Bound to Happen Again

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September, 1998:

“WE’RE ALMOST THERE!”

“Oh, honestly, Dennis. Are you going to scream like that for the remainder of the trip?”

Hermione finally yanked her text away from her nose to glare at the fifth-year seated across from her. Up until this point, she’d refrained from giving Dennis Creevey the attention he evidently craved.

“Sorry! Sorry… I’m just so excited! Who would have thought that Hogwarts had the power to rebuild itself? And in such a short amount of time! Only a few months ago we were still hiding in the Room of Requirement while Voldemort and the Death Eaters—”

“I’m fully aware of what has happened in the last few months, thank you,” Hermione interrupted loudly, hoping he’d get the point. Rolling her eyes to herself, she returned to studying.

She could understand the young man’s excitement. A few months ago, Hermione would have never thought she’d be returning to Hogwarts as a student. That entire year she’d spent on the run with Harry, Hermione had thoroughly convinced herself that the life she’d known would forever remain in the past. But her presence on this train again, a stack of books on her lap, and dressed in Hogwarts robes seemed… surreal… to say the least.

A quiet mutter broke through her consciousness. “Colin would’ve celebrated with me…”

Her eyes went wide. “Oh, heavens… I didn’t think—I’m sorry, Dennis! I don’t mean to seem so… grim. But coming back to school so soon…”

“You don’t want finish your final year at Hogwarts?”

Hermione grimaced. “I do. I just hadn’t anticipated it would be so soon.”

“Neville says the sooner the better! Everyone’s going on with their lives as if Voldemort had been a minor spot of inconvenience. What could be a greater revenge?”

His enthusiasm was almost infectious. Chastised by her insensitivity, Hermione smiled wanly and nodded.

“You’re right. Of course, you’re right.”

Dennis beamed at her. He struggled to allow Hermione a few moments of silence before forgetting the effort and returned to his random questioning and conversation. “You know, I haven’t seen Harry or Ron since the platform—”

Hermione pursed her lips, eager to interrupt once again. “Harry’s probably wrapped in his cloak somewhere, hoping his fan club won’t find him. And Ron’s… well…”

“Had a row again, eh?”

“No matter what I say or do, somehow it’s offensive!” Frustrated at the very memory of their arguments, she slammed her book closed. “I miss Fred too… but I don’t know how to—help—Ron.”

“He’ll heal in time,” Dennis offered slowly. He swallowed thickly between each word.

Humming in acknowledgement, Hermione neither agreed nor disagreed.

“Thanks for helping me with Colin’s camera, by the way! Who would have thought so many spells went into such a common thing?” Dennis unzipped his sack and produced the object in question.

“Wizarding cameras are a common thing in the wizarding world and don’t need spells,” Hermione instructed matter-of-factly. “Colin’s was Muggle made; therefore, extensive charms are needed to create wizarding photos.”

“Ah… While we’re on the subject, how about…?”

“No.”

“PLEASE!”

“No, Dennis! I told you once before… I’m not touching that after everything you’ve done to it. I want no part. In fact, you should turn it in to the Department for the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts. Those pictures cannot be legal.”

“Fine.”

A flash of bright, blinding light erupted in their compartment.

“AND I TOLD YOU TO STOP TAKING PHOTOS OF ME!”

“Sorry!” Dennis’ wide grin and bright eyes revealed his lack of sincerity. “I just want to be sure it still works…” After a few brief spells, Dennis developed the photo he had just taken, smiling as Hermione’s image grew clearer by the second. “It seemed to have worked… See! You’re moving exactly like all the rest.”

Hermione snatched the photo out of his hand. She didn’t bother masking her frown. Dennis must have taken at least ten photos of her, and in every one she displayed this exact same expression, regardless of what she was saying or doing while it was taken. In the photograph, Hermione shook her head disapprovingly with one hand covering her face in that characteristic display of exasperation. After a few seconds, she opened her fingers and smiled reluctantly. It repeated all over again.

“What does this mean?” Dennis asked. He may have been the one to charm the camera, but it had been by accident when he’d mispronounced the proper spells.

“I… think… you’ve put the Sentio Ostendo charm on the camera instead of the—”

“The sento os-what’a?”

Hermione closed her eyes and bit her lip. After counting to five, she continued with forced patience. “It’s a sentiment revealing charm. Wizards and witches used to cast them on their family and friends to discover each other’s true emotions. It’s very difficult to cast this on someone without them noticing, though. But if done correctly… their face and expressions would reveal their true opinion of whomever they were looking at, regardless of what was being said.”

“Like if your boyfriend said he loved you when all he wants is to get under your knickers?”

