With her badge proudly on the left side of her chest, they entered the Ministry through the telephone booth. Hermione was content in the knowledge that she had gone through this route before and dialed the patterned number '62442'.
"Welcome to the Ministry of Magic. State your name and business," came the same detached cool voice.
"Severus Snape and Apprentice Hermione Granger," Severus enunciated clearly.
"Why not Professor or Master before your name, sir?" she asked talking over the animated voice.
"Because it would be pretentious as both hold their own weight. My name alone should be good enough for the people we see. Your name, however, must seep into the community as my apprentice."
The witch pouted at his flawed logic, "You just don't want a long name badge…"
"That too," he said as he pinned his name tag to his cloak with a slight smirk.
Hermione pinned hers under her apprentice badge.
The potions master made an imposing entrance, his cloak billowing the way it always did in the castle halls. His eyes were cold and held their usual disdain for those around him. His apprentice behind him with her head held high and her eyes stony to match his. He walked towards security and gave them a light sneer.
"Mr. Whitewater, Miss Jeckle," he said slowly, "I see Mr. Munch is absent today."
"Professor Snape," said the witch with a squeak in her voice, "Eric is on vacation this week."
"I see," he said in the same tone.
She cleared her throat as the wizard beside her paled into an almost alarming white, "Y-your wand please, sir."
He took out his wand and placed it in the wand weigher, his eyes boring into hers. Her forehead began to sweat as she quickly scanned him with a probity probe as the machine printed out his wand's specifications.
"All clear, sir. Please have a good day," she said her voice strained.
"Miss Jeckle, still trying to rush through things I see," he said while looking down at her, "You must also weigh my apprentice's wand and scan her as well."
Even through the fear there was a light of curiosity in her eyes, "Of course, sir. My apologies. Apprentice…?" she quickly moved her eyes and saw a curly haired witch with cold eyes and an arched eyebrow. It was obvious she was younger than her, but there was something about her that made her just as nervous as seeing the Minister the first time. She looked down at her name badge and her eyes widened.
'Hermione Granger. Lady Hermione Granger?' she thought to herself slightly astounded.
There were rumors going around from those in the Potter court case that Hermione Granger, the witch who was rumored by the Daily Prophet to be playing with his heart, was royalty and his sister. Some people scoffed at the idea, but the older families were on the fence as were those who grew up in a more traditional background. Personally she was on the fence as well.
"Apprentice Granger, y-your wand please," she said, blushing at her stuttering.
Hermione placed her wand on the brass machine in the same manner her master did and waited with a shrewd eye for the witch to scan her so she could retrieve her wand posthaste. The witch behind the security desk scanned her as fast as possible mentally rushing the probity probe, eager to for the other witch to have her wand back.
"I hope your Ministry visit is a pleasant one, Professor, Apprentice," she said with a shaky smile.
Severus nodded at her in a more cordial way whereas his apprentice smiled brightly at her and said, "Thank you, Miss Jeckle."
The witch stared at them with her eyes wide and her mouth slightly ajar. Their reactions were entirely different than what she was expecting. From cold to slightly warm and bright were not what she was expecting. If anything the witch was expecting indifference, but it seemed the pair had more of a practical reaction that the aurors' had at check-in. It was curious, but not unexpected from Severus Snape. They were better than Moody who always gave her the creeps when he visited. The retired auror growled at them and seemed to stare through them with his magical eye while burning a hole in them with his regular one until he was allowed his wand back.
"I take it they were past students, Master?"
Severus looked at her through the corner of his eye, "Yes. Miss Jeckle was a Hufflepuff, she graduated most recently and Mr. Whitewater was a Hufflepuff who graduated a roughly 6 years ago. He wasn't as bad as Mr. Longbottom, but his magic was just as hectic in potions as Mr. Finnegan's is in... everything. He managed an Acceptable for his OWL."
