The Riddle of Jim Lillian
Part Four: Minerva's Tale
Standard Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
WARNING: Major Character Deaths
Part Four Summary: Six years after the final battle, McGonagall confronts the enigma that is Jim Lillian.
8th June, 1998
It had only been two days since the final battle, just two days since Minerva McGonagall had been promoted to Headmistress of Hogwarts. She had heard that when the Headmaster departs that the transition was never smooth and there are always complications. Most of these complications tended to be small, such as getting the stone gargoyle to acknowledge the new Headmaster. But Minerva had never heard of a previous changeover being so difficult or having so many problems.
Luckily, Argus Filch had just fixed one of her smaller problems. It had taken him the better part of a day to re-hang the scores of portraits of the school's former headmasters. For some unknown reason, Albus had stored all of the portraits in a large soundproof room just before the final battle took place. However, the rest of her problems were not so easily fixed.
The first of her outstanding problems was that there was usually some kind of notice that the school would change hands so that the new Headmaster could prepare him or herself. However, in this incidence Albus Dumbledore had disappeared leaving only a note, allowing Minerva little time to ready herself.
The second of her problems was that the Commencement Ceremony for the class of 1998 was supposed to be held the next day; instead a mass funeral was now planned. Several professors and students were going to be cremated by the lake during the day-long ceremony. Several hundred witches and wizards were planning on attending, which was a logistical nightmare: mass portkeys had to be set up for the people who would not or could not apparate. Housing had to be planned for the people who were staying a day or longer. And then there was the food; the house-elves would be working throughout the night just to prepare the extra meals.
The third of Minerva's problems, and thus far the most bothersome, was the mystery of Jim Lillian. According to school records, Lillian was a model student who rarely got into trouble and made good marks in class. His records also held letters of recommendations from every one of his professors, including a particularly glowing recommendation from Minerva herself, written in her own hand. The puzzling thing about this was Minerva could clearly remember every single one of her students, their names, faces, and what subject they exceeded in, but for the life of her, she could not recall anyone by the name "Jim Lillian" ever attending Hogwarts. And she certainly never wrote him a letter of recommendation.
Minerva went as far as asking Pomona Sprout about this Lillian boy the previous day. She was, after all, the head of Hufflepuff, and, according to the records, Lillian was in her House. At first Pomona thought Minerva was playing a joke on her, asking her about a fictitious student. But she became serious when Minerva showed her the boy's records.
"But Minerva, I've never even heard of his boy." Pomona stated as her eyes darted over the records.
Minerva was pleased that she wasn't losing her grip on reality by forgetting a student, but was discouraged that this Lillian person appeared seemingly out of nowhere. Who was he? Who could have faked his records and why?
Minerva stopped her pondering, and her mind drifted to her fourth problem. The grieving witch who had lost the man she loved, who was quite possibly her soul mate: Hermione Granger.
The girl, correction, woman had decided to remain in the castle until the funeral instead of returning to her parents. Hermione's reasons were her own and not known to Minerva.
Just a mere two days ago, after Hermione had given her testimony of the Final Battle, she had left the Headmistress' office to say goodbye to Harry. Shortly after that, Minerva had finished with the Minister of Magic and had gone down to the Hospital Ward to pay her own respects as well as to check on the emotional wellbeing of her favorite student. Minerva had arrived just in time to see Hermione burst out of the opaque privacy bubble and dash out of the ward with her face in her hands while sobbing hysterically.
Remus Lupin had wisely suggested leaving the young woman alone for a short while, to let her grieve in peace.
Now, Minerva found herself in front of the recently repaired portrait of the Fat Lady. She said the password, and the portrait swung open. When Minerva walked into the Gryffindor common room, her senses were assaulted. The air was filled with the dank smell of a potion brewing by the fire. Minerva saw Hermione sitting by the cauldron reading a book and sipping tea.
"Good evening, Hermione," Minerva said. Hermione looked up at the Headmistress and a genuine smile appeared on the young woman's face.
"Good evening, Professor," Hermione returned the greeting.
"Hermione, dear, you have graduated and no longer have to call me 'Professor,'" Minerva said with a smile. "You may call me Minerva."
"That may get some getting used to, Professor," Hermione chuckled softly at her former professor's fake stern look. "Minerva."
"See, it wasn't that hard."
