Hermione Granger and The Diary of the Sorceress

Chapter 2

Hermione lay in her bedroom again. It was only two-thirty in the afternoon. She had no intention of taking a nap, but she felt awoken when the fireplace flared and a familiar face appeared. Cornelia Clearwater smiled. The woman had come to Hogwarts one year to help Poppy Pomfrey with her stores of potions and medicine. She had become like a mother to the girls.

"Hello Hermione how have you been?"

Frizzy-haired, Hermione sat up on her bed. "I am doing quite well, yourself?"

"Ah, you have not changed much. I know better, you are lost."

The young woman could do nothing but smile. "Albus has invited me to join the teaching staff at Hogwarts in the coming term. I can't say why."

"Everyone knows why dear, you have a great mind and a good heart. You are also someone that Albus trusts."

"I suppose it would do no harm if I did it for the year, I am rather tired of traveling. I'm just not very creative. I mean I just don't want to bore children to the death before Voldemort gets them first."

"Hermione dear, I think you are just trying to create excuses. You are going...and so am I."

"Wha-"

"I have landed the new position as Herbology teacher and head of Ravenclaw house."

"Why that's wonderful, Hogwarts seems a thousand times more kindred now. Alright, I suppose I am just being silly. I'll do it, I'll teach."

"Excellent." A satisfied grin appeared on her face. "So tell me dear, is there a man in your life?"

Hermione sighed. Her new cat was the only male in her life. Crookshanks had passed on no more than six months previous. It had been sad but what can you do? As for any other men there was Ron and Harry and Albus, but they weren't really the kind of men Cornelia was talking about. There had never really been one. "Not a one," Hermione answered as if it made no difference.

"Oh don't speak so lowly of it. Love is a beautiful thing."

Yes of course it is

That morning Hermione got a package filled with the curriculum and things she would need for the coming term. Dumbledore had been very pleased that she was in agreement. She also got a letter from Harry and one from Ron as well. She opened Harry's first:

Dear Hermione,

How's it all going? I heard about your position at Hogwarts. Congratulations! Guess what? Sirius will be teaching there too this year! At least you will have someone to talk to other than Severus. Severus has greatly improved in attitude to me though. I owe him a debt I can never repay. I guess I should thank him sometime, but not now. I'll let him stew in his own juices for a while.

Minerva the new Minister of Magic, isn't that brilliant? I am so thankful that Fudge is gone. It took him until our seventh year to even recognize publicly that Voldemort was a threat. Ten people died. What a stupid prat.

Anyways, I really mailed you for advice. You see I like this girl. I don't know if she really cares for me or not. It's really one of those things you don't want to risk. How can I find out if she likes me without giving anything away? That's the dumbest question ever. I just mean...how would I go about expressing feelings to a girl so I won't frighten her away?

Harry

Typical Harry Potter thought Hermione. He is only one of the most famous people in the world and girls are falling all over him. There is no question who he's talking about. It's all about Ginny. She scribbled a quick note containing "Just tell Ginny you're in love with her," and then turned to open Ron's letter.

Well, well, well, our own Miss Granger is very grown up and taking a teaching job. Do I ever feel sorry for you! No, honestly, I think it's brilliant! Charms were always one of the more fun classes.

Hopefully we will get to spend more time together this year. Minerva has all the Aurors working to death. I mean it's nice for us to have her instead of that blithering idiot Fudge, but she works you hard. I have a week off coming up pretty soon. My mom is pretty anxious to see me, so I'm going to go home and help her around the house. Maybe I'll get a chance to stop in Hogsmeade for a night. If I do we will have to go for a butter-beer.

Congratulations again!

Ron

She packed her stuff up in about two hours and then she apparated to Diagon Alley to meet Cornelia. They would then go to Hogwarts.

"Well, we have books upon books on charms and plants." The older woman was displaying a great love for shopping. Diagon Alley was turning out to be her sanctuary. Hermione could hardly keep up.

"Oh I am so tired can't we have a rest and grab something to eat?"

"Don't be ridiculous! There is so much left to be done! Have you any idea what shape Minerva's room was left in, you have been assigned to Minerva's old room?"

Hermione nodded.

"Minerva liked things a certain way. Clean. Everything in that room is white. Now here's what I think we should do...-"

This woman was going to drive Hermione batty. A good sleep would be just the ticket right now.

