The Nine Situations

Disclaimer: Nothing you recognize belongs to me. Just borrowed. Will be returned. Snape is welcome to stay, though.

A big Thank You goes to my beta-reader and brit-picker, Melusin, who transfers my babble into language, sorts my random punctuation and is a good friend.

Chapter 21 – The Nine Situations

26. Prohibit the taking of omens, and do away with superstitious doubts. Then, until death itself comes, no calamity need be feared.

65. If the enemy leaves a door open, you must rush in.

66. Forestall your opponent by seizing what he holds dear, and subtly contrive to time his arrival on the ground.

(Sun Tzu, The Art of War, XI. The Nine Situations)

When Hermione and Severus were ready to face the world again the next morning, the time for breakfast had long since passed. Hermione felt ravenous and was relieved when Nectarius Flume offered them an early lunch instead.

"Are you going back to Nan Guthan?" he asked while they ate.

"Yes," Severus replied. "I shall have to report very soon to, ah, my employer and that could take a while with Bellatrix wanting to play interrogator again. Do you want us to take something back?"

"Several people who weren't at Bee's wedding would like to send a few things, all packed and shrunk, of course. And the Malfoys have a parcel for their son."

"All right, tell them to have everything ready in fifteen minutes. We'll have a cup of tea, and then we have to go," Severus said and looked at Hermione. His eyes were crinkled in the way that, as she knew, was hiding a smile.

"When are we going to get... you know?" she asked after Nectarius Flume had left them.

"When I get back from, ah, him. Hopefully, early tomorrow. We'll have to check our gear, and I want to get my spare wand for Underground work...one that can't be traced by Wormtail."

Hermione looked at him worriedly. "Do you think Bellatrix will make trouble?"

"It wouldn't be the first time she's tried. I'll manage." Severus stood up and took a bag from Flume, who had returned together with the Malfoys and Lola LaFolle.

Lola hugged Hermione and Severus; the Malfoys' goodbyes were more reserved. Flume took a cup from the table, cast a Portus spell on it, and after touching and activating it, Hermione and Severus were transported right to the Broom cave that led to Nan Guthan.

Before she could gather her wits, Severus had kissed her goodbye and left for the meeting with Voldemort. She grabbed one of the brooms and went to the caves.

---

The next few hours seemed to stretch like elastic as Hermione waited and worried. When Severus finally returned, he looked exhausted but smug; apparently, Voldemort had believed his story that he'd been tracking an Order member, which, technically, wasn't even a lie. Bellatrix had been furious, but that was to be expected, and overall, things had gone well. Severus had maintained his status as Voldemort's trusted advisor and could therefore continue counselling patience, as he always did.

They were lying on Hermione's bed; he had moved in with her as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Hermione hugged him tightly. It wouldn't do to tell him just how worried she'd been, but she wanted to reassure herself that he was really back and in one piece. When she tried to tell him how much she loved him, however, he silenced her with a kiss.

"Don't say it. You'll be glad you didn't when all this is over, and you're still alive and want to find somebody else."

"Oh, I see. So you think I'm using you as my bed warmer until I find someone better? And is that what you're planning, too? Dropping me for someone else?"

He stroked her cheek. "I'm not a complete fool, you know."

Hermione's snort was rather unladylike. She wasn't discouraged, nor was she worried or saddened by his diversionary tactic. She knew her own heart, and she was quite certain about Severus' feelings for her, although, she couldn't have explained why. Her insecurity had vanished; she knew that this wasn't some casual fling but went a lot deeper. Just how deep those feelings went didn't have to be explored right now. He is right about that, she thought. We have a war to win first. Hermione would take from him whatever he was willing to give her, and she'd give him her heart in return. Later, they'd hopefully have time to sort everything out.

"Tomorrow, we shall search for the cup," Severus whispered after they had made love once more. "Tell me what you know about it."

Hermione lifted her head from his chest, looking into his eyes. "See for yourself,"

They cast Legilimens on each other, and Hermione showed him what she had learned from Harry about the cup, and what she'd found out through her research in the wizarding archives.

"Blimey," Severus muttered, "I know exactly where that bloody cup is hidden."

"So that means that we'll have them all very soon?" A shudder ran down Hermione's spine, and she felt goose pimples raise all over her skin. This was it. All the searching would come to an end, and they'd have to come up with an idea for getting rid of Voldemort once and for all. And then they had to tell Harry and Ron...

Severus looked at her thoughtfully while he twisted a strand of her hair around his fingers. "It would appear so, apart from the snake. It's never far from him."

"Nagini will be the last one to be dealt with. If we find out how to destroy a Horcrux..."

"Yes. But first we must get the cup."

"How do we get into Borgin and Burkes unnoticed? Do you have a plan?"

"I do have a plan, but now we must get some sleep." He kissed her passionately, and Hermione felt the heat rise within her once again. She was delighted that Severus seemed to want her just as much as she wanted him.

"Maybe we can delay the sleeping for a bit," she whispered while he kissed the nape of her neck.

"Agreed."

---

"This is your house?"

"Technically, it's my mother's house, but she hasn't been here in years."

