Chapter 3 – The Dilemma

By the time the train had slowly chugged its way to a halt at the end of the line Hermione had had enough time to convince herself that Malfoy might just have been to preoccupied to even notice the blasphemy that had slipped past her lips earlier.

'Yes,' she thought to herself, 'he never suspected a thing.'

That of course, didn't explain her hyperventilating, in fact, if she was really honest with herself, she knew that he wouldn't ignore it, she knew that retaliation was in store for her, and she knew that her new status in Hogwarts would not prevent him from lashing out.

These thoughts that were running rampant through her mind had subsequent made Hermione oblivious to the fact that her feet, quite through memory, had carried her to the Great Hall, and by the time she had forcibly yanked herself out of her inner storm, she realised she had just a minor dilemma on her hands – where was she supposed to sit?

Hermione had accepted the teaching position right at the last minute, and subsequently not received a reply owl layout the details of this particular situation, was she both a teacher and student, a student teacher, or just the latter? Her eyes rapidly scanned the professors table at the front of the dining hall, attempting to make contact with someone who could silently motion her to her proper place. Finally, they rested upon Professor – no, Headmistress – McGonagall.

The first thing Hermione was the obvious change in her old head of house's eyes. Although usually sending out disapproving stares when settling upon students, Hermione was always able distinguish the joy behind those brown orbs, which suggested, much like a mother hen, that no matter how much her young Gryffindors had faltered and stumbled, McGonagall would be forever proud of her students. Therefore the now greying and gaunt face of her new Headmistress' face was almost a shock to Hermione's system, and as she slowly (and somewhat inconspicuously) made her way to the front table where the rest of the faculty was awaiting, it was with a heavy and saddened heart that as she look outwards towards the students of this year, she saw an echo of that deaden look in what should have been the eager and joyous faces of her future students.