Summer of the first year

Hermione's secret

"What is it?" Harry asked, quietly.

"Well... I don't know where to start... well... how do you two feel about muggle's?"

"We don't have a problem with muggle's, why would we?"

"Some pure bloods do."

"Well, I'm half blood, and Dudley is Muggle Born, so you don't have a problem there."

"Wait, how are you half blood, your parents are both Wizards?"

"Well, by wizarding blood laws, your parents, and grandparents need to be magical for you to be pure blood, so as my maternal grandparents are muggle, I'm half blood."

"And Dudley is muggle born?"

"I'm his cousin, my parents were murdered when I was one, and Aunt Lily adopted me. We just got used to each other always being there, hence I call him a brother."

"Oh, well... just promise you won't hate me for this..." The silence lasted an infinity before...

"I'm a twin."

Both boys stared at her, amazed.

"Cool! Where is she?" Harry asked.

"She's a muggle, so she goes to a muggle school. Mum and Dad payed for her to go to a boarding school so she didn't feel as left out. She has been upset that I'm a witch and she isn't, and she hates me for not telling you guys about her. I don't know if she'll ever talk to me again."

Hermione was crying by this point, and both Harry and Dudley hugged her.

"Why don't we visit tomorrow?" Dudley suggested, "And meet her, so then she knows that we know about her, then on Sunday, if she likes, she can come around to talk about HELP with us, Ron and Nev, if you are willing to tell them about her."

"Of course I am, I just didn't know how you guys would feel about her... I'd love to visit... but what if they're busy?"

"Dinky!" Harry called. A house elf in a pink dress and white cardigan popped in. "Dinky, may I say how beautiful you look today."

The elf blushed, "Thank you, master Harry. Binks opened a tailor shop for house elves in the estate, as we can transfigure dead leaves and suchlike into nice clothes, when given freedom."

"That's incredible, I never knew that... anyway, please may you go to the Granger residence if they would be happy for us to visit tomorrow at about 10? But tell them not to tell their daughter, as we want it to be a surprise."

"Of course, master Harry Potter sir!" and away she popped.

"Do you think they'll let us?" Hermione asked, shyly.

They sat in silence, thinking, for a few minutes, before they heard a pop.

"10 o'clock would be lovely. Would you like me to escort you there tomorrow?" Dinky asked.

"Yes please, Dinky, that would be lovely. If we meet you here at 10?"

"Yes, master Harry Potter, sir." Dinky popped away.

*****

The next day, at exactly 10 o'clock, Harry, Hermione and Dudley were in the library, waiting for Dinky to collect them.

POP!

"Well, here goes nothing..." Hermione muttered as Dinky popped them away.

They arrived outside a suburban house with a neat, well manicured, garden. Hermione was nibbling her lip as she knocked on the door. The door was opened by a lady in her mid thirties, who smiled fondly at them as she ushered them in. As she took them into the living room, she offered them drinks, then went to get three cokes from the fridge- something they all missed in the wizarding world. Hermione's mum, Jean, called Athena downstairs.

Athena had frizzy, shoulder length hair, blue eyes, and a cheeky grin.

"What're you doing here?" she asked, glaring at Hermione, "I thought you were too good for me, being at 'Hogwarts' too proud to tell your wizard friends about me?"

Harry stood up.

"Athena, I assume. I'm Harry Potter, and this is my cousin, Dudley Dursley, Hermione has told us so much about you, it's a pleasure to finally meet you."

"Oh," Athena said, "I didn't see you there."