Harry walked to the seat he traditionally sat in the Great Hall. Definitely one of the advantages of being 'The Boy Who Lived', he mused silently. People tended to try and clobber him to get autographs and the like or they just left him in peace. He had yet to come to a time where he preferred the former.
"Morning," he said slightly groggily to Ron and Hermione. Ron, after taking a moment to process what he said, nodded before grabbing a roll.
"Good morning," Hermione replied pleasantly. Ron, though he gave a small smile, groaned at her apparent conscious state while Harry smiled back at her.
"Were you up late working last night?" the more awake wizard said.
"No, Professor Snape let me out earlier last night because we were almost through the latest batch." She said with a slight sad tone in her voice.
"So he is halfway decent," Harry murmured absently. Hermione felt a sudden heat rise in her face as she felt a slight anger grow within her.
"That's not true," she argued timidly, suddenly remembering that Harry didn't see nor understand Severus the way she did.
Harry didn't say anything, suddenly lost in his thoughts, starring at her then Ron. He shifted his eyes between the two as if debating something. Ron eyed him wearily as he face showed the same un-sureness as Harry's.
Ron gazed at Hermione for long moments while she ate. He gazed at the grace of her gestures, her simple beauty, her way of dazzling him. She looked at him suddenly. He flashed her a quick smile and she smiled and went back to eating. He closed his eyes for a moment before looking at Harry. He shook his head at his best friend and Harry gave him a questioning look. Ron shook his head againand went back to eating with a trace of sadness on his features. After breakfast Hermione went to her first class while Harry and Ron hung back a little in a quiet corridor.
"Ron, why didn't you let me ask her for you?" Harry questioned almost immediately.
The red-haired wizard seemed to struggle for a response. "It didn't. . feel right. I don't think she feels the same way, Harry, after all, why would she? She's so smart and beautiful. . ." he said quietly.
"Well, at least now I can see she doesn't like you that way," Harry said bluntly and shocked Ron into looking up at him. "She won't like someone who pities themselves and doesn't have the backbone to ask her out," Harry said soothingly.
"I'll do it sometime, I just don't know when," Ron said with renewed determination.
"That's the way to be," Harry said cheerfully and the two began to walk to their class.
Harry's right, Ron thought silently. I need to be willing to take more chances if I'm ever going to get her to notice me. I'll do it soon, I'll ask her out soon.
_______
Hermione Granger looked out the window, she had vanished a piece of the wall to make it, in her dormitory. The sky was beginning to darken as night set in and the sun's rays became fewer and fewer. The rays that were left made the sky glitter in a tumult of pastels. Hermione leaned on the stone opening and peered deeply into the glowing sky. As she gazed deeply into the sky, her thoughts raced through her head in a haphazard manner. It would happen soon. . .
Severus Snape would be going to see Lord Voldemort soon. She knew it. She had begun watching him even more closely since the last meeting. She needed to watch him, otherwise how would she know when and where to follow him?
She had begun devising the plan quickly and efficiently as soon as she heard news of her parents' worsening condition. Despite how tempted she had been to scour the Earth until she found them, she had waited and was still doing so. But it would be any day now. Snape had rubbed his left forearm earlier today. She concluded that that must mean it was getting close to the time of his next summoning.
Even though her plan was well thought out, she was still dreadfully nervous. The thought of seeing the most powerful being, second only to Dumbledore, could make one slightly nervous. . . But Hermione knew it was the only way she would be able to secure her parents' safety. And they meant so much to her. . .
She gripped her wand unconsciously. She had been studying many curses, hexes, and other spells which were both defensive and offensive. She had also brewed several healing potions that would help both her and her parents, for she was sure they were malnourished and might have suffered under the Cruciatus Curse.
That frightened her. Hermione had always known Voldemort to be an avid user of the Three Unforgivable Curses. She also knew that Harry had suffered under them more than once, just like she. That was part of the price she paid for being so close to him, it endangered her and those close to her. At one of her low points she had actually considered giving up her friendship with Harry. But that thought had been quickly extinguished.
All she had had to do was imagine him, Harry, all alone, forced to fight the murderer of his parents, the murderer of hundreds of others, the one who had thrown so many lives, including his own, into disarray. She was worried about him, almost motherly so. He was nervous, worried, scared, and was probably experiencing many other emotions, too - but, who wouldn't? - facing the greatest the evil that the wizarding world had ever seen? She could barely imagine what it was like for him now, surrounded by his friends and everyone who cared about - what would happen if all those people began to move away from him and leave him to fight his, and theirs, greatest fear on his own?
