A/N

For InspiredByWords

And to all my lovely readers I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Disclaimer: The only thing I own is my laptop which I'm currently writing on. Nothing you see here.

Severus frowned, feeling something annoying dig into his side. He knew it wasn't his wand because he kept that in his wrist holster. He stopped walking and stepped into a corner and pulled out the uncomfortable object. It was a wand but not one that he recognised. Suddenly he remembered who he had disarmed this morning and his eyes lit up like a child's on Christmas. He put the wand back in his pocket, ignoring the jabbing it caused and continued to billow down to his dungeons. The entire time thinking only one thing.

He had Miss Granger's wand.

-0-

Hermione was worried. She couldn't find her wand. She first realised it was gone when she had went to repair Harry's broken glasses (Neville had tripped on a stair and landed on Harry) and couldn't find it. She promptly began panicking, and searched the entire 7th floor and downwards. Then it hit her. Her wand wasn't lost. Snape had it.

Hermione didn't want to go down to breakfast but she knew she had to get her timetable from Professor Cattermole, the new Head of Gryffindor. (Ron was also reluctant. He was sure the new Professor would recognise him from the Ministry) The reluctant two went down with a hysterical Harry, who couldn't stop laughing at Ron, and a confused Ginny who soon began laughing too, when Harry told her. The Golden Quartet received several confused looks as they entered the Great Hall (Harry and Ginny were still laughing their heads off, while Hermione and Ron were scowling like Snape).

"Oh Ron. You've got to admit it is funny" Ginny laughed. Ron didn't answer, only grew paler and paler as Professor Cattermole approached. When he finally reached them, Ron resembled a ghost.

"Mr Potter. Miss Granger. Miss Weasley. Mr Weasley" Professor Cattermole greeted, handing them their timetables. His eyes stayed a few seconds longer on Ron and he lent down and whispered something into his ear. Ron's eyes widened less then he let out a deep breath.

"Thanks, sir" Ron replied and the Professor nodded, before moving onto the next student.

"What'd he say?" Harry asked, curious.

"He just said thanks. That they got away safely and that if I ever touched his wife again he'd...castrate me." Ron replied.

Harry snorted with laughter and Ginny joined in. Hermione looked at her schedule and moaned. She didn't have Potions until tomorrow. She'd have to confront him today. Now, actually. She only had half an hour till Charms. She'd have to rush down to the dungeons, up to Gryffindor Tower and then back down to the Charms Corridor. Telling her friends she had to go see a teacher about an error in a course book she rushed down to the dungeons. Panting, she made it there within less than 10 minutes, and knocked on the door.

"Enter, Miss Granger" the voice called and Hermione pushed open the door and walked up to his desk, where he was sitting.

"I have been expecting you. I wondered how long it would take for you to realise you were missing something. I must say I am quite disappointed."

Hermione waited but he made no move to give her back her wand. She folded her arms and tapped her foot on the floor.

"Miss Granger, stop that positively annoying tapping. I will give you your wand when I am finished. Until then I expect you to wait silently" Hermione could almost hear him smirking. More minutes passed and Hermione was worried. She wouldn't have time to make it up to Gryffindor Tower to get her books. She'd arrive late for Charms and knowing Snape he wouldn't write her a note.

She glanced around the room, wishing there was a clock or that she had worn a watch. She had no way of knowing how long she had until Charms. Snape continued writing and she grew more anxious every moment. "Please, sir! I need my wand! I don't have long until Charms and I have to get my books!" she cried desperately. Snape looked up from his work and glared at her.

"The more you interrupt me, the longer I will take to finish my letter. If you wait there quietly I will give you your wand back quicker. And Miss Granger, you have" he pulled up his sleeve and checked an old black watch "12 minutes until your Charms class."

Hermione almost swore but knew doing so would get her a detention or, worse, loose Gryffindor more points. By McGonagall's glare this morning Hermione was sure she knew that it was Hermione's fault that Gryffindor had lost 55 points in less than 24 hours.

When Snape finally finished writing, he purposely took his time and accio'd himself an envelope, sealed it and with a flick of his wand sent it off. Hermione stood still, not daring to breathe as Snape slowly withdrew her wand from his robes.

"I believe this is yours" he drawled and Hermione quickly snatched her wand, muttered he thanks and sprinted out of the classroom. Outside the class room students were already lining up and all looked at her strangely as she ran past them. Hermione kept running despite her aching legs. She stopped on the 5th floor and began walking quickly. She arrived at the Fat Lady's portrait, said the password and then walked in and grabbed her books before heading down to the 4th floor. She arrived late and apologised to Professor Flitwick, who regarded her crossly and took 5 points from her for being late.

She looked for Harry and Ron and frowned when she noticed that they hadn't saved her a seat. Sighing, she took the only remaining seat next to Goyle who sneered at her and was promptly elbowed by Malfoy. Malfoy, who was beside Goyle, gave her a quick nod.

Hermione was, as usual, the first to complete the designated spell. There was a polite applause and Hermione turned, beaming, to her friends. Her smile faded. They hadn't been paying attention. Flitwick caught her gaze and scolded the trio. Ginny, Ron and Harry all stopped laughing and flushed with embarrassment at being caught.

