Hermione Granger had been in the wizarding world for almost 2 months.
Although I didn't want to accept it, in the short time I had been here I could see the class separation between wizards and witches.
Purebloods, half-bloods, and Muggle-borns, with the former looking down on the latter and believing themselves to be superior.
The clues were there.
Although he complained to Professor McGonagall about the insults he received from some students at school, none of them were punished because they denied it and there was no proof.
There was hardly any loss of points if there were witnesses, and shortly afterwards those same students were again insulting her for her blood condition.
All this because she proved to be better at her studies, whether theoretical or practical.
But since Professor McGonagall assured her that she would achieve great things if she tried hard, she tried to ignore the comments and concentrated on her studies.
But as she read the newspaper in her hands next to her friend, what the transfiguration teacher had said seemed like a joke.
Due to recent events, Hermione and Rose were able to subscribe to an international newspaper and stay informed about what was happening, since the Daily Prophet did not publish the negative news that made the British Ministry of Magic look bad.
For example, the report I was reading about the British Ministry of Magic, where the number of Muggle-borns working there was small and all of them in minor positions, with only the head of the Goblin Coordination Office being a Muggle-born, and the newspaper clarified that he only got the position due to the continuous strange deaths of the previous heads of the office who were pure-blood.
And if you think that pure-bloods don't accept Muggle-borns only in the Ministry, you'd be wrong, since a Muggle-born still has difficulty prospering on their own, because if they want to start their own business, it will be more difficult to get the necessary permits, or if they want to open a shop in the famous Diagon Alley.
After many obstacles and wasted time, most Muggle-borns give up and try to open their businesses in the other, less crowded magical alleys.
And things don't end there.
Because if a Muggle-born's business is successful, a pure-blood with money will appear and open a similar business, and the Muggle-born will receive a visit from the Ministry of Magic to close their business for various reasons.
In the end, Muggle-borns could only be employed by other pure-bloods, working more than they should if they didn't want to be fired.
"Is this real?" Hermione asked, and Rose shook her head, assuring everyone that she didn't know.
And it was true, since she was her age and didn't know much about the working world in the magical world.
Hermione looked around the Great Hall and realized she wasn't the only one reading the newspaper.
Besides the teachers, all other students, regardless of their blood status, also read the newspapers along with the few students who were able to subscribe to these international newspapers.
While Muggle-borns and some half-bloods had angry looks, many other half-bloods and pure-blood students had smug smiles.
Hermione was furious at these conceited faces and unconsciously her eyes stopped on a blond student at the Slytherin table.
'Is he the same one too?' Hermione wondered, asking if the boy she was in love with was a racist pureblood.
But she quickly shook her head because Draco has never behaved like one and has always treated her with great respect, a very different attitude from what she expected based on the opinion Ron Weasley has been shouting about the Malfoy family.
Breakfast ended and she headed to her classes with her friend Rose, while trying to put out of her mind that she had entered a racist society.
The last class of the day, before lunch, was transfiguration.
And throughout the entire class, Hermione stared at Professor McGonagall as if she wanted to pierce the professor with her gaze.
In contrast, Professor McGonagall continued teaching her class while intentionally ignoring the piercing stares she had been receiving all morning.
When she realized that Hermione was one of them, McGonagall could only sigh.
What could I do?
After many years as a professor and vice-principal at Hogwarts, McGonagall had grown accustomed to lying to Muggle-born students.
Otherwise, most or all of them would not go to school if they knew how racist and corrupt the society they were entering was.
Hermione was just another student whom McGonagall was trying to give hope to so that she wouldn't abandon her studies.
After the class ended, Hermione left the classroom with Rose and they headed towards the Great Hall for lunch.
Shortly afterwards, in the great hall, he saw Rose's mother arrive and it suddenly occurred to him that she was the ideal person to confirm whether the magical society of Great Britain was as bad as he thought or not.
She told her friend about her idea and Rose nodded in agreement, as she also wanted to ask her questions.
After finishing their meal, the two young women approached Professor Evans and she smiled at them when they reached her.
"Sure, let's go to my office."
Rose's mother had also finished lunch, so she had no problem accompanying her daughter and her friend.
It seemed like they had questions that weren't related to school, and I could guess what they were.
Minutes later the 3 women arrived at the Muggle studies teacher's office and Lily sat in the chair behind her desk and waited for their questions.
"..."
And when Hermione started with the first question, the woman sighed before nodding her head, much to the disappointment of Hermione and Rose, who hoped the situation wasn't as bad as it seemed.
On the contrary, it was much worse.
"To begin with, the center of power in the British wizarding world is the Ministry of Magic and the Wizengamot."
