Harry felt extremely odd walking out in the open as if he were a normal person living in uncomplicated times. He was currently in central London, Camden to be exact. It was the location of his assigned target and from what he could that had to be pretty well off financially. He had Apparated a good distance away in a clearing to make sure that his appearance went unnoticed, but he thought he probably could have appeared yelling and screaming and no one would have noticed. The very upscale neigborhood was full of large, expensive homes, but most looked like they had been deserted for quite some time. The lawns looked like small forests and some of the houses windows and doors had been boarded up. Harry guessed that these people were probably some of the first to get out of the country as they had the resources more readily available. He really hoped that he hadn't been assigned to pick up a bunch of snobs.
He walked further down the street until he stopped in front of the only house around that looked like it was still occupied. Reaching into his jacket pocket, he pulled out the little slip of paper that his father had given. Checking the address on the paper and the one in front of the house he was satisfied that he was in the right place. Now that he was where he needed to be, he took some time to scan his surroundings. The house in front of him was well kept. It was a beautiful two story home, mostly made out of brick. A long, paved driveway led to a garage that was separate from the house. Harry walked up the driveway slowly,peering around to the edges of the property. He slipped his hand into the interior of his jacket and pulled out his wand from its hiding place. Making sure there was no one watching, he waved his wand and placed a security ward around the property that would alert him if any magical being got close. He tucked the wand back into his jacket and approached the porch and the front door.
On the heavy wooden door there was an elegant knocker which Harry used several times, hard enough to make sure that someone could hear no matter where they were in the house. It was early so he hoped that the Granger weren't still asleep as that would cause some additional problems. He couldn't wait around and breaking into the house and scaring the family wouldn't do either, but if it came down to it he wouldn't have much of a choice. Luckily he was spared that situation as he heard footsteps faintly on the opposite side of the door. He took a step back, adjusting his clothing to make sure he was presentable. To the side of the door on each side were thin window panes covered by curtains and Harry notice one of them pulled back for an instant before he could hear the locks on the door being undone. The door opened slowly and once it was fully pulled aside, Harry was faced with who he could only guess was Mrs. Granger. She was a very attractive woman, probably in her early to mid forties. She had shoulder length brown hair and a slim figure which was covered by a light blue bath robe.
"Can I help you, young man?" she asked in a very soft and welcoming tone.
Harry smiled politely at her, glad that she didn't sound very snobbish at all. "Good morning Mrs. Granger. I'm sorry to call on you so early, but I'm here because I have some very important things to talk to you and your family about and I promise you I'm not trying to sell you anything. Oh, I'm sorry I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Harry Potter." Harry reached out his hand nervously, but was glad when the woman held out her own hand to shake.
"It's a pleasure to meet you Harry. My name is Anne. What is it exactly that you need to tell us that is so important?"
Harry's friendly demeanor fell off just a bit as he considered how to phrase what he wanted to say. "I don't want to frighten you Anne, but it's actually about your daughter and your family's safety. I'm sure you're well aware of what's been going on in the United Kingdom and this all ties into that. I don't want to impose, but would it be alright if we went inside and I discussed this with all of you?"
Anne immediately looked shaken when Harry mentioned her daughter's safety. Harry could barely imagine what she was feeling having someone show up at your home in the early morning talking about the safety of your child. He hoped that he wouldn't have to be more convincing, but was quickly relieved once again when Anne took a step back and motioned for him to enter. He moved inside and got his first look at the interior. The room was a small entrance hall that was decorated with various forms of artwork and a large brown rug that covered most of the floor. A lamp hanging from the ceiling was the only source of light. He was so engrossed in looking around that he almost forgot that Anne was still in the room with him.
"Why don't we head into the kitchen and I'll get you a cup of tea. I'm afraid my husband and daughter aren't down yet, but I'll go and gather them. Just follow me." Anne closed the door and locked it again. She stepped in front of Harry and started walking to the right side of the house. They passed through a comfortable looking sitting room and then into the kitchen. Harry admired many of the muggle appliances that he saw as he walked. Having grown up away from the muggle world, his mother had taught him about most of the things, but he had never really seen any of them up close before. Anne pointed the dining table and Harry obliged and took a seat. She must have been in the process of making herself tea before Harry had knocked because there was already some ready and sitting on the stove. After pouring some into a mug she sat it down in front of Harry. "There's some sugar on the table if you prefer Harry. I'll be right back down with the others." She left the kitchen and Harry eventually heard her soft footsteps climbing the staircase that he hadn't seen, but knew was somewhere around the house.
