Once more, My beta-readers, fredfred and InquisitorCOC, deserve a huge thank you. They helped a lot.
Chapter 68: The Recruitment Pitch
Ministry of Magic, Whitehall, London, Wizarding World, April 22nd, 2006
"Recruitment?"
Ron saw Hermione shake her head. She was probably blinking, too, though, with the mirrored shades hiding her eyes, he couldn't tell. But he could tell she had been, ah, lost in a memory again. Not a flashback, technically.
"Indeed." Croaker nodded. The Head Unspeakable was smiling widely. "Your grades would have earned you a place on our list for prospective members of our department in any case - but your actions during the war ensured it."
Now Hermione was very tense. "My actions during the war?" she asked, tilting her head slightly to the side.
"Oh, yes. While we, unfortunately, aren't privy to all the details, it's quite obvious that you were instrumental in dealing with the Dark Lord's Horcruxes."
Hermione's lips vanished into a thin line again.
Croaker seemed to find it amusing. "Oh, rest assured - your friends didn't release the information that the Dark Lord had created Horcruxes. Plural. But for someone like me, who has been investigating the Dark Arts for some considerable time, and given my renewed interest after he took over the Ministry?" He shook his head. "It was plain once I put the pieces together. You and your friends were taking huge risks, but you three were the only ones amongst the known members of Albus's Order whose cell wasn't striking at obvious targets such as Death Eaters, their supporters and crucial infrastructure. Nor were you trying to strike at targets with high propaganda values. So, given neither you nor your friends were stupid, and that you were acting directly on Albus's last orders, there had to be a very compelling reason for that."
Ron suppressed a sigh. Croaker apparently loved demonstrating how smart he was just as much as Dumbledore did.
"I see," Hermione said.
Croaker went on anyway. "So... what could this mysterious reason be? Why, what else than the key to defeating the Dark Lord? The other cells and independent resistance groups focused on the Dark Lord's forces, but, as we all knew, he was the key. And I remembered a discussion I had with Albus, almost twenty years ago. We were speculating about the Dark Lord's supposed invulnerability - the Death Eaters we had captured and interrogated all agreed that he claimed to have conquered death. That, of course, didn't narrow it down - Albus had some very interesting theories - but when coupled with your actions, it was clear that the Dark Lord's invulnerability - or relative immortality, to use another term - was tied to one or more objects."
That was a good deduction. Though Ron didn't fail to notice that Croaker didn't say how long it had taken him to come to this conclusion. Not that it mattered much since it had happened after Voldemort's defeat, anyway.
"How am I doing?" Croaker asked.
"You don't expect me to confirm or deny anything, do you?"
The old wizard laughed again. "Of course not - that would be a mark against you. The Department of Mysteries needs members who can be trusted to keep our secrets. At any cost. Albus claimed it was the name, you know - he said we wouldn't be terribly mysterious if we didn't have an air of mystery thanks to all the secrecy surrounding us."
Ron snorted. It was practical, at least - or as well. "If no one knows who's working for you, they can't kidnap their families to gain leverage."
"Precisely! Though the mystery doesn't hurt." Croaker nodded. "A harmless, minor benefit of being employed by my department, you might say."
"Those who enjoy such a benefit are unlikely to be the kind of people you can trust with your secrets," Hermione replied.
"Oh, you'd be surprised." Croaker smiled. "Then again, we do tend to grow more eccentric as we grow older. That's why I like recruiting serious young wizards and witches with the necessary talent. If we recruited, say, Messrs Fred and George Weasley…"
Ron winced, as did Hermione. "That wouldn't end well, I fear," she commented.
"I concur. Very talented wizards - but they are too fond of attention and approval. They would never work out in our department, where the only approval you are likely to receive is given by your peers."
Hermione nodded. As a quantum physicist, she would be familiar with such a situation, Ron expected. It wasn't as if many people, and certainly not the public, understood advanced physics, much less quantum physics.
"But you're different. You've done everything to avoid the public's attention," Croaker continued. "Some might think that's because you only recently recovered your memories and wand, but I disagree."
