Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot. JK Rowling owns all characters.

Authors Note: Thank you so much for the reviews, they mean a lot to me. I'm sorry my chapters have been delayed. This is my first fanfic, so it's coming along slowly. I tried to make this one a little longer for you. Happy Reading!

The Headmaster's office, Wednesday Evening

Albus Dumbledore sat in his large office contemplatively. What is the next move? Where do I go from here? He soon began to mumble to himself; it was obvious that he had forgotten that he was not alone in the room. "Albus…ALBUS!"

Albus quickly looked up; very clearly startled. "Wha…What Severity? Why are you yelling at me?"

"Because you were murmuring to yourself and you still haven't moved yet. Would you care to take your turn?" As she said this, Severity gestured towards the chess set that was sitting between them. Severity's queen and bishop currently had Albus's king cornered. He only had a couple of available moves, none of which would save him for very long.

"Ah. I've got it!" Albus suddenly exclaimed.

"Albus, you know that you can't win. I was examining the board while you were in your little world, and there are no moves that will get you out of this." Severity spoke with a haughty expression on her face.

"You know, Sev, humility is a good trait to have. I may not be able to beat you, but I can certainly give you a run for your money." With that, he moved his castle swiftly across the board and took Severity's bishop. Severity moved her queen forward, catching Albus in a check mate.

"Slytherins do not believe in humility, Albus. You should know that my now," she said with a chuckle.

"Now that you have humored me with a game of wizard's chess, about what did you wish to speak with me?" With a wave of his hand, the chess board vanished.

Severity took a deep breath before speaking. She wasn't sure what Albus would think about his plan. "Hermione came over for tea on Sunday and we discussed, among other things, the D.A. The Potter boy apparently wants to teach the students to become Animagi. He thinks it might give us an advantage in the impending battle; however, I worry that they might injure themselves or each other trying to teach themselves to become Animagi."

Albus was silent for a moment and then slowly spoke the thought that was floating around in his head. "I believe that Harry has the beginnings of a good battle plan. Animagi would confuse Voldemort, especially if the children were fighting and changing during the battle. I do believe that you are correct in your fear of them hurting themselves, though. You are working with Hermione and Draco on their forms, am I correct?"

"Yes. We began the practical lessons this past Monday. They are practicing every night before they go to bed, also. What are you thinking, Albus? I can see something stirring behind those eyes of yours."

Albus smiled at this. "You have always been able to read me like a book, haven't you? I was thinking that the D.A. will need a teacher for this task; a knowledgeable teacher that will be able to quickly and easily teach a class of 'dunderheads.' Do you think you can devise a new disguise, Sev? You would be the optimal teacher for the D.A. How far from your normal appearance can you change?"

"Yes, Albus, I have always been able to read you like a book. You carry your thoughts in your eyes. If one were looking, they could see everything they needed. At least they could see everything that you do not have blocked from sight.

"As for the appearance changing, I think we should talk to Minerva. She knows more about the dissimulo spell than I do. We developed the disguise together, but she figured out the spell. Why don't you call her here and I will order some tea for us."

"That's a splendid idea, Sev." Albus walked towards the fireplace and grabbed floo powder. Soon, his head was deep in the flames, and he seemed to be speaking to someone.

"POLLY!"

**POP** "What is Mistress wanting?

"Polly, could you please bring us tea for three? And perhaps some of those silly little candies that the Headmaster loves? Thank you. And it might be beneficial for us to speak with Hermione. After you bring us our tea, could you please let her know that she is expected in the Headmaster's office?"

"Polly will do it fast for Mistress." **POP**

Severity turned back towards the fireplace and saw that Minerva had come through to the office. She was in the process of dusting herself off when she saw Severity. "By Merlin…It has been a long time since I have seen you without your disguise. You look wonderful, Sev."

"Thank you, Minerva. It is nice, on occasion, to be without the grease that goes with the disguise. I have ordered us tea and I requested the presence of Hermione. I think we will need to fill her in on the plan so she can explain how she has found a teacher for the Animagi training."

They moved to the sitting room, which was attached to the office. "So, Sev, if I understand what Albus is saying, you are in need of a new disguise. Do you have any ideas?"

"I was thinking I should be as different as possible. I don't think I should look anything like a Snape. Some of the students might ask questions. I was thinking that I could be female this time." She said with a chuckle. "Possibly a blonde or brunette; I think the black is too recognizable."

