Chapter Eighteen: Hermione's Reward
Everything was still grey… but the greyness started to lighten… slow at first and then faster and faster and faster until it was a blinding white light. Hermione's eyes fluttered open. The light was waving about. It took a moment for it to come into focus.
A wand.
A wand was waving about in front of her eyes. The tip of the wand was bright white.
She could hear people around her, but their sounds were muffled like she was wearing her Mandrake earmuffs. Hermione squinted against the brightness but still forced her eyes open in spite of it. The bright wand was directly in front of her. Through the muffles, Hermione could hear someone gasp. Suddenly, the wand was gone, but it left a dark "burn mark" in the center of her vision.
"Hermione!" came a muffled voice to her right. Hermione turned her head to see who had spoken, but her head felt as though it was heavy as a rock. It kind of lobbed to the right without much control. The person's face was directly in the middle of the burn mark. She shut her eyes and, instead, tried to open her mouth to respond. Her mouth felt as though it was filled with dust. Her lips peeled open with a bit of force, but no sound came out.
"Hermione?" came the voice again, slightly more clear.
"I think she's waking up!" came another voice. It was deeper but had the same excitement.
"Hermione, love, can you hear me?"
"Yes," Hermione croaked.
"Oh, thank goodness," repeated the voice, even clearer. Hermione would know that voice anywhere.
"Mum," Hermione murmured with a crooked smile. She forced herself to open her eyes again. Mary's anxious face was inches away. A dark, unfocused blob behind her could only be Bert. Hermione narrowed her eyes to attempt to see him more clearly.
"Oh, Hermione, we were so worried about you," Mary said, stroking Hermione's hair.
"I'll give you some time," came another voice that Hermione didn't recognize. She dismissed it. There were more pressing issues.
"How long have I been petrified?" asked Hermione in a gravelly voice.
"A few months now," Bert said, his voice full of concern.
Hermione's immediate response was to sit straight up in the hospital bed out of sheer terror, but her body was still stiff, and she only could raise a bit off the pillow. "No! I've missed so many classes!"
"It's ok, Hermione," said Mary. "That's the least of your worries!"
"No! I'm never going to be able to pass this term!" Hermione could feel the bubble of anxiety rise within her painfully.
"Honey, relax," Bert said. "Professor McGonagall will take care of it. You just need to focus on getting better right now."
Hermione gasped again. "Harry! Ron! Are they-"
"They're fine," Mary said. "Actually, Harry was just here before they gave you the, erm, potion, to wake up. He told us you were the one who figured it all out!"
"We're so proud of you," Bert added.
"Where is he now?" Hermione asked.
"Madam Pomfrey made him leave before giving you the medicine," Bert answered. "I think they are all in the, erm, big hall?"
"Great Hall," Hermione corrected.
"Yes, that's what I meant," Bert said.
"How are you feeling, Miss Granger?" Madam Pomfrey said as she stepped around the partition.
"I'm ok," Hermione said. "I feel… heavy."
"I would suspect as much," Madam Pomfrey said as she rounded the bed to stand opposite Hermione's parents. "You were a stone statue for months on end." Madam Pomfrey pulled out her wand. "Lumos," she murmured and held the wand in front of Hermione's face. Hermione squinted against the bright light for the second time in as many minutes. "Good, good," Madam Pomfrey said, though Hermione didn't know what was "good" about squinting. "You're coming along quite nicely. You took to the Mandrake Juice well. No lasting effects of the petrification, I'd say. Just a bit of drowsiness and fatigue is all. Maybe a wee bit of gravel when you blow your nose for a few weeks. Do you have any questions for me?" Madam Pomfrey looked to Bert and Mary.
"Erm," Bert started, clearly hung up on the gravel part.
"No, everything is fine," Hermione insisted eagerly. "When can I go back to class and see my friends?"
"I can't see why you can't as soon as you feel up to it," Madam Pomfrey said with a relieved grin. "You and all of the other students are doing so well."
"Thank you for all you have done," Hermione said. "I know how complicated the Mandrake Draught can be to brew."
"I'm just glad it worked," Madam Pomfrey smiled. "Now, if you'll all excuse me, I need to move on to the next family."
Madam Pomfrey disappeared behind the sheet.
