Surprisingly, Harry Potter did not encounter anyone in the hallways on his way to the Hospital Wing as he carried Hermione Granger in his arms. He called for Madame Pomfrey as he entered, continued over to the nearest bed and placed Hermione down upon it before she came over.
The very first thing out of Madame Pomfrey's mouth upon seeing him was "Are you alright?" She knew that he did not like her domain as many repeat-patients tended to do. She immediately began to cast diagnostic spells and visually check him for signs of illness or injury.
"I'm fine," was his quick reply. "Hermione is the one that needs to be looked at."
Once the patient was identified, Madam Pomfrey started to cast various diagnostic charms over Hermione's entire body seeing what was wrong with her.
Taking a deep breath to calm and center himself, Harry added, "Hermione had asked me to open her and help her with her Heritage Ritual. I did and her magic core has expanded."
She paused and smiled upon hearing that he had opened Miss Granger. She then focused solely upon Hermione's magic core. Upon hearing about Hermione performing a Heritage Ritual, she blurred out, "But she's Muggle-born!" She stopped her examination and fully look at Harry.
With a grin, he replied as if stating the obvious, "Family Magic has to start somewhere."
The School Healer stared at him for a moment as if looking for something within him. She smiled and nodded her head in agreement. She commented, "You are correct, Mister Potter. It would seem that Madam Granger's core is about twice the size from what I recall it being. Regardless of the actual size, her body and magic will need several days to adjust, and with your help, a few days to learn how to cast her new magic."
Harry nodded his head in understanding. He expected such a diagnosis.
"Just need to inform Minnie," Madam Pomfrey stated. She waved her wand towards her office door, from which a form came floating out. A quick glance and a wave of the wand was all that was needed to complete the form. Harry noted that the form was standardized as any form that is used regularly and often. The form's language seemed a bit archaic, which meant it had been in use for a long time.
Madam Pomfrey called a House-elf, whom she instructed to deliver the letter to Professor McGonagall which answered who //Minnie// was.
Before the House-elf could go, Harry added, "Please, have Professor McGonagall notarize the form and then take it to Gringotts to be properly filed."
The House-elf nodded its head and popped away.
Madam Pomfrey smiled at Harry's consideration and attention to follow through. //A very good sign,// she thought.
He was a bit at a loss as to what he should do now. He knew that Hermione would be okay in the Hospital Wing, and if he stayed, he would just be in the way. But he did not want to return to his dorm alone. Something he had not been for the past couple of weeks. He had come to enjoy Hermione's almost constant presence.
While he tried to think of what he could do, Madame Pomfrey remarked with a smile and a touch of pride in her voice, "You did a marvelous thing, opening up Madam Granger, Mister Potter."
He looked at her, a bit surprised that she was commenting on his actions. Let alone that her comment was positive. Many adults seem to be against him taking a more active role in his own life.
"Don't let anyone tell you differently," she remarked sternly. "There really is a world of difference between a closed-witch and an open one. From personal experience, I can tell you that Madam Granger will remember you for this, until her dying days. A Witch never forgets the Wizard that opened her. Why, I still recall my time with your Grandfather after all these years." She blushed a bit and commented with a touch of pride, "Of course, your Grandfather was a professional."
"Professional?" Harry asked, confusion was clearly seen upon his face and heard in his voice. She could not mean that his Grandfather, whom he did not even know his name, was a Professional Opener, did she? And even if she was, how could one make a profession out of opening? Was his grandfather something of a gigolo that Aunt Petunia would rant about.
"Admittedly, I'm biased, but I do believe he was the best Opener in the World," Madame Pomfrey answered in an off-handed manner, as if it was common knowledge. It might have been, he thought, as his summer theory that he was being deliberately kept in the dark about a lot of the Wizardry World seems to be bearing out this school year.
He could only stare at the School Healer in wonder, and realizing that something else had been hidden from him. He did not even know where his grandparents lived, when, and how they passed on. Much of anything about his family, his past or lore.
Madame Pomfrey stated, "It's a shame how the Ministry has made a mockery of the Opening Ritual, and how poorly and misunderstood the Muggle-born and Muggle-raised look upon it. I've heard how the Muggle-born talk about it." She sighed and continued, "Where they come up with such nonsensical ideas is beyond me. Professional Openers are more like a Ritual Master, Healer, and Match-Maker all rolled into one."
