Chapter 20
Professor Snape burst through the heavy wooden doors to Headmaster Dumbledore's office. The old man jumped as the doors slammed closed. He raised his weary eyes to look at the dark haired man who had just interruppted his thoughts.
"Headmaster, I have urgent business with you," Snape began. Dumbledore gestured to the chair in front of his desk. Snape sat in it fumbling with a piece of paper. "A student passed out during dinner this evening. I administered an illegal potion to her without your permission, sir."
"Permission granted, Severus," Dumbledore said, waving his hand. Snape sat up straight.
"But sir, you don't know which potion or which student or even why," Severus pleaded.
"If you had come to me a year ago, Severus, I would have fired you. But times are different now. I understand that you have certain responsibilities to a certain higher power that you have little control over. Therefore I cannot punish you for your actions. However, I can punish you for withholding information that might be crucial to the well-being of our students," Dumbledore conceded. "And I'm sure Miss Granger is fine, thanks to your potion."
"Sir, the only information I have has no concern with our students at the time being. Only time will tell if giving Hermione that potion was for the best. But I am very concerned for the future. I somehow feel that Hogwarts will not be safe for very much longer," Snape admitted. He didn't bother to ask how the headmaster knew which student he had given the potion to. Dumbledore nodded.
"I too have that feeling, Severus. I will call a teacher's meeting within the hour. This matter cannot go ignored any longer," Dumbledore concluded. Snape nodded and turned to leave. "Oh, and Severus?" Dumbledore added, "when the time comes, you have my permission to leave."
"Thank you, Albus," Snape bowed his head as he left the office.
* * *
As Dumbledore promised, fourty-five minutes later all the teachers were seated around a table in the Great Hall. There was much shouting and fighting as they made conjectures as to the reason for the meeting. When Dumbledore entered the room they all fell silent.
"I have called you all here tonight on a very serious matter," Dumbledore began. "It has come to my attention, as well as the attention of other Hogwarts staff members, that Hogwarts may not be open much longer. It would come as a great shock to me if this educational year were to be completed as normal. Right now there is no cause for alarm, and I ask you not to bring this matter to the students. I am asking you merely to consider the possibility of the school closing before the end of the year. "During this time that we have before we may need to make adjustments to our normal school environment, I would ask that you make plans for the future. We have discussed adding more dances in the past, I think now more than ever we need them. Consider lightening the workload. Assign projects that allow for creativity and fun, throw parties. Anything you can think of to make our students happy in their last days here," Dumbledore implored. The teachers sat in stunned silence.
"Do you think Hogwarts will be closed for good, Albus?" Professor McGonagall asked.
"I hope not," he replied, "but only time will tell."
"What will we tell the students?" Flitwick asked.
"I've called a special prefect's meeting for tomorrow morning," Dumbledore replied. "Until then, say nothing."
With that the meeting was adjourned, and the teachers talked amongst themselves. Minerva McGonagall hurried to Dumbledore's side.
"Albus, does this have anything to do with Hermione Granger?" she asked him. He took his time thinking of a reply.
"I cannot say, Minerva. It is too soon to tell," he decided. With that last comment he left the room, leaving her to watch him walk away and contemplate what he'd said.
* * *
When Hermione awoke the next morning, Draco was gone. A note lay on the pillow next to her.
"Sorry I couldn't stay, I had Quidditch practice. I hope you slept well. See you at the prefect's meeting at ten. Love Draco," Hermione read. She smiled and got out of bed. The room was chilly, so she put on her navy blue velvet lounge robes and headed down to the Common Room.
Harry and Ron were discussing their Quidditch practice in great length by the fire. Sorcha and Ginny were sitting on the couch sharing a copy of Teen Witch! Magazine. Hermione joined them, feeling a bit like she'd neglected them the past week.
"How are you feeling?" Sorcha asked. Hermione smiled.
"Much better. Madam Pomfrey said that I must have just had a little fainting spell and that I should be careful to get enough to eat," Hermione lied, surprising herself with how easily the lie came rolling off her tongue. But her answer seemed to satisfy her friends and soon she was testing out the newest manicure spells with Ginny and Sorcha.
* * *
Draco sat next to Hermione at the prefect's meeting later that morning. The prefects talked excitedly about the prospect of a special meeting. The atmosphere Headmaster Dumbledore walked into that morning was much different than the one he had approached the previous night.
