Time flew in the following weeks and the exams approached faster and faster. Hermione practised a lot together with Luna, who made enormous progress herself and supported Hermione excellently with her quick comprehension. Reading and studying together in the common room was also balm for her nerves. The closer the exams were coming, the more excited Hermione became, even though she knew exactly how well-prepared she was.
Fortunately, she had been exempted from homework by the teachers in preparation, which was why she was able to manage her time well and still enjoy the spring at the lake or on the broom instead of getting stuck in the library. The private lessons with Severus also did her good, as they harmonised wonderfully and Hermione had enjoyed going on many field trips with him. During the Easter holidays, she had taken a break from constant studying and visited her parents in London. Luna stayed with them for the second week of the holiday and Hermione showed her curious friend, who had never been outside of Diagon Alley before, the most beautiful and exciting corners of London. It was good to give her head a break and when Hermione returned to Hogwarts for the last few weeks before the exams, she felt refreshed and wished she could start the exams the next day.
Her first O.W.L. exam in mid-May was the Potions theory exam. Excitedly, she stood with the Fifth Years outside the Great Hall, whose large portal doors were locked, waiting to be admitted to the exam. In her head, she was going over all the standard recipes she had reviewed with Severus at the last individual lesson.
Her heart began to leap in her chest as the doors opened and Professor McGonagall greeted them. She hadn't been this excited in her previous exams, as it had always just been about qualifying for the next year. These exams, however, were her first graduation and the results would determine whether she could take a N.E.W.T. course in the subject.
The students were instructed to sit at the individual desks that had been conjured for the test. A number of teachers who would supervise the exams were seated at the teacher's table. As she sat down at one of the front-row desks, several of the teachers smiled at her and wished her well. Severus had put on his usual bad-tempered mask and only nodded briefly at her.
However, when she looked at him while pulling out the thunderbird feather she had received from him, their eyes met and for a split second a friendly expression flitted across his face. Hermione smiled to herself as she pulled out the rest of her paraphernalia and neatly lined it all up.
As she had expected, the exam was challenging but without any problems for her. She finished first and as she had read through the stack of parchments once more and corrected a few spelling mistakes, the beaming and winking Professor Flitwick collected her exam and whispered to her that she had to stay in her seat until the end of the exam period.
She used the time to switch off a little and read the quibbler until finally Professor McGonagall collected the remaining exam papers with a summoning charm and dismissed them. As she stood up, her and Severus' eyes met again, his face showing a sullen satisfaction.
She went out to the lake and was greeted immediately at the castle gate by Lancelot, who settled on her shoulder and rubbed his head affectionately against her cheek. She settled down on the shore near Hagrid's hut and let her robe disappear to enjoy the pleasant May sunshine in her bikini. Lancelot was getting bored quickly, so he took his leave with a waving wing and did a few laps over the lake and the Forbidden Forest, which Hermione envied him for.
It had been a while since she had taken a night out with her raven and she made a firm resolution to spend more time with her animal companion after the exams. She watched a lesson of Care of Magical Creatures of a higher year as she lay on her stomach waiting for Luna, Susan and Ginny who were still sitting in their normal school lessons. She closed her eyes a little and enjoyed the soft sound of the lake and the chirping of the birds. It wasn't long before her eyelids grew heavy and she drifted off into a comfortable doze.
She cried out as cold drops of water suddenly dripped down her back and bottom. The sun was a lot higher than before and Hermione needed another second to fully perceive her surroundings after the abrupt awakening. Turning around, she recognised Susan in her yellow bikini, holding her wet hair over her with a mischievous grin, wringing it out slightly. The cold drops now hit her stomach too, making her shiver slightly.
"Just you wait!" exclaimed Hermione, jumping up, grabbing her wand and running after the fleeing Susan. It wasn't long before she had caught up with her. One levitation charm later, the shrieking and laughing Susan was hanging in the air in front of her. Luna and Ginny laughed as Hermione came back to them with the floating Susan.
"I'm sorry!" she cried, giggling, but Hermione went on, grinning, and launched the shrieking Susan into the lake in a high arc. She tossed her wand to Luna and jumped after Susan into the lake, which was always perfectly tempered presumably by magic.
"That was so mean!" cried the laughing Susan as Hermione swam towards her.
"'Wanna have another go?" was all Hermione asked, knowing Susan, and giggled as Susan nodded eagerly. They swam a small lap around the lake and Hermione then let Susan, Ginny and Luna fly into the lake as many times as they wanted. "Do you need some relaxation after your exam?" whispered Susan in her ear as Ginny and Luna swam a few laps in the lake a little later.
"That would be wonderful," Hermione said, biting her lower lip. Her pent-up lust, which developed every time she had one-on-one lessons with Severus where nothing happened except kissing, made her tremble a little. "After dinner at my window?" she asked and Susan nodded with a seductive look. Hermione hugged her and once again became aware of her luck.
The following theory exams were no problem for Hermione either, and yet she was nervous when Professor McGonagall let them into the Great Hall a week later for the first practical exam in Transfiguration. Hermione greeted the examiner warmly and talked to him for a few minutes about her time at Hogwarts so far until it was time to demonstrate her spells.
"Oh!" was the only thing the kind Professor Tofty, an elderly wizard in a purple robe, managed to get out as Hermione nonverbally conjured comfortable armchairs for the two of them. Chuckling, he settled down on it and then went through the list of exam tasks with Hermione, which she completed without a hitch and all nonverbal. As a bonus, she demonstrated her magical power by transforming her armchair into a large golden eagle, at the cry of which the entire Great Hall turned to look at her in surprise. She topped off her demonstration by intercepting the eagle just as it flew a sharp curve high up near the enchanted ceiling, making it disappear.
"Truly extraordinary, Miss Granger! Thank you for such a great demonstration of your skills," the examiner said, shaking Hermione's hand, who smiled at him with red cheeks and gave a grateful look to Professor McGonagall, who had been watching her proudly from the edge of the Great Hall.
The other Ministry practical examiners couldn't help but marvel and praise either as Hermione effortlessly more than exceeded all expectations of the other exams. Her nervousness before the exams would not subside despite her successes and so it became a mentally and physically exhausting time, but Luna, Ginny and Susan were her rock and gave her - each in her own way - their full support.
