Hermione woke up drenched in sweat from a dream she couldn't remember, except that it wasn't nice. With a sigh she sat up, the early morning light shining through a crack in the curtains. Lily's bed was made, but there was no Lily to be seen. She heard a soft sizzle coming from downstairs, and wrapped a dressing gown embroidered with the Gryffindor Lion on it around her. He padded downstairs, and saw Lily making some breakfast for herself.

"Hey Hermione." She said her face washed out and pale. "You look as bad as I do." She pointed to a mirror, and Hermione saw that here eyes were red from crying, her face was pale and there were bags under her eyes.

"Want some bacon sarnies? I made enough for two. Feel free to make yourself a coffee or something, everything is on the counter over there." Hermione flicked on the kettle and dropped a spoon of coffee into a mug that hung from a rack, and piled in some sugar. She drank it black as always, it was comforting that way. Lily passed her a plate of steaming bacon on some bread, some ketchup and HP sauce sat on the counter. She fought with the bottle to get out the HP, and smeared it over the meat before slapping another piece of bread on top

"Mmm…" She said as she bit into it, savouring the taste. "I hope Remus has an ability to cook or the two of us won't survive." She laughed.

"James can think again if he reckons I'll be doing all the cooking. Or cleaning. Or anything for that matter, he can damn well help."

"He will, if not, just curse him." The two giggled, and jumped as they saw an owl fly into the window.

"I'll get that." Lily opened the front door, and brought in the owl, which had two notes tied to it.

"Exam results." The two held their breath.

They sat with the thick wads of parchment in front of them, both too nervous to open their own. "Oh, Lily, will you just open mine and I'll open yours?" They swapped envelopes and opened them.

Lily Marie Evans, Gryffindor, NEWT Results. All results in order of best result to worst, Percentages given in accordance. All results at and over 95 gain level 'O'.

Charms: O – 100

Transfiguration: O – 100

Defence Against the Dark Arts: O – 98

Herbology: O – 96

Astronomy: E – 94

Potions: E – 87

History of Magic: E – 82

"Lily, you did really well!" Hermione exclaimed. Lily, however, her mouth was opening and closing. "Lily...?"

"Read." She said.

The two swapped letters and Hermione red hers nervously.

Hermione Athena Megans, Gryffindor, NEWT Results. All results in order of best result to worst, Percentages given in accordance. All results at and over 95 gain level 'O'.

Defence Against the Dark Arts: O – 120

Charms: O – 110

Potions: O – 100

Transfiguration: O 100

Herbology: O – 100

Ancient Runes: O – 99

Astronomy: O – 99

History of Magic – O – 95

Hermione was gob smacked. "No way..." She said breathlessly, and lily said the same at her results.

"Hermione… I passed potions!" The girl giggled "With an E! I can be a healer!" Hermione was still staring at her results. "Hermioneee… Are you here?" She waved a hand in front of Hermione's face.

"I got an O in every single NEWT." She said, dropping the letter. Another, headed in gold, slid out of the envelope. Lily snatched it up and read it out loud.

"Miss Hermione Megans.

You have been notified of your exam results, and the ministry has found that you have the best results in Hogwarts history for 97 years. As you have gained 120 in your Defence against the Dark arts examination, we, the society of Auror Training, ask if you would be willing to become an Auror. Your tuition will be fully paid by the ministry of Magic, and we would like to take you on as a student for a two year training program starting the date September 1st 1979. Please reply within two weeks of receiving this notice.

Yours sincerely,

Jasper Hornsby,

Head of Aurors and Training.

Lily gasped. "Hermione, the Ministry have asked you personally to become an Auror! Are you going to do it?" Hermione took the letter, reading it twice.

"Yes." She said without hesitation. She wrote a reply, wording it as she had been taught by her parents, and attached it to the ministry owl.

"We should go to James's house now, so we can all prepare together." The two packed a small bag each with necessary clothing. "I'll take you as a passenger; you don't know where James's house is." With a small pop, they disappeared from the room, and within moments landed in front of a cottage.

Lily ran up to the door, Hermione in tow. She knocked twice, and the door was opened by a tall man with broad shoulders, black hair and Glasses. Hermione thought she was looking directly at an older looking Harry, and in a way she was.

"Hey, Mr Potter! This is Hermione, where are the boys?" The man laughed.

"You mean, where is James? He's in the back playing Quidditch." He stepped out of the way and let the girls run through. Hermione followed Lily, and they ended up stood out in a garden that stretched out for miles, it seemed. Hermione looked up to see a group of boys playing a rough version of Quidditch, running mainly with two trying to shoot goals whilst one saved, and two hunted for the snitch.

"Time out!" Lily shouted, and they all looked down. The group landed, greeting the girls, and Hermione practically melted into Remus's arms.

"Hey." He said, and she buried her head in his neck. "Why are you here?"

"Pass, blame Lily." The two separated, and joined the group that had moved to sit on the grass.

"Did everyone get their results?" Sirius was asking, getting nods and yes's in reply. "Who got what?"

"Hermione got straight O's." Lily blurted, and then threw a hand over her mouth. "Oops, you wanted to tell them, didn't you?" Hermione shrugged, bright red as she sat on Remus's lap.

"Whoa." Everyone but Harry and Ron said, gaping.

"You're not shocked?" Sirius asked, and they shook their heads.

"Nope."

"Nuh-uh."

"Got the same in her OWL's… got one E though I think." Ron said. "See what relaxing does, Hermione? It gets you straight O's. I got straight E's except in, DADA, Herboloy, and, of all things, Potions."

"O's in everything I did except History of magic, that was an A, Charms, E, Astronomy, A." Harry said with a shrug. "Don't particularly like them anyway."

"Four O's, three E's." Lily said.

"Three O's, three E's, one A." Sirius said, ripping up some grass. "An O in potions, though. Really my best subject."

"Five O's one E." James said. "I didn't take Herbology like the rest of you, and I messed up History of Magic. Didn't stop me getting an Auror letter though." People gasped, except for Hermione and Remus.

"I got straight O's too." He said quietly. "And a letter."

"Anyone else get an Auror Letter?" Sirius asked.

"Hermione did." Lily answered for Hermione when she stayed silent. "She answered yes straight away. She also got the highest results Hogwarts has seen for 97 years or something."

"Ahh, so that's what those two other people were, Hermione and Moony." James said in recognition.

"You answered yes?" Remus asked, and Hermione nodded.

"I think it's my calling, to help keep people safe. Are you going?" Remus stayed quiet. "You're not, are you?"

"I haven't answered yet. I'd like to go into the area, but I don't think I'd be right for an Auror position. I've written back asking if there is a research department, and I'm waiting for a reply."

"James, what did you answer?" Hermione asked, leaning across to see his face.

"Yes, like you. I think it's the right thing to put all my work into." Lily smiled, playing with James's hair.

"What does everyone else want to do? I'd like to be a healer." Ron asked, leaning back to warm under the July sunshine.

"I'm looking into working with Magical creatures." Sirius said, pointing at Lily.

"Healer, like Ron." She said.

Everyone looked at Harry, who shrugged. "Ask me again in 20 years, when I'll be making that choice." People took this as a reasonable answer.

They continued talking through the day until six o'clock, when Dumbledore Apparated into the garden.

"It is time."