Disclaimer: I don't own any of it, not even the plot. The characters belong to JK Rowling, and the plot can be found in the Challenge folder at WIKTT.

A/N: Hey all! I love all of the feedback I've been getting, and I'd thank all of my reviewers personally if the list wasn't so damn long! Anyway, I love all of you, you all rock and I hope you like this chapter!

Ghost—Chapter 6

The next morning, Hermione awoke with a groan. She did not want to get up on a Saturday morning, but she had work to do. With a sigh, she got out of bed and picked out her clothes for the day.

After her shower, Hermione went to her study and began pulling books off of the shelf. They weren't Potions texts as one might expect, but tomes that were to be found in the deepest, darkest recesses of the Restricted section of the library. Madame Pince had given Hermione an odd look when the younger woman had checked them out of the library, but the librarian didn't say anything. If anyone were to ask, Hermione would just give the usual excuse of wanting a little bit of light reading. It would have been believable too, except for the nature of the books.

The books were all Dark Arts books, and the majority seemed to deal with one subject: necromancy. With titles such as The Darkest of the Dark Arts, Necromancy and You and Death: Is It REALLY the End ?, there was no doubt of what Hermione was trying to research and possibly achieve.

Hermione opened Necromancy and You and settled in for a long morning of reading. She was so engrossed in her book that she didn't even notice someone enter until it was too late.

"Necromancy, Hermione?" asked the aged voice of Albus Dumbledore. "That's not your usual fare, is it? As I recall, you were very fond of your copy of Hogwarts: A History while you were here."

"Don't sneak up on me like that, Albus!" exclaimed Hermione, clutching her chest. "What are you trying to do, give me a heart attack?"

"I was doing nothing of the sort," Dumbledore replied, his eyes twinkling. "I was just wondering where you were, because you didn't show up for breakfast this morning. Naturally, I assumed that Severus was beginning to rub off on you, so I decided to see what you were doing. By the way, I like what you did to these rooms. Am I correct in assuming that Severus wasn't too pleased with it?"

"He wasn't, at first. He was more ticked off at the fact Harry was here helping," Hermione replied with a grin.

"Ah, I see," Dumbledore remarked. He picked up The Darkest of the Dark Arts. "I also see that Severus is rubbing off on you more than I thought. I never in a million years considered that you would delve into the Dark Arts."

"I-I wasn't," Hermione stammered. "Severus and I have been talking for a while about bringing him back to life, just jokingly at first, but I began thinking that I might just be able to do it."

"There isn't a way to bring someone back, Hermione," replied Dumbledore. "At least, no safe way to do it. There are many risks involved with necromancy, Hermione, and if the pros outweighed the cons with these spells, I would have personally performed the rituals to bring everyone who died for our side back to life."

"What kinds of risks are involved?" asked Hermione. "If you don't mind me asking, sir."

"Not at all, Hermione dear," Dumbledore replied with a soft smile. "Questions are what make what is previously unknown common knowledge. Necromancy is a very shady art at its best. If worked properly, it can work wonders, giving people and animals that have died before their time another chance at life. However, if the spells are performed wrong, certain complications can arise."

"What kinds of complications?" asked Hermione, her curiosity piqued.

"You could re-animate the corpse, but an evil spirit could take up residence in the body instead of the person's soul, causing a demon to be born. As well, the body can close itself off to any type of soul or spirit, causing an empty shell, much like the state of a person after they have been administered the Dementor's Kiss. Lastly, the person's soul can re-enter the body, but the corpse begins to rot from the inside out. It's very painful, and not at all pleasant." Dumbledore finished his little speech and looked at Hermione, fixing her with a serious gaze. "This is a one chance thing, Hermione. If the spell is botched at all and any of the aforementioned problems occur, then the corpse must be destroyed and the spell cannot be attempted again. This is not something to be taken lightly, my dear. Only go through with it if you are absolutely certain you are willing to take the risks. Remember my words."

"Sir...how do you know all this?" asked Hermione. "If you don't mind me saying, but it sounds as if you are speaking from experience."

"I am very old, Hermione," began Dumbledore, "and I have seen many things. Trust me on this, Hermione, when I say I know what I'm talking about. Now, I must go, but I hope to see you at lunch, and then at dinner afterwards. Good day to you, Hermione."

With that, the old wizard left the study. When Hermione heard the click of a door shut, she finally let out the breath that she didn't know she was holding.

Later that day, after dinner and before bed, Hermione was in her sitting room, wondering what she could do. She had gotten all of her marking done, she had the next week's assignments ready to hand out and she wasn't too keen on opening another necromancy book. So she did something that she hadn't had a chance to do in a while. She took out her diary and began to write in that.

Hermione had been keeping a diary since her seventh year. The one she owned was a semi-large book filled with unlined pages. Well, it was when she bought it. It was now almost full with Hermione's tiny, cramped writing. She smiled slightly as she flipped through the book, reading some of the passages in it. One caught her eye and she looked closer, reading word for word. It was an entry from the beginning of seventh year.

