The Inimitably Inspired, Indubitably Irreverent Harry Potter Do-Over
By
Herman Tumbleweed
Disclaimer: Full quasi-legal disclaimer in prologue. So, you really think that if I owned this I'd put it out for free on the internet? Cool! Let's get together and talk about some nice land on the North Carolina shore I have for sale…
A/N: I suppose you could blame Loralee1 for this because part of it came from her plot bunny. On the other hand you could also blame the Wizard of Oz writers and filmmakers, since that is likely where my fascination with fantasy originated. Now, as to my rather odd sense of humour? Blame my grandfather… he was a strange one, that's for sure… yeah, yeah, that's the ticket... blame all those folks. In case you might not have noticed, I take few things in life seriously. Now, sit back, get comfortable, put all food and drinks out of reach so as to protect your computer components, and read on. I have changed how words are emphasized, when not done in bold, switching from italics to underlining.
Thank you very much to those who have reviewed and all the folks who have added me to their alert and/or favourites lists. I'm honoured… no, really, I am… hey come back with that…
Chapter Three: Feels So Right
Amelia Bones was just finishing up a rather long day, when her assistant knocked and then entered. She looked up at the young man with an eyebrow raised.
"I know you were getting ready to leave, ma'am, but I thought you should see this before you went home." He handed her a sheaf of parchment, and left.
She glanced down at the forms, which were the standard accidental magic fooforaw which she often had to peruse, usually without much interest. She only saw the ones which were of a significant nature and which might require her to take action, such as notifying the minister. That seldom happened; usually when the incident occurred in front of a large number of Muggles, and then only if there was a chance not all had been Obliviated of the memory. Occasionally, in such situations, the need arose to feed the Muggle news media a cover story.
She scanned the documents and then froze when she saw the name of the young wizard who had caused the Accidental Magic Reversal Squad and Obliviators to be dispatched to his home. Harry James Potter. "Oh my," she thought. "He's the same year as Susan, so he should be old enough to have more control than this. Must have taken a lot, from what she tells me of him, to get the boy that rattled." Most youngsters after two years in school would freak out if their magic got away from them like his apparently had, so someone from the department definitely needed to visit and reassure him tonight there would be no repercussions.
As well, she was quite aware of the stories circulating about how the young wizard had recently killed a basilisk in the bowels of Hogwarts. It seemed a fantastic and impossible story, but given his history she could not totally discount it either.
Reading the forms over more closely, she found that he had departed immediately following the incident with another student and her family. The girl was a Muggleborn, and, though Susan had mentioned the girl, Amelia had no reason to know anything about the young witch. Included, however, was the address of the girl, one Hermione Granger, and her parents.
She couldn't help the snort that escaped as she read the full report. He'd done transfigurations on four people, three at once and the other shortly after! He'd then levitated a dog! The dog had proceeded to urinate on at least two of the people, though it was unclear as to whether Potter had caused that or the animal was just frightened. This was going to be one very powerful wizard some day. In time he would probably outstrip Dumbledore. She looked then at the strength of the burst of accidental magic and her eyebrows threatened to disappear into her hairline. Powerful indeed!
Even to the Amelia, who'd just about seen it all, the type of transfigurations done was priceless. The report didn't say so, naturally, but she could imagine how hard it had been for the witches and wizards to remain totally professional while setting things to rights. The urge to guffaw over the state of the Muggles would have been hard to control, especially given the sounds they were making when the team arrived.
After quickly reading through the report, skipping nothing, she tapped a small device on her desk. A moment later her assistant came in again. "Yes ma'am?" he inquired.
Send for Team Chief Grenouille, please. I'd like to discuss this report with him."
The young man smiled knowingly, "Yes, ma'am. He thought you might, and is waiting just outside."
She chuckled, and told him to send the senior Obliviator in.
When the man ambled through her door, she looked up at him expectantly while he took the seat she gestured him to. "Well, Mike, what do we know about this situation that is not in the report?"
He grinned. "Why Director Bones, what would make you think not everything is in the official report." He stressed the word, and she caught his meaning.
"Humour me, and tell me the rest." She smirked at her old friend.
His grin faded to a very serious and dark look. "Amelia, if I was Harry Potter I wouldn't return to that house for any reason whatsoever. An' if someone tried to make me do so, I'd kill 'em, or at least hurt 'em real bad. End of story! You know my dad's a Muggle, but I've never, ever seen Muggles that're aware of magic act like those… individuals. An' I'm bein' couth callin' 'em that, just so you know."
Her eyebrows started heading for her hairline again. She'd known this man for nearly as long as she'd been in the department, and he'd hardly ever spoken badly about anyone, let alone Muggles. Having known him so long, she well knew also that he was a good and decent man who did his job professionally and to the best of his considerable ability.
Taking his cue from her eyebrows, a well known indicator in the department that one should continue with more information, the man smiled grimly. "I don't know if I could adequately describe how rude and offensive those people were to us. We nearly had to subdue the Mr, and the Mrs wasn't a whole lot better. Then there was the sister of the… gentleman. The Mrs was nattering on about how the, and I quote, "damned useless boy" was a menace to society. The Mr kept yelling at everybody to get out of his house and calling us freaks, then there was the sister just generally yelling, and most of it I've no idea what she was on about. A lot of that, however, was about the same as the other two, mostly how the boy was a horrid creature and such drivel."
"Funny part was the son, Dudley," here he snickered. "After we set his tongue to rights, he spent the whole time with one hand over his mouth and the other trying to cover his extremely ample backside, which he mostly kept against a wall or somethin'."
Amelia smiled at the image, even though she was disinclined find enjoyment in anyone's misfortune. She rolled her hand indicating he should continue.
Mike shook his head, "I don't know what else to tell ya, Amelia. We know the Potter boy left with his classmate, as the report says, and is supposed to be stayin' with her for a few days. I don't think he should return there for the rest of the summer, if at all, frankly. They really hate the kid, and it isn't a new thing either. Has less to do with what he did, than that they absolutely detest magic and anything that smacks of magic." He sat back looking grim and a bit bewildered.
Amelia thought over what he had said and asked, "Is there something else, Mike?"
"Just a feeling, but I would bet the Potter boy has been abused by those animals." He fairly spat out the last word, but went on mildly, "We did a thorough search of the house, as per SOP, three of the bedrooms were as you'd expect. The master with en-suite, what seemed to be a guest room where the sister appeared to be staying, and the Dursley boy's room. That was packed with all manner of Muggle toys and whatnot."
"The fourth bedroom is what has my knickers in a twist, everyone on the team for that matter. It was dingy, a bare light on the ceiling, a crummy looking bed and half broken or worn out furnishings. The worst of it was the locks on the outside of the door to keep someone locked inside, and there was a cat flap at the bottom. Not sure what that last was all about. It had to have been Potter's room because of a calendar on the wall with days crossed off and the first of September circled. There were a lot of really hacked off witches and wizard on the team after we all saw that room."
