Author's note: In this chapter some speeches from The lightning-struck tower have been copied. They belong to J. K. R.
And also, major thanks to The Rainmaster for beta reading this chapter!
Chapter three: Desperate times call for desperate measures.
"You do not believe me because I killed Dumbledore, don't you?" Hermione stared at him, and he didn't need to hear anything to get his answer.
Snape pointed his wand to the cupboard and the Pensieve came out once again. Without looking at Hermione, he walked towards it and chose another memory. He turned to look at her.
― Enter.
This time, Hermione didn't need to be told twice.
She was now on the familiar Headmaster's office. Snape was reclining next to a window. His sight was lost somewhere in the horizon. She gave a look at the room, and she felt her heart miss a beat when she saw a smiling Albus Dumbledore writing something in a parchment. She knew it sounded stupid, but during the last few months she'd missed that wizard so much, and seeing him there, in that memory, as alive as always, startled her.
She'd felt so frustrated when she found herself unable to remember his face. When she felt lost and she didn't know what to do to help her friends, she closed her eyes and tried to imagine the wizard smiling at them and encouraging them to go on. But lately, she found that even though she closed her eyes and did her best to remember his face, she could only see a blur.
Now, however, he was in front of her. Even though it was just a memory. Even though she had to get out of the Pensieve and come back to the reality in a few minutes.
She stood closer, trying to study his facial features to remember them. He suddenly rose his head – he had finished writing that parchment – and he looked though her.
"Severus, forgive me for keeping you waiting." The girl looked in the same direction and saw the Snape from the memory looking back at the old wizard, still reclined in the window. Next to him, Hermione saw the Snape with whom she had been 'dealing' for a while. She hadn't noticed he'd entered the Pensieve right after her. "The bureaucracy for the beginning of the course is demanding and exhausting... After all this years, I'm sure the Ministry could have thought of something to improve it. Oh, forgive me, I'm losing my manners; take a sit, please."
"I'm comfortable here where I am."
"As you wish" he smirked. "Tell me, what's your visit due to, Severus? I thought you were spending the rest of the summer at your father's house with Peter Pettigrew."
"That is correct. My visit is just that –a visit"
For an instance, Hermione had the feeling that the professor was nervous. She pushed that thought away as quickly as it came. Snape feeling nervous?
However, the same thought seemed to have plopped in the Headmaster's mind.
"Did anything go wrong, Severus?"
"It's about the mission I told you about, Albus" he said not looking at him, "the one that had been given to Draco Malfoy." He met his eyed then and the old wizard nodded. "Narcissa came to me looking for help. She knows how unlikely to succeed is Draco, and that the mission was given to him as a punishment for his father's failure at the Ministry. Bellatrix Lestrange came along with her."
Once spoken that last sentence, Snape stood away from the window and crossed the room to the other side with his arms folded. He seemed to be submerged in thoughts. Dumbledore was gazing at him, curious but not surprised. The Professor stopped, breathed deeply and spoke again, still not looking at him.
"He asked me to do the Unbreakable Vow."
If that came as a surprise to Dumbledore, he didn't show it.
"Promising that you will do anything in your hand to keep him from failing" he asserted, even though it was more of a question. Snape nodded.
"Albus,..."
"No, Severus. You don't need to explain yourself" he cut him off, somehow understandings his worry. "I asked you to do anything to make sure that horcrux will be destroyed. It's the most important thing, and nothing matters more than this. Harry must not know about it, but when he is to face Voldemort that horcrux must no longer exist. I am surprised that I have survived so many years of war without even getting injured. First it was Grindelwald and now it's Voldemort. I'd be a fool if I expected to stay this way until the end." Snape looked at him, not willing to hear what he knew was about to come. "This year I'm going to tell Harry about the horcruxes Voldemort created for the first war. With this, it will be my intention that he will be able to destroy them without my help. Just in case I couldn't be there for him" he quickly added when he notice the Professor was about to speak. "I can't find a more suitable person to take care of the seventh one, and I know I can trust you. May I have your word, Severus, that you'll do anything to destroy the horcrux?"
