This is part one in a trilogy I intend on writing. I have most of it worked out. The trilogy is "Epic Proportions" and part one is called "Genealogy." And by the way, I realize this is a boring chapter, but I need to set up scenes and sentiments and set a bit of a pace for the entire story line. (For those of you who are curious, part 2 will be "Redemption" and part three "Utopia."
I regret to inform you all that Rowling owns Harry Potter and I don't. All the more power (money) to her. Including mine as I invest further into the Harry Potter world. Constructive criticisms welcome.
I want to include romance somewhere in here, but at the moment I'm not certain what pairings I would like. I prefer straight, but I'm open to others. Please feel free to provide suggestions, but if you do, I would appreciate you to also mention why you feel it works.
This chapter was re-edited by me - thus it looks different. Very tiny changes.
Epic Proportions: Genealogy: Genesis
Hermione Granger always considered herself normal. A regular, run-of-the-mill daughter of two dentists. Just with above-average intelligence because of her studies. Then, right when she turned eleven, she received a notice that completely threw off that theory. Oh, how she fondly recalled those memories of normality!
Immediately she set out with her parents to learn all she could of the magic world. She poured over books and more books, soaking up all the knowledge she could to not make a fool of herself when she got to the school.
She began to notice almost every book she came across describing magic life discussed the differences between muggle-borns and purebloods. It was then she first realized that perhaps all wizards did not look upon her kind with respect. It was then she first came across Lord Voldemort.
Voldemort, she found, convinced many pureblooded witches and wizards that muggleborn magic folk were a disgrace to the community. She found out about his desired purge of muggles and it was then that she first realized what she was up against as the next few sentences caught her eye.
She found out while Voldemort still had followers, he was now dead. He had been defeated by a little baby named Harry Potter in 1981.
She continued studying all she could about the magic world, and by the time she entered Hogwarts, she probably knew more of the wizarding history that most wizards and witches. Her goal: to show the world muggleborn witches could be as powerful as purebloods, if not more.
She grew up since then. It was now 1998, and Hermione Granger had the position she knew since second year she was going to receive: Head Girl.
Ron clutched his stomach when it growled in annoyance about the lack of food. "What's taking so long to bring in the first year students? My stomach's going to start eating itself!"
"Really, Ron!" Hermione looked up from the book she was reading to pass the time. "Why are you constantly so hungry? I know your family feeds you more than enough!"
Harry, sitting beside Ron and across from Hermione, met her eyes with amusement.
"It's just that my stomach knows what's going to happen! It knows in about thirty minutes the greatest feast ever will be right here - right in front of me and it wants it now!"
Before either Harry or Hermione could respond, McGonagall led the newest batch of Hogwarts students into the Great Hall.
Every year at this time, Hermione always remembered her own sorting:
"You've got a good head on your shoulders. Definitely some potential Ravenclaw material here. Your loyalty to your family and your muggle friends could easily make you a great Hufflepuff. Oh! Now this is most interesting!" The Sorting Hat was getting quite a laugh out of something in her head. "Not your head, but your genetics. Oh, don't worry! I don't support Voldemort. You could easily fit into Slytherin if it wasn't for your parents." The Hat chortled quite a bit more here. "No, I think its best you be a Gryffindor, with the courage you go into this world unknown to you and the dedication you have to showing everyone who's boss. Besides, I need a good laugh!"
She tried to forget about that whole experience, knowing that she didn't have a chance figuring out what the hat found so humorous about her and her sorting. As much as she didn't want to admit it, it was going to be one of those mysteries in her life. That wasn't so bad, she figured. Lavender and Parvati always told her a girl needed to have some mystery to her. She just imagined that wasn't quite what they meant.
Harry and Ron were looking at her strangely. Well, Ron tried but he was more preoccupied with seeing how much food he could fit in his mouth.
"There's food on the table, Hermione. Are you going to eat?" Harry asked her, a bit concerned. Hermione went through quite a few changes over the summer. She was still as natural as usual, but now she wore some lip-gloss, and more notably, her hair tamed itself over summer vacation. It went to about the middle of her back, and consisted of lovely chestnut curls. She told Harry she was just as surprised. Harry hoped she wasn't also going through a "no-eating" phase. She was, after all, much slimmer than she used to be, but she brushed that off telling them she starting exercising more.
