Dear Professor Snape,

I am sure you were not expecting to hear from a former student only two days after she graduated and can only hope that this does not bother you too much (I would try for not bothering you at all, but then I couldn't send this letter).In any case, I amsending you this letter and I hope you will respond.

I write to ask for your assistance with a project I know is beyond my current solo ability, not to mention my limited experience. I am looking into a cure for Alzheimer's, expanding on the current Muggle medicines which only slow, and do not heal, the effects. I know you are probably busy with teaching so any assistance you could give me would definitely be appreciated.

Once again, I hope I haven't irritated you too much, as I know your nerves are quite short, and I ask you to consider my request.

Sincerely,

Hermione Granger

Dear Miss Granger,

Cheeky girl. If you were still in school…

You are correct, I did not expect to hear from a former student so soon, or at all if you can believe it. However, this did not irritate me as you seemed to think it would (I wonder what might have given you such an idea). Actually, I feel I should apologize for that. I know I was horrible those years I led a double life and it was because of my role as a spy that I had to act like a believable Death Eater, with ridiculous predjudices and a nasty temper. Not that this is any excuse. I truly am sorry though, as I know it was hard to enjoy my class like you did your others, not to mention it made it that much easier to believe I truly was a Death Eater and that much harder to believe I wasn't.

Sorry, that took up a lot of space.

In answer to your question, I would be thrilled to work with you. It sounds like an excellent project and a challenging one, the best kind. If you don't mind my asking, how did you get started on the topic of Alzheimer's?

I am not busy teaching at the moment since it is the summer holidays (that hasn't changed in the four days you've been gone), but I am not currently in London. I am in Versailles-I only wish it were on vacation. If you would like to get started immediately, as it seems you do, I would be happy to look over any notes you could send me and give you some suggestions. It is not ideal, but until I return I'm afraid it is the best I can do for you.

My sincere apologies,

Severus Snape

Dear Professor Snape,

… "5 points from Gryffindor." I know. Or would it be 10 points? I must admit, I always particularly enjoyed your sarcasm, although my classmates obviously appreciate your humor like me.

You really don't have to apologize. Everything you did was necessary and if no one else has realized this then they truly are the bunch of dunderheads you always said they were.

I've attached my oh-so-extensive notes for you and am eagerly awaiting your comments. So far I have only researched the symptoms and current treatments. Already I can see how hard this will be; there is so much that needs to be restored, healed, or regrown.

I got started on this when my grandfather was diagnosed with Alzheimer's. And before you say anything, I know I can't heal him in time.

Now for a question of my own: What on earth are you doing in Versailles that isn't vacationing?

Thank you for agreeing to work with me.

Forever grateful,

Hermione Granger

Dear Miss Granger,

Was I really that soft on you? It most definitely would have been 10 points. Now however, it would probably only be 5 points. I've been able to relax a bit. I am glad, though, that someone in that class understood sarcasm. I had thought that people would start understanding within the first year or so. Obviously not.

I most certainly do have to apologize. The things I did were unacceptable. There may have been reasons behind the things I did, but they were still terrible.

Your notes were, as usual, wonderfully meticulous. You may not think they are extensive, but for what you have researched they actually are. I've taken the liberty of annotating the margins of your notes and hope you don't mind. There are a few treatments that I think we can disregard completely, though perhaps we should keep their basic theories in mind.

I would not have said anything at all about your grandfather. You are clever enough to figure that out yourself; it's not necessary for me to say anything to you. Besides, I know just how hard of an ordeal it is to go through. My grandmother had Alzheimer's.

I am working here in Versailles at a hospital owned by my best friend from school. He is a half-blood like myself and uses his connections in both worlds to provide a (hidden) mix of Muggle and Wizarding medicines. During the summers, I usually brew potions for him on location.

What about yourself? What do you typically do during the summers?

Sincerely,

Severus Snape

P.S. You do realize that since you are no longer my student, it is not necessary for you to call me 'Professor' anymore, don't you? 'Severus' is fine.

Dear Severus,

You call that soft? That's what I would call normal. But I suppose everyone has their own definition of what's 'normal'.

Of course my classmates wouldn't start understanding the humor in sarcasm. After all they are, as you say, a "big bunch of dunderheads".

Your insistent apologizing is really starting to annoy me. You do not have anything to apologize for. Because of what you did for the Order, so many people were saved that you have obviously done more good than bad. Everyone, including myself, did terrible things during the war, but you did exceptionally great things. Stop beating yourself up about the bad things, focus on the good, and realize that, in all actuality, you are a hero.

Thank you for your annotations. I've attached a revised version of my notes with a few more ideas that I got from reading yours and a couple materials we may be able to use in our experiments. (By the way, thank you for the compliment on my note taking).

I think what you are doing in Versailles sounds absolutely wonderful as does this friend of yours. I had never heard of such a hospital before.

