Author's Note: Thanks to all who reviewed the last chapter! Thank you very much! By the way, I saw some pictures from the Prisoner of Azkaban movie (from the Internet) which I thought was rather cool. The first was Daniel Radcliffe holding Emma Watson and the second was Emma Watson pointing her wand at Tom Felton.

Ministry of Magic

Hermione's Point of View

My footsteps were firm & quick as I made my way towards a battered telephone booth. There was no time to lose. I was closing in on the real murderer. What remains to be done is to is to make the murderer confess. That was most crucial. I had to hear it from the murderer of Arthur Weasley.

Professor Snape, surprisingly enough, was with me. I never imagine I see the day where we will be walking side by side, hearts resolved to save, of all people, a Malfoy. But since yesterday night when he had caught me in the Potions classroom, his attitude has changed. After he heard I was going to confront the murderer, he, in the end had insisted on coming with me, to my utter amazement.

I picked up the receiver in the telephone booth and dial six two double four two; as the dial whirred back into place, a cool female voice sounded inside the box "Welcome to the Ministry of Magic. Please state your name and business."

"Hermione Granger, Severus Snape. We're here to do justice!"

Professor Snape raised an eyebrow at this, but remain quiet.

"Thank you" said the cool female voice. "Visitors, please take badges and attach them to the front of your robes" Two badges slid out of the metal chute. I glanced at the badges, which read Hermione Granger, Justice Mission.

"You know" Snape turned to me, "we are going to be thrown in Azkaban if your deductions turned out to be wrong, Ms Granger. It could very well be the end of our careers, and of us."

I grimaced. I knew the severity of what we were going to do. But there was no other way. Time was running out for Draco Malfoy.

"Professor Snape" I drew a deep breath. "I would live in regret for the rest of my life knowing that an innocent person died while I did nothing. My conscious will not allow it. And aside from me and Dumbledore, there is no one else who believe his innocence."

"The Slytherins call it Gryffindor stupidity, Professor Snape" I added.

The floor of the telephone box shuddered, and we found ourselves sinking slowly into the ground, and down through the earth. The door of the telephone box suddenly sprang open and we made our way quickly to the security desk. I was hesitant to surrender my wand, but not doing so would just arouse suspicion. Reluctantly I did so, Snape too. The security wizard checked our wands, before thrusting it back to us.

We jostled pass the stream of wizards and witches who were calling it a day from work and making their way home. We stepped beyond the wrought golden grilles into the lift and went down all the way to Level One. I took another deep breadth, and knocked on the grand mahogany door. "Come in!" a voice said. I pushed open the door.

There he was, I was faced with the murderer. "Ms Hermione Granger" he said.

"How are you, sir?" I had difficulty in keeping my voice steady. I could hear Snape behind me, uttering a Silencing charm on the room, and a powerful Locking charm on the door.

"Very well, what brings you to see me at this hour, almost the end of the day already. I received your owl this morning, and you mentioned in your letter it was most urgent. A matter of life and death for the Ministry, in your own words. And Professor Snape too." He turned and nodded at Snape.

"Indeed it is, Sir. An innocent boy is dying in Azkaban, wrongly convicted. A miscarriage of the law."

He raised his eyebrows, I could see that his hands were trembling slightly. "Innocent boy? And who……"

"Draco Malfoy sir."

"Now, now, little girl, I really think you are quite out of your mind. You have no idea what you have just said."

"Oh, but I think you do Sir. You have a very good idea what I am saying. Because you, Sir, is the real murderer of Arthur Weasley." I stated, my eyes glinting dangerously at him.

He spluttered. "What? How dare you! Accusing me! Are you quite out of your mind? This is most insolent……abominable!"

"I hardly think I am out of my mind, sir. But there is a possibility I might be. Well, we shall soon know."

With that, Snape shouted "Stupefy!" and the Minister of Magic slumped in his chair.

     I poured the Veritaserum forcefully down his throat and said "Enervate".

Draco's Point of View

They say that you see your life unfolds in front of you before you die. That is life's way of giving you a last glimpse of the world before you leave this world.

So many people has passed through my life……

Mother, the only one who ever loved me;

Father, whom I spent my whole life trying to seek his approval……I was never good enough;

My arch-nemesis Potter, whom I hated with a jealous rage, and now, it all seems so insignificant;

The Weasleys, whom I directed all my contempt at……they are not the pathetic ones……I am;

Granger, who has never done me wrong, yet I insulted her all my life just because she is of muggle parentage;

Snape, a Professor who showed me favoritism, but meant nothing more to me other than a Head of House whom I can get my way with……I wished I could tell him……what can I tell him?

Dumbledore……I guess I was nothing more than a disrespectful, unredeemable case to him;

Crabbe, Goyle, whom I look upon as nothing but my slaves……I never treated them like friends, even though……

Pansy, who adored and followed me around, yet I always brush her aside, even put her down crudely……she must have hated me;

I wish I could have a second chance to go back. But no, it's too late, I could never……it's too late……

I wonder how my life would turn out if all these had never happened. I would probably be the same, shallow person, lording over everyone just because I am pureblood, and I carry the Malfoy name, where in actuality, I am detested by everyone.

The Aurors are coming by my cell, to check if I am dead already. They all knew I am dying from the illness that is plaguing me. They could tell from the blood I coughed out, the black veins that was appearing on my bare arms, most of all, the lifelessness of my grey eyes.

A snow flake was falling from the crack in the ceiling. It has started snowing. I smiled inwardly. It was December already. My birthday is in December. I would soon be eighteen. Although I would not live to see that day……

The snow flake fell before my eyes, and it shone as a shimmering white light. It seems to be beckoning me to follow it. Come, it seems to say to me, come, Draco……let go……let go……it is time.

Yes, I should let go now. I would not wait anymore. No one would come for me. I would let go. Although I wish I knew why, Father. But I should let go, it is time. There is no point in holding on. I have lost the will to live.

Author's Note: Okay, I've tried my best, and I do hope you like this chapter. A sneak preview into the next chapter, there will be a trial scene, to explain & conclude the murder case and then an angsty Hermione/Draco scene. I have not put them together in the same scene for some time now. How does that sound? Leave me a review for this chapter, will you? Thank you very much.