Disclaimer: JKR owns Harry Potter, I don't.
Author's Note: This was just a random, spur of the moment one shot. There will be no sequel and I hope everyone has as much fun reading as I did writing.
Hermione's Course Problem
It was late and the Gryffindor common room was finally empty. Hermione Granger looked over the course booklets one more time and sighed. There was just too many options, too many interesting courses and she wanted to take them all.
Neville had just shook his head when she complained. "You've got it easy," he told her, "Everyone is trying to tell me what to take and I don't even know what I to do!"
Harry and Ron were both taking Divination, because it was suppose to be easy and Care of Magical Creatures, because it sounded cool and was also suppose to be easy. Hermione wanted to take both of those courses in addition to Muggle Studies, Ancient Runes and Arithmancy.
Hermione piled up the course books and took another glance over her homework. The problem with the new courses is that they were so limited and it wasn't like a muggle secondary school where you could take different courses in different streams. The courses she took in third year would affect the rest of her life in the wizarding world. And Hermione wanted to earn as many NEWTs as was possible.
The course books weren't helping either. Each was brightly coloured and covered with information and anecdotes that were suppose to make the course appealing and they all listed examples of careers that you needed the course to become. And as much as Hermione thought becoming a dragon tamer was interesting, working for the Ministry could be an adventure to. She wanted it all.
Course books had been given out three weeks ago and selections were due the next morning. Hermione had signed up for a meeting with Professor McGonagall, but for once she doubted that the Gryffindor Head of House would be able to help her. It just didn't look good. There wasn't enough hours in a day or days in a week!
Hermione was absorbed in the Muggle Studies booklet, Find a new world and learn about the marvellous things muggles have made! It was rumoured that Draco Malfoy had burned a whole pile of them, but she wasn't sure if it was true. He was that nasty, however, Professor Burbage seemed nice enough, not at all the type to give a Malfoy a pile of booklets.
She didn't hear the portrait swing open or notice the swish of robes and click of boots as someone walked across the floor and stopped in front of the table she was using. It wasn't until the sound of a voice reached her ears and someone gently took the booklet out of her hands did Hermione realise that she was no longer alone in the common room.
"Professor McGonagall." Hermione cleared her throat, her voice was raspy from not being used for so long. She glanced hurriedly at the clock, it was long past curfew and even if the Head of Gryffindor never set bedtimes, she did expect them to go to bed before two o'clock in the morning. "I'm sorry. I'll go to bed now." She stood up and gathered her books to her chest.
The stern teacher was looking the same as she always did during the day, hair in a tight bun, robes impeccable. Almost as if it wasn't as late as Hermione thought it was. "A moment please Miss Granger. You have yet to hand in your course options and I only checked my appointment book now. Let's figure this out shall we?" She motioned to a table and two chairs.
Hermione sunk gratefully onto a chair. Only now was she realising how tired she actually was and how soon she needed to get up. Time was flying by and there wasn't much left for her to waste.
Minerva took a complete course book from her pocket and enlarged it. "Next year you're still required to take all the classes you have this year. And you are required to select two electives. What electives were you interested in?"
"Just Muggle Studies, Arithmancy, Ancient Runes, Divination, Care of Magical Creatures and the Introduction to the Magical World." Hermione looked nervously at her professor. "That's it."
Minerva nodded. This was going to be more difficult that it usually was. But she didn't get students like Hermione very often. "You can't take the Introduction to the Magical World. It's a NEWT level course and an OWL in Muggle Studies is required."
Hermione nodded. "That still leaves me with five extra courses. Isn't there some way to fit them into my schedule?" She asked, struggling to keep herself from begging the Professor for help.
The professor looked through her course book. There was an extra section for teachers in hers, but it didn't have information on taking extra courses. There's got to be a way! Especially for Miss Granger, she's an exemplary student. The Ministry must have had to deal with this before. Out loud she said, "I'll talk to the Headmaster in the morning Miss Granger. Keep your appointment and come to my office tomorrow, four o'clock was it?"
Hermione nodded and headed up the stairs to her dormitory. "Thank you Professor McGonagall. Good night."
The woman nodded and waited until Hermione was secure and up the stairs before opening the special hiding place and taking a pinch of floo powder. She tossed it into the fire, waiting for the flames to turn green before stepping in and calling out, "Dumbledore's Office!" The fireplaces turned around her and a moment later she stepped out into the Headmaster's office.
"Still awake Minerva?" The white-haired wizard looked up from the leather bound book he was carefully writing in with a rather small quill. The feathers were all crushed and the nib had been cut so many times that it was ragged and pieces tended to fall off every time he dipped it in the ink pot.
