02 Diaries More Conversations

Disclaimer: This Harry Potter story was written for fun. All rights belong to the wonderful lady (JK Rowling) who gave the world Harry Potter to read and enjoy. No ships. Bashing around everyone.

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A Conversation with Hermione Granger 27 June

"Hey," Harry said as he approached his friend in the Common Room. "Can I sit and talk…about the football schedule before we go down for supper?"

The pair exchanged steady looks and they both understood that 'football schedule' meant the hidden message that muggleborn and half-blood students could read. The young witch's eyes darted around the Common Room to ensure no one was eavesdropping. Then Hermione replied, "I have never paid a lot of attention to football schedules before this year. And I was always leery of quidditch. But we can manoeuvre our way through the football schedule."

"Do your mum and dad keep up with the football schedule?" Harry asked.

Nodding quickly, Hermione replied, "Yes. My parents are very interested in the football schedule this spring. I went home during the spring break with the schedule, and we talked about football the entire holiday."

Ron shouted from across the room, "Hermione, are you talking about muggle footies-brawl? You need to focus on a real sport, Granger! Quidditch! Someday, you'll be a quidditch fan like me!"

Worried that a listening charm was in place, Hermione's wand moved in a small circle and one of the pawn on Ron's chess board smoked and then fell apart. "Listening charms can be anchored to items but then the spell disintegrates with a simple Deletrius."

"My aunt and uncle are fans of Tottenham Hotspur," Harry said to continue the illusion of talking about football. "I don't know if they'll be that interested in the football schedule for Manchester United."

"I ignored the schedule when it first appeared back at Christmas," Hermione admitted. "I was caught up in the tournament, Victor Krum's attention, and Professor Dumbledore's pronouncements…so I ignored the schedule."

"What changed?"

Her voice lowering, the witch said, "One of the Gryffindor girls disappeared over the winter break."

"What? Who?" asked Harry.

"Marjorie Brewster…she's a muggleborn in her sixth year and she disappeared over the winter holiday."

Harry froze, his wand sliding into his hand before he scanned the room for anyone listening to their conversation, but Hermione whispered, "People only hear us talking about football teams. I memorised the names of the teams and lots of statistics to drive anyone listening crazy. The only thing anyone hears are muggle stats on goals and penalty kicks."

Nodding his head, Harry encouraged the young woman, "Go on then, about the football teams."

"In January and February, I couldn't find anything that explained what happened to Marjorie, and McGonagall told me it was none of my business. Madam Pence stated several times that there was nothing in the library about girls disappearing. Finally, in early March, Katie Bell took pity on me and dragged me to the Moaning Myrtle's loo one afternoon. No one listens there because Myrtle drives them away."

"Myrtle is a great goal defender!" agreed Potter, playing his role in the talk about football.

Nodding in agreement, Hermione continued, "Katie told me that McGonagall signed a betrothal agreement that obligated Majorie to marry Harvey Makepeace. Our head of house basically took away the girl's freewill and gave her to a wizard. Marjorie wanted to go to her family at Yule, but Katie saw her disappear on the path before she made it to the Express in Hogsmeade. Her family in Coventry will never hear what happened to her."

"Who is Harvey Makepeace?"

"Harvey was in Gryffindor and graduated last year. He's not got a lot of magic and Katie said there were three squib siblings. His parents wanted the new blood to give magic to their grandchildren."

"What did Marjorie say about this? You mentioned once that she was a genius with charms and wanted to study to be a charms mistress after graduation."

Hermione nodded, "She did. But no one consulted her…McGonagall called her into her office the morning everyone left for home for the winter break…and sprang…revealed the betrothal contract."

"Why did McGonagall…why did she do that to one of her students?" Harry asked, for a moment he didn't believe such a thing could happen.

"Katie said they do it to strong, muggleborn witches every year," Hermione stated, her voice angry for a moment. "All it takes is a pureblood family to send an application to Professor Dumbledore promising to give the girl a legal and honourable marriage…and swearing not to kill her after the children are born. Magical Britain shanghaies muggleborn witches every year."

Harry sat down, frowning but not revealing his anger. "Did Angelina and Alica go along with this? What's to stop McGonagall from giving them away?"

"Johnson and Spinnet are both purebloods so McGonagall can't give them away, but they refused to say anything. It was Katie Bell, who is in her fifth year who told me. She's a half-blood, and her father is her magical guardian."

