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This Is The Way The World Ends.	By : tulipsaside Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Snape/Hermione Views: 7312 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 29
- 30
30. I know I�ve left you in places of despair.
Hermione followed Harry and the Headmaster across the dusky grounds at a brisk pace; their cloaks flapping around their respective heals. She felt the chill of the air slink around her, as the warmth of the castle receded behind them, and pulled her collar up around her neck.

The Headmaster tapped his wand against the chain that linked around the gate, pushing open the iron and allowing Harry and Hermione to precede him.

�We shall only be walking a bit further, before we apparate.� said Dumbledore, tapping his wand against the chains again so they locked in place.

�Apparating, Sir?� asked Harry keeping in step with the Headmaster.

�Yes, I presume you both know how?� he looked questioningly over his glasses.

�Yes, Sir.� said Hermione

�But, how will we know where to apparate, sir.� asked Harry.

Dumbledore nodded once, his face momentarily bemused before he smiled warmly at Harry.

�Quite right, I believe side-along apparation should do the trick.� he said stopping in mid-stride on the pathway to Hogsmeade.

�If you�d both take hold.� he held out his arm as if he were about to conduct an orchestra.

Hermione gripped on to his left and Harry to the right, both glancing nervously at the Headmaster as he tucked his arms into his sides.

�Now, Miss. Granger, if you�d be so kind as to turn with me we shall not delay.� he smiled benignly as he steered her sharply towards Harry.

There was a resounding crack and an overwhelming tightening in her gut before she felt her feet stumble onto ground again.

The night had fallen around them, shrouding their surroundings in deep shadows draped with a translucent sheen from the moon: low and full in the sky. Hermione squinted in the dark, taking in the tall and looming trees to her left, leaving her with a heavy dread at Voldemorts preferred choice of defence. Having no desire to experience the sensation of a tree wrapping about her limbs again she huddled in closer to the Headmaster and Harry, more for comfort but warmth as well, being that air seemed chillier here than at Hogwarts.

They seemed to have apparated into a garden of sorts, though it lacked any congenial feelings or serenity. It felt abandoned, wild and sinister with its overgrown foliage, and large hallowed stumps where trees had split and fallen under the suffocating grasp of overrun ivy. There were statues, or what had once been statues, strewn about the yard, their crumbling pieces sinking beneath the wall of weeds.

Clouds drifted over the moon, heaving them in utter darkness. Hermione lit her wand to illuminate the rest of the garden, finally noticing the, well not so much a house but a sad imitation of one. �More of a shed, really� Hermione thought.

�What is this place?� asked Harry.

Dumbledore lowered his wand light to set his gaze upon Harry.

�Until very recently it was Voldemorts residence. He has since left Albania and has started venturing west.�

�Albania?� Harry�s eyes widened.

Dumbledore nodded, �This is a guest-house if you will,� Gesturing towards the house. �For Voldemort when he needs a bit of respite from his recruiting.�

�What has made him decide to leave such charming views?� asked Hermione derisively.

Dumbledore�s mouth quirked, �Employment I gather.�

�How could he think anyone would ever hire him?� Hermione said her voice full of incredulity.

�You forget the times Miss. Granger. Lord Voldemort is hardly a whisper to the Wizarding World at the moment. They hear only of strange disappearances, or the odd misfortune of an unlucky few. It has yet to reach the pandemic you two have grown up with.�

�He�s heading to Hogwarts?� Harry sounded brusque and concerned.

Dumbledore nodded, �I believe so,� he said solemnly.

The Headmaster stepped closer to the cabin. �Let us continue.�

Hermione followed close behind Harry. Her wand, held firmly at her side, lighting the steps to the hovel.

�Stay here a moment,� said Dumbledore as he circled the structure, his cloak catching on branches and weeds.

Finally, he stepped back in front of the door, extracting a large key from out of his pocket. Hermione distantly wondered how he had managed to acquire the key to Voldemorts �quarters� but the thought was quickly vanished after the door clicked open.

It was not really a room at all; instead, a large hallway appeared before them, its masonry coated with roots and ivy fighting there way in between the cracks. Moreover, it seemed to continue on for miles, stretching beyond the ray of light their combined wands made, into bleak emptiness.

