So... Double chapter? Yes. Sorry, this one is less revised. But I'll be busy very, very soon... and these two chapters (8 and 9) were supposed to go out on the same day... I won't have any other time to do so.

Sorry for any mistakes!

Chapter IX - Second impressions

"How were classes?"

Hermione threw herself across from him with a briliant smile on her face. "All went well, sir." Then she let out a long sigh, almost letting her whole body slide from the comfy chair reserved for his visitants. "But did you really have to put first-years from Slytherin and Gryffindor together?"

On Hermione's shared memories, Dumbledore saw Minerva's disciplinary approach to put Slytherin and Ravenclaw students together in most of their classes. It certainly ignited a healthy competitive streak between the Ambitious and the Knowledge seekers.

Ravenclaws were dedicated to the studies by nature, and the Slytherins simply didn't want to lose. They saw a Ravenclaw student be the top of the class, they'd strive to get there. One influenced the other in a good way, differently from having a clash of egos that happened every Gryffindor / Slytherin shared class.

However, Dumbledore was a firm believer of "The sooner they learn how to tolerate differences, the better."

He could feel deep within himself the frustration that emanated from Hermione's groan. Her noise sounded much like I can't take this anymore, I don't care if it's only been a day. He chuckled to himself, as she threw her head back, and let her body slide until she was almost laying precariously on the chair she was supposed to be sitting.

"I'm sorry the first-years are giving you trouble." He wasn't sorry at all. Her reaction was very amusing, and he knew that deep down she wasn't all that bothered. Her mock glare only made him smile more. "How about the NEWT class? Did you have any trouble with them?"

She ended up smiling back at him and adjusting herself on the chair, sitting comfortably with her legs crossed. "It went better than I could have hoped for." Her eyes held a soft look as it met his.

A quick flash of green fabric caught Hermione's attention as her head snaped up to see who entered the classroom so early. The girl paid her no mind, and she didn't linger on it. She was in the middle of writing down on the margins of her book the most important parts of what should be mentioned from the chapters. Not that she hadn't prepared before... But she found that she had a few things she liked to add to the book itself, since the author focused too much on the damages caused by the curse than how to counter if caught.

Detection spells were taught in the first chapter, with a brief list of counters, and the obvious instruction to never touch anything dark. Well... what the author didn't tell is that Finite Incantatem alone countered more than half of the curses he mentioned on the chapter. With a strong enough will, that is.

She chose this title because it was the most complete in content... approved by the ministry. The others simply lacked information, If not on jinxes and spells, then it was on creatures. This one had almost everything the students needed to know, but in compensation it was much too focused on deliberating the moral of the spells than effectively teaching how to protect oneself.

The ministry really had no idea what it was doing with their approved school material.

With a sigh, she paused from her writings and closed her eyes, then brought her head back to support her neck on her interlocked hands to relax a bit. She took a moment to just breath. Her earlier classes were taxing, and the silence was a treat to her abused ears. She forgot how excited children could be about learning spells... And how competitive Gryffindor and Slytherin students were.

Maybe I should write a book for defense as well. She thought, opening her eyes to stare at the ceiling, losing herself to her mind. I could work on a compendium. Quick, to the point. Curses and counters, a brief contextualizing of how and when they were most used. Their finality. Creatures should deserve more attention... And, really, if there were to be any moral considerations, it should be about how poorly victims of lycantropy and vampirism were treated by the rest of society. As if they wished it upon themselves, and weren't suffering to hold onto humanity.

She took another deep breath before she started getting angry over something she had no control. I'll write a damn book. She decided, then finally sat properly on the chair again. Her eyes laid by accident on the person sitting to her left, on the chair closest to the wall, in the middle row. Bellatrix Black...

Her brain was short circuited by the shock of trying to associate the woman who killed, then laughed about Sirius' death, who took pleasure in other people's pain, and was basicaly Voldemort's harbinger of chaos... With the young student, reading from a transfigurations book, with a soft smile on her face, and a focused look on her eyes that revealed a sharp mind Hermione had never had the chance to see. It was hidden behind madness for so long... I can almost see her brain working. It was clear that Bellatrix wasn't just reading the same sentence over and over, she was deliberately looking for a way to explain what she understood from the text.

She couldn't help but wonder If that's what she looked like when she was studying, as well. If it was just as visible her dedication, and attention to details.

...probably not. She conceded, knowing that even distracted she took her studies much too seriously, to the point of scaring even Ron sometimes.

Bellatrix, on the other hand, looked relaxed. As if the mere act of reading and writing were soothing. She looks so peaceful...

Bellatrix Black. Peaceful. Her mind did feel a little bit fried.

