After seven years, it had come time for the parting of the ways. At points nearly blinking back tears, Hermione finished packing her things into her trunk. The results for the NEWTs had come in yesterday, and today was the Leaving Feast. Her seven years at Hogwarts were done.

Everybody was finally learning what future plans were for each other. She was off to Lothlorien: her acceptance had come last month. The Cardiff Dragons had taken Harry to play professional Quidditch, naturally. Ron had opted to become an Auror and study at the exclusive Auror's Academy in London, having pulled up his marks significantly this year once he realized his goal. At least he wasn't complaining about being the worthless youngest son any longer--none of the Weasleys had been accepted to Baker Street before.

The London Auror's Academy was headquartered at 221B Baker Street, home of the famous Auror and Potions Master, Sherlock Holmes, still sarcastic and brilliant nearly 150 years of age. Dumbledore had been his classmate at Hogwarts. Holmes had held the position of Potions Master at Hogwarts following his quite early retirement from the Muggle world, reported there as seclusion to Sussex to study bees. He had been there for many years, barring the occasional year where he had been on lecture tour across Europe and a substitute had been procured.

Obviously Snape's fourth year had been one of those; she recalling the picture of the substitute laughing over Sirius Black's prank on Snape. Well, it's no wonder where he gets the sarcasm. Carrying on a fine tradition of Potions Masters there. The reins had been handed to Snape in 1980, and Holmes had begun Baker Street, as the London Auror's Academy was colloquially called.

Hermione had listened quite closely to lessons concerning Holmes in the History of Magic, particularly his defeat of the Dark wizard, Moriarty, and retiring for three years afterwards from Muggle life in hiding from Moriarty's thugs. She had read Conan Doyle's works upon the Muggle life of Holmes eagerly as a young girl, and envied Snape the chance to have been taught by him. Holmes was also a wonderful inspiration for what a Muggle-born could achieve in the wizarding world.

Had she not been opting to study at Lothlorien, she'd have certainly loved to study under Holmes at Baker Street. It was a fascinating building, looking no more than an ordinary set of rooms from the exterior, but charmed to hold an entire school training probably thirty to fifty Aurors at any given time, and housing about ten live-in staff as well. Mrs. Hudson, the Academy cook, was said to be superb, and Dr. Watson, Holmes' slightly bumbling friend and the Academy's Mediwizard, was said to be a great ear for listening after the acerbic lash of one of Holmes' lessons.

She envied Ron not a little, to be honest. Well, perhaps also she could study at Baker Street for the year of Auror's training after her two years at Lothlorien. Studying at an Auror's Academy would be good, since it taught the practical side of magic, and that would be sorely needed in days to come. More than a few university students were going the Auror route these days since Voldemort's return. The side of the Light would need all the skilled fighters it could get. The Auror schools in London, Llandudno, Belfast, and Strathclyde were working furiously to turn out as many well-trained Aurors as possible.

Draco Malfoy was staying at Hogwarts, however. Snape had informed when she had inquired that he would be apprenticed to Hagrid for the summer. He would then take over the teaching of Care of Magical Creatures the next fall, as Hagrid was concentrating ever more these days upon making peace with the giants and bringing them to the side of the Light, with the help of Olympe Maxime, and his newly found mother, Friedwulfa. Thus he was apparently handing the task of teaching over to Draco and keeping only his job as Keeper of Grounds and Keys, which left him more open to time for being an emissary to the giants.

"Care of Magical Creatures?" she asked now, coming to say her farewells to him in private before the Leaving Feast. "That doesn't sound like him…" Draco had really never shown fondness for the class that she could recall.

"The Headmaster feels it will be good for him," Snape said with a somewhat amused smile. Trust Dumbledore to put Draco in close contact with a man he had tried to have arrested, defamed, or removed not a few times, and who could break him in two with hardly any effort. It would be good for Draco to make his peace with Hagrid, though.

"I suppose so," she replied, smiling a little. "Well, sir." She cleared her throat.

"Please, Miss Granger, no tears for the parting," he said in a light tone. "You should be glad to finally be free of me."

She smiled, shaking her head. "I wanted to thank you for everything this past year. The potion, the Animagism…"

"You did those yourself," he said briskly.

"Still, thank you for your assistance, no matter how much you deny it. After all, you tell me to take credit: why shouldn't you?"