Hermione nodded in understanding. With potions being as volatile as they were it was easy to accidentally make a poison or cause a harmful explosion. An extra pinch of one ingredient or put in the wrong order could cause someone to end up in the infirmary or worse. It was why they were given such basic potions in the beginning. If it was made the wrong way the worst thing that would happen is someone exploding their cauldron and the remaining insides just a foul concoction. It was a simple lesson, to not want flobberworm guts upon your person. It prepared them for later on when the cauldrons would hold something more toxic.
As they strode through the Ministry there were a handful of people that broke out in whispers after seeing Hermione. It irritated her in ways that made her want to grind her teeth. Instead she looked at them coolly in a way that reminded them of the Malfoys. Narcissa was the epitome of a Lady, but her disapproval glance was just as legendary as her husband's. Whereas Lucius had one that could also be taken as threatening, his wife had one that made other people feel as though they were beneath her. Which was quite a feat when some of those on the receiving end were taller than her. The simple reminder of the blond pureblood made them pause and think.
They went down a few halls and finally stopped in front of a warm brown door with an opaque glass. Hermione noticed the difference and took a deep breath.
"I'm ready," she said. Her voice was warm and steady.
Severus nodded without looking at her and then turned the handle.
Upon entering they walked towards a witch sitting at a rather large desk. She was elderly and had frown lines around her lips. Her gray hair was pulled back firmly in a bun and she had an elegant classic witch's hat on. There was a crimson ribbon wrapped around it, but all Hermione could think was, 'Professor McGonagall could pull it off better…' .
"Do you have an appointment?" the witch asked nasally with pursed lips. Her brown eyes were shrewd as he looked above the rim of her gold cat-eye glasses.
"Yes. We have an appointment for Hermione Granger, to take her potions Ordinary Wizarding Level exam," Severus replied pleasantly.
The witch looked at him and then at Hermione before looking away at a schedule.
"Yes. Miss Granger does appear to have an appointment today. Since this is not a retest is she prepared to take the practical as well?" she looked at the curly haired witch with a keen eye.
"Yes. Apprentice Granger is more than prepared to take the practical part of the test," Severus replied smoothly.
The witch's eyes widened fractionally with a small fascination.
"Is she your apprentice, Professor Snape?"
The dark wizard looked down at the elderly witch, "She is."
There was a moment of silence before her eyes crinkled up, "Congratulations on becoming a master, Professor Snape. She looks like a fine Apprentice."
His eyes softened and he nodded, "Thank you."
"Good on you, Apprentice Granger. If your Master believes you are prepared, you are prepared," she said with a smile.
"Thank you, ma'am."
"I will lead you into the adjacent room to take your written portion with Professor Tofty. You will be provided with the standards: paper that is charmed with anti-cheating spells and an anti-cheating quill. Madam Marchbanks will then oversee your practical. Normally we have another witch or wizard do so as with retests, but I see that you haven't started your Fifth year yet," she said pointing to something on a piece of paper in front of her, "With Madam Marchbanks overseeing your practical portion today your grade will be expedited. All grading is done here and normally your results would be owled to you a week or two following the exam. Since your Master requests your exam score, we will be able to grade your work today and give him the score. You will be owled your score on an official score sheet in a week or two."
Hermione grinned at the elderly witch, "Thank you so much."
"Please," she said rising from her chair, "This way, Apprentice Granger."
The elder witch walked toward the dark wood door behind her desk, opening it to reveal a surprisingly sunlit room. Seeing the young witch's surprise she answered the unspoken question.
"Professor Tofty finds that it's easier to oversee exams in sunlight rather than by torchlight," she said with a small smile, "Please be seated, Professor Tofty will be in shortly. After this he'll take you to the next room."
"Yes, ma'am," Hermione nodded and then took a seat in the middle of the room. Her nerves weren't frayed, and it was comforting to be seated in sunlight even though she was just as comfortable doing things by candlelight, it was an easier transition after coming straight from the muggle world. After she was seated the witch gently closed the door shut.
Severus watched the elderly witch lead his apprentice into the examination room. He knew she would do fine, even though she normally overstressed herself about tests and exams in general he was pleased that her hair wasn't a rat's nest that it often found itself to be at year end exams. When the door was shut, cutting him off from his apprentice he watched the elder witch return to her seat.
