The Invisibility Cloak: Chapter Two
The weeks following her arrival in the past went by in a blur. Most of the students had left Hogwarts for the Holidays, so she found it easy to pass the time without fear of bumping into someone on accident. She got in the habit of sleeping during the morning hours, and venturing around the castle in the evening. The Library, naturally, was one of her most frequented places.
Despite arriving ahead of schedule, her plan was still relatively the same. She would find a way to give the cloak to Professor Dumbledore, making sure he knew it was one of the Deathly Hallows. He would be safe from the curse on his hand, and would be able to release Professor Snape from his task of casting the killing curse on him.
There was so much more she wanted to do, though. A huge part of her wanted to save them the trouble of collecting the fake locket. And a huge part of her wanted to collect Ravenclaw's Diadem, and destroy it. However, she did not want to alter the timeline more than was absolutely necessary.
So she resisted those urges with reluctance, and spent her nights in the library instead. Night after night, she was pouring over seventh year texts, trying to catch up on the education she had missed out on. She decided that was probably the best way to spend her days, until she could decide the most opportune time to deliver the cloak to Professor Dumbledore.
She wished it were as simple as sending it by owl, but she could not risk it falling into the wrong hands. Invisibility cloaks were valuable—Deathly Hallow or not. She could hand deliver it, but then she would be without the cover and protection of the cloak. How could she escape the castle without being seen? If she waited until classes resumed, she risked running into her doppelganger, or someone who might come to the conclusion she was in two places at once .She briefly considered dropping it off in his office, while the students were gone for the holidays, but everyone knew she was supposed to be at the Burrow. She couldn't have Dumbledore mention her visit to his office in casual conversation with her younger self. She knew she couldn't just tell Dumbledore the truth without risking the timeline. So she spent her days going over ideas, searching for a solution.
It was in the Library, reviewing N.E.W.T level potions ingredients and their properties, when she came across her answer. She could not believe she had not thought of it before.
She could use Polyjuice Potion. She cringed at the thought, considering her previous experience, but it seemed like a most ideal course of action. If she timed it right, perhaps on a Hogsmeade weekend, she could even make her escape from Hogwarts. It would be much easier to stay under the radar, if she were far away from her doppelganger, and such large crowds of people.
It was brilliant.
Through the Library window, Hermione could see sunlight beginning to kiss the mountaintops, along the horizon. The sky was waking up. She took that as her queue to call it a night, and return to the safety of the Room of Requirement. She placed the book back on its shelf, and ventured into the Restricted Section, in search of Most Potente Potions.
A feeling of nostalgia washed over her, as she pulled the large tome into her arms. She slipped it under the cloak with her, and quickly made her way back to the Room of Requirement. Her tent-like room expanded to accommodate a desk, and she instantly dove into the book. There were so many interesting potions held within, she intended to take a closer look at some point. She found Polyjuice Potion, and began writing out a list of ingredients.
That afternoon, when the sun began its descent in the sky, she immediately set out to borrow some ingredients from Professor Slughorn's storeroom. As she made her way down the Grand Staircase, she heard the bustle of returned students in the Entrance Hall. Careful to keep the invisibility cloak tight around her, she stuck to the edge of the room as she made her way past them, and down to the dungeons.
The potions classroom was unlocked, and a simple Alohomora gained her passage to the storeroom. She began scanning the shelves for the ingredients she needed.
Lacewing Flies. Empty.
She frowned.
Knotgrass. None.
Her heart sunk as she continued through the list. There was no Fluxweed or Leeches, but she was able to collect the necessary Boomslang Skin and Bicorn Horn.
Dismayed at the lack of progress, she pocketed the ingredients and began to venture out of the cold dungeons. It would not be as straightforward as she had hoped, but she was already thinking of ways to acquire the other ingredients.
She could collect lacewing flies by the Quidditch Pitch, where they would be attracted to all the sweets students leave behind after a match. Knotgrass and Fluxweed could be found in Greenhouse Three, but would need to be picked on a full moon; and she could collect leeches from the Black Lake.
When she made it back to the Entry Hall, the students had already left for their common rooms. Checking to make sure there was nobody around, she gently pushed open the Entry Doors, and exited the castle.
The air was cold, and she tightened her grip on the cloak as the wind whipped at her skin. The waxing crescent moon was high in the sky, and she made note the full moon was still nearly two weeks away. Making her way out on the grounds, she intended to collect some leeches from the lake.
The lake was dark, but there was enough light in the sky for her to see the movement of the water. She crouched down at the water's edge, and cast a warming spell on her hands. Reaching into the shallow water, she let her hands sit very still.
She had read the easiest way to catch leeches was to let them latch onto you. She waited several minutes, but was having no luck collecting any. She realized she would need to move deeper into the water.
She carefully removed the invisibility cloak, and tucked it into her beaded bag. She did the same with her boots, and transformed her jeans into cut-off shorts. Casting a warming spell on her legs, she took measured steps out into the water, careful on the slippery rocks. She waded out until the water was nearly to cover her thighs, and stood very still.