"Would you like some tea?" Hermione asked and conjured another teacup for the older witch. Minerva sat in a chair opposite Hermione as she poured the cup of tea.
A soft hoot drew Minerva's attention to a beautiful snowy owl perched on the mantle of the fireplace.
"Isn't that…Harry's owl?" Minerva asked.
"Yes, Harry told Hedwig to stay with me," Hermione answered quickly, then added, "Well, that is to say, I believe Harry had told her to stay with me if anything should happen to him."
"Hermione, how are you coping?" Minerva asked, her voice full of concern. Hermione stopped pouring the tea and was lost in thought.
"The best that I can," Hermione said. She leaned toward Minerva in order to pass the cup of tea. As she was leaning forward, a thin gold necklace dropped out of her blouse. Minerva saw a simple gold band with a small green emerald hung from the chain. Hermione continued, not noticing that Minerva had seen the ring. "I suppose I will always miss him, that. I will think of him every day… he is still in my heart."
"I am so sorry, my dear," Minerva said as she fought back her tears. She was amazed at Hermione's strength and courage; she was a true Gryffindor. After a few moments of comfortable silence, where neither woman would look at each other, Minerva gestured to the simmering cauldron.
"Hermione, what are you brewing?"
"That… um…" Hermione unconsciously started to play with the ring that dangled from her neck. "That's a… Dreamless Sleep Draught."
"I'm sure Poppy has some in stock," Minerva said. "You shouldn't have to bother with brewing a batch for yourself."
"Oh, well…" Hermione stammered while fingering the ring. "I suppose it helps if I am keeping busy, you know."
"I see…" Minerva replied. Hermione finally realized that she had been playing with the ring and noticed that Minerva saw it.
"I found it in Harry's trunk," she said, not looking at Minerva. "I… I think it is… or rather, was an engagement ring."
"May I see it?" Minerva asked as tears welled up in her eyes. Hermione silently stood up and walked over to Minerva. Without taking the necklace off, Hermione bent down to allow Minerva to better see the ring.
Minerva was stunned by the simple beauty of the ring. A small emerald that would have matched Harry's green eyes was set in a thin gold band. Simple as it was, she could tell that Harry must have chosen this ring out of love and it showed.
"It's beautiful, Hermione." Minerva could not bring herself to look at the young witch. She pulled a lace handkerchief out of her robes and wiped her damp eyes. After a few moments in which Minerva composed herself, she looked up and saw that Hermione was looking out the window. Minerva stood and walked over to her.
"I came by tonight to check on you, and to give you these." Minerva pulled two official looking scrolls out of her robes and handed them to her. "I know you are going straight to your parents' right after the funeral and won't be attending the leaving ceremony. These are your certificates, yours and Harry's." Hermione took them without looking at Minerva. "You were Harry's family, and I think you deserve to keep it."
"Thank you," Hermione said softly. "I take it the Dursleys were told?"
"Yes, and they took the news…" Minerva paused, trying to find the proper term.
"They were arseholes and laughed," Hermione finished for her.
"Unfortunately," Minerva said sadly
"What about the others, the ones who… won't be attending?"
"I will give Ronald's to his parents and Neville's to his uncle after the services tomorrow."
"What about Jim's?" Hermione asked.
"What … excuse me?" Minerva asked shocked.
"Jim Lillian. His parents died a few days ago," Hermione responded. "Are you going to owl his A-Levels, I mean, his certificate to him?"
Minerva was struck dumb. She had come to the conclusion that Lillian was a fake and that she would deal with him after the funeral. But Hermione brought him up without Minerva prompting her, mentioning that his parents died and that he would not be attending the ceremony. Hermione knew Lillian; therefore he had to be real. Hermione wouldn't lie to her, not like this.
"Yes, first thing in the morning," Minerva said bewildered. She shook her head to clear the cobwebs building in her brain and noticed the time. "Well, I think it's time for me to say 'goodnight'."
"Goodnight, Minerva."
9th June, 1998
The turnout for the funeral was astounding. The sheer number of people who attended exceeded expectations tenfold. It seemed that every single politician in Wizard England was there, paying his or her respects. And the amount of people wanting to give eulogies was nearly endless. Obviously, the politicians elected themselves to be the first speakers and gave the longest litanies. Nearly every speech glossed over the sacrifices made by the teachers, Ron, Luna, and Neville. They talked almost exclusively of Harry, some of the barmy, pompous politicians even referred to him as "Harold".
