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When the Magic's Gone	By : Avrild Category: Harry Potter > General > General Views: 4155 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
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.

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Chapter Nine - And Professor Snape Drinks a Little

It all belongs to Rowling, except what you don’t recognize.

It was early morning when Snape and Harry apparated from the Grangers’ house to Hogsmeade. Snape was in one of the worst funks Harry could ever remember. In fact, Harry would have felt better if Snape had yelled or sneered or done any of the other things that Snape would normally do when upset. Instead, he simply looked like a bomb ready to go off.

The town of Hogsmeade had been severely damaged by the war. Most of the houses and buildings were no more than rubble and still smoking almost two weeks later. Both Harry and Snape used cleansing spells to ward off the reek left by both magic and mundane weapons of terror. It seemed odd that amidst all this destruction one building stood alone and in good shape: Zonkos. Curiosity led the two wizards to investigate. As they approached the small building, the front door opened. Both men had their wands out and at the ready.

‘Harry! Professor Snape?’ said the red haired wizard before them.

‘George! I thought you were dead!’ laughed Harry.

‘Well that makes the two of us,’ smiled George as he clapped Harry on the shoulder. ‘And Professor, I am astounded at the changes a fortnight have created in you. Muggle haircut and clothing?’

‘Stuff a sock in it, Weasley,’ said Snape, glowering and wondering how the hell Harry knew which one of the twins had inflicted himself on them.

‘I’d love to Professor Snape; however, it is somewhat of a relief to see both of you. My brother is in rather dire need of assistance. I fear he may be too far along as it is.’ The young wizard’s shoulders slumped as he led the two of them into Zonkos. The jokes were still in all their various compartments and shelves. Everything was very tidy and neat.

‘How did--?’ Harry waved his hand around him.

‘My brother and I came up with a very strong protection and No-See-Me spell. After all, we had just acquired the rights to this establishment and the Zonko’s name. Unfortunately, during the battle my brother was touched by a hex.’ George headed up a narrow, rickety staircase in the back of the building.

Down a small, dingy hallway, with various storerooms on either side, was a large bedroom with two beds. In one of them lay Fred, George’s twin brother. He looked ashen, but was awake and propped up by a large novelty pillow of Mickey Mouse.

‘Fred, look who’s here to see you! Harry and Professor Snape.’

‘I see. Have they come to join the resistance?’ Fred’s voice was barely above a whisper.

‘I didn’t ask. I think we need the good Professor to look at your leg.’ George got down on his knees by his brother’s bed and lifted the cover.

Harry gasped and Snape said nothing but prodded at the grey granite leg with his wand.

‘What do you think?’

‘I’m not familiar with this curse in particular. It looks to be in the family of the stony curses.’

‘Didn’t I tell you Fred?’ Said George with subdued triumph. ‘Professor, how do we break it?’

‘I may have a potion in my lab. But we will need to gain access to Hogwarts. Have either of you been able to--?’ Snape looked out the filth-covered window at the ruins that once was Hogsmeade.

‘We tried several times, but without success,’ said George. There was a sudden moan of pain from Fred. George held his hand tightly. ‘Steady on bro’, steady on. We’ll get you fixed right as rain.’

Harry noted a small muscle in Snape’s jaw twitching as Snape turned back to the room. ‘I may also have some pain killer to help you, Fred. But we need to go quickly.’

‘Umm. Have you two tried the tunnel from Honeyduke’s yet?’ asked Harry.

‘Honeydukes?’ said Snape with some surprise.

‘Yes, we cleared off the entrance to the tunnel. Unfortunately the tunnel seems caved in. We couldn’t budge the rubble, which leads me to believe that it may be an illusion.’

‘That would make sense,’ stated Snape as he turned to leave. ‘George stay here and look after your brother. Harry, come along.’

Harry had a hard time keeping up with Snape as he strode along the path to the gates of Hogswarts. They were quickly there and both looked up at the where the castle and gates used to be. It was all pastureland, complete with wildflowers and butterflies.

Snape walked through where the gates used to be, hoping that merely by entering the area somehow the spell would be broken. Harry followed close behind and then uttered, ‘Finite Incantantum.’

‘Really, Potter. Do you think something so simple’’ he stopped when he heard Harry gasp.

‘You might want to try it yourself, Professor.’ Harry said way too innocently, and Snape had yet another strong urge to simply hex the young man into the next century.

