Changing History

by Kallanit

The second Voldemort Blood War is over and the side of Light has won, however, unfortunately, the British Wizarding World has been decimated. Rebuilding seems impossible so perhaps other options must be found. Contains elements of time-turner and Hogwarts-reads-the-books type fics. Eventual HG/SS.

2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

Hermione woke early the next morning, more refreshed and energetic than she could remember feeling for a long time. Dressing quickly, she had a light breakfast and made her way out the castle. Once beyond the gates, the bushy-haired witch apparated to the Leaky Cauldron and entered Diagon Alley. Not even pausing to catalogue the differences in the cobbled, magical street between her time and now, she headed straight for Gringotts, where she was met by a goblin she recognised: Griphook. During the war, she, Harry and Ron had rescued him from captivity in the dungeons in Malfoy Manor. They had asked the goblin to help them break into the Lestrange vault, promising him the sword of Gryffindor in return, although the boys were planning all the while to double-cross Griphook and keep the sword. Griphook had done as bidden but had then double-crossed them in turn, taking the sword of Gryffindor and leaving them to be captured by the angry goblins of Gringotts but, fortunately, they had managed to escape. While Hermione had a certain amount of sympathy over the goblin foiling their planned double-cross regarding the sword, she had less sympathy about him setting off alarms and trying to get them captured; she regarded it as a poor thanks for rescuing him from Voldemort and his Death Eaters.

Gritting her teeth and forcing herself to be polite to this particular goblin, she bowed her head and asked him, "Greetings, noble goblin. I would like to see the account manager for the Pevensie accounts, please."

"And you are?" the goblin sneered.

"Maia Pevensie, currently the last of the line," she answered impassively.

A look of surprise briefly crossed the goblin's face before he turned and beckoned her to follow him. They made their way in silence through the bank. Griphook escorted Hermione to a non-descript reception room. "The Pevensie account manager will be with you shortly," he said and left.

Forty minutes later, Hermione left the bank with a refilling money bag tucked securely in her pocket. She was now the owner of several substantial vaults. She felt guilty about claiming the entire Pevensie inheritance when she knew her younger self would be joining the wizarding world in the future, but decided she could set up a vault for young Hermione after she was born. Hopefully, when the war was over, she would safely be able to make contact with the Grangers. Thanks to Granny Lilias being a Squib, they could be told about the wizarding world as soon as young Hermione started showing signs of accidental magic, so she and Granny Lilias would be able to prepare young Hermione for the world of magic in a way that she herself had not experienced in her original timeline.

Upon leaving Gringotts, Hermione decided to pay a visit to Ollivander's Wand Shop. Although she had brought the Elder Wand from her timeline back with her from the future, Hermione knew that the version from this timeline was currently in the hands of Professor Dumbledore and she did not want to risk him recognising her wand, knowing his obsession with the Deathly Hallows. 'Oh well, it never hurts to have a second wand. Besides, I need to be very careful when I use that wand, otherwise it could end up recognising someone else as its Master and that would be disastrous if it were a Death Eater or even Tom Riddle himself,' she admitted to herself.

"Good morning, Miss...?" Mr Ollivander greeted her as she entered the shop. "How may I be of assistance today?"

"It's Pevensie, sir, and I need a new wand, please," she replied.

"And yet I sense a wand already in your presence?"

"Mine was stolen from me some months ago. I never managed to recover it and I've been using an old family wand since. However, I'm starting an apprenticeship with Professor Flitwick at Hogwarts and I need a wand that has chosen me. Oh, and a double holster too, please. Auror grade, with invisibility, anti-summoning and anti-theft charms. I've learned my lesson about not keeping my wand safe," she said wryly.

"Very well. Charms, hmm? These should all be good for Charms work," he said, pulling out several boxes from the shelves and piling them on the counter.

Hermione was taken aback when she saw the first wand. "Vine, ten and thee-quarter inches, dragon heartstring, quite pliable," Mr Ollivander announced. Hermione's heart skipped a beat as she recognised her old vine and dragon heartstring wand. Schooling her face not to give away her excitement and pleasure at seeing that particular wand, she reached for it eagerly. To her surprise, she did not feel the sense of warmth and rightness that normally emanated from her much-loved wand. 'I guess that wand is destined for the younger me,' she concluded regretfully, disappointed that it no longer called to her.

The next wand Mr Ollivander produced was, "Rowan¹, also ten and thee-quarter inches and dragon heartstring, supple and swishy." Hermione grasped the wand and immediately felt a welcoming warmth. She flourished it and golden sparks issued forth.