The moon slid out from behind the clouds as Harry and Hermione followed the Headmaster into the passageway.
Hermione had lost track of how long they had been walking trying to keep count of how many steps she had trudged, and how many minutes they had already been gone; an hour at the very, very least.

The tunnel had shrunk, gradually at first, until now, the Headmaster walked stooped and Harry seemed to be doubling over to keep from bumping his head against the roof. Hermione was sure if the tunnel kept up its decline the three of them would all be crawling on their bellies. �Like snakes� she thought fleetingly, tucking her nose more firmly into her jumper as the stench of decomposing soil wafted up in the air.

Harry stopped abruptly, causing Hermione to stagger into him. The pathway had stopped. Hermione tried standing taller on the balls of her feet without scraping her head against the low ceiling; there was nothing but solid wall ahead of them. She took a step back and instantly connected with another very solid wall, one she was quite certain had not been there before.

�Headmaster.� she said, cautiously.

Dumbledore turned from his wall, �Yes, Miss- It seems we have no choice but to keep going.�

�But, sir, its blocked.� said Harry gesturing wildly at the small, cramped cell they had inadvertently locked themselves in.

Dumbledore smiled, �Then I�m afraid we have no choice but to go down.� he dropped lower, almost kneeling on the ground and plunged his wand straight down into the soil underfoot.

Hermione had only ever experienced the feeling of having the ground give way from under her, and the empty breathless feeling of falling from heights while on Muggle travelling fair rides. It was not an experience she liked to be subjected to, ever: especially when Dark Wizards, protecting bits of their souls, had designed it.

She had expected to land on hard ground; bone breaking ground, not the raw and piercing sting of her body plunging into glacial tempered waters. The water flooded into her mouth, freezing her lungs as she struggled to cough; to breathe; to fight her way from under the surface. She clawed at her cloak, shredding it from her body as she kicked furiously towards the top.

The water seemed to be seeping into her, permeating her very centre with an overpowering sense of sorrow. Horrible thoughts flashed rapidly through her mind, feeling heavy in her heart, and making her struggle to fight useless. Her arms began to weaken; there was so much sadness. Hundreds of faces flitted across her thoughts, lifeless on bloodied snow. Hermione felt herself sinking, her eyes drifting shut as one last thought whispered through her mind, �she would never be able to keep her promise to Severus.� All went black.
Cold, overwhelmingly bitter cold, that was all she could feel. Hermione opened her eyes experimentally and panic washed over her. Darkness enveloped her, as if she could not force open her eyes. She passed a hand over face, watching the shadow of her palm dispel the night in front of her. Hermione relaxed her breathing, slowly letting her sight adjust.

�Harry! Headmaster?� she called out.

�Hermione.� spluttered Harry next to her.

�Are you two alright?� asked the Headmaster.

�Yes, sir.�

�Sir, what was that?� spoke Harry, shuffling to his feet and hauling Hermione up next to him.

�I am afraid I have no answer for that. Though I could hazard a guess that it might possibly be a creation of Voldemorts most horrifying memories and that of his followers.�

�Like a Pensieve?� asked Hermione.

�Perhaps.�

�Sir, what would have happened had we sunk?� said Harry.

�Something most unpleasant I am certain.�

�I was sinking,� she said to Harry before looking to the Headmaster. �I couldn�t swim any longer� how� how did I get out?� she looked around from the platform they were standing on, the water looked so still that it resembled marble, so solid that one could walk on it.

�The Headmaster pulled us out,� said Harry quietly at her side, nodding once to Dumbledore.

Dumbledore nodded, �I did, though a happy thought will banish most unpleasant memories, Miss. Granger. Now, let us move on.� he said gesturing towards a small gap at the top of the steps and in between two of the four large boulders that made up the walls.

Hermione turned sideways to make her way out of the small passageway, her shoe catching on a rock as she slid out and into a room so vast it made the Great Hall look like a cupboard. The walls were high, ominous, and flat. A wide opening seemed etched into the ceiling where the lake sat above them suspended: the moon reflected in its waters, giving the room a greenish-hue. A table of sorts, sat at the far end of the room; raised high in the air on a platform overlooking the entire area. A single chair sat behind it, looking as arrogant and intimidating as its owner.

Hermione looked at Harry, in a silent enquiry. If ever a placed reeked of Voldemort, it would be this room.

