Power of the Quill

The Power of the Quill.

Chapter 04 Head to Head:

At 5:59, Hermione arrived at the stone gargoyle guarding the entrance to Dumbledore's office. As soon as the school bells chimed the new hour, the gargoyle rotated upward, allowing her to enter.

"Good evening, Miss Granger. Punctual as always I see," Dumbledore said with a smile.

Hermione entered the Headmaster's office to see the kindly old wizard sitting behind his desk reading a large parchment with a Ministry seal in the corner.

"Good evening to you, too, Professor. How are you doing this evening?" she said as respectfully as possible.

"I'm fine, Miss Granger. Please, have a seat my dear," he said, gesturing to one of the two chairs in front of his desk. "Have you received your contract from the Ministry yet?"

"Yes, the Ministry's owls were waiting for us when we returned to Gryffindor Tower," she answered.

"If you don't mind me asking, what did you think of the Marriage contract?"

"Actually, Professor, I haven't opened it yet."

"May I ask why not, Miss Granger?" Dumbledore said, looking at her over the rims of half moon spectacles.

Hermione took a deep breath before answering. "I just didn't see the point. The contract doesn't really matter since I have no intention of marrying Professor Snape, or anyone else for that matter."

"I see," Dumbledore said. "Miss Granger, there are some recent events that you need to be aware of before you make any decision regarding this matter."

"What events, Professor?" she asked.

"Less than an hour ago, I received an owl from Kingsley Shacklebolt informing me that Mr. Turnnage, Claudia's father, was arrested late this afternoon by Ministry Aurors for complicity against the Ministry."

"I don't understand. What did he do?" she asked.

"Miss Turnnage received notice of impending marriage this morning about the same time as yourself. Around noon today Miss Turnnage left England on a Muggle plane for America. Since it was Mr. Turnnage who bought the plane tickets for his daughter, the ministry arrested him."

"That's outrageous!" Hermione responded in shock. "How can they do such a thing?"

"You must understand, Miss Granger, when Muggle parents of a magical child enter that child into the Wizarding world, they agree to be held accountable to our laws. The Ministry felt that Mr. Turnnage was deliberately trying to circumvent its new law by sending his daughter to another country."

"What's going to happen to him?" she asked anxiously.

"The Ministry plans to hold Mr. Turnnage until his daughter returns and fulfills her contract with Mr. Zabini. If she doesn't return before her thirty day grace period is up, the Ministry is threatening to sentence him to Azkaban for ten years."

"Are you saying that if I leave the country, my dad could be arrested?" Hermione asked.

"Miss Granger, the Ministry is very serious about seeing that all of these new marriages come to fruition. Miss Turnnage only has one living parent, her father. I believe that if you were to suddenly disappear, most likely both your parents would end up in Ministry custody."

"This isn't fair. How can they punish my parents for something I refuse to do?" she asked the old wizard as her eyes started to water.

"I'm afraid the Ministry cares little for what is fair, Hermione. This new law is more about power than the preservation of bloodlines. The Ministry and Minister Fudge are determined to prove that they, and no one else, are in control of the Wizarding community."

"So, you're saying that the Ministry will force me to get married no matter what I do?" she asked, devastated.

'Unfortunately, Miss Granger, the Ministry seems to have taken a very strong interest in your betrothal."

"Why me?" she asked.

"I believe Minister Fudge considers you a threat, Miss Granger. I'm sure Professor Umbridge reported your involvement in the D.A defense club to him."

The truth of the situation began to dawn on her. "Oh my God! Harry, Ron, Marietta and I are the only ones Umbridge knew for sure were in the D.A. club, and we were all selected. We're all being forced to marry Slytherins too, that can't be just a coincidence. Scientifically selected, my ass, they did this on purpose," she said. Hermione could feel her anger beginning to boil inside her.

"I believe you are correct, Miss Granger. While I do believe that some scientific work was done in the individual matches, it is obvious that Minister Fudge influenced the outcome as much as possible. He believes that this will keep you, Harry, and Ronald otherwise occupied and not interfering in any of his plans for at least a year, if not longer. Remember, Miss Granger, that next year is an election year. I doubt Minister Fudge will let anything stand in the way of his reelection."

