Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, so there!
A/N: Sorry it took so long for this chapter. R/L stuck its nose in there for a several days so I lost some prime writing time. But to make up for it, I put down a few more words this time. I hope you like it. And in case you're wondering, yes, my cat does make another guest appearance in this chapter. I figured Crookshanks is smarter than she is, so if she does it, he could too.
Thanks, as always, to my beta, MapleMountain. I honestly picked the motel at random, but it was he who looked it up and found that it was actually only about a half mile away (you'll understand when you read the chapter). Must've been fate, I guess.
Credit for whole magical-Gringotts-letters bit goes to my beta also. I wrote Chapter 8 in several sittings. Each time, I managed to forget that I had already taken the letters out of his trunk. So by the time I finished it and did my first complete edit, I realized that Harry had taken the letters out of the trunk three times. My beta jokingly suggested they were charmed so they would return to the trunk each time *I* forgot about them. Thanks again!
Chapter 9. The End of the First Day.
After dinner, Harry, Hermione, and her parents sat around the dining room table. He listened raptly as they told the tale of the last several weeks, from the Grangers' point of view, and how Harry came to stay with them.
"After she sent you her first letter," Emma began explaining, "Hermione waited anxiously for days in hopes of a receiving a reply from you. With none by the end of the third day, she was so worried that she sent letters to your professors." Harry looked down at the tablecloth. He could tell from the tone of Emma's voice that she wasn't telling him this to make him feel guilty. Even though she was simply telling a story, he just couldn't help but feel guilty for not replying.
Hermione, upon seeing Harry's reaction, then picked up the story. She hoped that if Harry heard her tell it, he might take it a little better. "I sent letters to the Headmaster and to Professor McGonagall."
Seeing that he was starting to think about something for a second, Hermione explained before Harry could ask. "Since I don't have an owl, before I left, Professor McGonagall told me how to call for Fawkes if I ever wanted to send her or the Headmaster any letters. It seems she, erm, expected that I might have a few N.E.W.T. questions during the summer." At this, the three other people in the room smiled knowingly.
"She wanted to make sure I had a way to get in contact with them without using magic. It appears that despite what we did for the Ministry that night, Fudge was determined to make sure we got in as much trouble as possible for any little bit of underage magic we did." Hermione observed Harry carefully when she said "that night." She was relieved when he only looked down at the table for a few seconds.
"He knew his days were numbered," she continued, "so he wanted to try to take as many of us with him as he could. Since Fawkes moves under his own magical power, technically I'm not using magic when I call for him. I'm only speaking." Hermione looked very pleased with herself.
She then suddenly remembered something. "Oh, I forgot! Fudge got sacked last week. Did you hear?" Harry shook his head. "They've already picked a new Minister. I'll tell you about that later."
After pausing for a second to remember where she was in her story, Hermione continued. "So, I sent them letters telling them that I was worried about you, that you hadn't replied to my letter." Right as Harry began to feel another pang of guilt approach, Hermione shot him a quick, reassuring smile.
Seeing the smile immediately swept away the impending guilt. Somehow he just knew that things would be OK as long as that smile was there.
"I asked them why you had to stay with those awful relatives of yours," Hermione explained. "I asked them why you couldn't stay somewhere else... somewhere where either they wouldn't lock you in your room, or they wouldn't let you lock yourself in your room." Hermione paused for a moment to collect herself. She appeared to have gotten slightly agitated as she recalled her initial letters to her professors.
"Professor McGonagall replied first," Hermione finally continued. "She said that while she agreed with me, it was not her decision to make, and that there were 'larger issues' in play. I finally got it out of the Headmaster later that those 'issues' were unique protections that were inherent to number four, Privet Drive."
A look of annoyance then appeared on Hermione's face. "It's a good think Fawkes travels fast. I sent him three letters that day, and got back his responses." Hermione then chuckled slightly. "I suppose it's the Wizarding equivalent of email. I don't imagine you've ever used email before, have you?" she asked Harry.
Harry shook his head. "Dudley got a new computer this year. When he's not terrorizing the neighborhood children, he's on sending messages to his cronies. Oh, and he looks up stuff," Harry said, peaking his eyebrow (in a very Mr. Spock sort of way, as Hermione futilely tried to explain the next day), "lots and lots of stuff."
Hermione rolled her eyes and shook her head (at Dudley's online activities) and then continued her story. "It felt like Professor Dumbledore was trying to steer me in a certain direction. He gave half-answers to some of my more direct questions. It seemed like he was trying to get me to convince myself that you needed to stay there."
Hermione frowned slightly. "But, since I didn't know anything about what magic was in place there, I couldn't really make a convincing argument against you staying there other than that I just didn't like the idea of you being there all alone.
"I knew there was more to it than just what he wrote, and that he could do more for you if he really wanted to. It started to make me mad that he seemed willing to just leave you there, as if it were simply the most convenient solution.
"I decided that if they weren't going to help you, then I'd just have to do something-" Hermione paused to take a deep breath as though she were steeling herself to actually say it, "to help you help yourself." Hermione gave Harry a nervous look as though she still wasn't sure if she did the right thing.
Fortunately, Harry was able to see this, and immediately gave her a reassuring smile. When he silently spoke the words "Thank you," her expression immediately brightened.
Dan then picked up the story. "As I told you earlier, she spent the next week and a half working on that letter." Embarrassed that he told Harry how much time she spent on it, Hermione immediately shot an evil glare at her father.
She then resumed the story suddenly, as though to keep her parents from saying anything else that might be embarrassing. "It was too much... I couldn't work on more than a couple paragraphs at a time... it was too painful. But I knew I had to do it. I must've had five or six drafts of that letter by the time it was done."
Harry suddenly remembered back to the letter. He did notice that the handwriting of almost the entire letter had a certain flow to it. It did look like that it had all been written at once, or now that he thought about it, copied from an earlier draft. But then why did that one sentence look like it was added on? Harry wondered to himself.
