Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Not mine, no money.

A Question of Good Breeding

Shelia Margulies and Valerie Harkness walked into the Great Hall and promptly joined Ginny and Hermione at the table for breakfast. "Hermione, have you heard about Healer Creswell's paper about natural magical selection?" Shelia asked as she reached for the pumpkin juice.

"Yes, I read something about it," Hermione admitted, reading her Daily Prophet as she ate some toast. "There was an article about it in the paper this morning. His hypothesis is that Muggle-borns are free of deformities, both magical and physical and therefore are supposedly able to produce stronger offspring. What of it?"

"Do you think it's true that Muggle-borns are 'pure of defects' and thus more favorable than those of pure blood, inbred pure-bloods for marriage?" Valerie asked, stirring her porridge absentmindedly. "It's what the article said."

Hermione looked at her, wondering what had made the girls bring up the Healer Creswell's publication. Surely, no one was taking it seriously. "It's just one wizard's opinion that he published and was republished in the Bonham-Derwent National Healers Journal."

"Well, that's not the only place it's being published," Shelia said, her expression concerned. "My dad sent this to me. It's an article by Rita Skeeter that was submitted to the Daily Prophet and in Ireland's Sorcerer's Sun. I heard that even Witch Weekly is going to run it."

"So, he's getting a lot of attention," Ginny said, shrugging.

"Maybe you should read this," Shelia replied, handing a parchment to Ginny. Ginny scanned it and passed it to Hermione.

Hermione read it aloud, drawing the attention of Bernice Witherspoon on her other side. "'I, Rita Skeeter, have had the extreme pleasure of being invited to the home of Healer Evenard Cresswell to discuss his latest publication in the Healers monthly journal Bonham-Derwent monthly Healer's journal. As many of you are aware, Healer Cresswell's ongoing study of the significance of the increase of Squibs and the surprising decrease of Magical offspring among wizard society has been causing quite a stir.' Well this is rather complimentary for Rita actually," Hermione said.

"Keep reading," Valerie said, pointing her spoon at Hermione.

Hermione shrugged and continued reading the article aloud, "'Healer Cresswell attributes the increase of Squibs, seen by him as a magical deformity, which he has unfavorably compared to physical deformities, and actual inbreed deformities as resulting from a continual insistence of eligible aged pure-bloods marrying only other eligible pure-blood spouses. His argument is that with the decrease of true pure-blood families, the selection of eligible partners is decreasing, causing an increase of inbreeding. Healer Creswell quoted Healer Brumfeild earlier this week, stating that he agrees with Healer Brumfeild's studies regarding the increase of Muggle-borns and half-bloods, stating that it is the natural order of the universe to create a balance, that since strong, capable pure-blood offspring are decreasing, the universe is creating new-blood to offset the old-blood...'"

"See, it's all about blood again," Valerie said, sounding worried. "Why is one's blood so important in the wizarding world? I mean, I could understand prejudice against someone of another religion or ethnic background...that is a real difference, but to hate someone for something that isn't their fault...it's sick."

"And hating someone or, as you say, being prejudice against a person because of their religious or ethnic background is any different?" Ginny asked, affronted by Valerie's statement.

"No, I didn't mean it that way," Valerie said defensively. "It's just that being judged by your blood is so sick."

"Prejudice against someone for something...anything...that is not of their control is the same thing, no matter what category or reason you contrive. It's still wrong," Hermione said, disappointed in the girl's opinion.

