Malfoy Manor was intimidating at the best of times. The pure magnificence of it's towering architecture and immaculately well kept grounds was enough to inspire awe in the hearts of all who laid eyes on it. Alas, this was not the case for Hermione as she arrived at it's gates. The only emotion that it inspired in her was a sense of dread.
She had made many trips to this house before. It had even served as her home for a few years, and yet part of her didn't even want to be there, for fear of what she might find inside. Was she ready? Could she handle it?
"Calm down. You can do this. You are Hermione Granger, the brightest witch of the age," she reminded herself.
Taking a deep breath, she steeled herself, gathering as much Gryffindor courage as she could find before pulling out her wand and unlocking the gate, one of many safety mechanisms the Malfoy's had installed to keep unwanted visitors at bay. Another was the shields that were erected around the entire property, letting the master of the house know who was coming and going. Chances were, Abraxas already knew she was there.
It was a bit chilly out, especially without a jacket. Hermione had just come straight from Greece, stopping briefly at her grandfather's to shower and drop her stuff off. By then, the sun had started to rise, and Kieran was forced to retire to his coffin, leaving her to face this alone.
Reaching the front door, she pulled on the knocker twice. She hoped that they were awake, and that her presence hadn't woken them. One of the drawbacks of adapting to a nocturnal lifestyle was that almost everyone else was sleeping while she was awake.
After a few moments, Dobby came to open the door staring up at her with big bright green eyes.
"Hello Dobby," Hermione smiled at the elf.
"Miss Granger!" he squeaked with delight, jumping out of the way to let her in. "Master did not tell Dobby that you were coming!"
"It was a bit of a last minute decision. I didn't have time to send word ahead," she excused, stepping inside.
That and she didn't want anyone else to know she was coming. It wasn't that Abraxas was untrustworthy, but rather that she didn't want to take any risks in Tom finding out that she had cut her travels short. Technically, she wasn't supposed to be back home until after Rosaline and Raphael's wedding in June.
"Is Abraxas awake?"
Dobby nodded, his long ears flopping behind him as he did so. "Yes, Dobby just went to deliver breakfast to his and mistress' room before you came. Shall I tell them you are here?"
"I'd appreciate that, Dobby. Tell Abraxas that I'll be waiting in his study to speak with him privately when he's finished eating."
"Dobby will do so, Miss."
Then, with a snap of his wrinkled fingers, Dobby was gone.
Knowing her way around the house quite well, it was all too easy to find her way to the study. She had originally debated over requesting that he meet her in the secret study for a bit more privacy, but considering the events that had taken place there the last time, she decided against it. She didn't think Abraxas would be too comfortable there.
Upon entering the study, she headed straight to the fire place, already lit with a roaring fire, to warm herself. Her brain ran through all that she needed to say while she waited. There was no easy way to broach the subject she had come to discuss, and she didn't want him to think she had come solely for that purpose, even if she kind of had.
It wasn't long before Abraxas joined her, the sound of his footsteps alerting her to his presence. You could tell that he had gotten ready in a hurry, his shirt untucked, and his long platinum hair tied back loosely. She found that, as he got older, he was starting to look more and more like his future son. Were it not for the eyes, she would have swore that Lucius Malfoy was standing before her.
"You certainly are a woman of surprises, Hermione," Abraxas greeted her, waving the door shut behind him as he came to give her a hug. "To what do I owe the pleasure of such an impromptu visit? Last I heard, you were off in… Where did Hera say you were again? Greece?"
Hermione didn't hesitate to hug him back. Despite everything that had happened between them in the past, there were no awkward or hard feelings between them. They were content to be merely friends, and Hermione was glad about that. He might be a bit of an arrogant git at times, but he was a good person underneath it all.
"Yes, something came up that required me to return sooner than I had intended."
"Oh? Does it have something to do with why you asked to speak with me in private?" he asked, pulling away. "Hera was a bit put out, by the way. I fear she won't let you leave without at least sitting down with her for a cup of tea."
She felt bad for causing Hera to feel that way, as she was a good friend to her, but she didn't want to involve her in this. If everything went well, she would gladly stay for tea, but if it didn't… She would have to make it up to her later.
"Yes, as a matter of fact, it does."
Taking a seat in one of the overstuffed armchairs in front of the fire, he motioned for her to do the same. "Well, it must be important if it dragged you away from Greece of all places. I've heard it's very nice there."
