Hermione Granger and the Talk With Dumbledore

Hermione entered the Headmaster's office after a trying discussion with her daughter, Rose's, Head of House. All the headmaster portraits were sleeping, all but one.

"Good Afternoon, Mrs. Weasley," the portrait spoke.

"Hello, Professor."

"You don't have to be so formal with me, Mrs. Weasley."

"I'll call you by your first name once you start calling me by mine."

"Touche, Mrs. Weasley. What brings you here to my office this time of day?"

"Your office?"

"Oh, I forget. I'm just a portrait. Well, what brings you here?"

"I just had a talk with Professor Grinculdy about Rose and apparently what Rose has been doing with her time here."

"Professor Grinculdy, Head of Ravenclaw. You know you would have done exceptionally well in Ravenclaw."

"Yes, I know," Hermione smiled. "Did you know about Rose's activities?"

"I am but a mere portrait, but yes, I have overheard Professor Flitwick talk about them in here."

"So you know what she's been doing?"

"I've heard."

"And caught by no less than five professors."

"Your daughter is quite the…persuasive one. I'd say she takes after you."

"After me? I would never!"

"But, Mrs. Weasley, you sure did."

"What did I do, Professor?"

"House-elves," he reminded her.

"But I—I was looking out for their greater good. I was advocating for their freedom. I—I—"

"And what is Rose doing?"

"She's—well, she's not advocating for anyone's freedom."

"No, but she's doing something she believes in. She believes she's looking out for the greater good."

"The greater good. You know as well as I do that stament means jack shi—"

"Mrs. Weasley!"

"Sorry. But what she believes in I do not believe in."

"And that's okay. She's your daughter, but she's not you. She's going to have her own mind. But, she believes strongly and passionately just like her mother."

" But, she believes beings are born with genetics that make them want to do things such as house-elves servings wizards. That goes against everything I believe in."

"Does it?"

"Well, it doesn't matter whether I believe in it or not." Hermione leaned against the headmaster's desk and stared at the portrait of Professor Dumbledore. "What matters is what she's doing about it and her punishment, which is what Professor Grinculdy had me in to talk about."

"She's been protesting, am I correct?"

"Yes, in every class, in the Great Hall, the Library, everywhere. You know she's protesting against my work."

"So, this is about mother and daughter butting heads, is it?"

"It's about her going against my work." Hermione looked down at the desk and then back up at her former headmaster. "Is it wrong of me to think I am putting my work ahead of my daughter?"

"Think yourself. What do you think you are doing?"

"I believe I love my daughter and I believe I love my work. I believe Rose loves me and I believe she believes differently on certain issues than I do."

"Have you ever talked to her about this?"

"About us having different beliefs? I have not." Hermione sighed. "It was never an issue before. I try to bring my children up right knowing what is good and right, but I do let them make their own decisions. I don't want to force anything on them. I mean, I do want them to know the difference between right and wrong, but when it comes to all the right stuff they…"

"Mrs. Weasley," Professor Dumbledore smiled, "I do get what you're trying to say."

Hermione sighed. Parents and children don't always have to agree on everything, do they?

"I just didn't know my daughter thought this way. I always felt she could come to me with anything, but I had no idea. Maybe it's because I put my heart and soul into things such as house-elf rights that she was afraid to tell me she felt differently. I don't want Rose to be afraid of me."

"Then, it's best you talk to her."

Hermione's eyes brightened. "I'll see if I can get Professor Grinculdy's permission to take her to Hogsmeade tonight or tomorrow so we can have some bonding time."