Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts
6th March 2005
Hermione Granger
I woke up early this morning. Nervously, I packed my things, getting ready for Hogwarts. It sort of reminded me of my first time going to Hogwarts, years back. I haven't told Draco about going to Hogwarts: I don't suppose he would mind very much. I'll just leave a note for him. I walked to my desk, picked up a quill and parchment, and wrote:
Dearest Draco,
Hogwarts had offered me a job as a substitute teacher, and I have accepted the offer. I hope you don't mind that I'm leaving on such short notice. Just in case, you know where to find me.
Hermione
I left it on the kitchen counter, somewhere obvious so that he would see it in case he drops by. With a heavy sigh, I shrank my trunks and placed them in my pocket. I walked to my fireplace and threw in a pinch of Floo powder. I entered and cried, "The Three Broomsticks, Hogsmeade!" In an instant, I reappeared in front of the fireplace in The Three Broomsticks.
"Hi," I greeted Rosalind, Madam Rosmerta's daughter.
"Hello, can I get you something?" Rosalind asked.
"Sure. I'll have eggs, sunny-side up. Are the Hogwarts students visiting today?" I asked sweetly.
"Yes, look, here comes a student. It's going to be busy today," Rosalind said while she took the student's order.
"I guess I shouldn't keep you," I told her and found myself a seat where I could enjoy the view of Hogsmeade.
Watching the students playing really made my day. They reminded me so much of being back in school where all I had to worry about was getting my Potions essay done and trying my best not to piss off Professor Snape.
"Are you an ex-student of Hogwarts?" Rosalind's voice asked from behind.
I turned around towards her and smiled.
"Yes, I miss being in school. Something about Hogwarts makes me feel safe and comfortable," I replied.
Rosalind sat opposite me as we continued to stare at the students.
"Yes, I was supposed to go to Hogwarts too, but my mother didn't want me so close to home. She said I was too troublesome so she sent me to Beauxbatons. But as I grew older, I understood why she'd done that."
"And why was that?"
"Publicity. She didn't want every kid in the school running after me and asking for a discount: she didn't want teachers to lessen the punishment for me. I guess she wanted to give me a good memory of my schooldays."
"That's very nice of her."
"Yes. At Beauxbatons, I could sneak out every night without having to worry about stumbling upon my mother!"
I laughed at that comment. I know how it feels; my parents don't read the wizarding newspapers, so I don't have to worry if I'm on the front page of Witch Weekly or the Daily Prophet.
"Those were the days…" I sighed.
"Our days are long over. In school, we don't have to worry about commitment; we don't have to worry about the consequences of falling in love. We fall in love madly, and then laugh about it ten years later, saying it was puppy love. But that kind of love, we would take to our graves."
"I must say I agree with you. Then, we thought we had all the time in the world to get married, have kids, find someone to love and spend the rest of your life with them. But when I woke up this morning, I could hear my clock ticking and I said, 'Time's running out! You'd better get married, or you'll die alone!'"
Rosalind laughed along with me. I hadn't laughed like that in years. It's almost like all those late night talks Lavender and Parvati used to have back in school.
"Well, I should get going. Any second now, this place will be packed!" Rosalind said as she went back to the counter.
I ate my eggs and watched the students play for a while more. Then, I got up and paid my bill. I walked out of the shop and walked right into Hogwarts. A few students were at the Quidditch Pitch playing Quidditch. I stopped for a moment as I watched the Slytherin team play. A blond boy whizzed past and I was reminded of Draco. 'That kind of love, we would take to our graves." Rosalind's voice rang in my head.
Flashback
I giggled as Draco took my hand as he brought me to the dance floor. I gasped as music started to play from nowhere. Well, I've learned not to underestimate the Room of Requirement's power. This was one of the secret dates Draco and I used to have where we would make up some excuse and run off to the Room of Requirement.
"Do you remember how we started?" I asked.
"Of course, at the library. You would sit there for hours reading and reading. And every time, every time I wanted to read a book, it would be in your hands. Every book I needed, you would be holding it. And every time I borrowed a book, your name would be on the 'check out' card," Draco said.
