Being True
Disclaimer: See Chapter 1. Also "The Rainbow Connection" sung by Kermit the Frog/Jim Henson belongs to its writers and producers.
Reviews are welcomed. Flames are not!
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Chapter 7: The Rainbow Connection
Hermione smirked as she read the letter from Madam Bones. Seems the good Head Auror had called off the search for Harry and Professor Snape, for now. She was certain that the headmaster wasn't going to let it go. The old meddler would lick his wounds and try another scheme, she was certain of it. What he'd try next Hermione could only guess.
She had tickets for another one of her favorite Shakespearan plays and wished she had someone to share her love of the Bard of Avon's works with. Hmm. . . Maybe she could ask Luna. They'd become very good friends since leaving Hogwarts. Besides, Hermione wanted to hear more about the guy that Luna was now seeing. Maybe he had a friend. . . ?
She was sitting at her favorite research table going over the last of her notes before she could do a final draft of her thesis. Her mentor was very excited at the information she was finding. But then, the man was a Ravenclaw, after all.
She looked up as someone slid into the chair next to her.
"It was pretty mean, going to Bones like that, Granger. I could've lost my job!" Tonks snarked looking around to see if anyone was listening.
Hermione sighed looking at the bubble-gum pink haired auror. "Look Tonks, I repeatedly said I have no idea where Harry is, or for that matter, Professor Snape. I haven't seen Harry since he left Hogwarts. I'm getting pretty tired of being harassed about it. It's been over six years! Tell the old fool to get over it!"
There was no way Hermione was going to explain that the Harry they all knew no longer existed. She wasn't really lying. Harry didn't even look or act like the boy she went to Hogwarts with anymore. In her mind and heart he was Garion now. True Magik saw him as Garion Williams and not Harry Potter.
Tonks growled a bit. "Did you really call the muggle police on Dung?"
"Yes I did!" Hermione spat, "You know as well as I do that Dung's not only a creep, but a thief as well. A girl living alone has to be careful. And for your information Auror Tonks, the muggle police take a stalker call very seriously as statistics show the victim usually ends up raped and murdered if they don't. So back off!"
Tonks sighed as she looked around the magical archives. "I still don't like it."
"And I do!?" Hermione snarled as she slammed her book closed. Gathering up her papers and stuffing them into her brief. "If you excuse me, I'm going out tonight. And no, where or with whom is NONE of your business!"
She left Tonks sitting at the table as she left in a huff. 'Stupid, stupid, stupid. Why did I say that? Now she'll follow me and spoil everything,' she ranted at herself.
Thankfully, Luna was there with her current boyfriend waiting at the Meadow Grove Theatre with a friend to accompany Hermione, 'to help take her mind off her troubles for the rest of the evening.' She'd deal with Tonks tomorrow.
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Of course, that is exactly what Tonks did but she didn't get past the goblin guards at Gringotts. Hermione had been dressed for a night out as she stepped into the bank.
Tonks was curious as to why. Granger wasn't known for dating. She always seemed to prefer her own company or spending hours in the archives. It was well known that Granger was going for a mastery in history, which was surprising as Binns tended to kill any love for the subject a Hogwarts student might have.
'Curiouser and curiouser,' Tonks mused. Why was she dressed like that? What if she wasn't going on a date? What was she trying to hide?
Tonks was stopped in the foyer of the bank as she noted that Granger was being escorted to the preferred customer offices. Interesting. When did Granger became so friendly with the goblins?
Tonks waited outside of the bank for several hours. She mentally spent the time going over the reports she had on Granger.
There were odd mentions of her going to Gringotts at different hours of the day and night. It had initially been chalked up to her study habits, seemed the girl could research non-stop for days at a time!
It was the early hours before Hermione stepped out of the bank. Tonks watched as she stopped to look around cautiously. 'She knows I followed her,' was Tonks' thought as Hermione left the steps and hurried back to her flat.
With a shudder of foreboding Tonks thought, 'It could mean nothing, or everything.'
The next day, Tonks was called back into Madam Bones' office. Hermione Granger was sitting beside her.
This was so not good!
"Explain to me, Auror Tonks, why you disregarded my order to leave Miss Granger alone?"
Tonks gulped. She knew she was up to her neck in very hot water.
"If I may, Madam," Hermione interjected. "If Auror Tonks can assure me that she would not be reporting to a certain meddling old fool who doesn't like not having his own way, then I won't press charges.
"What I do on my own time is no one's business but my own. I haven't broken any laws that warrant this constant harassment."
Auror Tonks gulped again as Madam Bones glared at her. "I can assure you, Madam Bones, I was acting on my own. I was trying to see who her secret boyfriend was. I resigned from the headmaster's little club a couple of days ago."
