A/N: Sorry for the missed weekends. I had a work conference. I'm back at it this weekend. Very special thanks to Guest! Your reviews are deeply needed and appreciated. Two more chapters today and hopefully two more tomorrow.

Chapter 13: Objects in Motion

Bellatrix trudged through the overgrown mountain side. Tom Riddle followed behind her. She suspected he was distrustful and didn't want to turn his back on her. The feeling was mutual as it happened. Having spent only a limited time in her present with him in order to find the general location of their destination, she was disconcerted. He felt off. It was possible this was due to his young age. She hadn't known him until after he returned to England as a young adult. A lot can change in a decade. Pushing her distrust aside, she didn't have time for power plays. The general location of the wizard Abaz was known, the precise location of his cabin was a well protected secret. She needed to get the boy in his hands before she was pulled back to her time.

The unknown consequences of the plan drove her mad. There was no room for error considering how many years lay between this time and her time. The paradox may protect her, she didn't know if it would protect him. She had of course explained it all to him multiple times. At such length that she was certain he had imperiused her for a time to get her to stop lecturing him.

As they approached a valley, she stopped. She was familiar with the signs of protection wards. Changes to the atmosphere. Animals avoiding otherwise normal landscapes. A bird flew above her head and took a sharp turn. The protections were subtle. She didn't have time for subtlety. Bellatrix shot a reductor curse in front of them. It collided with the invisible barrier and exploded with an aftershock that couldn't be ignored. Keeping her wand out, she tapped her foot. Less than five minutes later, a gnarly looking man appeared as he walked through his shield.

"What is the meaning of this! You're trespassing!" Mergim ranted. His eyes wild, his beard wilder.

"Mergim Abaz," she said his name, stopping his words and his movement. "I have an apprentice that needs your tutelage. A mutual acquaintance recommended you."

"Who?" he demanded.

"I can't say," she said, motioning toward Tom. Suggesting he couldn't know the benefactor. "But I have Galleons that will be more than sufficient to cover your costs and pay for your services." She held out a large bag.

The old wizard switched from suspicious to greedy in a blink.

"I'll be back for him in twelve years," she said, and waited.

"Come here boy. Let me look at you," he said.

"My name is Tom Riddle, not boy."

"Is that right? Have you even finished school?"

"I've learned all that I can from that place, so yes. I have finished school," Tom said defiantly.

"You wish to learn the dark arts," Mergrim mocked the phrase.

"I wish to learn magic the Ministry is too afraid of to harness."

All three stood still and waited.

"That's a good answer, come. I just started a ritual and could use an extra pair of hands."

Bellatrix watched the old wizard disappear and then Tom, who never once looked back. She had fulfilled her promise. She just hoped her world was still intact when she returned to her time.

Feeling the pull, she held her breath. Surprise, memories from a conversation with Voldemort early in his rise to power bubbled up in her mind. At the time, she had been confused.

"Bella, tell me. Do you ever wonder why I came to trust you so easily?" Voldemort hissed as the pair sat alone near a fireplace.

The flame danced over the face of a man that didn't appear to be entirely human. There were handsome features; however, it seemed as if magic was reforming them. "My lord. Did I not prove my loyalty? Did I not validate the proud, pure-blood legacy with you? The Blacks were the first to support you. I was one of the first to offer unquestioning devotion."

His hand reached out and stroked her cheek. "Of course, you've done those things. For those reasons and more, I need to give you a task. One you cannot speak of. You must follow my instructions to the very letter."

Bellatrix leaned in, eager to show her obedience. "I'll do all that you ask. I'll even make an unbreakable vow to prove it."

It had been an option he hadn't considered the option. A third party witness wasn't ideal. Shifting in his seat to face her, he held out his hand. "For obvious reasons, I won't involve a witness to this. I have adapted a spell similar to the unbreakable vow. It's not entirely the same but binding nonetheless." He waited for her to place it firming in his grasp. "Bellatrix Lestrange. Do you swear that the location I am about to take you to will remain a secret. That you will divulge it's secrets to anyone other than myself or someone who is of myself?"

