Digging for the Truth

From the moment they saw her in the kitchen the next morning, to Platform 9 and 3/4ths, to the Hogwart\'s Express, to the Great Hall, and right through sorting, the determined look never left Hermione Granger\'s face. She had spoken little to her two friends. Despite snapping at Ron the night before, they both knew she wasn\'t mad at them. She was just on a mission, and no one and nothing was going to get in her way. They found her by the fire in the Gryffindor commons after the feast, entirely absorbed in a large book.

Careful not to give her a reason to snap at him again, Ron began uneasily, \"Hermione, did you find anything yet?\"
\"No, and it seems utterly hopeless,\" she said, sighing heavily, finally releasing all the pent up anxiety that had gathered since the night before.\"I know exactly what I need, but I just. cant. find. it!\" she said, exasperated, and pushed the book away from her.

\"Maybe we could help. Perhaps if you started by telling us what you\'re looking for exactly.\" said Harry, trying to be helpful.
\"Well, we need to find out what he knows, obviously. I started thinking maybe mind control might work...\"
Ron chimed in quickly,\"Oh! Impervius will work for that!\"
\"Ugh! We dont want to kill him, Ron!\"
\"Speak for yourself...\" said Ron, ignoring the resultant look from Hermione.
\"Besides, I do not wish to be expelled or sent to Azkaban. Which is why we can\'t use Verirum rum either. Besides, he would remember us questioning him if we did. Which brings me to necessity number two, he must not be able to trace it back to us or know we are doing it or umm something.\" she looked up and cast an unsure look at both the boys.
\"Well, that leaves out Legimency.\"
\"Yes, I thought of that too, Harry, but he would know exactly what we were trying to do. Worse, he could catch on mid-spell and blast us into oblivion.\"
\"I guess this is as good a time as any to tell you, though\"
\"Yes?\" both Ron and Hermion answered in return, eyeing Harry suspiciously.
\"Not that it will help us with the current situation. But,Dumbledore approached me after the feast to tell me that he wishes me to resume my Occlumency lessons starting tomorrow,\" Harry started, \"with the greasy git.\" He finished the last part with a slight growl.
\"You better calm down, mate. Can\'t show up to the lesson like that!\" said Ron
\"Yes, Harry, even if you did manage a Legimens, you haven\'t practiced all summer,\" with this, Hermione eyed him disapprovingly, \"and he is more skilled and experienced and ...\" Hermione had stopped midsentence and got a strange look on her face. The boys couldn\'t quite tell what had come over her and shared a questioning glance with each other.
\"Everything ok, Hermione?\" said Ron, meekly, hoping he hadn\'t upser agr again.
\"Ronald Weasley!\"

Ron still wasn\'t sure whether the look and sound of the girl standing across from him was positive or negative.

\"I could absolutely kiss you!\" and she rushed over to him, grabbing his face between her hands and planting a quick kiss on his cheek. Ron blushed fiercely.
\"Care to share the plan?\" said Harry, trying to contain a smirk.
\"It just came to me right this second, and ... Oh! We have so much planning to do! Hmm, I dont know if we can finish in time. I will need help from the both of you, of course. It is so lucky I picked up that Ehchanting Emotions potions book when I took that trip to France.\"

Hermione Granger was rambling, and the boys still had no idea how she was going to get the information out of Professor Snape.

\"Oh yes, I need to tell you two the plan. Sorry.\" she said shyly.