There were four parts of the application process for the summer internship at Gringotts. The written portion was a breeze for Hermione. The questions were simple and almost random if one wasn't aware of the types of security precautions in place for the older vaults deep within Gringotts, and the essay portion at the end was left open ended to be written about any topic relevant to magical security (which resulted in Hermione very pointedly writing about the muggle concept of Pavlov conditioning is and how it could be to applied magical working creatures in this society as Hermione knew).

The second and third portions of the application process were similar. The second step involved the actual application of curse breaking a door of the bank in order to get an indication of the current base knowledge of the individual. The goblins would use this knowledge in order to create a training plan for the individual should they be chosen for the internship. As part of the testing, the goblins had spelled a series of simplistic wards and curses each of the doors in a hallway of the bank. They then provided the instruction to Hermione to choose any door she'd like and remove as many as possible within an allotted time frame. Hermione, being the swotty know-it-all that she is, was able to remove all of the various spells cast on the door within ten minutes to the shock of the instructor involved. Even though others testing were still working on their curse-breaking test still, they'd moved her into the next phase of testing.

The next phase involved defensive skills. Though Gringotts was thought to be impossible to break into, there were certain creatures within its depths that would occasionally need to be "brought to heel" and defense would be necessary to sub-do them. There were circumstances where Gringotts curse-breakers may be hired by a third parties for consultations on curses or to travel to curse-break items, relics, or buildings, and so the knowledge of personal defense may be required as often those assigned to those outside cases would often find themselves at the end of a disputing wand or other creatures who may find home in those areas.

Even though defense was not one of Hermione's best subjects, she was still a fairly adept dueler with plenty of experience and was able to put up a decent fight against the other testing instructor for this portion of the internship application. There was room for improvement of course as most of her formal education was lacking, and yet Hermione passed into the final phase of the testing. This, much simpler than the earlier phases, involved an interview.

They released her for a quick lunch and to freshen up before the final interview. Hermione, sore from phases two and three, took a moment to stretch her stiff muscles outside of Gringotts. There were still scars and wounds that were tight when they were pulled into various directions, but Hermione knew with how her performance was going that she was well and truly on the way to being fully recovered. She was still taking it easy with eating food, but she was no longer only skin and bones. It was relieving to know that what happened in her past wouldn't hold her back from being able to move as freely as used to, and yet it was jarring to see that aside from her scars she hasn't much changed. She felt changed, and knew she was deep in her soul. It was surprising that her outside did not reflect her therein.

Hermione then spelled away the grime and sweat from her exercise in the bank with scorgify. Once deeming herself presentable, she then left to meet Lily at the Leaky Cauldron.

She smiled in greeting as Lily excitedly waved her over, practically bouncing in the seat she'd chosen at a rickety little table. Hermione had barely sat down when Lily began gushing about how well her own interview went.

"I would've thought that Mr. Mulpepper's Apothecary would have turned me away when I applied for the position. You've heard how the Mulpeppers used to provide services to muggles and wizards alike back when the witching trials were happening centuries ago, right? Oh, yes, hi Tom. Can I just get an order of your fish and chips? Hermione, the same? Do you want a butterbeer?"

Tom the barkeep had walked over with a notepad and quill and swiftly wrote down one butterbeer for Lily, one glass of water for Hermione, and two orders of fish and chips.

"Sorry, Lils, I probably shouldn't have a drink yet-" Hermione began as Lily nodded in understanding, and then Lily immediately refocused the conversation back on her own interview at the apothecary.

"Don't even worry about it Hermione. Anyway, supposedly the founder of the apothecary- Aldwyth- decided to keep both feet firmly in the wizarding community following the death of his brother Owain. Owain was tried for witchcraft by muggles after freely providing an elixir that worked as a fertilizer for farmers who were struggling to grow crops. The Catholic Church received word about how fruitful the crops in that particular region were due to his elixir, and decided it was against God's will for the crops to grow. They sent Crusaders to capture him and place him on trial! They chained him, snapped his wand, and burned him at the stake! A witchhunt began then to determine who else in that community could be hiding their magical abilities. Aldwyth had to hide, and felt who couldn't fully trust his muggle neighbors ever again."

Lily was wide eyed and talking almost faster than Hermione could follow. Tom brought over two plates of fish and chips for the girls, and Lily distractedly ate as she spoke. Hermione smiled at Tom thankfully as he stepped away. Lily continued her rant after taking a large swallow from the butterbeer she'd ordered with her lunch.

"So Aldwyth Mulpepper moved his store here in the 1100s following that, situating his shop right next to Slug and Jiggers Apothecary next door, and the Mulpepper family has been competing with Slug and Jiggers ever since. Cai Mulpepper- the man who owns the store now- has absolutely no bias against muggleborns as one might think they would based on what had happened, and when he asked what my future aspirations were I couldn't resist explaining my hopes to become a healer when I graduate from Hogwarts," Lily paused her to catch her breath, and then continued on.

