5. Madam Granger & Madam Chang, part II
"Hermione..." Cho whispered to her ear trying not to draw much attention while they headed to the Auror Office. "Your husband is here at the Ministry, right? He's a certified legal assistant too, from what I know, and he was an auror back then... we could really use his help... I know almost nothing of criminal law, I am sure he could help Luna much better than me..."
"No," she whispered back. "He can help better where he is. Luna was right all the time. Rolf's up to no good. He's framed her." Hermione frowned. "But don't worry, I have an excellent criminal assistant in mind. You'll understand in due time. By now, just stand by Luna and try to look intimidating."
"Oh! Madam Granger, you're here... what a pleasure!", "Is that Madam Granger?", "Good morning, Madam Granger, how may I be of help?"
The entire Auror Office came to a halt as the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement walked in there. Most of them looked to flatter their way into a promotion; some were really starstruck by her presence; some few were just startled by all commotion. Harry arrived shortly after, accompanied by Rolf and his legal assistant.
"Good morning," Hermione addressed the entire room. "I'm here because I need to open a new criminal investigation. This is Luna, an old friend of mine, and this one is her husband, Rolf. Of course, as she is my friend, I wouldn't be fit to investigate her, as I'd be partial. Harry can't do it either. So... I need to distribute this case to someone else. Any volunteers?"
After Hermione was done speaking, all the noise abruptly ceased. Seconds ago, everybody had been willing and able to work for the boss, but, certainly, nobody had thought it included investigating a friend of hers.
"I can do it, Hermione!" a tall black man was the only person to step forward. "You may give me the case." He glanced towards Harry, blinking discreetly.
"No, Dean," Hermione ruled. "I want someone who really doesn't know Luna, who's never even seen any of them. Is there anyone like that in here?"
Once more, silence reigned.
"What about you, Mr Dworkin?" Hermione politely called the only person who was apparently unaware of her presence there, an elder man who was in his cubicle completely absorbed in reading a lengthy piece of parchment. "I need someone to investigate a case, Dworkin. You've been working here for half a century and nobody's ever heard complaints about you. What do you say?"
"Madam Granger, I'm sorry. I had not noticed your presence here," he raised his eyes from his document. "Whatever you need, ma'am."
"Do you know them?" she asked, indicating Luna and Rolf.
"Never seen in my whole life."
"Do you know their families?"
"I don't know, I might. What are their last names?"
"Great. You're the one I was looking for," Hermione conjured a piece of parchment in the air. Then, with a shake from her wand, half of it was filled with text. "I will then submit this to Kingsley appointing Myles Dworkin as the investigator in charge of this case."
"To Kingsley?!" Harry cried out.
"You don't need to dispatch to the Minister something like that, Hermione, you have the authority to..." Dean argued.
"And there also goes my very last act as head of this department... the notification of my resignation," with another movement of the wand, the second half of the parchment was also filled with text. She sighed before raising her voice, again addressing all those present in the room. "It was a pleasure and an honour to work with all of you. I hope we can all meet again pretty soon. From now on, I am no longer your boss of you and you won't take any more orders from me. I wish the best of luck to whoever comes next."
"Resignation!?" Harry shouted-whispered in her ear. "Are you out of your mind!?"
"Dworkin, I please ask for you to wait for the Minister's response, so I'll officially no longer work for the Ministry of Magic and could take place as Mrs Scamander's legal assistant. I shall stress, however, that since I am not your boss anymore, you don't need to comply with that. If it is your wish to interrogate the suspects right away, please, feel free to do so."
Upon hearing that, Cho rushed to Hermione's side, almost incapable to contain her joy. Harry, for his part, didn't even try to mask his satisfaction, smirking mischievously to Rolf.
"Cho, could you please draft a Power of Assistant to authorize me to represent Luna?"
"Sure, Hermione..." Cho began filling a parchment with text as Hermione had just done.
"Mr Dworkin, I request you the same thing as Madam Granger. Please wait for my partners Bentham and Austin's arrival at the Ministry," saying that, Hart conjured a silver duck-like patronus.
"I thought Bentham was feeling ill today, Hart," Cho commented nonchalantly, still invested in her parchment.
"He'll have to get better, won't he?" meticulously surveying Hermione, he sighed.
"Whatever you've planned, Scamander, Hermione will never let you pull it off..." Harry teased Rolf while prowling the entrance to the interrogation room.
"Watch out, Potter," he warned. "Granger's resigned, not you. You're still an auror. You shouldn't pick on suspects, should you?"
"You're going to pay for everything you've done to Luna, Rolf..." Harry got even closer to him, almost nose to nose.
"Tell me something, Potter," he whispered back. "That woman, Madam Chang, isn't she the one your wife is sick with jealousy of?"
"What if?"
"Nothing. Just wondering why on the world would you trade an elegant, beautiful and charming woman such as her for that brute macho woman you sleep with."
BOOM. Living up to being blood-related to Dudley Dursley, Harry stuck a jab right in the centre of Rolf's face. The man partially fell, partially threw himself on the floor, rolling, twitching and screaming franticly.
"Help! HELP! Harry Potter's harassing me! He's attacked me, an unarmed man, with no wand! Somebody help!"
"Harry!" Hermione turned furiously to him.
"He was talking about Ginny!" Harry objected.
"Don't. Blow. Everything!" she scolded him. "Stand up, Rolf, I can fix your nose."
"No! NO!" he hid his nose with his hand, still shaking hysterically on the ground. "It hurts so much! I've been attacked!"
