Disclaimer: Harry Potter is the property of JK Rowling, as such all rights, royalties, characters, and settings belong to her.
Author's Note: Wow... First two reviews are going... "NO NOT CANON PAIRINGS!"
Please... While I can see the Hermione/Harry ship as a valid possibility in other works... this is about Harry being raised as a muggle by the Grangers. Instead of the Weasleys being his surrogate family, the Grangers are and have been for ten years before he goes to Hogwarts. Doing HG/HP with this storyline is... icky. The words "Little Brother Harry" and "Big Sis Hermione" should have made it clear that wouldn't happen.
What is with you guys hating on the Weasleys so much? Yeah, I know they're a bit too trusting of Dumbledore, and a bit overzealous... but lord, they're not bad people... not the best, but they're not bad or manipulative. I mean sometimes that sort of story can be amusing… Dumbledore as a bad guy can be too.
I mean in the canon is Dumbledore evil? No... Is he a cold, calculating, logical, and occasionally amoral bastard? Yes! I can understand the hate he gets.
Ron's not worth the amount of hate that gets thrown his way. I think some people seem to have a belief that Ron must die or be evil for my HP/HG ship. Let's be honest, Ron is a prat and a git, there's no denying that at all, but he's no Death Eater in training either.
So Ron will be rendered as the enormous prat that he is... don't you worry about that, Harry and Ron won't even be friends until the end of part three (In a Chapter called "Sisters"), mostly because of how much a prat Ron is to Hermione. I don't see him achieving best mate status for several years (if ever) if he keeps hurting Harry's 'sister' either.
I tend to think that J.K. Rowling made it pretty clear that there was tension between Hermione and Ron all the way back in the Philosopher's Stone. I mean, you know Hermione had to have been seriously teased in primary school... bushy wild hair, overbite, bookworm? Yeah you're getting teased mercilessly in school, sorry.
She's bunking with Lavender Brown and you just know she'd comment on her looks. So with all that teasing going on, who is it that reduces Hermione to crying in a bathroom?
RONALD WEASLEY! Why? It's actually obvious why. Hermione is 12, everyone else in her class is 11... And she has a crush on the redheaded boy. Said boy says she's a nightmare and has no friends... Time to cry in a toilet. Simple, obvious reasoning... Hermione may have a genius level IQ and an Eidetic Memory... but she's still a 12 year old girl with a crush.
The only complaints I've had with Ginny Weasley are these... 1. She's part of Harry's surrogate family the Weasleys... a little squickly there, but then Harry's conception of family leaves a lot to be desired. 2. She's never really that well used by the canon stories... The romance in HBP comes a bit out of left field, sure there are little hints but Ginny is never allowed to develop beyond the romantic interest in HBP and the damsel in distress in CoS.
If you actually look at her character however, you realize that if used more than as a romantic interest or damsel, she's much more palatable... She has apparent leadership skills, dueling skills (Hermione and Ron both perform worse than Ginny does in the Department of Mysteries… sad but read OoTP, both Ron and Hermione get incapacitated… Ginny gets away with a broken ankle), and a fiery impish persona. She's a fun character to write if you come from that angle.
When I write romantic arcs, I prefer to have them be friends first before they become romantically involved. J.K. didn't really do that, it's actually probably the weakest bit of the books (which are great, don't get me wrong... would I write this if I didn't like them?) I want to keep the character's personalities close to the canon... Harry is probably the most divergent, but when you consider changing upbringings it has big affects.
One World
Part I: The Hidden World
Chapter 2: Canon Road
A lot of things had changed for the Grangers in the nine years that'd passed. For one thing they no longer lived within Devon but at Number 47 Canon Road, at the edge of a rather sleepy suburb of Winchester called Weston Farm.
The family of four now had a three bedroom country home, complete with picket fence, hedge, and garage. In the sitting room on the mantle a large collection of photos had slowly accumulated showing a bushy haired girl riding a bicycle, reading a large book, or skimming through a family album. Hermione Granger had grown into a voraciously studious child, who chewed her way through the family library with tenacity akin to that of a terrier digging up a rabbit hole.
