The Free Front

Around 11:00 am I walk down the stairs from my room to the main part of the Inn and I scan the room trying to find the Weasleys. It does not long, whether to the red hair or the sheer volume one will never know. The minute I hit the landing Mrs. Weasley grabs in a bone crushing hug. I awkwardly try to hug back (access to my arms would be wildly helpful to my endeavor), I scan the room looking for Hermione. Don’t get me wrong, I couldn’t wait to talk to Ron about quidditch, but this question still is running a mock rent free in my head. 

“How are you Harry dear! Oh you look like you haven’t eaten since you left school” She holds my shoulders with a death grip, looking me up and down. 

“I’m quite fine Mrs. Weasley. Just polished off my breakfast.” I think she may have missed the memo of me not being at the Dursleys, but I’ve seen her say that to Charlie of all people, so I don’t take it terribly seriously. 

As I break away from the hug, I weave in and out of the Weasleys. At some point Ron joins me, not sure when, but hey, I’m a man on a mission! I finally locked eyes with Hermoine. She is in a booth in the corner by the window, pouring over a book and sipping on a coffee. 

She waves me over and I slide into the booth across from her as I greet her. 

“Oh my gosh, Harry, how are you?” She exclaims as she puts her book down, “This novel is so good. Ms. Brontë is a wonderful author, the way she can’t decide to get with her employer is such a fascinating delema!” 

“Wait, which book of hers are you reading? It doesn’t sound like Wuthering Heights?” I asked intrigued. Hermoine has been devouring classical and fantasy novels since I asked her toward the end of 1st year why she only read text books. After a conversation on how novels could be a new way to present an issue and it is relaxing to read things that have zero impact on your daily life, she picked up a magical and muggle classic of Pride and Prejudice. She reads the classics for an entertaining take on social issues and fantasy because growing up in the muggle world, Hogwarts very much feels like one. 

“Jane Eyre, it’s by the other sister. Is it just me or does Ron flee every time we start talking about books?” Hermoine raises an eyebrow as Ron scurries away across the room. 

“Yeah, he does seem to do that a lot. He’ll probably chew my ear off asking why I even bother with novels when I could be playing quidditch or something. Anyway, I have a question.” I turn my attention back to Hermoine. 

“What's up? Also do you have a hair tie or something?” I have the hair tie over and she starts pulling her hair into a messy bun. 

I lean over the table. “In my time here in the last few weeks, I’ve noticed something… odd. You know how people like the Weasleys, a good hunk of muggle born students our age, Dumbledors close group in general, are treated almost like… Outcasts?” I ask tentatively. Hermione opened her bag, pulling out some parchment.

“I mean yeah, I thought that was just Malfoy in his cohort being bigots? Why do you ask, did something happen between finals and now? She asks, quill now out and begins to take notes.

“Like the people here, older muggleborns people associated with the lights, literally any ordinary person seems to act like there is some social code or rules or something that they treat like it is common sense.” I readjust how I am sitting. “Like how in the muggle world how pleases and thank yous, and excuse mes, and covering your mouth are just common sense. And if you don’t follow the unwritten but understood code your perceived as weird. I was just wondering if we are breaking similar rules and are just aware of it.” I look back at Hermoine, who glances up from her notes. “I could just be making it up, but I know you don’t like being ostracized any more than I do, so I thought I would ask and see if you noticed anything similar” 

Hermoine sits straight, looking out onto the beginnings of the lunchtime rush. “Now that I think about it, it does make sense. Not to be mean, but aren’t the Weaselys almost known for disregarding social conduct? And that would make sense why the Slytherins act as if we have caused great offense…” she trails off, looking down at her notes. 

“Hey, we are going shopping for school items today, right?” I ask.

“I do believe so. You know what I think?” she leans over, as if she had a grand secret she was not supposed to share, “we could pay extra attention to the differences between how we act and the way others interact while we are out. We don’t know that many people who are out shopping, so it would be mostly unbiased information”

“Absolutely, then we could”

“Why are you guys doing school work alreadyyyyyy. We still have like three days until its duuuuueeee” Ron interrupts whinily, not evening bothering to look at what the notes are on. Also part of the reason I went to Hermoine and not Ron. 

“Honesty Ronald, how do you not have your summer work done? You can not possibly write anything decent for eight classes in three days!” Hermoine snips back, putting the paper away. Clearly she wasn’t keen on sharing those observations with him either. 

“Maybe if your fleabag would stop trying to eat Scabbers”

“That does not account for the other six weeks you’ve had to do it; besides rats are the flee attractants and not cats.” She scoffs. 

“Hey guys, why don’t we head out to the Alley and start gathering our supplies? Get ahead of the madness” I state as I get up. I don’t wait for a response. Hermoine is just happy I shut Ron up before he could say anything worse and Ron takes anything I say is liquid gold for some reason. We head out and hit the magical brick on the wall to let us in. As we cross the threshold, Hermoine and I make eye contact and grin. May out social experiment begin.