It was much later before Hermione regained consciousness. She took in her
surroundings.
"What am I doing in the Astronomy tower?" She thought to herself.
Straining to recollect something eventually gave her a headache. Deciding that being in the Astronomy tower while it was obviously well past curfew was a rather foolish idea, she got up and nearly fell back over from a dizzy spell.
"Oooh." Her head hurt, and the room was spinning. "Too fast. Just need a minute."
She remained seated in the corner of the room for a few moments, than slowly made her way to her feet. Walking across to the door, she reached for the knob and found that it was locked.
"Alohomora"
The lock clicked, a little too loudly to not only send another ping of pain to her head, but she was also afraid that someone would have heard. Carefully checking before finally leaving the through the door, she carefully made her way down the steps to the hallways. Another glance, and she saw no one. She again made her way carefully through the halls to get to the Gryffindor tower.
"Did I not warn you, Miss Granger," the familiar silky voice rang out, "that it would be unfortunate to catch you out past curfew?"
"Geez. Did that man ever sleep?" She thought.
"Sir?" When did this warning take place? She didn't remember.
"Well, seeing as you have all this energy to spend walking the halls at all hours of the night, follow me." And he walked towards his dungeons, not checking to see if she followed but knowing she would.
"Well, this is just great. First I wake up in the astronomy tower, and now I have to work my way through the rest of the night before I can think of what happened." She thought angrily.
~@~
Snape opened the door to the potions classroom and walked to the storage closet beside the potions cabinet. Opening the door, he handed Hermione a bucket and scrub brush.
"The desks are absolutely deplorable." He snapped. "Get to it!"
Hermione took the bucket and brush and headed to the sink to fill the bucket to start cleaning. On her way, she nearly stumbled as another wave of dizziness came over her.
"Miss Granger, I suggest that you stop fooling around and get to work."
She managed to make it the rest of the way, and leaned on the sink while she filled the bucket. After the bucket had been filled, and she was certain she had her equilibrium back, she picked up the bucket and headed towards the nearest desk. Scrubbing them took hours to do. When she was finished, she again stood to take the bucket back to the sink and immediately fainted.
~@~
Professor Snape was in his office when he heard the sound of a desk falling over and water spilling on the floor. He got up and strode to the classroom.
"Miss Granger, what do you thi-." He stopped when he saw that she was on the floor, knocked out.
"Damn. If you think this is going to get you out of trouble, think again." He walked to her, and gave her a look over. Lifting one of her eyelids to check for a concussion, he saw that she showed no signs of it, but of something else. Reaching down, he gathered her in his arms and headed for the Hospital wing.
~@~
Snape entered the Hospital wing, Hermione limp over his arms. He settled her down on the nearest bed and summoned Madam Pomfrey.
When Madam Pomfrey entered the wing, Snape told her of what had happened in the classroom. The mediwitch then went to Hermione and cast a quick spell to see if there were any cuts, bruises, or fractures that needed repairing.
"I checked for signs of concussion, but there was something odd about her eyes." Snape said. Madam Pomfrey checked, and sure enough, there was something.
"Someone put a memory charm on her." She said.
"That would explain why she looked confused when I said I had warned her." He thought.
"Well, it appears to be a rather powerful one. Looks like the only cure for this one would be bed rest. I'll inform the Headmaster. We need to find out who did this and why." She said more to herself than anyone. She then looked at Snape. "Do you know about her whereabouts at all tonight?"
Snape recounted his suspicions that she was going to the Astronomy tower that evening, and then found her walking back to the Gryffindor tower from that location.
"And than?" Madam Pomfrey looked at Snape, knowing full well that he left something out.
"And than I brought her to the potion's classroom and had her scrub the desks." Snape knew that he would be receiving a stern lecture from the mediwitch. Before she could open her mouth, he added, "I did not see any signs of her weakened state, nor did I have any reason to believe that she had her memory obliterated."
With that, the Potion's Master swept out of the room, with the trademark sneer and billowing robes.
~@~
Snape arrived in the Astronomy tower. He performed a charm that would reveal any magic that had been used and where. He wouldn't be able to find out the identity quite yet, although he had a suspicion, but he would be able to narrow down the possibilities.
Once the charm was performed, he saw the powerful locking charm that had been put in place, probably to keep Granger from leaving. This magical residue was too old to use a features identification spell, but the obliviate was not, although, he was almost too late. The identification spell only worked within 5 hours of the casting.
Standing directly in front of the spot where the student had been standing when she was attacked, he raised his wand and muttered the incantation. Very slowly, the vague outline of the attacker was drawn out in front of him.
"Well, from the features, I'd have to say that the individual is a bit over 6 feet, around 170 pounds, and between the ages of 18 and 29." He said, knowing that the Headmaster was now standing directly behind him.
"Severus," the Headmaster said, "Continue on with the investigation the best you can. After you have completed it to your satisfaction, I need to speak with you in my office. It is a matter of urgency and cannot wait long."
"I should be finished here within the hour, Albus." Severus nodded to the Headmaster.
After a few more incantations, and knowing that he would not get much further, he made his way to the Headmaster's office. This has already been a long night, and it looks to be shaping up to be even longer.
