Summer School

Chapter 3 Putting the Puzzle Together

"What do you think he was asking?" Ron asked as they sat in the library.

"Why, is what I want to know," Harry whispered loudly. "It's not likely that after all these years he's trying to understand students, is it?"[Author ID0: at ]

[Author ID1: at Sun Sep 24 16:42:00 2006 ]

Hermione tapped her quill against the table in thought. "It is odd...I mean, he seemed so earnest, and then so angry that we didn't answer as he expected."

Ron nodded his head and said bitingly, "I bet he's up to something, though. That bat-git doesn't do anything without some ulterior motive. Maybe he feels like he needs new material to torture us with in class, and he's trying to see if we have any weak spots he hasn't exploited yet."

Madam Pince hissed at them from her desk. They bent back over their homework. For several minutes, the only sound was the scratching of quill on parchment. A deep low murmur caught their attention and they looked up to see Snape bent over the librarian's desk. She pointed out a section of books and Snape stood up straight. As he turned, he saw them staring at him. His black eyes regarded them for a moment. Then he turned and headed towards the aisle Madam Pince had indicated. After a few minutes, he left the library with several books under his arm.

Hermione got up and walked to the section Snape had just left. When she returned to the table, she was frowning.

"What was it?" Ron asked, leaning forward on the table.

"Muggle Studies," she answered, still frowning. When Ron tried to speak again, she shushed him. "Wait, I'm thinking..." They let her think. That's what she did best. Most things were like a puzzle for her and when she had enough of the pieces, she could put it together. After a few minutes she dropped her head into her hands. "Oh, I don't know. He asked about typical teens, and now he's looking at Muggle Studies material. I can't see a connection."

"Nothing he does makes sense to me." Ron sighed.[Author ID1: at Sun Sep 24 16:48:00 2006 ]

Harry sat up straight. "But he asked Hermione and me first. We both came from Muggle families ... what if it's not us he wants to understand at all? What if it's Muggle teenagers?"

"But why?" Hermione moaned. "Why Muggle teens? Do you think he's doing something to find out about Muggles for You Know Who?"

"Voldemort wouldn't care about finding out anything like that- stop it Ron," Harry added when Ron flinched at the name Harry mentioned. "It has to be for some other reason."

"I suppose we will find out soon enough, if it's something we need to know," Hermione said. The boys looked at her in surprise. For Hermione to drop a topic so easily wasn't like her at all. She bent back over her homework without another word. After watching her for a bit, they bent back over theirs.

Following their next Potions class, Snape noted that Hermione remained at her seat, slowly organizing her bag. When Harry and Ron stopped beside her to wait, she said, "Go on ahead. I just want to ask the professor something."

"Want us to wait, 'Mione?" Ron asked.

"No, that's alright. I'll catch up in a bit."

When they were gone, Hermione looked up at Snape. He stood silently with his arms crossed. His usual intimidating posture caused Hermione to draw a shaky breath. When he still did not speak, she started, "I was wondering if you had discovered what you were looking for in the library, sir?"

"And this would be your business because...?" he drawled.

"Well, you did ask us about typical teenager behaviour, and then you got books about Muggles out of the library, so I was wondering if you-"

"How would you know what I got from the library, Miss Granger? Were you spying on me?" Snape's voice was softly controlled.

Hermione shook her head quickly. "Of course not, sir, I just looked at the section you had been in and assumed that the books you got were about Muggles, because that is what type of books-"

He interrupted her again, "And you were checking up on my reading habits, perhaps? Are you were doing this because of some misguided sense of concern?" The volume was rising now. "I do not appreciate it when a student has the gall to question me, Miss Granger. It is not your concern what I choose as reading material. I am, after all your Professor. You would do well to remember that fact."

Hermione looked up at him, a plea in her voice. "I just wanted to help, sir! It seemed so important to you when you asked us about teenagers before! And when we saw you in the library, it seemed as if you were still searching for answers. I thought maybe I could help, if I could understand how it all connects. That's all. I wasn't spying, or trying to be presumptuous." She chewed her lower lip to stop its trembling. In a small voice, she finished, "I just want to help."

Snape looked down his nose at the girl sitting in front of him. It irked him that she was right. He did need her help. All the blasted Muggle books in the library were from one perspective. They attempted to explain about some Muggle forms of government, or business, or belief systems. But they severely neglected any of the psychological aspects of how Muggles behaved, or how they lived their everyday lives. Albus had been right. More research into behaviour was definitely needed, if they were to adequately prepare Muggle-born wizards for a meaningful life in the wizarding world. This girl was Muggle-born. She was one of the few who sailed right into this new universe and quickly adapted to it. Her mind was sharp, and she was quick-witted. Others in her position struggled daily to make adjustments. They needed an almost unending amount of tutoring and support. Those students who were pure- or half-blood persecuted them for the experience they lacked. Some fell so far behind that they left altogether and fled back to the Muggle world. If those who opposed Voldemort hoped to win the war, they needed every wizard they could get. It was becoming clearer all the time that to be so divided by their circumstances of birth weakened them.

