Chapter 3
It's been hours. I look at my watch: 4am. Everyone around me is asleep. Luna's head rests in my lap as she sleeps. The basement is quiet.
Harry's sits with his back resting on the wall. His eyes shut. I stare at him. His dark hair hangs over his forehead. His lips slightly parted as he sleeps. Then his eyes flutter open. It startles me, and I quickly look away.
"You're still awake?" He asks groggily.
"I can't get comfortable." I reply.
He puts his arm around me and pulls me into him. It takes me by surprise. But I quickly find a spot to rest my head on his chest. He's warm. And smells nice. I sink deeper into him. Within a moment I drift asleep.
Harry gently shakes me awake.
"We're leaving," He says.
I look around the basement. My fellow classmates are waking. A line has formed at the exit. I stand up and stretch. Luna and Padma stand with G, who looks consumed in grief.
The students filter out of the basement. Professors line the hallways of the Academy and usher us towards the Auditorium.
"Only Upperclassmen! Ages eighteen to twenty-two. The rest of you may return to your rooms. We will address you separately," a professor says to us.
I hug Luna; she's seventeen.
"I'll see you on Tuesday," I say to her.
"I don't want to leave you." Luna squeaks.
"I'll see you soon. I promise," and with that Luna leaves with the other younger students.
I'm exhausted, but I'm glad we are heading to the Auditorium. We need answers. What happened? Is G's mother alright? Are we safe?
We filter into the Auditorium and take our seats. The professors stand at the front and off to the sides of the stage. I wait for Chancellor McGonagall to step onto the stage and address us. I'm surprised when instead, President Malfoy walks out. He wears his full military uniform. His boots stomp heavy on the ground. Gasps are heard throughout the room.
I've only seen President Malfoy in person on one other occasion; five years ago. The same day I sat in Chancellor McGonagall's office. His presence startles me. He startles everyone in the room. Him being here can't be good.
Why is the President here? I think to myself. Where is Chancellor McGonagall?
With him on stage are a few other government officials; The Collective. They are distinguishable as Collective members as they wear primarily black with only small hints of green.
With President Malfoy is Commander Zambini, head of Meridian's Military. He is easily distinguishable due to his severe face with a large scar over his right eye. Among the Collective I only recognize one other; Chief Surgeon Fudge, head of Meridian's Health and Medical Division. A plump, rosy man.
"Meridian Academy; Professors, students, staff," President Malfoy begins, "Last night there was an attack on Meridian civilians by the enemies outside the wall. They believed they were attacking me, however, they made a grave mistake. Instead…" President Malfoy clears his throat, "Instead, they attacked the Lady's Elite Celebratory Ball. It pains me to tell you that there were no survivors."
Gasps break out across the room. G clasps a hand to her mouth. Elite boys throughout the room groan in agony; Their mothers, sisters, aunts, girlfriends were dead.
"My own wife, Narcissa Malfoy, was one of the victims of the enemy attack. All the Collective members' wives, daughters, and sisters are dead, with very few exceptions."
I turn to G. Her face is white. Her mouth hangs agape.
More gasps and cries ring through the room. An Elite boy runs from the Auditorium in tears.
"I know you all have questions, but just know that Meridian is safe. You are safe here. We have reinforced the wall and the security checkpoints. This will not happen again. This is a time to grieve. But in the ashes of this tragedy, we must preserver! Meridian Strong!"
"Meridian strong!" a small portion of the room says in unison as we have been taught. But most of us can't bring ourselves to say it.
"Meridian strong!" President Malfoy barks at us.
"Meridian strong!" The entire room manages to choke out.
I look over at G again. Tears stream down her cheeks. She looks hollow, empty. I've never seen her like this.
Harry leans closer to me, "Every Elite woman is…dead?" he says to me in a hushed tone. It's a question that he knows the answer to. He just needed to say it out loud.
Then I realize. I was supposed to be at that Ball! I was supposed to be there during the attack! I should be dead. Pansy Parkinson saved my life with that false accusation. And now she is dead. Chancellor McGonagall is dead. I run a list of all the Elite girls in my class through my mind. Dozens of young, smart women, future doctors, all dead.
"Due to the attack, and Chancellor McGonagall' death, we have decided to move up exam results, graduation, and job placement." President Carlisle.
Padma turns to me, "Seems insensitive, don't you think?" she asks me, 'We need time to heal. Especially the Elite boys." I nod in agreement. Her heart is hurting for Neville.
