Tactical Dispositions

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, Maggie, and my beta-reader and brit-picker, Melusin, who both are always encouraging, helpful, and thorough.

---

Chapter 13 – Tactical Dispositions

4.11. What the ancients called a clever fighter is one who not only wins,

but excels in winning with ease.

4.12. Hence his victories bring him neither reputation for wisdom nor credit for courage.

4.13. He wins his battles by making no mistakes.

Making no mistakes is what establishes the certainty of victory, for it means conquering an enemy that is already defeated.

(Sun Tzu, The Art of War, IV. Tactical Dispositions)

"I am quite certain that you are surprised to see me, Mr. Malfoy. Listen to what I have to say, and then I will release you. Do not attempt to escape or harm me in any way; that would not be to your advantage."

Hermione had practised this speech over and over, but now, staring into the cold, surprised and still piercing eyes of an immobilized Lucius Malfoy, she felt panic rising from deep within her. Being able to use her wand again made her feel only slightly better. Snape had sent a second Portkey back with Malfoy, and that Portkey had brought them both to the hidden cave where the introduction would take place.

Hermione had to remind herself that she had become a skilled duellist and a fighter. Malfoy would be weakened from his long stay in Azkaban, and he didn't have a wand, but he was still dangerous and not to be underestimated. Snape had told her not to trust him until the contract was signed and even then to be careful. Hermione wished that she didn't have to do this, that Snape was here to make this particular introduction to the DA as had been planned initially. However, shortly before the mission, they had decided that it would be better for Snape to stay in Azkaban as long as possible before meeting the other Death Eaters. That way, he could ensure that most of the guards were drugged and safely out of the way. Accordingly, the introduction had been left to her. So, if she really wanted to help Snape, wanted to be more than a dogsbody, then she'd better do this properly. She looked at Malfoy.

"Your wife and son are alive and well. The same wizard who rescued you today rescued them, too. After that, they were brought to safety and are being protected. Professor Dumbledore's part of the deal is fulfilled. For the rest of the world, you are dead. You will be reunited with your wife and son soon; all of you will be given refuge. You then can decide if, and how, you will help us."

She stared at him while she spoke and then cast, "Incarcerous." Ropes shot out of her wand and bound the unmoving figure. Then she cast the counter-spell to the Full Body-Bind and held her wand to Malfoy's throat.

"Is this really necessary?" he rasped. Obviously, he hadn't had much opportunity to use his voice in Azkaban.

"That depends on your behaviour. You can ask questions, now. Then I shall decide how to proceed."

"What proof do you have that my wife and son are still alive?"

"What use would you be to us if we deceived you?"

"My, ah, friend could present me to the Dark Lord. And how do I know that you are who you appear to be? You were reported dead almost two months ago."

"Now that makes sense," Hermione sneered. "He would go to all this trouble to get you here, fake your death and then present you to your master? Very logical. Honestly, I expected you to be more intelligent. However, your friend, the one who rescued you, predicted this."

She took a small piece of parchment out of her pocket. "Your wife wrote a letter. She said that you would know that it was from her and from no one else, and that it was written freely. I shall let you read that letter now."

She held the piece of parchment in front of Malfoy, and his eyes skimmed the letter quickly. When he had finished reading, he closed his eyes and sighed deeply. A whispered, "Narcissa!" escaped his chapped lips. And were those tears trickling down his cheeks? Hermione didn't really want to know.

After a few moments, Malfoy opened his eyes and simply said, "Thank you."

Hermione gasped in surprise. Malfoy smirked. "I should have known that I could rely on, ah, him. He always was a loyal friend. Since you work for him, I conclude that I can extend my trust to you as well. What do you expect me to do?"

"I have a magical contract you need to sign." Hermione told him about the conditions he would have to meet before he would be allowed to learn more about the Underground. These conditions were quite different from the ones she had been asked to fulfil.

Malfoy asked a few more questions and then signed the contract with Hermione as his first witness. Reluctantly, she released him from all his confinements and Transfigured his tattered prisoner's robes into Muggle clothing of the kind the Inferius had been wearing.

