Chapter Twenty-Two

March 31, 2007

Ministry of Magic Officials Surprised to Find Doors Locked

Dozens of Ministry of Magic officials were unable to access their London offices yesterday morning. No explanations were provided to the witches and wizards arriving for normal day of work on what was supposed to be an ordinary Friday nor were any owls sent to their residences to warn them. All employee entrances were sealed. The visitors' entrance was likewise out of order.

All owls sent directly to the Minister for Magic Dolores Umbridge and her direct staff were returned unopened.

One theory as to why…


"Worry never solved a single problem."

All day as Hermione tried to make some sort of sense out of what was happening on the island she had to remind herself of the phrase her mother always said when any member of their family became too anxious about anything. It helped her over the years of her unjust imprisonment keep a hold on some small level of sanity. It reminded her that there was no logical sense in worrying about something outside of her control, especially when she was powerless to stop it. Perhaps others might have found no comfort in that, but she did. Usually.

The abrupt arrival of the Healer she loathed and the two fearsome aurors pushed her mother's sage words right out of her head. She knew something was terribly wrong. Even if they hadn't been denied food for an entire day, their visit was unusual enough to cause concern. When the aurors dragged Charlie and Antonin outside, her fears were confirmed. There was no good reason that she could think of to separate the couples. Together they were stronger. Divided they were weak.

Each of their wizards tried to fight back, but it was useless. They were outside of the cottage in moments. She was even more afraid. Only in a very few rare cases had any of the inmates been subjected to any sort of violence while they were on the island. Some of the wizards had to be forcibly removed from birthing rooms when they were worried about their witches. Once there had been such a heated row between two of the wizards over old rivalries and nonsense Hermione still didn't understand fully that the aurors were called by floo to break it up. Never had they been pulled from their cottages for seemingly no reason.

The very moment that the front door closed, Penelope turned to their Healer with fear on her countenance. Exhibiting uncharacteristic boldness and courage, she marched straight up to the odious man, grabbed the lapels of his robes roughly, and pulled him towards her with a surprising amount of strength. Her face was only centimeters from his when she spoke.

"What is going on, Richard? Don't even think about telling me a lie."

His entire demeanor changed with her question. Much like he had the night Hermione feared she was having another miscarriage, the Healer's face lit up with a bright smile that was supposed to be encouraging. She didn't think she could trust his change in moods. When he leaned down to kiss Penelope's forehead, Hermione felt her mouth fall open.

"We're getting you all out."

Even as she heard the words come out of his mouth, Hermione didn't know what to believe. She was terribly confused. Everything seemed to be happening so quickly after an entire, horrible day of sitting around just waiting for something. At his announcement, Penelope dropped her grip on his robes to throw her arms around his neck. She hugged him tight, further confusing Hermione. What was going on?

"I knew you were with us. I just knew it. You did an excellent job of pretending you weren't."
"I'm sorry, love. I wanted to tell you, give you some sort of sign, but I couldn't. Umbridge has been forcing all of the house-elves to spy on her behalf. Every single visit and examination was witnessed by at least one. She ordered them. They couldn't refuse. When they'd get back to the Ministry, she had their memories extracted and reviewed either by a small team of other loathsome creatures she trusted or by herself."

"But they must be watching us now!"

He smiled again. Repeated exposure to the facial expression didn't make Hermione trust it more. She couldn't shake her disgust for the man who'd been so cold and unfeeling with her in such vulnerable moments.

"The Ministry has fallen. Or rather I should say it's been liberated."

"I don't understand. What do you mean?"

"There will be plenty of time for explanations later, Penelope, but we have to get you two off of the island as soon as possible. We have only a very short window of time. Most of the Ministry might be under the control of the new coalition, but there are still some loyalists to that horrible cow. They could be just waiting to make trouble."

Nothing he said made the least bit of sense to Hermione. Even as Penelope was excited and prepared to follow her former colleague to the ends of the earth apparently, she wasn't so sure. She found it hard to believe that anyone actually gave a damn about them to rescue them from their prison. It all sounded too fanciful. She was certain that it was a trick, another cruel torture courtesy of the woman that hated her beyond all reason.

"How do we know that we can trust you are actually here to help us? How do we know this isn't some sort of test?"

