"Are you sure?" she asked not wanting to believe it.
"I've been there, she's gone. The Ministry are hushing it up, I told them not to put her back there, anyone that's escaped once can do it again, but they weren't inclined to listen to an ex-death eater", he sounded bitter and she wondered what he had done with the official who had clearly given him the brush off.
Still, a trip to that place would explain why he had looked so terrible when she had first seen him, "And when people start being tortured and dying?"she asked.
He shrugged, "If I'm right, they won't be, she may be a sociopath but Malfoy isn't and if he can convince her that she alone can bring the Dark Lord back, she'll be putty in his hands".
Hermione finished her tea, she had said earlier that everyone should do as much as they could to prevent Voldemort from returning. As the Ministry were going to bury their heads and pretend everything was alright again, and Snape had already explained at least some of it to her; she guessed it was her turn and told him everything she could remember from the documents she had seen in Maly's office.
The Professor listened intently, making notes as she spoke and cross-referencing them to his own. When she had finished he said, "The information is useful, but unfortunately the fact remains that Isis had many names and there are thousands of temples, without the code there's no way of finding the correct ones. If Malfoy already knows where they are..."
"But surely we only have to find one diamond to prevent Malfoy from succeeding?" Hermione cut in.
Snape raised an eyebrow, but decided not to fight that particular battle just yet, "We only have to find one diamond to prevent the potion reforming, but it can only be destroyed in it's liquid state. We can't guarantee Malfoy or someone else wouldn't eventually get their hands on it".
At the mention of other people another question occurred to her, "Why was that man with the Tyet following us?"
"Each stone has guardians, I imagine he's from a sect of one of the stolen ones, they're sworn to protect them no matter what the cost and they'll kill anyone to do so".
"Are they Muggle or Magical?"
"Both, Isis isn't as worshipped in the Muggle world as she once was, but she and her later incarnations still have their followers. Come we must get to work, I'll..." Snape frowned, "was that your stomach Miss Granger?"
"I haven't eaten since breakfast Professor", she said.
"My apologies", he mumbled under his breath and a house elf appeared, "Dinner for two", he said. Hermione looked confused, "Before it was turned into a library, it was the family seat of the wand maker Gregorvitch, the elves are still tied to the building". Noting her outraged expression he continued quickly, "why don't you see what you can find regarding temples in ? And ?, if we know which name Isis took, perhaps it will make finding the others easier".
---
Having been gallant enough to let his former student, get a few hours rest on the bed while he sat uncomfortably in the chair, Severus was not in the best of moods when he arose to wake her. Stalking over to the bed, he looked down, she was sleeping peacefully and had he possessed such finer feelings, he would have thought it was a shame to wake her. Having shaken her shoulder and said "Miss Granger" roughly, he did regret his decision; clearly she was not a morning person and he was glad she did not have possession of her wand.
"What time is it?" she said eventually.
"One O'clock in the afternoon, I have to get to the auction. Here's a staff pass, be accurate in your requests, generalisations could drown you in books", and with that he was gone.
Glancing around the room, she was pleased to see that he was at least thoughtful enough to leave her some lunch. Sitting at the desk, she ate while attempting to decipher the notes he had made while she was asleep.
A couple of hours later, having exhausted all other possible lines of enquiry, Hermione made herself a cup of tea. They had come to a dead end, without knowing the location of the diamonds, there was no way they would ever be able to catch Malfoy. Picking up the pass she asked for a copy of the minutes to the last meeting of the English Thaumaturgical Society, and read them cover to cover, wondering how the members had managed to keep awake. There, under Any Other Business was the request of Bartlby Perks for an extraordinary meeting to be held at Keble College, Oxford. Why there? She wondered, given that the society's headquarters was in London. She had little time to ponder though, as a moment later Snape stormed back into the room and began rapidly returning the books on his desk to their proper places.
"What happened?" Hermione asked puzzled.
"They were withdrawn from the auction".
"What?"
Stopping a moment he stalked across the room and handed her, her wand. "You heard... apparently, they were bought by special arrangement shortly before it started. Place was in an uproar when the announcement was made, which wasn't until they were due to go under the hammer. Giving whoever has them plenty of time to leave".
"So it could have been anyone who bought them, a Muggle even?"
He nodded grimly, "it could, but given that Lucius is the only signatory on the combined wealth of the Dark Lord's inner circle, it's unlikely that anyone, Muggle or Wizard would have been able to match his price, which is why I couldn't let you bid".
"But how did he know I wouldn't..."
"He must have been having you watched, it would have amused his sick sense of humour to have you get him something that could help bring the Dark Lord back, but he knew there was the chance of something going wrong".
"So what now?"
"I've given you your wand back, the wards to prevent you apparating have been removed. You're free to leave. Goodbye Miss Granger".
"That's it?"
Having finished packing up his potions ingredients, he stopped and turned, "Oh, I apologise for incarcerating you, of all people, in a library. I hope that the experience was not too traumatic" and with that he apparated.
---
"You're wanted Miss Granger" the goblin gulped slightly before pointing, "downstairs".
"Oh, thank you", Hermione smiled and he nodded his head slightly. He thought her quite smart for a witch, though what she'd done to upset the head of Wizard Asset Services, he didn't like to imagine.
"Miss Granger" Grimyyed peered over his spectacles, "I almost cannot believe that you have turned up for work this morning".
"I know I didn't get the earrings... but I can explain".
"There's no need".
"There isn't?"
He smiled, rather in the manner of an executioner who enjoys his work, "I have already had an explanation from the client, when he moved his fortune; his ENTIRE fortune Miss Granger, all EIGHT vaults of it, to the Kobolbank. Apparently, their staff are more reliable".
"I can ex..."
"More reliable, Miss Granger", his voice rose an octave, "than witches who treat the serious occupation of working for Gringotts as a holiday..." well she couldn't really dispute that one, although she had every intention of working as well. "More reliable, Miss Granger" he continued, "than witches who are too busy making assignations with wizards to work..."
"Now just a minute!"
"More reliable, Miss Granger, than ex-employees of this bank who damage it's reputation. You will be escorted out, please do not expect a reference. Good day." Grimyyed looked down at the papers on his desk and picked up a quill, clearly the interview was over.
Before she knew it, Hermione was standing in Diagon Alley. Well! While she realised that the bank's reputation was important, she thought they might at least have listened to the fact that she had been kidnapped.
---
There were advantages to having a foot in both worlds, she thought a few days later, sitting with a cup of coffee at one of the many anonymous chains that seemed to litter the Muggle one. It allowed her to follow a chain of events through both that she hoped would put her ahead of the likes of Lucius Malfoy... and if nothing else it gave her twice as many job opportunities.
She had spent her unexpected free time following as many lines of enquiry as one witch could feasible do, and having reached a satisfactory conclusion, now had a decision to make. Taking out her notebook she found a blank page and wrote 'Pros' followed by,
1. Knows more about the subject than I do.
Knows Malfoy and what he is likely to do.
Potions Master.
Knows how to protect himself and others.
Next she wrote 'Cons' followed by,
Sarcastic bastard.
Likely to exclude me.
Will mean spending time with him.
Ignoring the fact that cons 2 and 3 contradicted each other, she sighed, the important thing was that Malfoy was stopped, even if it meant putting up with Snape and realistically she couldn't do it without him. The consequences of failure were too horrible to contemplate and if she was ever going to get a job again, a future in which to get it would be useful. Deciding she'd sleep on it, she pulled out 'The Daily Prophet' and turned to the help wanted ads.
The next morning, having made her decision, she packed a small bag, asked her neighbour to keep an eye out for Crookshanks and apparated to Spinner's End.
