Author's Notes:
Here's Chapter 146 for you!
We've got some plot-heavy chapters coming up, which I'm super excited to write them and for you to read them.
Love, DW
P.S. Enjoy x
Mr and Mrs Knoll's home is set within Hamsterley Forest in the north of England. Surrounded by ancient tall trees, sparkling waterfalls and crystal clear ponds, it was the most beautiful place for them to bury their son. Each Hogwarts professor had been invited to the funeral, but only Headmistress McGonagall, Head of Ravenclaw Professor Flitwick, Professor Longbottom, Professor Granger and Professor Malfoy decided to attend. Although they did pass along the condolences of the other professors, especially Professor Sinistra, who had taken a leave of absence to come to terms with the events of last Saturday afternoon.
By four o'clock, the professors feel they are beginning to overstay their welcome and decide to leave the Knoll's residence after further condolences have been given.
"After the summer of 1998, I had hoped that I would never have to attend the funeral of one of my students again," sighs Filius.
"I heard from the Ministry this morning," Minerva says as they walk down the Knoll's garden path. "There's going to be an investigation into Lawrence's death."
"What will they be looking into?" Neville asks nervously.
"They're not looking to blame anyone; they just want to make sure it never happens again," Minerva explains. "I'm cancelling all future Hogsmeade trips until the Ministry's report comes in."
"Neville, there was nothing more you could have done," Draco assures him. "You took down three of them, and thanks to you, some of the worst Death Eaters I've ever known are awaiting trial. You did well."
Neville sniffs sadly, "I could've done more."
"Don't beat yourself up, Neville," Filius interjects. "We're all very proud of you. You protected our children as best you could."
As they reach the end of the Knoll's garden path, Hermione glances behind to find no signs of anyone living just through the trees. The smoke billowing from the chimney she had noticed as they left is no longer visible, and neither is the garden path they were just on. They must have some powerful wards protecting themselves from the eyes of muggles.
"Try to enjoy the rest of your weekend," Minerva says. "I expect our inspection results to be sent out on Monday."
"Just what we need," Filius mutters.
"We will hold our staff meeting on Monday night instead of Wednesday, so make any necessary arrangements for childcare because it will most likely be a long night," Minerva continues.
Hermione and Draco agree before apparating to the gate of their home.
"Remind me again why I'm a professor," Hermione sighs as they trek towards their front door.
"For the children," Draco reminds her.
"It's becoming harder to teach when the Ministry puts all these barriers before us. First, the inspection and now this investigation. I don't believe that they're not looking for someone to blame. They can't blame themselves for not doing enough to catch the Death Eaters, so they'll find one of us is to blame, and I fear they'll try to pin it all on Neville," Hermione admits.
Draco nods, "Or me."
Hermione swallows hard, "I hadn't thought of that. We made an enemy out of Kingsley, and we thought these inspections were a way for him to get back at us, but what if he is going to blame you. It wouldn't be too hard either."
Draco scoffs, "Thanks."
"No, listen, do you really think the Minister isn't going to mention that you're an ex-Death Eater? It's not too far-fetched for him to link you to the attack. We need to be careful," Hermione warns him.
As they walk up the steps of their porch, Draco notices a newspaper lying by the door, which is initially strange because they don't subscribe to the Daily Prophet. Removing his wand, Draco levitates the newspaper so it unfurls. A note is stuck to the front which reads, "You need to read this!" and is signed by Blaise with an 'x' beside his name.
"What have they got to say now?" Hermione sighs, plucking the newspaper from the air and removing the note. "Oh!"
Draco peers over his wife's shoulder and recognises Lawrence smiling back at him from the front page. Above him, the title reads 'Lawrence Knoll: Hogwarts Student Murdered on Hogsmeade Trip."
Sighing deeply, they enter their house, kicking their shoes off at the door, and take the newspaper into their office, away from Mitty and Scorpius playing in the living room.
HOGWARTS NO LONGER FIT FOR PURPOSE
5th October 2001: Nathanial Farrier
Once thought to be the safest place in Britain, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry has once again proved they are no longer fit for purpose as an educator or protector of our children. How can we trust this school with the safety of our children when we can't trust them with their education?
On 25th September, Hogwarts was subjected to its first inspection by the Department for Educational Standards. The inspectors observed professors in their classrooms, scrutinised their marking and coursework, and spoke to students of every house and year to understand what exactly our children are being taught when we send them off to Hogwarts each September. While the results are due to be released on Monday 7th October, I can tell you the results will shock you with many professors choosing to ignore the curriculum set by the Ministry in favour of indoctrinating our children with their own beliefs and opinions.
