Warning: This Story contains Drama, Romance, Horror, Humour and SLASH, LV/HP if this offends please do not read.

Other Pairings: SS/HG

Disclaimer: Everything belongs to JK Rowling

'Bold' Mind Link Speaking

A/N: Another early Chapter for Raven!

Chapter Three

The Order of the Phoenix

Snape sipped his tea, sneering at the faces around him. What a dismal bunch they were. The bloody Order. Gods how he longed to escape the lot of them. He had been one of the few, apart from his Snakes, who wholeheartedly agreed with Potter's sentiments in the papers. Magic was magic, circumstance dictated as to which light or dark spell you used and the intent behind it. How many times had he saved the lives of some of the people in this very room with dark magic? How many times had he seen Mad-Eye and Dumbledore kill with 'light' magic? Hypocrites, the lot of them.

And as for Dumbledore, bloody self made Light Lord. Exposing their world a little more each year, talking bollocks about the 'Greater Good'. At least The Dark Lord didn't hide his goals or lie about them. All he ever wanted was the right to use all magic and rituals freely... and rule the magical world. Snape snorted, drawing a few curious eyes.

Luckily, just as Dumbledore opened his mouth to speak to him, the office door opened and Potter and his know-it-all walked in. Snape breathed a sigh of relief. He didn't want to talk to the old coot. He was still furious at him for making Weasley ask Granger out. Not that Weasley had complained. He had been positively trembling with excitement at the prospect. Snape sneered. As if his chit would look twice at that stupid great oaf!

Neither looked worse for wear. Yesterday Potter had emerged from the charms classroom calm and composed, smiling sheepishly. Snape had waved off his thanks, restored the furniture, which would definitely have been blown up if he hadn't had the good sense to vanish it, and showed the boy a dark spell that could detect any tampering with their food and drink. Snape had left it at that, but he wasn't done with Potter. He wanted to know more about that strange magic he had witnessed.

The potion fed to Granger had been, as he thought, a mind-altering relaxation draught. While it didn't cause hallucinations, it affected moods. She had left the infirmary that morning and had survived a day of classes without much disruption. Though she hadn't had Potions today, he thought wryly. He wondered if she'd start speaking to him again, or if she'd revert back to her monumental sulk. How the idiot girl had got it into her head that he would look even once, let alone twice, at any other female in the castle was beyond him. Did he ever torment others as he did her? No. She was obviously dense.

The more pressing worry was who had authorised the house elves to administer the potion into her Juice. Though it hardly took much guessing. Snape sat back with his arms folded, his long legs stretched out and crossed at the ankles. He was interested to see Potter's reaction to the latest in a long list of blunders by the Headmaster.

"Ah, my dear boy, at last. Take a seat, you too, Miss Granger. As you can see the Order are with us this evening. Lemon Drop?"

Harry sat and crossed his legs. Face down, he adjusted his cuffs, so enraged that he saw red spots behind his eyes. Sometimes he just wanted to kill Dumbledore.

'Its been too long Harry. Your rage drew me in again. Ah, that sweet taste of... oh, marvellous, Dumbledore and the Order.' Voldemort said sarcastically as his view of Harry's cuffs changed to that of his arch nemesis.

Harry shivered slightly as the presence enveloped him. 'Sorry, blasted Dumbledore has tricked me, I can't close the link.'

'Can't you Harry? Well, don't worry too much about it. I have nothing better to do this evening. How is Granger. Still psychotic?'

'No. Well, a bit weird. But sometimes she is so aggressive anyway it's hard to tell if it's her or the blasted potion. She's been mostly fine so far. I know it was Dumbledore, the elves wouldn't do it for anyone else.'

'You should both leave Hogwarts and come to me, Harry. It is not safe there for either of you.'

Hermione took the only seat available between Harry and Snape. Her embarrassed flush was evident as she turned to Harry, her eyes mortified. She hadn't seen her dark Professor since her breakdown yesterday. Although Madam Pomfrey had told her that it was him who had correctly surmised her condition.

