“Attention, please! today we are going to look at Greek mythology,” Hermione said, closing her eyes in anticipation of the groans and grumbles she knew she was going to hear.
True to form, whether they were interested or not, the Muggle Studies class uniformly groused about having to learn “stuff about people who lived so long ago and might not have even existed,” as one astute Hufflepuff pointed out. Hermione let them have their say for about thirty seconds before she cleared her voice and asked for quiet.
“OK, class, I’m sorry to disappoint you, but you are going to be learning about Greek mythology. This is your introduction to the Hellenistic Period which is considered the peak of Greek cultural influence and power.
“Mythology is part of ancient Greek folklore and serves as an insight to Ancient Greece’s religious view on the origin and nature of the world. The myths began as part of the oral-poetic tradition and what we know of them today comes from the Geometric Period, spanning from 900-800 BC, with alterations and integrations from other time periods as well.”
Hermione looked at her class and sighed. She could tell the class was disengaged already by their glazed eyes. “Alright, I know this isn’t as exciting as venomous plants or learning how to defend yourself from the Unforgivables, but it is necessary and someday—someday—”
Groans all around.
“Someday, you will appreciate the time I’m spending teaching you this. Now,” Hermione walked back to her podium using her wand to levitate thick textbooks from their neat piles on a shelf to the desks of the grumbling students. “We’re going to look at Zeus, recognised as King of the Gods who ruled from Mount Olympus.”
“Mount Olympus?” one of the students, Theo Nott’s son, shouted out. “I’ve been there! I think.”
The rest of the class laughed and Hermione walked closer to him. “What do you mean?”
“Well, my dad took us to Greece last summer and we flew our brooms over Mount Olympus.”
That got a substantial murmur of admiration from the rest of the class.
“Did he really?” Hermione was not surprised. Theo tended to spend lavishly on his only son, ultimately turning him into a replica of all the rich Sacred 28 purebloods she had gone to school with.
“Yeah, and he showed us the Statue of Zeus, too. It was massive!” David looked around at the crowd for approbation. The crowd gave it to him.
“Now, that I know is incorrect. The Statue of Zeus was destroyed at the end of the 5th century AD. We only have descriptions and likenesses on coins. It is considered one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.”
“You’re wrong! I saw it with my own two eyes!” David Nott went on and described the statue with a stunningly accurate description, making it sound almost lifelike.
“Well,” Hermione said awkwardly, as she returned to the podium, “I guess, we have nothing left to talk about today.” When the class got quiet, not sure if she was serious or not, she smiled. “Of course, there’s more to talk about. Now, I know many of you have family trees in your homes and I think this might interest you.” She proceeded to produce a family tree with all of the gods, goddesses and demi-gods and goddesses and was pleased at the awed reaction of her students.
“Somewhat like the Sacred 28, the family tree of gods and goddesses of Mt Olympus are almost all related in one way or another. So I think it would be fun to look at them from that perspective. We are going to work through each family unit and talk about the stories and legends that sprang up among them.”
The class was quiet now, but it was a totally different kind of quiet. Not the zoned out, bored, glazed eyes of disinterest; this was a wide-eyed, eager, engagement; they were listening with rapt attention. Hermione was pleased at the turn around.
When the class ended, the students were surprised at how fast the class flew. They quickly packed up their parchment and quills and began filing out, all talking excitedly.
“Wait,” Hermione called out, “ I forgot, please read the first chapter of the book you were given and we’ll talk about it tomorrow.”
Hermione started to pick up her notes and parchments, and thought about how easily class could have been derailed by David’s boast. Gods damn Theo Nott!
“You know I can hear you thinking all the way over here.”
Hermione jumped and squinted towards the back of the room. She rolled her eyes when she saw white blond hair come out of the dark shadows and into the light, blazing in the afternoon sun that poured through the windows of the classroom.
“Shut up, Malfoy. I just had a student try to tell me the Statue of Zeus still exists.” She blew a strand of hair off her forehead. “But I didn’t engage with him; I just continued with my syllabus and everyone seemed to be interested.”
“Let me guess, Theo’s kid. What’s his name, David?” Draco Malfoy strolled down the aisle of the classroom and stopped at Hermione’s desk, watching her thumbing through books, straightening her quills, doing anything she could to not look at him. She failed. Every time he entered a room, she couldn't help but catch her breath as she took in his presence in his teaching robes: tall, well-proportioned, aforementioned blond hair artfully tousled, face a picture of confidence, but not imperious.
“You guessed it. Nobody told me teaching the children of former classmates, pretentious snobs I might add, was just going to be combating one boast and white lie after another. Do they think I’m stupid? Do they think I don’t know when they’re telling me something exists when it absolutely doesn’t?”
“He’s not.”
“I know he’s a Nott—that apple didn’t fall—wait, what?” Hermione looked at him, eyes narrowing.
“He’s not lying.” Draco picked up a bottle of ink and started playing with it. “He’s telling the truth.”
“He’s telling the truth?” Hermione didn’t believe him for one second.
“Is there an echo in here?” Draco looked around before looking back at Hermione and winking. “Yes he is. The Statue of Zeus is, well, maybe not completely intact, it’s been a few centuries after all, but it is, indeed, intact.” He tossed the ink in the air and caught it handily before setting it back down on her desk.
Hermione looked at Draco for a second and then sat down. “And how do you know?” She crossed her arms and drummed her fingers on them waiting for his answer.
Draco went over to a chair in the front row, and dragged it over to sit in front of her desk. “So tell me, how do you know the Statue of Zeus exists to this day? And why has no one else claimed to have seen since before Jesus walked the earth?”
“Wards.”
“Wards?”
“Wards. Really, Granger, you must stop repeating me,” Draco deadpanned.
Hermione shook her head, laughing. “I’m sorry. Please, do go on.”
“It was warded heavily after Caligula declared the statue be brought to Rome, as I’m sure you know,” he stopped, and when she nodded, he continued, “head to be cut off, and replaced with his own. He was assassinated before that could be carried out, so eventually when the temple was closed, wizards made it look like it was destroyed.”
Hermione looked at Malfoy in surprise. “Are you serious? The Statue of Zeus is really still intact, just in hiding?”
“Yes. And,” Draco paused, “I know you, you’ll want proof. So, how about a little trip?”
“A little—?” Hermione was not prepared for that offer. “You,” she pointed at him, “Draco Malfoy, want to take me to Greece?”
Draco stood up and walked over to Hermione’s side and pulled her up and out of the chair. He put his arms around her and looked down.
“Can’t a man take his wife on a trip to see one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World if he wants to?”
Hermione rolled her eyes again. “I suppose, but then I’ll have to admit to David Nott that he was right. Do you really want to contribute to the ego of a fourteen-year-old boy? The son of someone you can’t stand?”
“Well, I hadn’t thought of that,” Draco said. He broke the embrace. “Maybe you’re right…” started to back away, until Hermione grabbed him by the arm.
“Not so fast,” she laughed. “We don’t have to say anything about this little trip. You’ll just satisfy my curiosity.”
Draco turned back and wrapped his arms around Hermione. “I make it my mission to satisfy your curiosities.” He leaned down and kissed her. “Always.”
“Well, what are you waiting for?” Hermione chuckled.
“Madame Granger-Malfoy, your chariot awaits.”