Disclaimer: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic is owned by Hasbro and Harry Potter is the property of JK Rowling.
"Hello"-Normal Speaking
"Interesting..."- Nightmare Moon speaking.
'Huh'- Normal Thoughts.
'All mine...' Nightmare Moon's thoughts
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Harry sat on the side of the bed in the Infirmary as Madam Pomfrey looked over something in a book. "So..." Having gotten her attention, the young wizard continued to stroke Nim's mane. "How bad has my eyesight gotten?"
The medi-witch glanced at him. "Yes, I suppose that the eyestrain, the headaches, and such would make one think that your eyesight has gotten worse..." She then frowned a bit. "Mister Potter, may I ask if you had issues getting enough to eat when you were younger?" Upon seeing him about to say something, she held up a hand. "That could be a cause as to your eyesight issues."
With a grimace, Harry slowly nodded. "There were times when... I didn't eat as much as I suppose that I should."
He was caught off guard as Madam Pomfrey smiled at him. "Well, you must have been getting enough to eat now." Seeing his confusion, she shook her head. "Your eyesight has improved actually. You see, when you were a baby, your parents brought you to me for your exams seeing as St. Mungos was not the safest at that time. I was even the one who performed a magical eye exam on you at the time to determine any issues, and right now I am happy to say that your eyesight is going to be as good as I expected then."
As she raised her eyebrows, Nim blinked. "He's not going to need glasses then?"
Her getting a shake of the head a moment later killed that hope though. "I'm afraid that mister Potter will need glasses for the rest of his life. Even as a baby, it was obvious that he would have some mild vision issues due to being his father's son. However... I am happy to note that all he will need is reading glasses with a prescription."
While he frowned in thought, Harry looked down at Nim and glanced at a happy Luna. "Well, that is better news then I had thought... though I guess I'll need to visit an eyeglass shop soon..."
A chuckle brought his attention back to the school nurse who shook her head. "I can contact the shop in Diagon directly mister Potter and have them send you a brochure as well as a display pair." The confusion on his and Nightmare's face caused her smile to widen some. "The display pair that they send you is connected to the brochure, which contains the different styles and slight enhancements you can add, like making them unbreakable. You tap your wand against the small box next to the style and the pair will transfigure itself to that style. And no, you don't need to worry about the underage magic rule as it won't show up. Once you've chosen a style and any enchantments, you send the brochure back and you will get your glasses within a week."
Nim blinked a bit and hummed. "Now that is rather convenient, now isn't it?"
From where she hung over Harry's shoulders, Luna slowly nodded as she rubbed her chin in thought. "It's extremely convenient for our purposes actually. Though we'll have to see what enchantments can be placed on glasses as well... Some might be very useful."
After a few more minutes of discussion, Harry was finally dismissed from the Hospital Wing with a handful of brochures. As they walked down the hall though, Nightmare noticed that he was being quiet with a thoughtful look on his face. "Is something the matter, Harry?"
It took Harry a moment, but he shook off his thoughts and looked at the plush on his shoulder. "Hmm? Oh, yeah, just thinking..." He stuck his hands in his pockets as he frowned some. "Just wondering how it is that my eyesight is now better among some other things... After all, my eyesight was pretty bad and now it's way better somehow."
While she frowned in thought, Nightmare hummed. "Perhaps... it had to do with the after effect of what I did following your fight with Quirrel?" At the looks, she shifted a bit uncomfortably. "You were badly hurt, so I spent most of the time when I was laying on top of you channeling that brute force healing spell at a low level into you. No one seemed to have noticed me doing it, so perhaps it had the effect of healing your eyes?"
Having furrowed her eyebrows as she looked down at the ground, Luna shook her head. "That might be what happened... but... something tells me that there's more to it then that." Still puzzling it over, Luna tapped a hoof against her chin. "Perhaps it's a combination of factors? Not just the healing spell, but also you eating much better then you have even recently at the Dursleys. Or perhaps the magic in the air also has something to do with it..."
From her position on Harry's shoulder, Nim chewed it over in her mind before she grumbled. "Something to look into..." As the plush shook it off, she turned and looked at Harry. "You said it was one of the things that was bothering you? What are the others?"
Shoving his hands into his pockets as he walked along, Harry grimaced. "A lot of things... like what happened when Flamel wanted to talk to me and the book he gave me."
That perked Luna up as she landed to walk beside him. "That reminds me, have you looked inside it? I've been busy searching the area to make sure that... creature is nowhere near..."