Unfortunately, her busy schedule meant that official meetings with Severus were no longer possible and soon she missed him so much that it stung her every time she saw him sitting at the teacher's desk. How would she endure the holidays if she missed him so much already?
Albus Dumbledore muttered to himself as he paced behind his desk. When his warding charms notified him that Hermione was on her way up the spiral staircase, he waved his wand, whereupon the door opened with a soft creak.
"Good evening, Hermione. How were your exams? I heard a lot from the examiners. I hope I haven't thwarted any plans for how you were going to spend tonight, but I have important and enlightening news," he greeted her, wasting no time but beckoning her towards him and pointing to the Pensieve where the already prepared memory was floating.
Hermione looked at him with wide eyes and dipped her head into the Pensieve after greeting him. He followed her on the spot after she had dipped into it, although after the fourth time he had looked intently at the memory, he didn't think he could find any new clues.
"That's Hepzibah Smith?" asked Hermione, pointing to the old lady in a bright pink robe sitting on a sofa. He nodded, but let Hermione look at the rest of the memory without another comment. Possibly another pair of eyes could see something more than he had perceived so far.
Silently, he watched again as Tom Riddle was led into the room by the house-elf, Hokey, and flatteringly greeted Hepzibah with a bouquet of roses. Riddle recited some offers from his employer, Mr Burke, but he was soon interrupted by her.
Dumbledore watched Hermione as Hepzibah showed Riddle Helga Hufflepuff's goblet after Hokey had carried it in one of the two leather boxes. Hermione too recognised the flash of the greedy look across Riddle's face. But it was nothing compared to the look he gave the Slytherin locket when she pulled it out of the second box.
At the mention of the woman from whom Burke had bought the locket for a laughable 10 galleons, his eyes flashed red again and his knuckles turned white over the locket chain. Hermione had noticed it too and looked at Dumbledore worriedly. He nodded. When they were both back, he conjured a chintz armchair for Hermione and himself and they settled down opposite each other.
"An heirloom from Hufflepuff. And an heirloom of Slytherin!" exclaimed Hermione, from whose tone Dumbledore could now clearly hear concern. It was no wonder. To learn of two potential - and in his estimation definite - Horcruxes at the same time had agitated him too. It felt like Voldemort was not just one step ahead of them, but several miles.
"I see you are drawing the same conclusions I did. Your find in the Prophet has turned out to be a real catch of the snigdet. Congratulations, Hermione."
"Two more Horcruxes," Hermione said tonelessly, burying her face in her hands. He could hear her frustration.
"I know. And the items were last seen when Hokey had locked them away again after Hepzibah showed them to Voldemort. The elf was put under a memory charm for when she did it, so I can only guess how Hepzibah died, but I suspect there was an Imperius curse on the elf when she poisoned her mistress."
"But that would be four Horcruxes, excluding Harry, who we still don't know exactly what he is. Can one soul withstand that?" asked Hermione, hitting the nail on the head once again. Even Dumbledore had wondered how far a magical soul could be shattered, but when it came to Voldemort, it was best to assume the worst.
"The soul is probably very unstable, but I wouldn't put it past Voldemort to make even more. Did you notice how he could barely contain his greed for those artifacts of the founders of Hogwarts? It's not out of the question that he was also still looking for items from Gryffindor or Ravenclaw," he explained, noticing how Hermione flinched slightly at the name of the founder of her house. He smiled sympathetically, for he too did not like the idea that a Founder's artifact had been misused for such dark magic.
Hermione closed her eyes and massaged her temples. She seemed to think for a moment. Then, without opening her eyes, she raised her eyebrows and a strained expression came over her face.
"I want to see the memory again," she said, her face contorted with exertion, and Dumbledore eyed her for a moment over his glasses. With apparent strain, a vein on Hermione's forehead stood out clearly and she looked like she was in pain.
"Is something wrong, Hermione?" he asked, but a moment later she smiled and shook her head. The signs of exertion faded and her eyebrows lifted again with her eyes still closed, as if she'd had an idea. He grumbled in wonder, for he could make no sense of her reaction to his hypothesis. He rose to go to the Pensieve that stood on the desk behind him. Just as his back was turned to her, he felt a powerful alteration in the room. Every hair on his body stood up as he perceived the shift in magic. He reached for his wand, even though he knew it was too late to defend himself against what was flying towards his back with a shrill rushing sound.
He heard the blaze of flames and the stifled cry of Fawkes as he spun on his heel. Only a glance at the scenery made him realise what had happened. He didn't know why, how or where he had come from, but he instantly recognised the scarlet glowing snake eyes glaring at him from Hermione Granger's beautiful face.
He heard a soft squeak from the pile of ashes at his feet. He silently thanked his phoenix for saving him from the Death Curse and cast a protective spell on the pile of ashes. Only a blink of an eye passed before Hermione hurled another Death Curse at him. He apparated a step to the side and Hermione growled belligerently. It was one of the most sinister sounds Albus Dumbledore had ever heard.
"Truly extraordinary, Tom," Dumbledore said, forcing himself to sound as calm as possible, though his heart was racing as much as his thoughts. It was unmistakably Tom Riddle's - Lord Voldemort's - eyes looking at him. He had no idea how he had managed to possess Hermione, but he knew how to buy time. He knew how to speak to Tom Riddle. "May I know how you were able to achieve this almost successful assassination?"
A grin spread across Hermione's face, unlike any smile or smirk he had ever seen on her face. The maniacal expression and red eyes disfigured Hermione's beautiful features in a creepy way, but it was nothing compared to the shiver that ran down his spine when she opened her mouth and began to speak.
"The great Albus Dumbledore! Perplexed?" spoke Hermione in a distorted two-tone of her own voice and the high, cold voice of Lord Voldemort. She tilted her head and lowered her wand, which reassured Dumbledore somewhat, though he was aware that it did not lessen the danger with Hermione. But Voldemort seemed to have taken the bait. He had always been greedy and self-indulgent. He liked to explain his plans, be praised for them, and play with his prey before he finished them off.
"The only reason you're still alive is because of that bird. But while we have the chance, I might as well enlighten you on how I acquired this extraordinary body," Hermione continued in her eerie voice, pointing to her body with her free hand. Dumbledore could tell from her gestures and facial expressions that she must have been completely subdued by Voldemort.
