The spell shot out from her wand and found its target. Students.
Hermione's pulse began to slow. Of course it's students. You're letting Harry's Auror paranoia get to you. She strode forward, reached around the corner, and seized a narrow shoulder.
"Mr Aitkins," she said, dragging him out. Raising her voice a little, she went on, "And the rest of you, come on out."
Two more diminutive figures crept out of various hiding places. Hermione recognised Maisie Wilkins, and the Ravenclaw boy who'd been with Colin and Maisie in the Library.
Hermione was careful not to point her wand directly at any of the children, but she was also careful to hold it where they couldn't avoid seeing it. Now, how to handle this? Minerva's sternness? Professor Snape's sarcasm?
Trying to choose between What is the meaning of this? and I wait with bated breath to hear your no-doubt excellent reason for such flagrant disregard of school rules, Hermione settled on, "Well?"
Oh, good work. "Well?" That's memorable, that is, that will make sure they remember and respect the rules in future.
"Professor," Colin said tremulously. "I'm sorry. You see, it's my fault —"
"It isn't," the Ravenclaw boy said. He looked on the verge of tears. "It's my fault. They were trying to help me."
Hermione had used her best memory techniques to learn the names of her students, but it still took her a moment to bring the boy's name into focus. Rowland. Michael Rowland. "Why is it your fault, Mr Rowland?"
"I can't get in!" he wailed, and did start crying. "I'm not a proper Ravenclaw! I can't get i-i-in to the Common Room!"
"Don't be silly," Maisie said robustly. "It's a beastly hard riddle, that doesn't mean you're not a Ravenclaw."
"Why didn't you go to Professor Flitwick?" Hermione asked. "That's what you should have done, not got your friends in trouble along with you."
"I-I-I'm sorry!" he sobbed.
"Accio handkerchief," Hermione said, even though it was just in her pocket and she could have easily taken it out. The thee student's eyes widened as the square of cotton zipped into her hand. "Here. Blow your nose, you'll feel better — no, keep it. Please."
"Thanks," Michael sniffled.
"Right. Now. You do realise that the rules about being out after hours aren't just to inconvenience you, don't you? I mean, in my second year I was ambushed by a basilisk and petrified. Do you want that to happen to you?" Three heads shook solemnly. "Quite right, it wasn't pleasant. Not to mention that there are quite a few members of staff who wouldn't react at all well if you should happen to startle them. All of you, come with me."
Herding them ahead of her, Hermione headed for Professor Flitwick's office. He opened the door almost immediately. "Yes?"
Hermione put her hand on Michael's shoulder, and pushed him forward. "Mr Rowland has been unable to get in to the Ravenclaw common room, and consequently his dormitory."
"I'm sorry, Professor," Michael said, and began to leak tears again.
"Oh, dear," Flitwick said. "What was the riddle?"
"What am I?" Michael said. "I tried an eagle and the doorkeeper and — and — everything!"
"Then you'd better come in," Flitwick said, "and we'll see if we can work it out together. Come on, come on, don't be shy!" As Flitwick closed the door behind the boy, Hermione heard him ask, "Do you like cupcakes?"
She turned to the two Hufflepuffs. "Right. Quick march, you lot."
"Do you know the answer to the riddle?" Colin asked as Hermione led the children down to the Hufflepuff entrance.
"Yes," Hermione said.
"What is it?"
"Ask Michael tomorrow," Hermione said.
"I don't think it's fair," Maisie said suddenly. "He would have been stuck out there all night if you hadn't come along."
"He could have knocked on Professor Flitwick's door himself," Hermione pointed out. "Left here — not that staircase, it resets in five minutes — down there. That's it. Or he could have asked a painting to fetch one of the prefects."
"But —" Maisie said, and stopped.
"But he didn't want to admit he didn't know something," Hermione said, and the girl nodded. "There's nothing to be ashamed of in not knowing something, Miss Wilkins. Only in refusing to learn it."
It was an important lesson, but Hermione felt a little hypocritical as she turned the two Hufflepuffs over to one of their prefects and headed back towards Ravenclaw Tower. She could all too easily imagine her own panic and shame if, Sorted into Ravenclaw, she had found herself stumped by the first night's riddle like Michael Rowland.
She passed the entrance to the Ravenclaw common room on her way back to her own quarters. Professor Flitwick stood there looking up at a decidedly more cheerful-seeming Michael.
"You're a question!" he declared, and the door opened to let him in.
"Excellent work, Mr Rowland. Excellent work!" Flitwick said. "Now, I shall just follow you in and have a word or two with the prefects …"
Smiling, Hermione identified herself to her own door's guardian painting and slipped inside. Crookshanks was nowhere to be seen, and she wondered if Tilney had let him out, or Hogwarts just understood him, or if Crookshanks had ways of his own. I've never seen him Apparate, but I honestly wouldn't be surprised to learn that he could.
She kicked off her shoes, hung up her robe, and flopped down on her bed, and then raised her head and wand long enough to shoot an extra ward at the door. Not the most uneventful start to the year a Hogwarts teacher could desire. Hermione had the feeling Maisie Wilkins and Colin Aitkins were going to be trouble, in their different ways. Colin because an interest in the Restricted Section on day one and a willingness to be out after hours is a combination to be watched warily. And Maisie … polite, co-operative, well-behaved …
And also breaking rules on her very first day.
Hermione sighed. I have bigger things to worry about than students. Tomorrow, Harry would set the Ministry searching for the Death Eater who had cursed, or who had been used to curse, Professor Snape. And then if I know him at all, he'll be straight off to the Room of Requirement.
She couldn't even begin to imagine how that conversation would go. If the former Potions Professor was prickly and acerbic to her, when he'd chosen to reveal himself to her of his own free will, how much worse would he be to Harry — with whom he'd always been at odds?
Should I warn him? Would Professor Snape be as good as Neville with the Room of Requirement and be able to get it to hide him from even those who knew what they were looking for? Because he will, if he knows how and knows Harry is on his way.
She rolled over and punched the pillow. The fact was, Harry was right. He was both the school's Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher and an Auror and he and Ron were the best people to both find out who'd cursed Professor Snape and to find a way to break the curse. Quite apart from helping Professor Snape, if there was someone out there using this sort of curse, they had to be found and they had to be stopped — for everyone's sake.
And I never actually promised Professor Snape that I'd warn him.
Satisfied she was doing the right thing, she fell asleep without even getting undressed.