Unofficial Portkey Archive

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. I'm just borrowing it for a bit of nonsense.

No More Mysteries

by: MayorHaggar

Chapter 13: Resolve

"Ready, Hermione?"

"Not really," Hermione said, giving her boyfriend a tremulous smile, "but we might as well get this over with, right?" She took a deep breath and followed Professor McGonagall into Headmaster Dumbledore's office, drawing courage and comfort from Harry and Ron, both of whom were clutching one of her hands in support. She walked into the office and gasped at what she saw.

There, huddled close together on a couch and looking straight back at her were her parents, Richard and Jane Granger. They looked exhausted, frightened and dishevelled, but very much alive.

Hermione let out a squeal of joy, breaking off from Harry and Ron so she could rush towards her parents. They stood to greet her, and her father opened his arms in invitation. Hermione gladly accepted, burying her face in his shoulder and allowing him to wrap his arms around her.

"Hello, poppet," her father said warmly.

"Oh, daddy, I'm so glad to see you," Hermione said with a sniffle. "I was so worried about you guys." Her dad held her tighter as she trembled with relief.

"We're fine, dear," her mum reassured her as she bent to plant a kiss in Hermione's hair.

"I-I saw the house," Hermione said quietly as she pulled back to look at her parents. "Were you guys out, or..."

"No, we were home," her dad answered. "Your professor, Snape, saved us."

"SNAPE?!" Harry and Ron bellowed in unison, astonished.

"Indeed, Professor Snape escorted Mister and Missus Granger to safety," Dumbledore said from his seat behind his desk, a familiar twinkle in his eye. "After leaving them in a secure location while he attended to some important business, he then brought them here, and I in turn summoned Miss Granger for this happy reunion."

"I...think we're going to need a bit more explanation than that," Hermione said, nearly as surprised as her two friends were. Behind her, Harry and Ron nodded fervently.

"Yes, feel free to share your story, Mister and Missus Granger," Dumbledore said with a nod. "Before you do, however, why don't you all have a seat and make yourselves comfortable?"

Hermione's parents sat back down on the couch they'd been sitting on when the teens arrived, and Hermione, wishing to be as close to them as possible at the moment, claimed a spot in between them. Dumbledore quickly conjured a pair of chairs for Harry and Ron, who plopped down and prepared to listen. Once he saw that everyone was settled in and looking at he and his wife expectantly, Hermione's father started the tale.

"We were relaxing in the sitting room when two men in black robes and masks, your professor and another, broke down the front door and burst inside," Richard began.

"The other man was Charles Goyle, father of your schoolmate Gregory," Dumbledore supplied before anyone could inquire about his identity. "Lord Voldemort summoned Professor Snape, as you know, and charged he and Goyle with murdering your parents." Hermione shuddered involuntarily at those words, but calmed slightly when she felt her mum lay a gentle hand on her shoulder. She gave herself a mental shake and turned her head to listen as her father continued.

"The other man, upon seeing us, immediately started shouting at us, threatening to kill us, et cetera. I stood up and pulled Jane behind me so I could protect her, but I knew it was probably going to end badly when I saw he had a wand. No matter how fast I would have moved, I was too far away to get to him before he would have been able to fire a spell at me. I probably would have tried it anyway, but before either of us could make a move, your professor hit the other wizard from behind with a spell to the back and knocked him out."

"A standard stunning spell," Dumbledore broke in to add. "Goyle never sat it coming."

"So Snape's on our side after all?" Ron said, almost to himself.

"He is indeed, Mister Weasley," Dumbledore said with a nod and a smile. "I have long insisted that I have the utmost faith in Severus, and I would hope that after today, all of you will share that trust."

"Yeah, I guess maybe I misjudged Snape," Harry said, though he didn't sound totally convinced, "but there's still something I don't get."

"And what might that be, Harry?" Dumbledore asked.

"Mister Granger said that Snape and Goyle were the only two that came in. So, if Snape stunned Goyle before he could do anything, who burned Hermione's house down?"

"Why, it was Professor Snape, of course," Dumbledore answered.

"WHAT?! Why would he do that?!" Ron shouted, outraged. Hermione did not speak, but she certainly shared her friend's anger.

