Chapter 3:

The summer seemed as it had speed by. Hermione had just finished packing all her belongings into her trunk when Minerva came in. "Are you sure you have everything? I can't believe you are leaving soon!"

"I have everything I own," Hermione told her sadly, looking around the room she had called home for the summer fondly.

"You have all your books? Clothing? Potions supplies? Spending money?" Minerva asked, acting like a worried mother which warmed Hermione's heart.

"Everything but the last one," she told her once mentor and now friend. "Hopefully I will be able to find a part-time job or something once I get there."

"Dear, you won't have time for a job. Your job is to study hard and hurry home. Didn't your parents give you your allowance yet?" Minerva asked concerned.

Hermione sighed; she had been trying to hide her situation from everyone all summer. She was not going to have to borrow money from Harry for books since she found quite a few in her new collection and had taken a few of the 'extra' items from the storage room to a second hand shop in Diagon Alley and gotten enough for the rest. "My parents have cut me off, well they have cut me off entirely actually. They haven't written and all of my owls have come back unopened. They have their receptionist at work tell me they are busy and screen their calls at home. They were unhappy that I decided to not return to the muggle world. I guess they were under the impression that I was going to outgrow magic and come rushing home once school was over to be the perfect daughter again."

"Oh Hermione I had no idea, how awful," Minerva said pulling her into a hug. She had become very close to the young woman over the summer and hated the idea that she had been hurt like that. Hermione finally broke down and cried about the loss of her family. She knew she would be alright but she had not allowed herself to accept the loss. She was grateful for the comfort and support of her friend. After she had calmed herself she smiled at the older woman.

"Thank you, I hadn't allowed myself to grieve yet." She told her with a sad smile. "I knew we were growing farther and farther apart the older I got but I never imagined that I would stop being welcome. I think I am sadder about the end of a chapter of my life than hurt as I had always feared something like this and have been preparing myself for years. I just wish I would have thought to save up some money during my Hogwarts days!" She laughed. "I will be ok for the first semester and hopefully I can find a research job to help for the second. If not I will finally have to break down and admit to Harry that I am a poor college student in desperate need of a loan from her childhood friend."

"We are too much alike you and I. I would have been too proud to admit to my best friend that I needed money when he had such a disregard for his own fortune." Minerva said fondly. "I did without a lot of frills while I was in school as well and I am sure you will manage. Just make sure you write and give me a list of what you need for Christmas every year and I'll make sure that we all send what you can use."

"Thanks for everything, I'll write often and keep you informed of my progress!" Hermione said with a smile.

Harry was just outside Hermione's door to see if she needed any help when he heard her talking with Minerva. He was shocked to hear that she was broke; he had just assumed her parents had given her the college money they had put aside and let her leave. He was shaken out of his musings by Professor Snape gently pulling him away from the door and down the hall to the study.

"If she is not ready to tell you yet then you must pretend that you do not know," Severus told Harry quietly so not to be overheard by the women if they walked by.

"But I want to help her. I could give her plenty of spending money and it wouldn't hurt me. If I can't use this money to help my friends what good is it?" Harry asked him.

"We will just have to help her through unconventional means," Severus told him with a smirk. "This will require Slytherin tactics."

"Alright," Harry admitted realizing that he would just hurt her pride even more if he tried to give her money. "What do you have in mind?"

"First off we will have to send small care packages on a regular basis to her filled with sweets and extra quills and ink and the like, things that will not draw suspicion. Then we will have to find the name of someone at the university that she can do research for who you can give a grant to for a research assistant." Severus explained.

"That is a brilliant idea," Harry told him, impressed with his former professor's quick thinking. "And she would never suspect that I could be involved and even if she finds out I can play it off that I had no idea she would be interested and only granted the request that the professor made because it was the school she went to."

"I'm ready to go now," Hermione told Harry as she descended the stairs, having already shrunk her trunk and put it in her pocket. She said her good-byes to all the other house guests and then Harry accompanied her to the ministry for her port-key. All international portkeys had to be authorized months in advance and the individual had to go the departure country's ministry to keep from misuse and to check in at customs. "Wish me luck and remember to write!" She called out right before she felt the pull at her naval.