"I'd really like to know, I'm all ears," Dumbledore said blithely, lowering his wand arm to make Voldemort feel safe. Voldemort bared his teeth and looked around Dumbledore's office with mock interest before he began to pace up and down the room, never taking his eyes off Dumbledore. He looked like a predator, lurking and stalking its prey, ready to strike at the slightest movement.
"How fortunate that among all the useless students who attend Hogwarts, the one who finds me is the one who possesses a level of power worthy of Lord Voldemort. Yes, Dumbledore. She found me. Was so blinded by the power at her disposal that she didn't notice me. It was perfect. So much magical potential! All I had to do was wait for you to provide me with a perfectly formed body. So I waited, studied, planned, while that little bitch of a mudblood had nothing better to do than whisper sweet nothings to Snape," she literally spat out the last words and rolled her red snake eyes. Dumbledore squinted his eyes as his brain worked at full speed to connect the dots.
"Professor Snape?" he asked in surprise, a maniacal grin spreading across Hermione's face again.
"Yes, my old servant, gone astray. Found love!" sneered Voldemort, laughing contemptuously. "Don't worry, he'll be right next on my death list. But yes, that whore of a mudblood had nothing better to do than gush about him constantly. Caused me pain. At first, it was quite amusing to give her cowardice a run for its money and make her do things she would never have dared to do otherwise, but at some point, it was so unbearable that I withdrew and waited for the right moment. I was bored enough in between to add some spice to her life with a few little accidents, but even that quickly became boring. I have to admit, Dumbledore, you've come a long way. Figuring out how I beat death is a tremendous achievement, assuming that your holy eyes could never take a peek into a book of the darkest arts after all!" taunted Voldemort and Dumbledore let him speak. He had recognised his opportunity. "I am a little disappointed that I had to take her over so soon, but you left me no choice. I never thought my indifference to the elf would catch up with me after so many years. I should have just killed her. The luck that not only she had in finding the article in the Daily Prophet, but that you found the elf as well, is laughable. I have to admit, though, it was a truly excellent conclusion that I made more Founder's artifacts into Horcruxes. Already all year I have been fighting with myself to stay calm in the face of the fact that you know my best-kept secret. And of course, you had to address Ravenclaw! I had to intervene before she..."
"Expecto Patronum," Dumbledore thought, having clasped his hands behind his back and pointed his wand behind him. He hoped that Voldemort wouldn't notice the second incantation in his twin charm when he saw the Patronus. It was his only chance, he was sure. A blink after he had formulated his message in his mind, a silvery white phoenix burst forth from his wand and flew straight through the floor towards its target. Voldemort seemed to have noticed the spell immediately, even though Dumbledore had been casting behind his robe, for a blink later the wand flew through the office in a high arc. He was aware of the consequence of the lost Elder Wand, but it was his only chance to save Hermione, the school, and himself. He still had his own wand in his cloak pocket, but it was too risky to draw it.
"Ts ts tsss," Voldemort hissed, as if rebuking a naughty boy. "That was rather foolish, Dumbledore. You just threw away your only chance to defend yourself. For a cry for help? Who's going to be able to help the great Albus Dumbledore? Whoever you called is right next on my list!"
Voldemort laughed uproariously and the sinister voice made the hairs on the back of Dumbledore's neck stand on end once more. With a casual flick of Hermione's wand, he first sealed the office door, never taking his eyes off Dumbledore, then moved to the fireplace. Dumbledore recognised a powerful curse on the door and the hearth that would strike anyone who tried to gain access to his office through it. He fervently hoped that the recipient listened to the message in full and obeyed it as well.
"You said Hermione found you? May I ask how exactly that went about?" he asked, trying to buy time and distract Voldemort. Hermione's eyelids narrowed to slits, but before the sinister voice could utter another word, the flames in the fireplace flared green beside her. With a maniacal grin, Hermione's head darted to the hearth, but nothing was visible except the green flames.
Without making a sound, Severus Snape apparated beside the door and immediately disarmed Hermione when he realised she had her wand pointed at Dumbledore. She turned with a sinister snarl and held out both palms to Snape, whereupon he was caught by such a strong gust of wind that he was yanked against the wall and hung there as if nailed to the wall a metre above the floor, while all the objects between them were yanked against the wall as well and shattered there.
Snape gasped as the air was forced from his lungs and several of the objects flying at the wall hit him hard.
"You!" screamed Voldemort in two voices, whereupon Snape's pain-filled eyes were filled with horror. Spellbound, he stared into Hermione's face. Dumbledore heard, however, that the angry two-voiced outcry had been followed by sobs, where only Hermione's voice had been heard.
"Hermione!" cried Dumbledore, and her head snapped around to face him. Behind her, Professor Snape dropped hard to his knees and hands. For a moment, the hazel of Hermione's eyes flashed in her gaze. An expression of sheer rage came over her face as the eyes turned scarlet again. Then she gave a blood-curdling scream. "Hermione! Fight it!", shouted Dumbledore, hoping to get through to her.
"Get out! Get out!" shrieked Hermione's desperate voice and she raised her hands to her head with a strained face.
"No! Foolish brat!" screamed the voice of Voldemort and her hands froze as sweat beaded on her face.
"OOOUUUUUUT!" shrieked Hermione at length and spellbound Dumbledore watched as she struggled strenuously with Voldemort for control over her body.
"SILENCE!" the high cold voice shouted as her fingers tightened and her whole body began to tremble. One of her hands moved slowly, trembling, in the direction where Professor Snape was crouched on the floor. "I'll kill him! I'll kill him if you keep resisting!" screamed the voice of Voldemort, but her arm froze halfway and spasmed violently. Dumbledore could literally see the pain she must had to be feeling.
Then she slowly moved her hands towards her head again. Hermione's voice screamed at the top of her lungs, filled with pain, while sweat and tears ran down her cheeks. Completely taken in by his student's internal battle, Dumbledore watched as she circled her cramping, trembling hands at the top of her head.
Dumbledore held his breath as her tears turned red and blood ran down her cheeks in branching streams. Her face showed terrible agony and Dumbledore watched as she magically loosened her braided hair. He realised that something silver was being revealed by her hair and gasped as Hermione ripped it from her head with a screech so high and painful that Dumbledore's blood froze in his veins.
With a bright sound of metal, the object hit the floor. Not a blink later, Hermione collapsed as if invisible strings holding a puppet had been cut simultaneously. She hit the marble floor of Dumbledore's office hard and it was several seconds before Dumbledore was able to pull himself out of his stupor and remember to take a breath.
