Changes Made
Chapter Fourteen
Snape tried to keep his head clear of thought. He'd just finished with Harry's lesson, and the moment had come that he'd been dreading and hoping for by turns. Hermione was standing up, walking towards him, drawing her wand... No! Too fast! But he didn't have his wand up in time to stop her as the spell came at him.
"Legilimens!" something feather-light and gentle prodded at his mind, looking for something.
Not again, he had time to think before he realised what she wanted.
Hogwarts this time...School at Hogwarts. This was going to be uncomfortable. Memories began to flash past Snape's eyes. If memories were what she wanted, she was going to get them. He shunted experience after experience towards the front of his mind from whence that gentle prodding sensation came. Hermione's eyes widened as the flood hit her. She hadn't expected this.
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Hermione was astonished. Snape was co-operating with her? No, that couldn't be it. Either way, she was getting what she asked for. Memories of Snape as a teenager streaked past barely slow enough for her to catch them. The first glimpse of the castle as a first year gliding across the lake...the sorting hat...Mrs. Norris, appearing from nowhere...the Bloody Baron, gliding ominously around...the Hospital Wing...Dumbledore as a younger man...Snape meeting the Marauders for the first time...Snape's first glimpse of Lily Evans...Christmas at Hogwarts, snow falling outside...the Slytherin common room, crowded with sneering people...a view of the Hogwarts Quidditch stands from a broomstick...the Marauders again, swaggering past, shoving Snape into the wall...
Snape's voice sounded in her mind. Satisfied?
Hermione met his eyes, still firm. Almost. Snape stared at her. He hadn't been expecting that impertinent answer, Hermione was sure. She took her seat, smiling smugly at Harry, who made a face. The match between Snape and Harry was over in a second. Hermione felt she hadn't even had time to breathe, but she took her place again, facing her teacher stolidly.
Hermione offered no resistance this time, allowing Snape access to her mind. She knew she was taking a risk this time...he'd hardly ask for something easy.
Potions... came the whisper in her mind. Hermione froze, eyes wide. Of course.
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Snape was more than pleased. At first, the memories he got from Hermione were innocent enough, those of his classroom and practice potions she'd made in her spare time, but then he'd found a very interesting memory, from a girl's lavatory, it appeared. In one of the stalls, Hermione had built a small fire. Over this fire, a sludgy, muddy-looking mess bubbled unpleasantly. A Polyjuice Potion, most definitely. Snape singled this memory out as Hermione began trying to fight him away, but Snape had more practise. He ignored her, focusing only on that memory and those tied to it, fleshing them out. A ghost caused a flood that nearly took the cauldron out, making Hermione furious...She checked on the potion twice a day, it seemed. Snape watched, amused as Harry Potter and Ron Weasley entered the bathroom looking apprehensive and full of distaste...Hermione dipped the potion into three glasses...The inside of a bathroom stall, drinking the potion...Hermione looking down at herself in abject horror, making the discovery that she'd become half-feline...
That was enough. Snape pulled away, watching Hermione carefully. Suddenly he felt concerned... were those tears in here eyes...? Without a word, Hermione turned and fled, leaving both Snape and Harry staring after her.
"What did you do?" Harry demanded angrily, recovering from his surprise.
"Watch your tone, Potter," Snape shot back. "Nothing she didn't deserve." He felt terrible even as the words left his lips. He'd pushed her too hard, and wound up hurting her, which in turn, hurt him. This was not good. Harry met his eyes, fury rising in his eyes.
"And what did she deserve? Sir," he spat.
"Keep your nose out, Potter," Snape returned. "Now leave." A moment later Snape was alone in his rooms.
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Hermione sat on the floor in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, tears trickling down her face. She was sure she'd just got Harry in horrible trouble. Not only that, but Professor Snape had just witnessed her biggest magical failure as a witch! She cried harder, although she still made little noise. Moaning Myrtle's ghost came suddenly out of one of the stalls.
"Somebody die?" she inquired, almost hopefully. "I haven't seen you in a while. Where's Harry?"
"Not here," Hermione answered, trying to wipe away some of the tears. She sniffed.
"Well, fine then," Myrtle said, diving back into the toilet. Water sloshed onto the floor. Hermione rose, wiping her eyes on her sleeves. Reaching into her pocket, she found a tissue and blew her nose. She looked at herself in one of the cracked mirrors on the wall. Her eyes were red, her face pale, and her nose was still running. Frankly, she looked a mess.
"Reparo!" she tapped the mirror with her wand. It glowed blue for a moment, then every crack disappeared. It was too bad she'd never learned many cosmetic spells, Hermione thought, because she could have used one right then. She made it her next mission to learn a few in case this ever happened again. Brushing herself off, Hermione went to the door and opened it, listening. No footsteps. She left the bathroom and made her way to her bedroom as quickly as possible, meeting no one.
In her room, Hermione found her notebook and entered her newfound information in it. She was still slightly bewildered by Snape's co-operation...but then, perhaps he'd just been trying to keep her off guard for his attack... Hermione put down her pen. Crookshanks walked across the bed to her, licking her face gently with his rough tongue. Hermione smiled shakily at her cat.
"What do you make of it, Crookshanks?" she asked. Crookshanks sat and rolled over onto her notebook. "Time to stop?" She lay on the bed beside Crookshanks, stroking his fur until she fell asleep.
