Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize.
Three Years Later
It's funny to watch people as they walk into Diagon Alley for the first time. I love watch Muggles' expressions when they walk into Gringotts for the first time. I love to see their faces when I tell them that Dragons are real. I hate having to tell them about Voldemort. I do this almost everyday over the summer. I have for the past three years, ever since I accepted the job of Transfiguration teacher at Hogwarts.
After Dumbledore's death in sixth year, Professor McGonagall became Headmistress. I was Head Girl in seventh year, as everyone expected, especially Harry and Ron. To their surprise, Draco Malfoy became Head Boy. After graduation, McGonagall offered me the job of Transfiguration Professor. She said that she couldn't take care of her duties as Headmistress and teach. I accepted her offer gladly, and waved goodbye to my friends as they boarded the Hogwarts Express. I stayed at Hogwarts over the summer to go through teacher training.
Minerva asked me to go tell Muggleborns about Hogwarts, since I myself was a Muggleborn. I agreed and I got to watch the young witch or wizards' parents' reaction as I turned their coffee table into a variety of animals and back. I got to lead them into Diagon Alley for the first time and watch them.
"Hello, my name is Hermione Granger and I'm here to give you more information about a letter you received a few days ago," I said after a woman opened the door.
"Oh yes, do come in," said the woman. "Please call me Helen."
"Is your daughter here?" I asked. "This is about her future, after all."
"Tiffany and my husband are in the living room. It's through this door," she steered me in gently. "Would you like something to drink?"
"No, thank you. I'm Hermione Granger, Professor of Transfiguration," I told Tiffany and her father. "I'm here on behalf of Professor McGonagall, the Headmistress of Hogwarts."
"Hogwarts teaches magic, according to the letter. Can you do some?" asked Mr. Borillio. His voice was surprisingly deep. I steadied my wand and non-verbally turned their coffee table into a ferret. With as swish, I turned it back into a table. "Thank you."
"Do you want to go to Hogwarts?" I asked Tiffany. She nodded vigorously. I handed her a complete Hogwarts letter. "Inside that envelope, you'll find more information and a complete list of supplies you'll need. You'll also find a copy of the Daily Prophet, which is our newspaper. All muggleborns have a year's subscription paid for by the school. We find that it helps you fit in better with the purebloods and halfbloods." Tiffany was looking at her envelope, handing papers to her parents at intervals.
"Where can we buy these things?" asked Helen.
"Diagon Alley. I arrange for the families to go in groups the first weekend of the month. It's for your own safety. We have a Ministry escort those weekends," I said. "There's something you have to know before you decide. The Wizarding World is at war. A Dark Wizard known as Lord Voldemort is attempting to eradicate the world of Muggleborns and Muggles. I was petrified in my second year along with other Muggleborns. In my fourth year, a boy was killed. In my sixth year, the Headmaster was murdered by one of the Professors, Professor Snape. The Wizarding World is by no means a safe place to grow up." I said solemnly. Tiffany's parents looked anxiously at each other. "The ministry has been working to capture him. Unfortunately, he has escaped every time we get close. There are regular attacks on high-ranking members of the ministry. We have managed to capture several of his top lieutenants, Lucius Malfoy most recently. I believe the article about that is on page 3 in the Prophet."
Mr. Borillio snatched the newspaper out of his daughter's hands, giving her a nasty papercut. I drew my wand out again and healed it quickly.
"Thank you, Professor," said a soft, but distinctly feminine voice.
"I will send an owl in two days. Just attach a simple yes or no to his talon," I said. "If you'll excuse me, you have a lot to discuss and I need to finish my lesson plans." I walked myself out and apparated to the Leaky Cauldron from an alley way.
"Hello Tom," I greeted the old inn keeper.
"Hello Professor, could I offer you a drink?" he asked eagerly. Business had declined recently, a direct result of the terror Voldemort inspired.
"Maybe later, Tom. I have business to talk with the Goblins at Gringotts. I promise to buy a butterbeer on my way home, in an hour or so," I smiled at the man. He smiled back. I walked through Diagon to the shimmering white building known as Gringotts. I waved at one of the twins as I passed their store.
"Hello, Griphook. How is my account doing?" I asked.
"I couldn't tell you, Professor Granger. I am not Griphook," said a voice I hadn't heard in years. The large leather chair spun around.
"Professor Snape!" I exclaimed before I fell over, the result of a silent stunning spell.
I awoke a few hours later with a pounding headache. The room was dark, but there was a stream of light flowing in from under the door crack.
"Severus, what did you do?" hissed a man threateningly.
"I stunned her, my lord. She hit her head on the Goblin's desk." Snape was talking to Voldemort.
"If my daughter is hurt, you will suffer!" said Voldemort. I gasped loudly. The hinges creaked loudly. "Hermione, are you awake?" I shut my eyes tightly and pretended to be asleep. "Hermione, my dear, please wake up." I opened my eyes slowly, before screaming again. Voldemort's red eyes were staring at me. I reached for my wand in my pants.
"Looking for this, Professor?" asked Snape, smirking as he twirled my wand in his fingers.
"Give it back, scum!" I ordered. Snape looked at Voldemort, who raised an eyebrow at him.
"What are you waiting for? This is my heir. Treat her the same way you treat me!" yelled Voldemort. Snape handed me my wand. I stunned him, nonverbally. Voldemort raised the same eyebrow at me.