"I called for Fawkes," Hermione continued, "and asked him if he could send Hedwig over when she went out hunting. I couldn't summon her or another owl with a standard Owl Post spell, of course. Even with Fudge gone, it'd still be underage magic. I didn't really know if Fawkes could do anything, but I had to try. I hoped that if my letter arrived with Hedwig, it might be received a little better than if you thought it came from the Headmaster via Fawkes."
Harry had to agree with that assessment. Prior to receiving Hermione's letter, he was quite sure he would not have been happy to see Fawkes with what he assumed would be a letter from Dumbledore.
"But," Hermione continued, "it obviously worked, since Hedwig showed up here Friday evening. She seemed eager to see me and was quite happy when I offered her a couple of owl treats. After talking to her for a little bit, I sent her on her way with the letter. All I could do then was wait." Hermione fidgeted a little in her seat.
"And then the next day, Hedwig arrived with your thank-you letter. Well, I already told you in that letter how I felt about that." Hermione tried to keep her smile in check as she spoke. Dan and Emma had to suppress their smiles too.
"I immediately called Fawkes again and sent the Headmaster another letter. I told him I had to talk with him as soon as possible. He eventually agreed to visit us here the next day. Once that was settled, I, erm, started reading up on other things." Hermione had a slightly guilty look on her face.
"The only thing we had here was one of those home medical references. There was just a short couple paragraphs about... loss, but that was all I really needed." There was a very pregnant pause as everyone seemed to think this was an ideal moment to take a deep breath. Hermione then continued her story.
"So then, Sunday morning, yesterday, Professor Dumbledore came and visited us. What exactly he expected, I don't know. But I will admit he did seem taken aback. I let him know in no uncertain terms that I felt you should be moved out of there. Do you know what he said?" Hermione suddenly asked Harry. He shook his head.
"He said that he had been monitoring your emotional state all along. One of those hands on his watch. He said that you had seemed to come through a bit of a breakthrough, and so all the more reason to not bother you with distractions. Oooh, it made me so MAD!" Hermione actually slammed her hand down on the kitchen table. Harry seemed surprised, though he noticed Dan and Emma weren't, as though they had seen this particular reaction recently.
"He's known ALL ALONG what you've been going through there, and he did NOTHING to help you!" Hermione seemed to be getting upset. Harry reached across the table and set his hand over top of the one she had just slammed down. She closed her eyes for a second and then immediately seemed to calm down. As her face visibly relaxed, Harry suddenly remembered than Dan and Emma were sitting on either side of him.
Suddenly self-conscious, he withdrew his hand as casually (and quickly) as possible, refusing to look at either of them. If he had, he would have seen them trying to hide the slight smiles they had given each other.
A look of pride suddenly appeared on Hermione's face. "Do you know what I asked him? I asked him why there was a change. He didn't know. He said he hadn't been watching you that closely, to give you some privacy. He was simply monitoring your condition. I gave him my final draft of my letter and told him that was why."
Dan suddenly interrupted with a slight grin on his face. "Well... I wouldn't say 'gave' exactly. More like 'threw at him.'"
Hermione shot a reproachful glare at her father then looked to her mother for support. Emma made no effort to correct Dan's assessment.
Knowing she wouldn't be saved by her traitorous parents, Hermione resumed the story. "He read my letter to you. When he finished... if I hadn't seen it, I wouldn't have believed it. He actually seemed to be surprised. But then within a few seconds, it was gone. He handed the letter back to me and asked if you had made any reply yet. I showed him your letter. Oh, I'm sorry. I hope you don't mind," she suddenly added.
Harry smiled and shook his head. Hermione smiled in relief. "The Headmaster read your letter. He actually turned it over to see if there was anything else written. He thought about it for a minute or so, and then seemed very pleased about everything.
"He started his little effort again to try to get me to convince myself you needed to stay there. After about five minutes of us going back and forth, I could again tell he was carefully trying to avoid something.
"Finally, one of his answers changed slightly. He said you needed to stay with your aunt, instead of at number four. Suddenly, things started falling into place. The things he seemed to be avoiding, the way he was trying to steer me in a certain direction to convince myself... it all began to suggest that this all had to do with the protections at your aunt's house." Harry noticed her emphasis.
"Now, I didn't know everything," Hermione started to say. Harry visibly scoffed at the statement; that earned him an "Oh honestly," and a roll of her eyes, even though she did look amused. "But, as soon as he mentioned your aunt specifically, I realized that whatever was protecting you may have been tied more to her presence, rather than the house itself. If that was the case, it suggested you didn't have to stay in the house there the whole time. Besides, you've always been able to leave early before, so why was this year any different?"
Harry realized he hadn't considered that. It seemed so obvious now that Hermione had mentioned it. "And so I asked him how long you HAD to remain at your aunt's house." A look of satisfaction appeared on her face. "He just sort of stared at me over his glasses for a few seconds. He then said I had figured out too much already, so he decided to tell me exactly why you had to stay there, so I would at least know the truth. He seemed to be under the impression I would better accept you staying there that way.
"I told him you've been able to leave early for the last four years. I again asked him how long you had to stay there. He said it was for the best that you remain there." Hermione paused again for a moment. "I again handed him the letter I sent you, and then waved the letter you sent in reply in front of him. 'Best for whom?' I asked him very quietly.
"He sat down in one of our chairs and closed his eyes for a second. I don't think I've ever seen him look as old as he did just then. He then looked back at me and said something very quietly, more to himself. It sounded like 'I'm doing it again.' He wouldn't explain what he meant by that. He said you could, if you chose to," Hermione added very subtly.
Ten minutes later, Harry had recounted everything that had happened in Dumbledore's office after they returned from the Department of Mysteries. Everything that is, except the parts about the prophecy. Harry wasn't ready to drop that bomb on Hermione just yet, at least not on the first day.
