Disclaimer: The brilliance I can claim is the plot and original character. Everything else is J.K. Rowling's.
A/N: Two things I want to clarify about this chapter:
1: The previous chapter, this chapter, and the next two after are all in the same timespan of one day. It just ended up being super long and I wanted to not overwhelm with information.
2: In these next 3 chapters (this one and the next two) to make it easier present day will be written in bold. Anything that is the memory/ies will be italicized. WARNING: Strong language at the end of this chapter for any younger readers who have wandered into this. I did also up the rating because of the language being used just in case.
Being immersed into the the pensieve was always a weird feeling. Together Harry, Draco, and Kingsley touched down. Draco knew the location well as did Kingsley, but Harry watched patiently for the memory to start.
"Hermione!" Harry said aloud. His eyes widened at the sight of his best friend, memory her or not, he took in her appearance.
Harry wasn't blind he knew his best friend was attractive but the years had matured her of course for the better. Her hair was in loose waves, her face still looked the same as she wore a little makeup to enhance her beauty. She wore black slacks, a white button shirt, and a khaki trench coat with heels.
There stood memory Draco next to her, it seemed as if they were already romantically involved but we're keeping things professional. It was conference room flooded with light and about 12 other people.. In the distance you could see the city of Paris, with the Eiffel Tower. It looked to be just past ten in the morning with the position of the Sun in the sky.
In the room were other agents, associates, Harry wasn't sure what the organization called themselves yet. But a stern looking woman walked into the room and waved her wand across the wall to where a screen now appeared with the face and name of Barthalemou. Harry now assumed he was watching the first briefing of Barthalemou's case.
In a heavy French accent the woman started to speak. "Bonjour everyone."
"Bonjour Attaché Bellamy." Everyone greeted in unison as she nodded for everyone to sit.
"We have a new dark wizard at large. He staged his first attack in a small muggle city not far from here. It was mostly run with farm land and vineyards and he burned it all to the ground. Killed 200 muggles who lived there." She spoke aloud. Quickly the room was filled with discussion.
Harry looked at Draco and Hermione's reactions. Hermione was shocked but quickly her face turned hard and determined. Draco's demeanor matched hers as well. They stood at the front of the table, but what Harry also noticed that he's not sure no one else did was Hermione's and Draco's hand were now clasped together. Harry's eyes widened at the ring he now noticed on her finger.
"Did he have any help Attaché Bellamy?" A man in the back spoke up and asked.
"No he was able to do this all on his own." The room went completely silent.
"How?" Another wizard in the back spoke up.
"That is what we're trying to figure out. There have been many reports of murders around the country, done mysteriously, with arson, but finished through muggle means. We're trying to see if there is a connection here." Attaché Bellamy stated.
"He killed an entire muggle city...by himself?" Harry asked completely shocked.
"Yes, he did." Draco confirmed.
"Why wouldn't we be informed?" Harry asked.
"There was no need to." Kingsley intervened. "Those crimes took place on French soil, not British."
"If we don't know anything about this criminal, then how do you know his name? Or this picture?" A voice in the back asked.
Attache Bellamy waved her wand once more. Hermione's eyes grew wide and Draco rolled his eyes.
Harry looked at the screen and couldn't help but copy Draco's reaction. Burned into the field was his name.
"Our new friend Barthalemou here, is quite the cocky criminal."
"He reminds me so much of his mum. Not humble are they?" Harry said.
"Always some sort of signature." Kingsley answered.
"Literally." Draco nodded for them to watch the next memory.
The memory quickly faded and a new one appeared. They were in the office of what assumed to be Hermione's.
Harry took in the pictures that were all over her office.
There were pictures of their various years at Hogwarts. He smiled at the fact that she still thought of them often. There were even the pictures Hermione had sent him of him and Ginny throughout the years. But among those pictures were also pictures of Draco and Hermione now. They looked incredibly happy and Harry couldn't help but feel happy for her.
"This is insane! How can one wizard do this? I thought we were done with a dark wizard like this for a lifetime. What would even be his motivation to do all this?" Hermione had her hair in a bun and was pacing the office.
"Hermione. We'll figure it out." Draco assured her, "Where was the last location we tracked him at?"
Hermione looked at the paper in front of her, "Another muggle village not too far from here, about three kilometers."
"That would make his what? 67th hit?" Draco said ruffling his hands through his hair. "How on earth are we supposed to stop him when we don't even know why he's hitting these certain targets."
"How much time had passed from the last memory to this?" Harry asked.
"Four months." Draco replied.
"Has anyone made a map of all the locations he's hit." Hermione inquired.
"No. Dufort and Coupe in the next office were supposed to but they claimed it was a waste of time since it's so random." Draco said throwing the pile of papers on Hermione's desk.
"Or not. Sometimes what we think is not important, are the most." Hermione said tucking a piece of hair behind her ear and putting a map of France on a wall of her office.
"C'est l'exception qui confirme la règle." Draco said with eyes wide at Hermione.
Hermione looked over her shoulder and smiled, "C'est l'exception qui confirme la règle."
After Hermione checked the paperwork, she casted a charm impressively with no wand. Thumbtacks from her desk suddenly sprouted and pinned their respective places on the map that were where Bartholomeu had committed his crimes.
