"What are you going to do?" Ginny asked worriedly, setting her teacup down. Hermione had just told her everything that had happened the night before. "Maybe my dad could help."
"I don't want anything to happen to him," Hermione said. "If he knows, he's in danger. He's surrounded by corrupt Ministry workers there…They'd know in a heartbeat."
"Ron could help," Ginny suggested, her eyes lighting up. "He's gotten really good, now, and I bet he could get some of the other aurors to help."
Suddenly Ginny's bedroom door burst open. Ron rushed in, water dripping from his hair and robes. "Hermione, are you all right?"
She bit her lip. "You know…you know everything."
"It didn't take long," he said softly. "We've been watching old Tobin's room for years—since he's been gone. The sensors detected movement and we had to check it out." He tossed his robes onto the back of a chair and started wiping the rainwater from his face. "Don't worry, we'll get him. After he disappeared seven years ago, no one ever really thought he was gone."
"Who is he?" Ginny questioned. "Who's this Tobin man?"
Ron dropped his towel and sat down. "He's a maniac. He spent most of his life in a mental institution until they finally decided he was capable of living on his own. That's when they put him to work at the Ministry of Magic."
"What did he do there?" Hermione asked. She pulled her coat more tightly around her shoulders.
"He was a decoder," Ron replied. "When the Ministry intercepted messages from Death Eaters and other followers of Voldemort, he could decode them. They never meant anything to most people—looked like mindless rambling and babble, but he always decoded it." He laughed a little, spitefully. "Now we know why, I guess. He was one of them."
"Do you think he's been hiding in that room for seven years?" Hermione questioned, concerned. "He certainly looked it."
"You saw him?" Ron asked disbelievingly. Hermione nodded. "Wow." He stopped, thinking. "So, what were you doing down there, anyway?"
"Malfoy. He made me," she replied. "He threatened to kill me if I didn't help him get in. If he hadn't let his guard down, I don't know where I'd be right now." She shuddered. "I can still fell his icy hand around my arm." She paused. "He wanted names, people to contact. He said there were many Dark Wizards still active."
"You'll have to talk to the Minister," Ron said quietly. She nodded, letting him take her hand. "But not until tomorrow. I'll go with you."
"Thank you, Ron," she smiled weakly.
"Don't worry." His hands felt warm against her cold and clammy ones. "I won't let anything happen to you."
"And I won't either," Ginny stepped in.
Hermione laughed through her tears. "I know you won't." She wiped her eyes and stood up. Ron finally let go and walked her out. She hugged him tightly. "I'll be all right. I'm just a little shaken."
"If you ever want to talk…" he began, trailing off. "Erm, well, you know." She slowly put her hands on his cheeks and kissed him. He put his arms around her and held her, letting her rest her head on his shoulder. "Hermione."
She looked up and gently pushed his hair away from his eyes. "I'd better go." Hermione stepped away from his and Apparated.
"Wow, Ron," Ginny said from the stairs. "You certainly got what you wanted."
"Go to bed, Ginny," Ron snapped, glaring at her.
She frowned and walked up to her room. Ron sighed. There had to be a better way—there just had to.
Hermione and Ron stepped into the great lobby of the Ministry of Magic. She nervously followed him into the elevator. She remembered the last time she was in there and felt very uneasy about it. He took her hand, sensing those feelings, but she saw the same fear in his eyes, though he would not look at her. They were going down to the Department of Mysteries again, where Hermione would be questioned.
"Hermione, I—"
"Ron—"
They stopped. "You go first," said Ron.
"No, you," Hermione insisted.
"I think we should turn around." He sopped the elevator and set it to move in the opposite direction. "There's something I have to say, and—"
Suddenly the elevator stopped. Ron stumbled and Hermione nearly fell. "What's happening?"
"I dunno; it must be broken." Ron took out his wand and there was a shout from the other side of the door. Before they even knew what had been shouted, the elevator doors blasted apart violently. Hermione screamed.
"Well, I don't think you're upholding your part of the bargain, Weasley," Draco Malfoy sneered. Three men came out of the shadows behind him.
"I don't want to be a part of this anymore, Malfoy," Ron said savagely.
"You're already in too deep," Malfoy replied suavely. "Besides, it was your idea to kill the mudblood's parents."
"My idea? Are you mad?" Ron was aghast. "I had nothing to do with it!" He turned to Hermione, who had begun backing away from him. "Hermione, please listen to me, he's lying. I don't even know what he's talking about."
"You killed my parents?" Hermione managed to get out.
"Well, not me, personally," Malfoy said, smirking.
"How is that possible?" she exclaimed. "I was home—they—they were in their bed!"
"Were they breathing?" Malfoy asked.
She had had enough. Trembling with rage, she lunged at him, screaming, "You bastard! You passionless, guiltless bastard, I'll kill you! I'll kill you!" The thugs pulled her from Malfoy. "No! No, don't touch me! Get off of me, don't touch me!" she shrieked. They dropped her and she curled up on the hard cold floor, sobbing wildly.
Ron whipped out his wand, crying, "Avada kedavr—"
"Expelliarmus!" Malfoy and the three thugs shouted at once. Ron's wand flew out of his hand and his body was flung against the back wall of the elevator. He was unconscious.