Shelia held up her hand. "Look, it's just that, they are adding new definitions and new distinctions on the old prejudices: new blood, old blood, pure-blood, half-blood. Look at this article," she said. She pulled a copy of a journal from her bag. "He also claims that the real intent of Salazar Slytherin wasn't that only pure-blood witches and wizards should receive magical schooling...but pure-blood wizards and Muggle-borns should be segregated until such later generations have assimilated into wizarding society. Listen to this: 'It is in my opinion that Salazar Slytherin has been misquoted by the Sorting Hat for years. In a journal uncovered in the archives of one Mendleton Wenlock, all Muggle-borns should have been sorted into Hufflepuff and not his house of Slytherin. It was in Salazar Slytherin's opinion that Helga Hufflepuff, who was more wizened about the trials and confusion Muggle-borns face upon entering the wizarding world and in turning away from their Muggle lives, was better equipped for meeting the needs, proper guidance, and encouragement for those of non-magical upbringing, something Salazar Slytherin didn't have the patience for.' According to this article, it's something that the Sorting Hat actually confirmed! Therefore, we should have all been placed in Hufflepuff. 'Until significant generations had made them fully assimilated into Wizard society and its norms,' meaning our children or even our grandchildren simply because we are Muggle-born. Andie Luga said that is the reason Hufflepuff was given the entire basement for her house...the entire basement, so she'd have room, unlike Gryffindor and Ravenclaw who have towers."

Hermione reached for the journal, and Shelia handed it to her. As Hermione read the article, Ginny quoted the Sorting Hat's song from her first year and what was mentioned in Hogwarts: A History about the falling out between Salazar Slytherin and the other founders. Hermione pointed out the part of the article that Shelia had mentioned. "Someone is trying to reword Salazar Slytherin's statements, rewrite it to fit this theory of Healer Creswell's."

"Why?" Ginny asked.

Hermione shrugged. "I dunno, but I think that Valerie and Shelia are right in that we should be concerned," she said and looked up at Shelia. "If your dad sends you anything else on this, will you show it to me? I'm going to go to the library and look up the Sorting Hat's book. Each song he contrives is recorded, maybe there will be something in there."

Ginny waved Hermione off with a smile. "Don't be late for Charms."

"I won't," Hermione said, grabbing another slice of toast and hurring off.

Draco read the Prophet as he tried to eat his breakfast. He sneered at the inane idiocy babble from that quack, Creswell, about pure-bloods being all inbred degenerates and that they necessarily produced deformed offspring. Wasn't he himself a pure-blood, and he wasn't deformed or magically inept. And the only reason Healer Brumfeild had half-bloods to study was because witches and wizards chose to marry Muggles and Muggle-borns and then have babies. It wasn't any natural selection of the universe at all...it was horny wizards and loose witches.

Goyle sat next to him as did Nott, but Nott was ignoring Draco. From what Draco had heard, Nott hadn't spent his summer holed up in Azkaban since he'd never taken the Mark and hadn't followed in his father's illustrious footsteps. Nott had enlisted his Great Aunt's help to get an apprenticeship in Greece on Dark Enchantments last year.

Since all the Slytherins who would have graduated the previous year were denied receiving their N.E.W.T. scores until they could show proof of completion of a 'proper' Muggle Studies course, Slytherin House was more crowded than normal...or so it seemed. Draco hated that he was required to receive a N.E.W.T. in Muggle Studies in order to receive the N.EW.T.s he'd already earned...it was like being punished for being a pure-blood.

The students in Draco's year, the hold-backs as they were being called, were being housed in two old unused rooms across the corridor from the common room, one for the boys and one for the girls. Not that the professors hadn't made it feel homey by putting tapestries on the walls and carpets on the floor, it wasn't exactly the same as being in his old dorm. But the housemates of his year didn't want to share space with the students they considered a year below them, so the alternate living space had been created as the solution. It was only for one year anyway. That wasn't the only punishment opposed upon the Slytherins...well, for all the returning hold-backs of Hogwarts.

Well, that wasn't accurate; everyone who attended school last year was required to take the new Muggle Studies class. Everyone who was not a Muggle-born that is, and since many of the Death Eaters had been in Slytherin, all Slytherins and any child who was related to a Death Eater were required to take an Ethics class and the new History of Magic. At least a respected pure-blood historian of some repute was teaching the History of Magic class.

