Hermione's Game

"I've watched through his eyes, I've listened through his ears, and I tell you he's the one. Or at least as close as we're going to get."
"That's what you said about the brother."
"The brother tested out impossible. For other reasons. Nothing to do with his ability."
"Same with the sister. And there are doubts about him. He's too malleable. Too willing to submerge himself in someone else's will."
"Not if the other person is his enemy."
"So what do we do? Surround him with enemies all the time?"
"If we have to."
"I thought you said you liked this kid."
"If the buggers get him, they'll make me look like his favorite uncle."
"All right. We're saving the world, after all. Take him."

* * *

Over the summer between the trio´s fourth and fifth year, Hermione did a lot of thinking, a lot of reading, and a lot of letter writing.  After the events of the past year, Harry had become quite depressed, and-with nobody for company but the Dursleys-lacking a great deal in both kind and intelligent company.

Hermione and Harry kept up a rapid correspondence, and it appeared that Hedwig might go into cardiac arrest, since Hermione was using her for trips to the Burrow and Bulgaria, as well.  But Hedwig kept at it, and showed no signs of fatigue.

Finally, it was Harry´s birthday, and when he awoke, he had some pleasant surprises.

There were cards from the Weasleys, Hermione, Hagrid, and Sirius, and gifts from each. 

Ron gave him a book called Great Quidditch Players, filled with interesting facts about players from all over the world since the beginning of the game. 

Hagrid sent him a box of what appeared to be chocolate raisins, but the label read "Garbled Gambles", so he figured he´d ask Hermione what they were before he opened them.

Sirius sent him a package of chocolate frogs and a letter, which contained a picture of himself and Buckbeak.

Hermione´s was a book-of course.  Harry was about to put it aside without looking at it when the cover caught his eye.  In large print it read Ender´s Game, and there was a picture of a boy in a blue jumpsuit and helmet, floating in some kind of room with padded walls.

Harry blinked, wondering why the picture didn´t move, then he realized it was a Muggle book.  Strange he thought.  I´ve never seen Hermione reading muggle books at Hogwarts.  He flipped it over and read what was on the back :

Andrew "Ender" Wiggin thinks he is playing computer simulated war games; he is, in fact, engaged in something far more desperate. The result of genetic experimentation, Ender may be the military genius Earth desperately needs in a war against an alien enemy seeking to destroy all human life. The only way to find out is to throw Ender into ever harsher training, to chip away and find the diamond inside, or destroy him utterly. Ender Wiggin is six years old when it begins. He will grow up fast.

But Ender is not the only result of the experiment. The war with the Buggers has been raging for a hundred years, and the quest for the perfect general has been underway almost as long. Ender's two older siblings, Peter and Valentine, are every bit as unusual as he is, but in very different ways. While Peter was too uncontrollably violent, Valentine very nearly lacks the capability for violence altogether. Neither was found suitable for the military's purpose. But they are driven by their jealousy of Ender, and by their inbred drive for power. Peter seeks to control the political process, to become a ruler. Valentine's abilities turn more toward the subtle control of the beliefs of commoner and elite alike, through powerfully convincing essays. Hiding their youth and identities behind the anonymity of the computer networks, these two begin working together to shape the destiny of Earth-an Earth that has no future at all...if their brother Ender fails.

Sounds good, Harry thought to himself.  Setting it aside, he made a promise to himself that every spare second he´d have would go into the book. 

Quickly polishing his glasses on his shirt, he got dressed for a day of hard work in the garden.  Summer with the Dursley´s was not exactly the most pleasant of tasks.

***

"Hey, Ron!" Ginny shouted through the door of her brother´s room, far away at the Burrow.

Ron rolled over and groaned in his bed.  Sitting up sleepily, he ran a hand through his mass of brilliantly red hair, and gurgled, "Huh?"

"Get up you great lump!  Mum says we can go save Harry, today!  You gotta write him an owl real fast and send it with Pigwidgeon!  Open this damn door!" she shouted, shocking her brother with her use of expletives.

