DISCLAIMER: That part of this world and those characters you've seen before belong to their Creator: JKR. The rest is mine - although I cannot quit my day job as I make no $$$ from this…
A/N: When I began writing this last summer, I wanted to know when the school year ended in the London area. I probably spent hours on line and came up with little useful information, particularly because I really did not care when it ended in the 2008-2009 year unless it was clear that would have been the same in 1987-1988. I have been advised that these days, it ends in July and there's a six week summer Holiday before class resumes. Typically, they get two week off at Christmas and a three week break in the spring. (Thank God Spring Break here is only a week long! I almost went broke as it is back then.)
With the gaping hole of information and for reasons that will appear in later chapters, I followed JKR's lead in this and set the end of term for mid-June, although Harry will finish early.
Oh. I know the name Sensei bugs some of you. You will find out in later chapters the irony of that choice by original Harry.
CHAPTER SEVEN: REVELATIONS
SATURDAY, MAY 14, 1988 - ST. BARTHOLOMEW'S CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL, LONDON, U.K.
Hermione and Harry had an hour after Sensei vanished to discuss what had just happened. They both spent most of the time lost in thought, occasionally stating an idea or posing a question to the other. Their musings, as brief as they were, were soon interrupted by the return of Hermione's parents. Sensei was forgotten for a while. The two children did relay Harry's academic hopes and the elder Grangers promised Harry that one of them would visit his school in Surrey to talk to his teachers about his skipping a year and his assignments for the rest of the term as, even when he was released from hospital, he could not hope to commute from Essex to his old school.
Harry, Hermione and her parents had dinner together that night for the first time. It was the first time Harry had been treated as a member of any family and not a servant. He enjoyed the experience immensely. The dinner conversation hit on one of his favorite subjects - books - and he eagerly shared with the others all of the books he had read and the one he was reading. He could tell that his foster parents were pleased.
Hermione could not help but smile. Her new friend - her first real friend - was a version of her. He loved learning and books perhaps has much as she did. He was less logical, she thought. He was far more open to strange ideas and stuff, but compared to all the other children her own age, he was the closest thing she had found to a kindred spirit.
Her parents asked him what else he liked. He told them about his piano lessons with Mrs. Figg, his neighbor and how he loved music. He also told them about the only chore at the Dursleys he actually enjoyed doing - cooking. They were appalled that a seven year old cooked, much less had to earn his keep, but Harry insisted he was both good at it, loved to learn more about it and enjoyed it - if for no other reason than that they usually left him alone when he was doing it.
Harry learned that Hermione was taking violin lessons and suggested that maybe they should work on a duet or something. He also learned - with a laugh - that she was forbidden from the kitchen. Hermione found herself blushing red as her mother complained about her inability to toast bread without setting off the smoke alarms, much less do anything else and she was slightly envious as Harry talked knowledgeably about cooking various dishes.
Her parents asked Harry what he would like to learn that he had not been able to yet. His answers shocked Hermione. He wanted to learn to swim. She knew how and could not believe he had never been swimming. He also wanted to learn to ride a bike - something she had been doing for a few years.
Around eight that evening, the Grangers had to leave for the day. With her parents looking on, Hermione kissed Harry on the cheek and he returned the favor. They both blushed furiously, given both the moment and the audience, then laughed as they said their good nights to each other. Each was eager for the next day together.
SUNDAY, MAY 15, 1988 - ST. BARTHOLOMEW'S CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL, LONDON, U.K.
At nine the next morning, Hermione came bursting into Harry's hospital room. He had finished his morning routine and was reading his book when she entered. Her arrival brought a large smile to his face, the largest Hermione had ever seen on him. She could not help but blush.
She told him that her parents were going to spend the day shopping for him and was surprised at how embarrassed he was.
"For what?" he asked.
"A bed, furniture for your room, a computer, CLOTHES," Hermione began.
"Hand-me-downs are fine. And my own room?"
"Of course your own room silly," Hermione laughed. "You don't honestly think we'd share the same room."
"I was fine in my cupboard," Harry said meekly.
