IMPORTANT NOTE!: Thanks to the observant reviewer yapyap, I've finally found where my inspiration for the Arithmancy equations mentioned in chapter two and in this chapter came from. They are from Caeria's Pet Project, a wonderful wonderful story I recommend highly, and she's kindly okayed me using her idea, so thank you to her!

ALSO, thanks to Danielle who pointed out an aberration in the timeline sequence of certain events, I've made an important change—THIS NOW TAKES PLACE IN HERMIONE'S SIXTH YEAR, NOT FIFTH. Got that? I've gone back and changed all the places I mentioned age or year, and I've even stuck a couple references to events in fifth year that weren't there before into previous chapters. Nothing big though, just keep the year change in mind. Again, thanks to all you observant reviewers!

Disclaimer: I do not claim JKR's work, I simply claim her fun.

It was late, but Severus couldn't sleep, and made his way to the Library of Dreams instead. If he was going to counter Miss Granger's new success and knowledge of Krishna's Occlumency, he was going to have to learn the methods and techniques of it as well. It wouldn't do to be lax in that respect.

He carefully pulled the slim volume from its place in the bookshelf, and noted a battered bookmark hovering in the midst of its pages. "Shh! I'm Reading, Moron!" was emblazoned in red across the place-marker, and Severus smirked at that. Obviously, Miss Granger got testy if interrupted while reading. He wondered where she had gotten the marker. It was very Muggle-style, and looked like it had seen many books.

Curious, he glanced down at where she had stopped her reading. Elemental Magicks, a Woman's Forte. Perfect. His mind started churning, logically following a lead. The trouble D'Alle's book had caused might yet be solved by D'Alle herself, in the latter chapters that explored elemental magic. He found it ironic that D'Alle had arranged the chapters so the beginning, focusing on meditation and Occlumency and the mind arts, was what she had explored in the late stage of her life, leading to her closing off of the emotion. The later chapters of the book, dealing in elemental magic, blood magic, and so on were her earlier forays into Eastern magic, and dealt primarily with the utility of certain emotions. D'Alle had been powerful with elemental and blood magic, but had lost those venues of magic in her pursuit of the mind arts. She hadn't complained—it had given her just as phenomenal a power, but her husband and children and friends had never adjusted to the new D'Alle.

Perhaps this was what might steer Miss Granger off the one-track path to destruction. If she was powerful enough to master the mind arts, she would certainly be powerful enough to manifest elemental magic. Since elemental magic's crucial force was the human emotion, she might just maybe be able to combine the two tracks in a way D'Alle had not been able to, and blend the studies into a superb control over emotion but not a complete disconnection.

Severus soon lost track of time and exhaustion as he buried himself in research, yanking relevant books off shelves, writing down theories, and formulating a rough sketch of a syllabus for Miss Granger. He had lost his first friend in an obsession with the Dark Arts and all it offered as an escape and a power tool. He would not lose this second, odd kinship that he didn't dare contemplate to another form of Grey magic, not if he could prevent it.

--break--

"It seems all in order and thoroughly researched, Severus, I must say," Albus nodded thoughtfully, staring at the proposal and lesson plans Severus had laid before him. "By all means, implement this in replacement of Occlumency lessons. And I'm sure you'll find a way to impress on Miss Granger the difficulties that you spoke to me of, in the method of Occlumency she has chosen to pursue."

"Of course, Albus," he stated with a sense of irony. Both of them were dancing around the topic that had caused Severus to blow up the other day.

"Severus, I must confess something. While you were busy writing up this plan to bring Miss Granger safely to her full potential, I too was doing some thinking." Albus glanced briefly down at the hand, hidden in the folds of his robe. Severus stiffened.

"Your hand, Albus. How is it?"

The Headmaster shook his head. "You know how it would be, Severus. The curse was supposed to be instantly fatal. I'm lucky I had such a talented Potions Master nearby to concoct that vile stuff that has keep the curse isolated. But it draws on a man's strength, Severus."

"I'll spend more time researching a cure. It's Christmas, and I'm relatively free. The Dark Lord will not call us often this season, he knows that his followers will want to spend time with their children and their family. I'll get started—"

He was interrupted, gently. "No, Severus, don't waste your precious time and resources on something we both know to be futile. I want you to concentrate on Miss Granger's safety and training instead. And also, there's the problem of Draco Malfoy…"

"I have still not been able to get the boy to tell me what task the Dark Lord has set him."