Everyone else soon succeeded in completing the spell. Malfoy managing it second and Neville last. Hermione pitied Neville. He had bravely killed Nagini, Voldemort's snake, but still couldn't do simple charms.

The next class Hermione had was Ancient Runes. There were only 8 people in Ancient Runes. Hermione, Malfoy, Blaise Zabini, a Hufflepuff and four Ravenclaws. Hermione liked the class. It wasn't as big as Charms or Transfiguration and everyone here wanted to learn, unlike some students who only took classes because their parents were forcing them to.

Ancient Runes was challenging. Unlike Charms, which only required a simple wave of a wand and incantation, you needed to think in Ancient Runes. It was her favourite class after Transfiguration. Hermione loved Transfiguration. It was a very challenging subject and the potential for danger when doing advanced spells was high. It took all her focus. You couldn't be distracted in Transfiguration. A simple distraction could splinch you when apparating and animagus transformations...Hermione didn't want to think about it. She couldn't help but feel sorry for the witches and wizards who were stuck in their animagus forms forever...

Hermione wanted to achieve her Animagus form. She was jealous of the Marauders, who had completed it in their 5th year. She was in her 7th (8th) and she still couldn't. At the end of the year, if she hadn't managed to complete it, she was going to Professor McGonagall.

Hermione was glad when the day was over. The teachers had piled them up with homework; instead of slowing easy them back into it like they had every other year. Hermione was both pleased and disgruntled with this. She liked how they were already preparing them for their NEWTS, which Hermione was already worrying about, but she didn't like how it wouldn't allow her to any studying into becoming an Animagus. And she didn't like how people were already coming to her about help with homework.

"Do it yourself!" she'd snapped, after the third person that hour had asked her to help with their Potions homework. The poor fourth year scuttled away quickly.

Hermione growled and then concentrated back on her own work. She wouldn't be helping anyone this year, in any level, in any subject. This year she would focus on her own work. She couldn't afford to slip up. This was NEWT year after all.

-0-

Severus sat in his quarters, grading abysmal first year essays. He often wondered why he even set them homework. Not only was their handwriting horrendous but they had no understanding of potions whatsoever. In all his years teaching he had only come across several first year students who could write essays. Those few included his godson, 4 Ravenclaws and resident know-it-all Hermione Granger.

He scowled as he moved onto the next essay. A Gryffindor. Henry Baddlesworth.

"Flubber worms are worms that are fluffy flubby. They flubber around like fish. They are green. They smell bad. They are used in poshins. In my poshin the flubber worm made the poshin go orange. Then it exploded and Proffeser Snape yelled at me. He's a mean ugly git. I hope he doesn't read this..." the essay continued on and Severus didn't even bother reading the rest of it, instead placing a big red T at the top of the parchment. He was horrified at this year's class. Even some of his Slytherins couldn't spell potion!

They were getting worse each year. Severus blamed the war and bad parenting skills. Their hearts may have not been in the best place and some of their methods had been harsh, but the pureblood parents of his generation had made sure their children knew how to spell, use a quill and proper punctuation and grammar. This generation seemed to have not bothered with that. Whether it was because they were still rebuilding from the war or plain lazy, Severus didn't know. But, he did know one thing. He was going straight to the Headmistress after he had finished grading. Something had to be done.

Severus didn't know if he could handle another 'poshin'.

-0-

Minerva was looking through applications for Transfiguration Professors when she heard a knock on the door. Looking at the clock she saw it was 11PM. She sighed tiredly and hoped it wasn't Filch complaining about yet another student out of bed. Together with looking for a new Transfiguration Professor, complaints about students, complaints about Peeves, dealing with students, dealing with Peeves, and her own grading, Minerva wondered how Albus ever did it.

"Enter" she called and the door opened, revealing a dark, caped man who entered immediately, shut the door with a flick of his wand, and stood in the corner.

"Severus" she greeted tiredly "Tea? Coffee? A biscuit, perhaps?" she offered, reaching for a box of shortbreads.

He shook his head and Minerva wondered why she even bothered. He'd never accepted anything she'd offered and she doubted he ever would.

"What do you want, Severus?" she asked "I doubt you're here for a chat or a game of chess."

His lip curled upwards slightly and he shook his head. "No Minerva. I am here because of the first year's" he answered. Minerva waited for him to continue but he didn't.

"What have they done now, Severus?" she asked, buttoning up her robes and sliding on some slippers, ready to go and sort out any trouble.

"Minerva, I am surrounded by dunderheads. More so than usual. I demand something be done about it. I refuse to teach such idiots!"

Minerva pinned Severus with a glare, who glared back. All she needed was him complaining about students. Not everyone could be as good at Potions as him. "Go do something about it yourself, Severus, if you don't like it! I don't have the time for it!" Snarling, the younger man billowed out of her office.

Minerva winced as the door slammed, the sound ringing in her ears. Sighing she put down the applications, rubbing her eyes tiredly. She looked up at the clock again, deciding to go to bed. She could finish off the work in the morning. But now, she was going to sleep.