Hermione had informed her friend and brother of their impending meeting with Crouch and encouraged them to be excited for the extra tutelage. She still hadn't informed them that he was the reason why she knew as much as she did in Defense, but that was need to know and they did not need to know. They were probably curious, but Luna took her words to heart and knew that she would be with Crouch for the evening. Hermione felt as though she were going crazy, eating at a normal pace when she wanted to eat quickly so she would be able to read the journal faster. She could tell from the yellowing pages that it was old. Her master wouldn't allow that though, she knew. Patience was key. At least she now had access to another ward master, in a way.
As soon as dinner was over the witch quickly ensconced herself in Severus's sitting room.
Hermione was soon lost in the pages of the life that was Wards Mistress Alkaid Crouch. Severus was amused at the predictability and smiled to himself before he left to check on his witch's friend and her pain in the ass brother.
KNOCK, KNOCK
"Enter," Called Barty, "Banging like the bloody aurors." He mumbled the last part under his breath.
"Crouch, I'm here to check on Lovegood and Potter," Severus said after letting himself in and closing the door with a bang.
Once his eyes fell on them, he noticed they were both sweaty, but otherwise fine.
"What seems to be happening here?" he drawled.
"Professor Crouch is giving us extra defense lessons," Luna answered honestly, "He's been having us cast spells since he asked if we wanted the lessons. It's been a like a mixture of review and a magic endurance test."
Severus nodded at the blonde witch.
"If you wish to carry on with defense with him, I won't be upset, Miss Lovegood. If you have an off day you are still always welcome," Severus reassured the young witch while encouraging her to attend the extra defense lessons.
Barty seemed bolstered by this as he knew Severus was also a Defense Master.
"Did Hermione have lessons like these?" Harry asked suddenly.
Luna looked at both adult wizards expectantly.
"Yes," Barty finally answered after a second, "While you were busy with the Tri-Wizard Tournament, Apprentice Granger took extra lessons with me. While she doesn't have your clear affinity for the subject, she's no slouch."
"Is that how she was able to take her Defense NEWT so soon?" Harry asked, instead of thinking too hard about it.
"Yes," Severus answered, "Crouch taught Mia all he could about the subject."
"She's a fine pupil," Barty nodded at the other wizard.
Harry took a moment and felt himself glow internally, proud of his sister. Hermione was able to feel it and smiled to herself as she continued to read the journal. While she was able to read through it quickly, she decided to go through it again, looking specifically at the parts that covered Alkaid's own lessons.
Severus entered his sitting room to find Hermione now sitting on the floor with the book in front of her. She was caught up in whatever it was she was doing as she didn't even glance up at him.
"Mia?" he asked gently so as not to startle her (even though the door had slammed shut).
"Hm?" she acknowledged him.
"What are you doing?" he pressed.
With a sigh Hermione looked up at him, "Miss Alkaid wrote a lot about her lessons, after the beginning portion she wrote as much as she could remember because she wanted to shove it in her father's face. Basically, everything she had was the bare minimum until they found her affinity. What I'm struggling to understand is her relationship with ley lines was both similar and different than my own. Apparently, it's different for each ward's mistress or master, but some of them are similar. The ley lines didn't… hug or comfort her the way they do me and she had to actively seek them out. I don't have to do that from what I've noticed," Hermione answered.
"Even here at Hogwarts?" Severus asked curiously.
"Mm," she said shaking her hand back and forth, "They take care of me here, but the nexus is most likely in the Headmaster's office. I've found more than at the chateau, but a few of them feel… sleepy. I was actually going to reach out but I didn't want to without your permission since it's your room."
"I appreciate the sentiment, but by all means you have a room here as well," he gently reminded her.
"I do, but the ley line here actually falls through your sitting room," she replied missing the point.
"Yes, Hermione you can," Severus said, pinching his nose.
Hermione gave her wizard a lopsided smile. She knew what he meant, but she needed his permission.
"Should I be here?" he asked.