Neville! I think to myself. Where is he?
I look around the room and realize I haven't seen him.
"He's not here," Padma says to me, "He went home last night."
Does Neville know? Does he know his mother is dead? Did he feel the blasts from his house in Meridian city? My thoughts are quickly interrupted.
"You will find the results of your exams being passed out in the Main Corridor shortly." President Malfoy says, "Thank you. Go in grace in this time of mourning, but don't forget we are Meridian Strong."
"Meridian Strong!" We all repeat in unison again.
People begin to get up and leave the Auditorium. I look at a group of Elite boys. Their faces are a mixture of shock, horror, and sorrow. I can't imagine being told my mother and sisters are dead and be able to muster interest in an exam score.
We all stand. I see Neville entering the Auditorium. He approaches us. His eyes red from crying.
"Neville—" Padma chokes out. The sight of him brings her to tears.
"I'm alright," He manages to say, fighting back tears, "You guys go ahead to get your results," Neville puts his arm around G. She is unresponsive, "G and I will go later."
"Do you want me to get your results and bring it to you?" Padma asks G.
G doesn't react. She's in her own world of numbness.
"No. It's fine," Neville answers for her as he slowly ushers her toward the exit.
Later, Harry, Padma, and I find ourselves in the Main Corridor of the Academy with our fellow classmates. It's just the upperclassmen. Although, most of the Elites are missing. Too occupied with grieving for their families and friends to care about an exam score that is impossible for them to fail.
There's roughly a hundred of us waiting in the Corridor. An older woman in yellow, a Core who works in the library, calls out our names one at a time and hands us envelopes containing our results. Many of the names she calls multiple times, realizes the student is not present, and sets it aside. She repeats this over and over.
"Jane Prescott?" She looks around at us, "Jane Prescott?!" She says loudly before setting it aside.
When she reads the girl's names I feel sick. They're dead! They are dead! I want to scream.
"Pansy Parkinson?" She says loudly. I feel sick, "Pansy Parkinson? Pansy-"
"She's dead!" I finally blurt out.
An Elite boy erupts behind me, "All the Elite girls are dead! So, stop calling them!"
The older core woman looks confused, "Well, how do I know which girls are Elite? The envelops are the same?"
"They are the only ones with last names," I remind her.
The old woman looks at me and to the Elite students, slowly realizing I am right.
"God! This is why she's a Core. Not half a brain cell in her head," the Elite boy growls to me. Normally, I'd quip back at him by calling him prejudice or saying something clever. But I can't bring myself to do it. Partly because I know he is lashing out in pain, and partly because, well, he is right.
How did she not realize this on her own? Perhaps she does deserve to be a lower status…No! What an awful thing to think. I am just upset. And angry.
Lucky, the older Core woman learns from her mistake. She reads another envelope and sets it aside without calling the name. She repeats; picking up another envelope, probably an Elite girl, and puts it aside. She begins putting these envelopes in a separate pile. How depressing. I think to myself. She's making a death pile.
A shiver runs up my spine from the thought. Harry sees me shudder and puts his arm around me.
"It's depressing," He says, "All the girls that…aren't here."
It's like he is reading my mind, "Pansy, that letter she wrote accusing me of cheating…she—she—"
Harry can see I can't bring myself to admit it out loud, "She saved your life."
I nod, "Yesterday I was so upset with her. I think the last words I ever said to her were an insult."
"You didn't know what was going to happen," he says.
"Padma," The Core woman calls out. Padma retrieves her envelope. She doesn't open it. We always wait until we all have them before opening. It's a tradition.
I turn back to Harry, "If this has taught me anything it's that my reality can change at any time. Yesterday, I thought that letter was the worst thing to ever happen to me. That missing that Ball would be one of my life-long regrets. And today, it's the best thing to ever happen to me. And the luckiest! It's odd to think about it like that."
"Harry," his named is called.
As he walks to retrieve his envelope, a few Core girls open their envelops beside me. They both gasp at their results. Padma and I look over at them, confused. A Primary girl, a few years behind us, opens her envelope. She shrieks.
It's normal that a small handful of upper-classmen fail. Another group of girls cry out looking at their results. But this is far more than usual.
Padma and I walk over to a crying Core girl. We see the result; 'Exam Status: Fail; Job Assignment: Subordinate.'
