Cultural Exchange
Arthur Weasley had to be dragged out of the muggle store by an amused Remus and Tonks with the purchases they had already agreed upon or the man would have been in there all day trying out gadgets and toys. The balding redhead had presented his idea to Andromeda and Petunia Dursley a few nights ago and convinced the women that he was onto something, now they had everything they felt would be needed for the Wizengamot meeting the next week.
"This camera is most impressive!" The Weasley patriarch said while they walked to their apparition point, "You say it is still almost entirely mechanical, as well?"
"Yes," Andromeda answered, "it uses that and chemical reactions, along with a simple battery. So it should work under even powerful wards, we'll need to test it at Hogwarts first, though. If it works there, it should work anywhere; and that is the most suspect device we have."
"Should I ask what you are up to now, Mister Lupin?" She asked after Arthur went back to examining the Polaroid Onestep, "You've been plotting with Sirius recently, and I saw you eying some of the things in that store oddly."
"Well, we are eagerly awaiting the reforms this bill is planning." Remus answered with a grin, "Ms. Acacia has been worried that she does not have a constant revenue stream, and I volunteered to help. Sirius and I have come up with an idea that would directly benefit the scholarship and its recipients as well."
They reached the apparition point before she could press further; and the three twisted in place, disappearing with a mild crack before appearing in the Tonks's backyard. They were surprised to find that Ted Tonks was not alone when they entered, Professor McGonagall was visiting as well.
"Honestly, this is becoming a bit of an embarrassment." The professor said after pleasantries had been exchanged, "Babbity Burbage, our Muggle Studies professor, volunteered to be a chaperone for the summer camp during its second week. The board of governors thought it was a good idea so that she could ensure that the students were actually learning things about muggles."
"I hadn't heard of that," Andromeda said, "but I haven't worked as closely with that side of the summer activities. I don't understand what the problem is, though."
"The problem is that Professor Burbage came back after only two days and is now talking about resigning." McGonagall huffed, "Apparently she has now realized there is so much she doesn't know that she must, at the very least, take a sabbatical and learn. I was hoping you could be convinced to help her this summer, to try and get her to stay with us at Hogwarts? I understand what she means by her comments, it would be hard to teach her incoming third years if they were more knowledgeable about the muggle world than herself, but there is no way that we could replace her this late in the summer."
"Oh dear…" Andromeda muttered, "She is likely in the same situation that Arthur here is, we could probably pull her into our discussions on muggle culture and technology if she wanted."
"I'm so sorry, I should have thought of her sooner." Professor McGonagall apologized again, "There was just so much going on last year."
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Hermione was so lost in thought after returning from the post box that she almost tripped over Parvati. Neville had come to her about Harry having nightmares intermittently during the trip and asked her to write to his aunt; and Gregory Goyle, of all people, had said the same about Dudley. The young girl was also in the middle of resolving to purchase a book on magical owls. Hedwig had been waiting for her at the post box, clearly knowing that she was needed, despite them being separated since the start of the camp.
So when she collided with her friend and had to be held up by the twin Indian witches to keep from falling, Hermione was pulled back out of her thoughts in shock. During the camp, Hermione mostly stayed with a group of other girls who were avoiding the more rough and outdoorsy things some of the boys were doing; so she had been surprised to hear about Harry and Dudley from their mutual friends and not themselves as much as she was to learn they were having troubles.
"Are you alright?" Padma asked, "Lavender wanted to know if she could borrow some of your hair potion before the movie tonight."
"Why?" Hermione couldn't help but ask, "It's just an outdoor movie."
"It's Lavender." Parvati answered, "She always wants to doll up." She left out that she was normally quite happy to do so as well, and only didn't because it would be dark before they even started.
"It's a shame Muggles don't seem to do things to really relax." Padma groused as they returned to the other girls, "I like games and things as much as the next girl, but I get a headache when I don't have any way to unwind."
"What do you mean?" Hermione asked, tuning in to new information about the magical world, "I didn't see anything specific at Hogwarts. There was a lot of gobstones and wizard's chess in the Common Room, but those are games."
"Well, Parvati prefers to just chat and gossip to relax," Padma explained while smirking at her sister sticking her tongue out at her, "but I like to do something simple with my hands that doesn't take much thought. At home I knit, I actually made the mittens we wore over Christmas."
