Snape was already in a surly mood that night. Upon his arrival at the apothecary in Hogsmeade on his way back from Diagon Alley, where he had spent the night, he had discovered that the apprentice who had taken his special order the week before had gotten it wrong. Idiot! What was he supposed to do with a barrel of frog tongues? Nothing! That was what.
Now he was on his way back to Hogwarts Castle to report the latest Death Eater activities to Dumbledore and to finish putting his potion labs in order for the summer holiday. He was so intent on reaching the castle that was now in sight, that he failed to watch where he was going.
The esteemed Potion master's mood got worse when he tripped over something. Cursing, he picked himself up and examined the obstacle in the road. A coffin! What jerk left a coffin in the middle of the road for people to trip over? Didn't they cost enough to prevent people from carelessly leaving them lying around?
His angry oaths were cut short when noises of distress started to come from the coffin. To Snape, that meant two things. One: someone was inside the coffin and his tripping over it had alerted whoever it was to his presence, and two: it was a used coffin. Those were usually a bit cheaper than new ones, and slightly illegal.
Cautiously, Snape pulled his wand from his cloak and pointed it at the coffin. For all he knew, the coffin could be a dangerous trap or a practical joke courtesy of the Weasley twins. Same thing.
One simple spell later, the nails holding the coffin shut were gone and the lid abruptly popped off to reveal a very distressed Hermione Granger who immediately sat up and locked her gaze on Snape. "Professor! I'm so glad you're here!"
Snape looked at Hermione with shock. Both Harry and Dumbledore had written her off for dead- Dumbledore two days ago and Harry just that morning. Fudge had filed an indictment accusing Harry Potter of capital murder the day before for all the good that it would do. "How did you get here, Granger?"
"They locked me in the coffin and took me here, Professor." Hermione said, bursting into tears. "I thought for sure that they were going to bury me alive!"
"Well, we can't have that, now can we?" Snape said snidely. Potter had been very concerned about her disappearance. Personally, if he were Potter, he would have felt that it was good riddance.
Hermione looked at Snape reproachfully. "You could be a little more polite to a female in distress, Professor."
"Whatever." Snape growled. "Get up and I'll take you to the castle. Professor Dumbledore has already sent your things along to your parents due to the end of term."
The mention of Dumbledore seemed to startle Hermione as she stiffly stood up, stretched, and stepped out of the wooden box. Before Snape could ask what she was thinking, she spoke. "Yes, we must get to the castle! Harry is innocent and I have to tell everyone before they alienate him any further than they already have!"
"I don't know if it's humanly possible to accomplish that." Snape said sarcastically as they slowly made their way to Hogwarts. When they arrived, they found that Filch was the only person at the castle for the night.
Feeling very much put upon, Snape escorted Hermione to the Hospital wing which seemed rather empty without Madam Pomfrey and had Hermione lay down in one of the beds. He left her there for fifteen minutes in order to retrieve some sleeping potions from the dungeons.
When he returned, he found that she had taken the initiative to change into a hospital gown. He had not thought of that. It was a good thing she had though, Madam Pomfrey would have had his head for such a misdemeanor. "Drink these." he commanded, setting two vials on the bedside stand.
"What are they?"
"One mild sleeping potion and one 'soothing' potion." Snape answered, slightly miffed that he was being questioned. "They'll help you get a good night's rest and will hopefully calm your nerves."
She took the two vials from the stand and drank the contents of each. Within minutes, she had fallen into a deep slumber. Snape watched with his cold dark eyes until he was sure that the potions had taken their full effect.
What he had told her was essentially true, aside from the fact that the sleeping potion was stronger than even the Dreamless Sleep Potion and therefore not classified as 'mild.' The other potion 'did' soothe, but it also added strength and order to memories. That potion was commonly used on distraught witnesses in criminal trials.
Now that she was held firmly in the grasp of both Potions, he could summon Professor Dumbledore and possibly the Minister. The facts that those potions had been administered almost immediately after she had been discovered and that she had talked to only to Snape would add strength to whatever she told everyone when she woke up.
If all went well, she could back up her earlier statement that Harry was innocent. Now that she was safe, his job was to immediately notify Dumbledore and the proper authorities. Any more delay on his part could ruin the integrity of her testimony, especially considering his past connections with the Death Eaters.
Filch was left stationed in the Hospital wing with Nearly Headless Nick as Snape left the castle and journeyed for London where Dumbledore and the Ministry were. He sighed regretfully as he realized that Harry would be unhappy at not being the first to know of her return considering that he had been the last to give up on her. He would know eventually though, he might even be considered innocent by then too.
Hermione felt herself wake up very slowly. The first thought that crossed her mind was that the sleeping potion must have been stronger than Snape had claimed. She was too tired to feel outraged.
Her mind slowly regained its conscious functions and within seconds, the memory that Harry was innocent crossed her mind. All traces of the potion's effect dissolved as a spurt of adrenaline shot through her system. Her droopy eyelids flew open to find several people standing around her bed in the Hospital wing.
On one side of the bed, Professor Dumbledore stood looking at her cheerfully. On the other side, Ron was standing there and looking overjoyed. The look on Ron's face made Hermione's heart skip a beat. He was a git a lot of the time, but a loveable one.
Also grouped around the bed were Ron's parents, sister, and the twins. Madam Bones, the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, stood behind Dumbledore with a slightly confused expression painted on her face and Hermione was quite sure that she could see Minister Fudge holding back behind the crowd.
"How long have I been asleep?" she asked.
"All night and a good part of the day as well, Miss Granger." Dumbledore stated. "You've been missing for quite a while as well. Do you remember what happened?"
The phrase 'Harry is innocent' immediately popped up in her mind, but then so did some memories that had not been there earlier. The memories detailing the attack on the village and the presence of Malfoy and Voldemort.
"V-V-Voldemort attacked the village I went to." Hermione explained eagerly. "Draco Malfoy was with him and they kidnapped me. Before they knocked me out, Malfoy told me that they were there to ruin Harry's reputation. Harry is innocent!"
