Disclaimer: If you recognize something, it was probably created by J.K. Rowling. I make no money off of this, I just need an outlet, and enjoy being a puppeteer every once in a while.

AN: Apologies for such a long time between updates, still dealing with some health stuff that is eating up a fair amount of my brain space. Hoping to get it all resolved so I can get back on track.

Wizarding Examination Authority Offices, Ministry of Magic, London

Griselda Marchbanks was just as old and frail as Hermione remembered, and then some. The bones and veins in her hands were quite pronounced, her skin, papery thin. Her appearance was a complete contrast to the way she conducted herself. Standing upright and impeccably dressed, her voice was clear and unwavering as she spoke.

"It's so good to see you again Miss Granger, you showed such promise when I examined you two years ago, that I'm glad to see that you chose to continue your studies, even in such trying times."

Hermione had already completed all her of her N.E.W.T.s save for the most important one; Charms. All of the others had been proctored by Thaddeus Tofty, a wizard as old as Marchbanks, but with a voice and demeanor to match. In her defence practical, Hermione felt almost frightened to duel him, for fear that one good stunner would be the end of him. In the end, she went through with it and stayed on the defensive for a good while to show her skill, before going on the offensive. Tofty, beaming at her, told her she "had done very well, indeed." So well, it appeared, that Professor Tofty needed to rest, thus the reason that Marchbanks took over.

"First, I will give you one hour for the written portion. You may begin as soon as you like, the hourglass will start as soon as your quill touches parchment."

The exam didn't take half the hour, Hermione spent the other half double-and-triple checking her answers. She levitated it over to Marshbanks from her seat as the last grains of sand fell into the bottom of the hourglass. Marchbanks grabbed it with an amused smile.

"Like a young Filius Flitwick, himself. Charms was always a subject suited to the quick-witted and clever. Now if you would stand Miss Granger and face the far wall. I will be placing the instructions and materials for your practical examination on the desk. Much like your other practical examinations, your points will be determined based on the skill level, creativity, and finesse you display when completing the tasks."

Hermione heard the distinct sounds of squeaking behind her and wondered what her test subject could be, it had been a ministry owl for the transfiguration exam.

"The quarter-hour glass will begin as soon as you turn around."

On the desk was a large grey rat, a skein of yarn, and a small ration of cheese. Alongside the materials was a piece of parchment that read,

In the next quarter-hour, cast the following:

Banishing Charm,

Cheering Charm,

Confundus Charm,

Growth Charm,

Levitation Charm,

Memory Charm,

Mending Charm,

and Summoning Charm.

You will need to dispose of all of the materials with the exception of the test subject before the time has run out.

She lifted her wand and summoned the desk as well as all of its contents closer to herself and then levitated the yarn, causing it to unravel. Holding it suspended in midair, Hermione manipulated the yarn to form a maze shape and allowed it to fall onto the desk after which she performed a growth charm on it, and it grew into a rat-sized maze. All of this was done in one continuous fluid motion.

She led the rat through the maze, confounding it and casting obstacles, mending it when it injured itself, cheering it to boost its morale, even casting a wandless Sectumsempra (Marchbanks' eyes widened at the use of a severing charm she'd never seen before, different from the slower and more wrist-taxing Diffindo), to split the cheese into many tiny pieces which she strategically placed on the correct path to the center of the maze where she'd left the enlarged final piece. With only seconds to execute a memory charm before the rat reached the center of the maze, she altered its memory to think that it didn't like cheese, and the rat just sat there, uninterested in its prize.

"Retextus"

With more than a little trepidation, Hermione cast a charm that she'd been working on for a few weeks. It took inspiration from Priori Incantatem, but instead of only enabling a wizard to see the spells cast, it allowed certain spells to be reversed when the incantation, very concentrated thought on what the caster would like reversed, and the proper wand movement were all performed in tandem. The spell or charm would be undone, so long as the initial incantations didn't specify that the effects were permanent (The Killing Curse, Sectumsempra, etc). It also was separated from Finite Incantatem, in that it enabled spells and charms without a known counter-spell/charm to be reversed as well.

With this spell, Hermione had each of the objects returned to its original state, and the creature's memory restored before casting Evanesco on all of the supplies. With only a few measly grains of sand to spare.

"Wonderful wandwork, Miss Granger. I'm most impressed by your practical exam, this afternoon," the old witch exclaimed.

She collected the rat, vanished it to someplace unknown, and motioned for Hermione to follow her out of the testing rooms at the back of the ministry offices, and into the entrance of the department.

"I must ask after two spells I didn't recognize. The slicing hex was impressive to be sure, but even it was overshadowed by the reverse charm."

Hermione, smiling, responded, "The slicing hex was an invention of Professor Severus Snape-"

"He was a brilliant lad. A bit intimidating to be certain, but brilliant. And the other?"

