Chapter 1 - Harry Potter Fan-fiction 1 - Harry McGonagall (2/2)

”I'm sorry!”

”Let me finish. I know you wouldn't really try to hurt me.” He took a deep breath. ”I said some mean things to you. I didn't mean them either.”

”You didn't?” she asked, finally daring to hope he didn't hate her.

”No. I don't hate you sis. I…um…love you.” He then hugged her and she returned the embrace, crying on his shoulder.

”I was so scared,” she said, ”I'm so glad you're ok.”

-HM-HM-HM-

Brianna ended up doing Harry's chores for a week. Their parents felt bad about punishing the girl after she'd been through so much, but they felt that a lack of punishment would encourage more rule-breaking. Aunt Minnie was thrilled to find out that Brianna was magical. They went to Little Salem that weekend and got Brianna her own wand (mahogany and dragon heartstring, 8 ½ inches) at the same shop from the same woman Harry ”DID NOT” have a crush on. This wand was a perfect match for Brianna. She borrowed her brother's first magic books and got her mom to help her read them. Cindy had begun teaching both of her kids to read when they turned three, but Brianna wasn't quite ready to read books like that on her own.

The summer came and went, with Brianna practicing her reading and spellwork in anticipation of attending Wentworth Witchcraft Elementary School. She began kindergarten that year as well. She turned out to be somewhat of a bookworm, and was at the top of her classes in both muggle and magical school. She did gain a few friends and went to some sleepovers. Harry wasn't happy when his sister invited her friends to sleepover at their house, and managed to arrange to spend the night at one of his friend's houses whenever the girls were staying at his house.

The McGonagalls got a Nintendo Entertainment System that included Super Mario Bros. and Duck Hunt the summer that Harry turned ten (Brianna was eight). Both siblings greatly enjoyed that, and were known to spend hours in the living room fighting Bowser and his allies to save Princess Toadstool. Harry enjoyed Duck Hunt a lot more than his sister, and would wait until one of his friends, either magical or muggle, would come over so he could compete with them.

That was the same year that he learned both defensive spells (he finally learned how to stun Brianna and told her so, causing her to pale) and modern magical history, which included a recent war in Europe fought over ridiculous prejudices. This particular war had been started by a dark wizard named Voldemort (Americans didn't fear the name because he hadn't terrorized them) and was ended by a boy named Harry Potter. No one knows what happened to the boy, who disappeared the day after Voldemort did. Some said he was killed by the same Death Eaters who tortured aurors Frank and Alice Longbottom into insanity. Others think he's alive and being trained as a dark wizard to take Voldemort's place. Still others simply think that someone hid him away in a good home where nobody knew who he was so that he'd be safe. The point was that no one knew what had become of him, except that his name was still down in the registry of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, which indicated that he wasn't dead.

Harry came home after the lesson on the demise of Voldemort excited to talk about it with his parents. He didn't know why, but the whole story of Voldemort seemed very interesting to him. ”Hi, mom!” he said after the 'Eagle Bus' took him and Brianna home from school. Once Harry had turned ten, his parents let him and Brianna take the magical bus to and from wizarding school on Saturdays. It went incredibly fast like a roller coaster, but had seatbelts so that you weren't thrown around when it made sharp turns or stopped. Their house was on the floo network, but both Harry and Brianna greatly enjoyed riding the bus, so their parents allowed it, figuring that it meant they didn't have to visit Six Flags Great America nearly as often, although they did end up going at least twice every summer – once with Mark's company before the park was open to the public (before the new rides were open), and once in August.

”Hi, Harry, Brianna!” said Cindy, ”How was school?”

”It was great! I learned a spell that will freeze a person until they get revived in Defense class, and about Voldemort and Harry Potter in History class!”

Cindy froze for a moment when Harry mentioned his true identity. She then decided to change the topic. ”What about potions, transfiguration, and herbology?”

”They were fine too, but this kid Harry Potter, who would be my age, he somehow killed the most powerful dark wizard alive nine years ago, and ended a war! But then he disappeared.”

”Did he?” asked a frightened Cindy who wasn't sure what to do.

”Yeah. Some say he's being taught to be a dark wizard. I hope they're wrong.”

”I'm sure they are,” said Cindy.

”I wonder if Aunt Minnie knew the Potters,” said Brianna, who'd heard the whole story while they were riding home. ”Harry said her boss, Professor Dumbledore, did.”

”I, er, am sure she did. They, er, probably were her students at one time.”

”Oh yeah,” said Brianna.

At that moment Mark walked in the house behind them. He'd had to work that Saturday.

