Diclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

The Meeting

by Ydream08

Chapter 1

"Professor Granger, I'm glad you dropped by this quickly," said Headmistress Minerva McGonagall. "Please, sit down and have tea, and some biscuit."

"Oh, sure," Hermione Granger muttered and perched at the chair opposite her teacher. No, Headmistress McGonagall was now her colleague. With how hard that was to believe, Hermione was unable to shake off the feeling that she wasn't a student. McGonagall had been unchanged, and sitting under her prim gaze Hermione always felt like she was about to hear a feedback of an early-handed-in Transfiguration assignment.

Hermione cleared her throat and fixed her robes. They were no longer that of a student. It had no Hogwarts crest or colours of her former House. Today, she wore navy blue robes that complimented her knee-length pencil skirt of the same colour. Inside, she had a blouse of a lighter shade of blue. Matched with kitten heels, she looked the part of Charms Professor.

The completion of her Charm thesis five years after the War, and her subsequent employment in Hogwarts had finalized last June. Professor Flitwick had been counting the days, in fact. The moment he had convinced Hermione to specialize in Charms, the man had elaborately planned his retirement. Sure, they exchanged owls now and then, but Hermione was no longer a mere assistant.

She had revolutionary plans for the curriculum of Hogwarts, specifically Charms. And having developed a primary scheme, she has been executing it the past five months, changing wherever that fell short with the feedback of the children.

There hasn't been major setbacks, aside from Hermione overworking herself to prepare interactive classes. Also, the style demanded a better forestudying from students which presented a challenge for the whole student body.

Yet, Hermione was determined that such a curriculum would be a cornerstone to create capable witches and wizards.

"This biscuit is lovely," Hermione commented the moment she took a bite, easily distracted by the buttery flavour. "No wonder Harry had been impressed."

To that, Headmistress smiled, appreciating the nostalgia. "I want to cut to the point, Professor Granger. However, if I know you the slightest, I should ask you first of your availability for the next hour. Do you have a class? I would not like you to be late to it."

"No, actually. I have a class after this free hour. Why?"

"You see, I think you will find that there is much to talk about my news." Headmistress collected her hands in front of her. She sighed, all of a sudden seeming more solemn than a few seconds ago. "It is like yesterday that you were hired as the Charms Professor, and at that instant, you asked me if it would be okay to change the programme. Ah, how the time flies— it has been five months! And I gave you my permission, with the explicit condition that you have to report me your plans and proceedings, yes?"

Hermione nodded. "Of course, I wouldn't act without your knowledge." She didn't like where this was going, it brought a feeling of dread in the pit of her stomach.

"Well, I haven't observed any stressing issues with your methods. They are refreshing, and in my opinion, has to at least be tried to see how the students welcome it. For five months, I believe everything has been going well." Headmistress pinned Hermione with her stare, readying her for the news. "However, it seems this new development has reached the Board of Governors, and they wish for these methods to be brought to them to be discussed. There are some who object to this unfamiliar system, claiming the traditional way should not be deterred from."

Hermione felt cool emptiness engulf her, right before her heart began to race. What?

"So whatever that has been done should be continued? Since it has already produced amazing wizards."

Headmistress McGonagall scrunched her face in agreement.

"Have they seen the results of the O.W.L. and N.E.W.T.s from the last decade? Or half a century? It is sadly disgraceful. I checked before I presented you this plan. And internationally we give the least graduates who even specialize in the elementary magical majors. Hence why after the War, you were left with no choice but to invite Professors from abroad to fill the staff."

Hermione felt her blood jump in her veins, consequently her head throbbed as if to count down for an explosion.

"I mean, there are witches and wizards who can't even maintain a levitation charm over a couple of minutes: Don't you remember the news from last week? While moving a house, the caster dropped a bloody armchair on a witch in the street because the charm failed. The wand was found to be perfectly undamaged."

"Professor Granger?"

Hermione abruptly stopped at the voice of the Headmistress. Oh, she was dying to continue on. She. Was. Fuming.

"You simply present your plan to the Board, explain your reasons as you do to me, and continue with your teaching. Until a date is arranged for this event, you won't be asked to stop how you teach."

That sounded easy. Sure. Hermione Granger bringing to table a revolutionary plan for education. A table surrounded by pureblood elitist, most likely. Who was in the Board, anyway? Did Lucius frigging Malfoy keep a seat, for example? Yeah, what could possibly go wrong?

"And what if they refuse my methods?"

There was a silence. It felt too long.

"Then, unfortunately, I would be left to ask you to continue Professor Flitwick's old lessons."

"Do not think the worst at first, Miss Granger." Headmistress looked at her with warm eyes. "Think of all your students. I haven't heard a single one of them complaining to me."

"Not even Steve Harris from the sixth years?"

"Well, some students complain about everything." The two women chuckled. "There are a few I can count that have been more than happy with your teaching. Remember how dear Sally Jones told Slughorn she considered Charms major in her post-graduation plan?"

Hermione smiled fondly. Indeed, there have been students who embraced the class change enthusiastically.

That didn't mean, this meeting with the Board was a piece of cake, though. Regardless of the thoughts of students, her classes could be canceled.

"Why now?" Hermione asked, aware that the question made tears appear in the corner of her eyes. She worked so hard for this. All her summer was spent preparing content of her classes (from year one to year seven), and since the start of the school year, Hermione has been giving every free minute of her life to constantly advancing the class, in addition to reading and scoring assignments and the rest of the duties of a teacher. She hasn't had a proper get-together with her friends, even. Let alone a romantic date (not that she had anyone to ask her out).

It has been five bloody months. Five months of constant work, and nothing else. She has happily given all her free time for this.

Headmistress sighed and aimlessly replaced a few parchments on her desk to buy time. Hermione hated how difficult this question seemed for Headmistress McGonagall: Why did it take five months for her methods to be questioned?

"It has only been brought to the Board's attention," Headmistress finally said. "Simply speaking, they have recently found the state of your classes from their children, like many other families. And a few of them who had found out earlier, I had personally relieved them of their concern that this change would negatively reflect on the exams."

"So," Hermione thought. Displeasure with her lessons wasn't something new, so it seems. Hermione Granger was unwanted in her position from day one. Amazing. When was the wizarding world going to accept her? "This is as far as you could postpone the inevitable."

Headmistress slowly nodded. "Sadly, the Board is above my station."

Well, that didn't cheer up Hermione. She wondered what exactly awaited her in that meeting. And whether she would come out alive from it.