The Self-Writing Parchment

by beaweasley2

Hermione finds a mysterious piece of self-writing parchment in Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes that writes: Tell me your deepest desire. Thinking it's a trick, she says, "Take me to my soul mate?" and she suddenly finds herself at Severus Snape's feet.

52. Chapter 52

Self-Writing Parchment

"… and in seventy-two more the one who wins will die by the wand of the one he defeated…"

Professor Sybill Trelawney

As I've said, I abhor violence and abuse toward children – anyone actually. I know that the abuse if hard to read – it is hard to type – but thank you for sticking with me.

I'm sorry for any and all typos – I'm owning up to them.

~beaweasley2

Countdown Continues

~ o 52 o ~

Severus sighed. Professor Sprout was smiling as she led Miss Parkinson and Isabel McDougal from his office. Both girls had multiple medicated plasters on their scratches and cuts on their arms, necks and faces from spending two hours pruning Pomona's precious Venomous Tentacula. It was a thin line, his wanting to giveMiss Parkinson and Miss Isabel McDougal severe punishments for attacking Hermione earlier in Herbology and knowing he had to temper his anger and give them moderate detentions because both their families supported the Dark Lord. Still their action could have cost Hermione her life if it hadn't been for the quick actions of Cillian, Draco and Goyle in detangling her from the plant.

He'd used Legilimency on Pomona, and he'd had been able to read what she had considered a proper punishment for attacking an unarmed witch (and one of her favorite students) and frankly he'd agreed with her on what the punishment should be. He'd kept his expression firmly in control as he'd voiced her suggestions, only he had given the girls a month's detentions, much longer than the kindhearted professor would've demanded.

He was still waiting to hear if Hermione would be released before dinner, having missed Ancient Runes, one of her favorite classes. The elective was a highly complicated, theoretical subject that studied the ancient runic scripts of magic and one he knew she excelled at.

Annoyed screeches drew his attention to the window, which magically opened for his owl post. A ministry owl flew behind Aetos in a flurry of ruffled feathers, carrying two thick envelopes, both bound for owl transport.

The two owls were followed by a pretty, young Eurasian eagle-owl, just over a year old, who landed indelicately on Aetos' perch and sighed heavily as if she'd had a difficult flight. The ministry owl, forced to land elsewhere by Aetos, perched on the back of a chair, looking thoroughly disgruntled while preening his feathers. But for some reason, Aetos allowed the young eagle-owl to drink from his water cup and take a few of his treats from the other.

Severus rose and collected the post from the owls. Aetos carried several letters, one in particular clutched tightly in his talons, badly wrinkled but not torn, was an expected reply from Master Ogden. The young female carried one letter, which she gave up to Severus happily, apparently proud of her completed mission.

The two packets carried by the Ministry owl on the chair seat were from the School Governors and from the Department of Magical Transportation, Apparition Test Centre. Severus gave the owl a treat and it flew off, obviously not expecting a reply.

He read through the correspondence from the Ministry. Hogwarts was still being denied Apparition Lessons.

After the Dark Lord's takeover of the Ministry, all laws and regulations for magical transportation in the Department of Magical Transportation had been thoroughly revised– that afternoon – and severe restrictions were implemented for all forms of magical transportation. All Floo connections and Apparition licenses had to be refiled with approval certification, most by the Muggle-born Registration Commission. Several key personnel went missing from the department during the reassessment. Ministry-Apparition Instructor, Wilkie Twycross, was one of them, and Wesley Westmore as head of Magical Transportation had not assigned a replacement to date, much to the displeasure of the student's parents and the governors.

He turned his attention to the letter carried to him by the young owl, addressed to the Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He opened the letter and his brow furrowed as he read:

Severus,

The Dark Lord is furious. The Elder Wand, the one he calls the Wand of Destiny, won't obey him as his old yew wand did. I've seen him as he tortures people – the twisted spells and curses he uses. He is as strong as ever. He uses the Cruciatus Curse until they are near to their breaking point – but lately he has his serpent bite those who displease him. It's a slow agonizing death, Severus.

I knew he questioned Master Olivander about why his wand failed to kill Potter both times he tried to kill the boy, first as a baby and then at the graveyard; there was some talk about twin cores… and why Lucius' wand shattered the night Potter was removed from his place of refuge. Something about loyalty? Lucius had been mercilessly tortured that night.

He is determined to know why this third wand, supposedly Professor Dumbledore's wand, apparently refuses to perform as it should. Why doesn't he seem to have the Wand's allegiance?

He sent two of his men to find him a wandmaker who could answer his questions.

The Dark Lord is moodier, short tempered, distrustful, crazed in his obsession over Potter. I am afraid, Severus – I'm afraid for Draco. Please, please look after my boy. Please keep him safe.

With sincere regards,

Narcissa

Severus well remembered when Arthur Weasley had been bit; hehad been dangerously close to death when Severus sent Master Odgen the potion to save him. Severus still had a full batch of the potion in his stores as did the school matron. He'd have to check to see if the potion was still viable, although, if it wasn't, getting more of Nagini's venom would be nearly impossible.

His other concern was that Dumbledore's wand was not aligning with the Dark Lord. That the wand had been stolen from a tomb could be the reason why. Severus had seen wands turn their allegiance to those who killed or defeated their owners in combat. Not all the time, but they had.

Still, if the Dark Lord's questioning his wand's loyalty it could be problematic. He had questioned Master Olivander… I wonder what the old wandmaker had said to him? Whatever it had been had not satisfied the Dark Lord because he'd sent two of his men to find another wandmaker for him to interrogate.

Severus heard a noise coming from upstairs. He dropped the letter on the sofa, drew his wand and went to investigate. Hermione was on her knees at her trunk, sorting through her things. "Looking for something?" he asked smoothly.

Her body jerked and her trunk lid dropped onto her hand as she turned suddenly to look at him. "You startled me."

"Obviously" he replied with a quirk of his lips, watching her for any indication she'd hurt her hand as she withdrew it, but she seemed unhurt. "Where have you been, and how did you get up here?"

"I was talking to Ginny. Peren brought me here," she replied, rising to her feet.

"And how goes the search? Are your friends and their charges going to come out of the Room of Requirement," he asked, knowing the answer.

"No, not yet. We haven't – not yet," she stuttered with a flicker of a frown.

"I see. This is important, Hermione, and in case it slipped your notice, I am supporting your efforts. But I can only do so much. The Carrows and the security wizards are not dumb." He almost laughed at her change of expression from shock to realization and then acceptance. "All right, it's time we head down for dinner."

Upon entering the sitting room, Hermione stopped, walked over to the sofa and picked up his letter off the floor, looking at the writing. "The Elder Wand? The Dark Lord has Dumbledore's wand?" she asked.

Severus resisted tearing it from her fingers, because he was certain she'd already read the letter and was focusing on the most pertinent information. He knew how fast she could read; it was her ability of comprehension and retention which amazed him, almost as if she had a photographic memory. "Yes, he has Dumbledore's wand. He took it from his grave."

"But it's not working for him… because he didn't win the wand in combat. He stole it," she surmised.

Severus cocked his head ever so slightly, narrowing his eyes at her, slightly annoyed.

"I read about this in the Restricted Section – if you disarm an opponent in wandfight – actual combat, the conquered wizard's wand can change allegiance. Theoretically. It doesn't work during a duel or when practicing though, only in a life-threatening wandfight where the wand is taken by defeat or death of the owner." Her eyes widened in fear. "YOU! You killed Dumbledore! You're the master of Dumbledore's wand, not… not him. And if he knows this, he'll come after you – to kill you to master the wand!"

Bloody witch. Too smart for her own good. "I didn't – he was dying, literally, before my eyes. I ended the life of a dying wizard. There was no wandfight left in him," he said defensively. He took the letter and wandlessly vanquished it. "Come, we're going to dinner, and don't say a thing about this to anyone. You hear me, no one must know."

Severus was quiet on the way to dinner, deep in thought. Now that he'd thought about it, there had been two occasions when his wand hadn't performed as well as it should have, both after a nasty wandfight. The first time, Potter had been able to disarm him during a vicious attack, and only after he'd defeated Potter a day later, had his wand behaved properly again. The second time had been when he'd been disarmed after a fierce wandfight with Black. Severus had retaliated that night and had left Black hanging upside down, covered in scales and disillusioned, and he'd tossed Black's wand into a suit of armor. But thinking back on those fights his retaliation, both of them had been hard-fought victories. However, thanks to his nemeses at school, he had become an incredibly skillful and powerful wizard, very well versed in nonverbal spells and Legilimens, even able to do Legilimency at a distance, and he'd not lost battles since.

