A Meeting of Minds

Disclaimer: The characters in this story belong to JKR. The original plot and story belong to Velvet Song.

Author's Note: This is a continuation of Velvet Song's story "Damsels & Dragons", which she has graciously allowed me to adopt. You will find the first thirteen chapters of her story here: http: //www. thepetulantpoetess.com /viewstory.php?sid =18337 (remove the spaces first). I can only hope I do her ideas justice.

Thanks to Fizzabella and Velvet Song for the beta of this chapter.

Chapter Fifteen...A Meeting of Minds

Minerva looked around her office at the various professors gathered there. Remus sat near the hearth, sharing a sofa he had enlarged from a chair, with Harry and Neville. Lucius and Narcissa sat on a loveseat while Draco and Susan shared the loveseat across from his parents. Hermione huddled in an armchair, several books laying on the table in front of her. Minerva glanced at the titles as she took her seat and shuddered. "Professor Granger, would you please explain your outburst in the dungeons this morning?" she asked, turning to Hermione. "And why you have books on the Dark Arts in your possession?"

"Professor... I..." Hermione hesitated. "I don't know if I can without sounding like I'm losing my mind."

"Why don't you try, dear?"

"Perhaps, Minerva..."

She held up her hand as Lucius tried to interrupt. "You'll get your turn, Lucius. Right now, I want Hermione's version. Go ahead, dear."

"I've been having these dreams about Professor Snape and time running out and having to read books," she said in a rush of breath. "Even when I'm awake, I keep hearing his voice in my head." She paused and took a deep breath. "I thought it was my subconscious taking on Snape's characteristics until the last dream this morning."

"Why this morning?"

"Because I remembered this dream," Hermione cried. "I couldn't remember any of the others, but I did remember this one." She pushed the Dark books further away from her. "These books were written by Professor Snape under the name of Perseus Evans. For some reason, they're important to him." Holding up Dragons of Great Britain and Ireland and Dragons In-depth, she continued, "These two books explain what kind of dragon Athair is: a sub-species of the Hebridean Black, specifically a Shadow Dragon." Nibbling at her bottom lip, she looked around the room. "But all of you already know that, don't you, since Charlie Weasley spent time here studying him? I'm lecturing again, aren't I?" She grimaced, indicating the Dark books, now positioned as far from her as they could be and still be on the table. "These four books seem to have a compulsion on them to be read." She looked at Lucius, who nodded. "I think Professor Snape did that so that I would have to read them whether I wanted to or not. There must be something in them that I need to know about this curse."

Shuddering, she shrank back into the armchair. Narcissa stretched her hand out over the arm of the loveseat towards Hermione, silently showing her support. With a sigh of gratitude, the younger witch grasped her hand and held on tight.

"What makes you think the dragon is Snape?" Harry demanded. "How could you know that?"

Hermione looked over at Lucius. "You remember what you told me a few weeks ago? Something about the Dark Mark going through to the soul?" When Lucius only nodded, she continued, "At my last encounter with Athair, I noticed a scar here." She indicated the inside of her left forearm. "I forgot all about it until the dream woke me up this morning."

"You said something about time running out?" Minerva asked. "What did you mean?"

"I don't really know," Hermione said. "Something about the spell becoming permanent in ten years?" She looked at Minerva and Remus, who were both nodding as if something had occurred to them. "What?"

"A timed transfiguration spell," Minerva said. "Something like that hasn't been used in centuries. It's an extremely Dark spell, and I thought all the texts had been lost."

"It's possible, though," Remus continued. "Voldemort was nothing if not thorough in his research. But why ten years?" He glanced at Lucius. "How long have you and your family known the dragon was Severus?"

"Since he returned to Hogwarts four years ago," Lucius admitted with a sad smile. "I knew the Dark Lord would do something to punish us for turning our backs on him, but Severus was his favourite. His betrayal would have angered the Dark Lord more than ours would." He took Narcissa's free hand and carried it to his lips. "If the Dark Lord had won," he continued, still holding his wife's hand, "I would imagine he had a counter-curse ready, so that he could torment my old friend until he tired of it and then destroy him all together. I can only imagine what he would have done to us." He closed his eyes and shuddered.

Looking at Hermione, Lucius pulled three glass vials filled with swirling silver out of his robes. "These are copies of our memories...Narcissa's, Draco's, and mine...of the moment during the final battle when the Dark Lord cursed Severus. We," he said as he pointed to his wife and son, then to himself, "can only hope that they will help you to figure out exactly what curse he used and come up with the counter-curse in time to save Severus."

"That's a good idea," Harry broke in. "Maybe if we all donate our memories, the different viewpoints might give a better idea all around. What do you say, Neville?"

His lover nodded. "It might help a great deal," he said. "I would be willing. Remus?"

"Yes. Minerva?"

"Most definitely. What about you, Hermione?"

"If it would help Professor Snape, I would do just about anything," Hermione said fervently, wrapping her arms around her shoulders and shivering. "We'll have to bring in others to help, won't we?" she asked.

Minerva nodded while she conjured a tartan shawl and draped it over Hermione's shoulders. "On a need to know basis only," she admonished. "If you don't mind, Susan, I would ask Filius to return and help. While he was injured in the Final Battle, his mind and overall health remain good. And perhaps... Hagrid?"

"It'd be good to see Professor Flitwick again," Susan admitted. "He's probably forgotten more about Charms than I'll ever know."

"I was thinking of Bill Weasley," Lucius said. "He is a curse-breaker and this is a curse we're dealing with." As comprehension dawned, everyone nodded in agreement.

"I think that's enough for now," Minerva said. "We don't want the news to get out. We'd have Ministry officials swarming the grounds, trying to capture Severus again."

"Agreed," Lucius said. "If we do have to involve Hagrid, let's do it at the very end when we're ready to try and break the curse."

Minerva nodded. "That might be a good idea. Now, anything else?"

Draco held up his hand. "I'm not sure just what I can do to help," he said. "Hermione's knowledge of Arithmancy is better than mine if we need to use it for anything. Same with Ancient Runes. No offense, Mother."

"We all have our own strengths and weaknesses," Narcissa said. "Just because I teach the subject doesn't mean I know everything about it."

"Neither do I," Hermione admitted, reaching out and squeezing Narcissa's hand. "Your help would be greatly appreciated. In fact, Draco, your help would also be appreciated." She groaned, looking at the table's burden. "I'm going to have to read these books, aren't I?"

"I'm afraid so," Lucius said. "Severus charmed them so that you would. As I said a few weeks ago, he held a deep and abiding respect for you, even if he couldn't openly show it."

"We'll have to wait until O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s are finished and the students have left the school before we start anything serious," Minerva said. "I would suggest you start reading, Hermione. Lucius, do you have copies of these books?"

"Indeed. I've read through them, but I will do so again."

"Good. I will owl Filius today about coming for a visit after school is out. We don't need to tell him why until he gets here."

"The eighth anniversary of the Final Battle is coming up," Remus reminded them. "If this is a timed curse, it probably gets stronger every year. We don't have much time left."

No, I don't!