Aftermath

Summary: a one shot following "For me". Can be read as a stand-alone but if you have read For Me it will make more sense. To fill in for those reading this as a stand-alone here is a small heads up. After a disastrous occlumency lesson Harry decides that he has had enough of Snape and his life at Hogwarts. He decides to move out of Hogwarts and transfers to Durmstrang. This is what happens after his departure.

Disclaimer: None of the Harry Potter characters are mine!

Chapter 1

A grim silence enveloped the Great Hall and Hermione was sure that this would be the first time in the history of Hogwarts that the Great Hall was so silent. She shook her head with a rueful smile. Everything to do with Harry was history.

Harry….she already missed him terribly. It had been just a few minutes since he had left Hogwarts and she already felt like there was a gaping hole in her heart. Suddenly the school felt drab and dull and empty of life. It was at that instant that she realised how much Hogwarts had gained from the presence of a 'legend'. A legend who in reality wanted to be just a normal boy. But then he had never got any of his wishes. Life had never been fair to her best friend.

She felt new tears course down her cheeks as she buried her face in Ron's shirt and gripped him tightly. She knew that Ron was in equally bad shape by just looking at his face. He looked like a part of him had died and that was pretty much what she felt.

"How could it have all come to this? Why hadn't they gone to Dumbledore before this…there must have been something that they could have done? Why? Why did they let things get so bad for their friend?". The questions rang in her mind and a corner of her mind supplied the answer "because they thought that he was indestructible…that's why" until she felt she could not handle it anymore. She strongly felt the need to get away from the Great Hall where she could still feel the remnants of Harry's presence.

"Ron…let's go by the lake" she said speaking into Ron's shirt as she felt his vague nod. Wiping their tears, they made their way to the lake, unconsciously tracing the route that the three of them had taken numerous times. Hermione felt that her heart would burst from the pain of not having Harry with them and for the first time in her life even going to classes felt repulsive.

They found a spot by the lake and sank onto the ground oblivious to the cold nip in the air. Nothing seemed important anymore. Hogwarts no longer felt like Hogwarts as far as they were concerned.

"Why did he have to leave Hermione? How can he just leave us and go?" Ron asked desperately as he looked at the lake with a blank look. "You know why Ron…it all got too much" Hermione responded sadly. She had never seen Ron look so lost and realised that things would never be the same again.

"But why did he have to leave? We could have…no should have done something….what will I do now? He is my best friend and Hogwarts just does not feel like Hogwarts anymore. I hate this place now Mione. It just does not feel the same. It does not feel right" he said a mixture of anger and sadness colouring his tone.

"I know Ron. I feel the same way but think about Harry. He is all alone in a strange place. At least we have each other but he is alone. I am worried for him. Do you think he will he be alright?" Hermione asked desperately.

Ron chuckled although it came out strangled as it was mixed with the tears in his throat "he is Harry bloody Potter….he will be fine Mione. You know what? I am going to write a letter and let him know how dumb an idea this is".

Hermione looked up startled and nudged him "Oh Ron! You wouldn't do that….he will be already feeling sad and he needs encouragement not censure"

"Fine. Whatever…anyway it is getting late and we need to get back inside. But you know what is really hard? I still can't believe that he is not going to be with me…every place I go I can feel his presence in this blasted castle. I don't know how I can stop missing him, you know? The memories are going to kill me" Ron ranted "and don't even get me started on the dorm…I can't stand to look at his empty bed".

Hermione got to her feet with a determined look "You know what Ron? I have just decided that if it gets too much I am just going to go and see him. As you said it is just a couple of portkeys away". Ron nodded "yeah me too…the git deserves to be pummelled in person" he said with a small smile.

They made their way to the Great Hall and the urge to turn away assaulted them as the memories of better times played on their mind. "Let's get out of here" Ron muttered and Hermione was only too glad to acquiesce. Unconsciously and by an unspoken agreement they made their way to the transfiguration class that was in session.

McGonagall noted the late entrants but made no comments as they took seats. Their tear streaked faces were explanation enough and everyone was still reeling from what had happened in the Great hall.

