Categories > Books > Harry Potter > Hermione's Furry Little Problem
The Minister was disconcerted, but he was also very drunk. In the last week, Albus Dumbledore had informed him that Peter Pettigrew was alive and on the loose, having framed Sirius Black. Albus had insisted on a proper trial with veritaserum, and the Minister had been forced to release Sirius Black with an expunged record. That had been brutal. The attacks from the Daily Prophet had been harsh for the last 7 days--never mind that Millicent Bagnold had been Minister at the time.
And now this Heir of Slytherin business. The only good thing was that this had all happened at Hogwarts, and he knew that Albus was nothing if not good at keeping a tight lid on things. But it was clear. Voldemort was reaching out from wherever in an attempt to return to the realm of the fully living. And he had seen Lucius try to curse Potter before his very eyes, right after a perfectly legal dismissal of his House-Elf.
Even if Poppy weren’t blowing little kisses in his ear and dragging him up to a room in Rosmerta’s inn, he had already decided to grant Dumbledore’s request to remove the Trace from Potter and Miss Granger.
~o0o~
Unlike most British wizards, even most muggleborns, Severus was highly knowledgeable in many muggle fields. He wasn’t just a Potions Master after all, he was a Spy. After turning away from the Dark Side, he had thrown himself into work to forget the horrors of his past. And for every hour he put into teaching potions, he put an hour into learning more about the muggle world so he could be useful to the Order.
They all knew it would only be a matter of time before Voldemort returned. And they needed someone who could gather intelligence and run operations in the muggle world. Severus had dedicated his life to the Order after Lily’s murder. But he knew it could never be enough to wipe her blood off his hands. Now, he had an opportunity to begin paying back a blood debt, the correct motivation to do so, and the means.
Severus went to work immediately, using magic to invade muggle computer networks and update information, to create electronic trails and fingerprints which would lead right back to Vernon Dursley’s desktop computer, his laptops, and his mobile devices.
He investigated their financial records and determined that Petunia and Dudley would still have a sizable--though modest--monthly income from the Evans’ Estate Trust. Severus determined that if Harry would have to spend even one week in this house a year that he could be asked to contribute some of his funds from the Potter vault too. Severus knew now, that Harry would have no compunctions about sharing what he had once things were explained to him.
Finally, late Sunday afternoon, Severus had completed the necessary preparations.
When the Dursleys arrived home in the morning, they would find a swarm of muggle authorities invading their home and confiscating all of Vernon Dursley’s computers and child pornography--images of small children being molested and beaten by adults. Among them they would find all of the surreptitious images Vernon had taken of Harry in various stages of undress over the years after Vernon had given him a beating. They would also find all the names and ip addresses of people he had shared Harry’s pictures with.
Vernon Dursley would never see the outside of a prison wall again.
Severus knew it would be painful to Harry to expose how extensive the abuse had been. But it had to be done. Harry had known only that he was being beaten. He didn’t know that images of his beaten body were being shared among other muggle psychos by his twisted uncle. Nor did Petunia or Dudley.
Severus owed Lily Evans his life. As much as he still could feel nothing personally but dislike for Petunia, she was Lily’s sister. She had suffered horribly, Harry had suffered horribly, and Severus would do whatever he could to protect the Evanses from ever having to suffer horribly again.
Even if that meant magically inventing all the imagery and electronic pathways which would put Vernon away for life. If Dumbledore had wanted this done cleanly, he would have gone through the Ministry and appealed for a waiver. Severus understood now that Dumbledore had intended this outcome.
~o0o~
Sunday morning, Harry and Hermione took their breakfast down by their favourite spot under the willow tree by the lake. They were both feeling pensive about the upcoming meeting with Headmaster at 3 that afternoon. Hermione looked particularly troubled. Her eyes filled with tears, her ears and tail wilted. Harry was alarmed.
“What’s wrong Hermione?”
“Harry... I... I don’t don’t know what to do. I... I still haven’t told my parents I’m half cat yet.”
Harry looked shocked.
