Among the grounds and gardens nearest to the house were many delightful walking paths, that curved into the pretty groves and woodlands which flanked the stream. Now that she was fit and able, Hermione delighted in indulging her passion for nature by rambling along these paths for hours on end, hoping one day to make an entire circle of the park. But these hopes were dashed, however, by the stark words of the Head Gardener-Elf, who was named Gwillym, who informed her that the perimeter of the boundary ward was at least twelve miles around and far too much to manage on foot in a single day.