Chapter 22
It was just before lunchtime when Harry and Hermione finally started to go back to the castle.
After the discussion they had about their career choice, half of the time was spent with Harry flying them around on his Firebolt. That ended when he landed them in the middle of the Quidditch pitch at one point.
While Hermione had relaxed against Harry, thinking that it would just be another break like he'd occasionally given them while flying, she was completely surprised after a few seconds when he slammed a handful of snow onto her head. Her disbelief had given Harry enough time to dismount the Firebolt, and he yelled about the rematch starting right then as he ran to put a little distance between them. Hermione laughed while dismounting the Firebolt, shouting right back at him that it was on.
Just like the day they had returned from the church to the Granger residence, they simply ran around and pelted each other with snowballs, having fun like the teenagers they never truly got to be. This time, the fight ended when Hermione ran up to Harry and jumped onto his back, wrapping her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist. Though he fell to the ground, he laughed the entire time.
After a few seconds, Hermione lifted up from him a bit to let him shift onto his back. Once he did so, she gently laid back down and rested her head against his chest. Harry hugged her closer to him in response. And for at least a few minutes, even with the cold of the snowy ground, the two just laid there and held one another in blissful peace.
Eventually, Harry looked at his wristwatch and saw that it was close to lunchtime. So, with a bit of reluctance, the two of them separated and stood up from the ground. Harry then summoned his Firebolt and shrunk it in order to place it in his mokeskin pouch.
Hermione pulled out her wand and blew all the snow off of their clothes before casting drying and warming spells on them, making it so it was like they had never gotten wet at all in the first place. Then, she moved over to his right side and took his hand again. And with that, they began leisurely walking back to the castle.
At that point, without stopping their walk, Harry asked, "So, would you rather first go back to the tower and put our winter clothes away, go talk to the headmistress about our decisions, or just go straight to lunch?"
Hermione thought for a couple of seconds. Then, she answered, "Let's just go to the Great Hall and eat first. I've worked up an appetite after all the running around we've done. We can tell Professor McGonagall afterwards about our decisions."
She then gestured with her head to their joined hands. "And although I'm willing to deal with whatever may happen on our path, going to lunch earlier means encountering less people that may try to demand answers about this."
He gave an amused snort at first. Then, he squeezed her hand a bit tighter for a moment and replied, "Fair enough."
The two remained silent the rest of the way back to the castle. They entered the Great Hall right at the very start of lunchtime and found, just like this morning, that hardly anyone else had come down yet. There were only a couple of Ravenclaw and Slytherin students, and a single Hufflepuff student, at the respective tables thus far.
As she and Harry took their place at the Gryffindor table, Hermione couldn't help reminiscing about how the war and final battle had made this particular year quite different.
Because of the Death Eaters having taken over the school, as well as no one having been able to take their O.W.L.s or N.E.W.T.s, the 1997-1998 school year had essentially been stricken from the books after the Battle of Hogwarts. Therefore, everyone who was a Hogwarts student last year had to repeat whatever year in which they had been. Because of that, the first-year class in this year was by far the largest it had been in a long while, since its number was nearly doubled due to including the students that were redoing their first year. And from a slightly more selfish standpoint, Hermione had been glad for the repeating year since it meant that she and Harry would not be behind in the material due to having skipped school last year to go hunting for the Horcruxes.
And of course, the fallout of the war meant that many names which she had known throughout all her years at Hogwarts were no longer here.
On one hand, some of those were due to a few students from both sixth year and seventh year deciding to take the Ministry's offer to go straight into Auror training. Terry Boot and Ernie Macmillan were two in that group, while Hermione knew that one of her dormmates, Fay Dunbar, had also said yes but received permission to join after graduating, since she had still wanted to finish things at school first. Hermione had been somewhat surprised to have heard about Ernie going into the Aurors, but she held a bit of pride in how the Hufflepuff must have truly taken to heart the statement he made about the D.A. being possibly the most important thing they would do in their fifth year.
On the other hand, though…
Many Slytherins from fifth year to seventh year had been found in the immediate aftermath of the battle to have the Dark Mark on their arm, thanks to all the Death Eaters having been captured when they quickly went into agonizing pain from their Marks soon after Riddle had died, though Hermione had only learned that after the fact thanks to having been too occupied with Harry's survival to have noticed anything beyond the Stunning Spells used to incapacitate Riddle's supporters in the Great Hall. And later, it was found from interrogations with Veritaserum, and revealed to the public before executions were held a few weeks after the Battle of Hogwarts, that earning the Mark required using all three Unforgivable Curses on a kidnapped Muggle or Muggleborn, performing an extended torture session with the Imperius and Cruciatus Curses before finally ending the victim's life with the Killing Curse.
Draco Malfoy had apparently been the only new recruit that was not required to go through that initiation. It was revealed from his interrogation, however, that he still used the Imperius and Cruciatus Curses on someone when he got his Mark, as well as how he had kept Madam Rosmerta under an Imperius Curse and been the one that allowed the Death Eaters to break into Hogwarts in 1997. After this was released to the public in order to give more insight into the events behind Dumbledore's death, Harry had mentioned to Hermione that the story of Draco's Mark helped to explain why, even though Malfoy had been unable to kill Dumbledore by his own hands and resorted to using the cursed necklace and poisoned mead, he had no issues keeping Rosmerta under the Imperius, as well as being quick to try and use the Cruciatus when Harry had slipped to the ground during their fight in the bathroom.
While other individual crimes from the Death Eater faction were not mentioned publicly, the combination of all that had been revealed plus everything that was already known to have been committed previously by Death Eaters was enough for all of them to receive a death penalty. Thus, the younger Death Eaters lost their lives alongside their parents and the rest of the older Death Eaters. In fact, those executions were one reason why the only two Slytherin seventh-years that remained were Daphne Greengrass and Tracey Davis, who had helped fight against Riddle's side in the battle.
Vincent Crabbe had been killed by his own FiendFyre in the Room of Requirement. Millicent Bulstrode had surprisingly fought against the Death Eaters in the battle, but she was killed at some point and was one of the bodies that had been found during the one-hour reprieve Riddle had given. All the other seventh-year Slytherins, however, along with about half of the sixth-years and a few fifth-years in that house, had their fates sealed for having taken the Mark.
