Chapter Four: Parting Ways
Hermione hadn't been so terrified of the scarlet steam engine since her first year. The chatter was indistinguishable, pressing on her ears, and she felt a strong sense of unease as the crowds pushed in around her. With a deep breath, she turned to her mother. The words to speak would not form.
"Don't worry about your father," Mrs. Granger said kindly, brushing a strand of hair behind Hermione's hair. "He's just going to take awhile to come to terms with what's happened."
Hermione nodded, though her crossed arms betrayed her uncertainty. "What about owl post?" she asked, remembering a particular conversation she'd had with her father about whether owls were allowed anywhere near their house. He was not so wrapped up in this plot to make any serious efforts to stop Pig from reaching Hermione's window with letters from Ron, Harry, and Ginny, but Hermione could tell his patience was wearing very thin.
"I'll take care of it," she assured her.
"I wish you didn't have to. I thought he'd be okay by now," Hermione muttered.
Her mother did not reply for several moments. "He has a lot on his plate. It'll take awhile for him to process everything that's happened."
Hermione looked away, arms still folded. The wall between Platform 9 ¾ and the Muggle world was flashing in and out with every new family that entered. She somberly watched for a particular mop of red hair she knew would never come.
"You'll be alright, dear," her mother said softly, seeing where Hermione was looking and pulling her into a tight embrace. "If it's meant to be, the distance will only make you stronger."
Hermione laughed ruefully to herself. "Am I that obvious?"
"Only because I'm your mother."
They smiled at each other before breaking apart. Hermione threw a half glance at the portal again and felt her heart skip when she caught a glimpse of flaming red hair. But it was only Mrs. Weasley and Ginny who hurried over and her spirits dimmed slightly. She greeted Ginny with a smile anyway. The two mothers shared slightly uncomfortable glances, no doubt recalling their previous meeting at the Burrow and its awkward ending.
"Glad to see you here, Cecilia," Molly said brightly before turning hurriedly to Ginny. "Now you're sure you've got everything? All your robes, your books? If you forgot, just send one of the school owls and we'll get it up to you."
Ginny gave Hermione a look of defeat as her mother squeezed her tightly.
"Now don't think you have to be a hero or anything this year, Ginny dear, there's certainly no need. Please, just focus on your studies. One year. It'll do a wonder on my nerves."
"Yes, Mum," Ginny said, trying not to laugh.
Hermione grinned at her as her own mother gave her another quick hug and a kiss on the top of her head. Ginny smiled back and then jerked her head, eyebrows raised knowingly, looking pointedly over Hermione's shoulder.
"Hey," came a voice from right behind her.
Hermione spun around to see Ron standing there, hands behind his back, a smile pulling at the corner of his mouth, held back only because its propriety was uncertain.
"I'll see you at Christmas," her mother whispered with finality, smiling sweetly and backing away, giving Hermione's hand a final squeeze before turning and heading out the platform entrance.
"Umm, I-I wanted to see you off," Ron said quietly.
"We did," said Harry, catching up to them, lugging a massive, regal looking grey owl in its cage. He set the bird down and hugged Hermione before Ginny joined the reunion and the two of them began to talk.
"We were just in Diagon Alley," Ron said, rocking on the balls of his feet as Harry and Ginny walked away, giving both pairs some space. "And I got you…this."
His hands came from behind his back and he offered forth a beautiful large book, hardened leather cover, thick red ribbon precisely in the middle of the book, separating its gold-edged pages. The title was written in extravagant, gold-leafed scrawl.
"A History of Magic: Special Edition in Memory of Bathilda Bagshot," Ron said boldly. "I practically had to sell George my soul to get this for you. I'll be cleaning the toilets in the shop for weeks."
Hermione held it loosely in her hands, completely speechless. The shiny scarlet cover glinted as she turned it over, running her fingers along its decoratively engraved spine.
"I…I figured if you were busy reading that you wouldn't think too much about…about who was and wasn't there," Ron offered.
"I'll have it read within two weeks, you know that," Hermione chuckled, looking up at him as warm tears began to well in her eyes.
Ron did not reply, bending down to embrace her instead. She wrapped her arms tightly around his neck and breathed deeply, trying to hold onto the smell of his hair.
"I'm going to miss you so much…" she whispered.
"First Hogsmeade weekend, I promise."
"That's too far away."
Ron sighed into her shoulder and the tears she'd been building crept out.
"It has to be this way," Ron replied. "If you can't change it, there's no use worrying about it."
The steam engine blew its loud whistle, more harsh and uninviting than ever before. Ron pushed back slightly before a quick, emphatic, parting kiss, as if he were trying to say everything he'd forgotten in that one moment. The kiss ended abruptly and with a sheepish downward glance, he picked up Crookshanks cage and the handle of Hermione's trunk. Hermione turned to climb the steps and Ron handed off the items to her, gently brushing her hand as Crookshanks' cage passed between them. When the trunk was on the step beside her, he gripped her hand tightly. The train began to move and as it did so, their fingers slowly parted, though it felt to Hermione as if half her heart were being painfully ripped from her and left on the platform with him.
