Chapter 24

"'Ermione!"

Hermione Granger halted her steps as she heard the familiar, rough voice and turned her head to see Hogwarts' old Keeper of Keys and Grounds wave his bin-sized hand at her from the edge of the Forbidden Forest, Fang II by his side and a bow and arrow over his shoulder. Hagrid had wanted a dog as similar as possible to the first when he passed away a few years prior. Despite the several feet between herself and the half-giant, Hermione still noticed the smile that was mostly hidden by the Gamekeeper's hairy beard and moustache. As he came closer, she noticed the way his dark, beady eyes twinkled with joy at getting to see her, however briefly, again, and she couldn't help her own smile. "Good morning, Hagrid," she greeted. "I see you've already been to the Forest very early"

"Ah! Ye're quite early yerself!" Hagrid exclaimed as he at last came within reach and, without warning, pulled the witch in a tight, awkward embrace. She could swear she heard how her bones cracked, and she tried not to struggle to break free. "I haven't seen ye in some time!" he continued. "Always busy at the Ministry, they say when I see someone. Ye're not workin' today for once then?" he wondered.

"Ah..." Hermione shook her head sideways. "No, I'm not working," she confirmed. "In fact, I do not work at the Ministry anymore. I felt the time for a change was right and quit just yesterday."

"Oh," Hagrid responded, a bit dumbfounded. "So then what ye doin' at Hogwarts? Came ta visit me as soon as ye had a chance?" His little eyes twinkled upon the idea. He hadn't seen her or Harry or Ron in so long.

Hermione bit her lip. "Uhm... No, in fact I was on my way to the Headmaster's office. Yesterday, he said I should come by before noon to run over some last things together, so that I can teach at Hogwarts from September on." She chuckled a bit as she noticed Hagrid's confused expression. "Professor Hodgins is retiring, and so the Transfiguration position immediately became available. I guess from next month, you'll be seeing me a lot more often."

"Tha's great!" Hagrid exclaimed, and his smile grew wider. "I'm so glad ta hear it! So we'll be colleagues from now on, too, then ── jus' like Neville Longbottom! Ye know, I always knew that ye had that in ye, if ye wanted to teach. Ye'll be great for them little witches and wizards!"

A small smile was all that she could give, as the Gamekeeper obviously reveled in the news. She was glad that Hagrid didn't ask her why she hadn't dropped by before. She felt guilty right then as she realized just how little of him she had seen of late. Declined invitations. Many of them as well.

It was true that, up until her resignation, she had very often been too busy with Ministry-related business or with the children to follow up on most invitations of her friends. Then when she had been at Hogwarts the days before, Hermione had been too preoccupied to stop by.

Hermione smiled and stood on her tip-toes to give Hagrid a peck on the cheek. Luckily, he realized her intent in time and bent over ── otherwise, she wouldn't have managed that high. She felt her confidence grow; it was so nice to hear someone other than Minerva say she would be good at teaching as well. "I'm sorry I don't have more time," she apologized when she pulled away, "but I am sure that the Headmaster has a bunch of other commitments besides running through the last few details of the post with me, too."

"Of course," Hagrid stated. "I should go to Knockturn Alley anyway. There's a new colony of Flesh-Eating Slugs in the school cabbage. I have ta get rid of them soon. They eat it all, plus they'll be gett'n' young ones."

"Alright," Hermione stated. "I'll see you later again?"

As Hagrid nodded at that, she smiled at him one last time and continued her path up to the large castle. She let her feet carry her to her destination as she remembered the few times that she had visited the Headmaster's Tower, typically with Harry or because of him. She mused if most of Hogwarts' students even knew the location of the Headmaster's office. She knew that not all pupils entering Hogwarts had cared to read Hogwarts, A History.

As she reached the gargoyle that guarded the Headmaster's office, she realized she didn't know the password.

The ugly stone gargoyle looked at her questioningly. Before she, however, had a chance to say she didn't know the password and tell the guard why she was there, he asked, "Hermione Granger?"

"Ah. Yes?"

"The Headmaster informed me that a lady with that name would come by today for a meeting with him," the old stone gargoyle spoke, moving aside to let her pass already.

Gratefully, Hermione took a small step forward onto the moving spiraling staircase. She let herself be carried up the stairs slowly, and a minute later, she stood by the dark oaken door to the Headmaster's circular office. She raised a hand to knock on the door and then nearly gasped in surprise when it flew open on its own already.

"Miss Granger," Filius Flitwick greeted from his chair at the stately desk, and Hermione quietly assumed he must be sitting on a bunch of pillows to reach this specific height or be utilizing a series of charms. "I'm sorry for the inconvenience with the password. I only realized you could not possibly know the password when I got down to my office, this morning." He indicated the tall chair that stood on her side of the large desk. "Please, sit down," he offered.

As she sat down, she felt like a Hogwarts pupil again.