Hermione is Clever

A/N: This is of course, the real Hermione, who is vicious sometimes like against Marietta Edgecombe and Malfoy, and lies to teachers for Harry if he is in trouble, not the unknown person who was masquerading as Hermione Granger in the books-that-shall-not-be-named.

Hermione would be the first to admit that she had not exactly covered herself in glory that night. Then again, it was a highly emotional night. Buckbeak's execution, followed by the dog kidnapping Ron and then being confronted by Sirius Black and hearing the story of Remus Lupin's childhood would do that to any person, let alone a thirteen-year-old fearing for her friends' life.

And then along came Snape. The conversation between the three adults told her keen mind that there was something amiss. First there was Snape's claim that he had claimed Harry's cloak for his own. Then his point that he had taken Lupin's potion to his office and had come here without it – meaning that he was ready to have Lupin executed. She had read up on that. And then, he had seen them all on the map. And he had still left the potion in Lupin's office.

That meant he had foregone all safety precautions while dealing with a werewolf. And he did not care about anyone except his revenge. She lost all her respect for him then and there.

Then there was the fact that just like Pettigrew hadn't been on the list, neither had James Potter or Sirius Black. Yet here she had proof that the latter was. Was it too much of a stretch to consider the probability that Pettigrew was one too? The explanation, such as it was, made sense from a certain angle.

Then there was the fact, (as she came back to the cloak) that Snape had been standing there under the cloak, waiting for Black to take some action. From the description Lupin gave, it seemed that Harry's father and his friends, and Snape, were about as close friends as Harry and Malfoy were. So Black hurting or killing Harry, if he really did intend to do that, and then him being arrested for it would complete Snape's revenge. It certainly seemed in line with what Malfoy would do.

And then again it came to revenge. If Black's story was true, and there was a small probability that it could be, then Snape's revenge would not be complete. And Snape had revealed himself just as the two, Black and Lupin, had started to make sense. If they were innocent, then as Black and Lupin were suggesting, Snape did not want them to be, or to escape death.

As her thoughts came together to paint a rather grim picture of an innately evil person that Snape seemed to be, Harry confronted the man.

"YOU'RE PATHETIC!" Harry yelled. "JUST BECAUSE THEY MADE A FOOL OF YOU AT SCHOOL YOU WON'T EVEN LISTEN —"

"SILENCE! I WILL NOT BE SPOKEN TO LIKE THAT!" Snape shrieked, looking madder than ever. "Like father, like son, Potter! I have just saved your neck; you should be thanking me on bent knee! You would have been well served if he'd killed you! You'd have died like your father, too arrogant to believe you might be mistaken in Black — now get out of the way or I will make you. GET OUT OF THE WAY, POTTER!"

Harry made up his mind in a split second. Before Snape could take even one step toward him, he had raised his wand. "Expelliarmus!" he yelled — except that his wasn't the only voice that shouted.

She had to admit. It felt oddly satisfying. But then she had to do more. With viciousness normally absent, but one that she could summon at will, she pointed her wand at Snape and incanted, "Incarcerous!" Thick metal chains burst from her wand. It was the truth about Hermione. Her magic, like that of most magicals, reacted to her emotions. But Hermione was special because her emotions were fuelled by and also most intimately associated with her thoughts and brains.

"Hermione," Harry and Ron called out, slightly astounded. She had done that to a teacher.

"Forget about Snape," she snapped, and then gave a slightly sheepish look to the boys, who were openly gaping at her. She then rounded upon the two men. "I will give you one chance to prove this. Then, I think, I am strong enough to take on an Azkaban-weakened convict..."

"Prisoner," corrected Black. "I never got a trial."

Things that already seemed fishy to Hermione now stank of a conspiracy. She ploughed on, heedless of her growing doubts about everyone and everything in authority in this world, "an Azkaban-weakened prisoner and a werewolf who is currently ignoring his pains in favour of an adrenaline rush. A werewolf, who I might add, has forgotten his potion and is therefore not safe to be around tonight, something our unwanted guest here knew and remembered and wanted to use."

The two men exchanged a glance that ended with the ragged convict looking away with something close to an apologetic expression. Lupin's eyes hardened a bit.