”Maybe I can ask Aunt Minnie about Harry Potter to help with my report,” said Harry.

Mark coughed behind them at the mention of that name. ”H-Harry P-Potter?”

”Yeah. Did Aunt Minnie tell you anything about him? He went missing just a few months before we left England.”

Mark and Cindy looked at each other. Cindy nodded and then so did Mark. ”Kids, sit down and we'll tell you everything we know about Harry Potter.”

Harry smiled broadly. ”So she did tell you something about him! I knew it!”

Cindy said, ”Yes. The day after his parents died, she brought him to our house and asked us to raise him as our son.”

Harry frowned. ”And you said no? Why? I guess you were already planning on moving and had me. Did I play with him while he was visiting?”

Mark continued, ”I, I think you're missing the point.” He took a deep breath and looked at his son. ”You are Harry Potter. This is a complete secret and you can't tell anyone. Aunt Minnie transfigured your hair blonde and we had a doctor remove your scar. Your fingerprints were changed as well, but we kept your eyes the same color.”

Brianna was staring at her brother, who was looking astounded. ”I, I'm not your son?” He looked at Brianna. ”I, I'm not your brother?”

”You are as much a part of this family as any of us!” said Cindy sternly, ”And we love you every bit as much as Brianna!”

Harry seemed to relax a bit, but he was still in shock. ”I, I, Ok, they wanted to keep where I am a secret so no one could get revenge. I, I guess I understand. I suppose as a kid I could've blabbed it. So Dumbledore lied when he said I disappeared to throw the Death Eaters off the track.”

Mark answered. ”No. He dropped you off at your only living relatives' house like a milk bottle. Aunt Minnie had watched them all day and saw that they were the worst kind of people you could imagine, and she remembered terrible things Lily Potter had said about them. That Dumb-Old-Dork didn't bother trying to meet them. He simply went to the house and left you on the doorstep with a note. Five months later he checked on you to find you were missing.”

Cindy continued, ”She took you as soon as he left. She would've raised you herself, but she knew that Dumbledore would've found out and put you with those people. So she had to find someone to take care of you.”

”You,” said Harry.

”Yes,” said Mark. ”She brought you to us and we happily welcomed you to our family. We claimed you'd been dropped on our doorstep and we had no idea who you were, and adopted you. Dumbledore has no idea. When you go to Hogwarts, you need to try to keep that secret. First because I don't think you want everybody staring at you like an exhibit from the zoo. Secondly, because it could get your Aunt Minnie, maybe even us, in trouble. Thirdly, Dumbledore will probably want to send you to those people.”

”I understand,” said Harry. ”I won't tell anyone.”

Mark smiled. ”I know, but there are magical ways to find out anyway.”

”One of my teachers mentioned Leg-legillmonky.”

Mark chuckled. ”Legilimency. What do you know about it?”

”That it requires eye contact, so I shouldn't look him in the eyes.”

Cindy continued, ”Or another Professor named Snape. He's also a Legilimens. But there is a defense against it called Occlumency. Aunt Minnie learned it right after she, well, kidnapped you so that she wouldn't be found out. She gave us a book on it. It seems even muggles can learn to protect their minds. She sent us the book once we came into contact with the wizarding world.”

”When I started magic school,” stated Harry.

”Exactly. We'd like you two to read it and start learning. It's more important for Harry to learn it first since he's going to Hogwarts soon, but you both should learn it. Your magic school has a strict policy against reading the minds of students, but if you ever feel that one of your teachers is looking straight into your soul, break eye contact immediately.”

”All right,” both kids replied.

”By the way, we're going to be spending the summer in England with Aunt Minnie,” said Mark.

”Yes…No!” said Brianna. ”We won't be able to practice magic there.”

Minerva had explained that the ministry didn't detect underage magic in wizarding homes, but had also sworn them to secrecy about that fact, giving them a story to tell the kids. Mark said, ”Don't tell anyone, but because you're from America, you're allowed to do magic in Aunt Minnie's house as long as no one but family is there.”

Cindy continued, ”She does want you to meet other kids, though. The muggleborn students are going to have an orientation at her house a few days after we arrive. She wants both of you there as well since we're muggles, although technically your dad is a squib.”

”Why me?” asked Brianna, ”I won't be going to Hogwarts until Harry's third year.”

”She thinks you'd be rather bored otherwise, and that you may enjoy meeting some children, even if they are Harry's age,” answered Cindy.

Harry then got an angry look on his face. ”Voldemort murdered my real parents!”

”Yes,” said Mark, ”but I doubt it'll help for you to be angry at someone you somehow already got rid of.”