But she was not the only child shown on the mantel piece, oh no… there was equal space given to the second child. The messy haired boy was learning to ride a bicycle right alongside his adopted sister, and then there were pictures of him standing amongst a crowd of footballers beside Mr. Granger yelling at the top of his lungs to cheer Southampton at a game. There were other pictures as well, including a set showing the boy standing proud in a junior football club uniform.
But at that moment as the sunlight began to peek through the windows of the house young Harry slept soundly in his bed on the second floor. A soccer ball rolled lazily across the ground as the bushy haired girl that he called his sister slowly pushed open the door and peeked into the forbidden domain of her brother's room.
A slight smirk played across her face as she slipped inside and up to the side of Harry's bed then leapt upon it, bouncing on the cushions and waking Harry with a jolt.
"Harry! You know what today is?"
Harry blinked up at Hermione, "Umm… It's still September isn't it?"
Hermione nodded sagely.
"And there's only three days a year you wake me like this." Harry said and Hermione grinned. "So… Happy Birthday, Hermione!" Harry said before sitting up in bed and hugging her.
Hermione laughed and hugged him back. Her newly eleven-year-old frame was still taller than Harry with his knobby knees and thin body. She grabbed his hand and started dragging him to the door. "Come on, Mum is making pancakes!"
Harry grinned at her and rolled out of bed, kicking away the soccer ball after a moment. "What no presents?"
Hermione rolled her eyes. "Don't be ridiculous Harry. Of course there's presents, but if you don't want me to wait…" She grinned.
"No, you can't have them yet!" Harry laughed and chased her out of his room and down the stairs. As he scrambled into the dining room he saw Hermione leap behind her mother giggling furiously as she kept her between Harry and herself.
"Stop it you two or I'll spill these!" She yelled as the tray loaded with pancakes, bacon, and a few sausages toppled precariously overhead.
Immediately both Harry and Hermione froze and looked repentantly up at their mother who let out a long sigh and set the tray on the table just as Mr. Granger folded his morning paper and grumbled about the latest football scores.
A small pile of parcels was in the middle of the table wrapped in colorful paper, which Harry eyed brightly before sitting down across from Hermione while Mrs. Granger finished setting the table. It was September 19th, 1990, a and Hermione would have to hurry to tear through her packages in time for the school run.
"Happy Birthday." Mr. Granger said to Hermione as he began to fill his plate with sausages.
Mrs. Granger bit her lip before saying. "Dan, not too many… you're supposed to watch your cholesterol."
"Fine." He rolled two sausages back onto the tray and grumbled while Harry and Hermione giggled quietly. Then he glared at the children. "Oh, and you won't be nagging Harry to eat before his next game?"
Hermione blushed before scowling at her father. "I do not nag!"
"Yes you do." Harry said quietly.
"No I do not!"
"Well then, I guess I'll just take this back." Harry said before reaching for one of the presents in the pile.
Hermione snatched it and sat down with a smirk on her face. "Did you get me a book?"
"Maybe…" Harry harrumphed.
Hermione tore open the wrapping paper and a large book fell into his lap. She stared at the title and smiled. "The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho."
"I thought you might like it…" Harry said. "But… can I read it when you're done?"
"When I'm done you can read it Harry." Hermione said with a smirk before being hugged by her brother. "But not before!"
"Then read it soon, please?" Harry said before releasing her and running back to his chair.
Soon Hermione had unwrapped her presents, and grinned at the various gifts that had been revealed. Her father had given her a book on chemistry. Her mother had given her some new clothes including a sweater, jeans, and a skirt.
It wasn't exactly an extravagant assortment of gifts, as her parents weren't necessarily the sort to rain a vast array of presents down on their children, but Hermione was happy even with those modest gifts. Harry was more than happy when she shared them with him, since he knew that without the two older Grangers he could very well be in a home for orphans.
He and his sister weren't exactly the most popular lot in school. She was considered a bookworm, and while Harry loved sports, his connection with the bushy haired buck-toothed girl had insured that he'd received a certain level of disdain from others. It was something that wasn't helped by how he'd gotten into fights defending her. Nor was it helped by how sometimes strange things happened around the two of them.
On one occasion, the pair had come home with a note from their Headmistress informing their parents how they'd been found on the roof of the building. Harry had tried to tell them that he and Hermione had jumped after fleeing a group of local bullies, but that explanation hadn't really helped. It was over twenty feet up to get to the roof.
