A/N: Look, if you don't review soon, I will shut down this story. So if you want more, PLEASE, please review.

Chapter 12

"Mum?" Hugo asked from the table in the kitchen.

"Hm?" Hermione responded, not quite pay attention to what her son was saying, as she was finishing off a bit of work. She hated bringing work home, but unfortunately couldn't avoid it.

"What's being a half blood mean?" Hugo asked, drawing on his piece of paper. Hermione was silent for a minute, unsure of how to answer. This question was one she had tried to steer her children away from. She supposed it was something that was going to come up now that her children were getting older. Rose was a first year at Hogwarts now, and Hugo was nine. She was certain that Rose had probably encountered this term face to face now.

"Why do you ask?" Hermione responded, trying to sound casual. Hugo shrugged, but she could tell that something had happened for him to ask. "Did someone say something to you?" He shook his head, continuing to doodle. "Did someone say something to Rose?" she asked again, her tone edged with concern. At this question Hugo's eyes squinted a little, and the tips of his ears turned red. This was usually a sign that he was angered. He and Rose might fight all the time, and she might be his older sister, but Hermione knew that he would jump to the defense of Rose any day. By now Hermione was standing, staring at Hugo. He raised his eyes slowly to hers, hesitating.

"She wrote it to me in a letter… it's kind of private." He hesitated, Hermione giving him the look that only a mother could give. "I guess, I mean, she said someone called her a filthy half-blood, like it was an insult. She didn't feel bad at the time, but she knew it was meant to be an insult." He shrugged "I don't even know what a half- blood is, but if she's one, then I'm one, right?" he finished, looking utterly confused. Hermione's face fell as she realized that she couldn't push this conversation off any longer. She had hoped that after the War, prejudice would disappear. She realized that this was an optimistic thought, but she had thought that at least her children wouldn't have to experience it. That's why she and Ron had decided not to teach their children these words that told people their "blood status." They didn't want their children to grow up thinking that a "blood status" told them someone's worth. She should have known that Rose going to Hogwarts would bring up these words that her children had never heard before. She took a deep stabilizing breath.

"Come here Hugo." She said holding her arms out. He looked embarrassed, but came over and she engulfed him a big hug. She rested her cheek on the top his head before pulling away. She motioned for him to take a seat with her, him looking even more confused than ever. "Well… you're right," she began, "If Rose is a half-blood, then you are too." Hugo's mouth dropped at this.

"But what does that mean?!" he burst, unable to hold it in.

"It means that you have one Pure-Blood parent, and one born into a muggle family." Hugo squinted his eyes at this, absorbing what she was saying.

"Mum, Grandpa and Grandma Granger are muggles, aren't they?" He said.

"Yes Hugo, and Grandpa and Grandma Weasley are wizards."

"So…." Hugo said, a little slow to catching on to what Hermione was saying.

"So, in your case your Dad is the pure blood, and your Mum is the muggle-born. That means that you and Rose are half-bloods."

"I still don't see how that matters." Hugo said, clearly irritated with the conversation. Hermione was actually feeling pride that he didn't understand what these terms meant. She and Ron had tried to instill the values that people were people. If they were a muggle, then that's fine. If they were a wizard from a wizarding family, that's fine. If they were a wizard from a muggle family then that was fine too. She was proud that her children had no idea why blood status mattered to others, but it was time to explain to him so when he encountered it he could respond.

"It doesn't matter really Hugo, but others might see it as mattering. You see, some "pure bloods" think they're better than muggle borns like me, and others who aren't full pure bloods."

"So they were insulting Rose?" Hugo asked, his voice rising slightly. Hermione nodded, but held up a hand, he waited as she continued.

"Yes, they were insulting Rose, but that's just because they couldn't say anything else to insult her. I'm a muggle-born, and I was one of the smartest witches in my class." She said, not wanting to boast. "Rose probably said something that showed she was smart, and the only insult that the person could come up with was that she was a half-blood."

"Oh." Hugo said, jumping off of his seat. Hermione was certain that not all of what she had just said sunk in, as he was nine years old, but hopefully when he was older some of her words would come back to him. Suddenly she felt his arms hug her around her middle.

"What was that for?" She said, patting his head.

"For being a muggle-born." He said. "I'm gonna write Rose back, and tell her to tell those bullies that she's way smarter than them!" he said, running off.

"That's not exactly what I meant!" Hermione half heartily yelled after him, a smile on her face. Yes, she and Ron had raised their children the way they hoped the world would be some day.

A/N: Soon, if I don't get reviews, I will stop this story, and make another album for newer stories in the same vein. It doesn't have to be a long review, just something. Thanks in advance