B.Q. Book Two: Black Princess Ascendant

Chapter 22: The Dangers of Overreaching

Disclaimer: Over six years of schooling, were only three Gryffindor prefects – the supposed enforcers of school policy – ever named or even really mentioned, two of whom were Harry's best friends and the other related to one of said friends?

If so, I don't own the Harry Potter franchise; it belongs to J.K. Rowling, Scholastic Press, Warner Bros., and whomever else she sold the rights to.

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Oh yes, this was truly such a wonderful idea, Hermione grumbled to herself as she turned down another corridor, her vine wand twisting as she again cast the Human-Revealing Spell; the broom cupboard doors in her sight refused to glow, a sign that there was no one inside.

 Mum and Dad were so proud that Professor McGonagall would choose me to be a prefect, and she went on and on about how noble a responsibility it was.

In all that time, they neglected to mention that it was a boring and utterly thankless duty, or that it would be such an inconvenience.

Even more than her parents or her head of house, her irritation was aimed at herself.

After the past few years, filled as they were with Dark Lords and monsters and plots to kill her best friend, she was understandably relieved that for once her concerns would be focused on something as mundane as a position in the student body.

Unfortunately, that temporary euphoria meant she did not consider the stress the badge would add to her already busy schedule; not just her schoolwork – though that was more difficult than anything she'd ever had before – but also the worries she had about the war that the magical world was soon to be embroiled in, especially as Danny, Ron, and she had been at the forefront of the fighting long before anyone other than Professor Dumbledore had known there even was one in the making.

And despite the fact that we've been involved since we were first-years, no one has the decency to even tell us what's going on!, she raged in silence.

That more than anything was what really irritated her about the situation. They say we're too young, that we don't have the experience, and while I will admit that I personally have never been in a fight like that, that does not mean that we are foolish children whose ears have to be covered while the grown-ups talk. Twice Danny had to stand alone against You-Know-Who, and there is no reason to think that will change now. If anything, it'll just get worse!

She sighed and shook her head; her parents had taught her to respect her elders, but the adults surrounding her were making that obligation a harder proposition than it should be.

Professor Dumbledore was no longer speaking to Danny, despite telling the teen years previously that he was welcome in the older wizard's office any time; Professor Snape was still the nasty, condescending brute he had always been, ignoring the Headmaster's pronouncement that they needed to stand together; and Professor McGonagall had seemingly not learned a thing from the incident with the Philosopher's Stone and was instead disregarding any concern or complaint she made that did not immediately pertain to the actions of the other students.

The only person who appeared to understand what was going on around them was Mr. Potter, as his hands-on Defense lessons had proved over the previous six weeks.