Summary: Aurors stand guard at Hogwarts, watching... waiting...

Hermione is running through the school, hurrying... hurrying...

When a young Auror in training lets a trusted Ministry worker through the door she is guarding, she could be making the biggest mistake of her life...

Song Lyrics taken from Devil in Disguise - Elvis Presley

Chapter 4: His most faithful

"Hello, Hermione. I haven't seen you in a while," Nearly headless Nick said merrily as he floated alongside the Ministry Official. "Here on Ministry work, I expect? It must be keeping you busy."

"Very busy," agreed Hermione, her voice oddly sharp and snappy. "Sorry, but I must be going," she called. With that, she dashed off down the corridor, bushy hair flying behind her. Nick shook his head and muttered to himself "Strange girl, changed so much since her Hogwarts days. She used to be quite talkative."

Hermione ran as fast as her legs would carry her, her heart racing and her head sore. Her steps were slightly erratic, but they were sure; she knew exactly where she was going. She made her way through the school, along a few staircases and past many chatting students. Several students turned to each other and giggled as she passed, and received an evil glare from Hermione in return. She would have done more than glare, but she didn't have time, so she kept on.

At last she came to a stop. She was at the head of a corridor, empty but for a single figure stood stiffly at a door, head held high and wand drawn. Hermione stood for a moment, staring at the figure, then slowly made her way towards it.

You look like an angel

Sherrill Bowers stared out along the corridor. It had been a long day, and she had been pestered by several students since she had taken her place on the third floor that morning. Even after her tiring day, she held her head high and her wand drawn, sharp eyes searching for anyone that might pose a threat. She knew that the likelihood of anyone making their way down the corridor, let alone a Death Eater, was very low, but she was an Auror in training, and she had a reputation to uphold.

This was her sixth day on the job, yet it never grew less exciting. Truth be told, it was dull work, but compared to the paperwork she had been filing at the Ministry, it was like riding a rollercoaster. The kids that annoyed her fellow Aurors thrilled her, she loved the challenge of ordering them away, telling them to keep their noses out of other people's business. It was great to be back at Hogwarts. Three years after graduating, she enjoyed observing the new students, reminiscing as she stood guard, attending one or two meals every week. She couldn't understand how her co-workers could complain so much.

Sherrill often felt the urge to open the door she stood before; take a peek inside. She knew that it could cost her her position as an Auror in training, but sometimes she got so bored standing there that she almost lost control of herself and opened it. Once or twice her hand had been on the handle, once she had turned it, but never had she opened it. Only qualified Aurors went in there, the Aurors in training stood by the door in the corridor. Sherrill knew this, she and her co-workers had had it drilled into them, Never go inside the door, and the constant reminder kept her curiosity under control. Still, she often dreamt about what might be in there; daydreaming filled the time.

Her mind began to flutter into daydream land once more when she saw a movement down the corridor. Turning, she saw a figure with bushy brown hair and a cloak too big making her way along the corridor. Sherrill jumped; it was Hermione Granger! Hermione was Head of the Department for the Welfare and Protection of Magical Creatures, Sherrill knew. What was she doing at Hogwarts?

"Move aside," Hermione spat, her voice harsh and her eyes cold. Sherrill stared at her, worried. Hermione was always so nice, why was she being so rude? Could she let Hermione in, after being told so many times that only Aurors were allowed inside? Sherrill shook her head; of course she could let Hermione in. She was one of the most trusted Ministry workers around, and she definitely had authority over Sherrill; she could hardly not let her in.

"Of course," Sherrill said, stepping aside to allow Hermione through the door. She smiled at Hermione, but Hermione grabbed the handle without a glance at Sherrill and threw the door open. Sherrill glimpsed one of the Head Aurors, surrounded by three others, standing over a trap door. Then Hermione slammed the door behind her.

Walk like an angel

"Hermione? What the hell are you doing here?" Jordan Clapp shouted as the short bushy figure of Hermione Granger bounded through the door. No one was allowed through that door except Aurors, and that meant no one. Sherrill Bowers would be in serious trouble for this. All the same, he tried to keep a smile on his face; best not to offend his brother's girlfriend.

"I need to see the hat," Hermione told him, leaning down and opening the trap door. "The Minister sent me; I think I may have made a break in the case." She heaved the heavy wooden door open and began to slide through the gap now showing. Jordan's fellow Aurors were giving him apprehensive looks; they weren't sure what to do, they were under strict orders. No one was allowed to see the hat except Minerva McGonagall, Clayton Oppery, and the Minister himself.

Jordan ran over and gripped Hermione's hand, stopping her just before she jumped through the trap door. "Hermione, you're not allowed down there," he said, pulling her up and signalling for the others to shut the door. He led her over to the wall and tried to explain.

"Look, Hermione. It doesn't matter if you've made a break in the case; the fact is that you're not allowed down there. I know you're Eric's girlfriend, but that doesn't make you an exception." His hands were gripping her shoulders and he stared into her eyes. What he saw concerned him; they were dark and cruel, so unlike the warm eyes he knew. "Hermione," he asked "What is your owl's nickname?" This was the question he knew Eric and Hermione had agreed upon, incase either of them ever showed signs of being under the Imperius curse. He waited for an answer, but none came. Instead, Hermione lifted her hand into view; in it, Jordan's wand.

