Burgers, Brighton Road in Pearly, in an hour and a half.
*
The Grangers pulled up and stopped the car nearby. I went up to the car and offered them something to do.
"Buy burgers with you and get in the car."
Then I waited for a couple of nervous parents and got in the back seat of the car. The burgers here are great! I took my burger out of the bag and started eating. I invited the Grangers to share the news.
"Tell the story."
"Mrs. Minerva McGonagall came to see us today. She is..."
"She's a friend of one of the leaders of a terrorist group. Maybe she's being used by a dark one, or she's just a fanatic. The headmaster of the school, in this position, it's very convenient for him to shape the minds and beliefs of young children. Why is it impossible for you to move to France?"
"Don't you judge her too biased?"
"I've had a vision of about a hundred variations of reality. McGonagall hasn't helped Hermione in any of them. But in some cases, she did harm out of her fanatical belief in the light infallible Headmaster."
"You, too, believe in your prophecies. And what is your faith based on?"
"If you don't believe me, then why did you come? If it wasn't for Hermione, I'd slam the door and leave you to believe whatever you want. Why? Moving to France. Impossible."
"Recently, Wizengamot passed a law that requires all Muggle-born Britain to study at Hogwarts. If we resist, Hermione will be taken away and our memory of her will be erased."
"It's an amazing coincidence. Headmaster Dumbledore is the head of Wizengamot. Now he has seven years to put the right thoughts into the head of every Muggle-born! We have two options. How much money can you raise in a week, without selling the house, the car or anything?"
"Thirteen to fifteen thousand pounds."
"Yes... with that kind of money, you can't go to another country for an illegal situation. So Hermione's going to Hogwarts. For a thousand galleons you can buy an amulet that prevents the reading of thoughts, another amulet that identifies bad impurities in food, and an emergency Portkey from Hogwarts. It's a necessary condition."
"The mind reader's amulet is to keep Dumbledore from finding out about you. But why the amulet that defines impurities in food? It's not going to be poisoned at school, is it?"
"Don't talk nonsense. Both amulets are necessary for her safety. Brain penetration and conscious potions are basic cannon fodder preparation methods at Hogwarts. Only at first, Dumbledore usually tries to do the same with just talking. He's been working with kids for almost half a century. There's no strong magical family behind Hermione. That's why all the pure-blooded bastards in the magical world see her as prey. Dumbledore himself is the Greatest Light Bastard of Modernity. Listen to me carefully and judge me logically and calmly. You read the letter yourself. You've seen the titles of Dumbledore. He's an uncrowned king of a small society. There are only 1 million wizards. Yes! That's the population of a small town. In a hundred years, this wizard has captured enormous political power. Think carefully. Who did he take his posts from? Nobody gives power for nothing. How much blood is on his hands? You are dealing with a master of intrigue and politics. Dumbledore is a very dangerous wizard. Your daughter won't get into a fairy tale."
They kept quiet and thought. I pulled out another parchment and gave it to Hermione's father.
"Give this to Hermione. Tell them I'm an acquaintance of yours. I'm a wizard who found out Hermione's going to Hogwarts. I decided to help her get settled in. There's not a word of lies in this case. She can ask me questions. As for Hermione's immediate danger, I'll take it upon myself. I'll report the results. Goodbye," I took the door, "Buy amulets from goblins. It's expensive, but you'll get a quality guarantee.
*
London, same cheap hotel, morning (probably last morning in this hotel: time to leave), July 30, 1991.
*
There was still plenty of time before I got to talk to old Lady Longbottom, so I decided to practice with the wand. I remembered the feelings at Confundus and tried to do the same with Lumos and Nox. With Nox, it got good, and after the spell it got noticeably darker. It's already hard to attribute it to self-deception. Isn't my theory about karma right? We need to study more. Harry Potter was a strange wizard. He was good at several spells. He was good at combat magic. What's wrong with me? I don't mind fighting with the steel of the blade and the bullet, but I get hurt. Did the fact that I was born ungratefully made me a really weak wizard. The goblin said I was on the level of a muggle-born. It's a level of dirt. Sad and bad. I'm bad, I'm bad, really, really bad.
I also didn't know how to solve the most dangerous teacher's problem.
What to do with Quirrell? There are several options:
Can I watch The Leaky Cauldron myself all day? That smells like idiocy! My escape is solved! And the supreme beard of the International Mage Confederation is looking for me. He wants to give me a sweetie. I'm not allowed to be in the magical world much. Then I'll live longer.
The most obvious solution is to hand over a sick professor to Amelia Bones. "The teacher is possessed by the spirit! Your little relative is in danger! Take action!" With my communication skills, the harsh mistress will send me on an erotic journey to Das ist fantastische Avenue. She can sell me to the winner of the Grindelwald.
Who benefits most from Quarrel's failure? Damn, stunted, greedy, bastard goblins. Although I already hate them, no one's stopping me from using them now. They have the strength and means to upset Quirrell. And there are many tunnels in the dungeons, they're just designed to bury corpses. You got to fertilize the mushrooms somehow, or whatever those freaks are growing.
It's going to be a little chic to beat the manipulator with manipulation. I need to get used to working in that style. We don't do anything personally, we use others.
"Lumos!" Really? I'm cool! It's a good light. All you have to do is learn Stupefy and Expelliarmus. And I'm ready to fight! Then I can go out on Voldemort's forehead like the canonical Harry. And what was he supposed to do? He had a miserable childhood at home. And there are only idiots at school who are underage. The "girl" he was fitted with by red blood traitors was fucked by the whole school. Except for the humble, sweet Harry. Not to mention that Hermione was taken from him by a redheaded hybrid of rat, pig, and snake who only took the worst from the prototypes. So he had to kill himself about the "Dark Lord" or use the "power of love". I can see why Dumbledore is obsessed with "the power of love." I want what's best for Hermione. But I'm going to be scared to look at the page where her questions come up. There's some sense in pedagogy. First-grade students don't need to be told about higher mathematics. A girl should grow up a little! How old is it to keep a child in a glasshouse? Damn pedagogy! Muggles aren't just reasonable sapiens. I can't be reasonable. A child's brains, the thoughts of a strange samurai. I want a katana! Why katana? I want it all!
*
Noon, 30 July 1991 Communication with Mrs. Longbottom.
*
The lady strikes first.
"What's your name?"
"I don't trust you enough, lady, to report this. If we come to a certain trust, I'll tell you that, and much more."
"How do I know this isn't a joke?"
"Lady, that's not the question. Are you ready to physically eliminate the bastard who brought Frank and Alice to their condition? I don't care if you kill him personally or hire professionals. Yes or no?"
"I don't believe you."
Go for a walk in the Forbidden Forest, you old fool! Damn my stupidity! I failed the Negotiations again!
An hour later, I checked out of the hotel. I need to find some other hotel tonight. Dumbledore is strong and experienced. Harry's hunting season has begun. It's time for me to seriously arm myself. In the ass with those wands and that magic. And all the too smart and cautious wizards and witches are the same, towards pornographic sessions.