"Well, we must continue to offer all opportunities to him. He isn't lost to us yet. And hopefully, the Vow will not endanger you in any way."

"I should never have taken that cursed Unbreakable Vow!"

"You had to, or your cover would have been as good as blown. You know your value to us, don't bother denying it."

"Albus—"

"Severus, I'm going to propose to the Order to induct Miss Granger into its ranks soon."

Caught off guard by the abrupt segway, Severus blinked. "Miss Granger? You're planning on bringing her in as a sixth year? How about Potter and Weasley?"

"Yes, I believe that what you have told me of Miss Granger's impressive accomplishments merit her belonging in the Order as a valuable member. Certainly not in the fighting ranks yet, not as a student still. But she has great potential, and I think she needs to be inducted soon. Not Harry yet, as his Occlumency skill is still a touch lacking." Severus snorted at that, and Albus eyed him with a humorous look. "He is not a natural at the mind arts like some people, Severus."

"The only thing Potter finds natural is riding a broom, which does not bode well for all of us relying on him. Quidditch is all very well, but the Dark Lord won't be killed by fancy moves on the broomstick."

"Too true, and how very cynical of you, Severus."

Severus merely glanced over at Albus. "Yes, well we all know that about me."

"I'm sure you'll be uncommonly pleased that I don't plan on informing either Potter or Weasley of Miss Granger's impending induction, and will instruct her to keep this a secret as well—once it's confirmed and I tell her, of course. Mister Weasley has a good heart, but he will find it hard to master Occlumency as well. The control to do so will have to develop on its own, and later on in Order Training."

"Thank Merlin. Here I thought we'd have students as Order members left and right."

"I pray that day never comes, Severus." Albus looked directly at his spy, eyes sorrowful. "And yet, I fear it will, and all too soon. Promise me, Severus, that you'll stay alive and watch over my children, my students, for me."

Severus' breath caught unpleasantly in his chest. "Albus…"

"Promise me, Severus!" The old man's blue eyes were no longer their usual twinkling light shade. They were dark, intense, and infinitely old.

"I will do my best, Albus. I'll take care of your students for you. I swear."

--break--

"Miss Granger. A moment if you will?"

Hermione turned at the by-now familiar voice. "Professor Snape," she greeted courteously.

"Please follow me." He turned brusquely and stalked off, leaving Hermione scurrying to catch up. When they had reached the library, the dark man nodded silently at her to enter first. She muttered the password and went into Morgaine's library, puzzled at the odd behavior her professor was exhibiting. He closed the door behind him, and motioned to the sofas. "Sit if you would, Miss Granger."

She sat. "Professor Snape, what was it you needed to talk to me about? It sounds serious."

"It is." He looked uncharacteristically earnest as he took a seat opposite her and fumbled for a beginning. "You successfully occluded your mind several times three days ago, during our lesson."

"Yes." She still didn't see what he was so troubled about.

"Have you felt any side effects at all since those successes? Anything queer perhaps with the way you perceive events, or your thoughts?"

"Not really, no. Although I have felt like everything was a lot easier to handle, the past few days since our lesson. Like everything in my life that was in confusion was sharper and clearer to grasp and deal with. But I thought it was just from the advent of Christmas holidays, Sir."

It's already starting, then. "Miss Granger, you mentioned that you had learnt your form of Occlumency primarily from a book by D'Alle that your parents had recommended to you. You practiced meditation as Krishna teaches?"

"Yes, Professor Snape. I don't see what any of this is a problem, though."

"The problem, Miss Granger, lies in the fact that the last person to successfully occlude her mind in this method eventually become so successful she literally could not feel any sort of emotion anymore!" Professor Snape finally snapped, eyes boring into hers.

"Yes, your precious author Sahara D'Alle from France first dabbled into elemental magic and blood magic and managed to save her husband from being executed during the French Revolution. They escaped, and relocated to Britain with their three children. Unfortunately, she was obsessed in following Morgaine le Fay's footsteps. She traveled to India, studied with some different sects of magics there, and came back with the dangerous practice of mind arts in its purest and most distilled form, from which the Western mind magics today are derived from. In delving too deeply into occluding by disconnecting action from emotion, she managed to block off her human emotion entirely and was never able to access them again. She attained Krishna's nirvana, a serenity born of not caring. Do you wish this for your future? To be at peace, simply because you have no emotional stake in whether your friends live or die, or if your parents survive this war? To never love, and never hate with equal passion? To be completely at rest at the cost of all human relationships? Is this what you truly desire, Miss Granger?"