They then hiked to the van, and after she'd explained to Malfoy what to do, she led him to the passenger seat and buckled him in.

"Isn't some sort of Muggle licence required to operate these vehicles?" he asked when Hermione started the engine.

"I learned to drive last summer," she explained. "And the Underground can issue you with any Muggle document you might need. I have a driving licence in the name of Nightshade Smith, and I'd appreciate it if you called me that from now on."

She told Malfoy about the pseudonyms. When he heard about 'Nundu,' he laughed out loud.

"It seems that my old friend finally found the recognition he's always craved."

"If you say so." Hermione didn't want to discuss Snape with Malfoy.

Back at Paul's house, she led Malfoy to the Inferius' room, impressing on him the importance of acting slightly dazed, pretending to not feel well and being mostly quiet. Hermione had told Paul that Snape had gone to John o' Groats to check out ferry connections and would only return the following evening. However, the next evening, only Snape's Patronus came, instructing Hermione to take Lucius and drive south. Snape would join them at the safe house where they had spent the night six days before.

Early the next morning, Hermione made Snape's excuses to Paulie, who hugged her enthusiastically and invited her to come again, with or without his cousin. She kissed him on the cheek, performed a mild memory charm on him that made him forget everything about Lucius and promised to come back one day if she could.

---

It was a strange drive back to the safe house. Malfoy was quiet, and so was Hermione. She preferred it that way. Although Malfoy treated her politely, she neither liked nor trusted him, and Hermione didn't feel like small talk. The drive with Snape had been a lot more interesting.

When they finally arrived late that night, Snape was already waiting for them.

While Lucius Malfoy took a long and much-needed bath, Snape told Hermione that the raid had been successful: the Inferius was destroyed, the Death Eaters among the prisoners were free, and the prison guards had been stunned by him and hidden safely out of the way. Bellatrix Lestrange had been the witness to the fake Malfoy's murder. However, she had raged so insistently at Snape for murdering her sister that Voldemort had had to step in and put her in her place.

This had resulted in Snape having to endure one of Voldemort's speeches to his Death Eaters, which went on endlessly. Voldemort was impatient. He wanted action.

Snape glared at Hermione. "I need to have a good plan for delaying him any longer...especially now, with Bellatrix Lestrange egging him on just to spite me."

Hermione was worried. The Horcrux hunt had not been successful at all. And while she had told Harry that they would take as much time for it as needed, she now knew that this wasn't possible any longer, that they would be forced into action very soon if they didn't come up with a convincing reason for a delay.

"I'm working as fast as I can, sir. If Harry doesn't succeed, everything will just go on forever," she said sadly.

Snape stared at her hard. "Eventually, you will tell me what this is about."

Hermione was spared having to answer by Lucius Malfoy, who came out of the bathroom, wrapped in a bathrobe, his skin still slightly steaming.

"Now that I feel human again, perhaps you would be so kind as to answer some more of my questions, Severus?"

"Certainly." Snape followed Malfoy into the lounge and left Hermione alone in the kitchen.

Hermione knew that it would be better if the two men talked alone, but it angered her nonetheless. "Being ignored like a house-elf," she muttered, but chided herself immediately for being childish. She had decided to look beyond the pretence. And yet, once again, she had only too willingly succumbed to the image someone wanted to project. Despite being wandless, virtually powerless and at their mercy, Lucius Malfoy emitted an air of superiority and entitlement. He didn't ask for explanations; he demanded them and expected his demands to be met. And Snape hadn't batted an eyelid at those demands but had merely fulfilled Malfoy's expectations, just as Hermione had quietly conceded to keep out of the way, to not interfere. And yet, despite maintaining appearances, she knew that Malfoy was aware of the shift of power between them. It was an unspoken agreement. Everybody knew where everybody else stood, but that was no reason to act out of character.

Slightly amused by her own revelations, Hermione rummaged through the cupboards and the freezer to see what she could find for dinner. She put three frozen pizzas in the oven and made a salad from canned beans and onions. If Malfoy found this simple Muggle fare after Azkaban cuisine beneath him, he could go hungry for all she cared. Neither she nor Snape were picky eaters...they'd put away the pizza on their own, thank you very much.

