Hermione found herself sitting in a dimly lit compartment on the Hogwarts Express. Excitement buzzed in the air as Ginny and Luna eagerly chatted about the upcoming school year but Hermione was silent.
She doubted going back was a good idea after everything that had happened but she had nowhere else to go that felt like home.
"What classes are you taking, Hermione? All of them I imagine" Ginny laughed. Hermione smiled at her but said nothing and continued looking out the window.
"We should leave her be, she has a lot of thinking to do before her travels," Luna said, looking at Hermione with a curious expression.
"Whatever you say, Luna. Say, did you see…"
Thinking before her travels. Hermione didn't know what Luna meant by that. Going back to Hogwarts didn't require much thought. It's why she was doing it, to have something simple and well-known ahead of her. She didn't want to think any further in her future than necessary.
Soon Hermione closed her eyes, letting the sound of the train lull her into an uneasy slumber. Her dreams brought her back to Malfoy Manor where Bellatrix Lestrange tortured her endlessly for what felt like hours. Her scars ached as visions of Bellatrix's face flashed in her mind, images of the blades and wand she used to slice Hermione's skin. Grabbing at her, shaking her until soon she was awake in a cold sweat with a concerned Ginny staring down at her.
"We are here, it's time to get off the train. Are you okay Hermione? You don't look well."
"Of course, I'm fine, just bad dreams is all. Nothing to worry about." Hermione's smile did little to appease Ginny based on her still furrowed brow but they all grabbed their bags and moved on anyway.
Hermione skipped the welcome feast with the excuse of having a headache. Instead, she headed to the library. The warm tapestries and smell of old books brought a genuine smile to her face. It had been too long since she was last able to simply enjoy the library. Walking down the aisles of books a calm came over her for what seemed like the first time in months. Sure at the end of the day they won, but not without great losses that Hermione felt in her soul. But no matter, that isn't what she was here to focus on.
Browsing the books she was looking for something very specific, though she was quickly realizing she might need to go to the restricted section. On her way to ask Madam Pince if there was a chance for her to have access, she ran into Professor Snape. She was surprised to see him here, assuming he would never want to come back after the war. Last she had seen him had been when she was shoving potions down his throat before leaving him to potentially die on the floor of the shrieking shack. She just couldn't leave him to die there. She had her own potions to give to him but also found some in his cloak that looked useful. Thankfully one of them was the anti-venom as she suspected he would have on him. After that she heard that he was recovering in St. Mungos and was eventually deemed well enough to be released.
"Hello Professor, it is good to see you."
"You too Miss Granger." Snape stood stiff as he looked at Hermione. She noted that he was still a bit more pale than usual. Maybe she could ask him to grant her access to the restricted section. He might even be good to ask for help on her research project and he is clearly more than capable of keeping it to himself considering his history.
"Professor, would it be possible for me to ask for your help with a project?"
"School hasn't even started yet Miss Granger, surely you can tamp down your overachieving for another day."
"Actually it is a personal project, sir. It has to do with the after-effects of curses."
Snape raised an eyebrow. "What interest you have in that subject should be able to be found in the curses section, Miss Granger. And any part of a personal question should go to the mediwitch you go to. Perhaps Madam Pomfrey?"
"The curses section doesn't have what I need and the mediwitch treating me at St. Mungos didn't know anything to help. I thought you might be able to help due to your experience and knowledge of the dark arts."
"Miss Granger, you should watch yourself. You cannot simply go around asking for information on such things."
"I'm not just asking anybody, I'm asking my trusted Professor who is well-versed in this area of magic. Am I wrong to think you know of forbidden curses and their counter spells?" Hermione snapped.
"Miss Granger you will not speak to me in that tone." Snape glowered down at her, clearly ready to turn and leave.
Hermione sighed. "I'm sorry professor I just don't know what else to do." She began rolling up her sleeves but Professor Snape stopped her.
"Miss Granger…" Snape said her name in a low voice.
"You don't understand Professor, it isn't healing."
Snake's eyes were wide. "Not healing? For how long?"
'Hmmf that piqued his curiosity' Hermione thought to herself. She finished rolling up her sleeve and showed him the bandage around her arm. Blood could be seen slightly seeping through. Snape pulled them further into an alcove and carefully unwrapped her bandage. Underneath the word 'Mudblood' appeared as though freshly carved, near black veins going down her arm out from the letters.
"Who did this?" Snape asked quietly.
"Bellatrix Lestrange."
"Hmm, I see." Snape studied her arm closely before vanishing her old bandages and summoning new ones to wrap her arm with. "You are right, Miss Granger, nothing in the curse section will assist you with your plight. I will write you a pass to the restricted section. You are only to use it for this research. And you will meet me in my office after classes every school day. We will work on this together."
"Thank you, Professor."
"Don't thank me. It is payment for your role in restoring my life, Miss Granger." Snape said with almost a scowl on his face before giving a short nod and turning and walking away.
Hermione stood there with slightly widened eyes. She didn't expect to push Professor Snape so hard about helping her. Something came over her and she suddenly felt convinced that he would be the key to helping her. Even if frequently cruel, he always came off as an intellectual who clearly had an interest in the dark arts. And everybody knew he had previously wanted the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor position. That had to count for something when it came to knowing how to oppose dark curses.
Hermione took the letter to Madam Pince. "Hello Madam Pince, it is so good to see you. I need access to the restricted section. I have a letter here granting it from Professor Snape."
"Hello Miss Granger, it is good to see you too. I can't believe Professor Snape would give permission like that without talking to me. Let me just read this and we will see… hmmf okay… alright fine. Yes Miss Granger, let's go let you in then."
Together they walked over as Madam Pince unlocked the door for Hermione. "You have 2 hours before the library closes for tonight. And you cannot take any books out with you. Do not touch any books in the chained section without a professor present."
"Okay, thank you Madam Pince." Hermione smiled politely then turned and got to work. Figuring out which books she needed wasn't the easiest feat. She didn't really know where to start since she wasn't that familiar with curses and this one seemed obscure based of the mediwitch's reaction. Professor Snape's reaction was also cause for alarm considering how quickly he changed his mind on whether or not to help her.
Suddenly Hermione could hear a hum coming from one of the books. It was a soft lullaby as far as she could tell. Almost as if in a trance, she reached out and pulled the book off the shelf. Before she knew it she felt a twisting in her stomach as everything around her spun on end. She fell and landed hard on the ground, the book landing next to her with a loud thud.