"What have you done to my client, Potter?" Hart ushered into the scene, followed by two other men, his partners. "This is unacceptable!"
"Merlin's beard!" Dworkin reached them as well. "Potter, why did you do that?"
"I'm sorry!" he yelled, mad at himself. "I'm sorry!"
"Mr Dworkin, please, could you give us and our client some time to settle things before we begin?"
"Sure, Bentham. I'm sorry that's happened. I'll inform the Minister himself about Mr Potter's actions. I will have some other auror accompany your client."
Hermione stomped to Harry fiercely, grabbed him by the robes and, dragging him inches from her face, howled, "Go. Stay. With. Ron. And Mr Lovegood. NOW!" to which he complied readily.
"Come in, Mrs Scamander."
Luna quietly stepped through the door and nodded at the elder man who had been sitting at a small table in the centre of the room.
"Please, sit," he gestured at the chair opposing him. She sat down on it.
"Excuse me, Mr Dworkin," transfixed at a near edge of the table, without daring to look at him, she murmured. "I request the presence of my legal..."
"Of course, of course. Ladies, please come in."
Hermione and Cho joined the room, closing the door behind them. Cho solemnly stood some feet behind Luna, whereas Hermione placed herself right next to her, caressing her shoulder soothingly with her left hand.
"Is this your wand, Mrs Scamander?" he put a wand on the table.
'Yes, sir."
"It's written here it was made by..." he checked a parchment. "Garrick Olivander, is that really correct?"
"Yes, sir."
"Are you really sure?"
"Of course, sir. Mr Olivander is my friend."
"Olivander? Your friend?" he showed surprise. "Well, but he doesn't make many wands from kelpie hair, does he?"
"No, sir. He doesn't use kelpie hair at all, he considers it to be a substandard core material."
"Why did he use it on yours, so?" asked Dworkin, interestedly, as if encouraging her to go on with the story.
"He made this wand for me when we were on the run from Death Eaters. He told me he didn't have much to work with. The first wand I bought from his store had a unicorn hair core, but I've never seen it again after it was taken. This one serves me just right, though. I don't find it to be any worse than my previous one."
"Oh, I see. And he's made this one for you on-demand?"
"No, sir, it was a gift."
"Well, it's a very fine work of wandlore, indeed..."
Cho slightly cleared her throat, meaning to attract attention to her. When Dworkin's gaze shifted directions, she said, "I suppose we're not here to talk about wandlore, are we?"
"Right, right, Madam Chang... I'm sorry. So, let's get to it. Mrs Scamander, upon your arrival at the Ministry, after you've left your wand at the Atrium, we've verified that it has performed an Unforgivable Curse, the Killing Curse. Could you explain why this piece of magic was performed with your wand?"
"No, sir. I have no idea what's happened."
He placed a lengthy piece of parchment on the table. "This is the list of the spells performed by Mrs Scamanders wand. The Killing Curse is the 392nd..."
"392!?" screeched Hermione, outraged. "Who routinely checks almost 400 spells from a wand? This certainly wasn't a routine check, Dworkin. What's the source of the information on my client's wand?"
"I'm afraid I can't reveal that to you, Madam Granger, since you're no longer my boss," he courteously clarified.
"Right, I'm sorry. I forgot," she regained her composure. "So, Mr Dworkin, may we see it for ourselves?"
"Madam Granger, 400 spells, it's going to take hours..."
"No, it won't. May I?" she outstretched her hand towards the wand, gesturing as if taking it. The elder man, thus, delivered it to her. She wielded it and paused briefly. Grandiosely spinning it in her right hand, she stated, "It is indeed a fine piece of wandlore, Dworkin. Very good to wield. I can sense it's loaded with pure magic."
"How can you...?" he asked, amazed.
"You learn the difference after you spend months using Bellatrix Lestrange's wand," she aloofly commented, as she crossed the air with it, producing a manifold of bright lighted energies, including a happily jogging otter.
"Magnificent!" Dworkin stood up, cheerfully applauding. "Brilliant piece of magic, Madam Granger!"
Cho was getting upset at the lack of focus of both of them and had opened her mouth to complain just when Hermione indicated the list on the table and politely asked, "Could I, please, Mr Dworkin?" to which he happily nodded. Then, Hermione turned to her. "Cho, could you please be in charge of the list while I Reverse Spell this wand? Just keep in track with the numbers I'm counting, alright?"
"How? What...?"
"Prior Incantato!" she cast before Cho could even finish her sentence.
A weak light slowly steamed out of Luna's wand, forming the image of a white otter being released from a thread. It was the depiction of the last magic performed by the wand, that is, Hermione's own patronus. Unexpectedly, she fiercely crossed this image with the wand, as if she meant to erase it, and the image of various formless lights took its place. Hermione cut this image with the wand as well, and again it gave rise to something else. She started to do it successively, cutting the images diagonally over and over again. After a while, Cho realized she was counting.
"17, 18, 19, 20... Summoning Charm. Cho, close to number 20 there should be a Summoning Charm, find it to me."
"Right..." very anxious, she checked clumsily. "Let's see... let's see... 18."
"19, 20, 21, 22, 23..." Hermione resumed the process, speeding up vigorously. A discernible image was no longer shown by the wand; the space where she was repeatedly slashing her wand was filled now just by a shapeless blur. The process sped up to the point Hermione quit counting out loud. "70." She came to a halt and suddenly the image became discernible: a point of light. "Should be Lumos."
