(A/N: Hello! :) Welcome to the first chapter of "Practicing For the Future". Yes, I know this idea has been done before, but I wanted to try my hand at it and I wanted to bring my own twist into it. I hope you like it!
Of course, no copyright is intended. All the characters belong to the wonderful J.K. Rowling and I would never wish to steal them and make them my own.
Review and critique please! I love them :))
An Announcement To Be Made
The noise in the Great Hall intensified as the students began to make their way inside, talking amongst themselves and calling out to their friends.
Hermione Granger sat in the middle of the noise, though she didn't quite partake in it herself. She was too drawn into her book to notice anyone else until a certain red-head plopped down beside her.
"Hermione put the book down. Please!" Ginny groaned, glaring good naturedly at her friend.
Hermione mumbled something under her breath, but other than that kept her book open and leaning against a tub of pumpkin juice.
"Harry, tell her to put that book down." Ginny commanded, turning her blue eyes onto the raven-haired boy as he sat himself down across from the pair. Harry scowled gently, glancing at Hermione before he turned his eyes back onto Ginny.
"You know that's impossible, Gin. Even I don't have the power to make her stop reading." Ginny rolled her eyes, but perked up immediately when her boyfriend came strolling through the Great Hall doors. Dean Thomas. She quickly jumped from her seat and hurried over to sit by him. Harry turned his eyes down to his plate, scowling harder than ever.
Hermione glanced up from her book, watching Harry poke miserable holes into his food before she sighed, closing her book and stuffing it away. "Don't look so happy," she said sarcastically.
Harry seemed to jerk out of his imaginary land before he looked up at her, casting her a small smile of sadness. "Sorry," he whispered, looking back down at his food. Hermione glanced down the table towards where Ginny sat, affectionately holding Dean's hand, before she turned to look back at the Gryffindor across from her.
She felt bad for her friend; it was obvious Harry's feelings toward the ginger girl. Obvious to everyone except Ginny of course.
Wasn't that how it always was?
Speaking of feelings going unnoticed…
"Where's Ron?" Hermione questioned, cocking her head to the side and trying to sound nonchalant. She couldn't explain her unexpected attraction towards the red-head, nor could she explain as to where these emotions had come from. One day they were fine, just friends, and the next it was as though she had been clonked over the head and she was seeing him for the first time.
Yes, he could be a dunce sometimes, and he didn't always think things through before he said them, and sometimes he can be insensitive, but he's sweet, charming, and funny. Why hadn't she noticed it before?
"Coming down now, he had to drop off his books in the dormitory," Harry grumbled, pushing a hand through his shaggy hair before scooping a spoonful of food into his mouth. Hermione's nose crinkled.
"Harry, slow down. You look like Ron on an empty stomach."
"Who looks like Ron on an empty stomach?" Hermione jumped and turned to spot Ginny's older brother, Ron, as he sat himself down across the table next to Harry.
Hermione's face lit up red slightly and Harry chuckled, shaking his head as he worked on the food in his mouth.
The light tinkling of silverware caught everyone's attention, which was astounding considering how loud it was in the Great Hall.
Slowly, the noise dwindled down to a mere whisper and then to complete silence. Dumbledore, who stood tall at the front of the room, had everyone's undivided attention- though Ron snuck a few bites of food in here and there.
"I do not wish to disturb you whilst you rest from your morning classes, but I have an announcement to make." Dumbledore had that twinkle in his eye, the one he got when he was planning something. Hermione and Harry shared a look. "If you could ever be so kind, all students fifth year and under are to leave the Great Hall immediately, and continue your lunches outside- or wherever you wish."
No one moved at first, blinking up at their headmaster and trying to comprehend what he was saying. Then it clicked. He was having an announcement for seventh and sixth years only. A fifth year Slytherin was the first to move, packing up her books and heading for the door. Slowly, the rest of the Great Hall followed, whispering amongst themselves.