Headmistress McGonagall has worked at Hogwarts since 1952, working her way up from professor to head of Gryffindor House to deputy headmistress to headmistress in the past fifty years. As a stern but beloved professor, many of you will be surprised to learn that her carelessness and lack of foresight led to the murder of one of her students last week. To celebrate the end of the inspection, Headmistress McGonagall allowed students from third-year up to visit Hogsmeade for an impromptu trip. Was this Hogsmeade trip a bribe made by the headmistress for all students who lied to the inspectors?
Within the hour, a pair of DEATH EATERS claiming to be working under their NEW DARK LORD attacked a group of students in the middle of the Hogsmeade, causing mass panic. How did the DEATH EATERS know about this impromptu Hogsmeade trip? Did a particular professor who was once one of their members divulge the information?
While the two chaperones, Professors Neville Longbottom and Aurora Sinistra, fought the DEATH EATERS, the students were left to fend for themselves as they raced back to the supposed safety of their school. Why did Headmistress McGonagall only send two professors to chaperone nearly two hundred students? Can Hogwarts not afford to pay its professors for an extra few hours on a Saturday?
From here, we can't be confident about how the following events went down, but we know that Lawrence Knoll, a seventh-year Ravenclaw, put himself between a third DEATH EATER and his younger peers, causing a distraction which saved the lives of almost a hundred other students. By the time Professors Longbottom and Draco Malfoy arrived, Lawrence Knoll had been MURDERED, and all that was left for them to do was take down the DEATH EATER.
The tragedy of Saturday 28th September leaves us wondering what the Ministry of Magic will do to ensure the neglect of Headmistress McGonagall and the professors of Hogwarts never results in another student's death. Sources close to The Daily Prophet have informed us that an investigation has been launched to determine how this happened and how safe Hogwarts is for our children.
"You and Neville got a mention, but it seems they are fully placing the blame on Minerva," Hermione states upon finishing the article. "I don't know how anyone can believe this crap after everything Minerva has done for Hogwarts and its students over the years."
"Don't underestimate the stupidity of the average person. They are used to getting most of their information through the Daily Prophet," Draco points out, throwing the newspaper down on his desk.
Hermione rests her head on her husband's shoulder. "I also want to know how the Death Eaters knew about the Hogsmeade trip?"
"Well, you were right; they tried accusing me of risking our students' lives," Draco sighs. "I think we need to call a meeting and see if anyone's heard any rumours."
Hermione agrees, removing her Galleon necklace from her purse and casting the charm to alert the five other main members to meet at their house.
"I'm going to ask Mitty to take Scorpius to the Burrow. I don't want him around for the meetings," Draco says, leaving their office for the living room. "Hi, Scorpius," he bends down to pick up his son and hugs him tight.
Mitty watches from where she's sat on their plush rug, the couch cushions surrounding them like a fort.
"Mitty, we're holding a meeting here. Can you take Scorpius to the Burrow?" Draco asks, knowing Mitty would do anything to keep Scorpius safe.
"Mitty take Scorpius now." She stands, holding her hand out for the toddler.
Draco places his son on his feet, passing his chubby hand to his house-elf, trusting her implicitly.
"Don't return until Arthur returns to the Burrow," Draco tells her.
Mitty nods, then disappears with Scorpius.
Within ten minutes, Arthur and Percy have flooed into their home. Draco greets them by the kitchen door, leading them into the dining room, where Hermione has laid out a pot of tea and some biscuits.
"I assume we're meeting to discuss that bloody article?" Arthur asks, taking a seat halfway along the table.
"That's certainly part of it," Hermione agrees, pouring the man a cup of tea. "Tea, Percy?"
Percy glances up from the tablecloth, clearly distracted. "Sorry? Oh, yes, I'll have tea, thank you."
"Something on your mind, Percy?" Draco asks.
"Just a lot of work," the man sighs, taking a deep sip from his cup.
"We've been working long days at the Ministry. There's been a lot of complaints about the recent attack," Arthur explains.
"So many howlers asking what the Ministry are going to do about the Death Eaters and Hogwarts," Percy says.
"Has Shacklebolt even acknowledged the attack?
"He's still pushing the view that these are a group of independent Death Eaters acting of their own accord. He doesn't believe any of the evidence suggesting there's a new Dark Lord," Percy explains.
In the kitchen, they hear a familiar voice call out, "Hello!"
"In here," Hermione calls back, opening the dining room door for George and Ron to join them.
"Are we late? Angelina and Fred are visiting her parents, so we had to close the shop early," George explains.
