Chapter 02: The New Beginning
May 7, 1998
Afternoon
Playing the role she crossly consented to, Hermione Granger found herself watching the late afternoon sky above the fabled Hogwarts Castle that was now in ruins. Vaguely, she could hear Kingsley Shacklebolt making a speech about the worthiness of life and death... and the in-between... and indubitably confronting it today... and in the days to follow... in thousands different ways.
Yes, thousands of more or less wrestling with rage, guilt, shame, desolation, sorrow, anguish, exhaustion… Hermione almost let out a grunt at the absurdity of the thousands of suppositions... But frankly at the moment, it really seemed just one black hole within her— sucking her in with a massive desire to just run away... and escape…
But right now, unforgivingly, escape was beyond her grasp, at least for a little bit more...
Hermione arrived at Hogwarts almost at the last second before the ceremony began, and purposely did so to eliminate being hostage in a conversation with anybody. She was certainly in no mood for pleasantries or platitudes. In fact, she immediately sought Harry, Ron, and Kingsley...proving to them her dutiful appearance for the expected part she needed to play...
Like her, the boys were gunning for a slightly obscure area to stay, or at least blend in the background until they could leave. However, their disinclination on the whole 'Golden Trio' reprisal had been aggravated even more when they were requested (more like instructed) to literally stand side by side like a diorama during the ceremony proper. They were to provide an illustration of this afternoon's message— Embarking together as one into a new beginning.
Nearing the end of her temper but not wanting to make a scene, Hermione gritted her teeth as she caught sight of Harry's face. The increased worry lines on his forehead made her bite back the numerous curses wanting to break out from her lips.
"What is so difficult to just stand over there for you three?"
An idiotic organiser thoughtlessly and stupidly asked. Hermione wrapped her hands around herself tighter to not reach for her wand and hex the idiot, as again she caught Harry's olive eyes and the guilt in them seemed to surface ten-fold. She was really trying hard not to pass more of the burden to him, after everything. Thus, her low strained voice cut the ongoing argument, "Let's get this done" and then allowed themselves to be led to where they were supposed to be displayed.
But then, another idiotic person attempted to get them to give a speech. At this, Hermione vehemently shook her head. And yet, the idiot aggressively pushed it.
"The three of us will walk away right now if you insist," Harry ominously said.
Hermione, who found herself uncapping the hold on her temper, mentally thanked Harry for the non-negotiable push back... Even Kingsley strode to them and asked the Ministry employee to leave it be.
...
Hermione could feel most eyes shifting focus, turning towards them. She deduced that Kingsley had reached the part of his speech about them. Tuning in, she nearly recoiled at hearing his account of three friends partaking in the fight for life, freedom, and the essence of true magic... Not that she found the Minister being untruthful; it was indeed about friends, life, freedom, and magic. But so was the involvement of so many others whose names weren't Harry, Ron, and Hermione... Sure, her brain had read the need for inspiration to rally forward, one the Minister was pushing with all his might... it was just that...the dramatisation is enough to make her puke today's breakfast and lunch, neither of which she had.
As Kingsley continued with his commendation of their roles during the war, Hermione almost let out a humourless laugh at the opposing physical reactions of her best friends. At her right side, she could feel an intensified stiffening tension from Harry... It was a total contrast to Ron's further drooping, who was standing at her left side.
Perhaps out of habit, of looking out for her two best friends, regardless of her wretchedness, very imperceptibly Hermione uttered under her breath the one word, "almost".
She knew that both would catch her mumbling… that they'd understand her meaning, that their sore condition and the absurdity of it all would be over very soon.
Furthermore, letting them know that they were together in it would strangely comfort them. The shared feeling was a comforting and yet disturbing indication of their present state. Nevertheless, it demonstrated perfectly how connected they have become as a bloody trio.
When Kingsley made reference to the "Brains of the Trio", Hermione cemented her stare ahead. She affixed a thicker blanket of nothingness on her face even with the swirling suffocation encasing her... As she managed to be as detached as she could appear from the outside, she noticed once more the clear bright sky bearing down on them. It fuelled the sense of inanity... Madness of having to stand on this ground under such amiable weather for a ceremony of a "New Beginning" towards a lighter world, when barely five days ago, darkness had come on the same ground, destroyed many lives, and trapped everyone in an unbearable cruelty...
For each passing second, it felt like a taunt... and it was snapping at her almost empty reserve of self-restraint, lashing at her to find an escape. To take flight.. To what?.. To where?.. Or to whom?...
'No, don't… don't go there, people are watching you. Do not be caught in your misery, as it will lead to questions you cannot answer.'
Hermione rebuked herself and forced herself to endure for more. She kept her head away from matters rallying inside her heart, as right now was the worst time to let them out.
...
As soon as the proper ceremony ended, and before other people had reached them, Hermione pulled Harry and Ron. She hugged both and in one breath told them, "I need to go now, I'll see you in a few days. I'll be fine."
