AN: You know where the disclaimer is. (This seems almost compulsory for me
to add whenever I have an AN... *sigh*)
Arafel: Thank you very much; can I ask you how you knew I had a new chapter up? (I'm trying to figure out if Author Alert works for me since I don't have Support Services.)
Speaking of which, if you guys have TRIED Author Alert and it doesn't work, or you're not a member of FFN and don't want to be, e-mail me at ange_dansant@yahoo.com and I'll e-mail YOU every time I put up a new chapter.
On to the rest of the responses...
Lagaz: If I told you, it wouldn't be any fun! LOL. Harry and Ron are Hermione's best friends, so naturally they have to be in here... Teehee. You'll see. Oh, and Severus has HAD a kid. *grin* If I told you any more, I'd have to kill you.
Teala Snape: You manage to review every chapter, too (well, every "last" chapter that I put up, anyway) - do you have me on Author Alert, too? Does WHO have a magical link? If you're talking about Harry, Ron and Hermione...GMTA.
Chillkroete: You're about to find out. Sev IS cute, isn't he? I have to say that the idea of him was one of my better ones...Besides, I always wanted Sevvie (the Older) to have a Mini-Me. Don't you think that he just had to be SOOO adorable as a kid? *snerk* I know people who'd want my head on a platter for that.
Anywho, onto the story!
CHAPTER SEVEN
Complications Rising
Hermione sighed with relief as she flickered back into "existence" somewhere far, far away from Hogwarts. Two figures awaited her, sprawled on the ground.
She fell forward into the grass as well, and reached out to touch them. Her agony lifted as she made physical contact with the two, and they sat up with effort.
"Well," she said by way of greeting. "I haven't seen you two in a while. Harry, Ron."
Harry shot a glance at Ron as the redhead pulled himself into a sitting position, wincing as he did. Hermione made a mental note to ask him about it, then check him out; naturally, Ron would say he was fine. "I TOLD you she'd come," he said, a tad petulantly.
Ron rolled his eyes. "Well, what if she hadn't?"
"She wouldn't not," argued Harry as he too grimaced at the effort of sitting up.
"But if she hadn't..."
"STOP!" Hermione stopped their bickering where it was. "Is there a REASON that you pulled me out of my lunch meeting, made the entire school think I was dying of pain, and nearly gave Sev a heart attack?"
"Sev?" Ron repeated blankly.
"Is that..." Harry asked hesitantly. "...short for SEVERUS?"
"As in, Severus SNAPE?"
"Yes."
"THE GREASY GIT??!! You call him SEV?" Ron demanded, infuriated. "What the bloody hell's wrong with you?"
"Nothing!" Hermione insisted. "I'm not talking about PROFESSOR Snape."
"There's only one Severus Snape, Hermione." Said Harry, as if she needed reminding.
She didn't. "There's TWO, for your information. I was having lunch with Severus Snape - the younger. His son."
"Hermione, you DIDN'T!" Harry yelled, purpose for pulling her away from Hogwarts forgotten. "You know that that could jeopardise EVERYTHING!" he told her, original thoughts dropped and thoughts for her well-being now foremost in his mind. Harry Potter was nothing if not a caring friend.
"Well," Hermione said, crossing her arms, "it's not as if things aren't already JEOPARDISED," she pointed out, almost mocking his word choice. "The boy isn't even in SLYTHERIN, Harry. He's in GRYFFINDOR. What the hell d'you think that says about his MOTHER?"
Ron closed his eyes and sighed. "It says that his mother made a mistake and he's paying for it."
"He shouldn't have to, should he?" demanded Hermione, the stress of the past few days finally showing. "Anyway," she said, shaking herself out of it and back to the topic at hand as she also plopped down next to the other two. "What was so damn important that you needed to take me from Hogwarts?"
"We needed to know that you were alright. That Hogwarts is..." Harry trailed off, looking slightly frightened, the most afraid Hermione had seen him in ages.
"It's perfectly safe," Hermione assured him, now also frightened. "What is it?"
Ron was the one to speak up. "I'm afraid that the Death Eaters are regrouping."
"WHAT?" Hermione blurted out. "But Voldemort is - is..." she stopped and stared at him, terrified. "ISN'T he?"
"Hermione...it's like this," Ron said after a brief hesitation. "Everyone claimed that Voldemort no longer had a soul. We meant it one way, but the other way... Well, literally...he DID still have a soul."
"He was taken to Azkaban," Hermione murmured, voice barely a whisper. "The Dementor's Kiss. It took his soul. I was there, I watched it," she insisted quietly.
"Hermione...what do you know of the Soul Spirit?"
She looked at Harry quizzically. "It's supposedly the 'essence' of the Soul; without it, the Soul is but a shell. Theoretically, the Soul Spirit can survive sans the Soul - it simply has to find a new 'shell' to support it."
"Sort of," Harry said slowly, "like how Voldemort shared Quirrell's body in First Year?"