Snape didn't answer. His sight was again lost somewhere on the other side of the window glass.
He sigh once more.
"Severus?" he distracted him of his thoughts –whatever they were. "Can I have your word?"
"I'm afraid you can, Albus. I'm afraid you can."
Dumbledore smiled sadly and leaned back against his chair.
"The memory you will see now," said the actual Snape, "belongs to the very same night the castle was attacked."
He pointed his wand nowhere in particular. Waving it in the air, he made the memory change into a blur to become clear. Hermione found herself in the very same room, with objects positioned in different places and a sunset making the sky look orange outside the window.
A different Snape wearing his teaching robes was in the Headmaster's office now. He was sitting, but Hermione could distinguish thathe looked a bit impatient.
A noise came from the other side of the door; the stairs outside were climbing up to the top.
She stood from the chair and waited for the door to open. There, Albus Dumbledore was standing, wearing his travel robe and giving an interrogating gaze at the Professor.
"Is anything wrong, Severus?"
"I suspect Draco Malfoy is so close to reaching his purposes, Albus" he said, slightly worried.
"Did he talk to you about it?" he asked, his eyes wide open. He entered the room and closed the door after him.
"No, he still won't tell me anything. It's an impression rather than something I know for sure. But I do know the Malfoys well enough to know whether they are close to succeeding in something they want to. To who is that note addressed?" He asked when the old wizard started writing.
"To Mr. Potter. I have some business to manage with him."
"You won't...?"
"That, Severus, is between Mr. Potter and me."
"Of course" said the Professor, sitting in the chair he occupied before.
Dumbledore finished the note, and waving his wand he made it disappear. After that, he followed his companion'sexample and sit down.
They stood in silence for a while, until the Headmaster drove his gaze to the Professor. He was looking back at him, but he seemed to be paying more attention to his thoughts.
"What is it that concerns you, Severus?"
He looked at him, anxious.
"To have given my word about something and not being able to keep it."
"Of course you will. Besides, the Unbreakable Vow doesn't leave you any other option" he smiled.
Snape looked at him in a bitter expression.
"It's not just that, Albus. That horcrux... I don't understand what the Dark Lord can have done to hide it this well, even using Dark Arts. I've been looking into the topic for months now, and I haven't found anything useful. Nothing. And this was with your help. Tell me, what am I supposed to do when I'll be on my own?"
"Severus, I know it's not an easy job the one we're talking about, but I'm sure you'll cope with it. So many times I have surprised myself when after hitting a dead end for months, I realized I was missing something really silly" he explained smilingly. "There was once, now I remember, when I wasn't sure whether I had--"
"Albus!"
"Severus."
"Succinctly put, I don't share your confidence in me being capable to deal with this."
Right after he had said it, a noise startled both men. The stairs were climbing up again. Snape looked questioningly at the Headmaster, waiting for him to say something.
"It has to be Harry. Severus, you should go before..."
"Of course."
"We'll finish this conversation later."
Snape nodded, stood up and walked towards the fire. He took a pinch of the powder in a vase and threw it to the flames while saying "Dungeons."
Hermione felt she was being pushed outside the Pensieve to land, once more, on the cold floor.
Snape, who had came out with more elegancy, waved his wand and she vessel shut itself inside the cupboard.
He turned around to face her and extended one arm towards her. Hermione was both surprised and scepticalthat he was helping her up, but after mistrustfully examinee his arm and hand saw that he was giving her her wand back. She met his eyes, expecting an explanation, but he simply gazed her back without a word. Why was he giving her the wand now?
"You do not expect me to stay this way until you make up your mind, don't you, Granger? Knowing you as I do that may took hours, and I don't want backache to be added to my 'problems to solve' list."
Hermione took her wand and stood up. She kept it in her hand, but she didn't point it at him.
She wasn't sure she wanted to do that.