He shouldn't have worried. Hermione dove into the food almost as fast as Ron had. Five minutes later she slowed down the shoveling. "Exercising makes you so hungry!" She moaned. "And sorry about that, Harry. I was just thinking back to our sorting. It's hard to believe this is our final year here, isn't it?"
Ron grinned. "One more year of Snape!" The whole trio breathed a sigh of relief before leaning back in their chairs contently.
"Hey, look up there," Harry motioned to the teacher's table. All the teachers appeared to be discussing something important. Quite avidly for that matter. All the teachers were taking part in the discussion, except for Snape. He was scowling at Dumbledore from his seat, not that that was new or anything.
"I don't think I've ever seen the teachers talk that much at the table before." Ron remarked. "What do you suppose they're talking about?" He punctuated his question with a giant gulp of pumpkin juice.
"Dumbledore's standing up! Maybe he's going to make an announcement about something!" Hermione said excitedly, her curiosity piqued. Then she almost seemed to realize the stupidity of pointing out what was quite obvious.
"Maybe they came to their senses and decided to fire Snape!" All three matched gazes and sighed, dismayed. "Wishful thinking," Ron added.
"Students," Dumbledore's voice echoed from every crevice. He was just as old as ever since no one had made a decent de-aging potion or spell yet, and still just as magical and awe-inspiring as he was their first year. "The other professors have asked me to go ahead and announce a project everyone is required to do. This year we're going to be tracking our ancestral roots. Every professor will be teaching different things relating to lineage and family background. For instance, charms to reveal parents' identities, or potions to do the same."
Snape scowled further. Which explained a lot.
"We expect you all to use this knowledge wisely and write home to your families for any information they have in their possession to help you write a comprehensive analysis of your ancestral roots. Also, each test done in class will be done privately to ensure no hard feelings and to not encourage rude comments between peers. None of the professors will tolerate any insults concerning another student's parentage. Those students that are adopted may research either their adoptive or biological family."
Harry shuddered at that. Research Vernon's family? No way. He'd rather kiss Malfoy. Not that that was altogether an appealing thought either.
Hermione gave him a sort of half-hearted smile, as if she knew what he was thinking. There were quite a few torn and destroyed families because of Voldemort. Thoughts of traitorous family members or even dead ones weren't pleasant for anyone.
Professor Dumbledore surveyed the entire room, hoping his words sunk in to the student body. He didn't trust many of the Slytherins when it came to the teasing of muggleborn witches and wizards. He knew of Draco Malfoy's ritual teasing and ridiculing. When he was younger, it was excusable. Lucius had raised him like that. Now that he's older, he has the power to make his own choice to stop this.
Why were the students still looking at him? He did encourage attention when he wanted it, but now he was sitting…no he wasn't. Time to cover his little slip up. "And I hope you all find enjoyment and release in this project," and he sat down to finish his meal. Maybe Minerva was right. He was getting senile in his old age.
He turned to his side to see Minerva smirking at him. He glared light-heartedly. She knew him too well.
"Well, I think this project should be interesting, don't you Harry?" Hermione asked, setting down her glass of pumpkin juice. "Perhaps we'll find some skeletons in the closet."
Ron's eyes widened. "Skeletons in a closet? Why would you want to find some of those?!"
Hermione, Harry, and Seamus who was sitting next to Hermione all laughed. "It's a muggle saying, Ron. It means finding out dark secrets people in your family were trying to hide." Seamus explained, holding back some of his laughter.
"Ah, I see. I think. But anyway, the good thing about this project is I can just get Ginny to do all the work! After all, we do have the exact same roots!" Ron grinned. There was a good point to this whole thing.
"And don't you think it would be downright ironic if it turns out your mother had been sleeping with some other red-head man and one of you was the result of that?" Seamus chimed back.
"NO! It would NOT!" Ron's grin was replaced with a scowl.
"You know, Ron, every day you start looking more and more like Snape. Maybe he's your father! Well, except for the red hair."
"Harry! I thought you were better than to fall down to his level!" A chagrined Ron exclaimed wounded.