"It is imperative that Professor Snape remain in Lord Voldemort's confidence, both for our war efforts and for his own safety," Dumbldore explained. "He needed to submit a plausible excuse to the Dark Lord as to how two fully-trained adult wizards could possibly fail to kill two ordinary, unsuspecting muggles. Thus, after allowing the Grangers to pack their essential belongings inside a bottomless bag, he set the house aflame before apparating the three of them away, leaving Goyle behind to perish. When he later gave his report to Voldemort, he blamed Goyle for the failure, claiming he was overzealous and started a fire he could not control. Goyle had a less than stellar reputation, so the Dark Lord believed his tale."

"Why did he need to kill Goyle at all, though?" Hermione asked. "Couldn't Professor Snape have just performed a memory charm on him and made him believe he'd botched the mission in some other way?"

"Too risky," Dumbledore said, shaking his head. "Voldemort is a master legilimens, and if his poor reputation is to be believed, Goyle had virtually no defences to speak of. Had Voldemort decided to use occlumency to verify the story, he would have broken through the false memory quite easily, and Professor Snape's life would have been all but forfeit. No, Mister Goyle had to die, as much as it pains me to say so."

"That makes sense," Harry admitted. "But why burn the house down? Couldn't he have just killed him with magic, and left the house alone?"

"Alas, no," Dumbledore said. "Had any of Voldemort's people decided to examine Goyle's body, a cursory scan would have revealed that he'd been killed through magical means, and that obviously would have led straight back to Severus. But by burning down the house, he disposed of Goyle's body, leaving nothing for the Death Eaters to retrieve."

"I understand Professor Snape's motives, but this still creates another problem. Where are my parents-and me as well, when I'm on break from Hogwarts-going to stay now that our house is gone?" Hermione asked, trying not to show how much she was affected by the loss of the only home she'd ever known. She evidently wasn't successful, because her mum gave her an understanding pat on the knee.

"For the time being, they will live in the ancestral home of a certain Mister Black, which you are already familiar with," Dumbledore said. Hermione wrinkled her nose in disapproval, which Dumbledore did not miss. "I am aware that it is not the most hospitable of homes, but they will be perfectly safe there, and I think we can all agree that safety should be our foremost consideration at the present time." Hermione had no choice but to nod in agreement at that, but it still wasn't an ideal solution in her opinion. Sensing her daughter's unhappiness, Jane Granger attempted to reassure her.

"It won't be so bad, sweetheart," Mrs. Granger said. "We were able to bring along all of our irreplaceable things, and your father and I have plenty of money saved up, so we can afford to shut down our practice for now. It'll be a nice little vacation for us," she finished, smiling encouragingly at her daughter. Hermione still wasn't thrilled about the idea of residing in 12 Grimmauld Place for any real length of time, but as long as it kept her parents safe and sound, she could deal with it. She gave her mother a smile and a nod, which seemed to make both of her parents happy.

Seeing that the explanation surrounding the attack on the Grangers had wrapped up, Ron decided to voice his own question. "Headmaster, Harry and Hermione told me that Gringotts was attacked. H-have you heard anything about my brother Bill?" he asked nervously. The smile which had graced Dumbledore's face disappeared, and he shook his head sadly.

"Unfortunately not, Mister Weasley," Dumbledore said quietly. "The goblins are understandably wary following the attack, and are refusing to allow any non-goblins to assist them at the moment, so I do not yet have nearly as much information as I would like. I do hope to hear from a goblin representative within the next several hours, so with any luck, I will be able to provide you with a more concrete answer soon."

Ron nodded, knowing he couldn't expect any better than that for the time being. With all of the important details having been covered, the meeting soon broke off. Harry and Ron agreed to a game of chess, partly so they could catch up after several weeks of awkwardness, but also to give Hermione some time alone with her parents. Harry knew full well that he was about to be thoroughly trounced, but seeing the happy smile on Hermione's face as he gave her a farewell kiss, he couldn't bring himself to care.

-NMM-

In the wee hours of the morning, Dumbledore received the floo call that he'd anticipated. Moments later, he welcomed Ragnok, a goblin of some renown, into his private chambers. Understanding the nature of goblins, particularly when their ire is raised, Dumbledore did away with the customary pleasantries that would have been expected were he conversing with an esteemed wizard and got straight to business.

"Ragnok, I believe I can assume you are here regarding the attack on Gringotts?"

"Yes," the goblin curtly replied.

"And may I also assume that you speak in an official capacity?"

"Yes," the goblin repeated. "I speak with the voice of the goblin nation."

"That is good to hear," Dumbledore said. "On behalf of our own government, I wish to formally apologise for our failure to assist you in your--"

"The goblin nation has no need for your apologies, Mister Dumbledore," Ragnok said, and Dumbledore perceived a fire of fury in his eyes. "The failure lies with the goblin nation, and the goblin nation alone. We accept all of the blame for our failure to defend our territory and property."

