Chapter 8

"Out of the question." Kingsley hadn't even given her question any thought.

"But he's been invaluable, and he knows where You-Know-Who is staying," Hermione protested. "I'm sure of it."

He looked skeptical.

"If it weren't for Malfoy," Hermione pressed, "we would have killed Dolohov right away and any one of us could have been captured from using You-Know-Who's name. We'd likely compromise our safe houses in the process. It could have been the end of us."

"I know he's been helpful," Kingsley conceded.

"Helpful?" Hermione repeated in disbelief. "Because we used Veritaserum on Dolohov, we have a list of informants, coerced and willing, and people that have been outright Imperiused. And we were able to prevent You-Know-Who from getting the Time Turners. That would have been disastrous."

Malfoy's intelligence turned out to be critical, so Hermione was advocating for the annoying git as much as she could.

Not that she would tell him that.

"I'm not opposed to a pardon for him and his mother after some time, but the trust isn't there yet. We don't even know what we would do with the knowledge of You-Know-Who's location right now, so it's a moot point." Kingsley shifted his posture in the chair, gazing at her from across the Tonks' kitchen table.

That was true. She, Ron and Harry had a long way to go with the Horcruxes. Perhaps Voldemort could be contained, as Minerva suggested. But how would they do that? And what would prevent someone from taking his place? Taking out Voldemort was key, but the Order needed to gut the infrastructure of Death Eater control as well. At this point, Voldemort's army was too entrenched to be defeated by merely getting rid of their leader.

"What about his father?" Hermione asked with a sense of foreboding.

Kingsley shook his head. "I'll never be able to get a pardon for Lucius; he's done too much." Hermione sighed. She had a feeling that's what Kingsley would say. Lucius Malfoy had murdered, blackmailed, tortured, kidnapped, bribed and Imperiused. And that was only what they had on record. His crimes would only get worse as the war went on.

Kingsley twisted the Shacklebolt signet ring around his pinky back and forth in thought. "It's true Draco has been helpful, but we don't completely understand his motivations. You said so yourself, he didn't give you all the names of the Inner Circle despite clearly knowing them. Why?"

"But-"

"And he hasn't reached out to you yet, correct?" Kingsley's dark eyes held her gaze. "He's not actively collecting information to share. You're prying him for what he already knows. Prying, Hermione."

"Of course," she said, feeling a need to defend Malfoy. "He doesn't want patterns of leaked information to be traced back to him. He's scared." He was her spy after all. And using him was her idea. She wanted this effort to amount to something.

"I don't doubt he's a highly skilled Occlumens, as you've said. But if we can't trust him, then he can't know of my involvement. Or Minerva's. Or the Aurors'. Or any of the others that are aiding us right now that aren't in hiding."

Hermione rubbed her forehead. "We're going to lose him, Kingsley."

"Over this?"

"Probably. He was adamant about the pardon."

"Then string him along," Kingsley replied smoothly. "Lie."

Hermione dropped her hand to the table and gaped at him, surprised that Kingsley would suggest a dishonest approach so easily. But then she thought about what he did at the Ministry. His entire work day was spent in lies and subterfuge.

He raised an eyebrow at her judgmental gaze. "Do you think lying to a Death Eater to ensure he works for us is unethical? As you said, his information has been invaluable; preventing any one of you from being captured, enabling us to interrogate our prisoners and just recently getting the Time Turners safely hidden. He might have saved the Order from collapse right at the beginning of the war."

Hermione stared back at him in shock.

Kingsley was smooth. Within the span of thirty seconds: he denied her request and then convinced her to do something else entirely that she didn't want to do. Using her own words as justification.

No wonder he worked so well at the Ministry. She was glad they were on the same side.

Kingsley traced a pattern in the wood on the table with his thumb. "I know it's important to build trust between a spy and handler but if we'll lose him anyway over this, we may as well squeeze him for what he knows, while we still can."

Hermione bit her cheek and looked down at her hands. She didn't like this. Pretending Malfoy wasn't important was different from lying to him directly, especially when she had to gain his trust. But Kingsley was right.

"Use him, Hermione," he continued, his dark eyes boring into hers. "You better believe he's using you."

She tucked a curl behind her ear. "Okay," she agreed, holding his gaze. "But we have another problem with him. Possibly more urgent."

Kingsley waited silently for her to explain.

"I can't learn Occlumency from a book, Kingsley. If I'm captured, they'll see Malfoy in my memories and kill him. He's asked twice already about it. If I were him and decided I'd had enough, I'd Obliviate all traces of our interactions. Between my parents and our 'need-to know' policy in the Order, I've certainly done enough Obliviation to know it's not that complicated for an intelligent, capable wizard if they're willing to put in the effort to learn. And Malfoy is. It's a quick fix to his worry of being discovered. And then we're done. No spy."