Hermione was quite dazed from the long distance portkey. She was glad that the Australian ministry seemed to anticipate that fact and had placed cushioning charms on the arrival area. She slowly stood up and headed towards the customs agent. "Business or Pleasure?" The lady asked obviously bored.

"I am here for school and will be staying for at least 5 years," Hermione told her pleasantly and handed her the appropriate forms for her extended stay.

"May I ask where all your belongings are if you are staying for so long?" The lady asked with a raised eyebrow. "I will have to check everything." Hermione just nodded and removed and unshrunk her trunk for the woman. After a half hour she was free to go, glad she would not have to go through that process very often. She exited into the main lobby of the ministry and impressed with how welcoming it seemed. She found the information desk and asked about the best methods of travel to her school. The clerk smiled and told her that is was only a few blocks to a port gate that would jump her to the area.

She was intrigued by the portgates and thought they would be a good idea for use back home to get people to the ministry and St. Mungos from places like Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade. She was then greatly impressed with the campus of her university. There was a very calming feel to it and it resembled a few of the universities that she had visited as a child on vacations with her parents.

She was warmed by the "Welcome to All New Students" banner hanging across what she assumed was where she was to check in. The first week was an orientation of sorts where the only students around were the new ones. She quickly entered the building with the banner, excited to start this new chapter of her life. She saw quite a few other students milling around as she approached the sign-up table on the far side of he room.

"Welcome to Roo-U," the obviously Australian boy behind the table said with a grin. At her raised eyebrow he explained that The Australian Institute for Magical Advancement and Education was too long to say all the time and that most people just called it AIMAE (pronounced like Amy) but it was jokingly referred to as Kangaroo University or Roo-U to its rival schools.

"Well thanks for that info," Hermione laughed and handed him her papers so he could register her.

"You'll be in the Potions/Herb/Creatures dorm since you will need to be near the labs and the Trans/Charms/DA dorm doesn't have any, does that sound ok?" He asked her as she had the option to choose between the two. When she agreed he continued with, "Over the next week there will be campus tours, get-to-know-you secessions in the dorms and informational groups to answer any questions. You will be required to attend all meals the first week to get any additional information handed out and will have to decide on your class schedule by the end of the week. Your academic advisor will be contacting you sometime this week to discuss your class options and there is an information session on it tomorrow after lunch. Any questions?" He asked with a smirk.

"Just two, first I will need directions to my dorm and second, how are we to understand all the different languages spoken around here?" She asked.

"Well here is a campus map that if you tap with your wand and state the destination it will lead you there. As for languages, the primary language of the school is English and students who do not speak English are given a translation amulet to use during their stay and encouraged to learn the language. Since you seem to be a Britt I doubt you'll have any problems!" He said with a wink before she thanked him and headed off to find her dorm, also known as the Earth Dorm. The Trans/Charms/DA dorm was called the Wind Dorm and the Sky Dorm was for Arithmacy/Runes/Astronomy/ Divination majors, there was also a small area of apartments for married students or those not wanting the dorm life.

She found her dorm after a 15 minute walk through campus and was pleased to see that she would only have to share a room with one other girl and that each room had it's own tiny bathroom. Her roommate was an American witch who had moved to Australia 5 years ago and was majoring in Care of Magical Creatures as well as a minor in Astronomy. Her name was Carley Wagner and she was a very tall, over 6 feet and blonde. Hermione could tell she was very strong and in great shape but she figured that was an important when dealing with deadly creatures on a regular basis.

"A double mastery in Potions and Transfiguration, wow I'm never going to see you unless you're studying!" Carley had joked with her. "So where's all your stuff? I was waiting to unpack till you got here so we could decide what went where." The two spent the rest of the afternoon deciding how best to set up their room. "So you pureblood or mix-up like me?" Carley asked as they tried to get to know each other. Hermione was just glad she wasn't a girly-girl like Lavender Brown had been!

"I'm a muggle born," Hermione told her.

