Molly glared fiercely at Petunia, her wand hand itching dangerously.
"You shouldn't even be here! Hogwarts is supposed to be SAFE from muggles! Unseen! How you got here is a mystery and one that should be rectified IMMEDIATELY!" she screeched.
The Dursleys' eyes widened in shock.
"So what you're saying is that my family shouldn't be allowed here at all? At Hogwarts? They shouldn't be allowed to see me graduate? They shouldn't be allowed to see the school they're spending four times the amount that you are? Is that what you're saying, Mrs. Weasley?" Hermione asked shaking in fury, her eyes were flinty and red with unshed tears.
Petunia went to go put her hand on her niece's shoulder for comfort and was surprised to see her husband's hand on her opposite shoulder.
Severus kept his eyes on the redhead witch, but with mildly surprised that Miss Granger knew about the tuition difference. He shouldn't have been, but tuition was a close to vest knowledge. Not secret per se, but most definitely something they tried to keep from muggles. Even half-bloods were charged the tuition that purebloods paid if only to keep suspicion down from the magical parent.
Harry was aghast at what Mrs. Weasley had said. While it was common knowledge that he didn't care much for his muggle family, he didn't feel that should extend to all muggles. He was more surprised since Arthur was simply fascinated with muggles. However it would make more sense considering that his shed full of muggle 'artifacts' was a ways off from their house. As though Molly couldn't get them far enough from her home… Which was a contradiction to the wizard considering muggles and wizards had more in common than they thought.
The redheaded witch turned her glare onto Hermione with an ugly sneer on her face.
"Don't talk about things you don't know enough about, girl! Why should they be allowed to see a witch or wizard graduate from a top standing school like Hogwarts!? Who cares if they pay more!? It is a privilege for their children to even be here in the first place!" she shouted before her words caught up to her.
She gasped, "Hermione dear, I didn't mean that."
Bill looked at his mother as though he were seeing her for the first time. Ron thinned his lips while looking at his mother having known that Hermione was supposed to be his witch. While he agreed with most of what she said, even he knew it was a bad move to say that to Hermione. She was a brilliantly scary witch, and this could possibly enforce a new tear in their relationship.
"I think you should leave, Mrs. Weasley," Petunia said with a hard glare directed at the woman.
Molly's temper quickly flared back up again before Bill quickly put his hand on his mother's shoulder.
"Mum, I think we should go," he said firmly.
He was trying his hardest to be respectful while also telling his mother that they should indeed leave. His mother had made it more than clear that she didn't like them, or muggles in general, and felt they didn't deserve to be there. He agreed with Hermione, while he was surprised at how much more muggles paid for their children to attend Hogwarts, they should be allowed to at least see their children graduate.
However Molly was beyond reason at this point. She would not have a muggle tell her what to do!
"Absolutely not, William! They should not be here! I'm going to speak to Albus to rectify this travesty," she growled and moved to bowl through the family.
Severus was ready to throw up a shield, his eyes narrowed at the witch. Her façade was fading and her Prewett was starting to show.
However she was startled when Vernon pulled Hermione behind him and stepped in front of Harry. Severus on the other hand was merely surprised and approved of the large man's response. He begrudgingly gave the disgrace of a man one point to the muggles. Internally of course, but still it hurt almost as bad as giving a point to Gryffindor, but seeing as they weren't in any of the school houses... muggles would have to do.
"You can speak to whoever you want, but I don't want you near my family, witch! You have upset my niece and insulted the boy's mother! Mr. and Mrs. Evans were wonderful people and should have been allowed to see their daughter graduate from this establishment! They paid the amount, they should be able to see their children receive the honor of graduating from here!" he blustered.
Harry and Petunia blushed. He had never stood up for Harry before, nor his mother or grandparents. Petunia was proud of her husband and was pleasantly surprised at his anger regarding the insults that spewed from the witch's mouth.
Harry was surprised at never having his uncle stand up for him or his mum before. He could understand now why Dudley was quick to tattle on others if this was how it felt. It didn't make it right or any better, but he understood now. He was also surprised at another name that popped up in his head.