"Curious. Witches and wizards chosen by rowan wands tend to be compatible with those chosen by elder wands," said Mr Ollivander meaningfully. Feeling the hairs rise at the back of her neck but taking care only to look mildly curious, Hermione raised an eyebrow. The peculiar man was strangely omniscient and Hermione found it quite disturbing.

"I can recall every wand I have ever sold," he continued, "and I cannot recall a single instance of an owner of a rowan wand ever becoming evil or turning to the Dark Arts. Rowan has a reputation for protection, and produces powerful and hard to break Defensive Charms. Rowan wands can match or even outperform others in duels, Miss Pevensie. Master Flitwick himself was a renowned duelling champion in his youth but with this wand, I do believe you could surpass even him."

Smiling politely, Hermione paid for her new wand and holster and left the shop. 'That man gives me the heebie-jeebies,' she mused and gave an involuntary shudder. 'I wonder if he truly knew that I'm in possession of a version of the Elder Wand. Or perhaps he just knows that it belongs to the Pevensie line.'

Hermione took the opportunity while she was in Diagon Alley to stock up on supplies. After a stop at Flourish & Blotts for the texts Professor Flitwick had recommended, and at Scribbulus Writing Equipment for quills, ink and parchment, she stopped off in Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions to get some new robes and a cloak, as those she had were quite old and shabby. She also splurged and bought herself a new bookbag, to which she intended to apply featherlight, strengthening and undetectable expansion charms, like those on her trusty beaded bag. Then, deciding at last minute that she might find it useful to have an owl of her own rather than relying on the school owls as she had done before, she made a stop at Eeylops Owl Emporium where she purchased a graceful, female, tawny owl with intelligent eyes, that she called Charis².

Charis hooted in approval when Hermione suggested the name and Hermione smiled happily at her new owl. "Shall I apparate us both to Hogwarts or would you prefer to fly there yourself?" she asked, as she left the shop, with her owl in tow. Charis fluttered her wings and Hermione let her out the cage, shrinking the cage, perch and the other owl supplies she had bought and slipping them all into her pockets.

"Your perch will be ready and waiting in my rooms by the time you get there. Once you arrive, I'll charm the window to allow you to come and go as you please, so you can spend time in the owlery as well. I wouldn't want you to have to make do without the company of your fellow owls. It'll have to wait until you get there, though, because I want to tie the spell specifically to you," she informed the pretty owl. "Any other owl looking for me can deliver their mail to the Great Hall with the rest of the post owls."

Charis flew up to perch on Hermione's shoulder and rubbed her head lovingly against Hermione's cheek before taking flight and heading off to Hogwarts. With all her errands complete, Hermione thankfully returned to Hogwarts with plenty of time to spare before the Express would arrive.

The new apprentice unpacked her purchases and set up the perch for Charis, before sitting down to relax as she began reading the book that Professor Flitwick had advised her to begin with for her apprenticeship studies. Absently noting the grumbling in her stomach, she called for Ditsy, who Lady Hogwarts had assigned to assist Hermione. "Hello, Ditsy. I believe I'm too late to eat lunch in the Great Hall today, so would you mind bringing me something to eat, please? Soup and a sandwich perhaps."

Moments later Ditsy reappeared with a tray laden with an aromatic and hearty barley soup with mushrooms and pearl onions floating in it, a thick chicken salad sandwich, made from delicious nutty, brown bread and containing an abundance of chicken and vegetables, a plate of sliced fruit, a glass of cold pumpkin juice and a pot of tea. "This looks positively mouth-watering. Thank you, Ditsy," Hermione smiled at the young elf. 'Harry, Ron, Ginny, Fred, George, Sirius, Remus—anyone who knows me, really!—would be laughing themselves silly if they could see me accepting the services of a house elf,' she thought, as her face lit up with amusement.

Truth be told, Hermione was already quite fond of the little lady elf and was secretly rather grateful to Lady Hogwarts for assigning Ditsy to her. The young woman had also come to realise that trying to impose her views upon the elves was wrong. In fact, it made her decidedly uncomfortable to think that even if her intentions were kindly, by treating them as nothing more than simple-minded creatures who did not know what was best for themselves or who were incapable of making their own decisions, she had been no better than bigots like Dolores Umbridge, who detested magical creatures.

Consequently, Hermione had let go of her desire to free the house elves but she did intend to promote better treatment of them. The witch knew better than to insult Ditsy by offering her payment but had bought some boxes of Chocolate Frogs in Diagon Alley and she hoped Ditsy would appreciate the gift of these treats.

