Nothing in the world of Harry Potter belongs to me. I'm just playing in the great J.K. Rowling's sand box. Thank you.
Chapter 7 – Enter the Prisoner
June 1993
"Ah, Miss Granger," Dumbledore said as she entered his office. "Have a seat my dear."
The young witch entered slowly, unsure of why she had been called into the Headmaster's office. Sure, she was behind on her work for classes, but she had been petrified for two and a half months! They couldn't really blame her for that, could they?
Hermione had already been hard at work trying to catch up with the mountain of work she'd been provided with by her professors. That was as well as trying to keep pace with the current lectures and assignments. While final exams had be canceled for the year, she still needed to know the material. She knew that a lot of the magical theory built on itself, making the lower level information necessary for learning more advanced magic.
Jerking herself out of her own mind, she sat in one of the large comfortable chairs in front of the Headmaster's desk. She politely declined the offer of a lemon drop from the elderly wizard, something in the back of her mind pressuring her. Hermione sat, waiting expectantly as he popped one in his mouth.
"Well, I guess you'd like for me to get to the point," Dumbledore said with a chuckle, watching the uncomfortable witch over his half-moon glasses.
"Yes, sir," Hermione replied quietly. "I'm not quite sure why I am here."
"Have you selected your elective classes for next year?" The Headmaster asked.
"No, sir. Professor McGonagall gave me the list of options and discussed the merits of each one, but I've been so far behind I haven't given it much time."
"What does your gut tell you, Miss Granger?" He inquired seriously.
"My instinct says all of them, but it's obviously not possible with overlapping class times," she admitted, feeling foolish.
"And if it was possible?" Dumbledore questioned, a mischievous twinkle in his eye.
"You can't be serious, sir! It can't be possible," She scoffed.
"This is a magical world, Miss Granger. Anything is possible," Dumbledore assured her.
Digging into his desk, he pulled out a purple, velvet pouch.
"Now, you are a responsible student and I trust you not to abuse it. This should help you get caught up and take the classes you want next year."
He held the pouch out to her. She hesitated briefly before taking the pouch and carefully pulling the necklace from within. Gently, she observed the piece, taking in the hourglass shape within the rings, and the sand inside.
Softly, she read the inscription out loud, forgetting the other occupant of the room briefly, "I mark the hours, every one, Nor have I yet outrun the sun. My use and value, unto you, Are gauged by what you have to do."
Dumbledore cleared his throat softly and she started before looking up at him. An amused smile crossed the old man's face.
"The time-turner is fairly simple. The chain must be worn around a part of your body. You just turn the hourglass once for each hour you wish to go back in time. However, you must never go back more than five hours at one time and you must never be seen by yourself. Terrible things can happen to wizards and witches who meddle with time," he warned her gravely.
A small part of Hermione wanted to refuse the gift. It pulled and pushed at the back of her mind, begging for attention, trying to warn her. On the other hand, she thought of all she could learn and all the times she had though, if I could only have more time.
"And do not tell your friends about this Miss Granger," Albus insisted. "We can't go handing out time turners to every student, now can we?"
Hermione nodded, made slightly uncomfortable by something, almost calculating in the Headmaster's smile. Nevertheless, she looped the chain around her neck, tucking the hourglass beneath her shirt.
Once dismissed by the Headmaster, she took off to collect her bag and assignments from her dorm. She wondered how much time she could get in the library before the end of the year without being noticed. The time turner beneath her shirt itching to be used.
August 5, 1993
A subtle screech outside the Burrow after midnight, startled Hermione out of her book. She had been using the shed as a place to study at night, when she used the time turner, all summer.
Crossing to the door of the shed, she peaked out, watching as the Knight Bus pulled away rapidly, leaving a single person standing in the drive. The figure got closer, dragging what looked like a Hogwarts trunk behind him.
Recognizing Harry, Hermione rushed from the shed, sprinting across the lawn. She wrapped her arms around the boy before he realized what was going on.
"Hermione?" Harry asked
"What are you doing here?" Hermione asked, looking the boy up and down, searching for injuries.
"I accidentally blew up Aunt Marge," Harry muttered.
"You what?" Hermione screeched, before remembering it was the middle of the night and lowering her voice. "What do you mean you blew her up?"
"She was bad mouthing my mum and dad. I just lost my temper and the next thing I knew she started blowing up like a balloon. She floated out of the sun room and then off into the evening," Harry explained. "I just panicked, packed my trunk and took off. Then that bus showed up and well, now I'm here."
"Merlin Harry! You could be expelled," Hermione exclaimed.