A bit startled at this new knowledge, Harry inquired, "Madam Pomfrey, what you do mean about the Ministry making a mockery of the Opening Ritual?"
Madam Pomfrey motioned for him to follow her, led him into her office, and gestured to a chair. He sat, while she got two glasses and poured out a liquid into them. She gestured for him to take one, and began to sip the other.
The drink tasted a bit fruity, refreshing, and warmed his throat as it went down. It was quite a pleasant drink. He wondered a bit why he had not been offered or seen such a drink before. He waited for her to compose her thoughts.
With a bit of a far-away look, in a soft voice, she started, "You have to understand, Mister Potter, the Ministry... the Wizardary World itself, is comprised of many, many different factions. Some as old as our history, while others are brand new."
He interjected, "I have come to realize that. While the Headmaster would like me and others to believe there are only the Light and Dark factions, of which are headed by himself and Riddle, I have seen there are several others involved. Although, it was only in the past year that I am seeing how others have as much if not more influence within our world."
She smiled as she realized she had one less thing to worry about. She continued, "Even as something as obvious as a Witch's Opening is a subject of debate among the Wizengamot and the Ministry. There is actually a faction that beliefs, of all things, that a witch's core isn't close but stable. And the Opening Ritual destabilizes it, as well as bonding a witch to a wizard unnecessarily. That faction is a newer one, and a minor one, with other crazy ideas that fortunately no one listens to. But such factions have popped up from time to time."
"But how," Harry began. His and Hermione's research clearly showed that such a belief was wrong and even harmful.
"There is always someone out there that thinks the worst, and will believe anything," Madam Pomfrey replied. "Several other factions, especially those that have been highly placed within the Ministry, believe that any wizard can open a witch. This mistaken belief is very popular, unfortunately. Which is where all the confusion and misunderstandings comes from."
"What misunderstandings?" he asked in curiosity.
"What it means to be open," was her reply. "There are several witches out there that think they are opened, when they aren't. They are fooled by greedy wizards and there are also many that are opened but did not get much out of it which sours them to other witches being opened as well. It comes back to the mistaken idea that any wizard can do it."
"And most can't?" Harry inquired in curiosity. Their research basically had just suggested that any wizard that was more powerful than the witch needing to be opened could do it.
"It's not a matter of power-levels," Madam Pomfrey explained. "Which is part of the misconception, although, the more powerful the wizard is, does help the ritual. It takes skills and understanding as well. One has to take all the usual ritual variables that are involved, as this is a ritual after all. The sex-action is just a medium for performing the ritual. If it was just about power, the Headmaster would be able to do it, seeing how he's in the top five wizards in all of Europe. And yet, his two attempts were disasters."
"Disasters?" he echoed in surprise. He could not conceive how such a simple ritual could go wrong, or what the consequences could be. It was one of the reasons why he had agreed to Hermione's plan, as he had thought there would not be any negative consequences if anything went wrong.
"Physically, nothing bad happened," she remarked. Although, she had to add, "I think." After some thought, she continued, "None would speak about what actually happened. But neither witch was opened, and neither witch had much to do with any wizard afterwards. I think both went on to join an coven somewhere out in Asia that accepts witches-only covens."
"You can tell?" Harry asked. Clarifying he added, "If a witch is open or not?"
"It's a skill that any wizard or any opened witch can learn," she replied. "Once you know the difference, it is quite obvious and a required skill for a Healer. And to answer your next question, within Europe, it is illegally for a coven to be compromised solely of a single gender. Although, it's acceptable if there is only one member of the opposite gender from the majority."
That was news to him. Out of curiosity he asked, "What happens if a single gender coven is found?"
Madam Pomfrey thought a moment and answered, "Well, it depends a bit on how large the coven is and which gender is involved. If it's an all-wizard coven, then all the convicted wizards receive the Dementors's Kiss. A convicted all-witches coven is given a year's sentence in Azkaban. While not part of the formal sentencing, those witches will find themselves in a marriage contract made by their Heads of Houses.
