A/N: not mine. Just playing with some long-lost friends.
We are off to the races. Things are going to move right along! Not that they have not been, well if you binged this story all at once and haven't been patiently waiting on updates for ages.
Thanks for all the support, reviews, and follows. It means the world to me.
-Lil
Severus had no time to waste. Long distance apparition was not recommended but he didn't have the time to wait for the International Portkey to be registered and approved. With more than a bit of a headache and the absolutely dreadful feeling that he had drained far too much of his magical strength, like he may have done after a day spent dueling or an intense night of brewing a charmed potion, Severus arrived in the New York Magical District and made haste down streets and alleys in search of the only hope he felt they had.
When Severus arrived to the offices of Chastity Flintridge it was to discover she was not alone. He introduced himself to her secretary, who informed him that she was currently in the middle of a meeting with a client. He paced about in her small warm lobby, growing more and more anxious by the minute.
"Is this going to take long?" he inquired rather abruptly. "I am in a bit of a rush here and do not have time to waste on Miss Flintridge wiping the sniveling noses of moronic imbeciles who have gotten themselves into a bit of a trouble. I am dealing with a time sensitive emergency and I demand to…"
Whatever the rest of that sentence was it was cut off by the door to Chastity's office being thrown open with a bit more force than was entirely warranted.
"Severus Snape. What a pleasure. I do believe you had promised not to need my services again. What in Merlin's name are you doing here disturbing my meeting?" Chastity asked angrily. "Charles, I'll have Lidia call to schedule our next appointment and let you know if there are any new developments on my end," she addressed the man she had been meeting with, a squat balding man who reminded Severus too much of Peter Pettigrew.
Severus barely waited for the other man to clear the doorway before he swept into her office, robes billowing behind him like the dreaded bat of the dungeons. He paced about in her office waiting for her to take a seat behind her desk and once the door was closed. Severus took it upon himself to secure the room with a rather strong Muffliato.
"You always were theatrical Severus. Surely what ever this is about you could have taken time to set a meeting like anyone else." She cut him off with a wave of her hand before he could respond. "Strike that, if you are here at all I am sure that the world must be coming down. Tell me, how is Draco? Has he gotten himself into a bind again? I have been able to keep track of him a bit, his fashion line has gained some popularity here. I have a niece who swears he a genius. I try to take her word for it."
Severus was trying not to lose patience. It was not as though she was wrong. He had barged in after apparating clear across the Atlantic like a mad man. "Draco is well, he is causing mayhem and havoc in ways only Draco can, but he is not the reason I just drained nearly all of my magic getting here."
"Oh merlin, don't tell me you apparated?" she asked, as she moved to pour a strong couple of cups of coffee from a cart in the corner of the room.
"Thank you Chastity," Severus told her as she placed the hot mug in his hands, before moving to pull a small container of shortbread biscuits and pumpkin pasties from a tin on a lower shelf of her coffee cart and making himself a small plate of biscuits. "I'm afraid I didn't have the time to wait for the Portkey. I apparated from just outside our Ministry and straight here. I am rather desperate."
Chastity took up her seat again and took a deep breath, preparing herself for what she knew she was not going to like. "Well, lets get down to it. You look a right mess. Whatever it is, it must be bad, or you wouldn't be here for me. The sex wasn't that good." She laughed a little, trying to diffuse a bit of the tension in the room and prepare herself for whatever nightmare situation he was about to ask her to help him out of.
Severus smirked. She was not wrong; the sex really wasn't that good. It was adequate, but already he had experienced more passion with Hermione in their limited experiences than he ever did in the time he was sleeping with Chastity Flintridge. "Look Chastity, lets dispense with the pleasantries, shall we. I do appreciate the biscuits, but I really do not have time to dawdle. I am not sure how much of our news you get here, or how much you pay attention to," he inquired, wondering if he was going to really have to start at the beginning or just touch on the actual truth.
Chastity smiled. "The Ministers gay. Though I doubt that is why you are here. To be honest I don't pay attention to much that doesn't have to do with on going cases. I don't have much free time really." And she really didn't, Chastity Flintridge was a well sought-after Criminal Defense Attorney in New York and worked cases all up and down the Eastern Coast.
