The Great Hall was transformed beyond recognition and now resembled a beautiful ballroom. Spatial magic had changed the scenery, and a cheerful, well-dressed crowd of students danced to their hearts' content. Some couples spun beautifully to the rhythm of the waltz, while others simply stamped their feet, frightening those around them with their clumsy movements, but everyone was having fun. Tables with refreshments stood at the edges of the hall, and on the stage in the corner, a youth group called "Strange Sisters" played a lively waltz.
Of course, special attention was paid to the champions, and they were flawless. Victor Krum waltzed with a transformed Hermione Granger, who looked very beautiful in her magnificent pink dress. Cedric Diggory danced with the petite but incredibly feminine Chinese girl Zhou Chang, who smiled sweetly at her partner, placing her hands on his shoulders. The stunning Fleur Delacour, in a chic dress with an open back and shoulders, looked very harmonious with her tall partner, Cassius Black.
The only ones who stood out a little from this row of gorgeous young people were the young hero of the magical world, Harry Potter, and the Indian girl Parvati Patil in a peach-coloured national dress. It seemed that the young people were feeling very awkward while dancing. A grimace of discontent kept flashing across the girl's face because of her trampled feet. It was clear that she had already regretted many times that she had given in to vanity and the desire to show off to everyone with the famous Harry Potter as her dance partner.
Even the school administration was dancing with pleasure, remembering their youth. McGonagall waltzed with Dumbledore, and Hagrid, dressed in a fur coat and looking like a mangy bear, stomped around, hugging Madame Maxime.
Fleur Delacour could finally enjoy the waltz to the fullest, without holding back her charm. Her partner behaved impeccably, never once trying to put his hand lower than it should be or in any other way violate the rules of propriety. He led her confidently, easily, like a true gentleman, never missing a beat and giving her the extraordinary lightness of movement that the dance-loving girl had already grown to miss.
Ron Weasley stood at the buffet table, choking on punch, watching Crum waltz effortlessly with Granger. The Bulgarian Seeker managed to compliment her, causing the usually shy girl to blossom like a rose after the Bulgarian's words. Suddenly, Ron spotted a very pretty girl in this boring beaver. A burning and unpleasant feeling of jealousy overwhelmed the redhead, and he spilled some punch on his robe in indignation. Remembering Merlin, Weasley found his eyes on his offended partner. The girl was an Indian, Parvati Patil's sister...
Catching the eye of the hapless gentleman, Padma Patil snorted demonstratively at Weasley, but he didn't even think of approaching her. She mentally vowed to curse the red-haired jerk at the first opportunity for such ungentlemanly behaviour.
"All Ronald had to do was come up to me first and apologise properly, but instead he neglected his gorgeous partner and decided to make a scene with that Granger? The dirty slut abandoned her friends and is dancing with the champion from another school, and you're upset, harami? Blah, blah, blah!" And the girl, deeply offended, turned away from the redhead.
Potter watched Black with no less malice, his blond face greatly irritating him. He hated this handsome boy with all his heart for killing Professor Lupin and Sirius. After all, Sirius Black, as Minerva McGonagall had told him, was his godfather and was unlikely to have planned anything bad.
"Sirius could have told me so much about my parents. What heroes they were, how they lived," Harry thought angrily. "And this jerk just killed him. And the bastard didn't even get sent to Azkaban for it."
Draco did come to the Yule Ball with Pansy Parkinson, and now he was watching her with a sour expression on his face as she chattered happily with her classmates in her yellow dress. His beautiful dark purple tailcoat, combined with his partner's outfit, was so mismatched in colour and style that it made one's teeth grind. The Slytherin had taken subtle revenge on Malfoy for taking so long to invite her.
"Well, I guess we'll have to get a little mischievous," Malfoy said with a sly wink. He moved towards a group of acquaintances, where a pretty Ravenclaw girl was standing in a traditional dress.
"Hello, Padma," Draco distracted her, and the girl turned around in surprise, looking at Malfoy.
"Would the lovely lady deign to grant me the honour of the next dance on this wonderful evening?" Malfoy drawled, spreading his words out like a nightingale.
