For a long moment, she simply stood beside the bed, her small hands clenched at her sides, breathing slowly until her pulse returned to something resembling normal.
Ten years old again. In Hermione Granger's body. With a system demanding that she perform a fortune-telling ritual. If someone had told her this yesterday, she would have prescribed them rest, hydration, and a mental health check-up. But here she was.
With careful steps, she padded out of the bedroom. The warm scent of toast and cinnamon drifted down the hallway comforting, grounding. Every detail felt too coherent, too textured to be a dream.
If this is fiction, she thought wryly, the author is unreasonably thorough.
She descended the small staircase and saw a woman bustling in the kitchen. Brown hair pulled back, an apron tied neatly at the waist, soft humming under her breath. Hermione's mother.
A pang shot through her. Her real parents… were gone. Along with her old life.
She swallowed the sudden ache in her chest and forced a calm smile.
"Good morning, Mum."
Mrs. Granger looked up and her entire face softened. "Morning, sweetheart! Happy birthday!"
A warmth she wasn't expecting spread through Hermione's chest. It felt… nice. Strange, but nice.
Before she could respond, the system chimed again, its voice cheerful and oblivious to the emotional turmoil in her chest.
"Ding! Mission Reminder: Perform a fortune-reading for a family member.""Suggested: Mother.""Reward: Initial Magic Awakening + Beginner's Tarot Deck."
Hermione's eye twitched. The system really had no sense of timing.
"How about we sit together for a moment?" she said gently. "I, um… want to try something special today."
Mrs. Granger blinked, surprised but amused. "Oh? Special how?"
Hermione led her to the dining table, inhaling deeply as she sat opposite her mother. Her mind flickered through memories her old world, where tarot cards were symbolic; Hermione's world, where magic was real. She clasped her hands and pretended to shuffle an invisible deck.
The system responded instantly.
"Ding! Temporary Function Activated: Virtual Fortune Interface."A faint, ghostly projection appeared before her eyes—three floating cards glowing softly.
Her mother didn't seem to notice a thing. Hermione exhaled in relief. "Okay… this might work."
She chose the first card mentally.
It flipped over:
[The Sun] — Positivity, clarity, reassurance.
Hermione smiled a little. That made sense Mrs. Granger radiated kindness.
She chose the second card.
[The Wheel of Fortune] — Change, turning point, destiny shifting.
Her pulse quickened. Was that about her? Or her mother? Or both?
The third card flipped:
[The High Priestess] — Intuition, hidden truths, mysteries below the surface.
She stared at the trio.
Sun. Wheel. Priestess.
Her mind clicked.
"Mom," she said carefully, "I think something good is coming for you. A positive change. And… there might be things happening around us that will make more sense with time."
Mrs. Granger blinked, frowning slightly concerned but touched. "Sweetheart… that was lovely. Very poetic. But did something happen? You sound so serious."
Hermione forced a gentle smile.
"A lot might change in the coming year, Mum. But I'll be okay. And you will too."
Mrs. Granger reached across the table and squeezed Hermione's hand. That warmth again so real it hurt.
And then,
"Ding! Mission Complete.""Reward Granted: Beginner's Tarot Deck (Bound).""Reward Granted: Initial Magic Awakening."
The world shifted. A soft thrum rose beneath Hermione's skin, like energy humming through her veins. The air around her tingled, the colours sharpened, and a faint spark danced at her fingertips before fading.
Magic.
Real magic.
She inhaled sharply, awe shimmering in her chest.
"Are you alright, dear?" Mrs. Granger asked, noticing her sudden stillness.
Hermione blinked and smiled softly. "Yes… I just feel really good today."
Which was true. Terrifyingly true. As her mother returned to preparing breakfast, Hermione glanced down.
A small deck of cards thin, shimmering, and undeniably magical rested on her lap. Only she could see it. She ran her fingers across the invisible edge, heart racing. This world wasn't fiction anymore. This system wasn't a game. And she wasn't the same woman she had been before.
She was Hermione a witch, a time-traveller, and now a fortune-teller with a system that changed destiny itself.
And if she remembered the timeline correctly…
Hogwarts was only a year away.