Hermione looked in her mirror for the last time. She twisted her freshly straightened hair into a tight bun in the middle of her head. She wiped away any of the excess lipstick that smudged passed her lip line and used her eyebrow brush to sleek down the excess hairs. I hope this is professional enough.
Her body rotated in the mirror as she analyzed herself. She shuffled uncomfortable in her knee high skirt and 6 inch heels, adjusting herself quickly before retucking her crisp white blouse and fixing her collar. These clothes were borrowed from Ginny and slightly too tight, showing off Hermione's figure.
Today is a big day, she reminded herself looking in her own eyes. She gave herself an uneasy smile of reassurance and headed towards the front door of her flat.
Since the 2nd wizarding war had ended, Hermione had returned to Hogwarts and finished as Head Girl with the best school record scene since Dumbledore himself.
When she finished her 8th year, she immediately requested for a starter level position in the magical creatures department of the ministry of magic. As a muggleborn, she had always been astonished by all the amazing creatures that had come across her past.
But in the last few years she had seen too many brilliant animals treated as less than living creatures. Too many beaten or injured. Too many slaughtered inhumanely. Hermione had always of connected with these animals, especially those bound, or treated cruelly. She knew what it felt like to be looked at as despicable and dangerous.
Mudblood, was still scarred into the inside of her left forearm. No matter what incantation or healing potion she applied, the letters still left their shiny imprint in her skin. A constant reminder of the way many people had treated her. Even after many of the death eaters were rounded up, wizards treated her as less than because of her blood status. The tyrannical ministry propaganda had found its way into too many homes, there were too many minds to change and it seemed like she always had to prove herself.
That had been more than 4 years ago. Since then, she had graduated from Hogwarts, with Professor McGonagall, as acting principal. As of last weekend, Hermione had been working as the assistant to the head of the Magical Creature Department, Donovan Strait. He had passed away on Friday night and Hermione had been owled, saying Strait had listed her as his successor.
As surprised as she was, Hermione wrote back immediately, accepting the nomination. Today she was to report before the Wizengamot. They were to determine if she was qualified enough to take the position.
This was Hermione's dream come true.
Hermione shrugged on the neat black blazer that hung on the coat rack by the door and grabbed the handle of her faux dragon skin briefcase.
The cold morning air blasted her made up face as she stepped outside into the London air. She walked down her cobbled street alert as she turned into an empty alleyway. She looked around before picking up a fist size rock.
With a quick jerking feeling in her navel and the sudden loss of breathe that always came with using a port key, she was standing in the alley across from the women's bathroom that led to the Ministry of Magic headquarters.
She waited nervously in the back of the line for the nearest stall. She tapped her hand against her thigh nervously. Only 5 more witches before my turn, she thought, brushing sweat from her palm.
She had used this entrance over a thousand times in the last few years, but this was something entirely new.
3 more witches. Hermione took a quick deep breathe watching the last witch that stood between her and the Wizengamot.
Flush. She exhaled and gripped the handle of her briefcase. Hermione pushed open the bathroom door and stepped inside. She climbed into the porcelain bowl in front of her.
You are here for a reason, you are going to get this job, and if you don't then the Wizengamot is full of just plain idiots. She told herself before using here free hand to pull down on the handle next to her.
She spun down the toilet and next thing she new was in the lobby she has grown so accustomed to. She took pseudo confident steps towards the elevator. She would be going down to the dungeons where the Wizengamot made decisions.
When she arrived to the dark, dank stone walled layer, her heartbeat quickened, and her confident facade completely melted as she stood in front of the doors of the trial room.
The last time she had been here she had been with Mr. Strait to discuss a bill for the unicorns who had once populated the Dark Forest to be able to return to their homes their. They had been evacuated during the battle and had been locked up and forgotten about long after.
This was very different. She took one more deep breath and waited for the doors to open. She checked her watch, 2 minutes until the trial was to be held.
For the next 2 minutes Hermione ran through every negative possibility of this meeting. Her being laughed out of the room, her failing to be promoted because she fell short of their requirements, she could be rejected because of her age, or because of her blood status.
