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Chapter 1- An Unwelcome Sight
Hermione Granger sat at in her office; the mass of paper that littered the desk was now finding it's way onto the floor.
She glanced at the clock, three o'clock; only two and a half hours left; she let out a long sigh of exhaustion, which made her feel guilty .She buried her head once again in the document before her.
"Case number 1070-
"Willow"- master deceased during battle.
Suggested relocation plan – number 3- " Rehabilitation center for Homeless House elves."
Abilities include: - washing, sewing, occasional cooking, lumberjacking.
She tutted in disapproval, imaging some poor house elf chopping up wood for it's masters fire in the freezing cold winter air.
Almost a year had past since Lord Voldemort's demise, yet things in the Wizarding world were far from back to normal.
In fact, this had been the Ministry's most complicated and busiest year. Now that Kingsley Shackelbolt was in charge there were buildings to be remade, officials to be chosen, new staff to be employed, and muggles' memories to be modified; picking up the pieces of a war was no easy task.
Now an official graduate and somewhat of a celebrity at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Hermione was head of the " House-Elf relocation and care Department."
She had taken it upon herself to find homes for all the house elves that had lost masters during Voldemorts' reign, and to fight for the rights of those who were still subjected to slavery.
As she sat, her face furrowed into a slight frown, a pale violet colored paper airplane whisked into the room and settled itself in front of her.
Feeling annoyed at the interruption, she took the note and opened it:
" pssst!! Meet me on level two in an hour! "
She rolled her eyes, it wasn't signed but she knew it was Ron, he was probably visiting Harry in the Auror Headquarters.
She glanced at the clock again, half three, she would be leaving an hour early, but then again, she had started at six in the morning.
Scribbling a reply on the enchanted note, she quickly folded it back up, accidentally crumpling a wing, and sent it flying in a wonky fashion out the door.
The hour slipped by almost unnoticed; when she glanced up she was already ten minutes late.
Cursing she grabbed her coat, and swiftly headed out the door, only to return again a few moments later and remember to lock it.
She headed for the lift, it was in use as always, she stood fumbling in her briefcase for a while, trying to find the birthday card she had made Ron, when suddenly the lift doors swung open, hastily she bundled in.
Without looking she pressed the button in front of her and continued to rummage through her bag.
Eventually she found it. She wasn't a particularity good at drawing, but she was excellent at calligraphy, she had written:
" Happy 17th Birthday Ron!" In sweeping gold letters that had dark red patterns twirling round them to represent the Gryffindor colors.
Inside she had written him a little poem, she blushed thinking of how silly he might say it was.
The lift came to a stop, with a soft ping the elevator doors opened.
Instantly, she realized she was in the wrong place. The walls were dark and ominous, strange hissing and scraping sounds were floating through the dingy corridors.
She glances down at the button to see that she was on floor nine, The Department of Mysteries!
Frantically she tried pushing level 2, but the button was stuck! She groaned quietly to herself, if she was caught here she would be in so much trouble!
She jabbed at the button to shut the doors again, but nothing happened.
Voices suddenly drifted down the corridors, but they were too quiet for Hermione to make out.
Panicking, she decided to write a note and send it down the lift-shaft to Ron hoping it would reach him before she was found out.
Something heavy in her pocket bashed against her side as she bent down to take a Inter-departmental memo out her briefcase, with a small surprise she realized it was an extendable ear, she tutted despite herself, Ron was always slipping them into her coat.
"You never know when you might need one!" he had told her on countless occasions.
This time was an exception; this time Ron was actually right!
She inserted the extendable ear into her own and strained to listen, worried that it might be a Ministry Official.
A soft drawling tone was speaking from behind a nearby open door.
" And you're quite sure that this will work?" it said.
"Oh indeed," came a nervous sounding reply, this voice was much younger.
" Good, see to it that you don't fail, you're success will mean big business."
Hermione recognized the voice; it was like there was a bad taste in her mouth as she tried to place its owner.
It was a distinctly unkind sort of voice, masked with eloquence; she instantly disliked it.
" O-of course Mr. Malfoy, anything you wish." Came the reply.
An icy shock plunged into Hermione's stomach.
Mr. Malfoy?! Lucius Malfoy here?!
She quickly stuffed the extendable ear and the card back into her bag, footsteps were echoing of the wall now; they were coming towards the lift.
Hermione's breath caught in her throat, her heart hammered, she prayed that it wasn't really him, and she prayed he wouldn't get in.
Suddenly with another soft Ping the lift doors began to slowly close.
Lucius Malfoy's figure appeared in the dull light of the hallway, he turned his head lazily toward the half open lift and locked eyes with Hermione.
She felt a jolt tug at her heart; she gripped her suitcase hard.
The doors were shut now, and the lift was moving down towards the second floor.
Her mind instantly burned with questions. How did he get in? Was he working here again? Surely Kingsley wouldn't have anyone that despicable working for his Ministry?
Why was he in The Department of Mysteries? And what was he talking about to that assistant?
The questions came thick and fast, making her head spin.
The doors opened, Hermione stepped out, and drifted towards Harry's office, not even taking notice of her surroundings.
She walked straight into someone. Staggering slightly she mumbled her apologies, her mind still blazing.
Ron's voice cut into her thoughts and made her look up into his freckled face.
"Hey Hermione, what's up? You look like you've seen a ghost."