Still though, Hermione ultimately thought that the junior Death Eaters got what was coming to them for having knowingly tortured and killed at least one person each to earn the Dark Mark. She especially thought so because any one of those Death Eater students could have also been responsible for ending the lives of other innocent people, such as Colin Creevey, during the Battle of Hogwarts. Not to mention, Millicent Bulstrode had been involved with that group of Slytherins in earlier years at Hogwarts but had enough conviction to turn away from them when the choice to become a Death Eater came to her doorstep.
Hermione couldn't help letting out a quiet sigh. While she was glad for all the Death Eaters receiving their final punishments, it also could never really make up for all the lives that they took.
It was at that point that Harry quietly said, "You've looked pretty pensive since we walked in here. Something wrong, Hermione?"
Turning to him and giving a small and reluctant smile, she replied, "Just thinking about the people who, for various reasons, are no longer here at Hogwarts."
He gave a sad and understanding nod. "Yeah, I can understand that. It's a great shame about those who lost their lives in the war and can't be here. It's a bit odd but happy about those who steadfastly decided to join Auror training straight away."
A disbelieving scoff then left him. "And as bizarre as this will probably sound, while I'm glad to have seen all the Death Eaters, young and old, get their punishments for their crimes and actions, it's also still weird for Malfoy, his goons, and others who associated with him to not be around here and trying to mess with us like all the earlier years, you know?"
He sighed at that point. "Still though, it's ultimately better in my mind that they aren't here. They made the choice to do all that was required to take the Mark and become full-fledged Death Eaters. They can suffer the consequences of that choice in whatever afterlife they may be in now."
Hermione gave a warmer smile and placed her left hand on his right thigh. "My feelings exactly, Harry."
He wordlessly gave the same smile to her. As she pulled her hand away and looked towards the entrance to the Great Hall, she saw that more students were entering the hall for lunch, though no Gryffindor students had come down to their end of the table yet. And seeing more people in the hall made Hermione realize something, as she looked back to Harry.
She asked, "Harry, is it odd to you that no dishes of food have yet appeared on the table, even though we must have been sitting here for a full minute at the very least, if not more time?"
He blinked in surprise and glanced at the table before answering to her, "Yeah, it is. The house-elves always make some food appear almost as soon as a student sits down at an empty area. Why hasn't that happened yet?"
Hermione shook her head in confusion. But then, her eyes widened as she recalled some specific words that the headmistress had used about a certain event.
Then, she whispered to Harry, "Remember what Professor McGonagall said to us? About how she would make an announcement to all in the Great Hall if the Ministry told her that the proposed formal ball would officially be held?"
His eyes widened in turn, and he replied just as quietly, "You're right, she did. So you think that we're going to hear about it already?"
She turned away to watch as more students filed into the hall, giving a little sigh as she responded, "There's only one way to find out."
As the Great Hall filled with students, Hermione could see a few others looking around the tables in confusion, probably wondering about why there was no food yet. Whether or not she was right about the ball, this at least confirmed to her that something was being announced or had to be happening.
Eventually, all students and staff at Hogwarts seemed to be at their respective place in the Great Hall. Professor McGonagall and the four Heads of House were the last to walk in, with the headmistress shutting the doors behind her. When they all went to the staff table, Professor McGonagall remained standing at her place in the center while the four Heads sat down in their own seats. Harry and Hermione took knowing glances at one another for a moment, both growing more certain that her suspicion would be completely correct.
After another second, the headmistress finally began speaking. "I'm certain many of you are wondering why no food is yet on any of the tables for lunch. The reason for that is I have an announcement that has effects on all of you."
She glanced around the Great Hall for a moment before continuing. "After speaking with the Minister for Magic, I have been given an official stamp from the Ministry for Hogwarts to hold a formal ball on the second of May, the anniversary of the Battle of Hogwarts."
The Great Hall burst into cacophony as students everywhere began murmuring to one another. Harry and Hermione simply looked at each other again, giving tiny smirks for just an instant, before focusing back onto the headmistress to hear more.
Professor McGonagall held up her hands, and the noise quickly ground to a halt.
She then said, "This ball will be held on that night from seven o'clock until midnight. In accordance with the standard of the Yule Ball, for those of you who recall that event, fourth-year students and above will be allowed at the ball. However, a student that is eligible to go may bring a younger student with them as a partner, if one chooses to do so."
Hermione saw a few of the younger students appear to be slightly disappointed, though just as many also seemed to be relieved about not being able to go. That, however, wasn't the only reaction that happened.
Even though it was in the context of how a younger student could attend the ball, after Professor McGonagall made the mention of choosing a partner, there were girls at every house table that immediately looked in Harry's direction. And it seemed that Harry himself didn't miss these looks either, as Hermione heard him give what sounded like a long, knowing, and frustrated sigh through his nose. She immediately shifted her leg to rest her foot against his. The slight, gentle push he gave with his own leg was acknowledgement enough of his gratitude for her action.
The attention of all turned back to the headmistress when she spoke again. "Now, this is not just strictly a Hogwarts event. At least a few Ministry officials, as well as Minister Shacklebolt himself, will also be here on that night."
Her expression then became much sterner. "Thus, I think it will be clear when I say that I will not tolerate shenanigans from any of you during an event meant to not only mark the anniversary of our victory last year but also to remember those that gave their lives in service of that victory. And I can assure you that, even if I don't see any myself, the other professors and the Head students will certainly inform me if any of you start causing trouble."
She looked around the hall again, more slowly this time. The silence that remained seemed to satisfy her, and her face relaxed a hair as she continued.
"Speaking of not being just a Hogwarts event, I will say that this ball will differ from the Yule Ball in one key aspect. And that is… eligible students will be allowed to have family members of theirs also attend the ball. Though we have not yet set up the exact details for transportation, the most likely plan at this point will be to have the Floo at the Three Broomsticks open for your families to use and travel to Hogsmeade, and then the carriages would be waiting in the village for them to ride here to the castle. I will let everyone know in the near future when we have made a final decision for the transport. If you have family that would wish to attend, please let your Head of House know, no later than the first day of classes after the end of the Easter holidays, so that we can all keep a list of those who will come."
Some students looked at one another and whispered, presumably about this new aspect of the ball.
Professor McGonagall then said, "Now, onto two bits of business related to this ball that should make every student happy."
Hermione snorted in her mind at how so many people seemed to perk up at that, while the headmistress kept speaking.
