Here is the first chapter of my newest fic. I hope you truly enjoy this, and if you don't you were the one who read it, so don't blame me.

Chapter One: The Manila Letter

There was a small silence before the pure summer air was interrupted by the harsh ringing of an unwanted alarm clock. A slim hand shot out from under the crimson bedspread and hit the snooze. There was a small groan, and a head of smooth dark hair pulled up from the abyss of the red jersey-knit sheets. Groaning, Hermione Granger pushed off the light bedspread and looked around her room.

After almost being killed during her fifteenth year, Hermione had realized that if she wanted to change something she couldn't wait for it to happen. So upon arriving home she had declared to her parents she was tired of pink, and wanted to redecorate her room.

Now the walls were dark blue, with velvet curtains that opened to another, transparent layer of smooth red. The desk across from her bed carried the laptop she had received from her aunt the Christmas before last, and the swivel chair sported a red cushion that Hermione's mother had made.

There would have been ginger cat hair over everything if Crookshanks had still been around, but Hermione's neighbor had thought it to be tremendously funny to let him loose in the middle of London. The poor cat was hit by a car.

Convinced that nothing had changed during the night, Hermione turned back to her pillow. To her immense surprise, a manila envelope sat serenely on the indented surface. Propping herself up on her elbows, Hermione picked up the package, which was slightly heavy, and opened it.

Dearest Hermione,

If you are reading this now, and this is your seventeenth birthday –

Hermione had almost forgotten. Today was her birthday.

then we are sadly dead. Your brother will have been returned to my sister Petunia, and you will have been placed with a glamour in the muggle home of a kind family who will have guided you through the first six years of your Hogwarts life. We are sorry that you have never been informed of the truth, and we wish you the happiest of birthdays.

Voldemort has been told of our existence, as we knew he would once discover. You and your brother are of the greatest importance, not just to us, your parents, but to the entire wizarding world. If the Dark Lord learns of your existence then all is lost. But he has not if you are reading this now, so we know that all plans have gone exceedingly well. If you wish for more answers then I am about to give you, please owl Headmaster Dumbledore, and if he is not well, ask them of Professor McGonagall.

Who are you? You are Hermione Elizabeth Potter, daughter of James and Lily Potter, and the younger sister of Harry James Potter.

Why are you hidden? There was a prophesy that I guess you know of. You bear the strength to give the final protection to your brother, and help him to help the world. We bid you good luck in fulfilling this.

Can you tell anyone of your new identity? By all means, do so. Especially your brother, who we guess will be very surprised.

The small amulet at the bottom of this envelope is a Celtic protection amulet. It has been passed down through the Evans family for millenniums, and now I bestow it on you, the first Potter to wear it. Give it to your children.

With our love,

Lily and James Potter

The letter dropped from Hermione's still hands. She was a Potter. Very carefully, Hermione picked up the letter and read it again. It mentioned a few things she would have to research. First, however, she was sure she had a book on glamours.

Slipping from her bed, Hermione twisted the bolt at the top of her closet, and picked up the flashlight on the desk. Pushing aside her more formal clothing, Hermione reached the bookshelf at the back of the closet. Her trunk and other wizarding things were to the side, behind her, but all of the books that could be of use to her were positioned at the back.

Gazing under the appearance section of her shelves, Hermione brushed the tips of her fingers against the bindings, looking for the title. Finally, she found Polyjuices, Glamours and the best Cloaks in the Business. Plucking it from the shelf, Hermione sat on the floor and flipped through the pages to the page entitled in curled script: Glamour.

Glamours are when a witch or wizard would like to take on or bestow on another a certain look for a long period of time. Most glamours change hair and eye color, though more advanced glamours can also alter height, sound of voice, figure, skin, abilities as well as hair and eye.

Hermione was well aware there was more, but for the moment she just wanted to ponder. Lily Potter was one of the best spell-casters in the entire of England. It was no doubt she could cast an advanced glamour. Hermione thrust the book back in placed and turned off the flashlight.

In her bare feet she raced to the bathroom and flicked the switch. As the marble room flooded with light Hermione watched as the last touches of being a Granger disappeared. She watched herself mold into someone else.

In the time it took her to read about glamours her eyes had turned hazel, a startling hazel with flecks of gold and green whirled in a flickering chestnut. Her hair had lost its bushy quality, and now hung down past her shoulders in thick, rolling waves. The color had remained, but now it turned an ebony color with smudges of a deep red that could only be natural.

Preoccupied with her hair, Hermione missed the addition of height to her legs and the sudden slimness of her fingers. Her teeth were already straight, and they stayed the same. Her thin lips became slightly more swollen, and a little rosier in color. Her skin had always had a slight tan, and now it became the same pale that she had attributed to Harry's skin tone.