Harry and Kingsley couldn't help but react with memory Draco and Hermione. All the locations on the map made a picture of a familiar shape that no one thought they would ever see in years: the Dark Mark.
"Bloody Hell!" Draco finally said, "SOMEONE GET ME ATTACHE BELLAMY NOW." Draco roared into the open office outside.
"Bloody Hell! Malfoy! That's horrific." Harry exclaimed. "I still don't understand why Britain was never told when we dealt with this matter."
"Potter I believe during this time you were busy with the Wilkin's case? These certain memories are leading up to his capture between the years of 2006-2008."
Potter then understood. During that time a crazed wizard named Woodlow Wilkin's terrorized Britain and had been their most high-profile case. Not only because he was a wizard, but also because the muggle law enforcement wanted his head as well.
Suddenly they were on an open field. There was smoke everywhere, it was dark but the only thing that was lighting the area was the bright light of the fire that the field was immersed in. There were terrible screams echoing into the night sky as people were running to find some sort of safety.
Jets of different colored lights were flying in the air. Different voices could be heard but the familiar voices of Draco and Hermione could be picked out.
"BARTHALEMOU COME OUT AND FIGHT!" Hermione yelled.
A cackling laugh could be heard and from the smoke a handsome young stranger with slick black hair, chiseled cheeks, and familiar dark eyes came forward.
"Well look what we have here." His words echoing his late mother, "Hermione Granger, pleasure to finally meet your acquaintance." Barthalemou said in a velvety voice.
"How do you know me?" Hermione said squinting her eyes on the target in front of her. Draco had stood in front of her to shield Hermione from him.
"Ah, yes. This would be who? Draco Malfoy your fiancé and partner?"
"How do you know so much about us?" Hermione asked, slowly walking to place herself beside Draco.
"Oh Hermione, Darling, may I call you that?" Barthalemou asked.
"No you may not." Draco spat.
"'No matter." Barthalemou said waving his hand, "I know everything I need to know about those whom have impacted my life enormously." He said with a vicious smirk.
"What is that supposed to mean?" Draco demanded.
"Oh in all due time Draco. We have more in common than you think." Barthalemou laughed.
Suddenly they were surrounded by more attachés. Barthalemou then pointed his wand quickly where Hermione and Draco stood. There was a loud explosion and a green light glowed brightly where Draco and Hermione stood.
The smoke cleared which showed Draco and Hermione standing where they were last seen with no hair on them harmed at all. "Hermione what the?" Draco looked at her with shock. All the green light was being absorbed back into her stomach.
"I'm pregnant." Hermione blurted and Draco's eyes grew wide.
"That's how she told you she was pregnant?" Harry exclaimed. Not sure if he was confused or angry for letting Draco let her battle in such a state.
"Yeah. Hell of a way to find out you're going to be a father." Draco laughed at himself.
Harry calmed at the confirmation that Hermione didn't know she was pregnant. "I'm saying. Ginny told me by a 'baby dinner'.
"A what?!" Draco asked.
Before he could answer, there was a loud voice.
The memory had returned to the meeting room which Harry was now familiar with.
"How can this many people not find one dark wizard?!" A voice yelled in frustration.
"Because he's smart, cunning, and fast." A female voice in the room said.
"Isn't the dream team the head of this case?" Another voice said.
"What is that supposed to mean?" Draco now shot in, "Tell me Poulin?"
"Well everyone here knows you and Granger are the dream team. You've solved most of the important cases? Why is this one still hanging in the air?"
"Well in case you haven't noticed, Granger and I have made the most progress with this case. Wasn't it your team of expertise Poulin who thought the information we had was too vague? That it led to no point? Why did we have to pick up where you thought you were too good?"
The room of attaches grew silent at the two wizards neck and neck with each other.
The sound of a throat clearing silenced the room. "Well, well Poulin you sure have quite the opinion on this case." It was Head Attache Bellamy, "Attache Poulin could you tell me the third to last location that Barthalemou was last seen at? What was that importance?" She said striding down the room where Draco and Poulin stood.
"Attache Bellamy, it was." Poulin stuttered and after a few moments of pondering he finally confessed, "I apologize I do not know."
"Very well then, you're off this case." Attache Bellamy announced.
Poulin's mouth dropped open, "But Attache!" He was pleading.
"Must I remind you that the enemy is out there not in here. Do not disrupt this investigation again. Many things have been brought to my attention Poulin. Now I want your fellow colleagues to still respect so I will not say them aloud, but I shall spare you. Please leave the conference room."
Poulin scowled which caught Attache Bellamy's attention, "NOW."
Poulin hung his head and walked out of the room.
"Well he was a right ol' git." Harry said, "I'd be damned if anyone ever talked to a fellow Auror like that."
"Unfortunately Potter you have just seen the face of Jonathan Jay Poulin, the man who sold everyone out and accomplice to Barthalemou in the murder of the French Headquarter's of the I.L.E.F. and in the kidnapping of Hermione Granger."
"Fuck the bloody bastard." was all Harry could say.
A/N: I thought this was a good place to end the first half of the pensieve chapter. I wanted to have it all in one chapter, but I felt like it would be too much information. The next chapter will be uploaded shortly. Translations/Meanings Below! Review please!
~C'est l'exception qui confirme la règle. - It's the exception that proves the rule.
~Attaché - person who works at an embassy as an expert on a particular subject or field.