Disclaimer: I don't own it; just having a go at fanfiction to see if I can em-provvvee my Eeng-lish.
Dreamer's Note: No, I won't call myself an author. Every half an hour before I sleep, I'll have some idea popped up in my mind before I drift away in my slumber. Sometimes, I wrote and deleted paragraphs after paragraphs just to suit my plot in the future of the story. I'm not very good at writing a poem or such thing, so mostly when witchcraft is mentioned in my story, I'll just say, some verses were chanted or the incantation was there, but not the thing itself. Bear with me.
The True Journey of Harry Potter
Chapter 6 – The Squib Society
The day Harry Potter pulled his first Runes Magic into use at No. 4, Privet Drive; there were several other mattered around the world.
Once the pull was done with Petunia Dursley, several squibs of the Squib Society were gaining their lost memories back. All of them stopped their job or whatever they were doing and sat down sighing heavily.
Vernon Dursley, the magic hating muggle, was having a headache. His first thought was that this was the freak boy's work, but when the full memory was back, he froze. Dudley, who was playing a computer game, watched his father with interest eyes. The boy felt something too and was about to ask his father. Vernon Dursley got up hastily and looked at his son. "Dudley, I know you felt something, don't you?"
Dudley nodded and looked at his father questioningly. Vernon just grinned and said, "don't worry, my boy. It'll be answer this evening. I've to make some calls. You stay here and play your game, alright?" seeing his son's nod and turned back to play the game, Vernon walked out of his office room and told his secretary that he would be out for a while and she would have to take care of his son. Got her reply, Vernon rushed the place he once knew and never in his life thought would he be back there again.
There was a farm in land unplottable by both muggle and magical means. A building in the middle of the grassland stood alone. From the look outside, this was just a normal farmhouse, inside though, it was a total different thing. It was a gathering hall with a half-circle stage at one end. Seven chairs were placed in the half circle and a podium in the middle. On both sides of the hall there were tables and chairs scattering. There were 2 huge fireplaces beside the double-door entry of the hall. A tapestry with seven crests woven was hung on the wall behind the stage.
This was the Gathering Hall of the Squib Society of Britain. It has been abandoned for seven years. The day the council of the society had decided to disband the society due to the threat of Lord Voldemort, Magic was called to erase all memory of the society and magic from the members. It was a deal every member had agreed upon.
There was a small hut not far from the building, where the caretaker of the Hall resided. Mr. Castor was the only one not affected by the Magic as he would be the caretaker of the place until the day the society be back. The old man was having a floo-call with his long time friend, when it happened.
"Aberforth, I felt something, wait a moment there" he said to his friend and turned around to look at the Gathering Hall over the windows. "Oh, my!" Mr. Castor turned back to his friend whose head was hovering in the green flame of the floo.
Aberforth Dumbledore, the owner of Hog's Head tavern lifted his eyebrows. "What's wrong, Carrow?"
"The Society's back, Abe," Castor told him excitedly, "oh, I've got to go now. Talk to you later, my friend." He quickly cut off the connection and went out to greet the person who as driving in the lane leading to the Gathering Hall.
Thirty minutes later, cars were parked and greetings were made. There were about 20 people in the Gathering Hall.
"The number has gone so low, I see," A man in navy-blue suit spoke up. Everybody looked around and nodded.
"I have the registry book with me, man, I don't know," another young man in a soldier uniform said, "I can't believe after 7 years, there's no squib born at all, not in our registered family and not even from the pure-blood magical family."
"For our registered family, I can understand," Marge Dursley, Vernon's sister piped up, "but from the pure-blood family, I'd say either there's really none or they were…"
"Alright!" a man with white gown cut her, "I don't want to think of the reason, but let's just settle down and see what we are doing next. Anyone has a report of anything particular?"
"Now, now, Daniel," Marge said sweetly, "I second you anyway." She walked up to the stage and sat on a chair.
Seeing his sister up there, Vernon remained on the lower floor. It was decided that Marge, as an older sibling, would take the responsibility in the council, which might pass on to him later or to Dudley. Then, it struck him, how could he tell Dudley about the society after all he did to his cousin.