Kingsley stared at her in thought. "I know a Legilimens that can teach you," he answered.

Once again, Hermione was stunned.

Tonks had been agonizing over the need for a Legilimens for weeks. Until Mary extracted the implant, she had been torturing Dolohov, hating herself for it and suffering the effects of repeated usage of Imperius and Cruciatus Curses. As she had explained to Hermione, every time she did it, she felt a tiny piece of her dying. And they were addictive.

Tonks had also explained that Legilimency was more effective than torture.

She couldn't believe Kingsley hadn't shared this with them.

"You do? Then why didn't you mention anything when Tonks needed help with interrogation?"

He raised an eyebrow at her. "Because we had other options on the table. They may not have been the best, but Tonks is an excellent interrogator. She could handle it."

Hermione didn't know what to think of his casual dismissal of the use of torture when other options were available, or the fact that he didn't even let Tonks know he had a solution to her problem. Perhaps he knew he'd get outvoted and forced to reveal his Legilimens, and so he never presented it as an option to begin with.

In the case of learning Occlumency, he knew there was no other option.

Kingsley was quite possibly the sneakiest man she knew.

"I don't want this person associated with us any more than she has to be." He ran his thumb along his jaw, and then continued, confirming her thoughts. "In terms of you learning Occlumency, we don't have a choice." Kingsley stood up to leave. "I'll arrange it after the students are evacuated from Hogwarts. When did Tonks plan the rescue operation for? This Saturday?"

"Yes, around noon," Hermione replied, curious as to who her teacher would be. "There's a Ravenclaw-Slytherin Quidditch match that will keep everyone distracted. We expect to recruit at least another ten from the students that want to leave."

Legilimency and Occlumency.

Hermione only knew Snape to be capable of Legilimency after he had tried (and failed) to teach Harry to Occlude.

Who did Kingsley have in mind?

oooooooooooooooooooooo

Luna blinked at Hermione. "I changed my mind, Hermione. I want to stay here at Hogwarts."

Neville looked horrified. "Luna, you can't! The Carrows are terrible."

"It's not so bad, Neville," Luna consoled him in a patient voice. "The younger children remaining need me here. I don't want to abandon them."

Hermione studied her friend. Maybe it wasn't so bad here at Hogwarts? Luna didn't look too worse for the wear, but the rest of the students were eager to get out.

"They have the professors," Neville argued.

"They do, but they need older students as well," Luna replied in that soft voice of hers.

"We were told you get Crucio'd more often than the others," Hermione countered. "You don't have to stay and take it."

"That's why I need to stay." Luna gazed at Hermione, utterly content with her decision. "The younger ones need to see someone that can persevere. If I run, they'll feel abandoned."

Neville looked down at his feet, ashamed. "Maybe I should stay, too."

Luna took his hand. "Don't feel bad, Neville. The Order needs you. We're fighting on the same side, but from different places." She smiled wistfully at Hermione. "Thank you for coming for me. I miss you all." They heard a loud cheer echo from the outside grounds. Someone must have scored. "I have to go root for my house." She paused and tilted her head. "They'll probably lose."

Hermione didn't know what to say. She felt somewhat humbled by Luna's decision. "Let us know if you change your mind."

"I won't," Luna replied. And without another word, she walked out the Great Hall to join the rest of the school at the Quidditch match.

Hermione turned to Neville, lips parted in amazement. "I can't believe it."

"I can. She's tougher than she looks," he replied. "And she's right. The kids look up to her and she knows it."

She hoped Luna would be alright. Hermione surveyed her former classmates, congregated in the Great Hall at Hogwarts, and the other kids to be evacuated today. She missed them all so much. There had been many excited hugs and everyone started talking at once before Harry reminded them all that their time was limited and they had to leave now. Minerva informed the Order they would have at most a two-hour window to evacuate the children while the Slytherin-Ravenclaw Quidditch match was going on.

Harry and Ginny, after sharing a secret smile, were already leading the younger kids out a hidden passageway past the anti-Apparition wards. The Weasleys and other Order members were waiting to Side-Along the kids to the safe houses where their families were waiting.

While they waited for Harry to return for the last run Hermione scanned the few that remained in the Great Hall. She furrowed her brow.

That couldn't be right.

She tallied everyone again, thinking she had miscounted. She hadn't. They were missing one.

HP how many kids with you?

His answer appeared after a few moments.

7.

Her stomach lurched. That's what she thought. Earlier she saw a young boy run out the entrance to the Great Hall but thought he went to the loo. He hadn't come back, must have gotten scared, and run off to hide somewhere.