The girl, who had already opened her mouth to refuse, suddenly closed it sharply and turned her gloomy gaze to Weasley. He was still standing there, ignoring everyone, glaring maliciously at Hermione, who was dancing with Crum.
"Hmm, heir to Malfoy," the Indian girl bowed her head graciously, "I gladly accept your invitation.
Draco elegantly offered his arm to the girl, and within a minute, she was happily twirling around the dance floor with the Slytherin. They didn't even notice Pansy Parkinson grinding her teeth, pretending not to notice. Only Ron didn't notice anything until he saw Padma Patil dancing with the hated Slytherin right in front of him. With his mouth stupidly open, he was about to say something nasty to both of them, but the couple disappeared into the crowd of dancers and Ron shut his mouth.
An angry Weasley moved away to the wall, where Potter was sitting on a sofa.
"I don't like these dances," the redhead muttered resentfully, plopping down next to his friend.
"Me neither," Potter growled. "All the champions waltz so easily, as if they've been dancing for a hundred years, and I look like a cow on ice. A month of training with McGonagall did me no good. I danced so badly that Parvati left me.
"Oh, come on," Ron put his hand on his friend's shoulder, "it's not the end of the world if you can't dance. You better look at what Granger is doing," Weasley's face twisted into a malicious grin. "She'll spill all your secrets to the enemy champion, look how she's laughing.
"And there's Padma dancing with that slime," Potter suddenly remarked.
"She's a traitor too," Ron puffed out his cheeks. "I looked away for a second to take a sip of punch, and she went and started dancing with Malfoy without even asking permission.
Hermione walked quickly through the enchanted winter garden, uninvited, angry tears streaming down her cheeks. Kram, who had suggested a walk in the fresh air after the dancing, seized the moment and tried to kiss her, but she barely managed to wriggle out of his arms.
The surprised Bulgarian asked why a clearly half-blood girl from a simple family was behaving so strangely. After all, in the entire magical world, only pure-blooded witches were not allowed to interact closely with boys before marriage, while Muggle-borns and half-bloods were not restricted in any way. On the contrary, for them, such relationships were an excellent way to get ahead in life. And he, Kram, was quite capable of protecting a pretty Muggle-born girl after school.
Hermione replied sharply that she didn't need anyone's protection and ran away. Now, as she made her way to the castle, she was upset, thinking that in this closed magical world, which seemed to be living in the last century, it was really hard to get ahead, and all her dreams of a career at the Ministry of Magic might come to nothing.
Draco and his vassals had also come out for some fresh air, and now the whole company was strolling leisurely along the alley, looking at the enchanted ice trees and delicate white gazebos scattered here and there amid all this splendour.
"Look who's running," Vincent Crabbe pointed out, noticing Hermione approaching.
"It's the Gryffindor nerd," Goyle chuckled, "and without her usual entourage.
Draco also saw the girl approaching and noticed her agitated state and swollen eyes.
"Make sure no one disturbs me," he ordered his vassals, taking a few steps towards Hermione.
The girl, completely lost in her thoughts, suddenly stumbled upon Malfoy, who seemed to have grown out of the ground.
"What's wrong now?" Draco asked her mockingly but kindly.
Hermione, suddenly finding herself in his arms, wanted to respond sharply at first, but then realised who was in front of her and wilted.
"He decided that if I'm Muggle-born, that means I'm easy," the girl said angrily, shaking her head. "Maybe that's how they do things at Durmstrang, but thank God we're not there."
Draco just shook his head, leading her to the gazebo, where he sat her down next to him.
"I'm sorry, Hermione," he said with an apologetic smile, looking at the girl. "But in England, we have a similar situation with Muggle-borns. When a Muggle-born graduates from Hogwarts, they are given a choice. If they stay in the magical world, the most they can hope for is a position as a third assistant to some clerk at the Ministry or a handyman at Kosy's shop. The weakest end up in the slums of Lutny, and no one knows what happens to them there. Girls have it a little easier in this regard; at least they have the opportunity to marry a half-blood. In rare cases, they may get lucky and marry a pure-blood, but such people are usually expelled from their families, and their children are taken away.
"So who needs your magical world?" Granger exclaimed indignantly. "You could just go back. With your knowledge of magic, it would be easy to rise to the top in our world."
