Hermione stood in front of the castle. It didn't look like it was once a battlefield. During the summer many volunteers were coming and going to rebuild and clean the old school. It was almost exactly the same. The only true difference was a dueling ring that had been built where Harry and Vouldormot had their last stand-off. Engraved on it were the words 'You can be a powerful wizard or you can be a great wizard'.
She didn't care for it much neither did Harry he had said that he didn't need or want any more recognition nor did he think he was a great wizard he had said that honor should go to others. She disagreed with that, he was a great wizard and he deserved to be called one. She agreed that people had taken things a little far with all the praise, parties, and gifts, manly money. Not just to Harry but to her and Ron as well.
The three of them pretty much just ended up donating things and giving money to charities to help those affected by the war. celebratory gifts donated they would just gift to family members who lost loved ones during the battle. Harry had kept one but that was for little Teddy in honor of his parents' sacrifice it was a large glass ball said to be almost 500 years old and was used by one of England's first seers. Harry had picked it because when he was babysitting Teddy the boy had crawled to it sitting umounts the pile of gifts he had and wouldn't stop playing with it. he smacked it rolled it stared into it and would just laugh. the boy shocked them by changing his hair color with the smoke in the ball. Andromeda had burst out in tears when she learned that her grandchild inherited her daughter's gift.
Ron also kept one for Fred it was a lantern used during the 1400s during the witch hunts. It was to read people's feelings to help to know if someone was a threat or not. The flame inside had been burning since it was first used. The flame would change color depending on how one was feeling when they held the lamp. Ron had asked her to help modify it. they first made special pocket watches and necklaces with small fireproof casings inside. Then they transferred bits of the fire from the lamp to the different items.
The flame would change depending on the feelings of the holder. He gave one to each of his family members, for no matter how sad they felt Fred's warmth was still there. And it was true no matter what color the flame was it was always warm just like Fred. He placed the Lamp at the Burrow so that as the family grew they would also get a piece of Fred's warmth.
Hermione didn't really keep anything. She didn't have any use for a lot of those things she got one of the necklaces from the Weaslys but otherwise nothing else. Well except for a pass that allowed her access to the library and data collection rooms in the ministry. She gave most of her gifts to the school or Ministry a place she trusted more now that Kingly was Minister.
Hermione walked up the stairs to enter the school but stopped at the top, the biggest change to the school was the Hall of Heros, it was a hall that was actually outside the school because it wrapped around the school they had enchanted it with wards and barrier so that just like during the battle those remembered in the hall continued to protect Hogwarts. it didn't only hold the portraits of those who died during the battle but the war as a whole. Harry had fought for that, saying that if they had not died before there was no doubt that they would have been at the battle.
Her eyes scanned the tall walls of the hall before turning and heading inside. The school year wouldn't start for another week but she was asked to come early. To help get things situated and ready. It was one of her duties as head girl. When she got the letter from McGonagall she had been excited it was something she had wanted since her first year at Hogwarts and now she had it. she felt happy and proud of herself but the achievement felt a little empty. If the war hadn't happened and she had earned head girl she was sure it would have been one of the highest moments of her life thus far. She would have shown her parents and explained what it meant and they would have listened and congratulated her like she hadn't told them about the head girl position and what it meant since her first summer back from Hogwarts.
she would get congratulations from her peers and professors because they knew how hard she had been working for this since she first came to Hogwarts to show she was a great witch no matter her blood or how unsufferable some could find her. she would push for the school to hold more awareness events and encourage group study. Make sure that the older students know they should encourage and help younger students and not just haze them. That was something she put on her list from watching Fred and George, those two could be true bullies sometimes, and even when they weren't being bullies they still crossed a few lines like using under classmates as guinea pigs for their joke products. But she could never really consider them bad they always went out of their way to make sure others felt better and helped those that they saw were having a hard time. They were also always there to try and protect others a Weasly trait for sure.
