Chapter 5: Creeping Doubts
O-o-o-o-o-o-o
The next week brought new information onto Hermione's desk. She had provided her summary of the leads, Blaise, Nott and Goyle, to Mr. Northcott and he had given her some talking points for her interview with Nott and Goyle. The interview was supposed to be mid-week, but had gotten pushed to early next week by higher priority informants.
To her surprise, two more Death Eaters had come forward saying that they wanted to talk. If she had to gander a guess, she assumed the solidification of the Dementors Kiss dates had prompted them to want to strike a deal. The most logical outcome of these meetings would show that the first mention of Malfoy's name had been a lie. Surely all three of the Death Eaters wouldn't be able to point fingers at the same innocent person. They weren't able to communicate in Azkaban so she felt confident that the end to this theory was near and that maybe one of them would tell the truth and give them a new lead to the actual organizer.
"Granger," Alden popped his head in the door, "I'll be in the listening room again today. We only exchange exemption from the Kiss for the leader's name."
Hermione nodded, "Of course, Mr. Northcott. I'm ready whenever they're set up on level 10."
"Alden!" he yelled in a sing-songy voice as he walked out.
The walk to the interrogation room felt longer than it ever had. Who were they going to name this time? Would it be even more shocking than hearing Malfoy's name?
"Mr. Macnair," Hermione greeted him as she walked into the room, shutting the door and taking her seat, "I hear you have some information you'd like to share with us, is that correct?"
"Yes," he barked, "Keep those Dementors away from me and I'll tell you what you want to know. Whispers came down the line that you're looking for the leader."
"We are," Hermione clasped her hands calmly on the table in front of her, "If you can give me that name, and your information proves true, you will earn exemption from the Dementors Kiss."
Macnair looked up at her, eyes gleaming, "They can't get me in there anymore. It was the Malfoy boy. Draco Malfoy."
Hermione felt her heart sink. There was no way Macnair could have discussed this with Goyle Sr. and here he was, giving her the same name and she could still hardly believe it, "Do you mean Lucius Malfoy?" She asked, hoping for some other explanation.
"Nah, his son. Draco is ruthless. He wants to rule over the muggles and he's on his way to doing it right under the Ministry's nose. He's got you all fooled."
Hermione didn't show her frustration, but stood up, "Thank you, Mr. Macnair, your Kiss Status will be put on hold until we've completed a thorough investigation."
She left the room, closing her eyes briefly to prepare herself as she started walking down the hall, the next door opening for Alden to join her.
He put his hands in his pockets and looked sideways at her, "I know it's not what you wanted to hear," he said gently, "You've got one more in an hour, maybe that one will go differently."
It didn't.
Hermione walked out from her meeting with Antonin Dolohov an hour later with the same information. Draco Malfoy: ruthless ringleader.
Alden met her in the hallway looking grim, "Let's go to my office and talk through everything so far."
They closed the door and Hermione sat, trying to collect her thoughts.
"Tell me why you believe Mr. Malfoy," Alden said, taking the seat across from her.
"It's a few things," she started, shifting in her chair, "First, I knew him at Hogwarts. He wasn't a nice person and I've no reason to take his side so I'm not playing favorites here. I saw him the night of the Battle of Hogwarts. Harry saved his life, he begged his parents to walk away from the dark arts and I watched them go. Second, I saw regret in him afterwards, he attended the funeral of a friend and he looked somber, hiding in the background. Third, when I talked to him in my office, he came off very sincerely. If he's lying to me then I feel I've already lost my touch."
Alden sighed, "Granger, you're just getting started in your career, you certainly aren't losing your touch. We all get hoodwinked once in a while. He may be what they say, just a very cunning, convincing actor who knows how to work the people around him. You like to see the best in people," Hermione opened her mouth to object, but he held a hand up, "You do, Granger. You like to see the best in people and it's a blessing and a curse. You're able to let them be innocent until proven guilty, but it makes you vulnerable this early on in your career. I'm not saying you're wrong, It's just a friendly reminder to keep an independent mind. Don't get overly involved to the point that you can't accept it if it is the truth."
