Prologue:
Silver danced across her dreams. It swirled through the flash of memories and weaved in and out of her imagination. Reaching through the haze in her mind she tried to grasp it, but it danced out of reach. Breathing slowly and quietly she dropped her hands and waited. Soon the silver came back and twisted around her form.
It softly nudged into her hand. She jumped in surprise to find it was warm and beating faintly, like a heartbeat. As she tried to grasp it to discover what the mysterious substance was a scream echoed around her. It seemed to emanate from the silver. It bounced through to the edges of her mind and back. She dropped to her knees as the scream grew louder, full of anguish and misery. Clutching her ears, she tried to drown out the pain of that screech, but it grew louder still until her ears were bleeding and she could feel it vibrating in her bones.
Hermione woke up gasping and sweating in her bed. She listened to the quiet snores around her willing her heart to slow. The terror of the dream slowly faded and soon her memory of it grew fuzzy. Her eyes grew heavy as she started to drift back to sleep again.
She rolled over and felt something was different, not wrong, just different. Opening her eyes she found a slight glow at the foot of her bed. The illumination came from a silver smoke. It was almost impossible to see as it swirled around her feet. She reached out to feel it but it dissipated at her touch, and left a warm tingling in her hand.
Stepping quietly out of bed, she followed it. The castle was quiet as she slid down the empty corridors. This felt like a dream to her, like reality had fractured and she'd managed to slip through the crack.
The silver lead her down from the Gryffindor Tower and into the entrance hall. It was growing more vibrant the lower she got, and she quickened her pace. She rounded down the stairs to the dungeon and came to a halt.
The silver disappeared leaving her in darkness.
Her trance shattered as she quickly came back to reality. She shivered from the cold as she realized she was barefoot with nothing but a nightgown on. Her heart started racing in fear as she realized she didn't know why she followed the silver or how she was going to get back to her bed without running into Filtch or Ms. Norris. She started to turn around when she heard a gurgling and harsh breathing.
"Lumos," she said pulling out her wand.
The cold light did little to illuminate her surrounding, but it did glint and shine off the ground at her feet. Leaning down she smelt the familiar metallic tang of blood. She swallowed panic as her breath started coming in heaving gasps. Taking a few unsteady steps, she followed the trail.
The farther she went, the louder the gurgling became. She sprinted forward as she saw a familiar black shape huddled against the wall.
"Professor?" she asked as she reached him, but his head just lolled to the side.
Glancing down she saw a Death Eater mask clutched tightly in his bloody hand. She choked in fear. If he really was a Death Eater that meant he was responsible for many innocent deaths and would be working to kill her. Something just felt wrong about the situation and so she ignored the mask.
With a flick of her wand the torches around them flared to life and she saw the full extent of the damage. Swallowing back her bile she slowly leaned down to help her professor.
His cloak was soaked in blood and as she peeled it away from his torso she caught sight of the deep gashes covering his chest. With every breath he took his lungs gurgled. Assessing the damage she assumed his ribs were broken and puncturing his lungs causing them to slowly fill with blood. Soon he'd drown in his own fluids. His face was pale from the blood loss and pain. But even as she looked he slowly opened his eyes. He looked surprisingly calm as he reached out one hand to touch her face. The gesture was gentle but left a smear of blood behind.
"Hermo—" he gurgled.
"Sir, don't speak. I'll get help." Casting her patronus she sent it to Dumbledore. He looked at her in confusion and then terror as he slowly tried to stand. She pushed him back down and his eyes rolled back up into his head as he passed out. She looked at him in desperation and wished she knew more about healing spells. Pushing her hands on his chest, she put pressure on his wounds and did whatever she could to stop the bleeding.
Behind her the bricks of the wall shifted and out stepped Dumbledore. He wore a purple nightgown and a bright pink sleeping cap. Running to her side, he drew his wand and started mumbling under his breath. She watched the wounds close beneath her hands. The gurgling stopped and his breathing grew easier.
He turned to Hermione, "Miss Granger if you would enter the tunnel behind you, you will find yourself in my office. Help yourself to tea. I must get Severus to Poppy immediately." He waved his wand and Professor Snape lifted in the air. He quickly strode away leaving Hermione alone.
She turned and entered the tunnel. It closed behind her. Following it, she found herself in Dumbledore's office. The fireplace was lit and a steaming cup waited for her. Picking up the tea she sat down and waited.
