Chapter 10 – The Death of Innocence

2 April 2010

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

Hogsmeade, Scotland

Headmistress' Office

Minerva McGonagall

I am sitting at my desk waiting for a meeting with Mr. Harry Potter. I received an owl two days ago with a request for this meeting. I have been hoping he will take the position as Defense Professor. I take a look at the pictures on my desk.

The first, is a moving picture of Augusta (Gussie) Longbottom (née Davies), Druella (Dru) Black (née Rosier), and I from our last day at Hogwarts in 1954. Gussie and I were housemates in Gryffindor, Dru was a Ravenclaw. We were inseparable since our first train ride to Hogwarts our first year. In Fifth Year, I knew with out a doubt that I was irrevocably in love with Druella Rosier. She was beautiful with her bright blue eyes and long blond hair. She was intelligent, cunning, loyal, and kind. I never told her.

My father was a muggle Presbyterian minister in a small town in Scotland. He accepted myself and my two younger brothers', Malcolm and Bobby, education at Hogwarts even though it went strongly against his religious beliefs. My father was a kind man, but he instilled in all of his children Christian morals and beliefs. There is a strong line between what was right and what was wrong. He always said to me, "Minnie, if ya dinna have anythin' nice to sae, ya better not be sae'n nottin' at all, ya kin." His punishments weren't cruel, but he would put us to work around the farm when he disapproved of our behavior. The only thing he was very stern about was what he called sexually deviant behavior. He would preach about how the marital bed was for a man and a woman vowed in holy matrimony. Anything else was sexual deviance and you would be cast in to the depths of fiery hell should you practice such behavior.

Homosexuality, though more accepted in the Wizarding World, was still very taboo in the 1950's. People didn't talk about it, and if you were homosexual you usually kept it a secret or hid it with affairs. It wasn't at all acceptable to openly be with your same sex partner in public. I was taught it was a mortal sin. When I realized I was in love with Druella Rosier, I thought there was something severely wrong with me. I could never tell her, she had such a pure heart and I couldn't ever taint her with my sin. She was betrothed to Cygnus Black, and I never told her I loved her. I would rather have her as a friend than lose her to my sin.

In the summer of 1954, she was married. In April 1955, her first daughter, Bellatrix, was born. She made Cygnus' sister Walburga her godmother. In March of 1956, she had her second daughter, Andromeda, and made me godmother. In May of 1957 she had her final daughter Narcissa and made Gussie her godmother.

Gussie married Eugene Longbottom in the Summer of 1955 and had her son Frank in 1958. Druella was his godmother.

In 1956, I finished my Transfiguration Mastery and began teaching at Hogwarts. I knew I would never marry a man. I never would want anyone else, but Druella. So I dedicated my life to teaching. The three of us remained close following the years after Hogwarts. We had monthly teas and occasional dinners. I would have Andromeda for a week in the summer starting when she was two. I loved her as my own daughter. She is still very much a close friend.

It all changed in 1979. Bellatrix discovered Druella was meeting with her disowned daughter, Andromeda, and her granddaughter, Nymphadora weekly at the Longbottom estate. Bellatrix killed her mother for being a blood traitor. Then she killed Eugene Longbottom for allowing Augusta to host her Blood-Traiter Mother in his home. Bellatrix wasn't finished with Augusta. Bellatrix waited her final revenge out, and in November of 1981, she and the two Lestrange brothers tortured Frank and his wife to insanity. Bellatrix left a letter for Augusta before she was sent to Azkaban telling her why and how it happened in excruciating detail. It was dreadful.

The second picture I keep on my desk is of Nymphadora Tonks and Remus Lupin on their wedding day. It was a quick ceremony at the Ministry. Nymphadora owled me so her mother and I could be the witnesses. When their son Teddy began boarding at Hogwarts last fall, I called him to my office and gifted him a copy of the picture so they could always be with him.

The next picture is of The Marauders and Lily Evans, Marlene McKinnon, Alice Brown, and Frank Longbottom whom came to see his fiance's graduation ceremony. Sirius Black is kissing everyone, Lily slaps him. They are all laughing and you can see the closeness of the group. They were so happy and hopeful. Each one of them were all special. As fate would have it they all ended in tragedy.