”I guess not.” Harry then smiled. ”So, does my true identity mean I can get my presents on July 31st instead of August 12th this year?”

”I'm afraid that would blow your cover,” said Brianna with a smirk.

”Besides, Aunt Minnie intended on inviting any of the muggleborn students you liked to a birthday party on August 12th, but if you don't want one, that's fine,” said Mark.

”No, that's fine. I can keep my birthday as it is.”

-HM-HM-HM-

The months passed quickly, and at the end of the school year, Harry bid goodbye to his friends, telling the muggle friends he'd be attending a private school in Scotland, while telling his wizarding friends he was going to Hogwarts.

-HM-HM-HM-

Minerva was getting nervous as she waited for her family to arrive. She'd entered both Harry and Brianna McGonagall's names on the list at Hogwarts when they'd performed their first accidental magic, and had casually 'let it slip' that her nephew had magical kids who would be attending so that it wouldn't come as a surprise that the headmaster would investigate. She was also glad that Harry already knew who he was, and he was keeping it secret. She was proud of how quickly they'd devoured the Occlumency book and how much effort they'd put into learning it, but she knew she'd have to actually test their shields to find out how well they were doing. It was imperative that Harry be a master Occlumens as soon as possible, preferably before his first class with Snape.

That was another thing Albus did that she didn't understand. Ever since he'd hired that insufferable git (not that she'd actually call him that) his absolutely blatant favoritism of the Slytherins made a complete mockery of the point system. Breathing seemed to be Snape's main reason for taking points from Gryffindors and adding points to Slytherins. According to the school records, the man had never taken a point from a Slytherin or given a point to a Gryffindor in the ten or so years he'd been working there. She pointed out all these facts, along with accounts from dozens of witnesses from every house but Slytherin, and Albus completely ignored it, saying that he trusted Snape. She'd even shown him pensieve memories from students that proved Snape didn't even teach. He simply put instructions on the board and started taking points from Gryffindors. For that reason, no house but Slytherin had won the House Cup since he'd become the head of Slytherin house.

She honestly wondered what was wrong with the headmaster. Ever since she'd realized how foolish Albus had been regarding Harry, she'd started questioning many of the decisions he'd made. For example, he'd hired a complete fraud who enjoyed predicting student deaths as Divination teacher at about the same time he'd hired Snape. Now he'd just asked her to help him set up protections to guard the Philosopher's Stone at Hogwarts. Why would a school be used to guard anything but children? What if some dark wizard came to the school looking for the stone? He might kill every student he sees along the way before he gets to the obstacles protecting the stone. What if a student, accidentally or purposely, came across Hagrid's three-headed dog?

She had slowly begun to believe that Albus Dumbledore wasn't actually that good of a headmaster. He seemed to have his own agenda that superseded his responsibility to the students – to provide a high quality education in a safe environment conducive to learning. She knew he wasn't a dark wizard, and that he probably had the best intentions, with what he felt was the greater good at heart, but hiring bad teachers and making Hogwarts more dangerous shouldn't have been an option. He quite obviously didn't have the students' best interests at heart. She sighed, figuring that there was nothing she could do about it anyway and continued waiting for her family at the airport.

-HM-HM-HM-

”Aunt Minnie!” shouted Harry and Brianna happily as they ran toward Professor McGonagall with outstretched arms.

”Harry! Brianna!” she said as they each in turn embraced her. ”Mark and Cindy, it's good to see you as well!”

”I'm just glad my job let me have this long of a vacation!”

”So am I!” said Minnie. ”We'll all have to take the Knight Bus to my house and discuss a few issues that I'm concerned about.”

-HM-HM-HM-

After a ride wherein everyone was tossed around the bus, Cindy McGonagall walked up to Stan Shunpike and shouted, ”WHY THE HELL DON'T YOU HAVE SEATBELTS!? THE BUS LIKE THIS IN AMERICA DOES! They realize that passengers probably don't want to be tossed all over the bus during the ride! My kids probably have brand new bumps and bruises thanks to you!”

Stan stared at her. ”I'm sorry we have offended you ma'am. What's a seatbelt?”

After she very patiently cured the ignorance of the Knight Bus conductor, he said, ”Wow! That's a great idea. Did you hear that, Ernie?”

-HM-HM-HM-

Once they were settled in McGonagall Manor (thanks to the help of a house elf named Blinky – much to the annoyance of the Americanized and anti-slavery McGonagalls), which was located in Scotland, Minerva sat in the living room with her guests. ”Well since I'm the Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts who writes the Hogwarts letters, I already have Harry McGonagall's ready. Professor Dumbledore has asked me to send one to Harry Potter on his birthday as well. I shall have to dissemble yet again and claim that it was returned unopened. I just hope he doesn't ask me to keep trying.”