"Subordinate? That's…that's primary status, isn't it?" Padma asks.
"It doesn't have a status assigned." I point out. There is the absence of a Primary, Core, or Elite distinction.
The Core girl cries, "How can I be a subordinate? I passed primary exams! I should at least be given Core status! This makes no sense!"
A group of Core girls who have opened their results walk over to us.
"We failed too!" One cries, "We are all placed as Subordinates!"
Padma and I look at one another. This many upperclassmen failing and being assigned one of the worst job placement imaginable? It's never happened before.
We look around the room and realize the three dozen other girls, all Primaries and Cores, with results are crying. Padma looks down at the envelop in her hand. Harry joins us. He too is noticing the hysteria that is breaking out.
"What is going on?" He asks us.
Without even needing to speak to one another, Padma rips open her own envelope. She unfolds it. To our horror it says the same; 'Exam Status: Fail; Job Assignment: Subordinate.'
"It's a mistake!" I say to her.
"Hermione!" My name is called. I quickly retrieve my envelope and return to Padma.
I take a deep breath. I rip it open; 'Exam Status: Fail; Job Assignment: Subordinate.'
Harry sees it, "How is that possible? You placed top of our class!"
He rips open his own envelope. We know what to expect. But to our shock it reads; 'Exam Status: Pass; Job Assignment: Chemical Engineer - Meridian City Military and Weapons Laboratory; Status: Elite.'
"Congratulations," I say to Harry in a fog of confusion.
"We'll get this sorted out," Harry says to Padma and me, "It's a mistake!"
I nod my head. I want to believe him. But I look around at all the girls sobbing, and all the boys celebrating, and I can't help but feel something sinister is at work; a wicked plan looming over the Academy, unfolding before me.
We walk to the office of the Head of Science; Professor Flitwick. When arrive, there are already a few distressed girls waiting outside. We stand with them.
"Did you get subordinate placement too?" One asks me. I nod my head, "How is that possible? Aren't you Hermione? The senior Primary who placed first in science?"
I open my mouth to speak, when Professor Flitwick walks out. He ushers a crying Core girl out of his office.
"There is nothing I can do," He says and then spots the small group of us waiting outside, "I'm sorry, ladies. Your results are accurate. But don't fret, they will be holding an announcement later today to give you further details."
"Who is they?" Harry asks.
"Oh, Harry!" Professor Flitwick says with delight, "Congratulations on your placement! I'm always astounded when an individual from your circumstances rises to Elite status."
My mouth hangs agape. How can Professor Flitwick be so obtuse?
Harry repeats himself, "You said they will be holding an announcement later today. You and the other heads usually make announcements. Who is they?"
Professor Flitwick looks as if he knows he has misspoken, "I meant we. We will be addressing the female students shortly."
"Can you share any details now?" Padma asks, pleadingly.
"Afraid not," he says curtly as he turns on his heels and retreats into his office.
We defeatedly head back to the Common Room. Depression lingers in the air. Elite boys talk in small huddles, supporting one another and speaking of their lost family members and friends. The girls cry and grieve for their own losses. I feel as though a cloud hangs over me. I think of Luna and her class. I wonder if all the girls failed their exams as well. Are we all doomed to the status of Primary?
"Should we go get G?" Padma asks, "She's been in her room for hours."
"I've never seen her like this. She's completely shutdown. I think we should give her some space." I say to her.
Finally, Blaise Zambini walks in. I haven't seen him since yesterday. He must have been one of the Military students pulled to assist after the attack.
"All girls, Primary and Core, are to report to the Secondary Auditorium for an announcement. All Elite boys, including those graduating into Elite status, are to report to the Main Auditorium for a separate announcement." He says to the room.
Padma and I standup eagerly, desperate for answers. We part from Harry as we find our way to the smaller, secondary Auditorium of the Academy. It's across campus, where Luna and the younger students reside.
The room is filled with forty Primary and Core girls in the upper four classes: ages eighteen to twenty-two. This is all of us that have made it to this level. This is all the upperclassmen girls that are left.
Commander Zambini walks to the center of the small stage. A few Military Elites stand near him, but not Academy professors or staff. Other Military Elites line the hallways and guard the doors.
"Due to last night's attack, there will be Meridian changes effective immediately," he starts, his voice serious, "First, the younger female Academy students, ages seven to seventeen, will no longer study in the fields of Science, Engineering, Technology, and Military. Instead, they will focus their schooling on Household Economics. In addition, the girls will no longer need to take annual exams that will determine if they continue studying at the Academy. All girls will study until their final year. At the age of eighteen, all girls will graduate."
