Chapter Five
In which the library has visitors
Snape and Lupin led the way as they marched from the dungeons to the library. The halls were eerily quiet and darker than usual. Hermione glanced out a window and could see only inky blackness, no moon nor stars to light the night. She shivered and hoped that it was merely the black reflection of the interior wall upon the glass that made it seem so unnaturally dark outside.
The expressions on the faces of their professors were inscrutable. Snape's eyes looked more haunted than they had appeared in nearly a year, since the first battle with Voldemort, since the rumors that many of his students had taken the Mark and were only biding their time before the true battle between good and evil, where they would side with the latter. To Hermione he gave the appearance of being heavily burdened, under intense strain, the source of which came from within and without, but centered around his overwhelming concern for his students, and now that concern also had to extend beyond house boundaries.
Remus looked troubled, but was struggling to retain the appearance of confidence and calm. His smile seemed more than a bit forced to Hermione, but Ginny drew strength from the fact that he could still smile in so bizarre and desperate of a situation. They were not lost in some terrible nightmare so long as they had Remus Lupin to guide and protect them. Ginny had every confidence that he knew just what to do, even if Snape looked as though he might lose it at any minute.
They had to light candles to see by in the dark and cavernous library. Snape immediately began pulling potions' books from the shelves one volume after another while Lupin wandered from shelf to shelf with a curious expression on his face. Ginny tried to stay near the candles and safety of the light, but Hermione walked into the stacks with her wand emitting a gentle light to guide her way. She was the first one who realized that something was wrong.
"These books ... even the newest ones are from fifty years ago!" Hermione murmured, shaking her head. She found a copy of Hogwarts: A History and found that it had been published in 1943. "Professor Lupin, have you seen any new books?" she called through the shelves.
"No." he replied in a worried tone.
"We don't need new books, Miss Granger. The solution to this problem won't be outlined in the November issue of Potions Monthly." snapped Snape from a few aisles away.
"I just thought it was odd." Hermione mumbled, gritting her teeth and pocketing the history. There was no librarian at the desk, after all, and she fully intended to return it after the crisis was over.
After about an hour of gathering books into a large pile on one of the central desks in the library, Professor Snape, who was heading the research expedition, selected about fifteen sizable tomes to take back to his rooms, insisting that it would be easier to research there in the presence of his own collection of books and his laboratory. The leading hypothesis was that the potion accident had indeed done something to all of them, though they were all noticing more and more subtle alterations in the castle around them. They each gathered an armload of books and prepared to leave the library.
But suddenly Ginny paused, feeling an abrupt and inexplicable sense of dread and horror, and turned. Her eyes drifted toward the shrouded ceiling of the library high above them. There was something up there in the far corner. She could see bat-like wings protruding from the shadows. And long legs tucked beneath them. It moved, rattling its wings slightly.
"Professor." she whispered, shifting the books in her arms and tugging at Remus's robes. Her throat was dry with fear as she watched the creature stretch its sinewy legs.
"Yes, Ginny?" he questioned, looking over his shoulder at her.
"Up there." she said, pointing with a trembling hand.
His eyes drifted up to the darkened corner. His eyes widened involuntarily. The thing shifted slightly, revealing two brightly shining yellow eyes, the eyes of a hunter. Black wings, blood red skin, and yellow eyes.
Severus and Hermione, arms full of books as well, looked to see what Ginny and Remus were staring at with such intense and fearful expressions. Severus bit back a gasp and began pulling Hermione toward the door.
"We must run!" he hissed.
The thing on the ceiling twitched in response to his voice, or rather to the desperation in it. Lupin nodded and began ushering Ginny toward the exit too.
The creature gave a high, keening cry and flapped its wings once before taking to the air in a smooth glide. That sound chilled their very blood as they dashed through the library doors and out into the corridors. Severus and Remus were very pale as they closed the doors to block the creature's path. Severus sealed it hastily.
"Run! Now!" he yelled at the two girls.
The four of them set off down the hall with Severus and Remus, wands drawn and books forgotten by the doors, bringing up the rear. They could hear the preternatural scream of the creature behind them. The sound of the library doors shattering, splintering into thousands of pieces followed too. Books slipped from Ginny's grasp as they ran, but Hermione clutched hers for dear life as they raced through the corridors and into the dungeon, half expecting to be overtaken by the bat creature at any time.
When they reached Snape's rooms again, the two professors shoved Ginny and Hermione into the parlor and away from the door, which Snape slammed and bolted. Then at once, as though with a single mind, they began chanting incantations at the door and walls. Hermione placed her books near the couch and watched them with great interest.
"What are they doing?" asked Ginny in a whisper.
"They're putting up wards." she answered.
The screeching of the bat-like thing grew closer and closer. Hermione put an arm around Ginny and drew her wand, fearing that the wards would not be in place in time or would not hold. Then the cries ended. Hermione could see the strain on Severus and Remus's faces as their wards were tested.
