My thanks once again for the review.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN:Showing Your Hand
Harry looked back and forth through the journal in front of him, containing the records he'd ordered. Every now and then, a new record would appear in it as the files were transferred up to him from the records department. But none of them was bringing him any closer to the answer he was sure was in there somewhere. It didn't help that he didn't know what he was looking for. Or rather he did know what he was looking for but he wasn't expecting to find it.
"Are you busy, Harry?"a voice asked him.
Harry looked up to find Hermione standing in the doorway. She was leaning against the door frame in a rather seductive pose that he'd never seen her adopt before. She was also wearing a red dress that he didn't recognise. He wondered when she'd had a chance to change.
Harry leaned back in his chair, putting the journal to one side. "I don't think I'm going to make lunch, I'm afraid. I really think I'm on to something here."
"Oh?" Hermione sauntered over and sat down on his desk. "Anything I should know?"
"It's not really clear yet, I'll let you know when I've sorted it all out."
"Okay." Hermione ran her fingers through his hair. The experience was enjoyable at first but then he felt a sharp pain that caused him to cry out. "Sorry,"Hermione said, not sounding particularly sorry.
"That's all right,"Harry said patiently.
Hermione leaned forward as if to kiss him, then stopped just before their lips touched and smiled teasingly. "Catch you later." She skipped out of the office.
Harry looked after her. There was no doubt she'd been behaving rather odd. And he was sure that she… Harry dismissed the idea and returned his attention to the journal. After all, why would Hermione pull out one of his hairs?
It was a quarter of an hour later that Hermione appeared in Harry's doorway again. He noticed that she seemed to have changed back into the clothes she was wearing when they first arrived that morning and that Ron and Parvati were with her. Most extraordinarily of all, all of them were breathing heavily, as if they'd been running.
"Harry,"she gasped. "Have you seen someone that looks like me?"
Harry stared at her. "Is this a joke?"
"No, I mean someone who looks exactly like me." Hermione bit her lip. "You might not have known…"
"We just found Hermione unconscious in her office,"Parvati interjected. "Someone attacked her, the same woman that impersonated me. We think she might be impersonating Hermione now."
Harry suddenly began to get a sinking feeling. He looked at Hermione. "You didn't come here a few minutes ago wearing a red dress?"
Hermione gasped. "She was here! Harry, she didn't hurt you…"
"No, she…" Harry stopped, remembering something. "She took one of my hairs,"he said quietly. There was a moment of silence, as they all realised the significance of what he'd just said. "It's polyjuice potion. That's what they've been using all along."
"You think she looks like you now?"Ron asked.
Harry touched his wand to his desk, summoning the image of the clerk. "Have I been seen outside this office at any time in the last half an hour?"
"Wait a moment, Mr. Potter, I'll check for you." There was a moment's pause. "Yes, you went in to see the minister ten minutes ago."
"Kingsley's office,"Harry murmured. "Come on!" He rushed out.
"Oh great,"Ron sighed. "More running."
The four of them burst into Kingsley's office, the minister's personal assistant Clara Langley following them in. "I tell you the minister has left the office,"she protested. "Just a few minutes ago."
"What about me?"Harry asked. "Did I leave?"
"Well… I didn't see you…"
Parvati suddenly fixed her eyes on a large cupboard in the corner of the room. She threw open the door… and inside was Kingsley, bound and gagged. She removed the gag. "Well, thanks heavens for that,"he remarked, as Hermione and Parvati began untying him. He fixed his gaze on Harry. "Harry, what is the meaning of this?"
"That's what we're trying to find out, minister,"Harry answered.
"Why did you hit me with a Stunning Spell?"
Harry stopped, a cold feeling gripping him not for the first time that day. "Guess who,"Ron muttered.
"That wasn't me, Kingsley,"Harry explained. "It was the shapeshifter. She used polyjuice potion to impersonate me."
"She?"Kingsley repeated.
Harry remembered the near-kiss. "Well, I hope so."
"But why would she knock Kingsley out and leave him in a cupboard?"Hermione asked.
Parvati looked at Clara. "Has the minister issued any orders since the person that looked like Harry came in here?"
"Well, yes, the release notice."
"The what?"Ron asked.
"Ministerial pardon for a group of prisoners from Azkaban. Orders that they be released at once." Clara held up a piece of parchment.
Harry snatched it from her and ran his eye over the list. "Lucius Malfoy, Narcissa Malfoy, Draco Malfoy, Yaxley, Rookwood, Rowle, MacLaggen, Flint, Edgecombe, Vane, Davies, Derrick, Bole…"
"Every single Death Eater we captured at Riddle Mansion,"Ron realised.
"They're being released from Azkaban right now?"Hermione asked, aghast.
"I need to speak with them,"Kingsley decided.
"It might be too late for that,"Harry decided. "Kingsley, I need you to get in touch with Grimmauld Place. Send as many of the Order as possible to join us." He turned to his friends. "We're going to Azkaban."
Neville, Ernie and Slughorn hurried down a flight of steps to the courtyard. "You'll let me know if there's anything I can do to help you all?"Slughorn asked.
"Yeah, of course,"Neville agreed.
"But we need to get there quickly,"Ernie added.
"What? Oh, yes." Slughorn waved his wand in a very precise sequence of moves. "I've lifted the apparation restriction on this courtyard. I'll restore it as soon as you've gone, so if you need to get back quickly you'll have to go via Hogmeade."
"Thanks, Professor,"Neville answered. "Let's go." He and Ernie drew their wands and apparated.
Just as they vanished, James and Emily came running into the courtyard. "Dad!"Emily called.
"Professor Longbottom!"James echoed.
Slughorn smiled at them in what he probably intended to be a reassuring manner. "I'm afraid Professor Longbottom and Professor Macmillan have to run an urgent errand. Is something the matter?"
James hesitated, then nodded. "You need to get on to the Order or the ministry or someone. We've found something out."
"We had to look through a lot of books to find it,"Emily added. "We should have thought of looking there sooner."
Slughorn was confused. "What have you found?"
James produced a book, opened at a specific page, from behind his back. Slughorn recognised it as an old Hogwarts yearbook. The page showed photographs of several students.
James pointed to one of the pictures. "Her."