The reactions to Hermione's statements were varied. Ginny's face lost all trace of color and she nearly fainted before silently steadying herself with the help of a nearby bed. The twins grinned, Ron looked at her with a confused expression, Mrs. Weasley's eyes flared with disbelief, Mr. Weasley avoided looking at her, and Madam Bones looked from her to Dumbledore who was studying Hermione with concerned eyes, his upheld hand preventing a livid Fudge from saying anything.
"How did they 'knock you out?'" Dumbledore inquired quietly as everyone in the room kept silent and watched Dumbledore and Hermione quietly. The only one not particularly interested in the conversation were Ginny and the twins. Ginny was too busy trying to stop herself from hyperventilating and the twins seemed to think the rest of her statement to be irrelevant.
"With some sort of spell." Hermione replied. "I think it was Dark."
"What happened between that and your discovery by Professor Snape?"
Hermione shrugged. "I don't know. I woke up and then some people put me into the coffin and transported the coffin to where Snape found it."
"Did you see who specifically put you into the coffin?"
"No." Hermione said, shaking her head.
Dumbledore seemed to consider his next question carefully. "Could you remember the details about the attack on the village when Snape found you?"
Frustration welled up in Hermione. "What does that have to do with anything! Harry is innocent and you can't waste any more time dawdling around."
"Please answer the question, Miss Granger."
"No, the only thing I could remember was that Harry is innocent." Hermione said with a deep sigh.
Before Dumbledore could ask another question, Snape and Moody entered the wing. "The team couldn't find anything." Moody reported. He then shot an unreadable face at Minister Fudge. "If they had been able to come sooner, I suspect that they would have been able to find more evidence."
"It's all right, Alastor." Dumbledore said calmly. "I did not expect that the Ministry team would find anything that could reveal who put Miss Granger's coffin where Severus found it."
This didn't seem to do much in the way of consoling Moody however. He seemed rather disappointed at the lack of results. Before he could reply, Mrs. Weasley cut into the conversation. "Potter obviously did it! We need to worry about Hermione now. He's tampered with her mind! She thinks he's innocent."
"He is innocent!" Hermione yelled. She looked at them all. The twins seemed sympathetic while Ginny was too deep in shock to respond to anything. Realizing that she would just get the same reactions from them all, Hermione looked to the newcomers. Mad-Eye Moody's face was expressionless as he studied Minister Fudge and Snape was merely looking at her, his eyes locked on hers.
Suddenly Hermione got an overwhelming sensation that Snape believed her. However, when she attempted to speak to him, she found that her mouth would not open. What was going on? Dumbledore began to speak and as Snape looked away, Hermione felt her ability to speak return.
"Arguing will get us nowhere." Dumbledore announced. "Would you allow me to perform some tests on your mind, Miss Granger?"
"Go ahead." Hermione responded, too mystified at Snape's actions to really care about anything else. He must have done 'something' to her. Was it possible that he used Legillimency on her?
Professor Dumbledore pulled out his wand and muttered some complicated incantations. Hermione felt an array of strange sensations in her mind as he performed the spells. Hopefully, his tests would prove that Harry was indeed innocent.
However, when he finished the last spell, the professor's face was grave. "I fear that you have been somehow deceived, Miss Granger."
Hermione's mouth dropped open and she was ready to protest, but Dumbledore held up his hand to silence her and continued explaining his findings. "The memories you now have in your brain have been planted somehow. Based on the results of the spell, I'd say that your mind was wiped at some point and then the memories of Voldemort, Draco, and Harry's innocence were later put into your head."
For some irrational reason, Hermione's eyes clouded up and she felt a tear make its way down her face. "But he's innocent, Professor! You have to believe me!"
"I wish I could, Miss Granger." Dumbledore said.
She then looked to the other members of the room for some support. She first looked to Snape who she was sure believed her, but he looked away. Next, she looked at Ron. He seemed to be torn between hatred of Harry and supporting his girlfriend in her apparent insanity. She skipped over Ginny who obviously believed Hermione too much. Hermione wasn't sure if Ginny was even listening anymore. The rest of the occupants of the room either looked away or gave glances that supported Dumbledore.
"But you have to believe me!" Hermione cried out wretchedly.
"Calm down, Miss Granger." Bones instructed in a rather neutral voice. "We don't have to solve this right now. I would appreciate it if you would give me a statement concerning how you got to the village from where you were kidnapped though." Bones said as she gave Fudge a sideways glance.
Hermione spent the next few minutes explaining how she had gotten to the village with the help of the special Portkey that Minister Fudge had provided upon hearing of her proposal to track Harry down and talk some sense into him. Her account was met with more than one raised eyebrow.
For some reason that was unfathomable to Hermione, Fudge seemed rather flustered at her account. This confused her. Why would he be flustered? It was the truth! She finished up her account rather curtly. "I hope you'll believe that at least."
"Professor Dumbledore is a witness." Madame Bones said rather emotionlessly. "This matter bears looking into. I thank you for the information that you've provided." The Ministry official turned her attention to the others present in the room. "If you'll excuse me, I have some pressing business to attend to." Bones then left the Hospital wing, followed several minutes later by Fudge.
After that, no one really said anything until Professor Dumbledore spoke up. "There's nothing to be done at this point. Since you seem to be in good health, Miss Granger, I'll arrange for you to be transported to your home tomorrow. For now, why don't you get some more rest?"
"I will, Professor." Hermione yawned, surprised that she was still tired.
With that, everyone began to file out of the room each bidding her good night until Professor Snape was the only remaining person in the room. He stopped and looked at Hermione with calculating eyes.
"Harry is innocent, isn't he?" Hermione asked in a voice that bordered on desperate pleading.
Snape nodded. "He is, Miss Granger."
Although Snape was the last person in the world whom Hermione would suspect of believing Harry innocent in some situation, she was vastly relieved to hear that he believed in Harry's innocence. "Is there anyone else who believes?"
"Yes."
"Who?" Hermione inquired eagerly, her near state of exhaustion nearly forgotten.
Unfortunately for Hermione, the Potions master was not forthcoming. "I'm not really sure that I should say, Miss Granger. Mr. Potter does not want those loyal to him to be compromised."