Hermione tensed once again. As did Ron.
"No, that might have been true a few months ago, but given that your campaign to abolish Azkaban - which you seem to have accomplished in the traditional way, I note - would only have profited by a media campaign focused on one of the heroes of the war, I think you are one of those people who prefer to let their accomplishments speak for themselves as they continue their work." Croaker nodded. "That's exactly the sort of witch we need here."
So Croaker either knew or had deduced that the donation had come from Hermione. But did he know it had - supposedly - come from Ron?
Hermione smiled. Politely. "You're referring to the fact that I had to make a donation to the Ministry so they would stop torturing prisoners." She scoffed. "Traditionally, it would've been a bribe for the Minister, not a donation for the DMLE's budget. But that only marginally improves the fact that Wizarding Britain is routinely torturing prisoners because, until my donation, supposedly there wasn't any money available for a humane prison."
"The Treasury making policy by controlling the purse strings is also an old muggle tradition, I believe."
Ron couldn't help it; he snorted.
Hermione tilted her head in that manner of hers that told him she was glaring at him. "It's not funny."
"Black humour also is a British muggle tradition," Croaker replied. "Or so I've heard - I'm, unfortunately, not an expert on muggles. None of my colleagues are, actually." He smiled. "Which, I've been told, is also a deficiency in need of being corrected, given the advancements in muggle science in the last century."
"You've got no muggleborns in your department? Or half-bloods?" Hermione sounded both surprised and appalled.
"Muggleborns tended to suffer accidents - as we found out later, Augustus Rookwood had been killing them in the seventies. And after the First Blood War, there were no promising candidates to be found." Croaker looked grim. "The Death Eaters tended to go after talented muggleborns."
"And the half-bloods?" Ron asked. They would, having parents from both worlds, be familiar with both cultures, wouldn't they?
"Well, very few of them were actually born to a mixed marriage - between a muggle and a wizard or witch," Croaker told them.
"Right. I'd almost forgotten how British purebloods defined half-bloods," Hermione said with a snort.
"I don't think the terms will be very important in the future. However, of those among my colleagues who had a muggle parent, none of them are young enough to be familiar with the current state of muggle science." Croaker steepled his hands again before adding: "Unlike you."
"My circumstances are rather unique," Hermione told him. She spoke as if she were discussing the weather, but Ron could tell that she was very tense.
So was Ron himself. What did Croaker know or suspect? Was he aware of her research? She hadn't mentioned that she earned a PhD in quantum physics to anyone outside her close friends, had she?
"Indeed. You've spent years living not only among muggles but as a muggle. And given your intelligence and inclinations, you studied hard, didn't you?"
"Muggle science is a vast field - you're forced to specialise."
"To a degree," Croaker retorted.
"Yes. I'm quite familiar with muggle science, although not at university level," Hermione lied.
"That is still more than anyone else in the department can claim." Croaker nodded again.
"It was also quite a traumatising experience," she went on.
"Worse than the war?" He looked surprised.
"My whole world was shattered," she told him.
"I wondered if I had gone crazy when she showed me magic," Ron added.
"Ah." Croaker rubbed his chin. "I hadn't considered it from that angle. But your unique experiences would also be of interest to wizards specialising in mental magic."
"My mind is my own!" Hermione snapped.
"Of course." The old wizard was all smiles again. "And as an Unspeakable, you'd have the best tutoring in Occlumency to ensure it remains so. You wouldn't have to depend on muggle glasses."
He really wanted to recruit her, Ron realised.
"And my friendship with Harry and Ron wouldn't hurt, either, I suppose?" Hermione sounded more than a little sarcastic.
"Not to mention your fame and reputation - and your recently acquired political clout." Croaker nodded. "However, even if you weren't as famous, or a muggleborn, I would want to recruit you anyway for your talent. We need you."
Hermione nodded. "You have made that clear. However, I'm currently busy with politics, you might say."
