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The summer was almost over, and Hermione was waiting for Harry and Ron to get ready so they could Apparate to Diagon Alley. She had been meaning to go shopping for weeks, but wanted to go with the boys so that they all definitely had everything they needed. She was at the Burrow, standing in the kitchen and tapping her fingers on the countertops as she waited. They didn’t take long to come downstairs, but she wanted to leave sooner rather than later, since it was supposed to rain in the afternoon.
“What books do we need to buy?” Ron asked.
“Don’t worry, I have a list,” Hermione said.
“I still think we shouldn’t have agreed to go back this year,” Harry said. “Who’s ever heard of an eighth year of Hogwarts?”
Hermione sighed. “Considering that we didn’t get a seventh year, I think we need to make the most of this opportunity. It’s exciting when you think about it, we’ll have classes with Ginny and Luna.”
Harry went red upon hearing Ginny’s name and looked down. Ron still appeared to be unconvinced, but stopped his mumbling as the three of them joined hands to Disapparate.
Her head was spinning when they arrived and her knees buckled. It was difficult enough to Apparate, let alone bring two passengers with her. She placed her hands on Harry and Ron’s shoulders to steady herself.
“Are you okay?” both boys asked.
She nodded and took a deep breath before attempting to walk. Looking around, it seemed that everyone else was also getting their school supplies today. There were a lot of familiar faces, as many of their classmates had opted to come back for eighth year. Families were walking calmly and laughing with each other. Hermione’s last memory of Diagon Alley had been two years earlier, when half the shops had been closed down and visitors hurried along the street with their heads down.
“Should we check in on George before we start shopping?” Hermione suggested.
The boys agreed and they all headed over to Weasleys’ Wizards Wheezes. The joke shop was full of laughter, with witches and wizards marvelling at the different products, all of which had been invented by Fred and George. The trio walked together through the shop until they found George quietly straightening up a display shelf near the back.
“Alright, George?” Ron said as they approached him.
He turned his head and smiled at the trio. “If it isn’t the saviour of the Wizarding World and his two glamorous assistants.”
They all laughed and, just for a second, Hermione felt normal. The past few months since the war had ended had been packed with non-stop meetings, interviews, Ministry appointments, and just general craziness. Harry was somehow even more famous now than he previously had been, which was one of the main reasons that Hermione had pushed him to go back to Hogwarts for another year, to get him away from the busyness and have one final year of normality. Being busy was incredibly important, however, to have something else to focus on rather than all that they had lost in the lead up to their current peace.
“It feels weird without Fred,” said Ron, looking around the shop.
“It does,” agreed George. In that moment, he looked so much older than twenty. “But at the same time, everything feels different, better, like how it used to be. It’s a shame he couldn’t be here for this.”
It felt strange without Fred, without Remus, Tonks, Sirius, everyone that was gone. George was right, though, the world did feel better as a result of the war being over. The last time that Diagon Alley had felt truly magical to Hermione was in the summer before her second year. After that, they had dealt with one disaster after another without any pause.
“What’s the plan for today?” George asked. “I assume back-to-school shopping. Before you go, you can take anything you want from here, free of charge.”
The trio tried to refuse but he wouldn’t hear it, so they all grabbed a different product off the shelves and thanked him. Hermione had picked up a sample of Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder, hoping that she would have no need to use it anytime soon.
Upon leaving the joke shop, the boys turned to Hermione to ask if they could go check out Quality Quidditch Supplies, apparently there was a new broomstick that they were interested in buying. She rolled her eyes but let them go, telling herself that it would probably be quicker to buy the books on her own.
“Let’s meet back here at two,” she said.
It was midday so she had two hours to do what she needed to do. Before going into Flourish and Blotts, she decided to take a walk around the street. She knew where her first stop would be.
She stepped into Ollivander’s and felt a funny sensation in her stomach when seeing the now-restored wand shop, something like a mixture of sadness, nostalgia and hope. What had once been covered in layers of dust and cobwebs, before being reduced to rubble, was now new, shiny, polished, rows of shelves with wands and boxes ready to be taken home by new students.
“Now here’s someone I wasn’t expecting to see,” came Ollivander’s voice from the upper floor. “What brings you here, Miss Granger?”
“I just wanted to visit and see how you were,” she said. “It’s not so long ago that we both were in very different places.”
“A time I’d rather not think about,” he said. “I’m sure you share my sentiment.”
She did, so she tried to tactfully move the conversation to a more positive subject. “I’m glad to see you well and back at work.”
“All thanks to that brilliant Harry Potter,” he said. “I hope you’re looking after him.”
“I am, like my life depends on it,” she said, and it so often did.
He walked down the stairs, stopping just above the ground and resting on the banister. Seeing him up close now, she noticed that he looked a lot healthier than he had done when he had first been freed from Malfoy Manor, but he was still much frailer than the man she remembered from her childhood. His eyes were still the same, full of kindness and warmth, despite him having a panicked expression on his face.
