Golden Haze - Intermission Three
AN: So who wants a one-shot sequel all about Victoire and Teddy? I know I do. Woooo drunk posting!
Look forward to a new story by me during the month of July that stars our favorite ladies. I've entered into a festival and once I get the go-ahead to post there, I will do so and here a few days later. The prompts are 'history lessons' and 'first times' and I've set it during the Triwizard Tournament. Just a little something for you guys to look forward to. :)
Also a huge thanks to Crosswood, who helped me make this sound not quite so terrible.
A card that accompanied a gift given at Christmas (actually several days after due to some unpleasantness) from one Hermione Granger to her Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor, one Fleur Delacour. It has been folded many times, and is always in the pocket of its recipient.
Fleur,
I saw these when I was out with Ginny and thought of you. I know that you have already given me so much, but this is one thing that I do not think that you, one who has everything, possesses. Their light may pale in comparison to how radiantly you shine, but they are like you in that respect. Their many faces stand testament to how truly wonderful and unique you are, my love.
Yours, always,
Hermione
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A letter received by Mrs. Ariel Hopson, senior staff editor of the Daily Prophet. Promptly relayed to her direct superior, Olsen Archer, editor in chief of the newspaper:
To the editor
With the imminent signing of the new anti-discrimination law, we, as readers, feel that it is our duty to congratulate your newspaper on your excellent coverage on the injustices that are being perpetuated by the Ministry of Magic. In delaying the passage of such a law, numerous individuals were forced to register their blood status with the Department of Magical Records. While it is understood why the law was delayed, your paper's dedication to making sure that the issue never fell far from the thread of political conversation was most admirable.
As lead writers of that law, we thank you for keeping our work in the public eye.
With the trial of one of the conspirators - one who brought yet another injustice within British wizarding society into the limelight - soon to begin, we can only hope that your continued coverage will continue to be stellar.
M + G, concerned citizens
Printed January 10th, 1999
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Two newspaper articles:
Trial For Anti-Magical Creature Activist Commences Today
Rita Skeeter, Special Correspondent
To ignore this story would be an insult to so many of the wizarding world that this reporter has been called out of her comfortable retirement to report on it. (Ms. Skeeter personally requested this assignment. – E.D.)
Gwen Harper was born in Yorkshire to a muggle family of modest means. She attended a primary school not far from her home, as per the muggle public education system, and excelled in school. It came as a great shock when her parents discovered with the arrival of her Hogwarts letter that she was a witch.
Still, as good parents, they sent their daughter off to school. They did not know how lucky they were; her time for schooling fell in between two great wars against He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, and their ignorance no doubt saved them much heartbreak and angst over their daughter's safety.
Upon graduation, Gwen Harper took a small time job at the Ministry, working in the file room of the Department of Magical Records. It was there that she would meet the man who would later be implicated in her fall from grace. Jones, his true identity still unknown, approached her. He asked her to seek out information on old families, sources close to Ms. Harper say; to look into their lineage and see if there was anything that they could truly say made them superior.
The only thing that she found was the occasional relative that was more than human. While it is commonplace for those of the various magical races to intermarry and have children in the wizarding world, Ms. Harper had no such frame of reference. In the muggle world there are no creatures who share the same sentient capacities as humans, let alone ones readily available to fall in love with. Jones lead Ms. Harper to believe that what she was truly seeing was bestiality that had to be stopped.
That was when things began to spiral out of control. Jones formed a band of followers, and after the smoke had cleared and He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named had perished at the hand of the angst-laden Harry Potter, he began his attacks.
At first they were just threats, clever bits of charm work sent to anyone and everyone that Ms. Harper could find - her record books pinpointing those that had even a trace of magical creature blood in them. Sources point to the fact that during the war, a great many laws were passed to monitor the movements of those who possessed more than a mere trickle of magical creature blood. Ms. Harper was able to access this information for Jones, who then used the information to plan his attacks.
