The Granger Son

Harry; Hermione; Dr. Grangerx2

Rated T

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or its characters from the franchise. That honor belongs to JK Rowling

The Granger Son

Chapter 6

Robert and Jean entered Hermione's room later that night and couldn't help but chuckle at seeing her with three books open on her bed, her reading one of them. Their little girl was dressed in her nightgown, her bushy hair pulled back in a messy ponytail. Hearing their laughter, Hermione looked up and smiled at her parents saying, "I was just reading up on magic now that I know I'm a witch and magic is real. Although, I'm not sure any of this is accurate."

"Perhaps," Jean said sitting next to her daughter. Taking her hair out of its pony tail and dividing it to put into one long French braid, she said, "But once we go to this Diagon Alley, maybe you can find some proper books on magic and the magical world."

"Yes, and you will also learn more going to that Hogwarts school," Robert added as he took the books from Hermione's bed and closed them, placing them back on her bookshelf.

Hermione nodded slightly before keeping her head still, allowing her mother to continue with her braid. As Jean worked, she asked, "So I suppose you are excited?"

"Oh yes, I really am. It is going to be so amazing; I just know it! And knowing Harry will be there with me, I have nothing to be afraid of."

Her parents smiled at each other from hearing Hermione's confident words. Robert waited for his wife to finish braiding Hermione's hair before tucking her into bed. Once she was settled under the covers and head resting on the pillow, Robert gave her a kiss on her forehead saying, "Sweet dreams, honey, and know that we're so proud of you and all the achievements you've made and yet to make."

Jean took her husband's place and gave her a kiss on the forehead as well. "Yes, we truly are. You are extraordinary Hermione, and we know you'll do some great things."

The brunette smiled up at her parents before snuggling down into her covers, brown eyes closing as she murmured sleepily, "Thanks mum, thanks dad. Good night."

"Good night, darling," Jean replied before turning off bedside lamp and leaving the pink bedroom with her husband, Hermione's breathing evening out as they exited her room.

Leaving Hermione's door ajar, they walked down the hall to Harry's bedroom, entering the bedroom to see him looking at his Hogwarts letter again. They looked at each other for a moment before walking over to their son. Harry looked up from his letter to them and smiled saying, "Hi mum, hi dad."

"Hello dear," Jean replied as she sat next to him. Ruffling his unruly hair, she asked, "That was sure something, wasn't it?"

"Yeah, it was," Harry agreed. "Magic is real, and Hermione and I can do it. We're going to go to a magical school and learn and…wait. Where did Professor McGonagall say this school was?"

Robert looked at Jean who shrugged before saying, "She didn't say, but wherever it is, you will have to get there by train. Platform 9 ¾, correct?"

Harry nodded. "But I've never heard of such a platform before."

"Well, I'm sure we'll figure it out when the time comes," Jean said. She gently took the letter from Harry and folded it up, setting it on his nightstand. Looking back at her son, she said, "Harry, before Professor McGonagall left, she explained something to your father and me, something that is important."

Frowning, Harry asked, "What is it?"

Robert moved to sit on the other side of his son and said, "Well, it is about when you enter the magical world, particularly when you get to Hogwarts. You see, the Headmaster was the one who was going to put you with your relatives, even though they obviously weren't fit to take care of you. And if you go to Hogwarts and go by 'Harold Granger', then he will know not only where you are, but may even go so far as to take you from us."

"But you've legally adopted me."

"But we're not sure regular people laws apply to the magical world. She also said he was tricky, so he could possibly do something underhanded that could have him take you away from us and place you with your relatives."

"We can't risk that happening, darling," Jean said. "Therefore, you must go by your birth name every time you enter the magical world."

Harry frowned further. "But how will everyone know who I am if I don't say so?"

Robert looked at his wife before answering, "I've thought about that, and because of the circumstances surrounding your birth parents' deaths, I'd imagine that everyone would have known, as well as what they looked like. I wouldn't put it past you looking like one of them."

Jean looked at Harry's forehead, at his very faint scar that healed over pretty well with healing ointment she had used for a couple of months when he had still been a toddler. It wasn't noticeable now luckily, but one could see it if they looked at it in the light just right. She hoped that scar wasn't too significant, thought it did take longer to heal than it should have in her opinion.

