บท 56: Hermione's and Penelope's parents
Harry,
I've known Sirius for most of my childhood and he never seemed like the kind of person that betray his friends.
Especially James who he considered more of a brother than Regulus.
So I was shocked when I heard what he did in the Daily Prophet.
You must understand Harry that during that time in the war, betrayals were a common occurrence. Even if most of those betrayals were done under Imperious curse.
People did not know whom to trust and whom to remain wary of.
Reports such as a wizard coming back home from his work at Ministry and then killing his whole family were a common occurrence during that time of the war.
And more and more people were siding with the dark lord every single day.
That was perhaps the reason why I was not as suspicious as I should have been when I heard the report of Sirius' betrayal.
In hindsight, it was terrible judgement on my part and I should have done more for Sirius who has been rotting in Azkaban for a decade.
Yes, I believe your words and I'll ask my husband to fight for Sirius in the court.
Now we just need to make sure that we're able to open a case for Sirius Black and if we're able to capture Peter Pettegrew then that would go a long way to proving that Sirius was innocent as well.
Without Peter's presence, this case will be hard for us to win as the Ministry will try it's best to cover up it's mistakes and this might possibly be their biggest fuck up of the decade.
Be safe,
Andromeda Tonks
—————
Harry stepped out of the train along with his trunk and glanced around at the various reunions taking place in the platform.
A part of his felt sad that he had no one who would come for him in the platform.
After all, he had not really told Petunia that he was coming back to the house. And why should he? That would be a pointless waste of time.
For a moment, as observed the various families in front of himself, he felt truly and utterly alone.
His chest tightened and he felt his eyes prick for a second.
But then the moment passed and he steeled himself as his expression went blank.
Being alone meant that he would not receive support from other people like the rest of his classmates did but it also gave him freedom that none of the classmates had.
In that sense, he as lucky.
"Don't stop in the way you idiot." He heard someone say from behind him and he didn't even have to turn back in order to see who it was.
Draco Malfoy.
He turned in order to look at the boy who in turn paled when he realized whom he called an idiot.
The blonde boy muttered a few hasty apologies before Harry gave way and allowed him to go.
Any other day, he would have humiliated the boy for talking in that tone with him but today, he was just not in the mood.
Up ahead he could see Hermione hugging her parents and Penelope doing the same on the side.
Those two girls were pretty similar in that way.
Both having muggle parents and both being the only child in the family.
Or was Penelope really the only child in the family?
He never really asked her about it but from the way she usually acts toward him, he would have thought that she had some younger siblings.
But if she did have younger siblings then they were not in the station.
Now he felt like a dick for not asking them more about their families.
Shouldn't a friend at least know more about their friend's family.
"Harry" Hermione's shout brought him out of his thoughts and he moved toward them along with his trunk.
If his trunk had been empty then he would have shrunk it and kept it in his pocket but Peter was still in the trunk and using multiple Space Extension charms can have devastating side effects if they're done while a person is still inside the Extended space.
He was sure that he would not make any mistake and that if he did shrunk the trunk then Peter will still be alright but there was no point in taking chances.
"Harry" Hermione squealed and took his hands before bringing him to her parents like he was some cat that she found in the forest. "Meet my parents."
"Dan and Emma Granger." He said without her needing to continue "I know. You've told me enough times about them Mione." He said with a soft smile and the excited girl blushed at that while Dan and Emma looked curious.
"I'm Harry." He said and raised his hand to Dan who shook it at once "I think Hermione might have mentioned my name in one or two of her letters."
"One of two." Emma said and gave her daughter a mischievous smile who was now looking rather horrified "More like…"
"Mum…" Hermione whispered forcefully while pulling Emma's hands who looked even more amused at that.
He brought his hand to Emma and when she held his hand, he flipped her hands up and placed a chaste kiss on the knuckles.
He was not much of traditionalist but there were still some traditions that he liked to follow.
"Oh my. You're a charmer." Emma said with a huge smile. "I can see why Hermione finds you so interesting."
"On the contrary maam. I'm a rather boring guy." He said with a shrug "Why Hermione sticks with me is something beyond my understanding." He chuckled.
"I think you're the only person in the entire world who considers yourself boring Harry." Penelope's voice forced him to turn and he was met with another set of parents.
It took even more time for them to introduce themselves because this time not only did he have to introduce himself to her parents but then Hermione and her parents had to introduce themselves as well.
Thankfully, Hermione's and Penelope's mother instantly took a liking to each other while Dan and Penelope's father Roger simply stared from the sidelines as their wives and daughters gossiped with each other along with Harry who found this situation more than a little amusing.
Until Penelope's mother said something that abruptly destroyed the mood.
"I heard your daughter was attacked by a troll. Is she alright? I hope she didn't have any scars from that."
And it was the first time Harry had the privilege to see someone looking so thoroughly confused while being so utterly horrified.
The scathing look Hermione received from her mother, who was clearly upset that she had to know about her daughter's injuries from some stranger, did not bode well for her either.
Then it came to light that he killed the 12 feet troll, with a handgun (which no child should have access to) while the staff members were… somewhere and the whole meeting simply went down hill from there.
Suffice to say, Sophie and Rover Clearwater left the site as soon as possible. But not before he levitated my gift over to Penelope's pocket.
