Ch 45: Early October Day at Hogwarts

It was a beautiful early October morning at Hogwarts. Hermione had floo'd up to the school early that morning to meet with Sally Sparrow to review some of her recent readings. While they weren't meeting until 9, she was hoping to get to visit briefly with Rose who she hadn't seen since putting her on the train a month before. She stood in the hallway near the entrance to the Great Hall where Neville had assured her he would have Rose at 8 am. She stood looking at one of the tapestries on the all when suddenly she felt the warmth of familiar arms squeezing her from behind.

"I've missed you, Mum," squealed Rose.

Twirling around to engulf her daughter in a fierce hug, she couldn't hold in her grin. "Oh, Rose, I have missed you so much! Let me look at you in your Gryffindor robes. You look so fantastic! I am just so happy for you!"

Rose twirled around proudly to show her mum her whole ensemble. "I thought I'd pop into the Great Hall and grab a couple of muffins and some tea, and then we could sit out in the courtyard to catch up over breakfast. Also – I told Al we would probably be there so he and our other good friend could some say hello."

"That's perfect," beamed Hermione.

Soon the mother and daughter were sitting on a stone wall enjoying the crisp fall air of Scotland and the warms muffins and tea. Hermione was beaming as she soaked in the enthusiasm pouring off of her daughter. She spoke of new friends, her studies and the incredible new life she was living. She was spending a lot of time with the many Weasley cousins, some of the girls from her Gryffindor dormitory, as well as Al and their new friend Scorpius. Hermione was pleased that Rose and Al were making an effort to see each other despite being in the different houses. Soon Al and a young blond boy came through the courtyard and Rose waved them over.

"Hi, Hermione," smiled Al.

"So good to see you, Al," she said as she hugged him.

"Mum, this is our friend Scorpius. He is in Slytherin with Al but the three of us manage to spend a lot of time together in the library and outside of classes."

"I am so pleased to make your acquaintance, Ms. Granger," said the boy quite formally.

"Oh, please, call me Hermione. I am so thrilled I got to meet you this morning. It's wonderful to put a face to the name, Scorpius."

The boy smiled genuinely but uncomfortably. "Rose says you are studying as well. Are you here to meet with some of the professors this morning?"

"Yes, actually. I am meeting up with Sally Sparrow at 9. She has been recommending some history texts for me. I studied a lot of muggle history, but there were a lot of things that were clearly left out which she is helping me fill in. I have to confess I think it is my favorite subject."

Al laughed. "Well, I wouldn't go as far to say it's my favorite subject, but Professor Sparrow is fantastic. She's our Head of House, and we fell really lucky to have her."

Rose nodded in agreement. "She is great. She can make the driest subject come alive."

"Well, we need to go if we are to get up to the astronomy tower on time for our next class. It was so good to see you. Enjoy your time with Professor Sparrow," said Al with a smile.

"Thank you for coming to say hello. Scorpius, it was a pleasure to meet you. I hope you two enjoy your class."

With that the two Slytherin boys rushed off towards their class.

"So nice of them to come by," said Hermione. "Scorpius seems very formal. Are most of the children that polite here?"

Rose laughed. "I think he was nervous to meet you. He comes from a very rich pure blood family apparently. When I explained our story to him he was shocked. I really don't think he'd ever met anyone who grew up muggle before he met me. It has been so odd to see what he finds surprising. Anyway – I am rather confident that you are the first adult he has ever met who asked him to call them by their first name. I don't think he knew what to make of it."

"Oh, well, I didn't mean to fluster him. Just seems rather silly to have them call me Ms. Granger when I am studying the same subjects and have the same teachers, doesn't it?"

Rose giggled again. "I love you, Mum. I have missed your common sense approach to life. We may be witches, but there is something to be said for some good old fashioned muggle common sense!"

"Thanks for meeting me this morning. I know you have to get off to class as well. What do you have this morning?"

"Potions. I know Ron said they had a horrid teacher when he was here, but it's not too bad. And I like being up and working at the cauldron through the class instead of simply listening to a lecture."

"Well – I hope you enjoy it. I'd get in trouble if I didn't give you this package form Ron and Hugo. They both really miss you and would be so cross with me if I didn't hug you for them."

"I miss them too. You'll tell them, won't you?"

"Of course I will. Alright – I know you have to go to get to class. I have missed you so much this past month, but I am so proud of you. And I am so glad we were able to see each other this morning. Give me a big hug as I might not see you 'til next month."