Hermione tried to ignore the aching in her chest as she bit her lip tightly and waved at Ron, and then Harry as he joined. She couldn't stay on the step for much longer as the train picked up speed, so she tore her eyes away from them and entered the carriage, just as the train turned the corner. Fighting back tears she pushed her way through the tight aisles, looking for a compartment where she could be alone. Ginny popped her head out of one and smiled faintly at Hermione.
Hermione hardly managed to return the gesture as she entered the compartment, deciding to find some alone time later. She set her gift from Ron on the seat across from Ginny and Crookshanks beside the large grey owl which let out a royally resentful hoot.
"From Harry?" Hermione asked in a cracked voice, nodding at the owl as she lifted her trunk overhead.
Ginny peered up at the owl and let out a small sound of affirmation. "Eros, after the winged Greek God of love." She laughed quietly to herself.
"How did you do it last year, Ginny?" Hermione asked after a small pause, her voice muffled as she tried to hold back the tears she knew were coming. She hoped she wouldn't have to explain what 'it' was, because she was not sure she could do it without becoming upset.
The girl looked into her lap, fidgeting. After awhile she said, "I kept busy, you know, fighting the way things were at Hogwarts. I knew I'd hear about it if anything had happened to Harry, so that kept me optimistic." She paused and shrugged, turning now to the window. "It was still hard at times, though."
Hermione did not respond, slumping into the seat and pulling the book towards her. It crackled as she opened it, the sound of a new book being read for the first time. With a gentle hand, she gripped its crisp pages and rifled through them, faster and faster until a small breeze kicked up the smell of a new book to her. She could always tell a good book by the way it smelled. The pages stopped moving and fell open at the crease in the center, the long red ribbon placed unassumingly in the center of the large volume, along with a cream, folded piece of parchment.
Her breath stopped in her throat as she stared down at the piece of paper. She was sorely tempted to open it, but restrained herself, knowing if she read it now she would surely succumb to tears. Instead she turned back to the first page and began to read. The urge to cry dried slowly as she forgot all around her but what was contained in the annotated biography of Bathilda Bagshot. Only when the door slid open did Hermione look up.
"Hi," Neville said shyly, stepping into the compartment and taking a seat beside Ginny, who was gazing out the window. "Have a good summer?"
"Decent. Are you going back to school, Neville?" Hermione asked curiously, closing the book and sitting up.
"Well, not exactly. Professor Sprout asked me back as her Herbology assistant. I'll be sort of like, like an apprentice or assistant professor or something."
"That's wonderful, Neville!" Hermione exclaimed, grinning. "You'll be brilliant."
He blushed slightly, the redness in his cheeks highlighting a few of the scars left on his face from the previous year. "Gran was really pleased when I told her."
They paused long enough to order a pile of sweets from the trolley as it passed, and as Neville munched on a licorice wand, he continued. "Luna is Head Girl, you know," he said. "And they made Zacharias Smith Head Boy."
"Coward," Ginny scoffed, still watching the countryside pass.
"Yeah, that's what I thought when I heard," Neville muttered, moving onto a box of chocolate frogs. "But they made Malfoy a Prefect, after all…Hermione, are you still a Prefect?"
Hermione shook her head. "But Professor Flitwick, the new Deputy Headmaster, told me in my Hogwarts letter I still get to use the nice bathrooms. And now that Ginny's Quidditch Captain, she can too." They grinned at each other, remembering a particularly exciting letter exchange that summer. Moments passed as they fell into a brief stretch of silence. "Did anybody else come back?" Hermione asked Neville finally.
He swallowed his chocolate, and said, "Dean did. Seamus went on to the Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes at the Ministry. They need a lot of extra hands to fix up all that's happened. Lavender ended up at the Ministry too, in the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. And Parvati is doing sort of what I am, except in Divination for Trelawney. She's sitting in a compartment with Dean right now. I was just in talking with them."
Hermione felt a vague sense of contentment at hearing the news. It was satisfying to hear a sense of normalcy in what the others were up to, and also comforting to hear there were at least a couple others who'd remained at school.
"Where are Harry and Ron? Didn't they come back?" Neville inquired suddenly.
"Ron's working at his brother George's joke shop," Hermione said quietly, her voice cracking slightly. "And Harry is helping in the Auror department, getting it back on its feet."
"Oh," Neville said with sudden comprehension. Then with a bit of tenderness, he continued, "It must be hard for you. You three are never apart."
"It'll get better," Hermione replied with great effort, pulling the book back up to her face in attempt to end the conversation politely.