---

Back at Nan Guthan, Hermione watched the reunion of the Malfoys with mixed feelings. Narcissa was in tears, and Draco looked happy as she had never seen him before. Lucius Malfoy embraced them both, and they just stood there for a long time, holding each other, before they retired to their quarters.

Despite her dislike of the family, Hermione was moved. The affection between them was palpable, as was their friendship for Snape.

Unlike his wife, Lucius developed a calm and polite manner when dealing with Hermione and other Muggle-borns. On occasion, when Narcissa was fighting with Carlotta Pinkstone or complaining about the company she had to endure, he would calm her down and remind her gently as to whom their new allies were. His behaviour had an effect on Draco as well, who sneered and taunted less and developed a more active interest in his surroundings.

About a week after Lucius Malfoy's arrival, Emmeline Vance called a meeting of all the Nan Guthan refugees.

"We are going to restructure the caves a bit," she said, smiling. "With so many children and young people amongst us now, we think we should offer them some sort of education. It is sad enough that they can't continue their schooling at Hogwarts. To survive in our times, they will need every skill they can get. Although we all hope that this war will be over soon, of course, so that the children can resume their formal education without losing too much time."

Hermione listened raptly. Did they want to open an Underground school? The idea excited her.

"We will relocate some of you to other caves and move the families with children here. This cave is our oldest and safest refuge. We will also concentrate people here who can teach. The older children can teach the younger ones; that way, everyone should still have time to fulfil their normal tasks." Emmeline beamed at the excited murmurs her announcement had caused.

Hermione was glad that she could stay in Nan Guthan. She had been very busy these past weeks, but she still felt that she was missing out on all the lessons in advanced magic. She'd never given up hope of being able to sit her N.E.W.T.s eventually. She was looking forward to this Underground school.

---

A few days later, the relocation started. Hermione had learned that Susan Bones and her remaining family had been rescued just a few days previously, and now a still confused Susan arrived at Nan Guthan, hardly believing it when she saw Hermione alive and well. Hannah Abbott had arrived with her family, as well as a surprising number of other children Hermione knew from Hogwarts. Most of them were half-bloods or Muggle-borns.

The Malfoys were moving to another cave, in the south of England. Snape wanted Narcissa Malfoy and Carlotta Pinkstone separated. While their frequent and loud fights were quite entertaining at times, most often they were annoying and disturbing for those who weren't on duty. One of them had to go, and since Carlotta Pinkstone was needed to teach Ancient Runes, it was Narcissa who had to leave, and her family with her.

Draco, however, insisted on staying. "I want to be part of this school, too," he had complained. Despite his mother's protests, he had offered to teach Potions to the younger children, and his offer had been accepted.

Hermione ran into him while he was having an argument with Kreacher. She had been aware that Kreacher was around, but she had rarely seen him. He had been happily serving the members of his 'old family' and stayed in their quarters most of the time.

This time, however, Draco's angry shouts and Kreacher's subservient bullfrog voice sounded loudly through the empty community cave. Most people had left to perform their daily tasks, other than those who were supposed to move to different caves, and who were packing and shrinking their belongings.

"Give me that album," Draco yelled. "What do you want with my old photo album anyway?" He took hold of the album, which was sticking out from a pile of keepsakes Kreacher was carrying in his arms. Kreacher pulled back, stumbled, and fell backwards, all his treasures falling to the ground with a loud clatter.

"Good Master, good Master," Kreacher whinged and crouched on the ground.

"Stop the grovelling and give me my album," Draco snarled, bending down and taking the book back, which elicited a high-pitched wail from the elf.

"What is so important about that album?" Hermione asked kindly, approaching Kreacher, who looked at her suspiciously and turned away from her.

"Stay away, Granger. This is none of your business." Draco glared, but Hermione ignored him.

"Kreacher's old master. The good master. That's all that Kreacher has left of him. In young master's album." Kreacher whimpered and pointed at the album.

Draco looked puzzled, but Hermione frowned.

"Your old master? You can't mean Harry––Do you mean Sirius Black, Kreacher? Is there a picture of Sirius in there?"