"Not just politics, I presume - you wouldn't have requested a meeting with me if that were the case."
"It's an extended part of politics, so to speak," she replied.
"Oh?"
"Yes. Moving the prisoners out of Azkaban won't deal with the Dementors."
Croaker narrowed his eyes a tiny bit. "You have plans for the Dementors, then?"
"I would be irresponsible if I didn't do my best to ensure that they don't pose a threat after Azkaban is finally abolished," Hermione replied.
"Ah." Croaker's smile showed how he took her evasive answer. "That's quite ambitious. And, from a political angle, refreshing. Several rather colourful events in my department's history have originated from a politician's short-sighted proposal."
"Having met Cornelius Fudge, I can imagine that very well," Hermione told him. "So… could we access your files on the Dementors? The public information is somewhat… lacking."
Croaker hesitated a moment. "Information about Dementors is restricted with good reason. They are amongst the most dangerous of magical creatures - and certainly the most feared, at least in Britain."
"Which makes dealing with them even more urgent," Hermione replied. "And to find a solution, I need that information."
"And yet, my department is trusted with keeping potentially dangerous information safe from those who might, accidentally or by design, use it to cause harm to others." Croaker spread his hands. "Our regulations are quite strict - and information about Dementors certainly qualifies, especially after the Dark Lord managed to subvert them during the war."
"I'm very familiar with the atrocities those monsters committed," Hermione told him. "Which is one of the reasons I want to ensure they can no longer threaten Britain or any other country."
"Hmm." Croaker rubbed his chin again. Ron couldn't tell if the gesture was genuine or faked. "Access to restricted information would be much easier for a member of my department - and, barring urgent problems, we are generally free to pursue projects that catch our fancy."
"You don't really expect me to join a department for the sole reason of gaining access to restricted information, do you?" Hermione snorted. "If you do, you might have listened to the wrong sources - contrary to certain rumours at Hogwarts, I am not willing to do anything for books."
"Well, it was worth a try," Croaker replied, chuckling. "And I'm also aware that the Minister could order us to reveal the information to you. Although I believe that you would have a bit of a hard time convincing him without going into details about your own plans."
Hermione didn't reply to that statement, which was answer enough.
"However, it's also my duty to examine such requests - or orders - in case the Minister might be about to make a grave mistake," the old wizard went on. "While Minister Shacklebolt has my full trust, the rule was implemented as a safeguard against people such as some of his predecessors."
"Fudge," Hermione said, her voice dripping with scorn.
"Oh, he was more cautious than people generally assume - he never made any such requests. Although some speculate that he might not have been aware of his power to do so, in the first place." Croaker chuckled. "No, I was talking about Minister Scrimgeour."
"Ah." Hermione drew a sharp breath. "I suppose he wanted some questionable means to fight the Death Eaters."
"Indeed. While he wasn't aware of what exactly we keep in our vaults, he assumed, correctly, that the contents included quite powerful works of the Dark Arts and demanded a full accounting." Croaker smiled again. "He was quite put off when I refused to heed his demands."
Hermione frowned. "And after you had fled, and the Minister, as well as yourself, had been replaced by followers of Voldemort, he had access to one of the largest collections of the Dark Arts."
"I took steps to prevent that," Croaker replied.
"So the ritual Voldemort conducted in Azkaban on October 1st, 1997 wasn't a result of him rifling through your department's vaults?" Hermione leaned forward.
"You are remarkably well informed." The old wizard wasn't smiling any more. "I don't suppose you witnessed it?"
"No. But I heard an eyewitness's account," Hermione replied.
"I see." Croaker nodded, though Ron wondered if he actually suspected the truth, or was merely bluffing or saving face. "Then you are aware of why our rules are needed."
"I'm aware that they failed before," Hermione told him. "But I'm not asking you through the Minister. I'm asking you directly."
"Yet, should I refuse, you will go through the Minister, won't you?"
"That depends on what alternatives present themselves."
Croaker chuckled again. "You'd find my department a far harder target than Gringotts."