Severus knew he shouldn't be surprised that Kingsley's wild show had made the headlines even here. "He certainly is that, something I could have told you about decades ago when he just a boy in school. It is not however the reason I risked coming here. Hermione Granger is in need of a defense attorney before the day is out in England."
"I can't just leave Severus, I have a job here, and clients who rely on me," she was telling him. "Hermione Granger you say?" Chastity certainly remembered Hermione. She would have known of her even if she hadn't been Draco's Attorney. The world knew who the Golden Trio were. However, Chastity wouldn't forget the bright young witch who had so arduously testified in defense of Draco Malfoy years before.
"I don't have time to tell you every detail you are sure to need, and we are going to need to discuss more on the way to register for an emergency Portkey. I wasn't kidding when I said there was no time to waste. They are dragging her before the Wizengamot shortly." He began, working on the assumption that she would go, he couldn't afford for her not to.
"You better have a damn good story, and a bag full of Galleons if you think I'm about to walk out of here with you and put all my other cases on hold or transfer them to colleagues. I would be walking away from several large paychecks you realize." She looked at him with a raised eyebrow, already calculating what all would need to be done if she were to go with him back to Europe and wondering how long she might have to be gone.
"The short version is that Hermione is being set up to look like a Dark Witch, she is being called a Death Eater and worse, and is currently being held for the use of Unforgivables following the end of the War. All of this started when she was beaten and left for dead, losing her unborn daughter in the process." He was trying not to let too much show, but he could tell from the way that Chastity was regarding him that she wasn't occluding nearly enough. "I'll see to it that you are well paid. If for some reason there isn't enough in my vaults to cover the costs and any lost wages twice over, then I will see to it that you can spend an afternoon picking through the Potter brats vault. I am sure his Charities haven't even made a dent and he owes Hermione."
The mention of the Potter vaults was certainly enticing, and while she normally wouldn't accept one Wizards promise of another's money, she certainly knew not to take Severus' word for platitudes and empty promises. She obviously knew that Harry Potter was known to be Hermione Granger's best friend, along with Ronald Weasley. He was the member of their little trio she knew the least about as he had declined to testify in Draco's trial.
"You had better put the gold where your mouth is if you think I'm going to put my case load on hold for your little Golden Girl. What's your connection anyhow? Last I read the Granger girl had run off into the sunset with the Weasley Boy while Potter married his Sister, thus locking the three of them together even more." She told him. She remembered reading about their fancy weddings years ago. "Never mind, tell me on the way Severus. Let's go, the Magical Congress awaits."
"Thank you, Chastity, I owe you more than you know." Severus held the door for her to precede him out of the office.
Chastity stopped and spoke quickly with her secretary. "Lidia, I'm afraid I am going to be heading back to London to deal with a case. It's rather high profile. Start making calls and get everything pushed or covered. Mr. Donahue in Boston owes me, flue him and see what he can take over for me."
Turning back to Severus she smirked, "Let's get this show on the road Severus, you have quite a bit more to tell me and fees to pay. I'm quite looking forward to the vacation this little case of yours is going to afford me. Let's go."
Chastity led Severus, who barely spared a glance to the put upon secretary left in his wake, towards an alley that would lead to the Magical Congress of the United States of America where they would be able to secure an Emergency International Portkey. "Alright Severus cut the crap and get to the real story. What's the deal with this Granger girl? All we've ever heard here is that she was the brains behind your sides victory and Harry Potter's best friend and then little wifey to Ron Weasley. How the hell do you get involved in this shit?" she asked him, starting to walk a little slower so she could turn to look at him a bit.
Severus walked briskly up beside Chastity. "She most assuredly was the brains in that trio, and one of the brightest witches to grace the halls of Hogwarts since I had begun teaching. However, the war broke her in many ways, and what damage it didn't do, her brute of a husband did. The short of it is that soon after their Marriage, which was never recorded with the Ministry due to his infidelity before the bonding was complete, Weasley began to abuse her. Despite the fact that he nearly killed her and did in fact kill their unborn daughter, she never turned her wand against him, never slapped him or tried to poison him, or harm him in any way. Though she certainly had cause."
Chastity considered what he was telling her. "And yet she is facing charges so something must have happened, cut to the chase Severus. We are almost there, and I can still change my mind about helping," she told him irritably, not having time for the long version.