She knew she sounded like a crazed conspiracy theorist, but she didn't care. Getting off the island was what she wanted more than anything else she could imagine, but if her actions taken in the heat of a confusing moment took her to an even worse hell than she was already living in, she felt certain she wouldn't survive what happened next. Instead of being frustrated or annoyed with her questions, the Healer turned his full attention on Hermione.

"I understand that you have very little reason to trust me, Miss Granger."

"No reason to trust you. Not 'very little'."

"Of course. I respect that. I don't expect you to forgive me for my part in all that you experienced on this island, but I beg you to believe me when I tell you that very, very few of us assigned to work on this program wanted to be here. What they've… we've asked you to endure is inhumane, criminal."

"At least we can agree on that."

Richard spoke pretty words, but until she saw some sort of evidence that they were true, that's all they would ever be.

"Many of us wanted to resist from the very beginning. Most of us weren't nearly as brave as Penelope."

He turned back to look at Penelope with clear shame on his face. Gone was the smile. For the first time since he entered the cottage that night, Hermione felt her hatred for the man dim ever so slightly. Had he been another victim of the damned program? Certainly not on the same level that the actual inmates endured, of course, but if she allowed herself to consider how they felt, perhaps she could find some sense of pity for the Healers who had to treat them.

"Her arrest was what spurred most of us into action. We'd all been sitting back afraid to do or say anything to save our own arses. We convinced ourselves, at least I did, that we were safe. When she was arrested, we all knew that it was only a matter of time before it could happen to each of us too. We had to do something."

"What? What did you do? I want to know everything."

Even in critical, tense moments Hermione's sense of curiosity and her desire to learn all she could was inescapable. As he reached into the pocket of his robes to pull out what looked like an old tin can, Richard sighed.

"You deserve to know everything. And just as I promised Penelope, there will be time for that once we get you off the island. That's more important right now."

He pressed the tin can into Penelope's hand.

"This will activate in just a few moments. It'll take you somewhere safe."

"But we're both pregnant. It's dangerous for pregnant women to travel by portkey."

"I assure you, Miss Granger, that everything will be just fine. You will be safe."

The tin can seemed to glow in Penelope's hand, indicating that it was about to activate fully. Nothing about what transpired that evening instilled a bit of confidence in her. She was about to refuse when Penelope grabbed her hand with her free one and forced her to touch the tin can. Almost immediately she felt the uncomfortable hook behind her navel.

When her feet landed on solid ground again, she was furious with the meddlesome witch. What if Penelope's trusting nature put them both in grave danger? What if the innocent babies they were carrying suffered irreparable harm for her rash act? Penelope didn't understand the grief that came with that sort of loss. Not yet.

Just as she was prepared to yell at Penelope for her interference, the sounds around her caught her attention instead. They were inside what appeared to be a large hospital ward. Some of the other pairs of witches from the island were already there. More arrived every few seconds until all thirty-one of the witches who remained in the program filled the room. Each of them appeared every bit as confused and even scared as she was.

"Hermione!"

At the sound of her name, she looked up to see Viktor Krum crossing the room headed straight for her. She wasn't sure she could trust what she was seeing with her own eyes. If it was only a hallucination, her mind was cruel. She didn't trust he was actually there until she felt him pull her into his arms and hold her tightly against his chest.

That was the confirmation she needed to finally trust that everything was real. They were actually being rescued. Even if it had been almost ten years since she'd last seen the wizard at Bill and Fleur's wedding, she knew without question that he could be trusted. Viktor had always had a kind soul. She was relieved to find he hadn't changed.

"No tears, Hermione. You're safe now."

She hadn't realized she was crying until she heard his soft whisper in her ear. Was it possible that her nightmare was finally about to end? It all seemed too good to be true. Any second she expected it all to come crashing down.

The quiet murmurs from the other women in the room reminded her that she wasn't alone. There would be plenty of time later, she assumed, to fall apart when she no longer had an audience. Stepping out of Viktor's embrace, she wiped her face on her sleeve. In order to give her a chance to compose herself, Viktor turned his attention to Penelope. He kissed her cheek and grew even more serious.

"I owe you an apology."

"No, you don't, Mr. Krum."

"It was because of my carelessness that you were arrested, Mrs. Flint."

"Please call me Penelope, and no, it wasn't. It was my carelessness that got me arrested. Not yours. Besides, it was only going to be a matter of time before I was arrested all on my own."