"I love you, Mum. I am proud of you too, you know. I know it's hard to have me gone on top of your work and your studies. You are doing a great job. Hugo writes and tells me how happy he is you are living there now. I hope you are taking some time for yourself and not just fussing over Ron and Hugo all of the time."

"Now don't you worry – they are taking care of me too, you know. Ron is doing most of the cooking, thank heaven, as well as the laundry and such. So, my clothes are all slightly more beige and grey than they ever used to be, but at least they are clean. And Hugo will come and give me a hug when he knows I am missing you. So – the boys are definitely taking care of me. And now I am glad to see that there are different boys here taking care of you. We are definitely lucky girls, huh?"

"That we are, Mum. Ok – I really have to go now."

They hugged their goodbyes and soon each was off to their own lessons. Rose headed up to Sally Sparrow's office. The women hugged their hellos and were soon settled into a fascinating discussion about the role magic had played in the English Civil War. Hermione was shocked when she heard the clock strike 10 am. She had been so captivated by the conversation that she had totally lost track of the time.

"Oh no," she said. "I know you have to go teach. I just love our conversations. I feel like you are the only person I've met in the magical world who is as fascinated by these things as I am."

"Oh Hermione," Sally laughed. "Even in the magical world, you could still call us history nerds."

"I suppose so. Oh, I meant to tell you – Al Potter and Rose and Al's friend Scorpius came by and said hello this morning. They're in your house or whatever it's called, right? Just as polite and formal as can be that Scorpius."

"Oh good, I'm glad you got to see them. It's been wonderful to see a Gryffindor cross house lines to be great friends with Slytherins."

"Ron said it was a big deal for Al to be sorted into Slytherin, but I still don't get the fuss."

"Well, I am not sure you and I could ever truly get it. The house identity is quite strong now, and it is much less now than it was twenty years ago. When Ron and Harry were here it was really fierce, but it also had the overlay of the war with most Death Eaters coming from Slytherin and then, well, then Ron and Harry in Gryffindor."

"So you're saying I need to tone it down and be more understanding, huh?" laughed Hermione.

"I am. Everyone was shocked to see Al Potter end up in my house. But I think it's a good fit. He's quite a natural businessmen, and is always networking and connecting people. Not to mention – I think it's great for him to get to form his own identity. His dad's shoes are pretty huge ones to try to fill."

"Well he seems to have made a good friend the Scorpius boy. Rose laughed when I asked him to call me Hermione. She said she didn't think he'd probably ever met a muggle or had an adult ask him to call them by their first name."

"Oh I am sure she is correct about the name piece. And while I grew up muggle, I think most of them choose to forget that fact on a daily basis. But, Scorpius is a very nice kid. Another example of someone trying to find his own identity and breaking free from his family's historical path. He and Al seem to be good for each other. But, I am not sure how their families will like them being friends."

"What does that mean?"

"Well, obviously I wasn't here, but from what I have read and learned their fathers were more than just house rivals. I think there was some real animosity there."

"Interesting. See – this is the good stuff. How are people not fascinated by how history impacts the present and the future, right?"

"I do believe that, but as my American neighbors used to say, 'you are preachin to the choir on that one, girl.'"

Hermione laughed out loud as Sally slipped back into the American accent of her youth. "Oh I wish I had known you as a child!" Hermione exclaimed.

"Me too," laughed Sally. "I do have to go now, as I have a class in fifteen minutes. Are you up at Hogwarts for the day or heading back to your office now?"

"I don't have to be in court in London until 2 this afternoon, so I thought I would spend some time in the library this morning. I was wanting to learn more about the history of elves. Would Hagrid be helpful with that type of information?"

Sally chuckled. "Uh, no. I don't think Hagrid is probably you're best source for that. He loves magical creatures, but more in the care and feeding sense than in the finer point of historical evolution and roles in society."

"Oh. Ok," said Hermione in a disappointed tone. "Any ideas who would be a good person? Ron mentioned a little bit a few weeks ago about how a free elf saved his life in the war. The whole conversation was surprising to me. I was obviously not aware of elves at all until a few months ago, and then I learned they are basically slaves but then that some can be free. Just seems there is a lot to learn there, and maybe some opportunity for improving things someday, but I need to start to understand what I don't even know I don't know if that makes any sense."