“Are you serious? Why not? It’s been over a month now. We’re already into February.”
“I know Harry! I’m just frightened. I can’t go back to the muggle world like this. What will my parents say? What am I going to do? Look how bad it was trying to fit in here at first. I’ll never fit in back in the muggle world again... Except maybe in Japanese strip-clubs.” Hermione snorted tearfully, remembering the image of Professor Lockhart’s Neko “companion.”
Harry had been wondering about that himself. But he thought Hermione had already worked it out with her parents. Now he started worrying. Harry didn’t care what Dumbledore said about staying at the Dursleys, he wasn’t leaving Hermione to fend for herself, a cat-witch alone in a muggle world.
Harry couldn’t imagine Hermione having cruel parents. He wondered how hard they would take the news. He hoped they wouldn’t be angry with Hermione, or take her out of Hogwarts. But whatever they decided, Harry was determined that he would find a way to stay with her.
~o0o~
At 3 pm, Harry and Hermione were nervously sitting in the comfy armchairs that Dumbledore had conjured up for them. He peered at the two young wizards over the top of his half-moon glasses with gimlet eyes.
"Thank you for coming Harry, Miss Granger! Today, my main concern for discussion is your safety, at Hogwarts, in the Wizarding World, and in the Muggle World."
"As Harry has already discovered last summer much to his detriment, Miss Granger, in Britain the Ministry tracks the use of magic in the vicinity of young wizards. The Ministry achieves this by means of a spell called the Trace. It is activated in all young wizards when they are registered and it evaporates when they reach the age of majority, which for wizards is 17. Violation of the laws regarding the use of underage magic after a child has reached the age of 11 can potentially lead to expulsion from Hogwarts and the breaking of wands."
"This has now become a problematic situation for both of you. Miss Granger, I don't know what arrangements you have made with your parents, but it is clear that you will have grave difficulties finding a place in the muggle world. To say nothing of the wizard world, which is just as fraught with prejudice and cruelty. The obstacles and potential dangers you face may require you to use magic with some regularity."
"Harry, Lucius Malfoy made an attempt to attack you. It is possible that he, and others like him may try to do so again when you are not attending Hogwarts. Your mother's Enchantment will protect you from attack at #4 Privet Drive as long as you can call your Aunt's house your home."
"But be clear, it only protects you from being magically located by Voldemort and his minions. You will still be vulnerable to attacks if you run into the likes of Malfoy inadvertently when you are outside of your home."
"Also Harry, last summer, you were warned by the Ministry for an act of magic which you did not commit. Further warnings could lead to your expulsion from Hogwarts. This is untenable. You must be able to defend yourself from attacks, and also from legal actions against you."
"Therefore, I have obtained for both of you a special waiver from the Minister. The Trace has been lifted, and once removed, it cannot be replaced. Now in order to do that, an emancipation order must be filed for the youth in question. Which means, Miss Granger, that by wizard law, you are now of the age of majority, a legal adult."
Hermione gasped, and Dumbledore paused, giving her time for the information to sink in.
"Sir... does this mean that I am legally an adult too?" Harry asked in wonderment. With a sigh, Dumbledore responded.
"Yes and No Harry. Wizard law does indeed now recognise you as a legal adult. But the protection spell your mother placed on you remains in place until you are 17, or until you no longer call your aunt's residence your home, whichever comes first. This means you have to spend at least 7 days a year there. I implore you to continue to do so. As long as you do, Voldemort cannot find you through magical means, nor attack you in your Aunt's home. Once the 7 days is passed, you are free to travel wherever you wish without being magically tracked by Voldemort--or anybody else for that matter, with the Trace having been removed as well."
Harry was flabbergasted. He wasn't even 13 yet. But now he had all the freedoms of an adult--at least after spending a week at the Dursleys'. Harry decided he could put up with 7 days of abuse at Vernon's hands if it meant that Voldemort couldn't track Harry down.
"Right then Professor," Harry began, his face breaking into a grin, "I'll agree to stay at least a week at my aunt's at the beginning of the summer. So that means I can go anywhere I want to afterwards?"
