Legacies

Little to Big

Hermione wheeled her cart full of her things towards the table where Harry and Ron were playing chess...or so it appeared. Hermione's eyes widened in alarm when she got a better look at the chessboard. The chess pieces used igurines that were actually alive.

"Knight to E-5," Harry instructed one of his pieces.

Ron stared at the board for a minute to decide on his next move. "Queen to E-5." His Queen piece moved to the designated square and clunked Harry's knight off the board.

"That's totally barbaric!" Hermione nearly shouted.

Ron remained totally at ease, more than used to Hermione's attitude by now. "That's wizard's chess. I see you've packed."

Hermione leaned on her cart. "See you haven't."

"Change of plans. My parents decided to go to Romania to visit my brother, Charlie. He's studying dragons there!"

Hermione could care less about dragons and Ron's brother at the moment. "Good. You can help Harry, then. He's going to go the library for information on Nicholas Flamel."

Ron groaned. "We've looked a hundred times!"

Hermione smirked. "Not in the restricted section."

Ron gaped. He could not have heard right. "Harry, did you just hear what she said?" but Harry did not answer. He glanced at his friend expectantly but found Harry staring at the Great Hall entrance. Following that gaze, Ron then saw Romina and Arden talking.

"You should just apologize already," Hermione said after seeing what Harry was looking at. Both boys gave her incredulous stares. "What?"

"Are you mad, woman?" Ron nearly fell forwards from his wild gestures he was making. "Romina Oswell is the daughter of the Death Eaters who...you know..." he nodded his head to the still-silent Harry, "...did away with...you know..."

Hermione remained unbothered. "You said it, Ron, Romina is just their daughter. She didn't get to decide who her parents were nor what they did. Hardly think she should be blamed for their actions."

"But she's in Slytherin!" Ron said as if that was enough explanation to prove Romina was bad news. "That's the house You-Know-Who was in!"

"Oh, Ron," Hermione rolled her eyes. "Harry has known Romina for years, do you really think he should forget all about that over a House?" She specifically looked at Harry when she made the question. "You know that, Harry. I don't know Romina like you do - no one in this school does - so I think you should believe in your best friend more than what anyone else has to say. Do you honestly think Romina would have wanted what her parents did?"

Harry knew the answer right off the bat but couldn't will himself to answer there and then. He sighed and got off the table. "Restricted section, then? That's where you think we could find something on Nicholas Flamel?"

Hermione was disappointed Harry was pushing his problem away but nodded anyways. Maybe somewhere along him searching for the man, Harry would think about his best friend and realize the injustice he was committing.

~0~

Romina didn't think she'd ever be that excited to see her home again. Her dream had always been to attend Hogwarts and finally gain control of her witch powers. Now that dream had been tarnished by a couple of gossip she thought she'd been prepared for.

Her aunt set a cup of hot chocolate for Romina in hopes of lifting the girl's mood. It'd been days since Romina had been home and she'd yet to make even a peep of what she used to.