A Surprise to Them All

          She barely processed the scene in front of her. The pool of blood surrounding Professor Snape's body was increasing at an alarming rate. Something that he seemed not to notice as he gave up his memories to a boy, she knew, he loathed. Then again, what did she know? The man lying and bleeding on the floor looked so vulnerable, a word she never thought she’d use to describe him.  This is the only time that her suspicion, that anger and disdain were not his only emotions, was ever given credence. Memories collected, Harry stood up and made to leave.

          “Wait, we can’t just leave him here!” Hermione suddenly blurted out as she made her way to kneel next to the dying man.

          “We don’t have time to worry about his body.” Harry snapped.  Hermione felt a surge of irritation the he assumed that the professor was sure to die. This began to wane as she questioned why she cared. The war wasn’t over yet and she was worried about saving a man who had treated her and her friends with nothing but hostility and hatred. Not to mention he also killed THE Albus Dumbledore, a man who had done nothing but trust him through everything.  This was part of her hesitation, how could he have been so wrong? It just didn’t seem possible. Besides, killer or not, nobody deserved to bleed to death alone on the floor of a shack. She know she was being too naive again but she couldn’t help it.

          She opened her bag, that she now kept on her at all times, and summoned 3 blood replenishing potions she had stolen from the infirmary. She then took off her outer long sleeve shirt and scooted closer to the man who was now still staring at her with wide eyes. She folded the shirt a couple times and then tied it around the wound trying to not put so much pressure it would cut off his air supply but aware that there need to be something to catch some of the potion as it trickled out.

          “Go” She thought she heard him say. The gurgling sound, he was making, made it hard to make out and painful to hear.

          “No, I am going to do what I can. “ She shifted to show him the potions in her hand. “Blood replenishing potion.  I am going to tip you head back so that you won’t have to do much active swallowing.”  

          She put her hands on each side of his head, trying to ignore the blood on her hands, and slowly tilted it back. He closed his eyes and she could hear his ragged breath hitch as she completed the motion.  She poured the first potion down his throat and tried not to wince at the horrible almost choking sound he was making as it went down.

          “I’m so so sorry but just 2 more” She whispered uncorking the second one and pouring it once again down his throat.  She paused to give him a moments rest but then became paranoid that she had waited too long because his breathing was fading so she added the third one, wincing once more at the sound he made but glad all the same because it meant he was still alive.  He went silent again soon after and she could barely see his chest moving.

          “Professor?” She whispered. She was met with silence, not that she expected much. “I  have to go, I’m sorry. Please please please hold on. I’ll come back I promise, just hold on until I get back.” As she stood she realized she had been so absorbed with her task that she had not noticed that the boys had left.  She made her way out of the shack and sprinted towards the school, afraid of what might have happened since her absence.

          From then on, everything was pretty much a blur. The fighting, the stepping over classmates and friends, mentors and enemies. She vaguely registered the implications of Harry’s monolog before it was finally all over but it was soon forgotten as Harry collapsed and Voldemort fell.

          While they waited and hoped that he would wake up there was a flurry to capture as many deatheaters as they could before they escaped. Hermione walked through the great hall where all the seriously injured and recently dead were being kept and found herself utterly dismayed. So many had died for this cause and it would be a long time before everything was back to normal if ever it was. Scanning the room, she remembered the body she had left back at the shack. She quickly told Madame Pomfrey and ran off to get the body.

          When she arrived, the only evidence that there had even been a body was the large puddle of blood still lying on the floor. She mourned for the professor and that she had obviously been too late to save him. He had been taken along with the rest of the dead and she would just have to deal with the guilt of not doing enough to save him.

Authors Note: Would appreciate reviews. Constructive criticism, since I don't have a Beta, is appreciated.