"She must be going over to the Creevey's," Bert said. "Your mum and I have been spending most of our time with them." Bert lowered his voice to a whisper. "I'm sure the other families and students are lovely, but it was nice to have another down to earth Muggle family to talk to. All Mrs. Finch-Fletchley wanted to do was talk about all of the famous people she knew. It was quite exhausting."
Hermione grinned. "Their son, Justin, is the same way."
"The apple doesn't fall far from the tree," Mary said with a smile.
Hermione felt significantly lighter and moved to sit up in the hospital bed. Mary, almost as if by magic, produced a second pillow to place behind that.
"Where did you get that so quickly?" asked Hermione.
"Madam Pomfrey keeps extra pillows under the bed," Mary explained.
"Wait, how long have you been here?" Hermione asked, "that you know where extra pillows are being kept?"
"We've been visiting at least three times a week. Most of the time, more," Bert said to Hermione's astonishment.
"What?!" Hermione said in surprise. "That's absurd! What about the practice?"
"You are certainly much more important than dentistry," Bert said warmly.
"And besides," Mary said. "We've certainly enjoyed our time learning more about the Wizarding World."
"How do you get into the castle?" asked Hermione. "Because, according to Hogwarts: A History, the castle is protected against Muggles seeing it. It looks-"
"Looks like it's in ruins and has a sign that says, 'DANGER, DO NOT ENTER, UNSAFE,'" Mary finished. "Yes, that's exactly correct. However, Professor McGonagall met us each day at the sign and escorted us into the castle."
"Imagine our surprise when we walked inside!" Bert added.
"No wonder you love it here," Mary said. "It's absolutely stunning. The architecture is brilliant. And the magic… it hums here."
"A constant hum," agreed Bert. "It's hard to describe… but I can see its appeal."
"Professor McGonagall has been simply brilliant," Mary continued. "She has answered all of our questions and even a few that we didn't even know we had. You are so lucky to have her as a teacher and mentor, Hermione, and we are so lucky to have her watching over you here at school. You can't even begin to imagine how frightening it was for us to know our only daughter was hurt but not to understand the magic behind it. We were completely helpless. Professor McGonagall helped to ease our fears and kept us calm."
"Exactly," Bert said. "My plan was to take you home once you got better and never let you come back." Hermione gasped. Bert continued. "But I know that Professor McGonagall will always protect you. You may get petrified along the way, but she will always keep you safe."
"We are forever in her debt," Mary said with tears in her eyes but, being the Brit she was, she took a deep breath and smiled. "She is a wonderful teacher."
"She really is," Hermione agreed. Suddenly, the Grangers heard someone clearing their throat behind the curtain. Not a second later, Professor McGonagall popped into the sectioned off area. Hermione couldn't tell for sure if Professor McGonagall had heard them talk about her, but the misty eyes of her favourite professor seemed to confirm her suspicions.
"Miss Granger," Professor McGonagall said with a rare smile. "I am so pleased to see you awake."
"Thank you, professor," Hermione said.
"Hogwarts has definitely felt the absence of her smartest student," the professor said with a wink. "I could barely get anyone to answer questions in class. Again."
"About that, Professor," Hermione started. "I know I have missed so much class-"
"You do not need to worry about it, Miss Granger," Professor McGonagall interrupted. "You will pass your second year regardless of the work you've missed. In fact, all students will be passing this year."
"But I'd like to complete the work," Hermione insisted, focusing only on the first half of Professor McGonagall's answer. "I need to complete the work."
"Surely you can, Miss Granger, but, perhaps, at your own pace," Professor McGonagall said. "It's almost the end of term. There's really no way for you to complete all of the work in this time frame."
Hermione's lip quivered. She could feel the ball of anxiety rising and fighting against the lingering tightness of her chest from being petrified for so long. "But I need to be prepared for next term," she said slowly as not to let her voice break. "I need to-" Hermione stopped herself. What she wanted to say was, "I need to be the smartest witch, not the Mudblood," but she didn't trust herself. Hermione never wanted to be singled out for being Muggle-born again. The only way she knew how to do that was to make sure she knew more than the best witch out there. She would pour all of her energy into learning absolutely everything she could so she would never ever be hurt again.
Professor McGonagall could see Hermione's struggle and sighed. "Very well, Miss Granger. But let's discuss your options after you recuperate fully and get back to classes. There may be other ways of accomplishing your goal."
"I'm ready to leave now," Hermione said with a surge of hope.
"Why don't you rest a little longer," Mary said.
"But I'm fine, Mum," Hermione said, sitting straight up. "See?"
