Hermione Snape and the Divergence Point: Volume #1

Chapter 9: Quidditch and Clues

"I don't really remember..." Hermione explained to Fred at breakfast. "My father wanted to talk to me, I fainted in his office, next thing I knew I was in the hospital."

"What did he want to talk to you about...?" Harry asked, eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"Wandering the corridors alone is strictly forbidden," she sighed with an eye roll. "If I'm not in class or detention I'm to be in my dormitory, if I'm caught he'll pull me out of classes and personally tutor me. You know, the usual."

"Usual?" Ron choked before a meaningful glance with each of the twins. "I take back everything I ever said about Mum being overbearing!"

"No, you don't," George teased.

"And we don't either," Fred shrugged. "You'll understand when you meet our mum, Hermione."

"Terrifying!" George finished. "But at least we didn't spend eleven years locked in a dungeon."

"I didn't spend eleven years locked in a dungeon, George," she admonished with an eye roll. "I was allowed to roam the castle once in a while. Did you think I astral projected to teach you card-counting?"

"I thought it was a jail-break!" Fred laughed.

"Why's he tightening his grip?" Harry asked. "It's like he expects something to happen."

"I'm sure he does," Hermione sighed, lowering her head to the table. "If he can be believed, I almost died three times before I was two. I think the incident with the troll spooked him."

"Well," Ron said, pushing her plate closer to her. "If you're not leaving meals early anymore, maybe you can have more than a single slice of toast."

"You sound like my father..." Hermione grumbled.

"No," George mused.

"He sounds like Mum!" Fred finished.

Ron's ears turned pink and he turned to his own plate.

After classes Harry, Ron and Hermione worked on their charms homework together in the more or less empty Gryffindor common room. Fred, George, Lee and Angelina were out somewhere, and others were milling about in the very rare November sun. Hermione explained how mind affecting charms worked in theory, and how those and simple physical charms were related when Harry changed the subject in a low voice leaning in. "Erm, Hermione," he said. "If the troll incident spooked him, why is he forbidding you from leaving the tower now ? Why not back then?"

" Honestly , Harry!" Hermione snapped. "You're not still seriously still on about my father chasing whatever the cerebus is guarding?"

"Are you still on about Quirrell?" Harry said.

"On about Quirrell? What the hell are you talking about?" Hermione sighed.

"You can't deny it just because you're embarrassed you were wrong!" Ron snapped. "You're the one who insisted it was Quirrell after the artefact!"

"Artefact?" Hermione asked. "When did we decide it was a magical artefact?"

" You did!" Ron groaned. "When Harry described it."

"Wait!" Hermione whispered. "You saw it?"

"Wrapped in parcel paper, I already told you!" Harry snapped. "Are you going to have me go over the whole day again? I thought pointless interrogations were your father's hobby!"

"What the hell are you two talking about?" Hermione cried.

"Fine!" Ron yelled. "Stay in bloody denial!"