When Ditsy came to clear away the tray, she brought a message for Hermione. "Master Flitwick and the Headmaster wants to see you in the Headmaster's office, Missy Maia."

Taking with her the list of people she felt Professor Dumbledore should invite to the upcoming Order meeting, Hermione soon arrived at the office and, again, the gargoyle let her pass. 'I really should ask for the password,' she reminded herself. 'It might cause remark if I'm ever seen entering without it.'

"Ah, there you are, Miss Pevensie," Professor Dumbledore said expansively, his eyes twinkling. "I see you had no problems getting past the gargoyle."

"Yes, it may be a good idea if you were to give me the password, though, Headmaster?"

"Of course. The current password is Tooty Frooties."

Hermione winced as she sat down next to Professor Flitwick. 'What is his obsession with sweets all about?' thought the dentists' daughter, who did not really care much for them herself.

"We're just waiting for one other person. Sherbet Lemon?" the Headmaster said.

"No, thank you," she replied as the door to the office opened. To her great delight, it was Professor McGonagall.

"Ah, Minerva. Do please join us," twinkled the Headmaster expansively. "This is Miss Pevensie, who will be apprenticing with Filius in Charms. Unfortunately, circumstances which she will explain to us at the Order meeting I'm calling this weekend, have prevented Miss Pevensie from sitting her NEWTs, although Filius has tested her in Charms and was quite impressed with her knowledge and skill. I also understand from a reliable source that Miss Pevensie is equally knowledgable and skilled in all the subjects she chose to study until now. However, Miss Pevensie, Professor Flitwick and I have decided that it would be a good idea if you were to sit your NEWTs before you begin your apprenticeship. It would cause remark otherwise, you see. We will, of course, give you time to prepare. When do you think you will be ready to sit them?"

"I'm ready any time, sir," she replied thoughtfully. "Headmaster, as I explained yesterday, at OWL level, I received outstandings in Charms, Transfiguration, Herbology, Potions, Astronomy, History of Magic, Arithmancy, Ancient Runes and Care of Magical Creatures, with an Exceeds Expectations in Defence Against the Dark Arts, however, I cannot prove these results as there will be no records available."

Out of the corner of her eye, Hermione saw Professor McGonagall raising an eyebrow at that last remark. Pretending to be oblivious to her former Head of House's surprise, she ploughed on, having actually given this some thought as she ate lunch—the Headmaster had merely pre-empted her. "Would it be possible for me to sit NEWTs in Defence, Charms, Transfiguration, Herbology, Potions, Arithmancy, and Ancient Runes, and also OWLs in Astronomy, History of Magic and Care of Magical Creatures? Or would it be best if first I re-sit all my OWLs and then sit my NEWTs?" She smiled sheepishly, "I would kind of like to improve on my score for my Defence OWL, although I know it's rather pointless if I'm going to be sitting the NEWT. But, as you say, it may cause remark if anyone is interested enough to go looking for my OWL results and can't find them."

Professor Dumbledore nodded. "I must say, I'm really quite curious to hear your story at the Order meeting, Miss Pevensie. Minerva, please could you contact Griselda Marchbanks and arrange for Miss Pevensie to sit her exams over the next few weeks? I agree that Miss Pevensie should first sit her OWLs and then her NEWTs. For the subjects that have both a practical and a written element, that means you will be sitting one exam a day, Miss Pevensie, while for the written-only subjects you can sit two exams a day. That will mean eight days for your OWLs and six days for your NEWTs. Filius, do you mind waiting a few weeks to begin working on Miss Pevensie's apprenticeship?"

"Not at all, Albus. In fact, that will give me sufficient time to prepare, as the start of the school year is always busy and I wasn't expecting to take on an apprentice this year, although in the case of Miss Pevensie, I'm quite delighted to do so." He smiled at Hermione, who beamed back in pleasure.

"Well, I'll make the arrangements with Madam Marchbanks and let you know your exam timetable, Miss Pevensie. It's possible you'll need to go to the Ministry, rather than sitting your exams here," Professor McGonagall said austerely as she stood to leave.

"Whichever best suits the examiners, Professor," Hermione said softly. "I appreciate their taking the time to arrange a special exam session for me and I would not put them to any more inconvenience than absolutely necessary." At that, Professor McGonagall gave one of her rare smiles, and left the room.

"Miss Pevensie," the Headmaster said. "Hogwarts has four Houses, named after each of our Founders, and the first year students are all sorted into a House during the Welcome Feast on the first day of the school year. Each House has its own attributes and traits and it has become a custom also to sort any apprentices or professors who did not themselves attend Hogwarts, in order to see which House would they should have belonged to had they attended our fine school. You will be sorted after the first years. You will also be expected to sit at the Head Table during meals."