Minerva successfully tuned their stupid prattling out. She focused on the people who were truly grieving, most prominent were the Weasley Family and Hermione. Ginny had just been released from St. Mungo's the previous day and sat between her mother and father, white as a ghost. Hermione was rocking back and forth, sobbing.
When it came time to light the funeral pyres, a member from each family volunteered to cast the flame charm. One of Neville's uncles proudly lit the pyre. An ashen faced Mr. Lovegood lit a torch as a symbolic act for his only child. Hagrid had searched the Forbidden Forest for a full day and had come back with the terrible news that the acromantulas that lived in the Forest had already scavenged poor Luna's body for food.
Arthur's trembling hand set his youngest son's body aflame. Hermione stumbled toward Harry's corpse, her hand shook so much that it looked like she might drop her wand. Unlike the others who cast a simple flame charm, she cast a bluebell flame, one of her specialties, on Harry's body. The blue flames quickly engulfed Harry's remains and continued to burn for three full days.
Minerva could have sworn she heard a phoenix trill a song somewhere from the mountains.
1st August, 2001
"Not much has changed since the last term, so I won't waste your time prattling on about it," Minerva said to the professors assembled in the Headmistress' office. "Although, I would like to introduce, or rather reintroduce for some of us, our new Charms Professor, Hermione Granger."
Hermione blushed as her fellow professors applauded. Sprout, Pince, and Hooch were the loudest of the group.
"Now, I know all of you will help Hermione become accustomed to her new position," Minerva stated to which Morgana Derrick, Transfiguration Professor and Head of Slytherin House rolled her eyes, while Burdock Basil, Potions Professor and Head of Gryffindor, was practically bouncing in his seat. An obscenely tall and ridiculously thin man raised his hand to bring himself to attention.
"Excuse me, Headmistress…" the tall man drawled.
"Oh, yes, ladies and gentlemen this is…" Minerva acknowledged the man and shuffled through some parchment on her desk until she found what she was looking for, "Fernando MacGilacuty, this year's Defense teacher."
Fernando arrogantly bowed to the weak applause.
'Another year, another DADA instructor,' Minerva thought to herself. Hogwarts had still yet to break the "one year curse" of Defense Professor. It had become a running joke; a person would teach DADA for a year and then leave, if they survived mind you, with the bragging rights of teaching the most notorious class at Hogwarts. Each year it got harder for Minerva to find acceptable applicants for the position. And, if she were lucky, this pompous man would last most of the year.
As the professors got up to leave, Minerva signaled for Hermione to stay.
"Yes, Headmistress?" Hermione asked after the two women were alone in the office.
"Hermione, I have spoken to some of your classmates about Jim Lillian," Minerva said as she locked eyes with the younger witch. "I have yet to find anyone who even remembered him, besides you."
"That's not surprising," Hermione replied with a shrug of her shoulders. "He was very shy. He was a Muggle-born like me, so he felt ostracized by nearly everyone else."
"Did you feel ostracized?"
"Not really," Hermione said after a moment. "Maybe in the beginning. But I think that all of the adventures that I shared with Harry and Ron helped the other students accept me."
"I just find it hard to believe that you are the only person who remembers him."
"I can't explain why that is."
Minerva pondered for a moment, wondering if Hermione had a memory charm placed on her.
"I met him in the Hospital Ward when I was visiting Harry one day," Hermione said in a matter-of-fact tone.
"That boy did spend an awful lot of time in there, didn't he?" Minerva chuckled. Hermione smiled and nodded. "Hermione, would you mind describing what Lillian looked like?"
"Not at all. He isn't very tall, not that I should have anything to say about that," Hermione joked as she gestured to her own demure size. "He had long hair, and it was dark auburn, in a poorly-lit room it almost looked black. And, if I remember correctly, he wore glasses."
Hermione made her way to exit the office when Minerva asked her another question.
"Have you seen Lillian since you left school?"
"No, I haven't," Hermione answered without turning around to face the Headmistress.
26th September, 2004
Pomona Sprout ran into the Headmistress' office at an ungodly early hour waving the early edition of the Daily Prophet.
"Minerva!" Sprout practically shouted. "They've caught them! They finally caught them!"
