Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
Hi Everyone, I have reposted this chapter to fix a few errors (Thanks Desert-Rose6 for pointing out my spelling). At the moment I don't have a beta so I am just going over it myself and there is bound to be a few mistakes. And if I have confused everyone, the first chapter was the prologue, as in it is what is going to come. Thanks!
"Hermione darling" Hermione's mum poked her head around her bedroom door.
"Mmm… what? It is the holidays, can't I sleep in mum?" Hermione muttered, rolling over again.
"Of course, just telling you I'm leaving for work and you have an owl sitting on the bench waiting for you".
"Who's it from?" She asked, sounding slightly more interested.
"I don't know, it didn't look like it was from one of your friends. Anyway, there are eggs in the fridge, so you can make yourself breakfast when you get up. No I've got to go or I'll be late, love you." Mrs Granger said.
"Love you too mum" Hermione replied, falling back into her dosing state.
Two hours later Hermione got up. Wandering downstairs into the kitchen she opened the fridge, and began cooking herself breakfast.
Sitting down to a plate of bacon and eggs she opened her owl.
Dear Miss Granger,
I am most sorry for interrupting your vacation time. However, I request that you meet with me today as I have something of great importance I must discuss with you. If possible, meet me in my office at 12:00pm; the password is 'skittles'. Please send your reply by return owl as soon as possible.
Thank-you,
Albus Dumbledore.
Hermione looked at her watch. 11:35pm. Hurrying to finish her breakfast she wrote a reply owl. With twenty minutes left, she had a quick shower and put on her cream pants and baby blue spaghetti strap top. Pulling her frizzy hair into a bun, she looked in the mirror. She ran downstairs, locked the door and then continued back up to the fireplace in her room. Grabbing a handful of floo powder she declared.
"Hogwarts, Professor Dumbledore's office, Password: Skittles"
She felt the horrid sick feeling of spinning around through the air; she held her elbows in tight and shut her eyes. After a few seconds, she landed on the floor of Dumbledore's office.
"Good afternoon Professor" she said brushing the soot off her clothing.
"Afternoon Miss Granger, please take a seat." Dumbledore said welcoming her inside. Looking up Hermione saw another person sitting in the room. Professor Snape.
"You are four minutes late Miss Granger, is it that hard to be punctual." Snape said in his usual sneering voice. Trying to silent the inevitable battle of words, Dumbledore butted in.
"Would either of you like a sandwich, the house elves just brought them up and I must say they're delicious." Hermione shook her head,
"No thank-you sir". She said as she sat down in the nearest chair.
"Now Miss Granger, it is your birthday in six weeks, if I'm not mistaken"
"Yes sir, on the 19th of September,"
"And how old will you be?"
"Seventeen sir, is this what you needed to talk to me about?"
"In due time, Miss Granger. So, you are one of our younger students. However, because of your use of the time turner, you will have gained some time, correct. Therefore, are in a way, already seventeen"
" Yes Professor, I have gained five months approximately". Hermione was thoroughly confused as to where this conversation was going, but Professor Snape's comment broke her train of thought.
" Albus, as riveting as it is to be sitting here discussing Granger's birth date, I don't see why my presence is required. So if I may, I have better things to do, good afternoon." Snape stood and turned to leave.
"If you would please sit down Severus, this conversation shall concern you in a moment"
"Now Miss Granger, I have an extremely difficult proposition to put forward to you. I need a task done for the order and you are one of the most capable people I can think of. I would not normally ask this of a student, especially not one who is head girl, a job that already takes up much of your free time, but I feel that you are the right person for the mission"
"Of course sir, what is it you need me to do." Hermione said, sitting up straight in her chair.
"I need both of you, working together, to create a potion to help us to defeat Voldermort."
Snape jumped from his chair.
"Albus, this is preposterous, you know I do not work with anyone, especially not some incompetent teenager and - "
"Silence Severus. I am asking this of you just once. This is an extremely complicated potion, you will not be able to handle creating it alone. Miss Granger compliments the skills you have with others you do not and although she may be young, she has wisdom beyond her years. I would not ask this if I did not think you were both capable of it."
"She is seventeen year old girl, and not even a member of the order."
"As I said, Miss Granger is one of the smartest students to ever go through Hogwarts, with scores rivalling your own, if I remember correctly. And if she does choose to help us with this task I shall ask her to also become an order member as she is of age now."
Hermione was stunned. This was such a huge ask, yet such a privilege and she was willing to do anything to help defeat Voldemort.
Snape sighed; he knew it was pointless to fight Dumbledore's wishes.
"If I must," He drawled "I promised to do what I could for the order, which I will, even if it means working with Miss Granger"
"Thank-you Severus"
"Professor?" Hermione asked Dumbledore timidly.
"Yes child?" he replied, munching on his third peanut-butter sandwich.
"What is this potion?"
"Ahh… I almost forgot. As I am sure both of you know, the fall of Voldemort has been prophesised. 'And either must die at the hand of the other, for neither can live while the other survives'. The only person who is able to defeat the dark lord is Mr Potter. Now I have all my faith in Harry's abilities, however, he is only a seventeen-year-old wizard and will need all the help he can get. This potion does not kill, but leaves the victim unable to defend themself, giving Harry the opportune chance to destroy him. The problem that we have is that this is quite an ancient potions script and parts of the instructions are missing or damaged. It is most likely that you will have to modify the potion before you can brew it."
"Alright" Hermione said, deep in thought.
"Now Miss Granger, if you decide to take on this mission, it will involve giving up these last three weeks of your vacation to work on it as you will need to begin as soon as possible. I will give you a room closer to the dungeons for these three weeks so you wont have to walk from Gryffindor tower and back all the time. Do you think you would be willing to do this for the order?" he asked her, peering over his half moon spectacles.
"Yes sir, I am willing to do anything at all if there is even a chance it will help"
"How Gryffindor of you" Snape sneered. Ignoring the comment, Dumbledore continued.
"If you are sure Miss Granger I will have you move in the day after tomorrow, if this is convenient. I will obviously be speaking to your parents before then, explaining the situation. So you don't miss out on too much of your leisure time I think going home on the weekends would not be a problem, if this is what you would like. Are you positive this is what you want?"
"Yes sir"
"Very well then, I will get you to move in on Monday. I'm sure Professor Snape can apperate to your house to collect you and your things Monday morning."
"This is outrageous!" Snape stood up "Now I have to pick up students and bring them to school. What do I look like, a muggle taxi? Miss Granger can take the knight bus."
"Miss Granger's stay here must remain confidential Severus – yes this means from Mr Potter and Mr Weasley too - " he said looking directly at Hermione. " – Riding on the night bus, or even flooing here often may raise suspicion. Now, I believe, Miss Granger that you will have your school things to pack, am I correct? Severus will meet you at 10:00am Monday morning, now sorry to cut our chat short but I must be off, Severus, I am sure you can find your way out. Miss Granger, I will be seeing you on Monday" and with that, he walked to the fireplace and flooed to Diagon Alley leaving Hermione and Severus standing alone in Dumbledore's office.
"Monday then Miss Granger, please make sure you're punctual this time."
"Thank-you sir" Hermione replied.
"Do not thank me Granger, if it were up to me you wouldn't be anywhere need my potions lab."
Thank-you to everyone who reviewed, it is nice to know that at least a few people are reading my story :)