"Just another glamorous day in the life of Hermione Granger," Hermione muttered bitterly, as she sat behind her office desk. Hermione now worked in the Auror section of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement within the Ministry of Magic; she'd taken on the job six months ago, after huge pressings from her boyfriend Ronald Weasley. After he had finished his training, leaving Hermione to choose and buy the small London flat that they had decided to keep together until they could afford a larger home of their own, Ronald had joined their best friend Harry as a fully qualified Auror; but although she was proud of him, Hermione saw no reason why she should take a job with him.

Ron had insisted that the firm was desperate for a secretary, and at first Hermione had been insulted by the very idea. She had hardly dreamed that her whole life would consist of sitting behind a desk welcoming people and directing them. She loved magic, and was the smartest of all of her friends and privately thought that if her place in the Wizarding World was purely to be a secretary then she might as well have been a Squib, or not bothered finding out she was a Witch at all.

After a while though, she had started to see the positives in the idea. For one, she had to admit that just because she was a secretary now that didn't mean to say that she had to be one for the rest of her life. It was fine temporary work, and the pay was decent. That didn't mean to say that the work was interesting, however, but a lot of the time she could get away with reading her book by her computer, waiting for something to come up that needed doing. She pulled out her book ('Witching for Weddings' - she was perfectly aware that Ron was planning to propose to her, he was hardly subtle) and was just starting to flick through the dainty pages when a knock on her office door startled her, causing her to almost jump out of her purple velvet chair.

"Come in!" she shrieked, hastily storing the book underneath her desk and smoothing out her dress, trying to look as if she'd been working hard all of this time.

The door opened and when Hermione saw who was walking into the room she took a sharp intake of breath. Of all people who could come and visit her at work, it was her old Transfiguration Professor, Head of House and Deputy Headmistress: Professor Minerva McGonagall! "P…Professor McGonagall… it's an honour!" Hermione stood up from behind her desk, shaking the elderly Witch's hand.

"Miss Granger, sit down and have a biscuit." said the Professor, as a form of greeting. Hermione was flabbergasted at being told to have a biscuit in her own office but she sat down and took one of the ginger ones from the small tin by her side anyway, offering one to McGonagall who just shook her head curtly."Is there any way that I can help you, Professor?" Hermione asked, trying to see behind her hard exterior, something she had always had issues with.

"I'm not going to beat around the bush, girl. I am incredibly disappointed in you." the Professor barked, and Hermione gulped down the last of her biscuit.

"Disappointed?" Hermione inquired, feeling her heart sink. She'd always searched for Professor McGonagall's approval in school, and now the same fear had come to haunt her in the work place.

"Don't look at me like that, you know perfectly well what I mean." the Professor started to explain. "I had such high hopes for you, Granger. 10 OWLs, and a Gryffindor - you're the best girl I've seen in my house, you know. And look at you now… you're a secretary! A secretary of all things, when you have so much potential!"

"I'm sorry Professor but I was hardly planning on staying a Secretary for long, just until Ron and I can move into a decent house…"

"-Oh don't be daft, girl." McGonagall scathingly interrupted her. "Education's the place for you."

There was a pregnant pause that occurred after that statement, when Hermione thought through the idea. "Education?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. Of course she missed learning; she'd always enjoyed lessons, and had to admit that she'd been missing school ever since she'd left it. But how could she go back to Hogwarts? Surely she'd be put in lower years, and that would be humiliating. Was the Professor implying that her grades hadn't been good enough?

Professor McGonagall saw the confusion on her face. "W.H.A.? Wizarding Higher Academic Learning Exams? Surely someone told you about them?"Hermione shook her head and the Professor digged into her bag, producing a leaflet and a few sheets of paper that she thrust into Hermione's hands.

"Just promise me you'll go to the open day?" her voice turned more soft now, and Hermione found herself able to look into the Professor's eyes.

"I promise." she replied, giving the Professor a small smile.

"Good. Now, I'm a busy woman Miss Granger so I will have to be going." the Professor stood back up, making her way back to the door that Hermione held open for her.

"Goodbye, Professor." Hermione smiled, "Thanks for dropping in.""It was no trouble. I'm sure I'll see you soon." the Professor replied, before walking away. Hermione watched her as she went before closing the door again and walking back to her desk. Instead of picking back up the Bridal book however she picked up the leaflet and papers given to her by McGonagall. Her heart started to flutter as she read them through, and one date stuck in her mind as she reached the end of the prospectus:

'15th March - Open Day'

That was only 2 weeks away.