Harry was delighted with the present, but had no idea what to do with the broom. Every now and then, he began going out to the Quidditch pitch for a bit of flying. The Gryffindor team already had a full complement of players. Its captain, Oliver Wood, assured Harry that the Keeper position would become vacant in his fourth year and that Potter could try out for it then.
During the Easter holidays, the second-years were given something new to think about. They had to choose their subjects for their third year, a task Hermione approached with complete seriousness.
"Our future depends on this," she told Richard as the two of them began studying the list of new subjects and marking their choices with ticks.
"Our future?!" Richard repeated mockingly. "No, Hermione. Our future depends on whether we survive our years at Hogwarts, or whether the next beastie or maniac that gets onto the school grounds kills us."
"But we have weapons now." Granger made a tiny adjustment to her pink spectacles.
"Hermione, would you actually be able to use the weapon? Would your nerve hold? I mean, would you have the willpower to activate it? After all, you'd have to take the life of a living creature."
Hermione faltered.
"I..." she stumbled. "I've thought about it. I suppose if it were necessary to save a life, I'd be prepared to go that far. At first, I thought I wouldn't even be able to fire it at all, but then I remembered the troll. If you'd hesitated back then, it would have killed both of us."
"Exactly, Hermione. That's right. Our lives are worth more. Whoever comes at us with a sword shall perish by railgun."
Hermione peered curiously at Richard's sheet, which did not have a single tick on it.
"So which subjects have you chosen?"
"Still thinking." Richard thoughtfully ran the blunt end of his pencil along the names of the subjects. "As far as I remember from my tutor—and I remember very well, since I have an excellent memory—Arithmancy is an extremely important subject. It's a mixture of algebra, geometry and higher mathematics with a magical slant. I expect that particular subject will give us the best understanding of what magic is capable of. I'm quite certain of it, considering how much of an advantage even ordinary higher mathematics has already given us."
"Richie, that's not personal power, though, is it?"
"No. One person, even an incredibly powerful wizard, can never compare with the combined power of many witches and wizards motivated to succeed. But it's the same with ordinary people—individual strength doesn't matter there either, only the combined power of science and the economy."
With a determined expression, Hermione put a tick beside Arithmancy.
"I'd like to take every subject," she said, even reaching out with her pencil to tick every remaining box.
"Hermione." Richard caught her attention. "You're not studying at an ordinary school any more, are you?"
"No. Why?" The girl frowned. The fox-like smile on Grosvenor's face made her nervous.
"You still want to become someone important one day? A director, a deputy minister or, who knows, perhaps even Prime Minister?"
Granger swallowed, though her saliva had suddenly become thick and sticky. The girl's throat went dry.
"Y-yes..." she drawled in a wavering, slightly hoarse voice.
"Do you think anyone in their right mind would appoint someone to a senior position who hasn't even finished secondary school?"
Hermione's eyes bulged as the realisation struck her all at once.
"Damn!" she exclaimed. "I still have to finish school!"
"I'm glad you understand the importance of education."
Seeing Grosvenor's broad smile, Granger asked irritably:
"What are you smiling at? I feel bad enough already. I'll never have time for everything now."
"Then you'll have to find a way to make time. Pick one more compulsory subject and leave it at that."
"But I want to learn everything," Granger said sadly.
"You can't know everything. Take Muggle Studies, for instance. You'll learn far more about ordinary people from the general curriculum at a normal school."
"Fair enough." Hermione crossed Muggle Studies off the list. "Richie, what do you think about Divination?"
"Brilliant subject, if it lets you look up tomorrow's share prices."
Hermione gave an amused snort.
"If it does, then I'm sure it'll be useful," she said ironically, watching Richard's pencil. "Hey! You're not serious, are you? Richie?!"
"Perfectly serious. Look, Hermione: one tick next to Arithmancy, another next to Divination. The two most useful subjects, as far as I'm concerned."
"But there's also Care of Magical Creatures and Ancient Runes."
"Hermione, you're not mistaking me for a farmer, are you?" Richard smirked. "And I don't see any use for Ancient Runes. I'd be better off learning Chinese."
Hermione began nervously chewing the end of her pencil.
"What should I choose? Runes, Divination or Care of Magical Creatures? Runes or Care of Magical Creatures? Or Divination?"
"Hermione, you've still got a month," Richard said, trying to reassure her. "Don't worry. Whatever decision you make, it'll be the right one. By the way, a minister or director really ought to have finished college as well, or better yet, a university or academy."
"COLLEGE?!" Hermione howled like a wounded animal. "DAMN IT!!! I'll never have time for everything... What am I supposed to do?"
Granger looked pleadingly at Grosvenor, as though begging him for advice.
"Hmm... Hermione, I've heard from the older students that Divination is one of the most popular and... easiest subjects."
"Is that why you chose it?" Granger asked in surprise.
"No." Richard shook his head. "I still hope they'll actually teach us how to predict the future. Knowing future share prices and exchange rates really would come in handy, preferably a year in advance."
"And what if it's all a sham?"
"I won't be disappointed. Hermione, I've got loads of things I can get done with the time that frees up."
Hermione was so nervous and so deeply lost in thought that she failed to notice she had bitten clean through the pencil she'd been gnawing the entire time.
Staring in astonishment at the remains of her pencil, Hermione drew a deep breath and decisively put a tick next to Divination.
"School... College..." she muttered quietly. "It's a shame I won't learn about runes and magical beasties, but I'd rather have a career than spend my life keeping track of unicorn breeding!"
(End of Chapter)
P@treon: /SadRaven
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