The corridor of the dead

Hermione almost ran into some people in Knockturn Alley. Right after she had left Hogwarts, she had taken the floo-network to Diagon Alley. She was still trembling from the words of Dumbledore. Did he know what she had been looking for? Hermione wasn't sure, but it felt like Dumbledore had read her mind.

She looked on the paper, then looked at the stores of Knocturn Alley. 7b, 7b,...ah there it was.

'Knockturn Library' was written with red letters on a rusted plate. Hermione went inside and walked to the infodesk. An old witch was reading a book behind the desk. She looked up when she heard Hermione's footsteps.

"Can I help you?" she asked with a voice as rusty as the plate outside.

"I'm looking for a list containing the name Percival Dumbledore." Hermione said.

"Follow the cat." was the reply of the witch.

A small black cat jumped from a shelf and ran away. Hermione quickly followed. The library was larger than Hermione had expected. Together with the cat she passed trunks full of parchments, closets, reading corners and dozens of bookcases.

After a few minutes the cat jumped on a cupboard. He pointed to a drawer with his tail, and left Hermione alone.

Hermione opened the drawer. It was stuffed with papers, sorted alphabetically. She looked under the D. Darings,...Doodleton,...Dumbledore. Hermione took the paper out of the drawer and started to read.

DUMBLEDORE, PERCIVAL 001365677

More information about Percival Dumbledore : see 'Battles of Famous Wizards'

Listed below are caught Death Eaters (dead or alive) of the Battle of Wiltshire.

Abingfort, Daniel (dead) - Cole, Aaron - Cullock, Martin - Careston, George (dead) - Filch, Nigelius - Gray, Fred (dead) - Hemmingway, Lisa - Johnson, Mark - Kerllman, Harry - Kensington, Maria - Kressman, Darcy - Landry, Samuel - Malfoy, Gabriella (dead) - Malfoy, Sagmina (dead) - Naylor, Bruce - Nott, Patricia (dead) - Rowe, Elisabeth - Sterling, Esmeralda - Wilton, Francis (dead) - Woodway, Lance

Hermione narrowed her eyes. Who were those Malfoys? They had to be family of Lucius. Hermione could now understand the hate from Malfoy, Dumbledore had killed some family members.

But still, Hermione thought, it was Dumbledore's right to kill these Death Eaters if they were attacking him. Female or not. Hermione wrote the details she needed on a paper and put the list back into the drawer. When she passed the desk, the witch said:

"That'll be four sickles, please."

Hermione took some money without arguing and left the library.

The next day, Hermione had to go back to Azkaban again to get some names out of Lucius.

Draco wouldn't join her today, because of a bad cold. All alone, she walked through the corridors of Azkaban. In the cell, she found Lucius sitting on the floor in a corner.

"Back again, little witch?" Lucius asked, "Please sit down."

Hermione took a seat on the floor, on a safe distance from Lucius.

"Who were Gabriella and Sagmina Malfoy?" she asked without thinking.

"Ah, followed my advice? Not so sure of the noble Dumbledore after all?" Lucius asked sharply.

"Who were they?" Hermione asked.

"Maybe later, Miss Granger, first tell me why you're here." Lucius said, "Want to sell a vacation in another prison to me too?"

"No," Hermione replied, "You will stay here until you die."

"Oh, I see, so how are you going to let me spill information about your 'Lost Death Eaters'? With truth serum maybe?"

"No, I'm not allowed to use it and you know it. Your medical file says that you can get an allergy from it, causing death. How convinient, isn't it, if you have enough galleons to change your medical file." Hermione bit.

"You can't prove anything." Lucius said with a smile, "So, what else have you got?"

"Well, you tell me what you want and I'll see what I can arrange for you."

"I can ask whatever I want?"

"Yes, everything that is practicable, except for your freedom." Hermione replied.

"I'll think about it." Lucius said.

"Don't think about it too long, my offer isn't permanent." Hermione responded.

"Oh? Who else where you going to bother then?" Lucius asked, standing up.

Hermione stood up too without thinking.

"There's a whole corridor here, filled with Death Eaters like yourself, who are desperate to get their freedom back." she said.

Lucius laughed amused. He went as close to Hermione as his chains allowed him to.

"Dear Miss Granger, outside of McNair I'm the only Death Eater left who can give you names. The rest all died, one by one."

"What?"

"Yes, the guards even call it 'The Corridor of the Dead'." Lucius smiled, "Well, there goes your fantastic plan. And ironically, I'm the one you're stuck with. The only one who you can't offer his freedom back."

Hermione swallowed hard. She saw her whole carreer at the Ministry falling apart, if Lucius wouldn't help her. For someone who rarely failed in her mission, this was like a Bludger in the face. But one thing was sure, she would never give him his freedom, even when it ment the end of her carreer.

Lucius bowed over to her and whispered: "Life isn't fair, is it?"

Hermione shuddered from the small distance between them, Lucius had noticed. He looked at the young women in front of him. She looked at the ground, totally confused. Lucius observed her closely. Her lips where trembling. Lucius had to admit that, even for a mudblood, she had become a beautiful witch. Completely transformed into a woman in those few years.

"I think I just found what I want." he said, breaking the silence between them.

"What do you want?" Hermione asked.