.

High hopes

At breakfast the next day Dumbledore called a staff meeting for the evening. Hermione was excited all day long, re-reading the secret entries and doing some research in the library. She was bursting to tell her friends about what she had found out, but on Dumbledore's request she had promised to keep quiet until the evening. When they finally all met in Dumbledore's office, Hermione couldn't quite keep a large grin from her face.

The headmaster waited until everyone had sat down and then handed them copies of the secret entries. "I've called you today because Hermione has found something rather extraordinary, something which might help us in our fight against Voldemort", he said, turning towards Hermione. Suddenly all eyes were fixed on her with curious and excited expressions. Gesturing towards the copies everyone was holding, Dumbledore went on, "Hermione, please tell us how you came to find what you're now holding in your hands."

Hermione gave a short summary of how she'd become interested in Fredericus Micaelus, who he was and how she had found his diary. She then told them about his entries and how his sad story had made her cry, her tears triggering a spell which made secret entries appear. "And now", she said, "I think it's best if you just read."

They turned towards the pages eagerly, giving short exclamations of surprise and excitement as they read, and finally looked up at her and each other with smiles on their faces.

"This is brilliant!" Lupin beamed. "This might actually work."

"It is certainly very promising" said McGonagall, the struggle between hope and caution clearly visible on her face, "but Micaelus is rather vague. I think we should…" and they all started discussing what they had just read and how they could use it against Voldemort.

The only notable exception was Snape. Hermione had watched him while he was reading, and unlike the others he had not made any comment. When he had finished, he just looked out into the night, his face very still but a strange sparkle in his dark eyes.

Finally Dumbledore cleared his throat and everyone went quiet. "I think you'll all agree that this is an extraordinary discovery which calls for further research. Hagrid and Pomona, Micaelus mentions some North American plants and animal products which were obviously employed in the ritual. Please try to find out as much as you can about these things and how they are commonly used. Minerva, Filius and Lupin, I'd ask you to think about the spells, chants and incantations. Severus, Micaelus also mentions several potions, please find out as much as possible about them. It'd probably be a good idea to work together with Pomona and Hagrid. And I'm sure that Hermione would be happy to help you, too."

"What about Anistaphala?" Hermione asked. "Will she be informed about the book? And if not, how do we explain that we don't have so much time for her work?"

"For the moment I'd like to keep this strictly among us", Dumbledore said. "This doesn't mean I don't trust Elektra, or that we won't consult her if needs be. But the less people know about it, the better. I'll tell her that we have some problems with the wards and that therefore you can't work at the books from the vaults full time."

Hermione nodded. She didn't like to deceive the women who had shown her nothing but support and kindness, but if Dumbledore thought it necessary she'd trust him.

...

They met again the next evening to present the first results of their research. It looked promising, but the problem was that Micaelus was rather vague on the details of the spells as well as potions used, and they often could only guess what he meant.

"We could ask his portrait, if there exists one", Hermione suggested. "I've asked the Fat Lady, and unfortunately there is no portrait of him in Hogwarts, but perhaps there is one somewhere else?"

Dumbledore nodded. "That's certainly the best idea. Does anyone know about a portrait of Micaelus?"

They all shook their heads. "I'll look into this", Lupin volunteered. "I know some catalogues and resources I could check."

"Very good," Dumbledore replied. "Then we'll meet again in three days to report on the new developments."

They spent the following days doing further research and experimenting with some spells and potions. But the longer they experimented, the more they felt that they needed more information.

It's like poking in the dark, thought Hermione as she looked critically at a potion she was stirring slowly. Their initial excitement had soon ebbed away and was now only rarely rekindled. Instead Hermione couldn't help feeling frustrated. And it didn't look as if this was likely to change now. Hagrid had given them the blood of an animal he thought Micaelus had used for one of the potions, but he was far from certain. And they on the other hand didn't have any detailed information on several other ingredients, let alone the preparation of the potion. And even if they miraculously should be able to produce the correct potion, they probably wouldn't know because they didn't know what role it had played in the ritual. Hermione wrinkled her nose. The longer she stirred, the fouler the potion smelled.

"Do you really think I'm supposed to stir it counter clockwise?" she said doubtfully, turning towards Snape who was working at a table next to hers and was pouring ingredients into another potion.

He looked up shortly, sniffed in her direction and gave her a disgusted look. "I have no idea", he said irritably and returned to his own cauldron again.

Mentally shrugging a shoulder, Hermione went on stirring, trying to keep her head as far away from the unpleasant fumes as possible. The longer they had experimented on the potions, the more irascible Snape had become.

When Hermione suddenly perceived dark smoke rising up from his cauldron, she became a little worried. "Hm, Severus. You have noticed that your cauldron is smoking, haven't you?" He only shot her an angry glance and went on adding all kinds of stuff that Hermione thought should better be left out.

She'd just returned her gaze towards the increasingly disgusting contents of her own cauldron, when a loud bang shook the laboratory. Hermione was thrown a few feet back, pain erupting along her spine as she crashed into a desk. When she opened her eyes again, she could hardly see anything because of thick black smoke filling the laboratory. Her head and ears rang from the explosion, and when she scrambled back to her feet again her body hurt painfully where she had hit the desk and floor. Apart from that she seemed to be fine.