Looking around his orange and blue room, then down at his orange and blue boxers-which were the only thing he had on-he replied, "Uh...hold on a sec.  I gotta get dressed, real fast," and he pulled a tattered robe over his head before unlocking the door and sitting down at his desk.  He quickly wrote Harry a note, then gave it to Pig, who was hooting happily.

Ginny walked in, smiling.  Yesterday had been her birthday, the 30^th of July, and she was positively beaming the whole day.  Hermione had sent her some book called Ender´s Game, a muggle science fiction book.  His sister had already spent the whole night up reading the book, and she said she was almost finished.

"When Pigwidgeon gets back, can I borrow him?"

"Why?"

"I want to owl Hermione."

"About...?"

"That´s none of your business."

"My owl, my business."

"I want to thank her for the book...you know, the Ender´s Game book we read?"

"And?"

"Ask her for another one," she snapped, biting her lip.

"And you didn´t want to tell me this, why?" he asked, incredulously.

"´Cause...I didn´t, okay?"

"Sure, why not.  Pig should be back in an hour or two, depending on how stupid he is.  Which is very."  Ron stretched as he threw an excitedly hooting Pig out the window and said, "Is breakfast ready?"

"Ron, it´s noon."

"Oh."  He paused.  "Is lunch ready?"

"Shut up, Ron."

***

"Hermione, girl!  Your friend, Ginny, sent you a letter!" Aemilia Granger called from the stairs.

Aemilia Granger had just turned eleven on the 1^st of July, and was excited, because when Hermione´s annual letter from Hogwarts came, she received one, too.  Aemilia was a bookworm, too, but not in the purest sense, like Hermione.  She liked to read, but she was also very...sporty, is the only word that comes to mind.  Aemilia was-and is-brilliant, and so-in a way-like Hermione.  But they hardly looked alike at all.

Aemilia was tall for her age, actually, she was taller than Hermione, and had mousy brown hair-like Hermione-but it was thick, shiny, and smooth.  Not bushy.  It reached down just past the small of her back.  She had brilliantly green eyes, and an extremely pale complexion, not for lack of time and money in tanning booths and sitting in the sun for hours.  Aemilia Granger just didn´t tan.  It was a fact.  As sure as the sun would rise in the morning, she wouldn´t tan, and never would.

Everyone in Hermione´s family was named for a reason.  Aemilia meant industrious, striving, and defender.  They all suited her perfectly.  Hermione, herself, was named after a character in Shakespeare´s A Winter´s Tale.  Her mother´s was Minnie, which meant "loving memory".  Her father-Alexander Granger-was "defender of mankind".  Maybe "defender of tooth decay" would´ve been more suitable, but the name suited him well enough.  Her older brother-who was away at university-was named Liam, meaning "unwavering protector".  Everyone´s name suited them well.

Hermione slid down the cherry wood banister to the front hall, where her sister was standing, excitedly, with the letter in hand.  She took the letter and said, "Let´s go read it."

Aemilia bounced along as they walked to the kitchen at the far side of the house.  "Oh, if she´s inviting you to the Burrow, do you think I could come?" she asked excitedly.

"I´m sure it´d be okay, sis´," Hermione replied as they sad down on some stools in the kitchen.  "Hello, Cookie.  How´re you today?" she asked a plump, dark-skinned woman, who was opening the oven and looking at what appeared to be a chicken.

"Good.  And how are you girls?  Oh, darn catterwumpus!" Cookie cried, as purple smoke streamed out of the oven.  She peered in at the burnt creature and sighed.  "They sold me a kneazle!  I can´t believe they sold me a kneazle!  They´re pets, for heaven´s sake!  It looks like we´ll be having turkey sandwiches for lunch, girls," she said exasperatedly.

"That´s okay, Cookie."  Aemillia stared intently at the envelope and Hermione handed it to her.