Professor Dumbledore nodded. His eyes sparkled in satisfaction. He had more to tell Harry, but that could wait until next weekend.
~o0o~
Hermione was a jumble of emotions. Shock and delight at being considered an adult in the wizard world, and at being able to perform magic outside of school perfectly legally. But horror and despair at being reminded that she still hadn't been able to bring herself to tell her parents about her furry little problem. Her parents would be expecting to see her at Easter, and she didn't know what to do.
Harry was determined to cheer Hermione up, and they still had the rest of Sunday afternoon to themselves.
"Come on Hermione. Let's go outside again for a bit."
"Alright Harry," replied a teary Hermione.
Harry stroked a furry ear, then he put his arm around Hermione and they made their way down to the lake again. They strolled through the woods on the outskirts of the Forbidden Forest. It was quiet and peaceful. Even the birds seemed to be whispering.
"Oh hello," said a girl's voice behind them, startling the pair.
Harry and Hermione turned around and spotted Padma and Parvati's blonde friend. She was wearing banana earrings today, and her big round dewy eyes were full of concern.
"Are you alright? Is someone being mean to you again?" the girl asked Hermione.
Hermione shook her head. She opened her mouth but no words came out. Harry just held her tightly.
"You're Parvati's friend aren't you? I don't think we've met," Harry said politely.
"I'm sorry." The girl blushed. "I'm Luna Lovegood. I thought you knew who I was but were just trying to avoid me like most people do. They call me Loony Lovegood usually."
Hermione stopped crying about her own problems and regarded Luna sympathetically. Harry frowned, wondering why so many wizards would treat each other so horribly just because they might be a bit different. He would have thought that wizards would be used to Different.
But so many wizards thought they were better than muggles and "halfbloods" and other magical beings. A lot of them--not just Slytherins--were just as bad as the Dursleys when it came to lashing out at anybody who wasn't thoroughly "normal."
"Oh, well I'm Hermione... Hermione Granger." Hermione wiped her tears with one hand, and smiled. "It's nice to meet you Luna. This is..."
"Harry Potter. Everybody knows Harry." Luna said evenly with a sweet smile, peering into his green eyes. "I'm really happy to meet you two finally. Parvati has told me so many good things about you both."
And now this Heir of Slytherin business. The only good thing was that this had all happened at Hogwarts, and he knew that Albus was nothing if not good at keeping a tight lid on things. But it was clear. Voldemort was reaching out from wherever in an attempt to return to the realm of the fully living. And he had seen Lucius try to curse Potter before his very eyes, right after a perfectly legal dismissal of his House-Elf.
Even if Poppy weren’t blowing little kisses in his ear and dragging him up to a room in Rosmerta’s inn, he had already decided to grant Dumbledore’s request to remove the Trace from Potter and Miss Granger.
~o0o~
Unlike most British wizards, even most muggleborns, Severus was highly knowledgeable in many muggle fields. He wasn’t just a Potions Master after all, he was a Spy. After turning away from the Dark Side, he had thrown himself into work to forget the horrors of his past. And for every hour he put into teaching potions, he put an hour into learning more about the muggle world so he could be useful to the Order.
They all knew it would only be a matter of time before Voldemort returned. And they needed someone who could gather intelligence and run operations in the muggle world. Severus had dedicated his life to the Order after Lily’s murder. But he knew it could never be enough to wipe her blood off his hands. Now, he had an opportunity to begin paying back a blood debt, the correct motivation to do so, and the means.
Severus went to work immediately, using magic to invade muggle computer networks and update information, to create electronic trails and fingerprints which would lead right back to Vernon Dursley’s desktop computer, his laptops, and his mobile devices.
He investigated their financial records and determined that Petunia and Dudley would still have a sizable--though modest--monthly income from the Evans’ Estate Trust. Severus determined that if Harry would have to spend even one week in this house a year that he could be asked to contribute some of his funds from the Potter vault too. Severus knew now, that Harry would have no compunctions about sharing what he had once things were explained to him.