“Yes, Dennis,” she agreed monotonously, blankly gazing at him. “That is an… adequate… example.”

“Excellent!”

“No, it is not. As I’ve been saying, I’m fairly certain that casting such a spell on a Muggle camera is illegal.”

“Take one photo of me!”

“For the hundredth time… NO!”

“Don’t you want to see what I truly think of you?”

“You’re my friend, aren’t you?”

“Well, yes. But—”

“Unless you’re lying about our friendship and truly hate me, I don’t need to see a photo to know your true feelings.” Hermione quickly returned her nose back to her text.

“Right,” Dennis agreed in a subdued voice. Disappointed, he gazed at Hermione for a moment before putting away his camera and turning sourly to the window.

---

“Amazing, isn’t it?” Parvati gasped out loud to no one in particular. She wasn’t the only one who had entered the Great Hall with growing astonishment etched upon on her face.

The castle looked… perfect. More so than before the Battle of Hogwarts.

Hogwarts was to be filled to the brim with students this year. What with the war and total Death Eater control over last school year’s curriculum, a vast majority of students had returned to complete their education. The first students to enter were the seventh-years, all of whom should have been seventh-years last year, including Hermione, Harry, and Ron. Behind them, all the surviving sixth-years returned to repeat the same year a second time… and so on.

Everyone was eager to return; even the first years who doubled in size due to the new group of students also being admitted.

Hermione finally released a non-committal hum in response to Parvati’s opinion of the castle.

“Oh, how can we forget?" Lavender nudged between Parvati and Hermione, voice ripe with ridicule. “Returning to school must seem like such a bore after sacrificing your time and expertise to save us all from You-Know-Who.”

“Here we go.” Hermione didn’t have the energy to acknowledge Lavender’s immature comment. She’d heard such criticisms all summer. Many students still believed that the three of them had run away from the war and only showed up at the last minute to claim the credit.

Dean returned Lavender’s aggressive jostle, locking arms with Hermione. “Still wasting money on the Prophet? Considering all the crap they’ve pulled, I didn’t know people were thick enough to keep reading such rubbish.”

Hermione smiled. Dean knew what the war had been like outside the castle walls. Like those who’d fought side by side with her, they possessed a bond that not many could understand.

Finding their places at the Gryffindor table, Dean whispered good naturedly, “I would have thought you’d be excited to come back to school.”

“Why does everyone keep telling me that?”

“Whoa! I was only trying—”

“No, no… I’m sorry, Dean. I’m just on edge, I imagine. All this is happening too easy…”

“Waiting for the other shoe to drop, eh?”

“Exactly.”

The noise in the Great Hall escalated to a deafening roar as everyone waited for the new batch of first years to enter and add to the returning ones. Ron and Harry had been the very last students to arrive, each wanting to avoid unnecessary chitchat as much as possible. They quickly located Hermione, Ginny, and Dean.

Dennis scowled as he watched them approach. Knowing exactly where one of them was headed, he scooted as close as he could to Hermione, forcing Ron to sit next to Dean instead.

Everyone uncomfortably gazed at one another, except Hermione, who simply rolled her eyes.

Just when everyone expected Professor McGonagall to exit the Great Hall and fetch the first years, she headed straight for the High Table and sat in the Headmaster’s—Headmistresses chair.

The doors flew open. The last wizard the students expected to see returning now led the first years into the Great Hall.

“No way!” Similar to those around him and at other house tables, Dean stood up from his seat, eyes glued to the formidable presence of Professor Snape.

“Sit down.” Hermione frowned. She’d heard that the man was still recuperating from his injuries and was discouraged at the idea of him exerting himself prematurely.

Someone down the table snorted cynically, “Guess that makes him McGonagall’s Deputy.”

“Sit down,” Hermione repeated louder and through clenched teeth. Everyone within earshot immediately complied, bums slamming into seats.

Once the sorting began, Hermione wasn’t the least bit surprised to hear more criticism.

“McGonagall must be bonkers—”

Hermione clenched her teeth and ignored her friends’ topic of conversation, focusing all of her attention on the Sorting.

“I don’t give a flying fuck,” Ron responded to someone’s shush. “I’m not an idiot. I know he’s been working for Dumbledore, but he played the part so well. Too well. No one wants to see Death Eaters at Hogwarts again.”

Hermione tried. She really did… but she couldn’t remain silent any longer. Not trusting the volume of her voice, Hermione pounded her fist upon the table once and with great force.

Professor Snape turned towards the ruckus, eyes blazing with threat. Identifying the culprit, his features turned impassive with one eyebrow raised in reprimand.

Hermione flushed. Biting her lower lip, she tilted her face towards the floor in apology.

