A/N: I hope a good Christmas was had by all, and finally, here is the next chapter. The Snake of Slytherin is one of the oddest plot twists I've come up with but I'm glad I did.

Angel of the North - I've tried to keep Snape in character, really...

Barbi Bee - I hope you're having a great summer. The CoS documentary was repeated today (yes!) but where was the interview with Alan Rickman, huh? Huh?

Beth Ann - All right, all right, I am repentant about that cliffhanger.

Calire, Jessicat1982, Queen of Winter, Raija D., Ryoki, Silvermoon - Thanks!

Luna Writer - Thanks for pointing out the grammar mistake - I always double- check my work but that one obviously slipped past. I was going to write more about the questioning scene but Hermione decided *she* wanted most of the chapter thanks, and at the end of it my fingers felt as if they wanted to drop off, so I had to leave it there.

Marston Chicklet - (peers over cliff) Hang on! g

Queen Rat, Rosmerta - Well, I could have another chapter in me..

Strega Brava - Thanks, I hope you have good holidays as well.

Zoe - I did have reasons, well, my muse had reason anyway!





Part 21

There were many mixed feelings in Harry as he and Hermione set off towards Dumbledore's office. Before tonight the roles of people at Hogwarts had been fairly clear in his mind.

Professor Snape, though who had once prevented Professor Quirrel from killing him at his first game of Quidditch, was not someone Harry would really trust, or put his neck out for. On the other hand, despite his chequered past, Sirius Black was certainly someone Harry would trust. Sirius had become a surrogate father for Harry and at times had been a welcome buffer between his relatives and him.

But now Harry feared the strong dislike Sirius had for Snape had clouded his judgement, for Sirius was clearly willing to believe that Professor Snape had evil intent towards Hermione. If Sirius had seen the intent vigil that the professor had kept at Hermione's side, Harry had the suspicion that he would have said derisively it was because of a 'guilty conscience'..

In Hermione's time at Hogwarts she had been involved in many perilous and exciting adventures, but always from a firm Gryffindor perspective and with the occasional aid towards her and her friends from various Gryffindor artefacts. But now that the threads of her life had become bound up with those of Severus, it was startling in her mind to realise she had become entitled to aid from an embodiment of Slytherin. Such a thing had not happened before to a Gryffindor, Hermione was sure!

There was partnerships between the houses, but if Slytherins happened to look outside of their circles for a suitable mate, it was Ravenclaws to whom their attention turned to as their ambitious, clever minds sometimes ran parallel to those from Slytherin. One time Severus had told her one night in his bed that while his father Damien was from a long line of Slytherins, his mother Selena was a Ravenclaw.

So there was no Gryffindors at all in the family tree? Hermione had lightly teased him. At that Severus had raised his black eyebrows and looked down that nose of his at her. "Certainly not!" he had said dryly. "No Snape in his right mind would ever be partnered with someone from such a glory- seeking, foolhardy (here he had paused to kiss the nape of her neck), nosy, goody-goody house such as Gryffindor."

"You left out 'courageous', 'brave', 'clever' and 'charming'," Hermione had advised him. "Well, I'm sure my family would not want me to be with someone from such a sneaky, cunning, sly, underhand (she had paused to kiss his nose), two-faced house such as Slytherin!" she countered in return.

Severus had smirked at her. "You left out 'intelligent', 'resourceful', 'ambitious' and 'keepers of knowledge..forbidden to others'," he had murmured silkily, his hands drifting over her body.

"Well, why don't you 'educate' me then," Hermione had breathed.

"Oh, I intend to," Severus had purred..

Hermione broke away from her reverie, blushing slightly. This wasn't the time for daydreams of that kind! She had strayed from the original topic of her thoughts, which was that she was probably the first Gryffindor ever to have the aid of the ....Snake of Slytherin, currently twined quietly around her arm.

When Hermione and Harry approached the phoenix-guarded staircase to Dumbledore's tower they paused. "Candy floss!" she said firmly. However, there was no response from the phoenix, no indication that this password was the right one.

"Don't say Dumbledore has changed the password again this week!" Harry grumbled. "Or perhaps he doesn't want any visitors right now," he added with a darker look on his face.

The snake suddenly lifted its head and stared at the entrance, its green head weaving slightly from side to side in concentration.

-Passsword today isss..- The snake paused and then there was an irritated look in its black eyes.

-Fluffffy bunniessss- it hissed in a tone of sour disgust as if it was beneath the dignity of the snake to say such words.