"Not him," Kreacher snarled scornfully. "Kreacher's good master. The younger Master Black."

"The young...? Uh, you mean Regulus Black?" Hermione felt as if she should understand something here, but it seemed just out of her grasp.

Kreacher nodded and wailed, "Young master Regulus, yes. After Kreacher has lost his most precious ..." The rest of the sentence was lost in wails.

"Regulus Black," Hermione muttered under her breath while Draco watched them both nonplussed.

"Regulus ... Black ... may I have a look at your album, Malfoy?"

"Why?"

"It could be important ... Come on, we're on the same side now, somewhat––It's just a feeling. Please?"

Draco scowled but handed her the album, anyway.

Hermione opened it. The album was one of the few things Draco had taken with him from Malfoy Manor before his and his mother's deaths had been staged by Snape. It was full of family pictures. On the first page, an old, imposing man was scowling at her; the inscription under the moving photograph read, "Abraxas Zoroaster Malfoy, my grandfather."

There were pictures of Lucius' and Narcissa's wedding, of Draco as a baby, of Narcissa Black's sisters... Oh, here it was: "My Great Aunt Walburga Philomena Black and her sons Sirius Orion Black (blood traitor) and Regulus Arcturus Black (Slytherin). She looked at the picture of two young teenagers: Regulus looked a lot like Sirius, but he was thinner and more wiry.

"Is that your good master?" Hermione asked, pointing at the picture.

A desperate wail was the answer.

"Can't you give that picture to him?" Hermione asked Draco. "You could easily get a copy from the document forgers."

"I suppose I could," Draco drawled. "But why should I?"

"Can't you see that he loved his old master?" She pointed at Kreacher, whose long, thin fingers lovingly stroked the inscription, Regulus Arcturus Black. Regulus ... Arcturus ... Black. R. A. B. All the blood drained from Hermione's face, and she nearly fainted.

"Granger!" Draco barked. "Have you gone mad?"

Hermione swayed on her legs; her knees felt like rubber. "Have to sit down for a moment," she mumbled and staggered to the next chair. R. A. B. was Sirius' brother. It was like a slap in the face. All that time spent at Grimmauld Place, and they'd had no idea. She'd have to go there. Maybe the locket ...

"Kreacher," she whispered. "What was it you said you lost? Another keepsake?"

Kreacher suddenly looked very scared. "Why should I tell the Mudblood? The Mudblood is too nosy."

"Look," Hermione said patiently. "If you care for your young master, here, and his family..." She gestured in Draco's direction. "... then you'd better tell me. You know how much danger they're in. What was the keepsake?"

"A locket," Kreacher muttered.

Hermione closed her eyes. So close. And he had lost it.

"How did you lose it?" she asked. "Did it seem... Was it, uh..." She didn't know how to proceed.

"There was magic on the locket," Kreacher whispered, still looking terrified. "Strong magic. Dark curses. Master Regulus ordered Kreacher to destroy the locket, but Kreacher couldn't open it. Kreacher couldn't destroy it, so Kreacher kept it as his treasure."

"Couldn't open it ... Bloody Hell!" Hermione groaned. While they had been cleaning out Grimmauld Place after Voldemort's return, they had come across a locket that couldn't be opened. That had to be ...

"What happened to it?" she asked.

"It was stolen," Kreacher wailed. "That thieving scum ... Kreacher saw him take it. Master Regulus' locket and other treasures from Mistress Black's place. Kreacher couldn't stop him."

"Stop whom?" A terrible suspicion rose in Hermione.

"Mundungus Fletcher!" Kreacher snivelled.

"Merlin's pants!" Hermione cursed loudly. All the time they had been so close, so close... and now Mundungus Fletcher was in Azkaban. He hadn't been among the group that was freed during Snape's raid to spring Lucius Malfoy. There was no way that she could ask Mundungus any questions in Azkaban, and she doubted that Snape would be willing to go there again without knowing her reasons. She closed her eyes and recalled the last time she had seen Mundungus. He had been coming out of the Hog's Head when Harry had confronted him and seen all those Black heirlooms in his suitcase––The Hog's Head! Maybe he had tried to sell the heirlooms through the Hog's Head? She knew that the pub was a popular place for all kinds of shady business transactions; Hagrid had acquired his Dragon's egg there. She would have to go to the pub. It would be a start. It was better than having to go to Azkaban. She took a deep breath and looked at Kreacher.

