Harry had yet to say much of anything and to say the least Severus was worried; though if you asked him, he would tell you that the brat could go off himself for all her cared. Severus had planned to turn the boy just as soon as his guardian, Black, had signed the papers, but depressed fledglings were not something he intended to be bothered with. He sighed and asked Hecate why she hated him so before putting the quill he had been using the grade essays in back in the ink well before walking over to the sulking Harry and plopping down beside the boy on the couch.

"You have to stop feeling sorry for yourself. It's pathetic, and loathed as I am to admit it Granger would probably tell you the same thing. " Severus said, grimacing at the fact that he was thinking along the same lines as the proclaimed insufferable know-it-all.

"I'm not feeling sorry for myself." Harry retorted. His voice was slightly distorted by the quilt he was trying to burry himself under. Severus was on edge now. He was not, absolutely not, having another heart to bleeding heart with Harry Potter.

"Get out." Severus growled in a low tone and jerked the quilt off the boy. Harry looked up at him shocked. " I said get out. Take your lazy ass out of my dungeons and do something useful or Gryffindorish. NOW!" Severus shouted the last part as he pushed the boy along and slammed the portrait behind him.

Severus leaned against the closed portrait for a moment before his face broke out into a huge grin, which sort of hurt and made his jaw pop and ache slightly. He reminded himself to smirk next time he was proud of himself. Smiling was a pain in the ass.

"Headmaster! Headmaster!" Arabella Figg shouted as she swept into the Headmaster's office with her hair loose and her robes in a mess. The headmaster looked up from his paperwork taking in the woman's cheerful behavior.

"Yes, Arabella? What has you so happy?" He smiled slightly at the woman.

"Miss. Granger is alive! Is not it just wonderful news?" She asked excitedly. The headmaster's grin widened a little.

"That is most wonderful news Arabella," He talked to her as if talking to one of his students, which she had been at one time. He wondered how old she was now. She must be at least 70 with graying, wispy hair and laugh lines readily visible. She was just out of her prime by witch standards. He was about her age when he taught Transfiguration. Whew, he was getting on up there. 140 years give or take was a lot. He wondered when his attention had become so sidetracked that he lost count of the years. He prided himself for his attention to the little things and minor details.

"ALBUS!" Minerva roared. The headmaster snapped out of his wondering thoughts and looked up to find a very stern looking Transfiguration Professor staring him down. Hmmm….Wonder when she got here?

"What has you so upset Minerva?" He asked.

"Did you listen to a word I said concerning Miss. Granger?" Professor McGonagall asked with a slightly dangerous purr to her voice. The woman was really taken being a cat animagus to a whole new level. The Headmaster awarded her with a blank stare before smiling cheerfully and leaning back with his hands entwined across his belly.

"Alas! I failed to even hear your entrance Minerva."

For her part, Minerva was very grateful that she could control herself around hundreds of adolescent every day or she would have surely just bitch slapped the Headmaster. Instead she sighed and walked out of the office telling Arabella to tell the Headmaster exactly what she had just said.

As the staircase that led to the Headmaster's office creaked signifying it's downward spiral, Dumbledore turned towards Arabella.

"So, I presume we were discussing Miss. Granger and her current state?" He asked in a tone that suggested nothing of McGonnagal ever being in the room. Arabella rolled her eyes heavenward and sent out a silent prayer to Merlin asking why he forced such things upon her.

"We need to relocate her to St. Mungo's as soon as possible. I was scarred I might do the poor dear more harm trying to get her there myself. I'm no healer, but I could tell the dear's arms needed immediate attention. The muggles took her to a burn ward and I told them I'd be back with a temporary guardian tomorrow. Her parents didn't make it through the explosion. Hermione living was a miracle." Arabella explained to him. Dumbledore nodded his head in thought for a moment before speaking.

"I expect her magic protected her. Even adults are still susceptible to outburst of magic in dangerous situations." He paused before continuing, "As a precautionary measure I had the Granger's make Hermione a ward of Hogwarts if anything happened to them because of the war. They even went as far the make Professor McGonagall the girl's godmother. Seemed she didn't have one before I spoke with them. Very precautious people, the Grangers were. I wonder if all dentists act that way?" Dumbledore ended with a thoughtful look. Arabella simply stared at him for a moment.