So many things could go wrong and Hermione really wished she hadn't started to think about it. Her brain was still running through a possible scenario where she was fired from her current job, when the big heavy doors opened to the large circular room filled with her superiors.
She inhaled a shaky breath as she stepped into the room. The doors shutting behind her sent a nervous chill down her spine. It was as if she was trapped.
She walked to the black desk that had been settled in the middle of the room. She sat her briefcase down and pulled the chair out from it. She sat down hesitantly as almost 200 eyes watched her.
All of the wizards and witches that occupied the room, wore formal billowy garments. Hermione hoped she'd soon be joining them on the panel soon.
"Thank you for coming Ms. Granger, it is nice to see you once again in our chambers." said the man sitting in the middle of the group.
She looked at the warm smile etched onto Kingsley Shacklebolt's face as he addressed her and the knot in her stomach loosened. Hermione had forgotten that Kingsley had become the new Minister of Magic, and would be integral in the trial.
"We are here today to discuss the possibility of placing Hermione Granger as the new Head of the Magical Creatures Department." he went on addressing the rest of the council. Hermione recognized many familiar faces, not all friendly.
"Her? That's who is to replace Strait? That's simply insane." Said a shrill voice. The comment came from a small looking witch with a beak like nose. She could have been quite pretty once, but her face was now lined with wrinkles caused by stress. She looked quite like an adult mandrake.
Her disapproval sounded around the large chamber.
A dark haired man with a long beard highlighted with noticeable grey streaks spoke next. "You are quite young, yes?"
Hermione nodded in response. "I turn 23 in 4 weeks."
"Well what makes you think you should be the one to fill this position? Many of us are decades your senior, and with age comes wisdom and experience. What experience do you possess to make yourself a beneficial part of the Ministry?"
His voice was calm, curious even. Hermione recognized him as the head of the Auror department. Harry and Ron were constantly talking about him and the rules he had in place. His name was Garfield Frey.
Hermione looked at him in his eyes swallowing the lump that had formed after the first disagreement with her promotion.
"Well," she said opening her briefcase, "As you have pointed out I am rather young, but that does not speak to my level of experience or leadership. I have been a hard working student since I was introduced to magic 12 years ago, and have been working towards getting justice for all magical creatures since I was informed of their existences. In my 2nd year I formed a House Elf rights group called S.P.E.W. at Hogwarts with the support of Dumbledore himself. The treatment of many of the creatures in this realm is dispicable, and I believe I can help change some of it. I believe with youth comes passion, and I am very passionate about the fairness and equality of animals and have made it my duty to learn every possible law regarding such studies."
Hermione pulled her wand from the open accessory. She raised her wand and shot a blast of light into the air. An image of young her dragging both Harry and Ron to the kitchens to speak with the employed house elves danced above her for the council to watch.
"Is that Harry Potter?" said an elderly witch towards the back of the group. She adjusted her glasses to watch, suddenly everyone else adjusted themselves to stare at the scar on Harry's forehead.
"Yes, we are close friends." The council all whispered in secrecy at the new.
"You are the girl that helped him bring down Voldemort?" said the bird like witch from before.
Hermione flushed at the question.
"Yes, I spent a lot of my time at Hogwarts helping him thwart Voldemort and my entire 7th year was dedicated to destroying the horcruxes that had kept him alive, but that is just one of my many accomplishments. I also-."
"You helped kill Voldemort, and then chose to go to the Magical creatures department? Why not become a Auror like your friends?" Frey asked.
The Wizengamot stared at Hermione, analyzing her, sizing her up.
Hermione cleared her throat before speaking once more, feeling like there were weights dragging her feet through the floor.
"Even before I met Harry, I had read dozens of books about the flora and fauna of the wizarding world. I had always planned to do the job that I do. I trust them to get for wizards, I would rather do it for animals."
"Well, it's as simple as this; ; you are just too young to be given this much responsibility. You are too unqualified."