"So your parents upset you went so far away for school?" Carley asked.

"My parents have essentially disowned me once I told them that I was not going back to the muggle world. But my friends are all upset about my going so far away." She told her with a smile.

"So did you go to Hogwarts? I head that was the best school in the world." Carley asked.

"Yes and it is a great school. I haven't heard anything about the Australian school but I did hear a little about one of the American schools Salem Witches Institute." Hermione told her.

"I actually went to Salem until I moved here. It was refreshing to be able to switch to a co-ed school. I was always teased for being so tall and boyish at the all girls' school but when I switched to the school in Brisbane I was accepted right away," Carley told her.

"I was teased for being a know-it all book worm the first few months of my 1st year until I met my two best friends from school. The three of us stuck together through almost all of our schooling. We had a sort of falling out with our other friend last year but the two of us are closer than ever." She told her, wondering how her new roommate would react to knowing who her best friend was.

"Well I will be going home most weekends to see my family as well as my boyfriend. He's a Quidditch player for the Brisbane Bandits. Do you like Quidditch? I hate going to games by myself and he always wants me to come! I'm not a good flyer and think the game is interesting enough but can't stand it when he gets together with his buddies and all they talk about is Quidditch!" Carley said with a grin.

"I know all my friends ever wanted to talk about was Quidditch. My best friend was the seeker for our house team and the other one was the keeper. Added to that my other housemates were as obsessed with the game as the players. I hate to fly, am actually terrified of it but I do enjoy a game now or again. What position does your boyfriend play? I am most familiar with the seeker as I dated a seeker once and my best friend is one."

"He's a seeker," Carley said with a smile. "He loves it so I am happy he made the team I just never envisioned my life would involve so much Quidditch!"

They were almost done unpacking as it was soon dinner time. Hermione pulled out her letter box. Albus had charmed hers to accept letters from any of the other connected boxes and all she had to do to send it to someone specific was to tap the lid, say the name, tap again and say send. She placed the letter box on top of her bureau and arranged a few of her framed photos around it.

"That is beautiful, is it a jewelry box?" Carley asked admiring the letter box.

"No, this is how I will be communicating with all my friends while I am gone," she told her and explained how it worked. "It helps to be friends with Headmaster Dumbledore; he seems to know just about everything."

"You are actually friends with Albus Dumbledore?" Carley asked skeptically, "He's like the most powerful wizard alive."

"Second most actually," Hermione told her with a grin.

"Right, they decided that Harry Potter is actually more powerful. Next thing you'll be telling me is that you're friends with him!" Carley laughed. Hermione just smirked and pointed to one of the photos of her and Harry on the desk. "You're THAT Hermione, 1/3 of the amazing Golden Trio of Hogwarts?"

"I was," Hermione told her with a laugh, "but the trio is now only a duo. I do sometimes speak with Ron still but he and Harry will never be close again which means the three of us will never be close again." They spent the rest of time until dinner trading stories of crazy adventures at school.

Hermione received her first letter the next morning, she had written a short note to everyone telling them that she arrived safely and was settled in. Harry had already replied.

Dear Moine.

I was glad to hear you're doing well. I miss you already as there is no longer any buffer between Snape and myself. It seems that without your witty company he has returned to the creature we knew him as in school. It may be that he overheard Remus telling Tonks and I storied about the Marauders in the kitchen last night… but he is being very bat like this morning. Albus and Minerva have returned to the school to check the recharged wards but I am sure they will write you soon. Make sure you take lots of pictures for me as I have never seen Australia before. Have fun meeting new people and stay away from the blokes they only has one thing in mind with a pretty girl like you. Ok enough big brother advice since you are actually older than me. I know you'll do great and remember that I am only ever a letter away. Albus said that if you are ever desperate that if you concentrate hard enough you may be able to call Fawkes to you. Study hard!

