Hermione explained everything to Snape. She was surprised how much she wanted to share after the initial secret was out. Snape, to his credit, treated her much more like an equal than he had before, asking questions and respecting her opinions.
"Let me confirm, you've travelled back in time from 2000, where the Dark Lord has destroyed the entire Ministry, wrecked our culture, and instigated his own perverse government?" Snape said sardonically. "And you've uncovered that his secret to success is Horcruxes."
"Yes, there are seven in all. Three have already been destroyed, thankfully."
"Salazar," Snape whispered. "Seven? Who in their right mind would create seven horcruxes? That leaves you with only one percent of soul!"
"That's exactly the problem," replied Hermione. "He wasn't in his right mind. He still isn't. But a horcrux isn't destroyed if the host has come back to life, it's just suspended. And when Voldemort returned, he actually had about 48% of his soul. Harry only destroyted 51% in our seventh year, when he used the Elder Wand to defeat him."
"Oh yes, the unbeatable wand that Albus wields. And you said I killed him?"
Hermione shifted uncomfortably. "Well, yes. In my sixth year." He shook his head in disbelief. "But that's not going to happen this time around. No one's going to die. Well, besides Voldemort."
"You cannot possibly ensure everyone's safety, Miss Granger, nor do I think you should try." Snape said, suddenly very grave. "We need to plan the most efficient way to kill the Dark Lord, once and for all. But it is impossible to prevent every death." He seemed like he was speaking from experience. Hermione didn't press, so simply nodded her assent.
"I've been concerned about changing too much, actually." She had harrowed over every tiny decision, every way she acted differently; sometimes, she wondered if she had done something different out of sheer forgetfulness. There was no way to tell for sure.
"What have you been changing?" Snape said. He looked at her intently, but the gaze was belied by the cup of tea in his hands. Hermione had never met anyone who looked scary with a cup of tea in their hands – well, besides Umbridge – so she felt quite comfortable, curled up on his black leather armchair. The study was slightly dark, but well designed in a masculine sort of way, all dark wood and rich colors. She looked around at his numerous bookshelves to stall for time.
"Oh, just bits here and there. Do you remember Ron's outburst in the Great Hall?"
Hermione swore that a snort escaped Snape, and he said drily, "I'm unlikely to forget it. The last time he made such a ruckus was with that Howler." Hermione smiled fondly at the memory. She had been upset with them at the time, but driving a flying car to school was pretty exciting.
"Last time around, he completely shunned Harry, practically turned the whole school against him. But they're mostly little things, you know, so I still know what's coming. I didn't have my time turner last time, and of course I didn't commandeer that classroom before. But mostly, it's been about the Horcruxes. They're the one thing that absolutely must change."
"Ah yes, what are the Horcruxes? How did you destroy them?"
"Well, one of them was actually destroyed by Harry. It was possessing Ginny to open the Chamber of Secrets all those years ago. Or I suppose two years ago, for you. It's been almost nine years for me. Anyway, I knew the diary had been dealt with, so I focused on the others. There was Slytherin's locket that I retrieved from the Black house elf and a diadem from Ravenclaw, those are both gone now."
Snape's face had progressed from slight incredulity to absolute disbelief. "You mean the Dark Lord took magical artifacts from the founders themselves to make into his horcruxes?"
"Yeah," Hermione continued glumly. "There's also Hufflepuff's cup, and I think he's made one out of a snake named Nagini by now."
"That's five. Where are the rest?" Snape said sharply.
Hermione grimaced. For all that Snape hated Harry, she didn't think he would take the news well. "Well, the seventh is Voldemort himself, and the last horcrux, well, the last horcrux is Harry."
"That is not an amusing joke, Miss Granger." Snape said nastily. She seemed to have hit a sore spot, indeed, for his tone turned icy and cold. Like she had just made a particularly violate mistake in potions class and made his nose explode.
"I wish I was joking. I really do. We didn't learn it until after, Ron and I. We didn't know until Harry went and bloody sacrificed himself in the Forbidden Forest. But that's a story for another day. I think we should both get some sleep." Hermione was bone tired. It had been almost forty hours since she'd slept, and it had been the nervous sleep of someone with an important day ahead. Now it was catching up to her.
"Very well. I think it prudent to discuss this further with you, Miss Granger. My thanks for trusting me with this information."
Hermione rolled her eyes. "Like you gave me a choice. But I think you may have some insight I haven't thought of before." She finished stiffly, not quite sure what to say.
"I would be willing to assist you with your plans, if you reveal them to me." He said in finality. "Goodnight."
He was a good choice of ally, even if she wouldn't have approached him herself. She didn't know how she felt about him as a person, but in all honesty, she no longer knew what she thought of herself as a person. Too many years of fighting had forced her into a stranger, someone her younger self would never approve of.
"Oh, before I go. I know you can keep this a secret, but I would be an idiot if I didn't ask for some sort of secrecy."
Snape nodded swiftly, accepting her precaution. "A Wizard's Oath?"
"I have something better." Hermione reached into her bag and pulling out a small vial. "This will ensure your secret stays quiet, even in the unlikely event that someone breaks your occlumency shields."
"What potion is this?"
She smirked, realizing he was discomforted that he hadn't recognized it. "I invented it. You put the memories you want guarded into the vial. They become reinforced and impenetrable when imbibed, rendering you incapable of speaking to anyone about the memory unless they were in it."
"You cannot expect me to drink a potion I've never heard of before." He said incredulously. Hermione figured she was lucky he hadn't said 'that you created.'
"You cannot expect me to allow my secrets to wander unguarded." She met his eyes, which were as filled with steel as hers. She wasn't going to back down from this; if he didn't comply, she would use force. If that didn't work, she would find
Snape scoffed. "No one could break it from my mind. It's arguably safer in my mind than in yours."
"That is true. But can I really trust that you'll never decide to share the information – willingly – with someone? Headmaster Dumbledore, perhaps, or another you owe allegiance to?"
Grudgingly, Snape picked up the clear vial. "It's been tested?" He said, inspecting it. "How did you create it?"
Hermione rolled her eyes. "Do you need to invade my mind again before you trust me? It became standard for the undercover Resistance members in the third rise of Voldemort. I've even used it, once or twice."
Snape looked at the vial dubiously, seeming to contemplate the pros and cons. She knew he would do it – he wanted her to continue sharing information with him. Her knowledge was invaluable, and he was too good a Slytherin to pass up her information.
"Very well." He closed his eyes and drew out a long, silver strand of memory, placing it carefully in the vial. As the silvery substance came into contact with the potion, it fizzled and shifted. A reddish haze emminated from the vial. Hermione looked away, knowing the light from this reaction would burn her eyes. When she looked back, Snape was blinking furiously, and the vial contained a shimmery gold liquid.
"Did it work?" Hermione said excitedly.
"I am in possession of the memory, and nothing seems to be wrong." Snape said, lifting a brow in question.
Hermione internally sighed in relief. "Excellent," she said aloud, then left the Potions Master's quarters. It was late, and she was ready to get some much-needed sleep.
She would never tell him that it was actually the first time the potion had been used.
AN: I just started a new job, so updates may be more sporadic. I'm still dedicated to finishing this fic, though! Thanks for sticking with me this far :)