Disclaimer: I am not J.K. Rowling.
Revised, split up into chapters, and reposted on 2-3-10
The Dool Tree
Chapter 4
Dumbledore's only consolation to Hermione was to remind her that she was extremely lucky to have made it to someplace that actually existed. After all, she might have landed beyond the earth's atmosphere, in the middle of outer space, and died for lack of oxygen. Other than that, and the hint that 'things happen for a reason', he was remarkably unhelpful and unresponsive.
It depressed her that Dumbledore really didn't seem to care if she got back to her own time or not, and his passivity left a bad taste in her mouth. She was thus disillusioned with the great wizard; she'd never seen this ambivalent side of him when she'd been the friend of Harry Potter. Now that she saw what face he showed to unexceptional students, she understood why some found it so easy to dislike the wizard.
That being said, at least he made arrangements for her to blend into the Wizarding World of Spring 1976.
She was permitted to live at Hogwarts. Her cover story--for she was not to inform anyone of her time-displacement status--was that she was a foreign exchange student from Australia. During the summer months, Dumbledore promised to help her find a job that would allow her to take her own flat in London and also would spruce up her resume. In the meantime,
Since spring exams were near already, she'd just have to finish her fifth year over the summer in correspondence courses and pass her O.W.L.S. in late August, so she could take sixth year N.E.W.T. levels next year. Hermione didn't like the plan, but at least she wouldn't have to take fifth year exams for a few months.
She was instructed to simply go back to her studies, though it would be solitary for the time being. Dumbledore gave her a pass to audit classes if she liked and talk to professors, at least. Of course, she took up both offers adamantly.
Hermione was whisked away to spend a few dozen of Hogwarts' galleons on clothes, books, and other necessities. She missed Crookshanks, and McGonagall—who had taken rather a shining to Hermione—allowed the girl to pick out a new pet kitten, which came to be called Palsy because its tail twitched violently.
Being already a Gryffindor, as the Sorting Hat confirmed to Dumbledore when it graced Hermione's head, she was allowed to keep to the Gryffindor girls' dormitories. She was allotted a bed with the other fifth-year girls: Mary Macdonald, Dorcas Meadowes, Deborah Smith, Jenny Hazard, and Lily Evans.
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