Chapter 4: The Grangers

Dumbledore introduced Harry to Hagrid who shook the whole of Harry's arm with his hand. "Harry, so pleased ter meet yeh properly. Knew yer parents well. As fine a pair of warlocks as any. Yeh look just like yer dad. An' yeh have yer mum's eyes but without the gold o' course. I'm Hagrid like I mentioned earlier, Groundskeeper at Hogwarts."

Eager to hear more about his parents, he asked, "How do you know them, Hagrid? My parents I mean."

"Knew them when they was students at Hogwarts and stayed in touch after they graduated. Always liked Lily an' James and they liked me."

Dumbledore cleared his throat. "Harry, I'd like you to meet Dean Austin Thomas, Michael Noah Corner, Justin Finch Fletchley and Morag Rebecca McDougal." Dumbledore motioned to each as he named them. "Dean, Michael, Justin, Morag, meet Harry James Potter."

Harry shook hands with all of them. Dean was a tall black boy wearing a t-shirt that showed the West Ham football team. Michael was nearly as short as Harry but plumply built with sandy brown hair and oval spectacles. He had a book in his hand titled: French for Beginners. Harry pegged him for a nerd straight away. Justin was a long-faced, cheerful looking boy. He was well-built for his age, like he was used to physical labor. He had a rustic air about him. Morag was a mousy girl who'd jumped when her name had been mentioned and shaken hands for a brief moment before letting go. Even now she was staring at Harry with slightly wide eyes. That expression did not change when she looked elsewhere.

"Let us be going."

Dumbledore led them all down Privet Drive and onto Wisteria Walk. Then he entered the park to the left of the road. Harry could not understand where they were going. The train station was in the other direction and the park had only one entrance so they could not exit on the far side. Did Dumbledore not know that? Should Harry say something? Before he could make up his mind, Dumbledore stopped behind a cluster of trees that concealed them from view.

"This spot will do."

Dumbledore turned to face Harry. "Harry, warlocks have many means of transportation. The average warlock uses a network of buses that travel on Muggle roads as well as cross-country to reach out settlements. We also have train lines that connect with Muggle tracks and lead to our settlements, but there are faster options as well. The quickest method is Apparition, the technique of vanishing from once place and re-appearing at another. It is a tricky piece of magic that most warlocks do not bother with. I, however, am adept enough to safely transport the whole group."

Safely? So, this Apparition could go wrong? How? Harry did not ask. He did not want to look afraid. Dumbledore held out his arm. Dean gripped Dumbledore's arm at once followed by the others. Hagrid placed a giant hand on Dumbledore's shoulder. Harry copied them, gripping Dumbledore's upper arm. Suddenly Harry felt himself being compressed, like someone was squishing him between their thumb and forefinger. A moment later, he began to expand. Just as he began to feel like he was himself again, he tumbled onto the road of a narrow, dead-end alley filled with half-full garbage bins.

Harry climbed to his feet and dusted off his hands. "You didn't vomit at all, even on your first time. Cool, Harry!" said Dean who was also on his feet. Justin was getting up as well but Morag and Michael were on their knees, emptying their stomachs onto the road. When they'd finished and climbed to their feet, wiping their mouths on kerchiefs, Dumbledore gave a wave of his wand. The vomit vanished. "Always polite to leave a place at least as clean as you find it" he told Harry by way of answer to Harry's questioning look.

"Yes, Professor."

Dumbledore led them out of the alley. Houghton Road was lined on both sides with large, red-brick houses with tall compound walls and neat gardens. One look was enough to tell Harry that this street was the home of wealthy people. Dumbledore led them to No. 8 and they let themselves in. Dumbledore strode straight towards the large front doors of the house but Hagrid motioned for the rest to wait in the garden. "This won't take long. This family already knows their daughter is magic. They had to be told 'cause some o' the things she did were too obviously magical."

Harry had wrecked a circus tent and everything inside it. He had not been told he was magic. He wondered what 'too obviously magical' was.