"Good morning, students," he greeted them. They stopped talking and waited for him to explain. "The teachers and I were talking last night, and we were discussing the future of Hogwarts. It has come to our attention that we are not grasping the full possibility of our time here at Hogwarts, so I bring to you this morning our newest idea. From this day on, we are going to spend each day at Hogwarts as though it were our last. This means parties, and dances, and fun projects. I want you all to come up with ideas for other activities as well," Dumbledore told them. They all started talking excitedly about their ideas. Dumbledore held up his hand. "Now, of course there is a more serious side to this. I think you all are mature enough to handle this, and I will ask you to share this with the fourth years and older. There is much possibility that we will not complete this school year normally. What that means exactly, I do not know. But I feel that it is crucial for you all to be aware of that fact so that you can fully embrace your time here.
"As for what to tell the younger students, simply tell them to take each day as it comes. They do not need to be frightened by the possibilities, there is enough for them to be concerned with in daily life. Now if there is no other business, you are dismissed," Dumbledore concluded. He left the room before he could be bombarded by any anxious students.
It wasn't in Albus Dumbledore's nature to avoid talking to his students but today he felt he needed to spend some time alone. He hurried to his office and locked the doors. Opening a drawer, he pulled out a small vial. The vial contained a sleeping draught but unlike the one Madam Pomfrey usually prescribed, this potion was meant to give the sleeper vivid dreams that the sleeper would remember upon waking. Dumbledore took a sip and curled up on the floor to wait.
* * *
Hermione and Draco sat in the empty classroom after everyone had left the meeting. Neither one of them would admit to it but they were starting to get scared about what Dumbledore had said. They both knew the Dark Lord had some hand in all of it.
"I had a dream last night," Draco started, breaking the silence. He sat on the desk in front of her. Hermione's eyes met with his.
"I did too," she admitted. He broke eye contact with her and looked down at the floor.
"I don't know where I was, but I was walking through a crowd of people. They were all staring at me, absolutely petrified. Some were angry, some were crying, but most of them just looked scared. I was going to make an announcement, but I never got to make it, because I woke up," Draco explained. Hermione took a long ragged breath.
"I had the same dream, Draco," she told him. His eyes flashed as he looked up at her.
"That's not funny, Hermione," he snapped.
"I wasn't trying to be," she barked back. Her hand closed around the charm on her necklace. Footsteps in the corridor outside the room became audible as they approached. Hermione pulled a sheet of parchment out of the desk she was sitting at and started making notes.
"Miss Granger, Mr. Malfoy, you're still here?" Professor Snape asked, coming into the classroom. Hermione nodded.
"We were planning a party for the Turston twins. They're moving to the States," Hermione explained, standing up to show Snape the notes she'd made. He looked them over and handed them back.
"Very well," he said, giving them skeptical looks. "Are you feeling better, Miss Granger?" he asked. Hermione nodded. "And you're taking the potion as directed?" Hermione nodded again. "Good. Well, don't work too hard, it's the weekend, after all," he said flatly as he left the classroom. Draco rolled his eyes.
"Was that a joke?" Hermione asked, incredulous. Professor Snape was not known for his sense of humor. Draco shrugged.
"So, the party?" Draco teased. Hermione hastily put the notes away.
"I had to do something or we would have had points taken away for being in a classroom without a teacher," Hermione reminded him. He smiled.
"I was just teasing you," he said, turning to put his arms around her. Hermione smiled as he kissed her cheek. "Let's go eat dinner," he suggested. They walked out of the room and headed for the Great Hall.
On the way, Hermione remembered that she'd promised Sorcha that she'd help her with one of the especially tricky manicure spells. She told Draco she'd meet him after dinner and hurried off to Gryffindor Tower.
As she came into the common room, she saw Harry, Ron, Sorcha, and Ginny sitting much in the same place as she had left them. As she crossed the room to join them, Harry clapped a hand over his forehead.
"My scar!" he groaned, in pain. Hermione and the others dashed to his side. He groaned and grimaced several times before collapsing entirely from the pain.
They all helped to carry him up the hospital wing where they were shooed away by Madam Pomfrey. Grudgingly, they headed down to the Great Hall for dinner. As soon as they were seated, Professor Dumbledore stood up to make an announcement.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, it is with a heavy heart that I deliver this message to you. This year we will have to change our policy about letting students stay with us over the Christmas vacation. This year all students must return home immediately following the close of the fall term. There are no exceptions, as you will not be returning to school after Christmas."
