A/N thank you everyone for the great commentary. Francine: yes, his is, isn't he? Moar on that later. Cloudshape: I love your insights as usual. About Hermione and the whomping willow: Pre war Hermione would have been vaguely nauseated watching the whomping willow kill birds, (which it did, if you remember, in the third movie- not book, yes yes, I know) Post war Hermione finds it fucking hilarious. Thus, the dark edge. There are many ways in which we cope with trauma. Developing a sadistic sense of humor is one of them, and it's something she has in common with our lovable asshole of a potions professor. I love your commentary even when I disagree with you. Keep it coming!
Ginny and Hermione are walking arm and arm to Hogsmede. Spring is really outdoing herself this year, and Hermione is almost giddy with happiness. She longs to tell Ginny the truth about Snape, but she knows better. Ginny has a temper. It wouldn't end well for Ginny or Snape.
"Zonko's or Honeydukes first?" asks Ginny.
"Whatever," says Hermione, "I'm just along for the ride."
"Honeydukes, then," says Ginny. "Zonko's is a joke compared to Weasley's Wizard Wheezes."
"Har Har," says Hermione, "I see what you did there."
Afternoon finds them sipping butterbeer at the Hog's Head with Aberforth, and some of Dumbledore's Army. When Neville and Luna show up, though, Hermione gets a little nervous. She has succeeded in keeping a low profile after the disastrous article in the Prophet. Luna has been after Hermione for a quote, but Hermione has promised Snape she won't do anything else to put herself in more danger.
So when the party gets noisy, she slips quietly out onto the street, unnoticed. She is on her way up to the three broomsticks when a third year Hufflepuff boy comes pelting around the corner from Madam Puddifoot's and barrels right into Hermione.
"Carefully now," she says, gently steadying the boy.
But the boy seems frantic, if a bit disoriented.
"Please, Hermione. They've got my friend in the shrieking shack!"
"Who has your friend?"
"The Slytherin boys. Please, come help!" he is tugging at her arm frantically.
Hermione frowns. How stupid do they think I am? She is offended at the obviousness of this set up. The boy just keeps repeating himself. Imperiused, more than likely. Which means this is a serious threat to her safety.
She raises her wand and points it at the boy, "Finite Incantatem."
It doesn't work. Well, it was worth a try. Hermione thinks her happy thought. I won't be his student forever. A bright silver otter bursts from her wand. She sends it to Snape with a message. 'They're here for me. Shrieking shack. Come as quickly as you can.'
"Okay, I'm coming," Hermione says to the increasingly agitated boy. "What's your name?" she asks him as they begin to make their way up the hill and out of town. She is walking as slowly as she can.
"Arbuckle," says the boy. "But you can call me Arby."
"Well Arby," says Hermione, "I am sorry you got pulled into this. Did you know that you can resist the imperius curse?"
The boy jerks away from her, his face twitching a bit. Then he turns to Hermione, "Please, they have my friend. You have to come." As soon as the words are out of his mouth his body stops twitching and his face relaxes again.
Hermione smiles sadly at him. "That was a good try, Arby. Don't worry. I'm coming with you."
The boy smiles, and continues to lead Hermione up the hill to the shrieking shack. Hermione walks as slowly as she can. As they approach, she can hear the voice of a small boy inside, screaming in pain. Arby is more urgent now, almost dragging her toward the shack.
There is a soft *pop* and Snape appears in front on them by the gate. Hermione sees the palpable relief on his face when he lays eyes on her.
Arby gapes up at Professor Snape, and draws his wand.
"Don't hurt him he-" Hermione starts.
Snape twitches his wand three times in quick succession. Arby is disarmed, stunned, and petrified.
"-is under the Imperius curse." Hermione finishes, looking down at poor Arby.
Snape conjures his patronus. Hermione does a double take. It is not a doe, but a raven. Snape sends it off with a message for McGonagall. All the while they can still hear a boy's screams coming from the shrieking shack.
"Go back to the castle," Snape tells Hermione. "I'll handle this."
"What?" Hermione says. She has already drawn her wand. "No. I'm coming with you."
Snape considers his options carefully. He can't stun or petrify her and leave, she would be at risk. He can't place her under the imperius curse without risking Azkaban, and she would likely throw off the curse, anyway. He is tempted to wait here with her for McGonagall, but the screams sound pretty genuine, and McGonagall would probably want Hermione's help anyway.
"Stay behind me," he says, "And do exactly as I say."
Hermione conjures her shields as they enter the shack. Snape casts Homenum Revelio as soon as they are inside the door. There are four men inside. No screaming Hufflepuff boy.
As Snape and Hermione make their way down the hallway and into the main room they are immediately set upon by three wizards. Snape tries to keep Hermione behind him, but she's not about to let him duel three by himself. She steps out from behind his billowing black teacher's robes and starts throwing out stunners. One of them finds its mark. Snape grunts in approval. One of the remaining two, seeing his comrade go down, panics and shoots off a killing curse toward Hermione. Snape counters it and then, almost lazily, flicks his wand back at her attacker. A jet of green light streams from his wand and the man falls to the floor, lifeless.
Hermione doesn't have time to register that her potions professor has just murdered someone in front of her. They turn together to face the third Wizard. He is dirty, pudgy, balding and missing most of his teeth. He raises his wand in defiance toward them, but before any spells are cast, the fourth man comes into the room.
Hermione stares. She knows this man. He is younger than his lackeys, with shoulder length brown hair. He wears plaid pants, dragonhide boots, and a pink scarf. The scarf belonged to her, once.
"Scabior," Hermione hisses. "Why aren't you in Azkaban!?"
"Tsk, Tsk, little lioness," he says. He is speaking to Hermione, but his eyes never leave Snape. She can tell he wasn't expecting her to bring help at all, much less someone as dangerous as Snape. "Turns out the world still has need of a snatcher. There are a few old families that would like it very much if you were… Snatched. Only this time, no Greyback to keep me from enjoying you first. What do you say, ol' Snapey, have you taught her how to suck Slytherin cock like a good little mudblood?"
Surprisingly, Snape does not react to the vulgar comment, obviously meant to goad him into making a mistake. Scabior is a halfway decent duelist, and Snape knows it. Snape is being cautious. He could take care of Scabior and his dirty accomplice easily enough, but having Hermione in the room complicates things. She is his only weakness.
Scabior pauses for a moment, his eyes flickering briefly to his ugly friend. Then, at some unknown signal, they both attack at the same time. Simultaneous bolts of green light shoot from their wands.
Snape deflects the fat Wizard's curse easily enough. The force of the deflection stuns the ugly wizard and he crumples to the floor. But Snape knows he doesn't have time to deflect both. As he deflects the first killing curse, he calmly steps in front of Scabior's curse, and takes it squarely in the chest.
A/N *ducks* please don't throw anything at me. I'm working on the next chapter as we speak. Love to you all!