"Professor, you didn't say when we are to start..."
"Oh my goodness, how careless of me."
She tugged open a drawer and withdrew four scrolls of parchment tied off with a gold ribbon, and handed one to each of them.
"These are the particulars related to your apprenticeships. Inside you'll find a copy of your amended schedules. Ordinarily, this program occupies the afternoon class slots for all sixth years on Tuesdays and Thursdays. However, given the nature of this assignment we felt it would be better for you to have a bit more time at the Ministry, so your schedules have been amended to allow you to take the same slots on Monday and Wednesday. To make up for those classes you will have to make them up in an early class. It's all detailed in there. You should know this though," she glanced at them seriously over her spectacles, "in an effort to cover this assignment we have split all the apprenticeships so there will be students at the Ministry now every day but Friday, but only the four of you will be there all four days. So keep quiet about your early classes, and report to Dumbledore's office at the assigned time to portkey to the Ministry. Now…You will have to RUN to make Potions on time. Go!"
~
"What a morning," Ron groaned as Harry, Ron and Hermione headed to lunch. "Double potions, followed by Binns." He shook his head miserably.
"Pretty rough," Harry yawned hugely.
Hermione was reading her parchment scroll as they hurried through the corridors to the Great Hall. It was exceptionally noisy being the first day back.
"What does it say, Hermione?" Harry asked as they took seats at the Gryffindor table. Hermione continued to read, so Harry dished salad and pasta with red sauce onto her plate.
"Well…It looks like we go to Charms as per usual, but after that, we'll have to dash back to the Tower and change, then head to Dumbledore's office. We'll miss double Herbology and Transfigurations lecture today. Then we miss double Transfiguration Wednesday, as well as Herbology lecture. So we report tomorrow am at 6 to Herbology, and Thursday at 6 to Transfiguration. It says we'll do a consolidated lecture and lab in the allotted time, then be released for breakfast and our usual Wednesday schedule." She rolled the parchment back up carefully and tied it off, then started shoveling copious amounts of food into her mouth.
"Hermione! You'll make yourself sick," Ron frowned. "Let me guess…off to the library?"
"No," she swallowed an enormous mouthful of pumpkin juice. "I am going to the hospital wing before charms," she glared. "I want to check on Ginny."
"Oh," Ron looked glumly down at his plate, sufficiently chastised. Ginny had been held in hospital since the bizarre nightmare episode, as Madam Pomfrey had not been able to keep her temperature down.
"Eat up Ron, you can come with me," she said encouragingly. "You too Harry." Ron nodded and joined her in mass consumption, as did Harry. The three of them finished their meal in record speed, collected their things and dashed off to the hospital wing.
Ginny was asleep when they arrived. Madam Pomfrey allowed them to visit her but was quite stern about keeping quiet. Since she was sleeping, they decided to cut the visit short and Hermione and Ron stood to go. Harry watched Ginny sadly from his seat, gazing at the bandage on her forehead. Madam Pomfrey had said she could not get the wound to heal properly, and was convinced that when it did, Ginny's fever would break. He stood to leave, stepped close to the bed and reached down absently to brush a strand of her magnificent fiery hair from her cheek. As his hand brushed her cheek, he noticed her eyes shifting madly beneath her closed lids, and her head shook slightly. Harry frowned and reached across without thinking to run a finger across the bandage.
Upon contact there was a brilliant flash of red light, the bandage vanished, and Harry could see the gash in her head was glowing a vibrant red; Ginny sucked in a deep breath, her eyes flew open, locked with Harry's and her hand gripped his wrist. Hermione gasped, as she and Ron watched in horror with gaping mouths. The gash emitted a second brilliant flash and both Harry and Ginny screamed out in pain. Madame Pomfrey rounded the partition in time to see Harry wrench his wrist from Ginny's grip and stagger back from the bed, clutching his scar with both hands as he dropped to his knees.
