What Happened Afterwards

*NOTES* Some explanations are given in this chapter. But of course some questions still remain. Hope you enjoy it.

Ron sat down at the desk that was directly across from Professor Dumbledore's desk. He didn't like being coped up inside when it was such a great day outside, when he could be playing Quidditch. But no he had to sit inside and talk about his feelings. He didn't see why.

“Well, let's get started. Shall we?” She had in her hand a pad of paper and something that looked sinister. Ron looked at it as it made a clicking noise and he jumped. “This is a pen,” Anna seemed to smile at his fascination, but Ron was remembering the time Hermione had showed him one.

“Okay so why don't we start with the basics. When did you decided that going off and killing dark lords would be a good idea?”

“What is your definition of a hero, Miss Dumbledore?” Ron said as he crossed his arms.

“Do you always answer a question with a question?” He smirked at her, “what is yours?”

“Mine,” he seemed to taste the word in his mouth and to him it felt odd. “Mine is a hero is someone who gets other people killed and we have done that countless of times.”

“But you've also saved lives. Thousand of lives.”

“Yes, I guess we have.”

“You never refer to any of this by yourself. You always say we,” she wrote a note down on her pad of paper.

“I was eleven, almost twelve, when Harry, Hermione, and I decided that something was amiss in the castle. Dark lords hadn't entered my head, at that time it was just the thrill of doing something dangerous with my friends and standing out from the crowd a tiny bit more than my brothers.”

“So you think your family pushed you into this situation?”

“This interview is done,” Ron said as he glanced out the window. “Don't pull this same shit on Harry, he has been through enough, and Hermione won't let you pull this shit on her. Believe me my friends will bring you down if you even think that separating us is going to work.”

“I never mentioned separating you three,” she said and Ron met her eyes for a brief moment. She saw a flicker of recognition behind them and then a ghost of a smile appeared on his face. For a second she thought he knew but it was to brief to be true.

“But it always comes down to that in the end. Someone someway always thinks it would be best. After all think of how much trouble we got into when we were little and now here we are grown-ups who just defeated an evil bastard. Not together we would be safer for the ministry, but together we are an unstoppable force.”

“I'll take that into consideration,” She smiled as he went to the door.

“Tell your father I said hello,” he whispered as he exited the room.

Harry felt like he should have been lying down on one of those couches, but instead he was in the classroom where Defense Against the Dark Arts was taught. He entered the room just the same time as one third year was entering.

“What did you do?” the girl was obviously asking if he was in trouble.

“I pranked the Slytherin common room.” Harry replied with a smile. The girl obviously liked that idea as she quickly started laughing. “And what did you do?'

“I can't figure out how to work the shield charm.”

“Then we are both here for some help it seems. A shield charm, did you say?” It was then that Harry noticed that the girl was a Gryffindor. “Well, I can help you with that.”

“You can?” she immediately took out her wand and Harry couldn't help but grin. It was almost like he was looking at a little Hermione. The girl was just over the moon about learning.

“Now what are you having problems with, the motion or the pronunciation?”

“Both I think,” She said and Harry asked her to show him what she was doing. He quickly corrected her wand movement saying, “It is a slash straight down.” And after three more tries she had it down pat.

“Wow that is amazing. My parents never believe me when I say magic can be so cool. Of course they being non-magical have a hard time getting over the fact that I'm a witch.”

“What is your name?” Harry just realized that he knew nothing about this girl but she was funny and obviously loved life. “Missy,” she replied. “Well,” he said. “Missy, I'm Harry Potter and fellow Gryffindor, if you need anything just come to me.”

“Thanks Harry,” she said and with a small wave she exited the room. It was as she was leaving that Anna Dumbledore entered.

“You would make a great teacher, Harry.”

“Well, the girl is smart, almost as smart as Hermione was at that age. She has the potential to be just as smart as Hermione is now. And that, I must say, is wicked smart. But I can see time is up and I have to go. Next time either leave me a note or don't bother scheduling these appointments.”