"The second of May falls on a Sunday this year, and I'm sure that many of you older students would not wish to wake up early for classes after having stayed out a large portion of the night. And at the same time, we on the staff also feel that it is not fair to completely exclude those of you in first year to third year."
Her expression then seemed to slightly light up with knowledge. "Therefore, for all intents and purposes, classes on May the third will not be had."
A great majority of the hall burst out into cheers and claps at the statement. Hermione couldn't help giving an annoyed hum at losing a day of class at a time when exams for all would soon be upon them.
She was surprised at that point when, while everyone was still distracted with their cheering, she felt Harry's lips at her ear.
He whispered, "We can still study for ourselves that day."
When he pulled back, she turned to him to find his expression mostly neutral but with the tiniest of smirks on his lips. She just gave a smirk of her own and then raised an eyebrow, giving him a challenge as to what exactly he was talking about studying. He silently chuckled for a moment before they turned to look back at the headmistress.
Professor McGonagall let the shouting hold for a few more seconds before raising her hands again. The crowd quickly went quiet again.
She said more seriously, "Yes, I imagined that would make you happy. Do note, however, that this will not affect any due dates of possible homework. If a professor has given you an assignment that is required to be turned in by that date, you are not exempt from handing it in just because you are not going to class. All professors will be in their offices that day, so there will be no excuses if you do not turn in any assignments before dinner that day. Do not forget this."
She went quiet for a few seconds to let that sink in for all the students. Then, she continued, "Now, for the second piece of business. For those of you who attend this ball, formal dress robes must be worn. Now, we realize that it may be a hassle for a great number of you to obtain such an item at this point without returning home or going to Diagon Alley. Therefore, we are encouraging that all students return home on the Easter holidays this year."
Professor McGonagall actually smiled a bit next. "And to both encourage that as well as ensure that you all keep up with the homework that you will still have over those two weeks – "
A loud groan sounded throughout the hall at that. Hermione shook her head, but this time in amusement, at how predictable so many students were.
The headmistress waited for a couple of seconds, with Hermione wondering if she was specifically waiting to drop some kind of bomb. The answer to that came with the next statement.
Professor McGonagall said, continuing to smile, "The Minister has told me that the Ministry will not be recording any underage uses of magic done by Hogwarts students at their place of residence during the two-week Easter holiday. And yes, I do mean all students, not just those eligible for the ball."
Harry and Hermione both looked at each other with brows raised as high as possible. Even if that announcement had no effect on them personally, it was still something huge and unexpected to do for all the students.
At the same time, someone from the other side of the hall shouted out, "No way!"
Professor McGonagall chuckled before replying, "I assure you that this is no joke."
Her expression sobered up again as she added, "I must reiterate, though, that this will strictly be at your place of residence and is to aid you with doing your work over the holidays. If you are not of age and you perform magic anywhere else during that time, you will very likely still be looking at receiving, at the very least, a warning letter from the Improper Use of Magic Office for using underage magic."
A small smile then returned to her face. "As long as you keep that in mind, this will be a chance for all of you to show the abilities you have to your families when you otherwise would not be able to. I suggest you make the most of it."
Excited murmurs began to sound for a moment, but they halted when the headmistress spoke again. "That is all the business I have for now. We will keep you informed with any new developments regarding all of these announcements. Until then, simply keep everything that I have said here in your minds, and come to me or your Head of House if you have more questions or need any reminders."
She then took a long breath before making what was her final statement. "With that, I'll end this with a phrase an old colleague may have used at a time like this. Tuck in!"
With that, Professor McGonagall sat down, while dishes of food immediately appeared on all the tables. Everyone quickly began diving in and making their own plates from the servings offered.
While Hermione was making hers, she thought about how she and Harry would need to write a letter to her parents about this. The four of them could take a trip out together one day during the Easter holidays, so that she and Harry could buy some formal clothes. And speaking of the clothing, she wondered if she could convince Harry to wear non-magical attire for the ball. There was a large part of her that wanted to wear a normal gown instead of wizarding dress robes. She knew that her parents would probably find some humor in her little rebellion, and her mum would certainly enjoy getting to help pick out a gown.
Thinking more of her parents, however, filled her with sadness when she realized something that related to families coming to Hogwarts for the ball.
Her feelings must have shown through on her face, because Harry gave her leg another push with his own, like he wanted her attention. When she turned to him, she could see a hint of concern in his eyes when he whispered, "You OK?"
She took a deep breath before quietly replying, "Later. Let's just eat first."
A slight frown marred his face, but he gave a nod before returning to his food. The two of them remained silent as they went about eating their meal. They finished somewhat quickly, both because they were quite hungry from their earlier activities as well as because they each seemed to want to talk as soon as possible.
When they were finished, Hermione stood up and began walking out of the Great Hall. She could sense Harry right at her heels.
Once they were out of the Great Hall and took a few steps into the hallway so that no one could see or hear them, Hermione looked at Harry and said, "OK, let's go to the gargoyle entrance of Professor McGonagall's office. We can wait for her there while I tell you what was on my mind at lunch. And we can tell her about our career decisions afterwards, whenever she arrives."
He gave another wordless nod. With that, they began walking, somewhat quickly, to the Headmistress' Office, not holding hands in order to keep their speed up. And soon enough, they were standing by the gargoyle.
Once there, Hermione turned to look at Harry. "First of all, I do want to ask, Harry. Do you still want to go to the ball?"
A look of disbelief appeared in his eyes as he replied, "Of course, Hermione. I meant what I said to you about making up for the Yule Ball. But even if that wasn't part of our past, I would still want to go with you anyway."
She couldn't help smiling at his response before saying, "Well, now that it's really happening, I wanted to be certain that you didn't want to skip it."
She then added with a small grimace, "Especially considering the reaction a fair number of girls had at the mention of bringing a partner."
Closing his eyes, he shook his head for a second. When he looked at her again, he said with exasperation, "Don't remind me. And I doubt any of them are going to remember how hostile I've been to everyone except for you this year with any matter that isn't strictly related to academics. Instead, they're probably just thinking about trying to be on the arm of The Man Who Won on the first anniversary of Riddle's death and the end of the war."
He heaved a sigh with a frown. "All I can say is that every one of them better get used to bitter disappointment if they decide to try and ask me to take them to the ball. Because I'm going to be as blunt with rejecting them as I possibly can be so that it will hopefully spread to others that they should just continue avoiding me."