"Let me also remind you, that since the last two defence professors tried to hurt Harry, I decided to be a bit proactive, and I have learnt the Silver Bolt Curse. I will not think twice before using it. And you, Black, if you try to hurt Harry, you will have to go through me first. Also, there are Dementors here. I will have no qualms stunning you and placing you in their range. I daresay I can move faster and am stronger than you are right now. I am willing to give you a chance only because I cannot believe how a rat, a common rat lived four times its true life-span."

Black looked dumbfounded for a moment. Then he exchanged another glance with Lupin, who simply said, "Yes I know. I spent the year feeling as if I was teaching Lily, of all people. I've heard that, it is only when Harry is in danger that Hermione Granger breaks the rules or lies to teachers!"

"Hurry!" threatened Hermione, with some urgency in her voice. The moon-rise was not far. And she didn't like the way he was teasing her.

Black laughed something like a genuine laugh. "I saw Harry flying better than James. I saw Lily's new version. I think I can die a happy man now. Anyway, Remus, summon that rat. Let's get this over with. I would prefer her to be on our side. You are brilliant, you know," he remarked as Remus didn't give the protesting Ron much of a chance. "You are brilliant, but..."

"Scary," completed Harry in an almost inaudible mutter, in spite of himself. "Yes, we know."

Ron was wearing a betrayed look. Finally Remus spoke one thing more which caused Hermione's suspicion that they might be speaking the truth after all to solidify. "Look Ron, the rat doesn't have a toe, and it is on the exact spot where the finger they found would have been."

"Ron, give them the rat," Hermione commanded in a steely voice. Ron surrendered the rat. He didn't want a punch to the face like the one she gave Malfoy.

It didn't take long for the two men to force Pettigrew into his human form and get him to confess. Hermione did ask how Sirius escaped though. If they put Pettigrew in a cell like they did him, they would have to ensure that that avenue was closed. The answer about the emaciated dog was blindingly obvious. She also realised one other thing. For Sirius Black, time had stopped on that Halloween night all those years ago. His soul obsession was keeping Harry safe from Pettigrew, consequences be damned. She believed him. In the only way he was able to show it through his addled brain, Sirius Black loved Harry unconditionally, and that was enough for Hermione.

"I believe you," she declared at last. She was a slight bit astonished to see Harry carefully observing her. And his next statement almost shocked her out of her wits.

"You have convinced Hermione. That's enough for me."

"NO!" cried Pettigrew, as he lunged towards Harry, though he was already on his knees. He was caught deftly by Sirius and Remus and dragged back.

"You deserve to die, Peter," Remus informed him conversationally. "Together Padfoot?" he asked.

"As always, old chap," Sirius replied, more than a hint of madness glinting in his eyes.

"I am your friend!" the rat protested. "You wouldn't do this!"

"I just promised you I would," reminded Remus, just as simply as he would explain a concept in his class.

He scrambled around to Ron. "Ron . . . haven't I been a good friend . . . a good pet? You won't let them kill me, Ron, will you . . . you're on my side, aren't you?"

But Ron was staring at Pettigrew with the utmost revulsion. "I let you sleep in my bed!" he said.

"Kind boy . . . kind master . . ." Pettigrew crawled toward Ron, "you won't let them do it. . . . I was your rat. . . . I was a good pet. . . ." "If you made a better rat than a human, it's not much to boast about, Peter," said Black harshly.

Ron, going still paler with pain, wrenched his broken leg out of Pettigrew's reach. Pettigrew turned on his knees, staggered forward, and seized the hem of Hermione's robes. "Sweet girl . . . clever girl . . . you — you won't let them. . . . Help me. . . ."

"I wouldn't let them? I would ask them to destroy you, you wretch," she spat. "Doesn't it gall you to ask a 'mudblood' for help, you filthy Death Eater scum?"

"Lily," started Sirius, "we will take care of this scum". It honestly slipped out from his mouth and he didn't even realise it. The temper was a perfect match, so he would be forgiven by most.

Pettigrew then invoked James' memory as he beseeched Harry for mercy, prompting more vitriol and violence from Sirius. It caused the traitor to blurt out his reason for his treachery – fear and the hope of being spared. Unfortunately, he had not counted on his friends being out for revenge, and would wish to kill him instead.

