Promise to the Past | 🐾 ᴍᴀʀᴀᴜᴅᴇʀs ✓

17 | Broken Endings

~ Hogwarts, Room of Requirement

Every hour leading up to that night, Hermione became more and more tense, and it hadn't slipped the twins' notice. She'd smile it off every time they brought it up, but she knew she hadn't quite managed to convince them all was okay. Even in her own timeline, Hermione hadn't destroyed a single Horcrux. Granted, she'd have Dumbledore and Moody, who were both incredibly powerful wizards, but regardless something about the situation unsettled her.

The twins escorted her to Hogwarts, even though it was only a quick Floo away. Something about not wanting to be held responsible for losing their secret weapon? Not that Hermione was going to protest anyway- they were all heading to the same place. They'd wandered through the halls of Hogwarts, which was deserted in the late hours past the students' curfew. Hermione silently made her way all the way up to the Room of Requirement and the twins wordlessly flanked her all the way there.

When they reached the blank wall of the 7th floor corridor, Hermione paused, repeatedly thinking I need the room where I'm meant to meet Professor Dumbledore. She heard a sharp intake of air on either side of her as the grand door began to etch into the stone wall out of seemingly nowhere and turned back slightly to see mirroring looks of awed shock on the Prewetts' faces. Hermione chuckled in amusement as she realized they hadn't known the location of the room and had been merely following her blindly through the castle.

Hermione led them into the room only to pause suddenly once again. The room appeared as a long empty hall, much like their practice room for defense back in their fifth year. Standing on two opposite sides of the room was Alastor Moody and Severus Snape, the former grumbling under his breath unhappily while the latter cautiously eyed the others in calm and withdrawn stance. Dumbledore was calmly standing between the two in the middle ground, waiting for Hermione's arrival. She'd stopped so suddenly that Fabian and Gideon almost ran right over her before screeching to a halt. They looked over her easily, tensing at the sight of Snape.

Their wands were out of the pockets before she could even blink, trained unwaveringly on Snape as they both moved to stand in front of Hermione protectively. Snape didn't even bother reaching for his wand, his gaze flickering to Dumbledore almost as if he were bored.

"Are you going to control your buffoons or do I need to?" Snape said idly.

"What the hell is he doing here?" Fabian demanded furiously.

"Just try it and see what happens," Gideon bit out dangerously, his gaze not leaving Snape for even a second.

"Okay, down boys," Hermione said stepping out from beside them, standing in front of them. "He's here to help."

"You can't be serious," Fabian cried, looking back to Snape incredulously. "He's a branded Death Eater! He's fought in battles against Order members!"

"And you both know now that not all Death Eaters are branded. Not all who are branded are as evil as you may thin-"

"Actually," Severus interrupted dryly. "Only the most loyal and strong of the Death Eaters are actually branded."

Hermione whirled to Snape in outrage, her eyes speaking volumes. "You're not helping your case!" She could see a flicker of amusement in Snape's eyes before he scoffed.

"I don't need to prove myself to any of you; I was asked to be here."

"Over my dead body," Gideon said grumbled.

"That can be arranged-" Snape retorted.

Before the men could work themselves into a full blown duel, Moody gruffly stepped in. "Alright now enough, stand down."