A Whole New World


A whole new world
A new fantastic point of view
No one to tell us no
Or where to go
Or say we're only dreaming

A whole new world
A dazzling place I never knew
But when I'm way up here
It's crystal clear
That now I'm in a whole new world with you
~Aladdin


It was a silent night, and nothing could be seen or heard except for two people talking softly to one another. One was a young boy of eighteen years old with jet-black hair and astonishing green eyes that stood out even in the darkness. He was clutching a broom with one hand, a silvery cloak thrown over the other, and he was talking to the girl in front of him with an irritated voice.

The girl, on the other hand, had her hand on his shoulder, and her voice was low and even as she tried to make him see reason. Her hair fell to her shoulders in wild brown curls, and she was very much shorter than the boy, but her voice was determined—she was not going to give up easily. They were both standing in the middle of what looked like an enormous Quidditch pitch, and a looming castle was visible in the distance.

“Harry, do you realize what you’re doing?� demanded almost angrily. “Don’t you see how dangerous this is?�

The boy just rolled his eyes and looked at the velvety sky above him. He really appreciated the girl’s efforts to keep him safe, but sometimes it was just too much. However, he did not remove his arm from her grasp.

“Hermione, you have to understand. I thought you knew me by now. This is something I need to do. I want to get away, even if it’s just for a little while. You know how much flying means to me,� he said looking at her piercingly.

Hermione remained silent for a while. She did know how Harry felt about flying, but that did not make it any less dangerous. Although Harry had successfully defeated Voldemort six months ago, the Death Eaters were still out in full force, seeking revenge and doing more damage than even Voldemort could have managed. She understood that Harry needed to come to terms with his new life, with his role in the wizarding world and with his own self. Yes, she understood that perfectly, but this was not the way to go about it.

Harry seemed to have read her mind. “This is important to me, Hermione,� he told her as he smiled.

During their search for Horcruxes, he and Hermione had gotten very close to each other, more than they had ever been, but Harry could still not bring himself to forget their period of separation during their sixth year. It had come slowly, too slowly for them to notice; it had almost snuck up on them without them realising it. Only in the summer had he finally understood that he had been hurt by the lack of attention on Hermione’s part, by the fact that he did not occupy the first place in her mind anymore and by the fact that she had not believed in him. This had made him turn to Ginny for comfort, but he had realised that Ginny could never take Hermione’s place; he could never talk to her like he could to Hermione—there was too much history with them.

All of this hurt had been difficult to mend. It had taken more than a year for their relationship to be restored again. While they were out looking for Godric’s Hollow and searching for the Horcruxes, Harry had sensed more than seen that his relationship with Hermione could never change, that no matter what the circumstances were she would always believe in him, be there for him, in one way or another. And this made him feel safe. This had given him the strength he needed to face his fears, be they within him or surrounding him.

“I know it is, Harry,� she sighed, and her voice trembled slightly, “but I’m scared. What if something happens to you?�

“Nothing will happen,� he assured her. “Besides, ever since Dumbledore died, I’ve sort of had to take care of myself, haven’t I? I’ve been alone.�

“You may have had to take care of yourself,� Hermione said, anger noticeable in her voice and her eyes blazing, “but you are certainly not alone, and you know it!�

He smiled at her indignation.

“Yes, I know,� he said quietly and drew her to him in a hug. Hermione trembled slightly, but blamed it on the light breeze.

“Oh, Harry, you do understand I’m simply worried, don’t you?� she asked, looking up at him.

“Of course, but this is something that I’m doing and that’s that,� he told her firmly. Then suddenly he brightened as an idea struck him. “Why don’t you come with me, Hermione?�

“What are you talking about?� she asked looking at him suspiciously. “You know I hate flying! I don’t fly unless someone forces me to. If I remember rightly, last time I flew was a couple of years ago at the Burrow, when we played Quidditch with Ron and Ginny.�

At the mention of Ginny, Hermione looked up at Harry, expecting to see something in his eyes, but nothing came as he looked at her and laughed.

“You can fly with me. My broom can hold both of us. That way, you can keep an eye on me and make sure I’m safe.� He winked at her. “Come on, Hermione. You won’t believe what you’ll see. It’s a whole different world up there. You feel free, wonderful, away from everything else. Besides, everyone has to conquer their fears. I’ll help you see the fun side of brooms…�

She shook her head slightly as she thought. She knew she would love to lose herself and not have to think about the death and suffering that Voldemort had left behind, but something held her back. It was still dangerous to leave Hogwarts and, truth be told, she was scared. She looked up at Harry again and saw his eyes pleading with her. He looked like an eager, little kid. He was right about one thing though—if she went with him he wouldn’t be alone, and maybe he could help her with her fear of flying. Finally she nodded.

“OK,� she said.

Harry grinned triumphantly. Not only had he succeeded in convincing her to let him go, but he had also convinced her to go with him. For some reason, he felt elated.

