"The Leaving Feast begins in two hours, Hermione," Albus said as Hermione sat in the relative safety of his office with Professors Snape and McGonagall. "We have to apprehend Mr. Malfoy before then. I suggest that I should contact Alastor Moody right away, and…"

"Yes," she said, "You should contact the Ministry and have officials ready to arrest him. But I intend to make a spectacle of the bastard before the whole school."

"I'm surprised, child, we could take care of this very quietly right here in my office. I would have assumed you would want to make a full confrontation only at his trial; after all, this trauma is very fresh, and you did run away last night; the ordeal must have been terrible for you. You won't have to see him for several days if we have Moody quietly take him away now."

"No. I want everyone in this school to know exactly what happened." She was very pale, but had a determined look on her face that everyone recognized. It was the same look she had been Petrified with in her second year after she had discovered what was happening with the Chamber of Secrets. Instinctively, Snape put a hand on her shoulder and asked softly, "Are you certain you wish to pursue this course of action, Miss Granger? The Slytherins won't take your accusations very kindly, and it will be a certain and dire disruption of the Feast. There will be disbelief, and shock, and anger directed not only at Mr. Malfoy, but at yourself."

She wheeled on him, still evidencing the staggering fury she was carrying inside. "I don't give a damn about your Junior Death Eater Camp, Professor. Everyone will know exactly, in detail, what happened last night. I owe nothing less to you, and all assembled here. With it all out in the open, no one will be able to protect him from what's coming to him. It can't be hushed up, it can't be ended, and it will be very public. He wanted to humiliate me; well, he will have a public flogging in the court of public opinion and you cannot make me do it any other way no matter how you think your bloody house will react, Professor Snape. You dragged me back here, and at this point, I am calling the shots."

Minerva goggled at Hermione's impertinent behavior towards Snape, but was even more aghast when he tightened his grip on her shoulder and didn't take points off or come back with a biting retort. Something very, very remarkable was afoot between the two of them. Minerva looked over at Albus, and could see that he was not unaware of the changed dynamic. They both supposed he was attempting to be kind after the trying circumstances of the last 18 hours, but it was certainly a side of Severus Snape Minerva was unaccustomed to seeing. Concern for a Gryffindor's well-being, without the biting sarcasm to cover it up. Would wonders never cease?

"This will greatly, greatly displease Voldemort," Albus said. "I think it's a capital plan of course, as long as Miss Granger believes she can go through with it. I'll floo the Ministry to have a few Aurors on hand tonight. Minerva, perhaps you'd like to take Miss Granger to your quarters until the Leaving Feast? I think it's best that no one, save her graduating class from Gryffindor who deserve to know what's happening, be aware of her presence. You may use my invisibility cloak."

Shrouding herself in the cloak, Hermione left the room with Minerva, headed for Gryffindor Tower.

"My word, Severus, what happened between the two of you at the convent? I've never seen you act this way about anyone except Lily." Dumbledore peered at Snape over his half-moon glasses, frankly inquisitive and without the slightest hint of his usual omnipotence.

"This isn't the same, Albus. I merely have concern for the girl because of the stakes in this dreadful matter. Nothing more."

"Are you sure? What aren't you telling me?"

Leave it to Dumbledore to see through him. "I offered her a position as my apprentice and graduate assistant. Are you satisfied now?"

"Severus. That is extraordinary news! I can't think of anyone better suited to assist you with your work, and she will obviously be a fine Potions Mistress one day. But what motivated you to break longstanding Snape tradition and bestow such an honor on a student, much less one of your hated Gryffindors? Not that her work isn't top notch enough to merit it, mind you, but…"

"Don't ask me, old man. I don't have an answer. It seemed like a logical thing to do at the time to try and win her back and help our cause. Now, of course, I have to pay the dratted costs, so don't say 'I told you so'. She reserves the option to have the Fidelius Charm performed and go back into hiding, so I am unsure of her plans in that regard anyway," he said almost hopefully. "The important work happens tonight, and after that…" he trailed off, not knowing exactly what he wanted to happen after tonight. Nothing he had done that day made the slightest bit of sense.

*~*

"Hermione! Oh, I am so relieved to see you!" Harry was the first person to enter McGonagall's quarters, followed by the rest of the Hermione's classmates. Ron hugged her as if he had no intention of letting her go, and then Seamus, Dean, Neville, Parvati, and Lavender grabbed her in turn for a huge Gryffindor group hug.

"Where in the hell…"

"What in the hell…"

"Sod off!" Hermione yelped, feeling a bit overwhelmed. "I'm exhausted, and besides, you'll know all there is to know at the Leaving Feast. The only detail I intend to leave out there, is that I went into hiding and didn't last but a few hours before I was found; so if you ever intend to go into hiding, don't check out any books from the Hogwarts library about it."

"You won't have to worry about that from me," Ron chuckled, still not letting her go.

Minerva said in her kind but authoritative way, "Children, I will allow you to go and prepare for the feast, but you must not breathe a word of Hermione's return to the castle to anyone. I know that everyone believes she is still missing, particularly the Slytherins, and she needs to remain missing until she walks into the Great Hall. Is that understood? And I want you all to come here before you go down, and escort her down as a unit. She will need all your strength to do what must be done tonight." Everyone nodded and solemnly vowed silence, and filed out of the room.

"Oh, Lavender?" Hermione called out.

"Yes?" Lavender squeaked.

"Can you please retrieve my formal black dress and my House color robes and send them here with a house-elf? I'll need to look my very, very best tonight." Lavender nodded assent, and within a few minutes, Winky appeared bearing a package. "This is for Miss Granger from Miss Brown," she said.

"Thank you, Winky."

"Miss not be thanking Winky for her work. Bad miss!" Winky was still a bit sore about SPEW.

"Sorry, sorry Winky. Be gone with you, then," she said with mock sternness. Happier at being dismissed properly, Winky popped out of the room.

Yes, she might miss the oddities of the wizarding world a little…but there was revenge and justice to be done before she could leave again. With Minerva solicitously leaving her alone to get ready, Hermione began preparing to be the most beautiful woman to ever grace the Hogwarts Leaving Feast. She could feel a strange and welcome energy flowing through her, even though she hadn't slept or eaten all day, that seemed to propel her on and make her hyperaware of everything around her. As she looked at her face in the mirror, she could see a very distinct change from the previous day. She looked older, and wiser. She wasn't sure if that was a good change or not.