"It looked like the boy didn't intend to return, though, because all his stuff was gone. One thing that didn't make a lot of sense was some clothes in there that looked to be cast-offs from the other boy. But, they looked like they might have been used by Potter. Just a hunch, but I'd bet they never bought the lad clothes that fit."
Amelia mused on that for a moment. She seemed to recall Susan having said his Muggle clothes always seemed way too big for him. "Mike," she said then, "I think it would be best if I went and had a chat with young Mr Potter tonight. He needs to have his mind set at ease over the incident, and I want to at least try to find out if any of what you suspect is true."
"Just what I was goin' to suggest; he's high profile and I figured you'd want to handle it instead of me. If he was treated badly, though, it might be best to have someone from another department, Muggles even, go and arrest the gits. By tomorrow everyone in DMLE will have heard about his living conditions an' be wantin' to get their hands on the barmy fools."
HPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHP
When Hermione and Harry got downstairs, they were still teasing each other and laughing together as they walked out onto the patio where her parents had drinks waiting for them. It was a pleasant evening, the heat of the warm day dissipating. As they seated themselves, they finally dropped their loose grip on each other's hands. Harry was thinking about how comfortable and easy it was to be with her, even more so away from school.
Ignoring the others temporarily, Harry took a moment to admire the lovely rear garden with its marvellous landscaping and the waterfall built into the pool. It was certainly a step or four up from anything the Dursleys would ever have. That thought made him smile to himself.
Turning his attention back to the Drs Granger and their lovely daughter, he saw the amused smiles on the adult's faces before he looked at Hermione, who had slightly pink cheeks. It took him a second before he realized her parents had been looking amusedly at their clasped hands as the pair took their seats, then he too flushed some.
Mr Granger cleared his throat and said, "Tell me, Harry," as he leaned forward with his arms on the table and his eyes twinkling in obvious mirth, "is this a new development?" He gestured at their hands and the fact that they had, automatically moved their chairs close together, "or did our Hermione forget to tell us something?"
Harry felt like the deer in the headlights, and had some idea of what he'd done to Aunt Petunia that morning. In the past two years he'd faced a mountain troll, "Fluffy" the giant three headed dog, a Voldemort possessed teacher, Hagrid's automobile sized "pet" spiders, Tom Riddle, and a bloody immense basilisk, not to mention Snape, McGonagall and a number of other things. That meant Harry was not a coward, but this man, even though he was smiling, scared the young wizard more than he'd ever thought possible. He froze for a moment, but then he remembered his slightly confused feelings for Hermione, and how he had always liked her so much. Suddenly, somehow, it didn't matter what the man said, thought, or did. He wanted, for a moment, to access the memories of that older man, but firmly resisted.
"Er… actually, sir, Hermione and I are very good friends, and we often sit close together when talking." Harry hated the fact his voice squeaked right then, but he cleared his throat and went on. He glanced at Hermione, who was smiling warmly and encouragingly at him, and at Mrs Granger who had the same look. "Mr Granger, Mrs Granger, Hermione and I have just been really good friends since Halloween of our first year. If one day that becomes something more, I would like that. For right now I think we both want to just be the best friends we can be." He glanced at Hermione and got a smile and enthusiastic nod of approval.
Jack Granger watched the boy's eyes as he said all that. He was surprised, as the young man's gaze never wavered once while he spoke; and he was impressed. Few boys that age could talk to a female friend's father that way without cringing. At least that's what he'd heard from his friends at the gym and on the golf course. Hermione had always told them Harry was different, and he was beginning to see just how different.
Jack sat back, chuckling, and took his wife's hand, in a clear show of affection. Smiling more broadly at the two across the table he said, happily, "Well spoken, Harry. Well said, indeed. You should know that Hermione rarely lets any of what happens to her, even at school, go unreported to her poor worrying parents." He winked at Harry then, and added, "It's good to know she has a brave young man to keep an eye on her."
Hermione snorted, "Oh, Daddy, knock it off. You knew before we went to get him what Harry is like."
Dianne knew exactly what her husband was up to, even if she didn't necessarily approve. However, it was an age old tradition for a father to test his daughter's potential suitors, and she was quite pleased with how Harry had handled it.
Leaning forward and pulling Jack with her, she placed their clasped hands on the table and smiled at her daughter and the handsome young man beside her. She nudged Jack with her shoulder and said, "Despite His Daddiness here having to show off his macho side, we are happy you both know there will be time for whatever happens later. I was talking with Hermione earlier, Harry, and told her that it really is best to let relationships grow slowly, to develop over time. I'm glad you understand that as well. We know how close you two have been at school."
"Harry," she went on, "to ease your mind, you two being close makes no difference in how we feel about you staying here. We trust Hermione, and, because of how highly she has always spoken of you, we trust you as well. Besides, if you were going to get up to any mischief you have nearly ten months at school to do so." She winked at the kids in an over the top fashion then, drawing another pair of blushes.
Despite her reddened face, Hermione beamed at her parents, then leaned in closer to Harry, saying, "See? Told you they were cool; didn't I?"
Harry couldn't help smiling from Mrs Granger's comments, and even wider when Hermione said that. The parents both flushed a bit in turn, which told him they could be teased, and take it as well as they dished it out. The added bonus was that they so heartily approved of his and Hermione's growing friendship.
Hermione smiled at her parents and leaned over to peck Harry on the cheek. He looked shocked, and blushed again. But then, looking a bit playful, he reciprocated, though he did glance at her parents for their reaction. She knew she blushed as well, but was very pleased that Harry could already relax so well with her parents. It said a lot for the future of whatever happened between them.
The two smiled at one another, eyes sparkling with friendship and humour, as the adults watched them. Jack had never seen his daughter so happy, even when Professor McGonagall hand delivered her Hogwarts letter and then confirmed, by demonstration, that it was entirely genuine. For some reason he'd probably never fathom, he was not in the least concerned about the young man whom he was fairly sure had already captured his daughters heart, and at such a young age. It looked to him as if the two were destined to be very close for the rest of their lives and likely were slowly falling in love.
Dianne couldn't help the goofy grin she knew she was sporting as she watched her daughter and Harry kiss each other on the cheek and then stare briefly at each other. She knew that if the two were not yet in love, they would be in time. In her heart she also felt that, barring something totally unforeseen, her daughter was sitting with her life mate, if not her soul mate.
Oddly, those thoughts did not make her uncomfortable, only brought up a few happy tears. She wiped her eyes and nose as surreptitiously as she could, though she knew she'd been busted when it drew her husband's attention. He only smiled knowingly at her, and carefully dried his own eyes. She noticed that their momentary lapse in decorum went uncharacteristically without remark from their daughter, who was now smirking at the handsome boy across from them. It seemed the two were totally immersed in their own silent conversation.
