Curious and Curiouser

Chapter 18: Answers at Last Part III

Sorry for how long it's taken me to post and for how short this update is, thank you so much to those of you who are still reading this!

Hermione had been hoping to join Cassie when the younger witch said she would be on her way to St. Mungo's to see if there was anything she could do to help the healer but Harry had caught her just as she was about to leave, asking for a word.

The priority right now in the auror department was to identify the group of people that had taken the dementors. In Hermione's opinion, the quickest way to do that was to revive the aurors and MLE officers that were in the hospital and hope they could shed some light on what had happened. The remaining aurors were focusing all of their efforts on tracking down illegal sales of basilisk fangs in an attempt to narrow down their suspect pool. Ron had left to join aurors' Lopez and Parekh as they interrogated a known dealer of Class A banned substances.

So it was with no small amount of impatience that Hermione followed Harry into the auror department and to his cubicle where she sat rather primly on the edge of the couch, hoping her posture displayed her impatience.

Harry met her eyes, leaning back against his desk and said, "What do you think-- honestly, what does Lucius Malfoy deserve?"

Hermione blinked in surprise, this hadn't been the question she had been expecting but she wasn't Hermione Granger for nothing. She almost always had an answer, and even if she didn't she could always speak to something, "Life in Azkaban," she replied, surprised at how sure her voice sounded.

Harry nodded back, his eyes closed, thinking.

"Why, Harry," Hermione asked quickly, unsure of where his question had come from, "What's going on?"

When Harry didn't respond she prompted him again, nudging the toe of his boot with her foot.

"This isn't at all what I'd thought it'd be," he said more to himself than to her.

"What do you mean?" She asked carefully, unsure of where the conversation was going.

"I-," Harry paused, "I don't really know, I suppose," he said letting out a frustrated sort of breath. "Do you remember when Rufus Scrimjour showed up on my birthday, after with Dumbledore's will?"

"Yes..." Hermione said hesitantly, her concern for her friend evident in her voice.

"And do you remember when you said you'd rather not pursue a career with the ministry because you wanted to do something useful with your life?"

"Yes," Hermione said again, a small smile playing on her lips at the memory, leaning further back into the couch.

"What did you think you were going to do?" Harry asked suddenly, breaking her out of her reverie.

"I-," Hermione hesitated, "I don't know, I was more focused on Voldemort than my career goals at the time. I guess I figured it would all work out if we survived,"

"And did it?" Harry prompted after she finished.

Hermione took another deep breath and decided to answer Harry's questions before asking one of her own, "Yes, I mean, I suppose, I didn't think I'd be an Unspeakable if that's what you mean, but I am good at what I do." She finished, letting her answer hang in the air a moment before speaking again, Harry, what's going on? Are you alright?"

Harry looked up at her again and let out a sigh, "Every single inquisitor that could be appointed to Lucius Malfoy's case has personally been affected by Voldemort or his death eaters. It's personal for all of them. And-"

Hermione cut him off, knowing where he was going, "-He's not getting a fair trial, is he?"

Harry shook his head slowly, "I spoke to Minister Vance, she's fair, she'll be there, so at least the whole thing won't be one sided, but she hasn't got a soft spot for former death eaters either."

Hermione let out a deep sigh, the weight that had been on Harry's shoulders now falling on hers. A deep seated anxiety building in her stomach as she pictured the most likely outcome of the trial.

"Malfoy asked me to speak," Harry said, letting the sentence hang in the air between them.

"Will you?" Hermione asked.

"Should I?" Harry asked back, "I mean I can't can I? I can testify to a lot of Lucius Malfoy's crimes as a firsthand witness can't I? Doesn't really help us out all that much does it?"

"No...no, I suppose it doesn't," Hermione said, her brow furrowed as she tried to see a way out of what was turning into a seemingly hopeless situation.

"The whole lot of them are trying to make up for the fact that they didn't believe me-- that they didn't believe Dumbldore-- they want all of this death eater business done with, Hermione,"

Hermione nodded absently back, her mind still racing as she tried to think her way around the fact that the system she was now a part of wasn't going to defend the ideals she had spent years of her life fighting for.

"I just thought you ought to know," Harry concluded rather lamely.

"Yeah," Hermione breathed out, "Listen Harry, could we meet at yours later tonight?" Hermione didn't even wait for an answer, she was already on her feet, straightening her cloak, "Let Cassie know that something else has come up and I'll be off the dementor case for a bit," Hermione took a breath and met her friend's eyes, "I've got to go to the library."