A lovely day in Hogwarts. Gilderoy Lockhart with his charming smile stood, threw a rock towards the lake. Snape found him. Because of his charming smile, Hermione falls for him.

What so good about Gilderoy Lockhart anyway.

Admit. Snape never had that charming smile, not even a charming face, beautiful figure.. whatever. He'd just be a greasy old git student. His love towards his witch is never endless.

Love..

Snape approach behind Lockhart. Noticed. Lockhart turned to look over his shoulder.

"Severus.. what a lovely day".

Oh, Snape hates his smile. "Indeed". He stood beside him. "I heard a rumor, Lockhart. You leave your class while the pixies ruined everything with students in it".

"Ah ha about that. Yes". Snape snarled, Lockhart spoke again. "The pixies toss my wand out the window". He laughed. "Funny isn't it?"

"Then you should be extra careful with your wand or I'll snap it into four pieces".

"You don't mind aren't they". Lockhart suddenly remembered Hermione. "Ah, Miss Granger.. She is brilliant. She'll get all the correct answers in my class".

Snape snorts. "How does your hair smell? Is that a question? Pathetic, Lockhart. None of this makes sense and is an unreasonable lesson".

"Well, she did. Her bushy hairstyle.. she too pretty became a witch". Lockhart eyeing Snape. His hand on Snape's shoulder then he smiles. "Guess which boy she would end up with. That boy is lucky to have her".

Then he walked. Leaving Snape behind.

Hagrid's Hut. Day. Hagrid rummages about, looking for something. "Wo, this calls for a specialist's equipment. Nothin' to do but wait'll it stop, I'm afraid".

As Ron sits, Hagrid pitches a bucket between his knees. Harry and Hermione glance up questioningly. Hagrid shrugs.

"Better out than in. Who's Ron trying to curse, anyway?"

"Malfoy. He called Hermione, ...um, well, I don't- I don't know exactly what it means".

Hermione rose up from sitting, and she walked quietly. "He called me a Mudblood". Hagrid gasped. Shocking.

"He did not!"

"What's a Mudblood?" Harry looks confused. Hermione glances at him, then away, obviously pained by this.

Hermione turns to Harry. "It means ―dirty blood. Mudblood is a really foul name for someone who is Muggle-born. Someone with non-magic parents. Someone like me".

She stared. "It's not a term one usually hears in civilized conversation".

"See, the thing is, Harry, there are some wizards, like the Malfoy family, who think they're better'n everyone else because they're what people call ―'pure blood".

"That's horrible!"

Ron belches forth a slug. "It's disgusting".

"And it's codswallop, to boot. ―Dirty blood. Why, there isn't a wizard alive today that's not half blood or less. More than the point, they've yet to think of a spell that our Hermione can' do".

Hagrid takes her hand, she reaches him in tears. "Come here... Don't you think so, Hermione. Don't you think about it for one minute... eh?"

Her smile wider, teardrop on her cheek.

In a castle. Snape walks past Wood's whom he is talking with other Gryffindors students in the corridor. Wood mentioned Hermione's name that made Snape stop to hear him closer.

"Malfoy calls Granger Mudblood? Is he seriously sick".

"That's right. I was there. I booked the pitch for Gryffindor today. Flint got a note from Snape, giving the Slytherin team permission to practice today, owing to the need to train their new Seeker and it's Malfoy. Proudly showed his Nimbus Two Thousand and Ones and that time Malfoy said it".

They gasp. Wood spoke back. "Horrible. I don't know what happened to Granger. I'd have to say she was crying of course".

Silent. One of them noticed. "Did just Snape walk past here, Wood?"

Snape hurried to find Hermione. Mudblood? This is all his fault, he shouldn't let Slytherin train Malfoy at the same time with Gryffindors, of course she was there for Potter on the ground.

Now, look what he did.. he hurt her. His witch was crying and he wasn't there for her. Oh Hermione. He rushed inside the library.

"Professor Snape? What's in a hurry?"

Breathing. Snape speaks. "Have you seen Miss Granger here, Pince?!" Snape stood at the counter. "Have you.. Miss Granger?"

"Miss Granger since this morning hasn't set foot in here, Professor. May I ask you why you are looking for her, in case she suddenly shows up after you left".

"I must find her, Pince! I must! "

Snape ran out from the library. He has been looking over her everywhere, he wants to apologize, even if she doesn't.. he will beg her.

That moment. Snape saw her, Harry and Ron out from Hagrid hut. He has been looking for her around the castle, yet.. she is spending her time with that half giant, half human.

They laughed. "You two go on. I need some space for a while".

"Then we see you at the great hall. Don't think about it, Hermione. Malfoy is such an idiot". said Harry.

She nodded understanding then smiled. "Go on". She made her way to the lake. Snape trails her behind. Sits under the tree. She smiled again.

"Miss Granger?" She didn't look at Snape. Please look at me.. She didn't. Gently she's up, then walks away from him. Hermione..

Corridor night. Harry steps to the wall, playing his fingers along the stone, then begins to walk, slowly at first, then more quickly, as if following something, moving faster and faster, rounding the corner and coming face to face with... Hermione and Ron.