Hours seemed to pass as she sat curled in one of the arm chairs. She wondered if Professor Snape was alright and if he really was a Death Eater. If he was, she had helped save his life. A mudblood. She hoped that if he believed those ideals he would find the whole situation insulting.
There were so many things about tonight that just didn't quite add up. Her mind whirled as she tried to analyze every detail.
If he was a Death Eater, than judging from the mask he had been carrying, he had just been returning from some kind of attack or meeting. If that was the case, what had attacked him? Someone in the castle? She had passed no one on the way down to the dungeons, but that didn't mean there hadn't been anyone there. Could it have been another Death Eater or Voldemort? If his 'loyal followers' were treated in such a way, what made them stay for Voldemort's cause? Fear? Their unwavering prejudice?
She also wondered about the silver. Never had she read about such an occurrence. It was almost as if she had entered some kind of trance. She had been aware of her actions but she hadn't had full control over them. Had Professor Snape sent the silver? If so, then why her? She was just a Gryffindor 'know it all', as he liked to say. She was positive Professor Snape didn't hate her, but she was also far from his favorite student. He always stared at her with disdain every time she rose her hand, but also with relief when she made no mistakes in the brewing process. She just existed.
Hermione sighed and shook her head. Her questions would have to wait until Dumbledore returned. She folded her hands in her lap to calm herself and continued to stare out the window overlooking the grounds. She watched the sun slowly rise and it wasn't until the castle started to wake that Dumbledore returned.
The door to the office creaked open and Dumbledore entered. Instead of sitting behind his desk, he sank into the arm chair next to her. His purple dress robe was crumpled and stained with blood and his pink sleep cap was missing but he turned calmly to Hermione and smiled.
"It was very close my dear, but he made it. The internal damage was extensive: most of his rubs were broken, his lungs punctured, a leg and arm were both broken in multiple places, and the slash across his chest was deep enough to reach his spine. It's a miracle it didn't tear apart his head." He closed his eyes in sorrow. "I don't know how Severus managed to crawl from the front gate all the way to the dungeons. If you hadn't shown up when you did and called me, he wouldn't have survived. Now, ask your questions Miss Granger."
Hermione opened her mouth but found it hard to pick which question to ask first. Finally she said, "Sir, I saw the mask that Professor Snape was holding. Is he really a Death Eater?"
Dumbledore's eyes twinkled in response. "Yes. Severus is indeed mixed up with Death Eaters, but his heart is aligned with the light. He is our spy and it's thanks to him that so many lives have been spared."
"But sir, what happened to him?" She wasn't all that surprised to find he was still a part of the good. But Dumbledore's unwavering trust did confuse her. How did he not wonder about Professor Snape's true loyalty? She determined that she'd keep a closer watch on him, and decide herself.
"I do not know," Dumbledore said drawing her out of her thoughts. "He is still unconscious and until he wakes. I'm afraid we can only speculate. But if I were to speculate, I'd say it was his fellow Death Eaters that did this to him. Voldemort tends to use the cruciatus to punish. Severus's injuries seemed like more of a group effort."
"I don't understand why he goes back or why they follow Voldemort if they're bound to be tortured as such."
"He goes back because he is a stronger and braver man than most, and he won't admit it, but he cares more about some people's lives than his own. Voldemort is a powerful leader and now that he's back his Death Eaters have no choice but to follow him. If they refused they would be tortured and killed along with their families. They stay out of fear, not gratitude or loyalty. Now I have a question of my own, Miss Granger. How did you come across Severus?"
Hermione pursed her lips and weighed the pros and cons of explaining about the silver as Dumbledore waited patiently. "Sir, I had a strange dream about a silver smoke, and when I awoke it was there in my room. I followed it and it led me straight to Professor Snape."
Dumbledore's hands shook as he poured himself tea. Hermione felt herself grow fearful at his reaction. She watched him sip his tea and tried to stop squirming as she waited for him to respond.
"My dear girl," he finally spoke. "You have been dragged into this mess. Befriending Harry put you in the midst of it, but the events of tonight have brought you straight into the middle. The smoke you saw tonight is called The Silver Moirai. It is a rare occurrence and has only happened in times of great distress in the Wizarding World. The Silver Moirai represents the destiny of two individuals that will have an unknown outcome on our world. It could be good or it could be the destruction of everything we know. Somehow you and Severus are linked and you were brought here tonight to save his life because whatever your destiny is, it hasn't been fulfilled yet."