"For the potion, because my name is not one you would wish to be tied with. For the Animagism, because that is something I most definitely do not want to be credited with." He shrugged and gave a slight self-deprecating smile. "Still, Miss Granger, you have made it quite an…interesting year."

She put out a hand, and after a look of surprise, he grasped it in his own. She smiled at him and said softly, "Take care, sir. I don't imagine Tosca will relish having to go back out with you evenings, but…"

He laughed quietly. "Well, she's all right with it. She'll miss bickering with Crookshanks, though."

She turned to leave, not sure of anything else to say, and headed for the Great Hall. Hufflepuff had indeed beaten Gryffindor this year at Quidditch, Slytherin in turn beating Hufflepuff and securing the Quidditch Cup again. The House Cup was easily in Slytherin's hands after that. So it was to be a year of the Great Hall decorated in silver and green, a fact that had Harry clenching his fists and snarling constantly and Ron unhappy, but one that didn't bother her as much as it would have in years past.

The Slytherin table looked actually quite ecstatic this year, since their banners hadn't graced the Leaving Feast since her first year, and that falsely. She wondered idly why Dumbledore had chosen to do it in that manner: it had been somewhat low to make Slytherin think they had won and then snatch the title from them. She looked over at Draco Malfoy at the Slytherin table, and their eyes met for a moment. He gave her a small smile in thanks, then turned and said something reply to Goyle pounding him on the back.

Dumbledore made the standard end-of-year announcements, wishing all the newly-licensed witches and wizards going into the world the best of luck. She looked down at the other end of the staff table to see Snape smiling slightly as Dumbledore awarded Slytherin the House Cup, and heard Slytherin roaring in approval. Much of the Great Hall sat silent at the celebration, though. There's always a line between them and us, she thought sadly. Even now, when there needs to not be one…

The students slowly filed out of the Great Hall, and she noticed Draco staying behind. McGonagall, Sprout, and Flitwick handed Snape what looked like some Galleons. They make bets on the outcome of the House Cup? she thought, giggling slightly.

"Pool's yours this year, Severus," Flitwick said cheerfully.

"Fifteen years without the Cup," Sprout sighed, shaking her head. "Always next year."

"Blast," McGonagall muttered quietly. "We were this close to having it."

She turned to leave as Draco approached the staff, shoulders squared, obviously ready to reveal his true colors to the rest of the Hogwarts teachers. Only Snape and Dumbledore had known until now. But the rest would have to know and accept Draco if he was to work with them in years to come. She wished him luck and slipped out silently, ready to go to the platform at Hogsmeade.

~~~~~~~~~~

Tosca and Crookshanks sat together in Hermione's room during the Leaving Feast, sighing in discontent. Who knew humans were so complex? Crookshanks meowed, idly batting at a catnip mouse. I thought that if we just showed them they were awfully similar that'd do it.

Ugh. I'd have thought after thirty-seven years he'd be eager to have somebody who doesn't see him as just a greasy git! Bloody human romance, Tosca griped.

Oh, don't worry, Crookshanks said smugly. She'll be back, you know. She's tied too close to this place--and to him.

Maybe before I get old and all my feathers fall out, Tosca replied tartly. Well, we can hope.

It's been good to work with you, Tosca.

What? A cat, admitting I'm not just a glorified pigeon? You shock me, Crookshanks. Well, it's been pleasant as well. Work's not done yet though.

Just then, Hermione came through the door and saw Crookshanks and Tosca sitting on the floor. "Ready to go, Crooky?"

Yes.

"Take care of him, won't you, Tosca?" Hermione asked softly.

You can count on me. The white falcon watched as Hermione Levitated her trunk to follow behind her, Crookshanks at her heels, as she walked out the door and closed it behind her.

Good luck, little passager, she said softly, hopping onto the windowsill and watching her make her way towards Hogsmeade Station. You'll come back to the nest soon enough, I'd wager, all grown up.

It would be a busy night. Severus would undoubtedly be called, as young Crabbe, Goyle, and Malfoy were due to for induction into the Death Eaters tonight. She couldn't wait to see the look on Lucius Malfoy's face when his little nestling's note explaining his turn away arrived, and Malfoy fumbling to explain himself to Voldemort. She watched until Hermione disappeared from view, then leapt from the window and flew towards the dungeons, ready for whatever might come.

End Book 1