"I don't believe you are in bed either Headmaster." Minerva retorted gently. She yawned and her hair come out of its tight bun, the braid falling over her shoulder.
Albus raised an eye at the sight of her taking out her bun. "Something I can help with?" he asked, casting a quick spell over his book to dry the ink and closing it a moment later. "Do you need something? Problem with a student?"
"Something along those lines." Minerva collapsed into one of the comfortable chintz armchairs that Albus created and often made permanent if he was particularly fond of the chair. "It's Hermione Granger."
"I thought she's been both a good student and friend so far. Not to mention quite a good Gryffindor." Albus said, sounding slightly confused. "Has something changed?" He glanced to calender. "The course selection, is it?"
Minerva nodded and rubbed her head, it ached and since she wasn't getting much sleep it was probably going to hurt even more after she slept and got up. "She wants to take all the courses, not just two and I think that it's a rather good idea. She just needs a way to do it."
Albus pressed his fingertips together and thought for a moment. "I'll call Severus. I believe that there was a Slytherin student a few years ago in the same position as Miss Granger and I seem to recall him finding a solution."
The Slytherin Head of House wasn't asleep either. He was still fully dressed and claimed to have simply been busy working on a few potions. But Minerva recognised the look in his eyes, he wasn't able to sleep again. She didn't know how he survived, the nightmares and guilt. It never seemed to get better even after years had passed. Of course the problem of Slytherin's monster and talk of blood purity brought back memories.
"Yes Headmaster?" The Potions Master pushed his long hair out of his face and blinked tiredly. "What can I do for you?" he asked, also taking a seat in one of the armchairs. That was worrying, Severus didn't like sitting in the headmaster's chairs. He must be more exhausted then he's letting on. Minerva thought sadly.
Dumbledore clasped his hands on his desk. "You see Severus, Minerva has a problem with Miss Granger and courses for next year. And a few years back I seem to recall there was a second year in Slytherin that figured out a way to take all the electives and got the Ministry to agree as well." He paused. "Would you happen to remember anything about this situation?"
Severus cursed the headmaster silently. He had no doubt that the man remembered every detail of the event and had records kept of it. The only reason he needed to call in Severus was to rub his face in it and try to forge something of a friendly relationship between himself and the other staff members.
Minerva leaned in. There was a smile playing in on the edges of her face and she could sense that there was something Albus and Severus both knew and had yet to reveal to her. And the mood wasn't dark so she was happy and interested in what she was about to discover.
"You'll have to petition the Ministry for a time turner." Severus told Minerva. "I believe they now have forms for it. Something about teacher recommendations and proving that the device will only be used for getting to extra classes and such." He looked at Dumbledore and glared once he saw the twinkle in the old man's eye. "Anything I forgot?"
"The student also has to pass a licensing test in order to be allowed to use the time turner. A simple written examination. Miss Granger will have no difficulty." He looked at the Potions Professor. "Unlike someone else in this room."
Minerva gave Severus an odd look. "You wanted to take extra classes? And failed the written exam after convincing the Ministry to let you use a time turner?" She shook her head. "Honestly Severus. What extra classes did you want any way?"
Severus looked down. "Arithmancy and Ancient Runes and. . ." He muttered something else so quietly that Minerva couldn't make out the words.
"Sorry Severus, I couldn't catch that." She said, a smile hiding behind right behind her stern expression.
"Muggle Studies! I wanted to take Muggle Studies!" He stood up. "If that's all headmaster?" He didn't wait for Dumbledore's answer and tossed a pinch of floo powder into the fire, calling, "Severus Snape's Quarters, Hogwarts!" And disappearing into the flames.
Dumbledore handed Minerva a package of papers. "Everything you need is in here. Now go get some sleep." He handed her a small, thin vial filled with a pale blue potion. "Take this in the morning." He winked, "Wakefulness inducer, you'll need it. And best of luck with Miss Granger."
Minerva stood up, accepting the papers and potion. "Albus, just out of curiosity, how on earth did Severus fail the written examination? I never would have thought that to be his problem. Of everything that could have made the Ministry refuse."
"The test is more about what one would do with a tine turner in certain situations Minerva. Not just the mechanics and rules of time travel. It was that with which Severus lost marks in. Good night." Albus stood up and headed into his rooms behind the office.
With sobering thoughts of a twelve year old Severus Snape being too morally corrupt for the Ministry to let him take extra classes bouncing around her head, Minerva left the office. She hoped that Hermione was in a better situation and that in the years to come marks and classes would be all the girl had to worry about.