"It could be dyed, you know," Seamus grinned. "Except he would probably have to have the tell-tell freckles."
Harry shrugged. "All in good fun."
"Oh, yes! Let's have a 'Let's Torment Ron Day!'"
Harry, Seamus, and a few other Gryffindors who heard the conversation all raised eyebrows. "Okay!"
"NO!"
"Well, you just suggested-"
"Neville, please don't remind me."
"What I want to know," Hermione started, waiting for the boys to stop teasing Ron, "is why we suddenly have a large project this year when we never had one before this."
Harry smiled. "Maybe Dumbledore was already in on Let's Torment Ron Day and decided he wanted to be the first one to do it."
Hermione looked at him. "Are you serious?"
"No."
"Good, you had me worried there for a moment." She stood up and backed off a bit. "Well, I'll see you guys later. I might pop back to the Common Room after I unpack in my private room!" She walked off, a tiny bounce in her step.
"Well, I suppose it is nice to see her all happy and stuff," Ron reflected as the boys watched her leave incredulously, "but must she rub it in?"
Seamus eyed Harry and Ron. "Did she mention what happened over the summer that made her get the sudden facelift? She looks fantastic! Brains and body, she'll make someone a happy husband in the future."
Harry shifted uncomfortably as a few of the guys eyed the retreating form of the Head Girl like she was some piece of meat.
"Leave her alone," Ron ordered, entering protective brother mode. "She's still our little bookworm girl."
"I truly fear to see what Ron'll be like when he's a father." Neville snickered. Neville had grown up considerably during the years. Granted he was still inept in potions, but rather than melting fifty cauldrons a year, he now melted thirty. He stood at a nice height, five feet eleven inches, and almost everyone in his family wondered where he got the height.
In fact, all the guys filled out quite well. Similarly to Hermione, Harry's hair kindly decided to settle down a bit into sleek locks. He was an inch taller than Neville, and two inches shorter than Ron, who hadn't changed much except vertically.
"Ok, I don't have to take this. I'm heading to our rooms. If any of you would like to come you better wait five minutes first because if I come across any of you in the hallway, I'll beat your faces in." He smiled. "Except for you, Harry. You aren't completely on my bad side yet."
"Um, thanks. I think." He blinked. Rapidly. "And I think I'll head back too."
The Common Room was just as it used to be, not that anyone really expected it to change or anything. Although you never really could tell with all the protection spells and charms all over the place courtesy of the threat of Voldemort.
Harry was glad to be back at Hogwarts. It was his home. At the moment, he still wasn't sure what he was going to do when he graduated. Assuming Voldemort was still around at that time, maybe Dumbledore would hire him to do something productive around the school.
He sighed as he sat on his bed.
"Something bothering you, Harry?" Ron set down his own prized copy of "Quidditch Through the Ages" and sat next to Harry.
"I was just thinking…" His voice trailed off.
"That was fairly obvious. I didn't need to be Hermione to figure that one out."
Harry's eyes moved from focusing on the floor to Ron. "What do you want to do with your life when we graduate? I mean, Hermione's Head Girl. She could do anything she wanted. You have connections through your brothers and your parents. I have a Muggle family-"
"-And quite a bit of fame that will attract just about everybody to you. You're also one hell of a bloody fantastic Seeker. I bet any Quidditch team would kill to have you."
"You think so?" Harry's eyes brightened. Apparently even the most famous teenager in wizarding history can be a bit insecure.
Ron sent him a look that clearly read: That must have been the stupidest question you ever asked me yet. "Harry, since you've been here, and not wound up in the Infirmary that is, Gryffindor has won the House Cup and Quidditch Cup. You have your future set out for you. Don't worry."
Harry snickered, his spirits lifted considerably with the newfound confidence Ron had in him. "Hakuna Matata."
"Um, Harry. What exactly have those muggles been doing to you?" Ron gave him a classic 'Ron' look. One mixed of incredulity and 'what have you been brewing that the fumes were that bad?'
"It's from a movie called "The Lion King." It's the name of a song. Basically just a bunch of muggle nonsense to make kids laugh."
There went the 'psychologist Ron' expression again. "Uh huh. I see."
Harry gave up.