AN – I don't own Harry Potter, just FYI ;)
"It all began when Diana cornered me in the library during 6th year. She was in seventh and told me that she'd been telling her older sister all my tales and that Joanne thought it would make a brilliant book, had I ever considered writing a biography? I asked her where would I ever find the time and more importantly who would want to read about me but she managed to wear me down.
I met her older sister, Joanne, on a Hogsmead weekend and it all sort of took off from there. I'd always wanted Hermione to write it, if ever it did get written but she outright refused to ever do it. She claimed that she'd never get it right and it would turn out all wrong, as if Hermione would ever produce anything that wasn't 100% right" Harry laughed. "Hedwig managed to get quite the workout those few months. Every time I wrote Joanne with some more stuff she might find useful, she sent the latest version back with her. It wasn't till after it all went wrong, that I realised she didn't have an owl." Harry grimaced at the memory. "It turned out that since Joanne didn't have an owl, she sent the manuscript to the publishers by courier. Do you remember who published the books?"
"Bloomsbury wasn't it?"
"Yes and the best magical publishers are called Bloomberry. This is where it all went wrong. Joanne addressed the package to Bloomberry Books on Sono Square but because she used a courier instead of an owl, the courier thought she'd misspelt it. So he took the manuscript to Bloomsbury Books on Soho square. No one realised the mistake till she got a phone call from a guy named Nick Parkes at Bloomsbury. Before she'd even had time to ask what he wanted, he started raving about a book he said would 'change the face of children's literature' was 'The best thing in children's books since Dr. Seuss'. The only blessing was that Joanne is as smart, if not smarter, than her sister; a Ravenclaw now I think of it and she told Parkes that she couldn't do anything till she'd spoken to her agent. To make an even longer story shorter, she contacted her sister, who told me, who told Dumbledore, who contacted the Ministry, who dragged me up in front of the Wizengamot for the second time in under two years." Bella gasped
"Oh no, don't worry. I don't think they ever intended to throw me in Akaban or expel me but they were rather pissed to say the least. I was charged with breaking the statute of secrets and other rubbish but they couldn't make it stick. In the end, the hearing turned into a meeting and we tried to figure out a way out of the mess. We decided to Obliviate anyone from the muggle world that had come into contact with the book but it soon became apparent that Mr Parkes had shown the manuscript to anyone and everyone that was willing to look. There was no way we could alter all those peoples memories. Eventually we were forced to admit that there was very little we could do, Joanne couldn't even refuse to allow the book to be published because that would just draw more attention. The Wizengamot was forced to allow it to go ahead and the rest is history. Joanne became JK, you know she doesn't really have a middle name and I found my biography on the children's fiction shelves."
"Do you ever wish it'd never happened?" Bella asked
"Sometimes but at other times it's just too funny for words. Especially the movies. They make everything seem so easy and then in the same beat sometimes get everything spot on. The graveyard scene from the fourth film was one of the toughest and in the fifth... When Sirius..." Harry looked like he wanted to say more but his voice had started cracking. Bella simply took his hand and waited for him to come back to the present.
After a moment. Harry blinked away unshed tears and smiled at her, she took this as an ok to ask more questions.
"What about the epilogue? I thought you and Ginny were supposed to have rode off into the sunset by now." She asked, half hoping Harry would tell her that little nugget had no base in actual fact. Harry laughed.
"Oh Ginny and I did get married." He said nonchalantly.
"What? Are you sure it's ok me being here? Wont she be annoyed that you're bringing strange women home?"
"Calm down Bella. We were divorced two years ago. I guess we married too young and didn't know what to expect." Bella took a deep steadying breath and thought of something else.
"What about Ron and Hermione?"
"Ah well that's a different story. Hermione is currently serving life in Azkaban for using an unforgivable on Ron, or rather all three. She first used Imperius on him so he'd go tell his mother that she's an interfering old trout, followed by Cruciatus because he was annoying her and she finished with Avada Kedavra." Harry looked solemn. Bella looked at Harry in shock. That certainly seemed possible from what she'd read, not that Hermione would kill someone but that Ron could wind someone up enough to want to kill him but then she realised that they were talking about Hermione, if anyone was smart enough to get away with it, she was.
"That's ok. Take the mickey out of the Muggle why don't you?" She said in a mock pout while slapping his hand.
"Ok ok, you're right. She's not in Azkaban but they're not together either. Well not this week at least. She's currently staying in one of my spare rooms till she decides to either forgive him or find a place of her own."
"Harry James Potter, you sound like you want me to leave." Neither of them had heard Hermione come down the stairs and Bella jumped, almost dropping her butterbeer in the process.
"Mione, I didn't know you were up." Harry said motioning to the third seat by the fire.
"And I didn't know you were bringing someone home. I heard your voice and thought you were talking to Kreacher." She threw a worried look at Bella. "I mean no offence, I didn't hear your voice." Bella smiled
"Probably because I was letting Harry do all the talking." Hermione took a good look at their house guest and Bella felt akin to a bug under a microscope.
"You're a Muggle aren't you?" Hermione asked and Bella nodded open mouthed.
"How can you tell?"
"Well you're sat with your feet toward the fire instead of using a heating charm and you're drinking your butterbeer like it's ambrosia. Most magical folk are brought up on the stuff and treat it like you would a can of Coke." She turned back to Harry, anger descending like a veil. "But you! I'm waiting for you to explain why..." She gestured toward Bella.
"Bella?" Harry offered
"Ok, Bella. I'm waiting for you to explain why Bella is sat in your kitchen, I'm guessing with complete knowledge of what and who you are."
"Well that's simple." He grinned. "Bella guessed."