"I see." Hermione had to bite her tongue not to ask all the questions suddenly surfacing in her mind. She'd never thought about his parents; she'd just assumed that they were both dead. Apparently, she'd been wrong, and she wanted to know more.

Severus' lips twisted, obviously aware of her curiosity.

Of course he would be, she thought. He knew her too well.

"There's a Vanishing Cabinet in the cellar. It is connected to Borgin and Burke's."

"And we waltz right in, just like that?" Hermione asked incredulously.

Severus gave her a dirty look. "Yes."

Hermione took a deep breath. "All right, give. Obviously, I'm lacking some essential information, here."

"My gran Prince's uncle was Caractacus Burke, the founder of the shop. His son, Caradoc, runs it now, together with Mr. Borgin. I went there often, as a child."

"I see. That's why...?"

"Yes, that's why. That's also how I know my way around the alarms and traps. In fact, I've been helping Uncle Caradoc to set some new alarms up. They are quite efficient against all kinds of intruders, legal or otherwise."

"Doesn't that mean they'd register us, too? Are you're sure we won't be found out? I mean, he may be your great-uncle, but..."

Severus raised an eyebrow. "Trust me. Uncle Caradoc knows about my, ah, association even if he pretends not to. He isn't really all that interested in my comings and goings."

Hermione nodded. "Makes sense." She breathed deeply and followed him into the Vanishing Cabinet. Going through the cabinet was an odd feeling, something of a mixture between Apparition and Floo travel. She felt slightly nauseated by the time Severus beckoned her to step out.

The room they arrived in was dark. Severus had been right when he'd told her that, late at night, no one would be in the shop; it was just an ordinary shop in Knockturn Alley, after all.

After crossing the room (one of the storerooms, judging from the many shelves with books and artifacts), he tapped his wand on the door. It opened without a sound. A few whispered spells revealed a three-dimensional cage of shining lines in the next room. "A conventional anti-theft trap," Severus murmured.

"All right," Hermione whispered while she carefully followed Severus' steps along a safe pathway that wound its way through the maze of shimmering lines.

He stopped in front of another door and opened that one just as effortlessly as the first. There were stairs behind the door leading down to a lower level. Hopefully, not the Borgin and Burke's version of the dungeons, Hermione thought. They arrived in a large room with more shelves, clearly another, even larger, storage area. Severus touched a board on one of the shelves with his wand, murmured a spell, and it moved aside. After they'd stepped through the door that had been revealed, the shelf closed behind them.

"This is the outer chamber of the vault. Follow closely," Severus said. He pointed at the centre of the beautiful Roman mosaic on the floor, carefully stepped on it and vanished.

Hermione swallowed, worried briefly if that hidden door would let her pass as well and stepped onto the design. With a low shriek, she fell down a hole that hadn't been there a moment before and slipped down a steep slide. With an oomph, she landed on a heap of carpets, placed strategically to break the fall.

"Having fun?" Severus asked and smirked. He was standing in front of what looked like a dolls' house in a room that could only be described as a treasure chamber. There were glittering rings and necklaces, piles of Galleons, crystal goblets, gemstones, oriental carpets and a lot more. Hermione blinked.

"This is the secret vault." Severus smiled when he saw her astonished look. "And we have to shrink ourselves once again." He handed her the potion, and after they'd reduced their sizes, they used their equally shrunken brooms to fly to the entrance of the dolls' house.

"This was my favourite hiding place as a child," Severus told her. "Shrinking Solution was one of the first potions I learned to brew...long before I went to Hogwarts."

"This is amazing..." Hermione was overwhelmed. The dolls' house was a perfect miniature palace; every room was furnished with tiny antique furniture and held precious treasures in shrunken form. They passed through a few of the rooms until Severus stopped in something that looked like a dining room. He opened one of the tiny but perfectly functional cupboards and took something out.

"Here's the cup." He handed it to Hermione.

"I can't believe it," she whispered. She was holding Helga Hufflepuff's cup in her hands, a beautiful golden cup, decorated with the image of a badger. She shuddered when she thought how something so beautiful could be desecrated and transformed into something as evil as a Horcrux. She put the cup into her knapsack and followed Severus out of the dolls' house.

"We'd better get back to Appin as soon as possible," Severus told her while they carefully navigated the traps and secret doors again. "But we'll not return to Spinner's End. It's too risky. The Aurors are still keeping an eye on it, even though they aren't all that attentive, as you've noticed."

"Can't we Apparate from here?" Hermione asked.

"We could, but the noise could alert someone. We don't want anyone to suspect that someone has been here," he murmured. "We'll Disillusion ourselves, walk to the next Apparition point in Diagon Alley and then Apparate to the front of Grimmauld Place."

"Grimmauld Place? Isn't that rather dangerous?"

"Shouldn't be," Severus said while he cast the charm on her. "The Order doesn't use it any longer because I know of its existence, and the Fidelius Charm is still intact."

---

Hermione was very tired when they eventually arrived back in Nan Guthan, late at night, via a circuitous route. They had indeed found Grimmauld Place uninhabited. Lighting a fire, they had first travelled by Floo to the private rooms of Aberforth Dumbledore in Hogsmeade. From there, they had Apparated to the Broom Cave at the Fidelius Charm-protected border of Nan Guthan. A short broom ride later, they'd finally been greeted by Hannah Abbott in the watch cave.

