Deb caught a significant internal contradiction in this chapter. Good beta readers are a joy. Thank you, Deb and Diane.
*
The rest of the girls that shared her dormitory room, Patty Finnigan, Hanna McGonagall, Christy Shook, Rose Weasley, and Olivia Wood, were in the room Friday night, November thirteenth, just before ten, when Cleo came stomping into the room. She threw a small bag containing changes of clothes on her bed, and in a typical Cleo gesture spread her arms out and threw her head back and forth, her plaits flying. "No more sleeping together!" Cleo bitched. "Boggarts, dragon dung, no more sleeping together. I LIKE sleeping with Albus, even when, eventually, they made us sleep in separate beds. I'm NOT happy."
She became a little embarrassed when she noticed the other girls staring at her. "I cannot really complain about getting better. It was not fun being tired all the time, and having a fuzzy head and sore joints and, but I LIKE sleeping with Albus. I miss his body touching mine!"
Patty Finnigan's face became very red, and she shyly wondered, "Were you, like, not just in the same bed, but, like, SEX?"
Cleo smiled an awkward smile. Her complexion was too dark to blush, but you could see that blushing expression on her face. "Albus is not a little boy, and his boy parts are not little boy parts. When we were hugging face to face and, you know, all your body pressed against, all MY body pressed against him, and I could feel it, hard, and, but through our night clothes, but, that is the problem. I so want to take all my clothes off and have him take his clothes off and feel each other body to body, and have him in me, and his baby in me, and everybody including Albus says we are too young, and it is hard. I want to do the right thing, and the right thing is to wait, and Albus knows it and I know Albus is right.
"So it IS sex but it ISN"T and it is HARD to wait!"
Christy Shook's face had become red, and she was obviously thinking of something. Rose, who at times was too eager for information to keep quiet, wondered, "Is it sex when you and Colin Creevey, when you hug and touch?"
"Of course!" Christy exclaimed. "It is hard," and she giggled. "You are right, Cleo. I mean about boy parts. Colin isn't a little boy either, and we do hug some, and he gets excited. I'm not eager to shag, not yet, but I like looking at his body and I like it when he looks at me. When we finally, I'll be ready, eager. We are just too young, but sometimes I wish we were not, and at other times I am very glad we are not."
"I don't have any boy I want to do it with, and I surely don't want to become pregnant until after a long and successful Quidditch career," Olivia Wood mused. "I look at you, Cleo, and hear you talk, and something in me says I ought to want to become a mother, but I really am not eager too, not when I am young. I don't want to be a boy, like Cloe, but ..."
Cleo winced at that. She didn't want to ruin any career plans because she couldn't control her 'powers.' Olivia was quite set on her Quidditch first, and Cleo knew she needed to be careful, and she really was trying, but sometimes it was just hard.
Patty looked right at Rose, wondering, "Do you still think it is gross and unsanitary?"
It was Rose's turn to become embarrassed. "Sometimes I look at my grandmother Weasley, and think that being a wife and mother would be ... that's the problem. I am smart, and it just seems that I should want a career, maybe designing clothes or decorating houses or, I like planning parties and decorating, and it all seems so small and insignificant against what my mother is doing. But I don't want to be a workaholic like my mother either. And I have to think about, and talk about, things before I do it, and everything I read makes it so natural, and not something you talk about. I mean, they talk about falling in love, not talking about it and deciding, so I will probably be horrible at it."
Christy wondered, "Have you talked to Percival Frobisher about it, about kissing and touching and the like?"
"I like it that I have a dance partner, and someone to go to dances with, but I don't want to KISS him," Rose insisted. Rose had a disgusted look on her face. "I don't want to fall in love with HIM?"
"What about Scorpius?" Christy persisted.
