Mastering the Potions Master
"Miss Granger," Severus Snape, Potions Master at Hogwarts Witchcraft and Wizardry, billowed into his 7th year Slytherin/Gryffindor class Friday afternoon before dinner.
"Yes Sir?" Hermione Granger asked looking up from her astoundingly perfect potion.
"Stay after class. The Headmaster would like a word with you," he sneered as menacingly as possible to deliberately make her think she was in trouble. It worked!
She chewed her lip nervously and replied, "Y-yes Sir." He gave a slight incline of his head and continued on with his work of grading work and essays.
"What do you suppose Dumbledore wants that he doesn't invite me or Ron?" Harry Potter, one of Herimone's best friends whispered beside her, trying not to draw attention to them from their despised Potions Professor.
"I…I don't know, Harry. I hope it's not anything bad," she said silently praying to the Old Wizard Merlin above.
"Oh, come on 'Mione. Why would it be bad? At least bad in the sense of your grades. Unless you're exceeding TOO well, then THERE is a problem," Ron joked on her other side and jabbed her ribs with his elbow.
Hermione eyed him with a glare but then turned back to concentrate on the delicate process that was potions. "Ha ha! Very funny Ron. I guess we'll just have to wait and see, won't we?" she said sarcastically.
"You'll tell us what happened, won't you?" Harry asked, slightly concerned for her.
"Yes, of course," she said chancing a glance and the ominous professor. "Now, get to work before we ALL have to stay after class in DETENTION." And with that they all returned to their work.
When the bell rang and Snape dismissed the 'little rag-a-muffins', Herimone remained in her seat and waited patiently. The professor gathered some materials and parchment and glanced and Hermione's rigid form.
"Follow me, Miss Granger. We shall meet Miss Weasley in the Headmaster's office," he ordered and in a whoosh of billowing robes he stood at the door waiting for her to join him.
She got up and shouldered her bag. As she followed him to the headmaster's office she practically had to run to keep up with him, which made him smirk in smugness. "Why is Ginny going to be there? Is she alright? What's happening? Sir?" Hermione asked barely breathing as a result from her insistent questioning and trotting.
"Quiet girl! Don't you know how to stop talking, or are you always this insufferable?" Snape hissed and she ceased her questions.
They got to the gargoyle outside Dumbledore's office and, after Snape gave the password, they stepped onto the stairway that appeared. Hermione followed in behind her professor to find Ginny Weasley in one of the chairs in front the grand desk that was the Headmaster's while he, Albus Dumbledore, sat behind it.
"Ah, Severus. Miss Granger. Have a seat; I'm sure you're eager as to why I've called this little meeting." Dumbledore said gesturing to the chairs.
Snape sat in the center chair in the middle of the two girls, while Hermione sat on the left and Ginny on the right. The two girls eyed each other apprehensively.
"Now, seeing as Professor Snape has informed the Order that Voldemort plans to start random attacks we find it necessary to put you two into hiding," Dumbledore explained simply and with not much information.
The room was silent a moment as the shock and awkwardness of the news resounded the walls. "Um… what?" Ginny finally spoke.
Dumbledore chuckled and was about to respond when Hermione's frantic voice made Snape jump discreetly beside her. "What about Harry!? Shouldn't you be more concerned about him? Why should WE go into hiding? Where's Harry going to go?" Hermione voiced loudly and threw her hands about, almost whacking Snape upside the head. He glowered at her.
"Don't worry Miss Granger. Mr. Potter is being quite taking care of. You needn't worry about his whereabouts as I think it might be dangerous for you to know. Now, as for why you two are going into hiding is plain as day," he paused dramatically for effect, as he always did, and propped his feet up on his desk and leaned back in his chair. "It's too perilous and seeing as how you're close to Harry, Voldemort will seek those who are close to him to find him. You're all to be separated and hidden. This will throw Voldemort off as you all won't be in the same place or the same area. And, sadly, you won't be able to write to the others that's why it'll be in pairs of two… with one chaperone, of course."
That was the moment the two girls realized why the man in between them was there. They turned wide eyes on him and stared at him incredulously, as if he had walked straight from the dungeons and up to the meeting in his boxer shorts.
Severus, who had slouched a little in his seat and propped his head up on his fist as the arm support it all on the armrest throughout the Headmaster's speech, now stared, wide-eyed, at his longtime mentor and friend; imitating the girls on his sides.
After a beat, Snape narrowed his eyes at his colleague and said in a looming tone that threatened pain and/or torture, "What?" The girls exchanged a look somewhere between simple fright and cold dread.
"Oh, I know I have yet to mention it Severus, but-" Dumbledore confessed.
"YOU'RE DAMN RIGHT YOU'VE YET TO MENTION IT! Merlin, Albus! What are you thinking?" Snape bellowed bolting upright in his seat and gripping the armrest tightly as his knuckles went white.
"You're only there to protect them, Severus," Dumbledore said with a slight giggling in the back of his throat. "Is that too much of a challenge for you, dear friend?"
Fire blazed in Snape's dark eyes but he schooled his expression calmly retorted, "Of course, Headmaster."
After her heart had settled a bit after the news and confrontation, Hermione asked, "Sir, where are we to go. The… three… of us?"
"And when do we leave?" Ginny chimed in, although, a little hazardously.
Dumbledore cleared his throat and simply said, "You're to go to Professor Snape's family home, Spinner's End, tomorrow evening. And you needn't worry about schoolwork, Miss Granger; it'll be brought to you." Dumbledore added when he saw Hermione squirming in her chair; which didn't go unnoticed by Snape, either. He merely rolled his eyes as inconspicuously as he could.
"Sir, how long are we going to be in hiding?" Hermione asked.
Dumbledore sighed, "As long as you need to be, Miss Granger, I'm sorry to say."
"Is my family going into hiding, too?" Ginny asked thoughtfully.
"We've taken the necessary precautions to keeping your family safe, Miss Weasley. Your family too, Miss Granger. Now, if there are no more questions?" He raised his eyebrows half expecting an outburst of new queries from both girls and maybe even Snape, but no one said a thing. "Very well, you may go. By the way, don't mention this to anyone as the others will be instructed to do the same. Good night to you all."
At once, the three of them rose to leave but Snape managed to sweep swiftly passed the girls and they followed him out into the hall.
There was silence as they all headed toward one destination: the Great Hall. Dinner was just about over but as the reached the doors Snape turned abruptly to them and whispered, though in still emitted fear, "You two will meet me down in the dungeons, in my office, tomorrow evening." They nodded. "You will also respect my things when we get to my property, this is not a vacation. It's a lesson and you will do good to remember that. Is this in anyway unclear?"
They exchanged a look that soothed each others misery and answered simultaneously, "No, Sir."
He snorted and disappeared into the Great Hall. The door closing heavily behind him with a great BOOM! "You know, suddenly, I'm not so hungry anymore," Ginny ventured.
Hermione nodded in agreement. "Let's go back to the Common Room and… pack," she said dejectedly. Ginny winced at the word but they turned and walked to the Gryffindor Common Room and to their dormitory, awaiting the inevitable that was to come tomorrow evening.