"The exam will last its regular time, but if she finishes before then, she will move on accordingly. Shall we send you a memo or an owl when she finishes?"
He thought about it for a moment, knowing that whatever potion she was going to make was going to take at least an hour long, not including her written portion. However he also didn't want to just leave her in the Ministry alone. If he had the patience to sit in an office, he would, but knowing what type of people were about…
"A memo would suffice, thank you. I would appreciate if one was sent as soon as her potion is being decanted so I may retrieve her in a timely manner."
"Of course, Professor Snape. I'll see to it."
Severus nodded his head at the witch genially and left the office.
Arthur was hearing whispers around the halls today. Apparently someone from the royal family graced the halls of the Ministry recently. It was surprising, something he would mention to Molly later.
Arthur wasn't a proper pureblood, but he was well liked by many of his co-workers. He was well meaning and most of his sons were gifted and dedicated to their chosen field of magic. His son Bill was a hardworking curse-breaker, Charlie was a dragon keeper, Percy was a ministry worker looking to move up, and the twins were inventors. As much as Molly wished they'd make something of themselves, they loved playing pranks and inventing pieces of magic to do just that. He knew they were brilliant, but he also knew that if they showed more potential on paper she'd demand more of them like she did him when they first got married. He also knew his mother fawned on them and was glad they at least had some of her influence on them until she passed beyond the veil. He occasionally worried about Ronald and Ginny, who didn't remember their grandmother before she passed, but he would hold reservations until they took their OWLs.
While he was looked down for being a blood-traitor, he was praised for his virility. Even if he didn't make anything grand out of himself for a pureblood he was gifted with virility, and his wife fertility. Their magic meshed well and their blood wasn't too close that they were able to bring seven into this world, all gifted with magic. It was a blessing considering most purebloods were having so much trouble having children. Most died prematurely and a witch's body could only take so much. So those with one were proud, two were happy, and any more were considered blessed. Others were happy to have children, but extremely disappointed and often embarrassed if they turned out to be a squib.
So while he wasn't kept in the complete know, as he was a known blood-traitor, he was a respectable pureblood because he was blessed. Thankfully he never told Molly how many 'offers' he received on a weekly basis to help magical couples conceive. They always either asked for his participation in their consummation or for some of his seed. He always declined, as he loved his wife and wanted her to be the only mother of his children, but if Molly ever knew she'd call everyone immoral despite it once being a common practice in the older families.
He saw what he thought was Hermione from behind following Severus down the Division of Magical Education. The back of her head was familiar, especially with how much time she spent with his family at the end of summer breaks. Now that he knew why, he was a little melancholic. He enjoyed having company over, especially his children's friends, but now that he knew it was only because of Molly's manipulations he wasn't sure how safe it would be for them. Nonetheless he still had to apologize for his wife's most recent choice of words.
'Curious. I'll have to see if it's her when they finish,' he thought to himself.
He was aware through one of the smaller meetings that Hermione was going to join the Order and be Severus's assistant so she could take over any potions that he may have to leave unattended. While he wasn't too shabby, they all knew that none of the current members were quick on the draw when it came to potions. Defense against the dark arts, sure, they had fought in a war after all. Well, except Molly, who simply patched them up and fed them after since she was busy taking care of Bill and then Charlie. However potions was something that was precise unlike some wandwork. One mistake and they could blow the roof off a house.
Albus had asked Molly to do so once, but while she was pleased that he recognized her skill, she declined saying that she couldn't devote the type of attention that a cauldron needed because of the children. Really though it was probably because his children would want to be involved.
Arthur cringed remembered an incident involving the twins. They were inventors alright, or else they'd be without a home right now. All those inventions of theirs, plenty of explosions, and they still the Burrow was still a fully functioning home.
That and ingredients were expensive. One botched potion could cost what he made in a month. The Order usually had uncommon and rare potions in their stores only because Severus made them. A few of them were simple, but others were too exacting in their making that no one else remembered how to recreate. Several botched potions later and Severus raged about how he didn't want anyone who didn't know what they were doing touching any of his potions. He either harvested or bought the ingredients themselves and when he listed them and their common prices it pained him physically just thinking about how expensive potion making was.
