Project 137.43.M.D.

XLVIII. | IN PRAETERITUM NON VIVITUR

XLVIII.
IN PRAETERITUM NON VIVITUR
(one mustn't live in the past)

There had been three pressing reasons why Hermione had insisted on another emergency meeting in the Burrow's kitchen.

For one thing, she had wanted to tell her friends that she meanwhile strongly suspected Ogden of involvement in concealing the evidence in Draco's case. Furthermore, a few hours ago, she had received word that her second, more detailed motion for reconsideration had been accepted by the Wizengamot. And last but not least she had been in desperate need to talk about the extent of the panic that had been raging inside her for the last two days.

Hermione had immediately Apparated to Draco's apartment after her renewed foray into the DMLE's archives to talk to him about what she had discovered, but he hadn't answered the door. She hadn't seen him for the rest of the day either, although she had taken the trouble to stop by his apartment several times.

The next day, she had tried to calm herself with the thought that she was probably just showing up at the worst times of the day. Early in the morning - maybe he was jogging. In the afternoon - maybe he was running errands. In the evening - maybe he was at the pub. She had considered every possibility and had convinced herself with all her might that his absence had to be for an explicable reason.

But this morning she had had such a bad feeling that merely knocking on his door and pacing in front of it for minutes hadn't been enough for her anymore. So she had drawn her wand, gained entry and finally found the apartment empty. All she had noticed was that Draco's running shoes hadn't been in their usual place in the hallway. So she had made herself some tea to calm her nerves and sat on his sofa, hoping he would show up eventually. Which he hadn't...

She had spent the rest of the day at the Ministry, biting her fingernails, until she had been sure Harry was done with work. Then she had sent a Patronus to Ginny, asking if Ron was still at the Burrow, as he usually stayed with his sister when he was on one of his home visits. He had still been there and, after a last, desperate and unsuccessful detour to Draco's apartment, Hermione had made her way there as well.

At first she had only voiced her suspicions about Ogden and the information regarding the retrial that had fluttered into her office that afternoon. Now she sat at the kitchen table with trembling hands, listening to what her friends had to say about it.

"And you're sure he had something to do with it? Despite accompanying Malfoy's Rehabilitation Phase and speaking to you about him more than once? And although he was probably informed beforehand that you of all people would be Malfoy's Mentor? That just makes no sense."

Harry didn't sound convinced.

"I can't be sure," Hermione replied with a sigh. "But you said yourself that only a member of the Wizengamot can order a file to be sealed. And none of the other names in the documentation stood out. I think asking me about Draco and pretending he didn't know about the memory was Ogden's tactic. However, why he allowed me to act as Draco's Mentor is beyond me."

Hermione bit her lower lip nervously, ignoring the confused looks Harry and Ron exchanged at the sound of Draco's first name. If Ginny noticed as well, she didn't let show. After all, she had already heard Hermione use the name a few times.

"Anyway, before we consider Ogden as our prime suspect, we must first perform a background check on everyone involved," Ginny said seriously, looking from one to the other. "Couldn't you poke around the Ministry a bit, Harry? Perhaps we can quickly and categorically rule out some of the other Gamot members who were present at Malfoy's trial if they have never been significantly connected to Parkinson."