Severus seemed to be just as tired as her since he barely managed to step out of his shoes and socks and to shrug off his clothes. He fell onto the bed and was instantly asleep. Grinning, Hermione went through the most basic of her evening hygiene routine, snuggled up to him and covered both of them with a blanket. He was already snoring softly when she fell asleep as well.

---

Waking up next to Severus was something she'd never take for granted, Hermione thought, when she woke up the next morning and found his arms wrapped around her. He was looking at her with a thoughtful expression but chuckled when she yawned.

"We'll have to decide how to proceed," he said when she had settled back in his arms, her head on his chest; this was quickly becoming her favourite place to rest while they talked.

"We'll have to tell Harry and Ron that we now have all the Horcruxes except for the snake. That means, we'll have to tell them about the Underground," Hermione said.

Severus flinched. "I'm not convinced that that would be a wise choice. Potter will lose the little sanity he possesses when he sees you alive...and with me, no less. He'll rant and rave and make everything impossibly difficult. He can't be relied upon; he's irrational and unstable. He's..."

"Stop it, Severus, please!" Hermione had expected something like this. Severus' attitude towards Harry would not make things any easier. It would be difficult enough to convince Harry that she was really alive, and Severus wasn't following some sinister plot. "Harry has to know. He has to face You-Know-Who. Riddle will see to that because of that darn prophecy, even if Harry were to try to avoid a direct confrontation. He can use his energy for better things than searching for Horcruxes, now. We must all find a way to destroy the things."

Severus glared at her. "Potter won't help us with it. We found the Horcruxes without him; we'll find a way to destroy them without him."

"Perhaps, and perhaps not. But we'll have to tell him; he has to know. And if you really want to lead Riddle into a trap, we'd better start planning..." She looked pensive. "But how can we tell them? Can they be bound by the same contract we are? Should we recruit them to the Underground? Otherwise, wouldn't we be Petrified because of our own contract?"

"I didn't sign the contract." Severus smirked at her in that way that made her heart beat faster.

"You didn't? But why...?"

"Think. If I were bound by the same contract as you are, even a half-truth about the Underground would Petrify me. That'd not be very advantageous while I'm in his presence."

"Oh... I understand. No, that would be far too risky... But that means that you could tell them, even if I cannot. Perhaps they don't need to sign a magical contract then, after all. I doubt that they'd agree to that, anyway..."

Severus sighed. "How do you plan on going about it? Would you have me Petrify Potter first?"

Hermione giggled. "That may not be the worst idea... Perhaps you should pose as Perry once again and lead them to Perry's office? Once there, with silencing and protection spells in place, you can tell them what's going on. All three of them: Harry, Ron and Luna, I mean. Think we can manage three of them between us?"

"Petrify all three of them?" he asked, giving her a hopeful look and getting rewarded with a slight slap on his arm.

"Very well, then. I bow to your logic and better understanding of your friends. We shall do as you wish, but I don't like it." Severus flinched and lay back, staring at the ceiling. Hermione stroked his face, loving the feel of his stubble under her hands, and kissed his chin. "You know, Harry isn't really that bad. He isn't stupid, either. Neither is Ron. And Luna––she'll be the first to understand what my being alive means. They'll all understand, eventually. They'll come around. But what worries me more..." She paused and frowned, pulling her lower lip between her teeth.

"What is it?" Severus looked alarmed.

Hermione grimaced. "If Ron learns about the Underground..." She sighed deeply. "He'll be devastated that so many people could be saved, but his mother had to die." She frowned worriedly, her eyes glittering treacherously.

Severus put his arms around her again and pulled her close. "I see. It will be very difficult for the whole family; they're all in the Order. The Order will have to be part of the army, and thus they have to know about the Underground."

"Right." Hermione nodded and swallowed down her tears. "Maybe we should ask Parvati to come, too. Ron can relate to her; she's lost all of her family..."

"Good idea." Severus nodded, still holding her close. "We'll talk to Minerva and arrange a meeting, then. The sooner the better. We have to get things moving. That will give us the element of surprise. If the enemy leaves a door open, you must rush in."

Hermione smiled. "Right. And we'll proceed like this: At first, then, exhibit the coyness of a maiden, until the enemy gives you an opening; afterwards emulate the rapidity of a running hare, and it will be too late for the enemy to oppose you."

Severus' chuckle vibrated up from his chest. Hermione felt it move from his body to hers and shake her slightly. This was better. Severus in a good mood was less likely to hex Harry into next week when he encountered stubborn antagonism, something they could be certain to get from her friend.

---

After consulting Minerva––without telling her about the Horcruxes––they decided to talk to Harry, Ron and Luna in the Order's new headquarters, the Chamber of Secrets. Disguised as Perry Price and the unknown Muggle girl, Severus and Hermione went to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom (Moaning Myrtle had been sworn to secrecy; she had been made a member of the Order before school started, which had made her extraordinarily proud). They opened the password-protected door to the secret passageway, slid down the long slide in the pipes and waited, Disillusioned, for the real Perry Price to bring Hermione's friends to the chamber.

