Chapter Four
"Well, I told you that Muggles, sorry, non-magical people weren't in any danger…that wasn't always true I'm afraid. There was a wizard who became very powerful, he practiced dark forbidden magic. He was purely evil, perhaps insane, but he killed Muggles for fun, and any wizard who was descended from Muggles. He had a small army of loyal supporters, though that army grew in number. The Wizarding world lived in fear of Voldemort and the Death Eaters. This was a long time ago…before I was born…but when I was a baby Voldemort attacked a powerful Wizarding couple killing them both. He then tried to kill the baby they were trying to protect; their son. But the curse he used rebounded on him and though he wasn't killed by it, he wasn't really alive either. That was the start of ten years of peace in the Wizarding world. Harry was the baby that survived. His parents died to save him, because he's not just any wizard…if you go out in the Wizarding world you'll hear his name everywhere you go…he's the most famous wizard in the world Jack…"
Hermione stopped and looked into her fiancée's face.
"Harry's famous for simply living?" Jack asked. He now seemed reasonably comfortable discussing the Wizarding world, though Hermione could tell this must be rather surreal for him.
"He was called `The-Boy-Who-Lived'. But that isn't the only reason he's famous…When we were eleven Voldemort returned. He wasn't as powerful as before…but he was trying to gain access to a magical stone, which would restore his strength and make him immortal…God, this all sounds like a weird science fiction film, but it happened. Voldemort had a vendetta against Harry because he knew that only one wizard in the world would be able to defeat him, and that wizard was Harry. That's why he tried to kill Harry as a baby, so he wouldn't have to battle a fully grown wizard…but we fought him that year…"
"We? You fought?" Jack asked anxiously.
"Ah, well yes…It's not just Harry who's famous…" She said blushing. I helped Harry in various ways as he fought Voldemort when he was eleven, twelve, fourteen, fifteen, sixteen and seventeen, though I didn't meet him face to face till I was sixteen…I had been unconscious for two of the initial meetings Harry had with Voldemort, but I had been there helping to plan. I've been trained to fight jack, I know I can seem helpless but I can sense a dark wizard within twenty metres of me and I have the power to disarm or kill them in less than a minute…" She said carefully.
"Let me get this straight, my little bookworm of a fiancée has fought dark wizards and knows how to kill?" Jack asked concerned.
"Have you…have you ever killed anyone?" He asked her tentatively.
Hermione looked at him intently, and he saw the depths of her eyes and was shocked by her answer before she spoke.
"Yes. I've killed. I've killed in self defence four times. I was there the day Voldemort was killed. It was Harry, Ron and I alone with Voldemort. We'd trapped him…he'd just killed one of our oldest friends and his army of supporters were attacking the school. Harry cast the final curse which killed him and ended the war…We had spent seven years of living in fear…preparing ourselves for the battles…tackling adult wizards who would kill for their own amusement…we stood there and it was all over…I need for you to understand the circumstances…I'm not a cold blooded killer, but I didn't cry over the bodies of the Death Eaters. Their lives had to be ended…Lestrange had killed Sirius, Harry's godfather and my friend…she had tortured our friend Neville's parents, they're still lying insane from the attack years later…it was a War…things are different in war…" Hermione hadn't even noticed the tears running softly down her face.
Jack placed an arm around her shoulder and looking into his eyes she could see the shock, but she was relieved to see he didn't hate her for what she had withheld, or for what she had done in her life.
"So, you're famous…how famous?" He asked trying to lighten the mood a little.
Hermione cringed.
"Um…well, Harry, Ron and I are often referred to as `The Trio'…we've been seen as the people who brought an end to the war…it wasn't just us, there were so many people who fought and died, but we were the ones standing over Voldemort's body at the end, and people can't let that go…'Witch Weekly', a magazine voted me the most powerful witch of my generation last year." Hermione now said blushing feverishly. Jack looked at her in amazement.
"You really ARE famous then?" He now looked intimidated.
She nodded.
"Not as famous as the boys though, because they play Quidditch professionally, that's the wizard sport…that's where I am on Saturday's when I can't see you. I've never missed one of their games. It's like football sort of, but it's played in the air on broomsticks…well, they're extremely good at it anyway, and they're even more famous because of that, though Harry hates the fame, he just loves playing. I think Ron always rather liked the fame because of all the women after him, but not so much since he's been with Laurie…she's a witch as well, she plays on their Quidditch team…" She stopped, realising an explanation of the complex rules of Quidditch was probably a little more than Jack could take right now.
"So tomorrow you're going to a game?" He asked her.
"Yes, they've got a game at eleven, and then depending on how long the game goes we usually have dinner with Ron's family after drinks with the team, well the extended family as they're like a part of my family, and then the three of us, and sometimes Laurie and the rest of the team, celebrate together again in the evening…it's like a ritual…" She explained, feeling more comfortable discussing these things with him now, and wishing she'd told him sooner as it felt as though a weight had been lifted from her shoulders.
"I'm so sorry I didn't tell you all these things before Jack…but I didn't expect us to get so serious so soon, and to be honest I've been dreading telling you as I had no idea how you would react to all of this…I've heard horror stories of people completely freaking out when they're told…it's a hard thing to explain the magical world, because it isn't just all the magic, it's a sense of community. We all share a common gift, and we all share the knowledge and terrible memories of the war, and all those we lost. I lost so many friends, I was so lucky not to lose any of my own family, though when Charlie, Ron's older brother was killed it felt like a part of me had died…I saw it happen…you don't just get over things like that, but you move closer together and try and take comfort from those around you. Sometimes I wake up and I forget that the war is over and the fear and alertness is back…our house is protected magically because we're all slightly paranoid, and also because of the scary Quidditch groupies trying to get into the boys beds…we are getting used to living in peace though, and I think I'm finally ready to move on…if I'd met you a few years ago I would have run screaming from a marriage proposal but it doesn't scare me as much now…I just hope you can accept the magical side of me, because I'll always need to be a part of the magical community. It's part of who I am." She hoped he would understand this, because it was what worried her most, if Jack wanted her to distance herself from the magical community.
"I would never force you to abandon who you are Hermione. I'll try and adjust to all this, but it may take a while…I'll just have to get to know the magical community." He told her.
She hugged him tightly.
"Thank you." She whispered in his ear.
"Maybe I should come to this Quidditch game then." Jack suggested. Hermione looked a little anxious about this suggestion.
"What? Don't you want me to come?" He asked, hurt by her reaction.
"No! I'd love you to come. Ok, we'll go together tomorrow. It's just that, well, it will be a rather intense introduction to the Wizarding world, so many witches and wizards gathered together, and Quidditch games are huge events…it'll be ok. Just promise to keep an open mind and not to be too freaked out by the attention we may get…you can never really be prepared for the reaction that crowds can have if they've never seen me, Harry and Ron before…especially Harry…the women go crazy…" Hermione trailed off.
Jack laughed.
"I'm sure I can handle it Hermione. Now lets get some sleep if we're going to this game. In fact I'm looking forward to it, I always sensed there was something you were keeping from me, I guess this explains a lot…it'll be interesting to see you at home in the Wizarding world."