But then, he gave her a teasing smirk. "I said I would dance with you, Miss Granger. And even though I'm going to have to learn how to do anything beyond just slow dancing, considering Parvati was the one who led me around in the dance at the Yule Ball, don't think you can talk me out of dancing with you."
Hermione covered her mouth as she giggled at his mirth.
Afterwards, though, Harry turned concerned and sympathetic. He quietly said, "More importantly, though, we've gotten off track. What was it that saddened you earlier in the Great Hall?"
Right, she thought, the entire reason for having this talk in the first place.
She took a deep breath for a couple of seconds and then responded, "When Professor McGonagall finished her announcements at lunch, I was first thinking about how we need to write a letter to my parents and tell them about this ball. Especially since we'll definitely be going home and we'll need to get some formal clothing."
Her mention of needing clothes made her recall her earlier thought about going with more normal attire, but she couldn't help becoming a bit hesitant as she vocalized her thought. "Speaking of formal clothing… would you hear out this idea I have?"
Harry became a bit puzzled but silently nodded his assent.
She continued, "Well, how would you feel if, instead of dress robes… we wear non-magical formal attire instead? A suit or tuxedo for you, and a gown for me? It would be like a means of showing that we won't simply give up our own roots in the non-magical world."
A small smirk graced his face as he gave a quiet snort. He immediately became serious afterwards, though, when he replied, "You know that we'll definitely get talked about if we're the only ones not in actual dress robes, or that there's a chance that we could even be barred from the ball, right?"
Her retort was much more resolute. "That's a risk I'm willing to take, and I don't care what anyone else would say. If things went sour, then we can just have our own private ball in the Room of Requirement."
That caused him to let out a laugh. He shook his head, but with a smile, and responded, "In that case, I'm willing to go along with you on this."
That caused Hermione to smile again, but it vanished after another instant because of what was going to come next. She saw Harry grow concerned again, so she jumped ahead and kept speaking.
"But thinking about that letter to my parents then made me think about Professor McGonagall saying that we will be allowed to have family come to this ball."
Confusion hit him again. "Are you afraid that your mum and dad will say no if you ask? Surely they wouldn't, after witnessing how close you all seemed when I stayed with you over Christmas."
She gave a little sigh and said with some exasperation, "Harry, my parents don't have magic. They can't come even if they wanted to."
She shook her head and then looked down to the floor. "Hogwarts has such protections on it that those who are non-magical will only see a decayed ruin with a sign that says 'Unsafe, keep out' if they merely tried to look upon the castle. Mum and Dad would never be able to even just enter the castle in the first place, let alone be allowed at the ball."
Tears began to build in her eyes. This could have been such a perfect opportunity to bring her parents more into the magical side of her life. And yet, even with the pureblood supremacist faction wiped out now, there were still barriers to the different facets of her life that couldn't be reconciled.
She jolted a bit when Harry pulled her into a hug, wrapping his arms around her shoulders. She quickly hugged him in response and buried her head into his chest, taking deep breaths to keep from crying.
They simply stood there in silence for a time, as Hermione slowly calmed herself. A swell of gratitude flowed through her at how Harry wanted to comfort her, no matter who may see them like this if someone would look down or pass through this corridor.
After enough time had passed that Hermione knew her tears were gone, she slowly pulled back far enough that she could look at Harry. Her gratitude rose upon seeing his expression be full of sad concern. She wordlessly gave a tender smile to thank him. When a similar smile graced his own face, she knew he understood what she was saying.
At that moment, he opened his mouth, but he never actually got the chance to say a word.
"Miss Granger? Mr. Potter?"
The voice of Professor McGonagall made them turn their heads. The headmistress was further down the hallway, making her way to the gargoyle. Harry and Hermione slowly separated from one another, as she made it to them.
Then, she said with a bit of concern, "I can't say that I was expecting to see you again today. Is everything alright?"
The students looked at each other for a couple of seconds. Harry had a knowing gleam in his eyes, and Hermione knew that he must have been thinking about telling the headmistress of Hermione's concerns regarding her parents.
But when he looked back to the old Scottish woman, his reply was, "Well, Professor, if you have a free moment, we wanted to talk to you again about a teaching career. That's why we were waiting here."
She looked for a moment like she knew that wasn't all on their minds, but after a breath, she responded, "Of course. Let's go inside."
A minute later, once they were in the office and seated, the headmistress then said, "So, what else can I help you with regarding this subject?"
Harry wasted no time and bluntly came out with it. "We'll do it."
Professor McGonagall became confused at first, so Hermione jumped in to clarify further. "We'll both commit to trying for a teaching career here."
The old woman's eyes widened almost comically, and she was silent for a few seconds.
Then, after some rapid blinking, there was a ghost of a smile on her lips as she replied, "Are you certain? It's not even been a full day yet. Are you sure you don't need more time to think?"
They replied at the same time, "We are, Professor."
That caused the headmistress to give a true smile and then clap her hands together before saying, "Well then! That is wonderful to hear, wonderful indeed! Kingsley may no doubt be a bit disappointed that you two won't be going directly into the Ministry, but he'll also understand if this is the path that you wish to take."
Placing her hands on the desk, she then looked to Harry. "So, Mr. Potter. You will still be trying for the Defense position, correct?"
He simply replied, "Yes, Professor."
She nodded and then turned to Hermione. "And you, Miss Granger? Have you made a decision on which subject you would want? As I mentioned this morning, you could take almost any of them."
Hermione said, "Let me answer with a question of my own, Professor. Are you sure that continuing to teach Transfiguration won't be a problem for you in the future, with you being Headmistress now?"
The old woman chuckled for a moment before saying, "I've not yet had any big problems or gotten complaints about either my teaching duties or my duties as Head of the school."
Her expression then became slightly annoyed. "Well, beyond the usual excuses or complaints from those few students that seem to wish they could just not do work while at school."
Hermione couldn't help letting out an amused snort and shaking her head.
Professor McGonagall chuckled again. "Yes, your thoughts on that most likely align with my own, Miss Granger."
She then became serious again. "But again, it hasn't been a problem. First, I think that part of the problem with Albus was that he held two other positions outside the school in addition to being Headmaster of Hogwarts, which could lead to a dilution in performance for any or all of those positions. I have no plans on doing anything except being here at Hogwarts, so I can devote all of my time to the school."
Her expression grew more thoughtful. "And second, I like to think that continuing to teach even while being Head of the school will keep me a bit more grounded as to what students may want or need, rather than being stuck in this office all day and dealing mostly with just the rest of the staff."
