Chapter Seven

Hermione

Ron and Harry were playing chess when the post came. Hermione put her book down and anxiously grabbed the newspaper, fearful of more Muggle attacks. The headlines weren't all that surprising: More Deaths and Disappearances Reported, but as Hermione read on, she waved to get the others' attention.

"Listen to this… 'Recent events have also revealed to the Ministry that a second individual or group is at large using Unforgivable Curses that seem to be targeting suspected Death Eaters. The victims are always found alone, usually in their bedroom, with a small ivory skull charm in their hand. In most cases, there is no other damage to the victims except for alleged changes to the victim's magic tattoos. The Ministry was quick to point out that this new criminal is employing the strongest of dark magics and should be viewed as dangerous to the public as the Death Eaters and their leader.'"

"Honestly, they still won't say his name." Harry sighed.

"So, someone's out there trying to beat them at their own game?" Ron asked thoughtfully.

"Well, at least someone is actually trying to do something about it," Harry answered.

"The Ministry's been after them for ages. Dad was hardly home at all over the summer; there were so many raids. They even raided Malfoy's twice last year. Didn't find anything though," Ron looked glum about that.

"Harry, you shouldn't feel like the school isn't doing anything. In fact, I haven't seen Dumbledore since the Sorting. I bet he's been in London," Hermione said, looking at all of them. "And has anyone else noticed how edgy Craw is? I wonder if whoever her boyfriend is isn't involved with all of this somehow?"

"Oh, not again! Hermione, we've gone over this a dozen times. There isn't any 'boyfriend' to be found," Ron said with exasperation. "Dumbledore said he woke her, so he woke her. Why can't you accept that?"

"He never said he woke her first. When I asked him right after it happened, he changed the subject. And then when I asked him how it was he broke the spell when I got back, he sent me to the library to get a book for McGonagall."

"Hermione, we were all in the hospital wing the whole time, remember?" Ginny said. "As far as I saw, no one but professors were in there from the time she was put there until she woke up the next day."

"We were asleep part of that time," Hermione reminded her. "So what I was thinking was a professor must have let someone in when we were asleep, and Dumbledore knew about it, which is why he's helping them keep it quiet."

"But if Dumbledore is trying to keep it quiet, shouldn't we respect that? I know Professor Craw would have said something if she thought she could tell us. She's always been fairly open… for a professor," Ginny pointed out.

"Okay, okay, fine. If she comes to dinner at Hagrid's with us tonight and I can't get her to say anything, I'll drop it," Hermione promised. Ron glanced over towards Harry with a doubtful look on his face.

Jennifer was walking over to the Quidditch Pitch that evening when an owl caught up with her, delivering a quickly jotted note. Another former Death Eater had been murdered, it seemed, and Severus had been called away. Sighing softly, she brushed the note across her lips and it disintegrated. Every time he left she wondered if it was the last time she'd see him, and she had to remind herself that he could take care of himself. She glanced in her mirror, trying to read her own face. No fear, she told herself, no worry. It wasn't acceptable. Hearing her name, she quickly snapped it shut and looked up, seeing Hermione and Ron trying to get her attention from the lower stands.

"There you are! Does that mean you're coming tonight?" Hermione asked.

"Of course! Can't wait to see what kind of horrid barely palatable concoction we're going to have to talk him into changing this year," Jennifer winked as the others chuckled. Jennifer had been on a crusade to help Hagrid find a nice balance between his tastes and his guests, and had had some limited success. There wasn't much she could do about the rock cakes, though. He said it was his mother's recipe.

"They should be coming down soon," Ron said, squinting in the sunlight. He could barely even make out his sister Ginny, who had just made the team as the new Keeper, something that he had found somewhat embarrassing having not had much luck getting on the team himself. He blamed this in part to his old broom, although it was much harder to accept that after Ginny, who had Fred's old broom, made the team.

Finally Harry and Ginny came down, Harry's face red from practicing the twisting dives and sudden moves that came with being a Seeker. Jennifer got airsick just looking at them, so tended just to watch the action around the three Quidditch rings. Gathering up their things, the five walked across the lawn.

"Professor, have you heard about the group attacking the Death Eaters?" Hermione asked as they walked.