“You’re going to love it, you’ll see.� He beamed and he helped her mount the broom in front of him, the Invisibility Cloak all but forgotten, “Hogwarts is beautiful, especially at night, and there are so many things to see.�

Hermione didn’t smile back. She was truly only doing this for Harry, and she still found it irksome. It was very unusual for her to be doing something like this, but in a way it was good to let off a little steam, and a part of her knew that if she was with Harry everything would be alright.

Harry mounted right behind her and told her to hold on tight. He leaned forward and placed his hands on the broom, in front of Hermione, and she was suddenly nestled in his arms. Asking if she was ready, he took off, rising slowly higher, the wind caressing his hair as he left all of his worries on the ground behind him.

Every problem was gone as he rediscovered freedom and looked down at a sea of green below him and the few castle lights, and all around him there was nothing but silence. It had been a while since he’d last flown, and he’d forgotten just how wonderful it all was. He felt truly himself again, forgetting about all of his inner problems.

Hermione held on tight, mouth gaping open and eyes closed shut. Her stomach was clenched painfully in a tight knot, and she closed her mouth with difficulty, for fear of throwing up.

“I’m not going too fast, Hermione, right?� Harry’s soft voice whispered in her ear. “Just open your eyes. Trust me.�

It was those two words that did it for her. If she could not trust Harry, she couldn’t trust anyone. Opening her eyes slowly, she saw that they were standing still, and below her lay the whole of Hogwarts’ grounds, its brilliance visible even from afar. She tightened her grip on the broom until her knuckles turned white. Noticing this, Harry softly placed his own hand on top of hers, but instead of relaxing, Hermione tensed even more. However, she realised that she was holding Harry back so, taking a deep breath, she told him to fly as if she wasn’t there.

Harry looked at her questioningly, but did as he was told. Immediately, Hermione’s stomach started doing flip-flops, but, with Harry’s reassuring hand still covering hers, she forced herself to calm down. As Harry guided the broom around, crisp, cold air filled her lungs. She took deep breaths, and she let her eyes close for only a few moments. She looked around her and saw nothing but quiet darkness, enveloping her whole being. She looked down at the smooth surface of the lake, mirroring the twinkling stars, and she let out a sigh. It was beautiful. She understood now why this was all so important to Harry. It was a whole other universe up there, and she felt she never wanted to go back down. She was happy flying, taking in the stupendous sight in front of her eyes, with Harry by her side.

She leaned forward as Harry dove straight at the lake, then pulled up, allowing Hermione to gently graze the surface of the water with her fingers. She laughed—it all seemed like something from a fairy tale—the nervousness she had felt before now completely gone. Before she knew it, they had left the castle’s grounds. They passed whole valleys and snow-capped mountains. Hermione laughed as she saw a tiny bird flying beside them.

She sighed again and leaned against Harry, and as she did so, something seemed to catch in his throat. It all seemed so right—the splendid sky above him, the breathtaking view below him and the unique girl in front of him. And, as she turned and smiled at him, Harry felt a strange feeling overtake him, a feeling he couldn’t decipher, but his arm left Hermione’s hand and circled her waist, holding her tighter against him. She looked startled for a moment, but smiled all the same, and went on looking ahead.

After what felt like only seconds, Harry slowed down and they flew slowly in the deep silence, broken only by the occasional tweak of a bird, or a door slamming somewhere in the distance.

“Thank you, Harry,� Hermione whispered, inhaling deeply. “It was amazing. I have never felt like this. I understand now.�

“And nothing happened, did it, Hermione?� he asked, smiling.

She shook her head, but truth be told, something had happened, and she was slowly beginning to grasp it. Below them, she could dimly make out a small park, and she asked Harry if they could stop. Harry descended gradually, feeling the need to think as well. They were far away from Hogwarts now, but that didn’t matter. They both sat down on a nearby bench and said nothing for a long time.

The little trip had helped Harry sort out some of his feelings. For some reason, it had become clear to him that this was the way it was supposed to be—him and Hermione, alone, taking on the world. He knew that he coud never manage withour her, both literally and metaphorically. It was never the same without her. He looked sideways at her profile, and she seemed deep in thought herself.

Her friendship with Harry was a strong one, she knew. Was it more than that? Could it be more than that? She had thought that it was Ron she cared about, but she now saw that that wasn’t real. She didn’t want to spend half her time bickering with someone who barely understood her. She wanted something more. She wanted what she and Harry shared. It was a strong bond of trust and loyalty; it was something that could not be broken easily. They had gone through their rough times, but that had not been enough to keep them apart—nothing had ever been. As a feeling unknown to her until then stirred inside of her very soul, Hermione became conscious of the fact that this was what true love was based on—true friendship. It could not be any other way.

She turned to Harry, and found his emerald eyes boring into her own, and they both understood. No matter what challenges lay ahead of them, they would face them together and they would build their own special world to live in, where everything was simple and beautiful.

“Some trip this was,� Harry said gazing at her moonlit features and the way her dark chocolatey eyes shone with a light unknown to him until then.

She smiled, and they both found themselves leaning in at the same time. As their lips touched in a soft and gentle kiss, they both felt safe, and they realized they had found the missing piece of the puzzle.