Chapter 1
It has only been a few months into her new job (and Ron was still not too happy about it), but Hermione has always been an overachiever, thus leading to her current distress, wringing hands and sudden uncharacteristically violent outburst. "It is all just useless, bloody useless! How can they think so little of me to disregard my ideas entirely, it's preposterous!"
Impassioned as she was, it could only induce a rather irritated "Calm yourself Hermione" from her newest co-worker, Lea-Anne. It was after all already after hours for Ministry officials, and Hermione could see Lee-Anne constantly checking the clock waiting to be dismissed. "It's fine, I can continue on my own Lee-Anne, you can go" A moment later a door closed somewhere, leaving Hermione for once in blissed silence since starting at the Department of Mysteries.
After starting at Mysteries Hermione had been almost immediately disillusioned of her idea that the department was much different from the noisy, constantly bickering DRCMC being only slightly less filled with bigoted idiots and tedious paperwork and more unidentified explosions.
But in truth she never had much of a choice, the need to leave her old department was far more than just minor nuisances...
The idea of making a new type of time-turner had been toying in her mind since having read a report, mistakenly filed to her previous department under a mistreatment of Nymphs case, that had brought new ideas to light on the deeper workings of time travel.
It had become Hermione's new drive in the last few months, first in secret and then today at last when she had presented her idea, only to be received with scorn.
Theoretically she knew she had all the aspects in place of what such a device consists of, but it was more than that.
The way her overseers had reacted to the idea had conveyed a deeper, more serious concern. Although she could also deem it to be the edginess that had never exactly left her system either.
The department of Mysteries has always had an eerie atmosphere to Hermione, but at this moment suddenly becoming aware of how truly alone she was, the feeling felt intensified bringing back unwanted memories of her fifth year.
"What am I even still doing here?" came the unbidden sardonic thought with the knowledge that no amount of sitting about was going to get the concept to work, or unveil the cause of her uneasiness, worst was the thought of what her mentor would think of her wallowing in self-doubt.
With that as encouragement Hermione rushed on to finish and lock up.
"Ron is probably already waiting," coming as an afterthought and a guilty feeling.
It was rather dark in the Ministry this late at night with the only illumination, discounting her office, coming from the blue-white glow of the torches in the hallway.
The weak light accompanied by the constant ticking of the Time Room started playing on her nerves, making it more difficult for Hermione to dispel the uneasiness from earlier today.
Although working in the department of Mysteries had one advantage that made her now quite grateful to the way the building was planned. It seemed the department's need for secrecy had allowed it to have its own hidden floo-connected fire grate behind a panel in the Entrance Chamber, allowing her to depart quicker than what she would have at the DRCMC.
With a sigh at her own silliness for feeling frightened at something that was most likely her overactive imagination Hermione started gathering her books and research papers, discarding everything into her workbag.
Searching for her traveling cloak Hermione's glanced once again at the scribbled note on her desk. It had been brought to her a few days ago by her assistant and co-worker on behalf of an unknown party interested in some of her previous work on the transfiguration of space that she had done when cases had been few and scarce.
It was more curious being the same work that had first brought her to the attention of the department of Mysteries...
At the time she had been in the middle of a case regarding a new regulation on the treatment of House elves when she had been whisked away leaving a startled intern to continue. Eventually leading to an overall bizarre meeting with the Head of the Space Division at the Department of Mysteries and her immediate employment.
With another quick glance to her desk and the grabbing of her cloak Hermione made her way through the black tiled hallways of level 9 to the Entrance chamber, note safely tucked into her side pocket...
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter
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