Disclaimer: characters of Harry Potter © JKR. This story plot and Elizabeth © Me.

HERMIONE GRANGER: GUARDIAN ANGEL EXTRORDINAIRE!

CHAPTER THREE

"Great idea." Elizabeth remarked dryly, glancing about the musty room in disgust. "Just land us in a locked room."

"We're dead." Hermione replied. "Besides, what was I supposed to do? Put us right in the classroom?"

"It's not like they'd see us." Elizabeth pointed out, brushing her red hair from her eyes. "At least, I don't think so, any way. Just look at this place! Nasty!"

"I concur." Hermione growled, glancing at the dark storage room with something akin to revulsion. Cobwebs draped most of the old ingredients, dust at least an inch thick coated the floor and shelves. "How do we get out of here?"

"Step through the walls?" Elizabeth suggested, glancing hopefully at Hermione.

"Well. . ."

"We're dead, remember, so we should at least be able to walk through walls. It's, like, in the dead handbook or something! Don't you have ghosts here? Uncle mentioned something about a poltergeist that bugged him frequently. Surely two more won't be noticed." Elizabeth gestured at the wall when a bright flash caused her to jump. An important looking scroll dropped at Hermione's feet, and she hesitantly picked it up, breaking the seal and scanning the contents.

"Great, just great."

"What?" Elizabeth tried to peer at the parchment.

"Well, since we are a team, we get another recruit. Obviously, if you are Guardian of one twin, you get the other for free."

"Ah, a two for one deal. How daring." Elizabeth remarked sarcastically. "Let me guess, two isn't such a good thing, right? How bad can they be?"

"You don't know Fred and George Weasley. They have crowned themselves prankster kings of Hogwarts, and as of yet, those titles remain untouched. Trust me, it's bad, especially since they run a joke shop. I mean, we're supposed to protect them from danger and all, but they seem to attract that as much as Harry."

"Really? Hmm. . .at least being dead won't be as boring as being alive."

"Yeah, but right now, I think we may have to save your uncle from a very inept potions student." Hermione replied urgently.

"What do you mean?"

"Shhh. . . listen."

***

"Mister Longbottom!" Snape glared at the bubbling cauldron. "Tell me, quickly, what have you added?"

"M-m-mu-mugwort s-sir." Neville stuttered, his face pale.

Snape's jaw dropped, his expression one of horrified anger. "Class dismissed!" He barked, eyeing the cauldron with trepidation. "NOW, GO!"

Neville remained in his seat, frozen with fear, even as the bubbling cauldron turned a sickly shade of violet and began to churn violently.

The rest of the class had made a hasty exit, save for Neville, who stared at his cauldron with terrified fascination.

"MISTER LONGBOTTOM! REMOVE YOURSELF INSTANTLY!!" Snape all but pushed the round faced boy behind him, towards the exit, just as the cauldron exploded with a great bang, and a bright green flash.

***

Hermione bounded through the wall without stopping to assimilate the new sensation, her mind concentrating on one thought. She hadn't ever failed anything, and she wasn't about to start, even if she did abhor the Potion's Master. It just wasn't in her.

She threw herself forward, covering the man with her own body, even as potion rained down upon them. Neville had sought the safety of the doorway, so he was well out of reach of the potion, but Snape, on the other hand, was right in the blast zone.

Purple liquid bounced off a blue shield above them both, as Hermione glanced at the Potion's Master, who, at this moment in time, was unconscious. She barely spared a thought to who had cast the shield, but she was thankful, just realizing that the potion would have merely gone through her body. But. . .she was corporeal to Snape, considering she was laying atop of him.

"Hermione!" Elizabeth's voice traveled across the silent classroom, reminding Hermione that Elizabeth was there. "Is he okay?" "I think so." Hermione called back, noting that Snape was stirring. Neville had long since run off to get Madame Pomfrey. "Did you cast the shield?"

"No. I didn't. Did you?"

"No."

"Then who-?"

"I did."

Hermione glanced over to her right, where, in the doorway, stood one of the Weasley Twins. "Uh, thanks."

"You're welcome." He replied weakly, leaning on the doorway heavily. The other one appeared, glancing in curiously.

"What happened Fred?" George glanced at his twin. Then he caught sight of Hermione and his jaw dropped. "But. . .but. . .you're. . .you're dead!" George hissed.

"I know." Hermione replied.

"But. . ."

"Hey!" Elizabeth glared at them. "Can you two see us?"

"Yes." They answered in unison.

"So, these are the infamous Weasley twins, eh?" Elizabeth glanced in askance at Hermione.

"Yes, they are." She crawled off of Snape as the shield snapped out. "George, Fred." She nodded to the shocked twins, "Meet Elizabeth, she's you're Guardian Angel. Oh, and so am I."

Elizabeth grinned. "This job has perks."

Hermione shook her head, then glanced back at the Potions Master. "He'll be waking up soon."

"Sooner than you think." Fred replied, pointing his wand at Snape. "Enervate."

Snape's eyes fluttered open, and he groaned. His obsidian eyes landed on Hermione, and he stared for a moment, then did the only thing he could think of in his predicament. He screamed like a little girl.

"That's our brave Sevvie for you." Elizabeth grinned. "Hey Uncle."

Snape took a deep breath, glanced at Elizabeth, and screamed again. Hermione chuckled, she couldn't help it, he screamed just like a scared little girl, high pitched and squealing. "Oh dear, Severus."

Neville returned, white-faced and shaken, with Madame Pomfrey and Dumbledore hot on his heels.

"Severus, are you alright?" Poppy stopped, staring at the screaming Potions Master.

"I-I-I-can't you see them?!" He pointed a shaky finger at Hermione and Elizabeth, his eyes wide with terror.

"Who?"

Snape nodded. "I thought not." He replied, then fainted dead away.

"Hmmm. . . my guess would be he's shaken up." Hermione advised sagely, as Dumbledore stared at her.

"Shaken up?" George replied, causing Poppy to look at him oddly. "Yes, shaken up is a good assumption. I mean, Hermione Granger back from the dead?"

"What did you say?!" Dumbledore rounded on George, who cowered.

"Uh, Hermione back from the dead."

"Did you get hit with that potion?" Poppy glared at him. "Mobulus Corpus." Snape rose in the air. "And you. . . I think you need to come with me."

"But-!"

"No buts. . ." She glanced about the room. "Must be fumes from the bad potion. Terrible things to say, Weasley. You know she's dead! Come along now."

Dumbledore glanced about the deceptively appearing empty room with interest on his face. "Curious. Very Curious."

***

A/N: Sorry this chappie took so long in the making. Well, don't forget to RR.

Love,

~Me~