Disclaimer: All belongs to Rowling. Once again how did she do it? Such genius? And kudos to Alfonso Cuaron for what I hope will be a spectacular interpretation of her work. Can't wait for June 4th.
Chapter Nine: Invasion of Privacy
Hermione read more into the readings on the magical abilities of women, and found a stopping point. There was a lot of general information there, but she wondered if this book would ever become specific enough to touch on the topic at hand. Maybe she had the wrong book!
She did read many things of interest but found that she couldn't really put all of the pieces together yet. 'How was this going to help them in the long run? And why would Voldemort want some unknown number of virgins?'
She couldn't find anything terrible… in this book. She thought again on 'The Power of the Innocent', and wondered if she would be able to locate that book in the restricted section, praying for it not to be still in Snape's possession.
She knew she was on the right track with that text, however nefarious its contents were deemed to be.
Hermione was happy to pack her trunk for the train. She packed carefully, humming all the while. She shined her Prefect's badge and wondered how it might help her to gather information about what Voldemort was planning. 'Shame on you, Hermione,' she thought. 'That old hat is going to have to re-sort you.' She smiled and felt a bit proud of her sneakiness. She felt she was going to need a fair number of Slytherin tactics this year. She laughed at the idea of Pansy Parkinson giving her pointers.
Molly locomotored Harry's and Hermione's trunks downstairs to join Ron's and Ginny's. Fred and George had a huge row with their parents about returning to school which ended with them taking up residence above their burgeoning business in Diagon Alley, Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes, and taking classes on the side to make up for their incompletes the previous year after they walked out. If all went well, and if Molly won her argument, then the twins would attend their seventh year with Ron. Truth be told, Molly would really be furious if she found out Fred and George had a space at Hogwarts that Dumbledore gave them for experimentation. Dumbledore loved a good joke. He was probably very sorry he missed the fireworks display of the previous year before the twins' masterful departure.
Hermione loved the train station. Always a bustle of activity, large brick arches and conductors in formal dress uniforms. She remembered how she felt when she first looked at her shimmering boarding pass with the gold writing— like Charlie with his winning ticket to enter Wonka's magical chocolate factory. It was almost too unreal to believe— a terrible prank to play on an eleven-year-old girl with her hopes so high. She wasn't a witch and she wasn't going to boarding school. It was a dream and she'd wake up any moment.
'Platform Nine and three-quarters indeed. Rubbish.'
Then there they were again, other odd-looking children running through the rather solid wall between Platforms 9 and 10. It still held magic for her. And magic was her life.
Ginny, Ron, Hermione and Harry stepped quickly out from the cab that brought them and loaded up the trolleys. Looking each way, they ran as quickly as they could, closing the distance between themselves and the platform. Only when they were past the barrier would Hermione truly feel safe. Her secluded life at 12 Grimmauld Place had left her a bit paranoid. She wondered if Pansy was still up to the challenge that lay facing them.
Back at the station a worried mother and Order member were huddled.
"Molly, it will be alright," Remus patted her arm.
She sniffed and blew her nose into a colorful strawberry handkerchief. "I know your right. I know…"
"I'll be there, Snape, Albus….Minerva," He emphasized Minerva's name with a little playful force. Molly laughed nervously. Minerva would absolutely curse to hell anyone who dared touch one of her girls. Her students were like her own children.
"Everything will be fine, you'll see."
Remus hugged her and the DADA teacher departed for the train.
Hermione was forced to meet up with the other prefects in their carriage with the Head Boy and Girl before the train left the station. She had duties to attend to before paling around with her friends and she dragged Ron along with her.
"I sure hope Malfoy decided to skive off this. I'd really like to wait before running into him too early."
"Ron, we need to at least try to get along a bit. He's a Prefect, and could— and does, succeed in making things very difficult for us."
"I'll make things difficult," Ron said angrily.
'Temper, temper. You see that's why it would've never worked out between us Ron, so hot-headed. Distracted by everything.' Hermione mused.
Hermione sighed and ushered her friend into the Prefect's compartment. It was then she got her first glimpse of Pansy Parkinson, right behind a smug Draco Malfoy.
"So how was your summer, you filthy little Mudblood?" Draco ridiculed.
'So that's how it's going to be now is it,' she thought.
"Fine, and yours? –you flesh-eating, maggoty, mangy ferret?" She replied sweetly and added a forced smile for good measure. Hermione became a different person around Malfoy. She stopped playing nice years ago. His comments meant less than nothing.
Draco sneered, but he detested the ferret comment. "Fine Granger."