"No, you're fine. We're still waiting for Harry," Hermione says.
"I'll be surprised if he makes it," Ron mentions. "They've got Vale's trial coming up in a few weeks; he's been spending a lot of time with the lawyers, getting their case in order. Ginny keeps complaining he's not eating properly, so mum sends leftovers from dinner home for him."
"Harry knows we only use the coins in an emergency. If he has the coin on him, he will be here," Hermione assures them, pouring more cups of tea for George and Ron.
"So, what have you two been up to? Is this a new fashion statement?" Ron asks, talking about their black attire.
"We had only just returned from Lawrence Knoll's funeral when we read the article and called the meeting," Hermione answers.
"Oh," Ron mutters, awkwardly looking down at his teacup.
"How were his parents?" Arthur asks.
"They tried their best to keep themselves together, but you could tell they were distraught," Draco says.
"As you'd expect." Arthur nods knowingly, and Draco feels like an idiot for not realising Arthur knows from experience what it's like to bury a son.
Thankfully, a knock at their front door saves Draco from digging himself any deeper, and the arrival of Harry means the meeting can commence.
"How are you, son?" Arthur greets Harry.
"I'll be glad once the trial is over, and I can return to working normal hours," Harry mutters.
"Not long now; it'll be over in a fortnight, right?"
Harry nods, "I forgot we had a third son the other night. Albus was crying, and I asked whose baby we were looking after. It's driving me mad."
"You need a long holiday once it's all over." Arthur pats his son-in-law on the shoulder comfortingly.
"Let's begin," Hermione announces, standing at one end of the table. "Have you all had a chance to read the Daily Prophet's article on Hogwarts and Minerva?"
She receives a collection of nods around the table.
"Molly sent our regards to Minerva, but we haven't heard back. That poor woman has taught and cared for the last three generations of most families, and this is how she's rewarded," Arthur complains.
"Minerva attended the funeral with us. She won't have read the article until now," Draco reminds them.
"That feels worse," Percy says. "Knowing the rest of the wizarding world has been reading about you, and you've been clueless the whole time."
"Minerva's a strong woman; she won't let this get to her. We all know this is slander. The Daily Prophet can't blame the real people at fault because they're funded by them," Hermione argues.
"So what are we going to do about it?" Harry asks.
"There's not much we can do until the inspection results are released on Monday," Hermione tells them. "Our reason for calling this meeting was not for Minerva but for Lawrence."
The table falls eerily quiet.
"His family had plenty of questions for us at his wake. They were asking the same questions as the Daily Prophet, but they just want to know how the Death Eaters knew about the trip and why they attacked," Draco tells them.
"We reformed the order to overthrow Minister Shacklebolt," Hermione reminds them. "Our focus was never supposed to be on the Death Eaters. I understand we have our main priorities and jobs, but we need to do something about the Death Eaters. Lawrence's parents deserve answers, as does every other parent with a child at Hogwarts."
"There's something different about how the Death Eaters have organised this time," Draco explains. "We know nothing about them. We don't know the identity of the new Dark Lord, and the only members we know are Dennis and the ones who've been arrested."
"Yet, they seem to know a lot about us," Harry points out. "They've taunted us through greeting cards, showing up to events and your prophecy, despite claiming to be working towards the same goal."
"We don't actually know that they're trying to remove Shacklebolt," George adds. "Who told us that? Dennis?"
"Yes."
"We think we can trust Dennis because we've known him for years, but he joined the Death Eaters. Are we really going to admit to trusting a Death Eater?" George asks.
"Dumbledore did it. He trusted Severus," Harry says.
"I'm sorry, Harry, but Dumbledore is not someone I think we should try to emulate. He practically raised you to die," Hermione reminds him.
Harry shrugs, "It was for a good cause, and I didn't die."
"George is right," Arthur says, bringing the conversation back on track. "We can't trust Dennis. He's one of them now, and no matter how much information he gives us, we can't trust that if the new Dark Lord demanded it, he wouldn't turn his back on us."
"We haven't told Dennis anything about that could be used against us," Harry defends his decision to keep in contact with Dennis.
"We need someone on the inside," Draco says, drawing their attention. "I'm not saying we trust him, but we need him. We don't have anyone else willing to pass Death Eater information along to us."
"Why are we still working with the Death Eaters? We haven't gotten much information out of Dennis, and none of it has helped us get any closer to taking down Shacklebolt," Ron says.
"I'd like to point out that we aren't working with the Death Eaters," Percy says. "We're just working towards the same goal, I think."