Once she no longer feared that she would be unable to form coherent words if she spoke due to the emotion of the reunion, Hermione had a hundred different questions she wanted the answer to. Though it might have been rude to interrupt their conversation, she didn't care. She wanted to know what was happening. How much longer were they all expected to be left in the dark? All of the other witches had a right to know what was happening to them too.

"Viktor, what is happening? Where are we?"

At the serious tone of her voice, Viktor offered her a smile, but seemed to be at a loss as to where to begin. She was frustrated. Where were they? Where were the wizards? What was going to happen next? Were they really safe? Question after question demanded to be answered.

"You once promised me that you would come to Bulgaria to visit me. I never forgot. So now you have."

The door to the ward opened before Hermione could fully digest what he just said. It made sense to smuggle all of the witches to another country. Especially one that she'd been able to surmise reading through Thorfinn's stack of saved newspaper articles that was fully against the program.

A group mostly made up of witches that appeared to be Healers of some sort entered the ward. Though they were in the back of the new arrivals, Hermione and no doubt every other escaped inmate noticed them first. Were they rescued from one set of torments to be thrown into another? She didn't want to be in another hospital. She didn't want another stranger to examine her or touch her ever again.

"Good evening, Ladies. I wish to apologize for the unexpected trip."

Alexei Levski was an impressive man. Each time Hermione read his name or saw his picture in the Daily Prophet, she tried to remember how he looked when he was a chaser for the Bulgarian National Quidditch Team during the World Cup. It seemed a lifetime ago. Dressed in fine robes that hung awkwardly on his athletic frame, the Bulgarian Minister for Magic exuded confidence and warmth. She couldn't explain how she knew it exactly, but just being in the same room with the wizard made her feel safe, protected. Almost as if he would personally fight any threat to their safety that came through the room. She could understand why so many of his people liked him as the Minister.

He apologized immediately for their rather abrupt and sudden withdrawal from the island. Some of the women around Hermione smirked. Not a single one of them was sorry to be gone from that godforsaken place. There was no need to apologize. Though his address didn't last long, it was full of information. Perhaps not as much as Hermione would've liked, but she could be patient. For the first time in a very long time, perhaps even since before she went on the run with Harry and Ron hunting for horcruxes, she actually felt safe.

Minister Levski explained that there had been an effort made by multiple countries to get the 'disgusting' breeding program shut down with little success. Diplomacy could only get them so far. They had to resort to more drastic measures. Though he was reluctant to describe what was happening that moment in their home country, he let them know that each and every one of them would be safe in his country for as long as they required. Deep exhales and suppressed sobs could be heard around the room. They wouldn't have to go back. Not if they didn't want to. He was well-spoken and comforting, a combination in a leader that wasn't always easy to develop. Some were just born to it.

"Now, I must ask you ladies to please forgive me for what I'm about to ask of you next."

Hermione's stomach twisted. Of course there was a catch. There was always a catch. What were they going to be expected to do? Were they about to be removed to somewhere awful? She knew it was foolish to relax even for a moment.

"We have a number of the world's best Healers with me today." He referred to the group behind him of mostly witches. "Each country that has been involved in working on your extraction sent along their finest. I know that what you have all been through is unconscionable and inhumane isn't even a strong enough word to describe it, but I ask that you allow these remarkable Healers to examine you. We want to make certain that you are healthy and there are no lasting effects of this brutality."

Though she understood why he'd been reluctant to ask them to submit to a stranger poking around them and checking their bodies, Hermione and the other women of the program were by then so used to having intrusive examinations they were almost second nature. She couldn't speak for anyone other than herself, of course, but she was glad to endure one more if it meant that she was truly going to be free. It seemed that the others were of the same opinion. There wasn't even a single complaint as they were taken one by one to private rooms down the corridor.

Before it was her turn, Hermione was approached by the Minister himself. Seeing Viktor standing next to her, it was clear that he knew exactly who she was. Privately she hoped that he wouldn't make a fuss about her. Just because she knew Viktor didn't mean she was somehow more important than any of the other women in the room. They'd all been put through the same tortures. She didn't want to become some sort of poster girl for what happened to them. She'd been pushed forward as the leader of Dumbledore's Army when the trials were run many years earlier. That hadn't worked out well for anyone involved.