“From what I hear, the Elder Wand is no more,” he said in a low voice.
“That’s right, Harry destroyed it,” she said.
He winced. “Is that so? Oh well, I suppose the best way to move forward is to remove any chance of temptation. Though, if a new dark lord were to emerge, then it might have come in useful.”
Hermione forced a smile. “If you don’t mind, I should get back to shopping. Goodbye, Mr Ollivander.”
“Of course, of course. My regards to Mr Potter.”
She hurried out of the shop, making a note to tell Harry and Ron all about the exchange she had just had with the wandmaker. How terribly strange it had been. The thought of a new dark lord emerging made her skin crawl, she couldn’t even imagine a future where that was possible. She hoped that it was just the ramblings of an old man and that he was not practiced in the art of divination (though, if he was, he would probably be a better seer than Professor Trelawney).
Walking down the street, she looked up when she thought she heard thunder. The sky looked blue and it was sunny, but there were a few grey clouds in the distance. Bringing her eyes back to the street in front of her, she saw Parvati and Padma Patil. They were wearing Muggle clothes, which struck Hermione as odd at first, until she realised that almost everyone else was, including herself. They stopped when they noticed her and waved her over.
“It’s lovely to see you both,” she said. “Getting supplies for Hogwarts?”
“We weren’t sure if we were coming back,” said Parvati. “But our parents convinced us, said we owe it to Lavender, at least.”
“It won’t be the same without her,” said Padma, wiping her eyes.
Parvati put an arm around her sister and they rested their heads against each other. It had been almost four months since the Battle of Hogwarts, but a lot of it still felt fresh. The Order had spent most of the summer working with the Ministry and teachers to rebuild the school. Hermione wasn’t sure what exactly to expect, but she knew that it was going to be completely different.
Footsteps carried on around them as they spoke, the excited chatter of young first-years contrasting with the tearful whispers of the twins. Hermione’s expression softened and pulled the girls in for a hug.
“Care to join me? I could do with a bit of company,” she said.
“Thanks, but I think we should get going,” said Parvati. “We’ll see you tomorrow!”
Hermione was left alone once again and sat on a bench, observing the shoppers passing by her. She wondered how the other seventh- and eighth-years were feeling about starting back at school, and how the younger students felt, since they had pretty much no memory of a world without Voldemort, as well as having no memory of what Hogwarts had been like before the war. The parents were probably relieved, she knew Mr and Mrs Weasley were. Her own parents, however, were still in Australia, unaware that they even had a daughter.
Upon feeling a raindrop fall on her head, she decided it was time to finally go to Flourish and Blotts. Through the windows, she could see that the shop was packed to the rafters. She walked in, thanking the little boy who was holding the door open for her, and looked around. Seventh-year set texts were usually upstairs, but she wanted to browse the new books on display.
Mort de ‘Vol’: The Story of Tom Riddle
The Second Wizarding War 1995-1998: The Complete History
The Boy Who Lived, Died, Came Back
That third one made her laugh a little. The media had wasted no time in profiting off of the war once it had ended. She checked the authors of each book and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that Rita Skeeter had not penned any of them. Hopefully, they were all real accounts of the war and not just sensationalist nonsense.
“Hermione?”
She turned around to see Dean and Seamus standing behind her.
“Ron and Harry with you?” Dean asked.
“We came together, but they went to look at some Quidditch things,” she said. “Are you getting your textbooks for this year?”
“No,” said Seamus. “We’re not going back to Hogwarts, nor is Neville, so seems like Harry and Ron will be bunking with a new set of lads. We were just grabbing a drink before and then saw you come in here so thought to say hi. We’d best be off now.”
She supposed it was their choice not to return. Seamus had had an awful time at school last year and Dean had been on the run for most of it, so maybe they both just wanted to move straight to normal life rather than rehashing old memories.
The other customers walked around and picked up books, checking the covers and blurbs, and showing them to their companions. Hermione loved the smell of new books and would have stayed to have a look at some more, but it was already quarter past one and she knew the queue would be long, so she had to get a move on. She walked upstairs and took out her list.
She headed to the first bookshelf and saw that all the books she needed were all together, which she thought was very convenient.
“You’re cutting it a bit fine with your last-minute shopping.”
That voice.
She spun around and found herself face to face with Draco Malfoy. His usual sneer was replaced by a more neutral expression and Hermione noted that he was alone rather than with his minions.
“No Potter or Weasley by your side today?”
“None of your friends by your side?” she said in return, treading lightly since she knew that Crabbe had died after their encounter in the Room of Requirement.
“I decided to exercise my independence,” he said.
“And you decided to speak to me?”
“Yes,” he said, raising an eyebrow. “We are on the same side now, remember?”
