A Witch's Work Is Never Done

Author's Note: This fic is the result of me wanting to see a more activist!Hermione, and wondering what would result if she came in contact with a certain book from the 1960s...

A Witch's Work is Never Done

Prologue

"The time has come to put an end to the institutionalized systems of patriarchy and sexism that reign over the lives of witches with an iron wand! We can no longer ignore--"

Hiding behind one of the doors to the Great Hall, Harry stared open-mouthed at one of his best friends, utterly convinced she had lost her mind.

Hermione was standing atop the staff table, waving a book around, and orating to a steadily growing group of witches. Most male students were making their panicked way out of the hall, and no adult wizards remained--having a great knack for predicting when vitriol might be aimed in his general direction, Dumbledore had been the first to amble casually out the doors before Hermione had completed her first sentence, and the other wizard professors had quickly followed suit.

Ron, still sitting at the Gryffindor table, was staring bewilderedly at his girlfriend. Like Harry, he also thought Hermione was off her rocker. Only, he didn't have the sensibility to run and hide. Harry wondered if it was worth the risk of being torn limb from limb to run in and save his red-headed best friend.

Gathering his courage, he prepared himself to run into a room of rampaging women, and wondered if this would be the one he didn't come back from.

The week that Hermione Granger brought revolution to Hogwarts had started off in such a nice, normal way.

Well, as nice and normal as a week at Hogwarts could start off, in any case.

Monday afternoon found Ron desperately trying to B.S. his way through another three inches of parchment due to Professor McGonagall in a half an hour. Harry was lounging leisurely in the common room enjoying the complete absence of any mysteries or life-threatening situations--Voldemort had apparently decided to take a fortnight holiday from his plans of murder and mayhem, and was currently beaching it in Majorca. (Harry thought it only fitting that his relatives and his arch-nemesis had the same taste in vacation spots.)

Hermione was reading a book on advanced arithmancy and absent-mindedly dangling a string in front of Crookshanks, who flicked his tail and carefully tracked the movements of the string with his eyes.

A few taps on the window caused three pairs of eyes to dart up and see the owl hovering on the other side of the glass, carrying a book-shaped parcel.

"Oh!" exclaimed Hermione, leaping up and over to the window, "This'll be from my mum! I asked for something to help with my Muggle Studies project..."

"Muggle Studies?" asked Harry. "I thought you dropped that in third year?"

"Well, yes, technically. But I've picked it up now as an independent studies course, so I can take the NEWT next year. Every exam you pass makes you look better to employers, and I want every advantage I can get."

Harry exchanged a look with Ron, who rolled his eyes and returned to his essay.

He wanted to ask why she was taking the class, when she could easily have taken the Muggle Studies NEWT at this very moment and get an O, but Harry decided he didn't want to risk Hermione's ire. Instead, he asked, "What are you doing your project on, then?"

"Professor Lekus told me that he covers modern non-magical history in sixth year," Hermione replied as she unwrapped the package, "so I've decided to focus on American counter-culture movements in the 1960s."

"What?" asked Ron, looking up again from his parchment, and Harry had to agree. They both looked down at the book now sitting on the table in front of Hermione.

"The Feminine Mystique--Betty Freidan," Harry read aloud, "'The book we have been waiting for... the wisest, sanest, soundest, most understanding and compassionate treatment of contemporary American woman's greatest problem...'"

Ron looked as bemused as Harry felt. "Huh. I didn't know 'contemporary American woman' had a 'greatest problem.'"

Hermione ignored both of them and instead examined the inside front cover. "Oh, and this is a first edition, too!"

Before either of the two wizards could reply, the bell rang, signaling the end of their free period.

Hermione put away The Feminine Mystique, Harry picked up his book bag, and Ron frantically scanned his essay as the trio headed off to Transfiguration.

"And I'm still an inch short!" despaired Ron as he exited the common room.