Finally, late Sunday afternoon, Severus had completed the necessary preparations.
When the Dursleys arrived home in the morning, they would find a swarm of muggle authorities invading their home and confiscating all of Vernon Dursley’s computers and child pornography--images of small children being molested and beaten by adults. Among them they would find all of the surreptitious images Vernon had taken of Harry in various stages of undress over the years after Vernon had given him a beating. They would also find all the names and ip addresses of people he had shared Harry’s pictures with.
Vernon Dursley would never see the outside of a prison wall again.
Severus knew it would be painful to Harry to expose how extensive the abuse had been. But it had to be done. Harry had known only that he was being beaten. He didn’t know that images of his beaten body were being shared among other muggle psychos by his twisted uncle. Nor did Petunia or Dudley.
Severus owed Lily Evans his life. As much as he still could feel nothing personally but dislike for Petunia, she was Lily’s sister. She had suffered horribly, Harry had suffered horribly, and Severus would do whatever he could to protect the Evanses from ever having to suffer horribly again.
Even if that meant magically inventing all the imagery and electronic pathways which would put Vernon away for life. If Dumbledore had wanted this done cleanly, he would have gone through the Ministry and appealed for a waiver. Severus understood now that Dumbledore had intended this outcome.
~o0o~
Sunday morning, Harry and Hermione took their breakfast down by their favourite spot under the willow tree by the lake. They were both feeling pensive about the upcoming meeting with Headmaster at 3 that afternoon. Hermione looked particularly troubled. Her eyes filled with tears, her ears and tail wilted. Harry was alarmed.
“What’s wrong Hermione?”
“Harry... I... I don’t don’t know what to do. I... I still haven’t told my parents I’m half cat yet.”
Harry looked shocked.
“Are you serious? Why not? It’s been over a month now. We’re already into February.”
“I know Harry! I’m just frightened. I can’t go back to the muggle world like this. What will my parents say? What am I going to do? Look how bad it was trying to fit in here at first. I’ll never fit in back in the muggle world again... Except maybe in Japanese strip-clubs.” Hermione snorted tearfully, remembering the image of Professor Lockhart’s Neko “companion.”
Harry had been wondering about that himself. But he thought Hermione had already worked it out with her parents. Now he started worrying. Harry didn’t care what Dumbledore said about staying at the Dursleys, he wasn’t leaving Hermione to fend for herself, a cat-witch alone in a muggle world.
Harry couldn’t imagine Hermione having cruel parents. He wondered how hard they would take the news. He hoped they wouldn’t be angry with Hermione, or take her out of Hogwarts. But whatever they decided, Harry was determined that he would find a way to stay with her.
~o0o~
At 3 pm, Harry and Hermione were nervously sitting in the comfy armchairs that Dumbledore had conjured up for them. He peered at the two young wizards over the top of his half-moon glasses with gimlet eyes.
"Thank you for coming Harry, Miss Granger! Today, my main concern for discussion is your safety, at Hogwarts, in the Wizarding World, and in the Muggle World."
"As Harry has already discovered last summer much to his detriment, Miss Granger, in Britain the Ministry tracks the use of magic in the vicinity of young wizards. The Ministry achieves this by means of a spell called the Trace. It is activated in all young wizards when they are registered and it evaporates when they reach the age of majority, which for wizards is 17. Violation of the laws regarding the use of underage magic after a child has reached the age of 11 can potentially lead to expulsion from Hogwarts and the breaking of wands."
"This has now become a problematic situation for both of you. Miss Granger, I don't know what arrangements you have made with your parents, but it is clear that you will have grave difficulties finding a place in the muggle world. To say nothing of the wizard world, which is just as fraught with prejudice and cruelty. The obstacles and potential dangers you face may require you to use magic with some regularity."
"Harry, Lucius Malfoy made an attempt to attack you. It is possible that he, and others like him may try to do so again when you are not attending Hogwarts. Your mother's Enchantment will protect you from attack at #4 Privet Drive as long as you can call your Aunt's house your home."
