Chapter 3 – Putting the Puzzle Together...

Kingsley Shacklebolt entered the interrogation room with his usual dignity. His experienced gaze quickly took in the prisoner and the hauteur of her demeanor. "Well, isn't she just as cool as a cucumber? Potter was right, this doesn't look good. Never thought I'd see a Weasely sitting here on the wrong side of the table, that's for sure." He composed his thoughts and sat down next to Harry, arranging his files to hide his sudden discomfort. He wasn't sure what he expected, but this wasn't it.

"Good morning, Lady Malfoy. I trust you've been treated well?"

Ginevra Malfoy gave an undignified snort and rolled her eyes. "Oh my, let me see. I was manhandled by six brutes, shoved into a broom closet of a cell, the mattress is lumpy, I'm being kind, you realise, and shall we discuss the gastronomical disaster that is your kitchen here? I wouldn't serve that slop to my house elves for punish…"

"ENOUGH!", the Head Auror bellowed, "You are here on very serious charges, Mrs. Malfoy. This is not some spa on the coast of Italy. May I remind you that you are under arrest for a very lengthy list of heinous crimes?" He had to give the chit credit, her start at his suddenly raised voice was barely noticeable and she composed herself instantly. "Not good at all. It's obvious she's not afraid. What in the hell has happened to her? And just how in the name of Merlin is she managing to stare down her nose at me?" Harry just sat there, a slightly stunned look on his face. This was not the Ginny Weasely he remembered from Hogwarts.

She tilted her head and looked at him with one raised eyebrow. "Well, you've got one thing right, my dear Kingsley, this isn't a spa on any coast I'd be seen at. And, darling, it's Lady Malfoy, if you please." She looked around her; nose slightly wrinkled and said, "Gentlemen, shall we begin? What shall I do first? Plead for my life? Swear that I was under the Imperious Curse the whole time? Promise that if you let me go, I won't ever, ever, ever do that again, and I'll even do community service, pinky swear? Ask you to please oh please take into account my difficult childhood, I grew up so poor and the idea of that much wealth just blinded me to what was right and what was wrong?"

Harry could feel the man next to him almost quivering with barely suppressed rage. He couldn't blame Kingsley; he was finding it hard to believe the tone of Ginny's voice. Not even Lucius Malfoy had dared to take that sort of tone with Kingsley Shacklebolt.

The tall dark man drew himself up, inhaled slowly through his nose, and let it out again. He glanced down at the paperwork in front of him and back up at the petite woman sitting on the opposite side of the table from him.

"Could you please state your name for the record?"

At his flat and business-like tone, her demeanor also changed. The fire melted away and the sneering, caustic woman faded and in her place was a cold and icy queen. Ginny was gone, replaced by Lady Malfoy.

"Lady Ginevra Molly Malfoy née Weasley" Her tone was even and steady, but devoid of emotion.

"Date of birth?"

"August 11th, 1981"

"Place of birth?"

"Ottery St. Catchpole, Devon, England"

"Your current address?"

"Malfoy Manor, Wiltshire, England"

"Marital status?"

At this question, Harry noticed Ginny flinch slightly. It was subtle, but it was there. "Widowed."

"Name of your spouse and date and place of marriage?

"Draco Lucius Malfoy. We were married on June 23rd, 2001 in a private ceremony at Malfoy Manor."

"Lady Malfoy, were you made aware of your rights under Magical Law at the time of your arrest? Including your right to refuse to answer any and all questions put to you in this and subsequent interviews?"

"Now that you mention it, I do believe that was mentioned somewhere but I'm not sure if it was before or after the application of brute force, including a knee in my back." Harry could see the fire returning back to Ginny's eyes.

Kingsley Shacklebolt fixed the woman before him with a stern look. She returned it with a hard look of her own. Harry was amazed at her audacity. This petite woman was standing up to a gaze that had reduced larger men to guilty silences and shuffling feet. "Well," he thought, "you can take the girl out of Gyrffindor, but you can't take all of the Gryffindor out of the girl."

"Very well, Lady Malfoy, now that we have established your identity, let us move on to more serious matters."

She looked faintly annoyed and said, "Is it possible to get a decent cup of tea in this place? I'm quite parched."

Shacklebolt nodded to Harry, who rose and went to the door. He opened it and spoke to one of the guards standing outside. "Smythe, can you please bring the prisoner – ah, make that all three of us, some tea please?"

Smythe gave a quick nod, went off in the direction of the kitchens, and Harry returned to his chair and sat down.

The three people sat in a stony silence until Smythe came in with a tea tray, holding three cups of tea, a small milk pitcher and a sugar bowl. "How do you take your tea, Lady Malfoy?", Shacklebolt asked.

"Milk and two sugars, please.", she replied. Harry fixed the cup while the other man loosened the chains holding Lady Malfoy's arms to her chair just enough for her to drink her tea.

"Now, Lady Malfoy, are you now or have you ever been a member of the terrorist organization know as the 'Death Eaters'?"

A/N Sorry it took me so long, this was hard to write. Thank you for the wonderful reviews.