"Maybe we've got this whole thing wrong. We've thought that the enemy of our enemy is our friend, but we're not even sure if the Ministry is the Death Eaters' main enemy. It could be Hogwarts or us at this point," George sighs.
"I can't believe how little we know about them," Percy admits. "We knew what Voldemort stood for but knew nothing about the new Dark Lord."
"From last weekend's attack, I would assume they're against Hogwarts and its professors," Ron says. "Especially since it came a few days after the inspection. Do they want to overthrow Hogwarts again?"
"Whatever it is they're doing, we need to make it absolutely clear to the Death Eaters that we've taken this last attack personally, and we no longer want anything to do with them," Arthur states.
"We still need answers, though," Hermione reminds them.
"So, what's our next step?" George asks.
"As Draco said, we only know one member; let's talk to him instead of sitting around here theorising what the Death Eaters are up to?" Harry takes a stand.
"You want to talk to Dennis?" Ron asks.
"Yes, we have questions, and he can answer them."
"Talking to Dennis didn't go so well last time," Draco points out. "You nearly attacked him."
"I'll go with you this time," Hermione claims.
"No," Draco immediately says. "I'm not letting you go anywhere near him."
"Why not?"
"It's dangerous," Draco says, pointing out the obvious.
"You think Hermione Granger can't look after herself," Ron scoffs.
"It's not her I'm worried about," Draco states, staring at his wife, willing her to back down.
"What, you're worried about what she'll do to Dennis?" Ron laughs.
"Draco, we'll be safe with Harry," she promises.
"What's going on here?" Harry asks, his head shifting between Draco and Hermione at opposite ends of the dining table.
"I'm coming with you," Hermione firmly states.
"Fine," Draco agrees, feeling dejected.
As the meeting ends, Hermione heads upstairs to change out of her funeral dress. When she returns to the dining room, only Draco and Harry remain, tidying up the cups from the meeting.
"We should get going," Hermione tells Harry.
Since Arthur would have returned home after the meeting, Mitty would be returning with Scorpius. Hermione would rather leave before her son returned; otherwise, she might change her mind.
Hermione and Harry take the floo network to The Leaky Cauldron, then step into Muggle London, where Dennis Creevey lives in a nearby flat.
As they're walking, Harry sighs sadly, pushing his hair out of his face.
"I sometimes think about first-year Colin, the boy who followed me with a camera, begging to take pictures of me. It's hard to imagine him as the fifth-year who died in the battle of Hogwarts," Harry explains his thoughts. "I suppose we had been so preoccupied with Voldemort, Death Eaters and Horcruxes that we didn't really know the person Colin became."
"It doesn't make it easier seeing the person Dennis has become for Colin," Hermione says. "I didn't know either of the Creevey brothers as well as you did, but they were always a friendly face in the common room. Colin certainly wouldn't have approved of what Dennis has done in the name of revenge."
"I know better than most that revenge doesn't work. You think the grief will be easier, but you're just left feeling empty and without purpose," Harry admits. "I tried so hard to kill Bellatrix after she took Sirius from me, but it didn't work because my anger was ill-placed. In the end, she got what she deserved."
"Do you wish you had been the one to kill her?" Hermione asks quietly.
Harry shakes his head, "Part of me wishes I had been, but I know it wouldn't have helped me heal, and that's not what Sirius would have wanted."
Hermione smiles, remembering Sirius Black. "He wouldn't have wanted you to burden yourself with revenge, but he wouldn't have argued with you honouring him by naming your firstborn after him and your father."
Harry laughs, "I admit I named James selfishly; I wanted a part of my father figures to always be with me."
Hermione falls silent for a moment, pondering whether or not to ask the question before deciding to just do it. "Can I ask, why Albus Severus?"
"I have complicated feelings about Dumbledore and Snape, but you can't deny that they gave up everything, including their lives, so I might live long enough to kill Voldemort. Without them, I wouldn't be here, and Voldemort would. I wanted to honour a part of my life to them too."
Hermione nods, taking the information in. Harry's sentiment made sense, but she doesn't think he should have honoured them through his child. Poor Albus Severus Potter would spend the rest of their life explaining his name to everyone he met.
Instead of making that point, she jokingly says, "Dare I ask what you're going to name your next child?"
Harry laughs, "Don't joke about it; we're quite done now."
"So how much further is Dennis' flat?" Hermione asks, glancing around the street that Harry has led her down.
"It's down the next street; we're close."
Ten minutes later, standing before Dennis Creevey's door, Hermione and Harry glanced at each other.
"How are we going to do this?" Hermione asks.
