Chapter 4: A Nightmare in Hogwarts
Summary: Freddy is looking for the witch that will be the key to his immortality and ability to exist outside of the dream world.
A/N: All of the stuff that is recognizable belongs to someone else. Harry Potter and Freddy belong to their creators.
A/N: This chapter kicked my aft.
Hermione watched as Pansy exited the library. It was unusual for Pansy to talk to anyone outside of her exclusive circle and it not be malicious. Pansy was a conniving little dirt wad and just plain wicked as hell. If there was strife among the girls of their year usually, Pansy was behind it. She seemed as if she found joy in other's grief. Actually seeing her give a crap about something other than her own enjoyment meant that the situation had to be dire. They had to stop this witch or wizard from causing havoc.
This situation was not easy on Hermione either. Not having the support of her friends was tiring. She had again tried to voice her concerns to Harry and Ron but they ignored her as usual. Ron had put it off has her overactive brain going haywire. Harry seemed concerned and would probably approach her later about the issue and drag Ron along.
On a student, salary or as the like to phrase it nil she had to work carefully to find the flaws in her plan. She could only afford to make Dreamless Sleep a few times. She may not be as well off as Pansy but she was not going to ask for money. It would go against her pride.
Another worrying factor was why were these deaths happening at Hogwarts and nothing was being done about it. Usually the Board of Governors would swoop in at the slightest sign of a misstep. But, nothing had happened. Someone knew what was happening and was trying to cover it up.
Bookworm she was and proud of it Hermione had to find a way to make this thing stop before someone she cared about got hurt. Slytherin was not the only house to have purebloods in its rank. The other houses could suffer as well. Her thoughts went immediately to Ron and Ginny.
She got up from the table and walked to her next class History of Magic. Though she regretted not listing avidly to the lecture. She used the time to study the information she had written on the Somnium Potion. She was jarred several times by a harsh hacking cough from the back rows. She hoped that she didn't catch whatever it was plaguing them. She was not about to drink something she didn't fully understand. As she walked in the hall, she noticed Snape had taken Draco to the side and was talking to him. Probably congratulating him on being such a good Death Eater she thought.
Snape approached Draco as he exited the Great Hall. "Draco come here. I need to speak to you."
Draco turned towards his professor and walk to where he was standing. "Sir?" Draco asked as he came closer to his professor. Snape motioned for him to keep walking as he came along side of his professor.
"Yesterday, during my discussion with Pansy about the death of Daphne. It seemed as if she were leaving out details," Snape stated as he walked.
"Sir she would," Draco started to protest.
"No need to defend her to me. I know full well of what Ms. Parkinson is capable of doing. However, if she chooses to withhold information from Aurors. That does not look well in the eyes of the law. Pureblood or not killing someone is always a nasty situation to get out from under. I need for you to get her to talk to me about the entire situation. These are dangerous times any abnormalities could cause undue attention," explained Snape carefully. Draco nodded as he listened carefully to Snape's directions.
"I will do my best sir," he stated as they parted as they had arrived in front of Draco's next class.
As Draco settled into to his seat, he thought about the situation. He knew that Pansy these last had been tense. But, he was unsure if he could get her to talk to Snape. Maybe it was what she needed was to talk to another serpent to get the situation fully contained. It would not look good to the others if she were seen as weak-minded. Pansy has not acted the way she usually did. She had for the most part been very quiet and reserved. Neither of which were Pansy. Conniving and Sly were more her style.
Draco began to formulate a plan to get her to talk to Snape. He wrote a note and carefully flew it across to the desk where Pansy was sitting.
Pansy opened the note and read. We need to talk. ~D. She turned to look and him and sent him a quick nod before returning her attention to the lesson for the day.
After they were dismissed, she walked over to Draco.
"Yes," she asked warily.
"I need you to talk to Professor Snape about what happened"
"Hell no! she replied it was one thing to confide to Draco, Hell she hadn't even told him the full story. It was wholly another to confined in a professor. Granger was different because they were having the same situation happen. Plus, if you wanted something don you always asked the best. Granger was the best.
"He will understand truly and he will not judge you he has seen and done a lot in his years."
She sighed and knew that this was not coming from Draco but from the professor. Draco was conniving but not as cunning as those around him were in many ways he was the perfect pawn. It was a shame really. The way his father had asked for obedience in him it had truly limited the potential that Draco had to be truly powerful. As it stood, she though, he would always have to be led and who better than she to lead him. She would go to Snape, share her tale, and see what he would make of her story.
Maybe he would have answers that she and granger didn't she could relay the information that she gathered to Granger and see what she thought. She walked to the library to see what Granger was doing.
Hermione after finishing classes went straight to the library to do some more research on the potion. As she passed by the empty classrooms. She paused a moment to close one of the doors that had been left open. Honestly, was so much of a little hassle for people to close the door after they left a room? Her thoughts returned to the puzzle that was the potion. It was difficult to make and the ingredients were hard to come by. She would have to sneak into Snape's private stores to get two of the main ingredients. She was not looking forward to that little excursion. She would also have to get the invisibility cloak from Harry to pull it off successfully.
It would take three days to make and it had to be imbibed before you dreamed. Essentially the potion allowed to the dreamer to bring the demon into their world. Now they only had to figure out who exactly was calling the demon and get the summoning spell. She continued thinking as she entered the library and took her customary seet.
Great she thought who all would have a grudge against purebloods. She grabbed a sheet of paper and begin to make a list of potential suspects.
Pansy walked up to Granger and said, "We have trouble. Snape is suspicious about me," Pansy replied.
"Why?" queried Hermione.
" I don't know." She answered. "His inner eye told him I was withholding information. So, I have to talk to him this afternoon I was wondering should I be wholly honest or leave you out of the deal."
Hermione though for a moment before replying, "I'd opt for leave me out. Test the waters and see how he react; then give him all the details."
"I am going to tell Draco about meeting you."
"I knew you'd tell the ferret eventually. But if he says anything to me about it I can't promise it won't be battle of Hydra."
"Agreed," Pansy got up and was grateful that she had thought to meet with Granger. Though she wasn't pureblood, it was nice to associate with someone who could actually keep up with her. Maybe all muggleborns weren't bad. Her mom would probably have an elliptic fit over that thought.
She walked to the Slytherin common room and to the table where Draco was sitting with his dutiful lackeys. I think they grow dull, dimwitted, and dumber every time I meet them. But, the overgrown louses are loyal. She thought as she walked over to the table.
"Draco, we need to talk," she stated. Draco got up and excused himself from Crabbe and Goyle and the discussion they were having about the next major Quidditch match. They sat down in a chair far away from the others. Pansy cast the Muffliato spell so they could talk unimpeded. As they sat down, she began to tell her story. After she finished he asked, "You say it only happens when you sleep. How long have you been taking the Dreamless sleep potion?"
"For the past two nights only," she replied.
"I can't believe that you have talked to Granger of all people," he snorted half-amused.
"I am glad that you have chosen to confide in me but you must tell this to Snape," he said as they rose, exited out of the common room, and stared to walked to Snape's office.
"No, and I want you keep the information about Granger away from him until the right time." Pansy said as she leaned over and closed an open door that she noticed was a jar. She couldn't shake the training to not leave doors open.
He smiled Pansy was always a clever little snake. He nodded his agreement.