"Perhaps. But that doesn't mean it would be impossible to acquire the information by other means - or from other sources." Hermione inclined her head. "As with most security, the human factor is often its greatest weakness."
"We might be at an impasse, then," Croaker said.
"What about a trade?" Ron interjected.
"I'm not joining the department for information," Hermione said.
"I'm not proposing that." Nor that she told the old wizard about her real research. "But something you could live with...? Perhaps information the department doesn't have access to?"
"Like Dumbledore's library? Copies?" Croaker sounded eager. And he hadn't called it 'Alubs's library', Ron noted.
"He bade me keep it safe from those who might abuse the knowledge within its tomes," Hermione replied. It sounded like she was quoting her Dumbledore. "As you explained before, who knows what your successors will do with it?"
"We're still at an impasse, then."
"What about a treatise covering various muggle sciences?" Ron proposed.
"We can get that by walking into any decent bookshop in London," Croaker replied.
Damn. Ron managed not to grin. Of course the old wizard would have seen through that.
"That means you don't need me as a muggle expert, either," Hermione commented.
"Oh, I don't want you to teach us about muggles - I want you because I think you'd do great things combining muggle science and magic."
Ron barely managed to avoid flinching in response.
"Muggle sciences, as I've pointed out before, covers a very wide range of areas," Hermione replied. "Pretty much everything could be useful for developing new spells, though I'd hesitate to say they would be groundbreaking. Physical effects can be duplicated by spells - or those effects can be enhanced, but that is less research and more clever use of existing spells. And, in a way, you're already using muggle science - the scientific method."
Croaker laughed. "Technically, you are correct, though spellcrafting is an art, so it's more akin to trial and error. However, I'm certain that there are also muggle theories that woulöd, combined with magic, have the potential to change the magical world. At the very least, they could serve as an inspiration."
"That sounds rather vague," Ron pointed out.
"Indeed - but only because the field is so wide, so to speak. If I had a more detailed example, I would be working on it, trust me."
"That is an interesting discussion, but we were talking about your information about Dementors, and what you'd require in exchange for access to your lore," Hermione said.
"Well, I was working up to that." Croaker smiled again. "I want you on a single project in exchange."
"That's far too vague. Some research projects can take years to complete - if they are ever completed," she retorted.
"I wouldn't assign you to a project, you'd be able to pick your own. All I'm asking is that it incorporates muggle sciences in some way."
"That condition would be met if I merely enhanced a simple conjuration with some muggle material science," Hermione pointed out.
"I'm aware of that. But unless I have completely misjudged you, you wouldn't choose such an obvious way to adhere to the letter of a deal while breaking its spirit. Not as long as the deal was made in good faith and I'm upholding my part of it."
Well, he had Hermione there. Judging by her frown, she also knew it. "Technically, these shades we use could serve as inspiration for a spell that protects against Legilimency. Various variants, even - from a simple conjuration of such a shade to a more sophisticated spell that covers your eyes with a thin field that mimics these shades. Perhaps with a copy of your eyes' appearance on it."
"See? You wouldn't even need to spend a lot of time on such a project. I'm sure you have more ideas like that one."
"So you're offering Hermione a trial membership in your department, hoping she'll enjoy it and stay on." Ron chuckled. "You could claim you're using muggle advertising techniques."
Croaker's answering smile made Ron think that the old wizard was downplaying the lack of muggle knowledge amongst his team by a significant margin.
"And I'm sure you have a few suggestions in mind already - to help me decide and focus on something from such a vast range of possible projects," Hermione added,
"Indeed, I have some possible projects in mind - although, should you accept such a deal, you would be perfectly free to reject my suggestions."
Ron snorted. The man didn't seem to think that that outcome would be likely.
Hermione's frown deepened. "You're very confident that I'll accept your deal."
"I am, indeed," Croaker replied. "You remind me of a great many Unspeakables I've recruited."
"I wasn't aware the department was that large," Ron interjected. "Unless you have a high rate of attrition."