Severus wanted to tell her to stop interrupting him and let him tell her the story so that she could get the whole picture but he knew that snarling at her wouldn't get him what he needed, what Hermione needed. "The fact is she is being charged with a multitude of offenses. Murder, which is easy enough to prove she wasn't involved, trust me on that one. The attempted murder of her husband, and of Harry Potter. Potter can attest that she didn't try to do him any harm, though I shouldn't blame her if she did the little dunderheaded shite," he was saying.
"Severus get to it," she snapped.
"The fact is she has been using unforgivables since the war. Against herself. Using mirrors, before you ask," he told her.
"But why? And how am I supposed to argue her innocence when she was using Unforgivables outside of a war time? They are Unforgiveable for a reason, and their use is strictly prohibited," she was not liking the sound of things and was about ready to turn around and forget she had ever met Severus Snape.
"Self-hatred is a horrible thing. And with no psychotherapy in the Wizarding World, I am sure she is just one of many struggling with inner demons following the war. She never used the curses to harm anyone else, and she had experienced a teacher using them to demonstrate a lesson, and he was never held accountable for that crime either, so you could argue a precedent. I don't know, you are the solicitor, not me. I just know that she is guilty of nothing more than wanting to be free of the pain caused to her by being thrust into the deep end of a war that should never have been left to school children to fight," he told her earnestly, if you ignore the part where he didn't tell her that the teacher in question had actually been a Death Eater in disguise, but since that wasn't terribly pertinent at the moment there was no point to expound on that knowledge.
Chastity listened to all he was saying and tried to work out possible defenses. "What's your part in all of this? As far as I know you don't have any more Godchildren wandering about the Wizarding World, and you never seemed to speak fondly of any of your past students, beyond a grudging respect for those that spoke on Draco's behalf, but even that doesn't seem enough to come chase me down and beg me to help you."
"I did not beg," he started. "Oh fine. The fact is that I came to know Hermione more through my work, she often sought healing potions for the wounds inflicted by her supposed husband. We began a friendship. It grew to be more, though we both ignored our feelings until I found her half dead following her final attack by Weasley."
He truly hoped Chastity would have some wild ideas up her sleeve to help her because so far not even the Boy-Wo-Lived-to-Aggravate-Him or the Minister for Magic had so far been utterly useless in making these charges go away and the last thing he wanted was to see Hermione hauled off to Azkaban. She deserved to start over, and he so wished to be by her side as long as she would have him.
"Okay, look Severus. I don't know half of what is going on here, so I am not about to make promises. I am going to need all the facts, but I'm not going to have time to get them all before we catch a Portkey out of here. When we get there, I am going to need time with the Granger girl, and I am going to need you to run down some information for me," she started to explain her plans. "We will do what we can, but I have a feeling I'm going to need all the help I can get, because if you didn't need all the help you could get you wouldn't be here." And really, Severus couldn't argue with that.
Soon enough they were waiting on an Emergency International Portkey to activate, they still had a good twenty minutes to wait in what the Magical Congress called the Portus Hall, which was about what it sounded like, a departures and arrivals hall for Portkey travel.
"Then there is this Verity woman, who has it out for her because she was obsessed with dear old dad, right?" she was asking, getting as much information as she could while they waited.
"Unfortunately, yes, and she is still a factor I do not fully understand, and that alone scares me. She was not one of the dunderheaded fools I was forced to teach so I am not familiar with her, and I certainly never had a need of the joke shop she was working at. I don't even know what she looks like, though Weasley was always a rather shallow idiot so I assume she is rather attractive, if one judges things by his taste," Severus told her.
Chastity laughed, almost giggled really. "Really Severus, one would think you do judge by his standards, seeing as you are playing house with his wife."
"We are certainly not 'playing house' we are cohabitating. And she is not his wife, she truly never was," he seethed, trying to reign in his temper as Chastity poked fun at him. "I may concede that our interests align in this one instance, though I think his attraction to Hermione had more to do with ticking off a little box on his to-do list than actually desiring her for the woman that she was. He most certainly didn't appreciate her or deserve her."
"Do you deserve her, Severus?" she asked him playfully.