As Severus and Hermione descended the last few steps to the Entrance Hall, his attention was drawn to Messrs. Crabbe and Zabini and Misses Parkinson and Bulstrode, watching them as they entered the Great Hall. Draco's friends – or had been.

Draco, Severus mentally berated himself. As far as Severus knew the Unbreakable Vow was still partly in effect. Narcissa, so concerned for her son's safety, had been so careful in her wording:

"Will you, Severus, watch over my son, Draco, as he attempts to fulfil the Dark Lord's wishes?"

"And will you, to the best of your ability, protect him from harm?"

"And should it prove necessary... if it seems Draco will fail... will you carry out the deed that the Dark Lord has ordered Draco to perform?"

That thrice damnable Unbreakable Vow. The third condition had been met; he'd killed Dumbledore to protect the boy – just as both Narcissa and the old wizard had wanted. But the first two conditions still applied; as long as the Dark Lord had use of Draco, he, Severus, needed to watch over and protect the boy. At this point only the Dark Lord's demise would free him from the accursed vow.

The Dark Lord will find out about Draco – he always does. Though none of the Death Eaters had actually seen him do it, it had been Draco who had disarmed Dumbledore. Severus had seen it in the boy's memory later that night; Draco hadn't actually conquered the old man, nor had it been a defeat – but it had been a disarmament, nonetheless, witnessed by no one else except by Potter.

Dumbledore had believed in the myths of the Deathly Hallows: the Elder Wand, the Invisibility Cloak and the Resurrection Stone. Severus never believed the rumors of the Hallows. The problem was that the Dark Lord believed Dumbledore's elder wood wand was the fabled all powerful Deathstick, and he didn't have the wand's allegiance as he'd expected he would. It made Severus consider the possibility, however slim, that Draco really was the wand's true master, and if the wand was the fabled wand, the Dark Lord would do anything to conquer the wand's loyalty. If that was so, the boy was in grave danger – as he was himself. Regardless of Severus' belief – or skepticism – Draco needed to know.

VanHalal, striding purposefully toward him and Hermione, caught Severus' attention. "Stay next to me and don't speak," he said quietly. Hermione simply nodded once.

"Where's Gwynek?" VanHalal demanded the moment he stopped in front of Severus, looking cross.

"Summoned," Severus stated, his eyes narrowing, his thoughts flashing quickly. With Cillian away for the night, and Hermione needing free reign to sort out the problems she faced regarding the diadem, I can't have VanHalal lurking around the corridors. Behind the wizard Severus saw Nott, Goyle and Schlinder emerging from the dungeons, escorting Misses Davis, Greengrass, Whitehall, and both Bergental girls. A solution struck him. "I need you on the gates tonight instead—"

"Malburke and Jugson—"

"Yes, you'll be there with both of them," Severus stated firmly.

"What about her?" he asked, jutting his chin at Hermione.

"What, exactly, do you think can she do? She's wandless and will be surrounded by Slytherins I trust and who've been Marked by the Dark Lord. I shall be watching her as well," Severus stated as Hermione's friends paused en masse, sixth-years Misses Hamilton and Pendergast joining them.

"What about my dinner?" VanHalal demanded, angry about being sent to the gates.

"I'll have a House-elf bring you hot meat pies and a bottle of fire whiskey," Severus stated. "You can return when the watch changes. Or, if you like, spend an hour in the Hog's Head." He knew the wizard would go to the Hog's Head instead of standing watch, but Severus didn't care. He'd be out of the castle. "Return at curfew to ensure all the Slytherins and Hufflepuffs are in their common rooms. Professors McGonagall and Flitwick will see to the Gryffindors and Ravenclaws respectively."

VanHalal looked skeptical.

"So, until curfew, I need you on the gates tonight instead standing around watching the students." With that said, Severus turned and led Hermione into the Great Hall, followed by the group of Slytherins who he knew sided with Hermione, leaving the disgruntled wizard standing dumbfounded behind him.

~C~

Cillian had left the castle after leaving Hermione in the hospital to be treated for Venomous Tentacula poisoning. She'd be safe under the Matron's care, and she'd likely stay there until dinner. Therefore, he'd asked Severus for a flask of Polyjuice Potion so he could take Dianne shopping and had promised to be back by dawn. He knew Severus kept flasks of the potion in his personal stores, even though he didn't use it. Cillian made a short stop in the Kendal shopping center. It was a Muggle place Dianne had taken him shopping before and suited his needs. He'd picked up some pastries and had flirted with an attractive young woman about his age so he could nip a bit of her hair.

On his arrival at his island home, he learned Andrew had been feeling poorly. "I'm worried, Cillian," Juliet said, entering the sitting room. "Ella helps, but his congestion and fever… I'm not sure Ella's teas are much help."

"I'll get him something for him. Tell me what symptoms he's having," he said. Apparently, Andrew had a virulent flu, but he could get what Andrew needed from Ling's parents, Shulan and Kang Lai, both well-trained traditional Chinese herbalists and Healers. At least Ella's 'teas' were keeping the ladies from getting sick.

So, after sending Ella to the Lai's with his request, Cillian offered to take Dianne and her mother, Juliet, with him for lunch and two hours of shopping after Ella returned, delighting them both enthusiastically. Not surprisingly, Ella returned with the potions and a letter from his sister-in-law, Ling, asking if it would be possible for him to visit her. Ling also mentioned she'd be at their sister-in-law, Sherri's home, Grouse Hill House, near Robin Hood's Bay in Whitby, so he'd get to see them both.

As Ella dispensed Andrew his concoctions, Juliet and Dianne assumed their disguise, morphing into two identical beautiful ladies with light chestnut curly hair, rosy fair complexion with a dusting of freckles and sky-blue eyes. Andrew had been beside himself, seeing his 'girls' as twins, laughing between coughing fits.

It was the most pleasant shopping excursion he'd had in ages. Juliet really enjoyed the 'disguise,' and she and Dianne even changed into identical outfits before going. Both girls flirted with him, laughing and smiling in delight, so even though Cillian had known which witch was which, he hadn't let on, amusedly 'playing along' and letting Juliet have her fun.

Afterwards, Cillian brought the ladies, still in their potion-induced disguise, back to the house. To Juliet's relief, Andrew was sleeping comfortably when they arrived.

"Thank you, Cillian, for everything and my magical day in Keswick," Juliet replied gratefully.

"It was my pleasure," he said and kissed her cheek, adding, "Juliet," with a smirk.

"You knew!" she replied shocked as the potion began wearing off.

"Of course," he said with a smile. "You didn't take off your wedding band."

He gave Dianne a lingering kiss and left the island, arriving a short walk away from Sherri's house. Sherri and Ling were both in the sitting room, enjoying a cup of tea and the view from the large bay window. He kissed Sherri on her cheek and asked how they were doing.

"Pregnant," Sherri stated.

"So, Severus' potions worked," he said with a grin and kissed Ling's cheek as well.

"I'm having triplets! Triplets! That bloody potion was too effective, Cillian. How am I going to handle raising three rug rats tearing up the place?" Sherri whinnied, apparently in a bad mood today.

Cillian's eyes widened at the announcement of triplets. Triplets? Merlin's beard! Poor Sherrilyn – and Marc.

"Mengele's pregnancy charm produced a strong baby-pink glow both times we'd been summoned by the Dark Lord for testing. A proper Healer knows they can't determine the sex of the babies at ten weeks!" Sherri said, obviously disgruntled. "Still the embarrassment of having to be verified, twice, in front of everyone was – well, what it was. Marc is pleased, of course. He thinks the Dark Lord is pleased with him. He doesn't have to carry them for nine months!"

"We have to go every few weeks," Ling said with a reassuring glance at Sherri. "It was awful, Cillian," she added, her gaze switching to meet his. "The Malfoys' home – it's so different – stripped of its luxury the way it is. All their lovely things removed to accommodate… everyone. Poor Narcissa is reduced to a proprietor in her own manor. There were vampires in her halls, and werewolves… I don't know how she stands it." Her tone was so soft as if afraid they'd be overheard by one of the Dark Lord's followers, supporters or supplicants lurking in the garden.