He turned the page to see the Quidditch scores.

Goyle leaned over, trying to see the page. "What's it sayin' about Brenda?" he asked.

Draco sighed. He knew that the Holyhead Harpies were Golye's favorite Quidditch team, only because they were all girls. He told him the score and promised to give him the page with the picture of Brenda Paulino, the Harpies' Seeker, when he was through with it.

Goyle looked at him, confused. "So when will that be?" he asked.

"Tonight, okay?" Draco said, turning the page in disgust. Goyle was just so thick. Maybe natural selection was an argument in his case.

It was several weeks before Hermione bumped into Draco in the corridors. She was leaving Potions, having stayed back to talk to Byran Pendergast, the new Potions professor who had taken over for Professor Slughorn. He was a stern professor, demanding and exacting, expecting the students of all years to work quietly, diligently, and precisely. But unlike Slughorn he didn't show favorites, and unlike Snape he was more even tempered, although he rarely smiled or allowed joviality in his classroom. As seventh- and eighth-years, they were brewing month-long potions as well as their daily potions, and if the potions were of an acceptable quality for either Madam Pomfrey use or the Healers at St. Mungo's, then the student brewing them was given house points.

Hermione had been held back in class so that Professor Pendergast could tell her that once again, her potion was of acceptable quality to earn her house seventy-two points, one point for each Sickle her potion gained the school.

"So what are you doing down here?" a seventh-year Slytherin sneered as Hermione stopped to adjust her books in her bag.

"Potions has been over...you're snooping around the dungeons, aren't you?" his friend sneered.

Hermione stood and squared her shoulders. "Oh, lay off," she said, trying to walk around them.

"You're in our territory, so, no," the first Slytherin said.

"Oi, Benders, what do you think you're doing?" Hermione heard Draco say from behind her.

Hermione turned her back to the wall so that she was able to see all four of them, wondering how she was going to get out of this one, and hoping that Professor Pendergast would come out.

"Yeah, whatch ya think you're doing," Goyle said, cracking his knuckles and glaring at Hermione and Benders. Goyle had grown into a large guy with broad shoulders, a bit of a gut, and a few scars from the war. In other words, he had grown from looking like a trollish bully into rather an intimidating guy.

"I was..." she started to say, but Draco cut her off. "Not you, Granger, him."

"Standing up for mud, are we, Malfoy?" the second seventh-year sneered. "Just because you got off clean and are now an eighth-year don't make you better than us, 'cus it don't."

"You know what Professor Wright said, we have to watch ourselves. Everyone is watching Slytherin to see if we are going to retaliate," Draco said, walking over to Hermione. "And you cannot just accost the Gryffindor princess without repercussions and you know that."

Hermione bristled at his comment and was about to retort, but Draco cut her off again as Goyle rubbed his knuckles while smirking in a menacing way. "I'll deal with her. That way you don't sully your hands. Now split before you get caught." He grasped her arm and pulled her with him as he turned to go.

Hermione tried, unsuccessfully, to jerk her arm free. "Let go of me," she snarled.

"Hush," Draco hissed, trying to silence her. "Play it my way for a bit, please."

It was the please that made her stop struggling.

As they turned a corner, he let go of her arm.

She watched as Goyle stopped, looked behind him, and nodded before turning the corner as well. His face was calm and impassive, the cruel smirk gone, as if he'd dropped the use of a mask. "Draco, what was that all about?" she asked, confused by their behavior.

"You and your friends' actions in the Ministry last year caused Bender's dad to end up in Azkaban. He wants to get even...look, don't be down here alone, all right. It's the same for Weasley and Lovegood, you girls are not safe down here. There are a few who'd like to send you to the long-term residents' wing of the Spell Damage ward."

"So, why are you telling me this, Draco?" she asked suspiciously.