Even the Slytherins were quiet for a change and Hermione was grateful for that as she was not at all sure that she could stop herself from hexing them if they were not. For the first time since she came to Hogwarts she had no interest in answering questions and she felt like she was operating on two different levels. Half of her mind was grappling with transfiguration while the other half of her mind still dwelled over Harry's absence.

Once class was over, they did not linger and made their way to the charms class. Many of their friends offered comforting words which the duo accepted automatically. They would be happy if the day got over soon.

Charms was a rehash of the earlier session as both Hermione and Ron struggled to concentrate. When lunch time rolled around they headed to the Great Hall reluctantly where the twins, Neville and Ginny joined them. The atmosphere was muted as they were soon joined by the rest of the Gryffindors.

Neville moved closer to Ron and Hermione. "I am not sure if I can continue potions guys" he muttered in an undertone. Ron looked at him with shock and turned to see Hermione's reaction. She however had a pensive look on her face but bit her lip as she waited for Neville to say what she had understood.

"What? Why?" Ron asked as Neville sighed and launched into his explanation. "Ron all this while Harry has taken the brunt of Snape's anger and even though I was not spared I did not face the intensity of it. Harry was always the buffer. Now without Harry to run interference I am afraid he is going to turn on me. I am not sure I can handle it as well as Harry did" he said softly. Ron looked at him shocked…he had never looked at it like that he realised. "You have a point mate" Ron said thoughtfully as Hermione turned to Neville.

"It might not be so bad Neville. Didn't you notice that he has mellowed down just a little bit?" she asked. Neville fell silent for a minute before he asked "Harry left because of Snape didn't he?"

Ron and Hermione exchanged glances and Hermione answered for the both of them "Yes he did but not because of potions classes. It was something else" she said uneasily. This was not a conversation that she wanted to have and she diverted the topic. "So what are you going to do Nev?"

Neville looked thoughtful as he replied "Maybe I will give it one class and If Snape acts nasty I will opt out. The only problem is that I want to be a herbologist and potions go hand in hand with that. I don't know what to do" he said looking troubled before looking at them hopefully… "You have any ideas?".

Hermione bit her lip before she answered "I don't want to encourage you to quit Professor Snape's class or anything but you could always ask your grandmother to arrange a private tutor for you".

Neville perked up "Really? We can do that?" he asked with doubt.

Hermione nodded "Even though it's not the normal practice it has been done. In fact another option is for you to pursue a herbology mastery. In that case you will be bound to a master as an apprentice and it will become your mentor's responsibility to get you tutored in all the allied subjects as well".

Neville's face broke out in a wide smile "Thank you so much Hermione. You might have just solved the problem. I think I will do exactly that" he said with excitement and a huge amount of relief. It seemed like a huge weight had lifted off him and he felt free of pressure.

"I am happy for you mate" Ron said and turned to Hermione "but where does this leave us Mione?" he asked. Hermione shrugged "I don't know Ron." They fell silent until Ginny spoke up "You know …it feels weird. I feel like Harry is just in a detention or something but at the same time it feels weird for us to be eating without him. It is like it has sunk in and has not also sunk in …it just feels plain weird" she said as the twins nodded solemnly "amen to that Gin. Come to think of it..even that Malfoy kid has been silent" they added.

The teenagers fell silent not knowing how to respond to that when the bell sounded reminding them it was time for the next class. "Drat! It's potions." Neville exclaimed as all of them got up and hoisted their bags. Hermione had a grim expression on her face that made Ron wince and made him feel sorry for Snape…well almost sorry he amended in his head. Hermione was a force to be reckoned with when she was in this mood not that Snape deserved any less.

By the time they made their way to the class most of the seats were taken. They slid into their slots with Ron and Hermione sitting together but Neville remained standing as without Harry the class was now at an odd number as a result of which he had no partner.

"What are you waiting for ? Some kind of a grand reception?" he sneered "Get behind a cauldron and don't waste my time" Snape snapped as he entered the classroom with a bang. Neville quickly walked to a cauldron and took his place. Harry's empty spot stood glaring and everyone was painfully aware of his absence.

