Standard Disclaimer: This is a work of fanfiction and all notable characters belong to their creator, JK Rowling.

Author's Note: I started writing this a while ago but hated how it started so I began to rewrite the whole thing. I think I like this better and I hope you will too.

This work is dedicated to the amazing authors who have inspired me to start writing again. You may never read this story or know who I am but this is my thanks.

Ashes of the Broken

Severus Snape sat still in the chair, flesh and blood gargoyle, watching over a now very sedated and finally sleeping Hermione Granger. The witch was about to jump off the Astronomy Tower, her magic causing havoc, it wasn't accidental magic it was elemental. The dark wizard wasn't all that surprised at her use of elemental magic, if anyone was going to harness such a deadly form of magic it would be the Gryffindor Princess. She had already exceeded every expectation that anyone had of her abilities by the end of her first year, hell she had surpassed any expectation he had after she brewed Polyjuice Potion in the girl's lavatory her second year. He would deny it if ever asked.

However, what did surprise him was how seductive that magic was to him. It called to him. Perhaps it was an unconscious move on her part to have someone stop her. He couldn't be sure but it was unnerving and it made him worry for her. Contrary to popular belief he did actually care for the students under his charge, not just his snakes. He was generally annoyed with the little shits but he knew from conversations in the staff room he wasn't the only one but he was the one that hid any positive thoughts he had of any student.

No, Severus had started to see the cracks while visiting 12 Grimmauld Place during The Order meetings over the summer. Her ever-present smile wasn't reaching her eyes. It was a farce and no one seemed to notice. He had only received confirmation after being called to the Dark Lord earlier in the evening. Her parents were killed by two boys wanting to join the ranks of the Death Eaters over the summer. Two Gryffindor boys.

Snape gritted his teeth in anger, he warned Albus that he had gained information that Granger and her family were at the top of the list. While Wormtale was nothing but a filthy stain on society, he was observant and he did see that Granger had been given a time-turner her third year. He wasn't stupid and knew that she probably was powerful then and would have blabbed to the others that the Ministry and Dumbledore let her have access to such a powerful artifact. Albus said he would ensure their safety. Lies.

Hissing at a momentary lapse of pain from his reset nose, he looked over the young witch. He thought it funny when he had to set his godson's nose after she broke it with her fist. She broke his nose after slamming the back of her head to his face while he tried to gain some control before she jumped. He was lucky that Hogwarts seemed to answer his fears when a barrier had emerged out of nowhere to block her from her fall. That didn't stop her from fighting him nor pulling out any elemental magic to aim a strike at him. The second cloak she had damaged with fire.

A gasp of shock resigned next to him. Ah, so Poppy was able to get Minerva to the Hospital Wing quicker than he had expected.

"What happened? She has been perfectly fine and now she tries to jump?" Her brogue was strong and made it nearly impossible to understand her in the state of distress she was in. Hermione Granger was Minvera's most precious cub, she would never admit it out loud but he wasn't stupid, after all, he had a little snake he cared dearly for, though to be fair it was his godson.

He weighed what he knew from the night. He trusted Minerva, hell he knew Minerva better than most, she was after all the one professor from his youth that actually gave a damn about his existence, well she and Poppy anyway. However, he wasn't sure if his accusation would be warranted without evidence. After all, he had entered Aeterna Servitus with Albus Dumbledore willingly. His gut told him that Hermione Granger didn't. With Poppy's back turned he ran his wand over her the signs of the servitude curse were wrapped tightly around her, the His gut was never wrong. He stopped short of thinking that Albus would allow innocent Muggles to be slaughtered in order to keep Harry Potter's best friend under his thumb. No one was ignorant to the fact that if anyone could get Potter to listen it was Granger, most of the time. Dumbledore was a master manipulator but to go that low seemed callous even for the elder wizard.

"Severus," Poppy interrupted, a worried look etched in her features. "Albus wants to speak with you."

He wanted to rub the bridge of his nose to relieve the tension that was building but thought better of it.

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"I warned you months ago that she was on the top of the list," Snape gritted out, his anger reborn again after being called to the Headmaster's office. "Did you even have someone watch, a squib that you seem to have access to?"

Albus Dumbledore sat at his desk, a sense of calm around him despite the situation at hand. While his notorious blue eyes lacked their twinkle they weren't fully apologetic either.

"I thought there was more time, that her family would be safe." the older wizard sighed. "I figured Tom wouldn't be interested in two Muggles or their daughter."

"This wasn't under his order, Albus. This was from Death Eaters setting up two recent graduates, Gryffindor I might add, who wanted to prove themselves." That was true enough. When Chilton and Thrope had shown up during the evening pledging their allegiance to the Dark Lord and shared how they had killed the parents of Harry Potter's mudblood best friend the recently resurrected wizard laughed in a manner that sent chills up Snape's spine before marking the two boys. This was followed by using the Cruciatus Curse for failing to kill Hermione Granger.

Silence filled the office, it was heavy.

"Poppy isn't sure if Miss Granger will make the night. If she does, it may take a week to recuperate and Merlin knows how long psychologically it will take." Snape began to rub salt into any exposed wound that the old Headmaster may have in the situation. He wasn't going to be a ruddy Gryffindor but he was a Slytherin and this route could expose any fault lines beneath the old wizard's exterior.

"If she survives, you need to teach her occlumency." Severus looked over the man he was certain if his own shields weren't up he would have a look of shock written over his face.

"That's an order, Severus." Blue eyes demanding his full cooperation like a good little slave.

"Understood," the binds tightened over his heart.