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Hermione Granger knew there were rules about breaking the statute of secrecy. She also knew it was absolute fiddle-faddle that the muggle-borns who showed signs of magic early on couldn't be informed about their powers until their eleventh birthday. She decided she'd break the rules, just a smidge.Creating a spell to block the ministry from finding out wasn't hard. She was a stronger spell caster than any dopey old wizard at the ministry.That was how she ended up floating down to Cherry Tree Lane with her trusty umbrella (much more stable than those terrifying brooms). After a quick look around, she located the Banks home and strode confidently over. She knocked once before a frazzled-looking woman opened it."Oh, thank heavens!" the lady shouted. "I have to be off. I am so glad the service sent over a new nanny so expeditiously. No one ever calls my husband to watch the children when they quit. No, always Mrs. Banks, as if I don't have a job. I have a blasted PhD, you know."Hermione nodded, though honestly, she neither knew nor cared much about the woman. This was about the children.Mrs. Banks ran a hand through her short blonde pixie cut and continued, "Mr. Banks should be home by 6. The children are in the nursery and do be firm with them. They tend to scare nannies off."Hermione let the woman leave and made her way upstairs. She heard them talking and paused outside the door to listen."Jane, I swear I didn't throw the ball at Nanny Kaity. I know we both agreed to try to keep her around. I just don't know what happened."The small girl sighed as though she were a world-weary adult. "Micheal, we can't keep bothering Mum and Dad. Neither of them has the time to come home whenever we chase off another one. You and I both saw that ball fly from your hand and right into her face."Micheal buried his face in his hands and began to cry. "I know, but I swear I didn't throw it. I wanted to do it very badly after she called you a spoiled brat. But I didn't do it."Hermione decided it was time for her to step in; she hated to see the children cry. She flung open the door. "Hello Michael, Jane,. It's lovely to meet you both. I am your new Nanny, Hermione Granger."Jane jumped to her feet and curtsied. "Hello, Nanny Hermione!" she nudged her brother, who stood, wiped away his tears, and offered her a very sweet little bow.Hermione glanced around the nursery and realized her first course of action would be to tidy up the space. She shook her head. "This nursery simply can't remain like this. We have work to do and need a nice place to do it. Come now, let's clean."Despite their best intentions to retain their newest nanny, Micheal and Jane both grumbled. "Nanny Hermione, there's just so much mess. Must we?"Hermione smirked down at them. "Well, what if I told you there was a way to make cleaning a snap?"The two of them looked up at her with narrowed eyes. Skeptical. She laughed. "I'll prove it to you. She walked over to the pile of toy cars near the window, then, from her tiny beaded bag, she pulled out a wand much too long to fit inside. Jane and Michael's eyes widened, but Hermione knew this was just the start. With a quick flick of her wand, the cars drove themselves right back onto the toy shelf."How?" Jane asked.Micheal looked for strings or magnets that could pull the cars in.Hermione shrugged. "Give it a try yourself." She handed her wand to Jane. The girl knelt next to her dolls strewn about the floor, with dresses and shoes scattered among them. She looked to Hermione and, after receiving a reassuring nod, flicked the wand just as she'd seen Hermione do. The dolls flew to the toy box, and the clothes folded themselves neatly."My turn!" Michael called out. He grabbed the wand, and with a grand flick, the rest of the room was instantly put to rights. Hermione had known the boy was brimming with strong magic, but still, she was rather impressed.Jane watched, mouth agape. Finally she spoke, "I am beginning to think maybe you didn't throw that ball with your hand, Micheal."Hermione smirked but they had more to get done. "Come now children. My friend Mr. Fred Weasley is waiting for us. Do you like horses?""Oh, I love them!" Jane enthused.Over the next few days, Hermione taught the children to love magic. Without them even knowing, she taught them to channel and control it. She took them on their first side-along apparition into a park painting with Fred. She brought them to Hagrid's and they practiced Wingardium Leviosa before having tea on the ceiling. She introduced them to Floo Travel before dancing on the roofs of London. She was getting them ready for the magical world without it being overwhelming or isolating. It was healing to her inner child to know these two wouldn't be thrust into it all without a clue as she'd been.She knew if she stayed too long or said too much; eventually, even her magic couldn't keep the ministry from finding her out. So when the wind changed direction on her seventh day, Hermione knew it was time to leave, and she told the children as much.Jane and Micheal began to cry. "Please don't leave. We're going to miss you terribly," Jane sobbed."Now, now, no tears, please." She stepped outside, and the children followed. She opened her umbrella, the wind instantly catching and beginning to lift her away. "I promise we will meet again one day!" she assured the children. And she knows they will. She will be there for them again just as soon as they turn eleven.