"Harry!" Hermione is shocked to see Harry wandering around the corridor. Alone.

"Did you hear it?" ask Harry.

"Hear what?"

"That voice".

"Voice? What voice?"

"I heard it first in Lockhart's office. And then again just—"

... It's Time

"It's moving. I think it's going to kill".

"Kill?"

Harry running. Hermione and Ron chase him. "Harry, wait! Not so fast!"

Harry dashes madly, taking the steps three at a time. He makes the landing, rushes through the archway, and... sleds to a stop, listening.

Nothing.

Slowly, he peers down. Water is oozing over the stone floor, surrounding his shoes. His own reflection appears and, behind it, undulating like a dream... words.

Ron and Hermione come huffing up.

ᵗʰᵉ ᶜʰᵃᵐᵇᵉʳ ᵒᶠ ˢᵉᶜʳᵉᵗˢ ʰᵃˢ ᵇᵉᵉⁿ ᵒᵖᵉⁿᵉᵈ.. ᵉⁿᵉᵐⁱᵉˢ ᵗʰᵉ ʰᵉⁱʳ... ᵇᵉʷᵃʳᵉ

"It's written in blood".

Harry steps forward. His eyes see something hanging. "Oh, no... It's Filch's cat. It's Mrs. Norris".

The cat hangs stiffly by her tail from a torch bracket, eyes open and blank. Harry's eyes shift to the adjacent window, near the top most pane, spiders scuttle up a silvery thread, fighting to get through a crack in the glass.

"Strange. I've never seen spiders act like that".

"I... don't... like... spiders".

Suddenly, the stairwell is alive with voices and, seconds later, dozens of students stream forth, chattering... when they stop, others mumble.

Ahhh! What's that?

Seeing the wall and, standing before it, Harry, Ron and Hermione. A thudding silence falls. Then Draco pushes forward, eyes the wall, and grins nastily.

"Enemies of the heir beware!" Draco's eyes find Hermione. "You'll be next, Mudbloods!"

Just as Filch appears. "What's going on here? Go on, make way, make way". He stopped dead. "Potter- What are you... Mrs. Norris?" Filch rounding on Harry. "You've... murdered my cat".

"No. No".

"I'll kill ya... I'll kill ya!"

"Argus! Argus, I..."

Dumbledore marches forward, trailed by a phalanx of teachers. Seeing the wall, Dumbledore's face darkens.

"Everyone will proceed to their dormitories immediately". His eyes to Harry, Ron, Hermione. "Everyone except... you three".

Snape eyes on Hermione. She didn't look at him.. not once. As the corridor empties, Dumbledore steps to the wall and, with extreme gentleness, removes Mrs. Norris.

"She's not dead, Argus. She has been Petrified".

"Ah, thought so. So unlucky I wasn't there. I know exactly the counter curse that could have spared her.."

"But how she has been Petrified, I cannot say..."

Pointing at Harry. "Ask him. It's him who's done it. You saw what he wrote on the wall".

"It's not true sir, I swear. I never touched Mrs. Norris".

"Rubbish!"

Snape sighs. "If I might, Headmaster?" The others turn, watch Snape separate from the shadows. Now, Hermione looks at him.

"Perhaps Potter and his friends were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time".

Could Snape be defending Harry or Hermione and the others blink. Them?

"However, the circumstances are suspicious. I, for one, don't recall seeing Potter at dinner".

Lockhart chuckles. "I'm afraid that's my doing, Severus. You see, Harry was helping me answer my fan mail".

As Snape's lip curls in disgust, Hermione leaps in. "That's why Ron and I went looking for him, Professor. We'd just found him when he said..."

Snape raising an eyebrow. "Yes, Miss Granger?"

"When I said I wasn't hungry". Harry turns to look at Hermione. "We were heading back to the common room when we found Mrs. Norris".

Snape eyes Harry coldly, knowing he's lying. Harry looks away... and finds Dumbledore studying him as well.

"Innocent until proven guilty, Severus".

"My cat has been Petrified. I wanna see some punishment!"

"We will be able to cure her, Argus. As I understand it, Madame Sprout has a very healthy growth of Mandrakes. When matured, a potion will be made which will revive Mrs. Norris. And in the meantime, I strongly recommend caution... to all".

Harry, Ron and Hermione walk down the corridor. Snape didn't dare to call her, he watched her leave again.

He was surrounded by other teachers. Dumbledore wink at him. Snape rolled his eyes. Walk back to his dungeons.

Hermione, who's only been half-listening - as if trying to unravel something in her mind - speaks then.

"It's a bit strange, isn't it?"

"Strange?"

"You hear this voice, a voice only you can hear, and then turns up Petrified. It's just... strange".

"Do you think I should have told them?" Frowning. "Dumbledore and the others, I mean?"

"Are you mad?" Ron shouts.

"No, Harry. Even in the wizarding world, hearing voices isn't a good sign".

The picture hanging on the marble staircase nod agrees with Hermione. "She's right, you know".