The wording was confusing, it worried her that she didn't completely understand the vow. "Of you?"

He nodded. "I assure you this will make sense. And when it does make sense you will know its time to go to this place. Do you promise?"

"I promise," she said. His wand came up and a web of green flame wound around their hands. She felt it imprint the contract on her.

Still holding her hand, he stood and pulled her to her feet. He apparated them to the hillside overlooking the house. He walked her to the barrier and pulled her through. "These wards will recognize only you and me," he explained. Ushering to the front door, they entered the living room. He pointed to the wall across from the entrance. "There, in that wall. I will leave memories. You must keep them safe, but don't come here until there is a me who is of me, but not me."

She squinted. It didn't make sense. She trusted that it would make sense when it mattered.

It made sense now. And she knew it was time to secure the memories.

~~/~~

May 11, 1998, Monday

Harry sat in the spare room as Healer Halley examined Hermione. He seemed encouraged by the progress. "I see no new bleeding. All the spells are in place," he said and took off his magnifying glasses. "Any pain."

"Not much. Mostly a dull ache. Some sharp pains if I move too fast," she admitted.

"Lightheadedness?"

"Gone."

"Very good. Try to stay in bed as much as possible for the rest of the week. You can get up every hour or two to walk around if you're careful and Mister Potter is nearby to make sure you don't fall."

"Can I work?" Hermione asked, purposely looking away from the corner where Harry sat.

"You can read and write if you stay off your feet and don't overdo it."

The healer finished his notes, slipped them into his bag. "Any questions? Concerns?"

"No, thank you for coming out here. I wasn't ready to get back in that car so soon," Hermione said.

"I'll be back on Friday unless I'm needed sooner."

Harry left with the healer to make sure he got off alright. When he returned he saw she was sitting on the edge of the bed, looking ready to get up.

"I'd like to go to the study. Request reading materials from Myrtle."

"How about we compromise? I'll help you to the couch and bring some parchment to you after we talk," he said firmly but not unkindly.

"That sounds ominous," she replied and let him guide her up and to the living room. She hadn't been surprised he chose to take the day off. She spent nearly the entire weekend sleeping, and could tell he'd been holding something back. Apparently, the improvement declared by the healer gave him the clearance he needed to have it out. Or it could have been her suggestion that she was ready to get to work.

Once she was settled on the couch, he sat in the chair across from her. "Hermione. I'll never get in your way when you want to do something. I need something from you in return."

She didn't seem surprised by the topic. "Harry. I should have listened to you."

"No. I understand you're comfortable with time travel. That doesn't mean you can just go running back there without a plan. In fact, I can't believe I'm the one saying that," he stopped when his brain caught up to her words. "Wait. What?"

"I said. I should have listened to you. We all should have. We were in such a hurry to avoid catastrophe we almost caused a catastrophe. It was a mistake."

"Yeah," he said, wind gone from his sails. He had been rehearsing what he was going to say to her all night and thought he had anticipated her counter arguments. Agreement had never been a scenario he considered. "I've come to terms with the fact I can't go with you. I can't protect you while you're in the past. But I know some things. I understand Voldemort. I can help you make decisions now that will keep you safer then. I don't want to be overruled like that again."

"You're right. I knew you were right as soon as I got there. Harry, I didn't have the invisibility cloak, I wasn't even wearing appropriate shoes. All things we could have addressed if we had waited an hour for contingency planning."

He shifted to sit on the coffee table to be closer to her. "So we have a deal? You never need my permission but you'll seek my counsel? At least when it comes to time travel and Voldemort."

She took his hand and brought his palm to her lips. "I promise. You'll even get veto power if you can supply an adequate argument."

"An adequate argument?"

"Any argument. You can't just veto something because you don't like it," she explained.

"Technically, isn't that exactly what veto power is for?"