Hermione sat down and felt the for the ley line, "This one is rather gentle so I think you'll be okay, but if you don't want to risk it you can always go to your room and I'll let you know after."
Severus snorted at that and made himself comfortable in his chair, "Carry on."
Hermione stretched for a moment in place before getting comfortable, sitting with her legs crossed on the floor. She was very thankful for the rug. She allowed herself a moment of feeling herself before dipping into her senses that let her feel the ley lines and sank into the feeling.
Severus immediately felt the difference as the hair on the back of his neck stood up.
Hermione however was able to imagine herself in a different mindscape, the book had said that imagining a mindscape while she did so would be more grounding. The mindscape she visualized was empty for the most part. In the mindscape she was able to visualize the ley line that was a gentle light green, just a little away from her head.
The witch was able to coax the ley line into shining brighter, akin to waking it up. It did so slowly but gradually. She was able to see where it headed off to and couldn't help but notice there was something that felt as though it were holding the ley line back.
With minimal nudging the ley line was able to direct her to a place not far from where she sat and she noticed an ugly purple nodule, it looked more like a knot full of poison.
She could feel rather than hear the line whisper "Help me".
Hermione gently soothed the ley line and informed it that she would be helping.
"Severus, I need you to watch over me while I go take care of the line," she said suddenly.
"What do you mean?" he asked cautiously.
"I'm going to leave the room and follow the ley line. Not far from here is a weird knot in the line and it looks like it's full of poison. Someone tried to poison a ley line and the line instead decided to go dormant in a way."
"Hogwarts' wards rely on the ley lines," he said softly.
Hermione nodded, "I need to do this."
"I think you're the only one who can right now," Severus admitted and got up from his chair.
The witch smiled at the dark wizard and allowed herself to fall into a light trance where she could see her mindscape and be aware of the real world around her at the same time. Severus hovered by while keeping an eye out for those around them. He was surprised when she walked to the portrait that hid the Slytherin common room.
Severus took it upon himself to give the portrait the password before she got there and hovered while she walked in before entering behind her.
Inside the Slytherin common room Severus was pleased to note that it was empty, then again they all had their own desks in their dorm rooms and he did not suffer failure from his snakes. Even the dumbest had tutors to look over their work. Prefects had to help the younger years and it was common for them to check over homework assignments. He might favor his godson but he made sure the wizard knew his responsibilities and knew not to shirk them. He had actually made Daphne Greengrass the Slytherin prefect, but the witch had returned her badge and said she appreciated the honor but couldn't dedicate the time to the position in addition to her OWLs. As she was the first ranked witch within the snake pit he understood.
His witch however made her way to the window that looked out into the lake.
'There!' Hermione thought to herself as she reached down to coax the poison out of the ley line.
Severus watched as she bent over and stroked something he couldn't see in the right hand corner of the window. He couldn't see it but he could feel something dark creep out and made his way out with his wand ready. With each stoke the feeling got heavier and heavier, but he knew not to distract her lest she end up injured.
What he didn't expect however was Draco entering the common room. As soon as he saw the other wizard he held his finger up to his lips and Draco nodded in understanding.
"Ley line let it go/
Let the poison leave/
Turn this diseased knot into a sieve/
Let the toxin flow/
Let the wound mend/
Shine and flow once again."
Hermione repeated this mantra 3 times before the ley line was cleansed of all the poison.
"Begone." She intoned to the invisible darkness that oozed from the ley line.
Slowly, as the ley line returned from dormancy Severus and Draco could feel the temperature in the common room rise to one that was more comfortable instead of the constant cold that was associated with the dungeons. There was also a subtle scent of lavender and eucalyptus now.
Draco was silent in awe. The wizard couldn't help but feel this was a secret since people who had affinity's to work with ley lines had all but disappeared from England. Also for the first time in his whole Hogwarts career he felt like he didn't need to wear his cloak in the dungeons.
"I got it, the line is healthy and waking up," Hermione said, unaware of the blond wizard.
"The Dungeons are warmer than they have ever been from my experience," Severus answered the unasked question.