"I believe this is answer enough," she said, and he let go of her carefully. What an idiot! He had placed his wand in his robes because he had not thought Hermione any threat; that was the first rule in the book! Well, it was actually the fifth, but still, he knew it well enough. Never trust anyone.

Brian Chappell, Clinton Fields and Jeremy Hughes, the other Aurors in the room, had been keeping a close eye on the couple, and all had their wands on Hermione. They began to surround her, coming closer and closer, until Hermione shot a random curse into the air.

"Next time, I won't miss," she said. "Put your wands i down /i and I won't hurt your partner." She gestured at Jordan.

He lunged shouted at them "Don't do it! You know the rules, protecting the hat is more important than me!"

"That's i enough /i ," Hermione said, aiming her wand and sending a silent curse his way. It hit him square in the chest and he was thrown against a wall. She turned away from him and, apparently deciding that it was easier to curse than to bargain, attacked Chappell. He fell to the ground with a thud, knocking Hughes right off his feet. Fields lifted his wand and began to shout a counter curse but Hermione got there first. He too joined his friends, knocking his head hard on the ground as he fell.

The blood pouring from Fields' head didn't deter Hermione; she ran to the trap door, lifted it and jumped through.

Talk like an angel

Linden Mulroney was at his desk, feet propped up on a pillow he had conjured, the day's paper in his hands. A large mug of coffee sat on his desk, and as he read about the recent goblin slaughtering he heard a loud rap on the door.

"Come in," He drawled, but there was no need. Jeremy Hughes had already burst into his office, his face pale and his eyes wide with fear.

"Sir, they got to the sorting hat," He panted, then collapsed into the chair beside the desk.

"What! Who got to it Hughes? Was it the Death Eaters?" Mulroney bellowed at his number one Auror. Hughes was still fighting for breath but Mulroney shook him round. "What happened, boy?"

"Ermine…" Hughes croaked. Mulroney patted him on the back rather harshly, encouraging him to continue. "What was that, m' boy?

With an effort, Hughes started to whisper again. The head of Aurors listened closely and distinctly heard the words, "Hermione Granger"

But I got wise...

The graveyard was dark and silent, fog curled around the gravestones and the wind whispered secrets to the dead. Not a soul could be seen for many a mile, except for one dark, lonely figure cloaked in black robes.

Bellatrix Lestrange stood by a large black cauldron, the harsh wind whipping her robes around her, throwing her hair in every direction. But a passer-by would not have seen her as Bellatrix, for she was short, and had bushy hair tangling itself around her. She looked nothing like the renowned Death Eater she was, but exactly like the Head of the Department for the Welfare and Protection of Magical Creatures.

She stared into the cauldron, imagining her master's pride when his one faithful Death Eater brought him back to power, and as she stared her features began to contort themselves. She doubled over in pain, but when she stood tall again she was no longer Hermione Granger.

It had been the perfect plan; attract a ministry worker to that filthy Muggle house, then kidnap them. The potion was prepared and all that was needed was a single hair, when Kreacher had brought in their victim. What a wonderful surprise Bellatrix had received when she saw Hermione Granger floating towards her; this could help her plan greatly.

It had been two years, two long, fateful years since her master's downfall. She had been searching throughout those years, trying to find what the boy could not. The last part of her masters soul. But she, unlike the boy, sought not to destroy it. She sought to bring him back, bring him to full power once more. But for that, she needed the Horcrux.

Her master had reached out to her a few months ago. It had been all over the papers, Hat possessed, Sorting goes awry. It was best known as the event of The Rogue Sorting Hat.

Some foolish student had memorised the words the hat had sung and given them to a reporter; the lyrics had been all over the papers within a week. When Bellatrix had read them, she had known that it was time.

Since then, the hat had been under lock and key at Hogwarts, protected by Aurors and spells; charms like those that had protected the Philosophers stone ten years ago. There was no way of getting through the school, past the Aurors and by the charms… until now.

The scrape of a foot behind Bellatrix shocked her; she spun around to see a small, knobbly creature levitating a girl's body towards her. Thick, blonde hair fell from the girl's face, her Muggle attire disgusting Bellatrix to the point of near illness, but she left it at a wince and pointed to her right. A large headstone stood there, the words Tom Riddle engraved into it. Before the stone lay the limp body of the real Hermione Granger, unconscious, but tied to the ground for precaution. The small creature levitated the floating body towards the stone and let it fall with a crunch onto Hermione.

"You have done well, Kreacher," she praised, her cold voice sending shivers through the yard. The creature bowed low and stuttered excitedly "Anything for Kreacher's mistress."

Bellatrix nodded and told him to go; she had work to do.

She watched the two women lying unconscious on the ground and stroked the old, worn pointed hat in her hands. Finally, she would win her master's pride. She would be his most faithful. She would return him to power.

But first, she needed Harry Potter.

You're the devil in disguise