It didn't take long before Perry came down the same way with Harry, Ron and Luna in tow. After he led them to the chamber, Price retreated. "I'll be back in a moment," he said and closed the door. "Now, I'll go and fetch Sibyll," he said to no one in particular, but Severus and Hermione knew that this was their cue.

Ending their respective Disillusionment Charms, they entered the Chamber of Secrets. Severus went in first, closely followed by Hermione.

Ron and Harry leaned against one of the tables in the room, looking at Severus-as-Price expectantly. Luna was studying the statue of Salazar Slytherin attentively.

"Who's this, and what's this about?" Harry asked, pointing at Hermione.

Hermione saw Severus breathe deeply and briefly close his eyes.

"We cannot enter into alliance with neighbouring princes until we are acquainted with their designs. We are not fit to lead an army on the march unless we are familiar with the face of the country--its mountains and forests, its pitfalls and precipices, its marshes and swamps. We shall be unable to turn natural advantages to account unless we make use of local guides."

Hermione watched as Harry frowned and Ron shook his head. Luna turned around and smiled at them.

"What does that tell you, Mr. Weasley?"

"Err..." Ron said, surprised. "Ah, that's from the Nine Situations. Are we supposed to enter into an alliance? With who? And who's that?" He pointed at Hermione. "The local guide?"

Hermione giggled. Ron was a sharp cookie. He had soaked up The Art of War as if it had been written for him.

"Not bad, Weasley," Severus admitted. "But you have to be acquainted with the designs of your allies, and that's why you are here. There are certain things you need to know."

"Like what?" Harry threw in angrily. "Can't you skip the introduction and get to the point? We've had enough quoting. Either give us our lesson or let us go."

"Tut, tut, Potter. Still the angry hothead. All those lessons, and nothing has changed." Severus cast a quick glance at Hermione, who swallowed and nodded. He frowned, took a deep breath and started his explanation.

"There are some things you need to know, but they have to remain a secret for a while longer. Only very few people know about this, and if it were up to me, you wouldn't be told. But since I was persuaded, I have to tell you."

Luna's smile froze on her lips, and both Ron and Harry were frowning. Hermione thought that Severus should finally get to the point; it was not like him to beat around the bush like that. She smiled reassuringly at her friends.

"There is a group of people associated with the Order of the Phoenix. This group is a well-kept secret, and its members are all under a magical contract not to reveal the existence of the group and its whereabouts. That's why I'm the one telling you this, and not the young woman over there. He gestured towards Hermione. "She is a member of the group that is called the Underground, or Dumbledore's Army."

"What?" Harry cried. "Why wasn't I told?"

Hermione saw Severus grind his teeth. "Potter..." he grunted.

"Let him continue," Ron said, putting a hand on Harry's arm in a calming manner and staring at Hermione,

"I would have preferred to subject all of you to a similar magical contract, but I was told that this would be an unrealistic expectation and not necessary. But I promise you this: if one of you betrays the group and gabs about what is said here, I'll hunt you down personally and punish you."

"Nundu!" Hermione hissed.

"Nundu?" Ron said. "What's that about?"

Harry watched the group quietly.

"Nundu, the most dangerous of all the magical beasts," Luna whispered, "except for the Lethifold... But the Lethifold isn't as beautiful."

"It's a code name. What did you think it was?" Severus said impatiently. "But to get to the point... The Underground is a group of people who are believed to be dead to the world. They were Death Eater targets who were rescued, but whose deaths were faked. They live in hiding but are ready to join the Order when the attack against, ah, the enemy starts."

"Believed to be dead?" Ron said, eyes hopeful. "How?"

"It will be revealed. I have to tell you, however, as sad as it makes me, that your mother is not among them, Mr. Weasley. She is one of those we couldn't save. We don't always know in advance."

Ron's face fell. "I see," he whispered. Luna walked over to him and took his hand. She stared at Hermione with a very thoughtful frown.

"Dumbledore?" Harry whispered hopefully.

"No," Severus said.

"Hermione?" Ron whispered, wide-eyed.

About time, too, Hermione thought, that one of them remembered her.

"Yes," Severus said with a small smirk and nodded at her. She took the phial with the antidote out of her pocket, added her own hair, and transferred back into her real self.

"What is this?" Harry said, suspicion written all over his face. "You want us to believe that this is the real Hermione after that woman's just swallowed Polyjuice Potion?"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Polyjuice doesn't work with parts of dead people, Harry. How often have I told you that already?"

"Hermione!" Luna cried, a wide smile on her face. "How wonderful to see you alive." She went over to Hermione and hugged her. Hermione returned the embrace, relieved that at least someone was glad that she wasn't dead.

"Right," Ron said. "Right. You are Hermione, or at least she's still alive somewhere. No doubt about that, the body is hers. But how about the mind? How do we know that she isn't under an Imperius Curse? What kind of a scheme is this, Price?"

"Professor Price," Hermione said at the same time as Severus, which made her smile and his lips twitch.

"I really am Hermione." She went over to Ron and whispered something in his ear. Ron blushed and nodded. He whispered something in her ear in return and got a whispered reply.

"It has to be her," he finally said, glancing at Harry. "She knows me too well."

