AN: Hello all! I know I drove you all crazy by not giving you Snape's reaction in the last chapter, but have no fear, this chapter will give you all of Snape's perspective, from his primary shock to his secondary freak out. Thank you to everyone who reviewed (I've now had over 200), it honestly makes me giddy with excitement when I read that you guys like the story. Just a quick warning before I go about Severus' bad language later on in the chapter - it's really not his fault, he was very stressed ;) Happy reading...
Severus stood frozen. The sight of her, knowing now what she was to him, gave him tunnel vision. He could only see the amber of her irises and could only hear the pounding of the blood pulsing around his ears.
Gradually, he became aware that he was back in a room full of people and could hear an annoying shrieking behind him. It felt like he had been inside Hermione's head for an hour or more looking at her memories, but he knew it could only have been a minute.
"What is it? What's going on? What is she doing?" The irritating questions came without pause. Severus adjusted his expression with care before turning towards the source.
Fixing Umbridge with a cool glare, he spoke with a cold indifference. "Do be careful when you're interrogating them, Headmistress. The ministry tends to ask questions about irreparable damage and I don't know what you've done to the mudblood, but she's clearly gone insane."
He heard a pitiful whimper behind him as he insulted her and felt guilt settle deep in his stomach, but he didn't look back as he swiftly left the office, robes billowing behind him.
He retained his calm exterior all the way down the hall from Umbridge's office and only lost composure once he had rounded the corner. Sure that he could no longer be seen, Snape hurried with the urgency of the situation. He moved swiftly through the corridors of Hogwarts until he came to the stairs by the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom, where the statue of the one-eyed witch stood serenely. Moving the statue wandlessly to the side with a wave of his hand, Snape unveiled a trap door where the statue had resided and, checking that no-one was watching, proceeded to open the door wide.
Only when he was safely in the secret passageway that led out of Hogwarts and arrived in Hogsmeade, did Snape finally allow his mind to process all he had just seen. He had a daughter. More than that; the know-it-all, friend of Harry Potter, Gryffindor princess was his daughter. Every part of his body denied the truth of these words, and yet, when he thought logically about all that had happened in the past ten minutes, he knew that not one of the memories he had seen was false.
He had been surprised and confused when she had called out to him, thinking that the Gryffindor trio and friends were just up to their usual trouble-making. But as their eyes locked and hers widened in invitation, he understood what she wanted.
He had walked gently into her mind, careful that neither of them would alert those around them to what was happening. But he hadn't expected what he found inside. In his previous experience of Hermione Granger's consciousness she had been in complete control; calm and collected as she blocked his attack with remarkable skill. In contrast, what he had seen this time was chaos; a whirlwind of emotions, memories and desperation.
He could tell that she was struggling to organise her thoughts and was frantically shuffling the memories around her head to find those which would convey her message. She managed to throw at him a memory of Potter screaming in the Great Hall and he had realised that the boy must have had a vision of some kind. Aware that time was precious Severus had taken over her search. He had felt around for those memories which she had unconsciously marked as important or urgent, or those that carried the greatest emotional attachment.
Then, unexpectedly, he was watching himself in her memories of their various discussions throughout the year. He had been confused by this; he couldn't understand why Granger would hold these memories with such importance. While he had paused in confusion, the girl had managed to show him more of Potter. Now he understood what she was trying to tell him, Potter had seen the mutt being tortured by the Dark Lord. He had started searching again, looking for any more information she might have.
And then he had seen the memory of her surrounded by boxes, and he had read the diary over her shoulder, and the axis of his world had shifted.
Hermione had continued to try and convey her message from Potter, but he batted them away easily. He already understood what had happened and after that last memory all he had wanted to look for were more links to himself. He trawled through more past memories of himself and had finally come across an image which confirmed the diary entry he had seen a few moments ago. In the end, he had read the bloody words with an unanticipated level of calm, 'Father: Severus Tobias Snape.'
Severus came to the end of the secret passageway and opened the small hatch that lead into Honeydukes cellar. Checking quickly that the cellar was empty, he squeezed through and then straightened up and dusted himself off. He cleared his thoughts and focused on his point of apparition. This new revelation would have to wait until later, for now he had other, more urgent, matters to attend to.
"Black! Black! Where are you?" Severus tore through the house looking for his childhood nemesis.
Throwing open the library door, Severus stopped short as he came across, not Sirius Black, but one Albus Dumbledore.
"Severus? What are you doing here?"
"Where is Black?" Severus demanded, storming into the room.
Albus rose from his seat in concern. "Upstairs with Buckbeak. Why?"
Severus didn't relax. "Are you sure? He's definitely here?" He asked again.
"Of course he's here, Severus." Albus reiterated. "But I'll send for him if you wish?" At Severus' nod Albus flicked his wand and a silver mist flew from the tip and out the door. "Now, whatever is wrong Severus?"
Severus dragged a hand down his face. "Potter had a vision." He drew in a long calming breath. "He saw the Dark Lord torturing Black in the Department of Mysteries."
Albus looked troubled. "He told you this?"
