Chapter One – The Beginning of a Long Journey
For Hermione Granger, the sixth year at Hogwarts had been all too easy. The only thing that made it unbearable at some points, were Professor Severus Snape. Professor Snape had always doted upon his house, Slytherin and had taken to hating three particular things: Mudbloods, Gryffindors, and Insufferable Know-It-Alls. Putting all three of those together and you had Hermione Granger in a nutshell, so you can imagine how much Professor Snape and Hermione loathed each other.
In Hermione's first years at Hogwarts, she had been a very awkward, but nice looking girl. Her hair had been too bushy and frizzy, her teeth too big, and she hadn't dressed all that well either. However, once her sixth year at Hogwarts had approached, she had blossomed into a beautiful, vibrant young woman. She had sleek, curly brown hair, bright sparkling eyes, she had carried herself more confidently, and looked very much like a woman.
Harry and Ron were Hermione's best friends who never really looked at her in the way of her being a beautiful young lady. However, many of the other boys at Hogwarts took a liking to Hermione's maturation, but she held off on boys and worried that a relationship would interfere with her studies. (She had to begin preparing for N.E.W.T's after all!)
Throughout the first months of her 6th year at Hogwarts Snape had jumped at every chance to make a fool out of Hermione and to remind her how much he had really loathed her. She had knowingly put up with this since he had met her, but one day she just couldn't take it anymore. While preparing a potion for repairing a lost memory, Hermione had read the last part of the directions on the blackboard four times over until she finally raised her handwaving it in the air determined for Professor Snape to answer her.
"Yes Miss Granger? What is it this time?" Snape said sounding utterly annoyed.
"Professor, it seems to me that you have made a mistake in your directions. See I think you meant..." she started.
"I think you need to follow the directions given to you on the board and keep your know-it-all mouth shut before I take points from Gryffindor, Miss Granger. Am I right?" He stated matter-of-factly.
"Yes, it's just that I believe you told us to add dog liver, when I remember reading it was frog liver to be added last." She added fearfully but proud.
"Well you are wrong!" Even with the tone of confidence in his voice, he knew he had made a mistake but was not about to admit it. He had a lot on his mind with the Order that he must have mistaken frog for dog. Still, he was not going to let that annoyingly thick Gryffindor show him up in his own class!
"I will not have you acting the teacher in my classroom Granger! Ten points from Gryffindor will be taken, mudblood." He said with a smirk.
Hermione stood up with rage. She knew Professor Snape hated her and Mudbloods in general, but Snape had never called a student of his a mudblood, at least not out loud. Not only was Hermione awestruck, but the rest of the class was as well.
"Professor! How could you? I will notify Dumbledore about this, mark my words!" she said.
"THAT IS ENOUGH GRANGER!" shouted Snape. "In my office now! The rest of you – class dismissed!" He added.
Harry and Ron hadn't the courage to ask how Hermione's meeting with Snape had gone the following evening. Whenever someone had mentioned Snape near her or even the subject of potions, Hermione would turn horribly red and drop whatever she was holding and storm out of the room. Catching on to her reaction, Harry and Ron suppressed every urge to mention Snape or anything related to him.
Hermione didn't talk much for a while. Many people commended Hermione on standing up to Snape, but nevertheless Hermione was not proud of what happened. Still, Hermione kept up on her Potions homework and did her work in class preparing every potion and antidote perfectly without speaking.
After some time had passed, Hermione was more easy-going and was starting to forget the whole incident. It wouldn't have affected her so gravely if it had come from Malfoy, whom called her a mudblood on several occasions, but coming from a figure of authority at Hogwarts, that was just too much for her to take in at the time. But she was calming down and enjoying her school year much more now.
However, one day in Potions class, they were preparing a rather difficult and complex potion, which was a rare one for healing severe poisonous snakebites. She had made her potion perfectly and was the only one in class to succeed in making it correctly. Snape knew that this potion was well beyond N.E.W.T level and was astounded she could concoct a complicated potion such as this one but didn't let himself show it. Professor Snape found himself thinking...Even Dumbledore can't properly prepare this potion. I'm the only Wizard for miles around who has the ingredients and knowledge to make this. Granger though? She must be cheating!
"Five points from Gryffindor for cheating Granger. I know you did it! No full grown Wizard except me in this country can make this potion!" Snape barked at her.
"But Professor, I did NOT cheat!" she shouted back, her face red with fury.
"I believe I have the authority in this class Granger, not you. A week's detention for shouting out during my class." He ordered loudly enough for the classes above his dungeon to hear.
Hermione thought it best not to say anything more. She suffered through her detentions and to Ron and Harry's surprise managed to always get her work done and keep her cool. Harry just guessed that Hermione was finally not letting Snape to get to her. This was somewhat true. For Hermione was trying her best to keep her mind on what might come up on her charms test the next day, which relaxed her while she was cleaning old, slimy vials in detention with Snape.
