Harry Potter and the Great Censorship Controversy
Harry picked up his things angrily and threw them into his school bag. The teacher stared acidly at him and pointed to the door. Serveal children looked up sadly and began to cry.
"Don't leave, Harry!" wailed a small girl with pig-tails. "I'll miss you Harry! Don't go!"
"Sorry, Julie, but I have to." He faked a smiled for her sake. "Your mommy doesn't like me."
The girl sniffled and nodded. The rest of the classroom watched as Harry reached the door, pulled it open, and left for the last time.
"Did they ban you from another school, Harry?" Hermione asked as she exited the same building an hour later. "Gosh- How many is that now? 52?"
"54- that's just in this county!" Harry dug his toe into the dirt.
"Oh, well at least you've got Hogwarts!"
"Nope. That was the first school to ban me. Apparently I was giving them a bad name."
Ron spat. "I can't believe these foolish Muggles! Isn't there someway we can get people to see that Harry isn't bad?"
Hermione suddenly looked chipper. "I think so! There's a Muggle girl I met over the internet just a couple of days ago- very good essay writer and speaker. Maybe we could ask her to address some of the parents who have a problem with you!"
Harry looked doubtful. "You think it will work? I mean, how much could a Muggle do for me? From what I know about Muggles, there isn't much..."
"Oh, she's terribly brilliant! I think we'll win them over with her!"
Ron nodded furrioursly. "Any help is good help! I hate seeing you being kicked out of one after another. You need to get an education at some point!"
"Alright, were can we meet up with this girl?" Harry gave in.
"Missouri, United States."
After several long hours on the airplane, they touched down in St. Louis with a jolt. Having received permission from Professor Dumbledore (although Harry didn't need it, being expelled and all) to travel the distance, Ron and Hermione packed their bags and set off at once. It was just after noon and they still had two hours to travel.
The cab pulled up infront of a large brownish building around two thirty and all three climbed out of it.
"Here-" Hermione pulled some money out of here coin purse and handed it to the driver.
"What the heck are these?" The cab driver asked bitterly, looking at the change she handed him.
"Huh? Oh! Harry, have you any pound notes? I've only got galleons..." Hermione pawed through her change purse.
"No, I haven't- Look, sir," Harry turned to the driver as Ron got their luggage. "We haven't any pounds-"
"I don't want pounds, I'm talking cash, you know, dollar bills?"
"Oh- here-" Harry shoved a fist of galleons into his hand. "This is pure gold, you can melt it down, I'm sure. Probably worth more than the entire ride. Take it. It's all we've got."
The man looked at it curiously, gave a curt nod, and drove away.
"How much did you give him?" Ron asked.
"Seventeen galleons..."
Ron looked sickly pale. "Yikes... America is sure expensive!"
They went in the building and found what looked like an office.
"Can I help you?" A woman with large hair asked nicely from behind a desk.
"Yes, we need to speak with Melissa Pomeroy- do you know what room number she'd be at right now?" Hermione asked in her nicest voice.
"Ah- A Pomeroy. We've got two of them here... Melissa? She's in fourth block, room 210 -that's this floor- and you'll need to wear this..." The woman, who's name tag read Mrs. Beatte, placed chains with laminated paper at the end around their necks. Ron looked at it funnily. "Building passes- for visitors." She explained. "Now, visitors are only allowed to stay for one hour, but seeing how school will be letting out in fifteen minutes, take as long as you'd like. Alright?"
"Yes, thank you ma'am." Hermione smiled.
"Yeah, thanks!" Ron and Harry chimed.
They wondered the halls trying to find room 210, not to much success, for all of the fifteen minutes left in school, when a loud beeping noise rang in the corridor.
"What on Earth!?" Ron jumped. Classroom doors flew open and soon they were swallowed up by a sea of students.
"The bell's rung!" Harry shouted over the noise as a student walked into him rudely.
"Hey guys! I've found it!" Hermione grabbed Harry's sleeve and pulled him into an open classroom. Ron sooned followed. Inside the classroom were several long tables and many brightly colored posters. They were mostly movie posters, one of them was even-
"Harry! It's you!" Ron exclaimed in a whisper, pointing to a particular poster that read Harry Potter across the front. Harry didn't pay much attention to the poster though, he as watching a girl with long brown hair deep in conversation with her teacher, a bright woman with vivid red lipstick and aburn hair.