”That would be funny,” said Harry, ”To send a whole flock of owls after me.” Brianna laughed.

”That reminds me. Do you have an owl?” asked Minerva.

”No. My American friends all had telephones, even the wizarding ones.”

”I'd like to get you one so that you can keep in contact with the friends you make here. Just remember not to try sending it across the ocean to your family over the school year. To talk to them, I'll get you your own mirror.”

His face lit up from that news. ”Thanks, Aunt Minnie!”

Brianna frowned for a few seconds but said nothing.

Minnie said, ”I'll also be getting a mirror for you, Brianna. I'd imagine that you may wish to speak to your brother without your parents listening in. Would you like an owl now or when you start at Hogwarts?”

The nine year old girl smiled brightly. ”Now, please.”

”Having a pet is a responsibility, both of you,” said Cindy, ”You'll have to take care of them.”

”Yes, mom,” they both said together.

Minerva looked at Harry. ”Now, as I understand it, when you got your wand, you were told that it wasn't a perfect match.”

”Yes, but it's worked so far,” he said defensively.

”I'm sure that it's a fine wand, but you'll get the best results with the wand that suits you best. I have a suspicion I've never voiced that the wand meant for a witch or wizard always somehow makes its way to the wand shop closest to where that person was born. In Brianna's case, it was Little Salem, but in your case, it would be Ollivander's shop in Diagon Alley. I would like to visit there tomorrow when we pick up Harry's school supplies.”

”We're going there tomorrow?” asked Mark.

”Yes,” Minerva said simply, ”and while we're there, I'd like to resolve another issue. I know that James and Lily Potter left an inheritance for their son at Gringotts, though I'm not entirely sure what it consists of. The goblins there are very discrete. They don't normally disclose any information about the activity of accounts or who visits Gringotts. You can even ask them to be even more discreet than usual. Er, just remember to be polite.”

”Are you asking us to take Harry to Gringotts claiming his real identity?” asked Mark.

”Yes,” said Minerva, earning surprised looks all around. ”Not publicly. Simply ask for a private meeting when you arrive and tell the goblin you speak to that this is confidential, and that Harry is indeed Harry Potter.”

”And they'll believe us?” asked Cindy skeptically.

”Of course not, but they'll take a small sample of his blood.”

”They're gonna stick me with a needle? No way!”

”Actually they'll prick your finger with a knife, but heal it once they get the blood. They'll then be able to create a new key to your vault, and at the same time the existing key will disappear, right out of Albus' safe.” She smiled briefly. ”He will eventually notice that the key disappeared and will probably ask the goblins if they made a new key for your vault. You should specifically say you don't want Professor Dumbledore to know about it. Fortunately, his form of Legilimency doesn't work on goblins, only humans.” She then looked at her niece and nephew. ”Have you been practicing your Occlumency?”

”Yes, Aunt Minnie,” said Harry, putting up his shields as his sister did the same. He soon felt a pressure move against his shields. At first it was gentle, and then it got gradually stronger as he kept her out. Finally she dropped the attack for a moment and Harry relaxed, only to be attacked at this momentary weakness. He soon found himself reliving some of the most wonderful moments of his life – birthday parties, Christmas mornings, the first time he saw his sister, and when he learned he was magical.

”You did very well, Harry, except that you relaxed too soon. Truthfully, unless you give them reason to suspect you, that's the strongest attack you'll get. But if they do become suspicious, they'll attack much harder than that, especially Snape. We'll need to work on this every day this summer, and into the school year, as necessary.”

”Yes, Aunt Minnie.”

”Now I'll test Brianna's defenses.”

Brianna turned out to be a bit easier to read than Harry, and also agreed to work on it that summer, and then to continue working on it after they left so that hopefully the next time they saw each other, Aunt Minnie wouldn't be able to read her mind.

-HM-HM-HM-

The first stop they made was at Gringotts. Minerva did not accompany them inside the bank out of fear of being recognized. Mark walked up to the teller. ”Excuse me. My family and I would like to talk with someone who can handle accounts in private.”

”Yes, sir,” said the goblin. ”Wait in that room.” He pointed at an open door on the other side of the room. They walked into the room that had a rectangular table with six uncomfortable wooden chairs around it. They all sat down and waited.

After fifteen minutes, a goblin walked in. ”Hello. My name is Griphook. May I ask your identities?”

”My name is Mark McGonagall.”