A few minutes later, a slightly nervous looking woman stepped out of the house. Her nervousness increased when she noticed Hagrid. Keeping her face neutral, she said, "It'll be a while before Mr. Dumbledore is finished speaking to us about our Hermione. Why don't you all come on inside. I understand some of you had an early start to your day. You must be famished." Dean nodded eagerly and they all followed her inside, except for Hagrid who wouldn't have fit through the door. He did not seem to mind. He waved the rest of them on.

The Grangers living room would have made Aunt Petunia go green with envy. Not only was it spotlessly clean but it was also at least five times as big as the Dursleys living room. It also had little displays of wealth everywhere; souvenirs from holidays abroad lined glass display cases, coupled with heart-warming photographs that showed Mr. and Mrs. Granger and their young daughter in various holiday destinations, all beaming happily at the camera. The paint-job looked recent, the wooden paneling was superb, the fireplace was marble, the furniture was all sleek and expensive looking and the walls had beautiful paintings on them.

Mr. Granger was seated on the end of a sofa with his daughter seated next to him. Hermione Granger had long, bushy brown hair inherited from her father and light brown eyes inherited from her mother. The difference was that Hermione's eyes also had rings of a much darker brown in them. Mrs. Granger directed a maid to place plates of cookies and sandwiches and a jug of orange juice on the coffee table and then she resumed her seat on the other side of her daughter.

Mr. Granger was speaking. "Hermione's never been to a boarding school before. She's never been away from us for very long at all. I'm concerned that a far-off school, in a – a completely different society will be a very difficult thing to adjust to. Isn't there a magical school that's closer? One that she could attend by day while still living with us?"

"There is the Sky School which is at a commutable distance, yes. But—"

Hermione cut him off. "But Hogwarts is the best dad. The Ministry people who came last time left a lot of pamphlets and papers and it says quite clearly that Hogwarts is the best school in Britain, the only Tier I school. I don't want to go to a second-rate one, dad."

"It's rude to interrupt Hermione" chided Mr. Granger.

"Sorry, sir" Hermione said at once to Dumbledore, going very red in the cheeks.

Dumbledore nodded his head in acceptance of the apology and then continued to speak. "The Sky School is a Tier II School. I will allow that while it is not as good as Hogwarts, it is a nearly equal second choice that many young warlocks make. Having said that, I will stress the fact that Hermione is highly gifted and that even at this young age, her magic is strong. Hogwarts staff are experts in magic and well equipped to deal with the inevitable accidents that will occur until Hermione learns to control her gifts. Her high talents would be best nurtured at Hogwarts."

"I'll be fine in a boarding school, dad. Plenty of students do it. You went when you were only nine…"

"But Hermione," began Mrs. Granger, "your father didn't go to some school in Scotland that his parents weren't even allowed to visit. It's only natural that we'd be concerned about sending you off to a place that—that – we don't even know exactly where it is. We are clueless about what it would be like to go to school there. We are your parents dear. Your well-being is our responsibility. I think your father is right. We should look into this nearby school and consider all of our options before—"

Mrs. Granger never got to finish her sentence. With a bang like a firing gun and some blue light, she turned into a chimpanzee. Around the coffee table, all of the students-to-be stared in astonishment. So, thought Harry, this is what 'too obvious magic' means. Mr. Granger had surged to his feet. Harry thought him quite composed for a man whose wife had just been turned into a primate. "We'll have to contact the Accidental Magic Reversal Squad" he said in a calm voice that suggested it was not the first time he'd had to do it.

"That will not be necessary." Dumbledore drew his wand and pointed it at the chimpanzee. A moment later, with a burst of blue light from the wand, the chimp turned back into Mrs. Granger. Her eyes were wild and she looked like she wanted to jump out of her skin. "How—how long has it been?"

"Only a few moments, dear" said Mr. Granger soothingly, stroking her face.