"...you think that is a better topic?"
"Well, Lissa, whatever you'd like to write about, go ahead. Your persuasive essay needs to be about something you've a passion for, you know- something you love. Convince me why it's good." The teacher took off her glasses and smiled at the girl.
"Erm... excuse me..." Hermione ventured. They student and teacher looked up. "Are you- Melissa?"
"Yes- who-" The girl smiled really big. "It's you! Oh my gosh!" Melissa jumped about and clapped her hands. "You're Hermione Granger! You know, they weren't that far off when they hired Emma Watson to play you in the movie- you look alike..."
The teacher looked simply puzzled beyond belief. "Lissa... I've said it before and I'll say it again... There's a fine line between fan and fanatic."
"Mrs. Milne," Melissa sighed. "I've told you. I don't suffer from Potterholsim, I enjoy every minute!" Her eyes traveled from Hermione to Ron. "You're just as I thought you'd look! Wow!" She ran over to her folder on a table and pulled out a peice of paper and handed it him. "See? This is the picture I drew of you..." Ron looked at it and smiled.
"Wicked!"
"I drew one of you, too, Harry..." She said in a small voice. She went through her binder and sifted through papers. "Oh- umm, I've only got these with me..." She looked embarrassed when she handed it to him, and when he saw it, Harry instantly knew why. It was a picture drawn in pencil, very nicely drawn at that, of him and Ginny. They were hugging in this picture, but as he looked at the table where her other drawings lay, he realized that they were all of him and Ginny. In several, they were even kissing.
Ron looked at the picture over Harry's shoulder at the picture and frowned.
"Oy, Melissa... What's up with that?" But Melissa and Hermione were busy giggling over another picture, one with Hermione and Ron gazing longingly into each other's eyes. Ron turned red.
"Um, was there something we could help you with?" Mrs, Milne asked from her seat, looking very amicable indeed.
"Oh, yes..." Hermione put the picture in her pocket with a large smile. "I was wondering if you could help us, Melissa. See, Harry's been expelled-"
"No! Not Harry!" She looked sadly at Harry. "They didn't! Albus wouldn't have-"
"Oh, they did." Harry said slowly, thinking that Melissa was watching him too fondly.
"Anyway, he's also been banned from other schools. You know. Some parents don't want Harry or his influence around their children- says it brings witchcraft into the childs life-"
"Bologna!" The girl pouted. "Harry's all good!"
Ron poked Harry in the ribs and pointed out Melissa's apparel. A blue and grey baseball T that read 'Gryffindor Quidditch Team' and on the back was the name 'POTTER' and the number 7. She socks also had Snitches stitched into them. Harry began to feel that Melissa was indeed suffering from 'Potterholsim'.
"Anyway, we were wondering if you would assist us in convincing parents that the Harry Potter books aren't bad and that they shouldn't be banned from schools, public schools at least- That way, we might be able to get Harry back into Hogwarts!" Hermione smiled hopefully.
"Of course!" A foolish grin spread across her face. "Hey- Mrs. Milne?"
"Yes, hun?"
"Could I do this for my persuasive essay? Why Harry Potter should not be banned from public schools?"
"I think so." The teacher nodded and flashed her white teeth. "Oh, Melissa- behind you."
They all turned to see a guy in a blonde pony tail. "Did I miss something?" he asked.
"Nope, not at all!" Melissa gathered her things and threw on her backpack. "Guys, this is Colin, my boyfriend." Harry let and inward sigh, he thought Melissa was fancying him a tad too much. "Colin, this is Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, and Harry Potter." Colin raised an eyebrow.
"Harry Potter?" She laughed goofily. "How much did she pay you guys?"
"Nothing. We are who she says we are." Ron snapped. Hermione smacked his arm.
"Don't be rude, Ron!"
"Yeah, well- Are you ready?" Colin rolled his eyes.
"Sure! Bye, Mrs. Milne!" Melissa took Colin's hand and all five of them left the classroom together. Altough she was holding Colin's hand, she didn't say much to him. "So, Hermione, I'll need to research a bit, care to join me at the library tonight?"
