From dusk till dawn and even now, there wasn't a moment when Hermione didn't ponder what Pansy had said - the mysterious invitation with no clear purpose or reason behind it. There were only train tickets and an invitation card. But amidst all the ambiguity, one thing was clear: many of her friends and former Hogwarts classmates had received similar letters, making her wonder if someone among them was behind this party.

Draco Malfoy...?

The forbidden name popped up in her mind, unbidden, for several reasons she could think of. First, apart from Harry, she couldn't think of anyone among her circle of acquaintances who was wealthy enough to host a party at a (so Pansy claimed) massive manor and send dozens of owls waiting with letters for days. Not to mention his habit of doing things secretly, unpredictably, even inscrutably. Moreover, when Pansy listed the names of invitees, his was not among them. Piecing these clues together led his name to top the list of suspects.

She had been trying not to think about him all this time. But she couldn't help wondering what he was up to -

Her train of thought halted when another owl swooped in through the window, dropping a small letter right in front of her. In an instant, Hermione's heart raced - it must be Luna's reply.

The plump owl which still perched on her desk craned its neck, eyeing the new letter curiously as Hermione hastily unfolded the parchment to read:

My dearest Hermione,

Lovely to get your letter! Yes, I received one just like that too! Isn't it exciting? I'm thinking of going - at the very least Aberdeen has the Duskwraith Rose, not that we're likely to come across it that easily. Neville and I agree it'll be fun to try looking for it. Thrilling, isn't it?

Anyway if you have time on Saturday would you like to meet up? I heard from Ginny that Cho and Fleur and also Victoire are in London right now! We can talk about those masquerade ball invitations too. I reckon it's not just a few of us who got them.

Everyone's meeting at Murphy's Bliss Merfolk Ice Cream Parlor, newly opened between Flourish and Blotts and Quality Quidditch Supplies. How delightful is that - merfolks making ice cream for us to eat! I want to try their Deep Abyss Blackberry Ripple with whipped sea foam piled high on top. You simply must come!

Love,
Luna

Hermione heaved a long sigh after finishing Luna's eccentric letter, feeling tired just thinking that in the end she would have to go out and meet her friends this weekend. It was feel like being back in first year, trying to find any clues to decipher the meaning and identity behind Nicolas Flamel, only to be chasing after thin air. The difference was she wasn't looking for Nicolas Flamel this time but Seraphina Fawley. Not only that, the nagging doubts about Draco were still ambiguous with no clear thoughts or ideas.

The young woman raised her hands to her temples. "I'm so tired of myself, you know," she complained to the owl. "Why must I want to know and get involved in everything?"

The plump owl seemed to disagree, ruffling its feathers and turning its head this way and that. She felt an irrational surge of annoyance looking at it, wanting to poke its fluffy belly but afraid it might nip her fingers.

"Yes, yes, I know," she said to the owl. "I just can't help being curious, can I, when my life is as boring as this, plus so many of my friends received those letters..."

Her conversation with the owl was interrupted when the office door opened with a bang and none other than her dear friend Harry Potter strode in, his face set in hard lines.

"Hermione," Harry called out as he entered her office.

"Harry! What brings you here every day, another resignation thought?"

"No, not about resignation this time," Harry replied with a smile. "I have something far more interesting."

Hermione raised her eyebrows. "What do you mean more interesting than that?"

"Exactly what it sounds like," Harry nodded. "Madam Delphilia just told me someone used some kind of untraceable spells in the Ministry library. I think it may be unregistered spells."

Hermione furrowed her brow. "You mean it escaped the detection of security wards?"

"Yes," Harry said seriously. "I think we should investigate ourselves."

"But Harry, that would be circumventing the Ministry's procedures. We should report it for proper investigation first." Hermione cautioned.

"Hermione, we both know how slow Ministry processes are. Sometimes they lead nowhere. We could miss critical clues if we wait for those procedures to finish," Harry argued resolutely. "And I know you don't want to let this slip through our fingers either."

Hermione sighed. "We're not children anymore to be rushing into things without thinking. We have to be more responsible."