Goyle looked at toe of his boot as Draco smirked. "You and Potter saved my...our lives," Draco said and Goyle nodded. "I don't expect you to understand, but in Azkaban they made us... Well, I had time to think, to reflect, and reevaluate things, and I might have been wrong about a few things. Is that good enough for you?"

Hermione narrowed her eyes suspiciously, but he seemed sincere. He was only giving her warning about the attitudes of the others, and she realized she should take him seriously. "All, right, I'll be careful. Thank you."

"You're welcome," Goyle said and Draco nodded. Draco turned around to go, but Goyle remained, looking at Hermione expectantly. Draco stopped and crossed his arms, shaking his head, no.

"Did you want something, Goyle?" Hermione asked a bit curter than she meant to. He turned his head as he inhaled sharply, and she could see that he'd wanted to ask her something and was now feeling hurt. "Goyle, I'm sorry, that was uncalled for. What did you want to ask me?"

Goyle looked at her as if deciding if he still wanted to. He slowly uncrossed his arms, letting his hands fall to his sides. "You're a Muggle-born."

"Yes, well spotted," Hermione said, her mind racing over what he'd meant by that. It hit her and nearly made her laugh. "You want to ask me about something you heard in Muggle Studies, don't you?"

Goyle's gaze swept the corridor and back to her face, obviously expecting her to reject the idea. "Yeah. And not just me, but if you don't want to..."

"If you and Malfoy want to meet me in the library once a week, sure, I'll answer questions about Muggle stuff," she offered, pleased to see a look of relief on Goyle's face and a slight smile on Draco's. She suddenly realized that they might ask questions of things she didn't know about, not knowing what the new Muggle Studies professor might cover in lessons. "At least I'll try to answer questions; you might learn stuff I don't know."

A side of Goyle's mouth pursed as if he wasn't happy with the offer.

She tilted her head and wondered... "What?"

Goyle blushed slightly. "We have a test today and I was hopin' you'd...can you explain Muggle money? I got the pound one, I think, and a shilling is like a Sickle, right? But I get confused on a penny and a pence and a half one. Which one is like a Knut?"

Hermione smiled. "Do you have some time after lunch? If you eat quickly, we can go over it then."

"Yeah," Goyle said, smiling and looking relieved. "I'll see you then. Thanks."

"Yeah, thank you, Granger," Draco said, also looking relieved.

"No problem, I'll see you at lunch," she said, hurrying for the stairs.

By October, the articles in the Daily Prophet and the Sorcerer's Sun reported on redevelopment or new businesses opening, but the financial pages showed a decrease in the number of trading scales and Galleon bonds or the silver shares. Unemployment had risen, even though the Daily Prophet ran advertisements for job openings, but the pay offered was dismal. Nevertheless, as the month progressed, it seemed that the Daily Prophet more and more kept reassuring its readers that things were fine, the Ministry was strong, and that people were prospering, whereas the Ireland's Sorcerer's Sun did not paint such a rosy picture.

The truth was that the economic recovery after the war was varied depending on locations. Even The Quibbler printed articles on how to transfigure things like leaves into bread and how to charm milk into cheese. Tildon Toot's gardening tips for planter, bathtub, and window box vegetable gardens were regular features in all the papers and on the wireless. Euell Theophilus Gibbons, who'd moved to Hideburg Vale in Wales in December of 1975, was giving tips on edible plants, both the magical ones and mundane in The Quibbler and how to locate and harvest wild edibles and potion ingredients. Guidelines on how to keep a coop of chickens and rabbits in a spare room was published in Witch Weekly. And Walker Firestone published home distilling techniques for brewing beer in the Witches Home Journal. On the wireless, 'How to with Tilly Twoheys,' a call in help show that offered 'how to make it yourself' advise, had really gained popularity.