She smiled. "Not this veto power. Can't let it go to your head. I am sorry Harry. I was scared and I made a rash decision. It won't happen again."

"Okay then," he relaxed. "I'll send Artemis to request a meeting with the Minister."

"A meeting? No, I just need him to send relevant reports," she protested.

Harry shook his head. "He was clear. He wanted to meet with you as soon as you were ready."

She looked down at her pajamas. "I'm in no condition. Merlin. I need a shower, a brush, fresh clothes."

"We can do all those things. I can't imagine the Minister for Magic is just sitting around waiting for your owl. We can get you in the shower first. And remember, Healer Halley said you shouldn't be out of my sight if you're on your feet," he teased.

"Is that right?" she asked. "Well, we shouldn't ignore doctor's orders." She laughed when he picked her up and surprised her when they headed for the stairs. "Where are we going? The guest shower is fine."

"Don't you think it will be safer for you to take a bath? We haven't explored the tub's full potential yet."

~~/~~

Remus apparated to a familiar hillside. He had tried to dismiss Tonks' and Harry's concerns about Bellatrix. Still the possibility nagged at him, the evidence mounting. The ior rune looked as fresh as the day he first saw it. The broken rock appeared to maintain the disruption to the old wards. He slipped through, and stopped short when he sensed a presence. Wand out, he spun.

"Hello, old friend," Dumbledore said, his hands up.

"Albus, what are you doing here?"

"I suspect the same as you. Curious thing to have new memories which feel old. A bit like déjà vu?"

"It is a similar feeling. If I didn't know they were new, it would be easy to write it off as a random bout of nostalgia," Lupin agreed. "What do you think we'll find in there?"

"I suspect nothing. You?"

"I hope not Bellatrix," Lupin answered honestly.

Albus' eyebrows raised. "An interesting theory. Hermione's?"

"I think it started with her. Harry and Tonks seem invested in the possibility. They're not convinced she's dead. Nor are they unconvinced. This seemed like a good place to start looking if she's not."

Albus waved his hand toward the house and took out his wand with the opposite. "Shall we then?"

Both men headed for the back door. It wasn't a conscious decision, they were simply following the path of the past. The kitchen immediately inside the door was covered in even more dust. Decades of cleaning neglect. Despite that, the structure seemed well maintained. Magic had definitely been used to ensure the house would weather time's onslaught. "Homenum Revelio," Lupin said. No reaction. It didn't make him feel safer. His wand stayed out. He walked into the sitting room and stopped in front of the chair. The ashes blended in with the dust. It was still an eerie sight to see the outline of a person. Now, he knew it had been the remains of cloned Voldemort. "Do you think it simply self-destructed or did someone come back before James and I could get here?"

"It's hard to know. I think it's safe to say, we're lucky we don't know this for sure." Turning on the spot, Dumbledore sucked in a breath.

Remus spun, ready to strike. Across the room was a scorched hole in the wall. Stepping closer, they noted shelves were built into the frame. "No dust," Lupin observed the exposed shelves looked pristine. "It seems we just missed another visitor."

Dumbledore waved his wand over the space and a faint outline of small vials glowed in response before dissipating."

"Potions?"

"I don't think so. They would be of little use in an emergency. These were something that needed secrecy and protection," Albus said, thinking where he had seen a similar inventory. "They were memories."

"Voldemort's," Remus put the pieces together, turned back to the ash-filled chair. "For the clone?"

"Maybe not that clone."

~~/~~

Harry was confused when the doorbell rang. Several members of the Minister's security team converged on the door. He could do nothing but stay back and watch the surprised looks from Dumbledore and Remus. They submitted to the security check and joined Harry in the living room. "The Minister is meeting with Hermione. They've been in the study for a couple hours now," he explained, rubbed his neck. She was in the wheelchair, which did little to stifle his growing concern that she was in fact overdoing it on her first day allowed out of bed. He guessed his veto power didn't extend to her job in the Minister's Cabinet. "She wants to get back to work."