"We knock, and when he opens the door, we tell him we have some questions for him."
"What if he doesn't open the door?"
"He will; he trusts us," Harry says.
"He might be apprehensive after last weekend. Can't you break down the door if he doesn't cooperate?" Hermione asks.
Harry frowns. "This is a friendly chat; we're not accusing him of anything. We have no reason to break his door down."
"But you're an auror; what if he's acting suspicious?"
"Hermione, never go into politics," Harry tells her, then knocks on the door.
A light in the front room turns on, and a few seconds later, they hear shuffling behind the door.
"Who is it?" Dennis calls through the door.
"Harry Potter," Harry answers, learning his lesson from the last time.
"What do you want?"
"We have some questions for you, Dennis," Hermione answers.
There's silence for a moment before Dennis asks, "Hermione?"
"Yeah, can you open the door for us?" She asks nicely.
They hear a thump through the door, as though Dennis has just banged his head.
"Dennis, if you don't open the door, we'll open it for you," she warns.
"Hermione, I told you we couldn't do that."
"You never said I couldn't," Hermione says. "Step away from the door, Dennis."
"Okay, I'll open it!" Dennis unlocks his door, swinging it open.
Dennis' wand is out, pointing at Harry.
"We're only here to talk, Dennis," Harry promises.
"You said that last time and then attacked me in my home," Dennis reminds him.
"My family had been threatened last time, and my emotions were high. I apologise. Your information was good, and we caught Simon Salter." Harry smiles.
"I know, Heres was pissed you found him," Dennis says, pocketing his wand and closing the door behind them.
The three of them stand in the hallway, staring at each other, waiting for someone to speak.
Eventually, Hermione breaks the silence by asking, "Tea, anyone?"
"I don't have any."
"Coffee, then?"
Dennis rolls his eyes. "I'll put the kettle on."
They follow Dennis into his kitchen, eyes scanning the hallway's chipped and peeling walls and burnt carpet. The kitchen isn't much better, with smoke-stained walls and tiled floors that suggest Dennis doesn't own a sweeping brush or a mop. Hermione takes one of the two chairs around the kitchen table and avoids resting her arms on the sticky wooden surface. Harry remains at the door, just in case Dennis made a bold move, but the man is standing at the sink, sandwiched between a fridge and a cooker, washing up the cups so they can all drink. Hermione notices a chopping board and kettle on top of the refrigerator, the only counter space available for cooking.
"You don't get many guests, do you?" Harry states.
"Nobody wants to know me," Dennis mutters.
Despite Dennis' decisions leading him to this life, Hermione still finds herself pitying him.
"How's your dad doing, Dennis?" Hermione asks.
"Don't know, I haven't spoken to him in a few months," he admits.
"Did you tell him what you're doing?"
"Maybe."
"Well, that was foolish," Hermione comments. "What did he say?"
"He said that two wrongs don't make a right, and whoever killed Colin would one day get what they deserved," Dennis sighs, drying the cups with a dirty tea towel.
Hermione doesn't think it would help their situation to point out that his father is correct, so they wait for Dennis to finish making their coffee.
"You can have the seat, Harry," Dennis offers, placing two cups of coffee before the two chairs.
"I think it's best if you sit, Dennis," Harry says, picking up the cup and standing between Dennis and the door.
"Why?" Dennis questions defensively.
"Just sit, Dennis," Harry urges.
"Okay." Dennis sits in the empty seat, drinking from his cup.
Hermione stares at her coffee with disgust, deciding she wouldn't be taking even a sip of the black liquid, but holds the warm cup in her hand anyway.
"Is this about last weekend?" Dennis asks.
"Yes."
"Look, I'm sorry that boy died, but I had nothing to do with that. I wasn't present for the attack and didn't help plan it."
"The attack was planned?" Hermione asks in confusion.
"Yeah, do you think they just showed up independently? Of course, it was planned?"
"How did Heres know about the Hogsmeade trip? It wasn't organised until the night before?" Hermione questions.
Dennis places his mug down. "Heres called a meeting on Saturday morning after Umbra had informed him about the Hogsmeade trip. It was there I found out the plan was to attack Hogsmeade during the first trip, which was supposed to be in a fortnight."
"What was the meeting about?" Harry asks.
"Umbra had discovered there was going to be an unplanned Hogsmeade trip that afternoon. Heres agreed that their plans were ready and should be moved forward. Everyone involved was asked to stand by."
"Who told Umbra? Is someone at Hogwarts or Hogsmeade working with the Death Eaters?" Harry asks.
