AN: Thank you for all the support! It is very deeply appreciated!

Hermione took a deep breath upon reaching the doorway to Minerva's office. Despite her careful preparations, her leg was spasming more than it had in weeks and she was in too much pain for her to remain upright. Even using a walker was agony. After a short debate with herself, she decided it was more prudent to use the wheelchair than any other assistive device. It was best to be strong in a wheelchair than collapse on the stairs due her uncooperative body.

At least she had been able to wheel up to Minerva's office without too much trouble. Climbing the ramp to her office in a walker was always a challenge, not that wheeling up one was much better. Despite the castle's best efforts, the ramp was steep, and a few times she needed to make sure she distributed her weight well enough not to tip over. Still, she did make it up with no issues.

"Password," the Gargoyle intoned.

"Be of courage." Hermione flexed her hands, hoping she could take Severus' advice and relax. It was just an interview. If she didn't get this job, she wouldn't starve, and she'd still be employed. Still she didn't want to entertain the possibility of a member of Dumbledore's Army gloating over how they had become her colleague, nor did she want to imagine the things they'd say to Severus once they took their new position. He'd dealt with enough in life. The last thing he needed was one more person who refused to forgive him for saving their life.

"Enter," the door opened beside the Gargoyle.

"Thank you." Hermione's mind returned to the present. As she wheeled inside, she did her best to ignore the barrage of memories which flooded her. Here is where she and Ron used to come when they had caused trouble, where she was complimented by Dumbledore for her accomplishments, and where she learned whatever strategies she could for the war. Yet, here was also where she'd begged for any job Minerva could offer, where she'd been told she could not have the Defense Against Dark Arts position, and where Hestia had said a disabled life was not worth living. Despite all the negativity, she held her head up as highly as she could, ensuring her posture was as straight as possible. If she was going to be denied this job, she may as well look confident before being told "no."

"Hello Hermione," Minerva's hands were folded as she leaned forward at her desk. It was difficult to tell her emotions surrounding the interview, though the chair before her desk was gone. Given that Hermione had gone to dinner in her wheelchair, it was refreshing to see at least one accommodation was made.

"Hello," Hermione parked her wheelchair and locked it. Then, she stood, putting her weight on her right leg, and extended her arm. In turn, Minerva stood and shook it.

"Thank you for agreeing to interview me and giving me another chance to prove myself," Hermione began, hoping she had shaken her hand firmly enough to show she was as strong as any other candidate.

"Thank you for your continued interest in the job. It is nice to know there are no hard feelings surrounding my initial rejection," Minerva released her hand. She was still grinning. Good. Hermione hadn't been written off, at least not yet.

"There are no hard feelings at all. I'm just as eager to take on the position of Defense Against Dark Arts professor now as I was then. It would be my honor to continue to work under you in a position I am passionate about."

"That is good to hear," Minerva cleared her throat. "Now, I would ask you what your qualifications are for the job, but I know them quite well."

Hermione beamed as her chest warmed.

"So I will ask you for a brief history of all the spells you've made, and your overall contribution to the field of Defense Against the Dark Arts."

"Well." She inhaled. "You know that I received my schooling at Hogwarts, where I befriended Harry Potter."

"Indeed," there was a gleam in Minerva's eyes. "You two were quite close."

"We still are, which is why he was a reference."

"Yes, and he still speaks glowingly of you."

"I feel the same way, about him, but I must get back to my accomplishments. My first major contribution to the field of Defense Against Dark Arts was helping Harry found Dumbledore's Army during my fifth year. This was organization that taught Defense Against Dark Arts because Umbridge was a uh," Hermione paused and twisted her lips.

"An incompetent bitch," Minerva concluded.

"Yes, thank you," Hermione relaxed. "Harry and I taught defensive spells, how to cast the Patronus, and ways to fight Death Eaters. There were hexes I created on my own as well. For instance, I created the jinx that exposed Marietta Edgecomb as a traitor."

"Oh yes," Minerva chuckled. "That was quite ingenious to have her burst out into pimples like that. The SNEAK was a nice touch as well."

"Thank you," Hermione blushed. "During my sixth year, I invented a memory altering spell which forced my parents to forget me. This was done in order to protect them from Voldemort. Once they were safely in Australia, I did research on the horcruxes, and helped destroy Hufflepuff's Cup with a basilisk fang."

"Indeed, your accomplishments during the war are impressive. Still I am curious if you have done anything more recent."

"I am thrilled you asked." She made sure her posture was as straight as possible. "Since the war, I invented the spell to return my parents' memories. I published an article on the matter which I gave you when I applied for the Muggle Studies position. Afterwards, I kept up with the latest Defense Against Dark Arts research, which culminated in the creation of spells which can turn a walker into a weapon, a wheelchair into a defensive shield, and make a cane trip opponents. With my spells, none of these devices can be taken from me, which means I have just as much of an advantage in a fight as anyone else does."

"Yes, but if you needed to move quickly to protect a student from an errant spell, could you do it?"

"I will be able to in the future."

"What does that mean?"

"It means I am working on learning how to fly. Once I can fly, I can defend myself in the air as well as protect any students from errant spells."

"How are the flying lessons coming along?"

"Great. I am now able to clear my mind, only meditating on my desire to fly. Also, I am desensitizing myself to my fear of flight. Both aspects are coming along nicely."

Minerva frowned. "That sounds very, preliminary."

"It is, but vital for the process," Hermione continued. "In order to fly, one must clear their mind of everything other thought other than the desire to fly. Then, once one is mentally prepared, they can channel their magic to self-levitate."