"Did you know that the other girl Marc screwed has been verified as pregnant!" Sherri stated, trying to conceal her anger.

Marc was dividing his time between following the Dark Lord's orders and trying to locate his mother, father and grandfather, so he had been away a lot, adding to Sherri's irritation. "Ling is lucky, Justin's second witch didn't conceive. She's carrying Nott's child now, poor thing."

He listened absentmindedly as Sherri brought him up on recent news. She tended to keep up with all the pure-blood gossip, something he simply wasn't interested in. He loved his sisters-in-law and enjoyed Ling's penchant for exotic teas and Asian desserts. He knew Justin was abroad again on business, a bit too frequently lately – avoiding searching for their missing family members…

Another possibly struck him; was Justin aiding their father's and grandfather's evasion? Of course, Cillian was guilty of hiding his mother and Old Ben, who were both safe at Beauxbatons Academy of Magic for now. His younger brother, Bryon, had fled with his wife, Stephanie, and their three kids soon after Cillian and Marc had been summoned by the Dark Lord upon his physical return.

That meant that half his family was 'missing' or evading the Dark Lord – traitors in the eyes of the Dark brethren. A dangerous position for Marc, Belinda and himself to be in. Cillian wished he could look in on his sisters-in-law more often in case he, Marc or Belinda lost favor with the Dark Lord, but Cillian had his own orders and obligations.

Nevertheless, despite this, the only thing Bellinda cared about was the missing vault key, which was most likely kept safely in Grandfather Riorden's pocket.

"—find you a suitable witch."

"Excuse me, what did you say?" he asked Sherri, snapped from his contemplation on family matters.

"Belinda is trying, yet again, to find you a suitable witch. She's suggested either Ingrid Fawley or Aurelia Dumont."

When he didn't respond, Sherri continued. "Ingrid Fawley, magical horticultural florist, granddaughter of the late Hector Fawley and niece of Tilden Toots."

Cillian stared at Sherri. Yes, he remembered her, a pretty, petite girl who had been sorted into Hufflepuff when he was a prefect. Not that he'd been interested, but Nymphadora Tonks was a real Metamorphmagus, (a very rare, inherited magical talent) which had intrigued him, had been sorted into Hufflepuff the same year, and the two girls had been best friends.

"No? How about Aurelia Dumont? An alchemist… I know, alchemy is an abstruse practice for a lady, but she did apprentice under Nicolas Flamel until his demise."

Cillian set down his cup and tried to keep his expression from showing his annoyance. "No."

"You don't remember her, either?" Sherri asked.

"Sherri, you can tell Belinda that you mentioned them. Cillian is young yet, he has time," Ling said, putting a halt to the matchmaking discussion. She turned to Cillian. "Will you be going by the house?"

"Hadn't planned on going. Why?" he asked, thankful for her change of topic.

~G~

Ginny stood near the vanishing door of the Room of Requirement, looking around the huge room at the number of students the D.A. were responsible for. Several were lounging in their hammocks, others gathered near the wireless hoping not to hear the names of loved ones mentioned in the broadcasts. A lot were sitting together, revising, still hoping to be able to sit their O.W.L.s or N.E.W.T.s.

Nearly all of Gryffindor had moved in here, well those not fighting with Harry or in a D.A. Outpost. Of the ones still out in the school. Only thirteen remained in the Gryffindor dormitory. It had really surprised her that there were Gryffindors who chose to side with the dark side.

Almost all the students from Hufflepuff, those who here not with Justin or Harry, were here in the room, including those who were pre-O.W.L. levels.

Ravenclaw was the greatest disappointment.So many sided with the Carrows or had Death Eaters in the family – and proud of it. Malinda Greenburg, who was Morag and Isabel McDougal's friend, even had a Dark Mark drawn on her wrist. Still, Ginny suspected that the rest who remained in the castle were simply keeping their heads down, focused on their spell work and assignments. But then the Carrows didn't hate Ravenclaws as much as they did Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors.

But this left all those residing here in with the D.A., her and Neville's responsibility and they took their charge seriously.

Which was why changing the Room of Requirement was a problem, it would mean having everyone leave the room as they tried different 'requirements' to find the diadem, and who knew how long that would take. Plus, there was no telling if there was a safe place… She'd have to ask Neville. She tried scanning the room for him. Or Seamus, or Ernie… without luck. They must be out on a raid. Gerald, Ernie and Ryan were gone too.

Ryan Greenburg, a Ravenclaw, had been a surprise when he'd showed up, but he venomously hated that his sister had sided with the Carrows. Gerald, Ernie and Ryan immediately became best friends and were cunning fighters and really good at Charms and reversal spells. Fred and George were still sending them their portable Assorted Gross and Disgusting Bogs and Instant Swap cannisters as well as their best Bothersome Beasts and Nasty Nippers products into the Room of Requirement using House-elves instead of Owl Post.

~D~

Draco sat between his mother and his Aunt Bellatrix in his – correction – the Dark Lord's dining room. The table had been magically elongated to accomindate even more of the Dark Lord's followers, making the room feel clautrophobic. After the chilled cucumber, fanged geranium and nasturtium flower soup, followed by magpie pastry and jellied ells, the main course appeared. Draco scoffed; apparently two of their peacocks were on the menu. He glanced at his father to see his reaction, but he was staring at his hands. An entire suckling pig appeared between the gussied-up peacocks, probably stolen from a nearby farm.

"So, Draco, has Potter's friend been in contact with him?"

Draco quickly turned his attention to the Dark Lord. "Not that I'm aware of, no, and she'd have mentioned it to me if she had," he said in his old scornful tone. "She thinks we're close now. She trusts me – even with her silly girl issues. Mostly this week she's been in the hospital wing."

His benign mood gone, the Dark Lord's eyes flashed with anger. "Why has she been in the hospital wing? Have I not said repeatedly I want her unharmed – that I want her to be happy."

"She's been happy," Owen Rowle said. He and MacCavish were looking much better after the Snot Curse flu epidemic. Uncle Rabastan and Travers were still in St. Mungo's. VanHalal was the only one who hadn't caught the cursed flu.

"Happy? Did you say Happy?" Thaddius Nott asked Rowle incredioulsy, then redirected his attentionto the Dark Lord. "She is anything but, my Lord. My son, Theodore, told me Alecto carved her up in class, and Morag McDougal's curse on Ms. Snape and Mr. Grewnek started that bloody flu epidemic which nearly killed her!" Across the table McDougal glared at him venomously, and Nott scowled back. "Not to mention she was knocked into the Venomous Tenacula by your daughter, Isabel—"

"What do your daughters not understand, McDougal? That girl. Is. Not. To. Be. Harmed!" the Dark Lord raged in his high-pitched voice.

McDougal's face lost all color. "My girls, they – they support the Carrows – and you, my Lord—"

MacCavish interrupted him, "Alecto and Amycus are only reacting to the vandalism that continues—"

"Which Snape, Draco and Grewnek assure me she has not been involved in. Yet, Alecto and Amycus have been aiming their wands at that girl all year! Alecto insists the school registry indicates the location of the students calling themselves Dumbledore's Army are unknown – and if they are not in the castle they must be with Potter!" the Dark Lord snarled.

Draco knew the truth as did Severus and Cillian.

"Either she's lying to me or there are other malcontents who are doing the vandalizations! Which is it, MacCavish?"

"No, my Lord," MacCavish spoke up. "They are still within the castle because they're the ones still doing the vandalism and stealing from the school. I'm certain – absolutely certain."

"You and your brethern are in the school to stop that nonsense and help keep those students in line! And since I kow Hermione isn't invloved, she is not to be harmed," the Dark Lord stated firmly.

"Yes, my Lord. I will relay your message to the Carrows." Rowle said, bowing his head.

"I will deal with Alecto myself," the Dark Lord snarled. "You may tell Amycus he'd better watch himself where she is concerned. When Potter sees Hermione again I want her standing with us – even if she' has to be Imperused. I want Potter believing I have her loyality – that she sides with me. I will be the one to end her after I kill Harry Potter!"

