Hermione felt emotionally drained as the hours passed. Small, unfamiliar
house elves presented her with a meager lunch and dinner, and even a change
of clothes. She sat on the thin bed, on which she had woken up earlier,
and wished for a book to read.
"Herm-own-ninny?" Hermione jumped at the strong, soothing male voice. She hadn't noticed anyone coming. "Herm-own-ninny, are you there?"
It was Krum. She almost didn't answer him, but she let herself say, "I'm here."
Krum's face was framed in the small barred window in the door. "I vonted to tell you that I am sorry for today," he said slowly. The odd evilness she had sensed earlier had vanished, and she saw the genuine, worried Krum that she knew so well.
She shook herself mentally. 'What are you thinking?' she asked herself. 'He tried to make you look guilty, and Professor Kinsley said he threatened to kill me.'
Hermione frowned at him. "You're sorry? Don't act like it was an accident or something."
"No!" he said despairingly. "I made a mistake; I haff been vanting to tell you everything, but I haff not been allowed down here."
"I know enough," Hermione said gruffly, wishing she had the ability to walk away from the conversation, or close the window, or do something to keep him from talking to him.
"Please listen," he pleaded "I haff something for you. . . your wand. I haff your wand, Herm-own-ninny. . ."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
A large fist landed heavily on Dumbledore's desk, sending a small glass trinket to the floor with a small clink.
"You can't let them do this," Snape spat quietly, ignoring the broken ornament at his feet. His wild eyes caught Dumbledore's. "Surely you don't want her in Azkaban?"
"I don't want anyone in Azkaban, least of all a young teenage girl, but she's out of my hands now, Severus." Dumbledore shook his head. "You've done enough trying to prove her innocence. Everything is stacked against her." Dumbledore waved his wand thoughtlessly, magiking the broken glass back to the top of his desk, and then placing his wand in front of him. "I am already observing our alliances against Voldemort breaking apart," he said. "The Bulgarians are threatening to separate from us if we take anyone else's word over Viktor Krum's."
"Are they worth being our allies if they place that much trust in Krum?" Snape asked. "Viktor Krum's name has come up more than Hermione's in the latest questioning of the captured Death Eaters."
"Severus, it is no longer a question of who did it. Harry Potter is dead and it's tearing everything apart. I'm trying to keep us together because it is precisely at a time like this that Voldemort will make his move." Dumbledore took a breath, an echo of pain in his blue eyes. "Somebody wanted this to happen, wanted to hinder our progress against Voldemort."
"But why Hermione?" Snape argued. "She's muggle-born, and Voldemort's victory would produce results more disastrous for her than for a pure- blood."
"Why Hermione?" Dumbledore replied. "Why Voldemort? Why anybody?" He sighed. "We can't focus on motive right now. The truth of the matter is that she has tried to hinder our side by attempting to take away my position as a leader numerous times."
Snape sighed disgustedly. "I get it, now. You'll be just and noble as long as you have your authority but as soon as someone tries to take that away from you, they don't deserve justice."
"She's gotten justice beyond what anyone else would have received in her position," Dumbledore said in an unnaturally loud voice. "A witness, a wand test, continuous strange behavior, and no testimony as to what happened; anyone else would have been guilty long ago. Even if she is innocent, trying to prove it to a jury will take time that our aurors don't have."
"Veritaserum!" Snape said, as if he had suggested it before. "It's the easiest way to find the answer. I can make the truth potion myself-"
"That will take weeks to prepare," Dumbledore said. "The wizards and witches from Europe-from all over the world-don't want to wait. Our alliances with them are more important right now. Once this is over we will be able to move forward in our fight. If we let this stop us, who knows how much control Voldemort will gain?"
"So we'll just toss her into Azkaban, when there's still a chance, however little that she's innocent?" Snape swallowed and said, "That's not the Dumbledore I used to know. That's not the Dumbledore Harry Potter knew."
Dumbledore looked sadly into Snape's eyes at the accusation. He opened his mouth to argue, and then closed it again, suddenly torn as to what to say or do.
Snape put his hands on the desk and leaned toward Dumbledore, speaking in a whisper. "You know there's a chance, Albus. Don't let everything she tried to do to you get in the way. You know that Krum's word can't be trusted, and Greta Kinsley's story about Krum's death threats isn't entirely farfetched. If Hermione is telling the truth, she could know more about the whereabouts of undercover Death Eaters than any of our aurors."
Dumbledore licked his dry lips and pressed them together. "Still a chance." he murmured, gazing off into middle infinity for a few moments then looking at Snape. "How long until you will have a vial of potion ready?"
"Fifteen days," Snape said concretely, straightening himself in front of the desk.
"So be it," Dumbledore said. "This is the last test, Severus. I can't afford to spend more time on this."
"Yes sir..."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
((This is where I reply to your reviews, because I love that kind of communication))
Trisana - I'm glad you like the story, and hope I updated soon enough for you. I know this chapter is quite short, but it simply turned out that way (despite the amount of time I spent writing) :)
Twilight - Yeah, I've become quite attached to Josh, and it sucked having to make him say things like that. Although we don't know exactly what happened yet, we're getting closer to finding out, so don't worry.
Serpentine Princess - Thank you very much for the compliments
KeeperOfTheMoon - Yes, it looks like her wand was used to kill him, but remember that Harry's wand was used to make the Dark Mark in GoF.
PyroAndrea - Thank you, and I hope you've noted the added chapters.
