Author's Note:
I've a question for my readers. Should Harry Potter enter Hogwarts at the age of 11? What's better; an older (say 14 and more powerful and trained), or a child of 11 barely scratching the surface of wanded magic. Post your thoughts, please.
A week after the group had returned Sirius, Alice, and Remus noticed almost immediately changes in Harry's demeanor and daily life. He was more energetic, ate more, and appeared to be getting into a growing spurt. They were planning on heading to Salem, the oldest magical district in the USA to get Harry his wand, and Sirius discussed the possibilities with Charles and Remus. Charles was adamant that the more Harry used his power the faster it would grow, while the British normal train of thought was that he could burn out his core if pushed too far too fast.
Realizing they were talking with a man several hundred years old, who probably had a more innate relationship with his power, they made plans and booked their flights. Bran had offered his plane for their trip, but a last minute conflict in Chicago had changed that. He would go down and sort the mess out personally, with Charles, while Sirius, Alice, Remus and Harry made the journey.
Unlike Olivander's, where Remus and Sirius had gotten their first wands, each wand was crafted specifically for it's user. They would be there for a week, taking in the sights, picking up numerous ingredients for potions, and other oddments they figured would be a great help in beginning Harry's magical education.
All in all, the trip was nice, and Harry got to see and experience life as it existed on the busy east coast of America. Alice had stared around in wonderment at the various things offered in the magical district. She'd heard the stories over the years, but seeing it all first hand was still an eye-opener. "They still flew on brooms", she thought in wonderment, staring at the display in the window. Harry had long outgrown his childhood training broom, and the three adults had discussed the options of not emphasizing how much different Harry was from his peers, versus letting him stay in touch with his heritage. It was decided to try and offer him a mix of both, as all could see how well rounded an upbringing he was getting.
This would be no snooty young lord, entering British society, but a well balanced youth, with knowledge of the non-magical and magical worlds. Heritages he had inherited from both of his loving parents.
A week later the group returned to the remote village loaded down with parcels and educational paraphenelia. Harry was given the rest of the summer off, but come September of 1988 he would begin his magical education, along with the other sundry things he had to learn as head of House Potter.
Time seemed to fly by for the group after that. Occasionally Sirius would have to leave to take care of family business, as on their trip to the magical district they had visited a local Gringotts. There, Sirius had learned his mother had finally passed away, and he was now head of that branch of the Black family. With heavy heart he put on the family ring, knowing he was the last surviving direct male descendent of the family. He quickly reinstated his cousin Andromeda back into the family, disowned Bellatrix LeStrange and sent a letter to his cousin Narcissa.
She was bluntly told to either adhere to his wishes, or be disowned as her insane sister had been. A tentative reply was received, indicating that due to her husbands former activities their options were quite limited. Being informed that the dark mark Lucius had on his arm had not completely disappeared, began a flurry of research both in America and Britain.
In the meantime, while answers were being sought on how to break the protean charm the mark was based on, things were still busy in America.
Sirius and Alice Downs wed, formally, on August 15, of 1989, and Harry happily began calling her 'mum', like many of his friends did in their families. The first time he did that the poor boy became confused when she burst into tears and ran from the room. When asked when he would ever understand girls, both his godfather and Remus had fallen down laughing, hysterically. It took Sirius half an hour to calm his wife down, and when she emerged from their shared bedroom she picked up Harry and snuggled him like a toddler, much to his embarrassment. Unfortunately due to her enhanced strength he had to endure the indignity until she regained her composure.
Things didn't much change for Harry until September after his tenth birthday.
Minerva MacGonagall made her typical house visit to a pair of muggle dentists to inform them of their daughter's magical powers. Several demonstrations later, the confused couple were sitting there having tea with the esteemed Transfiguration Mistress, when they broached the subject of their daughter's uniqueness.
"Professor MacGonagall", Edward Granger hesitantly asked, "is there much problem with bullying or such, at Hogwarts?"
