The Prophesy: Silent Shells

Chapter 8

The next morning Hermione left the common room to go down to breakfast for the first time since Harry's death.

She could hardly keep still, she was so excited and a smile kept appearing on her face unbidden.

She glanced over at the teachers table to see Snape uncharacteristically smiling as he bit into an apple Danish.

He glanced over at her and a grin lit up his face.

She smiled back and turned to Ron who was choking, and about to fall off his seat.

'Was that greasy git just smiling at you?'

'I dunno,' she replied trying not to laugh. 'he is going crazy after all.'

She turned back to face the head table and looked at the other teachers.

Most obviously didn't know what was happening but Professor McGonagall was giggling like a school girl at absolutely nothing and Flitwick was wiggling around in his seat as if he wanted to jump up and start dancing.

Lupin was grinning like a hyena and the dog that was with him was wagging its tail so fast that it was just a blur.

Dumbledore had himself under control, but the twinkle that had been missing was half back.

Snape whispered something to him before turning to Hermione and mouthing 'stay behind after breakfast.'

She nodded and a giggle slipped out as she turned back to her breakfast.

The Gryffindors were looking at her in amazement.

Was this the girl who just yesterday had not been able to move by herself and had to be supported by two other students just so that she could stand outside a classroom.

As people started leaving the great hall she raised her eyebrows at McGonagall and nodded to Ron.

The reply was an almost imperceptible shake of a head.

Hermione nodded and turned to Ron who was getting ready to leave.

'I have to see McGonagall for a minute. You go to class and I'll catch you up.' He looked at her questioningly but nodded and left.

She was on her way over to the teachers table when she was stopped by Malfoy.

'I'm glad your feeling better,'

He began but was cut off by surprise when she gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek before disappearing into the crowd.

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Hermione ran through the crowd to Lupins side. She bent down to pat Sirius before looking at Lupin.

'Is it gonna happen today?' she asked breathlessly.

'I don't know Hermione, Dumbledore won't tell us anything and Snape is peeved that we all know.' He allowed himself a grin, expressing his feelings about an unhappy Snape.

Dumbledore clapped his hands at the people who now remained in the all but empty Great Hall.

'Now you all know why you are here. I must stress to you the importance of the utmost secrecy. Severus, I mean Professor Snape is very unhappy that so many people know about it.

We cannot let anyone else know for the reason that if it doesn't work then the disappointment is likely to hurt them just as much as Harry's actual death.

If this does work however we will have much work on our hands. The whole of the wizarding world knows about Harry's death and we cannot simply bring him back without questions being asked. However, we cannot let them know about this potion. Imagine the uproar if this became public. Every person would have someone they wanted to bring back, although it probably wouldn't work for them as the potion is complex and requires at least five hundred people who loved the deceased.

Also, imagine if Voldemort got hold of this, the Death Eaters and Dark creatures that he could bring back would be catastrophic. I have no doubts that he would most certainly be able to take over the world if this got out.

But I do have a solution. Apart from a few select people, the rest of the world will be told that when Harry defeated Voldemort and Voldemort's powers broke some of them were absorbed into Harry, such a the ability to speak Parseltongue, and one of these powers was the ability to stay in the void between death and life, and that if the will of his soul was strong enough he could return to the land of the living.'

'Ummm...Dumbledore, is there a void between death and life?'

'I have no idea Minerva,' replied Dumbledore, his eyes twinkling, 'but as I am Albus Dumbledore they will believe me.'

'And you don't have an huge ego do you Albus?' Sirius asked, changing back into himself for a moment before resuming his dog form.

'Of course not, whatever gives you that impression?'

'Excuse me Albus,' intervened Remus Lupin, 'but who are the select few who will be told what really happened?'

'The Weasley family, the 5^th year Gryffindor boys, Draco Malfoy and Poppy Pomfrey.'

'Why them?' squeaked Professor Flitwick.