Before he turned to go down the hall for the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office he saw Severus leave the room alone.
'She must be taking an exam. I'll make a trip back in roughly two hours to catch them.'
Severus was checking in with some of his contacts at the Ministry. It was a good idea to make sure those bridges were still intact and reinforced. While he did not have many friends, he did have a good amount of contacts and acquaintances. Those who were in place to benefit him should he need it in exchange for good quality potions. Some of his contacts had their own private gardens with rare flora and fauna. He rarely met with them, but they had a mutual beneficial relationship. Rare plant clippings for a well brewed rare potion seemed extremely fair. Some he felt he was getting the better deal, especially when they wanted a simple potion they could easily make themselves. Granted he improved on those potions so they were better quality than if they did make them, but a few simple changes to the standard recipe was nothing. Not that he'd tell them that.
He had just finished setting up a date to come over to retrieve some pieces of a contact's plant when the memo flew towards him. Lifting his hand and catching it gently he opened the memo with a sparkling glint in his eye. The dark wizard smirked to himself and made his way to his apprentice.
"Ah Severus, I didn't expect to see you here," came a silky voice.
"Lucius," he nodded, "I came on personal business," he replied seeing his platinum blond haired friend.
The aristocrat lifted an eyebrow, "Oh? Care to share, old friend?"
Severus looked at him in the corner of his eye, clearly annoyed at the personal intrusion.
"If you must know, I came to have my apprentice take her potions OWL. I'm going to collect her now."
Lucius smiled, "Congratulations. I'm sure the witch did brilliantly. Mind if I join you. I wish to give her my personal felicitations."
"You may, however I will not hold her tongue. She may have personal issues with you that I am yet unaware of," he said blandly.
Falling in step Lucius walked next to his friend, "Is it about Draco?"
"Mm, perhaps a small part of it. However I believe I was thinking more along the lines of your treatment of house-elves. How you wish to treat them is your business, but she feels strongly about treating all beings and creatures humanely."
"A bleeding heart then," he replied.
"Not so much, but she does tend to be the voice of those who aren't given one. A Gryffindor."
"Ah. I almost forgot the young witch was a lioness instead of an eagle. Hopefully with extended exposure she can see the truth."
"Perhaps, but she may surprise you with her own research to state otherwise. She is tenacious."
Lucius frowned knowing his friend was right, he had to pull many strings to win the case against the hippogriff that scratched his son. The witch's case was extremely compelling, but he was able to compel the jury even more with his confidence and mention of his experience, which worked well since she wasn't there to speak face to face. He was also able to make jabs about her being so young, a mere third year. Who would they agree with? An adult or a muggleborn child not even half way done with her schooling.
However as much as he wanted to stay fast to his beliefs he also wanted the witch as an ally. Severus was indifferent to many things he did not agree with, or he agreed with him to slight degrees. The potions master was many things, but he wasn't exactly an extremist when it came to such topics. His witch on the other hand was very much like a young dragon from what he heard and indirectly dealt with.
"We shall see. For one as gifted as her, I suppose I would be willing to make a few concessions with some concrete reasoning or even evidence on her part. If you feel she is intelligent enough to make her your equal then she can't be that wrong, merely misguided."
Before they knew it they were in front of the door and Severus was turning the knob. Opening the door completely, they were greeted with the sight of Hermione's curls as she smiled brightly thanking the witch.
As though she knew it was him, she turned around and beamed at him.
"Master Snape! I think my potion was well done, although I think I missed a few questions on the written…" she slowed down her happy chatter upon seeing Lucius behind him and her smile dimmed with it, "Lord Malfoy, my apologies. I didn't see you."
"It's quite alright, Apprentice Lady Granger. I came to personally give you my congratulations on your apprenticeship."
"Thank you," she replied politely.
"Apprentice, I do believe you should wait in the hall while they give me your final score. They should also be giving me a copy of your written portion so I may personally check if you missed any questions. If you did we will go over them together," Severus said smoothly.