"I understand, sir," she nodded, "And I promise, I will keep an open mind, but there's just still something about it that doesn't feel right."
"Then keep digging," he smiled, "What are your thoughts, assuming you want to continue to hope he's innocent? How could three separate Death Eaters name him as the leader when they're not able to communicate?"
"Maybe they all decided at one of the meetings long ago who the scapegoat would be," she suggested, "Or perhaps they just all threw out the right name and had some dumb luck. Maybe Lucius is behind it. Maybe Draco is involved, but not the leader, but the best actor of the bunch."
"See at least now you're considering some options where he may not be totally innocent. That's an open mind."
Hermione looked conflicted, "Or maybe he's the leader and I've missed it along the way."
Alden sat back in his chair and gave a hearty laugh, "And now that we've come full circle, time to get back out there and see what else you can find."
O-o-o-o-o-o-o
Hermione sent an owl to Draco that night, requesting that he come in for a quick meeting the next day. She wanted to get a feel for his reaction to being named by two more Death Eaters.
When he arrived the following afternoon, she received a rubber duckie from the security department. She squeezed it, "Detective Granger, we have Mr. Malfoy on our watch list and he's just arrived in the building. He says he's got a meeting with you but you'll need to escort him from the atrium as he's not allowed to wander the Ministry on his own. Thanks," she let it go and it gave a dull squeak.
Hermione groaned, pushing back her chair and hurrying to the atrium. She got off the elevator, looking around and spotting a flash of blond hair in the small entrance office.
"Hello," she said to the man at the desk, "I'm here to escort Mr. Malfoy to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement."
The man looked up, "Badge, please."
She handed over her badge and he scanned it with his wand, "Looks like you're authorized to take him," he said, "For future reference, if someone is on the watch list, you'll have to meet them in the atrium. Security precaution, you understand."
Hermione nodded curtly, "Thank you, sir."
She turned to Draco, who had a scowl on his face, "You can follow me."
Once they were out of ear shot, Draco spoke up, "So I'm a security risk now?"
He didn't sound pleased.
"Unfortunately, you are," she responded as politely as she could, "We've got some things to discuss in my office."
"Bet you love this, don't you?" he muttered, "Bossing me around, having a nice comfortable office to take me to."
"Malfoy I'm doing no more than I need to. We can't discuss this stuff in the hallways."
"Well I'm no more than a Death Eater to the Ministry anyway, so what does it matter."
This was not going to be a fun day.
When they finally arrived in her office, she shut the door behind them and took her seat.
"Based on the welcome wagon, I'm guessing your news for me isn't good," he looked up at her, his eyes clouded again.
She sighed, "It's not great."
"Well, get on with it then. Are you arresting me yet?"
"No, we're not arresting you," her voice was stern again, "And I'd appreciate it if you stop using that tone with me."
He was quiet while they stared at each other for a moment in an almost challenging way.
When he didn't speak, she continued, "Two more Death Eaters came forward with a name for the leader. They both gave your name, just like Mr. Goyle."
Draco shook his head, "Wonderful. Can't imagine they came up with that one with all their free time in Azkaban," he said sarcastically.
"Actually, they couldn't have," she said slowly, "You see, they're all in solitary confinement. They can't communicate with each other at all."
"Well then they obviously planned this a long time ago," he said.
"The problem is, Malfoy, that it's not obvious," she looked at him seriously, "It's three different people pointing the finger at you."
"Do you believe them yet?" he asked darkly.
"I don't know what I believe," she said honestly, "There's no evidence against you besides hearsay, it's just, unfortunately, the only evidence."
"Then maybe you need to do some better investigating."
She stared at him again, getting very irritated with his demeanor, "I'm meeting with Nott and Goyle next week," she said, "Do you think that will be helpful?"
"Maybe," he said, sitting back again, "Goyle might be dense enough to let something slip if they're involved," he paused, "Though I'm not sure who would be dense enough to let him be involved."
"Okay, I'll let you know if we do hear anything interesting from that interview."
