Fighting Darkness

1.5

A week later, Hermione woke up early like usual and began to get ready for the day. She fought with her hair for ten minutes before she managed to pull it back into a braid. She pulled on her crisp white shirt and buttoned it up with ease. She pulled her grey Gryffindor cardigan over the shirt, careful to not mess up her hair. Next she pulled up her grey skirt and tugged on her white knees socks and slipped into her black flats.

She along with Harry and Ron had been given a week off to 'deal with their ordeal'. She had spent the whole time studying defensive spells for Defence against the dark arts. She hadn't seen either boys since they'd said goodbye after the troll incident.

Hermione hadn't been able to make any friends since arriving at Hogwarts. Most either were scared of her or she bothered them. Harry and Ron had been nice to her on the train, but hadn't spoken to her since.

She had hopped that at Hogwarts she'd be rewarded and well liked for her academic achievements, but it was only a fantasy she could dream of. No one liked a know it all.

Ignoring her just waking roommates, she headed down the stairs and into the common room. She was just about to leave when she heard someone call after her. "Hey! Hermione, trying to leave without us are you?"

She turned around to see a smiling Ron and Harry and a reluctant looking Alice walking towards her. Harry and Ron looped their arms with hers and began pulling her towards the portrait hole, Alice holding Harry's hand, following along lacking their enthusiasm.
*
For the next three weeks Harry and Ron pulled Hermione and a still sulky Alice around everywhere, even convincing Hermione to go on one of their midnight escapades.

On one faithful night in mid November, the trio (Alice hadn't been feeling well and had been asleep since before supper) had just nearly been caught by Filtch when they'd stumbled across a room which contained a living, breathing murderous three headed dog.

"What kind of fucking school hides a bloody three headed dog in an unused classroom!?" Harry demanded, leaning against one of cold stone walls breathing quickly.

For once Hermione didn't snap at him for swearing. "I agree, that is absolutely ridiculous. But did you see what it was standing on?"

Harry went through the events of the past ten minutes when his head snapped up painfully. "A trap door!" Hermione nodded nursing a stitch in her side.

"It's protecting something."

Ron gulped. "I don't want to know what it's guarding." He stated shivering as if a ghost had just walked through him. Hermione nodded her agreement, shaking her head quickly causing her curls to fly around her face.

Harry merely looked thoughtful. If he distracted the dog with his little 'trick', he could probably find what the dog was hiding. Deciding that he was going to consult Alice later, he motioned for his friends to follow him as they hurried back towards the common room.
*
Harry had decided on the third night of his little break to do some midnight exploring.

As he'd wondered around the corridor he'd come across Severus Snape, the overgrown dungeon bat, limping towards the staircase that lead to the Dungeons.

He was obviously favoring his right leg and the stench of blood filled the air.

Harry raised an eyebrow but slipped awa silently, trying to push the incident from his mind.

But why was Snape on the forbidden third floor?
*
Well Hello fellow interneters! White Space here. Please know that updates may be coming a lot slower since I want to "stock up" on some new chapters since there's not much left that I have pre-written. But never fear, I'm off school in 4 weeks (sadly), so I'll be able to write a lot more! Thanks guys!
-WS