Chapter IV – The Homecoming.
'Here we are,' she thought to herself. The final trip that would take them back to Hogwarts. She closed her eyes and touched the interiors, the memory of her first train ride to the magical school played in her mind. She then opened her eyes and tried to take in all that she would remember.
'And now for the last,' she sighed.
She had been walking inside the red train feeling a bit rather nostalgic. She had feared that she would not be able to return for the very last time but here she was with the gold and shiny badge pinned to her cloak. She smiled to herself, her fingers thumbing the pin. It had always been a dream for her to become Head Girl, but last year, with the war going on and their frantic search for the horcruxes, all of these thoughts had been pushed aside to the farthest corners of her brain. No thought was spared for any other dreams except for the one when they would finally awaken victorious from the nightmares brought on by a Dark Lord.
She finally settled at an empty compartment and seated herself, propping one elbow on the window sill, she let herself be engulfed by her thoughts while she looked on outside.
'Hermione?'
'Yes, Harry?'
The two friends had been lying on the grass for quite a while now. Summer was about to end and they had been trying to cram as much as catching up as they could. After finally having a chance at having a normal summer they did what they had always wished they could do: just be teenagers and have fun.
'Are you ready? Will you be alright?'
'I'm not sure if I'm ready. But I know I will be alright though. Eventually.' She let out a small smile to reassure him. 'Will you?'
'Honestly? I don't know. Now that everything's over it's just..'
'..it feels weird, doesn't it?' She finished for him. 'No more always trying to look behind out backs to see if there's a deatheater at the corner; no more horcruxes to search and destroy; no more Dark Lords who we thought would never die.' She cracked a grin at the last part.
'Yeah.' Her friend returned the gesture. 'Everything's almost normal now, I guess.' He continued.
'Well, I for one, am relieved.' She looked up at the stars again.
'Me too.' And they stayed silent for quite a while. Just lying there and relaxed as they have never been.
'Hermione?' The silence was momentarily broken.
'Hmmmm?'
'Thanks.'
'Huh?'
'For being my family.'
She smiled and continued to look at the skies.
Last night with Harry, she felt hopeful. But at this moment, while the train was taking them nearer and nearer back to Hogwarts, she felt anxiety bubbling up at her. Reparations at the old school had taken at least 16 months for it to be close to something it used to be and though it was still incomplete, it was better than the rubble it had crumbled into. Classrooms had been restored, the first seen to of the hundred tasks that had needed to be accomplished, to ensure that the there would be enough room to welcome the doubled number of first years and the returning 7th year students who were now technically 8th years, delaying their graduation from the usual seven years that took to matriculate in the magical academy.
Before her stroll around the train, professor McGonagall had asked for her presence to be able to personally congratulate her for becoming this year's Head Girl and to discuss with her the roles and responsibilities she would be handling for the coming year. Her old Head of House, who now emerged as their new Head Mistress, had been relentless in her efforts to rebuild the old school, insisting that putting another school year on hold would be detrimental to the magical education of young witches and wizards who have come of age and the older students who had not been able to finish theirs due to the war. It was what Dumbledore would've wanted, she insisted. Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was his legacy and she would honor him, one of the greatest wizards of all time. She would not let the war cause more harm than it already had for it was over and normalcy had to return to them. She hoped for fresh starts, a chance to rebuild and reunite, just as what Albus would've wanted them to. He would've wanted them to move forward, become better, her mentor confided in her.
With her words, something in Hermione swelled in affection and pride for the professor. She thanked the woman for putting her trust in her and reassured the Head Mistress that she would do anything in her power to help the cause. She had been hopeful by then as well. But now, alone at the compartment, as the scenery whizzed by her, she felt the anxiety again. The war may have been over, but was it—had it truly ended? There were still a lot that needed to not only be repaired but healed: children who lost their parents to the cause of both the light and the dark, old rivalries from decades ago that could not be halted with the end of a dark age. Things were still fragile, so fragile that a single misstep or a simple trigger could completely break them all.
She shook her head to get out of her reverie. She had been overthinking again. 'Stop Hermione. Have a little faith!' She reassured and scolded herself at the same time.
Would the house rivalry finally be over once they had returned to school? Would they be any wiser, realizing that by continuing to foster the enmity (especially between Gryffindor and Slytherin), they would be forever stuck in the past?
Have you finally forgiven Hermione? The thought suddenly crept up on her out of nowhere. A flash of surprise graced her face and then her brows furrowed. Had she?
She hoped to say yes. She wanted to. Then with a firm resolve she nodded her head and silently offered both a plea and a prayer: She would.
The Head Mistress depended on her. She needed to show them—be the example. She was tired of the fighting, the hostility. The summer had been great and for the first time in quite a while she had felt what it was supposed to feel like to be young; without the fate of the world resting on your tiny shoulders. She took slow calming breaths to regain her composure. She felt the train gradually slowing down, a signal that they would be finally at their destination in a few minutes. She stood up, straightened herself, and readjusted the pin on her cloak. She needed to at the main doors of the train and out before anybody else to guide the first years to Hagrid for the boat ride to the castle. She smiled at this. One of Hogwart's many traditions.
She let out a puff of breath as she stood by the doors, as the train had finally reached the station, and she tugged at the doors, sliding it smoothly to step down from the train. Hagrid, the affable half-giant, seemed to stir from his stupor and his eyes beamed when she saw the girl.
"'Ermione!" And before she could move towards him, he had already taken two steps and engulfed her in his arms.
"Hello there, Hagrid!"
"Well, I'll be," he said, as he felt something poke at his chest and he released her from his embrace. Hermione only stared at him with a confused expression on her.
"Congratulations, m'girl!" he beamed. "Our 'Ermione! Head Girl! Always knew it would be ye! Knew ye had it in ya! Smartest witch of yer age an' all!" He winked at her and she slightly blushed from the praises of her old friend.
"Thanks Hagrid." She smiled sheepishly.
People had started to crowd the platform and Hermione remembered the first years that needed to be guided. As if Hagrid read her mind, his voice had boomed over the students' chatters.
"Firs' years! Firs' years o'er 'ere!" His right arm was in the air and was beckoning what looked like a few alarmed students.
He winked at her. "Never gets ol'"
She stifled laugh and nodded at her friend, and started to take off in search of her own carriage. She was too distracted to realize that she was alone when she was supposed to have somebody inside the carriage with her. After all, as was tradition, a certain Head Boy was supposed to be accompanying her. She had been too distracted to even ask if there was a Head Boy, and if there was, who?
Note: I know, i know, it has been way overdue.. But I come bearing peace offerings in the form of the three chapters. I wish I could fast forward to the good parts already and just shrug off the details but the story needs a sound backbone, so to speak. Currently working on the seventh chapter. Fingers crossed and hoping that inspiration will hit me once again. I hope you enjoy the next ones before the seventh chapter is up.
Again, Harry Potter? Not mine. Draco Malfoy? After I've previously checked, re-checked, triple-checked? Not mine either. Lyrics to the 30STM bands' song? Nope, no, not, never. Jared Leto? I could only dream. Tom Felton? Oh yes, definitely on with that Jared Leto dream too.
Thanks to Alex11215, In your dreams bby x3, Midnight776 for the reviews! I know it has totally been overdue as well but nonetheless, thank you for taking the time to let me know how you think! :) And to polofreak15, I do hope this chapter answers your question :)
Anyways, feel free to review m'dears!
Cheers!
S.S. x