Hermione nodded, accepting his words as facts, "I think we might have a few more surprises because it was an important line. I won't be able to tell how many secondary tendrils are attached to it until it fully awakens."
"I will keep my eye out and let you know if anything appears outside of your purview," Severus said.
Hermione nodded in thanks.
As she looked around however is when she spotted Draco. She narrowed her eyes at him, but he bowed his head in deference. She nodded, pleased with the reaction before looking at Severus who nodded once to reassure her that he would take care of it. With that she calmly walked out of the Slytherin common room, barely looking at it.
"Draco, I trust I don't need to explain how important it is that this matter stay quiet?" Severus intoned softly.
"No, sir. My lips are sealed," Draco answered.
"Good." Severus stated with a finality that covered the hidden threat that would happen should he discover otherwise.
With that he left the room, turning on his heel with his cloak flowing behind him. Once he was out of his house's common room he noticed his apprentice standing in front of the entrance, with her head turned.
"Apprentice?" he intoned softly.
"Do you think we can go gather my brother and Luna?" she asked him, just as softly, knowing the walls had ears.
"I believe we can," he answered and started walking to Barty's office, Hermione falling in step behind him with roughly 3 feet between them.
Just as they were reaching Barty's office the door swung open. Harry and Luna were both red in the face, clearly exhausted, and they stunk. Hermione and Severus both curled their lips in disgust at the smell and just looked at the witch and wizard.
"We know, we're going to take a shower now," Harry said when he saw their faces.
"Professor Crouch had us doing a lot, but he managed to at least get the sweat off of us," Luna offered.
"Good thing too, I hope the elves won't mind washing our clothes tonight," Harry said with Luna nodding in agreement.
Severus swished his wand and the smell was gone, "It won't last forever, but at least you'll be able to get through your common rooms without your peers catching whiff of you."
"Thank you," Luna said with a tired smile and Harry nodded in agreement, "Thanks."
"Did you both at least drink water?" Hermione asked, now that they no longer stunk.
Both nodded.
"Good. I think the quicker we get you both to a shower the quicker you can go to sleep," Hermione stated.
Both exhaled loudly but nodded in agreement, clearly tired.
"I will escort Miss Lovegood to the Ravenclaw entrance, you can return to your House with Mr. Potter," Severus said.
Hermione nodded in agreement, kissing Luna on the cheek before grabbing her brother by the arm and dragging him towards Gryffindor Tower.
"Miss Lovegood, I hope you don't mind me escorting you this evening instead of my apprentice," Severus said as he turned to walk with the young blonde.
"Not at all, Professor. I know it makes the most sense for Hermione to go to her house, as mine is on the opposite side of the castle. I appreciate it so I won't be needing a pass, should the hour turn late before we reach there," Luna replied happily, if a bit tired.
They walked in companionable silence to Ravenclaw Tower, where Luna was face to face with the doorknocker.
Instead of it giving her a riddle however it spoke gibberish. Luna's face wilted from her typical serenity. Severus however glared at the doorknocker.
"Miss Lovegood, does this happen often?" he asked quietly.
"Often enough, Professor," Luna answered honestly.
Severus gently pushed her behind him and stared at the knocker.
"I request a riddle for entrance," Severus stated.
"Which came first the chicken or the egg?" the knocker asked.
"The egg." Severus answered.
The door cracked open, but when Luna touched it, it slammed shut. There was loud howling and giggling heard on the other side.
"I see. We shall speak with Professor Flitwick then," he said, turning to go to his colleague's private room.
"Oh no! I don't want to be a bother, sir!" She said with a slight panicked undertone.
"I assure you, Miss Lovegood it won't be." He said, still walking to Filius' private quarters.
Luna bit her bottom lip and nodded before scurrying after the dark wizard.
They made it there quickly as the Ravenclaw Head's private quarters weren't far from his office, located nearby the Eagles' nest. It was hidden behind a portrait of a woman tending to an eagle nest with eaglets inside with a raven perched on her shoulder.
"Please inform, Professor Flitwick that he is needed for a minor emergency," Severus stated to the woman. She nodded and quickly left her portrait.
