Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. I'm just borrowing it for a bit of nonsense.
A/N: This chapter is unbeta'd, so all mistakes are mine and mine alone.
No More Mysteries
by: MayorHaggar
Chapter 11: The Life of a Spy
September 20th, 1996 was one of the longest days of Harry's life.
It was only the night before that they'd thrown Hermione's surprise birthday party, after which Hermione had kissed him on the lips. Harry wasn't sure how long he stood stock still right where she'd left him in the common room, nor was he actually aware of walking up the steps to the Gryffindor sixth year boys' dorm. He vaguely remembered Ron going on and on about some new strategical move he'd drawn up for the quidditch team, but the only thing he'd been able to focus on for the rest of the night was Hermione's lips and the way they'd felt against his own.
Harry was glad she'd given him time to process it, because he'd been incoherent for the rest of the night. Even when he'd woken up in the morning (following a very restless sleep), Harry was still not any closer to figuring out how he was going to respond when he saw her.
Thankfully, Hermione hadn't pressed him when he'd come down the steps and into the common room that morning. She'd simply given him a light hug, whispered that they'd talk after dinner, and walked with he and Ron down to breakfast. She made no further reference to what she'd done the night before, and at least as far as Harry could tell, she seemed to be behaving just as she always did.
Harry couldn't say the same for himself. He'd been preoccupied and distracted all day, and several of his professors had scolded him for it. But he couldn't help it. How could he be expected to focus on transfiguration or goblin rebellions when his best friend-Hermione--had kissed him the night before? About the only thing Harry took solace in was the fact that he no longer had to take Potions. He could only imagine how badly Snape would have ripped into him for his inattention.
The day dragged on forever, and Harry was sure that no meal in history had ever lasted as long as that evening's dinner, but finally, Hermione set down her fork and stood up from the table. Harry had quickly followed suit and looked towards Hermione anxiously, unsure what to do next. Hermione provided the answer, as she told Ron and their other friends that she and Harry were going to head up to the Room of Requirement for some Potions work. Then she'd given Harry a brief, encouraging smile and walked out of the Great Hall, and Harry had quickly fallen into step beside her.
"Well, here we are," Hermione announced unnecessarily, leading Harry inside. Harry took a deep breath and looked Hermione in the eyes, sure that his anxiety had to be written all over his face.
"Harry, relax, it's just me," Hermione said warmly.
"I know, but it's just...I mean this is...it's a huge deal," Harry stammered.
"I know it is, Harry," Hermione agreed, nodding. "But there's no need to look so terrified." When he didn't respond, Hermione continued speaking. "So, I know you haven't had the best luck with understanding girls, but I'm hoping you got the hint last night."
"I might be thick, but even I couldn't miss that," Harry answered, managing a small smile. "You fancy me," he said quietly, feeling his face heat up as he did. Hermione went slightly pink as well, but she smiled and nodded.
"'Fancy' probably isn't the word I'd use, but that's the general idea, yes," Hermione affirmed. "Harry, I like you. You've been my closest friend for years. I know you so well, and I love spending time with you. I'm attracted to you, and you admitted that you're attracted to me too. I'd like to try and turn our friendship into something...well, something more. Now that you've had some time to think about it, how are you feeling?"
Harry was stunned at how calm Hermione seemed, considering the nervousness he'd been dealing with all day. Steeling himself, Harry tried to figure out how to explain exactly what he was feeling.
"You already know that I think you're pretty," Harry said needlessly, to which Hermione nodded, a pleased smile on her face. "And we obviously already know each other really well and get along great most of the time." When their mutual feelings were stated matter-of-factly like that, there didn't seem to be any reason for him not to date Hermione. But still...
"But...?" Hermione put in quietly, picking up on his hesitation.
"What if we try this and it doesn't work out?" Harry asked anxiously, giving voice to his biggest fear. "What if we date for awhile, things go bad, and we lose what we already have? You're my best friend, Hermione. There's no one I trust more than you, or depend on more than you. I don't think I could take it if I lost you."
"I couldn't take that either, Harry," Hermione said, a serious expression on her face, and Harry's initial thought was that she agreed with the point he just made and had changed her mind. Before he could decide whether he was relieved or crushed, Hermione continued. "But Harry, the friendship we already have is something we're never going to lose. I know you. I know that you're a good person and would never intentionally hurt me, and I hope you know me well enough by now to know that I'd never want to hurt you either. So if we try being a couple and it doesn't work, we can always go back to just being best friends. Like I said, I'll always be there for you, no matter what."