She just nodded, nibbling on her bottom lip. She didn't want to ask him, but the seed of doubt that the seer had planted inside of her was eating away at her.
"Hermione? Are you alright?"
She let out a sigh. It was too late to back down now. Besides, it would be rude to just show up without warning for no reason.
"I came across a seer while I was in Delphi. As you know, I'm not generally one to believe in Divination, but she made a prediction that was… troubling to say the least." she started to explain.
"What did she say?"
"She was a bit vague, as most seers are, but I have reason to believe the prediction was about Tom. She told me to beware of the Heir of Slytherin… and that darkness has taken hold of his heart."
Something changed in Abraxas when she told him that. His body tensed and the color drained from his face.
"And you believe her?"
"Personally, I've seen no reason to, but then again, I've been gone for close to a year. I haven't been close enough to him to be able to tell for sure," she continued. "That's why I came to you. I thought, as his closest friend, you would know more of how he's been."
He shifted in his seat, averting his gaze to the flames. "W-Well, he's been a bit stressed due to some issues at the ministry, but aside from that… I-I haven't noticed anything."
Hermione knew in an instant that he was hiding something. Her ordinarily overly-confident friend was stuttering almost as bad as Professor Quirrell. It was odd how both cases had to do with the same person.
"Abraxas, you should know by now that you can't fool me," she said. "I know something happened between the two of you before the wedding. You looked like you were ready to jump out of your own skin whenever Tom was around."
"I don't know what you're talking about. I was just nervous about marrying the love of my life."
She pinched the bridge of her nose. This was proving to be more difficult than she had expected. It was clear to her that, despite whatever had happened, he was still loyal to Tom. Perhaps it hadn't been the best idea to come to Abraxas after all. If she left things as they were now, he would probably end up reporting back to Tom with what she had told him. She couldn't have that.
"I'm really sorry to have to do this, Abraxas, but you've left me no choice," she apologized, rising from her seat.
"What are you-"
"Legilimens!"
Scenes began to flash before her eyes, the study around her disappearing from sight. It took a moment for him to realize what was happening and quickly build up his defenses. A brick wall… That was what he conjured to protect himself? She could almost laugh at how easy it was for her to break through. It was a wonder that he had been able to shield his mind from both his father and Grindelwald.
There were many things swirling around in his brain, most of them involving Hera, which she wasn't particularly interested in delving into, a couple having to do with his parents. His guilt and self-loathing at having killed his own father… The hatred his mother felt towards him… She hadn't even attended his wedding.
It was almost as if he was throwing memories at her to keep her out of the one she was looking for.
Alas, it was only a matter of time before she reached it.
Abraxas was in his room, straightening out his wedding robes in front of a full length mirror when the door opened and Tom stepped inside. Catching sight of his friend in the mirror, Abraxas smiled and turned to face him.
"The day is finally here. Can you believe it? I'm actually getting married!" he exclaimed.
Tom didn't reply.
This didn't seem to phase Abraxas though, as he returned to face the mirror, reaching up to pat his hair, checking to make sure there wasn't a strand out of place. He was so distracted that he didn't notice Tom slip the Elder Wand out of his pocket and point it at his back.
"It'll be your turn next, Tom," he teased. "You better get a move on and propose to Hermione. You wouldn't want to be left out."
"I might have time to if you weren't making everything so difficult for me."
"What are you talking about?"
That's when he finally saw it. Slowly turning back to face him, he raised his hands into the air.
"You jinxed McGonagall's broom during her last Quidditch match, and because of that, she's been doing everything in her power to ruin my plans. Somehow, she's found out about things I would rather not have the public know, and as a result, I've had to deal with her accordingly."
Abraxas gave a big gulp, his face as white as a sheet. "Y-You didn't kill her… did you?"
Tom shook his head. "No, it would be too difficult to cover up if I did."
For a moment, Tom started to lower his wand. Abraxas must have seen this as well, as his shoulders slumped slightly in relief, but it was short lived, as his wand was pointed back at him again in the blink of an eye.
"Crucio!"
A moment later, Abraxas crumpled to the floor, his body convulsing unnaturally. He was screaming out in agony, begging him to stop. Tom didn't listen, at least not right away. He kept it going for several minutes, until he was distracted by a knock at the door.
