Breaking Down Walls

“How long?”

The older witch stared absently towards the book shelf, wondering how many volumes of information have been lost to the poor Gryffindor.

The nurse looked up from her entwined fingers that were lazily twisting in her lap. “Another week at least, Minerva. There could be extensive damage. She may had some kind of injury in that wreck that is just now being exacerbated by something. Perhaps a spell backfired in Defense class and triggered it? I just won’t know until I’ve run a more detailed analysis.”

The headmistress stood slowly and paced to the shelf she had been perusing from across the room. With a gentle hand, she took down the first book she came to. “Take this to her. She might find it useful. But only let her read up to the last three chapters. When she reaches those, let me know. I will come down and read them to her. She needs to come to light on these past three years slowly and with an understanding voice guiding her.”

Professor McGonagall passed the newest edition of “Hogwarts: A History” to Poppy and sent her on her way.

She sat back down and placed her hand across her cheek for support. “Now, to tell the boys.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“HERMIONE!”

The redhead literally pushed Madam Pompfrey out of the way as he rushed into the room.

“Mr. Weasley! If you don’t calm down, I will have Professor Snape escort you out of here immediately!”

Ron turned to the witch and scowled, the likes of which would have made Snape, himself, take a step back.

“You trouble my patient, boy, and I’ll see to it you will never be allowed in here again, hurt or not! Do you understand?”

He nodded as he turned back to Hermione.

“What…What happened? What’s wrong? McGonagall said you couldn’t remember anything.”

Hermione sighed, “Honestly, Ron. It’s Professor McGonagall.”

“At least, she didn’t forget to correct you on that,” Harry said as he entered the room.

Ron made a gesture as to say bugger off, but then sat down beside his best friend.

Hermione smiled lightly at them. “You guys have changed. I haven’t noticed lately. I guess with the tournament and Viktor and all, I just haven’t had the time to really pay attention to the two of you. I’m really sorry.”

Harry looked to Ron who looked right back, both with the most confused expressions on their faces. Neither of the two noticed the flurry of deepest black robes behind them at the door.

“Miss Granger? If I may borrow your…cohorts for a moment, I will appraise them of your frail condition.”

She nodded.

Harry, Ron, and Professor Snape walked to the back of the room.

Severus confirmed the area was securely eavesdropper proof with a murmur of Muffliato, then took each boy by the shoulder.

“Miss Granger is under the belief that she is again fourteen years old. The last three years are lost to her. I must insist you speak to her as if it is still the end of your fourth year not the middle of your seventh. Madam Pompfrey and I are doing all we can to restore her memory, but the two of you must comply with her delusion. Too much restoration to her memory could be detrimental to her sanity. She does not remember your godfather, your tryst at the Ministry, anything about the Order, or…”

“Dumbledore’s death.” Harry concluded with a downtrodden and, somewhat, accusatory tone.

Snape sighed. “Yes, Mr. Potter. Nor does she remember assisting those that kept the faith that I was innocent in the matter.” His words were acidic as ever.

Harry looked back to Hermione who was currently picking at some lint on her nightshirt.

Professor Snape dropped the spell and ushered the two of them back to her bedside.

“Miss Granger, please say your goodbyes to Messrs. Potter and Weasley. I’m sure you’ll appreciate their need to get ahead on studying for their OWL’s.”

Hermione smiled. Ron’s eyes went wide as he grimaced. Harry almost chuckled, but leaned over and hugged Hermione on his way out the door. Ron followed close behind after saying his goodbyes.

“Professor Snape?”

“Yes, Miss Granger?”

“Thank you for working on a potion to help my memory come back.”

He looked at her with shock.

She looked sheepishly down to the sheets. “I figured I must have forgotten more. Harry and Ron look different than they did from when I remember. And I haven’t seen Professor Dumbledore, nor heard about him since I’ve been in here. Sir, what month is this? How much have I forgotten?”

He looked over towards the nurse’s office to assure himself that she wasn’t overhearing. He looked back to Hermione. He wanted to tell her the truth. He wanted to tell her that she forgot how they more or less declared their feeling for each other, but he couldn’t. Not after telling Potter and Weasley not to. But since when did he follow the same rules as those two? When did he have to start complying with the regulations that govern the wizarding world? Far be it for him to suggest that he has always been honorable, complacent, and…dare he? Loyal?

“I’m afraid you have forgotten far too long, Miss Granger. I cannot disclose the exact amount of time, but rest assured, I will do everything I can in my power to help you remember.”

