Through the Looking Glass ~ COMPLETED

Chapter 3 ~ The Weirdness Continues

Gryffindor Head of House Severus Snape led Hermione Granger down the shifting stairwell, somewhat at a loss. Firstly, the witch wasn't insulting him constantly as she usually did, and secondly, she actually let him escort her arm in arm. The Hermione Granger he knew wouldn't let him lay a finger on her. She told him she was afraid his "wussiness" was contagious. It had certainly infected his Gryffindors.

This Hogwarts was much different than the Hogwarts run by Albus Dumbledore. This Hogwarts was less rigid and actually encouraged less than stellar behavior to acquire what one wanted. The students here didn't automatically respect their teachers. Respect had to be earned, often at the tip of a wand, and the parents of any students who entered this school had to sign a waiver releasing the school of any responsibility in the case of a student's death.

Now, why would anyone send their child to a school such as this? Because Hogwarts graduates had an instant leg up in life and received preferential treatment and positions in the Ministry and other governmental positions. If a witch or wizard could say, "I survived Hogwarts," then that was an instant favorable resume and a place was usually found for them.

Muggle-Born witches and wizards were the cream of the crop in this world, considered to be the most pure magical beings of all. Purebloods were the bottom of the barrel, considered weak and intellectually deficient because of inbreeding. Muggle-Borns, Half-Bloods and Quarter-bloods were encouraged to impregnate Purebloods at every turn and break up the gene-pool. The Ministry tried to enact a Marriage Law to force this plan, but it was overrun, the Council slaughtered and a new board put in place. Screw voting them out. Even the Aurors didn't help. They simply let the ravening, murderous hoard through when they attacked the Ministry building. They didn't get paid enough to be killed by a mob. The bodies of the Council members swung in front of the Ministry for a week before they were cut down and cremated on the spot. Needless to say, the Marriage Law was never even considered again.

Purebloods were fine for fucking, but not marrying as far as the majority of the populace was concerned. Albus Dumbledore, or Lord Bedaub Mules wanted to overthrow this warped system and put Purebloods into power. He was the Pureblood's Zorro, considered a hero among them, although the sentiment was kept low-key.

Yes, this world was quite bizarre, but . . . it worked for them.

Severus Snape was a Half-Blood, but quite a fair-minded fellow who didn't believe in Muggle-Born superiority, but fair treatment for all. He didn't hedge on speaking about it, although it wasn't a popular view. Because of his leanings, he was often targeted by students of other houses, mostly Slytherins, who would do all manner of rather nasty things to him. He never retaliated as he should. Oh, he hexed back, but his hexes usually were meant to restrain and contain, rather than cause pain. For example, he had never hit a student with a "Cruc" hex, no matter how much they may have deserved it.

The "Cruc" hex was a lesser form of the illegal "Crucio" curse, and a perfectly acceptable form of punishment or retaliation. Most of the time, he simply walked the halls of Hogwarts with a repelling charm firmly in place, to stave off the attacks. Headmaster Tom Riddle probably could have done something about this, but he didn't, preferring the students to show his displeasure with Snape's views. But he couldn't be fired for them. He had tenure. Riddle had hoped ill treatment would drive him out, but Snape was determined to stay, if only for his Gryffindors, who he taught his philosophies of fairness.

Most of them were Purebloods, with only a few Half-Bloods in his house. Despite how they were looked upon by wizarding society, Snape taught them to be courageous, clever, strong-minded, friendly, passionate and kind. It was his hope that they would pass these qualities on and someday change the world for the better. He was an idealist. The only teacher at Hogwarts who was.

Potential Hogwarts students received letters just like in the other world, and were sorted into their houses by the Sorting Hat, although it was a painful process, the Hat actually forcing itself into their psyche to draw out the information it needed. The one bright spot of the Sorting was that the Sorting Hat never sang.

After being sorted, the first-years were all brought into an amphitheater and required to watch a film entitled, "Welcome to Hogwarts," narrated by Tom Riddle himself.

If Hermione was concerned about the availability of books in the Restricted Section, she didn't need to be. The "Welcome to Hogwarts" film was an excellent deterrent for foolish exploration of that section and students usually enlisted the aid of staff members to accompany them when they wanted to check out a book.

The film was actually a horror movie, showing in gory graphic detail students being shredded, swallowed, torn to pieces and swallowed down by books and the creatures lurking inside them. It also showed students meeting their ends through Potions explosions and poisonings through drinking ill-processed brews. Worst of all, the film showed a rather maniacal-looking Poppy holding up instruments of torture and "treating" patients. She was rather medieval. Bleedings, leeches, racks and vises abounded. Not to mention the screams of agony

"Healing should be hands on," was her motto as she stood in grainy glory on the screen, her apron splattered with blood. And whoever she got her hands on, the gods help them. As a result, a personal knowledge of healing spells was a must in this world. No one wanted to go to the Medical Ward if it could be helped.

There was also no point deduction at this Hogwarts, only varying degrees of detention, much of which involved torture by Argus Filch, who was a wizard in this world. A very nasty one. Luckily, he knew quite a bit of healing magic, so could fix up his victims good as new. Students would rather go to Filch for help than Poppy, although Filch usually wanted something in return for his services. And his wants were quite varied and often, demented.