Once everyone had digested Harry's new information, Hermione then picked up where she had left off. "He sighed deeply and then stood up. He handed back my letter and finally admitted that you had already been there long enough to ensure your blood protections. I was about to say something I knew might earn me a detention, even though we're on holiday, when he interrupted me before I even got started.
"He again just sort of stared at me for a few seconds and then asked what I had in mind on how to resolve the situation. I told him that you needed to be somewhere more supportive than with the Dursleys. The Burrow was out of the question just like last year. If anything, it's even more of a target than last year. Because of that, Ron and his family are staying at Grimmauld Place, so you couldn't stay there either."
Seeing the look of confusion on Harry's face (along with a hint of relief), Hermione quickly added, "Oh, I never did tell you about that, did I? In a minute. So, that seemed to leave just two options left: Hogwarts or... here."
Hermione thought for a moment, and then she smiled. "Or, I suppose we could've just booked you a room at that Holiday Inn we saw when we drove back from our shopping trip." Harry shook his head at the idea of spending the rest of his summer in some motel room, even if it was close to the Granger's house.
"He then asked me again what I had in mind to resolve the situation," Hermione explained. "I told him that I didn't think Hogwarts was the best choice. For one thing, most of the professors have gone on holiday themselves, so it'd probably be pretty lonely there. And for another thing, you probably wouldn't be very welcome there anyway."
Harry was about to ask when Hermione explained, beating him to it. "The castle needs a holiday from the students too. The castle tends to get cranky if it doesn't have some time to itself. The moving staircases, the trick doors and stairs, they all are a little less amusing when they're... encouraging you to leave. Honestly Harry, are you ever going to read Hogwarts, A History?" she asked at the surprised look on his face.
Fortunately, Harry already knew the answer to that question. He grinned and shook his head. "Why would I ever need to when I have you... to tell me what it says, that is?" he said, slightly embarrassed at the way it sounded originally.
Hermione tried to give Harry a disapproving glare, though she was given away by a slight grin. "So, since Hogwarts wasn't really that good of a choice, I told the Headmaster that... I-thought-you-should-stay-with-us," she said very quickly.
Not wanting to continue down this path, Hermione then returned to an earlier topic. "Do you remember I said that Grimmauld Place wasn't really an ideal location for you right now?" she asked; Harry nodded.
"Well, since the Headmaster originally planned on you staying with your aunt and uncle for the whole summer, he told Mr. and Mrs. Weasley that they could stay there for the summer. Professor Lupin had moved into Sirius's room, and then everyone else moved back into their old rooms from last year. Everything would have been fine for you to join them, but then Fudge got sacked.
"When they got rid of him, they got rid of all of his staff also. And that meant Percy too," Hermione said. Harry was tempted to grin at Percy's misfortune, but the slight frown on Hermione's face suggested that there might be more to the story and that it wasn't the right sentiment at the moment. He quickly quashed the smile.
"Percy was out of a job," Hermione explained. "And not only that, but he was now blacklisted as one of Fudge's people. No one would hire him. Penelope kicked him out when he demanded she choose between him and Professor Dumbledore. He had nothing left. He had no choice but to go crawling back to his family.
"Ron, Ginny, and Fred and George," Hermione paused for a second to think, "and Bill, and Charlie, and Mr. Weasley... they weren't too eager to welcome him back. But Mrs. Weasley told them all that now was not the time to turn their backs on him. Even if they all couldn't come to terms with each other, they still should at least give him a place to stay."
Hermione paused again to take another deep breath. "So, they let him in. Professor Lupin moved out temporarily, and now they have the whole house to themselves. Mr. Weasley asked everyone for as few distractions as possible while they tried to see if they could reintegrate Percy back into the family."
Hermione let out a slightly disappointed sigh. "Professor Dumbledore mentioned to me he has already been by there twice to undo whatever Fred or George did to Percy. I don't know if they'll be successful or not, welcoming him back, but everyone else is doing their best to give them that chance. Even the Order is meeting elsewhere for the time being."
Harry let out a slow breath. "To be honest, I'm glad it happened. I'm glad that there's even the slightest chance that they might be able to bring Percy back. And I'm glad he got sacked." Harry scowled slightly. "Percy's an insufferable prat," Harry's scowl faded, "but he's still their family. And right now, family means more than it ever did." Harry's eyes seemed to go out of focus for a few seconds as he stared at nothing just over Hermione's shoulder.
As his eyes came back into focus, he fixed his stare on Hermione for a moment. "And I'm glad I'm here now. I just don't think I'm ready to go back there yet. I know I'll have to eventually. I'm sure Sirius left it to me..." Harry's voice faded away as he realized he had forgotten all about his letter from Gringotts.
Harry watched as Hermione came to the same realization as he at the same time. A look of surprise came over her face. "Merlin's beard, Harry! You never opened your letter! Let's go get it! Mum, Dad, Harry got a letter from Gringotts and we think it has to do with Sirius's will!" she spoke very rapidly, very excited. "We'll be back in a second."
Harry and Hermione stood up and walked into the living room towards the staircase. Right as they reached the stairs, Dan turned in his chair towards them. "Harry," he called, "while you're up there, don't forget to send your letters. All of your friends need to hear from you." Dan gave him a heavy stare as he spoke.
"Yeah," Harry replied, "I just need to send out the rest of them." Harry hoped he understood.
Dan nodded slightly. "When you're done, come back down and we'll see if we can find something to do tonight."
As the two of them reentered Harry's room, they noticed Hedwig was now awake. She had eaten the owl treat and looked about as happy as an owl can. Harry walked over to the bed and retrieved his Gringotts letter from the middle of it. He noted with amusement that Hermione had managed to set it down in exactly the same place he originally found it.
He held the envelope of heavy parchment in his hands gingerly, as though he expected it might explode. He sat down on the edge of the bed. Hermione sat down on the chair across from him; she looked at him expectantly. Harry knew she wouldn't wait much longer. With a brave face, Harry broke the wax seal and opened the letter.