"Oh I wish I knew that!" Hermione cried, grabbing her friend in a hug, "My grandmother likes to knit, she taught me when I was little. I've always thought it was relaxing, too."
"I would bet we aren't the only girls who do." Padma said, "We should ask if we could get supplies and start a little knitting circle for evenings without group activities."
"They probably have some. I'm a little surprised that you actually enjoy it." Hermione admitted, "I don't mean it to be rude or anything, I just assumed that most people raised in a magical home would expect things like that to happen by magic."
"Magically woven and created clothing is better." Parvati admitted, "Most magical clothing is enchanted to grow a little with the wearer, and also to keep from ever staining and stuff like that. But the spells and things that magical clothiers use to make them are all kept secret. I guess if your mum worked for Gladrags or Twilfit and Tattings then they might be allowed to make their own clothes, but most Families don't have that option. Magical clothes last a really long time, though, and can be resized for growing children. We generally make things we need, otherwise."
"Or have our House Elf do it." Padma added, "We don't normally, because Elves don't like working with clothes except to clean them, but Tizzy can make anything our mum doesn't know how to. I imagine many Families would have their Elves make everything they didn't purchase from Diagon or Hogsmeade. Do you want to stay back tonight if there's string and yarn?"
"But…" Hermione was aghast, "movie night."
"I don't know," Parvati agreed with her sister, "those films are really more for boys…"
"No!" Hermione denied, "It isn't Star Wars tonight. Some of us muggleborn girls got the counselors to change the film, didn't you hear? The Star Wars sequel is next time."
"What are we watching then?" Padma inquired. The Star Wars film was alright, but wasn't really as engaging as some of the novels Hermione had shown her.
"It's a surprise, just trust me."
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Tina Polkiss was getting a bit tired from running between both groups of Wolfstar Foundation Scholarship recipients. She was officially one of the muggleborn students for that year, all new muggle families had been set up with the Foundation, but also spent a bit of time with the magically raised that got the scholarship to help answer questions they might have and ensure they knew someone from the other group during the combined days. Her parents were even paying her a small allowance for helping the adults with the teaching stuff for the magical students.
But no amount of tiredness would be enough to keep her from being excited to visit Hogsmeade! The small village was the only all-magical settlement left on the British Isles, and was close enough to Hogwarts that the castle could be seen from the top of a nearby hill. They weren't allowed to actually visit Hogwarts, since it would be dangerous for their muggle parents, but the group of children were still happy to see a magical town. Even some of their magically raised friends, joining them at the tavern in Hogsmeade, The Three Broomsticks, for the day were excited to see things.
It occurred to Tina that at least Gina Goyle had probably never been here, despite being from a pureblood magical Family. She told Tina before that she had only ever been to Diagon Alley a couple times, and then only because her mother convinced her father to allow it. The non-muggleborn with the widest eyes wasn't Gina, though, it was Luna Lovegood. The spacey blonde was looking at a pair of horseless carriages in the road. They had driven up, powered by magic, while the group was standing outside The Three Broomsticks after an early lunch discussing what to do next; and Luna hadn't stopped shooting glances at them since. An owl delivered a letter to Mrs. Tonks at the same time, then the adults corralled them towards the carriages; they couldn't enter Hogwarts Castle but they were being allowed a drive-by visit and to see the grounds.
"They aren't self-propelled." Luna corrected Colin Creevey when he exuberantly described for his father what was right in front of them as they crossed the street, earning her a few odd looks, "There are Thestrals."
"Miss Lovegood is correct," Mrs. Tonks explained to the confused parents, Tina noted that not even all of the magical parents looked like they knew what she was talking about, though Mister Oakes seemed alarmed, "the carts are pulled by Thestrals. They have a bit of a reputation, but it is all superstition-"
"Death's steeds, they are." Lord Oakes announced, glaring at the empty space in front of the lead carriage.
"-A superstition caused by the fact that Thestrals can only be seen by someone who has seen death, as in a person dying." Andromeda Tonks finished her explanation, shooting a worried look a Luna Lovegood, "They are invisible to most people, even witches and wizards," she added for the muggle parents who were now unsure how to react after Lord Oakes' outburst, "but from what I understand they are akin hairless pegasi."