"And those who control the Ministry of Magic and the Wizengamot are all pure-bloods."
"The only mixed-race people in high-ranking positions in the ministry and in the Wizengamot are those with connections or who come from prominent families."
"And the most powerful half-blood I can mention is Headmaster Dumbledore."
"And well... he's Dumbledore," said Lily.
Hermione and Rose listened to the woman and sighed, especially the former, who realized the kind of society she had entered.
But Rose's mother wasn't finished.
"And if you don't want to work in the ministry, you'll have to find a job in a company or create your own job."
"But as the newspapers say, if you're a Muggle-born, you'll be in a difficult position."
"Even people of mixed race won't be in a good position if they don't have connections."
"If your business is successful and you don't have connections, it's certain that your business will be shut down and a pureblood will steal it from you."
"And there's also the issue of learning."
"Since many teachers only accept students based on their background"
"Mom, did you suffer through that situation too?" Rose asked, worried about what might have happened to her mother because she was a Muggle-born.
"Don't worry, darling," Lily said, seeing the worry on her daughter's face, and managed to make her sigh with relief.
But unfortunately for her daughter and her friend, her next words discouraged them.
"I didn't suffer discrimination at that time, but it was because my Charms teacher was Professor Flitwick and then I married your father," Lily said.
Lily's words made her daughter and her friend understand.
"Before I had you, I was continuing my studies in enchantments."
"To receive guidance from a master of enchantments, I had to compete with many other witches and wizards."
"And since Master Flitwick is one of the few Charms masters who doesn't discriminate based on blood, you can imagine the competition was fierce."
The two girls nodded.
"When I was pregnant with you, Professor Flitwick allowed me to pause my studies and then resume them after a few years."
"And do you remember when I wanted to get a master's degree in potions?" Lily asked, and Rose nodded.
"Well, all the applications I sent were rejected," Lily said, and the two girls' eyes widened.
"I became very depressed at that time."
"And your father wasn't any help, even though he said
who would look for a potions master"
"She never mentioned the subject again, and I suspect that by then she already had lovers," the woman said, much to her daughter's dismay.
"It was when I sent a request to my teacher Horace Slughorn, who was my potions professor at Hogwarts, that I finally received a positive response."
"It was after I got my master's degree that I mentioned to the man about the rejections I had experienced back then, and the man sighed before explaining why I was rejected."
"And can you guess why?" Lily asked, and it was Hermione who answered.
"Because she's a Muggle-born?" said Hermione.
"That's right," Lily said.
"But weren't you the wife of a Pureblood wizard?"
"Besides, Rose is the girl who lived"
"I imagine many teachers would be happy to teach the mother of the girl who lived," Hermione said.
Although Rose didn't like the title "Girl Who Lived," she had to accept that her friend was right.
"Yes," said Lily.
"Many teachers would be delighted to teach the wife of the head of the Potter family and the mother of the girl who lived."
"But I didn't mention any of those facts in my applications."
"Even though I submitted my applications as Lily Potter Evans, they probably didn't even read my name before throwing my applications in the trash when they saw I was a Muggle-born," Lily said with a wry smile.
"It was my teacher Slughorn who explained that to me."
"It was only after that that I realized the discrimination that exists in the magical world."
"Since I married your father very young, I didn't go out into the workforce to find out."
"It was after that conversation that I found out for myself and learned that many Muggle-born people work in magical alleyways."
Lily's words made the two girls look at each other and no words came out of their mouths.
Seeing their reactions, Lily shook her head and didn't mention that Slughorn also only accepts students based on the connections and long-term benefits the man could gain.
"So there's no hope that this will change?" Hermione asked.
Lily sighed and shook her head.
The positions of power and the greatest riches in the magical world are in the hands of a few, and they are the ones who decide the rules.
Why would they change the rules that benefit them?
The girls chatted a little longer before leaving Rose's mother's office and walking down the hallways.
Neither of them said a word as they walked on, lost in their thoughts.
Especially Hermione, who refused to accept that her dreams of excelling in life would not come true simply because she did not come from a distinguished magical lineage.
The days passed with Hermione meeting with other Muggle-born students to brainstorm an idea to change the situation.
He even got Rose's help to attract mixed-race, pure-blooded, and working-class students to his aid.
After all, their families could influence the Wizengamot and the ministry.
Unfortunately, his idea wasn't going anywhere.
Days after their meeting with Rose's mother, without realizing it, the two women arrived at the school library, the place where the two women felt most comfortable.
And right at a solitary table, they could see a blond young man who smiled at them from a distance.
Seeing that smile, the two women felt the grayness of their thoughts vanish, giving way to a bright, multicolored light.