"How cosy," Harry said scathingly. "So that woman there's studied some of Hermione's mannerisms and seen some of her memories. So what? Hermione was killed by Snape. Are we supposed to believe that he didn't really kill her? Snape? He'd have noticed if he'd been fooled. You can say what you like about Snape, but he can put two and two together. He fooled Dumbledore for years, remember."

Hermione sighed. It was now or never. "Actually, he never fooled Professor Dumbledore, Harry, since he's always been on our side. He's been a triple spy, and while everyone thinks he's a criminal and murderer, he's really been on our side, helping us." She nodded at Severus-as-Price, who had taken out his own phial with the antidote and swallowed it. A moment later, Severus Snape stood before them.

"Snape!" Harry yelled and whipped out his wand. Everything seemed to happen at once. Harry sent one curse after the other towards Severus, but Severus didn't fight back. He merely stepped to the side and jumped to avoid Harry's hexes. Harry grimaced angrily and pointed his wand at Hermione only to quickly aim at Severus again and cast a silent spell. Severus was about to step in front of Hermione but was now hit full force by a Stunner, which nearly knocked him out. Hermione's heart ached when she saw him doubled over, gasping for breath. You could be trained as well as you wanted: the moment you let your emotions direct your movements, you were handicapped. Severus had just demonstrated an unintentional example for that. She'd have to get him to fight back.

While Severus feebly jumped to avoid Harry's next Stunner, Hermione moved towards Severus. Luna and Ron watched wide-eyed.

"Sectumsempra," Harry yelled, pointing his wand at Snape, who jumped to one side, but Hermione had already thrown herself in front of Severus and was fully hit by the curse. With a soft cry, she collapsed, blood spraying from the many deep cuts on her body.

"Petrificus Totalus!" Severus, Ron and Luna cast the spell on Harry simultaneously. Harry fell to the floor with a 'thud'. Severus ran towards Hermione, taking her in his arms.

"Thank you," he said and nodded at Luna and Ron before he passed his wand over Hermione's body and chanted the healing spell that closed the wounds. He took another phial out of his bottomless pocket. "Dittany," he murmured and applied the potion to the cuts.

"I'm okay. It's all right," Hermione whispered, smiling up at Severus, who glared back at her. "But that could have gone better."

"I knew it was a mistake," he growled, conjuring a glass and filling it with a whispered "Aguamenti. Drink this. You need liquids." He held the glass to Hermione's lips. She drank it all down obediently, and he filled the glass again.

"Poor Harry," Hermione said after a while. "This was all too much of a shock for him."

"Perhaps," Ron said, scowling, "But I'd like a good explanation, too. What is this all about? Where is Price? What's with him?" He gestured towards Severus.

"I'm under a magical contract. As long as the three of you don't sign it, I can't tell you. You'll have to listen to Nundu."

"Why do you keep calling him that?"

"Nundu will explain in a moment, but shouldn't we release Harry from the spell first?"

"Not without a few precautions," Severus growled, and ropes flew out of his wand, tying Harry's arms to his Petrified body. Then he released him from the Full Body-Bind.

"I know it is a lot to ask," Hermione said, "but you will have to trust us. Why don't you let Nundu tell you all you have to know first?"

Ron nodded; Harry glared but didn't say anything. As if on cue, the door opened, and Perry Price with Parvati and Minerva McGonagall in tow walked in.

"I see that they know," Perry said, glancing at the ropes around Harry. "Didn't take it all that well, did they?"

"You know about this?" Harry cried accusingly, staring from Price to McGonagall. "And what's she got to do with it all?" He pointed his chin at Parvati who, of course, looked like Sibyll Trelawney.

Hermione sighed while they all sat down, and Minerva told the whole story of the Underground, about how it all started and about how they were now ready and waiting to fight at the side of the Order. Parvati completed the tale by telling how she had lost her family and how Severus and Hermione had saved her life.

Ron had stared from one to the other; his expression had changed from shock to thoughtfulness to hope. Luna had listened with shining eyes, nodding from time to time. Apparently to her, the Underground made perfect sense. Harry looked stunned and defeated.

"I hope you realise that this is an extraordinary expression of trust, Miss Lovegood, Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley. We never, ever, talk about this to outsiders who haven't agreed to sign the contract," Professor McGonagall said with a stern expression. "I can't stress to you enough how essential it is to keep this a secret. As long as no open fighting has started, I would prefer if you didn't even think about it––unless you'd agree to sign a contract, after all?"

"Hermione there..." Harry's voice was still distrustful while he gestured towards her with his chin, "knows that we know how to keep a secret, don't you?"

"I do, indeed." Hermione nodded and stared back at Harry meaningfully. Harry's eyes widened. He looked scared, all of a sudden, as if a horrible thought had just hit him.

"You haven't told anyone," he whispered hoarsely. "Have you? Hermione, have you?"

"To one person only," Hermione said firmly, shaking her head when she saw how Harry was about to start a rant. "And I kept the secret a lot longer than you two did." She raised an eyebrow and stared from Ron to Luna.

"You know?" Ron asked sheepishly. "Hermione, I..."

"Don't even start to apologise! I understand, and it's all right. I'm glad that you have found each other. I'm just reminding you before Harry starts ranting because I'm not the only one who had to tell the secret to someone else. "

Harry scowled but kept his peace.