"And one night, after I broke up with Ron, you saw me at the library again. And I wasn't reading. I was just sitting in a corner and crying. And then you picked up a book and left a note at the first page. You were so sure I would pick that book out of the million books in the library…"
"Hogwarts: A History," we said together.
"And in that note, you wrote…" I said.
"Don't linger in you dreams…" Draco whispered, repeating the lines he once wrote.
"Don't run from reality…" I continued.
"The way you are so strong on the outside…" he continued.
"Yet so weak and fragile in the inside…"
"It got me wondering what its like to be you…"
"And I know there must be a lot that you've been through…" I ended with a smile.
"I knew you'd pick that book, because it was your favourite book."
"And when I finished reading that note, surprisingly, I knew that no one except you would've done that for me."
End of flashback
I walked to the place I remembered so well. Seventh floor, opposite the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy being clubbed by trolls. I touched the walls I knew so well.
"Miss Granger!" a voice called.
I turned around quickly and found myself face to face with Professor McGonagall. And my jaw dropped.
"Professor! It's been so long since I've last seen you!" I exclaimed excitedly.
"Of course, you young ones never had time to even write to an old lady like me," Professor McGonagall said grumpily.
"Right, about that," I said sheepishly, but then changed the subject, "When do I start?"
"Right now and I'm pretty sure there's no classroom up here. What are you doing here, anyway?"
"Er… recalling the past?" I lied.
"The past doesn't need to be recalled. Come here, you will be teaching Divination," Professor McGonagall said.
"Oh, no! But… but I haven't a clue about Divination!"
"Learnt your lesson now? Take the class when you should have! Anyways, I was just kidding. I wouldn't let such a bright student like you teach that ridiculous subject!"
I blinked my eyes rapidly. I'm finding it quite hard to keep up with Professor McGonagall. She was talking so quickly.
"Right, here we are! Off you go!" Professor McGonagall said as she pushed me into a classroom filled with students.
"But – but I don't know – I mean…" I said to the closed door.
I inhaled sharply and turned to face the class. I was at the back of the class right now, and I felt like a student running late to Professor Snape's class. I went closer to one of the girls and whispered, "What subject am I supposed to be teaching?"
"Charms," the girl whispered back.
"And you are in what year?" I whispered again.
"First-year, Professor," the girl replied again.
At that point, most of the students were giggling and snickering at me.
"Right!" I said loudly.
The class snapped back to attention. I walked up to the teacher's desk and saw a report there. I found that they had learned most of the spells--the Summoning Spell, Silencing Spell, etc…
"Right! I think we should get to know each other better. I'm Hermione Granger, and I shall be substituting for Professor Flitwick for a month. Is there a Miss Keira Finnigan here?" I said, referring to the list of students.
A hand rose into the air. "I am, Professor Granger."
"And who, may I ask, is your mother?"
"Hannah Abbot, Professor," she replied.
I smiled, seeing my two friends' child who greatly resembled the both of them. Everyone thought Seamus was going to end up with Lavender, but Lavender couldn't get over Ron. Seamus was more like her first lust, not love.
"Next, Mr. Jonathan Thomas?"
A boy smugly raised his hands, and I saw a couple of girls staring at him with the look of lust. I chuckled.
"I suppose you father married Parvati Patil?" I asked, judging by the looks of the boy.
He had Parvati's gorgeous eyes, which was obviously why the girls are virtually drooling over him. The boy nodded and then turned behind him and winked at the drooling girls. He obviously got that trait from his father.
"Hmm… Miss Jacqueline Thomas?" I asked, thinking that they were twins.
A girl raised her hands and my suspicions were clear. They were twins after all. But she was shy, unlike her parents. Though she was pretty much one of the most beautiful girls in the class, just like her mother.
"You have your mother's eyes. And so does your twin brother," I commented and the girl nodded and threw her brother a dirty look.
I smiled, looking at the mini versions of my old friends. I really should plan a reunion party soon. The whole period was spent getting to know the class and I told them about working at the Ministry. At last, the bell rang signifying lunch as students rushed for the exit. I packed my things and walked out of the classroom. As I walked along the corridors, I spotted Jacqueline leaning against one of those walls as she stared at her brother flirting with several girls.