"Abraxas? Are you doing alright in there?" Cygnus' voice called out from the other side. "What the… The door's locked! You're not getting cold feet, are you?"
Abraxas struggled to his feet shakily, his breathing heavy and ragged.
Slipping the wand back into his pocket, Tom stumbled back a couple steps. "Not a word of this to anyone… especially Hermione."
The scene vanished from sight as Hermione found herself being pushed out of his mind, her body falling back into the chair. Her body was drenched in sweat, yet she felt as though every ounce of warmth had left her body.
Tom had Crucio'd Abraxas… Had it not been for the fact that she had seen it with her own two eyes, she probably wouldn't have believed it. She didn't want to believe it, but the proof was undeniable.
"I'm so sorry..." She apologized, not only for the fact that he had been subjected to torture at the hands of someone he considered a friend, but also for having invaded his mind against his will.
Her body began to tremble uncontrollably. She was no better than Tom. The seer's warning was true. It wasn't just Tom who was in danger of falling to the dark side, but her as well, as much as she loathed to admit it.
"I'm sorry too. I-I should have just told you myself."
"It's fine, but I need you to be completely honest with me. Is there anything else I should know about? Has he used the Cruciatus Curse on you before?"
"No, that was the first time he had done so. He doesn't usually get mad at me like that. The last time was after our date to Hogsmeade back in third year. I guess it's safe to say he's gotten more severe with his punishments since then."
It brought a bit of relief to hear that Tom hadn't used it on him more than once. Still, it wasn't good that he had used it at all. Abraxas was right. His punishments, if they could even be called that, were becoming cruel.
"If Tom finds out that I told you…" he muttered. "I can only imagine what he did to McGonagall."
Hermione felt like slapping herself over the head. She had been so focused on Abraxas and the fact that he had been Crucio'd that she had forgotten about Tom's mention of McGonagall.
"He didn't say anything else about her, did he?"
He shook his head. "I didn't dare ask."
Getting to her feet again, she began to pace back and forth, her brain scrambling for a plan to fix this horrible mess. Her travels would have to come to an indefinite end. That much was for certain. Now that she knew what was going on, she couldn't just go off and leave everyone unprotected. Just as the seer said, no one was safe, especially those closest to him. The only problem was that she didn't know how to protect them. And how did she protect herself?
"I need to find McGonagall and make sure she's alright." She decided that would be her next priority.
And with that set as her next priority, it came time for her to leave, though not before she covered up her tracks. As much as she hated having to do it, she altered his memories of her visit so that, should he encounter Tom, he wouldn't be at risk of revealing anything to him.
In addition, she asked Dobby to keep quiet about her visit. He seemed hesitant, but agreed in the end when she told him that his master's life might be at risk if he didn't.
A little while later, Hermione was making her way through the Ministry of Magic, doing her best to navigate through the crowd of workers without getting jostled too much. Though, she may as well have not even tried. There were so many people coming and going that it was almost impossible for them not to bump into each other.
She admittedly felt a little lost, not knowing her way around the ministry all that well. The only part of it she did know was, ironically enough, the Department of Mysteries, the one area she sought to avoid. Though, she couldn't deny that she was tempted to sneak down there and see what Tom was up to. The fact that he might be able to sense her if she did, was the only thing holding her back from doing so.
Eventually she managed to reach the front desk, where a young receptionist, perhaps a few years older than herself, was seated.
"Hi, I'm looking for Minerva McGonagall," Hermione said. "I have a personal meeting arranged with her."
The receptionist raised a thin brow as she glanced up at her. "Auror McGonagall just reported in not too long ago. You should be able to find her in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement on Level Two."
With a nod of her head, she thanked the woman and headed towards the lifts, choosing the most empty lift she could find. Only one other person climbed in with her, and didn't seem to recognize her, as he didn't even bat an eye. This suited her just fine. The less people who noticed her, the better.
As the lift began to pull away, Hermione slipped into the corner farthest from the man she shared a lift with, allowing herself a moment to try and come to terms with the startling revelation she had just gone through.
Tom was starting to turn into Voldemort.
The mere thought of it made her heart ache. A few stray tears managed to leak out of her eyes before she quickly wiped them away. He had promised her that he wouldn't let himself turn evil. He had promised that he would use his powers to make the wizarding world a better place. She had believed him… trusted that he would stay true to his word… And yet, now she found that he was torturing those who were trying to help him.
