Disclaimer: I do not own anything in the Harry Potter Universe
The Burrow was in a flurry, trying to get ready to leave for platform 9 3/4. It seemed it did not matter what time we got up in the morning, because there was always the same last-minute rush in order to get to the train in time. I was aware of the fact that I was a guest in this house, no matter my connections to Ron, and so I was ready to go almost an hour before we were due to leave. I knew the boys would be struggling and so I made my way to Ron's room to check up on them.
"Harry, Ron, I'm coming in." I announced myself. There had been too many times in the past where unannounced visits had been left in embarrassment.
"Come in 'Mione." Ron grumbled. That wasn't a good sign.
Pushing open the door, I was met with the sight of clothes strewn everywhere, Ron had only half of his uniform on and so sign of Harry.
"Where is Harry?" I looked to Ron who was desperately searching through his trunk.
"Right here." I looked towards where I heard Harry's voice and found him crawling out from underneath his bed, brandishing a sock triumphantly.
"You guys look like you need some help. Ron what are you looking for?" I started gathering up some clothes.
"My charms book." He grunted.
"Okay, well, have you forgotten that you are a wizard?" He gave me a sour look.
"Just Accio it." I sighed. A look of realisation crossed his face and he stood up, wielding his wand like a sword.
Realising that my presence was no longer needed, I left to go back and wait downstairs. Those boys, for trouble makers, seemed to need a lot of reminding that they were now old enough to use magic outside of school. Shaking my head, I saw Ginny levitating her trunk downstairs.
This is going to be a magical year. With the defeat of Voldemort behind us, we can move on and finish our education as the teenagers we are supposed to be and not war-hardened heroes. Ginny would be joining us in seventh year, which meant that last years sixth and seventh years would be combined to make a larger than normal graduating class. It was going to be a struggle, knowing that they are gaps in our ranks that were the result of the war but we will all have each other to lean on.
Ginny smiled softly at me as if what I was thinking was written right across my face.
"Chin up 'Mione. They bought us the rest of our lives. We can repay them by living it."
"When did you get so wise, Gin?" I asked, rhetorically.
A look crossed her face that answered my question.
Sounds from the stairs above us broke us out of our reverie. Harry and Ron had finished their packing quickly with the aid of magic and were now rushing down the stairs in the only way teenage boys can.
The rest of the morning passed in a blur, as we said our goodbyes and apparated to Hogsmeade directly, as per the directions of our new Headmistress.
Looking up at the school, that was once a second home but now also a reminder of bad memories, you could barely tell that half of it had been destroyed only a few months ago. The professors and many of the surviving British wizarding population had chipped in to rebuild it to its former glory. Harry, Ron and Ginny had also helped with the repairs, while I had spent the summer pouring over the tombs from the school library. I was helping members of the wizarding history preservation team, making copies of all the texts so as thousands of years' worth of information would not be lost if something tragic happened to the library in the future. That threat was all to present last year. I felt particular sadness at this and made it a personal goal in the future to help the wizarding world go digital. There was potential to do amazing things with technology and magic combining.
My thoughts had taken the walk up to the castle, ascending the stairs a little behind Ron, Harry and Gin. We made a beeline through to the Headmistress' office. Stopping at the gargoyle, Harry gave the password (ginger newt) and we soon stood in her office. We weren't the only ones called in early apparently.
In the room already stood Neville, Luna, Dean, Seamus and Hannah Abbott. Looking around, I found Professor McGonagall sitting behind her desk. I couldn't help but notice the differences between the office now and when I had last seen it. Gone were all the strange trinkets that dotted about the room. Now all the walls were lined with books and in the main room stood comfy couches surrounding a small table with tartan tins covering the surface. Further up was the Professor's desk and behind that, the pensive.
Smiling I joined the others in greeting our friends.
"It seems that we are only waiting on three more people." Professor McGonagall said, looking up from the papers in her hands. Standing she continued.
"Take a seat and help yourselves." She gestured to the tartan tins, once opened, were filled with ginger newts.
Less than a minute later, the door to the office opened again. The person who walked through was the last person I expected to see. Harry and Ron must have thought the same, swiftly standing up and whipping their wands out to face the newest addition to the room.
"Malfoy, the gall of you to show your face here again." Ron spoke savagely. Harry stood stoically beside him.