Cho realized that meant she was expecting her to check the list again. "Oh, right... Wand-Lightning Charm, 67..." Then once again Hermione resumed the search. Dworkin was still standing up, astonished by this spectacle of magical expertise, his head back and forth following the trail of Hermione's strikes in the air.
They repeated the process for quite a while until they began to approach number 392. "370, Cho, Scourgify."
"366, Hermione."
"Right. 380, Locomotion Charm..."
"378."
"385, Water-Making Spell."
"Water-Making... er, I don't know," Cho said, slightly puzzled. "Slow down now, Hermione. Water-Making Spell is listed successively from 382 to 387..." Hermione stopped slashing the air and waited for the images to clearly develop in the air.
"Why'd need so much water, ma'am? Had a fire?" Dworkin asked Luna casually, as one more Water-Making Spell showed itself.
"To give it to creatures..." Luna answered, quietly. "Though it's a long time I haven't done that. I quit breeding and studying creatures after I had my twins. I only feed creatures occasionally. Rolf is the one who usually does it. I don't recall casting Aguamenti that much recently, sir."
"And there's more, Hermione," Cho added as if Dworkin and Luna had not spoken at all. "388 to 391 are listed as unidentified spells!"
"What?" she asked, shocked, as one more Water-Making Spell appeared before them.
"Unidentified spells!" Cho passed the parchment to Hermione, who read it with utter shock.
Shifting her attention back to the Reverse Charm, Hermione slashed the image of yet another Water-Making Spell, which rapidly vanished. It gave place to a colourful light that formed very intricate shapes and patterns.
"I have... no idea what this is," Dworkin commented, very intrigued.
"Neither do I," Cho agreed, stunned.
"This is..." whispered Hermione, thoroughly analyzing what she was witnessing. She briefly looked at Luna, who didn't seem puzzled, nor shocked. As the image vanished and another one took its place, she stated, "Very complex and sophisticated alchemy and transfiguration."
"Is that it?" questioned Dworkin with much interest, facing Luna. In meantime, the image was again replaced by another extravagant one.
"Yes, it is. These enchantments are used to make Powder of Pure Essence of Phoenix," she explained. "Though I don't recall doing it recently."
"Last one," Hermione stroked the air with the wand again, causing a spell much like the previous to be shown. "Now, the next spell is the Killing Curse. Is someone taking note of everything?"
"Yes, Madam Granger," a voice came magically from outside the room.
"Good," she slashed the image one last time and waited.
Everybody stared at the wand, paying much attention. It then showed what everyone had been eager to see: a very thin blast of vivid green light. Then the image of its victim was formed, the green light collided with...
"A bird?" Dworkin asked, quizzically.
"It's a phoenix," Luna clarified as the Reverse Spell showed the phoenix bursting into flames, reviving shortly thereafter.
The depiction of the incident, then, came to an end, green light and phoenix both vanished and gave place to more unidentified lights. Hermione crossed the air with the wand a couple more times, but when the wand resumed showing Aguamenti repeatedly, she cast the Eradication Spell, erasing all the images.
"Is this it, then?" Cho raised her voice. "So there was no homicide whatsoever..."
"True, true, Madam Chang," Dworkin checked a parchment. "Oh, I see. She isn't charged with homicide, but with creature abuse..." he paused briefly. "Although..."
"Although what, Dworkin?" Cho asked, uneasily.
"Although there are exceptions in which the law authorizes the use of Unforgivable Curses. I assume killing the phoenix is part of your alchemy, is that right, Mrs Scamander? I wouldn't know if that was one of these cases... but I'm sure you'd know, Madam Granger. Is it?"
"Well..." Hermione sighed, as Cho gleamed at her hopefully. "No. It's not." Cho looked down, disappointed. Luna, on the other hand, showed no reaction, as if she had already known the answer. "I've passed the law on this matter myself when I was head of that department... and..." Hermione turned to Luna. "I even had Luna make a speech on the importance of banning dark magic from being used at the process, especially the Killing Curse." Hermione swung her wand and a book appeared before them on the table. "Here... where is it... where is it...?" she opened the book and started searching on it.
"Is this true?" Dworkin asked, startled.
"It is, Mr Dworkin," Luna responded.
"There it is!" Hermione turned the book to him.
"I've even published an article discussing the impact of the usage of dark magic in the process," Luna said as the man checked the book. "Of course, there is no empirical data available whatsoever, it only raises theoretical conjectures..."
"No empirical data?" he questioned, interested. "All theory?"
"Certainly," she replied as it was the most obvious thing in the world. "The only way to make an empirical research was actually killing an innocent phoenix over and over."
"But..." he argued. "It doesn't actually kill it, does it?"
"It's brutal, Dworkin!" Hermione exclaimed. "Maybe it isn't murder, but it's still abuse. According to the law Luna and I vouched for, it classifies as grave creature abuse..."
"Shut up! You're incriminating Luna even further!" Cho howled by Hermione's ear.
"...though I think the article's helped to convince undecided people to vote favourably... the main point Luna raised on it is that dark magic affects the end product," concluded Hermione, ignoring Cho's complaints. She silenced for a second, pacing around the room, absorbed in her own thoughts. Finally, she broke the silence. "I know what's happened now," she declared, resolute. "Rolf's never openly opposed the clauses on creature protection I strived to add... although..."
"What!?" a disturbed Cho pushed her to keep speaking.