"That is very noble of you," Dumbledore said, though he was not surprised when his words failed to placate the angry goblin. "And if I may be frank, Ragnok, I must say that I was rather surprised when I heard just how successful Lord Voldemort's strike was, given the strength and tenacity of the goblin nation."

"If he had attacked us head-on, he would have been crushed!" Ragnok snarled, as angry as Dumbledore had ever seen any goblin up close. "Your Dark Lord Voldemort succeeded only through treachery!"

"Treachery? What do you mean?" Dumbledore asked, pleased that he was about to learn more.

"We were betrayed by one of our own. A goblin named Urg, who has brought great shame on that ancient and respected name," Ragnok said, his temper controlled just barely. "He sabotaged many of Gringotts' defensive measures, turning them against us and creating chaos and disorder just as the attack was beginning. He also disabled our alert systems, which prevented us from summoning reinforcements to help deal with the invaders. Your cowardly Dark Lord had already fled with his stolen gold long before we could undo the damage caused by our traitor."

"I see. This certainly sounds like a tactic Tom would employ," Dumbledore said thoughtfully. "And what has become of this traitor named Urg?"

"He fled, along with his master," Ragnok spat. "But he cannot hide from us forever. We will hunt him down. As long as it takes, and no matter where he goes, we will find him. And when we do, he will rue the day he betrayed the goblin nation." Dumbledore did not doubt that. He knew goblins well enough to know that should Urg ever be apprehended, the brand of justice he would be subjected to would be horrifying indeed.

Pushing thoughts of Urg to the side, Dumbledore switched topics. "How badly was Gringotts damaged? Will it have to be shut down for any length of time?"

"The damage done to Gringotts itself will take time and gold to fix, but it is not so bad as to shut us down entirely. The greater losses were in the number of employees murdered, but the goblin nation will unite to overcome this adversity. We will resume operations this morning at our usual time."

"Is that an estimate?"

"It is not an estimate. It is a fact," Ragnok stated firmly.

"That is very good to hear," Dumbledore said. "This war will be damaging enough to our economy, but if Gringotts were to cease functioning, the results would be disastrous. It is reassuring to know that our goblin friends will not allow this attack to keep them down."

"No, we will not," Ragnok agreed. "We also will not allow this disgrace to stand."

"I am afraid I do not understand, Ragnok."

"When Gringotts was breached, our attackers robbed us of something far more valuable than mere gold. They stole our reputation. They humiliated the goblin nation, and we do not take well to humiliation. Prior to this attack, we were content to place restrictions on our dealings with known Death Eaters and criminals, and otherwise allow you humans to fight your war amongst yourselves. But this is no longer an option. Your Dark Lord and his minions have embarrassed us, and our honour demands that we repay them for what they have done."

"Are you saying that the goblin nation will join with us in the fight against Voldemort?"

"Join you? Not exactly. We will fight our enemy on our terms, and utilize whatever tactics we feel are necessary. That said, we realise that we share a common enemy, and acknowledge that it may be to our benefit to work alongside you in certain situations. But it must be understood that no matter what the circumstances, the goblin nation will not answer to any human commands or orders. We may work with you in this war, but we will never work for you."

"I understand completely," Dumbledore assured the goblin representative. "But why approach me, Ragnok? Why not make your intentions known to Minister Fudge?"

"Fudge is no fighter. In times such as these, your kind will look to you for leadership, Albus Dumbledore, and so it is you who we will deal with when the time comes."

"I see. I look forward to working alongside the goblin nation in order to stop this grave danger that threatens us all," Dumbledore said earnestly. Ragnok, having evidently said all he needed to say, stood up and prepared to make his exit. Before he could do so, Dumbledore recalled another matter he needed to ask about.

"Ragnok, before you leave, may I inquire if you are familiar with a wizard named William Weasley? He is an employee of Gringotts, you see, and his family is very..."

"I know who he is, " Ragnok cut him off. "He was killed during the robbery. Weasley acquitted himself well, however, if the pair of dead Death Eaters we found alongside him are any indication. The goblin race will not forget his sacrifice."

-NMM-

It was a pleasant October day in Ottery St. Catchpole, but Ron Weasley's mood did not match the weather. How could it? He was saying goodbye to his 25-year old brother.