"Nice to know some things don't change Malfoy. I can always count on you to be the complete prat that you are."
She made eye contact with Pansy, who was clearly angry by the exchange, but didn't dare do anything in front of the other Prefects. Hermione shot her the briefest look that said 'later.' And Malfoy caught it. Therefore, as soon as Hermione turned her brown head, Pansy popped her one, smacking her on the back of her noggin, pushing her into Draco a bit. Hermione spun around, but she was gone. Free of blame.
She was kind of surprised Pansy didn't follow them in, but then she didn't notice she wasn't wearing her Prefect's badge. Maybe she lost it last year due to one too many abuses of her privilege. Dumbledore probably had a way of finding out how the students behaved, even when Umbridge made her failed attempt to run the school. That gave Hermione some small comfort. It always made students feel a little better thinking Dumbledore was omniscient, covering them in that warm blanket of illusion. Pansy probably smacked her for Draco's sake, averting suspicion of any alliance, but it could've also been a bit of jealously—and Hermione made a mental note not to bring up Pansy's change in position unless she did.
The Prefect's meeting was the usual droll lecture on responsibilities. Prefects and the Head Girl and Boy did patrols of the grounds, giving detentions. Hermione thought perhaps she could 'overlook' some of the more serious snogging in the sad hope that it would result in fewer candidates for the Dark Lord's purposes. 'Oooh!'. She hated this. Was there no other way? She knew some students had more advanced sexual experiences than perhaps were appropriate for their age and responsibility, but then she didn't really want to encourage that either. Then she had an idea…
Hermione found herself impatient to leave the meeting and found herself nodding silently in agreement to a topic she knew nothing about. She wasn't paying attention when she should have been.
"Oh great!" exclaimed Celestin. "We thought we'd have to draw names like last year!" The daydreamer had just unknowingly accepted the nomination from the Ravenclaw Head Girl, who had actually nominated Hermione as a jibe— which amazingly succeeded in placing ownership of the Yule Ball squarely on Hermione's shoulders.
Just great, she had been voted in and they took her silence for agreement. 'Damn it.'
Hermione practically stomped out in a huff beside a shocked Ron. "Hermione! I can't believe you volunteered for that! It doesn't revolve around endless study or anything!"
She was angry already, might as well show them up. "Just you wait, Ron…" she pointed a sharp finger to his chest, "this will be the best Yule Ball ever! And if you keep making cheeky comments like that, I'll even make this year's dance educational!"
Ron looked horrified. Hermione was totally capable of such a brutal abuse of an otherwise fun activity.
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Pansy waited in the hallway and Hermione saw her slip into the girl's lavatory with a backward glance. Hermione excused herself from Ron, telling him she would meet him in the compartment and slipped in behind Pansy.
"I have an idea." They said in unison.
Hermione laughed. "I'm glad we at least have one. Hey, when do you want to meet?" Hermione whispered.
"Well obviously not like this! When and where?" Pansy shifted uncomfortably, body mashed up against the wall.
"How about 9pm tomorrow? We can slip into the Room of Requirement," suggested Hermione.
"The Room of what?"
"It's on the seventh floor, across from that painting where trolls are trying to learn ballet. Walk back and forth in the hall three times when no one is looking, concentrating really hard on what you need in the room. Then the door appears and you enter."
Pansy looked distrustful. "Humph. This I gotta see, Granger. Nine is kind of late…"
"I'm not going to give you detention, and don't tell me you haven't been out after hours before," Hermione said rolling her eyes.
"Fine."
Hermione waited until the peephole showed coast clear and left the bathroom. 'Uh oh.'
Ron could hear muffled sounds behind the cabin door.
'Really?' A male voice said.
'Hogsmeade weekend is in a couple of weeks… maybe we could go,' was her reply.
'Okay, as long as it's not to Madame Puddifoots. Yeech! I get bad vibes there…'
Approaching the compartment, Ron was still standing outside. If a caricature of Ron were animated, smoke would be erupting from his ears. He was red in the face, a scary thing to see next to his shock of orange hair. He had apparently been listening at the door, and obviously Harry and Ginny were its only occupants.
"You won't believe this, Hermione."
"Believe what?" Hermione inquired innocently.
"Them… Harry and Ginny. I overheard them…" he whispered harshly.
"It's rude to eavesdrop Ron." Hermione said plainly.
"I know but, Harry just asked my sister out!" Ron hissed.
"It's not that bad is it?" Hermione soothed.
"You knew?! You did, didn't you?" Ron gave a look of shock.