Hermione was deathly pale, her hands clenched and shaking. "No! I didn't realize! I didn't know that was what happened to Sahara D'Alle, it just seemed a more logical and easier way to shut off my memories by cutting the connection that emotions serves as, I never thought that it would be harmful!"

"Where are your famed research skills, girl? You could have easily found Sahara D'Alle's life in any of many history books and numerous biographies, she was a unique woman and the last truly powerful witch Britain and any European nation had. You would have found a full analysis at your fingertips simply by looking, but instead you dashed headlong into danger like a typical Gryffindor fool. I expected better of a methodical thinker like you."

She couldn't breathe, couldn't think, could barely see straight through the tears that threatened to spill. She was trembling both in fear and shock, as well as no little amount of fury at his accusations.

—And then just like that, she wasn't. She felt calm, slightly distanced from the entire tableau, and very much in control of her mind. From the look on Professor Snape's face, he had noticed her rather abrupt shift as well.

"Professor Snape, you may find it amusing to verbally slaughter me, but I'm sure you have much better things to do with your time and I know I have much better things to occupy myself with. You may find me again when you are ready to speak without insulting or impugning my intelligence. I was simply not aware of the risks involved in my endeavors, and I made a mistake in that which I acknowledge and apologize duly for. That is all, and there is no need for further argument or accusation. Good day, Sir."

She turned and left him, heading for the Gryffindor dormitories. On her way, she nearly tripped over a small first year, who took one look at her and rushed off, terrified. Hermione was a little puzzled, but dismissed the incident. She merely wanted the peace of her own room. Everyone else in her room had gone home for Christmas, so she had it to herself.

Entering her room, Hermione happened to glance across at the mirror—and stopped in slight curiosity. I'm glowing. Very subtly, but its almost as if someone dipped me into a puddle of corporeal starlight, and I absorbed some of that. I wonder if it's the result of my instinctually snapping into my meditative state that I usually fight in under the duress Professor Snape was giving me—

She dropped to the floor although the bed was only two feet away, vaguely noticing that the roaring in her ears was not supposed to be normal. Oh, gods. What have I done? Snapped free from the deep emotionless place she had just been by the realization that she had without thinking broken off connection with her emotions, Hermione felt pure terror flooding her veins like lava. She had done exactly what Professor Snape had been warning her about! Her shaking grew worse, and she wished, as she plastered herself onto the floor of her dorm, that her someone, anyone, would come and reassure her that she would be able to handle this. Because, for once, she didn't know, and that scared her more than anything else.

--break--

"She'll pull through, Severus. Don't worry. She's a strong girl, and she's always fought hard for what she knew was right. She won't abandon her emotions that easily."

"You didn't see her, Albus. Her eyes went from being completely an open book to complete blankness, emptiness. It was like I was staring at the eyes of an Inferi, without the madness. Even the Dark Lord's followers, and the Dark Lord himself has had some sort of emotion in their eyes, whether readable or unreadable. No human can just block them off! But it was like she was gone, in nirvana already."

"I imagine it was the stress of the situation that triggered the switch into the void. I do know something of what Miss Granger has been doing to prepare herself for this war, and her body is in the habit of reacting to her best defense, and clearly she's succeeded too well."

"It's my fault, then. I was just so furious at her shoddy background research on what she was studying that I provoked her enough for her defenses to kick in."

"No, no dear boy." Albus rushed to reassure him, and although Severus appreciated the fact, it didn't change anything. "It wasn't your fault, merely a combination of uncontrollable events. You were upset, rightly so. She was feeling panicked, and her defense mechanisms kicked in before she could think. No one's fault, really."

"What has she done to prepare herself other than research and master the mind arts?" Severus inquired, willing to leave the blame issue behind. Albus had never let him wallow in guilt, and Severus found it more efficient to skip it and wallow later, in his own company.

