Let's Try Again

Chapter 24: Fifth Year (Part 1)

Granger House - July 3, 2005

Sunday after church the Grangers all gathered at their dining room table. Hermione was confused about what her parents wanted to talk about, but she had seen this as an opportunity to get her parents acting properly. She was still furious about them allowing her to be punished during the school year.

The mind healer appointments hadn't been too bad, it had just given her a chance to explain what everyone was doing wrong, but she still thought they were foolish. She could have used that time for research or working on the laws she was making.

Her parents apparently needed to be reminded that as her parents they were supposed to be on her side. Not only because they were her parents, but also because she was right. How dare her parents let her be punished for something that wasn't her fault?

Sitting down Hermione pulled out her notebook that she had been using to keep track of all of the problems she was having with her parents actions as well as her arguments. She had no intention of letting her parents think for even a second that she wasn't going to hold them accountable for their actions. They had always told her that if someone is bad then they deserved to be punished, it was Gods law.

"Mother, Father, I think there are many things we need to discuss." Hermione said in a solemn tone, trying to stare down her parents.

"I really must agree." Howard said. He was frustrated to see Hermione not showing any respect towards them, she was acting like she was the parent and not them. How had they let things get so out of control?

"Why don't you start." Jean said, wanting to give Hermione a chance to prove that she was growing up.

Hermione flipped to the right page in her journal. "Well, to start off there was how you aloud Professor Black to punish me when I had done nothing wrong. When I told you what had happened you assured me that you would deal with it, but you didn't. You lied to me. You said that you would deal with it and instead did nothing.

No, you did worse than do nothing. You allowed me to suffer. I was restricted from accessing the library whenever I wanted, I wasn't aloud to go to Hogsmeade, I wasn't aloud to attend the last triwizard event, and I was forced to stay in my common room and dorm during my free time.

How could you allow that to happen to your only child? You met with Professor Black and just allowed him to walk all over you. As my parents it is your job to protect me. You abandoned me when I needed you.

Then there is the mind healer appointment. There was and is no need for it. I'm not the one with the problem. While it wasn't too bad, it was still highly inconvenient and you bare the responsibility for that.

But, the most important issue that I feel we need to address is your complete lack of respect for me. I am your daughter, you should always be on my side. I have done nothing wrong, yet I am continuously being punished and now even my own parents are turning against me."

Howard and Jean just stared at their daughter for a moment. They really had made mistakes.

"Well... What do you have to say for your selves?" Hermione huffed.

"I think we are both a little shocked by this." Jean said softly, still surprised.

Howard sat up straight and got ready to remind his daughter of the way the world worked. "Like you, your mother and I have worked up a list of things that we felt we needed to address with you. I think it would be best if we went through each thing one at a time and we can have discussions in between. You will not speak until we finish, we listened to you, now you have to listen to us."

They waited until Hermione agreed to allow them to speak without interrupting before Howard continued.

"I think the first thing we need to make crystal clear is our positions in this family. You, Hermione Jean Granger, are not in charge. Your mother and I are the adults, you are the child. We have always allowed you a rather large amount of leeway, mainly due to our own misconception of your maturity level, but you are not the boss, never have been, never will be."