"You open it," Hermione said to her little sister.

"Really?"  Hermione nodded and the taller girl slipped a pale finger under the seal of the envelope, and carefully slit it open.  Pulling it out as if it were sacred, she placed it on the table and they read:

Hermione,

            Hey!  I was wondering if you could come for a visit.  But that´s not exactly why I wrote you...You know that book you sent me, Ender´s Game?  I love it!  So does Ron.  I finished it in about two hours!  I just couldn´t set it down.  Um...are there any sequels, or maybe a parallel novel?  I think it´s really good, and can´t wait to read more.

            Did you say the Aemillia wants to come?  Hermione, you goose!  You know that guests are always welcome at the Burrow!  Bring her along, she can come to Diagon Alley with us, so your poor parents won´t have to deal with clods like Malfoy, anymore. 

            Hey, Aemillia!  Hope to see you with Hermione at the Burrow!  Well, if you´ve got `em, send any sequels or whatever.

            The boys will come by Floo Powder around 4 o´clock, okay?

Love always,

Ginny

"Yes!" Aemillia shouted, punching a fist at the air over her head.  "I´m goin´ to the Burrow, I´m goin´ to the Burrow!"  She got up and did a little happy dance.  Hermione giggled and then fell on the floor, laughing outright, clutching a stitch in her side.

Cookie walked in and looked dumbfounded.  "You chillens is absolutely nuts!" and walked back out.

Aemillia helped Hermione up, and then smiled uncontrollably.  "Come on, let´s go pack!"

***

Harry ran upstairs, stuffing things into his trunk, hurriedly.  He thought to himself, Will they use Floo Powder again?  After shaking off the idea, he grabbed Hedwigs cage, and the trunk, and started to drag them downstairs.

Aunt Petunia stepped out of the kitchen, and looked like she was about to scream at Harry to put the trunk and cage away, when the doorbell rang.  She straightened her hair, threw Harry a venomous look, and went to answer it.

When she opened the door, Harry could see a girl with bright red hair standing on the porch, and the girl had a giant grin on her face.  Parked near the driveway was a black, stretch limo, and the driver was standing by the door to the car.

"Hello, Mrs. Dursley.  Is Harry home?" the girl asked.

Aunt Petunia stood dumbfounded, her mouth hanging open.

"I´m here," he said, coming down the stairs the rest of the way.  "Hello, Virginia," and he emphasized the last word.  "Goodbye, Aunt Petunia.  Have a lovely holiday!"  To Aunt Petunia´s shock, he bent down-he´d grown quite a bit-and kissed her on her bony cheek, winked at her, and closed the door behind him.

"Ginny!" he cried, walking down the steps with the girl, and towards the limo.  "What is all this?  I don´t understand at all!" Harry looked perplexed-and not just slightly-as he stepped into the limo and the driver put his trunk in the boot of the car.

"Oh," Ginny replied, "it´s really quite simple.  We just had to shock your aunt enough that she wouldn´t stop you from leaving.  I figured a girl in an outfit like this and a limo parked in front of the house would do it.  Happy birthday, by the way."

"Thanks."  Harry looked at her to see what she meant be `an outfit like this´.  She was wearing a spaghetti strap ball gown, an icy blue color, and it shimmered when she moved.  She was wearing glass-yes, glass-slippers, and she walked delicately, so as not to muss the outfit or crush the shoes.

"You look very nice," he said, smiling as she blushed crimson.

"Yeah, well, you owe me one, Potter," she replied, smiling, but still blushing.

"Yes, I do, very much so.  So, where´s Ron and everybody?"

"Well, since your aunt and uncle already...um...met the boys, we figured it would be safest if I was the only one who went.  Besides, they´re going to floo over to the Granger´s to pick up Hermione and Aemillia."

Harry looked confused and asked, "Aemillia?"

Ginny looked horrified and said, "Don´t tell me you thought Hermione was an only child!"

