Hermione Jean Granger was known to the wizarding world by many names, titles really. The Gryffindor Princess, One-Third of the Golden Trio, The brightest Witch of her Age and lately, as a Heroine of the Second Wizarding War. All thought they knew her, very few actually did.
Everyone thought that she wanted to get a job at the ministry. They were wrong about that. She would never work for the Ministry, they were corrupt to the core. She had done her part for the Wizarding World. Someone else would have to fight the uphill battle against the rampant prejudice that still persisted in their society.
Shortly after the War ended she and Ron had broken up. They fought to much like siblings to be good lovers. They went their own way, parting on good terms.
Harry had gifted her Grimmauld Place and all that it contained, choosing instead to rebuild his parents house at Godric's Hallow. He didn't want to live in the house that had been Sirius's prison. At first she wanted to refuse, but he told her that he would be happier knowing that she had a safe place to go. After that she accepted.
With nothing but time on her hands and no wish to socialize Hermione had returned to what she loved most, reading. She read a good chunk of what the Black Library had to offer. It contained volumes that had been lost for hundreds of years. Tomes about ancient arts long forgotten.
She still visited Hogwarts often, helping to rebuild and coming around for tea with her favorite Professor. After insisting that Hermione call her Minerva the first time she came to help, they had become a lot closer. Bonding to a house elf had been Minerva's idea.
Eventually she found Winky still miserable in the Hogwarts kitchens. Looking at the sad elf and feeling something in her ache for the tiny grey being with the floppy ears and the odd portruding eyes she offered to bond with her. Winky had been ecstatic.
After the saying the oaths that would bind Winky to her Hermione started hovering in the air, glowing a dark burned gold. Winky was slowly enveloped in the warm golden glow of Hermione's magic. Eventually the glow around Hermione vanished and the ritual magic gently lowered her to the ground.
After a few weeks of living in a house that felt cold and malicious she decided to look for a solution. Hermione had always been extremely sensitive to magic, but clearly this wasn't always a gift. The solution came in the form of a dark ritual and a house elf.
"Missy Mione?" Winky asked softly. "Is we's be needing to keep Home cold?" Hermione looked up from her book. "No, not at all, but I don't know how to purify the twisted magic here that makes it so cold." Blinking up at her Winky slowly handed her a book. "This is containing home binding ritual. It is not being unbreakable, so house can be sold, but it will bind the current magic to Missy Mione." Hermione slowly took the book. "Thank you Winky, I will certainly look into it."
Apparently it was a dark ritual, but Hermione didn't care. It harmed nobody and was dark only because it called on the magic of the elements to raise the power neccesary to bind a place with ancient magic to someone new. Harnessing the elements was considered dark by the Ministry because it was considered to powerful.
She chanted the incantation one final time, feeling the magic of Grimmauld Place snap and slowly settle into a new state of being. It had felt cold and malicious, now it felt dark and warm, safe. Looking around she noticed the changes immediatly. Winky cleaned up the entire house after that, now that the grime no longer resisted magically. The cold feeling left. Furniture was restored. The walls were repainted. This... this was home now, clearly it needed a new name. Eventually she settled on Fairview.
Having lived at Fairview for a few months now, studying whatever caught her fancy Hermione was healing slowly. Her nightmares happened a lot less and her magic stopped lashing out every time she was startled. She had learned an immense amount of old magic.
She wanted to complete her education, so she had accepted the offer to return to school. Hermione had decided to floo to Hogwarts, she had no desire to be gaped at by excitable children on the Hogwarts Express. Thankfully Minerva had been accomedating, fully understanding her reluctance to be seen in public.
She cluthed her beaded handbag, which was still charmed with an undetectable extension charm. It was now cluttered with everything she would need for the upcoming school year. She stepped into the fireplace flooing back to Hogwarts for her Seventh Year. Stumbling out of the fire in Minerva's office a pair of solid arms caught her around the waist.