'Maybe this is why Malfoy is always so keen on telling his father all his discrepancies. It's nice to be cared for…'
The boy was so surprised by everything that was happening so fast that he simply let it happen. He was overcome by his emotions finally having a small taste of what it was like for your family to stand up for you instead of against you. It was also shocking at how mean Mrs. Weasley was behaving, it made him leery of the motherly witch.
Molly stood back flabbergasted that this man would yell at her. Normally her response was to turn and yell at Arthur so he would stand up for her, but he wasn't here right now. Even after all these years she had a bit of trouble standing up to men. She could yell at children and anyone else younger than her, she could yell at other women and her husband, but she had never yelled at another man. It was one thing she was always surprised that her daughter could do that she couldn't.
Her brothers were older, but they never picked on her to the point where she could yell at them. Her parents never allowed it, so it was ingrained in her that yelling at older men wasn't something she was allowed to do. She didn't know what to do.
So for all her Gryffindor courage, she quickly made her way around the family and Severus Snape.
Bill watched his mother before turning to the family of which were mostly behind the large man that couldn't be anyone other than Harry's uncle Vernon Dursley.
"I'm so sorry for what my mother said. I know it's not enough considering everything, but you have my word that my father and I don't feel the same way. My father is actually an activist in the Ministry to allow muggle parents and guardians to attend Hogwarts graduation. Again, I'm sorry for my mother," he profusely apologized.
Hermione took in a deep breath as she could see her… uncle start to turn a disturbing shade of puce.
"It's not your fault, Bill. You can't control your mother or her actions. Your father is a good man. I know they don't have the same ideals so we won't hold them against your family. Just… please try to keep your mother away from us today and be sure to inform your father on what happened," she said, poking her head around her large family member.
Bill nodded with a weak smile at the witch and her family.
"If you'll excuse me then, I have to go see what she's up to," he said and quickly walked off to catch up with his mother.
It was awkwardly quiet as the other families stared at them. Amos wasn't sure what to think of the newest development. While he was sure Harry was trying to steal the limelight from his son, even he didn't wish this on the boy. Cedric had sympathy for the family and was upset for them. He didn't know that muggles had to pay more tuition that his family did, it wasn't fair. It anything it would probably be harder on the muggles since he was pretty sure most of them didn't come from old families with old money.
Viktor was pleased. He had pulled Harry aside a while ago to ensure that there was nothing between him and Hermione. It had taken some convincing from the boy that they were just best friends, but he was happier that they were family instead. Muggleborns were more disinclined to marry their cousins, magical or not, which worked out in his favor. He had nothing to worry about concerning his witch.
Fleur was upset for her friends while her sister was upset for Harry. The champion was also pleased that the cute Weasley apologized and tried to respectfully stand up to his mother for his friends. She would have disregarded him entirely if he had allowed it to happen without doing anything about it. Apolline was upset for the family seeing firsthand the prejudice that muggles and muggleborns had to face. While they had to face their own prejudices being part veela, it would appear that muggles were given the same treatment. Miss Granger was as nice girl, very polite, and very smart too. She was pleased that the witch and wizard had captured a place in her girls' hearts.
Fleur was the first one to walk over, followed by her family. Of course to others it appeared as though the veelas were gliding rather than walking. Monsieur Delacour was quite imposing as he walked beside his wife with his daughters in front of him.
"Bonjour, I am Fleur Delacour, champion of Beauxbatons Academy of Magic," the half veela curtseyed, "Zat waz seemply rude. I am sorry zat you 'ad to go zrough zat. 'arry and 'ermione are my friends and I am appalled zat eet 'appened at all," she introduced herself while expressing how she felt at the same time.
Vernon and Dudley were slightly hypnotized by the angels that were in front of them. Dudley more so than Vernon, who was loyal to his wife. Petunia felt the self-consciousness she felt as a child next to her redhead sister. While she was also blond and had blue eyes, their hair was lighter, silky, their eyes were bluer, brighter and more vibrant. Vernon however simply chalked it up to his penchant for blonds much like his wife.
