A/N: Forgive me everyone, in my desire to get my story posted, I made a critical error of canon – I wrote it down wrong in my own notes! There are only supposed to be six Horcruxes, as far as Dumbledore was concerned (page 503, US hardback edition) – Voldemort being the last piece of soul to make seven. No one called me out on that, so I don't think it really made a big deal to you, but I need to fix it.

I still believe Harry is one and Voldemort has no idea he did it (thereby making eight pieces of soul as I went and made in the original letter without explaining it), so I have fixed the letter to reflect this. It really did not change the rest of the story, as all events will still happen the same, but it made me look pretty darn silly to have left out the soul of Riddle, so go back and reread if you like, but I think you could get away with just continuing on without doing so, if you want.

So, as penance for my mistake, I present to you a second chapter. Play nice with it, it is all you get for a few days, as I have other fics to give my attention to as well. And no more Dumbledore letters, I agree, he doesn't know when to… shut up.

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters from Harry Potter. The whole Potterverse belongs to the genius of J.K. Rowling, who is a goddess amongst writers. I seek to make no profit from this venture and I promise to return everything back the way I found it.

Animula Privo
Story by Jessica Arbuckle (Jessi, Princess of Impatience)
July 18 - undetermined, 2005

Chapter Two, Surprises

Hermione folded the letter where it lay on the desk and started forward in her search of his quarters. She walked first to the heavily loaded bookcase along one wall. She could have begun with his desk, but the call of that massive wall of books was too much to resist. There, she knew she would find the reference works she needed and mostly likely a great deal of Dark Arts books under enchantment. But first, she needed to be able to see them as they really were.

"Finite Incantatum," she said, pointing at the bookcase. At first nothing happened, but she was not surprised.

"Did you really think it would be that easy, Hermione Granger?" she muttered to herself as she reached out and touched the book closest to her.

Yet, as she finished speaking, some of the books began to transform from their previous size, shape, color and even title and she saw one whole row of ancient-looking text appear in the row below the book she was currently touching.

"This is just odd," she said aloud to the empty room. First, she could enter Severus Snape's chambers with very little effort or thought on her own part and now, a simple spell revealed books that should only be under the heaviest guard? There had to be more to it.

"Think, Hermione, think! Why would you, of all people, be able to get in here and why would such a simple spell work?" she said in frustration, ignoring the fact talking to herself always made everyone think she had gone mental. No one would hear her and it helped her think. Right now, she needed all the help she could get. Searching her mind for answers to these questions, for several minutes she was quiet, until, suddenly, her brown eyes glowed in understanding.

She had been touching the books and saying her name as she had touched them. Somehow, this bookcase was enchanted to recognize her! It was easy enough for him to do without her cooperation, as she was sure her riotous mane had shed more than one hair in one of his classes. All he need to was get it and use it as part of the incantation. Instead of a simple spell to end it, the enchantment was most likely still in effect. If anyone else could enter this room, they would still see the books she had first observed.

Yet, why her, of all people? It was simple, once she finally allowed herself to think it. Contrary to his attitude, he had realized that if anyone would need the kind of information contained in his rooms, it would be the brains of what he had always scathingly referred to as the 'dream team.' Hermione did not feel conceited to think this, as it was only the truth. No other she had ever met was able to retain and recall the contents of books the way she could.

"That has to be it," she murmured in a pleased tone. Whether he had intended to or not, he had given her the highest compliment she ever thought to receive, that he recognized her intelligence and trusted her with his most prized possessions. The twinge of guilt in her gut grew at the thought. Now she felt worse than before for not trusting him and even more stupid for waiting so long to go to his chambers. She should not have waited until she had desperately needed what his private collections might have offered to the cause, she should have come right away and gathered anything that might have been useful.

"Research first, feelings later," she chastised herself. Fighting the desire to sit down and read every bit of the wealth of information currently in front of her, she instead skimmed the titles.

"Lucky for me, he needs… well, needed, order as much as I do," she muttered, pleased that the books were separated by content using ornate metal dividers slipped between volumes. Such organization would make her task easier. Moving past sections on dark potions and their uses, care of dark herbs and plants and more, she stopped in front of a section containing what looked to be dark spell books, all with bits of parchments sticking out of them at odd angles.

