"How much time do you have?" Neville Longbottom was sitting in his favorite chair near a window in number twelve Grimmauld Place. It was plump and purple and had little flowers dotted over it. He sipped at his cup of tea as he looked at Hermione.
"Not long enough," Hermione groaned. "The stars have to be in the right position to open the portal. It's going to be past Christmas by the time we leave."
"Ball Season isn't that bad." Neville sat his cup down. "Gran used to drag me to the Opening Ceremony every year."
"Is she dragging you this year?"
"This year I have a date, and I'm a dignitary. No one has to drag me."
"Anyone I know?"
"Yup, but I'm not telling you."
"Why not?"
"Because if anyone knows and lets it slip, it might create a media frenzy and I'd rather have people find out in front of witnesses so everyone is on their best behavior."
"Neville, what have you done?" Hermione demanded.
"The heart wants what it wants," Neville said, sighing.
She rolled her eyes at him.
"So, the dancing lessons aren't going that well for you?" he asked.
Hermione huffed, frustrated. "I have so much to do, it seems like a waste of time."
"You realize this is more than a series of dances, don't you?" Neville asked her as if she were dim. "Wizards don't have the United Nations. This is as close as it gets. It's a series of informal meetings between internationally important people in the spirit of magical cooperation."
Hermione pouted. "They already warned me about the Minister of Magic from Liberia."
"He got married last year." Neville snickered. "He keeps his hands to himself now. She's a terror."
"Oh, good." Hermione said, not realizing how relieved she was.
"If you had to hex him we'd stop you before it turned into an international incident." Neville assured her. "There are protocols."
"Thanks," Hermione said, feeling better.
"You'd better prepare for the insults, though," he said. "Snape's a catch in some circles. Old family. Older money—"
"And then he runs off with one of his students, a girl with no money and no breeding." Hermione finished for him.
"During a war," Neville said, trying to diffuse what he said. "Unexpected and unconventional things happen during a war."
"Is that what your Gran said?" Hermione asked with a grin.
Neville nodded.
"She knows who you're taking, doesn't she?" Hermione's grin grew bigger.
"Yes!" Neville turned red.
"Is she happy about it?" Hermione asked, probing for details.
"Yes." Now Neville's cheeks were flaming.
"Are you going on about Alex again?" Ron snorted as he walked into the room and took a look at Neville's face. He ignored the other boy's horrified expression as he walked over and helped himself to a handful of biscuits.
"Alex?" Hermione asked, a puzzled look on her face. "Wait, Alexandra?!" Neville turned purple, and she shrieked. "You're going with Dumbledore's daughter?!"
"She was on the market for what, three seconds?" Ron teased, as if this were common, but he still got a kick out of it. "They met at that fancy banquet for war heroes. You know, the one with the pudding—"
"I remember," Hermione squeaked out, giggling at Neville who had grabbed a throw pillow and was trying to hide behind it. "Does he know?"
"I don't know," came Neville's muffled reply. "He might kill me."
"Doubt it." Ron said as he stuffed a chocolate biscuit in his mouth. "She's decades older than you."
"He's got a point," Hermione said, trying to compose herself.
"That's what Gran said," Neville said, sounding miserable.
"You'll be fine, Neville." Ron picked up a teacup and filled it before gulping it down and taking a deep breath. "Lots of Amazons are going to the Ministry Event. They're asking the Ministry for suitable escorts. It's turning into a problem. The place they always hold it is too small."
"It can't be harder than choosing a location and preparing for the World Cup." Hermione sat up in her chair.
"They prepare for that years ahead of time."
"There's more people to help." Neville reasoned.
"The war's barely over. Can't trust anyone." Ron shook his head.
"What are they going to do?" Hermione asked.
"Haven't decided yet." Ron admitted.
"Why aren't the Amazons going with the Brotherhood?" Neville asked.
"Both sides are still fighting over Mikhail and Asta. Imagine what would happen if more of them ran off to get married?" Ron snorted.
"They wouldn't be so xenophobic and some of their troubles might go away?" Hermione offered sarcastically. "Not to mention they're not prisoners or slaves!"
"But they are citizens of a place that's closed its borders." Ron pointed out. "It's not like they're the first place that's done it. There's precedent for staying out of it."
"But what if people want to leave?" Hermione asked.
"Where would they go?" Ron asked. "Who would take them? No one knows anything about them other than rumor."
"Could they build another tower?" Neville asked.
"In the same way we could whip up another Hogwarts." Ron shook his head. "In theory, sure."
"Four people made Hogwarts," Neville pointed out.
"But that was ages ago! Long before there were laws and classifications and rules about magic! You couldn't build Hogwarts today, you'd be thrown in Azkaban!" Ron huffed.
"International waters and then move it," Neville replied.
"We have to get them to agree on a pact first." Hermione grumbled as she poured himself more tea.
"I'm not sure the Ministry would like that." Ron frowned. "They'd be powerful and wouldn't have to answer to anyone."
"They'll figure it out, Ron. It's not all up to you." Neville assured him.
"When did we get so involved in politics?" Ron groaned.
"When you decided to be friends with Harry Potter." Neville snorted as he sipped at his teacup.
"Durmstrang?" Hermione's face was shocked.
"They were built on an abandoned goblin stronghold. Oodles of room, and protections all over the place." Ginny nodded.
"When did you find out?" Hermione asked.
"Just this morning. One of the second years has an aunt in Bulgaria and it was in their newspapers this morning." Ginny tossed a rock into the lake.
"Well, it will be interesting to see." Hermione hazarded. "What does Harry think?"
"I don't know yet." Ginny admitted. "But I think something feels off."
"Me too." Hermione frowned. "We're supposed to be in the opening processional."
