When Granger meets Jackson

Hermione - I

After getting down from the Hogwarts express, I waved goodbye to Luna and Neville, and went to towards the Weasleys with Ginny. Harry and Ron were waiting for us at the platform, along with Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. Mrs.Weasley smiled when she saw us, and hurried towards us, enveloping first Ginny, and then me, in a bone-crushing hug.

I had decided to accept Professor McGonagall's offer to redo seventh year as I needed the N.E.W.T.S to apply for a job in the Magical Law Enforcement Department at the Ministry. At first, I didn't intend to join the Ministry, seeing the way they treated Harry before the defeat of Voldemort. Corruption had been rampant, and it was obvious to anyone with a brain how useless the Ministry was.

But then, the war with Voldemort happened, and Kingsley was promoted from temporary to permanant Minister by a unanimous vote of the Wizengamot. Together with the new Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, the new Head of the Auror Office and Head of Magical Law Enforcement, Kingsley had managed to weed out corruption from the ministry, with Dolores Umbridge being the first one to be fired and sent to Azkaban for her crimes against Muggleborns.

This newer, better version of the ministry gave me an incentive to join them, and take S.P.E.W further. The result of all this was that I returned to Hogwarts to finish my final year, while Ron and Harry chose to join Auror training, which all three of us had been offered, despite our lack of N.E.W.T.S. 

Anyway, I gave Harry and Ron a big hug, before telling them about the changes in Hogwarts. About ten minutes later, my parents arrived at the station to pick me up. Making Harry promise to Video Chat over the holidays, I shouldered my duffel bag and dragged my trunk over to my parents.

"Ready?" Dad asked. I nodded. He picked up the other end of my trunk and helped me carry it to the car. Soon, we were on our way home.

Mum kept looking back at me in the rearview mirror the whole time, with a wierd expression on her face. Tired of it, I asked her. "What is it, Mum?" She jumped, and shared a look with my Dad. "Do you remember me telling you about my sister, Sally?"

"Uh huh....."

"Well, I managed to track her down. She's in America. New York, to be exact. I spoke to her over the telephone, and we decided that the three of us should go to New York to spend Christmas together after more than twenty years, as both she and her son are afraid of flying."

She turned around in her seat, and gave me a hesitant smile. "I hope you don't mind us arranging the trip, Hermione. We know you wanted to spend Christmas with the Weasleys, but its been almost twenty years since we last saw each other."

I had often fantasised about having siblings as a kid, and having a cousin was the next best thing! In fact, I was disappointed that Mum and Aunt Sally hadn't got in touch earlier, so that I could have met my cousin when we were younger. I definitely did not mind giving up Christmas at the Burrow with the Weasleys and Harry to meet my Aunt and Cousin.

"Of course not Mum! I'm excited to meet them. When are we flying out?"

"The day after tomorrow, early in the morning," Dad replied, "Better start packing."

That reminded me, "If we're going for Christmas, I'll need gifts for them! I'll go gift shopping today, so I can pack them tomorrow. Mum, can you tell me about Aunt Sally and her family to help me buy them presents?"

"She is three years younger than me, and moved to America with our uncle when I was nineteen. I was supposed to follow them along with your grandparents a month later, but ended up staying for six more months so that I could finish college. My parents left without me, and their plane......" Here, she broke off with a sob.