Merry Christmas Everyone!

I'm in a giving mood so I decided to post this today. I was going to earlier this morning but because I'm in Australia it would have been a bit too early for Christmas overseas, hence me posting it now.

I hope you all have a wonderful day, and here's a little present from me :D

Chapter 3 – Memories

Harry couldn't believe what he had just seen. Deep down he had always believed in Dumbledore's trust in Snape, that's why he lowered his wand when Snape caught him hiding in the Astronomy tower. An act he soon regretted. Harry had secretly blamed himself for Dumbledore's death because before seeing these memories, he believed he could have prevented the Headmaster's death. Now, however he no longer felt hatred towards his former Potion's Master but an undeniable respect for what he had sacrificed and done all these years for the greater good because of his love for Harry's mother. Another feeling of regret filled him but not over his lack of acting out against Snape but for the lack of remorse he had shown over the death of Snape. Right there and then, as he slouched and slid down the wall until he hit the ground, he wished he could promise himself that he would restore honour to Snape's name & image and tell the world about the man he truly was but he knew that he too wouldn't make it through this war.

He understood that Dumbledore had always planned for him to die in order to not waste any more lives, by appointing the task to one already destined for death. Harry understood why it had to be him but he still felt terror and fear at the knowledge that he had to die, and mostly likely in the next hour.

The memories of Professor Snape and Hermione came to the front of his mind. When he first saw the two together it had shocked and confused him, but gradually he put the pieces together and realised that that was where she had been disappearing to during the summer after 6th Year. Harry had watched on as the Professor's memories of his and Hermione's time together morphed into view.

…

Spinner's End was nothing grand, but Snape kept it clean and organised which suited him just fine. Harry could tell that Hermione was hesitant the first time she went to Spinner's End. She wasn't sure how she felt about being in a teacher's home. Snape answered the door with a "Your late, Miss Granger" before taking her coat and leading her to his sitting room. He served her some peppermint tea, which just so happened to be her favourite before discussing what she was to expect during her training with him. Harry learnt that Mad-Eye was to train Hermione in offensive combat with the use of magic only, whereas Snape was planning on training her in defensive combat both magic and muggle methods. This shocked Hermione, it was written all over her face. Harry wasn't entirely sure what the muggle aspect would entail, and it appeared Hermione's thoughts were along the same lines, he could see that she only just managed to refrain from voicing her queries. Professor Snape went on to explain that she was to strictly follow an exercise routine that he would write up for her that would build up her core strength and arm muscles which would improve her ability to cast more powerful spells.

After they finished their tea, they got straight into training. Professor Snape didn't ease into his attack as he wanted to determine what Hermione already new and the areas that would need particular focus. Harry was impressed with her knowledge of defensive spells outside the curriculum, and it appeared that Professor Snape was too. Her stance however was an issue, even Harry could tell. Her posture was fine but the rigidity of it was making it hard for her to move whilst defending herself. Which made it easy for him to defeat her, and he did in under a minute.

Harry was shocked that she was disarmed that quickly. None of his classmate managed to disarm her except himself and Malfoy but neither of them managed to do it in under a minute.

"It appears Miss Granger that your defences are weak," Snape droned out in a bored tone, "You know the spells but your stance will get you killed, before casting a single one."

Blunt and straight to the point, no change from how he speaks at school, Harry thought.

Every time they met for the next two weeks, Hermione didn't cast any defensive spells they just worked on relaxing her stance and getting her to move quickly on her feet, by dodging spells that Professor Snape would cast at her over and over until she got the hang of thinking quick and moving.

By the third week, Hermione's personalised exercise routine was starting to show. Harry noticed that she had more control over her body enabling her to pass this particular day's training session almost unscathed. Afterwards, Snape offered her peppermint tea again and they sat down to discuss the next stage of her training.

"Now that you can move Miss Granger, I would like to start teaching you some muggle defence techniques," he stated as he poured himself a cup as well, "tell me do you have any prior knowledge of muggle defence?"

"I learned how to punch, kick and how to block punches & kicks properly when I did kick boxing last summer holidays, but that is all." Hermione said in a matter of fact way. Harry snorted in amusement at her.

"Good. If I am impressed by your abilities then we can skip that and move on to how to escape if physically grabbed by the enemy. Then once you are competent in that we will move onto magic defence however the only things I can help you with there is teaching you a few more spells and start training you how to cast wordless, wandless magic." Snape listed each thing off on his fingers and then looked to Hermione, who appeared as if she was having great difficulty restraining herself from something.

"Wordless AND wandless magic, Professor, really?" excitement evident in her voice. Now Snape and Harry realised what she was so excited about.

'Never passes up an opportunity to learn, that one.' Harry mumbled to himself with a warm smile towards his best friend's enthusiasm.

"Only if you are competent in all the other areas of your training," Snape stated bluntly to try and stifle her excitement a bit, but it backfired. Instead she squealed in excitement, "Thank you, thank you, thank you. Ooh I cant wait!"

By the fifth week Hermione had picked up her game and raced through the other components of her training, Snape was impressed to say the least, by the look on his face, Harry mused. She managed to master all the muggle defence in one week, and then the magic defence in the next, including learning basic Occlumency.

"Professor, does this mean that you will start training me in wordless, wandless magic now?" Her excitement already starting to take over.

"I said I would. Did I not?" in a humoured tone. Her excitement to learn something so advanced amused him greatly.

For the rest of the fifth and sixth week, Hermione not only started training in wordless, wandless magic she continually recapped her training from the first four weeks. On the last day of the training sessions, Snape decided that she ought to know how to extract memories as well, not strictly defensive but a skill that could come in handy during the war. Hermione picked it up fairly quickly, her ability to quickly pick up on anything no longer shocked Professor Snape all it did was continue to impress him, Harry could tell from the look in his eyes when he looked at Hermione every time she accomplished something new.

…

Harry felt ashamed for how he announced Professor Snape's death to Hermione, he didn't know! But that was no excuse and he knew it. This certainly explains a lot. The disappearing for hours and hours every few days and the fact that Hermione would always remain quiet and never comment when we would all curse Professor Snape to hell for what he did. Harry could never make up for his behaviour towards Snape personally and knew that he wouldn't get the chance to show the world the man Snape truly was. However he could at least apologise to Hermione for being inconsiderate and ask her if she would be willing to share her experiences with Professor Snape with the world after the war was over.

The ground below him started to rumble, the books on the shelves started falling unceremoniously onto the ground. Harry knew it was time to move. He ran out of the Headmaster's office to find Hermione and Ron, he had to see them, one last time.

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MERRY CHRISTMAS!