Chapter 18

While Harry had grown accustomed to the student body's hostility since his name had been pulled from the Goblet of Fire, Hermione was not. Returning to Hogwarts meant classmates who demanded answers regarding her adoption by Sirius, and the accusations against Dumbledore. Stubbornly, Harry told everyone who bothered him to read the Daily Prophet or the minutes from the Wizengamot Session each time he was asked about the Dursley's.

Despite Hermione's insistence that she remained incredibly close with her parents, few of her peers believed her. The derision over her adoption by students whose parents were aligned with Dumbledore coupled with the outright disbeliefover whether she was telling the truth, created a power vacuum amongst the Gryffindor fourth year girls.

Faye Dunbar's ability to manipulate the Hogwarts student bodyand control the gossip mill proved resilient in the weeks after Winter term resumed. The school corridors grew difficult to travel through for Hermione as Faye continued raising the students' hostility regarding the adoption. Angry and jealous students, particularly Gryffindors, tossed jinxes, cruel taunts, and occasionally muggle violence in her direction as she maneuvered between classes. Rarely were any of the attempts to jinx her successful, which only served to frustrate her attackers, particularly when her shields would redirect their spells back at the caster, making them a victim of their own curse.

The Muggle Brigade (Muggleborn Brigade was a mouthful), ensnared infuriated muggleborns (i.e. Jealous) from each house to report back on Hermione's every movement. Faye, along with the Hogwarts' gossip mill, Lavender and Parvati, connected every choice Hemione made to a "deep-seated abhorrence for her muggle childhood" before disseminating the meaning behind these actions to the student population.

"Not this again," Hermione muttered to Harry when Faye began speaking in the Gryffindor Common room. Harry looked up, and shook his head.

"I've already caught Ginny trying to hex the bint," he said before grinning impishly. "I may have suggested trying to create a spell that makes her squawk like a chicken when she tries to say your name."

"What'd Ginny think of that idea?"

"She hurried off to find the twins," Harry answered. "She thinks they may have some invention that could do it."

Hermione grinned, "Dunbar better not push her luck against Ginny's temper. She's already used that bat-boogey hex on Ron for the stunt he pulled in the Great Hall."

"I saw it the second time she did it," Harry said fondly. "I've never seen anything more disgusting in my life, and I grew up watching Dudley eat three meals a day."

Despite their light-hearted banter, Harry and Hermione could still hear Dunbar's voice carry over to them as she held court.

"Can you imagine spitting at your parents?" Faye asked, making eye contact with each member of her audience as she reiterated her favorite talking point.

Harry watched Faye, and despite the look of revulsion on his face admitted, "She certainly knows how to captivate an audience."

Hermione shot a stinging hex at his hand, causing Harry to yelp in surprise.

"Sorry," He said as they continued listening to Dunbar.

"It's not as though her parents are poor or abusive. Health professionals in the muggle world are a part of the elite. Merlin, if you'd believe Granger, it's like they neglected her."

Predictably Dunbar's audience scoffed at Hermione's audacity to abandon her muggle parents in favor of a family as notorious as the Blacks. Hermione rolled her eyes at the predictable Wizarding swear Faye used while waxing poetically about the muggle world. Unfortunately, Ronald Weasley decided to involve himself in Faye's charade.

"Hermione's parents made every effort to ingratiate their family into our community," Ron announced during one of Faye's lectures. Hermione and Harry exchanged pained looks at the obvious over rehearsed interruption.

"I've never met muggles more enthusiastic about having a witch as a daughter, and she repudiates them in return."

Hermione's fist tightened as she fought not to visibly react to Ron's declaration. Never mind that his family cloistered themselves in the wards of the Burrow, hidden away from muggles for his entire childhood. Unfortunately, the vitriol from her housemates only escalated after Ron's sob storyannouncement.

Harry, leading Hermione out of the common room, flipped Ron the v. While Harry prattled on about Ron's incessant need for attention, Hermione focused on the sneers Ron and Faye earned from their audience. The reaction her housemates had for the word repudiate diverted Hermione to the owlery to contact both her Aunts and Sirius demanding they explain what repudiate meant in the magical community. Reading the three letters she received back left her inwardly screaming and itching to hex her once friend.

Harry listened to her vent over the irrationality and stupidity of their peers before looking at the responses himself. It was the post script of Andromeda and Narcissa's notes that left him wrinkling his nose.

Purity Always Conquers

Tours Pur.

"Could your aunts be any more cryptic?" Harry asked, before reading aloud, "Black Witches do not debase themselves to the level of plebeians. We await their ascent at the precipice of their downfall. How is quoting House mottos helpful? What is that bit about the precipice even supposed to mean?"

Hermione laughed at Harry's obvious frustration over Narcissa and Andromeda's responses. Despite the family meeting during the winter break, Harry struggled to believe that Malfoy and his mother weren't racist against Hermione for her muggle heritage. Any time the Black or Malfoy family mottos were brought up, which was often, he'd visibly react.

Rather than try to convince Harry otherwise, Narcissa, Andromeda, and Sirius all agreed that it was his protective streak rearing its head. Needless to say, all three Blacks of majority approved of Harry's stubbornness in this aspect, not that they'd willingly admit it.

"Mum gave me the same advice," Hermione told Harry. "I've been writing to her and Dad about the whole situation since we got back."

"She did?" Harry asked confused. "I know she's on board with you having magical family, but I can't imagine her constantly muttering the Black family motto."

"Mum mugglized version of Narcissa and Andromeda's advice," Hermione corrected. "Her version was, 'give the girl enough rope to hang herself."

"I'm really starting to think your mum is a Black Family squib," Harry answered. "Honestly, she's a muggle and still bloody terrifying."

"Dad reckons she and Sirius are soul mates," Hermione told Harry, grinning as his eyes widened. "Honestly, those two are more coordinated with each other than the Weasley twins."

"We should get Sirius to find out if she is a squib," Harry said as Hermione laughed. "Just think about their reaction."

"I think it's more likely that Sirius would just try to adopt Mum as a sister," Hermione said shaking her head. "Besides, Mum doesn't need another reason to spend Sirius' money."

Harry laughed as the two Gryffindors parted ways, heading for separate classes. Hermione had elected to continue studying Ancient Runes, which bore Harry to death.