Chapter 4: Reunions and Return to Hogwarts

Harry was having his breakfast in the Leaky Cauldron, when one of the fireplaces flared, and one by one the members of the Weasley family left the fireplace. A small redhaired missile rushed towards Harry and hugged him. Ginny Weasley then kissed Harry on his cheek, "Thank you for the bookbag you sent me for my birthday! It's so pretty!"

Fred and George both bodied Harry, "Look, Harry. Don't hurt Gin-Gin".

Ginny yelled at her brothers, "Don't call me Gin-Gin. And I can defend myself!" she pointed her wand at her brothers menacingly.

Percy Weasley approached the group, "Harry, thank you for the quills and the custom wax seal stamp. If you need any help, let me know."

Ron shook Harry's hand, "Mate, how was your summer?"

Harry recounted everything that happened since the encounter with Aster Kent. The reveals and his research, omitting of course the Sirius Black part and his suspicions on Scabbers. His meeting with the Boots and the last visit of Aster.

Ron said, "I don't know much about that. I'm the sixth son of my immediate family, it's impossible that I'd be in line for a lordship. The head of our family is my Uncle Lucan, who has a son that graduated Hogwarts around the time Bill started. As far as I understand, most of the family in my father's side consider my father an embarrassment to the family."

Harry asked, "What about your mum? Is she from a family in the Seventy?"

Ron answered, "She is a Prewett, but the Prewett family is big as well. I think she is like tenth in the line of succession."

Percy interrupted, "I see that you are talking about families?"

"Yeah. I found out I am a Lord and that because of that I should be looking for alliances and contracts."

"Gryffindor in general right now doesn't have many people that are from families in the Council of the Seventy."

"Percy, I have a question. Do you know that does it mean when someone has a weak claim to a family?"

"That means that if you want, you can take the headship of that family. Because you are already the head of a family, the family you claim will be officially dissolved and you'd only have the monetary estate, and the family magic."

"Family magic?"

"Wizarding families work very different than muggle ones, with bloodlines being of great importance. The importance of blood is such that there is a ritual known as blood adoption that transforms the bloodline factor of a witch of wizard, to the bloodline factor of another family."

"What does it have to do with family magic?"

Percy continued, "To establish a magical family, a complex ritual is normally done in order to create the family magic. The head of the family has total control over the range of the family magic. The family magic is mostly a boost in certain abilities coming from your bloodline. The older your family magic is, the more powerful it becomes. If you anchor the family magic to a family home, the family magic can also act as protection against outsiders."

Harry asked, "So, that means that if I press the weak claim I have in the other family, I gain their affinities?"

"Exactly. That would be useful, whatever they are."

Harry asked, "What is the magical affinity of the Weasley family?"

Percy explained, "The magical affinity of the Weasleys is creativity. It sounds abstract, but if you notice, it tends to make sense. Bill and I both got twelve OWLs, and that was mostly because we were creative enough to find ways of learning the subjects we didn't take by doing activities we liked to do. Then we requested to take the OWLs of the subjects with little study. Another magical affinity we have is flying, the only reason I'm not in the quidditch team is because I have other interests."

Harry commented, "That's cool!"

Percy said, "Yeah it is! I want to thank you of sending Ginny that present. Before her birthday, she was sad because she thought you were blaming her."

Some hours later, the Grangers arrived, and Hermione joined her friends and recounted about her vacations in France.

The next day, Harry joined his friends doing their purchases in Diagon Alley. Hermione bought a big half-kneazle named Crookshanks. The trio then all sat down to eat ice cream. Harry recounted his summer to Hermione.

Hermione screamed, "That's a mess! You technically don't have a magical guardian?"

Harry commented, "Yeah! And I found out that the mail charm probably ruined my reputation at school. Well, more than already was. At least most of the Gryffindors I interact with the most, don't blame me. I shudder about the fact that there are many people that have secret grudges against me because of badly handled correspondence."

Hermione scratched her chin, "What called more of my attention is the fact that your mum's blood status isn't general knowledge."

Ron commented, "I think deep down they know, but don't like it. Being a muggleborn is pretty difficult in general. Dad told us that the only muggleborn minister was forced to resign because he was sick. Many people suspected that the Malfoys poisoned him."

"That's horrible!" Hermione took a breath, clenched her fist, "This is not just! I think we should use your power to help the people like me."

Harry said, "Hermione, there's something else we must check. It was said that most of the muggleborns out there are descendants of squib lines. I made the test and my mum was a descendant of the Gaunts. Maybe you can claim something that can be money or a family magic."

Hermione said, "I don't think that would be worth our time."

Harry said, "I think it would worth it for the simple fact that it would be ironic if you are descendant of one of the more bigoted families."

Ron added, "Is very probable that you would be. The inbreeding is the thing that caused more squibs."

The trio went to Gringotts where Goldclaw made the test with Hermione, the results were projected.

Hermione Jean Granger

37th in line to the house of Burke

Father: Richard Steve Granger

Mother: Jean Talia Granger nee Sherrie(Great Granddaughter of Aphelandra Burke)

They left the bank.

Hermione said, "That was interesting, but useless. The assumption you both made was correct, I'm a descendant from a dark family."

