Earlier that day, Dobby brought several letters to the Post owl shop in Diagon Alley and paid them to deliver letters for his master. It was a good thing they did it this way and not used Hedwig, for the Grangers currently were enjoying their summer vacation on the beach in Spain.
Hermione was enjoying her time in the sun. Although she didn't enjoy spending time in the sea, she did enjoy a little light reading, for her this was fiction, today in the form of "The picture of Dorian Grey" in the shadow of some palm trees, accompanied by the crushing of the waves and the call of the seabirds. That an owl suddenly landed beside her didn't really surprise her all that much. More suprising was a second owl landing near her parents. She looks into her mothers eyes and sees the same question in their she herself has on her mind. Who wrote her parents?
Opening her letter, she sees the illegible scribble of her friend Harry. It puts a smile on her face.
Dear Hermione,
I hope you enjoy your time with your parents in Spain, if I remember correctly. I want to be honest with you. Sometimes I get jealous of simple things. Not really of your vacation time, more of the time you get to share with your parents, that I will never see.
I know, it gives my letter a sad vibe, beginning it like that. But it's the truth. I wish you the very best and an enjoyable time away with your parents and a little part of me is and most likely will always be a little jealous.
That was until a few days ago. You see despite my jealousy I wanted to make the best out of my time this summer. The usual would have been the Dursleys using me for child labor and me having absolutely no chance at learning or progressing as a wizard or a person. So I came up with a plan, a simple one, but well… I bribed my uncle.
The deal was to let me alone, so I can study all I want this summer. He would get some money from my vault, changed into pounds.
Of course my uncle being himself tried to disturb and annoy me as much as he could while staying true to our deal and demanding the money paid up front. It ended in me having to live in the attic besides dusty and discarded stuff. I would never have thought how hot it could be under the roof. Not to recommend.
In the heat learning was difficult, you can imagine. But at the same time, I am incredible glad he was that mean, for I have found a letter from my mother. I don't want to share all the details in a letter but I found a living portrait of my mother – at that a big smile appeared on Hermiones face – I cannot describe how liberating it is to have at least a portrait to talk to.
I now know at least one of my parents!
And here comes the bad news. My mothers story is not all good. My mother never had the intention of marrying my father. She was poitioned to do it. Apparently it happens more often than you think. Talented – meaning either strong in magic or smart in intellect – muggleborns sometimes get forced to join a pureblood family to prevent inbreeding. – her smile changes into a frown.
After hearing this I thought of you. Please keep this information as silent as possible, for the only thing my mother told me so far is, that there are laws in place that give a muggleborn no right whatsoever if it comes to marriage. I believe this means that persons high in the ministry support this law. But while there is a certain danger, I believe you can avoid it if you are careful. This is why I also wrote a short letter to your parents – she takes a moment to take a look and yes, her parents are discussing their letter with hushed whispers – explaining the information. I just want you to be safe.
So, my mother broke free after a while, but she was already pregnant with me. She intended to give birth to me and after recuperation flee and live our lives under a new identity. While hiding from Voldemort she made preparations for this. And well, it didn't come true. But she did send a spelled letter to Petunia in case everything would go wrong and I found it.
She told me some things that are simply wrong and we both fear that behind the scenes is a bigger plot at work and I don't want to be part of it. The really sad thing is I will have to put a friendship I dearly treasure on hold for a while. Our friendship.
I hope you can understand what motivates me.
But I want to end this letter on a good note. Therefore I vow to be always your friend and find yourself again at a later date. Until then I challenge you on who will get the better NEWTs. And don't think it is a safe deal, now I am more in touch with my mother and I will never hear the end of it, if I laze around like I used to.
Your friend,
now and always
HJP
P.S.: My mother used to be a fan of Professor Dumbledore, she only told me she isn't any longer. And she strongly hinted that Hogwarts is not the best magical school there is. I do not know if it is true, but I intend to find out. My challenge goes, no matter which school either of us will be attending.
Clutching the letter in her hands, not sure if she should tear it apart and yell at the sender. Or if she should embrace it and cry for losing her first true friend. Indecisive what to think Hermione kept staring on the pages without moving a single muscle. Luckily her analytical mind kicks in. Harry finding remnants of his mother. This is good. His mother being potioned with potions that changed her thinking. Not good, really not good. Harry leaving for time unknown. Unsure. Leaving and running from problems is not something she likes, so rather not good. On the other hand, following an elaborate plan of his mother is understandable. Rather good for Harry. A selfish voice is pissed she doesn't get to see her friend. Another part, a bigger one, is glad he found remants of his family, as messed up as they may be. So all in all rather good. And he thinks and cares for her enough for at least this warning. It is rather a good way of ending this letter. A promise of friendship forever and an academic challenge. A little smile forms in her face.