"Sort of," Hermione admitted. "But really, the new Soul Spirit would struggle with the old one, and eventually whichever came out on top - something to do with the strength of the Mind and strength of the Soul in the original person versus the strength of Mind and Soul in the new person - would be the new 'inhabitant' of the Soul Shell. Also the new inhabitant of the body, provided the Spirit could also overthrow the Mind. If not, well...it IS all theoretical, but if not, the person would end up with the perpetually split Mind and Soul, an 'ailment' you hear of a lot when someone is..." Hermione snickered. "...SUPPOSEDLY in love.
"This is," she added hastily, "you realise, completely and totally theoretical."
"Well..." Ron looked vaguely uncomfortable. "Not with Voldemort. Not anymore, anyway."
"BLOODY HELL!" Hermione screamed into the empty air, not caring that she twisted her ankle as she scrambled to her feet in anger. "Can't this guy just stay - the fuck - DEAD, for once?"
"He's got a real will to live, I'll give him that," Ron muttered with a smirk.
She whirled on him. "No shit, Sherlock!" she exclaimed. "I want to live a NORMAL life, goddamnit! Wasn't this why I LEFT the Aurory??"
"Hermione...that's one of the reasons we needed to talk to you." Said Ron, unaffected by her screaming at him; he understood. In fact, he would have guessed right then that she knew the truth; it wouldn't have surprised him OR Harry at that point. After all, this was Hermione Granger.
"You want me to rejoin, as an Auror in deep cover at Hogwarts," Hermione said dully, her anger spent, the outburst having flushed her face as sorrow flooded her eyes at her misplaced rage at Ron.
She'd gotten it right in one, hitting the nail, hard and precise, right on the centre of its head.
"'Mione, if you don't want to or don't think you can do it," Ron began gently, Harry nodding fervently as he spoke.
"No," Hermione said firmly. "I'll do it. I have to help protect the place that's been my home for most of my life."
At the word "home", a pang of guilt hit Harry and Ron, and Harry beat Ron this time to opening his mouth. "'Mione," he started, voice quiet and tone apologetic.
"Oh, no," Hermione said forbiddingly. "Don't you DARE."
"I'm - WE'RE - so sorry, 'Mione. Your parents..."
Hermione didn't hear the last of Harry's words as she Apparated to her childhood home, reappearing (having miraculously managed not to splinch herself - no small feat and most DEFINITELY a surprise, especially given HER state of mind) before the small but comfortable home she'd grown up in.
It was engulfed in flame, with people looking suspiciously unlike Ministry Officials surrounding it. What was worse, however...was the Dark Mark conjured above it.
Hermione broke into a dead run, Hogwarts teaching robes flapping behind her.
Arafel: Thank you very much; can I ask you how you knew I had a new chapter up? (I'm trying to figure out if Author Alert works for me since I don't have Support Services.)
Speaking of which, if you guys have TRIED Author Alert and it doesn't work, or you're not a member of FFN and don't want to be, e-mail me at ange_dansant@yahoo.com and I'll e-mail YOU every time I put up a new chapter.
On to the rest of the responses...
Lagaz: If I told you, it wouldn't be any fun! LOL. Harry and Ron are Hermione's best friends, so naturally they have to be in here... Teehee. You'll see. Oh, and Severus has HAD a kid. *grin* If I told you any more, I'd have to kill you.
Teala Snape: You manage to review every chapter, too (well, every "last" chapter that I put up, anyway) - do you have me on Author Alert, too? Does WHO have a magical link? If you're talking about Harry, Ron and Hermione...GMTA.
Chillkroete: You're about to find out. Sev IS cute, isn't he? I have to say that the idea of him was one of my better ones...Besides, I always wanted Sevvie (the Older) to have a Mini-Me. Don't you think that he just had to be SOOO adorable as a kid? *snerk* I know people who'd want my head on a platter for that.
Anywho, onto the story!
CHAPTER SEVEN
Complications Rising
Hermione sighed with relief as she flickered back into "existence" somewhere far, far away from Hogwarts. Two figures awaited her, sprawled on the ground.
She fell forward into the grass as well, and reached out to touch them. Her agony lifted as she made physical contact with the two, and they sat up with effort.
"Well," she said by way of greeting. "I haven't seen you two in a while. Harry, Ron."
Harry shot a glance at Ron as the redhead pulled himself into a sitting position, wincing as he did. Hermione made a mental note to ask him about it, then check him out; naturally, Ron would say he was fine. "I TOLD you she'd come," he said, a tad petulantly.
Ron rolled his eyes. "Well, what if she hadn't?"
"She wouldn't not," argued Harry as he too grimaced at the effort of sitting up.
"But if she hadn't..."
"STOP!" Hermione stopped their bickering where it was. "Is there a REASON that you pulled me out of my lunch meeting, made the entire school think I was dying of pain, and nearly gave Sev a heart attack?"
"Sev?" Ron repeated blankly.
"Is that..." Harry asked hesitantly. "...short for SEVERUS?"
"As in, Severus SNAPE?"
"Yes."
"THE GREASY GIT??!! You call him SEV?" Ron demanded, infuriated. "What the bloody hell's wrong with you?"
