Chapter Thirty-Eight

April 2nd, 1983

Because of new Ministry protocols and business at Hogwarts, both Moody and Dumbledore were unavailable for immediate Order meetings for two months following the death of Walburga Black and the successful finding of the locket Horcrux. Dumbledore locked the rotten artefact away and nothing more was said, other than the fact that Hermione insisted she not be required to cast Fiendfyre again.

Unfortunately, despite both Dumbledore and Moody trying, not even the cursed flame would destroy the locket. "I think we have to open it," Hermione suggested and then sighed as she realised that—after hours of unsuccessful attempts—Parseltongue would be required.

During the Easter holidays, the Order—or at least those privy to the Horcrux hunt—gathered together in the Hog's Head for a meeting. Mary sat beside Remus, holding his hand as he watched Sirius tell everyone the great tale of Walburga's defeat as though she were some great dragon that was slain. By the look on James's face, both Marauders were worried their friend would eventually snap.

Hermione sat beside Emmeline, rolling her eyes every time Sirius referred to her as his devoted fiance, purposely looking at Kingsley every time he did so, as though he expected the man to attack in defence of his lady love. Kingsley, however, found the whole thing rather amusing and would throw a wink in Hermione's direction every few minutes, particularly when Sirius's story got a little too flirtatious.

"Is he doing that to bother you or to bother me?" Emmeline whispered when Sirius got to the part where he defiantly told his mother that he would marry a Muggle-born and she might even be pregnant with his child—the story got bigger and more sordid each time it was told. "Because if he thinks I'm going to get jealous, he's going to be a bit shocked to find out that I'm seeing someone."

Hermione looked at her friend and smiled sadly. "Oh, Em. Let him down easy."

"Easy," Emmeline chuckled. "I tell the git twice a week that he's an idiot."

Dumbledore cleared his throat when Sirius reached the part where he had admitted to his mother that he'd had sex with a werewolf. Remus threw a grateful expression to the old wizard and then glared at Sirius, grabbing him by the arm and pulling him down into the seat between him and James. "Speaking of the Black family," Dumbledore said while standing, "I understand that Cygnus has reinstated his eldest daughter? Andromeda?"

Hermione smiled. "And rightly so. She and her husband are good people."

"What about Malfoy?" Moody asked suspiciously.

Hermione let out a nervous sigh. "Narcissa is . . . I trust her," she admitted, slightly shocked by her own words. "She wants a better world and her family is important, blood status doesn't mean a thing to her. Also, she knows a lot. She's not stupid and she knows that we're after things of value. The diary, the locket . . . she's been involved both times. Eventually . . ."

"She could put the pieces together," Dumbledore acknowledged aloud, nodding his head thoughtfully. "Are you suggesting making her a member of the Order?"

"Not without an Oath of Secrecy," Sirius blurted out before anyone else had a chance to speak. "Unbreakable Vow even. I like my cousin—these days—but she's the kind of snake who'll bite you without you knowing it and you'll just drop dead days later."

"Could she still be of value?" Dumbledore asked, looking to Moody, Kingsley, and Frank who were looking over a large board with various pins holding up Daily Prophet articles, copies of notations in books on Horcruxes and the Hogwarts Founders, as well as a map that tracked the sightings of known Death Eaters.

Kingsley looked at the map and then back to Dumbledore. "Bellatrix Lestrange is still on the run. She was thought to have been . . . well . . . very close with He-Who—er—Voldemort."

Sirius grimaced. "Ew."

Remus blinked curiously. "Wasn't she married to the elder Lestrange brother?"

"Ew."

James nodded. "Yeah and that bloke was a Death Eater as well. Happily served his pathetic Dark Lord. Doubt he'd deny him anything, not even his own—"

"EW!"

Emmeline sighed in irritation. "You . . . are such a grownup," she said and stared incredulously at Sirius. "How—"

Kingsley took the chance to interrupt before Emmeline and Sirius got into it. "Do you really think that Bellatrix and Voldemort—"

"Bloody stop!" Sirius shouted and then covered his ears like a child.

Remus rolled his eyes and James shook his head. Kingsley actually laughed and Hermione sighed, staring reproachfully at her boyfriend. "Don't encourage him."

"Can we move on?!" Moody snapped irritably.

Kingsley cleared his throat and tried to look apologetic, but amusement was still twinkling in his dark eyes. "Sorry, sir. If Bellatrix Lestrange was considered as valued a . . . follower of Voldemort's, then it's likely she might know where another Horcrux is. The only other option would be Thoros Nott who went to school with Voldemort. The bastard left the diary with Lucius Malfoy, after all, so it's not a stretch of the imagination to think one of his other followers might have, or at least know, the location of another. And right now, it's, unfortunately, our only lead other than assuming it could be Helga Hufflepuff's cup or something that belonged to Rowena Ravenclaw or Godric Gryffindor."

"Have you had a chance to examine the Sword of Gryffindor, sir?" Hermione asked, looking at Dumbledore.

He smiled. "Yes, my dear, and you can all be rest assured, the sword of Godric Gryffindor is not attached to Tom Riddle in any way."

"It's also not an effective weapon against Horcruxes either," she said with a sigh of frustration and looked up, catching a smile from Kingsley which was just infectious as ever, brightening her dark mood. "At least not now. I think . . . we need to get into the Chamber of Secrets."

Moody scoffed and folded his arms across his chest. "And how do you plan on doing just that?"

"If you can work out a way to kill the basilisk, I'll figure out how to get inside the Chamber," she said and turned her gaze on James who slowly raised an eyebrow at her.