Slowly they followed the Headmaster up to the dais, their boots making not a sound against the hard marble floors.

Hermione glanced down at the eerily lit ground and felt her stomach twist in disgust at the sight of the deep stains, like a revolting varnish, that littered the floor.

�I do believe we�ve found the last Horcrux.� spoke Dumbledore softly.

There on the table sat Helga Hufflepuff�s chalice, the bronze badger glinting in an unnatural gleam of blue-green light.

The Headmaster pulled back the chair, and stood directly in front of the cup. Tentatively, he swept his wand back and forth, up and down, covering all sides of the cup.

�Is that you Dumby?� said a rasping, growling voice, that made the hair on Hermione�s neck stand on in.

Dumbledore stepped in front of Harry and Hermione blocking them as best he could from view. There at the bottom of the steps, Hermione could make out the enormous and feral silhouette of Fenrir Greyback. He was younger, Hermione noticed, but no less vicious or terrifying.

�Fenrir,� said Dumbledore politely, watching the massive man manoeuvre around the moonlight the painted the middle of the floor, keeping to the shadowed edges as he stalked nearer to them.

�What�s this, Dumby? You�ve brought me presents?� he snarled.

Dumbledore shifted them closer behind them, �Fortunately for them I have not.�

�Tsk, tsk, Dumby. You know it isn�t polite to come into a man�s home without an offering.� Fenrir�s throaty tones, seemed to bark out at them as he spoke.

�Oh?� said Dumbledore idly, watching as a cloud covered the moons gleam and throwing the room in near-darkness. �I was under the impression these were Voldemort�s lodgings.�

Fenrir snarled at Dumbledore�s flippant use of his master�s name.

�That�s one thing of the things I hate about you Dumby, you never did know when to shut your yap.�

Fenrir seemed to ready to pounce as he sidestepped closer to them, almost directly under where the moonlight was sure to filter in.

Dumbledore hissed quietly and quickly at Harry and Hermione. �When I say, I want you both to run immediately to the cave�s door, he will not be able to fit through.� He gave Harry a stern glance before gripping his wand more firmly in his hand and turning to Greyback.

�One of my many failings I�m sure, Fenrir.� said the Headmaster.

Greyback stood tall in the centre of the room, his arms tense and fixed at his sides. The water rippled as the clouds drifted pass, bathing the room and Fenrir in its light.

�Now!� Bellowed the Headmaster, as he threw two stones into the air, transfiguring them in mid-fall.

Two immense lions thudded to ground sprinting towards the transforming were-wolf and converging on them in thunderous roars and howls.

Hermione eyed the caverns door some, twenty paces in front of them, their way was clear as Dumbledore grappled with Fenrir, but they were so close, and had come so far. To leave now, to leave the last Horcrux that would destroy Voldemort forever was too great a failure.

Hermione sprinted back to the table and reached out for the cup, amidst Harrys shrieking commands to stop.

Instantly, all the noise in the room vanished and Hermione was besieged with terrible pain, pain that made her want nothing more than death. She could feel waves and waves of it passing up her hand, into her wrist, along her arm and spreading throughout her whole body, like fire licking at her from the inside. It was too great for her, too unbearable. She ached for death, anything that would stop this devastating suffering. She could see before her the massive lions fighting with Greyback, attacking him from all sides. Fenrir would tear at them, shredding their manes, splitting their throats before they would fall to the ground stones once again. She watched Dumbledore, transfigure three more of the great lions hurtling them at the werewolf before he locked eyes with Hermione. Horror overtook his face at the sight of her, deifying his orders to flee.

Hermione could not stand the torrent of anguish a moment longer, she willed her other arm to turn towards her, her wand pushing against her chest as she tried to concentrated on the spell that would end the torture.

She closed her eyes, directing all her energy on forcing the words from her mouth. They would not come, each time the spell seemed on the verge of passing through her lips, her mind would shift and a random image would filter through dulling the rage of pain that coursed through her.

The lake at Hogwarts, the seat she liked to sit in by the fire in the Slytherin common room. Severus, sitting next to her reading at the dinning table, Severus throwing Black and Potter from her in the stairwell to Arthimacy.

She could feel her fingers slipping from around the cup, making it easier to concentrate. Dumbledore had said, that happy thoughts could dispel even the worst of memories.