"That will be fine, Headmaster," she agreed placidly, having expected this. Bidding the two men farewell, she also departed, heading back to her rooms to prepare herself mentally for advent of the students that evening, in particular the Marauders and Severus Snape, who she had known as adults when she herself was a child.

When Ditsy notified her that the Hogwarts Express had arrived in Hogsmeade and that the students were making their way up to the castle, Hermione headed down to the Great Hall. As she entered, Professor Flitwick waved her over to him. "It's a tradition that the four Heads of House sit on either side of the Headmaster, two on each side, and then the rest of the staff sit to the side of us. As an apprentice, you will be seated at the end of the table." He escorted her to the seat nearest the staff entrance. "This is Madam Pomfrey, our school Medi-witch," he introduced her to the woman sitting in the seat next to hers.

Hermione smiled at Madam Pomfrey in greeting, grateful to be seated next to the kindly Medi-witch instead of the irascible Librarian, who was at the other end of the table. 'Mind you, I'd even rather sit next to Madam Pince than Professor Trelawney,' she thought ruefully. 'I'm just glad she's not a professor here yet. Although, if I have any say in the matter she won't be making that damned prophecy, so she won't ever become a professor here.' Dumbledore had employed Sybill Trelawney to protect her from Voldemort after she had made a prophecy about Harry Potter. Hermione intended to end the war long before Trelawney could make that prophecy.

"Maia Pevenise," she introduced herself. "I'll be apprenticing with Master Flitwick."

"Nice to meet you, Miss Pevenise," Madam Pomfrey welcomed her cheerfully. The two women chatted easily, until they heard the arrival of the carriages from Hogsmeade station. Soon, hordes of hungry students were pouring into the Great Hall and seating themselves at the four House tables, eagerly anticipating the imminent Welcome Feast.

As Hermione casually glanced around the Hall, her eye was drawn to a solemn young man at the Slytherin table, with lank, black hair, a large, hook nose, pale skin and jet black eyes. 'Professor Snape!' she thought. 'No, he's still Mr Snape in this time. I must be careful not to address him as Professor.' Sitting next to him was a younger boy, who looked remarkably like Sirius Black. 'That must be Sirius' brother, Regulus,' she continued her musings. As her gaze continued along the Slytherin table, Hermione shuddered inwardly as she recognised a few other students as Death Eaters with whom she had clashed in her previous timeline.

Swiftly looking away from the Slytherin table before her reaction to those pupils became noticeable, she looked towards the Gryffindor table instead. Hermione immediately recognised the younger Sirius Black and Remus Lupin and her eyes softened as she looked at them. 'It's good to see them so carefree,' she thought fondly. Neither man had been so light-hearted when she had known them in her youth and their exuberance was comforting to see. Hopefully, she would be able to save them from the misery and misfortune they had suffered in her past.

Next to Sirius and Remus was another boy she did not want to dwell on. Peter Pettigrew had turned traitor and had betrayed his best friends remorselessly. Hermione knew she would need to deal with him but now was neither the time nor the place; it could wait until the upcoming Order meeting that weekend.

Sitting next to the three boys was a couple who could only be James Potter and Lily Evans. Ever since entering the wizarding world at the age of eleven, her best friend, Harry Potter, had been told by everyone who met him for the first time that he was the image of his father, apart from his eyes, which were Lily's. Hermione could finally see the truth of this for herself and her heart ached as she looked at the young couple. 'This time, Harry is going to grow up with his parents,' she resolved fiercely. Hermione had still not got over the loss of her best friends from her time yet and she doubted that she ever would; she was determined to make sure that this time, Harry Potter would have a happy life.

Blinking tears from her eyes before they could fall, her eyes slid further down the table stopping at a young man who was vaguely familiar. 'That's Frank Longbottom, Neville's father, I think.' Noting the attention he paid to the round-faced young woman sitting next to him, she concluded, 'and that must be his mother, Alice.'

At that point, the door to the Great Hall opened, rousing Hermione from her musings. She watched the two rows of children file in behind Professor McGonagall and smiled warmly as they were sorted. As the last little first year sat down at their new House table, the Headmaster stood.

"Professor Flitwick has a new apprentice this year. As is customary for one who did not attend Hogwarts, she will also be sorted. Miss Pevensie, if you would..."

