Chapter Two: At the Sign of The Prancing Pony

Author's Notes: See the disclaimer in the Prologue. Thanks to morethansirius and sshg316 for the time spent in helping me to improve the story.

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A week before school was to begin, Hermione had arranged for the members of her book club to have a short meeting in the staff room. She had gone to London just the day before to pick up enough copies of the book the club would be reading first. They were stacked on the table next to her while she waited for the club members to arrive.

Her colleagues entered with comments such as: "Look at the size of those books!" "How can we read that in a month?" "That's what comes of putting an insufferable know-it-all in charge of a book club."

That last comment was from Severus Snape, of course, and Hermione rolled her eyes. I won't comment that he should have plenty of experience with excessive reading, given all the essays he assigns in Potions.

Very soon the members of the club were seated at the table. There was Professor Snape, as well as Pomona Sprout, Septima Vector, Minerva McGonagall, Sybill Trelawney, Ivy Turner, Bathsheba Babbling, and Professor Binns. When Minerva said she wanted all staff members to participate, I didn't realise she meant ghosts as well.

"Here are the books that we will be reading to start. I know they're long, but don't worry, as the book is split into six parts. We'll take one part each month for six months." She passed out the books, and the club members read the cover: The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien.

"There were many books I could have chosen, but I thought this might be interesting for wizards to read. It is a book in the fantasy genre, a style of literature that Muggles use when they want to include magic in their stories. This is an iconic work of Muggle fantasy literature. It should give us a lot to discuss as we look at some of the ideas that Muggles have about magic. More than that, it is a really good story and should give us an opening to talk about different aspects of Muggle culture."

"How much must we read before the next meeting?" asked Ivy Turner. Hermione thought she detected a note of censure in the Transfiguration professor's voice. I wonder what's wrong with her. Maybe she's having a bad day.

"Please read the Prologue and Book One. That's a little more than 200 pages which should be fairly easy to read in a month. I know some people tend to skip the prologues of books, but it is important to read this one so that you understand what the main character is like and what has happened before this story starts. We'll have our first meeting after curfew on October 3 in my sitting room."

~~o~~0~~o~~0~~o~~

The evening of October 3 found Hermione puttering around her sitting room, making sure everything was arranged to her liking. Her table had been magically enlarged to make room for her guests. The food was on a serving table under a warming charm, and a selection of drinks sat nearby. Off to one side at a separate table was a plate of Limburger cheese which Hermione had procured especially for Professor Binns. She remembered Sir Nicholas's 500th Deathday party and how he had told Harry, Ron and her that ghosts couldn't taste food unless it was extremely pungent or rotting. Hermione couldn't bring herself to serve rotting food to Professor Binns, but she hoped the smell of the Limburger cheese would be enough to allow him to "enjoy" the food.

Hermione greeted her guests as they arrived. When everyone was there, she said, "In the first part of The Lord of the Rings, I noticed something that Middle Earth, Muggles and wizards have in common. All cultures seem to enjoy meeting up with friends at a pub or bar or inn. The Shire had 'The Green Dragon' and 'The Prancing Pony.' Hogsmeade has 'The Three Broomsticks' and 'The Hog's Head Inn.' Almost every big and small Muggle town has a bar or pub.

"Many Muggles enjoy fish and chips at the pub, so I went to my favourite chippy and picked up some for us to enjoy. There are some sauces you can put on the fish: chippy sauce, malt vinegar, salt or tartar sauce.

"Nothing goes with fish and chips as well as good ale, so I have a selection of some Muggle ales here. I also have some mulled mead and Ogden's Old Firewhisky in case you don't care for the ale. Help yourselves. When you've got something to eat, come to the table, and we'll begin our book club discussion."

As people were lining up for the food, Hermione showed Professor Binns where the Limburger cheese was. "Ah, how kind of you to think of me, Miss Granger." He took a deep whiff of the smelly cheese. Hermione felt her nose twitch at the thought of the unpleasant odour, but Professor Binns said, "That's delightful!"

