Hermione didn't pay much attention to anything between the train and the end of the sorting ceremony. She barely saw the first years full of fear and wonder. She looked around the room and only saw the pain and loss. The body's of her friends that lined the floor of the great hall, the many faces that should be sat with her now, faces she would never see again.

She only came out of her stupor when McGonagall stood to make her speach.

"Welcome back to our returning student and teacher, and a big welcome to our new faces around the room.

I know this year will be hard for you all and we will not forget those who should be with us now.

Hogwarts stood against the greatest threat this country has seen and came out victorious but there where many things lost along the way.

I would like you to join me in a minute of silence for all of those who where lost at the battle of Hogwarts, when the minute is over I ask you to light your wands and raise them high in memory of every life that has left us."

Silence filled the hall and many of the older students where lost in memories, Hermione looked around the hall and spotted how few older students there where. All the years who had stayed to protect Hogwarts where vastly reduced on numbers and even though it was a combination of Hermione and Ginny's years they would still be the smallest 7th year class to graduate Hogwarts since it's inception, smaller even than after the first wizarding war.

As the silence went on lights where appearing all around the room as lit wands where raised around the hall. Tears where freely flowing now from both staff and students. McGonagall knew anything she had left to say would have to wait until after the feast as right now everyone was much too upset. She simply waved her wand for the food to appear and sat down.

"mione, who do you think that empty seat is for?"

Hermione looked up to the staff table, there where a few new faces amongst the teachers but Ginny was correct, there was deffinatly an empty seat at the teachers table.

"I don't know, but if I would hazard a guess, I would say the defence against the dark arts teacher. I mean it's got to be getting tricky to find them now. No one had lasted more than a year! Even Snape didn't escape the curse!"

"Your probably right. Who am I kidding, you're the brain box you're always right 'mione. I wonder who it is. Didn't McGonagall say they where going to help with your scar?"

"Ye, ye she did. Maybe they're from the aurors office or something and couldn't get here yet."

"Ye, possibly but wouldn't Harry have told me? Or Ron? I mean they officially started today but they've been in the office for weeks!"

"Well I guess we're just going to have to wait and see who turns up"

As if on que the door beside the teachers table flung open and Hermione's heart dropped through her stomach.

A mass of black curls confidently strode through the hall to take the empty seat at the teachers table.

There was a mass of whispers and comments from all around the great hall, some in support but most absolutely appalled at the new arrival.

Hermione could only sit and stare as her world cracked around her. Although she was too out of it to notice, Neville was in quite a similar way.

Ginny grabbed Hermione's arm and dragged her out of her state of shock and out of her seat.

"We are getting you out of here right now!"

She was pulling her towards the main hall doors and stopped to grab Neville on the way past.

"Neville come on, we're getting you out of here. It's fine, mum won't take this lying down. You don't have to stay here with her!"

As they finally went through the large doors of the great hall every eye in the hall was upon them, as Ginny slammed the doors she shouted.

"It's not them you should be gawking at! It's her!"

As soon as the door was shut Neville fell against the wall and slid down to the floor, Hermione joined him. They where both trying to fend off a panic attack and failing miserably.

"Hey, hey, shh no guys it's ok. We'll get her out of here it's fine. She will never touch you again it's fine"

The longer Ginny talked the worse the pair looked. Hermione was tucked into a ball quietly sobbing and Neville was staring straight ahead, hardy blinking, hardly moving and not hearing a word Ginny said.

The doors to the great hall opened again and professor McGonagall came briskley through the door.

"Miss Weasley, go back into the hall, I will look after Mr longbottom and Miss Granger."

"If it's all right with you professor I'd rather stay and..."

"Please return to the great hall miss Weasley, I shan't ask you again!" McGonagall snipped in her lilting Scottish accent.

Ginny turned as red as her hair, muttered a quick appology to her friends and quickly returned to the great hall.

McGonagall looked down at the pair, knowing prehaps she should have warned them.

"Come on you two, my office. We have much to discuss"

"Biscuit?"

It was comforting to know that even with everything going on McGonagall would still always offer her favourite students a biscuit. They both declined but the actual was still appreciated.

"Look, I probably should have told you two about the situation with professor Black. Yes I said Black, the Lestrange name died with her husband. You two do hold a personal history with her and I understand had I warned you in advance you wouldn't have felt the need to leave. But please do tell miss Weasley I'm grateful for her assistant in removing you from the uncomfortable possition.

However, as my head boy and girl, the students will be looking to you in terms of how to react to our newest Professor and I expect you to act accordingly in her classes."

"Professor she didn't trip me over or call me names. She tortured me! She tortured Neville's parents! You can't seriously expect me to sit in her lessons!!"

"Yes Miss Granger I certainly can expect you to sit in her lessons! You are two of the strongest people who remain in this school and have gone through many things that you shouldn't have at your age. But I expect for you to speak to professor Black, to listen to her explinations and then to attend her classes with the rest of your classmates." Neville doing a great impression of a goldfish opened his mouth as if to reply but then just shut his mouth again.

"You both recieved my letters I assume?"

The two looked at each other, the McGonagall, then nodded their heads.

"Then you should both know the offer's from your defences against the dark arts teacher still stands. I understand how tricky this situation is for you both which is why I extended to luxuries of your own residence and freedom's regarding the castle. No ordinary head boy or girl would have such liberties. Now I have asked professor Black to join me after dinner which will be in approximately 15 minutes. That I believe is enough time for you to slip away unnoticed if you wish too. If you remain I will help to mediate the situation."