"Thank you, Kreacher. That was very helpful. I'm sure, ah, Master Draco here will give you the picture, and then you can move with your mistress to the other cave." She stood up and walked briskly to the office, leaving a puzzled Draco Malfoy and a teary-eyed house-elf behind. She'd have to talk to Snape. He'd be coming to the office cave later today, and she would be waiting for him.

---

"The Hog's Head? Impossible. Too much of a risk." Snape glared at her when she made her request.

"Please, sir! I'll go in disguise again. Why should this be any worse than going to an archive? I have to ask the barman there a few questions."

"And you think he'll just blurt it out if you ask him nicely?"

"Uh... maybe, if I posed as an Order member, he would..."

"Out of the question," Snape bellowed. "What do you think would happen if that 'Order member' were attacked and caught by Death Eaters? Would you ask the Dark Lord for a bit of Polyjuice Potion?"

"Someone from Hogsmeade, then... Surely he would talk to his neighbours?"

"Aberforth Dumbledore seldom does what is expected of him."

"Please! I have to try. Otherwise, I'll have to go to Azkaban and talk to Mundungus Fletcher."

"What is this all about, Miss Granger? Your requests are outrageous! I won't risk the safety of the Underground for your self-imposed importance, no matter what you say."

"Pro... Nundu! I beg you. I have to go there. I must... Or I must get a message to Harry. Sir, this is essential!"

Snape became very still. He emitted a coldness that made Hermione shiver. His teeth were bared, and he gave her such a look of contempt that she wanted to sink into the ground. His eyes seemed to burn into hers, and she felt him try to force a way into her mind with his Legilimency. However, her defences were strong, and her almost daily Occlumency lessons had not been in vain. With a rather unfriendly push, she threw him out of her head. Now it was Hermione's turn to glare.

They stared at each other murderously for several minutes until Snape gave in and growled, "Very well. Be ready tomorrow. I shall go with you. He is the only 'living' person apart from Minerva and Price who knows about the Underground."

Hermione closed her eyes and released a breath of relief. "Thank you, Nundu." She got up and stalked from the office, forcing herself not to run.

---

Hermione and Snape had taken modified Polyjuice Potion, using hairs from a couple of Squibs with whom the Underground was doing business. The likelihood that someone in Hogsmeade would recognise them was low; the barman would not need to recognize them if they could provide the correct identification. They walked down the main street, but soon turned south into the side street where the Hog's Head was located. They lingered for a moment, watching the main entrance, and then Snape led her around the building to the backdoor.

Just as they approached the door, he pulled her back around the corner. There was a noise; the backdoor had opened.

Hermione cast a quick Disillusionment Charm nonverbally on both of them to hide them from casual observers. They both peaked around the corner, and Hermione could barely suppress a gasp.

Harry, Ron and Luna came out the backdoor of the Hogshead.

"That was easier than I thought," Harry murmured to Ron.

"Wasn't it just?" Ron replied and turned to Luna, smiling. "And it was because of your brilliant idea, Luna." He put an arm around her and drew her to his side.

Hermione watched them dumbfounded.

Luna smiled dreamily at Ron and didn't say anything. Harry merely nodded, and they walked away as if they didn't have a care in the world. Ron apparently couldn't keep his hands off Luna since he alternately held her hands, hugged her, kissed her on the cheek, or drew her to his side, putting an arm around her. Obviously, something was going on there.

Hermione didn't know what to say. She felt dazed, as if her head was immersed in a cloud. She just stood and stared at her friends' retreating backs.

"Let's go in and get it over with," Snape murmured when they were out of sight.

Hermione performed the counter spell to the Disillusionment Charm, and they went to the backdoor. Snape seemed to know his way around; he hit the door with his wand several times, murmuring a sequence of numbers and letters. When the door opened, they went in.