Smiling graciously, Hermione rose and made her way from the Head Table to the sorting stool, which grew higher from its normal low height for the first years as she approached it—not that she was really that much taller than some of the firsties—and sat demurely while the Sorting Hat was placed once again on her head. 'Ah, Miss Pevensie. Or should I say Granger?' it said. 'Oh, don't worry, my dear. No one can hear me right now but you, as you should already know. Lady Hogwarts has instructed me to place you in Ravenclaw, if you have no objections?'

'No objections, sir. That will be fine, thank you,' she thought to the Hat.

'And yet you were in Gryffindor last time, I believe?'

'That is correct, however, you wished to place me in Ravenclaw then but I insisted on Gryffindor. While I was happy in that House previously, this time I'm going to listen to you and Lady Hogwarts, and allow you to place me where you two deem best.'

'Very well,' the Hat conceded, obviously pleased that this time she would be heeding his advice. 'Truth be told, Miss Granger, you fit all of the Houses. You are the embodiment of Hogwarts. You have the courage and valour of Gryffindor, the loyalty and diligence of Hufflepuff, the intelligence and wit of Ravenclaw, and the cunning and ambition of Slytherin. Oh, don't be alarmed at that last, Miss Granger. Your experiences have taught you to be astute, shrewd and canny and what else is cunning but that? And you have plenty of ambition, not to become a Dark Lady or a dictator, but to prove yourself and to make life better for others. It's not a selfish ambition but it's ambition nonetheless.'

'Is that why I was chosen by Lady Hogwarts for this quest? Because I epitomise all the Houses?'

'Indeed it is. That, and the fact that you will be strong enough to do what needs to be done. Many would quail in the face of your task, even Albus, but you understand why it must happen. Once it's over, do not blame yourself—remember that you have a good and pure heart. Well, it's time to place you, so better be RAVENCLAW!' the Hat shouted out for the Hall to hear. As Hermione returned to her seat at the Head Table, she could see Professor Flitwick smiling delightedly at her placement in his House and she smiled back happily. The young woman was somewhat taken aback by the Hat's comments but if she were being truly honest with herself, she knew that she could not deny its assessment of either her character or the task ahead of her.

As the Feast progressed, Hermione continued to chat to Madam Pomfrey and to the Professor of Ancient Runes, Professor Babbling, who was sitting on Madam Pomfrey's other side. While Ancient Runes had not been her favourite subject at school, she had gained a new appreciation for its practical applications over the past year or so, due to the use of Runes in protective wards, and the conversation she had with Professor Babbling during the Feast was fascinating to the young witch.

After the Feast, Professor Flitwick asked her to stay back for a few minutes. "Albus, as the only apprentice in Hogwarts this year, I'm sure it will be quite lonely for Miss Pevensie. I'm allowing her access to the Ravenclaw common room, as she may enjoy conversing with the sixth and seventh years."

"Thank you, Professor," Hermione agreed, thankfully. She had spent enough time alone since the end of the Battle of Hogwarts that the thought of some congenial human interaction was very appealling to her.

"That, of course, is your prerogative, Filius," Albus acknowledged.

"Yes, yes," said the Charms Professor impatiently. "But, despite being close to them in age, Miss Pevenise is no longer a schoolchild. I have a feeling that Miss Pevensie has experienced far more of life than our students have and that it was not all kind to you?" He smiled at her kindly and continued to address the Headmaster. "Perhaps Miss Pevensie may also like some more mature conversation at times, even if we are all old fogies. I think we should also allow her access to the staffroom."

"Miss Pevensie?" Albus asked her.

"I'd like that, Headmaster," she answered gratefully. "It would be nice to make some friends closer to my own age but, as Professor Flitwick suggests, they are all rather young in experience. This would be like having the best of both worlds."

Professor Dumbledore's eyes twinkled merrily. "Then I think we should indeed invite you into the staffroom, Miss Pevensie, and there's no time like the present. We traditionally toast the start of the new school year after the Welcome Feast. Come along and I shall introduce you to the staff."

The two Professors led Hermione to the stone gargoyles that guarded the entrance to the staffroom. "Qui intelligunt, docebit," the Headmaster said and the gargoyles sprang aside, granting entrance.

"Those that understand, teach?" asked Hermione, suprised.

"Aristotle, I believe," the Headmaster replied urbanely.

"Yes, sir. I believe the full quote is Those that know, do. Those that understand, teach. I was just surprised that the password was quite so... noble. I rather thought it would be more heartfelt. Something reflective of the fact that the staffroom is a refuge from the students, possibly. Or perhaps the name of a fine wine or brandy might be more apropos," she remarked, mischievously.