"If you have no further questions to ask them," Severus motioned towards Price, Parvati and McGonagall. "They will leave, and we have to talk about that other secret.

"YOU TOLD HIM?" Harry shouted, spittle flying.

"Shut up, Harry, and calm down." Hermione had had enough. "Why don't you listen and think, just for once. We, all of us here, have trusted you with our secret, our lives. We've delivered the lives of many other people into your hands. Severus certainly has; it's his life, too, that's on the line, more than anybody else's, and you have nothing better to do than continue your petty little personal vendetta against a teacher you don't like?"

"TEACHER I DON'T LIKE? HE MURDERED DUMBLEDORE AND BETRAYED MY PARENTS, FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!"

"Mr. Potter," McGonagall said sternly. "We've explained everything to you. Can you not look beyond your personal feelings, for the good of all?"

"You know," Parvati threw in with a frown. "I'm not leaving here before these three have signed some kind of contract. To react like this, after all they were told... The Underground saved my life, saved so many lives, and Harry simply doesn't get it. I didn't expect him to be quite that irrational. I don't think he can be trusted. "

"I CAN'T BE TRUSTED? ME? WHAT IS THIS? A MADHOUSE? HAVE YOU ALL LOST YOUR MINDS?"

"Don't worry. Mr. Potter won't be going anywhere just yet," Severus drawled. He had been watching the goings on with a sneer. "If we have to Obliviate him, we will do so. He should never have been told. I knew it..."

"What?" Ron yelled, "You can't do that. That's mental. Bloody hell..."

"Stop it! All of you, right this minute!" Hermione screeched. She didn't know who had angered her the most: Harry, Ron or Severus. "You two are acting like children," she pointed her finger at Harry and Ron. "And you're not behaving much better, Severus." She glared and he glared back.

"Severus?" Ron asked incredulously. Harry just glared. The other four watched, speechless.

"If you cannot get over your differences while you have a common goal, we may just as well take our wands to ourselves, you know?" Hermione said a bit more calmly. "This isn't James Potter, Severus. He's Harry. He has reasons to distrust you, just as you have reasons to be wary of him. You need to get beyond that, both of you. No one's asked you to become friends, but it should be possible to work together. You're acting like two stags who want show off whose antlers are bigger and don't know any other way than to head-butt."

"Very well said," Luna exclaimed. It earned her a snort from Ron and a grimace from Severus.

"All of us here are on the same side, for crying out loud. We have a war to win. We all have to grow beyond our personal, petty little feelings. You once called me a hypocrite, Severus, when I defended the Gryffindors and didn't see their faults but kept accusing the Slytherins of bias. You were right. I have to overcome that bias, and I understand that. I can't promise that I'll always be following up on this understanding, but I am aware of my faults here. They are my shortcomings and no one else's."

Hermione had worked herself up, now. She stalked up and down, gesturing wildly with her hands, pointing at whomever it was she was addressing. Her hair was flying around her head; her face felt hot, and she thought she must look a right mess, but she didn't care. These things had to be resolved.

"And now it's your turn, Severus. Why don't you try to understand Harry for a change? He was a child when he first met you...when you treated him as if it was his fault his father... was who he was." She looked pleadingly at him; he stared at her with narrowed eyes, his finger slowly stroking his lower lip.

"Leave my father out of this," Harry yelled.

"And you, Harry. You've worked so hard to be in the best shape possible. You want to be prepared; you accepted your task, as horrible as it is. But you don't realise that you were never meant to fight alone. There were always people watching over you. Professor Dumbledore did, and he arranged most of this here to help you. We have, Ron and I, ever since we became friends. And Severus... He may have seemed to be unfair to you, but he always, always, watched over you and protected you. Think about it." She breathed deeply. Suddenly, all the energy left her, and she stood in front of them all, feeling deflated.

"We quote Sun Tzu and discuss strategies, but when it comes to the first enemy we have to beat, the one within ourselves, we've already failed miserably. Is that what we want?"

She was met by silence. She sat down at Severus' side and buried her face in her hands. Before she sat, however, she'd seen his glittering eyes widen for an instant. Maybe all wasn't lost quite yet.

Harry glared at her for a long time. Then he looked at Ron. "What do you think?"

Ron sighed and looked at Luna and then back at his best friend with a half-smile. "If all of this is true––and I am inclined, no, I desperately want to believe them––then we'd better come to terms with each other, all of us. Because if what they say is true, we have an army." His eyes shone. "We have the Order, and we have that secret army, most of them well trained from what I understand?" He looked questioningly at Severus, who nodded. "Then we have a huge advantage. If only we could force the enemy into battle on our terms. If only we didn't have to find..."

"Let's talk about that later," Severus threw in.

"Anyway, it would be a much better chance for victory than we ever dreamed of, Harry. Think about it. You can go back to hating Snape when all this is over."

Everyone laughed except for Harry. At least he didn't look angry any longer, though. Instead, he looked hurt and thoughtful. "I agree to peace, for now, as long as Ron and Luna still think it's a good idea," he said. "I don't think I can trust anyone else here enough." He stared at Hermione, who nodded sadly.

"I understand," she whispered. "But that's good enough for now."

"Not for me," Parvati insisted. "I want some kind of vow from them. Otherwise I won't trust them."