Harry put a small amount of sugar into his tea and stirred it around with the spoon that Anne had provided with his cup. He took careful sip as to not burn himself and felt as the tea calmed some of his nerves about the conversation he was about to have. Anne had been remarkably easy going and hospitable so far, but he didn't know how the rest of what he was going to say was going to be received. He continued drinking his tea and admiring the decorum of the kitchen until he heard three sets of footsteps making their way down the stairs. Harry put his mug down and backed his chair away from the table so that he could stand to greet the rest of the family. He stopped himself from fidgeting and stood straight as they walked into the kitchen. Anne entered first, and then behind her could only have been her husband. He was slightly taller than Harry and was in pretty good shape. If he had to guess, Harry would have said that he was in his mid forties, judging by the slight hint of gray in his light brown hair. He had obviously just gotten out of bed because he was dressed in dark blue pajamas and was wearing a pair of slippers. From the look on his face, Harry could tell that he wasn't very pleased to be up so early.
Having finished having a once over of Mr. Granger, Harry shifted his attention to the other person who had entered through the kitchen door. The moment he laid his eyes on her he immediately knew that he needed to thank his father for giving him this particular person to pick up. He knew that she was around the same age as him, but he had no idea that she was going to be extremely beautiful as well. Hermione had definitely inherited most of her mother's features, but she was much more developed in the places that counted; Harry was easily able to tell that even through her green bath robe. She had a very attractive face and her big brown eyes stood out strikingly. Her bushy brown hair was extremely tousled from sleeping, and Harry had to stop himself because he felt like it was calling for him to run his hands through it. Harry shook himself slightly not wanting to make the girl uncomfortable by staring at her. His attention was turned when Anne cleared her throat.
"Harry Potter, this is my husband Steven and my daughter Hermione."
Harry smiled at the two other people. "It's a pleasure to meet you Steven and Hermione."
"It's nice to meet you as well Mr. Potter although I'm a little confused as to the purpose of your visit," Steven said in a very curious tone.
Harry steeled himself once again for the upcoming conversation. "I'm afraid that you're no longer safe living here sir."
Steven instantly got very serious. "I don't really think that anyone is safe anymore Mr. Potter. In case you haven't noticed the whole country is in a bloody mess. The whole government is gone and the majority of the population has left."
Harry shook his head. "Trust me Steven, I'm well aware of the events that have occurred over the past decade, and this is even more serious. All of those things were random attacks and what I'm talking about is someone coming after your family, your daughter specifically."
"What?" Hermione instantly gasped. "Why would someone be after me?"
"Why would someone be coming after my daughter, Mr. Potter?" Steven asked getting extremely defensive.
Harry turned towards Hermione, ignoring her father's severe look, and tried to offer her a comforting smile. "Tell me Hermione, have you ever made something happen that you couldn't explain? Maybe you were angry or excited and something happened, but you just waved it off as a trick of the eyes? Has that ever happened to you Hermione?" Harry asked softly. Hermione looked instantly shaken with the questions, but all the same she backed up against the nearest wall and nodded her head in the affirmative. Harry walked over so that he was standing almost directly in front of her. "Did you ever wonder why those things happen?" Again, Hermione nodded her head. "That's understandable because I would have to. One last question for you Hermione; do you believe in magic?"
Everyone went silent at that question until Mr. Granger voiced his thoughts. "What kind of foolishness is this Mr. Potter? You come to our door saying that our daughter is in danger and now here you are spouting off about magic. I think we've given you enough of our time." He move forward and extended his hand looking like he was going to grab him, but Harry took a step back and held up his palms in a placating manner.
"Please just one more second Mr. Granger?" Steven took a step back and nodded, folding his arms against his chest. Harry turned again to face Hermione who was still looking upset. "Can you answer my question? Do you believe in magic? I'm not talking about card tricks or making rabbits appear out of hats, I'm talking about real magic."
Hermione reached up with shaking hand and ran them through her hair. She stared down at the ground for a few seconds then looked back up. She stared determinedly right into Harry's eyes. "Yes, I believe in magic."
Harry grinned. "I'm glad you do because you just happen to be a witch." He instantly regretted his lack of tact because he was instantly forced to duck when Mr. Granger grabbed angrily for him. Knowing that things were about to spiral out of control, Harry scurried for the safety of the opposite side of the table while simultaneously pulling his wand out of his jacket. Pointing his wand he shot a leg locker curse at Mr. Granger, making him stumble to the floor. The older man turned over onto his backside and looked up at Harry incredulously when he realized he couldn't move his legs.
"What did you do to me?" inquired Mr. Granger, actually looking frightened.
