Blindness

Chapter 24: A Green Mother's Love

"It's just what the Minister said would happen." Harry murmured, as Hermione finished reading the letter from Ronald Weasley. "Not even a year, and two species have contacted us."

Hermione tapped the parchment against her palm, the words nearly memorized with the many times she had read it after her first startled viewing the night before.

"But this isn't like the vampire's situation. Werewolves are still human, were once completely normal, and nearly to a one turned against their will. There are so many avenues that could be taken to help them, and not that far to go. The only restrictions on them currently are the laws about where and how they can be employed."

Harry absently turned the ring on his finger, gaze staring blankly ahead. She could see the thoughts rippling across his face, his lips turned down in a frown, his jaw tense.

"The very fact that most are unwillingly turned is the very reason it will not be easy. Werewolves are still around because they keep hurting other people. The disease drives its host into insanity once a month, and during that time they are forced to spread that disease in a violent, often fatal, manner. I'm not even sure it can be called a disease, as it changes the very pattern of its host irrevocably. It's a... mutation."

Hermione lifted her chin. "I will do more research, but I think the Ministry is approaching the issue wrong. The laws are not even a proper quarantine during infectious times, they make no sense. If we can open this issue with a potential solution to stopping the spread of lycanthropy, we might make more headway."

He smiled at her, a slight shake of his head.

"You're taking this one on, aren't you? Even with college about to start?"

Hermione lifted a hand, grinned.

"Just try and stop me."

-O-O-

It took some more discussion before they had the beginnings of a plan.

Viola James would respond to Weasley with her support, and a vow to research the regulations concerning lycanthropy and what might be done to overthrow them safely.

Hermione would find a volunteer to interview, and who might volunteer to let Harry observe his pattern in more depth in the hopes of discovering anything not already documented in the various wizarding texts on lycanthropy.

She didn't want to rush things, and starting mundane college would definitely take a great deal of her time.

Hermione looked at the list on her desk, a simple bullet-pointed thing, the page divided into four even quarters by thick inked lines.

Medicine. One year of basic college curriculum and pre-med courses, five years of medical school, four to six years training.

Pharmacology. Four years of MPharm, one year of registration training.

Potions. Two years apprenticeship, two to four years of journeyman training.

Healing. Four years apprenticeship, four to six years of journeyman training.

Hermione had known from the beginning she would have to choose. In order to realize her dream of melding the wizarding and mundane medical fields, she would need to know enough of all four to be competent, but she would not have enough time to be able to master them. They would have to assemble an entire team of individuals willing to work on the problem from both sides of the equation.

It would take the longest to become a doctor, and the regime was arduous. Healing was a close second, most Healers working for eight or more years to finally earn their title.