I'm wonderstruck blushing all the way home
I'll spend forever wondering if you knew
I was enchanted to meet you
As Hermione and her parents began walking from Euston Station to Charing Cross Road, she could not help but think about this time, little over a year ago when she had walked the same path with Professor McGonagall. Hermione fondly remembered how they had talked about animagi. Quite a few things had changed since that day, least of all the few inches that had been added to her height. She now completely knew about the wizarding world, she was officially a student at Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizrdary with her own wand and cauldron and something quite unexpected had happened. She had made friends. Two proper friends who had even stayed in contact with her (or tried to) over the summer.
Now she stood with her parents outside the Leaky Cauldron.
"I still can't see it," moaned Mrs Granger staring at what to her looked like a derelict shop.
"Come one," Said Hermione, grabbing their hands and pulling them through the door. Inside it was as shabby yet cosy as it had been before.
"Good morning," Hermione said brightly to Tom the barman
"Morning Miss," He said in return
Hermione and her parents quickly passed through the bar and out into the courtyard beyond. Taking her wand out of her pocket she tapped the correct brick and the magical archway swiftly opened.
"We'd better go to that bank first Hermione, we need to change our money again," Said Mr Granger, nodding towards Gringotts.
All three Grangers walked down the sunny street and into Gringott's cool marble hall. Just as her father had taken out his wallet Hermione spotted the huge figure of Hagrid on the street outside the door, and walking next to him was a skinny boy with jet black hair. With a quick 'hold on' to her parents Hermione sped out of the doors and to the top of the flight of steps. Squinting she saw it was definitely Harry standing next to Hagrid.
"Harry! Harry! Over here!" she called
Harry and Hagrid looked up and Hermione ran down the steps to meet them, beaming.
"What happened to your glasses?" Hermione asked, noticing how they were broken and falling off Harry's face. "Hello Hagrid … Oh it's wonderful to see you two again … Are you coming into Gringotts Harry?"
"As soon as I've found the Weasleys," Harry answered
"Yeh won't have long ter wait," Hagrid said, grinning.
Harry and Hermione both turned to see Ron, Fred, George, Percy and a thin, balding man who could only be Mr Weasley sprinting towards them.
"Harry, we hoped you'd only gone one grate to far," Panted Mr Weasley "Molly's frantic – she's coming now,"
"Where did you come out?" Asked Ron after giving Hermione a quick smile of a hello
"Knockturn Alley," Harry said grimly
"Brilliant!" Said Fred and George simultaneously
"We've never been allowed in," Ron said, with a hint of jealousy
"I should ruddy well think not," Hagrid angrily muttered
Now Mrs Weasley came galloping through the crowd, little Ginny clutching onto her hand.
"Oh Harry – oh my dear – you could have been anywhere …."
To Hermione's slight shock she pulled a clothes brush out of her handbag and began brushing off the soot and dirt that covered Harry. Mr Weasley took Harry's glasses off of him, and quickly fixed them before turning to shake Hagrid's hand as Hagrid said.
"Well, gotta be off. See yer at Hogwarts," And he left
The group of them turned to climb up the Gringotts steps.
"Guess who I saw in Borgin and Burkes. Malfoy and his father," Said Harry to her and Ron
"Did Lucius Malfoy buy anything?" Mr Weasley asked from behind them
"No he was selling,"
"So he's worried. Oh I'd love to get Lucius Malfoy for something …."
"You be careful, Arthur," Said Mrs Weasley as they walked through the doors. "That family's trouble, don't go biting off more than you can chew,"
Hermione looked towards her parents who broke off from their conversation as the group moved in.
"So you don't think I'm a match for Lucius Malfoy," Said Mr Weasley, sounding affronted. As he said this though he caught sight of Mr and Mrs Granger. "But you're muggles!" He said, hurrying over to them. Hermione watched her parent's surprised faces with slight amusement. "We must have a drink! What's that you've got there! Oh you're changing muggle money, Molly look!"
Just as that moment a goblin came to take the Weasleys and Harry to their vault.
"Meet you back here," Said Ron as he walked off.
"What does he mean when he says 'we must have a drink'?" asked her mother quietly.
"Mr Weasley works in the misuse of muggle artefacts office at the Ministry so he likes to know all about muggles and muggle things, he just wants to chat to you," Explained Hermione.
Her mother still looked very apprehensive as her father began to hand over money.
"Right so that's for today and spending money for the year as well," Said Mr Granger handing her the small bag of gold, silver and bronze. "Remember that's all your pocket money for the whole school year, you don't have to spend it all, what's left can be exchanged back and put into your savings account,"
"Thanks dad," Hermione said.
There was a short wait for the Weasleys and Harry but then they all walked back down the marble steps.