"...he's opposed the trading ban fiercely..." she looked around as if she would find the answer lying somewhere in the room. "I presume he's illegally producing the powder for commercial purposes... why would he use Luna's wand I don't know... but somebody's informed the Ministry her wand would show something, yes... he was probably the primary source of this information, he knew what he had used the wand for..."
"You claim Mr Scamander is the real responsible for casting the Killing Curse, Madam Granger?" Dworkin asked, interested.
"No, I wasn't claiming anything, I was just thinking out loud." Hermione whipped her neck towards Dworkin. "But my client does claim her husband is a habitual user of Unforgivable Curses and could be the actual culprit. He's been abusing her with dark magic, and let me stress this includes the Cruciatus Curse, for several years now. Tell him about it, Luna."
"Do I have to tell it all over again?" Luna glanced at Hermione, discouraged.
"No, you don't." Cho stepped forward. "Did you receive reports from their contested divorce, Mr Dworkin? Recorder Fuller was just about to remit it to the Auror Office..."
"Oh, yes... just a second..."
With a sweep of his wand, he made a large pile of papers appear on the table. He began reading and examining them carefully as if everybody else had left the room and the only thing left in the world were these files. Cho tried to oversee him, eager to respond, explain or argue about anything, but Hermione prevented her from doing so.
"So..." after a couple of minutes, he broke the silence. "A permanent dark magical wound, Mrs Scamander? This report on your condition is really something. May I see it?"
"Oh... well..." Luna stammered, slippery. "I mean..."
"It's alright, ma'am. We may request a female auror to do it if it makes you feel more comfortable..."
"No, it's not that, sir... it is just... painful... but sure, you can look."
She moved her chair from the table and turned it sideways. She undressed her witch robes, which Hermione rushed to grab, and began unbuttoning her white blouse; meanwhile, Hermione covered the front of her body with the robes she had just taken. Dworkin got out of his chair and drew closer to her back, eager to analyze the mark, though, when she managed to free herself from the shirt, he noticed her back was still entirely covered by a lumbar belt the same colour as her skin.
He kept standing there, staring at her back. Cho got closer as well, curious to see the mark she had heard so much about. As they watched her, Luna took a very deep breath, aimed her wand hand towards her back and, casting a non-verbal spell, popped the lumbar belt open in just one go. Immediately, she violently bent forward, strongly holding onto Hermione's arms for balance, silent tears running down her eyes.
"Can you see it, Mr Dworkin?" despite the fact she fought to get a hold of herself, her voice still came out choked.
"Oh, I see..." said Dworkin, getting closer. He summoned an eyeglass and started analyzing her back. "The magical wound is just between L2 and L3. I see why you must have trouble standing straight. The curse must have jeopardized this portion of your spine... I'm surprised you can even walk at all..." he neared even further. "May I...?"
"No!" Hermione yelled. "Don't even think about touching it!"
"Alright, I'm sorry, I was a little caught up..."
"Caught up!? Dworkin, my client is in immense pain, don't you see? Are you done looking?"
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, Madam Granger," he apologized, stepping back a little, but still staring at her. "Can you hold on just a little, ma'am? I'd like to see what are those..." he pointed at the upper portion of her back. "It seems to me they are scars where previous dark magical wounds once should have been..."
"Look as much as you'd like, sir," still fighting back her pain, she mustered all her forces to speak in her usual dreamy tone. "I am used to it already, I can take it... and, yes, my back is entirely scarred. A great deal of it is due to Rolf's curses, but not all of it... some may have been caused by Death Eaters... you may also find something caused by creatures among it..."
"This one is Bellatrix's, for sure," Hermione pointed at a scar on her shoulder. "I have one exactly like this. Mr Scamander's claims that the main wound was made by Death Eaters are poor, Mr Dworkin. As you know, Auror Office has piles of files on dark wounds caused by Bellatrix Lestrange..."
"Indeed, she's made this one," Luna confirmed, touching her own shoulder. "Her signature is unmistakable. Neville and his mother also have several marks..." she paused for a second, upon realizing who she had talked about. "...like this one."
"Fascinating. Really fascinating," Dworkin, completely absorbed in his own amazement, commented more to himself than to others. "Thank you, Mrs Scamander. You may dress up again."
"Thank you too, Mr Dworkin," she said as she dressed her witch robes back on.
"So, to sum up, from what I've read in the reports, you state Mr Scamander's been abusing you since you were pregnant with your two children, and that you've been living with permanent dark magical damage since then. You've been to St Mungo's several times, so says the files Madam Chang attached, and tried everything to treat your injured spine. Is that correct?"
"Yes, sir."
"Document 4, a hospital admission, clarifies much about your condition. It says here you arrived at St Mungo's in a terrible state, dark magic pouring out of the point where the curse must have hit..."
"Curses, sir. I was cursed various times, not just once. You've just seen the multiple marks on my back."
"Indeed. That's what says here. But..." he checked the document. "It also states they've informed Auror Office your house was broken into. Now you claim it was domestic abuse. Why is that, Mrs Scamander?"
"I..." she looked down, unsteady.
"It's obvious, isn't it?" Cho answered in her stead. "She lied back then. Most victims of domestic abuse do it. They're either embarrassed or nourish hopes to make amends with their spouse..."
"But I'm sure you wouldn't hope to make amends with someone who cast the Cruciatus Curse on you when you were pregnant, right, Mrs Scamander? That would be..."
