DISCLAIMER: That part of this world and those characters you've seen before belong to their Creator: JKR. The rest is mine - although I cannot quit my day job as I make no $$$ from this…

A/N: I got some critiques about the notion that Hogwarts is the only school. I never bought into that concept. Nor the notion that there were only forty or so children Harry's age. JKR suggested the total number of magicals in the British Isles was about 3000. That is not a viable population given their apparent birth rate. (And given that birthrate, no population is truly viable, but in this case, they will cease to exist in a handful of generations at best.)

The Ministry was far too large for such a population. Perhaps as many as half of that population would be in government - not making any money at all. They must be paid, yet how?

I picture a population of magicals between 60,000 and 90,000. This is still less than 0.10 percent of the total population which means they can still hide with ease. Based upon census data for a city of comparable size and factoring in a lower birth rate and greater life span, I set the secondary school population at 1/3 that of a "normal" developed world population - about 3000 between ages 11 and 18. Adding in the 1/3 Muggle Borns - it's 4,500.

Hogwarts is not the only school, but like some in the U.S and Britain, it is an elite school with a disproportionate number of graduates in government. There must be a governed, a merchant class, a working class and so on. There must be an economy. Food must still be produced, and clothes and the luxuries. In canon, we only saw what Harry did and that was but the tip of an iceberg. Here, I hope, we begin to see the rest…

CHAPTER NINE: WHY HARRY?

SATURDAY, MAY 21, 1988 - ST. BARTHOLOMEW'S CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL, LONDON, U.K.

Harry and Hermione had again spent the rest of that Saturday together. After Hermione left a couple of hours after they had supper together, Harry went back to his school work, determined to finish his year by the time he left the hospital. When the Grangers returned tomorrow, Harry would have three weeks worth of assignments for them to pass on to his teacher. He hoped that he could take the placement exams before he finally could leave the hospital.

When he finished for the day and got ready to go to sleep, he was surprised at how he felt. Even though he saw her everyday, alone like this with nothing to do, he missed his new friend. He was amazed at this. His whole life he had never missed anyone he had known. In most cases, had he never saw them again, it was no loss to him. This girl had then come into his life and just by being his friend showed him there was something - someone - worth living for. He had never thought himself as lonely. Then again, having known nothing but loneliness, he had nothing to compare it against. What Harry did not know was that at that same time, Hermione was having very similar thoughts about the boy she now thought of as her Harry.

_____________________________________________________________

Hermione's parents were lying in bed reading late that Saturday night. Hermione was asleep and they hoped that Harry was too. It had been an interesting two weeks for the Granger family. It seemed that since Hermione could talk she had asked her parents if she could have a little brother or sister. Her parents had always told her they'd see, but there had been no new little Granger. It's not that the Granger's did not want another child. They did. But there were problems that prevented them from having one.

"Bob?" Rose Granger asked.

"Hmmm?" Robert Granger replied putting his book down.

"You notice anything different about our daughter these last couple of weeks?"

Robert Granger chuckled. "No, not really," he teased. "She's always smiled nonstop and laughed and giggled a lot, hasn't she?"

"You know she hasn't," Rose said.

"I know. I was worried about her, truth be told."

"And now?"

"Still am, but for a different reason."

"What's that?"

"Well, before I was afraid she's never truly be happy. I mean, she's a joy to have around and I do love her so, but she's never really had a friend."

"And now?"

"Now she's happy, I think. I'm worried because maybe it won't last. I'm also worried because maybe it will."

"Why?"

"They barely know each other, Rosie. What if they really can't stand each other?"

"I don't think that's an issue, Bob. I think they adore each other."

"For now. What about later, when he's better?"

"I don't think that's about to change."

"Hence my other worry, Rosie."

"Bob, I think it's adorable."

"Now. She's eight and he's seven. What about when they are older? What about when they are teenagers? That has me worried as well."

"I see. Well, if you want my opinion, first off it'll be years before you have to worry about that. Secondly, I think she could do a lot worse."

