Sands of Time

Harry slowly ate his sausages and toast. He glanced at the Head table again and tried to figure out what was bothering him. Hagrid was at one end eating a huge tomato he must have grown specially in his garden. Professor Flitwick was chattering excitedly with Professor Sinistra, and Professor Elyas was telling the Headmaster one of his long-winded stories to which Dumbledore seemed to be avidly listening. Harry's eyes drifted to his least favourite teacher, and he realized what was wrong. Snape wasn't glaring at anyone.

His face was turned towards the left of the hall, but his eyes were focused on the Head table. At first, Harry thought he was watching Professor Elyas, but then he realized that Snape's hard, black eyes were focused on the Headmaster. Harry frowned. Professor Snape might hate a lot of people. In fact, he seemed to hate, or at least dislike anyone who wasn't a Slytherin, but Dumbledore had always been a notable exception. Snape was looking at Dumbledore with suspicion; something Harry should recognize since he had been under that same gaze many a time. He caught Ron and Hermione's eyes.

"Snape is watching Dumbledore. It's all he's been doing all morning," he said. Ron shrugged.

"So maybe he's mad at him. It wouldn't be a first." Harry shook his head.

"But if Snape were mad a Dumbledore, he would be glaring openly at him, not watching him covertly," Harry protested. Hermione glanced up at the table.

"He probably thinks Dumbledore is up to something," she said. Harry smiled, glad that she had caught his point.

"Exactly! But up to what?"

"You're looking into this too much, Harry," said Ron. "And why are you watching that slime ball so much anyway? Do you fancy him?" Harry threw one of his sausages at Ron and they became involved in a mild food fight until Hermione threatened to use her prefect privileges to break them up. They settled down to their breakfasts, but Harry couldn't help but glance worriedly at the Head table. Sure, Snape was a git and hated him, but he was also one of the most perceptive teachers around. He knew everything that went on in his class. Harry had lost count of all the times Snape had caught him or another Gryffindor in the act. And Snape had been the only person in the school to suspect Quirrell...

"Harry, are you coming?" asked Ron. Harry snapped out of his daze. He looked around and saw that breakfast was over.

"I'm coming," he said, and followed Ron out the door. There they caught up with Hermione, who was rereading Foundation: A New Look At The Founder's Four for the third (or was this the fourth?) time.

"Why don't you just memorize the book, Hermione? It would be easier then rereading it every week," said Ron. She looked up at him, and closed the book, though Harry noticed she kept her finger on the page she was reading.

"I do not reread it every week. You haven't memorized Flying with the Canons despite reading it hundreds of times over the past year," she said in an annoyed tone.

"But Flying With the Canons is quality literature," Ron protested. Both Hermione and Harry rolled their eyes.

They reached the door to their first class, History of Magic and took their customary seats. Harry and Ron sat near the back while Hermione sat up front so she didn't miss anything. Professor Binns floated in through the door and they settled down for another mind numbing lecture.

Harry rested his chin on his arms and watched Binn through drooping eyelids. He had had a late Quidditch practice the day before, not to mention a last minute Herbology essay, so he had ample excuse to not pay attention.

"Miss Granger! What are you reading?" Harry jerked his head up and stared at the front of the room. He had never heard Binns use that tone of voice before. The ghost was staring at Hermione with what would have been a hard expression had it not been delivered by someone you could see the black board through.

"A book, Sir," answered Hermione. Her voice was trembling slightly.

"Let me see." Professor Binns floated over his desk and craned his head over Hermione's book. Harry was surprised to see Binns pick up the book and slam it shut. "I'm sorry, Miss Granger. That book is on the list of forbidden tomes. I'm going to have to confiscate it." He floated over to his desk and placed the book carefully on top of it.

"But, Sir!" Hermione sounded flustered.

"Yes, Miss Granger?" There was something very disconcerting about the ghost's stare, and it wasn't even directed at Harry.

"Nothing, Sir," she said. When the class was over, she was the first one out of the room. She must have started running because she was gone by the time Harry and Ron were able to exit. They walked slowly towards Herbology, but there was no Hermione.

Professor Sprout set them to work collecting the seeds of the epherus plant. The plant grew from the ceiling of the green house and they had to use little nets to capture the seeds as they flitted about. Hermione appeared about half way through the lesson, and after reporting to Sprout, joined them in their seed collecting. She began to use the net with a vengeance, nearly destroying one of the plants in her anger.

"What happened?" asked Harry, trying to keep his voice low. Professor Sprout was already sending glares their way for Hermione's treatment of the plants. Hermione stopped beating the plants as she answered.

"I went to Professor McGonnagal and asked if there wasn't some mistake."

"What mistake? You were reading a book in Binn's class, so he confiscated it," said Ron as he captured a particularly flighty seed. Hermione glared at him.

"I've read in Professor Binn's class before and he's never cared, though that's not the point. I checked the list of restricted books at the beginning of this year. Foundation: A New Look At The Founder's Four was not on it! Do you really think I would be stupid enough to read a forbidden book in front of a teacher?" Ron looked taken aback.

"I didn't mean-" he said. Hermione sighed.

"It's okay, Ron. Professor McGonnagal showed me the list. Even if the book wasn't on there at the beginning of the year, it's on there now. She was disappointed I even had a book on that list, though I hardly think a book on the Founders compares to a book on human sacrifice or deadly hexes!" She viciously captured two seeds that were fluttering dangerously close to Harry's head. He ducked out of the way. If there was anything Hermione hated worse than being in trouble, it was being in trouble for something she hadn't done.

"Why do you think it was confiscated then?" he asked. Hermione shook her head. "That's just it. There was nothing in that book to get it confiscated. I even remember that Dumbledore saw me reading the book a few days ago and he told me how proud he was to see a student doing extracurricular reading."

"Maybe he didn't know what you were reading," suggested Ron.

"He asked me if I liked Chapter Seven. He couldn't have known about Chapter Seven."

"What's so special about Chapter Seven?" asked Ron.

"It's very short, but it has an excerpt from Salazar Slytherin's notes."

"That's fascinating Miss. Granger, but would you please focus on the seeds in front of you?" said the voice of Professor Sprout. The professor was standing only a few feet behind them. Hermione looked embarrassed and concentrated on capturing the seeds. When Ron attempted to bring the subject up again once the professor had left, Hermione shushed him. Harry went back to the seed collecting and considered the whole incident. Here was another example of Dumbledore acting strangely. What did a book on the Founders and a prediction of his death have in common? He was no closer to an answer when the class ended.