To her relief, the Minister simply wanted to meet her personally. He'd heard a great deal about her from Viktor and it was evident the two men were good friends. She wanted to ask him more about what he told them, but knew he wouldn't be able to tell her yet. Perhaps it was best that she didn't know. At least for the time being. Before she walked away with the Healer assigned to her care, she turned to Viktor and Minister Levski to ask the question she was surprised she hadn't thought to ask already. Everything seemed to happen so fast since they were given their portkeys.

"Will the wizards from the island be here soon?"

Both men caught the other's eye. Neither of them rushed to offer her any sort of encouragement or answer. She felt that twisting return to her stomach. There was clearly something they weren't telling her. Something they didn't want to tell her. Her mind wandered to all the sorts of terrible possibilities it could be. Finally, when it was evident she wouldn't walk away without some sort of answer, the Minister sighed.

"This was a very complicated mission, Miss Granger. Getting you ladies off the island wasn't easy and I have no doubt your presence has already been missed. We are doing everything we can to remove the men, but the women were the priority."

The dread in her guts increased tenfold. She felt the nausea that had been plaguing her since she first got pregnant again remind her of its presence. What if the men were stuck there? What if there was some horrible fight on the island and they were injured or worse? They were all unarmed. If there was a battle, they would be powerless against those still loyal to the Ministry.

With her thoughts focused on the worst-case scenarios, a friendly Healer with what sounded like a French accent led her away. She didn't even recall the walk to the private examination room when she arrived. The Healer led her to the edge of an exam table. As she sat down, she felt dizzy and as if she was about to cry. It wasn't fair if the women were removed and the men were doomed to stay there forever. What if the Ministry put them back in Azkaban? She knew how much Charlie feared being back in there and even if he wasn't so open with his thoughts, she also knew Antonin would rather be dead. It wasn't right. Why couldn't they rescue everyone at once?

"Miss Granger, are you all right?"

Remembering that she wasn't alone, she looked up into the kind eyes of the woman whose name she couldn't remember. She'd been so stuck on what she learned from the Minister she hadn't heard her introduce herself. Not wanting the woman to think less of her she took a deep breath and sat up straight.

"Yes, thank you. I'm doing just fine, Healer… I'm sorry, but I don't recall your name."

"Jacqueline. Please just call me Jacqueline."

It was difficult, if not impossible, to relax around the woman. Trust wasn't exactly something Hermione possessed a great deal of at that point in her life. Too much reality about the cruelty of humanity stripped her of that innocence. She might have been safe, but that didn't mean she would instantly stopped being scared. Remembering that she had more than just herself to worry about, she chose to be honest.

"Is my baby all right? Portkeys, especially international ones, aren't safe for pregnant women to use, are they?"

"No, under normal circumstances pregnant women shouldn't use them, but…"

"All the more reason why I want to know if it is all right. Please."

There was something off about the witch that Hermione noticed right away when she started casting diagnostic spells. She'd been around enough people in her life when they were trying to keep a secret to themselves unsuccessfully. Whatever it was that made her ill at ease, Jacqueline already knew the truth. She was tempted to bolt from the room the first chance she got. Instead, she grit her teeth and waited to hear whatever lie might come out of the Healer's mouth first.

"You are not actually pregnant, Miss Granger."

She'd expected nonsense, but not that. Staring back at the strange woman with sharp eyes, she could see the slight flush in her cheeks. Jacqueline wasn't comfortable giving the news she did. Maybe because it didn't make any sense at all. How could she not be pregnant? All of the symptoms were there. All of them. She still felt nauseous and though she knew it wasn't all pregnancy related after the evening she'd already endured, there was no other explanation.

"That's impossible. I'm a few months along. My Healer on the island confirmed it a long time ago."

"No, you're not. You and the rest of the women were given potions to make it appear as though you were pregnant."

"That doesn't make any sense. Why would anyone do that?"

Hermione regretted agreeing to go into the exam room. Were the other women being told the same lies? She should know what was going on in her own body. Shouldn't she? It wasn't the first time she'd been pregnant.

"Because as you said earlier, pregnant women can't use portkeys. Your rescue was planned months ago. I'm afraid I don't know all of the details, but I do know that when the planners decided to use unauthorized portkeys, they knew they couldn't do it with a pregnant woman. Not only is there potential for miscarriages or birth defects, the Trace is on the babies. Your Ministry would be alerted at once when the first witches escaped the island. It could've been enough to ruin the entire plan."

