"It could be a lot worse." Hermione had reached through the bars to touch Harry's hand.
"I know." Harry took a deep breath and drew his hands from her. He put a hand to his forehead and blinked hard. "Molly could want to kill me."
Hermione laughed and sat up straight in the chair she had transfigured for herself. "Now, you know that will never happen."
Harry chuckled. "I can't believe Ginny asked me for the household papers instead of serving me with divorce papers."
"Please." Hermione snorted loudly. "You two are made for each other."
"That's what they said about you and Ron."
Hermione paused. "I know. But the timing was never right and he kept acting like a clod."
"Like things were perfect when you got married." Harry quirked a corner of his mouth at her. "That worked out."
"I was drunk, and ballet was involved," Hermione said hotly.
Harry laughed deeply.
There was a loud noise from the door behind Hermione and it swung open to reveal Kingsley Shacklebolt and two guards. The guards began to advance, but Kingsley stopped them.
"This room will kill anyone that tries to do harmful damage and he doesn't have his wand. You can wait in the hall while conduct the interview."
The guards bowed sharply as Kingsley shut the door.
"How're you holding up, Harry?" Kingsley asked as he pulled a generously sized tin of cookies out of his robes. "From the Burrow."
"You would get into so much trouble if anyone knew what you were doing!" Hermione squeaked. "People could call you a sympathizer!"
"They'll have to get more on me than Molly's cookies." Kingsley pooh-poohed her.
"Need to take more samples?" Harry asked. Kingsley gave him a regretful look and Harry sighed as he began to disrobe.
"What are you doing?" Hermione asked, taken aback.
"Hair, skin, blood samples. Some pictures to top it all off," Kingsley listed as he began to unload equipment from under his robes.
"How much stuff do you have in there?" Hermione asked in an astonished voice.
"I think I lost a portable grill, but I may have left it at my brothers," Kingsley admitted.
Harry stripped down to his pants and Kingsley began poking and prodding him through the bars.
"But why are you taking the samples?" Hermione flinched as Kingsley plucked a few hairs from Harry's chest.
"Have the Department of Mysteries working overtime on this one, not that they're minding," Kingsley said grimly. "If we can prove he wasn't in his right senses and we can reverse his state, he might be able to get off with supervised parole."
"That's a lot of 'ifs.'" Hermione raised an eyebrow.
"Well it's better than nothing." Harry shrugged.
"Ginny told me—" Hermione hesitated. "Ginny told me those men were horrible and deserved it after—after what they did to Tom and the other small boys."
"What's this?" Kingsley looked surprised.
"You didn't tell anyone?" Hermione yelled.
"I figured I'd get to say my piece at the trial." He turned around so Kingsley could draw green glowing runes on his back with the tip of his wand.
"Good grief, Harry!" Kingsley burst out, his face mightily annoyed. "This could change everything!"
Harry looked sheepish. "I really didn't think it mattered."
Hermione would have slapped him if she could reach him. "We need to get you council. Before the trial."
"I agree." Kingsley said as he straightened himself up. "We need to know everything before you walk into that room."
Harry sighed deeply. "It's not even my story to tell."
"You got directly involved." Hermione pointed out. "It's yours now."
He seemed to mull this over as he began to pull his robes back on. "I'll think about it."
"I think you'd better." Hermione said, her mouth a hard line.
0
"Madam Snape, will you be at the International Ball?" A fourth year Slytherin girl looked at her curiously.
It was a Hogsmede weekend and Hermione, Ginny, and Luna had been allowed to mingle with the other students since there had been no attacks outside the school. Hermione shared a cup of tea with Blaise while Ginny and Luna ran off to catch up on gossip with their classmates.
She sat down the cup of tea she had been sharing with Blaise. "Yes. Professor Snape will be there as well."
She looked abashed. "Oh. Okay."
"What's wrong with her going, Amanda?" Blaise asked curiously.
"My mother wanted to know." She blushed deeply.
"You tell your mother if she wants to be a nosy busybody do it on her own time and keep it away from the school. It's highly inappropriate, but that does seem to be one of her strong points, isn't it?" Blaise said snootily.
The girl suppressed a giggle and ran off.
"What was that about?" Hermione asked, confused.
"Her mother being a silly bitch." Blaise snorted as he sipped at his tea. "We're third cousins. The woman is useless."
"That wasn't very nice." Hermione laughed as a group of seventh years ran by giggling mischievously.
"I don't care. She irritates me and she knows it," Blaise said grumpily as he reached for a biscuit.