"You promise?" Harry asked, taking a step towards Hermione and staring into her brown eyes.
"Always," Hermione repeated softly, staring right back at him. "Harry, I want this, and I know you do too. If we don't take this chance, we'll always wonder what might have been."
She's right. As usual. His mind made up, Harry closed the distance between them and wrapped his arms around her waist, bringing his lips to hers.
-NMM-
"About time you two got back. Up for a game of chess, Harry?"
"No, not right now, Ron," Harry said, his anxiety back in full force. The moment he stepped through the portrait hole and saw Ron sitting on the couch in the common room, the elation he'd been feeling since kissing Hermione evaporated. Despite Hermione's assurances, he had a very bad feeling about what was about to happen.
"Actually, Ron, Harry and I have something we'd like to speak to you about," Hermione said. "Could we go somewhere and talk?"
Ron's eyes suddenly narrowed, and he abruptly broke eye contact and stared at the wall. Harry's sense of foreboding went up a notch.
"Sure, I guess," Ron said, shrugging his shoulders while still not looking at either of his friends. "All of the 5th year boys are still down here, so we could just go up to our dorm."
"OK, great," Hermione said, her voice sounding overly enthusiastic to Harry's ears. It made him wonder if maybe she wasn't as confident about this as she'd let on. Still, they both knew it had to be done, and putting it off wouldn't help matters any.
Soon enough, the three of them made it to the otherwise empty dorm room. Ron and Harry sat down on their respective beds, and after a moment's hesitation, Hermione sat down beside her boyfriend. Ron raised an eyebrow at that, but said nothing.
"Get on with it, then," Ron said, sounding resigned and looking back and forth between them with an odd look on his face.
"Well, Hermione and I just had a talk, and we've decided that we're going to..."
"You're going to start dating," Ron interrupted, his voice flat.
Harry suddenly found himself at a loss, so it was up to Hermione to jump in. "Yes, Ron, that's correct," she said quietly. The conversation fell into a tense silence. Harry glanced over at Hermione, who looked uncomfortable but determined. She must have felt him looking at her, because she gave him a quick smile and briefly squeezed his hand. Ron's eyes darkened at that, and his knuckles turned white with the death grip he had on his bedspread.
"How did you know?" Harry couldn't help but ask, even though Hermione had insisted that Ron probably wouldn't be that surprised about their news.
"Oh, come off it, Harry," Ron said. "Hermione might think I have the 'emotional range of a teaspoon', but I'm not stupid. I've seen this coming for awhile. Hermione probably has too."
"I'd thought about it, yes, but I wasn't sure how Harry felt about me until recently," Hermione affirmed.
"And then he said he thought you were pretty," Ron put in, staring straight down at his bed.
"Right," Hermione agreed quietly. "But Ron, this doesn't change anything--"
"Of course it bloody well changes things!" Ron exclaimed, shooting up off of his bed and onto his feet. "If you two are together, where does that leave me?"
"Where does it leave you?" Hermione repeated incredulously. "You're right where you've always been! Ron, you're our best friend and that's not going to change just because Harry and I are together."
But Ron wasn't listening. He turned and marched away from them, his long legs taking him almost all the way out of the room before either Harry or Hermione could even react. Just before he reached the door, though, Harry spoke.
"C'mon, mate, don't be like this--"
"Just...just leave me alone for a bit, alright?" Ron requested, his back to his friends. "I need to be by myself for a while."
"Ron--" Hermione pleaded, but Ron just shook his head.
"No, Hermione," he said gruffly, leaving the dorm and heading down the stairs before anything more could be said.
Harry saw Hermione's shoulders slump as their friend left, and immediately decided that even if they'd only been together for a matter of minutes, it was still his duty as her boyfriend to try and cheer her up. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders in what he hoped was a comforting gesture, and she turned her head towards him. She favoured him with a grateful smile before leaning in and giving him a quick peck on the lips.
"That could have gone better," Hermione said after they'd broken apart, smiling at him ruefully.
"Yeah, definitely," Harry agreed, giving her arm a reassuring squeeze. "He'll come around, though. He always does."
