Chapter Two

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters; I own only the plot!

Chapter Two

For All The Love In The World

McGonagall almost ran to the library in search of Hermione. She swept around the shelves and even went into the Restricted Section, which Hermione, being Head Girl, was entitled to go in. But she found nothing.

Hermione held her breath as she watched her Head of House search for her. She looked around the room she was in and smiled.

She remembered when she had found this room; she had tripped over some books left on the floor whilst running from Ron and had braced herself for impact with the wall. Instead of falling against it, however, she had fallen through it, into the hidden room.

It had been disgusting, totally filthy, and it had taken her hours to clean. But it had been worth it. There seemed to be several charms on the room, for which she was glad.

Now she knew of the room, it recognised her, and though it was still hidden to others, the opening to the room was clear for her to see as she entered the library. There was a Silencing charm set up, which made it a quiet safe-haven, and she was sure if she made a noise, no one would hear her either. She didn't want to test that theory, though, in case she was wrong.

***

McGonagall cursed under her breath. There was something wrong; she had been worried about Hermione for a while now, and what Harry and Ron had said confirmed that there was definitely something amiss. "Albus, you fool, why didn't you listen to me?"

"I never knew we felt the same way about the old man." McGonagall scowled as Snape sat gracefully in a chair with a book on potions.

"Why are you here? You have all the books you need in your office; most of these barely reach NEWT level."

"True, it is disgraceful. But I am having fun tailing you; being flustered doesn't suit you, Minerva."

"Not now, Severus," she returned, exasperated.

"Backing down from a contest? I am shocked, Minerva, the lioness finally loses a battle without a fight."

"Severus, shut up, you... you... urgh... just get out of my sight." McGonagall threw her hands in the air, frustration clearly showing in her features.

"Well, if the lioness isn't back in the fight with a sting."

"If you aren't helping, Severus, you are part of the problem."

He sighed and raised an eyebrow in his typical fashion.

"Well, well, well. A problem a Gryffindor can't solve. If you want help, you are going to have to ask for it."

"You are insufferable, Severus."

"Well, as I can see you don't need my help, I will be off. I have actual work to do."

"Severus, help me find Hermione."

"Miss Granger? You are getting this worked up over Miss Granger? Why are you worried about that little know-it-all?"

"She... it is not important. It is something that I need to discuss with her. Not you. Now are you going to help me or not?"

"She is in here."

"Severus, as you can plainly see, she is not. I have been all over the library. Unless she is invisible, I don't see how she can be in here."

"There are many hidden rooms and corridors in the castle... some even the Headmaster is unaware of, you know."

"There's a hidden room in here?"

"I believe there are four, one for each House."

"Where are they?"

"I know only of the Slytherin one; it has been of great use for many years and is quite comfortable. I don't believe the other rooms have been found by a student for well over fifty years."

"That is no help, Severus."

"She can't hear us, but she will be able to see us, so she won't accidentally come out for you to see." Severus dropped his head so that his hair fell across his face. "You shall have to be a snake to catch her."

"But..."

"Come, Minerva." He lifted his head. "Let's leave." He made a show of offering her his arm and walking out. Hermione sighed in relief.

***

Snape and McGonagall stood outside the library. "What are we doing out here? I was in Gryffindor, why can't I go in and get her?"

"Because you need to find the room first, and you need to be in need of it, like an emergency, to find it on your own. That is why there is one for each House."

"Well, how is standing here going to help?" She was silenced by Snape pulling her into his cloak and sinking into the shadows.

"Bloody stupid!" Hermione muttered as she passed them. "Can't leave me be. Making me late. It's enough to drive anyone crazy. Fucking stupid!"

"Twenty points from Gryffindor for such foul language." Hermione stifled a scream as she spun around.

"Professor, you scared me." A look of fear flickered in her eyes as McGonagall stepped around Snape, glaring at him.

"Was that really necessary, Severus?"

"I believe it was, Minerva. We can't allow the Head Girl to go around cursing, can we now?"