He stood in front of her, simply watching her. His wand was also in his hand, but he wasn't pointing at her either.
His penetrating gaze was able to intimidate her.
Even though Harry had told her what happened that night, there were a million of omitted details, and she was sure that, if she knew them, things would make more sense.
According to Harry, Snape didn't kill Dumbledore right at the moment he got to top of the tower, but he didn't wait too long either. Had he been doubting? Or had he simply been enjoying to see the Headmaster look older and more defenceless than ever, with his destiny at his hands?
This time she didn't wait for Snape to take the initiative and she headed towards the couch, not giving a damn at what he would do or say.
If she had, she'd have been able to notice a smirk in his face.
But too many things were now on her head. All the pieces of information that she got that evening were now a nebula that she needed to clarify before she could get any conclusions.
Dumbledore had known it all along. Memories could not be modified or even invented, and if someone did manage to do it there were obvious signs of it –signs like the fog in Slughorn's memory. She was sure of that.
She heard Snape climbing up the stairs and locking himself in a room on the top floor.
She sighed and tried to calm down. She had to find a meaning for all she'd been shown... she needed to find it.
It seemed that Narcissa Malfoy had asked Snape to do the Unbreakable Vow, agreeing that he'd do anything in his hands (and wand) to help Draco Malfoy succeed in his mission.
And that mission could only be one; to find a way to lead the Death Eaters inside Hogwarts and kill the Headmaster.
And he hadn't wanted to do it. Or had he? When he had told Dumbledore about it, he definitely had looked displeased and worried. But on the other hand, he was a brilliant actor. He had fooled Voldemort. Or had it been Dumbledore? In any case, he'd fooled one of them, and they were both experienced legimens.
Before she'd seen that last memory, Hermione was confident with the idea of Snape being loyal to Voldemort. But had he been, he needn't have go see the Headmaster and warn him how close young Malfoy was from reaching his purpose. If he'd been on Voldemort's side, why would he offer Dumbledore a chance to be ready for what was to come and avoid that destiny? And why hadn't Dumbledore done something if he new what was to come? 'He did something' the little voice said from the bottom of his head. 'He'd been setting everything so we'd have a chance to defeat Voldemort even without him.'
But what was keeping her from attacking him was none of those doubts.
Snape knew about a seventh horcrux. And so did Dumbledore. And he'd wanted Snape of all people to be the one who destroyed it.
That couldn't possibly be one of Voldemort's dirty games, like the one that took them to the Department of Mysteries. Voldemort would never tell any of their followers about his horcrux, no matter what. 'He works alone and for himself. He has no allies, but servants' the voice in her head came again. 'And he wouldn't risk that one of them became even half the powerful (and invincible) wizard he is.'
Hence, it had to be true that horcrux did exist, and there was no doubt Dumbledore'd wanted Snape to destroy it for a good reason.
And that task was too much for one soul alone, even though it was a lonely one. Harry had his friends, Ron and her, to rely on, and there was also the Order, who'd help even if they weren't completely aware of the situation. Snape, however, had no-one. No, he definitely couldn't do it alone. But he couldn't risk telling anyone who wasn't aware –in part, at least– of the existence of those horcruxes.
She started to understand his ex-Professor's dilemma. Even though he'd wanted to, he couldn't have told anyone else about it. Anyone but her.
'Traitors do exist, and some of them are as unexpected as Pettigrew.'
But by telling her he was taking no risk. She was everything Voldemort despised, and she'd never join him, not ever under the most threatening circumstance. And she wouldn't do anything that could benefit him either.
So, that horcrux had to be destroyed. Still, she didn't feel she could trust him.
Snape came downstairs and he sat in the other side of the room. She glanced at him, expecting to find some evidence that he was lying.
She found none.
She needed to know... she needed details. She jumped to her feet and walked towards him.
"Show me the memory from the tower" she said. She wasn't asking for it.
Snape, who decided to remain seated, waved his wand and the Pensieve came outside the cupboard for the third – and last – time.