"Ron, she's your sister. Harry is your best friend. Would you want her to go out with anyone else? Don't you trust him? Next to Neville, he's the nicest guy I know." Hermione was trying to smooth things over, offering reason. But Ron immediately took offense.
"What do you mean, 'next to Neville!' What about me?"
"Ron, you have a hot head. You talk behind people's backs and generally are not always polite…"
"Good grief Hermione! I had no idea you felt that way!" He shot back quite angry.
"Don't get a complex!" Hermione fired back.
"You don't know Harry like I do…"
"Oh yeah, and with all that extra knowledge you've amassed… does it change your mind any that Harry's a fine bloke?"
"Well— yeah. But she's my…"
"Sister, yes Ron, I know. And who did she date last year, hmm…" Hermione looked up and tapped her chin with a speculative finger.
"Alright, alright…. You don't have to list them out." protested Ron.
Harry and Ginny opened the sliding door. Harry was grinning. Ginny wasn't.
"I didn't know my love life had to be approved through committee," Ginny hissed through her clenched jaw.
"So your okay with it, Ron?" Harry asked hopefully.
Ginny elbowed Harry, not pleased at all that he had addressed the court.
At the school things began as usual. All of the upperclassmen took their seats at the long house tables, chatting about their summers, gossiping about the return of Remus Lupin, the known werewolf, making bets about which couples would stay together, and which ones were doomed. The old well-worn sorting hat waited patiently on the stool in front and when Hermione looked around she noticed the fewer numbers. Just slightly. In the crowd, she couldn't quite make out who was missing.
There was murmuring at their table at the end near a group of third years. Colin and Dennis Creevey and a few other students were whispering about five Gryffindor students and two Hufflepuffs no longer attending Hogwarts.
"Did they transfer?" Natalie asked.
"I don't know," Colin said.
"My mum says they're all right scared about the war brewing. After last year and all, they figure no one's safe at this school. A new DADA teacher every year, Dumbledore choosing these professors…" Seamus shuddered.
"What are you on about Seamus?" Ron said hotly. "Are you trying to say Lupin s'not a good teacher? He's the best we ever had!"
Seamus turned red and angry. "I didn't say that, me mum said it…"
"And Dumbledore is the best the wizarding world has ever seen since Merlin, so just shut your trap about him, yeah?" Ron added.
"Ron, stop." Hermione interrupted. "I'm sorry Seamus. You were saying something and we were all listening… weren't we?" Hermione said with a death glare toward the red-headed fury beside her.
Seamus nodded a thanks and explained. "Me mum said a lot of parents were pulling their kids out of school. She would've me too but I complained too much. Only got two years left and look what we're doing in DA, yeah?" He said the last bit under his breath, but most of the members were sitting at the table beside him. "Just look around. Colin's right… look Theo Branstone's sister, Eleanor, is gone too."
"Hey," Ginny piped up, "Is it only Muggleborns gone? Who else is missing?"
The group of Gryffindor's immediately checked out the Ravenclaw and Slytherin tables searching for the pureblooded peers they recognized. The Ravenclaws were in gossiping formation like the Gryffindors were, but the table marked by green robes was mysteriously silent. Furtive glances suggested they knew who was missing even if all of the rest of the students didn't. Hermione made the briefest eye contact with Pansy Parkinson, who had a stony expression overshadowing her face; she was trying to study the wood table she was sitting at as if it possessed some hidden interest.
Hermione would have to wait until nine for the answers she wanted. Ginny looked at Hermione and saw the same expression there she had when speaking about the research. It would have to keep until later.
Soon as usual, Professor McGonagall led the first years in. Thirty-two new students. Two fewer in each house than the previous year. They all cheered after each student was sorted, but they were half-heartedly clapping only as the older students still craned their necks and whispered about the missing students.
Dumbledore made his usually clever speech and as always had a few choice words.
"Welcome to Hogwarts new students and welcome back to all who are returning! I know that many of you have been thinking upon some of your classmates who did not resume their studies here this year. They will be missed. Let us keep them in our thoughts and keep in mind the value of opportunities at education, friendship, and safety within these halls.
Please join me in welcoming again a fine teacher who has agreed to return and teach our Defense Against the Dark Arts classes, Professor Remus Lupin!" There was a surge of applause, which made Remus' cheeks run a bit red. Snape only glared. He'd been passed over again. Lupin didn't expect such a warm welcome after people found out about his lycanthropy problem, but here was the applause. Children were so forgiving, even if some of their parents weren't.
"Also, Firenze joins us as well, co-teaching Divination with Professor Sibyll Trelawney!"
