Chapter 4

The following week was rough on everyone as the Dr.'s Granger had to get used to their little girl now being married at the age of fifteen, but also for Harry and Hermione for pretty much the same reason. Dan spent several hours the first couple of days with Emma in the study talking to the portrait of Danielle Granger, who had been the last Lady Granger, painted 300 years earlier, and filling her in on as much family and world history as they could. Dan assured her he would dig through the old family archives and bring in more information soon.

Dan had the "That's my daughter and I don't want her mother or I to be grandparents before you graduate school" speech, and Harry had professed that they had talked about that the first night and had decided that after Hogwarts they would see what Universities would have them and have children after they graduated. This went a long way to helping the adult Grangers accept Harry as family.

Harry and Hermione went on several dates over the next three weeks both in Glasgow and Diagon Alley and about a month before they returned to school consummated their marriage, three times that first night and twice the following morning, needless to say they didn't make it down until lunch that day. Not that Emma and Dan noticed as, from the sounds occasionally heard coming from their room over the last several weeks, they had been doing a fair amount of consummating themselves.

That week brought several other surprises to the happy, little group; Hedwig flew in one day with a letter from Sirius,

Harry,

This wonderful owl appeared out of nowhere three days ago, just as I was about to start this letter. It wasn't until I found the Potter Crest on the collar that I knew she was yours. They have a great ability to know when someone close to the family needs to send a letter, and will normally, happily deliver said letter. This one reminds me of the Potter Manor owl, Hamlet, which would deliver your father's mail to Hogwarts. I digress, since my escape I have made my way somewhere safe and am slowly regaining my health. Fear not for my sanity for as your father and our friends would tell you. I never really had that much. Know that I miss you and am sorry I let my anger influence my decisions that night. Dumbledore says he has a way to bring me back this school year, so I will hopefully see you soon.

Your doddering Dogfather,

Sirius Orion Black

After a quick conference with Hermione and her parents Harry wrote a letter back to him.

Sirius,

It was wonderful to hear from you, we are glad you are doing better. Hedwig and Hamlet are probably related as I found out that there is only one family that breeds the Snow Owl. I can't explain in this letter, but DO NOT TRUST DUMBLEDORE at this point, certain things just do not add up. Please check yourself and ALL possessions for tracking charms and once removed, this letter is a portkey and will get you safely through the wards. Remember Sirius, I am my father's son.

Harry

Harry had sealed the letter and was placing it on the counter when Hedwig appeared and stuck out her leg, "It is okay girl, get some food and have a bit of a rest and you can take it later tonight". Hedwig nipped at his fingers and stood there with her leg out, "Fine, fine, you can take it now, just rest for a couple of days before heading home okay". Hedwig nipped his ear and flew out the window to deliver her message to Sirius.

To say Molly was upset would have been an understatement, she was making Mt. Vesuvius look like a third graders science project. The Senior Auror guarding the Ministry cells was more than happy to sign the paperwork to turn over the extremely boorish Molly and lump of human matter Ronald Weasley (soon to be No Name) over to Dumbledore as quickly as possible.

Albus was having an awful couple of weeks ever since retrieving the ex Weasley's. Molly's anger was such that no matter the strongest Silencing Charm, she could still be heard. On top of that he'd had to blood adopt "The Human Garbage Disposal" just to get him back into Hogwarts for the coming year.

Ron was oblivious, all he knew was that he had no chores to do and that when the summer was over he would apologize to Harry and ask Hermione to be his girlfriend again; this time he'd be sly and ask her while rubbing her butt, all girls liked their butts rubbed. He would sometimes ask where the rest of the family was but would forget about them as soon as Molly put food in front of him.

Draco Malfoy was having one of the best summers he could remember, him and his father had just returned from the Quidditch World Cup and while the game was exciting to watch it was the after show that really had him smiling. Watching ten Death Eaters (dad included) juggle that muggle family was great and the fact that it was in the middle of tens of thousands of witch's and wizard's and none of them did anything to stop it only proved to him that true power came from fear. This year he'd break Potter and that Mudblood Bitch he always had with him

Hermione stared down at the paper reading the article about the Dark Mark appearing at the QWC and sighed in relief that they had refused the Ministers offer of tickets to spend more time with her parents and new husband; though thanks to the goblins, nobody but themselves knew about "the husband". Hermione wondered how long that would last once they got back to Hogwarts.

They'd been on the train for about an hour; they were in a car with Neville, the Twins, Ginny and a girl Ginny introduced as Luna Lovegood when Draco and his anal warts opened the door and sneered in. "Well I see they still have the losers car and you and the Mud..." That was as far as he got before Harry, moving at speeds honed on the quidditch pitch, sank a fist into Draco's stomach and brought a knee into his face as he doubled over. "There's a mundane sport called baseball, in it you're given three strikes before you're out consider this strike one. Crabbe, Goyle neither of you need to share "The Ferret's" fate, get your leader out of here before anything else happens to him".

As Goyle grabbed one of Draco's arms he let the charmed note slip out like he had practiced all summer. He knew he was not very smart, but could see that every time he had been with Draco and they had faced Harry Potter that Harry had always come out on top and that Harry always had the backing of friends that were not being paid but actually liked him. He had become good friends with Millicent Bulstrode over the last couple of years and both were looking for a better life.

Collin Creavey knocked on the carriage door sometime later and after saying hello to Harry and getting a picture of everyone in the car remembered why he had knocked in the first place. "Harry, I was walking to my car when I saw this in front of your door and thought you might have dropped it". "Thanks Collin, hey could you get us copies of the picture you just took? Let me know how much the materials cost and I'll pay you for them". Collin nodded yes as he left the car to continue on to his friends, the twins, Ginny and Luna also left to visit with their other friends as well. Hermione asked for the note and after doing several revealing charms on it, and finding nothing, gave it back to Harry. He broke the seal and began to read:

Mr. Harry Potter,

I am Gregory Goyle Jr. and I know you have no reason to believe me when I say this, but I do not hate or even dislike you. I have done some things (bullying) that I'm not proud of, but last year I made a friend of my own (someone I was not forced to like by my father). Millicent has shown me that I can be a kinder person then I am right now, she is helping me write this as I am not very good at this kind of thing. Last year we made sure that nobody picked on the first years of any house while we were around, and we are going to do the same this year. If you could help us to escape Millicent has a squib aunt, who owns a farm, and has offered us protection.

Your former enemy,

Gregory Goyle Jr.

Harry was stunned and sat in quiet thought as he nudged Hermione and handed the letter to her.

Hermione read the letter out loud to Neville as Harry stared out the window in silent contemplation. Neville was the first to speak, "Whew, do you guys really think Goyle was only doing those things because he was being forced to"? "No" Harry replied, "He did them because he didn't know he could do anything else". Looking over at Hermione he said "Sometimes it just takes the love of the right women to show you that you can be better" Hermione smiled sweetly at Harry and said "We'll have to ask some of the First Years, and if it's true we should try and help as much as we can". She snuggled into Harry's side for the rest of the trip.