"Well, yeah.  She never mentioned having any siblings..."

"Just because somebody doesn´t talk about it doesn´t mean they don´t!" she said exasperated.  "Like Seamus-he has three brothers, and all of them go to Hogwarts, but you probably don´t know that, now, do you?"

"No, actually," he said, gazing out the tinted windows, since it felt like they weren´t moving, but he couldn´t see anything.

"Well, you should pay closer attention, shouldn´t you?" she said, stepping out of the limo, and to Harry´s surprise they were at the Burrow.  "She has an older brother named Liam who´s at university, too.  He´s a muggle.  But Aemillia´s coming to Hogwarts this year."   She strode across the yard, and Harry followed close behind, with Hedwig´s cage in hand.

"What about my trunk!" Harry shouted after her, as he ran to catch up.  Then he came up to the porch and saw that it was sitting there.  He looked back and the limo was gone.

"Having celebrities coming to the house comes in handy.  Especially when dealing with the ministry," Ginny smiled and stepped inside, closely followed by Harry.

"Oh, Harry, dear!  Happy birthday!" Molly Weasley cried, pulling him into a tight hug as they walked into the kitchen.  "Look at you!  You´re so tall!"  Harry was indeed taller.  He towered above Mrs. Weasley by over a foot. 

"Oh, no I´m not, Mrs. Weasley.  Thank you for inviting me over." 

"Oh, any time, Harry.  I´m only surprised that Dumbledore wouldn´t let you come home with us straight away.  So how´s Arabella, Harry?" she turned to the sink, where potatoes were peeling themselves.

"Mrs. Figg?  How would you know Mrs. Figg?" Harry asked, a look of puzzlement on his face.

"What?  Who doesn´t know the female counterpart of Mad-Eye Moody?  That woman was the best darn auror in the country for almost a century!  Until she retired, and became a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts.  She retired when your parents were killed so she could watch out for you at the Dursley´s."

Harry stood dumb-founded, but he realized that he should expect the unexpected in the wizarding world.  Or at least not think that these things were impossible.  "She´s doing well.  On vacation in Aruba."

"Well, that´s nice.  Hermione!  Hello, dear!" Mrs. Weasley cried, as Hermione stepped out of the fireplace.

She was taller than Harry remembered, and her hair was sleek instead of bushy.  It looked like she´d gotten some kind of highlights, because there was a golden tint to her hair.  Hermione walked into the kitchen and hugged Molly, then Ginny, then Harry.

All of a sudden, out came a steady stream of four red-headed men.

"Well, Harry!  You´ve certainly grown!  Happy birthday!  Did you get your presents?" Hermione said in a rush.

"Yes, thanks, yes," he said smiling, and answering her.

"Hey, Harry!  Like that limo?" Ron asked, coming into the kitchen.  The twins came up behind Ron, then lifted their little brother up from under the arms.  "Hey!  Geroff me!" he shouted.

"Okay," they said, grinning evilly, and dropped him.

"Ouch!  I didn´t mean like THAT!"

"Sorry," they said grinning.  "How are you, Harry?" George asked. 

"Having a good birthday?" Fred asked.

"Very," Harry replied.

All of a sudden, a thud could be heard from the living room, then a groan.  "Why didn´t you guys tell me I´d fall out like that!" a girl´s voice cried from the fireplace.

"Aemillia!" Hermione cried, rushing into the room.  Everybody followed, and Harry saw a girl, standing up, and to his shock, she was taller than Hermione.  Her nose was bleeding profusely, and she looked rather dazed.  "Are you okay?" Hermione asked, helping the girl up.

"Yeah, yeah, I´m fine.  I can´t believe I made such a fool of myself."  Aemillia shook the long, brown hair out of her face, and said, "Wow!  Nice place you´ve got here, Mr. Weasley."

Mr. and Mrs. Weasley beamed, and Ginny said, "I think I´ll sneak on up to change.  Hermione, Aemillia, come on.  You´re sleeping in my room."  The girls waved and ran up the stairs.