Neville nodded in understanding and turned to Ginny, engaging her in a conversation about his summer. Hermione continued to read as Ginny and Neville lapsed into silence, and they remained that way until it was time to change into their school robes. Darkness settled uneventfully as the train pulled up to Hogsmeade Station. Hermione did note, however, that the utter uneventfulness of the train ride to Hogwarts was an event in and of itself.
As they piled out with the other students, Hermione was greeted by Hagrid's familiar voice summoning the first years.
"Evenin', Hermione," Hagrid said, giving her a warm smile. "Glad to have you back. Can I expect you for tea this Friday?"
"Of course, Hagrid," Hermione replied, returning the smile.
"And o' course, Ginny and Neville'd be invited as well. Always up for comp'ny!"
"Thanks, Hagrid," Ginny said, coming up alongside Hermione, her new owl balanced carefully on her trunk.
"And who's this?"
"Eros," Ginny answered proudly. "Harry gave him to me. He's our owl."
"Ah, well, he's a real beaut, that one. Y'know, I was the one who got Hedwig for Harry. Shame she passed...But anyway, you two best get to the carriages. Firs' years, o'er here!" He waved his great arm over his head, lifting the lantern a little higher.
Hermione and Ginny continued on but as they neared the carriages, they stopped abruptly at the sight. Dean, Neville, Parvati, and Luna were all in a carriage together, the carriage itself attached to two enormous winged horses, black as the night sky, leathery skin drawn taut over their skeletons. Hermione's heart beat faster in her chest as she stared at the monsters she'd never before been able to see.
"Thestrals," Ginny said solemnly.
Hermione did not want to dwell on her new ability to see them. Images of Fred and Lupin and Tonks lying dead on the floor in the Great Hall began to swim in her mind and she forced them away, gripping more tightly to the book within her hand. She and Ginny clambered into the carriage.
"They're frightening, aren't they?" Parvati said somberly.
"They're actually quite gentle creatures," Luna interjected, staring with wide blue eyes at her, causing the girl to look awkwardly away. "Hermione, Ginny, Neville, and I flew on some once."
Parvati and Dean turned with amazement to them as the carriage began to move.
"I thought that was just a rumor," Dean exclaimed.
"Well, it wasn't…it wasn't so frightening then, because Ginny and I couldn't see them," Hermione offered. "Though, I guess…well, it was sort of frightening that we couldn't see them because we were flying on invisible things, and flying is terrifying in and of itself, so I suppose it was a bit frightening. But they aren't so bad, really... "
"Ginny, I heard you were made Quidditch Captain," Luna said in a low voice, entirely changing the subject to Hermione's relief. "That's really exciting. You get to use the nice bathrooms now, don't you? Father was very pleased when he heard I was Head Girl, though we were both surprised. I thought for sure it would be you or Hermione."
"Well we're glad it's you, Luna," Ginny replied. "You deserved it just as much as Hermione and I."
They continued in sporadic chatter until they reached the castle. Filing out of the carriages, they passed the winged horses with an impulsive shudders as the animals snorted and beat their hooves. The Entrance Hall was completely unrecognizable from the previous May, and made Hermione recall her original sense of awe upon entering the castle as a first year. The stone walls seemed brand new, the torches and portraits more cheerful than she remembered from the previous couple years. When they entered the Great Hall and sat down the utter splendor became all the more obvious. A perfectly clear night sky with a perfect full moon shone in its enchanted ceiling; hundreds of lit candles hovered above them; brilliant, ornate tablecloths covered the four house tables in their respective colors. Banners of purple and gold hung from the rafters and the house point hour-glasses glinted with new stained glass and polish. The floor-to-ceiling windows opened up to a beautiful view of the crisp summer night. Hogwarts Castle was determined to come back with more grandeur than ever before.
The staff table was filled with familiar faces and a few new ones. One was a very old woman with a beaked nose and spectacles that fell clear to the end of it. She had beady brown eyes and a haughty expression, but her facial expression was betrayed as she laughed at something Slughorn had just shared with her. There was also a middle-aged man with sharp cheekbones and a pointed chin, speaking with Professor Vector with a very serious look on his face. And finally a younger woman, cheerful as she chattered away with Professor Sinistra. Hermione began to ponder their job placements but was interrupted as the doors burst open and the first years waltzed in, Professor Flitwick in the lead.
Everyone hushed up as the children huddled in and the sorting hat was placed upon the stool. It sprung to life as Flitwick stepped away, squirming as its usual tear opened. After a single moment of trepidation, it began its annual tune.