Harry lowered his wand now that he knew the man was subdued. "I'm a wizard Mr. Granger; I possess the ablility to perform real magic. I froze your legs so that you couldn't attack me. If I release you do you promise not come after me?" Mr. Granger agreed so Harry waved his wand once again and the curse was lifted. The man slowly pulled himself to his feet, still looking like he was going to have a panic attack. "When I said your daughter was a witch, I wasn't insulting her. It's just the name that we give to a female who can perform magic. You've got to look past the stereotypical image that you associate with that word. Now why don't we all sit down and I'll explain to you my reason for being here." Harry took a seat at the table, placing his wand on the table as he did so. Anne, who had been completely silent to that point, was the first to take a seat, followed right after by her daughter who took the seat across from Harry. Mr. Granger too k the seat next to his wife only after she grabbed him by the hand and pulled him down.
Harry began talking to Mr. Granger. "You mentioned before the situation that was going on in the United Kingdom and there's more to it than meets the eye. All of the disaster and deaths, the collapse of the government and the economy—it wasn't foreign terrorists who were responsible for any of it."
"Then who was it?" Hermione asked.
"Before I answer that, you have to know something about the magical population," Harry began. "Just like how there is racism and division in the non-magical world, there's also division in the magical community. Instead of race though, it's all about blood status and lineage. For witches and wizards, there are three different types. The first is what we call a muggleborn, someone who is born to two parents who don't possess any magical ability. Just like you Hermione." The girl nodded, hanging onto every word Harry was saying. "Alright, then the second type is what we call a half blood. Half bloods have one parent who is a non magic user, a muggle, or a muggleborn and one parent who is of pure blood status. In case you're wondering, that's what I happen to be. My father is a pureblood wizard, but my mother is a muggleborn witch. The last group, pure bloods, is where the problems begin."
Harry was about to continue, but Hermione interrupted him. "I'm sorry for stopping you," she added shyly, "but I think I can guess what you're going to say. The pure bloods look down on the other two groups because they feel they are superior."
"Exactly right, Hermione," Harry praised. "For centuries there have been struggles between the purebloods and the other groups. The whole government was always made up of pure bloods so the discrimination went unchecked. The discrimination was bad, but about seventeen years ago was probably one of the worst days in our history. The Headmaster of one of the most prestigious magical schools in the world, Albus Dumbledore, took control of the government."
"Wouldn't it have been better though to have an educated man in charge?" Mr. Granger asked.
Harry laughed darkly at that. "Oh, he was educated all right. Unfortunately he was educated in the Dark Arts of magic—magic meant to harm and kill—magic meant to gain power. The worst part was that for years he had acted like he was on the side of all the people, fighting for equal rights. In reality he was corrupting generations of students, spreading hate. Then he knifed everyone in the back and took control. He banished all the muggleborns and sympathizers from the United Kingdom—made them outlaws with death sentences. Just getting rid of them wasn't enough though. He decided that he wanted to take down the non magic community as well. Like I told you before, it wasn't foreign terrorists who decimated the United Kingdom—it was Dumbledore."
"But how was he able to do it?" Anne questioned. "Why didn't the army or the other people like you oppose him?"
"Magic can do wonderful, amazing things Anne—unfortunately it can do just the opposite as well. There are ways to control other people's minds which is what Dumbledore did. He was controlling them—making them act in his interests. He completely dismantled the government from the inside. Once he had control of the government he dissolved the military, and then the economy. It was all meant to dishearten the people and it worked. As to why the people like me didn't try to stop him—the truth is that we're outnumbered. Dumbledore spent years and years bringing people to his cause and now he has his own army of followers."
"So this man Dumbledore, he has an army of wizards who control the United Kingdom? What does this have to do with Hermione?" Mr. Granger requested again.
"I told you Mr. Granger, Hermione is a witch, she's one of us. She should have received a letter when she was eleven to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Dumbledore was in control though by that time, so he stopped any efforts to educate muggleborns. Now however, his power has gotten to him and he's become paranoid. He eventually wants to get rid of all the muggles, but first he wants any of them who possess magical ability dead. He's taking no chances of someone rising against him."
"He's coming to kill me," Hermione whispered.
"Well not him specifically," Harry added. "He'll send his minions to do it for him. But don't worry Hermione," Harry reached out and placed a comforting hand over her own, "I'm not going to let anyone hurt you. That's the reason I'm here."
"There's nowhere to go though, Harry," Anne stated. "London is the only major city still operating somewhat. There's no way out of the country."
"That's where you're wrong Anne. After Dumbledore seized power, my father and some others decided to remain in the United Kingdom to build up a resistance force against him. We've been in hiding for almost two decades now. We have a system of muggle castles that are heavily secured where we've set up our own community. We also have a path that leads to mainland Europe—the only one that isn't being monitored or blocked. I'm here to bring you with me. After that is up to you."