The last photo on my desk is of the Golden Trio. Hermione Granger. I always felt guilty about what I allowed to happen to her. She was a brilliant and eager student. I always suspected Ophelia had a relation to the girl. Hermione was forced to keep secrets from her friends and family. When Siruis Black and Remus Lupin died, she had to hide her loss of them from everyone. It effected that poor girl the most. Sirius Black brought out a side of Hermione that she didn't know existed. She learned to laugh and feel secure in her knowledge under his tutelage. He validated her in a way she didn't experience at Hogwarts. When he went through the Veil, she was inconsolable, but had to hide all her emotions from everyone who wasn't privy to the knowledge of her continued use of the time-turner. When I discovered Hermione Granger had left England, the guilt I felt about the girl never quite ended.

The knock of my door interrupts my elderly ramblings inside my head. I flip my wrist to open the door and there stands Harry Potter.

I grin, and say, "Welcome Mr. Potter, how have you been. It's lovely to see you. May I call for some tea?"

He smiles, so much like his mother Lily and says, "No thank you Headmistress McGonagall. I have a few questions that may lead to an investigation."

Hmmm. "Of course Mr. Potter I'll answer to the best of my capacity, of course. Please call me Minerva. We are both adults now, after all."

He smiles, "Yes of course and you may call me Harry. My first question is if you have had a chance to visit the vault Madame Dagworth-Granger left to you in her will."

Interesting, why would he want to know? "Yes. As you know the tuition structure at Hogwarts changed a few years ago. I visited the vault and have a meeting with the barristers to create a scholarship system for muggle-borns in need of assistance."

He waits a moment to process and proceeds, "Did you find anything unusual in the vault?"

"No I did not. It was filled with galleons and nothing more." What did he expect?

He looks pensive and then says, "On Wednesday, Draco Malfoy came to my office to try to tell me something important. He had lunch with his mother and accompanied her to Gringotts to visit the vault Madame Dagworth-Granger left in her will. Malfoy was unable to tell me what was in the vault because there was a silencing spell placed on what ever was contained in the vault."

Sounds like Ophelia. Slytherin to her core. "I understand, and why are you visiting me when an owl would have sufficed?"

He grimaces. He's uncomfortable, I wonder what this is really about. He finally asks, "Minerva, was Madame Dagworth-Granger part of The Order?"

"Why of course not, Harry. She was Slytherin to her dying breath. Though she didn't hold the Pureblood beliefs, I can assure you she was the most proper, pureblood, society lady. If she did anything with the Order, it would have been completely behind the scenes. It is a not well hidden secret, Ophelia did not trust Albus Dumbledore." She desecrated him in the end. In 2005, Theodore Nott published all of Armando Dippett's journals in a shocking display of Dumbledore's exploits.

"Why would one think she was in the Order? This person was adamant that she had something to do with the Order." He asks.

Hermione? She knew about Dagworth Castle. I purse my lips and say, "I wouldn't have the slightest idea why anyone would make such an assumption."

He looks sternly and asks, "Whatever happened to the time-tuner Hermione had received in third year?"

She still probably owns the damned thing. "Oh Harry, I couldn't possible know. The castle suffered significant damage during that dreadful business with He-who-must-not-be-named, as you are aware."

He thinks for a moment, and says, "I remembered a conversation I had with Hermione about five years ago. Madame Dagworth-Granger came to my office with Hermione's current location in America. I asked if she knew Madame Dagworth-Granger. She said she met her once and she thought that she was part of the Order. Hermione said she was Draco Malfoy's godmother, but she refused to answer any further questions on the matter." She met Ophelia way more than once that's for sure. She just didn't quite know it was her.

Hmmmm. Deflection tactics needed. I smile and say, "Oh how is Miss Granger doing? Where is she? What is she doing now? She was such a smart girl her time here at Hogwarts."

Harry smiles, "Mia is well. She is living in New York City in America. She has completed five Masteries in magical courses. She has a rather high degree in Muggle Technology as well. She currently is running a global company that combines magic and muggle technology. It's quite impressive work she and her friends have done."

Impressive. I ask, "You say it's global, but I have never heard of anything like that here?"

He hesitates, but says, "Mia has some rather strong feelings about her time in England. She wants nothing to do with the country and all of her products have embedded runes that literally keep the products from working on Great Britain's soil. I'm not sure what she's done, but she did it to avoid business with our country. She said….well that's not very polite to repeat."