She didn't even want to think of her best friend alone, before a being so immersed in the Dark Arts that he no longer was considered human. She shivered as the cold night air came into the room. She undid her Vanishing Spell on the window and went over to stroke the fire.
Any day now. . . But at least she was prepared.
________
"Hermione, have you finished with that batch, yet?" Severus asked her.
Hermione scrutinized her potion. "Almost, I think it just needs a bit more salamander's tail."
"Not too much," he advised as he began to bottle his own potion.
"Right," she murmured, carefully measuring the bit of salamander's tail so it was a tenth of an inch. She dropped it in the bubbling potion and stirred slowly, counter-clockwise. Exactly thirty seconds had passed when she had begun to bottle her own potion. As she scooped the gray potion into the vials, she watched Snape as he paused in between filling the vials to rub his arm. Though Hermione was not exactly gleeful to see him be summoned again it, however, did provide her the chance to follow him and help her parents.
She had placed a Tracking Spell on him during her Potions lesson earlier that day. He had stiffened and eyed the class warily, but probably since he wasn't sprouting any new extremities, he continued teaching the class. She had been, and still was, relieved that he hadn't known which spell that was cast on him and who had cast it. She had no doubt that he would be furious with her and have her demoted in the Order of the Phoenix.
But she couldn't have that. She had worked too hard to find out the new information that was being presented to her. She needed to use it. Not only to save her parents. . .but others too. . .
Hermione closed her eyes tightly and ran the plan through her head again. It really was a simple plan - to her - to others, its complexity may have been out of their reach until they did much more research than she. It was a dangerous plan. But she was not concerned for herself. She just wanted to help save those around her and her parents. That was all that mattered to her.
It didn't matter if she perished or suffered under the Cruciatous Curse. Or even the Avada Kadavra. . .But she wouldn't let herself be controlled by the Imperius Curse. Never. She would never be controlled. Turning traitor to the ones she was trying to save was not her idea of a good rescue mission.
Hermione opened her eyes and revealed brown orbs that shimmered from the heat her potion was emitting. Sighing softly, she tried to concentrate more on bottling her potion. A few minutes later she had completed the task. Filling a crate with the vials, she set it in the back of the room on a long table.
"Done."
Severus checked a clock on the wall. "Right on schedule. Are you going to go back to your dormitory?" He asked.
"I suppose unless you have something else for me to do?" Hermione asked trying not to sound hopeful that he had another task for her.
Severus's eyes flitted around the room before resting on the storage closet. "Would you like to help clean up?" He asked while she nodded, strode past him, and opened the storage closet. While her back was turned to him, he let a small smile grace his lips, though it disappeared quickly as she turned around and handed him a broom.
Hermione held her own broom tightly in her hand as she handed him his own. Their fingertips brushing slightly, she felt a bit of electricity course through her. Fighting to keep herself from blushing, she turned back around and tried to retrieve the dustpan that was at the top of the storage closet. When she failed to be able to reach it, she began to lower her arm, but suddenly felt another arm reaching past hers. She just managed to suppress a gasp when she felt Snape's body lightly touching her. Hermione felt him against her and smelled a scent of maple walnuts and soap, almost like a detergent scent of soap.
Severus watched Hermione stretch up to the top of the closest, standing on the tip of her toes, still unable to reach the item. Walking up to her, so he was just barely touching her, he reached up past her arm, which was already in midair, and retrieved the dustpan. Immediately backing away, he saw her turn towards him with cheeks tinged scarlet.
"Severus, why don't you use magic to clean the room?" She asked as the scarlet on her cheeks began to subside.
"I use more than enough magic to clean the room throughout the day to clean up messes like exploded cauldrons, it feels nice to clean up using my hands," he said, beginning to sweep.
"Ah," she said, slightly amused. "So you do prefer Muggle ways." She also began to sweep.
He grunted. "Not quite. I simply prefer to feel like I'm using my hands every once in a while."
"Sure you do," she murmured playfully.
"I don't suppose you tease your other professors, too?"
"Nope, just you," she giggled. "You're special." She said before she realized what she had said and blushed a deep crimson, glanced at him, then made her gazes remain at the ground. Severus, however, kept his gaze on the ground the entire time.
Such a long time seemed to pass to Hermione, though fewer than the hours she had felt like passed did. After she had recovered from her comment, she periodically glanced at him. Twice she found him rubbing his arm more fervently than the previous time. Tonight. It will definitely be tonight.