"I already knew that. The whole reason I had Minerva called up here was to tell her." Arabella got up miffed and walked towards the portrait that led out of the Headmasters rooms. She paused and a cruel smile appeared on her face before she turned and looked innocently at the Headmaster.

"Yes Arabella? Do you need anything else?" Dumbledore inquired with a raised eyebrow.

"I was just wondering…if all 147 year olds were old baffling codgers." Arabella quickly turned and ran out the passage like a schoolgirl.

Dumbledore look stumped for a moment. He could have sworn he was only 140, maybe 142 at the most.

"Alas! I do believe I have been insulted."

Professor McGonagall quickly hurried down the halls of Hogwarts as soon as she left the Headmaster's office. Miss. Granger, her favorite student was alive and was going to be okay! She simply had to go tell Mister Potter. She rounded the corner into the dungeons and stopped to wonder why Harry was wondering around in pajamas, but the thought was quickly lost as she smiled again and hurried towards the boy.

"It 'tis a good day Mr. Potter! Miss. Granger has been found alive!" She near cheered. Harry gave her a baffled stare before the contagious smiling spread to him.

"Really? She's alive? Is she okay? Where is she? What happened? Can I go see her? She's okay isn't she? Please tell me she's okay… Pro…" McGonagall stopped the boy's inane rambling.

"She's in a muggle hospital, but I am about to retrieve her to St. Mungo's. She sustained burns, hopefully nothing that potions cannot cure. I must hurry, but I just had to tell you. You can visit her tomorrow." McGonnagall quickly said before leaving the deviously happy boy standing in the dungeons.

Harry watched until the Professor was out of sight before promptly breaking out in a happy jig. He chanted 'Hermione's alive…Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!' just because he could.

"Potter? What the hell?" Harry stopped in the middle of his happy twirl and promptly over balanced and fell to the floor face first.

"I was just…ummm…" Harry spoke not moving. He then jumped up, spinning all in one motion to face Pansy, "Hermione's alive!" He happily shouted and latched onto Pansy pulling her into his dance. Pansy promptly slapped him.

"I didn't notice. You were only singing loud enough to be heard on the main floor." Pansy scowled at the now pouting Harry before contracting the contagious smile and announcing to Harry, "Hermione's alive!"

"I know. Isn't it great!" Harry shouted back happily.

"You mean to tell me that 122 muggles were killed, but you failed to kill the mud blood I sent you to kill? Are you that incompetent?" Voldemort hissed out in his slow, raspy voice. Bellatrix and Pettigrew shrank back and lowered their eyes from their Master.

"My Lord, I was for sure she was dead. The curse must have missed her and caused the explosion instead. Please forgive my failure, my Lord." Bellatrix begged.

"This had better not happen again Lestrange. If we are going to take over the Wizarding World we cannot have such failures. We are purebloods, the best class of humans on this world. I expect you to live up to the title or you will much prefer life in a four by four Azkaban cell. Now get up and get the hell out of my presence." The Dark Lord hissed as he stood. His grandeur he once held as a man coming into his prime was beginning to return, very slowly mind you. Voldemort was able to function on his own now and his magical prowess had returned to him.

Bellatrix and Pettigrew began to scramble to their feet.

"Not you." The Dark Lord stopped Pettigrew with a foot on his bowing back. Bellatrix hurried from the room. The Dark Lord shoved Pettigrew back with his foot and squatted in front of the rat like mat and yanked his face back to stare him in the eyes.

"I do not like traitors Peter. Even when the traitors turn to my side I still do not like them. Your kind disgusts me and I abhor your presence. I know you are in life debt to Harry Potter. If you betray me or even remotely displease me again I will feed you to Nagini. Do you understand Ratboy?" The Dark Lord asked, toning the hissing down in his threatening. Pettigrew managed a small nod as he tried to look anywhere but into those red, demonic eyes and failing. The Dark Lord smiled mockingly at him and ruffled his hair before standing. He then kicked the newly dubbed Ratboy in the chin and walked out of the room leaving the unconscious Ratboy for Nagini to play with. He stopped briefly to tell Nagini not to eat him yet; he still needed him to take over the world.

I never knew I could write so much pointless blather in one chapter! I am overly proud of myself.

Next Chapter: The plot continues! Hopefully. But, unfortunately, the next chapter will not be released until next Friday. I'm going on vacation! Whoot!