Vernon was musing with his problem when there was a flash of flame hovering above the podium. Mr. Androix, one of the councilor walked to the fire-ball and retrieved a parchment. Then he read.
"Congratulation, dear councilors and members of the Squib Society, you all had chosen the right choice seven years ago. Now, though, it is time to celebrate, a late one. Lord Voldemort was vanquished, but not absolutely. Magic has deemed it was time to band up your society once more.
You will be a factor to help the new generation of witches and wizards in the time of despair. Many of your descendent are worthy of using magic again; your family will once shine in the magical world. You know what to do."
Mr. Androix looked up and smiled widely. "I am proud to announce that my grand-daughter is a witch attending Bouxbaton at the moment."
Everyone clapped and then Mr. Beastry, the soldier, stood. "My son is having a child soon, we shall see if it's magical." Several members started to announce their own younglings being magical while some other said they would have to check with their sons or daughters first.
Mr. Granger, the white-gowned man spoke up. "I'm not sure about my daughter, we'll have to see first. Anyway, Marge, how about your family?"
Marge Dursley smiled sadly, "I've not married, Daniel. My fiancé died in a raid after the Evans." The chattering subdued. The mood changed, almost every member was having their thought about their friends, parents and siblings who perished those many years ago.
"The Evans, though," Vernon spoke up getting their attention, "was granted the gift with Lily in the last generation. Her son, who's staying with me, shows some sign already. Not that it's unexpected seeing that his father was a wizard."
Mr. Castor clapped his hands, "right, I almost forgot about that. How's young Harry, Mr. Dursley?"
Caught off guard, Vernon panicked and bowed his head shamefully. He confessed his guilt to the comrade. While some seemed being outraged, others looked at him with understanding. In the end, everyone cheered him up by saying that he could make it up to the boy.
The meeting continued for about an hour, which Mr. Castor, the only one who still had connection with the wizarding world at the moment, told them of the news in the past seven years. He told the members that the wizarding world was calling young Potter the boy-who-lived and so on. However, he mentioned that the boy was believed to be living with some wizarding family or something. After a few comments, they all concluded that it was Dumbledore's manipulation. They vowed to help raise the boy and would teach him all they knew about magic and such seeing as the headmaster did not know that the Dursley was in the society and believed the boy to grow up naïve of magic.
Then, Mr. Castor mentioned about Petunia and her decision about resenting magic. They just hoped that she got her memories back too. Vernon said he would make a subtle inquiry to see if she could be included again the society and all.
After a lengthy discussion, they all agreed to that the Squib Society would help the muggleborn parents understanding the faith of their children. It would later grow to include their other relatives who had the knowledge of the magical world. Mr. Cornell and Ms. Freeman, the only two councilors who had their family members linked in the wizarding world and the ties were still intact, promised to get the list of the new muggleborns using their strings in the Ministry of Magic.
What they did not know was that their society would once again full of members. Many members in the past had cut tie with the society due to their lives without magic and seeing no reason to come to the gathering once in a while. However though, they would see those members again for the muggleborns' relatives nowadays were none other than those lost members.
In conclusion, they would have the meeting in the Gathering Hall once a month and occasionally meeting with each other here and there. The next month schedule was made and they all bid farewell.
Marge Dursley walked with her brother to the car; she had decided to accompany him and accepted to be the one who talk to Petunia and helped him clearing the problem in the house.
"How did you get here, Marge?" Vernon asked her while driving back to his office.
"Floo, of couse," She replied chuckling.
"You still have it connected?" he turned to look at her with wide eyes.
"Well, it seems so. I don't remember disconnect it. Our family still has the account in Gringotts to pay for the connection fee. So, I think we have been wasting our money without use then."
Vernon just nodded and concentrated on the road.
Seeing her brother's mood, Marge tried to soothe him. "Vernon,"
"Hmm…"
"Don't worry, I think Petunia would understand and you can make up with the boy. He's still four. As years pass, he won't even remember them."