"Harry, that was so wrong! We have plenty of room and you're going to have your own room. We have a guest room and a spare and there's no way we are going to make you sleep in a cupboard! As for clothes, you really want to wear my old skirts and dresses?"
"That probably would not be a good idea," Harry admitted, "sorry. They really should not have to though."
"Harry! Just 'cause your relatives are mean and evil to you does not mean there's anything wrong with you! You deserve a room and decent clothes to wear and far more as well."
"Thanks," Harry said with tears in his voice. "I always dreamed of an angel taking me away from that place and letting me be - normal. Thank you, Hermione Angel."
Hermione blushed furiously as tears filled her eyes. Was it like this for Sensei and his Hermione, she wondered? It couldn't have been. This was too perfect!
"You're welcome, My Prince," she said. She was rewarded by a red faced Harry.
Harry blushed as well. Thus began their blushing game - played in private, the goal was to make the other blush. They almost always ended in a draw - as in they almost never failed when playing to make the other blush.
They spend the rest of the morning on their "homework," mainly trying to put a word to their special gifts. In the end, Harry came up with a word. It annoyed Hermione to no end as there was no real proof to it, but she lacked any counter word or proof that it was otherwise. They agreed he would use the word if and when Sensei reappeared.
It was afternoon and the two children were reading their books when a dull light in the room caused them to look up. This time, they both witnessed Sensei's arrival out of thin air. By now, however, neither was surprised at such a strange event.
"Good afternoon, Sensei," they both said.
He actually laughed. "I know I'm old but do you have to make me sound like one of my professors from oh so long ago?"
The two children said nothing, not knowing how to respond.
"Very good," Sensei said. "If you cannot think of something intelligent to say, it's best to say nothing. There is a corollary as well: it is better to sit in silence and let people think you're an idiot than open your mouth and remove all doubt. Something else you should think about. Sometimes it is far better not to let others know just how smart you really are. Something I want the two of you to consider.
"Anyway, did you two do your homework?"
The two nodded.
"So tell me, what ideas have you come up with regarding your special gifts?"
"You don't want an answer?" Hermione asked.
"Answer means you are certain. Not everything is certain or can be certain in life, Hermione. Sometimes certainty is never possible. Most times it cannot be attained due to a lack of adequate information. So, instead of an answer, you put forward your best idea. So again, what is your idea?"
Hermione looked at Harry who answered meekly. "Magic?"
Sensei smiled. "Precisely!"
"What?" Hermione exclaimed! "Magic? It's real?"
"Can you or did you come up with any other logical explanation?"
"Well no, but surely…"
"Well all other probable explanations are ruled out, the one remaining, however improbable, must be the truth, Hermione. There is no other logical explanation as to how Harry grew his hair back the other day or how you caught on fire and did not burn. Magic is real."
"Then how come nobody believes it is?" Hermione asked.
"The ability of a person to express magic to the degree you two can is exceptionally rare. Maybe one in 800 people can express magic, that is use magic to affect the world around them. It may even be less than that."
"What is magic?" Harry asked.
"Exceptional question," Sensei said. "Funny thing is, those of us who are magical, known as wizards and witches - and yes you two are a wizard and witch - well, we as a society always accepted magic as a given. Never really studied what it is and how if fits within the laws of nature. Perhaps if we had long ago…" Sensei seemed to become lost in thought. He finally blinked. "But we didn't. We never studied it the way non-magicals study the world and universe around them. We only really will begin a couple of decades from now or so - too late to change things.
"What I can tell you is magic is natural. It is a form of energy or a force and is found at least to some degree in every living thing. For lack of a better word, it is the spark of life.
"Non-magical scientists have tried to create life from lifelessness for centuries. Most recently, their knowledge of molecular chemistry has reached a level where they can make all of the chemical building blocks for life. They have a good idea of the solutions and reactions that are needed to allow those blocks to assemble into amino acids, proteins and other complex molecular compounds common to all life. Yet nothing ever happens. Something is always missing - what we call magic.
"There are four forces known to non-magical science. One is gravity. You know what that is?"
"It's what makes things fall," Harry said.