"He has a girlfriend, and I really like Scorpius but his family hates me and, we can talk about almost everything but not about THAT. Can you fall in love with your best friend and still be a friend a talk about everything and not lose the talking and thinking? Can you decide that trying to fall in love would be the logical thing to do? That would be weird. I mean, decide to be in love instead of falling in love. Is that possible?"
*
Albus came into his dormitory room, saw Scorpius, and said, "The healers say we are healed enough we don't have to spend weekends in the hospital. I'm going to miss sleeping next to Cleo, but it is probably better if we don't. We are too young for ..."
"So you didn't?" Scorpius kidded.
"Of course not!" Albus exclaimed. "We always had clothes on, plus the healers who were taking care of us were in the same room, and we may have hugged but we didn't go any further than that.
"We can do this strange inhabiting each other's bodies thing, but we have to both agree and work at it. I did something like that when I rescued Cleo, not the same but something like it. It stopped when we were back at Hogwarts. I'm not sure what was happening when we were asleep or recovering, but it wasn't that physical or emotional or joining that we can sometimes do. It was just better being close."
*
It was the beginning of December, 2020, and healer Dr. Kearney was making a presentation to a large group of Magi the Ministry of Magic, including Kingsley, Hermione, Arthur Weasley and Harry. They were in a large conference room, and the doctor stood on a stage with a display behind him.
"Once in a while you are lucky," He started out. "The immune system of Magi has given us several advantages, and the Pfizer vaccine, the first one approved in Great Britain, seems to work for all Magi.
"We started out testing the vaccine from their standard vials, and quickly found out that we could double the number of doses by duplicating the vials. It doesn't work if you try to duplicate them again, though. It also doesn't take a very large dose to induce an excellent reaction in Magi. Twenty percent of the normal amount of vaccine induces an excellent reaction, that seems to last. We get twenty-five doses per vial, and often more. We Magi only seem to need one dose, as well."
The healer/Doctor put up a display on the board.
Muggle, 1 vial = 5 doses, it takes 2 doses, 2 ½ Muggles protected per vial.
Magi 1 vial x 2 = 2 vials x 25 doses per vial = 50 doses = 50 magi protected per vial.
"With what we as Magi are doing to tweak the amount of vaccine being made, we can easily justify taking 5,000 to 10,000 vials per week, protecting 250,000 to 500,000 Magi per week. Most of the few Magi deaths are in Magi that are over one hundred years old, and early in 2021 most of them, especially the ones at risk, should be vaccinated. By the spring or summer of 2021 we should have almost every Magi in the world protected from getting sick, and almost as importantly from catching this illness and not getting sick but spreading it to others.
"Most of the healers can administer the vaccines. Keeping the vaccine cold is a problem, but Magi can transport the vaccines using Dry Ice, frozen CO2."
Hermione wondered, "What about Christmas?"
Dr. Kearney replied, "I think we need to have as few gatherings as possible this Christmas."
Hermione persisted, "Should the students come home from Hogwarts?"
The Doctor suggested, "If we can just hold out a little longer, keep students isolated and safe over Christmas and the New Year, we should be able to be reasonably free by Easter Break."
There was a fair amount of grumbling, but after much explanation and discussion it was agreed that they needed to be very careful for at least a couple of more months.
*
Harry was sitting in Minerva's office the day after the meeting with Dr. Kearney, both wearing the masks that were transparent. Bill Edington was in on the meeting, via Zoom, but no other board members. Minerva wanted to cover a few topics with the two of them first, before going before the full board.
"The increase in tuition for out of country students seems reasonable," Bill concluded, looking down at his notes. "The extra tuition, in and out of country, for the eight year and beyond students seems fair as well. In both cases they compare favorably with what the North American schools charge."
"That is good, because I am having to hire more staff," Minerva elaborated with a sigh. "I really need two and a half or three professors for key courses.
"I am interviewing Sam Zauberstabhersteller, the son and grandchild of Swiss wandmakers, to help teach Charms. Charms is a key course that most students take in every year, even in the more advanced year."