"It's retreating." grunted Snape, slipping to one knee.
"For now." agreed Remus.
He grasped Severus under the shoulder and pulled him to his feet. The potions' master had neither the strength nor the desire to refuse the assistance nor sneer at the other professor. The wards he had put in place were extremely strong. Remus helped him to the couch where he sat down and put two trembling hands over his face.
"What was that thing?" asked Ginny as Remus ushered them away from Snape. He could recuperate just as well without their worried, frightened stares.
"A demon." said Lupin.
"Wait a minute, professor," said Hermione skeptically, "those aren't real magical creatures! Demons and devils are just muggle inventions used to frighten children into obedience."
"Are they now?" asked Remus.
"They aren't in any of our books. I've checked." said Hermione.
"Be that as it may, I have heard Albus Dumbledore mention the creatures on more than one occasion, and that's good enough for me. That thing fits his description of them perfectly." said Remus.
Hermione faltered and said, "Well, if the headmaster says they exist ..."
"Anyhow, the wards should hold it off. We can concentrate on finding a solution to our problem, unless of course that thing is part of the problem ..." said Remus. "I need time to think all of this through." he said, rubbing his eyes.
Hermione glanced over at Snape and suggested, "Perhaps I could try to find some tea things."
"Yes, wonderful idea." said Remus absently. "Ginny, help me with the books we managed to escape with." he said, grabbing two volumes from the floor where Hermione had hastily deposited them.
Things with which to prepare tea could not be found immediately on hand. There was not so much as a tea cup or a kettle in Snape's apartment, though she suspected that it wasn't his fault, but rather part of the subtle alteration of the castle. She could not account for this phenomenon yet. She had earlier considered time travel, but the books and things were not only from fifty years earlier, but also they were fifty years old. Time had passed, but nothing had changed. Try accounting for that!
She had managed to locate a bottle of spirits stashed away in a cabinet. Watching Ginny and Remus as they flipped through the research materials together, she knew that they didn't need the stuff yet, but Snape, who was still sitting on the couch trying to recoup his strength and collect himself, seemed in need of a little something. He had thrown everything he had into the wards around the apartment and was paying for it. She poured him a small glass and joined him on the couch.
"Professor Snape?" she questioned quietly.
"What could you possibly want?" he asked, not opening his eyes.
Behind the irritation she could hear the exhaustion and diminishing fear in his voice. Otherwise she might have simply set the drink on the nearest end table and joined Ginny and Remus.
"I thought you could use this." she said, forcing the glass into one of his hands.
He opened his eyes and blinked rather stupidly at the glass. He sniffed the contents and took a sip of it.
"Thank you." he said quietly.
"You are quite welcome."
"Placing wards is a dangerous business. Tiring too." he commented, nursing the drink.
"I know."
"I have no doubt that you do." he said a bit sourly.
"I didn't mean it to sound like that. I only meant ..."
"I know, I know." sighed Snape, pressing the cool glass to his forehead. "You don't mean to sound like a know-it-all. It just comes out that way. I've had seven years to come to that realization."
"Thank you, professor."
"Severus. You may as well call me that. We're all in this together, for what it's worth." he said.
"I think this might be going to your head." Hermione laughed nervously, taking the empty glass from his hand.
"Very amusing, I'm sure." he said.
The sudden sound of animalistic screeching in the hall startled them both, not to mention Remus, who leapt up from the writing desk where he was reading, and Ginny, who turned pale again almost instantly. It seemed close. Then they heard an even more fear-inspiring sound: an answering cry from the halls above them. And then another. And another. And another ...
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A/N: And the plot thickens! I probably should mention that I play a lot of video games. The 'demon' is a synthesis of video games monsters. No one wants to know which ones. And I got some help from The Lexicon's bestiary, which does not have demons among is extensive listing, ergo ... they are not in the 'books'. There is a logic flaw in there somewhere. Nevertheless.
JoeBob1379: I bet this chapter answered some of your questions. I'm terrible at suspense, by the way. Thanks for reviewing!
Witchy-grrl: I'm glad you liked the mental image. It was fun to write. Thanks!
Slytherin: Very astute guesses. The full extent of what has happened will be revealed soon. Thank you for reviewing!
Michelle: It sort of has something to do with the Founders. Good guess! And it also involves something from Tom's days at Hogwarts, though not necessarily Tom himself ... That's all I'm going to say about that. I appreciate the review!
Lady Lynet ap Evyn: Actually, that might have been a better idea, but then they are three Gryffindors and a Slytherin. Thanks for reviewing!
Mistress Melissande Laertes: I'm not a big fan of nicknames myself (he's almost always Severus or Snape to me), but I figure to each his or her own. Thank you for the review and the interesting opinion!