"I think we may have to put Miss Pevenise in charge of determining the passwords for the staffroom, Albus!" Professor Flitwick laughed as they entered the room.

Hermione spent a very pleasant evening getting to know the staff. She knew most of them from her time, of course, but the Care of Magical Creatures teacher, Professor Kettleburn, had retired just before she began to study that subject, the Divination Professor was not the same as in her time and Defence Against the Dark Arts tended to require a new teacher every year. Hermione made a point of spending some time talking to her former Head of House, Minerva McGonagall, and was delighted to receive an invitation to stop by Professor McGonagall's office any time. 'All in all, it was a good evening,' the younger woman concluded happily as she went to sleep that night.

The next morning, Professor McGonagall handed her an exam timetable. "Madam Marchbanks and Professor Tofty will be governing the exams between them. Madam Marchbanks observed that it will be just as easy for them to floo to Hogwarts as to floo to the Ministry, so one of them will be coming here every day. Your exams will all be taking place in the empty classroom next to my Transfiguration classroom, except for your Potions, Astronomy, Herbology and Care of Magical Creatures practicals. You will be notified of the venue for each of those on the relevant day."

"Thank you, Professor McGonagall. I greatly appreciate your arranging this for me and I hope it wasn't too much trouble."

"It was no problem, Miss Pevensie. I was pleased to do it. From the little I have seen of you so far, I rather think you're going to be a credit to Hogwarts. I could only wish that you had undertaken all your schooling here and that you had been sorted into Gryffindor."

Hermione could barely restrain her laughter. Grinning widely, she told the older woman, "I think you'll be quite surprised when you hear my story at the Order meeting this weekend."

The battle-worn witch was quite relieved to hear that the exams would be taking place at Hogwarts as she was rather jumpy about the idea of going to the Ministry every day for two to three weeks. Knowing that the Pevensie family line had recently been wiped out by the Death Eaters, Hermione did not want to put herself at any unnecessary risk.

Once she had finished breakfast, Hermione made her way to Professor Flitwick's classroom, hoping for a quick word before classes began. "Professor, would it be possible to see some old OWL and NEWT exam papers, or at least the current syllabi for the OWL and NEWT level classes? I'm quite confident in my ability to pass all my exams well, but for my peace of mind, I'd just like to check that there won't be any unexpected surprises."

"One moment, Miss Pevensie," he replied, rummaging in a desk drawer. "Ah, here they are. These are the Charms OWL and NEWT syllabi. I'll ask the other Professors to give you copies of their syllabi and I'm sure if you have any questions prior to the exams, they'll be happy to help you."

"Thank you, Professor," she replied, taking the parchments from him. With a quick Gemino, Hermione duplicated the syllabi, returning the originals to Professor Flitwick. Taking her leave, she returned to her rooms to review the outlines of the Charms course. She was quite surprised to see that the course contents were approximately one to two years behind the curriculum offered by Hogwarts in her time and when Professor Flitwick's personal house elf arrived soon after with the syllabi from all the other Professors confirming that this would be the case for all the subjects, she breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that she truly would have no problems with her exams. If anything, she would have to be careful not to appear too advanced if she did not want to bring unwanted attention to herself. Her biggest worry was accidentally revealing something of the future in her History of Magic exam but as the OWL focused on the witch burnings and the goblin wars of previous centuries rather than more recent history, she should be all right.

"So, what do you think, Crooks? Charis? Should I hold back a little in my exams?" she asked her pets affectionately. Crookshanks purred and Charis hooted in response. "What does that mean?" she asked amused. "Shall I ask you again and you can purr or hoot once for yes and twice for no?" This was something of a dilemma for her as, while she had learned the value of discretion, she genuinely hated not doing her very best in any academic endeavour. Resolving to discuss it with Professors McGonagall, Flitwick and Dumbledore once she had enlightened them as to her background, she put the worry out of her mind as she began reviewing the course material for her first exams.

Hermione spent a pleasant day studying in her rooms, breaking only for meals. After supper, however, she decided to head over to the Ravenclaw common room and introduce herself. 'Staff last night, the students' turn tonight,' she decided. As well as retrieving the Elder Wand from Harry, she had also claimed his Marauder's Map and invisibility cloak. Never having been to the Ravenclaw Tower before, she allowed herself to be guided there by the Map. Climbing a spiral staircase, she found herself outside a door with neither a doorknob nor a keyhole. There was neither a portrait nor a gargoyle guarding the entrance. All she could see was an eagle shaped door knocker.