"You're in no position to tell what it would be, Mr Dworkin," Cho interrupted him. "Your job is not to comment on my client's personal life. If you want to prosecute my client for lying to the Auror Office seven years ago, if it's not time-barred, go ahead, take us to the Wizengamot. I may not be a criminal legal assistant, but to sue the Ministry of Magic for improper prosecution of a victim of domestic abuse... well, that's actually my field of expertise, Mr Dworkin. That's the kind of case I dearly beg Paracelsus every day to get to my hands!"
"Perfect, Cho. Also, as a criminal legal assistant, I'd like to remember that no one is bound by law to turn in their first-degree relatives..." added Hermione. "This, of course, includes one's spouse."
"I was really terrified of what had happened..." Luna whispered softly, resembling just a little her usual dreamy tone, ignoring Hermione and Cho, sounding like she was talking to herself rather than being interrogated. "But... deep down... I had hoped it was just a one-time thing... that he'd be good to me... he'd go back to what he was..."
"Luna, you don't need to answer," stated Cho, incisively. "You don't owe anyone explanations."
"We've been separated for more than an entire year after this incident," Luna continued, ignoring Cho. "It took me some time to actually forgive him. For instance, if you check the twins' birth certificate, you may take note that he wasn't the one to register them." Luna paused and sighed, gloomily. "He's put on a real effort to make it seem like he'd changed..."
"Alright..." Dworkin checked the documents on the table once more. "Let's go over what we have... you claim he's been abusing you... and your children, from what I see here, with dark magic. As you and Madam Granger just told me, that includes the Cruciatus Curse. We have here a full report on your condition, and also on your child's, which is certainly valuable proof. Though he claims you've gotten these wounds for being tortured by Death Eaters..."
"Yes, he does," Hermione said. "Also, as we've discussed just now, none of her marks, besides the one on her shoulder, matches Bellatrix Lestrange's reported dark wounds."
"So..." he continued. "Besides Bellatrix Lestrange, have any other Death Eater cursed you, Mrs Scamander?"
"Well..." she wondered. "Alecto and Amicus Carrow, a bunch of You-Know-Who supporting students... and, of course, Snape..." Hermione flinched at this revelation. "After I was kidnapped, most times it was that chubby man, Pettigrew. Extraordinarily, Bellatrix. She also made Draco Malfoy do it, though it was clear he didn't want to."
"That's it? Lucius Malfoy, Rowle, Dolohov, Yaxley...?"
"Not that I remember, sir."
"You-Know-Who himself, maybe?"
"Definitely not."
"Right. None of the wizards you just named has reported dark wounds on their files, except for Bellatrix Lestrange... that means what you've told us fits together... although I can't rule out the possibility of Madam Granger having advised you of that..."
"What!?" Hermione outcried, injured. "Then search away, Drowkin! Her body is living proof of what's happened! This is the Auror Office, Dworkin! This place is filled with witches and wizards with expertise to tell if a dark wound was made by Bellatrix, by Dolohov, by Yaxley, even by You-Know-Who himself! Also, I'd like to bring Lucius, Narcissa and Draco Malfoy as witnesses, I'm sure they wouldn't deny us the truth about what happened at their home that dreadful year! Is anyone writing this down?" she raised her voice, worked up, pacing up and down, looking at random.
"Yes, Madam Granger, we are registering everything," a second time, apparently out of nowhere, a voice filled the room.
"Good. Write down another witness I'd like to bring: Garrick Olivander!" Hermione reached out for Luna's wand on the table, brandishing it. "He was held hostage with my client. That's how he became friends with her. Unlike her, he was actually tortured by You-Know-Who himself!"
"I told the whole Wizengamot the same thing 20 years ago, you may check," Luna spoke, to everyone's surprise. "Don't you remember that, Hermione?" Luna raised an eyebrow at her. "I was a witness at the trial of Lucius Malfoy. I testified in his favour."
"Right!" Hermione almost jumped as the memory dawned on her. She raised her voice, addressing the recording wizard out of the room, "Write that down, could you?"
"Mr Dworkin," Cho waved her hand politely, seeking to call his attention. "Could you explain how Death Eaters could have injured Lorcan Scamander if at that time my client didn't even know his father?" Cho inquired. "Explain his dark magical wound, please, sir."
"Well, that's..." Dworkin mumbled, embarrassed. "You've got a point here, Madam Chang." He turned his eyes to the papers again and focused on reading for some minutes. "I'll have to interrogate him to hear his version of the facts. Though it says here he claims the boy was already born with a dark magical wound, that he has inherited it from his mother. Is that right?"
"That's what he says. Though... did you ever read about anyone who's inherited a dark magical wound?" Hermione replied.
"I... no, Madam Granger."
"I assumed that. Neither have I. As you already know, Dworkin, people can inherit dark magical powers from their ancestors, or even dark magical curses, but not dark magical wounds. People's gametes are not, let's put it that way, aware the person is wounded, for the wound doesn't affect people's genome. Dark magic coming from a magical wound may affect them, of course, but could not replicate a wound on one's offspring. That would the same as amputating one's arm and expecting the child to inherit it. Utter nonsense. There's never been a reported case on literature."
"Indeed, ma'am. But from what I've heard, there's bold proof the boy was born with it..."
"I'm sure he was. Wasn't he, Luna?"
"I didn't know exactly what it was when he was born," Luna murmured. "It was just a tiny little mark... it always concerned me, though. It's gotten much worse after Rolf attacked him about a month ago. I've asked several people to counter-curse him since the episode. You might examine him as well if you'd like."
"Then how do you explain..."