"I know Katie from the Quidditch team. It was kind of her to share…to tell you about…" Harry stumbled. "Would she get in trouble?"

"She could be expelled for warning me," Hermione admitted.

Concerned, Harry asked, "What's to keep Myrtle from telling someone?"

"I sprinkled very strong perfume all over the loo after Katie and I talked. When strong odours are concentrated in a small space, the ghosts can smell them. That paid for her silence. I intend to go back again tomorrow with another bottle to hold Myrtle over the summer."

"Are you worried that McGonagall would give you to some…"

Looking toward Ron Weasley, Hermione whispered, "I'm terrified I'll end up bound by magic to a moron. There's no divorce in Magical Britain and the husband owns his wife like a piece of livestock."

"You've got another whole year to plan and do something," Harry said. "You and your parents can talk it over this summer."

"No, we don't have another year," Hermione whispered. "They're going to start this summer… The morning after the third task, I heard Ron and Ginny talking about spending the summer in some secret place in London. Some house with your godfather where they'll be safe from Death Eaters and the Dark Lord. Dumbledore is setting everything up and Ron mentioned my being there for most of the summer for my protection."

"Are the Death Eaters going to start trouble this quick?" asked Harry. "Seems awfully fast after ten years."

"There was the incident at the World Cup," Hermione said. "Maybe they're more organized than we thought. But in any case, I think Dumbledore will use the fear of attacks as an excuse to set people on edge. He plans to lock me up with Ron and his mother will use an attraction potion, so I start liking Mouth."

Harry grimaced and explained, "Yeah, when I asked about getting parole from Privet Drive, Dumbles said something about a house in London in late August. But I must go to Privet Drive for most of the summer before I get transferred to a different prison."

Shivering, Hermione said, "They'll lock me up…away from the sun and my family. Harry, I am so sorry I didn't listen to you before."

"Don't worry about it. And Hermione, your mum and dad won't give permission for you to be gone the whole summer!" argued Harry. "They love you and want time with you!"

Looking at the floor, Hermione said, "What my parents want…wizards won't give a moment's thought to what my muggle parents want or say."

Sighing and then nodding in agreement, Harry asked, "What are you going to do?"

Before Hermione could reply, the young wizard immediately continued, "Wait, don't tell me. What I don't know, Snape and Dumbledore can't steal from my mind."

With teary eyes, Hermione said, "You are my first real friend, Harry Potter."

"And you're my best friend, Hermione," Harry assured the young woman. They both glanced at Ron who concentrated on his chess game. Hermione hoped she would soon be free of the threat of marriage with Mouth, and Harry wished he'd met someone other than Ron that first day – some days he wondered if Draco Malfoy might have been better than Ronald Weasley as a best friend while at Hogwarts.

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An Argument with Lupin and Tonks 30 June

The trip from Hogwarts back to London seemed very slow to most of the students. They were tired of the school year. Harry Potter was particularly tired – the stress of the tournament, death of Cedric Diggory, his duel with the Dark Lord under the watchful gaze of the free Death Eaters, and now the character assassination in the Daily Prophet – weighed heavily upon him.

Ron Weasley pretended that nothing had changed in his friendship with the Boy-Who-Lived even if Harry ignored him. And Ginny Weasley growled and stamped her foot when Harry didn't so much as look her way a single time on the express. Harry and Neville tried to have a conversation, but Ron continually interrupted them, preventing any serious topics from being discussed.

In their usual compartment, Hermione smiled pleasantly at everyone, kept her nose in a book on English Literature that confused the purebloods and half-bloods, and said very little to any of her 'friends' during the trip. Harry noticed his friend's trunk seemed much lighter than normal – it didn't contain as many books as was normal – but he didn't comment on the change.

With a round of insincere goodbyes with the Weasleys – and hints from Mrs Weasley of seeing both soon – Harry tried to speak with Neville. But Lady Longbottom hurried her grandson toward the floo. Following the Creevy brothers and Finch-Fletchley through the portal, Harry and Hermione made it outside of Platform 9¾. They immediately saw Mr and Mrs Granger approaching them, and Harry noticed Remus Lupin and Nymphadora Tonks in the background. He whispered to Hermione, "Let me get rid of Whisker's minions, then we can talk for a minute."