The brilliant light subsided and Harry continued to pant, beads of sweat rolled down his forehead, and he trembled with a slight chill. Ginny's eyes had fluttered closed, and Madame Pomfrey stood over her inspecting her wound which had started to bleed again profusely. "Oh!" she exclaimed, pressing a wad of gauze from the bedside tray, firmly against the wound. "What happened?" she asked frantically, gazing back and forth between Ron and Hermione who seemed frozen in place. "Who removed her bandage?" she demanded.
"No one…" Hermione managed at last. "Harry got close to her and the bandage started to glow…it disappeared when she grabbed his arm, and they both started to scream."
"You two, go and fetch professor Dumbledore!" Madam Pomfrey replaced the bandaged to Ginny's head and turned to help Harry back into a chair and inspect him carefully. His color was bad and he was shaky, but otherwise looked to be in tact. She frowned at the scar on his forehead shaking her head as she did. "I'll mix up something for you Potter. Stay put." She turned to usher Hermione and Ron, who had remained frozen in place, to the door and send them after Dumbledore, when it burst open, and Professor Snape entered, escorting an exceptionally pale and visibly shaken Draco Malfoy. He too was clutching his forehead, and the others gazed at him in wonder.
"He collapsed in the dungeon corridor outside my office," Snape informed Madame Pomfrey. "He was shrieking and grasping his forehead." He glanced darkly at Hermione and Ron.
"Take him to that partition, Severus," she indicated the bed across from Ginny's. "I'm mixing up a potion for Potter now. I'll fix one for him as well."
"Potter?" Snape hissed. Poppy nodded gravely. "He's here…came to visit Miss Weasley." She turned to Hermione and Ron. "You two! Dumbledore! Now!" she commanded. They nodded, snapping out of their reverie, and Ron tugged the door open for Hermione, scowling at Malfoy as he passed, then disappeared through the door, dashing off through the corridors on Hermione's heels.
Hermione and Ron had found Dumbledore just outside his office and he raced off to the hospital wing, leaving them to wander back to Gryffindor Tower and collect their things for Charms.
Harry and Draco arrived late for Charms, both looking much improved physically, but otherwise quite sullen. To add insult to injury, they were forced to partner off for the remainder of class, and worked through the day's exercises with a sort of stiff formality. At the end of class Hermione and Ron waited for Harry in the corridor, and watched as Draco slipped past them wordlessly to hurry to the dungeon and the Slytherine dorm to change for the Ministry. The three of them hurried back to Gryffindor Tower to change as well, and met in the common room to head for Dumbledore's office.
"You're looking better, Harry," Hermione said gently. "Are you feeling alright?"
"Yeah…Pepper Up seemed to do the trick, though, I'm still a bit achy." He kept his eyes straight ahead. "I don't know…I have a really bad feeling about this business with Ginny and Draco."
"Harry, do you suppose this is to do with …Voldemort?" Ron spat the name out distastefully.
"I don't see how it couldn't. Otherwise, why would my scar hurt? And another thing," he said quietly, glancing about to see that no one could hear them. "That scar on Malfoy…it's a bit of a crescent shape. Did you notice?" The others nodded. "Well, Ginny's is the same. It looks just the same, or it will rather, when it finally heals."
"Did she ever wake up?" Hermione asked quietly.
"No," he shook his head. "She was asleep again when I left, and her fever is still high." He stopped and looked up with a grin at the man stepping down from the spiral steps to Dumbledore's office. Ron and Hermione smiled when they saw him. "Hello Remus…er-Professor." Harry had only just gotten accustomed to calling him Remus.
"Well, well, well," Remus grinned back. "Here comes trouble."
"What are you doing here?" Harry asked.
"I'm escorting you to the Ministry today. I have a free period now, and I'm to escort you to Magical Law Enforcement," he glanced down the corridor. "Ah, here comes more trouble." They all turned to see Malfoy headed strait for them, grimly.
"Ok, well now that you're all here we can go. We must go up to Dumbledore's office to portkey. The castle has been heavily charmed for added security." Lupin waved them up the steps and followed, then held out a massive, ancient looking brass key. The foursome touched a finger to the key and were immediately whisked off to the Ministry.
