Hermione Granger and the Paradigm Shift

Chapter 4 - Part 2

As her mother puttered around the kitchen Hermione sat at the table and stared at the book in front of her. She had been home for seven days...all the requisite visits and get-togethers with relatives had taken place and Christmas and Boxing Day had passed. She was officially out of excuses for delaying the difficult discussion she needed to have with her parents and fulfilling her promise to Harry by giving the Prince's book a chance.

Postponing the conversation with her parents made sense...there was no need to ruin their Christmas with what she needed to tell them. But the book? That was a bit harder to justify. As much as she told herself her reluctance was based on her worry that it was insidious as she feared she knew the reality of the situation. She knew her reluctance was based on the fact that she could be wrong. She hated being wrong.

"Hermione," her mother chimed in pleasantly. "Could you?"

She looked up to see her mother gesturing at the dirty dishes on the counter and smiled. Beyond all the presents she had received and the loved ones she had visited the absolute best part of the break was getting to do magic in front of her parents. They had waited six years to see her in action and they joyously soaked in every spell performed, no matter how mundane.

She pulled out her wand and flicked it toward the sink. Her mother gave a celebratory clap as the water sprung to life and the dishes began floating toward the now levitating scrub brush, anxiously awaiting their arrival.

"Oh come on," her mother said after a few moments, "you can do better than that. Make them do the thing," she ordered impatiently.

Hermione rolled her eyes and gave another flick, causing the dishes to begin marching in rhythmic unison toward their date with the brush. The brush began bobbing back and forth as well, synchronized perfectly with their march.

"Much better," her mother replied happily as she took a seat at the table. "Now, would you like to tell me what's bothering you?"

"What?" Hermione replied, doing her best to sound casual.

"You've been staring at that book for the last fifteen minutes. The only time you are this quiet is when you are reading a book...not staring at one."

She was saved from answering as her father entered the room. "Look at them go," he stated, admiring Hermione's spell work. He grabbed a bottle of beer and an empty glass and took a seat as well before looking her way.

"Go on then," he said, grinning in anticipation.

Hermione rolled her eyes once again before magically opening the bottle and beginning to pour its contents into the glass.

"Not too much foam...that's it," he encouraged as she slightly tilted the glass.

"You've had me do this a dozen times in the last week, Dad. I think I've got the procedure down."

"Practice makes perfect. That's our Hermione..." her father stated happily before taking a drink. "Delicious."

Hermione chuckled to herself and realized this was the perfect time to have the necessary talk with her parents. It would undoubtedly spoil the happy mood but it needed to be done. It was too important and it needed to be done. She quickly began before she lost her nerve.

"I need to talk to you about some other spells I'd like to do before I return to Hogwarts...protection spells on the house."

Her parents looked at each other warily before her mother spoke. "Like a burglar alarm?"

"No," she replied, "not for mug- non magical people. It's an alarm that will alert you if someone besides me performs any magic here."

"Why would someone else be performing magic here and why would that require an alarm, Hermione?" her father asked his good mood now well and truly gone.