"I know Hermione", he said, trying to calm her. "I was hoping Mr. Weasley could maybe help."
Subtly checking her watch, Hermione quietly ushered Harry into the kitchen of the Burrow. Setting him down at the table, she moved to the stove, setting the tea kettle on. They stood quietly in the familiarity of the slightly, structurally questionable home, simply enjoying each other's company.
"So, what are you doing up this late?" Harry asked.
"Oh, just studying," she replied.
"In the shed?" he questioned, looking at her curiously.
"Let's just say that I don't get very much quiet time around here," Hermione told him.
The kettle whistled softly, saving her from more explanation, as she turned toward the stove to pull it off the flame. Setting cups on the table, she joined him again and they chatted about their respective summers.
As the sun crested the horizon, they heard the signs of the inhabitants of the home waking up. First to bustle down the stairs was Molly Weasley.
"Hermione, you're up early dear," Mrs. Weasley questioned from the other room.
"We had a late-night visitor," she responded, alerting the witch.
"Oh ..." Molly asked as she entered the kitchen, stopping short at the sight of the boy at the table. "Oh, Harry! It's so good to see you."
The motherly witch pulled him from his seat, wrapping him in a hug.
"Thank you, Mrs. Weasley," Harry grunted, wrapped in her tight embrace.
"Now, how did you get here?" She asked, flicking her wand at the stove to get breakfast started.
"Er, the Knight Bus dropped me off. My Uncle kind of, um, threw me out," he hedged, telling a version of the truth.
Before she could respond, Mr. Weasley appeared in the kitchen.
"Morning Hermione. Morning Harry," he announced as he walked over to hug his wife.
Hermione chuckled, "Morning Mr. Weasley."
"Er, Harry? Were we expecting you?" Arthur questioned.
"Um, no sir. Sorry to intrude," Harry responded.
"No intrusion at all dear, you are always welcome here," Molly assured him.
Just then, the floo flared to life with an unfamiliar witch's head in the green flames.
"Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, the Minister requests permission to come through," she explained.
"Yes, of course," Mr. Weasley responded.
The connection ended and then the flames flared green again, an impeccably dressed, but short and portly man appeared in the kitchen.
"Good morning Minister," Arthur said. "To what do we owe this pleasure?"
"Yes, good morning Arthur," Fudge replied. "I'm here concerning Mr. Potter. Ah yes, there he is."
"Cornelius Fudge, Minister for Magic," the man said by way of introduction, extending his hand to the baffled young wizard.
Hermione gently elbowed Harry in the side, snapping the boy back to himself.
"Oh yes, sir. Harry Potter," he responded, shaking Fudge's hand.
"Now, you gave us quite a scare young man," Fudge announced.
"Um, sorry sir," Harry apologized, not entirely sure what for.
"It's alright. I was just glad to find you safe here with the Weasley family. Furthermore, the situation with your aunt has been resolved fully. So, no need to worry there," Fudge explained.
"Resolved? I'm not in trouble?" Harry had to ask.
"Of course not, dear boy," Fudge assured him. "Accidental magic is just that, accidental. No harm done."
Leaving it at that, Fudge turned back to Mr. Weasley, "Now Arthur, I'm sure he is safe in your hands, so I'll leave you to it."
"Would you care for some breakfast Minister," Molly asked as she was placing large plates of food in front of both Harry and Hermione.
"No thank you Molly," Fudge declined. "Appointments to get to."
With that and a handful of floo powder, he stepped back into the fireplace and was gone. The rest of the Weasley trickled down to the breakfast table and life went on.
September 1, 1993
The trio had got to the platform late and were not scrambling to find a compartment to sit in. They squeezed past the press of students, looking for a seat and connecting with friends.
They almost passed by a mostly empty compartment. Taking a second look they noticed only a passenger sleeping against the window, and decided to shuffle in, shutting the door behind them. The three teenagers stuffed their rucksacks in the overhead rack, settling the animal cages.
"Who is he?" Ron asked, turning to sit down on the bench.
"His bag says Remus Lupin," Harry announced.
Hermione froze in the middle of storing Crookshank's carrier, a chill running down her spine. Something in that name sounded familiar, something that tugged on the back of her mind. Unable to follow the feeling any further, she finished stowing the carrier, and took her seat as if nothing had happened.
Neither of the boys seemed to notice that anything had happened. They were chatting about the last quidditch match they had played in the orchard. The man against the window didn't move throughout their conversation.
Suddenly, the train screeched to a jerky halt, jostling the three.