Then there was the incident where a lunch tray had mysteriously leapt from a table and dumped itself over the head of John Wilcox, a large and aggressive boy that targeted Hermione one afternoon. Another time Hermione had been upset and two books had hurled themselves from the bookcases at a girl who had mocked her in the library.
Strange things happened around them, and each time they did the two parents would look at each other and get a rather distinct look that made Harry worry. It was as though they believed that somehow these strange happenings were his fault, or that there was something about him that made them nervous.
Of course, when he was seven they had set him down and told them how they'd found him on Halloween six years earlier, his parents dead in the home and a massive explosion having torn apart the roof.
That night he had a nightmare involving a green flash of light and a woman screaming for the first time.
What he did not know was that several hundred miles to the north Minerva McGongall, the Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts, was skimming through her schedule. A single envelope appeared atop her desk with an address written in emerald green ink.
Every year it was her task to inform muggleborns of their status on their eleventh birthday, and this year was no exception. She was a bit surprised at how early into the school year that the first letter had appeared but paid it no heed. She read the address after a moment and sighed.
Miss Hermione Jean Granger
The Northern Bedroom,
Number 47 Canon Road,
Weston Farm, Winchester
Then she glanced at her schedule, she knew that the girl would almost certainly be in school until this evening. Then she would visit the young witch. She wondered what sort of people her parents would be. Would they be supportive, or fearful? Would they be relieved that an explanation for their child's abilities had arrived?
Something pulled at the back of her mind, something about the name Granger, but she dismissed it almost immediately.
In Winchester, Harry and Hermione spent the day much like it was any other. They went to school, had lunch, and acted like siblings in their final year of primary school always do. When they came home, the two of them sat down at the kitchen table and started work on their homework.
Their parents were working late at the clinic, and even though it was Hermione's birthday, the girl was focused on her schoolwork before anything else. Her keen mind was constantly at work as she helped Harry through his maths.
Harry wasn't as smart as Hermione, but he was far from dumb. Hermione seemed to absorb knowledge like a sponge and file it away in her vast mind, for later perusal. She wasn't as good at spur of the moment thinking or the arts, aside for playing the piano, and was absolutely terrible in sports. Harry on the other hand was good in sports and enjoyed the odd creative projects his teachers sometimes assigned. Together they made a frightful team, as they'd demonstrated during the last science fair. Harry had been playing with magnets and their project had become a study on the acceleration of metal ball bearings through magnets. Harry did the experiments while Hermione wrote up the data and explained it.
Harry had just finished the last of his work while Hermione was on her second page of an essay explaining the water cycle when there was a knock at the door. Curious, Harry stood and walked to the door and peeped out.
A stern looking woman wearing an emerald green cloak and a black pointed hat stood just outside the door. She peered over her glasses at him for a moment and gave a faint smile. "Is Miss Granger here?"
"Uhh..."
"Who is it Harry?" Hermione asked from the dining room as Harry stood braced in the door looking up at the woman.
"Some woman, she wants to talk to you!" Harry yelled back.
"Can she wait? Mum and dad should be home soon." Hermione asked.
Harry looked nervously up at the stern looking woman. "Yeah... Umm, my parents don't want me err... us to talk to strangers... uhh... can you wait, they should be home any minute."
"That's quite alright, Mr. Granger." The woman said with a faint smile.
Harry giggled. "My name is Mr. Potter."
The woman froze and turned pale. "Your name is Harry Potter?"
"Yes." Harry said, looking rather confused at the woman. She seemed to waver for a long moment and then promptly fainted.
Harry just stared at the limp looking woman for a long moment before turning back from the door. "HERMIONE! SHE FAINTED!" He yelled.
"WHAT?" Hermione said before running over to the door and looking down at the older looking woman. "Harry... what did you do?" She asked.
"Nothin' sis!" Harry said immediately. "She asked if I was Harry Potter, and when I said yes... she fainted."
Hermione stared at him before running to the bathroom and rummaging in medicine cabinets. A moment later she returned with a set of smelling salts and knelt over the woman. Her eyes fluttered when she waved them under her nose and she suddenly gasped for breath. The woman stared up at them, looking rather flustered.