The duo waited less than 30 seconds before the small professor opened the portrait door. He was clearly getting ready for bed as he was in a matching navy blue and bronze pinstripe pajama set.
"Oh! Severus what –? Oh! Miss Lovegood too. Is there something the matter?" the charms master asked.
"Yes. I was escorting Miss Lovegood to her House, when the knocker tried to give her a riddle, it spoke in gibberish. I believe someone cast a Babbling curse on it, and she is unable to get in," Severus answered plainly, "I answered a riddle myself, but when Miss Lovegood touched the door, it slammed shut."
"Oh dear!" Filius exclaimed as his mind began to race.
"Does this happen often?" the charms master asked the young witch.
"Often enough, Professor," she answered while toeing the floor.
"I am deeply sorry, Miss Lovegood. We'll go get that taken care of and I will be having a word with the rest of the house," he said.
"I don't think that's necess –" Luna tried.
"No, Miss Lovegood. It is very necessary," Filius cut her off.
"I agree with Professor Flitwick," Severus added.
Luna however looked extremely uncomfortable and bit her lip, not looking either of them in the face.
"Miss Lovegood, have any of your peers threatened you with worse if you were to bring this up with a faculty member? Perhaps said if you did, things would be worse?" Severus asked.
Luna refused to look at him but nodded.
Filius frowned deeply at this, knowing logic wasn't a wizard's strong suit. Logic was often missing even among the Eagles. Even if Severus was the one to bring it up, they would somehow find a way to make it seem as though Luna had 'told on them' so to say.
While he wasn't as in touch with his students as he would like, he was aware of the rumors. He knew they found Luna to be odd, and he knew they ostracized her. However, to keep her out of the Tower altogether was a different story. He was ashamed that he wasn't aware of this beforehand.
"Is the curse keyed to her?" Filius asked.
"I'm unsure," Severus answered honestly.
"I will check. In the meantime, let's get Miss Lovegood into the Tower," Filius said, closing the portrait behind him.
When they got to the door the knocker asked Flitwick a riddle, which made the small professor narrow his eyes at it.
"Miss Lovegood, please stand before the knocker and ask for it to repeat itself." Filius instructed.
Luna did as she was told, and bit her lip.
The knocker asked her a question that made no sense, and some of the words didn't even exist in the English lexicon. It was gibberish.
For the first time in Luna's time at the school she heard the small professor growl something fierce, startling her. Severus however was impressed.
"Stand aside, Miss Lovegood," Filius said not unkindly, but there was an undertone of steel in his voice.
"The Head of Ravenclaw demands entrance. NOW!" Filius barked at the knocker.
The door swung open with a loud bang.
A few students sitting in the common room screamed from the sudden noise. Filius quickly took in who was in the common room, and it was only Fifth years and up. Only the fifth year prefects were in the common room at the time.
Filius walked into the common room with a sneer that was often found on the faces of goblins in Gringotts.
"Who put the keyed babbling curse on the Entrance Knocker?" Filius asked with a growl in his voice, glaring at all the students in the common room.
Severus walked in behind the smaller professor and glared at them all.
"Your Head of House asked you all a direct question," Severus said dangerously softly.
Fingers flew up to sixth years Cho Chang, Marietta Edgecomb, and a seventh year Jacob Kim.
Chang and Edgecomb were pointing to Kim while he was pointing to them.
"I see this was a collaborative effort," Filius said.
Chang, Edgecomb, and Kim all started talking at once, each of them trying to be heard over the other, getting louder with each excuse.
Filius shot a loud band from his wand, "SILENCE!"
"Mr. Kim, as you are the oldest among the prospective guilty, you will be allowed to speak first, and it better be good," Filius said finishing with an impressive snarl.