Harry scratched at his scar and took note of the unfriendly faces glaring at him. The Weasley's, consisting of, Ron the bastard, Molly, Arthur, and for some odd reason, Ginevra? Huh, Dumbledore was recruiting sixteen year old's now. She smiled at him in an wholly unsettling way, her eyes running over him avidly. He shuddered.

'Look away, Harry. Now. She is turning our stomachs.'Voldemort said in an irritated voice.

Harry did. He wondered where Bill and Charlie were. Though to be fair to Bill, he hated the Order, and Fleur had kicked up a huge fuss about him joining under the pressure of Molly's jack booted foot. Fleur was as dark as they come and proud of it. The twins, he knew, would never join the Order. Blow it up for him, yes. But join, never.

Moving on, Remus Lupin was there, looking like a wet blanket and avoiding his eyes. Harry hadn't seen or heard from him since Sirius had died. Mad-Eye was staring at him in, what may have been, contempt, the man was really too ugly to tell. Tonks glared and kept changing her hair colour making Harry go giddy. Professor Mcgonagal though, interestingly enough, was glaring daggers at Dumbledore. And so it went on. Faces of people he didn't even know...

'They don't look very friendly, Harry.' Voldemort observed dryly.

'That would be because they all hate me.' But no where near as much as I loathe them he thought to himself acidly.

'Really, that bad. I had no idea. You have been keeping secrets from me, Harry.'

Harry jumped, forgetting that no thoughts were his own at the moment. He cleared his throat and tried to regain his famous calm. It seemed to be eluding him lately.

"What did you call me here for, Headmaster. I was not aware that I was to be privy to Order meetings."

"Me neither," Hermione piped up in a high nervous voice. She turned abruptly to Snape. "I just have to get this off my chest Sir,' she slammed a hand on to her left breast. 'It cannot possibly wait. I don't really know what to say about my em... about my behaviour yesterday in class. Sorry is just in no way adequate. I so wish it had been a dream instead of real. I have had so many disturbingly lush dreams about you, and, oh my god what am I saying! It's all so very unlike me. However, I must add that I am somewhat pissed off that..."

"Oh shove it, Granger," Snape drawled to shut her up. 'Tell it to someone who actually gives a damn. Frankly, I don't."

Hermione's mouth dropped open and Harry slapped her arm. "What's gotten into you," he hissed. "You are babbling like an idiot!"

Hermione cringed. "I don't know, it was like someone just took over my mouth. I kept hearing a voice in my head telling me to shut up, but I just couldn't stop!"

"Permission to take Hermione back to the hospital wing, Headmaster."

"No my boy, Miss Granger is fine. A bit flushed, but it is hot in here."

Ronald Weasley's face was red and ugly, his hands clenched in tight fists. He felt he could afford to be brave with Dumbledore in the room. "Mione, what are you talking about, you dream about that greasy old git! It's disgusting! And what the hell did he do to you in class yesterday. Yes, that's right! I heard you collapsed!"

"Oh fuck off you idiot. I hate you. And if you ever call me 'Mione' again, you half witted illiterate piece of pond slime, or insult my Professor again, I will Kill you." Hermione said calmly.

Snape coughed and sat up straight. Harry sighed and looked up at the ceiling as laughter reverberated throughout his mind. Ron gaped and paled dramatically. Molly opened her mouth to rip into Hermione, but Dumbledore held up his hand. "Ah, young love never runs smoothly," he sighed.

Harry caught Hermione's hand as her wand appeared with a flick of her wrist. She reluctantly put it away and folded her arms across her chest with a supremely pissed off expression. She stared up at the ceiling too.

Harry turned a helpless eye to Snape, who shrugged a shoulder nonchalantly. Though Harry thought those cold black eyes were dancing with laughter.

"Now Harry," Dumbledore said in a serious tone, staring at him over the top of his glasses. "I would like you to take a good look at all the faces in this room. These people are your friends and have stood by you for many years. They need you to stand by them now and fight for the Greater Good, for freedom, Harry. You are central to the downfall of The Dark Lord, who would have us all in chains. The whole wizarding world is counting on you, dear boy, to save them from a terrible, terrible, fate."

