Stranger Than You Dreamt It

Disclaimer: The characters do not belong to me. The story does. I have written this story for pleasure and am not making a single Knut out of it, let alone any other currency.

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Chapter VII

Stranger Than You Dreamt It

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"Charlie!" exclaimed Hermione. "What brings you here? And how did you find Spinner's End?"

Snape cleared his throat. "Since Red Cloud told us to expect a visitor, I'll assume my spirited guide is somehow involved." He arched his eyebrow and looked questioningly at Charlie.

Hermione felt a sliver of warmth wash over her, as if Red Cloud was not far, but not entirely present.

"Oh..." Comprehension dawned on Charlie's face. "Red Cloud?"

Severus nodded.

"He didn't tell me who his protégé was while we were Vanished, and since we've returned, I've not been able to communicate with him. At least not consciously," explained Charlie.

"That doesn't surprise me," muttered Severus before turning back to Charlie. "So, Mr Weasley, would you like to elaborate on your recent activities? Miss Granger was informed about your Vanishing and subsequent rescue by your sister, who is currently residing at Grimmauld Place. As is your youngest brother."

Charlie nodded and started to tell his story. "When we were safely back in this realm, I decided to follow Red Cloud's advice because, although it didn't make much sense at the time, it felt instinctively right. And when I realised that all the magic was gone, well, let's say I kind of got the idea that I was doing my bit to contribute to the effort of probably no more than a handful of people working on ways to bring the magic back." He stopped and looked into the round.

Snape smirked at Hermione, and she rolled her eyes at him.

"I'm relieved to note that your brain cell count is higher than that of your youngest brother, Mr Weasley," drawled Snape.

Charlie laughed. "Yeah, my little brother still has a lot of growing up to do. I bet he wasn't happy about Hermione working with you."

That's the understatement of the year," muttered Hermione, sounding angrier than she meant to as she thought briefly of her ex-boyfriend.

Snape snorted amusedly. "He went as far as telling Mad-Eye Moody who Hermione was spending her time with and helped him try to force her into divulging my location." Then he added, more as an afterthought, "All in the name of love, of course."

Charlie looked concerned now. "I'll have words with him," he promised.

Hermione gazed at him. "Don't do it on my behalf, Charlie. I'm through with him, and I doubt there'll ever be more than a polite hello between us, if that."

"Hermione, you were always too good for him, honestly. He never deserved you. I will talk to him because he needs to learn to respect the will of other people. I don't need more than one prat for a brother, you know.... Unlike Percy, Ron does have potential. If he needs a kick in the arse to realise it, I'll be happy to deliver it."

Somebody cleared his throat in the ensuing silence after Charlie's words. Must be my imagination, Hermione thought, as no-one else seemed to notice.

"Do go on with your story, Mr Weasley. I dare say it's more interesting than hearing you plan boot-camp methods for your brother, even though I'll admit the idea does sound delightful," remarked Severus and grinned wryly when Hermione rolled her eyes at him again.

"Yes, I bet that idea would appeal to you," Charlie agreed. Then he squared his shoulders and returned to reporting his recent activities. "First, all I knew was to go to Hogwarts and to look for something. I didn't even know what to look for; all Red Cloud had told me was that I would know the moment I saw it.

"It was difficult enough to find the castle...without the magic it is only a derelict building, a ruin. But eventually, I found a way in, managed to get beyond the ruins, and after an entire day spent looking for the unknown, I found it."

Everyone looked at Charlie expectantly, and into the silence, someone, a male, cleared his throat.

"Yes, yes, I'll uncover you, sir," Charlie said as he got up and moved to the bulky, wrapped package that he had brought with him, ignoring the confused looks of his audience. He placed it on a chair and started to unwrap it with reverence.

Hermione and Parvati gaped. Severus turned white. Charlie looked smug.

"Oh, it is so wonderful to finally be able to communicate again," sighed the portrait of Hogwarts' former headmaster, Albus Dumbledore.

"Severus, aren't you pleased to see me well? Ladies, no need to look like fish out of water." He chuckled. "Mr Weasley, congratulations for a difficult mission accomplished."

Snape was the first to find his voice again. "Headmaster." He bowed slightly.

