CHAPTER FIVE: The Confusing Investigation

Harry stood behind Hermione, gently rubbing her shoulders, feeling her trembling slightly in the aftermath of the attack. They were in the office of Harry's immediate superior and the head of the Auror department, Matthias Rawling, who had insisted on heading up the investigation himself. Parvati was there, with Ron standing supportively at her shoulder. And Kingsley Shacklebolt, the Minister of Magic, taking a very keen interest in one of his staff being attacked in the ministry itself.

The other person in the room was Harald Williamson, one of the department's best forensics experts. He had a magic goggle over one eye as he closely inspected Parvati's wand. After several minutes' deliberation, in which everyone stared at him silently, he removed the goggle and cleared his throat. "This is not the wand used in the attack on Mrs. Weasley."

Hermione stared at him in shock. "But it must be!"

"Do you recognise it?"Rawling asked.

Hermione shot him a look. "I was attacked in my own office by one of my co-workers. I didn't pay much attention to the wand she was using."

Rawling looked back at Parvati. "This is your wand?"

"Yes,"Parvati answered. "You can see from my record."

Rawling glanced at Kingsley. The Minister nodded. "That is registered in Parvati's file as her wand."

"I've done a magical trace on the spells directed against Mrs. Weasley,"Williamson continued. "And it was not a wand that we have on file."

"The only wands we have records of are Ministry employees and known criminals,"Kingsley pointed out.

"And even then we can't discount anyone,"Harry pointed out. "Rodolphus Lestrange used Miranda Bloggs' wand to kill Ginny so it couldn't be traced. Any Dark Wizard could steal a wand and use it."

"It wasn't me!"Parvati protested. She looked at Hermione beseechingly. "Hermione, you know I wouldn't do this."

Hermione hesitated. "I didn't think you would. But I saw you."

"When did this happen?"Ron asked.

"Just before twelve o'clock."

"Well, I met Parvati in her office at five past and she didn't look like she'd just been in a fight."

"But you can't confirm her whereabouts at twelve o'clock?"Kingsley answered.

Ron sighed. "No. But you've done the check on her, no-one's hit her with the Impediment Jinx recently."

"Nevertheless, as a precaution, I'm suspending Miss Patil from duty. Miss Patil, a trace will be placed on your wand and there will be a restriction on how far from the Ministry you are allowed to Apparate."

Parvati nodded, looking upset. Ron put an arm around her shoulder and led her out of the office, shooting an annoyed look at his two old friends as he did so.

"Rawling, Williamson, I'd like to discuss the particulars of the case with you in my office,"Kingsley announced. "Harry, I think you have some work to do here."

Harry waited until the three had left before enfolding Hermione in a hug. "You believe me, don't you?" she asked.

"I believe you about what happened,"Harry answered. "But we both know there are a lot of ways someone could have made themselves look like Parvati."

Hermione gave a hollow laugh. "Don't know what's worse. If Parvati attacked me over the way I treated Ron or if there's two people with a reason to hurt me."

Harry tilted her chin and stared her in the eye. "Whoever did this, I'm going to make sure they don't hurt you again."

Rose was washing her hands in the girls' bathroom. She wasn't sure what to make of their new Potions teacher. Melinda seemed to be fair minded and had complimented her on her work but Rose couldn't help feeling that the teacher resented her in some way.

She heard a flushing noise from one of the cubicles and saw Zara Mills, the Slytherin girl who had been hanging off Scorpius in class, emerge. Zara looked hard at Rose. "You're kidding yourself, you know."

Rose looked back at her, astonished. "I'm sorry?"

"You really think Scorpius Malfoy will go for you? That whole plain, bookworm look might work for the dumb jocks in Gryffindor but he comes from a decent family. He's going to want more than that."

"I don't see what his family's got to do with that,"Rose retorted.

"Really? Your father's a Weasley and your mother's a Muggleborn. That's two of the things that the Malfoys hate the most. Even if Scorpius does lower himself to spending time with you, you think his family will ever let him marry you?" Zara turned and stalked out of the bathroom.

Rose felt a tear running down her cheek.

"You don't have to take me back here,"Parvati claimed as Ron led her into the front room of his place.

"Well, what else am I gonna do?"he asked. "Let you go back to your flat on your own?"

"Some people might, with me being a suspected felon."

Ron shrugged. "Some of my best friends have been suspected felons."

"You do believe me, don't you?"

"Wouldn't be bringing you back here if I didn't."

Parvati gave a slight smile. "So you're not secretly hoping I really did attack Hermione?"

Ron shook his head. "She doesn't deserve that."

Parvati's smile faltered. "Do you still love her?"

Ron shrugged. "We've got two kids together. I'm not gonna want anything to happen to her for their sake." He gripped Parvati's hand. "I'm on your side here, okay?"

Rose had been sitting in a corner of the quad, trying to hide her tears, when Scorpius found her. "What's wrong?"he asked.

Rose gave a slight sniff. "It's nothing."

"It's not nothing. Has something upset you?"

Rose abandoned the pretence. "It's Zara."

"Zara?" Scorpius looked concerned. "Is this because I was helping her in Potions?"

"No, it's what she said afterwards. About how your family would never accept us…"- she broke off, not wanting to give too much away about her feelings –"…being friends. And she's right, I'm not what they want for you."

"And I'm not going to pay any attention to them,"Scorpius insisted. "I'm probably not what your family expected but are you going to stop being friends with me because of that?"

Rose thought this over. "Your family can be a bit scary though."

Scorpius shrugged. "I wouldn't want to get on the wrong side of your dad." He grinned and Rose found herself grinning as well. Then he noticed Zara at the other end of the quad, surrounded by a gaggle of friends. "Come on,"he snapped, grabbing Rose by the hand and dragging her along after him.

Zara saw the pair approaching. "Hi, Scorpius,"she began. "Do you want to do our..?"

"What have you been saying to Rose?"Scorpius demanded.

Zara looked bemused. "I've never spoken to Rose Weasley in my life. Certainly not today."

"In the bathroom,"Rose insisted. "First break after lunch. You told me Scorpius' family would never accept me."

"You're crazy, Gryffindor. I was in the common room all through third break. Just ask this lot." She nodded to her friends before the group stalked away.

Scorpius looked at Rose. "I swear it was her,"she insisted.