Most Unusual
Just A Penniless Writer

Disclaimer: Not mine. Neither of them.

Tenth Chapter: Pointed Looks and Conversations

The Gryffindors couldn't be in a better mood. They had won the game, no contest really, Draco was a sure candidate for severe detention, and the strange guests were practically guaranteeing a new mystery. Nothing could be better.

Hermione, though, was in Hell. The kid that had insulted her and then proceeded to pester her for the last week had parents more forceful than him and thus she was pressured into joining them at a small private table that had been set up in one corner of the Great Hall.

"Join us," the father had all but demanded.

"It's not like its forever," the mother had added with a curious little smirk.

"Even if it feels like it," the son continued. "You'll find that forever isn't that long at all."

It was as if they were speaking a foreign language, so heavenly entrenched in inside jokes were they.

"It would be my pleasure," she said with a forced smile.

So it was that when Professor Dumbledore finally quieted the students enough to introduce the guests, she had already received more than her share of suspicious looks.

"Congratulations to Gryffindor and Slytherin on a game well played," the Headmaster said with a twinkle. "It was most certainly interesting."

Cue laughter at the Gryffindor table.

"But," he continued. "We have all the more reason to celebrate as we have been gifted with most wonderful guests!"

Attention instantly turned to the table where Hermione tried to decide whether it was best to hide in embarrassment at being at a table between an eleven year old and his parents or raise her chin in defiance. In the end, she found an awkward combination of both that included the raised chin as she sunk in her chair.

"It is my great privileged to introduce to Hogwarts His Grace the Duke of Diagon, Jareth Calciare and Her Grace, the Lady Sarah Williams. They are the parents of one of our own, Mister Antonius Williams of Slytherin House. They will be staying through the weekend and I expect everyone to show them how truly wonderful the students of Hogwarts can be."

That was a warning if they'd ever heard one, but more importantly, were Tony's parents really nobles? There was a Duke of Diagon? And they were not told?

Of course, Hermione had already been pondering this information for a good amount of time as it was and was intent on hitting the library as soon as she escaped from the grasp of this strange family. For now, she made it her goal to remember and catalogue every thing they did. While she did not doubt Tony's parents were special, she was certain beyond a doubt that the Duchy of Diagon had been given to the Ministry of Magic back in its infancy after the last Duke had passed on without a successor.

Her Grace (or was it Mrs. Calciare…or Miss Williams?) seemed the most normal of the crew and so it was to her that Hermione turned her platitudes and questions.

"Your Grace…"

"Please, call me Sarah."

"Sarah, I'm afraid I do not understand. You are a Muggle, correct?"

Sarah nodded calmly even as she inwardly wondered whether this was an obsession amongst witches and wizards.

"But His Grace-"

"Call him Jareth."

"Okay, though his lineage is such that he has claims on the magical duchy of Diagon, Jareth has no wizard blood?"

"Yes."

The simplicity of the answer confused her even as it made her even more suspicious. Without a doubt, the entire odd family was hiding something and Hermione had an inkling that it had everything to do with Jareth's true ancestry. Tony had been truthful about inheriting his father's eyes and now that she examined the man a bit, she felt even surer that he was at the very least partial Fae. A very large part. Probably entirely.

Whatever he was, he had just noticed her staring.

"Yes?"

"Something isn't right about you," she stated plainly, a bit worried that her words could be equivalent to an insult.

"Well, well, well, is that what you think?" he responded with a calm smirk.

"Yes."

"What makes you say that? Tell me, little girl, what do you think of me?"

Hermione noticed offhand that both Sarah and Tony rolled their eyes and figured this was routine behavior for the strange man.

"I think…" she began. "I think that you are royalty or at the very least upper class, though not necessarily what you say you are. You seem to be a nice enough man with a…high confidence thing."

"I seem to be?"

"Things aren't always what they seem. I'll need to research thoroughly before I can come to any conclusions."

Sarah and Tony stared at her in gaping amazement.

"Now, now, enough about me. Tell me, Hermione, how are you enjoying this school?"

"I enjoy it a lot, sir. The war was awfully tragic, but my other experiences have been great."

"Do you believe Antonius will come away from this better off?"

"Oh yes. The friends I made here…" She shot an unreadable look towards Tony who smiled awkwardly. "I will remember for a lifetime."

"Ah, friends. I'm afraid that he gets that from his mother. It was always impossible to resist her entreaties of friendship. Some risked Certain Death to win her favor," Jareth said wistfully.

Hermione turned her gaze onto Sarah who was smiling in such a benign manner that she was reminded of Dumbledore.

"Really? Then we have more in common that I thought," Hermione smiled in return. "I first became friends with Harry and Ron when they saved me from a troll. Of course, it helped that I covered for them."

"Interesting…Tell me, Hermione, these friends of yours…would they be the ones glaring at us as we speak? Hmm?" Jareth rebutted with irritating calmness.


"Look at her…smiling at them! Who does she think she is?" Ron grumped, his Quidditch high worn down in the face of this new mystery.

"She's probably trying to gain their favor. If Tony really is an Earl, then he has power. If she allies herself with them now, who knows what they'll be capable of," Harry reasoned.

"I knew it! Between the house elves and this Duke, they are unstoppable! They'll take over the world!"

"Ron, I really don't think she's trying to do anything like that, but she IS planning something. Now quiet, they are looking at us."


"Actually, no, those would be some Ravenclaws I topped on the last Transfiguration exam. Those two sending suspicious looks from the far table would be Harry and Ron."

"Do they still think we are planning on world domination?" Tony asked with a bright smile. He had always thought it was a rather appealing idea.

"I believe so. They've stopped speaking to me altogether of late. I'd really like to know what they think they know because I can make no sense of their reasoning."

"They truly suspect you have such plans?" Sarah questioned with a snort.

"Yes. Really, they need to revise their logic. As if I'd make any moves on the wizarding world at this time and in that fashion."

"Ah," Jareth said with a wicked smile. "So you do plan on ruling."

"Only for good. I plan on being the first Muggle-born Minister of Magic so I can implement House Elf protection laws, an anti-bribery bill, and set guidelines to ensure the validity of publications."

"My, what diplomacy," the supposed Duke granted as he sent an approving look toward his Lady.

"What did you say about the house elves?" Tony asked curiously. "They are scared of you, you know."

"Yes, well, I've come to accept that some of them will no see theirs as the bonds of slavery. However, abuse still is prominent in some households and I'll do what I can to stop it."

"Oh, come now, a little kick never did anyone foul," Jareth commented indignantly.

Recognizing the glint in Hermione's eyes as that of the beginning of a rather lengthy rant, he quickly sought to change the topic of conversation.

"Hermione! Isn't that your owl?"

It wasn't, but at the very least it distracted her from house elves.