"My daughter is right. I am appalled at what I have just witnessed, should the Headmaster try to say anything I can guarantee that my family will stick by you," the half-veela said.
"Merci, Madame Delacour." Hermione said.
The tall witch smiled at the muggleborn and looked at her husband, "Miss Granger, you have a strength that is to be admired. You will be a force to be reckoned with when the time comes. When it does, you shall have allies in the French Ministry of Magic," Monsieur Delacour said.
Hermione curtsied as she was instructed to at a young age when at court. While they were not in court, it felt like it was the proper response. When the wizard smiled at her she knew it she made the correct choice of response.
Petunia glanced at her niece who appeared more like her mother than she figured. It seemed that without even trying the girl was rubbing elbows with the right type of people in her world just as her mother did in her world. To have allies in any ministry, let alone foreign ones, was a spectacular thing.
Vernon looked down at her impressed with his new… niece. Aside from his wife and sister, Vernon didn't have many female relatives. He was harder on boys since they were going to one day be men, but this girl was going to be a strong woman like her mother. Brilliant, pretty, strong and scary. His sister was a strong woman, and he had a softness for her, so he was surprised that he had already developed a small softness for her as well. Family looked out for one another… freak or not, he supposed.
Viktor promptly followed after he saw the quick lull in conversation with the Delacours. He walked over, clicked his heels together so he was ramrod straight, and bowed to the family. Once he stood back up he kept his hands to his side looking as much like a soldier as Durmstrang had made its students. His eyes were dark, but blocked off, he was obviously occluding.
"I am sorry you and your family had to go through dat, Herm-own-ni," he said, finally relaxing some of his stance and taking hold of her hand and kissing it.
The Dursleys were struck by the formality of such a militaristic stance. Hermione blushed when Viktor kissed her hand and she quickly looked over at her professor before pulling her hand away as politely as possible. She would later think about her reaction as before it would have pleased her, and now it filled her with an unnerving form of guilt. Of course Petunia quickly picked up on the blush and knew there was something going on with the young dark eyed wizard and her niece. She also found it quite peculiar that he looked somewhat like a young Snape with a thicker jawline and facial hair.
Severus fingered his wand when the Quidditch Seeker came near, even though he knew the young wizard wasn't as much as a threat as Molly had been. However he was more than tempted to hex the boy when he kissed Granger's hand. He was pleased however when she looked at him and pulled away from the other wizard. He noticed Amos Diggory in the corner of his eye and was disgusted by his hesitation. Cedric he noticed was upset, but unsure how to go about it, more so since he was leery of his father's response considering that Amos wasn't listening to what his boy had to say in the first place. He approved of Diggory's thought process as he was aware it could turn into another confrontation. He did however nod seriously at Harry when the boy looked over. It was nod that was often seen by a comrade in arms.
Molly marched up the stairs heading straight to Albus' office, Bill not that far behind, but properly leery of his mother. He kept an eye on her as he did on a potential trap in the pyramids. He was aware that his mother had a reputation about her, his grandmother had warned him.
However his mother of course always tried to place a wedge between her children and their grandmother. She always said never to trust her because she was originally a Black and they weren't known for being mentally stable. Fred and George were the only ones who didn't take their mother's warnings to heart, and they honestly seemed to be better off for it.
His mother was originally a Prewett and while they all heard about their uncles during the original war, their mother had a way of twisting words. It was evident with the way she tried to manipulate Harry back in the chamber off the Great Hall. His grandmother always said that she loved them and that she wouldn't lie to them, especially about family. Knowledge was power, and it would help you survive.
He just hoped his mother wasn't deep in dragon dung without his father knowing.
"When I speak to the Headmaster, I want you to wait outside, Bill," she said, huffing.
"Mum, I'm an adult, I can handle it," he replied making a face of annoyance behind her back.
"It has nothing to do with that, William. I have to speak with the Headmaster concerning this travesty and something else that does not concern you," she said waspishly at her son.
Bill looked at the back of his mother's head as though he was looking for a pair of horns. He subtly started casting checking charms to be sure that she wasn't under any influences and was pleased and disheartened to know that was not the case. He didn't know what it was, but it was certainly not good.