Shadow Walks |h.p/h.g|

ch. 6

Harry sat in a conference room a few floors above Dolohov's dead body. Neville was slouched companionably in a chair next to him, and Kingsley lounged in a corner, radiating disapproval. Lyubov looked even less happy than Shacklebolt, if that were possible. Harry especially didn't like the look of the two Ukrainian Aurors stationed officially on either side of the open doorway.

"I didn't do anything," Harry repeated rebelliously.

"You accosted the prisoner!" Lyubov accused.

"He was a known Death Eater, and I wanted answers!"

"Did you get any?" His thick eyebrows rose slightly, as Lyubov asked the question in a disarming way.

"I - I - " Harry struggled to think of something plausible. But there wasn't anything to say that wouldn't make him look like a complete lunatic. If it's not already too late to worry about that, he thought glumly. Next to him, Neville sighed audibly. "He knew what happened to Hermione."

Now Neville's sigh had become a groan. Kingsley's eyes slid shut.

"Her-mione?" Lyubov's tongue tripped over the unwieldy syllables. "Granger?" Of course, he had at least heard the name. The Trio was internationally famous.

"The very same," Shacklebolt admitted. "Everyone knows what happened to her, Harry. It was unfortunate, but you can't change it, you can't undo it. It simply is...and if you'd accept that, your life would be much easier."

"It was about revenge, Kingsley!" Harry said entreatingly. "Dolohov knew details - details about my life. He said they were watching me."

"They? Who?" The questions from his boss were crisp and quick. Harry shook his head.

"I - I don't know. He mentioned the brethren; I'm assuming he was referring to Death Eaters." From the disappointed look on Shacklebolt's face, Harry knew that this told them nothing of use. "His last words to me were 'She's not - '"

"She's not what?" Lyubov interjected, derision plain in his voice. Harry swept angry eyes over the Ukrainian official, but suddenly felt foolish.

"I thought he might have been about to say, 'She's not dead.'"

"That's reaching, Harry," Shacklebolt said honestly, though his voice was not unfriendly.

"You said he said something about Bellatrix Lestrange too, Harry," Neville put in. "How do you know to what 'she' Dolohov was even referring?"

"He said 'Bellatrix was right.' He and Bellatrix had some kind of scheme - about Hermione. Don't you see? He didn't think it would work, but it did. "

"Harry," his boss said softly. "There very well could have been a plot to end Hermione's life. The Death Eaters could have been targeting her because of you. Perhaps Dolohov was referring to the successful enactment of their plan."

"He said, 'There are things worse than death.' Worse than death. Don't you get it? What if they've done something to her?"

"He said that right before he bit the capsule, didn't he?" Kingsley asked. Harry nodded. "Many people would prefer death to the Kiss."

Harry buried his face in his hands. He had been so sure, so certain, but now he wondered. Was he putting his own slant on things, seeing what he wanted to see, rather than other possibilities that were just as logical? He closed his eyes, picturing the rictus of Dolohov's dying face. His teeth had been bared, pressed together...Harry had been positive he was at the beginnings of a "d" sound.

"This conversation is entirely irrelevant," Lyubov broke in, "as it is complete speculation about what a condemned prisoner said before he died, when it is known that the prisoner was not in full possession of his faculties!"