A/N: first of all, this fic is not beta read. It's also an AU where the time-lines of the golden trio and Riddle are merged and are happening during the beginning of the 21th century, instead of the war against Voldemort, Grindelwald was the evil guy during the 1990s. This is based on a graphic/mini-oneshot done by Cella (voldybadass here and tommy-riddle on tumblr), after I sent her some notes I did on the genetic of magic in wizards and Muggles. She allowed me to use the plot she created and, Cella, bby, this is for you because it's your birthday :D So, happy birthday, darling, I hope you enjoy it. As I was inspired, I ended up making a playlist for the story and it's on my 8tracks account (captainbrax) if you want to take a look at it. I hope you guys enjoy it, as always, reviews are always welcome. (:


witch-hunt

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When the Ministry of Magic first decided to show themselves to the Muggles, it was like a dream coming true for most people. Non-magical folk saw magic as something wonderful and curious while wizards and witches enjoyed the freedom of being able to perform magic in the middle of the cities, of not hiding anymore. After years of hiding, the reason the wizarding world decided to show themselves to the Muggle community was the end of the war against Grindelwald. While lots of wizards died during the years Gellert Grindelwald was powerful, there were way more Muggles amongst the deceased ones. Some people started saying that this happened because they were kept in the dark when it came to magic. Yes, they had guns and bombs but nothing could be compared to the power of a Killing Curse or any kind of dark magic. They couldn't defend themselves in case a dark wizard broke into their house and decided to attack them. With that in mind and after almost two years of meetings and lots of paperwork, the Ministries of Magic all over the world decided to expose the wizarding world to the Muggle one.

Muggles nowadays were not the superstitious little things they used to be back in the Dark Ages. It took some time for them to even believe in the magic that was now being shoved up their noses. They now saw everything with fascinated eyes, with a scientific curiosity. It was almost beautiful to watch the way they, some times, seemed to understand more about magic than wizards themselves: they researched how the spells worked, they studied the history of the wizarding world, they learned how to use magic in their favour, they discovered how magic was passed down through the families, just how they learned how the thousand deaths they faced a few years ago were caused by magic and how there were lots of wizards and witches that believed they were inferior to them.

That was when things got complicated.


THIS ESTABLISHMENT IS CLOSED FOR AN UNKNOWN PERIOD UNTIL THE EXAMINATION OF THE FOLLOWING INDIVIDUALS:

Florence M. Granger

Robert J. Granger

WHO ARE TO PRESENT THEMSELVES AT THE MAGIC EXAMINATION COMMISSION UNTIL THE 31st OF JUNE. SHOULD THE INDIVIDUALS FAIL TO PRESENT THEMSELVES ON THE STABLISHED DATE, THE GOVERNMENT SHALL CONSIDER THEM AS THREATENING SUBJECTS OF THE WELL BEING OF THE COUNTRY.

Charles Trouch

Magic Register Office

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Uncle Ted had a cottage by the sea in East Yorkshire and that was where she was going now that London was out of question for them all. After that paper had been pinned to her parent's office, she took less than twenty-four hours to leave their house. Hermione had heard about that Magic Register Office. Everyone in the wizarding world had, to be honest. They used the excuse of registering the wizards and witches just to keep records and ended up using not only magical folk but also their relatives in researches regarding magic. That was what happened when they ended up in the hands of people who liked magic, who were curious about it. When they ended inside the office of someone who held a grudge against magic (most of them Muggles whose relatives had been killed during the war against Grindelwald), things were a bit more complicated. Some of scientists said that magic couldn't be taken from someone's body because it was in their genetic code, but it could be locked inside once again. And that was what these people tried to do with them.

They were lucky, though. When the government went after her parents, they were away. Mr. and Mrs. Granger had just travelled to her uncle's house and she was the only one left in London. After dropping by her parents' office in order to check her mother's agenda as she had asked her to do and finding the warning on its door, Hermione quickly fled to find a way to get away from that mess.

"Father said they can't look through these spells. They've managed to crack lots of charms, but not these, yet."

After living a few years in a world where magical and non-magical people lived together, it was weird to be in a purely magical place once again. The Burrow still had that completely magical atmosphere and that reminded her of the old days. Except for the part where the clustered house received the visit of random witches and wizards every now and then, asking for help to get documents that would fake their true identities. With Arthur Weasley working with Muggle objects for so long, they managed to create spells that could confuse even the smartest of the Muggle scientists, and with Fred and George they managed to create believable fake papers.

"Thanks, Ron." Hermione looked at the documents her friend had just handed her. She was now Lucy Wilkins, daughter of Monica and Wendell Wilkins. A completely normal family of Pure Muggles.

"Will you be okay? You know, you guys can stay here if you need anything. Mum already said-"

"We'll be all right. It's just for a while, isn't it?" she asked, smiling to her friend. "This madness can't go on for too long."

"It shouldn't even have started, to tell the truth."

"But it started and now the Ministry is working on ending it." The girl gave him a nervous smile. The mere thought of how the Ministry might handle it made her feel sick. If the wizarding supremacy ideology had been strong with Grindelwald, now the remnants of wizards and witches who believed that Muggles were savage creatures held an even bigger grudge against the non-magical community. She was scared of thinking about how these wizards would treat Muggles in order to stop them. "How is everyone?"