‘Very well, Finite Incantantum,’ and was rewarded with the sight of Hogwarts frozen in a mid-morning’s sun. ‘It looks like Hogwarts is under a suspension spell, along with a selective visibility spell.’ Snape almost smiled. Impressive. ‘So, it will still be invisible and out of time for any one else. I suspect the suspension spell is less responsive to Finite.’

‘Or it could be waiting for us to use the Doomsday Watch. There looks to be about two hours time difference.’ Harry looked outside the gate at the early morning mist.

‘Quite. Dumbledore probably set the spell just after you left.’ Snape continued his walk up to the castle.

‘Professor, what you said to George about finding a potion for the stony spell? There is none.’

‘I’m glad to see that you actually paid more attention to my classes than the Weasleys. He’ll just be one more death, unless we get things back to where they were. Oh, do hurry up, Potter. I have quite a bit of work to get done and by my reckoning only about an hour and a half until we reach the point of no return.’

&&&

Snape put Harry to work helping him convert both potions to gas and enchant them into crystal ampoules. He also located an invisibility cloak, which he had confiscated from a second year Ravenclaw only a few weeks ago. They hadn’t seen anyone on the way down to the dungeons and Harry wanted to go to Dumbledore’s office.

‘I think we have about 15 minutes before I originally left Hogwarts to go join Voldemort. I have the gasses ready and I can’t afford to not have you with me. As much as it might be nice to see how our Head Master is doing, you are simply going to have to trust me and follow my lead.’

‘Err. Professor, I don’t want to hurt your feelings.’ Snape glared at Harry, but Harry continued. ‘It’s just that in the time I’ve known you, you’ve very rarely been right about anything. I think I’d better go see Prof. Dumbledore.’

‘Potter, I will not hesitate to put you under Imperio if I must. I need to have you there on the field invisible to save Hermione and Blaise from being beheaded by Macnair. I can’t be in two places at once and with the additional use of the gasses, I fear that both their lives will be forfeit.’

Harry stood there with his mouth open, gaping at Snape. This was so totally out of character for the potions master. Since when did he start going soft? And since when did Harry start thinking of Hermione being just one more victim of war?

Snape changed tactics. ‘Harry? You can go to Dumbledore later, if I fail. Please, I’m not used to begging, come with me now.’

Harry, even more shocked by Snape’s plea, merely nodded.

They both performed the Substantio spell on one other. Harry had already privately performed it on the sheaf of papers from Hermione. Snape used the spell on the gasses.

Harry took out the watch, set the solitary watch hand 14 days back in time. He put his left hand in Snape’s and using his right hand pushed the button down. There was a blackout and spinning sensation and suddenly they were back in the dungeons.

‘Do you think it worked, Professor?’ He then stared, realizing it had indeed worked as Snape had instantaneously transformed into the old longhaired, yellow-toothed, black robed bat of before. Harry looked at himself and saw he was also back into his robes wearing blue jeans and tee shirt underneath.

Snape went to his worktable and picked up a glass of potion, which hadn’t been there a moment before. ‘Yes, it worked. This is the toxin that I created to give Voldemort. We must run, please don’t talk to anyone, if we should see anyone, that is.’ He was already out the door.

Snape and Harry apparated from the front gates of Hogwarts to a field on the other side of Hogsmeade. Harry was already under his invisibility cloak and Snape had enlarged his Death Eater’s mask and put it on. Harry stayed close to Snape, not quite sure what would be happening next. Snape had only sketched the events for him and he had a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach that none of this would work. Snape was not in much better shape than Harry. He had had two weeks of respite from fear of the Dark Lord and now, he was returning to his worst nightmare, and for what? He wasn’t really sure anymore. He swallowed the bile that had come up again and calmly walked over to Voldemort.

The red-eyed demon was sitting on a throne surrounded by masked Death Eaters. To one side of him were two Hogwarts students whose heads were covered by burlap sacks.

‘Ah, Snape you have the potion, I see. Let’s hope that it will do everything you promised.’

Snape kneeled before the Dark Lord and kissed his skeletal hand. ‘On my life, it will,’ he intoned. He dared not risk looking at the two prisoners, though this time he knew their identities. Blaise and Hermione had been put under Imperio by Draco Malfoy and brought here by the dawn’s first light. Malfoy had chosen them as a prize for Voldemort, and in revenge for them being more popular and successful than he could ever be. Macnair apparated in carrying his axe. Snape was not the sort to pray to any God or Goddess, but he started praying nonetheless to whatever power that might care to listen or help.

