Summary: Hermione learns of another aspect of Empathic magic.
A/N: Thanks for all of your comments! We'll see a tiny bit of Severus in this chapter. :D
Chapter 3
Hermione fumed. Ron had just up and left them, and if he'd been standing there in front of them now, he'd be hexed into the next century.
"Ugh, he's a moron!" she cried as she threw herself onto her camp bed.
Well, there was nothing for it. If he wanted to desert them, then fine; they would survive without him.
She flopped over on the camp bed in frustration and noticed the Empathic healing book on her little table. She reached for it and cracked it open, thinking that burying herself in a book would help her to not be so irate about Ron.
She'd already read through about half of the book and had practiced as much as she could with the healing magic. It was truly a beautiful way to heal. She'd found that the empathy involved with the healing intensified the power of the spells and healed faster and better than anything she'd seen Madam Pomfrey or any other Healer or Mediwitch perform. She was eager to find out how else these abilities could be used.
She read for a few minutes, then she came across something that made her sit up straight. She reread the passage.
Empathic healing can not only be used for healing the body. It can also be used to diagnose ailments of the mind or to discover things that may be hidden away in the mind of the patient. It is possible to communicate with a patient's subconscious to determine how they are feeling emotionally even if they are some distance away. This communication at a subconscious level can be beneficial when the patient is upset or is having a problem dealing with what is happening to them.
Using Transferency, the Healer can have a conversation with the psyche to find out the feelings of the patient and how they are handling traumatic occurrences. One thing to note: the patient would not be aware of or remember such conversations.
Empathic healing in combination with counseling can be an effective branch of medicine, helping to reveal things that are hidden without causing damage to the patient's psyche. Counselors can use an Empathic healer to understand a patient better if they are not educated in this type of magic.
Using Transferency as dream therapy can also be very beneficial. For this method, the person again would not be aware of the examination from the Healer. During this form of therapy, the patient and Healer will be immersed in the patient's dreams so communication might not be as easy to interpret as a straightforward conversation using the former method. It would be up to the Healer to review such dreams and interpret them. The patient may or may not remember their dreams.
These two forms of mind healing can be useful when looking for lost or hidden memories, or when the subject isn't aware there is a problem. This method is also valuable when trying to assess motives and can be used legally to determine guilt or culpability.
Hermione put the book down onto her lap. She thought of Professor Snape. For a long time, she'd wondered what his motives were for killing Headmaster Dumbledore. Snape had been someone who had been trusted by the Headmaster, and she also had trusted him despite his surly disposition. She didn't understand how the man could turn traitor as he had. Maybe she could find out by using this method. First, though, she needed to experiment.
She studied the method for a while before beginning her experimentation. She concentrated on Ron and cast the spell, knowing he'd be awake while she tried to communicate with him.
"Transferi Selento"
She was in Ron's head and ready to communicate with him.
"Ron, why did you leave us?"
"Oy Hermione, I was so tired of seeing you and Harry fall all over each other."
"What?"
"You couldn't keep your paws off him. I was sick of it."
"So, you left because of jealousy?" Hermione asked.
"Yeah, that and the fact we weren't getting anywhere. All we did was eat mushrooms and try and figure out how to destroy that stupid Horcrux."
She withdrew from his mind. "Ugh, he's infuriating!"
She couldn't believe how shallow he was being about their hunt. Yes, of course, it was frustrating to not be getting anywhere, but it's not like he was suffering more than everyone else. Then there was his jealousy, which was beyond anything she'd ever seen. She was thankful that she'd drawn away from him because it was evident he'd never grow up, and he'd always be jealous of every single person she looked at. There was only sisterly love between Harry and her. Ron knew that but was still being a jerk.
She shook her head to clear it. She'd spent enough time fuming over Ronald Weasley for one day. Her mind moved to her objective with her professor. Thinking about Severus Snape, she tried the spell again.
This was different. She felt resistance the minute she entered his mind.
"Professor Snape?"
She was thrust out of his mind almost physically. She fell back on the camp bed, her hands splayed out to her sides. She gulped as she tried to control her emotions.
"Well, that didn't go as planned."
She picked up the book from the floor where it had fallen and moved to the next chapter, which went more in-depth on the Transferi Selento spell. It seemed that those experienced in Legilimency and Occlumency were adept at noticing when someone entered their thoughts, even subconsciously and with the more subtle Transferi spell. One had to be extremely careful in order to enter such a mind unnoticed.
Hermione looked up and bit her lip. Maybe if she tried late at night when Snape would be sleeping she'd be able to get into his mind. She set her alarm to wake her late in the night and went out to talk with Harry.
oooOOOooo
Hermione's alarm was set so that only she would awaken. Instead of ringing, she'd set it to buzz within her body. She felt the buzz run through her and groggily opened her eyes. She sighed. She was exhausted, but she had to try this. She sat up and took her wand, casting Muffliato before saying the spell.
"Transferi Selento"
She appeared in Snape's mind. She couldn't really see anything. It was entirely different than being in Ron's mind, or Harry's even. There was nothing for her to see. She marveled at his ability to hide everything even while dreaming.
Looking around, she thought there was a dim light in the distance. She crept toward it. As she got closer, she recognized it as a doorway. Finally making it to the doorway, she peered inside.
She recognized her Potions classroom lab. Snape was tending ten cauldrons, running from one to another, stirring furiously for one, adding ingredients for another, then going to a different one and stirring again. She watched him for a minute before he spoke.
"Just don't stand there gaping like a magpie. Go stir a cauldron!"
"Which one?" she asked.
He motioned to the one on the end. This cauldron was the only golden one. She approached it and peered into it. She saw an image of Harry, Ron, and herself. She looked back at Snape.
"What do you want me to do with this?" she asked.
"Stir it, for Merlin's sake!"
She noticed a stirrer beside the cauldron and picked it up.
"How many stirs?" she asked.
"Just keep stirring until I say to stop," Snape said brusquely.
She stirred, but the picture of the three of them never moved or was disrupted. She decided to ask her questions of Snape.
"Professor, why did you do it?"
"Just stir."
"Sir, why did you kill the Headmaster?" she asked again.
"Stir the cauldron, Miss Granger."
"But sir… he trusted you."
Snape looked at her with fury in his eyes. He left the side of the cauldron he was working on and stormed up to her.
"Get out."
"Professor… "
"I said get out!"
"There has to be a reason that you… "
"Out!" he raged.
At that point, all the cauldrons except hers exploded and shot their potions straight into the air. Snape's hands came up and pushed her. She fell out of the dream abruptly and once again fell back onto her camp bed. Her eyes widened, and she took in a quick breath.
"That went well."