I wonder what she has told him. Did she implicate me or Ophelia? "It's a disappointment to hear she has such hostile feelings towards our lovely isle. I suppose there were many things that drove her away. The press was very unfair to her. She always had a sensitive disposition at times."

Harry cringes outwardly, and says, "When I first found her she said The Order used her as a weapon. I always remember her reading, but nothing ever added up to why she was so much more advanced than the rest of us. She didn't open a book in Eighth year, yet she received eleven N.E.W.Ts. all Outstandings. She knew types of magic, none of us studied, she was quite apt in non-verbal and wandless magic. She was able to blood ward our campsite when we were on the run. She was…."

I interrupt, "Oh yes, Mr. Potter, I quite agree, Miss Granger was always quite talented. Remarkable really." Yes I know exactly why she would think that way, it wasn't quite the truth of it though.

"Are you sure she returned the time-turner to you at the end of Third Year?" He questions.

"I can assure you she handed me the time-turner the last day of her Third Year. It was Ministry approved for her to use the device after all." Of course the device was owned by Ophelia. I did take it back but handed it back to Miss Granger on 15 July, 1994. Semantics.

"Thank you Minerva for your time. I best get back to London." He says.

I stand and ask, "Would you like to use my floo, it's connected to the Ministry?"

I give him a hug, and say, "If you change your mind about the Defense Against the Darks Arts position for next year, it's still available for you. Just owl me when you are ready, Harry."

He smiles and says, "I will consider the career change. Thank you for your time, Minerva."

I smile. "It was lovely to see you. Take care."

Then he floo'd away. I walk over to have sit at my desk and grab my decanter and have a nice bit of Scotch.

15 July 1994

Dagworth Castle

Cornwall

Minerva

It was previously arranged for me to pick up Miss Granger at her family's home in London and apparate her to Dagworth Castle before taking her to The Burrow to stay with the Weasley's.

I knock on the door and Miss Granger answers. "Hello, Professor McGonagall. Would you like to come in while I grab my trunk? I have packed everything because I just didn't know what I would need. My parents are at work. I said goodbyes when they left this morning. It will just take me a moment to turn off the tele."

She disappeared from the foyer and was back quickly. She grabbed her trunk and was struggling with it. She really must have packed everything. "Miss Granger set the trunk down. I will shrink it so we may travel with it."

She looks apprehensive, "Will that cause damage to my things? I would hate for everything to not fit properly when it's back to normal."

I smile, "It will be just fine, Miss Granger."

I shrink the trunk and hand it to her and she smiles, "I love magic!" She places it in her trousers pockets. "Thank you."

I motion for her to take my arm when she does I apparate us right to door of Dagworth Castle.

Hermione says, "That was awful, I…..," then she very gracefully fainted. I trying to hold her up, and struggling slightly.

At that moment, Sirius Black opens the door and smirks, "You killed her, Minnie!" He takes a hold of her for me.

I roll my eyes and grab my wand to levitate her into the castle. We head to the large parlor and I lay Miss Granger on the settee.

"Poor child. I think it was the first time she disapparated." I say and then purse my lips.

Sirius walks over to her with his wand and says " Rennervate" and then leaves the room.

Hermione opens her eyes and is looking towards the fireplace and softly says, "I haven't ever fainted before. I am not sure I like that form of travel. This certainly doesn't appear to be a place called 'The Burrow.' I'm sorry, is that the Mona Lisa?"

I deflect the question because I'm quite sure that is indeed, The Mona Lisa. "You gave me a fright Miss Granger. Would you like some tea?"

She's looking all around the room now. She looks at me and smiles, "Yes, Professor McGonagall, tea would be lovely. Thank you."

At that moment the floo activates and Andromeda Tonks comes through the floo. She comes over to me and gives me a hug. "Minerva, it's lovely to see you." She looks around the room and whispers, "Where is she?"

I'm getting ready to answer and in walks Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and…

"Oh dear, you must be Hermione Granger, my name is Viola Davies. I heard you had a fainting spell. Dear sweet child, we will take care of you. Hester!" She sweeps into the room with all the grace of a queen and heads right to Miss Granger as she is talking.

POP*

"Mistress calls for Hester?"