"So what do you say about a drink at the Leaky Cauldron?" Asked Mr Weasley Genially
Seeing the Ganger's torn faces he continued "Oh say you will, I'm desperate to ask you what a 'hair-dryer' is!"
Hermione's parents now looked even more baffled but they nodded their heads nonetheless.
"Right well I need a new quill," Percy muttered
"Lee!" Shouted the twins, spotting their friend Lee Jordan from school.
"Well Ginny and I are going to that second-hand robe shop Arthur, so we'll all meet at Flourish and Blotts in an hour to buy your new school books," Said Mrs Weasley. "And not one foot down Knockturn Alley!" She shouted to Fred and George as they walked away.
So Hermione, Harry and Ron began to stroll down the cobbled street, sunlight bouncing off their hair.
"So why did you never write back Harry?" Hermione asked
Harry sighed and said "Hold on,"
Then he walked into a small shop called 'Florean Fortescue's ice-cream parlour'. Hermione and Ron followed.
"I'll have three strawberry and peanut-butter ice-creams, large please," Said Harry after examining the display case.
Hermione reached for the money in her pocket but Harry shook his head.
"Think of it as all the letters you never got from me," He said to her, whilst handing a few sickles over the counter. Then he handed Ron and Hermione their ice-creams and the three of them left the shop.
"Right, where to begin," Said Harry. "Well Hedwig was locked up in her cage so I couldn't send you letters and I didn't get a single letter from any of you for the whole time I was at the Dursley's. I'd thought you'd just forgotten me, but then on my birthday this house-elf …. Do you know what a house-elf is?" Harry stopped his story to ask.
"Yes of course, carry on," Hermione said impatiently.
"Yeah, so this house-elf called Dobby shows up in my bedroom to give me a warning. He said that I mustn't got back to Hogwarts because there's a plot to make terrible things happen at school this year,"
"What!" Hermione gasped.
"I know, and when I asked him what the plot was or who was plotting it, he couldn't tell me, kept banging his head against the wall. And it turns out, to try to stop me going back he had been stopping all my letters, he thought that if I thought you'd all forgotten me, I wouldn't want to come back to school,"
Hermione was now very confused but Harry carried on.
"Anyway, then he ran downstairs where the Dursleys had guests over and then he made my Aunt's violet pudding hover near the ceiling, he said he would drop it unless I said I wasn't going back to Hogwarts. Obviously I said I was and he dropped the cake. This all meant I got a letter from the Ministry of Magic saying that I'd done underage magic and warning me that if I did it again they might expel me,"
"But you didn't do it in the first place!" Hermione spluttered.
"I know but," He shrugged. "So then the Dursleys locked me up in my room and three days later Ron came and rescued me," He finished, somewhat lamely.
Hermione gaped at him and said. "So let me get this straight. A house-elf just shows up, tells you not to come to Hogwarts, drops a cake and you get a Ministry warning letter?"
"That's the jist of it," Harry said, nodding.
"We thought that Dobby could have been a prank from Malfoy or something," Ron said, who until now had been happily slurping his ice-cream.
"I suppose …." Hermione mused. "It's all a bit odd, isn't it?"
Harry nodded again.
"Woah," Ron had stopped outside 'Quality Quidditch Supplies' and was gazing longingly at a bright orange set of robes in the window. Hermione leant down to read the small plaque.
Chudley Cannons full set of Quidditch Robes
30 Galleons
Hermione sighed. "Ron …."
"Shh," He cut her off
Hermione finished her ice-cream whilst Ron continued to look transfixed. She turned to Harry who just shrugged, she waited a few more seconds before grabbing Ron's elbow.
"Come one, we need ink and parchment for next year," She said, as she half dragged him next door.
"Hermione!"
"You can't stare at it all day!"
The rest of the hour was spent meandering into different shops, chatting about what they spotted in the windows and Hogwarts. Whilst they walked Hermione couldn't help but think about how happy Harry looked, he almost seemed to glow. He looked well fed, especially when Hermione thought back to when they had first met on the train. He also seemed comfortable, like he was truly enjoying just walking down the street with them on this sunny day. Hermione realised that it was because of the Weasleys, they had taken him under their wing and treated him like a son, treatment which Harry had never received before, and it was that that was making him so happy.
Her musing about Harry were driven from her mind when they arrived at Flourish and Blotts an hour later. A large banner strung across the front of the building proclaimed.
GILDEROY LOCKHART
Will be signing copies of his autobiography
MAGICAL ME
Today 12:30 – 4:30 pm.
Hermione's heart skipped a beat.
"We can actually meet him!" She squealed. "I mean he's written almost the whole booklist!"