Turning her back on them for a moment, she surveyed the rest of the room. She needed space to work and she needed more than his desk, which she would not Transfigure until she had searched it. Looking towards the fireplace, she noticed a wide, low table in front of two high-backed chairs. She would just need to give it longer legs and it would do quite nicely.

Pointing her wand at it, she moved it over so it was against the front of his desk. The minute it was in place, she muttered a modification charm to extend the legs of the table to bring it to the same height as the desk. With that done, she turned back to the bookcase and began removing the spell books from the shelf.

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Many hours later, Hermione had checked and double-checked the books and the notes in Severus Snape's cramped print that were tucked within the pages against her own notes. At last, she had created a spell she felt confident would work and had detailed why on a long piece of parchment. She knew she would need proof if she was to convince him that it would work. She knew Harry would believe her without long research notes, but her former professor would expect every last bit of documentation to do something this risky. She had given him no less in the neatly rolled parchment current sitting atop a pile of books.

Now she was bent over one of his potion books, other open books and parchment spread around her on the desk and even on the floor, staring down at the solution to a problem raised by the creation of her spell. This potion was far too complicated for her to do alone, as it required two people for many of the elements and two highly skilled people at that. She would need Severus Snape, which meant they would be making a trip back here before they could end this war at last.

Her research done, she stretched, easing the kinks in her neck and back before she rose from the chair. She would need to visit the Pensieve now, before she could go find Harry and then track down Severus Snape. She surveyed the chaos surrounding her and made a mental note to come back and clean it up before she brought anyone back. He would be furious to see the mess she had created.

"At least he can't take house points," she said with a laugh. After she had cleaned, perhaps she would even get a chance to explore the rooms. She wanted to do so now, to learn what she could about the man she knew very little about, but that would have to wait.

She picked up the letter from his desk, placing it in a pocket in her robes. She exited the main room of his quarters, erecting the simpler wards she had brought down before her entry and moved off at a fast pace in the direction of Dumbledore's former office. She felt the desire to hurry, now that she was so close to finally saving both Harry and her former professor.

As she hurried, she considered her next task. It was dangerous, she knew, to go into a Pensieve with very little experience on how to control it. However, in her studies to develop her newest skills, she had learned that she would be able to control it as long as she remained calm and focused. Yet, even knowing that fact, she knew it still would not be a good idea to go alone unless she had someone who could bring her back.

She reached the office in record time, pausing a moment to catch her breath. As Hermione raised her hand and knocked on the door, she hoped that the current inhabitant of the office would be the one to assist her.

"Come in," said a muffled voice on the other side and Hermione entered, closing the door behind her.

"Ah, Miss Granger, what can I do for you?" Minerva McGonagall said as she lifted her head to find Hermione. She gestured towards a chair in front of the desk.

"Professor, I have come to save a man's reputation and another's life and I hope you will help me," Hermione said, sitting in the chair. She noticed an empty portrait frame behind the older woman and wondered briefly at it before Minerva spoke.

"Hermione, what are you talking about?" Minerva asked, looking at the flushed girl before her in surprise.

"I have come to save the reputation of Severus Snape, who is not a traitor but was under Professor Dumbledore's orders to do what he did. I am also going to save Harry's life, because he is a crucial piece of the way to defeat Voldemort," Hermione said. "I need you to be my anchor while I visit Dumbledore's Pensieve."

Before Minerva could respond, they were interrupted.

"Well done, Miss Granger, I had hoped you might ask for assistance from Minerva," a male voice said and Hermione jumped out of her chair, looking up to encounter the occupant of previously empty portrait. It was Albus Dumbledore, eyes twinkling as brightly as they had once done in life.

a/n: I almost died in happiness at all of the reviews. You all are so very kind and some of you quite hilarious. I am glad your faith in Severus was restored or reinforced though this fic, as I do believe what I have written. Although I do not have time now, I am setting up a page for reflecting over all the review love and I PROMISE I will work on it. Can't distract me from the writing, you know?

Sharing the "pimpage" so to speak, for those of you interested in more fine stories about our beloved Severus and his not-so-evil ways in book six and beyond, check out Under the Bridge's c2 "Done My Duty" and do go read "On the Road I Have Taken" by Humanity74, it is simply addicting. You are looking at one of her die-hard readers.

As always, please do R/R, I really do adore it!