Another fiery round of applause ensued, especially from Lavender and Pavarti, Trelawney's groupies. They were bound for fortunetelling. And it was suspected that Lavender might have the gift. Hermione still thought it was rubbish.
"As always, the Forbidden Forest is off limits to all students. If you wish to die an interesting but gruesome death however, please feel free to explore after dark." That comment earned the stunned silence it was expected to invoke. "Hogsmeade weekends will be handled a bit differently this year, your Heads of House will be speaking to you on this matter later in the week. I have three more words to say… Pop-tart! Smurf! Abraca Pocus! – Now tuck in!"
"Sounds like someone's been watching Saturday morning cartoons," Harry muttered.
Hermione and Seamus laughed with a few others. Ron and Ginny didn't get it.
Hermione left to go upstairs and unpack her trunk. She locked the coin purse, ink, nibs and other sentimental items into her personal dresser and warded it heavily. She still hadn't had a chance to deposit the money she had earned. Warded or not, it bothered her a little that she had a small fortune in her room. She motioned in the next room for Ginny to come in and soon they were seated on her bed.
"I have a meeting with Pansy Parkinson tonight," she said quietly. "We're going to try and form some kind of plan about this whole virginity thing."
"Hermione, you're really beginning to scare me. Do you really think it's that serious?" asked Ginny cautiously.
"Right now, we're just gathering information. We haven't decided anything yet. Pansy's Dad was offering her to You-Know-Who. You know he's not just after one right? And there's no way it can be for anything stupid. It's never that simple."
"I don't know Hermione. Shouldn't we tell Dumbledore?"
"No. I don't think so. Not yet anyway. I have a little tiny bit of Pansy's confidence. We would blow that by telling a teacher. You know how they've been handling things…"
"Behind closed doors," Ginny finished.
"Yeah, and leaving us out of the loop! I'll never forget the look on your mom's face! She was terrified. And I am not going to have that kind of information kept from me if we're going to be on the receiving end of that crap."
Ginny nodded. "What do you need from me?"
"Do you know, I mean really know… for definite for sure, which students have already had sex or lost their virginity?"
Ginny looked a bit surprised but then looked at the list of students Hermione handed to her. 'Wow, she has been doing her homework this summer.' Ginny checked off a few names, and surprisingly the names of several younger witches that caused Hermione to gasp a bit. Ginny fixed her with a negative headshake, which said, 'Don't ask.'
Nine o'clock rolled around quickly and Hermione found herself wishing that she had her own invisibility cloak. She ran almost into Pansy and began the ritualistic pace responsible for making the door to the Room of Requirement appear.
"Hey! What is this place?" Pansy asked. She looked around the cozy room, holding only two couches a lamp, some parchment and foe glasses. Had they looked at the wall of books, they would've been frightened to see volumes on chastity, abstinence, safer sex, and the tantric arts.
"It's a space that provides for its users whatever they require. If you concentrate hard on needing boxing gear, it provides the best gym and equipment you've ever seen. If you need books for studying for your tests… presto! Bookshelves appear with an amazing selection, probably found in our own library. Haven't figured that one out yet…"
Hermione swished her wand and her notes appeared from thin air. Pansy just pulled out her single sheet of names, looking a bit shocked at the amount of work Hermione had put into a solution that she found so elementary. Hermione pulled out her own list and they compared. After arguing a bit, they both decided that neither jumped to conclusions about someone's virginal status based on rumor.
"The number is still too big!" argued the Slytherin.
"Actually, I've been reading, and it seems that a virgin's power isn't truly strong enough until she is older."
"Are you mad?"
Hermione rolled her eyes. "I've been reading in this book the Power of Women, that girls over fourteen are more likely to produce more powerful results in potions where their blood is used. And I suspect that's what he needs. Blood. Maybe to heal himself? It's terribly rare to find anymore. There are a bunch of powerful healing potions which can be produced from it. The potions get weaker the younger the witch is, so I'm thinking for now we should focus on the fifth, sixth and seventh years."
The list of 140 girls had taken a nosedive to fifty-one. Out of the fifty-one, they had crossed out the majority of the seventh years, and even at that Hermione looked shocked. Parkinson didn't say anything either. She looked at Hermione's list and thought the same thing. On her nightly patrols, she had caught her fair share of students in rather compromising positions last year, and heard some of the other Prefects had as well. Fifty-one students had diminished to thirty. And that was that they knew of.
Hermione thought for a moment and Pansy sighed. "I don't know… I was interested in boys at 14. If desire is the only pre-requisite for stronger blood magic, are you sure the Dark Lord won't be able to use them too?"