"But getting back to the Opening Ritual, there are four types of Openers: those that work on their own, those that work for the Ministry, those that work for the large covens, and those that work for a House. Who the Opener works for makes a difference for the witch and for the ritual itself. Only Lords can open on their own. The others need something more, what that something is, I don't know. Another difference is that those working for Houses and covens will have their witches bound to the House or coven itself, while those working on their own and the Ministry are more personal bonds. One group doesn't exclude any other, in that, an Opener can work for the Ministry, a Coven, and a House, at the same time, if they wished. They just use the appropriate ritual version for the task at hand."
She took a sip of her drink and continued, "The Ministry for the past fifty years or so has been of the belief that any wizard of distinction, namely a pure-blood with a lot of money, can open any witch. Thus, most Ministry Openers aren't. Yet, they use potions and misinformation to fool a witch into thinking she's opened, when she's not. Sadly, many witches have fallen for it. Even the few witches they do somehow open get very little out of it, making them regret having done so."
"Regret?" Harry wondered out-loud. From Hermione's enthusiasm, research, and arguments that she made to him to open her, he could not see how any witch would not want to be opened. The benefits should easily outweigh any discomfort having to deal with some old geezer. It was a virtual free power boost, practically doubling a witch's magic-core without any consequences or much work on the witch's part that no other ritual could match. Not to mention the ability to sense/see magic itself, which a closed witch could not. And on top of all that, it allowed a witch to join a House, Coven or a Lord's domain that she was not born in. He could not see any downside for a witch to be open.
A sad smile appeared on her face as she answered, "The Ministry Openers are just using it as an excuse to have sex with as many witches as they can get away with. As well as trying to increase the Ministry's influence into areas they have no business even contemplating about."
Harry nodded. It was the same as in the Muggle world. In his summer research he discovered that the charter for the Ministry for Magic clearly stated that its solo purpose was to act as a liaison office within the Muggle Government to coordinate the Statue of Secrecy between the two worlds. Despite what many in the Wizardary World thought, and the Ministry itself wanted others to think, the Ministry was not the ruling body within the Wizardary World. In fact, the Ministry for Magic had no legal or magical standing within the Wizardary World. But like any bureaucracy in any world, those that wished to, found ways to expand their power bases into areas they had no true reason to be in.
At his prompting, Madam Pomfrey talk a bit about his grandfather, Charlus Potter. She told him several stories of his kindness in helping those that could not help themselves, of his generosity in aiding various new and struggling businesses, of his protectiveness of those that followed him.
She glanced at a clock that was resting upon the wall and noticed the time, "Its almost curfew, my dear. You'll need to head back to your dorm, Mister Potter."
Reluctantly, Harry nodded his head in agreement.
She took out her wand, waved it, and several books floated onto her desk resting before him. She remarked, "These books will help you, Mr Potter. They will help you a great deal in dealing with Madam Granger. I can't emphasize enough how important it is that you read them from cover to cover."
He took them without looking and headed out. He did stop a bit to check upon Hermione once more. He did not seeing any change in her condition so he headed out.
She smiled at Harry's departing form and said to herself, "I've done what I could, My Lord. Those books his mother wrote will help both of them, and get around the Headmaster's foolish ban. There will be heart-ache either way. Better to know the truth, then wonder." She sighed, "You would be proud of your grandson, Charlus." With that she headed to her bed chambers.
It felt strange to be in bed without Hermione there with him. It had only been a couple weeks or so, and yet, her absence was keenly felt. He found that he was not ready to go to sleep. Recalling Madam Pomfrey's words, he finally took a look at the books that she gave him. There were three in all. All of them were as thick as his textbooks. Which, in the Wizardary World, did not mean much. He could only stare as he read the titles: So You're a Witch, A Muggle-Born Witch's Guide to the Wizardary World, and Care and Maintenance of a Witch.
All there had Lily Potter listed as the author/editor.
His mother had worked on these books.
His mother.
She that gave birth to him and died for him.
And all he knew of her was her name, her wand was good for charms, and he had her eyes. Oh, he heard a bit about his father from Sirius, Dumbledore, and Snape, but no one talked about his mother.
Now eager to little a bit about his mother through her own words and to help Hermione, he began to read. He started with Care of Maintenance of a Witch, as such a title is what he needed.