Hermione couldn't help speaking at that point. "That sounds like a great philosophy to have with being Headmistress, Professor."
The headmistress nodded. "I'm glad you think so, Miss Granger."
She then turned things back to the original subject. "So, with that in mind, do you have a decision as to which subject you would like?"
Hermione took a deep breath, unable to help feeling a few butterflies in her stomach about how this was really happening, and responded, "I would like to try for Charms, Professor."
The headmistress nodded with a smile. She then glanced back and forth between Harry and Hermione for a few moments before speaking again.
"Now, assuming you both do as well on those N.E.W.T.s as I believe you will, I'm sure you remember what I talked about in regards to taking one final test after your N.E.W.T.s, correct?"
The two students nodded as confirmation.
Instead of continuing to speak, Professor McGonagall pulled out some parchment and ripped off two smaller slips. Then, she wrote something on each piece before folding the pieces and passing them to Harry and Hermione. Upon taking the pieces, the two were stunned when they read what had been written.
Hermione was the first to look up, and she responded with total incredulity. "You're giving us full access to the Restricted Section of the library, for our entire lives?!"
That caused Harry to follow her. "You can't be serious with this."
The headmistress gave her famous stern expression before repeating the same words she had given in the Great Hall. "I assure you that this is no joke."
The students looked at each other for a second before facing the headmistress again, with even more disbelief written on their faces.
Before they could say more, Professor McGonagall added, "I mentioned that the test I would try to have set up for you, in order to have absolute proof of your qualifications for anyone that may question them considering your ages, would be one of general knowledge in your subjects. That means you would need to be prepared for anything that could be asked of you, even if it's not specifically taught here in classes. If this permission to let you have full use of the library whenever you want will help to that end, then I will certainly give it to you."
The left side of her mouth twitched upward for a moment before she continued. "And I like to think that me giving you this permission at all shows that I trust in your character to use this privilege responsibly."
She kept quiet for a couple of seconds and then added, "Now, I'm sure that Irma – Madam Pince, as the two of you would know her – will not believe this for a second the first time you show those pieces of parchment to her. But if you two tell her to come and see me about it, I give my word that I will verify that you have my permission."
Hermione couldn't help just blinking for a few seconds. Then, in a quiet voice, she asked, "You really are giving this to us?"
The headmistress nodded. "I am, Miss Granger."
Hermione immediately turned to Harry, who blinked in surprise at the quickness, before she said, "Don't you dare lose that."
Without a word, he pulled his mokeskin pouch out from underneath his shirt. He quickly opened it up and placed his permission slip down in it. Then, after closing the pouch and hiding it once again, he simply gave her a nod.
She nodded in return before pulling out her beaded handbag and dropping her slip into it.
They both turned back to Professor McGonagall to find the woman clearly trying to hold back laughter. It took another five seconds before she seemed to become calm enough to speak.
"Now," she said while standing up, "I think someone else needs to know about this decision."
She then moved over to the fireplace in the office before pulling out her wand. She muttered some complex spell first before then starting a fire. She stuck her hand in a bag sitting on the mantle and took what appeared to be Floo powder out from it and threw it into the fire. Once the flames turned green, she placed her head close to the flames and called out, "Filius Flitwick!"
Harry and Hermione just watched in silence. After another ten seconds or so, the head of the Charms professor and new deputy headmaster appeared within the fire.
He said in his squeaky voice, "Ah, Minerva! I was a bit shocked to get your call, as I wasn't expecting any today. How may I help you?"
Professor McGonagall replied, "Would you have time to come to my office? There's something you need to hear. I've also activated the total-body connection, so you can just come here using the Floo."
"Certainly!" Professor Flitwick replied. "I'll be right there."
The headmistress stepped back and walked over to her seat. After sitting down and summoning another chair, Professor Flitwick was stepping out of the fireplace.
Upon seeing the two Head students, he exclaimed, "Mr. Potter, Miss Granger! What might bring the both of you here?"
"They are why I asked you to come over, Filius," the headmistress replied, after having transfigured the chair to have smaller legs. Then, she said, "Would you care to sit? I've got a chair ready for you here. You can fix the legs once you're sitting down."
The tiny old wizard that was Professor Flitwick walked over to the desk and sat down in the fourth chair. Then, he pulled out his wand and tapped the legs, which started growing taller. Once he was at a height where his eyes were at the same level as Professor McGonagall's, he ended his transfiguration of the chair.
Then, he spoke again to the group. "Now then. What can I do for you all?"
The headmistress looked at Hermione and said, "Would you like the honors of telling, Miss Granger?"
Though her slight nerves returned again, Hermione nodded and turned to the Charms professor.
"Professor Flitwick," she said, "Harry and I have told Professor McGonagall that we will commit to working towards gaining teaching positions here. Harry will be going for Defense, while I…"
She couldn't help pausing for a moment but pushed herself to continue. "I want to go for Charms, and I hope that you would be willing to mentor me and allow me to take over your position whenever you may decide to retire."
The little professor gave a great smile and clapped his hands together before saying, "Oh, wonderful, wonderful! How exciting to have those as young as yourself interested in taking the mantle of teaching new generations of students!"
Professor McGonagall interjected at that point. "Now Filius, before you get too excited, I must say that this won't be immediate. Our two Head students have agreed with an idea of mine that, assuming they achieve an 'Outstanding' on the N.E.W.T.s for their subjects, they would study as much as they could within the year afterwards so that they could take a general mastery test for those subjects, which I would try to get set up. If necessary, that test would be used to show with absolute proof that they would be qualified to teach even at their young ages. But assuming the results on those tests are good, they could certainly both be joining us in the school year after next."
Professor Flitwick nodded with resolution. "Ah, that does sound like a swell idea, Minerva!"
He then turned to Harry and spoke with a more subdued tone. "It is an unfortunate fact, Mr. Potter, that the fame of your name could also bring unwanted accusations to both you and Miss Granger about gaining a position because of that fame, even if we would all know that those accusations are completely false."
Harry replied, "I'm aware, Professor. Which is why Hermione and I are willing to go through another test, so that we can have as few accusations like that as possible if we would end up joining the staff."
Professor Flitwick nodded before his voice became more joyful. "Still, as unfortunate as it is that you both have this additional obstacle to overcome, I think the fact that you are completely willing to do all you can to eliminate that obstacle is a testament to your character."
