Chapter One
Hermione woke with a start, sitting straight up in her bed breathing heavily. As her eyes flew open she rapidly took in the familiar red curtains hanging around her bed and the soft snores of the other girls.
You're at Hogwarts, you're home, you're safe, she thought to herself, breathing slowing down. She fell back onto the bed with a sigh, exasperated with herself.
Not all was well following the battle. Yes, Voldemort was dead, but they had lost so much in the process. Hermione was dealing well with the occasional nightmares and anxiety, but at times she still woke up sweating with the screams of her friends fading from her ears. This appeared to be one of those mornings.
She grabbed her wand from the headboard and cast a quick Tempus charm. It showed an early six o'clock, which was too late to go back to sleep but far too early to head down to the great hall for breakfast. She decided to go ahead and shower and get ready for the day before the other girls woke up.
Hermione snatched her clothes and toiletries from the dresser and padded softly down the stone stairs to enter the bathroom. As she stripped down and waited for the shower to warm she wondered how this particular school year might go.
Godric only knows how Dumbledore had survived the fall from the tower sixth year, but Hermione would bet her magic that Snape had something to do with it. Just another act to add to the list of evidence that the late Potions Master hadn't had a heart of stone after all. Dumbledore had lain in a magically-induced coma at St. Mungo's for a year, conveniently awakening three days after Voldemort's defeat. Unsurprisingly he named himself 'retired' and now lived in a merry little cottage on the outskirts of Hogsmeade. McGonagall made a perfectly fine headmistress, and that was that, he said.
Her friends had turned out okay too, she reflected as she stepped into the hot stream of water and sighed. The three really had fared well all things considered. Ever the Boy Who Lived, Harry had opted out of coming back to Hogwarts and went straight into Auror training, despite the fact that he had no NEWTs of which to speak. Bastard, she thought. Ron had joined her at Hogwarts to complete his studies but worked part-time helping George out at Weasley Wizard Wheezes.
And her? Well, she was Hermione after all and looked forward to the rigorous coursework this year would bring. McGonagall had offered her Head Girl, but after the past year, she had changed mightily. She no longer had her heart set on what she now considered a little girl's dream. She didn't need the extra duties anyhow.
Hermione turned off the water and reluctantly dried and dressed. Heading back up the stairs she heard the footsteps and rustling around that characterized an early first day back.
"Good MORNING HERMIONE!" Parvati yelled at her, turning away from her mirror. "Got an early start, yeah?"
Hermione laughed. "I did, Parvati! What on earth has you so excited this morning? I thought you didn't make a sound until after at least ten o clock," she replied.
"It just so happens that I'm actually excited to start this year at Hogwarts. You know McGonagall won't be strict on us, we saved the wizarding world! We can do whatever we want." Parvati turned back to her mirror and continued braiding her hair. "Especially since the 'eighth years,' as they're calling us, have free rein to visit Hogsmeade anytime we please."
"Within reason!" Hermione added. Parvati responded with a sly grin in the mirror.
After they finished getting ready Hermione and Parvati headed down to the common room. Hermione saw Neville posted up against the fireplace talking with Ron, who looked up and saw them.
"Hey! Hermione! Did you see Harry's last letter? Seems like training is taking a lot out of him." Ron said as he walked over, leaving Neville. Neville frowned at him.
"I did, yeah. Six trips to St. Mungo's in two weeks? He's pushing it." Hermione replied. Talking to Ron always threw her a little. They had kissed during the battle. She thought that might lead to something at the time, but they both decided later they were better off as friends. She didn't think she'd be happy with Ron but wasn't quite sure why. He'd acted immaturely in a lot of ways during the past year, and she wasn't too happy with him. There was still some lingering awkwardness for her despite the time that had passed. "We're headed down to eat." Hermione looked pointedly behind Ron and smiled at Neville. "Care to join me us?"
Neville stepped forward, grinning. "Lead the way ladies," he said, waving his arm dramatically in front of him. The girls giggled and the portrait swung open to let them out.
...
Hermione looked over her class schedule happily when Parvati snatched it out of her hands.
"Gods above! Can this be real? The Hermione Granger herself doesn't have a full class load this year!" Parvati climbed up onto the bench and took a deep breath, ready to announce this news to the entire Hall. Hermione blinked at her before grabbing her arms and yanking Parvati back down.