"What are you talking about?" Minerva said irritably.
"The last of the Death Eaters!" Pomona said as she handed Minerva the paper. Minerva unfolded the paper and saw that a single story dominated the front page. Photos of a sour-faced Draco Malfoy and a sneering Bellatrix Lestrange adorned the headline:
Last of the Death Eaters Captured!
Ringleaders Lestrange and Malfoy amongst prisoners.
The remaining 16 Death Eaters, including the infamous Bellatrix Lestrange and her nephew Draco Malfoy, were captured in a late- night raid in the Ministry of Magic. Early reports as well as comments from confidential sources within the Ministry indicate that the Death Eaters were caught in the Department of Mysteries performing a dark ritual in an attempt to (re-) resurrect "He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named."
An anonymous fire-call was received late last night saying that the last of the Death Eaters were going to attack the home of Vernon and Petunia Dursley, the surviving relatives of Harold Potter, the man responsible for defeating the Dark Lord. In a decision that left the Ministry unguarded and defenseless, every active Auror and Hit-Wizard was sent to Surrey to stop and apprehend the fiends.
The Ministry forces quickly overpowered the Death Eaters as they tried to attack the Dursleys; all six Death Eaters were captured. That's right, six. In a perfectly conceived plan, Lestrange and Malfoy made the anonymous call themselves in order to draw off the magical law enforcement personnel.
In a thought that chills this reporter to the bone, the ten remaining Death Eaters could have succeeded in their plan to resurrect the most feared dark wizard in recent history. Luckily for us, we have Jim Lillian on our side.
Minerva nearly dropped the paper. She had tried to investigate this mysterious Lillian fellow, but had gotten nowhere. She had asked nearly every former student and surviving teacher about him. Yet the only one who knew of him was Hermione Granger. Minerva had given up and hadn't even thought of him in nearly two years. Now suddenly, out of the blue, he was mentioned, by name, in a Daily Prophet article.
Auror Jim Lillian discovered the secret plot during his "controversial" interrogation of Theodore Nott. (See page 4 for Nott's Barrister's claim that Lillian illegally used Veritaserum.) Lillian attempted to get his superiors to return to the Ministry but to no avail. Apparently there are "rules" and "procedures" one must follow.
Lillian disobeyed a direct order and went to the Ministry and took on the ten Death Eaters single handedly. Four of the Dark Lord's servants were killed in the battle (including Gregory Goyle and Vincent Crabbe, Malfoy's personal guards) while the remaining six were subdued and captured. (See page 6 for more on Auror Lillian's amazing track record of 14 confirmed kills and 42 captures.)
A closed trial is scheduled for next week.
15th October, 2004
"Draco Malfoy, you have confessed under the effects of Veritaserum to the murders of the following people: Abraham, Jonathan. Anderson, Charles. Anderson, Mary. Anderson, Victoria…"
The Chief Magistrate's voice echoed off of the walls of the dungeon-like courtroom. He was reading names off of a very long scroll.
"Byers, Nelson. Carols, Anthony," he continued.
Minerva looked at the two condemned prisoners standing in front of the Magistrate. Malfoy was trembling so much he seemed to have difficulty standing as he stared unblinkingly at a small table in front of him. On it sat two small glass vials that contained thick black liquid. Draco's aunt, Bellatrix Lestrange, stood beside him with obvious arrogance etched on her face, glaring defiantly at the Magistrate. Minerva could not believe Lestrange's audacity as she stood with her chin held high and an evil smile on her face. Minerva was appalled at the idea of capital punishment in general, but if anyone deserved to die for his or her crimes it was Lestrange.
Minerva forced her eyes away from the despicable woman. Her eyes fell on a man standing next to Kingsley Shacklebolt. He wore Auror robes, so Minerva assumed that he was a Dark Wizard hunter. The thing that drew her attention to him was that he was wearing fingerless Seeker gloves; an odd fashion statement to say the least. But something else about the man seemed familiar, something that Minerva could not place. Was it his glasses? Or perhaps it was his long dark hair that struck a cord.
"Redmond, Aaron. Richards, Donna." Minerva snapped to attention at the Magistrate's voice. He had already reached the "R's" in the alphabetical list of Draco's victims.