Hermione smiled and quietly replied, "Thank you, Professor."
Harry was also a bit sheepish. "Yes, thank you."
The Charms professor nodded a few times. Then, he spoke more seriously again. "So, after you officially graduate, will the two of you still be staying at Hogwarts in the next school year to study? I could be of assistance with any questions you may have, Miss Granger. And while Defense is not my top specialty, perhaps some of my old dueling experience could also be of use to you, Mr. Potter."
Harry and Hermione looked at one another. Though he was trying to hide it from the professors, she could see a bit of hesitation in his eyes. Then, he leaned over to her, placing his lips as close as he could to her ear.
And he whispered, "I don't want us to lose out on time with your parents."
When he pulled back, she couldn't resist giving him a tender smile. Then, she lightly nodded at him, causing the left side of his lips to barely curl upward.
Turning back to the professors, with Professor McGonagall wearing a smile while Professor Flitwick appeared curious, she replied, "I think we would prefer to remain at home and self-study for the most part, Professor. However, Professor McGonagall has also given Harry and me unlimited access to the Restricted Section of the library. If the two of you agree, would it be alright if we could still visit Hogwarts whenever we would want to check and study the library books? We know that it's possible to Apparate to Hogsmeade, so we could do that from home and then walk to the castle."
Professor Flitwick's eyebrows raised quite high. "My word, unlimited access! What a privilege!"
He then gave a little chuckle. "Of course, there would certainly be works related to your subjects in some of those books that have few other places in which one could find them. And if the headmistress has seen fit to allow such a privilege to you, there is no reason for me to object."
Then, he added with a smile, "And I have no problem with you two studying elsewhere when you finish school, if you feel that is best."
Professor McGonagall spoke at that point. "I have no issues, as well. You have my permission to come back to Hogwarts as you please for study material after you've graduated."
The two students turned to one another and smiled for a couple of seconds.
Then, Hermione gave a little sigh and said, "Well, I guess the one thing we can do at this point is to simply concentrate on studying for N.E.W.T.s."
They faced forward again when Professor Flitwick replied, "Indeed, Miss Granger, that remains the best course of action for now."
The tiny old wizard's expression, however, then became almost a bit sly. "Now, before any of us leave, I actually have my own proposition with this entire matter."
Harry and Hermione became confused, while Professor McGonagall raised an eyebrow at her colleague. All remained silent, though, and let the man continue.
"It should be obvious that Charms was my preferred subject when I was younger. I also enjoyed Defense Against the Dark Arts, and many students are aware of me having been a dueling champion in my youth. What is not widely known, however, is that I've also always had a great fondness for history, both in school when I was younger and as a hobby of mine even today."
He then turned to Professor McGonagall. "Now, I know you've talked about Cuthbert with me and others on the staff, but I'm not sure how much you want known outside of that."
The headmistress just nodded at him before turning to the further-confused students.
She said, "Once again, I am asking that what you are about to hear not go beyond the two of you."
Harry and Hermione instantly replied, "Yes, Professor."
Professor McGonagall then continued, "Frankly, I am hoping to find a replacement to teach History of Magic. Cuthbert Binns may have once been a great teacher in the past when he was alive, but now that I am Head of the school, I'm seeing how grades in his class have slowly but steadily fallen every year for at least the past two decades. And every student I have talked to, even students that I know are diligent with both classes and their work, have only complaints about his lessons and say that studying on their own is the only way they learn anything of that subject."
Professor Flitwick interjected by clapping his hands together again for a moment. "Which leads to my proposition."
As he dropped his hands, he looked at the other three for a second each before continuing. "Assuming you would sign off on this idea, Minerva. And assuming that you do well on this additional exam you will take, Miss Granger. How would you both feel about me taking over the History of Magic position, while you would have full control of the Charms position, Miss Granger?"
Everyone else in the room raised their eyebrows, while Harry and Hermione also dropped their mouths in astonishment.
While the students were still in shock, Professor Flitwick turned to Professor McGonagall and added, "If you wish, we can talk more another time about my exact knowledge of history. I also have a large collection of historical books and tomes at home, some of which I bring with me to Hogwarts to have when the school year begins. That way, you will know that I am not joking about this offer."
"Fair enough, Filius," the headmistress replied.
Hermione found just enough of her mind to speak again. "You would really trust me enough to just give up your position like that, Professor?"
That got Harry to let out a scoff. She turned to him as he retorted, "Come on, Hermione. If anyone just barely out of Hogwarts could be trusted to take a full teaching position, it's you. You might be the only one between us who even should be trusted with a position. One of the probable reasons why I'm being trusted with Defense, if we join after graduating, is because I surely can't do much worse than a lot of what we've experienced with that class."
With a small frown, she replied, "You shouldn't sell yourself short, Harry. You really do have actual experience from what you did in our fifth year."
Professor McGonagall interrupted and got the attention of all. "And I will end this once and for all by saying that, if we did not trust you to handle a full teaching position at your young ages, I would have simply said for you to wait at least a few years before applying."
Professor Flitwick nodded and said, "Indeed."
Turning to one another again, Harry gave a small smile to Hermione and then sheepishly shrugged. She wordlessly replied with the same smile.
They looked at Professor Flitwick again when he spoke next.
"Well!" he squeaked out. "If no one else has anything, I think I'll return to my office. But once again, how simply exciting! I certainly hope, Mr. Potter and Miss Granger, that the two of you do well enough on all of your exams in the future to join us."
The two of them replied, "Thank you, Professor Flitwick."
Professor McGonagall then said, "I will drop by your office later, Filius. We can talk about your qualifications regarding switching to History of Magic in the future."
The tiny professor responded, "I will be waiting on you then, Minerva."
He then transfigured the chair to lower the legs to the ground, with Professor McGonagall standing from her own chair and walking over to her fireplace. Once Professor Flitwick had lowered the chair enough and then got to his feet, he walked around the desk and looked up to Harry and Hermione.
"And a good day to you both," he said.
"You too, Professor," they replied.
With that, he walked over to join Professor McGonagall at the still-roaring fire, where the flames had changed back to normal soon after he had first stepped into the Headmistress' Office. She threw some Floo powder into the flames, which instantly turned emerald-green. Professor Flitwick stepped into the fireplace and quickly called for his office, disappearing in an instant afterwards.
