On the first of September Platform Nine and Three Quarters was always crammed with parents seeing their children off to Hogwarts for the year, but it was a different matter after the Christmas break. More often than not, parents merely dropped their children off at the station and didn't wait around for the train to depart. As such, it was impossible to tell how much of a difference the new regime in Wizarding Britain was going to affect attendance at Hogwarts.
Hermione was sure that with her father now installed as the Minister for Magic, Severus officially taking the post as Headmaster and the newest Professor being one of her father's most loyal Death Eaters, it would mean that certain people would be reluctant to show their faces at Hogwarts. She also felt that other people might stay away simply because they didn't know what to expect. However, arriving at the platform, it wasn't at all clear how many students had opted not to return to continue their education.
Eager to get a grasp of the situation before they arrived back at Hogwarts, Hermione waited until the train had departed King's Cross, before taking Draco for a walk up and down the length of the scarlet steam engine. Wanting to get as much information as she could, Hermione took her time exploring the Hogwarts Express, and she and Draco were gone for over half an hour before returning to their friends.
"What took you so long?" Theo asked as the pair settled themselves back into their seats.
"Let's guess, you took advantage of an empty compartment," Blaise suggested, waggling his eyebrows at the pair.
"Is sex all you ever think about?" Hermione questioned with a roll of her eyes.
"Pretty much," Blaise replied with a grin. "So did you stop for a quickie?"
"No, of course not," Hermione tutted. "We were taking a walk and checking who was missing."
"Was it a lot?" Daphne asked in concern.
"Actually, the train seems pretty full," Draco said, sounding quite surprised at the discovery. "Of course there were the noticeable absentees."
"Potter and his pet Weasels?" Blaise predicted.
"Yep," Draco answered with a nod. "No Potter and no red-headed gits in sight."
"I can't say that is too surprising," Daphne remarked. "I think we all would have been more surprised if they'd came back."
"I don't know, I'd credited them with more bravery," Theo said. "Or possibly foolishness, depending on how you looked at it. I half thought they would turn up just to show they couldn't be intimidated. That certainly seemed to be the stand they were taking before Christmas."
"But before Christmas Dumbledore was still alive," Hermione pointed out. "Don't forget, I know how they think. Even with Dumbledore losing his job, they would have viewed it as a temporary setback. They would have been confident that once they got rid of father, Dumbledore would return to Hogwarts and everything would be as it was. But with Dumbledore gone, it changes everything. Even though he wasn't at the school, they would have still felt protected by him, but he's no longer around to offer that protection. They're on their own, and in their shoes, I would view it as too dangerous to return to Hogwarts."
"Yeah, it's pretty much like entering the enemies lair," Draco agreed. "It wasn't as if they ever trusted Severus, and by now even they must see what side he's truly on. And I can't imagine them feeling safe in the same castle as my aunt."
"No offence Draco, but I think that will go for a lot of people," Theo ventured warily. "Your aunt could be the reason some people don't return. She does have quite a reputation."
"I'd thought that, but as we said, the train seems pretty busy," Draco said, not taking any offence at Theo's remarks as he completely agreed with them. "I'm not saying everyone but Potter and the Weasleys have returned, but more people are back than I expected."
"Me too," Hermione admitted. "I guess we'll find out properly when we reach Hogwarts and can see how many empty seats there are in The Great Hall."
"Although there was one other person I failed to see," Draco remarked. "Pansy."
"She's dared not to come back?" Daphne asked with a shocked gasp. "I didn't think she would have the guts."
"She doesn't," Hermione laughed. "She hasn't come back because her and her family are leaving the country."
"Leaving the country?" Theo questioned with a puzzled frown. "Why are they doing that?"
"Because my father ordered it," Hermione answered with a shrug. "I delivered the message a few days ago."
"Your father is just letting them go?" Draco asked sceptically, wondering if there was more to the story that his girlfriend wasn't sharing with the group. "After what Pansy tried to do to you?"
"To be honest, they're more hassle then they're worth," Hermione explained. "Father has other, more important, things to deal with now he's Minister. Keeping the Parkinsons frozen out, isn't a top priority. He decided the best thing to do was to cut them loose, with the threat of death hanging over them if they ever return."
"I guess I can see why he would want them out of the way, but does it not mean they're getting off lightly with what happened?" Theo asked.
"I would hardly describe being kicked out of the country getting off lightly," Hermione laughed. "It's true, for some people, it would be an opportunity. But we're talking about the Parkinsons here. I haven't known them half as long as you lot have, but even I know the idea of living in a foreign country will repulse them."
"It is true that every-time they come back off holiday, they're complaining about something," Draco conceded, taking a moment to think about the Parkinsons and what he knew about them. "Nothing is ever done in the right way for them. Even a couple of years ago when Pansy was complaining about going to Spain instead of France, she seemed to forget that whenever they went to France and she came home she would complain about how they didn't do things the English way."
"See," Hermione grinned. "So what country are the Parkinsons ever going to find that lives up to their ridiculously high standards? And even once they've settled somewhere, they have to find a way to live, and they're not exactly rolling in the money at the moment."