"Could I attend?" he asked.
"Attend… the interview?" she felt a little confused.
"Yes," he said, "I'd like to be there when you talk to Nott and Goyle. Maybe it'll keep them from lying."
Hermione looked uneasy, "I'll think about it."
Draco looked at her hard, "You're really starting to not believe me."
"Malfoy, we just need more facts and right now, we don't have them. I need to be open to all possibilities."
Draco stood up, "I think I'm all set for today," he bit, "Could you please have one of your other staff escort me back to the atrium?"
"Malfoy, we're doing the best we can to piece everything together."
"I see that. But I'll still be going now. This isn't quite the collaboration I thought it would be."
He walked out and over to the main door, hands in his pockets, waiting.
Hermione let out a long breath of air, "Johnson?" She said to the girl at the desk near her office, "Could you please escort Mr. Malfoy to the atrium?"
"Sure, Granger," she said, getting up and meeting him at the door to walk down. He didn't even give Hermione a backwards glance before he walked out.
Hermione shut her door again, sitting down and ripping open the nearest book on the desk , The Impartial Investigation: A Guide to Independence
She read for a while, trying to clear her mind, when she came upon a section that spoke to her:
To be impartial, is not to be without judgment. As crucial as it is to be impartial to biases and outside influences, judgment is an important part of an investigation and can often lead you to answers as you follow the signs in front of you. It's important to consider a suspect's tone, story consistency, internal motives, body language, and environment when also looking at the facts of evidence. Let your judgment guide you in your investigative steps, but not overshadow the evidence in front of you. There will always be a balance of impartiality and judgment in a good investigation.
Hermione leaned back, setting the book down and thinking on the passage. After a few minutes she sighed, grabbing a handful of Floo powder from the bowl on her desk and turning to the fireplace in the corner. She pulled the address Malfoy had given her off the shelf and threw the powder into the fire, "Malfoy Manor Sitting Room 3," she said clearly. The fire burned green and she got on her hands and knees, pushing her head into the flames.
When it came through on the other side she blinked a few times, looking around the empty room. She cleared her throat, "Marty?" she called.
She waited a moment in the silence until she heard the pitter patter of footsteps coming down the stairs in the distance. A house elf entered the room, looking curious.
"Marty here, ma'am," the house elf said, "How can I help you?"
"I'm looking for Draco Malfoy," she told her, "If you could be so kind as to grab him."
"Of course, ma'am, right away!" Marty bounded out of the room, returning a minute later with Draco.
He looked at her, annoyed, and turned to the house elf, "You're dismissed, Marty."
"Hi Malfoy," Hermione said awkwardly. There was nothing worse than talking through the Floo network, "I was hoping we could talk."
"I think we had a nice chat earlier," he crossed his arms.
"I may have been a little negative," Hermione allowed, "And I'd like to talk again in person."
"I'm not coming back to the Ministry tonight," Draco said stubbornly.
"Fine. Can I come to you?" she asked.
Draco huffed, "You'll have to come to the main gates. We don't have any open Floo Networks into the house. Security precaution, you understand."
Hermione bit her tongue, nodding, "How do I get there then?"
"You can apparate to the Hogs Head, I'll meet you there and bring you to the Manor gates."
"I'll be there in 10 minutes," she said, pulling her head out of the fire and back into her office. She shook her head out a little, gathering her bearings again before she stood up and grabbed her things, walking out of the office.
"Have a good night, Granger!" came Alden's voice as he watched her leave.
"Have a good evening, Mr. Northcott," she called back, mentally preparing herself for another meeting with Draco.
O-o-o-o-o-o-o
A/N: Hi All! Just a quick note - I originally posted chapter 4 saying Crabbe and Goyle would be the next people she talks to… and then my beta so sweetly reminded me that Crabbe died at the end of book 7! I changed it up to Theordore Nott and Goyle (Jr.). If you read before I made the change, it might flow better to hop back and re-read that section as it's posted now! Sorry about that, I'll do my fact checking a little better ;) Hopefully no one else is coming back from the dead!