"What in Merlin's name was that?" asked Professor Snape in a voice filled with pain as he groaned and struggled to his feet. Dumbledore, however, did not listen to him, but cast a banning charm on the object on the floor and levitated it to head height. He realised it was a diadem and after the events of the last few minutes, he had a suspicion as to who this diadem had once belonged to. He exhaled in exhaustion as he read the writing on the intricately crafted artefact.
"No wonder," he said to himself and immediately began to use analysis spells to support his thesis. A scream snapped him out of his concentration. Professor Snape was glaring angrily at him and pointing a finger at the still unconscious Hermione. Dumbledore gasped. He had been so consumed by this discovery that he had forgotten about the other two people in the room. "Voldemort has taken possession of her through this diadem. We should take care of her. Forgive me, Severus."
"Took possession? Like the diary?" asked Professor Snape, his eyes wide as he looked down at Hermione. Then his features stiffened. An expression came over his face that Dumbledore had only seen there once before. After the death of Lily Potter. Snape turned away from Dumbledore, wordlessly waved his wand and cast a few spells to diagnose Hermione's condition. "She has no threatening injuries, but is very exhausted. A Reviving Spell, something to drink and some rest should suffice. You'll excuse me," he said tonelessly and before Dumbledore could stop him, Professor Snape had disapparated again with his robe flowing.
Dumbledore instructed a house elf to provide some food and drink for Hermione after he had levitated her onto a conjured armchair. While he waited for the elf, he gently lifted the reborn Fawkes from the pile of ashes on the floor. He whispered his thanks to him for saving his life and placed him in the small nest at the bottom of his cage. He then cleared his office door and fireplace of the curse Hermione had placed on it under the influence of the Horcrux, and also repaired his magical instruments that had been shattered on the wall. Finally, he reset his protective spell so that once again only he was allowed to apparate inside Hogwarts. The elf returned and he gratefully took the food and drink from her. When everything was ready on his desk, he thanked the elf and bent over Hermione.
She awoke from the darkness as if she had emerged from ice water. The light of the setting sun stung her eyes and she struggled for breath for a few moments. When she heard her headmaster's voice, the memory hit her like a monumental boulder. She was shaken by violent sobs and was only passively aware of her surroundings when the full truth hit her like a heavy fist blow.
She had been used by Voldemort, had fallen for him. All that time she had worn the diadem incessantly, letting him share, like a parasite just waiting to claim the whole host for himself. The thought made Hermione feel so sick she couldn't stop herself from throwing up. Only a second later, she felt a cleansing charm glide over her. She looked up, only now aware of the warm hand resting on her back. She looked into Dumbledore's eyes, who knelt beside her and opened her mouth, but no words would come out. Instead, she was shaken again by violent sobs.
"It's over, Hermione. You fought brilliantly," Dumbledore's calm voice said, but his words only brought the pain and shame back into focus. It still felt like Voldemort was dwelling in her body like a boil, lurking for his next chance to spread his poison inside her. She wanted to scratch and bite herself to get rid of the disgusting feeling that was still gnawing at her body.
"Have a drink," Dumbledore said, lifting a goblet to her mouth. Hermione squirmed and pressed her lips together. She grabbed the goblet and hurled it across the room, causing a loud splash followed by a loud clanging impact of metal on marble. She pulled her knees to her chest and buried her head in them. She could hear Dumbledore sigh but ignored him.
"I am not worthy," she said after a few minutes of silence, having lifted her head. She had disappointed the elder. Her strive for power and knowledge had almost destroyed everything.
"Have a drink, Hermione," Dumbledore said and Hermione looked at him, aghast.
"I can't," she said in a choked voice as the feeling of nausea rose in her again. She took a deep breath in and out, which slowly made the feeling fade away. As Professor Dumbledore's hand slipped from her back, she looked up. She watched him wave a wand she didn't recognise and summon another with it.
She saw her own wand levitate towards her a moment later and felt her magic crave it. As her fingers cupped the warm wood, the wand vibrated as if to show her that it belonged in her hand. It was this magic that pulled her out of her vortex of depression. It was as if she was awakening once more. She looked up at Dumbledore and her eyes widened. Then her eyes fell on the desk, where a silver object lay beside the food and drink. She instantly straightened up with a gasp and pushed the chair back with her legs to gain more distance from the Horcrux.
"We must destroy it!" she cried, looking pleadingly at Dumbledore. Her headmaster nodded and stepped around the desk. He opened a locked drawer with a wave of his wand and took out the Sword of Gryffindor and a basilisk fang. Hermione stood up and cautiously approached the diadem.
"I would like to leave the honour to you if you feel up to it. It would be your chance to complete the circle."
She wanted to shake her head at first, but after another glance at the diadem, she wordlessly pointed at the basilisk fang, which instantly flew out of Dumbledore's hand and into her own. She lashed out with it and thrust down, but halfway there she froze in mid-motion as a familiar high voice echoed in her skull. Immediately she was struck again by the feeling of nausea.
"Are you sure I didn't take anything with me?" said Voldemort's voice in her head. Hermione shuddered violently and retched. "Wouldn't it be a shame if the library was empty the next time you went there? And the memories, all safe in the Pensieve. Here, with me."
Hermione's eyes widened and her hand with the tooth fell limp against her side.
"Gooood," the voice crooned. "Have you forgotten all the things I've done for you? Do you think you would have had the courage to kiss Snape? To follow Black? To capture Pettigrew? You owe it all to me! Think of the POWER I gave you!" it echoed in her head.
"No!" sobbed Hermione, shaking her head wildly so that her now free, dishevelled hair whipped into her face.
"I will give you everything you want, everything you need. Your life will never be the same without me. Without the library, the memories of your friends, relatives and Severus," the voice said and there was so much scorn in the last word that Hermione felt physical pain. She screamed again and had to use all her remaining strength to lift the tooth again and thrust it down onto the diadem.
"NOOOOO!" the voice in her head screeched, but the tip of the tooth had penetrated the fine metal and a viscous, jet-black liquid oozed from it like blood from a wound. More and more of it poured out and flowed over the edge of the desk. Meanwhile, the feeling of being soiled slowly disappeared from her body. Hermione dropped the tooth, exhausted, and staggered a little before she was caught by Dumbledore, who levitated her back to her chair.