"But be clear, it only protects you from being magically located by Voldemort and his minions. You will still be vulnerable to attacks if you run into the likes of Malfoy inadvertently when you are outside of your home."
"Also Harry, last summer, you were warned by the Ministry for an act of magic which you did not commit. Further warnings could lead to your expulsion from Hogwarts. This is untenable. You must be able to defend yourself from attacks, and also from legal actions against you."
"Therefore, I have obtained for both of you a special waiver from the Minister. The Trace has been lifted, and once removed, it cannot be replaced. Now in order to do that, an emancipation order must be filed for the youth in question. Which means, Miss Granger, that by wizard law, you are now of the age of majority, a legal adult."
Hermione gasped, and Dumbledore paused, giving her time for the information to sink in.
"Sir... does this mean that I am legally an adult too?" Harry asked in wonderment. With a sigh, Dumbledore responded.
"Yes and No Harry. Wizard law does indeed now recognise you as a legal adult. But the protection spell your mother placed on you remains in place until you are 17, or until you no longer call your aunt's residence your home, whichever comes first. This means you have to spend at least 7 days a year there. I implore you to continue to do so. As long as you do, Voldemort cannot find you through magical means, nor attack you in your Aunt's home. Once the 7 days is passed, you are free to travel wherever you wish without being magically tracked by Voldemort--or anybody else for that matter, with the Trace having been removed as well."
Harry was flabbergasted. He wasn't even 13 yet. But now he had all the freedoms of an adult--at least after spending a week at the Dursleys'. Harry decided he could put up with 7 days of abuse at Vernon's hands if it meant that Voldemort couldn't track Harry down.
"Right then Professor," Harry began, his face breaking into a grin, "I'll agree to stay at least a week at my aunt's at the beginning of the summer. So that means I can go anywhere I want to afterwards?"
Professor Dumbledore nodded. His eyes sparkled in satisfaction. He had more to tell Harry, but that could wait until next weekend.
~o0o~
Hermione was a jumble of emotions. Shock and delight at being considered an adult in the wizard world, and at being able to perform magic outside of school perfectly legally. But horror and despair at being reminded that she still hadn't been able to bring herself to tell her parents about her furry little problem. Her parents would be expecting to see her at Easter, and she didn't know what to do.
Harry was determined to cheer Hermione up, and they still had the rest of Sunday afternoon to themselves.
"Come on Hermione. Let's go outside again for a bit."
"Alright Harry," replied a teary Hermione.
Harry stroked a furry ear, then he put his arm around Hermione and they made their way down to the lake again. They strolled through the woods on the outskirts of the Forbidden Forest. It was quiet and peaceful. Even the birds seemed to be whispering.
"Oh hello," said a girl's voice behind them, startling the pair.
Harry and Hermione turned around and spotted Padma and Parvati's blonde friend. She was wearing banana earrings today, and her big round dewy eyes were full of concern.
"Are you alright? Is someone being mean to you again?" the girl asked Hermione.
Hermione shook her head. She opened her mouth but no words came out. Harry just held her tightly.
"You're Parvati's friend aren't you? I don't think we've met," Harry said politely.
"I'm sorry." The girl blushed. "I'm Luna Lovegood. I thought you knew who I was but were just trying to avoid me like most people do. They call me Loony Lovegood usually."
Hermione stopped crying about her own problems and regarded Luna sympathetically. Harry frowned, wondering why so many wizards would treat each other so horribly just because they might be a bit different. He would have thought that wizards would be used to Different.
But so many wizards thought they were better than muggles and "halfbloods" and other magical beings. A lot of them--not just Slytherins--were just as bad as the Dursleys when it came to lashing out at anybody who wasn't thoroughly "normal."
"Oh, well I'm Hermione... Hermione Granger." Hermione wiped her tears with one hand, and smiled. "It's nice to meet you Luna. This is..."
"Harry Potter. Everybody knows Harry." Luna said evenly with a sweet smile, peering into his green eyes. "I'm really happy to meet you two finally. Parvati has told me so many good things about you both."
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