"Why Miss Granger" a silky voice murmered into her ear "I have never known you to be clumsy." Unwillingly her lips curled up in a small smile. "Professor Snape." She acknowledged. "It is good to see you remain in good health." He looked at her, vaguely surprised. "So a Gryffindor can indeed be courteous." He said slowly. "Professor." She said lightly. "I look forward to your classes." And she did look forward to it. Severus Snape might be a harsh teacher, but there was no denying that he was an extremely talented man who excelled at whatever he choose to do.
She nodded at Minerva, who had been watching the exchange with a smile. "If you'll excuse me, I still have to unpack and I would prefer to do so before the rest of the school arrives." Nodding at her in understanding Snape said slowly. "I look forward to seeing you thrive Miss Granger." She looked up into his obsidian eyes. "Why Professor, was that a compliment?" She asked quirking the corner of her mouth into a slightly teasing expression at the raven haired wizard. "Indeed Miss Granger, see to it that you don't dissappoint me." Though the words were somewhat harsh, the mild humour in his expression made sure that she knew it was meant in good humour. She started the long treck to the Gryffindor tower.
Flopping down on the soft mattres she looked around the dormitory. Waving her wand she charmed the walls to turn silver. House pride was childish and the eye watering shade of red that the Gryffindors favoured had always given her headaches. Since none of her former dorm mates were returning, she had the dormitory to herself this year.
She changed into her uniform. Choosing to go with only the white buttoned shirt, the black skirt and the black tights. Full uniform was only required during classes after all. After she rolled up her sleeves she quickly pulled her hair into a loose ponytail.
Wandering down the stairs towards the great hall with a book on the combination of Ancient Runes and Potions caused her to almost run into a wall.
"Miss Granger" a voice said closeby. She looked up, seeing Professor Snape heading towards her. "What could possibly be so distracting that it would cause you to abandon common sense and nearly run into a wall?" She felt herself flush.
"A book about the uses of Ancient Runes in Potions, Sir." He looked at her mildly surprised. "That is considered highly advanced material Miss Granger. I am sure that the Hogwarts curriculum doesn't touch upon this particular topic." "No Sir, it doesn't, it is just that I found it an interesting concept." She stated quietly.
"Are you having any difficulties understanding the material?" He asked. "Some, Sir, I do not know enough about the more complicated potions." He looked down at her thoughtfully. "Understandable." He murmered slowly. "Almost nobody is able to sense the energies that interact in potions sufficiently enough to brew the more difficult ones, as such Hogwarts doesn't teach this skill." He paused, looking at her steadily. "If you wish, I can teach it to you, I suspect that you posses this particular talent."
Again he had complimented her, she looked up at him startled. Twice now in two days. "Thank you Sir, I would love to learn." And it was the truth. Hermione did love to learn and she would never pass up the opportunity to study under a Potions Master.
She settled at the end of the Gryffindor table, near the staff table. Looking up at the intimidating Head of Slytherin she wondered why he had offered to teach her. Professor Snape wasn't exactly known for his kindness. Sighing she put it out of her mind for now, focussing on the First Years who had yet to be sorted.
After the last student was sorted the Headmistress gave a speech. "For those of you who are new to Hogwarts, welcome, for those returning, welcome back." She smiled briefly at the students. Hermione had heard all of this before, so she tuned out the Headmistress. Choosing instead to gaze up at the Staff table.
There were a few new faces and a lot of old ones. The Care of Magical Creatures had been taken up by Charlie Weasley. Defence Against the Dark Arts was taught by Lucius Malfoy, History being taught by his wife, Narcissa. Adromeda Tonks had taken up the Muggle Studies post. The rest of the Professors she was already familiar with, as they had been teaching for a long time. She was curious about the Malfoys, wondering what were they doing here.
After the feast she returned to her dormitory, glad that she didn't have to room with the current Seventh Years, she wasn't ready to sleep with strangers in the same room. Although it had been months since the war ended, Hermione wasn't completely healed and she didn't trust people. The war had left her paranoid. Casting strong wards around the room, she tied them to ward stones with her blood. Then she settled in her bed to sleep.