"Incredible," breathed Parvati. "After we lost the magic, I didn't dare dream of ever being able to communicate with a portrait again."

Hermione was too distracted to speak. She was worried about Snape's reaction.

Suddenly, nagging doubts entered her mind. Maybe Snape was, after all, only a cold-blooded murderer and had no other reason than the genuine wish to kill whoever was in his way. Don't be stupid, Granger, she admonished herself. No murderer would communicate with a spirit guide the calibre of Red Cloud.

"Severus," Dumbledore said softly and looked at his former Potions professor searchingly.

"Not now, Albus." Severus sounded pained.

"Yes, now, Severus. I can't imagine Miss Granger being here, at your place, if she did not trust you implicitly. Aren't I correct, Miss Granger?"

"Absolutely." Hermione's voice sounded hollow, her tone unconvincing to herself. Get a grip. He is not a murderer. She felt queasy.

Snape gestured with his hand for the headmaster to speak. Hermione noticed that he looked defeated, resigned to whatever fate was coming his way.

"Just because I'm dead does not mean I won't help you once you succeed in reclaiming the magic. If it is in my power to keep you out of Azkaban, then I will make certain to utilise that power; especially as it is for a crime I myself forced you to commit it," said Dumbledore.

Hermione breathed out slowly in relief at Dumbledore's speech. He really is not a murderer.

"When Red Cloud approached me, I realised instantly that my portrait staying with you for the time being was the best course of action. And I wholeheartedly agree with your spirit guide that you deserve freedom for all you have done and not a sentence!" continued Dumbledore. "You are not guilty, Severus. It was I who forced you to take the action you did; and I, for one, know without a shadow of a doubt that you would never have agreed to end my life...regardless of the fact that I was close to the end when you did so...had you not agreed to obey me unconditionally when you joined our side."

Hermione's mind was whirling. She could not fathom a life of unconditional obedience to anyone for any length of time, and Snape had done so for nearly twenty years. Her thoughts were interrupted by the former headmaster's voice.

"You may find, Severus, that sharing your story with the two young ladies present will not only ease your own burden but will benefit the working relationship you have with each one," suggested Dumbledore.

Severus remained silent, the expression on his face now unreadable. Hermione felt relieved that he no longer looked so defeated.

Everyone looked up in surprise when Charlie spoke again...they all had forgotten his presence. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but I'm dead tired. Is there a bed I can occupy for the night?"

"Of course, Mr Weasley. You must be exhausted after the events of the last days," said Dumbledore. "I'm quite ready for a nap myself, actually. I'm not used to talking as a portrait yet."

Severus looked lost in thought for a moment, and Hermione wondered where he would put Charlie for the night. Draco's room was small and already had two occupants. Hers and Parvati's did not have sufficient space for another bed or even a mattress.

Snape stood up and motioned for Charlie to follow. "I'll let you have my bedroom, and I'll stay down here on the sofa. That way, nobody will wake you up, and I can have coffee and increase the level of magic as needed," he stated as both men left the room.

Dumbledore gazed at Hermione. "You know, Miss Granger," he said slowly, "he really is innocent. I hope he will tell you all that happened, but have no doubt of his innocence."

Hermione stared at the portrait. "Yes. I believe you, Professor Dumbledore," she replied softly. Then, embarrassed that he had obviously read her doubting thoughts, she whispered, "I had no reason to doubt his innocence, and I am sorry."

Suddenly, the emotional result of the past few hours washed over her in a wave of exhaustion. She excused herself, bade Dumbledore good night and followed Parvati to the bedroom.

* * *

The atmosphere at Spinner's End following the arrival of Albus Dumbledore's portrait became decidedly subdued.

Charlie left soon after he had woken up the following morning, keen on seeing his youngest siblings and hoping he might be of further use stationed close to Diagon Alley. "I don't need to tell you that I'm there if you need any help. Just have Hermione or Parvati contact me through Remus, Tonks, or Ginny," he said in parting, earning a grateful "Thank you" and a wistful expression from Snape.

Albus asked Severus to hang his portrait above the piano so that he could not only enjoy the music but also be present when Red Cloud spoke to them.

Severus Snape withdrew to himself. Dinners were mostly silent; only occasionally were questions asked and answered with regard to each resident's work, but never personal.