Draco felt a small knot tighten in his gut as he listened. So, he still plans to kill… Of course, he does – she's a Muggle-born – and everything he hates.

"Yes, my Lord," Rowle said smoothly.

"And Draco, If Hermione gets attacked again, you are to come here immediaetly and notify me." The Dark Lord said with a hiss.

"I want everyone on the outlook for Potter. I want to end this," the Dark Lord bellowed.

The knot in Draco's gut grew larger and tighter.

Even though he'd wanted to spend a moment alone with his mother after dinner, Draco was cornered several times by the parents who wanted conformations of various rumors. Knowing he had to behave as he'd always done before, he was careful how he phrased his wording.

Finally, when was able to break away, he asked the portrait of his grandfather, Cygnus Black, if he'd seen which way his mother had gone. He thanked the painted denizen and turned to go the way he'd indicated. However, Draco paused when he heard that werewolf, Greyback, growling, "…and where are those kids, eh? Those Vorhees promised me? They were to be mine!"

Greyback – that bloody werewolf – thought those kids were to be his – reward? For him to…

Snape, then filling in for Professor Lupin in Defense Against the Dark Arts… had used the opportunity to teach them about werewolves. To realize then that there was a werewolf teaching in the school had been horrible enough – but that his Head of House telling him to "let it go" and keep his distance from Lupin had utterly astounded him. But nothing of that lesson had prepared him for the likes of Fenrir Greyback! He made Lupin seem like a tame gwyllgi.

Sickened, Draco quietly stepped closer to the wall, considering his escape, until he heard his father reply, "Those doors were still locked – all of them – and the spells and the protections were still in effect—"

Protections – on the doors! He knew?! Father knew!

The werewolf cut his father off, saying, "Yes, those protections, the ones conveniently set to keep me out of the dungeons."

"To keep everyone out," his father answered. "Mengele and Vorhees didn't want anyone interfering with their work."

"Or to know about it," Greyback sneered. "I—"

Draco was momentarily distracted by the sound of shattering glass and missed the rest of the beast's comment. Father was aware of those kids – people my age – being crammed together under those horrible conditions in our dungeons – and he… The memories of what Draco had seen in those rooms, in the jars, the notes he'd glanced at – the implications, swarmed in his mind, clear as visions, and he had to swallow the bile that threatened to rise up in his throat. Father knew what Mengele and Vorhees were – what they had been doing?

Draco turned on his heel and walked away from the pair, his mind swirling at the implications. My father knew – and he'd condoned it!

When will all this madness end? He wanted his old life back when things were good for him. When his biggest decisions were about robes and shoes, how to get on the Slytherin Quidditch team or how to please his father. A father he was finding it hard to respect anymore. A Lord he feared and loathed, creatures he wanted dead instead of in his guest rooms. Thugs who needed to go back to their shanty shacks and hovels. It needed to end – all of it.

Never in his life had Draco felt that defiance was the right thing to do as he had this year.

~H~

After a subdued dinner surrounded by her Slytherin friends and some much-needed time in the library, Hermine had bid her friends good night near the gargoyle's entrance of the Headmaster's Tower well before curfew and trudged up the stairs.

She was engrossed in her schoolwork in the sitting room when she heard several loud noises coming from the bedroom. Severus had her wand, which was problematic, and although Severus was in his office, he was expecting Rowle and MacCavish to show up at any moment, and she didn't want to see them. Therefore, without a wand for defense, she'd have to rely on her nonverbal wandless ability, such as they were. She crouched down at the bottom of the stairs and listened for noises coming from the bedroom. Over the loud beating of her heart, she could hear muffled male voices and… Ginny's! Hermione hurried up to her bedroom.

"Hi, ya!" Ginny said the moment she saw Hermione emerging into view.

"Ginny, hush! Severus is in his office, and he's expecting Rowle and MacCavish back from seeing the Dark Lord!" Hermione hissed, looking around but seeing no one else.

"Then we'd best not be heard." It was Neville's voice, over by the wardrobe…?

"Invisibility Potion; makes ya disappear completely, but only lasts an hour. We've another five minutes to go," she heard Seamus' softly spoken voice.

"And if you combine it with the Disillusionment Charm, you're as invisible as Harry's cloak," Neville said in a hushed tone.

"But ya can't take multiple doses – it's best to wait hours. The longer ya wait, the better. Take too much apparently your insides get twisted or something. We don't push it. Better to have Ginny cast the Disillusionment Charm and use the Buffer Charm on yer shoes. She can make ya completely invisible."

Hermione heard the perimeter warning chimes from the tiny bell of the pixie horse brass on the sitting room wall near the stairs to the bedroom, (the smaller twin of the one in Severus' office) and glanced nervously at the stairs.

She asked Ginny to borrow her wand, and Ginny shrugged, then handed it over. Hermione slipped down the stairs and cast the Muffliato at the bottom of the staircase nonverbally. Turning, she aimed the wand at the fourth step above her and muttered, "Facere Fortissima," to make the step creak when stepped on, repeating it on the twelfth, fifteenth and then seventeenth step, then hurried back up to her friends. "How in the world did you get here?" she asked, handing Ginny back her wand.

"Elf-apparition," Ginny replied, indicating the bathroom with a flip of her hand. Peren popped her head around the bathroom doorframe, then Dobby's head appeared above hers. "Now I know why students aren't normally allowed to bring their own House-elf with them to school. Too easy to get around. Did you know there are tunnels everywhere for the House-elves to use?"

"Yes, Peren took me by their route once," Hermione said. "So, what was so important that you risked capture to come here?"

"Apparently you need us to evacuate the Room of Requirement," Neville said. Hermione caught a barely perceptible shimmer in front of the wardrobe. "I think the potion is wearing off."

Ginny reversed her charm on both Neville and Seamus, and Hermione gasped. She knew that they'd suffered beatings and torture while they had been attending the Carrow's classes and the resident Death Eaters and Crabbe's and Pansy's friends liked to use them for Dark Arts practice. She'd accepted their battered appearance then, but she wasn't prepared for how they looked now.

Neville leaned against the wardrobe with his arms folded. His hair was even longer than it'd been in their fourth year, and he had dark stubble on his lip, jaw and neck. But his face! Although he'd grown into a ruggedly handsome guy, he now had a large bruise and curse scar on the left side of his face and neck, and a big lump and cut on the right side of his forehead, a black eye, and a splint on his arm and bandages on his hand that were recent. Another large gash on his temple appeared healed although he'd have a wicked scar.

Seamus leaned against the doorframe to the bathroom, more relaxed, his hands in his pockets. His face was so bruised and puffy, in such a varied array of colors and patchy stubble that he was almost unrecognizable. His hair was also longer than he'd ever worn it, and he had pulled a section of hair on top back into a clip to keep it out of his eyes. His nose also seemed to have been broken and there was an old cut across its bridge. He had a missing ear lobe and had a swollen, cut lip, with a second scar from a previous cut.

"Looking pretty, aren't I?" Seamus said with a chuckle.

Hermione shook her head to dispel her shock. "Sorry, I didn't mean to stare, but…"

"Yeah, I look a fright," he said with a grin, trying to put her at ease. His expression then turned serious. "So, why do you need to get into the Room of Requirement?"

"I've told you; we need to find a diadem – a tiara – and destroy it," Ginny said with the air of someone who'd already explained this to them.

"Only I'm not sure what to ask the room for," Hermione said as she sat down near the foot of the bed.

"Yeah, she said as much," Seamus said, indicating Ginny.

"When do you think you'll know?" Neville asked. "I'm only asking because we'll have to clear everybody out and that is dangerous for them. Plus, I've no idea where to stash them once we do."

"Too bad we don't have another trunk like the magical menagerie we've got – we could hide that easily enough," Seamus stated.

"The menagerie is nothing but a large wardrobe steam trunk. We'd still have to secure the room we put it in so that the Death Eaters can't commandeer it." Neville kept his gaze focused on Hermione. "You can ask the Room to give you what you need, but it's not the same as asking the Room to change into another space," he stated.

"Neville got us two bathrooms, a greenhouse for our magical plants, a potions lab, and a huge pool… Neville really gets that Room," Seamus stated.

"But they are only separated areas with doors, extensions to the space we're inhabiting. I didn't ask for the Room to change into a different room or space," Neville stated.