She almost clapped her hands in joy, she had been looking forward to reading Lockhart's books ever since the booklist had arrived, they all sounded so exiting and informative. The three of them squeezed into the shop with difficulty as there was a large crowd around the doors. Grabbing copies of 'Break with a Banshee' they managed to find Mr and Mrs Granger and all of the Weasleys. Hermione smiled at her parents who were looking extremely confused, between them they carried the full works of Lockhart.
"Oh there you are, good," Said Mrs Weasley, sounding breathless. "We'll be able to see him in a minute …"
And slowly, Hermione saw him. He was in one word, beautiful. He had wavy blonde hair, blue eyes and a dazzling smile that seemed to light the table at which he sat. He wore forget-me-not blue robes with a matching hat set at a jaunty angle. Hermione watched as he laughed at something the witch in front of him was saying, his white teeth flashing and his eyes sparkling. A short man was rushing around, taking photographs of Lockhart.
"Out of the way, there, this is for the daily prophet," He snapped at Ron.
"Big deal," Said Ron, rubbing his foot where the photographer had stepped on him.
Gilderoy Lockhart looked up, he had heard Ron! Now he was looking over at their large group, Hermione blushed as his eyes swept around, then he started and leapt from his seat.
"It can't be Harry Potter?" He shouted
Suddenly he dived forward and caught Harry's arm, pulling him to the front, around Hermione the crowd began to clap, Hermione quickly joined in. Harry's face was boiling red as Lockhart shook his hand vigorously and the photographer snapped away loudly, engulfing Hermione and the rest of their party in thick, purple smoke. After enough photos had been taken, Lockhart threw an arm around Harry's shoulders and waved for the crowd to be quiet.
"Ladies and gentlemen, what an extraordinary moment this is! The perfect moment for me to make a little announcement I've been sitting on for some time! When young Harry here stepped into Flourish and Blotts today, he only wanted to buy my autobiography – which I shall be happy to present to him now, free of charge. He had no idea," Lockhart called loudly, grinning from ear to ear and giving Harry a small shake. "That he would shortly be getting much, much more than my book, Magical Me. He and his school fellows will, in fact, be getting the real, magical me. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I have great pleasure and pride in announcing that, this September, I will be taking up the post of Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!"
Around Hermione the crowd cheered loudly and Hermione once again joined in. Beside her however, Ron groaned slightly. Harry quickly disappeared from sight to the side of the room.
"You go next Hermione dear," Said Mrs Weasley, still clapping.
Hermione quickly stepped forwards with her parents. Lockhart was once again seated behind his desk.
"Hello there," He said cheerfully, Hermione felt herself blush.
"Hello," she answered
"You must go to Hogwarts as well, are you a friend of Harry's?"
"Ye – Yes we came today to meet up with him," Hermione stammered.
"Excellent, excellent, I look forward to teaching you Miss …"
"Granger sir"
"Good good, now …. Oh!" Lockhart looked at the books in the Hermione's arms. "But you haven't got my autobiography! Would you like a copy?"
"Oh … well um …" Hermione didn't know what to say, she did want a copy but it was up to her parents really.
"Yes we'll have one, it can be an early birthday present Hermione," Said her mother, smiling serenely at Lockhart.
"Excellent, I'll sign that one then … oh, are you muggles?" He asked, frowning at Mr and Mrs Granger's clothes.
Mrs Granger nodded slowly.
"Well how exiting, I would recommend that after young Miss Granger here has finished with my books, you read them yourselves, I think they would be a great insight into our world," he said, handing Magical Me to Hermione.
"Alright, thank you!" beamed Mrs Granger.
"Thanks," Hermione said, as she stepped out the way for Mrs Weasley and made her way over to Ron who was standing near by, clutching his set of books.
"Aren't you going to get yours signed?" Hermione asked incredulously.
"No," Ron said, snorting, "Come on, Harry went this way,"
Pushing and squeezing, Ron and Hermione finally reached the edge of the room where Harry and Ginny stood, facing none other than Draco Malfoy. He appeared to have just said something nasty as Ginny had gone scarlet.
"Oh, it's you," Said Ron, sneering at Malfoy, "Bet you're surprised to see Harry here, eh?"
"Not as surprised as I am to see you in a shop Weasley. I suppose your parents will go hungry for a month to pay for that lot,"
Ron quickly dropped his books into Ginny's cauldron and jerked towards Malfoy. Hermione flung her arms out and grabbed the fabric of Ron's jacket, beside her Harry did the same.
"Ron!" What are you doing? It's mad in here, let's go outside," Mr Weasley had arrived with Fred and George. Hermione glanced quickly behind her to see her to see her parents standing a few feet back, looking worried.
"Well, well, well – Arthur Weasley."
Hermione swung back around to see a tall man with Malfoy's pointed face and cold grey eyes. Lucius Malfoy.
"Lucius," Mr Weasley answered coldly.
"Busy time at the ministry I hear. All those raids … I hope they're paying you overtime?"