Malfoy shook his head sadly and squeezed her hand encouragingly.
"They don't tell you this, but according to the Statute of Secrecy, every Muggle-born who chooses to remain in their world has restrictions placed on their source and their memory of us erased. After all, no one can resist using magic. Sooner or later, a wizard will start casting spells and break the Statute, and no wizard wants to risk international law. The Obliviators simply can't keep track of everyone.
Hermione stared at Malfoy in surprise, and he just shrugged.
"What, will the Statute stop you if you suddenly need to use magic to stop a speeding truck or find out the winning numbers in the national lottery?
Hermione shrugged and frowned.
"Muggle-borns are necessary for the magical world," Draco sighed, "but only as fresh blood. We've been researching and experimenting on this topic for a long time, but most purebloods have realised that close marriages lead to degeneration. That's why we've been accepting Muggle-borns into our world since ancient times. And with half-bloods or pureblood wizards, anyone can marry second or third generation.
Hermione was stunned, silently digesting the shocking information: "For some reason, McGonagall never mentioned this. So it was all for nothing? All my efforts, my studies, my knowledge. It looks like they'll just wipe my memory and block my magic after school, sending me to the Muggle world without an education or support. Who can I become if I have nothing in my head but primary school? Or work my way up to junior assistant to a senior clerk in some department at the Ministry and spend my whole life eking out a meagre salary, which is the limit for me, according to the smartest witch of my generation?"
She looked at Malfoy in horror with her big beautiful eyes:
"Why doesn't anyone tell us about this? My parents would never have sent me to Hogwarts, I would be studying peacefully at Benenden School right now.
Draco grinned crookedly:
"Why do you think the entire Hogwarts dean comes to invite Muggle-borns to the school, instead of some Ministry clerk or even a letter, like for pure-bloods? It's just that in most cases they have to use Confundus to make the parents of Muggle-borns let their children go with some unknown stranger to some strange school. Or did you really think that after seeing a couple of tricks that McGonagall showed your parents, they were so delighted that they were immediately ready to let you go anywhere?" Malfoy laughed grimly. "No, Hermione, I'm sure your parents would never have let you go to some dubious school with a strange woman if it weren't for magic."
Shocked by these revelations, Hermione opened her mouth in disbelief and began to cry. She cried so bitterly that she hadn't cried like that since she was a child. She was terribly hurt that the beautiful fairy tale she had believed in when she thought about the magical world had been so cruelly shattered.
"Please don't cry," said Malfoy's confused voice. "I didn't mean to hurt you. I thought the dean had told you all about it long ago.
He stroked her head and tried to wipe away her tears with a handkerchief, not knowing what to do.
"Come on, Hermione, please don't cry.
Nodding, Granger tried to pull herself together.
"Thank you, Draco," she said gratefully, looking at him. "You're the only one who helps me. Then and now.
Suddenly blushing, she kissed him sincerely on the lips, then jumped off the bench and ran away.
Draco remained sitting on the bench with a blissful and foolish expression on his face. This was not at all how he had imagined his first real kiss, but it was terrifyingly pleasant.
"Draco? Are you so bad with girls that they run away from you in fear?" giggled Crabbe, poking his head into the arbour. "That Gryffindor girl took off like a rocket, almost knocking us over on the way out."
"Shut up," Draco waved him away with a smile. "You don't understand anything. You're still young," he puffed himself up smugly and followed his vassal out. "It's late, guys, time to go back to the living room."
Cassius was also walking with Fleur in the garden, gently holding her arm. The blushing half-Veela shared her impressions of the cold, huge Hogwarts. She said that Beauxbaton was a little smaller and much cosier. At one point, she complained with hidden pain that because of her Veil blood, she couldn't find a boyfriend. Everyone she tried to start a relationship with quickly fell under her spell and behaved like drooling idiots.
"Well, in England, judging by what you said when we first met, most men aren't right for you either," Cassius smiled.
Fleur nodded sadly:
"So far, I've only seen two who didn't react to my charm. You and that boy, Harry Potter. Potter is probably too young and doesn't react to girls at all, and you're a powerful wizard, I can feel it, but it's obvious that you're not interested in me as a girl.