"Severus?" she tried to shout, but due to the smoke could only cough. Getting her wand out of her robes, she performed a vanishing spell which cleared away the smoke and revealed the rather untidy remains of their experiments. Snape was lying in a corner, crumbled up against the wall, lying very still.

Worry gripped Hermione and she immediately hurried towards him and knelt down beside him. His face was black and for a moment Hermione thought back to Angelica and how he had scolded the girl when her potion had exploded. But there was no time for schadenfreude now. "Severus?" she asked, trying to determine if there were any obvious wounds. Suddenly his eyelids fluttered and opened. Groaning, he tried to stand up, only accepting Hermione's arm when he couldn't get up on his own strength.

"I'm all right", he rasped, coughing and looking at the mess the explosion had produced. Brushing away Hermione's hand and taking a few tentative steps, he dragged himself to what remained of his cauldron.

"Well", he said sarcastically, looking down at it. "I suppose that wasn't the right formula."

Suddenly he turned towards Hermione. "You're all right?"

She nodded. "Yes, just a bit bruised. What do you think," she gave him a slightly anguished smile. "Should we leave it to the house-elves and get some of Poppy's salve?"

He hesitated, but finally nodded agreement. "Stand still", he said, looking at her critically and fishing for his wand. "You're rather dirty", he explained, performing a cleaning spell. Hermione snorted. "I'm certainly no worse than you", and she performed the same spell on him.

Looking presentable again, if a bit dishevelled, they set out to the hospital wing. I just hope Lupin finds a portrait, Hermione thought as they walked slowly and rather gingerly through the dark corridors.

...

When they met next time it was obvious that not only Snape and Hermione were frustrated. After they'd all vented their disappointment and recounted their problems, Dumbledore turned towards Lupin who had been conspicuously quiet. "Remus, did you find anything to help us?"

Lupin hesitated. "Well, the good news is that there exists a portrait of Micaelus, painted by the painter Niclas van Delft." He paused, looking at the expectant faces around him. "The bad news is that it hangs in Malfoy Manor."

There was silence for a few moments. "Well", Dumbledore said, looking thoughtfully, "that makes things a bit complicated. But", he gave them an encouraging smile, "certainly not impossible."

The others nodded hesitantly. Hermione felt a mixture of elation – after all if a picture existed that might be the solution to all their problems – and frustration at the new challenge they were facing.

"I'm afraid it's up to Severus again", Dumbledore said, looking at him apologetically. Snape only gave a short nod and Hermione felt a stab of pity, but knew that he was the only one who could get access to Malfoy Manor without any problems.

"I will try to spend one of the next evenings in Malfoy Manor", Snape said in his usual impassionate voice. "Then I'll hopefully be able to find out where the picture hangs and if Micaelus is able and willing to help us."

Dumbledore nodded agreement. "Then we'll meet again when you come back. Good luck, Severus."

...

Three days later, on a cold Sunday morning, Dumbledore called them again.

"I found the portrait", Snape told them. "Luckily it hangs in a corridor which is not often used. I was able to talk to Micaelus, but", he hesitated, his mouth twitching in what Hermione knew was a sign of anger, "he refused to give me the information we want." He suddenly looked straight at Hermione. "He wants to talk to Hermione first."

Hermione felt a sudden mixture of fear and excitement. "Because it was me who found his secret entries?"

Snape nodded, his face pronouncing his contempt for such behaviour. "He seems to be a rather sentimental old man" he sneered.

"But how do we get Hermione to the picture?" McGonagall asked, furrowing her brow. "She certainly can't just walk into Malfoy Manor, and I suppose we wouldn't be very successful if we attempted to steal the picture?"

"No, we wouldn't", Snape agreed. "For various reasons Malfoy Manor is one of the best guarded houses in Britain. But I have an idea how we can do it."

"An invisibility cloak?" Lupin asked, but Snape only shook his head derogatorily. "Using an invisibility cloak won't be necessary. In two weeks Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy are celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary. There will be a great ball, and I'm invited. I'll just take Hermione with me."

Shocked silence descended, and Hermione, who was as astonished as the others, had a short vision of the look on Lucius's and Draco's faces when they saw her with Snape. But although it was a satisfying image, she knew that Snape must mean something else. "You mean that I'll be disguised in some way? Lucius and Draco would certainly become suspicious if you turned up with me." They'd probably think you've put me under the Imperius, she thought, but didn't say.

"Yes", Snape said. "You'll be enchanted to look different and pose as my accompanying guest. That way you can walk through the manor without raising suspicions and should be able to talk to the portrait. You needn't get all the information from Micaelus immediately, that's something I can do later. You'll just have to establish contact with him and convince him that he has to help us."

Hermione nodded. "I'll do it."

Dumbledore looked at her gravely. "I'm afraid there's no alternative. But please be careful. If you're caught and found out, it's not only your life but Severus's as well which will be at stake."