September 10, 1997

9:17 PM

Ugh, Ron is so infuriating! He and I had another row tonight, this time about our NEWT level Potions class. He can't see the point of being in a class where the Professor hates him. I said that maybe if he took into consideration Snape's role for the Light and the Order, he might see why Snape has to be a bastard towards us Gryffindors. I mean, the Slytherins can't know that their Head of House is a spy...it would cause a disaster if they did!

Then Ron had the gall to say that the only reason I was standing up for him was because I fancied the pants off of him. I mean really, me fancy Professor Snape? I don't think so. I mean, the man is twenty years my senior! He could be my father, for Pete's sake! Sure, he's highly intelligent, but as he has said numerous times, I am merely a child with no concept of the real world.

I've been applying for apprenticeships and such for the past week, and so far I haven't heard anything. McGonagall said not to worry though; most Masters have a lot of applicants to study under them, and it takes a while for them to decide. I sincerely hope I get a Potions apprenticeship, but I guess Transfiguration or Charms wouldn't be so bad.

This year is going to be so difficult...I'm just glad I declined the Head Girl position. I was apprehensive at first, but I feel it was for the best. Harry and Ron think I'm absolutely batty, but there you go.

I should probably go off to bed, I have a Potions quiz tomorrow and I want to be on top form. I'll write again later.

Hermione smiled as she read over the entry before flipping through the parchment pages again. Another entry, about mid-year, caught her attention.

February 20, 1998

5:56 PM

Well, its official: Severus Snape is the biggest bastard that ever lived. I just hope Ron doesn't find out I said that; I hate it when he gloats.

It just seems that I work and work and work, and I still can't seem to please him. He's the only Professor that REFUSES to acknowledge my hard work. I spend the most time on my Potions essays than any other homework. Ron and Harry both say that I should just forget it and go for the minimum, but I don't want to be average! I want to stand out, get Snape's attention and make him see that I'm not just some silly know-it-all little girl.

Who am I fooling? Myself, that's who. Hell will freeze over before he even considers me as more than a student. I wonder what he would say if one of the Potions Masters were to ask for a reference? I shudder at the thought...I don't think I want to know.

Well, I have an essay for Transfiguration to do...I'll write later if I'm not too busy.

Hermione frowned slightly; she had forgotten how obsessed she was at trying to please Professor Snape in her seventh year. She had been hoping that he would pay her even the smallest amount of attention, mete out the teeniest word of praise. She had never gotten the praise to her face, but he must have said something good for her to have gotten an apprenticeship with Pierre Bordeaux, one of the top Potions Masters in the world.

With a sigh, Hermione began flipped to an empty page in her diary, dipped her quill into the ink and began writing.

September 7, 2002

8:07 PM

Well, I'm back here at Hogwarts, teaching Potions. I never thought I'd be teaching that here, because I had always thought Snape would always be here, never giving one of us 'young-uns' a chance. However, things happen, and those who see opportunity in them make the best of the situation.

I'm not saying that I'm proud of taking over Snape's position, because I'm not—not really. I feel guilty for taking something that was ripped from him unfairly. I don't know why though...I put the work into getting this far, and no one can tell me differently.

Though I now teach Potions at the castle that had been my home for almost half my childhood, I always thought that my children would be taught by Severus Snape. That way we could have compared horror stories about him and such. Ah well, you don't exactly get what you want, now do you?

Snape chose that particular moment to float through the wall. Hermione snapped her journal shut before the ghost had a chance to see what she was writing.

"What have you been up to this evening?" she asked Snape, who was floating a few feet away from her.

"Peeves just convinced me to play a rather amusing joke on Albus," Snape replied. "It required water bombs and a few Weasley Wizard Wheezes products. And what have you been up to? Albus has informed me that you have been reading some interesting material as of late."

"I haven't really been doing much of anything," Hermione replied. "I've just been relaxing here, drinking my wine and jotting a few things down."

"Really?" asked Snape, raising an eyebrow. "You know, I can tell that you're lying. You were doing something else as well."

"So what if I was?" Hermione asked defiantly. "You're not my boyfriend; you don't need to know every single aspect of my life!"

"Ooh, touchy, touchy," Snape teased. "It seems as if I have been playing too close to the fire. Fine then, I will not pry, but I will find out eventually. I have the ability of stealth and the element of surprise on my side."

With that, Snape left the room by way of his entrance. Hermione let out an exasperated sigh before opening the novel she had begun before she had left for Hogwarts.

Well, what did you think? I know it's not the greatest, but it's the best I can do at the moment. This chapter felt a little awkward to write, but maybe that's just me. I trust that you will all be honest in your feedback and tell me what I'm doing right or wrong.

As some of you may have noticed, I have deleted my fic Harry's Hero. I have done this because I felt that it wasn't exactly up to par. I am in the process of re-working it, and I beg the fans of the original will bear with me. If you were a fan of the original, go and read it when it's up. If you didn't read the original, go read the revised edition anyway. It'll do you good.

Anyway, that's all I have to say. I hope you give me an honest review, as usual.