In which the library has visitors
Snape and Lupin led the way as they marched from the dungeons to the library. The halls were eerily quiet and darker than usual. Hermione glanced out a window and could see only inky blackness, no moon nor stars to light the night. She shivered and hoped that it was merely the black reflection of the interior wall upon the glass that made it seem so unnaturally dark outside.
The expressions on the faces of their professors were inscrutable. Snape's eyes looked more haunted than they had appeared in nearly a year, since the first battle with Voldemort, since the rumors that many of his students had taken the Mark and were only biding their time before the true battle between good and evil, where they would side with the latter. To Hermione he gave the appearance of being heavily burdened, under intense strain, the source of which came from within and without, but centered around his overwhelming concern for his students, and now that concern also had to extend beyond house boundaries.
Remus looked troubled, but was struggling to retain the appearance of confidence and calm. His smile seemed more than a bit forced to Hermione, but Ginny drew strength from the fact that he could still smile in so bizarre and desperate of a situation. They were not lost in some terrible nightmare so long as they had Remus Lupin to guide and protect them. Ginny had every confidence that he knew just what to do, even if Snape looked as though he might lose it at any minute.
They had to light candles to see by in the dark and cavernous library. Snape immediately began pulling potions' books from the shelves one volume after another while Lupin wandered from shelf to shelf with a curious expression on his face. Ginny tried to stay near the candles and safety of the light, but Hermione walked into the stacks with her wand emitting a gentle light to guide her way. She was the first one who realized that something was wrong.
"These books ... even the newest ones are from fifty years ago!" Hermione murmured, shaking her head. She found a copy of Hogwarts: A History and found that it had been published in 1943. "Professor Lupin, have you seen any new books?" she called through the shelves.
"No." he replied in a worried tone.
"We don't need new books, Miss Granger. The solution to this problem won't be outlined in the November issue of Potions Monthly." snapped Snape from a few aisles away.
"I just thought it was odd." Hermione mumbled, gritting her teeth and pocketing the history. There was no librarian at the desk, after all, and she fully intended to return it after the crisis was over.
After about an hour of gathering books into a large pile on one of the central desks in the library, Professor Snape, who was heading the research expedition, selected about fifteen sizable tomes to take back to his rooms, insisting that it would be easier to research there in the presence of his own collection of books and his laboratory. The leading hypothesis was that the potion accident had indeed done something to all of them, though they were all noticing more and more subtle alterations in the castle around them. They each gathered an armload of books and prepared to leave the library.
But suddenly Ginny paused, feeling an abrupt and inexplicable sense of dread and horror, and turned. Her eyes drifted toward the shrouded ceiling of the library high above them. There was something up there in the far corner. She could see bat-like wings protruding from the shadows. And long legs tucked beneath them. It moved, rattling its wings slightly.
"Professor." she whispered, shifting the books in her arms and tugging at Remus's robes. Her throat was dry with fear as she watched the creature stretch its sinewy legs.
"Yes, Ginny?" he questioned, looking over his shoulder at her.
"Up there." she said, pointing with a trembling hand.
His eyes drifted up to the darkened corner. His eyes widened involuntarily. The thing shifted slightly, revealing two brightly shining yellow eyes, the eyes of a hunter. Black wings, blood red skin, and yellow eyes.
Severus and Hermione, arms full of books as well, looked to see what Ginny and Remus were staring at with such intense and fearful expressions. Severus bit back a gasp and began pulling Hermione toward the door.
"We must run!" he hissed.
The thing on the ceiling twitched in response to his voice, or rather to the desperation in it. Lupin nodded and began ushering Ginny toward the exit too.
The creature gave a high, keening cry and flapped its wings once before taking to the air in a smooth glide. That sound chilled their very blood as they dashed through the library doors and out into the corridors. Severus and Remus were very pale as they closed the doors to block the creature's path. Severus sealed it hastily.
"Run! Now!" he yelled at the two girls.
The four of them set off down the hall with Severus and Remus, wands drawn and books forgotten by the doors, bringing up the rear. They could hear the preternatural scream of the creature behind them. The sound of the library doors shattering, splintering into thousands of pieces followed too. Books slipped from Ginny's grasp as they ran, but Hermione clutched hers for dear life as they raced through the corridors and into the dungeon, half expecting to be overtaken by the bat creature at any time.
When they reached Snape's rooms again, the two professors shoved Ginny and Hermione into the parlor and away from the door, which Snape slammed and bolted. Then at once, as though with a single mind, they began chanting incantations at the door and walls. Hermione placed her books near the couch and watched them with great interest.
"What are they doing?" asked Ginny in a whisper.
"They're putting up wards." she answered.
The screeching of the bat-like thing grew closer and closer. Hermione put an arm around Ginny and drew her wand, fearing that the wards would not be in place in time or would not hold. Then the cries ended. Hermione could see the strain on Severus and Remus's faces as their wards were tested.
