Chapter Seven – The Shining Path of Soggy

This chapter is very important, although it might seem a little different to the other chapters, I hope you enjoy it. This e-novel should be shorter than the last one, giving me a bigger chance of creating more short stories for Harry Potter and other genres, and also more time to concentrate on my career, but I am aiming for around 40-50 chapters, for those of you who asked. Thank you all so much for your reviews – and naturally, it all belongs to the Baroness of Magic, JK Rowling herself. Enjoy…

Hogwarts returned to them in their dreams, images of the majestic castle in misty days, Hogsmede Village with its snow and carol singing elves, and the people milling around them. They longed to return, they had known they would want to go back, but they had not even imagined it would come so soon. And although they loved their jobs at the ministry, Draco knew that Hermione often tired of the office bitching and the environment they worked in. People gawked at her, something she had hated since a young age. She liked blending in, choosing when to shine out.

Draco missed Hogwarts because it was his home, pure and simple. People always return to where they truly feel happy – and he was wistfully staring into the future, desiring everything to form a path up to his former school.

Days turned into weeks and they too flew by so quickly now they were working, and everyday had a new adventure. Hermione had never come into contact with so many magical creatures in her life; there had been a rush since the office opened. She had always had a feeling that these creatures felt devalued and she had been proved correct, she had just finished comforting a howling elf who they had freed from her abusive owners, so she called Draco down who seemed to have a way with them, plus he had more tissues, and she had ran out.

There was a soft knock at her office door, and a bemused Draco entered the room, and winked at Hermione before bending down to the elf's level.

'Hello,' he murmured gently.

The little creature smiled at him softly, before Hermione introduced her as Soggy.

'I know how elves like to work, and how much you enjoy it.'

He waited until she nodded, and continued.

'I know a beautiful place which treats its elves very well, with holidays and pay. And with lots of other elves who all love working there.'

There was no more wincing or howling or screaming at the mere mention of holidays and pay, it had become a right of sorts amongst elves. And the Ministry was now picking up those whose owners disliked the idea of actually having to give rather than constant take with a creature clearly so 'insignificant'.

Soggy looked up hopefully, thoughts and questions rushed through her head. Could such a place really exist? She had heard of institutions that treat their elves very well, but she thought it was merely exaggeration.

'I am assuming you know of Hogwarts?'

Ten minutes later, they were on their way, in the Knight Bus, Hermione glaring at Draco as he attempted to get her a blanket in a mild October, but as they got further north, Soggy and Draco swapped seats so she could sit next to the window, eager to take in sights she had never imagined. Who knew that the world was so big? Her world had been her masters' house; her life had been serving him. But for no longer, she was a free elf, and damn proud of it.

Draco held Hermione's hand, caressing it and comforting her quietly as she began to look more and more sick. He cuddled her close, arms around her pregnant stomach, feeling their son kick and turn in pure hatred of this damned bus.

'We should go home after this, it'll be close enough to five anyway, and Harry won't mind.'

She nodded in agreement, torn in half of wanting to visit Hogwarts, see her mother and feel at home and happy and off this bloody bus. And wanting to be curled up in bed, with Draco next to her and off this bloody bus.

The bus shuddered to a halt, and Draco gently woke her from her peaceful slumber, she wiped her eyes with her small fists and smiled when she saw Hogsmede Village, then followed Soggy quickly out of the bus, keen to be back at Hogwarts.

Draco laughed at her eagerness to be back, and held her close as they looked up at the castle. They only breathed again when they heard a light tapping noise, of hooves on ground. They turned and saw a beast, a beast of Hogwarts that were usually so invisible. But now, so horribly, there. And inside the carriage that followed it, sat Professor McGonogall, headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

She smiled at them and invited both of them and Soggy to join her, saving a very obviously pregnant Hermione the long slog up to the castle.

'You look amazing,' she gushed at Hermione.

'Thank you, professor, how is Hogwarts?'

'Please, call me Minerva. And Hogwarts is Hogwarts, we have a few teachers retiring next year, so we're on the lookout,' she hinted strongly.

'Yes Professor, perhaps we could have a discussion about Hogwarts after we advertise a very capable little elf, called Soggy,' she grinned, Soggy looking up eagerly at the sound of her name.

'I am glad I told you about the placements we have for elves. We've been running low on help for years, and we'll always need good workers.'

The headmistress smiled at the timid, excitable elf. She was practically bouncing around Britain, eyes filled with hope.

'Well, I think we can give you a job here, and I think that a galleon a month is good as a starting pay with two days off?'

It was best to build up to good wages and holidays, because whilst elves knew they had rights, they were always scared to have a massive chunk in one go, and it was always a beautiful sight to see a person get so happy about something so small, so significant for them. Rapid nodding met the proposal.

And with a loud crack of green light, Soggy disappeared into the bowls of the castle, just as they reached the foot of the castle, and entered the warm and comfortable building through a large, cast iron door. Hermione felt a familiar thrill when she entered the bastion, eager to go back to the common room or visit the library. Draco couldn't help but grin, his cheeks lifting his jaw into a smile, as he smelt that Hogwart's smell and felt the buzzing atmosphere.

When they reached the stone gargoyle, Professor McGonogall muttered a password awfully similar to 'Albus.' And asked them to take a seat in her office, after everyone was seated comfortably, served pumpkin juice and a sherbet lemon, she began.

'I heard you are both doing extremely well in your jobs at the ministry. I am glad to hear that you shine even out of our hallowed halls. As I told you on the thestral journey, three teachers are retiring at the end of this year – Professor Binns has finally decided to leave, and Horace has decided to take up a laboratory position in the castle, rather than as a teacher. The last blown up cauldron tipped him over the edge, he prefers solitary luxury and was only meant as a years contract anyway. I am also getting very tired out doing the two jobs; I fear that headmistress is very time consuming. So I have a dilemma, I have three teaching placements opening up. I need qualified, good teachers with unrivalled intellect. And I can only think of two people at the moment.'

Draco and Hermione smiled, gazing at each other, both knowing that this was the right thing to do.

'We would love to teach here, starting in September. I have missed this so much, Hogwarts is my home,' Hermione spilled out.

'What jobs would you propose? I presume I would be replacing Professor Slughorn?'

McGonogall took her spectacles from her face and laid them on the desk in front of her, glad that they were willing to take on the jobs.

'Naturally, potions would be the most obvious choice for you, but that job isn't just Potions. You would be Head of Slytherin as well, and I hope that might attract some new pupils, because it seems that the sorting hat is being asked to avoid that house because of the war, and the reputation Slytherin had. For you, Hermione, I would give you the choice, as I know your passion for both subjects, and I would point out that either position would merit you being granted Head of Gryffindor, but tradition would rather you took the position of Transfiguration.'

She had laid out her plans successfully so far. She just wondered if they would agree with her idea of the appointment to History of Magic.

'The appointment I made for History of Magic was based on knowledge and grades, because she is very knowledgeable in the subject. Ms. Luna Lovegood has accepted the job.'

Draco knew she was good at that subject, but wouldn't she go on tangents about weird creatures that didn't actually exist. Whilst Hermione couldn't have thought of anyone more qualified. Over the time she had spent working and socializing with Luna since Hogwarts, the more she realized that a lot the tangent was a front purely to watch people's reactions. Few understood this, but those who did always found it amusing and intriguing as they began to watch too.

So as they made their way up to Hermione's mothers' room, they realized they would have to resign to Harry the following morning, and their stomach's bubbled at the realization that they would be returning here, returning home.