"What was that?" Ron asked.
They heard similar questions coming from the hallway as students poked their heads out to see what was going on. Nothing seemed immediately amiss, so compartment doors shut as students settled back down to wait out the delay. The same went for the three Gryffindors.
A few minutes later, the temperature in the compartment seemed to have dropped drastically. The exterior window seemed to freeze over, and fog was building on the compartment door. In the hallway, a dark shadow lurked.
The shadow stopped outside of their compartment, a clawed hand reached out and opened the compartment door, letting it in. The cloaked creature leaned him, observing the occupants before locking its focus on Hermione.
The witch sat in her seat, her breath visible in front of her, fear and despair building on her heart. She could hear voices, whispering fiercely. Within her mind, she felt a pounding pressure building and a blinding light. It continued to build as the creature reached out to his, leaning his hooded head towards her. The white light in her head flared even brighter and pulsed, as with its own life. The power building within pushing outward.
Suddenly, the hooded figure reared back away violently, turning its head, looking for another victim. It honed in on Harry, leaning into the boy. Hermione was too drained to do anything after the buildup of magic had been expelled. Ron was frozen in place.
Suddenly, the blinding light was back, coming from the now awake man's brandished wand. The creature retreated into the hallway and then further down the train car. Remus knelt to straighten Harry, who had passed out, while also checking on the other two teenagers in the compartment. Once Harry had regained consciousness, the man departed. Shortly after that, the train started moving again, continuing on its way to Hogwarts.
There was a strong knock at his door. Severus thought it odd for there to be a caller at his door this late, but now that the school was filled with students again, it wasn't impossible. The knock came again as h reached the door, throwing it open in the hopes of intimidating whoever it was on the other side.
"Those tricks won't work on me, old friend," Remus announced with a chuckle.
Severus' expression changed from a fierce snarl to a broad smile.
"Get in here, you!" Severus demanded. "Before someone sees your scrawny arse."
Shutting the door, after Remus has entered, Severus turned and collapsed into his chair, gesturing to the couch.
"Didn't you have another chair?" Remus inquired, while taking a seat on the couch.
"Don't ask. And, where the hell have you been while I've been dealing with all this bullshit on my own? Some best man." Severus muttered.
"On the continent. Doing some sniffing around for Dumbledore, but also the only place I could get a job from time to time," Remus informed him.
"Ah yes, Lord Dumbledore and his orders," Severus muttered sullenly, wishing for a drink.
"I saw your girl earlier," Remus mentioned. "Took everything in me to be near her for even a few minutes without letting anything slip. Gods she looks exactly the same as when we were kids. Though, I guess she hasn't figured out the hair trick."
"Yes, well James and Sirius had a lot to do with her motivation behind that one," Snape answered.
"How have you managed to teach her and not go insane?" Remus asked. "I'm not sure I'll be able to do it."
"How do you know I haven't? Gone insane that is. I'm a widower being haunted by his wife's younger self. It has been hell," he admitted. "And to top it all off, James' boy drags her into trouble with him left and right! Nearly three months, Remus, she spends nearly three months in the hospital wing last year! And that isn't counting the polyjuice incident."
"Polyjuice incident?" Remus asked.
Shaking his head and smiling ruefully, Severus answered, "Yes. My brilliant wife, being the witch, she is, brewed polyjuice potion absolutely perfectly with all the memories and magical capabilities of a twelve-year-old."
"Then why was she in the hospital wing?"
"Because she lifted cat hairs off the robes of the student she was planning on impersonating," Severus said, unable to stop the laughter that followed the memory of his wife as a cat.
Once Remus had stopped rolling with laughter as well, he choked out, "You have to show me that memory!"
"Oh no! When she comes back to herself, my wife will be annoyed at me for holding it over her head. However, if I share it, she will kill me. Once she's back, ask Potter or Weasley if they'd be willing to risk their lives. I'm sure you'll get the same answer though," Severus chuckled.
"It's good to see you, Severus."
"It is good to see you as well, Remus. Despite the circumstances," Snape acknowledged.
"You still don't think Sirius did it, do you?" Remus asked.
"I never thought I'd be vouching for Black, but no, I don't think he betrayed them. I don't even think the threat of the Kiss would have turned Black against James," Severus said. "It helps that I never saw Black anywhere near the Dark Lord. But then again, I never saw anyone else close enough to James and Lily that they'd make secret keeper."
"The Dark Lord?" Remus inquired.
"One must keep up appearances," Severus admitted. "You never know who is listening so even in my private chambers, I must never slip."
