Chapter 9

The World Reacts

It wasn't long after the article came out that Hermione found herself facing the worlds scrutiny.

Her friends did their best to protect her, but the student body at large wasn't nearly as supportive. They were all staring at her. The whispering that followed her were almost maddening. She would hear them even in her dreams, yet when she got close enough to understand the speakers would go quiet.

Harry and Ron did the best they could to keep her mind from what was said. Even going as far as to threaten those that tried anything. Harry was no stranger to public opinion and insisted that she ignore it.

"It'll go away eventually," he had said.

Which may have been the case, except the student body was the least of her concerns. Though many now speculated how 'dark' she was, no one really was a threat. It was the adults around her that worried her. Each had a different reaction to the news.

Headmaster Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall, and Professor Snape had all known previously and did not react to the revelations. Hagrid too had been more than understanding of the situation.

Professor Slughorn had taken a much greater interest in her, and Professor Trelawney had insisted she retake her class of divination.

It was Professor Flitwick, Professor Burbage, and Professor Sprout that did not take the news as lightly.

Professor Flitwick had not called on her for a single answer and seemed to be avoiding her. His eyes never once meeting hers in the week following Rita's article. She had known he was prone to gossip, but never could have guessed he actually believed it.

Professor Sprout was more subtle instead of outright fear, it was only in the small gestures that the kindly woman now seemed afraid of her. A nervous intake of breath whenever she saw her, or a small jump whenever Hermione answered a question.

Professor Burbage was the worst. At first it appeared her reaction was the same as Professor Sprout. It quickly became apparent though that the woman was not only afraid of Hermione but was also causing a number of the rumors around the school. Hermione did not take Professor Burbage's muggle studies any longer, but she did hear about what was said.

The Professors lessons often included diatribes about the evil of pure blood supremacy. How the dark lords of the past had desired to exterminate the muggle populations, and how their children carried on their evil. She would often allude to Hermione when speaking about said children.

"It's like she doesn't realize that I was Muggle Born just a year ago," Hermione thought.

It was beyond frustrating to think about, all those who's opinion shifted overnight. The letters were terrible as well. Witches and Wizards from all around had sent her more than one jinxed letter, as well as a number of howlers and other loathsome 'gifts.'

The headmaster did his best to sift through the dangerous mail, but after just two days it was decided that all mail would be destroyed if not from an official source. This decision came after a particularly nasty howler.

The woman screeched and screamed at her, telling her all about the death of her only son and husband. She was a window not because of he-who-must-not-be-named, but because of Grindelwald. To make matters worse the howler did not rip itself apart as usual, but instead burst into blinding flames that seared Hermione's hands. The heat had been so intense that Madam Pomfrey had later informed her that her hands had third degree burns across them, and her arms second degree.

Perhaps it had been the shock of the attack, but Hermione had barely felt the effects of the flames. Professor Slughorn had given her some concoction not long after the attack that offered a great help as well. Still his attempts to befriend her were now bordering on creepy.

If to make matters worse later that day she had found out that the ministry had gone through her dorm as well. Practically everything had been destroyed, their search had been very thorough. Luckily, she had long since sent anything that could have given her trouble to the goblins to look after. All of her less than legal books had been hidden in a vault the ministry had never been able to unlock.

It still did not help the sting of finding out that the ministry had destroyed over a weeks' worth of homework, and two of her schoolbooks, as well as a number of self-projects. She was left to wonder if they were really looking for something illegal or if this was just a way to bully and harass her.

It was hard to believe the wizarding world would react the way it did, after all she had nothing to do with what had happened. She didn't even believe she was truly related to the man, and even if somehow, she was it wasn't her burden to bear.

That didn't stop the rumor mill thought, and if anyone thought she was ever going to side with Voldemort, they were dead wrong.

Margret Thorn

"She is probably going through a lot right now," Hermione's neighbor thought sadly.

Margret had lived an incredibly long life, her only desire to see the magical races once more rise. It had been her lord's most sacred cause. Before it had been defiled by weaker men of course.

"But his vision, his prophesy is here," she thought with great relish.

She had helped the girl, trained her in a more subtle way. The girl's insistence on rules had left her with some trepidation, but every year she became closer to what they needed.

"Of course, she did, my lord did prophesy it," and Margret knew that her lord was never wrong. He had known he would fail and sought only to save the magical world. Decisions he had made prior to his great gift had seen that to fruition.

He had once lamented that if only he had been a bit cleverer in his youth.

"Move on the present is now," the old woman told herself. She needed to stop living in the past if she was to do her part.

She watched hidden as both ministry and those that called themselves death eaters visited the Granger residence.

Of course, there was nothing for them to find, and each person left empty handed.

Margret had never hated the Granger's. She had always cared very deeply for Hermione and had hoped that she could experience some happiness with her muggle parents. In order to protect the girl, she had even informed her she had hidden them.

It was the nicest lie she ever told, but her specialty was never in hiding people.

"Forgive me my dear girl, I do as I must," she wished fervently. If only she had found out more from her lord, but how could she have ever guessed that a couple of muggles would ever sting her heart. As much as she sought forgiveness her greater hope was that the girl would never find out.