A bright green flash erupted from the fireplace next to them as Professor Snape appeared out of the flames.

"Ah, Severus, fashionably late as always," the Headmaster said with a smile.

"You must forgive my belated arrival, Headmaster, I had some very important correspondence that I needed to owl to the Ministry this evening," Snape said to Dumbledore but kept his eyes locked on Hermione. "What is this Gryffindor doing here?" Snape asked in an irritated voice.

"This concerns Miss Granger as equally as it does yourself, Severus. She has the right to be present at any discussion of this matter."

"Very well," Snape said, as he turned his attention from her to the old wizard.

"May I ask what you were owling the Ministry about, Severus?" Dumbledore asked.

"I sent a request to the Head Minister's office asking to have this ridiculous contract dissolved. They can't expect me to perform my duties as Potions Professor here at Hogwarts if a..." he paused briefly to give Hermione a quick, disdainful glance before continuing, "...a student is my betrothed. The school would accuse me of favoritism to no end, if that were to happen."

Hermione almost choked as she heard Snape's words. The man was well-known for his favoritism toward his own House. It was a bad joke that he should be concerned about such things now.

"Severus, I wish you hadn't done that."

"Why?" Snape asked.

"Because I want you and Miss Granger to accept the Ministry's contract," the old wizard said seriously.

"WHAT?" both Hermione and Snape said together.

Hermione quickly shot to her feet. "Professor, you can't expect me to marry this...this...this..." Hermione couldn't finish her sentence without offending everybody in the room.

"Headmaster, this is insane. I would never marry this wire- haired, little know-it-all Gryffindor. Let alone breed with it," Shape insolently said to the Professor.

Hermione glared at the dark man who had just insulted her. It was his use of the word 'it' that had bothered her the most, as if she were something less than human.

"Will you both please just calm yourselves? I will explain if given the chance," the old wizard said.

Hermione lowered herself back into her seat. She didn't know if she really wanted to hear what Dumbledore had to say. The old man had a bad habit of seeing the good in even the strangest things.

"Severus, you should realize that the Ministry isn't going to stop until they have secured both noble bloodlines. What they did to Narcissa Malfoy should give you a clue on how far they are willing to go to achieve this. Eventually, you will be forced to take a bride Severus. I believe we were very fortunate that Miss Granger was selected for you."

"How can you possibly think that Albus?" Snape said with an annoyed look on his face.

"Your service to the Order as a spy is far too valuable to jeopardize. Your contacts among Voldemort's forces may become suspicious of you if you were forced to marry an adult Muggle-born or Half-blood witch. I believe Miss Granger's youth will help relieve their distrust. They will not believe she has any real influence over you."

"You cannot be serious," Hermione said, not believing what she was hearing.

"I'm very serious, Miss Granger. This union will benefit you as well as Professor Snape. Minister Fudge is determined to see you wed. As you have already pointed out, he would prefer it to be to someone you find less than desirable."

"Well, I think he succeeded, probably beyond his wildest dreams. Don't you?" she said, giving Snape a quick but disgusted look.

"Miss Granger, I understand your misgivings. But you need to understand that if you don't marry Professor Snape, it is more than likely that you could be betrothed to the son of a Pureblood family that supports the Dark Lord and his cause, or maybe even to one of his Death Eaters."

Hermione felt the pit of her stomach begin to turn. The thought of marrying Snape was repulsive to her, but being forced by the Ministry into the hands of her enemies terrified her. She didn't really know that much about her Potions professor, other than Dumbledore seem to trust him. She doubted the Headmaster would intentionally put her in any real danger.

"You both need to understand the true dilemma this new law presents. Each of you carries very sensitive information about the Order with you. Whomever you wed will need to be trustworthy beyond a fault. Several people's lives and the fight against Voldemort will depend on this."

"What you ask is impossible, Albus," Snape said. "The girl is but a mere child. If memory serves, she doesn't even turn sixteen until the middle of September. I don't even see how this is legal."

