Chapter 41
“The hedge blinked at you…?” Hermione asked.
Harry nodded. She was visiting for his birthday- and Vernon reportedly hadn’t realized it was his birthday until after he’d scheduled the dinner party with the Masons. So, as she’d just agreed with Vernon before coming out to meet Harry, they’d be spending the time upstairs. “It looked… very strange.”
“I bet,” Hermione chuckled. “Not very often the hedge has eyes, is it? Anyways, I talked to Vernon- and we’re going to want to be upstairs for the dinner party. It’ll be better for everyone if the Masons never realize we exist- let Vernon work his magic on them.”
Harry grinned. “Yeah, the magic he has that I don’t.” He chuckled.
Hermione grinned. “Speaking of which, did you know that muggles have magic too?”
He blinked. “They do?”
She nodded. “Yep. Vernon’s an Etrah.”
He looked at her. “He let you-?”
She nodded again. “Yep.”
“They’re almost here,” Petunia called very suddenly, making them both jump.
“Got it,” Hermione called back. “We’ll be upstairs, then.”
Harry rose from the bench, and shrugged. “Whelp, best be on our way, then.” He led the way upstairs.
When they entered, Harry’s room was not empty. It was certainly a lot emptier than it had been when they’d gotten off the train from Hogwarts; Harry- and Hermione, when she could visit- had spent a lot of time cleaning out and disposing of a lot of the broken trash. The Dursleys had no anger problems with Hermione, so she was usually the spokesperson for the duo. Interestingly enough, whenever they visited, Hermione’s parents also demonstrated an inexplicable anger issue towards Harry- so they often avoided being in the same room as him for very long.
But, the room was less empty than they were expecting it to be.
There was a creature on the bed. It looked… strange, to Hermione. It looked confused, staring at her, wearing… She gasped. “That’s a house-elf!” she informed Harry quietly.
Harry blinked, then stepped forwards, looking at the elf. “Who are you?”
The house-elf twitched, and looked at him. “Dobby, Sir. Just Dobby. Dobby the house-elf.”
Hermione put a finger to her chin. “Where have I heard that name before…?”
Dobby ignored her.
Harry didn’t. He turned to Dobby. “So… why are you here?”
“Ahh… Dobby wonders where to begin,” Dobby muttered.
“The beginning?” Harry suggested.
“Well, that happened,” Harry muttered, when Dobby finally left. He’d tried to convince Harry not to go back to Hogwarts, for no better reason than ‘it’s dangerous’... a reason that broke down pretty quickly when Hermione pointed out the kinds of danger he’d already been through, and the amount of power he now had on his side.
When Harry had refused, Dobby had headed for the door after saying something about ‘no choice’- but Hermione had caught him by the wrist. Dobby had apparently tried to apparate out of Hermione’s unshakable grip- even she was surprised by how strong her grip was- but her magic was apparently strong enough to block it… which had surprised all three of them, and terrified Dobby.
She’d then explained to Dobby that she and Silversong would gladly drag Harry to Hogwarts if he didn’t go on his own.
And for some reason, Dobby had reacted with nothing short of outright alarm when she mentioned Silversong. He’d accepted the decision after that, and left.
Hermione nodded. “Yeah, that happened…” Then she blinked, and facepalmed. “... Oh.”
“What?” Harry asked.
“I just remembered where I heard his name before.”
He tilted his head. “Where?”
“He’s the Malfoy Family elf.”
“Ohhh,” Harry muttered, nodding slowly. “That would explain his reaction to Silver’s name, too.”
“Hoo.”
Hermione looked at Hedwig in alarm. “What-! How-!” Then she stopped herself, took a deep breath, and let it out. “Right. Papa Tango. Um, yeah, it should.”
Harry tilted his head. “What’d she ask?”
“If Dobby would still be intercepting your mail.” She lifted the bundle of letters she’d taken from Dobby, from where she’d put them on Harry’s small desk. “He shouldn’t be, but…” She undid the twine, and tossed the first three letters on the stack to the side. “Unless you really want to read whatever Ron is trying to tell you, that’s going to be of strictly limited utility.”
Harry let out a snort of laughter. “Yeah, right.”
“Might not be a bad idea, though,” Hermione mused. “Who knows what he’s going to let slip. We just don’t need to reply to him. Oh, this one’s from Hagrid.” She sighed. “At least you don’t seem to have any fanmail, beyond Ron’s.” Then she paused. “... Huh, can’t say I expected that. This one’s from Ron’s brothers, Fred and George.”
“It is?” Harry asked.
She nodded. “Yep.” She glanced at the last two letters- Harry saw Ron’s name on both of them. “The only one from them, too- must’ve been recent.”
“Let’s give it a read, then, shall we?”
Hermione raised an eyebrow at him. “Are you… asking me to read your mail to you?”
Harry blinked. “Uhh… I guess? I mean, why not?”
She smiled. “Because if any of those hundreds of ‘cute couple’ complimenters find out, they’ll do that annoying ‘dawww’ thing again. And probably louder, to boot.”
