Forgotten Yesterday

Chapter 14: You Want Me to What?

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or any characters borrowed for use in this story.

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Hermione made her way down to the cold dungeons of Hogwarts. She intended to meet Harry before they went to tea with the headmaster. She walked straight into his classroom.

"Hey 'Mione." he called not looking up from the papers he was grading.

"How you know it was me?" Hermione walked down the aisle and took a seat in the front row.

"Everyone but you and Snape respect me enough to knock and he usually enters with much more profanity." he pulled off his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"You look stressed."

"Read this." he tossed her a roll of parchment.

Hermione unrolled it and began reading aloud. "There are many species of vampire and they are found on every continent except Antarctica. Often some of the more civilized species can actually become part of muggle or wizard society, though like werewolves they are looked down upon. Headmaster Snape is a good example of this." she looked up at Harry. "Oh dear."

"Yeah. The real question is should I give them credit or not. After all I was nearly twenty-five by the time I worked up enough courage to ask him."

"What did he say?"

"He said that if he was a vampire someone would have found my bloodless corpse on the road to Hogsmead years ago."

"There's your answer."

"Yeah but its such a long standing school myth. I'd hate to be the one to break it."

"I remember when we had to write that essay third year. What was it Ron wrote?"

"He wrote that vampires even live in England. Even in our own castle. Then he spent the rest of the three feet discussing his idea for an expedition to rid the school of the soul-less, slimy, potion sucking git."

"I remember that."

"Yeah. I think Ron actually got a good grade on that. But then it was Remus and he understood our sense of humor." Harry stood and stepped around his desk toward Hermione and held his arm out for her. "Speaking of potion-sucking gits we really should be on our way to tea with him."

She smiled and took his arm.

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"You're late." the dungeon master in Snape's painting admonished them. "He's waiting."

The paining swung open and they were just entering the long hallway when the old stones were shook by a deafening explosion.

Snape came tearing down the corridor from his office. "Where did that come from?"

"Potions corridor." Harry answered quickly beginning to run in that direction.

When the three reached the classroom the door had been blown across the hall, thick, black smoke billowed out. Snape grabbed one of the students that leaned against the wall coughing.

"What happened?"

"Professor Jamison was doing a demonstration and it exploded."

"Go get Madam Pomfrey." The boy tore up the stairs and Snape and Harry plunged into the choking room. Hermione began looking over the students and sending those who could walk up toward the hospital. The men came out at intervals dropping injured children. After they all were all accounted for they cast spells and extinguished the fires and cleared the smoke. When they finally emerged from the destroyed room he towered over the still coughing professor. "In my office now." He turned and began to storm off but stopped and turned to Harry and Hermione. "You two come as well."

They followed a respectful distance behind and once in the office took seats off to the side. Snape stood imposing behind his big desk, poor Professor Jamison sitting in the chair across the desk.

"Headmaster, let me explain…"

Severus quickly cut him off. "You'd like to explain what? Perhaps you like to explain how you managed to make a simple restorative into a combustible substance. Or you might want to explain why you were cowering under your desk while your students were being injured? Is that what you were planning to explain?"

"You're being dramatic."

"You have two hours to clear out your rooms."

"What?!?"

"You're fired."

"You can't fire me! The school governors?"

"Three of the school governors have children in the hospital wing thanks to your little demonstration. Get out of my school."

The now former potion teacher turned quickly and stormed out of the room.

Snape dropped heavily into his chair. After a moment of silence his eyes landed on the two Gryffandors in the corner. "Well, congratulations Miss Granger."

"For what?" Hermione rose nervously from her seat.

"You are the new potions professor."

"No, no, no, no. I can't. I have no training. I'm not prepared. I can't teach a class."

"You'll do fine 'Mione."

She sunk into the chair shaking her head.

Severus stood up and walked quickly around the desk. "Hermione," he knelt on the floor in front of her, "when you left this school I knew you were better prepared in potion making than most university students. I taught you above and beyond your peers. You know potions. You are prepared for this job. I would trust you in that classroom."

She looked up and met his black eyes. "You trusted that other guy."

"Don't remind me." he stood up. "That's what I get for trusting a Hufflepuff."

"Are you sure?" her voice was small and thin.

"I, Miss Granger am always sure."

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