London, England 1815

Harriet Gryffin sighed as she stepped off of the platform. She could not decided whether or not to be happy or sad. She had just finished her last year at Hogwarts. She missed the school, but she was also happy to be done. She had managed to pull good enough grades to work for the Ministry of Magic, but she was unsure of which department she wanted to become a part of. Right before leaving for home, the headmaster had called her into his office.

"Miss Gryffin," he started, "I see that you have not yet picked an occupation. A young, brilliant witch such as you should not waste the talent you possess. Is there anything I can to do help you decide?"

She frowned. "I have been thinking over it for some time. I still am not entirely sure that I want to do anything with magic."

"Then why did you take the time to learn it?"

She smiled. "Who does not want to learn magic, Professor?"

He smiled in return. "You have a point, Miss Gryffin."

She rolled her eyes. "But the house cup has been awarded already! And I will not even be here next year for it to count! Why would you give me a point when it is, in fact, pointless?"

He laughed and pulled her into a hug. "I'm going to miss my favorite niece next year. Are you sure you do not want to become a teacher? I would gladly grant you any teaching position. I say that not as your uncle, but as a professor who knows talent when he sees it."

She nodded. "I am sure. At least for now. Maybe I will take a year or two before deciding, see what life has in store for me. I would not want to miss out on a wonderful opportunity. I almost most certainly would if I was here."

He nodded. "I understand, dear girl. You are just like a daughter to me, since I have none and more sons than I know what to do with sometimes." He smiled fondly as he thought about his family.

She laughed. "I'll make you a deal. If I have not found what I am looking for by my twentieth birthday, I will come back and teach. And you must give me whatever teaching position I want. Does that sound fair to you?"

He nodded. "I'll see you in two and a half years, Harriet."

She raised an eyebrow at him. "Oh, really?"

He smiled. "What could there possibly be in the Muggle world that is more enticing than using magic?"

"Can I not have both?"

Harriet smiled as she remembered the conversation. Then her smile grew when she saw her father and mother approaching. She ran to them and threw her arms around her father's neck. "Papa! Oh, how much I have missed you!" Then I released him and did the same thing to my mother. "Mama! I am so happy to see you! How is Daniel?" Daniel was her older brother.

"Still the same." She gave me a knowing smile. "Not attracting the ladies because he is too busy…doing whatever it is that he is doing."

She gave an appropriate laugh. She had to remember that I was back in Muggle society now. No excessive laughter. "Then I shall have to tease him when we get home. He is supposed to marry and give me nieces and nephews to spoil."

Her mother nodded in agreement. "I do have a name of a certain young lady to get his attention should you need it."

Her father took care of her things as she and her mother gossiped on the way to the waiting chaise. They nodded up at the driver before stepping in.

"Mention Miss Harvey should he ignore you," her mother said, continuing the conversation. "Her mother corners him at every opportunity. The daughter blushes fiercely every time her mother forces her at him. I believe that her reactions are sincere, poor thing. Your brother politely accepts because he is a gentleman." Her tone changed at the end of her statement, indicating that Daniel was forced to be a gentleman or else suffer his mother's wrath. "The strangest thing happened, though. The last time they were dancing together, he talked with her. He has never talked to a young lady before. Indeed, the dances he chose to take part in were not of a sort where conversation is possible. But this time, he chose a dance that was slow enough for conversation…"

Harriet smiled. "I am so happy for him. It would seem that they both need a little, um... encouragement."

Her mother nodded. "You are absolutely right. You would have to take on Miss Harvey, since she knows you and you are not yet threatening to her."

Harriet scoffed sarcastically. "Yet? Yet, she says! When have I ever been anything more than an angel, dearest mother?"

Without missing a beat, her mother replied, "When you tore Miss Winkle's dress 'on accident' because she was flirting with Daniel and you did not like her in the least."

Harriet smiled at the memory. Miss Winkle had been livid, but she had refused to say anything about it, knowing that whatever she said could possibly ruin her chances of ensnaring Harriet's excessively eligible brother.