Harry felt her gaze flick across his round glasses and up to his hairline where the lightning bolt-shaped scar he'd had for as long as he remembered was barely hidden behind his wild black hair.
"Merlin..." The woman breathed and stared at Hermione after a moment. "You... you must be Miss Granger then." She said as Hermione helped the older woman to her feet.
"Yes, my name is Hermione Granger." She said after cocking her head curiously at the woman. "Who... who are you?"
The woman seemed flustered and Hermione and Harry stepped back as she drew a long stick from the folds of her robes and spun away from the house. A silvery white cat shot from end of the wand and raced into the distance as the two of them gaped at her.
The woman turned back to them and gave a faint smile. "My name is Professor McGongall, and it seems we have a lot to talk about Miss Granger."
"What was that?" Harry asked in barely a whisper as he glanced from where the silvery creature had ran off into the distance to the Professor.
"I will explain everything once your parents have arrived." McGongall said as she approached. "May I come in?"
Hermione nodded and Harry stood aside letting the stern woman in her emerald green cloak inside. The Professor glanced around the parlor for a moment before taking a seat in one of the stiff chairs that their father prefered and glanced around.
Hermione hurried to the kitchen and Harry heard the gas stove ignite and her hurridly filling a teapot. He slowly walked over to the kitchen table and put away his books, trying to puzzle out what had happened. Why had the strange woman fainted like that? Did it mean that she knew his biological parents?
Harry felt Hermione poke him in the side and jumped. "Mione?"
"Watch the kettle please... I'm almost done." She said before sitting at the table and resuming her work. Harry walked over to the stove and sighed as he heard the water begin to boil. He shut off the stove and fumbled for a tea service in the cabinets before carrying out to the small table before the couch.
"Done!" Hermione said and Harry heard her book snap shut. She hurried over to him and helped with the tray before looking at the stern woman watching the two of them. "Professor... would you like some tea?"
"Yes, thank you Miss Granger."
As Hermione handed her a cup the door opened and their parents stepped inside, looking rather tired and worn out. Mr. Granger was grumbling about Edwin Borger again. "The man is almost one hundred years old Jean, you'd think he wouldn't care about a couple cavities at his age or wear dentures... I swear, his teeth are like that of a man half his age."
"Dear, calm down." Mrs. Granger said as she pulled off her coat and hung it from a rack in the entryway. When she turned and saw the Professor she arched an eyebrow and elbowed her husband. "Dan... we have company?"
"Really?" Mr. Granger said before peeking around the door and looking at the rather stern looking woman.
The Professor stood and offered her hand. "You must be Miss Granger's parents, my name is Professor McGongall."
Dan took her hand and shook it gingerly. "Charmed, ma'am... what can we do for you?" He asked.
"Actually, it's what I'm here to offer your daughter." She pulled a note made of what looked like parchment from her cloak and passed it to Hermione, who glanced at it in confusion. "I'm the deputy headmistress of a rather unique boarding school. A school that will offer admission to Miss Granger next year."
Hermione curiously tore open the envelope and started to read, her eyes widening as she did. "Is... is this a joke?"
"No, Miss Granger, it is no joke." The Professor said.
"What?" Dan asked as he looked between the Professor and his daughter.
"Mr. Granger, Mrs. Granger, there is no easy way to say this, but the school I represent, is a school of magic." McGongall said.
"Magic?" Mrs. Granger said sounding shocked as Hermione began to read aloud.
"Dear Hermione Jean Granger,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Professor McGongall will answer any questions you have about the school and the world which you are about to join.
Term begins September 1st. We await your owl no later than July 31st."
Harry gaped at her for a long moment then swallowed. "Sis... you're a witch?"
Hermione turned bright red and glared at him before Professor McGongall nodded. "Yes, Miss Granger, you are a witch... the first in your family."
"But... but... it's not possible." Hermione muttered.
The Grangers glanced at each other for a long moment as if engrossed in a silent conversation. A moment later they turned to the Professor and Mr. Granger spoke. "Can you prove any of this isn't some enormous joke."
McGongall nodded and pulled the length of wood from her pocket and flicked it toward the teapot. Immediately it transformed into a cat that sat stiffly on the metal tray and meowed. Then she changed it back with another flick of the wrist.
