AN: Wow everyone, thank you so much for all the reviews of the last chapter, they are all so encouraging to me. Now I realize this chapter is painfully short, but it's also very important and it made sense to be to isolate it from everything else. I won't leave you waiting any longer...happy reading...

"Oh dear." A girly voice said sarcastically. "What have we here?"

Hermione jumped and turned around quickly to see Umbridge entering her office, Inquisitorial Squad in tow.

"Hold her." Umbridge ordered. Before Hermione could act, Malfoy had wrestled her wand from her hand and then pinned her arms to her sides as he restrained her from behind. As she struggled she saw Ginny, Luna, a bloody-nosed Ron and Neville brought in like prisoners by the other sycophantic Slytherins.

Umbridge, meanwhile, had rushed over to the fireplace where Harry was still kneeling and grabbed him by the hair.

"Who were you talking to?" Umbridge shrieked, shaking Harry's head to and fro as she dragged him to his feet. "Dumbledore? Or was it that oaf Hagrid?"

Harry winced as the toad's stubby fingers tugged his hair from his scalp. "I wasn't talking to anybody." Harry insisted. "And I wouldn't tell you if I was." He added defiantly.

"Well, we'll just have to see about that won't we?" Umbridge smiled falsely. "Draco, go and fetch Professor Snape.

Malfoy nodded and passed Hermione into Goyle's sweaty hands before he left. Again, Hermione struggled to break free, but Goyle just held her wrists painfully and breathed heavily on her neck.

Hermione and Harry exchanged a meaningful glance. They had both realised as soon as Snape was mentioned that, as a member of the Order, he was the one teacher left at Hogwarts who might be able to help them. Harry was looking wide eyed and desperately at her and Hermione knew instinctively what he was trying to communicate. He was thinking of a way to pass Snape a message without giving them away. Hermione shook her head very slightly so that no one else would notice. It would be far too dangerous to pass a coded message to Snape in front of Umbridge and all these Deatheater children; Snape could easily be revealed as a spy for the Order or else they could inadvertently divulge too much information about the Department of Mysteries.

Harry frowned at her refusal, but Hermione just threw him a look which spoke volumes to her close friend. He understood immediately just what she was saying with that look – 'Trust me. I have a plan.'

Hermione did have a plan, but it wouldn't be easy and in doing so she would sacrifice everything she had tried to protect this term.

A few minutes later and Draco had returned with Snape, who walked casually into the chaotic situation with his usual expression of indifference.

"You sent for me, Headmistress?" Snape said in a bored tone.

Hermione's heart nearly stopped when Umbridge asked the sour Potions Master for Veritaserum and she only started breathing again when Snape told her that that wouldn't be possible.

Umbridge was wailing, her voice getting higher and her face getting redder, but Hermione was no longer listening properly. She had so little time. All she needed was for him to look at her. Professor Snape turned to leave and Harry looked at Hermione desperately. This was her last chance.

"Professor, wait!" Hermione called out and the Potions Master froze mid stride. He turned around slowly and looked at her suspiciously.

Hermione widened her eyes and looked pleadingly at him, praying in her mind that he would understand. She looked dead into his eyes as she said softly, "Please, Professor – look at me."

Hermione watched as the slight expression of confusion left his face and understanding dawned. She saw him school his features back into a long practised neutral expression and looked into her eyes unwaveringly. And then she felt his presence inside.

There was no time for Hermione to shield her mind and stop him from seeing her secrets. If she wanted to pass on the message about Sirius she would have to let Snape see everything.

She desperately tried to organize her mind to show him the memories of Harry that he needed to see, but with her mind in such emotional turmoil it was near impossible to control what was seen.

Hermione brought to mind the memory of just a few hours ago when Harry started screaming in the exam. It was seen for only a second before the image was snatched away by her unconscious and replaced with different snippets of memory.

Hermione in Dumbledore's office, getting angry as she argued with Snape. Hermione storming out of a potions lesson, furious at Snape.

Hermione tried desperately to reign her thoughts back in. She thought of Harry telling them about Voldemort torturing Sirius. She saw herself sat on a dusty box, holding a leather bound diary and reading about a Severus who was supposedly her father.

Hermione knew he had seen too much now. There was no going back, but she tried to focus once more. She saw in her mind's eye their group planning to break into Umbridge's office, but then she saw Snape tenderly treating her bloody hand in his own classroom. Her heart softened momentarily before she saw her 4th year self, covering her mouth, her eyes filling with tears, as the man looming over her sneered, "I see no difference." Then there was Harry with his head in Umbridge's fireplace, only to be quickly replaced with Snape again, snarling down at a bushy haired third year, "…Must you always be an insufferable know-it-all?"

The present Hermione relinquished control of her mind. She saw herself sat in a bathroom. The girl cuts her finger and mutters and incantation. Words appear on the page and, without looking, Hermione knows what they say. "Father: Severus Tobias Snape."

Her mind went blank. There were no more memories and yet Hermione could still feel Snape's presence. "Professor?" She called out to him in her head. "I'm sorry." She hesitated. "But Harry saw Sirius being tortured by Voldemort in the Department of Mysteries." She paused once more. "Please, Professor. We need your help."

AN: So the truth is finally out, but you'll have to wait until tomorrow for Snape's reaction. I hope I accurately portrayed the chaos of having many memory flashbacks going on in Hermione's head - I think it's one of those things that is much easier to portray in a film than in words but I did my best. Please review, I love hearing your thoughts and I'm going to need all the encouragement I can get if I'm going to finish writing by Wednesday! Thanks everyone x