He reached a pale hand out to Ginny's cauldron and extracted an extremely battered copy of A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration. It was clearly second hand.
"Obviously not," Mr Malfoy said. "Dear me, what's the point of being a disgrace to the name of wizard if they don't even pay you well for it?"
Mr Weasley flushed the classic Weasley red.
"We have a very different idea of what disgraces the name of wizard, Malfoy," he said
"Clearly," To Hermione's horror, she realised that Mr Malfoy was staring right at her parents, a look of pure disgust on his pale face. Hermione glanced back again to see her parents looking scared. "The company you keep, Weasley … and I thought your family could sink no lower …"
To Hermione's absolute shock, Mr Weasley launched himself on Mr Malfoy, sending them both crashing against a book shelf, Ginny's cauldron had hit the floor with a loud clang and now dozens of heavy book were raining down upon all of them. Hermione lifted an arm to shield herself as a large book wacked her shoulder. Either Fred or George yelled 'Get him, Dad!" whilst Mrs Weasley shrieked "No, Arthur, no!" The crowd behind Hermione retreated backwards, so that a few more book tumbled down as people knocked into shelves. The assistant who had been at the door had hurried over and was crying "Gentlemen please – please!" Then the loudest voice of all sounded through, "Break it up, there, gents, break it up …"
Hagrid had entered the shop and after wading through the hundreds of books that were now strewn on the floor, he had grabbed Mr Weasley and Mr Malfoy and wrenched them apart, both were slightly injured. Mr Malfoy was still holding Ginny's old transfiguration book, he thrust is at her.
"Here, girl – take your book – it's the best your father can give you …"
He pulled himself out of Hagrid's grip and he and Draco swept from the shop. Hermione bent down to pick up her fallen Lockhart books.
"Yeh should've ignored him, Arthur," Hagrid said straightening Mr Weasley's robes. "Rotten ter the core, the whole family, everyone knows that. No Malfoy's worth listenin' ter. Bad blood, that's what it is. Come on now – let's get outta here."
Hermione walked next to her parents as they left the shop. Both of them were pale and shaking in fright at what they had just witnessed. Hermione herself still felt a little scared. In front of them Mrs Weasley was yelling at Mr Weasley. Ron and Harry came to walk beside her, Ron looking very amused. They quickly arrived at the Leaky Cauldron and began there goodbyes.
"Well, it was nice to see you all again," Said Mrs Granger shakily.
"Yes, I'm so sorry about Arthur, that must have been terrible for you to watch," Mrs Weasley said, kissing Mrs Granger's cheek.
"It was nice to finally meet you Harry," Mr Granger said, holding out his hand.
"And you sir," Harry said, taking it.
"And to see you again Ron," He gave Ron the same treatment.
"See you at Kings Cross," Said Hermione , lifting a hand in farewell.
Ron and Harry both said goodbye and watched as the three Grangers made there way towards the exit.
"Oh, how do bus stops wo…" Mr Weasley didn't finish his sentence after a look from Mrs Weasley so with a final wave the three Grangers stepped out into the muggle world the other side.
There was a minute of silence and then,
"Do you fancy telling us what that was all about Shakes?" Mr Granger said seriously
"Well, the boy, Draco Malfoy, is in our year at school, in Slytherin and he really doesn't like Harry, Ron and I. Ron and Harry argue with him a lot."
"Which is why Ron tried to punch him?"
"Yes because he made a comment about the Weasley's not having much money and Ron's really touchy about that. Then his father came along and, well you heard him make the same kind of remark and Mr Weasley …" Hermione trailed off.
"Attacked him? And what did 'the company you keep' comment mean Hermione? I'm assuming he meant us,"
Hermione shifted uncomfortably. "I – I think the Malfoys are just against muggles in general, I'm not totally sure but I think people like them think that wizards are a lot better than muggles and muggles are just a bit stupid," Hermione finished in a rush.
"I see," Said Mr Granger coldly.
"But the Weasley's don't think that! Or Harry, or barely anyone at school, none of the teachers. You heard what Mr Lockhart said, he even wanted you to read his books. I really don't think there are many people who think like Malfoy,"
Mr Granger seemed to deflate a bit and nodded slowly,
"Okay, it's not us I'm worried about though, it's you, I don't want anyone being mean to you just because you have muggle parents,"
"Don't worry, no one is mean to me because of that, and if they are I can just ignore them because they're not worth knowing, isn't that what you always said when I was at primary school?" Hermione said to her mother now.
Mrs Granger gave a weak smile. "Good girl, that's the spirit."
"I still don't understand why someone would dislike you just because you're related to Muggles, you can still do magic as well as anybody, better actually," Mr Granger said, finally cracking a small smile.
"I don't know dad, I don't know,"