-NMM-
The days and weeks passed, but things still weren't truly back to normal with the trio. Ron had approached them the next day and apologized for his reaction, and the three of them had done their best to act as if things were perfectly fine between them. But they weren't. Things were awkward and tense, and Ron was clearly uncomfortable around his two friends. Harry wished he could ease the tension somehow, but Hermione correctly pointed out that as it was Ron with the problem, it was Ron who was going to have to adjust. The two of them were happy together, and if Ron was truly their friend, he'd eventually accept their relationship and stop letting it bother him.
Thankfully, Harry and Hermione's other friends didn't have such a negative reaction when they were told. Neville just grinned and slapped Harry across the back, Ginny smirked and subjected them both to some good-natured teasing, and Luna was, well, Luna.
It had been nearly a month since Harry and Hermione had gotten together, and Harry was hard-pressed to remember ever being happier. They had tried to keep their new relationship secret from the rest of the school for as long as they could, but the news inevitably got out. Much of the female population was disappointed that Hogwarts' resident celebrity was now taken, and most of the Slytherins in their year insulted the couple at every opportunity. On the whole, though, Harry was enjoying finally being a normal teenager for a change-or as close to normal as possible for someone fated to clash with the most evil wizard in at least a century.
But, as Harry was discovering, even being a normal teenager came with its own problems, which was why he found himself staying behind after Professor Lupin's Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson.
"Harry? Aren't you coming?" Hermione asked, looking confused as he remained in his seat. Even though he had a free period after Defence, he almost always walked her at least part of the way to Snape's dungeon.
"Nah, I've got something I wanna ask Remus about. I'll see you after you get out of Potions, alright?" Harry offered, running his hand through his hair nervously.
"Oh, OK, Harry," Hermione said slowly. Harry could tell that she knew something was bothering him, but fortunately she didn't press him. She bent down and gave him a quick peck on the cheek before turning and walking out the door. Harry's eyes followed her until she disappeared from sight, a goofy smile on his face.
"I know that look. Your father got that same look on his face whenever Lily was around."
Harry was brought back from his daze by the voice, and looked up into the amused face of Remus Lupin. "Sorry about that, sir," he said, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment.
"Nonsense, Harry. Do not apologize. I'm just happy you came to your senses where the wonderful Miss Granger is concerned."
"Seems like everybody saw it coming except for me," Harry grumbled, causing Remus to chuckle.
"That's often the way those things happen, despite your father's foresight regarding your mother," Remus reasoned. "Now, was there something you needed, Harry?"
"It's...well, the first Hogsmeade weekend of the year is coming up..." Harry began, and Remus cocked his head at him in confusion.
"Is there some kind of problem? I was under the impression that Sirius signed your permission slip after your 3rd year," Remus asked, frowning.
"No, that's not it," Harry said, shaking his head. "It's just...this is going to be the first time me and Hermione are out of the castle, y'know, alone..."
"Ah, I see," Remus said, his eyes brightening and smile widening as he understood what Harry was trying to ask. "You want some advice on what you should do with Hermione on a date."
"Yeah," Harry said, laughing nervously. "I've only ever been on one real date, and it was a disaster."
"Oh, I'm sure you're exaggerating. It couldn't have been that bad," Remus said, but Harry shook his head adamantly.
"Trust me, it was," Harry insisted. "She got jealous when I mentioned I had plans to meet up with Hermione later, and she left in tears."
"OK, maybe it was that bad," Remus said, his lips twitching as he tried to contain his mirth. "Although it would seem that the young lady had reason to be concerned about your relationship with Hermione."
"I didn't realize it at the time, but yeah, you're right. And that's exactly why I need your help. Hermione's not just some girl, she's...I really like her, you know? I want this to go well."
"I understand, Harry. Let me ask you this: aside from the argument about Hermione, what else do you think went wrong on your first date?"
Harry paused to think for a moment, recalling that disaster of an afternoon with Cho. "Well, for one, we didn't really have anything to talk about aside from quidditch. And she took me to Madam Puddifoot's, which was this really awful tea shop. But maybe Hermione might want to go there, too? I mean, there were a lot of other couples in there."
"Harry, it sounds to me like the two of you just didn't have very much in common. Fortunately for you, you already know this isn't the case with you and Hermione. You've known Hermione for years, and while she may not share your love of quidditch, I'm sure the two of you won't have any trouble finding other things to talk about."