"It's obvious, no?" Hermione broke Dworkin off. "He didn't inherit a dark wound, he was wounded before he was born."
"Oh." Dworkin stared blankly at them, numb and speechless upon realization.
"Mr Dworkin, you may question my children as much as you want," Luna broke the awkward silence. "Both my kids will confirm what I've said about his father. They're waiting to be called."
"I will, Mrs Scamander. But first, I might ask you if you didn't want to change any of your claims. For instance, you claim you were not responsible for casting that Killing Curse, that it must have been your husband, Mr Scamander, based solely on the testimony of your children that he is a dark magic practitioner?"
"Solely on that, Mr Dworkin!? What about all her wounds and scars!?" reminded Cho.
"...even though Reverse Spell showed his wand hasn't performed dark arts recently?" Dworkin continued, ignoring Cho's response. "This may complicate you in court, Mrs Scamander. You have my word I'll open another investigation on your husband to further examine all your allegations, but, even if they're true, it doesn't mean you didn't cast that Killing Curse." He sighed. "Wouldn't you rather plead guilty on this charge? I'm sure you would avoid going to Azkaban, ma'am. You're a first offender, you have the most brilliant legal assistance wizardkind can offer, you seem to be an exemplary member of the British magical community, and there is also... well, one of the documents suggests you might have a mental disorder... and this horrendous wound of yours surely might affect your mental condition as well..."
"She won't plead guilty. That's the legal assistance I have to offer her." Hermione said, resolutely, leaning on the table. "I believe, and now you can write that down, if you may," she raised her voice again, even higher than before, seeking to be heard clearly by the recording wizard. "Mr Scamander's framed my client. Therefore, knowing my client would be interrogated for having her wand reversed, he must have taken care of his own before arriving at the Ministry. However, I am sure I can make any wand reveal to me the dark arts it has performed. If you allow me, Dworkin."
"Are you sure this is a good idea? Even with your expertise, Madam Granger, it might take a while..."
"I have time. Suitably, Luna is my only client and I've got no other job. Do you have any other appointments, Cho?"
"No, I've got plenty of time, Hermione."
"If you insist, then... Richards, please bring Mr Scamander's wand," Dworkin requested the recording wizard. Shortly after, a young man stormed into the room, left the wand on the table and rapidly returned from where he'd come. Hermione neared the table and waited quietly for Dworkin's permission. When he gestured kindly towards the wand, she outstretched her arm and carefully picked it up, alert for any kickback or reaction it could have.
"Oh, just by holding it I can sense it's filled with dark magic."
"But... what? How can you say such a thing, Madam Granger!?"
"I told you already. I had to use Bellatrix Lestrange's wand for months," she said, nonchalantly, grasping Rolf's wand strongly. "I lost mine the same place Luna lost her first wand, at Malfoy Manor."
"Couldn't her wand's allegiance have changed when you took it from her, Madam Granger?"
"Not right away. Well, at the present time, I'm its master. I've managed to retrieve my own wand, this," she exhibited her own wand, "when, conveniently, the person wielding it was no other than Bellatrix. Her wand took notice she was disarmed by me. Both wands answer to me since then." Hermione guarded hers in her robes and turned her attention back to Rolf's. She dragged it closer to her ear as if she expected to hear something. "After that, I've never stopped practising subduing dark wands when I have the chance. I've held numerous dark wands, though there's quite some time I haven't found one strong enough to offer any significant resistance to my control."
Dworkin observed everything in awe.
"I doubt it won't answer my commands. Though it's resisting. I can feel it carries powerful hatred towards you, Luna. You might want to back off. If anything goes wrong, I fear its dark powers will be attracted to you right away."
Cho dragged Luna to where Dworkin was sitting. "Protego!" she flicked her own wand, producing an invisible shield in the air that protected the three of them.
"Very good idea, I might do the same. Protego!" Dworkin conjured a second shield above them. "Though, what you just said seems somehow far-fetched, Madam Granger. You can feel the hatred the wand carries toward Mrs Scamander? You could feel hatred when you wielded Bellatrix Lestrange's wand too?"
"Yes. It recognized me as its enemy. But never as much as this one is reacting to Luna. I'll show you, Dworkin. Put your shields down for a second. Luna, please, reach out for the wand. But don't touch it."
"Is this a good idea, Hermione?" Luna asked, unsure.
"Well, you used to sleep in the same room as this wand every day, yet it never hurt you on its own. I think you might be just fine. Just don't touch it!"
Unsteady, Luna slowly reached out for the wand. When her hand was just inches apart from it, the wand flew off abruptly from Hermione's grasp, as if someone had disarmed her.
"What!? Did someone disarm Madam Granger?" uttered Dworkin, in disbelief.
Hermione seized the wand from the floor and stood up. "Very well," she beckoned Luna, who headed to her. "I think you should try to wield it. Something may happen." She warned, gravely, "but I'll watch over you. Stand close to me." With her free hand, Hermione grabbed her own wand, pointed it at Luna and muttered a number of complex protective spells, to Dworkin's further delight. "Alright," she threw her right arm around Luna's shoulder and outstretched it, still holding Rolf's wand. "Reach out for the wand slowly, Luna. I'll gradually let go of it, that's when you should go for it. If you feel like you can't handle its power, hand it back to me as quick as you can. You got it?"
"OK." Luna nodded, reaching out to clutch the hand with which Hermione held his wand. With her other hand, on full alert, Hermione aimed her own wand at it.