Bob nodded. "I guess the good news is we'll be able to keep an eye on them."

"I almost cannot wait until the day when you have to pull Harry aside to give him the 'talk.'"

"So long as you give it to Hermione," Bob groaned.

"You think we should tell her?"

"Now?" Bob asked in shock. "Bit young don't you think?"

"Not that. About who she really is."

"Not yet. Maybe later after school is out. Certainly we want her Aunt here and Harry as well."

"But, do you think she'll be able to handle it?"

"Before Harry, no. It would have destroyed her to know, as we discussed. Now? Now she won't feel so alone."

"I agree. Now, well later this summer, may be the best time."

SUNDAY, MAY 22, 1988 - ST. BARTHOLOMEW'S CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL, LONDON, U.K.

Hermione arrived the next day at around nine in the morning. She was alone, which piqued Harry's curiosity.

"Where are your parents?" He asked after she kissed him on the forehead getting the desired result. Hermione thought he was really cute when he blushed.

"Church," she said. "We usually go every Sunday, but not the last two because we were concerned about you."

"So they're no longer concerned?" Harry sounded disappointed.

"They are, Harry. They probably always will be. It's just…"

"Just what?"

"Well, now that we're not afraid you might…"

"What?"

"Er - not get better, they've gone to Church to pray for you."

Harry started to tear up. "No one's ever done that for me," he said.

"Not true, Harry. I have every night before bed."

"Thanks," he smiled. "So why aren't you with them?"

"Because I want to be with you and until you're better and can come with us, I am here. Did you go to church?"

"My Aunt took me every Sunday - unless I was too hurt. My Uncle never went so far as I know."

"What kind of church?"

Harry began describing the architecture of the building before Hermione cut him off. "No, no. That's not what I meant, Harry. I mean was it Anglican, Presbyterian?"

"Catholic," Harry said. "Same as my Mum."

"Really? That's excellent!"

"Why?"

"Because we're Catholic too, Harry! Who would have thought?"

Harry looked at her confused. "My Aunt always said there's nothing but."

"Not true, Harry," Hermione sighed. "There's loads of different kinds. I'm just glad we go to the same kind."

"Why?"

"I don't know," she said. "I just am."

"I kind of liked going to church," Harry said. "It was one of the times the Dursleys would leave me alone. It was also one of the few times when my Cousin would get punished."

"For what?"

"Acting up. Making a fuss. Trying to hit me. Basically, for being himself. If he acted up, my Aunt would take away his stuff for a few days - or at least until Uncle Vernon got tired of hearing the fat git's tantrums. I'd hide in my cupboard."

"Why?"

"Cause I would be laughing so hard."

"Do you believe in God, Harry?" Hermione asked looking at him intently.

"I didn't - or maybe I did. I prayed every night that someone would take me away from my Aunt and Uncle. Anyone. I was told to pray for them - never did. Then, as you know, my prayers came true." He smiled at Hermione and she swore she could feel his joy in her. "I guess that means He must be real. Although, I kind of wish he worked faster."

Hermione laughed. She then got serious. "I prayed for a friend, now I have one."

"And you always will, Hermione," Harry said. She smiled at him and he loved her goofy smile, especially when he made it happen.

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"Good afternoon, Sensei," Harry and Hermione said as he appeared about a half an hour after lunch.

"How's your day been?" Sensei asked.

"Wonderful," Hermione sighed with a big smile on her face. "Harry and I are…" she blushed.

"We have a lot in common, it seems," Harry said with a smile.

Sensei smiled. "Indeed you do," he said. "Maybe even more than my Hermione and I had, due to the change in Harry's life from my own."

"Sensei?" Hermione asked. "Did you marry your Hermione?"

"Hermione," Harry gasped!

"Just asking."

"Okay."