"Yeah," Harry agreed, "but what should we do? Should I take her to the tea shop? I might have felt ridiculous with the frilly decorations and the lacy napkins and the golden cherubs floating around and dumping confetti on people, but if Hermione wants to..."
Harry couldn't finish his thought, because his father's friend suddenly burst into laughter. He stared at the professor, waiting impatiently for him to stop laughing so he could answer his question, but the werewolf showed no signs of stopping. How much time passed, Harry could not say, but the former Marauder finally got himself under control.
"I'm sorry about that, Harry, but honestly, have you met Hermione? Do you actually think she'd have any interest in that sort of thing?" Remus asked, though it was clear what his opinion on the matter was.
"Maybe not, but I've never been on a date with her before. And I just got through telling you how bad my last one went. I just don't want to do anything to screw this up. That's why I came to you."
"Harry, you know Hermione very well. Better than I do, certainly. There's nothing I can tell you about her that you don't already know. Don't over think this. Just have a good time, and be yourself. As long as she's spending time with you, I'm sure Hermione will enjoy herself."
"Be myself? I think I can do that," Harry said, relieved, as Remus chuckled.
-NMM-
"I thank you for your report, Severus. But I can't help but notice that you left out one piece of information."
A kneeling Snape raised his bowed head, staring up at Lord Voldemort. The Dark Lord looked down at him from his throne, but Snape could not tell whether or not he was angered by this supposed admission.
"Beg pardon, My Lord, but I'm not sure what you are speaking of," Snape said, his voice calm and his face blank despite the fact that if he said one wrong word or showed the slightest hint of fear or guilt on his face, the tyrant seated above him could torture him to the brink of insanity in the blink of an eye. The life of a spy, he thought to himself, taking care to keep his mental shields in place.
"Many of my servants have passed on information given to them by their children from Hogwarts. It appears that Potter has followed in his father's footsteps and taken up with a Mudblood. Tell me, Severus--did you overlook this, or did you intentionally withhold it from me?"
No sense in denying any knowledge of Potter's relationship with Granger. If I can't notice what's right in front of me, what use am I to him? "I am sorry if I have displeased you, My Lord, but I did not believe that you would be interested in a silly teenage romance," Snape said.
"Ordinarily, you'd be right. But Potter is no ordinary teenager. I want to be informed of any move he makes, no matter how insignificant it may seem. Do I make myself clear?" Voldemort said, his voice dangerously low.
"Perfectly, My Lord," Snape said, bowing his head lower than he had all night. "But if I may be so bold, why are you so interested in this particular piece of news?"
"Questioning me? That is bold, Snape. I wouldn't tolerate such insolence from most of my other servants, but you have proven yourself most useful to me, so I will humour you. You have often told me how much the boy takes after his father, in deed as well as appearance."
"Indeed," Snape said with a sneer. "Potter is every bit the cocky braggart that his father was, despite Dumbledore's fondness for the brat."
"Yes, but those weren't James Potter's only qualities. He was also a sentimental fool who let his emotions rule him. That is why he lost his life. A smart man would have handed the boy over to me the minute he learned of the prophecy, and saved his own life. But Potter defied me right to the end-his end. All for the love of a Mudblood and their whelp! And after being mentored by Dumbledore all these years, it's no surprise that his son has become an even greater fool."
"You'll hear no argument from me, My Lord. But, begging your pardon, you already knew this about Potter."
"Yes, I did, Severus. And I also knew of his close friendship with the Mudblood. Quite a stain on the magical community, that one. Not only has she sullied Hogwarts with her filthy blood, but she has the gall to receive the highest marks in her year? She is an insult to true wizards, and I always would have targeted her eventually, even if she had never spoken two words to Potter. But now, I believe it's time that we teach Potter a lesson through his precious Mudblood," Voldemort explained, a maniacal grin on his snakelike face.
"You're planning to attack the Mudblood?" Snape asked, feeling his skin crawl as he uttered the word that had destroyed the one true friendship he'd ever had. "But she's at Hogwarts with Potter. If you're going to strike at Hogwarts itself, wouldn't it be easier to simply kill Potter and be done with it?"
"Now Severus, surely you don't expect me to reveal everything?" Voldemort asked, amusement shining in the red slits he called eyes. "I'll tell you more in due time, my friend. After all, you'll be a vital part of the plan."