"Group?" Jennifer raised an eyebrow at her. Hermione shuffled through her books and pulled out the paper, handing it to Jennifer. Jennifer read it, looking thoughtful. "So that's it," she said at last, getting a strange feeling again.

"What's it?" the four asked her at once

"Well," Jennifer thought it over, wondering how much she should say. "I think I may have run into one of them at Knockturn Alley yesterday."

"What were you doing down there?" Ron wanted to know.

"Oh, this and that. Picking up stuff for class. And no, I won't tell you what. But someone wearing a Night Shroud attacked someone else from on top the building," she said thoughtfully.

"Who did he attack?" Harry asked.

"Hmm, well, I don't think I should say that, since I'm not sure how public it is. But he did cast the Cruciatus Curse on someone. It was so dark that I couldn't get a good shot. Then the Ministry showed up and he Disapparated before they could stop him."

"Are you sure it was a he?" Hermione asked.

"Well, I guess it could have been a tall witch, and the person was whispering, but I'm thinking it was a he. But enough about that; I'm certain the Ministry is well on the way of catching who it was, and it's really none of our business. I just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time." She shrugged it off, handing Hermione back the paper.

"But Professor, if they're fighting Voldemort, then they're on our side, right?" Harry said.

"Whoever it is, he is using the Unforgivable Curses to hunt them, Harry. Two wrongs don't make a right. Regardless of who he murders, he's still a murderer," Jennifer said simply.

"Then would killing Voldemort be a crime as well?" he asked. Jennifer paused at the door, looking thoughtfully at Harry.

"Well, self-defense isn't a crime. And chances are if either of us were up against him, that's what it would be in any case." Jennifer said, knocking on the door. Sirius answered, smiling broadly.

"Hi, Harry and company! Nice to see you. Hagrid, everyone's here!" he said, showing them in. "I'll make some room at the table," he winked at Jennifer. He walked over to the small table, tapping it with his wand. The table grew in size to accommodate everyone, but the table didn't seem to take up any more room in the small cottage. "There, now we're set."

"Evening, Hagrid, anything I can help you with?" Jennifer smiled at him, immediately finding herself with the teakettle.

"Did ya hear about what I'm doin' fer Magic Creatures this year?" Hagrid asked Jennifer excitedly. "They're learning how to take care of eggs, an' then care for 'em after they're born."

"What sort of eggs?" Jennifer asked.

"Not sayin', it's a secret," Hagrid said. "Every'un but the first years is doin' em. I had somethin' special for them," he explained.

The students didn't seem so thrilled about the class; they were thinking it was a tad boring. Ginny especially, whose class egg was much smaller than the one in Harry's class. At least the sixth years had an egg almost two feet long. They were learning was how to protect them from predators and keep them warm.

"Sounds like they'll have their hands full later," Jennifer grinned at him.

"So how was your first week, Jennifer? Getting back into the swing of things?" Sirius smiled at her warmly. Jennifer tried not to grimace at the other question in his face. He wanted to know how things were going between she and Severus.

"Not too bad. Not even close to being as rough as last year," she said. "Professor Snape has started the dueling club back up. He and Dumbledore asked me to help. It's been interesting getting back into that sort of thing after all these years."

"Ah, really?" Sirius looked amused, then turned to Harry. "Have you joined yet?"

"Ron and I have," Harry said, "and Professor Craw is trying to talk Hermione and Ginny into going."

"I'd go in a second if it were only you teaching, Professor," Ginny admitted. Sirius hid a chuckle, and Jennifer shot him a look.

"Well, it's your free time, I can only invite you. But you know, there's a lot more of Slytherin house who has joined than Gryffindor…" Jennifer pointed out. "It might be wise to even up the field a bit."

"Very well, then. I'm in. I suppose I could sacrifice some study time for that," Hermione said. Ron gave her a dirty look. "I've been reading ahead anyhow, and I went back over all my notes from last year. I even went ahead and worked out the math on the chances of finding one's true love thing we talked about during our discussion of Cosmic Sleep. Do you want to hear it? I have it here somewhere…"

"No thanks," Ron, Harry, and Jennifer all said at once.

"I'd like to hear it," Sirius said with amusement.

