An eighth or twentieth year tale
Hermione was one of few students who had chosen to return to eighth year, it was a strange feeling of dread mixed with a sense of coming home that greeter as she walked through the schools doors. She and the few others who chose to return were given a wing of their own to stay in. The wing was beautifully crafted of dark mahogany woods, and beautiful golden filigree. Each student was given their own room within the wing and each room was adorned with students name in gold, she stopped outside the door with her name on it and surveyed the names on the doors around the room.
It occurred to her that is was a bit strange that at their age that there was no separation of the genders. Hormones and all, bad blood and worse. Some of the male students were in the common area already beginning to make remarks and she was appalled at the way Ron was participating basically telling anyone in their year that would listen that he would her first and Hogwarts was going to make it possible. The topic of conversation angered her but seeing all the returning students all together acting so easy with each other regardless of background did bring a bit of a smile to her face.
Hermione moved herself into her room set her bag down, walked back outside the door. She was so frustrated with continued conversation the behaviour of the boys that a ball of energy began to form in the pit of her stomach
"Unum sepositam et conditam" the words rushed from her mouth like a spell.
The paintings in the room gasped as her door glowed a gentle blue all the way around the frame and a string of magic lead back to Hermione's hand encircling it. The light faded and she stepped back inside her room.
Harry and Ron came running up to her door and were met with a wall of blue magic that stopped them from entering flattening their noses in an amusing way. Hermione let out a giggle waved her hand at them and the door closed.
"Hey, wandless?" Harry pouted, as he tried the door to find that no matter what he did the door would not open.
"Ehem" The unforgettable sound of Minerva McGonagall clearing her throat from behind them while the rest of the students in the common room looked on.
The two boys turned to face a familiar frowning face of McGonagall who waved her hand to have the two move out of her way and she tried the door which would not open for her either.
"Hermione Granger, please open this door."
The door flew open and Hermione's face showed that she was not at all expecting to see McGonnagal on the other side.
"Hermione, please repeat this barrier spell for me." Hermione could never tell if Minerva was pleased or displeased with a situation.
Hermione fumbled a little as she pulled her suitcase to in front of Minerva. The case glowed green to signal that it had not already been charmed as Minerva waved her hand in front of it before nodding at Hermione to begin.
Hermione took a deep breath, she found she couldn't access the feeling in the pit of her stomach and she looked to Harry who was whispering to Ron and they were both giggling quietly probably about something unrelated. It was enough, she once again felt the magic build in the pit of her stomach before she spelled her suitcase the same way she did her door.
Minerva nodded in approval she was genuinely impressed. It had been so long since someone had created a new charm at Hogwarts. If her memory served it was Snape who had done it last so a few generations had passed through the halls since then.
"Please have everyone test your new charm on their own rooms , I should like to see what level this spell should be included in the curriculum at. We expect to see you all for dinner." With that she left the youths on their own to teach and learn a new charm.
Harry had it down as soon as Hermione explained the feeling in the pit of her stomach. Malfoy was quick to catch on as well. The others soon followed charming their own rooms from the entry of all others. Neville's charm took some time, had the same effect, but glowed green instead of blue.
The group descended the stairs together and headed to the great hall for the standard greeting dinner for students. The room was empty save McGonagall and Madame Pomfrey, both with stoic expressions. McGonagall addressed the hall with a spell to amplify her voice.
"Eighth year students, I come before you this year with the joy of a rebuilt Hogwarts, and the sadness of the return after such a great loss of life. This year will be one of the most important of your lives, a way to set the magical world back on track."
Ms. Pomfrey moved and placed the sorting hat before the group of older students.
"This year you shall be expected to carry more than just your studies."
The hat began to sing and the students all went quiet knowing it could be a prophecy.
"Pure blood magic reigns no here more,
the child of the stars must be born,
though you all are tired and worn,
your generation is still torn,
Your lives you still have to live,
but this year is one more year to give
this generations magic is great
but not always the life choices you make."
The hat wasn't quite finished as he was moved to the table beside the chair on the stage, Hermione struggled to hear the last of the hat's song as he was muffled by Pomfrey as he was moved.
"that is why these choices I make,
a hidden generation
we must together create,
children from children of this magical nation"
Minerva's voice rang through the hall once more.
"Please come to the front as you name is called."
~~~~~~~~~()~~~~~~~~
The sun beamed through the window on to Hermione's face as she opened her eyes. She blinked back the dream and let a tear slide down her face as she remembered what day it was. Today is the day she has to drop Rose off at Platform 9 3/4 for another term. She loved her children, maybe, a little too much and could be compared a bit to the older but she always felt like she had more love to give and so she smothered her children in it daily.
Their morning went mostly as planned and they arrived on the platform at the same time as some familiar faces and once again she found herself, chatting with Harry and Ginny. While Malfoy acknowledged them from a far.
This year, however, a young woman heading for the train caught her eye. She had to be in her final year based on what Hermione guessed her age to be. It was the colour of her eyes that caught Hermione's attention at first, but it was her hair that caught the attention of another parent on the platform. She peaked over at him as he shot her a look of both query and fear. His mind flashed back to the dreams he had been plagued with for years. He forced half a smile and Hermione did the same but it didn't prevent her from casting a quick spell under her breath while they exchanged their glance.
She and Ron returned home to the same awkward silence that had grown to be the norm between them. Hermione spent the evening playing a game with Hugo before tucking him in for his story. She sat on his bed side as she read, the sound of a gentle pecking caught her mid sentence.
