Disclaimer: This story is based on characters created and owned by JK Rowling. No copyright or trademark infringement is intended, no money is being made.

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The girl sighed, this could not be happening. She had been taught long ago while still in Muggle school, that all roads lead to Rome. Muggles were wrong it would seem.

"This is the only way?"

The old wizard looked at her, "If you continue on your present course, I have been told that you will be arrested. Hogwarts needs a Muggle Studies teacher and the Ministry won't think twice about it, they'll be too grateful that you're no longer in London". She stared out of the window, it was strange how peaceful the world could seem... and how little was needed to destroy it. "Even putting aside your research with Mr Strevski, it's your campaigning... I know how close you were to Quintus Cauldwell Miss Granger, but..."

"He ..." she paused and he waited, he had never known why Hermione Granger, joint holder of the highest ever NEWT's score; celebrated member of the so called Dream Team; and ex-beneficiary of the Wenlock Arithmancy Scholarship, had walked into his office in her second term and declared that she wished to change courses. "I can't stop Professor, it wouldn't be right".

"Your friend died, I understand. But being arrested won't change that". Quintus died because of me, she wanted to scream. He saved me in the Muggle world, but neither of us could save him in the Magical one. "Chief Warlock Dumbledore said that..."

"You've spoken to Albus?"

The Professor flinched, he'd never been comfortable with the familiarity his student had with the most powerful wizard in the land, even if he had been named her legal guardian following the death of her parents. "As I was saying, Chief Warlock Dumbledore said that Hogwarts was the best..."

"I'm sure it is Professor" she said, a glint in her eye as she unceremoniously cut him off, suddenly finding she had somewhere else to be, "Thank you for all the help you've given me. It was both a privilege and a pleasure to study under your tutelage" she continued, with only a little more politeness than honesty. The Professor sighed and watched her progress through the door and down the corridor, thinking, not for the first time, that she was destined for great things, if Azkaban didn't get her first.

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"Ah there you are my dear, Sherbet Lemon?"

"No thank you, but I wouldn't say no to a cup of tea. Two cups, were you expecting me?"

"I rather think you must have made your destination clear, even to someone as short sighted as Professor Jorkins".

"Is it true you want to pack me off to Hogwarts?" she asked without ceremony.

His eyes twinkled, "I don't believe I said any such thing, but Minerva does need a Muggle Studies Professor".

"I'm not qualified".

"An argument I never thought I would hear from you... It seems very few people are these days" he continued with regret.

"Well if the Ministry wasn't so..."

"Quite". They sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes, sipping their tea and contemplating the situation. Truth be told, Hermione was contemplating her current situation; Dumbledore, with the wisdom that only comes from far too many years of appearing omnipotent was surreptitiously using Legimency.

"Are they really going to arrest me?"

"You haven't spoken to Harry or Ron?"

She flushed slightly, "They haven't been... since the protest they... well they don't really approve so..."

"I see". A slightly mischievous look appeared on his face as he said, "Well I have it on good authority that when the Ministry finally decides which broken regulations take precedence, you and Mr Strevski will indeed be charged. So far you've managed to upset the Improper Use of Magic and the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Offices as well as the Committee on Experimental Charms". His look sobered as he said, "Minister Scrimgeour however wants you charged with sedition for your S.W.A.P.S campaign, though he'll never say so publicly, arresting a heroine of the war for speaking her mind would be bad publicity".

"Squibs have rights too, even if the Ministry chooses not to acknowledge them".

"Hermione, the Ministry doesn't acknowledge Squibs, their rights have nothing to do with the matter".

Knowing there was no point in stating the obvious, Hermione changed tack. "So I should just go back to Hogwarts and forget everything?"

"My dear, if I thought there was the remotest chance you'd do that, I wouldn't have asked your colleague to make sure that all the laboratory equipment was ready to be moved by tomorrow morning". Hermione frowned, "Minerva has agreed to let you discretely carry on your research at the school. That is one area at least where you may be able to honour Quintus' memory". He did not add his most pressing reason for her return to the safety of the school, she was sure to find out soon enough.

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Hermione Granger rocked back on her heels and surveyed the mess; creating holes in the walls of Hogwarts had definitely not been easy. In the end she'd had to get the current Headmistress of the School for Witchcraft and Wizardry to melt them into being with her wand. Clearly the building knew who was in charge, even if Salazar Slytherin was spinning in his grave. As well he might, the new Muggle Studies Professor thought, he would never have approved of the fact that Hogwarts, bastion of his pure blood eugenics programme, was about to become refuge to the most advanced Muggle artefacts lab the wizarding world had ever seen. Sighing, she picked up a wrench and proceeded to attach one of the pipes that now fed through the wall to the open air of the cliff face.

"My own" a voice called from down the corridor, "I need help wid de tank".

Hermione rolled her eyes, she'd stopped trying to get Strevski to pronounce her name correctly about a month after they'd been introduced, it really wasn't worth the effort, "Coming Markus, I just have to seal the pipe" she yelled back.

