The Screwtape Letters

Chapter Sixteen – The Screwtape Letters

After Hermione had determined that it was possible to help the Weasleys, Albus had decided that Severus must accompany her to the library on a daily basis. The slide from Albus's cottage and the subsequent sneak to the third floor tapestry had been removed for his sake, and instead a Portkey had been installed in a portrait of Fawkes.

Remembering her vow to Dobby, she formed a plan to make Severus eat. She started by sending an owl to her mother for advice. Samantha Granger had years of experience in bending stubborn men to her will, having dealt with her husband's tenacity for nigh on a quarter century.

Her mother's return owl was swift and contained a single piece of advice. That day, Hermione started taking her lunch to the Order's library, telling Ron and Harry that she needed the time to work on her "independent project." Ron had believed her immediately, but Harry had given her a piercing look that led her to believe he knew more than he let on.

She'd also informed the Headmistress of her plans, knowing that her daily absence from the Great Hall would not go unnoticed. Professor McGonagall had been reading from a long list and muttering to herself and simply nodded in agreement when Hermione told her of her plans.

**

Severus scowled at the plate of roast beef sandwiches. "What is that?"

"Lunch," Hermione said, working her way through a stack of books with a sandwich in one hand. Following her mother's advice, she didn't even look up when he came in the room.

"And where, you idiot woman, did you get the idea that I needed lunch?"

"I didn't. I brought my lunch up here, and the house-elves packed too much food. There are extras if you want any," she said absently, putting down the sandwich and picking up a large tome on Advanced Divination. That's odd, she thought. Wonder why the Mirror gave me that useless piece of garbage?

"I think not," Severus replied haughtily.

A few moments later, movement in her peripheral vision alerted her to the fact that Severus had taken a sandwich and settled down with a book on blood magic. She smiled to herself, happy that her mother's plan had worked so well. She decided to look through the book on Advanced Divination, figuring if the Mirror had put it out there may be something useful in it.

**

"I've been thinking," she said.

"Stop the presses, summon the Wizengamot! Hermione Granger is thinking!" Severus said, though she thought she heard a bit of good humor behind the jibe.

"I'm serious! I have an idea. This book –"

"– Is that Fortunes Fair and Foul? I thought you'd dropped Divination."

"I did, but if you would listen, I'd tell you I found something," she said exasperatedly. He waved at her to continue, so she did. "Muggles and wizards alike have experimented with a concept called astral projection. It allows – "

"I know what astral projection is. Out-of-body experiences have been documented in the past, and it's all considered to be absolute rubbish. If you're interested in wasting your time with that nonsense, though, there's only one person you can ask."

She knew the answer before he even said it.

Professor Trelawney.

**

A whiff of cooking sherry alerted Hermione that the dreaded professor was approaching. Professor Trelawney always went to meals late – when she came at all – and Hermione had waited at lunchtime hidden in an alcove below the North Tower to catch the professor on her way down to the Great Hall. It was the only time of day she wasn't surrounded by a gaggle of giggling sycophants – and Hermione showing up in Professor Trelawney's office asking questions about the Divine would have caused some undue attention.

Passing by the alcove where Hermione hid, the professor called out, "Miss Granger! The Eye told me to expect you on this day. I See that you are more receptive to the pathways of the Art. Perhaps you have come to resume your learning?" she asked, waving her arms in what she clearly thought was a mystical manner as Hermione stepped out of her hiding spot.

"Actually, Professor, I did have a question," she said, checking to make sure they were alone. "Have you ever heard of something called astral projection?"

"Of course, my dear child! Those of us with the Sight often travel within the world of ether." She flung her arms wide, crying dramatically, "Come! This is not the place to speak of such things, for who knows what evil lurks in the darkness."

Suppressing an inner groan, Hermione turned, expecting to follow Professor Trelawney to her office with its ever present, eye-smarting cloud of incense. Instead, the professor continued on the way she had been traveling. Thinking that the cooking sherry was finally turning her brain, she asked, "Professor? Isn't your office upstairs?"

The withering look the batty professor shot in her direction would have killed a Venomous Tentacula. She wisely decided to hold her tongue as they traveled down to the library and continued into the Restricted Section with not so much as a glance upward from Madam Pince.

Hermione closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, enjoying the musty smell of old parchment. The cooking sherry, however, ruined the experience, and she opened her eyes to find Professor Trelawney looking at her searchingly. When she spoke, her voice had lost its normal airy-fairy tones and was much more businesslike.

"Many come to me asking for the secrets of the ether. I send them on their way with the usual rubbish that has been written on the subject, and that is that. You, however, would not come to me unless your need was dire?"

"Yes. I can't tell you why –"

She was cut off by the older woman, who said, "I know why you ask. I have Seen, and that is why I have brought you here. To travel in the ether is a dangerous thing, and you must bring the man I have Seen, the man of fading fire, up to the task. For reasons I cannot See, he cannot be brought here, so it is you who must show him the way."

Reaching up on one of the shelves, she pulled out a pale blue book that had no title.

"I will give you permission to take this book only if you give your wand-oath to never let it out of your sight and to only give it up if death itself takes you. This is the only known copy of the Book of Aether, and to let it fall into the wrong hands would be disastrous. I am the only professor with permission to lend this book, and it is because you have the soul of a scholar that I lend it."

"I swear," Hermione said, waving her wand in a circular path. Her hand tingled for a moment, and Professor Trelawney handed her the book.

"I'm sure I needn't add that this conversation never happened," the professor said, pulling a small bottle of cooking sherry out of her robes and splashing it on as if it were perfume.

"Of course, Professor. But since this conversation never happened, may I ask... why all this?" she asked, gesturing towards the bangles and the bottle of cooking sherry.

The professor, however, was on her way out of the Restricted Section and didn't reply.

**

"Sybil's not as batty as she comes off," Severus said when she asked him. "Kook is the Trelawney family byword, though, and she's got it down to an art. She puts out the perception that she drinks and is a bit mad because she doesn't want people to bother her. Imagine a smart, capable, sane Seer. People would be flocking to them all the time for advice, fortunes, and what-have-you. Only people who are truly interested in Divination for the art's sake will put up with Sybil for long, True Seer or not. What did she give you?"

When she showed him the book, Severus looked impressed, but did not comment on it. Instead, he asked her if she would be willing to forgo their daily research. It seemed that the shipment of Venus Fly Trap plants had arrived, and he was ready to begin treating them with the modified Amortentia. She agreed, eager to begin reading the Book of Aether. Together they activated the Portkey to Albus's cottage.

**

Hermione closed the book with a sigh. This was going to be much harder than she had thought. The problem was not getting Arthur out of his body. The problem was getting him to return to it. He had to be bound to this plane of existence, and his body had to be protected from outside influences. Evil spirits could inhabit the still-living body while its occupant was in the ethereal plane.

To bind him to this world, they needed every member of his immediate family to willingly participate – including Percy. She hadn't seen Percy since last year. He hadn't even come to visit when the rest of the family had been notified of the attack.

She rose from the comfortable armchair she had ensconced herself in, stretching to work the kinks out of stiff muscles. Her tea was cold and the house was silent. Padding through the house and down a small flight of stairs, she entered Albus's basement-turned-laboratory to find Professor Snape hovering over a steaming cauldron, the table behind him covered with pots full of the spiny Venus Fly Traps.

**

An update! I'm so proud of me. Sorry for not updating sooner; things have been busy!

The Screwtape Letters is one of my favorite C.S. Lewis works. It is a series of letters from an older demon to his nephew on how to best damn his human charge.

Thanks to my betas, WickedlyWanton and Sevariger.