A chuckle escaped Harry as he knew Luna was practically salivating to look through it. "Yeah... it looks like it's a beginner's guide to alchemy, except with a bunch of little notes from Flamel in the margins. They explain how to make things easier and more understandable."
He had to raise an eyebrow at the cackle that came from Luna as she rubbed her forehooves together. "Excellent... I can't wait to see what the differences between what I know and what Earth's version of alchemy are..."
Harry gave her a raised eyebrow before he commented dryly. "You're probably going to have to fight Hermione seeing as she really wanted to look through it."
With her own raised eyebrow, Nim glanced over at him. "I thought that she had some issues regarding it because some of the margin notes did not follow the directions in the book?"
As he snorted, Harry gave her a smirk. "She mentioned it around Tonks and those two had a talk about it. Tonks explained that there was nothing wrong as it simply showed ways of being more efficient and make it easier on people. After that, Hermione's issues have seemed to disappear and she really wants to read it."
It was all that Luna could do but roll her eyes at that. "Sometimes..." She shook it off though and frowned. "Anything else that's bothering you?"
Giving the corridor they were walking through a glance, Harry frowned. "You know that album that Hagrid gave me? The one with the pictures of my parents?" Both alicorns nodded with frowns. "There were pictures of my mum when she was just a little girl as well as when she was a teen. I'm just wondering who the hay it was that gave those so that I can thank them... Couldn't have been aunt Petunia after all and I remember her telling Dudley that my grandparents are dead."
The plush on his shoulder rubbed her chin in thought. "That's... now that you mention it, that's rather odd. After all, that means that your mother knew someone when she was a child that turned out to be magical..."
However, before their conversation could continue, they spotted Snape walking toward them with a tray of bottles. Suddenly, Harry remembered something he had wanted to ask the potions professor. "Um, Professor Snape? Can I ask you something for a moment?"
There was a flash of annoyance that crossed the Head of Slytherin's face before he stiffly nodded as he came to a stop. "Make it quick Potter, this is the last week of school and if history is to go by, Poppy will need these potions before the end of term."
No longer really being phased, Harry cleared his throat. "It's about the no magic rule outside of school, does that include potions? Because I was thinking of creating some cheap ones as practice..."
Taking a breath, Snape slowly let it out. "Yes, potions making is one of the very few forms of magic that you are allowed to practice outside of school. And I... applaud you for deciding to practice. Is there anything else?"
A frown crossed Harry's face before he slowly nodded. "Can I use a Bunsen burner for heating? Or a portable camp stove?"
Once more, Snape had to hold back a biting remark before he gave a very slight nod. "Either of those would do for heating a potion. However, you must be careful of the temperatures that you are using as you might ruin a potion." After Harry thanked him and left, Snape watched him leave. However, at the same time a red haired girl's image was superimposed over Harry's as he remembered a similar conversation he had many years before. 'At least he takes after you, Lily, more then his father in some ways...' Then, without a further thought, he turned and began to walk towards the hospital wing...
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Luna caught sight of something as they walked down the empty corridor and frowned a bit. "Harry... we got company." When he glanced up, she tilted her head some. "Right there, fourth column on the left."
With a raised eyebrow, Harry stopped one column away from the hiding spot. "You can come out now." A moment later he had to blink as two familiar Slytherin girls stepped out from behind the column. "Daphne Greengrass? Tracey Davis?" His eyes narrowed a bit as he frowned and gave a glance around as did Nim in case there was any others. "Could I ask what you two want?"
As she chuckled, Daphne glanced around them as well. "We need to talk, Potter... Not here though."
She then gestured for him to follow and she walked to where her and Tracey had been hiding. She then disappeared behind the column. Unseen by anyone but Harry and Nim, Luna followed her and a few moments popped back out. "It's a small room, Harry. And it's perfectly safe."
While he gave a very slight nod, he walked around the column and noticed a small door in it. Harry stepped through the door and found himself in a small room which had a number of cushions on the floor. Behind him, Tracey closed the door as he looked around. "Nice place."
Having sat down, Daphne smirked. "Thank you, Potter. I was told of this spot by someone who used it for meetings when they needed some privacy. Which, at the moment, we do." The Slytherin then gestured at the cushions around them. "Now then... have a seat."
Once he had a seat across from the two, Harry glanced back and forth as did Nightmare while Luna hung back behind them. "So then... what seems to be the issue? After all, I haven't heard much from either of you two since you slipped me a note about how Draco knew about Hagrid's dragon."