"The other spell is something that I've been trying to improve as sort of an extension of the spell that auror's use to see a wand's recently executed spells-"

"My goodness child! You've invented a spell? At your age? I've only heard of ingenuity in one so young in the case of Albus Dumbledore."

"That spell from Severus Snape was...invented while he was in school as well."

"Than you are certainly among good company, dear. You seem uncomfortable with the word invent." At this moment, Hermione seriously considered whether Griselda Marchbanks could possibly be a Legillimens or distantly related to Luna Lovegood, but wrote it off as many years' experience and good observation skills.

"Do we invent spells if someone else could've reached the same conclusion and unlocked the same thing? It feels a bit like saying that magic was invented." Hermione was briefly self-conscious that she started sounding like the swot that lectured her friends when they asked a question.

"I guess I mean that it feels a bit more like discovery."

"I suppose you're right. A wise young woman, you are."

Grimmauld Place, Library

Hermione stepped out of the hearth, dusted off her clothes, and looked around to see that the library looked differently from the way she'd left it that morning. At that moment, Sirius walked in holding a throw and levitating two mugs of tea and set them down on the coffee table.

"What's all this?"

"Good afternoon to you too, dear. How were your exams? Perfect as always I'm sure." He kissed her on the cheek by way of greeting.

"Where'd everything-?"

Sirius pointed to a shrunken stack of books and papers sitting on a nearby shelf.

"But-"

"Yes, my day was quite relaxing, thank you for inquiring."

"Sirius?" Hermione deadpanned half unamused, half very amused.

"Yes?"

"What's going on?"

"I told you that we'd celebrate the end of your exams, with your first lesson, did I not? And after thinking it over, I realise that it's futile to try to get you to abandon the idea, so I've given in. Please have a seat," he said, gesturing to the sofa.

She sat.

"Today I'm just going to explain the process to you. I'm sure you could find all you ever wish to know spread among several books, but as I've been through the process, I figured it would save us some time."

"I've already been reading."

"I know." He flicked his wand toward the newly-miniature pile of books and study materials.

"The process consists of a potion, a couple of spells, and a significant amount of patience and self-discovery. You may find that your Patronus shifts or is inaccessible to you for a time, you may find that you have days where you feel like you're not yourself, you may even find that you have days when you want to stop the process. All of this is valid and normal, but it adds up to what makes this one of the most difficult and dangerous pieces of magic possible. Once we start, it is possible to stop, but only with the proper execution, which is why I insist that you check in with me each and every day about how you are feeling, as regards this project." He sighed and gave her a very serious look.

"You must take care of yourself in order to sustain the amount of magical, physical, and emotional effort that it will take. If I feel that the way you care for yourself is slipping, I will have no hesitation in stopping the process until you are ready for it. I am not threatening you, nor am I trying to patronize you, I want you to succeed, but I couldn't live with myself if I allowed you to put yourself in harm's way."

Hermione gave a small nod of understanding.

"I have the potions ingredients collected and on stasis in a temporary lab in the drawing-room and we will begin brewing when it is time. The potion will correspond with however long your overall journey takes and will be a touchstone in step as you progress. Should you wish to start this evening-" he looked at her for another nod, "then you will perform your first round of guided contemplation this evening. You will cast a spell around yourself that I will show you in a moment, then continue to speak the words as a mantra, your mind will guide you in what to think of and why. This is tricky to explain but you'll just have to trust me. You must perform this every night, it will probably take no more than an hour, but it must be done or you could fall into a dream-like state. As relates to what I said earlier, should you wish to stop this process, it must be properly undone with another spell that I will teach you in a moment."

She nodded her understanding once more to show that she was listening intently.

"During these meditative periods, you may get the inclination to add to or affect the potion in some way. This is how you move onto the next stage of the transformation, each step will force you to address something about yourself that is holding you back from being able to access the animal part of yourself. At the end of it, your time in guided contemplation will prompt you to drink the potion and perform the spell one final time, and you will transform. Do you have any questions for me before we begin?"

Hermione shook her head.

"Very well. First I will teach you how to stop this process. Point your wand down and as you slowly drag it up your body and point it upwards you say 'Amato Animo Animato Animagus.'" He watched her perform the spell as he'd instructed.

"Good, now start at your head with your wand pointed up and work your way down saying the same incantation."

She did as she was told.

"I don't feel any differently," she said.

"No, the spell is just to enable you to be able to start the mantra which you may begin at any time within the next 24 hours."

Smiling she began to chant.

"Amato Animo Animato Animagus"

AN: May have gotten a bit carried away with the NEWT scene, but I love writing magic, and I wanted to give Hermione a chance to show off. :)

Also, I have a little bit of a name change on here... I accidentally sent an email to a professor with this email address and didn't want him to find this. I'm probably being paranoid, doubt he would actually google the name of a student's non-college-affiliated email address, but I changed it...just to be safe. :)