”Are you of any relation to Minerva McGonagall?”

”Yes. She's my aunt. This is my wife Cindy and my daughter Brianna. The boy's identity is to be a complete secret from everybody, including Albus Dumbledore. Will you agree to that?”

”Yes, of course. We here at Gringotts are most discreet. Who is the boy?”

”This is my adopted son, Harry Potter. He would like to find out what inheritance he has coming.”

The goblins eyes flicked up to where the scar should be.

”We had his scar hidden through a muggle operation, for obvious reasons. His hair and fingerprints have also been altered. The name he goes by is Harry Mark McGonagall.”

”We will have to take some of his blood to prove your claim. May I ȧssume that you do not possess his vault key?”

”That's correct,” Harry said as he held out his hand, closing his eyes tightly. His sister looked away.

After a slight irritation on his finger, Harry opened his eyes to see that the wound was healed and his blood was dropping into the top of a miniature replica of Gringotts that hadn't been on the table a moment ago. A few seconds after the drop of blood entered the bank's chimney, the doors opened and a key stuck out of them. Griphook pulled the key out, and a small piece of paper like a receipt came out the doors behind the key. The goblin took it out as well and read, ”Harry James Potter has inherited the Potter vault.”

-HM-HM-HM-

After a quick ride to the vault, the stacks of gold impressed the whole family. Harry took some, but not much because his mom wouldn't let him ”…waste your entire inheritance in one day!” They met up with Minerva at Flourish and Blotts, where they found her immersed in a magical romance novel. She put it away immediately and complained about the poor quality of writing. Cindy put it in their basket when Minnie wasn't watching, intent on giving it to her for Christmas. Harry got his school books, as well as the updated version of 'Hogwarts, a History.' He then noticed a book called, 'Quidditch Through the Ages' and asked, ”Can I get a broom?”

”Harry,” said Minerva, ”I'm afraid first years can't have brooms.”

”Sorry,” said Mark, ”But you can have the book.”

-HM-HM-HM-

They got a few other books, one of which because it talked about 'the Boy-Who-Lived-and-Vanished' that presented all the main theories about him, including that he'd been vaporized from the curse Voldemort sent, only a day late.

They visited Ollivander's and showed him Harry's wand. ”Oh yes. Not one of mine. Beechwood and phoenix feather, nine inches. A good match, but not a perfect one.”

”He was born in England, but we moved to America when he was a child. We got the wand there. The saleslady knew it wasn't a perfect match and gave us a discount,” said Cindy.

”Oh yes, that American rubbish about letting kids run amok with wands before they can read,” he muttered to himself. ”We'll try a few wands with phoenix feather cores.”

After trying a few that all seemed close matches like the wand Harry already had, finally the wandmaker took a wand out saying, ”I wonder.”

As soon as the wand found itself in Harry's hand, he felt a sudden warmth in his fingers. He raised the wand above his head, brought it swishing down through the dusty air and a stream of red and gold sparks shot from the end like a firework, throwing dancing spots of light onto the walls.

Ollivander cried, ”Oh bravo!” He frowned for a second, and looked as though he were going to say something but changed his mind. ”That'll be seven Galleons, Mr. McGonagall.”

After Mark paid, Minerva said, ”Let's go to the owl emporium so I can keep my promise, and then we'll get some ice cream.

-HM-HM-HM-

After Harry picked out a female snowy owl he named Hedwig and Brianna picked out a mostly brown male eagle owl with striking orange eyes she named Barnabus, they went for ice cream and finally back to Aunt Minnie's house.

The house actually belonged to both Minerva and Mark equally as the McGonagall ancestral home, and upon Minerva's death it would fall to Mark and his heirs (although whenever they spoke of that, he said that she may yet fall in love and have kids, which irritated her and made her blush at the same time). It had several rooms spread out over four floors. Minerva had it decorated very conservatively in Gryffindor colors.

At precisely four p.m. the day after their trip to Diagon Alley, a large group of people all holding onto a length of rope landed in a heap on the floor (which had just been treated with a cushioning charm) of a large hall in McGonagall Manor. It had red carpet with very light pastel gold colored walls. The group consisted of Hagrid, the new muggleborn students, and their families. Harry's family was already waiting for them with Aunt Minnie.

Professor McGonagall walked to the front of the room. In her most professional voice and a friendly demeanor, she said, ”Welcome, everybody. I am Professor McGonagall, - Transfiguration teacher, Head of Gryffindor House, and Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts. Thank you for coming to the orientation.”

The hand of a small brown-bushy-haired girl came up immediately.

”Yes, Miss...”