She tried not to think of all the creatures that inhabited the lake as leeches began to latch onto her. She stayed in the water until her legs began to itch, and the warming spell began to fade off. She started to make her way out of the lake, once more taking calculated steps.
Suddenly, she saw movement out of the corner of her eye.
It all happened so fast.
Perhaps it was months of being on high alert; months of living in fear of being attacked. Instinct took over and her body turned in an instant, her wand raised to defend herself, and she lost her footing. Slipping on a rock, she fell spectacularly into the water. She heard the splash, felt the ice cold lake cover her upper body, and held her breath as her head went under.
She had a moment to register that she had completely blown her cover, before she felt a hand on her upper arm, dragging her back to the surface.
In full defense mode, she thrashed her body as air filled her lungs once more. Though she could not see her target, she had her wand aimed behind her, and the taste of a stunner on her lips.
She saw a flash of red illuminate the water, and suddenly her body went limp.
Her eyes saw pale fingers collect her wand, which had slipped from her limp hand and was floating on the lake's surface. She watched as the water around her increasingly grew more shallow, and when her body was back on dry ground, she felt the spell's effects wear off. She clambered to her feet. Spinning around, she came face-to-face with Professor Snape.
Overwhelmed with adrenaline, cold, and the shock of it all, she was at a loss for words. She was breathing heavy, and she could see he was too; their breaths creating a cloud of fog in the crisp, winter air. There was a moment where they stood there, staring at each other, with silence invading the air between them.
Finally he spoke in a low, serious tone, "What—Is the meaning of this?"
She tried to formulate a thought; tried to find the right words to say. She began to open her mouth, still not sure of her response, when the wind blew with newfound ferocity. Her teeth began to chatter and her soaked body shivered against her will.
She felt a magical warmth wash over her, and suddenly she was dry. She sighed in relief.
"Miss Granger," his clipped tone brought her eyes back to his, "Do explain yourself."
Choosing the path of least complication, she answered honestly, "I was collecting leeches, Sir."
She glanced down at her legs for the first time, finding them completely covered in the slimy creatures.
"Clearly," He drawled, "And do explain, Miss Granger, why you chose to embark on this task in the late hour of this particular night?"
What was she supposed to say? Her mind was racing, trying to come up with the safest response. All the students had just returned from break; she could not exactly pretend like it was for an assignment. She began to open her mouth, but he cut her off.
"Detention."
Her heart sank.
"For being on the grounds after dark." He continued, "Ten points from Gryffindor for uniform violation, and fifty points for threatening a teacher."
"What?" she exclaimed unceremoniously, "I did not—."
"Gather yourself. I will see you make it back to your common room without venturing off to some other foolish undertaking."
She bit back a groan at her disappointment in the mess she had created. How was she going to fix this? She walked past him, resisting the urge to scream in frustration, and scooped up her beaded bag. She reached in, searching for a jar. She dug around intensely, but everything inside was being smothered by the invisibility cloak. She was armpit deep in the bag when she finally huffed in annoyance.
Professor Snape was facing the castle, his back turned to her.
"Sir, I require my wand," she called out, exasperated.
He turned to face her, his robes flaring dramatically around him. He raised an eyebrow at her situation, but said nothing as he handed her Vinewood lifeline back to her.
She summoned a jar and a bottle of dittany.
Carefully, she began prying one off and into the jar, and she dabbed the wound with a drop of dittany.
She could feel Professor Snape watching her, and she dared not imagine what he must be thinking. She began to reach for another leech. Suddenly he was crouched by her side, pushing her hand away from the leech.
"Foolish girl," He muttered, dragging her by her arm back to her feet.
"You have to let them feed until they're full, otherwise they'll be useless," he said, pulling her in the direction of the castle, "I'm not at all surprised our new, worthless excuse for a potions master, didn't teach you dunderheads that."
She remained silent, quickening her step.
He released her arm upon entering the castle, and they began to make their way up the Grand Staircase to what she assumed would be Gryffindor tower. She began to panic. She had no idea what the password was. She began scanning her memory, trying desperately to come up with the phrase.
She was surprised, however, when they reached the third floor, and he turned in the direction of his DADA classroom. Her curiosity peaked as he unlocked the door and led her into the room. With a flick of his wand, the space lit up.
"Sit." He demanded, gesturing to a dueling platform.
There were no chairs next to it, so she hoisted herself onto the platform. He left to his office, and she was uncertain what he would return with. She turned herself so that her legs were resting on the surface as well, and leaned forward to examine the leeches. She began to reach for one particularly fat one, to see if it was ready to come off. She had not intended to turn herself into a blood bank, when she stepped into the lake, and honestly could hardly wait to have the slimy creatures off of her.
"Don't," he demanded, returning to her side.
She jerked her hand back in an instant. She might not technically be his student, but there was something about his voice that demanded compliance.
"The oils on your skin will alter their potency."
She furrowed her brow, thinking of all the potions she had brewed in his classes over the years. "Sir, would that not be the case with all the ingredients we handle?"
One of the leeches fell off, and he reached forward with gloved hands to scoop it up. She watched as he dropped it into a jar of white powder, and gently coated it with the mixture.