Hermione tightened her grip more firmly around the stem of the chalice, heaving it from the table as she focused on Severus.

The cup broke free from the table and Hermione felt her knees tremble as the pain vanished as quickly as it had started, leaving her breathless.

Harry, rushed up to her, his arms encircling her.

�I couldn�t touch you, I� I couldn�t even get close enough,� his voice stammered with a frenzied panic as he half held, half-dragged her from the platform.

�We have to hurry, Dumbledore can�t hold him for much longer,� he said as he raced her pass the most peculiar and reassuring scene she had ever seen.

Dumbledore stood tall, his face twisted in a rage as he aided four of the most magnificent lions she had ever seen. Fenrir snarled at them as Dumbledore backed him further and further away from caverns entrance. Hermione watched a brilliant flash of light rush from the tip of the Headmasters wand before Harry had wrenched her through the small opening of the cave.

They had backed as far as they could away from the cavern without falling back into the motionless waters. Hermione looked down at her hands, the cup still clutched in her hand so tightly that the jewel encrusted stem dug into her palm.

They had the last Horcrux.

The Headmaster passed through the tight cave walls, throwing one last stone into the room and transfiguring it before it had even landed.

He turned towards Harry and Hermione.

�Quickly,� he motioned them closer, pulling out a broken compass, �grab hold.�

Hermione grasped on to a tiny spring that hung out from the side, still clasping Hufflepuff�s cup in her hand. Harry grabbed onto the door and the Headmaster clutched the pocket chain as portkey glowed and started spinning them up and out of the cave.

Harry and Hermione landed sprawled out on the Headmasters rug in front of his desk. Dumbledore seemed to float behind his desk before landing neatly in his seat.

�That was a very dangerous risk you took tonight, Miss. Granger,� he said as they got to their feet.

�I apologize for not following your orders, sir, but it was too great a loss to leave it.� She said, embarrassment rising to her cheeks.

Dumbledore watched her fastidiously, �Are you injured?�

Hermione shook her head, �No, sir. As soon as I lifted the cup from the table the curse stopped.�

Dumbledore�s eyebrows rose high into his hairline, �Curse?�

�I am not sure what it was, exactly, though I feel fine now.�

�May I see it?� he asked.

Hermione gladly stepped closer to his desk, placing the cup down in front of the Headmaster.

Dumbledore took out his wand, again passing it up and over, left and right before tapping it with the tip of his wand.

�Well done, Miss. Granger. The curse that was on here earlier is no longer, the last Horcrux is found.�

These words inflicted two emotions on Hermione, one of deep relief and one of deep fear.

�When will we have to leave?� spoke Harry quietly, looking from Hermione then to Dumbledore.

The Headmaster watched Harry for a moment before taking out his pocket watch, which had no numbers.

�An hour, I believe.� he said, snapping the watch closed and placing it back into his cloak.

Hermione tried to swallow the lump in her throat, and hour seemed so very short. An hour, to spend saying goodbye to Severus, and preparing to face Voldemort, it hardly seemed possible.

�Thank you, Headmaster.� said Harry as he stood to stand.

Hermione nodded to Dumbledore and followed Harry out the door.

�Are you alright?� asked Harry as they headed down the stone steps from the Headmasters office.

�Just a bit off,� she swallowed, not quite meeting Harry�s gaze, �I don�t think I�m ready to go back yet.� she said quietly.

�I-� Harry was cut off as Severus skidded to a halt before him, his eyes wide, face petrified, and his cloak covered in dirt.

�Severus what has happened?� asked Hermione moving in closer to him.

�Dumbledore, I need to speak to Dumbledore.� his words were coming out in panicked huffs. �The willow tree, tunnel�� he was clutching his side.

�The shrieking shack?� breathed Harry, his face wide with recollection.

Severus starred at him, dumbfounded, before his eyes hardened; �You knew?� he looked from Harry to Hermione.

Hermione felt ill, tonight was the night Severus found out about Lupin, the night Black had tricked him into going into the tree, the night he almost died.

�Severus-� started Hermione.

�Did you know?� he asked her, starring at her hard.

�Snape�� started Harry.

�DID YOU KNOW!� he all but bellowed, ignoring Harry completely.