"Yes, Master. Excuse me, Lord Malfoy."
"Of course," the blond replied in dulcet tones.
Leaving the office Hermione closed the door behind her before releasing a breath.
'Of all the people Master Severus could be friends with, is Malfoy's father. I suppose I'll have to try get over it… but I will not concede, I will see him bend to truth instead of that pureblood rubbish.'
She moved over to stand next to the door, and let her face relax into a well-practiced pose. Her posture was perfect, as her eyes coolly watched those who were walking. It was interesting that for the most part, Ministry workers wore drab colored robes, but all had something bright in color on them. Be it a hat, a sash, shoes, glasses, or whatever else.
As she was about to release another breath, she saw Mr. Weasley walking towards her with a smile on his face. She quickly put on a small smile for the other man, unsure of why he was coming towards her.
"Hermione! I thought I saw you earlier. How has your holiday been so far?"
"It's been pretty good thus far. Thank you, Mr. Weasley. And the Burrow's?" she asked, politely.
"Ah, you know them," he chuckled, "Lively as ever."
The witch nodded in agreement knowing full well how lively the Weasley brood was at home.
"I have to say, I'm glad I caught you now. I just heard about what happened at Hogwarts with Molly, and I can't possibly describe how sorry I am for my wife..." he seemed as though he was gathering himself, "Hermione you are beyond brilliant from what my kids say. You were born with the gift of magic, which means you do belong here. I don't agree with Molly in anyway and when I spoke to her about it she admitted she was greatly in the wrong."
"I don't know Mr. Weasley… what she said hit very hard. She meant what she said, even if she said it out of anger. You may not agree with her, but she obviously feels very strongly against muggles and muggleborns, like myself," her face fell and became slightly guarded.
Arthur tried again, "Hermione, please know you are always welcome at the Burrow. I would like to make amends. I know you won't be able to forgive something like that overnight. What Molly said was extremely uncalled for and I can't apologize enough – "
Just then the door swung open and Lucius stepped out with Severus in tow.
"Weasley," Malfoy drawled, "Have you come to congratulate Apprentice Lady Granger on her apprenticeship? Or apologize for tarnishing some more of her reputation by speaking to her in public?" he asked with a sneer on his face.
Arthur instantly bristled on site of the blond wizard, "What are you talking about, Malfoy? Hermione's reputation can't be tarnished just by speaking to me. And what is this sudden change of title: Apprentice Lady…?" his words trailed into silence as he turned and looked at Hermione's name badge.
'Apprentice Hermione Granger. -"Oh yes! I heard about that, some royal figure was down in the court the other day for Potter's trial! From what I heard they're also related!"- Apprentice Lady Granger. Sweet Merlin, Molly!' he thought berating his wife.
Not only did his wife insult Harry's family, but also the talk of the Ministry, royalty in the Ministry.
"Hermione, is what Malfoy saying true?" Arthur asked, trying to keep his tone civil.
"Yes. Master Snape took me on as an apprentice. We retrieved my official badge this morning," she said grinning, very proud of her achievement.
"Th-That's fantastic!" He said, genuinely happy for the young witch, but also aware of the outside ears and piercing grey eyes, "Congratulations. You've definitely earned it."
"Thank you, Mr. Weasley," she said with a pleasant smile.
"Yes, thank you, Weasley. It would seem that your family has been rubbing elbows with the right crowds lately. Hopefully hers hasn't become sullied. It would be more befitting of your status to refer to her by title though, would it not?" Malfoy asked condescendingly.
"Hermione has been a good friend to my children for years, Malfoy. We've passed the formalities between us, unlike you."
Severus watched dispassionately, rolling his eyes at his friend's antagonizing. There was no controlling the feud between the Malfoys and the Weasleys, there were too many generations of bad blood between them. He learned a while ago to just leave it be. The potions master walked around the two bickering wizards to be closer to his witch.
"Apprentice, let's take our leave. Our company has dwindled and we have much to do. I also have your grade," he finished with a blank look in his eyes.