By the time it was only sixth and seventh years left, more than half the Great Hall had been cleared out.
Ginny came over, dragging Dean behind her, before plopping herself down beside Hermione.
"What's all this about?" she asked, as though she expected them to know. Hermione only shrugged, shaking her head with a slight frown as she stared up at the teacher's table. It was then that her eyes caught sight of the familiar, pink bubble gum colored hair.
"Harry, isn't that Tonks?"
Harry and the rest of them quickly followed Hermione's gaze, and huge smiles split across their faces when they recognized the familiar Order member that sat, talking in low terms to Professor Snape.
Her eyes met Harry's and she waved slightly. Harry waved back before Tonks was dragged back into her conversation.
"Wad's she doin' 'ere?" Ginny's nose crinkled at her brother's manners and she shot a glance at Hermione, whose cheeks reddened beyond compare. Ginny knew of Hermione's attractions towards her brother, but that didn't mean she understood them at all.
"Ron, swallow your food before you talk." Hermione snapped at him. The tips of his ears went red before he swallowed a harsh amount of food.
"Sorry," he grumbled under his breath.
The tinkling of silverware against glass came again and the low murmur that had started up slowly died away. Dumbledore stood, just as tall and excited looking as ever, a smile hidden somewhere behind his white beard.
"Now, I'm sure you're all wondering why we have isolated you into the Great Hall." No one said anything, no one moved.
"I will allow a more qualified speaker to explain everything to you. Please help me in welcoming our new teacher, Professor Tonks." Tonks stood, her face smiling as she hurried away from Snape to stand by Dumbledore's side. Harry and Ron were the loudest in their clapping, and while Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw politely applauded their new professor, the Slytherins remained rather stony and somber.
"Hello, hello!" she said, looking out at them and twirling her wand in front of her. "Well… this is going to be fun." An amused smirk took over her features as she looked out through the crowd before she cleared her throat.
"Alright, enough mindless chatter. Let's get down to business." With a wave of her wand, a large screen fell behind her. Some of the students jumped, not expecting it to suddenly appear, and their reactions made Tonks smile.
"You are all grown ups- or are about to be grown ups- in the real world. It's time you started acting like one." Draco Malfoy leaned over and whispered something to Blaise Zabini, a fellow Slytherin, before they both turned their eyes back to Professor Tonks. Her eyes were glued on them and both the boys seemed to stiffen in their seats at being caught.
"Problem boys?" Tonks asked, cocking her head to the side slightly. Blaise remained impassive and stony as ever while Malfoy smirked.
"No Professor, of course not." Hermione rolled her eyes at Malfoy's tone- as though he expected anyone to think of him as innocent.
"Then perhaps you'd like to share with everyone," Tonks crossed her arms over her chest, tapping her wand against her upper arm and raising an eyebrow. Malfoy's pale cheeks tinted a light pink, but he remained quiet. "Well?" He shook his head, glowering slightly. Tonks smiled. "I thought so,"
She turned back to the rest of the Great Hall. "Now, as I was saying. It's time you all started acting like adults. Along with adult life comes adult responsibilities." She waved her wand again and a list flashed on the screen with bulletins for each paragraphs.
"These responsibilities include, and are not limited to, social stability, expenses, careers, and family life." Tonks turned her piercing eyes on them, as though she were looking each student in the eye. The whole Great Hall had gone silent with dread. She had their undivided attention.
"The Ministry has decided, following the lead of magical schools Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, to adjust the schedules of the sixth and seventh year students to accommodate to a new, required class." Everyone seemed to hold their breath at once.
Tonks smiled that cunning smile of hers, as though she were literally about to burst from excitement.
"That being said, I am here to introduce you to your new class Practicing For the Future." Just the name of it made many students cringe, and at first it didn't sink in.
Slowly, however, the faces of the sixth and seventh year students sitting in the Great Hall began to show signs of life.