At first, they seemed innocent, almost like child's play - and then Albert Stinewell was killed.
That was when, sources close to Ms. Harper say, everything changed. According to her solicitor, Ms. Harper wanted to stop working for Jones at that point, but she was in over her head without a way out. She was dragged unfairly into the kidnapping of a fairly well-known young witch, and was forced to come between a veela and their mate. Ms. Harper insists that she was just a tool for Jones to use, and that he is the truly guilty party in this mess.
Auror Clyde McKenzie, one half of the arresting auror team, released the following statement to the press: "At this time we would like everyone to be on the lookout for a man who goes by the alias of Jones. We have no clues as to his real name but we do know that he is armed and dangerous. No one is safe around him, so please be careful."
Ms. Harper's trial is set to open later this afternoon, with the full Wizengamot assembled. Testimony will be heard throughout the next week. Due to the sensitive and ongoing nature of this crime, the sessions of the Wizengamot are closed, but this reporter shall endeavor to keep the public informed.
Published January 12th, 1999
Minister For Magic Signs New Anti-Discrimination Law
Edward Belfast and Mikhal Suresh, contributing reporters
On Monday, after a heated debate, the Minister for Magic signed into law the newest measure of anti-discrimination instituted by the new liberal government. The law undoes many ministerial acts that were put into effect during the war by You-Know-Who, as well as revoking several older measures involving registration of non-human heritage. While magical creatures that are deemed potentially dangerous, such as vampires or werewolves, are still required to submit their information to the Department of Magical Records, there are no longer any Ministry-sponsored tracking programs of their whereabouts.
This law, according to Minister Shacklebolt, will help to undo many of the injustices that led to the years of war that Wizarding Britain has suffered. By making prejudice against those of not-pure wizarding heritage (be it muggle or magical creature) illegal and punishable by law, the Ministry hopes to start to undo some of the old prejudice that has perpetuated throughout society for hundreds of years.
Another, and perhaps secondary, aspect of this law is the elimination of 'protection by marriage'; this defense against many of the older laws has also been nullified by the passage of this legislation. Those who are of non-human heritage will be able to freely go about their business without having to fear the Department of Magical Records coming down on them with licensing fees and the potential for deportation; as such actions are now illegal.
The Daily Prophet would like to note that this law is so revolutionary that it is premature to fully report on the sweeping impact it will have on society as a whole. The paper plans to run a monthly story detailing the changes in society and the stories of those who are deeply affected by such broad and sweeping reforms.
Printed January 25th, 1999
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A letter from the solicitor of one Dominique Jean Richard, father of Fleur Delacour, to the Department of Magical Records. It is noted that as veela are matrilineal, the veela will never take the name of their mate.
To Whom it May Concern –
Please find attached divorce proceedings of amiable separation without recourse between William Weasley and Fleur Delacour. This marriage has been magically nullified as of December 23, 1998, and the official record must be changed to reflect that.
Also find enclosed fee of 5G.9S.12K on bank note redeemable at Gringotts Bank for filing fee.
Regards,
Claude St. Just
Solicitor; Parc, St. Just et al.
Epinay-Sur-Seine, Paris
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A note, passed none too discreetly in 7th Year Potions, from a Mr. Draco Malfoy to one Harry Potter.
Potter –
I have been curious about your defense club for some time now- is it possible that I could attend a meeting? I have been told by certain professors that if I do not up my practical defense grade, I am in danger of having trouble on the NEWT practical and I cannot have that.
DM
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The response of Mr. Ronald Weasley to Mr. Malfoy's note:
"Are you bloody kidding me?" Voice low and hissed out as Harry scraped flubberworm guts off of his cutting board and into the caldron, "You can't trust 'im, mate."
And Mr. Potter's response, passed on the way out of class as all headed to lunch:
Meetings are on Wednesday nights in the first floor classroom. If you want to bring your friends, that's okay, but keep in mind the history here.
Would you be willing to teach some counter curses to more advanced dark magic?