”Granger, Hermione Granger. I was wondering. You see the rest of us met Hagrid at the Leaky Cauldron. I was wondering who that family is.” She spoke quickly out of nervousness.

Minerva smiled. ”It might be a good idea for us all to introduce ourselves. That particular family consists of my nephew, Mark McGonagall, his wife Cindy, and their children, Harry and Brianna. Harry will be starting at Hogwarts this year and Brianna will be starting in a few years. They are spending the summer here before all but Harry return to America, where they've been living for several years.

”In America, they don't have the underage restriction on magic that we do here, so Harry and Brianna have both been attending a magic school, as well as a muggle school, since they were five years old. They thought this would be an excellent opportunity to meet some of the students that will be Harry's classmates. Miss Granger, why don't you introduce your family?”

After everyone (including Dean Thomas and Justin Finch-Fletchley's families) had introduced themselves, Hermione's hand went up again, causing Harry to smile. ”Yes, Miss Granger?” said Minerva.

”Actually, I'd like to ask Harry and Brianna what it's like in the American wizarding school, and what did they teach.” Harry and Brianna both put their heads down, attempting to hide their blushing faces.

Minnie looked at her nephew and niece. ”Harry, why don't you answer first?”

”Um, well, at the school we go to, I mean I used to go to, we wear regular clothes and use pencils, pens, and paper instead of quills, ink, and parchment like at Hogwarts. That'll probably take getting used to. We had a spell for sharpening pencils though. I learned Latin and wand handling, along with the basics of almost every class at Hogwarts. I'll find out how much it helped me this September.”

Brianna added, ”It was nice to be able to learn magic, although I had to wait six months for a new term to begin after I learned I was a witch. They let you in that school once you've done your first accidental magic, and then you learn how to control it, so accidents became much less frequent.”

Hermione said, ”I wish I'd had that opportunity. Of course, I'm ever so pleased to be able to attend Hogwarts. I've read all of the class books and a few more besides, but I wish I'd had the opportunity to try out the spells.”

”You all will have that opportunity at Hogwarts. The restriction of underage magic applies to all the students who have been raised in Europe, and no one else who was raised in America will be attending Hogwarts. Most students, even the ones born to magical families, will be starting at the same point as you. Are there any more questions?” She waited a few moments, but no hands were raised. ”Now I will show you the way meals are served at Hogwarts.” She pointed at a table with her hands, and instantly a Hogwarts' style feast appeared.

Harry sat down first and began to fill his plate when Hermione sat down next to him. ”Hello, Harry,” she said. Her face began to get pink. ”I, er, was wondering if you could be, er, my study partner.”

For a reason he couldn't fathom, his face began to turn pink too. ”What exactly do you mean?”

She looked down at the table. ”Er, to do class work and homework together, to study together.”

”Oh, you mean like friends.”

”Well, yes. Almost like friends.”

Harry wondered why she'd say, 'Almost like friends' as though she never had friends before. He suspected it was her obviously studious nature that classified her as a bookworm that prevented her from gaining friends. ”Sorry, can't do it,” he said with a grin.

”I'm…sorry to have bothered you,” she said as she began to get up. She sounded like she was about to cry.

”If you want, we can be friends, and study together as well. But I'm not good at being 'almost like friends.'”

She sat back down with a huge grin that showed her buckteeth, but more importantly it showed real happiness. ”Friends? Do you mean it?”

He now knew he was right and she didn't have many, if any, friends. ”Of course I mean it. Look, Aunt Minnie just got me an owl. I'll send you a letter every week until school starts. We'll sit together on the train.”

She looked down. ”I, er, don't have an owl.”

”Then I'll have my owl wait for your reply. I'll introduce you to her after dinner.”

In her excitement, she hugged Harry for a moment and then pulled her hands back and blushed furiously. ”Er, thanks,” she said.

”You're welcome, Hermione.”

The hug didn't go unnoticed by the others at the table. The Grangers were thrilled to see that their little girl seemed to have made a friend. They suspected she had a crush on him as well. Brianna knew she had something to harass her brother with for the rest of the summer and probably well into the school year. The boys figured that Harry was just as much of a bookworm/teacher's pet as Hermione seemed to be – probably worse since he was related to a teacher. They knew that they didn't want to be friends with either of them.

After they were done eating, Harry and Hermione snuck out of the huge room and went to his bedroom. Hermione was impressed as she looked around the mansion. ”I wish I had time to show you the library,” said Harry.

Her eyes widened. ”There's a library here?”

He chuckled. When they got to his room, Blinky was in there dusting. Hermione let out a small shriek.