"Messers Potter and Weasley. Put yours wands away immediately." McGonagall scolded.
In those moments, two other people had followed Malfoy into the room; Blaise Zabini and Pansy Parkinson. All three looked nervously around the room, seeming smaller than I had ever seen them.
"Now that you three are here, I can address why I've called you here." Professor McGonagall said, suggesting there was no room for arguments.
"I regret to say this year is probably not going to be as easy as you had imagined. With all of you as pinnacle people in the war, there are going to be a lot of people watching you. Which is why I need to ask you to set an example to the rest of our population here at Hogwarts as to how we are to mend and progress. There is no use returning to our previous prejudices." She paused to send pointed glances in Harry, Ron, Malfoy and Blaise's directions. "This is my one warning to you, I will not tolerate it. Moving on, there will be no heads or prefects this year. The other members of staff and I thought it would be best to leave one year for you to recover and have some semblance of no responsibility before you are thrown into the world waiting outside these walls." She paused again waiting for the complaints.
I couldn't help but agree with her. We all had so much on our shoulders over our childhood, specifically over the last year, that having a breather would be best for everyone.
I could feel all eyes on me, as I thought.
"What?" I asked, looking around.
"C'mon 'Mione? You seriously don't have anything to say about that? You've been after Head Girl since first year?" Ginny said from my side.
"Yes, but I agree with Professor McGonagall." I said, smiling softly at her. Professor McGonagall gave me a small smile as well.
"To continue, that does not mean that I don't still expect exceptional behaviour. Now we didn't have quite enough room for all of you back in your old dorms with the double sized seventh year. We expanded the dorms as much as we could but we still didn't have enough room. We decided that you twelve could be trusted to be put in a separate dorm together. We're still not sure we have enough room in the dorms, so you may find that you end up with more roommates later this evening." She levelled us with a glare that dared anyone to say anything against her rooming arrangements.
"Well I best show you to your new dorm. Leave your luggage here, I'll get the elves to bring it later." She swiftly walked out of the room. We all looked at each other before scrambling to keep up with her.
On the fourth floor, she stopped in front of a blank section of wall. She turned to us.
"There weren't a lot of painting prepared to be the keeper of you lot so we found a way around it. The door will only open to an incantation. Quite a simple one really. Hermione perhaps you can demonstrate." She looked at me knowing I wouldn't back down.
"Step up, point your wand at the wall and say ianua revelio. It simply means reveal the door." She almost smirked.
I pulled in a breath.
"Ianua revelio"
An ornate wooden door bloomed from the tip of my wand outwards. Pushing it open, I found a room almost identical to the Gryffindor common room. There were large windows lining one wall, letting in the late afternoon light. A fireplace sat in one corner surrounded by comfy chairs and couches. Dotting around the rest of the room were small tables with chairs, for studying I suppose. It was a mass of different colours, an eclectic collection of different furnishings making it feel lived in and cosy. Everyone else stayed silent waiting for instructions from our Headmistress.
"This is the east tower. At the moment there are enough rooms that each of you have your own rooms, but as I previously said, if we need to move more older students in, that will change. Dinner will be at the usual time, I expect you all to be there." She levelled us with a look that would make even the best of us tremble. "In saying that, take the time to get settled back in and loosen up before classes start tomorrow." She swept out of the room without a backwards glance.
The room was silent. I didn't want to look away from the door McGonagall had left through, knowing the awkwardness and possible fight that was going to break out. I let out an almost silent sigh, my knuckles clenching anxiously, slowly turning to face my peers. Everyone was gathered in a haphazard circle. Ron looked murderous. Harry stood to his side looking anxious, though I couldn't tell whether it was more about Malfoy or Ron. Neville, Luna and Hannah stood together, Luna dreamily looking around the room with her spectrospecs on, Neville and Hannah flicking their eyes nervously back and forth between the Slytherins and Ron. Dean and Seamus stood to the side, tense, ready to spring if a fight broke out. And lastly, Malfoy stood opposite Ron and Harry, closely flanked by Blaise and Pansy. He looked almost handsome without the ever present smirk or sneer gracing his features.
"WINKY!" Ginny suddenly shouted from my side, making me shriek and the rest of the room jump. Everyone's heads turned in her direction, mouths open or eyebrows raised.
With a pop, Winky appeared in the room.
"Y-y-you called, miss?" She was still nervous but not the wreck she had been in our fourth year.
