Written for Astronomy in the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry (Challenges & Assignments) forum.

Hermione stomped into her cubicle and tossed the stack of papers she had been holding into her overflowing trash bin. They were messing with her, she just knew it.

Normally Hermione would love to be of such use. The honor of so much important paperwork, what fun! But this was ridiculous. The stack of papers she had just thrown away were due in the next hour. She had just received it five minutes ago.

She wasn't an advocate for House Elf rights for nothing. She refused to be the newbie everyone dropped their crap on.

She surveyed her cubicle, looking for something else to rip apart. On her tiny desk was the pile of written recordings of Wizengamot trials. She was supposed to have finished it yesterday, but she'd only gotten halfway through before she'd given up and just left. She had returned this morning in the hopes that she wouldn't receive extra work – she'd said she hadn't finished the previous day's work, hadn't she? – but clearly that was too much to ask for.

Well, she wouldn't have any more of it.

She couldn't destroy the recordings of the trials, but she could certainly pass it to someone else. Now, who could she intimidate into doing work for her…?

She'd never done this before. Usually people asked her to do the work for them.

But she was brilliant, a certified genius! Surely she could do this.

"Lockney!" Hermione called to the cubicle next to hers. She heard a yawn and the shuffling of papers.

"Wuzzat?" Charles Lockney peeked around the divider separating their personal workspaces. "Granger?"

"Lockney, organize these recordings for me, in chronological order," Hermione ordered. Lockney stared at her.

"Sorry?"

"Organize. Recordings. Chronological. Order." Hermione held out the stack for him.

Lockney was one of senior members of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Meaning, he had been working in the Department for longer than most of the others. Despite this, Hermione wasn't surprised he was lazing about instead of doing anything useful. Since Hermione had arrived, he'd been doing virtually nothing. She suspected he was one of the people passing boring jobs off to her. Well, giving them back would perhaps do him some good.

Lockney stared at her, obviously not completely awake yet. Then he smirked. "I'm afraid that was given to you, not me. Now excuse me." He began to retreat to his cubicle.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Hermione scoffed. "Did I interrupt nap-time?"

He glared at her, pulling himself back out of his cubicle. "That's not how you speak to your betters."

"Well, I'm not speaking to one at the moment, so I think I'm good." Hermione smiled smugly. "Now why don't you listen to your betters and do the work handed to you?"

He opened his mouth to argue, but she simply picked up her wand and levitated the stack of papers into his face.

"Granger!" he shouted through a face-full of papers. "This'll get you fired!"

"Oh, go ahead," Hermione said dismissively. She was sure the Head of the Department had no idea about the amount of work being given to her. If she could speak with the Head, her workload would surely lessen.

Lockney knew this as well. He sneered at her, then collected the papers and went back into his cubicle.

Success. Hermione did a small victory dance in her head.

Now, who to target next?

"Henries," Hermione greeted the woman walking by.

"Ms. Granger," Rebecca Henries said curtly. It was no secret they disliked each other, but Henries felt the need to maintain a polite outward appearance. It didn't make her sound any less condescending.

"I need a few things done for me," Hermione said, as sweetly as she could. She grabbed the stack of papers she had recently thrown into the trash bin and held it out for Henries to see.

"I'm sorry, I have other places I need to be," Henries said, obviously trying to act cordial. "Now if you'll excuse me." She made to leave.

"Henries," Hermione knew she was being downright unpleasant. She couldn't help it. The situation had gone on for far too long. "You'll do these papers. Now."

"Not the time, Granger," Henries snapped.

"You'll do these NOW!" Hermione marched up to her and shoved the papers towards her. Henries stumbled and grabbed the papers before they fell. "I am sick and tired of having to do everything everyone else doesn't want to do!"

"If you can't take the heat, then quit!"

"I would if I'd been given a fair chance at this job in the first place! How do you take the heat if all it does is burn you?!" Hermione screamed in her face. Henries blinked and stepped back.

"If it bothers you so much, I could arrange for you to meet with the Head of the Department," She said it uncertainly, as if unsure why she was offering such a thing. "I know a few people who could get you through."

Hermione blinked. "What?"

"I could help you," Henries repeated. "I mean…I know what it's like. I was the newbie not too long ago."

Hermione felt her anger deflating. Now she was mostly stunned and a bit relieved.

"Um, okay," she managed. "Thanks?"

"You're welcome," Henries didn't smile, but Hermione could tell her words were genuine.

"Well, I'll just do these, then," Hermione muttered, taking her papers from Henries.

As she returned to her cubicle, she heard a loud voice say, "Hey, Granger! I need these forms filled out!"

Hermione screamed.