Chapter 4
Harry Potter was livid with barely contained fury. He paced the room, thirteen steps from door to wall, thirteen back again.
*Goddamn this bloody scar! I'll rip out his throat. I'll hex him into the next millennia. I'll.*
His silent death threats were interrupted by a resounding crash as his door nearly flew off its hinges. Harry jerked around, whipping out his wand. High off pent-up anger, he almost didn't recognize Hermione and Ron.
"Don't you two know how to knock?" he snapped. His comment went unnoticed.
"We don't owe him a bloody thing! Next time we could bloody well get caught and I don't even want to *think* what would happen then. Best friends to the Boy-Who-Lived?" Ron shuddered. "We might as well drink Morte Morbid and be done with it!"
"What will happen if Snape gets killed like Fudge?" Ron winced. "With our information source gone, there's no doubt we will lose the war."
"What the hell do you think we'll be able to do, Hermione? If You-Know-Who decides to.well, how are we going to stop him? Besides, do you really think Snape would appreciate our help? He'd likely turn, sneer at us, deduct a few hundred points for being off Hogwarts' grounds, and then stalk back down to the dungeons." Ron paused for a moment. "I wouldn't mind a new potions teacher anyway."
"I can't believe you're willing to turn your back on the man that has saved your life! You're a coward, Ron. It's a wonder you were put in Gryffindor." Hermione swept out of the room, leaving Ron and Harry to stare after her, jaws slack.
*****
The library's familiar, slightly musky smell enveloped Hermione, the long rows of bookshelves bringing a calm that had been missing since potions class. She sighed, but forced it out of her mind, and moved to the nearest bookcase.
Though uncertain as to what information she was looking for, Hermione ran her hand over the spines of the books. Potions with Potential. Brewing Bravery. Using Your Unicorn Hairs. Damn wizard authors and all their awful alliterations and assonances, Hermione thought with a wry smile.
Her hand stopped. It was unknown to her, which was peculiar since she had read many of the books in the unrestricted section. The silvery material seemed to flow in her hands and the black letters were fluid and gleaming, creating a dizzying optical illusion. It took her eyes a while for the title to register. The Invisible Book of Invisibility. Her eyes widened; the book had been discontinued due to the fact that no one could find them.
She had to read this book. It was nearly a compulsion. Hermione Granger could not resist reading a new book.
She chose another potions book as well to ensure the librarian would not become suspicious. After all, Miss Granger would never leave the library without a book. And, since the book was obviously mistakenly placed in the potions section, the book must have been unknown to the library staff.
Hermione forced herself to walk slowly up to the check out counter. Madam Pince raised an eyebrow at her selection. Hermione looked down at the book and realized for the first time which text she had picked up in her rush. Potent Love Potions. She blushed.
"Just academic curiosity," she said at the silent inquiry.
"Indeed," Madam Pince replied. The librarian's hand brushed The Invisible book of Invisibility as she returned the other to Hermione, but she didn't seem to take notice.
Very strange, Hermione thought. I wonder why that is. However, she didn't stop long to ponder the question. She picked up the two books and walked calmly out of the library, her stomach fluttering in anticipation.
A/N: I'm sorry about the delay. Writer's block can be bloody annoying, especially when I want to know how the story ends up as well. *grins I'm sure you're all ready to rip my head off now, but then I wouldn't be able to finish it. ;) I'd really appreciate any feedback that my readers have, even the "constructive criticism" of flamers. It helps me write more when I know someone out there actually cares about my work. However, you'll all have to deal with my procrastinating nature and slow progress. Some of it is my fault, but some isn't. March will be a busy month for me, and I might not have much time to write. So I apologize before hand.
Harry Potter was livid with barely contained fury. He paced the room, thirteen steps from door to wall, thirteen back again.
*Goddamn this bloody scar! I'll rip out his throat. I'll hex him into the next millennia. I'll.*
His silent death threats were interrupted by a resounding crash as his door nearly flew off its hinges. Harry jerked around, whipping out his wand. High off pent-up anger, he almost didn't recognize Hermione and Ron.
"Don't you two know how to knock?" he snapped. His comment went unnoticed.
"We don't owe him a bloody thing! Next time we could bloody well get caught and I don't even want to *think* what would happen then. Best friends to the Boy-Who-Lived?" Ron shuddered. "We might as well drink Morte Morbid and be done with it!"
"What will happen if Snape gets killed like Fudge?" Ron winced. "With our information source gone, there's no doubt we will lose the war."
"What the hell do you think we'll be able to do, Hermione? If You-Know-Who decides to.well, how are we going to stop him? Besides, do you really think Snape would appreciate our help? He'd likely turn, sneer at us, deduct a few hundred points for being off Hogwarts' grounds, and then stalk back down to the dungeons." Ron paused for a moment. "I wouldn't mind a new potions teacher anyway."
"I can't believe you're willing to turn your back on the man that has saved your life! You're a coward, Ron. It's a wonder you were put in Gryffindor." Hermione swept out of the room, leaving Ron and Harry to stare after her, jaws slack.
*****
The library's familiar, slightly musky smell enveloped Hermione, the long rows of bookshelves bringing a calm that had been missing since potions class. She sighed, but forced it out of her mind, and moved to the nearest bookcase.
Though uncertain as to what information she was looking for, Hermione ran her hand over the spines of the books. Potions with Potential. Brewing Bravery. Using Your Unicorn Hairs. Damn wizard authors and all their awful alliterations and assonances, Hermione thought with a wry smile.
Her hand stopped. It was unknown to her, which was peculiar since she had read many of the books in the unrestricted section. The silvery material seemed to flow in her hands and the black letters were fluid and gleaming, creating a dizzying optical illusion. It took her eyes a while for the title to register. The Invisible Book of Invisibility. Her eyes widened; the book had been discontinued due to the fact that no one could find them.
She had to read this book. It was nearly a compulsion. Hermione Granger could not resist reading a new book.
She chose another potions book as well to ensure the librarian would not become suspicious. After all, Miss Granger would never leave the library without a book. And, since the book was obviously mistakenly placed in the potions section, the book must have been unknown to the library staff.
Hermione forced herself to walk slowly up to the check out counter. Madam Pince raised an eyebrow at her selection. Hermione looked down at the book and realized for the first time which text she had picked up in her rush. Potent Love Potions. She blushed.
"Just academic curiosity," she said at the silent inquiry.
"Indeed," Madam Pince replied. The librarian's hand brushed The Invisible book of Invisibility as she returned the other to Hermione, but she didn't seem to take notice.
Very strange, Hermione thought. I wonder why that is. However, she didn't stop long to ponder the question. She picked up the two books and walked calmly out of the library, her stomach fluttering in anticipation.
A/N: I'm sorry about the delay. Writer's block can be bloody annoying, especially when I want to know how the story ends up as well. *grins I'm sure you're all ready to rip my head off now, but then I wouldn't be able to finish it. ;) I'd really appreciate any feedback that my readers have, even the "constructive criticism" of flamers. It helps me write more when I know someone out there actually cares about my work. However, you'll all have to deal with my procrastinating nature and slow progress. Some of it is my fault, but some isn't. March will be a busy month for me, and I might not have much time to write. So I apologize before hand.