Looking back at her son, she gave him a small smile before saying, "However, she did say she would give the Headmaster a cover story concerning your whereabouts to protect where you've been and will be returning to. Please try to understand, sweetheart."

Harry looked up at his parents before looking down in his lap. He didn't want to go by his birthname, but he also knew that if he wanted to stay with his family, he'd have to. After all, there was no way for him to fly under the radar once he entered the Wizarding World; everyone knew who he was. He didn't like it, but he knew it was necessary. Sighing, he looked up at his parents and said reluctantly, "Alright, I understand. I'll go by 'Harry Potter' while at Hogwarts and every time I must enter the Wizarding World. But I'll always be a Granger and your son at heart."

His parents smiled down at him and wrapped him in a hug, holding him close before tucking him into bed. Once he was settled, Jean removed his glasses and set them on his nightstand on top of his letter. Kissing his forehead, she said softly, "Sleep well, darling. And we're proud of you."

"Yes, we are son," Robert said the same giving him a kiss on his forehead as well. "Good night, Harry; we'll see you in the morning."

Harry nodded and drifted off to sleep, his parents looking at him for a moment before closing the door ajar to his room.

1 Month Later…

The Grangers were having breakfast one Saturday morning when there was a knock on the door. Robert stood up to answer the door and was slightly surprised to see Professor McGonagall once again. However, she wasn't alone like the last time. Next to her stood a tall, dark-skinned man that looked rather intimidating. Lord, he stood taller than Robert, and Robert was a tall man. Turning his attention back to McGonagall, he greeted, "Professor, hello again."

McGonagall nodded and replied, "Good morning, Mr. Granger. This is a friend of mine, Kingsley Shacklebolt. He will be accompanying us to Diagon Alley today so the children can pick up their school supplies."

"'Us'?" Robert asked.

"Yes, 'us'. Mr. Shacklebolt will be walking along with Mr. Potter while I go along with you and Miss Granger. Don't worry, I've already informed him of everything, and he is trustworthy, so he won't tell another soul. We cannot let it be seen we are arriving together, so I'm having Mr. Shacklebolt chaperoning your son. He will do the same for when it is time to get to the Hogwarts Express."

Kinglsey held his hand out and said, "Nice to meet you, Mr. Granger."

Robert took his hand and shook it, finding the man had a firm grip. "You as well, Mr. Shacklebolt. Please, come inside."

The witch and wizard followed Robert into his home and to the kitchen table where they found the rest of the family. Greeting them, Robert did introductions, and before long, they were headed towards Diagon Alley.

Entering the Leaky Cauldron had been an experience. Like instructed, Harry hung back with Kingsley while his family and Professor McGonagall entered what looked like some old rundown shop, before entering ten minutes later. Upon entering, everyone seemed to turn to look at him, the man behind the counter saying, "Bless my soul, it's Harry Potter!"

Kingsley nodded to the man and kept Harry moving towards the back of the pub, Harry feeling uncomfortable with all the eyes on him. Once they had exited the pub to the little chilly alleyway, Harry asked, "Is that going to happen everywhere I go?"

"It is possible," Kingsley answered, "But hopefully no one will pay too much attention once we get into Diagon Alley. Most people are too busy to pay much attention."

Harry looked around at where they were standing and asked, "This isn't the alley, is it?"

Chuckling, Kingsley shook his head while pulling out his wand. "No, it isn't."

He tapped on the brick wall in front of them in a sequence before, right before his eyes, the bricks began to move and shift around. Harry's green eyes widened as the wall opened up, creating an entrance to what looked like a whole new street. Stepping through the entrance and onto the street, he heard Kingsley say, "This is Diagon Alley."

"Wow!" Harry said in awe, his eyes turning in every direction possible.

Kingsley smiled down at the boy before saying, "Let's get to Gringotts Bank. You need some money to buy your school supplies, robes, and wand. And if you want, a pet. You have your supply list?"

Harry tapped on his pocket and nodded saying, "Yes."

"Good. Now, onward to Gringotts."

The two of them moved along the busy street through the crowd, Harry making sure to stick close to the large wizard with him. He looked around in wonder as he did, taking in everything around him. Before long they ended up in front of a large white marble building, the words on it stating that this was the Gringotts Bank Kingsley had mentioned. Harry and Kingsley made their way up the stairs, stopping briefly to speak to his parents and sister when they exited the large building, having gotten money for Hermione to buy her supplies. Jean stated that they needed to try and be done by no later than noon, as she wanted to get back in time to make lunch for everyone, to which McGonagall and Kingsley agreed. Before leaving them, McGonagall handed a piece of paper to Kingsley telling him to show it to the Head Goblin. After speaking to them, Kingsley led Harry through the doors of Gringotts and inside.