Taking a sip of his drink, Jack softly cleared his throat, drawing the attention of the two youngsters. They gave him their attention, smiling as if they had just shared a little joke which he and Dianne were not privy to. It was actually a bit unnerving that the two kids already had that mental connection most adult married couples eventually developed.
"Well," he said warmly, "now that everyone's happy and comfortable, and I quite agree with Mum by the way, we have other not so pleasant things to talk about." His voice turning more serious, he continued, "I think we need to discuss what went on at the Dursleys, and why, Harry."
Harry gave the man his full attention, though, for reasons he didn't understand he automatically took Hermione's hand under the table. "Yes, sir, I was hoping we could talk about that soon."
"Alright, Harry, but one thing first. I don't think you need to be quite so formal with us." He glanced at his wife, and at her nod, continued, "Please use our first names. In case you missed it earlier, I'm Jack, and this is Dianne." He nudged his wife lovingly with his shoulder.
To say that Harry was surprised would be a gross understatement, but he was pleased nonetheless. He took it as one more level of acceptance by the parents of the girl he liked so much. Even though he blushed a bit and stammered, he replied, "Th… Thank you, sir, er, Jack, and you too, er, Dianne. I… I really appreciate that." He cleared his suddenly thick throat, as Hermione's hand tightened around his. "I can't tell you how wonderful it feels to be so… accepted, I guess would be the right word. You've already made me feel… at home…" he choked up then and couldn't go on.
Hermione automatically, handed Harry a tissue. It seemed they would all have their turn this evening at misty eyes. She had noticed her parents earlier, but was too occupied at the time to comment.
Harry wiped his eyes, and cleared his throat. Looking rather sheepish, he opened his mouth, but she cut him off. Gently, she told him "Before you start telling everyone how sorry you are for having emotions, which, by the way, you are as entitled to as anyone, I think you should just accept that we, all three of us, care about you; alright, Harry? Now, may we please listen to what Mum and Dad have to say?" She squeezed his hand in a gentle reminder of how much she supported him.
Harry had turned to look at his friend as she started speaking, and saw the need on her face and in her eyes for him to trust her. All he could do was nod, as another lump rose in his throat. Turning to her parents, he gave them a smile that he was sure looked more like a grimace and nodded to them as well.
Dianne told him, "Harry, you probably don't know this, but all health care professionals in the UK, well the Muggle ones anyway," she smiled a little, "are bound by law to report, and, if possible, take action when they become aware of child abuse. I hope you are alright with us doing what we've done so far, but it is a law we fully agree with." He nodded in easy acceptance of that, so she went on. "Hermione had mentioned a couple of things previously about your situation and when we talked with her before we left the house this afternoon she told us she thought you might have been abused by your… family." She paused before adding that word, and Harry couldn't help but snort, although softly.
At Dianne's and Jack's raised eyebrows, he explained, "I have never considered them family; I suppose because they never treated me like family. Forgive me for interrupting."
He heard Hermione sniffle beside him and turned to her. Before he could ask, she implored, "Please don't be mad at me, Harry. I just wanted to do what was right, to get you away from those awful people… I… I couldn't bear thinking any longer about what… what they do to you during the summer… When mum and dad asked what I knew about it, because of what I said before, I had to tell the truth…" She trailed off, tears coursing down her face.
He put his arm around her shoulders and looked into her watery eyes. While he'd not had a lot of experience comforting crying girls, he had done so for Hermione a couple of times when the insults and other stresses had become too much for her. While before it had been uncomfortable for him, this time it felt as natural as holding her hand had all evening.
Speaking softly, Harry told her, "Hermione, I know you only wanted to keep me safe again. That is what you always do. This truly is no different than other things you've done to help me. I'm not angry; in fact I'm quite grateful." Everything he said was from the heart, but he had no idea he had just sealed his fate with the girl he was trying to comfort, not to mention her parents.
She looked up immediately, her face still wet and her eyes and nose red, she asked, "You… you're not angry with me? Not at all?"
"No, I'm not angry, Hermione. Like I said, you have helped me a lot by this, and I will explain why after your par… when Jack and Dianne get done with what they have to say; alright?"
She smiled as brightly as someone who had just been crying is capable of, and nodded her head vehemently. Harry reached out to get a few tissues, but when he turned his face back to her, he got a big surprise. His friend reached her head up to brush her lips over his, and he could feel his face, neck, ears, chest, and probably his whole body flushing. He was sure he was as red as he'd ever been, but glancing over at Jack and Dianne saw they seemed amused, and not at all upset.
Hermione was again smiling brightly, looking softly into his eyes, and he had the presence of mind then to start drying the tears on her face with the tissues. After he'd dabbed at her face for a bit, she held his hand against her soft cheek for a moment, then took the tissues and finished the job. She ended the process by grabbing a couple more to quietly blow her nose.
Her smile of thanks was all Harry needed to know he'd done the right thing. Of course the almost kiss had been a really big surprise, but it hadn't been at all unpleasant.
Turning back, he was surprised to see approving looks and smiles on the faces of Jack and Dianne. They seemed very pleased that he'd been able to comfort Hermione. Harry smiled back, that lump forming in his throat again. He was just not used to people being this kind and sympathetic with him. Sure, the professors at Hogwarts were nice most of the time, well, except for the greasy git. But no one had been like this ever, at least not in this time line. It was going to take some getting used to.
These were the kinds of things he instinctively knew not to use his future memories for. While it would have been much easier to use that knowledge, somehow it felt like he would be cheating, and that he refused to do. This was all too important for him to be anything less than genuine and honest with others about. It also made him feel good, knowing he had at least that much maturity.
Having finally got past the problems of sniffling and blushing hormonal teens, Dianne and Jack carefully explained to Harry what they had done at the Dursley's so he would know exactly what they hoped to accomplish for him. When they'd finished the explanation, Jack asked, as kindly as he could, "Harry, is all that alright with you? We didn't have any way of letting you know beforehand, but we felt it was very important to find out what we could of your situation and document it while we were there."
Harry shook his head to clear it, still feeling a little overwhelmed that they were so concerned with how he felt. He smiled, though, as he told Jack, "Yeah, that was brilliant, if you ask me. How I sussed what you were up to should come clear when I get into what I promised to tell Hermione. We decided to tell you, well, because it probably will affect you as much as us; alright? I really think you should know about this."
They looked a little bemused over that, but nodded and voiced approval. Jack continued, "Harry, I'd like to turn over the photos I took and the recording Dianne made to a solicitor friend of ours. I've known the man since primary school, and he is very good at what he does. I'll ask him to look it over and see if he thinks there's a case there. I believe he's dealt with the child protection services before, so he should know what is or what isn't a case. He'll likely want to talk to you sometime soon. We don't need to know what you have to say about what went on there, I'm sure it will be difficult for you to speak about, but we will support you as much as you wish when you tell it to Alden or whomever. One other thing I want you to understand is that Dianne and I have no intention of returning you to that home, unless ordered to by a court. From the training we've had, we are both reasonably certain it will not come to that."