He shrugged. “Then we don’t have to tell anyone.” He glanced at the bed. “Shall we use the bed?”
She grinned. “You mean to read the letters, right?”
He blinked. “Uh… yeah? What else…?”
She blushed lightly. “Oh, nothing.”
He raised an eyebrow. “That wasn’t nothing.”
“And if it was that not-nothing, the answer would’ve been no anyways, because we’re not ready for that.”
He tilted his head. “What?”
“For a few years yet.”
“I… don’t get it.”
She looked at him. “You don’t…? Don’t you know what boys and girls- especially teenage ones- usually get up to when they’re on a bed together?”
He thought for a couple seconds, but came up empty-handed. He shrugged. “No idea.”
“You don’t know,” Hermione muttered, sounding surprised. She looked at Hedwig. “I mean, you know what I’m talking about, right?”
“Hoo.” Harry could swear the owl was blushing too.
“See? Even Hedwig gets it!”
“What is it?”
She heaved a sigh. “Alright then, let’s see if I can clue you in.” She looked around the room. “Well… Just yesterday, I realized the Papa Tango also kick-started my puberty.”
“Uh… what’s that?”
Hermione’s hand went straight to her forehead, and she dropped down flat on the bed. “He doesn’t know,” she told the ceiling. “He has no idea.”
“You’re starting to make me feel like I did when Hagrid showed up with my letter last year,” Harry complained.
“Hoo.”
Hermione sat up, and blushed. “Well… yes, actually. But the Equestrian version is a lot gentler than the human version, so I don’t have to worry about it.”
Harry blinked. “Equestrian version of what?”
Hermione looked at him. “Um… How about… nah. I’ll tell you in a few years, and let you keep your youthful innocence for now.”
“Hoo.”
She looked at Hedwig. “Yep!” Then she tilted her head. “I wonder if Silver knows…?”
Hedwig let out an unmistakable bark of laughter. Hermione started giggling.
Harry just stared.
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Harry is so bucking innocent, he has no clue what those two were laughing about.
Now why would Dobby be here? Unlike Dumbledore, Lucius can read the wind and isn't fool enough to stir up the hornet's nest that is an Equestrian-occupied Hogwarts.
Come on Hermione, who would have told Harry about that kind of thing? The family can't stand him, he never had the books or access to other media that would have got him started on that line of thinking, and school certainly wasn't going to just yet.
This was a great chapter, I like the conversation between Hedwig and Hermione. Glad to see Dobby didn't drop pudding or whatever it was on the Masons this time. Can't wait to see what happens next!
Is this Lucius really sending the diary to Hogwarts again?
10379648
In canon, Dobby was there of his own volition- Lucius didn't know.
As for the Diary... we know that, in this story, Dumbledore is manipulative- but he's also not the only manipulator in play. Tom Riddle, and by extension, the diary, is manipulative. And may have, ahh, "suggested" it to him... giving him very little choice on the matter, without realizing until it was already done.
10379648
There is always the possibility that Riddle's diary is manipulating Mr Malfoy.
I can't remember, have any of the Horcrux been found yet?
10379647
Can't wait til he is Papa Tangoed. Maybe he would understand.
10379715
Not to my knowledge.
Hermione's really underestimating how clueless a twelve years old boy can be
10379693
Actually, in this timeline - given the Silversong/Harry situation - if Lucius knew the diary was making its way to Hogwarts but couldn't prevent it, he might very well order Dobby to try and stop Harry from going specifically as a way to pass warning of what was happening to them...because Harry would still get to Hogwarts regardless, would tell Hermione and Silversong about it, and then Silversong could summon Dobby and demand an explanation.
Though if 'direct order' wasn't an option due to whatever was stopping him from preventing putting the diary in play, he might just deliberately gloat about it and the "danger" it presents to Harry where Dobby would hear knowing Dobby would move to protect Harry (whether from fan support or in support of "Mistress Sliversong's" happiness), setting the same thing in motion.
So in all likelihood, I think Lucius knows full well that Dobby went and did this, and at some level wanted it to happen.
10379715
they found harry didn't they?
10379685
One wonders what would happen if the diary were to meet a singular fate... such as a modern paper shredder? It might be fire-proof, but could it stand up to a set of titanium shredding wheels?
10380041
Just be sure Hermione and Twilight don't see that. For both of them, the destruction of a book is an Unforgivable Act.
Oh, Harry, you sweet summer child. May puberty hit you like a freight train.
Also, what the heck is up with the Harry Hate Aura? Usually that thing is tailored to just the Dursleys. I'd think it only worked on muggles in this story, but none of Harry's teachers in primary school irrationally hated him, unless that tidbit was left out on purpose... Something seriously fishy os going on.
Could the horcrux in Harry be having an effect?
Oh, neat. So papa tango turns people into alicorns, huh?
10380096
Watching Twilight feed someone through a paper shredder was not a pretty sight. Don't blame her though.
10379647
Less innocent and more the Durleys don't want him breeding so wouldn't sign the permission slip from the school and would beat him if he so much as thought of asking about such things.
10380209
... No, that's unrelated.
