Twisting Around
Summary: Please Help Me Hermione. The words echoed through Hermione's entire being. She knew she should say no. Every fiber of logic within her said she should say no, but her heart wouldn't let her.
Chapter 4: Emotions
A large figure strode across the grounds of Hogwarts while the sun's rays were just beginning to lighten the sky. Rubeus Hagrid always woke early to fulfill his duties as gamekeeper, and this morning was no exception. His faithful boarhound, Fang, followed obediently at his heels.
Hagrid was startled when Fang barked and began to run away. Hagrid followed Fang until the animal stopped, and Hagrid was nearly sick at the sight that awaited him.
Professor Snape's mutilated body was lying on the ground before him.
Noticing an envelope next to the dead man, Hagrid bent down to pick it up. There were no markings at all on the envelope, and Hagrid put it in his pocket, knowing better than to open such a suspicious object, especially from such a hostile source.
Hagrid hurried up to the castle to find Dumbledore. The corridors were empty due to the holidays, giving Hagrid no trouble in reaching the gargoyle statue that guarded the entrance to Dumbledore's office.
"Starburst!" Hagrid said, and Hagrid rushed up the stairs after giving the password.
Professor Dumbledore looked up from his desk and saw the look of horror on Hagrid's face. "What's the matter Hagrid?" Dumbledore asked calmly, but with a sense of dread at whatever could have shocked Hagrid so. The wizard photos on the wall behind Dumbledore were also listening with keen interest.
"Professor Dumbledore, Sir, I've just found Professor Snape at the entrance, barely recognizable. He's dead. This was on the ground by him." Hagrid answered quickly, pulling out the envelope from his pocket.
Dumbledore cautiously reached out and accepted the envelope. After extracting his wand from within his robes, he ran it over the envelope. Satisfied, Dumbledore looked at Hagrid. "There are no traps on this, so I believe it is safe to open it."
With that said, Dumbledore pried open the edge of the sealed envelope and a sinister voice issued forth from it.
"Dumbledore's spy is returned to him"
The envelope suddenly disappeared, leaving both men with ashen faces. The pictures had begun muttering amongst themselves, grim notes in their voices.
"Hagrid, go get Madam Pomfrey and bring her down to take care of the body. I'll head down now to try and find some more clues.
Dumbledore and Hagrid left the office and scattered in different directions.
Upon reaching Snape's body, Dumbledore himself was nearly sick at the sight. Snape's face was covered in blood, his ears had been cut off, in addition to his tongue. His arms and legs were laying at very unnatural angles, and his torso looked as if it had been used as a pincushion.
Dumbledore examined the ground near the body. There were no tracks in the grass that was still wet with dew, except for Hagrid's unmistakable footprints. From this Dumbledore concluded that the Death Eaters who had delivered the body had apparated as close to Hogwarts as they could, dumped the body, and disapparated. There was no telling where they came from, or where they went.
Heavy footfalls behind him alerted him to the return of Hagrid, with Madam Pomfrey in tow. Madam Pomfrey gasped at the sight, nearly losing control of the stretcher she had been levitating. Recovering, she kept the stretcher from jarring into the ground, and set it down gently.
Snape's body was fastened to the stretcher by the ropes that were at its sides, and soon the party was making its way to the hospital wing, where the body would stay until its burial.
Dumbledore looked through the windows in the hospital wing, to gaze upon the beautiful grounds of Hogwarts. However, he took no comfort in the sight. He could not put off his unhappy task any longer. It was time to tell the truth to Harry's friends.
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Hermione was pacing worriedly in Harry's old bedroom at Number 12 Grimmauld Place. On Dumbledore's orders, the Weasleys and Hermione had been moved to Headquarters, and once again, information was hard to come by. They did not know anything about what had happened to Harry, whether he was still at Privet Drive, or even if he was still alive. Hermione had tried to read a book, but even that could not distract her from her fears. The snickering voice of Phineas Nigellus was not helping matters either.
"Will you be quiet!" Hermione yelled at the offensive portrait.
She only received even louder snickering as an answer.
Hermione had been in that room for hours, and all the Weasleys had left her alone ever since Ron had tried to cheer her up by saying that he was sure Harry was fine. Ron had ended up receiving an extremely loud lecture on how he shouldn't say things like that when nobody had the slightest clue as to what had been going on.
Hermione continued her pacing, but a few minutes later she heard a soft, cautious tap at the door.
"Hermione, Professor Dumbledore is here" said Mrs. Weasley's unusually soft-spoken voice.
Crossing the rooming in two bounds, Hermione flung the door open to see Mrs. Weasley already standing to the side of the doorway as she passed. "About time" Hermione muttered as she walked down the stairs, wondering which of her prepared scoldings she would be giving to Dumbledore.
