The next few months were a whirl of preparation. Mr. Weasley and Professor
Dumbledore were in charge of the planning, but everyone else had their
parts to play as well. The teachers were making plans for the tour of
Hogwarts grounds. Professor Flitwick, of course, was in charge of
decorations for the castle. The governors, even Isaiaus Flebber, were
working with the Ministry of Magic to make sure that all the necessary
permits were in place. And the students were in charge of inviting their
favorite Muggles and explaining to them what was about to take place.
Hermione didn't back down from the stance she had taken and made sure that Harry invited the Dursleys. Since Harry was quite sure that they would never agree to attend, he sent the message without too much trepidation. Just to make sure that the invitation wouldn't incite Uncle Vernon more than necessary, he chose to send it by Muggle post from Hogsmeade rather than with Hedwig.
Ron didn't end up inviting anyone on his own, but that turned out to be a blessing. In order to keep the guest list to a reasonable level, it had been decided to limit each student to two Muggle guests, and so there was plenty of demand for unused invitations by those students who wished to invite more. One of Ron's had gone to Dudley, much to both Ron and Harry's consternation. The other had been snatched up by a Gryffindor first-year who wanted to invite her parents and younger sister.
Almost before it seemed possible, the big day arrived. The minute Harry's eyes opened, he realized that it was finally Muggle Appreciation Day. He didn't have much hope of seeing the Dursleys, and that realization did much to cheer him. He planned to spend the day with Hermione's parents, since Ron and Hermione would be spending a good part of the day in their roles as prefects. He just hoped they wouldn't look as his teeth as closely as they had last time he saw them.
Ron was already awake and sitting on his bed waiting for Harry to get up. As soon as Harry had dressed they went down to the common room to meet Hermione. Harry couldn't remember the last time he'd seen her so happy, unless it was when she learned she'd gotten the most OWLS of any Hogwarts student ever. She was practically jumping up and down in her excitement, and she had a huge grin plastered on her face. "I can't believe the day is finally here," she said. "My parents at Hogwarts finally! And your family will be here, too, Harry!"
Harry let out a sigh. "How many times do I have to tell you, Hermione? I don't expect them to come. Just drop it, will you?"
She only looked at him with a sly smile. "I think this day will hold many surprises for you, Harry Potter."
******************
The main entrance hall was crammed with students by the time the threesome got there. Breakfast had been delayed this morning until after the arrival of the guests, who would most likely be hungry after traveling all night on the Hogwarts Express. They were due to come up the hill any moment in the thestral-drawn carriages. Harry wondered idly if Muggles who had seen death could also see the thestrals, or if they were something that only wizards could ever see. He would have to ask Hagrid next time he saw him, he decided.
Just then he noticed a bit of commotion beginning. "They're here! They're here!" shouted the Hufflepuff prefect who had been stationed outside the door as a lookout. The huge doors were flung open and a throng of Muggles stepped inside Hogwarts for the first time.
Everyone was talking at once and a lot of people were hugging. Somehow everyone seemed to find their loved ones without much of a fuss, which was absolutely unbelievable given the size of the crowd. Harry imagined that there must be an anti-confusion charm in place. Of course, Hermione had quickly spotted her parents and was now talking to them a mile a minute. Ron finally had to pull her away and remind her of her prefect duties, which left Harry alone with the Grangers.
At first he didn't know what to say to them, but he was spared too much discomfort when the prefects began herding everyone towards the Great Hall. It was all he could do to stay next to Hermione's parents in the crowd and show them to the Gryffindor table. He had expected it to be terribly crowded, since almost every Gryffindor had invited their quota of two Muggles, but it seemed as comfortable and roomy as ever. It must have been the same kind of spell that had made the Weasley's tents so much larger at the Quidditch World Cup.
As soon as everyone was settled, breakfast appeared on the table, "as if by magic," as several Muggles remarked. Harry chuckled to himself. He knew by now that there was some magic involved in getting the food from the kitchens below to the table, but that the actual cooking was done the normal Muggle way by legions of house elves. It had taken him a long time to figure out what was magic and what wasn't in the wizarding world, and he didn't suppose it would be realistic to try to explain everything to Muggles in one single day.
Hermione and Ron, done with their job of getting everyone seated, turned up just then and settled down in the empty seats that Harry had saved for them. Hermione started chattering away at her parents again while Ron tucked into a pile of sausages and potatoes. Harry, who was already starting to get full, glanced up at the teachers' table and noticed for the first time that Dumbledore was not in his seat. He poked Ron in the side.
"Ow, that hurts," said Ron.
"Sorry," Harry said sheepishly. "I was just wondering if you know where Dumbledore is."
"Isn't he up there eating?" Ron asked absently, his mind focused on a muffin.
"No, he's not," Harry insisted. "If you'd look up from your plate for a moment you could see for yourself."
Ron was used to this kind of statement from Harry and Hermione and never seemed to take offense. "That's odd," he said. "Dumbledore is supposed to be giving a speech as soon as everyone is done eating. It's not like him to be late."
Hermione glanced up from her plate. She looked like she was going to say something for a moment, but then she thought better of it and helped herself to a glazed doughnut instead.
"Hermione," Mrs. Granger scolded, "Don't you know how much sugar is in that? Why not have a plain muffin instead, like Ron?" She pointed to the red-headed boy with a pleased look on her face. Ron, who had been just about to load his muffin with strawberry jam, looked down at his plate and gulped instead.
"It looks like it'll be dry muffins for me today," he muttered under his breath.