EmmaMalfoy - Lol, I hope you mean strange in a good way. : ) Thanks for putting me on your fav's list, btw.
"Herm-own-ninny?" Hermione jumped at the strong, soothing male voice. She hadn't noticed anyone coming. "Herm-own-ninny, are you there?"
It was Krum. She almost didn't answer him, but she let herself say, "I'm here."
Krum's face was framed in the small barred window in the door. "I vonted to tell you that I am sorry for today," he said slowly. The odd evilness she had sensed earlier had vanished, and she saw the genuine, worried Krum that she knew so well.
She shook herself mentally. 'What are you thinking?' she asked herself. 'He tried to make you look guilty, and Professor Kinsley said he threatened to kill me.'
Hermione frowned at him. "You're sorry? Don't act like it was an accident or something."
"No!" he said despairingly. "I made a mistake; I haff been vanting to tell you everything, but I haff not been allowed down here."
"I know enough," Hermione said gruffly, wishing she had the ability to walk away from the conversation, or close the window, or do something to keep him from talking to him.
"Please listen," he pleaded "I haff something for you. . . your wand. I haff your wand, Herm-own-ninny. . ."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
A large fist landed heavily on Dumbledore's desk, sending a small glass trinket to the floor with a small clink.
"You can't let them do this," Snape spat quietly, ignoring the broken ornament at his feet. His wild eyes caught Dumbledore's. "Surely you don't want her in Azkaban?"
"I don't want anyone in Azkaban, least of all a young teenage girl, but she's out of my hands now, Severus." Dumbledore shook his head. "You've done enough trying to prove her innocence. Everything is stacked against her." Dumbledore waved his wand thoughtlessly, magiking the broken glass back to the top of his desk, and then placing his wand in front of him. "I am already observing our alliances against Voldemort breaking apart," he said. "The Bulgarians are threatening to separate from us if we take anyone else's word over Viktor Krum's."
"Are they worth being our allies if they place that much trust in Krum?" Snape asked. "Viktor Krum's name has come up more than Hermione's in the latest questioning of the captured Death Eaters."
"Severus, it is no longer a question of who did it. Harry Potter is dead and it's tearing everything apart. I'm trying to keep us together because it is precisely at a time like this that Voldemort will make his move." Dumbledore took a breath, an echo of pain in his blue eyes. "Somebody wanted this to happen, wanted to hinder our progress against Voldemort."
"But why Hermione?" Snape argued. "She's muggle-born, and Voldemort's victory would produce results more disastrous for her than for a pure- blood."
"Why Hermione?" Dumbledore replied. "Why Voldemort? Why anybody?" He sighed. "We can't focus on motive right now. The truth of the matter is that she has tried to hinder our side by attempting to take away my position as a leader numerous times."
Snape sighed disgustedly. "I get it, now. You'll be just and noble as long as you have your authority but as soon as someone tries to take that away from you, they don't deserve justice."
"She's gotten justice beyond what anyone else would have received in her position," Dumbledore said in an unnaturally loud voice. "A witness, a wand test, continuous strange behavior, and no testimony as to what happened; anyone else would have been guilty long ago. Even if she is innocent, trying to prove it to a jury will take time that our aurors don't have."
"Veritaserum!" Snape said, as if he had suggested it before. "It's the easiest way to find the answer. I can make the truth potion myself-"
"That will take weeks to prepare," Dumbledore said. "The wizards and witches from Europe-from all over the world-don't want to wait. Our alliances with them are more important right now. Once this is over we will be able to move forward in our fight. If we let this stop us, who knows how much control Voldemort will gain?"
"So we'll just toss her into Azkaban, when there's still a chance, however little that she's innocent?" Snape swallowed and said, "That's not the Dumbledore I used to know. That's not the Dumbledore Harry Potter knew."
Dumbledore looked sadly into Snape's eyes at the accusation. He opened his mouth to argue, and then closed it again, suddenly torn as to what to say or do.
Snape put his hands on the desk and leaned toward Dumbledore, speaking in a whisper. "You know there's a chance, Albus. Don't let everything she tried to do to you get in the way. You know that Krum's word can't be trusted, and Greta Kinsley's story about Krum's death threats isn't entirely farfetched. If Hermione is telling the truth, she could know more about the whereabouts of undercover Death Eaters than any of our aurors."
Dumbledore licked his dry lips and pressed them together. "Still a chance." he murmured, gazing off into middle infinity for a few moments then looking at Snape. "How long until you will have a vial of potion ready?"
"Fifteen days," Snape said concretely, straightening himself in front of the desk.
"So be it," Dumbledore said. "This is the last test, Severus. I can't afford to spend more time on this."
"Yes sir..."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
((This is where I reply to your reviews, because I love that kind of communication))
Trisana - I'm glad you like the story, and hope I updated soon enough for you. I know this chapter is quite short, but it simply turned out that way (despite the amount of time I spent writing) :)
Twilight - Yeah, I've become quite attached to Josh, and it sucked having to make him say things like that. Although we don't know exactly what happened yet, we're getting closer to finding out, so don't worry.
Serpentine Princess - Thank you very much for the compliments
KeeperOfTheMoon - Yes, it looks like her wand was used to kill him, but remember that Harry's wand was used to make the Dark Mark in GoF.
PyroAndrea - Thank you, and I hope you've noted the added chapters.
EmmaMalfoy - Lol, I hope you mean strange in a good way. : ) Thanks for putting me on your fav's list, btw.