The kitchen was already full when she arrived. The rest of the Weasleys were there, except Percy, who still refused to admit he was wrong. Several members of the order were there as well, most notably Moody and Lupin. And standing at the end of the table was Professor Dumbledore, who had an undecipherable look on his face.
Mr. Weasley offered Hermione his seat, but she made no move to take it. "I'll stay standing," she coldly replied, not taking her eyes from Dumbledore. Ginny and Ron were shifting restlessly in their seats, already expecting another explosion from Hermione.
"Now that we are all here," Dumbledore began, "it is time to tell you all what has transpired these past few days." Everyone's undivided attention was now on Dumbledore as he continued.
"Voldemort has put into operation a cunning scheme through which he hopes to defeat us. Soon after the school holidays started, he began sending letters to Harry Potter. These letters were coated in a rare potion that would enhance whatever emotions the recipient had at the time of coming into contact with the potion. When I investigated Privet Drive after Harry's disappearance, I found what I assume to be the very last letter. It simply said this: "Now is the time for you to come to us. We will let you have your revenge. Someone."
Nobody had muttered even a single line while Dumbledore was speaking, but worried looks were shooting around faster than Fred and George's fireworks.
"After discovering this, I concluded that Harry had been even more angry with me than I thought for the events in recent weeks, and due to the letters he was filled with a thirst to have vengeance against me. Harry is now in the hands of Lord Voldemort."
This last finally sparked a reaction, and the whole room exploded into speech, while Hermione's face had paled considerably.
The voices were cut off when Dumbledore raised his arms to regain his audience's reception.
"It gets much worse, my friends. This morning, Professor Snape's dead body was found at the edge of the Hogwarts grounds." More muttering could be heard, but Dumbledore plowed ahead with his speech.
"It is my conclusion that Voldemort has somehow convinced Harry to join him in a quest for vengeance against me. I also fear that Voldemort will kill Harry if he does manage to kill me."
Dumbledore finally ceased speaking, but the room did not descend into silence. Instead a jumble of voices could be heard, but no one could understand a single word.
Hermione slowly and deliberately walked towards Dumbledore until she was standing only a few feet from him. Ron and Ginny looked as if they were ready to bolt if Hermione even looked in their direction. Hermione's wrath was something to be avoided if at all possible.
"Professor Dumbledore," Hermione uttered with complete disrespect, "You are still not telling us everything of importance. For instance, you still have not told us about the prophecy."
"Miss Granger, the prophecy was destroyed, you know that."
Hermione glared at him in response.
"I've had enough of your lies and deceptions, Dumbledore." Hermione's voice was starting to rise, and now everybody was looking at Hermione with looks of fear and shock on their face. Nobody had ever seen such disrespect from Hermione.
"It was merely the record of the prophecy that was destroyed. You told Harry what the prophecy said. Harry was so angry with you for keeping it from him and he blamed you for Sirius's death, along with Professor Snape. Harry wrote to me and explained everything, the prophecy, your machinations, and how much he was hurting. And I told him he was right to be angry. I told him he should be angry with you. I expect that our letters were the last ones to be exchanged after he was cut off from us."
Hermione then repeated the words of the prophecy for everyone to hear.
Dumbledore tried to speak then. "Miss Granger, you are telling everybody more then they need to know." Dumbledore was now looking very concerned.
"I AM TELLING EVERYBODY WHAT THEY NEED TO KNOW!" Hermione was now shouting at the top of her voice. "I AM TELLING EVERYBODY HOW YOU'VE BEEN USING THEM! I AM TELLING EVERYBODY HOW YOU CANNOT BE TRUSTED. I AM TELLING EVERYBODY THAT NOTHING MATTERS TO YOU EXCEPT YOUR DESIRE TO DEFEAT VOLDEMORT. YOU WOULD SACRIFICE ANYTHING AND ANYBODY TO DO THAT! AND LOOK WHAT YOU'VE DONE TO HARRY! ANY HAPPINESS HE HAD IS GONE! THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT! I HATE YOU DUMBLEDORE! I HATE YOU!"
Hermione fell silent, her face red from anger. The only sound to be heard was the kitchen door slamming loudly as Hermione stalked out of the kitchen. The curses of Mrs. Black could now be heard, woken up by Hermione's shouts.
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At that moment, Harry was in the room that Voldemort had given him. It was dark, as Harry could not be bothered to light the fire or provide any other light. A silver beam of moonlight drifted in between the curtains which weren't fully closed, providing the only light for the room's occupant.
He had been asked to remain in Voldemort's headquarters, but had not been forbidden to leave. Harry didn't care though, as he didn't want to see people. He was still agonizing over his decision to join Voldemort, but knew that he couldn't change his mind now. He had committed himself by turning over Snape. There was no way for Harry to walk away now. He could not go back to his friends and to Hogwarts, and especially not to Dumbledore.