"Who would have thought? Here I am reading and wondering if there exists magic that is able to prolong life and prevent injuries like it did with Dorian Grey and Harry sends me such a bomb of information. I wonder what he left unsaid…" she began rumbling in a quiet voice. No matter, magic will is Her parents already used to the way their daughter can be interrupt her. "Hermione, a friend of yours send us that letter. I guess he told you of it, as he told us of yours. I want to talk about this, because quite frankly some things in this letter are potentially disturbing."
"Of course, mum. Harry wrote me his mother was potioned or spelled to marry a wizard she didn't want to marry. She left a magical portrait, they are imprints of a person on pictures that make them talk, and told Harry of this. She warned him that may happen to some people. Most likely talented people. She thinks they want to counteract the inbreeding in some families." While her mother tried to keep her composure, her fathers, Dan, face grew increasingly redder while she talked.
"So, you are telling me, that it is legal to rape my daughter, because they used to prefer fucking their sisters and cousins!" he all but yelled, but got increasingly more forceful in his manner of speaking "Tell me one fucking reason why we should allow you to attend that school of theirs if it is the hunting ground of those rapists!" Hermione wants to roll her eyes but she resists the urge. Her mind racing for the best argument and despite her annoyance at her father she takes a deep breath and exhales slowly "Because" she drawls "if I don't complete at least my OWL exams, that are hold at the end of my fifths year, I am what they call an untrained witch. A untrained witch, meaning someone unqualified to use magic, is in their eyes a danger to the statute of secret. Such people get their memories erased and magic bound. They would craft a background history and be done with me. But this would leave us even more open. For I wouldn't of the dangers to us or even be able to defend ourself. The best I can do is stay vigilant and keep my eyes open!" seeing the impeding argument between the two people Emma loved she interrupts.
"Nothing will come out of this argument at this point of time, my dears. Although I can see the annoyance in your eyes Hermione, I – and I am sure I speak for Dan too – am glad Harry wrote to us and told us about this side of the wizarding world. Try to think of what you would do, if you had a daughter facing that same danger. Wouldn't you try to keep her as safe as possible? At the same time, you are not wrong. We cannot simply jump to convenient conclusions either. Therefore I'd like to do what Harry recommended. He wrote the best is to stay informed and check regularly in magical hospitals outside of Britain. Since we are out of the country, let us find the magical side of Spain and find out about these loyalty and love potions and what was it called? Confundo and obliviation charms?" Knowing nothing would change her parents minds now, Hermione went along with the plan, silently vowing to herself to continue studying in Hogwarts.
And with that the rest of the vacation of the Grangers was changed.
Considering the Weasleys won a competition in the Daily Prophet and were currently on vacation in Egypt, Rons letter took even longer to deliver. Its attachment was reason that the delivery took even longer.
Hey mate,
I don't know how to describe things for I don't want to reveal too much. But it bakes down to this:
I won't attend next year in Hogwarts and will disappear for a while. I found remnants of my mothers things, amongst other things a living portrait of her. I want to reconnect to my families life and op to hire some tutors for a while or so. Anyway, no more Snape!
But let us keep this serious. I know this decision comes with severe repercussions, but you know I don't really like to deal with all that boy-who-lived crap and although my decision will lead to a hard and stony road, I very much look forward to it. Can it really be harder than a year living as outcast called Heir of Slytherin and at the end of the year battling a thousand-year-old basilisk with a sword, I wonder.
Know that I value our friendship very much and will always stay your friend. Take my Nimbus, train hard and once we see each other I will challenge you in Quidditch!
Your friend,
Harry
Ron didn't know how to feel about this. Jealousy for Harry can simply decide to do something better with his time than study in Hogwarts? Happiness for he is the owner of a brand-new Nimbus 2000? Either way his mother needs to be informed.
Harry Potter not attending Hogwarts? To say Molly was livid was the understatement of the millennium. And that her son gave her Harrys letter mere moments before they were to take their picture for the Daily Prophet. It took all of her might to smile into the camera und not hurry to call Professor Dumbledore.