"No, Hermione, we did not," Sensei sighed. "Probably should have, but as I believe I told you, we treasured our friendship, perhaps too much. We loved each other deeply. But neither of us was willing to tell the other how we felt until it was almost too late. We married others. My wife and her husband were brother and sister. I loved my wife, but not like I loved my Hermione. My Hermione liked her husband, but I'm not sure if she ever really loved him. They both died in one of the wars I am trying to help you two prevent. My Hermione's husband went missing on a mission. Their two children were murdered along with the family they were staying with at the time. My wife was killed in an attack on our home, along with our three children."

"That's horrible!" Hermione exclaimed.

"Indeed," Sensei said. "Years later, my Hermione told me how she truly felt about me and I finally told her how I truly felt about her. It was a week before she died in the attack on London.

"I don't know if we had married whether things would have turned out any different. I like to think they would have. I do believe we would have been happier regardless. Neither of our marriages were happy. We married into a Pureblood family - Blood Traitors, to be sure - but Purebloods. My Hermione and I wished to live in a more non-magical manner. Our spouses would not hear of it. I think we would have been better off with each other as it should have been than with those two."

"I'm sorry," Hermione said.

"Past life," Sensei replied.

"So Hermione and I are supposed to get married?" Harry asked.

Sensei shrugged. "It's your lives to lead. It is, however, why I told you to be totally honest with each other always. My Hermione and I married the two people almost everyone expected us to marry. We made the mistake of listening to them and not to our hearts. My Hermione's parents expected she would marry me. They were very disappointed when she did not. At the time, we both thought we were doing the right thing. We were both wrong. Maybe you two are supposed to wind up together. That's years in your futures. Follow your hearts and not the expectations of others, wherever it might lead you."

"It's a long time off," Harry said. "But, I do like My Hermione a lot."

"And I like My Harry a lot too," Hermione said with a blush and a smile. Sensei noted that they were now holding hands although he wondered if they knew that they were.

With a chuckle, Sensei continued. "Enough about love lives! As amusing as they may be, that is not today's topic of discussion. Today we will continue with yesterday's subject on history. Now remind me, what did we learn yesterday?"

"Purebloods suck," Harry said.

"Elitists, Harry," Hermione corrected. "Not all Purebloods are elitists."

"True indeed," Sensei replied. "But enough are, and they are not entirely alone. There are others - including Muggle Borns - who are consumed with hatred such that they go dark."

"What does 'dark' mean?" Harry asked.

"Evil," Hermione said.

"That is a word for it," Sensei agreed. "But what is evil?"

After a long pause, Sensei continued. "There are many definitions of the term. Extreme selfishness is a good one. Hatred for all others is another. In the magical world, dark magic is evil. That kind of magic serves few purposes, none of them beneficial to others. Dark magic includes all magic that is designed to control or harm other humans and serves no other purpose. There are spells that can kill that have other non-lethal uses. Dark magic has no other uses. It also includes branches of magic that, while it does not harm others directly, others must be harmed for the magic to work.

"The lesson today is about Dark Wizards and two in particular. Dark Wizards or witches are those who engage in dark magic. They are criminals in our world. Dark magic is illegal. Every once in a while, however, one becomes very good at it and frighteningly powerful. Power draws the weaker to them. They gain followers and soon they try and impose their views on others not willing to join them. Invariably, this leads to war in our world.

"Throughout history, the leaders of the Dark have come from all backgrounds. Morgana, the sister of King Arthur was Muggle Born. She seduced her own brother with magic to bear his son, Mordred, who was not magical at all. Together, they waged war on Camelot and lost. But in losing was a victory for Arthur and Camelot were no more either.

"The overwhelming majority of the leaders of the Dark have been Purebloods as have the majority of their followers and supporters. Evil is a human weakness not limited to those of Pureblood. But the Pureblood elitists seem far more susceptible to it than others. Their view is that they should rule all and they willing rally behind a champion of their cause.