"Is that really what they look like?" Tina whispered to Luna, who could obviously see the creatures even if no one else could.
"Hmm…" She thought, "Their skin looks more scaly, like a kind of reptile."
"So you can see them?" Colin asked excitedly, "How come? I wanna see!"
"Colin!" His father reprimanded him, "Enough, do not pester the girl." Only the excitable boy with the camera seemed unable to hear the undertone of pity for Luna in his voice.
Several of the adults were looking at the young girl sadly, and Tina realized why Colin's father was so angry, "May we pet them?" Luna asked, breaking the awkward silence.
"I'm not sure." Mrs. Tonks answered, "I know that they are tame, the only tame herd in Britain, but I do not know if they would be spooked by that. Most cannot see them, so they do not get that kind of attention often."
Luna seemed to quietly accept that, but the chaperones shared a few pointed looks with each other and Mrs. Tonks added, "But when we stop at the front gates of Hogwarts I can ask Hagrid the groundskeeper. He also takes care of them, so he would know."
All the young witches in the girls' carriage sat in relative quiet as they were pulled along the path to the castle. Mrs. Figg was beginning to worry that the Thestrals might have killed the children's mood, but then Ginny Weasley gasped in wonder and pointed out the window and all the girls crowded around her for a view. Hogwarts Castle from a distance was a truly breathtaking sight, and now the girls were quiet for a whole different reason; one that the squib woman greatly preferred.
Sadly, things were rarely that easy, nowadays. As they approached Hogwarts Tina's mother Angela Polkiss, unable to remember exactly where or why the carriage they were in was going due to the Anti-Muggle Charms around the school, became more and more agitated; and Arabella Figg needed Mrs. Tonks' help to keep her distracted until they arrived. She imagined that Misters Oakes and Weasley were having a similar problem with Charlie Creevey. If only the school had gotten back to them sooner so that Muggle Permission Charms could be given out, but the Headmaster was at least going to have Professor McGonagall meet them at the gate to cast a temporary version of the spell.
Just as the carriages pulled up to the iron gates at the front of Hogwarts, both muggle parents suddenly relaxed and appeared embarrassed. When the door opened, the girls in the back carriage were greeted by a breathless Professor McGonagall, who looked like she had just jogged all the way to the gate from the Castle.
"I am sorry I was almost late," the Professor managed to get out between deep breaths while the group got out of the carriages to get a better look at the school, "a staff meeting ran much longer than expected. I was hoping to meet you in Hogsmeade first, but our new Defense professor is rather long-winded."
"What was wrong with my da'?" Collin asked the professor when they were both on the ground. The other boys from that carriage were looking at Mr. Creevey oddly, "He kept trying to get us to turn the carriage around and saying we were gonna be late for something."
"The school is surrounded by magic that makes muggles unable to see it and also want to leave." McGonagall explained, "Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get here fast enough to keep your parents from suffering some distress because of them. I have cast a spell on myself that lets muggles near me ignore the ward's effects for a time."
"Would we be able to tour the inside with that spell?" Angela asked.
"Unfortunately not." McGonagall answered, "The closer we are to the castle, the harder this spell is to maintain. Inside, you would need to remain within a few feet of me at all times or things could get dangerous. We will be able to look at the outdoor facilities, though. Mister Hagrid will be here shortly and we will show you the greenhouses, as well as a few magical creatures that muggles can see."
"Can we pet the Thestrals?" Tina echoed Luna's question from earlier.
"I think that will be fine, but wait for Mister Hagrid."
"Cor blimey, that's a big man." Charlie Creevey muttered when Hagrid became visible around the trees. Rubeus Hagrid stood almost twelve feet tall, and was wearing a coat that a normal man could use as a tent.
"Hi Mister Hagrid!" Tina called to him before Professor McGonagall could offer unneeded explanations, "I'm Tina Polkiss, it's really nice to meet you!"
"Tina?" He rumbled, tugging his beard for a second before his eyes lit up, "Oh! Dudley and 'Arry's friend."
Tina preened at being referred to that way, Hermione had told her ahead of time that the big man had a 'Harry-fixation,' and all her new friends looked at her in a new light. Ginny was the only one who had simply believed her when she said she was friends with Harry Potter, but now the others were visibly contrite at doubting her. Mister Hagrid was just as friendly as Harry and Dudley said he was, maybe she could convince him to help her find a pet like he found Hedwig?