"I have an idea, but there are a few things I have to look into before we can discuss this fully," said Professor McGonagall. "Let's plan to revisit this in a few days."
"Yes, Professor," Hermione said, feeling slightly more at ease. If anyone could make sure Hermione could get her school work done, it was Professor McGonagall.
"Right. Now that's settled," Professor McGonagall. "I'll let you all catch up. I have to get to the Great Hall for the feast."
"Feast?" Hermione said.
"We're having a celebratory feast," Professor McGonagall answered with slight hesitation. She knew she probably shouldn't have said anything.
"I want to go to the feast," Hermione said, confirming Professor McGonagall's suspicions. Hermione noticed her parents cringing. "Mum, Dad. I'm ok. I'm feeling loads better. Besides, it's almost the end of term, and I will be spending all summer with you. I want to be able to be with my friends for as long as possible."
With a heavy sigh, Bert nodded his head. He put his hand on Mary's shoulder, which had stiffened in haste at Hermione's insistence to leave them so soon after waking. "I doubt we'd be able to say anything to change her mind, love," he said softly. "Besides," he continued with a smile, "we'd have to put up with her complaining about it all summer."
"I would not," Hermione said indignantly.
"You most certainly would, Hermione Jean Granger," Mary said with a laugh. "Fine, fine, I get it. You don't want to hang out with your old mum and dad."
"No, it's not that at all," Hermione started.
"I'm just being cheeky," Mary said. "Go. Be with your friends." Hermione flashed her a huge smile. "Wait a minute. Something's different with your teeth!"
It took Hermione a tad bit longer than usual to get out of bed and into new clothes (and dodge her parents' questions about her teeth). The school uniform she had been petrified in was, it turned out, a large part of the problem: it was as unmoving as thick leather and quite tricky to get out of.
According to Madam Pomfrey, the feast was shaping up to be a very informal affair - most of the students, being awoken with the good news of the slaying of Slytherin's monster, just shuffled down to the Great Hall in their pajamas to celebrate.
Bert and Mary helped Hermione into her favourite maroon and gold striped pajamas she had ordered from Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions (Hermione had splurged on the special treat for herself when she had passed Professor Binns' extremely difficult midterm exam… which seemed like a lifetime ago). The smooth, cool silk felt luxurious on her skin, which was extremely dried out. Before she left the hospital wing, Madam Pomfrey brought over some lotion, which was a considerable relief… but not as big of a relief it was to walk the familiar corridors of Hogwarts again.
Hermione's heart began to swell as she neared the Great Hall. Her ears rung with the sounds of laughter and clanging plates from down the hall. She threw open the large, heavy wooden doors with all of her might. Before her, there was what would go down in Hogwarts' history as the biggest feast ever. With the exception of most of the Slytherin table, pajama-clad students were sitting everywhere, regardless of their House.
Hermione scanned the room and came upon Harry and Ron at once. They were both in the center of the Gryffindor table, though surrounded by Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws alike. Hermione's heart swelled with pride - they had figured it out!
"You solved it!" Hermione yelled as she rushed to Harry and Ron's side. "You solved it!" Harry immediately grabbed her into a tight hug. Nothing felt more right in her life. Ron awkwardly patted her back in total Ron fashion - which would have been annoying under any other circumstance - but Hermione knew he meant well. She flashed Ron a bright smile and re-welcomed the feeling of being at home.
As the boys gorged on as much food as they could, Hermione took a bite here and there. She was surprised that she wasn't hungry after weeks of petrification, but, perhaps, her stomach wasn't ready for the decadence of the feast just yet. Ron and Harry filled her ears instead with all of their antics while she was in the hospital wing. She had the odd feeling of deja vu; she had heard it all in a dream while she was petrified.
Ginny was a few seats down from Ron and Harry. Hermione kept trying to catch her eye, but Ginny kept turning away. Finally, Hermione got up and plopped down next to Ginny. "Oh, Hermione," Ginny whispered. "I am so sorry." Just as she seemed to remember Harry and Ron's stories, Ginny's voice was another memory of her stoned dreams.
"It wasn't your fault!" Hermione said sternly. "I don't blame you in the least."
"Are you sure?" Ginny asked.
"Of course I'm sure," Hermione said. "You were possessed. That's a fact. Facts can't be disputed." Hermione smiled. "Plus, you're my friend, and I can't be mad at my friends."