To Hermione, it felt as if Snape's sardonic humour, his evident enjoyment of teasing her over the previous days, was nothing but a bizarre dream. Utterly bewildered, she realised that she missed that formerly unknown side of her ex-professor.

How stupid can I get! she fumed at herself. Do I have a masochistic streak I didn't know about that I enjoyed him making me uncomfortable?

With all her might, she concentrated on her notes, returning to working out a way to improve Wilhelm Reich's Orgone so it could be utilised in the search for the magic.

Hours later, Hermione's grumbling stomach told her that dinner time was approaching. She sighed; still no progress on the magic front, but at least she had managed to rid herself of any more unpleasant thoughts about masochistic tendencies.

Parvati appeared to call her for dinner. On the way to the kitchen, she remarked, "I'm worried about Severus. He's so... miserable."

"Yes, I've noticed that, too," replied Hermione. "He was becoming quite likeable, I thought. And now, he hardly talks." She stopped speaking as they approached the sanctuary.

Dinner was once more a subdued affair. However, for the first time in more than a week, Severus produced a bottle of Chateauneuf-du-Pape while the two young witches cleared the kitchen.

He motioned for Hermione and Parvati to take their usual seats around the small table.

"I believe," he said slowly, "it is time to share each one's progress over the last few days in some detail."

He looked at Parvati, and there was a hint of a smirk on his face. "Kingsley has improved tremendously under your care. And from what I can see, Draco is at least as stable as he can get for now."

Parvati squirmed slightly under Severus' scrutiny, but faced him boldly. "Kingsley is definitely recovering. It won't be long before he'll get all edgy from sheer boredom. He was actually looking over my shoulder today when I was brewing cosmetic potions.

"Draco, hm... I'd say Kingsley's presence is good for him as well as the continued use of woodruff in his potion. I know that doesn't sound very scientific, but I know from experience that scents can do a world of good, and woodruff seems to be the one for Draco. He's actually been talking, as in... more than giving one-syllable answers. So yes, there's progress, for sure."

Snape nodded thoughtfully. "And how is the brewing going, Parvati? I imagine nursing another back to health must have slowed down the process?" he enquired.

Parvati grinned smugly. "Nah. It was simply a matter of using bigger cauldrons. With Hermione's help, I worked out the formula for bigger batches, so I'm not behind," she said.

Hermione fully expected a sarcastic remark from him after Parvati had mentioned her help. However, it never came. Instead, he looked at her with a hint of approval and said, "I suppose there is no need for me to check that you took the arithmantic calculations into the equation. You always understood perfectly well how to apply your knowledge of various subjects."

She looked at him in surprise, and he quirked his eyebrow. "What? Have I said something untrue?"

"No," she said haltingly and felt her face blush, "I just never expected you to say something complimentary about me out loud."

Hermione was unsure whether it was her blushing or her words that elicited an amused chuckle from him.

The portrait of Albus above the piano also chuckled. "Believe it or not, Hermione, he might not have cared for the hand-waving in class, but he's always appreciated your brain. Even if he never admitted it in front of you."

Hermione did not know what to say and blushed even deeper when Severus drawled, "Goodness, gracious, me, what a note-worthy moment...Miss Know-it-all is at a loss for words," causing both Dumbledore and Parvati to burst into laughter.

Eventually, the laughter died down. Soberly, Severus turned his attention back to Hermione. "What about you? How is your research coming along?" he asked, now fully focused on her.

Hermione hesitated. She was not happy with her lack of progress where Orgone was concerned and hated to admit failure. "It's not," she admitted grudgingly. "I just can't seem to come up with a way to improve Reich's formula of Orgone. And Orgone alone doesn't have any effect on the magic whatsoever." A frustrated sigh escaped her.

Snape's words soothed her, and once more, she marvelled at how different a person he was outside Hogwarts.

"Don't despair. The task you have taken on is not something you could expect to resolve overnight. Reich took years to come up with something as powerful as Orgone, and he was much older.

"You have studied the subject for a mere few weeks. How can you expect to find a solution so soon?" challenged Snape.