"Only a few moments? But when she turned you into a bear, it took hours before those Accidental Magic Squad people could change you back…"

Mr. Granger shrugged his shoulders and looked askance at Dumbledore. "Human Transfiguration is an extremely complex piece of magic" Dumbledore explained. "Most warlocks would not dare to attempt a full transformation such as this and for a warlock or warlocks to reverse it usually takes time, excepting those like me who are particularly adept."

"Oh" said Mr. and Mrs. Granger together.

"Mum, I'm really sorry. I just got angry that you were suggesting a different school. I didn't mean to do it" Hermione apologized. "I never do it on purpose" she added quickly with an anxious glance at Dumbledore. "I know I'm not supposed to use magic in the Muggle world on purpose…"

"I will take you at your word now" said Dumbledore gently. "But remember, in those who are highly gifted, restraint must also be equally high Hermione. You must attempt to rein in your emotions, to master them. Else they will master you and your magic will run wild. Recklessness is not simply waved away and forgotten once a student enters school.

"Yes, sir" said Hermione quickly. "I'll do my best to be careful, sir." Turning to her parents, she said, "mum, dad, this is why I've got to go. Learning from the best will help me to learn control better and faster surely. That'll mean fewer accidents. And for the ones I do cause, there'll be people around who can handle them."

Mr. and Mrs. Granger looked thoughtful but not convinced.

"Look, there's no reason not to try going to Hogwarts" Hermione went on. "If for some reason, I'm finding it hard there, I can always apply to transfer. That's possible isn't it, sir?" Dumbledore nodded and Hermione rushed on. "So, there's no reason really for me not to go to Hogwarts. It's the best and I want to go so very much. I'm perfectly sure I'll be fine at a boarding school even if everything is strange and new. Please mum? Please dad?"

Mrs. Granger bit her lip. Mr. Granger still looked unconvinced.

Hermione changed tack. "How would you feel if I caused an accident, something that hurt me, something that could have been avoided if only I'd had better teachers around?"

This argument did the trick. Mr. Granger sighed and gave in. "Very well. If your mother agrees, then you can go to Hogwarts."

"It's not nice to blackmail your parents into doing what you want, Hermione. I for one am not entirely convinced that all this changing people into animals' business is purely accidental. Ever since the first couple of times, we've had to tiptoe around you, take care to not upset you too much… And it's odd how often this happens."

Hermione bit her lip and then started to say, "Mum…" but Mrs. Granger cut her off. "It's clear you want this very much and education in the magical world has to be as important as it is in ours. And you deserve the best. So, I agree that you can go and continue there as long as you are able to handle a magical boarding school"

Hermione gave an excited squeal and threw her arms around her mother and then her father. "Oh, thank you, thank you" she said delightedly.

Harry grinned to see her joy but at the same time a strange longing filled him. He wished he could have had his parents on either side of him, discussing his education and sharing in his joy at going to Hogwarts. And why had he never managed to turn anything or anyone into animals? He'd have had a much easier life with the Dursleys. An image of Dudley as a pig swam up in his mind and he smiled more widely.

Dumbledore began discussing dates and purchases with the Grangers. Realizing that they might be leaving soon, Harry helped himself to a chicken sandwich and then a cookie. Both were delicious. Just as Harry was biting into a third sandwich, the Grangers concluded their questions.

With polite exchanges on all sides, they left, Hermione accompanying them. She'd changed from her frock into a sky-blue skirt and cream blouse which were more formal looking. Trying not to feel conscious of his own attire, Harry followed everyone to the dead-end alley. Dumbledore gave Hermione an explanation about Apparition. Harry wondered if he ever got tired of repeating the same thing. Then Harry was being compressed and expanded. When he was his usual size, he landed on the side of a cobblestone pathway and managed to keep his footing. No one else did. Everyone did manage to keep in the sandwiches and cookies they'd eaten and Dumbledore gave an approving nod.

Then Harry noticed his surroundings and his mouth hung open again for what felt like the hundredth time that day.