Hermione's eyes widened and she paled, the calming draught finally having left her system. She had momentarily forgotten since the stress had been lifted from her shoulders and the Weasley patriarch had showed up. However this was a small moment of truth. If she didn't receive a high enough grade she would have to retest!
"May I please know now? The suspension is positively nerve-wracking," she insisted.
Unbeknownst to the curly haired witch, her eyes widened impossibly giving them a wide-eyed gleam. While her pose remained perfect, her facial expression was practically begging. Her bright emotion was reminiscent of his old friend Lily, who also felt the same way about her grades.
His lip twitched, forming an involuntary smile, "If you insist on knowing," he took out the paper from his pocket and unfolded it, "Overall you received, an unsurprising," he rolled his eyes at her, "O."
The light in her eyes grew as did a grin.
"Now, let us take our leave. You may pester me for details once we leave here."
"Yes, Master," she said joyously, fighting to keep a bounce out of her step, as she glided next to him.
Her poise still causing an outbreak of whispers in their wake.
Meanwhile Albus was having a distressing conversation with the Minister and half of the Board about the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor.
It was an unofficial meeting with a few select board members. Minister Fudge wanted Malfoy to be there, but knew that he and Albus didn't get along on a personal or professional level. It was decided that those with a more neutral disposition, but also those who didn't quite see eye to eye with the Headmaster, would be best.
Cornelius had personally written a proposal and they agreed. When they appointed a professor, there would be an official meeting, in the meantime they felt it would be best to corner Dumbledore with the recent turn of events. The Headmaster's recent announcement that You-Know-Who was back, was not well met from those without a strong stomach. They were giving him a time limit, and with the position having a reputation for being cursed he was having a hard time finding a replacement so soon. If he couldn't find one, they would appoint one from the Ministry.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, I implore you to reconsider. Hogwarts is a school, a private school at that, not part of the government. I feel it would hinder the learning process should there be a faculty member who is also a ministry worker. Not to mention the conflict of interests," he spoke gently.
"Dumbledore," one of the elder members sighed aggressively, "It is more important to have a professor to teach the subject rather than not. Unless you feel it's prudent to take up the mantle yourself, we will appoint someone to teach should you not find someone within the next four weeks."
"That's hardly enough time for someone to make the decision to agree to teach the subject to learning wizards and witches," he frowned at them.
"If you really feel that way, we can decide now," the same wizard spoke.
The Minister cleared his throat, "If it pleases Dumbledore's sensibilities, I feel that we should give him 6 weeks. Should he not find a replacement then I can personally assign one of my top staff members."
There was a grumble among the few members of the board, five wizards and two witches, as they conferred with each other. One of the wizards harrumphed and two others glared at him. It was another minute before they decided.
"We agree to your terms, Minister Fudge. However if we find your staff member's scores lacking they will be restricted and unable to teach the students practical magic. This is mostly for the safety of the students. After the debacle with Lockhart, we simply cannot take that risk."
Cornelius mulled over the words, his mustache moving about as he fidgeted. He already knew his choice, and was aware that they weren't entirely competent with practical magic. Looking at his staff's scores was one of the first things he did before promoting them or keeping them close to him. It was why he trusted Lucius Malfoy so much.
"Of course, it would be for the best. With my staff being seniors, they may have forgotten some of the material since the ministry spells are more frequently used than what they were taught in school. With such spells mostly being taught to only ministry officials it wouldn't be prudent for them to slip up due to habits," he spoke, even as his stomach coiled with nerves and anticipation.
Dumbledore looked at the Minister with disappointment apparent in his eyes.
"Thank you, ladies and gentlemen for your decision to expand the time for my search. I still feel it isn't enough time, but I understand the need for the new staff member to make lesson plans and choose the appropriate books for all seven years before letters go out," he sighed dejectedly, hoping for some of the board members present to feel sympathy to his plight.
The truth was that the Minister didn't want the students to acknowledge that You-Know-Who was back. Despite there being a proper witness, he was hoping to discredit the witch, even though she was a very prominent member of society. With his choice of staff member, he was almost reassured that what needed to be done would be done. After all there was a reason why he chose Delores Umbridge to be his undersecretary.