Truth and Lies

By: Leath

Disclaimer: You know the drill—I'm not making a dime off of this and I don't own the characters of Harry Potter. If I did, this wouldn't be called fan fiction.

Summary: Voldemort was dark wizard dreaming about controlling the wizarding world. What if he wasn't the only one that dreamed about this? What if there were others that went about things in a different manner. They laid low and worked behind the scenes controlling and using people as they went. Their goal is to control the power the Founders once possessed. After years of working on things, they are very close in carrying out their dreams. Their only problem is their secret is starting be discovered. Read as these plans fall apart and these dark wizards are brought to light…

(AU after the third book…Warning Dumbledore, Molly and Ron Weasley bashing, it is the only warning you are going to get. If you want to blame anyone for this, I say blame it on the books. They turned me against the characters. The story that you are about to read has been hanging around in many forms for a while now. I just managed to finally figure out one completely before posting it. Oh, thanks Jean for your help. If it wasn't you willing to be my sounding board, I wouldn't have even started writing Harry Potter.)

Story note: Tonks never went to Hogwarts. She went to Beauxbatons because of her metamorphmagus talents. There was a professor there that helped children with Tonks' gift to learn to control their magic. Scarlett is a good friend of Tonks. She is Hermione's mother little sister and close to Tonk's age. She teachers at Beauxbatons and is one new character that I have created. She has a magical cat named Muncie is done after my cat. (So, be nice to her. She is my baby.) They are the only new characters that I have planned at this moment. There might be more later on, but before they show up I will give you an introduction about them at the start of the chapter. However, the only time I'll do it is when the character will be reoccurring.

Pairings: Harry/Hermione: Scarlett/Severus Snape: Remus/Tonks: There are more but a few are a surprise. So, I'll keep them to myself for now.

Chapter One

Telling the Truth

Marian and Shakespeare Granger sat in their living room discussing the issue of their daughters schooling. It wasn't Hermione's grades that were the problem. No, it was the adventure's that Hermione had faced the last three years which were the problem. The Grangers had just found out about Hermione's adventures and were wondering if sending her back to Hogwarts for a fourth year was a very good idea.

At the moment, Hermione was upstairs asleep for the first time in five days. She hadn't slept much since she arrived home from Hogwarts. When she did sleep, she was plagued with nightmares of ghostly creatures trying to steal her soul.

It had taken Hermione's parents a lot of prying and prodding but they finally managed to get the reason behind the problem from their daughter. The story that Hermione told them sent both parents into a rage. They were not only upset because Hermione had hid the truth from them for so long, but they were also upset with professors at Hermione's school. How could they believe this was normal life for a child? No child should face trolls, possessed teachers and escape criminals. They also shouldn't be given dangerous items that messed up their sleeping patterns. No, there was something that needed to be done about this.

They first had to help Hermione get some sleep. It took them a bit but finally Hermione was sleep. So far she hadn't wakened with a nightmare. Hermione's mother Marian was hoping that this was a good sign and that Hermione would stay asleep for quite awhile. The lack of sleep was really starting to affect Hermione's personality. She was crabby and jumpy. Marian figured if Hermione didn't start becoming her old self soon, then she was going to take to see a doctor to see if they could help. Of course, with it being a magical cause, who knows what would help.

"I say we send her to school that I went to as a child. There is nothing wrong with going to a normal school and getting to know normal kids. I mean look at the type of children she is meeting. That red headed boy is always popping up here after a few weeks asking if Hermione could come over for a visit. There is something not right with him," Shakespeare said firmly as he stopped abruptly in his pacing.

"Shakespeare, there is nothing wrong with Hermione or her gifts. She is gifted. It is up to us to make sure she has a chance to use those gifts. It isn't her fault that there is something wrong with Hogwarts. Let me contact my sister in Paris, and talk to her. I'm sure can help us find out what to do with her. Beside, she teaches in a magical school. If anything, we can send Hermione there. She might not be happy being away from her friends, but at least she will get to explore her gifts," Marian suggested.

"Well, I will agree to that because to me Hogwarts is out. It is either your sister's school or my school. They are Hermione's only choices," Shakespeare said firmly. He finally sat down at in his favorite chair and started to relax for the first time in hours. He knew he sounded harsh, but Hermione was their only child. She was his little girl and he didn't want to see her hurt. If sending her to his school was going protect her, then so be it. She would just be upset with him for a while. She would forgive him sooner or later. He knew it would be a rough time until that happened.

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The next afternoon, Hermione was still asleep when her Aunt Scarlett arrived. Scarlett Sherwood had thick auburn hair and deep blue eyes. She wore a stylish summer dress and at her feet was a black cat with four white paws. "It is strange being dressed as a muggle after all this time, Muncie." Scarlett said looking down at the cat.

"Mew," Muncie replied looking intently at the door waiting for it to open. She smelled the cat that was inside. She couldn't wait to get a chance to meet the stranger. She felt he was as special as she was. She wanted to get to know him better.

The door opened and there stood Marian Granger. The woman smiled warmly at and gave her baby sister a hung. "Scarlett, you look well. I see teaching at that school suits you," Marian said to her sister as the pair walked into the house and into living room.

"Thanks, I enjoy teaching. The only thing I regret is that it is so far away from my family. How is Hermione doing? Has she woken up yet?" Scarlett asked.

"No, not yet, I guess it is a good thing. She at least hasn't wakened with a nightmare. I don't think I could deal with another one," Marian said sadly. She wanted to help her daughter but felt helpless in doing so. That is why she had called her sister. She at least had an idea on what Hermione was dealing with. She was a witch like Hermione and knew more about that world then Marian did.