"Your beauty leaves no one indifferent," Cassius shook his head, "but I am a lord, and it is not desirable for me to take a foreigner as my first wife. Society would not understand, and there are other circumstances. However," he smiled slyly, "I know a wizard who is very fond of you.
"Have I seen him?" Fleur asked eagerly.
"He said you met at a similar tournament in Durmstrang.
"A dark-skinned Maghrebian from the ruling Al-Mansur family, I think?" The half-veiled girl suddenly blushed. "A cheeky, charismatic guy, he was the goalkeeper on our rivals' team?
"Yeah, his name is Hassan," Cassius nodded. "Do you want me to write to him and he'll come to your tournament, if he decides to, of course?"
The half-veiled woman did not answer, lost in thought, but when they returned to the castle after their walk, she suddenly said:
"Write to him, Lord Black, if you don't mind, at least to hear his admiring and sarcastic comments during the tournament. It would be nice."
After seeing the girl to her carriage and wishing her good night, Cassius left the school grounds and apparated away to Grimm 12.
Everyone went home for the Christmas holidays, with only a few people remaining at the school.
Hanging throughout the Malfoy manor, mistletoe was said to ward off evil spirits. Lucius and Narcissa kissed every time they stopped under a branch. Draco and Cassius watched this spectacle with cheerful amazement. This tradition dated back to the legend of the Norse god Baldr, the god of spring, who was wounded in the heart by an arrow made of mistletoe. To atone for the plant's guilt, the goddess of love and marriage made mistletoe a symbol of love rather than hatred, and it became customary to kiss under its branches.
In the evening, sitting around the festive table, they waited for Lucius to magically light a large oak log, which crackled and spread a light aroma of bonfire, frosty freshness and celebration in the air.
"In two weeks, we will gather the ashes and scatter them over the fields so that our family's wealth will only grow," Lucius announced cheerfully.
Raising a glass of sparkling wine, he exclaimed loudly:
"May we never go hungry!
"May we never suffer from thirst," his family echoed.
They sat at the table late into the night, joking and laughing. The next day, Cassius went to see his brother and found him looking unusually serious: the younger man was poring over a thick book he had brought from the family library.
"What are you looking for?" Black asked curiously, sitting down next to him. Draco hesitated, but finally confessed that he really liked a girl at Hogwarts, but she was Muggle-born, which meant that her parents would never allow them to marry. He didn't want to just date her and then deceive her. When he found out that Draco's crush was Granger, Cassius laughed.
"What do you see in that beaver?" the older brother asked cheerfully.
"She's no beaver," Draco snapped at Cassius and threw a pillow at him. "Show some respect for my potential girlfriend."
Cassius laughed again and threw the pillow back.
"Oh, come on, don't be upset. You're starting to look like a beaver yourself, only with white hair.
"More like a ferret," Draco grinned. "My father calculated my animorph, and I'm a white ferret!
"A little predator," Cassius recited with a smile. "A dangerous beast, even for hares and snakes.
"Yeah, right," Draco puffed himself up. "And nimble, can squeeze through anywhere. Help me, Cass, maybe we can find some roots for her in the wizarding world? They say that some Muggle-borns are lost magical families. I asked Madam Pomfrey and she took some of Hermione's blood to test," he said, shaking a test tube he had pulled out of the table. "Do you think this will be enough for the ritual?
Cassius assessed the volume and nodded in agreement:
"Enough. When do you want to perform the search ritual?"
Draco thought for a moment, then waved his hand.
"Why wait? Let's do it now. I just don't want my parents to know about it, and I can't go to the ritual hall without my father.
"It's fine, I'll take it," Cassius shrugged. "What, you think I can't help my brother find happiness?
"Oh, come on," Draco threw the pillow at him again. "Let's go quickly, I want to know for sure whether I can count on something or not.
Laughing at his brother, who was blushing every now and then, Cassius went to get ready, agreeing to meet in ten minutes by the fireplace.
An hour later, both brothers were in the ritual hall of Black Manor, where Cassius took out a crystal pendant and carefully dripped blood from a vial captured by his brother into it. Draco watched the ritual intently, standing away from the altar. Cassius recited a long incantation, and a projection of a map of the entire inhabited world appeared in the air. Cassius tossed the crystal pendant, and it began to float back and forth over the map. Draco bit his lip in excitement, and at one point, the pendant stopped at a single point.