Remus informed them he would return for them at days end, and they were to meet him by the fountain downstairs. He then escorted them all to their respective divisions, dropping Draco and Harry at the entrance to the Aurors headquarters, where Kingsley Shacklebolt was conveniently enough just stepping through the door. He greeted them both warmly, and Harry followed him chatting comfortably. Draco shot a nervous glance to Hermione who tried to smile encouragingly as he disappeared through the door.
Next, they deposited Ron into the hands of Chief of Strategic Planning, Abelard Williamson. He greeted Ron warmly, and smiled as Remus introduced him to Hermione. As he shook her hand, she flushed slightly, thinking he looked an awful lot like Bill Weasley, only his ponytail was chestnut brown, and his eyes were the color of whiskey. He was terribly good looking, and with a confidence which defied his age, while at the same time seemed very genuine, and down to earth. Ron appeared quite pleased and waved to Hermione as he headed off with Williamson and Remus led her down to the very farthest end of the office.
Hermione was delighted with her placement, stepping in through the door to the department for Research and Development, which was for all intents and purposes, a library. Senior Director Fortisku Dawlish was pleasant enough, reminding Hermione a bit of Mr. Weasley, with balding dark hair and tiny wire glasses which he was constantly pushing up onto his nose. She learned quickly that despite his seemingly skittish demeanor, he was clearly a brilliant man, and they had several in depth discussions about protocol and varied ministry divisions which Hermione found to be utterly fascinating.
He set her up at a small, ancient desk behind a tapestry partition. This room, with its massive book cases with rolling ladders and ancient wooden files, was very different from the main office spaces in the Department, which featured sleek, contemporary cubicles, and Hermione found she preferred this sort of environment. Her carved, dark oak desk had a beautiful tiffany lamp with a leaded glass shade and a basket with various office supplies, quills and parchment, folders and clips. Between her desk and what she presumed was his, was a sort of Tea center, complete with kettle, mugs, and canisters of varied teas and tins of biscuits. His desk was massive, with loads of open files and notes tacked up on upholstered boards and panels, She noticed a tattered Ravenclaw pennant pinned above his desk, amongst various awards and certificates, as well as a variety of black and white snaps and family pictures.
"Ok, Hermione," I have a project which I am going to assign to you specifically," Dawlish dropped a massive file on her desk, and stood at her elbow to give her further instructions. "I have discussed this thoroughly with Albus-er, Professor Dumbledore, rather, and he feels you will be perfect for this assignment." He pushed his glasses back and met her brown eyes with his own sharp, grey eyes. "First I should tell you, this assignment is a bit….unique, for a student apprentice at any rate, but you come highly recommended and I am assured possess the capacity to maintain utter discrepancy and silence about the person you will be investigating. You will comb over this file. Look for anything suspicious, anything you think might indicate a lead toward finding a leak from the Ministry." He noticed her eyes shifted quickly and her brow furrowed. "I am aware there is a leak somewhere here…in fact I was the one who informed Dumbledore about my findings. We have reason to believe this person in particular has sufficient motive and the resources to acquire and distribute highly secure information which might be of considerable value to the enemy." He watched her carefully and she nodded.
"Of course, " she said firmly, and he nodded in return.
"Go on then," he said encouragingly and she removed the cord which bundled the massive file together, turned back the folder on top and gasped at the face which gazed up at her from the black and white photograph inside. Hermione could not stifle the slight gasp as she looked into the watery, bulging eyes and noticed the broad, pudgy cheeks and gruesome, wide toady smile, of Dolores Jane Umbridge, complete with curly hair and velvet bow.
When she recovered enough to speak, she blinked up at him and said "Senior Director-"
"Please….call me Dawlish."
"Er-Dawlish, Dolores Umbridge is being investigated?"
---------------------
and the jigsaw piece...
"Among others. But Umbridge is under particularly close scrutiny because…"
---------------------
This piece was written by...Mayfair