Waking up at 3 o'clock in the morning was unpleasant. Normal now a days sadly enough, she had gotten used to it. She settled into the window sill with a book from the Black Library about elemental magic. Hours later she dressed in her uniform. Waving her hand absently to float along the books she needed today as she usually did at home. She slowly descended the stairs. An open floating book before her, hands curled around a warm cup of tea.
"Miss Granger" a low voice greeted her from slightly to her left. Startled her magic dropped all of the books that had been floating around her. "I see that you have managed to learn some wandless magic. Impressive, most students and many adults still struggle to cast without their voice". She looked up at him, noticing his small smile. "I learned recently". She stated softly, waving her hand to magically pick up the books again.
"Professor Snape, do you know anything about elemental magic?" she asked quietly. Now it was his turn to look startled. "Miss Granger, you are aware that elemental magic is considered dark magic, though it is not illegal?" "Yes I'm aware of that. Dark is not evil though." She stated confidently. He looked at her thoughtfully. "Indeed it's not, I see you have managed to learn something that seems to elude most of Magical Britain. Yes Miss Granger, I do indeed have some skill with elemental magic. Do you know what element you are inclined to?". She looked up at him uncertainly, biting her lip slightly. "To be honest I do not know what my element is. I don't even know if I am capable of elemental magic".
He looked at her thoughtfully. "Not everyone is capable. However I suspect that you are, if you want I can test you later for magical talents. However to a very small percentage of the wizarding population this test can be invasive". She wondered what that meant, then it clicked. "You mean people who are sensitive towards magic". Glancing at her sharply he nodded. "Indeed, this is a very rare talent and most of the time it is discovered very young. Purebloods like to do this test the moment their children first shows signs of magic".
He looked at her intently. "Miss Granger, are you magically sensitive?". She looked away, shuffling unhappily. "Yes, I realised quickly that it wasn't normal. I tried to find information about it in the library but there was none, after that I decided to hide it". He looked at her noticing the tightness around her eyes. Clearly she was upset that she hadn't been able to research her talent.
"It isn't regarded as dark, although it will cause trouble if people realise that you are magic sensitive. They will attempt to manipulate you or destroy you. You would be considered to powerful to leave alone" he could see her rising panic. "Calm down Miss Granger, I swear not to tell anyone without your express permission". She looked into his eyes, relief starkly painted accross her features. It was clear that she trusted him to keep his word. He looked briefly shocked at her display of trust, then a tiny smile appeared on his face. "Thank you Professor". "Enjoy your breakfast Miss Granger" he stated before sweeping into the great hall.
After breakfast she headed to the dungeons. Only a few people of her year returned. Theodore Nott and Draco Malfoy were there from Slytherin. Ravenclaw was being represented by Luna Lovegood, who would be following lessons with the Eight Years instead of the Seventh Years, whom she had never gotten along with. Nobody from Hufflepuf had returned. Hermione was the only Gryffindor.
Professor Snape swept the door open. "Everybody in. The potions recipe is on the board, feel welcome to ask questions quietly, consulting other students is allowed". The students blinked in surprise. They highly doubted that any type of chaos would be allowed, but for the normally harsh Professor this was positively mild. "I trust that you will all take this seriously" he stated quietly. "You are old and wise enough to recognize that brewing potions can be dangerous, I will trust you all to behave appropriatly. Should you fail, I will reinstate the old rules".
Hermione focused on her potion, brewing quietly. As she could sense the magic in the bubbling potion she knew when the it was ready for another ingredient. She slowly stirred the silver potion as it turned aqua. "Professor, what does this potion do?" she asked quietly. While the instructions were on the board, nobody had been able to figure out what the potion actually did.
He looked at her with an intense stare for a moment. "Ah Miss Granger, that is the question is it not. You will have to find out for yourself, it is harmless though, of that I can reassure you."
A puzzle, how novel she thought. Finally a challenge.