"A free elf saved his life? Huh. That is interesting. I hadn't heard anything about that. I guess there are always some things the history books miss, aren't there. Anyway – let me jot a couple of titles down for you to start with. Madame Pince can help you find these – they are tucked away in the dusty stacks no one ever goes to. Will you still be around about 1130? We could have a quick lunch together before you head back to London."

"Oh yes, I would love that," beamed Hermione. "Shall I meet you back here or by the Great Hall?"

"Well, if you don't mind the irony of it, we can have a house elf bring us lunch up in my apartment. I'll come find you in the library after my class as it is on the way back."

"Lovely. See you soon," said Hermione.

She watched her new friend bustle out the door to teach as she gathered her books and slowly made her way back to the library. As she entered the beautiful hall of books, she caught herself taking a deep breath to enjoy the smell of it. It was an odd combination of old paper, musty books, teenagers in need of baths and something else she couldn't quite place. But she couldn't help but grin as she inhaled what was basically the smell of knowledge.

She stopped and waved at Madame Pince, but she was helping several students, so she made her own way back to the section Sally had recommended. Dangling her fingers across the spines of the texts, she felt a tingling of excitement in her chest. She just loved the amount of information in this space she had yet to discover. Unlike her years at Oxford, she knew these books weren't different approaches to the same information. This was all new to her, and managed to fill in the missing pieces of her education.

She found the books Sally had suggested and found a table near an intricate stained glass window of magical creatures. Seems appropriate, she chuckled to herself. Pulling out a notebook and pen as she still hadn't adapted to the idea of a quill and parchment, she started reading, jotting down notes as she went. She was startled when Sally tapped her shoulder.

"Sally! I thought you had to teach until 1130?"

"It's 1145," laughed Sally. "I take it you are enjoying that book, then?"

"It's 1145? Oh my goodness. Yes, then, I am definitely enjoying this book!"

"Let's stop by Madame Pince's desk. I'm sure she'll let you borrow it. I don't think anyone's read it since I've been here anyway."

Soon the two women had arrived in Sally's apartment where a small house elf had arranged soup, salad and bread on the small table. Hermione was taking in the tiny creature when Sally's voice startled her.

"Thank you, Mipsy. We really appreciate you bringing us lunch. It's nice to have time away from the students some times."

"You is too kind, Miss," smiled Mipsy. "If yous needing anything more just ask for Mipsy and I be right here for you."

"I promise, Mipsy. Now you have a lovely day."

The tiny creature in the tea towel curtsied and vanished in a pop.

Hermione just shook her head in a bit of awe. "So, does Hogwarts own that elf?"

"No," said Sally. "There are a number of elves that when the families they were bound to died with no heirs came to Hogwarts. They and their descendants are at Hogwarts. There are also a few free house elves that are here by their choice. I am not sure how much you've read in the book, but most elves are freed as a form of punishment. It is something of great shame to an elf to no be wanted by their family. Nonetheless, Hogwarts has always taken them in. I believe the headmaster Dumbledore explored some options of paying them, but they were all highly offended by that. So, they stay and more or less work for food and board."

"So strange," Hermione said.

"What, that they more or less like being slave labor?"

"Well, yes, that. But, I was actually thinking about how I would have reacted to this now compared to what I probably would have done if I had been here as a child."

"What do you mean?" asked Sally.

"Well, my years in refugee camps made me grow up, you know. But as a teenager I would have been horrified and probably tried to free these elves. My difficult life lessons forced me to understand there are cultures I may not grasp or value, but that doesn't mean I can force my values or culture on anyone else – human or elf, I suppose. But, surely not all elves are as happy as Mipsy. Are there some sort of laws or protection that help the ones in difficult situations?"

"That's a great question, Hermione. But I am embarrassed to say I really don't know the answer. Now you have my brain working too. I'll have to make some inquiries. You keep reading up on the history, and then maybe we can meet come back to this topic in a month or so to compare what we have learned."

Hermione beamed. "You know, I am so pleased to have you as a friend. You are a nerd and a witch. Great a fabulous combination, if I do say so myself."

Sally laughed. "I was thinking the same about you. It can get feel rather isolated up here some times. It is nice to have someone to learn with – and chat with for that matter."

The two fell into comfortable conversation about reading and schools they had attended as well as their time in the States.

