The Invisibility Cloak: Chapter Three
Hermione greeted Monday morning in a cold sweat, restless from the dark images and memories that clouded her mind. In the days since her journey back in time, she'd been plagued by nightmares of war. She huffed at the ceiling, and took a few deep breaths to calm herself. She stole a quick glance at the small window across the room, and found that it was still very early in the morning. She decided a hot shower would be a great way to relax before starting the day. She was prepared to spend the entire week making sure Professor Snape had minimal interaction with her younger self, to avoid any mention of her detention.
She rolled out of bed and landed on her feet, collected her beaded bag, and made sure she was completely covered by the invisibility cloak before sneaking out of the broom cupboard. The quiet hum of the castle helped to calm her nerves as she walked the deserted corridors to the nearest bathroom.
After conjuring soap bottles from her beaded bag, she pulled the curtain on the farthest shower stall and set the water extra hot. Somewhere between the moments of water beading on her skin and soap lathered in her hair, she became lost in the thought of what a luxury it was to be in the shower. For so many months she and the boys had cleaned up on river banks and with scourgify. She'd missed warm, running water and the smell of blackberry sugar scrub on her skin.
Standing under the water, lost in her thoughts, she lost track of time. The sound of girlish laughter and feet pattering across the floor brought her back to reality. Her heart began to race as she hastily turned off the water and cast a drying spell on herself. She couldn't be seen here, and she knew there would soon be lines forming outside the shower stalls, and girls crowding around the mirrors. She heard the sound of water being turned on and a pulled curtain in a nearby stall, and decided to quickly make her escape. Choosing to forego clothing to save time, she threw the invisibility cloak over her head and left.
The halls were beginning to fill with students and teachers as she made her way back to the broom cupboard. Hastily rounding a corner too sharply, she came within a millimeter of bumping into Professor McGonagall. She froze just in time to avoid collision.
Remaining in place a moment longer, she wondered if she were really cut out for this task. Maybe time travelling wasn't as easy as the books made it seem. After all, she'd nearly blown her cover twice in the course of one weekend; first in the Black Lake with Professor Snape, and again now, completely naked in the hallway. She pulled the cloak a little tighter around her and continued her journey.
After donning clothing and sneaking undetected into the Great Hall, she migrated toward the Gryffindor table. She couldn't quite recall her sixth year course schedule, and would need to do some investigating if she were to keep the "Professor Snape situation" under the radar.
Harry, Ron, and her younger self were seated on the far end of the hall, near the Head Table. There was an open seat next to Ron, and she decided to carefully occupy it, so as to overhear their conversation.
"Did you see they've posted dates for Apparation lessons?" she heard her younger self say to the others.
With a mouthful of food, Ron managed, "As if we'll have time! Or have you forgotten the amount of work Snape assigns us?"
Harry nodded in agreement with Ron, "Not to mention all the other classes."
Hermione rolled her eyes, "Honestly boys, if you spent more time studying, you wouldn't feel so overwhelmed by the assignments."
Their discussion about coursework continued. Under the invisibility cloak, her stomach began to grumble hungrily. She continued to listen, but her focus shifted to the Danish cheese pastry on Ron's plate. Seeing they were heavily focused on their conversation, she quickly and quietly conjured the pastry. It disappeared from the plate silently, and reappeared in her hand under the cloak. She carefully took a bite from the corner, making sure not to brush Ron's side with the cloak.
Amused, she watched Ron reach for the pastry, shrug, and then add another to his plate.
Her younger self was amused too, saying, "Seriously, how many of those are you going to eat?"
"This is only my second one!"
Harry jumped to Ron's defense again, "He's going to need it today. We've got double potions with Slughorn, then transfiguration after our free period."
"Good thing though," Ron said, "Slughorn likes Harry. Maybe you can win back some of our house points. Who d'ya reckon lost them anyway?"
The three of them shrugged at each other. Under the cloak, she couldn't resist the urge to look guilty.