It was dark in the corridor and smelled strongly of goat. Hermione wrinkled her nose and followed Snape, wondering if there was a stable behind one of the doors they'd passed. Snape tapped a sequence of long and short knocks on the last door to the right, opened it and went in, beckoning Hermione to follow. Before she could look around, a voice said, "And who would you be?"

Spinning around, Hermione became aware of the old man, who must have been already standing there when they came in. He had his wand pointed at them, looking grim, and yet he looked vaguely familiar. This had to be the barman, Aberforth Dumbledore.

"It's Nundu. I'm on Polyjuice. This here is Nightshade."

"Polyjuice, eh? Let's wait for an hour, then, so I can see if you're lying or telling the truth.

"It's not normal Polyjuice. It's the one with the old goat."

"Is it now? I wonder what the goat has got to do with it?"

"As you well know, you old geezer, it's all the goat's fault. Without your perverted ideas to develop a potion to become an Animagus, there wouldn't be permanent Polyjuice."

"All right then, Nundu. What do you want?"

Hermione looked from one man to the other, not really understanding what they were talking about, but that didn't matter. Snape apparently had put the barman's doubts to rest, for when Aberforth asked Snape what he wanted, he pointed at Hermione. "Nightshade here has a few questions."

"Nightshade, is it? What do you want, girl?" Aberforth's bright blue eyes twinkled merrily, just like his brother's often had.

"Just a question, if you don't mind," Hermione said. "I was wondering about the three people who just left your house through the backdoor. They were my friends. What did they want?"

Aberforth pursed his lips and looked at her pensively. "Why would you want to know that? Don't they think that you are dead? Shouldn't you stay away from places where they could see you?"

Hermione saw Snape smirking, but she only shook her head. "I don't really look like myself, do I? And if they've already found what I am looking for, then I can go back to the, uh, place, and not worry about this any longer."

Aberforth nodded. "It's all the same, anyway. You be careful, though. Don't talk about the place or the people there outside of it, ever."

"I know, but ..."

"They were asking about the goods Mundungus Fletcher gave me to sell for him. They looked at them, and then they took a locket. Your friend Potter paid a good price."

"You sold it to him?"

"Of course. That's what I'm supposed to do with commissions like this. Do you have a problem with that?"

"Uh, not really, no. So they have the locket? What did they say?"

"Nothing of much importance, I'd say. Your friends were mostly listening to the advice the girl gave them. Then they checked the locket with a few spells, charmed it, and went away."

"I see. Thank you so much. That was very helpful, Mr. Dumbledore," Hermione said and glanced at Snape, who was sitting on a chair at the window looking outside.

"Call me Abe, or old goat, if you want, girl. Is there anything else I can do for you?"

"No, thank you. I think we'd better go, now."

When he heard this, Snape jumped up, nodded to Aberforth and held the door open for her.

---

After they'd Apparated back to the Broom Cave, Hermione noticed that Snape was treating her politely, with great care and attention, totally lacking his usual sarcasm. He glanced at her from under his curtain of black hair while he whispered to Lady Mouse, his owl. He glanced at her while they each grabbed a broom and headed off towards the river valley.

Hermione was glad that Snape didn't say anything to her; she had to get over what she had seen at the Hog's Head. Ron? With Luna? And they had found their first Horcrux all alone, without her assistance, without really needing her. She swallowed a few tears but didn't want to cry just yet because it would have caused an eruption of anger from Snape, or so she thought. She didn't think that he would deal too well with overemotional females.

How wrong she was.

"Many men have a tendency to get over a painful loss by engaging in a new relationship quickly, you know," Snape said quietly while glancing at her sideways when they reached the spring with the hidden entrance. "That doesn't make their feelings less strong." He gave her another concerned glance and walked to the rock, about to tap the opening sequence on its surface.

Hermione just stared at him, slack-jawed.

"By all means, let it out, Nightshade. The earlier you deal with it, the easier it will be for you to come to terms with it."

"Uh... I, that is to say..." Hermione's tongue seemed to have gone numb, as numb as her brain felt right now. Friends. Right, she wanted to be Snape's friend, so why shouldn't she confide in him if he was so obviously concerned? But this was so unlike Snape...

