Chapter Two: To Sugar Add Potion
By the time the Slytherins had returned from the Great Hall, they were all muttering about what Dumbledore had said. Draco didn't care what that old fool had to say, as long as he could do what he wanted and not get caught. He added his potion to the pound of sugar that his mother had told him to use. He would have to wait an hour before he could add the chocolate that would make them hard to resist. He knew that his Head of House had an addiction to chocolate and would of gotten fat, if his father hadn't stopped him.
" No touch!" said Draco to Crabbe. " These are for them."
" I get to have some, don't I?" Pansy asked.
He looked at her, but nodded.
An hour later he added the chocolate, then put them in molds that a seventh year had magically conjured. The next morning they would be hard enough and then he could send them by owl post. If Snape got his in the morning, he would be under the effects in an hour. Pansy already had her plan on how to get the Weasley git out of Gryffindor tower.
Great Hall: Next Morning
The next morning the owl delivered the sweets to Hermione, as Draco knew that it would. Hermione gasped at the chocolate and took a bite. Draco had made sure that Snape got his and if he was a betting man, he was eating them right now. Well of course Pansy had told him that Snape was eating them right now, forgetting about his breakfast.
" How big of a box did you give him?" asked Crabbe.
" A huge box," said Pansy. " You know something you told me that he had an addition, but you didn't tell me how big of an addition. He dived at them, like they were blood or something. It was scary!"
" Well dad did say that one day his addition would come back and haunt him," said Draco, snickering. " Now his words will come true."
Their snickering didn't go unnoticed by Harry and Ginny, both were looking worried. Anytime a batch of Slytherins were plotting something, it couldn't be good. Hermione got up and taking her cauldron and supplies left the Great Hall. Harry noticed that almost at once Snape left and he wondered if this had something to do with the Slytherins snickering even harder.
" I don't like this, I don't like this at all!" Harry said, repeating what Hermione had said back in their first year. " Something is wrong and I'm going to find out!"
" What do you plan on doing?" asked Ginny.
" I don't know," Harry answered, looking unnerved.
When Harry and the rest of the Advance Potions class arrived for their lesson, the door was locked. They waited and waited, but Snape didn't come out.
" Maybe he got sick?" said Lavender Brown.
" I'm going to see Professor McGonagall," Harry told her. " If Snape comes out tell him he can give me detention for a month if he wants to."
" All right," said Lavender, watching as Harry hurried up the stairs and disappeared from sight.
When Harry arrived at Professor McGonagall's classroom, he knocked, and waited. McGonagall opened the door and looked at him.
" Did you insult Professor Snape?" McGonagall asked.
" No!" said Harry. " Professor Snape didn't open his door to let us in. We've been waiting outside for twenty minutes now."
" All right," said McGonagall. " I'm sure there is nothing wrong with the Professor."
She told the class to wait until she returned and followed Harry back down the marble staircase and to the Potions classroom. Harry saw that most of the students were talking or looking up whatever Potion Snape might make them do.
" Has Professor Snape come out yet?" McGonagall asked them.
They all shook their heads.
" Head back to your houses," McGonagall ordered. " And I'll have a chat with Severus about the lesson."
They all muttered, but took their things and headed off in different directions. Harry wanted to stay, but McGonagall ordered him to return to Gryffindor tower. Harry picked up his things and left, hoping for the first time that nothing was wrong with his Potions Master.
When Harry returned to Gryffindor tower, he saw Ron was busy reading from his Advance Herbology book. He looked up when Harry entered.
" I heard that Advance Potions was canceled!" Ron said, when Harry sat down.
" And how did you hear that?" asked Harry.
" Lavender told me," Ron answered. " Wonder what's wrong with old Snape that he would pass the opportunity to make your life hard?"
" I don't know, but I'm worried about him," Harry told him. " I mean all that chocolate probably made him sick or something."
" Maybe," said Ron. " Anyway I want to know where Hermione went to. I'm sure that she wasn't in class because all the Advance Potions students have returned."