Harry acknowledged the snort of amusement in his mind and looked around the room, the faces still glared at him and eventually he landed on Snape. His face was just incredibly bored.

"Headmaster," Harry began. "I'm quite sure the wizarding world no longer counts on me for anything, and neither can they unless it is for the safety and perpetuity of magic. And as for the people in this room being my friends and standing by me, apart from Professors Snape and Mcgonagal, you jest! Now just what is this terrible fate that will befall us all if Lord Voldemort," everyone flinched. "If Lord Voldemort succeeds in overthrowing the current Government and takes up the mantle as leader of Britain's wizarding world. Is he a threat to magic?"

"Harry, he will kill all muggleborns. He will try to kill all the muggles. He will promote the Dark Arts..."

"And I fully agree with him on the latter point. But therein lies the real reason you are at war with him. So called Dark Magic. I believe you are all fully aware of my stance on magic. You have denied generations of students in this school invaluable knowledge about our history, religion, their natural balance in light and dark alignment, and their right to full magical knowledge. You have been, and are, forcing your one sided alignment and opinions upon them."

Dumbledore looked very hard at Harry, his eyes had long ago lost their twinkle where the-boy-who-lived was concerned. "I'm so very disappointed in you, Harry. I don't know where you get these silly ideas from."

"Well if you had a Professor here who actually taught the true history of magic perhaps you would find out. But then that would not suit your purposes at all, would it? So called dark magic does not make the user inherently evil, no more than using light magic makes them good. People can be good, people can be evil. Magic does not dictate that. It's both sides of the coin, the perfect balance.

"A wand, and a gun, are harmless until they are loaded, a gun with bullets, a wand with a spell, lightor dark. Both can be used for good both can be used to kill. At the end of the day it's still just a gun and it's still just a wand. The person who wields the weapon is responsible for the outcome. If it's used for evil we have Auras and Police to arrest these people and laws and prison to punish them. We do not punish the bullets loaded into the gun or the people who manufacture them! You will not punish magic. Magic is a whole, a balance of all things that cannot be tampered with indefinitely without serious consequence."

"You would condemn muggles Harry, your own flesh and blood?"

"I have no flesh and blood," he hissed with such venom, Dumbledore jumped. "As for muggles, they have been and always will be, the biggest threat Magic will ever face! Lord Voldemort is not the one risking our exposure to them and starting a war we could not possibly win!" There was a distinct warning in that statement that told all present not to pursue the matter.

"Professor Snape." Harry turned to the Potions Master, his green eyes piercing. "Has Lord Voldemort ever arbitrarily killed muggleborns, apart from those taking part in this war against him because they have been brainwashed into believing he wants them all dead?"

Snape arched a brow. "No, not to my knowledge. They annoy him with their ignorance, compounded by those who should know better. He would more bring them into our world as soon as they are identified as magical children, and then prevent them from returning to their world once they become established in ours. He believes that muggleborns should be raised here and adhere to the old wizarding traditions and not instil the ways of muggles upon us. The Dark Lord is fully aware of our dwindling numbers along with the problems of Pureblood interbreeding. He wants properly educated muggleborn witches and wizards to stay and marry within the wizarding world to negate both problems.

"Their religion is one of the more controversial issues with him. Those in power insisting on celebrating muggle holidays and traditions, while ours are ignored and forgotten, enrages him. Most of our Sabbaths and Religious Rituals are now banned by the Ministry. It is an offence to celebrate them," Snape sneered at Dumbledore, "because they are considered Dark."

Harry nodded. "So you see Professor Dumbledore, when you break it down, your war, as far as I'm concerned, is all about magic. You will not try to blind me with the politics of the thing. If you don't like Lord Voldemort's politics, that is not my problem. I'm sure a lot of people don't like yours or Fudge's. Some would say you are deliberately destroying our culture as well as a branch of our magic.

"I have been in this world for over six years and would be completely ignorant of our old ways if I hadn't found out about them for myself. Half the Purebloods here have no idea about our Religious Rites. And that is your fault, you don't teach them and you persuade idiots like Fudge, and those who were in power before him, to ban them. You know, that's a brave thing to do, Magic is jealous, She doesn't like being forgotten."