"We also have to be brave," said Harry. Though perhaps his idea of bravery was different than hers. "And it's true, we're not kids, but we can't let this slip away either. We can do the right thing without waiting for approval that might come too late."

Hermione pondered for a moment, not entirely convinced. "But what if something goes wrong?"

"We can handle it. You know we've done bigger things before. Besides, I know you feel it too—there's something off that we need to deal with."

She sighed again, knowing that the legend of the troublesome trio sprang from notions like these. And Harry was right; she felt it. Just yesterday, when she met Neville in the library, everything seemed fine. This meant the issue had arisen overnight...

"But maybe it's not so urgent... just, erm, unregistered spells." Not 'just', she knew. But what else could she say?

Harry smiled understandingly at her concern.

"Hermione, we're not talking about some crackpot casting random spells on books in the library. This is unregistered spells. It could impact everyone's safety, in the Ministry and beyond." He looked deeply into her eyes. "And if we do nothing when we sense something's wrong, we might regret it later."

Hermione sighed again, rubbing her temples. "I can't believe we're getting into this again, Harry."

"Yes, but we know we can handle it," Harry said firmly. "You know we have the experience, and with you on board, there's little to worry about."

Hermione nodded slightly, still hesitant. "Alright, but we have to be careful. I don't want us in danger, and I don't want us breaking any laws. Remember, we're still Ministry officials."

"Of course!" Harry responded quickly. "We'll be careful and stay within the law. We'll gather information and prove there's something amiss, then we can seek help from the relevant departments."

"And this time we have to be level-headed, not rushing into the problem without facts like we used to."

Harry grinned widely. "That's the spirit, Hermione. I knew you wouldn't let this slide. So, where do we start?"

Hermione nodded, thinking. "We should start by checking the Ministry library. See if anything's off in the records or if there's any concealed magical object. We need to be discreet and make sure no one knows what we're up to."

Brilliant," said Harry, a lopsided grin upon his face. "But there is one thing I must tell you - Madam Delphilia did not only inform me of this."

"What do you mean, not only you?" said Hermione, her mouth agape. "And what matter is it that Madam Delphilia refused to notify the Ministry? I don't understand."

"Well, you see...there are several reasons, like the Ministry's lax working conditions. as you know," Harry raised his hand for time. "Firstly, when Madam Delphilia discovered the anomaly in the library's secrecy enchantments, she immediately contacted...er...someone I shouldn't name."

Hermione's brows contracted. "There is no one we shouldn't name."

Her friend smiled slyly. "Oh yes there is - the owner of the wizarding secrecy network company. And before he left the Ministry, he was an expert in dealing with complex and difficult-to-detect spells."

Harry's blunt hint made her pale, her heart rate slowing. "Sorry, but..."

"Yes, you guessed right. Madam Delphinia reported this anomaly to Malfoy's company, and for such a confidential task, he took the job himself."

"Harry, first of all, he's an outsider now. How can we be sure we should investigate with him? He might be behind it if we're thinking the worst. And besides," she took a deep breath and spoke softly, "I've avoided him for three years, in case you forgot!"

"I understand how you feel - really," said Harry placatingly. "But this was out of my control and I cannot deny he has the skills we require."

"So you tricked me into going along with this mess, knowing full well...!" Hermione accused, a reproachful look in her eyes.

"I didn't intend it that way, but...yes..."

"If we weren't such good friends, Harry," she said. "Alright, we won't fully trust him. If something feels off, we report to the Ministry immediately."

Harry tilted his head, not quite understanding why she had such reservations about her ex, but he could guess Malfoy had done something to warrant her trust issues.

"Deal," Harry agreed earnestly. "Tonight, we'll investigate the library. I've informed Madam Delphinia, and Malfoy... too."

"I can't believe I'm doing this again, risking breaking countless laws, at least the one about violating Ministry inspection protocols."

"We just need to remember to act cautiously and clearly," Harry said determinedly. "We can do this."

Hermione glanced at her best friend, sighing. This was the non-monotonous life she craved—solving mysterious invitations and checking anomalies with her ex. She couldn't believe her 25-year-old self was no different from her 15-year-old self—meddling in Ministry affairs just like in their fifth year. Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose, as they say.

Merlin's beard.