"What? He stunned me, I stunned him. Now we're even," I said. Voldemort emitted a sound like a dying snake, laughter.
"Dinner's at six in the Greater Hall. You'll be on my right hand side on the dais," said Voldemort. "Narcissa Malfoy will arrive soon to help you get ready." I nodded, deciding it would be better to humor the Dark Lord than to die. I was hoping that Tom would remember my promise and inform the ministry when I didn't show up. A light hand knocked on the door.
"My lady, may I enter?" asked Narcissa.
"Enter," I said. I was shocked by the transformation in Narcissa Malfoy from the last time I had seen her, at Lucius Malfoy's trial. At the trial, her eyes, sparkling, moved around the room, observing everyone very carefully. Now, they were a dull gray. I'd seen eyes like that before, in a picture taken after Bellatrix's soul had been sucked by a dementor. "Mrs. Malfoy, I trust that we will become friends." I smiled at her. She stared at me before smiling back slowly.
"You were at my husband's trial, weren't you?" she asked.
"Yes," I said.
"Has he been kissed yet?" she asked.
"I believe so," I said, preparing myself for a burst of emotion from her. She smiled a small smile, before walking over to the closet.
"Would you prefer the red dress or the green?" she asked, holding two spectacular dresses.
"Is there something in gold?" I asked. She turned around and rummaged in the closet before pulling out a gorgeous golden dress. It reminded me of a dream I had when I was little.
(Dream)
"Good night, love," said a woman in a golden dress. "I'll see you tomorrow in the morning." The lady placed a kiss on my head gently, before sweeping out of the room. She blew me a kiss and closed the door. I heard her steps become softer and softer as she got farther and farther away from my room. A few minutes later, I heard the first bars of a waltz.
I slid out of bed and opened the door as quietly as possibly. I followed the music and stared down through a small window at the ballroom below. The lady in gold was dancing with a man with blonde hair in dark green robes. Everyone else was watching them dance. The orchestra stopped playing, and the man lead the woman up the stairs to a pair of thrones. I noticed the twisted tiara in her hair. The man bowed and walked back to a blonde lady.
I watched the guests spin around in circles, the ladies's dresses flying and the men's smiles.
"You're mother wore this to a ball when you were little," said Narcissa. I recognized her blonde lady from my dream.
"She danced with Lucius, didn't she?" I asked.
"How?" she asked.
"A dream of a memory," I said. "I'll wear it." She helped me into the dress. It was a little big, but I fixed it with a swish of my wand. "Do you know who is going to be at the dinner?"
"The Inner Circle, I suppose," she replied. I gulped as she approached me with her wand drawn. She said a few spells before drawing back. I looked in the mirror. She had used cosmetic spells to apply my make up. She drew behind me and started to untangle my hair. After a few yelps, she pronounced my hair to be more manageable. She opened a small box and pulled out two golden combs, which she placed in my hair.
"Thank you, Narcissa," I said, when she reached the door on her way to prepare herself.
"It is no problem, My Lady," she said. I waited for a few seconds after she left, and traced the steps my dream self had taken. I was staring down at a gathering of Death Eaters. Voldemort waved his hand and all but a select few disappeared. With a wave of his wand, a table appeared. A group of house elves appeared and laid the table.
"If you'll excuse you for a few minutes, I'm going to fetch my daughter," Voldemort hissed loudly enough for me to hear. I turned on my heel and rushed back to my room. I settled down in an armchair and opened a book. A few seconds later, Voldemort knocked on the door.
"Come in," I called out. He entered.
"Hermione, you look just like your mother in that dress," he said. "I commissioned it for her, but I never got to see her wear it."
"Why is it gold? Gold is a Gryffindor color, after all," I asked.
"Your mother was a Gryffindor, believe it or not," he said. "However, she was also intelligent. We became friends in the library. She agreed with my pureblooded ideals, but she wanted to go through the acceptable system. While I carried out my plans violently, she was drafting bills and presenting them to the Wizengamot. To dinner?"
"Yes, please," I replied. He offered me his arm, and I took it. We walked down to the Greater Hall together.
"Before we enter, I have a gift for you," he said. "It was your mother's." He pulled the tiara from my dream out. Now that I could see it up close, I could tell that it was three snakes twisted around each other.
"It's beautiful," I breathed out. He placed it on my head.
"It is yours," he replied. "So, are there any men in your life? If there are, I'll have to kill them." I glanced at him, knowing that he could carry out that threat easily.
"No. The social life at Hogwarts isn't that great. The youngest male member of the faculty is Professor Flitwick," I said. Voldemort laughed again.
"Good. I'd hate to spill magical blood unnecessarily. Don't worry, our dining companions tonight include people your age," he said. "After Zabini and Malfoy's captures, I needed replacements. Young Malfoy and Zabini were at Hogwarts with you, correct?" I nodded. I was definitely not looking forward to renewing the acquaintance. The doors to the Greater Hall opened with a bang as we approached them.
"The Dark Lord and his Daughter," announced a house elf at the top of the stairs. Voldemort and I walked down. Narcissa smiled at me, I smiled back. Voldemort led me to my seat, and pulled the chair out before seating himself at the head of the table. He clapped his hands and food appeared.