"Let's go, then. Focus. Gather all your power and will. Grasp it with all your physical strength and magical power. Don't let the wand overpower you. You're more powerful than he could ever be," Hermione coached her friend briefly as their hands intertwined. "Do you feel anything?" gently passing the wand to Luna, after the other took a full grip of it, Hermione asked.
Before Luna could speak anything, she sharply let go of the wand, howling in pain and falling to her knees on the floor.
"Luna, what's happened!?" Hermione eagerly bent down to aid her friend, rapidly picking Rolf's wand from the floor, seeking to prevent it from hurting anyone else.
With tears running down her eyes, Luna managed to get up, reeling on Hermione and on the chair for balance, squeezing her eyes shut firmly.
"For Merlin's sake!" Dworkin yelled as a speechless Cho backed out. "Are you fine, Mrs Scamander!?"
Hermione took her friend's hand and shrieked bewildered, disbelieving harshly what she had before her eyes. Luna's right hand had been burned raw, hideously boiled and blistered, as if she had fully pawed red and lit burning coal, just by the mere touch of her husband's wand. Hermione carefully placed the hand on the desk and indicated it to Dworkin.
"You still doubt what I was saying before, Dworkin?"
"What the hell means that, Hermione!? Can't you do something about it? Do it!" trembling and terrified, Cho bellowed.
"I will. After you write a full report on it, Dworkin," Hermione said, poking Luna's right arm with her own wand. "This will lessen the pain a little bit for the meanwhile."
Worked up, Dworkin promptly summoned a piece of parchment and silently began writing down on it as he examined Luna's burnt hand closely, without touching it.
"I've got some Strong Insensitivity Potion in my things if any of you could get it to me... please." still tearful, Luna pleaded.
"Is this a good idea?" pointed Cho. "It will knock you down, Luna. We need your full attention here..."
"Yes, it is a good idea," Hermione retorted as she headed towards the door. "I'll get it. She's said enough. I think we're about done here, aren't we, Dworkin? After Dworkin is done with the report, I'll just reverse Rolf's wand. Everything will come clean, then." Having said that, she left the room.
"You won't be indicted, Mrs Scamander, that I can guarantee you," Dworkin said as Hermione walked back into the room, carrying a tiny vial. "You have just been downgraded from suspect to person of interest. You may write that down, Richards."
"See that, Luna!?" grinning widely, Hermione delivered her the little vial. "That's excellent news!"
"Could anyone translate that from legalese to English?" with her eyes shut, Luna sipped the entire potion in one go, as if she did that every day.
"That means that, unless further proof that you were the one to cast the Killing Curse is presented, you're off the hook!"
"That's indeed what it usually means. Though, in the present case, it means you're completely off the hook, Mrs Scamander," Dworkin clarified, still working on his parchment. "Even if you did cast the Killing Curse, the fact that nobody was killed, neither person nor creature, makes it a minor offence. Besides, you have definitely been victimized by nasty dark magic, both from that horrendous wound of yours and now by having to coexist with hostile powers like that in your own house." He looked up to her, sympathetically. "Under circumstances like that, punishment would make no sense. We've got to do what we can to help you instead, Mrs Scamander."
"Thank you, Mr Dworkin," Luna weakly smiled at the elder man.
"I'm finished with this," he said, getting up. "Mrs Scamander, you're released. I no longer need to question you. You may go home if you're tired or distressed. If you feel alright, please, stop by the Mediaurors' Room. They could add up precious information to this humble report of mine. With a little luck, they could help you feel a little better. I ask you to check if any alienist-auror is there as well... Madam Chang, would you take her?"
Hermione happily embraced her friend from behind, being careful not to touch her injured hand, "It's over now, Luna. Your record is clean."
"Hey... Hermione... Mr Dworkin, may I speak in private with my partner for a second?" Cho drove Hermione to the corner of the room. "Alienist-auror?" she angrily whispered. "That's really bad news, Hermione! Really bad! Is he questioning Luna's sanity? She could lose guardianship of her kids!"
"Relax..." she reassured her. "Even if she loses guardianship, she is not going to lose her kids. Rolf is going to Azkaban anyway. The worst that could happen is they granting guardianship to their grandfather or something..."
"Oh, right, now I can relax!" Cho ironically whispered. "Because Mr Lovegood is a prime example of sanity! There's nothing to worry about!"
"Cho, listen... most of Rolf's relatives live in the United States, parents, grandparents, great aunt... his brother's travelling the world... Luna doesn't have any close relative other than her dad. The twins would thus end up either with Harry and Ginny or with me. There's nothing to worry about."
"Bloody Diadem of Ravenclaw, Hermione!" she cursed, a little louder than she intended, attracting Luna and Dworkin's attention. "I'm sorry, I'm not normally this impolite." She smiled shyly at them and turned back to Hermione. "Please, let's do something to take Luna as far from possible from losing her civil capacity! I'm an expert in that field of law, Hermione. Trust me when I say that it could lead to consequences we can not yet foresee. Things could go very wrong from there. Listen to me just once, please!"
Hermione sighed, "Right, Cho. I think you're right. Let's do it your way." She turned to Dworkin. "Hey, Dworkin... we were discussing and... we think it would be better if our client didn't talk to any alienist today. You know, she might be a little off from the potion she's just taken."
"Of course, Madam Granger. I had forgotten about that."
"Nice, very nice, Mr Dworkin, so... may we get going now, Luna? Let's go see the mediaurors..." Cho gestured for her client to follow her. "It was a pleasure to meet you, sir."
They both took leave, Hermione and Dworkin remaining in the room.