First year boy missing.

Hogwarts was a maze full of alcoves, rooms, and passageways. How would they find someone that didn't want to be found? There wasn't much time to search the castle and they'd have to split up. She surveyed the students around her. Of the older students left, most were ex-members of the D.A.

"Who's still got their D.A. Galleons?" She called out to them.

"We all do!" Seamus called back with a smile, holding his up. "We still use them!" Neville took his out of his pocket to show her. Everyone else held their Galleons up with a smile as well.

"Alright then," she continued. "We've got a missing boy to find and an hour and a half to do it. Who wants to help?"

Eager to defy Snape and the Carrows, they cheered and crowded around Hermione so she could adjust their Galleons to communicate with the Order.

"We'll split up in pairs and search the castle. If you see or hear anyone, Silence and Disillusion yourselves to be on the safe side. Don't waste time searching corners, a quick Homenum Revelio will do."

Seamus, Lavender, Neville, Hannah, the Patil twins and a few others began speaking excitedly to each other, happy to be able to help out. Hermione had no doubt they'd all be joining the Order once they got out of the castle.

Quickly adjusting each Galleon as it was held out to her, she spoke again. "We need two people to stay with the younger kids until Harry and Ron come back to fetch them. The rest of you, after the search, scratch the side of the painting with the one-eyed witch. You'll be able to leave Hogwarts grounds through a corridor to Honeydukes."

"It's safe to go to Hogsmeade?" Seamus asked.

"No," Hermione shook her head. "Don't go into Hogsmeade just Apparate home or somewhere else from the passageway. Message the coin with your location and someone from the Order will come and get you to safety."

Hermione grabbed Neville and she informed the Order of the change in plans. As Dumbledore's Army split up, the Galleons proved invaluable in the search for the missing child. The D.A. combed the castle quickly and silently while the messages poured in.

Kitchens clear

Fourth floor clear

Library clear

"Neville, wait." Hermione reached out to tug on his arm and he stopped in his jog down the corridor. The two went into an empty classroom to talk so they wouldn't be seen by any stragglers. "If you were a scared first year, where would you go?"

He thought for a minute. "Gryffindor common room. It's got the Fat Lady guarding the entry."

"What was the house of the boy?"

Neville shrugged and sent a message to the Galleon.

House of missing kid?

They waited, each bent over their Galleons and glowing letters soon appeared.

Slytherin.

She and Neville looked up at each other.

"Dungeons?" he asked.

"I guess so."

They wouldn't be able to get in though. They'd need the password for the portrait.

NL and HG to dungeons. Password?

They exited the classroom and jogged down towards the dungeons while waiting for someone to answer. Hermione was grateful for the combat training Remus put them through daily. Her stamina had increased quite a bit from her sedentary school days.

Hermione felt a bitter nostalgia coming back to Hogwarts. It was a home away from home for all of them growing up. And she was saddened that Snape, the Carrows and other Death Eaters had taken over the administration and teaching positions.

As they ran, she felt her Galleon warm. Neville took his out of his pocket at the same time she did and they ducked into a classroom.

"These are brilliant, Hermione."

"Thank my fifth year self," she said with smile.

The two looked at their Galleons and then at each other in panic.

Death Eaters. Abort.

Hermione's brain raced to remember the hidden exits and passageways in the castle from the Marauder's Map.

"There's a passage near the Dungeons that we can take to the kitchens and out towards the Whomping Willow to reach the Shrieking Shack. We can check the common room on the way."

Neville nodded eagerly, he didn't want to leave the boy behind either.

They Disillusioned themselves, ran out the of the classroom and broke off into a sprint down the corridor. Neville was faster than her and rounded a corner when a Death Eater appeared across the hall. He saw her running movements despite the charm but she cast a Shield and his hex bounced off it, blasted into the wall and separated her from Neville in a crash of falling rocks.

"Hermione!" Neville's voice rang through from the other side.

She threw herself to the ground, reducing herself as target area, and aimed a few rapid fire hexes at the Death Eater's torso. One of them hit and felled him, and she Petrified him immediately afterwards. She had no doubt he would have hit her if she hadn't been Disillusioned.

Thank Merlin for combat training.

"I'm okay!"

She ran back to the blasted wall and tried to climb over the rocks to reach Neville when she heard voices and footsteps from the hallway the Death Eater appeared from. She wouldn't be able to climb over without being caught and ran down the hallway to get to the dungeons from another direction. Combat training or not, she didn't think she could hold off so many at once.

NL meet you there HG

After another narrow miss, Hermione finally made it down to the dungeons but Neville was nowhere to be found. She hoped he was okay.