They rose to exit the hall, and she followed a safe distance behind. She glanced behind her to see Professor Snape still seated at the Head Table.
As they made their way into the Entrance Hall, a cool breeze took over the room. She clutched the invisibility cloak a bit tighter for warmth. The trio turned toward the dungeons, and she made to follow, but a rustling at the door caught her attention.
She turned to see Hagrid carrying the Yule trees out onto the grounds. There was a collection of them propped along the walls, and many were still covered in fairy lights.
Suddenly feeling as young as she truly was, she was drawn to the glittering and sparkling of the holiday décor. Glancing around to be sure nobody was looking; she quickly stripped an entire tree of its lights and ornaments, and stuffed them in her beaded bag.
Knowing her doppelganger was safely tucked away for half the day in the dungeons, she returned to the broom cupboard and unloaded her stash of stolen goods. She'd never decorated her own room before. All the dormitories in Gryffindor tower were uniform, and her bedroom at home had been the same throughout her childhood.
She set to work draping lights from the ceiling, and suspending glittering ornaments high in the air. She draped a festive garland across the window, and hung mistletoe above the door with a giggle.
Still in the mood to make the space her own, she began summoning objects from her beaded bag, and placing them on the storage shelves by the window. By the time she was finished, the shelves were filled with books, an array of potions, and jars of potions ingredients. She'd managed to transfigure a clothing rack, and hang her clothes. Then she charmed it to lay flat against the wall when not in use. She continued unloading her beaded bag until it contained only empty potions vials and a few different healing potions.
Checking the time, she realized she'd lost half the day settling into her broom cupboard. The trio would soon be getting out of potions. She draped herself in the invisibility cloak once again, and left to go keep an eye on her younger self.
The week continued in that fashion. Every morning she would eavesdrop in the Great Hall to uncover their class schedule, and then she would trail quietly behind, keeping a watchful eye out for Professor Snape. After making sure her doppelganger was safely tucked away in class, she would leave to find a productive way to spend her time. One time, she tried sitting in on seventh year charms class, but she found it difficult to avoid raising her hand or participating in class discussions. So instead, she found a quiet corner of the castle, and read seventh year texts in private.
The days unfolded without incident until Wednesday afternoon, when the trio had Defense Against the Dark Arts with Professor Snape. As they walked the third floor corridor to his classroom, Hermione's stomach was in knots. She knew she would have to sit in for the entirety of the class. She feared the next hours could lead to the unraveling of her plans.
The trio took their usual seats in the back of the classroom, and Hermione made her way to the far corner, so as to be out of the path of incoming students. Her dread continued to grow as the minutes passed by. Finally, at the precise moment the clock struck the hour, Professor Snape stepped into the room.
In his usual dramatic fashion, he strode to the front of the class, robes billowing behind him, and turned sharply to face the students. She noted he looked more tired than usual.
"Pair up. You are to duel with nonverbal spells. One of you will jinx, the other will block. Then switch. Do so silently."
The rustle of chairs could be heard as students paired off, but the class was otherwise silent. Professor Snape settled in at his desk, grading papers, and Hermione let out a breath she'd been holding.
Spells began flashing across the room in silence, and she settled into a nearby chair. The class continued on smoothly and quietly until she heard Ron say, "Blimey mate, show me how you do that," to Harry.
Harry stepped forward and corrected Ron's form and said, "Hold your arm steady, like that."
Professor Snape looked up from his desk, a scowl donned his face.
"Potter! Do you remember me saying we are practicing nonverbal spells?"
Hermione's stomach sank to the floor as she jumped out of the chair, quietly rushing toward Harry. How could she have forgotten this moment was coming?
"Yes," Harry replied stiffly.
Snape corrected him, "Yes, sir."
"There's no need to call me—argh!" Hermione gave him a hard shove, effectively interrupting his cheeky remark.