He wanted to give it to her under a better conditions considering how much hard work and efforts he put into making them but realized that it was either now or never since he didn't have an owl that he could use to send it to her at a later date.
Then he turned to look at Dan and Emma Granger who were suddenly looking unsure about whether they wanted him near their daughter or not.
They were of course very thankful that he saved their daughter's life but how do you treat a 11 year old kid who always carries a handgun with himself.
"Come Dan, Emma. I'll escort you to outside the station." He said, having gained the right to call them by their first names during their short talk earlier.
"But about your parents Harry. Aren't they coming to get you?" Dan said all of a sudden. The question about how my parents even allowed me to carry a hangdun was probably hidden somewhere in that line as well.
Hermione suddenly went very very silent as he gave her a curious glance.
It was apparent from the way that Emma talked with him that Hermione frequently mentioned his name in her letters back home. But it was also rather apparent then she does not mention a lot of things about him in it.
Probably things like how he's a celebrity, how his parents died protecting him, how he broke at least three laws every morning before breakfast.
That made sense.
Why would she tell them things that would put him in a bad light when he was her friend.
If he had a friend and he had a letter to write to his parents then he wouldn't tell them about his bad habits and circumstances either.
Still, a part of him had hoped that she would have told them the truth about him. Well, she had not essentially lied about him or at least he hoped she didn't but the fact remained that she didn't tell them everything.
And now he would have to face two angry parents who didn't knew that their daughter was almost killed and they were not even informed about that.
A part of him wished that he could just turn around and apparate back home but that would leave Hermione all alone to face her parents' anger and he didn't want that either.
So in a quiet voice, in hopes that it would garner some sympathy and perhaps thwart some of their anger, he said "My parents are dead Mr Granger. They died 10 years ago protecting me from… someone." He finished, deciding that it would be wise to leave the topic of Voldemort for some other time. His plate was already full as it was.
Regardless, his ploy worked and in exchange for his words, he gained a sad look from both Dan and Emma plus a long moment of awkward silence which even Hermione didn't knew how to break.
In the end, Dan Grager decided to plow all the way through and asked "But you must live with someone. Didn't you tell your relatives that you're coming home?" he asked.
And Harry realized that his life was nothing but a set of sad stories.
Or rather, the life of the original Harry Potter.
"I do. I live with my uncle and aunt." He said and while Dan and Emma looked a bit hopeful at that, Hermione, who knew the whole story however, looked even more dejected at his words.
"Then your uncle must be coming to get you, right?" Dan asked, looking hopeful.
And at that moment, Harry realized that Dan just wanted to ask his 'uncle' why he was allowed to carry a firearm with himself. At school none the less.
"My uncle… is spending 15 years of time in Prison for Child abuse and neglect. He was sent there when he was caught beating me with a belt when I was 7 years old."
Hermione had openly started to sob by now. Perhaps living with him for so long, she simply forgot that he had such a past.
Dan on the other hand looked shocked an appalled at that while Emma was now holding onto Hermione tightly and looking at him despondently.
He decided to finish the story as there as no need to make them suffer any longer than necessary. "My aunt now gives me enough food and doesn't make me clean the house and tend to the garden, afraid that if she did then the people from the child services would notice and send her to a prison as well. So I guess it's all well" He said nonchalantly, as if talking about someone else life (which was true in a sense) all the while ignoring the sobbing from Hermione and the gasps from Emma.
"We now have come to an unspoken agreement that we would both tolerate each other's existences as well as we could. That she would give me proper food and clothes and leave me to my devices and I would not tell the people from child services that she forced me to cook food for them and that she used to hit me with a frying pan when I didn't do a good job."
At this point, tears had started to fall down Emma's cheeks though at least she was trying to hold down her sobs for Hermione's sake who was crying while holding onto her mother.
Dan… he just looked like someone had kicked him in the nut with an expression that clearly stated that he didn't know what to say anymore.
Sad story well executed.
And now that their anger had ebbed away and they won't start hammering down on Hermione once he left, it was time for him to make a quick escape.
So he went to Hermione who was not wiping her nose with a handkerchief and gave her a soft smile before taking out the small gift he'd prepared for her and putting it gently in her hands.
"Your Christmas gift." He said with a smirk while Hermione suddenly looked ashamed for some reason. Oh, she probably haven't bought a present for him yet.
Then she started sobbing once again before enveloping him in a tight hug which he wanted to reciprocate as well.
But since her parents were nearby, he simply patted her head affectionately in a brotherly manner.
Can't very well lose the sympathy card now by suddenly acting like her boyfriend now could we.
After one long hug, Hermione finally looked a little consolable and even Emma seemed to have composed herself though her tight hand grip on Dan's shoulder said otherwise.
"I would like to visit Hermione some time during our holidays. You wouldn't mind that, would you Dan?" he asked innocently, as if there was anything innocent about him.
That question seemed to have woken Dan from his stupor and he spluttered a quick affirmative under his wife's stern gaze.
"It was nice meeting you. Dan. Emma."
"Goodbye Hermione." He said and then he apparated back home.
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Fortunate_Soul
Fortunate_Soul Another chapter done.
And for the people asking how much time has passed, you now know that it's the winter break.
Original Harry had stayed the first year winter break in Hogwarts in the movies because he didn't wanted to go home but our Harry prefer freedom every now and then so he'll just be doing what he wants to do.
Hope you liked the chapter :)
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