The Cabin wouldn't demand that Hermione like or hate Voldemort. Everyone was free to make up their own minds.
That was the most basic principle.
Hannah would only help Neville and the other friends whose parents had been members of the Order of the Phoenix weigh the pros and cons. She didn't make any demands.
That made Hermione feel much more at ease.
Yes, she even felt as if her steps had grown much lighter.
It was an interesting thing. When she was with Harry, she was always fixated on killing Voldemort. When she was with Draco, she was always thinking about climbing higher.
But when she decided to let all of that go and seek her own strength through magic, she suddenly felt, very quickly, that this was who she really was.
She was the proud Hermione Granger. How could she be content to watch so many of her friends head toward the dazzling Sea of Stars while she stayed where she was, feeling sorry for herself?
Hermione decided to visit Harry, as a way of expressing her commitment to justice.
But she soon saw...
"Harry?" Hermione stared wide-eyed at the figure following behind Goyle and Crabbe.
Harry looked at her and tugged at the corners of his mouth. "I was lucky. Professor Snape saved me and helped treat the aftereffects, so Hatred Magic didn't make me lose everything."
"And then?" Hermione asked urgently, looking at Harry. "And now you're going to turn around and help Voldemort?"
Harry nodded. "When Goyle came by just now, Professor Snape was there too. He suggested I come over and take a good look at the magical effects produced by 'Love Magic' and 'Hatred Magic' together."
"What do you mean?" Hermione frowned, astonished to realize that there were times when she couldn't understand