Professor McGonagall remained by the fireplace. Harry and Hermione kept quiet, wondering what she would do next. And after probably thirty seconds, she pulled out her wand and muttered some other spell, which Hermione presumed was to turn off the full-body Floo connection, before also ending the fire itself.
Once she put her wand away, she looked at the two students and gave a little huff before saying, "Well then. There were certainly some revelations to go around for all of us today, weren't there?"
Harry just chuckled, while Hermione smiled and replied, "Yes there were, Professor."
A chuckle emanated from the old Scottish woman. Then, after sobering up, she asked, "So, is there anything else the two of you need?"
Hermione shook her head, but she looked to Harry in surprise when he said, "Actually, Professor, would you mind if I talked to you about something?"
She immediately asked in concern, "Is something wrong, Harry?"
He gently replied to her, "It's just something related to the ball in May that I want to ask about."
But then, he said more hesitantly, "And… would it be OK with you if this was something that I talk to the headmistress about alone?"
Talk alone? She couldn't help wondering, what was there he needed to talk about but couldn't do so in front of her?
Fear must have shown through in her expression, because sympathy filled Harry's eyes. He then left his chair and moved closer to her, kneeling down and then grabbing her hands.
"Hermione," he whispered. "Please don't think that I don't trust you."
Even as quiet as he was, the desperation she could hear in his voice washed away that bit of fear she had felt, replacing it with her need to comfort him.
"I don't think that, Harry," she quietly replied. "And I'm sorry that I made you think otherwise with my hesitation."
She then gave a small smile and squeezed his hands. "Go ahead and talk to Professor McGonagall about whatever you need. But will you mind if I wait for you at the gargoyle entrance?"
His initial response was, "Are you sure?"
She nodded. "I am, Harry. And we're still alright. I promise."
As always, those two little words calmed him, since neither person would ever make a promise to the other that couldn't be kept. He gave her hands a squeeze in response before letting go and standing up. She stood from her own chair afterwards.
To Harry, she said, "Take whatever time you need for this, OK? I'll be waiting in the hall by the gargoyle."
His lips twitched upward for an instant before he replied, "Well, I'll try not to keep you waiting for too long."
She smiled before then looking at Professor McGonagall and saying, "Professor McGonagall, thank you, and Professor Flitwick as well, for talking with Harry and me. And thank you both for thinking so highly of us when it comes to us possibly becoming Hogwarts professors."
Though a small frown was on the headmistress' face at first, most likely out of worry from the display of concern she had just witnessed, Professor McGonagall became a bit more relaxed after a few seconds and simply replied, "You're welcome, Miss Granger. And if you have any further concerns or questions in the future, feel free to come see me again."
Hermione nodded before then turning to Harry and kissing his cheek for a second. Giving him one last smile when she pulled away, she walked out of the office, shutting the door behind her. She made her way down the stairs and out of the gargoyle entrance and stood to the left of the statue. Once there, she gave a little sigh and folded her arms against her chest, beginning the wait for however long Harry might be with Professor McGonagall.
Back upstairs, Professor McGonagall looked to Harry and said, "Forgive an old woman for possibly prying, but is everything alright with the two of you?"
Harry replied, "We're OK, Professor. Hermione gave a promise that we were. She and I both know that neither of us would make a promise to the other if we didn't mean it."
The headmistress nodded and said, "Alright."
She then moved back behind her desk, levitating the fourth chair she had used for Professor Flitwick back to a corner and out of the way, and sat down in her chair. In response, Harry then sat back down in the same chair he had used.
Clasping her hands on her desk and then lacing her fingers together, Professor McGonagall asked, "So then, Mr. Potter. What other concerns are there that you may have?"
Rather than immediately responding, Harry just gave her a closed-mouth grin. But the fact that his eyebrows lowered a bit made it more of an evil-looking grin, and Professor McGonagall was actually taken aback for a moment, her eyes growing wider.
"I know that grin," she tensely said. "Your father wore it many a time during his years at Hogwarts. And never did it mean good tidings, since some kind of prank would almost always happen soon afterwards."
Without changing his expression, he replied, "Then perhaps it will be in your best interest to help me with the issue I have, Professor. Otherwise, let's just say that you and many others will have your hands full on May second trying to explain why certain people aren't at that ball."
The headmistress put on her stern expression and sighed heavily. Then, after a few seconds of her and Harry just silently staring one another down, she said, "Alright, Potter. It's one thing for you and Miss Granger to have made demands in that manner regarding your personal lives not being affected by teaching, because I could clearly understand why you wanted to make them. It's another entirely to do it when I'm completely in the dark as to what you want or even why you seem to be threatening me."
She gave another, slightly more resigned sigh. "But… I'll give you a chance. Let's hear this issue."
Harry nodded, becoming quite serious before he began speaking what was on his mind.
Meanwhile, back downstairs, Hermione remained patiently waiting by the gargoyle.
At some point, she started thinking about how foolishly she had acted. All of Harry's actions since that night in the common room, before the holiday break began, showed that he trusted her completely. So what if there was an issue that he needed to talk about by himself to Professor McGonagall? It didn't mean he was losing his trust in her. What if it was an issue where he simply needed a hand from an experienced adult?
Hermione couldn't help giving a little, sad sigh at that point. No, she knew what the issue was with her momentary fear about Harry wanting to be alone.
She and Harry had already been spending much more time together before the holidays just from classes and studying. But since that night before the holiday break, they had spent nearly every waking moment together except for the day she and her parents went to visit the rest of her dad's family. And except for times in the bathroom and that first night back at Hogwarts, once they started sleeping in the same bed together on Christmas Eve, they had spent every moment together.
That was the issue, she had only realized after her little episode in the Headmistress' Office. Even though she had already known that she was dependent on Harry, she had never before realized exactly how deep that dependence ran even with just little things. It was one thing to have sobbed as much as she had that one morning when she couldn't help thinking about Harry drinking that Draught of Living Death. It was another to have gotten worried like she did upstairs for something that was more than likely so much smaller than that.
She gave a tiny smile and huffed a bit. She would have to tell all this to Harry. Maybe him knowing that she was just as completely dependent on him as he felt towards her could help to lessen his own worries in that regard.
At that moment, the gargoyle statue began moving. Hermione stepped further away from the entrance, checking her wristwatch to see that about ten minutes had passed since she first came down here. And a second later, Harry walked out of the door.