"What did you have in mind?" Luna asked. "An Unbreakable Vow?"

"No, not that. But we have a modified version of the contract every Underground member signs," Perry Price said. He had been mostly studying everyone's reactions during the encounter and had calmed down a very agitated Parvati. "You would basically have to swear that everything that's been revealed to you today is to be kept a secret, and if you talk about it to any unauthorized person, you'll be paralysed by the same Body-Bind Curse as we'd be if we tried."

"And McGonagall and Snape? Why didn't they get Petrified?"

"You could call them the generals, if you will. They are no ordinary soldiers. If we can't trust them, we can't trust anyone. And Severus couldn't sign it...with the difficult task he has with Riddle," Hermione explained. "He can talk his way around anything, and so far he's been able to fool them all, even Bellatrix Lestrange. I saw him do it; it was quite impressive." She grinned at Severus, who smirked at her.

"But if he were incapacitated, Riddle would know immediately that he was under a contract, and all his work would be ruined. His mind couldn't be violated, but he'd be killed on the spot, and Riddle would know that something's going on. Severus has kept his secrets successfully for three years, now. I should think that you could trust him."

"Makes sense," Ron agreed. "That way, he can still explain away minor breaches of security. If he's Petrified as soon as he starts talking about it, there's no hiding any longer."

"Exactly." Hermione beamed at him. "So, will you sign it?"

"Yes," Ron said simply, and Luna nodded.

Harry sighed and nodded as well. "You can release me now, you know. I'll behave."

Once the contracts were signed, Perry, Parvati and Minerva McGonagall left. Hermione leaned back, touching Severus' shoulder, smiling at Harry, who was pacing the room and looking at both of them with mild disgust on his features.

"Perhaps we should send the two of you to a lonely island for a month when all this is over, so you can get to know each other." Hermione snickered when she felt Severus' elbow in her ribs.

"No thanks," Harry muttered.

"I know that this is a lot to ask," Hermione said, "and it was a lot for one day, and more is yet to come, but I really think the two of you should work out your differences. But maybe I'm just being selfish. I'd like the two of you to get along."

Severus merely sighed, and Harry narrowed his eyes. "Don't count on it," he growled.

Hermione leaned back into Severus shoulder and closed her eyes. She had done what she could for now; next, they had to focus on the work they still had to do.

---

"We have all the Horcruxes, except for the snake," Hermione said when Harry finally stopped pacing, and they'd all settled down to talk. "And before you get all worked up about that fact." She frowned at Harry. "Let me tell you that this would never have been possible without Severus' help." She told her three friends how they had found and retrieved the Horcruxes.

"Luna was thinking about Borgin and Burkes as a hiding place for the cup, too," Ron said proudly. "We weren't certain if it was in a Death Eater's vault at Gringotts, or at Borgin and Burkes."

"But that's amazing! What gave you the idea?" Hermione had to suppress a hint of envy; they had managed to get things done without her.

"Luna interviewed the ghosts," Harry explained. "She reasoned that they were around when Riddle was at school and would have known what was going on. They did remember him very well, in fact, and told her lots of anecdotes. He charmed every teacher except one, and everyone was so surprised when he threw away a promising magical career and went to work for Borgin and Burkes instead. We had no idea how to go about finding out where it really was, though."

"The ghosts, but of course!" Hermione exclaimed. "Why didn't I think of that?"

"You don't need to get upset because I had an idea you didn't have, you know?" Luna said with a smile. "You found them, after all."

"Yes." Hermione smiled back. "But we have no idea how to destroy them. Do you?"

"Damn! They haven't been destroyed, yet?" Harry asked angrily.

"We wait with bated breath for your instructions, Potter," Severus said waspishly.

"Peace, you two," Hermione interrupted what looked like yet another spat. "Apparently, you know as little as we do about how to destroy a Horcrux."

"You know that we tried to in the Forbidden Forest, Hermione," Ron said. "But that damned curse got us all confused..."

"Yes. I wish there were books in the library on the subject. How did Professor Dumbledore do it? He did destroy the ring when he was cursed... Did you notice anything, Severus?"

"Nothing unusual," he replied, pinching the bridge of his nose with two fingers. "I was too busy saving his life to wonder about what he'd been doing. He refused to tell me, anyway, when I asked. You saw my memories."

"Yes, and it's too bad that he didn't give Harry a hint."

"If he managed to learn how to destroy those things, we should be able to do it, too," Luna threw in. "The information must be available somewhere."

"I wish we had a room that provides books on demand, just like the Room of Requirement did during your secret DA lessons. Do you remember, Harry?" Ron said longingly.

Four pairs of eyes stared at him.

"What did I say?"

"Ron, you are a genius," Hermione said and took the phial with her Polyjuice Potion out of her pocket, as did Severus with his own. Harry had jumped up and was waiting impatiently by the door. The three friends watched in fascination as the transformed Hermione and Severus performed the stabilising Transfiguration spell on each other. When Severus was Price again and Hermione the Muggle girl, they left the room and hurried to the seventh-floor corridor.