Severus smirked. "Of course not, but I'm a selfish bastard if ever there was one and she will have me so I am not about to walk away just because she is worth a dozen old Death Eater Potions Masters," he told her.
"You are a reformed Death Eater, and there is nothing wrong with being a Potions Master, it is a rather lucrative and prestigious position. I think you undersell yourself."
"You don't know her yet, trust me, she is worthy of the best in life," he said sincerely.
It was an uncomfortable Portkey and an hour or so later that they arrived at the Ministry of Magic back in London, the skies were pitch black outside as the night dragged on into the late hours.
They found a smiling but shaken and tired Hermione seated in her holding cell talking quietly with Harry.
"And then Luna was telling Ginny about her girlfriend there and I didn't know whether to pop some popcorn and pull up a chair to listen or run away and clean my ears out," Harry was saying as Hermione let out a small laugh.
"Oh Severus, you're back. Thank goodness. And it's Ms. Flintridge, isn't it?" Hermione asked, addressing Chastity who was standing just behind Severus.
"Please, call me Chastity. Severus has been telling me about your case some, but I fear we have a lot to go over still, and you are going to get quite tired of repeating your tale before this is all over with," Chastity responded. "Hello Mr. Potter, its nice to see you again, I do wish it was better circumstances, but here we are," she addressed Harry quickly so as not to be rude, remembering him from Draco's trial years before.
"Yes, well, if there is anything else, I can do, I did a little begging and had myself assigned to be the Auror guard assigned to Hermione for now. There is another Auror, thankfully not Mickey, who was sent back to the States to investigate what all Ron was up to there, and track Cane, but Goldstein is assigned to question Hermione. I managed to have it put off while she was waiting for counsel, but he wont be put off long. Thankfully he is the one that was assigned to read through Cain's journals and he is for sure happy for a break from that nightmare, and it may make him a bit more sympathetic to 'Mione here," he was explaining to the newcomers in the room.
Severus looked in at Hermione, wondering how she had come to seemingly forgive Harry, and sending a prayer to Merlin, God, and whoever else was listening that it was to her benefit and that she would come through all of this insanity somewhat unscathed.
"Thank you, Chastity. Harry here has been keeping me company and filling me in on a few more details about what all is going on. It is probably going to help to have his input too," Hermione told Chastity. "Please, come in and sit down, I'd transfigure something more comfortable for you to sit in, but they've taken my wand."
"No worries, I'm quite used to rooms such as these," Chastity answered. "Mr. Potter, perhaps you and Severus could join us for a while, I will want to talk to Hermione alone at some point, but for now I would like all the information I can get, and having the input of an Auror connected to the case can only help. I will need to know the timeline of what happened, as well as what's to happen. When is the trial, I know they are rushing it but can we get a day or twos reprieve? I'll write up a motion and we will see what we can do, yes? I also want a list of all the sitting members of your Wizengamot at some point soon, because we need to know who we are facing in there, so one of you will need to track that down, it shouldn't be too difficult. Hermione, like I said, this isn't going to be easy, I am going to be asking you a million questions, some of which you may not understand, but my job is to know everything that could help or hinder us. I am going to get personal, and at the end of this we may as well be soul sisters for all that I will know about you. Any questions before we get down to business?" Chastity asked the room, after having quickly spat out her plan for the night.
Severus moved over to stand behind Hermione, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "How are you holding up darling? I see you and Potter are back to friendly terms. I must say as much as I can't fathom why you would want him near you I am glad of it if you have one more person in your corner, and the Grand Savior of the Wizarding World has to be good for something," he said a little sarcastically, with a raised eyebrow as he looked to Harry.
"I'm okay Severus, really," Hermione told him, placing one of her small hands over his on her shoulder. "I wanted to blast Harry to pieces, but with no wand to aim a Reducto at his feet I was left with no recourse but to listen to him whinge at me and finally found the grace to forgive him," she briefly explained, knowing Severus would want to hear the whole story later. "Where do we start?" she addressed Chastity.