"Yes, could you please get us 12 butterbeers?" Ginny said, moving to sit at one of the larger tables in the room.
"Of course, young miss." With a pop she was gone.
"What are you all staring at? Come sit down. We aren't going to get anywhere staring each other down all afternoon." She said, sighing. She flicked her wand casually as she spoke. No-body was stupid enough to not realise it was a purposeful threat if anyone dared not do what she said.
Everybody sat down and in the next second two pops sounded around the room. Winky was back with another elf, bringing the butterbeers.
"Was there anything else Winky or Bubsy could get you, miss?" Winky shook slightly, still nervous.
"Winky, could you make sure our trunks get here safe from Headmistress McGonagall's office? I could only trust you." I said, hoping that my words would bolster her.
"Oh yes, yes! Of course Miss Granger, miss." With another pop the two elves had disappeared.
"What happened to that awful spew nonsense you were all about in our fifth year?" Malfoy questioned softly from his space slightly away from everyone. I almost spat out my butterbeer at his question.
"Um, well, I can let them be happy in what they are doing while still treating them with respect, rather than treating them as slaves and dirt under my shoes or as poor beings that need my help to be set free." I gave a small smile, "By the way it was S.P.E.W, the Society for the Preservation of Elvish Welfare, not spew." Harry and Ron laughed at my words, a little of the tension releasing from the room. Even Malfoy smiled. It suited his features.
"Now, lets set out ground rules and talk all this shit out, because I am not going to spend my final year caught up in petty squabbles." Ginny said, pushing her empty mug out of the way, leaning her elbows on the table.
"Agreed. I say the first rule would be to not bring up last year. Especially in arguments." An almost unnatural silence set over the room at my words. "We are not going to disrespect the dead by ignoring them, what I mean is we do not bring up each other's parts in it. McGonagall would not just let anybody come back into the school so we aren't going to judge." I could see the grateful stares from Blaise and Pansy. Malfoy was blank. "And, if we can't say anything nice, then we won't say anything at all." I gave pointed looks to the hot-headed Gryffindor boys. With my piece said, I sat back.
"Can I suggest one?" Blaise spoke up. Ginny nodded.
"Our rooms are off-limits unless invited in." Everyone around the table nodded in agreement.
I quickly pulled out a piece of parchment and some ink from my satchel. I wrote a big RULES at the top and started numbering.
"What are you doing Hermione?" Hannah asked, soft as ever.
"I think it would be best if we wrote down these and all of us signed at the bottom. We could then hang it up on one of the walls as a reminder. And don't worry, I'm not going to nor have I already charmed the paper." I said, quacking writing down the first two rules. Everyone that was in Dumbledore's Army, chuckled.
"Might I make a rule?" Luna's soft voice sounded out, her eyes now facing Ginny and I. Ginny nodded again.
"I think we should write a nice note to someone else in our dorm once a week, anonymously." She smiled, her eyes sparkling in a way that reminded me of our old Headmaster.
"Um, Luna, I don't think that should be a rule. Maybe its just something we can do voluntarily." I said, picking my words carefully, so as not to offend.
"No Hermione, I think it's brilliant actually. It would help create positive relationships so we don't drive each other mad all year." Ginny said turning to look at me.
"Gin, are you mad? I agree with Hermione." Ron said.
"How about we take a vote?" Hannah said before an argument could break out between the siblings.
"All for Luna's suggestion, hands up." She said. Luna, Hannah, Neville, Ginny, Dean, Blaise, Harry and Malfoy all raised their hands. I was in shock.
"Well, Hermione, looks like you need to write that one down." Hannah giggled. Utterly baffled, I started writing on auto pilot.
"Anyone else got rules they want to add?" Ginny asked, a grin on her face. The group shook their heads.
"Okay so, we should all sign the bottom of this and if anyone comes up with others that you would like to add, we can vote on it and add it then." Ginny said with finality.
When the last person had finished signing more pop's sounded around the room. Winky and some other elves had brought their luggage.
"Miss Granger, miss, Headmistress said that you would likes it if Winky asked other elves to help to get it done quicker." She looked down, shaking and wringing one of her ears.
"She was right Winky, I like it very much. Thankyou." I smiled gently down at the small elf. She grinned before popping away with the other elves. Turning around, I found my trunk and started to take it upstairs.