“How did he survive?” Dennis whispered in her ear.

Flinching from the expected nearness of his breath, Hermione answered, “I don’t… know exactly.”

There had been an endless array of rumors, but ultimately she was unaware of the particulars. It was difficult for Hermione to casually look at the wizard as she would her other professors. She’d watched this man die—or so she had thought at the time—lying on his back, gagging on his own blood. It was a sight she’d never forget.

“All right?”

“Yeah,” Hermione answered Dennis a bit too quickly. Startled, she didn’t realize her eyes had been clenched tight, willing those horrid images away.

Turning her attention back towards the Sorting, Hermione caught Professor Snape’s jerk of his head. She wondered what he’d been looking at.

After the first years were Sorted and Headmistress McGonagall gave a predictable but heartfelt speech, everyone eagerly tucked into his or her supper.

Hermione, however, had completely lost her appetite, having grown even more anxious. “Too, too easy…”

“What was that?”

“Nothing.”

“Oh!” Dennis started, reaching for his sack. “Hey, guys, you have to see this…”

“NO, DENNIS!” Hermione scolded, yanking his camera away.

Before Dennis could protest, an owl screeched above them. Students turned their faces up, watching to see where it landed.

Headmistress McGonagall visibly panicked.

The owl flew straight towards the Ravenclaw’s table and landed directly on Luna Lovegood’s plate. Without blinking once in surprise, Luna quickly unrolled what appeared to be a copy of The Quibbler. She blankly read the first page, folded it, and rose from her seat.

Hermione’s stomach dropped. Paper in hand, Luna headed straight for them.

“Miss Lovegood,” McGonagall interrupted.

Luna ignored the witch. Shoving her way to sit between Harry and Ginny, Luna unrolled the paper across their plates.

“Is this?”

“Tomorrow’s copy,” Luna finished.

“MISS LOVEGOOD!”

Hermione paled. The other shoe had finally dropped. She read quickly, not breathing or blinking because from the corner of her eye she could see the Headmistress approaching their table.

“They… they can’t do this,” Ron spoke very slowly and with fear, “can they?”

“Hand it over, NOW!”

But just as the Headmistress reached for The Quibbler, it jumped up and flew towards the High Table.

Wand still in hand, Professor Snape snatched the paper midair and read the front page.


"BABY BOOM" ENHANCEMENT ACT PASSED!

Unbeknownst to many witches and wizards, the Ministry has been silently modifying the Standard Wizarding Marriage Contract. Expecting a repeat of the "Baby Boom" of 1981, Ministry leaders fear the recent decrease in contract submissions might reflect on future generations (more on old contract, page 4B).

The new and "improved" Marriage Enhancement Act contains the following stipulations:
-Every witch and wizard over the age of 22 must submit a Contract Proposal to a total of 5 different witches/wizards by the 30th of January, 1999.
-Every witch and wizard under the age of 21 must submit/accept a Contract by the eve of their 22nd birthday.
-Blood mixing is required. No two witches/wizards of the same magical history my apply for a Contract: NO CONTRACTS between two Pure-bloods, two Half-bloods, two Muggle-borns, two Half-breeds (cont, page 4B).

Any witch or wizard who fails to comply with the stipulations of the Marriage Enhancement Act will have their right to selection revoked and will be Contracted to a proper witch/wizard at the discretion of a Ministry official.


“FUCKING HELL!” Snape bellowed ferociously, face twisted into total disgust and loathing.

Every student flinched in fear and astonishment, but none so violently as Hermione.

Professor Snape’s rage might have scared everyone, but for reasons unknown, he looked directly at her.

A flash of bright, white light erupted in the hall. Glancing down, Hermione was appalled to realize that she was holding Dennis’ camera.

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Author's Notes: My endless gratitude goes out to Madbrilliant and luvsev for the beta.

Prompt used for challenge entry: 1. Something Old. The Marriage Law Challenge.

-You reviewers are beyond the scope of awesome! mag7ical, Daygonna, Killer Kadoogan, yanafava, Insolence, Hermione_Malfoy, thank you! I hope my ideas for this fic continue to satisfy your SSHG hunger.

-To Killer K and Insolence, Vain Wisdom All and False Philosophy is not abandoned! My hardrive crashed in august while I was 7,000 words deep into the next chapter, and recovery has been impossible. I am rewriting, but I must admit that I've mildly lost motivation and inspiration in the rewrite.

Next Up: Headmistress McGonagall demands an emergency Order meeting to discus the implications of the Marriage Enhancement Act. Hermione is suddenly overcome with dread and anxiety, but surprisingly, the new law is the least of her worries.