Harry looked at Ron and said, "Is it just me, or is she really, really tall for an eleven-year-old?"

"I´d say she´s really, really tall.  But she´s nice.  And pretty.  She looks a bit like Hermione, don´t you think?"

"Yeah.  Except taller, and her eyes are almost the same color as mine."

"Harry," Fred said, rolling his eyes, "they´re the exact same color as yours."

"Too true, too true," George replied.

"Why don´t you boys go set up the tables outside, dinner´s almost ready," Mrs. Weasley said, bustling back into the kitchen.

"Alright, dear," Arthur said, rushing the boys outside.  Once outside he sat down on the grass, and motioned for the boys to sit down.  "Okay, it´s time for my annual `girl talk´," he said, a grin on his face.

Ron and the twins groaned, but Harry just looked confused.  Ron looked over at him and said, "You don´t want to know, Harry.  You really don´t want to know."

Arthur spoke.  "Now that you´re all getting older, you´re going to start noticing girls.  Except, they´re going to stop being girls, and start being women.  Ron, Harry, since you´re best friends with Hermione, beware, things are going to change.  Fred.  George.  If you can´t keep your paws off Angelina and Katie, I´ll be sending you a howler the next time they´re parents send me a letter.  Understood?"  The twins nodded, smiling, and obviously didn´t mean it at all.

"Now, the women must never get in the way of true friendship.  And when true love comes along, things are going to change.  Especially if true love comes along between three people.  Love triangles are dangerous, mostly because they almost always involve two men, who will attempt to beat the hell out of each other," he emphasized this last part by slamming a fist into his open palm.  "Be wary, men, and don´t let the women get in the way of your studies.  Now, let´s set up."

***

"Ginny, you look absolutely smashing in that dress," Hermione said, sitting down on the worn, blue comforter of Ginny´s bed.

"Oh this?  God, I look like a goon!" Ginny cried, slipping out of it and pulling on set of robes the color of the sky on a sunny day.

"I think it looked great on you," Aemillia said, sitting next to her sister, and leaning back against the wall of the room.  "You might wanna loose the slippers with the robes, though."

Ginny blushed as she looked down at her feet.  "Oh, but I like them!  They make me feel like Cinderella, except there´s no handsome prince."  She twirled around, her robes billowing at as she spun.

"There is, too.  He just doesn´t know it yet," Hermione grinned slyly, and Ginny blushed a deep crimson.

"I don´t know what you´re talking about," Ginny said.

"Oh, Virginia Weasley, you´re easier to read than a book!" Aemillia cried.  "His first name starts with H and he´s the `Boy Who Lived´.  He´s also here at the Burrow.  Hm..." she said, tapping her index finger on her chin, "I wonder who it is..."

"Oh, you´re so evil, Li!" Hermione giggled.

"Li?" Ginny asked puzzled.

"Doesn´t take as long to say as Aemillia, don´t you think?" Li asked.

"Definitely," Ginny replied.

"So, are you gonna tell him?" Hermione asked.

"Tell who what?" Ginny asked.

"Tell Harry you like him, of course!" Li said.

"Tell him?  Are you guys nuts?  It must run in the family!"

"Of course!  Just like red hair, freckles, and pranksters run in your family," Hermione replied, flinging herself on her stomach and pulling up the bedspread so she could look under the bed, her legs flailing in the air.

"What´re you doin´ `Mione?" Li asked as she took up the same position next to her sister.  "Wow!" she murmured when she looked.

"What´re you guys lookin´ at?" Ginny asked, getting on the floor and looking under the bed.  "Whoa..."

"I just heard a noise and looked and...weird.  It´s like some sort of tunnel or something.  I thought we were on the second floor, Ginny," Hermione said, looking at the redhead.

"We are.  I always thought that it was funny whenever I stuffed things under the bed that I didn´t get `em back."