Hermione can't believe that any professors would work with the Death Eaters, but they're already aware of one former student who joined the Death Eaters whilst still a student. Maybe they have another one in their midst.
Dennis laughs, "You really haven't understood the point of the masks. They don't just hide our identity from each other, but also our family and friends. The only people who know the identity of a Death Eater are Heres, Dextra and the Death Eater themselves. Some innocent friend or family member of Umbra could've mentioned it to her in passing, unaware she's a Death Eater."
Harry and Hermione exchange glances as they realise how dangerous the new Death Eater movement could be. Anyone they pass in Diagon Alley could be a Death Eater, observing everything around them and feeding back to this Heres.
"I don't understand why Heres wanted to attack Hogwarts' students? What was the purpose? You told us their enemy was the Ministry, you told us we had the same aim, to take down Shacklebolt, but last weekend's attack was in line with the Ministry's hatred of Hogwarts," Harry points out.
"Heres despises Shacklebolt for enacting the Marriage Decree but hates Hogwarts. He thinks the professors are manipulating the students. He also hates Malfoy. He can't mention Hogwarts without mentioning 'that traitor who turned his back on us'," Dennis says.
Hermione's breath comes out shallow as her heart beats faster. She feels faint as she leans across the table towards Dennis.
"Is my husband's life at risk? Is Heres planning an attack on him?"
Dennis frowns at being reminded she's married to Malfoy. "No, Heres firmly believes that once you're a Death Eater, you're always a Death Eater, and we don't attack ourselves."
Hermione doesn't feel any relief from learning this. How can she trust Dennis or Heres to be telling the truth?
"Let's take a step back," Harry suggests. "What was the purpose of this attack?"
"Heres knew about the inspection of Hogwarts, and since the Ministry ordered it, he assumed the results would reflect negatively on the school," Dennis begins.
"One of our people lead the inspection," Harry tells him.
"Yes, but they can't just give everyone an E and assume the Minister will accept that. They're going to have to be strict with the grading," Dennis says.
Hermione nods, agreeing that they are expecting harsh results.
"Heres plan assumed that once parents and the public were made aware of the results, there would be a negative outcry for something to be done about those professors with low grades. Then, once the public had settled, in a fortnight's time, the Death Eaters would attack during the first Hogsmeade trip, where they knew Malfoy and Jonathan Atkins would be the chaperone. The intention wasn't to kill any students but to injure enough of them that the public would question the loyalty of Malfoy and McGonagall's ability to lead Hogwarts."
"Heres wants Draco and McGonagall to be removed from their positions?" Harry asks.
"Basically, yeah," Dennis agrees.
"How does Heres feel about Scorpius and me?" Hermione asks, needing to know how worried she should be for her children.
Dennis laughs, "How do you think Heres feels about you? He certainly doesn't like you. He calls you 'the mudblood,' but he also calls me a mudblood." He shrugs. "I don't think he has the same malice against us as Voldemort. Heres sees you as a means to an end since you and Malfoy are working with MACUSA to take down Shacklebolt, which is what we want."
Hermione's eyes widen in horror. "How do you know that?"
"Is that not common knowledge?" Dennis questions, glancing between her and Harry.
"No."
"Oh, that's just something we've known for a while," Dennis admits.
"The Order knows we reformed to take down Shacklebolt, but there's not many that know Draco, and I are leading the fight, and only President Harris and Secretary Tyler at MACUSA know what we're doing," Hermione begins to panic. "You need to figure out who told the Death Eaters."
"One of the Inner Circle works within MACUSA. I assume it was her," Dennis says.
"Do you know who she is?" Hermione asks.
Dennis sighs, "No, the masks."
"What work does she do at MACUSA?"
"I don't know, but she works in some capacity with the President; that's how we know about August 2002?" Dennis explains.
Harry steps forward. "What is August 2002?"
Dennis frowns, "Is that not when you're planning the strike on Shacklebolt?"
Hermione glances at Harry, silently asking if he's heard anything, but he shakes his head.
"This is news to me!" Hermione admits.
"We only found out a few weeks ago, so maybe they're waiting for your next meeting to let you know," Dennis suggests.
"August 2002 is less than a year away," she mentions. "Do you think we'll be ready?"
"I think you need to pay President Harris a visit to find out," Harry suggests.
"As if I'm not busy enough," Hermione sighs. "I think we're done here."
Harry nods in agreement. "Dennis, while we appreciate the information you have given us, we want to make it abundantly clear that we are not working with the Death Eaters to remove Shacklebolt from power. We do not want nor need their support in this matter. It is you we are working with, not them, okay?"