"I thought he'd refuse me on the spot since I basically admitted to him that I wouldn't be working for the apothecary long term, and what employer would want to hire someone like that? Instead, he offered me the position right there and then! He compared my interest in working in an apothecary before switching to healing to that of a muggle pharmacist, and agreed that experience in an apothecary made sense! He asked about my potion's grades at Hogwarts, and that was that! Hermione, when I tell you my jaw dropped I mean that I actually had to pick it up off the floor in order to sign the papers for the position. I start in the morning in two days!"

Lily smiled broadly at Hermione, her face a bit read from her elation. Hermione, grinning at how contagious her friend's excitement was reached, across the table with her glass to knock it against Lily's in a cheer. "That's amazing, Lily! Congratulations! I'm so happy for you!"

"Ah, well, you know it will be less exciting if you're not working in Diagon with me. I'm sorry I got so carried away because I didn't even think to ask; how'd your interview with Gringotts go?"

"It's not over yet, which is why I didn't order my own butterbeer," Hermione explained. "The interview will be just after lunch though we have some time left before I need to get back to the bank. It sounds like this last bit of it will be a simple question and answer about why I feel I'm fit for the position."

"That shouldn't be too bad if you're confident with your answers. If they didn't interview you yet, then how did you spend your morning with them?"

That brought the two girls into a deep discussion of the application procedure of the bank, and of how very different their two mornings went. Soon enough they were paying for their lunch and walking down Diagon towards the bank.

"This is where I leave you for now," Lily said, stopping at the bottom steps leading up to the bank. "Good luck! I'll meet you again at the Leaky after and we'll take the bus home?"

"That'll work for me," Hermione agreed, shaking off the unease she felt. For some reason, she was the most worried about the interview portion even though she was certain the goblins had attempted to design the internship application process to be more difficult for the earlier stages she'd already aced through. "What'll you be up to in the mean time?" she asked Lily curiously to distract her line of thinking.

"You know me," Lily laughed. "I'll be looking at books, just like you would be if you weren't still applying."

"I should have known," Hermione shook her head fondly. "Birds of a feather, we are."

Lily hugged Hermione goodbye, and left Hermione to do what she'd come to Gringotts to do. Hermione turned to the door, walked up the steps, and entered Gringotts with the faint warning from the bank running through her thoughts.

'For those who take, but do not earn, must pay most dearly in their turn-'

Hermione refused to let the mistakes from the first time she stole the cup repeat themselves. She would earn this internship, find a way to take the cup from Bellatrix's vault without alerting anyone to the theft if possible, and be that much more primed to take down Voldemort himself.

The bank was busy as she walked in. There were long lines and goblins were practically racing across the floor. She heard whispers from some of the people in line, talking in hushed, alarmed tones, "-ake the money and run. Leave the country because it's not safe here-" The words cut out as she walked towards the back of the long room. She heard a woman crying, clutching two children closely to her as she took another three steps down the line and closer to the teller. More words, raised voices between a burly man and two goblins as the man demanded access to a vault that he did not have the key for. "Let me in, damnit! I have a right to my own vault, and I know you freaks have a spare key!" A few wizards and a couple of goblins came over and escorted the man out with much resistance.

Hermione finally came upon her destination at the end of the room.

The goblin standing at the doorway was scowling up at her with dark, beady eyes and spoke with an agitated tone. "Name, please?" they droned.

"Hermione Granger."

"Position you applied for?" the goblin asked moodily.

"Summer Internship Program?"

The goblin stared at her uncomfortably for a long moment and Hermione resisted the urge to fidget. She attempted to project a calm, confident exterior though her Gryffindor confidence was still escaping her. After they finished sizing her up, the goblin gestured for Hermione to follow them. "This way, witch," the goblin snapped. "And stay close. Don't want you wandering off."

He led her down the same hallway filled with doors that they'd practiced cursebreaking on earlier in the day. He took a left at the end of the long corridor and Hermione suddenly was hit with a wave of confusion. She knows she started in the bank and that she met the goblin at the end of the hall. She knows that the goblin led her through a door. Or was it passed a door? Was there a hallway she walked down, or did she walk passed a hallway? She thought they turned in some direction, was it left or right? Were the leaving the building or were they going somewhere?

She was standing now in a dark circular room that seemed fuzzy around the edges.

There were three goblins and a glass of water in front of her. The goblin who showed her to the room pulled out a seat for her which she clumsily sat down.

"Why don't you have a sip of water if you're thirsty?" one of the goblins asked.

Don't drink the water.

Hermione stared at the glass intensely.