He could feel Hermione watching him closely as he read the letter. He couldn't tell if she was watching him for an emotional reaction or if she just wanted to know what was in the letter. It was a very short letter. Once he finished it, he set it down and looked up at her. It took everything he had to not laugh at what he saw.
Hermione was practically perched on the edge of the seat in anticipation. She looked as though someone was about to tell her the secrets of the universe. Harry half expected her to jump him right there and throttle him for answers. Fortunately, she decided to simply ask instead.
"WELL? What does it say?" she asked most dramatically.
Harry looked back at her with a disbelieving grin. "Probably the same thing YOURS does," he replied, trying to mimic the tone and urgency of her voice. "I saw you had one too when you sat down next to me earlier."
Hermione opened her mouth to reply when she suddenly stopped mid-word, "Wel-." She appeared completely dumbfounded. "Oh my goodness! I completely forgot about that! How could I have forgotten about it?" She now looked highly embarrassed.
Hermione stood up and walked over to Harry's bed to retrieve her letter. "It's so silly of... Where is it? It's gone! I set both of them down together on the pillow. It was right here!" Hermione started to look unsettled.
She began to walk around the room, searching for her letter. She looked under the pillow, and on top of the night stand, and behind the bed where it was pushed up against the wall. Harry even watched as she got down on her hands and knees and stuck her head under the bed to see if it had somehow fallen under it.
Finally giving up, she sat down next to Harry and tried retracing her steps in her mind. "It was here when I set it down," she said aloud to herself. "And then we talked, and then we went downstairs to make dinner. And then I didn't remember it until..."
A sudden dawning look or realization washed across Hermione's face. "Of course!" she exclaimed. "I forgot all about it." She seemed very pleased with herself, considering that she had forgotten about it. Grabbing Harry's hand, she abruptly stood up and started for the door, pulling him behind her. "Come on, Harry. Let's go get it."
Since Harry had no idea what she was talking about, he simply followed her (as if he really had any choice anyway). After walking out the door, instead of turning left to go downstairs, she turned right and led Harry down the hall to a part of the house he had not yet seen.
As they walked down the hall, Harry was sure to make note of the bathroom on the left. Always important to know where that is, Harry thought to himself. At the end of the hall were two last doors, one on the left and right. Hermione turned right and led Harry into her bedroom.
Upon entering her room, she let go of his hand and immediately strode over to her bed. There, Harry saw a Gringotts letter identical to his sitting on the bed, in exactly the same place as he found his. Harry could not help but think how curious this was.
After picking up her letter, Hermione turned to Harry and showed him the letter. "I forgot all about it while we were talking," she explained. "These Gringotts letters are for official banking business. They're charmed to only be opened by the addressee. If you lose it, or it's stolen, or you forget about it," she added sheepishly, "it will automatically return to its place of delivery where you originally found it.
"That way," she continued, "you can never say you didn't get it. If you ever lose track of it, you simply go back to where you first found it, and it'll be there waiting for you."
Harry was impressed. "Brilliant," he proclaimed, though he wasn't sure whether he was more impressed with the goblin banking magic or Hermione's knowledge of it.
A slight grin appeared on her face. "Well, I did read a little about the history of Gringotts."
Harry simply nodded. He then looked at her expectantly. "Well? What does it say?" he repeated. Hermione opened the letter and began to read it. As she read it, Harry quickly looked around her room. Harry knew his room back at Privet Drive was much more a reflection of his life there than he himself. He was very curious to see how Hermione's room reflected her.
As he looked around the room, he quickly came to one conclusion: the room looked exactly like the sixteen-year old Hermione he knew had recently moved into a room belonging to an eleven-year old Hermione he had never met.
The room was predominately pink, like her "Princess" T-shirt, with lacy, frilly things like the curtains. Here and there however, there were recent additions of red and gold. The comforter on the bed (which Harry noticed was made... when was the last time he made his bed?) was certainly of Gryffindor design, red with gold trim and a large lion embroidered in the middle. This must have been something she had found in some shop in Diagon Alley or Hogsmeade. Resting against the pillow were two stuffed animals.
Against the wall behind her was what he most expected: several bookcases full of books. There must have been at least a hundred books all together. Beneath the window next to the bookcases, where the afternoon sun was sure to pour in, was a cat basket, currently filled with a napping Crookshanks. Against the side wall was a dresser, upon which sat several hair brushes and combs (of which Harry was going to make no comment). Above the dresser, next to the large mirror was a framed copy of the previous March's edition of The Quibbler, in which Harry gave his now famous interview.
As he looked at the photograph of him grinning sheepishly back at him and the accompanying headline, he recalled that at the time he wasn't entirely sure about giving the interview. Now, it was one of the best things from that year.
As his eyes continued to scan around the room, he came across the closet. Just as his had been, the right sliding door was open and the left was closed. Neatly hanging where he could see them were Hermione's school uniforms and robes. Like most human beings presented with a closed door, Harry was curious what was behind it. But, that would have been crossing a line. As much as he didn't want to sample Ginny's Bat Bogey Hex, he was absolutely sure he'd take that any day over whatever hex Hermione might throw at him should she be provoked.
In the corner was what looked like a bookshelf. Instead of books however, it was filled with stuffed animals. Must be a collection from her pre-Hogwarts days, Harry deduced. He had never seen her with one, nor had she ever mentioned them, so he assumed they were from when she was younger. They were all teddy bears of different sizes, styles, and colors. All of them were in varying states. Some were in relatively good condition while others were quite worn.
Harry quickly looked back to the two animals on the bed. These two were not bears like the others on the shelves. One was what looked like a reindeer. He grinned slightly, checking for a red nose; surprisingly however, it didn't have one. The other one was small gray animal. He had to think about it for a second before he realized what it was: an otter. Harry smiled as he remembered watching her Patronus wander around the Room of Requirement.
Returning to where he had left off, he had nearly finished circling the room when he saw Hermione's desk. Neatly stacked on some shelves above the desk were her school books, in addition to the home medical reference she had mentioned. In the center of the desk were her quill and ink, as well as a stack of parchment.