Hermione was becoming impatient with all the waiting. It was now the second week of classes and during her free period she was to go and have her first appointment with professor Dumbledore about something or another. The thing wasn't actually the waiting that was bothering her it was being back here, being back at the school. All the people messing in her business was irking her. She was just beginning to wonder if the lady was ever going to come when she heard someone approaching. Hermione took out her wand and fired the first curse that came into her head at the approaching person.

“Well I guess I deserve that for being late,” Professor Anna Dumbledore said as she floated high in the air. “Snape must have taught you well to know that one.” She said as she softly and silently landed on the ground. “But I must say I do enjoy using a broom more than a spell.”

“I guess I should apologize, but I'm not going to.” Hermione said with a smirk.

“Well then I guess I should. I'm sorry for being late and for sneaking up on you. They told me you were a bit jumpy. Of course they are a bit jumpy too. And Harry told me that you are wicked smart and Ron said you had grown to be a smart-ass.”

“You don't trust me do you?” Anna said as she took in the girl's posture, as she took a seat behind her desk, she looked ready to strike any minute.

“Why should I trust you?” Hermione watched as Professor Dumbledore took in her posture. She was sitting across from the lady, rim rod straight, her hand posed on her left knee, and her ankles where crossed. She was wearing a pair of black work out pants, and one of Ron or Harry's t-shirts, by now she could hardly tell the difference.

“Well for one I'm your teacher.” Hermione smirked as if she thought that excuse was going to work. She had had teachers before that had tried to kill not only herself but her fiancé too. “Secondly, I'm just trying to help. Now we can sit here and stare at each other for the next hour or we can get down to business. I do have to say Harry and Ron weren't this bad. Well, they were guarded but I thought you might open up some more to me seeing as how I am a girl.”

“I know,” Hermione whispered as she looked straight into Anna Dumbledore's eyes. “I haven't told the boys yet but I know. I'm pretty sure Ron knows though and if Ron knows Harry knows.”

“I know those boys can be a little daft, but I think they realized I was a girl.”

Hermione let out a slight chuckle at this but her posture stayed the same. She was bound and determined to not let her guard down around this lady until she explained the full truth. “One day when we were searching I got separated from the boys. We had made a pack that if this ever happened, well when it happened, that we would apparate to the safe place. Only I couldn't because I had been captured. Harry and Ron know nothing of this,” she added as an after thought. “Not technically captured. You see Snape had some information for me and the only way he could give it to me without anyone finding out was to take me.”

***

They were searching in France. Hermione absolutely loved this country and was forever grateful her family traveled and she knew some of the language. She had told Ron and Harry that she was going to be looking at some places in the muggle part of Paris and they were to search the wizarding part. They agreed to meet back at the safe house at midnight that night.

The street she had just turned on was practically deserted and she smirked as she heard someone come up behind her. The person was close enough to touch her hair when Hermione spun and gave him a quick kick in the groin. As the man collapsed she brought out a dagger Remus bought her and held it against the man's throat.

“Well at least you didn't complain about attacking a professor.” Hermione took in Snape's face and let out a sigh of relief. “Now are you going to kill me or are you going to listen to what I have to say?”

At this she rocked back and stood up straight. “It is rather tempting to kill you but fortunately I'm the one that doesn't have the guts. Not yet, at least.” As she said this she held out her hand and helped him up. He graciously accepted it and dusted off his black robes as he stood. “What is it Snape?”

As soon as the words were out of her mouth his hand was brought up to her face and he covered her mouth and nose with a white handkerchief. Hermione fought the urge to breathe in but she couldn't help it. She inhaled the substance that was on the cloth and quickly everything turned black.

“Don't move too quickly just open your eyes,” Snape's voice greeted her pounding head as she tried to sit up. Instead she did as she was told and just opened her eyes. “We are safe for now.” He said as he handed her a glass of water.

“Oh that is just right and dandy,” graciously she took the water and emptied it in three gulps and then she reached around and found her wand which was back in it holster. Quickly, she drew it and aimed it at Snape. “Now I want you to think long and hard about why I shouldn't curse your balls off right now.”