"But I already know about you." Hermione pointed out sulkily.
"Yes, you do," Snape whispered eerily, "and if you tell anyone else, you'll curse the day that you received your Hogwarts letter. I don't take betrayal as lightly as others might. Do I make myself clear?"
"Crystal." Hermione said, feeling quite frightened but also realizing that Snape was in a dangerous position. Betrayal of his loyalties to an Order member, Death Eater, or both could prove disastrous for him.
Snape turned from Hermione and made his way to the door and exited, saying only one word. "Good."
The Weasleys and Professor Dumbledore adjoined to the latter's office to discuss Hermione's situation. No one spoke until they were all seated in the office and enjoying some tea and biscuits that had been graciously conjured up by Dumbledore.
"Will there be any permanent damage to her mind?" Ron inquired.
Dumbledore shook his head negatively. "No, there will not be. As of now, her mind is functioning in a normal manner. The only problem stems from that fact that someone has planted some false memories into her mind. Other than that, she's just fine, though perhaps a little distraught over being locked in a coffin for a day."
"What I want to know," Mrs. Weasley stated, "is where Potter learned how to alter memories and mess with people's mind like that. I also want to know how vulnerable we are to attacks of that nature from him."
"He must have picked up some Dark magic." Mr. Weasley mused uncomfortably.
Dumbledore shook his head. "No, whoever planted those memories did so with skill and finesse. Harry has not had time to refine his skills with something that is so new to him and so very delicate. You're forgetting his wife, Bellatrix."
"She must have done it!" Ron exclaimed.
"I forgot about her." Arthur Weasley said slowly. "I imagine that she is very skilled in that area. Perhaps Harry hasn't learned Dark magic. Fred, George? What do you think?"
Both of the twins shrugged and Fred spoke up. "I'm not entirely sure that Hermione's mind 'was' altered. Is it possible that you're mistaken, Professor?"
"No, I'm not mistaken." Dumbledore said firmly but kindly. "It is very clear that information was planted in her memory."
"Perhaps too clear." George interjected.
Mrs. Weasley rolled her eyes and sighed all at the same time, making an impressive, if not pathetic display of emotions. "Let's not get into conspiracy theories."
Fred and George were silenced, but they both shot reproachful glances at their mother who was seemingly oblivious to them. There was an uncomfortable pause in the conversation as no one wanted to interfere with a disagreement between a mother and children.
Arthur Weasley took it upon himself to move things along a bit. "All right, let us assume that Hermione was kidnapped by Harry who then arranged for her memory to be altered. What was the purpose?"
"To fool us into believing in his innocence of course." Ron blurted out angrily as he violently chewed on a biscuit.
"Well it sure worked." Fred declared sarcastically.
"He underestimated us then!" Ron retorted.
"Oh please!" George muttered.
"Show some respect for your brother!" Mrs. Weasley snarled at George and slightly to Fred.
Abruptly, Dumbledore stood up from his desk. "That's enough!" Everyone stared at him, except for Ginny who seemed to be oblivious to the entire conversation. Dumbledore then continued in a voice that brooked no opposition or objections. "We will assume that Harry had a purpose in what he did that may have extended beyond convincing us of his supposed innocence."
"All right." Mr. Weasley said agreeably.
Dumbledore sat down and then continued. "Miss Granger's health appears to be normal. However, it is entirely possible that there is something that has gone unnoticed. If Harry was able to alter her mind, or have it altered, he may have established a link with her that would allow him to spy on us."
Mrs. Weasley who had seemingly regained her calm spoke up. "Is there a way to reverse that, Professor?"
"It is very hard to undo magic that has to do with someone's mind if a different wizard or witch did the original magic." Dumbledore responded. "If we frustrate Harry though, he may withdraw from her mind or end whatever curse or spell that Hermione may be subject to. Therefore, I am sending Miss Granger home tomorrow where she'll remain until school resumes. We must keep her out of Order business and away from the wizarding world as long as we can."
"How do we explain to her why we're keeping her at arm's length?" Mr. Weasley asked.
"We'll just tell her that she may still be suffering from side-effects of her kidnapping." Dumbledore answered.
Fred and George simultaneous snorted. "She'll buy that all right."
It was extremely late when the Weasleys returned to Grimmauld Place via special Portkey. They all promptly scattered to their various places in the household. Mrs. Weasley to the kitchen to get a late snack, Mr. Weasley upstairs, and the twins to their lab.
Their departure left Ginny standing in the entrance hall on the point of collapse. After realizing that she was alone and free from involvement with others, she decided to go up to her room. At this thought, a wave of nausea passed over her. It wasn't her room. It wasn't her house. It was Harry's house. They had betrayed him and taken it from him.
As Ginny trudged up the stairs, she contemplated as to whether or not her family members would have similar reactions when they realized that Harry was indeed innocent. This led to thoughts about whether or not they'd ever be convinced which eventually led to Ginny reexamining her own acknowledgment of his innocence.
After all, Dumbledore had explained away Hermione's declaration of Harry's innocence. That wasn't good enough for Ginny though. The instant that Hermione had said that Harry was innocent, Ginny had felt the truth of it in her gut. It was a truth and by some virtue of either her inborn magic or connection to Harry from the Chamber of Secrets, she could not deny it.
All too soon, the open door to her room appeared and Ginny went in and shut the door behind her. Mechanically, she traded her clothes for a nightdress and then stationed herself in front of a mirror to stare at herself in it. What to do now?
Early the next morning, Hermione was roused from her slumber in the Hospital wing and prepared for her late return to her parent's house. Professor McGonagall wasted no time in getting Hermione dressed and cleaned up.
Hermione who was now completely recovered and no longer suffering from lack of sleep had settled into a rut of guilt concerning Harry. As McGonagall handed her a Portkey, instructed her on its use and then reminded Hermione that the ban on underage magic had been lifted for those entering their seventh year in September, a familiar quote ran through Hermione's mind. 'If you want to change the world, start with yourself.'
"Thank you, Professor." Hermione said mechanically. If she expected everyone to realize that Harry was innocent and reconcile themselves with him, she would have to do so first. She had the innocence part pegged, now for reconciliation.