"How can a Muggle..." She threw a quick look to Bella "And I mean no offence by the word but how could a Muggle just guess that you're a wizard, saved the world and not only that but you're a fictional character in the..." Comprehension dawned "You weren't using the charm! Of all the thick head idiotic things you've done! Why? Why? If the ministry finds out they'll...They'll... Throw you in Azkaban and snap your wand!" Hermione finished breathlessly because she'd removed one of her slippers and been punctuating every word with a slap aimed at Harry's head, as though she'd been trying to beat sense into him.
"Hermione, you're over reacting. They're too busy trying to get me to take over as head of the department to even notice Bella knows. Not to mention I could probably out duel half the DMLE but it wont come to that he added, noticing Bella's look of dismay. Harry gave Hermione back his full attention. "Now be nice to Bella, you're going to make her think you don't like her before you've even said hello properly."
"That's ok, I shouldn't have come. I..."
"No Bella, I'm sorry." Hermione said, cutting through Bella's apologies. "It's just Harry stands to lose a lot if the statue is discovered broken and I'm just used to being his conscience."
"But I don't understand Hermione. Your parents know and Wizards have been marrying Muggles for centuries. How can that not be classed as breaking the statute?"
"It was accepted long ago that Wizards would eventually have to marry Muggles or at least Muggle borns, otherwise magic would have died out before it even began. Harry's case is different though because his description is so accurate in the books and his name is famous in both worlds, the Wizengamot decided that it would be better if he didn't have any contact at all with Muggles."
"Forced me and tried to make me swear on my magic more like!" Harry interrupted.
"Well yes that. That's the reason his existence is a secret out of our world. All it takes is for you to introduce him to your friends as Harry Potter and a few more people figure it out and the statue is broken for good." Hermione looked uncomfortable and started picking at her robe. She knew if it came down to having to Obliviate Bella, she would be the one to have to do it. Harry seemed to read her mind.
"I wont let you do it Hermione!"
"But Harry! Consider the consequence. How can we keep this a secret from everyone? You can't..."
"I can and I will Hermione. Bella do you want to forget about everything that happened today or are you willing to perform a little charade for a while?" Bella started shaking and nodding her head simultaneously. She was incredibly confused by the half a conversation she had just witnessed but she wasn't willing to go back and she would lie to make sure she didn't have to."
"Harry what are you planning?" Asked Hermione in a worried tone.
"It's simple Hermione. The only problem is that Bella isn't magical, right?"
"Well yes, I suppose but.."
"Then all we have to do is convince the world she is. How often do you use visible spells? Or make potions? Or use your magic at all apart from everyday mundane things?"
"Well almost never, not since school. You can't seriously be suggesting that we..."
"Well why not? She's awesome," Bella blushed "and I don't want her to forget. I don't ant her to have to leave. We could say she's Luna's cousin. That way even muggle things we can't act away, will be put down to the Lovegood weirdness."
"Luna's not weird!"
"We know that but the rest of the Wizarding world still thinks the whole family is off. Bella having Muggle habits would seem normal in comparison. Do we still have those wands from our year on the run?" Harry asked.
"Yes they're in your room above the wardrobe."
"Ok. Can you bring them down and a set of your robes? Actually, Bella could you go with her and get changed and pick a wand? I just want to see if it could work." Harry smiled beguilingly at Bella.
"Come on Bella. Years of friendship have taught me to just humour him when he gets like this." Hermione grabbed Bella's hand and pulled her to her feet. "But I do think I have a set of robes that will suit you perfectly." Bella just nodded mutely and followed Hermione. Too overwhelmed and in shock to even speak.
As they travelled through the house, Bella felt she'd already been there before. The only thing that was missing was the screeching portrait of Mrs Black.
"Oh we got around the permanent sticking charm by replacing the entire wall." Hermione answered when asked. "Here we are." They'd stopped at a door still signed R.A.B. "This is my room now lets find those robes." Hermione almost disappeared in the the wardrobe and Bella heard a few muffled squeaks and bangs before Hermione emerged triumphant, holding a stunning emerald robe. "This will match your eyes perfectly, now get changed while I get the wands."
Bella was just fastening the robe as Hermione returned, covered in dust.
"Harry has got to tell Kreacher to start cleaning up there." She handed Bella the wands, "now pick one. Whichever you like best. I don't think we'll be getting any sparks from them" She said smiling. Bella took the wands from her and felt something akin to a static shock and as she looked toward the hand that was a little sore, she realised she must have dropped one of the wands and caught it with her opposite hand. The wand was long, easily over 10 inches and made of the lightest wood Bella had ever seen and right at the base of the handle, there was a tiny green stone. Bella had never really liked green but it seemed to be turning into her colour. As Hermione fussed around her hair, she tightened her hold on the wand, trying to remember it's mention in the book but all the wands taken in the last book were dark. She was almost sure of it but afraid the wand would be taken, she stayed quiet and obediently turned when Hermione took her shoulders and led her down the stairs.
Harry heard the girls approach and looked up to see Bella walk through the door. His breath caught in his throat and all rational thought fled. She was absolutely beautiful. Her mahogany hair had been let loose and it cascaded around her face. The green of her robe picked out the jade hidden in the blue of her eyes and added to the wand held in her hand, she looked not only born to magic but the reason magic itself was created.
Hermione cleared her throat, immensely please at the effect Bella was having on Harry. She knew exactly why he wanted to keep her in the loop and the sooner he realised that, the better they'd all be. How she wasn't sure but she knew Bella was important to him.
Bella had felt, well she wasn't sure. It was somewhere between excited, hopeful, scared and another emotion she couldn't name and she couldn't make up her mind whether to be glad or angry that Hermione had broke the spell and she started fingering the wand mindlessly.
"Bella," Harry began hoarsely "I think you were born to pull this off"
AN – Please review. You guys make my day. 3