A Hogwart's Tale: Interview with a Snape
Chapter Six
Disclaimer: I do not own JK Rowling's Harry Potter.
A/N: SS/HG. This is the sequel to A Hogwart's Tale: Romeo & Juliet. This chapter follows along with DH chapters 24-26.
Answers to questions/comments can be found at the end of this chapter!
May 14, 1998
When Hermione Apparated home she was still out of sorts. Her mom led her quickly to bed, bringing dinner up to her later in the evening.
All she could do was sleep, and she slept fit-fully. She dreamt of nightmares where Bellatrix and Greyback tortured her.
vvv
May 15, 1998
She woke slowly, to the sun streaming through her windows. Blinking, she sat up and wondered who had pulled the drapes back.
"Good morning, Mistress." A squeaky voice came from the doorway.
Surprised, Hermione turned to see a house-elf staring at her. "Wh- who are you?"
The skinny house-elf bowed, "I am the Prince family servant, Daisy*."
vvv
When Hermione finally made it down to the kitchen, she found her parents eating a hearty breakfast while Jasper was chattering nonsense at Daisy.
Daisy smiled at her as she entered. "Mistress, would you like some tea?"
Hermione shook her head, still dazed at finding the house-elf in her room. "No thank you, Daisy. I think I will skip breakfast today." Turning to her parents she continued, "Mum, Dad, I am going to leave for the Ministry now."
Her father nodded from behind his paper while her mother picked up Jasper. Reaching Hermione, her mother handed the boy over, while giving her daughter a brief hug. Hermione took her time in saying good-bye to her son, every moment with him was a blessing.
vvv
Having skipped breakfast at home Hermione swung by the Ministry of Magic's café for tea and scones. She was so focused on her house-elf problem; she didn't realize who she got in line behind.
"Hermione?" The sound of her name broke her out of her thoughts.
Looking up she realized she was standing behind Ginny Weasley. As a smile tugged at her lips she prompted, "Ginny?"
The younger girl smiled and wrapped her arms around Hermione. "Oh! I missed you!" She exclaimed before whispering in Hermione's ear, "Is it true? You and Professor Snape?"
Hermione pulled back to look at the red-head. "Yes."
Ginny grimaced slightly, but stayed with Hermione. "Well then, I guess we have a lot of catching up to do. I have to give my statement today, but would you want to meet me for lunch?"
Trying not to cry, Hermione croaked, "Yes."
vvv
Once she was situated in the small meeting room Hermione couldn't help but smile. As she pulled out the diary, she felt her spirits rising. 'Maybe everything will be ok."
Minister Shacklebolt wasted no time before asking, "Mrs. Snape, are you ready to continue?"
Hermione nodded the affirmative.
"Would you please explain the events surrounding the infiltration of Gringotts Wizarding Bank?"
vvv
Shell Cottage
Taking a deep breath, Hermione continued her tale, "I don't remember arriving at Shell's Cottage. The first thing I can recall is Fleur. She had me lying on the couch, while she tried to heal some of my wounds."
She paused as her right hand reached up to grabbed her left forearm, "But there were some that she could do nothing about.
I soon learned that Bellatrix had managed to kill Dobby."
"Dobby?" Pius Thicknesse, the temporary Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, asked.
Smiling she said, "A free-elf, formerly the Malfoy's house-elf."
Thicknesse snickered. Hermione became irritated, "Dobby saved us! He loved Harry. He loved us all."
Silence filled the room as the older wizards tried to comprehend a house-elf as both free and a friend. Finally, Minister Shacklebolt spoke, "Please, continue."
vvv
"Once Harry had buried Dobby, he retired to Shell Cottage. After cleaning up, he called for Ron and me to visit Griphook and Ollivander.
Bill brought Griphook to us, as we waited in his and Fleur's bedroom. That was when Harry asked Griphook to help him break into a Gringott's vault."
"Were you aware that Harry wanted to break into Gringotts?" asked Gawain Robards, the Head of the Aurors Office.
Hermione shook her head, "No. Ron and I were both surprised, even more so when he announced it was the Lestranges' vault.
We argued with Griphook and in the end he agreed to think about it."
"But he did agree." Robards prompted.
"Yes, a few days later he agreed on the condition that he would keep the real Sword of Gryffindor."
Hermione paused. Sipping her tea, she continued, "After Griphook returned to his room, Harry told Ron and me that he thought there was a Horcrux in the Lestranges' vault. His reasoning was sound."
vvv
Shaking the thoughts of Griphook from her mind, Hermione focused on Ollivander. "After talking with Griphook, Harry took us to Mr. Ollivander's room.
He asked Mr. Ollivander to fix his wand, but it was impossible. Mr. Ollivader then identified the wands that Harry had taken from Malfoy Manor as belonging to Bellatrix Lestrange, Draco Malfoy, and Peter Pettigrew.