"Miss Granger's true age was increased by the use of a Time Turner in her third year. She used the device to take extra courses," the Headmaster answered.

"The blood tests were conducted in late July, she would have had to be of age at that time. I doubt that a few extra courses would increase her age anywhere near that," Snape said.

"I was very curious about that myself, Severus," the old wizard said. Both men were staring at her as if waiting for an explanation.

"Well, it just seemed to mount up," she said.

"Would you care to elaborate, Miss Granger?" Snape asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, there were the extra courses. Plus, I needed extra time to study for them. I also needed a lot of extra time to research things for Harry and Ron. During the summer, my parents always take their vacation. The only way I can help out at Number 12 and go with my parents is to use my Time Turner. S.P.E.W also takes up a lot of my time as do my prefect duties."

They both look mildly astonished at her. "Miss Granger, I was under the impression that you returned the Time Turner to Professor McGonagall at the end of your third year," Dumbledore asked.

"I did, but I found another for a very reasonable price in Diagon Alley later that summer," she answered.

"Miss Granger, just how old are you?" Snape said in an aggravated tone.

"Sixteen and a half," she replied sheepishly.

"SIX AND A HALF MONTHS!" Snape spat.

"You see, Severus, there's nothing to worry about. With Miss Granger's continued liberal use of her Time Turner, you'll be her junior in no time at all," Dumbledore said with a smile and a slight twinkle to his eyes.

"Only a Gryffindor such as yourself, Albus, could find amusement in such arrogant and reckless behavior as Granger has shown," Snape said accusingly to the Headmaster.

"The fact that neither of you knew I was using a Time Turner shows how careful I've been," Hermione said defending herself.

"I realize how hard this will be on the both of you," Dumbledore said seriously. "But we are entering dark times once again and the future of our world is uncertain. We will all be required to make sacrifices before this new war is over. I can only hope that these sacrifices will be enough."

"Albus, you are asking me to wed one of my students and take her into my bed. There must be another way!" Snape exclaimed.

"I wish there were, Severus. We are fighting this war on two different fronts this time. The Order cannot push against the Ministry and still be effective against Voldemort's forces," the Headmaster answered.

"But I'm twenty-two years her senior, there is no way this could work," Snape said.

"I'll have you know, I was forty-three years older than my last wife and we were quite happy together," Dumbledore proudly said.

"You were a hundred and seventeen years old at the time, I hardly think this is the same," Snape snapped.

"We were both still young at heart, Severus. Our passion for each other had nothing to do with our age."

A disturbing image of a hundred and twenty year old Dumbledore necking with an eighty year old witch ran through Hermione's mind. She shuddered with revulsion, trying to rid herself of the mental picture.

"You were only married for two years before she left you and moved to another country. How much passion could there possibly have been?" Snape asked.

"A little too much I'm afraid," Dumbledore said with a hint of sadness.

Snape raised his hand and began to massage his brow. "Headmaster, if you believe this is the best and only solution to this nightmare, then I will marry the little Muggle-born brat," Snape dejectedly said.

"Well, Miss Granger, that just leaves you," Dumbledore said, giving her a sympathetic look.

"Do I have a choice?" she spat angrily.

"You always have a choice, Hermione. But in situations such as this, you need to make the wisest choice possible. Even if that choice is the lesser of two evils," Dumbledore said, trying to reassure her.

"I guess you're right, Professor. I will need to send an owl to my parents telling them what's happening," she said in a low voice, not believing what she was agreeing to.

"Excellent, now all we need to do is agree upon a date," the old wizard said.

Hermione knew she didn't want to rush into this; she wanted to put this off for as long as possible in case a better solution presented itself to her. "Professor, I'm going to need some time to get use to this idea. I would prefer to wait as long as possible," she pleadingly said to the old wizard.

"I agree," Snape said. "There is just enough time left for me to brew up a batch of Polyjuice Potion before we are forced to marry. After the ceremony, I will give some, with a lock of my hair, to Potter or Weasley, whichever one Granger is currently debasing herself with."