The old wizard laughed again. "Oh, I've been the Department Head for decades - and I was an Unspeakable for decades before that. We wizards do tend to live longer lives than muggles."
It sounded more than a little condescending to Ron, although the man hid his views well. "I'm aware of that," Ron replied, trying not to sound defensive. That was, after all, a problem he and Hermione hadn't talked about so far. One of a few. "But neither do you have a muggle retirement age."
"We do retire, though - and not because we move to the permanent damage ward in St. Mungo's," Croaker told him. "And as I said - the wars have taken a toll on us all." He cleared his throat and turned to Hermione. "But we were talking about why I'm so confident that you will agree to my proposal. You're brilliant, but you're a muggleborn - you don't have the backing of an old rich pureblood family. You don't have the resources to do the research you want to do."
"My best friends have some influence in the Ministry," she retorted.
"But the Ministry isn't exactly affluent. They wouldn't be able to finance you - and if they did, you wouldn't have the freedom to do your research as you would wish. Others would try to use you to attack your friends, claiming nepotism and corruption. You would have to justify your work regularly."
"The Department of Mysteries is part of the Ministry as well, and subject to the same financial constraints," Ron pointed out.
"Not quite the same. Given our essential work, our budget has been secure for centuries. And it means we have a generous research budget." The old wizard grinned. "You would have to defend your share against your colleagues, but I don't doubt that you'll prevail there."
"I managed to scrounge up enough money to abolish Azkaban," Hermione told him.
"Thanks to Mr Weasley's inheritance," Croaker countered. He tilted his head towards Ron. "And I doubt that you have any more wealthy elderly relatives who might conveniently die to finance your work."
"I hope you aren't insinuating that I murdered my family," Ron snapped.
"Perish the thought - although some of the enemies of your extended family will do so without a doubt!"
"You've made your point," Hermione said. "But you haven't said what projects you would suggest."
Croaker's smile looked like a twin of Dumbledore's when the old spymaster got his way.
"Transfiguration is the most obvious. By using magic, it should be possible to achieve materials that muggles have only theorised so far. Magical alloys that would make Goblin steel look pitiful."
Or superconductors that work at room temperature, Ron thought. Combined with the Duplication Charm… Dumbledore would be salivating at the thought. He blinked. Dumbledore was probably already planning that.
"But the materials would be vulnerable to being untransfigured," Hermione said.
"No more vulnerable than unaltered materials are to being transfigured," Croaker replied. "You can protect against either, with the right spells."
Hermione nodded, almost reluctantly. "And the other suggestions?"
"Alchemy would benefit from the same muggle knowledge - you know, some said, although this was before Dumbledore advanced the field by himself, that alchemy was transfiguration without a wand. While it's not exactly true - the core principles are completely different - there are still a slew of similarities in the effects and results."
"Obviously. But I never studied Alchemy."
"Indeed. Another suggestion would be quantum physics. I don't know much about it, to be honest, but it is almost an utterly different field, with so many ramifications…"
"Nothing concrete, though," Hermione said. "I agree that there's certainly potential, but it seems too vague for a research project. At least not for a project that's supposed to have a foreseeable completion date."
"That is a very good point," Croaker conceded. "Although that only applies to the current suggestions - it would be different for a long-term research project."
"It seems your suggestions boil down to transfiguration using muggle material science," Hermione told him. "Since I haven't studied Alchemy and quantum physics is far too vague for a concrete project."
"Something you were aware of," Ron added. The old wizard had investigated Hermione, after all, and would be aware of her school records.
"Indeed. It is the most practical proposal by far, and fairly obvious for someone with your background."
Hermione nodded, although a little curtly. "And what if I already have a project of my own?"
"The destruction of the Dementors?" Croaker smiled again. "It's a fairly obvious project, and a quite popular one, at least historically. Though I have to admit that most who researched means to destroy Dementors did so because of the challenge it posed, rather than for moral reasons."
"I can imagine," Hermione said.
The Unspeakables do sound like mad scientists, Ron silently agreed. Or would that be mad dark wizards?