After they had finished cleaning the room, Hermione began to walk toward the door.
"Severus, are we going to start on the next batch of potions tomorrow?"
"No, I don't think we will. I will show you a new potion on Monday."
"Which one?" Curiosity hit Hermione as she tried to linger as long as she could in the room.
"I'll show you on Monday," he said slightly gruffly while rubbing his arm.
"Alright. .Bye. ." She turned, picked up her bag, and left, striding down the corridor quickly. She stopped and hid in a closet close to a secret exit of the school, one that she had seen Severus using before.
The minutes passed slowly as she began to wonder if Severus was going to go tonight. After all, he hadn't the previous two nights. . .Hermione waited an additional twenty minutes before finally hearing distinct footsteps treading quickly down the corridor.
She listened carefully as the footsteps became louder as they came closer to her. She held her breath as the steps passed her. She waited until they became soft before stepping out of the closet. She blinked as her eyes adjusted to the complete darkness around her. She couldn't make out anything, not even any shapes of objects, so she whispered "lumos," and surveyed her surroundings.
She walked slowly at first, then more quickly as she heard Severus's footsteps fading. The corridor around her was fairly wide for a hidden one, about five or so feet. The ceiling also rose higher than more hidden ceilings, about seven feet. Hermione gazed around in slight wonder because all the other hidden passages she had used with Harry and Ron were usually small and difficult to move through, rarely were they this large.
"Figures," she murmured without spite. "Dumbledore would make sure Severus was accommodated."
Hermione continued to walk at a brisk pace, but slowed as she saw a dull glimmer ahead. She moved to the side of the wall as she neared the light.
"Nox," she whispered. Quieting her steps, she squinted to see ahead. It was dark with only a little bit of what she guessed was moonlight, shining through into the dankness of the tunnel. She moved a few feet closer and was able to see a white orb staring back at her. She clapped a hand over her mouth to stifle a gasp.
The white orb staring at her was really her Potions professor hiding his face behind a pearly white mask with slits for eyes and an oval opening for his mouth. Hermione stared back at him, her wide brown eyes unable to look away. His masked face was framed, not by his raven strands, but by a black cloak with the hood pulled upon his head.
She finally squeezed her eyes close and turned her face away, unable to bear the face of the Death Eater with obsidian eyes that glinted in the moonlight. She waited several moments before taking a shuttering breath, opened her eyes, and looked back at Severus. Blackness.
He wasn't there. He had already left. She rushed forward, desperately trying to find him. Her eyes widened in surprise as she soon found herself in the Forbidden Forest. She looked around, baffled by the dangerous beauty of the forest. The tall, emerald trees reached amazing heights as vines hung low on them and various creatures were heard skittering around. She glanced around, trying to see anything that could be dangerous to her. But she only heard the sounds of the creatures that dwelled within the forest. She gripped her wand tightly in her hand and made a circular motion.
"Sa Triake Severus Snape," she whispered as a small glowing circle took shape before her and began to glow with various dots and designs. It was a map that she could summon and have it reveal where Snape was. She looked at it closely before she apparated.
_________
Hermione felt the world spin around her for only a second before she felt the ground rock unsteadily beneath her feet. She opened her eyes slowly, as she had never been fond of apparation with open eyes, being able to see two spinning worlds made her nauseous. Taking a step that confirmed that she was no longer in the folds of the dark forest, she took in the world around her.
It was dark, even with the faint moonlight, and it was dusty. Hermione bent low to the ground as she heard footsteps closing in around her. Her heart beat quickly and the blood pounded in her ears. She sat hunched on the heels of her feet, ready to spring into attack at any moment. Her fists clenched against the sand beneath them, her right hand holding her wand in an inseparable grip.
She felt her breath stutter to a halt as she saw waves of black hooded figures approaching her. They all wore the same mask and cloak combination as Severus did. She felt their presence overwhelming as they came closer. She stood up, still and straight, careful not to leave footsteps in the sand for they could give her away even if she was wearing an invisibility cloak.
The Death Eaters stopped just feet before her and they immediately began to form a circle around her. Hermione looked at them as they each moved to a seemingly assigned place. They circled around her with about ten in the inner part of the circle, closest to her, then the outer layers of the circle grew wider as more Death Eaters stepped into their places. With bated breath, she looked at them expectantly. They seemed to be waiting for something, staring into the center of the circle, almost at her, but, no, they were staring through her. She wondered why for only the briefest of seconds before the world around her suddenly turned cold and she felt evil and death all around her. Her world suddenly seemed hollow and depressed as she began to relive the night she was walking alone in the dark corridor and saw Graham, waiting. . .
