Hermione spent the rest of her morning going through her plans meticulously. She'd just finished writing to, Adolphus Addler, the new head of the Department of Magical Mysteries, outlining her thoughts on shifting Departments, and of her ideas to studying time-turners. Towards the end of the rather long memo she had casually asked if it would be at all possible to study the locket of Salazar Slytherin, the one that her ex-husband had so generously given to the ministry. She re-read it several times until she was finally happy with the wording, then she sent it off, now all she had to do was wait for a reply.
She absent-mindedly popped a Bertie Botts every Flavoured Bean in her mouth before grimacing in disgust and spitting it out immediately, it was one of the new flavours, rancid fish if she weren't mistaken. She quickly searched her purse for a good old fashioned Tic Tac and threw it in her mouth, sighing in relief as it quickly dissipated the taste of the bean.
There was a light rap on her door, as she looked up Neville Longbottom poked his head in. "Hi Hermione, your secretary told me you were free and to come in. I got your message about Nagini early this morning, and as I had to be in London today, I thought I'd save you a trip and drop her off for you."
"Neville, please, come in," said Hermione with a welcoming smile. "And thank you so much, I just know that she'll be a great help. Are there any enchantments you have on her that I should be aware of? I don't want to be responsible for inadvertently damaging her on you, or something."
Neville walked in to her office fully, he was carrying a huge glass container with the snake's head in it, its mouth was – rather disturbingly - open, as if poised to strike.
"No, nothing serious, just a small anti-theft spell which I've already removed, and of course the preservation spell, but that's an easy one, it's just" Preservus Totillus. When you need to take it off to study her, the counter spell is Decayus Absolutus. And I know you'll take good care of her and all, but when you take her preservation spell off for a while, could you try to study her in a really cold room, the colder the better. It's just that it'll help to keep her nice and healthy looking," he said as he placed the jar on her desk.
Hermione couldn't help it; she shuddered in both revulsion and fear as she gazed at the head of the creature. She remembered all to clearly the day it had nearly ended hers and Rons lives when they were just teenagers, she still had nightmares about it to this day, and here it was again, staring at her, its mouth open, as if poised to strike.
Neville noticed her reaction. "Yeah, she brings back memories for me sometimes too, that day . . ." he frowned a little as he too looked at the snake's head, remembering all it took to get it, and all they lost along the way.
He shook himself. "Which reminds me, you'd better be careful of her fangs too, I never had them milked or anything, and I remember Rons dad was bitten by her once and nearly died, and Snape really did die, so it might be wise if you had some of that anti-venom they used back then on hand – just in case, you know."
Hermione nodded, "I hadn't thought of that, thanks Neville, I would have hated to accidently get scratched by one of her fangs and bleed to death with no-one around to help me."
Neville went bright red. "I'm sorry Hermione, I didn't mean to upset you about, well, you know, you and Ron not being together anymore."
"That's fine Neville, as of today Ron and I are officially divorced and I'm starting out on a new and exciting chapter of my life, and believe it or not, I'm genuinely happy about it. So, trust me when I tell you, you don't have to worry about saying anything untoward around me, you and Luna are good friends, and I value your advice." She said in a strange hearty voice.
Nevilles face heated as he started to feel embarrassed by his blunder, despite Hermione's words. "Okay, as long as your fine," he said quickly before adding, "anyway, I have to go, Luna is waiting outside in the foyer, she would have come with me to say hello but she absolutely loves the statues of those Mangrens, she said she'd like to get one as a pet," he said with a hint of concern.
"Anyway, we're just on our way to a short adventure ourselves, Luna swears there's a nest of Scrumptious Skrimblogners – well, I think that's what she called them – anyway she says she got a hot tip that they're supposed to be down the Bethnal Green end of Victoria Park, somewhere near the Chinese Pagoda, so we're off to get some pictures for the Quibbler."
Hermione gaped, she couldn't help it, Scrumptious Skrimblogners she thought in surprise, well, that's a new one.