Professor Snape burst through the heavy wooden doors to Headmaster Dumbledore's office. The old man jumped as the doors slammed closed. He raised his weary eyes to look at the dark haired man who had just interruppted his thoughts.
"Headmaster, I have urgent business with you," Snape began. Dumbledore gestured to the chair in front of his desk. Snape sat in it fumbling with a piece of paper. "A student passed out during dinner this evening. I administered an illegal potion to her without your permission, sir."
"Permission granted, Severus," Dumbledore said, waving his hand. Snape sat up straight.
"But sir, you don't know which potion or which student or even why," Severus pleaded.
"If you had come to me a year ago, Severus, I would have fired you. But times are different now. I understand that you have certain responsibilities to a certain higher power that you have little control over. Therefore I cannot punish you for your actions. However, I can punish you for withholding information that might be crucial to the well-being of our students," Dumbledore conceded. "And I'm sure Miss Granger is fine, thanks to your potion."
"Sir, the only information I have has no concern with our students at the time being. Only time will tell if giving Hermione that potion was for the best. But I am very concerned for the future. I somehow feel that Hogwarts will not be safe for very much longer," Snape admitted. He didn't bother to ask how the headmaster knew which student he had given the potion to. Dumbledore nodded.
"I too have that feeling, Severus. I will call a teacher's meeting within the hour. This matter cannot go ignored any longer," Dumbledore concluded. Snape nodded and turned to leave. "Oh, and Severus?" Dumbledore added, "when the time comes, you have my permission to leave."
"Thank you, Albus," Snape bowed his head as he left the office.
* * *
As Dumbledore promised, fourty-five minutes later all the teachers were seated around a table in the Great Hall. There was much shouting and fighting as they made conjectures as to the reason for the meeting. When Dumbledore entered the room they all fell silent.
"I have called you all here tonight on a very serious matter," Dumbledore began. "It has come to my attention, as well as the attention of other Hogwarts staff members, that Hogwarts may not be open much longer. It would come as a great shock to me if this educational year were to be completed as normal. Right now there is no cause for alarm, and I ask you not to bring this matter to the students. I am asking you merely to consider the possibility of the school closing before the end of the year. "During this time that we have before we may need to make adjustments to our normal school environment, I would ask that you make plans for the future. We have discussed adding more dances in the past, I think now more than ever we need them. Consider lightening the workload. Assign projects that allow for creativity and fun, throw parties. Anything you can think of to make our students happy in their last days here," Dumbledore implored. The teachers sat in stunned silence.
"Do you think Hogwarts will be closed for good, Albus?" Professor McGonagall asked.
"I hope not," he replied, "but only time will tell."
"What will we tell the students?" Flitwick asked.
"I've called a special prefect's meeting for tomorrow morning," Dumbledore replied. "Until then, say nothing."
With that the meeting was adjourned, and the teachers talked amongst themselves. Minerva McGonagall hurried to Dumbledore's side.
"Albus, does this have anything to do with Hermione Granger?" she asked him. He took his time thinking of a reply.
"I cannot say, Minerva. It is too soon to tell," he decided. With that last comment he left the room, leaving her to watch him walk away and contemplate what he'd said.
* * *
When Hermione awoke the next morning, Draco was gone. A note lay on the pillow next to her.
"Sorry I couldn't stay, I had Quidditch practice. I hope you slept well. See you at the prefect's meeting at ten. Love Draco," Hermione read. She smiled and got out of bed. The room was chilly, so she put on her navy blue velvet lounge robes and headed down to the Common Room.
Harry and Ron were discussing their Quidditch practice in great length by the fire. Sorcha and Ginny were sitting on the couch sharing a copy of Teen Witch! Magazine. Hermione joined them, feeling a bit like she'd neglected them the past week.
"How are you feeling?" Sorcha asked. Hermione smiled.
"Much better. Madam Pomfrey said that I must have just had a little fainting spell and that I should be careful to get enough to eat," Hermione lied, surprising herself with how easily the lie came rolling off her tongue. But her answer seemed to satisfy her friends and soon she was testing out the newest manicure spells with Ginny and Sorcha.
* * *
Draco sat next to Hermione at the prefect's meeting later that morning. The prefects talked excitedly about the prospect of a special meeting. The atmosphere Headmaster Dumbledore walked into that morning was much different than the one he had approached the previous night.