Harry stared wide-eyed at the strange creatures sitting behind the counters, counting coins, and weighing gems of all kinds on scales. As they walked down the large aisle towards the main podium, Harry asked in a whisper, "What are these creatures?"

"They are goblins," Kingsley answered. "Not the kindest bunch of creatures, but they are trustworthy when it comes to protecting money and valuables in all the vaults here."

Stopping in front of the main podium, Kingsley cleared his throat, getting the Head Goblin's attention. The goblin looked at him from the ledger book he was writing in at the wizard in front of him and said in greeting, "Kingsley Shacklebolt, welcome back."

He then glanced at the boy next to him and stared at him for a moment before saying, "Harry Potter, welcome. I assume you are here to gather currency to buy supplies for your first year at Hogwarts."

"Yes sir," Harry answered, the goblin's beady eyes and somewhat gravely voice putting him on edge.

Kingsley handed the piece of paper that McGonagall had given him creature, waiting as he read what was written on it. After a while, the Head Goblin nodded and hopped down from his seat, telling the duo to wait for a moment while he went to fetch the needed key to get into Harry's vault. Two minutes later, he returned and beckoned the two to follow him. Kingsley and Harry followed the Head Goblin to what looked like some sort of mine cart, the three of them piling in and the cart taking off down under the bank towards the vaults. Before long, they stopped in front of a vault, the goblin beckoning Harry to follow him, Kingsley getting out of the cart as well. Taking a key from his pocket, the goblin unlocked the large vault, which Harry noticed was labeled '687', and opened the door to reveal the vault's contents.

Harry was amazed at the amount of gold in front of him, but also felt a bit overwhelmed. Was this all his? Was this what was left to him by his birth parents? It sure seemed like a lot, and who knew how much was actually in the vault. Looking up at Kingsley he asked, "How much should I take?"

The older wizard looked down at the preteen and answered, "That's up to you, Harry. Just be sure to grab Galleons, Sickles, and Knuts. That is the currency used in the Wizarding World and what you will need to pay for your items and anything else here."

At the boy's blank stare, he went on to explain that Galleons were gold coins, Sickles were silver, and Knuts were bronze. Nodding, Harry took the sack given to him by the Head Goblin and began filling it up with currency, not even making a dent in what was left to him. Once he believed he had enough, he left the vault and went back to the cart with Kingsley, them waiting for the goblin to lock the vault back up before rejoining them, and the three of them headed back up to the ground level of Gringotts.

Thanking the Head Goblin once they were back on the surface, Harry and Kingsley left the bank and reentered Diagon Alley, intent on buying Harry's school supplies. And with the help of the older wizard, Harry gathered his supplies and robes in no time. Retrieving his wand had been tedious, as every wand he tried seemed to respond wrongly to him—if the old man, Ollivander, even allowed him to try it out, of course. But once he had found the right one, he felt almost complete, though a little put off when Ollivander had told him his wand had a twin, and was owned by the person that murdered his birth parents, as well as gave him the scar on his forehead. Despite that, Harry was glad he had been able to finish up his shopping and headed back to the Leaky Cauldron. All of his items had been shrunken by Kingsley and were residing in the man's robe pockets, much to the amazement of Harry. Going back through the Leaky Cauldron to get back on London's Muggle streets, Kingsley and Harry walked a ways before finding Robert waiting near a bus stop. Kingsley boarded the bus with the two and the three of them rode it to the drop off near the Granger home, the three of them getting off and walking the rest of the way.

Once back in the safety of their home, Kingsley took Harry's bought items out of his pockets and enlarged them before bidding he and his father 'farewell', promising to return on the day of term to accompany them to Kings Cross Station. After seemingly disappearing on the spot, Robert helped his son take his items inside the house and up to his room, laughing when Harry saw the surprise waiting for him—a brand new snowy owl. Robert and Jean had figured she would make not only a good present for their son for his eleventh birthday, but a good companion for him. Thanking his father, Harry hugged him before going to open the cage, gently letting the owl out to sit on his arm, the owl instantly taking a liking to the boy. Robert smiled at the sight, though seeing him like this made him realize just how close his time with his children was coming to an end before they left for a whole new world.