Aloud she said, "How is the Quibbler? I heard Luna has been doing a fine job in running it since her father retired to Europe."
Neville nodded enthusiastically, "it's going great, Luna still gets some advice from her dad though, at the moment Xenophillius is in East Germany, he recently wrote Luna that he's very close to finally finding a pod of Crumple-Horned Snorkacks. Luna thinks we'll make the "Magical Creatures and Where To Find Them" celebrity list this year."
He looked slightly embarrassed as he told her the last bit of news, but being Neville, he stuck by his wife and her strange beliefs religiously. He never made fun of her, never shamed her, just offered her his genuine support. Hermione idly wondered what it must be like to have someone love you as much as that, it was awe inspiring to her.
"Anyway, just drop my girl here off when you've finished with her," Neville said as he stood and walked to the door. "Actually, why don't we make it a dinner, Luna would love to see you, and we haven't had anyone around for ages. She could tell you about the paper, and you could talk about your new work with her, she's pretty smart, being a Ravenclaw and all. Who knows, she might be able to help you."
Hermione nodded "Thanks Neville, and yes, I'd love to come around for dinner sometime, and you're right, Luna is smart, she's also very wise. Give her my love and tell her I'll see you both soon."
Neville nodded and walked out, leaving a happy smiling Hermione behind him thinking, just one more, I only have to get one more and I'll have them all. This is going so much easier than I expected, first Harry, and now Neville.
She shook her head in bewilderment, she'd thought she'd have a much harder time getting these remnants, especially from Harry, who, being and auror, knew that they still contained some dangerous, albeit, hard to access, magic in them. Still, she wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth, she conjured a large shopping bag and picked up Nevilles hideous memento and popped it in. Now happy she called in her secretary, Karen and told her she didn't feel well and was going home for the day.
She noted the look of mixed pity and concern she got and immediately bristled. Seems word has already got out about what happened down in the aurors office with Harry and Ron. Still, those stares and pity will soon be changing, especially once I rescue Sirius, then we'll see how sorry people are! She thought smugly.
"Oh, and Karen, could you have a full copy of those who went missing in the months before the fight for Hogwarts, when Harry destroyed Voldemort."
At her secretaries surprised look she smiled, "I'm thinking about writing a book, and I want to remind myself of everything that happened back then. Actually," she said frowning in thought, "I think we can be a little more precise than that. Why don't we start with a month before the death of Sirius Black, oh, and I'm only interested in those whose bodies were never found."
"Yes Ma'am" said Karen, "I'll send the information directly to your home as soon as I've gathered it, it shouldn't take more than an hour or two. Would you prefer Post Owl or for me to Floo travel to your house directly?"
"Thanks Karen, I think post owl will be fine as I have a couple of small errands I want to take care of before I go home, and owl will give me a little more time. I'll see you tomorrow, hopefully, oh, before I forget, if I get a memo from Adolphus Addler, please send that to me as well and ask him if I can make an appointment with him, preferably for tomorrow morning."
"Is that all Mizz Granger?" asked Karen as she furiously wrote down her instructions, her quick quotes quill flashing across the page.
"Yes, that's it, I'll see you tomorrow," said Hermione as she held her shopping bag more firmly and walked out of the office straight to the lifts. She held her head high, keeping her shoulders back, mainly because she knew they'd all be talking about her, and she wanted to look proud and confident, totally unconcerned.
It is what it is. Act it, and I'll be it.
It was time to stop thinking about Ron and the Ministry of Magic, because now she had some important shopping to do, which now included both clotting serum and blood replacement serum, just in case she accidently got a scratch from one of Nagini's fangs. She decided she was leaving nothing to chance, the odds were already stacked against her in this little venture, so she wasn't about to add more.
Right now, she desperately needed to contact Mundungas Fletchers young "protégée, Billy Brankins, because she was going to need a couple of ingredients that weren't going to be getting sold at the local Apothecary in Diagon Alley.
