Time After Time. *Complete*

Chapter Sixteen - The Tour

"Ladies and gentlemen, if I could have your attention, please?" Professor McGonagall called from the back of the hall as the food and plates all seemed to disappear, leaving behind clean, empty tables.

"We thought it best to split the crowd up for the tours this morning. That way, everyone gets to experience the tour." She held up a clipboard. "We have the names here for each group, and we have teachers to take you on your tour." She threw the clipboard into the air, where it duplicated itself 4 times before zooming off around the hall. The first zoomed to Professor Slughorn, who began to call out names as he moved to the far side of the room. The next was Professor Sprout, who, when Slughorn had finished, began calling out her names. The third was Professor Trelawny, and Hermione kept her fingers crossed that she wouldn't be in her group.

Thankfully, she wasn't.

That meant that she and her friends were in the capable hands of Professor Flitwick, who looked to be more excited than the guests at the prospect of looking around the castle. "Alright, everyone," he called, looking up, smiling. "I like this group. Some of my favourite past pupils." He eyes landed on Hermione as he smiled. "We are going to be going up to the seventh floor. Starting at the top and working our way down. Are we all ready to head off?"

He glanced around, and when no one interjected, he turned. "Alrighty then, off we go!"

The group all stood in line behind him as they headed off out of class. At the bottom of the stairs, Professor Flitwick turned to them. "I am sure I don't have to remind you that the staircase likes to move about. Just be careful." He nodded as the staircase jumped to life, causing him to lose balance. He flung his hands back to hold onto the step as it moved to the left for several seconds before turning and coming back as if being recalled. Flitwick straightened himself up. "See what I mean?" He rolled his eyes, turning as everyone stepped on.

Again, the staircase moved as Hermione smiled, taking in the sights around her. The Grand Stair was considered one of the most iconic sights of Hogwarts. It has been referenced in over 100 textbooks over the years and in all adaptions of Hogwarts, A History. But this stair was only one of about 20 in the school. And in Hermione's eyes, it was one of the least interesting. For example heading to the Astronomy Tower you had to take the Grand Stair ase to the second floor and then to the end of the hallway, take a left, then a right and down a small staircase before finding yourself in front of a invisible stair case...Yip invisible. You could see the floor below and nothing above, and yet if you moved, you would fit the bottom step. Climbing it was a real mission and a complete leap of faith.

Or there were the stairs to Ravenclaw Tower, on which you could only see the step in front and the one behind. Every time you took a step, the wooden plank behind you would move to the front of you. Then there was the staircase to Duvination, which only appeared as you began to move. Or the stairs to Defence Agaibst The Dark Arts. This was less like a staircase and rather stepping stones floating in mid-air, which you had to hop a Ross to reach the class floor.

Then there were the stairs (or step) to Divination. It used to be a ladder up to the attic door, but after third year, the ladder disappeared, and one had to stand on the step and use a levitating charm to lift yourself up to the door.

The school was pure genius, and Hermione was delighted, and if anything, since the war, the school had gotten even more stunningly magnificent. With so many involved in helping rebuild the school and with many private donations from wealthy families, there were many suggestions given to make the school better than before. All suggestions had to go through the board for approval, and any that were passed were added to the school.

The common rooms were split into two different levels. 1st-4th year were on the lower levels with their own common room and dorms, which had house elves on had to act as carers. Then, the years 5th, 6th, and 7th were on another level. Both levels had the one entryway, but younger students headed down a spiral staircase from the entrance, and older ones headed up. Each common room had its own small kitchen, which primarily housed snacks.