Chapter 1

Disclaimer: The Potter-verse belongs to J.K. Rowling.

A/N: This chapter could be posted only because an angel from heaven came to help me as a beta. She is Alliean. Hugs for her.

Chapter One

Hermione couldn’t breathe. Her arms reached towards Ginny as though on autopilot. Ginny promptly walked into her embrace, looking for solace that wasn’t there. Fred, her friend, was gone. Tonks, whom she loved with all her heart, was gone. Remus – Oh god! Remus! – was gone. Her longest crush, the man who had come to her in her dreams for two years now, lay across the hall, still as death. She refused to think about Teddy. Then, she saw the tiny, still, lifeless body of Colin Creevey. She sprang up on her legs. She couldn’t save any of them, but if she hurried, she still could save Professor Snape. Not thinking, not feeling, she ran towards the Shrieking Shack.

Hermione found Snape as they had left him. Sprawled on the floor, blood gushing from the punctures in his neck, Snape looked like Death himself. She found the faintest signs of a pulse. Immediately, she cast a full Body-Bind and a numbing spell on his neck, and poured the rest of the Dittany on the wound. Then she Accioed the only bezoar she possessed from her purse. She pushed it down into Snape’s throat. She held him gently, yet firmly to her chest, converted the Dittany bottle into a Portkey and activated it.

They landed with a soft thump. The Hog’s Head was empty and dark. She was already out of breath from carrying his weight. He looked so thin and sharp, but his tall frame was anything but light. She promptly lit some candles in sconces and levitated his body onto a bed. The wound was bleeding again.

Help, oh God! Please help, she thought frantically.

She had to go back to the castle. She had no idea how to stop the bleeding. The only antidote to Nagini’s bite was in Snape’s possession. She released the Body-Bind, cast a quick Anapneo and took out her Portkey. When the crystal vial started to glow blue, she heard the Phoenix song.

Fawkes!

Her heart soared with hope, but before she could turn towards the bird, she felt the tug and landed in the Entrance Hall.

Voldemort’s hour was almost over. So was the night. Everybody gathered around her as she entered the Great Hall. Apparently, nobody knew where Harry was and thought she was with him. Then, they heard the sound of heavy footsteps approaching. Hagrid was carrying Harry in his arms. He was sobbing loudly. Harry was dead.

It didn’t take her an instant to forget about Snape. She watched Voldemort set the Sorting Hat on fire, Neville kill Nagini, and Harry vanish and reappear at their side. She watched Voldemort die. She still didn’t think of Snape. Then, she tagged along with Harry to Dumbledore’s office. When Harry repaired his holly and phoenix wand, she suddenly remembered him. She grabbed Harry’s arm.

“Harry, I need to see those memories!” she said earnestly.

“But why?” he mumbled.

“Trust me. Please.”

Without saying another word, Harry handed her the flask she had conjured earlier and left her alone. He knew well that he didn’t have to warn her about keeping it private. Hermione was the most sensible person he knew.

Hermione emerged from the Pensieve after what felt like a lifetime. She was trembling and crying. How could she have doubted Snape? She had to save him, and to do that she needed the antidote.

Think, Granger.

It was his office. He worked here as the headmaster. Snape was a spy. He must have kept it somewhere close. She started to turn the place upside down. She didn’t have to, though. She found a cupboard hidden behind one of the portraits pretty quickly.

The Hog’s Head was just as deserted as when she had left. Snape appeared to be unconscious. Miraculously, she noticed his wound was closed. It wasn’t bleeding anymore. She poured the antidote down his throat and checked his heartbeat. She waited for ten more minutes before giving him the other potions so that they didn't react with the antidote. She gave him some pain relief potion, some Blood-Replenishing Potion and some Dreamless Sleep Potion.

She couldn’t wake Harry up. He had to rest after everything that had happened. She knew she wouldn’t be able to sleep, so she took a swig of Dreamless Sleep herself and went to her room. They both awoke a little after noon. After eating some food, she whispered into his ear: “I need to tell you... No, I need to show you something.”

“Now?” He looked bewildered. “Should I call Ron?”

She hesitated for a brief moment.

“Er... I think it would be better if we keep it between two of us for now.”

It's time to rely on Hermione's judgement, he thought.

“Lead the way, please.”

“Harry, I think we should go to the Shrieking Shack first,” she said, as a way of beginning her explanation.

Harry gave her a sympathetic look.

“I know you feel guilty about Snape - I do too. But he’s dead, and we can’t change that. They looked for his body, but it wasn’t there.”

“I know. I want to collect his wand.”

“It’s not there. Kingsley brought that in. Why do you want it?”

“Get me the wand, and for once, do what I say.”

“Okay, okay. Relax, Hermione.”

He went to look for Kingsley. Luckily, no one could say no to Harry yet. Not even the Minister of Magic. She hoped it would still be same if Snape had to face trial.

“Hermione, are we going to Hog’s Head?”

Hermione bit her lower lip and nodded. Harry grabbed her shoulders with both hands and turned her to face him.

“Look, if this is about Dumbledore’s life, I don’t want to know about it.”

“I know you've had enough of it. I would be sick of it too, if I were you. It’s not about him.”

Suddenly, out of the blue, she hugged Harry.

“Promise me you won’t tell anyone until it’s the right time.”

“What is it?”

“You remember when you left for the forest?”

He nodded.

“I was so devastated that so many were dead and I couldn’t save anyone,” she sniffed. “Then, I thought that maybe I could save someone after all.”

“Who is it?”

“Professor Snape.”