He stepped towards her in a swirl of black robes. His eyes bored into hers with a fierce intensity as he spoke, "I do require your help. As much as it pains me to say it, I do need some assistance in this particular matter."

Hermione looked at him expectantly. He seemed to be deciding just what to say. Finally, he sighed deeply. Leaning the palms of his hands on the table, he said, "I am to be teaching Muggle teenagers this summer. In an effort to develop a curriculum here to assist our own Muggle-born students, we decided that personal experience would be necessary." He did not to say that he would rather swallow an overdose of his own potions rather than participate in it, nor did he add that it was Albus Dumbledore who had insisted that this was the only course of action. "When I asked you and Mr. Potter if you were typical teenagers, I was hoping to obtain enough information without resorting to the plan at hand." He walked around the room as he continued. "I should have realized that the two of you were anything but typical, in that world as well as here. There is nothing else to do but enter the Muggle realm and experience it first hand." He spat the word 'experience' as if it had a bitter taste.

Hermione sat up straighter in her chair. Nodding her head, she spoke with confidence, "You may count on us to do what we can to help you, sir. Perhaps we aren't typical examples of teenagers in either world, but we can still help you prepare. I know Harry and Ron will both be willing, and there are others-"

"I would prefer to keep the 'help' at a minimum number of people, Miss Granger. I am not convinced that this will not end badly as it is. You will keep this 'help' to yourself, and to Messrs Potter and Weasley."

"Yes, Professor," Hermione replied meekly. Then she couldn't help but add, "But you know, sir, there are so many students who could give you some real insight from their vantage point-" She stopped speaking as Snape directed a black glare at her.

Snape continued his consideration of her for so long, that Hermione thought he must be looking right through her, and had forgotten she was there. She shifted her feet nervously, working up the courage to ask if there was anything he needed at that moment.

At her shifting, his eyes seemed to refocus on her. He stood back up, again a tower of billowing blackness. His arms crossed over his chest and he spoke with a low voice, as if to make sure they were not overheard, "It will be necessary to arrange some meetings for us to discuss what needs to be done." Now he looked at her searchingly, as if asking for ideas as to how to do this. When she said nothing, he shook his head. "No thoughts on this, Miss Granger? I am disappointed. No matter. We will simply have to say the three of you have been caught again in some hair-brained Gryffindor scheme and have to serve a series of detentions as a result."

Hermione sputtered, "Detention! I've never had detention!" Her hands were flapping in agitation.

"I believe the illusion will serve its purpose. I need you all together, and I will need you for long periods until all preparations are complete." He waited to see if she would argue this point, and then continued, "It must be believable. There are eyes and ears of Death Eaters here, and if they hear of this, the Dark Lord will hear of it."

"But why would he care about Hogwarts developing a new course of study?" she asked in confusion.

"Think, Miss Granger. The Dark Lord knows that Albus Dumbledore does nothing here at Hogwarts without deep consideration for long-term plans. A new course of study, one to improve Muggle-born magical adjustments, will lead him to know that we are attempting to improve their abilities and the speed with which they learn to live in the magical world. He will know that this is a battle preparation effort. He will know that this is another means to give Potter the edge."

Hermione looked stunned. She had thought that this was simply a plan to help the Muggle-born students. The battle of good against evil, and how this help would possibly tip the balance into their favour, was not something that had occurred to her. As this realization continued to dawn on her, her face flushed angrily. "You're using the Muggle-borns- readying them for the war-"

"All of us are being used!" he hissed, just as angrily. "All of us have to make a choice. Where will our loyalties lie when the time comes to choose? Would it not be prudent to help the Muggle-borns in their struggle to adjust, thus leading them to the light, and to be of use to Potter? Or would you rather we continue to stand by and let them founder and be prey to the dark when it attempts to draw them over?" His black eyes bore into hers.

She lowered her eyes. Her shoulders drooped and she was sitting down on a stool. As the silence lengthened, Snape realized that he had just effectively talked himself into believing that this was, in fact, the right thing to do. It was important, and not just some menial school duty that Dumbledore was shoving on him. The strength of the side of light might depend on the capabilities of the Muggle-borns. They would need every wand ready to fight against Voldemort. As much as Snape disliked Potter, he knew that he did need everyone possible at his side. Dumbledore had been right again. By thinking this through more, he now knew that this was something he could and would pursue and see it through.

Snape looked at Hermione. Her head was turned away from him, and he knew that he should let her know that he had reached these conclusions at the same time she had. But somehow, his pride, and the fact that his reputation would not allow for any such admission prevented it. Instead, he spoke again in his usual sneering tones; "You will let Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley know that the detentions will commence beginning tomorrow night, following dinner. Here, in my office."

With that, he turned and sat at the desk. Pulling a stack of essay parchments towards him, he bent over them in studious effort. Hermione knew she had been dismissed. She quietly got up and gathered her bag from the floor. As she left the room, she didn't see the black eyes that followed her.