The two girls shared a look before Tracey flipped her hair over her shoulder. "It's mainly because I would hope that you could tell us the truth about something that we have noticed about you..." Though she had seen his eyes narrow, she ignored it in favor of continuing. "And as un-Slytherin it is to ask... you know wandless magic."
Stiffening, Harry's eyes narrowed some more. "And what would give you that idea then?"
Unknown to him, both Nim and Luna cursed in their heads as they noticed the victorious expressions that flashed across the faces of the two girls. Slowly, Daphne leaned back as she had seen her mother do before. "Well... besides your answer to my question... Way back when we had our flying lesson, when Longbottom was falling, I noticed your hand come out without a wand with a slight glow around it. A moment later, Longbottom slowed and nearly stopped when he landed. And that was just the first of many times we spotted something that did not make sense unless it was wandless."
A frown crossed Harry's face. "Oh?"
Tracey just chuckled. "Look, you at least attempt to hide the fact that you can pull off some wandless magic. That at least places you ahead of some of the cretins in this school as most would show it off the first chance they got."
With a grimace, Nim looked toward the two girls. "So... the question is... what do you two want?"
They seemed to be taken aback a bit before they looked at each other from the corner of their eyes before they turned back to Harry and Nim. Of course, having spotted that they had been trying to compose themselves and were a bit unsure, Luna snorted. "Oh.. I don't believe this!" With a smirk, she looked toward Nim and Harry. "It seems that they're trying to copy someone, probably their parents."
As she raised an eyebrow, Nim only nodded back to her as she whispered low enough that only Harry and Luna heard. "That makes sense as their parents are probably their role models in how to be proper Slytherins..."
Having coughed into her hand, Daphne nodded a bit as she composed herself. "There's nothing really that we want now. But we'll keep quiet in exchange for a favor in the future..."
Now it was Harry's turn to raise an eyebrow as he leaned forward. "And what sort of favor are we talking about here? I'm not just going to blindly agree to something after all."
Once more, the two girls shared a look before Tracey took a breath. "Well... being as you are the Boy-Who-Lived as well as the last Potter, you'll hold quite a bit of influence in the future. A word or two in our favor in regards to a business dealing or perhaps a political aspect..."
Daphne then piped up. "Or if, as some rumours have stated, the Dark Lord is not dead and returns, perhaps protection either before or after any future war if needed." At his look, she shrugged. "My family is considered rather dark after all, and the climate towards us after the first war was... not conductive to our interests."
While his eyebrows furrowed as if in thought, Luna whispered into his ears. "It's not really that bad of a deal, Harry. In fact, it's rather good as the whole thing is open ended and without anything like an actual contract so you're not fixed into anything at all."
After some thought, Harry slowly nodded before he stuck out his hand to the two girls. "Okay, as long as me being able to perform wandless magic stays a secret, then it's a deal. But if it ever gets out, it's off."
The two girls guessed what he was not saying, but despite that they still shook hands with him and so sealed the deal.
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A few hours later, Hermione looked up as the dormitory door opened and Nightmare stepped through. "Yes? Can I help you?"
Nightmare seemed to have ignored her as she walked over before she leapt up onto her bed and laid back. Just as Hermione was about to ask again, Nightmare asked a question that caused her to blink. "Tell me... do you know if there's been any other wizards or witches in your family?"
For a moment, Hermione just stared at her before she frowned. "Nightmare... I'm a Muggleborn, I'm the first magical in my family."
The plush just raised an eyebrow. "Oh?" At her nod, Nightmare placed her forelegs under her head and stared at the ceiling. "What about the Statute of Secrecy then? From what I have read, no one is allowed to know that you are a witch outside of your immediate family such as your parents. Your aunts, uncles, cousins and the like would not be allowed to know that you are magical." She then sat up some. "And due to that... how would you know if there's any others in your family who could have been witches or wizards at some time?"
That brought Hermione up short and she frowned in thought. "I guess that I wouldn't know then..." Still frowning, she narrowed her eyes at Nim. "Why would you come up here to have this conversation then unless... you've found someone who might be a relative of mine? Because as far as I know, there's none in Hogwarts..."
While she smirked Nightmare gave a nod. "Possibly... I was wondering if you could ask your father if there was anyone who went by the last name of Dagworth-Granger in your family, possibly a man by the name of Hector."
As she shook her head, Hermione chewed her lip. "I don't remember anyone with those names in my family, but... I can send a letter to dad. Maybe he can ask my Great-Uncle Edward." At the look she received, she shrugged. "He's spent his retirement tracking the family history, so if anyone would know, he would." For a moment, she stared down at the end of term homework she had been working on before Hermione turned to look back at the plush. "Why the interest in this?"