Minerva cursed herself silently for being so distracted that she did not hear the Magistrate read off Neville Longbottom's or Luna Lovegood's names. She forced herself to listen to the Magistrate, especially now that he was approaching the "W's." Molly Weasley nearly had a nervous breakdown at the thought of attending the execution of the man that had murdered her youngest son. Thankfully Hermione Granger and the entire Weasley clan, including the only grandchild, six year old Giselle, had returned to the Burrow to comfort the family matriarch and none of them could come and witness these proceedings. So Minerva volunteered to act as their witness for the dire event.
"Walters, Abe. Waterston, Eric. Williams, Andrew."
Minerva's eyes narrowed. They had not listed Ronald's name. Why? Was it to be read last? That did not make sense.
"Wood, Nancy. And finally, Yearling, Robert," the Magistrate finished as he put the scroll down. Minerva was about to voice her concern about the missing name when the Magistrate asked Draco for his final words. Draco paled even more as he looked up from the vial to the Magistrate.
"Oh, gods, no. Please I'm sorry!" the blond man sobbed. Draco fell to his knees as he pleaded for mercy. "PLEASE! I'm so sorry, just don't kill me!"
Minerva could not watch as Draco lost his remaining dignity. She turned her eyes and saw that the unknown, yet familiar Auror had averted his eyes as well. He was looking straight at Minerva. Even from across the room, Minerva was taken back by how deep and dark his brown eyes were even through the tinted lenses of his glasses. Then he did the most peculiar thing, he made a small wave to Minerva as if he knew her.
"Enough of this, GUARDS!" the Magistrate called out as he gestured at four large men. The men walked over to Malfoy. Two hoisted him up, while the third pried his mouth open. The fourth man picked up the vial and poured its contents down Malfoy's throat. The four men let go of Malfoy and walked away.
Malfoy coughed and sputtered in vain.
"No, no, no, no…" Malfoy chanted as tears streamed down his face. He turned to his aunt and pleaded. , "Please, help…"
A look of utter revulsion spread across Lestrange's face as she turned her back on Draco.
With a final plea, Draco fell silent and crumpled to the floor sobbing pitifully. After ten seconds, the poison took effect and he died. The four guards picked his lifeless body off of the ground and carried it to an antechamber.
The Magistrate unrolled an even longer scroll and cleared his throat:
"Bellatrix Lestrange, you have confessed under the effects of Veritaserum to the murders of…"
"Oh, sod off, you old fool!" Lestrange said venomously. "I killed them all with a song in my heart and a smile on my face. And I would do it again, just to please Him, my Dark Lord."
"You evil woman!" the Magistrate spat. "How dare you! If the Ministry still had the Dementors, I would demand that you receive their 'kiss.'"
Lestrange laughed as she casually strolled to the small table and picked up the vial. She raised it to her lips and stopped. She drew it away from her mouth and addressed herself to the witness stand.
"Be warned, my Master will rise… Again! And his wrath shall know no bounds. You will all suffer at his hands."
Movement caught Minerva's attention. The unknown Auror was walking up behind Lestrange. Shacklebolt called out to him.
"Lillian, what are you doing?" he hissed.
That was Jim Lillian? The mystery man was right in front of Minerva; she had finally seen him. She would finally be able to confront him.
"And He will reward me, His most loyal servant," Lestrange continued to rant, oblivious to the man walking up behind her. "He will resurrect me, and I shall rule at His side for eternity!"
She gulped down the black liquid and threw the vial to the floor, her face bright with rage. Lillian tapped her on the shoulder. Lestrange spun around and looked him in the eye. He leaned in close to her, so much so that his face was obscured by hers. Lillian whispered something to her as he lowered his glasses.
Then Lestrange shocked the room by reacting in the most unexpected manner, she screamed, but not in rage.
"NO! NO! NO!" Lestrange cried out, and her face became as white as a ghost and her eyes were wide in terror. "It's not fair! He's… you're…. NO!"
She tried to take a step backwards but fell to the floor. Lestrange continued to sputter and cry.
"NO! All of His plans… my plans… NOTHING!"
Lillian turned around and walked to the courtroom exit.
"HE… YOU CAN'T BE ALI…" Lestrange gasped before the poison finally ran its course, taking her life.
Shocked faces filled the courtroom as Lillian slammed the door shut behind him. Minerva ran after him.
By the time that Minerva had gotten to the bank of lifts, Lillian had already taken one of them up to the lobby.