Hagrid was more than happy to let them pet the Thestrals, and Luna and Tina were the first to step forward with the other's tentatively following behind, though Wesley's father kept him from approaching them. Despite knowing that they were there, Tina and the others were still shocked to find resistance when they extended their hands.
"It doesn't feel very scaly." Tina commented to Luna, who looked surprised at how they felt under her fingers, more surprised than usual, at least.
"You are right." She answered in her spacey voice, "It feels more like leather, doesn't it?" She reached higher, standing on her tip-toes, "But they still have a mane like a horse, see?"
Tina gasped when she mirrored her friend's actions, it really did have hair!
"Jus' be sure to stay in fron' of 'em." Hagrid cautioned the group, "They don' like bein' touched from behin' any more 'an a regular horse. Profess'r McGonagall and I can see 'em, so stay in fron' of us."
Before they passed through the gates even the parents had joined in petting the Thestrals, minus Mister Oakes. The two muggle parents were told to keep close to Professor McGonagall while inside the gates, and when Mister Creevey asked how they would know if they strayed too far she answered, "If you notice the Forbidden Forest appearing to close in and overtake the clearing the school grounds are on, you need to be closer to me."
"Just hypothetically, what would happen if we actually got too far away and the forest looked like it closed in?" Angela Polkiss asked, sticking right next to the woman so close that there was no risk of it happening.
"Hagrid would need to round up his hounds to find you in the Forest before something else does." She replied with a good-natured smirk, knowing that Angela was simply curious, "I would prefer not having to organize search parties, so let's agree to stay close and have a good time, shall we? The primary greenhouses are right up here."
Click, flash, "Collin! Warn people!"
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Back in Hogsmeade, the scholarship group gathered again in The Three Broomsticks to rest and get something to drink before Flooing back to The Leaky Cauldron and the Muggle world. Inside, Gina let out a squeaky noise that only Ginny and Luna, being right next to her, could interpret as, "Papa?"
No one could miss the look that flashed over Mister Weasley's face when her outburst drew everyone's attention to the side of the pub, where a group of men were leaning in and discussing something. All except one large man who was clearly separate from the others at the same table. Tina saw Mrs. Tonks head that way and started to follow as well, but Mrs. Figg stopped them and directed the rest of the group to another pair of clear tables.
"Madame Tonks." Lucius greeted her, failing to keep his eye from twitching at having to address her so cordially. She returned his greeting, taking his hand while looking at the other men with him; Lords Crabbe, Goyle, Nott, and Parkinson… and was that the new Lord Rosier? He had only been confirmed as Lord of his House this year and Lucious was already…
"I'm sorry to disturb your luncheon," she said, pulling herself out of her musing on the group, "But I noticed you over here and wondered if Lord Goyle would like to speak with Gina. I thought you might like the chance to meet some of her new friends…"
"You may as well, Goyle." Lucius said dismissively, "You haven't exactly contributed much here, today." He looked back at Andromeda, "How has your little… social experiment been, Madame? Can Hogwarts expect the most gifted incoming class in history, this term?"
"While I can't say anything about 'most gifted,' as the school has seen more than its fair share of gifted students and will hopefully continue to do so, I feel confident that this will be the most prepared group that Hogwarts has seen in living memory. Both groups within the scholarship program, I believe."
"Indeed?" He didn't seem completely convinced, but at least he wasn't offering anything more malicious than tone, "I look forward to the professors' assessments when they cross the Governors' table at our first meeting after term starts."
"Is your father really over there?" Ginny asked, looking at the group of wizards that Mrs. Tonks was talking to. All of them except the one that was much younger than the others looked surly and angry, and the blonde one that Mrs. Tonks was specifically talking to looked like he was smelling something worse than the chicken coop at home.
"Yes," Gina answered slowly, averting her eyes from that side of the pub, "I haven't seen him since the school stuff started."
"Your mum has visited though," Tina added, "I guess he was just busy."
"Is that him coming back with Mrs. Tonks?"
Gina chanced a look in that direction and found, to her dismay, that it was. He didn't look frustrated like he had for ages, but she couldn't exactly place the look on his face now. He was mumbling, something he was always very serious about her never doing, to Mrs. Tonks, so she couldn't tell if he was in a good mood or a bad one. She was going to find out soon, though, as Ginny and her father each scooted one seat down to leave a gap for him to sit next to her.
