Disclaimer: See Prologue.

Death of Innocence

Chapter 1

The remaining weeks of the term flew by. True to form, Hermione passed her NEWTs with flying colors, earning a series of stunning remarks from each examiner. She found herself walking along the lakeshore, alone. "Maybe I can strike up an interesting conversation with the giant squid," she remarked dryly to herself.

While Hermione was reflecting on her loss of friends, two men were conferring high up in the castle above.

"Well, Albus, what are we going to do now? She's not a student any more, so we can't protect her that way."

"I agree, Severus. Perhaps we should implement the plan we discussed earlier..."

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Hermione started as she remembered that the headmaster had asked to see her at 10:00. Glancing at her watch, she realized that she just had time to make it, if she hurried. She ran off, up the wide, sloping lawn to the headmaster's office.

Bursting into the room, she gasped, "I'm sorry I'm late, Professor. I was walking and thinking and..."

"That is quite all right, Miss Granger. Professor Snape and I were just having an enlightening discussion. Please sit down."

She sat, curious why the headmaster had chosen to call her into his office on the last day of school. Surely there wasn't anything wrong.

"Would you like anything, Miss Granger. Tea, biscuit?"

"Oh, no thank you, Professor. I had quite a large breakfast."

Severus carefully held back a snort. He had watched her push her food around her breakfast plate, being very careful not to take a bite, but to make it appear as if she were.

"Well, then, I am sure you are wondering why I should call you down here on the last day of your schooling here at Hogwarts." She nodded. "I wished to talk with you about your plans after graduation."

"Oh." She sounded a little crestfallen. "I haven't really gotten there yet. I was really focusing on getting through the NEWTs. I'd heard that they were quite hard, and..." She trailed off, a tear forming in her eye. "I don't know, when Ron died, all my plans just..."

"Were you possibly considering an apprenticeship? There are always university studies as well," Dumbledore interjected, trying to pick up the conversation.

"An apprenticeship would be nice, I think."

"What kind were you thinking of, Miss Granger?"

"I was thinking of asking Professor McGonagall if she would take me as an apprentice. I've always done well in her class."

"As far as I know, Miss Granger, Professor McGonagall was already considering another candidate for apprenticeship. How are your feelings on Potions?" Dumbledore cast a sly wink in Severus' direction.

"I'd never really thought about that, Professor. I guess I have a bit of an aptitude –" Severus snorted, the girl had much more than a bit of aptitude. "But I don't know any Potions Masters that would take me..."

Severus decided that his turn in the conversation had come. Rising slightly from the black, shadowy corner he had placed himself in, he said, "Miss Granger, do you really think that my behavior toward you in class was an indication of your skill? Or perhaps you did not know that I happen to be one of the most certified Potions Masters in Britain?"

"I- I'm sorry, Professor. I didn't think you liked me at all. I didn't want to burden anyone that would mind me working with them."

"Miss Granger, I would be willing to help you pursue a mastery in the subtle, delicate art of Potions making."

"I guess it's settled then," Dumbledore added, "Miss Granger, Severus, are both of you willing to do this?"

"I'm still not completely sure, Professor. There's so much I don't know..."

"What concerns you about this, Miss Granger?"

"Well, I have no clue what is expected of a Potions apprentice."

"There I can help you," Snape interrupted, "In addition to assisting me with my classes, you would be expected to spend time in a lab, working out the finer issues of Potions: both the more complex potions, and the art of creating or modifying potions to achieve desired results."

"And where would I live? I don't have enough money to rent out a room in Hogsmeade..."

"Miss Granger, do you really think that we would offer you a position at Hogwarts without room and board?" Dumbledore seemed appalled at the suggestion. "You would have your own quarters within the castle, most likely down in the dungeons, near Professor Snape's own private quarters, so the two of you would have the ideal working conditions."

"I guess that settles all of my worries then, I would love this opportunity."

Hearing this, Professor Dumbledore pulled out a parchment from under a stack of scrolls on his desk. "I just happen to have a spare apprentice form here. Hermione, I need you to sign here," he said, pointing to a line on the sheet, "to confirm that you know what you are getting into. And Severus, you also need to sign," he said, pointing to another line, just below the first.

Hermione picked up the headmaster's eagle quill and signed her name on the indicated line. Snape followed suit, his sharp spiky signature a stark contrast to Hermione's shaky, but well curved one.

Albus picked up the sheet, sealed it with a tap of his wand, and sent it off with an owl that he had just summoned from the Owlry.

"It's settled, then."