Chapter 1
Dear Students,
I trust you have all enjoyed your well-deserved respite and are returning to school with renewed enthusiasm and a sense of purpose. It has been a difficult year for many, and we are all eager to continue our journey together in the hallowed halls of Hogwarts. This year, as we slowly rebuild and foster unity, I am pleased to announce the implementation of a new initiative aimed at strengthening the bonds between our diverse houses.
The Pen-Pal Program will be an integral part of this year’s efforts to promote understanding, camaraderie, and mutual respect. Each student will be randomly paired with an anonymous pen-pal within their grade from a house different from their own. You will each receive a charmed notebook, accessible only to you. Through daily writing prompts in your journal, you and your pen-pal will be encouraged to share thoughts, experiences, and reflections, cultivating friendships that may have otherwise never blossomed.
Please note that participation is mandatory for all students , and the program will last for a duration of three months. The identity of your pen-pal must remain a mystery throughout the course of this program– the notebook will not allow you to divulge your identity before the end of the term. We trust that this will allow for the most open and honest exchanges between you and your assigned partner. Should you wish to reveal your identity to your pen-pal, this can be done at the conclusion of the program during a celebratory school dance that will take place at the end of the term. It will be a delightful opportunity to meet your pen-pal in person, if you so choose.
I ask that you embrace this opportunity with an open heart and mind, for it has the potential to not only broaden your understanding of others but also contribute to the healing process of our beloved school. As with all things, I trust you will engage in this endeavor with the respect and diligence that you show in all aspects of your magical education.
I look forward to seeing the connections that will flourish from this initiative and hope that it will help us move forward as a unified Hogwarts.
Yours sincerely,
Professor Minerva McGonagall
Headmistress, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Hermione
Hermione sighed as she threw the scroll onto her bed along with her large stack of books. Although she understood the sentiment behind McGonagall’s notice, Hermione couldn’t help but roll her eyes. The last thing she needed was to “cultivate a friendship” with someone who probably didn’t think she deserved to be here due to her blood status, she thought to herself. Although she knew the pairs would be “randomly assigned,” she was pretty confident that her, Harry, and Ron would probably end up being paired with a Slytherin. Go figure , she thought, rolling her eyes again before she stopped herself.
She shook off the feelings of annoyance and instead tried to focus on the promise she had made herself before returning for her Eighth year at Hogwarts; she would use this as an opportunity to start over and immerse herself in her studies and traditions she had missed so much over the last year and a half. If that included forced bonding with someone she typically wouldn’t even interact with, well, then so be it. Repeating the mantra she’d learned from her Mind Healer– “ I am open to change, and I trust that the future holds possibilities I cannot yet see," she took a deep breath before smoothing her robes and heading to the Gryffindor Common Room to meet her friends.
Unfortunately, Hermione’s friends did not seem to share her sentiments.
“What a bloody waste of time,” Ron was moaning as he read over McGonagall’s letter. “I just helped take down the most evil wizard of our time and this is the thanks I get?”
Hermione elbowed him. “Look, Ronald, I’m not too thrilled about it either but there’s no sense in complaining. It’s mandatory, remember? And besides, you never know what it might lead to!”
Harry eyed her, raising a brow. “Oh? And what are you hoping it will lead to, Hermione?”
Ron joined in the teasing, much to Hermione’s annoyance. “Hoping to find your Mr. Right, huh? I hate to break it to you, ‘Mione, but the pickings around here are pretty slim. Let’s see, there’s Malfoy, Crabbe– what a dish , am I right? Zabini, Macmillan… the possibilities are endless!”
Hermione’s lip curled in disgust at the names Ron had listed. Not that she had any particular qualms with Ernie Macmillan– he just wasn’t her type. At all. Although, she was still trying to figure out exactly what her type was. Obviously not Ron– they had both come to realize their connection was strictly platonic. After the adrenaline had finally worn off from the battle, they’d tried to kiss again, only to find that it felt quite like kissing one’s sibling. Hermione was grateful that any awkwardness between them had quickly dissipated and they were able to return to the normalcy of their friendship.
“Ugh, Ronald. Although I shouldn’t dignify your words with a response, no, I am certainly not looking for Mr. Right , as you so aptly put it. My pen-pal could just as well turn out to be a girl, which I would be perfectly fine with. I’m just trying to keep an open mind, and you would do well to try it too,” Hermione said, arms crossed.
“Hermione has a point, Ron,” Harry said, rushing to her defense. Hermione smiled at Harry gratefully as he continued, ignoring Ron’s betrayed expression. “I’m not particularly thrilled about all this either, but you had to notice how tense things were in the Great Hall earlier, right? If we didn’t do something to break the tension, I’m pretty sure people would be at each other's throats by the second week of classes,” he said.
“Did you see the way Goldstein and Boot were staring at the Slytherin table?” Ron asked. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen either of them angry once until today.”
Hermione nodded. “I’m telling you, tensions are high. Goldstein’s older sister was captured by snatchers and killed by Death Eaters. He probably blames Malfoy and all of them.”
“I think I heard that Boot’s parents had to go into hiding because his mum is a Muggle,” Harry said. “I dunno if they survived, but–”
Hermione suppressed a shudder. “Let’s talk about something else. Please?” Her best friends looked at her, the concern plain on their faces.
“Of course, ‘Mione. Shall we go over our schedules?” Ron said, pulling his out from his robes.
Hermione knew her friends worried about her, but they had no reason to, she thought. Well, she reconsidered– they had some reason. In the months following the war, Hermione had– for lack of a better term, fallen apart. After the dust settled and she was able to process the full extent of everything she’d done, everything she experienced over the last year, it came crashing down on her all at once. After refusing to get out of bed or eat a full meal for two weeks, suffering from panic attacks on a daily basis on top of her night terrors, the Weasleys had no choice but to send Hermione to St. Mungo’s for a while to recover.
Although Hermione could barely remember, from what Harry and Ron had told her, she had been quite resistant to going to St. Mungo’s at the time. However she had enough sense to know now that she had desperately needed the help, and she was grateful to the Weasleys for helping her get it. She knew she hadn’t made it easy on them, but she was in a much better place now and thanks to them and the help of Healer Tilden and she felt genuinely excited to begin her final year at Hogwarts. Even if that meant she’d have to spend each day corresponding with someone who she might dislike in real life, she promised herself she’d attempt to live out her mantra.
I am open to change, and I trust that the future holds possibilities I cannot yet see.