"Water," she said in a choked voice and a moment later she felt another goblet at her lips. She drank immediately this time in large gulps and gasped when it was empty. She glanced at the desk where the plate of food stood and with a summoning charm called a few grapes into her hand. The sweet fruit was balm to her battered soul. She took a deep breath and let her head fall back. Then she remembered something.
"Fuck," she said and jumped up. Her knees trembled, but she ignored the clear signals of exhaustion and Dumbledore asking her to sit back down. Determined, she walked towards the fireplace, grabbed a handful of Floo powder and called out loud and clear, "Professor Snape's office!" She spun around, already expecting to inhale a mouthful of ash, but instead slowed down again and a moment later found herself still in Dumbledore's office. She stepped out of the fireplace again and when she realised why she hadn't been able to get to him, tears filled her eyes. "He locked me out! I was part of his wards!" she sobbed, slapping her hands in front of her face. She had destroyed everything.
"He's scared," Dumbledore said and Hermione looked up. "A perfectly appropriate reaction when facing Lord Voldemort who has taken possession of a student," he said and Hermione was shaken by a violent shiver. "Sorry," he said immediately, hiding his face.
"It's okay," she answered, wiping tears from her eyes with a faltering breath. She took one deep breath. "He saved me. Again."
"You did that yourself, Hermione. Your emotions were so strong that you won a battle of wits against the most powerful Dark Wizard of all time. At least against part of his soul," Dumbledore said and it was only by hearing the words that full understanding of what had happened in the last hour set in. Her gaze flew back to the Horcrux on Dumbledore's desk.
"It's destroyed?" she asked and Dumbledore nodded with an exhausted smile.
"I think we all need a good night's sleep, but there is something we need to sort out. As Professor Snape has told me, by his instruction you are able to conjure a Patronus. Would you try sending him a message?"
Hermione swallowed hard and nodded a moment later. It was the first time she attempted a Patronus with a message. She raised her wand so as not to use too much magic and thought of the feeling of safety when she was embraced by Severus' arms.
"Please!" she sobbed as she sensed the silver raven awaiting her message. That was all she could bring herself to say. The raven fluttered above her for a moment and landed on her shoulder. The warm feeling emanating from the patronus pervaded her and she closed her eyes in prayer. The glowing bird pushed itself off her shoulder and flew straight through the floor towards Severus' office, just as Dumbledore's phoenix had done earlier. It took a few minutes, which seemed like days to Hermione, before the fire in front of her flared green and Severus stepped out of it.
Before he had even had a chance to hoover the soot off his robe, Hermione had rushed towards him and thrown her arms around him, sobbing. Immediately she felt protected as she felt her magic turn from the previously churning river to a shallow stream that flowed evenly around her with Severus' magic. She could feel him holding back, could feel how uncomfortable he was.
"It's over, don't be afraid, Severus," Dumbledore said calmly. He relaxed and she could feel a lot of physical tension fall away from him before he embraced her somewhat hesitantly, hugging her less tightly than he usually did.
"I'm so sorry," Hermione sobbed into his robe, hugging him even tighter. She felt a hand on her dishevelled hair and let all her emotions run free. It took a few minutes of him holding her motionless for her to calm down. She looked up at Severus, who was eyeing her with a worried look, and Hermione could read suspicion from his face, stabbing her like a dagger in the chest. She averted her eyes and took one deep breath before turning around.
"We will explain everything to you, Professor, but would it be possible for us to speak alone for a few minutes?" she asked and Dumbledore nodded. She looked up at Severus, who hesitated again. "Please," she whispered, looking at him with a pleading look. He gazed long into her eyes with his deep black eyes, as if searching for something. Then, finally, he nodded curtly and held out a hand towards the fireplace to guide Hermione.
She took another handful of Floo powder and looked at Severus, who nodded at her. Then she spoke loudly and clearly, "Severus Snape's office," and spun as the flames turned green. A moment later she stepped out of Severus' hearth, coughing, and cleaned her robe with a wave of her hand.
She stepped back a little as he too came in through the fireplace and cleaned himself up as well. He looked at her suspiciously and Hermione sighed. She made her way through several piles of parchments scattered around the room. Severus must have already started correcting all the year's Potions exams.
"I seriously need a cup of tea now," she said as she flopped down on the couch. Severus raised an eyebrow but waved his wand a moment later and a cup and teapot appeared on the small table. She thanked him and closed her eyes as she soaked up the scent of his wonderful ginger tea. When she opened her eyes again, she realised that Severus was still standing where he had stepped out of the fireplace. He had his arms crossed in front of his chest.
"I know how all this looks to you," she said, fighting hard against the tears that announced themselves through the slight stinging in her nose. She buried her hands in her hair and looked at him pleadingly.
"Good, then at least one of us knows what's going on. I would appreciate an explanation," he said tonelessly. She looked at him frowning for a moment. Hadn't Dumbledore explained anything to him? He hadn't been in the office anymore when she had woken up. She pointed with her hand to the armchair that stood opposite the couch, and Severus settled down on it a few seconds later, lips pressed together. Hermione took one deep breath before she began.
"I discovered a room on the seventh floor earlier this year that can change at the will of whoever enters it. I watched two house elves hide cider in it and tried to enter the room as well. When I entered there, I found a huge hall, at least five times the size of the Great Hall. There were metre-high shelves where residents of Hogwarts had hidden items for centuries. I found the Ravenclaw diadem there after some time," she recounted as Severus' black eyes watched her keenly, as if he would weigh her every word. "I thought it was a replica at first, but when I put it on, I felt such strong magic, such power, that I was absolutely sure it had to be the real diadem. I was really stupid. I let myself be blinded by the power that the artifact of the first Daughter of the Raven, the founder of my House, gave me. I didn't see that it was rotten deep inside," she said, a lump forming in her throat at the last sentence. "I did not notice it. A part of Voldemort was inside that artefact."
"What?" Severus blurted out, showing true emotion for the first time since he had returned to Dumbledore's office. Hermione looked at him pleadingly and took a sip of tea to calm herself before continuing.