While Hermione was swept into the arms of her loving parents, Harry stormed across the station toward Lupin and Tonks. The werewolf began to say, "Harry, you need to find…"

"Shut it, Lupin!" the boy snarled. "Leave now! Both of you! Leave!"

"Harrikins, we're your guards," Dora replied. "Dumbledore…"

"Dumbledore can't get you out of the gaol if I file a complaint of muggle baiting! You two have no business here at Kings Cross Station!" Harry hissed. "One letter to the Daily Prophet and the Aurors will come hunting a werewolf and an out-of-control witch who pretends to be an Auror!"

"What do you mean?" Dora asked, stumbling just a bit to hear the normally kind Harry Potter threatening them. "You're just a kid."

Smirking, Harry asked, "What do you think will happen to you if the 'Boy-Who-Lived' complains that a couple magical people are harassing his muggle relatives? Fire and brimstone? Or maybe just Azkaban for a couple years?"

Remus frowned and said, "But Dumbledore said…"

Harry roared, "The headmaster isn't here. Do you think he can protect you from the backlash of public opinion? Maybe he can put you back together if you survive the first blast of spells, but there'll still be damage to your carcass and reputation."

He leered at Dora and asked, "Wonder what Madam Bones would say about you harassing teenage boys, Tonks?"

Glancing at the wizard, he added coldly, "We know what they'd do to the werewolf."

Leaning back to move away from the angry, young wizard, Remus growled, "Harry! What the blazes has got into you?"

"Lupin, I am tired. I am bloody tired and beat down. Now, I'm going back to prison with the Dursleys and you're making things worse!"

"No…the Dursleys don't treat you bad," insisted Dora. "And Dumbledore says you need to rest without being bothered by wizards."

"Bothered by wizards? Really? Well, a couple wizards are making my life hell right now!" Harry growled. "For the last time! Leave! I won't say it again before writing a letter!"

"You can't send a letter to the Daily Prophet!" Dora argued, just a little worried about her career and reputation. "You're behind wards that won't let you send any letters!"

"Want to bet your future on that?" asked Harry before he walked away.

Remus swallowed and said, "Let's go."

"No. Dumbledore said that we need to stick around, Lupin."

"You never knew Lily. That anger was pure Lily Evans," Remus warned the witch. "Harry is mad, and nothing could stop Lily when she was that mad. We need to leave and stay out of sight for a while."

The pair of guards hurried away and in a blind alley, vanished back to a street near Grimmauld Place. Once they were inside the grimy house, Remus realized he'd forgotten to renew the charms on the Dursley car that Dumbledore said were to keep the muggle conveyance safe from the dangerous traffic around London. He decided he would take care of that later when he was on guard duty at Privet Drive.

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A Conversation with Mr and Mrs Granger

When Harry returned to the Granger family, Mrs Granger had her arms locked around her daughter while Mr Granger looked ready for war. There were a couple objects underneath the man's coat that Harry thought might be guns and knives. The couple also had three large bags as if they'd just been shopping before meeting their daughter at Kings Cross Station.

"Mr Potter, you need to run," Mr Granger declared in a quiet voice. "You need to get away from these crazy wizards."

Hermione sighed, and Harry smiled brightly – too brightly to be real – before saying, "I know you're just joking Mr Granger. Magical Britain is where I belong."

The man and woman stared for a moment before Hermione whispered, "They can read our minds."

"Hermione and I spoke about the Football Schedule a lot the last couple weeks of the term," Harry continued. "She said that you're fans of Manchester United and would go to their games. I doubt I can attend any games this summer, but I will certainly go out of my way to get to their games next summer."

"What's different about next summer?" asked Mrs Granger.

"Hermione and I will take our OWLS next June and then we can relax. There'll be time for football then."

Mr Granger frowned and looked toward his wife, asking a question with his face; but the woman shook her head. The man turned back to the young wizard and offered his hand while saying, "Have a great summer Mr Potter."

"Thank you, sir," Harry replied as he shook Mr Granger's hand. Then he looked at his friend who had dried her eyes. "Have a great summer, Hermione."

"Bye, Harry! You're my best friend," the young witch replied before her mother led her away. Harry noticed that Mr Granger kept watch all around his wife and daughter, and he also noticed that they were not headed toward the car park. Turning around to not see any more clues, Harry trudged toward the car park with his trunk dragging behind him.