Hermione and Ron could not resist looking at the empty spot even as their eyes filled of their own accord. By extension the other Gryffindors also felt the absence of one Harry Potter and the atmosphere in the dungeon became dull and depressed.

" and Miss Granger we can do without the theatrics and if you don't want to lose points I suggest you pay attention" Snape snapped jerking the students back to attention. "Git!" Ron muttered under his breath but in the silence of the dungeon it was quite audible.

"Twenty points from Gryffindor and detention " Snape called out immediately "and that's enough of wasting my time. Today you will be brewing a healing drought" he said waving his wand. The instructions appeared on the board "you have an hour to complete the potion so I suggest you start right now".

The class scrambled to get the ingredients and set up their work station. After a few minutes into the brewing however it was very clear that Ron and Neville were in trouble. Ron's potion was getting a tar like appearance while Neville's cauldron was smoking dangerously.

Snape stormed over to their spot "Dunderheads…Even the first years could do this with their eyes closed and yet these esteemed fifth years manage to botch it up. I do not need such idiots in my class…It would be a wonder if any of you manage to pass your O. . For that matter it is indeed mind boggling how the Longbottoms could have such an ineffectual brat" the words cut through the class as he cast shielding charms over the ruined cauldrons.

The students kept quiet and the silence was overwhelming until Hermione shut off her cauldron with a clang. She looked at Snape and Ron was not surprised to see the anger smouldering in her eyes. He winced …Snape would not know what hit him .Really Harry and him had nothing on Hermione's temper when she flew into a rage and this was one of those times.

She addressed Snape in a tone that was pure ice "It is very obvious Sir that you do not want to teach Gryffindors…why do you even try? I can see that Crabbe and Goyle have worse concoctions but then they are Slytherins aren't they? Perhaps teaching your precious snakes would be enough for you and I don't see any reason why we should trouble you or ourselves anymore."

Her eyes flashed and Ron could practically envision the fumes that would emanate from her for she was radiating such rage. Her voice cut through the silence like a knife through butter and carried the venom that Snape normally spewed. This was Hermione pushed to the end of her patience and there was no stopping her now.

"Apparently you have forgotten that a teacher is a person who teaches and corrects the students when they go wrong. Yet all we have seen is you shouting and berating us when instead you could have told us what is wrong. A good teacher, Sir is one who feels proud when their students succeed but you wait for us to fail. I am sorry you don't fit my idea of a teacher and I quit your class. You are the reason we lost Harry and you will be the reason that no one has a mastery in potions ever. I am sorry I cannot respect a teacher who uses his post to be a bully to the students. I prefer someone who is grown up" she said leaving the whole class wide eyed and slack jawed.

Her words rang in everyone's ears as she shouldered her bag and walked out, bypassing a stunned Snape who could not find anything to say for the first time in his life. Ron shook his head with a small smile and turned in reflex to Harry's seat. But seeing the empty seat he was once again filled with a deep sadness. Darn! Harry should have been there to see this.

But then if Harry was here he would have just taken the abuse and suffered through it sparing them all from Snape. He sighed and shouldering his bag, made his way out of the dungeon as well but as he reached the entrance he stopped as he heard other chairs being pulled out.

He heard his name being called out and turned to see the rest of the Gryffindors follow him out. Neville drew with him "So what next?" he asked surprisingly calm. Ron shrugged "to the library I suppose, that is where Hermione will be".

The Gryffindors made their way to the library in silence as they contemplated the consequences of their actions but everyone acknowledged that they did not regret their decision. They had had enough of being shouted at and being targeted and often had felt helpless when Harry had been unfairly shouted at in every potions class. The attacks had been personal and it had grated on every Gryffindor's sense of honour.

Really there had no need to bring anyone's parents into the fight and if it had happened to any of them they knew that their parents would have pulled them out or demanded Snape's resignation a long time ago.

They were happy that Hermione had spoken what was on the mind of each and every Gryffindor. They made their way to the library where Hermione looked at the whole troop and quickly joined them outside. "What happened? Did Snape throw you out?" she asked worried that her actions had harmed her classmates.

