Hermione Weasley raged inwardly as she quickly and decisively climbed the stairs to the castle she had called her second home for so long. But that was so many years ago. How much had changed since then.

She was no longer the young, idealistic, bushy-haired girl who eagerly threw herself into new endeavors and hoped to make the world a better place. She pursed her lips bitterly as she thought back to that girl who had once wandered these halls and greedily absorbed everything she could find out about the wizarding world.

How overflowing with euphoria and optimism she had been and how she couldn't wait any longer to finally go out into the world and leave her mark on magical society. Oh how naive I had been.

And yet she had to wonder briefly what the young Hermione Granger, who had been so full of life and ideas, would think if she saw her adult self now. Well, the brown hair remained, even if it was a lot longer now and had not been bushy for many years, but fell in light waves from her shoulders.

The ravages of time and, above all, the birth of her two children, Rose and Hugo, which she had had with Ron and who now attended the school where their parents had met and fell in love with each other, had also taken their toll on her figure. However, Hermione was still slim, even if her body had far more feminine curves than before, but these were more flattering to her figure and Ron, at least, had taken a liking to her new femininity in the first few years of their marriage.

Bitterness rose again in Hermione as she thought about her now 16-year marriage with Ron, if it could even be described as such. The two of them got married quite quickly after the war and had Rose a year later, at a time when life seemed so infinitely precious and in the years they spent together at Hogwarts and especially in their last year hunting for the Horcruxes they had bonded so closely that it seemed only logical to everyone that she and Ron belonged together. Unfortunately, she had also succumbed to this fallacy and only woke up from this illusion much too late.

At first she had convinced herself that she still had to get used to married life and that it would just take a while before she could fully embrace the role of mother. But even after Hugo's birth two years later, a feeling of satisfaction never really came.

She deeply regretted never completing her last year of school and pursuing a career in the Ministry of Magic. But in the first few years, when the children were still young and Ron had completed his training as an Auror, there was simply no time for it and after that she also had to support the family financially.

Pursuing an academic education without earning any money was therefore out of the question. Partly, of course, she was angry with herself, and not just with Ron, who had dragged her into this golden cage of domesticity and never let her escape again.

And how could she? After all, she couldn't and didn't want to abandon her children - one of the main reasons why she still stuck to this marriage, which in recent years had been more like a community of convenience in which her main communication consisted of arguments and disagreements over every little thing.

Hermione was so sick of it all. She never imagined that she would be so frustrated and dissatisfied with her life in her mid-30s. Not that she regretted having her children, no, she loved them too much for that.

But giving up on herself and all her ambitions cut deep into her heart and she had to hold back tears as she climbed the final steps to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, whose battlements suddenly seemed so much higher than ever before. As if they wanted to mock her for how great and high her potential had been - back then.

And how small and insignificant her existence was now, as a simple housewife and mother who worked part-time as a secretary and was now summoned to the school she had sworn never to enter again.

It would have been Ron's job to be here today, not mine, she thought angrily, and the sadness she had just felt gave way to anger towards her husband, with whom she had actually agreed on a clear distribution of tasks. She was happy to take care of anything concerning the children, but never, ever, did she want to be bothered with anything that even remotely affected the place that had once been the center of her universe and her dreams.

She was well aware that her behavior was anything but mature, but there were certain demons from the past that she simply didn't want to face. At least that had been the case until this evening, when one of the headmistress's extremely intrusive owls took it upon itself to pester her and peck her with its beak until she not only finally read the short letter that was attached to its leg, but also wrote an answer that made it impossible for her to shift the task to Ron, who was currently abroad on business, at short notice. She had difficulty swallowing the bile that rose in her throat as she remembered the words of the letter.

Dear Mrs Weasley,

Recent events regarding your daughter, Rose Weasley, require your immediate appearance at the headmistress's office. There is no need to worry about your daughter's health, she is fine. Please send me a short reply via owl that you have taken note of this message and that I can expect you to appear at Hogwarts as soon as possible.