With a shrug, Nightmare sat up enough that she could have looked at her. "I've been working on Harry's family history with what I can find in the library. Tracking down things like his grandparents, great-uncles and aunts... that sort of thing." A soft smile crossed her face at that point. "It makes him happy to know more about his family, the little that I've found anyways. Makes the work that I have put into it more than worth it."
Hermione twisted in her seat to fully look at the plush with a frown. "And that was when you found something in regards to my family?"
Slowly, Nightmare nodded. "I found a few references to people named Granger, let's just say. Enough of ones that I can't help but wonder."
Interested herself now, even if she can't help but partially dismiss the thought, Hermione just nods. "Alright, I'll just use an owl and send a letter to my dad and see if he can find anything..."
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And so the final week of school passed slowly and lazily. Before they knew it, the time had come to go home. As they sat in the carriages, Tonks raised an eyebrow at Nightmare who hung from Harry's shoulder. "Er... what's with the lampshade on your head?"
The plush grinned as she pushed the lampshade enough so that she could see. "Gryffindor won the House Cup last night, so there was a massive party." Nightmare then let the lampshade drop back down. "A hay of a party at that..."
Having leaned back, Harry grinned. "Yeah, last night was certainly something else..."
A sigh escaped Tonks as she rubbed the bridge of her nose. "Ah, yes... Gryffindor parties... I keep forgetting about those..."
Still with a grin, Nightmare once more lifted the brim of the lampshade to look at her. "Well, you're a rather fine one to talk. Especially considering the show that you and the rest of the Hufflepuffs put on in the Great Hall after being put second, just beating out Slytherin."
Tonks' face reddened as she was reminded of what had happened. "I swear, despite what they said I know that the Twins were behind it! How else would we have burst into a musical number like that!"
Meanwhile, Harry glanced at Luna who was flying just outside the open window as she sang and danced in the air. "... You're in the right house, baby! You were sorted this way!"
Despite wanting to laugh at Luna's rendition of the song the Hufflepuff's had sung, Harry turned away from Tonks who gave him a slight a glare. "I saw that grin! It's not funny, Potter!"
With a scoff, Nightmare waved her off. "Actually, it is hilarious!"
Wanting to stop the incoming fight, Harry coughed into his hand and turned back to the group. "Anyways... I was wondering if we're going to see each other at all this summer?"
Now with a slight frown, Tonks leaned back some. "Well, I don't know about the others Harry, but... I'll try to see you before I head off for Auror training at the end of the summer." At the looks, the metamorph smiled. "They give all incoming trainees about three or so months after school ends in order to get everything out of their system."
While he nodded, Harry turned to Neville who smiled with a shrug. "Gran wanted me to ask you anyways if you could come by at some point during the summer..." A grimace crossed the young wizard's face as he scratched the back of his neck. "I... may have mentioned that you want to know more about your family history since she's more knowledgeable then I am... I hope that you don't mind that."
Now that caused both Harry and Nightmare to blink before Harry slowly smiled. "Honestly, Nev? I don't mind it at all, especially if she can help me learn more about my family."
Nightmare looked up as a thought struck her and then looked over at Hermione with a raised eyebrow. "By the way... speaking of finding out about family histories..." She waited until Hermione had turned toward her before she continued. "Did you ask your father if there was anyone named Hector Dagworth-Granger in your family tree?"
Her eyebrow slightly raised, Hermione ignored the curious glances from both Neville and Tonks as she frowned. "Actually, I did ask my dad if there was actually anyone by that name and it got him curious so he asked my grandfather about it. He doesn't know if we actually had a relative of that name, but according to what he said his grandfather in his later years before he died sometimes raged about having been left with only half of his family name by someone called Hector while also having been abandoned by the rest..." She frowned a little as she narrowed her eyes at him. "Why?"
As she furrowed her eyebrows, Nightmare was about to say something when Neville spoke up. "Wait!" The others turned to him and he held out his hands. "Hermione... do you know your great-great-grandfather's name was?"
Now curious, she watched as Neville opened a book that she remembered his Gran had sent him for private studies into Pureblood families (though in reality it was mostly Nightmare who had used it). "Aloysius Granger, why?"
For a few moments, Neville paged through the book before he stopped. "Aloysius... Aloysius..." His eyes widened some. "Aloysius Dagworth-Granger, born 1875, died in 1886, cause of death unknown..."