"Correct. Very complex thing gravity. For centuries it was believed to be an attractive force like a magnet, but it's not. A man named Einstein proved it was a warp in the fabric of space and time caused by a mass or mater, not unlike a ditch. It does not attract you to the surface, you fall into the surface.
"Another kind of force is electromagnetic force. This includes magnetism, light, radio waves and electricity. All are related to one another.
"The other two forces known to science are the two nuclear forces which bind the smallest particles of mater together.
"Magic is the fifth force. It was known to the non-magical world centuries ago. Witches and wizards were once important members of the larger community. They healed the sick and helped prevent famine and advised the rulers of their world. In Europe, the role of the true magician fell out of favor with the rise of Christianity. We became less and less important. Prayer took over for magic and soon we were falsely accused of being heretics or worse. By the ninth century, our world had become largely, but not completely hidden from the rest of the world."
"Why?" Hermione asked.
"Our fault, mostly," Sensei said. "True, the religious fanatics had a share hunting witches as such. But in reality, as bloody as the witch hunts were, they almost never caught a real witch who did not want to be caught. The witch hunts were more about persecuting women than magic. Still, we saw it as a sign of psychotic animosity towards our kind. The crises point came in the late seventeenth century. Although the witch hunts had largely died down, they still occurred. Our kind had a new fear - technology. By the late seventeenth century firearms were both reliable and plentiful in the non-magical world and no magic has ever been created that can stop a bullet.
"To preserve our world, the European witches and wizards enacted an International treaty. Magic was now secret and we were all tasked with keeping the secret. Law after law was passed to make sure no non-magical person would accidentally learn of our existence or be able to find us if they tried."
"So no one in the non-magical world knows about magic?" Harry asked.
"It really is a stupid law," Sensei said. "It's riddled with exceptions. For example: a third of all witches and wizards born today have no magical parents. They are called Muggle-Borns; Muggle being a term used to describe non-magical people and their world. Personally, I think it is a slur. But as we sit here today, every witch or wizard uses it.
"Only about ten percent of witches and wizards can call themselves Purebloods; that is their parents, grandparents, great-grandparents and great-great grandparents were witches and wizards. The term Pureblood is almost as offensive as Muggle in my book. It's like the term Aryan. Those who use it with pride are supremacists, bigots or worse. In other words, not very nice people.
"The remainder of all witches and wizards are called Half-Bloods meaning they have a parent, grand-parent, or great or great-great grandparents who was not magical. In our world a non-magical heritage is the norm and not the exception as the Pureblood Supremacists wish to believe.
"There is a fourth category of person within the magical world. Magicals call them Squibs. They are children of magical parents without magical ability. Their treatment by many - including their own families - is abominable! While Harry may have been better off being born a Squib than living with the Dursleys, he would not have been that much better off."
"But despite the secrecy, there are non-magicals who know?" Hermione asked.
"A fair few," Sensei said. "Probably, there are more non-magicals who know about us and that magic is real than there are magicals like us."
"How so?"
"For one thing, it's impossible to hide everything. Goodness knows we have tried. For another, as so many of us have non-magical parents or grandparents, they know. They know, their non-magical children usually know. There are others as well."
"My parents don't know," Hermione said.
Sensei smiled. "Not yet, Hermione. They will. In about three years when you - and Harry - are eleven, you will be invited to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It's a boarding school for magical children where you will be taught magic. Your parents will be told at that time. Hogwarts is one of fourteen such schools in the British Isles and the only one that takes students from all over Britain and Ireland. Funny thing is, the secrecy laws being what they are, few witches and wizards know of any of the other schools until they are much older - usually after they leave school."
"That's silly," Harry observed.
"Indeed," Sensei agreed. "A lot of things in the magical world are. We hid ourselves for so long we might be considered somewhat backwards. We missed out on the industrial revolution and the rise of democracy and other things non-magicals take for granted. Many of our children have never seen a computer, much less used one. Same with the Telly and other technologies.
"Why would I want to live like that?" Hermione asked.