"Are you trying to call any more attention to me than there already is? Yes, I thought I deserved a break this year. I'm taking Charms, Potions, Ancient Runes and Transfigurations. But I'm assisting Poppy on the side for some healer training. So I won't be bored. Are you satisfied?" Hermione hissed, glaring at her.
Parvati blinked owlishly at her before bursting into laughter, which she found herself giggling along to. Parvati moved over to the Ravenclaw table to talk to Padma and Hermione scanned the hall to see who all had returned.
She knew almost everyone in Gryffindor that had returned. She saw Ginny berating Neville about something at the end of the table. Luna was here, of course. Few Slytherins had returned. A number of them had either been sentenced to Azkaban or had a parent locked up. But she saw Theodore Nott and –
Her breath caught in her throat as she locked eyes with Malfoy taking a sip of his drink. His eyes bore into hers above the cup as he raised one eyebrow inquiringly. Hermione averted her gaze and turned back to the table. How he could fit such a condescending look into a singular eyebrow, she didn't know. She had heard rumors that Malfoy would be returning this year but still found herself surprised. His dad had been shipped off to Azkaban almost as soon as Voldemort hit the ground. No amount of throwing the Malfoy fortune around could justify the acts he'd committed. But Narcissa and Malfoy – Draco, she corrected herself – had gotten off easy. Narcissa never seemed fully committed to the cause and Draco had only been sixteen when it all started. They were closely monitored, but that was all. The hero of the wizarding world testifying on their behalf probably had something to do with it.
Parvati was back. "D'ya know the new Defence professor is the oldest Weasley brother, Hermione?"
Hermione choked on her toast. Parvati began enthusiastically pounding her back until Hermione waved to her that she was alive and breathing normally. "No? I most certainly did not know that. Ron failed to mention that Bill would be here." She scanned the professors at the front of the hall eating their breakfast and failed to see him. "What about Fleur?"
Parvati leaned in, eager to gossip about the young professor. "Padma says that she left him after the war ended because they just weren't working out. What sane woman wouldn't want a man like that who has animalistic tendencies, especially in bed?" She grinned and ducked away, narrowly missed Hermione's hand raised to thump her in the forehead.
Despite her mild disapproval, Hermione had to agree. She laughed and replied, "Fleur did always have a flair for the dramatic, after all. Bill should know plenty about defence, having been a curse breaker for some-odd years. As to the bedroom… I'll let you handle that line of thinking."
…
The first part of the day was unremarkable but pleasant. In Charms and Transfigurations, they'd reviewed material from sixth year curriculum, so the only class in which she'd gone over something new was Ancient Runes. She decided that would likely become her favorite class. There was something about the fundamental language of magic that enthralled her.
Hermione now made her way to the hospital wing to see if Madam Pomfrey wanted her to do anything before her first lesson on Friday. She pushed open the great doors to the wing and looked around for the healer.
"Ms. Granger, is that you?" a voice said from behind a partition near the end of the hall. Madam Pomfrey stuck her head out and smiled when she saw Hermione.
"Yes, Madam Pomfrey! I thought I'd stop by and see if I needed to do any preparation for my lesson this Friday," Hermione replied.
The matron hustled over to her, "Certainly, dear, let me go show you around so you get acquainted with the area. Follow me." She led Hermione through a door over to the side through which Hermione had always assumed to be Madam Pomfrey's personal office. They walked into a short hallway and entered a door to the left.
Hermione gasped at the collection the room held. There were rows upon rows of shelves - not unlike a library - which held more potions and powders than she had ever been witness to. There was a counter to her left that held a sink and many tools that Hermione thought were for preparing various medicines and brewing potions. It was clear the room was separated into ingredients and already prepared potions. Everything was meticulously labeled and organized alphabetically, true to the matron's finicky personality.
"Well," Madam Pomfrey sighed, her stout body shifting with the motion, "here is the medicine closet. Across the hall are my personal quarters, which you shouldn't have a need to go into, but if you require me and cannot find me I'm likely in there. In here are all the potions and ingredients that go into them. Professor Slughorn does most of the very difficult potions, but we do everything routine in-house, so to speak. I want you to familiarize yourself with the shelving so that you aren't running about on Friday, but then you can leave. Just shut the door behind you." And with that she turned about and left, leaving Hermione before she could say a word.