"Magic..." Mr. Granger's gaze flicked toward the wand in her hand.
"I take it you've seen a wand before, Mr. Granger?" McGongall asked.
"Once, a long time ago," He said quietly before glancing at Harry. "I'm not sure..."
"Dad?" Harry asked. "What is it?"
"The last time I saw a wand, it was at Godric's Hollow." He said quietly and turned to McGongall. "Professor McGongall... are you certain Hermione is a witch? Could you be mistaken?"
She nodded. "I am certain, if you need more proof..." McGongall turned to Hermione and held her wand toward her, handle first. "Just give it a wave."
Gingerly Hermione took the wood instrument and waved it once. Instantly a book shot from the bookcase behind them and she jumped. Minerva smiled faintly. "That's quite all right Miss Granger, you've not had any training yet..." She plucked her wand from Hermione's grasp. "Such unpredictable reactions are common with incompatible or unwon wands." She glanced at the two adults. "I'm sure you've had to deal with... strange things happening at times. Unexplainable happenings..."
"Yes, but we thought it was Harry." Mrs. Granger said. "After how we found him, we thought he was most likely the cause."
"I am sure Mr. Potter has his share of blame." McGongall said. "The question is, do you want to come to the school... learn magic?"
Hermione bit her lip and glanced around the room at her parents before looking at Harry. "What about my brother?"
"Brother?"
"Harry." Hermione clarified. "Will he come too?"
McGongall nodded. "I am certain he will, both his parents were very competent wizards, Headboy and Headgirl in their day." She nodded to Harry. "If he wants to go, he can."
Mrs. Granger swallowed. "Professor... What about Harry? The police couldn't find any relatives of his or..."
"I'm afraid the police of Godric's Hollow never finished their investigation, the secrecy of our world is of paramount importance and measures were taken to stop the investigation." Professor McGongall said. "The police were obliviated, the house you saw hidden, and police records obliterated."
"Obliviated?" Mrs. Granger asked.
"Memory charmed, they do not remembered anything from that day." McGongall said. "Mr. Potter does have living relatives, and a guardian assigned by his parent's will."
Harry saw his parent's pale. His mum said. "We... we didn't mean to abduct him!"
"Of course not, I doubt that his guardian would—"
"NO!" Harry shouted as he stood up. "I'm not leaving, they're my Mum and Dad!"
McGongall glanced at Harry and arched an eyebrow. "Mr. Potter?"
"No! I'm not leaving them!" Harry shouted. "They're my family."
McGongall sighed and relented. "I am sure your guardian will understand your desire to stay with them, perhaps a compromise..."
Harry grabbed Hermione's hand and clung on. "I'm not going to leave."
"I understand, Mr. Potter." Professor McGongall said. "Your guardian has been searching for you for nine years... at least hear him out before making a decision."
Harry relented, but continued to mutter quietly about staying with his mum and dad. Outside the rumble of a motorcycle echoed and McGongall stood. "Just in time."
There was a knock at the door and McGongall's lips tightened to a white line as she headed toward the door. "Yes, after I met Mr. Potter I thought we'd have to discuss this." She headed for the door. "I contacted a former student of mine, who has direct interest in the situation." She pulled open a door and a man with curly hair, brown eyes, and a small moustache stepped inside. He was clad in a trench coat and seemed to freeze as he stepped through the threshold, his eyes locked on Harry.
"Minerva... Are you sure?" He asked. Then he stepped inside and took a long look at Harry, as if studying him. His eyes glinted for a moment before he gasped. "Merlin, it really is him."
Harry glanced at his parents looking confused as McGongall slowly led the man toward a chair. As he sat, he shook slightly as if in shock and she turned to face them. "Mr. Potter... this is Sirius Black. He was a close friend of your parents."
Harry stared at the man with his bushy mustache, curly black hair, and dark brown eyes. He swallowed nervously as the Professor sat down beside him. Harry tightened his grip on Hermione's hand.
She looked odd to Harry, with her emerald cloak and pointed hat. Something about her gave him the impression she was a strict woman, and someone that should not be crossed. He was torn from that train of thought when Sirius spoke.
"God, you look so much like James." Sirius finally said and let out a small breath. "But you've got her eyes... Lily's eyes."