Albus gave him a sympathetic look. "In my experience, some things won't change and it's best to choose your battles."

They heard the door open and Shacklebolt's deep voice reverberated off the walls in the hallway. "Send me your initial assessment and recommendations and we'll meet again to discuss."

Harry joined them in the hallway and waited for Kingsely to push Hermione's chair forward before taking over. "Dumbledore and Remus are here," he told them.

It was strange to watch Dumbledore stand in respect for the office of the Minister. Lupin followed suit. "Kingsley, we've made a discovery. You're welcome to stay or I can bring you up to speed at your convenience," Dumbledore explained.

"I think I have some time. Myrtle?"

The aid was already making notes on a texting parchment. "I'll push back your meeting with the Director for the Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes. His admin says his calendar is flexible the rest of the day."

Harry suddenly felt self conscious as the Minister for Magic sat casually in their living room chair. He would always be a friend, still the setting seemed insanely informal. Hermione touched Harry's hand, snapping him out of his thoughts. He positioned her in the center of the semi-circle and settled in next to her.

Remus briefly explained where they went and what they observed. "We wondered, Hermione. If you noticed the wall directly across from the chair where the clone died?"

She closed her eyes. Tried to remember what she saw. "I'm not sure. It was dark. I think it would have stood out to me if it had a big hole. Although my focus was entirely on him. You can take a copy of my memory. If I saw something, it might be there."

"That would be helpful, thanks" Dumbledore said. He patted his robes and found an empty vial. Once he collected the silvery threads he secured them in the same pocket.

"You think Bellatrix is alive and is still trying to use the genimo charm on Voldemort in the past," Hermione said. The words hung in the air. No one wanted to acknowledge the possibility.

"Well, we would need to prove that or find her," Lupin supplied.

"When the battle of Hogwarts nears its end and a mother's rage cannot be countered, disappear or live no longer," she recited without explanation. She had told Harry about the prophecy but no one else.

Dumbledore sat a little straighter. "Where did you hear that?"

"Draco. It was a prophecy his aunt was obsessed with. He couldn't say when or how she heard it, but I think it's important."

Kingsley nodded and stood. "We'll form a taskforce to work this. Myrtle. Clear some time tomorrow for Williamson and Fiona to meet with me, Lupin, and Albus. Harry you're welcome to join as well... I'd like to clear that with Williamson first," he said and looked down at Hermione. "Sorry. You're on the sidelines on this one. For now. We'll be in touch when we need your insight. This is field work and I won't countermand the healer's orders."

"I understand, Minister. I have plenty to do here," she said and watched Harry lead their visitors to the door. When they were alone, she gave him a half smile.

"The Minister gets veto power without a well articulated argument?"

"He's my boss," she explained and leaned back. Her abs were starting to ache. "I've been sitting too long."

Nodding, he wheeled her to the spare room and helped her onto the bed. "I'm sorry you'll be left out. I know how invested you are."

"No you're not," she challenged. The look of hurt on his face tempered her next words. "I know you're not glad about the reason I'm sidelined, but you're glad I won't be out in the field."

He couldn't argue with her, and pulled up a chair next to her. "Ok. Yeah. Finding Bellatrix is becoming personal to you. I've been afraid you'd take unnecessary risks to prove your theory."

"I think…" she paused to consider her words. "I think knowing that the Minister is taking this seriously and that you, Lupin, Tonks, and Albus believe me makes it easier for me to let you handle it. Besides after my meeting today, I am more invested than ever in my department. I have a lot to do and there's so much potential to make a difference. I don't want to chase Death Eaters. That's your job."

He smiled. "That is my job. I'm pretty good at it."

She raised her head to kiss him. He met her half way. When they broke apart, she ran her hand through his hair. "You're good at other things too."

"I am. I have skills."

Her eyelids started to drift shut. "Renaissance man."

He got up to turn out the light. Before he closed the door, she told him, "Just find her for me. I know she's out there."