"This is impossible," Li said, swinging herself back up on top of the bed.  "It´s just an illusion.  It has to be.  But...just in case, let´s get Ron and Harry in here after dinner for a look-see.  But everybody else better be asleep.  We don´t want everybody thinking we´re crazy, or anything."

"Good idea.  We better all bring our wands, too," Ginny said.

"I would, but I don´t have one," Li said.

"That´s okay.  Two able-bodied witches, and two slightly competent wizards ought to be enough," Hermione replied, grinning broadly.

***

"Mrs. Weasley, I´m stuffed.  And that´s the first time I ever got to blow out candles on my birthday!" Harry cried, pushing his plate towards the center of the table.

"Thanks for inviting us, Mrs. Weasley," Li said.  "I don´t remember when I´ve eaten so much."

"It was at lunch, Li.  When you ate four turkey sandwiches and half a bag of crisps.  Remember?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah, well, they weren´t as good as this, so they don´t count."

Everybody laughed and Mrs. Weasley said, "Well, you kids better turn in, we´re going to head down to Diagon Alley pretty early, tomorrow."  She kissed each of the kids as they walked inside, and Li gave her a warm hug and a smile.

Li was the only one tall enough to whisper in Ron´s ear without catching the attention of the twins or Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, so she walked beside him and as Ron and Harry were about to go up the last two flights of stairs she whispered, "Meet us in Ginny´s room in half an hour with Harry.  Don´t tell the twins.  Bring your wands."

***

"Yeah, Aemillia said for us to meet `em in there.  And she said to bring our wands," Ron said to Harry after they´d put on their pajamas.

"Why?"

"How am I supposed to know?  But, even if it is a joke, maybe we should go."

"Of course we´ll go, I was just wondering why."

"Well, how am I supposed to know?"

"Sorry!  You don´t have to be so snappy!  Geez..."

"I´m not snappy, I´m just..."

"Thinking of your beloved Hermione?" Harry finished sweetly, clasping his hands and making puppy-dog eyes at Ron, while rapidly blinking his eyes.

"What?!?" Ron shouted, jumping up off the bed.

"Oh, you know you like her," Harry said, settling down on the bed and rolling his eyes.

"Well, yeah...but how did you know?"

"Weasleys are easier to read than books.  It´s a fact.  A Weasley that you can´t read is like a cheese and pickles sandwich without the pickles."

"Or the cheese."

"Right...but we better go, already.  They´re going to wonder where we are."

The boys crept out of Ron´s room, and quietly walked down two sets of stairs, then knocked softly on the door to Ginny´s room.  They found themselves being pulled in before they could do anything, and the Granger girls placed a hand over the mouth of each boy.  Ginny pushed a finger to her lips, saying, "We found something a bit odd, today."

Ron and Harry looked at each other as Hermione and Li let go of their mouths, and Ginny walked over to her bed.  The girls were wearing matching t-shirts that reached to their knees, each reading, "Girl Power.  You Don´t Want To Fight It."  Ginny pulled up the comforter on her bed, revealing a small light coming from a hole under the bed.

"What the hell is a hole doing under your bed, Ginny?" Ron whispered.

"How am I supposed to know?  Lumos," the four with wands muttered the spell, and the lights traced over each others faces.  "I want to know what´s down there.  If you guys would rather stay here and keep guard, that´s fine with me..."

"No, no!  We´ll come.  Just...wondering why there´s a bloody hole under your bed!"

"Shut up, Ron," Li said.  "It´s not like it was there before.  I keep hearing noises coming from there.  It sounds like machinery and," she paused, her eyes tracing the faces of each of the older kids, "snoring.  I don´t know what we´re dealing with, but it´s obviously rather bizarre."

"Right," Hermione said, "let´s go, then."

All of a sudden, a noise like rushing water filled the room, and the five kids found themselves being sucked under the bed, and their screams couldn´t be heard.  Even though none of them said, "nox," their lights all went out, and they were pitched into darkness.