Harry sat back and thought about all the man had said, then looked over at Hermione who was smiling nervously. He returned her smile, if somewhat timorously. "Jack," he said, turning back to the adults, "I think it would be good for me to talk to your solicitor, and I hope he can make it all work out. The only thing I want to know is where I'd have to go if I don't have to go back to the Dursleys. I don't have any other relatives that I know of."
He was actually a bit worried about that and wondered, momentarily, if he could move fully into the Wizarding World and disappear from the Muggle one. Maybe he could stay with the Weasleys or someone like that, but then remembered thinking earlier how that was not at all the best option if he was to get anything done. It occurred to him then that staying in the Muggle world as much as possible might be the best solution for now.
Dianne looked warmly at the boy, seeing the doubt come over his face as he considered his living options. "Harry, would you consider living with us?" she asked. He was looking at the table when she asked that and his head snapped up so fast she was afraid he'd given himself whiplash. His eyes were wide, and his mouth moving like a fish out of water.
Hermione drew his attention to her, by pulling on his arm until they were shoulder to shoulder. When he looked at her, she said softly, "Harry, we talked about this before we picked you up. We were always going to ask if this is what you might want to do."
Jack added a bit more, saying, "Dianne and I have only begun to get to know you, Harry, but we've been hearing about you from our daughter in every letter, and a lot more when she's been home, for most of the last two years. Having spent even the little bit of time we have with you, and with how Hermione has always talked about you, we have no reservations about becoming your guardians, if you would consent to it. I think it would make Hermione happy, perhaps," he smiled wickedly at his daughter, who blushed on cue, "and would solve a number of problems for you. So what do you say, my young friend, want to live with your girlfriend's family during holidays and be close to her all year long?"
Harry was still a bit stunned and a little slow on the uptake. Hermione, however, was not at all slow, as she immediately stated, rather loudly, "I'm not his girlfriend, Dad, and you know it. So stop, already." But she smiled at her dad because it was obvious he was teasing.
Harry suspected the man didn't want the mood to get too depressing. But, after yelling in indignation at her dad, Harry could have sworn he heard Hermione mutter under her breath, "At least not yet…"
"I… I would love to live with you. Thank you, I don't…" He didn't get any further because of a loud "squee" from right next to him then, and a pair of arms which went around his neck as Hermione all-but apparated herself into his lap. He could see her happiness shining brightly in her eyes and broad smile, just before she hugged the stuffing out of his neck. Automatically, it seemed, his arms went around her as well.
It took Harry a few moments to collect his wits, but then he looked over at Jack and Dianne, and his mind shut down. He blushed as brightly as ever he had as it sunk in that Hermione was sitting on his lap, the two of them hugging tightly, and right in front of her parents, and this was not a situation he was totally at ease with. As he looked back down, Hermione lifted her head, and her soft eyes suddenly became huge and round. She turned her head slowly to look at her parents, almost as if afraid of their reaction, and then buried her face in Harry's neck. He could feel the heat coming off her, as he buried his own beetroot red face in her hair. It was a rather tense moment for the pair, until he heard soft laughter from across the table.
Dianne could not believe that her normally reserved daughter had just jumped into her friend's lap. It took her and Jack both by surprise. They looked at each other for a moment, and could only shake their heads as they realized their little girl truly was growing up. But when the two youngsters had then realized what had happened, they had both blushed fit to start fires and the scene was just too cute and too funny for them not to laugh. It was a priceless moment they would both treasure for years.
Hermione and Harry soon looked up again at the smiling and chuckling people across the table from them, still as red as could be. Dianne asked, too innocently, "Are you two about done being all cute and cuddly for a while?"
For one of the few times in her life, their daughter appeared to be absolutely speechless. With as much dignity as she could muster, Hermione gracefully got up from Harry's lap and resumed her chair. Then she took the boy's hand like it was a lifeline. Both kids were still looking down and blushing, but seemed to be overcoming it slowly.
Jack was still chuckling as he asked with humour in his voice, "I would guess that the two of you are quite happy with this decision as evidenced by your reactions?" He grinned across the table getting a blank look from Harry and a slightly dark look from his daughter. He let them off the hook, as it were, by continuing with, "So why don't we try to get the discussion back on track now? Harry, do you have any more questions about this?"
Thinking for a moment before replying, Harry then said, "I was thinking this morning that I really don't ever want to live there again, but the Headmaster, Professor Dumbledore, seems to think he can control my life. He's the one who put me there in the first place and I can tell you more about that in a little while. The thing is he keeps insisting I go back there, but he has never once, that I know about, bothered to find out what it is like for me. Last year I asked him if I could stay at the castle over the holidays. This year I asked Professor McGonagall to talk with him for me, and she told me he refused to consider my going anywhere else and wouldn't talk to me. I'm completely brassed off about all that, if you must know." He ran his hand through his hair, wanting to use the other memories but unwilling to do so until he'd told them about it all. It wouldn't sound right to have his vocabulary and ability to analyze some things suddenly become much improved. "What I mean, is that I think I need to speak with a Wizarding Solicitor who can work in both worlds. No offence to your friend, but he couldn't deal with the Wizarding World problem I seem to have."
Hermione spoke up before her parents could, "It couldn't hurt to talk to Uncle Alden, Harry. At least he could give you some advice to get you started with. Mum, Dad, what do you think?" She grinned, and explained to Harry, "He's not actually my uncle, but we are so close to them I've always called him that."
Dianne jumped in then, "I think it would still be a good idea, Harry. Our friend, Alden Branstone, could give you some really sound advice, at the very least.
Something Harry had been thinking about earlier in the day suddenly surfaced, and he accessed the other memories momentarily to verify it. Just as Jack began to say something in support of the ladies, Harry cut him off by starting to chuckle. The chuckle turned into a snicker and the snicker into a guffaw. The other three were looking at him as if he'd lost it and gone completely mental, round the twist, and maybe a few more colourful terms. Their expressions just made it worse, but he could see, through the tears of laughter, that they were all smiling, if bemusedly.
He finally got it under control, after about a minute, and asked, "Mr Branstone, is he rather tall, maybe a bit taller than you, Jack, quite friendly, has a roundish face, and talks as if he was born to aristocracy?"
Jack looked strangely at Harry and replied, "Yes, that sounds like him, Harry."
Still chuckling a little, Harry went on, "And I bet he never went to secondary school with you because he went off to some boarding school and you only saw him at holidays. Even now, I bet it seems like he's hiding something, and it can sometimes be hard to reach him on his cell phone, correct?" Not letting anyone answer, he drove on, "And I bet he has a daughter who's about eleven whose name is Eleanor."
