Chelsea Morning (Joni Mitchell, 1969) v=bDaknZlZwc0 (This is a nice live version from 1970, recorded at the BBC. Don't cut it off too quickly, or you'll miss her laugh at the end. Thank you, Saskatchewan!)

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As Molly Weasley had indicated, friends and relatives soon began to drop by to visit and comfort the family. And by osmosis, it seemed, the entire Wizarding community seemed to know the proper etiquette for these visits: arrive in mid-morning or mid-afternoon; bring flowers or something to eat (a cake, or cookies, or fruit); if invited, take tea with the family; do not accept an invitation to stay for a meal unless you are a relative or a very close friend; and if you are not one of those who should stay for a meal, be sure to depart in less than an hour.

One of the first family friends to visit the Weasleys was their neighbor, Luna. She shared her condolences with the family, and afterward, in the garden, she spoke privately with Harry, Ron, and Hermione. She told them how ashamed and sorry her father was for having summoned Death Eaters when they had visited him the previous year to ask for information. All three felt in their hearts that he had done them a great wrong, but they tried to understand the desperation he had felt, with his daughter held prisoner by Voldemort's allies. And amidst all the pain and hostility in the world, they felt that this was something they could let go, if only for Luna's sake, and they told her that they forgave her father, and that they would visit her and her father one day soon. Amidst tears of emotional relief, Luna hugged and thanked each of them, and departed for home.

Early that afternoon, Hermione was preparing to visit Lavender, when Professor McGonagall arrived at the house. Over tea with the family, she shared her memories of Fred, and told them of her great fondness and respect for him. He'd been a sweet boy, she said, and brilliant in her classes, this being one of the keys to his and George's business success. She didn't feel it necessary to mention that he had also been something of a rascal, but the conversation soon drifted in that direction anyway. Everyone had memories of Fred's practical jokes, and George even felt moved to recall a few of their more colorful exploits at Hogwarts, and to provide details of certain activities that had led to detentions, and others for which the young perpetrators had gone undetected. Professor McGonagall listened equably to these reminiscences, while privately resolving to make a few adjustments to the rules and practices at the school before the next term began.

Now that the conversation had turned to Hogwarts, the family had questions for the new Headmistress. Professor McGonagall indicated that repairs were proceeding throughout the castle and grounds, and that she was determined that the school would reopen in September, even while much of the castle remained a construction zone. Furthermore, she added, reopening the school on schedule would be an important step toward the restoration of normalcy in the Wizarding community. She indicated, in fact, that she expected to see an increase in enrollment. Many students had stayed away during the previous year, some out of fear, and others, such as those who were Muggle-born, or who couldn't prove their Wizarding ancestry, because they had been forbidden to return. In any case, very little in the way of education had taken place during that year, so a considerable amount of remedial work would be required for all, even those who had been at school.

"Since everyone has effectively missed a year," she explained, "we will have our usual new class of first-years, plus the seven cohorts above them, all of whom are now one year behind. And I expect this situation to persist for the next six or seven years, until we've caught up. But we are determined to make this work, and I have received a firm commitment from the Ministry that we will have whatever support we need." She then continued, rather tartly: "And if anyone in the Ministry forgets that the final battle against Voldemort took place at Hogwarts, and that our dear children bore the brunt of the fighting, I shall not hesitate to remind them."

The professor now turned to Molly Weasley, and asked if she could speak privately with Harry, Ron, Ginny, and Hermione. She then retired to the kitchen with them, and said, "It is up to each of you to decide what you will do this fall. All four of you have performed great service to the school, and to the Wizarding world. After the momentous events of the past year, it may seem like a step backwards to return to school, but the need for well-educated young adults will be critical in the coming years, and I hope that each of you will decide to return."

On hearing this, Ron and Harry looked at each other doubtfully, as the professor continued, "Now, Mr. Weasley and Mr. Potter, please consider this matter, and please inform me of your intentions by the end of July, so that we may plan accordingly."