"What do you mean?" Hermione asked.
"I mean that I can take you with me and you can make your way to Europe to start a new life or you can stay with us and Hermione can be taught about magic like she should have been years ago. Either way, I need to get you out of here," Harry finished.
"When would we have to leave?" Mr. Granger asked.
"Immediately," Harry answered. "You can pack all your clothing and important possessions and I'll shrink them down so their easy to carry."
"What about money Mr. Potter? I don't have any great amount on hand," Mr. Granger stated.
Harry waved of his concern. "You won't need to worry about that Mr. Granger. Everything that our resistance has is shared by everyone. We don't have anything to pay for. All of our supplies are paid for by some extremely wealthy families. We have people who practice certain trades, but everything they produce is free."
"Almost twenty years in hiding is a long time. Aren't you going to run out money at some point?" Hermione asked.
"Actually the bankers in the magic community have remained neutral and are still protecting all of the exiled family's accounts. My father keeps in contact with them and they invest money under false names and in foreign economies. We have a constant stream of profits coming in, so there are no problems there. Do you have any more family who live in the country?" Harry asked.
Anne shook her head. "No, my parents live in France and Steven's have passed away."
"I'm sorry to hear that, but it makes it easier to get out."
"How exactly are we getting out?" This came from Mr. Granger.
Harry reached back into his jacket out pulled out a pure white quill. "This right here is what's called a portkey. It's enchanted to transport a person or group of people to a specific location. All it takes is one touch of my wand and it's activated." The mention of the wand instantly drew Hermione's attention as she looked down at Harry's which was still lying on the table. "You can hold it if you like." Hermione nervously reached out and gripped the wand by the handle. She instantly hopped backwards when yellow sparks shot out of the end. "Nothing to worry about," Harry assured her.
"It feels strange," Hermione said as she settled back down. "It feels like something warm is traveling up my arm."
"That's just your magic reacting with the core of the wand. Every wand is unique in some way, but they all have some type of magical core in them. Mine has a phoenix feather inside."
Hermione looked up excitedly, "Phoenixes are real?"
Harry chuckled at her enthusiasm. "Yes, they're real. I had the great fortune to run into one yesterday, but most witches and wizards go their whole lives without seeing them."
"Oh," Hermione whispered disappointedly.
"Don't worry though, Hermione. I'm sure there are plenty of other things that you thought were just myth, but are actually real. How about dragons?" Harry asked.
Anne looked wide eyed. "You're joking aren't you? Dragons can't be real."
"I assure they are Anne. There is a heard of them by one of the castles that we have," Harry informed her. "But I can tell you all about them some other time. Since I think I've convinced you, why don't you three go up, get changed and pack your things. I'll be up to shrink them when you're finished. Make sure to dress warm because it's going to be quite cold where we're going." Just as Harry finished speaking, the wand that was still being clutched in Hermione's hand started to vibrate.
"What's going on?" she asked as she dropped the wand back to the table, fearing she had done something wrong.
Harry instantly shot to his feet, grabbing the wand and going to the nearest window. He didn't think that Dumbledore would've acted so quickly, but someone must have discovered that they had stolen the book. Moody would probably give him a stern lecture when he saw him next for not simply stunning the Grangers and dragging them to the portkey. He pulled the curtain aside discreetly and saw three figures in hooded black cloaks walking up the driveway with another two walking around toward the back house. He let out a slow breath, frustrated that nothing could ever be done without some sort of trouble. He turned around and was met with a much discomforted Granger family staring back at him. "I need you all to listen to me and do what I say. This is extremely important if you want to make it out of this house alive. The people who I said were coming to kill Hermione are here—right now. I'm going to follow you all upstairs and activate the portkey. Then I'm going to place it on the ground while you three gather your things. After you've finished, all of you need to grab on at the same time and you'll be transported to a safe location. I won't have time to shrink your things so hold onto them tight when you touch the quill."
"What about you?" Hermione asked, her face showing great concern.
"I'm going to come back downstairs after I activate the portkey and hold them off until you're gone. I don't need to use the portkey, I have other ways of traveling. When you arrive at the safe location, ask for James Potter and tell him that I sent you along. Now hurry up and get your things," Harry ordered ushering them out of the kitchen. He followed the three of them upstairs as they separated to their separate bedrooms. He placed the quill into the middle of the hallway onto the carpeted floor and tapped it with his wand. "Alright you three, as soon as you're finished get to the portkey!" He turned around and started making his way back down the stairs, noting as he did so Hermione's voice calling out and wishing him luck. He shed his jacket, throwing it onto the floor, and then extended his wand in front of him, waiting for what was to come.