The sound of excited chatter and giggles reached her ears, and she is sure that it reached Bellatrix's too, because her peaceful expression slowly turned into one of frustration. Her hand paused, and the quill hovered above parchment as she looked up searching for the commotion.

Gryffindors. Thought Hermione, fondly, but understanding the Slytherin's frustration. She knew how hard it was to study around excited lions, being one herself.

When their eyes locked, and she felt as though the girl was still looking for some sort of answer, she smiled playfully and winked. If Bellatrix still kept her eyes on her, she would have noticed Hermione nodding in the direction of the door, signaling that the sounds were coming from outside, the tell-tale of students arriving.

Hermione was now watching the faces of people she knew, and yet knew not. Molly Prewett - weird not reading her name acompanied by Weasley - entered the room with her arms linked with a girl friend Hermione didn't know yet. They were whispering, and giggling, probably talking about boys. I'll let that pass today. She thought with a smile, watching more people enter the room.

A Ravenclaw boy, short of stature, but with a swag that screamed confidence, paused by the door and raised his right arm for a wave in the direction of the girl hanging behind Molly, who smiled shyly back and invited him to sit next to her. Oh, so he is the topic of conversation?

People watching wasn't really her pass-time, she would much rather lose herself to books, but the conversation was too loud, and it was impossible to focus on anything with so much people around. She kept watching as more people entered the room. There were supposed to be two more ravenclaw students, seven gryffindors, two hufflepuffs... and three more Slytherins.

Her eyes traced the roll call list.

- Alecto Carrow (Slytherin)

- Amelia Bones (Hufflepuff)

- Apordan Newlys (Ravenclaw)

- Bellatrix Black (Slytherin)

- Brent Mcmillan(Gryffindor)

- Camila Campbell (Gryffindor)

- Cassidy Burke (Gryffindor)

- Francine Canyon (Slytherin)

- Fred Sgrifer (Gryffindor)

- John Sullivan (Gryffindor)

- Ryan Abbott (Hufflepuff)

- Liam Timerpen (Ravenclaw)

- Molly Prewett (Gryffindor)

- Rodolphus Lestrange (Slytherin)

- Sebastian St. James (Gryffindor)

- Dorian Leyfer (Gryffindor)

- Yudi Roshimata (Ravenclaw)

- Zachary Smith (Gryffindor)

She recognized the Slytherin names. Rodolphus Lestrange, being the most obvious, due to his conection to Bellatrix, and Alecto Carrow was also familiar because Hermione heard the horror stories about what they did to the students during Voldemort's brief reign at Hogwarts. But Francine Canyon? She never heard of any Canyons in her time. Was she a half-blood? Or a muggleborn, perhaps? Could Hermione reach out to her in some way? Get a foot into the Slytherin territory to gain allies?

She shook her head as she realized where her mind was automatically doing. Too much war talk with Dumbledore had her always thinking about ways she could gain leverage from any situation... or person. That's not the who she wants to be. Whenever her mind starts going down that road, she pauses, and forces herself to do a reality check.

Francine Canyon is a student who deserves a peaceful time at Hogwarts, as much as future me and my- her friends. War is not here yet, let her live.

Her eyes counted quickly the people inside the room, everyone seems to be here... Even if she did not know which names belonged to which faces - aside from the obvious - the math was done. There were eighteen students. A small NEWT class.

Casting a quick tempus, she saw it was 2 p.m.

Time to begin.

Hermione thought that venting out her nervousness to her future self would help... But looking at that class filled with people, and knowing that she not only had to teach them but simulteneously find a way to impress a very unimpressionable person... lets just say that she was working very hard to keep her breathing in control.

Looking down at the list of names she was supposed to call to check their presence, she bought herself time to calm down, and regain her composure.

"Good Afternoon, class." She said, effectively hushing the most obnoxiously loud conversations. The whispers were inevitable, so she didn't try to fight those (not yet). She simply stood up, walked to the front of her desk - because movement helped her deal with her nervousness - and turned her head to face the green side of the room.

Her fucking mistake.

Staring back at her were the impassive faces of three very unamused terrorists... No. They aren't terrorists yet. Her wand hand twitched slightly in reflex. Bellatrix was just a moment ago smiling at her homework. Rodolphus was having a whispered conversation with Ms. Canyon that seemed pleasant, Alecto... Well, she looks bored.

Bellatrix stared at Hermione as if she was dirt staining the classroom, which at the same time that unsettled the older witch, it made her feel as though... It lacked the intense hatred she had seen before, in those same eyes. There was no heat that made her feel as if she could die on the spot. Just... The unpleasant feeling of being judged by something that was out of her control, and clearly of no consequence. Her blood-status.