"For this lesson, we will discuss two Dark Lords - Dark Wizards who waged wars to gain control over the magical and non-magical worlds. The first was Gellert Grindewald. He was a Pureblood, born into poverty in 1864. He was born in what was then East Prussia and is now a part of the Soviet Union. He attended the magical school Durmstrang, located somewhere in eastern Europe. Unlike many magical schools, Durmstrang does teach the Dark Arts to its students and don't ask me why because I don't know.

"By all accounts, as a student Grindewald was heavily into the Dark Arts. Too much so, if truth be told. Magical school takes seven years to complete. Near the end of his fifth year, Grindewald was expelled. There had been a few suspicious deaths among the students and the staff suspected Grindewald had a hand in the deaths, but could not prove it. Since they lacked evidence to try him for murder, they expelled him. He's said to have wandered about Europe for a couple of years before he came to England to live with a distant relative. Coincidently or not, he came to live in Godrics Hollow, the village where you were born, Harry.

"There he met a young man about his own age named Albus Dumbledore. Albus had just finished Hogwarts. He had been Head Boy and was at the top of his class at school. He was a gifted student and had already passed for Masters level in two fields of study - similar to a university degree. Everyone believed he was destined to do great things in one field or another. But fate had dealt him a cruel blow.

"Albus had a younger sister, Ariana. She too was magical When she was six, some non-magical boys caught her doing magic and beat her nearly to death. While she eventually recovered physically, mentally she never recovered from the abuse. Their father had killed the boys for what they had done to his daughter and was sent to prison where he died."

"That's horrible," Hermione said.

Sensei nodded. "Quite tragic. She lived at home with her mother, unable to control her magic. She could be quite dangerous at times. Not long after Albus finished school, there was an accident. Ariana lost control of her magic and her mother was killed. Rather than head off and make his name in the world, Albus stayed to take care of his sister. It was during this time a disappointed Albus met Grindewald.

"Although Albus was unable to pursue his numerous ambitions due to the need to care for his sister, this did not stop his mind from working. He had an idea that one day he hoped would become a reality. Gifted magical people - such as himself - would re-enter the non-magical world as counselors. He wanted to return to the days of Merlin, when the leaders of the world had magical counsel. They would help the non-magicals govern the world and thereby avoid what he saw was a road leading to ruin.

"He confided his ideas in his new friend, Grindewald. While Albus's intentions may have been altruistic, his new friend's were not. Grindewald saw Ablus's 'Greater Good' as a philosophy that called for wizards to rule the world directly. At the time, most of Europe was still ruled by monarchies. Albus envisioned being the wise counsel behind the throne. Grindewald wanted the throne itself.

"Eventually, there was a violent falling out between the two. The result of that fight was the death of Albus's sister. He was devastated. Grindewald had fled and Albus was left with having to bury his dead sister. The resulting grief caused him to abandon any of his former ambitions and he retreated into the world of academia. Grindewald, on the other hand, inspired by this notion of a wizard rule, began to advocate for it. He returned to the Continent and became enamored by the works of Karl Marx and the rhetoric of the Bolsheviks for a time, until he realized they hated magic. After the end of the First World War, he found a political movement that embraced both his ideas of world domination and magic - the German Nazis. He became one of Hitler's trusted advisors in the early 1920's.

"As the Nazi's struggled to gain control in Germany, Gridewald was far more effective within the European magicals. By 1933, when Hitler finally came to power in Germany, Gridewald effectively controlled most of central and eastern Europe and all of Scandinavia. Basically, he ruled the magical world from east of the Rhine river to the then borders of the Soviet Union. France, Holland and Belgium had resisted his efforts, while the Soviet Union stood poised to fall in with him as their magicals were persecuted by the non-magicals.

"In 1935, Grindewald's forces opened warfare into the west, invading France and the low countries. At the same time, his supporters supplied the Russian and Ukrainian magicals as they began fighting back against their non-magical government. By 1940, all of magical Europe except for Britain was under Grindewald's control and there is an argument that the success of the non-magical German Army from 1939 through 1942 was largely due to the fact that the magicals had laid the groundwork.