"Understood," Remus agreed. "Albus seems to think that Black is coming for Harry."
"Not outside of the realm of possibilities," Severus agreed.
"Well, I have a horde of moody teenagers to get prepared for, so I'll depart," Remus said, making his way to the door.
"Use the floo, wolf," Severus teased. "Your comings and goings won't be noticed that way and I expect you to visit often and help keep me sane this year. One more year with Minerva as my only confidant and I might check myself into Mungo's Asylum."
Remus chuckled softly, but agreed, departing in a flare of green flames moments later.
September 3, 1993
"So, third year Defense Against the Dark Arts focuses mostly on dark creatures, how to identify them, and how to most effectively defend against them," Remus explained, his gaze traveling over the room of students. "However, briefly, I want to go over a few basics before we dive in."
There was some murmuring among the class, but he mostly ignored it for the time being. Hermione watched her Professor, feeling a strong pull of recognition, like she had met him before, even though she knew that she hadn't. The more she investigated that feeling with her mind, the more resistance she got, running up against invisible barriers. Frustrated, she simply settled in to listen to her defense professor, pointedly ignoring those feelings. For not at least.
"Now, who has ever had to use a defensive spell taught in this class?" Remus asked.
A few scattered hands went up among the Gryffindor/Slytherin third year class, though the clump of three hands at one desk caught his eye.
"Ah, yes, Mr. Potter. Silly question I guess," he responded wryly. "Well, how about this. Has anyone used or seen a non-defensive spell used for defensive purposes?"
Three hands went up in the room and they were all from the same table.
"Yes, Mr. Weasley, what spell did you see or use and how?"
"Well, Hermione levitated Harry as he fell off the back of a troll in first year," Ron explained.
"Is that so? Hmmm, interesting choice. And what happened when she levitated you Mr. Potter?" Professor Lupin asked.
"Um, I guess I jolted back up before being lowered to the ground," Harry responded.
"And do you know why that was, Miss Granger?" He continued the line of questioning.
"Because it's a spell designed for levitation Professor. The intention of the spell is to lift, so the initial movement was up. After that, it was controlled by my wand movements," Hermione explained.
"Excellent," Remus said. "Now, can anyone tell me why that wouldn't work for someone falling from the top of the astronomy tower?"
Only one hand in the room was raised. Remus waited a moment, but no one else seemed able to answer or willing to hazard a guess. He called on Hermione to answer again.
"Because the spell isn't designed to slow. My guess would be that the upward response would be equal to the downward momentum. At best, that would result in a bad case of whiplash," she concluded.
"Very good," Remus told her, momentarily nostalgic. "Now, we are going to cover a few very basic spells for defense, including shields and disarming. Many of the creatures we discuss will have specific weaknesses, but basic defense will always buy you some time at least!"
"Gods Severus, I don't know how you do it," Remus sighed, sitting once again on the potion master's couch. "It's like falling 20 years into the past! Such a brilliant little witch."
"Almost," Snape agreed. "She was much more confident in our time. Between you, me, and Lily, she felt academically challenged at least. And she wasn't the only one volunteering to answer in our days. Though I suppose I am to blame for the lack of confidence more than I'd like to admit."
"Oh?" Lupin inquired.
"I always seem to end up with Gryffindor/Slytherin potions for their year. And of course, I must favor my snakes. Which often leads to tormenting the Gryffindors, specifically those three. Keeping up appearances as usual," Severus sighed. "I'm sure Dumbledore does it on purpose, so I don't get too close. Her hating me does make it somewhat easier during class to manage, but harder to live with myself in general."
"But you've been managing alright, haven't you?" Lupin asked, concern in his eyes.
"Only if you call two stints in St. Mungo's Addiction ward alright," Snape admits bitterly.
"Oh Severus ..."
"Enough. No pity parties for me. Minerva looks out for me and I manage the best I can," the wizard announced. "It is what it is."
November 1975
"Why don't you say something to them? Or retaliate?" Severus asked, as he de-tangled a still writhing salamander tail from her hair.
Class had ended - few minutes before, leaving the two alone in the classroom. Despite her straighter hair, it still took a while to get certain creatures, or rather bits of creatures, out.
"What would be the point? Sirius would still be a pig and James still an arse. It would just rile them up more if they knew it bothered me," she said, shouldering her bad, kissing his cheek gently, and walking towards the door. "Besides, who says I don't retaliate."
She had called the last bit over her shoulder, so he had rushed to catch up.
"What do you mean?" Snape questioned.
