The next morning Hermione spent catching up on marking homework, going over lesson plans, and seeing to her paperwork and correspondence. After that, she set about drawing up plans and schedules for the meeting Professor McGonagall had set for half-past four that afternoon. Hermione's plate was overloaded and pretty soon she was probably going to need to go on a diet. Not that she didn't have any help. Luna had taken over teaching Transfiguration to the first through third years. Draco (she still couldn't believe she now called him that) took care of years four and five. Hermione now just oversaw them and taught the sixth and seventh years. Harry had stepped up and was no co-head of Gryffindor House, helping here shoulder those responsibilities. If she hadn't had the help she probably would have already drowned in work.
A knock on her office door got her attention. “Come in,” she called.
Harry entered with Rick, surprisingly, by his side.
“I see you two have already met,” Hermione set down her quill. “What do you need? I have a class in half an hour.”
Harry took a seat in front of her desk and Rick followed his lead. “Yeah, we met at breakfast. We got to talking and we wanted to run an idea by you before we take it to Flitwick.”
“I'm listening,” Hermione nodded.
“Well,” Rick spoke up. “Yesterday, as we were coming in, I noticed a lot of open land around the castle. You have hundreds of acres here.”
“Then I remembered those tents we used during the World Cup and during the war,” Harry rushed those last three words. The war was still a delicate topic. “What is we were to make bigger, more homely versions of those tents and spread them about at designated sites all around the castle?”
It was a brilliant idea that would essentially establish a small muggle village on the Hogwarts grounds. “And we still have 107 rooms unused here in the castle, even after the muggleborns who need year-round housing,” Hermione reminded Harry. “Sir Nicholas did a count last night for me.”
“We could reserve those rooms for survivors who chose to work with the rescue effort. The scouters, trainers, teachers, doctors, and what have you,” Rick suggested.
“I think Professor McGonagall and Flitwick will find all of that more than agreeable.” Hermione turned her attention to Rick. “How is everyone settling in?”
“I don't think any of us have slept that well since the outbreak but it's still going to take a while for everyone to let their guard down and relax.” It was obvious that Rick was speaking of himself as well as his group.
Hermione remembered the first six months after the war had ended. She'd suffered from insomnia and nightmares when she did sleep. No matter what she did she couldn't shake the feeling that some new, horrible, unknown evil was coming. Who knows. Maybe she had been sensing the outbreak coming years in advance. “I understand.” She really did.
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HOGWARTS TEACHERS LOUNGE
Rick didn't bring his entire group to the meeting. Just a small group that he called his council. It consisted of Daryl, an Asian man named Glenn, his wife, Maggie, a middle-aged woman named Carol, and a black woman who always seemed to be carrying a sword on her back named Michone.
Representing the magical world were herself, Severus, McGonagall, Harry, Flitwick, Luna, Draco, and Hagrid.
As Hermione had predicted, Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick approved Harry and Rick's housing plans. Flitwick would perform the charms with some help from Luna.
Severus was the one to come up with the scouting groups. Daryl and Hagrid would lead one group. Glenn and Seamus Finnigan, one of many volunteers, would lead a second. Remus and Sirius had also agreed to lead a group, a fact that Severus seemed none too pleased about, while another volunteer, Dean Thomas, would co-lead a group with Michone. Everyone would report back to Severus.
Carol would be in charge of managing all the refugees on the grounds while Maggie handled all new arrivals. A man named Bob was put in charge of all things medical when it came to the muggles but Madam Pomfrey had agreed to help when necessary. A pair of siblings whose names that Hermione didn't catch were put in charge of muggle defensive training which would take place on the quidditch pitch when it wasn't in use.
“What about classes and muggle education?” Professor McGonagall was seated in one of the red winged-back chairs in front of the fireplace. She turned to look at her. “Hermione?”
“Harry, Draco, and Luna, “ Hermione nodded to where her friends stood, “have all agreed to help with muggle classes. If you give me a few weeks I can come up with a suitable syllabus.”
“My younger sister, Beth, is really good with kids,” Maggie spoke up from the ancient leather couch where she sat next to Glenn. “She'd be happy to help teach the smaller kids.”
When the meeting was over, Hermione was exhausted. She'd also been elected, along with Rick, to lead the entire refugee operation.
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