"In a school known for dark magic right after a war where the darker wizards lost. Brilliant." Ginny huffed.
"I wonder what the Ministry's angle is?" Hermione wondered.
"What do you mean?" Ginny asked her.
"They have to do tests and precautions of their own. Is it Durmstrang's way of showing they're hiding nothing?"
"It could be Durmstrang's way of seeing if they're booby-trapped like Hogwarts was," Ginny pointed out. "Getting a second opinion?"
"She has a point." Hermione and Ginny turned to see Asta and her two friends from Hufflepuff approaching.
"Hermione, this is Cat and Sarah. They're both Hufflepuffs." Asta introduced them.
"Pleased to meet you," Hermione said as Ginny threw another rock in the lake.
"They're going to the Opening Ceremony as well," Asta explained.
"Oh, good. So, I'll have backup when someone tries to kill me," Hermione moaned.
"Only the Russians." Sarah snorted. "And then just a handful of them. Snape's bloodline is tainted, you see."
"With what?" Hermione asked in bewilderment.
"Jewish on his father's side. Gypsy on his mother's," Sara explained. "No one's told you this?"
"I didn't think Muggle societal constructs effected the Wizarding World," Hermione said. "No one's ever said anything to Anthony that I know of. That's horrible."
"Anthony Goldstein? But his bloodline is pure, isn't it?" Cat pointed out. "No muddling about."
"I—I don't know," admitted Hermione. "I don't understand why any of this matters or how it works. It's barbaric."
"It matters because of the way magic reacts to bloodlines. Take the Blacks. They've always been talented in dark magic. Every one of them, even the good ones. That's why they're mainly Slytherins," Asta pointed out. "Prewitts and Weasleys are talented in hedge-witchery. Home and hearth."
"So, if I have children, what does that mean?" Hermione asked.
"With his line, there could be inherited talents in blood magic and potions. I'm surprised he isn't a healer," Sarah admitted.
"Your line isn't clear, but—" Sarah hesitated.
"But what?" Hermione asked.
"The signs are pointing to something more celestial."
Hermione's shoulders relaxed. "Oh."
"But wizards put a lot more stock in predictability and they breed based on it," Cat said. "At least all the old families do."
"Honestly, your kids will be completely unpredictable." Asta sat down on a large flat rock near the shoreline. "But, they will have better access to schooling and different branches of learning than they did back when they came up with the rules. Your kids can be whatever they want to be."
"Not always!" Sara protested. "Look at Seamus Finnegan! He can't do anything water-based without it blowing up in his face!"
"That's because he's part-leprechaun and earth repels water," Asta countered.
"He is?" Hermione asked.
"Can't you smell it?" Asta asked.
"No," Hermione said in surprise.
"Oh, well he does. Somewhere far back. It's the only way you can tell. Well, that and the aversion to water." Asta shrugged.
"You think you might want to tell him?!" Hermione exclaimed. "Or are you going to keep letting him blow things up?"
Asta looked unsettled. "You think he doesn't know?"
"I'm sure he doesn't, Asta!" Hermione said exasperatedly. "People move around a lot. Muggles had wars. He probably can't even tell you who his great-great-great grandfather was without looking it up."
"Oh." The thought unsettled Asta.
"I mean, I wouldn't walk into the Great Hall and pronounce his ancestors Boggle-breeders or anything, but you should tell him," Cat said.
"What's a Boggle-breeder?" Hermione asked curiously.
"It's someone who exchanges—um…" Sarah faltered.
"Booty for bounty." Cat explained. "All leprechauns are male, you know."
"But leprechauns don't look human!" Hermione exclaimed. "The offspring-"
"It's where they live. The magic changes them." Sara interjected.
"If the leprechauns don't claim their heirs the children grow up Out-world," Cat added. "They'll look a bit like their fathers, but that breeds out in a generation or two."
"Why didn't we learn this in school?" Hermione mused.
"Is that something you think Hagrid is capable of teaching without dying of embarrassment on the spot?" Ginny asked her.
"That's a good point." Hermione muttered.
"The point is that if his half-breed ancestor wasn't claimed it was because they had no magic in them." Sarah explained. "That entered his bloodline later. It's considered to be kind of embarrassing."
"Seamus was Muggle-born, I'm sure he can take it," Hermione said reassuringly. "Plus, he should be happy to know why his experiments aren't working."
"Are you sure you don't want to come back to school, Hermione?" Ginny asked. "We miss you. And they're letting more people repeat years that got bungled up because of You-Know-Who."
"I do want to come back," Hermione admitted. "I've thought about it, but Christmas is almost here and then I'm leaving on assignment. I don't know if we'll be gone a week or months."
"Do you really have to go?" Cat asked curiously.
"I do," Hermione said begrudgingly. "But it's for a good cause."
"I'll be going, too," Asta proclaimed. "Mikhail will be asking my family for my hand."
Cat and Sarah squealed in delight and Ginny looked up. "Good luck."
"We'll also going for you," Hermione pointed out, now that the cat was out of the bag.
"Me?" Ginny asked confused. "Why?"
"Didn't Harry tell you? We're going for a cure to fix the two of you. It's in the prophecy—well one of them, anyway!" Asta exclaimed.
"Are you serious?" Ginny asked, looking at Hermione.
"Harry should be with us, but the Ministry won't approve it," Hermione interjected. "They say he's too unpredictable."
"I agree," Ginny said, looking alarmed. "And he's not going anywhere without me!"
"And your mother would commit homicide, your father knows this, which is why he said no," Hermione said.
Ginny let out a sigh of relief and Asta reached over to give her a reassuring pat. "Married life isn't about roses and smiles, it's about loyalty and bravery."
"Don't I know it." Ginny snorted.
Hermione found herself shaking her head. "Don't we all."
