A/N: Thanks for more insightful reviews, I love them all!

This was going to be a lot longer but I've decided to cut it off at the Ministry, so that the next chapter can focus on Ron and Hermione getting used to living together. This is just a little one but the next is the longest chapter yet, so hopefully you won't be too disappointed.

Hermione sheds more light on her past.

Chapter Seven: Viper 4461

'So let me get this straight,' Ron said, spreading the documents Hermione had given him across the dining room table, 'there are five leaders –'

'– Well, they don't call themselves leaders,' Hermione interrupted, 'but essentially, they call the shots.'

'And they oversee the jobs that the rest of you do,' Ron continued, staring at the moving images of the five ringleaders.

They had spent most of the morning going through the file Hermione had made. Slowly, Ron was coming to terms with the fact that she had been part of a large wizarding organisation that had sprung up before the first war.

Hermione smiled grimly, 'we got assigned the jobs by them and only communicated with them. They provided us with all our training, gave us accommodation and sorted out our finances.'

'Basically control your life,' Ron noted, glancing up at the pretty witch in front of him. 'Is that why you have no money and no home?'

'Yep,' she muttered, munching on a bowl of cornflakes. 'As soon as I dropped off the radar, they froze my bank account and took back the properties that I owned. I've got the stuff in my bag but that's it.'

'Do you know how many people work for them?' Ron asked, fingering through the parchment on the table.

'I can't be sure,' Hermione said thoughtfully, 'but I'm guessing around a hundred. I was always a lone agent so I barely saw any of the others.'

'But you had regular contact with these five,' he said, eyeing the pictures again.

'When I was younger,' she said, finishing her breakfast and placing the bowl on the table, 'I saw them all the time. They were very interested in my training and initial placements, but that fizzled out after the war.'

'Why?'

'Well, once the war was over I became pickier about the jobs I did,' Hermione said, biting her bottom lip. 'I didn't agree with some of the things they were doing and started to refuse work.'

'So they work for the Death Eaters?'

'Sometimes, but not exclusively,' she replied, picking up a photo of the only female in the group. 'Jugson had a Death Eater brother, but she generally favoured Dumbledore and never actually showed an allegiance to Voldemort.'

'I fought the brother, during the battle at the Department of Mysteries, in my fifth year.'

'He was killed during the final battle,' Hermione mused, 'but it didn't seem to faze his sister. Laura Jugson was more interested in securing business between wizards and witches with vendettas.'

'Is that the purpose of the agency?' Ron asked, as Hermione put the picture back on the table.

'Originally,' she said, as she glanced at him with big, brown eyes. 'The agency was set up in 1902 by a group of three talented wizards. They needed to make money fast and decided to advertise themselves as hired wands. Their work generally involved spying and collecting debts, but as the first wizarding war broke out they were asked to do more sensitive things.'

'Like murder?'

Hermione nodded jerkily, 'they didn't pick a side at first, but were eventually persuaded by Dumbledore.'

'Did Dumbledore know much about them?'

'More than most, and he used us a lot during the second war. His own group, the Order of the Phoenix, had greatly dwindled and he needed extra numbers.'

'I'm an order member,' Ron said in shock, 'how come I never met any of your group?'

'We didn't work beside you,' Hermione said with a small smile, 'we just did the jobs you couldn't do.'

'But helped the Death Eaters along the why?' Ron muttered feeling annoyed.

'I never helped the Death Eaters,' she said quickly, 'I refused to do anything for them. I was always completely against Voldemort.'

Ron felt relieved to hear it, and he told her as much.

'The agency is supposed to be neutral, but most of us sided with Dumbledore and Potter.'

'I can't really see Dumbledore wanting to work with such dangerous people,' Ron commented, as he thought about his old headmaster.

'He didn't know the full scale of the agency,' Hermione admitted, 'but he knew we were talented and useful if kept on his side.'

'Who are the originals?' Ron asked, lining the pictures of the four wizard ringleaders across from Hermione.

'Just Gibbon,' she said, pointing to the oldest wizard. 'The others died years ago. He is responsible for hiring and enlarging the agency to the size it is today.'

'Does the agency have a proper name?'

'Well, we just call it the agency,' Hermione said thoughtfully, 'but the original company logos incorporated the Peruvian Vipertooth Dragon and agents are known as Vipers.'

'So you're a Viper?' Ron asked, glancing at the logo of one of the documents on the table, 'small, venomous, quiet, hard to find, with a love of human flesh?'

'Ha ha,' Hermione muttered, rolling her eyes. 'It's what they called us. I was Viper 4461.'

'So they never used your actual name?' Ron asked surprised.

'Nope, just our code names,' she said with a sigh, 'I hated not having a real name.'

'Well, you don't need to worry about that anymore,' Ron said softly. 'You're Hermione Granger, and once we've sorted this, everyone will know you as that.'

Hermione smiled gratefully at him, 'thanks Weasley.'

'What I don't understand,' Ron said, picking the parchment up and placing it back in the folder, 'is how an orphaned muggle-born ends up as Viper 4461.'

'I was handpicked by Jugson herself,' Hermione muttered, blushing pink. 'Dumbledore had come to visit me at the children's home; a few weeks after my parents had died. I had been exhibiting a lot of suppressed magic and he came to make sure I was okay. He'd been the one to try and persuade my parents to send me to Hogwarts as well, but they had none of it. They wanted me to have a proper education.'

She paused as her eyes began to well up.

'I used to always wonder what my life would have been like if they had let me go. Would they have died? Would I have ended up at the agency?'

