The letter had arrived just as it had the five years previously, delivering with it the promise of another year full of learning and time with her friends. However this one was different. This letter was a request, no, a suggestion, an option, an opportunity. Unlike the others, Hermione had not expected this letter. She believed that she had missed out on her seventh year of education completely and would have to seek employment without ten impressive N.E.W.T.s on her resume. This letter, though, was a beacon of hope.

Minerva McGonagall was without a doubt the most intelligent, considerate, understanding Headmistress that could ever have taken over when the war had ended. After all, who else would think to invite the older students back to Hogwarts to complete the education that had been sorely missed?

Hermione was glowing with happiness as she read through the short letter. She and Harry shared an excited, bewildered look when they set the papers down on the kitchen table at the same time. Neither had expected to return, but the possibility of it had both of them grinning. They spent the day discussing what it would be like to return to Hogwarts.

The next day however, Harry received his first quidditch invitation. It was then that the pair realized Hogwarts might not be the only option out there after all. Hermione seemed saddened that her friend no longer shared all of the excitement that the Hogwarts letter had brought.

When Harry and Hermione visited the Burrow, Ron seemed excited at the prospect of returning to school as well. Ginny gushed about how great it would be to have all of them in her year. This caused another wave of energized babble among the teenagers.

Although Hermione had known from the moment that she saw the letter that nothing would make her as excited as returning to Hogwarts, she was reluctant to immediately accept the offer. She claimed that she had let Harry's and Ron's laziness and tendency to procrastinate rub off on her, besides she had an entire month left before she had to give an answer.

Hermione allowed the letter, along with Harry's letter and his quidditch invitations, to remain on the kitchen table untouched for a couple of days, serving as a reminder that she needed to either accept now or search for something else to do for the following year, since Hermione did not fancy the idea of doing nothing.

One afternoon Harry came home declaring that he had been offered a job as an Auror. Hermione was only mildly surprised that Kingsley Shacklebolt wanted the savior of the Wizarding World to be among the elite force that protected everyone. However she was completely astonished when the following day she was called in to see Kingsley and given the exact same set of forms that Harry had showed her the afternoon before. The only difference between the two is that this set had the name "Hermione Jean Granger" written on it.

Hermione stared at the papers that had been handed to her.

"I… I don't know what to say," she stuttered as she looked at the Minister.

"I have personally seen you in action," Kingsley said, recalling the night that they had been paired together in Harry's final move from the Dursleys to the Burrow. "We need strong, smart, reliable people in this department."

"I'm flattered, Minister," Hermione began, shaking her head. "But I only fought out of necessity. Surely you must understand that?"

"Yes, of course."

She handed the papers back to him. "I don't think that this is the future I want."

"Do you have another Department in mind? I'm sure I could make arrangements for you."

"That's very kind of you, Minister," Hermione said, "I will consider it." She stood and smiled warmly at him before departing.

Hermione returned to Grimmauld Place to find herself all alone; Harry was probably at the Burrow or out to dinner with Ginny. She then headed upstairs to take a long, hot shower. She spent the duration of it pondering where in the Ministry she would want to work or if she even wanted to work for the Ministry. After another ten minutes she decided that she did indeed want to work at the Ministry; she wanted to help rebuild society from the ruins it had crumbled to during Voldemort's reign.

When she entered the kitchen she once again saw all of the letters that had arrived offering their own individual future. She passed by the table to the stove and put on some water for tea. Shortly after she sat down with a mug and pulled the letter from Professor McGonagall closer and reread it for the hundredth time.

Hermione then retreated to her bedroom and lounged on her bed with one of the many textbooks that she had acquired over the years. She opened it to a random page and began reading for no particular reason other than hoping to learn something new. As she flipped the page she realized just how important learning truly was to her. She stood from her bed and walked quickly to her desk. She scribbled a short letter and then rushed downstairs in search of the owl she and Harry had purchased recently.

She looked at the letter once more, taking a quick moment to decide that this was in fact what she wanted, then tied it to the owl's leg and sent it off.

Professor McGonagall was pleasantly surprised when the owl flew into her office that evening. She took the parchment and smiled widely as she read through it.

Professor McGonagall,

I would love to return to Hogwarts in the fall this year.

Thanks,

Hermione Granger

A/N: Next chapter: Ron