The four of them sat around the small cold table for hours, into the wee hours of the early morning. They had all had several cups of rich black coffee, which Harry had knicked from the Auror offices break room, as the Cafeteria was long since closed, or yet to open depending on how you looked at things. They discussed the basics of Hermione's case, everything from the War, through Greyback and her depression and PTSD symptoms. They discussed her supposed marriage to Weasley, and how long it had taken for her to be able to consummate the marriage. They talked at length about Hermione's use of the Cruciatis, and the eventual attempt at the Killing Curse. Severus even went so far as to open up, in the company of a Potter no less, about his own attempts at self-harm with the torture curse.
When they got to the discussions on Verity Cane Hermione found that she was doing more listening than speaking for once. Harry seemed to be the biggest authority on Verity, although Severus knew quite a bit about her deceased father and his obsession with Hermione.
"And when was the first time that you met Miss Cane, Hermione?" Chastity asked.
Hermione thought about it for a minute, "It would have had to have been after the end of the war. Fred and George had to bring on some help in what was our sixth year, I believe, so they could get back to research and development and not spend every minute running the front of the shop. I didn't personally meet her for years though that I remember. I'm not sure exactly when though. I suspected Ron was sleeping with her about a year ago, I certainly heard some of the whispers around town. I didn't realize it had been going on for so long though."
"And what was your relationship with her like?" Chastity asked.
Hermione scoffed. "We didn't really have one, from my perspective anyhow. She was, to all appearances, my husband's mistress, and she kept the shop for George. I saw her and was cordial when I would pop by to see him, but I did my best to avoid her to be honest. I always felt so small next to her, so pathetically unworthy," she explained, starting to tense up again.
"You are anything but unworthy darling, and it is she that should feel small next to you. In fact, if she wasn't so dreadfully jealous of you, we wouldn't be in this position at all. It was, after all, her twisted jealousies that began her obsession with you, and led her to ensnare and drug Weasley. Do not ever feel inferior to the likes of her, or anyone else for that matter," Severus told Hermione, clasping her hand in his under the table.
"That's right Mione. She's a right nutter and you are so wonderful and so strong, everything you've done and been through and still you're here, and you're fighting," Harry piped in.
Hermione felt touched at their declarations, and as her emotions swelled again her already engorged breasts fought against the Muggle breast milk pads she had inserted into her bra before leaving for the Ministry. It was now long since past the time that she was supposed to have pumped again and the Ministry was not allowing her to bring an unknown contraption into a holding cell.
Severus noticed her apparent distress and took control to try and help her as best he could. "Alright, I think we should go track down that information Chastity has requested and meet back here in an hour. I will stop off in Muggle London quickly and find us all something to eat, I am sure we are all starving and not just me. Chastity why don't you see if Potter here can find you an empty room and maybe catch an hours sleep, you look as though you could use it." Severus gave everyone direction, and as Harry, exhausted, but no stranger to pulling all-nighters as an Auror, and Chastity moved to follow his suggestions he moved to kneel at Hermione's side.
He held her hands in his, resting them on her lap in her chair and looked into her tired eyes as Harry and Chastity left them alone. He knew that Harry would be sending a new Auror to guard the room but hoped that whomever it was they would stay outside the room and give Hermione a moment of privacy. "How are you holding up? It's been a long night and a longer morning already," he said.
"Oh Severus, it's all so horrid. I just don't know what to do, and my breasts are so full. I can't pump, I cant do anything. I just want this all to be behind me already. What am I going to do?" she cried.
"How can I help," Severus asked her.
"I need to express milk. But I don't know if I can express much and I don't have anything to express into," she explained her greatest concern of the moment.
Severus Evanescoed the last dregs of coffee from his mug and handed it to Hermione. "If you can manually express at least some into the cup, we can't save it but at least your supply will keep and you will be relieved of a bit of discomfort. I hate to leave you, but I do need to get us food and track down the list of current sitting Wizengamot members," he told her as he handed over the clean mug.
Hermione sighed in relief all while she felt panic rising over her. She didn't want to be left alone in this place but rationally knew it wouldn't be for long. "Come back soon please. I'll be okay, just please come back," she pleaded with him.
"I wouldn't be anywhere else. I'll be back before an hour is out. Try to express some and rest a bit, you need it," he told her, as he kissed her on the forehead tenderly before walking out of the small room.