Viola says, "Yes, please bring a full tea service for six, please. We will serve tea in here. Thank you."

I purse my lips and say, "Viola Davies, such a surprise seeing you after ALL this time." Viola is clearly not Viola Davies. The real Viola Davies was Augusta's paternal grandmother who died in 1962. This Viola Davies is clearly Ophelia glamoured to appear about 35 years old and has blond hair and blue eyes. It is a quite impressive glamour. Though the meddlesome woman is still wearing a tiara.

We all have a seat and Viola/Ophelia takes a seat by Miss Granger who appears quite confused. The tea is served and finally Viola/Ophelia speaks, "Miss Granger, I have heard reports that you are the brightest witch of your age."

Miss Granger looks at her with big eyes, and says, "I apologize for any rumors about me. I didn't start them. A-am I in trouble?"

Viola/Ophelia laughs, "You are definitely not in any trouble. Of course you didn't start rumors, my dear. I do believe Mr. Lupin told me."

Hermione frowns, "I really just study very hard and I like to read."

Viola/Ophelia smiles, "Have you met everyone in the room, dear?"

Hermione looks around, "I know Professor McGonagall and Professor Lupin from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I met Sirius Black briefly, he's my best friend's godfather, but I'm sorry that's all I know, ma'am.

Viola/Ophelia smiles and says, "That's about everyone, over in that chair is Andromeda Tonks. She is Sirius' cousin. She is very talented in charms and abjuration. She also a dab natural at legilimens and occlumancy. Remus is very apt in defense against the dark arts and arithmancy. Sirius is very talented at transfiguration and ancient runes. I am talented at potions, magical theory, and magical history."

Hermione looks at Andromeda and says, "It's nice to meet you Mrs. Tonks."

Viola/Ophelia interrupts Andromeda's answer and says, "Miss Granger we are all here because we would like to offer you the opportunity to learn magic from us outside of school."

Hermione looks confused, "Why me? Does this mean I will stop going to Hogwarts?"

Viola/Ophelia smiles and takes Hermione's hand and says, "I have heard from a great many people that you are very talented and we would like to help you reach your full potential. You don't have to stop going to Hogwarts. We can teach you all you need to know while you attend Hogwarts as well."

Hermione, "How will I be able to go to Hogwarts and have extra tutoring? How will I have enough time?"

Viola/Ophelia looks at me and says, "Minerva." Then holds out her hand. I take the time-turner out of my pocket and hand it to her.

She holds it out to Hermione and says, "With this, my dear."

Hermione is giving her a look of shock, "But, but, but, I thought awful things happened to wizards who mess with time."

Viola/Ophelia smiles, "Well yes, they could if they were to mess with time. This castle is quite isolated. The only people keyed into this castle's wards are in this room. You would do all of your learning here in this castle. Once you were finished, you can use the time-turner to go back in time at a different location and live out your normal day. For example, we could start your learning at 5 a.m. you would use the floo from The Burrow to come here. You would have a possible 23 hours to study and learn. Then you would use the time turner to return to 5 a.m. again, and spend your day at the Weasley's. This is an opportunity to learn as much as you want, and still be young as well."

Hermione, then looks around the room, "Won't I be exhausted all the time?"

Viola pulls three Potions from her pocket. "These three Potions have been designed for you to be successful for this endeavor. One is a wit-sharpening potion to help you focus and retain information. You will be learning a lot in a short amount of time. This will help you focus what you are learning. The second potion is similar to pepper-up potion without nasty side effects. It will give you the energy to maintain long hours, and this last potion replenishes your body in one hour time, and effects your body the same as what eight hours of sleep does for you. You would take this potion to replenish yourself."

Hermione smiles, "I can't even believe this is all possible. I don't understand, why me? I'm always told how I'm insufferable and they call me names. I feel like I'm fighting constantly to prove myself. I'm sorry, all of this is too much to process."

Sirius speaks up and says, "Miss Granger I owe you a life debt. I knew a muggle-born who was once as brilliant as you. If I could have offered her the ability to feel secure with her magic, she would have conquered the world. Let us help you learn everything you can so you never have to doubt yourself again."

Hermione looks at everyone and stops at me with an unspoken question. I smile at her. "Miss Granger if anyone can handle this responsibility, it would be you. I agree you will excel."