”It's all right, Hermione. Blinky is a house elf. Blinky, I told you that you don't have to clean my room for me.”

”Blinky is sorry, Master Harry. But Blinky is knowing you isn't supposed to be here now.”

”It's all right. I'd like you to meet my new friend, Hermione Granger.” Hermione smiled at being introduced as his friend.

Blinky bowed low. ”It is an honor meeting your Grangy, sir.”

Hermione asked, ”Are you their butler or something?”

”I is Blinky the house elf, bound to serve the McGonagall family forever,” he said proudly as he wore a fancy linen that displayed an ornate 'M' on it.

”Serve? You mean like a slave? You don't get paid.” Her face fell.

”Of course Blinky isn't being paid,” he answered patiently, knowing that she was a muggle-born and didn't understand many wizarding customs.

Hermione turned to Harry. ”You own a slave?”

”No, I don't own a slave. Aunt Minnie does. My family lives in America. Elves aren't slaves there. My dad tried to talk her into freeing Blinky, but she wouldn't hear of it.”

Blinky now looked terrified. ”You…your family isn't wanting Blinky if you is inheriting McGonagall mansion?”

”Not as a slave,” said Harry. ”I'm sure dad wouldn't kick you out on the street, though. But you don't have to worry; I'm sure Aunt Minnie will be around for many years.”

”Y-yes sir. Blinky must go now,” he said as though in a trance, ”back to the kitchen to get the plates.”

”The kitchen?” asked Hermione. ”You cooked the food we ate, didn't you?”

”Yes. Didn't you like it?”

”It was wonderful.” She then turned to Harry. ”You knew it was made by slave labor but ate the food anyway?”

”If I refused to eat, all that would accomplish is me starving to death. I'm staying here all summer.”

”Oh, I see your point. But there must be something we can do.”

”I hope so. Aunt Minnie is nice to Blinky, but there are some masters who punish their elves.”

”P-punish,” she said with a horrified expression.

”I should say torture. They order their elves to do things like bang their heads on walls and iron their hands.”

Hermione's eyes were starting to tear. ”Iron their hands?”

”It's disgusting! Even Aunt Minnie is against that. Thank goodness that doesn't happen to the elves at Hogwarts.”

”Wait. Hogwarts has house elves.”

”Probably more than any other place in Europe. You heard my aunt. 'Now I'll show you…”

”…the way meals are served at Hogwarts.” She sighed. ”Now I'm not sure if I…”

”Please don't change your mind. At least they're not tortured there. Maybe we can do something about the house elf enslavement. If you don't go, there won't be anyone there who agrees with me.”

She smiled at her first friend. ”Maybe we can make a difference. What if we form a club and give away information to students. Maybe we can call it,” she paused, ”The Society for the Promotion of Elvish Welfare.”

”No, people would call us spew. We need it to be something good.” He paused and smiled. ”What about 'Community for Advancing the Rights of Elves?' C.A.R.E.”

”That's perfect!” declared Hermione.

”Maybe I can spend some of my inheritance on this,” he said without thinking.

”What inheritance?” she asked.

He shook his head. ”Oh, never mind. I, um, don't want to talk about it.”

”Oh. I'm sorry. It's none of my business if you've inherited from someone.”

”That's fine. I do have some money I should be able to use to start it.”

”Maybe we can get badges and sell them to try to make more money for our literature so that you don't have to keep funding it. I'll also talk to my parents and see if they'll donate any money. We'll definitely need to stay in contact to prepare. You were going to introduce me to your owl.”

”Yeah.” He walked up to the snowy owl that was perched in his room. ”Hedwig, this is my friend Hermione.”

”Hello, Hedwig. You are adorable!” Hedwig hooted in agreement.

”We'll be asking you to carry letters between us this summer. Is that all right, girl?” She hooted again. Harry patted her on the head and then said, ”We'd better be headed back.”

”I never would've expected my brother to sneak a girl to his room less than an hour after meeting her,” said Brianna with a smirk from the doorway. Hermione's face turned red with embarrassment while Harry's turned pink with anger.

”What are you following me for, you little snoop? I ought to hex you!”

”For your information, Aunt Minnie sent me to find Hermione before the portkey left without her.”

”Oh yes,” said Hermione recovering. ”I've got to go. It was great to meet you! Owl me.” She ran off, leaving the siblings alone.

”So, my brother's got a girlfriend.”

He blushed. ”I do not! She's just my friend!”

”And she's a girl.”

”But not girlfriend.”

”Do you think she's cute?” His face was totally red now. ”Ah ha! You do think your girlfriend's cute!” She turned around and left, closing the door behind her, thus insuring that she had the last word.”