"The plants and creatures in the Carrow's classrooms and offices?" Hermione asked, knowing it had been her friends doing the vandalism to the rooms.

"Yeah, that was us," Seamus said with a grin.

"Ginny said this was important, and Harry needed it dealt with as soon as possible," Neville said. "I need to know how much time you'll need because I don't have a place to safely take everyone without getting caught. Moving in small groups is one thing, but we're talking about all of us."

"I'm not sure. The Dark Lord placed the diadem in the Room of Requirement either when he was a student or when he tried to apply to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts," Ginny stated.

"He wanted to teach?" Seamus asked, aghast.

"Yes, but he was denied the post, twice," Ginny said. "It's why the position is cursed."

"He might have asked for the room where everything is stored," Seamus stated.

"Can't be that simple, this object was important to him," Ginny said. "Riddle was arrogant, but he wouldn't have put it in a room anyone could get into – he didn't want it found."

"All right. So, I have to come up with an alternative safe hiding place for when you and Ginny find where Riddle hid the tiara," Neville said. "I'll let you know when I do."

"But how will I reach you if I need to? You don't answer the D.A. coins anymore," Hermione said with concern.

"We don't use the coins. One was lost – or lifted. I'll have to make you a copy of our new communication device," Ginny said.

Hermione heard the clear chimes of the tiny bell of the pixie horse brass ring. "Severus has left the office. This may be your best opportunity to slip out unnoticed," Hermione stated.

"Invisibilem Fieri," Ginny said twice as she cast the Disillusionment Charm on both Neville and then Seamus. She couldn't even see the telltale shimmer of the spell. "You're really good – they're completely invisible!" Hermione exclaimed, reaching out where Neville had – could be standing and touching his sleeve.

She heard Seamus laugh. "Still here," he chided her as Ginny responded, "Yeah, I'm good!" with a grinning smirk.

Hermione heard each boy say, "Sileo," to quieten the sounds of their footsteps of their shoes as Ginny shrunk into her squirrel form.

She led them down and out of the headmaster's office, waving and saying, "Goodbye," at staircase doorway, watching Ginny's squirrel as she rode the spiral stairs out of sight.

As she turned to go back to the sitting room, she overheard ex-Headmaster Black say, "Barking mad that girl."

~S~

The bell lantern of the pixie horse brass shook, a perimeter warning indicating someone was allowed through the gates of the school. The bell of the replica which hung on the wall in the sitting room rang simultaneously so that Hermione would hear it as well. Severus stared out the window until he saw a figure with blonde hair walking up the hill, then two more larger men following behind, recognizing Draco, Rowle and MacCavish returning to the castle. He left the office and waited until they were in the Entrance Hall. "Rowle. MacCavish. I assume you're feeling better?"

"Yeah, no thanks to that fucking witch," Rowle snarled.

"Hermione did not cause the epidemic," Severus said smoothly.

"No, apparently it was McDougal's chit," MacCavish stated, apparently bitter.

"She's been dealt with," Severus stated.

Rowle scowled. "The Dark Lord said we were to enlighten her and her sister as to their impetuosity."

Severus repressed his annoyance, keeping his face impassive. "That will not be necessary. I attended to their punishment myself."

"Well, we have our orders. McDougal's girls are to be handled by us, or they face the Dark Lord, himself," Rowle said, quite irritated.

"Remember, they are the loved daughters of one of our brethren. Do not have to heavy a hand in disciplining them. Morag McDougal has two weeks of detentions cleaning bedpans and lavatories in the hospital wing, and Isabel McDougal has detentions with Professor Sprout the rest of the week mixing compost and fertilizer in the greenhouses." Severus stated. Not to mention Misses Parkinson and Greenburg have similar detentions as well.

"I'd prefer having them lick the pans… Fine," Rowle snapped. "But I'm going to have a word with them regardless." He and MacCavish walked off, Rowle grumbling about his interference.

Severus caught Draco's eye. "A word."

"Of course," Draco said.

As Severus led the boy down the ground-floor corridor, he observed that Draco moved easily, so he'd apparently avoided any punishment. "Not much to report," Draco said, filling the silence. "He was angry about the Snot Curse causing the epidemic, Alecto's slashing Hermione's hands, and the Tenacula incident. Apparenly, Nott thinks Hermione is unhappy."

Severus nodded, and with a flick of his hand, he opened the door to an empty classroom.

"Smells mildewy in here," Draco stated, wrinkling his nose.

"As you may recall, Alecto used it for a few days, before it was turned into a Maleficent bramble rainforest complete with Flesh-eating Snarfalumps,Dragon-flame sumac, Spiky Bush and Spiney Prickly Plants."

"Lovely," Draco sneered. "Glad I missed that one."

"Indeed. Alecto was unable to clear the room. However, Professor Sprout was delighted to have the plants. She cleared the room in a few hours because she wanted the specimens for her lessons. We're going to have to build a conservatory to house all the plants Hermione's friends have been tossing in Alecto's and Amycus' classrooms."

He leaned against the large desk and faced the boy. "That's not why I brought you here. I have three things to tell you. First, Potter must come to Hogwarts – the battle must be here, on common ground."

"All right, may I ask why?" Draco asked.

Reasonable, thought Severus. "The reason is due to the magical properties of the sword of Gryffindor. Potter used the sword to kill the basilisk – so the goblin steel is imbued with the basilisk venom. Also, because it will come to any Gryffindor who is in dire need of it, and it must be used to kill the Dark Lord's serpent."

"All right." Draco leaned against the nearest student table and crossed his arms. "And the second?"

"You must fight Potter and lose – a real wandfight – so the wand the Dark Lord has will switch its loyalty to Potter. Find a way to take Crabbe's wand. He will steal another one, and it won't work as well for him."

Draco stared at him incredulously. "You're kidding, right?"

"I am not. I killed Dumbledore, but you disarmed him," Severus answered and repeated the poignant and appropriate relevant circumstances that he'd gleaned from his discussion with Hermione and warning the boy of the current situation of the Dark Lord's dissatisfaction with his wand as mentioned his letter from Narcissa.

Draco paced as a heated discussion ensued, his irritation imbued with fear. But in the end Draco seemed to be coming around to the necessity of the use of warfare magic during the wandfight. "And the third?" he asked his tone reverting to his old arrogant tone.

"I'm fairly certain it will happen this week, Draco, either tomorrow or within a few days. If Hermione finds what she is searching for—"

"The diadem—"

He let the interruption slide. "Yes, the diadem – it must be destroyed. Whatever the cost. It's imperative it be destroyed, because I believe the Dark Lord will come to Hogwarts for that artifact."

"And the students still residing in the castle?"

"I will take care of the students – they are my responsibility," Severus stated. "Defeat or disarm Crabbe and take his wand. Get Potter to willingly return to Hogwarts and fight him in a wandfight and lose. More importantly, destroy that bloody Horcrux. We're out of time."

Back in the Entry Hall they parted ways; Draco for the dungeons and his common room, his thoughts spinning with the tasks Severus had put on him, and Severus for the Headmaster's tower and a pile of work to be finished.

~H~

Hermione checked over her essays for Charms and Herbology. They were not due until Thursday, giving her time to gather sources and references and add supportive evidence and research before she needed to rewrite them properly. Her Arithmancy although already completed, wasn't due until Friday, and she'd assigned the numerical values to the material Professor Vector had given them and simply needed to finish calculating the complex connections they presented. Which left her Muggle Studies essay and her Ancient Runes assignments to do. Her Muggle Studies essay was due tomorrow morning. The pages of her book,The Baffling Asininity and Hypocrisy of Muggles, were shredded, making it useless, but regurgitating Alecto's mindless dribble on Muggles for the essay would be easy enough, so she began there, writing a cringeworthy extrapolation of misinformation and disseminated opinions.

She looked up from her writing when heard the tiny bell announcing someone wanting access to the tower again. She glanced at the clock on the mantle noting the time, waiting to hear the door to his office suddenly swing open in Severus' usual manor… but it didn't. She knew that Rowle and MacCavish were returning this evening, and she'd assumed that was the reason Severus had left his office. Then again, the visitor could be either of the Carrows or VanHalal… or possibly Rabastan Lestrange or Travers might have returned from St. Mungos… It wouldn't be any of her friends; she wasn't expecting anyone else to visit her tonight.