"Better be on the safe side," agreed Hermione. They added eighteen more girls in. "Hey, Pansy? Why are there so many Slytherin girls missing?"
Pansy shot her a scathing look and said with force, "Maybe it's because this idea of ours isn't so far fetched. The Slytherins that didn't return are all children of Death Eaters. Kendra was rumored missing earlier this month. Her parents say they don't know where she is, but all I can say is 'run Kendra.' The others— I don't know if they've been offered like me, or spoiled so He can't have them—I mean, who would want that for their children? Even if it is for loyalty!" Pansy was filled with hatred and anger again and Hermione felt sympathetic for the girl whose own father had sold her out.
"We need more info. Then we can call a meeting." Hermione suggested.
"How can we even know which ones we can trust?"
"We can trust Ginny. She's in."
"Weasley! You told her?!" Pansy fumed.
"Yes, I did. And you can trust her. She is one girl with six, over-protective, older brothers who knows how to handle them. She can keep a secret. We spent some of out summer together. Trust me, she's on board."
"Fine. What about everyone else?" Pansy said resignedly.
"I think we should approach them individually. When they find out what's up… do you think they'll be lining up to sacrifice themselves? I think not."
"But can they keep a secret?" argued the skeptical girl.
"We'll find a way. Right now, we need to mark off the list. I have another book I need to locate called the Power of the Innocent. That will probably tell us what darker spells virgins could be used to produce." Pansy drew in a sharp breath.
"It's a dark text?" Hermione nodded. "Be careful handling it if you do see it. That…" Pansy took a deep breath. "Just be careful." Hermione was bit taken aback that Pansy Parkinson would ever tell her to be careful, but things were changing now. It was weird to have a girl who popped her one on the back of her head earlier, be watching her back.
"When should we meet next?" Hermione asked.
Pansy thought a moment. "I'll give you a signal and we agree to meet that night at the same time if we agree."
"I have a better idea." Hermione pulled out her wand and charmed her cloak clasp. Then she reached for Pansy's who reluctantly relinquished it.
"What are you doing?"
Hermione muttered to Parkinson's silver snake brooch, charming it also. "Ok, now whenever you need to meet with me just point your wand at the clasp and say the time and date you want to meet. Then my pin will warm and I'll know… or likewise I could do the same for you. When you turn your clasp over you can see the date and time appear faintly on the back. No one else will notice."
Pansy still looked unconvinced but Hermione took her stunned silence for agreement.
Hermione left the Room of Requirement and instead of heading to the dormitories, instead found her feet walking the memorable path to the library. Hermione found it difficult to go to sleep at night, and having her schedule changed around was going to take a bit of getting used to. School began Monday and she had 48 hours to herself.
Snape smiled in the shadows and emerged silently behind the young woman. "Miss Granger," he drawled silkily startling her, "School hasn't even started yet and already you are breaking school rules. It's too late for rounds. Not a fine example for a Prefect to set. Ten points from Gryffindor for being out after curfew. Now return to your dormitory at once."
"Yes sir." Hermione was caught and decided she definitely wanted an invisibility cloak. Something.
Snape smiled to himself. He knew where she had been headed. Snape was heading for the same place. Spent half of her summer in the study of the Headquarters. The fall term had officially begun.
In the morning Hermione forced herself out of bed and snuck in the library before breakfast. She perused the shelves in the restricted section but found nothing. It would take quite a while to sort through all of it, but she knew what book she was looking for and it wasn't here.
She entered the Great Hall for breakfast late, but it was Saturday and tardiness was overlooked. Students were expected to be prompt most school mornings, but weekends were more relaxed. Harry, Ron, and Ginny were already outlining an afternoon of Quidditch practice while the weather was nice. Hermione felt a bit distracted by her own thoughts. She felt claustrophobic at 12 Grimmauld Place and now she was feeling engulfed by the enormous halls— a little lonesome and homesick for a small divan and some chamomile tea, ink-stained fingers and the sight of Severus in that black leather chair.
She stole a glance up at the Head table where Professor McGonagall and Lupin were in a heated debate over something. Snape just looked down at his plate, pretty well devoid of food of any kind and sipped his coffee while he read the paper. She smiled inwardly as she notice his frown at the contents of the coffee cup. It wasn't holding Harry's home brew. Feeling a little guilty for staring, Hermione turned to her own meal just as Snape looked up. He felt eyes on him and looked around suspiciously for a moment, a sixth sense creeping at him before he returned to his now cooler beverage.
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The students could here the slicing motion of his swishing black cloak cutting the stagnant dungeon air as Professor Snape strode forcefully into the classroom.