"Thank you Madam Pomfrey. No, I don't have any questions," she mumbled to the empty room. Though intimidated by the sheer size of the collection, Hermione's curiosity won out and she soon began perusing the shelves, trying her best to commit the general location of everything to memory. There seemed to be far more than needed for day to day illnesses, and Hermione wondered if Madam Pomfrey's collection might rival that of the Potions Master himself. From bat's wing to salamander blood to the deadly nightshade, which Hermione couldn't think of a beneficial use for no matter how she wracked her brain. Perhaps she just wanted to be prepared for any need, she concluded.
After familiarizing herself with the ingredients and looking at the work station Hermione slipped out of the room and decided to work on homework in the library. She spotted Luna sitting at a table alone, reading a Quibbler magazine upside down. Today the dotty girl sported blue lipstick and a necklace made entirely out of what appeared to be a variety of fresh fruit. Hiding a smirk, she sat down in front of Luna and got out a scroll and a textbook from her bag.
"Your necklace looks quite yummy," Hermione commented.
Luna didn't even glance at her as she replied airily, "It helps me concentrate. Did you know fresh ingredients have more magical properties? And I like the smell. I like to smell fruity."
"I didn't, but I will remember that in the future. How have you been?'
"I'm alright I think. Hard to tell at times. I'm quite enamored with the new Defence Professor, have you had him yet?"
Hermione shook her head. "No, I'm not in Defence this year, I've cut back on my classes a bit. But you've met Bill before, so why are you so enamored now?"
"I have, but I didn't realize he'd be such a good teacher. He's quite fit, too."
She had to chuckle at Luna's characteristic way of bypassing all niceties and getting straight to the point. "Yes, I suppose he is that, too." She then turned to her schoolwork and left Luna to her reading. She wrote quietly for a few minutes without interruption, when Luna disturbed her train of thought over a particularly challenging Runes problem.
"It's good that he's here also. With his background, he can likely help Hogwarts." Luna stated, as though Hermione had the slightest idea what she meant.
"Er… care to elaborate?"
"The castle. It's feeling down." Luna explained.
"Um, right. Yes." Hermione replied, unsure how to respond. She usually got on with Luna quite well, but it would appear there will still some aspects of the strange girl that escaped her. After that puzzling statement, they continued on reading and working silently well into the late afternoon.
…
After a dinner at which Ginny had begged her to go to Hogsmeade this weekend, Hermione headed up to the common room. Ginny wanted to go buy a new outfit for a date she was going on next weekend, though she wouldn't say who with. Hermione agreed, deciding that she would need some time out with friends after the first week of school and getting settled into her routine.
As she was climbing the grand staircase the stairs began moving underneath her and she reached out and grabbed the banister to steady herself as she was transported around. Mid-turn, the staircase stopped.
Hermione furrowed her brow and looked at the stairs in front of her and behind, wondering if someone had used magic or force to stop it. There was no one. She slowly stood up straight.
She stepped up a few steps, and then down a few steps.
She whipped out her wand and gently tapped it on the banister.
"Er, could you keep moving please?" Hermione pleaded out loud. The staircase ignored her, stubbornly remaining between two landings. After thinking for a few moments, she decided the best way to get to the floor she wanted would be magic, instead of relying on her not-so-astute physical abilities. She flicked her wand, saying "Levioso momento" and floated gently over to the landing she desired. She turned and examined the flight of stairs for anything hidden that might tell her why it had stopped but could find nothing.
After a moment or two, she turned and went to the Gryffindor tower, thinking furiously all the way what had happened to the staircase. Perhaps it had evolved to play more games in the lives of students trying to reach their destinations, or maybe the castle was upset with her for some reason. Now I'm turning into Luna, she thought to herself.
She, Parvati, and Ginny talked about their classes, and Hermione shared the mammoth collection Madam Pomfrey had. Ginny rolled her eyes and mimed throwing up when Parvati started gushing about Professor Weasley and. As the night wore on they went their separate ways.
Hermione got ready for bed and pulled her covers up to her chest. She thought this year would be interesting indeed. She closed her eyes and hoped last night's nightmares wouldn't visit again.