"The period of the Great European Magical War, as it is known, coincided with a time when the Pureblood elitists held significant influence here in Britain. Because Grindewald did not espouse their agenda, they convinced the magical government that Europe was none of our affair. After all, Gridewald promoted Muggle Borns over Purebloods almost routinely, a practice that incensed the Pureblood elitists.

"That is not to say our government took no action. The then Minister for Magic, Caratacus Prentice, formed a secret organization to aid resistance movements in Europe beginning in 1937. By 1942, this organization had a combat arm of witches and wizards sent to the continent to train resistance operatives and to fights the enemy directly. Its leader was none other than Albus Dumbledore. As he was a professor at Hogwarts, he did not participate directly in combat operations, rather he oversaw the operations. In 1945, he finally left for Europe. Grindewald's forces were all but defeated by then. Dumbledore left to find and destroy Gridewald himself.

"He found the former Grand Warlock outside Dresden not long after the non-magical Nazi's surrendered to the Allies and defeated his former friend in single combat, thus ending that war. What was not known was that the end of that war inspired another to try and achieve the same or even more than Grindewald had.

"Tom Marvolo Riddle was born in an orphanage in London in 1925. As you may recall, his mother was a Pureblood. His father was a Muggle, tricked into marrying his mother by use of a love potion. The potion wore off when she was pregnant and the father abandoned her. As she was born poor, she was forced to beg and maybe do worse to eat. She died minutes after giving birth some say due to a broken heart.

"Tom grew up hating the world around him. In 1936, he learned he was a wizard and started at Hogwarts. He proved to be a gifted student, but he had side interests as well. He embraced the Pureblood elitist agenda with a zeal and considered Grindewald, who by then was in control of much of the Continent, a hero. Tom committed his first murder in 1941, a fellow student. By the time he had finished school, he had found his father and murdered him and his entire family. Tom also developed the ability to frame others for his crimes. It would be decades before anyone knew of his transgressions.

"After leaving school in 1944, he spent a couple of years working in a magical shop in London. Nobody knew why. He was also circulating in Pureblood society, preaching its praises and quietly recruiting future followers and supporters.

"Following a few more murders, conveniently blamed on someone else, he disappeared for over a decade. No one really knows where he went or what he did during this time. We do know that he came back knowing more Dark Magic than anyone thought possible.

"We don't know precisely when he returned, only that in the summer of 1960 he applied for a vacant teaching post at Hogwarts. Needless to say, he did not get the posting. We do know he then began rounding up his followers and recruiting more to his cause. The troubles began in 1965. In the beginning, the Death Eaters - as his followers became known - were few and unknown. Beginning in '65, random act of violence upset the supposed tranquility of our world.

"The Minister for Magic Nobby Leach was certain it was simply an outbreak of criminal activity. Others were not so sure. The victims tended to be law enforcement officers, their families and random Muggle Borns and their families. To some, most notably Dumbledore, it was a disturbing trend. Still, there was little information to draw a clear conclusion that there might be a Dark Lord in the offing.

"In 1968, the Minister for Magic was assassinated. The assassin was caught and the magical world first learned of the existence of one Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters. Between the death of Leach and the election of our current Minister, Millicent Bagnold in 1980, no less than fifteen Ministers for Magic were elected only to be assassinated by Death Eaters soon thereafter.

"By 1975, terrorism had evolved into open warfare. It was a civil war, which are the worst kinds. Death Eaters were mostly Purebloods, but there were others in the organization who were not. Families lay divided as sons and daughters fought parents and brothers and sisters fought each other - often to the death. People were terrified. Many went into hiding and thousands fled this country. The government was in such a state that it all but ceased to exist.