Snape stood up, "What were you saying, Potter?"
Bewildered by what happened, he looked around the room curiously, saying absentmindedly, "Yes, sir."
Hermione quickly made her way back to a corner of the classroom, undetected. She knew what she did was risky, but she couldn't have Snape assign Harry detention at the same time he'd assigned her own. That would be an even bigger mess.
Professor Snape spoke again, "That's enough dueling. I expect a fifteen inch essay on the usefulness of nonverbal spells in combat, with reference to modern research. Due next class period. You are all dismissed."
The classroom filled with chatter and the sounds of students gathering their books. Just as Hermione thought the worst was over, and was beginning to feel relief, Professor Snape's voice cut through the air once more.
"Miss Granger, a word."
Her heart pounded in her chest, and she stole a glance at the trio. She saw her younger self looking confused, and the boys looking concerned.
Her mind was racing. She needed to create a distraction. She looked around the room, helpless.
She turned toward the door, looking for a solution. She watched as the boys exited, followed by the rest of the class. She caught a glimpse of Malfoy's icy blonde hair, and formulated a quick plan. She snuck out into the corridor, and got as close to him as possible to avoid a bright ray of spell light drawing attention to her invisible form.
Pointing her wand at Malfoy, she silently cast Engorgio Skullus at him, and watched bemused as his head began to grow obnoxiously. Almost immediately, his fellow Slytherins came clambering back into the classroom, and she followed carefully behind them.
"Professor Snape! It's Draco… please help!"
From the shadows, Hermione saw a brief flicker of concern cross his features, but it was quickly masked with a sneer.
"Don't move." He commanded her younger self, who had made her way to his desk.
Just as he left to deal with Malfoy, Hermione cast a confundus charm at her doppelganger, and led her out of the classroom in the opposite direction. She turned toward a nearby bathroom, and led her twin inside, leaving her under the confundus charm.
Heart racing, she quickly transformed her outfit to a school uniform, and removed the invisibility cloak. She stuffed the silvery material into her beaded bag, and ventured back to the classroom. She was relieved to see he hadn't yet returned. She was sure she could have used the loo as an excuse for leaving, but she assumed he wouldn't take kindly to that. She stood by his desk and waited patiently for his return.
Moments later, he strode into the room and met her at the front of the classroom. He walked carefully around his desk until he stood directly across from her.
"Miss Granger," he began, "Your detention has been rescheduled for tomorrow evening at six."
She wanted to ask why, but knew it was a bad idea. She responded, "Should I report to your office or to this classroom?"
"My office," he clipped.
She nodded in understanding, "I'll meet you at six tomorrow evening at your office."
Catching his eye, she noted he gave her a curious look before saying, "That is all. Please shut the door behind you."
Turning on her heel, she furrowed her brow. Why did he look at her like that? She wondered briefly if she'd messed up the uniform when she transfigured it.
She made her way into the corridor, and shut the classroom door carefully. Seeing the hall was deserted, she quickly dug out the invisibility cloak and draped it over her shoulders.
She returned to the bathroom where she'd left her younger self, and found her standing in front of a mirror, reciting Arithmancy formulas. Still under the invisibility cloak, she observed her twin's reflection. She was still round in the face, and innocent in the eyes. The trials of war had not yet scarred her skin. Though Hermione couldn't see her own reflection, she knew she looked different. She was thinner from going months without a proper meal, and hard around the edges. Her eyes were darker, her hair less lively. She wondered if Professor Snape noticed.
Pulling her wand from her sleeve, she pointed it at her younger self and canceled the confundus charm. She watched as her twin blinked a few times, gathered her things, and left the loo.
Hermione continued to trail the trio for the rest of the evening before retiring to her broom cupboard. The next day passed in a blur, and the time for her detention quickly approached.
She picked out an interesting book in the library, and left it within arm's reach of her younger self. She was pleased to see her attention turn to the book, and she hoped her twin would stay occupied in some corner of the library for the duration of her detention.