He could feel Hermione's hand take his again, and grip it tightly. He glanced over to see the light dawning in her eyes, as looks of understanding also came to the faces of Jack and Dianne.
Hermione choked out, "You… you mean Uncle Alden is a wizard, Harry?" Dianne drew a sharp breath on that and Jack started laughing.
Harry nodded and told them, "He's the wizard solicitor I was going to contact."
Jack was still chortling when he gasped out, "Oh the… irony of it all… This is priceless…" He finally managed to stop laughing and added, "I think we can have so much fun with this. I believe, dear," he looked at his wife, "that we should invite the Branstones over for barbecue tomorrow? And perhaps they could come early in the afternoon so the kids can enjoy the pool?"
An impish grin came over her face as Dianne considered the possibilities. She asked, "Harry do you know if his wife, Hazel, is a witch?"
"I believe so, it seems like I heard that she was. I only ever met them one time, and that was in the Leaky Cauldron. They were dressed as Muggles then. Don't they live in a Muggle home?"
The grins of some kind of prank in the works from all three of the Grangers were fairly obvious, though he'd never known Hermione to have a mischievous side to her. But, he decided, maybe he and Ron got up to enough mischief that she felt the need to protect them was stronger than the desire to play pranks. He wondered if her penchant for always following the rules might have been, in part, because of that as well. He'd have to ask her later.
Meanwhile, impromptu plans had been laid quickly by the three Grangers, and Jack said, "I'll just go and ring them now; shall I?" He had a very devilish look in his eyes, and Harry was almost sorry for their friends as the man went into the house.
After giving minor input to the plans with the ladies, and agreeing with them about how funny it should be, he asked Hermione, "How close are you to the Branstones?"
"Very close, Harry. He and Dad are almost like brothers, even though they only see each other a few times a year. I think they got to be best mates as kids because they lived next door to each other. He went off to a boarding school, in Scotland," she smirked, "and Dad was accepted at Eton."
Dianne chimed in, "I've known both he and Hazel since University. They were both in many of my undergraduate classes, were already married, and it always seemed odd they were Jack's age but in my classes. They're all three about four years older than I am. In fact, they introduced Jack and me. I always wondered, as well, why the two of them waited so long to have children, but just chalked it up to them being in school and getting their careers started. Do you suppose," she looked thoughtful, "that they took some sort of reintegration classes to be able to work in the Muggle world. As it happens, he went to law school at Cambridge and she studied medicine. She is an MD, but has always said she works in a research firm in downtown London. I wonder…" but she was cut off by her daughter.
Hermione slapped herself on the forehead. "How could I have been so stupid?" she almost wailed. "The signs were all there, and even some very broad hints. I should have known they were magical. When I was younger I recall Eleanor, and Alden," aside to Harry she clarified, "that's Alden Junior, their son. Anyway, they must have done some accidental magic a few times, but I had done some strange things myself so I thought nothing of it. And, I swear I've seen the handles of their wands poking out of pockets a couple of time. It was before I started Hogwarts so I just didn't make the connection." She laughed wryly at herself then, muttering about all the signs she'd ignored over the years.
Harry and Dianne just looked at each other in amusement, both trying not to laugh at their favourite young genius. He took her hand and rubbed it gently, saying, "Hermione?" She looked up at him, exasperation written all over her face. He asked, using his kindest voice, "Why is it you think you should be perfect, that you aren't allowed to miss things like that. I'm the one who makes all the really dumb mistakes, and you are the one that keeps Ron and me from doing the extremely stupid things. Give yourself a break."
She looked like she wanted to answer, but didn't know what to say. Her mum chipped in, "Good go, Harry, that's the third time today she's been left speechless. You caused them all, by the way."
Hermione's head whipped over to her mother, and she mouthed words that apparently refused to come. But, her face turned beetroot red in an instant, and she refused to look at Harry for a bit. He didn't have the meanness in him to ask what that other situation was; he could only think of the two in that last ten minutes or so.
Having finally found her voice, the bushy haired lovely ground out, "That was not nice, Mother!"
Dianne smiled a little sheepishly and said in a contrite tone, "Yes, dear, you are right and I apologize." She looked fondly at her daughter for a moment, but then her rascally look returned, "You have to admit it was funny and you left yourself wide open for it."
Harry was getting a glimmer of why his pretty friend was as smart as she was, and as able to win arguments as she was. He had a good idea, too, as to why she had been such a bossy know-it-all the first year or so, but had settled down, thankfully, the latter part of this year. It seemed to him, it might have been how she defended herself with her parents' frequent playful bantering. He suspected, too, that she had not been at all popular in school before Hogwarts, in large part because she was so smart and competitive.
A lot of things about Hermione were falling into place in Harry's mind. The more he learned about her home life, the more her personality made sense. The more sense that made, the more he thought he understood why she did many of the things she did and how she made up for what she saw as her failings. It seemed she had been a little bit picked on by her parents, but in a good way that made her stronger. Had she not been as smart as she was, it would not have worked, he reckoned. He was glad she was the way she was, and he hoped she would never change. He liked her just fine as she was.
Turning her attention to Harry, Dianne said, "You didn't actually say if you wanted to talk with Alden, dear. I hope that doesn't bother you, him coming here."
Harry smiled at her kindness, and answered, "I don't mind. I think it is best to get this all moving as quickly as possible; don't you?"
Hermione took hold of his hand again and gave it a squeeze, apparently in appreciation for him being understanding if he read her right. He usually did.
Dianne grinned at the forthright young man and said, "Smart thinking, Harry. I couldn't agree more. From what we understand of how the Muggle system works, the sooner the authorities are notified after you leave such a situation, the better it is for you. As well, it seems that if you have a solicitor involved, it helps you get what you want out of it. We don't, naturally, know anything about the Wizarding World's system on child placement."
Harry thought about that and said, "Thank you, Dianne. I really appreciate what you and Jack and Hermione have done for me today. It is very…" but his voice failed him again from an overload of emotion. He didn't know why he kept choking up around these people, but it seemed like he was able to be just Harry, as he'd wanted to be all his life. It simply felt good, and he wasn't at all used to that.
Sensing the distress in her friend, Hermione smiled when her mum reached across the table to clasp a hand over theirs which rested on the table top. The two women shared a knowing smile. They both knew how much he seemed to need this, even if it was tough on his male ego.
HPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHP
A short distance from the Granger home there was a very nice park with some fairly dense woods taking up a portion of it. Some distance inside those woods was a clearing which few people knew of, and into that clearing a woman appeared with a subdued crack. No one would any longer describe her as beautiful, nor was she unattractive. She appeared to be middle aged, with short grey hair, and had a broad square jaw and thick eyebrows. On most women these features would be unappealing, but on her it all worked. Oddly she also had a monocle dangling from a gold chain around her neck and resting on the front of her long, rather plain dress.