"Don't you work tonight?"
"No, now hush up a minute, Colin, I'm talking." He promptly closed his mouth. "Well?"
"I'd love to! I'm ever so very greatful that you decided to help us! I could- I could just hug you!" Hermione looked sincere.
Ron laughed. "A huggable Muggle!"
When they got outside, Ron's jaw dropped. "I've never seen so many buses in my life!"
Colin shrugged. "We have alot of students here."
They approached a tree where alot of students stood around. One girl screamed.
"Oh! Get him away! No!! It's Harry Potter! Some one shoot me!"
The girl ran in circles before dashing inside. "That's Raye- she doesn't like you too much..."
"Oh," Harry responded to Melissa disappointedly.
"So- want to get some food before we go to the library?" Melissa was digging through her purse for money. "I've got enough for five Big Macs- C'mon Colin! You're taking us to McDonald's!"
Colin looked startled. "I am?" Oh- Okay then..." They all climbed into Colin's van and he drove them down the street to a building with a large yellow 'M' on the sign. Melissa bought them all sloppy beef patties on buns with lettuce and some strange and tangy sauce.
"We don't have pumpkin juice- but we've got tomato juice..."
Ron cringed. "No- I'll stick with lemonade."
"They've got Dr. Pepper..."
"I don't want to drink anything with doctors in it!"
Melissa laughed.
When they were done with the messy Muggle meal, they set off for the library. Colin had reluctantly agreed to drive them, on the condition that Melissa would see a movie with him on Saturday (one Melissa's terms, being that she got to pick the movie). Melissa pulled out books upon books about censorship and book bannings in America, jotted down some notes, and silently conversed with Hermione. Colin sat in the corner and read a comic.
"I don't see how they are together- She treats him so badly!" Ron whispered.
"I know. But you know how some people who like each other don't always show it."
Ron turned red. "I haven't the slightest idea what you're talking about!
"Done!" Melissa exclaimed three hours later, jolting Colin from his nap. "Now- to get this to the press!"
Hermione ran over to the telephone, and with the correct change borrowed from Melissa called and set up a confrence to unban Harry's books.
Harry picked up his things angrily and threw them into his school bag. The teacher stared acidly at him and pointed to the door. Serveal children looked up sadly and began to cry.
"Don't leave, Harry!" wailed a small girl with pig-tails. "I'll miss you Harry! Don't go!"
"Sorry, Julie, but I have to." He faked a smiled for her sake. "Your mommy doesn't like me."
The girl sniffled and nodded. The rest of the classroom watched as Harry reached the door, pulled it open, and left for the last time.
"Did they ban you from another school, Harry?" Hermione asked as she exited the same building an hour later. "Gosh- How many is that now? 52?"
"54- that's just in this county!" Harry dug his toe into the dirt.
"Oh, well at least you've got Hogwarts!"
"Nope. That was the first school to ban me. Apparently I was giving them a bad name."
Ron spat. "I can't believe these foolish Muggles! Isn't there someway we can get people to see that Harry isn't bad?"
Hermione suddenly looked chipper. "I think so! There's a Muggle girl I met over the internet just a couple of days ago- very good essay writer and speaker. Maybe we could ask her to address some of the parents who have a problem with you!"
Harry looked doubtful. "You think it will work? I mean, how much could a Muggle do for me? From what I know about Muggles, there isn't much..."
"Oh, she's terribly brilliant! I think we'll win them over with her!"
Ron nodded furrioursly. "Any help is good help! I hate seeing you being kicked out of one after another. You need to get an education at some point!"
"Alright, were can we meet up with this girl?" Harry gave in.
"Missouri, United States."
After several long hours on the airplane, they touched down in St. Louis with a jolt. Having received permission from Professor Dumbledore (although Harry didn't need it, being expelled and all) to travel the distance, Ron and Hermione packed their bags and set off at once. It was just after noon and they still had two hours to travel.
The cab pulled up infront of a large brownish building around two thirty and all three climbed out of it.
"Here-" Hermione pulled some money out of here coin purse and handed it to the driver.
"What the heck are these?" The cab driver asked bitterly, looking at the change she handed him.