Dennis frowns. "Yeah, I understand."
"It seems that Heres thinks we're working together because we're working towards the same goal," Harry points out.
"I talk as little as possible during the meetings. I don't want to draw more attention to myself than I already do. I'm not divulging any information you give me to them; I can promise you that," Dennis says.
"As long as we're on the same page," Harry agrees. "We'll be going now."
Dennis walks Harry and Hermione to the front door, locking it behind them as soon as they enter the street.
As they're walking back towards the Leaky Cauldron, Hermione sighs deeply, linking her arm with Harry and resting her head on his shoulder.
"We learnt a lot of information there," Harry says. "It's a lot to take in."
Hermione checks her watch. "It's nearly dinner; let's grab something in the Leaky Cauldron."
"I can't; I miss dinner too often as it is," Harry admits.
"Ron said Ginny and the boys go to the Burrow for dinner," Hermione tells him.
Harry nods. "I get leftovers."
"Come on, I'll treat you to something that isn't reheated, and we can talk about everything Dennis just told us," Hermione begs.
"Okay," Harry agrees.
Upon arriving at the Leaky Cauldron, they order dinner and drinks from the bar and then find a small table at the back of the room. Hermione sips her pumpkin juice, feeling parched after staring at the dirty coffee Dennis had served her. Meanwhile, Harry drinks his beer, sighing in relief as he leans back in his chair.
"I would have thought you'd go for something stronger after the day you've had," Harry jokes.
Hermione glances at her pumpkin juice, then up at Harry with a smile.
"Oh, oh!" He understands. "Well, congratulations! How far along are you?"
"Three months."
"Do I need to keep it a secret?" He asks.
"We've only told my family, although Blaise guessed, and Pansy was there when I took the test," Hermione admits. "We're telling Draco's family soon, then we'll start telling our friends officially."
"I can keep it quiet until then," Harry promises.
"How are you doing, Harry?" Hermione asks. "Really doing?
Harry's smiling eyes fall flat. "I'm struggling. Working so closely with Shacklebolt, trying to act like the loyal worker bee while secretly working towards his downfall, is hard. I have to watch everything I say and do to make sure he doesn't suspect me of anything. Vale's trial starts next week, but it's going to take ten days to get through all the evidence and witness statements. The verdict should be reached on the twentieth. Are you planning on coming?"
"I'd like to be there, but I don't know if we'll be able to get time off work," Hermione informs him.
A ding sounds out from their table before their plate of cottage pie with vegetables appear, covered in gravy.
"This looks amazing," Harry says as he digs in.
Hermione has never been fond of dinners after being forced to eat one every Sunday at her grandparents' house. However, she's been craving them for the past few days and finally decided to give in.
The two friends don't talk much as they eat, savouring their meal, but once they've finished and their plates have disappeared, they get down to business. After summarising what they learnt from Dennis, for their own benefit, Hermione asks Harry how she should tell Draco.
"I worry about him," Hermione admits. "He has so much guilt over his actions during the war. He tried to compensate for it by testifying against those Death Eaters, but Shacklebolt was just bribing him. I don't want him to regret standing up for himself against the Minister or blame himself for Lawrence's death."
"I know you, Hermione." Harry smiles at her. "You'll know exactly what to say as soon as you see him. You are quite an influential speaker. If it wasn't for your blatant disrespect of policing laws, you'd actually make a good politician."
"Yeah, right," Hermione scoffs. "I think it's time we head home. Thanks for letting me come with you. I know it was important, but we haven't hung out in ages."
Harry smiles sincerely, "I've missed you too."
The two friends hug before going their separate ways home.
As Hermione steps into the kitchen, Draco is there with Scorpius, feeding him fruit and yoghurt for dessert. Upon seeing his mother, Scorpius twists around in his highchair, holding his arms high for her to pick him up and cuddle him.
"Mamama," Scorpius repeats the name he has affectionately given his mother.
"Hey, Scorpius, I've missed you so much." She scoops her son up in her arms, hugging him tightly. "Did you have dinner at the Burrow?" Scorpius grins. "Was James and Albus there too?"
Scorpius begins babbling, a few recognisable words peppered in as he explains his time at the Burrow.
"We must thank Mitty for all her help today," Hermione tells Scorpius.
"Ta," Scorpius says.
"Good boy," Hermione kisses his cheek.
As Draco tidies the kitchen, Hermione takes Scorpius to visit Mitty in her flat above their garage. After knocking on the door, they wait a few seconds before it opens.
"Hermione back," Mitty states.
"Yes, I just wanted to thank you for looking after Scorpius today."