Minerva, years before, would have been hesitant to answer that question. Luckily, the school had been slowly changing, but she knew there were still some families resistant to the new era.
Placing her teacup down, she folded her hands demurely in her lap, squarely meeting their gaze. "In the past, yes, and there are those families, those coming from long unbroken magical lineage, that are resistant to changes in our society. Unfortunately, many of those families are politically powerful. Bullying still happens, but we do our best to punish those that transgress quite emphatically."
The two doctors across from her exchanged glances, before Evelyn Granger, spoke her mind. "You see, we've had a problem with Hermione since she was a child. She's far in advance of her peers, and as such she has never fit in well with other children her own age. She's been in a school for gifted children since she was four, and has already passed her 'A' levels." Seeing Minerva's confused look, she explained further. "It would be the same as if you had an eleven year old graduating Hogwarts."
Minerva was astounded. "The intellect the girl must have!", she thought. Out loud, she asked, "So, she's never had any friends?" At the negative shakes of their heads, Minerva quickly brainstormed.
If the girl was that intellectually gifted, she would be as ostrasized as a former gifted muggleborn had been. Lily Evans had been a veritable genius with Charms and Potions, but she'd also had the friendship of one Severus Snape, who'd given her a leg up before she'd ever reached Hogwarts. When some of the older established families had tried to intimidate her, they'd quickly realized that this was no defenceless muggleborn, but a powerful witch in her own right.
"I may have a solution", she hedged, meeting the eyes of the concerned parents, "but I'll have to confer with the person's guardians. "There's a boy, an orphan, who has grown up away from Britain. As far as I know, he has no others his own age who are magical. If his guardians agree, I can see if they'll allow the two to be in contact with each other." Seeing their relief, she added, "That's the best I can do, presently!"
Edward sighed in relief. It was more than they were hoping for. For their daughter to have someone magical she could confide in, be a friend, was all they'd ever wished for their prodigy of a child. They'd been dreading sending her off to university at twelve years of age. As it was, she'd barely had a childhood, her nose constantly buried in books.
So it was, on September 19, of 1990 Hermione Granger opened a present from her parents to find a...mirror? With confusion, she'd looked askance at her parents, thinking they'd finally lost it. She nearly dropped the mirror in shock as it vibrated in her hands, and looking down stuttered "Hello?"
The tanned face of a boy, near her own age, with brilliant green eyes and messy black hair, was smiling up at her from the mirror.
"Hey Hermione! Happy birthay! Ain't magic great!", said the boy. Hermione, despite having been wading through her first year materials at an alarming rate, was too shocked to bother correcting his grammer, as was her usual habit.
"Wha...? How?", she spluttered, and began turning the mirror over, looking for what could be powering the obviously enchanted mirror.
A startled "Hey!", of indignation interrupted her perusal of the mirror, and she blushingly realized she'd quite rudely cut off her 'caller'.
It was with a rather red face that Hermione faced her caller again, and introduced herself, properly. "Thank you for the birthday wishes. I'm Hermione Granger. Pleased to meet you."
The boy smiled brightly at her, and she realized he was rather cute. "Don't freak out, but I'm Harry Potter!", he introduced himself. Hermione's eyes opened wide, and her mouth was moving but no sound came out.
Hermione's parents were quite amused, as it took quite a shock to bring their daughter to speechlessness. They were less than pleased when she rudely blurted out, "Are you really?", in astonishment.
At their indignant sounds, Hermione blushed again, and apologized. "I'm sorry, that was rather rude of me, but it was quite a surprise. They say you've been missing for years!"
Harry shrugged. "Not really missing, per se, but in hiding, most definitely", he explained. As the Grangers inquired why, they were told a startling tale of war, betrayal, and fear.
Hermione's parents were looking at each other worriedly. Just how safe was this world?
"So, anyway", Harry interrupted their musings, "how are you doing on the magic end?" At her confused look, he elaborated. "You know, doing simple things, like levitation and what not?"