With a nod for McGonagall, she activated the Portkey and found herself standing on her front doorstep. Wards had been erected at some prior point in time that prevented magical transportation in her house. Since the door was locked, she had to knock.
The door was thrown open and Hermione found herself in the warm embrace of her mom and then her dad. "We were so scared when you weren't on the train, honey!" Her mom said quickly. "We got a letter from your professor stating that you had been delayed and would be home shortly though. Welcome home!"
"It's good to be home." Hermione said, doing her best to put on a good face for her parents.
"We tried to get the day off," Mr. Granger said, "but we have too many appointments to cancel today and we weren't sure if you would be here yet. Can you look after yourself for the day?"
"Of course." Hermione said quietly, inwardly relieved that she would not have to deal with her parents as she thought about her issue concerning Harry.
Her parents who were already prepared to leave for the day bid her a quick good-bye and soon left her alone in the house. Hermione aimlessly wandered around the house. When she passed through her bedroom, she found that her trunk had been sent ahead. In the kitchen she found some leftover breakfast. It tasted like ashes.
Eventually, she settled down on a chair in the room that contained her family's collection of literature. The books surrounding her normally gave her comfort, but no longer. Thoughts of Harry immediately arose and Hermione found herself considering ways in which she could possibly reconcile herself with Harry.
She had turned her back on him and he was undoubtedly hurt and betrayed. Any ties of friendship that she had shared with him were now severed. Hermione was suddenly overwhelmed with desperation to bring back that friendship. How could she do it though? How could she win back what she had carelessly thrown away?
Something dug into Hermione's thigh and she shifted uncomfortably. Finding that it was no good, Hermione squirmed a bit and dug the uncomfortable object from her pocket. It was the Portkey that Fudge had given her. As Hermione stared at it, an idea formed in her head. She could go to Harry.
Adrenaline coursed through Hermione's veins as she leapt up. She would go to Harry and do whatever it took to win back their friendship. Not wasting a single second, Hermione found her wand, which she could use legally, and a book that she had bought that addressed magical transportation.
She already had a Ministry Portkey, the only thing that she would have to do would be to alter the destination of the Portkey a little. The next hour or so was spent by Hermione reading and rereading through the chapter of the book that dealt with setting a Portkey's destination.
There did not appear to be any standard way to alter a destination, but Hermione was fairly sure that she could pull it off, considering the fact that the Portkey was programmed to go to multiple destinations at the user's will. Adding another destination would probably not be much of a problem.
Once she felt ready to perform the necessary magic and had decided what she was going to do with the Portkey, Hermione placed it on her kitchen table and then proceeded to make the alterations that she hoped would lead her to where Harry was.
The Order believed him to be residing on an island somewhat north of Azkaban. If she set the Portkey for land only, and then if she got the general area correct, she would land on Harry's island or whatever he was living in or on.
Within a very short few minutes, the Portkey was complete. Even for Hermione's known skill and ability to learn magic quickly that was remarkable. Too remarkable. Unfortunately, there was only one way to test its reliability and that was to simply use it.
Hermione awkwardly pocketed her wand and then left a note for her parents explaining that she had decided to go on a rather important outing and that she would most likely be back soon. She left the note where it would be immediately found when her parents returned home and returned to the table on which the altered Portkey lay.
Apprehensively, Hermione stepped closer to the table and reached out her hand toward the Portkey. Thinking about going to Harry and begging for forgiveness was one thing; actually doing it was another. How would he react?
Realizing that she was asking questions that could not be answered, Hermione sighed and grabbed up the Portkey quickly. It activated immediately and Hermione felt a very familiar jerk around her navel as it carried her away.
A moment later when Hermione expected to feel the jerky landing that Portkeys provided, she instead felt what resembled a magical collision with something. Wards! To say the least, Hermione was shocked. How was it that Harry had protected his location with wards powerful enough to repel Portkeys? Not even Hogwarts could really do that!
The next thought that came through Hermione's mind was concerning the reaction of Anti-Portkey wards to an invader. What did they do? No one knew since no one was powerful enough to try it out.
Her question was answered when a heartbeat after the crash, she felt herself bouncing backwards, if you could call it that. There was no real sense of direction while in limbo between one Portkey destination and another.
Finally, the jerky landing arrived in a much more violent form. Hermione felt most of her strength drain from her as she was tossed onto a surface made of coarse stone. As she landed, the Portkey was projected from her hands and it slid away from her. A faint splash was then heard. Weakly, Hermione stood up and looked to where the Portkey had gone. It had fallen off the edge of the stone surface and into some water below.
It appeared that she had landed on some sort of antique stone dock. The stone appeared to be quite ancient as evidenced by carvings and symbols that were now all but eroded away by the waves of the sea that constantly seemed to be crashing against the pillars that held the dock up.
A bird flew overhead and Hermione looked up and turned around to follow its progress. It soon flew from sight and her eyes fell downward. What she saw next disturbed her greatly. It was a great big fortress and as Hermione studied it, she felt a dreadful sensation. There were Dementors in that building. With that, the identity of her location assailed her. The wards around where Harry was hiding had repelled her to Azkaban.
Hermione gulped and looked around for any sign of human life. There was none whatsoever. That was to be expected of course. Hadn't the Ministry been evicted from the island by Harry? Maybe some of Harry's followers were here. Deciding that it was worth a go, Hermione started walking up the dock toward the land.
Within a few feet of walking, Hermione came to a small part of the dock that had not been eroded away. It was a circular seal with a one foot diameter. It depicted… something. Though the relief was as sharp as the day it had been carved, Hermione could not make it out.
Shrugging, Hermione decided to continue walking. However, the instant she crossed over the seal, some sort of power seized Hermione. She was instantly reminded of the body bind curse and expected to fall flat on her face. This was not to be the case however as whatever power that had assailed her chose to keep her frozen upright. Any further thought was cut off when the power pressed in upon her mind and froze everything.
After what seemed like hours, the force let Hermione go and she sighed with relief at her escape from whatever power had held her. The relief was a bit premature however. The 'power' assailed her again and instead of freezing her, it chucked her off the dock and into the ocean.