Seeing the blank sheets, his eyes immediately wandered to the bin next to the desk. He could see a small mountain of crumpled up sheets of parchment. Returning to the desktop, he saw several picture frames on the desk. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Hermione was still reading; it had only taken him about ten seconds to look around the room so far.
As she was still occupied, he could not help but take a few steps forward to get a better look at the photographs. He was pleasantly surprised when he heard his reasonable side (in Hermione's voice) reassuring him.
The pictures are out where anyone can see them. That's what pictures are for.
On the right side of the desk were three portraits, Muggle photographs. The first one was a family shot of Hermione, Dan, and Emma. By the looks of her, it had been taken within the last year or so; he assumed it was last summer before she went to Grimmauld Place. The second picture was of a pair of older couples that Harry expected to be her grandparents. The third picture looked to have been taken at a family reunion. There were hints of Hermione, Dan, and Emma all throughout the photograph. He guessed that these were her aunts, uncles, and cousins.
When he approached the desk, his eye was immediately drawn to the photograph of Hermione and her parents; it was the largest one, after all. As he finished looking at the three on the right side, he noticed something gold on the left. Looking on the other side, he found two wizarding photographs. Harry immediately recognized the one on the left. It was a picture of himself, Hermione, and Ron from first year. He had the exact same picture. Hagrid gave it to him when he gave Harry the album of photographs of his parents; Hermione must have gotten one too.
The second picture Harry did not recognize. Since it was a magical photograph that displayed the same scene continuously, he had to watch the entire loop before he could figure out what it was. The picture was of people flying around the Hogwarts Quidditch pitch. It looked like it was taken from the stands, which were empty. Colin, Harry thought to himself. Harry was so used to seeing his housemate taking pictures that he no longer noticed the flashes of the bulb.
In the few seconds that were displayed, Harry watched himself zoom by (quite close to the camera actually), his arm stretched out in reach of the gold blur he was chasing. He had mixture of excitement and determination on his face. Is that really what my hair looks like when I'm flying? he wondered.
Harry now knew first hand why his father kept ruffling up his hair as he saw in Snape's memory. The memory of his father mercilessly tormenting Snape when they were in school still did not sit well with Harry. As such, he promised himself he would not repeat his father's primping, even though he had to admit that his hair did look cool.
Behind him, he saw... one, two, three redheads fly past and wave at the camera... and in the distance, a fourth was hovering near the goals along with two more people on either side of him, all also waving. This must have been a Gryffindor practice session from last year... before he and the Weasley twins got kicked off the team by the evil Toad Woman.
When the picture reset itself, starting again, he could not help by smile broadly. This, he most certainly would have to comment on. She likes Quidditch a little more than she lets on, Harry thought to himself triumphantly, as he recalled Dan's comments from earlier.
Between the two photographs was the golden item that had caught his eye a few seconds earlier. It was Hermione's golden Galleon from the D.A. She had it set up in display on a small frame that Harry guessed was designed for displaying coins. If it were any other Galleon or coin, he would have thought very little of it. But now, this particular Galleon, displayed as it was, it looked like some medal she had been awarded.
After quickly glancing at the two wizarding photographs again, Harry again looked back at the photograph of Hermione, Dan, and Emma. It was a regular, non-moving Muggle photograph. As he looked at it, he began to notice how the lack of motion actually seemed to capture something that was missing from the moving pictures. It was literally a single moment, frozen in time.
Dan and Emma were standing side by side, each with an arm around the other. Hermione was standing in front of them, between them. Dan and Emma each had their free hands on Hermione's shoulders. The image seemed to have a timeless quality to it that somehow enhanced all of the details. All three of them were smiling, for the camera of course. They looked so happy, though.
They looked like they didn't have a care in the world. Dan had lamented on how little they saw of their daughter anymore. He supposed that they made every effort to enjoy themselves while they were together. Hermione looked especially happy being there with them. She had done something different with her hair for the picture, Harry suddenly noticed.
The photography studio must've had a stylist there for last minute adjustments to help people look their best. Normally, her bushy brown hair was simply pulled back, out of the way. Now, her styled and slightly curled locks cascaded in brunette rivulets over her shoulders. Harry had to admit that Hermione did look very pretty in that picture.
Surprised by that admission, Harry wondered briefly if he should be worried about it or not. "But I don't think you're ugly," he remembered telling her a few months ago. He wasn't sure if that made it better or not. But, he knew it was the truth, and as far as he was concerned, it wasn't whether he thought she was pretty, it was whether everyone else knew he did. And he didn't really expect her or anyone else to ask him if he thought she was pretty, so he wasn't going to worry about it too much.
Feeling that he had explored enough for one day, Harry turned his attention back to Hermione. It had been about thirty seconds since she started reading the letter. If this letter was the same as his, she should be done any time now.
Sure enough, about five seconds later, she finished reading it and looked back up at Harry. She handed the letter to him. "Is this the same as yours?" she asked tentatively. Harry took it and began to read.
To Hermione Jane Granger,
In the Matter of the Resolution of the Will of Sirius Black,
Your presence is hereby requested and required at Gringotts Bank in Diagon Alley on the morning of August 1, at 9:00AM.
Upon your arrival, please go to the Estates Department and ask for Darmok, Executor of the Black Estate.
Please make correspondence with the Executor if you will be unable to attend. As per the Banking Reform Act of 1993, unclaimed Inheritances or Estates become the Property of the Ministry of Magic after one Month has elapsed. Therefore, it is your responsibility to make arrangements in a timely manner if you will be unable to attend.
According to our records, you are currently not Of Age. As such, the presence of your Parents is also requested, however it is not required.
With Regards,
Martok
Gringotts Probate Department
Harry looked back up at Hermione. "Yeah, it's the same as mine," he confirmed. "Though mine says 'guardians' instead of 'parents.' I guess they're sticklers for details," Harry said as he shrugged his shoulders.