"Good morning, students," he greeted them. They stopped talking and waited for him to explain. "The teachers and I were talking last night, and we were discussing the future of Hogwarts. It has come to our attention that we are not grasping the full possibility of our time here at Hogwarts, so I bring to you this morning our newest idea. From this day on, we are going to spend each day at Hogwarts as though it were our last. This means parties, and dances, and fun projects. I want you all to come up with ideas for other activities as well," Dumbledore told them. They all started talking excitedly about their ideas. Dumbledore held up his hand. "Now, of course there is a more serious side to this. I think you all are mature enough to handle this, and I will ask you to share this with the fourth years and older. There is much possibility that we will not complete this school year normally. What that means exactly, I do not know. But I feel that it is crucial for you all to be aware of that fact so that you can fully embrace your time here.
"As for what to tell the younger students, simply tell them to take each day as it comes. They do not need to be frightened by the possibilities, there is enough for them to be concerned with in daily life. Now if there is no other business, you are dismissed," Dumbledore concluded. He left the room before he could be bombarded by any anxious students.
It wasn't in Albus Dumbledore's nature to avoid talking to his students but today he felt he needed to spend some time alone. He hurried to his office and locked the doors. Opening a drawer, he pulled out a small vial. The vial contained a sleeping draught but unlike the one Madam Pomfrey usually prescribed, this potion was meant to give the sleeper vivid dreams that the sleeper would remember upon waking. Dumbledore took a sip and curled up on the floor to wait.
* * *
Hermione and Draco sat in the empty classroom after everyone had left the meeting. Neither one of them would admit to it but they were starting to get scared about what Dumbledore had said. They both knew the Dark Lord had some hand in all of it.
"I had a dream last night," Draco started, breaking the silence. He sat on the desk in front of her. Hermione's eyes met with his.
"I did too," she admitted. He broke eye contact with her and looked down at the floor.
"I don't know where I was, but I was walking through a crowd of people. They were all staring at me, absolutely petrified. Some were angry, some were crying, but most of them just looked scared. I was going to make an announcement, but I never got to make it, because I woke up," Draco explained. Hermione took a long ragged breath.
"I had the same dream, Draco," she told him. His eyes flashed as he looked up at her.
"That's not funny, Hermione," he snapped.
"I wasn't trying to be," she barked back. Her hand closed around the charm on her necklace. Footsteps in the corridor outside the room became audible as they approached. Hermione pulled a sheet of parchment out of the desk she was sitting at and started making notes.
"Miss Granger, Mr. Malfoy, you're still here?" Professor Snape asked, coming into the classroom. Hermione nodded.
"We were planning a party for the Turston twins. They're moving to the States," Hermione explained, standing up to show Snape the notes she'd made. He looked them over and handed them back.
"Very well," he said, giving them skeptical looks. "Are you feeling better, Miss Granger?" he asked. Hermione nodded. "And you're taking the potion as directed?" Hermione nodded again. "Good. Well, don't work too hard, it's the weekend, after all," he said flatly as he left the classroom. Draco rolled his eyes.
"Was that a joke?" Hermione asked, incredulous. Professor Snape was not known for his sense of humor. Draco shrugged.
"So, the party?" Draco teased. Hermione hastily put the notes away.
"I had to do something or we would have had points taken away for being in a classroom without a teacher," Hermione reminded him. He smiled.
"I was just teasing you," he said, turning to put his arms around her. Hermione smiled as he kissed her cheek. "Let's go eat dinner," he suggested. They walked out of the room and headed for the Great Hall.
On the way, Hermione remembered that she'd promised Sorcha that she'd help her with one of the especially tricky manicure spells. She told Draco she'd meet him after dinner and hurried off to Gryffindor Tower.
As she came into the common room, she saw Harry, Ron, Sorcha, and Ginny sitting much in the same place as she had left them. As she crossed the room to join them, Harry clapped a hand over his forehead.
"My scar!" he groaned, in pain. Hermione and the others dashed to his side. He groaned and grimaced several times before collapsing entirely from the pain.
They all helped to carry him up the hospital wing where they were shooed away by Madam Pomfrey. Grudgingly, they headed down to the Great Hall for dinner. As soon as they were seated, Professor Dumbledore stood up to make an announcement.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, it is with a heavy heart that I deliver this message to you. This year we will have to change our policy about letting students stay with us over the Christmas vacation. This year all students must return home immediately following the close of the fall term. There are no exceptions, as you will not be returning to school after Christmas."