"Yeah, I hope so," he said.
Dudley was ecstatic seeing his aunt. They enjoyed their trip to the mall and on the way home; Marge Dursley was telling her nephew about the Squib Society. It did not take long to have Dudley understood the idea of magic and such. But it would take him a while to change his attitude to his cousin. Dudley promised to try and the adults knew it was enough. They still had many years to see if Dudley would be open-mind enough to be induced to the society.
That evening, after the boys were sent to their beds, the three adults were seated in the living room. The Dursley siblings looked at each other nervously. Seeing Petunia treated her nephew harshly, Marge started to regret volunteering to do the talk. She remembered seeing Petunia in the Gathering Hall, but since before they decided to disband, the girl had already resent magic and never once joined them. Marge did not know if Petunia got her memory back or not, but in the end, she decided to try her luck.
"Petunia," she started, "did you… er… feel anything today?"
Petunia startled. So they got their memories back too, she thought. Smiling sweetly, Petunia nodded. "I got them back, all of them."
The two Dursley breathed relieved. "So," Vernon spoke from his chair, "you know…"
"I do," his wife cut him midsentence, "I just don't know if you two do."
Then, all was gone smoothly. They talked about the decisions of the society and before they adjourned to bed that night, they agreed that they would let the boys know in the morning.
The next morning, Harry was having a very curious thought. His aunt did not wake him, so he walked out of his cupboard and do this morning routine. When he was done, he went to confront her. "Aunt Petunia? Why didn't you wake me?"
Petunia turned to him smiling, "don't worry, Harry. You'll know why later. Do you want to help me with breakfast?"
Then, the dazed boy was helping his aunt cook.
Marge was down next and smiled at the scene; she just hoped Dudley would come out of being the spoiled brat soon.
When everyone was seated, Marge startled Harry by talking to him. "So, Harry," she said, "I heard from your aunt that you did something yesterday."
Harry, for his part, was out of words to say. How could his aunt tell these people? He looked at his aunt accusingly.
"Now, now," Marge patted his hand over the table. "Don't get mad. You know about the society, don't you?"
Harry relaxed. Even though he knew about the Squib Society from Grandma Morgana, she had not explained much about the members saying that he would have to learn himself. So, this was why she was smiling mischievously. "You know about the society, Aunt Marge?"
"Of course, boy," the adult Dursley replied. "I'm, after all, a councilor."
Now, Harry was truly surprised.
"Oh, close your mouth, Harry. Flies, flies," Petunia crossed over to lift his hanging mouth.
Marge explained about the society with the boys, both Dudley and Harry, listened with interest. Dudley started to see the benefit of having someone with magic around. He learnt that the Dursley family also had their own magic, thought not like the normal magical folks. They also practiced witchcrafts, but with lesser extend unlike the Evans. However, being the descendant to both families, Dudley would be able to learn the way of witchcrafts of both families. Harry, though not a Dursley, was granted by Aunt Marge, who was the head of the family at the moment, to learn the Dursley's secret too.
At first, Dudley was mad that he would not be learning anything until he was fifteen. Instead, he would learn the etiquettes of a pure-blood along with Harry. Harry, though, would learn magic first as he had the channels ready being a wizard. Harry promised Dudley to help him learnt and with his father promise more presents for his birthday, Dudley was satisfied and contented with the arrangement without a fuss.
Vernon mentioned about sending Harry to school with Dudley, but the Evans descendants both informed him that they would remain with the previous arrangement. This way, Harry would be able to learn his magic along with the muggle schooling.
Harry said that he would continue his normal education even though he had to go attending Hogwarts. His aunt happily agreed and promised to be sorting a schedule for him and arranging any required papers.
Dudley felt pity his cousin though. "Good luck with that, Harry. That's going to be loads of work," he told Harry. The adults just laughed and Marge threatened her nephew that she would find something for him to do to make up with the same workload, much to Dudley's dismay.
Harry felt happy for the first time in the household knowing he was accepted and belonged.