They agreed to do so, and the Professor said that she would like to speak a bit further with Ginny and Hermione, but as the boys prepared to leave the room she mentioned one more point: "Gentlemen, I have conferred with the rest of the staff, and we are in agreement that eighth year students should not be eligible to play on the House Quidditch teams. It would be unfair to the younger students to have to compete against students of your age. However, we will encourage the eighth years to form clubs, and to compete among themselves. And in order to have sufficient numbers of players, you may also recruit sixth- and seventh-year students who are not playing on House teams."

Ron and Harry's initial reaction to this news was dismay at being excluded from the Gryffindor team, but before another minute had passed they were discussing plans for a club team.

As the boys left the room, Professor McGonagall turned to Ginny, and said, "Miss Weasley, you will, in effect, be a sixth year student this year, although you are of age to be a seventh. You showed great leadership during the past year, in the resistance to those criminals who were running the school, and I would like you to be Captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team this year."

"Thank you, Professor; I would be thrilled to do that."

"And in this leadership role, I ask two additional things of you: First, may I count on you to take responsibility for organizing the Gryffindor Ladies' poker nights, as our Quidditch players always have?"

"Oh, Professor, I didn't realize that you knew about those games!"

"Miss Weasley, I do know a bit about life in the dormitories, and in my youth I played Quidditch for Gryffindor myself, and helped to organize poker nights. Those games serve a valuable purpose, especially for the younger girls. Although I can't sanction them publicly, I am quite pleased that the tradition has continued."

"I'm glad to hear that you feel that way, Professor, and yes, I'd be honored to organize them this year."

"Thank you. And my second request to you," and here the professor paused for a moment, as a faint smile appeared on her face, "is that the 'Bad-Ass Witches' will fade quietly into obscurity."

Hermione and Ginny broke out in laughter to hear these words spoken by Professor McGonagall. After a moment, she continued, "That group, and others like it, were very helpful during the past year, but now we need to re-establish a proper academic environment. No disruptions, please," she concluded, knowing that her words would be recognized as those of the late Professor and Headmaster Snape.

"Yes, I mean No, Professor; no disruptions!"

"Thank you. I will be looking forward to seeing you this fall. And now, if I may, I would like to speak privately with Miss Granger for a moment."

Ginny left the room, and Professor McGonagall turned to Hermione. Before speaking, the professor looked at Hermione for a few moments, as though she were savoring certain memories from past years, and then she spoke: "My dear Hermione, you have been a treasure to have at our school. Before I ask what plans you may have, I shall state my situation. You have consistently taken extra classes, and you have excelled in every area, with the exception of Divination. That, however, is not a required course in our curriculum. Consequently, you completed the seven-year Hogwarts curriculum in the six years that you attended, and I have a diploma with me today."

Professor McGonagall reached into her bag and produced a rolled parchment, which she handed to Hermione. With a slight bow, the Professor continued: "Miss Hermione Jean Granger, in my capacity as Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, I salute you as a graduate, with highest distinction."

Hermione beamed, and said, "Thank you, Professor. I'm really quite moved. So I suppose you're saying that I shouldn't return to school this fall?"

"Quite the contrary, Miss Granger. I am offering you a position on the faculty!"

Hermione was shocked to hear this, and she incautiously blurted out, "Do you really mean it?"

"Do you really doubt me, Miss Granger?"

"No, Professor; I'm sorry, I spoke without thinking."

"Well," said the professor, smiling again, "as that is something you rarely do, I will let it pass this once."

"Thank you," said Hermione, and she continued, warmly: "I really am amazed, and honored; stunned, in fact. It's been a dream of mine to teach at Hogwarts some day. But I do have plans that will take longer than the rest of the summer. Things I feel I must do before I start a career, Professor."

"Suppose I were to extend the offer until the following September; would that help?"

"Yes, I'm sure I'll be ready by then. Thank you so much, Professor. I'm sorry if I seem off balance, but I'm still absorbing this."

"Miss Granger - Hermione - I will not be coy about this. You are the most talented young Witch we have seen at Hogwarts in many years, and although I'm pleased to hear your thanks for this invitation to serve, I must be equally clear that we would be honored to have you on the staff. We expect great things of you, and we will gladly wait another year for you to join us."