‘Here, my lord you must drink it quickly and all of it; it is highly perishable,’ Snape simpered. He swallowed again and said another prayer not to be sick to his stomach all over the Dark Lord.

Voldemort drank it down. Snape had already palmed the ampoules. He stepped behind Voldemort’s throne and pulled on the invisibility cloak while smashing the ampoules under his heel. The gasses rushed out, forming a dark crimson and black cloud around Voldemort. Snape sprinted over to the prisoners. He didn’t bother to watch if Voldemort was affected. He was quite certain it would work-- and if it didn’t, well he knew what would come next.

He saw Macnair freeze as Blaise disappeared from sight. Snape was only a few feet away from Hermione. He brought her under the cloak and apparated back to the gates of Hogwarts.

Snape released Hermione from the Imperio Curse. At which point she said, ‘Harry?’ He tore off his mask and her hood but kept his arms wrapped around her. She turned to face him and he leaned down and kissed her. It was neither a gentle kiss nor a tentative kiss, like a first time kiss should be. It was a fiercely possessive kiss, one that insisted you are mine and mine alone. The kiss went on for an eternity, and even when she realized it was SNAPE, for some reason she didn’t want the kiss to end.

One of his hands had cupped her bottom, pressing her lower body so close to him that she could feel the heat of his rampant manhood against her stomach. His other hand had wrapped itself in her hair forcing her mouth upwards to meet his. His tongue explored every part of her mouth hungrily and she began to return the kiss, dueling with his tongue for entrance to his mouth. She was trembling with reaction and desire. She had spent hours under the Imperio, knowing that any moment might be her last. She was not expecting to be made love to, but it seemed like a grand idea.

She was soaking wet and throbbing between her legs from the thorough snogging. And if Professor Severus Snape had not been holding her to him, she would have collapsed on the spot. She moaned and rubbed herself against his hardness as she started to feel the beginning contractions of a climax.

Hermione could not believe that this was happening. She wondered if sexual fantasy could be a side effect of the curse. It simply was not possible that this was Snape. His mouth was too delicious and her body too excited by him. When he released her, she cried out ‘No’ and tried to cling back on.

Then she saw him take out his wand as if he was about to obliviate her memory of the kiss.

‘Please, Professor, let me remember this. I won’t tell.’ She stepped into him again wanting to grab his robes. He stepped back from her. A look of shocked surprise followed by pain crossed his face. He turned away from her.

‘I’m sorry Miss Granger. I, I lost myself. Hurry now and go help Madame Pomfrey. There will be wounded coming soon.’ And he literally ran away from her and halfway to Hogsmeade before he thought to apparate.

In a daze, she touched her lips that had just a moment ago been pressed against his. Her body was trembling with unsatisfied need. Slowly, she began to walk up to the castle, wondering what had just happened to her. Was this a lingering effect of Imperio? And who was the man impersonating the loathed Snape?

Snape returned to the battle under the invisibility cloak. There were Death Eaters, Aurors, and upperclassmen from Hogwarts all in a melee of hexing and cursing. And there, in the center of a circle of Death Eaters was the seemingly lifeless body of Voldemort. Snape kept the cloak on. He didn’t care if it were cowardly to attack when no one could see him; he just wanted to hex as many Death Eaters as he could to finish this thing off quickly. Unfortunately the cloak was not a protection against stray hexes and within 45 minutes he was limping badly. Eventually he had to sit down on the ground as he felt his entire leg go numb. He continued to throw hexes while people tripped over the invisible Snape.

Madam Hooch arrived with all four Quidditch teams on broomstick. She had trained them well. They would hover in the air, out of reach from hexes, and then dive in, wave wands and zoom out again. Soon there were no Death Eaters left standing as the teams performed synchronized waves of stupefying spells. Snape took off the invisibility cloak, apparated to Hogwarts gates and waited to be rescued.

That night, those who were not in the infirmary attended a feast. Fortunately, almost all of the Hogwarts’ students were there. Ministry Aurors had taken the brunt of the battle and those with severe injuries had been shipped to St. Mungos. Of course, in the alternate time-line all of the Aurors had died within the first half hour of battle and younger and younger students had ventured out of the castle to fight. Snape was grateful that things had worked out, and yet...

Hermione watched Snape up at the High Table. She stared at him while eating as if she were in a trance. Snape had not once looked her way. She watched him toy with his food, barely eating a bite. Harry was worried about her.

‘Mione, what is it? You’ve been staring at Snape throughout the meal.’