"Have you so much as gotten a centimeter off the ground?"

"No, but Severus says I'm close to accomplishing that."

"How close?"

"He cannot say," Hermione admitted. "It works differently for everyone."

Minerva hummed and shook her head.

"It's not that I'm slow to learn, at least I don't think so. There are so few people who have flown that there isn't an accurate way to determine how long it takes."

"Do you have an idea of how long it has taken others to fly?"

"It took Voldemort two years to learn how to fly. It took Severus only four months."

"That is quite a difference in time."

"Yes, but Voldemort had to create the spell to self-levitate, which would take longer than if he learned from someone who already knew it. I would like to think I am closer to Severus' time given how well he already knows the spell, how much attention he has given me, and how excellent of a teacher he is."

"Severus excels at teaching in a large group setting. As Harry can tell you, his one on one mentoring skills leave something to be desired."

"With all due respect," Hermione replied in as even a tone as she could muster, "the circumstances under which he taught Harry were much different then than they are now. Now that he isn't fighting a war, he is much more pleasant, patient, and willing to teach an eager student."

"Indeed, he has mellowed through the years," Minerva admitted. "And you seem to get along well with the faculty here."

"Indeed I do," The slight edge left Hermione's voice.

"In Muggle Studies you deal with defiant and unmotivated students, but many of them are not in a position to use gadgets in your class which can seriously injure or kill others. How would you handle two students who became too aggressive with each other and were ready to fire hexes at each other?"

"First, I would try to deescalate the situation. I would stop the exercise and separate them. Also, I would ensure that they were not paired together until whatever tension between them had been resolved. Deducting points is always an option, but I've found for students, winning the House Cup doesn't mean as much as it did when I was in school."

"That's true. Some students do not take the House Cup as seriously as students in the past have."

"Yes, which I hope means rivalries will not be as violent."

"That remains to be seen. Some students will not always be so kind to others."

"Yes, but I hope to put a stop to any bullying I see before it becomes too out of hand."

"Bullying?"

"Yes," Hermione answered. "I am passionate about ending bullying."

Minerva gave her a wide-eyed look.

"What happened to Severus as a student should not have happened to anyone. He would have turned to Voldemort had someone stuck up for him. Sure, Lily defended him, but she was also friends with his tormenters, so she was not the ally she could've been. Then, there was the lack of support from the faculty. Someone needed to put the Marauders in their place. I will not allow anyone to behave as abhorrently as they did."

"James, Sirius, and Remus were good students."

"Who endangered Severus on numerous occasions."

Minerva took a deep breath.

"Severus needed to be defended, and nobody did that for him," Hermione argued.

"So you would stop bullying before it began." Minerva furrowed her eyebrows.

"Yes," Hermione scratched her handlebars. "I will prevent issues from arising. If they arise, I will fly in break up the fight myself, and resolve the situation, regardless of how many detentions I must give or what kind of student I must penalize."

"What about rainy days?" Minerva cleared her throat. "It is well-knowns that you struggle to teach in the rain, and must miss some days due to the pain in your leg. How do you plan to accommodate this?"

"I already use Ibuprofen for my leg pain, and with my breathing exercises, I'm learning to work through any discomfort."

"You still struggle to attend Quidditch games."

"With all due respect, this interview is for a professor of Defense Against Dark Arts, not a Quidditch referee," Hermione fought the urge to scowl.

"True, and nobody can deny you have the knowledge and experience for the position," Minerva admitted. "I am curious as to why you have no college degree though."

"During my first two years of University, I had begun to specialize in Charms. When my leg began shaking though, I was so involved with medical treatments I had to quit without my degree. Still, I was fascinated by the research being done on the dark arts, especially in relation to medicine. I wanted to help prevent others from undergoing the same pain I did. I wanted to teach people how to defend themselves so they could avoid the kind of pain I endured."

"Hence you're applying for this position."

"Yes, I am passionate about wizards finding the power to create their own destiny, and protecting themselves against bullies, regardless of what house they are in. I want everyone to find joy in magic. This means they must know the dark side of magic, and know it is nothing to fear with the proper knowledge. Dark magic can be overcome, and in some cases, could be useful."

"You certainly are not lacking in knowledge," Minerva admitted. "Our of curiosity, would you ever try to cure your leg?"

Hermione shook her head. "I have learned to accept my body as it is. I will admit that some days are more difficult than others, but I'm comfortable with who I am. There is no need to undergo any more painful treatments so long as I can lead a fulfilling life."

"And you think teaching Defense Against Dark Arts would be part of you fulfilling life?"

"Yes. Studying Defense Against Dark Arts was fulfilling when I was an adolescent, and it is just as fulfilling now. I'm confident that enthusiasm will spill over into my teaching."

"And you believe you can protect to the students?"

She leaned forward. "I know I can."

"I will certainly take this all into consideration." Minerva leaned back. "I will have my decision sometime at the end of this month. I will let you know via owl what I decide."

"Thank you," Hermione stood as much as she could on her right leg and extended her hand. "I appreciate your time."

"The pleasure is all mine." Minerva shook her hand. "Good luck on the flight lessons."

"Thank you." She sat and unlocked her wheelchair. "I will let you know how they progress."

"I'm sure you will," Minerva grinned.

With a smile, Hermione wheeled herself back and exited the room, hoping she'd done just enough to convince Minerva she deserved a chance to demonstrate everything she could do.