Hermione sighed a little as she stared around at her former classmates. The past seven years had been difficult, but Hogwarts was the closest thing to a home that she had. Her professors had become her role models and her peers became her family after Voldemort had killed her parents during her sixth year.
Harry finally defeated Voldemort just a month ago by sacrificing himself for the common good. Voldemort didn't understand Harry's sacrifice and killed him without thinking. When Harry came back to life moments after he was hit with the killing curse, Voldemort's body shut down, and the most feared wizard of their age died a much quicker death than he deserved. His death had freed Hermione and her classmates to graduate in peace, though they were missing two of their number. Dean Thomas had been apprehended and killed because of his impure blood; Draco Malfoy had been murdered by Voldemort himself, despite his parents' protests. There were rumors that Malfoy had turned down the offer of being Voldemort's consort and was murdered in punishment, but these had never been substantiated. The elder Malfoys had passed on information to Minerva after Draco's death. Their clues and Severus' information had been essential to defeating Voldemort, who had planned a surprise attack. Severus was nearly killed in the final battle by Nagini, but Hermione's quick application of a muggle poison antidote reversed the effects of the venom, allowing Severus to reach St. Mungo's for treatment. Harry's sacrifice and the Order's foreknowledge of Voldemort's surprise attack turned the tide of the war, the Death Eaters defeated spectacularly on the grounds of Hogwarts.
All of this had happened a month ago, but to Hermione, it felt like a year. She had felt more free and unrestricted these last few weeks than she had felt since entering the wizarding world at age eleven. With the threat of Voldemort gone, however, she was a bit at a loss of what to do. For seven years, she'd had two goals: protect Harry and Ron, and defeat Voldemort. Harry and Ron were entering the Auror training program in two days. They certainly wouldn't need her protection anymore – maybe her study skills and her knowledge, but certainly not protection. They would not lack for teachers ready to show them any and every way possible to defend oneself against dark magic. That left Hermione stuck. She'd been offered a place as an Auror, as well, but had turned it down after experiencing the freedom she'd enjoyed for the last few weeks. Besides, her strength was never dueling – her strength lay in books and knowledge.
For the first time in recent years, she was separating herself from Ron and Harry. And she had no idea what she was going to do.
Hermione trudged up the stairs to the Headmistress' Office, her heart heavy. She'd just said goodbye to Harry and Ron, who were off to a secret training facility for six months. They'd be able to send owls, but she knew that she'd miss them dearly while they were gone. Rationally, she knew that the time would be good for her; she could get settled and learn how to stand on her own, find out where she wanted to go and what she wanted to do. Rationality doesn't always help.
Minerva (she'd demanded to be called "Minerva" rather than "Professor McGonagall" after graduation) invited Hermione to tea today, knowing that her friends were leaving for several months and that she might need someone to talk to. When she saw the young woman walk through her door, she knew she'd been right.
"I'm glad you came, Hermione," she said kindly.
"Thanks for inviting me, Pro—er, Minerva," she sighed.
"They'll be back sooner than you realize."
"What?"
"I know that it feels like they're going to be gone forever, but once you leave here and start building your own life, you'll hardly notice the time go by. Plus, I'm sure Miss Weasley and Miss Lovegood will need almost as much consoling as you will, in the coming weeks."
Hermione had actually dated Harry for a while during their sixth year. The chemistry between them was wonderful, but they never had time for private time with one another, since their interests and activities were so different. They'd called it off in exasperation, knowing that their relationship could never go beyond friends-with-benefits with all they had going on in their lives. The breakup had been awkward for a short time, but their friendship was stronger than most, and they became closer friends than before. The only result was that Harry was slightly more protective of "his 'Mione" than he used to be. She'd kissed Ron once or twice, but never developed the chemistry with him that she'd had effortlessly with Harry. The tension between them was more a tension of two friends who struggle to get along, rather than sexual tension as they had believed. They recovered quickly once Ron realized that his true feelings lie with a certain blond Ravenclaw... Harry and Ginny were not officially dating, having danced around the issue for several months, but everyone knew exactly where it was going. The fact that Ginny was already writing Harry a letter when he only left an hour ago was proof of this. She knew she'd be spending a lot of time with the two women during the next few months.