Hermione felt the urge to explain her frustration. "To me, every day without magic is a day that leads to more potential suicides. I'm dreading the next issue of The Quibbler, knowing there'll be more notices of wizards and witches taking that way out because they can't cope."

In her agitated state, she never noticed the sudden change of energy, the warmth and soul-deep comfort she had come to associate with Red Cloud's presence, and was surprised when she heard Severus greet his spirit guide.

The wise being from another dimension wasted no time with niceties. A short greeting, addressed to all of them, the acknowledgement of the new addition to the household in the shape of Albus Dumbledore's portrait, and he came straight to the point.

"You have, this week, reached an important point. Your untiring dedication to find a way to enable the magic to function again will indubitably bear fruit sooner rather than later.

"Naturally, my charge is as stubborn as ever, but I am sure there is hope yet."

Upon Red Cloud's words, which held evident amusement in his voice, Hermione glanced at Severus. He looked uncomfortable, and she had difficulty suppressing a grin. Witnessing the discomfort of the master of sarcasm, who never failed to use an opportunity to make others squirm, was something she would remember for a long time.

Her attention returned to Red Cloud's words. "I believe you have now covered the basics. One is holding up the magic, one ensures the continuing healing of those in need, another is up to date with the Orgone research. And the wisdom of a former headmaster will benefit all involved.

"Now, it is time to move on to the next stage. Dark man, holding up the magic is still inevitable. However, it might speed up matters if you get together with your helper. Start experimenting, the two of you. Take into consideration that magic, in and of itself, cannot be scientifically determined by either wizard or Muggle standards. Therefore, I advise you to take metaphysical qualities of any potential additional Orgone ingredients into consideration.

"Look at man-made items designed to improve the quality of life. Look at the ratio of organic versus inorganic components.

"Take the metaphysical quality of crystals into account, too. That is an important item; do not underestimate it."

Hermione's mind was whirling. There was now an entire new area to explore. Maybe what Red Cloud had suggested would really help them to regain the magic.

Red Cloud was not finished, and Hermione once again focused her attention fully on his words.

The spirit guide was now addressing Parvati. "You are doing well. Your approach to handling the injured Auror has been a success, and he is healing faster than expected. He will be an asset to your team here. When he is ready to talk, he will give you insight on the workings of the collaboration between Dark wizards and Muggle governments.

"Do not worry about the young, fair-skinned one. He, too, is on the road to recovery. His former headmaster is doing his part to contribute to his healing. And there will be further help. Nothing to look out for just yet...regaining power over the magic has to have first priority."

Parvati beamed at Red Cloud's words. Hermione was pleased for her friend's success as well as relieved that Draco was no longer such a worry. As much as she had disliked him at Hogwarts, seeing him in such a poor condition made her feel helpless. She was also relieved that Red Cloud considered finding the magic the highest priority.

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Over the next few days, a new work pattern was established for the residents of Spinner's End. Kingsley started to show interest in the cosmetic potions Parvati was brewing. He began analysing Muggle cosmetic products to have a comparison. Together, they looked after Draco, who was slowly overcoming the severe depression he had tumbled into soon after Albus Dumbledore's death.

Hermione spent most of her mornings studying, sometimes indoors, but whenever the weather allowed, she sat outside in the back garden, surrounded by owls, the occasional unicorn, Fawkes, and other magical creatures.

She generally experimented in the lab in the afternoon. Often, Severus joined her, starting by reading her latest notes and then doing new Orgone-related experiments himself.

Severus was beginning to relax again since Red Cloud's visit. Hermione had no doubt that Albus contributed to his improved state, too...she often found the two talking; either when Severus had gathered enough magic at Spinner's End for everyone's needs by playing the piano, or when he was preparing dinner, a task, Hermione figured, he was as adept and creative at as he was at brewing potions.

Experimenting was a true challenge for Hermione, especially with Severus around. Within days, they had finally achieved small successes. A rose quartz added to the Orgone resulted in sparks of magic as far as two houses away.

A change in the formula by adding metal shavings to the resin mix increased the level of magic inside the lab manifold. For the first time since the battle, Hermione felt real hope that they might regain the magic.

"We're on the right path, Severus!" she cried excitedly when the magic shifted significantly after a batch they poured was hardening.

"I think we are," he confirmed. "Let's go for a walk and see if this version of Orgone will yield magic further away from here."