"Thank you for coming by, Ms. Granger," a hoarse voice said. Hermione blinked repeatedly as the brightness of the sun caught her eyes in a particular way and they refocused on the bustling street before her. She was standing by the front doors of the bank now.

"Um, yes, of course. Thank you for this opportunity," Hermione replied politely. "Will I be hearing back soon?"

"If you've been accepted for the position, you'll receive our owl by this time next week at the latest."

The heavy doors of Gringotts shut closed behind the goblin as they abruptly turned and left. Hermione only realized then that her heart was racing and that she couldn't recall the exact happenings of her interview and the sudden confusion she'd felt before the interview even began. Worry ate away at her at the realization of her folly. There were a million things that could have happened to her simply because she underestimated the goblins extents the goblins would go to in order to examine people's backgrounds for an internship position.

I told you not to drink the water.

That worry was immediately replaced with an increasing rage. Hermione was angry at herself for letting her guard down and underestimating them. Hermione was angry at the goblins for doing what goblins were known to do by taking advantage of the situation. She was angry that she didn't know where things now stood, what happened, or what they knew. She was enraged at their audacity.

We are better than them. We will show them. They will regret what they've done.

"Hermione? You alright there?"

Hermione turned, quick as a whip, her wand pulled out and pointed at the person who interrupted her thoughts with a hex glowing at the tip of her wand. Lily threw her hands up and took a couple of steps back to give Hermione space. "Hey, it's okay Hermione," Lily reassured her in a calm voice. "It's only me. You can put your wand down, it's me. It's Lily."

Hermione stood there, shaking, tensely holding the position for a moment longer before her body drooped and she dropped her hand to her side. She nervously rubbed the bridge of her nose as a migraine built up behind her eyes from stress, shaking her head at her actions.

"I'm so sorry Lily," Hermione apologized in her misery. "I don't... I don't know what just took over me."

Lily stepped closer now, slowly, and talked to her in a comforting tone, "You're forgiven. You've been through a lot, and you're still adjusting to everything I'd imagine. It's okay."

Hermione was visibly shaking now, and tersely nodded with her jaw clenched. Any words that she might've wanted to say where jammed up as a lump filled her throat. Lily looked at Hermione with some concern and carefully grabbed Hermione's hand.

"Focus on me, okay Hermione? Let's head home."

Hermione didn't reply as Lily led them down through the alley and back into the Leaky. They passed through to the muggle side and Lily lifted her arm to call for the Knight Bus when they reached the street. They were about a minute into the hectic drive when Lily tentatively asked, "Did the interview not go so well?"

A harsh laugh came out of Hermione's mouth at the immediate scorn she felt directed towards herself. "You could say that," she replied roughly. "They'll get back to me if I'm accepted."

"Oh Hermione," Lily pulled her into a half hug as she felt nothing but compassion for her friend. "There's always the book store still! With your knowledge, they'd hire you in a heartbeat."

Hermione scoffed and looked out the window. The book store would not get her the item that she needed.

We will get the cup, no matter what it takes.

The rest of the short drive was spent in silence as Lily gave Hermione room to come to terms with the day she had. Hermione was very clearly in a mood for the rest of the day.


When she arrived home (when did Hermione began to think of this small cottage as home?) to the Lupins, Hermione stormed passed them and blatantly ignored them as she went up the creaky staircase to the spare room in the attic they created. There were knocks on the door as Hope tried calling for her to join them for dinner and attempted to ask Hermione what was wrong.

Hermione laid in the makeshift cot that was placed in the corner of the room, and stared at the paint peeling wall unseeingly. Her failure weighed heavily on her. She doubted she would be offered the position with Gringotts, and hated herself for being unable to accomplish the singular task she'd assigned in an attempt to change the future. She needed to fix the future. Too many people died. Too many horrors came to pass. Hermione wanted to scream but kept her rage internalized because she knew the force of the rage she had would be alarming to anyone around.

For the first time since arriving in the past, she doubted she'd be able to change things alone.

How could she without Harry? Without Ron? With Dumbledore, who she knew would manipulate her to meet his own ends? How could she risk bringing Remus or Lily, or anyone else who was unaware of her position, into something this big? She couldn't. She would have to try to accomplish the destruction of the horcruxes alone, or find a way to return to her future before anything significant changed and the temptation to change things became too strong for her to deny.

That slimy feeling inside of her, the one that moved and voiced its opinion far too often, radiated amusement at her situation.

You would destroy us?

You say that you are alone here as if you do not know that there is another soul that lives within you, and so reduce and hate the very creation you've become. It is amusing, this hate you feel, for it is so similar to the hate that has driven me to kill.

No matter what you do or where you go, mudblood, we are the same.

Hermione fell asleep to these thoughts swirling around in her head.