"Huh? Oh! Harry, have you any pound notes? I've only got galleons..." Hermione pawed through her change purse.
"No, I haven't- Look, sir," Harry turned to the driver as Ron got their luggage. "We haven't any pounds-"
"I don't want pounds, I'm talking cash, you know, dollar bills?"
"Oh- here-" Harry shoved a fist of galleons into his hand. "This is pure gold, you can melt it down, I'm sure. Probably worth more than the entire ride. Take it. It's all we've got."
The man looked at it curiously, gave a curt nod, and drove away.
"How much did you give him?" Ron asked.
"Seventeen galleons..."
Ron looked sickly pale. "Yikes... America is sure expensive!"
They went in the building and found what looked like an office.
"Can I help you?" A woman with large hair asked nicely from behind a desk.
"Yes, we need to speak with Melissa Pomeroy- do you know what room number she'd be at right now?" Hermione asked in her nicest voice.
"Ah- A Pomeroy. We've got two of them here... Melissa? She's in fourth block, room 210 -that's this floor- and you'll need to wear this..." The woman, who's name tag read Mrs. Beatte, placed chains with laminated paper at the end around their necks. Ron looked at it funnily. "Building passes- for visitors." She explained. "Now, visitors are only allowed to stay for one hour, but seeing how school will be letting out in fifteen minutes, take as long as you'd like. Alright?"
"Yes, thank you ma'am." Hermione smiled.
"Yeah, thanks!" Ron and Harry chimed.
They wondered the halls trying to find room 210, not to much success, for all of the fifteen minutes left in school, when a loud beeping noise rang in the corridor.
"What on Earth!?" Ron jumped. Classroom doors flew open and soon they were swallowed up by a sea of students.
"The bell's rung!" Harry shouted over the noise as a student walked into him rudely.
"Hey guys! I've found it!" Hermione grabbed Harry's sleeve and pulled him into an open classroom. Ron sooned followed. Inside the classroom were several long tables and many brightly colored posters. They were mostly movie posters, one of them was even-
"Harry! It's you!" Ron exclaimed in a whisper, pointing to a particular poster that read Harry Potter across the front. Harry didn't pay much attention to the poster though, he as watching a girl with long brown hair deep in conversation with her teacher, a bright woman with vivid red lipstick and aburn hair.
"...you think that is a better topic?"
"Well, Lissa, whatever you'd like to write about, go ahead. Your persuasive essay needs to be about something you've a passion for, you know- something you love. Convince me why it's good." The teacher took off her glasses and smiled at the girl.
"Erm... excuse me..." Hermione ventured. They student and teacher looked up. "Are you- Melissa?"
"Yes- who-" The girl smiled really big. "It's you! Oh my gosh!" Melissa jumped about and clapped her hands. "You're Hermione Granger! You know, they weren't that far off when they hired Emma Watson to play you in the movie- you look alike..."
The teacher looked simply puzzled beyond belief. "Lissa... I've said it before and I'll say it again... There's a fine line between fan and fanatic."
"Mrs. Milne," Melissa sighed. "I've told you. I don't suffer from Potterholsim, I enjoy every minute!" Her eyes traveled from Hermione to Ron. "You're just as I thought you'd look! Wow!" She ran over to her folder on a table and pulled out a peice of paper and handed it him. "See? This is the picture I drew of you..." Ron looked at it and smiled.
"Wicked!"
"I drew one of you, too, Harry..." She said in a small voice. She went through her binder and sifted through papers. "Oh- umm, I've only got these with me..." She looked embarrassed when she handed it to him, and when he saw it, Harry instantly knew why. It was a picture drawn in pencil, very nicely drawn at that, of him and Ginny. They were hugging in this picture, but as he looked at the table where her other drawings lay, he realized that they were all of him and Ginny. In several, they were even kissing.
Ron looked at the picture over Harry's shoulder at the picture and frowned.
"Oy, Melissa... What's up with that?" But Melissa and Hermione were busy giggling over another picture, one with Hermione and Ron gazing longingly into each other's eyes. Ron turned red.
"Um, was there something we could help you with?" Mrs, Milne asked from her seat, looking very amicable indeed.