Hermione wiped away a tear as she said, "Thank you, Professor; you're very kind."

Professor McGonagall smiled, and said, "As you are no longer a student of mine, I feel free to speak more openly to you than in past years. Miss Granger, throughout your years at Hogwarts you have contributed immeasurably to the honor and dignity of our fine old institution, and we shall never forget your scholarship and your service to the school. Also," she added, with a hint of a smile, "I hesitate to imagine what sort of behavior we might have seen from Potter and Weasley during those years, if not for your steadying influence."

Hermione couldn't help but smile at this remark, which Professor McGonagall clearly had intended to be partially humorous, but she also reflected to herself on the many ways that Harry and Ron had helped her. Yes, of course, she knew that she had been the steadier one of the three, but would she have come quite so far out of her own shell, absent their more roguish influence through the years? It seemed unlikely.

After the professor departed, Hermione returned to the group, and gave them a brief report of her discussion, though she did not mention the offer of a teaching position; that was something she would have to consider on her own for a while. Everyone congratulated her on the news of her graduation.

It was now mid-afternoon, and Hermione said that she wanted to pay a quick visit to Lavender before supper. In a few minutes she was gone. She arrived at St. Mungo's, and headed to Lavender's room, where she found Parvati sitting beside the bed, as Lavender slept.

"Is everything alright?"

"Yes; her parents were here until a little while ago. Lavender started mumbling in her sleep, and she sounded fearful, and in pain. She was saying things like, 'No, please don't hit me!' I think she was dreaming about being punished last year at school. Her father couldn't handle it, and her mum rushed home with him."

"That's awful! Why don't the Healers just wake her up? Mrs. Brown told me they could."

"Oh, there's something about how people are better off if they're allowed to come out of these things on their own. And keep in mind that even after she does awaken, she'll still be recovering, and she'll need a lot of sleep, so I'm not so sure that it would be any better."

"Well, perhaps ..."

"So Hermione, how are the Weasleys getting along? Padma and I were thinking of visiting. We don't know their parents, but of course we know Ron and Ginny and George and Percy."

"You definitely should drop by. I know they'd all love to see you. It helps them to move on, and it helps them to know that Fred is remembered by others. Luna visited earlier today, and they were very glad to see her."

"Then we'll do it."

After a moment, Hermione said, "Parvi, there's something I want to ask you, but maybe not here in the room. Would you like to have tea sometime?"

"Yes, let's do that."

A few minutes later, Mrs. Brown returned. She was pleased to see Parvati and Hermione sitting with Lavender, and after greeting them she indicated that Mr. Brown was at home now, and was not as agitated as he'd been when Lavender was crying out in her sleep."

"Mrs. Brown, I mean Lucy, I'm so sorry about what you're going through."

"Thank you, Hermione; it isn't easy, of course, but I know it will be better when Lavender and her father can talk again. Anyway, that thought helps me to get by."

A while later, Parvati and Hermione took their leave, and as they walked toward the building entrance they decided that this was a good time to talk. Once out on the London streets, they located a cafe, seated themselves in a quiet corner, and ordered tea. After they'd been served, Parvati complained a bit to Hermione, in a good-natured way, about how difficult it was to understand Muggle money: "Why is everything denominated in powers of ten? Where did they get this strange fixation with the decimal system? It is so weird!"

Hermione smiled at this comment, recalling what it had been like for her to learn about galleons, sickles, and knuts, after having grown up with pounds and pence.

And now Parvati looked expectantly at Hermione, and asked, "So there was something you wanted to talk about?"

"Yes. One of these days, after Lavender has awakened, I'd like to bring Ron and Harry and Ginny in to see her, but I'm not sure how that would go. I mean, after that crazy year when she went after Ron, I don't know how any of them will react, including Lavender."

"Well, Ginny and Lavender will get along swimmingly, as they did all last year. But you and Ron are an item now, right? Just like Ginny and Harry?"

"Actually ... no. Ginny and Harry are totally together, but Ron and I have broken up."