They experimented with simple spells every few minutes as they walked away from Spinner's End. A pebble was successfully lifted up with a Wingardium Leviosa, a stray cat subjected to a Petrificus Totalus, Hermione hit with a giggling hex.

"I see; this seems to work a treat." Severus smirked and took his time to reverse the hex on her.

When they came closer to the more inhabited part of the town, passing a newly constructed tower, Severus stopped to examine it.

"What is this eyesore?" he wondered aloud.

"Oh, it's one of those new mobile phone signal towers. Muggles have been improving the reception of mobile phones by putting these towers up all over the country," Hermione said dismissively, keen to move on to see how far away from Spinner's End the magic would work.

"Try a spell, Hermione," demanded Severus. Remembering his recently cast giggling hex, she decided to cast a hair-dying spell to turn his hair green, if only temporarily.

His hair remained black, but there was no smirk on his face. Hermione realised then that he had not even tried to deflect the spell, as if he had expected for it to fail.

"I believe," he said thoughtfully, "it is time for Kingsley to talk."

They walked back silently, each deep in thought about this seemingly unexplainable haphazard disappearance of magic. Hermione wondered how much Severus knew about this and why he thought talking to Kingsley would help.

As it was Parvati's turn to prepare dinner, Severus headed straight to the kitchen, assuming correctly that Kingsley would be keeping her company. Hermione followed closely on his heels.

"Kingsley," Severus greeted the Auror, "what do you know about mobile phone towers...from a Muggle perspective?"

"Uh...." Kingsley shifted his eyes rapidly from one place to another, avoiding looking at anyone directly.

Snape, Hermione, Parvati, and even Albus Dumbledore were looking at the dark-skinned Auror expectantly, and the silence that followed grew to an uncomfortable level.

Parvati dropped the cooking spoon into the sink, approached Kingsley, and lightly put a hand on his arm. "It's okay, Kingsley. They are on the same side as you. If we are to have any hope of bringing the magic back, it's up to Severus and Hermione. I know you are as desperate as any of us to make that happen. And if you tell them what you know, the magic might be regained all the sooner. And then we can kick arse with the Muggle Voldies of the world."

Parvati's flippant use of American slang made Kingsley grin slightly, and he relaxed.

Hermione wondered how much Parvati knew already about Kingsley's ordeal with the Muggle government. They seem to be a lot closer than I realised, she mused and noticed once more how much Parvati had matured since their days at Hogwarts.

Her musings were interrupted by Kingsley's words. "There is a lot more to the entire disaster than just mobile phone towers," he started and followed Severus' motion to sit down. As he drew a deep breath, Parvati switched the cooker off and took a seat next to him.

"It's okay, Kingsley," Parvati said in a soft and reassuring tone. "You can trust Severus and Hermione. They won't judge you for what you know."

Kingsley nodded and relaxed once more. "Alright. You asked, and I shall answer.

"From what I gathered shortly after the battle took place, Voldemort had made a pact with some high officials in various Muggle governments. Some such Muggles had approached him sometime last year. They used Muggle technology to render his magic useless, so they could force him to hear them out.

"Then they told him they knew about our world, and they knew about the war between him and us. They claimed that they agreed with him on his views about mixed blood, and that they had the same problem in the Muggle world, that there were too many inferior races about and they wanted to do something about that.

"They made a deal with him; they promised to help him win the war with their Muggle technology and disabling the magic for all wizard-kind except Voldemort and his followers, provided he agreed to get rid of some specific Muggles, the names of which they would provide him with. They likened those individuals to Harry Potter and Albus Dumbledore, people who were rebelling against the true goal of the governments, and promised that he would have free reign with them as long as he got rid of them for good.

"That appealed to him, of course, having some Muggles served on a silver platter, so he agreed; not that he had much choice, what with his magic not working.

"They ran into problems, though. First, someone manipulated the technology they used for disabling the magic; and by the time they figured it out, Voldemort was defeated, and there weren't many Death Eaters left, if any at all.

