Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten

Silence permeated the Great Hall, while confused students looked on to the Head table. The headmaster was stoic, his eyes dull and listless, the breakfast prepared by the elves left untouched.

Hermione's oatmeal had gone cold; she wasn't hungry. Her spoon was making counter-clockwise rotations as she scooped some of the wheat-colored mush up and plopped it back into the bowl. With a heavy sigh, she pushed the bowl away from her.

Her attempts to covertly catch Professor Snape's eye were futile as he appeared to be fascinated at some non-existent spot on the far side of the Hall.

Dumbledore stood and cleared his throat. "Students, if I could have your attention; the Ministry has decided to bestow Hogwarts the honor of being the first wizarding school to test a new pilot program designed to benefit those in our society who are at a disadvantage."

"What's he mean?" Ron leaned in, elbowing Hermione as Harry and Ginny huddled closer. Whispers rose from the other House tables. Dumbledore was still speaking, but Hermione all but tuned him out.

"Hermione and me," Colin spoke up from the other side of Neville, casting nervous glances around the Hall.

"Gryffindors?" Ron questioned, taking a bite of the sausage he speared off his plate. "Whafo?" the redhead said, his brow furrowing as he chewed.

"Not Gryffindors, Ron. Muggle-borns," Hermione whispered, her head ducked low so as to avoid being noticed.

"Dumbledore, I see you have begun. Pardon us Ministry officials for our tardiness; you understand, business and all that." The smile plastered to the pink-adorned weeble wabble was as false as her sincerity.

Dolores Umbridge stood in the entrance of the Great Hall. Yaxley hovered behind her.

"Yes, Ms. Umbridge, quite alright. Do come in." With his good hand, the headmaster gestured them forward.

"Students, may I introduce former professor, now Ministry official, Dolores Umbridge, and her assistant, Mister Yaxley."

The Hall was silent save for the rousing applause offered by Filch and a few of the sixth- and seventh-year Slytherins.

Snape glared at his House table, which quieted immediately rather than face the ire of the Head of House.

Hermione stooped in her seat, hoping to disappear between Ron and Neville.

"Are you okay Hermione?" Neville's brow was creased in worry.

"Fine, Neville." She nodded. "Umbridge just doesn't care much for me after the incident with Grawp."

"Taught her good though, didn't it?" Ron snorted in laughter.

The toad cleared her throat as she marched into the Hall, Yaxley at her heels. "If you have finished?" Umbridge tsked, eyes narrowed on the Gryffindor table, a small smile curving her lips as she noticed Miss Granger flinch.

Severus watched the exchange behind the curtain of inky, lank lock that had fallen forward to obscure his face.

"As the headmaster was explaining before I arrived, the Ministry is in the process of ratifying a new law, a proposition if you will." Umbridge weaved her way through the tables, the heels of her pink pumps clicking and clacking on the flagstone. She stopped next to Dumbledore, who took a few steps back to offer the usurper full breadth of the room.

Once Umbridge was satisfied that all eyes were focused on her, she continued, "This new proposition is to be called the Council on Unethical Racial Treatment, and its goal is to ensure..."

Hermione rolled her eyes. C.O.U.R.T. What a splendid acronym; was the Ministry to be the judge, jury and executioner also? Santayana was right. "Those who do not learn from the past will be condemned to repeat it."

"... that certain witches and wizards in our society are recognized under the full extent of the law. To do this, the Ministry..."

The double meaning behind Umbridge's rehearsed speech was not lost on Hermione; Mudbloods were surely to be persecuted under the full extent of the law, perhaps forced to be bear armbands embroidered with an "M"?

"... will begin to register students here at Hogwarts. There will be lists posted in each of the House common rooms. If your name is on the list, you will be excused from participating in classes for the week."

Severus' ears perked up with this new tidbit of information. He had been under the impression that this mockery would disrupt a single class period of the students', not an entire week of studies. His pulse quickened.

Hermione worried her lip, tearing at the delicate skin.

"And you will accompany Mister Yaxley and myself to the Ministry to complete the requisite paperwork and documentation."

Umbridge motioned to Yaxley, who had moved away from his sentry position near the wall to hand his supervisor a small stack of parchments.

"Heads of House, I have here the lists of students." Umbridge handed Snape, McGonagall, Sprout, and Flitwick their rosters. As expected, the Slytherin roster was blank, but the charade was firmly ensconced in place.

McGonagall gasped, twenty-nine names glittered in gold and red.

"Students," Dumbledore's calm and grandfatherly demeanor worked to defuse a powder-keg waiting to implode, "classes shall resume tomorrow. Now, will the Head Boy and Girl, as well as the prefects, escort their respective Houses back to their common rooms?"

Students began to speculate as to whose names were on the list. A few first years burst into tears.

"This day is not a reprieve from studies. Is that understood?" Dumbledore's voice echoed over the nervous chatter.

