Blitz

Chapter 10

A/N: All of the thanks in the world to infallible angel and her excellent alpha/beta skills.

If you love this (or hate it) please let me know about in a review! Find me on Tumblr at crochetawayhpff. Enjoy!

~0o0~

blitz - a violent and sustained attack

~0o0~

September 1943

Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry

Hogsmeade, Scotland

~0o0~

Hermione couldn't help but think that the Head Girl badge pinned to her uniform was ridiculous. She and Tom hadn't even been prefects, and now they were Head Boy and Girl? Tom seemed to take it in stride as something he was due, which was also absurd.

"Fake it till you make it," Tom had told her on the first day of term. It was something Hermione had been thinking about a lot. She had felt half-terrified ever since her confrontation with Grindelwald and decided that this was the year she was done being a victim.

She would always have an interest in potions, but it was clear that Slughorn wasn't going to ever offer her an apprenticeship. She barely got an assistantship with him, and he had made it crystal clear that she wasn't a priority. Hermione would always have her side interest in potions, which helped develop her way more than her assistantship ever did.

Besides, she knew that what she should work on was her weakest subject, not her strongest subject. With that in mind, Hermione approached Professor Merrythought at the beginning of the school year.

"I know you probably have already decided," Hermione said with a smile after she'd stayed after class the first week of school.

"Decided on?" Professor Merrythought asked, cocking her steel-grey head to the side.

"On assistantships for this year and possible apprentices if anyone has applied for next year," Hermione said. "But in case you haven't, I'd like to throw my hat in the ring."

"Aren't you going to be one of Professor Slughorn's assistants again this year?"

Hermione shook her head. "Professor Slughorn doesn't believe in female Potioneers. He won't give me an apprenticeship or help me find one. He has made that quite clear."

Professor Merrythought scowled. "Sexist fool," she muttered and Hermione hid her smirk behind her hand. "In that case, I will consider you. But tell me, why are you interested in Defense Against the Dark Arts?"

Hermione straightened her back and took a deep breath. "I'm sure you'll recall what happened toward the end of my fifth year... I don't want to be a victim anymore, and Defense is my weakest subject. I'd like to make it my strongest."

Merrythought nodded thoughtfully and Hermione hoped it was enough to make her case. "I'll let you know in October when we put out for assistantships."

Hermione smiled gratefully and thanked her before leaving in a hurry. She hoped it was enough. It was obvious that potions wasn't going to get her what she wanted out of life, and Merrythought was a witch too, she wouldn't hold outdated ideas about what a witch was and wasn't capable of. She wasn't a fool though, the only way Merrythought would give her a chance to prove herself. Defense Against the Dark Arts just became Hermione's priority.

~0o0~

"Aren't you coming to bed?" Tom asked. It was only the third week of school, but Hermione found herself knee-deep in studying already. She was determined to prove herself to Merrythought, but that didn't mean she could slack on any of her other classes. There were also the Head Girl duties to take care of, which cut into some of her precious potions research time. Another reason Hermione didn't want to be Head Girl.