"What are you talking about my boy. We are here to talk about you fulfilling your destiny, not for a lecture on Religion!" But Dumbledore looked vaguely uncomfortable.

"I am not your boy." Harry spat. "And I will fulfil my destiny, Headmaster, and nothing in this world can stop me. You can be absolutely certain of that!"

"Then you will kill Voldemort!" Dumbledore was jubilant.

Without warning a feeling of utter rage hit Harry, along with a sharp pain in his chest so solid he thought he would choke. He wanted to raise his hand and crush the speaker of those words until his lifeforce dribbled out onto the floor. His magic stirred and filled him, dark and turbulent, begging to be unleashed.

'Calm yourself my dear Child, you are in danger of revealing your true power.'

Harry flinched as the forgotten presence in his mind seemed to caress his rage into submission. He took hold of the smothering emotions with both hands and buried them. He closed his eyes breathing deeply. When he opened them he was completely calm again.

"Why would I do that?" He said slowly. "The most magically powerful wizard in the world, who reveres all magic, who wants to protect all magic and her traditions, and would ensure their continuity, is Lord Voldemort. I have stated time and again I fight for magic. You once told me that Lord Voldemort was a genius. I would feel safer for the fate of Wizardkind and magic as a Whole if it was in his hands rather than the current Government whose folly, along with yours, is likely to destroy us all."

There was a rumble in the room. It grew louder until all the voices were shouting and throwing insults. And all of them were aimed at Harry.

"Albus Dumbledore, is the most magically powerful wizard in the world! Not 'you-know-who'!" Molly Weasley screeched.

Harry winced at the volume of her voice, it went straight through him, reminding him of the muggle woman he had had to endure for fifteen years. "Really," he said with a raised brow. "Well he doesn't need me then, does he. I'm mediocre at best."

"YOU JUST DO AS YOU ARE TOLD! He's the Light Lord!" She screamed.

Harry gritted his teeth. "Is he now," he growled. "I had no idea such a title existed. Regardless, I don't have to do anything the Headmaster tells me to, Mrs. Weasley. I am of age, I will do as I please!"

"You've gone dark, Potter," Ron shouted. "And you're a bloody snivelling little coward! That's the real reason you wont join us!"

Hermione flew up and flicked her wrist, her wand was in her hand sending a jet of dark red light tinged with orange in Ron's direction. Harry discreetly raised his hand and the curse dissipated before it could strike its target.

"Imbecile," Hermione hissed at Weasley. "Have you heard nothing! There is no light or dark, there is only Magic! And how dare you, any of you people, call Harry a coward! Begging him to join you because you can't win without him," she sneered. "Wanting him to do your dirty work! You're all so terrified of Lord Voldemort, if he walked into this room right now, you would crawl on your bellies to him!" She dropped into a duelling stance, raised her wand, and would have shot curses at them all, starting with Dumbledore, if Snape hadn't grabbed her wrist and forced her arm down.

'I like the mudblood.'

'She is so out of control. But, I'm still not sure if its the potion or her. She hates the people in this room so much, it could just be her.' Harry sighed.

'Hmm, talking of control, those were some chaotic reactions you had when the old fool thought you were going to kill me, Harry. And who is the muggle woman who causes you such fear?'

Harry didn't reply.

"Headmaster," Snape drawled. "Granger is still under the influence of a strong relaxant, that has affected her in ways that it would not affect others. While they would be pleasantly relaxed and free of inhibitions, Granger is wild, dangerous, and totally uncontrolled. She is not responsible for her words or actions at the present time."

"Oh yes I bloody am, Snape! I'm an adult too, and I don't have to listen to drivel from this bunch of ignoramuses. A Blast-Ended Skrewt has more intelligence than they have! I've had six fucking years of it and I am not going to endure a seventh! Enough is enough! Harry, kill them all and lets go home!"