Severity took out her wand and with a jab and flick, an image of a beautiful woman appeared. She had dirty blonde, short, spiked hair, a petite nose and luscious lips. She had a slender but muscular build, much like Severity's natural build. "Do you think this would be a good look for me?"

"I definitely think we can work with this. Give me a few minutes to work out the right wording, and then I will have the tweaked spell for you." While Minerva worked, Severity and Albus quietly discussed the way to teach the D.A. to become Animagi with a fast paced curriculum.

"I think we are going to have to severely reduce the theoretical training. I hate to do that, but I can't foresee any of them getting through the practical training without skipping the theoretical training. We also have to address the fact that not all of them will be able to be Animagi in the first place."

"I know Sev. I worry about the training as well. Isn't there a potion that can identify whether or not someone is capable of becoming an Animagus? Do you know the potion of which I speak? I know I have heard of it before."

"Now that you mention it, Albus, I did read something about that. I'm sure I can make it easily enough. I will go in search of it after this meeting. By the way, I invited Hermione to this meeting. I think she needs to know the plan."

Albus glanced at the door, and then back to Severity. "I expected you to. I assume she will be here soon. She was never one to ignore a summons, especially when it is you who has asked for her."

Severity looked at Albus with contemplation. "What are you trying to say, Albus?"

"Oh, nothing, nothing at all." He turned towards Minerva and spoke: "How is it coming, Minerva? Are you almost done?"

"One more thing and…I'm done. So, Sev, the motion will be the same. Run your hand up your body to put the spell in place, and then down your body to remove it. The incantation is a little different, though. It will be 'dissimulo secondus.' Why don't you try it now and we can see how the disguise looks."

Severity ran her hand up her body and felt the tell tale sign of change. Her skin rippled and when the tingling stopped, she looked in the mirror. There stood the image she had conjured earlier. The only difference was the eyes…she still had her onyx eyes. "Now, what will my name be?"

They all sat for a moment in thought, when they were interrupted by the gargoyle statue that guards the Headmasters office. In a deep, gruff voice, it spoke: "Professors, a student approaches. She says that she has an appointment."

"Send her in, Gregory." And with a nod, Gregory the gargoyle retreated back to his post.

Moments earlier, Gryffindor Common Room

Hermione, Harry, Ron and Neville were sitting by the fireplace. Hermione was working with Neville on their Charms homework, while Ron and Harry were pretending to do their Divination homework. "So what do you think Lupin is going to teach you?"

"I'm not sure. I just hope it is something that will work. I'm worried that it will be a waste of time. I hope his plan is worth something, because I'm really worried about facing Voldemort without the use of my wand."

"Harry, Professor Lupin knows what he is doing. It will be fine. I'm sure he has a solid plan. He…"

**POP**

Hermione stopped talking at the sound to find a house elf standing in front of her. "Master Dumbledore wants Polly to bring you a message. He says you is needed in his office."

Harry spoke before anyone else. "Okay, I will head up there right now."

The house elf violently shook her head; so much so that she knocked herself over from the force. "No, no, no, not you. He is wanting to talk to Miss Granger. Please go soon. Master Dumbledore is a busy Wizard." **POP**

"Why would he want to talk to me?" Hermione asked when Polly had popped out. "I guess I better head to his office. As Polly says, 'he is a busy wizard.' I will see you guys later." She put all of her books away and then walked out of the common room. She didn't see that behind her, Harry was bright red and looked incredibly angry. Ron and Neville shot each other glances that very obviously translated to 'what is up with him?'

When Hermione arrived in the Headmaster's office, she was surprised to see both the Headmaster and her head of house. She had not noticed the figure standing in the corner. "You wanted to speak with me, Sir?"

The person in the corner spoke first, in a soft, sultry tone. "Yes, Miss Granger, we wanted to speak with you." As she spoke, Severity, in her new disguise, stepped forward from the shadow. "Do you know who I am?"

Hermione glanced from Professor to Professor, finally resting her gaze on the woman who was now standing in the middle of the room. She took a moment to study the woman in front of her, from her black high heels to her dirty blonde hair. There was no denying that this woman was stunning, but what stood out the most were her eyes. When Hermione answered, she spoke with conviction. "Severity, I would know those eyes anywhere."

"Bullocks, I was hoping you wouldn't notice. What if other people recognize me, too?"

Hermione was the first to respond. "I don't think that will be an issue. For me, it is obvious because we are so close. I doubt any of your students truly look you in the eyes. I can't imagine anyone recognizing you by your eyes alone; except, of course, Drake and Remus."