The two once again shared glances and Hermione stood up. "How do I find my room? I will attend her classes but I will not see her apart from that."

McGonagall nodded.

"Chipper"

CRACK

"Yes mistress McGonagall?"

"I would like you to escort Miss Granger to her new room please."

Chipper the elf bowed to McGonagall and the turned excitedly to Hermione.

"Miss Hermione, This way, Chipper will show Miss Hermione!"

As Chipper headed for the door with the hirl in tow, Hermione turned back to look at Neville.

"Neville?"

"You go Hermione, I.. I'm going to stay. She said... well she might be able to bring my parents back and if it means pulling my head out of my but to do it then I guess I'll have to grab the bull by the horns and speak to her. No hard feelings?"

"Of course Neville! Feel free to join me later if you wish to talk, I'm sure Chipper will show you to my room."

"Yes Miss Hermione, Chipper can bring Mr longbottom."

Hermione once again started to follow the small elf out the doors and as she closed it behind her she said

"Goodnight professor."

"Goodnight dear, sleep well"

Hermione had been milling around her new lodgings for around an hour arranging her things to her liking.

She had tried to read but couldn't force herself to get lost in the pages. She needed to know what was happening with Neville and Professor Black. What could she possibly have to say. How could she possibly think this was ok.

Finally a soft nock told her that Neville had finally arrived. She quickly went to the door and opened it just in time to head Neville thanking Chipper before the elf snapped into oblivion.

"Hey 'Mione. I hope it's not too late for me to come down?"

"I've been waiting. I couldn't go to sleep without knowing. Come on, sit down, I'll make some tea."

"Ye, thanks Mi. Black was... either I'm actually losing it or...Black was nice to me!"

"You must be losing it." She handed Neville the cup of tea and sat down beside him. "Right from the beginning. What happened?"

"Ok. So Minnie said...Oh wait ye so McGonagall said we can both call her Minerva but that she prefers Minnie and wouldn't talk to me until I called her Minnie so better get used to that one. So Minnie said that she was glad I was staying to listen and that she knew it wouldn't be easy. She said she was there for me and if I wanted her to step in at any point she would. Kept trying to give me biscuits."

He glanced up from his tea to ensure Hermione was following him.

"Then about ten minutes later she came in. She was almost nervous. I mean A nervous Bellatrix Black is still more confident than most people but still she was lacking her usual bite. It was all very strange. She showed me the memories of..."

"Your parents?"

"Ye the ..er...the last time she saw them."

Hermione placed her arm on his.

"She showed you their torture? Neville that's barbaric!"

"No no 'Mione listen. I mean it wasn't easy but I needed to see it. I'm going to try and explain it but I need you to just not say anything until I finish ok?"

Hermione nodded.

"Ok. So Black didn't get there straight away. She was late for some reason, she came in and Barty Crouch Jr and the Lestrange brothers where... t... torturing my mum and dad. They where still with it..just but it was clear they didn't know anything. If they knew anything they would have already given it up. She knew that one more criciatus and they would lose it. My mum she looked her right in the eyes and said "Tell Neville we love him" and then Black shot annother curse at both of them and they lost it. Thats what everyone saw at the trial she sent the spell that made them mad and then she told the courts that her lord would come back. But no one actually checked what spell she cast. To the aurors and the death eater it was obvious that they where mad so no one actually asked her what spell she sent. But it wasn't a cruciatus. It was close, a spell designed to mirror the effects but it was a spell of her own making. She thinks she can reverse it. They're memories aren't lost... just locked away. She thinks with some time she can create a spell to...to... Mione she thinks she can bring my parents back!"

"She..your parents? She...wait she didnt...wow!"

"You can say that again. But Mione it means that she was...she wasn't willing to torture them into insanity. Even then she wasn't... she didn't...she didn't have it in her to do it. Even then she knew it was wrong. Think about it! Who do we know who she actually killed or tortured into madness?"

"She killed Sirius, Dobby, Tonks and your parents."

"Ok but she didn't permanently hurt my parents, we saw with our own eyes she didn't mean to kill Sirius only stun him, no one actually saw her kill Tonks and as for Dobby you told me yourself she had no way of knowing who that dagger would hit. If it had hit anyone else you would have been injured but it wouldn't have killed you. Hermione I think...I don't think she's ever actually killed anyone. She didn't actually torture my parents."

Hermione stood from the sofa amd began to pace.

"No Neville she didn't torture your parents! But she did torture me! I wake up every night to the memories and it's her! Every single night I dream about her hovering over me with that damned dagger! She gave me this!"

She ragged her sleeve up showing the scar.

"Does that look like it was done by someone who is innocent! Someone who's normal! Someone who is safe to be around kids?"

"I'm not saying you're wrong, I'm not saying she's good, I'm not even sure myself. But I've been speaking to her for nearly an hour and she seem genuinely sorry, she seems human, I just...give her a chance. If you talk to her she might be able to remove your scar and then you never have to see her again. Just think about it. Ok?"

Hermione sank back to the sofa, her anger dissapeared as quickly as it came.

"I'll think about it. That's all I can promise you."

"That's all I want. It's like gran says 'Don't cut off your nose to spite your face'. I'm gonna head to bed. Will you be ok?"

"I'll be fine Neville. See you tomorrow at breakfast?"

"When have you ever seen me miss breakfast? Night 'Mione"