The bell didn't ring a second time, so she turned her attention back to her essay. Severus isn't back yet and whoever it was, the gargoyle must have turned them away.

Hermione jumped when she heard Severus say, "Draco has returned," from the doorway.

"That was quick," she said. For a man who wore sturdy leather boots every day, he was surprisingly light of foot and seemed to relish startling her. "I thought he was spending the evening at home…" she started to say, then inhaled sharply, remembering whom he had gone to see. "Is he all right? Did the Dark Lord – he didn't…?"

"He did not," Severus said smoothly, entering the sitting room. "Draco is fine. Rowle and MacCavish have returned."

She nodded, intending to finish her essay.

"Did you not think to ask the room for where the Dark Lord hid it?" Severus asked.

"The room is occupied, so it won't change to something else…" Hermione looked up at him. "I wish you'd known him as a student – or, maybe Dumbledore has a saved memory Harry hasn't seen?"

"I've seen them," Severus stated. "There was no indication that the Dark Lord went up to the seventh floor or entered the Room of Requirement."

She seemed to deflate at his words. "It's late. Finish up and go to bed. I'll be up in a bit," he said and returned to his office.

~S~

Severus sat at his desk and tried to remember the memories he'd viewed in the Pensieve. The conversation he'd had with Dumbledore replayed in the forefront – when the old man told him Potter was an unintentionally created Horcrux and why the Dark Lord had to kill the boy. Just as Lily had sacrificed herself for her son – Potter has to sacrifice himself in order to defeat the Dark Lord for good.

He should have suspected this when Dumbledore explained the necessity of teaching Potter Occlumency. 'I suspected, Severus, they are bound together because Tom believed the prophecy… Harry being a Parseltongue, the intense pains in his scar. But the visions his fifth year, the night after Arthur Weasley was attacked – proof ofthe mental connection… the occasional mirroring of Tom's emotions and characteristics… It was obvious… so obvious and I missed it.'

He pinched the bridge of his nose. Potter's scar is a Horcrux. The Dark Lord can't die unless all the Horcruxes are destroyed first.

With a headache coming on, he left his office to take some Headache Relief Elixir… or a double shot of whiskey – or both.

When he entered the bedroom, he smirked, watching Hermione trudging into the bathroom to take a bath. A long soak would do her some good after the day she'd had, he thought, deciding not to bother her.

Curious to see if Hermione had tried using her enchanted parchment he knelt before his – her trunk and opened the first latch. Her lingerie lay neatly folded in the lingerie tray. He gently fingered the silky fabric of her black, green, blue and red night-slips each folded neatly with their matching robes. One of the nicer things Narcissa had done for Hermione, although he was sure that when they were purchased that wasn't her intent. Her parchment, a few quills, spare inkwells and other stationary supplies sat neatly in the compartments and drawers in the lid. She needs some new quills, he realized, seeing one was broken and the other two were dull. He searched through her parchment not finding the one he sought and set the pile aside.

The second latch opened the largest compartment holding her clothes, mostly the Muggle clothes and shoes he'd purchased in Keswick and the other robes and items she hadn't worn while attending school. He picked up the tan long-sleeved T-shirt embroidered with the tiny daises, and the corner of his mouth twitched, almost a half-smile. He sniffed the garment. It smelled of cedar and her perfume. She'd been hesitant to buy anything, but he'd urged her to pick clothes, and in the end, he'd spent quite a bit on her. He put it back and closed the lid.

He knew the third latched open the space that held her Potions ingredients and supplies, so he skipped that one and opened the fourth. His old school broom, a secondhand broom his mother had bought with her Gobstone winnings, had little magic left in its twisted twigs. Under a straw hat with a ridiculously large sunflower on the turquoise band lay the magical velum parchment he sought, amongst old Daily Prophets and a few issues of Gobstone Gazette.

He dabbed one of her quills in her ink and let it drop onto the Parchment. Immediately words appeared: Two more times she must ask –until she uses up her three. But beware if I pass to thee, all three you must ask of me before the year does lapse by thee.

So, Hermine has less than four months to ask her questions. He knew what her first question had been.'Who is my heart's desire? I wish to see my soul mate.' But why had it brought her to him?There was no possibility that he had been her heart's desire – that insipid Ronald Weasley had been her boyfriend. That only left the possibly that the magical parchment thought she and he were soul mates. Not that he'd ever believed in that rubbish.

She certainly never loved him before – he certainly didn't love her then.

He did now, of course, and she seemed to have feelings for him. His main concern was that she had fallen for him only because he'd held her hostage and now her protector. The Kreditbanken Condition, or Helsinki Syndrome – the one Muggles called Stockholm Syndrome, based on the actions of the Norrmalmstorg robbery hostages from the Kreditbanken building in Stocholm, Sweden in 1973. The condition was characterized by recognizable associated coping mechanisms to a captive or abusive situation. Healer Aleksandar Helsinki had also been part of the study, and Severus had obtained a copy of his book based on the condition. Hermione had exhibited the traits, especially when she'd been trapped in his house under his guard. That's why he'd allowed her leniency at school and had Cillian and Draco follow her everywhere.

However – or thankfully, she'd never developed feelings for them as she had for him.

If only he could be certain. He lost Lily due to his stupidity. He didn't want his actions to cause him to lose Hermione. He didn't know if he could survive losing her.

He heard Hermione moving in the bathroom and quickly put the parchments, quill and ink back and closed the lid. Although it would take her a while to comb her hair and finish her nightly ablutions, he quickly rose to go down to his office and find Hermione at least two fresh quills.

~H~

After her bath, Hermione decided to spend some time working on deciphering the writings on another of Salazar Slytherin's scrolls. Hermione opened the second latch of her magical trunk and took out quill, and ink from the compartments in the lid. But when she took out a few sheets of parchment she was surprised to find an old vellum sheet among them. She fingered the edges, enjoying the rich feel of the parchment, then froze. Vellum parchment. Her magical parchment? She looked at the pale watermark on the corner of the sheet. How…? But it was in the bottom of the forth compartment of my chest. She'd forgotten all about it but there was no denying that it was the strange magical parchment. Do I dare try it?

She laid it out on her lap desk and let a drop if ink fall onto it, and as before, words appeared. Make a wish, ask a question – I'll tell you no lies, appeared just as it had the first time.

Her quill hovered over the parchment as she debated writing anything on it. A drop of ink fell and dissolved into the page before words appeared again. Make your second wish – ask me what you wish to see. Tell me what your deepest desire…

She froze. My deepest desire! Her heart thumped in her chest. That is what it had asked before! Considering how badly things went the first time, she almost shoved the parchment back into the compartment with the old broom. Still, it wasn't that she regretted getting to know Severus intimately and having met Cillian, and having made friends with Glenwynn, Felicia, Amanda, Adrianna and Daphne – well, Draco, Theodore and Marek, too. Even Goyle's kindness this year was a surprise.

Words formed on the parchment again. Two more times I will comply – if brave you be, to face what you'll see.

She wrote: Can you tell me where the last Horcrux is?

The ink disappeared before new words emerged. In the castle within these hallowed halls, one was placed; it comes and goes but always remains, if you ask to enter the right place…

Yeah, in the Room of Requirement. But which room? What did Tom Riddle ask for? "Damn it – I wish I could just destroy the last Horcrux, or Harry will never be able to beat the Dark Lord!" she mumbled, not noticing the ink that fell on the parchment as she did so.

But as she looked down at the parchment, more words had appeared. In the snake, she keeps him safe, always protected by his side. But what you seek cannot be done, until these two obstacles are overcome – then the last must meet his fate only then the third is overcome.

Hermione recoiled in shock. Three? Replenishing her quill she wrote, But he only made six! I've only two more before Harry can defeat the Dark Lord!

Seven, he did make. You must break these other three for the soul fragments to be released, the parchment wrote back. The chance of defeating the Dark Lord cannot be until you destroy these last three. And that makes three you've asked of me.

There was a shimmer on the Parchment that expanded and then evaporated. When it was gone, the Parchment suddenly looked oddly lifeless.