"So, in the end, those stooges refined their technology even further, and within weeks, these signal towers went up all over, not just in England, but in Europe, North America, parts of Asia...all under the guise of improving the reception on mobile phones. In reality, these antennas on top of those towers contain the technology to not only keep the magic disabled but also to place large parts of the Muggle population under mind-control," explained Kingsley. "Those few Muggles in control can effectively turn entire nations into mind-controlled sheep in a matter of hours," he finished.

A long silence followed. Suddenly, everyone started to talk at once.

"Oh, Merlin, those Muggles are just as bad as Voldemort!"

"This is even worse than I feared!"

"It's Voldemort all over again, just different weapons!"

Kingsley had gone all quiet, occasionally nodding in agreement, all the while holding on to Parvati as if for dear life.

Eventually, Albus cleared his throat loudly to gather everyone's attention. "I believe there is a way to disable this Muggle technology." Turning to Hermione, he asked, "Would you mind telling me about your walk this afternoon?"

Hermione did so, occasionally interrupted by Severus who added some detail or other.

Dumbledore nodded. "Yes. Could you possibly bury your improved Orgone near this tower?"

Hermione looked questioningly at Severus, and he nodded.

"We can do that, sure," he said and turned to Hermione. "It might be beneficial to run some arithmantic calculations to get an idea on how many pieces to bury and how long it's likely to take before there is any noticeable effect."

Dinner was, for once, a more lively affair. Kingsley showed his affection for Parvati openly, and Parvati looked very happy. Draco displayed interest not only in joining the others at the dinner table but also in the latest developments in the search for magic.

Hermione was at the same time grateful and disappointed that Snape had not taken up teasing her again. Gods, Granger, you are masochistic, she groaned inwardly, confused at her own emotions.

Once everyone finished eating, Snape invited Kingsley and Draco to choose some wine. The three wizards disappeared to the cellar, and Hermione and Parvati started clearing the table.

"How big is this wine cellar?" Hermione wondered aloud. "I've never seen him bring any wine, and yet, we seem to go through a fair amount every week."

Parvati chuckled. "He barters shampoo and moisturisers with a few small vineyards in France. They only sell their wines directly to the public and found that people who are interested in such artisan products are also interested in high quality cosmetic potions. The vineyards cannot buy the potions because then they would be subject to heavy regulations imposed by Muggle governments. So, instead, they pay Severus with wine in turn and only sell his potions to trusted customers."

"What a cunning way to bypass Muggle taxes!" Hermione could not help but be impressed.

"Cunning?" Severus, having returned from the cellar, snorted. "I'd call it self-preservation. Why would I wish to contribute the financing of more Muggle wars? I know enough about the way Muggle governments work, and I dare say I have better ways to spend money than paying taxes that will be used for a purpose I despise," he finished, smirking.

"Damn right," muttered Kingsley as he put two bottles of wine on the table.

"Some members of Muggle governments make Voldemort look like an innocent child. They've long stopped returning the taxes to the population and use it any way they want."

"Is it that bad?" Draco asked incredulously.

"It is, Draco," Kingsley replied softly. "But it's nothing we can't deal with. We have one huge advantage...our creativity. These few handfuls of Muggles who have the upper hand at present can't spell the word, let alone know its meaning. All we have to do is use it to our advantage, and they'll fold like a house of cards."

Everyone looked at Kingsley in astonishment until a voice thundered, "Well said, dark-skinned man. Creativity is indeed the key. It goes hand in hand with following your heart, for you can only be creative when you let your heart speak."

Nobody had noticed Red Cloud's presence until he spoke, but it was noticeable that he left as soon as he had said what he had come to say. There was a sudden chill in the air.

A long silence followed the spirit guide's departure. To everyone's surprise, it was Draco who spoke next.

"Uh, Granger," he said hesitantly, "I suppose you'll be doing the calculations on the Orgone? Would you mind if we did them together?"

Hermione did her best to hide her surprise at his question. "Sure, Draco," she said. "In the morning after breakfast, okay?"

"Yes, okay. Thank you, Hermione," replied Draco.

* * *

A/N

The title of this chapter is lifted off the Phantom Of The Opera Soundtrack. I thought it fitting.

Big thanks to the fantabulous beta goddess, Notsosaintly. Her never-ending supply of commas, her intimate knowledge of the English grammar, and not least her thoughtful comments all help turn this into a readable story. You rock!