He would never have owned up to it before, but Ron was now mature enough to admit that he had felt jealous of Bill at times when he was younger. Prefect, Head Boy, curse breaker-Bill had set the standard, and Ron feared he wouldn't be able to live up to it. He'd eventually come to realise that he needed to follow his own path, rather than trying to emulate Bill's. That was why he'd had no problem giving up his spot as prefect and becoming quidditch captain instead. Still, even if he'd accepted the fact that he needed to make his own way in the world, Ron had never stopped looking up to and admiring his eldest brother.

Now he was gone, ripped away from those who loved him far too soon. No matter what happened from then on, the Weasley family would never quite be whole.

It was a very small and intimate gathering that had assembled to bury Bill Weasley. There was Ron's parents, who looked broken and lost, as if they couldn't comprehend the reality of the situation. All of his siblings were there, including Charlie, who had gotten time off from the dragon reserve to attend. Charlie, now the oldest of the Weasley children, was crying openly. Fred and George, normally so fun and cheerful, were uncharacteristically sad. Their frowns and reddened eyes looked completely out of place on their faces. Ginny was sitting beside Ron and crying into his shoulder as he had his arm wrapped around her small frame, offering whatever comfort he could. Even Percy was there, sitting slightly apart from his family and looking both devastated and uncomfortable. Ron wasn't sure exactly how Percy's reunion with his estranged family had gone, since he'd still been at Hogwarts, but he followed the rest of his family's lead by ignoring Percy and allowing him to grieve for his lost brother without incident.

Harry and Hermione had both offered to come in support, but Dumbledore and the Order decided it would be too big a security risk for Harry to leave Hogwarts at the moment. That didn't mean the funeral was a Weasley-exclusive affair, though. A few of Bill's business associates and friends from his Hogwarts days had shown up, as had Remus Lupin, Tonks, Moody and Kingsley Shacklebolt from the Order.

And, of course, there was Fleur. Bill's fiancée was surrounded by her parents and her younger sister, but that didn't prevent any of the Weasleys from hearing her sobs throughout the ceremony. How ironic that it took the murder of Bill, and seeing first-hand just how much it devastated Fleur, to get his mum and Ginny to finally warm up to the beautiful veela. Even though she would no longer become a Weasley in name, she was now part of the family in spirit.

Despite the sadness of the day, Ron did not have it in him to cry. It's not that he was embarrassed or ashamed to show his emotions-he was simply too angry. Instead of grieving for his brother, he was thinking of how best to avenge him, how best to honour his memory.

Ron knew that Harry was at the forefront of this war. Even if You-Know-Who wasn't so focused on killing him, and even if the prophecy didn't exist, Harry would still throw himself into the fire. It was just part of his nature-his 'saving people thing', as Hermione had called it. And Ron was going to be right there by his side, watching his back. Ron would do whatever he could to help Harry stop that bastard, and if he took out a few Death Eaters along the way, he wasn't about to complain.

-NMM-

"Who do you think the instructor will be this time?" Hermione asked, drawing Harry's attention away from observing the other students who had shown up for the latest Advanced Defence meeting.

"Dunno," Harry replied, shrugging his shoulders. "Lupin's great in our regular Defence class, so hopefully it'll be him." Harry looked to Ron, expecting his best mate to agree, but Ron seemed to be lost in his own thoughts.

Unfortunately for Harry, it wasn't Remus Lupin who walked into the Room of Requirement. Instead, it was Severus Snape who entered the room to oversee the meeting. Harry heard several students around him, Ron included, groan or murmur in disappointment at having to deal with the dour potions professor. Inwardly, he shared their feelings. One of the highlights of Harry's school year thus far had been not having to interact with the head of Slytherin any longer. But, reminding himself that Hermione's parents were still alive because of Snape's actions, Harry resolved to be on his best behaviour.

"The Headmaster has asked me to run today's meeting," Snape said without preamble as he walked to the front of the room. The students, being well-acquainted with the temper of the potions master, quickly grew silent lest they make him angry. "He says that the first meeting was a definite success, and that those who attended seem to grasp the importance of the subject matter. Today, we shall see if he is correct. Split into pairs and spread out across the room."

The students did as ordered, hastily pairing off. Harry partnered with Hermione this time, while Ron found himself paired up with Neville.

"Very good," Snape said patronizingly once everyone had followed his instructions. "We will begin by seeing if any of you can demonstrate the most effective defence against a curse. Weasley and Longbottom, we will start with you. Longbottom will cast a spell, and Weasley will show us the best way to protect himself."