Harry was bracing himself for some sort of three-way argument between Hermione, Ron, and Mrs. Granger, when a sudden noise in the hallway made everyone look up. The doors of the Great Hall flung open, and in walked Dumbledore, followed by Petunia and Dudley Dursley.
Hermione didn't back down from the stance she had taken and made sure that Harry invited the Dursleys. Since Harry was quite sure that they would never agree to attend, he sent the message without too much trepidation. Just to make sure that the invitation wouldn't incite Uncle Vernon more than necessary, he chose to send it by Muggle post from Hogsmeade rather than with Hedwig.
Ron didn't end up inviting anyone on his own, but that turned out to be a blessing. In order to keep the guest list to a reasonable level, it had been decided to limit each student to two Muggle guests, and so there was plenty of demand for unused invitations by those students who wished to invite more. One of Ron's had gone to Dudley, much to both Ron and Harry's consternation. The other had been snatched up by a Gryffindor first-year who wanted to invite her parents and younger sister.
Almost before it seemed possible, the big day arrived. The minute Harry's eyes opened, he realized that it was finally Muggle Appreciation Day. He didn't have much hope of seeing the Dursleys, and that realization did much to cheer him. He planned to spend the day with Hermione's parents, since Ron and Hermione would be spending a good part of the day in their roles as prefects. He just hoped they wouldn't look as his teeth as closely as they had last time he saw them.
Ron was already awake and sitting on his bed waiting for Harry to get up. As soon as Harry had dressed they went down to the common room to meet Hermione. Harry couldn't remember the last time he'd seen her so happy, unless it was when she learned she'd gotten the most OWLS of any Hogwarts student ever. She was practically jumping up and down in her excitement, and she had a huge grin plastered on her face. "I can't believe the day is finally here," she said. "My parents at Hogwarts finally! And your family will be here, too, Harry!"
Harry let out a sigh. "How many times do I have to tell you, Hermione? I don't expect them to come. Just drop it, will you?"
She only looked at him with a sly smile. "I think this day will hold many surprises for you, Harry Potter."
******************
The main entrance hall was crammed with students by the time the threesome got there. Breakfast had been delayed this morning until after the arrival of the guests, who would most likely be hungry after traveling all night on the Hogwarts Express. They were due to come up the hill any moment in the thestral-drawn carriages. Harry wondered idly if Muggles who had seen death could also see the thestrals, or if they were something that only wizards could ever see. He would have to ask Hagrid next time he saw him, he decided.
Just then he noticed a bit of commotion beginning. "They're here! They're here!" shouted the Hufflepuff prefect who had been stationed outside the door as a lookout. The huge doors were flung open and a throng of Muggles stepped inside Hogwarts for the first time.
Everyone was talking at once and a lot of people were hugging. Somehow everyone seemed to find their loved ones without much of a fuss, which was absolutely unbelievable given the size of the crowd. Harry imagined that there must be an anti-confusion charm in place. Of course, Hermione had quickly spotted her parents and was now talking to them a mile a minute. Ron finally had to pull her away and remind her of her prefect duties, which left Harry alone with the Grangers.
At first he didn't know what to say to them, but he was spared too much discomfort when the prefects began herding everyone towards the Great Hall. It was all he could do to stay next to Hermione's parents in the crowd and show them to the Gryffindor table. He had expected it to be terribly crowded, since almost every Gryffindor had invited their quota of two Muggles, but it seemed as comfortable and roomy as ever. It must have been the same kind of spell that had made the Weasley's tents so much larger at the Quidditch World Cup.
As soon as everyone was settled, breakfast appeared on the table, "as if by magic," as several Muggles remarked. Harry chuckled to himself. He knew by now that there was some magic involved in getting the food from the kitchens below to the table, but that the actual cooking was done the normal Muggle way by legions of house elves. It had taken him a long time to figure out what was magic and what wasn't in the wizarding world, and he didn't suppose it would be realistic to try to explain everything to Muggles in one single day.
Hermione and Ron, done with their job of getting everyone seated, turned up just then and settled down in the empty seats that Harry had saved for them. Hermione started chattering away at her parents again while Ron tucked into a pile of sausages and potatoes. Harry, who was already starting to get full, glanced up at the teachers' table and noticed for the first time that Dumbledore was not in his seat. He poked Ron in the side.
"Ow, that hurts," said Ron.
"Sorry," Harry said sheepishly. "I was just wondering if you know where Dumbledore is."
"Isn't he up there eating?" Ron asked absently, his mind focused on a muffin.
"No, he's not," Harry insisted. "If you'd look up from your plate for a moment you could see for yourself."
Ron was used to this kind of statement from Harry and Hermione and never seemed to take offense. "That's odd," he said. "Dumbledore is supposed to be giving a speech as soon as everyone is done eating. It's not like him to be late."
Hermione glanced up from her plate. She looked like she was going to say something for a moment, but then she thought better of it and helped herself to a glazed doughnut instead.
"Hermione," Mrs. Granger scolded, "Don't you know how much sugar is in that? Why not have a plain muffin instead, like Ron?" She pointed to the red-headed boy with a pleased look on her face. Ron, who had been just about to load his muffin with strawberry jam, looked down at his plate and gulped instead.
"It looks like it'll be dry muffins for me today," he muttered under his breath.
Harry was bracing himself for some sort of three-way argument between Hermione, Ron, and Mrs. Granger, when a sudden noise in the hallway made everyone look up. The doors of the Great Hall flung open, and in walked Dumbledore, followed by Petunia and Dudley Dursley.