"Yes, what you saw earlier in Dumbledore's office was a part of Voldemort's soul taking possession of me. Before you ask any more questions, I'm going to ask you to let me explain a few things," she said with a raised palm as she realised he was about to interrupt her again. "I know how all this looks. But I was there the whole time, locked in my own mind. It's the same kind of magic Voldemort used last year to get Ginny Weasley to open the Chamber of Secrets. You saved my life again, Severus," she said and swallowed when Severus looked at her in response as if she spoke a language he didn't understand. "I know you distrust me. I would too. Let me explain briefly what kind of magic I'm talking about. Voldemort, while still at Hogwarts, was looking for a way to conquer his greatest fear, the fear of death. He learned of dark magic that allowed him to split his soul and hide parts of it in magical objects to escape death. It's called a Horcrux. We found out this afternoon that Voldemort used artifacts made by the founders of Hogwarts to do this. That was the moment I realised I was also wearing one of those items on my head and there was a high chance it was a Horcrux. It was at that moment that I was grabbed and locked inside my own mind. Then ...' she said, but her voice broke. She could no longer stop the tears and buried her face in her hands.
It took a few moments for her to calm down. When she had wiped the tears from her eyes, she realised that the cup was floating in front of her face. She thanked Severus and took a large sip, which was balm to her soul as it had been before.
"I only took off the diadem when there was no other option. I was so blinded by its good qualities that I didn't realise what lurked beneath the surface. I was too naïve, too stupid to realise ..." she said, but this time it was Severus who silenced her with a flick of his wand.
"No. If all this is true, then presumably no one would have been able to tell what the diadem was about. The Dark Lord has always been a master at manipulating people and blinding them with false promises. If you didn't realise it, it was because he wanted it that way."
"Thank you," she said in a choked voice as he released the Silencio again and emptied the cup. "Thank you for giving me a chance to explain myself."
"If that's all, we can go back to Dumbledore," he said and Hermione had to fight hard not to cry again. She shook her head.
"That's not all. I know what you're thinking. That none of it was real. That I was a puppet of Voldemort," she said and Severus looked at her grimly at the sound of the name. "I can't ask you to believe me when I tell you that none of it was an act and that I wasn't being directed by him until just now."
"No, you can't," he said through clenched teeth.
"I can't ask you to give me another chance either. All I want you to know is that Voldemort would never have been able to make this," she said, summoning her gift to Severus from his commode into her hand with a flick of her wrist. She looked down at the bloom of the green lily and closed her eyes, trying not to be overcome by the emotion the sight caused in her. She opened her eyes again when she heard Severus take a deep breath. She was terrified of what would happen next. She was completely at his mercy. Would he believe her, or would mistrust make that impossible? She knew her heart would not survive the second case. She looked into his eyes, which still roamed over her face as if he was analysing her every emotion.
"I'll give you all the time you need. I haven't understood everything that happened today myself. I don't even want to imagine what it's like inside your head," she said, relieved that Severus showed the hint of a smirk. "All I want to say now is that I stand by everything I've said and done over the last few months when we were alone. I hope you realise that."
A pained expression showed on Severus' face. Hermione stood up and took a deep breath.
"Thank you for the tea. I think it's best if we get this talk with Dumbledore over with. I'm really tired," she said and walked towards the fireplace with her head down. Before she could reach out for the clay pot of Floo powder, however, she was grabbed by the arm and pulled into a tight hug. Again she could not stop the tears. She buried her face in his robe and wept bitterly into his chest. His hand gently cradled her head and it took Hermione a few moments before she took a deep breath.
"Just the fact that you were here and explained all this to me shows me that you're telling the truth," Severus said and Hermione looked up at him. She felt like a little child who couldn't stop crying, but Severus stroked her cheek with his thumb and smiled at her.
"Thank you," Hermione said through sobs, pressing her face against him as tightly as she could. He ran a hand through her dishevelled hair and his fingers tangled in the bushy mass of hair. Hermione giggled and looked back up into his dark eyes. He returned the look and so they stood for a few moments entwined, lost in each other's eyes.
"I knew there was still a catch somewhere. It was just too good to be true."
"It is true," she replied, gently laying her hand on his cheek. "And you are the only reason I was able to defeat him. If you had turned me down back then, I could never have done it."
Severus looked at her with wide eyes and opened his mouth, but closed it again. He took a deep breath and hugged her tightly once more before releasing her from his arms.
"Let's get this over with," he said and Hermione gulped at the thought of having to explain to her Headmaster in a moment that she had fallen in love with her Potions teacher. Severus let her go first and appeared in Dumbledore's office moments after her. The Headmaster was sitting behind his desk and had looked up only briefly from the destroyed diadem when the two had entered the room. He seemed to be in the midst of an analysis of the former Horcrux. Severus conjured a comfortable armchair for each of them and she settled tensely into it.
"I've already learned quite a bit about it," Dumbledore said. Hermione was puzzled that he wanted to talk about the Horcrux first. She also explained to Dumbledore how she had come by the Horcrux and also apologised to him for allowing him to almost be murdered. A cold shiver ran down her spine at the thought that her own wand had been used for that.
Dumbledore, however, made it clear to her, as Severus had before, that it wasn't her fault and Hermione felt a great weight lifted from her heart. Then, finally, it was inevitable to tell Dumbledore about their relationship. Hermione blushed several times as she told Dumbledore how their relationship had come about. To their astonishment, however, the Headmaster was anything but surprised, let alone negative.
"Once again, it was love that saved a person from death at the hands of Lord Voldemort. Why should I oppose the strongest weapon we have against him?" said Dumbledore in response to Hermione's question about how he felt about it. "I know better than anyone how many good qualities Severus hides from people. I was also aware that saving your life would form a bond between you," he said, smiling at Hermione over his half-moon glasses.
"Thank you for understanding, Professor," Hermione said with relief, slumping back in her chair.
"I don't suppose I need to explain why this has to be kept secret?" he asked and Hermione and Severus nodded. "Then I see no reason to keep us from a restful portion of sleep any longer," he said solemnly and stood up.
"Professor?" asked Hermione timidly, when Severus had already turned to face the fireplace. "Would it be possible for me to sleep on Severus' couch? I don't want to be all by myself after all this."
Dumbledore looked at her wordlessly for a few seconds, then glanced at Severus and Hermione followed his gaze. Severus looked her in the eye for a moment and then nodded.
"All right. Have a good rest, Hermione," he said with a smile and with a wave of his hand he shooed them both towards the fireplace. "Oh, I almost forgot. Severus, may I have a quick look at your wand?" asked Dumbledore in a casual tone. Severus looked at him questioningly, but drew his wand and was about to walk towards him when Dumbledore snatched the wand from him with a disarming spell and deftly caught it.