"There are many benefits to magic as well," Sensei said. "What non-magicals do with technology, we do with magic. Not necessarily the same way, but similar. In some cases - most notably in medicine - our ways are much better than the non-magical counterpart. In other cases - such as telecommunications, it's not. There are pros and cons to both ways and I really cannot say one is truly better than the other. In my opinion, a combination of the two is better than either - but that has never happened because of the secrecy laws."
"Will it be hard for us?" Hermione asked.
"Will what be hard?"
"Learning magic since we weren't raised to know about it."
"No, Hermione. It is no harder for you than for anyone and given how bright the two of you are, it may actually be easier."
"What about living in that world?" Harry asked.
"It is far easier for children like you to live as magicals and understand the magical world than it is for children raised in the magical world live as non-magicals or understand the non-magical world."
"So we may have an edge?" Hermione asked.
"I believe you do. Children from magical families may think otherwise - at least until they find they are not better than you are at magic simply because their parents were magical."
"Did my Aunt and Uncle know about magic?" Harry asked.
Sensei nodded. "You Mum and Dad were magical, Harry. Your Dad comes from a long line of witches and wizards, one of the oldest lines in Britain dating back to the days of Merlin and King Arthur."
"They were real?" Hermione asked.
"Quite real, Hermione."
"Then why the myths and such?"
"They lived at a time with few written records. Most writings chronicling their time was done by monks. Their libraries were either burned by the Vikings, the Normans or later during the Protestant Reformation so those records were lost to the world. Only some of the journals kept by the magical folk survived to this day.
"Any way, Harry, your Mum was a Muggle Born. Her parents were not magical at all."
"And they weren't drunks?"
"No Harry, they were not. Your parents were at the top of their class at Hogwarts - Head Boy and Head Girl. When they finished they became Aurors - similar to MI-5 and MI-6 in the non-magical world. They fought the enemies of our way of life. There was a war in our world back then. While most witches and wizards are good people, there were and are some who are evil - just like in the non-magical world. One of the most evil wizards was trying to take over and your parents fought against them. They were quite brave I was told."
"And they didn't die in a car crash?"
"No Harry, they did not. The war was going badly for the good witches and wizards. Not long before you were born, your parents were told that the evil wizard wanted to kill you."
"Me? Why?"
"Later, Harry. That story is for another day."
"But…"
"Remember, Harry, I cannot tell you everything at once. In part that it because you need to learn more before it can make sense and in part because it would take days and days or more.
"Suffices to say, for some reason, Lord Voldemort…"
"Who?" Hermione asked.
"That's what the evil wizard called himself."
"Was he a Lord?" Harry asked.
"He was as much a Lord as you are heir to the throne of England, Harry. He was a liar, a nutter, a cheat, a murderer - and those were his better qualities.
"Anyway, Voldemort decided you were some kind of threat to him and set out to kill you, Harry. Your parents got wind of this and went into hiding. But, they were betrayed by someone they thought was a friend - although not the person everyone blames - and Voldemortfound you. He killed your father. Your mother tried to save you and he killed her. He then tried to kill you - and he never had failed to kill anyone before."
"But I didn't die."
"No Harry. You did not. Your mother's sacrifice protected you with very powerful magic. His curse that had never failed him in the past, blew up in his face. He was destroyed and all you have is that scar over your forehead."
"So he's dead then?"
"No Harry. He was protected by very evil magic. He lacks a physical form for now, but he is not dead and may come back."
"And try to kill me?"
"It would probably be on his list of things to do, yes Harry."
"But he didn't, did he?"
"No Harry, he did not. I destroyed him about eleven years from now. We thought I had killed him, but just like before, he survived. I would kill him in the end, about thirty-four years from now, but by then the events leading to the end of the world had become unstoppable."
"So you came back to help me beat him sooner?"
Sensei nodded. "Among other things."
"That's horrible!" Hermione said. "After all Harry's been through? We're just kids, Sensei!"
"Hermione," Sensei said softly, "you are and yes it is horrible. But do not think you are going out to save the world tomorrow or next week or next year. Remember, I was originally shooting for July 1st, 1995 - seven years from now. That was when your training must begin. The first crisis point is the following year and that will not require much effort on your part to change the course of history significantly. You have a long time before you have to take on this burden."