"Oh, yes..." Hermione put the picture in her pocket with a large smile. "I was wondering if you could help us, Melissa. See, Harry's been expelled-"
"No! Not Harry!" She looked sadly at Harry. "They didn't! Albus wouldn't have-"
"Oh, they did." Harry said slowly, thinking that Melissa was watching him too fondly.
"Anyway, he's also been banned from other schools. You know. Some parents don't want Harry or his influence around their children- says it brings witchcraft into the childs life-"
"Bologna!" The girl pouted. "Harry's all good!"
Ron poked Harry in the ribs and pointed out Melissa's apparel. A blue and grey baseball T that read 'Gryffindor Quidditch Team' and on the back was the name 'POTTER' and the number 7. She socks also had Snitches stitched into them. Harry began to feel that Melissa was indeed suffering from 'Potterholsim'.
"Anyway, we were wondering if you would assist us in convincing parents that the Harry Potter books aren't bad and that they shouldn't be banned from schools, public schools at least- That way, we might be able to get Harry back into Hogwarts!" Hermione smiled hopefully.
"Of course!" A foolish grin spread across her face. "Hey- Mrs. Milne?"
"Yes, hun?"
"Could I do this for my persuasive essay? Why Harry Potter should not be banned from public schools?"
"I think so." The teacher nodded and flashed her white teeth. "Oh, Melissa- behind you."
They all turned to see a guy in a blonde pony tail. "Did I miss something?" he asked.
"Nope, not at all!" Melissa gathered her things and threw on her backpack. "Guys, this is Colin, my boyfriend." Harry let and inward sigh, he thought Melissa was fancying him a tad too much. "Colin, this is Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, and Harry Potter." Colin raised an eyebrow.
"Harry Potter?" She laughed goofily. "How much did she pay you guys?"
"Nothing. We are who she says we are." Ron snapped. Hermione smacked his arm.
"Don't be rude, Ron!"
"Yeah, well- Are you ready?" Colin rolled his eyes.
"Sure! Bye, Mrs. Milne!" Melissa took Colin's hand and all five of them left the classroom together. Altough she was holding Colin's hand, she didn't say much to him. "So, Hermione, I'll need to research a bit, care to join me at the library tonight?"
"Don't you work tonight?"
"No, now hush up a minute, Colin, I'm talking." He promptly closed his mouth. "Well?"
"I'd love to! I'm ever so very greatful that you decided to help us! I could- I could just hug you!" Hermione looked sincere.
Ron laughed. "A huggable Muggle!"
When they got outside, Ron's jaw dropped. "I've never seen so many buses in my life!"
Colin shrugged. "We have alot of students here."
They approached a tree where alot of students stood around. One girl screamed.
"Oh! Get him away! No!! It's Harry Potter! Some one shoot me!"
The girl ran in circles before dashing inside. "That's Raye- she doesn't like you too much..."
"Oh," Harry responded to Melissa disappointedly.
"So- want to get some food before we go to the library?" Melissa was digging through her purse for money. "I've got enough for five Big Macs- C'mon Colin! You're taking us to McDonald's!"
Colin looked startled. "I am?" Oh- Okay then..." They all climbed into Colin's van and he drove them down the street to a building with a large yellow 'M' on the sign. Melissa bought them all sloppy beef patties on buns with lettuce and some strange and tangy sauce.
"We don't have pumpkin juice- but we've got tomato juice..."
Ron cringed. "No- I'll stick with lemonade."
"They've got Dr. Pepper..."
"I don't want to drink anything with doctors in it!"
Melissa laughed.
When they were done with the messy Muggle meal, they set off for the library. Colin had reluctantly agreed to drive them, on the condition that Melissa would see a movie with him on Saturday (one Melissa's terms, being that she got to pick the movie). Melissa pulled out books upon books about censorship and book bannings in America, jotted down some notes, and silently conversed with Hermione. Colin sat in the corner and read a comic.
"I don't see how they are together- She treats him so badly!" Ron whispered.
"I know. But you know how some people who like each other don't always show it."
Ron turned red. "I haven't the slightest idea what you're talking about!
"Done!" Melissa exclaimed three hours later, jolting Colin from his nap. "Now- to get this to the press!"
Hermione ran over to the telephone, and with the correct change borrowed from Melissa called and set up a confrence to unban Harry's books.