A/N: I don't usually do these (author's notes), but I feel like you gals (and guys?) deserve one. I am absolutely embarrassed at the amount of time it took me to get this chapter out. I beg your forgiveness, and plead the "RL" defense, which in my case includes such problems as getting robbed thrice in a row, moving, having computer troubles, etc. I would also like to give a HUGE thanks to everyone who takes the time to give me feedback on this story. I thrive on your comments and would appreciate more concrit. All I as is that you leave me a way to contact you to either explain myself or ask for more detail! Finally, a special thanks to my brother, from whom I borrowed the bad poet, Henry Ernesto. Check out his website, http:// www.turkeyworld.org, to read more bad poetry (funnier than mine, to boot!) All that said, I hope you enjoy this, and feel free to review here, at WIKTT, or email me at zz_25 @yahoo.com. Thanks!
I made an appearance at dinner, even though I was sure I would be unable to eat a single bite. I choked down some potato soup and half a roll, keeping my eyes carefully away from the Head Table. I even tried to make small talk with Ron and Harry, but they were still ignoring me. After showing my face for an acceptable amount of time, I left for the Common Room just as plates of tarts and huge bowls of ice cream began to appear at the tables.
I didn't really know what this meeting with Snape was all about, but I wanted to look good anyway. I washed up, brushed and flossed, and put on fresh robes. I briefly considered doing something with my hair, but decided that that would certainly be a little much. When I heard the voices and footsteps of my classmates from the Common Room, signaling the end of dinner, I left. Harry and Ron mumbled something about "overwork" and "not until next year," but I ignored them and made my way down through the castle.
I went straight to the office door this time, knocked, and was admitted. Snape was hovered over the same book, but shut it and slid it onto his lap before I could get a good glimpse of what it was.
"Miss Granger," he said in clipped tones. Apparently he was still upset with me.
"Professor Snape," I countered. He sighed.
"Please have a seat." I looked around for a chair and found none other than Snape's own. Before I could let out some quip about sitting in his lap, he had conjured one, in dark green upholstery with delicately carved snakes for arms. I wrinkled my nose at the overwhelming Slytherin-ness of it, but sat down. Snape leaned back, propping his elbows on the desk and pressing his fingertips together. He was silent for a long moment, and I took the time to examine the office. It was plain, but not creepy. There weren't any bottles of pickled organs or anything like that. A number of certificates or diplomas hung on one wall in simple wooden frames. The other walls were bare stone, fitting for a dungeon, but not covered in spots of moss or slime. It was surprisingly comfortable.
"Miss Granger, I have spoken with Headmaster Dumbledore this afternoon, and after much debate, we have reached a decision." I held my breath, waiting for the good news. If Dumbledore was involved, surely I would be allowed to continue my extra potions work! "We have agreed that the extra-curricular assignments I had prepared for you are considerably beneath your talents." I closed my eyes in defeat. So much for that. "However, we have disagreed on the matter of your punishment for your...outbursts earlier today. I suggested that you receive a week of detentions with Filch, especially considering your prior punishment for the same offense."
"What?" I protested.
"Let me finish," Snape hissed, showing more control than I would have normally given him credit for. "The Headmaster, on the other hand, believes that your rudeness to a teacher and insubordination should be ignored in this case, and we should instead applaud your "thirst for knowledge." Funny how a trait I usually prided myself on could be turned into an insult on Snape's tongue. My cheeks burned with an odd mixture of outrage and humiliation.
"I expect the Headmaster will be requesting a meeting with you in the next day or so. What I have called you here for this evening, Miss Granger, is to formally terminate our agreement regarding the potions work. That is all. You may return to Gryffindor."
That was it? As I exited the office and headed back to my dorm, I chided myself. What did I expect? For him to declare his undying devotion to me just because I prevented a mishap in the storeroom? He was the one who went nutters in the first place, breaking ingredients and nearly cursing me! He was as mercurial as either of my roommates, going from complimentary to breaking-glass angry in a matter of seconds. I reached my dorm more confused about Snape than ever, but I had a sure solution to that.