Parvati flinched in surprise, and nearly knocked over her tea. "I'm sorry, but you need to back up a bit. Please tell me what's going on."

"Well, as you know, Ron and I suddenly found each other during the battle, after years of never quite getting around to it. Ginny and Harry had connected much earlier, during sixth year, but they'd kept it a secret, so Voldemort's people wouldn't use her to get at him. Once the battle was over," and now Hermione cleared her throat, a bit comically, "let's just say that the flame was re-ignited." And now, more seriously: "Actually, Parvati, they're a sweet couple, and I'm very happy for them."

"But Ron and I are a different story. After all the work that poor Lavender did that year, the two of us never did connect until the night of the battle. And for that single moment it was perfect, exactly as Lavender had foreseen, but what she hadn't seen was that it would last only a week. After the battle, we went back to the Weasleys' home, Harry and I and the family, and over the next several days, Ron and I just decided that we weren't right together. So it was years of anticipation, a few days of gaa-gaa, and then it was over."

"Was this a mutual decision, Hermione, or did one of you tell the other that it wasn't the thing for them?"

"Mutual. Weird, eh? We just both decided that it didn't feel quite right."

"No fight?"

"None at all." And with a bit of an embarrassed smile, Hermione added, "I guess it's not supposed to happen that way, is it? Does someone always have to be hurt?"

"No, not always," replied Parvati, now also smiling, "only around ninety-nine percent of the time. Oops, now I'm using the decimal system!"

As both of them laughed, Parvati picked up the teapot and divided the remaining contents between their two cups. Then she spoke again: "OK, I just want to be absolutely clear about this: No tears, no anger, you two just shook hands and decided that you weren't right for each other?"

"Well, to be strictly honest, I did cry afterwards, up in Ginny's room, when we talked about it, but it was just the emotion draining out of me. I mean, the battle, the Weasleys in mourning for Fred, and then this relationship going from zero to eleven, and then right back down to zero. As you must know, Parvi, that's the only romantic relationship I've ever had, unless you count a couple of kisses with Viktor Krum, and the whole thing began and ended in a week. So I'm still a bit disoriented."

"Did you say 'zero to eleven?'"

"It's a Muggle thing; kind of a joke about the decimal system. I'll explain it someday."

"I guess you'll have to. I've finally figured out how important ten is, and now you're throwing eleven at me. But look, Hermione, I have to ask you one more question: Are you quite sure that it's over? I mean, it's not going to fire up again some evening, when one of you is feeling lonely?"

Hermione shrugged, and answered, "I don't think so. It feels pretty final."

"So that's it? That's what you wanted to tell me?"

"No; that's just the first part. What I want you to know is that I took a long walk with Ron, earlier today, and I told him about our whole scheme during sixth year, how we manipulated him. I just had to come clean. And I didn't care at all about how angry he might get. I just felt that he had to know the truth."

"And how did he take it?"

"Well, first of all, and rather surprisingly for me, he said that he wasn't angry, because he had come to realize that he actually might not have come back to Harry and me, except for that fear that he'd lost me. So he seemed to confirm that our scheme had worked."

"But Hermione, the whole scheme was based on the fact that Lavender had seen the future ..."

"Yes, and I told him about that. I broke my promise to Lavender. I swore him to secrecy, and then I told him about her special ability. I'm going to apologize to Lavender for that, but I just had to confess what we'd done, and I couldn't see how to do it without telling him that part."

Parvati leaned back, and looked up toward a painting on the wall, depicting three people in a garden, none of them looking at either of the others, and said, "What a strange world we live in ..."

Hermione could almost see wheels turning in Parvati's mind, and rather than prompt her, she waited quietly to hear what she would say next. Finally, Hermione asked, "More tea?" Parvati nodded absently, and Hermione ordered another pot of tea, and a scone for them to share.

Finally, Parvati seemed to have thought through a problem, and she spoke: "So after what you've just admitted to, including telling Ron about Lavender's secret, I guess you won't be upset if I tell you a secret?"

