(A/N: My dears, this story is slowly drawing to a close, and thus a lot of plot has to be gotten through in this chapter and, in a slightly smaller measure, the next, but if you can get your little brains round it all and pay attention, it shall all make sense. Or not. Anyway, a lot of –dull- plot and The Trio- blah- in this Chapter, but hopefully it's still entertaining.)

Chapter 6: Mastermind

"You know," Ron said, while the three were sitting in the Gryffindor common room, supposedly doing their homework, "you still haven't told me why you were actually staring at Snape like that." Hermione looked up from her Arithmancy essay.

"Oh," she said, distractedly, "Well, I have looked through Moste Potente Potions again, and it said that Polyjuice potion cannot change the drinker's species or sex without serious complications. So, if Snape had really been a woman, he'd still be, wouldn't he?" Ron and Harry both pulled faces. "I just wanted to check, that's all." Hermione added, turning a tiny bit red.

"And?" Ron asked.

"And what?" Hermione said, returning to her essay.

"And, what do you think he is?"

"I think he's a man." Hermione said casually.

"So, why is everyone going on about him being Voldemort's daughter?" Harry said, ignoring Ron, who was acting like he was about to be sick.

"Well, I think it's a conspiracy. Obviously, Voldemort, or someone else in the Death Eaters circle, wants everyone to believe Snape is Voldemort's daughter." Hermione said. "And it's obviously not someone on the light side, because of how the rumour spread."

Ron nodded, his eyes narrowed in thought. "Why, though?" he said. "I don't see how everyone believing Snape is Voldemort's daughter is going to help them."

"No, well, we'll just have to find out, won't we?" Hermione said lightly, opening a book.

"Maybe they wanted a spy on Dumbledore and wanted to take away any suspicions the rest of the staff had about Snape," Harry said thoughtfully. "Because they've certainly been a lot more friendly since they found out."

"That's actually not that bad an explanation," Hermione said, putting down her quill. "But I can't imagine Dumbledore not knowing that it's fake."

"Well, maybe Voldemort underestimates Dumbledore," Harry said. "I mean, he doesn't know that much about him, does he? And he could always try, I suppose."

"You know, I think we ought to try and talk to Dumbledore about it." Hermione said. "But first, we have to finish our homework." And she went back to her essay. Harry and Ron frowned at each other.

"I don't know if it's going to be any use. Remember the last time we tried to talk to Dumbledore about Snape? He was in London!" Ron said.

"Yes, well, we were wrong that time, weren't we?" Hermione said briskly. Ron opened his mouth, but could not come up with anything to counter that, so he shut it again, and drew a few stars on his Astronomy chart.

"Well, I just want to find out what's going on," Harry said, "Snape is up to something, and I'd like to know what. We could at least ask Dumbledore what's going on."

"How are we going to say we found out about it?" said Hermione. "We can hardly admit to eavesdropping on Malfoy's conversation."

"Oh, I know!" Ron said, "Seamus told us he heard McGonagall say something to Hagrid about Snape being Voldemort's daughter, so we can say that we heard that and that we saw all the teachers act so strangely, and wondered what was going on."

"Why should Dumbledore confide in a couple of students about that, though?" Hermione said.

"Because.... it's bound to become a rumour otherwise?" Harry offered. "I've already heard several people talk about how odd the teachers are being." Hermione nodded, while she wrote the last sentence of her essay, and signed it.

"Alright then, I'll go talk to McGonagall about it and try to get her to take us to Dumbledore's office." She said, shutting her books.

"Why just you?" Ron protested.

"You two have to finish your Astronomy homework." Hermione said, and was off, leaving the two boys with their star charts.

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"Mr Potter, Mr Weasley, come with me, please," McGonagall said, as she came into the Gryffindor common room. The rest of the students assembled there stared at them for a moment, obviously suspicious. The two looked at each other for a moment before clearing away the pack of Exploding Snap they'd been playing, and following McGonagall through the portrait and the hallways.

"Quite the amount of cheek you three have," She said, striding along, "spreading rumours like that. And listening to what teachers are saying. I've already taken five points for your behaviour, but, as I told Miss Granger, it's better if this is explained to you right now, before any other students find out." She gave them a stern look as they left the stairs and went into the hallway that led to Dumbledore's office.

"Five points?" whispered Ron to Harry, "For accidentally finding out the truth?" Harry was about to answer, but McGonagall turned her head and gave them another warning look, so he kept quiet. They could see Hermione waiting in front of the gargoyle statue, as they approached.

McGonagall stopped and turned to the statue, as Harry and Ron joined Hermione. Then she said 'Ton Tongue Toffee', and the statue slid away to reveal the stairway to Dumbledore's office.

Harry went in, feeling somewhat apprehensive, and also very curious. He really wanted to find out the truth, and he also kind of hoped it would be nasty, though he did not want to admit that to either Hermione or Dumbledore. He'd never trusted Snape, and then he would have been right all along. But on the other hand, he hoped it would not be too nasty, or he'd have to start worrying about Voldemort. As he considered this, they arrived at the door to Dumbledore's office.

Harry put out his hand to knock, and noticed voices inside. Dumbledore apparently already had a visitor. "There's someone in there already," he said.

"Oh, well, if it's urgent, he'll tell us to wait," Hermione said, "and otherwise he might be talking to a painting." She reached out and knocked loudly on the door.

"Come in," came Dumbledore's voice from behind the door, and in they went.

A/N: In the next chapter: Harry and co meet Snape and a few other people, Hermione is wrong –gasp, shudder-, and everything is explained..... slightly. See you then.)