Hermione, once alone, wasted little time before freeing her swollen breasts from her top and began to squeeze and massage the milk out into the cup. She was distraught by the whole ordeal and upset again knowing that the precious milk she was expressing was all going to be vanished when Severus returned. Tears spilled from her eyes as milk spilled from her breast. She was overwhelmed and exhausted. Everything was so surreal. From the moment she had entered the Ministry, with the amazing show of support she had seen from so many people, then the madness with her being shuttled off into a holding cell after seeing Ronald, and making up with Harry finally, a story she still hadn't been able to really tell Severus. She was again finding herself quite fond of Chastity Flintridge and was glad that Severus had found her again to represent her. She remembered her from Draco's trial, and she had been a shark, so poised and professional, but vicious in her client's defense. She hoped that she would be as fortunate as Draco had been.
Hermione felt herself nodding off at the table as she finished expressing what milk she could by hand and found herself more than able to nap at a cold table after all she had similarly fallen asleep in the Hogwarts library more than once.
Before she knew it, she was being gently shaken awake by Severus who had returned with pastries and more fresh coffee and four vials of Invigoration Draught. It wouldn't be enough to keep them all from desperately needing a night's sleep, but Severus knew that none of them had the time for that yet.
"Sev'us," she mumbled sleepily. "Oh, food, thank you. I'm starving."
"So am I," Harry said as he entered the room. "Found out loads though, where's Chastity, she still sleeping?" he asked.
"She must be. Lets all eat something while we wait for her," Severus suggested.
It didn't take any prodding, all of them were more than ready to devour whatever was placed in front of them and the excess of carbs was a boost to all of their dwindling energy levels.
"This is great," Harry said as he stuffed a large flaky pastry covered in sugars into his mouth. "Thank you, Sir," he said.
"I suppose, Potter, you could just call me Severus," Severus told a surprised Harry, to the delight of Hermione who was eating her own pastry a little more daintily but no less eagerly.
"Thank you Sir, Er, Severus. And please, its just Harry," he responded.
Just then Chastity returned, looking a little rougher around the edges from what was most likely a rather uncomfortable nap. "Please tell me you have something good in those vials Severus," she pleaded.
"Food first. Invigoration Draught is better with something in your stomach," he told her.
"Well, let's not waste time. What did you all find out? Harry what's our timeline here. Is the trial still set for this morning?" she asked.
"No, I couldn't do much, but Kingsley bought us a day. He suddenly had an important meeting with the French Minister he could not get out of, personally I think they are old friends and he's called in a favor. The trial can't very well go on without the Minister there, especially not one this high profile," Harry explained.
"Well that's something at least. Severus were you able to get the list of the current Wizengamot members?" she asked.
"I was able to get that with little effort at all. And it's a rather paltry list to be honest. I hadn't realized how the ranks of the Wizengamot were decimated in recent years," Severus told her.
"Oh yeah, lots of sitting members are rotting in cells now after the War Trials," Harry explained.
"So what's the list," Chastity asked.
"Well, the list starts with the Chief Warlock, since the War the seat has been filled by old Alphias Dodge, Then there is Kingsley as well as his Senior Under secretary, The Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and other Ministry Personnel Electives, of those 13 I don't think we should have too much trouble, all have been vetted by Kingsley and are known to be fair, though they may have some difficulty understanding the self-harm aspects, so we are going to have to build a solid case," he started to explain. "The seats of the Sacred Twenty-Eight are decimated. The Abbott seat sits empty, Harper Abbot was ill before the war and, as Hermione and Harry know, Miss Abbott buried her father before the war ended. It would be my suggestion that we get Miss Abbott to petition for her family's seat," he suggested.
"Can that be done?" Hermione asked.
"It can, and it should, frankly. And not just for this case. She would be a fair and welcome member, though this far in her pregnancy she may be hesitant. She may not have even thought about taking up the family seat as so often it is male heirs that take the seat of the Sacred Twenty Eight, though not always," Harry explained, happy to be able to use some of the knowledge he had from working in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement to help on this topic.
"Agreed," said Severus.
"I take it that this Hannah is a known entity then?" asked Chastity.
"Incredibly, she's one of my dearest friends," explained Hermione. "Wont that scream of a rigged situation, having my friends there to vote for me?" she asked worriedly.