A scream interrupted Hermione's thoughts, as an older witch, not more than fifty feet away was, knocked over by someone in black robes running from the Gringotts guards. Hermione and Cornelia couldn't help but make their way over their as ministry officials brought the man in the black cloak back on a magic carpet in thick radium handcuffs. Cornelia craned her neck to see who was under the robes, but she couldn't tell, his hood was up.

"Can you hand me that silver basin over there?" Severus asked Lupin, who in return only gave him a look of disdain. "Oh yes, sorry I forgot. The tin one instead?" Being a werewolf it would not be wise for Remus Lupin to handle silver at all accidentally do happen, however unlikely they may be. They were making more Pepper-up potion for the hospital wing stores. Poppy said that she nearly ran out every year.

"So how is everything going with the assignments Dumbledore has been giving you?" Remus asked. The smell of peppermint filled the room as the potion was nearly complete.

"As well as can be hoped." Severus offered. In the last seven years he had worked for Dumbledore as a spy. He was one of five agents. Unfortunately he was the closest to the inner workings of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. He hated it. He could not speak when children were tortured to persuade their parents, he could not mutter a counter curse when Avada Kedavra was used. He was there only to watch and create potions. He was occasionally asked to find out information about a student, or supply The Dark Lord names of the brighter kids at Hogwarts, so he could try to recruit them. Severus nearly never provided him with an accurate list though; there were never stupid children on his list, but the brightest of the bright were always left for Albus to speak to first. The Death Eater total had risen to about three hundred now, but only a select thirty or so knew the inner workings and plans. Severus was one of them, although even he did not know everything. Wormtail and Mulciber were by far the most trusted, for they led their whole everyday life with Voldemort, unlike the others who only came when summoned.

"What exactly does that mean?" Remus asked.

"Please don't worry about it all. The potion is ready. Would it be possible for you to bottle it, I have some research to be done." Severus looked distracted, so Remus agreed and the potions master made his way upstairs to the library.

Hermione and Cornelia stepped out from the cab and the house elves were muttering around them taking their bags to their rooms and insisting they come in and choke down some supper.

Hermione caught sight of Dobby and smiled. "How are you dearest Dobby? You best come over here and share a hug with me." Dobby was caught off guard. He looked as if he had been stunned. Hermione smiled and remembered his modesty, although he had become far more forward in the last couple of years, he was still far too modest for her liking. She scooped Dobby up in a hug and smiled when she set him back down.

"I am famished, I think I will go in and fetch some supper, after that I am going to have to take a venture to see what kind of shape those greenhouses are in." Cornelia had a glint in her eye. She looked so happy to be there. Hogwarts just manufactured that for people. Albus had such spirit.

"I am going to go for a little walk over to Hagrid's to say hello, I'll be in soon." It was slightly chilly out as Hermione walked over towards the cozy hut that offered her so much comfort in her child years. He had comforted her when Draco had called her a mudblood, he had hugged her more times than she could count and he had never revealed one of her secrets to anyone, not even Harry.

Just as she was about to knock on the door of the hut it opened and a hand reached out to grab her hair and pulled her inside. She reached for her wand as fast as she could but she was not fast enough. As it was stripped off of her robe, she was thrown to the ground and alarms went off in her head. Her wand was on the other side of the room on the floor.

"CRUCIO!"

Pain began to rip through her body and from her crown to her toes, her muscles contracted. She couldn't even hear herself scream and it was all she could do to identify the floor. Her thoughts of the pain Harry had felt in the last two years came flooding back to her. Ron had nearly died. Seamus died. All her memories of those she missed so much coursed through her Cedric Diggory, Mad-eye Moody, Argus Filch, Katie Bell, Cho Chang. She felt hate. Pure and simple hatred was all that she felt. Her anger built and built to a hate she had never in her life allowed herself to feel...and it stopped. She had knocked the wand out of...out of...Dean Thomas' hand?

She crumpled at a kick to her ribs and she began to cough. She could taste blood. Dean was a Gryffindor, why? Why would he do such a thing? She was in so much pain. His best friends were dying at the hands of Voldemort and it was all he could do to join them. She looked up at him with pain in her eyes, begging for pity. She begged him for mercy. Then she received another sharp kick to her ribs. Her blood boiled with rage and self-pity at her pain. Her wand, her wand, her wand she needed her wand...

And then it happened.

Her wand flew into her hand.

With all she could muster she commanded "EXILITOS HALEM!"