Emotions such as anger, shock, and even excitement took place of the somber faces of all students, even the Slytherins. Girls burst into conversations and most of the boys looked petrified.
A hand shot into the air, and who would be the first to ask a question about a new class but Hermione Granger? Did anyone really expect anything different?
"Yes, Miss. Granger." Tonks called on her. To hear Tonks use her last name made Hermione hesitate a moment- she wasn't used to Tonks being so formal with her- before she quickly brushed on with her question.
"If we're in seventh year, does that mean we have to take two classes?" Tonks smiled at her question.
"No, you will not have to take two classes. Practicing For the Future is only required for one year." Silence filled the room, a small drop of hope leaked onto the students' faces. "That being said, all seventh years are required to take this course if you wish to graduate. Sixth years are free to leave now, and will be required to take the course next year."
Half of the students sitting down suddenly stood, heading for the door with sheer relief on their faces while their fellow seventh year class mates watched them go with clear envy and jealousy. Ginny remained planted in her seat.
"Ginny, go. Save yourself!" Ron said, looking at his little sister. Ginny rolled her eyes at his statement.
"I want to get it over with. Then seventh year I won't have to take it." Ron scowled at her before he put his chin in his hand and turned back to look at Tonks, who smiled at the remaining students before turning back to the screen behind her. She waved her wand and the bullets disappeared, replaced by the words Practicing For the Future.
Everyone seemed to forget that there was still food out from lunch. Everyone except Ron, Crabbe, and Goyle.
"Alright, welcome to your first Practicing For the Future class. I am your professor, Professor Tonks, and you will address me as such." Tonks turned to look at them, a broad smile on her face. Her hair turned from bubble gum pink to neon orange. No one smiled back at her.
"Now, I believe it's only fair that I go over the rules with you about what is going to be happening in these classes. I wouldn't call them classes really, but you'll see what I mean." She winked out at them. Malfoy rolled his eyes from his seat in between Blaise and Pansy Parkinson.
"This class is to determine how well you would do out in the real world once you leave Hogwarts. Failure to pass this class means that you can not graduate, so failure is not an option. I will be here every step of the way to guide you through this."
Hermione's heart was pounding in her chest with anticipation, and she felt Ginny grasp her hand under the table.
"Since this class is meant to assess your strengths and weaknesses out in the real world, we will be making this as realistic as possible. For one, all of you will have a partner. Whether you and your partner are married or in a relationship will be determined once you are with your partner."
A hand shot up in the air, and for once, it wasn't Hermione's.
"Yes Miss…?"
"Parkinson." All eyes turned to Pansy.
"Yes Miss. Parkinson?"
"Will we get to choose who our partners are going to be?" All eyes turned to Tonks.
"No, your partner will be determined for you."
"But doesn't that defeat the purpose of the whole 'realistic' thing?" All eyes turned to Pansy before quickly rounding back on Tonks, waiting for her response.
"The goal of the 'partner' situation is to assess how well you get along with others, and how well you can cope in different situations with different people."
This did not seem to satisfy Pansy, but she kept quiet and allowed Tonks to continue.
"Along with being with a partner, you two will be given a house to live in, which will also be determined once you are paired with your partner. Your house will come with expenses, and should you wish to buy something extra, like a television or computer, that will cost extra, as well as raise your electrical bill." Many confused faces flashed amongst the purebloods, Ron included, who had never heard of 'electricity' before.
"Other things will be presented to you as you and your partner move through 'life'. Unexpected injuries may occur, perhaps an engagement followed by a wedding, or maybe even another family member along the way. You or your partner may get a promotion in your job, or you may lose your job all together-"
"I have to get a job?"
Hermione couldn't help but scowl towards the Slytherin table at Malfoy's outburst. Of course, the slimy ferret probably hadn't worked a day in his pampered life.
Tonks smiled, not at all angry for being interrupted as she turned her attention, for the second time that afternoon, onto Malfoy.