"What is it?" Draco hissed impatiently, leaning forward.
"The northern suburbs of London, Hampstead. That must be her home," Cassius shrugged.
The crystal hovered over the map and moved east, pausing briefly over Ipswich, then stopped again at an equal distance between Norfolk and Cambridgeshire. Cassius zoomed in on the map, and the brothers saw the words "Suffolk" written above it.
Zooming in even closer, they noticed a surname appear on the map, above which the pendant hovered.
"Dagwort-Granger," Draco read. "Ah, what did I say! She's not just a Muggle-born, she's one of us.
"I've heard something about that name," muttered Cassius. "That's right, that wizard, very well known in certain circles, a potion maker, founder of the 'Most Unusual Society of Potion Makers', where they tried to improve Amortentia." True, in the end, he admitted that true love cannot be created with potions," Black smiled. "But he hasn't been seen in public for a long time, because he's a hundred years younger than the last director, Dippet, so maybe he doesn't accept anyone anymore.
"We have to meet him," Draco said firmly. "We have to make him recognise Hermione, then we can date her. You'll help, won't you?" He looked at Cassius with puppy-dog eyes.
Black groaned at the request, but nodded resignedly.
"All right, I'll go see him. He's such a master and has been unjustly forgotten. I'll visit him right now, as soon as I send you back to the manor.
Delighted, Draco went home, and Cassius headed to Slug Alley and the Slug and Jigger pharmacy, where he bought everything that could pass for a gift to a reclusive potion maker.
After transfiguring to the coordinates, Cassius breathed a sigh of relief. After all, travelling to unknown places was much more difficult. Climbing the slope to the lonely manor, he stopped at the border, waiting to be noticed. A minute later, a house spirit in a green tunic appeared before him and bowed low.
"What does the young wizard desire?" the creature asked.
"I would like to see Lord Dagwort-Granger to congratulate a true master on Yole as a novice potion maker.
"I will inform my master of your arrival," the house spirit bowed again and disappeared.
Literally ten minutes later, the elf reappeared on the path and invited Cassius inside. Lord Dagwort-Granger, a tall, thin old man, met him at the door.
"Good day, young man," the master nodded affably. "Are you the son of one of my followers?
"No," smiled the boy, "I am Lord Cassius Black. As a practising potion maker, I heard that you were still alive and couldn't help but come and congratulate you on Yole's behalf. Your achievements in magical science at the turn of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries have been included in all the famous manuscripts on potion-making.
"Now, now, now," smiled the satisfied old man. "All that is long forgotten. Come, come in. Tinky is about to set the table.
In conversation with the talkative old man, Cassius learned that the name Dagwort first appeared in Suffolk, where the old lord's ancestors held the throne of the county. After the Battle of Hastings in 1066, William, Duke of Normandy, defeated King Harold and granted most of Britain to his numerous victorious barons, among whom were the Dagworths. A couple of centuries later, another dying local Pictish family joined the family, and since then their ancestral surname has been Dagworth-Granger.
Listening to the entertaining historical facts about the glorious past of the family of herbalists, Cassius waited for a short pause and asked about their descendants:
"Tell me, Lord, who will inherit your estate? I see you are here all alone. Surely your children and grandchildren do not visit you, for Yule is a family holiday.
Dagwort Granger's face darkened. It turned out that his children had died in the war with Grindelwald, and his grandson was a squib who lived in the Muggle world, and the lord had long since lost sight of him.
"Allow me," Cassius said thoughtfully. "Not long ago, I was at Hogwarts for the Yule Ball and saw a very beautiful girl there named Granger. My younger brother took an interest in her, and I found out that she is a very powerful witch, even though she is Muggle-born. She is even called the most powerful witch of her generation, but you know that such a thing is simply impossible. Muggle-borns are not capable of sufficiently powerful magic; their source is not as developed as ours, you see, my dear lord.
The old man's eyes lit up with a fierce flame, and he exhaled loudly through his teeth:
"Tell me, Lord Black, do you happen to have any of her blood with you for testing?
"I happen to have some," Cassius smiled, immediately handing the old man a vial.
