Sirius didn’t seem to me to be quite intelligent enough for that. Harry makes a comment about Pettigrew being substantially smarter than Black. Additionally, there was this line:
“You are the clever one,” said the voice, and the black mist evaporated away, no longer obscuring; she saw the face beneath, and recognition sent a jolt of terrified adrenaline bursting through her -
Mr. Hat and Cloak is apparently someone Hermione is familiar enough with to recognize at a quick glance.
It’s easily possible that Hermione has seen at least one picture of Sirius (she mentions him by name as the Potters’ betrayer in Chapter 8), and given her memory it would be plausible for her to recognize him, even months afterward. Additionally, Sirius is one of the few people who would cause an immediate reaction of terror at first sight.
Another one might be—bear with me here—Lucius Malfoy. This idea is a little shakier, as it’s less plausible that Hermione is familiar with his appearance, but the advantage is that it neatly accounts for the otherwise-strange
The black mist darkened and lightened, like a shake of the head. “I am frightened of Harry Potter,” it whispered. “Of the coldness in his eyes, of the darkness that grows behind them. Harry Potter is a killer, and anyone who is an obstacle to him will die. Even you, Hermione Granger, if you dare truly oppose him, the darkness behind his eyes will reach out and destroy you. This I know.”
since Lucius seems to be convinced Harry is possessed by Voldemort. (Though it casts a certain odd light on Mr H&C’s warning to Hermione about Lucius, I think it’s at least possible that he could bite his tongue enough to say “though you are Muggleborn, you possess a power of wizardry greater than any pureblood” if he considered it just a flattering lie.)
The obvious antipathy toward Dumbledore and knowledge of Snape serve equally well as evidence for Lucius or somehow-evaded-going-to-Azkaban!Sirius. Interestingly, they also work for Pettigrew, who Lupin tells us “adored secrets,” but who presents the issue of Hermione almost certainly not recognizing or being terrified of him.
Of course, the only reason to entertain such out-there possibilities is how weirdly clumsy and out-of-character this latest act would be for Quirrel. Mr H&C’s first appearance (in Chapter 35) is really obviously Quirrel, if for no other reason than
Chapter 35: Mr. Hat and Cloak gave a whispery chuckle. “Indeed,” said the whisper. “With the murder of one student five decades ago being the exception that proves the rule, since Salazar Slytherin would have keyed his monster into the ancient wards at a higher level than the Headmaster himself.”
Chapter 49 (Quirrel): “First, I believe the Chamber of Secrets is real, as is Slytherin’s Monster. Miss Myrtle’s death was not discovered until hours after her demise, even though the wards should have alerted the Headmaster instantly. Therefore her murder was performed either by Headmaster Dippet, which is unlikely, or by some entity which Salazar Slytherin keyed into his wards at a higher level than the Headmaster himself.”
There is that. But it’s just occurred to me: if the person attacking Hermione is not Snape, then what’s Snape been doing to make him late and quite exhausted in Chapter 77?
Well, what do we actually know about the sequence of events? Assuming that things are presented in chronological order seems a bit premature, especially in this fic. More specifically, of the Aftermaths last chapter we know that
Dumbledore+Harry began at 6pm (with an addendum at 9),
Quirrel+Snape was precisely at sunset,
Draco+Bulstrode was at some unknown time in the afternoon or evening,
Draco+Goyle was some unknown time after that, and
Hermione+Mr H&C was also unknown, but either before or after Draco+Bulstrode (since Millicent was present at the meeting Hermione was coming from.)
As far as I know, we are given no indication at all when Interlude with the Confessor happens. It could be immediately after Snape gets back from the meeting with Quirrel, it could be immediately after Hermione is mindraped, it could be the next day for all we know.
But even assuming the Aftermaths are in chronological order, and the Interlude does immediately follow on to the last Aftermath… Snape could have been, say, checking on the third-floor corridor to make sure Quirrel wasn’t bluffing about having stolen and replaced the Stone. In fact, I would expect him to have done this anyway, whether or not he then put on a Hat and Cloak and serial-Obliviated a twelve year old girl. (Eugh.)
That’s all true. And on re-reading, I’m going to go back to my original thought of Quirrel, with the emotional involvement being faked to keep Hermione’s interest. Quirrel did, after all, speak up for her when all others were silent.