She looks down a moment and says, "Thank you so much everyone for offering to help me. I still don't understand why you would take the extra time to teach me, but if it can keep me from failing, I couldn't possibly say no. When do we begin?"

Viola/Ophelia smiles, "My dear we can start Monday morning. Molly is aware of your training and is unable to speak of it. All of us are under an oath to keep anyone that doesn't know from speaking of your tutoring. Now you need to sign this paper it's simply a jinx to stop you from discussing your training. You will tell people when questioned that you read it in a book. I hear you love books, correct?"

Hermione nods. "I won't tell anyone. I don't want anything bad to happen to me for meddling with time." She grabs the quill and signs the paper.

Hermione smiles again, "This is amazing! Thank you all so much for this opportunity. I want to learn as much as possible! Are there any books I can study until Monday?"

We all laugh. She's always so eager to learn.

Viola/Ophelia levitates a stack of three books to Hermione, "This should keep you busy over the weekend, but your assignment is to spend time with your friends."

We said our goodbyes and we arrived at the Burrow. That summer Hermione showed such promise. She worked extremely hard, but she excelled at everything they taught her.

I didn't realize the toll on her emotionally until two years later.

1 July 1996

Dagworth Castle

Cornwall

Minerva

I arrive at Dagworth Castle at 9 a.m. to tutor Hermione on Transfiguration. The loss of Sirius Black is still on my heart, but Hermione needs to learn now more than ever. I still think it's too soon. Hermione was seriously injured in the Battle that took Sirius' life.

I floo into the castle and Hermione is sitting on the settee reading. She looks pale and overwrought. She should be resting. I take a seat next to her in a chair.

"Miss Granger, are you sure you shouldn't be resting? We can wait a week before we begin your lessons."

She shakes her head and sits up as straight as she can and softly speaks, "It's all real now. I have to keep going. I still have so much I need to learn. I have to learn everything and there's no time to waste. I-I c-ca-cannot help Harry if-if I'm bl-bleeding on the f-f-floor from a c-curse. I c-couldn't save S-Sirius because I wasn't strong enough to k-kill a Death Eater."

"Kill Hermione? You're sixteen years old, you shouldn't be aiming to kill anyone."

She stands up and lifts her vest and yells, "Well they aren't casting fucking tickling jinxes are they?! I have been doing all this training and learning so I can support Harry. It was too good to be true, I should have known e-everyone had a fucking motive, and it had nothing to do with me! I was so naïve to think all the work I have been doing was so I could learn! Why was I lied to? I would have wanted to learn anyway." Her scar runs from under her left breast to her right hip bone. It was split like branches of a tree in places. It's severely bruised and the worst parts are sewn together with muggle stitching.

"Hermione…."

And she screams, "NO! You brought me here! You made me think I was being given a opportunity! It was all lies! My terrible sin, the thing that has allowed me anything, I became friends with Harry! People only helped me because Harry needs to be kept safe! I c-ca-can't be mad at anyone, but myself. Because I love Harry too! No one has to pretend they give a shit about me anymore! The jig is up, I understand now. It's all for Harry! The truly fucked up thing about it all, someone I cared about died and I have to pretend I'm only sad for Harry because he lost his godfather. God, was it all a lie? Was his kindness towards me just for Harry? I thought he was my friend, too."

I get up and take the grieving girl in my arms. Then I led her over to the settee. "Hermione, you are brilliant! You care so much for everyone in your life. You led that a group of students to teach them how to defend themselves, you , not Harry. You deformed Miss Edgecomb for putting your group in danger. That takes brilliance, courage, and a fair amount of cunning. No one expects a sixteen year old girl to be able to take on fully grown Death Eaters, but you survived that curse. Your bravery and brilliance allows you live another day. Everything you have learned has been taught by people who want you to reach for your full potential. You have to know if Sirius didn't care about you, you never would have wondered if he was your friend. He would have taught you, but he wouldn't have talked to you for hours, brought you pizza, or kidnapped you to take you to London as many times as he did. Sirius cared about you for you, not for Harry."

I continued holding the grieving girl for hours. I realized that day why everyone loved Hermione Granger. It was all because of who she was. We shared stories and mourned for a friend. After that day she became more determined than ever. I grieved for the innocence of a child whom was so excited for a new world opening up to her only to discover that world was dangerous.