"They found a Dark artifact," Draco told them later, shaken. "The Aurors are nearly sure of it, though I don't know what it is. And the blood she had – Moody thinks it's from the actual Dark Lord. Dumbledore's been called to the Ministry to investigate, they think he'll be able to tell—"

"Merlin and Morgana!" Pansy exclaimed, her eyes wide with horror. "Draco, your fight with Rookwood yesterday in the common room—you don't think she…?"

"If she's the Heir," Draco said darkly, "who else would have sent the basilisk after me?"

"Oh, Draco!"

Pansy threw herself at him, clinging to him and weeping. Draco looked annoyed.

"Pans, I'm fine. Look, Hermione saved me yesterday, it's not like I'm in any more danger now…"

"This is not good," Theo said grimly. "They found the Heir of Slytherin within our house."

"So?" Crabbe grunted. "S'not like they'd be somewhere else."

Theo shot him a nasty look.

"So, the rest of the school is going to be out for our blood, Crabbe," Theo said darkly. "Our only saving grace is that it was another Slytherin who saved the day." He looked to Hermione. "You did kill the monster, didn't you, Granger?"

"I can neither confirm nor deny the slaying of legendary monsters," Hermione said steadily. "But if, hypothetically, I went after a kidnapped Draco to save him from a monster, I certainly wouldn't have left such a monster alive."

Theo took a deep breath, breathing out hard and audibly.

"Right," he said. "The rest of the purebloods – anyone Slytherin in the Sacred 28 especially – we'll all need to prepare to denounce Rookwood entirely – the fallout from this—"

"Miss Granger?"

Hermione turned to see Snape in the doorway of the Slytherin common room, one eyebrow raised.

"If you can tear yourself away from your gossip," he said curtly, "you have a visitor waiting for you in the Headmaster's office."

Hermione got to her feet and followed Snape, who led the way through the corridors. Classes for the rest of the afternoon had been cancelled, and clusters of students littered the hallways, watching as Aurors swarmed over the school.

Snape looked… odd, Hermione noted. It was the slightest thing, barely there, but there was a tightness around his eyes, a line of tension in the back of his neck…

"Professor?" Hermione ventured. "Are you alright?"

Snape turned to give her a curt look.

"I daresay I'm better than you," he said dryly. "Hunting down basilisks, catching older students terrorizing the school…"

"I'm not saying you're not," she said quickly. She took a deep breath. "But… just because you're not doing as poorly as me doesn't mean something's not bothering you."

Snape's eyes were sharp, suspicious. Hermione bit her lip.

"You seemed shaken, sir," she said quietly. "When you came upon Rhamnaceae. I just wanted to make sure you were alright."

Snape gave her a long, hard look as he led the way toward the Headmaster's office, Hermione moving quickly to keep up with his long strides.

"Miss Rookwood's pendant, Miss Granger," he said at last. "It is a symbol I did not expect to see again. I was… unpleasantly surprised."

That was as much as she was going to get out of him, Hermione figured.

"I hope you feel better, sir," she ventured. "At least now all of the chaos is over, right?"

Snape sighed as he glanced down at her, and he rolled his eyes.

"For you, perhaps," he said. "For the staff, it will be a nightmare to handle all this mess…"

Hermione grinned sheepishly as he stopped short at a great eagle statue.

"Lemon drop," he intoned with great disdain, and Hermione watched as the statue turned, a staircase slowly spinning out of the ground into sight.

"Go on," Snape said curtly.

Hermione nodded at him respectfully, carefully stepping onto the moving stairs. "Thank you, sir."

Snape strode off as Hermione ascended on the great turning staircase. When it ground to a halt, there was a door at the top of the stairs, and Hermione knocked.

"Enter!"

Hermione opened the door.

At Dumbledore's desk was a very weary looking Professor McGonagall. She looked like she'd aged thirty years in three days, and it occurred to Hermione that Professor McGonagall had never asked to become Headmistress. The stress of having all this thrust upon her from Dumbledore's removal was clearly taking a toll.

Near the desk were three others, all women, poised with hovering quills and notepads. Hermione recognized one of them as Rita Skeeter, today wearing a sharp turquoise fitted robe. A tired looking man was lurking in the corner of the office, a large camera set up on a tripod near him.

"Miss Granger," McGonagall said. Her voice was tired. "Allow me to introduce Rita Skeeter of the Daily Prophet; Selene Skylark of Witch Weekly; and Miranda Fawley of The Quibbler."

The three witches poised with pads all nodded, eager expressions on their faces, and Hermione gave them a respectful curtsy.

"Pleased to make your acquaintance," she said cautiously. "How can I help you?"

"These reporters would like to interview you, Hermione," McGonagall said. "As a minor, you have the right to have an adult present with you during your interview." She paused. "However, if you should like to invoke that right, I would kindly ask that you not choose me." She sighed. "I have rather a lot to handle right now, with this Heir of Slytherin business. You may use this office, though; I'm sure the portraits will keep everyone in check."

Hermione glanced up to see dozens of portraits littering the walls, each one's frame engraved with a name and a set of years.

"The previous Heads of Hogwarts?" Hermione wondered aloud, and she caught a flicker of a smile on McGonagall's face.

"Yes," she said. "They are here to provide their wisdom to the current head. Though how much help they actually are is up for debate…"

She shook her head, clearing it.

"Regardless. Miss Granger, do you consent to this interview, or would you like an adult present with you?"

Hermione looked over the arranged reporters carefully.

"An adult is anyone over seventeen, right?" she asked, and McGonagall nodded. "In that case, I'd like Jade Rince, if she's available."

"Your House prefect?" McGonagall blinked. "She will do. I shall send for Miss Rince myself, and when she arrives, you can begin the interview."

She snapped her fingers, and a large tea tray with biscuits, finger sandwiches, and tea appeared as if from nowhere.

"In the meantime, please refresh yourself, ladies," she said, standing. "I expect this interview may last a rather long time."

Catching the greedy glint in the reporters' eyes, Hermione sank into a nearby chair, snagging one of the biscuits.

"Thank you, professor," Hermione said politely. "Though, I'm sure we'll all get along fine."

McGonagall gave her a pitying look as she left the office, and the reporters all grinned at her.

"A pleasure to meet you, Miss Granger," Selene Skylark said, her eyes excited. "You've made history, you know? I can't wait to learn more about you."

"I as well," Rita said, her eyes glinting. "Our readers are dying to learn the story behind the Heroine of Hogwarts."

Hermione swallowed hard as the reporters all grinned at her, their eyes bright, their smiling teeth gleaming in the light. She rather felt like she'd been thrown to the sharks.

I'll have to learn to swim sooner or later, she thought to herself as she took another biscuit. Might as well be now.

She would just wait for Jade, and then the interrogation would begin.