He was not sure what he was expecting from the book, but he found it to be a tongue-in-cheek book meant for the Muggle parents of a witch and those that would have to live with her throughout her life.
He had always imagined his mother being like Hermione, and yet, the wording and style were closer to his own. He noted that he shared his mother's sense of humor that he found in her words and phrasing.
He did appreciate that the information was neither dry nor repetitive. The information contained within the book was a treasure-trove. Glimpses of his mother's life, which were used as examples, and what it meant to live with a witch. The book did seem to imply that there was a wizard-version available as well. One that he will need to look for, among the many others he was already looking for.
The other two books had been updated by his mother, who seemed to have written several books to assist other first-generation magic-users adapt to the Wizardary World and several books for any magic-user, of any heritage, on the subjects of Potions, Charms, and Runes, tying them into the magical art of enchantment. He made a note of all the titles of the books his mother wrote, and other books that were quoted for further study.
He did find that he could not put the books down, as they were very well written and entertaining, although the sections on witch's hygiene where a bit horrifying and made him glad he wasn't born a girl. Those three books did tell him more about witches that he wanted to know, but he did need to know.
It was one thing to suspect that his introduction to the Wizardary World was not normal. The books had mentioned the assistance that those muggle-raised, be they first-generation or mixed-heritage, should have been made available to them. Even if by chance his aunt was actually a Squib instead of a Muggle, would not have changed the various regulations and procedures that should have been involved in his upbringing. He still should have been made aware them, by Hagrid, Professor McGonagall, Headmaster Dumbledore, or any other Hogwarts Staff member.
He went over all three of the books, taking notes of the various gems of informations that he felt were important, and others that he did not understand and would need to do more research on.
He felt the dawn's morning light upon him and realized that he had spent the entire night reading and note-taking. But he felt it was worth it.
Magical portals were not unknown in Magical Britain, but extremely rarely. Their making was known only to the Enchanters of Old, and not shared with anyone. Many in the Department of Mysteries had several centuries trying to recover their secrets.
What was known was very little, the portals could not be forced nor damaged by wand-magic. They did not have any magical signature that could be detected by the Ministry. And all found portals, which fell under the prevue of the Department of Mysteries, led to wonderful and powerful places.
One such place held many names over the millennia; some of which were: "Hall of Remembrance", "Hall of Memories", "Room of the Word", and "Room of Records".
Its location was unplottable and unknown. No one could apparition or portkey in or out of the place, thus the only way in or out was through a magical portal, which was guarded at all times by two Unspeakables and two Aurors.
//Guarding// the Hall of Records was considered one of the most easiest and honorable jobs within either department as by ancient law fighting of any sort near the Hall was not only forbidden but prevented by Magic itself. In the entire records of Magical Britain, only two Dark Queens ever attempted to assault the Hall of Records, or tried to injured their rival near it. Both have seen been used as examples of one trying to break a Magical Law.
Added to all that, very few could enter the Hall of Records, and even those that could, could only do so on the Solstices. Even on the Solstices they could only move around the first ten meters within the room, where various instruments were established to record all the various magical scrolls and records that were created and stored there for those that could not gain entrance to the Hall.
For knowledge was power.
For within the Hall of Records, anything and everything magical was written down, no matter how small. From the first to last spell of Merlin, his apprenticeship agreement, his marriage contract, and his last testament were all recorded within that Hall. As were Merlin's teachers, their teacher's, their teacher's teachers, going back so far, none knew.
And those in the Ministry, did not know for sure what was recorded anymore or not. As it had been several centuries since anyone, since the very first Ministress herself, entered the Hall to establish the Ministry recording devices. These devices only records magical contracts, magical births, and magical marriages, which were copies were made at Hogwarts, the Ministry, and at Gringotts.
It was a cushy and quiet assignment.
Thus, when all the alarms blared and bolts of magic coming out of the Hall started, it was understandable how seasoned Unspeakables and Aurors panicked like Hogwarts first years faced with their first Potion class.
These were soon followed by various alarms blaring within all departments of the Ministry and throughout Gringotts. Within Hogwarts, various suits of armor shifted positions from lazy poses to at-attention readiness. The very magic of these places seems to spring to life, not that any noticed in the confusion of the alarms.
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