The Forgotten Hero
Summary: Nobody ever found Severus Snapes body, and three years after the war, Hermione is determined to find out why. HG/SS
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
"Everything, " Harry Potter begun, a loose grin on his face, "…is perfect now!"
Hermione Granger, eyes fixed on the boy in front of her, had to force herself not to stand and slap the Wizarding worlds 'savior'. Perfect? Perfect? What rubbish! She understood that Harry was finally happy, finally content, but still, what about all those people who died? What about Teddy Tonks who now had no parents? What about Fred? Colin Creevey? Dumbledore? Snape?
Hermione made a small choking noise in her throat when she thought of Snape, causing Harry to turn to her for a brief second, concern flashing across his eyes. He narrowed them slightly for a moment before turning away to grin at his blushing bride.
It had only been three years, and although lots of people have moved on, she couldn't, she just… It was all to do with Snape. She remembered it so clearly, how she walked across the Hogwarts grounds thinking that it looked as if a cyclone had ripped through the school, the only difference being the blood smearing disturbing patterns across the walls and ground. Harry had killed Voldemort a few hours earlier, and all the bodies had been 'collected', all but one…
She couldn't believe that nobody even considered Severus Snape. Harry had told her what had happened, how Snape had been their spy after all, and how he gave his life for them. She didn't understand quite why she felt so strongly about him, but she couldn't help but cry over the man. He was that dark tragic war hero that everyone forgot about.
She had gotten to the shrieking shack, had climbed the stairs and crawled into the room where Harry had told her he had died. She had taken a deep breath, preparing herself to look at the body of her once respected professor. That moment had never come. There was no body, no sign of him ever being there. She hadn't known what to do, where could it have gone?
"HERMIONE!" a gruff voice bellowed across the room. She jumped a little, and spotted Ron thumping across the room towards her.
He stopped just in front of her, a small grin on his face. "Howsit going Mione?" he asked slowly, his brow furrowing as he noticed the look on her face.
Standing up she placed a hand on his shoulder, "Couldn't be happier Ron, Ginny looks so beautiful…"
Ron grinned. "She does, doesn't she?" he replied proudly. "My sister, married to Harry friggin Potter, how'd have thought it?"
Hermione took her hand off his shoulder and stiffened a bit as she examined him. They had been dating for coming up on 4 years, yet not once had they even considered marriage. It wasn't really a sore point for her, not like Molly Weasley believed it to be. When she was perfectly honest with herself, she realized she wasn't ready to get married; she was so young! She never understood why everyone got married so young, she was only just 22!
Ron started shifting uncomfortably in front of her. "Mione, um, do you mind if maybe I don't go back to yours tonight?"
She looked at him in surprise. "Sure, how come?"
He sighed. "I've… I, I promised mum that Ginny's friend, you know, the blonde one?"
Hermione nodded slowly, not liking where this was going.
Ron continued nodding, "Well, I told mum she could stay at my flat, you know, coz the Burrow is so full, but when mum realized I was planning on staying at yours she freaked. Told me it was wrong to leave a guest alone in a strange house."
Hermione felt an odd bubble inside of her, she wasn't quite sure whether she was annoyed, or even jealous, she didn't really have reason to be… but Ron, he was just so stupid sometimes, so naïve, and she had noticed Ginny's friend hanging around a bit too much. But Ron loved her… and, sure…
"That's okay Ron…" Hermione replied softly, leaning up to kiss him on his cheek, "I have some research to finish up on anyway, we'll still be on for tomorrow night won't we?"
Ron nodded vigorously, looking relieved that Hermione wasn't going to pick a fight.
(BREAK)
Later that night found Hermione and a pot of tea sitting at her desk, surrounded by books. She had decided to continue her studies, and she'd never quite stopped. She had found out she wasn't too keen on working if it didn't involve learning, so she'd decide to get her Masters in Charms instead, apprenticing with a lovely old German Professor, Karl Shultz.
Her eyes drifted slowly over her desk, but stopped abruptly when she noticed her notes on something entirely different crammed under a pile of books. She shut her eyes for a second, willing her heart to stop beating so quickly. Ever since she had discovered Severus Snape's body missing, she had slowly researched, in her spare time, what might have occurred. She knew that Voldemorts Snake had bitten him, and Harry had told her time and time again that he was dead and that a death eater must have destroyed the body. She just didn't quite believe that. There had to be more to it.