Hermione let out a bloodcurdling scream before smacking the water and performing a perfect belly-flop. This immediately knocked the already exhausted Hermione unconscious as an abnormally large wave blanketed her.
"You're just in time for a spot of lunch!" Harry declared heartily to Neville who had just arrived at Nair'icaix via one of Harry's special Portkey's. "Sit down and we'll arrange to have a plate made up for you."
Neville looked around the simple but elegant dining room and spotted Bellatrix, Narcissa, and Harry's two assistants sitting at the table. Harry had stood up and traversed the room to greet him. "I would hate to intrude." Neville responded politely. "Gran made me eat before I departed for here anyway."
Bellatrix shot him a knowing and slightly apprehensive smile. She was still uncomfortable around him due to his parent's condition. "I know about teenage boys." she said, glancing at Harry with a broader smile, "There's always room for some more food. Besides, you need something to keep the prune juice down with."
Everyone at the table snickered and/or smiled as Neville blushed faintly. "Thank you, milady." he said, seating himself at the table as Harry did likewise next to Bellatrix. He turned his attention directly to Harry as a plate loaded with food appeared before him. "I have some good news for you from Professor Snape. He would have come himself, but there were some engagements that he could not escape today."
"We have some good news too!" Harry said brightly, sharing a look with Bellatrix.
Neville decided to shove his own news aside for a moment. "What is it?"
"I'm pregnant." Bellatrix announced to Neville in a very demure voice. Apparently she was unsure as to what those who had known Harry before she had would think.
To say that Neville was shocked would be a bit of an understatement. He had not graduated from Hogwarts yet and one of his former classmates was already starting a family! "T-that's wonderful!" Neville exclaimed as he thought about what everyone else that Harry knew would say to that sort of news. "Do you know whether or not it's going to be a boy or a girl?"
"Not yet." Harry responded.
Before Neville could ask when they could find out, Bellatrix spoke up. "There are spells that can reveal that once I get further into the nine-months, but Harry and I have decided to just wait until the baby comes to find out. It'll be a surprise that way."
"Have you thought of any names?" Neville asked with a smile.
"Not really." Harry said as he finished off his lunch. "Narcissa has come up with plenty though."
Narcissa beamed, seemingly more from Harry's casual and friendly acknowledgment of her rather than from the situation that her sister was in. "If it's a boy, they should name him James Harrison Potter. That would carry on the Potter line sufficiently. Harrison because Harry just doesn't sound right as a middle name. Then if it's a girl, Bellatrix or Lily of course!"
"Those sound like good names." Neville commented positively.
Bellatrix frowned. "James Harrison sounds find, but I refuse to name a daughter after me. It would create too much confusion."
"Perhaps Isabella or Belle would be close enough but not the same." Neville suggested.
"Perfect!" Narcissa declared.
"Let's not get too excited." Bellatrix said in a dignified voice that hid her enthusiasm for the subject. Her sparkling violet eyes gave her away though.
Harry smiled at the two sisters and then looked at Neville. "I'm sure that you didn't come here to discuss potential names for my child. What's the good news from Snape?"
"Hermione has been found alive." Neville declared.
A grin graced Harry's face. "That's wonderful! She has put herself against me, but I'm still glad that she's alive." Harry's expression then took on a slightly saddened look. "Perhaps she'll still come around… wait. Voldemort kidnapped her so logically, she would know that I'm innocent, wouldn't she?"
Neville nodded. "Precisely. The instant she woke up, she told everyone that you were innocent. Bu-"
"Did they believe her?" Harry interrupted anxiously as everyone else awaited what Neville would next say.
"I'm sorry." Neville said, trying to break the bad part of the news as gently as possible. "Voldemort altered her mind somewhat and made it appear that her genuine memories of what happened were false."
Harry restrained himself to shaking his head sadly.
"Snape said that she still believes that you're innocent." Neville put in hopefully. "They haven't convinced her that you're still guilty yet. Maybe there's hope at least for her believing you."
"We'll just have to see." Bellatrix said, trying to keep the air from getting too depressing.
Neville reached for his goblet of punch and sipped it thoughtfully. "Yes, that's what we'll just have to do. While I was here, I was hoping that I could discuss the details for altering Potter's Legion a bit and then I hoped that I could visit my parents for a bit."
"Let's visit your parents first." Harry suggested as he rose from the table, everyone following suit out of respect for him.
"I'll go along as well." Bellatrix declared. "I've done a little research into their conditions since they came here. We could talk about that."
Neville, Harry, and Bellatrix then left the room, leaving the others to either finish their lunch or remain and chat with the others. They made small talk on the way up to the room in which the Longbottoms were being kept.
When they arrived in the room, Neville made a beeline straight toward the twin beds that the Longbottoms now resided in. He sat down in the gap that lay between the two beds and began to talk to his parents, alternating between one and the other. Harry was cheered somewhat by the fact that they seemed more responsive to him than usual.
Harry and Bellatrix held back, not wanting to interfere with the close and precious family moments that were occurring for Neville. Harry could most certainly relate to his friend. Even if his own parents were basically vegetables, he would still treasure every moment spent with them.
The sight of Neville talking in earnest to the almost completely non-responsive couple in the beds seemed to sadden Bellatrix. Harry could well understand why this was. In an attempt to comfort her, Harry unconsciously conjured a couch, pulled Bellatrix down onto it, and snuggled up to her with his arm around her.
"I don't think he blames you directly." Harry said quietly.
"He should." Bellatrix whispered.
Harry shrugged, not quite sure what there was to say that could comfort his wife.
"If anyone ever turned us into vegetables like that and forced our child to go through the emotional distress brought on by something like that, I'd kill them multiple times and make them suffer. I helped do that to a child." Bellatrix informed Harry.
"I think that you've redeemed yourself." Harry replied, quietly considering what would happen in the event that Frank and Alice Longbottom woke up and recovered from the debilitated state. How would they react to the fact that one of their torturers and enemies had gone and married the child of James and Lily? Probably not very well at all.