"Nothing!" Hermione insisted. "I'm not talking about PROFESSOR Snape."
"There's only one Severus Snape, Hermione." Said Harry, as if she needed reminding.
She didn't. "There's TWO, for your information. I was having lunch with Severus Snape - the younger. His son."
"Hermione, you DIDN'T!" Harry yelled, purpose for pulling her away from Hogwarts forgotten. "You know that that could jeopardise EVERYTHING!" he told her, original thoughts dropped and thoughts for her well-being now foremost in his mind. Harry Potter was nothing if not a caring friend.
"Well," Hermione said, crossing her arms, "it's not as if things aren't already JEOPARDISED," she pointed out, almost mocking his word choice. "The boy isn't even in SLYTHERIN, Harry. He's in GRYFFINDOR. What the hell d'you think that says about his MOTHER?"
Ron closed his eyes and sighed. "It says that his mother made a mistake and he's paying for it."
"He shouldn't have to, should he?" demanded Hermione, the stress of the past few days finally showing. "Anyway," she said, shaking herself out of it and back to the topic at hand as she also plopped down next to the other two. "What was so damn important that you needed to take me from Hogwarts?"
"We needed to know that you were alright. That Hogwarts is..." Harry trailed off, looking slightly frightened, the most afraid Hermione had seen him in ages.
"It's perfectly safe," Hermione assured him, now also frightened. "What is it?"
Ron was the one to speak up. "I'm afraid that the Death Eaters are regrouping."
"WHAT?" Hermione blurted out. "But Voldemort is - is..." she stopped and stared at him, terrified. "ISN'T he?"
"Hermione...it's like this," Ron said after a brief hesitation. "Everyone claimed that Voldemort no longer had a soul. We meant it one way, but the other way... Well, literally...he DID still have a soul."
"He was taken to Azkaban," Hermione murmured, voice barely a whisper. "The Dementor's Kiss. It took his soul. I was there, I watched it," she insisted quietly.
"Hermione...what do you know of the Soul Spirit?"
She looked at Harry quizzically. "It's supposedly the 'essence' of the Soul; without it, the Soul is but a shell. Theoretically, the Soul Spirit can survive sans the Soul - it simply has to find a new 'shell' to support it."
"Sort of," Harry said slowly, "like how Voldemort shared Quirrell's body in First Year?"
"Sort of," Hermione admitted. "But really, the new Soul Spirit would struggle with the old one, and eventually whichever came out on top - something to do with the strength of the Mind and strength of the Soul in the original person versus the strength of Mind and Soul in the new person - would be the new 'inhabitant' of the Soul Shell. Also the new inhabitant of the body, provided the Spirit could also overthrow the Mind. If not, well...it IS all theoretical, but if not, the person would end up with the perpetually split Mind and Soul, an 'ailment' you hear of a lot when someone is..." Hermione snickered. "...SUPPOSEDLY in love.
"This is," she added hastily, "you realise, completely and totally theoretical."
"Well..." Ron looked vaguely uncomfortable. "Not with Voldemort. Not anymore, anyway."
"BLOODY HELL!" Hermione screamed into the empty air, not caring that she twisted her ankle as she scrambled to her feet in anger. "Can't this guy just stay - the fuck - DEAD, for once?"
"He's got a real will to live, I'll give him that," Ron muttered with a smirk.
She whirled on him. "No shit, Sherlock!" she exclaimed. "I want to live a NORMAL life, goddamnit! Wasn't this why I LEFT the Aurory??"
"Hermione...that's one of the reasons we needed to talk to you." Said Ron, unaffected by her screaming at him; he understood. In fact, he would have guessed right then that she knew the truth; it wouldn't have surprised him OR Harry at that point. After all, this was Hermione Granger.
"You want me to rejoin, as an Auror in deep cover at Hogwarts," Hermione said dully, her anger spent, the outburst having flushed her face as sorrow flooded her eyes at her misplaced rage at Ron.
She'd gotten it right in one, hitting the nail, hard and precise, right on the centre of its head.
"'Mione, if you don't want to or don't think you can do it," Ron began gently, Harry nodding fervently as he spoke.
"No," Hermione said firmly. "I'll do it. I have to help protect the place that's been my home for most of my life."
At the word "home", a pang of guilt hit Harry and Ron, and Harry beat Ron this time to opening his mouth. "'Mione," he started, voice quiet and tone apologetic.
"Oh, no," Hermione said forbiddingly. "Don't you DARE."
"I'm - WE'RE - so sorry, 'Mione. Your parents..."
Hermione didn't hear the last of Harry's words as she Apparated to her childhood home, reappearing (having miraculously managed not to splinch herself - no small feat and most DEFINITELY a surprise, especially given HER state of mind) before the small but comfortable home she'd grown up in.
It was engulfed in flame, with people looking suspiciously unlike Ministry Officials surrounding it. What was worse, however...was the Dark Mark conjured above it.
Hermione broke into a dead run, Hogwarts teaching robes flapping behind her.