"Boys!" She huffed in annoyance. "Not an ounce of subtlety. Let's just say the 'down stairs' problem Sirius has to see Madam Pomfrey for often isn't related to his extracurricular activities."
Severus winced, almost feeling sorry for the guy, but the memory of one too many hexes to the back cured that. While the Gryffindor boys were too honorable to hex a girl unprovoked, they had no such reservation in regards to him.
"And James, he's just showing off for Black. So, I leave him be mostly. If he wasn't dating Lily, I'd bet money those two were secretly gay and a couple," Hermione continued.
Shaking her head sadly, she added, "It's a damn shame the whole world is so backwards, that even if it was true, they'd feel the need to hide it. Muggle and wizard both, though the muggles are coming around faster."
The two walked to lunch together, Severus pulling his sweet, caring, and devious witch into a quiet alcove briefly to let her snog him senseless, before continuing on.
November 18, 1993
Remus Lupin burst through his floo, in fits of laughter. Breathing heavily, he made his way to the cabinet where he knew that Severus kept a small, personal pensive tucked away. Pulling open the doors, the grabbed the small bowl, gently carrying it over to the small dining table in the room.
"What are you doing Lupin?" Severus asked, eyeing the device.
"You have to see this," Remus chuckled.
He pressed his wand to his temples and withdrawing a silvery strand of memory. Gently, he placed it in the bowl, stirring the liquid. Severus joined him at the table.
"What is it that we are watching?" Severus inquired.
"You'll see," Lupin said, trying to restrain more laughter, as he leaned forward into the bowl.
Together, the two entered Lupin's memory, fog swirling until it cleared. They were in the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. The desks were pushed against the wall and the students stood in a cluster. Remus was standing next to Neville Longbottom, in front of a large wardrobe.
"Professor Snape," Neville whispered.
"Professor Snape ... hmmmm ... Neville, I believe you live with your grandmother?" Remus asked.
"Er — yes," said Neville nervously. "But — I don't want the boggart to turn into her either."
"No, no you misunderstand me," said Professor Lupin, now smiling. "Can you picture her clothes very clearly, Neville?"
"Yes," said Neville.
"Good, now when the boggart appears, picture Professor Snape in your grandmother's clothing and preform the spell."
Severus turned to Remus, standing next to him and watching the memory.
"Really?" Snape asked. "You encouraged this madness?"
Remus smirked at him, "Of course, now watch."
Rolling his eyes, Snape turned back to memory Remus as he flicked his wand and opened up the door.
Out of the depths of the wardrobe prowled the boggart Snape dressed in his usual black robes. Neville was visibly shaking as the boggart stalked towards him. Finally, he performed the spell and the boggart staggered back, the dark black robes changing rapidly. Within moments, the boggart Snape stood in low heels, wearing a long green dress, with most of a fox wrapped around his neck and a vulture on his head, clutching a large red bag.
Remus broke out in laughter at the same time as memory Remus and the rest of the class. Severus tried to maintain his signature glare, but failed and joined the laughter, clutching his sides. The memory continued to play, as the class formed something resembling a line and Weasley stepped forward next.
"Oh blast," Remus muttered. "I was too distracted that I didn't cut the memory off right."
"It's fine," Snape chuckled. "Seeing some of their fears might give me some ammunition and a chuckle.
They watched as the next three students stood up against the boggart, laughing as mundane fears turned into a humorous counterpart.
However, suddenly Severus froze, his gaze not on the boggart, but on Hermione Granger. She stood near the front of the group, laughing along with the students. Like most of the class, she had shrugged out of her robe, leaving it draped over one of the desks. What had caught his eye however, was the gold chain holding a small hourglass inside two gold rings hanging against her shirt.
Without saying a word to Remus, he rapidly pulled himself out of the memory. Noticing that he was alone, the werewolf pulled out of the memory as well, watching Severus storm towards the door. Hurrying after him, he hollered, trying to get the man's attention, but nothing could stop the dark wizard. The wolf simply followed him through the halls of Hogwarts.
Severus stormed through the castle, seeing red. He couldn't believe that the crazy old wizard would be so stupid. Reaching the gargoyle, he bitterly spat the password, taking the steps two at a time once they appeared.
Bursting through the door to the Headmaster's office, Severus roared, "You gave her a time turner?"
"A what?" Remus asked, having managed to keep up and join.
"You did what, Albus?" Minerva screeched at the same time the Defense professor had spoken.
Neither man has seen her sitting in one of the guest chairs in front of the desk. Now, she stood beside Severus, just as enraged.
"How stupid can you be, old man?" Snape snapped.
