33-Third Summer
Eventually, Dylan and Lora joined a few meetings of the club during the summer. The Longbottom pool, the Johnson pool and the one at the Granger backyard were too attractive, and they had the benefit of having a group of willing babysitters there.
With everybody nude, it became very clear that Angie, who now preferred to be called Angelina, was already a young woman. This didn't bother any of the club members. It only made the older girls group around her every time to talk about… whatever girls this age talk about. At such times, he noticed Harry blushing, smiling, or giggling occasionally. He suspected that Hermione was letting him hear selected parts of the discussion. He preferred not to know.
The Grangers also intended to visit abroad. This time they went to a naturist resort on the Spanish Riviera. They invited Petunia and her boys to join them there and to celebrate Harry's tenth birthday in Spain. That was an occasion that Dylan also wanted to take part in.
\/\/\/
They all shifted to Hermione, as they all knew how to shift to a person. She was waiting at a secluded section of the beach, wearing only a smile and a hat. She then led them to a meeting room at the resort, that was decorated with banners, floaters and balloons, all appropriate for a ten years birthday celebration. Harry, Dudley, Petunia and the adult Granger were already waiting there. Mrs. Granger's pregnancy was very evident. Dylan was surprised to also see Sirius Black there. He'd not been aware of the man staying in close relations to Harry.
It was a standard birthday celebration, really, but it meant the world to Harry, especially since his aunt took an active part in it. The previous summer she'd been preoccupied with the divorce and couldn't pay attention to such trivialities. Dylan was also glad to see that Petunia looked happy and content, all her previous scars gone. He hoped that her mental scars were also gone.
But the real fun began after they finished the light meal and stuffed themselves with the cake. They all went to the beach, using some sun-blocker charm to protect their skins. They built sand-castles, swam, ran and acted the way regular children act on a beach vacation. Some other children who were staying at the resort joined the fun, making it Harry's best birthday.
Dylan and Lora also enjoyed it more than expected. With four more adults and with the girls keeping an eye on the toddling twins, they could finally relax.
"Why don't you use some magic to keep them safe?" Hermione, who plopped at their side, with Harry just an inch farther, asked Dylan.
"What do you mean?" Dylan was unaware of any spells to do that.
Hermione waved her hand, making a translucent barrier appear and then fade. "Now they can't pass that. It will even make them change their minds and turn around when they come too close. You may still need to have them watched since I can't predict how their accidental magic may affect it."
As much as Dylan searched his memories, he couldn't recall any charm or spell to do that. "What did you do?"
Hermione smiled. "It's very simple, really. You see…"
Five minutes later, both Dylan and Lora were able to erect such barriers and remove them at will. Dylan even thought of an upgrade, adding a ward component to warn the caster if the barrier was compromised or removed. Hermione was eager to learn it as well.
As soon as Hermione and Harry left them, Luna plopped at Lora's side. "It's good that you learned to make this barrier. You may need to use it even more in a year or so."
"What do you mean?" Lora asked.
"Oh, your new twins will be more magical than their older siblings. You should be prepared."
"Are you sure… I mean…"
"You're pregnant with twin boys. You'll have a girl later unless you stop having sex." Luna liked to make things clear. At times.
Lora looked at Dylan. "I'm only a day late. How could she know?"
Dylan smiled. Luna could confuse one quite easily. "She just knows. Never ask her how. She will either shrug or start explaining for an hour, after which you'll understand nothing. Trust me. I tried."
\/\/\/
The children got tired of running in the sun. The club members sat in a circle and started talking, each telling about their earliest memories or their most remarkable ones. The adults approached, trying to listen without disturbing.
They went by age, so Angelina went first. "You can all see I'm of African origins. My almost black skin and my facial features testify of it. But I was born in London. I've never left Britain before I joined this club and I feel British. Sometimes I wish I wasn't. This memory is my oldest by far. I was probably about three and was attending a day-care of some sort. Looking back, it was probably quite expensive, judging by the number of workers and the stuff they had there. I didn't know that, of course. There were not many children there, all roughly my age. Then, a few days after I started attending there, one boy came to me. 'You're a nigger. You shouldn't be here. Go back to Africa, where you belong.' he then tried to push me."
The children gasped. Although they were all aware of some bigotry, none expected it at such a tender age. This didn't stop Angelina. "I didn't dare cry. I wanted to say that I belonged there as much as he, but I'm not sure I said anything. One of the workers noticed, though, and reported to the manager. Later, just before my parents came to take me home, I heard some shouts from the office. I then saw an angry man dragging that boy, saying, 'We shall find a place where they respect our kind.' I never saw that boy again."
The children talked some about her memory. All agreed that it was handled correctly and hoped to never have to deal with such boys. Angelina had to update them, though. "There's no racism at Hogwarts, as far as I can tell, but there's a different kind of bigotry. Some children from old magical families, what they consider 'the pure-blood elite' act that way towards those of first or second-generation ancestry or to those they consider unworthy. The headmaster does nothing to stop that kind of behaviour, that comes mostly from members of Slytherin house, and Snape, the Potion teacher who's also the head of that house, is even worse, practically encouraging such behaviour."
