Raised with Magic

Chapter Three: Mum

Three people entered the room. The first was Mr. Newlhouse who I didn't pay much attention to, having seen him a few times already. The second was an older man with a long white beard and bright yellow clothing. The last was a blonde women who seemed less magic like then the other two. She seemed more like me. Her clothes weren't the dressy like things that everyone else around here were wearing. Instead, she wore black pants and a blue top with what looked like a very un-normal lab coat on top of it.

"Hello Miss Hermione Granger. My name is Albus Dumbledore." The oldest one spoke, introducing himself. The man really radiated the grandfather vibe. I glanced at Leo really sly like so that the people wouldn't notice. He was watching the bearded one closely, almost like he didn't believe the man was actually for real.

"It's nice to meet you." I responded, realizing this was the man who was going to call people about me.

"And I'm Kaya Lovegood." The women spoke sweetly, but not in a childlike voice. Her tone was just soft and partly distant.

"It's nice to meet you." I mimicked my early words. This time they were easier to say.

"That's a loyal cat. What is his name?" She was eyeing Leo and normally I wouldn't like that, but it was okay right now because she seemed to be speaking from a good place. Leo now watched their group with a fierce intensity. He has been like that ever since we got here. He hasn't left my side and has stared down every person who has come and gone from this room.

"Leo." My voice wasn't as hearable as normal and I was distracted by petting Leo's fur. Leo seemed to accept these new people because he came closer to me and curled up on my lap. This was a good thing because I could reach him better, thus I could pet him without hurting my arm from stretching it out for so long.

"I see, and is Leo your familiar?" She asked watching kindly as I stroked Leo behind his ears the way he likes.

"I don't know what that means." I answered not the least bit ashamed. I only wanted to know what she meant. I wanted to learn and understand. Sometimes it even seems not fun to know the answer all the time. Where's the fun when you aren't learning? Normally I wouldn't even want the answer fed to me. I would want to look it up myself because books can always tell me more, or at least they are willing to tell me more then people are. Only, here and now I had no books to look things up in, and this was a new world, I am much to far behind.

"A familiar is an animal that shares a strong connection to a witch."

"Oh." I thought about it, because I hate when people answer questions without thinking about it first. The answer I came up with was a bit unconvincing, "I guess so." Kaya Lovegood simply smiled. She was happy with my answer even if I am not.

Albus Dumbledore did something I hadn't noticed and suddenly I realized that there were two chairs added to the one Mr. Newlhouse had been using during his visits. All three of the recently not strangers sat down.

"I apologize for the poor circumstances that we must meet during Miss Granger." The eldest started. He seemed to mean his words, but one can never tell. At least that is what Daddy believes. Mr. Dumbledore continued, "But given your unique circumstances it is imperative that we place you under the correct guardianship." It would seem that Mr. Newlhouse had told the other two that I was not a typical five year old. This worked fine for me, I don't like being talked down to, not one bit.

Mrs. Lovegood shot Mr. Dumbledore a dirty look before addressing me, "Hermione, when it is important that you go to a home that can teach you to wield your magic. It is more important that you are somewhere you will be happy. I have a husband and a four year old daughter and all three of us you love it is you would come and live with us."

"Would Leo be able to come?" I had been preparing myself for the worse. Yet I hadn't put much thought into where I would be going. Mrs. Lovegood seemed really nice, but more importantly she reminded me a lot of my Daddy. Right now I don't really like that much. It hurts because it feels like I haven't seem my parents in a very long time. But I have to go somewhere and I know that they would want me somewhere they approve of, and why wouldn't they approve of someone who is like my Daddy?

"Of course, we would never dream of leaving Leo behind." That's good, because I wouldn't leave him behind anyways. He's my only family now. Well, Jared too of course, but he is too far away at the moment. I really wish he would hurry up and visit.

"Okay." I replied, my voice is softer then normal. I don't like it, I wish it would stop doing that already.

"Wonderful, now, Miss Granger there is only one question you need to answer before Mr. Newlhouse will bring Kaya and yourself to your home to collect your things. Do you wish to change your last name?" That thought was yucky. Besides that, what a mean question to spring on a girl!

"I'd rather not." None of the adults complained and I was given some basic hospital branded clothes to change into when they finished the paperwork. The pants were black sweat pant and the top was a white tee. Rather boring but at least it isn't a dress.

We used something called floo to get to the house and it was not a pleasant experience. When we had been waiting in the line at the hospital, Mr. Newlhouse had told me that I could take what I wanted with me and also choose what I wanted to put away in storage. Everything else would be sold and the money would be put into an account for when I entered Hogwarts. I had another account like that, my grandmother had made it and my Daddy told me that I had access to it when I turned twenty one. That is forever from now, but I don't mind. What use do I have with money? All it really is, is funny smelling paper.