Pulling out my schoolbag, I took stock of my homework. Since sitting OWLs the year before, I had been determined to be extremely well-prepared for my NEWTs in seventh year. Beginning in the summer, I did as much schoolwork as I could ahead of time. That way, I wouldn't have to worry during the year and could work on tough spots as needed. I had completed all my work through March in most of my classes. Drat. I had let myself get behind during the whole potions interlude. I spread my work around me and began catching up to April.
***
The expected summons from the Headmaster came the next day, just as I entered Potions. Professor Snape was furious, but had no choice but to let me go. I had reached the gargoyle when I realized that no one had given me a password to the office. I tried "Sherbet Lemon" and "Cockroach Clusters" and a few Muggle sweets before turning around to go back to the dungeons. To my surprise, Dumbledore himself was standing there, a faint smile on his face.
"Excellent guesses, my dear. I believe that I have used each of those passwords at one time or another. But, I think that today is far too lovely a day to spend it in my dusty old office. Would you care to join me for a walk on the grounds?"
"Certainly, sir," I replied as Dumbledore took my arm in his. The Headmaster was neither tall nor fat, but I felt dwarfed by his presence as we walked onto the grounds. We strolled in silence for a ways, and though the day was lovely, I began to feel uncomfortable about missing a class just to take a walk. As though reading my mind, the Headmaster stopped.
"It is lovely here, is it not, Miss Granger?" He sounded wistful as he stared off toward the hills. I surveyed the spot he had chosen. We had a clear view of the lake, no doubt already icy cold at this time of year and the Whomping Willow, which was innocently still, but had an especially sinister look due to its lack of leaves. Mountains rose up in the distance, snow already capping off most of them.
"Yes, sir, it is beautiful."
"Tell me, Miss Granger. How is your homework coming along?"
"I'm doing well in all my classes, Headmaster."
"Hermione, how many months ahead are you?" Well, that was a shock. I didn't know Dumbledore knew about that!
"Um…last night I caught up to April in all my classes, sir." He nodded and scanned the grounds again, tugging a little on his silvery beard. The October sky was remarkably clear, free of both clouds and broomsticks, but that was to be expected at this hour, when everyone was supposed to be in class.
"Miss Granger, Professor Snape has no doubt explained to you that we both agree that the extra potions work he assigned was considerably beneath your talents." I nodded. "I have recently come to believe that perhaps our entire curriculum here at Hogwarts is beneath your current talents. No sixth-year should be able to work six months ahead of the syllabus." Dumbledore offered his arm and we continued our walk in silence. I could almost feel the Headmaster thinking, he radiated such powerful concentration. We soon paused again, closer to the Forbidden Forest this time. I could see birds and other creatures flitting about through the bare branches of the enormous trees.
"My dear," Dumbledore began, turning to face me for the first time. I could see the real concern on his face, and perhaps a look of defeat in his bright blue eyes. "I do not have an answer to this problem, and before you say a word, yes, it is a problem. I do have a suggestion, and I would love for you to hear me out before declining."
"Of course, sir." I decided not to add that I didn't see any problem with doing my homework a few months early.
"Hermione, how would you feel about sitting your NEWTs this year? I know you want to be prepared, but I believe that you will be fully ready by the time they roll around later this year."
"You mean, leave Hogwarts a year early? Leave Harry and Ron? Leave all my teachers and friends?"
"Of course, you wouldn't be leaving them, just finishing a year earlier. You could apprentice with one of the professors here, travel, or even go to a Muggle university. You have such a bright future, such potential, and I sincerely do not want to see you waste a year when you could already be moving on."
"I'll…I'll think about it, sir. I need to get to my next class. Thank you."