Ginny smiled widely, and her shoulders seemed to drop. Hermione knew Ginny wasn't one to show emotion and accepted it as a proper response. Their moment was interrupted by Justin Finch-Fletchley, nearly knocking them off the bench in his haste to make his way to Harry to shake his hand.
"Kind of sorry Madam Pomfrey gave him some Mandrake juice so quickly," Ginny said in a whisper. "He could have done well with a bit more time as an oversized paperweight." Hermione stifled a laugh. Ginny turned and grinned. "That was wildly inappropriate, especially coming from me."
Hermione let out a laugh. "That's what makes it perfect," she said. "And I, as a former oversized paperweight, concur."
Everyone settled back into eating and celebrating for a few minutes before another interruption - this time a very welcomed one - rushed over to the table. The half-giant was beaming from ear to ear as he shuffled down the line between the tables.
"Ya diddit!" Hagrid cried, cuffing Harry and Ron on the shoulders so hard they were knocked into their plates of truffle. Thankfully, Hagrid gave Hermione a ginger hug instead. "They let me out, they did!" He beamed, though Hermione couldn't help notice Hagrid's eyes bouncing around with lingering anxiety and fear. She didn't know much about Azkaban, but she knew enough to know it was a horribly dreadful place. Hermione couldn't imagine how terrifying it'd be to survive a place like that and be expected to blend right back into society. She knew she was already overwhelmed with the feast and she was only just petrified. Hermione made a mental note to visit Hagrid's hut at the first possible time.
"If I could please have your attention," came a commanding yet genial voice from the front of the Great Hall. Hermione's eyes rested upon Professor Dumbledore immediately. His deep purple robes and half-moon spectacles seemed even more impressive in the flickering fireworks on the enchanted sky of the Great Hall.
"I will be brief, for there is so much more to celebrate. However, I wanted to take a moment to formally welcome back some of our beloved friends: Colin Creevery, Justin Finch-Fletchery, Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington, Penelope Clearwater, and Hermione Granger."
The Great Hall erupted in cheers. Hermione felt her face flush hot as all eyes at the Gryffindor table turned to her. The thunderous applause enveloped Hermione in a warm hug. She didn't necessarily like to be the center of attention, but it was absolutely wonderful to feel loved and appreciated finally. Regardless of her blood status, Hermione knew her fellow wizards cared, and that's all that mattered.
Over the din of the clapping came a strangled, angry voice. "Don't forget Mrs. Norris!" yelled Filch from the doorway. In his arms was a very angry Mrs. Norris. Her fur was standing completely on end as if she had put her tail into a muggle electrical outlet. Hermione couldn't help but laugh at the cartoonish image before her.
"Of course! And Mrs. Norris as well! I'm sure we've all missed her presence in the corridors," Dumbledore added. The Weasley twins rolled their eyes in annoyance, snapping Hermione out of her spell with a hearty laugh.
"None of our friends would be here with us this evening if it weren't for the bravery and cunning of Harry Potter and Ron Weasley to whom I award 200 points each."
"400 points!" screamed Parvati (who had just come over to give Hermione a big hug). "That clinches it! Gryffindor will win the house cup no matter what happens the rest of term!" she screamed. The Gryffindor table erupted in cheers again (though Hermione noticed the cheers for her recovery were slightly more exuberant, which made her smile all over again).
Once again, the cheers died down slightly for Dumbledore to speak again. "Additionally, Madam Pomfrey and Professor Sprout should be commended for their hard work and dedication to brewing the Mandrake Potion to save our friends as well." The Great Hall filled with applause once again.
"If you'll indulge me for just a few moments longer, I have two more announcements," Dumbledore continued. "First, I am saddened to report that Professor Lockhart had an unfortunate encounter with a broken wand and memory charm. He will not be returning for the rest of the term, and Defence Against the Dark Arts classes are subsequently canceled until a replacement can be found."
This particular announcement brought a mixture of responses and reactions from the students and staff. Half of the room, including Harry and Ron, erupted into cheers. "Shame," Ron said, his mouth stuffed with jam doughnut. "He was starting to grow on me." His sarcasm was palpable.