She had to move on, so she focused her attention on people who had much more welcoming faces, and kicked off her lesson plan...

"You are inside my mind?!"

"Forgive me, dear. But the only way to learn occlusion is through the deeply invasive process of being at the receiving end of Legilimency... Congratulations on finding me out, how did you figure it was me?"

"Details I haven't seen before... YOU were the one paying attention to it... I have had people inside my head before, but they were much more intrusive than you. I almost didn't realize you were here... Wow..."

Although they were on her mind, Hermione made no move to kick him out. Still, it was impressive how she stoped his advances, and froze her mind in a cristal clear picture of herself standing in front of her class.

"Now what?"

"Send me out."

"How?!"

"Close your eyes, break eye contact with me. Then focus on reality. What do you remember being around you?"

"...Your desk" She said, after she closed her eyes. Dumbledore felt his grasp in her mind fade imediately. She succeeded... "A cristal pot with candies."

Dumbledore smiled and grabed the mentioned sweet, waiting for her to open her eyes. She did, but didn't look at him yet. "Cabinets full of artifacts..." She looked to the side, and then over his shoulder.

"Ready to continue?"

She closed her eyes, took a deep breath and nodded, looking into his eyes "Thank you for keeping it to this memory."

"Of course" He smiled.

Before trying again, he opted to give some time to catch her unaware. Right now she was alerted that her mind was going to be invaded. He doubted he would make much progress in her mind now that she knew what to expect. I don't think she knows that she is a natural occlumens... "Do you feel like you are becoming a manipulative person, Hermione?"

She stared at him, frozen. "Not... Manipulative..."

"Why did you feel so guilty for considering using Ms. Canyon as a way to get Slytherin suport? Did you intend to put her into danger?"

"No!"

"Then what was so wrong with it?"

"Because if I had no need to find leverage, I wouldn't even pay attention to her. I don't want to be the kind of person who only sees people if they have something to offer. I want..." she paused, at a loss for words. Then she felt tears filling her eyes "I don't want to change who I think I am. Who I always thought I was. I never went after anyone with hidden second intentions." She took a deep breath, cleaned her face and continued "I want to genuinely care for them, just for the sake of caring... But sometimes I feel like I can't."

Dumbledore smiled at her, admired by her candid nature. He didn't have to enter her mind again to analize it, she was being honest with him and herself. "I appologize for using my lessons as a bargaining chip." He extended her the pot of candies towards her, she took one with a small sad smile, and popped the sweet into her mouth unceremoniously. "But you must know... You do genuinely care for them. If you didn't, you wouldn't be worrying if your intentions are real or not. You would not worry if they are going to be hurt..." Now that Hermione, herself, knows that Bellatrix and the others are not the monsters she saw in her future, she feels guilty about their whole plan. "You are not a bad person, Hermione."

She shrugged, looking down at her hands. "I'm scared of what I can become. Sometimes it feels just... too easy to scare them into submission."

He could see in her eyes that she was scared of becoming the very thing she was fighting "It's not for your own gain, but for their own good." She said nothing, still staring at the fingers she played with "Do you want me to ask someone else to work on gaining the pure-bloods allegiance?"

She looked up, clearly torn... but after a few moments of what seemed to be a debate inside her own mind, she shook her head "If they ever decide to come after me for support... I'll not hesitate to help in whatever way I can. I'll train them, I'll prepare them to leave their families, and escape Voldemort... I just don't want..." She seemed at a loss for words

"You don't want it to be on your terms."

She smiled sadly, yet gratefully. He had said what she meant. "If they want my help, they'll have it. I just don't want to make everything about the war. They are also being hurt by their very ideals..."

By the look in her eyes, Dumbledore knew that she was thinking about Bellatrix. "Very well. I'm sure that those who aren't beyond redemption will eventually take you up on your offer."

She nodded, looking into his eyes "That's what I'm counting on."

The bell rang signaling the end of her class, but before dismissing her students, she had to say a few things "Nice work, everyone. Keep up practicing that wordless finite, pair up if you need to. We won't ever stop using it until you graduate. You'll thank me later when you're at the auror academy and aceing all their tests." Said future aurors smiled at her, and she didn't hesitate to retribute in kind "Now, for homework, I want you to write a list of the curses mentioned on the first chapter, how they are mostly used, and their counters."

She risked a look at the Slytherin side of the room, empty aside from those four. "Next class we will practice them. Feel free to find me if you have any difficulties." She avoided Bellatrix' eyes. That witch would definitely be offended by the 'insinuation' that she needed the help.

