in colour until it was a deep red colour, Jean watched apprehensively as her daughter glowed. She had always been slightly disturbed by Hermione's fascination with fire and had tried to get her professional help. Watching a ball of flames dance in her daughter's hand had unsettled her greatly, fire had always been a scary thing to her after her first childhood home had burnt down.

Once Hermione's magic had stopped changing colours Minerva put her wand away and nodded to herself. "Well Mrs. Granger it would seem that your daughter is a fire elemental, and a fairly powerful one at that. You will never have to worry about her getting harmed by fire, she will be able to control it and summon it once she has been trained up a bit. You have a very powerful daughter Mrs. Granger, that is something to be proud of." she said kindly to the woman. Jean looked at her daughter and the woman that had come and turned her world on its head. "Thank you for the visit professor. I will have to talk to my husband about all of this, is there a way we can contact you without an owl?" she replied feeling very much out of her depth and uncomfortable with the way her day was turning out. "I can come back in a week to collect your answer and take you to the magical enclave in London if you'd like." Minerva replied. Jean nodded and thanked her for coming to explain. Minerva nodded and asked if they minded her apparating out from the living room instead of walking to an alley several streets away. They accepted and watched in shock as she disappeared with a crack.

"Oh, mum isn't it wonderful. I'm a witch, a real witch! Please say you'll let me go to that school, Hogwarts I think it was. Did you hear what she said about me as well? I'm going to be able to control fire mum! Oh, I'm ever so excited." Hermione exclaimed bouncing up and down on her toes. Jean watched her daughter and smiled slightly. No matter how scary and new this was to her, seeing Hermione so happy was a rare thing. "I still have to discuss this with your father, Mya. Although I think you can count on going to that school. Now how about we go and get some ice-cream as a treat?" she replied, her smile growing when Hermione nodded and threw herself at her mother for a hug.

"You're the best mum." Hermione said, her voice muffled in her mother's shirt. When she let go her mother smiled and gestured towards the door. "Ice-cream awaits us Mya." She laughed and the Granger girls headed out to get their sweet treat.

This is my first fanfic so be kind please. I've always seen Hermione as someone with a fiery temperament and thought that her magic would manifest itself that way. I also think that she and Ron weren't a good couple. He wouldn't understand her drive, or respect her views on magical creatures really, and she would hate how much she has to do for him because he's had his mother and the house elves doing everything for him his whole life. Fair warning this story will not be kind to Ron, I think he's a prick and he doesn't deserve the forgiveness from Harry and Hermione that he actually gets.

thanks for reading guys :)