Hermione was stunned by how cruelly and carelessly Snape insulted her virtue. "I AM NOT NOW, NOR HAVE I EVER, DEBASED MYSELF WITH ANYONE, PROFESSOR!" she shouted angrily at Snape.

Snape stared at her with a doubtful glare. "Miss Granger, I hope you don't believe me to be that naïve. I have graded enough of Potter and Weasley's essays to know they nearly always mirror your own. Do you expect me to believe that you provided these two simpletons with the means to pass my class merely for friendship's sake?"

Hermione could feel her blood begin to simmer as she stared up into Snape's hateful, cold black eyes. There was no way she was going to let this vile man get away with insulting her and her friends that way. "Of course I wouldn't expect you to understand. You would have to have a friend to understand, wouldn't you? And we both know you never had one of those," she said to Snape. He continued to sneer at her. "Yeah, Harry told me all about the little scene in the Pensieve last year. You were just everybody's little whipping boy, weren't you? The school's own Quasimodo, the Hunchback of Hogwarts," she said with a wicked smile on her face.

"You insolent little rodent," Snape said, as he took a menacing step towards her.

Hermione held her ground, puffing up her own chest a little. She wasn't about to let this man intimidate her now, or ever again. Luckily for her, the headmaster was the only one capable of taking points away while they were in his office.

"Will you both please control yourselves," Dumbledore implored the two. "There will be plenty of time to act like husband and wife after the wedding. As for your clever, if not disturbing, idea of using Polyjuice, I doubt that it will work Severus. The Ministry has undoubtedly used a charm in their contracts to guarantee these marriages are faithfully consummated. I'm afraid you will have to do this yourself, Severus."

Hermione was actually a little disappointed that Snape's idea about using Polyjuice wouldn't work. The thought of losing her virginity to Snape made her flesh crawl. Just then, an idea came to mind. "Professor, you said that Professor Snape couldn't give Polyjuice Potion to anyone else on our wedding night, right?" she asked.

"That's correct Miss Granger," Dumbledore answered.

"But there is nothing in the marriage contract that says he can't take the potion, is there?"

"No. Why?" Dumbledore replied.

" Just what are you suggesting, you little tart?" Snape asked, sounding a bit bothered.

"I was just thinking that it might be better if you didn't look like you on our wedding night. I would feel a lot better if you looked like someone I trusted and respected," she said seriously to Snape.

"And just who did you have in mind, Granger?" Snape asked angrily through his clenched teeth.

"I don't have anybody in mind. It's something I will have to think about," she answered.

"No need to waste your time, Miss Granger, I've already thought of the perfect candidate. Someone you already trust and respect," Snape said with an evil smirk on his face.

"Who?" Hermione asked, knowing she wasn't going to like the answer.

"Hagrid, Miss Granger. I guarantee you'll love it. Although, you probably won't be able to walk for a month," Snape said, still smirking at her.

"You wouldn't dare," she growled in a threatening tone.

Snape leaned in until they were almost nose-to-nose. "Try me."

"You're a pig," she spat back in a low, harsh voice.

Snape raised himself up to his full height to tower over her. "Miss Granger, I will expect your respect, loyalty and complete obedience once you are my bride," he said in a dangerous tone of voice.

"You can expect bats to fly out of your ass for all I care. If we get married, and that is still a big if, I will expect to be treated as an equal. Not as your student, subordinate or your whore. As a matter of fact, I think I will be the one wearing the pants in this family. There's no way a crabby old turd like you could possible know how to run one," she said with a defiant look on her face.

Snape's head looked like it was about to explode. Both his hands were clenched tightly into fists. "You disrespectful little fucking Mudblood!" he spat at her.

Absolutely livid, Hermione pulled her wand from her robe pocket and pointed it at Snape. "WHAT DID YOU CALL ME?" she screamed at him.

Snape pulled out his own wand. "You wouldn't dare," in a low threatening voice.

Intent on proving to Snape just how wrong he was, Hermione wasted no time sending her first hexes at him. "Liqueremotus!" she shouted. Blue light erupted from the tip of her wand. Snape reacted quickly, deflecting her curse with a blocking charm.