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No one magical watched as Mrs Granger led her daughter into the lady's loo further down the platform. The bags Mr and Mrs Granger carried held an entirely new outfit for their daughter – from knickers to hair braids. Everything Hermione wore from head to toe was dumped inside the almost empty trunk or the trash bin.

With her hair in a ponytail – something Hermione never wore because it changed her look completely–mother and daughter emerged from the loo to find Mr Granger waiting. The trunk was quickly placed inside an oversized locker that was rented for a month. For the first time, the man smiled as he led his wife and daughter toward yet another track on the other side of the station.

When she stepped onto the train headed for the Chunnel and Paris, Hermione Granger had only her memories of magic to connect her to Magical Britain, Hogwarts, and Harry Potter. She glanced out the window of their compartment once remembering her magical wand – hidden somewhere in the castle by Harry's faithful friend, Dobby. She had nothing in her possession that could be tracked by Death Eaters or the 'good' wizards.

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A Conversation with Vernon and Petunia Dursley

In their car, the Dursley couple waited for their nephew to appear and for the first time, Vernon wasn't impatient. For more than two months, the couple realised they felt differently about their nephew. They were ashamed of their actions and almost couldn't believe some of the things they remembered. After rationalizing everything, they were determined to give the boy a good summer – with ample food and just a few chores every day.

Feeling relaxed as well, Petunia commented, "I haven't seen any of 'them' in the station today. Do you think 'they' are around?"

The wizards and witches hanging around Kings Cross Station on the days when the students returned often resembled vagrants. And those people always set Vernon's teeth on edge before seeing the 'boy' returning. But today, the man wasn't anxious or unhappy.

"Maybe," Vernon replied. "Probably…but perhaps for once, they aren't looking for us."

Five minutes before they expected the boy to appear, Harry came out of the station, with his trunk rolling behind him. Vernon got out of the driver's seat to open the boot and actually helped his nephew place the trunk inside. Quickly, the two got into the car and they left the car park. Once the vehicle was on the road, Petunia frowned and asked, "Are you alright?"

Grimacing, Harry replied, "Not particularly. And I need to talk to you both."

"About what?" asked Vernon, using a neutral tone of voice.

Clearing his throat, Harry slowly and clearly declared, "Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia, you were right about wizards. Completely and totally right!"

"How were we right?" asked Vernon, pleased to hear the boy's confession.

"About everything!" Harry replied, unable to keep a touch of anger out of his voice. "Wizards are mean, stupid, stuck-up, and think they are better than everyone else just because they can use magic."

Vernon seemed to consider these words before he asked, "What finally brought this to your attention?"

"There's no future there for anyone born on this side of the magical platform. If you're a muggleborn, like my mum, your future isn't any good over there."

"But Lily loved being over there…being magical," stated Petunia.

"Yeah, magic is great, and it makes life easier," Harry admitted. "But there was a paper getting passed around at school that only people like me could read. I mean, somebody used magic so that only kids raised in the real world could read it. The message was that our future sucks if we stay in Magical Britain. All the businesses and government offices are run by people with the right pedigree – like Aunt Marge's dogs. Guys and girls from here – this side – don't get any of the good jobs no matter how smart or powerful they are."

"Didn't your mum marry one of those purebred wizards?" asked Vernon.

"Yeah, which makes me a half-breed. And if I marry a girl from that side, she is the boss in the house."

"The wife is always the boss in the house," Vernon replied before smiling at his wife. Petunia reached out her hand to squeeze her husband's arm.

Harry nodded. "Yeah, I understand. But I mean, the. Pureblood wife makes all the decisions about all our money, who we are friends with, our children – everything. Purebreds have all the power."

"How did that affect Lily? Did that…did her husband make all the decisions?"

Harry looked up and said, "I don't know. No one really talks about them except to say how smart my mum was and that my dad was brave and a prodigy with transfiguration."

"Okay, what happened to make you tell us this?" Vernon asked again.

Sighing as only a teenager can, Harry explained, "I don't want that future. And it's worse for girls because sometimes they are forced into marriage. Wizards use magical contracts to bind muggleborn witches to purebred wizards."

"Today? How can they do that today?" asked Petunia, horrified.

