The One Who Had the Clearest View

Chapter Five – Making Impressions

Disclaimer: I don't own anything blah blaaaah blaaaaaaaaah. You get the picture.

Sorry this has taken so long. A little thing called the real world got bitchy.

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Making Impressions

"Good morning candidates. My name is Hermione Granger. Welcome to your first day of Auror Higher training. Before I start I would like to explain three basic rules of Auror Higher conduct," began the young witch as she strode gracefully in front of the fifty students gathered in the lecture hall, her heels clicking on the floor. Evan made a mental note of the name 'Hermione Granger' as the woman came to a stop at a desk in front of a currently blank screen. Harry would be pissed that a woman younger than both of them had got the job he'd schemed so hard to get. Evan smirked, glad he'd be the one to tell him that. It would put him in the lead in their little battle.

"Number One: Stay one step ahead of the enemy. Number Two: Never be seen and number three: Always have an extra set of eyes for yourself. Simple enough?" seeing a couple of confused faces, Hermione thought she'd better explain what that last rule meant. 'And these guys are supposed to be the best. I thought that meant possessing a basic level of intelligence.' She complained to herself. "Another pair of eyes mean back up. A partner. A look out. We humans do not have eyes in the backs of our heads and so need someone to keep a watch for us. Get it? I'd have thought you'd have taken a note of those rules."

Two hours later things weren't looking up. One student had nearly disembowelled another when Hermione asked them to hold a mock duel so she could see their agility and reflexes, another two had got into a slanging match, despite being 20 years old and she'd seen at least two blokes picking their nose. This was going to be a long year.

"Look guys!" Hermione shouted over the bickering and chattering from her spot atop of her desk as the students below her attempted to create shields to protect themselves from curses, "You are all 20 years old! Can we please act it! In the past two hours I've seen childish squabbles, people picking noses and had someone nearly disembowelling another because of a stupid mispronunciation of a spell! You are fully grown witches and wizards training to become some of the most important peace-keepers in our world! If this is how you try and impress an Auror Higher Elite from the New York office I pity the British Wizarding Community should any of you live to finish this programme. If you behave like children I shall treat you like children. I was told that you were some of the best! I hope to God they were joking because, as harsh as my words seem" she stared out over the silent hall "I have not been convinced. I thought that you all had to possess a level of basic intelligence to be here. Judging by what I have seen I am doubtful some of you do!" she paused and ran a hand through her hair, closed her eyes and took a deep breath, "Look, I know you all think I'm a bitch now," her voice softened, "but if I didn't say that now we would be risking a repeat performance or worse. I want you to know I've been here. I know what first days are like and I want you to do well, really I do. I'm making impressions myself here. I've been dragged away from a job I love in new York and thrown head first into training you lot up for your first year on this course and because I'm from the DB66 team," a couple of people gasped and stared wide eyed at her, "everyone is expecting me to make you brilliant in half the time it takes to make you good. I've got a lot to prove to a lot of people, including proving that I've done well enough with you to get a training honour back home, so I'd appreciate a bit of cooperation tomorrow and from now on. If you all wake up and smell the coffee and really knuckle down not only can we get you through the basics quickly but if we can do well enough we can all take a shot at honours awards. You all know how good they are, don't you?" fifty heads nodded, "Good. Now I want you to have read the first two chapters of 'The Basic's Handbook' by tomorrow and to pack up and go home and get ready to really try tomorrow. Thank you. Any questions?"

"Miss Granger –"

"It's just Mione"

"Mione, are you really part of the DB66 team?" asked a tall man with a shock of white blonde hair pulled into a ponytail.

"Yes, but I'm on leave at the moment to be here."

"So does that mean you know Alana Cistern?" another man, Jerry Swan, asked.

"Yes, it does. Alana is my backup in the DB66 team and one of my best friends."

Evan's eyebrow rose.

***

"Great. Just bloody great."

"She's cute too, Harry."

"It just had to be a woman, didn't it?"

"I knew you'd be smarting about that one." Evan smirked.

"What else did you find out about her?"

"Well, she's not Alana Cistern, she's her best friend. She's here for a year to train up the new candidates up to the 2nd level. She's from the New York office, she wasn't impressed with us, she's very, very good, so good it's frightening, very fast and get this: Not only is she an Auror Higher Elite, but she's part of the DB66 team and Alana is her backup!" Evan took a swig of his coffee, watching Harry choke on his at his announcement.

"Bloody hell!" Harry exclaimed.

"I know. You've got a lot to beat now, Harry."

"What did you say her name was?" Harry asked, turning to face his partner in this investigation.

"I didn't. It's Hermione Granger."

Harry went white.

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A/N: Sorry it's not much.

I must say, there's something I'm very surprised nobody picked up on in the last chapter. Oh well.

Thank you to everyone who reviewed.