Harry was just about to get up to see if he could get out of Gryffindor tower and look for her, when the portrait opened and Hermione appeared, looking like she had the worst shock of her life. Her uniform was all messed up and her hair was even worse. Before Harry could open his mouth to find out what had happened, McGonagall entered and she didn't look pleased.
" You wait until we have you kicked out of this school!" McGonagall said, her eyes flashing in anger. " I hope I never see what I saw in that room."
And then she stormed out of the common room, the portrait almost falling off in the process.
" Hermione what happened?" asked Ron, looking at the tearstained Hermione. " What's going on here?"
Hermione gave him a frightening look and then stormed up the staircase and disappeared into the girl's dorm.
" What's going on?" asked Harry. " And why does McGonagall want her out?"
" I don't know," said Ron, putting his book down. " But I'm going to find out."
He then got up and left Gryffindor tower, Harry following suit.
When Harry and Ron appeared in the entrance hall, Harry saw something that reminded him of when Umbridge had been at Hogwarts and had tried to remove Professor Trelawney. Seven bags and trunks were in the entrance hall and a large lump of black robes was on the floor, screaming at Umbridge and Fudge not to remove him.
" I've been here for fifteen years!" Snape bellowed, tears pouring down his face. " I've done good service for Hogwarts."
" Not anymore, Severus," said Fudge, looking pleased. " You violated a student and you shall pay."
" Please don't take me away," he begged. " Please not to Azkaban. It wasn't my fault. I was controlled, controlled. Please you must believe me."
" Oh I'm sure that you'll love Azkaban!" Umbridge stated in her sweet voice and ignoring his last comment. " And soon, every soon you'll have company."
Harry and Ron didn't understand what she meant by " Soon you'll have company." Until she spoke again.
" How long will we have to wait until Miss Granger gets down here?" she asked. " These two will be heading off to Azkaban shortly."
" Of course," said Fudge. " But first I need Dumbledore. He's the only one with enough magic to snap two wands in one go."
Harry saw at once that the Slytherins were snickering again and he had a bad feeling that they were involved in all this. Dumbledore appeared, looking very grave as the Head Girl, Cho Chang threw Hermione's trunk next to Professor Snape's bags. The Head Boy, a Slytherin, pushed Hermione down the stairs, almost making her fall in the process.
" Oh how wonderful!" said Umbridge. " This little girl caused me a lot of problems, but soon, I'll have my revenge. It was so good of Draco to inform the Ministry of this lasting relationship between these two. We can't have this going on!"
" What relationship?" muttered Ron, looking confused. " They've never had a relationship!"
" I know!" said Harry, looking even more confused. " Headmaster, you know this is a lie."
" Of course I do," Dumbledore muttered. " And I'm not letting it go on."
He walked over to Fudge and Umbridge, looking like he had when the last time that Fudge had faced him.
" Cornelius there is no evidence that Severus and Hermione have had a relationship at any other time, then when Minerva discovered them. I'm launching a full investigation of this matter and since what I'm about to suggest will resolve the problem, then I'm using it."
" And what might that be?" asked Umbridge, her eyes narrowed and her teeth bared.
" My Potions Master and Miss Granger will marry at once," Dumbledore said. " After the investigation is over and nothing has transpired between them, things will return to normal. Nothing will be loss and I'll get to the bottom of all this."
" You can't do this," said Fudge.
" I can do whatever I want!" Dumbledore stated, as Snape fell on his back, screaming out. " Professor Sprout get both Hermione and Severus to the hospital wing. I need to find out if theirs any repercussions to all this."
" Yes, Albus," said Professor Sprout.
She waved her wand and both Hermione and Snape were knocked out, which put an end to the screaming that had taken place.
" Now I advise that you leave, both of you," said Dumbledore, his tone cold. " And I suggest that you leave now."
Fudge glared at Dumbledore and both he and Umbridge left Hogwarts. Harry and Ron wished Dumbledore all the luck in the world. He was going to need it.