"I rest my case Headmaster." Snape pulled out his wand and cast Silencio at her then forced her to sit down. He wisely relieved her of her wand – after a small struggle. After all, she had cast that spell at Weasley non-verbally. A so called dark spell. A spell that would have fused Weasley's lips together and turned them to flesh, Ore Clauso. A very painful process to endure. And even more painful to reverse, not many people actually could.

"Of course Severus, of course. I am aware of the unfortunate incident in your class yesterday and Miss Granger spending the night in the infirmary. She will be excused by us all for her outburst. I'm sure she meant no real harm, though that spell Severus..."

"Nothing to worry about, Headmaster. Completely harmless."

"You would turn your back on the Lord of the Light, Potter? You will not stand for the Greater Good?" Mad-Eye hissed.

Harry sighed deeply. "Due to over a century of ignorance about our true magical history, and religion, not many know that there is only ever one true Lord, the title being 'Lord of all Magic'Protector of the whole magical world. He is gifted that title by Mother Magic herself. And he has to earn it. Firstly, She makes her chosen one a Lord of Magic, he faces terrible hardships... pain, trials, and when she deems him worthy, she grants him the ultimate authority over her world. The last wizard to hold it, of course, was Merlin.

"You're all so embroiled in spouting rubbish about the 'Greater Good', and the evil of the dark, not one of you consider that the man sitting at that desk, who calls himself 'Lord of the Light', Mrs Weasley, is no more a Lord of magic than I am. So what is the Greater Good, and whose 'Greater Good' is it? Can anyone here tell me?"

Silence.

"No, I thought not. Well, it's certainly not for the Greater Good of magic, is it?" Harry pointed out sharply.

"Harry my boy, what you speak of is pure myth. I am the Lord of the light, the one true magic, uncorrupted by the evil of the dark. And that's an end to it!"

Harry growled. "The very fact, Dumbledore, that you dare call The Mother herself myth, is proof that she certainly did not do you the honour of bestowing the title of 'Lord' upon you! You are so foolish to ignore the old ways and think that you, in your arrogance, have the right to dictate to Magic! I have no more to say, I am tired of having to repeat myself. Your war is against Magic! I do not involve myself in politics. To me, Lord Voldemort's war is political. He does not threaten magic in any way. He will be left in peace by me. However, unless the 'Light' rethink their agenda against magic, you will not be!"

White shocked faces all around. Dumbledore cleared his throat and looked at Remus Lupin.

"How dare you, Harry," Remus suddenly spat. "Your parents died to protect you from that animal, Sirius died protecting you. All of them my friends, friends that I loved, friends that I miss every single day since they were murdered by that monster! They would be ashamed, as I am, to see and hear you now! Speaking as if you support him, turning your back on them and their cause. You would utterly disgust them, as you do me!"

'DO NOT REACT HARRY!' Voldemort's voice was like a whiplash. 'As the wolf misses his friends so much I will ensure he is reunited with them shortly, I promise you that!'

Harry hummed, lowering his head for a moment. When he lifted it again, his eyes shifted with an unnatural light as he looked Remus Lupin up and down. "You are a dark creature, Remus Lupin. If the so called 'light' win this war, how long do you think your head will remain upon your shoulders?" Harry ignored the loud gasps of denial from everyone in the room.

"There will be no place for you or your kind in their pure light society. You will not be allowed to work, or roam the streets, or procreate. You will be executed. It is the 'Lights' intention to ultimately wipe out whatever they perceive as dark. That means dark magic, dark wizards, witches, children - innocent or not, and dark creatures. Wake up! Its lucky for you that so far, the man you dare call monster, wolf, has not allowed that to happen. He has kept a modicum of balance. And while he was in spirit form, Lucius Malfoy managed to influence Fudge enough to spare the likes of you. Lord Voldemort may have many faults in your eyes, but one of them is not eradicating any branch of magic!"

Harry turned towards Hermione and gestured with his hand. He started for the door, stopped, and turned back to Lupin. "Did you know that Sirius and Bellatrix used to mock duel during the first war with no intention of harming each other? It was a game to them, they had to keep up appearances. They were both of the Great and Noble House of Black. War or not, that meant something. Sirius Black died with a smile on his face playing 'battles' with his cousin whilst pretending I was James Potter. I had never seen him so happy. He was still laughing when he accidentally fell through the veil. As for my parents... They chose their path, people die in war. I am but one of many orphans because of it. Now I choose my own path. And it is not theirs. It never will be.