"Although I would wonder where the link to muggle science would be in that project. The soul isn't a subject of muggle research. I assume you are planning to build upon your research regarding the destruction of Horcruxes."
"Yes," Hermione replied. "And I suspect that that avenue has already been explored - hence my interest in your research." She continued before Croaker could say anything: "But I think I need some time to consider your offer before I can give you my answer."
"By all means, take your time - Azkaban won't vanish from one day to the next."
Croaker was still smiling like Dumbledore, Ron noted. And Ron still wanted to hit him.
"Would you like a tour of the department? Only of the non-confidential parts, of course."
"That would be very generous," Hermione replied.
The tour wasn't as impressive as Ron had hoped. The rotating room was interesting but seemed more like a gimmick and the vaults were closed to them, as were most laboratories. The Hall of Prophecies looked suitably mysterious, but apart from hundreds, maybe thousands, of dimly glowing orbs filling rows upon rows of wooden shelves, there wasn't much to see. And they weren't allowed to touch the orbs. And the individual offices… they were filled with knick-knacks and books, and enough parchment to cover the building, but they were, ultimately, offices.
"And this is Archibald Smith," Croaker said. "Archie, this is Hermione Granger and Ronald Weasley - the other Ronald Weasley." Ron clearly heard 'the muggle Weasley' without Croaker having to say it out loud.
"Hello," Ron said, smiling, in unison with Hermione.
Smith nodded at him, then turned his attention to Hermione. "It's a pleasure." He was a young wizard - closer to thirty than to forty, Ron guessed, though that was just based upon his appearance. Full, blond hair that reached his shoulders, no wrinkles, blue eyes and a light stubble that kept him from looking too perfect.
Ron hated him on sight.
"Thank you," Hermione replied.
"Archie's been with the department for ten years," Croaker added.
"Not counting that unfortunate episode seven years ago," Smith said, smiling at her.
Ron managed not to smile. Archie had just made a major mistake - or faux-pas. Sirius had taught Ron that you didn't play down a war. Not when talking to a veteran.
And, as expected, Hermione's smile slipped from friendly to polite. "You mean Voldemort's regime."
"Yes, of course," Smith told her. "So, you're planning to join us? We could use new blood - and fresh perspectives."
"I'm considering it. Mr Croaker is quite convincing."
"Oh, yes." Smith laughed, as did the old wizard in question. "If you accept his offer, I guarantee that you won't regret it - this is the best department for anyone with your talents. We do ground-breaking research here. And you won't find the Ministry or Wizengamot meddling with us, either."
"The department technically is part of the Ministry, isn't it?" Ron pointed out, just to be a little contrary.
"It is," Croaker admitted. "But like every department, we tend to see ourselves as special."
"And apart from the rest of the Ministry," Hermione said.
"Of course," Smith agreed. "We're the only ones who fully understand what we're doing - and why."
"So I've heard," Hermione said. Her smile was stuck on polite.
Which, in Ron's experience, meant she was feeling anything but polite.
Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, Britain, Wizarding World, April 22nd, 2006
Ron pulled off his shades and took a deep breath as soon as they appeared in the now very familiar clearing in the forest. The air was still a little cold, but it was fresh. Clean. After their visit, he needed it. "Well… Croaker certainly tried his best," he said after a moment. And after Hermione had recast a privacy charm. She had cast one already at their first stop after leaving the Ministry, somewhere in Devon, but better safe than sorry.
Hermione removed her own shades as well and scoffed. "If that was his best… Holding their information about Dementors hostage to force me to work for him! He's risking more atrocities being committed by the Dementors just so he can achieve his personal goals! That's morally bankrupt!"
Ron nodded in agreement but didn't comment. She was working herself into a rant.
"And he tried to alienate me from my friends! As if I wouldn't be able to do research unless I joined the Department of Mysteries! As if I were unable to do any research unless I had his department's backing or a rich, pureblood patron! The arrogance!"