Hermione was horrified. "But I don't believe in destiny or fate."
Dumbledore nodded. "The last time The Silver Moirai occurred was when Lily Potter gave birth to Harry. It linked them together and led her to sacrifice her life for him, saving our world temporarily. Lily said the same thing to me when I told her what it meant, but you can't escape fate when it has chosen you."
"I'm sorry but I cannot believe my life is predetermined. But I will do whatever I can to help us win the war."
"I'm so sorry you were dragged into this, you are still so young. The train leaves next week to take you home and your fourth year will be over. Miss Granger, I must ask you to pack everything of value and say goodbye to your family when you arrive. You have become a precious asset to this war and we must protect you at all cost. Your family will be put into hiding and you will reside here from now on. I will get you your own chambers. This is only the beginning, things are about to get very dangerous for you. For now I must ask you to keep this a secret from Harry and Ron, the less people who know about tonight the better."
"Dobby," he called. Seconds later the house elf appeared with a pop, he was dressed head to toe in colorful clothing. "Please take Hermione to her new chambers."
Turning back to Hermione he said, "You are excused from classes today. Get some rest and think everything over. Come back again tonight at 7 and we will discuss any questions you have."
Hermione's head throbbed from the lack of sleep and the overflow of information. She nodded at Dumbledore in response.
"Thank you for everything you have done tonight, Miss Granger. You will make a huge difference in all our lives. Now go get some sleep. I'll make sure your homework is brought to you." He reach out and squeezed her shoulder gently before turning and taking his leave to his private quarters.
"Miss Hermione!" Dobby squeaked while grabbing her hand. He led her out of the office and through some back hallways. Hermione had no idea where they were. Looking around nothing looked familiar. They walked for about 20 minutes before she started to recognize a painting here and there. They were somewhere between the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw common rooms. This part of the castle was not used very often and most of the rooms were empty. Finally they stopped before a long worn tapestry. It depicted an ocean scene and as she watched the thread seemed to vibrate, mimicking waves.
"Must place hand and chose password!" Dobby said cheerfully.
She placed her hand on the ocean and could feel the waves thrumming under her touch. Her mind could only focus on one thing and she could not think of a clever password. "Silver," she finally said.
The tapestry peeled slowly away from the wall to reveal a door. She turned to thank Dobby but he had already disappeared. Reaching out she opened the door to her new home, and was surprised to find it was perfect.
Inside was a beautiful sitting room and library. Shelves took up almost all the wall space and were lined with a variety of books. The far wall was entirely composed of windows, giving a beautiful view of the lake and bathing the room in a soft, welcoming glow. Below the windows stretched a cushioned window seat begging to be laid and read on. There was also a small fireplace with fluffy armchairs before it that looked like you'd sink deep into them the moment you sat down.
She was surprised to find the color scheme was not red and gold, but a tasteful cream and tan with accents in blue and green. Everything was soft and welcoming, and she found it was comforting to her. She loved it already.
Venturing into the next room she found the bedroom. It was spacious and contained a giant four-poster bed that already had Crookshanks asleep in the pillows. This room also had a wide expanse of windows to give it soft natural lighting. There was a solid oak desk stocked with parchment and ink in the corner. Judging by the amount of books in the sitting room, she would not be needing to spend her nights in the library.
Opening the door to the bathroom she was not disappointed. Following the same theme, large windows provided the lighting in the room. Taking up the majority of the space was a massive tub made entirely of glass. The sunlight twinkled through the glass and reflected across the room. It was absolutely beautiful.
Hermione went back to her bed and laid down. The events of last night were overwhelming and she started to panic. Taking gasps of air she fought away her tears. Now was not the time to break down. She was exhausted and wasn't thinking clearly. She was to have her family and home taken away from her. Trying to explain this whole situation to her parents was going to be a war in and of itself. Plus, she was supposed to save or destroy the Wizarding World because it was her destiny.
First she needed sleep and then she could try to approach these giant issues logically. Laying back she wrapped her arms around Crookshanks and breathed deeply until she fell asleep. She slept dreamlessly, even though the safe life she'd lived with for so long was gone.
