The Serpent and the Lioness

Chapter 48

"His office is just up ahead..." Harry kept his voice low as he cautiously peeked around the corner. He could see one of the patrols making their way down one of the small hallways that led to some of the other offices on the floor. The minister's office was straight ahead, but they'd need to be careful when they passed by the other hallways.

Esmerelda narrowed her eyes slightly and reached into her pocket,"I think I can make a small beetle that should be able to distract them long enough for us to slip past."

"Really?" Harry looked down at the small black stone in her hand, "With just that?"

"How did you defeat the dark lord again?"

"Luck and a lot of help from friends."

"Right." Esmerelda shook her head slightly and pointed her wand to the stone, there was a small purple spark before the stone grew legs. She bent down releasing it onto the floor before leaning around the corner just far enough to guide it down. When it reached the junction it let out a loud noise, akin to a bomb siren for a split second before scuttling off in the opposite direction. The noise repeated itself again and the sound of steps echoed through the hall after it.

Harry glanced around the corner before carefully making his way down, the beetle could be heard off in the distance. He motioned for Esmerelda to follow after him and silently made his way down the hall. When they got to the junction he paused before motioning her forward, they jogged to the minister's door and Harry pulled out his wand tapping it over the handle, to his great surprise the lock came free and he didn't question it as he pushed his way inside. Esmeralda closed the door and locked it behind them looking around the large space.

"Mind the window." She whispered keeping to the far wall. Her eyes running over this and that on the bookcases.

"Right..." Harry kept himself low and chanced a glance inside the file room, he slipped inside and pulled open one of the extended drawers. "Keep an eye out...I'm going to see if I can find anything else that may help us."

"On it." Esmerelda moved closer to the door slipping the peephole cover aside to look down the hallway.

oOOo

Draco ran a hand down his face, he'd spilled all the information that they'd gathered and still Hermoine hadn't said a thing. He was starting to get angry and impatient. She'd at the very least followed them into the head office, but ever since she'd sat down, her eyes had stared unwaveringly at the fireplace just over his shoulder. He really wasn't in the mood for whatever she was going through, he let out a deep sigh pushed her foot with his own.

"Hey, I didn't spend all this time trying to save your skin just so you could sit here like some garden nombe." He clicked his fingers in front of her face, making her blink instinctively. He leaned into her field of vision before using the heel of his hand to thump the side of her head. Her hand came up to his wrist then holding it rather painfully. "Ah, okay, bad choice...ow..."

Hermione let out a soft sigh and released his wrist before curling her arms around her stomach. "All this information is useless without motive."

"But, it's something right?"

"It's a jigsaw puzzle without a picture or a box."

"What about the theory?"

"The theory that Frollo somehow has something against me because of my intelligence?"