Disclaimer: That's it. I can keep this secret no longer. It's tearing me up inside. I, Luthien Black, do not own Harry Potter. You may now give the credit to a woman named J.K.Rowling. I am sorry I lied to you all for so long. sniffle

Author's Note: Obviously this story is AU because Dumbledore is too awesome a character to abandon, and I am not ready for Snape and Draco to be irrevocably evil- not that they are now in the books. We just have to wait for book seven. Isn't it a happy thought that even when the series ends, the fanfiction doesn't have to?

Chapter 2

Meetings and Interior Decorating

Hermione scrubbed the kitchen table hard, trying to coax off a ring left from her glass of orange juice, but it was proving to be very stubborn. She would need to stop by Flourish and Blotts later on to see if they had a book on house-cleaning charms. She scrubbed for one minute more, until the ring was only visible if you happened to know its exact location.

Yes, that will do. She told herself. I can always find a spell later on to get the rest of it. Now, where did I set my wand. No, not there. Not there either. Where is it? Oh, right, in my wand holster. Okay, everything seems to be in order. Eek! I better get to the staff meeting ASAP!

Once Hermione had graduated as valedictiorian from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Headmaster Dumbledore had requested that she fill the position of proffessor of Charms, and she readily agreed. (Flitwick had chosen to retire since the war was over.) She had recently completed her second year of teaching, yet everyday was still as exciting as the last. Dumbledore had even made her head of Ravenclaw house, and she enjoyed watching all of its prodigies grow up before her eyes.

Now, however, she was late to a staff meeting Headmaster Dumbledore had suddenly called, and she had yet to find the reason for it. There was no time left to wonder, though, when she arrived at the statue before his office. She told it the password (Skittles!) and rode up the stairs.

"Enter." Dumbledore commanded.

Hermione strode into the unusually decorated office and looked around at all the familiar paintings and gadgets. It was all the same, all unchanged by the war. It even smelled the same. This time, however, she was not offered a lemon drop by the old man who always had a twinkle in his eye. She turned her observant gaze upon the other proffesors that filled the room and found them staring at her aggravatedly.

Snape turned to face the headmaster and muttered something that sounded a bit like "About time." under his breath.

"Sorry," she stated sheepishly.

Dumbledore sighed and steepled his fingers, allowing his eyes to rest only on the tips of his fingers as he got the staff's attention. After a moment, he straightened up and put his hands in his lap.

"I have called you all here today as a result of the spell detector wards Professor Snape has put on his office and living area. He reported that he checks them everyday for traces of unusual spells that could have been used while he was not present or not aware."

McGonagall leaned forward in her seat and coughed "Paranoid!" She coughed again and sat back. "So sorry, I seem to have a frog in my throat- best let Madam Pomfrey have a look at it later."

"I am not paranoid! I'll have you know-" Snape began indignantly.

"That's quite all right, Minerva." Dumbledore began with a smile. He turned to Proffesor Snape. "And Severus, it is quite all right to be paranoid, because-"

"I am not paranoid!"

"In your line of work, your life used to always be in danger. It is only natural that you would put up some type of defense system in your living quarters." He turned to face them all. "Now, onto the matter at hand. When Severus' was checking yesterday's spell detections, he found traces of the Obliviation spell. That spell, as you all know, is not common knowledge, which made me wonder who could have done it."

He studied them all carefully and Hermione quickly put up her occlumency barriers like Harry and Snape had taught her during the war, only allowing Dumbledore to see what she wanted him to see.

After he had finished his wordless investigation, he smiled. "Of course, I do not think it was any of you." Hermione sighed in relief. "But I must stress on you the seriousness of this situatuon. Someone has quite possibly breached the wards and could have done any number of things before erasing the memories of the staff and leaving. I have supplemented the wards, so obliviation on the grounds is now as possible as apparation, but do keep an eye open."

The headmaster bid them a good day and Snape left quickly after a quick sneer in everyone's general direction. McGonagall just laughed and left to send out the start of the year notices.

The other proffesors walked out soon after, leaving Hermione to follow.

Once Hermione had reached her flat, she collapsed on her couch.

I cannot believe what just happened. How could I have been so careless? I was so close to getting caught obliviating both the headmaster and the potions master! My actions have forever changed Hogwarts. Dumbledore had to actually put up anti-obliviation wards. I didn't even know there were such things. sigh Well, maybe now they will come out with a new edition of Hogwarts, a History.

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"Okay, so no obliviation at Hogwarts. I must remember to not attempt to obliviate people at Hogwarts."

"What's that Mione?" Ron asked as a few pieces of eggs fell to the table.

Hermione eyed the eggs with distaste. "Um, nothing, and don't talk with your mouth full. I have told you a hundred times." She set her copy of The Daily Prophet aside and looked around the kitchen in her apartment. "I don't like the wall color. It should be faint green. What do you think?"

"Um, wall color? Really? You're asking my opinion? I like orange…"

"Right. Green it is then, and I will spare you from such further questions."

Ron nodded and made an indistinct comment while he finished his eggs. He cleaned his plate with a simple spell, which Hermione took care to remember. "Well then, thanks for breakfast. I better head to practice. Only one game left in the season." He kissed her on the cheek and put on his cloak.

"Have a good day, Ron. Tell Lavendar I said hello."

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Minutes later, Hermione was still trying to duplicate Ron's plate-cleaning spell.

What did he do after that right-angle flick to the left? Arg! It would have been easier to just wash it. I better head to the bookstore today, so I can memorize all of the handy charms before school starts. Why didn't they ever teach these at Hogwarts? Hmm, I think I will just have to include a few of these in next year's lesson plans.

Note to self: Put household charms in lesson plans next year.

Will do.

Thanks.

It's what I'm here for.

Now time to go to Diagon Alley.

Hermione tidied up the flat and prepared to leave. Suddenly, she had a thought.

"Paredi Verdescio!" The walls of the kitchen changed to a faint green, and she smiled. It was much better. She walked out into the hall and performed a simple locking charm on her door. She was in the middle of changing the color of her door as well, when someone called out.

"Oh Hermione, dear. How are you this morning. What is that?"

Hermione followed the direction of her gaze, and she caught sight of her wand.

"Obliviate!" She said without hesitation. Making sure her wand was now safe in its holster, she walked down the hall, oblivious to the calls of her new neighbor, Mrs. Gonsoulin ( the one she had just obliviated!).

It's really become second nature for me to erase someone's memory. What if someone just sneaks up on me, and I obliviate them? What if I do it in front of other people? Then I will have to obliviate them as well. This has gotten out of hand. Maybe I should just obliviate myself. Then I won't know how to obliviate.

No, that wouldn't work because eventually you will ask Remus to teach you how to do it, since you would have forgotten. You'll tell him you want to learn it because you moved to muggle London, and he will think you have gone mental because he has already taught you.

Yeah, you're right. I need to find a way to stop the madness though. Oops, I still have to get to the bookstore before it closes.

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A/N

So, Hermione is really having trouble controlling herself. What a shame. I wonder what will happen at the bookstore? I wonder how many chapters this will be? Do you know? I don't. Aren't we excited?

By the way, in case you didn't know, pared is Spanish for wall, and verde is Spanish for green. I sort of just added letters to the end to make it flowy.

And, in case you didn't know, I am from Texas and am having a really hard time saying you instead ya'll. That's about it.

Read and Review! Please! It is so much fun to hear what you have to say, but I won't be able to if you don't write it down because you probably live far away, and I have my headphones on, so…