"No. He broke into Umbridge's office to use the Floo and got caught."
"And Umbridge…" Albus began but Severus stopped him with a shake of his head.
"Doesn't know." Albus was about to question this further but at that moment Sirius walked in.
"Albus?" Sirius queried as he walked in, sparing Snape a mere glare of acknowledgement.
"Ah Sirius, you're here. Good, that solves half the problem." Albus replied with a frown.
"Problem?" Sirius asked.
"It appears so, though I don't have all the facts. Severus?" Albus looked over to the fireplace where the Potions Master was stood staring darkly into the flames.
Severus didn't look up as he answered. "I already told you. Potter had a vision of Black being tortured by the Dark Lord."
"He what?!" Sirius exclaimed angrily. "You were supposed to be stopping the visions!"
Dumbledore ignored Sirius. "Severus how did you become involved in this?"
Snape turned away from the fire. "Malfoy called me to Umbridge's office. It appears Potter was using the Floo to see if Black was here or not."
"But I haven't spoken to Harry." Sirius said, concerned.
"But Severus, how did you find this out without Umbridge knowing?" Albus frowned.
He watched as Severus' expression darkened slightly and the raven haired man turned back to the fire. "Miss Granger." He said quietly.
"Hermione?" Albus asked in confusion.
Severus nodded sharply. "She allowed me to use Legilimency."
The old wizard couldn't hide his surprise, his silvery-white eyebrows rising. "She allowed you to enter her mind?"
"Yes." Severus spoke through gritted teeth. "I didn't just force my way in." He turned away as he muttered sullenly under his breath. "I couldn't if I wanted to."
Dumbledore's forehead crinkled in concern. "Okay. At least Umbridge doesn't know about Harry's visions. Severus, what happened after you communicated with Miss Granger?"
"I left immediately to ensure he was still here." He snarled with a nod at Sirius. "Umbridge was still interrogating Potter when I left, though I doubt she'll get anything out of him; I told her there was no Veritaserum left and Potter's too stubborn to tell her anything – even under duress." He remarked dryly.
"You left him there to be tortured?!" Sirius exclaimed angrily.
Snape glared coldly back at him. "In order to check that you were still alive, Mutt."
"Enough." Dumbledore snapped. "Sirius, contact the Order. Voldemort must be planning something if he's planting visions in Harry's mind. Severus will go back to Hogwarts and inform Harry that you are safe." Sirius nodded reluctantly and left the room to contact Remus.
"Severus," the wise old wizard turned to his loyal friend, who was once again staring thoughtfully into the fire. "There's something else isn't there? What is it you're not telling me?"
"It's Miss Granger." Severus said quietly.
"What about her?"
"While I was in her head I found out why she's been acting so strangely around me this year." Severus spoke into the flames.
"Oh?" Dumbledore looked interested. "You sound very serious. What's been upsetting her?"
With his back to him, Albus barely made out the quiet words that Severus spoke. "She's my daughter."
Grey eyebrows rose in unconcealed surprise.
"Your what?"
Severus suddenly turned around to look at Dumbledore, eyes wild and frantic. "My daughter. Hermione Granger is my daughter."
Snape seemed to have released his shock along with this admission and became unexpectedly animated, frantically pacing back and forth across the library.
"Good God, Albus, how can this be? How can I suddenly have a 16 year old daughter that I never knew about?"
"Severus, calm down." Albus said firmly. "Sit down and tell me everything."
Severus sank heavily onto the sofa with the weight of his new discovery. He leant forwards, elbows on knees, and rested his head in his hands in despair.
"When I was in her head I saw memories that she didn't really want me to see. Over the summer she found this diary of her mother's which told her that her dad isn't her biological father. And I matched the description of her real father, which explains why she ran away from home and has been behaving oddly all year." Severus looked up towards Dumbledore. "It's true, Albus. She did the prosapia potion and everything. I'm her father."
"Well…" Albus looked for the right words. "Congratulations."
Snape glared up at the beaming old man. "'Congratulations.' Albus have you gone completely mad? This is no time for bloody congratulations!"
Albus held his hands up in surrender. "Forgive me, my boy. I realize this is quite the shock for you. But really this is good news, is it not? We now know why Hermione was so troubled, she now has an extra father and you, my dear boy, have a family." His blue eyes twinkled excessively behind half-moon spectacles.
"It's not as simple as that, Albus." Severus spoke with a pained expression. "She hates me. She thinks that I hate her." He dropped his head into his hands once more. "Oh God, Albus, I saw all her memories of me. I've been awful to her."
"Severus, look at me." Black eyes met sparkling blue. "Hermione is an intelligent and compassionate young woman with a great capacity for love and forgiveness. If you give her the chance to get to know you, you will have a relationship with your daughter."
Severus didn't answer, but Albus noted the look of hope on his face that hadn't been present before.
"Now, Severus, you must get back to the school. Harry must be informed that Sirius is safe or he'll do something reckless. We'll discuss later how you should go about talking with Hermione."
Severus nodded and got up to leave, but he paused just as he passed through the doorway and turned back. "Thank you, Albus. – For everything."
