Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter
A/N: I know this sounds a bit like leyna Rountree's "the Twenty" it will sound like it in the beginning but I can promise you as the story progresses it will take a very different twist from "The twenty". So please read and enjoy.
Hermione screamed out of surprise scream as someone grabbed her from behind. Without ever thinking her Self-defense skills kicked in. She elbowed her assailant in the chest and he quickly let her go. Sensing that her assailant was bending over in pain she slammed her elbow back again. She heard a satisfying crunch as her elbow made contact. Then she took several steps forward then whirled around and kicked the assailant in the head and he fell over. She firmly placed her foot on his neck.
The rage in her eyes faded as she saw who was lying on the floor under her foot. His face was coated in blood. She quickly moved her foot and knelt down next to her Professor to help him up. "Merlin, Professor I'm so sorry you startled me. If I'd known it was you I wouldn't have-"
Snape held up his hand for her to stop. He pushed himself up of the ground, one of his hands now clutching his nose. The Gryffindor broke his nose.
Everyone in the sitting room was looking at him amused. Remus, Sirius, Potter and Weasley were all laughing. He pulled out a handkerchief and whipped the blood of his face. He pulled out his wand and fixed his nose.
He looked at Hermione. Horror had spread across her face. He tried to hold it in but he couldn't help it. The expression in her face was priceless. He laughed and everyone stared at him in surprise. He was laughing at the expression on the Gryffindor Princesses face.
Hermione looked at him confused. "Professor?" he continued to laugh it was a wonderful laugh. It was a rich laugh.
Tears collected at the corner of his eyes. He quickly brushed them away and collected himself. "Miss Granger I wanted to see how effective this muggle self-defense was I doubted them at first but now I am impressed. It seems I was wrong to test your skills Miss Granger. I'm sure if you were attacked you could handle yourself."
Hermione blushed. Snape had just given her two compliments for her skill. "Thank you sir. Um… I'm really sorry about breaking your nose and um giving you a black eye."
Snape looked her confused. "A black eye, Miss Granger?"
"Um yes sir." Hermione pointed to his face. "It's the right eye sir."
Snape brought his hand up to his eye and lightly touched it. He winced in pain as his finger contacted his skin. "It seems you did Miss Granger but no matter I can heal it later."
Molly was standing in the kitchen door way staring at them just like everyone else. "Everyone dinners ready." Molly quickly walked over to him and looked at his eye. "Oh dear that's a bit swollen. Come on Severus let's get some ice on that black eye of yours."
He followed Molly into the kitchen and she handed him a bag of ice. He winced as the cold fabric touched his eye. Molly was starting at him, her hands at her waist. "Severus Snape you should have known better than to scare the poor girl and you should have defiantly question her skill. You're lucky she didn't hurt you more."
He rolled his eyes. "You don't have to lecture me Molly. I was just testing her. I wasn't sure if I could trust these muggle Self-defense skills but obviously I was wrong. At least she has a good defense if-"
Molly quickly cut him off. "Do you dare say it Severus. Nothing is going to happen to my girls. As long as Dumbledore is at the school they will be safe. He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named won't try anything."
Snape places the bag on ice back on the kitchen counter. "That is where you are wrong Molly. I'm not even sure the dark lord will try anything at the school. He could just as easily take them from their home during one of the breaks." He sighs and massages his temples. "Molly you have to know that we will do everything in our power to keep them safe."
Molly sniffled. "I know Severus but I'm just so worried."
"Don't worry molly we won't let him get near your girls." Snape reassured her. His gaze turned to the food on the counter. "Would you like me to help you bring these out? I'm sure everyone in hungry right now."
Molly wiped away her tears and nodded. "Of course and I would love it if you helped Severus."
Snape nodded and wandlessly levitated several bowls of food and drought them to the dining hall where everyone was seating. They were all laughing and smiling.
Sirius looked up as Snape walked in. "How's the eye Snivellus?" Remus smirked at his best friends comment. "I can't believe Hermione gave you a black eye."
Hermione eyes Professor Snape and sank into her seat as he glared in her direction. Was he angry at her? She noticed him scowl at Sirius's remarks but he didn't say anything. He quickly placed the food on to the table and went back into the kitchen. A few minutes later he returned with several cups of coffee which everyone happily accepted.
"Thank you Professor." She said to Snape as he handed her a cup.
Their eyes meet. There was the same thing in his eyes that she wasn't quite sure what it was. "You're welcome Miss Granger."
After everything was put out he sat down in an empty chair and helped himself to the food. Hermione watched as he ate. He was picking at his food. He seemed to be staring off into the distance like something was eating away at him. Then Hermione remembered. Of course that's eating away at him. He was probably supposed to provide Voldemort with a list of names of whose blood is the strongest.
