They soon pulled into the driveway of a large house. Harry was hesitant to call it a mansion but it was certainly impressive. A two story renaissance home, light stone with white painted woodwork throughout. Harry didn't know much about architecture but he knew it was beautiful… and expensive.

“Welcome to our home.” Emma greeted, prompting everyone to start moving.

Hermione and Dan both unpacked the supplies. Really, Dan just carried the expanded trunk Harry convinced the grangers to buy, while Hermione carried the books she insisted had to ride in her lap.

“So what did you have in mind then?” Harry, after confirming the other two were occupied.

“I'm not sure, you did help us navigate some of the annoying bits well. Honestly, who takes advantage of students like that? Wouldn't you want to sell them the better stuff so they'd become regular customers?” Emma and Harry were making their way into the house, keeping their voices down so the other two wouldn't hear.

“No, not really. There aren't any other options so they aren't afraid of losing customers. And most shop owners are purebloods so they don't care about Muggleborn. If any purebloods or half bloods from well off families for some reason attempt to buy the poor quality goods, they are warned off. In other words, they do sell the good products to students, as long as the students have the right blood.”

“It's outrageous how they can get away with that, why hasn't there been anyone to stand up against it?”

“Status quo really. Enough of those in power like how things are, that any opposition is useless. Even the light side votes against change in the Wizengamot, and they're the ones supposedly on the Muggleborn side”

“And none of the Muggleborn have revolted? Risen in the ranks and attempted to change it from the inside?”

There was one, I can't remember the name. About ninety years back someone rose to be the minister's secretary. She kept trying to talk the minister into voting in favor of Muggleborn. If I remember correctly, she was tried for some made-up event and thrown through the veil.”

“The veil?”

“Right. ‘The veil of death’. Its basically a death sentence. It's supposedly a portal to the afterlife. Nothing has come back after being pushed through it.”

Emma fell silent, this was a lot of new information. Harry let her process the new information.

They caught up with Hermione and Dan at the staircase. Dan was trying, and failing, to carry the heavy trunk and books up the stairs.

Harry couldn't help but laugh. Which caught Emma's attention. Who, after seeing the predicament, also started to laugh. The other two shortly joined in the mirth, even Dan.

Harry decided to help. He pulled Hermione over to open the trunk. He then one by one grabbed the books from Dan's hands and dropped them in. then closed the trunk, flipped a switch near the trunk's handle, and handed the trunk back to Dan.

Hermione looked upset with Harry for treating her books poorly, and Dan looked confused how the heavy trunk became so light all of the sudden.

“Featherweight charms to lighten the load, you could have the entire thing filled with books and it still wouldn't feel heavier than a trunk filled with clothes. Also, relax Hermione. You were there when the shopkeeper told you about the auto sorting function, it's not like the books will be damaged. ”Honestly, for someone who apparently skipped multiple grades, she seems to forget a lot.

Hermione looked sheepish, she had forgotten the features of her new trunk already. In her defense, she was preoccupied with all of the books she bought. She soon grabbed her trunk and fled to her room.

Now that it was just Harry and the adults, they didn't need to hide their conversation. “So there hasn't been some sort of revolution then?” Emma picked up where they left off.

“No not really, anyone who goes to Hogwarts can see the difference between Muggleborn and purebloods. It would be like an untrained man with a bow trying to fight a squad of spec ops. That combined with the Muggleborn being sold inferior quality goods and not having the same rights as purebloods, basically cuts off any revolution at the ankles.”

Dan looked surprised that Harry knew all this, and Emma just sighed.

“I wish we were told at least a bit of this before we agreed to send Hermione there. This all sounds quite grim.”

“Would it have changed anything?” Harry was genuinely interested.

“I'm not sure. if we had said no, would it have changed anything?” she hesitated. “Even if Hermione agreed with us, it sounds like the wizarding world might have just taken her anyway.”

“Hmm… they may have taken her and erased her from your memories if she agreed to go to Hogwarts and you tried blocking her.. But I'm not sure if both the parents and the child said no. there's no precedent, who wouldn't want to join a new magical world.”

“What do you mean, erase her from our memories?!” Dan looked equal parts horrified and enraged. “They can't do that!”

Harry gave a small sad sigh. “They can and they have. There is a reason the wizarding world has been kept secret for all this time. Any time someone messes up and does magic in front of muggles, a team of Obliviators are sent out to the location. They find any muggles who witnessed the event and erase it from their memory. In some cases they make it seem like the muggles blacked out from drinking, in others they implant false memories. There's been cases of the Obliviators failing somehow and ruining lives…” Harry let that hang for a while. He didn't expect to have such heavy conversations but the more he talked and helped Emma, the more he could get in turn.

“Look, this is going to sound horrible but it needs to be said. And I don't think Emma would go back on our agreement. You, muggles, are no better than cattle in the eyes of most purebloods. If a pureblood wanted, they could walk in here, do ANYTHING they'd like to either of you. Then torch this place. After that, the pureblood would get a fine of a few hundred galleons for murder and whatever else, then fined for burning down a witches dwelling. The fine for burning down Hermione's home would cost more than for killing the two of you. I know it's unfair, but it's not like the muggle world. You don't know what you're arguing against.”

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Harry could see the kitchen from the base of the stairs. He started going through the cupboards and fridge after breaking his hosts. By the time they'd joined him, he already made an egg sandwich for each of them. They ate in silence.

Hermione joined them soon after going through her things in her room and lightened the mood considerably. Soon it'd be dinner time so the ‘kids’ were sent away while the parents started to prepare dinner.