"If you look you cannot see me. And if you see me, you cannot see anything else. I can make anything you want happen, but later everything goes back to normal. What am I?" the door knocker asked her.³

"What an appropriate guardian to the entrance of the House of the Seekers of Knowledge," she said to the eagle. "I believe the answer is imagination."

"Correct," the eagle said and the door swung open. Hermione entered the commonroom, looking around. It was designed for studying, with the air of a library about it.

"Apprentice Pevensie, is it?"

Hermione looked round and saw a tall girl with black hair and green eyes approaching.

"Call me Maia," she said. "I'm sorry to disturb you but Master Flitwick thought I might like to interact with people my own age and as I'm currently the only apprentice, he invited me into the Ravenclaw common room, since the Hat sorted me into your House. I hope I'm not intruding?"

"Not at all," the girl said with a smile. "I'm Marsali McGonagall, the Ravenclaw seventh year prefect."

"McGonagall? Any relation to...?"

"My aunt," the girl interrupted with a resigned grin.

"You get asked that a lot then?" Hermione smirked in sympathy.

"Not that I mind really. I'm very fond of my aunt. Come on in and I'll introduce you to the other seventh years."

Again, Hermione spent a pleasant evening socialising with the Ravenclaws. 'It's a good thing today was only the first day of school or they'd probably be too deeply buried in books for an evening like tonight. Not that I'm one to talk, I was probably worse than any Ravenclaw in that respect,' she chuckled to herself.

By the time she bid the Ravenclaws good night, Hermione felt that between her two evenings of socialising, she had made the beginnings of good friendships with Professors McGonagall and Babbling and Marsali McGonagall and she was therefore feeling much more like a part of the school's population. 'Now all I need is to become friends with Remus and Sirius again, and with James and Lily as well, I hope. Perhaps Frank and Alice and maybe even Professor Snape, too.'

Hermione fell asleep that night with comforting weight of Crookshanks on the bed next to her and the sound of his purring lulling her to sleep. She slept soundly and awoke ready for what would no doubt be a long and wearying day. Washing and dressing quickly, Hermione called for Ditsy.

"Would you mind bringing me breakfast, please, Ditsy, as I would rather not eat in the Great Hall this morning? Once Professor Dumbledore has finished his meal, could you ask him where and when I should meet him today?"

Ditsy brought breakfast and returned about half an hour later to clear away the dishes. "The Headmaster would likes you to come now, Missy," she squeaked.

Hermione thanked the little elf and made her way down to the Headmaster's office. "Good morning, Headmaster," she greeted Albus.

"Good morning, my dear," he smiled as she sat down. "Now, I've asked the Order to come to the meeting today and I've invited the additional people that you suggested, however, I can't have both myself and all four Heads of House incommunicado for an entire day, possibly an entire weekend."

"In that case, sir, I would request that Professor Slughorn not attend the meeting, if you can achieve this without him remarking upon it."

"That will work out just fine. Professor Slughorn already had plans this weekend and wasn't happy about rearranging them. I believe a meeting of his Slug Club played a large part in his plans. That is..."

"It's all right, Professor. I know what his Slug Club is," she interrupted hastily, not really wanting to hear anything more about that pretentious conceit of the Slytherin Head of House.

Professor Dumbledore twinkled at her. "You realise that he will probably try to recruit you for his club, Miss Pevensie?"

"He's certainly welcome to try," she replied disdainfully, screwing up her face in distaste.

With a laugh, he continued. "Not everyone is able to attend the meeting but we will still be nearly thirty people. Unfortunately, there won't be room for us all in my office and I don't want to take over the staffroom, as not all members of staff have been invited. Lady Hogwarts informs me, however, that you know of a suitable meeting room?"

Hermione smiled. "Yes, Headmaster, I do. Professor Dumbledore, I know that the entrance to this office is currently on the second floor but I'm also aware that it has been known to move around⁴. Are you able to move it? It would be best if it were on the seventh floor, as the room that Lady Hogwarts is referring to is there. If as many people as possible could floo to your office, we could easily make our way to the room without the whole school seeing all the guests arrive. It would be best not to alert any marked or potential Death Eaters about this meeting."

"And yet you asked me to include some Slytherins in this meeting?"

"Not all Slytherins are evil, Professor. And not all Gryffindors are good."

"Miss Pevensie..."

"Trust me, sir," Hermione said earnestly.

Albus nodded in resignation and changed the subject slightly. "I'm not aware of any suitable meeting rooms on the seventh floor," he remarked curiously.

"Trust me, sir." This time, it was said with an impish grin and the Headmaster twinkled back at her.