"NO!" cried Harry, ever the foolishly noble one, except this time he wasn't. "You can't kill him, Mr. Black! You can't!"

"Harry, he is the reason..."

"Yes. He is. He is also your best chance at freedom. I want that more than I want him dead immediately."

The statement sobered Remus and Sirius. Pettigrew nearly slobbered on Harry's robes as he thanked the boy. Harry lashed out with a violent kick to Peter's jewels. "I didn't say I don't want you dead. Mr. Black needs to be free, and you will get him that freedom. Let everyone know what you are, and let everyone know he is innocent. They gave you an Order of Merlin, didn't they? Well, the truth shall set him free, and it will destroy your image of a martyr and then; then you get to die. I just don't want you dead, I want you destroyed. I am not so good as to spare you."

Sirius' life was officially complete. That was James speaking, tempered by Lily's sense of justice.

Harry on the other hand was very pleased to see that Hermione was pleased with this decision.

Hermione was, also, on the other hand, thinking a few steps ahead. "Professor Lupin?" she called.

"Yes Hermione?"

"I think you should go and lock yourself in. It is nearing moon-rise."

Remus checked the time and almost froze. "Of course," he murmured, and then nodded to everyone amiably, spat at Pettigrew and hurried away.

Moments later Sirius said, "He is secure. He sent me a message by a nifty spell we invented."

"Good. Now, Mr. Black, I want you to knock him out, or make it so that he can't transform, or even if he does, he can't run away. Just keep him alive."

Sirius considered the suggestions and realised that the girl was right. But then he was Sirius. He cut Peter's hands and feet off and then quickly cauterised the stumps. "That works for you?"

"I had imagined something less morbid."

Sirius just shrugged and went about to help Ron. An apology and a strong medical spell ("Ferrula!") and Ron's broken leg was at least able to limp by. "You help him, will you? I will levitate my old friend."

"What about Snape?"

"Unchain him and keep him by the tree," Hermione decided. "He isn't any loss if the Dementors find him."

"Why?"

She explained her theory about Snape wanting Sirius to hurt Harry, which made both angry. And then she added, "He saw us all on the map, didn't he? And we now know that you didn't want to hurt Harry, quite to the contrary, and also that he had to be able to see Pettigrew also. In fact, it was only when you had spoken enough about those very strangely curious coincidences that together made sense only if Pettigrew was alive - and some of the points you were making were very convincing, I must say - that he made himself known. So why was he protecting him? That means he knew all along and was a traitor also."

"Oh, he is also a Death Eater," Sirius told them.

"How did he get away then?"

"They say Dumbledore vouched for him."

"And yet you weren't even given a trial?" she asked with a slight scowl, which he returned as he answered with a quiet "no."

"All the more reason then, isn't it?" she asked sweetly. Ron almost whimpered in fear as he heard that. Hermione had just turned from scary to downright terrifying. He wasn't ever going to do anything that caused her to look at him for more than a few minutes at a stretch. He would let Harry handle her. He was going to preserve his life and sanity and stay the bloody hell away.

As it happened, Peter was turned over to the authorities. Sirius was exonerated – not pardoned. That implied that he had committed a crime which he was pardoned for, Hermione had argued with the Minister. So Sirius was exonerated. Harry did apologise to Hermione for being an arse to her. Sirius bought her a new library, which made him her favourite magical person. Trelawney's new prophecy did fail. Voldemort did return a few years later, but with Sirius ensuring that Harry was better equipped, he did not gain a foothold and was soon defeated in a very short war which ended with a trigger-happy Remus blowing Voldemort's brains out. Sirius also taught Harry the importance of a person like Hermione and how to keep her happy, lessons that Harry happily internalised.

Oh, and some Dementors did snack on Snape that night...and promptly died due to fatal indigestion.

Those who have read the stories here know that almost all of us hate Snape. This entire scene is the one where I started hating Snape with unbridled passion. Even Voldemort is better than the creepy, sadistic b*$t*rd. It is very difficult to not cut him down immediately in The Great Manipulator and I had to reject one chapter where I used Harry's new...skills to do so. It had to go somewhere. Obviously excerpts are from the book and I don't own that part or the Harry Potter and associated known trademarked things.