There’s certainly evidence pointing that way: “the sibilant whisper”—“dry as dust”—“the high-pitched chuckle” , “What’s your name?” “That is the riddle, young Ravenclaw” , and indeed “for now you have seen how the others stayed silent”...
But while I could easily believe that Jeremy Jaffe is better at projecting false emotion than Hermione is at discerning it, I have a much harder time believing that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, whose eyes blazed crimson like miniature suns, could forget the value of surface appearances.
I have Sirius down as an outsider for Hat-and-Cloak.
Sirius didn’t seem to me to be quite intelligent enough for that. Harry makes a comment about Pettigrew being substantially smarter than Black. Additionally, there was this line:
Mr. Hat and Cloak is apparently someone Hermione is familiar enough with to recognize at a quick glance.
It’s easily possible that Hermione has seen at least one picture of Sirius (she mentions him by name as the Potters’ betrayer in Chapter 8), and given her memory it would be plausible for her to recognize him, even months afterward. Additionally, Sirius is one of the few people who would cause an immediate reaction of terror at first sight.
Another one might be—bear with me here—Lucius Malfoy. This idea is a little shakier, as it’s less plausible that Hermione is familiar with his appearance, but the advantage is that it neatly accounts for the otherwise-strange
since Lucius seems to be convinced Harry is possessed by Voldemort. (Though it casts a certain odd light on Mr H&C’s warning to Hermione about Lucius, I think it’s at least possible that he could bite his tongue enough to say “though you are Muggleborn, you possess a power of wizardry greater than any pureblood” if he considered it just a flattering lie.)
The obvious antipathy toward Dumbledore and knowledge of Snape serve equally well as evidence for Lucius or somehow-evaded-going-to-Azkaban!Sirius. Interestingly, they also work for Pettigrew, who Lupin tells us “adored secrets,” but who presents the issue of Hermione almost certainly not recognizing or being terrified of him.
Of course, the only reason to entertain such out-there possibilities is how weirdly clumsy and out-of-character this latest act would be for Quirrel. Mr H&C’s first appearance (in Chapter 35) is really obviously Quirrel, if for no other reason than
There is that. But it’s just occurred to me: if the person attacking Hermione is not Snape, then what’s Snape been doing to make him late and quite exhausted in Chapter 77?
Well, what do we actually know about the sequence of events? Assuming that things are presented in chronological order seems a bit premature, especially in this fic. More specifically, of the Aftermaths last chapter we know that
Dumbledore+Harry began at 6pm (with an addendum at 9),
Quirrel+Snape was precisely at sunset,
Draco+Bulstrode was at some unknown time in the afternoon or evening,
Draco+Goyle was some unknown time after that, and
Hermione+Mr H&C was also unknown, but either before or after Draco+Bulstrode (since Millicent was present at the meeting Hermione was coming from.)
As far as I know, we are given no indication at all when Interlude with the Confessor happens. It could be immediately after Snape gets back from the meeting with Quirrel, it could be immediately after Hermione is mindraped, it could be the next day for all we know.
But even assuming the Aftermaths are in chronological order, and the Interlude does immediately follow on to the last Aftermath… Snape could have been, say, checking on the third-floor corridor to make sure Quirrel wasn’t bluffing about having stolen and replaced the Stone. In fact, I would expect him to have done this anyway, whether or not he then put on a Hat and Cloak and serial-Obliviated a twelve year old girl. (Eugh.)
That’s all true. And on re-reading, I’m going to go back to my original thought of Quirrel, with the emotional involvement being faked to keep Hermione’s interest. Quirrel did, after all, speak up for her when all others were silent.
There’s certainly evidence pointing that way: “the sibilant whisper”—“dry as dust”—“the high-pitched chuckle” , “What’s your name?” “That is the riddle, young Ravenclaw” , and indeed “for now you have seen how the others stayed silent”...
But while I could easily believe that Jeremy Jaffe is better at projecting false emotion than Hermione is at discerning it, I have a much harder time believing that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, whose eyes blazed crimson like miniature suns, could forget the value of surface appearances.
Maybe he’s not forgetting, just trying to double-bluff Hermione by appearing suspicious.