Girls can no longer fail the Academy? I think to myself. What is Household Economics?
"As for this group, you are all eighteen or older, and therefore, consider yourself graduated."
Padma leans into me and whispers, "How can we all graduate if we all failed?"
Commander Zambini gestures to someone behind the stage, and out walks Professor Flitwick.
"Here to speak more on the specifics is Professor Flitwick, Head of the Meridian Academy Science Department and a consultant to Meridian's new structure," Commander Zambini steps away from the podium.
"You all received the same job placement of Subordinate. Which must have been confusing, as that is a job of Primaries. But, fear not, none of you are taking on the status of Primary." Professor Flitwick's voice squeaks.
Sighs of relief are heard throughout the room.
"Instead, you will be in the status of," Commander Zambini snaps his fingers, Professor Flitwick jumps at the sound. Out walks a female student, a few years younger than me, wearing pink. It's not faded red, but instead a light-pale pink dress. She stands beside Commander Zambini and smiles reluctantly.
"Thank you, Abigale." Professor Flitwick says, "You now have a status of your own, which will be embodied by the color pink. As for your jobs, they are less official in nature. You are the future wives and mothers of Meridian."
All of us girls look around to one another. Side whispers and conversations stat breaking out. The room gets louder.
"Silence! Silence," Commander Zambini shouts.
Professor Flitwick starts again, "Tomorrow night we are holding a ceremony that will pair you ladies with your partners. And together you'll start the future of Meridian…Any questions?"
My mouth hangs agape. All I have is questions! What is he talking about? A partner in what? Has the Collective gone insane!?
"What are our jobs exactly?" A shaky voice calls out.
"You are the future wives and mothers of Meridian," Commander Zambini echoes Professor Flitwick's words sternly.
"But what are our jobs?" Another girl calls out.
"To take care of your households," Professor Flitwick replies with little confidence.
Household economics. I realize. The girls t the Academy will study how to be good wives and mothers. How to cook, sew, and clean.
"The pink status is only temporary. It is to represent those ladies who are still in the beginning phases of starting their families. You will inherit your partner's status, Elite status, only after you birth the first child."
Gasps are heard throughout the room.
"What if we don't want to have babies?" A brave girl in the front asks, "I was studying to be a Computer Engineer!"
"You must have babies. For the good of Meridian." He says, which is met with more gasps and shudders, "There is nothing to be afraid of! If you and your partner do not work out together at the end of the year, he may choose to a new partner! And you, too, will be chosen by a new partner…hopefully."
I raise my hand. Professor Flitwick calls on me.
"What do you mean, he may choose a new partner?" I ask.
"Well, you see, with this new Meridian system, the men will determine the partnering." He replies, "Tomorrow's ceremony will include all one-hundred and seven graduating Elite men who will select one of you to be the partner of their choice. If the partnership doesn't work out, and you do not conceive a child, then he's given the opportunity to reselect. Although, remember ladies, in a year, you'll be competing against a new crop of newly graduated Academy girls. So, it's in your best interest to put in the initiative and make your first partnership your only partnership."
Commander Zambini's voice booms loudly, "Any of you that don't get selected at a picking ceremony, tomorrow or future year ceremonies, will be assigned a Primary status permanently!"
All my fears crash into me.
How can this be happening? Everything I have worked for comes down to this? To be picked as someone's partner. To be reduced to only a baby maker!?
"What if we don't like the man who chooses us?" A girl asks.
"If he chose you, then what's not to like?" Professor Flitwick attempts to reassure her.
"Why are you doing this?" Padma yells out. Her voice cracks.
Commander Zambini's voice booms back in reply, "Because we need to rebuild! For the good of Meridian! Because we are Meridian Strong!"
No one repeats the chant back to him. We are silent.
We're upset, scared, but mostly, we are furious. We have beat all odds to get here, to the final years of the Academy, only to be demoted to a status that doesn't even exist, to be forced into a temporary marriage to conceive Meridian bastards for the Elites. Only then gaining our status. We must buy our status through blood, sex, and babies.
"What if—" A girl in the front starts.
"No more questions!" Commander Zambini barks, "Your new status clothes are in your dormitory rooms. You are expected to wear them!"
Over my dead body.