Love,

Harry

She smiled to herself and was warmed by his sentiment, they were headed to breakfast and then to the first meet and greet for their dorm. She was excited about meeting so many students that care about their education as she does. The usual mastery courses took a student 4 years to complete, much like Muggle College, but required a one to two year apprenticeship afterwards for most to get their license. There were only about 50 total students registered in the potions program and around 100 in transfiguration. She estimated that the total population of students of the school was around 1000 students. Her dorm was the smallest as it housed more lab space than the other two. There were about 50 students each in CMC and Potions and around 100 in Herbology and they also housed around 75 general education students who were taking classes to get advanced certificates but not going on for masters. The other dorms housed more students with the Transfiguration and DADA having about 100 students each, Charms and Astronomy having around 150 students each, Arithmacy and Runes have around 75 each and the smallest major of Divination having only 25 students.

She met a few of her fellow potions students but was not immediately drawn to anyone. She was just glad she would not be shunned for her intelligence here like she was at Hogwarts before Harry and Ron came around. Harry was the only one who ever understood how important her education was to her and their last two years she felt they had shared the drive to prove themselves.

Dear Harry,

Everything is going well so far. Classes start on Monday and I can't wait to meet my professors. I had to choose my classes today and met with my advisor. She is a very old witch who makes Albus look like a teenager! She kept telling me that I should just pick one mastery as there was no use for two. The only real insight she gave me was that if I was interested there was a professor looking for a research assistant that was an overachiever like me. I guess this guy has charms, Herbology and potions masteries and is now working on his transfiguration one on the side of teaching potions classes and researching his theories. She recommends me as he has run off his last 5 researchers because they were not dedicated enough to the pursuit of knowledge! I can't wait to meet with him, I have an appointment on Thursday morning with him but I will be able to see what he is like before that as I have him for class on Tuesday. His name is Professor Vivek Ganesa Mannan and he is around 75 years old and is from India. Wish me luck! I decided on taking spell creation as my elective class for the semester, even though my advisor told me that usually only charms masters are able to do well in it. I figure that it took me 2 months to talk myself out of getting 3 masters and finally dropped charms so this should be just what I am interested in.

I Miss you loads,

Hermione

Harry was glad to hear that she was doing so well and hurried to find professor Snape to see if he had heard of the man and if he would be willing to take a grant so Hermione could be paid to research. The two men were able to send Fawkes with a message to the man that very afternoon.

Hermione's first day of classes were wonderful, she had always envisioned having classes where students were encouraged to participate by asking questions and debating what the professor was discussing. She was very glad she did not listen to her advisor as her most interesting class was the spell creation one. She had mostly transfiguration classes on Monday and Wednesday and Potions on Tuesday and Thursday and then Fridays were left open for independent research projects, structured study groups and lab time. Most of her classmates were only taking two classes a day to her four but she figured with three days off in a row and no boys around to distract her she should be fine.

Her meeting with Professor Mannan went better than she ever could have hoped for. He told her that he was impressed by her ambition to take two masters and she told him it had been hard to narrow it down to just two. He asked her about how she researched, what things she was interested in and how she felt she could help him. "Well sir, without knowing what topics you are researching I can only offer generalities. I am an avid reader and very adept at skimming large texts and finding the useful information. I have a very logical mind which is useful in categorizing and cross-referencing and I tend to get very excited about anything new I can learn so if the research is about anything other than Divination or sports you have a good chance of it catching my interest and having me work that much harder."

"And what about your own research?" He asked her.

"Well I would be able to find information about my own research ideas whole doing your research. Any ideas that you have presented to me would strictly be your research and I would be able to pursue other areas of research as time permits." She told him, "When I am not involved in class work or studying for exams."

"And who would benefit from your personal research?" He asked her carefully.

"Well sir, one of the reasons I chose to go to AIMAE was that they did not claim proprietary rights on may research or discoveries done here, that appealed to me because if I make any breakthroughs I will be able to receive the benefits as well as have the say over who has access. I have no designs on your research sir and I would respect that you have no designs on mine and we can both make some interesting discoveries and further educate our world." She told him.

"Great, I expect you to put in at least 5 hours of research for me every week with progress reports due to me during a weekly meeting to occur directly after your class with me on Tuesdays. This is a trial period of one month where you will earn 1 galleon per hour for your research time. If after a month I am impressed with your work you will receive 1 galleon 6 sickles per hour, however if I am not impressed with your work I will be searching for a new assistant." He told her watching as her face lit up in happiness.