"And how do I fit in?" Hermione asked.
"My Hermione was with me the whole way," Sensei said. "This is not a task I or Harry could do alone. You, I hope, will help him."
Hermione nodded.
"I can assure you both that I am here because Harry must face this someday. There will be others who try to help, Harry. They failed you in my timeline but not for want of effort. I was ill prepared when I was all but thrown into a mess I never wanted a part of and it was like not doing your homework all year and trying to catch up in the last two weeks before the summer. Had I been better prepared eight years from now when the first true crisis point is reached, things would have turned out much differently. I am here to see to it that you are not as blind as I was, either of you."
"This is a lot of stuff," Harry began.
"Indeed," Sensei said. "Now you see why I will not answer all your questions at once?"
The two nodded.
"For now, we covered the fact that magic exists, that you are both magical, and that Harry has a nutter after him who wants him dead but that the nutter is unable to do anything about it for now. Over the coming weeks, months and years, I will teach the two of you all I can to help you. While Harry is here in hospital, it will merely be discussions like this. Once Harry is healthy, I can begin to help you learn magic. We will discuss that in more detail the next time we meet.
"For now, I want you to focus on your non-magical studies, Hermione. You too, Harry. Once your school year is over, we can focus on other things. Okay?"
The two nodded.
"Good. Now I shall beg my leave. I might pop by sometime during the week when you are both here. But our next true lesson will be next Saturday. For homework, I want you both to practice something for me, okay?"
"Magic?" Harry asked with some enthusiasm.
"It will be one day, Harry. Each night between now and Saturday, before you drift off to sleep, I want both of you to try and clear your heads of any thoughts whatsoever. Focus on something simple in your minds, like creating a simple picture. Do this until you fall off to sleep."
"Is it important?" Hermione asked.
Sensei nodded. "It is a form of meditation technique that will help you master things most witches and wizards never master. It is just the start, but it is something you can work on now, even at your young ages. Will you try?"
"Yes Sensei," they both said.
"And remember your promise, you two. What we discuss is a secret between us. You cannot tell anyone - at least not until they can see me too. Okay?"
"Yes Sensei," they said.
"Until then," Sensei said. He then faded away.
"What are you thinking, Harry?" Hermione asked after a long pause.
"I - I don't knew what to think," Harry said. "I mean magic? Us being magical? That sounds pretty cool. But the other stuff?"
"Scary," Hermione said. "Why Harry?" She said with tears in her voice.
"H-Hermione?"
"You've had enough bad in your life? Why this? Haven't you suffered enough? Why?"
"I - I don't know."
"It's not fair! None of this is fair!"
Harry shrugged. "Could be worse."
"How?"
"I could have never met you. I could be still with the Dursleys. I could have the few things I actually like taken away - school, books, and you. I could have to face that nutter today."
"Still."
"Hermione, these last couple of days have still been the best I can remember even if they are so weird. I have a friend. I never had one before. She's pretty too."
"You think that?"
Harry nodded.
"Aside from Mum and Dad, no one ever said that about me before."
"They are stupid then."
"Thanks Harry," she said with a smile.
"Besides, Hermione, you heard Sensei. He's going to teach us. He said he was not prepared when he had to go through it in his timeline. Neither was his Hermione. You and I will be ready if the time comes."
"If?"
"Sensei said he didn't meet his Hermione for another three years. I met mine now. He had to stay with the Dursleysand I get to live with your family. Who knows? Maybe that's enough to change things."
"Maybe. But what if it's not enough?"
"He says we have eight years before we need to worry about that. That's longer than I've been alive."
"Still."
"It's a long time. We will be ready."
"You scared?"
"A little. I'm more scared about you. It sounds dangerous."
"It's cause I'm a girl, isn't it." She said sounding hurt.
"No. No Hermione it's not. It's because you're my friend and I don't want you to get hurt because of this."
"I'm not going to let you do this alone."
Harry thought about that for a long time.
"Harry?"
"I don't think I can do it alone, if I have to. I'm glad you want to help me. Thank you."
"That's what friends are for, right?"
"I suppose. Thanks. I'm glad you want to be my friend."
"Me too."