The blonde Severity looked as though she was going to speak again when Professor Dumbledore cut her off. "Well, now that we have settled that little matter, you need a new name for the new face, and we need to figure out when the next D.A. meeting will be. Also, Severity is going to whip up a potion which will allow you to tell if you can actually become an animagus."

"That's fantastic. I guess those that can't become Animagi can become our curse specialists. As for the meeting time, we have been struggling to find a good day that doesn't interrupt Quidditch practice, Drake and my Animagus lessons, and Harry's lessons with Remus. I think the only night that leaves us is Tuesday nights. I will confirm that with Harry, Ron, and Neville and then send an owl to you with the…actually, it will just be easier to give you each one of these." She pulled a galleon out of her pocket and showed it to them.

"These coins are the method in which we announce meeting dates and times. They heat up when we make a change, and then the numbers around the edge of the coin change to the date and time of the next meeting. Will two be sufficient?"

"Yes, my dear. And I must say that it is a very clever idea."

Hermione blushed at Professor Dumbledore's compliment. "Thank you, sir. We needed a way to alert everyone without Umbridge getting in the way. Do you have two galleons to spare?"

Professor Dumbledore quickly reached into his desk and pulled out two coins. He handed them to Hermione, who immediately began a long and involved incantation. Within minutes, the coins took on a bright red color and then, just as suddenly, returned to their normal golden sheen. She handed one to Professor Dumbledore and one to the blonde Severity.

"These will now heat up when I change the date on my coin. I plan to do so tonight once I talk to the boys. Just…be careful not to spend it by mistake. It takes a lot of energy to link the coins." She sounded a little out of breath as she spoke.

Professor McGonagall looked surprised, and for the first time since Hermione had arrived, she spoke. "That was an impressive bit of magic you did, Miss Granger. That incantation was similar to that used to make portkeys. While I knew you were talented, I was unaware of how much you had progressed under Remus and Severity's tutelage. Do you get anything out of your classes anymore?"

"Thank you, Professor," Hermione said with a smile, "And no…I do not really get anything out of classes. I finished my seventh year schooling about two years ago. I just go through the motions so people don't notice." She finished with a shrug, which very obviously asked a simple question: 'what choice do I have?'

"What classes are you the most interested in?"

"Well, I really enjoy…well my favorite subject is…" Hermione sighed and began again. "I don't think I can actually choose just one. I really enjoy all of them. Transfiguration is really fun, I love charms and potions, and there are so many options in defense against dark arts that I don't think I could ever pick just one."

All three professors chuckled at this. "Well Severity, if you ever questioned that Miss Granger was like you, never fear. You realize that is exactly what you said to us when you were training?"

"I had realized, thank you for pointing it out, Minerva. Now, what is your idea?"

"Well, I was going to suggest that the professors, of the classes in which she is interested, could prepare course work for her that is closer to graduate level. That way she can stop being bored in classes and actually learn something new."

"Would you really be able to do that? I would love that more than you can imagine. Although, would I have to do that work on top of the other work? I ask because the usual work, while easy for me, is still time consuming. I'm just not sure if I would have time to do both."

"That is understandable. I will see what I can arrange. Severity, would you be willing to help out?"

"I'm not sure why you bother to ask. You know that I will of course do whatever I can to help Hermione. And might I suggest doing the same for Draco? He is way above the level of the other students."

"I was noticing that also. I will speak with March Flitwick about preparing extra course work for the Miss Granger and Mister Malfoy. I'm sure Remus would do it as well. If you don't mind, I will go speak with March now."

"Of course, Minerva, just let me know what he says and I will pass the message on to Severity. She can then pass it on to Mister Malfoy and Miss Granger." Once the Headmaster had finished speaking, Professor McGonagall rose from her seat and took her leave. "As for a name for your blonde disguise, I think a strong yet feminine name will be needed. Perhaps something like Ashley; then go by Ash, which I believe is quite strong."

"Interesting thought, Albus, I like the idea of it being completely different than Severity or Severus. While firm, my names are quite recognizable. Do I look like an Ash in this form?"

Hermione took a moment to ponder the question, and then slowly began to nod. "I think it fits perfectly. Good choice, Headmaster."

Severity hesitated a moment, looked in the mirror and repeated the name a few times. "Ash…Ash…Ash. I think I like it. But what should my last name be?"