He raised an eyebrow, crossed his arms and waited. All of a sudden, Hermione was reminded of the stern teacher who was waiting for a confession of mischief.

"It hasn't even been two months since I, err, died," it suddenly burst out of her. "Isn't that a bit early for that kind of consolation?" Anger started to build up within her.

"It's a war. In wars, people have to find consolation wherever they can get it. When Weasley learns that you are still alive, which he will eventually, then you'll see what he does. Don't judge the strength of his feelings on what he's doing now. Miss Lovegood may be in for a big disappointment. I thought her cleverer than to get involved with Weasley."

"She can keep him. I don't want him back; that's not it," Hermione said, angrily wiping a few stray tears from her eyes. "I think our relationship ended the night his mother was murdered...when Harry and I ran off to check on the house-elves. But to replace me so soon... It's not as if he misses me, is it? And they don't need me, either. I was wasting my time, and yours, with what I was trying to do. I was so certain they still needed me..." She looked up at Snape, wondering if he understood a word of what she was saying, but he was looking at her calmly. "I can't do a thing for them. I might as well give up. It's useless. I have no part in the task. I have become useless. " She swallowed and stared at him, stubbornly forcing the tears back that threatened to spill over. If she cried now, she knew, she wouldn't be able to stop.

"What the ancients called a clever fighter is one who not only wins, but excels in winning with ease. Hence his victories bring him neither reputation for wisdom nor credit for courage," Snape quoted.

Hermione shook her head in disbelief and started to laugh. "Is there any situation in life where you can't find a fitting quote from Sun Tzu?" she choked out, feeling her fears and the tension leave her with each new bubble of laughter.

"Hardly." Snape smirked. "Why do you think the book can be applied to so many different situations?"

Hermione shrugged and gave him a shaky smile. "Are you trying to tell me that I should not be out for the fame but try to be efficient instead?"

"You could interpret it like this." His expression had become serious again. "The ones who do the work, quietly, efficiently, without boasting, rarely get much fame. And yet, they are the ones who decide the outcome...There is so much for you to do. You have a very important position in this war. Your friends have theirs, and they have to solve their own problems and find their own support. Your paths have separated for now. You can help them best by helping the Underground become as strong an army as possible."

"I know." Hermione grimaced. "But it still rankles that I can be replaced so quickly, so easily."

"No one can be replaced," Snape almost shouted, his black eyes glittering in a way Hermione had come to associate with barely suppressed emotion. Was that pain in his eyes? She wasn't certain. She blinked and looked at him, frowning.

"And yet," he continued, more quietly now. "And yet, no one is irreplaceable. Otherwise we couldn't function. It's the very structure of the Underground. Everyone counts, but when one is lost, someone else takes over quickly. It is the only way to win, Nightshade. The only way...even if it breaks our hearts; even if it forces us to give up some of our compassion."

Hermione was speechless again. She had made an effort to see the person behind Snape's cold façade, but to have him talk with so much understanding, passion almost, still boggled the mind. And yet, his words had the desired effect; they were indeed comforting her.

"I will get over it, Nundu," Hermione murmured after a while. "There is no need to waste time or energy on it. I don't want to waste your time."

Snape nodded approvingly. "It wouldn't do for you to pine away. With Potter's quest out of the way now, we can think about how to force the Dark Lord's hand."

"No!" Hermione cried. "Not yet. Harry's task is far from over; this is only a first step. Only...I don't even know how to find out how far they have proceeded. It doesn't make much sense for me to continue doing the research. Luna will do that. Apparently, they have told her the secret."

"Don't you think it is time to tell me, too? I might be able, as Price, to find out when they have succeeded, or what they're up to."

Hermione sighed. "I'm not sure. It's not my secret...it's Harry's, and he decides to whom to reveal it. I just don't know..."

"Very well, then," Snape said, giving her a narrow-eyed glare. "For now. Let's get inside." He chanted the pass phrase and tapped the opening sequence on the rock. A moment later, the gate opened.

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A/N: Amiew won third place in the Action/Adventure category of the 2007 OWL Awards. Thank you to everyone who voted for me!