Harry walked up and down in front of the moving tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy with his ballet-dancing trolls, murmuring something under his breath. It took a long while before the secret door appeared on the opposite wall. Impatiently, Ron opened it and rushed in. The others followed more slowly, looking in awe at the cathedral-like room filled with towering walls and alleyways of objects hidden by generations of Hogwarts inhabitants.

"It's all wrong," Harry exclaimed after having looked around. "It didn't work. This is the room where people hide things that shouldn't be found. The room where I hid Snape's Potions book...where the tiara was, and where Malfoy hid the Vanishing Cabinet. Damn, this room can't help us. We're screwed."

"I wouldn't be so certain of that," Severus murmured and stared at the stack of books piled in one corner. It was only a small stack, a fraction of the thousands and thousands of books in the room, but that stack was isolated, inviting, almost beckoning to him. "I know this place." He looked at Harry with a frown. "Your mother used to hide in here and read. She used to have all these ideas about..." He sighed deeply. "She was theorising that Dark spells and rituals merely mimic, are merely mocking, the benevolent spells. She was working on something when we met for the last time. It was something powerful..." He waved his wand over the books and cast a curse-banishing spell before he stooped down and took one from the stack. "Body and Soul: How the Greatest Power of All Holds Them Together," he read.

Hermione had taken another book. "Affection and Affinity. On the Alchemical Wedding."

"Here," Luna said. "Unable to Die and Unable to Live: The Ultimate Choice." She handed the book to Severus who cast another curse detection spell on it and then carefully opened it.

"It's about becoming a vampire... or a werewolf... or a zombie? That's not... no, wait. Here it is: Chapter 21. On the creation of Horcruxes, the moste eville of all magical devices. Defilynge and besmirchynge the moste secret and sacred ritual knowne to wyzardkinde, performed by the moste eville of wizards, the creation of Horcruxes demands a terrible forfeit. A soul so rent asunder may never be entyre again lest it were filled and healed with the greatest power of them all. But prior to this, each parte of the soul must be freed from its confynement or be destroyed, excepting the parte that resydes in the bosom of the wyzard. No sliver must remain if the soul should be healed. If it cannot be reunited, it must be destroyed." Severus looked up from the book. "The confynement must be parted from the soul fragment by destroying the vessel through the greatest acte of violence known to wyzardkinde or by destroying the soul fragment with an acte of magic moste eville and thus prevent it from returning to its prison." (2)

"That act of violence... That would be the Killing Curse?" Harry whispered.

"My, my, aren't you astute, Potter?" Severus replied with a sneer.

"That would certainly destroy the container," Hermione mused. "But what would destroy the soul fragment...just in case you wanted to preserve the container, not the soul?"

"I've no idea," Severus said.

"Basilisk venom," Ron threw in and grinned when the others stared at him.

"Harry stabbed the diary with a Basilisk fang. Since simply breaking these things doesn't work, it had to be the venom that destroyed it."

"Right," Hermione said. "But since we don't have Basilisk venom, we'd best destroy the containers."

"Actually," Harry said softly, "as an alternative, I'd rather like to find a way to destroy the soul fragment instead of the container. I would hate to have to kill the snake. She's an animal; she has been made what she is, and it's not her fault. If we can get the soul fragment out of her, perhaps then she can live as a normal snake."

"I don't see much of a difference between her killing me as a normal snake or as You-Know-Who's tool. Are you showing off your moral fibre again, Harry?" Ron quipped.

"As reluctant as I am to admit it, I agree with Potter," Severus said to everyone's amazement. "Having a means of keeping the container intact could turn out to be advantageous." He frowned and glanced sharply at Harry.

Harry's eyes widened, and he stared back. Neither of them said anything; they simply looked at each other for a long time until Harry nodded and exhaled loudly.

Hermione watched them in surprise. She felt unease rise within her; something was going on here that she didn't understand. Somehow, Severus and Harry had come to an understanding, and despite her earlier lecture about working together, she wasn't certain that she liked this new development.

Luna had been quiet during the whole exchange. "I wonder what would happen if a Dementor were brought close to a Horcrux? Do you think it could suck the soul fragment out?" she suddenly asked.

Harry's mouth opened in astonishment, and Severus' eyes narrowed. Hermione noted, however, that his eyes were glittering; for some odd reason he looked optimistic. "Perhaps, Miss Lovegood. If we can command a Dementor to act exactly in the manner we want it to act, that might actually work. To my knowledge, no one's ever reported a soul coming back after a Dementor got hold of it."

"Worth a try," Harry breathed, glancing at Severus again.

Severus nodded. "Indeed, Potter. Worth a try."

---

A/N: (1)The relative Severus is mentioning is Caradoc Burke. I wrote my own back-story for Severus before I started AMIEW, and a part of that back-story is 'The Train', which can be found on this archive. We learn there that the founder of the store, Caractacus Burke, retired and that his son, Caradoc, is managing the shop, together with Mr. Borgin. They are closely related to the Princes, Severus' mother's family. I saw no reason to adjust my back-story to canon. I like my version of Lily Evans better.

(2) Many thanks to Melusin, beta-of.dreams, for 'mediaevalizing' this portion of the text for me.

I didn't know that something like that existed, but Melusin showed me the site of a dolls' house that could be the model for the one Severus played in: http://www.victorianstation.com/interior.html