Bellatrix shook her head. "To redeem oneself, one must try to fix the wrong if at all possible. That's impossible for those I killed, but the Longbottoms just lie there waiting for me to do something."
"I guess that does weigh heavily." Harry said.
There was no response from Bellatrix because a new thought had just occurred to her. In order to be redeemed, she needed to right the wrong. To do that, she would have to make it so that the Longbottoms could recover. The cure lay with her.
Harry could feel Bellatrix suddenly freeze and he instinctively knew that this signified some sort of realization. Before he could ask what it was, Bellatrix spoke slowly. "In order for one to gain redemption, they have to right the wrong, correct?"
"I would think so." Harry mused.
"But that wouldn't be enough though, would it?"
"It might be nice if they were sorry for doing it in the first place." Harry said idly. "If someone were to steal something but then give it back only because they were forced to I guess they wouldn't really be redeemed."
"Sorrow!" Bellatrix exclaimed loudly, startling everyone in the room. She even received a moment of attention from the comatose Longbottoms. "That's it! Sorrow and healing."
Neville looked at Bellatrix strangely and then questioningly at Harry. After seeing that Harry was just as confused as he was, Neville looked back at Bellatrix. "What's it?"
"Sorrow." Bellatrix declared.
Deciding that he had spent enough time with his parents, Neville left their side and joined Harry and Bellatrix. "You said earlier that you did some research." Neville said, addressing Bellatrix. "Did you find anything useful?"
"Not really." Bellatrix said, waving her hand in a dismissive manner. "It's all obsolete anyhow. I have a new idea that I think could very likely prove to be the thing that brings your parents back to the land of the sane and living."
Neville could not help but be a little skeptical. The Healers at St. Mungo's had presented he and his Gran with new ideas for treatments constantly. Eventually they had all began to sound the same and have the same effect on Frank and Alice Longbottom. No effect whatsoever. "What is it?" he finally asked.
"I don't want to say quite yet." Bellatrix replied, doing her best to look Neville in the eye. "But I'll need your help and especially Harry's support to do it. Would you be willing to help?"
"How?" Neville inquired cautiously.
Bellatrix hesitated and then responded. "I need you to write me a letter."
"Why? I'm right here." Neville said in an extremely confused voice.
"It needs to be a long letter." Bellatrix continued on. "I want you to tell me about growing up without your parents, the pain you felt, the sorrow, and anything else you have felt concerning them."
"I still don't understand why." Neville said quizzically. Harry too was looking rather mystified.
"I need to… understand." Bellatrix declared to them. "You'll see later."
Neville nodded reluctantly, willing to give it a try. "All right then. When do you need the letter?"
"Soon would be nice, but don't rush it. Put your heart into it." Bellatrix instructed. She stood up and nodded at Harry and Neville. "You two have other things to discuss right now and I need to go and do a little thinking about my idea so I'll leave you alone."
Harry stood up and hugged Bellatrix despite Neville's presence. "I'll see you later then."
Bellatrix smiled at him and hugged him back before leaving the room.
"We might as well go somewhere where we can sit down comfortably and discuss Potter's Legion." Harry declared as he and Neville made their way to the door as the couch that had been conjured disappeared.
"That sounds fine." Neville stated as they exited. "I've talked to all the members of PL and most of them have committed to helping out with anything over the summer. I don't know if you've been told, but the Ministry has given permission for some students to use magic during the holiday. My Gran also reckons that she could obtain a special license from the Ministry to do a sort of 'summer school' where magic could be practiced. I'd be the one teaching of course, but that would still work."
Harry nodded encouragingly as they made their way down the various halls in the massive fortress. "Bypassing the restriction in that manner would be ingenious. Fudge would put up opposition to that though. Hopefully my other plans will come to a head before too long."
The two young wizards arrived at Harry's private study and made themselves comfortable. "I think that your group should come up with a new name." Harry said thoughtfully. "It will unavoidably become public and being linked to me in such a way could be detrimental."
"Lord Polairix's Legion?"
"No, still too closely connected to me."
"I'll have to see if any of them have ideas next time a large group of us assembles then." Neville decided.
"When will that be?"
Neville shrugged. "We haven't scheduled one for the summer yet."
In response, Harry stood up and began to slowly pace. "Try to get everyone together as soon as you can. Not only do you need to come up with a new name, you need to organize everybody and appoint some sort of hierarchy. The group is basically an army, so logic dictates that you should have some ranks and those sorts of things assigned and organized."
"I'll keep that in mind." Neville replied, already making plans as to how the now Potter's Legion would be organized in the future.
"Getting everyone together could be somewhat difficult." Harry said as he continued on with his monologue. "If your group needs money for Muggle transportation or needs assistance with magical transportation, I reckon that I can arrange for that somehow. Just keep me up to date on things. Can you do that?"
Neville responded affirmatively and then brought up another issue. "How much fighting can we expect to see?"
This brought Harry to a pause. "I don't know." he said at last. "It will be dangerous and therefore, lives could be lost. For that reason I can't help but feel hesitant to put you in the worst situations."
The door to Harry's study opened and Count Hiscophney strolled in. "Perhaps I could help with that. If the volunteer students were to team up with my own teams, the students would be in less danger and my forces could be more spread out."
A frown crossed Harry's face as he studied the Count of Trazkaban. "How did you know what we were talking about?"
Hiscophney held up his hand that bore the ring used to communicate with Harry and Xerina. "I could hear you through this."
"Oh." Harry said, somewhat puzzled but satisfied enough with the answer that had been provided. He would have to examine his own ring further when he had the chance to do so.
The count made his way to an empty seat and sat down, preparing to take a part in the discussion that Harry and Neville had been having. Before the conversation could resume however, a flash came from one of the baskets on Harry's desk signifying new mail.
Since the basket was in reach, Harry grabbed the parchment from his sitting place and opened the envelope after checking it for any possibly traps, curses, or jinxes and finding none. Inside the envelope was a small slip of parchment with a note hastily scribbled on it.