Christmas break approached and Hermione elected to stay at Hogwarts in order to spend more time with Harry and Ron. The first day of the break they spent celebrating together in the Gryffindor Common Room. Seamus and Dean had nicked several sweets from the school's kitchen and Colin Creevy had gotten some Butterbeers from Hogsmeade, which he smuggled in to the party. They were all having a wonderful time until...
The door of the common room slammed shut(?Are you sure it slammed shut?) and they all turned their heads and stopped what they were doing to see who in their right minds would spoil a celebration such as this. They all saw Professor McGonagall standing in the doorway. They had seriously thought they were done in for. However, Professor McGonagall weaved her way through several students and made her way to one particular person...Hermione Granger.
"Miss Granger I'm afraid I will need to escort you to the Headmaster's office immediately. There is a situation in which we will need your help." She stated with a look of panic in her eyes.
"Of course Professor." She said without hesitation.
She had hardly ever seen McGonagall look so grave before.
"First you will need to pack a bag quickly Miss Granger. You won't be back for quite some time I'm afraid." She noted seriously.
Harry and Ron exchanged looks of bewilderment.
"Professor, can you tell me what's going on please?" Hermione asked.
"Not at the moment Granger. Hurry now. You must be quick." McGonagall explained.
Hermione rushed up to her dormitory at once and shoved some random clothes, necessities, and books (this is Hermione of course) into her trunk and hurried downstairs. She was eager to find out what was going on. She gave a quick wave goodbye to Harry and Ron wondering when they'd see each other again. Hermione had no idea what was going on, but still she followed Professor McGonagall up to Dumbledore's office. When Professor McGonagall briskly said the password to the towering stone gargoyle (chocolate hobgoblins) Hermione jumped onto the moving staircase. Her mind and heart were racing with panic and she hardly knew what to think. She entered Dumbledore's elegant office where she sat down in a comfy chintz armchair.
Hermione saw Dumbledore appear from a door disguised as a large painting of a past headmistress.
"Thank you for your cooperation Miss Granger. I am afraid the situation requires you at this time. I have no time to explain now but I have set up a portkey for you to take to Snape's home at once. We must hurry as this is not a legal portkey."
Hermione noticed a slight tone of worry in his gentle bemusing voice.
"SNAPE'S?!" That was the only thing she could register at the moment. She was certainly not going anywhere, especially to Snape's!
"Professor, I NEED to know what is going on or I will not be going anywhere!" she said, her face turning red with anger.
"That is not your decision at the moment. I know you must be confused but you need to bear with us. I am afraid there is no time for long-winded explanations so I will just give you this sheet of parchment. I believe you will know what to do with it when you arrive at Snape's. Now Hermione grab onto this cauldron here and on the count of three..." he said softly with a wink.
Hermione had no time to unfold the piece of parchment. Before she knew it, she was being pulled through the portkey and could only feel confused and angry. The last place she wanted to spend Christmas break was at Snape's. She felt she was being punished for some reason.
When her feet finally touched solid ground she couldn't see a thing. Apparently she was in a very dark room. She pulled out her wand and muttered, "Lumos."
Her want tip emitted a stream of golden light and she could make out where she was. She was in what seemed to be a low-ceilinged dingy living area of someone's house, presumably Snape's. It smelled musty, but to her surprise, everything looked clean and kept up. This can't be Snape's house, she thought to herself. Before she could take a look around, a house-elf appeared out of thin air right in front of Hermione.
"Hello little Miss. Lorish at your service. Master asks that you not touch anything and that you report to his chamber at once." He said with an official tone.
Lorish was a very young looking elf, with what seemed like a great deal of enthusiasm. This was strange to Hermione because she would've expected anyone having to be ordered by that horrible man would fear him and be afraid to show his face.
"And who is your master Lorish?" she questioned trying not to offend the elf.
"Well none other than Severus Snape, Miss. Will you need escorting to his chamber? He asks that you come right away." he asked her in a very polite manner.
"Yes, please." She said.
She had so much running through her mind that she couldn't even begin to believe that she was in her teacher's house. And Snape of all her teachers was the most unpleasant, which made the whole situation even harder to believe.
As they walked down a dark unlit hallway, Hermione noticed that this house was very creepy and would have thought a Death Eater would have lived there. There was a skeleton hanging from the ceiling not far ahead and the doorknob on the large red door to a mysterious looking room seemed to have teeth, which looked as if it were going to bite the person's hand off that tried to enter that room. They finally made their way to the end of a dingy hallway on the second floor to a towering black wooden door with a silver doorknob.