-HM-HM-HM-

The weeks passed swiftly, with Harry and Hermione owling back and forth at least twice a week. During the first week, Hermione surprised him by sending a wallet-sized photo of herself that had been taken during the last school year. He decided that he would be expected to send her a picture as well. Unfortunately for him, Brianna walked in the room when Harry asked his parents for a picture to send Hermione. If his dad hadn't grabbed the wand out of Harry's pocket, he would've hexed her. That was when Harry decided to start carrying both of his wands.

He soon got his parents to take him back to Diagon Alley (with Brianna as well), and after talking about C.A.R.E. with his parents, they agreed to let him take out money to order fifty badges and some literature. They met the Grangers at Fortesque's ice cream right after the trip to the bank, and they went to a shop that made magical badges. The Grangers insisted that they paid for half of the C.A.R.E. badges once Harry and Hermione agreed on a simple design that only used the sticking charm.

They also bought books that they believed would help them create the literature, and after Mark noticed a man with long blond hair, fancy robes, and a fancy cane kicking a house elf, he ran into a nearby shop and bought a camera. He found them again and got a few great zoomed in shots of the elf being hit with the cane and kicked as they made their way toward Knockturn Alley. One photo focused on the elf's appearance in a filthy tea towel with bruises all over his body. One photo did include the wizard's face.

”Must be a respected member of high society,” hissed Mark loathfully. ”Anyway, I think one of these photos should be good for the cover of your literature. Just make sure not to show that jerk's face or he'll probably sue or something for defamation of his lack-of-character.”

-HM-HM-HM-

Harry finally got to show the McGonagall library to Hermione on his birthday, when she spent most of the day at the Manor. She was simply amazed at the size of the library, and how many out-of-print books were inside. She found tomes on almost every topic, including a diary written by hand that actually described the way that some wizards started harassing a group of elves because they were small and looked funny. The elves fought back after several had been tortured to death. Only one of the wizards survived (the one who wrote the diary), and he told a different story to his fellow wizards, wherein the elves attacked them unprovoked. At the end of a long and bloody war, European elves were forced into signing a magical contract with almost every old pureblood wizarding family that their descendents would serve the wizards' descendants forever. Fortunately some elves refused to sign it, and soon became fugitives, outcasts of society who eventually fled to the new world when it was discovered. Aunt Minnie paled when they showed her that, asking her to magically copy that for them.

After that, they'd had the party, where Harry hadn't invited anyone else but the Grangers and his own family. His dad got him two wand holsters that could attach to a belt or tie onto either an arm or leg. They'd been charmed to repel summoning spells, and were invisible to everyone but the wearer once they were properly attached. The wands could not accidentally fall out or be removed with physical force by anyone but the wearer. If it was on your wrist, the wearer could set a magic word he or she could say to have it shot into his hand (like a spring pushed the wand out of the holster). Harry was thrilled that he had such a great way to keep both of his wands with him, one on each wrist. He practiced catching his wands with either hand when shot out of the holster. Fortunately each holster let the owner set the magic words. Harry chose 'Old Wand' for his left and 'New Wand' for his right. However, when they started flying out of his holsters during normal conversations about his wands, he changed it to 'Old Sparks' and 'New Sparks.'

Aunt Minnie gave him a ten pound (weightless got the attention of muggles) seven compartment trunk so that he could be better organized at school. She also gave him a weightless double-capacity book bag that she claimed came free with the trunk. Hermione really wanted one of them.

The Grangers gave Harry a fancy magical stationery set complete with special quills, ink, and parchment.

-HM-HM-HM-

Before he knew it, Harry was at Kings Cross Station and pushing a trolley through Platform Nine-and-Three-Quarters. He'd managed to completely keep Minerva out of his mind for the first time the day before. His family soon joined him as he gazed in awe at the train. He still had the model of it that his aunt had given him, but there was something special about seeing the real thing.

”Hello, Harry,” greeted Hermione from behind him. He turned and saw the Grangers, along with several other families, including a very large group of redheads.

”Hi, Hermione,” he replied with a smile, ”We should say goodbye to our families and get a compartment.” She nodded and Harry walked to his family, hugging them each, even Brianna, in turn. ”I'll talk to you tonight in our mirrors,” he whispered to his sister before kissing her on the cheek. He then looked at all three of them. ”I love you.”

”We love you, too,” said Cindy as she kissed his cheek one last time. ”I'm so proud of you!”

Together Harry McGonagall and Hermione Granger boarded the Hogwarts Express.

-HM-HM-HM-

Chapter end