A/N: Any guesses on who the attacker could be?
"What am I doing in the Astronomy tower?" She thought to herself.
Straining to recollect something eventually gave her a headache. Deciding that being in the Astronomy tower while it was obviously well past curfew was a rather foolish idea, she got up and nearly fell back over from a dizzy spell.
"Oooh." Her head hurt, and the room was spinning. "Too fast. Just need a minute."
She remained seated in the corner of the room for a few moments, than slowly made her way to her feet. Walking across to the door, she reached for the knob and found that it was locked.
"Alohomora"
The lock clicked, a little too loudly to not only send another ping of pain to her head, but she was also afraid that someone would have heard. Carefully checking before finally leaving the through the door, she carefully made her way down the steps to the hallways. Another glance, and she saw no one. She again made her way carefully through the halls to get to the Gryffindor tower.
"Did I not warn you, Miss Granger," the familiar silky voice rang out, "that it would be unfortunate to catch you out past curfew?"
"Geez. Did that man ever sleep?" She thought.
"Sir?" When did this warning take place? She didn't remember.
"Well, seeing as you have all this energy to spend walking the halls at all hours of the night, follow me." And he walked towards his dungeons, not checking to see if she followed but knowing she would.
"Well, this is just great. First I wake up in the astronomy tower, and now I have to work my way through the rest of the night before I can think of what happened." She thought angrily.
~@~
Snape opened the door to the potions classroom and walked to the storage closet beside the potions cabinet. Opening the door, he handed Hermione a bucket and scrub brush.
"The desks are absolutely deplorable." He snapped. "Get to it!"
Hermione took the bucket and brush and headed to the sink to fill the bucket to start cleaning. On her way, she nearly stumbled as another wave of dizziness came over her.
"Miss Granger, I suggest that you stop fooling around and get to work."
She managed to make it the rest of the way, and leaned on the sink while she filled the bucket. After the bucket had been filled, and she was certain she had her equilibrium back, she picked up the bucket and headed towards the nearest desk. Scrubbing them took hours to do. When she was finished, she again stood to take the bucket back to the sink and immediately fainted.
~@~
Professor Snape was in his office when he heard the sound of a desk falling over and water spilling on the floor. He got up and strode to the classroom.
"Miss Granger, what do you thi-." He stopped when he saw that she was on the floor, knocked out.
"Damn. If you think this is going to get you out of trouble, think again." He walked to her, and gave her a look over. Lifting one of her eyelids to check for a concussion, he saw that she showed no signs of it, but of something else. Reaching down, he gathered her in his arms and headed for the Hospital wing.
~@~
Snape entered the Hospital wing, Hermione limp over his arms. He settled her down on the nearest bed and summoned Madam Pomfrey.
When Madam Pomfrey entered the wing, Snape told her of what had happened in the classroom. The mediwitch then went to Hermione and cast a quick spell to see if there were any cuts, bruises, or fractures that needed repairing.
"I checked for signs of concussion, but there was something odd about her eyes." Snape said. Madam Pomfrey checked, and sure enough, there was something.
"Someone put a memory charm on her." She said.
"That would explain why she looked confused when I said I had warned her." He thought.
"Well, it appears to be a rather powerful one. Looks like the only cure for this one would be bed rest. I'll inform the Headmaster. We need to find out who did this and why." She said more to herself than anyone. She then looked at Snape. "Do you know about her whereabouts at all tonight?"
Snape recounted his suspicions that she was going to the Astronomy tower that evening, and then found her walking back to the Gryffindor tower from that location.
"And than?" Madam Pomfrey looked at Snape, knowing full well that he left something out.
"And than I brought her to the potion's classroom and had her scrub the desks." Snape knew that he would be receiving a stern lecture from the mediwitch. Before she could open her mouth, he added, "I did not see any signs of her weakened state, nor did I have any reason to believe that she had her memory obliterated."
With that, the Potion's Master swept out of the room, with the trademark sneer and billowing robes.
~@~
Snape arrived in the Astronomy tower. He performed a charm that would reveal any magic that had been used and where. He wouldn't be able to find out the identity quite yet, although he had a suspicion, but he would be able to narrow down the possibilities.
Once the charm was performed, he saw the powerful locking charm that had been put in place, probably to keep Granger from leaving. This magical residue was too old to use a features identification spell, but the obliviate was not, although, he was almost too late. The identification spell only worked within 5 hours of the casting.
Standing directly in front of the spot where the student had been standing when she was attacked, he raised his wand and muttered the incantation. Very slowly, the vague outline of the attacker was drawn out in front of him.
"Well, from the features, I'd have to say that the individual is a bit over 6 feet, around 170 pounds, and between the ages of 18 and 29." He said, knowing that the Headmaster was now standing directly behind him.
"Severus," the Headmaster said, "Continue on with the investigation the best you can. After you have completed it to your satisfaction, I need to speak with you in my office. It is a matter of urgency and cannot wait long."
"I should be finished here within the hour, Albus." Severus nodded to the Headmaster.
After a few more incantations, and knowing that he would not get much further, he made his way to the Headmaster's office. This has already been a long night, and it looks to be shaping up to be even longer.
A/N: Any guesses on who the attacker could be?