Hermione answered this time: "I don't think it really matters. I think it should not be anything like Snape, nor should it sound similar to Dumbledore or McGonagall. We don't want people to think you are related to any of the faculty. How about you use something simple like Jones, Wilson, or Miller?"

"Ash Jones…Ash Wilson…Ash Miller…I think I like Ashley 'Ash' Jones. It's simple, and I think it fits the blonde appearance. Thank you for your help. Now, I need to go do some grading, so if you will excuse me, I will be going." Severity removed the Ash Jones persona and replaced it with Severus Snape, and then, with a nod, Professor Snape stormed out of the room.

"I'm glad we were able to work things out for you, Miss Granger. Why don't you go back to your common room? I'm sure their friends will be anxious to know why you were summoned to the Headmaster's office. Have a lovely evening."

Hermione thanked the headmaster and headed out the door towards the Gryffindor tower.

Gryffindor Common Room

As Hermione climbed through the portrait she was bombarded with questions. "Guys, relax, Professor Dumbledore just had a couple things to talk to me about. Sit down so we can talk quietly, please.

"Now, firstly, Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall are setting up a study program for me, since I know all of the seventh year material. I will be doing different work than you will be in charms, potions, transfiguration and D.A.D.A. Secondly, somehow Professor Dumbledore found out that we were planning to learn to become Animagi. Sometimes I think that man knows too much for his own good, but he has found someone to teach us. Her name is Ashley Jones. I'm not sure how they know each other, but she seems knowledgeable.

"And, to top it all off, Professor Dumbledore knows of and can get us a potion that allows the imbiber to know if he or she can become an Animagus. That way those that can't transform can work on improving their cursing and counter-cursing skills."

Harry looked pensive for a moment. "That all sounds good, but why didn't he want to talk to me? I am the one teaching the group. Wouldn't it have made more sense to speak to me about it?"

Ron and Neville exchanged a knowing glance. They saw where this was headed, even if Harry didn't. "Harry, don't get upset. Professor Dumbledore obviously had other things to talk to Hermione about. He probably assumed that he could just do it in one meeting instead of two. Relax, mate, it's not a big deal."

"It is a big deal, Ron. Professor Dumbledore should have talked to me. No offense, Hermione, but I am in charge of the group, and I need to be the person he talks to. Plus, I know more about curses and stuff than you do." Harry began with a tone of anger, but by the time he finished he just gave off an air of arrogance. Hermione was most definitely steaming, but it was Neville that spoke in a quiet, but dangerous voice.

"Harry, you are bang out of order. You know damn well that Hermione is the smartest witch in our year. Get your head out of your arse and realize that you are not the only one affected by this war." As he finished his sentence, Harry went to argue, so Neville cut him off again. "Yes, Harry, we know that you are the one and you will be the person to face Voldemort, but you need to get over yourself and realize that we are just as involved in this war as you are.

"And, as a side note, have you ever really looked at the fact that everything you teach the D.A. Hermione teaches you first? Except, of course, the patronus? Take a look around you, for once, and maybe you will see what it's like in the real world." With that, Neville nodded at Ron and Hermione and stormed out of the common room.

"Can you believe him?" Harry asked incredulously.

Ron and Hermione answered at the same time, startling Harry with their vehemence. "Yes, I can."

"Now, before you get even more upset, we need to pick a day for the next D.A. meeting. I think Tuesdays at 8:00pm will be an acceptable time. What do you think?"

Ron answered first, as harry still looked a little shell shocked. "Tuesdays work for me. They shouldn't interfere with practices or lessons. Harry?"

"Um…yeah…Tuesdays work for me too…I'm going to go for a walk. I will talk to you later." He then walked out of the common room.

Ron glanced at Hermione before he began to speak. "Well that was unexpected. He was out of line saying that he is better than you, you know? Neville and I both know that you run the D.A. behind the scenes. I never expected Neville to get angry like that, though. Have you ever heard him talk like that before? It was a bit scary, to tell the truth."

"I know. I do appreciate your support. I know Harry doesn't mean it, but it hurts all the same, sometimes. Okay, well I'm going to change the date on the coins and then study a bit. I will see you in the morning for breakfast. Goodnight, Ron."

She headed up to her room, leaving Ron to figure out a way to calm his two best friends down so that they don't kill each other.

Author's note continued:

Spells-

Dissimulo=disguise in Latin

Dissimulo secondus= secondary disguise in Latin