I hope you all enjoy this? I always hope that Rowling will release a Next-Gen story about our favorite series (And I'm not talking about that play). I hope you all enjoy this take, please review!

Hermione Granger was exhausted. She needed Harry, and the list of allies she had were getting thinner by the day, and the ones she could truly rely on were even fewer, especially now that the Ministry of Magic stood on the verge of implosion, of destruction, of complete collapse.

There were times she thought about how foolish they had all been. They had thought that with the final battle, and the death of Lord Voldemort, all things would become right again, that they would build a better world. It was true, the Old Ministry had had a lot of problems. Ministry officials had easily been corrupted, like Cornelius Fudge, and prejudice easily dominated politics, letting people like Lucius Malfoy and Dolores Umbridge walk free, despite all the horrendous things they had done. Things hadn't gotten any better with Rufus Scamander. But at least he had died honorably. That was how Voldemort had gotten so powerful the second time. Not to mention all the creatures that had been treated like dirt, like house elves. She liked to remember when she had started S.P.E.W., how stubborn she had used to be to get people to join. Harry and Ron had tried to support her, but now she knew that they had been trying not to hurt her feelings. She remembered the times after the Battle as she paced.

Things had been good at first. The Ministry had been rebuilt and reformed, and it had been great. The real guilty had been punished, like Umbridge, and more laws had been passed to give more creatures the right they deserved. Harry and Ron had become Aurors, and Hermione had quickly risen in rank at the Department of Magical Law. True, Ron had fallen out and gone to work for George, but it had still been great. It seemed like only yesterday that she and Ron had watched Rose board the Hogwarts Express with Albus for their first year. They had all settled down, and things had ended for the better. For a long time, all was well. Well, things weren't well anymore. They had been fools to think that the darkness had died with Voldemort that day. And now, they and the people they loved were paying dearly for that mistake.

Freedom, for example. The freedom to speak one's mind, to object, to dispute. She sighed. Unfortunately, they had underestimated the magical population. Under-estimated the deeply buried desire of far too large a proportion of the population who simply preferred to be told what to do. Much easier it was to follow orders than to think for oneself. Now, plenty of other races like goblins, vampires, and centuars had a voice. Not to mention, they couldn't completely get rid of those with old ideals. So everyone had argued and debated and discussed. Until it was too late.

Pacing the chamber, she caught a glimpse of herself in a length of polished metal. She knew she looked tired. Of course, some could contribute that to the stress of her job, or motherhood. But, she knew better. She remembered the chaos of the Second War, and all those who had lost their lives in the process, like Fred, Remus, and Colin, as well as all those affected by their deaths. She could not let something like that happen again to any other people. It was her responsibility, and the weight of it was heavy. Too heavy?

It would have been easier if she had help. The kind of help only Harry was capable of providing. Like or not, everyone looked to him, even if she had always been the brains of their group. Just like when they had been running Dumbledore's Army. If he wasn't dead, that is. No, she couldn't believe that. If Harry was dead, she'd know. Now, everyone looked to her to lead.

There had come a hint, a clue. A badly needed clue. Not much, but better than any report that had found its way to her in some time. She would have followed up on it herself, for whom better to search for clues to the location of someone she had known since she was eleven? When she had proposed the idea, the shock of objection on the part of her fellow Resistance leaders could have been heard halfway across the galaxy. Reluctantly, she had conceded to reason. Someone would go in her stead. Teddy and Rose had both tried to volunteer, but Hermione had forbidden it.

The name of a particular agent had been put forth. Her record was no less than remarkable, not to mention that she could hardly argue that an agent scouting solo would draw less attention than a perambulating, well-known celebrity.

Still, there had been some debate. She had just turned seventeen several weeks ago, but she already made a name for herself. Hermione did feel some hesitation, as she was the daughter of an old friend, Oliver Wood. Still, Hermione couldn't help but admire the girl's dedication and skill, especially given the tragic events that had led to her joining the Resistance. So she agreed.

"Finding one man should not, in the final analysis, be so difficult," insisted one of her colleagues. "Even on all the known countries, there are only so many hiding places."

"For an ordinary man, yes," she had replied. "But we're not trying to find an ordinary man. We're looking for Harry Potter. When we were on the run from the Death Eaters, no one could find us."

"Didn't they capture you?" a new recruit had asked rashly, getting angry looks. Hermione had laughed it off, though.

"True, but that was due to a slip of the tongue on Harry's part. I assure you, Harry has gotten much more experienced since then. He won't be easy to find. Especially with all his experience from the Auror Department."

There had been some further argument, especially from other leaders who had remained convinced that the agent chosen to follow up on the slender lead was too young for such a crucial task. Although Hermione had had her doubts, she vouched for the agent. In the end, harmony had triumphed.

Once again she caught her reflection in the metal. It had been some time since she had not prevailed in the course of such discussions.

A thin, knowing smile gleamed back at her. She wasn't the young girl she once was. Her busy brown hair was greying, and her face was more than weathered. No doubt her authority in such matters derived from her shy, retiring nature. The smile faded. No time for sardonic reflection now, she told herself. No time for extended, lengthy discussion. Times were desperate, even more than they were during the terror of Voldemort. The ruthless Pure Order was on the march, threatening to overwhelm the shaky framework of the weak, increasingly vulnerable, and still-developing Ministry of Magic.

Where was the Chosen One? Where was Harry Potter?" She hissed in frustration. After all, all their hopes might depend on the success of this one agent.

"Katharine Wood, you better not fail." She whispered.

Enjoy that? Trust me, there's more coming next chapter! Enjoy!