"That is wonderful sir, I had not really expected to get paid nearly that much. I promise I will not let you down sir. What would you like me to start with?" She asked and they spent the next few hours discussing his research and how she would be helping him.

Dear Hermione,

You will be glad to know that the school year got started without a hitch and that we have received 9 new Gryffindors this year. The new head girl is Miss Lovegood and she is her usual self. I hate that there was no chance for another Gryffindor but Miss Weasley has just gone farther downhill since the 'incident'. I hope your research is going well. I am very pleased you were able to find something that you will both enjoy doing and will help out your financial situation. I will keep you informed of all the latest Hogwarts gossip in a later letter as I am tired after the feast. Have a wonderful week!

Minerva

Miss Granger,

I was pleased to hear that you would be assisting Vivek in his research. The two of us have consulted on a few matters over the years and he will be a good advisor to you during your schooling. I would recommend asking for a new Advisor is the woman they gave you was unable to give any real advice. Tomorrow begins another long torturous year of trying to teach the brainless masses that attend this school. Be glad you have escaped the vapid and petty dunderheads that roam this school.

Professor S. Snape

The next few weeks of classes seemed to fly by for Hermione who was trying to juggle a double class load as well as the research position and trying to make friends. She enjoyed her roommates company but they were too unsimilar to be anything more than decent friends. She was glad for the extra time alone in her room on the weekends when Carley was visiting her family. She was trying to ignore the fact that tomorrow was her birthday and she would be all alone for it for the very first time ever. She slowly got out of bed the next morning, glad it was a Saturday and all she had to do was research. She had a meeting scheduled with Professor Mannan for right before dinner that night and was sure she would spend most of the day feeling sorry for herself.

She was surprised to see that her letter box seemed overly full. She had only expected something from Harry! She was pleasantly surprised to receive a gift voucher to both the bookstore and apothecary in Sydney's magical district from Harry. At least he hadn't tried to buy her something; the last time he gave her a very unique t-shift with a toll on it to signify when they became friends… but it was ugly and three sizes too big. He tries so hard to give good gifts that he over thinks, Minerva must have helped him. She loved the clothes that Minerva sent, they were a pair of nice black slacks and a black cashmere sweater, and they were both soft and comfortable but could be worn almost anytime and for any occasion. The next present shocked her as she had never expected anything from Albus, he must have been shopping with Minerva as his gift was a red satin and a periwinkle satin shirts to wear under her new sweater. There was even a gift from Neville that was a silver broach in the form of an otter after her patronus. Ron and the Weasley family send several things including sweets and a new scarf in the green and yellow colors of her new school. Her favorite gift though was from Severus Snape as he had sent her a blank bound journal to use for her own research. He told her in a letter that having one journal was much easier and practical than multiple scrolls of parchment.

Hermione was in a much better mood by the time she headed out for her meeting with her professor. She had even put on her new outfit, wearing the both red silk shirt and the otter pin with the black slacks and sweater. She was therefore shocked beyond belief when she walked into the study lounge in the potions wing of the school to find all of the friends she had made so far as well as some of the professors and even students she didn't know in the room which was decorated for her birthday.

"You friends back home wrote to both myself and your roommate that this would be your first ever birthday alone and asked if we could see to it that it was happy even if it was far from home." Vivek told her and placed a muggle party hat on her head. She had a great time at the party. Everyone was friendly and there were no expectations, if this was how parties around her normally were she may even consent to go to a few.

Vivek had gotten her a potions belt, the type you wore around your waist and unbreakable vials for common potions. He said every master worth his salt either wears a belt or has a hidden pouch in his robes stocked with the remedies to common potions accidents and healing potions. He recommended stocking at least one hangover remedy potion and she would become some poor student's lifesaver some morning.

Carley had gotten her the sweater she had been eyeing since she had gotten there. It was pale blue and super soft and she had really liked it but not wanting to spend a week's wages on it.