"This is incredibly irresponsible and reckless," Minerva added.
"Silence, both of you," Dumbledore demanded sternly. "Remus, if you wouldn't mind shutting the door, then we can all take a seat and discuss this like civilized adults."
Remus did as he was told, before taking a seat, in the third chair Albus had summoned, beside the two seething professors. Watching them carefully, he thought he saw murder in Severus' eyes, with Minerva not far behind by the looks of it.
"Lemon drop?" He offered, holding a bowl out to the three after popping one in his own mouth.
"Damnit Albus, you know I'll have none of your drugged candy," Snape growled knocking the dish aside.
"Drugged?" Remus questioned, though none were listening.
"What were you thinking giving the girl a time turner?" Snape demanded.
"Miss Granger is perfectly capable of handling herself like a responsible adult with the device," Dumbledore assured him.
"Perfectly capable of not getting caught, sure," Minerva admitted. "But it's not that I'm worried about. You know that time turner over use is dangerous Albus and can be addictive!"
"And the fourteen-year-old Hermione I knew wouldn't have hesitated to go back and study constantly if she had the ability," Severus confirmed. "Besides that, the blasted magic you had me use to lock away her memories expires when she turns seventeen. If she's aging herself faster, considerably so if I'm right about how much she's using the blasted thing, then she'll get her memories back sooner! Not that I'm complaining, but doesn't that go against your master plan?"
"No need to worry yourselves," Albus said. "I simply gave her enough potion to turn her back to age ten when we de-ages her."
"You what?" Both Minerva and Severus shouted.
"You planned this in advance you damn fool," Minerva declared.
"She put her trust in you and you lied to her!" Severus accused.
"Well, I didn't know it was going to work out quite like this!" Dumbledore defended himself. "You know how fickle prophecy can be!"
"Oh no, not another damn prophecy! This is what has been compelling you?" Snape asked. "Don't you know you're supposed to leave the damn things alone. They happen all on their own, that's the fucking point. But Almighty Dumbledore can't have something he can't control around. No rogue elements even if it puts good people's lives in danger."
"No listen here Severus! I will not sit by while you continue to question me. I do what I do for the greater good. Hermione chose to serve the greater good. I will do what I need to in order to make sure Voldemort is defeated," the Headmaster insisted.
"He's been defeated Albus. The old bastard is dead!"
"And I intend to make sure it stays that way," the usually calm old wizard roared.
Severus stood, staring the man down before sweeping away. Minerva followed, wanting to keep an eye on the distraught young man. Left reeling, Remus numbly followed them.
Once within the safety of his rooms, Severus immediately vented his anger, breaking several wooden chairs before Minerva could stop him.
"Severus Snape, I will stun you if you do not quit that. Frankly, I am tired off putting your chambers back together every time you destroy them," Minerva insisted.
Sulking, he stormed into his bedroom and Minerva heard the shower start. Shrugging, she settled down on the couch, flicking her wand at the broken chairs to mend them.
"And just how many times has he destroyed his rooms," Remus asked as he took up a spot on the couch beside her.
"Too many times to count," Minerva acknowledged sadly.
"And what did he mean by drugged candy?"
"Albus doses his lemon drops with a calming draught. It relaxes people and makes them feel comfortable, so they give up what he wants to know more easily," the witch answered.
"But he's always eating them himself," Remus said, shocked at the Headmaster.
"Yes, well, Albus doesn't seem to have any qualms about drugging himself. I'' not sure if the old goat has formed a resistance or an addiction."
Remus didn't know what to make of the situation, sitting quietly beside Minerva. They listened to the shower running in the other room, wondering what kind of mood Severus would be in when he emerged.
January 6, 1994
Hermione sat at her normal table in the library, one set back in the stacks, away from prying eyes and the general murmur of students. However, it was the middle of the night, so neither were an immediate concern, just the potential for a professor to stumble across her. This far back in the library, the light from the lantern wouldn't be seen from the entryway.
Across the table in front of her, an array of books was laid out to various pages, all covering Occlumency. Most were from the main library, but a few had been pulled from the restricted section. She had been able to bypass the magical locks, even though it had taken a few months, eventually following her instincts to the proper spell work.
The focus of her extracurricular studying in the last week had been Occlumency. Since Professor Lupin has appeared at Hogwarts, she had more and more felt that he should be familiar, but when exploring her feelings, she felt blocked. So, obviously, mind magic was the next step.
Hermione had been practicing the meditations describes in the books and the handful of mental exercises. Now, she felt ready to fully dive into her mind for the first time. The books explained that the first time fully immersing would be the most difficult.