"H-hello father." She said, glad her voice didn't break. Gina's father barely spent more than a few hours a week in her presence before all this, but he had been having her spend more time with him in the Family parlour in the weeks before the scholarship seminars started.
"Speak up, Gina." He ordered as he sat down beside her and placed a hand on her shoulder. It was painfully obvious to everyone watching that he didn't do 'kindly gestures' that often, his hand swallowed her shoulder and arm and he was clearly gripping her a bit tightly when he added, "Introduce me to your friends."
Both Misters Weasley and Creevey were about to ask Goyle to handle his daughter more carefully, but the absolutely radiant smile on her face as she told him the names of her friends made both of them hold their complaints for the time being. For his part, the man took in everything she said and even, Arthur Wealsey noted, responded properly when addressing the muggleborn children, as well.
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When the night's film was announced, the reaction from the muggleborn in the audience was largely positive but not nearly as universal as it was for Star Wars. The title didn't inspire confidence in the male contingent of the magical audience, either. When Padma looked at Hermione, though, the girl was completely entranced by the projector screen. She shook her head and decided to give it a few minutes at least, it had to be something for the biggest bookworm in Hogwarts to be this interested.
On Hermione's other side, Parvati was quicker to get invested in the film on her own. As soon as the grandfather at the beginning promised a story involving 'true love' she was fighting not to blink, lest she miss something. The framing device of having the actual story be told to a child by his grandad was odd, but gave the Indian witch distinct Thousand-and-One-Nights vibes; and she was definitely into it.
Elsewhere in the audience, Harry and Dudley were groaning while their friends shushed them. They knew the film had been changed, but hadn't asked Hermione what they got it changed to. Their friends started out disinterested, and the cousins thought they'd be able to convince someone to ditch with them; but then they discovered that Draco Malfoy, of all people, had an interest in pirates and wanted to see where things were going. Eventually, they shrugged to each other and just enjoyed the story; The Princess Bride came up pretty often on movie nights on Privet Drive since it was Tina's, and later Hermione's, favorite.
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"Vernon, hurry and get off the phone. I need to call Remus." Petunia stood in the doorway of the kitchen holding a letter from Hermione. Her husband gave her an exacerbated look as he maneuvered the conversation with his boss to an end. From what she could tell, there was going to be another at-home meeting with a client sometime in August. That didn't take precedence over their children, though, and thankfully his boss agreed.
"Is everything alright, Pet?" Vernon asked after he got off the phone, "Did something happen with the boys?"
"Hermione sent me a letter that was a bit worrying." She told him, "I just wanted to ask Remus if he could get in touch with Healer Withering again. Harry and Dudley have both apparently been having trouble sleeping. Dudley's acquaintance, Mister Goyle, was actually worried enough to say something to Hermione about it."
"Well let me know if anything needs to be done." He said, "I'm still concerned about sending our boys back to that school next term. Eleven year olds shouldn't be forced to protect their friends from psychopaths, nor have to be party to that same man's death!
"Dumbledore has been warned that he is on thin ice," she replied, "and the only issue I've heard of since the end of school is his inability to find a Defense Instructor until effectively the last minute."
"Do you believe Sirius and Remus about some bloody curse on the position?" Vernon huffed, how could the premier magical school in Europe have such a problem?
"Whether or not there really is a curse, I did some research and confirmed what they were saying." She explained, "There hasn't been a Defense Teacher that could last more than one school year since the sixties."
"Thirty bloody years." He grumbled, "Is it even the best school anymore, after that sort of disruption?"
Petunia didn't have an answer, and dialed for Remus after taking the phone. Healer Withering had talked with Harry and Dudley both, during the week before Neville joined them. The boys weren't sleeping well, and said they hadn't since 'the incident.' But Harry assured her before they left for that camp that his nightmares were gone! Remus was just as worried about them as she was, and agreed to see something done.