"And you let them talk that way?" her sister asked.
"Oh, I don't do anything openly, but I make sure to punish them. Using wandless magic, they can't trace anything to me, of course."
They all chuckled. Their wandless magic was looking more important the more they heard Angie's stories.
It was Hermione turn now. "I didn't have many friends before I joined the club. I was, and still am, a bookworm. I admit that I like reading and I like learning and I like getting top grades. Some people don't like me for that. Others don't like me because of my prominent front teeth or because my hair is unmanageable." This made Angie chuckle. Hermione's hair was smooth compared to hers. Harry also protested, "You look beautiful to me!"
Hermione smiled at Harry. "Thank you, but others may disagree. Anyway, some girls made it their hobby to try and make me cry. They harassed me every time they could. One day, I was sitting during the break and reading. A group of girls came to harass me. I didn't want to make a scene, I just stood up and moved away, leaving that bench for them to sit. When the bell rang to return to class, their skirts got stuck to the bench. The only way they could leave that bench was by removing the skirts altogether. They came to class in knickers only gaining themselves punishments. Of course, nobody could know I caused that."
"How did you do it?" Luna asked.
"I didn't know then, but it was my magic, really. I thought it was a kind of punishment I'd like to inflict on them, and my magic made it happen."
Dean, Susan and Hannah had each a funny tale, but not as remarkable. Then it was Neville's turn.
"You all know that I live with my grandmother. Gran raised me since I was a bit older than a year. I was probably afraid of her since I showed no accidental magic. My family thought I was a squib, although I was on the Hogwarts list of future students. They used to check it every few months. My great-uncle Algie was the worst. I was about five, I think, when he tried to force me to do some accidental magic. It wasn't the first time he tried, but it was the worst. He took me to the second floor and held me hanging on my feet with my head down over the windowsill. He then let go of me. I fell down and I thought I would die, but I didn't want to die, not that I understood what it meant. Well, I can't say I understand it much better now. Anyway, I was falling to the ground and wishing to be back at that window. And then I bounced back. Gran banned her brother from visiting for more than a year, until he apologized innumerable times and brought me many presents, but she was also relieved, knowing that I had magic in me. After I joined the club, any remaining doubt vanished, of course."
"And why didn't your parents stop him? Where were they when it all happened?" Hermione was not one to condone child abuse.
Neville blanched. "My parents… were… are… at St. Mungos."
"But why? And why for so long?" the girl wouldn't relent.
Neville sighed, coming to the understanding that his secret could not be kept any longer. His expression hardened. "My parents were Aurors – that's like muggle Police, I was told – as were Harry's. After I was born, both families went into hiding. I don't know why. You know what happened to Harry. My parents were spared that night. With the Dark Lord vanquished, they thought they didn't need to hide anymore. They left me with my Gran for the night, intending to finally go out and have some fun. I don't know if they had it or not. I only know that some Death eaters caught them at home, sometime during the evening or the night, and tortured them to insanity, before they were caught by an Auror patrol. My parents have been residents of the permanent spell damage ward in the hospital since that night. The healers tried various methods, but nothing seems to help them. They just exist there, not responding to anything, eating if somebody put the food in their mouths. Just two life-size, breathing dolls." Neville could barely hold the tears that threatened to spill from his eyes.
Susan and Hannah were quick to move to his sides, each hugging him sideways and kissing a cheek. It took Neville a moment to realize what was happening. He then blushed furiously, but hugged them shortly back, saying, "Thank you!"
This story changed the mood. It was also getting a bit late. The children put on their clothes, congratulated Harry once again and started shifting back, one by one. Neville wasn't ready to leave yet. He sat on the sand at Harry's side and sighed. "I never wanted to talk about them, you know. I didn't want to ruin your birthday."
Harry patted his knee. "That's alright, Nev. In a way, it looks like I got the better deal. I only need to confront the fact that they're gone. Your situation is more difficult."
Hermione, on Harry's other side, felt a need to apologize. "I'm sorry Nev. I shouldn't have insisted on such answers, but you know how I am…"
Neville chuckled. "It would have surprised me if you didn't ask. I just… wasn't ready for that, but I think it made me feel better to not keep it a secret."
Harry was bothered by something else. "Are you sure there's no way to help them?"
Neville shrugged. "The healers say so."
Harry was thinking aloud. "There must be something… A spell… a potion… maybe a combination of both? We should also check rituals, like the goblins use." That seemed to light a bulb. He turned to Neville. "Have you asked the goblins if they could help?"
Neville looked surprised. "I don't know. I'll ask Gran. Maybe we should try that route."
"And we shall scan all the books we already have. Maybe some about the mind too. If we can't find something there, we may need to find some more books, you know. We'll do it as soon as we return home." There was no doubt Harry was including Hermione in "we".