The mind would be building a landscape that she could connect with in order to access her thoughts, memories, and even her magic. Though her mind was already well organized, it simply had to give her a platform she could navigate. Once the landscape was developed, it would become easier and easier to navigate, manage, and protect, as long as she kept practicing.
Breathing deeply, Hermione closed her eyes and relaxed into her chair. At first, everything was simply dark. The silence and darkness stretched as she patiently moved through the exercise described in the text for exploring her mental landscape for the first time. It didn't take long for the image started to for in front of her. Gasping in delighted surprise, she realized she was standing in the Hogwarts entry hall.
Following pure instinct, she walked to the second floor, passing familiar paintings, each detail flawless. Stopping at a classroom she knew to be unused, she opened the door. The landscape changed as she walked straight into a memory of her fifth birthday. She recognized the familiar park near her home and the pink castle cake she had requested. Looking back, the door shape broke the landscape, showing her the corridors at Hogwarts.
Emerging from the memory, she tried to locate a specific memory by thinking about it. Her body moved in its own and the distance between the second and third floor melted away. She found herself in front of another door. Entering the room, she found exactly what she had been looking for, the memory of receiving her Hogwarts letter.
Knowing now, that he mentalscape was working properly, she brought up the thought of Professor Lupin, following that thread that made him feel vaguely familiar. She passed rooms that urged her to open them, simply looking in on memories from his classes. Finally, she ended up on the seventh floor, along an empty stretch of wall. The feeling seemed to dead end here, so she observed the location carefully.
The corridors was small, with a few scones littered about for light. The wall was blank. No doors, no paintings, just stone. Across from it was a large and odd painting of a wizard, surrounded by trolls in tutus and ballet flats. As the image moved, the man did his best to dodge the lumbering beasts.
Nothing seemed odd or out of the ordinary. Though, no matter how hard she tried to bring up that feeling of familiarity, it simply led here. Growling in frustration, she gave up her attempts for the night. She opened her eyes and started digging through the books for information. Looking for any hint why she would hit a dead end.
Hermione knew that she more she practiced and accessed her mentalscape, that if would come easier. With time, she would be able to use it without closing her eyes or even stopping a conversation she was having. Eventually, she could learn to hide her emotions within and even defend her mind against invasion. However, at the moment, her biggest question, was why did Remus Lupin feel familiar.
April 28, 1994
"Damnit Black," Severus muttered as he crawled through the tunnel to the Shrieking Shack, "you always were a stupid, selfish bastard. And now you dragged the wolf along with you."
Inside the shack, Harry and Hermione had burst into the upstairs room to find Ron laying on a dirty, dust covered bed in the corner, clutching Scabbers to his chest. He stuttered and pointed towards the back of the room, causing both teenagers to whip around. Behind them stood Sirius Black, arguing quietly with Remus Lupin. The adults looked up at them as they turned.
"Harry, you've grown," Black admitted. "You look just like James."
Harry lunged towards the wizard, but Hermione held him back.
Turning his gaze on Hermione, the escaped wizard looked at her in shock. His gaze made her feel uncomfortable.
"Well, what has that crazy old wizard gone and done now," Sirius muttered.
He seemed like he wanted to say more, but was elbowed in the side by Remus, who sharply shook his head.
"I trusted you, kept your secret, and you led him right too Harry," Hermione growled. "We can't trust him, he's a werewolf."
"It isn't what you think Hermione," Remus tried to assure her.
"Like hell it isn't," Harry swore. "He killed my parents and you side with him!"
"I did not kill James and Lily Potter," Black insisted fiercely.
"If you didn't then who did?" Hermione demanded.
Any answer they were going to offer was stalled by the arrival of one Severus Snape in the doorway, casting a spell disarming spell at Remus. He flawlessly caught the wand in his offhand.
Any feelings he had for the wolf, or belief he held in Black had to be pushed down for now. He couldn't be shown to favor Gryffindors in front of students. He simply had to round them all up and bring them to Dumbledore. As much as he hated the manipulative old wizard, he would be able to sort things out.
However, his plan would never get that far. As he pointed his wand at Black, informing the lot that he'd be bringing them back to the castle, he was thrown across the room with the force of Hermione's stunner. All four men in the room stared at her in shock.
She turned her wand on Black, "You never answered my question."
"Well, as dramatic and cliché as it sounds, and I do love being dramatic," Black declared. Leveling his finger on Ron in the corner, "it is the rat!"
"Scabbers is a rat," Ron protested.
