When Hermione Fights

The Order

Chapter beta: Dani

Chapter translator: Aivy

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Hermione's POV

Today was the day. It was 8pm; Draco was at a Ministry funeral service Fudge was holding especially for the highly respected Malfoy family and would not return until late.

It would be a celebratory dinner for one of the oldest and most respected families in magical society to commemorate a highly revered mother and wife, and to express the sympathy and condolences of the public for a steadfast man and his son who had lost this much beloved witch and who had only suffered this loss because they were so firmly behind the Ministry, justice, and the law.

When I read this article by Rita, I was on the verge of vomiting. In itself it was what I wanted, but this slimy, pathetic track was just sickening and I shook myself.

It was more likely that Fudge wanted to make the public forget the failure of the Aurors through this gesture. He wanted to cover up how much the Ministry was not in control and he wanted to secure Lucius' benevolence by making sure he didn't start berating the Ministry in the newspaper, so Fudge was really groveling hard.

I could very well imagine the satisfaction Lucius felt right now. He would savour to the very end that Fudge was eating out of his palm. Lucius was in his element, I thought to myself very cynically.

When I thought of Narcissa and the crazy way she had always looked at me, cold horror came over me and I knew I had done the right thing. However, the way she was just now worshipped in the press and praised to the skies by my beetle... It was simply too abstruse!

But all right, that's fine with me. The outcry and the sensation that Narcissa's murder had caused for Lucius was exactly as I had planned.

The public and the Ministry showed themselves utterly baffled and horrified that a member of the Malfoy family had been murdered, especially since it was common knowledge that Bellatrix, the sister of the victim, was a branded and convicted Death Eater.

Yet, this only reinforced the fact that the Malfoy family could not possibly belong to the Death Eaters, which was excellent for Lucius to consolidate his position, as it did daily after the heartwarming reports and moving photos that appeared in the Prophet.

These images of the two of them receiving the condolences of the entire Wizarding World were downright hilarious. Even Dumbledore and McGonagall had been at the Manor to express their sympathy, and Lucius had received these condolences benevolently like a king.

According to Draco, the Dark Lord was very pleased with the developments that were taking place and showed great interest in the one responsible for these deeds and was looking forward to the upcoming celebration in a few weeks and the revelation that would follow.

The Dark Lord had also tried to find out in different ways and considered the secret immensely exciting. Especially since no one else dared not give him information immediately, he found it entertaining. He would probably experience a surprise.

I tried not to think about it too much, because it caused me a stomach ache. It reminded me again and again how I had entered Harry's mind with Legilimency to experience the conversation with the Dark Lord and the way it had played out was not a pleasant memory for me, but well.

I wouldn't escape it. What was that saying? Grit your teeth and get to it! All one needed was a bit of luck and this I had undeniably in abundance.

Not pretty, but nothing I could do about it. That's what happened, when you get involved with family, I pondered slightly bitterly, but I would do it for Lucius, Severus, and Draco. I'd have to do it for them so they could save face, and with my vow, Harry was safe.