"Thanks, Minerva. I'm just... I don't know where I'm going. I have so many things that I'd be kind of interested in doing, but I really can't see doing any of these things for the rest of my life. Our world isn't ready for elf rights; I don't want to work for the Department of Mysteries – I want to be able to tell my friends what I do; I don't really want to teach, no offense!" All of this was rushing out of Hermione's mouth, to the amazement of both Hermione and Minerva. "All I was truly good at was schoolwork and research, and I can't stay a student forever! There aren't any wizarding universities because you'd have to apprentice under someone to get any more education and I just don't know what I should do!" Hermione wailed.
Minerva blinked and took a sip of the tea that she'd been pouring while Hermione spoke. Truthfully, part of the reason that she'd invited Hermione here was to find out what she planned on doing now that she'd graduated. Most of the professors assumed that she'd join the Auror academy with Harry and Ron, and then assumed that she'd had a better offer when she did not. While surprised, she understood what the younger witch was going through, and she smiled kindly.
"Hermione, what are you passionate about?" Minerva knew that the only way Hermione would be happy was to work out this problem on her own. However, it seemed that she needed a little prodding to find an answer inside herself.
"Learning. Research. Helping people," she said slowly, confused.
"So you should be in a field where you can use things you learn and develop to help people. Do you like to research things yourself to accomplish something, or do you like to use others' research?" She was speaking slowly, trying to allow Hermione time to think of an appropriate answer.
Hermione's eyebrows knit together in thought. "My own, I suppose. You never know when another researcher missed something that you might have found. Of course, it's always helpful to read others' research for insight, but your own is usually the most accurate for what you're trying to accomplish... But, Minerva! I don't want to work in a field that I can't talk to my friends about!"
Minerva sighed. "Hermione, not all research is classified. If it's something you'd rather not do –"
"No! I wasn't thinking. You're right. Ugh, I'm really not thinking clearly, lately, am I?" Hermione grinned a little. "I think you're right. I think I'd really enjoy researching things. I don't like working with people, though, so that takes out Healing, teaching, most of the Ministry..."
"Why don't you stop thinking about where you'd like to work, and more about what you'd like to work on? What subjects did you enjoy researching the most in school? You know, of course," Minerva smiled conspiratorially, "that there is a vast amount more to any subject taught at Hogwarts than you learned. Yes, even you. You could research healing charms without becoming a Healer. You could develop new Transfiguration techniques. You could develop counter-spells to Dark hexes and jinxes. You could research and develop new potions. You could work with manuscripts and add to history books with what you find. You could come up with something entirely different and start your own business. What you want to do is entirely up to what you're most interested in. After all, why pick something that doesn't inspire you? Quite frankly, dear, we both know that you could do anything, and I think that's what's intimidating you. Go back to your rooms tonight and think about what classes here inspired you. What projects were most interesting and fun to you? Not what was easy or had the best teacher, mind, but what you enjoy."
Hermione paused. She knew all of this, but it was different hearing it come from someone else. There was an idea forming in the back of her mind, slowly... what if... She decided not to mention it to Minerva until she'd had a chance to develop the idea further in her mind, and she stood up to leave.
"Thanks Minerva!" In her excitement she rushed out the door.
Minerva shrugged her shoulders. She just hoped that she'd helped somehow. She hated seeing her favorite pupil so lost and without direction.
Hermione stayed up until dawn writing out a list of the ideas she had, the pros and cons, the possibilities of what she could achieve, and the kind of pleasure she'd get out of it. She wrote out the kind of training she thought she'd need, and realized that most of the basics were things she'd covered in Hogwarts. She'd need advanced training in one field, mainly, and to brush up on some theories and skills in several others. Best of all, when Hermione reviewed the stack of parchment she'd come up with, she knew that she'd found something she could do for a hundred years and still not grow tired of. It was perfect.