Hermione stood. "I'm satisfied, for now. I will leave you to it, Madam Bones. I'm late for an appointment."
After Hermione left, Tonks frowned. "She's hiding something."
Bones scowled and slammed a fist down on her desk. "Auror Tonks! Even if she is, she hasn't broken any laws! You will leave her alone! The next time I get a complaint on you, you'll be sacked, with no recommendation! Understood?!"
Tonks straightened. "Yes Madam Bones."
"Dismissed Auror." Tonks turned to leave, but was summarily called back. "And, Auror, you will tell that interfering 'little club' to back off, or they'll have ME breathing down their necks. NOW, get out!"
Tonks fled.
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Hermione Granger left the Lovegood's home with a grin. Her manuscript was finally completed and in their hands. She couldn't wait to see the reactions she knew her book would stir up.
Glancing at her watch, she saw she was running late.
Sarah had promised to take her to lunch as a treat and she was looking forward to it.
Hermione enjoyed spending time with her favorite children's author. Sarah's tips on writing were spot on and Hermione now had to think of some way to thank her.
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Albus looked over the Wizengamot chamber with a worried frown. The Minister, Rufus Scrimgeour, had called an emergency session. It would seem that Miss Granger's work was the main focus of this hasty meeting.
A few days ago, she'd submitted her published thesis to the Unspeakables and the Department of Education.
It was titled: "The True History of Magic." Then, with the help of Xenophilius Lovegood and his printing press, they had printed off several hundred copies of her book.
It was almost dismissed as another watered down version of history much like what Binns taught, until Luna Lovegood published an interview with her in the Quibbler.
Miss Granger's book was really a thesis on the history of magic, written for her mastery in the field. Now, the book's contents had the whole magical world of Britain up in arms! What made it so maddening for the headmaster was the fact that the Unspeakables backed up her work! It not only refuted all traditional views of magic, but also seemed to sound a death knell for the future of the Wizarding World.
It was well known that the muggle-born Granger was a fanatical researcher. It was also noted, among her age group, that she hadn't seemed that interested in history while she was at Hogwarts. But then, not many students were that interested in history because of Binns. It was the main reason why he, as headmaster, had kept the ghost as a professor.
Where was Miss Granger? She should've been here by now. The session was due to start in about 10 minutes.
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Where was Hermione Granger? She was at Gringotts waiting in the Director's Office. The goblins had been pleased with their investment as they had funded most of her expenses during her research. To them, it was a win-win situation; they would profit greatly from the sales and, finally, the truth would be known.
Hermione knew that she would set a kneazle in with the chickens, but it had to be done. Magic was dying in Great Britain according to Garion and the goblins, and no one seemed to notice or care. With each succeeding generation magical children were showing less and less ability. Magic was a delicate balance of nature. Sadly, it was the wand wavers and their contemptuous belief in their right to use it as they wished that made magic so warped and weak.
So, when she received a summons to appear in front of the Wizengamot, she hadn't been surprised. She smiled. Looked like more than the DoE had read her work! Well, she was ready for the fight, and she wasn't going alone!
That was why she was waiting in the Director's Office. She had given him the first two copies of the first run: one for him and one to be sent on. She was certain a very interested Goblin King would appreciate her attempt to right an ancient wrong.
In fact, King Jareth had been most pleased with his copy of the manuscript and had given his approval for its release. That was an extra bonus, in Hermione's opinion.
"Hey there, beautiful. Miss me?"
She smiled and ran towards the young man with shaggy black hair and bright green eyes who had just entered the office. "Garion!"
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The minister stood to call the session to order when Miss Granger and an interesting young man wearing a medieval style blue tabard blazoned with a gold harp over two trumpets en saltire, entered.
Both walked down to sit in the seats reserved for those who wished to discuss business with the Wizengamot.
"You're late," snarled the Minister Scrimgeour. "Close the doors and lets get started."
Hemione Granger knew she had nothing to worry about as Garion stepped forward and in his best theatrical presence spoke, "A wizard is never late, Frodo Baggins. Nor is he early. He arrives precisely when he means to.*"
"Baggins? Do we know any Bagginses?" the Minister asked with a perplexed frown. Very unaware he was sounding like a certain literary character.
Hermione and Garion stifled a giggle, as did the muggle-borns and the muggle-raised in the gallery who understood the reference and found the minister echoing those famous lines.
"Well, never mind, let's get started," Albus Dumbledore said, trying to bring the session back in order. "Carry on Rufus. Ah. Miss Granger, who is this with you?"
Hermione knew that this wasn't her fight. She was only the catalyst for what was about to happen.
Garion gave a slight bow to the panel in front of him and pulled out a bit of parchment. He made a show of unrolling it as he cleared his voice.
