Plot Summary.
Operation Witchflight... Completed.
The story is an update on the wizarding world post the Hogwarts final battle and on the lives of Harry, Ginny, Ron and Hermione after they leave school and enter the adult world. It's mainly a light piece of Ron/Hermione fluff though, as we follow Hermione finally learning to love flying by broom.. Warning, contains ducks and Ron sneakiness!
Operation Witchflight
CHAPTER ONE. New Beginnings.
It had been nearly four years since the events of the Battle of Hogwarts and the world was beginning to change for the better. The tragic deaths had all been marked, not just by the sadly numerous funerals for the many victims, but by a resolve on the part of the survivors to remake the wizarding world and it's society in a way that such a horrible event could never happen again.
The severe battle damage to Hogwarts had been repaired, the school reopened and a new generation of students had begun their education. Whilst the Hogwarts pupils were still divided into the four traditional houses the Sorting Hat was re-tasked, at it's own suggestion, (and with Headmistress McGonagall's full approval), to ensure that in future each house would have a far more balanced mix of students of all types, abilities and attitudes. This was to ensure that no 'blood' divisions or self professed 'elite' cliques could form and fester as before.
Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff and Slytherin Houses now all held a mixture of muggleborns, half blood and pure blood students of all social backgrounds, personality types and of varying academic abilities. In the future it was hoped that, whilst there would still be friendly rivalry and healthy competition between houses, there would no longer be the dangerous animosities that had often existed before.
Students now learned by working and living alongside each other to get on with a wider mix of people and this tended to generate a greater tolerance of the differences between them. The worst incidents that had happened in the first two years since the re-opening were a few bloody noses from minor scraps and a couple of mild hexes, and even the majority of those tiffs had occurred mainly within houses, mostly not between them.
The new changes to Hogwarts had, it seemed, paid other dividends. Not just in school unity and increased inter-house friendships but also in a significant raising of academic standards, as was shown by the results of the new intake's end of year exams. As Headmistress McGonagall said, "A happy school is a productive school."
As to Harry, Ron and Hermione, their education had of course been badly interrupted by their long fight to track down and destroy Voldermort's horcruxes and bring about his downfall. But rather than having to go back to school it was decided that they had already proved themselves exceptionally capable magical students, as good, (if not indeed far better), magic users than most other N.E.W.T. Level qualified witches and wizards and that therefore a return to formal schooling would not be necessary.
Uniquely, instead it was decided that they could, with Ministry approval, receive honorary leaving certificates at N.E.W.T. ability levels assessed by their surviving former teachers and the school's new Headmistress. This practical solution meant that they could move on with their lives and commence their chosen adult careers. Whilst this was a bit of a relief for Harry and Ron, Hermione however totally refused this offer and insisted instead on returning to school to study for and sit the exams. Neither Ron nor Harry were very much surprised at her decision.
Ginny's education, (since she was a year younger than the trio), along with that of many other Hogwarts pupils had also been badly damaged by the horrible regime that had been in charge at the school prior to the final battle. She, along with her friend Hermione and many others, received special tuition at a temporary non residential school set up by the Ministry in London, rather than having to wait two years for Hogwarts to be rebuilt. Nevertheless, despite the disruption to their educations the intensive courses on offer at the temporary school and their natural ability meant that both Ginny and Hermione flew through their N.E.W.T.s in record time and with outstanding marks in their chosen subjects.
The long period which it took for repairs to Hogwarts was necessary, as even by using magically assisted building techniques the battle damage was so extensive that the work to stabilise the structure, (which had been shaken down to it's very foundations), had to be meticulous, for safety reasons. Not only did the repairs take time, but it was also planned that a new Senior Faculty Building would be added to the school. Designed to blend in with the original castle this would be the first major new building at Hogwarts since it had been conceived by it's founders. In effect it would be an autonomous 'Wizarding University' at which students from Hogwarts and other schools of magic around the world could, if they wished, go on to study for newly introduced Magical Degrees, and also do certain vocational courses.