"All right, thank you, Severus," Dumbledore said after looking at the wand for less than a blink and levitated it back towards its owner. Severus raised an eyebrow, but turned a second later and disappeared through the green flames.
"What was that all about?" asked Hermione in wonder as she arrived in his office after Severus.
"I'd love to know that, too. Knowing Dumbledore, it means more than we can imagine," he said, rolling his eyes, which made Hermione giggle. She raised her hand in front of her mouth to hide her yawn. It was high time she got some sleep.
"Thank you for everything, Severus," she said as he turned his couch into a bed, just as he had done the week he had cured her poisoning. She stood on her tiptoes and gave him a kiss on the cheek. She could tell he would need time to trust her again enough to allow more intimacy. She was glad, however, that he didn't seem to be afraid that she might still be possessed. A strong feeling of guilt spread through her at the thought.
"I'm sorry you have to go through all this because of me," she said as she sat cross-legged on the bed and looked down at her folded hands in her lap.
"No! I told you earlier. You can't be blamed for this any more than Ginny Weasley was last year!" he said, upset. She overcame her sense of shame and looked into the glinting black eyes she lost herself in every time. "And if you need any more proof that the Dark Lord is good at wrapping people around his finger, look here," he said, pulling up the sleeve of his robe.
Hermione's eyes widened and she looked down at the Dark Mark. He was right. She had seen with her own eyes how Voldemort had buttered Severus up when he had recruited him. Made him promises that were never kept. Gave him a false sense of pride and belonging while enslaving him.
"I'm sorry," she said in a choked voice, burying her face in her hands.
"No problem, but remember that unlike me, you had no idea of what you were getting yourself into."
"Thank you," she sobbed into her hands. She felt Severus' warm hand on her back and dropped to her side on his lap. It took a while for all the emotions that had been building up since the evening's incident to leave her body. Severus stroked her shoulder gently.
When she had calmed down, she felt truly liberated for the first time since she had taken off the diadem. She wiped the tears from her eyes and took another deep breath before turning her body so that she was now lying with the back of her head on Severus' lap, looking at him. He gave her an almost imperceptible smile. She smiled back and looked long into the eyes of the man who was so much more than he let the world know.
"Thank you for being here. For letting me be here."
"Of course," he said, but she closed her eyes and shook her head slightly.
"It's just not a given. I don't want to imagine what this experience has done to you. I don't know if there are many wizards or witches who wouldn't have fled after all that. But you're here," she said, opening her eyes again.
"I'm just glad you still want to be with me."
"Of course I do! None of the things I've felt for you for over a year have been lies or influenced by the Horcrux. I had a crush on you already last year and I'm here because I couldn't think of a better place to be."
She could feel a tension fall from Severus's body at those words that she hadn't noticed before. He slumped backwards on the transformed bed and ran his hands through his hair and face in exhaustion. She sat up and knelt beside his head.
"I have one more request," she said, smiling as Severus sat up abruptly. "You don't have to do anything but be with me while I check something," she said. Her tension seemed to be written all over her face as he looked at her intently and nodded. She took a deep breath as her heart began to beat faster. She tried to push away the fear that the Horcrux's last words had been true and rested her head back on Severus' leg. Then she raised her hands to her head and cast herself into a trance.
As always, she fell through the white nothingness. Her agitation potentiated, but she breathed a sigh of relief when she hit solid ground. She opened her eyes and gasped in relief when she found everything exactly as she had left it in the morning. Her legs gave way and she fell to the ground, but in her mind, there was no pain that the manifestation of her body could suffer.
The relief that not only was the library still there but that there had been no change due to the loss of the diadem washed over her like a tidal wave of happiness. She straightened up and walked purposefully towards the Pensieve to get rid of the memory of the last few hours. Happily, she ended the trance and beamed at Severus, who had been running a hand through her hair. She giggled as he blushed and wiped away a tear that had run down his cheek. Apparently, he hadn't expected her to wake up so abruptly.
"You look beautiful when you sleep," he said and this time it was her turn to blush. She smiled shyly at him. "Are you all right?" he asked and she nodded. "We can discuss everything tomorrow. You should get some sleep," he said as she opened her mouth and she closed it again and nodded.
"Severus?" she said, cursing herself for still not being able to control her facial expressions enough not to blush at the question she was about to ask him. He looked at her amusedly with one eyebrow raised. "I know you need time, but could you stay with me? I don't want to sleep alone. Just tonight."
It took a few seconds of Severus eyeing her with raised eyebrows, but finally, he nodded. Hermione sat up and pressed a soft kiss to his cheek before getting up and making her way to the bathroom. She looked in the mirror in shock at the wild tangle of what had once been her hair. The mental and physical strain of the last few hours was clearly written on her face. She had dark circles under her eyes and her eyes were so bloodshot that there was almost no white in them. Her whole face was still swollen from the sea of tears she had shed today. She really couldn't go to bed like this.
"Do you mind if I have a bath first? I look like what a dementor must look like beneath that robe" she said as she stuck her head out of the bathroom door. Severus, who by now was sitting in his armchair with a glass of wine, shook his head. She smiled at him and ran herself a hot bath. Half an hour later she was feeling much better. Thanks to Emily Clearwater's spells, she now looked more like the Hermione who had unsuspectingly taken her last practical O.W.L. exam in Herbology today.
She braided her hair into two wide plaits and felt a brief twinge in the pit of her stomach as she stroked along over the place where the diadem had usually been, but she didn't let it throw her off again. She conjured her pyjama from her room in Ravenclaw tower and took one last look in the mirror.
"Clear," she said as she left the bathroom and looked around the room in surprise, for there stood the couch again in the place where the transformed bed had been earlier. When she realised that she would be sleeping in his bed with Severus, a pleasant tingling sensation spread through her body.
Severus walked past her and got ready for bed as well, but much faster. She was a little excited as she entered his bedroom for the first time. It was simply furnished and was very similar to her bedroom in Ravenclaw tower. She couldn't help her rising nervousness, even though she knew full well that they wouldn't be doing anything in the four-poster bed except sleeping. She didn't know where to put herself and just stopped in the doorway, her gaze fixed on Severus who had walked towards the bed. He looked back at her questioningly, making her aware that she was giving an indecisive impression.