Mr. Ollivander tried to answer Harry's questions about Wandlore. Specifically, he told Harry about the wand Voldemort was looking for; the wand known as the Deathstick, the Wand of Destiny," Hermione swallowed, "or the Elder Wand. He admitted to Harry the he told Voldemort that Gregorovitch had the wand. Harry wasn't surprised.
When Harry left Mr. Ollivander, we followed him to Dobby's grave. It was there that Harry told Ron and me that Dumbledore had the wand.
And that Voldemort was retrieving it at that moment."
"Mrs. Snape, why didn't Mr. Potter attempt to retrieve the wand before him?" Thickness asked.
Hermione sighed, "Because it wasn't what Professor Dumbledore wanted. When forced to choose between finding a Horcrux and retrieving the wand, he chose to trust in Professor Dumbledore and find the Horcrux."
Minister Shacklebolt nodded before announcing the break for lunch.
vvv
Gringotts
Hermione returned to the room after lunching with Ginny. The youngest Weasley was disappointed that Hermione would not be marrying Ron in the future, but she didn't judge.
Throughout the lunch she was both supportive and curious about how one could marry Severus.
Smiling, Hermione recalled Ginny's reaction when she told her of Jasper. The youngest Weasley so thrilled she bombarded Hermione with even more questions. In the end, Hermione invited Ginny over for dinner that weekend.
vvv
As the others entered the room, Professor Wilhelmina Grubbly-Plank, the Head of the Department of Magical Education, was talking quietly with the Minister, who kept glancing at Hermione. Nervous, Hermione inhaled deeply to calm her nerves.
Once seated, the Minister nodded to Grubbly-Plank before returning his gaze to Hermione. "Mrs. Snape, Professor Grubbly-Plank and I have been discussing her role in your interview. We have coe to the conclusion that Professor Snape's diary holds the details that she requires. Therefore, I respectfully ask that you lend her the diary for the duration of the weekend. I shall return it to you, in its current condition, on Monday."
Hermione blinked back the tears that threatened. Though she knew the diary was merely a book, she had found it to be a comfort to her as it held her beloved's thoughts. Nodding, she passed the book to Grubbly-Plank with shaking hands.
The older woman smiled kindly as she took it, "Thank you, Mrs. Snape." Turning to the others, she continued, "If you will excuse me, I wish to peruse this in my own office."
Hermione watched quietly as the woman left the room, taking the diary with her.
vvv
The room was quiet as Hermione gathered her wits about her. Without the diary to grasp, Hermione's hands felt empty.
Looking up, she realized that the remaining people in the room would be making the recommendation to the Wizengamot on whether or not to pursue charges against her and Severus. Gulping, she looked at the Minister, who smiled kindly.
"Mrs. Snape, would you please explain the infiltration of Gringotts Wizarding Bank?"
vvv
Hermione folded her hands together in her lap, and began. "The remainder of our time at Shell Cottage was spent in Griphook's small, dark room. We only emerged at mealtimes, as we spent every moment planning.
It was mid-April when Mr. Ollivander was sent to Ron's Aunt Muriel's and Lupin appeared." Hermione smiled wistfully, "He was so happy to tell us of his son. He even asked Harry to be the godfather."
Hermione sniffed as she held back the tears that threatened at the thought of Lupin and Tonks being gone. The others waited patiently for her to continue.
vvv
Straightening herself, Hermione pulled a sheaf of papers from her bag. "It was April 30th by the time we were satisfied with our plans." She pushed the papers towards the Minister as she continued, "These pages contain maps, lists of traps and more."
"Mrs. Snape, if you have the plans for your infiltration of Gringotts, where are your plans for the Ministry?" Mafalda Hopkirk, the head of the Improper Use of Magic Office asked.
Hermione addressed the other woman, "I would hope that they are still at Grimmauld Place. The only reason why I have these is because I knew we would not be returning to Shell Cottage."
Gawain Robards turned to Mafalda, "I shall ask the Aurors who were sent to investigate Grimmauld Place if they have found such documents."
Mafalda nodded to Robards while motioning for Hermione to continue.
vvv
Hermione took a long drink of her tea as she considered what to say. Sighing, she began, "We woke at six am on May 1st. I used Polyjuice Potion to look like Bellatrix Lestrange since we had her wand. It was," Hermione shivered in revulsion, "disgusting. Bleh.
The four of us, Harry, Ron Griphook, and I, met in the garden near Dobby's grave. There I transformed parts of Ron's face to make him unrecognizable. Once we walked far enough from the cottage, Griphook climbed onto Harry's shoulders. I then covered them with Harry's Cloak.
Harry Apparated us to the Leaky Cauldron. From there we entered Diagon Alley. Everything was empty. The Leaky cauldron was deserted and the few people in Diagon Alley were beggars." Hermione shook her head.
