7th Year
Hermione sat in the library near an open window where the sunlight was streaming in. She was comfortable reading a tome for Arithmacy. She had been studying for the past two hours. She did not stop until an old grey barn owl flew through the window and perched itself on the chair back beside her. Attached was a small rolled up note. Hermione took the note and read it.
Ms. Granger,
Can you come to my office? There is an urgent matter we must discuss.
-Headmistress McGonagall
Hermione did not know what to make of this not. What could possibly be so urgent? Voldemort was dead now and most of the death eaters had been rounded up or killed with a small few on the run still. Quickly she packed her things and returned the tomes and books to their appropriate shelves and left the library with Madam Pince staring at her. Hermione rushed to the office and said the password to get to the office. Softly she opened the door.
"Hermione, good you're here." Said Minerva softly.
"What's wrong?" Asked Hermione.
"Please sit Hermione." She admonished. It was then that Hermione noticed Severus standing near the windows staring at her but not menacingly. "There was an attack a few hours ago that we were just now informed of."
"Okay." Hermione was getting anxious. Who was it this time that was attacked? She hoped that it wasn't really anyone she knew.
"Hermione." Minerva paused as she felt the tears about to fall. "Your parents. They were attacked in Melbourne. I'm so sorry." Hermione went stiff and stared at Minerva. She never said a word. "They didn't make it." Said Minerva. That was the straw the broke the camels back. Hermione did not say a word. But walked over to another side of the room to a bookshelf and stared at the books. In a fit of every possible emotion she could feel she destroyed the books shelf with wandless magic. The chaos sent papers around the room. It was then that Hermione screamed. Past headmasters, including Albus ran from their paintings in fear. There was nothing Minerva could do. The waves of raw power coming from Hermione were quickly reducing the office to chaos.
It didn't stop until Severus came up behind her and turned her. Her sheer power made it hard enough for him to get close to her. But he was able to grab her shoulders and turn her to him. Tears ran down her face in torrents as anger burned in her eyes. He saw anger, hate, sadness, and other emotions he could not place. Thinking quickly he enveloped her in his arms and apparated her to the field of grass beside the lake. There he let her destroy the grass and dirt and kick up some of the water until she wore herself out. Severus knew she was a bright and strong witch but never to this magnitude. He'd heard of witches and wizards going berserk due to emotional distress but never saw it for himself like this.
Ron and Harry were informed of their dear friends predicament and came running to her but were promptly stopped by Severus.
"Unless you want to be torn to shreds by Ms. Granger I suggest you stay where you stand." He said as he stood in front of them. They followed suit. It was the softness and the warning in Severus' voice that stopped them. And so they stood and watched from afar as Hermione destroyed the field of grass and riled the lake. The creatures in the lake went to the farthest end or the deepest part of the lake to escape her destruction. There were no owls or other avian animals near by they'd all hid.
It was five hours later until Hermione finally calmed, collapsing to her hands and knees sobbing. Severus went over first and scooped her up in his arms and carried her to the infirmary. She was laid out on one of the beds and separation curtains were put up for privacy. Severus gave her a calming potion and a sleeping potion. Once Ron and Harry were satisfied that she was fine they left for their rooms. Severus stayed behind to watch her should there be a repeat of earlier. He brought a chair closer and configured it to something more comfortable.
Severus watched her sleep. Her face was calm and angelic. Hermione had grown in her years at Hogwarts. Physically she was beautiful. She had gotten significantly taller, dwarfing Harry and coming up to Severus' eyes. She had a lithe but curvy figure with long legs and hourglass shape. Her hair had tamed itself. It was no longer bushy but fell into thick neat ringlets allowing light to bounce off the hairs luminously. But there was evidence of war. There was the word mudblood permanently carved in to her left arm. The scar on her chest that he heard about but never saw. When she was awake there was the hardness in her eyes and the quick reflexes of someone who has had to defend themselves way to many times for someone to young. There were the slight showings of PTSD that she was getting help for. Severus leaned over and removed an errant curl from her face.
"Hell hath no fury." He whispered. Severus leaned back in the chair and fell asleep. Noticing this Madam Pompfrey turned off all the lights in the infirmary.