Azkaban Prison pre-dated the oldest records of The Wizarding World. It had been ancient during the days of the Founders, and ancient still during the days of Merlin. There were few structures which had remained preserved quite like Azkaban, that mighty fortress which had become a prison for the Wizarding World.

Funny thing about secrets - they could make even the brightest of minds glaze over the simplest of questions, the most rudimentary of details. Even Hermione Granger, considered by many to the brightest mind of her generation, was not immune to this. Though it was not in her nature to simply accept the status quo when it worked against her - or against others, even - she had never been given a reason to question that which she read in her schoolbooks and extracurricular reading.

Not until now.

With the ending of the Tri-Wizard Tournament, several things happened to jade Hermione against the Wizarding Government, but they all culminated in the imprisonment of her best friend, Harry Potter, within the Wizarding prison of Azkaban.

That it had been done with absolutely no legal proceedings at all had confused the bushy-haired Gryffindor . . . until she had taken note of the reactions of those around her.

Complete acceptance. Approval, even, of the actions of the government. And beneath that, an unwillingness to even consider the idea that the government might have been wrong, that they could have made a mistake ... never mind that Hermione herself was quite convinced that this was no mistake. This was a clear and evident example of a government who would do anything to shut up a dissident such as Harry Potter had quickly become.

What hurt the most, however, was the lack of action against those who would have believed Harry. Albus Dumbledore, Minerva McGonagall, even the Weasleys - none of them raised a finger to help her friend, and it had floored Hermione in a way that none of the adventures and revelations she had experienced since entering the Wizarding World had managed to do.

And it had all boiled down to one man's inaction - Albus Dumbledore. They had all looked to him for guidance, and he had failed to lift so much as a finger in defense of a young man many had considered his favorite pupil. "The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few," he had somberly claimed, and Hermione had been unable to do anything to sway his mind.

"Even Mr. Potter must face the consequences of his actions, and his decisions." Professor Moody had been the one to come up with that particular anecdote, and it had left Hermione Granger dumbfounded, that they could blame Harry at the same moment that they claimed they did not believe him capable of the cold-blooded murder of another student.

Had the entire world gone mad? Hermione was inclined to believe so. Her only allies in this seemed to be Sirius Black and Remus Lupin - but what could a wanted criminal and a known werewolf hope to accomplish?

So they plotted, and they schemed, but still it took nearly six months before a visitor's pass could be acquired for Hermione, with Remus Lupin barely managing to convince the authorities to allow him to accompany her, in lieu of a parental figure. She was, after all, muggle-born - and what sane government official would allow a muggle entrance into Azkaban? They would surely go mad at the very sight of the prison, or so the government seemed to think. That, and only that, had allowed Remus Lupin the opening he needed in order to accompany his former student within it's walls.

Hermione had thought herself ready to face Azkaban Prison, and the horrors which awaited her within it's walls. She had pushed Sirius for answers, for insight into what she would find there. It had hurt her to push him so, to see the pain in his eyes as he spoke of his time there, but it was for a worthy cause - and in the end, all she had to do was mention Harry's name, and Sirius was right there with her, opening up as he never would have otherwise.

He would do anything for the son of James and Lily Potter. He would have allowed himself to be imprisoned within Azkaban again, if it would have saved his nephew from the horrors he knew the young man was experiencing at this very moment.

But nothing could have prepared Hermione Granger for the horror that truly awaited her. The dingy, dirty hallways, the screams of those imprisoned who had long ago gone mad . . . the guard who smiled at the sound of another blood-curdling scream as he led her down the hall toward the section of the prison that was supposed to house her best friend.

All of that, of course, paled in comparison to the fear that leapt through her chest as she took in the sight of the empty cell, Remus' hand on her shoulder the only thing keeping her steady, keeping her grounded.

There was a flurry of movement, several uttered curses and an air of anger as the guard sprang into action, a quick spell drawing several other guards to him as he shouted something about an escape.

Escape. Harry had escaped. Even through her fear, Hermione felt a thrill of excitement, of exultation at the thought that Harry had persevered.

Something of her elation must have shown on Hermione's face, for their guide turned his full attention on her, reaching for his wand as he advanced toward Hermione.

The hand on Hermione's shoulder tightened for a moment, before Remus spoke softly - so softly Hermione almost didn't catch it. "Run."