We were almost to Gringotts were Travers met up with us. It was then that we learned of the Malfoys imprisonment in their own home. I was able to convince him that I was Bellatrix. Unfortunately, he then took it upon himself to escort me to Gringotts.
We bypassed the Probity Probes at the entrance as Harry cast Confundo on the two wizards. When we approached the goblin, Bogrod, at the counter, we had a problem. It appeared that they were aware of Bellatrix' wand being stolen.
Harry acted quickly and cast the Imperious Curse upon the goblin. This made Travers suspicious, causing Harry to cast the curse upon him as well. Bogrod retrieved the Clankers led us toward a hall, where we left Travers to hide."
Mafalda asked harshly, "Did you influence Mr. Potter to cast the Imperious Curse?"
Perplexed, Hermione responded, "No. Harry merely acted as need to continue towards the Lestranges' Vault."
Mafalda harrumphed.
vvv
Hermione waited for Ms. Hopkirk to speak with Mr. Robard, before continuing. "Once Travers was gone, Bogrod, Griphook, Harry, Ron and I crammed into a cart. Before we knew it, we flew under the Thief's Downfall and crashed into the wall. Using the Cushioning Charm, I was able to land us all safely on the ground."
"Thief's Downfall?" Prompted Pius Thickness.
Nodding, she answered, "The Thief's Downfall is a waterfall that washes away all enchantments and magic.
When we landed the curse seemed to be lifting from Bogrod, so Harry recast it. I could hear people approaching, so I cast Protego at the waterfall to stop them.
From there, Griphook led us to the Lestranges' vault. It was guarded by a huge dragon. The dragon was chained to the ground and blind. Griphook instructed us to clank the Clankers, causing the dragon to retreat and allowing passage to the vault.
When Bogrod touched the vault door, we all entered. The door closed behind searched carefully, but the items were curse with Gemino and Flagrante Curses. It wasn't long before Harry found the Horcrux. It was the cup that belonged to Helga Hufflepuff.
I cast Levicorpus upon Harry and he used the Sword to pull it down. Unfortunately, he hit a suit of armor, causing it to multiply. The goblins, Ron and I began to be buried by the burning treasure." Hermione shivered at the thought of the white-hot treasures against her skin.
Ron and I were pulling Bogrod from the crush, when Griphook became buried. Harry tried to pull him out but lost the Sword and Cup. They lunged for the Sword at the same time, but Griphook reached it first and swung it. The Cup flew and Harry dove for it as the vault opened.
Griphook and the Sword vanished into the crowd of goblins. Harry, Ron and I began casting Stupefy and the goblins around us. Suddenly Harry cast Relashio and released the dragon from its chains. Following his lead we climbed up on it.
It rose and headed for the ceiling. Breathing fire, it tried to create an opening but it wasn't big enough. I cast Defodio to enlarge the opening the dragon had created. Then, we were out."
Gawain Robards pulled out a notebook. "So, Mrs. Snape, you state that the dragon created the hole and you merely enlarged it."
"Yes, Mr. Robards."
Making a mark on the paper, he continued, "You claim to have only cast Stupefy upon the goblins. No curses."
"Yes, sir."
He muttered as he sat back.
"Mrs. Snape, what happened to the dragon once you escaped Gringotts?" Minister Shacklebolt asked.
Hermione grimaced. "Um, I don't know, Minister. When we flew out into the sky,I was so scared that I cried for the first part of the flight. It wasn't until the cold woke me from my fear that I registered anything. I'm almost positive that we went north from London.
When the sun began to set, the dragon began to descend. When Harry said to jump, I obeyed. We landed in a lake, from which the dragon drank then flew on."
vvv
She listened as Minister Shacklebolt and Thickness discussed finding the dragon before it harmed anyone. They only stopped talking when someone knocked on the door.
"You may enter" the Minister spoke to the door.
A young man entered and hand a note to the Minister, who said, "Thank you."
When he was gone and the note read, Minister Shacklebolt dismissed everyone except Hermione.
vvv
Alone in the room with the Minister, Hermione fidgeted.
"Hermione?"
"Yes, Minster?"
He sighed, "Please, Hermione, when we are not conducting Ministry business call me Kingsley. We have fought together, have we not?"
Hermione smiled slightly, "Yes."
Tapping the note on the table, Kingsley spoke, "So, would you mind telling me why a Healer from St Mungo's is requesting you presence immediately?"
Hermione blushed, but murmured, "I can't. Not yet, Kingsley, but soon."
The two stared at each other before the Minister nodded. "Go, Hermione. I will see you Monday."
Answers to questions/comments:
(1) Poll on my profile! Will Severus Snape live or die at the end of A Hogwart's Tale: Interview with a Snape? Please vote!
(2) I gave Severus' family a house-elf on the premise that his mother was a Pureblood.
(3) The diary will be back!
(4) Check out my facebook page! www .facebook anna .kaehler .7 (No spaces.)
(5) Beta'd by DragonSlayer412. R&R!