"Of course it is," he muttered in annoyance, "I would have expected our insufferable, resident know-it-all, to be aware of that already."
She brushed off the insult, "What are you mixing them in?"
"Preserving powder," he clipped, returning to his work. He scooped up several more and added them to the jar.
She raised her eyebrows, thinking she needed to read about this.
"Why are you using preserving powder?" she asked, genuinely intrigued.
He huffed in annoyance, "This is not a learning opportunity."
She bit back any additional questions, and soon, the last of the leeches were collected. Her eyes met his when he handed her a jar of healing salve. She thanked him, and he shot her a curious look.
She began dabbing the cream on her wounds, and he stepped away, taking her leeches with him. She peeked through her hair to get a glimpse of what he was doing. He labeled the jar of leeches, and walked to his desk, storing it in a drawer.
She closed the container of healing salve, and carried it across the room to meet him at his desk.
Taking the small jar from her hand, he declared, "You'll be here next Friday evening at 7 o'clock sharp, to serve your detention. Now leave."
She stole a glance at the drawer of his desk where he had stored her leeches; realizing, with disappointment, she would not be leaving with them. She suppressed a huff of annoyance.
"Of course, Sir."
She exited the classroom quickly, but not before she heard him say, "If I find you to have taken any detours along the way, it'll be detention for a month."
As soon as she rounded the corner, she covered herself with the invisibility cloak. She made her way back to the Room of Requirement. Her thoughts were racing with every step. She had made a huge mistake being seen by him, and causing this series of events to unfold. If her doppelganger found out she had detention but did not know why, it could spell trouble for her. She would just have to watch their interactions closely, and make sure she kept her twin busy while she served detention on Friday night.
Hermione arrived at the sixth floor corridor, only to discover two young girls standing guard outside the Room of Requirement. She closed her eyes in defeat, kicking herself for all the obstacles she kept running in to.
How could she forget Draco Malfoy?
She could not continue to stay in the Room of Requirement. She risked him not being able to get in, if she was there— and she had no idea how that could affect the future.
She glanced at the two girls outside the Room of Requirement, once more. At least she knew why the Polyjuice ingredients were gone.
She turned back to the Grand Staircase. Where would she sleep? Where could she be certain nobody would disturb her? Nobody would open the door and find her?
Sure, she could put up wards around any old, abandoned classroom. But what if it was supposed to be used for something she did not know about? What if it was where a child was supposed to be conceived? She cringed at the thought, but it was a real possibility. She had to consider that every action of hers could greatly alter the future.
She was certain she had risked enough of the future, for one night, and found herself back in the broom cupboard. The broom cupboard where she knew, with certainty, the door had not been opened once in her entire journey through time.
She closed the door, and stepped down into it. It was a small space, but it had a window and was big enough to sleep in.
She considered putting up wards, but decided against it. A strong witch or wizard would be able to sense them, and she did not want to draw any attention to it. She simply had to trust the future would unfold in a similar fashion, and nobody would enter it in the days to pass.
She cast a Muffliato on the space, just to be cautious.
From her beaded bag, she pulled a collection of items. She started with the air mattress she had used during her time in the tent with Harry and Ron, and transfigured it to a more comfortable, supportive mattress. It was just the perfect size to fit the width of the space. She used a semi-permanent sticking charm to loft it above the door, so that she could walk under it.
Then, she transfigured a quill into a thin ladder. She used a semi-permanent sticking charm to attach it to the wall perpendicular to the door, so she would have a way to climb into the bed, without losing any floor space.
There was not much space left in the room, but she used empty potion vials to transfigure vertical storage spaces on the wall opposite the door. After all, she would need a place to keep her potions ingredients. There was enough space for a tiny desk under the window, which she decided would be a good place to brew the Polyjuice, when she was ready.
It was barely enough room to turn around in, but she did not need much.
Happy with her handiwork, she deposited her potions ingredients she had managed to collect from Professor Slughorn's collection in one of the storage bins, and placed her beaded bag and the invisibility cloak on the desk.
With Most Potente Potions in hand, she climbed into her new bed for a long night of reading. Perhaps she would come across something about the use of Preserving Powder.
Disclaimer:
I write works of fan fiction using characters from the Harry Potter world, which is trademarked by J. K. Rowling. All characters used in the stories were created and are owned by J.K. Rowling. I do not claim them as my own, or claim the world they are represented in as my own. The stories I write are invented by me, and are not portrayed or believed to be part of J.K. Rowling's story. These stories are simply for entertainment purposes, and I seek to make no profit from them. I would like to thank J.K. Rowling for creating the magical world of Harry Potter, and introducing me to a story which continues to make an impact on my life today.
A/N:
Introducing Sev. Yay! I hope I kept him in-character as much as possible. When I originally wrote this, they were already way too friendly with each other. Had to go back and throw the brakes on things. I guess you could say I'm eager to see their relationship grow; but I promised myself I'd do this slow, and try to make it as realistic and believable as possible. So there's that. Planning on some mischief in chapter 3, followed by a cliff, so stay tuned!
Thanks for reading :)