Others, like Parvati and Lavender, gasped in horror. Hermione, frankly, didn't know how to feel. Her heart ached with the thought of never seeing his beautiful wavy blonde hair, but her mind felt no remorse at all. He was a cheat and an imposter, and Hermione had absolutely no room in her life for such nonsense. Realizing her petrified dreams were, most likely, real conversations, she realized Professor Lockhart was not who she thought he was. Hermione was sure she would antagonize over being duped for so long, but she had noticed Professor McGonagall getting up for the next announcement, and the thought left her head.
"To coincide with the headmaster's announcement of the cancelation of all Defence Against the Dark Arts classes and to celebrate our school's victory over the Chamber of Secrets' Monster, all exams are hereby canceled for this school year."
The noise was deafening. It took Hermione a few moments to even register what Professor McGonagall had said. All exams. Canceled. Hermione's heart sunk. "Oh no!" she exclaimed.
Apparently, she had said it a bit louder than she thought because Harry and Ron's heads whipped round to her. "Are you seriously upset we won't be having exams?" Ron said incredulously. "Blimey, you're such a bookworm."
Ron's goofy grin indicated he was only joking and brought a small smile to Hermione's lips through the bubbling of anxiety she felt over the cancelation of all exams.
The students and staff partied for hours. By the time Hermione got back to her dormitory, she was ready to sleep (even though she just slept for weeks). After a moment to marvel at the softness of her pillow, Hermione closed her eyes, dreaming of stone statues and exams.
The rest of the final term passed in a haze of blazing sunshine. Hogwarts was back to normal, and Lucius Malfoy had been sacked as a school governor. Draco was no longer strutting around the school as though he owned the place. On the contrary, he looked resentful and sulky. On the other hand, Ginny Weasley was perfectly happy again and had begun to spend much more time with Hermione, much to Ron's dismay.
Hermione was one of the few students who continued attending classes. Without the threat of the end of the year exams, no one found it necessary to show up. To their credit, the professors, for the most part, taught their nearly empty classrooms like they were full of students. Hermione preferred the smaller class sizes and, at times, one on one lessons.
After an incredibly insightful Transfiguration lesson with Professor McGonagall, she asked Hermione to stay after class. Luckily, she only had to wait for Parvati, Padma, and Anthony Goldstein (a Ravenclaw) to leave.
"Miss Granger, I have done some research into the idea I had about you completing the work you missed while you were petrified," Professor McGonagall said, perching herself on the corner of her desk. "You have done a tremendous job of catching up so far, but I know how much you love learning new things and how important it is for you to learn as much as wizardly possible."
"Thank you, Professor," Hermione said.
"I have conversed with some colleagues at the Ministry of Magic about your situation and made sure to let them know it was really you who solved the mystery of the Chamber of Secrets, and they reluctantly agreed to my idea. Think of this as a sort of secret reward for service to the Ministry."
Hermione was on the edge of her seat. She could tell Professor McGonagall was equally as excited, though trying to contain herself. "But before I continue," Professor McGonagall said with a stern edge to her voice, "you have to understand that what I am about to give you is extremely dangerous and highly unorthodox and that no one, under any circumstance, should know about this item… Especially Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley. Do you understand, Miss Granger?"
"Yes, Professor," Hermione squeaked.
"I need you to give me your word."
"You have my word, Professor McGonagall," Hermione said with all the sincerity she could muster.
"Very well." The Professor stalked behind her desk and opened the side drawer. Hermione's eyes widened as her favourite professor pulled a peculiar box out of the drawer. The box was clear with a dark wood frame. Hermione couldn't quite see the item within the box, but it appeared to shimmer in the light streaming down from the windows.
Professor McGonagall took her place back in front of Hermione, perched on her desk. "This, Miss Granger, is called a Time-Turner. A Time-Turner is a magical device used for time travel. As you can see," she continued, taking the gold item out of the box carefully, "the physical vessel is a gold hourglass necklace. Encased within the hourglass is the Hour-Reversal charm enchanted by the Ministry of Magic.
"It is imperative to understand that time-related magic is unstable, and serious breaches in the laws of time result in catastrophic events. Possible scenarios include a wizard or witch killing their past or future selves by mistake or altering one's life path in such a drastic fashion that it can result in temporal anomalies such as un-births. As such, the Ministry of Magic seeks the strictest guarantees if it permits the use of Time-Turners: Time-Turner possession is hedged around with literally hundreds of laws, and the most stringent laws and penalties are in place to prevent their misuse. According to Professor Croaker's law, the longest period that can be traveled back in time without a severe chance of harm to the traveler or time itself is around five hours.