"That will do!" a voice roared from her right. Both wands shot from their hands. She turned to see Dumbledore holding them as both sleeves of the Hheadmaster's robe fell down around his wrists. To her horror, Hermione realized that her deflected curse must have hit the Professor. Dumbledore pointed Hermione's wand at himself and said, "Finite Incantatem." A white light shot out the tip of her wand, but not before all the buttons on the front of his robe fell to the ground.

"I'm so sorry, Professor," she apologized to the Headmaster.

"Sorry is not enough, Miss Granger," Snape said. "Headmaster, this girl has just tried to curse a member of the staff and succeeded in cursing you. She should be punished severely, if not expelled."

"I believe you were both involved in that rather juvenile display, Severus. If I punish Granger, I will also have to punish you," the Headmaster said seriously to the younger wizard.

"Very well," Snape said angrily, as he held out his hand to retrieve his wand from Dumbledore. "I do not wish to speak to either of you again on this matter for the next twenty nine days," Snape said, as he turned and headed for the fireplace. "Insufferable Gryffindors," he muttered, stepping into the fireplace.

This prompted Hermione to throw one last insult at him. "Why don't you go wash that greasy mop on your head. You look like you had your head shoved up a cow's cun... " She didn't finish her vulgar statement, realizing he had already left and Dumbledore was still in the room.

Hermione turned to face the old wizard. Suddenly all her bravado and boldness seemed to disappear. "I'm sorry about that Professor," she said in a low voice.

"That's quite all right, Miss Granger," Dumbledore said, as he removed his sleeves from his arms.

"I'm also sorry about your robe, Professor," she said as sincerely as possible.

"It's nothing that can't be fixed," Dumbledore said, as he laid the two sleeves down on his desk. " That was a very interesting spell you used. I don't believe I have ever heard of it before."

"No, it's something I came up with myself over the summer for the D.A. club," she answered.

"Inventing your own spells, how creative of you Miss Granger," the Headmaster said with a smile.

"Thank you, Professor," she said, feeling relieved that he was not upset with her. However, Hermione still felt guilty about all of the thing she said to Snape in front of the Headmaster. "Professor, may I ask you a question?" she said to Dumbledore.

"Of course my dear," he replied.

"Professor, why did you let us get so carried away? You could have stopped us before we said all those horrible things to each other," she said, while trying not to sound as if she were accusing him of anything.

"Miss Granger, I do not believe people should bottle up their emotion. It was quite apparent to me that you and Severus would come to a head over this matter eventually. I merely wished to be present to insure things didn't get too out of hand."

"Is that why you didn't stop this morning's food fight right away?" she asked.

"Well, that and the fact it was quite entertaining," he answered with another smile.

Hermione was thankful that the Headmaster was still trying to cheer her up. "Hermione, you and Severus have a lot in common. You are both highly intelligent, dedicated and loyal individuals. But, you both have a very stubborn streak within you. You will have to overcome your differences if you are to have any sense of happiness together."

"I will settle for us not killing each other," she said seriously to Dumbledore.

"As will I," he said, giving her a quick wink.

"Do you know what kind of ceremony you wish to have performed, Hermione?" he asked.

"No, but I guarantee my mother does. She's been planning my wedding since before I was born. Professor, how am I going to tell her? This will break her heart," she said, feeling quite depressed.

"The truth will be enough, my child," he answered sympathetically. "It is almost time for supper to be served in the Great Hall, you should head down and join the rest of your House. I'm sure they're waiting impatiently to question you about what was spoken of here," he said and gave her a knowing look. "Besides, I am feeling a bit of a draft. I will need to go put something warmer on before heading down myself."

"Thank you, Headmaster, for all your help," she said as she got up to leave.

"You're welcome, my dear," Dumbledore said as he rose from behind the desk.

Once she reached the door, Hermione turned back to once again apologize for the hex. To her horror, she was met with a sight that would haunt her until her dying day. The entire back of the Headmaster's robe had dissolved away from his waist down. His one hundred and sixty three year old, extremely wrinkled, mole covered ass was completely exposed. Hermione clamped her hand over her eyes and fled the room in search of something to gouge out her eyes.