"The full moon is Friday!" Fudge exclaimed, banging his fist loudly on his desk. "What plan do we have? What will stop Greyback from attacking again?"
The Wizengamot chamber was full of chatter and whispers. No one had worried about a werewolf attack in June, but Hermione suspected that was because the full moon had fallen so close to the solstice. Werewolves were Dark creatures, and any packs would have been too busy celebrating the occasion to bother with the Ministry. It was also likely the mysterious sudden attack on Azkaban may have distracted everyone - including the month, though, there was no such distraction – and no such distraction for the Ministry to worry over either.
Hermione stayed quiet as she watched the other representatives bicker and fight.
"If Ministry security is not up to your standards, Minister, I believe that's under your department's purview," Amelia Bones said, sneering.
"Your department has the Aurors and Hit-Wizards!" Fudge accused.
"Yes, and if you're suggesting I take highly-paid Hit-Wizards and expensive Aurors off their duties for the day to wander around looking for trouble—"
"Greyback came in through the visitor entrance, didn't he?" Muse Boothe asked. "We could just close that entrance for the day."
"You're not asking the right questions," Era Hornbeam joined in, her voice carrying. "Greyback already attacked here. He'll presume we've beefed up security. He won't attack here again – he'll attack somewhere else to make his point this time."
"There's no evidence of that," Fudge snapped. "Greyback's protest is political. The Ministry makes sense."
Hermione watched as people continued throwing idea and insults across the room. Dumbledore was standing down, watching on mildly as the 'discussion' continued and not trying to maintain order in the slightest. A lot of the Sacred 28 weren't contributing to the discussion either, though they were whispering amongst each other. Hermione wondered if they were comparing whose silver wards had been updated and restored.
The sudden panic over werewolves kind of annoyed her, actually. Hermione had been making noise about protecting the tenancies for ages, and it had been tolerated but not discussed again since her initial legislation the past winter. Now, though – now people that mattered were at risk, and of course, the Ministry couldn't have that.
"We could just close the Ministry for the night when the sun goes down," Ludo Bagman suggested. "Give everyone pulling overtime the night off for once."
"Not possible – my department needs 24/7 access to the resources inside," Amelia Bones said immediately. "I can't have my agents in the field without them having access to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement's tools and artifacts."
"The Department of Mysteries has activities that cannot go unsupervised," the Unspeakable representative chimed in, their voice utterly unrecognizable. "The Unspeakables will not be able to leave."
"Not even Greyback's crazy enough to mess with you guys anyway," Phaedra Lestrange pointed out, sniffing. "Stay in your cave maze, and you'll be fine."
"We could still get everyone out that we could," Royce Fiddlewood suggested. "If only the Department of Magical Law Enforcement is open, and everything else is blocked off and closed, it would limit the potential victims significantly."
"And what if he and his pack trash the place entirely?" Fudge wanted to know. "What if they see no possible victims and decide to destroy everything else they see?"
"How will they be here in the first place?" Augusta Longbottom shot back. "If we close the Ministry, we kick everyone out. Close the Floos, lock the doors and entrances, and activate the siege wards. They won't be able to get in."
"Then how will Madam Bones' team get in?" Lucius Malfoy drawled.
"Aurors and Hit Wizards have special Portkeys," Muse Boothe said, speaking up. "Their Portkeys transport them directly to the office. They'll be able to get in regardless, even if the doors and Floos are closed." She paused. "Though if we go as far as activating siege wards, that might keep Portkey travel out. I'm not sure."
"It won't matter," Era Hornbeam argued, "because he won't attack here. He's already made his point here. He's a terrorist – he's going to go strike terror somewhere else."
"Like where?" Fudge snapped, his patience wearing thin.
"Diagon Alley comes to mind," Era said immediately. "Hogsmeade as well. I'd say Hogwarts, but they're out for the summer—"
"So you want us to guard all of Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade?" Fudge sneered. "Impossible!"
"You did when Sirius Black was on the loose," one of the local representatives protested. "But you won't now?"
"That was when they still had free labor from dementors," Sirius Black drawled. "Using evil wraiths from hell is a lot easier than paying a bunch of people to patrol and risk werewolf bites. I don't think the Minister's department has come up with anything better since their wraith slaves died."
Fudge turned red, and Hermione stifled a giggle.
"Fenrir Greyback is known for targeting children," the Unspeakable offered. "And Greyback is angry at the Wizengamot for passing legislation. Logically speaking, his targets would be the children of the Wizengamot members."