"Not just any ordinary rat!" Black declared. "He's lived way too long to be just any old rat, even with the added lifespan of living among wizards. No, that rat is one Peter Pettigrew. Lowlife, coward, traitor, and murderer!"
"Liar!" Harry shouted, pointing his wand at Black. "You killed Pettigrew!"
"No Harry," Remus said, putting himself between the boy and Black. "I thought so too until you told me he showed up on the map."
"You're just trying to protect him," Harry sneered
"We were all friends. We all became animagi to keep Remus company while he changed. Peter's form was a rat," Black explained. "Specifically, that rat."
"Prove it," Hermione insisted, knowing more about animagi than the boys. "Turn him back."
"Fine. The rat?" Black demanded.
Hermione wrestled a frantic Scabbers away from an unhappy Ron while Lupin retrieved his own wand and pilfered Snape's for Black. The second he laid his hand on it, Snape's wand shocked the man, causing him to swear and drop it. Remus rolled his eyes and passed his old friend his wand, picking Severus' wand back up.
"Not my bloody fault his wands as snarly as he is," Black muttered.
"Now Hermione, just place him between us and get out of the way fast," Remus explained, pointing his wand at the rat.
Hermione placed Scabbers down in the middle of the room, waiting until both wands were trained on the rodent before letting go and backing off quickly. Scabbers instantly tried to take off, quickly enough the two wizards missed the spell a few times before finally hitting it.
The small rodent quickly enlarged to a small, portly man, with a sharp pointed face and only wisps of hair left. It wasn't long before the guilt of one Peter Pettigrew was evident by his own cowardly admission. Despite Black and Remus' demands for revenge, they began the trek back through the tunnel with a lame Ron, restrained Pettigrew, and unconscious Severus. Hermione had handled Severus, being the most practiced of the youngest in levitation charms. She also gathered up his wand for him, shocked by the warm, familiar feeling of the wood in her hands.
Once out under the still immobilized willow, the light of the moon caught Lupin unawares. Everyone, aware of the werewolf in their midst, turned to watch as the wizard froze, his body already starting the transformation. Black tried to reason with the wolf, while the three teenagers huddled together. It was at that time that Severus recovered from the stunner, turning his anger on the three students, especially Hermione, as he snatched his wand.
The snarl of the werewolf had him turning rapidly, throwing himself up as a shield between the students and the beast. Hermione clutched him in fear, feeling safe and comforted by his presence.
Black, in the form of a large dog, engaged with the wolf again, the pair tumbling off into the trees. Harry took off after his godfather, prompting Hermione to attempt at following him. However, Severus was successful at restraining her, escorting her and Ron off to the hospital wing. Aurors who had arrived at Hogwarts after being warned by Severus had located Black and Potter after the dementor attack, imprisoning one while depositing the other in the infirmary.
When all was said and done, Severus sat in his chambers, Minerva and Remus on the couch, the latter looking more than a little rough.
Pettigrew had managed to escape in the fray, the Aurors unable to locate him on the grounds. Black had also managed to escape, still a criminal in the eyes of the Ministry without someone else to take the fall.
"So Potter managed to stun you huh?" Minerva asked.
"Hermione," Snape corrected.
"How do you know?" Remus inquired. "You didn't even see it coming!"
"I recognized the feel of her magic," Severus admitted sheepishly, "Though I prefer not to be the target of be offensive spells. Even with a reduced magic level, she packs a punch."
"I know. I saw Draco Malfoy's face after she was done with him," Remus grinned. "I did my best not to upset her in school. Though, Sirius and James were on her bad side more than a few times."
"Oh, yeah, pay up wolf," Severus recalled suddenly, holding his hand out expectantly. "I told you Black didn't do it."
Remus grumbled, but forked over a few galleons.
"You bet on Sirius Black being innocent?" Minerva asked in disbelief.
"No, I bet on Black being enough of a love-sick puppy to never turn on James," Severus admitted. "Two very different things."
"Yeah, well, you got stunned by a fourteen-year-old and your wife," Remus muttered childishly, stealing Severus' thunder.
"I know," Severus sighed.
"She aged herself an extra year, really?" Minerva questioned.
"Yes," Severus and Remus both responded, vividly remembering the girl's lust of knowledge and studying habits at that age.
Thanks for sticking with me so far and let me know what you think! Sorry that I don't reply too much to comments, but I love all of you for leaving them for me and appreciate the support! It keeps me writing. I have a 1 year old that keeps me busy though, so my screen/writing time is limited and I want to get chapters up for yall! Anyways, enjoy!