He was loyal to her. Loyal to her recovery and the hopes that one day she will remember what her heart felt those precious few nights ago. He had admitted what he so longed to tell her all this time. Now, it would take even more work to get her to say the same. That’s why he didn’t tell her. He didn’t want to jeopardize what could be the single most important and cherished thing in his entire life…the love of Hermione Granger.

“Professor,” she swallowed the swelling lump that had grown in her throat. “I’m scared.”

Severus sat down hard in the chair beside her. His head fell into his palms and for a brief moment, very brief, he felt the sting in his eyes. He took a deep breath, and looked her straight in the eye.

“Miss Granger, I have never shown anyone any amount of affinity. However, I do care about this school. I do care about the students. You are very much included.” He made to reach for her hand, but thought better of it. The fourteen-year-old Hermione wouldn’t understand why he would show emotion, let alone towards her. He stood quickly enough.

“Forgive me, Miss Granger, but Madam Pompfrey would have my head, if you did not get your rest.”

He bowed slightly and left the Hospital wing.

“If he wasn’t working for You-Know-Who, I could fall for him,” she thought as she laid back and closed her eyes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

With her satchel firmly in place on her shoulder, Hermione sauntered into the classroom.

“Good to see you back.”

Hermione regarded Ron with a small smile and sat down. She took out her seventh year books with apprehension. Harry noticed her reservations and scooted closer to her.

He leaned over slightly and whispered, “It’s alright. This has all been thrust onto you. Do you need to take some more time? You have a lot to get caught up on.”

Hermione looked around the class. Even Professor Binns was giving her a look of pity.

“No, I have to do this. I have to get it all back. Three years, Harry!” she exclaimed with exasperation.

“Miss Granger, are you alright?” the portly ghost asked.

She looked up. “Yes, professor. I’m sorry for my outburst. Please continue.”

As the apparition continued his lecture, Hermione tried her best to take notes. Today syllabus included things about the war that she couldn’t remember. Topics of interest were discussed about how Harry finally defeated Voldemort by coaxing him with the last Horcrux. All the details were spelled out to Hermione, but she couldn’t find that memory in her head. She had to have been there.

She heard something from the front of the class that startled her. It was her name.

“Miss Granger was the first to find Professor Snape lying at the gates of Hogwarts grounds. She single-handedly kept three Death Eaters at bay while she levitated his unconscious form into the castle. It was upon casting several diagnostics that Miss Granger found a key hidden under the skin of the professor’s chest. The key lead to the eventual discovery of the contract the late Albus Dumbledore had forged with Professor Snape. The details in which were enough to exonerate him of all charges in the former Headmaster’s death.

“And so concludes this chapter, ‘Professor Severus Snape: Guilty? Or Innocent?’ I expect for your essays detailing the past few months of Professor Snape’s freedom on my desk in two weeks. That will give you all ample time to set an appointment to speak with him personally. Please take the remainder of class time to outline the questions you wish for him to answer.”

Hermione pulled out a piece of parchment and her quill. She honestly had no clue what to ask him. She didn’t need to be told the last six months, she needed to know the last few years. Professor McGonagall had told her the details of her memory loss a week ago. She gave Hermione a week to prepare for classes the best way she could. Professor Snape prepared a jobber knoll feather concoction similar to Hermione’s advanced Veritaserum to help her retain as much of the information as possible. She would often find herself at 3am with a massive headache, or asleep with at least two books opened in her lap. It was NEWT year! There was learning to be done! Unfortunately, there was a great deal more to do than usual.

Overwhelmed, Hermione turned to put the blank parchment away. She collected her things and proceeded to the front of the class.

“Professor Binns, could I have a word with you?”

“Certainly, Miss Granger. Step into my office.” The ghost floated to the door behind the blackboard and glided straight through. Hermione sighed as she turned the knob and entered.

“What can I help you with?” Professor Binns asked as he hovered, not quite sitting, over his chair.

“You are a master at History, Professor. I was hoping you would be able to work with me. Perhaps you could find the time to tutor me on the last three years of Hogwarts History and that of the wizarding world in general.”

The specter rose and pretty much floated over this desk and placed a chilly hand on her shoulder. She quivered at the freezing jolt that cooled her blood.

“I would be honored to help you in your time of need, Miss Granger. I will have an outline of the most important events made up by this evening and have them sent to you. Then come to my office tomorrow afternoon and we will go over what you read. I don’t expect much, young lady. You have to learn a lot and I know that this is just one of many classes.”

She smiled at his appreciation for what she’s was going through. “Thank you, Professor. I’ll be here after classes are finished.”

Hermione exited the office about the time the bell rang for last class of the day. Potions.