"I'm glad you're enjoying it, Professor." Hermione looked around to see if her guests needed anything. She saw Professor Trelawney beckoning her from the serving table.

"Could I have something else to drink?" she asked. "I don't believe I should care for any of these."

Either she only drinks cooking sherry, or she's given up alcohol. "Of course, Sybill. I have these bottles of water or club soda."

"Water in bottles? Whatever for?" Sybill didn't wait for an answer but took one of the bottles and went to sit at the table.

Hermione got her own serving of fish and chips and her favourite selection of the ale and joined the group at the table. Everyone seemed to like the food, and several had taken a glass along and were sampling the different kinds of ale.

"This is delicious, Hermione," Pomona said after having eaten a few bites of the food.

"The fish and the ale really complement each other," Bathsheba Babbling noted.

"Has anyone tried the chippy sauce? It originates here in Scotland." That comment was from Minerva, who was very proud of her Scottish heritage.

"This tastes so good; it can't be good for you," Septima's voice was full of mock anguish.

Ivy Turner tsked. "I don't see the draw, myself. It's not as though it's gourmet food." Some of the professors looked rather uncomfortable at the rude remark.

I don't think she is getting the point. Hermione laughed. "No, it's definitely not gourmet food. It's what Muggles call 'comfort food.'"

"My father used to bring in fish and chips from the nearby chippy Friday nights after he got paid. I looked forward to that every week," Professor Snape said.

Tension in the room eased as curiosity about Snape's remark grew. Ivy seemed especially curious. "You had Muggle parents?" she asked, obviously surprised.

"My father was a Muggle, and we lived in a Muggle neighbourhood. So we generally followed Muggle practices."

Hermione felt that there was a lot he wasn't saying about his family, but she was grateful that he had helped diffuse the tension after Ivy's unfortunate remark.

Septima was enthusiastic. "Then you can help Hermione with the Muggle culture aspect of our class, Severus." Minerva tried to suppress a snort and almost succeeded.

Severus considered Septima's remark while he took a sip of his ale. "I didn't say I enjoyed living a Muggle lifestyle, Septima. I'm not sure I will be of much help to Hermione because I don't remember anything really positive about Muggle culture."

"Except for fish and chips," Hermione pointed out.

He smiled. "I'll give the Muggles points for take-away food," he responded as he took another bite of fish.

Seeing that most of her guests were finishing their food, Hermione decided it was time to start the book discussion. She helped her colleagues levitate their empty paper plates into the fireplace to dispose of them. "While we are talking about the book, please feel free to get something else to drink if you wish," Hermione invited.

She accioed her book, and the others followed suit. "Before we start discussing the story in more detail, what are your impressions of the book so far?" Hermione asked to start off the conversation.

Her colleagues stared down at their books or glanced sidelong at each other, unwilling to be first to speak. Hermione gave a mental shrug. And we criticise the students for not wanting to answer questions.

Severus gave a mighty sigh and finally spoke. "I didn't want to start off on a negative note," he said, in what Hermione privately termed his snarky, silky tone, "but is this the best the Muggles can do? This is supposed to be the top of fantasy literature? I could barely get through it with all the singing and the story-telling and the... slogging through the wilderness. Where is the plot?"

"Why don't you tell her how you really feel, Severus?" Minerva shook her head and rolled her eyes toward the ceiling.

"I thought that was the point of the question, Minerva."

"Your observation is fair enough, Severus," Hermione said before Minerva scolded Severus any further. "Did anyone else have a similar reaction?"

Some of the club members nodded their heads or grimaced a bit in agreement with Snape's point. "There were parts I really enjoyed, but there were definitely 'slower' parts of the story." Septima tried to phrase her objection gently.

"That's not an uncommon reaction to Book One. It does have more background information and less plot than the rest of the story." Chuckling a little, Hermione continued, "I can, however, tell you from personal experience that it is less boring to read about weeks of camping than it is to live it."

"To what is she referring?" Sybill whispered loudly to Minerva.

