Chapter 11
News spread quickly about the fiasco at the opera. I was terrified that people would find out that I had been the one to copy Nimue's Revelations, or that someone had recognized my face during the escape. Yet after three days had passed, without Aurors knocking on Hogwarts' gates, I began to relax. There were others who had left the convention earlier as well, which meant that our absence later on had caused no stirring. I suspected that no one believed that Professor Snape would steal such a book anyway, especially because he was renowned in the Wizarding World for his skills and knowledge. If there was anyone who did not need it, it was him.
It seemed that the ministry was convinced that the two strangers that had escaped the officials that night, which had been Professor Snape and I, had stolen a very important manuscript containing the current work on the Cruciatus curse. I knew Professor Snape's work about his attempt of a cure had yet to be published, but who would be interested in stealing such a book?
My mind turned to the moment the alarm had rung through the opera. I was convinced I'd seen someone leave just before the doors had closed. That could have been the thief. Or not.
****
Once the Animus Potion was completed, all students in Professor Snape's class had the option to drink it or not. Of course, everyone wanted to. Except me.
It did not take a genius to figure out what my animagus form was going to be. A Cygnus Cantare. And I couldn't very well turn into a golden-white swan in front of everyone.
The purpose of the potion was to show the students whether or not their animagus form would be worth all the trouble of going through the process of becoming one. The ministry took a special interest in registering all possible candidates who would be applying for the program, and sent an Auror to Hogwarts to take notes, when the day to take the potion arrived.
There were some others who did not want all of the seventh-years to see their animagus form, which meant that they took the potion with no one else in the room except the Auror and Professor Snape, should something go wrong. Since all seventh-years were supposed to take the potion, Professor Snape had brewed extra phials for the ones that were not in his class.
And I- well, I had no choice, but to botch up my potion. I, Hermione Granger, was willingly ruining my perfectly good potion. It pained me to do it, but I had no choice.
When all seventh-years filed into the Great Hall on Thursday afternoon, with Professor Snape and the Auror leading the way, I noticed that the tables had been cleared away.
"I understand that there has been an accident with one of your students' potions, Snape," said the Auror.
"Yes," said Professor Snape, his face as stony as ever as he lied, "A prank from the first-years, no doubt."
"I would have thought you would have secured your storeroom more better," said the Auror and raised his eyebrow.
Professor Snape's black eyes bored into his. "I do. Yet the ministry insisted I put all of the potions on display in a separate room for Aurors to check them. What happened there is out of my hands."
"We had to make sure there was nothing wrong with the potions," the Auror defended himself. "And I can assure you we were watching the room at all times."
Now it was Professor Snape's turn to raise an eyebrow and the Auror looked uncomfortable.
"Miss Granger," said the professor and turned to face me, "it is your potion which has become useless. Since the reserve phials are meant for the students outside of my class, you will not be able to take part in the animagus testing."
"But that's unfair!" said Ginny surprised, "Hermione's not the one who botched up the potion, so why is she getting punished for it?"
Professor Snape scowled at her. "This is not a punishment. However, if you know a way to miraculously whip up another phial of the Animus potion, then I am all ears."
Ginny's face turned red from anger, but she pressed her lips together. I tried to look disappointed, but inside I was just relieved. At least that crisis was averted, for now.
The others shifted excitedly, eager to see what animal form they would be taking on. The Auror explained the rules, stating that everyone was allowed to drink one phial only. I slowly backed away from the crowd, but suddenly found myself beside Professor Snape.
He was staring ahead, seeming annoyed to be forced to watch his students turn into all kinds of animals.
Harry turned into a magnificent stag, which earned him many awed looks (except from Professor Snape). His honey-brown fur glinted in the light and wide antlers rose up from his head. Ron's animagus form was a large, shaggy dog. He barked happily, before the effect of the potion wore off and he transformed back. Draco Malfoy became a snowy owl, Lavender a hare, Pansy a hyena and Seamus an ox.
I couldn't stop a smirk from reaching my face when Ginny turned into a fiery-red doe. Lavender and Parvati began giggling, while Harry blushed a deep red.
I glanced at the man beside me. I wonder what his animagus form is, I thought.
Professor Snape's jaw twitched and he shot me a sharp look. I quickly focused my attention back on the students in front of me, not wanting him to think I was staring at him.
****
After the last class of the day, I went to Professor Snape's office to continue working on deciphering Nimue's book. So far, none of the books I'd found in the library had helped. Professor Snape had even allowed me to look at his books, but those hadn't been helpful either. It was very frustrating to stare at the symbols day after day, without knowing how to translate them.