"What spell should I use?" Neville asked uncertainly, but not nearly as timidly as he previously would have when talking to Snape.

"Must I hold your hand, Longbottom?" Snape growled. "Use the first spell that comes to your mind, as long as it won't cause serious damage or see you carted off to Azkaban."

"Err...right," Neville said, before shrugging his shoulders and directing his attention towards Ron, who looked as determined as Harry had ever seen him, eyes narrowed and jaw set.

Neville fired off one of the spells they'd focused on in the DA the previous year, the disarming charm. In return, Ron bellowed "Protego!", and a well-formed shield protected him. Ron grinned in satisfaction, and Harry smiled as well, happy for his friend. Harry had never seen Ron cast such a strong-looking shield.

"Incorrect, Weasley," Snape drawled, not sounding the least bit impressed.

"What're you talking about?" Ron asked, the back of his neck and ears flushing red. "I stopped it, didn't I?"

"Yes, you did, Weasley," Snape agreed. "But that was still not the correct choice."

"What is the correct choice, then?" Ron grumbled, still upset at having his apparent success ignored. Rather than answering him, Snape approached the pair and gestured for Neville to step aside. He complied, and Snape took his place opposite Ron as the hairs on the back of Harry's neck stood up.

"Defend yourself, Weasley," Snape said. That was all the warning Ron got before Snape cast. Ron got his shield up once again, and it was every bit as strong as it had been before. But Snape's nonverbal spell passed right through it, and a strange purple light hit Ron in the chest and knocked him down to his knees. Harry gasped and took a half a step towards him, but relaxed when he saw Ron quickly get up off his knees, apparently just fine physically even if his pride had taken a hit.

"Longbottom, take his place," Snape ordered, and the two boys swapped positions. Neville braced himself, and Harry was very impressed at the defiant look on his face. Less than a year earlier, Neville would have been a quivering mess if Snape had pointed his wand at him.

"Defend yourself," Snape said once again, and Neville cast his own protective shield. But, just like Ron, his shield was no match for Snape's nonverbal spell. Neville's wand arm was jerked sideways, and his wand slipped from his fingers and tumbled to the floor. While Neville bent down to retrieve his wand, Snape walked away from him and towards Harry and Hermione.

"Potter, step aside," Snape demanded. Harry stilled, not wanting to put Hermione in this position. Snape may have spared the lives of Hermione's parents, but old grudges die hard, and he was still wary of the man who'd delighted in tormenting him since his very first potions lesson.

"It's fine, Harry," Hermione said quietly, placing her hand on his upper arm and giving it a squeeze. "Let me try."

Harry reluctantly backed up several paces until they had plenty of room. His fists clenched tightly at his sides, and he took deep breaths to calm himself. He knew Hermione could take care of herself, and if Snape's brief demonstrations with Ron and Neville were any indication, she wasn't in any real danger anyway. Still, his 'saving people thing' was out in full force, demanding that he rush to help his girlfriend against a much more experienced opponent.

Hermione's wand went into motion the same time Snape's did. But unlike Ron and Neville, she did not attempt to protect herself with the shield charm. Instead, she used the disarming spell to try and knock Snape's wand out of his hand.

Hermione's wandwork was fast, but Snape's was even faster. Hermione suddenly doubled over and panted, holding a hand to her stomach as if she'd been punched in the gut. Harry rushed towards her, but before he could reach her, Snape waved his wand once more and Hermione quickly straightened, her breathing back to normal. She waved Harry off, and one look at her irritated face revealed that she was not in pain, but merely frustrated at her inability to disarm her opponent. Satisfied that she was OK, he stayed where he was and turned to look at Snape.

"Not a bad idea, Granger," Snape conceded, much to Harry's surprise. "Going on the offensive yourself is often a safer strategy than simply defending. But still not what I was looking for, which should be obvious since it did not work. Does anyone have the answer?" No one volunteered, and the room was silent. Once Snape realised this, his gaze fell on Harry.

"How about you, Potter? Think you can stop me?" Snape drawled. Harry shrugged his shoulders and lined up across from Snape, doing his best to look confident and prepared. Internally, he was panicking. His mind drew on all of his education, scrambling to think of a spell that would allow him to defend himself against Snape's attack, but coming up empty.

"Prepare yourself, Potter," Snape said, and moments later, he sent a nonverbal curse Harry's way. Harry still had no clue what he was expected to do, but his self-preservation instincts kicked in. He left his feet and rolled to the side, and Snape's spell collided harmlessly with one of the invisible barriers the Room of Requirement had erected around each pairing. Harry pivoted back towards Snape, expecting to have to defend himself against another attack. Instead, Snape had his wand down by his side, and he inclined his head ever so slightly in Harry's direction.