No! Don't do this! That's. .It's over! He isn't here now! Her mind screamed at her as the world that had begun to lose focus suddenly came back into focus. She realized what had made her feel that emptiness was still in her. Beyond the depths of the Death Eaters stood hundreds of Dementors, filling the outer parts of the circle in the desert. The shockingly cold air seemed to have no affect on anyone - Dementor or otherwise.
Hearing a sudden rustling of cloaks, she turned slowly and felt the supremest hatred for the being that stood feet from her.
Lord Voldemort. He also stood in a black, hooded cloak, that, though it hid most of his body, his piercing eyes of a bright, ominous red. Death Eaters and Dementors alike bowed to the ground before Lord Voldemort. Voldemort stared at her with obvious contempt for the world and she felt herself shrinking, desperately wanting to hide from the world, and desperately wanting to hide from him.
But she couldn't move. Whether she could physically perform the task or not. Either way it didn't matter, Voldemort stood before her, and Death Eaters all around her. One false move and her life, and others would be gone in what she suspected a most painful way. Bracing herself for what was to come, she stood stock-still.
"My Death Eaters, welcome," Voldemort spoke in a deep, drawling tone. "The final plans will be put into place soon," he said. "And then the world will be pure once more. No more mudbloods to worry about. Nothing except those of absolute purity of blood will live into the New World. Now, the Reports." He said and then a man began to speak slowly.
"The ministry is losing force, my Lord. Fudge is still unsure of what to do now that you, my Lord, have come back into power. However I still believe that he is far from going to Dumbledore for help. The foolish man believes he can bring down the greatest wizard who has ever lived himself." A Death Eater who Hermione did not recognize said before resuming his silent disposition.
"I see, and are you enforcing this belief of his?" Voldemort questioned coldly.
"Of course, my Lord."
"Well done." He said before the person spoke and the next, and then the final person of the Inner Circle that was formed closest around Lord Voldemort.
"Dumbledore is still being naive." Hermione felt her stomach flip. "I believe that he may have the Order of the Phoenix working on a weapon, but he does not seem to want me close to it. My duties to the Order are small and irrelevant to their cause." Hermione instantly became wary of this Death Eater. He sounded familiar, but with such a cold and distant voice like all the others, it was difficult to tell them apart.
"He still does not trust you?" Voldemort sounded irritated.
"He still does not. I believe that the disappearance of the mudblood's parents has only heightened his vigilance, my Lord." Hermione saw Voldemort become more and more wary of the Death Eater.
"Snape, your job was to find a way to get a senile wizard to trust you with information. You succession of failures makes me weary." Voldemort's cold voice said as he began to raise his wand hand. Hermione shook her head slowly. Voldemort couldn't do that to Snape. He couldn't just kill anyone who didn't complete their set task! She felt her heart skip a beat. Voldemort's arm was parallel with the ground and aimed at Snape.
"Snape," he said softly, "It is time to remind you of what it feels like to fail the Dark Lord." Snape flinched but said nothing.
"Crucio," he whispered and Snape immediately fell to the ground and began to writhe in pain. But he did not say anything or scream out. Hermione watched him claw at the ground in a desperate attempt to rid himself of the torture within. She watched as her heart stopped beating and her legs began to move with such quickness that the hood of the invisibility cloak flew off as she ran in between Severus and Voldemort. She ran in between the two, her cloak coming completely off and her hair flying from the magic rushing at Snape.
Lord Voldemort broke off the attack on Snape's body and leered at Hermione in silent calculation. Snape, breathing raggedly, looked up at Hermione with trepidation and surprise. But Hermione stood still with her arms spread out in a defensive stance. She met Voldemort's glare with darkened brown eyes and her hair settling onto her shoulders in a freestyle fashion.
"Severus, you brought a friend?" Voldemort's voice sounded distinctly angry and calm at the same time, which made Hermione's skin crawl in fear.
Snape coughed into the ground seemingly trying to recover himself from the brief assault. Hermione still stood between the two, her arms spread out in the protective stance. She dared to turn her head and look at Snape.
"Answer me," Voldemort hissed.
"N-No. .I did not bring her. She is a student from the school, one who shows skill in rule-breaking." He said through gasps for air. Hermione held her breath as she turned her head back to Voldemort feeling a pain swell within her at the sight of Snape in such a weakened state.