Why? Why would he do that? She didn't understand. She let out a sigh, willing herself to calm down. Hopefully, she would have some answers by the end of her investigation.
She managed to pull herself together just in time for the lift to come to a screeching halt. The man she was riding with stepped aside to let her out before shuffling back into his previous position. Then, the lift disappeared from sight, heading deeper underground.
Starting down the corridor, she couldn't help but feel a bit overwhelmed by all the number of doors on either side of her. There were so many that there was hardly any wall in between. To think that each of those doors actually opened into huge areas of space. It brought into perspective just how massive the Ministry really was.
It didn't take her too long to find her way to the Auror Headquarters. She had always imagined aurors to have these big elaborate offices, seeing as they were some of the most important members of the Ministry. So, as you can imagine, it came as a bit of shock to her when she found that it consisted of one big room divided into dozens of small cubicles, one for each Auror. It looked no different than the average muggle office.
"May I help you, miss?" asked the Head Auror; an older man with graying hair and a kind smile.
"I'm looking for Minerva McGonagall. Is she in?"
"She's in her cubicle at the end of the fourth row," he pointed it out to her. "Why? Is she in trouble?"
"Not at all. I actually went to Hogwarts with her and thought it'd be nice to drop by for a visit."
He seemed to accept that, as he went back to his own desk, allowing her to go on her way.
She had seen McGonagall in the halls of Hogwarts in passing many times, but never long enough to get a good look at her. She had changed much over the years, growing to more resemble the woman she had known as her Transfiguration Professor.
Sitting in her cubicle, pouring over a pile of paperwork, her dark hair tied up into a tight bun, she was the image of professionalism. She seemed so focused that Hermione almost didn't want to disturb her.
Unfortunately, she was left with little other option when McGonagall tore her eyes away from her work and looked up at her.
"You're Riddle's girl, aren't you?" McGonagall asked, narrowing her eyes at her.
"Yes, I am, but I do have a name as well. It's Hermione Granger." Unlike McGonagall, she didn't harbor any resentment towards her, and tried to be as polite and friendly as she could under the circumstances. "We met on the train to Hogwarts in my first year. Do you remember? We were getting along rather well until a certain arrogant blonde showed up. I had hoped that we could be friends, but you deemed me to be a lost cause."
McGonagall's gaze softened towards her, though her posture remained stiff. Then again, her posture had always been stiff. It was just the way she carried herself. It was nice to see that there was still some of the Minerva McGonagall she knew in her.
"I had hoped for that as well."
"It's not too late to start over and try again, you know," Hermione said, holding out her hand.
She started to raise her hand to take hers, but stopped short, retracting it to her side as her eyes hardened once more.
"I don't think that's wise, considering your relationship with Riddle."
And there it was again. It was clear that she had a deep rooted distrust of Tom. That was all the confirmation she needed. Something had definitely happened between them.
Stepping further into the cubicle, she cast a quick wandless silencing charm to give them a bit of privacy before turning back to face McGonagall.
"I need you to tell me what Tom did to you."
McGonagall gaped at her. "How did you-"
"Know that you told the minister some things about him that he didn't want you to?" Hermione finished her sentence for her. "I know because you're not the only one who got blamed for that situation. Tom knew that you have a grudge against Slytherin's because of what Abraxas did to your broom, and took his anger out on him as well."
"Did he..."
"He used the Cruciatus Curse on him."
At the mention of the unforgivable curse, McGonagall slumped back into her chair, her eyes wide with fear as well as something else… a look of recognition.
"Did he use it on you as well?"
McGonagall nodded her head.
Hermione hung her head. She didn't know what she had been hoping for, as she had already known that he had used the curse on Abraxas, but receiving confirmation that he had used it on not just one person, but two… It made her realize that this was more than just a one time slip-up. He had consciously chosen to use it on both occasions.
"Did he say anything to you?"
"He just warned me to stay out of his way… threatening to kill someone I love if I didn't."
That came as an extra stab to the heart. Having heard more than enough to reach a definite conclusion, she picked her head back up and removed the silencing charm.
"I'm sorry for the inconvenience. I will do my best to ensure nothing like this happens ever again. You have my word."
Then, without delay, she turned and walked away, leaving a stunned Minerva McGonagall in her wake.