-Alwaysss for Dumbledore the cute and cuddddly passsswords...- the snake grumbled to itself as the phoenix creaked and started its majestic spinning to reveal the staircase. However, when they ascended the stairs they found the door to Dumbledore's office was locked with powerful wards...

Dumbledore looked at Severus intently. "Were you responsible for Hermione's fall down your stairs?" he asked softly.

Severus stared blankly at the headmaster and his words were slow. "No. I do not push people down staircases. It lacks finesse. Hermione had left my quarters and a few minutes later I heard her yell. I immediately ran out and saw her lying at the bottom of my stairs. I was horrified. I checked to see if she was alive. I was relieved to see she was."

Sirius grunted almost in disappointment and Remus frowned at him sharply.

"So, you did not witness her fall then?" Dumbledore asked.

"No."

"Mmm. What was young Hermione doing in your quarters?" Dumbledore asked gently.

In a flat voice Severus said, "I asked her back for some hot chocolate before she went to bed. We can only have time alone at the end of the day."

Remus looked meaningfully at Sirius. "Told you so!" he whispered and Sirius scowled at him.

"What are your feelings towards Hermione?" Dumbledore asked casually.

The corners of Professor Snape's thin mouth curved upwards slightly when he replied, "I love her. I would crawl across broken glass for a smile from her and consider it a small price to pay."

Intrigued, Dumbledore asked him, "Does she truly return your feelings then?"

"Yes...she gave me a second chance after I wronged her. I will not forget that."

Dumbledore smiled gently but Sirius snarled something unintelligible and when Remus tried to shush him he snapped aloud, "I will not be silent in this! He coerced her, I know he did!"

Dumbledore turned to peer at Sirius with reproof. "Sirius, I must ask you to govern your temper during these proceedings."

There was a sudden crash as the door of Dumbledore's office slammed open and Hermione and Harry strode in, pale yet determined looks on their faces. There was silence and then Sirius and Remus turned around in their chairs to gape at the two Gryffindors. Dumbledore looked briefly taken aback while Severus stayed in his chair and stared unblinkingly ahead.

"Hermione!" Sirius and Remus both exclaimed in astonishment.

"Are you all right?" Remus asked her, amazement on his face. How had she recovered so quickly, he wondered. He had to admire her pluck in coming here, though.

"Yes," Hermione replied shortly, her glance darting over to Severus who had his back to her. A slight shiver ran down her spine. There was something..not right about him, she could sense it. What had they done to him?

Then Dumbledore spoke to her. "Hermione, while I am pleased to see you have recovered so quickly, I must ask what is the meaning of your presence as well as Harry's here," he said sternly, then blinked when he glanced at her arm and saw the snake there, watching him with ancient eyes.

"Hermione, do you have any idea of what you are bearing on your arm?" Dumbledore said softly.

Sirius looked at Hermione's arm in surprise and briefly swore.

In a resolute voice Hermione said, "Yes, headmaster. It is the Snake of Slytherin - when I woke a little while ago I heard that Sev- Professor Snape was to be questioned but I was too weak to move. It...suddenly appeared to give strength to come here, for it said Professor Snape was in trouble - from Sirius."

Dumbledore raised his eyebrows. "Fascinating," he murmured. "But Severus is not in trouble - it has been established that he did not push you down the stairs or has evil intent towards you. It must be asked though my dear; how did you fall down the stairs?"

Hermione felt the eyes of Sirius and Remus on her as she answered shortly, "Draco pushed me down the stairs." She cast a worried glance at Severus, not caring if they were watching her do so. Why hadn't he acknowledged her presence? The Snake of Slytherin was clearly agitated as it was weaving its head from side to side and glaring at Sirius, who eyed it with mistrust.

She continued. "Draco picked a quarrel with me and when I defended myself he shoved me - I think it was deliberate on his part because I lost my balance and fell down the stairs."

Dumbledore straightened in his chair and frowned, while there were angry looks on the faces of Remus and Sirius.

"I knew Malfoy would go too far one day," Remus said shortly.

"This will not go unpunished," Dumbledore said heavily.

Harry spoke up. "Ah, headmaster?" he said carefully, his voice trailing off as he pointed at the unmoving Potions master. Had he been placed under an interrogative spell, Harry wondered with unease.

"He has been given Veritaserum, Harry," Dumbledore said calmly. "It will wear off in a short while."

"What?" Hermione said in alarm and the snake hissed angrily at Dumbledore.