The woman looked about carefully as if to be sure no one had seen her, which in point of fact was exactly what she was doing. She hated Obliviating Muggles over a simple Apparation. Seemingly satisfied no one had seen or heard her, she started moving off into the woods. However, she was brought up short when behind her a second subdued crack announced another person Apparating into the clearing. Spinning around with her wand held in front of her, Amelia Bones took a few moments, in the fading light of evening, to identify someone she had known since she was a student at Hogwarts.
She chuckled and called to her old professor and long-time friend, "What brings the Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts to these humble woods?"
Minerva swung about, her own wand at the ready until she recognized the voice and identified her friend by sight, as the other woman walked toward her. She smiled and answered, "Oh, I just thought I'd see what the DMLE would do about a bit of accidental magic over in Little Whinging earlier today." She smirked at Amelia.
"Riiight," Amelia drawled, "I'm very sure you take great interest in the follow-up of lots of cases of accidental magic, now don't you Min."
The older woman laughed and admitted, "Well, not too often; at the most only when they affect students in whom I've taken, shall we say, a personal interest."
"Ah, well that explains that, doesn't it," Amelia smirked back, then laughed as well.
The two women bantered and talked over things of common interest as they made their way toward the Granger residence. As they got closer, Min had to ask, "You don't intend to take any action against Mr Potter, do you, Amelia?"
"Merlin no, we just need to know he is alright, and I wanted to check on some other disturbing things my Head Obliviator briefed me on."
"Mind my asking just what sort of disturbing things? Min asked, a bit too innocently.
Amelia wasn't the head of DMLE for nothing. She had not only been an excellent investigator in her time, but she could smell a rat, as it were, at a hundred paces. She asked, "And what would you be knowing about those disturbing things, my dear friend?" She looked inquisitively at the other woman, a small smile in place; she knew she was being baited a bit.
"Oh, I might know a bit more than your Mr Grenouille," the older woman replied mysteriously.
"Come on, Min, give it up here." They were approaching the house and would have to stop talking about this in a minute. "Just how long," she asked, chuckling, "have you been 'staking out' the Dursley house?"
"Oh, I might have popped by a time or six since the summer term ended."
"Okay, Min, I can tell you have a lot more to say on the matter, so let's talk about this another time, shall we?"
"Agreed, Amelia, and yes, I do have more to say, and much of it may be directed at a certain interfering old coot of a headmaster." The last was said with such vehemence, Amelia looked searchingly at her friend. Min continued, "I warned him twelve years ago what those people were like. Whatever your team reported to you, it is only part of the story, I assure you."
Amelia was seldom taken aback these days, but this was shocking news even to her. "Are you telling me Albus Dumbledore placed Mr Potter there? And did so against your advice?"
Sadly, Min replied, "I'm afraid so, and he would not listen to me, and still refuses to see them for what they are. He bases it all on the need for Harry to receive some dubious protection from the magic of Lily's sacrifice."
The Director of DMLE held the Headmaster and Chief Warlock in great esteem, or at least had until just now. She thought for a moment, and then asked what was a very difficult question for her. "Do you know if the Potters had a will, Min, and if so what it said in regards to young Harry?" They had come to a halt on the walk in front of their destination.
"I'm almost certain they did, but I've no idea what it might have included. One thing I do know, is that Lily did not hold her sister in high regard. She rarely spoke of her, and when she did so it was usually some sort of sarcastic comment to James. He didn't like her or her husband at all. I've no idea what caused the animosity specifically, but I can easily guess. I will tell you that the Dursleys are as malicious of the Potters' memories, rest their souls, as anyone could be; and, more importantly, that they absolutely despise magic."
Amelia thought this over, and told her friend, "Lets get together for tea soon and you can tell me all you know. I should probably take a formal statement at some point, but would prefer to speak with you informally first."
"That sounds like a good idea. Just owl me, my schedule is quite flexible for now, as you well know."
The other responded, "Sometimes I wish I had let you talk me into becoming a professor one of the times you asked. I would love some flexible schedule time once in a while."
"Perhaps when you grow tired of the Ministry we can discuss the possibilities again," Min smiled. "For now, shall we?" She indicated the front walk of the Granger residence and the two women approached the house.
Inside, Jack had finished his call to Alden and Hazel, and paused a moment to consider their plans, snickering a bit, but then he sobered. What else, he wondered, could and should be done to help Harry. He knew almost nothing about the Wizarding world, but he did know he and Dianne had done as much as possible up to this point. It would now be up to the system, though he hoped having Alden involved would make that flow more smoothly and quickly than he'd heard it often did. It was almost assured that Alden would get involved, but he also knew that he and Dianne would fight tooth and nail to keep the boy away from the Dursleys. Just as he finished his ruminations and started back toward the patio, the doorbell rang and he altered his course to answer it.
His jaw dropped when he opened the door to find two older women, one he knew and one he didn't. Reclaiming his aplomb, Jack smiled and said, "Professor McGonagall, what a pleasant surprise, or at least I hope it is." A dark thought crossed his mind as he realized she could be here on Dumbledore's orders.
The witch smiled and told him, "It is nice to see you again, Mr Granger, and shall be a pleasant visit as well, I hope. I have no reason to think you'll not like what I have to say." It was somewhat cryptic, but Jack smiled in return.
"Where are my manners, I apologize, would you please come in, both of you?" He smiled, slightly embarrassed at leaving the two standing on the porch while they talked.
Once inside, the professor said, "Mr Granger, may I present the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Madam Amelia Bones." When his look darkened again slightly, she added. "I assure you neither of us is here for anything but to see that Harry is alright, and neither of us knew the other was coming until a few minutes ago." To her friend she said, "Amelia, this nice gentleman is Jack Granger."
Jack smiled at the other woman, saying, "Welcome, Madam Bones," he reached out to shake her proffered hand. "I do hope you will forgive me, but we have just been discussing certain things which are a bit unpleasant, and I'm afraid I am not as highly enamoured of the Wizarding World right now, and certain people in it, as I might be."
"Quite alright, Mr Granger," the amiable witch smiled at him, "after some of the things I have heard this evening, your attitude is quite understandable. I assume Mr Potter is staying here?"
Glancing at Professor McGonagall who was still smiling, although a bit sadly, he replied, "Yes, Madam, he is. May I ask why the two of you are here?" He was feeling quite protective of the young man he'd only just begun to know.
The Professor replied, "It is nothing untoward, I assure you again, it is just that we both are concerned with Mr Potter's well being."
The other witch added, "As for me, I need to wrap up what occurred at Mr Potter's… relatives' home this afternoon. It is in no way detrimental to the lad, believe me. But I do wish to ask him about a few other things if he is willing to speak with me. I assume you were there at the time the incident occurred?" She seemed to be on the verge of laughing, and the professor was surely stifling laughter, so he was reasonably certain it was going to be fine. He did wonder over the pause she had not quite covered up.