A large grey owl flapped haphazardly at the little boys window, the grumpy owl tapped when she hadn't already begun to move to let him in. Hermione smiled and mumbled at the grumpy owl that she was getting there but instead of getting up she waved her hand and using wandless, wordless magic she let the owl in. Her son's eyes were wide from his spot under the covers.
"Woah, Mom!" He exclaimed before he was distracted watching the owl hop over and hand his mother the parchment from his leg. Hugo's legs were getting twitchy under the covers and Hermione gave him to ok to run downstairs for the owl treats. He took off without even putting his slippers on and she smiled as she listened to the sound of his bare feet slapping down on the wooden floor as he ran.
The boy returned with the treats, in two shakes of a lamb's tale or so her mother would have said. The thought of her mother flashed the face of the girl and her eyes back into Hermione's mind albeit briefly as she helicoptered over her son while he pulled the treats from the bag. Hugo fed the owl who had hopped to one of the bed posts. The owl hooted its appreciation before it tilted its head for instruction. Hermione quickly apologized to the creature and told him should the letter require a reply she would send their owl and that he could return home. The owl hooted returned to the window and left the two to finish their story.
Hermione almost used the parchement to mark her page after her son's rythmic breathing signalled her to stop reading. She mindlessly ran her finger over the envelopes seal. It was the reason she caught herself and placed the bookmark in the book instead. She gently set the book down on Hugo's side table, pulled his covers up and kissed his forehead. She charmed the milky way onto his ceiling in case he woke up before morning, and blew him one more kiss before turning out his light.
She was just coming down the stairs as Ron was leaving through the front door, barely a smile before he shut the door behind him. They had not been the same since Rose had started school, he worked more than he should and she spent as much time as she could with the children. He didn't even kiss her goodbye or say I love you on his way out anymore, let alone tell her where he went at night. She wasn't sure she really cared as long as she had her children.
Hermione brewed a cup of tea before sitting down in her favourite chair to open the letter, she had pondered talking to Ron about receiving a letter from Mr. Malfoy but he had left before she had the chance or she supposed before she even tried. She braced herself for some form of howler by silencing the room before opening the letter. Instead she found a short note with only a few short sentences.
H,
I saw you.
I saw her.
I saw what you did.
Seeing her made the dreams feel more real.
Do you have them too?
Let me know the results.
D.
A single strand of hair fell from the letter and she moved to catch it before it fell.
Hermione was now on a mission, she had a mystery to solve. She moved herself to the kitchen and began to collect some ingredients. She had to collect some fresh lamb's quarter from the yard to complete the potion. Hermione reached up and very ungracefully pulled a strand of her hair out and dropped it in the pot along with the hair she collected magically from the young lady entering the train and the hair that Malfoy had sent.
The potion was colour coordinated blue for a male genetics match pink for a female genetics match. She stirred three times fast to the left, then three slow and finished with the five slow required to the right before the potion began to glow in front of her.
Hermione collapsed to the ground crying, finally understanding the longing she had felt for so long. She turned her attention from the bright purple potion for a moment to scrawl on a piece of paper a short scribble.
D.
It was positive. I have dreams.
Meet me tomorrow while Hugo is in Muggle studies between 10-4. I will be at the Cauldron.
H.
She was heading to the call her Owl when a strangle elf popped in.
"I beggin your pardon Misses. The master would like me to serve here. Can I's be of help?"
"I don't use elves, I don't condone what has been done to your kind." Hermione said almost sternly.
"oh no misses you misunderstands. I is free, I is paid. I is happy to serve."
"I do my own cleaning and cooking." Hermione said to the elf who began to tear up.
"Whats will I do misses? What's left for Tandy?"
Hermione didn't mean to hurt the creature she quickly back pedalled and told the poor thing that she would learn to share and there was a garden of herbs that often lacked care. Cleaning the bath after her son wasn't fun so help with that could also be nice. The elf was smiling big eyes wide as she wiped her tears away. Hermione mumbled about anything else the elf might want to do.
The gaunt little elf pointed to the scralled note on scroll in Hermione's hand.
"I can deliver letters quick too misses, even to places others cannot go, can I delivers your important letters?"
Hermione watched as the little creature was almost dancing with glee while she asked to deliver the letter and she couldn't say no to the happy little thing.
"Thank you Tandy, that would be most helpful right now. This letter goes to Draco Malfoy and no one else please."
"Yes missus" The elf said with glee as she took the letter and popped away only to return in but a moment.
"The letter is with the Master Draco misses but he said I should goes. Is ok?"
"Yes Tandy, please make yourself at home here, we can create another room where ever you would be comfortable."
"Tandy does it missus, its ok. Missus need more tea? Missus just want to talks? Tandy is here for the missus."
Hermione turned to the little elf and surprising found that she told the creature everything over a second cup of tea. Every dream she remembered, the outcome of the potion and all about Ron. Tandy spoke up.
"Missus, I don't know much about wizard relationships soes I can't speaks to those but Tandy does have magics that can tell your age. Helps you with one thing, no?"
Hermione took a moment to process, then she understood.
"Tandy would you please find out my age?"
"First missus how old do you believe you are?
"36" Hermione said without hesitation.
The little elf leaned forward and placed her hand on Hermione's forehead. Hermione closed her eyes to avoid the glow of the magic.
"Missus Hermione?" The elf began, "I am sad to say that you is not 36, you has lost almost two years missus."
All Hermione could do in the moment was to repeat the words of the little elf in front of her
"Two years..."