Voldemort's bright red eyes narrowed to slits and Hermione saw his anger growing. He wasn't finding out what he wanted. . .
Occulemency! Hermione quickly remembered. Snape was skilled in the art to protect the truth of what he was doing from Voldemort. Voldemort was also skilled in the art but he couldn't break Snape's barriers.
That's what he was doing! Everything seemed to click for her. The only reason why Snape was still on the ground was because he was trying to form stronger barriers so that Voldemort wouldn't find everything out.
She instantly regretted coming. She could only be a weakness to Snape, and he needed to use everything he had to trick the Dark Lord. And now she was about to ruin everything. . . Struggling to regain her composure, she glared at one of the strongest wizards in existence. She needed to save Snape. He was too vital to the defeat of the Dark Lord.
Too vital. . . She repeated those words to herself even as she spoke.
"You bastard," she said quite clearly to Voldemort. That switched his attention fully to the witch before him.
He eyed her just like she had seen him eyeing Snape except an excitement showed on his features before long. She swallowed thickly but kept her gaze on Voldemort. She could feel it. . .There was no defense, not for her. . .She was vulnerable, open to any and all attacks of the mind.
No, her mind growled. She wouldn't let him in. She couldn't. She knew too much.
Concentrating on blocking any attempt to break into her mind, she began to fight back with her mind. Maybe she couldn't stop him from reading completely into her mind, but maybe she could stop him from delving into the secrets of the order. Hermione struggled desperately against the assaults of the most powerful dark wizard.
"No. . ." She whispered as she began to fall to her knees. He was too strong. He was overpowering her mind. She couldn't withstand it, not even resist a little. She began to fall forward.
"I can't. . ." The last words were caught in her throat as she saw the corners of Voldemort's mouth turn up greedily before she hit the ground.
__________
"Hermione! Hermione! Please, wake up!" Desperate voices called into Hermione's unconsciousness.
No. . .I don't want to move. This just feels so. .so awful! Hermione's unconscious screamed inside of her before she woke.
"Wha- ur!" Hermione sputtered as she sat straight up then leaned back on her elbows as the world almost faded to black again. Something was wrong. Something felt horribly wrong. She felt cold all over.
"Hermione!" a brown haired woman rushed her and gathered her into one of the tightest hugs she had ever felt.
"Hermione," a man stood beside the woman's kneeling body.
Blankness showed in Hermione's eyes before a startling realization hit her and she hugged her mother back.
"Mum! Dad!" She cried into her mother's shoulder.
"We thought we would never see you again!" Her mother cried.
"I can't believe you are still alive. . ." Hermione trailed before standing up with her mother close beside her. She quickly surveyed the area quite aware that she was currently at Voldemort's mercy. That, however, did not show in the surrounding area. It seemed to be the same desert area she had originally apparated to. But that was what she couldn't figure out - if Voldemort really did take her like he did her parents, then wouldn't they be in some sort of cage or something?
"Hermione," her father repeated before wrapping his arms tightly around her and weeping softly into her shoulder. Hermione felt her own eyes moisten but couldn't keep her full concentration on her father. Something still felt horribly wrong.
"I thought you were dead at first. . .then. .you moved. ." He continued to weep. "It has been so hard without you. . .being taken like that. . .being told. .t-told. .you were. . ." He didn't finish as Hermione embraced him firmly.
"I'm fine, Dad, and you will be too. Don't worry," She said softly wishing there was more truth in her words.
Her father released her from the embrace with shining eyes but he was no longer crying. Hermione wondered how difficult it must have been for her parents if her father had started crying. . .She shivered. It must have been too difficult, she would never wish whatever Voldemort did to them on anyone. She needed to save them, soon. She had to. She had learnt special spells for this occasion, when she would be trapped in Voldemort's grasp.
She had already begun to set the trap. Even with Voldemort now suspecting Severus of treason, she had to go through with her plan. She just had to.
Steeling herself, she gazed mournfully at her parents before stepping back.
"Mum, Dad, I'm going to get you two out of here, but for that I need you to trust me, okay?" she asked, slightly worried that they wouldn't.
"W-What do you mean, Hermione?" her mother questioned. "You won't do anything drastic, will you?" Her eyes became wide with the potential horror.
"Nothing too bad," she soothed. "Just enough to get everyone out."
"Promise me. Promise me that you won't get hurt?" her mother demanded with such confidence that outweighed Hermione's.
"I promise," she said, scarcely above a whisper, as if afraid to make such a simple lie, comprised of only two words, that could mean so much to someone that has so little left.