"Welcome to Advanced Potions. I am utterly surprised so many of you are able to join me." He glared at a few students who had miraculously earned an 'O' on their OWL. "You will notice which of your classmates were not able to join us today and for all of our safety, as we embark on the more dangerous potions, I am sure many of you are eternally grateful for their absence." That earned a few laughs. "Today, we will begin by… ten points from Gryffindor for talking, Mr. Potter. Want to make it 20?" Snape spat with a satisfied venom.
"No sir." Harry said, wishing to respond very differently.
"Then close your mouth and stop wasting class time." Snape exhaled in displeasure and began class again. "Now, please turn in your text to page 576, regarding the effects of flowers and their components in potion making. Who can tell me what the uses of bellflower are in advanced potion making?"
Hermione looked around, and seeing no hand in the air, raised her own hand then. However he still did not recognize her.
"Very well, I shall choose someone… Mr. Potter. Can you explain the uses of the bellflower?" 'Let's put you on the spot Wonder Boy. You don't belong here.' Snape thought. 'I can't scarcely believe you earned an O on your Owl exam.'
Harry shifted in his seat and tried to give the best answer he could. It was their first class, and he nearly began at the end of the book. 'Bet Hermione knows.' "Sir, the bellflower can only be gathered by a virgin and is most commonly used as a base of healing potions. I would assume it's use in more advanced potions would include… more advanced medicines, antidotes, tinctures, and treatment of unicorns?" Harry wrinkled his eyes at bit, and shrugged waiting for his answer to be crushed to smithereens by the sadistic potions master.
Snape thought for a moment as Hermione and the rest of the class stared at him in surprise. "Lucky guess, Mr. Potter. You didn't seem too sure, though vague, but nevertheless you are correct." Only Snape could drawl out a comment in such a contemptuous manner that it was more of an insult than praise.
Harry smiled in relief, but also didn't earn any points for his answer. This was Advanced Potions not Jeopardy. Answers in Snape's class should come in the form of a statement not a shaky question.
Next class, I will escort all of you on a field trip into the Forbidden Forest to gather bellflowers in order to brew the first of three healing potions," Hermione's face blushed a bit and she resisted any attempt to bite her lower lip. Her embarrassment at the implication quickly turned her blood cold, annoyed by the inappropriate glances and murmuring of the boys in the class, which of course, went unpunished by Snape.
Slowly realization dawned on some of the other girls who began their nervous fidgeting, which muffled Hermione's discrete charm at her own clasp. Pansy caught her squinted eyes quickly, turning her head and snickering as if she was responding meanly to some rude comment Malfoy had whispered. They would need to talk about this.
Hermione barely made it through the rest of class without snapping. She was on edge. It was barely the first day of class and the drama was beginning already. She gathered her items as quickly as possible and threw them in her satchel. Harry (and everyone else) noted the force with which she did this, missing the satchel— and her textbook hit the floor with a loud clunk, announcing to the world her frustration.
"Hermione, what's gotten into you?" Harry asked.
Hermione just looked up and glared. "Not here." Her jaw clenched and she shot an accusatory stare at Snape.
"Miss Granger, may I see you for a moment please?" Snape inquired quietly.
Hermione was practically growling as she picked up her book and stuffed it in her overflowing backpack. "Yes, sir." She said in a higher tone as sweetly as she could. She took a deep breath and tried to collect herself. She would take care of this. 'How dare he?'
Harry gave her a sympathetic look and told her he'd wait for her in the hall.
The uniform clad girl, stood proudly, obediently before his desk like a soldier, abandoning any kind of informality he remembered from those pajama clad mornings during the summer. Hard to believe it had just been last week.
"Miss Granger, please take a seat," Snape instructed.
She sat, but still carried the indignant feelings where respect for him was once held.
"I would like to propose an advanced project for you in Potions, even though it is a year early. You must understand why I don't always call on you in class."
'Why you don't ever call on me in class, you mean.' All she said was, "Yes, sir."
"I am in a unique position, and cannot give the kind of challenge to you in the classroom which will move your development in potions along. Am I right in understanding you have interest in pursuing the subject further beyond your graduation?"
She shifted a bit in her chair. "Yes, sir. I have been thinking about becoming a Potions Mistress."
"Then I would like to propose a project two nights per week. I had to receive the Headmaster's approval which he gave so long as you don't require use of a time turner…" Snape playfully drawled. His casual demeanor was a bit more lax than his bitter classroom sarcasm and the contrast was shocking, especially after today's lesson.