�I knew that it had happened to you, but not when it was supposed to happen. Severus I-�

Severus gave her a deep disgusted look and pushed pass her roughly.

�Leave me alone.�

�Severus, please-�

�ALONE, I said.� he stormed up the steps to Dumbledore�s office.

Hermione had packed in a frenzied pace, throwing what little she had acquired into a small bag and magicing it smaller to fit in her pocket. She had wrapped Severus� gift so carefully and so many times, it was the size of a grapefruit. Her packing had taken her all of seven and half minutes, yet with only twenty-three minutes left, she had spent the last half-hour scouring the castle for Severus. She had run, full speed up to the Headmasters office, but the Gargoyle had informed her that a surly boy of Severus description had been seen storming from the hall minutes before, he was however unsure as to which direction the boy had went because he had been in the midst of a nap.

Frustrated, panicked and terrified she searched from the highest tower to the dungeons and everywhere in between. She had checked the lake, the Quidditch pitch, Hagrid�s, and the greenhouses.

Hermione sat on a bench in the gardens behind the Great Hall, putting her head to her palms. There was nothing for it, she would leave with Harry in a few minutes, back to her own time, where she was to face Voldemort, face a life in which almost everyone she knew was dead, a life where Severus was a murder, a death eater. All because of a prank the Sirius had pulled on Severus.

A rose bush a meter down from her erupted in a brilliant flash of fire before disappearing entirely. Hermione jumped to her feet, her wand at ready.

�Show yourself.� she said her voice hard.

Severus stepped out from behind a large bush of roses, his wand gripped tightly in his hand.

Hermione lowered her wand, he heart thumping painfully in her throat. �Severus� she breathed stepping closer to him.

Severus took a step back. �I have nothing to say to you.�

�Please Severus, let me explain,� she all but sobbed to him.

Severus turned from her, aiming his wand at another bush before setting it ablaze.

�I hadn�t known it would happen now. All I knew was that Black and Potter had played a prank on you using Lupin when he had transformed.�

�It was Lupin?� Severus whipped around starring at her.

Hermione bit back the urge to cover her face again.

�I am so sorry, Severus. Had I known..�

�You did know!� he hurtled his words at her viscously

�I didn�t know it was in your sixth year, I didn�t know anything other than it had happened while you were at school.�

�And that makes it acceptable? They tried to kill me and all you can say is you weren�t sure it was my sixth year? You should have told me.�

Hermione heaved a great sigh, �There�s so much I wish I could tell you Severus. So very much.�

Severus turned from her again, the night enveloping him, almost hiding him from sight with his black robes and hair.

�Severus, please, I don�t have much time left. I can not leave here with you angry at me.�

She could see him stiffen before another bush exploded into nothingness.

�You�ve found it then? The last one?�

�We did.� she said quietly, wanting badly to tell him how the just the thought of him had helped her, had saved her.

She moved closer to him, timidly reaching out to touch his shoulder.

�Severus, I don�t want to leave.� she felt tears welling up in her eyes.

He was silent for what felt like ages, just standing there his back to her, his chest barely rising in breath.

�But you will.� he finally said, his words nothing more than a whisper.

Hermione felt her heart plummet; she let her hand fall from his shoulder. Realization finally hitting her, this was why Severus hated her in her own time, why he hated Harry, hated Gryffindor and more importantly why he had joined Voldemort.

�Goodbye, Severus.� she bit her lip hard to keep the quiver out of her voice, as Severus moved further into the darkness, the only light from the blazing bushes he had set aflame.

Hermione took the time-turner from Dumbledore, placing the chain over her and Harry�s necks.

�It has already been set Miss. Granger to the appropriate time; I do believe you will appear seconds after your future selves have departed.�

Hermione looked to Harry.

�Are you ready?� she asked.

�I am.�

Hermione let the coil go, watching as the time-turner started to spin.

AN: Dearest Readers, I apologize for taking such a appallingly long time in updating, I could blame it on the holidays, but honestly this chapter was a bugger to write. This is the end of �This Is The Way The World Ends� part 1. Obviously there will be a part two, or some of you will no doubt hunt me down. I hope this ten page update makes up for my serious lack of contact.

Please review, and thank you to everyone who has.

AN Part II: Big thanks to Jo and Patty for betaing.

Happy Holidays !
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This Is The Way The World Ends.