"Me, My Lord?" Snape asked, surprised. "You expect me to expose my true colours for an attack on someone as unimportant as Hermione Granger?"
"I expect you to do as you are commanded," Voldemort snapped, causing Snape to flinch involuntarily. "That is all for now, Severus. I will contact you soon."
Recognizing the dismissal, Snape bowed his head once more before rising and heading towards the door. Before he departed, Voldemort had one last instruction for him.
"Oh, and Severus? Be sure to tell Dumbledore all about our conversation. I want the old fool to know we are coming."
-NMM-
"Ready, Harry?"
"Absolutely," Harry said with a grin, feeling butterflies in his stomach at the thought that he and Hermione were about to go on their first true date.
Thankfully, Ron had had the sense to know they'd want to be alone, and mentioned that he'd made plans to spend the day with Seamus since Seamus' best mate Dean would be off somewhere enjoying the day with Ginny. With their best friend doing his own thing, Harry and Hermione had the whole day to themselves.
"Where would you like to go first?" Harry asked soon after they made it to the village.
"Well...I was hoping to have a quick look in Scrivenshaft's, and maybe also the book store, if that's OK," Hermione said softly.
Harry could tell she was nervous too, and somehow, that knowledge allowed him to relax a bit. "That's just fine, Hermione. We can go wherever you like. I know I'll have a good time as long was we're together," he assured her, smiling.
Harry felt like quite the cornball as the words left his mouth, but it was apparently the right thing to say, because Hermione's face broke out in a wide smile. She gave him a peck on the lips and slipped her hand into his, gently steering him towards Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop.
In stark contrast to his one date with Cho, things actually went well for Harry this time. Taking Remus' advice to heart, he just relaxed and enjoyed the opportunity to spend time with the most important person in his life. They had a wonderful time strolling through the village hand in hand, and stopped in any shops that interested either of them.
After Harry patiently accompanied Hermione in Scrivenshaft's and the book store, she did the same as Harry indulged himself inside Honeydukes and Zonko's. They didn't see Ron and Seamus at any point, which privately pleased Harry given the circumstances. They did run into Ginny and Dean, and after the redhead got off a few light-hearted wisecracks at the expense of the "Gryffindor Golden Couple", the four of them entered The Three Broomsticks for a bite. Interestingly, Neville and Luna were seated together, but they invited the foursome to join them. Together, the six of them had an enjoyable lunch.
It was after lunch, when the six students broke off into pairs once more, that things took a rather unpleasant turn for Harry and Hermione. They were walking through the village hand in hand, and eventually ditched the packed High Street for a more sparsely visited side street. It was while walking along that path that they spotted Severus Snape and Draco Malfoy standing in seclusion beside an abandoned shop building. They were facing each other, and if their body language was any indication, they were engaged in a very heated discussion. Harry took a step towards them, but Hermione put a hand on his shoulder to stop him.
"Harry, what are you doing?" she hissed. "Professor Snape will be very upset if he catches you eavesdropping on his conversation!"
Rather than turning to look at her, Harry stared at his two least favourite people in Hogwarts, his eyes narrowing in confusion.
"Harry, what's--" Hermione began in hushed tones, but Harry held up a hand.
"Quiet, Hermione. Do you hear that?"
"That buzzing sound?" Hermione whispered after she'd done as Harry asked. "What about it?"
"We're close enough to Snape and Malfoy that we should at least be able to hear them talking, even if we couldn't understand what they were saying. But all I can hear is that buzzing."
"I guess you're right," Hermione agreed. "Perhaps Professor Snape used some kind of privacy spell?"
"And don't you think that's strange?" Harry persisted. "I don't trust Snape, I don't care what Dumbledore says. And we both know that Malfoy's a foul git just like his father. I have a feeling they're up to something."
Before Hermione could reply, Malfoy stormed off in the opposite direction. After shaking his head in obvious disgust, Snape waved his wand in front of him and tucked it back away before he began walking towards them. Hermione motioned to Harry that they should start walking away, but they only managed a few steps before Snape cut them off.
"Going somewhere, Potter?"
Harry and Hermione froze as the potions master approached them, looking perturbed.
"Oh, and Miss Granger is with you as well. How charming. Do you always bring your female companions along with you when you attempt to eavesdrop on the private conversations of others?"
"We weren't-"
"Do not lie to me, Potter," Snape snapped. "You are every bit as meddlesome as your father and his friends were. Unfortunately for you, I am not so easy to spy on."