"Mum and dad are okay. Ginny is working for the Daily Prophet, covering Quidditch games, the few ones that still happen; Percy is still in the Ministry; Bill is in Egypt with Fleur – apparently the Muggles like wizards there – and Charlie is back with his dragons. Oh, and Fred and George are working with these." He pointed at the documents. "They have plenty of job to- oh, there they are again."

Hermione turned around to see the fire in the fireplace burn brighter and greener, spitting green ashes out of it before two figures walk out of it. Actually, one figure walked out of it. A tall, dark-skinned young man with a smile on his face and a pair of rounded, dark glasses on his nose, appeared on the fireplace, and Hermione quickly recognized him as Lee Jordan. The other person did not walk out of the fireplace but rather fell out of it, ending up sprawled on the floor, coughing as he struggled to sit up.

"Ron, Hermione, hello!" said Lee, waving at them before approaching the man on the floor, leaning down towards him. "Hey, mate, you alright?"

"Muggle?" asked Ron and Jordan nodded as he helped the man to get up. "I'll call Fred and George."

Hermione took a step back, allowing Lee and the man to walk past her. She immediately felt bad for him. If it was not bad enough to have wizards and witches being hunted down, Muggles were on the run too. Muggles like her parents, with relatives who were magical and that ended up having magic embed into their genetic code. They usually were the most scared ones for they couldn't defend themselves using magic and were easily taken as hostages in order to have their magical relatives to show up to the authorities.

"Do you want a glass of water?" she asked, taking her wand out of her pocket and waving it to get a glass and fill it with water from the tap. "Floo travelling can be pretty distressing the first time you try it." The girl smiled to the Muggle, trying to ignore the positively panicked look that crossed his face as he looked at her wand. "And I'm not going to hurt you, don't worry."

She placed the glass of water on the top of the table, but he didn't make any movement to reach for it.

"He's not going to drink it," said Lee. "Not coming from the hands of a witch."

"I'm not going to harm you…"

"Believe me, Hermione, it won't work."

The girl furrowed her brows as she stared at the man. He looked scared and uncomfortable, but was keeping himself well controlled as he looked around as if trying to get all the information he could gather from just a look. His face was dirty with grey ashes and his bright blue eyes seemed way brighter thanks to it. He took a deep breath and ran a trembling hand through his messy hair, trying to comb it back.

"Hello there!" Hermione's attention was taken away from the Muggle as she heard Fred's – or was it George's? – voice coming from the kitchen's door. "Hello, Hermione." He smiled to her before walking over to the Muggle. "So, documents, right? Just for you? No? Who else?"

"My parents," he answered, his voice sounding so quiet that it was difficult to hear it.

"Okay. Can you lend me your original papers? Thanks, mate." Fred smiled as he grabbed the documents the man was handing him. "Hm, Tom… All right, these are the names you guys chose, right? Which one of you is a magical, by the way?"

"No one."

"No one?" Hermione arched an eyebrow. "They just knocked on your door and asked to trace down your genes?"

"Yes… Kind of…" the man mumbled. "There's a wizard in my family. But I don't know him. They tracked us down from him."

"Well, don't worry, Tom," said Fred, patting the Muggle's shoulder, an action that visibly made him even more uncomfortable. "In a few minutes you'll be a Pure Muggle. At least in your papers."

"I have to go. Can any of you take him back to London once you're finished with it?" asked Lee as he walked up to the fireplace, grabbing a handful of Floo powder from the top of it and throwing it in the flames before stepping in and muttering something. The Muggle simply watched it with a worried expression on his face.

"Make yourself at home, Tom," said Fred, winking and then looking at Hermione. "Ron will be down in a minute. I'll give these to George so we can start working on them."

The girl smiled to Weasley as she watched him disappear from the kitchen, before turning to look at the man once again.

"You know, my parents are like you. Muggles, I mean," she explained, hoping that this would make him relax a bit. "They're being searched too. But, luckily, they were away when the authorities came after them. They're in East Yorkshire, with my uncle."

"East Yorkshire?" For the first time, the man's head snapped up and his eyes locked into hers as if she had just said something grand.

"Yes, why?"

"My parents are there. I live there, actually. Little Hangleton, have you heard of it?"

"No, I'm sorry."

"Don't be. Not many people know it." He gave her what was supposed to be a weak smile.

"You don't have to worry, you know. Fred and George are amazing in what they do, they'll probably manage to make you and your parents seem to be completely different people in your documents."

Once again, they fell in an uncomfortable silence. Hermione looked upon her watch while the man started to tap his fingers on the top of the table. It was not until the girl saw something hit one of the windows, making a loud thud echo inside the kitchen, that one of them moved again. It was the Muggle who, before Hermione could do anything, got up and grabbed her arm, practically dragging her out of the kitchen and into the living room with strength and speed she didn't believe he had after seeing how quiet and scared he seemed to be.

She was about to ask what the hell was going on when he pushed her to the floor, right before dropping by next to her and covering his face with his arms. And then she couldn't hear anything when a loud explosion occurred on the room next-door.