Ron shook his head "No Mione..we walked out" he said simply. Hermione looked at them shocked "what? Oh Merlin!What did I do? This is exactly what Harry did not want" she lamented.

Ron shook her by her shoulders "Mione relax. It was time. Everyone had enough. It has nothing to do with you really. The way he was going on it was bound to happen sometime. If the git had brought up Harry's name I swear I would have throttled him myself" he said consoling her.

"Ok so what do we do now?" Neville intervened bringing the attention back to the fact that they had just walked out of a class. Hermione turned to the group "Let's go to the dorm and think this through. If anyone has any second thoughts it's alright. No one will think less of you for going back to class." She said addressing the group. All of them shook their heads and Dean Thomas spoke up "No Hermione we are just tired of being picked on. We need to do something" he said.

"In that case come let's go" Ron urged and the whole lot of them made their way to the dormitory where the Fat Lady gave them a very surprised and suspicious look before letting them in. They plopped themselves in the common room and looked at Hermione for ideas.

"What were your plans when you quit?" Ron asked Hermione to which she replied "well I was thinking that either I would ask Dumbledore for a private tutor or teach myself worst come to worst. But in this case I guess we can all approach Dumbledore and ask him to assign us a different teacher."

"What if Dumbledore does not accept?" Seamus asked as Hermione became thoughtful again. "Well as I was telling Neville earlier he could bring in a private tutor and we could all take lessons from that person." She said.

"But where could we have lessons? Without Professor Dumbledore's consent we cannot use any classroom" Parvati pointed out. Ron gave a sinister smirk and exchanged a glance with a smiling Hermione "ha! We have a place we could use. Harry was using it when he was here. But first let's try Professor Dumbledore" he said.

"Alright let's go" Hermione urged and the group made it's way to Professor Dumbledore's office. However when they reached the gargoyle Dean shifted nervously "What now? Do we need a password?" he asked tentatively.

Ron nodded and confidently moved forward "acid pops" he whispered and the gargoyle moved aside revealing the staircase to Dumbledore's office. He turned around to make sure that none of the others had heard the password and saw the awe struck expression on his friend's faces. "What?" he asked puzzled "How do you know the password Ron?" Neville's question came out in a tone tinged with awe.

Ron shrugged "well it helps to be Harry Potter's best friend" he quipped. "Do you think Harry's alright?" Dean wondered and Ron gave him a glance as he replied "I hope so mate I hope so" he said fervently "well come on let's go inside" he urged.

His friends however did not follow him. At his quizzical look Lavender fidgeted and wrung her hands "maybe it will be better if you and Hermione speak for us. You guys have more experience talking to the headmaster" she said nervously.

"Alright" Hermione agreed and quickly motioned for Ron to follow her as she made her way inside the office. Although Harry had been inside the office numerous times Hermione and Ron had not seen the office. Now they glanced around the many instruments in wonder and spied Fawkes sitting on his perch.

"Hello Fawkes" Hermione muttered and heard footsteps to see the headmaster come in. "well I can't say I expected students in the middle of class. However I surmise that it must be important. What is it that I can do for you?" he asked in the courteous manner so unique to him.

"Sir we have come here on behalf of the fifth year Gryffindors. We were wondering if we can be assigned to a different teacher for potions" Hermione said in a hesitant voice being careful not to sound offensive.

"Hmm I see. May I know the need for such a request?" he asked looking at them over the edge of his glasses. Hermione felt the keen look of the headmaster but refused to be discomfited by it. "Sir I don't know how much you are aware of what happens in the potions combined classes especially our batch. It has always been a case of Professor Snape playing favourite to his Slytherins and always looking for a way to bring down Gryffindor or at least that's the way we feel" she said in a heated tone her voice rising in pitch.

Ron stepped in with "I mean if Crabbe and Goyle botch up a potion it is alright but if I or Harry or Neville do the same he gives us a zero and vanishes the potion. It is humiliating Sir" he said in a slightly calmer tone in the end as Hermione once again spoke.

"All these years we were too young and also it was not a deciding factor for our careers. But now what we get in our owls decides whether we get to do what we want or not. I mean Neville for example wants to become a herbologist but without decent scores in potions he cannot pursue a mastery in it. And how is he supposed to do well in a subject where the teacher expects him to fail?" she said in an earnest tone.