"We were there, yes, and I can assure you that what Harry did was fully justifiable. Had it been me I might have done far worse."
"So I'm led to believe," Madam Bones replied.
Gesturing toward the rear of the house, he told them, "The rest of the family, including Harry, is out on the patio. Would the both of you care to join us?" At the women's nods and affirmatives, he led them out to the others.
The three on the patio were somewhat surprised to see two women accompanying Jack when he returned, though they had heard the doorbell. Dianne had surmised to the others it was probably a door-to-door seller of some sort. The first woman looked vaguely familiar to Harry, but he couldn't place her. She was fairly tall, middle aged, and appeared to be the no-nonsense type, like Professor McGonagall who, incidentally, appeared right behind the other. Upon seeing their deputy headmistress, the two youths jumped to their feet looking expectantly at her, both with trepidation in their smiles. Dianne also rose to her feet, though more slowly.
Jack started the introductions, "Madam Bones may I present my wife, Dianne. Across from her is our daughter, Hermione, and the handsome fellow by her is Harry Potter. Everyone, this is Madam Amelia Bones, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. And, of course, we all know Professor McGonagall." He smiled, then stepped away to get a pair of chairs for the guests.
Harry did a mental slap to the forehead as he realized where he should have known the woman from, but yet again had intentionally not accessed the future memories. He shook the proffered hand she held out, after she'd greeted the ladies. Looking at her inquiringly, he said, "It's nice to meet you, ma'am. Susan always speaks highly of you.
She smiled and returned his greeting, adding, "And of you as well, Mr Potter."
He turned then to other guest and said, "Good evening, Professor, I have to say I'm surprised to see either of you, but together?" Speaking to both he fairly blurted, "If I had to guess, I'd reckon your visit has something to do with the, erm, incident at my relatives'house earlier today?" It was said as a question, nervously, though he knew it was true, and he'd intentionally stressed the one word. He was almost sure this had to be very bad news indeed to bring these two powerful women here this evening, and was getting more and more anxious.
"Thank you, Mr Potter," McGonagall replied," and please be at ease. No one is here to do anything to you; we might be able to do some things for you, however. That we came at the same time was, I assure you, quite coincidental."
Both women then took the seats Jack offered, between Hermione and Dianne, and thanked him. As they sat down, Harry and Hermione's hands found one another, almost without thought, for mutual reassurance. Dianne asked the women what she could get them and both settled on tea.
When they were all seated, Madam Bones then said, "Mr Potter, I came to talk with you about the incident, yes. But, I have some other questions for you as well, if you'd be willing to speak with me." She smiled in a friendly manner.
"I don't mind, ma'am," he returned her smile, still a bit apprehensively. "but if you don't mind my new family listening in, I would appreciate it."
Her eyebrows rose at his comments, but she nodded her head. "That's quite alright, though I hope I don't embarrass you in front of them with my questions."
"I'm sure it'll be fine, ma'am," he replied easily, smiling as he glanced around at the Grangers. He got three large, encouraging smiles in return.
"I'll get right to it then, shall I?" At his nod, she told him kindly, "I mostly wanted to reassure you there would be no repercussions from the incident at your… relatives' home." She had paused as if to recall and copy his term for the Dursleys, he thought. "We always like to let young people know this, when such occurs, especially if they leave the scene right away."
Jack noted and wondered again at her pause in how she referred to the Dursleys. It made him think she knew more about the situation there than she had yet to reveal.
Harry thought for a second, and responded, "Thank you, Madam Bones; I wasn't too worried about it, even if I did receive a warning because a house-elf used magic there last summer. I suppose my Aunt told you I'd be here?"
Her eyebrows rose at the mention of that other incident, but she asked, "Would you be willing to talk with me about what your living conditions were like in that home. For that matter, could you explain why a house-elf was in your Muggle home, and what you meant when you referred to the Grangers as your new family?"
Harry took a moment to collect his thoughts, as Hermione gave his hand a quick squeeze, then letting go again. He flashed her a smile, glanced to see Jack and Dianne smiling encouragement and started with, "I hope to make Mr and Mrs, or should that be Dr and Dr Granger, my guardians. I plan to never return to that… place… ever!" He ended his comments fervently.
Looking down at the table, he paused a moment to calm himself and catch his breath. The anger he felt toward the Dursleys and the MOB could easily fire him up. No one spoke while he did so, and he was glad since it helped him to again collect his thoughts.
"Before I get to the other thing, Dobby was the Malfoy's house elf, and he came to warn me of the trouble Mr Malfoy was planning to cause at Hogwarts this past year. For some reason the little fellow took it in mind to try to keep me from going back to school, and made several attempts to do so, all of which turned out rather badly for me. I guess that's what you wanted to know, about why he was at my relatives' house?"
She nodded, but asked. "Am I to understand, Mr Potter, that Lucius Malfoy was the cause of all that happened there, all the students being petrified and whatnot?"
"Yes, ma'am. He slipped a diary of Tom Riddle's into Ginny Weasley's cauldron last summer, and it turned out to be cursed in some way. It was her, being possessed by the sixteen year old boy who later became Voldemort," the two women flinched, but he pressed on, "who opened the Chamber of Secrets and let the basilisk into the school several times."
"I have heard rumours, Mr Potter, that it was you who killed that vile creature?"
Harry was decidedly uncomfortable at having to talk about this again, but told her, "Yes, ma'am. I had the help of Fawkes, Professor Dumbledore's phoenix who brought me the sorting hat. Gryffindor's sword came out of it, then Fawkes blinded the basilisk and I was able to shove the sword through the top of its mouth. I had a fang go through my arm when that happened, but Fawkes healed the wound. I used the fang to destroy the diary which made Riddle disappear. He had taken over Ginny and she was dying. I think he was sucking out her life force or something to bring himself back to life."
Amelia was astounded by the tale. It was even more astonishing than the rumours. It was easy to see that talking about it bothered the boy, so she didn't press for more details. Perhaps she could get more later out of Min or Albus. She asked, "Mr Potter, let's switch topics now, if you don't mind. As I said before, I would like to know what your living conditions were like at the Dursleys. I know it is probably difficult for you to talk about, but please tell me what you can.
Harry was greatly relieved the witch wanted to move on. Even talking about the
Dursleys was easier than going into more detail about that incident. "Madam Bones, I don't know much about this, but do you want a… what do you call it? A formal statement? Is that what you need from me?"
"Not just yet, Mr Potter, why don't you just give me some general information for now, and see where that leads us."
"Alright then, I can do that, ma'am." He thought again for a moment, "I want you to know I want to hire a solicitor who can help me in both worlds to get guardianship given to the Grangers. It turns out these wonderful people know a wizarding solicitor who works in both world and who we think can do that, though they didn't know he was a wizard until a few minutes ago." Pausing, he smirked at Jack for a moment, which was returned with a devilish grin. Harry then went on to tell the DMLE Head what he thought about the Dursleys, how they had treated him, and how the headmaster had placed him there and insisted he keep returning.