I sat down at a desk, getting out my things, while Professor Snape continued grading his papers.
He would usually help me go through a few books once he was finished, which I thought was very kind of him. However, his blank facial expression made it hard to guess what he was thinking.
I let my head fall into my hand, staring tiredly at the pages of my notebook. I'd began with marking the runes that showed up the most, but it quickly became clear that that was a waste of time. Depending on in what context a rune was used, it could look slightly different.
I heard the rustling sounds of paper when Professor Snape opened a book about runes. His black eyes quickly scanned a rune table, before he continued on to the next page.
There had to be something I was missing. There had to be.
I opened the book from Ruby Ravenclaw and read the last page again that contained the excerpt from Nimue's book. Maybe I had to learn more about Nimue herself to understand the runes.
"Sir," I said and looked up, "Do you have any books about Nimue?"
"Don't bother," said Professor Snape, his eyes fixed on the book before him. "I checked them all yesterday."
"Maybe you missed something."
Professor Snape shot me a vexed look. "By all means, then. Go ahead." He flicked his hand and a door to my right opened, leading to the living room of his private quarters. It had been odd at first for me to go in there to look at his books, but I was used to it now. And I felt a little proud knowing he trusted me enough to enter his private quarters. Anyway, I had been in there before when I'd passed out from the Draught of the Living Death.
I walked into the room and headed for the bookshelves. My eyes scanned the titles, until they fell onto The Sorceress: Nimue. I pulled out the thick book, which was bound in golden leather, and opened it. The index showed me that this book was about Nimue's life, how she became a sorceress and what hardships she faced from living in a time when women were deemed worth less than men.
I sniffed annoyed. There were many reasons why that was something I got angry about. What was so special about men that women didn't have? We could give birth, for Merlin's sake. I'd like to see a man try that.
Scratch that, that wouldn't work since men didn't have a uterus.
I flicked to page three and read; Nimue of Samadnaf began experimenting with her powers from an early age. Hiding her abilities from her village forced her to practice at night or deep in the woods, where no human eyes watched her.
I turned the page and sighed. That wasn't helpful at all. Maybe I should-
Something clicked in my head. I furrowed my eyebrows and turned the page back to page three, rereading a sentence.
Hiding her abilities from her village forced her to practice at night or deep in the woods, where no human eyes watched her.
Where no human eyes watched her. But Nimue had to have some kind of teacher, didn't she? If she would have had to discover everything about her magic on her own, that would have taken her ages.
My eyes moved up to the top of the page.
Nimue of Samadnaf began experimenting with her powers from an early age.
I began biting my lip when the wheels turned in my head. Nimue wasn't born in a village called Samadnaf, so why did she have this name? It seemed like a stage name of a sort, but why had Nimue chosen it?
And why was this bothering me so?
I rubbed a hand over my dry eyes and read the sentence again.
Nimue Samadnaf.
That last word just seemed so familiar-
My eyes widened. Samadnaf. Backwards, it spelled Fandamas. And Fandamas meant 'Faery' in the old Faery language.
Where no human eyes watched her.
"Of course!" I gasped in shock, "How could I have missed this?"
I heard Professor Snape enter the room and turned to face him. "Nimue's full name was Nimue of Samadnaf!" I said excitedly before he could even open his mouth. I closed the book and pushed it back onto the shelf, feeling adrenaline rush through my body. "We need to go the faeries. Now."
I hurried past Professor Snape into his office and grabbed my bag, stuffing my notebook and Ruby Ravenclaw's book into it.
"What have you found?" said Professor Snape with furrowed eyebrows.
"I'll tell you on the way," I said and looked at the clock. "Maybe we'll be done before the sun sets."
"I have no intention of chasing a useless idea of yours-"
"Just trust me on this," I interrupted him and marched to the door. I opened it, then turned around in the doorway. "You coming, or what?"
Ten minutes later, we were trekking through the darkening forest. "Okay," I said out of breath and ducked beneath a tree branch. "In your book it said that Nimue of Samadnaf had to practice her magic where no human eyes could watch her. So what if she was trained by other magical creatures?"
Professor Snape shot me an irritated look. "Is that all you've got?"
"No, but it got me thinking about her name. Why did she pick it? She must have spent most of her time away from humans, so it had to have a different meaning, something- magical."
I could tell I had Professor Snape's attention now. We ascended a hill at a fast pace, while the sun set lower and lower behind the mountains.
I panted when we reached the top and bent over.
"Samadnaf means Fandamas backwards," I said and looked up. I saw a look of surprise cross Professor Snape's face. He spoke Faery, so he had to know what that word meant.