Hermione shot looks at both Neville and Nightmare before she frowned. "Okay... I'm missing something here... What are you two on about?"
After a second, Tonks glanced at Hermione. "Um... Hermione? There's no way that a death could be thought to be unknown in the Wizarding World, but listing it as such, well..."
With a frown, Neville frowned as he leaned forward. "Right up until the 1940s, if I remember my lessons that Gran taught me, if a child was born a Squib, then they would wait until they reached the age for a Hogwarts letter. If none appeared, then the child was given just enough money to live on for a few months and cast out with them being listed as having died a few months before the letter. Usually the cause was listed as having been unknown. In the case of Aloysius, if he had two names, then he would be given the lesser name, in this case 'Granger'..."
There was a silence in the cabin before Hermione slowly spoke up. "Are... are you saying that I'm a Pureblood?!"
While he shook his head, Neville sighed. "No, you're family has mixed with muggles for far too long if you are related to the Dagworth-Grangers. At the very best you would be considered to be half-blooded, but most likely still Muggleborn due to having non-magical parents and grandparents. Of course, Hector Dagworth-Granger managed to out survive his relatives and died in 1895 as the last Dagworth-Granger, and depending on if he had any close relatives, that means there just might be something for you to inherit, though rather doubtful."
Now Nightmare had become even more interested in the conversation. "I would have thought that with the whole Pureblood nonsense that she couldn't inherit anything."
A chuckle escaped Neville. "Yes, and no." He reached up and rubbed his face some. "It's... complicated. There's been a few cases where a Pureblood has had... dalliances... with a Muggle that leads to a magical being born within a generation or two. There was even a case where a Squib had a grandson who turned out to be magical and inherited back into the original line but where still classified as Muggleborn as both sets of grandparents did not have magic, even though one was a Squib. So there's a possibility... and it would be helped along by the 'Hundred Year Rule'." Having spotted the others now interested, Neville continued. "Basically, if a line dies out without any relatives close enough to inherit without issue or without a will handing it over, then it and any properties or monies lie fallow for one hundred years while waiting for someone to claim it."
Harry frowned some as he leaned forward, Luna on his shoulder listening in. "And if no one comes forward to claim it? And how does such a claim get proved?"
The normally shy Gryffindor smiled as he slipped into his element due to having been taught by his Gran from a young age. "If no one comes forwards then it's handed over to the Ministry to handle dispensment to whomever they decide are the closest living relatives... which, of course, means that whoever pays them the right amount of bribes in many cases." He ignored the expressions of distaste. "As for how the claim is to be proven? It's one of those cases of blood magic."
With a snap of her fingers, Tonks nodded. "I remember this! Mum told me something about this..." Her eyes unfocused as she thought back. "There's a preserved sample of blood from the last member of the family, which is kept in a secure room in the Ministry. The person who is making a claim goes through a ritual involving their blood and the sample. If it reacts, then they are indeed related closely enough, if it does not, then they're not related at all."
As he nodded, Neville turned back to them. "There's other things as well, the Ministry will have a genealogist examine the claimer's family history and they are very through. In this case, Hermione, if she can get backed by both the genealogist and the blood sample, as well as a Solicitor to get through the Ministry, she can claim right of inheritance... though, she has to do so before 1995 or else she will lose her chance." A slight spark entered Neville's eyes. "I'd have to talk to Gran, but if all that can be proven, then my family can back her and put some weight behind it so that the other Pureblood families couldn't interfere... and it would help if you do so as well, Harry."
While Tonks chimed in that her mother was a Solicitor, Hermione slowly slipped into her seat, completely stunned.
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Having said his goodbyes to his friends as well as having gotten promises to keep in touch and possibly meet up, Harry slowly walked toward the barrier between Platform 9 3/4 and the outside world. "Rather eventful year..."
A soft snort came from Luna as she shook her head. "That's putting it rather mildly..."
Inside the knapsack, Nightmare grimaced. "And if what we've seen is anything to go by, it might keep being eventful... so we'll give you a few days Harry while Luna and I work something out. Then we'll see if we can't up your training just in case..." Unseen by the others, she rubbed her chin with one hoof. "Possibly look into a self-defence class or two since they would have helped during the... fight."
As he shuddered from the memories, Harry nodded. "Yeah... it would have helped." The young wizard came to a stop before the barrier and on another platform through the charmed exit and entrance, Harry could see his uncle waiting. "Well... here's hoping that next year won't be as exciting as this one..."
And with those words, he stepped through the gateway and into muggle London...