A/N: Hah! See? I'm finally putting up a chaptered story! Ok—this is just to see how people like the idea. I have a little bit of a plot (not much) and I work on several stories at once (depending on how people like this, I might put up 1 chapter of the others and see the response), so don't expect updates too often. I will, however, try to get one out at least twice a month, if I can. I hope.

I didn't have a beta on this—but thanks Tara, for helping me with the spellings of HP words when my mind blanked!! (I have gone through it several times and checked it—hopefully I got most of the mistakes!)

I do NOT have a pairing idea for this!! It's obviously Hermione/someone, but I don't know who, or if I should even have a pairing. Help, please! Tell me what you want! (as long as it's not fem slash.) (I was thinking maybe Hermione/Severus; maybe you'll see why in the story.)

Anyway, I hope you like! I have several stories like this and I want to see a response to one, and this was the one I had open.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter. Would I be writing fanfiction if I did? Let's think about this. iWhy think? They should know./i bWho needs your opinion? Shut up and let real people think./b Raina, Kazel, be nice, please. (see my bio if confused.) It's the first story some of them have probably read; not nice to be mean.

Now READ!!! *points down*

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Hermione Granger stood in front of Headmaster Dumbledore's desk, cinnamon-brown eyes watching him seriously. The 21 year old had gotten her hair cut short to her shoulders, which tamed it somewhat and made it easier to manage. It had been streaked with a dark red among the wavy brown. Deathly pale skin made a sharp contrast to her black robes and dark boots. Lying on the desk of the Headmaster was a long, thin knife. The blade was made of steel that rippled with blue, nearly screaming good craftsmanship. The handle was carved out of silver in the shape of a dragon that curled around itself.

Dumbledore sat in his chair, watching the woman who, during her years at Hogwarts, was his brightest student. He gestured to the seat next to her, which she took with an easy grace. "Sir?"

Dumbledore smiled. "How many times must I tell you to call me Albus, Hermione?"

"At least once more, sir." (An almost PotC quote! *grin*) With a shake of his head, Albus spoke again. "I suppose you already know why I called you here?"

A slight grin crossed her face. The grin revealed pearly white teeth and sharp canines. "Yes sir. You want me to go into the past to the time of James Potter's 7th year and teach Potions."

The old man laughed softly. "Yes, that's correct. How did you figure it out this time? I thought I'd kept it secret."

A slow smile tugged at her lips. "Remus told me. Said he remembered someone called Professor Dylia Slypern teaching Potions. The name sounds like something I would choose. My cat's name, when I was 5, was Dylia. As a Potions teacher, I would need to seem somewhat Slytherin-like, at least in my perspective. Pern is one of my favorite Muggle series books, therefore, Slypern works wonderfully."

Albus smiled and nodded, pulling out a small black box. He handed it to Hermione and looked at her expectantly. She sighed softly and spoke. "My name is Dylia Slypern. I took lessons at Durmstrang, but my parents were English and as soon as my classes were done, we returned here to England. I've been learning Potions for much of my after-school life, and just recently achieved the level of Potions Mistress. I heard you were in need of a Potions teacher, and thought I'd try for the job."

With a slight nod, the Headmaster picked up the dagger from his desk and handed it to her, blade first. She reached out with her left hand and pricked her palm, drawing a thin line of blood. She hardly winced, turning the knife slowly in her hands, and grimaced. "Do I have to?" "I'm sorry Hermione, but it's needed. I know you hate it, and I wish there was another way, but we can't risk it."

With a sigh, Hermione tucked the blade into a holder on her arm. She stood, felt in her pocket for the shrunken trunk with her belongings, and raised her left hand in an ironic salute to Dumbledore. The unmarred flesh gleamed eerily as the vampire disappeared in a flash of light from the small black box.

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Dumbledore gazed at the place where Hermione had stood just a few moments before, then stood with a faint sigh and looked over at one wall. Harry Potter slid the Invisibility Cloak off, also looking at the place where the vampire had been. "Somehow I knew she'd go without question." The Boy-Who-Lived, now 21, looked down at his hands wearily. Dumbledore raised one hand and rested it on the man's shoulder.

"The war changed all of us Harry. Some in more ways then the public wants to believe."

The black haired man snorted angrily. "Of course. Why would the public want to believe they're 'Golden Trio' has been 'mutated'? Hermione Granger, bookworm extraordinaire, now Hermione Granger, vampire. Ronald Weasley, chess player and 'sidekick', now Ronald Weasley, isolated in St. Mungos. And of course, who can forget Harry Potter, the bloody Boy-Who-Lived-and-defeated-He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named-at-age-19, now Harry Potter, werewolf."

Albus sighed, shaking his head slightly. "It's not fair; I know that. But if they want to keep the images of you three that they have, nothing we say will change that. For now, we just have to put up with it." He hesitated, then spoke again. "I think we need the rest of the crew. I plan to send someone in a few days, once classes have been going, to check up on Hermione and see if she needs anything via Time Turner."

Tired emerald-colored eyes looked up at the man's mentor, then Harry nodded slightly and stood. He walked over, laid a hand on Fawkes, and sent a message to Draco. The blond man's head appeared in the fire a few seconds later and scowled 'angrily' at his Hogwarts rival. "It had better be important Harry, I was entertaining."

 "By how? Telling them how we kept beating you in everything in school? Hermione's gone back in time to be the Hogwarts Potion teacher in the 7th year of our Marauder friends and Severus. Albus wants to send someone back to check on her every so often, and we need to set up a schedule of who goes when."

Draco hesitated a moment, then sighed. "Alright. I'll get the others. Lucky for you, I was only entertaining Severus. At least it wasn't the Minister of Magic this time." With a laugh, Harry stood up and Draco's head disappeared from the fire. With a nod to each other, Dumbledore and Harry took seats and waited for the others to arrive.

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A/N: Yay!! First chapter is up!! Review and tell me what you thought, PLEASE!! Even if you hated it, or if you loved it, or if you want to tell me how stupid an author I am and that I should never write fanfiction again (I won't listen to you, but hey, it's your opinion), or if you saw a mistake and feel the need to point it out to me… I DON'T CARE WHAT! Just tell me, k? I'll be your friend forever, and I'll give you a butterbeer. *waves butterbeer tantalizingly close to reviewer's nose*

~mednar~