The voice came from a bearded man. He seemed to be flippant to any argument or accomplishment. In his mind, Hermione was a child in way over her head.
"Despite my age, I am the most qualified for the job at hand, for many reasons. I am goal driven and passionate. I have spent the last 3 years working with Strait. I have been on assignment with him countless times. He chose me as his successor because though I am the youngest, I am the most experienced employee in my division. I am already familiar with countless cases he was pursuing and I have more hands on experience and knowledge than any other witch or wizard in the department all together."
Hermione could feel the blood rushing to her ears as she spoke. She had worked hard to gain her position, and she wasn't going to allow a bunch of people who were barely active in their own fields, to tell her she was too young to be the head of hers.
"What about rogue animals, the ones who attack muggles and wizards?" This question was posed by a witch Hermione recognized as the head of the law department.
"Well for one, most magical creatures don't attack unless they feel threatened. I believe all magical creatures should be kept at arm's length from muggles in the first place. As for the punishment of violent animals decreed a serious danger to themselves or others will be locked away, or euthanized based on the ferocity of their actions, and the amount of intelligence they posses."
Hermione stared at the witch. She seemed surprised by the well thought out answer Hermione had given her. Kingsley gave her a warm hearted smile, which assured her that her answer had been correct.
"Have both sides made their arguments?" He asked, drawing attention away from Hermione.
She nodded as so did the rest of the panel.
"All in favor for Ms. Hermione Granger to take Donovan Strait's position as the head of the magical creatures department?"
Hermione held her breath as they voted. She counted as 47 hands raised slowly. Her breath caught in her throat and her eyes watered, that wasn't enough. She needed more than half of the judges aproval to begin working. Kingsley seemed to know it too.
She stared down at her briefcase, replacing her wand and closing the clasps.
" All in favor of Granger not taking Donovan Strait's position as head of magical creatures?" His voice was rigid this time, a lot less hopeful than before.
Hermione looked up ready to thank them and was surprised by the sight before her. Only 12 hands were raised in the opposition.
Kingsley was absolutely beaming at her.
"That is only 12, which leaves 40 of you undecided. This is cause for a trial period, . You will be appointed as the head of The Magical Creatures Department for a total of 3 months. You will have a Ministry appointed monitor. At the end of your term, we will reconvene. If you do well you will rexieve your promotion, if you don't, you will be... fired."
Hermione gulped. "Fired?"
Kingsley nodded remorsefully. "Yes, protocal states that if you are unable to do the job you are trying to obtain, than you are likely incapable of completing the job you were initially hired for. There dor you must be replaced. Do you understand the risk, ?"
Hermione nodded. She had not planned on messing up in the first place why would she try to do such now.
"Thank you, your honors." She said before gripping her briefcase.
"Thank you Hermione. We will send your monitor up to Strait's old office. That badge," he said nodding to the new piece of magical plastic adorned on her chest, " will allow you not only acess to his office and files but full acess to anything we have access to as high ranking Ministry officials. We will see you in three months."
Hermione could not contain her smile as she ledt the creepy dungeon and climbed into an elevator. She hardly noticed as it zipped and zoomed for the other occupants. When she was the last one left a red light filled the small compartment.
The lazor stopped at her badge analyzing it before the elevator flew upwards and then sideways, when the doors slid open it wasn't a dark hallway, or a corridor but a comfy office room.
The walls were dark wooden panneling and the floor matched. The room was brightly lit with a wide window. She didn't even know offices here could have windows. This was the first time she had ever been in this office, and it was absolutely mezmerising. She'd have much rather spent her time in her then meeting in her little room on the magical creatures floor.
She walked towards sthe ornate desk, running her fingers along the beautifully carved decorations. Dozens of creatures danced across the dark wood. Mermaids dove into a large lake, gnomes scurried past prancing unicorns and galloping centaurs, while a magnificent dragon soared over the scene.
"Beautiful isn't it?" A deep voice beckoned from behind her.
Hermione whipped around, nearly dropping her brief case.
"Bloody hell."