‘He rescued me, Harry.’

‘Ahh. Did you thank him?’

‘I didn’t have to, at least, I don’t think so. Oh, Harry, he kissed me.’

Harry immediately gave in to his natural feelings. ‘Eeeew. So are you going to tell Madam McGonagall?’

‘No, Harry. I, I think I liked it.’

‘Hermione, that’s not right.’

‘I know.’

‘Look, you told me that I would know when the time was right. Here.’ Harry held out the sheaf of papers that the other Hermione had given him.

‘Harry, how did you get a hold of my stationery? And what’s this?’ Hermione unfolded the computer printed photo.

‘There’s Matt— and Professor Snape and you and I! What is this Harry?’

Harry tapped on the papers. ‘Read first and ask questions later.’ Harry put a treacle tart on his plate and poured warm custard over it. ‘I’ll try to answer whatever you might want to ask me.’ Harry picked up his dessert and headed down the table to where Ron and Ginny sat, allowing Hermione to read her notes in peace.

&&&

‘Weasley, that is a very interesting position you are in; however, I suggest you hurry up and move along before— Oh my goodness -- Pansy Parkinson? Couldn’t you stick to Slytherin? Oh, never mind. No. I will not be giving detention or taking away points. Filch will be along in about 20 minutes, I suggest that you not be here. Well, carry on.’

People might think that Severus Snape being heralded and feted as the man who brought down Voldemort might have mellowed a bit. However, mellow was not quite the right term. Balmy, yes, he did seem to go a bit balmy. He sneered infrequently and drank heavily. He grew a beard and, in general, neglected his appearance, going so far as to leaving his top buttons quite undone and his white shirt exposed to the world. Dumbledore and the other faculty members worried and talked and did little to anything about the situation.

Harry and Hermione watched Snape throughout the semester. Snape was now Hermione’s obsession as she studied the notes left to her by her predecessor and picked Harry’s brains until he thought he would scream. Snape never yelled anymore. When in potions class, he wouldn’t sit there like a thundercloud ready to rain down invectives. Instead, he’d read the Daily Prophet (smirking over the comic strips), or Quiditch Weekly. He was obviously marking time. In a strange reversal, students worked even harder out of a sense of self-preservation as they were quite certain that Snape didn’t give a rat’s arse if they did poison or blew themselves up.

And every once and a while Hermione’s eyes would meet his and he’d give a guilty start, before looking away.

The Yule Ball came and went. When Blaise asked Hermione to dance, she shook her head and stared daggers at Snape who, as usual, guiltily ignored her.

&&&

‘Come on, Severus, come out of it. Out with the bad and in with the good.’

Someone was holding his head over a basin as his puked his guts out. It sounded like Dumbledore’ He tried to think why in the world he’d be sick like this. Hmmm. One bottle of Ogden’s Fire Whiskey, 2 bottles of Dreamless Sleep, and, uh-oh, didn’t he have some Laudanum around 4 AM?

‘Albus?’

‘Well, I’d assume that was a suicide attempt, you were cyanotic damn it, but nobody is that stupid. Especially not a world famous potions master as yourself.’ Dumbledore was furious with him. Very few wizards produced smoke from their heads without the use of Pepper Up Potion.

‘Oh Gods, Albus. I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I can’t go on.’ Snape simply wished the earth could open up and let him slither in.

‘Don’t you think you should tell me what all of this is about? I imagine that maybe you have lost your bearings since Voldemort’s downfall. And I’ve cut you slack, but I can’t overlook this. You need to pull yourself together.’

‘Help me.’ Snape shook his head, still feeling the effects of Poppies in his system. ‘Albus, I made love to, no, I slept with, um, no, I, I f-fucked her. I fucked a student. I fucked her several times. I shagged her silly. I took her virginity. And I’d do it again if I could find the courage.’ Snape was trembling all over and started to dry heave.

‘Severus, this is a very serious admission. Have a mind to what you are saying.’

‘Her nipples are lovelier than rosebuds. The only thing sweeter than her breasts is the nectar I’ve sipped from her nether lips.’ He took Albus’ hands in his and looked at him earnestly.

‘That’s disgusting.’ Dumbledore pushed him away. ‘Which student?’ thundered the Head Master.

‘Hermione.’

‘Hermione? Hermione Granger?’ He gave a sigh of relief. ‘Now, I know you are having me on. Not long ago, you were cursing the girl for being a know-it-all. You called her an uptight bluestocking.’