Hermione gave Harry a tour of the house. There were 5 guest rooms, a study that they weren't supposed to enter, some closets Hermione brushed over, then there was just the kitchen, a few bathrooms, and ‘the important rooms’.

Hermione's room was a dark green room covered in bookshelves. It was surprisingly well kept given the quantity. She didn't have the typical toys or decoration, instead she had a computer and stuff you'd expect to see in a classroom. Calculators, one of those science-y skeleton displays, he saw a periodic elements poster, and even an abacus. The only typical thing in the whole room was the pink bed and the stuffed unicorn.

As soon as she noticed where he was looking, Hermione bolted to it and hid it behind her bed. “Not. a. Word.”

Harry gave a salute and walked out the door, stoically… the chuckle came from somewhere else…

It took a moment for Hermione to join him in the hall. He was shown her parents room briefly before being taken to ‘the movie room’. They had a theater in their house! So unfair. Finally the tour ended at the library. It was really impressive. It was two stories and was at least a quarter of the house. Harry idly wondered how long it took to acquire all of these books, was it a family library? Books collected by generations of grangers. Or did the grangers really read this much…

As interesting as it all was, Harry didn't want to just sit here and read the titles. Hermione was already buried in a book, so he joined the granger parents in the kitchen. It was about time to cash in.

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Dan and Emma were prepping for dinner in silence, each still thinking about what Harry had revealed.

“It makes a lot of sense, you know.”

“What?!” Dan already annoyed.

“A lot of the reactions we got. If muggles are cattle like he put it, all of the looks and poor treatment we got before meeting him all make sense.”

“You can't be serious dear.”

“It's not like I like it… or really accept it. I'm just saying as soon as he joined us, we were treated better. And as soon as HE bought all of the supplies, we got better quality goods for the same price as the poor quality junk. It all makes sense now.”

Dan noticed her tears forming. He didn't really know what to do either, so he just hugged her.

“Did we do the right thing?”

“Hm?”

“Letting her go to Hogwarts, was it the right thing?” still sniffling.

“Dear, if Harry's right… our decision wouldn't have mattered. At least this way we can still keep in touch.”

“We could move. Go to Australia or something.”

Before they could continue on that line that was interrupted by harry. “Actually you can't now. You're no longer her guardians legally, therefore can't pull her out of Hogwarts. That's actually the next point I wanted to bring up…”

Dan had already let go of Emma when Harry announced himself. When Harry finished his words, Dan was looming over Harry . “So what, you come in here and take our daughter from us? What right do you have?!”

Emma watched as Dan raised his hand, she didn't even have time to react before Dan was thrown into the counter. The grangers could feel the pressure from his magic and slightly feel the chaotic emotions roiling off of Harry. “I understand you're upset with all of the new information, but don't confuse the messenger with the one actually at fault. And don't you EVER raise your hand at me… I've had enough of that already." The last bit was but a whisper.

Harry planned on continuing the talks once he got back, but after this… he was wavering on collecting his payment and leaving.

Harry left the kitchen again, walking always helped him think. Did he try to make amends after this? Their plans may change if he didn't have anyone that would follow him in Hogwarts. Maybe he could make up for it by pushing himself more? He probably should've pulled his punches, but it seemed like Emma preferred his bluntness. He wondered what to do.

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“And don't you EVER raise your hand to me… I've had enough of that already.” Hermione quietly fled as fast as she could. She wanted to be mad at Harry, it sounded like he hurt her dad. Between him being rude to her parents as soon as they met, and the faces her mom made after he said something while shopping. And now this. She wanted to hate Harry Potter.

“Most people that grow up in the magical world don't see it as anything special. Let alone be enthusiastic about it.” He was nice to her even after she tackled him to the ground. And he did show them around the alley. And all of the dirty looks mostly stopped once he joined them. He also didn't buy anything for himself but those books…

Hermione figured they probably asked him to start another shopping trip just after he finished his. And on top of that, he guided them on a tour through almost the entire alley.

But he must have upset her dad somehow… NO even if he did, why would he have tried to hit Harry? And that last whispered part…

She felt like she was missing a lot of details in this, and she didn't like it at all.

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Harry found himself outside in the backyard. While unusual, it was beautiful. The yard was easily as large as 3 of the houses. To the left he found a sand garden, raked into swirls and loops. Directly in front of him was a large pond. To the right was a small flower garden. Beyond all this, was a large swathe of grass littered with shade trees. The whole lot was framed by shrubbery as well.

Harry took a seat near the pond, in his usual meditative state. He needed to calm himself and clear his thoughts so he could find the best path forward.

Already practiced. Harry went straight to pouring his thoughts and feelings into the flame he imagined in front of him. He felt his anger lash out at Dan, he knew it was unwarranted. Dan and Emma both must be mortified after learning all this, but that's no excuse to start hitting people. He continued ‘meditating’, going over the entire day.

Their deal was purely business from the beginning. Just because they were polite to him, didn't mean that they were suddenly close. He'd forgotten that and gotten closer than he should have.

He would see how things were handled on their end before making a final judgment. He was leaning toward negotiating for Emma's repayment and leaving afterward.

More than an hour later, Emma setting a hand on his shoulder brought Harry back to the present. Dinner was ready.

Walking back into the house Emma kept worrying over something, Harry could practically feel the nervous energy. “What is it, Ms. Granger?”

She flinched at him calling her so formally. “I-I'm sorry… I know it doesn't mean much coming from me, but I'm sorry that happened in our home.”

Harry waited a moment to see if she would say anything else. Once it was clear she wouldn't, he hummed. The walk back was in silence.