Hermione watched faces; about half the group assembled looked horrified, while half looked unsurprised and unfazed. She suspected the Sacred 28 had long since come to this conclusion and were going to make sure their children were locked up safely in old, ancestral manors with ancient blood wards and protections. The local representatives and Ministry workers looked considerably more alarmed.
"What's becoming clear quickly is the danger werewolves truly present," Rowan Greengrass said, standing up to address them all. "We will have to endure this Friday's full moon with fear in our hearts. But should the Gala next week have significant success, this might be the last time we need worry at such a level."
"This is not the time to advertise your bloody art auction," MacMillan snapped from across the room.
"You voted for the bill as well," Rowan pointed out. He tilted his head. "It's in your best interest that the event be successful as well, isn't it?"
"A party next week is not going to protect the Ministry this week," Barty Crouch Sr said, speaking up. He glowered at them all. "Can we not just issue a statement telling the wizarding public that they go out Friday night at their own peril?"
"Not without panicking the populace and severely discrediting the current administration," Fudge countered. "I'd really rather not panic everyone if we don't have to."
"Didn't hesitate when it was me," Sirius Black grumbled, just loud enough to be heard.
As the bickering continued, Dumbledore saying nothing (and playing tic-tac-toe against himself, apparently), Hermione wondered how chaotic it would need to be for him to step in and do something. Given there was nothing else to do and this was getting nowhere, she decided to stoke the flames.
"Have we considered what new threats have emerged in conjunction with the threat Greyback presents?" Hermione said, joining the fray. She made sure to project her voice clearly. "Do we know if Greyback might team up with the Valkyrie? Or if the escaped prisoner might seek out Greyback? Greyback with an ally could present threats we haven't considered."
Loud shouts and concerns immediately erupted, people hurling accusations at Amelia Bones of hoarding information, Amelia Bones snapping back that there was no evidence to suggest any of the events were related or had any connection to Greyback whatsoever. The Unspeakable turned to look at Hermione, gaze hidden in their hood, but Hermione suspected they were smirking at her.
She didn't know what game the Department of Mysteries was playing, but it unnerved her. Not only had the Unspeakable lied about not knowing how someone got to Azkaban, but they'd relabeled her prophecy, the one that was very clearly about her eradicating the dementors. It'd had more names on it before, and then it'd been corrected to just hers. Someone had to have done that – but who? And why? How did they know?
Hermione hummed to herself. The Department of Mysteries was still largely, well, a mystery, and she only had an idea of a fraction of all the things that went on in there. She wondered if the Unspeakables could recognize each other – maybe if you were in such a cloak, you could recognize anyone else also in one and see past the masking spells. Or maybe nobody had any idea who anyone was, and they just called each other bizarre nicknames based on their heights and girths.
Amycus Carrow was loudly yelling about werewolves on fire when Dumbledore finally, finally banged his gavel loud enough to regain order. It took a few moments and a loud yell of "SILENCE!" before people finally quieted down.
"I believe that's quite enough on the topic of the full moon," Dumbledore said. "The Ministry will make whatever choices it will make, but it is clear it is not under the direct purview of the Wizengamot."
There were grumbles and objections at this, and Dumbledore fixed them all with a stern look.
"Before we depart," he said, "does anyone have anything else that needs discussed by the Wizengamot?"
Hermione sighed. It wasn't exactly exciting, and it would be extremely anticlimactic after all the fighting about werewolves, but she still put up her hand to tell the Wizengamot about the UK muggle government's plan for more CCTVs.
As the date of the art auction grew nearer, Daphne met with Hermione to go over the details with her.
"We have twelve pieces of art," Daphne told her. "Some are better than others, and at least two are very abstract, but it's a good number. Not too many for people to forget which paintings they liked, and not too few to not give everybody room to bid and spend money."
"I'm glad," Hermione said, relieved. "I thought we'd need a lot more."
"The ones you got from your art school filled out the numbers," Daphne reassured her. "We don't need to sell a lot of art – we just need to sell the art we do have for a lot. Promoting competition between wealthy people is a good way to do that."
Daphne smirked at her, and Hermione smirked back. It made sense, but it was still funny to her to hear it spelled out so plainly.
"All of the Wizengamot's been invited, of course, as well as other prominent members of society," Daphne told Hermione. "Mostly everyone so far has RSVP'd. We've even got a few werewolves coming to talk to everyone about their tragic plight!"
"Wait, really?" Hermione asked, surprised.