"I was told we can't perform magic outside of school, Harry", she said, looking to her parents in confusion. "How is it you can?"
"Oh...right! Forgot about that. They mean wand magic, Hermione. You can still do wandless stuff, as long as it's in your own house, ya know? The 'trace' is placed on your wand when you purchase it, and expires when you're seventeen."
"I thought you had to be really powerful to do wandless magic?", Hermione asked. She knew she was smart, but this boy was already confusing her with conflicting information.
"Nah!", was the response. "It's not about power, but rather concentration. Here", Harry lifted up his hand to show her in the mirror. A small bluebell flame appeared, hovering over his hand. "This is a great way to show control. It's a heatless flame spell. Gives off great light, and won't burn your hand!"
Hermione was astonished. She'd doubted this boy's assertion he could do wandless magic, and yet he'd shown her he could clearly do so. For once, books were failing her, and it wasn't making her happy. Harry went on to further burst her knowledge bubble.
"Don't forget, you can also study up on runes, practice arithmancy, and make potions. I mean, you're not going to school for almost another twelve months. If I were you, I'd get cracking!"
For the first time in her life, education wise, Hermione was excited. Regular studies for her were rather easy, due to her photographic memory. Magic however, defied the very laws of physics, and she was now free to do what came naturally to her. Read ahead and prep herself for entrance into this secret world.
Several hours later, with input from Harry, Sirius, and Remus, Hermione's parents were encouraged to build her a little potions lab in a small shed at the back of their spacious property. They would hire a local contractor to install a small exhaust hood that would keep her safe from the potions fumes. The knowledgable adult wizards also recommended several different books for reference that most definitely were not on their book lists. By the time Harry signed off, Edward and Evelyn were happy to see a glow of excitement in their daughters eyes. She and Harry seemed to get along like a house on fire, and they had high hopes for their daughter to blossom into the young woman they knew she could be.
Harry's education continued on like normal, and he was mowing through material with an entheusiasm that lightened Sirius, Alice, and Remus' hearts. They'd been afraid he'd start to feel too isolated from the other children in their village, and resent his heritage. The bubbling genius they'd been pursuaded to allow Harry to contact had fired their charge up like they'd never seen before.
Hermione's parents limited her to contacting Harry every two to three days, due to the huge time difference, especially after they found her sleeping face down on the mirror after one late night conversation. Still, it allowed her to advance more rapidly than if she'd been on her own, and much more safely. It also gladdened their hearts when they actually heard their daughter asking questions, something she'd rarely had to do before in conventional school.
The months flew by, and at Sirius' urging, the Grangers flew to America for Christmas that year, and got to experience the holidays, American style. They'd returned home after being inundated with numerous gifts from their new friends, stuffed to the gills with a traditional Christmas feast, and got to see the wonder that was a full werewolf pack playing in the snow in the light of a full moon just before New Years.
As successful dentists they were quite financially sound, but when they inquired as to the richness of some of the gifts Harry had gifted Hermione with, had been shocked into speechlessness when informed of both Harry and Sirius' wealth. They'd also been heartened when informed that due to Hermione's muggleborn status there was a glass ceiling, but with sponsorship from either House Black, or House Potter, their genius daughter could probably end up ruling magical Britain with either of their backings.
It was a highly enlightened pair of British dentists that returned to their practice after the holidays, and they also noticed how much more bubbly and outgoing their daughter was becoming. Evelyn shot her husband a knowing glance as they caught Hermione staring longingly at her mirror, and the former military man sighed in resignation. If things went as well as they were in the future, there was no way he could play the protective father figure. He'd lost before he even got the chance! Bugger it all!