McGonagall scowled and turned to Hermione, who had backed against the far wall. "Miss Granger, come with me, I need to talk to you."

"I, I can't. I need to, I need to... I'm going to be late to my meeting with... Draco."

"Draco? Since when do you call Mr Malfoy 'Draco'?" McGonagall questioned.

"Since he, since he..." Snape narrowed his eyes as he saw her shirt begin to glow, or rather, something under her shirt begin to glow. "I'm going to be late."

The dark potions professor stepped towards Hermione. "Miss Granger, it appears your shirt is glowing."

The look of horror that crossed over her face confirmed it was something connected to Draco.

"I need to go. I'm late."

"You didn't answer my question, Miss Granger."

"You didn't ask a question, Professor."

"Bloody know-it-all. Ten points..."

"Severus! She is quite right; you didn't ask her a question. Is this how my House loses most of its points?"

"Miss Granger, why is your shirt glowing?" Snape ignored McGonagall's question, keeping his sharp eyes on Hermione.

"It's my timer." Hermione cringed in pain. He watched her hand twitch as though to remove the offending object.

"Timer? A timer for what, Miss Granger?"

"My timer so that I am not late for... anything." She bit her lip and clenched her fists. Tears sprung to her eyes as she waited for their dismissal of her.

"Well, I'm sure Mr Malfoy won't mind you being a bit late..." McGonagall began.

"NO!" Hermione screamed as she reached beneath her shirt and touched the glowing object. "I need to go now." She began moving down the corridor.

"Miss Granger, where do you think you are going?" Snape stepped towards her.

"I need to go, I need to go, now!" The tears that had previously threatened to fall now started to flow down her cheeks. "I'm sorry, Professor McGonagall, Professor Snape." She turned and fled down the corridor.

McGonagall watched in shocked silence as Hermione turned a corner, and jumped when Snape spoke.

"I believe we need to speak to Mr Malfoy."

"Why?"

"Did you not notice Miss Granger's shirt glowing?"

"No, I was too busy watching her face to see if she was lying."

"When she spoke of Mr Malfoy, whatever she was wearing under it started to glow. If it is what I fear it is, we don't have long."

"Severus, you are scaring me. What are you talking about?"

"Has Miss Granger been performing well in class?"

"Her essays are up to her usual standard," McGonagall said thoughtfully, "however, now I think of it, her spells seem less powerful as of late. They haven't been lasting long, but I put it down to her being distracted."

"And Mr Malfoy?"

"He seems stronger." McGonagall frowned. "I assumed he had been studying harder."

"I believe he is draining Miss Granger's magic."

"What? Why would he do that?"

"Because, Minerva, in case you have not noticed, we are on the eve of war. Miss Granger is obviously seen as a great threat to the Dark Lord."

"But I thought it would be-"

"Potter? The Dark Lord wants Potter to be left for himself."

"But why would-"

"She is his best friend and, as much as I hate to admit it, she is a clever witch who has power of a magnitude even she has not yet realised."

"We need to find her."

"Indeed." Snape started off in the opposite direction to which Hermione had taken.

"Where are you going? Aren't you going to help me?"

"I am going to where I believe they are."

"But she went that way." McGonagall pointed in the direction Hermione had taken.

Snape paused mid-stride to answer her. "I know a short-cut. There is only one place that they could be."

Snape began walking away again, leaving McGonagall to follow behind.

"Where?"

"It is not a place you would know of; it's a Slytherin thing."

"Bloody Slytherins!"

"If it wasn't for the dire need to find Miss Granger, I would walk away from this right now, at that comment."

"I apologise, Severus. It was not directed solely at you."

"Here." McGonagall turned to where Snape had been, but he was gone.

"Severus?"

"Come along, Minerva. Surely you can recognise a fake wall when you see one."

McGonagall slowly walked through the wall to her right and gasped. She could feel a multitude of spells working around her.

"Welcome to the Slytherin Chamber for--"

Suddenly, a loud voice echoed throughout the chamber. "CRUCIO!"

***

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And thank you again to my beta, snarkyroxy!