She could get some of the ingredients she'd need there of course, but for the other more exotic ingredients, she was going to have to travel a far different path than she was used to.
She was just glad she'd taken Harry's advice and kept a casual – very casual – almost non-existent really - friendship of sorts, with Mundungas over the years. Harry had told her that he had asked Sirius about Mundungas once, and Sirius had advised him that you never knew when someone like Dung would come in handy. He knew people and places beyond what the more law-abiding citizens in their world knew, and that knowledge could sometimes be priceless.
She smiled to herself as she threw a handful of floo powder in one of the many fireplaces in the Ministries Foyer and said, Hermione Grangers study. As soon as the flames turned green and leapt high, she entered.
She was still smiling as she disappeared.
Later that evening Hermione's kitchen had been turned into a workshop, she'd managed to contact Billy who, after some rather spirited negotiations, promised he'd have her request filled by the next afternoon. Of course, she'd have to pay a premium for the rush order, but she'd also elicited a promise that the merchandise would be exactly as requested, and in perfectly fresh condition, or it was free.
Billy hadn't liked the condition but Hermione had stuck to guns, she'd even told him she'd know if he'd kept their bargain as soon as she saw her order, and if he'd lied about anything – well! She'd then given him a cold smile and said that if everything was in order, she'd even throw in another ten galleons, as a thank you gift. Billies greedy little eyes had lit up at that, and he'd immediately taken off to start obtaining what she wanted.
It was three in the morning before she finished preparing everything to her exact needs. As she slowly staggered up to her room and fell into bed her only thought was.
You better be worth it Sirius; you just better be worth it!
Meanwhile earlier at Harry's home . . . . . .
Harry walked into the kitchen of his new home, he looked around as he put his Daily Prophet down on the table and hung up his coat on a hook just inside the doorway.
He didn't really like this new place, it was just to, Dursleyish for his taste. He much preferred Sirius's old house, it held wonderful memories for him, and he always felt close to his godfather when he was there, and in a strange way, it helped centre him, because he felt safe, even if Kreacher still prowled around on occasion.
Harry had noted that the ancient old elf had been getting progressively more senile of late and he knew it wouldn't be long before he passed, but he still liked to leave Hogwarts every now and then and go back to the house of Black, where he'd stare longingly at the heads of his ancestors which were still mounted on the second story stairwell exit.
And he still dropped in on him and Hermione occasionally, just to make sure "the Master" as he insisted on still calling Harry, needed anything. Strangely, to Harry, he'd formed a rather odd friendship with Hermione, after she had insisted that Kreacher and all the Hogwarts elves also be honoured after the fight for Hogwarts. Harry thought it might have been the first time in Kreachers long life that someone had called him a hero, he still remembered how the old elves chest had bowed with pride. After that he'd also started to drop in on Hermione, just to see if she needed help with any of her work, and Hermione, to her credit, had always treated him with respect.
Kreacher was also one of the reasons that Harry refused to sell Sirius' house, despite Ginny constantly badgering him about it.
"Oh, you're home at last, I was beginning to think you were deliberately staying away this evening," said Ginny as she walked into the room, disrupting his chain of thought.
She went to the stove and ladled some soup into a bowl before putting it on the table for him. "Ron was here this afternoon; he was utterly devastated. Harry, how could you do that to him? Humiliating him like that, firing him, and in front of the entire aurors office. That was uncalled for, he's your best friend, and he's, my brother. I told him I'd talk to you, but this was his last warning. He promised it will never happen again."
"No!" said Harry as he walked over and got the large loaf of bread that had been on the counter and began to slice it.
"What do you mean no? You can't do this Harry; I can't let you hurt my family like that. I won't, not after all we sacrificed for you, my brother is dead because he fought for you! And you wont even give Ron a chance!" she spat, her face reddening as her temper rose.
"Stop it!" bellowed Harry as he swung around to face her. Ginny' eyes widened and she took an involuntary step back.