That night she dreamed of the nightmares from before. Large, yellow eyes, from when she was petrified. Lunging as debris fell around her and a club swung down from the troll that was attacking her. Bellatrix's knife glinting with the lights from the chandelier above, Bellatrix cackling in the background as Hermione screamed about the sword of Gryffindor.

As she dreamed, for the first time in her subconscious, she admitted that she was no longer alone in her own mind.

She woke up, not for the first time from nightmares like these, and for a moment it felt as if she was seeing through someone else's eyes.


he was in the forests of Albania again.

he had been here, not long ago, during his travels. he'd previously tried possessing animals. practicing the imperious, attempting to delve into their minds. snakes, of course, had always been the easiest. it was during this time that he found her.

she was a snake unlike the others in this forest. when she spoke, there was more intelligence there than any snake he'd conversed with before. she didn't trust him, but would let him practice his magics on her. in turn, he'd always fixed her up in the end and brought her food to eat in the form of mice or other large pests.

he had thought it pointless in the past to have a familiar. they were useless in his grand scheme and bothersome to take care of, they were not worth his time except to use as canon fodder as his powers became great.

however, when he met her, he became determined to add her to his collection.

she would often swallow these creatures whole, the ones he brought for her, her form large enough to have several creatures as a meal before she was satisfied. she slowly began to trust him.

"I wassss not thissss before," she hissed to him one night, slithering around his legs and up his back. "I remember now. I oncccce had two legssss and sssspoke the language of man as you do."

when he asked what she meant, she constricted around him nearly unbearably. he toyed with the idea of severing her head until she released him and, without answer, slid off into the night.

he's returned now to get his answers.

"I am Nagini," she told him in bits and pieces. "I am a maledictussss. I am cursssed. You are the firsssst I have ssspoken with in sssso long..."

he promised her that he had the power to help her when she told him her fears of losing herself completely to her curse. each day that passed, she became more snake than the woman she was before.

"If I do this for you," he told her. "There will be a part of me that will keep you human always. Even when you feel you are more snake than man, I will remind you of who you are and who you used to be. I will help you and keep you safe until we can find a way to lift the curse."

he knew, as she knew, that there was no known way to lift the maledictus curse and there likely never would be. she had not changed back to human by this point in decades, and she wasn't sure if she would know how to be human even if she could be.

still, it was better this than to be alone and his promises were more than she'd had since before she could remember.

he created another horcrux that very night.

that was the night he realized that his soul felt tethered to more horcruxes than he had known.

there was a flash, and for a moment he could have sworn he was in the mind of a young woman.

Nagini?

No? Who are you, Hermione?


Hermione's moodiness followed her into the next morning. Her stomach grumbled as she came down for breakfast. Lyall's suitcase was by the front door, and Hermione knew he was preparing to leave. Hope, being the muggle she was, had convinced her husband that they should have a muggle t.v. and Hermione could hear a news broadcast playing as she descended the stairs.

"As reported yesterday, unknown domestic terrorists broke into the Canterbury Cathedral early in the morning of July 16th. Eye witnesses gave statements regarding gunshots they heard fired and possible bomb blasts. Local law enforcement is working with specialized units to investigate those involved, but today we did receive confirmation on how many people were injured in the attack."

Hope was sitting, face pale and one hand holding tightly to her husbands as he stood beside her. Mr. Lupin's face was carefully neutral, nostrils flaring as the only indication that he was upset. Both were watching the t.v. with rapt attention. Hermione joined them and looked on at the horrific figures on the broadcast.

It was clear to any who knew of the wizarding community that the attack on the church was done by those with magical ability. There were videos showing bodies covered in white being wheeled into first responder vehicles.

Lyall turned the t.v. off before they could confirm the number of those injured or the body count. The three of them sat in stony silence for a moment as they processed what they had seen.

"You can't leave the house, Hope," Lyall told his wife. "It isn't safe for you. You have the garden in the back, and Hermione can go shopping, but you mustn't leave."

Mrs. Lupin nodded, fear written across her features.

Lyall turned to Hermione, "You better protect her, girl. I will be home when I can. Do not stay out late or travel far. There are Death Eaters who would like nothing more than to destroy those of the likes of you, let alone myself and my family for who we love. They're getting braver, attacking such a known muggle site as this. We need to... we need to be prepared."

He didn't ask about her how her job application at Gringotts went, or warn her of her deadline to get a job. He left the house and began casting more wards on the tiny cottage than there already were. He still planned to leave for his trip later that day.

Hermione wasn't certain if he'd forgotten about his requirement of her getting a job, or if was giving her space still to search for one, or if he no longer required her to get one based off of the most recent attacks. All she knew was that, just as she'd begun to fall into the new routine of this time, things were changing yet again.