Minerva sniffed. "I would guess she is referring to the several well-publicised months she spent hunting Horcruxes with Harry Potter and Ron Weasley."

"Oh," Sybill responded vaguely.

"The author Tolkien spent many years developing these books," Hermione explained. "He was a linguistics professor and deeply interested in the development of languages. He created several languages of his own, and then began playing with the idea of a world and history to go with his languages. He wrote many stories of Middle-Earth that take place ages before this story. Some of this information is included in these books. Most of it has been published separately. In Book One, he's trying to tell the story, but he also has to explain some of the history."

"He must have really loved poetry to write all those songs and poems," Pomona mused.

"Yes, and he tries to give the songs different styles for the different races. Elvish poems are very complex while the hobbit poems are very simple by comparison."

Hermione paused a moment to see if there would be more conversation about the poetry. "Other thoughts?"

"The elves confused me at first," Pomona mentioned. "I kept thinking of house-elves when I was reading about them, and those two pictures didn't mesh."

Hermione suddenly pictured Kreacher or Winky with a blonde elf wig such as Orlando Bloom had worn in the movie adaptations. She couldn't help laughing a bit at that image.

Ivy joined her laughter. "No, indeed. Imagine house-elves as noble as the elves in the story."

Hermione bristled a little at this. "House-elves may not be as lordly as elves, but I have known them to be very noble."

"Of course you have, Hermione." Septima smiled gently at her. "That's because you treat them with nobility."

Sybill suddenly gasped, her eyes opened very wide behind her glasses. "I predict," she said dramatically, "that Tom Bombadil will play an important role in the future of the ring."

Hermione bit her lip to stop the laughter from bubbling up but said, "He did seem to be unaffected by its power."

"I didn't like that section," Professor Binns's voice floated over from the end of the table where he sat. "The barrow-wights give ghosts a bad name."

"They were far more like Inferi than ghosts, Cuthbert. I doubt any of us thought of you during that section," Severus reassured him. The others murmured their agreement.

"So, the story will move along better in the next section?" Ivy asked. "I'm sure Severus will agree that our time is precious to us." She gave Severus a little smile. Severus nodded.

Our time? Does she spend a lot of time with Severus? Something about the thought of Ivy and Severus rankled, but Hermione ignored that and answered, "There will still be a lot of travelling all the way through the story, but the action does pick up from here on out."

Hermione was feeling out of sorts after Ivy's last remark, so she said, "Why don't we call it a night? Thanks to everyone for your discussion. We'll read Book Two for next time. Would the first Friday night in November work for everyone? Did you enjoy the structure of tonight's meeting?" Seeing general agreement from her colleagues, Hermione said, "All right, we'll operate the same way at the next meeting. Good night, everyone."

The book club members started filing out of her sitting room. Pomona, Septima and Minerva remained behind. "Let us help you clean up, Hermione," Pomona offered.

"Thanks. That's nice of you." The ladies started cleaning up what little mess there was. The book club members had been considerate about cleaning up after themselves.

Minerva said, "I don't want you to have to pay for things like this with your own money. We'll ask the club members for donations and pay for the rest out of the school budget."

"Are you doing the same thing in James's club? I don't want any special treatment," Hermione answered.

"When have you ever known me not to be fair? I will send a note out to the club members explaining the situation."

"I'll try to come up with a proposed budget so that you have some idea of how much I'm thinking about."

"That will be very helpful, Hermione." The cleanup accomplished, Minerva said, "There are enough bottles of ale for us each to have one more. May we, Hermione?"

"That would be lovely. I'd like to hear your feedback about the meeting tonight. Let's sit over by the fireplace." Taking their drinks, they sat on the sofas and chairs on the other side of the room.

"I think the meeting went really well, Hermione," Pomona offered.

"We never really got into any organised discussion of the deeper elements of the story," Hermione objected.

"I'm not sure you would have wanted to do that too much at the first meeting. Everyone had something to contribute to the discussion, so you can tell they're interested."

"Some people had too much to contribute," Septima said darkly.

