Remain Nameless

Chapter 46

August 2009

What was the proper reaction or facial expression to have when seeing one's dream realized? Hermione couldn't say, nor could she have properly prepared herself for the sight before her.

She stood on the front steps of Hogwarts, looking down upon the vast grounds, and everywhere she looked she saw Muggle parents and family members and young, eager magical children.

Down by Hagrid's hut, she saw Rolf Scamander introducing a group of children to nifflers and crups while Hagrid himself showed off a unicorn in the paddock.

Out over the quidditch pitch, Hermione spied an airborne Maureen Tyler as she gave a flying demonstration with a few of her Harpies teammates.

Dennis's father, Mitchell, bustled past her with a group of Muggle parents, beginning the tour of the first floor of the castle.

Dennis was sat down on the shore of the Black Lake, a casual and inviting atmosphere with blankets on the grass as he entertained the non-magical siblings and answered their questions, encouraging the children to toss bits of bread to the giant squid lurking beneath the surface.

Behind her, inside the entrance hall, Hermione heard Astoria and Dean Thomas talking logistics for the luncheon to be served inside the Great Hall. They'd poached yet another disillusioned Ministry worker away from the government in Dean, who'd jumped at the chance to become the volunteer coordinator for the fund. He'd already pitched several wonderful ideas to attract more volunteers, like offering extra credit to Hogwarts students for Muggle Studies (soon to be renamed Understanding Non-Magical People) and an internship program for Seventh-Years.

This was real.

Hermione swallowed a lump in her throat and promised herself that she would invite her parents to attend the orientation next year. She knew they'd have loved something like this and perhaps it would help build further understanding between the three of them about what Hermione wanted to accomplish as a witch.

She'd shed enough tears this morning when a huge bouquet of flowers arrived from Harry and Ginny. Harry himself penned the card, writing that this program would have made all the difference to a scruffy-looking orphan from Little Whinging with bad hair and taped glasses. Draco vowed to hex Harry and his stupid glasses for making Hermione cry the next time they all met up.

Ron and Padma had sent champagne and Ron's note brought more tears, but this time from laughter, when she read: "Still overachieving aren't you Hermione? I'm sure your program is great and all, but if it doesn't include locking these kids in a girls' bathroom with a fully grown mountain troll to force a few friendships, then I think you've still got some work to do."

Seeing as the staff had everything in hand and thanking all the deities for the resourcefulness and ambitions of Astoria, Hermione decided to find Draco. She knew just where he would wander to, and was therefore unsurprised to find him seated with Wesley Macnair in the quidditch stands, observing the awed little ones on the pitch.

Draco gestured vaguely to the stands across the way where another man sat, looking delightedly up at Maureen as she skillfully flew around. Even from a considerable distance, there was no mistaking that he was tall and broadly built with neat lines of well-defined muscles.

"Do you know that man over there?" Draco asked Wesley as Hermione joined them.

"Aye, that's Mo's father. He's a real decent bloke, loves watching her fly."

Draco's brow furrowed. "He's a Muggle, right? What does he do for a living?"

"Len's a weight-lifting coach at a university. Mo grew up going to the gym every day from when she was just a wee thing. How do you think she got into such good shape? That man knows his strength-training."