Atlas Malfoy and how history repeats itself

Part 5

"Thank goodness we have a free period first because this is going to take a good while." Hermione says while spreading a few pictures across the bed. I prod one and say, "When does it start moving?"
"It doesn't," She groans, "Muggle cameras don't have the ability to take a photo and make it move. Now, moving on. This is a television, also known as a telly or TV. It shows videos, which a basically really long moving pictures that might tell a story, or show you information about things. It is controlled with tv remote, or some people call it a controller, the buttons and plenty of other things. Any questions so far?"
"No."
"Perfect," Hermione says, visibly relaxing a little bit, "This is a phone. You have lots of apps, which you can do lots of things with. You can phone people, text them or play games!"
"What is a text?" I say, groaning. She thinks for a second and says, "Think of it like a little picture letter. What you have to remember is, lots of muggles also like to read! So, novels, nonfiction, comics-"
"Comics?"
Her jaw drops and she says, "YOU'VE NEVER READ A COMIC?"
I shake my head and say, "What is a co-mic?"
"A comic is a picture book, but also has writing as it for older kids. Anyway, ball point pens are super simple. Instead of dipping it into a pot of ink, you basically just have the ink in a tube, which is in a plastic tube, which you hold. And there is a ball at the end of the pen that the ink stays on and when you write, it rubs off onto the paper."
"Muggles did all of this without magic?"
"Well, yeah, of course. As the French call them, they are the Non–magique. And I have questions for you! How do you get the picture to move?"
"Magic." I shrug.
"Oh, right, and how do the potions have an affect on your body?"
"Magic."
"Ah, of course, and how do wands work?"
"Magic."
"Are you going to give me more than one word answers?"
"No."

She sits back and says, "Come on Atlas. I've explained to you all the science related muggle stuff, but when it comes to you explaining, all you can say is one word?"
I scoff, "It is one word Hermione. That is the beauty of this word. We have magic. Muggles, non-magique, whatever you want to call them, they don't. They have to come up with crazy reasons as to why things happen. Sometimes things just happen."
"Why do people respect He Who Must Not Be Named?" Hermione asks. I hesitate before saying, "When the Dark- you Know Who- first came into power, people liked what he was fighting for. People like my parents, a lot of pure bloods don't think sharing the magic with muggle borns such as yourself is right. So they joined him. And they became Death Eaters, people who essentially do his dirty work. And then it got out of hand. But when Harry was born, He Who Mustn't be named decided he needed to die. Apparently, the Love Lily Potter had for her son stopped the unforgivable curse from entering Harry and then stopped it working. He just kind of died instead I suppose. People still have the Dark Mark, which is the tattoo given to his followers. That's kinda it I guess."
She nods and says, "Who in your family don't like muggle borns like me?"
"Do you really want to know?"
She nods and I say, "Dead or alive?"
"You what?"
"Do you want to know the dead ones that hate people like you or not?"
"Dead too, please."
"Alright then, but don't be angry at me," I take a deep breathe in, much to Hermione's horror, "Pollux Black, Irma Black, Arcturus Black III, Melania Macmillan, Walburga Black, Orion Black, Druella Black, Cygnus Black, Bellatrix Lestrange, Rodolphus Lestrange, my father, my brother, and that's only the ones I'm allowed to talk about. You see, the disgusting thing about most of us, is that we are all related. And I don't mean like a casual marriage or anything, I mean by blood. I am related to Ron Weasley, who is related to Sirius Black who is related to Melania Macmillan."
Hermione splutters, "YOU'RE ALL RELATED?"
"Lower your voice! But yeah, all of us, and by blood. I mean, I think my grandparents are something like second cousins."
Hermione sits back in horror and says, "But like, all by blood?"
"All by blood." I confirm, "I know it's gross, and I'm very tempted to not marry just because of it. But if I do have kids, and they marry really anyone, they're probably extremely distant cousins."
Hermione stands up, and sits back down again. She says, "And everyone in your family is just okay with it?"
I nod and she says, "Ew. Just eughk. And they are just okay with it?"
"You keep repeating that. The thing is, even if we weren't okay with it, we can't say anything. Being related to the Black's mean you stop complaining, you suck it up and you move on. I don't think I've ever told my dad that I might not be a massive muggle-born hater. Honestly, all he says is 'mud bloods this' and 'mud bloods that'. I don't get a cool ministry dad. I get a stupid, Death Eater dad."
"Does he have the dark mark?" Hermione whispers. I look round and whisper back, "Promise to keep this a secret?"
She nods and I say, "Yeah, he does. He has had it for years. He has always been on You Know Who's side. What about your parents?"
"Muggles."
"Oh yeah, right, of course. They wouldn't be able to pick a side."
"I think they'd be on the right side, the muggle rights side, of course." Hermione says thoughtfully.
"Yeah, yeah, absolutely."

I trail off and Hermione says, "Are you alright?"
I shrug and she says, "You know, you can always speak to Professor McGonigal."
She leans away as I laugh a little and scoff, "No, I can't Hermione. I can't. Sev- Snape will tell my father anything I say. I... I'm stuck a little."
"Well, we have her class now, and we do not want to be late."