“I know how to destroy them…”

“And why would you know something like that?”

“The Dark Lord is brilliant at most things, but one thing he lacks is mastery of potions. Who did you think helped set up his little traps? But anyway that is besides the point…”

“If you help set them up then you know where they are located.” Hermione once again cut him off. She moved to stand but immediately fell back against the cushions her head was swimming from the drugs he had used to knock her out.

“When do you need to get back?”

“Midnight,” she said and glanced around the room for a clock. She noted she had three hours before then and then Harry and Ron would start worrying. “I need those locations, Professor Snape.”

“I can't give you them,” she noted that he was shaking. “But I can give you this.” In his hand he held out a silver dagger. “Ram that through any object with Voldemort's soul in it and it will do the job.”

“Is this what I think it is?” Hermione whispered as she held the dagger gently in her hand. “Is this a soul eating dagger?”

“Yes…and you must take this too.” In his hands he held out a vial. “It is filled with a potion that will counter-act any potions Voldemort would have used to protect his horcruxes.”

“What do I tell them when they ask me how I got this stuff?” Hermione just realized what a difficult position she was being put in. She didn't like lying to the boys but she also wanted to make sure they lived through this. Lying, she decided wouldn't be too bad if it was for a good cause.

“Tell them anything. You are smart you'll think of something.” Snape, Hermione noted, actually grinned as he said that.

“You must be getting pretty desperate,” she said as she finally stood up.

“Yes, I am. I knew that my time was running short and thus had a dear friend perform the fidelius charm on this house you are now in. I also knew that if I approached Potter or Weasley I wouldn't be able to give you the things you needed to complete your task. I picked you because you are the most rationale of the three and you would listen to what I had to say before you killed me.”

“Like I said I haven't master the art of killing yet.” She walked to the door which she assumed led out of her. Before she exited she paused and turned around, “Thank you, Professor Snape. And if we ever cross paths again I will kill.”

***

“And that explains my connection to what?”

“To Professor Snape, Professor Dumbledore-Snape.” Anna's face she noted went physically white at her sentence. “I was curious after our meeting, Snape and mine I mean, so I decided to do some research. After all he said `dear friend' and I couldn't help but think who would that be? It wouldn't be anyone in the Order, for they all hate his guts, and it wouldn't be a death eater, they would never betray Voldemort for fear of death or something worse. So, I got to thinking why did Dumbledore trust him so much. And then as I was going through a book on Dumbledore's lineage it all clicked.”

“Hermione,” She whispered, “we are actual suppose to be discussing you not my family.”

“But we are discussing me. Where was I? Oh, yes, it all clicked. Dumbledore had a child with his wife. A wife that coincidentally killed by Grindelwald. But she bore Dumbledore a child, a boy in fact, your grandfather who then had a girl, your mother. Your mother went to school in France up until her seventh year when she transferred to Hogwarts. You see your grandfather had died and thus she was left in the care of your great-grandfather Albus Dumbledore. Coming to Hogwarts as a transfer student means you aren't technically in the records for sorting.”

“Sorting is done at the beginning of each term but your mother transferred part way through and thus was sorted in private. Because of that her name didn't go down in the sorting log book. This is explained in Hogwarts, A History. Your mother, came here and met Severus Snape, and somehow along the way she fell in love or maybe it was a love-hate affair. But nevertheless you came along and this gave Dumbledore a reason to trust Snape.”

Hermione took a deep breath as she finished and proudly looked at the girl sitting opposite of her. “Did I leave anything out?”

“Quite a bit actually, but we are out of time.” She knew that Hermione had her cornered and was using the only excuse she could give, time. At this Hermione stood up and gazed out the window for a second. “We will discuss your adventure further next time we meet. Let's say next Friday after dinner?” It was posed as a question but Hermione knew it was more then that, it was an invitation to talk more and figure this whole thing out. She knew that somehow their fates were tied. Just like several years ago when she entered a compartment looking for a toad she knew something extraordinary had happened, time, though, would only tell if it was going to be good or bad.