Harry thought about the letters for a moment. Well, at least we have a few weeks before we have to do this, Harry thought to himself with a mixture of emotions. He was sad of course that he had to even do this in the first place. He knew he would gladly rather be helping Sirius clean up after Buckbeak, the Muggle way... with a shovel, than finding out how much money he would be receiving.
But at the same time, he was glad that he had several weeks to prepare for it. He knew that no matter what, it would not be easy. But after receiving Hermione's letter, he knew it that he would be able to face it. He hoped that the next few weeks would lessen the impact.
Harry began to wonder about something. "Erm, Hermione?" he asked.
"Yes?"
"How did you know that these letters were about Sirius's will?"
"Oh," Hermione said, relieved that Harry seemed to have taken the letters as well as she hoped.
"Well, at first I didn't know what it was," she admitted. "I don't even have an account at Gringotts. I had no idea why they would be contacting me. We normally just exchange our pound notes for Galleons and then go do our shopping.
"But when I came into your room and saw you had an identical letter, it just sort of clicked. Why would the both of us be getting a letter from Gringotts at the same time? I knew it had to be for important banking business, since Gringotts never contacts their customers unless they need them to come in. After all, a contacted customer is just another opportunity for a withdrawal, right?" Hermione smiled lightly.
"So, considering we both got letters at the same time, and considering the timing of it to... recent events, it just seemed to make sense," Hermione explained. Harry nodded slightly and gave the letter back to her.
After a few moments, Hermione started to raise her arm as though she were going to put her hand on his shoulder, but stopped after a few inches, returning it to her side. Suspecting that she was about to ask if he was alright, Harry saved her the trouble.
"Well, at least we have a few weeks before we have to do this," he said, voicing his earlier thoughts. After both silently agreed, Harry and Hermione returned to Harry's room. He strode over to Hedwig's cage, opening it. He reached in and stroked her head, allowing her to nip at his fingers affectionately.
"So girl, do you feel up to delivering some letters, letting my friends know I'm alive and what a git I've been?" Harry asked with a smile. Hedwig let out a few quick hoots and shifted left and right on her perch in what appeared to be eagerness.
Harry retrieved his completed thank-you letters and brought them to Hedwig. As he tied the letters to both legs and put one in her beak, he explained her deliveries. "Now I know there's a bunch of them, but it's only three stops. The one on your left leg goes to Neville Longbottom and his grandmother. The one in your beak is for Luna Lovegood and her father. I don't know if they're back from Sweden or not, so you can just drop it in their house if they're not. And then the last three are for Ron Weasley and his family. Think you can handle all that?" he asked with a smile.
Hedwig puffed herself up and flexed her wings slightly as if to assure him that she was a proper mail owl and could handle any delivery. Harry walked over and opened the window. As she started to head for the window, Harry told her, "You can stay the night with Ron if you want. It'll probably be late by the time you get there." Once in the air, Harry called out at the last second after her, "and be nice to Pig while you're there."
When they returned downstairs, Harry and Hermione both showed their letters to Dan and Emma. After reading them, Emma looked up and over at the calendar on the wall. "Well, August first is on a Friday. It's far enough that we can reschedule any appointments... if you want us to come, that is."
Hermione nodded her head and looked very happy. "If we know what our classes will be by then, we can make it a day and do our school shopping as well. If not, we can always go back. I never got around to asking Professor McGonagall how class selection worked, since we have to wait to get our O.W.L. results first."
Once it was decided that they would all go together, the Grangers and their new house guest decided to move into the living room to enjoy the remainder of their evening. As Dan and Emma settled into the loveseat and got comfortable (very comfortable, Harry noticed, but nothing inappropriate for mixed company), Harry took a seat on one end of the sofa. Hermione headed over to the entertainment center.
Harry watched as she walked over and started looking through the video cassettes. Emma's voice caused Harry to look back at them. "We only have one rule when we spend time together as a family: No books." Harry smiled slightly.
"We never discourage Hermione from reading, of course," Emma explained, "but since we've had so little time with her these last five years, when we are together, we only want activities that we can all share in, at the same time. I'd rather have the four of us enjoy a movie or television show together than for each of us to be lost in our own book. I hope you can abide by that rule, Harry."
"Don't worry," Hermione suddenly added, still looking at the videos, "he will." Harry didn't know if she was teasing him or warning him; either way, he had the good grace to look guilty.
"So, Harry, anything in particular you'd like to see?" Dan asked. "I don't imagine you're much of a movie connoisseur considering your... background." That much was certainly true. Harry could remember going to the movies twice. Both times it had been because Vernon and Petunia couldn't find anyone to watch him, and Dudley had made such a fuss about possibly missing the movie that he actually yelled at them to just bring Harry with them so they could leave and he could get there early enough to get the seat he wanted.
Both times, it hadn't been the experience Harry hoped it would. For one thing, the movie was always what Dudley wanted to see. That usually ended up being some terribly violent and bloody horror movie. Harry noticed that even his aunt and uncle didn't seem to enjoy them. And for another thing, Harry always had to sit wedged between his aunt and uncle where they could keep an eye on him. Sitting next to his beefy uncle was not a pleasant experience, as he was literally spilling over the sides of the theater seat and onto Harry.
As Harry considered the movie viewing possibilities, he could not help but hear Hermione's voice echo in his mind. "One day at a time," he remembered her promising him. He decided the best way to live up to that was to try to make the most of the time he had there with Hermione, and her parents. He wanted to enjoy himself as much as possible.
"How about a comedy?" Harry finally suggested. "As you know, my... experience is limited, so if any of you have a favorite, that's fine with me."
Right after speaking the word "favorite," Harry hear Hermione let out a quiet snort of laughter, as though there was no question as to what comedy they should watch. Indeed, within a few seconds, she had pulled a video cassette out of its cardboard sleeve. He couldn't read the title from where he was sitting, though he did see that the box was blue and had what looked like a knot on the cover. In his mind, Harry shrugged his shoulders and trusted that Hermione knew what she was doing.