"No, Severus really did have a valid point about the pace of Book One," Hermione said. "He only commented so strongly because of a discussion we had about Muggle and wizarding cultures at the Remembrance Banquet."

"And Ivy?" Septima prodded. "Do you have an excuse for Ivy's remarks?"

"Oh, Ivy is just a spiteful cat." Minerva sounded almost as annoyed as Septima. "And believe me, I know spiteful cats."

"You and your cat jokes, Minerva." Pomona shook her head but smiled at her friend.

"You've never talked with Mrs. Norris for any length of time. Now, there is a spiteful cat. But you won't get me off the subject so easily. Ivy is probably being spiteful to you, Hermione, because you're the other young female staff member. She had a crush on Severus when she was a student, and she's apparently decided to try again now that she's an adult and Severus is a relatively wealthy, decorated war veteran."

Hermione sat speechless as she contemplated that Ivy would feel jealous of her. Septima asked, "Oh, has the Wizengamot finally released Severus's inheritance from Albus?"

"Yes," Minerva answered, "but that was just a competency so Severus wouldn't be a pauper in the event he survived the war. When he was discovered to be the last surviving descendant of the Prince family and inheritor of the Prince estate, he moved into the state of being relatively wealthy."

"I thought Septimius Prince disowned Eileen when she married Tobias," Pomona pondered. "Severus used to hate him."

"It turned out that old Septimius was right about Tobias, didn't it?" Minerva answered. "Severus grew to understand why the old man made that choice."

"Wait a minute," Hermione interrupted. "Ivy had a crush on Professor Snape?"

Minerva gave her an amused look that seemed to say, Keep up with the conversation, Granger. "I suppose you have a hard time understanding that attraction since Severus was always rather cruel to you, Harry and Ron," responded Minerva. "But Ivy was in Slytherin House, and... well, there is something about Severus that is rather fascinating. He catches the eye." Minerva looked rather abashedly at Pomona and Septima for support. They both nodded their agreement.

"I wish the poor boy could find some happiness. He deserves it after all those years of spying," commented Pomona.

"Do you think Severus liked her?" asked Hermione.

"He didn't even notice her when she was a student; he was still in love with Lily Potter," Minerva answered.

"And now? Do you think he would fall in love with her now?" Hermione found herself quite curious about Severus's personal life, although she wasn't quite sure why.

"I don't think Ivy is the one for him. She has no understanding of how the war changed him," Minerva said.

Her tone of voice doesn't sound very certain, though, Hermione thought.

"Men don't always make the wisest decisions when it comes to who would be the best woman for them." Septima's words echoed the worry in Minerva's tone.

After a moment, Pomona changed the subject. "What about our Hermione here? We need to find someone for her." Oh no, not well-meaning match-making! "Not Severus, dear...don't look so petrified. You're far too serious with all you took on as a child during the war. You need someone to make you laugh, and Severus is not that sort of person."

"All our young fellows are taken," mused Septima. "James is married, and Neville is dating Hannah Abbott."

"You'll have to take this conversation somewhere else," Hermione said as lightly as she could. "I refuse to listen to you discuss this in front of me. I'm shaking in fear of who you'll try to set me up with."

Laughing, the trio of ladies...mother hens, really...bid her a good night. Yawning, Hermione warded her door and put out the lights in the sitting room. Going through to the bedroom, she thought back on the conversation. They are dear ladies, but I may have to set up some boundaries.

The discussion on Severus had been intriguing, she thought as she got ready for bed. It was true that Severus always caught her eye. She had attributed that to leftover feelings of fear and caution from her student days. Fascinating, though? Well, maybe she could understand the fascination of his graceful movements and swirling robes. His eyes were so dark...

She climbed into bed, quite drowsy after the last bottle of ale. She spelled the room to darkness. Lying down, her last thoughts were of swirling, black fabric and intense, black eyes.

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Author's Note: The words and images of The Lord of the Rings belongs to the estate of J.R.R. Tolkien and New Line Cinema. Chapter titles in this story are taken from The Lord of the Rings.