~~/~~

May 12, 1998, Tuesday

To Harry's relief, Williamson was amenable to one of his rookies attending a high level meeting with the Minister. He seemed to understand the urgency of the situation and Harry's unique perspective. He also wasn't one to let ego get in the way of the job. Around the table sat Remus, Dumbledore, Fiona, Gilford, Williamson, and Shacklebolt. Once everyone was settled and ready, Dumbledore briefed everyone on the totality of the situation. Most in the room had pieces, few had them all. Really no one had all the pieces. Which was the reason for the meeting.

"I don't have to explain to anyone in this room," Kingsley started, "the implications of this information are serious. We can't address them until we know what exactly we're dealing with. What we can say for certain is that at some point Bellatrix Lestrange had a time turner. We have to ascertain when and how she got it and where it is today. We know at some point Voldemort tried to use the genimo charm to duplicate himself and this knowledge is a direct result of information from the future being made available in the past. We need to know how that happened."

Fiona cleared her throat. "From what we can tell from the record, that information did not come through Tom Riddle's use of the thread of life. Not only was it destroyed before the final battle, we first detected this milestone after Voldemort was destroyed. From that we can ascertain, the time turner we seek is in the hands of someone in the present. Whether that someone is Bellatrix or not, we can't say. The memory was discovered when Seer Trelawney's prophecies were collected right before her death."

"We should also address the erumpant in the room," Albus continued. "We have one functioning time turner and only one person who has been able to successfully use it. Hermione won't be in any condition to use it for several more weeks. And even then, I would not recommend we send her back alone again. She's clearly a target in the past."

Harry was relieved to hear that particular recommendation.

Gilford cleared his throat. "I think I can provide a solution to that problem. Ever since we learned there was a potential time turner unaccounted for, we renewed our efforts to develop new prototypes. I have created a time turner with a time crystal core and an hour reversal spell. This will allow someone to go back to any point in the recent past for one hour and return as long as they maintain possession of the time turner. It's ready for testing."

"May I recommend someone go back to the final battle and witness the duel with Bellatrix?" Williamson said. "It was only two months ago and would answer the biggest question we have."

Harry held his tongue. He desperately wanted to volunteer for that mission.

Dumbledore seemed to catch the tension from Harry. He nodded. "Harry has a superior cloak of invisibility and has experience using a time turner. He also knows the events of that day, not just because he was there, but because he and Tonks reconstructed every minute of the day for the hearings. He would be best suited for the task."

"Do we know how safe the prototype is?" Williamson asked.

"We have a protocol to test new devices. I started yesterday. If I work through the weekend, and if all goes well, it will be ready by next Monday."

"We should also consider a trip back to meet with Cassandra," Fiona said. "After the new memory was recorded."

"Anything else?" Kingsley asked.

Harry cleared his throat, waited for Williamson to acknowledge him. "All the time turners are destroyed the night the Death Eaters infiltrated the Ministry. It could be helpful to know if the prototype was there that night."

"Agreed. In the meantime, there are some investigations we can focus on in the present," Williamson continued. "The time turner modification items that have been reported stolen. They were classified as petty theft and therefore had not been a high priority. We'll reprioritize."

"Alright, let's all stay in touch and plan to meet Friday unless circumstances change and we need to meet sooner. I want updates as they arise, work with Myrtle," Shacklebolt said, dismissing the room.

"Harry, how's Hermione?" Williamson asked as they left together to return to the Auror office.

"She's better. The healer thinks there's little danger the wound will reopen again. She's still tired from the blood loss. She's back to work at home."

"Good news. I thought about offering you the rest of the week off. I assume that won't be an offer you'd accept."

"No sir, I want to work on this."

They entered the bullpen. "Tonks! With us," Williamson called out and unlocked his office door. When she joined them, he summoned the relevant reports. "You two are on these theft cases. Damascus steel, primordial water, and an orphic eggshell."

"On it boss," Tonks said, taking the parchments and left the office with Harry. "Where should we start?"