~D~

Draco lay on his bed contemplating his last discussion with Severus and toyed with the black tourmaline pendant his grandmother, Desmonique Malfoy, had gifted him (along with a sizable obelisk of the gem) before his fourth year of school "to keep him safe." She'd also given him a set of protection gems to place under his mattress after hearing that Cedric Digory had died. Three black tourmaline polished palm stones sat in a pretty, clear quartz bowl on his bedside table next to the obelisk. The practice of Crystology, he mused. He had two more obelisks 'wands' – she'd called them, a perfectly clear crystal and the other a green tourmaline, sat beside him, her last gifts before she passed away. Draco wasn't sure if the gems held any protection powers as he'd never needed it at school, but they did remind him of the thoughtfulness of his grandmother and her love for him. Memories of her always made him feel better.

Severus wanted Draco to let Potter disarm him. 'You took Dumbledore's wand from him on the Astronomy Tower. You disarmed him," Severus had stated emphatically, in his most 'don't argue with me' professor's tone of his. "I want the Dark Lord to think I am the master of his wand – not you. However, you are the master of the wand – it must be you who challenges and loses to Potter to make that wand the Dark Lord is using sway alliance toward Potter. It's imperative."

"Disarming someone of their wand forcefully makes them the master of the wand…"

Severus had said, "The wand chooses the wizard; it chooses whose allegiance it will obey – especially this wand."

What was so bloody special about Dumbledore's wand anyway? Sure, he was the greatest wizard of his age – but the Dark Lord, the most powerful wizard – ever! But because Dumbledore's bloody wand won't preform properly, he'd have to duel – and lose to Potter even though it had been Severus who killed him?

The catch seemed to be how the Dark Lord had acquired it – taking it from Dumbledore's grave. His mother had told him that the Dark Lord had taken his father's wand for the raid when Potter had turned eighteen – the wand had rejected the Dark Lord and shattered. Leaving his father wandless since – subservient and powerless.

But a wand and new owner had to learn each other, don't they... for the wand to accept the new owner? That's the reason we go to school! Exceptthis bloody wand. This wand flips loyalty when it chooses to, apparently, he argued with himself. Why wasn't this ever mentioned when you went to buy a wand in the first place?! Keep your wand in good repair. Oil the wood regularly and store it safely. Oh, and Don't be disarmed!

Draco sat up and his gaze landed on the black tourmaline bracelets that hung on a nail on his bedpost. Pansy had thought Draco loved tourmaline gems and had bought them for him, not that he ever wore them.

He called for Peren, saying he had something for Hermione, and the small elf appeared hunched down by his bed, her green eyes wide and her ears hanging low. "Yes, sir, Peren is here."

"I'm alone. I want you to tell Professor Snape that I need to talk to him again," he told her. "Wait!" he added, seeing she was about to snap her fingers. He summoned the bracelets to him. "Give these to Hermione – for protection."

She stared at the bracelets, taking them gingerly, then disappeared with a muted pop.

~H~

Travers was back, sitting at the Gryffindor table with Rowls and MacCavish. All three wizards faced the Slytherin table, glaring at Hermione over their full English breakfasts. "They blame you for the Snot Curse flu," Daphne said softly with a minute jerk of her head. "Mr. Parkinson warned my father that Mr. McDougal is furious about the detentions given to his daughters – repercussions for the flu and the Tenacula. He warned me to be careful."

"I had an urgent owl this morning from my father as well," Theodore stated. Hermione simply nodded, trying to avoid looking in the wizards' direction while she ate.

"The Dark Lord was adamant – no one is to take any action against you, Hermione," Draco stated as he broke his egg yolk.

But the other Slytherins in their year were all glaring at her, too. Especially Pansy and Millicent.

"Pansy and Millicent went to Ravenclaw's secret library to console Isabel and Morag MacDougal and Melinda Greenburg last night, and VanHalal escorted them back to our common room after curfew," Tracey said.

At the head table, Amycus looked murderous, shoveling his spoonfuls of his English breakfast into his mouth. Alecto's seat next to him was empty. This didn't bode well at all, and Hermione had little faith she'd manage Double Muggle Studies or Double Dark Arts unscathed. She fingered the Nosebleed Nougats in her pocket she'd taken from her trunk, just in case, considering using them.

Decision made, in-between her last few bites, she discreetly ate the two orange sweets. The affect happened quickly. Theodore noticed first, grabbing his napkin and shoving it in her face. Adraina quickly helped her tip her head back. Marek and Draco were on their feet in seconds, and the guys ushered her from the Hall and up to the hospital wing, Theodore asking Draco who did it.

"I don't know," Marek said, "One minute she was fine, the next this!"

"I didn't see any indication of a spell," Draco stated.

"Under the table maybe?" Theodore asked, but Draco doubted anyone had cast something.

Madam Pomfrey was at their side the moment they entered the hospital wing and shooed the guys away. "Mrs. Snape, I'd never thought you'd skive off lessons using one of the Weasley boys' dangerous skiving chews," Madam Pomfrey said chastising her as Hermione sat on one of the beds. The Matron lowered her voice, adding, "Not that I blame you at all considering…" She walked off and was back in seconds. "Now, do you have the reversing chew?" She held a juice glass full of what looked like curled blood toward her. "Or would you prefer my remedy?"

"I have the reversing chew," Hermione said and ate the purple ones concealed in her pocket and the bleeding stopped.

"Very good." The matron set down the glass and took a pair of flasks from her pocket. "Blood Replenishing potion and a Restorative Draught. You'll need them."

Hermione drank the contents and handed back the flasks. "Thank you."

Madam Pomfrey pulled out her wand, and with a few quick swishes, had Hermione all cleaned up. "Let's not see each other again today, all right. Unless of course you're injured… Why Headmaster Snape allows those two to abuse you, I'll never understand."

"It's the Dark Lord, he's in control. The Carrows are here on his orders, and they hate me."

"Well, be careful. I worry about you. You have just enough time to get to your class," she said and hurried off to her office.

Great Muggle Studies with Alecto Carrow. So much for being careful. She slowly left the room, finding Theodore, Marek and Draco waiting outside the door.

"All better now?" Draco sneered.

"Yes," Hermione replied sheepishly. "Enough to be sent to class."

Even Theodore gave a barely audible moan.

They didn't talk much as they made their way down to Muggle Studies. However, Hermione noticed that the corridor to the second floor was flooded. The corridor will be empty if Myrtle is in a snit. She made an abrupt turn to slip into Myrtle's bathroom. Theodore immediately stopped, confused, and Marek collided into him, not anticipating her sudden change of direction. Draco, who had been slightly ahead of her, turned sharply and slipped, yet he'd awkwardly managed to keep from falling on the wet stone floor.

Seeing no one else was around, Hermione pulled out her mirror and tried to contact Ginny again.

"Hermione, there you are!" Adraina called, Daphne and Tracey behind her. Hermione pocketed her mirror, annoyed there hadn't been a response.

"Were you attacked again? Did you see who did it?" Tracey asked concerned.

Draco shook his head and said, "She did it to herself."

"I don't blame you for wanting to miss Muggle Studies after what happened, but Professor Carrow in not here. I heard Millicent saying she'd left first thing this morning," Tracey said. "She was white as a sheet!"

"Summoned to face the Dark Lord for harming you as badly as she did," Draco stated. "The Dark Lord doesn't want you harmed – he wants you to be happy."

"Happy – she's been cursed, jinxed and bullied all year, and now he wants her to be happy! Don't bother answering, you're Marked too." Daphne turned to Hermione. "Well, the good news is that now you have no excuse not to go to Muggle Studies!"

When they entered the classroom, there was a witch placing a wooden crate on a table at the front of the class. She looked up as Hermione and her friends took their seats. "Hello, I'm Crowenia Ashburn. You may know my daughter Santiva Ashburn? She's attending school here are well?"

Pansy, a Slytherin prefect for the last three school years, and Draco, who'd been prefect for two, raised their hands. "Well, I suppose since you're seventh years you wouldn't," Mrs. Ashburn said. "I don't have any notes from Alecto about what she's been teaching you about Muggles, so I brought these objects I acquired during a raid. They are from a Muggle kitchen. Muggles can't do magic, and these are what they use instead. Take out quill and parchment and we shall begin."

"I'm sorry, but what exactly are we supposed to do?" Pansy asked, as Mrs. Ashburn took out an eggshell topper with very sharp teeth and a mallet meat tenderizer with spikes on the striking surface.