Dean flew backwards out of the hut as far as Hermione's eyes could see before her strength left her...

Circa 100 BC Egypt... Think Severus, think.

Damn Muggle history...

Ptolomy Auletes?

Marc Antony?

Cleopatra?

Bernice?

Arsinoe?

Octavia?

None of them could have written that.

Perhaps Miss Granger will have some idea...

Three bloody weeks I have been working on this...three bloody weeks and this is all I have. Thank god he hasn't summoned us again. He would be angry with me for digging up nothing. Perhaps I should ask Dumbledore, he should hear the poem anyways. He has been awfully preoccupied lately...

"Severus, come quickly!" Poppy Pomfrey burst into the library. The look in her eyes was urgent.

He jumped up from his seat and followed her to the hospital wing nearly tripping over Sirius but eventually he made it to the bed they were huddling around.

In it lie Hermione Granger, bruises all over her ribs and her breathing weak.

"Do you know any potions for internal bleeding, unfortunate as it is, there isn't too much medi-charms can do for injuries sustained by anything but a wand. That puts us in a compromising position because I'm not a surgeon."

Severus felt dazed. Why would...? Who would...? It made no sense. He went through a thousand potions in his head. Would a clotting potion work? No, we can't risk it. "I can't think of a thing Poppy."

Dumbledore sighed. "I think we had better fetch a muggle surgeon, Remus, Severus come with me. Thank goodness I put the charm to disallow the killing curse in Hogwarts grounds, or she would be dead already."

The pair followed Albus out to the hall.

"Albus where are we going to find a muggle surgeon? At this time of night? Who is God's name will willingly come to Hogwarts with strange men they have never met before? It makes little to no sense."

"That Remus, is what memory charms and the Imperius curse are for, if necessary. We have about three hours Poppy said." Dumbledore turned and they all began to walk toward his office to get prepared.

Severus' head jerked up. He couldn't believe his ears. "Albus we will not have you perform the imperious. You are far too important in defeating the enemy to go down for performing the imperious, just to save some mudblood."

The astute older man turned back to Snape, fire in his eyes. "Do you think she was being targeted just because someone felt like beating a girl to death? Certainly not. Whoever did this had a motive and whoever would try to kill someone on our side can be up to no good. She must be important somehow. We will save her life whatever the cost and then I will spend the rest of my days trying to figure out why in God's name someone would procure such an elaborate scheme as to put a charm on her that would make her so anxious to see Hagrid. How else would they have known she would go to the hut upon getting here? How else would they know to send Hagrid on a wild goose chase into the evil forest? If they wanted to do something for a petty reason they would have picked someone far less strong at dueling than Hermione and a far better place to do it." Albus didn't calm down in the least. "Severus, although you are on our side you are a fool. You are a fool to let such ridiculous prejudices, such as the mudblood prejudice, cloud your judgment."

An awkward silence ensued.

"Of course, I apologize." Severus spoke it so simply that it could have seemed insincere, yet they could tell that Snape had meant every word.

They continued to his office, once there Albus pulled out a trunk of old magical items.

"We must pick things that will be useful. The time-turner is of course. Now, what else do I here...yes Harry's invisibility cloak. Perhaps I should return that." He looked pointedly at Remus; "I confiscated it in his third year when he and Miss Chang were growing quite close. It's really horrific what happened to her."

"That is a risk those who grow close to Harry encounter." Snape spoke with a face like a rock.

Silence ensued and neither Albus nor Remus moved to defend Harry on that. Dumbledore continued rummaging in his trunk. "Ah, a map of London, excellent."

"London Albus?"

"Yes London, we will have to Apparate to a place where there are lots of people if we hope to find a muggle with the expertise to help her. Perhaps we should speak to her parents and find out who her doctor is then he will be more ready to come with us."

With that the three of them walked down to the gates and apparated.

"Do you know where we are?" Lupin directed to the older man. They were on the sidewalk of a busy street. Darkness had fallen, but the electric lights of all sizes, shapes and colors kept the street visible. Upon looking around no one seemed to notice, the people in large cities were always impersonal. They also knew not to stare at someone suspicious looking.

"I know precisely where we are. Hermione's family lives on this street, but where?" Albus looked puzzled. The buildings were all tall and most of them seemed to be department stores and business buildings. But then he saw something shoot into the sky that he had not seen in over a building in twenty-two years, and his blood ran cold.

The dark mark...