I straightened up and noticed him examining me silently. "Good work, Granger," he said curtly and turned around to descend the hill on the other side.
The sky had turned a deep red by the time we reached the faeries. The tree swayed slightly in the chilly breeze and I heard the buzzing of the faeries in their beehive.
I reached into my bag and pulled out my notebook containing the runes. "Should I ask them or you?" I said and looked at the wizard.
His posture tensed. "It is better if you go," he said tersely.
Okay...
I didn't think too much of it and shouldered my bag. The faeries had told me last time that if I needed help, they would come. Hopefully, they could help me with the runes.
As I approached the tree, while Professor Snape once again stayed back, I heard the buzzing grow louder. Faeries shot out of the beehive, their wings shimmering beautifully in the evening sky.
They buzzed something in their language, two words that they repeated over and over. As the faeries swarmed around me, I began to discern what they were saying.
Canta Ryia. Singing Girl.
Severus' P.O.V.:
I watched Granger talk to the faeries. Despite my vampiric hearing, I couldn't understand the words. The faeries knew how to prevent eavesdroppers from listening.
I looked up to the sky. In ten minutes or less, the sun would set.
When only a small golden crescent of the sun was left above the mountains, the faeries dispersed into all directions and revealed Granger, who ran into my direction.
"They can read it!" she called out and skidded to a stop in front of me. "I gave them the book and they said I should come back in a week, then they'll tell me what it says!" Her eyes twinkled excitedly as she spoke. "They told me that it definitely contains something about my curse!"
I felt relief spread through me. Finally something useful. If the book contained a cure, then perhaps Granger wasn't condemned to turn every night for the rest of her life into a swan after all. And I wouldn't have to find a new apprentice.
Granger's head snapped up to the purple sky. "Oh fu-," it escaped her lips, before a golden light swirled around her. Within a few seconds, the young woman was gone and in her place, a white swan with golden flecks on her feathers.
She looked up at me and squawked irritatedly.
"How fast can you walk?" I said and raised an eyebrow. "Or in your case, waddle?"
Granger's eyes narrowed and she determinedly walked past me, ruffling her feathers. I had to suppress a smirk when the swan waddled into the forest.
I caught up to her with two steps and strode beside her as we marched through the forest.
"Five points from Gryffindor for cursing," I said.
Granger's head whipped into my direction. She growled. She spread her wings, obviously intent on flying the rest of the way, but I lifted my hand to stop her.
"You know you have to run a long distance before you can take off," I said and motioned to the trees standing around us. "It will be faster if I fly us back. Apparating to Hogwarts does not work, as you know."
Granger cocked her head. She seemed to wonder why I hadn't flown us to the faeries earlier.
"I will not carry you everywhere simply because you do not feel like walking, Granger," I said bluntly. "Had you hurried with talking to the faeries, we might already have returned to the castle by now. But since it is dark and quite dangerous in the forest at night, it would be smarter if I would carry you while I fly."
Granger shot me an enraged look. She turned her head away with a huff and marched forward, her head held high. Her dignity probably forbade her to accept my offer.
We walked in silence. The forest turned pitch-black in a matter of minutes. Granger seemed perfectly fine in the dark and since I didn't need light to see, I didn't cast the Lumos. The trees rustled quietly around us, like tall crooked hands. Shadows swept across the ground, taking on odd forms.
The wind changed its direction and that was when I noticed the scent.
I stopped abruptly. Granger turned around and opened her beak, but I lifted my hand. I bent down, until my head was on the same level as hers, and murmured, "There are three werewolves behind us, about a mile."
Granger shot me a surprised look. She seemed confused as to how I knew that.
"I will lead them away, while you hurry to the castle. Don't fly, unless you have enough space. Your wingbeats are too loud."
The swan shot me an enraged look. I'm not going anywhere, she seemed to say.
I gritted my teeth. "For once in your life, do as I say," I growled and straightened up.
Granger walked a few steps, her webbed feet padding across the mossy ground. Then she looked at me worriedly.
It felt- strange, knowing that someone worried about me. I mentally shook my head. "You forget, Granger, that I can fly," I said and whirled around, my cloak billowing around me. Then I was gone with the wind.
Hermione's P.O.V.:
Oh, that stubborn, pigheaded- how could he think that I was just going to leave him with THREE werewolves? Even with his flying abilities, how would he fight them all at once? It wasn't a full moon yet, but even as humans werewolves were fast- and many ruthless.
I clicked my beak nervously.
He's right. I can't do anything, except return to Hogwarts as fast as possible. I have to get help.