"Whenever you're ready, Madam Granger," said Dworkin, returning to his seat as Hermione stood aiming Rolf's wand at random.
"Prior Incantato," she recited.
Before any clear image could be formed, she frowned, holding on to the wand with all her might, as if it was being pushed by an invisible person and she had to strive to pull it back. She then reached out for it with her free hand, now holding it two-handed, sweating from fighting its power.
"Reveal to me the dark arts you've performed!" she ruled, solemnly and authoritative.
Dworkin got up once more, keenly observing everything with extreme interest. "Write everything down," he told the recording wizard.
"Do as I'm telling you," lower but more authoritative, Hermione told the wand. "There is no point in resisting. Show me right now all the dark arts you've performed!" As this bizarre scene unfolded, several witches and wizards came into the room to watch, the first one being Richards, who carried quill and parchment. "You shouldn't be crowding this room right now! This is dangerous magic!" everybody left, disappointed, besides Richard, who merely stepped back.
"You are... are you talking to the wand, Madam Granger? Is this a thing?" utterly confused, Dworkin scratched his head.
"Show me!" she yelled, ignoring Dworkin. "Now!"
Gradually, a tiny light like a fog started to leak from the wand, from which a clear image developed after some seconds; a clear red energy ball, striking violently against... nothing, raising dust and stones from the point that it hit.
"I can't believe it!" Dworkin wiped his monocle and drew closer. "It's indeed a Cruciatus Curse, just like you said, Madam Granger!"
"Are you really sure, Mr Dworkin? The shape, the light and the colour do resemble a lot a Cruciatus Curse, although..." Richards got closer to the image. "Why no target is being shown and we can only see a bunch of dust? That's odd. Couldn't it be a very powerful Reductor Curse?"
"It's definitely not a Reductor Curse. It's indeed a Cruciatus Curse," Hermione explained. "Only it missed its target." She sighed. "I think the wand is deliberately trying to conceal the information I'm after. It didn't possess enough power to resist me any longer, then it chose to show me something less incriminating. I know Mr Scamander is an exceptionally clever man... even though, I'm impressed that his wand could pull that off on its own."
Several voices from people who were watching from the outside magically filled the room. "She is right. It's a missed Cruciatus Curse, no doubt!", "Powerful Reducto? Ha, that's funny, Richards! You should go back to school...", "That shape is unmistakable, it's a Cruciatus Curse."
"Madam Granger! You're a genius!" Dworkin, whose eyes shone brightly, uttered, thrilled.
"I'm going to make it show everything this wand has made to Luna, Dworkin," determined, Hermione told the man. "Please, take note of everything."
"Do what you have to do," he said, stepping away and conjuring a shield to protect Richards and him.
"It's not backfiring or trying to harm me. The wand must have realized the huge gap between our powers. It's trying to tire me instead. Like I said before, very clever. But it won't work," she closed her eyes and took a deep breath in order to concentrate, still sharply fighting back Rolf's wand. "Show me the dark arts you've performed on your master's family!"
The fog turned into an unclear depiction of a person, who Hermione only assumed to be Luna, though no one could be sure. Dworkin cried in awe and adjusted his monocle in anticipation. Nonetheless, what happened next was an utter let-down: the target's wand simply flew away. It ended up being nothing more than a Disarming Charm.
"Seriously!?" she complained, annoyed. "This can't even be considered a dark charm! Go on, I want to see the darkest art Rolf Scamander has ever performed!"
The fog disappeared completely and the wand started to thrust rudely inside Hermione's clutch as if it meant to twist her arm.
"It's resisting fiercely now!" she fought back as hard as she could. Casting a spell with her own wand, she managed to make Rolf's settle down. "It's no use. Just show me the darkest arts you've performed!" Relentlessly, she ordered. "And more: I demand to see what you've performed on Luna."
Once more, foggy light came out of Rolf's wand, though it never formed any image.
"Don't play stupid on me," she told the wand. "You know who I'm talking about."
But still, no image was formed. A mere shapeless grey light hovered in the air.
With her left hand, Hermione dropped her own wand on the desk and picked Luna's instead.
"This person," she aimed Luna's wand at Rolf's. "The one whose this magic belongs to. I want to know the dark arts you've performed on her."
More powerful and more violent than ever, Rolf's wand began struggling. The fog had disappeared and, in its place, sparks started to fly from it, red, green and blue, with a dark aura emanating from it.
"Brace yourselves!" Hermione yelled as she fell to her knees. Richards panicked and fled the room, while Dworkin backed off and wielded his wand strongly, the invisible shield still protecting him.
The wand wasn't just resisting Hermione's grasp. It was wildly after for Luna's wand. Hermione quickly realized that and threw Luna's wand as far as she could. A major setback, since, as she had fallen, she couldn't reach her own wand on the desk, which meant she had to subdue Rolf's wand unarmed.
"Dworkin, throw me my wand, please!"
As she said that, before the man could do anything, Rolf's wand began reacting so harshly that Hermione was knocked back against the wall, though she mustered all her power to not let go of it. Her right arm was now severely burned from the sparks that wouldn't stop leaking from it. When she was about to scream for Dworkin to run, a white beam stormed out of Luna's wand on the floor, completely on its own. When a blinding shine reached Hermione's retinas, she threw Rolf's wand towards the ceiling of the room with all her might and dived as deep as she could into the floor, protecting her own head with her arms. The last thing she perceived was a large and brutal explosion, for after that she blacked out.