"The muggleborn girls are at the mercy of older wizards and witches who decide which wizard gets them. Magic and old men who are in control of everything. Magical families lose their magic because they marry their cousins or second cousins over and over."

"That doesn't work for the royals!" Vernon grunted. "There's paintings of funny looking princes and emperors with those types of family trees. And Marge's dogs are all high-strung."

"Yeah, but if a weak wizard marries a strong witch, their children will be stronger. The strongest wizards have one muggleborn parent," Harry explained. "That's why they want the new blood of young muggle witches."

After a few minutes, Petunia stuttered but asked, "Was…was Lily forced to marry that man?"

Thinking about what happened to Marjorie Brewster and her forced betrothal, Harry's eyes grew wide as a terrible idea appeared in his mind. Vernon noticed as he glanced at his nephew in the rearview mirror, and asked, "What's with that sour look, Harry?"

"I just realized – that might have happened to Mum," Harry confessed. With determination in his voice, he stated, "I'm going to find out! And a year from now, I am going to leave Magical Britain behind."

Petunia asked, "What are you going to do? You must be here…there until you're seventeen. That Dumbledore fellow said you had to be here until then."

"The great bearded one lied about a couple things," Harry said emphatically. "Well, he left out a lot of information."

Vernon explained, "Lying by omission, yeah?"

"Like what?" his aunt asked.

"That we don't have any choices until I am seventeen – we have one chance at the end of my fifth year. My exams at the end of term next year are called OWLS. Once I pass three of the tests, I can leave Hogwarts and vanish into the real world if my muggle guardians give me permission, I can withdraw from Hogwarts."

Petunia asked, "Your muggle guardians?"

"You and Uncle Vernon are called muggles – people without magic," Harry admitted, embarrassed to have to use the word.

"What about your magic?" asked Vernon. "Does it just sit there for two years?"

"I can't use it here in Britain until I am seventeen. If I get to France, almost anywhere in Europe, or the States, the rules are different there. I can get tutors and learn more spells and stuff."

"What about us?" asked Petunia.

"The wards around the house–the protections–vanish the day I leave for the last time or on my seventeenth birthday."

"Bloody hell…we'll be sitting ducks for the freaky vagrants," Vernon muttered.

Gripping her husband's arm, Petunia said, "Vernon, we've got a year to get ready. You mentioned overseas transfers as soon as the boy…as soon as Harry turned seventeen."

"Hey, you could have left anytime I was gone to school," Harry realized. "Why didn't you?"

"When you left that first year, we discovered that the nosey cat lady keeps tabs on us and reports to Dumbledore," revealed Petunia. "We talked about vanishing, but Mrs Polskis mentioned to the old gossip that we were talking about Vernon transferring. The very next morning, Arabella appeared at my door and told me that she had communications through her fireplace to report to the headmaster about our activities. We couldn't leave."

"Is she a witch?" Harry asked, angry that he'd been spied on for years.

Petunia grimaced and said, "No, she said she is a squid…script… or something. She said she doesn't have enough magic to have a wand. Her family disowned her when she wasn't invited to Hogwarts."

Vernon frowned and added, "And some of them vagrant types are hanging around her house already. They think we can't see 'em but one drinks and falls asleep in her garden every afternoon. The girl with pink hair is back and hangs around Arabella's stoop. She stares at the young men mowing the lawns and forgets to do whatever stuff she needs to stay invisible."

"Stupid wizards," hissed Harry.

"So, what are you going to do?" Petunia asked.

"This summer, I am going to find out everything I can about my parents and get the rules laid out so I can survive another year at Hogwarts," Harry stated. "Then next summer, I will vanish from Magical Britain."

"I thought they kept a close eye on you during the summer," Petunia mentioned. "You can't use your magic to hide or move around…can you?"

Harry grinned and replied, "I have a secret weapon this summer."

"A weapon? What weapon?" asked Vernon.

"I have Dobby."

"What's a dobby?" asked Petunia.

"He is a friend who is an elf. He wants to work with me, and he'll pop me out of the house, and no one will know. Then he'll appear in the yard – looking like me – and do all the chores. He'll do all the cooking, cleaning and laundry."

"How much will this cost?" Vernon inquired.

Shaking his head, Harry said, "Nothing. He needs to work to be strong. Working with a wizard is how he gets his magic."

"And he won't hurt us? Or Dudley?"

"Nope."

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