"In future, Mr. Lupin, if you have one, you will address me as Lord Potter-Black and you will never mention Sirius Black or my parents to me again." Harry turned and left the office with Hermione hard at his heels.

As pandemonium broke out and the werewolf dropped his head into his hands, Snape sighed happily. This term was shaping up to be very interesting indeed.

"Well Albus, you've tried being Harry's grandfather, manipulating him until he became old enough to see through you. You've tried setting your pet Griffindors on him to bully and beat him and Hermione into submission. And you've tried prostituting the Weasley brats thinking they will influence them back to you with sex. I mean that is why Ginevra is here tonight isn't it, to 'offer' herself to Harry. And it goes without saying that Ronald Weasley tried and failed with Hermione. He beat her into unconsciousness last year.

"But you don't care about that do you. And last, but not least knowing you, you've just tried emotional blackmail. What's next. Torture? A week in the stocks in the centre of Diagon Alley? Kidnapping Hermione and holding her to ransom?" Minerva Mcgonagal strode towards the door. "I hereby give notice, I will be leaving Hogwarts at the end of the school year next June. However, I am leaving the Order of the Phoenix as of now."

Harry strode as quickly as possible towards the Room of Requirement. His magic whipping furiously against his insides, burning to be released.

'Well done Harry. Most impressive. And now comes the anger – you are quite fascinating to me child. You are always In such turmoil.'

Harry growled. 'I'm the calmest person in this school, ask anyone. I'm so calm I'm practically dead! And how would you know anyway, you were never around! And I am no CHILD! I never have been! Just how many times do I have to tell you this!'

'Harry,' Voldemort said slowly. 'I was never around? Should I have been?'

'No, of course not. Why would you! I don't know what I'm saying! I don't know what's wrong with me lately!'

'Don't you, Harry?'

'No... yes... I don't know! I have to get away from Hogwarts. We'll leave at the weekend. My work here is done.'

'And you will come to me. I will have Severus bring you and Granger to Slytherin Manor on Saturday.'

'I – I have a lot to tell you.'

'Yes, Harry, it has become more than obvious that you have been withholding information from me.'

Harry reached his destination. 'You were too busy. Don't leave me... don't leave me on my own.'

'I wont, Harry.'

Hermione, was trying to stay a safe distance from Harry, though her once sleek curls still managed to frizz and lift as static hit her. As the door appeared Harry turned to her. "Give me some time." He said between gritted teeth, and disappeared inside.

Hermione sank to the ground and leant back against the stone wall. She put her head on her knees and not for the first time thought it was a really bad idea that they had returned to Hogwarts. She groaned. Dumbledore, how she hated him. It was only the third week of term. If it continued like this she would most likely kill someone by Halloween. The idiot who had spiked her pumpkin juice would do. She hoped it was Ronald Weasley.

"Granger, what the hell are you doing now?"

She shot her head up and waited for the black spots behind her eyes to clear. She had been pressing them into her knees. She glared at Snape and stabbed a finger at her mouth. He flicked his wand and lifted his silencing spell.

"Give me my wand back," she snapped, blinking owlishly. "You had no right to take it!"

"Absolutely not, I am confiscating it until I deem you fit and safe to be in charge of such a weapon. You clearly are neither," he sneered. "What's happened to your hair, it has turned into that unfortunate bush you sported throughout your former years."

He knew fine well what had happened, Potter's magic had happened, which was why he was here to check on the boy. After that remark by the wolf, he had known Potter would run to his secret room to literally explode.

Hermione rolled her eyes at him. "What a silver tongue you have Professor. Charming as always. Perhaps my Glamour slipped."

"Don't be facetious, Granger, Ten points from Griffindor! How enlightening to actually hear you speak fluidly for a change, instead of having to endure your verbal annihilation of the English language."