At that thought, Harry smiled, trying not to laugh at himself for thinking that.
After putting the cassette in the VCR, Hermione returned to the sofa and asked Harry if he wanted popcorn. When he said he did, she asked her parents if they wanted any also. When they nodded, she headed into the kitchen to start it. As she left the room, the movie started.
'Airplane!'? Harry wondered to himself. He looked over and saw that Dan and Emma seemed to be grinning in anticipation. He turned back to the television and waited to see what was going to be so good about this movie.
By the time Hermione had finished making the popcorn, Harry was already watery-eyed and having difficulty breathing from laughing so much. Much to his relief, he heard Hermione calling him from the kitchen to help carry the drinks. He hoped this brief interruption would give him a moment to recover.
As Harry walked into the kitchen, Hermione took one look at his face and smiled. "Enjoying the movie so far, Harry?" Harry only nodded; he didn't dare open his mouth for fear of starting to laugh again.
After picking up the two large bowls of popcorn, Hermione nodded towards the tray with four glasses on it. "Would you carry that please?" she asked. As Harry began to pick it up, Hermione glanced back into the living room. When she was sure Dan and Emma were still paying attention to the movie, she turned back to Harry, whispering.
"If the chance arises, please make sure you let either Mum or Dad see you brushing your teeth. Yes, I know it sounds strange, but you have to remember they're both dentists," Hermione explained. "They don't mind if we have Cokes and popcorn for special occasions like this, but they expect proper dental care afterwards. You know, sugary drinks and popcorn shells that get stuck between your teeth. They'll have my head if they think I haven't instilled good brushing habits in you."
Harry gave Hermione a funny look, but seeing she was serious, he agreed. "But only if the situation arises." He then added jokingly, "I'm not going to run around the house yelling 'Look Mummy, I can brush my teef.'"
Picking up a small stack of serviettes, Hermione then returned to the living room. She handed one bowl of popcorn to her parents, and then settled on one end of the sofa. Following behind her, Harry handed two of the drinks to Dan and Emma, and then one to Hermione. He then sat down on the other end of the sofa. Everyone now settled, they all turned their attentions to the movie.
After Hermione had asked for the bowl of popcorn for the fifth time (it had been going back and forth between them for the last twenty minutes), Harry turned to her and tried to look as annoyed as he could, even though he really wasn't.
"You know, this'd be a whole lot easier if you just sat next to me instead of all the way over there," Harry said in an exasperated tone. "I don't have boy germs, you know." Emma immediately let out a snort and then started laughing, though not from the movie. Dan was able to escape with only a few chuckles.
Hermione, not knowing what everyone found so funny, looked at her parents. "What?" she asked.
"I'm sorry," Emma said. "That was my fault. I had accused them of being afraid of each other's boy germs earlier today."
Hermione looked at her mother skeptically for a moment and then slid over closer to Harry. After Harry set the bowl between them, she turned back to the movie, shaking her head in disbelief, as if to say "Parents!"
About ten minutes later, Harry heard a strange scratching noise behind him. Subtly moving his hand towards his pocket where he still had his wand, he asked Hermione as calmly and innocently as he could (just in case someone was nearby), "What was that?"
"That," Hermione said, clearly not concerned, "is Crookshanks climbing up the back of the sofa." In fact, she even sounded slightly annoyed. "He's smelled the popcorn, and now he'll be up on top here begging for some."
Harry looked at Hermione incredulously. "He likes popcorn?"
"Only the buttered pieces," she clarified, still watching the movie.
"He really likes popcorn?" Harry repeated, still surprised.
"Yeah. Just watch. He'll pace back and forth between us until one of us starts eating. Then he'll mark them as his target." Hermione looked over at Harry with a bit of a grin.
"Go ahead and try it," Hermione dared him. "Eat some slowly, but whatever you do, don't pay any attention to him."
Harry knew Crookshanks was smart, but this he had to see for himself. Sure enough, Crookshanks made it to the top of the sofa and started walking back and forth between Harry and Hermione, mewing very softly. No one visibly paid any attention to him.
Harry then grabbed a handful of popcorn, and slowly ate it, one piece at a time, making sure to give Crookshanks a chance to see him. Within a few seconds, Crookshanks was sitting above Harry's right shoulder purring very loudly. As Harry continued to watch the movie, he could see Hermione shaking slightly in silent laughter.
When he grabbed another handful of popcorn, Harry felt Crookshanks put his two front paws on his shoulder, as though he was starting to climb down. The purring intensified and then Crookshanks mewed again, this time a little more insistently. Harry heard Dan stifle a laugh. Hermione had turned her head enough so she could watch what she knew was about to happen.
When Harry slowly brought a particularly buttery piece of popcorn towards his mouth, Crookshanks suddenly swiped out with one paw and grabbed a hold of Harry's hand with his claws. "Ouch!" Harry exclaimed. He could feel Crookshanks trying to pull his hand towards him.
Surprised by the "attack," Harry dropped the piece of popcorn. Crookshanks immediately jumped down and began to eat his prize. Ouch again, Harry thought as Crookshanks' claws retracted out of his leg.
Harry wanted to be mad at Crookshanks for the new holes in his hand and leg, but seeing him grab hold of his hand was just too funny. He finally gave up and joined the other three in laughter.
Crookshanks was now looking up at Harry, purring again. "Yes, yes, more popcorn," he said to the animal.
"Only a couple more, Crookshanks," Hermione warned her familiar. "You eat too much butter and it makes you sick." Harry could have sworn Crookshanks scowled at Hermione.
A few pieces later, Crookshanks tried to curl up into a ball for a nap on Harry's lap, but the frequent bouts of laughter quickly dissuaded him from that; he eventually jumped down and headed upstairs.
Near the end of the movie, everyone seemed quite exhausted from the nearly constant laughing. After first asking Hermione if she wanted them, Harry put the last couple of pieces of popcorn into his mouth as he looked away from the screen. Then he heard one of the actors say "She's beginning to shake."