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Loud knocking at her bedroom door wakened Hermione.
"Hermione!" It was Harry.
"I'm coming!" she called, rolling off the bed and onto her feet. She unlocked the door and let Harry in. "What is it?"
"Are you all right?" Harry asked, worriedly. "I looked for hours, but couldn't find you. Moaning Myrtle said you'd been in there but that you left. She wouldn't let me leave then. Wanted a bit of a chat. Look, is there anything I can do? What did Snape do to you? He wouldn't tell me."
"No, I'm all right. I'm worried though, Harry. He caught the Polyjuice Potion...he didn't see what you and Ron turned into, but he knows I turned into a cat. He's bound to put two and two together...You're sure to get into trouble. Oh, Harry! I'm so sorry... I tried to stop him but..." she tailed off, biting her lip.
"Don't worry about it, Hermione. Really, don't. There's not a lot he can do about it now, except maybe be astounded that you did that you made one of the most difficult potions known to wizardkind by yourself and only twelve years old."
"But I did it wrong," Hermione wailed. "I turned into a cat!"
"Which could happen to anyone, assuming they could make the potion in the first place," Harry assured her. "It isn't unusual, is it? Remember those diagrams in the book? At least you recovered, which is better than being furry forever, isn't it?"
Hermione sighed, unconvinced. Feeling rather dejected, she checked her watch. "It's almost tea time. We better get down to Hagrid's."
"He'll be worried when he sees you," Harry said.
"Do I look all right?" Hermione asked, reaching a hand to her hair.
"Yeah, it's just that you look sort of sad, and he can spot that a mile away," Harry said. "Oh well. At any rate, he'll make you feel better. Come on." He led her down the entrance hall and out of the castle, and then across the sweeping grounds to Hagrid's hut.
"Hello," Hagrid said. "I've been expectin' yeh. Why don' yeh come inside and tell me what's wrong, 'Ermione. You too, 'Arry." Hagrid held the door open, beckoning them in. "Have some tea." He poured them steaming mugs full. "Come on, start talkin'."
Hermione sighed. "We've been having Occlumency lessons with Professor Snape."
"What'd he do?" Hagrid growled, leaning forward in his chair, which creaked ominously.
"It wasn't him so much as me," Hermione tried to explain. "See, I've been trying to find out some things about him-"
"What'd you wan' to do that for?" Hagrid interrupted again.
"Because I'm curious," Hermione explained patiently. "Call it experimental research. Anyway, with Occlumency you use a combination of magic and mental strength to find memories and things from another person's mind. Usually, one uses it to tell whether or not someone is lying. I decided to sort of ask for certain memories about Professor Snape. He co-operated, and to keep him from getting all strange and defensive about it, I offered him memories of my own. That sounds sort of weird, doesn't it?" Hagrid nodded.
"Sounds mad," he answered. "Absolutely mad."
"Well today," Hermione continued, "I did it again, except this time, he took more than I wanted him to. I couldn't make him leave and he found out more about he Polyjuice Potion..." she stopped.
"More?" Harry asked.
"I was looking for a book in the library yesterday, Harry, and Snape was in there. Since I couldn't find anything interesting in the normal books, I asked him if I could go in the Restricted Section and he went with me. I was disappointed that Most Potente Potions wasn't there, and Snape said he had it. I went with him to his classroom and he gave it to me and I opened it and then when he told me something about Polyjuice Potion I told him I already knew..." her lip began to tremble.
"None o' that," Hagrid said, patting her hand. "Drink yer tea. You too, Harry. Now don' yeh be worryin' 'bout that, Hermione, yeh hear? All that with the potion happened a long time ago, so yeh don' need to worry 'bout punishments or anythin'. But if yeh wanted to know Snape, why didn' yeh come to me?"
"Oh Hagrid," Hermione gasped. "I didn't even think of that! I feel like such an idiot."
"Snap out of it," Hagrid ordered. "The pity party's over, an' you know it. Everythin's goin' to be all right. Now drink yer tea an' have a cake."
"Is it a rock cake?" Harry asked warily.
"Nah, I got these from the kitchens," Hagrid answered, smiling at them through his beard. "After that stew, I didn' feel like cookin' much."
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A/N: Hurray! Here comes even more character development. Not much of a note this time because I updated very recently. Thanks reviewers! I appreciate the support. Thanks ot my betas Aindel S. Druida and Kerichi.
Any guesses as to why Ginny Weasley's first name is Ginevra? My theory (copyright July 7th) is that she is named after Leonardo Da Vinci's first portrait painting of a girl named Ginevra. THe picture si supposed to be all sad and mysterious and stuff. Go read a book if you want to know more....I'm no art history teacher.
Also, I think that Cornelius Fudge is too simple to be believed. In addition to this, I wouldn't be surprised if the only thing he's good at is politics, and he is working under the influence of a very good Imperious Curse. I think the only way we'll find out is by his reaction to the Ministry break-in in book five. Hurry up, Ms. Rowling!!
Does anyone else find Ralph Fines very atractive? Charaismatic evil and whatnot. I'm looking forwad to this.
Oh, and what can possibly be the reason for the broken mirror in Harry's trunk? It's important, we know that because it isn't broken in a rubbish bin or the middle of the street...so what will it do? And why did Sirius die going "through the veil" instead of by the AK curse? Methinks it's time for pondering.
Have a triple fab day, everyone!