'Everyone has what if moments,' Ron replied gently, 'but we can't live life thinking about the past. It's done and no amount of thinking will change it.'

'I know that now, but it took a while for me to accept the life I have,' Hermione said sadly. 'Anyway, Dumbledore came to see me and again offered me a place at Hogwarts, to which I said yes. Jugson had been doing some work with Dumbledore and got wind of me. The agency always liked young, influential members, and she set about persuading me to join. I was easily swayed and she offered me the world.'

'Which you took,' he said, eyeing her carefully.

'I was taught a lot and given a lot of exciting opportunities,' she admitted, 'and then you came along and changed everything.'

'And now you're sat in my dining room,' Ron noted, 'plotting to take down your creators.'

'They didn't create me,' Hermione snapped, running her hands through her wild curls. 'They helped me harness magic, but they also robbed me of a normal life. I don't want to work for them anymore, and I certainly don't want to help kill good wizards.'

'I'm glad,' Ron said truthfully, 'but why can't you just hand your notice in like any other job?'

'Because being a Viper isn't like any other job,' Hermione said haughtily, 'it's a life sentence. You can't just leave. If you do, another Viper is assigned to kill you.'

'So someone has been assigned to kill you?' Ron asked fearfully.

Hermione nodded, 'so far I've seen three.'

'Three Vipers are trying to kill you?' Ron exclaimed.

'I told you I needed protection,' she argued, 'the number will keep going up if I'm not caught. I know too much and they want me out of the way. I can't tell anyone anything if I'm dead.'

'Merlin, I didn't realise it was that serious!'

'Come on,' Hermione laughed, 'I'm joining forces with an Auror they wanted dead. Of course it's serious. If we do this right, we can shut down the agency for good.'

'And if we don't,' Ron said harshly, 'we die.'

'We both face death every day, this is hardly any different.'

'True, but I'd feel happier if you weren't being tailed by three wizards.'

'We're safe here,' Hermione replied, glancing around the room. 'You've got the best protection charms I've ever seen, plus a disconnected Floo network. I can't see anyone getting in here anytime soon.'

'I'll still need to go to work.'

'You just need to be vigilant. I'm sure it won't take us long to sort this out,' Hermione said confidently, 'and then we can have a normal life!'

'Whatever that is,' Ron chuckled, 'I've yet to have one.'

'If we get started straight away,' she exclaimed, standing up and quickly moving into the kitchen to wash up her bowl. 'We could be finished within a month.'

Ron followed her and jumped onto the side, watching her clean without magic. 'I'll need to fill Harry and Neville in, and I think you should get the rest of the files out so we can read through them.'

Hermione nodded, 'I'll get everything out of the bag and sort through them whilst you're at the Ministry. I've collected as much information as possible.'

'That's good, we're gonna need it.'

Hermione placed the cutlery back in the cupboard and turned to face him. 'Are you going to the Ministry now?'

Ron stared down at the pretty brunette and smiled. She looked up at him expectantly, a picture of innocence and serenity. 'I'm gonna have to, but I'll try and get back as soon as I've let the lads know what's going on.'

'I'll come with you if you want?' She asked, fidgeting on her feet.

'I don't think that's a good idea just yet,' Ron admitted, continuing to smile down at her. 'Stay here and get settled. I'll be back this evening and we can go through your collected info.'

Hermione nodded, as Ron got off the side and walked back into the sitting room. She followed him, chatting at full speed.

'Can I go with you tomorrow? I've never actually been to the Ministry and I've heard there are loads of different areas. There are special rooms and important magical artefacts all over the place. I'd love to have a look around!'

'Well, that isn't gonna happen any time soon,' he laughed, grabbing his travel cloak and putting it on. 'We need to keep you safe and out of everyone's way for the time being.'

'What if I get bored being here all day?' She asked, as he made his way towards the door.

'Try and keep yourself occupied,' he said, giving her a firm look, 'I don't want you going anywhere, and I'll know about it if you do.'

'I've already promised I won't, so don't worry,' she muttered, rolling her eyes. 'I'll stay here like a good witch.'

'It's for the best,' Ron smiled, opening the door. 'I'll be back later.'

'Bye,' she said regretfully, waving as he shut the door and headed to work.

He felt slightly nervous as he walked down the stairs. Not only was he leaving a wanted entity in his flat, he was also about to tell Harry and Neville about her and the organisation that was currently trying to kill them both. Neither seemed like a good idea but, as he headed out of the door and into the street, he knew he had no other choice. Hermione was willing to help him and Ron knew she would be vital to successfully stopping the bastards.

Ron quickly ducked down the alley next to his apartment building and Disapparated to the Ministry. He took a deep breath as he paused outside the door to the Auror's department. Once he spoke to Harry and Neville there would be no going back. They would all start a journey that could very well lead to a sticky end. It was inevitable really, facing such a dangerous corporation, that one of them would be seriously injured. He just hoped it wasn't Harry, Neville or Hermione.

Squaring his shoulders, Ron pushed the door open and glanced around the room for his two most trusted allies. They were going to blow a wand when he explained everything. Once they calmed down, he knew they would be completely on board with Hermione helping them.

He just needed to explain and then wait for them to calm down, which could take days.

Harry grinned as he walked towards their shared office. He pointed for Neville to follow him and shut the door when all three were inside. Harry's grin was quickly replaced with a look of concern, as Neville sat down in confusion. Ron glanced at them both, before starting the heated discussion that was bound to happen.

'Right lads,' he sighed, 'I'm gonna need your help.'

o0o