Asking a five year old to sort through her parent's things and decide what she would want during the course of her life is unfair and mean. Kaya Lovegood agreed and instead she made it so everything would go in storage that I didn't want to bring with me right away. That way I could sort it when I am older. I like this plan better then Mr. Newlhouse's plan.

Mr. Newlhouse offered to shrink all of the furniture and the stuff that would obviously not becoming with me. Mrs. Lovegood stayed by my side when Mr. Newlhouse went looking for the stuff he would be looking for. I was grateful for Mrs. Lovegood staying with me. Even more so by the fact that she didn't get mad at me when I squeezed her hand so hard that I knew I should loosen my grip. She didn't ask me why I was dragging her out of the living room with all my strength. She didn't make me confess that I really did not want to be in the room of my parents murder. No, she just let me hurt her hand and drag her up to my room. Thank you wonderful lady.

"We already have furniture for you at the house, Hermione." She started when I just stared at the room that had always been mine. "I'll start on your clothes, alright?" I nodded.

My thoughts were appearing and disappearing through my mind that I wasn't able to understand any of them. Then I suddenly blurted something I wasn't even aware I had been thinking about, "what am I allowed to call you?"

She smiled at me, I really like it when she smiles at me. "You may call me whatever you'd like. Luna calls me Mum." Her added on part was an offer. I thought about it. I've never had a 'mum' before, I had a 'mother' so this would be okay, right?

"Okay." Mum started pulling out my clothes and putting them in the trunk. I paused and thought about what I should do. I really didn't know where to start. I decided on the from the bottom up method, after blankly staring at what made up my room. My actions of pulling up floor boards grabbed Mum's attention and I couldn't tell if she was surprised or amused. "You hide books under your floor boards?"

I do. I looked at the ten floor boards that I had removed and watched the rows of books as if they were going to do something. I remember when Daddy and I had put them in, well when we had changed what was there to suit our needs. I wasn't much help, I know that Daddy only pretended that I was a help, but I don't think that I had ever gotten in the way. We had loosened the floor boards and lined the area's under them with steel when Mother was on a cruise with that lady that likes to wear orange. Daddy told me that the steel would protect the books that I wanted to put in there. At that time I had hid the books he got me under my bed, but Mother had almost found them more then once. "Mother didn't like it when Daddy would buy me books for older age groups." I admitted as I started to move the books closer to the trunk so that she could shrink them.

After I had moved all my hidden books and the ones on my bookcase, I gathered the random stuff that I wanted to bring with me. Things like pictures and a few toys I enjoy playing with. "What about school?" I asked when my actions brought me face to face with my book bag, the pink one with ugly green flowers.

"I hear you are in your third year already." I couldn't tell if she was impressed or unhappy so I didn't say anything. "well, Wizarding education starts at eleven. Until then you are taught at home. My mother was a muggle and da was a wizard so I learned both educations. We can get you books and continue teaching you." She offered. I was glad that I wasn't going to lose this world in gaining another. That thought made me feel bad. I shouldn't be gaining anything when my parents lost everything. It just wasn't fair.

I smiled, but it didn't feel right. I added my book bag next to the trunk in the pile of things she was going to make tiny to give us more room in the trunk. When we were done in my room we went into my parents room. I took a few of my Daddy's Tee shirts that I always slept in when I couldn't sleep or when I was sick and we carefully put my mother's good jewelry box, the one that was really well hidden because she always thought I for some unknown reason would end up hiding her stuff, in the trunk next to the six photo albums. We don't have framed pictures, Mother likes paintings much more. She also loves taking lot's of pictures and going through the photo albums all the time.

We took all the books from Daddy's study and I took Grandpa's mantel clock. I like the clock, Daddy showed me that on the bottom it says God Bless the Next Minute. I wish I was told why. I wish a lot of things now, seems like most things are going to change. I'm not looking forward to that.

I got the other normal stuff that you need when you are going somewhere new. Things like my toothbrush, the hairbrush that Mother likes to brush my hair with and several other things that held some meaning that made me not want to put them in a box and in some strange location.

I pointed out a few things to be careful with when going in storage because I knew I would want them later. Things like grandma's china that my mother loves and my Daddy's record player and collection of record albums. Everything else went into storage, but not much else came with me.

To be honest I wasn't sure if I really wanted to meet the rest of the Lovegood family. What if they didn't like me? But we were soon finished at the house and Mr. Newlhouse left to put things in storage and Mum and I were standing in an empty house.

This was when the questions came. Well, rather when too many questions were in my head and I finally had to spit them all out.