"Thank you, sir. When should I start?" Hermione was eager, but winced inwardly as she thought about what she had planned to talk about with Pansy. A project like this was what she had wanted, and it offered her an opportunity to work more closely with Professor Snape, giving an opportunity to explore and feel certain about her choice of career as well as a chance to understand more about advanced potions than she could learn from a book.
"Wednesday night, 6:30pm?" He suggested, really making an effort to be agreeable.
"Yes, sir. Thank you. What should I bring?"
"There are some new texts for you to study. I'll give them to you then." Snape felt satisfied as she accepted his offer. He hadn't really expected her to refuse, but students didn't actually line up to work with him. He had a reputation for being a bastard and it was well earned. Maybe he would claim Minerva's pet student for his own after all.
That was the icing on the cake. New books. From Snape. And then she eyed the familiar binding of the tome on his desk. 'Damn it. He still has it.' Already Hermione was trying to find ways to sneak a peek and take advantage of her new independent study. The Slytherins were rubbing off on her.
She was still angry. She couldn't wait to talk to Pansy. He didn't even mention the topic of discussion in class today. 'Maybe he didn't feel it was worth mentioning.' That thought alone outraged the young Gryffindor even more as she waltzed off to join Harry in the corridor off to their next class.
"That took a while. Now will you tell me what's up?" Harry impatiently asked.
"Snape just asked me to do private potions lessons with him twice a week," Hermione hissed under her breath. And then added, "But don't tell anybody; it's kind of a secret."
"Um, ordinarily I would say that's terrible, but isn't that kind of what you were hoping for?"
"Yes. No. Oh, I don't know." Hermione sighed in confused frustration.
"And what were you on about in class? You looked about ready to hex somebody."
"Harry, are you really that thick? Think about what we talked about in class today, what we will be doing Wednesday and add those things up. Then get back to me, m'kay?" Hermione stormed off and left a perplexed Harry in the hall to do the math.
Hermione paced way beyond the three required times and entered the appearing door just as Pansy ran in behind her.
"Got to talk Granger, so listen up," Pansy snapped crossly.
That took Hermione a bit off guard as she was already bursting at the seams. "All right, I'm listening."
"You may not know, but Professor Snape… well, he's a Death Eater." Parkinson said under her breath, like she was betraying her own Head of House.
Hermione tried to act shocked, but she couldn't. She was a bad liar.
"I suspected as much." Pansy's eyes widened a bit then narrowed as she felt her whole House was being stereotyped. "I mean he's the Head of Slytherin. It seemed at least possible. And what the hell was that about in class?"
"If anyone was asked to produce a list of students it would be someone here." Pansy said.
"I was thinking Draco would be asked by his Dad, but Snape seems much more reliable source of information," Hermione thought aloud. "We can't do it and that's that."
"You mean the bellflower picking? What do you mean? How exactly do you plan on refusing?" Her arms were crossed defiantly, arguing was her best skill.
"Don't you feel violated?! Did you see the look on Malfoy's face?" Then she saw Pansy's face, maybe that wasn't the best choice of student to pick as an example… "A lot of the boys were ogling and looking around… 'hmmm let's figure out who's a virgin.' We might as well paint big targets on us! Snape's gonna out us to the whole school! Even if some of the guys are a bit more honorable than others, it'll be all over Hogwarts by supper!"
"I cannot picture what hell will break loose if you tell that to Snape's face in class on Wednesday. And surely we're not the only group to be asked. Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw have potions tomorrow. I double dare you to refuse Snape in front of the whole class!" Pansy laughed at the foolish Gryffindor, but she knew what Snape was doing. It had already begun. The girls were being sorted.
But Hermione's wheels were turning… and Pansy saw her finally examine the room she had wished for. There were several books on the nearby table, Muggle movies, "Rebel Without a Cause", "Dead Poets' Society," and several books on Hogwarts Handbook of Student/Teacher Conduct, and Professional Ethics of Teachers.
"We go to Dumbledore." Hermione said decisively.
"You are out of your fucking mind!" Pansy was fuming hands clenched into tight balls.
"Completely." Hermione didn't react to her peer's anger. She smiled. That scared Pansy a little and surprised her with the confident attitude.
"You can't tell him what we know." Pansy warned.
"I won't have to." 'But there will probably be repercussions…' Hermione thought chewing her lip. Bye, bye, independent study. She'd had the offer for all of six hours and she already was wrecking that opportunity. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad. Snape didn't want to give the list of names either, she thought. Maybe her refusal would make it easier for him to stall. "Just tell me, how willing do you think the other female students will be to signing a petition collectively refusing the assignment?"
Pansy's reply was a loud scoff.