"Sirius!" Jennifer snapped with a glare, then looked back to Hermione. "I thought we weren't going to talk about this any more, Hermione."

"But Professor, can't you at least tell us why everyone is covering up who it is that woke you up first? I mean, Dumbledore didn't ever say he woke you first, he just says that he woke you. And, who could have possibly countered the death spell in the first place? It couldn't have just happened on its own."

"Hermione! Why does it matter so much to you one way or the other? Can't anyone have a little privacy? And really, you should respect a professor's privacy even if it is one you get on with. I think I'm going to head back." Jennifer said and got up quickly. "Thanks Hagrid, the stew was wonderful. Perhaps a little more salt and a little less garlic?" She hugged Hagrid, waved to the rest of them, asked Sirius to lead them back when they were done, and then walked out. Everyone stared at the closed door for a moment.

"Well, that proves it," Hermione said at last. "She is covering for someone."

"Hermione, if I may, I really think it is time to drop this," Sirius said firmly. "Professor Craw is right, you shouldn't be prying into a teacher's personal affairs. What happens between her and… whoever… is up to them to decide. I'd think you'd be better off spending time thinking about your own relationships rather than anyone else's."

Harry looked thoughtfully at his godfather. Apparently, Hermione must not have been as far off the mark as he and Ron had thought she was. At the very least, it sounded as if Sirius thought someone had awoken her as well.

"It wasn't you, was it?" Harry asked him point blank. Sirius looked at Harry steadily for a moment.

"No, it wasn't," he admitted. "So I hope you boys didn't make that wager last Christmas," he winked.

"What wager?" Hermione asked, but from that remark she could finally guess.

Sirius had at one time shown interest in the young, vibrant Jennifer Craw, but seemed to have lost interest right after the Christmas ball last year. It suddenly dawned on her that Sirius knew a lot more than he was saying. The look on his face however quickly discouraged her from trying to get anything out of him.

As they walked back towards the Gryffindor common room, Hermione slowed up, trying to remember who all she had seen with Jennifer the night of the Ministry Ball. Then she remembered that Jennifer had actually been taken around to meet just about everyone. She'd even danced with quite a number of wizards, including Snape and Lucius Malfoy. Hermione shuddered. Harry had quickly rescued her from Snape, at Dumbledore's suggestion, and Ron's father had stepped in for Malfoy. Hermione quickly pulled Ginny back to talk to her. Ron and Harry looked back at them curiously.

"Women," Ron finally said, shaking his head. Harry shrugged, and they continued up the stairs.

"Ginny, your father was here the night they brought us out of the forest, wasn't he?" Hermione asked.

"Hermione, it was definitely not my father," Ginny rolled her eyes at her.

"Yes, but he might have seen something. He came to visit us, remember?"

"And he left just before Dumbledore sent Snape in to guard Craw. No one was in her room before that but Poppy, and I'd think she'd have said something if she'd been awake before that."

"That's right," Hermione said with a sigh.

"And Dumbledore took over right after that, so you see, it had to have been Dumbledore. Minerva had announced to us that morning that Dumbledore had awoken her."

"I didn't see Dumbledore come in. I was already asleep, then," Hermione said with frustration.

"I had just gotten to sleep, but when he knocked on the door it woke me," Ginny said. "I didn't see him leave though, I fell back to sleep right after…ouch!"

Hermione stopped dead in her tracks, causing Ginny to stumble back slightly on the stairs. Her face had drained of all color, and she was staring at Ginny as if she had just uncovered buried treasure.

"He knocked?" Hermione said. At last it all began to make sense. She suddenly remembered with vivid clarity the image of Severus Snape in Death Eater's robes kneeling with the other teachers in the Dark Forest. He had taken a potion, and then left. And then, he was the first to guard her… and Dumbledore had knocked. Why would anyone knock unless he suspected that she was already awake? "Did he just go in straight after, or did he wait for Snape to answer it?"

"Well he didn't just go in, or I wouldn't have seen him," Ginny said with exasperation. "And I thought you said you were going to drop it if she said no again?" Hermione looked at her for a moment, wondering how she was missing it.

"I'm dropping it," Hermione said, heading up the stairs.