Love is Hope: Life after fifth year

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Hermione was packing everything again to leave for the Burrow. It was the day before Harry’s birthday, and she’d just arrived back home from The Park. Since she still hadn’t been able to use owls to keep in contact with her friends, she started the new trend of using the phone at The Park.

Ginny had been ecstatic and had fallen for the Muggle habit of talking hours on the phone, and if it were anyone but Ginny Hermione would have snapped at her since a long time. But Ginny was a bit like a sister, and though she wasn’t a tomboy (even growing up with six older brothers), or overly intolerant of girly habits like Hermione, Ginny was the only girl-friend she had. Growing up she’d realised there were just some things you couldn’t share with anyone but a girl-friend.

Of course a lot had happened at the Burrow since she’d last heard from Ginny. And Hermione got a full report. Since Luna had been staying, Ron had been mopy and kind of a loner. But the two girls had tried to cheer him up a bit. Apparently it had worked, but then a week ago something happened. Ginny and Ron were practising a bit of Quidditch, while Luna was cheering them on, when Percy had arrived.

Hermione still seethed at hearing his name. She’d expected he would return at some point or another with his tail between the legs, and ask for forgiveness. If she could believe the Daily Prophet things at the Ministry weren’t getting any better any time soon. After the Dementor Rebellion, the release of Sturgis Podmore, and the demands on the true story behind Sirius Black’s death, there was a lot of angry blood against the Ministry.

Though the difficulties were a whole issue on itself, especially in the dark times that would lay ahead, Percy Weasley was a story in itself. Instead of apologizing for being wrong, he made things even worse between his family and himself. Mr. Weasley had heard just the day prior that Fudge had discharged Percy and Umbridge, along with some others who’d worked as his advisers, in an effort to put the blame for the bad decisions of the previous year on anyone but himself.

Though at first she felt sorry for Percy – he’d been betrayed again by someone he’d idolised – she soon revised that emotion. Percy had come in the afternoon, knowing his father would be at his work. Mrs. Weasley of course was very happy to see him, and called the kids into the kitchen. Of course Ginny and Ron had tried to be happy to see him, for their mother’s sake, but that didn’t last very long.

Percy hadn’t come to apologize. Quite the contrary. He’d come to announce his engagement, and inform them of his new job. At Mrs. Weasley’s exclamation if the lucky lady was Penelope Clearwater, he’d looked disgusted. He clarified his bride-to-be wasn’t a Muggleborn, but a pureblood, of very good family, a certain Gertruda Galfadus, the only daughter of his new boss. He specified that his parents and older brothers were not invited to the wedding.

As if that wasn’t enough, he’d warned his mother, that he had filed a case to obtain custody over his younger brother and sister. He said that since Mrs. and Mr. Weasley, not only willingly put their own lives at risk, but permitted Ron and Ginny to hang around ‘that Potter boy’ and be in constant mortal danger because of that, he felt obligated to secure his siblings’ safety.

He hadn’t had the opportunity to say much more, because Ron and Ginny had started screaming at him to get out. Luna of course had stayed calm as always, but had immediately brought Mrs. Weasley, who had been unable to react from shock, some of her own tea. Not long after Percy had left the Burrow, Mr. Weasley had apparated from his work in a fury. He had received the official papers, regarding the demand Percy had filed.

Hearing from his kids what had just transpired at the Burrow, he’d explained that the Galfadus family was an old loaded pureblood family. Percy had somehow been proposed to be the head of the family’s personal assistant, whatever that meant. Everyone knew there was a shortage of marriable pureblood wizards, ‘with the right ideas’, at least if one wanted to avoid incest. So, on the surface, that was the reason Percy had been permitted to ask the hand of the girl in marriage.

Hermione was horrified about the whole thing, and Ginny said her mother still wasn’t her old self. She felt for Mrs. Weasley; the woman had consecrated her whole life on her family, she personified the love that held her family together. And having your own son delivering such a blow to your face...

Hermione was glad she could return to the Burrow, though part of her felt that she was intruding on family pain, she was also concerned for the Weasleys, who had been as second family to her. She felt a little relieved that she wouldn’t meet Luna anymore; the girl had left for that special trip her father and her would be going on to search for one of those imaginary creatures of theirs. She just didn’t feel up to dealing with her irrational beliefs.

She felt a little anxious to leave her parents; they were just defenceless Muggles after all, but Dumbledore had promised he would leave protection on the house and dental office, as well as give them emergency portkeys.

That is how she was busy packing the last items so she could put her trunk downstairs and wait for Professor McGonagall, who was to escort her to the Burrow. She had no idea how they would travel to get there, since Mr. Weasley had always picked her up in a Ministry car before.

Her parents were waiting for her, and her Head of House was already there. She saw her explaining how to work the Portkeys to her parents, and waited patiently for her to finish.

“Miss Granger, may I offer you my sincere congratulations on your OWL-score achievement.”