Groans followed the headmaster's pronouncement from students who were eager for a free day. Hermione and Ron stood.

"C'mon, Gryffindors, single-file line, first years to seventh years."

The students complied; the two seventh-year prefects led the front of the line while Ron and Hermione pulled up the rear.

"Ron, can you cover for me? I need the loo."

"Sure, 'Mione."

Hermione lagged behind the students.

"Miss Granger, how pleasant to see you again. It has been too long since our last encounter; do you not agree?"

Fear coiled in Hermione's gut as she slowly turned around, face to face with Dolores Umbridge.

"Miss Granger, I had assumed that even you would be able to follow a simple directive. Perhaps your know-it-all status has been fabricated?"

Umbridge, startled, jumped at the intrusion of the Potions master. "Professor Snape," Umbridge whirled around and nearly bumped into the black clad figure, "so nice to see another who appreciates order and discipline."

"Yes." He sneered dismissively.

"Professor Snape, I was merely excusing myself to the loo." She blushed, avoiding eye contact and taking a few steps back.

"Yes, well, you will excuse me? I believe Mister Yaxley requires my assistance," Umbridge noted with displeasure as her deputy ineptly handled the paperwork...pity he was all brawn and no brain.

"Certainly, Madam," Severus intoned, playing his part well.

"Miss Granger, I believe you have duties to attend to."

"Yes, Professor." The plea was in her voice. Though wounded by his earlier words and denial of feelings, she still craved him, needed him, wanted him, no matter the impossibility.

"Miss Granger," Snape whispered, leaning in close.

His breath tasted heavenly on her lips.

"Perhaps I did not make myself clear the other day, or you are in need of reminder? There is not and will never be anything between us, so I would greatly appreciate it if you would kindly refrain from including me in your childish, hormonal fantasies of flight."

To the few stragglers remaining, the exchange between professor and student appeared to be nothing more than difference of opinion, a reprimand of an errant pupil.

"Professor, I must respectfully disobey your order." Hermione's tone dared him to defy her.

"Miss Granger, this is neither the time nor place for such proclamations."

"Understood." She nodded, turning on her heel.

"Silly chit," she heard him mutter softly under his breath. A self-satisfied smirk danced upon her lips. See how you like it to have someone under your skin, my dear professor, Hermione thought wickedly as she sauntered away heading toward the loo.

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Dumbledore and Umbridge were in conversation. "Pardon me, if I might interrupt, headmaster."

"Ah, Severus, I was just finishing up with Dolores." The headmaster turned to the woman. "All paperwork shall be submitted to the Ministry by this evening, and I would like to extend my appreciation and gratitude for such a lovely presentation."

Snape was convinced; Dumbledore had gone 'round the bend, the doddering, old fool.

Dumbledore allowed for Snape to precede him to his office. The walk to the headmaster's office was silent.

"I do grow tired of pandering to corrupt officials, my boy." Dumbledore spoke, once enclosed in the privacy of his office.

"Headmaster, I was not made aware that the students would be removed from school grounds. Yaxley is a Death Eater, and Umbridge his lover as well as a sympathizer."

"Yes, I had heard rumor of their dalliances. Distasteful. Tea?"

"Headmaster, please, this is no time for pleasantries. If those students are allowed to leave Hogwarts, I can certainly guarantee that they will not return." The urgency in Snape's voice did not go unnoticed by Dumbledore.

"Do you feel that your position amongst Tom's ranks is in question if you were not made privy to this information?"

"No, the Dark Lord has no reason to suspect my loyalties; you know as well as I his plans are pieces of puzzles, details given on a need-to-know basis."

Dumbledore popped a lemon drop in his mouth.

"The children shall remain where they are. After all, parents must consent to their underage students leaving school grounds. Pity our owls seemed to have forgotten to deliver the permission slips." Dumbledore clapped a hand on Snape's shoulder.

"Do not fret, my boy. When Umbridge and Yaxley return tomorrow to collect the children, they will see they have no choice but to submit to my will."

"What of the students who are of age?" What of my Miss Granger? Snape thought to himself.

"Yes, students of age shall be monitored by a professor and sent on a scavenger hunt, as the Muggles are fond of saying. The Quidditch match between Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw will be held tomorrow to occupy the rest of the student body."

Snape was somewhat appeased by this explanation.

"The students will be broken up into groups and assigned to the professor in whose subject they excel. Each student will be accredited accordingly and House points granted as if it were a regular assignment. Minerva and I have only just completed this task and will discuss it at length at tonight's staff meeting."

Snape pulled a face at being kept out of the loop.

"Please do not feel put out; the less you knew the better, considering the frequency at which Tom has been summoning his followers."

The Potions master nodded. "Until tonight then."

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A/N: Thanks so much to SLU, and to my wonderful readers and reviewers.