"All right, my dear. I'll leave this in your hands, although I'm afraid I'm not able to move the entrance to the Headmaster's office myself. It doesn't move often and it's at the discretion of the castle."

"Lady Hogwarts," Hermione called.

"Yes, child?"

"Would it be possible for the entrance to the Headmaster's office to move to the seventh floor today, please?"

"Of course, young Maia. That change will be made as soon as the students have all finished breakfast and are busy with their weekend pursuits."

"Thank you, my Lady," Hermione smiled at the Spirit of the Castle, as Albus raised an eyebrow in astonishment at the young woman's connection with the castle.

"Well, Miss Pevensie," he said. "I shall see you here again at ten o'clock. I'm looking forward to seeing this mysterious meeting room almost as much as I'm looking forward to hearing your story."

"Why don't we go along there now, Professor? As Headmaster, it should be you who reveals the room to everyone else."

"That would be very much appreciated, Miss Pevensie," Albus smiled benevolently at the considerate young woman. "Please lead the way."

Hermione accompanied the Headmaster to the seventh floor of the left wing and paused in the corridor beside the tapestry of Barnabus the Barmy trying to teach trolls to ballet dance.

"Have you ever heard of the Room of Requirement or, as the house elves call it, the Come and Go Room, sir?" she asked with a smile.

"No, I can't say that I have," he replied, looking bemused.

"The room opens to those who need it. You must walk by this section of wall three times, thinking of what you require and the room will open to you. Inside, it will have become what you require—a training or duelling room, a meeting room, a study room, a living area, whatever you want it to be. One aspect of it is the Room of Lost Things, where much of the castle's junk ends up. You can refine your requirements once you are in the room, although you have to exit it to change it to a completely different requirement, and the more specific you are, the better. For example, we require a meeting room large enough for nearly thirty people, that will be comfortable enough to spend a long day in without becoming claustrophobic or crowded. We require comfortable seating and possibly tables, for anyone who wishes to take notes. We also wish to deny access to anyone who supports the Dark Lord or who we have not invited to the meeting. I would suggest we allow the house elves entrance, so they can contact you or the Heads of House if need be and so they can serve food and drink, since the room cannot create the Physical Exceptions to Gramp's Law of Elemental Transfiguration, such as food. We should also allow the entrance of Patronuses, in case anyone needs to be contacted urgently. As long as someone remains in the room, it will retain the transformation requested. Once everyone leaves, it goes back to its natural state, whatever that is. Would you like to try and call forth the room, Professor?"

Professor Dumbledore had listened to Hermione with an ever-growing expression of wonderment on his face as she described the capabilities of the Room of Requirement. "Thank you, my dear. I'd be delighted," he said brightly. He paced three times along the stretch of corridor and grinned with delight when a door appeared. He opened it and looked inside, to see several comfortable looking sofas and armchairs in black, with plenty of squashy cushions in the colours of all four Houses, all grouped around a large hearth that was burning brightly; a large, woolly black rug with the Hogwarts Crest in the centre spread out on the floor in front of the sofas and armchairs to stop feet from getting cold on the stone floor; and some small tables scattered around for people to lay plates of food and drinks on or to use as writing tables. "What a wonderful thing," he said in awe. "Thank you for showing this to me, Miss Pevenise. Will you be telling me how you came to know of this marvellous room?"

"That should come up in my story, yes," she smiled.

As Albus began to experiment with the setup of the room, Hermione politely excused herself and returned to her suite to calm herself down. Now that the meeting was almost upon her, she was beginning to feel very nervous. She meditated until she was serene and felt ready to tackle what she was sure would be a contentious and emotionally draining meeting, then, a few minutes before ten o'clock, she returned to the Head's office, which was now on the seventh floor as promised by Lady Hogwarts, not far from the Room of Requirement.

.o.O.o.

¹ All the information given about rowan wood wands is taken/paraphrased from Pottermore and the Harry Potter wikia.

² Pronounced KA-riss. It's of Greek origin and means grace.

³ In canon, the riddles were far more esoteric and philosophical but I couldn't come up with anything to match and so used a more standard riddle. I was tempted to have the door knocker ask "What is the meaning of life, the universe and everything?" as per Douglas Adam's Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series but the original radio series (which predated the books and tv series) didn't air until six months after this scene takes place, so I refrained.

⁴ In Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, the entrance to the Head's office on the second floor, while in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, it's on the seventh floor. Given the castle's stated ability to move rooms, walls, corridors etc, it's entirely possible the Head's office could move too.