This is a rewritten fanfic, a bit different but over all the same. I had to update it for the sixth book. It's previous title was Concrete Angel. I might add that this is a HBP spoiler. Well, enjoy!
Chapter One-Bad News and Uncontrollable Anger
Hermione Granger was a wreck. After the death of Dumbledore over a year ago, she was left with enormous insecurities. It was the middle of her seventh year and Voldemort was getting stronger than ever. With the increasing amount of disappearances and deaths, her studies and the mounting worries of her loved ones, she was getting more and more stressed by the day. She had given up on reading the Daily Prophet, not wanting to see the bad news it carried.
Trying to pry her mind from the short letter she had received from the new Headmistress, Professor McGonagall only moments ago, she continued her journey to the Headmistress' office. As she walked, she thought of what the reason might be for the letter.
Finally, after minutes of walking, she arrived in front of the stone gargoyle.
"Mandrake," Hermione said after she looked and was sure that there was no one else near. Then, she remembered it was past curfew and there shouldn't be any students wandering around at this time, not counting the ones who snuck out to be with their boyfriends and girlfriends from other houses. She rolled her eyes as she thought of the hormones teenagers had.
The gargoyle allowed her admittance as she thought this. She rapped on the office door and entered.
McGonagall was sitting behind the desk. Hermione could only imagine what it felt to have the deceased Albus Dumbledore's office. Surrounded by all the things that once belonged to Dumbledore. She glanced up at Dumbledore's portrait. There he was, snoozing in his frame.
"Miss Granger," McGonagall said, tearing Hermione from her thoughts. Hermione prided her eyes from the portrait and looked at McGonagall.
"As you know," the Headmistress began, "the attacks on muggles have been increasing by the day. No one is safe in this dark time."
Hermione's heart dropped as she knew what was coming next. This was something she had feared since Voldemort's rise at the end of her forth year.
"Miss Granger, I regret to inform you that you parents were killed in a Deatheater attack. I'm so very sorry."
McGonagall stared at Hermione with deep pity in her eyes. Hermione was her favorite student and she wished she hadn't been the one to tell her of the terrible news, but it came. She wished this on none of her students, even the Slytherins.
Hermione stood as though in shock and turned, without uttering one word and walked out of the office. As soon as she was past the stone gargoyle, she ran, not knowing where she was running to.
Soon, she found herself in the Astronomy Tower. Hermione threw herself to the ground and put her back against the wall. It was then that realization settled. Memories of past times with her parents flooded into her head. Her first day of Muggle school. Her mother had cried as she got on the school bus and her father had smiled with pride. Nights of thunder storms, where she'd run into her parents room and get into bed with them while they comforted her. Nights that her father would read her to sleep. Evenings that she had attempted to help her mother with dinner. The day she had received her letter for Hogwarts, how proud they had been, though she was going away, they were still proud. They had always been proud of Hermione.
Hermione sat alone in the Astronomy Tower, crying silent tears and pressing her face to her robes. Questions surrounded her brain, replacing the memories. Why had it happened to her? Why had it happened to them? Was it her fault? This only made her cry harder. Yes, she decided, it was her fault.
Severus Snape was walked the corridors of Hogwarts. Well, as the rumors had it, he flew around the castle. Sleep didn't come often to him, not since what had happened a year and a half ago. After the death of Albus Dumbledore, Snape had been with the Deatheaters for a year and had still came back to the Order often. The only thing that had saved him from the accusations he had received numerously, was that two other people had known of the plan Albus had came up with. Minerva McGonagall and Remus Lupin. Dumbledore had told Severus to kill him. Although, that night, the three standing in his office thought him to be crazy, he had explained: this was so that there was still a spy for the Order and Severus knew, to save Severus's life.
Snape regretted the night that he was forced to make the Unbreakable Vow to Narcissa. He had to, what other choice did he have? Bellatrix would have killed him on the spot had he decided against it. Oh, how he wished he would have never became a Deatheater. Maybe Albus would still be alive.
Albus had told him repeatedly that if it hadn't been him, it surely would have been someone else. Severus knew it was mad to kill Albus, he was the only hope, save Potter, as he didn't believe that the boy could conquer the Dark Lord.
But, he had failed Albus. He was caught while returning from a meeting with McGonagall. Severus had barely escaped with his life a day later. He apparated to the place he knew best: Hogwarts. From there he dragged his bloody and beaten body up to the castle. It was still summer break for the the students and he needn't worry about students. He made it to the large doors before passing out from the pain. It was McGonagall who found him and after spilling his story to the Ministry, he was pardoned for his crimes.
Although many didn't believe it, parents had shown that with their many complaints when he was placed once again as a teacher at Hogwarts, it was to be expected.
Severus was brought out of his thoughts as someone ran down the corridor, right passed him. Of course, he knew it was a student, as you don't see many teachers running down corridors, but why right passed him? Surely, anyone with any common sense would not run directly passed a Professor after curfew.
Severus walked briskly after the student, black robes billowing behind him. Tonight, he wasn't in the mood and he felt sorry for the unknowing student that he was about to get into his clutches. He followed the footsteps up to the Astronomy Tower.
Teenage hormones he thought with disgust. Countless times he had walked upon scenes he'd rather not have seen while walking the corridors of Hogwarts, a majority of the time in the Astronomy Tower and countless times he had dished out detentions for it. He smirked, yes smirked, at the thought of taking his anger out on a pair of unsuspecting hormone driven teenagers.
'Oh, how I feel sorry for these dunderheads,' Severus thought as he arrived at his destination.
When he found his prey, he took notice of the bushy hair and recognized the form as Hermione Granger. This was even better than what he expected. He loved to torture the Gryffindor know-it-all. She, like Potter, adored her house points. He knew for a fact that she didn't have rounds tonight.
"Fifty points from Gryffindor," Severus said in a cold voice as he stepped out of the shadows.
The girl jumped at this but stayed in her position on the stone floor. When she brought her head up, he then noticed she had tears running down her face. Severus couldn't stop himself.
"Oh, did Weasley break up with you?"
Then she did something very un-Hermione Granger like. She stood up and began to scream uncontrollably at him.
"You heartless bastard!" she screamed. "I hate you, you fucking inconsiderate prat!"
Severus, who was taken aback by this, stood silent for a moment.
"Another twenty points and a weeks worth of detentions for using profanity towards a teacher!" he yelled. Never, in his nineteen years of teaching, had he had a student yell at him like this, not only that, but by Hermione Granger. He never knew such words were in her vocabulary.
Miss Granger got redder in the face and once again began to scream at him.
"Why not another hundred? Why not take all of them? That's what you want, isn't it? Give me a months of detention! I really don't give a damn anymore!"
And with that she stormed out of the Tower leaving Severus Snape in shock.