‘And then I stole her virginity in the dungeon of the Malfoy manor. Well, not quite a theft, because she did ask me to.’ Tears were streaming down Snape’s face. ‘Albus, I can’t go on like this. I need her.’

‘I think you have dreamt all of this. How long have you been using Laudanum?’ asked Dumbledore, quite certain now that his potions master was having a nervous breakdown. ‘A few weeks in St. Mungo’s and everything will seem clear to you again.’ He patted Snape on the arm. ‘And maybe a trip or two to Knockturn Court, as well.’

Snape produced an oft-folded piece of paper. ‘Voldemort won the battle. You gave Harry a device to change time. For two weeks I lived with Hermione Granger and was her lover. Here is a picture of us. Her cousin Matt-the-Bat used a digital camera on a timer to take this picture.’ He handed it over to the Head Master.

‘Why Severus, I’ve never seen you look so well or rested. Hmmm. Nice hair.’

‘I must have her back, Albus.’

‘But from what you are saying, you never had ‘our’ Miss Granger. The one you were involved with was from a timeline which no longer exists.’

‘After the fall of Voldemort, I kissed her. Believe me, if I could change it I would. I know I’m not making sense anymore.’ His words tumbled over themselves, spilling out faster and faster. ‘Sometimes I dream that I am in Chile and she’s giving birth to our first child. That’s the worst, when I wake up and she’s not here beside me. This is a worse hell than being in Voldemort’s thrall.’ He sniffled and rubbed his nose on his sleeve. Dumbledore made a moue of disgust and provided him with a handkerchief. Snape began to cry even more and clutched Dumbledore’s arm.

‘You know your parents never forgave me for your taking up with Voldemort. I’ve forgiven you for many things; given you second chances, put up with your verbal abuse of students, but not this time.’ The anger had left his voice, leaving an artic coldness. Something else, however, was glittering in his blue eyes. ‘You’re not fit to teach anymore here at Hogwarts. I’ll assign a house elf to make sure Miss Granger comes to no harm from you during these last few weeks. And I’ll send out a few owls on your behalf. I may even give you some advice, though you never seem willing to take it from anyone. You will finish out this term, but then I expect to see you gone.’

Dumbledore disengaged Snape from his arm and left. Snape was alone with his feelings of remorse and despair. He’d thought that the Head Master would understand and somehow help him. How wrong he was.

Snape had made a promise to Hermione. And it was the promise that was killing him. He couldn’t, he wouldn’t let go of his final chance at happiness. And yet, if he were to tell her, how should she react? One laugh and he would die from humiliation. He could feel it in his bones, hear it in his mind, the mocking scorn of the Dream Team. Laughing that the once feared terror of their childhood was nothing more now than a lonely and pathetic middle-aged man pining for a young thing almost half his age.

&&&

The Leaving Feast was over. Hermione was no longer a student at Hogwarts. Now was the time. She had waited patiently for Severus to keep the promise he had made to her other self. While she waited, she read and re-read the notes that her other self had written to her. She had questioned Harry for endless hours. She had studied the information of her other life as carefully as she would have prepared for any test. She knew it by heart and it felt like these events had really happened to her and no other. It came down to only one thing:

He would keep his word, wouldn’t he?

She dressed in her prettiest gown, took extra care with her hair and even added a little touch of makeup. She wore silk undergarments ‘ just in case. She felt her heart beating a rapid tattoo as she descended into the dungeons to Snape’s office. To her surprise the door was ajar. She stepped in and found the room empty!

Totally devoid of furniture, ingredients, jars, caldrons, anything, it was just a big empty dungeon. Hermione sank to her knees. Hadn’t she just seen Snape at the feast? What had happened?

A pair of gentle hands placed themselves on Hermione’s shoulders and she looked up into the sparkly blue eyes of the Headmaster of Hogwarts. ‘Hermione, he’s gone. He felt that the new potions master would best be served having an empty dungeon to start with. We shall, of course, miss Severus dearly. He only stayed for the Leaving Ceremony.’

‘Please, tell me where he went.’

‘If he wants you to know, he’ll tell you.’

Hermione stood up, wiped off her knees and headed back to the Gryffindor Tower. She was careful not to let anyone see her tears.

To Be Continued

A/N:

Many thanks for the reviews and kind support from my reviewers: MoD, Tegan, Trachyte, and Jean Lamb

Please, please read and review. It’s killing me to write these final chapters.
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When the Magic's Gone