I hurried forward into the night, waddling as fast as I could through the undergrowth. My webbed feet began to hurt and I felt my anxiety grow the more time passed. Had I gone into the wrong direction? Was Professor Snape even alright?
I couldn't hear anything except the wind whispering in the trees. My heart began to hammer in my chest and I almost expected a werewolf to lunge at me any moment now.
A rustling sound made me flinch and I stopped in the shadow of a bush. I instinctively pressed myself to the ground, hoping that it was just a bunny.
"Have you found her?" a low voice growled. It was a man.
"No. Bjorn is leading Snape away. The girl has to be here somewhere," said a second gruff voice.
The first voice let out an angry huff. "Master saw them leaving earlier. If they make it back to the castle, we'll never get them."
"Why don't we all just attack Snape and bring him to the Master?"
"You idiot! Have you seen what he can do?"
The second voice mumbled something.
My heartbeat skyrocketed and I felt my head grow dizzy. There were two male werewolves right next to me, looking for me. That meant the third one was out there.
"We'll get the girl," said the first man, "if we take her as a hostage, the Master can get what he wants from Snape."
"But I can't find her scent-"
The wind changed its direction and the voices fell silent. My eyes widened and I pressed myself further into the ground, praying that the moon stayed behind clouds tonight. My white and golden feathers were not the best camouflage in the forest.
The first of the two men growled. "Do you smell that?"
"It's the girl- but at the same time, it isn't," said the other confused.
Footsteps neared my hiding spot. I heard sniffing and closed my eyes in fear. Why couldn't I have turned into a bird that could fly without having to run a long distance first?
A rough hand grabbed me by my neck and I squawked in surprise. I was lifted into the air, my wings dangling down beside me. I choked when my weight pulled me down.
"Lookey here," said the first voice. I glanced up and found a man smirking down at me with yellow teeth. His dark eyes flashed satisfied. "The girl turned into a Singing Swan."
"A what?" said the other dumbly. I could make out a shorter man standing in front of me, slightly hunched over.
The grip on my neck tightened and I gasped in pain. "The Master will be pleased." Sharp fingernails dug into my feathers and I whimpered when my windpipe was crushed.
"Let's go."
The men began walking quickly, the one holding me swinging me around roughly.
I opened my beak. I didn't know if Professor Snape could hear me, but I had to try. However, it wasn't a panicked squawk that left my throat. Instead, a soft melody trilled through the forest and echoed into the night. The two men stopped in surprise and listened.
My cry for help had somehow turned into a song, a sad melody that carried a dark heaviness.
"Shut up!" barked the first werewolf and shook me. My voice broke and my eyes rolled back in pain when his hand closed around my throat like an iron fist.
"Wane, watch out!" the second bellowed out. A shadow crashed into the first werewolf, causing him to release his hold on my neck. I fell to the ground and landed on my side, gasping for air.
I heard growling and snarling as the shadow fought the two werewolves. My vision was blurry and I blinked several times to focus on the scene before me.
The shadow was a human with long black hair. He moved swiftly, easily evading the werewolves' attacks. He grabbed the first by the arm and threw him against a tree, where the werewolf slumped to the ground. Whimpering, the werewolf limped into the undergrowth, not caring to help his companion. The second was tossed into another direction, landing with a crunch in a blackberry bush. The werewolf yowled in pain and scrambled back to his feet, before taking off.
I stared at the stranger in shock and tried to back away, but the pain in my neck forced me to remain still. The shadow turned his head slightly and I gasped when the moonlight fell onto his face.
It was Professor Snape. Yet at the same time, it- wasn't. His face was younger, as if he was now only in his late twenties. Long, silky black hair framed his pale face and between his lips I saw two white fangs glistening in the dim light.
Ginny was right.
I stiffened in shock.
Professor Snape was a vampire.
Two black eyes met mine, glinting coldly. They traveled down to my neck. I followed his gaze and found my feathers covered in splotches of red blood. The werewolf's fingernails must have been sharper than I thought.
Professor Snape strode towards me and before my fuzzy brain even realized what he was doing, a cold hand clamped around my injured neck. He lifted me up and pressed me against the bark of a tree, causing me to squawk in pain. The vampire snarled and I flapped my wings in fear, struggling to breathe.
The black eyes I looked into were completely empty. Just two bottomless pits. He bared his fangs at me and hissed. My eyes widened in shock.
He was going to kill me.
At once, I furiously started fighting against his hold on me, but it was useless. My song had been a call for help, but it had attracted another predator instead.