"Identify the items, their uses and which spells or charms work far more efficiently," Mrs. Ashburn stated.

"Those are used to inflict pain on another person – a form of torture. It's so common among Muggles they keep them in a kitchen drawer," Zabini said, eliciting laughs from the Slytherins around him.

Hermine shook her head and wrote down the correct answers.

"Mrs. Snape, you obviously disagree," Mrs. Ashburn said, making Hermione look up. "So, tell me, Mudblood, what are they?"

"The one with scissor handles and the fanged ring is an egg topper. It removes part of the eggshell of a hardboiled egg. The Topper Charm is used in magical households," Hermione replied, having learned the charm from Mrs. Weasley. "The other, that mallet, is a meat tenderizer, used to soften meat. I don't know the magical alternative."

"Pulverizing Charm," Amanda said softly, and Hermione wrote it down on her parchment.

"Since you are our resident Muggle-born, tell the class what this is," Mrs. Ashburn said, holding up a WWI ration can opener.

"That is what Muggle soldiers used to open ration tins of food during World War I. My grandfather had one," she stated.

Mrs. Ashburn looked at the device, then at Hermione. "So, these are common in Muggle Kitchens?"

"I suppose so, in the 1940's and after the war, yes," Hermione admitted. "But more recently there are newer, easier to use devices that have replaced those."

"Can openers," Adriana said. "My mother has one my father charmed for her."

"Anyone else?" Mrs. Ashburn asked. No one else replied. Disappointed, she set it down and picked up the next item. "And what is this?" she asked, holding up a comb-like object with a long, oddly bent handle.

"That's a delicate cake comb, for Angel food cakes – to steady the cake for slicing so it won't tear," Hermione said since no one else seemed to know.

"Luckily, we have a Mudblood in class to identify this junk. But then I doubt she knows the Slicing Charm or how to modify it properly," Millicent sneered, making her friends in the class snicker.

Hermione ignored her and added the item to her list. Around her, her friends were busily compiling their lists as well. Mrs. Ashburn picked up one item after another, making Hermione tell her what the object was and its use. Then, if Hermione didn't know the magical alternative charm, Mrs. Ashburn called on either Amanda or Tracie. Apparently, their other classmates hadn't spent any time in the kitchens or refused to admit they did. The tabletop began to fill as each new item, most of them old and vintage utensils and even several Victorian ones (and a few small toys, including a troll doll with orange hair and Kinder egg toy with the yellow capsule) were laid out.

Suddenly, looking rather surprised, Mrs. Ashburn looked up from the box, then at the table and folded her hands. "Well, there then. It seems the Mud – Mrs. Snape has identified every object I brought with me," she stated. She looked at her watch and then around the classroom, perplexed, as if not sure what to do next. Her lesson had taken only forty-eight minutes. "All right. Urm… So. That is if your list is complete, you may bring them upfront and then you may go."

One half the room, mostly Hermione, her friends and the few Ravenclaws in the class, stood and carried their lists to the desk, placing them in a pile. "The Mudblood helped them cheat," Pansy complained loudly.

"Maybe you should have paid attention and written down what Hermione was saying as she identified everything," Malinda Greenburg replied as she returned to her desk with her housemates, Antonia Gerund and Genevieve Byrne.

"Pay attention to the Mudblood. She knows all the Muggle utensils," Millicent sneered. "It's where she belongs – in the kitchen – like a house-elf."

"Course, she knows about Muggle tools – wha' you expect from the nosy, little Mudblood beast?" Crabbe said sarcastically. "Muggles ain't got the sense of a squib, have they, and Mudbloods are no better than Hags."

Hermione ignored the taunting as she headed for the door. "They are angry because Mrs. Ashburn hadn't mentioned wanting a written list at the start of the lesson, even though she'd told them to take out quill and parchment," Adrianna said.

"To take notes – as if I'll even used any of that junk," she heard Isabel point out as Hermione left the classroom. Hermione had only made a comprehensive list in case she'd need to refer to it for an essay if one had been assigned, and her friends had followed suit. Plus knowing the spells to use could be helpful. Besides, the others could always ask Morag and Isabel McDougal's friends for help.

Out in the corridor, Hermione turned her thoughts toward Ginny and Neville and getting into the Room of Requirement. She just needed a place to use the mirror in private.

She was so lost in thought, she was startled by Pansy yelling, "Bloody Mudblood. You did that on purpose!"

"What did she do on purpose?" Daphne asked.

"Made us look like fools – that's what," Pansy shouted back.

"Made you look like fools? Why? Because you didn't know what the Muggle items were?" Adrianna asked in a rational tone, trying to defuse the tension.

Theodore, Goyle, Marek and the girls now all stood between Hermione and the other Slytherins from their class, Draco remaining at her side.

"I didn't know what they were – most of them – so why in Merlin's name would you? You and I have house-elves to do the cooking," Tracy said, likewise trying to get Pansy to see reason. "So does Millicent, Morag and Isable. So why are you so offended."

Millicent, Elizabeth, Morag and Isable and Zabini congregated in the corridor with Pansy. Beside her, Huh and Crabbe were likewise glaring daggers at Hermione.

"Start walking," Draco hissed. "Let them handle it."

Hermione wasn't sure that was the best idea, but she didn't have her wand. Draco gripped her arm, pulling her gently to make her walk. "Oh, yes, Draco, protect the Mudblood," Pansy cried out angrily as Hermione had begun to turn.

"Draco, get her out of here," Theodore called out. Hermione turned her head. Everyone had their wands drawn, anger and distain on their faces, especially Crabbe whose eyes narrowed angrily as he stared hatefully at her.

"Now, Hermione," Draco said, pulling her arm with more strength this time, dragging Hermione away.

"Don't hurt the Mudblood. She's the Dark Lord's to play with. His little toy," Millicent taunted, then sneered, "I'm surprised the headmaster is sharing her – a used toy."

A spell blast hit the wall beside Hermione, making her bump into Draco as they increased their pace, Draco stopping momentarily to fire a retaliation shot. Two more spell blasts shot past them, and a third.

Draco shouted, "Go. Just go!" behind her, but Hermione was already running now.

She slowed at the landing junction between the corridors and the magical staircases going up or down. Below students were coming up to her level; behind her, Crabbe and Millicent were fighting Draco to get at her. The corridor ahead was filling up with first- and second-year students. She looked up, it was the only option she had. "I'll be in the loo," she cried out and hurried up the stairs. Another spell blast shot past her head, barely missing her.

"Lentus Obhaereo," Draco shouted, then chased up after her. A red spell blaze erupted in fiery sparks on the balustrade next to her.

"Don't stop, you don't have a wand," Draco hissed, coming up quickly behind her, casting spells over his shoulder. "Run. I've got this. Everte Statum!"

"What if he uses an unforgivable?" she asked, running for the top as another fireball flew by her shoulder. High above her she could hear the grinding as one of the higher up staircases began to move.

"Not. Bombarda! Useful in. Protego!" he shouted, stopping another fireball, "a wandfight!" He dodged a streak of purple flame and shot a Deterioration Hex at Crabbe as screams of terror came from some of the portraits.

On the landing, Hermione noticed that the corridors were filling with students from other years, so she ran to the next flight of stairs, able to hear Crabbe's and Millicent's voices now, casting the Expulso Curse and Shield Charm.

"Oppungo!" Draco shouted, followed by Crabbe's, Reducto!" The loud clash of pottery nearly drowned out Millicent's Protection Charm, albeit too late, as pottery shards and dust sent students scattering.

Suddenly, the staircase that she and Draco were on started to move, the grinding of stone on stone adding to the chaos. Hermione crouched down, clinging to the balustrades until the staircase stopped, although Draco and Crabbe still fought on. The stairs stopped but came to rest against a small platform with a locked door. Not sure what to do, she looked below, seeing the stairs her friends were on shift, but in the opposite direction. But another spell blast made her recoil back.

With no cover, Hermione crouched as close to the newel post, the shifting landing rail as she could, while Draco and Crabbe continued to fight. On the stairs, Crabbe seemingly to be pushing Draco upwards toward her. "Peren, help me," she whimpered.

Peren appeared with a pop, squealed and ducked to avoid being hit. She held out her hand to Hermione. Trusting Peren with her life, Hermione lunged forward, and clasped her hand, and closed her eyes.

~~TBC~~