Ron assured, "Everyone has dark families in their family trees. My grandmother was a Black."

Harry added, "I already mentioned being descendant of the Gaunts, but I have another dark family in my tree. My grandmother was a Rosier."

Hermione said, "I'll send letters to all of the muggleborns in our year. Is a shame that Sally-Anne Perks was pulled out after our first year. Maybe I should have tried to befriend her. We need to be strong together."

Harry said, "I'll see if some muggleborns that aren't named Colin Creevey sent me fan mail."

Harry and Hermione both set their ways to the post office.

September first came. Before they set their way to king cross station, Arthur Weasley warned Harry of not looking for Sirius Black. The group went to king cross in ministry cars.

When they arrived at the platform. Harry was jumped and hugged by Carina Kent. Ron asked, "Who is she?"

Harry answered, "She is one of the people we talked about, the daughter of the woman that helped me. She decided she was going to be my little sister."

Carina added, "Yeah. And I need to find the girl you bought that bookbag for. I don't buy that you want to be just her friend," Carina spotted the small freckled redhead Ginny Weasley wearing the bookbag. Carina ambushed the youngest Weasley and grabbed her. Carina was taller than Ginny even if she was almost a year younger. They both started talking and went into the train together.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione then walked into the train and the main compartment they found was a compartment where a man that was in a bad state was sleeping

The train started moving. Hermione saw Harry's second owl, "Harry, only one pet is allowed at Hogwarts."

"Are you talking about that owl? I bought it because I didn't want to risk Hedwig in some businesses. I am planning to gift it to someone that needs it."

The group then started talking about more mundane things. Being excited about the new electives. They all heard many good things about professor Kettleburn in care of magical creatures. The topic of the pets came again. Ron and Hermione started to argue about Crookshanks and Scabbers. It was at that moment that Carina Kent went to their compartment looking for Harry. As they left, she asked, "What's up with your friends?"

Harry answered, "I think is some kind of foreplay. But I'm not sure. They like to argue about everything."

Carina then guided him to a compartment where there were three other girls and one boy.

Harry asked, "Where's Ginny?"

Carina answered, "Some yearmate of hers named Demelza invited her to her compartment. Don't worry, your girlfriend is safe. I approve of her."

Harry started to blush.

Carina said, "I was rude, we should all present ourselves here."

A short black boy stood up, "I'm Ritchie Coote."

A tall blond-haired girl waved, "I'm Vicky Frobisher."

In the corner, a shy strawberry blond girl with expensive clothing presented herself, "I'm Astoria Greengrass."

A girl with curly black hair said, "I'm Romilda Vane."

Harry reacted, "Wait a sec, you are the ones that sent me fan mail!"

Astoria giggled, "My sister Daphne just badmouths you all the time. That just made me want to know you more."

Harry commented, "I've seen that more people in general were badmouthing me. I want to have a better reputation right now. I just found out this summer that I was a lord."

Romilda raised her hand, "No one told you that? Dumbledore in your training should have taught you that!"

"Do all of you believe that Dumbledore trained me hogwash?" Everyone in the compartment raised their hands.

Romilda offended said, "Oh please! You are the boy-who-lived, someone of your reputation wouldn't have been raised by muggles!"

Harry stomped and yelled, "Yes, I was. And they were the most judgmental and abusive muggles in existence. My cousin is basically muggle Malfoy."

Astoria asked curiously "So, this is why you hate Malfoy? My sister always rants about you hating Malfoy, that you insulted him after he tried to befriend you. I believe that there is more to the story, I hate Malfoy too."

Harry recounted, "He tried to befriend me, but he also insulted my friends as well. So, I told him I knew how to see who was the bad sort and that he was the bad sort. Then the sorting hat wanted to put me in Slytherin, but I asked him to put me elsewhere to avoid him."

Vicky asked, "You weren't a direct Gryffindor?"

"I thought that was obvious. The hat took a lot of time to sort me, not a hat stall but close. Oh right! you are all firsties."

Ritchie asked, "I heard you like quidditch, do you have a favorite team?"

Harry answered, "I haven't been able to follow the league in order to answer that."

Ritchie sent back, "Mine is the Falmouth Falcons. They are the closest ones to where I live."

Vicky shouted, "Puddlemere United is the best, they won the most leagues, and also won the European champions cup."

Romilda said, "I don't follow quidditch that much," while looking at herself at the mirror.

Astoria said, "I prefer the dueling circuit."

Harry spent the rest of the trip getting to know the new first years. Their hobbies and their passions.

Suddenly the train stopped and everything went dark. Harry heard a scream and fainted.

When he woke up. Carina gave him some chocolate. She explained, "The ministry sent dementors and they boarded the train looking for Sirius Black," Harry noticed she grimaced when she said the last few words, "They make you relive your worst memories. The chocolate will help you."

Romilda assured, "Don't worry, no one outside this compartment knows that you fainted."

"Good, I don't want people taking the piss."

Romilda said, "Don't worry. We'll make sure that if someone tries to take the piss, they'll suffer."

They finished the train ride. Harry went back to Ron and Hermione and took the horseless carriage to Hogwarts. The sorting ceremony was going to be interesting.