"Well, if you think you should ...," said Hermione. The waiter came by with the tea and scone, and Hermione thanked him, and then poured the tea and cut the scone in half, while Parvati continued to muse.

"I'll keep it short," said Parvati. "Hermione, it may bother you to hear this, but I think we've come to the point where I can tell you something that I never intended to: It seems that Lavender really did like Ron, all along, and I don't just mean 'like'".

Now it was Hermione's turn to react. She abruptly lowered her teacup into the saucer, hitting it harder than she'd expected to. A few other patrons glanced over at the sharp noise, and in a hurried whisper, Hermione said, "But she was doing everything she could to drive him away! How could she have done that if she really did like him?"

"Remember, it was all about defeating Voldemort. And she had had visions of you and Ron together, though she didn't know that it would last for only a week. So she figured that it was never going to happen for her. At least that's the way she explained it to me. Anyway, she did what she thought was right, and I guess the idea was that if you knew how she really felt about Ron, the whole plot might fall apart somehow. I mean, not that you would mess it up, but maybe that she would. I can't really be sure what she was thinking, but when she told me how she really felt about Ron, she was very clear that I wasn't to tell you."

"Parvati, I need to get back to the Weasleys pretty soon. I'm shocked, really, because this changes everything about what Lavender did. It's just so much more tragic. But maybe there's a happy ending to all of this: After I told Ron about the whole plot, he told me that he'd always liked Lavender."

"Liked?"

"Yes, the same as what you said about her; romantically. He told me that before sixth year, he sometimes thought he liked me, and other times he thought he liked Lavender. That seems to be why he never found a way to tell either of us. Then Lavender made her move, when he was really angry at me, and everything was decided for him. But our scheme succeeded in convincing him that Lavender and he were incompatible, and eventually he found his way to me, just as we'd intended. And now, he and I know that we don't belong together, and he's just learned that the Lavender who was so unsuitable for him was just an act. I guess we don't know how she feels about him now, but I don't see any reason to prevent Ron from visiting."

"I agree; it would be nice for him to come by to see her, but I don't think we should tell either of them that we know how the other one feels, or at least how they used to feel."

"I'm with you on that, Parvati. This seems like the right time for us to stop trying to work things out for other people. As far as I'm concerned, they're just friends from school, and it's up to them to figure out how they feel about each other now, and manage things from here on, just as in any other relationship."

"Yes. But as I said earlier, what a nutty world we live in ... "

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The next morning, Hermione arrived at St. Mungo's with Ron, Harry, and Ginny. All of them wanted to see Lavender, and they hoped they might find her awake, but she was still sleeping. Lucy Brown was sitting in her usual place beside the bed, and Hermione made introductions all around.

"Now let me get this straight," said Mrs. Brown. "All of you are Gryffindors, and you were all in Lavender's year, except you, Ginny?"

"Yes, I'm in the year below."

After some discussion of who had been where during the past year, Mrs. Brown broached a difficult subject: "While Lavender is still asleep, and Mr. Brown is at home, I have a chance to tell you, Ron and Ginny, that there is something I'd like you to know, though it's rather a morbid point. I have heard that your mother fought with Bellatrix Lestrange during the battle, and uh, eliminated her. And I just want you to know that she was the person who killed Lavender's father's family, back before any of you were born. It's not the kind of thing that we thank people for, just something to tuck away and remember, but I want to acknowledge this point."

"Mrs. Brown," said Ginny, "I'm glad that you told us, but just so you'll know, if you ever meet our parents, please don't mention this to our mother, because she refuses to hear of it. She was in shock afterward, and she would rather forget that it ever happened." Now Ginny lowered her voice, and added, "That woman attacked me, and my Mum just reacted. And we lost our brother Fred that night too. So it's something she won't talk about."

"I can understand why your mother would feel that way, Ginny, and I will treat the matter as closed. But I will observe how often we find people's lives to be affected by chance and circumstance. Lavender's life was saved that night, it seems, by Professor Trelawney, who is almost the last person I would expect to be able to do such a thing. I suppose that in the heat of the moment, people sometimes do things they never could have imagined."

