They couldn't keep their new abilities secret for long. Hermione started apparating to Harry's room whenever she had an idea she wanted to discuss with him, and Harry acted similarly. It was merely a question of time until one of the adults noticed.
Unfortunately, it was Vernon who noticed Hermione appearing in Harry's room. He had caught a cold and had to come home earlier than usual. He was on his way to the master bedroom when he noticed Hermione appearing in Harry's room, whose door was left open.
"Hermione! What are you doing here? I didn't expect you, or I would have closed the door." Harry sounded surprised.
Hermione turned to close the door and saw Vernon looking at her with evident confusion. "Oops! I'm sorry, Mr Dursley. I should not have acted this way."
Vernon regained his composure enough to answer, trying to keep his temper under control. "Indeed, you shouldn't. Somebody else could have seen you, somebody who knows nothing about… Magic." It sounded like he needed to use all his resolve to say the last word. "And you, boy, should better keep your door closed at all times to prevent such events. One of Dudley's friends could have stood here instead of me."
Harry looked contrite. "Sorry, Uncle Vernon. I'll try to keep my door closed for as long as I'm here."
"Make sure you do!" Vernon turned and went into his bedroom, closing the door behind him. He then sighed, feeling content he'd not reacted much worse. 'You knew they were magical and you already suspected they could do this,' he told himself. It didn't help much to calm him, yet the kids were really good kids. Both apologized and promised to act better. If only he could accept their special talents…
–..–
Surprisingly, Hermione's mother caught her that same day when she returned. She opened the door just when Hermione reappeared in her room. "Hermione?! What was this?"
Hermione blushed crimson. Being caught twice in the same afternoon was a bit too much for her. "It's a magical way to move between places. It's like apparition, but not exactly, since we can't use wands yet."
Jean took a deep breath. "So, where have you been?"
"Oh, I went to ask Harry something." Her expression changed. "Harry's door was open and his uncle saw me, and now you."
Jean moved to sit on Hermione's bed and patted it at her side to make Hermione sit too. "Isn't it dangerous to move this way?"
Hermione smiled. "Oh, no. It may be dangerous if one tries to move only his body. Any misjudgement of size or location can cause problems, but we move everything about a foot around us, so it should be no problem."
"But you didn't ensure secrecy. That can prove even more dangerous in the long term, you know."
Hermione sighed. "I know. Harry is going to keep his door closed at all times and even lock it when he's inside. I think I should do the same."
"Can he also move this way?"
Hermione smiled. "Sure! And so can Dudley, although it took him slightly longer to master it."
"Then, how long did it take you to move from here to Surrey?"
Hermione considered the question and sighed. "I didn't check it on a clock, but I think it took less than five seconds. Ten, at most."
Jean sighed. This would save Hermione a lot of time on the road. Pity she couldn't make her parents do the same. Just driving each morning to the clinic took about half an hour.
"Then, do you still need us to drive you to and fro?"
Hermione gave it some thought. "I'm no longer sure. You know about this and you're going to tell Dad, I'm sure. Harry's uncle knows about it and his aunt will surely know by the next meal, latest. I'm not yet sure how it can change things."
Her mother smiled. "You're still only a child. We'll discuss the matter later, but please make sure to keep it secret from others. You know how important that is."
Hermione tried to smile reassuringly. "Yes, I know, and I'll start locking my room when I'm in it, just for safety."
Jean smiled and sighed. "Your father may not like the idea, especially since two boys are also involved, but it's still the safest way. At least I think so."
Hermione hugged her. "I love you, Mum. You're the best."
Jean shrugged, trying not to smile too widely. "Sure! I'm your only Mum, so there's no competition."
Hermione rolled her eyes. "Oh, you know what I mean, Mum!"
Jean patted her daughter's wild hair. "Sure, honey. I was just teasing you a bit."
–..–
Dave Granger wasn't surprised by her ability, but he frowned deeply at having to allow her to lock her door. "You know it's improper for a girl and a boy to stay behind locked doors with no supervision," he stated firmly.
"What are you worried about, Daddy? We're still too young for sex and will be even after leaving for Hogwarts, so that should not bother you. Are you worried about any of the boys seeing me naked? You like visiting nudist beaches on vacation, and everybody there sees me naked. I think I'll ask Harry to join us this summer. Maybe Dudley too."
Dave grimaced. His daughter's logic was perfect, yet it didn't go well with his protective father instincts.
Hermione wouldn't relent. "And later, when we go to Hogwarts, we could do anything there without you even knowing. You'll have to trust us to act properly. You can start now already."
Dave sighed in defeat. "Alright, dear. You know I trust you, as difficult as it is for me. Just make sure not to do anything I wouldn't approve of."
Hermione had no problem with that. "I'll do nothing like that before I reach puberty."
Jean hid a smile. Dave sighed. "You're not making it any easier on me, honey."
Hermione shrugged. "You don't want me to promise something I can't keep, do you?"
Dave just lifted his arms in a defeated gesture and left the room. Jean winked at her daughter and followed him out. Hermione went to the door, closed it, and locked it.
