Guys and gals, and neutral gender readers. Thanks again for your support and attention.

kstorie77. Thank you for your words. I didn't know that RobSt got his work stolen. That's just wrong. I'm not stealing from myself. I promise. Again, I'm still shocked by all the support and encouragement with this story.

HUGS to everyone who has been on this storyline since day one.

Enjoy!

Chapter 8. Family and foes.

"Hermione, thank you so much for agreeing to my request. I know you are in the middle of your workday, so I'll keep this short."

"Very well Madam Bones."

"Did you by any chance meet Romilda Vane, Ginevra Weasley, Cho Chang or Marietta Edgecombe?"

"No, I have never met them in person. I've heard of them, I mean, gossip in the news. Romilda Vane committed suicide, tragic thing, really. Um, I think Ginevra, Ginny? Ginny Weasley was Harry's girlfriend while in Hogwarts and Cho Chang too… Marietta Comb."

Madam Bones corrected Hermione, "Marietta Edgecombe,"

"Oh, sorry about that, Edgecombe. No, I can't say that I know them. Sorry, why, what happened? I mean, I know Lily recognized Vane, and we contacted you later about that."

Susan sighed and massaged her temples, while Hermione offered. "Would you like a cup of tea, Ms. Bones?"

"No, thank you, can I look at your wand, Ms. Granger?"

"Yes, um, here?"

"The wand has to go through some screening, to discard you from the suspect's list."

Hermione just looked at the head of the DMLE and nodded. After screening it the wand revealed nothing and Susan gave Hermione her wand back. It was then that Hermione noticed a slight glamour in Susan's left wedding finger. Again, Hermione kept her counsel.

Susan sighed and said, "I'll take that cup of tea now. My findings have been submitted, and you have been cleared."

Hermione smiled and made the tea and later, they shared a meal made of one very savory cut of steak each, potatoes and cake.

After they turned away the dishes, Susan began feeling a little off, then she noticed she had no movement in her limbs and while she was breathing, she was paralyzed. Once Hermione noticed her state, she closed the door of her office. She got close to Susan, took away her wand and double checked her for any tracking charms, recording devices and after vanishing everything she found on the matter. She placed her clothes to the side, and said in a soft voice.

"I have a confession to make. But before I do, let's double-check any skin enchantments shall we?"

She did a thorough screening and found the tattoo of the coven in Susan's wedding ring finger. She smiled and added, "The coven of the Gorgons was keen on getting Harry, weren't they?"

She waited, and noticed Susan's skin acquired a subtle blush. Hermione rolled her eyes and added, "You want to deny it all and say you don't know what I'm talking about, right?"

Her smile grew colder and then she pointed her wand to her left hand and said, "Finite Incantatem." The brand for the Coven came clear, Susan's eyes turned murderous. Hermione went further as she levitated an ancient tome with the same figure as the tattoo on Susan's wedding finger, in the cover, and whispered to the floating ancient book in mid office. "Fiendfyre," A low grumble and sound erupted. Hermione muttered. "Silencio," After a few moments the ashes of the tome vanished.

Hermione noticed the water beetle brooch coming to life, from Susan's discarded clothes and flying in a strange pattern. Attracted to the destruction. A second later the insect was stunned and placed in a glass jar, with breathing holes.

The potion Mistress smiled and added silkily. "Oh, don't mind me, I was just making sure that we had no unwelcome ears. Now where was I? Ah, yes, I have a confession to make. I love basilisk meat, it's one of the few delicacies that I share in common with the goblin horde. But I have to accompany it with a washed nightshade leaf in the roof of my mouth otherwise it paralyzes and kills unsuspecting human magicals. Much like the live basilisk did, first, it freezes the blood and then freezes the victim and finally you die, and of course, you might wonder why?

Well, Susie, you hurt Harry and scared my children. I did wonder if I have met a more stupid bunch of women before. The answer is no. Now, first, there was Romilda, boy, she was a wild card, wasn't she? Well, after she delivered the relic tome, the wild girl went out with a mighty scream.

Ginny, of all the witches in the coven, believed she could be the main wife and, of course, forgot to distinguish right from left. That bit of information does matter when you ride a bike, down a hill.

Then Cho was a glutton for misery. She couldn't stop harassing Harry and getting a no for an answer. So I just made sure she had mystery meat which was enchanted to change into a rock for two minutes and back into a piece of poultry after she was dead.

Marietta was so easy to deal with, her vanity was her downfall. Accentuate the poisonous ingredients and combine them until she absorbed enough poison, and then switch her new products for old ones, and voila! No more blabbermouth, nor an anonymous source for Rita Skeeter.

And then there was only you left… you absolute bitch, you came and played the role of an officer of the law, and you even had Harry's trust. You knew where Lily was and you even worded the magical vow in the ransom note, so Harry could accept the coven's attempt for line theft, just so he could save his child?"

Susan was turning blue and Hermione added. "When you meet your ancestors on the other side, just remember one thing, this is what happens to the enemies of Hermione J Potter, now die already bitch, Diffindo!"

Rita regained consciousness at the moment Hermione removed Susan's head from her body. After all, Hermione wanted the nosy woman aware of a couple of facts. With growing awe and fright, Rita realized Hermione had her wand. She felt sick, and said, "You murdering psycho!"

Hermione transfigured Susan's remains to Dragon nibble biscuits and tossed them down a chute. Vanished the clothes and then tidied everything thoroughly, including the seat, and deodorized the air. She then continued with her chores, resuming the inventory reports for her log. After the form was complete, she folded it to a plane and raised her eyes to Rita. Who was frozen in place.

"I'm a psycho? Well, isn't that rich? The stalker, who incidentally is an illegal animagus, thinks she has the right to speak to me in such a way." Hermione shook her head, at the woman passing judgment on her. She added, "No, Rita, I'm a mother now, and I'm a mate and you are a spy who intruded into goblin affairs. I'm not in trouble, you, on the other hand, are," said Hermione in a soft voice.

"I'm not afraid of you," said Rita. Hermione shook her head in disbelief. "I'm not afraid of you either, to the goblins, honor is everything, and those deaths were made under TheoXenia and within the Sanctuary of Gringotts. They kidnapped Lily and hurt Harry, but if you want to give me trouble Rita, and I cannot make you change your mind? Well then, I can, instead, predict a long vacation,"

To Rita's horror, Hermione raised her eyebrow and fingers, and the wordless enchantment transfigured Rita's frozen figure into a small and delicate butterfly of pale blue and gray colors. Hermione placed a long-term stasis charm on the newly redesigned Rita, and after she placed her captive into a glass and made it unbreakable, she glued it to her desk.

"Talk to you in a decade, Rita." Added Hermione with a sigh of relief.

It was then that Ripclaw knocked on her door, which Hermione opened and greeted Ripclaw.

"Ah, Master Ripclaw, what can I do for you?"

The goblin took notice of Hermione's demeanor, organized office and the new globe adornment displaying a beautiful butterfly. He nodded and asked. "May I come in, Potions Mistress?"

Hermione nodded and noticed Ripclaw was carrying a dossier. Hermione closed the door behind her.