"Not at all Hermione, as the only living Heir to the seat held for centuries, she has every right to be there, and should be. Her friendship with you is a superfluous matter in this case," Severus explained.
"Now, where was I? The Avery seat is obviously empty. Rattigast Avery didn't make it off the battlefield, thank Merlin."
"Rattigast?" Harry asked with a laugh.
"Yes, is it any wonder he just went by his surname. Now, the Black seat is also Empty, but let's not talk about that just now," Severus said. Harry looked grateful, but Hermione noticed a hint of a calculating smirk on his face. "The Bulstrode seat is filled by Warrington Bulstrode, he is uncle to Millicent Bulstrode, who you two surely remember. He was never an out right supporter of the Dark Lord, but he isn't exactly light either, though in this case that may work to our favor. He may not be so averse to the idea of a bit of torture here and there where warranted and may see the reasons behind it. So, don't fret yet," he continued in his explanations. "Burke is filled by Caractacus Burke, and I think that's about as fortunate as Bulstrode. He isn't an outright follower but, well, Borgin and Burke's isn't well known as anything but a Dark Arts shoppe. Carrows seat is thankfully empty, the Carrows are both in Azkaban and never found anyone desperate enough to help them reproduce, thank Merlin and Morgana for that!" he exclaimed. They really had been putrid.
"I'll second that," said Harry.
"The Crouch seat was taken up by a cousin of Bartemus, Bartholemue Crouch. I really don't know much about him to be honest; he has kept out of things as far as I can tell and never was as covetous of power as his cousin was that's for certain. Someone named Filius Fawley holds the Fawley Family Seat and young Marcus Flint was quick to take up his disgraced fathers seat following the War. The Dark Lord was the last of the Gaunt line so that seat will sit vacant for an eternity and we can all just agree that's for the best and keep on moving along," he said.
"Hyperion Greengrass holds the Greengrass seat, he isn't exactly light either, but his daughters have very light leanings and may have influenced him more than he lets on. The Lestrange seat, is another that is, thankfully empty. Longbottom is taken my Augusta still, though how she is still alive is beyond me, she was an old battle-axe when I was in school. Anastasia Macmillian holds the Macmillan seat, and her family has long been supporters of the light. I will be making my Godson take up his family's seat if I have to glue him in it, so that's Malfoy. Thaddius Nott is unaligned, though his brother was one of the Dark Lords inner circle. Old Ollivander is a sitting member. Perigrine Parkinson took her brothers seat following his arrest. Now the Prewett seat is empty," Severus was going on in his explanations.
"Oh, wasn't that Molly's family," Hermione asked.
"It was," Harry piped in.
"I would suggest that Molly take up her family seat, she is the Heir to the Prewett line, after all," Severus suggested.
"But she is a Weasley now, doesn't that matter?" asked Harry.
"No. She is the heir to the family line Magically, that makes her the rightful next in line for the Wizengamot seat," Severus explained.
"Well that's amazing," said Hermione, feeling more and more hopeful.
"The Rosier, Rowle, and Slewn seats are all empty, and while I am sure heirs could be found to fill the seats, I wouldn't waste time on that endeavor now, though it may be worth looking into afterwards. Kingsley is heir to both the Shaklebolt and Shafiq lines, though he sits in neither while Minister, so those seats are currently empty. Horace, quite gleefully, sits in the Slughorn seat, and I am sure that will be to your benefit, after all, you were in the Slug Club of his Hermione," Severus told them.
"The Travers seat has been empty since the first war against the Dark Lord. Arthur sits in the Weasley family seat, and the Yaxley seat is empty,"
"So that's, what, twelve of the Sacred Twenty Eight?" Asked Hermione.
"Thirteen actually," smirked Severus.
"I counted twelve also, Severus," said Chastity.
"Ahhhh, but you are all forgetting that the Heir doesn't always carry the family name, and we are sitting with the Heir to the Black family line," Severus said.
"What, you're related to the Blacks?" Harry asked him.
"No, you dunderhead, you are."
A/N: And there you have it; the defense is working hard to gain a favorable outlook for our girl. I hope I got my maths right at the end, don't blast me if I counted wrong, numbers are not my thing. Hope you liked it. Reviews are always a balm on my soul. Stay safe, happy, and healthy friends. - Lil