She still didn't know the password and the Snake Charmer portrait was being incredibly unhelpful. After arguing with him for several minutes she was seething in anger over his obstinacy. But at least she knew the boy was inside. The portrait had teased her arrogantly and let that slip by mistake.

"We don't let other houses into these dormitories, and certainly not filth." The Snake Charmer glared down at her in disdain, and she felt her temperature rise. She didn't have time for this, and didn't want to draw attention to her location by blasting the bloody bigoted portrait to smithereens.

"Surely you know the danger he's in," she ground out. "Let me in, and I'll get him out."

"I can provide him more protection than you can, Mudblood," the portrait sneered at her.

Hermione flared her nostrils in frustration. "They'll come and they'll take him. You're only a portrait. You can't protect him so hand him over to someone who can and will."

She watched the Snake Charmer mull her words over. "They won't harm him. He's a pure-blood."

"Oh no?" She scoffed at the painting. "You-Know-Who threatens pure-blood children to coerce their parents all the time. You and I both witnessed that last year. And I bet it's still happening under your watch right now." The Snake Charmer curled his lip in disgust but didn't answer. "Did being pure-blood protect Draco Malfoy? He was used to punish his father then, and he's trapped into serving You-Know-Who now. Where were you when that happened?"

The Snake Charmer studied her in silence.

Bugger it all.

If only Neville were here. He's a pure-blood. Sacred Twenty-Eight even. Maybe the Snake Charmer would have let him in. She couldn't tell if she was getting through to the portrait, so she continued.

"Do you want this child's blood on your conscience? Who cares what my blood status is if I'm helping him?"

The portrait glanced at something over her shoulder. Hermione whipped around, wand ready to strike. She saw a Death Eater casually leaning against the wall, watching them silently from the end of the hallway. Immediately, he raised his hands to show that his wand was holstered.

Had the Death Eater been listening to her talk with the portrait the entire time? If so, then why hadn't he attacked her? Was he… surrendering? Defecting? She thought back to the raid on the Cattermole's. Certainly Malfoy wasn't the only Death Eater getting tortured like that, wanting to leave. How could they stand it?

Maybe the Order could get another spy.

Or was this a trick? But he could have attacked her already.

Her knuckles whitened as she tightened her grip on her wand.

Slowly, he walked down the corridor, hands empty. She watched him with distrust as he approached, boots echoing on the stone floor. Her heart thumped wildly while she wondered what he was going to do. He was extremely tall and foreboding in those black robes, and the mask made him terrifying. The eerie shadow his figure cast in the dim torchlight extended far down in her direction, nearly touching her toes.

Maybe she should bind him as a precaution.

He closed in and she motioned with her wand when he was ten feet away. "Don't come any closer or I'll hex you." She tried to make her voice sound authoritative, without the fear creeping up her spine. He stopped, and looked down at her through his mask.

"Who are you?" she demanded. "What do you want?"

Instead of answering her, he turned to the portrait and said, "Sanctimonia Vincet Sempe."

The Snake Charmer eyed the Death Eater in scorn. "That's not the password."

"And yet it functions as one," he replied, his voice muffled by the mask. "Always."

Hermione eyed the interaction warily. The Latin phrase meant 'Purity will always conquer.' She had no idea of the phrase's significance other than being associated with typical pure-blood bigotry.

The Snake Charmer simmered with rage, but the door creaked open. The Death Eater turned his masked face back to her, gave a mock bow, and extended his arm towards the open portrait hole. Hermione didn't move, still unsure of his motives, and ready to hex him. He rose up, and looked down at her.

What was going on?

"What are you doing?" she asked, wand at the ready. "What do you want?"

He stared down at her through his mask in silence. Those masks were terrifying and she felt goosebumps spread up and down her arms. He didn't answer, and turned around to walk quickly back down the hall from whence he came. She held out her wand until he turned the corner, disappearing from view.

After a few moments she exhaled in relief. What in the world was that?

"Hermione?" Neville's voice sounded from the other end of the corridor and she turned around, relief at seeing he was okay. "Thank Merlin, you're alright." His eyes widened. "Oh you got it open! Excellent!"

The Galleon warmed in her pocket. She extracted it, noticing with surprise that it was the Galleon she used to communicate with Malfoy.

You're right.

Chapter end notes:

For those of you who read my vampire Dramione fic, They All Taste the Same, you'll recognize that I tweaked that Hogwarts scene for this story.

In canon, Kingsley went into hiding when the Ministry fell. The first time I saw Kingsley being used as a mole in the Ministry, being all Slytherin-y with his politics, was in Better Off Forgotten by delancy654. I really liked that version of Kingsley and decided to use it.