That he was slightly intimidated by the boy played another significant factor, as well. Sirius and Remus had took him and his wife aside, as they'd stared open mouthed as they saw the casual way the boy had flung power about like he was a young god brought to earth. Edward and Evelyn were informed that, yes, Harry was a prodigy, and would likely exceed even the revered Headmaster of Hogwarts in sheer power, probably before his wizarding majority. They kept it quiet though, trying to keep him as well balanced as they could. It was a humble father that went to bed that night, his wife curled against his side.
It was a rather disappointed Hermione the next August, when she learned that Harry would not yet be attending Hogwarts. Their reasonings were sound, and so she sadly boarded the train, her new, multi-compartment trunk in tow (a gift from Harry and Sirius). Her sorting went off without a hitch, though it was a rather disappointed Filius Flitwick when the gifted girl somehow went to Griffindor.
Albus Dumbledore had pursuaded Nicholas Flamel to approach either Sirius Black or Harry with regards to his stone, when concerns about a possible theft being planned reached his ears. So, the aged scholar had his infamous artifact buried deep within the catacombs of Gringotts, in the high-security vault of the Potters. As none without Potter blood could even access the vault, it was as secure as could be. The goblins, proud to have been selected to guard such a precious artifact, further enhanced the security with two of their most ferocious dragons.
Hermione spent most nights, secure behind her silenced bed curtains, chatting with Harry as she did her homework to the light of the bluebell flame spell Harry had taught her. She'd had a slight problem with one Ronald Weasley, until she, with her newfound confidence, called him a 'daft, dimwitted troll, and an embarrassment to wizardkind everywhere'. She'd lost points for her acerbic tongue, but said moRon, as Harry took to calling him, was well deserving the criticism. He'd later tried to intimidate her with childish name calling, and she'd been distressed until Harry reassured her that, yes, she indeed did have a friend, and the two had talked for hours that Halloween night.
It was with great surprise that Hermione learned there had been a troll let loose in the school the night before, but she'd been soundly asleep in her bed, mirror clutched in her hand and a smile on her lips.
The year went on, with Hermione acing everything the teachers threw at her, including Severus Snape, Potions Master. He'd been flabbergasted to the point his occlumency barriers had nearly dropped in surprise. Not only was she well ahead of her peers, she claimed she'd already been working with the third year syballus. With straight O's, Hermione sailed through the year, with the only hiccup being the death of her abysmal Defence teacher around Easter break that year. As Harry, Sirius, and Remus were tutoring her through their mirrors, she wasn't worried about her end of year examinations.
It wasn't until the end of the year feast that she learned that Albus Dumbledore had long suspected his Defence teacher of having slipped to the enticement of the dark arts. Apparently, the poor fool had suspected Dumbledore of housing a powerful magical artifact in the school, and a virtual battle royal had taken place in an unused section of the castle. The aged Headmaster was feared and respected for one reason; his knowledge of magic was nearly unparalleled. In a matter of minutes the former professor had been disarmed, bound, and subdued. On learning of what was lurking in the back of the mans head, the Unspeakables from the Depart of Mysteries had been summoned, and he was whisked away, never to be seen again.
The last part none of the students were made aware of, only that they would be getting a new defence professor the following year.
It was with a lightened heart Hermione learned that Remus had been asked to assume the position. Dumbledore requested the aid of the Gringotts cursebreakers, and with the support of the Black and Potter name, a full team arrived during the summer. It took them less than a half day to identify the curse, and dismantle it. Hogwarts would now have a continuous professor for more than one year.
Remus was loathe to leave Sirius and Harry, but knew he needed to start rowing his own boat. The secure job and steady paycheque would allow him to begin building his own life. The Ministry, of course, protested, until Remus went directly to Amelia Bones. There, he quietly demonstrated that while he was a werewolf, it was not what British subjects were taught. To say she was surprised was an understatement, and she quietly sent a missive to the Unspeakables to inquire why this method wasn't more widely used to contain the spread of the despicable curse.
Hermione urged her parents to visit America again, and they acquiesced, on the condition that she not go overboard in too much studying. She would spend a month there alone with Harry, Sirius, and Alice, and then her parents would visit and spend the month of August with them. Another set of mirrors were made for her to talk to her parents, and most evenings were spent with the group chatting for at least half an hour.