"However," Professor McGonagall continued to a very wide-eyed Hermione, "The Ministry of Magic has been known to grant the use of Time-Turners to very special witches or wizards who demonstrate the utmost respect for rules and a deep desire for learning. I can easily argue the case of both of those attributes for you, Miss Granger, and have. Therefore, the Ministry of Magic has granted you the use of this Time-Turner for the summer and following school year on the conditional basis that you will only use it for educational purposes. Do you understand?"
Hermione was too shocked to say anything. Instead, she just nodded her head. "Right, then," Professor McGonagall said with a curt nod. "I have already taken the liberty of signing you up for all of the courses available for third-year students. Since most overlap, you will have to utilize the Time-Turner to attend your classes. One turn will take you back one hour. Two turns are two hours, and so on and so forth. Do you understand?"
"Yes, I think so," Hermione said in a squeaky voice.
"You may also use it over the summer holiday, if necessary, to finish your studies you missed this year. I will visit your house in July to administer all exams you would have taken this year unless, of course, you have changed your mind about those."
"Definitely not, Professor," Hermione said earnestly.
"It's settled then. Let me once again remind you that you are to not, under any circumstances, tell anyone about this Time-Turner."
Hermione knew Professor McGonagall was talking about Harry and Ron again specifically. "Yes, Professor."
"And please, prior to using the Time-Turner, read this brochure assigned by the Ministry of Magic concerning all of the rules and regulations associated with its use." Professor McGonagall handed the box and pamphlet to Hermione.
Hermione slid the box open with shaky hands and removed the delicate, yet hefty, necklace to examine it. Along one of the golden rings circling the hourglass, it read, "I mark the hours, every one, Nor have I yet outrun the Sun. My use and value, unto you, Are gauged by what you have to do."
"Thank you so much, Professor," Hermione said, her eyes welling up. The shock of everything was almost too much to comprehend.
"You're quite welcome, Miss Granger," Professor McGonagall said softly. "I know how much learning about the Wizarding World means to you, especially now after your status has been brought into question because of your lineage. Trust me when I say you are a better wizard than most purebloods, but I know you need to prove that to yourself. I just hope that this reward will help you to realize your full potential."
Hermione was overcome with emotion and, without a second thought, ran over to Professor McGonagall and gave her a giant, Hagrid-worthy hug. To her surprise, the stern professor returned it, albeit quickly, before dismissing Hermione for the day.
Too soon, it was time for the journey home on the Hogwarts Express. Hermione, Harry, Ron, Fred, George, and Ginny got a compartment to themselves. They made the most of the last few hours in which they were allowed to do magic before the holidays. They played Exploding Snap, set off the very last of Fred and George's Filibuster fireworks, and practiced disarming each other by magic. Hermione could feel the Time-Turner bouncing beneath her shirt but resisted the urge to show her friends.
They were almost at King's Cross when Harry spoke up.
"Ginny — what did you see Percy doing that he didn't want you to tell anyone?"
"Oh, that," said Ginny, giggling. "Well — Percy's got a girlfriend."
Fred dropped a stack of books on George's head.
"What?"
"It's that Ravenclaw prefect, Penelope Clearwater," said Ginny. "That's who he was writing to all last summer. He's been meeting her all over the school in secret. I walked in on them kissing in an empty classroom one day. He was so upset when she was — you know — attacked. You won't tease him, will you?" she added anxiously.
"Wouldn't dream of it," said Fred, who was looking like his birthday had come early.
"Definitely not," said George, sniggering. Hermione knew there was absolutely no way the twins wouldn't mercilessly tease Percy all summer now.
The Hogwarts Express slowed and finally stopped. Hermione tried not to cry.
Harry pulled out his quill and a bit of parchment and turned to Ron and Hermione.
"This is called a telephone number," he said, mostly to Ron, scribbling it twice, tearing the parchment in two, and handing it to them. "I told your dad how to use a telephone last summer — he'll know. Call me at the Dursleys', okay? I can't stand another two months with only Dudley to talk to." Hermione smiled. She knew she'd be calling very often.
"Your aunt and uncle will be proud, though, won't they?" said Hermione as they got off the train and joined the crowd thronging toward the enchanted barrier. "When they hear what you did this year?
"Proud?" said Harry. "Are you crazy? All those times I could've died, and I didn't manage it? They'll be furious. …"
And together, they walked back through the gateway to the Muggle world.