"Y-yes, Professor. Miss Chang and Miss Edgecomb expressed a great dislike for Miss Lovegood when she was a first year. They quickly expressed their desire to keep her out of the tower, so they asked the older students to teach them the curse. Many of us thought it was a prank, a one-time thing. After the second week of it happening and it keeping many of us out, when their target was just Loon– Miss Lovegood," he quickly corrected himself, "we decided that it should be keyed. Since no one else wanted to be involved, and Miss Chang and Miss Edgecomb didn't know how, I took it upon myself to key it to Miss Lovegood, so the rest of us could keep getting in," the student explained in a rush, looking as though he was going to piss himself.
"This has been happening since Miss Lovegood's first year?" Filius asked the young wizard directly.
The Ravenclaw nodded fearfully.
"Is everyone aware that this has been happening?" Filius asked, his tone somehow harder.
"Everyone but the first years, sixth year and seventh year prefects, sir!" Kim squeaked.
"Miss Chang, explain yourself!" Filius barked.
"She's looney, sir! She doesn't belong here. W-we're the house of intelligence, not crazy," Cho said as though the answer was good enough, "She knows that we were going to take the curse off once she gave up her looney ideas!"
"Clearly the Sorting Hat thinks Miss Lovegood is smart enough. What makes you more knowledgeable about sorting than the Sorting Hat, Miss Chang?" Filius pressed, "What makes any of you more intelligent than the Sorting Hat? Who's to say the creatures she speaks of don't exist?"
The room was quiet. A few of the students had creeped onto the stairs from their dorms, listening in.
"Miss Edgecomb, why don't you try to explain yourself?" Severus asked.
"I-I-I was just listening to Cho!" the young witch cried.
Cho however turned to her best friend with a look of utter betrayal and anger.
"That's a lie! It was your idea to keep the babbling curse on for as long as we attended Hogwarts!" the Asian witch yelled at her friend for all to hear.
"I cannot force you to be friends with Miss Lovegood, not that she needs friends," Filius spat the word as though it were dirty, "like you. Miss Lovegood has made friends outside of our House and I applaud her."
"Why can't they keep her then?" Edgecomb muttered under her breath. However, no one else was speaking at that moment so they all heard her.
"I'm sure with your attitude Miss Lovegood has asked similar questions," Severus sneered at the pathetic witch, "She is clearly above you, as she hasn't said anything about her hazing. I was actually escorting her here myself, when I noticed the Knocker's vicissitude. I went to get your Head of House and brought this information to him."
Severus looked at the trio as though daring them to do something about it.
"The rest of you are just as guilty for knowing and not saying anything!" Filius snapped at the room.
Padma Patil raised her hand.
"What, Miss Patil?" Filius asked harshly.
"They said if we told they'd do the same to us but worse!" the witch said quickly.
"You bullied the rest of the House into compliance?" Filius rhetorically asked. "Did the rest of the prefects know?"
"No, sir. Chang hinted that they would leave Lovegood alone this year since she was a prefect and didn't want to get in trouble," A sixth year prefect said, walking down the stairs, "I asked her on the train what she planned to do about Lovegood now that she was a prefect, and she said 'Nothing, I'm not going to risk my badge for looney' so we thought that was that."
"How often does the curse have to be reapplied?" Filius asked the trio who said nothing, "If I have to check the curse myself before disabling it, your punishment will be worse."
"Once each quarter," Anthony Goldstein answered, "They take turns. This year only Marietta has cast it. It takes a moment, but Jacob always keys it to Lovegood only."
Marietta and Cho glared at the other prefect while Jacob glared at the floor.
"Don't look at me like that! I'm not the one who cast it, and I'm already in trouble just for knowing about it! I'm not getting into more trouble over you." Anthony said heatedly.
"Miss Chang, you've lost your prefect status. You, Miss Edgecomb, and Mr. Kim will be joining me for detention for the rest of the year. The rest of the House lost their Hogsmeade privileges for the year and have a month's worth of detention. Miss Patil, since you were the only one to speak up against your peer, you will only lose them for half the year. Mr. Goldstein, you will retain yours for answering a question I asked them. I don't care if sixth year doesn't have two prefects, I'll find your replacement tomorrow. This behavior is disgusting and I will not allow it while I am Head of House! You all disgust me, go to your rooms now!" he snarled, his voice like gravel compared to the squeaking they were used to.