"Oh, did I tell you? Ron surprised me with a trip for my birthday! We are going to Salem next week. He remembered I had mentioned reading about the Salem witch trials as a child. So, he arranged for a long weekend for the two of us to go visit."

"Wow. He sounds like a keeper to be sure," smiled Sally. "Is he interested in history too?"

"Well, I don't really think so. I think he is more interested in me than the Salem witches. But, I appreciate it almost more as it was very thoughtful. If it was for him we'd be off at some quidditch match somewhere," she chuckled.

"I should jot down some names for you. One of my dear friends from Ilvermony works at that museum in Salem, and another runs a fabulous restaurant near there. I'd love it if you sent my love to them. I don't get back to America nearly as often as I would like. Two summers ago I made it back for a history conference, but it was on the west coast, and most if my friends still live in the east."

"I'd love to have some contacts there. It would just make everything ever so much more interesting, you know?"

"Also – you should read this one book, here I know I have a personal copy. It's the best overview of the magical history side of it." With that Sally popped up from the table and headed back into her bedroom, returning with a well worn copy.

Hermione smiled, "Actually, that is the book Ron bought me. So, I read it a few weeks back. It was fascinating. Good to know he bought the right one!"

"Hmmm," Sally smiled, "Ron seems to be great. I've read about him, obviously, but I only met him that one time. You two seem to be a great match."

"Well, I think a lot of people who've read about him in the Daily Prophet or Witch Weekly have no idea who he really is, unfortunately."

"Oh, you're right. That is rubbish. But I was talking about history books and such."

"There are books about him?" Hermione asked, stunned at the very thought.

"Well, yes," said Sally, somewhat shocked Hermione hadn't realized that previously. "You know he's a war hero, right?"

"Yes. Yes, he told me about all of that just after we got together. And I know he's famous and everything, it's just so weird. I still have a hard time thinking of him that way."

"I guess he is extremely lucky to have managed to meet the one witch on the planet who had never heard of him before."

"Well, yes. He's said as much. I think it's refreshing for him to have someone - well really Rose, me, my parents, Hugo, all of us, love him for him and not a perceived public figure or something."

"I can only imagine."

"But- they've really already written history texts on that war? It wasn't too recent?"

"Well, there are many books out there. I couldn't tell you how accurate they all are. My guess is that if you take the one by Rita Skeeter and assume the opposite happened then you are probably pretty close."

"Oooh. Yes. That's the woman who tried to follow us the other week. We realized it before she caught any pictures of us this time, and Ron ended up disguising himself, confronting her and taking her camera. He didn't go into details, but he was clearly not a fan of that woman."

"Are you tempted to read any of the books out there on him now that you know they exist?"

"Huh," thought Hermione. "Not really I suppose. Maybe I'll read some eventually more to understand how other people perceive him. But, it wouldn't be to learn about him or about what happened."

"That makes sense. Sort of makes you wonder about other historical events and how we learn about them, doesn't it?"

"Yes. And to feel sorry for the families of the so called heroes. But that does make me wonder – is the information of that war taught at Hogwarts? I mean- what will the kids learn here about everything? Ron pulled Rose aside before she came so she would know the basics from him. But, should we be sure they know more?"

"That's a really great question. Right now I am teaching it chronologically. So, we don't get to the more recent history until fifth year. And to be fair, we cover the whole thing in just a few lectures, as it is shoved in at the end of the term as the students are frantically preparing for their OWLs. I've been trying to figure out how to get to the more recent material faster, but I haven't solved that one yet. If you have any ideas, I am all ears."

"I promise if I get a major brainstorm I will let you know. But for now, with my unique situation, I am perfectly happy to have it be swept under the rug at the end of fifth year."

Sally laughed, "I don't blame you one bit. And I promise, if something comes up you need to know about, I will be sure you do."

"Thanks. I appreciate that."

"I know you have to get back for court this afternoon. Is it weird bouncing back and forth between the muggle and magical worlds? I mean, I was raised muggle, but I think it would be hard to jump back into a muggle courtroom after being at Hogwarts all morning."

"I guess right now it's all I know. I've loved my work for a long time. I only learned of the magic this year. Actually it hasn't even been a year yet. It may all change eventually, but for now, I need to keep going with my weird double life I suppose. Poor Ron, he's had to learn the muggle life just as I've had to learn the magical one. We are really quite a mess!"

"Well I for one think you are doing a smashing job. Both of you actually."

"Thanks, Sally. I really appreciate it."