The rest of the summer break ran smoothly. Much to her relief Tonks returned to her post of escorting her and Ginny to the dojo for their self-defense classes. Hermione only saw Snape on a few occasions. He would come to order meeting, eat and then leave, like clockwork. Ginny and her continued to read as much as they could about the blood of the pure and wards and other things like that.
Hermione smiled as she found a book that contained potions and spells that required the blood of the pure. There were several healing potions and several healing spell but there was also an even amount of dark spells. But the book was so big. How was she ever going to find the spell the Voldemort might use?
'I can always get help from the G.H when we return to school.'
Hermione quickly packed everything in her trunk and levitated it down stairs. Ron, Ginny, and Harry were already down stairs. The four Gryffindor's were receiving a full escort to King's Cross station. Tonks, Kingsley, Mad-eye, Arthur and Molly Weasley stayed close to the Gryffindor's as they arrived at Platform 9 ¾.
They quickly said their good byes to the order member and boarded the train. Once on the train they quickly found an empty compartment. As the train began to move Hermione remembered that she was made prefect again and she had to do her round.
She told Ron and harry that she had round and they gave her a confused look. Hermione mentally slapped herself in the face. She forgot she didn't tell anyone about her position. She had been too worried about what plans the dark lord had for the school.
During her rounds Hermione ran into Draco and Pansy. They were made the Slytherins prefects. "Draco, Pansy have a nice summer?" she acknowledged her fellow prefects.
Draco scowled at her. "That is none of your concern Mudblood." She frowned as Draco grabbed Pansy's arm. "Come on Pansy let's get these rounds over with." And he shoved past Hermione.
Pansy looked back and gave her an apologetic look. They had become somewhat good friends over the two weeks that they spent together. Not the best of friends but friends none the less.
As she made her way through the train her mind began to wonder back to problem. How could six girls defend the entire school by themselves? They were going to need help. How would they meet during school? They could use the room of requirements but Harry would be using is as well for the DA meetings. Hermione growled in frustration. Why did there have to be so many freaking problems?
She quickly finished her rounds and returned to the compartment. She had to get her mind of this or it will drive her crazy. "So Harry you were made quidditch captain this year? Any idea what your plan is this year?"
"Well I can really say how I am going to approach this year. First I need to find out who will be on the team and I won't know that until try outs. All I know from right now is that I am going to have them train constantly. Maybe three or four times a week."
Hermione frowned. "But what about school work Harry? You have to give your player enough time to do their homework as well. You can't have them constantly hanging around the quidditch pitch practicing."
Harry laughed. "Of course 'Mione' I'll make sure they have enough time to do their homework."
"So Harry when are the DA meetings going to start?" Ginny asked. "I'm anxious to work on some new spells."
Harry shrugged. "I don't know. I can't really say yet because I want the DA meeting to work with the Quidditch schedule. I don't want them being on the same day because that will just drive all of us crazy."
"Are you sure you aren't already there Harry?" Hermione innocently asked and they all burst out laughing. The rest of the train ride was calming and relaxing. It almost made her forget about the issue. Almost.
The welcoming feast was just as spectacular as all the other. The Gryffindor house received twelve new members. Hermione asked all her friends how their summers were and they all said that they had a wonderful time. She was happy to see all her friends so happy. She wished she could be just as happy but she knew of the dangers that the school faced.
Hermione could see that Professor Dumbledore kept his word about increasing the security. There were about three times more aurors than there were the previous year. 'Wow Dumbledore must really be worried to have the security tripled.'
Professor McGonagall lightly tapped her glass as Dumbledore stood up and walked over to the podium. "Another year of Hogwarts begins. I would like to welcome all the new students and to welcome back the returning students. This year's defense against the dark arts position will be filled in once again by Remus Lupin. His condition will not affect the activities that happen at the school. When he is away the class will be taught by Mr. Bill Weasley."
All the students clapped but some fidgeted with unease as they remembered Professor Lupin's condition was a werewolf.
Ron turned around and looked at us in confusion. "Remus is teaching again? Why didn't anyone tell us?"
'probably the same reason why they didn't tell us of Voldemort's plans' Hermione said to herself. "Well Ron it's been a crazy summer maybe they just simply forgot. Or maybe they did mention it and we missed it." Hermione rolled her eyes. "Honestly Ron can't you think?"
Ron scowled and began eating.
'So Dumbledore kept his other word by saying he would have more order members at Hogwarts. How many of the aurors are order member?' Hermione asked herself as she ate.
After dinner Hermione quickly made her way to the Gryffindor common room. She needed sleep. She had to talk to Pansy tomorrow they had to find a way to meet privately and how to make their group bigger.