Hermione made her way to the third floor corridor. At one minute before the hour, she removed the invisibility cloak, straightened her school uniform, and knocked twice.
"Enter," she heard Professor Snape command from the other side of the door.
Opening his office door, she found him seated in a tufted armchair behind a rich mahogany desk. It occurred to her that she'd never been in his office during his time as her defense professor, and she took a moment to look around the room.
The office was situated in a tower, so the walls were rounded and lined with stone. The ceiling was magnificently high, with a round, candle-lit chandelier hanging in the center. Behind Professor Snape's desk was a large, dark display case. Its shelves were filled with leather-bound books, and rare-looking potions that shimmered in shades of silver and gold. On either side of the display cabinet, tall gothic style windows lined the tower walls, giving a breathtaking view of the grounds below. To her left, a grand stone hearth gave home to a crackling fire, which perfumed the air with a smoky, herbal aroma. The firelight danced across the high backed chairs situated in front of it, and illuminated the room with a soft, flickering glow.
Her eyes wandered back to the man at the desk, and she amusedly thought to herself that he abandoned his "greasy dungeon bat persona" when he decorated this room. Unsurprisingly, the new aesthetic fit him perfectly.
He rose from the chair without ceremony and walked to a narrow, inconspicuous door on the right. He opened it to reveal a small storage closet filled with perfectly organized potions ingredients.
"This is my personal stock of ingredients. You will find it to be flawlessly arranged; unlike that tragedy Slughorn calls a storeroom. You are to spend the entirety of your detention weighing ingredients and taking inventory. If you find an ingredient to be insufficiently stocked, make a notation to order more. Work in silence, lest you find yourself another night's detention."
She nodded in acquiescence and gathered parchment and a quill. He returned to his work at his desk as she began working on the task assigned.
Deciding to work in alphabetical order, she began taking inventory of Aconite. As she worked across the shelves, she eventually came upon Bicorn Horn, and found it to be empty. It occurred to her to check to see if any other Polyjuice Potion ingredients were available, as she still needed to collect Fluxweed, Knotgrass, and hopefully recover her Leeches. Much to her dismay, all the jars were empty. She assumed Professor Snape had donated them to Malfoy's task. Perhaps he was even the one to brew the potion that turned Crabbe and Goyle from menacing guard dogs to innocent looking girls.
Continuing her work, she lost track of the minutes. As she was taking inventory of Fairy Wings, she heard a knock at Professor Snape's door. Her ears strained to hear what was happening outside the storage closet.
She heard the muffled voice of Draco Malfoy, but was only able to catch a few words at a time, "Insufferable... Prefects meeting… Headache potion."
Perhaps he was suffering side effects of her Engorgio Skullus, she thought.
She heard the unmistakable pop of a potions stopper, and the sound of shoes shuffling across the stone floor, followed by a closed door. She continued listening and realized soft footsteps were growing closer to the storeroom. She instantly set her focus back on the potions ingredients, so as to look busy at work. In her peripheral vision, she saw the tall, dark, looming figure of Professor Snape approach.
Hopeful he would tell her detention was over, she began to turn her attention to him. In an instant, a flash of bright red light struck her in the chest.
Panic set in her heart as she was thrown back into the floor, and her wand soared across the air to her attacker's outstretched hand. Her eyes wide with fear, she threw her arms into the air in defense.
Disclaimer:
I write works of fan fiction using characters from the Harry Potter world, which is trademarked by J. K. Rowling. All characters used in the stories were created and are owned by J.K. Rowling. I do not claim them as my own, or claim the world they are represented in as my own. The stories I write are invented by me, and are not portrayed or believed to be part of J.K. Rowling's story. These stories are simply for entertainment purposes, and I seek to make no profit from them. I would like to thank J.K. Rowling for creating the magical world of Harry Potter, and introducing me to a story which continues to make an impact on my life today.
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