–..–
Petunia was surprised to find her husband at home when she returned from her occupations elsewhere. The fact that he was lying in bed with a pack of tissue papers at his side, a red nose, and some coughing, explained his presence well enough. His pained expression was not as easily understandable.
"What is it dear? What's bothering you?"
Vernon sighed. "Did you know the kids could move from place to place in a blink of an eye?"
Petunia wasn't too surprised. "I suspected they would try it, but not so early. How did you find out?"
"Harry's door was open when I returned home. I was opening the door to this room when I saw his friend, Hermione, appearing out of thin air. Both apologized and promised to be more prudent." He shrugged. "They're good kids, but still only kids."
Petunia was unsure what she could say, but Vernon had some more. "Dudley returned home a bit later, after playing with his friends. He noticed my car and came to see me. I told him what I saw and asked if he could do the same." Vernon sighed deeply. "He can. He even demonstrated by moving from one corner of the room to the other without taking a single step. How can I live with that, Pet?"
She took a deep breath. "After we found Lily had magic, my parents tried to check as many generations back as they could, on both sides, but found nothing useful. Yet there must be something in the family, or Lily wouldn't have had magic. I think it should come from both sides. That may mean it came from both my parents and then from yours too, or Dudley wouldn't have it. But give it some serious thought, please. Is it that bad? I think you may find quite a few good things about having magic and being able to use it when needed."
Vernon chuckled humourlessly, ending in a fit of coughs. Once it subsided, he answered, "I'll be stuck in bed for the next few days, so it seems. I'll have enough time to contemplate it."
Petunia nodded. She knew how difficult this was for him. She'd try to make it as easy for him as she could, although she wasn't sure about her ability to help.
–..–
Vernon came down for dinner but returned to bed as soon as he finished eating. Petunia waited until she heard the bedroom door close before she turned to the boys. "I understand that you can now move from place to place by magic. How far can you move that way?"
Harry answered. "We didn't try very far yet, but we can easily move from Hermione's house to my room and back. Hermione and I have already visited each other a few times that way."
"And you, Dudley?" she asked.
Dudley shrugged. "We teach each other everything we learn. I can move that way just the same, but I don't spend that much time with Hermione. I like playing with my friends much better."
Petunia stayed very pensive when she sent the children to their rooms.
–..–
Jean called Petunia the next day. "I suppose you already know about the way our children found to visit each other whenever they like, didn't you?"
Petunia sighed. "Yes. It frightened my husband a bit when he returned home earlier than expected. But after learning of this ability, I thought it could save them quite a few hours on the road, assuming we can trust them to stay safe."
Jean sighed too. "I was thinking the same. I know Hermione is very responsible for her age, and so is Harry, but both are still children. Hermione told me this is taught at Hogwarts only after one reaches seventeen. They're not yet half that age."
"There's nothing we can do to stop them, you know. We must trust we educated them well enough and keep reminding them of the safety and secrecy needed."
"I know. We trust Hermione. We usually leave her alone at home for hours and she's never made us reconsider it. She has always acted responsibly and more maturely than her age. But this is something very different."
Petunia could only sympathize. "I also trust my children, especially Harry, who's more mature, and I still worry." She chuckled sadly. "My mother used to say that parents always worry. I couldn't believe her until I became a mother myself."
Jean seemed to agree. "Yet I see no reason not to let them meet this way, as long as they take appropriate precautions. While you're pleasant hosts and I hope you feel comfortable in our house, the children pay us no attention, once they meet. It would save us quite some time to let them visit this way, and not needing our services as drivers. We should still meet once in a while to keep tabs on things, I believe."
Petunia also had another idea. "I think we should have a phone extension in each of their rooms, allowing them to better coordinate visits to prevent such events like yesterday. We just have to make sure they keep their conversations short."
Jean agreed. "We thought of giving Hermione her own line, but an extension may be enough for now. I'll try to have one installed within a week or so."
"And I'll do the same."
–..–
When Petunia told the boys they could visit Hermione on their own, as long as they informed her in advance, they looked almost bored.
"I visit her almost every day and she visits me about the same," Harry said. "Each time we only spend a few minutes together, no longer than half an hour."
"I only visit her once or twice a week, mainly when Harry's too busy to help with my homework. She's also very good at explaining what I can't understand in class. And I started locking my room before I go there, so nobody can notice."
Petunia had one more question. "Can you take another person with you? I know adult wizards and witches usually can."
Harry shrugged. "We haven't tried it, but we took our book bags. Taking another person shouldn't be more difficult."
Petunia had an idea. "I can buy some dolls you could try with first, but full-size dolls are very expensive. Can you enlarge a small doll to the right size?"
Dudley frowned, not quite sure. Harry answered. "We haven't yet tried such spells, but Hermione plans to try them soon. We'll tell you as soon as we learn them."
Petunia only nodded. How much she would have liked to be able to do the same… At least her boys could. It was a kind of bitter-sweet compensation.