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Sweet Surrender	By : witch Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Snape/Hermione Views: 3748 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

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Surrounded

For what seemed like an infinite stretch of time, the Great Hall remained in utter silence as everyone sat immobile, staring at the cloaked wizard shadowing the entrance.

The stillness was outlandishly broken by the sound of a falling wand two tables down.

With that momentum, gasps and shrieks broke out, scattering along the students. A number of younger ones appeared to have lost all of their common sense and expeditiously slid under the dining tables. Only Slytherin House remained firmly in their seats, though more than one face failed to hide a genuine expression of bafflement and shock.

Throughout that brief period of commotion, Severus Snape remained entirely motionless without a mere flicker of his eye betraying his reaction.

Just as the bedlam of noise and panic began to escalate, a commanding voice of authority rose above all else.

'SILENCE!'

Except for an unidentifiable whimpering from one of the first-years, the Great Hall became quiet once more.

From the centre of the teachers' table rose Minerva McGonagall, cutting an imposing figure as ever in her black robes and pointed hat. The usual stern face she wore was nothing compared to what was showing on her countenance now.

Swiftly climbing down the raised platform with all the members of staff flanking her, McGonagall crossed the length of the hall. Stopping more or less 20 feet away from her target, the eyes of the elderly witch patently shone with her wrath as they settled on her former colleague. Her nostrils visibly flared as she took a quivering breath and opened her mouth.

Whatever she was about to say, however, was instantly thwarted by Hermione's sudden scream.

In the midst of observing the mute dramatics unfolding in front of everyone else's eyes, Hermione at first failed to notice how Harry had begun to shake. With every passing moment, his raging control speedily slipped away until the last shred of his restraint irrevocably evaporated.

When she finally turned towards her friend, it was too late.

'Harry, NO!'

The young wizard was already on his feet and, with a velocity that might have turned his corporeal Firebolt green with envy, shot towards the Death Eater.

The former professor, who wore a visibly dishevelled look, was taken by surprise. The next second, he was roughly deposited upon the cold stone underneath Harry as a punch crashed into his jaw with deadly and dynamic precision. For all purposes and appearances, it seemed like Harry forgot the entire meaning of the word "wand" and, as an alternative, decided to let out his entire repressed wrath through the primitive sport of Muggle dueling.

Harry managed to deliver Snape a second strike right into his nose with an audible, sickening crack before Minerva McGonagall finally found it within herself to come out of her shocked state and brandish her wand.

'Expelliarmus!'

Though Harry was wandless, there was enough force behind McGonagall's intent to alleviate the situation. As a result, he was promptly thrown up about a foot into the air before sliding across the floor to a stop.

With every pair of eyes now trained upon him, Harry Potter climbed back to his feet with some effort, his body shaking with indignation. His tightly clenched fists were rigidly pressed to either side of his body, but it appeared that he had no further plans to succumb to brawl frenzy for the time being. His gaze, however, never once swayed from his target.

Hermione hesitated on deciding what she should do now. After rising in her panic at Harry's behaviour, she had ended up standing a short distance away from her teachers. Feeling more than a little self-conscious, she nevertheless walked resolutely up to Harry and placed herself at his side. With a comforting hand on his shoulder, she felt a portion of his tension slip away with her comfort.

And everyone else be damned about what they thought.

Throwing a brief thankful look at her, Harry got a glimpse at the elderly witch in front of them at last and flinched. McGonagall did not say a word, but her pursed lips spoke volumes.

'Prefects, would you please escort the students to their common rooms with as much decorum as possible. I am afraid the welcoming feast will terminate early tonight. The food shall be sent to your Houses as soon as the kitchens are notified,' addressed the Headmistress to the room in general.

The student body eagerly responded to her as everyone hastily began to vacate their tables. Walking widely round the gathered company in order to avoid them, the Great Hall soon became deserted. Ron was the only student left, and he shifted his feet in uncertainty when neither Harry nor Hermione made a move towards the exit.

With nothing much else left for her to do, Hermione finally let herself look at the man lying on the floor in front of them.

At first glance nothing had changed about Professor Snape since she saw him last, over three fateful months ago.

His obsidian black hair was still hanging long, framing the pale skin that had produced numerous absurd suggestions concerning vampirism. The infamous hooked nose that possessed the habit of putting itself into other people's business was in its rightful place. Though the robed form failed to convey anything out of the ordinary, he was certainly as tall and lean as he had been when she saw him on her first day at Hogwarts.

Nevertheless, all that did not stop Hermione from feeling an unpleasant pull in her gut that told her that something about the picture in front of her wasn't right.

'Charming reception. If I did not know better, I wouldn't have put it past you to have rehearsed it.'

Even his soft voice wrapped in sarcasm had not altered. On some level it astounded Hermione how he still possessed the ability to stay so composed when she clearly saw blood dripping from wounds above his brow and nose, which was visibly swollen. Harry must have broken it.

