Hermione paused as they entered the Ministry Library. She gasped at the
sheer magnificence of it.
"My goodness!" she exclaimed. "This puts the Hogwarts Library to shame."
"That it does, my dear." Came a familiar voice from behind her. She quickly spun around to see who was addressing her such. Much to her delight, it was Albus Dumbledore that was standing behind her, regarding her with the same expression of elation that one would always adopt when unexpectedly meeting a old friend.
"Professor Dumbledore! How wonderful to see you." She smiled at him. He smiled back, his eyes glittering with the warmth that she had grown accustomed to as a student.
"Miss Granger, I can't tell you how happy I am to see you. Here I was, thinking that this was to be another boring trip to the Ministry, when here I see one of my most eager and friendly past pupils."
"I'm glad to see that you still look upon my school years with such good memories. Would I be out of line to ask what it is you are doing here?" she ventured, trying to find some common ground on which they could talk. She had always found 'small talk' an annoying and often embarrassing topic to talk about.
"No, of course not. However, unfortunately time constraints will not allow me to spend too much time here speaking with you." The volume of his voice dropped to a level that only she could hear. "However, there are some things I believe I need to speak with you about. Is there any possibility of setting up a meeting in the next day or so?"
She looked at him, as if trying to gauge the severity of the need to speak to her from the expression on his face. As usual, his expression gave away nothing other than hope.
"Certainly, Professor. If you like, I could visit you at Hogwarts and we can talk."
"That would be wonderful." His volume once again returned to a normal level. "Perhaps you could visit us this evening, and stay for dinner. I am certain that the other teachers would enjoy your company."
"Very well. I will see you this evening then, Professor Dumbledore." She smiled kindly.
"I shall look for ward to it then, my dear. Good afternoon Miss Granger." He smiled at her once again, and made his way past her and out the exit.
She walked past the front desk, flashing the security pass that Ron had lent her earlier in the day. She needed this pass to retrieve information on Dark Magic or Death Eaters. She wandered into the Dark magic section, where she was stopped by a burly security guard with red eyes.
"I need to see some ID, ma'am, before I can let you in here." She showed him the security pass. "I'm sorry, but that's not gonna cut it. Need some ID. This is a pass."
She began to rummage through her bag for her purse. 'Maybe my apparition licence will suffice.' She thought. Just when she had manage to remove it from her bag, a very flustered looking Arthur Weasley made his way out form behind one of the bookshelves in the Dark magic section. He rushed over to Hermione, grabbing her arm and pulling her past the guard.
"That's okay, Manny. She's with me." Said Arthur. The guard, Manny, grunted and disappeared behind a wall.
"Hermione, what are you doing here?"
"Y'know. Just looking for a bit of information." She replied, with a curt smile.
"How did you get in here?" she showed him the pass that Ron had given her. "Ah. Ron. I could've guessed. I don't suppose there is any chance that you'll tell me what you're looking for?" he looked doubtful. She smiled, but shook her head.
"Classified." She answered, beginning to browse around the shelves, quickly locating what she needed.
As if that one word answer was all he needed, Arthur Weasley bade her good afternoon, and walked out, making hastily for the apparition area. He needed to speak with his son about allowing others to use his security pass.
Whilst he was doing this, Hermione was setting up a spot at a table with her newfound reference. She opened the weighty tome, only just beginning to realise how far Voldemort's reach was. She quickly located the contents page, seeing the many categories that Death Eaters could be classified into. They were mostly the kind of classes related to location. She located and opened the book to the section on Death Eaters in England, and began her search for the 'mystery man.'
"My goodness!" she exclaimed. "This puts the Hogwarts Library to shame."
"That it does, my dear." Came a familiar voice from behind her. She quickly spun around to see who was addressing her such. Much to her delight, it was Albus Dumbledore that was standing behind her, regarding her with the same expression of elation that one would always adopt when unexpectedly meeting a old friend.
"Professor Dumbledore! How wonderful to see you." She smiled at him. He smiled back, his eyes glittering with the warmth that she had grown accustomed to as a student.
"Miss Granger, I can't tell you how happy I am to see you. Here I was, thinking that this was to be another boring trip to the Ministry, when here I see one of my most eager and friendly past pupils."
"I'm glad to see that you still look upon my school years with such good memories. Would I be out of line to ask what it is you are doing here?" she ventured, trying to find some common ground on which they could talk. She had always found 'small talk' an annoying and often embarrassing topic to talk about.
"No, of course not. However, unfortunately time constraints will not allow me to spend too much time here speaking with you." The volume of his voice dropped to a level that only she could hear. "However, there are some things I believe I need to speak with you about. Is there any possibility of setting up a meeting in the next day or so?"
She looked at him, as if trying to gauge the severity of the need to speak to her from the expression on his face. As usual, his expression gave away nothing other than hope.
"Certainly, Professor. If you like, I could visit you at Hogwarts and we can talk."
"That would be wonderful." His volume once again returned to a normal level. "Perhaps you could visit us this evening, and stay for dinner. I am certain that the other teachers would enjoy your company."
"Very well. I will see you this evening then, Professor Dumbledore." She smiled kindly.
"I shall look for ward to it then, my dear. Good afternoon Miss Granger." He smiled at her once again, and made his way past her and out the exit.
She walked past the front desk, flashing the security pass that Ron had lent her earlier in the day. She needed this pass to retrieve information on Dark Magic or Death Eaters. She wandered into the Dark magic section, where she was stopped by a burly security guard with red eyes.
"I need to see some ID, ma'am, before I can let you in here." She showed him the security pass. "I'm sorry, but that's not gonna cut it. Need some ID. This is a pass."
She began to rummage through her bag for her purse. 'Maybe my apparition licence will suffice.' She thought. Just when she had manage to remove it from her bag, a very flustered looking Arthur Weasley made his way out form behind one of the bookshelves in the Dark magic section. He rushed over to Hermione, grabbing her arm and pulling her past the guard.
"That's okay, Manny. She's with me." Said Arthur. The guard, Manny, grunted and disappeared behind a wall.
"Hermione, what are you doing here?"
"Y'know. Just looking for a bit of information." She replied, with a curt smile.
"How did you get in here?" she showed him the pass that Ron had given her. "Ah. Ron. I could've guessed. I don't suppose there is any chance that you'll tell me what you're looking for?" he looked doubtful. She smiled, but shook her head.
"Classified." She answered, beginning to browse around the shelves, quickly locating what she needed.
As if that one word answer was all he needed, Arthur Weasley bade her good afternoon, and walked out, making hastily for the apparition area. He needed to speak with his son about allowing others to use his security pass.
Whilst he was doing this, Hermione was setting up a spot at a table with her newfound reference. She opened the weighty tome, only just beginning to realise how far Voldemort's reach was. She quickly located the contents page, seeing the many categories that Death Eaters could be classified into. They were mostly the kind of classes related to location. She located and opened the book to the section on Death Eaters in England, and began her search for the 'mystery man.'