This was going to be difficult. Hermione might very well have to go it alone, but she'd prefer not to. "You have any better ideas?"
"Actually," Pansy began slyly. "I didn't mention it before, but after we get our list together, I think we should all make a pact to get shagged as soon as possible."
"Now you're crazy! I'm not…" Hermione took a deep breath. "We won't be able to convince everyone to do that, nor should they have to!"
"Any other bright ideas? Now's the time!" Pansy's hands were on her hips and she was waiting for the brilliant solution.
"I thought maybe, we could start a few rumors…" Hermione looked a bit calculating.
This was right up a Slytherin's alley. "Hmmm… so girls start gossiping about who's doing who…"
"Everyone loves a good scandal." Hermione added.
"It'll be all over the school in no time." Pansy reasoned.
"If Ginny said you kissed someone, by the time it got told through 30 different students, you'd be shagged, knocked up, and married with your announcement in the Daily Prophet!"
They laughed. It was true. "It'll take a while to plant rumors about enough girls. We need to pace ourselves, otherwise who'll buy it?"
"Yeah, but we need to get their agreement first! I don't want to have a reputation for spreading lies. It'd be better if once people find out, that they didn't deny it."
"You're no fun. But you're right. We need more than a few people to confirm those stories... or at least not deny them." Pansy agreed. "Hopefully You-Know-Who's list will be hopelessly incorrect."
They laughed but didn't feel it strongly. A dark feeling settled itself into the stomachs of both girls. Hermione's face assumed a look of steely determination as she snatched the book of school rules and conduct from the desk.
No way to avoid it. No way to pretend this wasn't as important as they thought, that they were making too much of things.
It was official. This meant war.
Author's Notes:
Thank you for being so patient! It's been enormously difficult to write this chapter. My husband got back in town and we've been fighting over one computer. He finally de-bugged mine and here I sit— a week later, hammering this one out. This is a transitional chapter, and I wasn't quite sure how much I would put in it. All I have to say is, Poor Snape— he's got another thing coming if he thinks he can mess with the likes of Ginny, Hermione and Pansy.
And do you remember Bugs Bunny? Abraca Pocus… Pocus Cabadra! I love those rearrangements of made up magic!
Many thanks to my new beta The Klingon Mistress! insert applause here She's been proofreading the chapters for errors and giving suggestions. Thank you, Thank you! You're awesome!
Romm: Thanks… and honor will be intact… but who knows? See how the file gets added to the gumbo…
Talisman: Thanks for the correction, I'll correct and reload.
simplyscribbling: Yep, the fireworks are coming next chapter… Snape's not going to figure out her role for sometime, though I haven't thought if the big reveal should happen by accident or by necessity. The group will come together soon. I don't have a cat, but friends have told me it's rather exciting. One of my friends decided to set a video camera up at night to see what the shy kitties do when they think no one else is looking… it's hysterical. And an old boyfriends cat likes to get up at 5:30 am when no one is awake and spaz around the apartment, cat on acid style, and mess up piles of papers until he gets attention. It's freaky.
Spirit: Yo s'up sweems? Where are you from? Most people don't say s'up anymore, but I assure you here in Houston and in Memphis (my hometown) we still do! Thanks!
Ezmerelda: Very concise description of Hermione's and Pansy's motives and you're right! And the poem was still in fine calligraphy form, probably more traditional in style, not the same as his book or her schoolwork. Snape won't get it for awhile….
Wytil: Hmmm, I wonder if that's the colostrum? It's what comes first and is supposed to prepare the baby's gut for digesting milk… I'll ask the lactation consultant at work maybe she knows.
Alicat99: Thank you! Thanks for sharing your breastfeeding experience, hopefully I'll be able to identify soon, my husband and I are trying now. Smiles! Here's the next chapter.
Maxy: Thanks, I don't often write poetry and had trouble posting it, kind of mushy and angsty. Yup, Hermione's got troubles all right.
Celtic Words: Thank you! And here is the update. I do promise excitement!
eranice: Sorry it took me a whole week! This is a transitional chapter.
lyress: Woo hoo! Glad to oblige. Girl power!
Jade: Yup. Great idea, totally plan on pansy having such opportunities. She's a sly one.
Three AM: Thanks a bunch! Definitely a favorite chapter of mine. I liked the Quidditch scene and I also love the coffee… luv the coffee… Hopefully will get more neat stuff in about blood, however made up it might be. Sorry it took me so long to update the next chapter.
Tomato: And here's your some more!
Faerluthio: Thank you for the complement! Though I'm not so sure I do such a good job at writing Snape.