The common room cleared out as the Ravenclaws stampeded to get to their rooms and away from two angry Head of Houses.
"Miss Lovegood, I hope you can accept my apology for not knowing and allowing it to happen for so long. I am a failure, and if need be, I will shamefully hand in my resignation tonight," Filius said, his voice still gravely.
"There's no need for that, sir. I think you're a wonderful Head of House," Luna answered genuinely.
"If not my resignation, then what can I offer you to make up for these grievous errors?" Professor Flitwick asked the young blonde witch, his eyes were full of shame and guilt for not being there for her.
Luna was unsure as she didn't want anything from the professor. She looked at the potions master beseechingly, as she didn't know what to do. Severus sighed internally.
"Perhaps Filius, you can make it up to Miss Lovegood by giving her one of the many unused marriage quarters to use for herself?" Severus suggested, "Would that be acceptable, Miss Lovegood?"
"Oh yes! I would enjoy having my own rooms, but I might get lonely," Luna admitted.
"Then that's what we'll do. I will set up one of the marriage quarters for you, they are not attached to the common room, but you are always able to come in if and when you want. I will even give you special permission to move some of the books from the common room library to your personal rooms. As for being lonely, you would be able to invite your friends as it will be your private room. Additionally, if you'd like me to I can owl your father to ask for permission to bring you to Diagon Alley this upcoming weekend and we can get you an approved pet or perhaps find a familiar? I will buy it and everything it will need while you're here at Hogwarts," Filius said.
Luna blinked in astonishment, "I would like that very much, Professor. Thank you. I would also appreciate looking for a familiar."
Filius gave the young girl a gentle smile, "Then that's what we'll do. Bippy!"
"Bippy is here professor!" a house-elf popped in. Bippy had a round nose, green eyes, a tidy bob haircut, and was wearing a light blue tea towel.
"Bippy, I need you and perhaps a few other elves to set up one of the marriage quarters for Miss Lovegood please."
"Bippy would be honored! Bippy will set up the marriage quarters down the stairs!" the house-elf squealed happily, her ears fluttering happily before popping away.
"I will have one of the other house-elves gather your belongings and trunk, Miss Lovegood. I'll bring you to your new quarters myself," Filius said.
Severus nodded, knowing things were well in hand now.
"I will take my leave now that things are settled. Good evening, Miss Lovegood, Professor Flitwick," Severus nodded at them.
Filius nodded back, "Thank you for bringing this to my attention, Professor Snape."
"Thank you, Professor," Luna said, also nodding her head.
"You are most welcome, Miss Lovegood, Professor," Severus replied before leaving out the open door.
Severus was pleased that he was finally able to do something about Luna's situation. He was sure his witch would find out at breakfast as well. He knew the whole school would be wagging their tongues.
Wag their tongues they did. The mass punishment of Ravenclaw house got out the next morning. Juniper Ali was made the new sixth year prefect, but her excitement was tempered with knowing she wouldn't have Hogsmeade privileges for the rest of the year like most of her housemates. It was apparent who they blamed as Cho, Marietta, and Jacob were sitting at the end of the table with room for two people between them and the rest of the house. Parvati got the details from her twin, told Lavender, and all of Hogwarts was aware of what happened by Lunch.
The twins, Ginny, Harry, Hermione, Neville, and Greg were all angry for Luna, but agreed not to do anything as their Head of House had already punished them (and Luna asked nicely). The group was however frostier with the Ravenclaws than they normally would have been though. Although Hermione was aware ahead of time she was upset that it continued and she hadn't thought to ask Thimi to bring her directly to her room last night. She had to admit the end result was much better though compared to what she was doing.
Luna though was excited about getting a new pet and possibly a familiar, telling her friends how she had wanted one but couldn't afford it. They were happy for their friend and the twins kept suggesting things that were allowed but technically weren't on the 'approved' listing (such as a tarantula like Lee). It made Luna giggle though and that was all that mattered to them.