"Damn!" she cursed out loud as she pounded the call. She was so close to unraveling the mystery of this man, and now she would lose her chance to talk to him due to these infernal contraptions.
The bell chimed alerting Minerva that a lift had arrived. She wrenched the door open and banged on the button for the lobby.
Minerva ran out of the lift when it finally reached the lobby. She stopped running when she saw him standing there in front of her. Lillian was looking up at the atrocious statue that adorned the Ministry lobby.
"Harold Potter: The Hero of the Wizarding World".
Minerva had been there four years ago when the Ministry had unveiled it. She was shocked to say the least. It was bad enough that people were refusing to call him by the name his parents gave him; they all thought that "Harry" was too common for their savior. But to insult his memory even further, this statue looked nothing like Harry.
This monstrosity had bulging, rippling muscles, and long flowing hair. It looked like one of those models from the cover of some trashy Muggle romance novel.
"It's funny, isn't it, Professor," Lillian said as he noticed Minerva walk up to him, "how people's memories and recollections change over time? I mean I've seen a color painting, not magical, mind you, of Potter where he had blue eyes and brown hair. Strange, isn't it?"
"Yes it is," Minerva replied. She was slightly taken back at the man's height, or rather lack of it. When Hermione described him as being "not very tall" she was overestimating. Lillian was short, tiny almost. Minerva didn't seem to notice his short stature when he was standing next to Shacklebolt, maybe it was the way he held himself.
"What is truly ironic is that I find you here mentioning memories and recollections and I have none of you, Mr. Lillian."
"Ouch, Professor," Lillian chuckled. "You really know how to knock a bloke off of his high hippogriff, don't you?"
"I am being completely serious, Mr. Lillian," Minerva cut him off. "Although Hogwarts has records saying that you attended, I can honestly say I have never met you before today. And I remember every single one of my students. I am not the only person who has no recollection of you. I have spoken to a number of your classmates along with the surviving teachers, including Professor Sprout, your Head of House, and they have no memories of you."
"I knew I was quiet in school but I didn't realize that I was that quiet," he replied with a slight grin. "Are you saying that no one remembers me?"
"No, I know of only one person who remembers you."
"And do you trust her?"
"Of course I do…" Minerva froze. Did he know that she was referring to Hermione? "Her? I never said that the person was a man or woman, Mr. Lillian."
Before Lillian could respond, a booming baritone voice called out to them.
"LILLIAN!" Shacklebolt shouted. "What the bloody hell was that?"
"Hello, Kingsley. Have you met Professor McGonagall?"
"I sorry to interrupt, Minerva, but the new Minister is throwing a fit," Kingsley said as he greeted Minerva. He turned to Lillian. "What the hell did you say to Lestrange that made her freak out that way?"
"Not much. I merely told her that she was most likely going to end up in hell," Lillian said with a wave of his hand.
"What?" Shacklebolt said disbelievingly. "Come on, Jim. She would not have reacted like that. Minister Driscoll is saying that you violated her right to meet death with peace and honor..."
Lillian's grin disappeared and a fire erupted in his eyes behind his glasses as he snapped at Kingsley.
"'Peace and honor?'" he spat. "You're telling me that woman deserved 'peace' and 'honor?' Under Veritaserum she admitted to regularly having an orgasm while using the Cruciatus Curse; Bellatrix got sexual gratification from torturing people. How many of her victims begged for mercy, for her to spare the lives of their children?"
"I'm not the one saying it, Jim, the Minister did," Kingsley corrected him. "And he is demanding that you be reprimanded."
"No need," Lillian said casually as he pulled a scroll out of his robes and handed it to Kingsley.
"What's this?"
"My resignation, effective immediately."
"What? This can't be about Driscoll wanting to punish you."
"No, it's just that I'm done with this job," Lillian said as his grin returned to his face. "Being an Auror was just one of my dream jobs. I think I am going to try something else. Maybe play some professional Quidditch.
"Besides, now that the last of the Death Eaters are gone, I can honestly say that I have made the world a safer place."
Lillian disappeared from the lobby with a small pop as he Apparated away.
"Damn it, he was one of the best Aurors I ever met," Kingsley said remorsefully. "I'm sorry you had to see that, Minerva."
"It is alright, Kingsley," she replied. "Kingsley, you said he was the best. How well do you know him?"