The line about voice filtered through her mind, and Hermione attempted an experiment.

"Hello, Miss Hermione Elizabeth Potter," she spoke. Unfortunately, the only difference seemed that there was a slight smoothness to her words, and they were no longer clipped. Encouraged, Hermione tried again, this time with a different idea.

"Do re mi fa so la ti do," she sang. Her voice remained flat as ever. She shook her head and smiled at her new reflection.

"It seems that singing doesn't come with the territory," Hermione told herself. Even though it didn't come from her singing voice, there was still the gentleness to her words that was new. Shrugging, Hermione turned off the bathroom lights with a strange grace, and returned to her room to change.

The flair jeans and knit tank were on in seconds, and the new hair that she had recently acquired was quickly pulled up into a ponytail. The new bangs Hermione had asked for at the salon the weekend before had not made her old hair look any better, but it worked wonderfully with her new waves. Curved, as they were now, the bangs reached the bottom of her ear lobes, and with her hair parted on the side Hermione decided she looked good, better then usual.

Her sandals were on in seconds, and Hermione quickly wrote a note to her parents telling then she was going over to the Burrow to see how Harry and Ron were. She grabbed her jean jacket from its place by the front door and paused for a moment to decide how to go to the Burrow. Hermione excluded Floo, and closed her eyes and concentrated.

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After revealing to the ministry that Voldemort did truly exist, Dumbledore agreed to let the Weasleys remain at the Burrow during the summer. It was a risky decision, but Hermione, Harry and Ron, along with Ginny agreed it was the best. Fred and George were a bit put out that they could no longer spy on the meetings, since the their parents returned to the house whenever there was an important event. However, this also meant that they were left alone.

The trio had passed their Apparation tests without much injury, though Ron had almost killed himself. Luckily only part of his ear managed to get caught within the wall, and now the lower part of his lobe was gone. McGonagall had passed him anyway. What choice did she have? Ron would have Apparated with or without her consent, so she might as well make it legal.

Hermione had thought that since it was eight most of the family would be in the kitchen. Only Harry sat at the table, so when the unfamiliar girl popped in, he was the only person to be scared, so only he fell off his chair. He stared at Hermione with scrutinizing eyes.

"Who the bloody hell are you?" he asked from his position on the floor, the milk from his cereal clinging to his eyebrows. Hermione laughed.

"What do you think of good old Mione now?" she questioned, spinning on her heel. Harry climbed up and stared at her with wide eyes.

"Mione, is that you?" She nodded and laughed again. Harry shook his head and muttered to himself.

"It must be the milk." Harry cleaned himself, as well as the floor and the counter. Done, he once again sat on his chair and sighed.

"Dare I ask what the occasion is?" he inquired, lifting a single now dry eyebrow. Hermione handed him the letter clutched in her hand. Harry took it, and after scanning it gave a low whistle.

"Whoa," he stated slowly, "Whoa."

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Fred, George, Ron and Ginny had been out playing an enlightening game of quiditch in the field outside the house. Jostling and joking, the twins were the first ones in the house. To their surprise they found two people sitting at the kitchen table deep in conversation when they arrived. An envelope sat between them.

"Well Harry, got yourself a girlfriend have you?" questioned George, grinning.

"About time. Thought you'd never get around to finding one," stated Fred, snorting.

Harry nodded towards the unfamiliar girl.

"You mean Hermione?" he asked. The twins jaws dropped, and Ron and Ginny, who had been right behind them, stared.

"Mione?" asked Ron incredulously. Hermione bit her lower lip and blushed a deep auburn, almost the color of Ginny's hair.

"Yea, it's me," she said, a mix between proud and deeply embarrassed.

"Whoa," stated the four Weasleys at the same moment. There was a moment of strained silence, and then four different voices burst into questions. Hermione held up her hand for silence, and received none. Ron was looking at her quizzically, and Hermione pointed to the letter on the table.

"Everything is explained in there," she said, but no sooner had she spoke then eight hands dove for the paper. Harry's Seeker reflexes broke into play, and when fingers touched the table there was nothing there. Ginny dove at Harry, and grabbed the letter from her former crush's surprised fingers.

"Would you like me to read it?" Ginny asked. The twins' chorused yeses and Ron nodded sullenly. Ginny's eyes widened as she read to her brothers the contents of Hermione's letter. Everyone's eyes were even wider by the signature, and Harry plucked the manila paper from Ginny.

"Oh my God," was all the youngest Weasley could say in defense.

Hey, could you review?