One of the consequences of the Parkinsons falling out of favour with The Dark Lord, was that their business suffered. People Parkinson normally did business with had abandoned him and the family income had been severely damaged. Luckily for them, they had money put aside, but Hermione was guessing it would take almost all of it to finance a move abroad.
"Not to mention the trouble they're going to have selling their house," she added with a wicked smirk. "They can move without selling it, but they will need the money from the sale sooner or later. But who is going to buy their house knowing they could potentially be getting on the wrong side of father? My bet is they have to sell it at a reduced price several months down the line."
"And I'm sure your father will know exactly where they end up," Draco chuckled, now understanding just how accurately Voldemort had judged the Parkinsons and how perfectly tailored to them his vengeance was.
"I'm sure he will," Hermione agreed. "And I'm sure if it looks as though their lives are too easy and they've forgotten the reason for their exile, it can be arranged to give them a small reminder."
"Remind me never to get on the wrong side of you and your father," Blaise chuckled. "I don't think I want to be run out of the country."
"Don't try and kill me, and we should be just fine," Hermione laughed.
"I can manage that," Blaise returned with a grin as the topic of Pansy was dropped and attention turned to what they thought Hogwarts was going to be like under Severus's leadership.
Surrounded by her friends, time passed quickly and Hermione was slightly taken by surprise as the train began to slow down as they approached Hogsmeade. Eager to get another evaluation as to how many students had returned, Hermione and her friends were among the first off the train, however they hung back as others headed for the carriages which would take them up to the castle.
"You're right, it seems like a normal crowd," Daphne remarked as they finally joined the queue for the carriages.
"Yeah, there's certainly not that many people missing," Blaise added. "Either more people support your father than we realised, or not everyone is as easily scared as Potter and Weasley."
"Or maybe people listened to what my father said when he became Minister and chose to judge him for themselves," Hermione suggested. "After all, if people don't cause trouble, they have nothing to fear. No-one is going to be persecuted by my father."
"I wish Potter and Weasley could see this though," Draco remarked as they climbed into a carriage. "I bet they're sitting at home, thinking half the school will be missing. I'd love to see their smug smirks wiped from their faces when they realise that they're in the minority and most people are back at Hogwarts where they belong."
Hermione had to agree with Draco, and she suspected that when news reached them of how many students Hogwarts still had, they wouldn't be happy. Although as they settled down in The Great Hall and Hermione took notice of how few empty seats they were, she also noticed McGonagall surveying the scene with a frown. Clearly her former head of house was disappointed to see so many students back. In fact, by the time everyone had arrived, the only other student Hermione could say for certain hadn't returned was Neville, which given who the new Professor was, she wasn't totally surprised. However, everyone else in their year was present, and the few spaces that were dotted around the room clearly belonged to students Hermione didn't know personally. But missing students were in the minority and Hermione knew her father would be pleased to hear so many people had returned to continue their education.
"Welcome back," Severus called, rising to his feet and causing the entire room to fall silent. "It's good to see so many of you are still with us. It's always nice to see people who have minds of their own and don't judge before they know all the facts." Pausing for a moment, Severus let his words sink in as the students glanced towards the empty places around the house tables, clearly thinking about those who hadn't returned. "As you all know a lot has happened since last term," he continued. "Our former headmaster sadly lost his life, as did one of our Professors. However, this is new start for Hogwarts, and I am delighted to introduce our new Dark Arts Professor, Bellatrix Lestrange."
"Wow," Blaise muttered as Bellatrix got to her feet and said hello to her new students. "I think I'm going to like Dark Arts."
"Don't tell me you've got a crush on my aunt," Draco groaned, shaking his head at his best friend.
"She is hot," Blaise said, his eyes still fixed on Bellatrix, who had retaken her seat as Severus announced the feast could begin.
"She is also married," Draco reminded his friend.
"Yeah, but her husband is not here," Blaise countered with a grin.
"And you are still only sixteen," Draco argued. "I doubt my aunt is going to be interested in a sixteen year old school kid."
"I'm seventeen next month," Blaise pouted.
"Because that makes all the difference," Daphne laughed from beside Blaise. "Put your tongue back in your head and eat your dinner, Blaise. Drooling over the new Professor is not at all attractive."
"Fine, I'll have some food," Blaise said, helping himself to some of his favourite items from the array before them. "But I stand by what I said, Professor Lestrange is smoking hot, and Dark Arts is about to become my favourite lesson."
Hermione chuckled at Blaise, even as she agreed with him that Dark Arts was about to become her favourite lesson as well. However, Hermione wasn't interested in what the Professor looked like, she was interested in what she could teach her. She was confident she would learn plenty under Bellatrix's tutelage, and with any luck she would one day be able to put her skills into practice and help her father rid the world of her former friends for good. Because even though her father had vowed not to start any fighting, she knew he would finish anything that was started, and it was a certainty that sooner or later the Order wouldn't be able to resist trying something. But when they did, Hermione vowed to be ready for them.