She had initially blamed the ministry for not bothering to look for it; he was a war hero dammit! He deserved recognition, respect and peace! Nobody was bothered though, except for her. She knew that the death eaters hadn't taken it, to begin with none of them knew he was in the shack, and none of them knew how to get up there. Voldemort had already left when Severus was dying; the last person to see him was Harry. Hermione had, in the past, gotten so desperate to find out what had happened she'd even talked to Dumbledore's portrait, trying to reason it out with him.
"But…" Hermione begun, pacing around the room nervously, "…why? They wouldn't have taken it. There must have been some curse in the bite; Nagini was a Horcrux, maybe that made a difference? What if he…"
"Stop it, Miss Granger" Dumbledore interrupted, his eyes dark and cold. "Severus Snape is not coming back. He is not alive." He continued, bowing his head.
Hermione glared at him, "I never said he wasn't dead. And I would have thought that you of all people could understand why I want to find the body"
Dumbledore eyed her carefully. "Some things just aren't meant to have an ending, and maybe Severus is one of them"
Hermione just couldn't prevent the odd feeling inside of her telling her it was possible. Snape was a Potions Master, the best in all of Britain; surely he would have had antidotes, potions, something to help himself? How could a simple snakebite bring down one of the most powerful men she had ever met!
Taking a sip of her tea Hermione relaxed, she really needed to stop obsessing about it. She had a wonderful boyfriend, a satisfying life and a beautiful home. She had peace and love and comfort, why did she have to stress herself with always needing to know answers.
"Because, Miss Granger, you have an unbridled thirst for knowledge, and it may not always be the worst trait to have."
A tear squeezed out her eyes as she remembered Snape telling her that. Harry and Ron had never known it, but she had been a bit closer to Snape than any of them. After her fourth and fifth years she had spent a great deal of time, alone, in Grimmuald Place. She spent most of her time in the library, where Snape also spent a lot of his time. They never spoke much, just sat and tolerated each others company, but that meant more to her than hundreds of pointless conversations could.
This was why she had always suspecting that there was more to Dumbledore's death than Harry knew. That was the first time that she realized that the only person who had held anything other than contempt and skepticism for Snape was Dumbledore, and he was dead. She had been surprised at how quickly everyone had accepted Snape's betrayal, how they had not questioned what Harry had seen. She'd no doubt Harry had told her everyone that he had seen, but a little voice in her head reminded her that Harry often only saw what he wanted to see.
The last time she had seen Severus Snape, he had told her of his innocence.
Hermione had been running down the corridor at Hogwarts, she needed to get to the Chamber of Secrets; they needed to destroy the Horcrux! But in the shambles she had lost track of Ron, and the staircases… she would catch up, but it didn't worry her any less.
She had been sprinting around a corner somewhere in the Dungeons when she smacked into something hard. Lying on the ground, slightly dazed, she'd accepted the slender hand that pulled her roughly off the ground.
"Miss Granger" he had said smoothly, "…watch yourself"
She had stood there for what seemed like minutes, when in reality it was probably only seconds. They had just stood, alone, in a dark quiet corridor in the middle of a blazing war, looking at each other. And it was then when she realized he was exactly the sort of man she'd thought him to be. Brave, intelligent, in control, and a small part of him, caring.
"And you too, Severus" she had choked out, grinning a bit at the surprised look on his face.
"You…" he fumbled for a minute, a frown on his face, "You're very clever Hermione".
She heard a noise behind her, and she walked up to him quickly, placing a warm hand on his arm, "And you are very brave, Severus"
That was the last time she would ever see him.
Hermione shook herself out of her thoughts, and felt the tears falling down her face. He was such a hero, and he was being forgotten. She had to stop it. She had to do something to make sure that the Magical Community understood just how important his role was, just how much he had helped them. If they hadn't had Severus Snape they may never have won the war, and even if they still had, things would have been much worse than they were. She was said about the people who had died, particularly Remus who had been something of a mentor to her, but in the end, she often thought it was miraculous that so few people died.
She would find out what happened to him, even if it took her the rest of her life. And she knew just where to begin.
Standing up and smoothing down her robes, Hermione grabbed her bag and threw some floo powder in the fireplace. Stepping in she frowned slightly and said in a loud clear voice "Malfoy Manor".