Hermione met Emmeline outside once she'd said goodbye to Allie and Frank, leaving Kingsley discussing something work related with Moody. Catching up with her friend, she smiled. "Hey Em, I've been meaning to ask you . . ." She paused and looked at the cigarette between Emmeline's lips. "You're awful and Sirius is a terrible influence," she said and Emmeline just chuckled. "Do you know of anything that Voldemort would have used that belonged to Rowena Ravenclaw?"

Emmeline inhaled and blew smoke out after a moment, flicking the ashes off of the cigarette and then biting the inside of her lip in contemplation. "We don't put much value in possessions you know. No swords like you Gryffindors. There's only one thing I can honestly think of but . . . well . . . it's rather mental to even suggest it."

"Why?"

Emmeline shrugged. "Because the diadem of Rowena Ravenclaw has been missing for . . . well, forever. It's practically a campfire story that we all were told as first years. 'Go and search for the lost diadem, whoever finds it, is the wisest of Ravenclaw Tower', things like that. The only reason we even know that it truly existed is because the statue of Rowena Ravenclaw is wearing it." She said and then a small chuckle escaped her. "The only person who even . . . er . . . well . . ."

"What?"

"There was a girl who was a few years ahead of me at Hogwarts," Emmeline said, rolling her eyes. "She'd claimed that she once found the diadem."

Hermione's eyes widened. "What? Who is she?"

Flicking the rest of her cigarette away and then using her wand to vanish it from the ground, Emmeline shook her head. "She couldn't have actually found it, Hermione."

"Why not?"

"Because she's—"

"Ladies," James said, approaching them with his hands in his pockets, Ministry robes hanging off of him casually, "what are we gossiping about this evening?"

Emmeline scoffed. "Please, Potter, you know that you boys are worse than any group of witches. I'd wager ten Galleons right now that Sirius isn't over there questioning Kingsley about his relationship with our Hermione here," she said, pointing back to the entrance of the pub where Sirius had his arm draped over Kingsley's shoulders, whispering conspiratorially.

James smirked. "You . . . would win that bet," he said, nodding. "Did I interrupt anything important?"

"Nothing that can't be finished later," Emmeline insisted and then gave Hermione a quick hug. "I'll see about my contact, Hermione, and if you actually want to meet her, I'll set something up."

"Thanks, Em." Hermione smiled and watched as her friend Disapparated away. Turning to face James, she smiled and reached up, adjusting the collar of his robe and then ruffling his hair. "Such a mess," she muttered affectionately and he laughed at her, running his fingers back through his hair as though he could fix it.

"So, how are things going with Kingsley?" he asked as they began to slowly walk back to the Hog's Head. Hermione ducked her face and James cranked his neck to look at her. "Is that . . . a blush? Miss Granger! Is that a maiden's blush on your cheek?" he teased.

"Shut it, you," she said and then shoved him playfully. "Kingsley and I are taking things slow. But they're . . . things are good. I like him."

He smiled. "Good. You deserve a break from twats like Sirius and Remus."

She laughed, throwing her head back. "Oh, just Sirius and Remus?"

"Of course," James insisted, grinning innocently. "I don't know how I put up with them myself."

"And you Mister Potter? Sirius told me you went out with that awful with who works in your department." She watched carefully as his mischievous expression turned sour and he let out a groan.

"Merlin, don't remind me."

She shook her head. "Why did you go?"

James sighed. "Honestly? To get her to stop bothering me," he admitted. "And . . . well . . . I guess to see if I was ready."

"Are you?"

He frowned. "Not sure, if I'm being honest. It's . . . I don't know how to interact with witches outside of Hogwarts. Remember, my previous success with women literally began with me pulling pigtails," he said and then reached out, tugging on a lock of Hermione's hair.

She smiled brightly and then rolled her eyes. "You're a romantic," she said sarcastically. "I'm no better. Any boy or . . . man for that matter that I've ever shown interest in, I've just sat around and waited for. Even the ones who approach me, I don't often know how to behave with them. I spent my youth taking care of my friends, who were boys, that I often end up mothering all the men in my life."

"A sacrifice on your part that is much appreciated," he said, hand to his heart. "You don't mother us, Hermione. You can take care of your friends and family without being seen as this sexless matronly figure."

She stopped walking and raised her eyebrows. "Sexless?" she said and watched as James winced, embarrassed. "So, I'm not sexless? What exactly does that make me?"

"What? I just meant . . . umm . . ." He nervously bit the inside of his cheek and reached up, messing up his hair out of habit. "Umm . . . have I mentioned that I'm not good with the talking thing to women?" he asked and they both laughed loudly, drawing the attention of Kingsley and Sirius.

James waved and Sirius threw up a rude gesture whilst grinning, earning a loud laugh from Kingsley. "How's Sirius doing?" she quietly asked. "Really."

"Rough," James answered immediately. "He's . . . he's Sirius."

Hermione sighed. "Drowning his pain in firewhisky."

"Some people don't know any other way."

"Would you mind if I bought Harry something?" she asked, changing the subject as she saw Sirius and Kingsley shake hands, saying goodbye to one another which was their cue to do the same.

"Depends. Is it flammable, breakable, does it make noise at ungodly hours?" James asked with a grin.

"It's actually . . . a pet."

A smile crossed his face, remembering stories that she'd told him about her Harry and his love for his first familiar. "Is it that owl you were talking about? Hedwig?"

Hermione frowned. "Not . . . exactly."