"Aren't you coming inside too?" she wondered when he didn't came to the Pensieve.
"I had enough with seeing that memory once" he replied without meeting her eyes.
Hermione shrugged and leaned inside the Pensieve.
When the image became clear, she saw she was in the tower above which the Dark Mark had been set. Snape was standing in the door, holding firmly his wand in his hand. His dark eyes swept the scene.
Draco Malfoy, Fenrir Greyback, those two Death Eaters called Amycus and Alecto and Albus Dumbledore were there. 'And Harry' Hermione thought. 'Somewhere, under the cloak.'
"We've got a problem, Snape" said Amycus. "The boy doesn't seem able –"
"Severus..." Dumbledore cut in a sadly pleading tone. Hermione felt her heart sank. Dumbledore was standing there, defenceless... and she knew what would happen. And she couldn't do anything to avoid it.
Snape stepped closer to him, pushing Draco Malfoy and making the other Death Eaters become suddenly wordless.
Hermione stepped closer too, positioning herself in a good angle to see both Snape's and Dumbledore's faces. For an instant, she thought she recognized something similar to fear, horror in Snape's face...
"Severus... please..."
Snape's eyes shut closed for another instant, but before Hermione could realise what was happening he had already pointed his wand to the Headmaster.
She didn't dare look.
"Avada Kedavra!"
A green shadow penetrated her still closed eyelids, and she sobbed.
"Out of here, quickly" she heard Snape say. She opened up her eyes, and she saw all the Death Eaters moving hastily downstairs.
There was something strange; Snape had already murdered Dumbledore, but the memory was still going on. Could there be more? And what could she lose in finding it out?
She followed them downstairs. Everything was full of dust, but she managed to distinguish the tall figures of a dark-haired man and a blonde boy running towards a different direction from the other ones while one of them shouted "it's over, time to go!". They ran trough the battle without being hit by any curse. They ran through all of the members of the Order side and no-one stopped them...
They reached the gates, and with a wave of Snape's wand those opened. Malfoy and he ran through them, followed by Hermione and some Death Eaters. They were heading now to the main gates, beyond which they'd be able to Apparate out from there.
Hermione stopped herself.
That was it... Snape and Malfoy running away. There was nothing else in that memory? A shout from his friend Harry made her react.
"Stupefy!"
The red light past inches from Snape's head. "Run, Draco!" he shouted and turned around to face Harry. The boy tried to cast a Cruciatus on him, but the Professor stopped it skilfully.
"No Unforgivable Curses from you, Potter!" she heard him yell. "You haven't got the nerve or the ability –"
Harry tried to throw another curse to him, but Snape avoided that one too.
"Fight back! Fight back, you cowardly –"
"Coward, did you call me, Potter? Your father would never attack me unless it was four on one, what would you call him, I wonder?"
"Stupe–"
"Blocked again and again until you learn to keep you mouth shut and your mind closed, Potter!" He looked at the Death Eaters who had followed them. "Now come! It's time to be gone, before the Ministry turns up –"
Before he finished the sentence, Harry tried to throw another hex at him. He couldn't, however; he was hit by a silent Cruciatus and felt to the floor twisting in pain.
"No!" roared Snape and Harry ceased moving. "Have you forgotten our orders? Potter belongs to the Dark Lord – we are to leave him! Go! Go!"
The Death Eater who had thrown the curse and the one who had been following them followed him towards the gate.
Hermione was gazing at the scene. Until that very moment, she'd thought Snape had just told the other Death Eaters not to harm Harry because of the orders they'd been given. Now, however, she had seen that he'd not only done that but also stopped a Cruciatus Curse on him. Those were the kind of details she'd been looking for... He could have made the boy suffer a little and then told his allies not to harm him any further. No harm would have been done to Harry for that – anything permanent. But no, he stopped the curse; he didn't let them cast any unforgivable on him, no matter how much Harry tried to cast one on Snape.