"I've given Ron opportunity, after opportunity to change his ways, to make something of his life, but every time I've helped him, I've had it thrown back in my face! Then today, with all the petty, vindictive, cruelty that he showed a respected member of the ministry, in front of my aurors," he thundered, "that was the last straw!"
As Ginny went to open her mouth to continue arguing Harry finally snapped. "I've let you and your bloody temper rule me for to long Ginny, you make a choice here and now, it's me or Ron! CHOOSE!"
"Oh, don't be so melodramatic" she began.
Harry grabbed her by the shoulders and looked into her face, never noticing that Lilly and Albus were both at the door to the kitchen watching them.
"Choose Ginny, now."
"You want me to choose?" she raged, "Fine Harry, then I choose my brother! I choose him over you and that slag Hermione Granger! You might not be able to show any loyalty to your family, but I can, and will."
Harry turned around and grabbed his coat, noticing Albus and Lily standing in the doorway with their mouths open for the first time.
"I'll be at Sirius' place if you need me, I just can't stay here anymore. I'm sorry kids, I'm really sorry."
Then he turned and left, disapparating as soon as he was out the back door.
Back in the house Ginny turned to her kids and started to cry. "I'm sorry you had to see that; I can't believe he could be so cruel to both me and your uncle." She sobbed.
"Sorry mum, but Uncle Rons an absolute tool." Said Albus in defence of his father.
"Albus!" cried Ginny in total shock.
"It's true mum," chimed in Lily, "I've heard some of the nasty stuff he says to Aunt Hermione and Dad. He thinks he's being clever and sly, but Albus is right, he just being a total jackass. You owe dad an apology."
"I most certainly do not!" snapped Ginny as her tears dried and anger replaced them. "You two have no idea, just none! Hermione has put my brother through a harrowing ordeal."
Albus stared at his mother for a moment. "The trouble is mum, we do know what's happened, and believe it or not, we're not stupid enough to believe the load of tripe that Uncle Ron comes out with, because we've grown up seeing and hearing him, we know what he's like."
He turned to Lily, "I don't know about you but I'm going to grab some stuff and take it to dad, and I'll be spending the night over there too. I think he needs some family with him right now."
"Don't you dare leave this house young man!" yelled an incensed Ginny, but Albus simply turned around and walked away, they both heard him bounding up the stairs a few seconds later. "I'll stay here tonight mum, but I'll be moving out tomorrow too."
At Ginny's shocked look Lily sighed. "Mum, I've been trying to tell you and dad for days now, Me, Marrianna Malfoy, and Starshine Longbottom have managed to get a flat in London, it's right by the Leaky Cauldron, so it'll be nice and close to work for Marrianna now that she's bought the place, and it's easy access to Diagon Alley, so it's close to work for me and Star too."
Seeing the shock on her mothers face she smiled sadly and put a hand on her shoulder. "Mum, take my advice. If you want to keep dad and Al, then you've got to pull your head in, your wrong, and what's worse, you know it."
At Ginny's angry frown she dropped her hands. "You'll lose everyone you love if you keep this up mum. Dads let you push him around for years, and he's never retaliated; until now. So, I guess it's time you asked yourself the same question dad and aunt Hermione had to ask themselves. Is uncle Ron worth it? Is he worth all the lies and manipulations, the fights, and all the pain that he gets you to cause to dad? Especially given that we both know old Ronny boy will do it all again as soon as things settle down and he thinks he's in the clear. It's the nature of the beast I'm afraid. That's your question mum. Is he worth you losing everything you love, because guess what? Dad's gone, I'm going, and pretty soon Albus will be making up his mind about what and where he wants to be."
With those words ringing in her ears Ginny watched as her daughter turned and walked away. Not long after she heard the front door slam as Albus to left.
She sat at her new kitchen table looking at the bowl of soup slowly cooling across from her, all the while thinking about what had just happened, and of Lily's words to her.
"Oh my god! What have I done." She whispered as she began to cry.