"Thank you," her mother said softly before turning to embrace her husband.
"Mum, Dad, why haven't you two left this area?" she asked suddenly.
"We can't," her father answered, regaining some of his former strength.
"You. .can't?"
"No," He shook his head. "There is a barrier around this area. At least I think there is. . .We haven't been able to leave this area."
Hermione scrutinized the dusty area around her. Something glinted in the sunlight. She saw it. She saw the force field. It reflected just barely against the sunlight. "Voldemort," she scowled. Her parents barely had a ten-foot radius to live in. She walked towards the invisible barrier. She suddenly felt cold again. She felt like she could barely breathe with the sudden bitterness surrounding her.
"Good luck, Hermione," her father said softly, tightening the embrace he had around his wife.
Hermione almost wept at the sight of such fear and acceptance of that fear in her father's eyes. She murmured a goodbye, too sad to speak louder.
Murmuring a simple spell she was able to apparate through the force field. She was filled with a deep feeling of dread as to what she could possibly face on the other side. Though it crossed her mind that it may have been too easy for her to escape, the thought was quickly gone once she saw what she was faced with.
Dementors. Death Eaters. There must have been at least thirty of them! Surveying quickly, she gathered that they were mostly Dementors and few Death Eaters. She swallowed hard and tightened her grip on her wand.
"You are to see the Dark Lord," one Death Eater, in the center in the semi-circle that stood twenty feet from her, commanded.
Hermione cursed silently. There were too many. Too many Death Eaters. Too many Dementors. Hermione struggled to stay conscious as the Death Eater who spoke to her came forward. The Dementors' presence weighed heavily in the air.
"You are to see the Dark Lord now." The Death Eater repeated with much emphasis.
She didn't know how to do it. She couldn't do it. She had come so prepared. She planned for Dementors, after all, she was still conscious, wasn't she? She had prepared for Death Eaters. She wasn't cowering, now was she? But she had also prepared for Voldemort. But how could she really stand up against him?
Hermione backed up a few steps as the Death Eater neared her. She couldn't see herself going against Voldemort now. She was so unprepared. She had so much more to do. So much more to do. . .
The Death Eater was within a few feet and glared at her with ominous eyes behind the pearly white mask.
So much more to do. . . How could she have let all that time slip by her when so much more still needed to be done?! She berated herself mentally.
The Death Eater stood before her and extended his cloaked arm.
It was now or never. She had to do it. She needed to save her parents. She needed to save Severus. . .
Maybe it was she who could help change the tide of the war.
She did not back away any further from the Death Eater and let him to clamp a hand tightly on her upper arm and apparate.
______
Author's Notes:
Omg! I'm so sorry everyone! I really want to get this chapter out sooner, but I was having a difficult time writing it and liking what I wrote. I'm still not completely happy with it, but it will do because it is only the first half of this chapter. Nevertheless, I hope everyone enjoyed this installment and look out for the next installment. Part B will include a clash between Hermione and Voldemort…
Thank you to everyone who has reviewed and waited patiently!
In return for your patience, I will give you a glimpse of two upcoming fics by me.
In the Moonlight
This was a new type of sorting that Professor Dumbledore rarely employed, but he felt it necessary this time. So many of his staff did not have a life mate. That bothered him because he wanted them to be happy and didn't want them to remain at Hogwarts their entire lives. So, with that, he brought out a dark, ruby-colored hat. He presented it to the staff, and they all eyed it wearily except for two. Hermione Granger, Charms professor, looked sufficently annoyed while Severus Snape, Potions professor, looked bored and irritated. Both seemed to hold some amount of resentment at the Headmaster. Both suited each perfectly. But it was up to the hat to decide if they were to be.
Progress: 1500 words
One Past Thrice
This fic is a (possibly) long synopsis of when the Maruaders, Lily, Snape, and all the others attended Hogwarts. This will show the growing relationships within the characters and the impending doom of the Dark Lord. This fic will start during the group's 1st year and end sometime around when Lily and James are supposed to die. I will try to stick with the original outline that J.K. Rowling hinted at in her series, but I will take some liberties *grins*
Progress: 2000 words
Side note: This is going to be a long, chaptered fic that I'm not going to upload until I finish up this fic until Healing Sorrows or one of my other chaptered fics are done.
Last AN: I need a beta to beta the next chapters of Healing Sorrows and preferably my other fics, if you can. Is there anybody out there who would be interested? If so, e-mail me at marcie@stny.rr.com or leave your e-mail address in you review.