Ron squeezed one of her hands and Harry gave her a kiss on the cheek; both actions were sufficient responses from her best friends. The support conveyed amongst the three of them was delivered and accepted, a profound testament of their friendship.
Harry and Ron let go of Hermione and tactically shielded her away from the incoming family and friends, from hugs and greetings, and from the general view of other people. Hermione just knew that Ginny would be the first to reach them. Even without looking back, she could picture Ginny embracing Harry and Ron, and then trying to reach for her too. And as Hermione had anticipated, Harry had told Ginny, "Hermione needs to go. Don't follow, Gin." Hermione still did not look back and did not stop. But she could tell that the conveyed message was understood instantly by Ginny. Hermione could even guess how Ginny would shift to a spot, deliberately adding cover to her departure.
With head slightly down, Hermione headed towards the direction of the Hogwarts gate with a steady pace, making her movement soundless so as not to draw attention. Only when she arrived at a far, far clearing where no one was around, when she felt it was safe, did she permit herself to lift her head to take one look at what she just left.
Blurrily, she saw her two best friends surrounded by a lot of people but obviously closely screened in by the red-haired Weasleys. Their human wall for Ron and Harry from the rest of the crowd was unmistakable, but even with that, she felt a sense of relief to be absent from there. And for the lack of any friends pursuing her, she appreciated Harry and Ron's managing to keep everyone's notice away from her leaving.
Hermione shifted her gaze from the direction of her friends to the reason of her postponed departure. For honestly, the reason for pausing was not because she sought to make a final check on her friends. She already knew they'd be alright, as alright as they could be given the circumstances... The truth was, in the throngs of witches and wizards, there was someone— someone she wanted to take an unguarded look at, to stash a bountiful image, and hoard that image in her head before her flight...
Even at such distance, Hermione could not contain her astonishment at the gracious, diplomatic, yet commanding stance and gestures coming from the very subject of her attention. What was more bewildering were the invisible walls that kept everyone out. It seemed that the Wizarding of Britain was all too accustomed to this individual's heavily private disposition and the erected parapets. On more than one occasion, she heard the anecdote that one would have an easier time breaking out of Azkaban than breaching the protective walls of this person... And so not for the first time, she wondered if she'd ever be so lucky as to discover a thoroughly stripped down version of such a character.
'Alright, I have enough of you to feed my mind and last me for sometime,' Hermione thought, and intended to now really leave. She sighed, but then, the very subject of her observation had lifted a pair of emerald eyes in her direction.
And then locked with hers for a moment.
Without question, Hermione was unprepared for the unexpected directness— particularly the lack of impregnable blockades usually employed in those eyes...
Despite the considerable range and despite how it was all too brief, Hermione was entirely positive that for a moment, when those impossibly green eyes had made contact with her own, those unbelievable eyes were free of any barriers… She would know.
For years, perhaps more of the last two years before they left Hogwarts for Harry's quest, Hermione would watch those green eyes fortify the shield to hold everyone out. At first, her curiosity was a by-product of her admiration for such a formidable character. Then it migrated into intrigue, probing if anyone had been given a free pass to these walls. But all the observations led her to a discovery of the variations… different styles for different people… but the walls were always, always present.
Except those few seconds ago.
In that abrupt moment, those emerald eyes had fixated on hers— uncovered. Absolutely naked.
Hermione was regrettably ill equipped to fully receive the effects of those eyes. They were grave, they were pleading, and they were pained. They were also worried and a lot more, she knew, was swirling in there, of which she had failed to discern. They were all too brief and far too much, especially for normally unreadable eyes.
Alas, before Hermione's brown eyes could communicate a question, the far familiar walls had come up... Then emeralds wholly withdrew, and were redirected to the Minister, who was amongst the small circle of wizards and witches they were collected in.
Hermione watched a bit more of the magnificent owner of such brilliant emerald eyes, and again marvelled at the powerful way people were drawn to this person and equally held back. Always the same, you were welcomed to draw near but never be given entry. The walls were too unconquerable.
'Didn't they say that women with the highest walls have the deepest love?'
The arbitrary thought caused an unexpected shudder to pass through Hermione.
"You need to leave now," she mumbled, and berated herself for the gamble in still staying. "Do you want to expose yourself for all Britain's wizards and witches to bear witness?"
The agitation that passed over at the thought of being the laughing stock propelled her to finally exit. When she reached the apparating spot outside Hogwarts, she had convinced herself that somehow she had not completely lost her mind. For the most part, she could still make a sound decision to run away and save herself from humiliation.
It would be an absolute humiliation if anyone found out the gyrating emotions within her soul.
A guaranteed humiliation if anyone could read the longing harbouring in her heart.
A longing invoked singularly by the owner of those emerald eyes, the most venerated witch without a doubt— a witch whose name was Minerva McGonagall.
.
.
.
End of Chapter 02
Year 1998 – The New Beginning
Who else would own such emerald eyes?