HP
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Two letters, one from home and one in response, delivered by muggle post and a very intelligent postal owl from Hogsmeade respectively:
Dear Mum and Dad,
We did not part on the best of terms. For that I am truly sorry. I know that you need space and time to fully understand everything that I've done, everything I've been going through during the past few years, and I want to give it to you. You deserve the time, and I am selfish for even writing this letter.
The hurt of not having you in my life is too much. I can't bear the thought of losing you both over anything. I spent almost an entire year knowing that you did not even know who I was. That if I saw you on the street, you would not recognize me. It was the worst experience of my life, worse than Bellatrix, worse than being alone, worse than going off to Hogwarts and not knowing what to expect there. I never want to feel that feeling ever again.
You both gave me so much, you accepted without question, and you loved me as your daughter even though our worlds were growing apart. Not very many people can do what you have done for me. You are both such strong and wonderful people.
I write you now, as my final months at Hogwarts tick by, knowing that soon I truly will be forced to choose between two worlds. I don't want to have to choose. I don't want to have to lose you because of horrible choices I had to make, or who I fell in love with.
If only you could meet her; I think you'd really like her. She's kind and gentle and funny and terribly French. Dad might not like that - he didn't have too much fun that time we went on holiday before my third year – but you'd like her so much, both of you.
I took her to London for New Year's Eve, and we went into a photo booth. I got an extra copy of the pictures we took made for you. They are attached.
While I cannot force you to accept me for who I am, please know that I will always be your daughter, and I will always love you,
Hermione
Dearest Hermione,
I am writing this, but your mum is reading over my shoulder and making corrections as we go. Forgive any cross outs, they are not my fault.
You will always be our daughter. Never forget that. I remember when you were a small round baby crawling from room to room, messing up your nappies and generally being completely adorable. You've grown, Hermione, you've grown so much – from an awkward girl into a beautiful and vibrant young woman. When I look at you, I see your mother, I see my mother – and you make my heart ache. What happened to my little girl?
We were not prepared for your Hogwarts letter to come, but we took it in stride, as it explained so many things. We listened to your school reports and wrote to your teachers when we had questions (bet you didn't know that, oh well, the secret is out. Your mother is now scowling at me.) and we let you grow up out of sight and then before our eyes.
How were we supposed to feel when you came home every summer with tales of how you and your friends had nearly gotten killed, or worse, expelled from Hogwarts? We let you grow. When you told us, before everything got really bad, that you were going to go to war – I did not want to let you. You said you had to, that because of who your friend Harry was, there was no way you could avoid it. You said you were fighting the good fight, and we agreed to let you fight.
And then suddenly it was a year later and we were halfway around the world and you were standing there, looking so much older, telling us that you were sorry. That you were so sorry and that you had made a terrible choice. These things take so much more time than we'd initially thought. Your mother forgave you instantly, but I still harbored the resentment toward the world that had stolen away your innocence.
You were so very grown up, coming home and telling us everything. I was so proud of you, but again, another bombshell landing in our lives. It was like the Blitz, one thing after another. I was overwhelmed, your mother was upset. So we asked you to leave because I did not know what I was going to say and I did not want to hurt you.
Live your life, Hermione. Love whomever you please. Your mother would love grandchildren, and so would I; but there is no pressure. We Grangers were always a fairly small and disconnected family. If you want to love this girl (she is quite pretty and very obviously French – your mother approves. I would like to meet her before passing judgment) then do it. It is your life and your choices. You are an adult in both worlds now. I can no sooner stop you than I can disapprove of your actions.
People love who they love, and we love you. Perhaps, in time, we can grow to love this girl you cherish so dearly.
Until next time and remember that you are forgiven,
Dad & Mum
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A vicious taunt received, and almost immediately submitted as evidence against the man who called himself Mr. Jones, during Mrs. Park's trial.
Next time maybe you should stop using your whore body and make an attempt to catch me in the act, veela.