Before they knew it, September 1st was upon them. That morning, the Grangers had piled their children's trunks and bags into the car, as well as Harry's owl cage—him having named the owl Hedwig—before getting into it and driving off to Kings Cross Station. The ride had been silent for the most part, only Harry and Hermione's voices filling in the car as they discussed their excitement in going to Hogwarts, as well as which House they would be Sorted into. They both had read about the Sorting and the Houses in the book Hogwarts: A History that Hermione had picked up while at Flourish and Blotts the day they'd gone to Diagon Alley, and couldn't help but wonder what House they would fit into. Based on what they had been told by their children of each House, both Robert and Jean stated their daughter would more than likely end up in Ravenclaw House. As for their son, they weren't sure, though Robert got the feeling Harry fit into Gryffindor House.

Soon they pulled into a parking space at Kings Cross Station, where they were met by Kingsley, the man dressed in Muggle clothing to blend in with the crowd. Kingsley was waiting with two trolleys for Harry and Hermione to load their belonging onto, their parents helping them. Once they were set, he asked, "Are you ready to head to the platform?"

At their nods, Kingsley beckoned for them to follow him into the train station, stating for the family to keep up with him, as the Hogwarts express was due to leave soon. Hermione and Harry watched the numbers of each platform climb higher as they passed by them until they eventually reached Platform 9. Jean and Robert were wondering exactly where Platform 9 ¾ was, and soon found that Kingsley had stopped in front of a wall diving Platforms 9 and 10.

Turning to face them, he said, "We're here. Mr. and Mrs. Granger, this is where I take the children onto the platform, and unfortunately, you both cannot accompany us. I will give you both a few minutes to say your 'goodbyes'."

Jean felt a lump of emotion rise in her throat and she nodded before turning to her children. Wrapping her arms around them, she hugged them close and said, "I will miss you two so much. But I know you both will do wonderous things while away and remember that no matter what, your father and I are proud of you. You both are so extraordinary and I'm proud to call you my children. I love you both, and I'll miss you."

Hermione hugged her mother tightly and replied, "We love you too, mummy."

Harry nodded in agreement as he hugged his mother. Releasing her, he turned to his father whose brown eyes were shining with unshed tears. Smiling up at him, Harry replied in a watery voice, blatantly ignoring his own tears threatening to fall, "Don't cry, dad."

"I'm not," Robert replied in a gruff voice. He chuckled a bit before clearing his throat, blinking his tears away. He pulled his son and daughter into a hug and said, "I have the same sentiments as your mother, and I know that no matter what you will make us proud. Just remember to do your best; I love you, children."

"We love you, too," Harry and Hermione replied.

They stayed in that hug for a moment before releasing their father and heading back to their trolleys. Harry turned back to them and gave his parents a smile and wave before turning back to Kingsley, the man waiting patiently. Seeing he had their attention now, he instructed them to run straight to and through the wall dividing Platforms 9 and 10, and they would end up on Platform 9 ¾. When asked if the Muggles would see them, he guaranteed they would not before instructing Hermione to go first. Robert and Jean watched as Hermione took a deep breath before taking off in a run, pushing her trolley towards the wall closer and closer until right before their eyes, she passed through it and out of sight. They watched Harry do the same, but not before their son looked back at them once more with a smile before running through the wall and onto the unseen Platform 9 ¾.

Kingsley turned to the parents and nodded at them while saying reassuringly, "They'll be fine, Mr. and Mrs. Granger. And Minerva will look out for them, no doubt, especially Harry."

"Thank you, Mr. Shacklebolt," Robert replied as he shook the dark-skinned man's hand. Jean shook his hand as well before watching him pass through the wall to the Platform as well, presumably to help their children put their belongings on the train to take them to Hogwarts.

Well, that was it. Their children were off to start their new lives at Hogwarts, and Robert and Jean quickly realized they had become empty nesters. They stared at the wall for a moment longer before Robert took his wife's hand and led her back towards the exit of Kings Cross Station. As they walked, both couldn't help but pray that their children would be safe while away, and that they wouldn't get into any unnecessary trouble. But one thing they couldn't deny though, was that their house would be so empty without their children there with them.