"It's retreating." grunted Snape, slipping to one knee.
"For now." agreed Remus.
He grasped Severus under the shoulder and pulled him to his feet. The potions' master had neither the strength nor the desire to refuse the assistance nor sneer at the other professor. The wards he had put in place were extremely strong. Remus helped him to the couch where he sat down and put two trembling hands over his face.
"What was that thing?" asked Ginny as Remus ushered them away from Snape. He could recuperate just as well without their worried, frightened stares.
"A demon." said Lupin.
"Wait a minute, professor," said Hermione skeptically, "those aren't real magical creatures! Demons and devils are just muggle inventions used to frighten children into obedience."
"Are they now?" asked Remus.
"They aren't in any of our books. I've checked." said Hermione.
"Be that as it may, I have heard Albus Dumbledore mention the creatures on more than one occasion, and that's good enough for me. That thing fits his description of them perfectly." said Remus.
Hermione faltered and said, "Well, if the headmaster says they exist ..."
"Anyhow, the wards should hold it off. We can concentrate on finding a solution to our problem, unless of course that thing is part of the problem ..." said Remus. "I need time to think all of this through." he said, rubbing his eyes.
Hermione glanced over at Snape and suggested, "Perhaps I could try to find some tea things."
"Yes, wonderful idea." said Remus absently. "Ginny, help me with the books we managed to escape with." he said, grabbing two volumes from the floor where Hermione had hastily deposited them.
Things with which to prepare tea could not be found immediately on hand. There was not so much as a tea cup or a kettle in Snape's apartment, though she suspected that it wasn't his fault, but rather part of the subtle alteration of the castle. She could not account for this phenomenon yet. She had earlier considered time travel, but the books and things were not only from fifty years earlier, but also they were fifty years old. Time had passed, but nothing had changed. Try accounting for that!
She had managed to locate a bottle of spirits stashed away in a cabinet. Watching Ginny and Remus as they flipped through the research materials together, she knew that they didn't need the stuff yet, but Snape, who was still sitting on the couch trying to recoup his strength and collect himself, seemed in need of a little something. He had thrown everything he had into the wards around the apartment and was paying for it. She poured him a small glass and joined him on the couch.
"Professor Snape?" she questioned quietly.
"What could you possibly want?" he asked, not opening his eyes.
Behind the irritation she could hear the exhaustion and diminishing fear in his voice. Otherwise she might have simply set the drink on the nearest end table and joined Ginny and Remus.
"I thought you could use this." she said, forcing the glass into one of his hands.
He opened his eyes and blinked rather stupidly at the glass. He sniffed the contents and took a sip of it.
"Thank you." he said quietly.
"You are quite welcome."
"Placing wards is a dangerous business. Tiring too." he commented, nursing the drink.
"I know."
"I have no doubt that you do." he said a bit sourly.
"I didn't mean it to sound like that. I only meant ..."
"I know, I know." sighed Snape, pressing the cool glass to his forehead. "You don't mean to sound like a know-it-all. It just comes out that way. I've had seven years to come to that realization."
"Thank you, professor."
"Severus. You may as well call me that. We're all in this together, for what it's worth." he said.
"I think this might be going to your head." Hermione laughed nervously, taking the empty glass from his hand.
"Very amusing, I'm sure." he said.
The sudden sound of animalistic screeching in the hall startled them both, not to mention Remus, who leapt up from the writing desk where he was reading, and Ginny, who turned pale again almost instantly. It seemed close. Then they heard an even more fear-inspiring sound: an answering cry from the halls above them. And then another. And another. And another ...
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A/N: And the plot thickens! I probably should mention that I play a lot of video games. The 'demon' is a synthesis of video games monsters. No one wants to know which ones. And I got some help from The Lexicon's bestiary, which does not have demons among is extensive listing, ergo ... they are not in the 'books'. There is a logic flaw in there somewhere. Nevertheless.
JoeBob1379: I bet this chapter answered some of your questions. I'm terrible at suspense, by the way. Thanks for reviewing!
Witchy-grrl: I'm glad you liked the mental image. It was fun to write. Thanks!
Slytherin: Very astute guesses. The full extent of what has happened will be revealed soon. Thank you for reviewing!
Michelle: It sort of has something to do with the Founders. Good guess! And it also involves something from Tom's days at Hogwarts, though not necessarily Tom himself ... That's all I'm going to say about that. I appreciate the review!
Lady Lynet ap Evyn: Actually, that might have been a better idea, but then they are three Gryffindors and a Slytherin. Thanks for reviewing!
Mistress Melissande Laertes: I'm not a big fan of nicknames myself (he's almost always Severus or Snape to me), but I figure to each his or her own. Thank you for the review and the interesting opinion!