It might not be arrogance, but simply a realistic view of the situation in Wizarding Britain, Ron thought. Although… He cocked his head. "Do you think he could sabotage your research?"
Hermione blinked, then scowled. "I bet he would try it. He could put pressure on anyone who wants to fund me - not that I'd have too many options, anyway. Harry would probably fund me, but I don't want to rob him of more of his money - he already spent a lot on the war and the rebuilding."
"Invested or donated?" Ron asked.
She snorted and looked at him with her head tilted to one side. "What do you think?"
He sighed. Like his own Harry, then.
"So, I'd have to ask someone else. And whoever would fund me would expect more information about my research. And progress reports. Croaker would probably know what I'm doing within a day. A week, tops." She shook her head. "He could even cut off muggle financing, through various means."
"That seems to be a rather drastic response," Ron pointed out.
She sighed. "Yes. But I wouldn't put it past him. He's such a manipulative old man!"
"Like another we know?" Ron raised his eyebrows and grinned at her.
She scowled, obviously not seeing the humour. "Yes, I know."
"So… you aren't tempted to don a hooded cloak and start creating abominations in the cellars of the Ministry?" He was joking. Mostly. And he wasn't bringing up Archie. A wizarding honeypot - now he really had seen everything.
She snorted. "I'm not going to make a deal with a second Dumbledore who wants to recruit and control me."
"And Dumbledore might object to it." Ron reminded her that she had made a similar deal already.
"Or he would use it to launch a spy mission into the department," Hermione replied.
He nodded. That sounded like Dumbledore, alright. "Oh, yes." He couldn't help thinking that it would be fun, though. Dumbledore versus Croaker...
"Anyway, I might not be able to get the information I wanted, but Croaker inadvertently gave me an idea. If it pays out, I won't have to rely on soul magic to destroy the Dementors." She smiled broadly, showing all her teeth.
"You've thought about what he suggested before, right? Combining material science and magic?"
"Of course! All the time, when I lacked a wand! You can't imagine how frustrating it was. But now… the things I can do now…" She raised her wand and smiled at it.
"Once you have the time to spend on such research." He smiled at her - they were still buried in work.
She slumped a little and frowned at him. "Yes, once I have the time for another project," she admitted with a pout. "But at least I only have two urgent tasks left, now."
"'We'," he corrected her. He might not be a wizard, but he wasn't dead weight.
She smiled and stepped closer to him. "Yes. Sorry. I'm still..."
"You're not alone any more," he told her before he reached out and hugged her.
"I know," she replied, sighing.
He ran his hand through her hair, then pulled her close again.
They remained like that for a few minutes, holding each other, surrounded by the forest. Just the two of them.
Ron wished, for a second only, but he did, that this moment would last forever.
Black Lake, Scotland, April 22nd, 2006
By the time they reached the portal and entered the lab, Hermione had calmed down. Somewhat, at least.
She didn't rip into her wizarding friends as soon as she spotted them, at least, but she was obviously not happy, either. And not because they were talking to Dumbledore in the lounge, Ron was sure.
"Hello, Dr Granger. How did your meeting with Mr Croaker go?" Dumbledore asked.
"You look like someone burned all your books. I guess the meeting didn't go well," wizarding Ron cut in before Hermione could reply.
That earned him a glare. "Mr Croaker thinks that I should work for him in exchange for the department's classified information about Dementors," Hermione said.
"Ah." Wizarding Harry nodded.
"A quite sensible goal, if I do say so myself," Dumbledore added. "I expected the offer, actually."
Hermione huffed but didn't challenge the implied claim. Instead, she turned towards her friends. "And it's all your fault."
"What?" Both wizards looked surprised.
"He claims to have extensively researched my career at Hogwarts - and during the war, which, unlike my grades at Hogwarts, few people know about." She narrowed her eyes at them.
"We wanted people to know how much you did, after… you know," wizarding Harry said.
"So I've gathered," she replied. In any case, Mr Croaker has quite a high opinion of me - or so he says, at least. High enough to try and entice me to become an Unspeakable by almost any means," she explained.