The Age of Consent in this world was fifteen, and sex between students and teachers was accepted. It was a way to get extra credit without the students having to work too hard, or the teachers having to use up their free time marking extraneous parchments. Bi-sexuality was considered the norm rather than the exception. Heterosexuals, lesbians and gays were considered uptight and prudish, often targeted for their sexual preferences once they were known. Of course, most Gryffindors were heterosexual or same-sex oriented. Another reason for being on the Slytherin radar. Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs basically didn't do much targeting. The main rivals in this world as in the other, were the houses of Gryffindor and Slytherin.

Some things never change, no matter what world they occur in.

Snape led Hermione down to the dungeons.

"Where is everybody?" Hermione asked him, still unable to fathom this very different Snape.

"Where? Sequestered, of course. As you know, there are only certain hours they can move around the castle on the weekends," he replied, shaking his head slowly. "Have you been hexed, Miss Granger? Did someone ambush you?"

"No, I was just walking around the castle," she replied.

"That can get you an hour with Filch," Snape replied, frowning at her. "Wandering the castle on off-hours holds a rather severe punishment. But then again, you probably like that kind of thing."

Hermione stopped walking?

"What kind of thing?" she asked him.

"Being manacled naked to a dungeon wall and having your buttocks whipped with a thin cane," he replied as if it was the most normal response in the world.

Hermione stared at him.

"What? What are you talking about?" she cried out, alarmed.

"Calm down, Miss Granger. Let me get you to Professor McGonagall. You're frightening me," the wizard said, pulling her forward. They walked down the dungeon corridor, then stopped in front of the Potions office. Severus knocked.

"If you're a student, get ready for Filch!" a female voice with a Scottish accent called out threateningly.

Hermione paled. That . . . that sounded like Professor McGonagall, but she'd never answer a knock like that.

"It's Severus, Minerva . . . I've got one of your students here. I believe she needs help," Snape said.

Minerva looked up from her parchments, frowning.

"If you're in the company of one of my Slytherins, Severus, I'm surprised it's not you who needs help," she replied with a nasty smirk. "Come in, if you must."

Snape opened the door and Hermione walked in, staring at the woman behind the desk, hardly recognizing her. It was Professor McGonagall all right, but a rather sinister-looking version of her. Her hair was dyed completely black and loose, falling over her shoulders, her robes black, high collared and severe. She wore black eyeliner, and her expression was rather harsh looking. Behind her were jars with things floating in them, things far worse than Snape's collection of slimy bits. Human heads, body parts, genitals and fetuses abounded.

Good gods! Was it even legal to own such things?

Minerva studied Hermione.

"Well, Miss Granger . . . wearing Gryffindor colors, no makeup . . . your hair is a fright . . . out hunting Gryffindors?" she asked the witch with a wicked smile. "An excellent deception. They wouldn't recognize you until they were right on top of you. Well done."

She frowned at Severus.

"You can go, Severus. She was lucky it was you that found her. Any decent teacher would have given her to Filch. Knowing Miss Granger, she probably planned it that way," Minerva said proudly.

Hermione just stared at her. Was she asleep and still in the room with the Mirror of Erised?

"Ah, Minerva . . . I think there is something wrong with Miss Granger. She told me she is in her proper house colors," Snape said, his eyes resting on the silent Gryffindor.

"Pah, she was just fucking with you, Severus, like she always does. You're such an easy mark. Must have something to do with that bleeding heart of yours," Minerva purred.

Hermione was horrified to hear such language coming from her normally prim and proper head of house. And the way she was addressing Professor Snape . . . and . . . and this office . . .

"Miss Granger, go to Slytherin house and change. Fix yourself up. You're as desirable as a Flubberworm this way," the Potions mistress told her. "I wouldn't lay a finger on you looking as you do. It's hideous."

Apparently, the other Hermione and Minerva had a very interesting relationship. However, this rather startling fact went right over Hermione's head as she focused on her first directive.

"Slytherin house? Change? What are you talking about Professor? I don't even know how to get into Slytherin's Common Room. And when did you start teaching Potions? You're the Transfiguration teacher!"

Minerva stared at Hermione.

"You can stop the act now, Miss Granger. It's ceased to be amusing," the witch said evenly.

"Act? I'm not acting! Has the whole world gone crazy? What's going on here?" Hermione demanded. "This is all wrong! All wrong! Professor Snape isn't nice . . . and you certainly don't belong in the dungeons. You're the Gryffindor Head of House, not Slytherin! I demand to know what's going on here! And right now!"

Minerva's eyes flicked to Severus.

"I think we're going to have to take her to Headmaster Riddle, Severus. Something is wrong here. Very wrong," she said as the wizard nodded.

Hermione's eyes widened.

"Headmaster Riddle? Do you mean 'Tom' Riddle?" she asked, her heart pounding and her throat threatening to close up.

"Of course we mean Tom Riddle, Miss Granger. What's wrong with you?" Minerva asked.

Hermione began to back away, and bumped into Snape, who was looking at her quizzically, noting the growing terror on the witch's face. She slid by him, still backing up.

"You're going to take me to the Dark Lord? Oh, Merlin. I've got to get out of here!" Hermione shrieked, tearing the door open and fleeing down the hall.

"Why are you standing there, you fool? After her!" Minerva hissed at Snape. "I'll contact Tom. When you catch her, take her to him. He'll be able to make sense out of this."

Snape ran out the door and began pursuing Hermione.

What the fuck was going on here?

***************************************
A/N: Just a little more background for this one. Thanks for reading.