Harry was taken aback. He remembered how Barty Crouch had been questioned under the influence of Veritaserum by Dumbledore - the blank expression on his face and the flat, emotionless voice relating his crimes. He remembered too how Professor Snape had threatened to put Vertiaserum in his pumpkin juice in the belief that Harry had been in his storeroom, but Harry now felt queasy at the thought of the professor being questioned this way.

Hermione was horrified. She couldn't think of anything more humiliating than to be questioned that way, and what a blow to Professor Snape's pride it must have been. How could they do that to him? Why wouldn't have he been believed? She took a concerned step towards Severus but Sirius suddenly stood up, scowling at her.

"Dumbledore did the right thing - but look at yourself girl! Are you even a true Gryffindor anymore - here you are wearing that snake like a goddamn bracelet, consorting with Snape when I warned you repeatedly about him! Didn't you learn your lesson when he cast you aside before? Didn't that mean anything to you?"

Hermione glared at Sirius, incensed enough not to care she was talking back to a professor in front of the headmaster. "It's none of your business! He said he was sorry and we decided to start over - we haven't regretted it yet!"

"How can you love that slimy git?" Sirius spat, ignoring the protest from Remus and the frown from Dumbledore. "He's a Slytherin for Merlin's sake. A snake at heart like they all are - see for yourself!"

He grabbed his wand but before he could do anything the Snake of Slytherin hissed some words that not even Harry could translate properly - and where Sirius had been was now a big black dog that tumbled onto the floor. It barked in surprise and anger as it got to its feet, and then there was a look of concentration in its eyes as it set out to transform back into a human. When nothing happened it barked angrily at the snake. The snake hissed angrily back at the dog.

-Sstay that way you will, until the moon hassss waxed five times. Attack Head of Sssslytherin again and you will regret it, yesss?"

The dog opened its mouth to bark again then thought twice about it, lying down and resting its head on its paws in a grumpy, miserable mood.

[Five months!] Harry thought in consternation. That was a bit harsh..but perhaps it would give him time to cool his temper.

Hermione's face was grim. She couldn't help feeling sorry for Sirius though; but he had had no right to say the things he had said.

Dumbledore looked at the dog sternly. "Raising your wand against another wizard without just cause is wrong - especially with the intention to transform him into an animal. Your dislike for Severus has clouded your judgement and while the relationship between Severus and Hermione is certainly er, unorthodox, I believe the affection between them to be genuine. She is not underage and it is not for us to interfere. Therefore you are to accept your punishment as a true wizard would."

The dog whined softly, looking chastened.

Then Dumbledore looked at Hermione gently. "You are to be commended for your loyalty to Severus - he is fortunate to have you at his side. I only hope he will forgive me one day for his ordeal. It would be best it you were to take him back to his quarters - he will feel at ease when he comes to in his own surroundings."

Hermione nodded, starting to feel tired again despite the strength she had been given. What a night. "All right. Thank you, headmaster," Hermione said and went over to Severus who gave no indication that he knew she was there. But when she looked at his face (shivering inside at the blank look there), his dark eyes blinked a few times and there were the faint signs of a struggle in them.

"It's all right," Hermione said, gently placing a hand on his shoulder and helping him to stand, though she wondered how she was going to get him back to his quarters like this.

The snake looked up at her thoughtfully.

-Do not worrrrry, I will tttttake you both there- it hissed and moving quickly adjusted itself until it was coiled around the arm of Severus as well as herself. There was a shimmer of green light and then the next thing a surprised Hermione knew she and Severus were both standing in his bedroom. There was no sign of the Snake of Slytherin except for a bracelet on her arm that hadn't been there before..

The other wizards stared at where Hermione and Severus had just been standing.

"Fascinating!" Dumbledore murmured.

"I think I'll have to tell Madam Pomfrey that Hermione won't be coming back to the sickbay tonight," Harry said thoughtfully.

The dog growled under its breath but subsided when Remus frowned down at him. "If you don't behave Sirius, I won't be helping your wife with your children," Remus said dryly. "Especially when they start howling in the middle of the night." The dog shivered and covered its eyes with its paws at that.

Then Remus looked at Harry thoughtfully. "I think Malfoy needs to be taught a lesson, don't you?"

"I couldn't agree more," Harry replied, a glint in his eye.

Dumbledore looked at them both over his glasses. "While I would draw the line at an overly-harsh punishment, I seem to recall Filch saying something about 'missing the old ways of discipline'," he mused.



A/N: Hmm.that was a tricky chapter to write. It looks as though I'll be writing another chapter too...