Nearly a millennia ago
Four founders made this school
They enchanted me to do their will
And each year I sit upon this stool
I'm meant to put you in the house
Where seven years you'll live
With your new family of sorts
About which I have these words to give
Gryffindor, where bravery is fierce
Ravenclaw, with wit enough to pierce
Slytherin, with sheer determination
Hufflepuff, loyalty owed admiration
But despite your house and your perceptions
Or whatever you may think
Your thoughts are likely misconceptions
Take note! Prepare your quill and ink
Hogwarts is more than brick and mortar
More than portraits, more than torches
These walls contain ardent supporters
Of justice and its noble forces
Though there is nothing that can teach
Such idealism of youth
These righteous goals remain in reach
With keen pursuit of truth
So though these houses separate
Do not let them isolate
For there are some things we all seek:
Equality to end the hate
Bravery to protect the meek
Ambition to help motivate
Intelligence with which to speak
And thus the world the child sees
Becomes the world all magic needs
A world of peace and happiness
Where origin of blood means little
And relationships are never fickle
Where houses are always but a label
And every student is forever capable
Of demonstrating courage, kindness
Ambition, wit, and open-mind'ness
So while at school remember this
To avoid another wizard gone amiss
Keep in mind the foremost goal
Hogwarts is only but a whole
Of all its little parts.
The hat stopped. A heavy silence hung in the air afterward, the hall thick with the poignant moment. Flitwick's small voice pierced the silence after several minutes had passed.
"Let the sorting begin!"
Hermione turned to Neville and Ginny and whispered, "Came up with a bit of a different message this year, didn't he?"
"Anders, Natalie!"
A short little girl with a heart-shaped face tripped over her robes, stumbling up to the stool. The hat fell clear over her head of dark brown hair and declared the girl a Ravenclaw almost immediately.
They watched as an entire new generation of students was sorted. A Shannon Bergman, April DaWalt, and Jacqueline Harrison became the first three Hufflepuffs. Andrew Keegan and Therese Young were welcomed by thunderous applause as they was sorted into Gryffindor. Maria Flurry became the second Ravenclaw, followed by an Elizabeth Keller, Katherine Haider, and Steven Dyreson. Rachel Biancofiore was the first Slytherin sorted and then Alex Lien and Theodore Bartley.
Hermione was not paying much attention. She felt disconnected from this new group of students. They had little idea of what had happened at the school they year before, and she knew they would be attending a very different Hogwarts than the one she had. Aside from that, they seemed much more like children than the years before. It was difficult to imagine she was ever so small.
Her thoughts disappeared, however, when Professor McGonagall stood up to speak.
"Good evening, and welcome to your next year at Hogwarts. It is my honor to serve as your new Headmistress. As I'm sure many of you are aware, it is a wonder this castle is still standing. So before we begin, I would like to give a special award of recognition to those responsible for this school's continued existence. I'm pleased to present the following awards for Special Services to the School to Miss Hermione Granger, Miss Ginny Weasley, Miss Luna Lovegood, and Mr. Neville Longbottom for, as the sorting hat so eloquently stated, their keen pursuit of truth and justice. Please stand."
Hermione's stomach fluttered violently as she, Ginny, and Neville all stood. The hall was bursting with applause around her and the others as they waved at Luna. The girl didn't seem terribly troubled by the attention, gazing placidly instead at the stars dancing across the ceiling.
"Also, the same award to a Mr. Harry Potter and Mr. Ronald Weasley, who did not return to school in order to pursue their various talents in getting caught up in trouble—namely, the Auror department of the Ministry of Magic and a joke shop."
The students laughed lightly and applauded all the same, Hermione and the rest passionately joining in as they took their seats.
"Today I'd also like to introduce you to three new professors. Professor Goshawk, though most of you will know her as the author of the Standard Book of Spells."
The woman with the beady eyes and the beaked nose stood, nodding politely at the crowd as they clapped.
"She will be taking over my position as Transfiguration professor, graciously returning from her retirement. Thank you, Miranda. Second, we have Professor Gwendolyn Harris, taking over the post as Muggle Studies professor."
Applause was awarded to her as well as the woman stood, beamed broadly, waved, and sat again, tucking her long golden hair behind her back.
"And third, Professor Gawain Robards. He was head of the Auror department before things took a turn for the worse. But he's now back and ready to take over as Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. Thank you, Gawain."
The man with the sharp cheekbones stood and peered sternly out at the students.
"We look forward to an indubitably un-thrilling year back," Professor McGonagall said with a sheepish grin, to which all except the first years laughed appreciatively. "There is not much more that I can say," continued the old woman, "that the Sorting Hat has not already said. Except, let the feast begin."
\\*//
Hermione lay silently in her bed, as the clock neared midnight, her wand lit. She flipped slowly through the pages of her new book, letting herself feel the paper as it passed through her fingertips. It fell open again to the center ribbon and the crisp piece of parchment she'd nearly forgotten.
She checked over her shoulder to make sure the other girls were sleeping and when she saw they were indeed fast asleep, Hermione lifted the note from her book and opened it tentatively, unsure what she would find written within…