"Jacqueline? What's the matter? Why aren't you at lunch?" I asked.
"Because I don't feel like eating," she answered simply, her behaviour hinting she was far more mature than the average eleven-year-old student.
"Why don't you join those girls?"
"Who wants to join a bunch of stupid girls who drool over jerks like Jonathan?" Jacqueline said.
"Ah…you don't like them just because they drool over your brother?"
"Every time, it's always about Jonathan: Jonathan gets the front seat of the car, Jonathan gets the bigger room, Jonathan gets the better broom. It's not fair!" Jacqueline cried.
"You can make guys drool over you, too," I said with a smile.
"No, I can't!"
"Sure you can, if you let down that hair," I said, taking off the clip she used to pin her hair.
Her long black hair fell, and Jacqueline made no action to stop me from continuing.
"And take off that hairpin," I said, letting her front hair cover her eyes, making her look loads better.
"And try not to carry so many books," I said, taking her stack of books away from her hands.
"Now you're hot, just like your mom!" I exclaimed.
"Thanks," Jacqueline said as she walked towards the Great Hall.
I smiled seeing heads turn in her direction. I entered the Great Hall and took a seat at the teachers table. It felt so odd sitting so high up. I leaned closer towards Professor McGonagall and asked, "Professor, is it okay if I sit with the students?"
Professor McGonagall looked taken aback, but she nodded and said, "I'm sure they wouldn't mind."
I smiled and walked down to the Gryffindor table and took a seat. Jacqueline sat beside me, and several other students asked me why I was sitting down there. I can't remember a day when I smiled so much.
XXX
"Mr. Finnigan! I must ask you to keep your fake wand out of class, or I'll have to take it away!" my voice rang loudly throughout the class.
Jonathan hastily put away his fake wand, which had turned to a rubber duck.
"Now, as I was saying, the incantation for the Levitation Charm is 'Wingardium Leviosa'. Come on everyone, I'd like you to say it out loud!"
"Wingardium Leviosa!" the class chanted.
"Right, you have your feathers and wand. Get to work!" I instructed.
After a while, every student seemed to think that the spell was wrong, and that there was no way it could be performed.
"It just can't be done!" cried a student.
"Impossible!" cried another.
"It's the wrong incantation!" said one. That really got on my nerves.
"Class! It can be done! Patience and constant effort is the key to everything!" I said loudly as I picked up my wand and pointed it at a stack of books.
"Wingardium Leviosa!" I cried, and the books were lifted about a foot off the table.
I guided the stack right to my table, and it landed with a dull thud!
"Who says it can't be done now? I must say it's the easiest spell, and if you can't learn this charm, then you would be better off if you'd stayed at home and de-gnomed your gardens!"
It really irritates me that a first-year has so little respect for a teacher. I'm sure I wasn't that rebellious back when I was a first-year. Well, apart from all the hundred rules I broke while trying to save the Philosopher's Stone, I thought I was very well-behaved.
"Now, I just levitated a stack of books which is obviously much heavier than a feather! Back to work now! Concentrate!" I barked.
After a while, Jacqueline was the first student to manage the charm.
"I did it!" she squealed excitedly.
But exactly at that time, the bell rang and, therefore, Jacqueline was the only student who succeeded for that lesson.
"Well done! Ten points to Gryffindor!" I couldn't help but say.
The students thanked me and exited the classroom. After that, another batch of students entered the class. I checked the timetable McGonagall had given me earlier and saw that these students are in their fourth year. Then I thought, their exams should be drawing nearer now, shouldn't they?
"Hello, class. My name is Hermione Granger and I will be substituting for Professor Flitwick for a month," I introduced myself.
"Now, if I am not mistaken, the exams are drawing nearer now, aren't they?"
"Yes," the class replied.
"Then we should revise all the past spells you have learnt. Everything you need is in the cupboard, and please ask me if you need help. I'll be going around inspecting you," I said loudly and then wondered if I sounded like Professor McGonagall.
I laughed in my mind and for once, I felt like a kid once more…
A/N: I know this chapter is kind of short and normal but trust me, it's got something to do with the plot! REVIEW! And i'm off... this is Ashley!