Title: Hermione's Helping Hand

The Clearing Of Severus Snape

The castle grew very quiet over the next several weeks. The Professors, not having students to teach anymore, left and returned to their homes. Hermione was left at Hogwarts, watching her three children, who were now three months old. Raven had started to sit up, which was unusual for a baby her age, but she figured that this was the mark of a genius. Hermione was also three months along and when she went to see Madam Pomfrey, she told her that she was going to have a boy and a girl.

" That's great!" Hermione said.

" I'm glad you like it," the Matron said.

A week later Hermione got a letter from the Ministry. One: to tell her that she had to report to the Ministry for her job interview at nine, and two: that her husband was cleared of all charges. Hermione was most excited about the second part of the news then the first. She went to her husband and showed it to him.

" Isn't it great?" she asked.

" It sure is!" Severus said, smiling. " So how are you feeling?"

" Much better!" Hermione said. " It's great to be able to eat again."

" Don't I know that?"

The next morning she went to the Ministry, and at once reported to the office. The Committee on Experimental Charms was almost located right near the Auror office. As the lift stopped, she saw someone get blasted through the door. Hermione wanted to help him out, but decided against it. She couldn't afford to be late so she let the lift take her up.

When she arrived she saw that she was five minutes early. She checked herself over and then entered. The committee was a huge office with at least twenty witches and wizards crammed into small cubicles. The front desk lined almost the entire front of the office, except for a small space where people could go in and out. There was a tall wizard behind the desk, looking over at the Daily Prophet.

" How may I help you?" he asked, when he looked up and saw Hermione standing there.

" Yes, I've got a interview at nine," Hermione informed him.

The wizard took out a large clipboard and looked over it. He nodded and then motioned for Hermione to follow him. Hermione walked past the rows of cubicles and then a door was opened and she entered a large office. A tall wizard that Hermione had only seen once, and that was during the Quidditch World Cup fiasco. He stared at her, as though he knew who she was.

" Sit!" he ordered.

Hermione sat.

" Well Mrs. Snape I was surprised that you were early," he told her. " Now as I know, you've just left Hogwarts and according to our records you can go into any part of the Ministry. Why did you choose the Committee on Experimental Charms?"

" Because it was the most challenging department that I know of," Hermione answered.

He gave her an odd look.

" Would it be better if you worked in the Auror Department."

Hermione pointed to her stomach in response and he nodded.

" Well you seem to have everything that were looking for and I'm in need of new committee members since You-know-who killed most of them. Your hired!"

Hermione at once leaped with excitement, which her new boss didn't take very well. However he didn't say anything to her about it, but had another witch come in and show her where her cubical was at. Once she was settled, she was given her first piece of work.

" Mr. Sage wants you to go to the Weasley house."

" Why?"

" It seems that one of his enchanted objects got away and Muggles saw it," she told her. " It looks like the work of the youngest brother."

Hermione sighed and then got up and left.

The trip to the Weasley house failed to produce Ron, or any Weasley for that matter. A note taped to the door told anyone that came a calling that they were out. Hermione wrote a note herself, telling Mr. Weasley that she needed to see Ron at the Committee for Experimental Charms as soon as possible. She put the seal of the Ministry and returned to the office.

" I couldn't find him," Hermione reported.

" Did you leave a note?"

Hermione nodded.

" Well, then, where going to have to wait until he pops his head in."

Hermione left, not understanding what he had just said.

Hermione didn't return home until late that night. She fell on the couch and closed her eyes. The next thing that she heard was Dobby's voice and the house elf pulling at her robes. She opened her eyes and looked at him.

" Yes!" Hermione said.

" I was wondering if you wanted me to stay here."

Hermione nodded, and then she got up.

" I need to get some sleep," Hermione told him. " Wake me up in the morning."

And she dragged herself off to bed.

The next morning she again worked hard in finding Ron. She was able to talk to Mrs. Weasley and explained why she was there. Mrs. Weasley looked very upset that Ron wasn't even five minutes out of school and he was now in trouble with the Ministry.

" I'm telling you that boy is causing all sorts of trouble," she said.

Hermione looked at her.

" What do you mean?"

" Well he got turned down in the Auror Department, got himself blasted through a door, and now I can't find him and neither can Luna."

Hermione suddenly remembered what she had seen yesterday. She thought the man looked familiar, but she had been so worried about getting to her interview on time that she hadn't thoroughly worked out who it was.

" Well we need to find him," Hermione told her. " If not, then there's going to be trouble."

" I agree, Hermione, I agree!"

By the time Hermione returned back home, it was much later then the first night she had returned home. Dobby had a soak for her feet and as she slipped into the footbath, she felt the potion that had been added, working.

" Where's Severus at?" Hermione asked.

" He had a sudden meeting with the Headmaster," Dobby said. " I don't know what the two Misters are talking about."

" Well I would leave them to it," Hermione said. " Men don't like their conversations interrupted. So how were the children?"

" Miss Raven is making things float," Dobby reported. " And Mr. Godric is trying to pull things down from Mr. Severus Snape's desk."

" Anything else?"

" Crookshanks is gone!"

Hermione looked at him.

" He escaped!"

Hermione moaned in disgust. She had intended in getting her cat fixed, but with everything that had happened, she never had the time.

" Also Mr. Harry Potter's nasty aunt is spending time with Alister Moody."

Hermione stared at him, shocked.

" What do you mean?"

Dobby snickered.

" Their going to Hogsmead a lot and spending loads of time alone."

Hermione felt like laughing at what Dobby had just said. If they were really spending all that time alone, then Harry would have a new uncle. Several hours later Severus returned looking very grave. Hermione didn't understand why he looked this way; she had never seen him like this before.

" What's going on?"

Severus sat down and looked at his shoes.

" What's wrong?" Hermione asked, feeling a sudden fear rising up. She quelled it, but it was still there, waiting to strike.

" Remus has informed me that he's leaving Hogwarts."

" What!" Hermione gasped, staring at him. " But why would he leave?"

" He said that he wants to move his family as far away from where war happened as he can get," Severus said. " He says that he wants a fresh start and nothing with ghosts in it."

Hermione sighed and shook her head.

" So when will a new Headmaster be chosen?"

" A week after Remus leaves," Severus answered. " I don't know what the students that are returning will react when they find that Remus is gone?"

" I'm sure they'll do just fine."

" I hope so!"