Arriving back at Hogwarts, Severus raced back up to Umbridge's office, ready to spin a story that would release Potter into his custody. However, when he opened the ornate oak door that led into the office, the scene that confronted him was rather unexpected.
Eight of his Slytherins were tied to various pieces of furniture around the room. Malfoy was wrapped completely in rope which was then tied off at a table leg, Parkinson was sat in a chair, her wrists bound to the chair arms, and Crabbe and Goyle were merely tied to each other, though their poor co-ordination meant that neither was getting anywhere fast. Snape turned to Malfoy, who was opening and closing his mouth in silent distress, and surmised that a silencing charm had been placed on the lot of them.
"Explain yourselves!" Severus hissed, waving his hand to release Malfoy's vocal chords.
"Professor Umbridge left with Potter and the mudblood, Sir. And…and the rest overpowered us, Sir."
Severus growled in anger. "Explain to me exactly how four unarmed students, two of whom were 4th year girls and one of whom was Neville Bloody Longbottom, were able to overpower eight Slytherins!"
Draco paled slightly. "Well…they had these sweets, you see…and Crabbe and Goyle…only they weren't real sweets and…"
"Silence!" Severus demanded. "You're a disgrace to your house. Now get out." He snarled, waving his wand so that all were released.
As they scurried from the office, Severus stopped Malfoy. "Draco, where did Umbridge go with Potter and Granger?"
"To the Forbidden Forest, Sir. Granger said that's where Dumbledore's secret weapon is hidden." Draco frowned, looking out of the window. "They've been gone a while now though."
"Fine. Leave." Snape responded distractedly and Malfoy hurried after his friends.
Severus thought for a moment and then called out. "Dobby!"
With a pop appeared a small bug-eyed creature with brightly coloured old socks on his feet and a tea cosy askew on his head. Personally, Severus despised the eccentric house-elf, but Albus claimed that he was fiercely loyal to both the school and Harry Potter.
"You'se is calling Dobby, Master Snape Sir?" Dobby squeaked.
Snape nodded. "I need you to locate Potter for me. He should be somewhere in the Forbidden forest and he's probably with Professor Umbridge and Hermione Granger." The house-elf nodded seriously. "Don't approach them if you find them. Just come and tell me where exactly they are. Do you understand?"
"Dobby understands, Sir." And with a pop the house-elf was gone again.
Snape never usually used the Hogwarts house-elves for much, preferring to be self-sufficient, but in this case, he had no time for searching the whole grounds himself and house-elves possessed a magic that he did not.
Less than a minute later and Dobby was back, a worried look on his face. "Master Harry Potter is not being here, Sir." He said.
"You mean he's not in the Forbidden Forest?"
"No, Sir, Harry Potter is not being at Hogwarts at all, Sir." Dobby croaked in concern.
"What?!" Severus exclaimed loudly. "Are you sure? What about the others?"
"The toad woman is still here, Professor Snape Sir."
"Where?"
"She is being with the centaurs, Sir. Though I is thinking she is not being happy with the centaurs."
Severus noted that the otherwise respectful little house-elf looked rather pleased by this fact, and Severus found his own lips quirking up in amusement. 'With any luck they'd kill the bitch' He thought darkly.
"Miss Hermione," a squeaky voice interrupted his reverie. "Is also not being at Hogwarts, Sir."
Severus felt his stomach drop. "And what of Potter's other friends?" He asked.
"Mister Ronald and Mister Neville and Miss Ginevra and Miss Luna is all missing, Master Snape Sir." Dobby informed with a frown.
"Shit." Severus cursed. "Those bloody fools."
He turned back to the brightly coloured elf. "Go to Professor Flitwick and tell him which students are missing and where Umbridge is. Then tell him that I've gone to Albus. Don't speak to anyone else. Understand?"
"Yes, Master Snape Sir."
There was a pop and Severus was alone. He walked briskly over to the fireplace where Potter had been caught not long before and through some Floo Powder into the flames, calling, "Twelve Grimmauld Place."
The flames instantly turned green and Severus stepped through straight into a kitchen full of key Order members. He ignored Weasley, Lupin, Mad-Eye, Tonks and others in favour of one man. "Albus." He said, meeting his eyes. "They've gone."
AN: Oh dear, Severus gets a daughter and then she disappears - he really can't catch a break :/ Next chapter Severus and Hermione have their first talk since the truth came out.
I had a few requests that Sirius wouldn't die, which I seriously thought about because I love Sirius and I briefly considered him and Snape becoming frenemies of a sort. However, I have decided that I'm going to keep the story as true to the original books as possible, so it is with deep regret that I say I am unable to spare the life of Sirius Black. Sorry!
In more bad news, I've decided that I won't be able to finish the fiction before I go away, which does been a 4 day break while I'm in London but also means I'll be able to finish the story properly and not rush it unnecessarily. I realise, in doing this, that some of you won't be best pleased but at least the story will go on for longer. Every cloud and all that.
Anyway, I'll update tomorrow afternoon before I go away and I promise not to leave it on a cliffhanger! Thanks everyone x