"Didn't Olivia Ollivander apprentice as a wandmaker?" Bill tried to confirm. "Do you trust wandmakers? They all seem to make wands for the light and the dark, and although they are key members of our magical community, I am not sure I always trust them."
Harry and Minerva looked at each other, and then Harry replied, "I understand your concern. Wandmakers can be willing to make wands for the light and the dark. I do not know of an evil wand. Wands are neutral.
"I thought that good and evil was simple when I was young. There are spells that can be used for good and evil. We still grow controlled substances, controlled because although they can be abused, at times they are needed. It is the same with wands.
"Both families are descendants' of the very first wandmakers, and I know the Swiss branches of both families are helping Magi and Elves trace the origins of the first wands. I would think it would only be a positive having those two people on staff."
Bill added, "Your son has a wand that was called the Deathstick, but both he and Albus Dumbledore used it for good, so I guess I agree with you. I am just worried. I have two more grandchildren who are going to be going to Hogwarts, joining their brother and sister, so I am as concerned as Harry is for the future of the school. One of them started this year. I do not want any more problems with teachers."
"I do not either, Bill," Minerva confirmed, before continuing with her discussion of the new teachers.
"Many students go on in Herbology, because so many Magi have gardens, plus the Sprouts grow plants for food for Hogwarts as well as magical plants, so I am glad that Rose is back with her husband Thorn Hufflepuff.
"Pomona and the Swiss Hufflepuff family were planning a big wedding this past summer, but instead they had a tiny wedding with just the parents present. I understand they are thinking about a big reception next summer.
"We've hired Godiva Gryffindor, a French widow, to help with transfiguration. Filius Flitwick is going to do a little work with advanced students in both Charms and Transfiguration, but he is getting very old and is wanting to semi-retire. He will continue to work with our little orchestra, but he really doesn't teach the instruments. He just directs the orchestra, getting help with the arrangements from others.
"That leaves Potions. I'm still looking. Horace Slughorn was our extra teacher there, plus getting some help from Julia Kettleburn, but Horace had to go and die on us."
"What happened to Horace?" Bill Edington wondered.
"He and two wizard friends felt they were immune from this Covid-19, and they avoided it for months. I don't know what happened, but they all fell seriously ill at the same time, and all three of them died. They were all very old, very heavy, and not in ideal health, so I guess it was not a shock that they died.
"We have a couple of very advanced students ninth and tenth year, who are helping with the teaching. One of them may end up working their way into a teaching position."
"I have asked Septima Vector to help Neville as assistant head of Gryffindor. Neville is really very busy with all the different things he does, and I need Neville's help."
"We also have to decide what to do about Christmas."
"I talked to Dr. Kearney yesterday," Harry stated, rubbing his forehead. "He gave a long talk about vaccines, and how the entire population of Magi should be vaccinated against this Covid-19 by sometimes this spring. He had a suggestion. He says that by the end of May almost every Magi in the world should be vaccinated. Every adult and child. Many Muggles should be vaccinated too, including most of North America and a large part of South America, most of Europe and Asia and a large part of Africa and other regions of the world, although it may take all year to get everywhere. There are apparently a few regions in the world where there are people resistant to taking a vaccine, but we do not anticipate that problem with the Magi.
"He suggested no break at Christmas, but sending everyone home the end of May and not coming back until the first of September, giving everyone a long three-month vacation. I think most of the students should be able to go home for Easter, depends on how many Magi are vaccinated. I do not think any of our students are in areas where they anticipate problems vaccinating Magi."
"I will talk to the staff about that, Harry," Minerva responded to Harry, who gave a nod of satisfaction.
"I would like a full three months with the children, and I think their parents would too," Bill confirmed. "If we know in enough time I would like to take a big family vacation."
There was more discussion, but no conclusion.