"Ah, I'll leave that for Miss Granger to tell you herself. She'll need to do so anyway soon—I just received confirmation from Moody ten minutes before you came in. She's been voted into the Order by the majority, and she'll be inducted at the end of the holiday before the students come back, if she's willing. And you'll be her trainer."

That caught Severus by surprise. "What?"

"I've discussed it with several others, Severus. We all feel that this is the best utilization of all her skills. She's already established an alibi for her spending time with you, and she's gotten used to you. She won't have to travel far to train in secret, nor will someone new and strange have to sneak in here to tutor her. She is proficient at research, and she's been given access to the Library of Dreams and she's definitely proven herself worthy of keeping the most dangerous secrets. And finally, you're the only one skilled enough to teach her how to control the new way of mind arts she's discovered. You can use that brilliant lesson plan you submitted to me to train her."

Albus twinkled cheerfully at the man, but Severus narrowed his eyes in suspicion. "Albus, my primary job in the Order is a spy. Miss Granger surely does not need to learn those details, nor does she need to learn the job. Isn't it more prudent to give her into the teaching of one of the others? Not the OPFP of course, or the Aurors—that will involve too much fighting and she's still a student. But perhaps with the Healers, or among the Researchers or Strategists? Septima could use an assistant with all the Arithmancy equations for the war, or Poppy can always utilize an extra pair of hands."

"I could never pull a fast one on you, could I Severus?" Albus sighed soberly. Severus didn't bother to ask what that meant. Most likely a Muggle saying Albus had picked up from a student, or on one of his summer vacations in years long gone by. Instead, he waited for Albus to continue.

"Severus, I don't like it any more than you do, but as of now we're neck-to-neck with Tom Riddle in this cursed war, and it looks like we're slipping behind slowly. Recruitments are low. People are afraid to join, afraid to do anything that will make them or their families a target for Death Eaters. Tom continues to gather strength, and there are always men and women ready to pledge to him. He may not be as charismatic and charming as he once was, but he continues to attract the ones who want power. The one thing that's keeping us slightly ahead is your information, Severus, and you're only one spy. We have several, but none actually close to any Death Eater, and none close to Tom, except you, and I fear for your safety every time you go out. No matter how much I hate to see it, I know that soon even children will be asked to make sacrifices they shouldn't have to make. Harry and Cedric Diggory have already done so, and soon the rest will follow."

Throughout the speech, Severus had been fighting the cold knot growing in his stomach. Now, he spoke, his voice flat and toneless. "You want to cultivate Miss Granger as a spy."

"Yes. Not within the actual ranks of Death Eaters, mind you Severus. She'd never make it there. No, I had more in mind simply having an extra ear and ability to judge people close by Harry so she can advise him, as well as listening to the others in school. When she graduates, if she decides to go into the Ministry we can have her listening there, or we could hire her as an assistant teacher if she so desires, and utilize her more in research as you said. However, I believe that with her unique Occlumency skills, she is in less danger and she jeapordizes the Order less than any other candidate I can think of for the job."

Severus closed his eyes wearily. How had it come to this? No matter what Albus tried to explain away, they both knew the truth. They were setting a huge burden on a child. Spying was a thankless job. Even the more harmless position of mole that Albus was thinking of took their toll on a person. And he knew, though Albus had insisted against it, that if it was unavoidable, if Severus was discovered or killed or both, they needed a trained spy to take over his position, to infiltrate the actual Death Eaters. And it would seem that Albus had decided Hermione Granger was the best choice, despite her youth. She's just a child! Innocent still, despite all she's seen and done, even after the Department of Mysteries. Oh Albus, how have we come to this, deploying children to do grown adult's work because the adults are too scared, too frightened of their own shadows to step up and defend their young?

It was no use arguing with Albus. The twinkle was gone, and a hint of steel was there instead—reminding that this was not Albus, the friend and mentor and "old fool" who liked socks and the tropics. This was Albus the general, who had killed Grindelwald, sent men and women to their deaths to procure victory, and was feared even by the Dark Lord himself. And Albus had made up his mind. So Severus murmured his excuses, and, heartsick at the thought of sending children to war—especially Hermione Granger!—trudged back to his dungeons to indulge in a rare binge of alcohol. He didn't forget, however, before he stumbled to bed in a stupor, to summon a house-elf to check that Miss Granger was safe and in bed.