Those words struck a chord in Harry, his adopted parents had told him how they'd assumed his father's name was James Potter, but had never learned the name of his mother. Now he knew, and he felt tears begin to fill his eyes. "You, you knew them?"
"Yeah... I was the best man at your mum and dad's wedding..." He fumbled with his coat pockets and drew out a photograph, holding it up to Harry.
A woman with bright red hair and a man with wild black hair stood together in formal wear like he'd never seen before. Besides the groom, he saw a man that must have been Sirius, albeit younger. The image moved and shifted like a short video as he watched, and saw his parents kiss. "It... it moves." He said quietly.
"Wizarding photos do." Sirius said as he sat back. "I've been looking for you for the last nine years Harry... we wizards don't interact much with muggles and we really don't know how to find people in your world." He frowned slightly. "I... I don't know how to say this."
Harry looked up at the man and saw tears in his eyes. "Mr. Black?"
He sniffed and looked away. "In... In your parent's will, they named me your guardian in case... in case anything happened to them." He took a deep breath and swallowed. "And now... I found you, and... You have two wonderful parents already, a sister even..." He glanced back at Harry. "I wanted to take you with me, back to our world but... you're happy here aren't you?"
"I... I'm sorry Mr. Black, but they're my family... I can't go with you."
Sirius nodded and wiped his eyes. "Oh Merlin, look at me crying over my Godson's good fortune."
"Maybe we can work out some visits." His dad suggested from behind Harry. "I'm sure he'd love to learn about his biological parents..."
Black's eyes seemed to light up and he smiled faintly. "That… That'd be great."
"Harry, what do you think?" His adopted father asked.
Harry glanced at the carpet, furrowing his brow in concentration. His mind was still swimming from all the shocks he'd heard from these two. He chewed his lip and glanced up at Sirius, seeing the man's eyes lighting up with hope Harry let out a slight smile. "I... I'd like that."
"There is more, I'm afraid... Mr. Potter's parent's deaths were caught up in the middle of important events in the Wizarding World." Professor McGongall said. "Occasionally evil wizards arise and for eleven years before your parent's death a war had torn our world apart. Your parents fought on the side of light, and attracted the attention of the enemy's leader."
"Oh come off it Minerva, don't beat around the bush..." Sirius took a deep breath. "Harry... in our world you're famous. Your parents didn't just up and die... that Halloween, the dark wizard came to your house and turned his wand on each of them... I was there shortly afterwards. Voldemort cast three killing curses, one downstairs... killing James." At this Sirius sniffed and dabbed at his eyes. "I'm sorry he was my best friend. Two were cast upstairs, one hit Lily... and... One hit you. No one knows why, but the curse... it didn't work on you Harry. It rebounded on its caster and killed that Dark Tosser. It ended the war in one strange occurrence. A lot of people think you'll be something special, stopping him like that. Dumbledore, one of the best wizards around, thinks it wasn't you but your mum... He thinks she gave her life to protect you, and her magic saved you even after she'd been killed."
Harry gaped at Sirius. "She... she died to save me?"
Sirius nodded. "She did, saved you... no one else has ever survived that curse. Voldemort wiped out whole families, Bones, the Prewitts, and others..."
Harry noticed that each time Sirius said Voldemort that McGongall seemed to shudder involuntarily. Black glanced at her and rolled his eyes. "Right, right... most in the Wizarding world don't say his name. They call him You-Know-Who or He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. People are still scared even though he's been gone since that Halloween night."
"I'm famous... for that?" Harry said quietly. "I'm famous for my parent's dying? That's stupid."
"You're famous for surviving Harry. Most don't think about how you lost your parents... you're just The-Boy-Who-Lived to them." Sirius sighed.
"Harry... its okay." Hermione said as she squeezed his hand. "You're doing good, little brother."
Sirius smiled faintly at the two of them. "So... I guess McGongall convinced you that you want to go to Hogwarts?"
"Harry, Hermione... do you want to go?" Their mum asked quietly.
Harry glanced at Hermione who nodded once and smiled. He glanced at his parents. "Yeah... we want to go, Mum. We want to learn Magic."
"Why don't you stay for dinner, and we can talk about this... and visiting Mr. Black?" Mrs. Granger said.
Black smiled at that. "Thank you."