"Mitty love Scorpius," she reminds her, tickling the bottom of Scorpius' foot.
Scorpius giggles, kicking his feet, then buries his head in his mother's neck.
"Scorpius, do you want to say thank you too?" Hermione asks, kneeling down so Scorpius is on level with Mitty.
"Tee," Scorpius says, waving his hand at Mitty.
"Hmm, what's that?" Hermione asks.
"Tee," Scorpius repeats.
"Are you saying, Mitty?"
"Ya, Tee," Scorpius agrees.
Mitty's face scrunches up as she tries not to cry. "Scorpius love Mitty?"
"Of course he loves you; you're part of our family," Hermione points out.
Mitty sniffs, "Thank you, Hermione."
Hermione smiles, "Enjoy the rest of your night; I better get Scorpius to bed before he gets cranky."
Back inside the house, Draco takes Scorpius, telling Hermione that he'll put their son to bed so she can get changed, and then they'll talk. So Hermione takes a shower and gets into her pyjamas while Draco bathes Scorpius and reads him a story until he falls asleep.
Afterwards, they sit together on the couch, cups of tea on the coffee table. Hermione takes Draco's hand in hers, nervously fiddling with his fingers as she tries to find the words.
"Dare I ask how the meeting went?" Draco asks, watching her fingers in his hand.
"It went well," she says. "We went with two questions and left with a lot more, but Dennis gave us the answers we wanted."
"How did they know about the trip?"
"Umbra found out through some innocent person. Dennis reminded us that their masks also hide their identity from their family and friends. So anyone could have mentioned it to her in passing, not know they just informed a Death Eater," Hermione explains.
Draco shakes his head. "Anyone we pass in the street could be a Death Eater. Since there's more anonymity, those who feared repercussions under the Dark Lord might join the Death Eaters under Heres, knowing their identity would be hidden."
Hermione agrees, "Exactly."
"What did Dennis say about why they attacked?"
"They wanted the attack to coincide with the inspection results, expecting them to be negative. Heres wanted the public to question Minerva's running of Hogwarts. The Death Eaters knew you were supposed to be chaperoning the first trip and hoped you would be chaperoning last week too. When the attack happened, and you hadn't been able to stop them from injuring students, they hoped the public would call for your removal from Hogwarts," Hermione explains.
Draco frowns, still staring at their entwined fingers as he begins to overthink.
"Heres thinks you're a traitor for turning your back on the movement, but according to him, once you're a Death Eater, you're always a Death Eater, and they don't attack themselves," Hermione adds.
"So, they attacked our students to get me fired?"
"No," Hermione immediately denies, turning to face him. "You weren't necessary to their plan, Draco. They just wanted to get back at you for betraying them. Dennis said Heres refers to you as a traitor, but once you're a Death Eater, you're always Death Eater, so they don't attack themselves," she explains.
Draco's hands are shaking in her grasp, although from anger or worry, she's not sure.
"They might not attack me," he begins. "But that won't stop the new Dark Lord from attacking you to get to me," he mentions, clearly panicking for his family.
"Don't worry," Hermione hushes him, kissing the back of his hand. "Heres knows you and I are working with MACUSA to take down the Minister, and they see me as a means to an end, at least for the moment."
"How!"
"Dennis says they've got a Death Eater in MACUSA."
"Does he know who?"
"No, he doesn't; only that they must work closely with President Harris as they've got a lot of insider information, such as a supposed time frame for Shacklebolt's take down," Hermione says. "Apparently, they're going or August 2002."
"Why haven't we been told about this?" He asks.
"I don't know, but I'll ask in my next report, or maybe we should pay them a visit?" She suggests.
"I doubt we're going to have the time. I expect we'll be busy once the inspection results come out," Draco points out.
"You're right, and I'd like to be around for Vale's trial," Hermione adds.
"A report will do," Draco agrees.
"I'll finish it tomorrow and send it straight away. We might get a response before the end of the weekend," Hermione says. "Should I include Megan in all this? She knows President Harris and Secretary Tyler better than we do; she might understand why they're keeping this from us?"
"We might as well," Draco agrees, resting his head against the back of the couch.
Hermione runs her finds through Draco's hair, soothing him softly for a few minutes before suggesting they head to bed early since they've had a long day. After washing up for bed, they climb under their duvet and instantly reach out for the other. They don't feel the need to talk about how hard today has been or how difficult the next few days will be because simply being wrapped in each other's arms is comforting enough.
Thank you so much for reading.
Check out TMD: The Sophie's Hogwarts Years.
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