It was rather frustrating, now, that the Headmaster was concealing the exact nature of what happened at the end of the previous term, since it meant that they couldn't share too much about the specifics. Dumbledore had conceded to allow Jeanette Withering to hear about it after she signed a second confidentiality contract in addition to her patient-confidentiality oath, but would undoubtedly be angry if they let it get out further than her even if it was for finding someone more qualified to help children through this kind of trauma. That psychology, more or less, existed in the Magical World but child psychology did not still baffled her whenever she let herself forget how much larger the non magical world was than theirs.
Unfortunately, Remus was busy when she called. Temperance Smith, the woman in charge of slowly getting Harry's Family homes back in livable condition, was the one to pick up.
"Sirius had an episode this morning." Temperance informed her, still speaking a bit too loudly as she wasn't used to muggle technology. That or there was static on her end, the cellular phone barely worked on Potter Isle even with the bare minimum of wards on the island, and would shut off randomly if people were casting spells nearby, "Remus and James are with him at the moment."
"Is he alright?" Petunia asked, at least neither of her boys was as bad off as Sirius Black. Harry's godfather had spent a decade living in the hell-on-earth that was Azkaban Wizarding Prison for a crime he didn't commit; it certainly made sense that he had troubles with those memories from time to time.
In the wee hours of the morning, just before the sun rose, Temperance had been awoken by a loud noise from the other cottage on Potter Isle. She made it outside in time to see Remus chasing Sirius, who was in his dog form, into the woods on the isle while trying to shout for him without waking the children up. It took hours for the two men to return, and Remus quietly explained that Sirius had woken from a nightmare and thought he'd seen a rat outside his window. There was a long silence between the two women that interrupted Temperance's explanation as their hearts felt for Sirius' condition.
After asking the other woman to have Remus call her when he got the chance, she decided to write a letter back to Hermione to let the girl know that she was taking care of things as soon as she could. Glancing back to the date on Hermione's letter, the girl was so organized and homework oriented that she often dated her letters in the top corner out of habit, Petunia frowned and included an addendum.
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"Hmm?" Hermione asked, looking up from the mess of yarn and string in her hands when Padma called her name again. She could have sworn she was actually good at this… but it had been a couple years since she spent much time with her grandmother.
"Look!" Padma hissed louder at her, "Hedwig is here! Is that even allowed?"
"Aunt Petunia must have sent a letter back." Hermione answered, "I just assumed she was going to take care of things at home, though." Extending her arm for the owl to gently land on, she quickly took the letter from her; and Hedwig flew off towards the woods after a pet on the head and a friendly hoot. The bushy-haired witch stared at the bird as she disappeared; every bit of that interaction had been strange.
"I've never seen Hedwig in such a hurry to leave," Padma commented, "do you think something is up?"
"But I… I didn't wait to send the letter." Hermione mumbled instead of answering. When Padma looked back, she saw her friend had already opened and read the letter from Mrs. Dursley, "I don't understand. She says she received the letter a couple days after I sent it… two days ago? But Hedwig could make that flight in a night."
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Luke Skywalker is supposed to learn magic from a bizarre cross between a goblin and a half elf? At least Draco wasn't the only one laughing when Yoda was revealed, that was probably the most ridiculous thing the muggles had managed to come up with through the whole story, so far! Draco was, however, one of the only ones who caught themselves laughing with a look of confusion on their faces. How backwards was it that he was so enjoying a muggle story about magic. The eccentric tasks the creature set for the main character made Draco feel oddly like he was watching a diminutive Dumbledore, the extremely strange opening speech the headmaster gave at the beginning of his first year at Hogwarts still stuck out to him.
At the end of the film, Draco was conflicted. He had spent almost two-thirds of this trilogy quietly on the side of the Empire and the Dark Lord; but when it ended with the heroes split up and injured, he didn't find it as satisfying as he thought it should. At one point, the Malfoy scion actually found himself wanting to shout at Luke for not just listening to the obviously wiser wizards, er… Jedi around him and just learn magic already.
Probably the thing he was most conflicted about was the startling revelation at the end of Darth Vader being Skywalker's father. Learning in this film that Darth Vader was merely a second-in-command, Draco had subconsciously updated the correlation he made between the characters and his family, moving Vader into his own forebears' role as the Dark Lord's seconds.
But what was he supposed to do with the crazy dream he just woke up from? A dream where he was clinging to a metal column in the sky, being confronted by Darth Vader only… When he said that he was his father, the mask came off to reveal his real father's stern face and platinum hair.