"At least one of you managed to figure it out," Snape said to the assembled students. "Ten points to Gryffindor, Potter."

Harry's jaw dropped, and he saw that Hermione and Ron were just as surprised as he was. In all the years they'd had classes with Snape, he'd almost never awarded house points to anyone outside of Slytherin, and never to Harry.

"What do you mean, Professor?" Seamus asked. "The judges would've disqualified Harry for that in any official duel."

"Duel? You aren't here to duel, Mister Finnigan," Snape said heatedly. "You are here to learn how to defend yourself in a life and death situation. Do you think the Death Eaters will obey the accepted duelling rules and regulations should you be their target? Do you think they'll give you a respectful bow and come at you one at a time?" Seamus shook his head, and Snape favoured him with a sneer. "Then get these silly notions out of your head. This isn't a game or a competition. If you're up against wizards who will stop at nothing to torture, maim and kill you, there is only one rule: survive." The students nodded their understanding, Harry among them.

"A well-cast shield charm will protect you from most incoming spells, if your magical ability is close to that of your attacker," Snape continued, "but there are some things it can't stop. And if your attacker is significantly stronger than you are, the shield is all but useless, as Weasley and Longbottom both demonstrated. The best defence against any attack is to simply avoid it if you can, but merely dodging indefinitely will quickly tire you out. The ideal response would be a combination of Potter and Granger's attempts. First, move out of range of the spell, and if possible, throw a spell of your own right back at your attacker before they can get off another." Harry looked at his former professor with new-found respect as he finished his explanation. He might be a bully, but that was excellent advice.

"Let's see how good your instincts are. Back into your pairs for drills. Attack, defend, duck, dodge, counterstrike...just don't get hit."

-NMM-

Loath though he was to admit it, even to himself, Severus Snape had just been impressed by Harry Potter.

It had been at Dumbledore's urging that Snape had been the instructor for that day's Advanced Defence meeting. He'd wanted no part of any additional time with the dunderheads and simpletons that comprised the vast majority of the student body, but Dumbledore had been adamant. He continued to insist that Snape was underestimating Harry Potter, and would be pleasantly surprised if he gave him half a chance.

Snape had remained sceptical-he felt that the rest of the Hogwarts staff, Dumbledore included, coddled the boy and exaggerated his prowess. He'd fully intended to use this meeting as an opportunity to knock the supposed saviour down a few pegs, and show his fellow students that the so-called Chosen One was not all he was cracked up to be. But Potter had surprised him by having the sense to roll out of the way of his attack. Whether Potter had analysed the situation and decided that was his best defence against a stronger opponent, or simply acted on his instincts, the fact of the matter was that he'd done exactly what he should have given the situation.

It hadn't stopped there, either. Potter had shown excellent instinct throughout the drills, using a combination of evasive manoeuvres, shields and counterattacks that enabled him to succeed far more often than any of his peers, regardless of who he was matched up against. Even when Snape had shifted the meeting away from one-on-one and into odd-numbered situations, Potter's performance had been impressive. It may have been a far cry from fighting actual Death Eaters, but Snape couldn't deny that Potter had far exceeded his expectations.

Snape had helped Dumbledore keep the boy alive for Lily's sake, in remembrance of his one true friend and the only woman he'd ever loved. But he'd always scoffed at the idea that the brat had any hope of defeating the Dark Lord, no matter how many times Dumbledore tried to convince him. What hope could a mere boy have against one of the most feared wizards of all time?

Still, Dumbledore had insisted, and he'd also insisted that his love for those close to him, particularly Hermione Granger, would be crucial to his victory. He'd spared the girl's parents for that very reason, his hatred of the Dark Lord and desire to see him destroyed winning out over his hatred for Potter and his disdain for the know-it-all-at least at the time.

Snape still wasn't sure whether it was the right decision. He still didn't share Dumbledore's blind faith in Potter's ability to accomplish the seemingly impossible. But the boy had given him something to think about.

A/N: Hey, look, a new chapter! And just a little over a month after the last one!

I've mentioned it elsewhere, but not within the story itself: Chapter 10 has been modified. Hermione's friends no longer upset her by ignoring her birthday prior to the surprise party. So if that aspect of the story bugged you the first time, you may want to reread that chapter now.

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