But now things were different many whom she thought she would be going to school with wouldn't be there. Some like Harry and Ron decided not to return for their final year. opting out and taking their end-of-year exams for their certificates and going straight into Arour training. Some parents felt that it would be best for their children not to go to Hogwarts this year either enrolling in another school or taking a rest year. Then there were the ones who died. The ones she would never see again. All her plans for being Head Girl changed as well now it would be all healing and getting back to normal making sure there wasn't any presumptuous to others for things others did during the war. In other words all the houses against Slytherin. There were Death Eater families in the other houses but Slytherin would be the main force of the leftover hate and hurt. That and most of the families who had Death Eater ties were the ones that wrote saying their kids would not be returning despite the warm and encouraging letter from Head Misstress McGonagall.
Those of age she was sure would just take the test anything but come back here. Even if they had nothing to do with their relatives involved in the war. And those who were supporters or Death Eaters themselves she was sure would rather go to a muggle school than come back.
Hermione walked to the Head Mistress office working very hard to keep one thought far from her mind. She didn't want to become emotional before she met with the older woman. She tapped her wand to the statue and it moved allowing her to enter. The letter from the Head Mistress had explained that she would not be using passwords if she were expecting a student she would have the statue recognize the student's wand and during the time frame they were expected their wand would grant them accents Professor and staff would be able to come and go if she was in the office. Being Head Girl made her a student and staff so she would be allowed to come and go as needed. Hermione knocked at the door at the top of the stairs. Just because she was expected doesn't mean she should just barge in.
"come in," McGonagall called. Hermione took a deep breath before stepping through the door. Wearing a smile to greet the new Head Mistress of Hogwarts.
Hermione took a sip in between making notes in the booklet McGonagall had given her. they were going through it together. It covered all planned things for the school year along with due dates that clubs and organizations/activities had to put in their information before they started for the year. they had all events preapproved school functions updated dates and rules for Hogesmead visits, old school rules, and policies that have been removed along with the list of the newly approved ones that will be active come the first day.
The names of all the houses Prefects and their duties. And many other things such as the school's class timetables and such. After two hours of going through it, she and McGonagall sat and simply talked. It was nice, and calm. They talked about what they expected the school year to be like. About the changes in the Ministry how the Wizarding world was doing as a whole after everything. They talked about how Harry and Ron wouldn't be coming back this year. They joked about how they didn't know if that made them more stressed or less stressed. They enjoyed themselves until the Head Misstress desk hummed reminding her of the work she still had to finish for the day Herminoe gathered her things to head out but before she left McGonagall asked the question she hadn't wanted to answer or talk about.
" How about your parents Miss Granger?" the older woman looked sad for the first time since she walked in. telling her that she must already have some idea.
" still in Australia somewhere, haven't been able to locate them yet. But that just means I did a good job of hiding them." Hermione forced a smile all of her had gone stiff and she could tell by the older witch's eyes the smile did not fool her.
"Well, you are a great witch if anyone can figure out how to locate your parents it's you, if you ever need to talk about anything I am here." Hermione nodded before she headed out. At the bottom of the stairs, she wiped her eyes of the tears that were threatening to fall. Before heading to the Heads dorms her new dorms and main passage were located by the great hall but the dorm's common room had secret passages to all the different houses' common rooms. That the heads could use if needed. She got to the Gyogoral that blocked the passage " I'm in a rush." The Gyogle moved and she walked through the wall in front of her. just like at the station, the fake wall would fool any who didn't know it was an illusion they would probably continue to stand there giving more passwords waiting for the bricks to move or a door to appear. Down the short hall was the actual door. She pushed it open finding a wide empty space except for a fireplace to her right. There was also a small kitchen with only a stove, sink, and cuphereds. A perc for being Heads. To her left and ahead of her were two staircases that led to two bedrooms one for each head. She wondered which one she should head up to when one of the doors opened.
"There's my girl, what took you so long I've been here two whole days you know, I thought you would take this job more seriously." Theos joking voice carried in the empty space. Hermione face broke out in the biggest grin at seeing her old friend.
When she had asked the Headmistress about him she informed her that he had shown up a day earlier so he had already been briefed on everything. She set her bag down and crossed her arms in front of her.
" well if you've been here so long why haven't you decorated yet?"
"oh so you would be fine with me doing the shared room up however I liked?"
"Well, you could have at least gotten the furniture."
" what all by myself, no no shared space means we both have to do the work to make it homey which includes going to the basement and grabbing furniture."
" you're a bit of an ars you know that right."
Theos just smiled as he came down the stairs sweeping her up in a hug. " welcome back to Hogwarts Hermione."