Harry didn't need to think. "The orphic egg. Newt filed that complaint."

"It's early still. Think he'll be awake or should we send him a heads up?" Tonks asked, following her partner to the atrium.

There was a bank of small floo compartments for communications. Harry decided he should at least call first. Placing his head in the fire, he requested a connection to Newt and Tina Scamander. It didn't take long before Newt's face filled the box.

"Good morning, Harry. Everything alright?"

He realized Newt was likely not aware of Hermione's injuries. It wasn't something he wanted to explain over the floo. "I'm looking into the complaint you filed. Someone broke in and stole an orphic eggshell from you last month. Could Tonks and I come over to review your statement?"

"Of course. I'm here all day," he said, surprised Harry and Tonks were looking into his case.

"We're on our way, can we use your floo or is it better to apparate?"

"We're connected to the Ministry network. Come on over."

Within seconds, Harry and Tonks were stepping out of the Scamander's fireplace. Newt stepped aside and motioned to nearby chairs. "This seems like a minor task for two Aurors," he said suspiciously.

Harry didn't waste time. "We're really more concerned about why the thief wanted the eggshell."

The old wizard nodded. "It is a rare component of several challenging potions. There are even a couple charms that need the dust to stabilize the spell."

"Like the hour reversal spell," Harry said cryptically.

Newt didn't react. It seemed to be a possibility he considered. "I did provide some samples to the Unspeakables on the condition that they ensure its use would be a closely guarded secret."

"We think someone kidnapped an Unspeakable and was able to persuade them to divulge that information," Tonks explained.

"This happened last month," Newt said. "After You-Know-Who died."

Harry waited for Newt to arrive at his conclusion.

"There's a Death Eater trying to make a time turner," Newt finally said.

"We think so or modify one. We need to find out who. We wondered if you had any evidence or suspicions that would be relevant."

"Bellatrix Lestrange."

His certainty and speed in which he invoked the name was a shock to Harry and Tonks. "Why do you think that?" Harry asked.

"My demiguise saw her, foresaw her. Here."

"Why didn't you report that?" Tonks asked.

"Would it have been taken seriously? Even I didn't take it seriously at first." he asked simply. "And I'd prefer the Ministry not know what creatures I have here. They have a habit of confiscating things they don't understand."

"You didn't see her?" Harry pressed.

"She was invisible. An impressive vanishment charm is my guess. One that evaded all of my detections, which are quite sound. Given what needs to stay on my property and what should not be allowed on it. Dugal could see through the charm. He tried to get to me but she immobilized him. By the time he was free, she was gone. I have a retrocognition recording of her movements."

"A what?" Tonks asked.

"I have crystals installed which detect the movements within my sanctuary after the fact. It comes in handy if something goes… missing. It couldn't penetrate her invisibility shield, but you can see the disturbance," he explained and stood. "I'll show you."

Harry and Tonks followed Newt down a spiral staircase and into another world. With a flick of his wand, crystals lining the walls started to glow. Shadows moved in reverse as the recording rewound. Then they saw a human form creep down the steps right behind them. It was merely a glowing outline, enhanced by the crystals. They watched an invisible hand shoot out with the outline of a wand. A small sloth-like creature stopped moving. Then they watched the unmistakable form of Bellatrix Lestrange step into the light. The vanishment charm was so expertly applied it no doubt hid her completely from the human eye, but it was so tight, her features so unique, it was as good as a portrait within Newt's retrocognition recording. She seemed to creep around cautiously before getting frustrated and summoning the eggshell with an accio spell. Once it reached her free hand, the shield adjusted. And then she was gone.

Newt waved his wand, the scene rewound in real time again and then converged into a small crystal in his hand. He handed it to Harry, taught him the spell to watch the record.

"Thanks, Newt. You should know, the reason we're looking into this is because Hermione was hurt this week."

Newt stood straight and looked like he was ready to fight.

"I can't give you details right now. She's recovering at home and is going to be alright. I just thought you should know."