Harry's feelings about Dumbledore had been one of the few things that had not changed. Harry wanted to kill Dumbledore, and Voldemort was not influencing this, at least not at the moment.
Voldemort was another complicated issue for Harry. He knew that he would have to figure out what to do about Voldemort, but Harry was not concerning himself with that at the moment.
Right now, Harry's thoughts were with his friends, his former friends Harry thought bitterly. He could not see how they would accept him anymore. It was this sense of loss that bothered Harry the most. He missed Ron's jokes and he missed Hermione's talks with him, even the talks that were just to him, not with him.
Harry was falling into a depression he knew was impossible to avoid. He could not go back, and he had lost his friends.
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The residents of Number 12 Grimmauld place had left Hermione alone so far, and that was fine by her, She had closed herself off in Buckbeak's room, taking what little comfort she could knowing that this was where Harry had also chosen to hide once.
Tears were falling like a river from her eyes and she made no effort to stop them. She could not be brought to care. Harry was gone and that was all that mattered. She had secluded herself in this room, with Crookshanks and Buckbeak her only companions.
They did not bring her as much comfort as she would have liked. Both seemed to be staring at her with sad looks on their faces. Crookshanks only stopped looking up at her to rub his head against her while he sat in her lap. Buckbeak just sat in his corner, a look Buckbeak apparently thought should have been comforting on his face.
Hermione was racked by another round of silent sobs, and to her complete and total displeasure, somebody began knocking on the door.
"Hermione…could you please open up so we can talk…everyone is worried." Ron's hesitant voice could barely be heard through the door.
Ron nearly fell into the room, Hermione had opened the door so suddenly. As soon as he was in, Hermione had rounded on him a look of fury on her face. "What?" Hermione scathingly replied.
Ron looked as if he wanted to be anywhere else. "I was asked to talk to you. Believe me, Hermione I would much rather have left you alone. I know better than to disturb you now."
"If you're here to say something, say it and get out," said Hermione, her look of fury not abating.
"They want you to know that they are all worried about Harry too, you aren't the only one who cares. Even Dumbledore cares. He admits it is his fault that Harry is gone. He says he's made too many mistakes…"
"Damn right he has!" Hermione interjected angrily.
Ron was now looking even more fearful, if that was at all possible, for he had never heard Hermione swear before. "Hermione, you have to know that the order has decided something. They are trying to get Harry back. They're looking for all possible clues. But, Snape's death has also forced them to come to a decision. If Harry tries to fight against us, they are going to fight back…" Ron trailed off.
"And you agree with this?" questioned Hermione accusingly.
"I hate to say it, but yes"
"You're his friend! How dare you!"
"Hermione" Ron was pleading now. "Look at what's happened. You can't deny that it's necessary."
"I CAN DENY ANYTHING I PLEASE! ESPECIALLY WHEN IT CONCERNS YOUR TRYING TO HURT HARRY! Hermione had now lost all semblance of control.
"Hermione…please…calm down."
"I WILL NOT CALM DOWN! IF YOU'RE GOING TO FIGHT HARRY, YOU ARE NO LONGER MY FRIEND! WHEN I SEE HARRY AGAIN, I WILL SAVE HIM!"
"What are you trying to accomplish, Hermione? What difference can it possibly matter? We're doomed, you know that. Harry's the only one who can defeat Voldemort, and he's now working for him.
"YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND RON! YOU COULDN'T POSSIBLY UNDERSTAND!"
"What don't I understand?"
"I CANNOT GO AGAINST ANYTHING HARRY DOES! I LOVE HIM RON! I LOVE HARRY! I LOVE HIM AND I WILL NEVER DO ANYTHING TO HARM HIM!"
Hermione's knees buckled beneath her and she fell to the floor. The tears she had been holding back while fighting Ron were finally let loose in a raging torrent of sorrow.
"Hermione…" Ron said, moving towards her.
"GET OUT RON! GET OUT!" Hermione yelled, throwing a dead rat at him.
Ron beat a hasty retreat. He returned to the kitchen where everybody had reconvened to find everybody ashen faced. "I take it you got all that?"
Ginny nodded. "We didn't even need the extendable ears. Lupin and Moody were holding onto the curtains to make sure Mrs. Black didn't wake up."
Ron looked at the rest of the family and the few members of the order that were there. "What do we do with her now?"
It was Professor Dumbledore who answered. "We give her all the space she needs and wants. Hopefully with time she will come to accept what she cannot accept now. She's gone through too much the past few days. And it is always hard to deal with the loss of a loved one. We can only hope that what we do will be enough."
"In other words," Ron said bitterly, "we're useless."
A/N: Finally done with this chapter. Hope you enjoyed it. Reviews are, as always, key. I know a lot more of you could be reviewing, so it would be nice if you did.
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