Another shout from Harry made her come back to her senses. Snape stepped closer to him, and looking at with rage he said;
"No, Potter! You dare use my own spells against me? It was I who invented them – I, the Half-Blood Prince! And you'd turn my own inventions on me, like your filthy father, would you? I don't think so... no!"
"Kill me then" panted Harry. "Kill me like you killed him, you coward –"
If that wasn't just a memory, and if Hermione didn't know Harry'd survive that night, she'd have thought Snape would have killed him. Right there. He was enraged enough to do so, and his face was showing how much he disliked that boy.
"DON'T CALL ME COWARD!" he shouted instead.
Then, Buckbeak came flying, trying to harm Snape with his claws. Harry felt back to the ground, and Hermione hurried herself to follow Snape while he continued his ran away. He was going... he was going to be gone... and finally he crossed the gates and Disapparate.
The girl felt again how she was being pulled out of the Pensieve. She couldn't help her strong breath, which let the Death Eather sitting in the room know how much she'd seen.
"Shall I assume you've followed my memory all the way out of the castle?"
Hermione didn't deny it. She walked to place herself in the chair in front of him. She didn't break eye contact, not even once.
"I'm listening" she said simply.
He was pleased to hear that, and started to talk.
He told her that the object that was now the seventh horcrux had belonged to Gryffindor, and that nobody had known about it until (apparently) now because Slytherin had taken it away in one of their disputes. Hints pointed that the object was a key which would probably open a room in Gryffindor's rooms in Hogwarts.
He kept talking, and he explained to her that his main problem was not knowing how Potter was managing with the other horcruxes. He needed to know which had already been destroyed, in any of them had, and what were the hints he had for the other ones. For what he explained, he was going against the clock.
When he finished his speech he didn't take his eyes off of her. Silently, he was awaiting for her reaction to it all.
She thought about what she'd just been told for a few minutes. All those explanations he'd given her along the evening were serving one single purpose; let her know how vitally important it was for Snape to know 'how was work going on the other side'. Yes, he needed to know it. And Harry couldn't destroy the other horcruxes before he destroyed that one, but still...
"I'm not going to spy on my friends" she stated.
Snape drove one hand to his temples and rubbing them hardly. "It's not about spying on them" he assured her.
"No, it's about telling you, a person I don't know to whom he's loyal to, how are my friends and I managing with a task about which not even the Order itself is aware of. No, it's not about spying, but it's too close to it, don't you think?"
"Granger, I thought you were more astute. We're in war. It doesn't matter whether you think doing something is correct or not, it's about what needs to be done."
"Victory at any cost, isn't it, sir?"
She kept visual contact, without blinking, not wanting to show him any sign of weakness.
"The house is no longer locked" he stood up. "You may go at any time."
Said that, he stepped away purposefully, closing the kitchen door behind him.
Hermione's reaction took a few seconds to come. Her common sense was telling her she had to help Snape to defeat Voldemort, but her moral was questioning whether victory should be won at any cost. She'd never do anything that could harm any of her friends, but you never know how things can mess up and what situations you may find yourself in if you're not prudent. And it's always better not to try luck.
She stood up and walked towards the entrance door. She opened it and left. It was then when she noticed where had she been all that time; Godric's Hollow. She sighed and took a few steps. The sunset made the landscape not to be completely visible, but somewhere down a hill the ruins of a house that once stood there could be differentiated.
It was time to go back. She took a glance to the house she'd just left, and something told her to come up with an excuse about where she had been. An excuse that could convince Harry and Ron.
Why, was she going to lie to her friends?
She looked away from the house, closed her eyes and Disapparated.
Once the girl was gone, Snape stood away from the window through which he'd been watching her.
She had looked back, and he knew what that meant; she had doubts. She didn't know what was best to do.
He sigh, alleviated. After all, things had gone better that he had expected. Not even he understood why he had asked precisely Granger for help. Well, actually he did. 'Desperate times call for desperate measures' he thought.
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