"We have one final issue I want to cover with you," Minerva indicated, looking at some paperwork and shaking her head. "We often have a pregnant witch or two leaving Hogwarts the end of their seventh year. At one time if a witch became pregnant they were expelled, but the father of the baby was not. Rather sexist as you both know. It takes two to make a baby. Since Harry and Ginny Potter, Neville and Hanna Longbottom, we have had a few married Magi their seventh year, and since we have added extra years of study even more married students in the older years. Of course the married students room with their spouse, not separately in the dormitories.
"Carrie King is pregnant by Bert Robert, and they are going to marry over Christmas break and, since they are both in Gryffindor, they will move into one of the rooms that you and Ginny used Ginny's seventh year. The problem is that Bert's sister Nan wants to marry Macario Finnigan at the same time, and of course live together. I've told them no, but I am having a hard time defending it."
"I'm not going to give you any advice on that one," Bill replied, as he held up his hands at the camera and shook his head.
"Does this have anything to do with Cleopatra?" Harry wondered.
"Maybe, for Carrie King. She really wanted to become pregnant. I'm not sure how I can blame Cleo for Nan, though, since she has, I believe, been on birth control potions and does not want to have a child right away."
"I'm a spectacularly bad person to advise you not to let seventh year students marry and live together, Minerva," Harry advised, remembering Ginny marrying him on her seventeenth birthday, and them living in the same rooms when he was in Auror training and Ginny was in her final year.
*
Saturday morning December twelfth Minerva held an obligatory all staff meeting. She first covered the upcoming staff hires, and the tuition increases. "Of course there is scholarship help available for any Magi in Great Britain and Ireland who cannot afford the tuition."
Minerva then covered the discussions she had been having about Covid-19. "The middle of January the healers plan to vaccinate all of us, teachers and students. I believe they will also vaccinate all of the village of Hogsmeade."
"Does that mean that the children could go home for Easter break?" Cinnamon wondered.
"Assuming that vaccinations go as scheduled, they could," Minerva confirmed. "I think we should plan for the students going home, but let them know that if the vaccination program does not go as planned we may not be able to let them go home."
The group looked at the calendar, Minerva asking. "Could they leave Saturday March twenty-seventh, and come back Monday April fifth? Would that work with your class schedules?"
Neville suggested, "If we hold classes the week of December twenty-seventh, the students should be able to take a week off for Easter and still leave the end of May."
There was a fair amount of discussion, but in the end that is what the teachers decided.
Minerva consulted the Hogwarts board by mobile or Zoom on Sunday, telling them what they were going to do and why. There was some consternation over the students not going home over Christmas, but most of the board members understood why the decision was made.
*
Monday morning at breakfast the headmistress arose to tell the students.
"I have several important announcements, concerning Covid-19, vaccinations, and a major change in the school calendar."
The Great Hall became quiet.
"First, the middle of January we should all receive a Covid-19 vaccination. If you have been listening to or reading Muggle news you may have heard that the first vaccinations require two jabs. Magi have a different immune system, and we only need one jab. The healers tell me that by the end of January most Magi in Great Britain will have received their jab.
"We are sending an announcement to all your parents or guardians today telling them both of the good news of the January vaccinations, and of the bad news of the vaccinations not taking place until the middle of January. Except for special circumstances, we are discouraging students from going home for Christmas. We will have classes on December twenty-first and twenty-second, Monday and Tuesday. Classes will resume December twenty-eighth.
"We will have a formal Christmas dance Sunday December twenty-seventh.
"With this schedule, you may be able to leave for a one week Easter break, leaving Saturday March twenty-seventy, twenty-twenty-one, and coming back Monday April fifth. We are reasonably certain we will be able to dismiss classes and have everyone leave for a longer than usual summer vacation May twenty-ninth.
"All of this depends on the vaccination program going on as scheduled. We do not anticipate any problems, but I feel I have to warn you that the unexpected does happen."
Minerva sat down, and the Great Hall erupted in conversation.
2021