'Poppy will obviously have to know and Ron would have to be told, and it would be difficult for Harry, Ron and Hermione here to keep up the pretence of Harry's death, even with the spell on him, so the rest of the Weasley family and the boys in his dorm would be told. Draco Malfoy should be told, not just because of his growing friendship with the three...er...two young Gryffindors, but because I want as desperately as I can to get him on our side and to tell him this is to prove to him that we trust him.'

Everyone glanced at each other wondering at the Headmasters garbled logic.

Then Hermione spoke up. 'What spell Professor?'

'I am glad you asked that Hermione, this spell is even more brilliant that my Philosophers Stone in the Mirror of Erised idea.' He ignored the smiling glances that were thrown at him.

'This spell prevents any person from consciously disclosing a certain piece of information even under Veritiserum.

If however a person begins to overhear them talking, their conversation will change of its own accord to another topic.

This happens after only two words are overheard so no one will be able to tell what they are talking about. This also discourages people from talking about it in a public place as it is extremely annoying to find that your conversation keeps changing halfway through a sentence.

If any written information is left lying around a person who picks it up will only see a harmless letter talking about their day's activities.'

'How will Harry answer questions about what the struggle in this maybe nonexistent void was like?' asked Hermione.

'He will say that it was so traumatic that he asked for his memory to be wiped and if he is under the influence of Veritiserum then the spell I mentioned should work on that as well.'

The other people around the table nodded.

'I do have to point out that we are trying a potion that has never been used before. No other potion, spell or charm has ever achieved what we are trying to achieve. There is a 315.99999999% chance that this will not work. I do not want you to get your hopes up more than you can help.'

He saw everyone's faces sober as he said that and he was glad.

'Now we all have classes to get to so I suggest that we meet up at the infirmary at the beginning of lunch.'

With that Dumbledore swept out of the room.

'Miss Granger come with me, you have Transfiguration now.'

Hermione obediently followed her Professor out of the room. They walked in silence to the classroom, from which the sounds of chattering were emitting.

'Now Miss Granger remember, not a word to Mr Weasley.'

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The last period before lunch was double potions. The students were all working in silence as they were now utterly terrified of their previously greasy malevolent git, now insane potions teacher. Neville had actually fainted before Snape had even entered the room and had to be carried to infirmary.

Hermione kept wriggling throughout the lesson and smiling around at the class. Ron was really worried about her, believing that she had finally cracked.

When the bell finally rang Snape called out to her.

'Miss Granger I would like a word about your behaviour in my lesson today.'

Hermione rolled her eyes to Ron.

'Go on, go to lunch, I'll go see what he wants. No, I'll be fine, just save me some food.'

When the door swung shut Snape glared at her.

'Are you completely unable to keep your silly teenage emotions in check? People will suspect something.'

'No they won't. Ron is convinced that Harry's death has affected me the same way the school thinks it has affected you.'

'And what if this doesn't work, and you go back down to lunch in tears?'

'Then Ron will think that I am having stress induced mood swings. Come on Sevvie, lighten up, I know you are nearly as excited as I am.'

'Sevvie, Miss Granger?' Snape questioned her in a deadly voice, raising an eyebrow.

Hermione could tell he wasn't that annoyed, more shocked.

'Come on, lets go. The longer we stand around talking the longer we have to wait to see what happens.' And she took Severus's hand, dragging him from the room.

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When they entered the room, Hermione had sobered considerably.

She joined the silent group standing around Harry's cold body.

With shaking hands she pulled the syringe from her robes and handed it to Dumbledore.

He handed it to Snape who drew the potion up into the body of the syringe. He handed it back to Dumbledore who stepped up to Harry.

Hermione was visibly trembling as felt an arm around her shoulder and she leaned back into the comforting embrace of Harry's white faced shaking godfather. Lupin had his hand on Sirius's shoulder.

Dumbledore inserted the needle into Harry's arm and injected the contents of the needle into him.

He handed the needle back to Severus who again filled it and gave it back to Dumbledore. This was repeated until a quarter of the bottle of potion was in Harry's bloodstream.

Then they sat and waited.