"But I've been so sick and I've been gaining weight."

"Yes, it's a clever potion. Highly illegal in most countries. It was invented two hundred years ago by a witch who was desperate to keep her lover from leaving her. Your body would mimic all of the signs up until nine months, if you continued to take it. The Healers on your island have been slipping the potion to you and all of the other women who weren't pregnant until the women who still were had their babies. That's why it's taken so long."

Each piece of the puzzle seemed to prove maybe the woman was correct. It did make an awful sort of sense. She remembered a potion that her Healer kept insisting she take when he would examine her. It tasted terrible and almost immediately after consuming, she would feel odd.

She almost hated herself for feeling a sense of relief that she wasn't pregnant again. Her life was already complicated enough since leaving the island without having to worry about another human being. If the men weren't able to make it off the island, she would be alone. How could she possibly take care of a child in her current state?

"If you will take this potion, Miss Granger, you should start to feel the effects dissipate."

Her Healer handed her a small vial of an orange liquid. She swallowed it all in one gulp. Within moments her nausea was gone. She felt the small bump of her stomach disappear.

"And if you will permit me, I wish to make certain you are all right."

The examination didn't take long to Hermione's relief. Or perhaps her mind was far away and it only seemed that way. When it was over, she almost burst into tears. She couldn't remember the last time she'd been treated like an actual human being. It was something she was sure would take time to get used to. Jacqueline had been so kind through the whole process she felt embarrassed that she hadn't trusted the woman from the very start.

A single knock on the door at the end of the exam brought Hermione out of her thoughts. She'd been so worried about what was happening on the island she hadn't heard Jacqueline introduce the elderly wizard who entered. Not offended by her behavior, the wizard offered her a warm smile and carefully reached for one of her hands.

"Now, dear, this is going to feel very strange, but there is simply nothing that can be done about it."

His accent proved he was from her country. Seeing proof that there were others in her home country that cared what happened to her and the others brought tears to her eyes. She'd believed they'd all been forgotten or conveniently swept under the rug. Before he continued whatever it was that he warned her would feel strange, he offered her a clean handkerchief to wipe her face. The gesture threatened to make her cry even harder.

"When these are removed, you will feel a rush of magic through your entire body. Your magic has been suppressed for so long, it might cause you to feel light-headed. I'll be here to catch you if you faint."

He coupled his promise with a wink that made her smile. Since she'd been brought to Bulgaria, she hadn't even considered the silver rings on her wrists. For so long they'd simply been a part of her that she could easily forget they were there. Would she miss the weight of them? Or would she feel free again?

The promised rush of magic coursing through her blood was more intoxicating than it was anything else. She felt as if she'd had several glasses of wine in a short period. It had been a long time since she'd been able to feel her magic. Azkaban had magic-suppressing spells all over the fortress. The Ministry learned their lesson with dementors and with inmates able to still access their magic. No escapes like Sirius Black's could be possible ever again.

"You will feel like yourself once more in a few days. Magic is as natural to us as breathing. But to make you feel more comfortable, drink this potion before you go to bed. Which I must advise you to consider doing very soon. You've had a very stressful day, Miss Granger. You all have."

He left Hermione alone with Jacqueline moments later. For several long moments she could only stare at her bare wrists. It felt so bizarre not seeing the silver rings there after she'd worn them every single day for four years. She had another question she wanted to know the answer to, but felt shy to ask. More just to have the confirmation that she needed more than anything else. Gathering her courage and remembering she was a Gryffindor, she looked Jacqueline in her kind eyes.

"Without these rings, I can… I can now be with whomever I want?"

She spoke in a whisper and Jacqueline responded in the same way.

"Yes, of course, you can. You're free now." She gently pat Hermione's cheek. "And we are all working very hard to make sure you stay that way."

Another witch entered the room to take Hermione to her own private room. Basic in its amenities, she found a tray of hot food waiting for her. Exhaustion as she'd rarely felt fell over her at the sight of the simple, clean bed. It had been a long time since she'd last been able to sleep alone. She wasn't sure if she was thankful or not for the privacy. Until she knew what happened on the island while they were gone, she doubted she'd find much rest.

Of course once her stomach was full of delicious food and potions, she was able to fall asleep quite easily.