"Well, one," Daphne admitted. "Geoffrey Hooper. He agreed to give a hopeful speech – about how because of this project, he might never have to transform."
"The full moon is Friday, though," Hermione pointed out. "The Gala isn't until the next weekend."
"My father got him hooked up with an international portkey to New Zealand," Daphne assured her. "He's going to tour the facility your New Zealand contact is making as part of the deal, so he can speak about it. Hopefully, his report will inspire national pride to make a better facility here."
Hermione laughed. "That makes sense."
"I owled Professor Lupin, but I didn't get a response," Daphne said. She looked torn for a minute. "I thought he'd be good; he speaks well – we saw in class – and his story is tragic and the quintessential example of why this program is needed."
Hermione considered.
"You're not wrong," she said slowly, weighing the idea in her mind. "He was turned by Fenrir Greyback as a child. And he was a good werewolf, one who did everything right, and he still failed and hurt someone."
"I don't think he wants to admit that in front of a group of people," Daphne said, looking down at her lap, hands folded demurely. "I think he'd rather fade into the background."
"But he did," Hermione said emphatically. "In fact, that's all the more reason he should do this. It wasn't directly his fault, but he still bit the Gryffindor boy. If he stands up there and owns it, publicly acknowledges the danger that even good werewolves are to society, it'll have all the more impact."
Daphne looked mildly amused. "Do you really think he wants to do that?"
"…no," Hermione admitted. A slow, devious smile spread across her face. "But I can be quite persuasive."
Harry agreed to owl his godfather to inquire about a visit to see his home. He, too, was invested in getting Lupin to talk at the Gala, to Hermione's surprise. She'd thought Harry had liked Professor Lupin, but his favor had severely waned in the face of his classmates getting attacked.
"It's the least he can do, really," Harry said firmly. "He nearly killed Geoffrey. If Lupin standing up and talking to people can help that from ever happening again, he needs to do it. It'll help make up for what happened at the end of term."
Owl communication was not instant, but it was still faster than the royal mail. Hermione and Harry passed the time waiting for a response playing cards and backgammon, both of them enjoying the cool breeze through the open windows of the coven house.
Sirius Black did not send a response in a timely manner. When an owl finally did come swooping into the coven house, the letter was dropped into Hermione's lap, much to their mutual surprise. She lifted it, a heavy wax seal securing the parchment closed.
"That doesn't look like it's from Sirius," Harry commented.
"No," Hermione said, examining the letter curiously. "I daresay it's not."
She eased open the wax seal (a dark gray wax, with a knotted rope in the center) and unfolded the missive.
.
Hermione,
A long time ago, you bargained with me for a favor. And then later, you bargained for another. I am writing to collect.
We aren't old enough to make Unbreakable vows, but if you ever tell anyone about what I request of you, I will stop at nothing to see you destroyed.
I await your visit at Nott Manor in one week's time.
-Theodore Nott
.
Hermione blinked, then passed the letter to Harry, who scanned it and whistled.
"That's a bit direct for a Slytherin, isn't it?" he teased her, handing it back. "Where's the subtle threat of poison?"
"Sometimes direct threats work best," Hermione said, amused. "No chance of misunderstanding, then."
"What do you think he wants?" Harry asked, curious.
Hermione paused.
"…I have absolutely no idea," she admitted. "I know he has an ampule of Polyjuice potion still, so hopefully nothing too nefarious with that. If he wants me to turn into someone else and be caught committing a crime, we're going to have a problem."
"'We'?" Harry echoed, smirking.
"Me and Theo," Hermione corrected, rolling her eyes. "I agreed to a favor, not an act of idiocy."
They were laughing when another owl swooped in – this time, Hedwig, returning from wherever Black was living now and dropping a letter onto Harry's lap.
"They wrote back!" Harry said excitedly. He tore open the letter, Hermione shifting to crowd Harry's side and read over his shoulder.
.
Harry,
A visit isn't a bad idea. Remus is in a bad way, and my attempts at distracting him aren't helping. Maybe if you stop by, we can tell you stories about your dad and mum, and he'll get happier remembering the good times.
This week isn't good – the full moon's coming up. But maybe next Monday, if it works for you? I can give you your birthday present early then too.
Sirius
.
Harry glanced at Hermione when he was done, pushing his glasses up his nose.
"Do you think it's worth it?" he ventured. "Is that too close to the gala?"
Hermione bit her lip.
"It might be cutting it a bit close, but I think it'd be worth it," she said. "It's at least worth a shot."