dragons_can_learn | A dubious reunion

It wasn't easy to catch Draco completely by surprise, but Minerva had managed it. His jaw quite literally dropped and he blinked for a few seconds, stunned by the suggestion and the only thing that prevented him spilling tea over himself were the spells on his robes.

Minerva took her time to sip at her tea, then she continued. "There are things that I would very much like to change myself, Mr. Malfoy. I do not think it is proper for first year students to be sorted, even before they have time to adjust to the school."

"Sorting in the first year results to students feeling forced to not make friendships with the other houses. And besides, they are far too young to know their own identity, before having some mystical hat telling them where they belong. A hat, that as you have said, is flawed."

"And there are classes I wish I could introduce to the curriculum, that I feel students could benefit from. And classes that I would love to see changed. Evolved..." Minerva sets down her tea once again. "But I am not the Headmistress. I am only in this role until Hogwarts itself chooses the next person to help bring our school into the future."

"It is possible to force changes... but the school itself has to be welcoming of them."

Hermione nodded. "It needs to feel included. Part of the solution."

"And it should be." Draco had pulled himself together a bit as he put down his teacup, recovering fast at least on the surface; if either Hermione or Minerva was watching his hands and not his face they might notice he was tracing runes on the tabletop.

"Especially because of what's going on in the Muggle world right now. My next pitch was to be to Hogwarts itself. Because there's a lot going on in the Muggle world right now, especially around education, knowledge, and building structures to share it. And while some of it is plainly ridiculous, like an encyclopaedia literally anyone can edit including me, the ways they have to share knowledge and to teach are sometimes things we haven't thought of in a thousand years and sometimes things we simply can't do without Muggle help."

He smiled, his words spoken officially to Minerva but meant as much for the looming presence he could feel. "For almost a thousand years Hogwarts has been the best physical place for learning based on what the Heads and Hogwarts itself can come up with. But the Muggle world is getting to the point where Hogwarts itself can learn from it, from both the successes and the mistakes. And there's now an actual challenge to staying the best building for learning in the world."

"Hogwarts itself is still recovering from a devastating battle. Where it lost many students and staff, despite trying to protect them. The school itself needs to be healed." Minerva noted softly.

"Perhaps that is why the school is waiting for the right person, or people to become the new headmaster." Hermione spoke quietly. "Perhaps, we should consider that a balance between the houses should help the school heal. A group of headmasters, instead of just one person."

"But none of us truly know what the school itself wants. Only the person who can open the Headmaster chambers will know for certain," Minerva points out.

Draco nodded. "We should see." He looked at Hermione. "And both of us try together as the first attempt?" He sounded nervous. "That would certainly be my first choice." He was still a little wild about the eyes; he hadn't even thought of jumping straight to Headmaster of Hogwarts.

"There is nothing to be nervous about Draco." Hermione moved her hand, so it rested on top of his. "If it works, then we know that Hogwarts wants us to move forward and help it heal. And if it doesn't work, then we start looking for the person or people who Hogwarts wants in that position."

"Of course there isn't." Draco's tone was sardonic as he turned his hand over to lace his fingers with ehrs. "I thought I'd prepared for most possibilities. But that wasn't even something I'd considered, and I'm not sure whether I want to test it right now or run screaming."

If he was even talking about running screaming, of course, he wasn't going to.

"We could take some time to truly consider if this is what we want." Hermione leaned in closer to him. "But I think our heart is in the right place. We just want Hogwarts to be the best school possible for all future generations."

Draco stole a quick kiss. "We could, but I think we both know what the answer will be. I'm also sure that I don't want to be head forever; vision has limits and the more changes you make the sooner you get into feedback loops where you can't see your own mistakes."

"Definitely not forever. But I am sure we could figure out a training plan, to ensure that there is always someone who the school will accept, in case of emergencies."

Draco smiled as he finished his tea. "Training would be useful for a lot of things - not least to avoid people being thrown in at the deep end. Should we go and see if Hogwarts will accept us?"

"One advantage to this working... is we can share a room at Hogwarts." Hermione snuggled close to him, as she too finished her tea.

"Always a bonus." Draco kissed her lightly, watching the acting headmistress. This was after all her castle if any human could claim it right now.

Minerva nodded slightly. "Start with the stairs. If they lead you to the door, then at least you know you have the right start."

"I never could get the stairs to lead me to the door." And she was fine with that. Minerva would rather go back to just teaching. And being head of her house.

"The question is whether the stairs are a test." Draco shrugged. "Seeing whether people are sufficiently determined. Shall we give it a go?" Draco stood, waiting for Hermione.

Hermione finished her tea, before standing to take Draco's hand in hers. "It has been too long since I had the opportunity to just walk through the school. Let's just take our time?"

"Sure." Draco smiled. "And possibly we can show each other a few things." He frowned briefly, his tone turning sombre. "I hope the Room of Requirement recovered?"

"I don't know. Perhaps we could look for it, and find out?"

"Of course. Lead on." Draco smiled; unless Hogwarts was messing with them there probably weren't two people with a better grasp of where it was currently alive.

Hermione took her time walking through the hallways, memories of her time here flooding back to her. It was nice to see students chatting together as they headed to class. But there was a little bit of fear still in the air. As many of the students remembered the great battle that had been held here.

They finally got to the hallway where the Room of Requirement should be located.

"What do we want for the room to open as?"

Draco was probably more attuned to the slight fear in the air, and seeing the scars on the castle he'd helped make. And apparently the Weasley Twins' Swamp had either been moved or removed, but it was easy to get lost in memories. "I think what I want to find is old and lost books." It was an answer that served multiple purposes from the obvious (he wanted them) to something Hermione would like to something Hogwarts would like. And he doubted Hogwarts would disapprove of the scheming element.

"What a lovely idea." And it is easy for Hermione to picture in her mind.

"Ready?" They paced back and front in front of the door three times and Draco opened it to reveal a scorched room - with two small bookcases that were untouched full of books, some scorched, some water damaged; it took Draco a couple of seconds to notice that the entire left hand wall, floor to ceiling, was covered in old textbooks lost by students as well as there being useful books in the cases. "And sorry." That last was addressed to the room.

Hermione took a deep breath, taking Draco's hand in his. The scorched room seemed to be healing, at least. She carefully headed towards the left hand wall, her eyes scanning the textbooks carefully.

"I am sure the school knows that."

"Which doesn't mean you shouldn't say it." Malfoys were brought up both with good manners and training to not use them for the wrong people, which Draco was slowly getting rid of. "But if this is what the room wants to show, I wonder what's here." He stepped in, looking first at the book case.

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