The Papa Tango does make ascension possible, though...
10380615
I wonder what would happen if an alicorn got some philosopher's stone juice.
10380031
Wait, if Harry is Papa Tangoed, what would happen to the Voldy's fragment attached to him? Will it turn into a Persona, a Stand, or a Familiar?
10380725
This... is a good question.
Maybe nothing?
If the diary, in canon, was nothing more than Malfoy Sr trying to discredit the Weasleys, would it still happen here?
If Silver and Harry are getting along well, and Lucious is OK with that (and why wouldn't he be ok with Harry becoming a family friend, coming over for afternoons, bonding with his daughter, etc), does he need to do whatever he was planning with discrediting a family that has already failed at whatever Dumbledore's plan was?
10380891
Maybe, maybe not. At this point, Silver hasn't associated (much) with any Weasleys, so they're still game for discrediting... Though, neither has Harry, if that was the reason he targeted them in canon.
And there's also the possibility that the Diary is (subconsciously) urging him to give it to... someone.
I wouldn't think Malfoys had any reason to act naughty in second year. The whole thing with the snake can be just avoided if the certain Death Eater didn't loose an important notebook. Oh well, there's Dobby.
10381349
Wait... okay, I get hermionie being smart enough to become a student instructor, and that this is a heavy AU... but how the HECK does Harry qualify as an instructor?! He's been living in a cupboard, with no clue magic exists...
I mean, I get that having Herminone know Harry in the muggle world is the only way for them to be friends now in this AU, but there's only so much it can stretch, right?
10381606
Because reasons, I guess? Perhaps it was just that Harry's good at something, and they noticed the signs, whether he normally does it or not...
10381612
Wait, is 'reasons' it? That... doesn't make any sense, because there's plenty of reasons why Harry would make a TERRIBLE student teacher, especially in his first year, heck even Hermionie would have problems: she doesn't get along with any other kids and constantly holds them to her own standards.
Harry doesn't know any magic, and has had it literally beaten out of him all his life. He's doubly clueless about magical society. He's 11! I mean, I'm not the biggest fan of Harry Potter, but this just seems kinda obvious! Harry was what, in his fourth year when he started teaching other students for the defense club? and he wasn't the most talented or best student before then, either.
Making him instantly some kind of super genius is... well, SOD breaking. I get that you're already several chapters past this, but it's a BIG DEAL, unless it turns out Harry made a terrible teacher in the next few chapters.
10382087
Well... to be fair, he ended up like that because I wanted him to. It's a pretty heavy AU- especially after I got too many people complaining about how little I was changing the HP world back before I rewrote it...
That said, while Harry does end up as a student instructor (which, let's face it, is a bit strange for any British student, considering their competition is probably primarily CSGU graduates), Harry's status as a student instructor is mostly a background thing- it doesn't really mean anything to the plot.
And finally, if you don't like it, you are under no obligation to read it. There's plenty of others that do, and quite a few of them at that, so I'm afraid it's going to stay as-is. Completely aside from how I've already started writing into the second year, and the student instructor program as a whole is important to the plot of the first year- such that changing that would require a(nother) The Gate-vs-OtIoPW level rewrite... and I've already shot myself in the foot once, by trying to rewrite a good character's formative sequences...
10382103
Yeah, I get how frustrating and impossible it would be to do a re-write 40 chapters in. At the very least you've admitted that you're doing so intentionally, and are sticking with the world you've written. Even Tolkien said "This story is written in my life's blood, good or bad, it is mine."
I suppose I was just reeling a bit from HOW AU this story was... the addition of over 2000 ponies left me unprepared for FURTHER changes, so I found myself lost. I'll have to approach the story differently, as in order to make a real comment on it, I should at least catch up with it. It'll take some mental re-wiring so as not to get caught up in the changes to the story. Hope you run well with it!
Thanks for taking the time to reply to my commentary!
10382141
You're welcome, and thank you!
... And I suppose that just over 12k does qualify as "over 2k", doesn't it?
10384414
Technically not "right now", as Luna Lovegood hasn't started school yet, and won't for a few more months.
10384415
About one month, actually. As in canon, Dobby appeared on Harry's birthday- the final day of July, a month and a day from the start of the Hogwarts school year.
10385773
... No, she's just deliberately taking advantage of the fact that Twilight has never been in this world, and she has been a few times... and deliberately picking the things she knows Twilight doesn't know about to wave in front of her. She's messing with Twilight.
10386012
That does not address the problem that Hogwarts most likely literally cannot sustain this many students, especially when they’re all completely alien to these ways of magic. Putting aside the fact that these teachers cannot teach 500+ students a day, there likely simply isn’t enough food, water, or living space.
And Lyra, regardless if she continues on or not, was a complete Mary Sue in these early chapters, and pretty annoying both to Hagrid and myself.
10386295
Well yes, that challenge to Hogwarts is the premise of the story. At least they've got a month to prepare...
Why the heck would the diary plot still happen here? I can't see this Lucius doing that, and Draco's outright on their side. Unless someone co-opted Dobby, but that's just convoluted...