Labyrinth

Chapter 13

They had dressed slowly, not speaking to one another about what lay before them.

As they continued onward through the maze, Severus did not protest when Hermione took his hand in her own and wouldn't let go. It was just how she was, unrelenting. She could tell he knew this of her now.

They suddenly found themselves in an opening. This had to be it — they had made it to the centre of the maze. In it sat two stone pedestals covered in vines. Atop one sat a cauldron remarkably similar to the one that had held the liquid that she knew now was the liquid form of Azoth. The other pedestal held a simple wooden hourglass filled with black sand. It was nearly empty from the top, having perhaps an inch of sand in the top. It unnerved her. They looked around for signs of anything else but found nothing.

As if the maze could tell they were confused, a ball of light appeared across from where they stood. This must be the final memory... Hermione looked at Severus and smiled. He allowed himself to be tugged along by her, and they reached for that ball of light together.

She immediately recognised this memory because it was her own as well. They were in the Shrieking Shack, and she knew her seventeen-year-old self was hidden beneath the cloak with Harry and Ron, hiding in the secret passageway.

Severus — her Professor — stood in the centre of the room while Voldemort paced around him. She gripped her Severus by the hand tightly.

"I have a problem, Severus."

"My Lord?"

She watched for the second time in her life as Voldemort twirled the Elder Wand about like a baton, knowing what would happen moments later.

"Why doesn't it work for me, Severus?"

"My — My Lord? I do not understand. You — you have performed extraordinary magic with that wand." She sensed the fear from him now that she knew what she did not know then. Severus Snape had known what was coming to him.

"No, I have performed my usual magic. I am extraordinary, but this wand... no. It has not revealed the wonders it has promised. I feel no difference between this wand and the one I procured from Ollivander all those years ago... No difference."

Hermione could feel the fear emanating from Severus at this point, and she suddenly felt every thought he was having in the moment. She was not sure if it was because this was his memory, because she was in his mind, or because they both had experienced this memory firsthand. As clear as day, she heard Severus' mind screaming, no, no it's too soon. I have to tell him. I have to tell Potter.

"I have thought long and hard, Severus... Do you know why I have called you back from the battle?"

She could see both Severus' eyes were transfixed on the snake coiling in the enchanted cage in the room.

"No, my Lord, but I beg you will let me return. Let me find Potter."

"You sound like Lucius. Neither of you understands Potter as I do. He does not need finding. Potter will come to me. I know his weakness, you see, his one great flaw. He will hate watching the others struck down around him, knowing that it is for him that it happens. He will want to stop it at any cost. He will come."

"But my Lord, he might be killed accidentally by one other than yourself —" She could tell he was attempting to concoct any reason that he should leave this place at least one more time; he had to pass on the memories to Harry.

"My instructions to my Death Eaters have been perfectly clear. Capture Potter. Kill his friends — the more, the better — but do not kill him. But it is of you that I wished to speak, Severus, not Harry Potter. You have been very valuable to me. Very valuable."