"Are you going?" Hermione asked curiously.
"I'm going with Theo Nott. We're going to try and give our mothers a heart attack."
"That's a very good idea." Hermione nodded.
"Even if you think you should, don't back out," Blaise said warningly. "If you start backing down now it'll just get worse."
"Already making protective jewelry." Hermione grinned as she sipped at her cup. "And not just for rogue Death Eaters.
"I hear it's been getting rough. That's why I'm bringing back up," Blaise admitted.
"Think there's going to be a fight over you?" Hermione teased.
"Probably not, but I'm lucky enough to be clueless and wandering around in search of a canapé when the hexes start flying," Blaise snorted.
"Is your mother coming?" Hermione asked in what she hoped was a polite voice.
"She's scoping out a new husband in Jamaica. I doubt she'll be back." He sounded disgusted.
"You'll be thankful for women that like elderly men when you're older." She chuckled. "One day she's going to hear about the black widow rumors you're spreading around and you're going to be dead."
"I'm not a student anymore." Blaise shrugged. "Couldn't care less if people know now."
Hermione was lifting her cup to her lips when the yelling started.
The pair jumped up from their chairs, running away from the café and towards the disturbance.
There was a mob of students standing around, but when Hermione and Blaise fought their way to the center, they were surprised to see two adults fighting. A broken wand lay on the ground nearby.
Hermione groaned as she recognized a face.
"Mundungus Fletcher, what have you done this time?" Hermione squawked as she waved her wand and the pair was pulled apart.
Blaise broke up the students as they made disappointed noises and scowled at the councilors.
"He's selling fake protections!" A squat, white haired man accused. "Those trinkets don't even have a whisper of magic about them!"
Hermione rounded on Mundungus and he cringed at the expression on her face. "What have you been up to?" She demanded.
"Just some novelty items," Mundungus said, already cowering. "The sir mistook them for—"
"I didn't mistake your intentions!" The man yelled. "You're making coin off these poor, terrified children!"
A third year that hadn't strayed far made a rude noise.
Hermione threw the student a look before turning back to the men. "Mundungus, give him back his money and whatever else you've taken today. We'll refund the Hogwarts students and donate the rest to St. Mungo's. End of discussion. Hand it over."
The small man handed over a small leather bag and gave her a deep scowl before he Disapparated.
Hermione shook her head in disgust. "How much does he owe you?" she asked the white-haired man.
The man licked his lips as he looked at the bag, but at a glare from Hermione he admitted to a single galleon. She refunded it to him before she pocketed it and turned to Blaise.
"I see this becoming a bigger problem very quickly."
0
"What a horrible little man!" Nyssa cried out as Hermione retold the story. She rounded on Asta. "See! This is what men do! Wasting time! Wasting resources! On what? Nonsense!"
"What am I missing?" Hermione looked at Asta.
"There have been talks of where Mikhail and I would live if things proceed. I'm too valuable to be romping around, they say." Asta looked sad.
"What?" Hermione blustered. She rounded on Nyssa. "Like a slave? Like a commodity? What would the Jotun think, what would they do if they knew that's how she was being treated?"
"They're back in their mountain and we're keeping her safe. What do they know?" Nyssa said coolly.
"I think they'll know plenty if your prophecy brings us back to them!" Hermione's chin stuck out stubbornly.
Nyssa threw her hands up in frustration and stormed from the room.
"Well, you won that round," Ginny commented as she stirred her cauldron. Thin wisps of smoke were rising from it and she was beginning to look distressed. She stirred faster.
"Sophia suggested I see more of the world before I make a decision," Asta admitted, the tips of her hair blushing blue.
"What does she suggest?" Hermione asked suspiciously.
"All of the attacks at Hogwarts have been primitive." Asta sprinkled a pinch of chopped grass into a cauldron and it hissed at her. "They would not be a match for my natural talents."
"Hogwarts is outsourcing?" Ginny said in a mocking tone. "What's the world coming to?"
"I think it's a good opportunity for you." Luna, who had been silent until now, looked up from her neatly bottled potions. "I love studying with the Amazons. It's an amazing challenge. But, I'd rather finish my last year at Hogwarts and join the Amazons properly instead of having it as supplemental."
Asta nodded, as if she were rolling the idea around in her head. "It can be hard, living between two worlds."
"Exactly," Ginny said, "but, that's the point."
"What is the point?" Asta asked, a confused expression on her face.
"Getting a good look before you decide what path is right for you."
Asta sighed. "Sometimes it's a matter of fighting your way to even get a glimpse."