When I started school, I began to go to the Weasley's at some point during the summer, but at any other time I would be at my grandmother's with the rest of my family. None of us live very close to each other so we all meet at my grandmother's and spend the summer there. I have been going there for summer since the year I was born and that is where I am right now.

What did you do before you began working in Versailles?

Sincerely,

Hermione Granger

P.S. You do realize that since you are no longer my professor, it is not necessary to call me 'Miss Granger' any more, don't you? 'Hermione' is fine.

Dear Hermione,

That is correct, everyone does have their own definition of 'normal'. And, previously, mine was 10 points. So 5 points is being soft.

I'm glad I am not the only person to realize how mediocre your classmates really were. Although perhaps they seemed exceptionally mediocre because you were so exceptionally brilliant and always surpassed them in class.

For once, you are actually wrong. I am no hero. Others may have done some bad things, but I did many exceedingly horrible things. However, I believe we are going to have to agree to disagree on this subject. So sorry for annoying you.

I truly enjoy reading your notes. You have a lot of wonderful ideas and I hadn't thought of half of the more unorthodox herbs you presented as possible materials, though all have great potential. (Oh no, there I go handing out compliments for free again.)

I believe my friend Garrett's is the only hospital of its kind. You should meet him at some point, the two of you have some similar ideas about mixing Muggle and Wizarding medicines (and, like you, he knows absolutely everything).

Before working with Garrett in Versailles, I used to spend most of the summer with my aunt and three cousins Sandrine, Jack, and James. And when I was little, any time I wasn't with them I was either playing with Lily, who used to live a couple streets away, or working on my grandfather's vegetable farm.

It sounds like everyone in your family is very close despite not living near each other. What is your family like?

Yours sincerely,

Severus Snape

P.S. As you wish.

Dear Severus,

I wonder if your new definition of normal includes taking points from the Slytherins…

I do believe you just complimented me on my "brilliance". Twice. You certainly have changed quite a bit.

"Agree to disagree"? I think not. You need to realize that you are not a bad person. You may have done some bad things, but that does not make you an inherently bad person. Everything you did was necessary so that we could win the war. Besides, you more than made up for all of it with the good things you did for the Order and the countless lives you saved. And I highly doubt you really are sorry for annoying me.

I am glad you liked my unorthodox methods; I had been a little worried about them. I think I got those ideas from spending time in my grandmother's herb garden. I took some more notes on the magical properties of the different herbs I mentioned in the last batch of notes.

I'm not sure if I have just been insulted by you or if you were just joking by saying that Garrett and I both know everything. Considering the fact that he is your friend, it is probably a joke-another thing that's new from you.

I have a very large family. My mom's mother had 10 kids: 5 boys, 5 girls. We have all done so much together that we are indeed very close; my best friend has always been my cousin Isabel. Everyone is exceptionally fun-loving and welcoming and because of this, our 'family' has grown to include various close friends, neighbors, and even the occasional ex-boyfriend. We've got a few eccentrics, but everyone is accepted (and being the only witch, I suppose I am one of said eccentrics).

Yours truly,

Hermione Granger

Dear Hermione,

Certainly I take points from the Slytherins; just not as many as from the Gryffindors.

Did I really compliment you twice? Well, there goes the very last remnant of my cover. I'm not as mean as you thought, huh? (Shh, don't tell the students…)

You are correct in two things you said, but only two. I am not an inherently bad person and I truly am not sorry for irritating you. However, don't get too excited. I never did say I thought I was inherently bad. I am certainly not completely opposed to using Dark Magic, though. Quite honestly, the only things I really feel remorse are the numerous innocent people I have been forced to torture or, in more extreme cases, kill. But only for the innocent do I feel remorse, no one else. And believe me, there have been many others that were not innocent and I feel no guilt for any of their pain or deaths. So I really am not as good as you think.

Many of these herbs, and their physical/chemical properties I know from my own grandmother's herb garden that she kept within my grandfather's farm. I never quite researched them to the extent you have, though, and did not know many of the more unorthodox herbs' magical properties, since my Muggle grandmother certainly didn't know them. I am glad you did research them to such an extent since obviously no one else has thought of doing such a thing. I have added a few things to your notes that my own research has turned up.

Speaking of continued research, I am back in London and I believe we should meet to work on this in person. I have a full lab in the basement of my house on Spinner's End that we can use to do testing. Let me know if this is okay and when would be a good time for you. I, naturally, am free at any time of the week.

Sincerely,

Severus Snape

P.S. Of course I was joking about both you and Garrett knowing everything. I would never insult my best friend behind his back.

Dear Severus,

I refer to what I have already said: I do enjoy sarcasm. And I most definitely get a lot of it from you.

Thank you for saying I am correct (but only on two things). I am not giving up that easily. Or, at all. Luckily I will be seeing you soon, so that won't be an issue.

I will be at your house on Friday morning.

See you then,

Hermione Granger

P.S. I noticed you didn't mention not insulting me. Thanks ever so much.