Telling about the Dursleys was hard for him to do, even with his improved outlook on life. It was extremely embarrassing, and behind it all was the fear that he could wind up back there and be severely punished for his actions. As most abused children are prone to, he hated talking about the abuse. He just knew, deep down, that at least part of it was his fault somehow. But he finished his monologue with an upbeat message, though a stern one, that he was now living with the Grangers and that would only change at his extreme displeasure. He added at the end, "I assure you, Madam Bones, that should I be forced to leave here several people will strongly regret sticking their overly long noses into my private business."
When Harry was finished Madam Bones just sat looking at him for several long moments in a heavy silence which had descended over the patio. Professor McGonagall looked to be in shock, Jack and Dianne looked to be fuming – and perhaps scheming – and Hermione had unshed tears on her lashes as she clung almost desperately to his hand.
When Madam Bones finally spoke, it sounded to Harry (as well as Hermione) like she was barely holding her anger in check. Though her facial expression had hardly changed, she now looked quite fierce and dangerous. "Mr Potter," she asked, "may I assume from your actions and from what you said that you would be willing to file formal complaints against them in both worlds?"
Harry thought for a moment, and nodded. "Yes, Madam Bones, I would be more than happy to do that. However, there are some things I was just about to tell my new family here which I think you should hear." He hated to do so, but had accessed the future memories before speaking. He now knew from those that he could trust both of these women implicitly and decided to do so now. "Professor McGonagall, I would like you to know what I have to say as well. The reasons I am here now go well beyond the situation with the Dursley's and I must ask you both to keep this in the strictest confidence."
As the others observed and listened to the young wizard, a change came over him. His face and tone of voice seemed to grow considerably older. While he didn't have lines or wrinkles yet on his youthful face, he somehow seemed to age and there was a fire in the depths of those green orbs that both Minerva and Hermione knew they had never seen before. All were a bit taken aback.
Meanwhile, the young wizard was staring at the notebook he'd brought down with him, trying to decide how he should start the discussion. He didn't want to just blurt out that he'd woken up thinking he was thirty-seven, then got all confused because he knew he was not yet thirteen but still had those future memories. Twice on their way home, Dianne had diverted Hermione's attention as she started to ask about this, but now he could feel his friend nearly vibrating with anticipation of what he was about to say. He decided that maybe blurting wasn't so bad after all.
The two older witches nodded assent to his request, and the professor asked, "Harry, do you want magical oaths from us that we will keep this between us. You seem to… I don't quite know how to say it, but you appear to have the weight of the world on your shoulders and you look older."
Harry sighed, and knew this was not going to be easy at all, even with the help of his future self, or whatever. Jack and Dianne were looking at him with undisguised curiosity, though he thought he detected a lot of warmth there as well. He glanced at Hermione, then held her gaze for a moment. It was as if she was sending encouragement and strength to him and he nodded at her.
Turning back to the inquiring looks of the two older witches he told them, smiling, "No, Professor, Madam, I do not need oaths from you. I know beyond a doubt that I can trust you both implicitly. How I know that will, or at least should, become clear in a few minutes."
Minerva now wondered not only at the young wizard's changing expression, but now at his changed speech. She'd interacted with him numerous of times over the past two years, and knew he never spoke in this more adult manner with this kind of vocabulary.
For his part, Harry looked back down at the notebook and decided on a course for his revelations. He turned first to Hermione, and asked, "Do you trust me to do the right thing in all situations to the best of my ability?"
The young witch was confused, but nodded, unable to speak. She feared something really dreadful was about to come out of her friend's mouth.
He turned then to her parents, and said, "I am going to have to ask you to take a very large leap of faith for a few minutes. I hope that, in the end," he looked again at Hermione, "the three of you will understand what I have to say, and that I am no different, not where it counts, than you, Hermione, have always known me to be."
Jack and Dianne expressed agreement, and the woman added, "As we told you before, Harry, Hermione trusts you and she is a very good judge of character for someone so young." Then she smiled, though very quizzically.
Hermione just kept her near death-grip on his hand and gave him a tentative smile. He squeezed her hand in what he hoped was reassurance.
"Okay, here goes then. First, I need to ask you, Professor, if you were aware that Snape and my mother were friends, or at least friendly, when they were younger."
"Professor Snape, Mr Potter," she corrected automatically, though without her usual insistent tone. She then seemed to be lost in thought for a few moments before her eyes focused on him again and she replied. "I seem to recall that even though they were in different Houses, which as you know are traditionally not all that friendly with each other, they did spend a lot of time studying together in the first few years. I believe it was after fifth year that they stopped doing so. I don't recall them ever having a public row or such like, but they did seem to drift apart. It seems odd that I recall those things, as I rarely pay very close attention to the relationships between the students." She winked at the two, who smiled in partial understanding. She concluded with, "I suppose it was because they were from the two Houses which are so often at each other's throats, so to speak."
Minerva looked at her long-time friend who coughed on that last statement, apparently aspirating a bit of tea. It only took Madam Bones a moment to regain her composure, and she told the professor, "That is the understatement of the millennium." She smirked. "Hufflepuffs always stood back and watched them try to tear each other apart. We found it quite amusing; the Ravenclaws do as well, I'm told."
McGonagall smiled at the other witch and nodded, "I believe Pomona and Filius may have mentioned that a time or twelve." She winked again at the youngsters, and sat back looking expectantly at Harry. "I hope I answered your question," she stated.
Harry smiled at the byplay between the two witches. It was clear they'd been friends for a long time. He recalled from the future that Minerva had been quite upset over the death of Amelia Bones, though he didn't find that out until a conversation with the professor some years after the fact.
Harry wanted desperately to keep his friend now that they were growing closer as well as the relationship he had developed with her parents in the short time he'd known them. So, it was with a considerable amount of trepidation that he started speaking.
…TBC…
A/N: The chapter title is a song by Alabama. Mike Grenouille is named for one of my betas. He told me, after I reading this, that grenouille is French for frog. Go figure… SOP is police/military speak for standard operating procedure.
A reviewer on my group mentioned that Hermione seemed "blushing and clingy" in this chapter. I don't really intend for her to be different in this story than in canon, but keep in mind she is only thirteen at this time and has had a very emotional and stressful day. Therefore, her actions may seem a bit out of character, but I think they are in keeping with a child of that age. And yes, I know Harry blushed a lot too, but he isn't even thirteen yet, and is reacting to things as appropriately as Hermione and for the same reasons. Someone also commented on an earlier chapter that Harry would miss his family from the future. This reviewer obviously missed, as one beta put it, "the schizophrenic Harry". In other words, he keeps his two sets of memories and two personalities separate. Thanks as always for reading, and a special thanks to Tommy and Mike for Brit picking and beta reading the story.