Chapter 4: Hermione

Chapter 4:

Hermione:

It was late when Hermione finally left Professor Snape’s classroom. What she had learned invigorated her such that she knew she would have trouble sleeping. Potions had become more interesting to her now that she was learning some of what Snape knew. When he spoke, it was easy to get lost in his words: he spoke with such a passion about Potions theories and techniques that even he would get lost and say more than he had intended. Like tonight, when he had started talking about inventing potions and had suddenly started ranting about the difficulties involved and how the ingredients don’t always do what he wanted… and how damn difficult it was to find a good apothecary that sold valerian root reliably.

Her ears had perked at that one: not only had she never heard of valerian root being used in a potion, but she recognized the name from Muggle “Natural Remedies” adherents. Her father, in fact, had recommended some of his more difficult patients try taking valerian root for a few weeks before a particularly painful procedure, like a root canal. She had suggested that the professor might have better luck in Muggle stores when his expression had frozen with surprise. Immediately, he started talking about the theories involved in brewing complicated poisons instead. It was too late for Hermione to raid the library for information, but she was determined to find out as much as she could about valerian root as soon as possible. If Snape was trying to invent a potion, it would be useful to know what he was trying to accomplish. Even more useful would be knowing whether Snape was making the potion for Voldemort or not, but he would have to become much looser-lipped before that question could be answered.

Without any real evidence, Hermione was forced to rationally conclude that the verdict was still out on Professor Snape. But her instinct said otherwise. It was hard for her to believe that such an intelligent, creative, inquisitive, and curious man would have nothing better to dream of than being a distant second to a master who only would use his intellectual prowess and not appreciate it. And Hermione also had to admit that Harry had been safe thus far at Hogwarts: while the Slytherin students had been caught occasionally assaulting other students, there had been no Death Eaters yet at Hogwarts this year. The Marauder’s Map had proven that. This was, of course, assuming Snape himself wasn’t a real Death Eater: but Hermione just felt that Harry could have easily been killed by now if Snape had wanted that. If Snape had wanted it, Voldemort himself could have become a fixture at Hogwarts. Instead, other than the absence of Defense Against the Dark Arts, Hogwarts was functioning almost normally. Why? Hermione felt that it had to be because of Snape.

Unfortunately, Harry and Ron didn’t agree with her. Over breakfast the next morning, she tried to talk to them about how her private lessons were going and what she thought of the professor. She mentioned the valerian root; as usual, they were as interested in hearing about what she was learning about Potions as they were in Blast-Ended Skrewt anatomy.

“Fantastic, Hermione. And what about the professor teaching you? Have you learned anything about him yet?” Ron asked.

She answered using vague words indicating she thought he possibly could be trusted. But these words proved far too vague for Harry and Ron, who were staring at her with that familiar blank look on their faces that frustrated her so greatly and so often.

This was so unlike her recent conversations with Professor Snape. She had to admit that she’d been finding those conversations far more enjoyable than most of the ones she’d ever had with Harry or Ron. And one of the joys about talking with Snape was that he always understood what she was saying. He never stared at her with a glazed look in his eyes when she talked. In fact, he often stared at her with rapt attention… Sometimes it was even too much for her and she would have to look away, but not before feeling only the slightest of heat rising in her cheeks… She caught herself suddenly thinking about Snape’s intellectual prowess and that look in his eyes when she understood what he was saying. But it was not Snape she was speaking to now. It was Harry and Ron, and they were being dense. And she was starting to get tired of it.

“Oh, for goodness sake! Do you two have cave trolls hidden in your family trees? I’m trying to tell you that I think Professor Snape might be on our side!” Her voice had risen to an unfortunate level as she realized that every person in the entire Great Hall had heard what she said.