Scarlett nodded her head sitting back in her chair contemplating things over. "Tell me what Hermione told you about her time at Hogwarts," Scarlett said finally. Marian sighed deeply nodding her head and did as her sister requested. She retold the stories of Hermione's adventurers at Hogwarts. When she was done, she asked her sister, "Is this normal?"

"No, not even for my world," Scarlett said shaking her head sadly. "Did Hermione tell you why she never said anything about this, even to me?"

"She was worried that we would pull her from school. It seems her friend Harry Potter has won her heart in a way. She thinks if she wasn't around to look after him, he would end up dead," Marian said sadly.

"Well, I've heard of Harry Potter, of course. There isn't a person in our world that hasn't. What I don't understand is why Hermione believes that she needs to protect him? From what I understand, he could have anything in the wizarding world that he wanted just by asking," Scarlett said puzzled. Scarlett didn't go to Hogwarts as a child. She went to the same school that she taught at now. She went to Beauxbatons Academy of Magic. She loved it there. It was quiet and peaceful; something that Hogwarts wasn't.

"I don't know. She just kept on saying that she needed to protect Harry. I hope you can help her with this. I want her to learn magic, but I don't want her hurt. If it comes down to it, I'm afraid her father will order her to go to his school," Marian said.

"I'll do my best and if we have too I'll talk to Madame Maxime to see if we can transfer Hermione to Beauxbatons. It is nice school and she won't have to fight a troll," Scarlett said.

"Well, I hope so for both your sakes. I hate to see one of those creatures," Marian said shivering slightly.

"I assure you. I have not met a troll in the ladies room at school," Scarlett said firmly but with small smile on her face. Marian smiled as well and they sat together having tea and chatting about more normal things as Hermione slept.

Hermione woke up the next morning feeling rested but fearful. She was scared what her parents were going to do about what she had told them. She woke that morning and found Aunt Scarlett sitting at the breakfast table having tea. She was surprised, but she greeted the woman warmly and joined her. "I guess Mum called you?" Hermione said as she sat down.

"Yes, she did. How did you sleep?" Marian asked.

"Okay, no nightmares," Hermione said as she poured herself a cup of tea.

"Good," Scarlett said as she sipped her tea. She thought for a moment then put her cup down and said, "Hermione, I don't know what your teachers were thinking at Hogwarts, but giving you that time turner was dangerous. There is a reason it is a controlled item. People who use it foolishly have died because they wear themselves out. Why did you want one?"

"I needed it. I wanted to learn as much as I could about the wizarding world. How else am I going to be better then those purebloods," Hermione replied.

Scarlett laughed. "Honey, you are better then them right now. If you are worried about getting a job, you can leave the area and get one that you dream about. England is only one of the few countries in our world that restrict muggle born and mix-blood wizards. We have few that think that way, but they don't have the power as they do here."

"But I don't want to leave England. So, to get anywhere, I have to work harder than all of them. Besides, if I leave then who will protect Harry," Hermione said sadly.

Scarlett looked at her nice and asked, "Why are you worried about Harry?" Hermione looked down at her hands for a moment. Scarlett slowly reached over and forced Hermione to look at her. "Come on, honey. It is me you are talking to. We don't have secrets remember?"

"I guess maybe I feel this way because he saved my life twice but it is more then that. Aunt Scarlett, I don't know what you know about Harry Potter, but I think Professor Dumbledore is trying to kill him. I didn't realize it until after I had time to think about our first year. I think he set up our adventure to test Harry in some way. Why would he use spells that a first you could do to protect something as valuable as the Philosopher's stone. Why tell everyone where you hiding it?" Hermione said.

Scarlett nodded her had. "You are a smart girl. I thought that myself when your mother told me what you had told her. What I want to know is why you think you have to protect him?"

"Because no one else does, Ron just uses Harry. He doesn't see it but he does. He walks around the school bragging he is Harry Potter's best friend. Then there is his 'family'," Hermione said with frustrated sadness, "they don't want him. I even think they go so far as to abuse him, but he doesn't talk about it enough for me to do anything. But look how he dresses; he wears clothes that don't fit him. He is skin and bones at the start of school. He works on his homework on the train. Harry's isn't the brightest kid, but he isn't lazy like Ron. He does his work at school. Why doesn't he do it at home? Then there are the stories Ron let slip to me about how he and his brother's saved Harry at the beginning of term our second year. Aunt Scarlett, Harry's family locked him his bedroom and put bars on the windows. They only fed him very little food. They were going to try and keep him from going back to Hogwarts." Hermione said.

Scarlett thought about this nodding. "You've brought up good points but none of these gives me a reason to let you go back to Hogwarts. I know you want your friend but I want protect you. So, I'm going to agree with your parents and saying that you need to go to another school next term," Scarlett said.

"But what about Harry?" Hermione pleaded.

Scarlett looked at her nieces pleading eyes and sighed. "Okay, I know someone at the Ministry that might be able to check on things with Harry. She can go with us to see if the boy is being abused. If that is case, I'm sure she can help him."

"Who is it?" Hermione asked.

"Her first name is Nymphadora but she hates it. She goes by her last name Tonks. We went to school together. She is now an Auror at the Ministry. We can have her come with us to talk to Harry's family," Scarlett said.

"What if he is being abused? What will happen to him?" Hermione asked.

"I don't know but I'm sure it will work out for him. He is Harry Potter after all. Our world sees him as a hero and they will not put up with him being mistreated in any way," Scarlett said trying to reassure her niece. Hermione hoped she was right because Harry had hard enough life the way it was. He didn't need her adding to his troubles.