As he glanced back at the television and saw what Striker was referring to, Harry began laughing so hard, he nearly choked on his popcorn. Everyone else in the room looked at him in amusement when they realized he was okay.
After catching his breath, Harry looked at everyone, slightly embarrassed. "Sorry about that. I guess I need to relearn how to eat," he joked, thinking about how this was the second time today he had nearly choked on something.
"Or maybe we just need to start screening these movies for the jiggly bits and tell you when not to look?" Dan suggested teasingly.
"No," Harry quickly assured him, "No, I just need to learn how to eat. No need for anything drastic like that," he said with a slight grin.
"Well," Hermione mused dramatically, "I don't know. He does spend a lot of time around Ron, Seamus, and Dean. Their less-than-noble attitudes toward women may have rubbed off on him slightly." She looked like she was only a few seconds away from a fit of laughter.
"I assure you that won't be necessary," Harry promised with a smile. After the scene he had just watched in the movie, it took every ounce of strength he had to keep his eyes on her face.
Finally, the movie was over. It was getting late. After putting the dishes in the kitchen, Dan and Emma said they were going to head up and start getting ready for bed. As Hermione got up to turn off the television and put away the movie, Harry sat on the sofa for a few moments reflecting on his first day in his new home.
He had moved out of number four, Privet Drive today. He assumed all along that we would be going to Grimmauld Place. Now that he wasn't, he realized that he really hadn't been looking forward to returning there. Fortunately, Hermione had come to his rescue (again) and found a new temporary home for him: hers. They had gone shopping and Harry got all new clothes... clothes that fit him.
They had a most excellent lunch and the best dinner Harry could remember in a long time. Yep, I think Ron is rubbing off on me, Harry thought to himself. He had been notified of Sirius's will, and had survived it. But he had nearly choked on his food twice. Yes, all in all, it was a very busy day; he was quite ready for bed.
Hermione was turning off the last of the lights downstairs as Harry began to head upstairs. When he reached the second floor, he noticed Dan and Emma's bedroom door was still open. Bypassing his room, he went down and knocked on the doorframe, being sure to stay back so he couldn't see in the room, just to be polite (and safe).
When Dan came to the door, Harry tried to look embarrassed. "Sorry, I know this may seem odd, but you don't happen to have any spare toothpaste? I forgot I'm all out," he lied. He knew he had some left.
"Ah, you happen to be in the right house for that, Harry," Dan said with a smile. He disappeared for a moment, and then returned with a small, travel-size tube of toothpaste. "We actually have cases of these. We always carry a box of these around with us in the car when we go visit schools. I just happened to bring them inside recently since schools are on holiday, and since they don't like being left in a hot car all day. Anything else, Harry?" he asked.
Harry shook his head. "Then I'll wish you good night," Dan said. "We have to go back to work tomorrow. Somehow I doubt you're an early morning person, so if not, we'll see you in the evening when we get back."
"Good night, and thanks," Harry said, holding up the toothpaste. As he headed back for his room, Hermione came up the stairs. As she passed him in the hall, she saw the toothpaste and smiled. She then went to her room.
Harry went over to his bed and sat down for a minute. As he began to relax, he quickly felt his tiredness begin to sneak up on him. Knowing he might fall asleep right there if he wasn't careful, he gathered his pajamas and toothbrush (and newly acquired toothpaste), and headed back to the bathroom.
Harry returned to his room several minutes later to find Crookshanks sitting on his bed, waiting for him to return. Harry sat down next to him; Crookshanks immediately began to purr has he had on top of the couch.
"Sorry Crookshanks," Harry apologized. "I don't have any more popcorn. Besides, I don't think Hermione would like it if I gave you any more tonight." The purring stopped.
Not to be complete denied, Crookshanks butted his head against Harry's arm. Harry looked down at the half-Kneazle and smiled. "Will you settle for a good scratching?" he asked.
Harry reached down and began to scratch Crookshanks' head. After finding a cozy spot, Crookshanks sat down to enjoy the pampering while it lasted. A few minutes later, Harry heard Hermione's voice coming down the hall towards his room.
"Harry, have you seen...? Oh, I see you have," she said, staring at the cat on the bed next to Harry. From the doorway, she watched the two of them. "I think you're in trouble, Harry," she warned. "Now he knows who will spoil him. They say the way to a man's heart is through his stomach. You've just discovered the hard way that includes Crookshanks."
Hermione came over and sat down on the opposite side of Crookshanks. She began to scratch his back; Crookshanks looked to be in heaven, what with one person scratching his head and one his back. A few seconds later, Emma appeared at the door in her bathrobe.
"Don't be up all night, you two. Tomorrow is another day, and there are plenty more after that," she said with a smile. After Harry and Hermione wished her good night, Emma paused for a moment before leaving the room. She intentionally looked at Harry's wide-open bedroom door then stared pointedly at Hermione; Harry was quite sure that contained an unspoken conversation. Emma then smiled again at both of them and bid them good night.
For one of the first times in his life, Harry had no idea about what to say to Hermione. After a few awkward silent moments, they eventually settled upon discussing their favorite scenes from the movie. Several minutes into it, Harry yawned uncontrollably.
"Sorry about that," he said.
"That's OK," Hermione assured him. "You've had a long day. Surely you must be tired."
"I am," Harry agreed. Hermione was secretly disappointed by his response, though she gave no indication of it.
"Well, I'll head to bed then. Good night, Harry," Hermione said.
"Good night, Hermione," Harry returned.
Hermione stood and picked up Crookshanks (after unhooking Harry's blanket from his claws). When she got to the door, she reached for the light switch.
"Hermione?" Harry called, his voice as heavy as he could make it. He wanted to be sure she knew he was going to say something very important.
Hermione turned and looked back at Harry, looking very hopeful. "Yes, Harry?"
Harry stared at her for a moment. "Don't call me Shirley."
Hermione's face lit up with a huge grin as she switched of the light.