She smiled at a very happy-looking Rodolphus Lestrange, instead. Then nodded at Francine Canyon, who looked at her with something akin to respect. It wasn't clear on her face, but it showed enough to tell Hermione what she needed to know: They weren't unaproachable.

Rodolphus was the one who surprised her the most. She expected him to be uncooperative, to glare back at her as much as Belatrix did, to hate her for being so hard on them... But he kept smiling eagerly, even becoming more participative after the slight scare she gave him. Today's lesson served to prove that she knew nothing at all about these people, apart from their future crimes.

She purposefully disassociated the monsters in her head from the young people she saw hin front of her now.

"I must remind you that the dueling club activity starts this friday. I expect each and every one of you to participate. It is a good way to keep up your battling skills, and sharpen those reflexes. You don't need to take part on the championship if you don't want to, but your presence on the training grounds is definitely mandatory. I'll be there, don't think you can fool me by just putting your name on the list. If you want an O in my subject, you will participate." No one seemed to protest, even those who didn't have interest in becoming aurors didn't look too bothered by taking part in some mock duels for practice. "That's it. Have a good day, see you tomorrow."

The cacophony of students speaking to one another, biding her good afternoon, and saying goodbye reached her ears. She answered each and every one of those who passed by her, smiling...

"How do you do that so effortlessly? I didn't feel a thing again!"

Much too quickly, Dumbledore felt himself being evicted from his aprentice's mind. He was right, she was a natural occlumens. He was purposefully avoiding dwelving too much into her thoughts, and feelings. Without pushing against her barriers, he looked over the memories attached to the forefront of her mind. Making it play like she was the one revisiting things on her own volition. Inocent things, that passed in a matter of seconds in her head.

No one would have given a second thought to it... Hermione realized it was him. And immediately pushed him off.

Without the proper training, she shouldn't be able to tell that easily... It was their first lesson, and she acted like she had been training for months.

"I'm afraid that I'll only be able to explain properly when we reach the Legilimency part of our training..." Does she really not realize how incredibly powerful she has become already?

He had another prodigy in his hands... This time he would not let go. He had to guide her away from that so called 'gray area' before she fell too deep into the dark. As the saying goes... It is easier to be draged into the darkness, than to bring people to the light.

However, he couldn't force the matter too much. She still confided in him, and he knew by experience that the more he pushed, the more the person would pull away. Thankfully, she was conscious of her own shortcomings. That put his own conscience to rest, somewhat. Her strugle to keep true to herself brings comfort to his heart. As long as she kept trusting him with her secrets, he would have the opening to be her guide.

Unfortunately, that meant he had to trust her judgment... and she wanted to use the unforgivables... "So you haven't changed your mind about encouraging the unforgivables?"

She shook her head "I mean, it's not encouraging if I just go out and say 'self defense isn't cold blood murder' I'm just stating the obvious."

"Expeliarmus works just as well"

"Only if the enemy is an unexperienced fighter!" Or an overconfident asshole. He read in her mind, but controled his expressions as not to let it show he'd seen it. "There's no way to win fairly against someone with murderous intentions"

"From what I heard, plenty of soldiers from the Order of the Phoenix dealt with death eaters without killing them"

"And all of them ended up dead afterwards. If they allowed themselves to actually drop the self-righteous attitude of 'no avada' they would have survived longer."

"At what cost?"

"At no cost at all!" She was starting to get rilled up. She paused, shook her head, and smiled to herself. She did a good job regaining her composure. He appreciated her self control. She took a deep breath before saying: "This matter is not what I'm torn about, Headmaster. I'm very aware that it is possible to kill in self-defense without the cost of our own conscience."

"I just worry, because these are very powerful spells. The temptation to use them in a wrong way is indeed strong for those who experience the rush of power that comes with using these curses."

He could see in her eyes that she was firm on her stance. "Sir, I will focus on the transfigurations techniques to block an Avada Kedavra. But I will not tell them the old ministry rehearsed speech that the unforgivables are the epitome of evil and it represents the dangers of the dark arts." He appreciated the respect she had for him. Anyone else would have dismissed his words completely, especialy since this must have been the hundredth time he started this discussion.

He smiled to himself That's better than planning to teach them in secret. "Thank you for giving heed to this old man's concern."

Her fond smile, and the way she met his eyes with no reservation, made Dumbledore feel that he was doing right by trusting her to do the right thing.

I trully hope I'm not wrong for placing my faith in you, Ms. Granger.

Rest of author notes: ...can anyone remind Dumbledore that Hermione is not a child anymore? lol Till next chapter, guys. \รต