'New developments- must see you immediately. Is the Leaky Cauldron in half an hour okay? Mockridge'
Harry reread the note before tearing an unwritten part off and writing 'Fine' on it followed by his initials. He then took a new envelope from his desk, slipped the parchment into it, sealed it, addressed it, and then dropped it in the out-basket from which it was promptly 'flashed' away.
"I've just received an urgent message and must go to meet an acquaintance." Harry told Neville and Hiscophney. "Could you two make plans for the future of Potter's Legion and how it will work in conjunction with my forces? I'll be back as soon as I possibly can."
The two were amiable to Harry's proposal and by the time Harry exited his study, they were already deep into discussion concerning the issues at hand for the forces that would be fighting Voldemort in the coming months.
After finding Bellatrix and telling her about the letter, Harry retrieved a dark cloak trimmed with silver from his master suite, pulled up the hood, and then Apparated away to Diagon Alley rather than directly into the Leaky Cauldron. It would look better if it seemed that he had just come in for a drink or snack instead of going directly there to meet someone.
He entered the small pub from the back way into Diagon Alley and found the perfect atmosphere for a confidential meeting. The pub was busy enough that they would not attract unwanted attention for being the only customers at the hour, but slow enough that they would be able to keep away from others and still be able to hear each other.
Harry surveyed the room and saw that Tom the barkeep was at his customary post. He also saw that the patrons of the pub were average people that he did not know in anyway and that Mockridge had not arrived yet.
Keeping his hood up, which was slightly unusual, Harry made his way to a vacant corner table from where he could watch both entrances to the pub and have a good view of the entire room. He then wandlessly cast a Notice-Me-Not charm over himself.
Five minutes later, Cuthbert Mockridge entered the pub from the Diagon Alley entrance and looked around casually. A small probe of his mind via Legillimency revealed that beneath his calm exterior, the Goblin Liaison official was flustered. The probe also revealed that he was not up to any underhand tricks.
Seeing that he was not about to be betrayed, Harry removed the protective charm and caught Mockridge's attention. Mockridge spotted Harry immediately. He made his way over to the corner table and sat down. "Have you ordered anything yet?" he asked.
"No." Harry responded. "Not yet."
Mockridge waved his hand to signal Tom. "One Firewhiskey and a…"
"Butterbeer." Harry finished, deepening his voice somewhat to disguise it.
"Firewhiskey and Butterbeer." Cuthbert reiterated.
Tom acknowledged the order from the bar and in a short moment the Ministry official had a tot of the strong drink and Harry had a bottle of Butterbeer. The Firewhiskey was promptly thrown down Mockridge's throat as if it was water.
"Why did you want to meet?" Harry inquired.
"All hell has broken loose in the Ministry." Mockridge informed Harry nervously. "We need to rearrange our plans and move forward quickly if we're going to be able to get through this and end with me as Minister of Magic."
"What has happened?" Harry asked, suddenly worried that perhaps their scheme had been discovered though he knew the incredible odds that stood against such an event.
Mockridge stared longingly at his empty glass of Firewhiskey before answering. "You know Hermione Granger, don't you?"
"Yes."
"You also know that she was kidnapped and that you were accused of it, right?"
"Someone mentioned something about it."
"More like screamed it." Mockridge muttered, referring to the Ministry Chronicle. "Anyway, they found her locked in a coffin yesterday or the day before and since it was a criminal case, Madam Bones who heads up the Law Enforcement department was there. Granger told this story about how she had planned to see if she could run into you by going to various villages."
Harry looked at Mockridge with raised eyebrows, though Mockridge couldn't see them through the hood of the cloak. "I don't see how that would cause an uproar at the Ministry."
"It wasn't that specifically. It was how she managed to get to said villages. Then there's also the issue that if some sixth-year Hogwarts student can come up with a plan on how to predict which villages will be attacked, then why can't anyone else?" Mockridge explained.
"They actually realize that Fudge is incompetent after all this time?"
"Somewhat." Mockridge admitted dryly, still eyeing his empty glass. "The issue is that Minister Fudge gave Granger the Portkey that got her to the village where she was kidnapped from. Not only did said Portkey take her to said village, it had the capability to be reused multiple times."
Finally, Harry caught on and grinned. "I take it that giving Hermione the Portkey was slightly unethical and perhaps illegal."
"Mostly. Madam Bones thinks that Fudge made a lot of noise about how you supposedly killed Granger. She has let it be known that she suspects Fudge of deliberately placing Granger in danger so that he could point the finger at you."
Harry took a long swig from his Butterbeer bottle. "Well, that takes care of giving Fudge the bad reputation. Now we just need an agreement with the goblins as of last week. Is the Winzengamot going to do anything and is there any person that looks like they may be Minister soon?"
"I think that Dumbledore is going to convene the Wizengamot soon." Mockridge said carefully. "Maybe tomorrow. Fudge's authority is all but gone at this point. Not only are people at the Ministry angry about the Granger episode, they're also complaining about the Gringotts problem."
"Good," Harry responded, "that means that an agreement with the goblins could still put you in a favorable light. Now, what about Dumbledore? I'm sure that he's going to try and manipulate the outcome of any action taken. Is there someone that looks like they're going for the job who might have his support?"
Mockridge thought for several moments. "Bones or Weasley. Amelia Bones is certainly high ranking enough and is the one actually making some of the accusations. Arthur Weasley is a very respected person around the Ministry despite his low rank. One of Fudges lackeys could go for it, and then there's always the rare possibility of an outsider coming in. Dumbledore could have been Minister after the First War."
"What about you? Do you have any respect or power?"
"I'm just sort of 'there.'" Mockridge said. "The Gringotts thing could really throw me into the spotlight though."
Harry finished off his Butterbeer with a big gulp, enjoying the sensation of the liquid going down his throat. "Gringotts has to happen now. How are you here? Have you left the Ministry for the day or are you on break?"
"I didn't really say when I exited." Mockridge admitted. "Things were to busy for anyone to really notice though."
"Good." Harry mumbled as his thoughts raced. He needed to throw the Head of the Goblin Liaison Office into the spotlight immediately which would mean dodging the hustle and bustle and getting attention. "Has the Ministry communicated with the goblins since the closure? Petitions for re-opening perhaps?"