"The less you struggle," Professor Snape purred into my ear, "The sooner this will all be over." His voice was like velvet. I felt myself calm down, listening to this hypnotizing voice as I drowned in black eyes-
His face neared mine and he opened his mouth, white fangs glinting sharply. I stared dazedly ahead, my mind drifting away. But when I felt the tips of his fangs graze my neck, my mind snapped back into the reality.
A hot fire burst through me, pounding through my veins. I opened my beak and released a thunderous cry, feeling a wild magic rush out of my chest. Professor Snape was thrown backwards into the air and crashed against a tree. Its bark split into many pieces from the impact.
I slumped to the ground, barely noticing that my feathers were glowing in a golden color.
Exhaustion overwhelmed me and just as quick as this strange magic had come, it was gone again, leaving me feeling empty and spent. I dully noticed Professor Snape's figure on the ground a few meters away. He must have been knocked unconscious. I wanted to check on him, but I was too tired to get up. And then I passed out.
****
Warm sunlight tickled me awake. I tiredly opened my eyes, expecting to find the familiar ceiling of my room above me. Instead, I saw green leaves swaying beneath a pink sky.
I shot into a seating position, ignoring the stabbing pain in my neck. The memories of last night's incidents flooded back into my mind.
The faeries. The werewolves. Then-
My head whipped around, finding Professor Snape's slumped figure in the same position as before. Whatever primal magic had protected me, it must have hit Professor Snape at full tilt. I knew I should be in panic about the fact that Professor Snape was a vampire.
Yet instead, I only felt worried. Had I hurt him badly?
I pushed myself up to my feet, staggering slightly. My neck felt terrible. I was sure I had received some internal damage, first from the werewolf, and then Professor Snape.
Guilt gnawed at me. He must have heard my call for help, but then somehow his vampiric side had taken over. It had to be my fault. It wasn't like Professor Snape to lose control of- anything.
I slowly made my way to him, holding onto branches on the way. When I dropped onto my knees beside him, I saw his face. It was the same as last night.
He probably hasn't aged since he was bitten, I realized. The sharp creases between his eyebrows had disappeared and while his skin was still pale, it glowed with health.
My eyes traveled down. He had long, black eyelashes, I noticed. Then I shook myself. I wasn't here to stare at him.
I tried to find any external wounds, but his robes pretty much covered him from head to toe.
"Professor?" I croaked out, wincing when my raw throat ached. I extended a hand and slightly touched his shoulder.
At once, his other hand snapped up and wrapped itself around my wrist, his fingers as cold as ice. Professor Snape's eyes flew open, as black as ever, but this time I saw he was in control. And not the vampire.
His eyes flickered to mine.
"Granger," he growled in a deep voice. He blinked, then his eyes fell onto my neck. Instantly, his hand released mine, as if he'd burned himself.
"Are you alright?" I asked quietly.
Professor Snape sat up, letting out a cold laugh. "I almost killed you last night, Granger, and you are asking me if I'm alright?"
I rubbed over my aching throat. "You also saved me," I said with a rough voice. "I'm guessing you lost control when you heard my call for help."
Professor Snape's head snapped around and his eyes narrowed.
I shrugged. "Lucky guess."
I saw him stare at my neck, so I pulled up the collar of my cloak to hide it.
"The werewolves were looking for us," I said, breathing raggedly through my raw throat. "Someone told them we'd left the castle."
Professor Snape got up, his hands fisting.
"What else did they say?" he ground out.
I bit my lip, thinking hard. "They- were supposed to kidnap me and take me to their master," I said quietly. "And-" I inhaled with a wheezing sound, "-then they were going to force you- to give them something- using me as a hostage."
Black eyes met mine and I saw them harden in cold fury. "I will fly you back to Hogwarts," Professor Snape said, his voice deepening to a growl. "The headmistress needs to know and you are in no condition to walk."
I pressed my lips together and took a deep breath to ready myself to get up.
"I'm fine-" I began coughing instantly and pressed a hand to my throat.
Professor Snape crouched down beside me. "You can't even breathe properly," he said sharply, but I heard worry and guilt in his voice. He looked at me for a moment, then said quietly, "I am deeply sorry for what happened last night and for putting you in danger."
I cleared my throat and tried to speak again, but only a wheezing came out. Professor Snape's jaw tensed. He placed an arm under my legs and the other around my shoulder, preparing to lift me up. But I wanted to let him no that I wasn't angry with him, so I touched his hand that was resting on my shoulders.
Black eyes met mine in surprise. I smiled slightly and pressed my fingers against his cold ones, before letting go.
With one swift movement, he lifted me up and flew us to Hogwarts.