Hermione couldn’t help but blush. She had always been the kind of girl to drive herself to the maximum to achieve as much as was in her ability to achieve, and inwardly revelled in recognition for her hard work. That didn’t mean she acted confidant when complimented... she just couldn’t act graceful when she received a compliment.

“Thank you, Professor”

“I am aware, that it wasn’t advisable to sent you an owl, being where you were, so I took the liberty to bring you your form now”

Hermione stared at the paper her professor had handed her. The list was similar to the one they had to fill in for their third year.

Ancient Runes

Arithmancy

Astronomy

Care of Magical Creatures

Charms

Defence against Dark Arts

(Divination)

Herbology

History of Magic

(Muggle Studies)

Potions

Transfiguration

You were to follow a minimum of five, maximum of nine from the twelve advanced classes in sixth and seventh year, to choose from the classes you’d already had the previous years. Of course the matter of being accepted in the classes according your OWL results was to be taken in account also...

This meant that Hermione had to drop at least one class, and even then her schedule would be packed, which meant that, were she to hold her position as prefect, she wouldn’t have much time to work on projects for SPEW and help Harry.

Breaking through her thoughts, Professor McGonagall caught Hermione’s attention.

“Miss Granger, am I correct in assuming you are reluctant to let go of any of your courses?”

Her parents had offered the older witch a seat in the living room, and Hermione sat in a chair facing her professor.

“Well, Professor, it’s just that, I don’t know how to choose. I told you at the meeting to discuss our future careers, that I had no idea what to do once I graduated from Hogwarts. So it’s not like I can really work from there...”

“If you’re willing to compromise, I think Professor Dumbledore and I have an interesting offer,” upon seeing Hermione’s face, “and no Miss Granger it does not involve the use of a Time-Turner... Well Professor Dumbledore will allow you to take all ten advanced courses, but you’ll have to compromise and resign your prefect badge for now...”

Hermione looked in shock at her Head of House, who continued: “As it is, it would be like this for at least your sixth year. As I will not have it, to jeopardise loosing the possibility of a Gryffindor Head Girl, I asked Professor Hagrid if he was willing to give you supplementary lessons, so that you will be able to go for your Care of Magical Creatures NEWT this year. That would reduce your schedule for seventh year, as the majority of theory for the NEWTs in all courses is given in sixth, and with your mind it wouldn’t be impossible to fulfil a nine-courses schedule, and perhaps combined with Head Girl duties in your seventh year”

Hermione let it sink in, a ten-courses schedule for now, one of the courses counting for two, but no prefect duties... It seemed doable, a bit stressful, but doable. And it wouldn’t affect the chance she had on becoming Head Girl next year... Professor McGonagall had all but said, that if it depended on her, she’d receive that responsibility.

“Professor McGonagall, who would replace me as prefect?” The thought of one of her two roommates wearing that badge was almost reason enough for Hermione not to consider the professor’s generous offer at all.

“As you well know, I am not at liberty to discuss this with students at this point. But make no mistake, Miss Granger, this offer is no present. If you accept this offer, you will have a very hard year in front of you. Of course if you feel you aren’t up to it, you’re free to drop some courses during the year, but that will not bring you your prefect position back, for this year...”

Professor McGonagall looked at her sternly, but with a touch of concern in her voice she added: “I see you will not feel at ease as long as you won’t know who will take over your responsibilities. Very well... I trust you understand that this is not to be shared with any of your friends. Your friend Mr. Weasley will continue being prefect, together with Mr. Potter”

Hermione was confused, the only rules for nominating prefects really, were that they’d have to be from fifth year or above, and that there’s at least one boy and one girl for each house. One Head Boy and one Head Girl from seventh year distributed the duties among prefects. The previous year, having all prefects in fifth year, and two per House, was actually a rare occasion.

She’d always suspected something about Harry not being made prefect. Not that she thought Ron was a bad choice, well... not really... And anyway, who would be doing the bed-checks in the girls’ dormitory?

Professor McGonagall continued: “Of course, I’ll have to nominate one girl, too, but I didn’t want to break my head over it before I had your answer”

Hermione suspected this to be rubbish; her professor knew she wouldn’t decline the offer. Wouldn’t she? Ron and Harry responsible for the rule-following in Gryffindor House, and she too busy studying to keep an eye on them...

Her professor seemed to feel her conflict: “Miss Granger, I do not want to influence you on your decision, but I do believe this would be good for both boys, to learn responsibility on their own, without...”

“Without me pushing them into it?” Hermione whispered, not believing it was loud enough for her professor to hear her.

“That is not what I was going to say, Miss Granger. I prefer saying ‘without your support’”

Hermione’s parents chose this moment to have their own say: “Hermione, you know that no matter what you choose we’ll be proud of you. You’ve always known how to make your own decisions...” Turning to the older witch: “She still has time to make a decision, hasn’t she? She doesn’t have to answer immediately/”

“That won’t be necessary. Professor McGonagall, I would be glad to accept this offer. I only hope I will be able to live up to your expectations, and I’m honoured Professor Dumbledore and you believe I am capable of succeeding in this challenge”

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