Hermione watched the final breaths leave the body of Severus Snape, and found she could not overcome her conflicting emotions over the whole episode. As a student at Hogwarts and a member of the brave house of Gryffindor, it was customary to hate Professor Severus Snape, the potions master. He made all students' lives hell, particularly during potions, unless you were a member of Slytherin. On top of that, Snape had demonstrated an instant dislike for her best friend Harry Potter. All of this added together meant that she was not particularly fond of Severus Snape. Seven years later and he was dying, killed by the very man that Harry, Ron and Hermione had spent the last year on the run from, trying to destroy his life forces from all over the country.
Another reason for her conflicting feelings was that he had murdered Albus Dumbledore. He had been headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and also thought of as the greatest wizard of all time. Dumbledore had trusted Snape, believing him to be a double agent fighting for the Greater Good, and he had killed him.
And yet, here in his final moments, Hermione couldn't help but feel that though she hated the man in front of her, she was missing some momentous detail; something that would put to rest the conflict over what to believe about the dying man.
"Take ... it ... Take ... it ..." the agonised voice of Severus Snape knocked her out of her reverie. He was looking directly into Harry's eyes, pleading with him. Take what? Hermione was confused for a few seconds before her eyes wondered over what was left of his body. Something more than blood was leaking from Snape. From each of his wounds, silvery wisps, strands of fine hair was oozing out along with the blood, but not mixing with it. However, what really made Hermione's heart wrench was seeing them leak from his eyes, like tears.
"Memories..." she murmured to herself, conjuring up a flask from Harry to gather them in. Despite her dislike for the man, Hermione felt tears forming and eventually overflowing from her eyes. No one deserved their ending to be like this. In that moment Hermione felt, without a doubt, that Snape had been fighting for good all along. The desperation in his black eyes as he gazed into Harry's green orbs could not be faked.
"Look ... at ... me ..." the words were forced out in a terrible rasp. Snape's grip on Harry's robes slackened and Hermione watched as the life faded from his eyes. He was gone. Harry and Ron slowly left, but Hermione couldn't tear her gaze off his empty eyes. Slowly, she edged closer until she was kneeling close beside him. The open wound on his neck was partly obscured by his long black locks, but she could see that it was still leaking blood. One final tear had trickled down from his eye, leaving a trail of his lost hopes down his face. Unsure of what came over her, Hermione slowly, reluctantly, reached forward to dry the tear away. As her hand approached, Snape's hand suddenly grasped her wrist, painfully tight. There was a new fervour in his eyes and Hermione could feel the heat of his gaze and he gripped her hard.
"Only you can do it ... change it all! Save them... Save her. You could give him ... family ... you know enough ... brightest witch of your age ..." as he struggled to get the words out, Hermione felt him press something metallic and cold into her hand. She glanced down and slowly opened her fist. The object in it resembled something she knew well, yet there were clear differences in this model, obvious alterations. Where the sand would usually be at the centre, contained in the hourglass, there was now a faintly glowing gold liquid substance. However she did not have time to puzzle it out now.
Snape renewed his grip on Hermione's wrist and directed her attention to his dark mark. To her surprise, more memories were leaking out around the edges of the mark, which in turn appeared to be bubbling. Without thinking she summoned two more vials and collected the silvery wisps. Once she had sealed the vials, she again regarded her mark. To her surprise, it had completely faded, leaving an angry looking red welt in its place.
"Love conquers all" tears were streaming down Snape's face as he regarded the young witch above him. "I don't have long, listen well. You know what I have given you, but you know not what it does; I leave that to you to discover. Use it to go back, find them all. Destroy them together. So many lives saved ... do not watch those; they are not for your eyes. Give them to me after 'mudblood'. You will know when." Pain clouded his eyes and he gasped, finally delivering the information he had needed. He took one last breath, "I'm ... so-rry ... for everything ... Lily".
Hermione watched the life leave his body for the second time, but she knew this was it. He wouldn't be coming back again. She could not wrap her head around what he had told her. Save who? Where was she supposed to go back? And what was this about mudbloods? Hermione was a mudblood, and she was proud of it. The term was meant to be degrading, however she had long since passed the stage of caring. So what if she was a muggleborn? She had a hell of a higher magical capability compared to fools such as Crabbe and Goyle. It didn't mean anything, so it no longer bothered her. She pondered her next question. Who was Lily? Surely not ... Harry's mother?
Hermione sighed.
Harry would be needing her. They still needed to find a way to destroy the snake. Harry still had to fight Voldemort. With the Elder Wand under Voldemort’s full control, would he stand a chance? She didn't have the time to ponder the words of Severus Snape; she had a war to win. Friends to save and a certain ginger haired boy to kiss. For now, she tried to put her confusion over Snape's second death to the back of her mind and brave the events which were unfurling around her.
