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She wore a loose sweater and jeans, looking like any ordinary college student.
The moment she spotted Simmons, she pulled her into a hug, murmuring thank goodness over and over, openly relieved that she was safe.
Ward had clearly already told her.
Coulson cleared his throat.
"Jemma Simmons and Leo Fitz — you've already met. They're the team's scientists. Simmons specializes in biological sciences, Fitz handles mechanical engineering."
"Grant Ward you should already know."
Hermione nodded. "Old acquaintance. We took classes together."
Coulson gestured toward the short-haired woman. "This is Melinda May. Bus pilot, and our team's combat specialist."
"And this one..." He glanced at the long-haired girl, something uncertain in his tone. "Her name is Skye. She's sort of our newly recruited... Intern Hacker."
The moment May's eyes landed on Hermione, her pupils shrank, like she'd just seen something that shouldn't exist.
Skye noticed.
May was always composed. Things that knocked her off balance didn't come along often.
What's gotten into her? Skye wondered.
Ward had only told them the good news, that Simmons had been cured, before bringing them to meet someone. He'd thrown in one small warning: try not to get so excited they passed out.
Coulson cleared his throat again, ready to make the introduction.
"This is the wi—"
Hermione cut him off before he finished.
"I'm Hermione Granger. Hermione's fine." She smiled at the room, voice easy and unhurried. "I heard you've had a Chitauri Virus situation here. Bald Egg asked me to come have a look."
May hesitated. She drew a slow breath, visibly working to smooth out the shock, and said, "Hello, Hermione. It's an honor."
Her voice held a faint tremor, but she kept herself together.
Skye studied Hermione with open curiosity.
Virus expert, then, she thought. Though, isn't she a little young? Has she even finished secondary school?
Then Hermione's crisp, unmistakably proper London accent registered, and Skye revised her theory. Maybe she's a relative of Simmons?
Coulson cleared his throat. "To be honest, this team was modeled after the original Mystery Countermeasures Unit. Our goal is to investigate and resolve supernatural incidents around the world — the ones that haven't been catalogued yet."
Hermione raised an eyebrow. "With this lineup, you'd struggle to handle anything too serious."
Coulson took no offense. He just smiled. "The serious matters are the Avengers' problem. We handle the small things they don't have time for." He paused. "Though now that you're here, I imagine any problem can be dealt with."
Hermione shook her head. "I'm only here at Bald Egg's request, to check in on you occasionally. I won't be stationed here permanently."
A flicker of disappointment crossed Coulson's eyes, then vanished.
He understood. Hermione's standing was what it was. She belonged with the Avengers, or somewhere even beyond that. She was never going to be tied to a small team like his.
"Right, I nearly forgot the main reason I came." Hermione touched her forehead. "I brought you a message."
She looked at Coulson, and her expression shifted into something more serious.
"A while ago, Dumbledore observed that the Convergence is about to begin. He's calculated that Earth's intersection point is at Greenwich."
"When it happens, that area will likely see a spike in supernatural activity."
"I've already informed Bald Egg. I'm giving you a heads-up now, your next assignment will probably be around there."
Coulson blinked. "The Convergence?"
Hermione explained.
"The Convergence is when the Nine Realms align, all in a straight line. Once every 5,000 years. When it happens, the boundaries between the realms blur. Spatial passages can open up, connecting different worlds."
"Think of it as a massive wormhole event. Except these wormholes could lead anywhere in the Nine Realms."
She let that sit for a moment.
"None of them are easy to deal with. You'd all do well to be mentally prepared."
Coulson's brow creased. "So it's essentially one unclosable portal after another?"
His voice tightened. "If there were another invasion, the scale of the Battle of New York..."
Hermione waved him off.
"Relax. The big stuff isn't your problem." Her tone was breezy. "If any reckless fools want to come through, let them."
"Why?" Coulson pressed. "Greenwich isn't New York. There are no Avengers there. No defense against an outside incursion."
Hermione smiled.
"You're overthinking it. That place is the safest location on Earth. New York doesn't come close."
Coulson stared at her.
New York was the Avengers' base. Miss Witch turned up there regularly. And somehow there was a place in the world even safer than that?
"Do you know what's right next to Greenwich?" Hermione asked.
Coulson shook his head, then ventured carefully, "Uh... British police?"
Hermione rolled her eyes.
"Hogwarts."
Coulson's eyes went wide.
Then an indescribable wave of relief settled over him.
Hogwarts.
They'd seen enough of Hermione's magic over the years to have absolute faith in the wizarding world. They'd never seen Hogwarts for themselves, but in their minds it had long since become the most mysterious, most powerful place in existence. Far beyond anything the Avengers could claim.
So the portals were going to open directly on top of the wizards' home base?
That was practically the definition of seeking death.
Coulson realized his worry had been completely unnecessary. He was starting to feel genuinely sorry for whatever hapless aliens decided to come through.
Hermione watched his expression relax into relief and smiled to herself.
That's exactly what I wanted.
"So, whoever's that eager to try their luck, let them come. If they wake something up they can't handle, that's their own fault."
She looked entirely unconcerned.
"That said," she added, "even if you don't need to worry about the big picture, the Convergence will still stir up plenty of smaller trouble. Expect some activity."
Coulson nodded. "Understood. Honestly, it'll be good training for the team."
There was a note of genuine anticipation in his voice. Real field experience was the best teacher. The chance to work through a wave of supernatural incidents was exactly the kind of thing his team needed.
After a while, Coulson excused himself to report to Fury. The first stiffness of the meeting had worn off by then, and everyone drifted into conversation.
➤ Next: Black Dog and Black Cat
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