"Now now Miss Granger I am sure even Severus is not that evil" he said his eyes twinkling in their depths. "Damn right he isn't" Ron muttered sarcastically and averted his eyes when Dumbledore looked at him. But then he was a Gryfffindor and he could not resist fighting for his point. "At least Harry's parents were his enemies and therefore Harry was. But what did Neville's parents do to him or for that matter any of the other Gryffindors?" he asked genuinely puzzled.

Dumbledore sighed and suddenly looked every inch of his age as he deflated. He ran a hand over the bridge of his nose as he looked at them with sadness "whether the parents were enemies or not it should have never come to the children. What Severus did to Harry was wrong and regretfully if he is doing the same to it is equally wrong. I had rather hoped that things would change when Harry left. Severus seemed remorseful enough but old habits die hard I suppose".

"Anyway now this is what I have to offer for your problem. I accept your demands and Miss Granger. The fifth year Gryffindors will have potions tutoring under a different teacher. Just give me some time to find a suitable teacher. In the meantime you can continue with Professor Snape if you want. If that is not acceptable I would like to know what your alternative plans are".

Ron and Hermione exchanged a glance before Hermione spoke up tentatively "Under the circumstances I don't think it would be a great idea to go back to Professor Snape's class". Remembering her outburst she flushed and squirmed in her seat as she said "I am afraid we rather walked out on his class" and tentatively looked at the headmaster.

The headmaster however had a benign smile on his face and gestured for her to continue. "We thought we would just do our own studying and use the potions set up that Harry was using in the chamber of secrets for our practice" she said in a small voice.

"Very well Miss Granger. You may do as you wish but I was under the assumption that you need parseltongue to open the chamber?" the headmaster asked curiously. Hermione nodded earnestly "we will not actually go down into the chamber Sir…we will just use the abandoned lavatory. If that doesn't work we will look for other options"

Dumbledore pondered over the words as he said "well you do realise that I am allowing this because you are involved . I trust you will observe the rules and regulations of the school and conduct this in such a way that the school is not disturbed" with a note of warning.

"Definitely Sir, I promise" Hermione said and looked at Ron to see if he had anything more to say. Ron shrugged signalling that he had nothing to add.

"Well if that's that I would urge you to carry on with your classes." Dumbledore said bringing an end to the discussion upon which Hermione and Ron got to their feet and made their way to the door.

However they were stopped in their tracks when Dumbledore's soft voice reached them "On another note I would like you to know that my doors are always open to those who need an ear whether it is to talk about the school or whether to talk about missing friends".

Ron and Hermione nodded with a soft "thank you sir" and rushed to tell their friends the news. They could not however stop from thinking that perhaps if they had taken the step earlier Harry would not have left.

For the first time Hermione was besieged by the guilt that normally plagued Harry. Ron's words of "It's not your fault" did not really assuage the feeling that she should have done this much earlier. For the first time she realised how her own similar rants to Harry must have felt ineffectual to her friend and for the first time she felt that she understood him much better. Much better, not completely however.

No one could understand Harry Potter completely…her friend was an enigma.

Epilogue

Professor Slughorn took over the fifth year Gryffindors and over a period of time it extended to the other Gryffindors too until all the Gryffindors were being taught by Slughorn.

Dumbledore was immensely disappointed with Severus Snape and decided that a teacher who played favourites and caused a divide among the students was not welcome at the school. Severus Snape discreetly resigned from his teaching post and started devoting all of his time to research. Dumbledore requested auror Shacklebolt to fill in for Snape which worked out satisfactorily.

Whether Severus Snape made his peace with Harry Potter and whether Harry Potter returned to Hogwarts remains to be seen.

Author notes: After "For me" it felt a little incomplete to not talk about what happens after. I could not quite imagine Ron and Hermione without Harry in Hogwarts and initially contemplated a scenario where they leave as well but then I started writing and this is what I got! I once again thank you for the love you showed "For me" and I hope this is enjoyable as well. Bye!