'You get the welcome you deserve, Mr. Snape, but I am delighted to inform you that you have seen nothing yet. I bet Azkaban will even throw a welcoming party for you,' drawled McGonagall unsmilingly.

'Azkaban? We should just finish him off now, and let that be the end of it,' growled Harry.

Professor McGonagall only calmly looked back at her student but this time with a shadow of sad compassion in her eyes. None of it, however, was heard in her voice when she spoke next.

'Mr. Potter, neither of us, and especially not you, will do anything to Mr. Snape. I think we have had enough killing to last us a long time. Like with any other criminal, the full lawful judgement of the Ministry of Magic shall be passed upon him. And on that mark, I think we have no other reason to delay,' she explained and turned towards the looming shape of Hagrid, who stood closest to her.

'Professor Hagrid, please send an owl to the Minister and inform him of the unexpected circumstances concerning the surrender of Mr. Snape. The Ministry will be more than delighted to question him as soon as possible about certain topics, I am sure.'

'I would be honoured to do jus' that, Headmistress,' declared the half-giant and, with a departing look of disgust at the Death Eater, turned towards the doors. He was about to cross the threshold when the voice of Severus Snape stopped him in his tracks.

'In your place, Professor Hagrid,' he sneered, 'I would do no such thing- at least for the time being. A few matters have to be resolved first.'

Hagrid whirled around angrily to face the man he had once trusted and respected.

'Nobody asked fer yer opinion, Snape! Jus' lie where yeh are an' accept the payment fer yer dark deeds. I jus' hope that yeh follow the same path that yer Dark Lord does sooner or later!' he bellowed with a fury neither Harry, Ron nor Hermione had ever witnessed in their old friend. The image was certainly disturbing, to say the least.

Snape did not seem discomfited by Hagrid's anger as he gave him a humourless smile. An unidentifiable expression flickered within the dark depths of his eyes, and whatever it was caused Hermione's stomach to clench again.

'You do not understand.'

Something about that softly muttered comment set Harry off again.

'"UNDERSTAND"? I understand more than enough, considering I was in the Tower when you turned your wand upon a weakened Dumbledore! You are nothing but a coward!' he roared.

This time round, Hermione did manage to stop Harry from descending upon Snape again. The sudden wrench of her hold on his waist, however, sent the two of them sprawling onto the ground. The three of them, Snape, Hermione and Harry, were now occupying the floor of the Great Hall, and not a single one appeared to be much happy about it.

'That is quite enough of your theatrics, Potter! Hagrid, resume your route to the school owlery, if you please,' ordered Professor McGonagall sternly, shooting a disapproving glance in Harry's direction.

'I am telling you! You-Do-Not-Understand!' exclaimed Snape, locking glances with the baleful stare of the Headmistress.

'I see that you are very persistent in your knowledge of our ignorance- whatever that might be. Very well. Do enlighten us, Severus, before my patience runs its course and you are promptly whisked to Azkaban with no questions asked!'

Yet another cloud of something unrecognizable crossed the wizard's features as he surveyed everyone present. At last he turned back to the Headmistress and unblinkingly peered into her face for a moment or two before answering.

'I would rather this conversation be confidential, Minerva.'

McGonagall grimaced at the familiarity of address but nonetheless glanced towards the three students, two of whom were still on the floor. The older witch appeared visibly undetermined as to what she should do next. All the same, as soon as she spied Harry's mouth opening again, her decision was made.

'Miss Granger, Mr. Weasley, escort your friend, Mr. Potter, to your common room, and stay there. I will trust your discretion that not a word of what transpired just now shall be spread around. Good night.'

With the entire faculty of Hogwarts staring at them, Hermione saw no other choice but to briskly nod.

'Of course, Professor McGonagall. We, err, will see you tomorrow then. Good night, Professors,' she mumbled, trying to rise up from the floor as gracefully as possible.

Grasping both Harry and an utterly bewildered Ron under their elbows, she proceeded to drag them out of the Great Hall. Before they could make it fully out of the doors, Harry momentary resisted, and they stopped.

Wheeling partially back, he resolutely demanded of the Headmistress of Hogwarts:

'What are you going to do with him?'

'That, Mr. Potter, is none of your business,' the witch dryly replied. 'Now off you go before I deduct house points before the term even officially starts!'

As the three of them departed for Gryffindor Tower at last, Hermione unwillingly looked back over her shoulder.

The portrait of the blood-covered Severus Snape as he lay there upon the ground, surrounded by the wrath of his former colleagues of so many years, was the last thing she saw before the doors of the Great Hall shut firmly behind them.

And for some unsettling reason, Hermione's heart shrank painfully at this image of the fallen dark wizard.
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Sweet Surrender