"Not lately."
"Blast."
"I could back-date some sort of routine letter maybe." Mockridge said nervously, trying to please Harry.
"No. Absolutely not." Harry declared as he tried to think up a new idea. "If you were to go to a meeting with the goblins, are there papers in your office that you would bring along with you?"
"Of course."
"Good." Harry said as he pulled out his Black ash wand and used it to conjure a piece of parchment and some necessary writing utensils. "Write a formal letter to Gringotts asking for an audience with Lord Gold to discuss options for perhaps opening the bank again."
Wasting not time, Mockridge grabbed the quill that Harry had conjured and began to write a neat and official letter to Gringotts. As the quill made scratching noises on the parchment, Harry scanned the room, observing the various patrons. None of them seemed to be particularly interested in what the two men in the corner were doing. That was definitely good.
"Done!" Mockridge declared as he signed his name with a minor flourish.
Harry waved his wand which was still in his hand and had the parchment sealed. The Ministry of Magic seal was even perfectly imitated. "Good. I'll personally take this to Lord Gold. I'm sure that he'll cooperate and willingly meet with you immediately. I want you to go back to the Ministry and wait for Lord Gold to send you a response. If possible, make sure that other people are around to see you receive that letter. Be sure to let them know what it is and make a big show of getting whatever papers you'll need. Got that?"
"Yes." Mockridge answered, with a faintly excited gleam in his eyes. "Go back to the office and wait for the letter. Make sure everyone knows that I'm going to the bank to negotiate with the goblins."
"Right. I'll meet you at Gringotts."
A painful groan escaped from Hermione's lips as she woke up and tasted something gritty in her mouth. When she opened her eyes, she found herself face down in some sand. Apparently the tide had washed her up on some beach recently. She deduced the 'recently' part from that fact that she was still sopping wet.
She rolled over and sat up with a grimace. The water had not been gentle at all. Every part of her ached and her clothes were an absolute mess. After a few moments, Hermione managed to gather enough strength to sit up and look around. Hopefully, she had been washed across the channel that separated Azkaban from the mainland.
As Hermione look around, she deduced that this was not the case. She was standing on a sandy island connected to a more rocky island by a… black bridge. Her eyes widened as she followed the bridge and spotted a large and imposing black castle that was just as, if not bigger than Hogwarts.
Before she could do any more, several pops surrounded and she found herself surrounded by several men in silver robes, each with their wands trained on her. Deciding that irritating them would be a bad idea, Hermione weakly raised her hands in the air.
One of them stepped forward. "You're under arrest for trespassing." he declared.
Hermione decided to be brave. "I didn't intentionally trespass, I was washed up on your beach and what gives you the authority to arrest me? You don't look like you're from the Ministry and I'm a British subject."
"If you're the person who disturbed the wards, then you're a trespasser." the man declared stiffly. He smiled triumphantly when he saw a flicker of guilt in Hermione's eyes. "I am Captain Nailoff of the Earl of the North's bodyguard. You're in Lord Polairix's domain, therefore, you are subject to him no matter who you are."
This declaration caused Hermione some excitement, nervousness, and fear. Apparently she had found where Harry lived but was now under arrest. If he was mad at her, which he probably was, then she was most certainly at his mercy. "Conceded." she sighed.
"Follow me." Nailoff instructed. He began to walk towards the black bridge and with the other guards' wands trained on her, Hermione followed.
As they approached the black fortress, Hermione couldn't help but ask questions. "What's the name of this castle?"
Nailoff didn't seem to be in a good mood for answering questions, but he humored her nevertheless. "This is the Fortress of Nair'icaix, the Seat of House Polairix which has held the Earldom of the North for millennia."
Hermione was silenced as they approached the castle. It was extremely intimidating and if it was any reflection of Harry's power, then she and the Order were in deep trouble. She suspected that is was only Harry's mercy that had spared them from destruction.
They entered through a pair of large doors and into a most impressive entrance hall. Hermione would have liked to stand around and look at everything, but the silver-clad guards had other ideas. They led her into what appeared to be a study, probably Harry's and had her stand before a very imposing desk. "Wait here." Nailoff instructed her with a nod to the other guards signaling that they should see to it that she followed his directions.
It seemed an eternity before Nailoff returned to the study. "Lord Polairix is currently unavailable." the captain announced. "Count Trazkaban is here and will see to you."
A moment later, a very familiar man entered the room and Hermione instantly felt a wave of nausea. It was the man who had beheaded Lucius Malfoy right in front of her. When his eyes fell on her, Hermione spotted a spark of recognition in the emotionless eyes.
Count Trazkaban approached her and went around the desk. Instead of sitting in the chair behind the desk, he sat in a chair that had automatically appeared to the side of it. "I recognize you." he said, wasting no time. "You're a member of that pesky Order and one of the ones who declared to the whole world that Harry Potter was an absolute creep."
"I don't deny that." Hermione said bravely. "I came here to see Harry and I refuse to leave until I at least have a chance to speak to him."
"If I wanted to have you thrown off the island, I doubt that you could stop me." the count declared stiffly. "In any case, you will be staying. For all I know, you were sent to spy by the Order. The Order has already done enough damage and I will allow no more damage when preventing it is within my ability and reach."
"Does that mean I'm in trouble?" Hermione inquired faintly.
"That depends on how Lord Polairix feels." Trazkaban declared. "Until he decides though, you'll have the pleasure of testing out the dungeons for us."
Hermione winced but responded somewhat wittily. "Glad to help. Just so long as Harry knows that I'm here and that I wish to speak with him."
The count shrugged. "I was just leaving when Nailoff stopped me and will probably not see Lord Polairix for a while. However, I'll have the guards inform Lady Bellatrix of your presence. She might even tell Lord Polairix."
"Thanks a lot." Hermione retorted.
The count ignored her and addressed Captain Nailoff. "Lock her up in the dungeon and tell Lady Polairix that a trespasser has been apprehended. Get her name and any information pertaining to her and record it as well."
Captain Nailoff nodded respectfully. "I shall."
And that was how Hermione found herself in an ancient dungeon. Filch would have been proud.