Redemption

40

The students were escorted to the Great Hall by their Heads of House as Aurors were called in to scour the corridors.

I ran over to Harry and Ron when I saw them, jumping into their arms. "Feeling better?" The scarred boy asked.

I nodded. "How are you? You didn't seem right the last time I saw you."

Ron nodded, leaning over to me. "He was cursed, 'Mione. An unforgivable."

I gasped, a hand rising to my mouth. "Harry... I'm so sorry."

He shook his head. "No, Hermione, I am the one who should be sorry. What I did to Snape once we reached the ministry was so wrong."

My heart skipped a beat. I didn't like the sound of that. "What did you do to Professor Snape?"

He frowned, his glasses slipping down his nose. "Didn't he tell you?"

I shook my head, wrapping my arms around myself. "We haven't really spoken since he returned." My voice break halfway through my sentence.

Harry pulled me into his arms, pressing his lips to my forehead. He had understood. Ron, of course, was as oblivious as ever. "Whoever cursed me wished him serious harm. They made me torture him. It was so messed up. I didn't feel like myself, like I was a bystander watching."

Quickly enough, the boys left to do their rounds, the rest of the school staff crowded around the Headmistress awaiting instructions. "Hermione, Severus, you will be in charge of the Slytherins. They cannot return to the dungeons alone. Ensure that they go in small groups to collect their evening things. Hermione with the girls, as always. Go!"

I met Snape's eyes. Despite my anger, I couldn't let my feelings get in the way. I had to do my job as a teacher. I nodded once, heading off to the platform where the Headmaster gave their welcome back speech. I cast a sonorus, pressing my wand to my throat. "Attention Hogwarts! We need you all to separate into your Houses and into two groups; one for girls and another for boys."

The student body began to move immediately. "I should see eight groups!" I called, making my way down the aisles, lining up the Slytherin girls in groups of four.

After explaining the process, we headed to the dungeons, Snape in front. I brought up the rear, my senses on high alert. Everything misstep, gust of air had me jumping. My wand was tight in my hand, ready for anything.

I didn't know how dangerous the situation was, really. No one did. Nobody knew if she was working alone, or if she had accomplices. According to Snape, she was more dangerous than she had once been. More erratic in her actions, unstable. It complicated things.

The Aurors had called in guards from Azkaban and a dozen or so Dementors to sweep the halls. I shivered. The dungeons were growing significantly colder as each minute went by.

Once we had squeezed the Slytherins into the Common Room, Snape checked the dorms and set me up with four girls. Once they had collected their necessities, he sent four more up. We continued this way, checking ever floor of dorms as we went, until all the girls and their belongings were accounted for. Next, the same process applied to the boys. Little by little, we succeeded in getting all the students ready to head back to the hall.

Once again, we headed back to the front of the castle, though this time I was taking the lead. We had almost made it when I heard it. A slight whizzing that passed my ear by mere centimetres. A red flash collided with the stone wall, causing it to crack and crumble.

Snape turned to me, eyes wide. "Go! Take them back!"

I made my way to the back of the group, ushering them up the last flight of stairs, pushing them forward.

Finally I'm the Great Hall, Harry ran to me, asking what was wrong. I suppose I must have looked panicked.

McGonagall ordered for the doors to be shut and bolted, and they began to slowly move. Snape was still out there. I couldn't leave him there to fend for himself, though I knew he was highly capable.

I shook my head quickly and ran to the great oak doors, slipping through them sideways and running down the hall.

I could hear the sounds of struggle further down along the staircase coming up from the dungeons. I made my way there, following my ears. I stopped in my tracks. I could see them now. Snape and some other man. Another Deatheater. One who'd escaped a fate ending in Azkaban with a few clever words and names.

What was his name? He was blond and tall, as though he wanted to be Lucius Malfoy. He had grabbed onto me at the Ministry when we had tried to escape a few years earlier. Yaxley.

Wordless spells flew back and forth. I recognised the wand movements of some deadly curses, slowly inching my way to them. Snape was bleeding from his nose, Yaxley seemed to be struggling, a cut over his eyebrow oozing blood into his eye.

I hid around a corner, my wand at the ready. I had one chance at this. I couldn't miss. Quickly, I turned the corner and aimed directly at the blonde. "Sectumsempra!"

The man collapsed, large tears appearing across his back, shredding his robes. Deep red marks made their way through the fabric, running down his body and into the crevices of the stone floor.

Snape looked up in surprise. He's only ever seen Harry used his curse before, but I had remembered it just in case. Good thing too.

It was powerful. And very dangerous. With just one word and a firm hand gesture, I had the wizard on the ground, slowly bleeding out.

He struggled, trying to reach the wand he had dropped. Snape stepped on his wrist, ever so slightly applying pressure. The man wriggled and writhed beneath him. "Why did you come back?"

The question was aimed at me, though his dark eyes were focused on the Deatheater on the ground.

My jaw dropped. "I couldn't leave you alone! You could have been hurt. I had to help."

He hissed, meeting my eyes. "You could have injured yourself. You could have died." The man on the ground lost consciousness, Snape stepped away, coming toward me, but not before kicking him in the ribs. Yaxley did not move.

I raised an eyebrow. "What difference does it make? You obviously don't care what becomes of me."

He grabbed my wand hand, lowering it slowly. I hadn't realised I had pointed it at him as he came forward. "That is not true, and you know it." He said quietly. I sighed, and accioed a handkerchief and Dittany.

I soaked the cloth, bringing it to his face, dabbing away the blood. He winced at the sting, but said nothing. "Why didn't you tell me you were tortured?" He exhaled, eyes sliding shut. "You knew Harry had been cursed, didn't you?"

He nodded, no words leaving him. He was in one of his moods. It would pass, as it always did, but until then, I would have to deal with his silence.

I knew he was angry at me. For what, I wasn't sure, but he was angry all the same. When I was done, I waved my wand at the body, letting it float behind me as I returned to the Great Hall, Snape by my side.