She did remember. The Malfoys had been pardoned after the Battle of Hogwarts, due to Narcissa lying to Voldemort protect Harry and Draco having earlier lied to Bellatrix at Malfoy Manor for the same reason. They claimed to have always quietly supported Harry, only following Voldemort out of fear, but the Order seriously doubted this. It was, however, up to the Ministry to decide if they were telling the truth or not, and their story must have been believable enough. Either that or they didn’t want to send their biggest donor to Azkaban again.
“Will I be seeing you at Hogwarts?” he asked.
“You will,” she said. “And Harry and Ron.”
“How delightful,” he said, with only the faintest hint of sarcasm in his voice. “Apparently I’m the only Slytherin returning for eighth year, so that will be interesting.”
“Yeah, some Gryffindors are also not coming back,” she said. “Why did you decide to come back?”
“I wanted to,” he said. “Hogwarts is my home.”
She wasn’t expecting that to be his response, nor was she expecting to feel a pang in her chest. He looked down, avoiding her eyes, and he reminded her of Harry, who often did the same whenever the conversation turned awkward. Harry had spoken about him a lot over the summer, she thought maybe the two were bonded in a way after they had both saved each other’s lives directly and indirectly multiple times.
“It’s mine, too,” she said. “Are you buying your books, by the way?”
“No, I already have them. I got them last year,” he said. “I just came in because I walked past Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnegan and heard them mention your name.”
“I should pay for my books,” she said. “Care to come down with me?”
“That may not be great for your image,” he said. “I’m still persona non grata around many parts.”
“I understand,” she said, feeling sorry for him despite their past. “Well, I may decide to leave in a puff of smoke rather than the conventional way.”
A look of confusion flashed on his face and he opened his mouth to speak but she was already halfway down the stairs before he could get his words out.
The queue to pay wasn’t too long, so Hermione was all sorted within just a few minutes. With the books now in her bag, she made her way to the door, but before she stepped outside, she turned and looked behind her. Malfoy was still upstairs and watching her.
She reached into her pocket and pulled out the Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder, then threw it in the air, causing the shop to go pitch black. A lot of voices began saying “Lumos” to no avail. She left the shop and walked a few paces away from it, waiting to see if Malfoy would follow her. A few seconds later, he stepped outside of the darkness and stood just outside the doorway, looking around.
The rain that had been teasing her all day finally came, a full downpour as opposed to the individual droplets earlier. At the same time, he found her on the other side of the street. They locked eyes and, this time, neither one of them averted their gaze.
Hermione hadn’t known how she would have been able to speak to him and go unnoticed but this turn in the weather had proven to be a stroke of luck.
She held her bag over her head, seeking a spot to escape the rain while keeping an eye on her unlikely companion. There was a large oak tree peeking out behind a building, she gave him one last look and then turned the corner to find shelter. She was going against a torrent of people also looking for cover. He followed behind her, leaving a gap of a couple people between them, not that anyone was paying much attention either of them, but just as a precaution.
The sound of the rain hitting the leaves made it feel heavier than it was. The tree was big enough for them both to fit under, but their shoulders grazed against each other as she turned to face him. His eyes were fixed upwards, looking at the branches and leaves above them.
“How strange,” he said. “It’s still so warm, yet it’s raining so hard.”
“A summer shower,” she said quietly.
He didn’t answer immediately. “The world is so different now.”
“Everything changes everyday, nothing ever stays the same,” she replied. “The only constant in life is change.”
“I assume some Muggle philosopher said that,” he said, a smile creeping on his face.
She laughed. “Heraclitus.”
“What will Hogwarts be like when we go back?”
“I don’t know,” she said. She had been asking herself the same question. “We’ll just have to wait and see.”
He nodded in agreement and then went quiet again. Neither of them seemed to know what to say next. Hermione wondered how Harry and Ron would act if they were also under the tree with them.
“I think about the past year a lot,” he said. “The three of you at the Manor, the others that were locked up, Bellatrix and the snatchers, the Dark Lord.”
“So do I,” she said, choosing her words carefully. “But I try not to.”
“Not the best memories, no,” he said. “Hearing you scream was so painful.”
She knew what he was referring to, and had to hang her head so he wouldn’t see the tears forming in her eyes.
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be,” she said quietly. “It wasn’t your fault. But I didn’t realise it had affected you so.”
“I wouldn’t be human if I didn’t care,” he said. “And I am sorry for not doing anything.”
“It’s fine,” she said, looking up at him. “The scar doesn’t hurt as much anymore.”
His eyes widened. “You have a scar?”
“Yes, Bellatrix did something to the wound so that magic couldn’t heal it, so now I have ‘Mudblood’ permanently on my arm.”
Her hand went to touch her forearm and, in doing so, her sleeve pulled up slightly to expose her wrist. She caught sight of her watch and checked the time, it was almost two o’clock.
“I’m terribly sorry but I have to go. Ron and Harry will be waiting for me.”
She looked over her shoulder and saw that while they had been speaking, the rain had stopped. With the sky now clear, she was able to walk without covering her head with her bag. She walked back to Diagon Alley and looked behind her one more time to give Draco a smile before leaving, but he had already gone.