"Fine, then," Harry mumbled. "Sure didn't look like Malfoy was very happy with whatever you two were talking about."
"What we discussed, and how Mister Malfoy reacted, is none of your concern," Snape said, his voice dangerously low.
Harry took a cautious step back, nudging Hermione so she was standing behind him, and lowered his hand to his wand. Rather than reaching for his own wand, Snape sneered at the son of his boyhood nemesis.
"Quite foolish, Potter," he said. "Not to mention pointless. If I had truly wished to harm you, you would have been incapacitated before you'd even known you were in danger."
"Guess I'll need to get better, then," Harry retorted, ignoring Hermione's tug on his sleeve.
"You will indeed, Chosen One," Snape snarled. "Be cautioned, Potter: the next time you reach for your wand around me, I may not be so forgiving."
Harry fumed at that, but before he could reply, Snape's right hand suddenly dropped to clutch at his sleeve. Specifically, the sleeve of his left forearm.
"Your arm," Hermione gasped, "that's--"
"The Dark Mark, yes," Snape said through gritted teeth. "The Headmaster must be informed, but I have no time. Find McGonagall, Flitwick or Sprout; all should be in the village, and can contact him swiftly. Do you understand?"
Harry and Hermione nodded, bewildered, just before Snape disappeared with a pop.
-NMM-
"Ah, Severus. Just in time."
"I am yours to command, My Lord," Snape said as he knelt in front of the Dark Lord.
"And so I shall. Rise, Snape." Snape did as he was bid, rising to his feet and taking a cursory glance around at the others who were currently gathered beside the throne in the Dark Lord's latest safe house. Bellatrix, ever the devoted servant, was right by her master's side, staring at him suspiciously. Nothing new there; she has made her distrust of me abundantly clear. Wormtail was also there, cowering in a corner like the spineless coward he was. The true surprise was the presence of Charles Goyle, father of Hogwarts student and Draco Malfoy flunky Gregory Goyle. Odd; the Dark Lord rarely relies on that buffoon for anything.
"So, Snape, did you do as I commanded during our last meeting? Did you tell Dumbledore what we discussed?"
"Yes, My Lord," Snape said. "I told Dumbledore about your intentions towards the Granger girl, and also that you gave me specific instructions to do so."
"And? How did the old fool react?" the Dark Lord asked, his cold red eyes seeming to peer into Snape's very soul.
"His feeling is that you were merely trying to run a diversion. He thinks you wanted him to focus on protecting Granger and the other Hogwarts students against the threat of an attack so you could strike elsewhere."
"Of course he does. I expected nothing less. But, being the emotional weakling that he is, he no doubt took measures to protect the Mudblood nevertheless. And, this being a Hogsmeade weekend, I assume he has increased security in the village?"
"Yes. He has stationed many of his more capable professors throughout the village, though he himself remained in the castle," Snape confirmed. "Also, regrettably, Potter and Granger were nearby when you summoned me to your side. Potter is obviously familiar with the Dark Mark and how it works, so I think you can expect Hogsmeade to be on high alert."
To his surprise, the Dark Lord did not appear perturbed by that last piece of information. "That is of no consequence, Severus. That may work out even better, in fact."
"Am I to assume we will not be attacking Hogsmeade, then?" Severus dared to ask, ignoring the outraged shriek Bellatrix gave at the audacity he'd shown by questioning their master.
"Yes, Snape," the Dark Lord confirmed, also ignoring the fuming witch. "I'm sure that doesn't surprise you, or Dumbledore either, for that matter. But he won't be willing to take the chance, not with his precious students potentially in danger. That will give us the time that we need."
"Very wise indeed, My Lord. I shall be glad to carry out whatever task you require of me," Snape said.
"I'm glad to hear that, Snape," the Dark Lord said, a sadistic smile on his face. "I think you will enjoy your assignment. You see, I wasn't lying the last time we spoke. Not truly. While Bellatrix and I have our own, more important task to take care of, we are still going to inflict a blow on Potter's filthy Mudblood. To be more precise, you and Goyle will strike the blow on my behalf."
"I do not understand, My Lord," Snape said, truly confused. "You wish for Goyle and I to attack Granger?"
"Yes, Snape. But not Hermione Granger. No, you are going to bring me the heads of her filthy Muggle parents."
-->