Wales was hit fairly hard in certain areas, but their economic recovery showed a level of stability and high economic growth. Scotland rebounded well after the war, many of the businesses and farms doubled in productions and growth. Ireland had been lucky and rebounded quite quickly, and enjoyed rapid economic growth and the establishment of a wizard shopping center that was even more prosperous than Diagon Alley. But in England, London, Manchester, Devon and many of the ports were hit hard by the after effects of the war. Diagon Alley was slow to recover, although Hogsmeade, Grandiliers Way, and the Promenade Lane were able to rebuild and recover more quickly, but there were still many advertisements for premises to rent for small businesses.

The attempted eradication of Muggle-borns and their families had a devastating effect on the wizarding world. Thousands of the Muggle-borns, half-bloods, and sympathizers who were prisoners of war that had been sent to Azkaban were greatly traumatized, suffered malnutrition and illnesses, and many had been cursed or hexed so badly they had never recovered. Nearly a third had died in their cells, and hundreds of the suffering had been given the Dementor's kiss prior to the battle at Hogwarts.

The War Crimes Trials were in the papers constantly.

Ireland's Sorcerer's Sun was starting to become a popular paper throughout the United Kingdom wizarding world as being a truly fact-based, unbiased publication, as opposed to the Daily Prophet that was now considered as the Ministry's publication and had lost much credibility with the general public.

Inside the castle the seventh- and eighth-years were struggling to keep up with all the work heaped on them by the professors in preparations for their N.E.W.Ts as were all the fifth-years for their O.W.L.s. It seemed that in every subject throughout the castle, every professor was trying to ensure that the graduating class of 1999 would earn nothing less than Exceeds in every subject. Shelia and Valerie shared their papers with Hermione in the common room or at breakfast, Sheila her Sorcerer's Sun and Valerie her Witch Weekly and Teen Witch. Hermione still received the Daily Prophet, and Luna happily gave her a subscription to The Quibbler as a belated birthday present.

That and now Hermione's little discussion group with Draco and Greg had become larger with the inclusion of a few more of Draco's friends and some other students who had heard about it and wanted to be part of the discussion group. As the month progressed and things got too big and too loud for the library, Hermione insisted that they all meet in an old classroom on the seventh floor. She eventually invited a few of the Muggle-borns she knew to come help by sitting in small groups with those who had to take the class over.

By mid month, shy Bernice Witherspoon walked up to the girls over by the fireplace. Hermione, Ginny, and Shelia, who were lounging on the sofa in front of the fireplace, looked up at her as Valerie sat on the floor at the coffee table in front of them, determined to finish an essay before bedtime. "Did you see, I'm sorry, but..."

They all looked up at her and Bernice blushed. "What's up?" Ginny asked.

Bernice looked away, scuffed her toe and handed Hermione a Witches Home Journal. "I know that you, er, that is that you all have every other publication," she stammered uncomfortably. "But you, that is, that me and my mum, we read this. And there is an article about the Cannons. Did you see it?"

Hermione shook her head as Ginny urged her to open to page thirty-four. Ginny let out a startled exclamation as she read the headline. "They are to be disbanded!"

"NO!" Valerie exclaimed in shock, trying to see the article. Ginny started to outline the first paragraph. "If they don't get more funds or sponsors... They've lost sponsorship? The team will be disbanded! Ron will be crushed!"

"A Quidditch team disbanded?" Shelia asked. "It wasn't in the Sun!"

"Nor any of the others," Hermione said.

Bernice worried her thumb. "Gwendolyn Dorkins is the wife of the manager, and she's a journalist for the magazine," Bernice said.

Hermione scooted over to let Bernice sit down on the sofa but she sat on the arm instead. "How did you know that?"

"She's an old dorm mate of my mum's," Bernice said. "Anyway, I thought that since you're following everything, maybe I can lend you my magazines once and a while?"

Both Ginny and Hermione smiled at her as Shelia and Valerie continued to read the article together. "Yeah, you can join us anytime," Hermione offered, making the shy girl beam with delight.

Only a week later, the Sorcerer's Sun and the Daily Prophet both announced the creation of the Muggle-born Protection Act.