Hearing this, Ron and Harry both looked over to Hermione, who stared back at each of them with an expression that said, "Don't say a word!" And they didn't.

Hermione now changed the subject, and asked if there had been any change in Lavender's condition.

"Yes, dear. The poisons have all been counteracted and burned off, and she's been murmuring a bit more than before, and sometimes moving her head and hands a bit. They say it will be another day or so until she wakes."

"I'm glad to hear that. Her color looks better, and I can see that the swelling around her wounds has gone down."

"Yes, things do look better. Now, I believe I need to take a little walk, maybe head home for a bit to see Mr. Brown. I'll be back in an hour or so. I'm very glad to have met all of you."

The others wished her goodbye, and Mrs. Brown departed. Hermione now assumed Mrs. Brown's place in the chair beside Lavender's bed. She took Lavender's hand in hers, and spoke to her, as Ron, Harry, and Ginny settled into chairs around the room. Looking up at one point, Hermione noticed that Ron appeared to be deeply affected. He had his hand to his chin, and was looking intently at Lavender. Hermione spoke to him: "She'll be alright, Ron; you heard, she's going to be up and about in a day or two."

After a while, Hermione asked Ginny if she would like to take the seat beside the bed. Ginny came over, sat where Hermione had been sitting, and took Lavender's hand. Though she mostly retained her composure, Ginny's eyes were moist, and she dabbed them from time to time with her handkerchief as she spoke with the others, and occasionally addressed Lavender.

A few minutes later, Ginny asked Ron if he would like to take her place, and he walked over and awkwardly took Lavender's hand in his. As he sat, holding Lavender's hand, and looking at her, the conversation in the room continued for a while, but Ron seemed distant; he was focused exclusively on Lavender, watching her steady breathing.

After a while, the conversation died down. The four visitors were lost in their own thoughts, when Cormac McClaggen suddenly entered the room. Seeing the others, he abruptly stopped, and in a reproachful tone he asked, "What are all of you doing here?"

"We happen to be her friends!" Ron replied, indignantly.

At this point, possibly in response to the raised voices, Lavender began to mumble in her sleep. Her words were indistinct, and the others all turned to her and listened closely. She continued speaking, unintelligibly at first, and then more clearly: "Ron ... Ronny ... Ron!" And then she was quiet again.

Cormac looked at the each of the others in the room, and without another word he turned and stalked out. Ron, Hermione, Harry, and Ginny looked around at each other in puzzlement. They all had a sense of déjà vu, as though they had just reenacted a familiar scene from a movie, but none of them could quite place it. After a short while, the shadow of this half-memory passed away.

Now Ron, still holding Lavender's hand, noticed that Hermione, Ginny, and Harry were all smiling and looking at him. He looked down sheepishly, and though nobody had spoken a word, he said, "Shut up, all of you," but like the others, he was now smiling.

After a while, Ginny asked Harry if he would like to take Ron's place beside the bed, and he did so. Harry was still sitting there, holding Lavender's hand, when Mrs. Brown returned.

0-0-0

Lavender awakened the next morning, with her mother sitting beside her. They talked of the battle, of the destruction of "You Know Who," as Mrs. Brown put it, and of the joy and relief that was now felt throughout the Wizarding community, though tempered by sorrow for those who had been lost or injured. Lavender's mother also told her of those who had been visiting during her long sleep. "It's been nearly three weeks, my dear, and it's been hard on your father, but I'll bring him by to see you soon, after you've had a chance to freshen up."

Lavender looked around the room, which was filled with vases of flowers, and baskets of fruit, and lighted by the morning sun streaming in through the yellow curtains. With a smile, she said, "I feel fine, Mum. I'm going to get up, and walk all the way over to the other side of the room!" Her legs were unsteady, but she made it to the far side of the room, and all the way back, with minimal assistance from her mother. She returned to the bed, and sat now, bolstered by pillows.

"May I eat?" she asked the Healer who had come in to check on her.

"Yes, absolutely. What would you like?"

"Something very simple. How about toast and honey, and a glass of milk? And one those oranges!" And it was done.