Yours sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall

Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

And Hermione Weasley had set off straight away - and was literally seething with rage. Whatever the headmistress wanted from her and whatever Rose had done, as long as no one had been harmed, she could hardly imagine that something could be so urgent as to summon her to the school immediately and without further explanation.

What did this woman actually allow herself? As if the whole world revolved around her and other people who didn't hold such a prestigious position as headmistress had nothing better to do than come running as soon as she called for one.

Hermione clenched her fists in anger as her thoughts dragged her deeper and deeper into a spiral of bitterness and rage that made her steps more determined and quicker as she marched through the main gate, heading straight for the headmistress's office. She knew the way all too well.

How many times in all her school years had she followed the woman like a loyal puppy. The woman who had been so much more to her than just her Transfiguration teacher and the head of her Gryffindor house. A role model, a mentor and someone she had always looked up to and whose opinion and advice Hermione had valued above all else.

As if on a pedestal, Minerva McGonagall had always seemed so superior and unattainable, with an almost aristocratic air despite coming from a simple background, and a natural authority that had so often taken Hermione's breath away.

How much Hermione had admired her, almost adored her and...No, stop thinking like that, it really doesn't belong here, it's all long gone and forgotten. You're here today for a completely different reason, it's about Rose, not about you, she forced her thoughts back to her daughter and to the anger that was still simmering inside her at the fact that she was being summoned to the headmistress like a naughty schoolgirl over a possible triviality.

Oh yes, she could now put this anger to good use to confront the woman who was one of the most important pillars of wizarding society and who could scare even grown wizards with just one look.

She didn't know anyone who could be as intimidating and have such a presence as the black-haired Scottish woman with the severe bun and piercing green eyes. Those eyes...No, stop. Rose, it's about Rose.

Of course, the whole way to school she had wondered what Rose had done to provoke such a reaction from the headmistress, who certainly had far more important things to deal with than to debate with parents about the actions of a 15-year-old student who certainly wasn't known for her pranks.

Well, her daughter was a Slytherin through and through, which Ron and she were certainly a little disturbed and shocked about after their daughter sheepishly and fearfully confessed to her two famous Gryffindor parents the Sorting Hat's decision.

But this reaction didn't last long, because the two war heroes in particular had to learn at a young age how dangerous and downright toxic a hostile attitude towards other houses could be and had thrown their reservations about the house decorated with the snake as a symbolic animal overboard. They quickly learned through and with the help of their daughter that Slytherin House had much more to offer than just producing dark and evil wizards and witches.

Her daughter was extremely clever, ambitious and determined and showed these character traits not only in her school performance, but also in her dealings with those around her, because she was an almost possessively loyal friend who was ready to help, especially people who were close to her heart, and to do everything for those she counted among her closest confidants.

Yet another reason why Hermione had absolutely no idea what could have caused Professor McGonagall to summon her to school about her daughter. Maybe she just wanted to stand by one of her friends and went overboard with her protectiveness, causing someone to get hurt.

With a slight smile on her lips, she thought back to her own quite violent scandal in her third year, when she had given Draco Malfoy a good punch, which had taught him to watch his tone in her presence towards those who were important to her. She could only imagine that her daughter had inherited this trait.

Well, if that's the reason, Minerva McGonagall can rage as much and as long as she wants. If my daughter is to be punished for doing the right thing, even if the means are questionable, I will stand behind my daughter and certainly not listen to a moral lecture from a woman who has spent most of her life lonely in a castle.

With these thoughts, she stepped in front of the gargoyle and announced herself: "Hermione Weasley. Professor McGonagall is waiting for me."

Without further reaction, the gargoyle gave way to the spiral staircase that led to the headmistress's office. Hermione, who wanted to get this meeting over with as quickly as possible, didn't even wait until the spiral staircase had slowly taken her upstairs, but went straight up the steps herself to the wide wooden door with the elegant gold handles.

She wanted to give her former professor as little time as possible to prepare for this encounter. Without hesitation, she gave a quick knock and entered without waiting for an answer from the other side of the door, ready to take on the lioness who was already lurking there vigilantly.