"Hermione, is everything going according to plan?" the headmistress asked sweeping into the room several hours later.

"I think we're nearly there".

"Good. I don't think the house elves have ever been forced to take the weekend off before and the castle already looks like it's going to seed".

Hermione laughed, she'd heard that Winky had almost had to be thrown out bodily when the elves had been told they could have the weekend off. She was glad she hadn't been there, as far as she knew the elf still hadn't forgiven her for her S.P.E.W. campaign when she was a student. "Well as they were told they could come back tomorrow, I expect Winky will be here on the first stroke of Midnight".

"You may laugh, but this castle doesn't run itself you know! The teaching staff will be back in a few days and then it's only a week until the new school year, there's still a lot to do" McGonagall grumbled.

"All will be well Minerva, the elves will have it looking like new in no time", a voice said from the doorway.

The Headmistress turned and hmpfh'd at the twinkling eyes, "I don't know why I let you talk me into this Albus..."

The twinkling increased, "I believe I appealed to your Gryffindor sense of honour and fair play" he cut in, "although I rather think it was the benefit of not having to find someone to teach Muggle Studies at such short notice, as well as the fact that it would be 'one in the eye' for Scrimgeour, that actually made you agree".

"What ever were you thinking when you supported him for Minister..."

It was an old argument and Dumbledore sighed, he didn't like to admit he was wrong, "Rufus did help us defeat Voldemort..."

"Yes and thanks to that he could drop dead and still get re-elected, now we'll never get rid of him!"

"I admit I didn't realise at the time how devoted he was to the Ministry or how blind he is to it's faults", the wizard sighed again, "but we must work with what we have and at least as head of the Wizengamot I can try to curb some of his sillier ideas".

The Headmistress snorted, "I haven't noticed you succeeding yet!"

"That is because his silliest ideas have never seen the light of day", Albus replied, "you'd be surprised at how..." suddenly he paused and smiled seriphically, he must be more tired than he thought, Minerva's latest trick had almost worked.

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Arriving back at Hogwarts a few days later, having been banished until the rest of the teachers returned to allay suspicion; Hermione was looking forward to a quiet time catching up with her old professors and settling in before the students arrived. It was unfortunate then that the first person she should meet was the one she least wished to. "Miss Granger, how delightful to see you again" a sarcastic voice said from behind her as she made her way across the entrance hall.

"Likewise" she replied just as snarkily before turning to face the Potions Master, after all she didn't have to put up with it now. "Although I believe the title you're looking for is Professor".

"Unless you've been using a time-turner MISS Granger, you're not old enough to have completed your degree, let alone undertaken the training necessary to actually teach".

The witch coloured slightly, "I'm sure you'll remember Professor, that I matched you for the highest ever NEWT's scores, finishing my degree early wasn't difficult. I'm teaching Muggle Studies at the Headmistress' request. Though I will point out that the Ministry do not have a problem with the appointment... I'd also like to point out that after seven years of having to re-teach your classes, to practically all of Gryffindor, I don't think I'll have a problem". At this she made good her escape, stopping only on reaching the other side of the door to her rooms, shutting it before leaning heavily against it and groaning, her face still aflame.

Well he obviously hadn't changed, not that she'd expected him to. Snape had been exonerated when Dumbledore's ploy to get Voldemort into the open had become known, much to her friends disgust. Many in the magical world still believed him to be a clever manipulator of circumstances rather than a pawn in Dumbledore's game. He was no more trusted now than he had been when the dark mark glowed blackly on his arm and though Harry and Ron had never said anything, she was sure he was still high up on the Auror's Azkaban wish list.

Severus Snape was still standing where she had left him, a slightly stunned look on his face, he had never been the target of her somewhat unstable temper before and it had come as a bit of a shock. A smirk appeared as he remembered that the war always went to the person who kept their head, this term could actually turn out to be more entertaining than he'd thought. Just as suddenly he scowled, causing the Fat Lady, who was just returning from a visit to Violet, to scuttle quickly across the meadow before reaching the Gryffindor common room quite out of breath. Damn the girl he thought, as he remembered that he hadn't actually tackled her about his biggest grievance.

"There you are Severus, I need to talk to you about..."

"The interloper you've put in the dungeons?"

"Ah, I wouldn't quite put it like that".

"I'm sure you wouldn't Headmistress and what pray is wrong with the current Muggle Studies classroom?"

"Terrible attack of Chizpurfle, Filtch has fumigated but we thought it best to relocate the classes". The scowl deepened as Snape stormed back down the corridor. The Headmistress sighed in relief, she'd been dreading that conversation ever since Mr Strevski had pointed out that the fuel tank for the generator had to be on the outside of the building, in order to put the refilling spell on it. The tank was cloaked with an invisibility charm which meant that to stop anyone flying in to it, the only safe place to put it had been the cliff face, hence the relocation to the dungeons. Minerva was still not sure which of the Professors hated the idea more.

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Author's Note:

Omnes Viae Hogwarts ducunt - All roads lead to Hogwarts