"Perhaps, Mr. Malfoy. If it just so happens that you end up with a job. That will all be determined-"
"When we're with our partners, yeah, I know." Malfoy skulked, scowling towards his new professor with great distaste shining in his gray eyes.
"Glad I'm getting through to you," Tonks smiled before she turned her attention back to the room.
Another hand shot up, a Ravenclaw girl with long black hair. Tonks pointed to her.
"Yes?"
"When you say 'another family member'… you mean a baby?" Tonks smiled brightly at this question.
"Yes! Pregnancy is bound to happen every once in a while."
The girl swallowed nervously before she pressed on. "Does that mean that… if you do get picked to have a child… you have to go throw getting big and giving birth?"
All the girls froze with fear on their faces. Tonks smiled with what could only have been described as comfort on her face. This made the girls worry more.
"Yes, if you do end up being new parents, the girl will go through the process of getting pregnant and giving birth. But the baby will not be real of course. It will be a genetically enhanced replica of both the 'mother' and the 'father', and so it will have both characteristics of the parents. The normal time length of a pregnancy is nine months, but since this is only an eight month course, the length of pregnancy will be shortened to two months."
The girl who had asked the question paled.
"Any other questions?" No one raised their hands. Tonks smiled and clapped. "Brilliant, let's move on."
"Now, while you and your partner are off 'living life' there are also requirements that need to be achieved. Your relationship with your partner can not thrive on day-to-day encounters. Therefore, at the beginning of every month, you and your partner will partake in one activity together, and once a week for the rest of that month you two will participate in said activity. The activity can be up to you and your partner. Tomorrow, when you're paired and given your Practicing For the Future packet, you will see a list of activities offered to you."
Hermione raised her hand and Tonks pointed at her.
"Yes, Miss. Granger?"
"What about our classes that we're taking already? The school year has already started…"
"An excellent question, Miss. Granger. Tomorrow, after you and your partner have chosen the way your life will be planned out for the next few months, you will talk to your head of house and you will drop classes you do not have time for." Most students looked joyful, while Hermione simply looked horrified.
Drop her classes? She couldn't possibly… she would just have to find time.
"Now, that is all I want to talk about today. Tomorrow, we will meet back here in the Great Hall at nine o'clock sharp, and you will be partnered and given your packets. Your morning classes and teachers have been notified of your participation in this course."
No one moved, even after Dumbledore insisted they go and 'enjoy the sunshine outside'. No one could enjoy the sunshine.
Like a large crowd of zombies, all the students stood and numbly made their way towards the Great Hall doors, feeling dead inside.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Can you believe this? Drop my classes? They honestly can't expect me to drop my classes!" Hermione raved as she passed back and forth in front of the fire place. Ron sat on the floor, lazily making a crumpled piece of paper float in the air with his wand, and Harry sat in an armchair. Ginny was seated comfortably beside Dean on the couch.
"Come on Hermione, that's the best part about this whole bloody course." Ron spoke up, scowling at the piece of paper hovering in front of his face.
"Yeah, just think. We could all get paired up with Slytherins!" Ginny exclaimed, reaching forward and whacking the ball away into the fire.
"Hey!" Ron yelled, rounding on his sister, but before a fight could break out, Hermione slumped herself down onto the couch on Ginny's other side and leaned her head against the red-head's shoulder.
Ginny glared at Ron before wrapping her arms around Hermione's shoulders.
"We'll be alright." Harry tried to encourage her, smiling gently. "If anything, it's us that have to worry Hermione, not you. You pass every class no matter what it is."
Hermione smiled at his encouragement before she sighed, sitting up straight again.
"No, you're right. This will be a good thing."
The others nodded, but they all knew they didn't believe it.
(A/N: Well? What do you think? Good? Bad? Horrible? Let me know! I will have the next chapter up as soon as I can :) I promise!)