"Well, we never went to the pub or anything, but he was very good at hunting Dark Wizards, one of the best even," he replied. "He was excellent at capturing them and would only use deadly force if someone was in danger or there was no other option. Of course, he didn't like to follow rules very much. He would say that they tended to 'bog' him down. Too bad. Well, if you will excuse me, I will have to file this," he said as he gestured to the scroll in his hand.
"Kingsley, I wasn't paying close attention at the time, so I didn't hear if Longbottom's or Lovegood's names were read off, but I know Ron's wasn't. Why was Ronald Weasley's name not mentioned when Malfoy's victims were read off?" Minerva asked.
The Auror hesitated to answer.
"Minerva, he didn't do it," Kingsley said softly. "He didn't kill any of the three."
"What?" Minerva practical screeched.
"Malfoy said under Veritaserum that he had heard of the plan to attack Hogwarts, and being the coward that he was, he ran. He wasn't even in Great Britain during the Final Battle."
"He did what?" Minerva said flabbergasted.
"He hid in a château in a small village north of Dijon, France," Kingsley stated. "He, Crabbe, and Goyle killed an entire family of Muggles that lived there except for the 14 year old daughter. Malfoy kept himself amused by 'using' the poor girl while keeping her under using the Imperius curse."
Minerva blanched at the Auror's implication.
"Until Bellatrix found him, that is," Kingsley shook his head somberly. "He then tortured the girl to death while his aunt… watched."
"But that cannot be…. Draco had to be at Hogwarts… it doesn't make sense," Minerva said disbelievingly. "Hermione saw Draco pushing Ron off of the tower."
"Minerva, do you recall what Hermione had said occurred, when she was questioned that day in the Headmaster's office? She stated that she was disarmed and her wand was thrown off of the tower after Ron fell?" Kingsley asked her, to which Minerva nodded. "Well, you might remember I found her wand under Ron's body. That could only mean that her wand had to have been thrown before Ron was pushed off, not after. At the time, I thought it was shock that tainted her testimony. Eyewitness accounts tend to be completely rubbish during highly traumatic situations. But, because of Malfoy's unimpeachable testimony, Hermione's account of what happened is bollocks."
Minerva was about to interject when Kingsley held up his hand to silence her.
"The facts state that Hermione was disarmed before Ron was killed," he continued. "Also, I find it hard to believe that Draco Malfoy could have been in a physical fight with Ron and disarm Hermione before she could react. Not with her skill and experience. Besides which, she never explained what did Harry do up on the roof, did she? Between the two of them, both experienced fighters, they should have been able to have prevented Malfoy from beating Ron and magically disarming Hermione at the same time.
"Something else happened up on that tower, and Hermione is the only one still alive who knows and she has yet to tell us the truth."
"But Hermione would not lie to me about that. I know her, Kingsley. She just wouldn't."
"But, there is a difference between lying and not knowing that you are lying," Kingsley said. "I agree that Hermione would not knowingly lie to us, especially about this. My theory is that someone used a Memory Charm on her and adjusted her memory."
"Whatever for?"
"I don't know," Kingsley replied. "What I do know is that someone is hiding something; something important enough to risk discovery by using a Memory Charm on Hermione. Hermione must have known it, or witnessed it, whatever 'it' was, forcing someone to use the charm on her."
Minerva's mind was racing. Could Hermione have had her memory changed? And if so, why? What did she see that day? Who did it to her? Then a named popped into her head, the one person that only Hermione had memories of: Jim Lillian.
"Kingsley, what you've said does make sense, and I have to agree with you," Minerva began in a hushed tone. "It is reasonable to assume that Miss Granger has indeed had her memory adjusted, and not just pertaining to the truth about what exactly happened on the Astronomy Tower. Hermione also has memories of a fellow student at Hogwarts, but one who no one else, faculty or student, can recall. And I have a suspicion that this mystery man is most likely the person who put a Memory Charm on Hermione."
"Who is it, Minerva?" Kingsley asked.
"You will not like this, Kingsley," Minerva said, "but it is Jim Lillian."
To Be Continued
Author Notes: The only Weasley grandchild named "Giselle" is a blatant tip of the hat to BJH's "A Fairy Tale Ending." One of the best fanfics out there, I would highly suggest that you read it.
Thanks again to my betas sasqch and Penelope78