A Winters Tale

Chapter 20 The Taming of the Shrew

Even in Albus Dumbledore's days - and it was said that Albus' father had been a very hospitable man - breakfast in Dumbledore Hall had rarely been such a public affair as on May 15, 2006 after the 'Daily Prophet' had published the article about Hermione.

It had been a piece almost as long as the last about Albus' youth sins and it was decorated with even more pictures: Hermione, standing behind Harry, her hand on his shoulder; Hermione, dancing with Severus at the Yule Ball; Hermione, walking through Diagon Alley, holding hands with Victor Krum; Hermione at Hogwarts on the quidditch pitch, whispering something in Ron Weasley's ear and Hermione, just turning away with a rather grim look from her husband who wrinkled his forehead and looked severe (the picture had been taken by Severfakefake fun jus just after Fudge's speech. Hermione had fumed so much that Albus had ordered her via legilimens not to hex the minister).

The text had been even worse: Rita Skeeter had started with reminding her readers of Hermione being muggle-born and the daughter of a 'working woman', therefore probably a very 'emancipated young lady' who'd always shown that she liked to live her life in 'her own, advanced ways'. Even in 'very young years' she'd proven herself a 'feminist' in her dealing with boys - so Skeeter had written. A list with Hermione's 'love affairs' to prove it was next. Following it, Hermione had first 'broken Harry Potter's heart', and then she'd dated Ron Weasley before she'd left 'the poor boy for the famous and wealthy quidditch champion Victor Krum'. But, so Skeeter told her readers, the 'handsome Bulgarian wizard's devotion' hadn't been enough for Hermione. She'd left him for a 'secret relationship' with Draco Malfoy, 'heir of one of the most rich and famous British wizard family's' and done the seducing of the 'Britain's most demanded bachelor' so well, that he'd proposed to her 'on his knee'. His father was quoted: "I wasn't too happy about Draco's choice - not because of the girl's muggle born, but because I never believed in her ability to make my son a happy man. Yet he was so much in love, so I agreed and was willing to take up the girl with open arms." Only Hermione had not fielded to her enchanted admirer, but married Albus Dumbledore,the famous, very rich and 163 year old headmaster of her school, known for being eccentric

- so eccentric he hadn't demanded the 'usual' fidelity charm at the binding.

Reading this piece Hermione had needed an explanation from Severus because she'd never heard about a fidelity charm. Severus of course knew about it - he'd once seen his father casting this charm over his second wife, making sure with it, that she could never touch another man than him intimately without her marriage ring - a ring she of course couldn't take off - burning a wound on her finger. Hermione had found this charm 'ghastly' - like marking stock! And she couldn't believe it was 'usual'. Severus had to tell her that a lot of wizards used it - and they would believe that Albus not casting it meant that he didn't expect his young wife to be faithful to him, but was willing to accept her having lovers.

And one of them - so the article - probably had been Severus Snape, whose death had been so 'mysterious'. Skeeter wrote: "Shortly before Severus Snape died, Hermione Granger-Dumbledore was seen flirting with her husband's cousin, German potion master Johannes Praetorius. Rumors in Hogwarts tell about a scene between the two men - a jealous tragedy? A friend of Severus Snape who wants to remain anonymous says: "He was very depressed in his last days. I wouldn't wonder if he committed suicide."

Skeeter wasn't done with that. Her article went on: 'Under these circumstances the question arises: Who's the father of the child Albus Dumbledore obviously wants to present as his heir? Is it really the 163 year old wizard who never sired a child in his life? Or was it Hogwarts

late Potion Master Severus Snape, who taught young Hermione Dumbledore extra lessons in the weeks before his demise? Or is it even German Potion Master Johannes Praetorius who lives with Hogwarts former headmaster and his attractive wife at Dumbledore Hall? Albus Dumbledore, who wants to become the next minister of magic, will have to answer these questions. Until he does so, his moral standards will have to be doubted and with them his suitability for an office as honorable as the ministers."