"Wait for me here," exclaimed the elderly magician, grabbing the vial and rushing off somewhere deep into the house. Cassius smiled and poured himself some more of the delicious tea.
Half an hour later, a dishevelled old man with a crazy smile appeared from behind the doors. He stumbled over the furniture and repeated, "The family is saved, the family is saved!"
Finally noticing Black, who had risen from his seat, the wizard rushed over and hugged him tightly. Tears streamed from the old man's eyes as he held him by the shoulders and looked at Cassius.
"You have no idea what you have done today, Lord Black. You have saved me from death. I thought that the glorious line of hereditary potion makers would end with me, and I no longer wanted to live. But then you came and gave me hope for a new beginning. I will leave for London tomorrow and enter her name in all the necessary documents at the Ministry. I will have to visit Gringotts with her so that I can give her access to the family vaults.
"Then I'll stop by her family's house today and talk about it. I don't think they'll mind knowing they have a relative in the magical world," Cassius smiled as he stood up. "Happy holidays, Lord Daggwort-Granger, and happy Yule. See you in London after the holidays. My brother has big plans for your great-granddaughter.
He left the house and apparated to London.
Once in Hampstead, Cassius quickly found the right house and rang the doorbell. The door was opened by a tall, thin man who looked somewhat like the old man he had just left.
"How can I help you?" The man looked at Cassius, who had not had time to change his clothes, with surprise.
"Hello, Mr Granger, I am from the magical world, my name is Cassius Black. I would like to speak with you and your daughter.
"Are you from Hogwarts?" The man nodded understandingly, looking at the wizard with less fear.
"You could say that," the young man smiled. "May I come in?"
The man stepped aside and Cassius entered the house. In the living room, he saw a woman sitting in front of the television, and with her was Hermione Granger, who was just bringing in a tray of tea. Seeing Black in his wizard's robe, she gasped in surprise and tensed up.
"Hello, lady," Cassius nodded. "I apologise for the unexpected visit." "Draco sends his regards, Hermione," he smiled, tilting his head slightly to one side.
The girl suddenly blushed and carefully placed the tray on the table.
"Is something wrong with him?" she asked anxiously.
"No, he's fine, celebrating at home," Cassius smiled easily. "He made me run errands for him during the holidays — a real Slytherin!"
Sitting down on the sofa and taking the mug of hot tea offered to him, Cassius slowly recounted his visit to the famous potion maker, how it turned out that he was related to the Grangers, and how the old wizard now wanted to meet his relatives to accept their daughter into his family.
"Why should we give Hermione to some magical family?" Emma Granger protested. "She'll achieve whatever she wants in life on her own. And she'll become dependent on some wizard, it could end badly."
"You won't have to give her up," Cassius smiled kindly. "You'll just have a relative in the magical world. I want to tell you, Mrs Granger, that family ties mean just as much to us as they do in your world. Doors will open for her that she would never have been able to open as a Muggle-born. Just imagine, suddenly you have a duke in your family, and now your daughter will have access to the highest society in England. Would you really give up such a connection?"
The Grangers exchanged thoughtful glances.
"Mum, Mr Black is right," Hermione sighed. "I've already encountered the 'special' treatment ordinary people receive in the magical world. I don't want to go into details, but it's similar to how we treated 'coloured' people at the beginning of the century," she said with a bitter smile.
Cassius had to patiently answer many more questions, but finally the tedious evening came to an end. Agreeing to meet at The Leaky Cauldron right after the holidays, Black finally apparated to Grimmauld Place, promising himself that Draco would not get away with this so easily.
Hermione lay in bed, unable to sleep. It turned out that she was weighed down by a feeling of inadequacy, of being unable to change her fate. How fortunate that she had bumped into Malfoy at the hospital. It was definitely him who had asked Lord Black to help find Hermione's relatives in the magical world. And now that they had been found, the girl wanted to smother Draco in her arms.
She couldn't resist and the next day went to Diagon Alley to Flourish and Blotts and bought a bunch of books that mentioned the name Dumbledore-Granger. She was incredibly curious about who her great-grandfather was, what kind of person he was, and, being a Gryffindor nerd, she decided to find out everything she could in books.
***
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