The Redemption of Severus Snape

Part 9

Hermione Granger stopped in Lindsay's rooms on her way to the library. Lindsay wasn't there and Hermione assumed she was with Hagrid. She would apparently be going to the library alone. Hermione pondered for a moment then decided to look for Lindsay. Her huge work load was getting to her, and she really needed someone who could quickly grasp the subject matter without asking her stupid questions like Ron and Harry do. If she could get Lindsay to take some notes for her, she'd have a little extra time to do some research to help Hagrid with Buckbeak's appeals.

She headed for the lawn with the intent of going down to Hagrid's hut, but she didn't have to. Lindsay was on the lawn, just outside the castle doors, with a group of first years who were trying to teach her some simple spells. They took turns demonstrating how they were able to do them. Lindsay, of course, wasn't able to anything, which made the students roar with laughter. One of them even had the audacity to take Lindsay's hand while it gripped her wand and swish it for her. Hermione thought they were being awfully rude, but Lindsay laughed along with them.

Then an odd sight caught Hermione's attention, a thin dark figure creeping around one of the doors. It was Professor Snape. Hermione assumed he was trying to think of a reason to give everyone detention. Raucous laughter was usually excuse enough for him to split everyone up, but he didn't do anything. He just watched. Then Hermione took notice of the intensity with which he watched Lindsay; he was looking directly at her and following her with his eyes. Hermione cringed. Snape turned suddenly and caught Hermione observing him. "Is there a problem, Miss Granger?"

Hermione could feel heat rising to her face. "Uh...uh...no, sir...I...I was just...." Snape didn't wait for her to finish her stammering. He turned on his heel and stalked away, a flurry of billowing black. Hermione wasted no time in getting Lindsay's attention. She walked confidently through the throng of first years. "Lindsay, might I have a moment?"

"Sure, Hermione, is something wrong?"

"No, I just wanted to know if you could spare some time to help me study."

"Oh, yeah, I've got a few hours." The first years began to groan and complain. "Sorry, guys, but duty calls. We can try again later." The first years began to mill around looking for something entertaining to do, while Lindsay followed Hermione and her hugely overstuffed schoolbag to the library. "I think you might be overworking yourself, Hermione. Maybe you should think about taking a break."

"I don't need a break," snapped Hermione. "I'm perfectly fine. It's...it's just that I have something I need to do for Hagrid...."

"Okay, so what do you want me to do?"

Hermione dumped a huge textbook on runes in front of Lindsay. "Since you can draw, I thought you could take some notes for me and accurately draw the corresponding runes with them. I need to get a supplemental book for you too." Lindsay thumbed quickly through both books before taking up Hermione's extra quill and writing very detailed notes along with the requested drawings. She filled four rolls of parchment and handed them to Hermione, who muttered a thank you and stuffed them in her bag without lifting her eyes.

Hermione looked completely frazzled as she poured over some legal books, presumably for Hagrid and Buckbeak. Hagrid told Lindsay what had happened between Buckbeak and Draco Malfoy and what the likely outcome would be. She had virtually begged Hagrid to let her help, but he insisted that there was nothing she could do. Apparently the Malfoy family had a great deal of influence in powerful circles. Obviously the magical community isn't so different from the Muggle world after all, thought Lindsay.

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Lindsay and Remus entered the Great Hall for lunch with Hagrid behind them. They sat together, as they often did, but with Remus in the middle where Lindsay typically sat. An empty chair sat between her and Flitwick. Then, in the Great Hall's entrance, appeared a woman in glittering violet robes and a heap of sparkling scarves. Her many beads and bracelets chinked and rattled as she made her way to the High Table. The Headmaster greeted her warmly, but everyone else seemed to be annoyed by her presence.