"I, sirs and madams of this august body, am Garion Williams, True Bard according to the Old Ways. I come before you bearing a Declaration from Oberon, High King and Head of the Fae Council," Garion intoned formally as he looked around at the stunned people before looking down to read on:
"Unto the Wizarding World, greetings. We are most pleased to see someone among you has had the courage, fortitude and determination to research the true history of magic.
For far too long young magical minds have been polluted by false information.
We applaud Miss Granger's wish to set the records straight. We applaud her courage and determination and commend her due diligence in seeking the Truth.
Know you, mortals, Magic is a privilege and not a right! Too long have we waited for the Wizarding World to return to the Old Ways and the promises they made to Us for our Gift of Magic.
Miss Hermione Granger holds in her hands the hope of your world. Ignore her work at your own peril, for what was gifted can be recalled. We are watching.
By His Majesty's Hand and Will,
So Mote It Be!
King Oberon
High King of the Fae and Lord of the Council."
Garion rolled up the parchment and made a show of handing it off to the clerk who was recording the minutes. As he did so, the chamber erupted in confused and in some cases, angry protests.
Garion stood tall beside a nervous Hermione waiting for the noise to die down.
When it didn't, he cleared his throat and, with his voice filling the chamber intoned, "Children! Are you quite finished!?" in a very Mary Poppins manner, sending a wave of magic throughout the chamber.
"How do we know you are speaking the truth, young man?" asked someone from the tiers in the stunned lull that followed.
"And you are, Madam?" Garion asked politely to the elderly woman.
"Sir, I am Augusta Longbottom, Regent to the House of Longbottom. Now answer my question, young man."
"So the old ways have truly fallen by the wayside, if this august body fails to recognize a True Bard by his attire and by his magic." Garion sighed melodramatically.
"I must say that Miss Granger's work is long overdue. The Wizarding World has fallen far, and it's hubris is causing Magic to die out."
"How dare you!" shouted many in the gallery.
"Silence!" call Dumbledore.
"Arrest him!" called the Minister, breaking through the noise.
"On what charges?" asked Madam Longbottom.
"Disrupting this session of the Wizengamot and talking treason," the Minister said.
"I wouldn't do that, Rufus," said Albus Dumbledore as he finally took charge.
He had worked hard at dismissing the old ways as fairy tales and myths, but even he could see that this young man had an aura of power that was very pure and strong. "I think we would be courting disaster if we did."
"You can't be serious!" Rufus shouted.
Garion sighed. He'd finally had enough and pulled out his guitar. 'They were such unruly children and had forgotten everything.' He started to sing:
"Why are there so many songs about rainbows and what's on the other side?
Rainbows are visions, but only illusions, and rainbows have nothing to hide.
So we've been told and some choose to believe it.
I know they're wrong wait and see.
Someday we'll find it, the rainbow connection.
The lovers, the dreamers and me.
Who said that wishes would be heard and answered when wished on the morningstar?..."
Hermione knew what Garion was doing. He was reawakening the passion and simiplicity of what magic truly was in hearts that took so much for granted. Even she could feel the song's power as she too remembered what it meant to hold magic in the palm of her hand and feel its wonder.
"Someday we'll find it, the rainbow connection.
The lovers, the dreamers and me.
All of us under its spell.
We know that it's probably magic.
Have you been half asleep and have you heard voices?
I've heard them calling my name..."
Hermione shivered as Garion flared his aura and allowed his magic to flow free. She noticed that many of the older traditionalists had tears coming to their eyes as past memories were called up by his music.
Even the great Albus Dumbledore was very moved by the song. Tears streamed down his cheeks as the music moved him.
There was a long poignant silence as the last of the song and Garion's magic faded away.
The Minister wouldn't let the matter drop as his voice echoed harshly through the chamber. "This creature, this being, is disrupting our very way of life. And he is aided by this mudblood! I won't stand for it! Not as long I am still the Minister of Magic! I say arrest both of them!"
Before the aurors could move or any protest come from the members of the Wizengamot, a very cold, cultured voice spoke from the shadows:
"I wouldn't do that if I were you."
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Albus Dumbledore stood up, shaking off the last of the spell that the young man had woven on those around him. It was some very powerful magic, a kind that he had never felt. . .
'I wouldn't do that if I were you...'
Albus knew that voice! He had heard it before, but where? Suddenly, a memory surfaced and he was remembering a scene in his office five years ago.
He turned to the young man and gasped, "Harry!?"
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A/N: This story is winding down. There are only two more chapters left.
Don't worry, Frau and I have another story waiting in the wings.
GF updated her profile recently if anyone is interested. Both of us are doing better now that the holidays are over.
Until next time. -GF and The Frau
*J.R.R. Toliken, Gandalf from "The Fellowship of the Ring"