"Which side is yours?" she asked shyly, waiting for him to lie down in bed. Then she climbed up to him and rested her head on his chest, as she had done so many times with Susan. But lying like this with Severus felt different. It felt right.
"You smell nice," she said when she had found her position at his side.
"So do you," he said as he put his arm around her. "It's still hard to believe what's happened in the last few months," he said a few moments of silence later.
"This is what I will be eternally grateful to Lord Voldemort for," she whispered, pulling him close. She could feel his body tense. "The diadem gave me confidence. I probably would never have had the courage to kiss you if I hadn't had the diadem. I know that sounds mad, but when I think about it, the positives outweigh everything that has happened in the last few months and today. At least in the outcome," she said, craning her neck to look into his eyes lit by the last candle. He opened his mouth but closed it again and Hermione smiled at him. "I know it sounds strange, but I wouldn't do anything differently because it would probably mean I wouldn't be able to fall asleep in your arms tonight," she said, resting her head back on his chest. Again a few moments passed in which only their breathing could be heard. She felt her eyelids grow heavy. "Goodnight, Severus," she said, kissing the fabric of his sleeping robe over his chest. A comforting shiver ran down her face as she felt his fingers on her chin. He gently lifted her head and she let herself fall into the long kiss he had pulled her into.
"Good night," he said and extinguished the candle. Happily, she snuggled up to him and a few moments later was asleep without a trance.
It was not a particularly restful night, as they both woke up several times from nightmares about the events of the day. However, it was a wonderful feeling to be comforted and reassured immediately after waking up. As the first rays of sunlight filtered through the magical ceiling windows of the dungeon room, Hermione could no longer think of falling asleep and so she snuggled up behind Severus, who was by now lying on his side and breathing slowly and calmly. She glanced briefly at the wall clock and realised that it was still too early for breakfast, even by her standards, especially at the weekend. For quite a while she lay quietly beside Severus, enjoying the feeling of closeness. She thought about what the events of the last day would mean in terms of the future. They had found out that there were probably considerably more Horcruxes than they had assumed.
They had also destroyed a Horcrux that they hadn't even known existed, even though it had almost destroyed all hope of defeating Voldemort. Her eyes filled with tears as she thought of the scarlet eyes with which the manifestation of the part of Voldemort's soul had glared at her while he had trapped her in her own mind. She thought about whether she should have noticed it at some point. The Horcrux had indeed proceeded in a similar way to the diary, however, when Voldemort split off his soul, he seemed to include his appearance in it. That had to mean that he had converted the diary into a Horcrux while still in his teens, while he must have placed the curse on the diadem later.
A shiver ran down her spine as she reflected that Tom Riddle must have been only a few years older than her when he had committed the murder for the diary's Horcrux. She had to admit that Voldemort had been clever when he had chosen the protective measures of the Horcruxes. The diary had made young Ginny open her heart and with it a way into her mind. The diadem, on the other hand, had been so powerful that it had immediately distracted from the piece of the soul that resided within. Most wizards or witches would probably have succumbed to the feeling of power until it was too late to recognise the intruder.
She had to control herself not to gag at the thought that part of Voldemort had lived in her mind for half a year. She felt dirty again and felt the need to wash. It would probably take her a while to fully process all this. As if taking that cue, Severus began to move. She could feel goosebumps forming on his arm under the fabric of his sleeping robe, where her hand was resting, and he began to tremble. She immediately pulled him closer and gently stroked his arm until he awoke abruptly. His head whipped around to face her, his gaze filled with terror. When he looked into her eyes, however, he seemed to awaken fully and the tension fell from his body.
"'Everything's fine,'" Hermione whispered, stroking his cheek with her fingers. He closed his eyes and let his head fall back onto the pillow. She giggled as he opened one eye and peered at her as if checking that she really was Hermione. Severus rubbed his sleepy-looking eyes and turned to the wall clock. His annoyed groan told her that he too thought it was too early to get up. He pulled the covers over his head and Hermione giggled again as he threw the covers off with a sigh a few seconds later. She reached out and placed her hand on his cheek as she closed her eyes and kissed him.
"Good morning," she said, looking brightly into his still-sleepy eyes. He just groaned and grabbed his forehead with his hand. Hermione looked at him questioningly, worried if she had done something wrong.
"You're a morning person," he groaned, grumbling as he put his forearm over his eyes. Hermione burst out laughing and threw herself back into her pillow.
"Yes, I am," she said with a smile as he looked at her again. "But don't worry, you're welcome to sleep on."
"How? I can't fall asleep on command like you," he replied, squinting his eyes as he turned his gaze to the dungeon window.
"Oh," said Hermione, who only now realised that she had not yet explained to him that it had been a trance. She moved closer to him, rested her head on his shoulder and told him about her expanded mind and trances while drawing little circles in the fabric of his sleeping robe with her index finger.
"That sounds really useful," he said when she had explained everything to him.
"Your mind is already very close to the expanded state anyway, I could show you how it works. It's still very difficult though."
"That would improve my Occlumency too, wouldn't it?" he asked and Hermione nodded with a grin. He'd never quite forgiven her for not telling him how she'd gotten better than him at disguising memories so quickly. "Then I'd like to learn it." Hermione nodded and rested her chin on his chest, looking at him.
"This is really nice. It hurts that this will be the only time we sleep in the same bed together for now," she said and sighed. Severus stroked her cheek and looked at her with a look that revealed he felt the same way. "I'm going to miss you during the holidays. I can't even write to you," she said, avoiding his gaze as she realised she was close to tears again. She really had cried enough in the last few days.
"Then we'll spend as much time together as we can these last few weeks," Severus said, groaning in pain as Hermione's smile made her chin dig into his chest. She lifted her head and gave him a soft kiss that made her butterflies jump in her stomach.
"I really can't write to you, can I?" asked Hermione sadly, and Severus shook his head with a serious expression.
"The mark is becoming stronger by the day. It's only a matter of time before something happens. I can't let my cover slip."
"Then we should see to it as soon as possible that you try to expand your mind. And I'll find a solution to the letter problem too," Hermione said firmly.
Author's Note:
Hello everyone, I hope you are doing great. As I've said at the end of last chapter, I was really looking forward for this one ever since I had the idea with the Diadem. I hope you liked how this little story arc ended!
Also thank you to all the people that already left reviews, likes and follows, it really means a lot!
See you next time!
Kasing