Ron's counterpart frowned. "And that's a bad thing?"
"I think he might go further than just using incentives for joining," Hermione told him.
"What?" Wizarding Ron's shook his head. "That's not right. It's stupid, too - you don't want people you forced to join with access to the vaults there."
"Yes," his friend agreed. "We can set him straight. Shacklebolt won't be pleased about this."
"No, no - don't do anything!" Hermione shook her head. "He thinks I'm seriously considering his offer. As long as that's the case, he won't do anything else."
"Are you afraid he'll try something else?" wizarding Harry asked.
"I don't know," Hermione replied. "But he seems convinced that the only way I could do serious research is by joining his department. If I reject his offer, he might try to find out whether or not I've got other resources."
"He doesn't know about the portal, does he?" Ron's counterpart asked.
"I don't think so. Otherwise he would have made a stronger case," Hermione told him.
"Indeed. I believe that we would have seen action here, should Mr Croaker have concrete suspicions. He would know how important - and dangerous - the portal is. And he would move to secure it, citing his department's mandate." Dumbledore sounded quite confident for an analysis made without having met the man.
"You've discussed him," Hermione said rather than asked.
"We talked while we waited for your return," the old spymaster admitted with a sly smile. "And I think we all agree that he's a potential threat to all of us."
The two wizards nodded, looking a little sheepish. Hermione nodded as well, though reluctantly, or so Ron thought.
He agreed as well, of course. As much as he was uncomfortable with Dumbledore's influence and power, he would rather not have to deal with another manipulative old man cut from the same cloth. Just dealing with Dumbledore was difficult enough - not least because the man was too damn subtle.
"But how can we deal with him? You can't stall him forever," wizarding Harry pointed out.
"I don't have to stall him forever. Just long enough to finish my current projects," Hermione retorted. "And that means that we need to acquire a Dementor."
"So… we're going to dig out our old plans?" wizarding Ron asked.
Hermione nodded. "And this time, we'll execute them."
"I've been thinking about Azkaban," she said as they finished their meal in their tent.
"Why?" Ron replied. "It's horrible, but we can't do anything about it, and dwelling on it won't do anything but make you feel bad. Worse, I mean. Besides, the Dark Lord already did his.. ritual."
She glanced at Harry, whose lips formed a thin line in his face. He was the only one among them - probably the only one with the obvious exception of Voldemort - who had seen what the Dark Lord had done on the island. He hadn't gone into details - and, to her shame, she had pressed him on it, citing the need to know more - but Ron and herself knew enough to guess how horrible it must have been.
Her friend shook his head and lied. "I'm fine."
"Right, mate." Ron looked relieved. "Anyway - he's already killed most of the prisoners, hasn't he?"
"Most, not all," she told him. "There are still dozens of prisoners in Azkaban."
"Most of them are regular criminals," Ron replied.
"They don't deserve to be sacrificed for the Dark Lord, either," she retorted.
"Of course not," Ron admitted. "But even if we could do something about them, we need to focus on finding the last of the Horcruxes."
"And Azkaban could be a great lead. It might even harbour a Horcrux," she pointed out.
Ron shook his head. "I don't think the Dark Lord would risk leaving a piece of his soul next to soul-eating monsters."
She rolled her eyes. "I told you, there's no evidence whatsoever that Dementors can destroy a Horcrux."
"That doesn't mean they can't do it, though." He grinned, and she clenched her teeth. She hated it when he used her own words - or quotes - against her. "And even if they can't," he went on, "that doesn't mean the Dark Lord would know - or take the risk. It's just… you don't store cheese next to the rat cage." He grinned, briefly. "And, as I said - we can't do anything."
"That's not true," she told him. "All we need is a boat or ship, good charts, a GPS and a good Curse-Breaker to get through Azkaban's outer wards."
Her two friends exchanged a glance. She glared at them. It didn't keep Ron from saying: "As I said: We can't do anything. The only good Curse-Breaker we know is Bill, and he's not available."
She clenched her teeth again.