"Here you are Miss. Master is expecting you so you may enter." He added and quickly walked away. Hermione didn't know what to do. She was paralyzed with fear and thought that if she entered the room, he would suddenly attack her and wonder why she was even there. But if he is indeed expecting me...than I can enter, right? She wondered. Hermione reached for the doorknob, but before she could open it, it started turning itself and the door inched slowly open with a cringing creaking noise. She peeked in through the door, which was a few inches ajar.
"Um...er...Professor?" She hesitatingly asked.
"Come in and close the door behind you please Granger." Said a strained groaning voice.
This did not sound like Snape at all to Hermione.
She stepped through the doorway to see a room that was almost completely bare except for a shelf of potion ingredients, (In his bedroom? How odd.) and a four-poster bed. There was a man in the bed wrapped underneath some covers, but she still couldn't make out who it was.
"I'm going to make this as quick as possible Granger, because I need my rest. Sit." The man conjured up a black armchair with his wand and Hermione sat. Once seated in the chair she was able to make out the face of the man. It was Severus Snape. Only...something looked different about him.
"What are you staring at Granger?" he asked bitterly.
"Um...nothing." She said, "Can you tell me why I am here?" she asked plainly.
"While you may not be at Hogwarts Granger, you are still in my home and I expect you to address me with as Sir or Professor. Is that understood?" Snape asked.
"Yes, sorry. Could you tell me why I am here, sir?" she corrected herself.
"Yes I can, but you will have to be patient. Some of it may not make sense right away. I will start at the beginning Granger. Please no interruptions." Snape said with a smirk.
"Well Granger...I expect most of this isn't your business. But as it all leads up to why you are here than I expect you shall need to know about it now rather than having to listen to your annoying incessant questioning during your stay here." Snape barked.
"Fine. Continue, Sir." Snapped Hermione.
"Well, it all starts out with my work with the Order. I was on a last minute order from Dumbledore, who had left a note and insisted I needed to apparate to Spain at once." He started.
"Why Spain," she asked "Professor?" she quickly added.
"NO INTERRUPTIONS GRANGER!" He shouted at Hermione.
He then continued on,. "Dumbledore usually gives his orders in person, but if this was Dumbledore, he sounded urgent and I had no time to question the note. The letter was signed with his seal and was delivered by Fawkes, so it seemed to be authentic. Professor Dumbledore was convinced that there was to be a gathering of several Death Eaters and that Voldemort would be present. I obeyed him of course, but I was still unsure of this information. I apparated to the location he had mentioned in Spain only to find several Death Eaters but no Voldemort. It was a set up, as your know-it-all self has probably guessed." Snape said with a look of disappointment beneath his cold gray eyes.
"Sir, what does this have to do with me being here?" she wondered.
"As I was saying Granger," Snape said pretending no to have heard her, "The Death Eaters began to corner me and I had noticed Antonin Dolohov and Bellatrix Lestrange among them. As you can imagine I knew this was a not a good situation." Snape's voice suddenly dropped and sounded fearful. Hermione had never seen him like this before and it made her a bit uncomfortable.
"Well, with a bit of luck and my cunning spell work I managed to get out of there, but not soon enough it seems." Muttered Snape.
"Bellatrix had set a rather large snake on me just before entering. Bit of a parting gift I assume." He joked, but bearing no smile.
"I don't know what happened next, but I fell to the ground and collapsed just as I had felt a searing pain bite into my abdomen." Snape said.
As he was saying this he was pulling down the covers only to reveal a stomach covered in bandages. "It seems Dumbledore knew where I was because when I woke up I was here in my own bed and he told me the worst news I've ever heard."
"What news is that, sir?" Hermione questioned.
"St. Mungo's would have no cure for this snake bite and Dumbledore did not know how to make the potion necessary for my healing. So..." he said with a wince.
"He informed me you would be staying here, as you are the only one, except me of course, who knows how to prepare this potion. I would do it myself but as I can barely walk it does not seem as though I will be able to." Snape added.
Suddenly things started to piece together for Hermione and she understood why she was there. Her hands were a bit clammy and she had noticed for the first time since she was there that she still had the bit of parchment Dumbledore had given her. She unfolded it and found a note from Dumbledore.
Dear Miss Granger,
I am sorry for not explaining things to you, but I rather figured that since you are such a clever girl you could figure it out with a little help from our friend Professor Snape. Enclosed is the instructions to the Potion which will be needed to cure Severus. (I know you can do it without these instructions, but just incase!) Also, I must inform you that Professor Snape is in grave danger. If he does not receive this potion as soon as possible he will...well he will not be teaching at Hogwart's next year. Don't tell Severus this, as it will make him very uneasy. Thank you for your help Miss Granger and good luck!
Sincerely,
Albus Dumbledore