When Hermione had to leave again to go to school, she cried, and held onto Harry as if he were her lifeline. Evelyn quietly put her hand out, and her husband grudgingly handed over the five hundred quid he'd bet that it would take at least another two years for his precious daughter to fall for the raven-haired boy.
The group were frightened near to death when was petrified, but with Remus' knowledge of dark creatures, and Hermione's research habits, the group quickly sussed out that it was a basilisk roaming the school. Dumbledore, knowing only a dark artifact could have caused the release of such a creature, activated some old unused wards and Ginny Weasley was quickly found to have a possessed diary in her belongings.
Much questioning abounded, and the DMLE was called in. Albus was able to peruse Ginny's mind under the direction of Amelia Bones, and the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets was quickly found. Stumped at the entrance, Harry was pressured to reveal that he was, indeed, a parselmouth. A full contingent of Aurors, Dumbledore, and Severus Snape descended to the grimy chamber. The basilisk, when asked why it had attacked, was revealed to be slightly mad, after untold centuries alone. With heavy hearts the magical beast was dispatched, and the remains harvested. As it was Harry, Remus, and Hermione who were determined to be instrumental in the safe capture of the beast, and it's slaughter, the proceeds were split: fifty percent would be divided between Harry, Remus, and Hermione, with the remainder going into the schools budget. Severus also got first pick of some of the rarer ingredients, and for the first time in years the dour man had a wide grin on his face.
Hermione and Remus swore they heard him cackling madly as he dashed from the chamber with his prizes in tow.
The remainder of the year passed uneventfully, and once again, Hermione blew the grade point average out of the water. None but her, Remus, Albus, and Minerva knew she was receiving extra help, but that was only for the practical work. The rest was all on her.
It was an excitedly bouncing girl that jumped into Harry's arms as she got out of the suburban that brought her to the remote village again. Evelyn once again won a bet, as the formerly reserved girl gleefully kissed Harry full on the lips in front of everyone. The young couple spent a glorious summer together, practicing magic, engaged in a full-out prank war with Sirius and Remus, and generally just enjoying the summer together. The pranks only settled down when Bran threatened to turn Sirius over his knee, as some of the weres were beginning to get agitated.
That fall, Hermione went back to school again, regretfully alone. Luckily, they still had the mirrors, and while her classwork remained on par with her school peers, she and Harry were well into fifth year material. The remaining two Maurauders assured her that when both Sirius and Remus felt Harry could hold his own against a seventh year, he would go to Hogwarts. That alone brought the highly motivated young couple to a new frenzied level in their studies.
More than one night that year Alice would come downstairs for a drink of water to find Harry slumped over his books, asleep from sheer exhaustion. Nothing the adults could do would pursuade the boy to relax a bit, and resigned to help him as much as they could.
Luckily that year went virtually without incident, other than Hermione getting pissed at a few purebloods that decided to taunt her. They spent a week in the hospital wing, and the girl earned a month's detentions, much to Sirius and Remus' enjoyment. Their corruption of the young girl was complete.
That summer Hermione was overjoyed that she'd be spending a full two months again with Harry and her parents. When the news broke about the Death Eaters making an appearance at the Quidditch World Cup, the families got together to plan. News of Voldemort's followers was not a good sign, and with the news of the prophecy Albus had shared with them after the discovery of the diary, the group decided it was time to return to Britain.
By the time Harry and Hermione boarded the Hogwarts Express, the young couple had been together over two years. Hand in hand they strolled through the barrier, with Sirius and Alice trailing behind, each gripping the arms of one of the Granger adults. They were glad to finally be able to see their daughter off properly, and thankful for the young man happily holding her hand. With promises to message them as often as they could, Hermione Granger and Harry Potter headed to Hogwarts on September 1, 1994.