When he turned his head to the left and saw her, he smiled for a moment and moved to stand only a step away from her. Then, concern filled his eyes before he asked, "So, are you still alright?"
She smiled before replying, "I am, Harry. I gave you a promise, remember?"
He smiled again as he said, "I haven't forgotten. Still, I just wanted to make sure."
She couldn't help chuckling for a moment. Then, she took a deep breath and said, "I also realized why I got worried upstairs, when you wanted to be alone to talk to the headmistress."
He grew a bit puzzled and curious. "What is it?"
She replied with a question of her own. "You remember telling me in the Quidditch stands about how worried you were when it comes to being so dependent on me?"
He just silently nodded.
"Well," she continued, "it turns out that, even with more comparatively little things, I'm just as dependent on you. And since we've spent almost literally every moment together since Christmas Eve, I got worried when you wanted to talk to someone else about an issue without me there."
She then placed her left hand on his cheek. "So, you're not alone when it comes to worrying about your dependency on someone else."
As she dropped her hand, he gave her an affectionate smile. It turned more playful after a second, though, before he said, "I guess it's good that you and I said at my parents' grave that we were stuck with each other, since we both seem to be a couple of basket cases in this regard, don't we?"
She couldn't help giggling for a second before replying, "As long as you're my basket case and I'm yours, that's all that matters."
He tenderly responded, "You're so much more to me, Hermione. So much more."
She gave her own loving smile. "And you are to me as well, Harry."
He stepped a bit closer and pulled her into a hug. They remained like that for a few seconds before pulling away.
Once they did, Hermione thought back to the reason why she was waiting down here and then asked, "So, did you sort out everything you needed to with Professor McGonagall?"
A large smile lit Harry's face at that moment. It almost seemed unintentional but instinctive, since he quickly sobered up before saying, "Not quite everything, but since what couldn't be sorted was something that just requires more time before I can get a definitive answer, things did still go so much better overall than I was expecting."
She blinked in surprise for a second and then replied, with a hint of confusion, "Well, that sounds great that it went well for you. But what was the issue in the first place?"
The ghost of a smile she could see him fighting to keep down told her that he was definitely hiding something. But his reply was, "Well, let's just say that if all goes well, I'll get to have a great surprise for you later."
Hermione tilted her head in complete bafflement. "A surprise? What do you mean?"
His eyes and expression became pleading again as he quietly said, "Just trust me, please? I don't want to give you any false hopes now if it turns out that nothing can solve the last part of my issue. You'll definitely know if things do end up working out, I promise. Just give me time, OK?"
Well, she at least knew that it related to her in some manner. And it certainly must have been important to him if he didn't want to say any more at this point unless he basically had good news. While she was even more intrigued about whatever took place upstairs, she would stick to her faith in him.
With that, she replied, "I do trust you, Harry. Whatever amount of time you need before you either tell me things didn't work out as you'd hoped or you spring this surprise on me, I'll keep waiting until whenever it is that you're ready."
He smiled and pulled her into another hug. Then, he whispered, "Thank you, Hermione. I love you."
She whispered back to him, "You're welcome, Harry. And I love you, too."
This time, they hugged for a minute before pulling away, with her placing her hand on his cheek again before completely separating.
When they did, Harry let out a little sigh. "Well, are you ready to get back to more of a normal school routine tomorrow, with classes and studying again?"
With her own sigh, Hermione reluctantly replied, "If I had a way to stop time and just make this day last for as long as I wanted, I might just use it."
She then gave a small smile. "But… life must go on, right? And as long as we remain by each other's side, I know that we'll come out ahead of whatever may happen."
He quietly chuckled and then responded, "I don't doubt you for a moment, Hermione."
Her smile widened as she wordlessly nodded. For a few seconds afterwards, they simply gazed at each other.
Then, Hermione became more serious and said, "What do you say we go back to the common room? We can work on a letter to my parents and tell them about this ball, since you and I will need formal attire, as well as our decisions to commit to working towards teaching here at Hogwarts. And Mum could even help out with learning to dance. She learned at an early age because of her family background, and she taught dance steps to Dad when they were younger, and then to me once I was old enough and asked her to teach me when I was in primary school."
She added more thoughtfully, "Maybe that letter will take the rest of the day, since I would like to have it ready to send off to Mum and Dad by tomorrow."
Harry nodded but then replied, "Would you mind if we actually each made our own letter to them? I like to think they would appreciate a gesture like that from me, after everything they did for me."
Another loving smile graced her face. "You know, you're right. I bet Mum and Dad would be outright thrilled that you would feel comfortable enough with them to send them a letter of your own."
With that, she gave a happy sigh and said, "Come on then. Let's go work on those now."
Harry silently chuckled and then nodded his assent.
With that, they began their walk back to Gryffindor Tower. While they didn't hold hands as they walked side by side this time, neither did they even feel the need to, and the two simply enjoyed the intimacy of being next to each other.
Hermione couldn't help thinking once more about how this was what an ideal relationship should be. Being comfortable enough with one another that the two of you enjoyed being together even when neither of you were saying a word. Trusting one another enough to talk out issues with each other whenever something would be wrong, rather than remaining quiet to let them stew and boil over to the point of being hurtful. And knowing that each of you place your heart in the hands of the other, and you would both do all in your power to never break those hearts.
With a smile in her mind, Hermione gave thanks once again for everything that allowed her and Harry to be in the position they were today. No matter how many times she did so, it would never truly be enough to express her gratitude towards being in a loving relationship with her best friend.
A/N: As the chapter title suggests, things are indeed taking shape, with this chapter basically confirming the next big event with the reveal that the anniversary ball will happen. And as there are only so many ways that one could say "Harry and Hermione go to class and study for exams," in-story time will almost certainly be passing more quickly to get to that new event in comparison to how long the holiday break has lasted chapter-wise.
Hopefully, the little reminiscence and bit of insight into why and how the Death Eaters were wiped out, as well as the missing Hogwarts students in conjunction with that and other parts of the war, was enjoyable and/or sensible. I also hope that the method I came up with regarding how one earned the Dark Mark makes sense. Considering how we get no information in canon about how specifically a Death Eater could receive the Mark, it seemed to me that it needed to be something cold-blooded enough that one could conceivably receive a death penalty for those actions alone that were taken to get the Mark. I figured that an extended torture session plus murder might theoretically fit that bill.
Thank you to all that have read this far or given reactions to the story! And I hope you stay tuned for more!