"You are so lucky I haven't got my wand!" She snarled, narrowing her eyes.

"Hmm, yes. I possibly am. Tell me, my obnoxious little know-it-all, where did you learn the 'closed mouth' spell?"

"I don't know what you mean," she sniffed, "that was a harmless little stunner. Are you colour blind?"

"Granger, what I don't know about the Dark Arts can be written on the back of a muggle postage stamp! You. Will. Tell. Me." He hissed in his most deadliest voice.

"I will not. I. Don't. Trust. You." She hissed back in her most deadliest voice. "Dumbledore's got you right where he wants you. In his disgustingly multicoloured pocket!"

"Why you little..." Snape began, lunging forward.

"Ah, hello, Professor Snape," Harry said calmly, emerging from the Room of Requirement. "Thank you for your information during that uncalled for meeting. I found it quite fascinating. Hello Hermione. What's up with your hair?"

"Ten points from Griffindor, Potter, for trying to distract me from teaching my know-it-all a lesson she so richly deserves!"

"Oh change the record can't you, Snape. Its so fucking boring. Harry, he refuses to give me my wand back. Could you force him to with your magic please." She narrowed her eyes at Snape.

"OK, that's it!" Harry looked at Snape. "This has gone on long enough. Is this," he jabbed a finger at Hermione's head, "still the potion or is it her?"

"I fear, Mr Potter, that it is... all her," he spat, glaring daggers at Hermione.

"Professor Snape," Hermione cooed in a husky voice, with a sly glint in her eye beneath half lowered lashes and a wholly seductive smile on her lips. "Do you know who slipped me that potion, any idea at all?" She batted her lashes at him.

Snape's eyes widened and he blinked as he stared down at her upturned face.

"No, don't tell her!" Harry shouted, as Snape opened his mouth. "I know that slinky look! She'll kill someone or, at the very least, maim them badly! I'm taking her to bed immediately! Well not my bed of course, hers. And I wont be staying," he added quickly. "I'll be leaving her there and going to my own bed. Immediately!"

Hermione stood up gracefully. "Oh I think Professor Snape is very well aware of the type of relationship we have, Harry, there's no need to get all tongued tied. Your reputation remains unsullied. Unless he's incredibly thick of course." And with that parting shot she turned on her heel and walked off.

"I suppose I could have her expelled," Snape drawled thoughtfully. "But I fear she would enjoy it. If you have to skip classes tomorrow because of Granger's big mouth, don't worry. I'll be informing all the staff of her condition first thing in the morning. She wont be able to do much without her wand anyway. Bring her to my rooms after dinner tomorrow even if she isn't still unhinged." He paused, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Please tell me that psychopath has not progressed to wandless magic, Potter."

Harry's eyes flew wide. "Good Gods no! I haven't taught her that yet – thank Merlin!" He calmed down, "It's very kind of you, sir, to help us, thank you. I feel as if everything is … getting away from me." He bit his bottom lip in a very rare display of vulnerability, and he quickly walked away.

Snape glided slowly down to the dungeons. Bloody Griffindors – what sort of trouble were they in exactly, more than just the Potion mess. Though he did have to admit that it had been years since they had acted like your typical clueless Griffindor. Sometimes they were almost Slytherin.

But something was going on with them. Why he cared one jot, he could not say. But oh, Potter had so impressed him in the meeting. No one, apart from the Dark Lord, had ever impressed him to that extent. And the way he had calmly waved down Granger's curse with barely a flick of his wrist! And, Potter had been the one to teach her advanced, and non-verbal magic. That much was clear. Interesting. Whom, he wondered, had taught Potter?

He was relieved the teachings hadn't gone a step further and introduced his know-it-all to wandless magic. He had no doubt that she would have mastered it. His lips twitched. Granger with a personality transplant was a challenge to be sure. Nothing he couldn't handle though.

Author's Note:

Huge thank you to all those who have Fav/Followed this story. It makes me feel great! Chapter Four will be up soon. Please review if you can, I'd like to know your thoughts. PM me if you prefer. To those who have pm'd me - Next Chapter reveals 'what' Harry is.