"Bagnold was elected in 1980, during the darkest days of the war. A highly respected Auror - a Dark Wizard hunter - she was able to avoid no less than three serious assassination attempts. Unfortunately, the government was all but paralyzed. In 1971, Albus Dumbledore formed the Order of the Phoenix made up of people opposed to Voldemort and his ideas and who were willing to fight. For all practical purposes, this was all that stood between Voldemort and the rest of the world. It was not enough. By 1981, the war was all but lost.

"Yet, Voldemort did not win. He made one colossal mistake and it cost him and his side everything."

"What was that?" Hermione asked.

"He tried to kill Harry here. One of Harry's parents' best friends had become a Death Eater. He ultimately betrayed Harry's parents to Voldemort.

"Harry's parents were not just members of the Order of the Phoenix, they were true warriors. They had dueled Voldemort himself on three occassions and survived. They had ended the career of a score or more of his most faithful followers. That alone was reason for him to kill them, but he went after Harry instead."

"Why Harry?" Hermione said with fear in her voice.

"Because of a prophecy," Sensei replied.

"They're real?" Hermione asked in shock.

"Many believe so," Sensei replied. "Personally, they are mostly garbage. It is impossible to predict the future, despite what many think. Still, it is because of this prophecy that we are talking today."

"What was this prophecy." Harry asked.

Sensei sighed before continuing. "The One with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches…Born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies… And the Dark Lord will mark Him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not… And either must die at the hands of the other for neither can live while the other survives.

"The prophecy was made in the fall of 1979. A spy heard part of it," Sensei continued. "All the bits up to the seventh month. He did not hear the rest. Voldemort went looking for a baby boy born at the end of July 1980 who fit the description.

"Two boys born at the end of July fit the description. You, Harry, were one. Your parents had fought Voldemort three times and lived before the prophecy was made. You were born at 12:12 on the morning of July 31st, 1980. But you were not alone. Another boy's parents had also fought Voldemort on three occasions and lived. Their son was born at 11:02 in the evening on July 30th, 1980 - as the seventh month died. While his parents are not dead, they were attacked some weeks after your parents by Voldemort's followers. They were driven insane and, like you, Neville Longbottom is an orphan for all practical purposes. Unlike you, he still had family and his family does love him."

"So it could have been either of us?" Harry asked.

"Or neither of you," Sensei said. "When the prophecy was made, there was no reason to know for certain. It may have meant another boy born years later. But both sides saw it as meaning you and Neville, Harry. Both of your families were sent into hiding and Voldemort bent over backwards to find both of you. He found you first, to his temporary destruction. I have no doubt, had he found Neville first the result would have been the same, except Neville would be the famous 'Boy-Who-Lived' in our world and not you."

"So it doesn't have to be me then?"

"Not by that prophecy, no Harry. But the mathematics bear out that you are critical to the future, for better or worse. Does that mean you have to kill Voldemort? I don't know, Harry. I did, but it does not mean you must. But he must die, that much is certain. And you will be a key to his undoing, for that much is certain too."

Harry slumped.

"You need not worry yourself now, Harry. These events are years from coming to pass. I was not told any of this until 1996, over eight years from now. I could not prepare and was not prepared. You, Harry - you can and will be, as will Hermione."

"It's so much," Harry almost moaned.

"Indeed. It was a burden for me as well. I see you're reading The Lord of the Rings?"

Harry nodded.

"How far are you?"

"Gandalf just died."

Sensei nodded. "The ring was a burden for Frodo as well, was it not?"

Harry nodded.

"Yet he bore it anyway?"

Harry nodded again.

"It is better to have history thrust upon you unwillingly than to be one who actively seeks it, Harry. The fact that you do not wish this burden speaks highly of your character. Besides, it's only a prophecy. Most all are rubbish anyway. Still…"

"Still?"

"In addition to the exercises, between now and Saturday I would like the two of you to think of what that prophecy might mean. It can have many meanings and interpretations, so do not think any one is better than any other. Think of as many possible meanings for each word, phrase and the prophecy as a whole. You may discuss it with each other as well. We will discuss this next Saturday, okay?"

"Yes Sensei," they both replied.