"Bellatrix hurt her?"

"No, we think this is related though," Harry admitted.

"Is she up for visitors?"

"Yeah, she probably needs a break. She's been working a lot since she can't do much of anything else."

"Thank you for telling me," Newt said, and led them back up to the fireplace. "If there's anything else you need for your investigation, please ask. I'd prefer if my demiguise wasn't reported, but understand if it's necessary."

Harry held up the crystal. "I think this is the proof we need. He won't be mentioned."

Newt watched them go and stood, wallowing in his guilt.

"Hey," Tina called out. "Everything alright?"

"No," he said. "I need to head out for a bit. If you're alright?"

She joined her husband at the fireplace and turned his face toward her. "What's happened?"

"Hermione. She was attacked."

"How terrible. Because of her appointment?" Tina asked, genuinely concerned.

"Harry didn't say. I don't think so," he said and took her hand. "Do you want to come with me?"

"No, you go on. I'll work with April this afternoon in the sanctuary. Take your time."

~~/~~

Hermione was reading in bed when she heard the doorbell ring followed quickly by Gerty's excited shouts. She put down her report and waited for the house elf to announce the visitor. There was a reserved knock at her bedroom door. Definitely not Gerty. "Come in," she said and craned her neck to see who was behind the door. "Newt, this is a surprise."

"A good one?" he asked, still standing on the other side of the open door.

"Of course, come in," she said, sliding a chair over with her wand.

Newt entered, leaned over to kiss her cheek, and sat in the chair. "Harry came to see me this morning."

Hermione was surprised and tried not to feel left out. "He did? And he told you what happened?"

Shaking his head, he fiddled with an errant string on his shirt sleeve. "He's looking into a complaint I filed. Someone broke in and took an orphic eggshell."

This finally clicked for Hermione. She still wasn't sure why he was acting so strangely. "Oh, that makes sense."

"Before he left, he mentioned you were injured. He didn't elaborate."

She shifted uncomfortably. "Can you get my wheelchair and help me? Let's have this conversation in the arboretum. I could use a change of scenery."

She had been improving at getting in the chair with minimal help. The pain was also finally a dull ache. Newt got them settled near the firepit, started a small flame. It wasn't cold per se, there was still a morning chill in the air.

"There was a disturbance in the past that I needed to check out," she started, not sure how much to actually tell him. She didn't think the Minister would want unfounded theories spreading wildly. "While I was in the past, I was stabbed with a knife which had been treated with an anticoagulant potion. It's taken a few days to heal."

"Was it Bellatrix?" he asked.

It took Hermione several moments to process. Had Harry told Newt or did he know something, she wondered. With the Minister involved, she also felt like it wasn't her place to bring Newt in the loop.

The silence seemed to last longer than Newt was comfortable with. "She took the eggshell. I didn't mention that in my complaint. I ask because I wanted to know if this happened to you because I left that information out."

"Oh, Newt," Hermione was starting to understand. "No. Did you tell Harry about her?"

He nodded but didn't seem to feel any less guilty.

"We've suspected that she's not dead. We haven't had proof. If you gave Harry that, you helped," she comforted him. "Voldemort did this," she finally told him, leaving out the details about the clone.

He seemed to switch from guilt to sadness. "Do you have to keep putting yourself in his path?"

"I'm not intentionally seeking him out," she said, knowing she sounded defensive and forced herself to take a breath. "As long as he's a threat to our future, I won't stop doing what I can to stop him."

"I know," he relented. "It just seems like we could do something to make it safer for you. It also seems like once a wizard dies they should stop threatening our future."

At that, Hermione laughed. "Wouldn't that be something? Now, I wanted to talk to you anyway. Why don't we have Gerty make us some tea? I want to know what we can do to change our practices toward beasts and creatures to more humane policies."

Newt perked up. "I wondered if those would be under your purview. I do have opinions."

"I thought you might. I've read every report. Perhaps you can help me read between the lines."