"Please do consider it, Miss Granger. And feel free to come discuss any of your concerns with me. The password is "Skittles." A most delightful Muggle candy I had the pleasure of sampling last summer."
"Yes, sir," was all I could manage before hurrying away to Hagrid's cabin for Care of Magical Creatures. At the rate I was going, I would never be ready for my NEWT in that class, as I spent one more in a long series of classes full of introspective musings.
***
I tried really hard to push the thought of leaving Hogwarts out of my mind. I hadn't closed myself totally to the idea, but neither was it something I wanted to rush into. I decided to talk to all my teachers and my parents before deciding. At the moment, I had a birthday gift to attend to.
Trying to come up with a suitable gift for Professor Snape was no easy task. To make it worse, he had no friends I could ask for suggestions. I was left with only my limited knowledge of the man and nearly two weeks before his 38th birthday. I ran the gamut of possibilities…a new book of some type, potions ingredients, perhaps…but everything seemed either impersonal or impractical. The thought of choosing a suitable book for someone like Snape gave me a new appreciation for what my parents had to go through every birthday and Christmas with me.
I sat in my rooms with parchment and quill, brainstorming and scratching out ideas. Not that I had many of those. Finally, I lay back in bed, defeated. I lay my quill and parchment atop a stack of books on the nightstand. I did a double take at the top book of the pile. It was the Cooking with Magical Herbs book that Snape had let me borrow from the library. Maybe I could find a recipe for a cake with some type of happiness-inducing herbs?
I flipped through recipes for soups that had warming properties, a section on herbs to aid digestion, and aphrodisiac desserts. I did pause on a cake baked through with most of the ingredients for a standard lust potion, my mind filled with new interpretations on the idea of birthday gifts, but moved on as the colour rose to my cheeks. Finally, I found a promising recipe. It was labeled as a "Really Happy Birthday Cake" and contained many of the ingredients found in Pepper-Up Potion and the like. I was going to get Snape to smile for sure with this one. Now the only problem was the actual baking of the cake. The herbal ingredients were all standard stores, but I needed access to flour and sugar and an oven. Perhaps I could enlist Dobby to give me a hand in the kitchens, but I was still on bad terms with most of the house-elves.
But now I that I had the recipe, I could move on to other matters. I hadn't forgotten about the other books in the pile, especially the terrible but prophetic poetry book. I was itching to explore the enchantments and charms on the book itself, as well as testing its accuracy at foretelling. I used a Duplicating Charm to make a copy of the cake recipe, and grabbed up the NEWT Potions Study Guide. Wanting to avoid my potions professor if possible, I decided to check by the library first, in hope that he had already returned Wizarding Poetry Through the Ages.
After a fruitless search through the shelves, I asked Madam Pince if the book was available. She confirmed my fears…Professor Snape still had it. I thanked Madam Pince as she checked my books in, and left chewing my lip. I was dying to head to Snape's office now and ask for the book, but I decided to wait until after class the next day.
I approached Professor Snape's desk tentatively. I still was unsure as to why he had reacted so violently last time we had spoken after class, and I certainly was not looking forward to a repeat performance.
"Miss Granger, if you are going to try to convince me to allow you to continue the potions work, you are wasting your time."
"No, sir, I just wondered whether you were finished with those books from the library a few weeks ago?"
"Yes, Miss Granger, I have already returned them to the library."
"Well, Madam Pince and I couldn't find Wizarding Poetry Through the Ages and I really wanted to have a look at that one, so I thought I'd ask." Snape gave me an odd look that I couldn't decipher, but then his face became a mask of calm.
"I have not finished with that particular book. I will let you know when and if I am. Good day, Miss Granger."
As I left the classroom empty-handed, I decided that I had to have a peek at the book. If just the mention of it could cause Snape to have to use Occlumency (and from Harry's descriptions, I was sure that's what had caused his face to become so calm so quickly), then there was more to it then I had first realized. Yes, it was definitely time for a covert operation to get that book.
