Summary: Hermione speaks to the students, and Severus tries to find information on Dolohov.
A/N: Thanks for reading! We get to see how Lucius fared in this chapter.
Chapter 11
Hermione stood in front of the students. She looked out over the tables filled with youth.
"Some of you fought in the final battle, so you know what it was like. What you don't know is how it was being on the run from Voldemort as a Muggle-born witch with Undesirable number one. That's Harry Potter for you first-years."
She smirked at the Gryffindors, who all had shocked looks on their faces.
"We hid away at a safehouse for a bit but were eventually discovered. We were forced to live in the wilderness, changing our location every couple of days so we wouldn't be found. We were hungry a lot. It wasn't easy finding food. Occasionally we'd sneak into a town and buy something, but we couldn't risk being seen. If it had only been hiding away in the woods, we would have been all right, but we had a Horcrux with us that we couldn't destroy."
She explained what a Horcrux was and the locket's specific properties.
"So, whoever wore it became quite vile. The evilness of the locket seeped out and into our psyches. None of us wore it for more than a couple of hours so as not to destroy ourselves or each other."
She saw the younger Hufflepuffs squirming a little.
"The war wasn't just fighting. It was filled with Dark Magic. It was filled with fear for our family members. As a Muggleborn, my parents weren't aware of all that was going on in the war. As a Muggleborn, I knew that the way to find me would be through my parents." Hermione frowned and looked down. "I made a decision to protect them. I used a Memory Charm to make them forget they had a daughter. I changed their names and instilled the desire to move to Australia and open their dental practice there. As I left my home, I didn't know if I would survive the war. I didn't know if my parents would ever know they had a child. I gave up everything to keep them safe."
She noted Ginny was gaping at her. She'd not told any of them what she'd done. No one knew what she'd sacrificed in the war.
"Thankfully, I did survive. This summer I found them in Australia and restored their memories. Our relationship is mending. They don't really understand why I went to such extremes. I've tried to help them understand with copies of The Prophet from during the war and telling them of some of the horrors we went through. I'm not sure if they'll ever fully forgive me, but I still have parents. I know that's not the case for some of you."
She took a sip of water before continuing.
"As a Muggleborn, I have dealt with prejudice since my first year. Obviously, the war centered on Muggleborn witches and wizards being oppressed, so when we were captured by Snatchers and brought to Malfoy Manor, I was tortured. For those of you who know of Bellatrix Lestrange, she was the witch who tortured me. She cast multiple Cruciatus upon me. I still sometimes have tremors late at night from her curses. One other thing she did…"
Hermione drew back her sleeve and cast a spell over her wrist. She brandished it back and forth so everyone could see it.
"For those of you who can't see what this is, Bellatrix wanted me to know just how awful I was. She carved the word Mudblood into my wrist with a cursed knife. I will have this disfigurement for the rest of my life."
She covered up her wrist again with her sleeve.
"And yet, I was one of the lucky ones. Many Muggle-born wizards and witches were thrown into Azkaban where they had to exist with Dementors. Some of them did not survive. Others ran and were pursued by Snatchers. The Snatchers didn't care about a person's wellbeing. Many were killed in the act of fleeing. As I said, I was lucky. I was just tortured and Crucio'd for an afternoon before we were able to escape. Many of my compatriots did not get so lucky."
Her eyes moved around the room, making eye contact with some of the students, including several Slytherins.
"I know some of you have grown up in homes that have denounced Muggle-borns. They've said how inferior we are to you. I challenge you to prove that idea wrong. Take the time to find out about us. I would hope that as you work with me and become friends with other Muggle-born students here at Hogwarts, you will see that what you learned was discrimination and totally false. I'm no special Muggleborn, and I'm very good with a wand. Think about that the next time you think negative thoughts about a Muggleborn."
She looked back at Minerva and nodded.
"I hope this helps you all to understand what it was like for me during the war. Feel free to ask me any questions at any time."
Minerva rose and dismissed everyone. Hermione had sat down at her place and was trying to ignore the stares she was getting from the faculty. Once all the students had left, the faculty burst into chatter about how unfair everything was. Severus waited until all the hugs had been given and everyone else had cleared the room. He'd been silent the whole time.
Noticing him standing nearby, Hermione turned and arched a brow at him.
"I'm sorry. I should have known."
She shook her head. "And what would you have done? You weren't around, and there was nothing that you could have done to keep her from being the psychopath that she was."
"May I see it?"
Hermione frowned and rolled up her sleeve again. Severus gently took her wrist and looked at it, his finger tracing the foul word. He looked up at her.
"What did the Healers try?"
"Spells, creams, salves. They said because of the Dark Magic there was nothing that could be done."
"Did they consult a specialist?"
She shrugged. "I don't know. There were a lot of wounded and people who were in the hospital for a long time. I don't think they consulted anyone."
"Do you mind if I look into this deeper?"
"Can you find something to counteract the Dark Magic?"
"I will try."
Hermione nodded. "It would be lovely to be rid of it."
"I will do some research."
ooo
Severus rode silently in the boat as it rode across the waves. The guard who accompanied him said nothing to him. Severus looked ahead and saw the looming building set on an island in the middle of the ocean. Azkaban. A chill ran up his spine as they neared, despite knowing the Dementors no longer stood guard over the prisoners within.
Emerging from the small boat, he was led into the building and through the dark, dank hallways. The rank smell in the prison was almost overpowering. Even without the Dementors, the entire place was depressing. Severus followed the Auror up a stairwell. Five flights up, he was brought down another corridor. The Auror in front of him stopped, so Severus did the same.
Taking a key out of his pocket, the Auror opened the cell door, moving aside so that Severus could enter. The door was secured behind him.
"Send a Patronus when you're ready to leave," the Auror advised before walking away.
Severus had barely heard him; he'd been staring at Lucius. His transformation was horrible to see. He was in the orange jumpsuit that all the prisoners wore. His hair was a knotted mess, and he had a wild look in his eye. He stared at the wall in front of him, not even turning his head when the Auror had opened the door.
"Lucius?" Severus called out quietly.
The other man's head whipped over, and he gazed at Severus. His eyes narrowed.
"What is this? Who are you?"
"It's Severus."
"You look like Severus from a time gone by. Now explain yourself."
"You know I was fighting for my life from Nagini's attack. The only way to heal me was by deaging me. I retain all my memories, but have the body of an eighteen-year-old."
"Sounds awful."
"Not as bad as being behind bars for years. How are you, Lucius?"
He shrugged. "This time is not as bad without the Dementors, but I have been better. I miss Cissy and Draco."
"Draco sends his regards."
Lucius' face lit up. "How is he?"
"He seems happy. He's been renovating the manor and all traces of the Dark Lord are gone."
"We were so foolish, Severus. You seemed to realize that much earlier than we did."
"We were all trapped in a no-win situation. You seemed to enjoy being a part of it until lately."
"I was blinded by power. Now I live in this tiny cell." His hand waved around the small room.
"You will be released before you know it."
Lucius frowned. "Five years. Only because Cissy helped Potter. Otherwise, I'd be here for life like all our friends."
"Not all our friends are behind bars, Lucius."
"Lucky them."
Severus looked at his friend, catching his eye.
"Do you know where Dolohov might be hiding?"
"What are you doing, Severus?" Lucius asked, his eyes narrowing.
"I'm trying to make my future less dangerous. The Death Eaters that are still at large will hunt me down at some point. I'm trying to get them off the streets before I wind up dead."
"Who else has escaped capture?" Lucius asked.
"Dolohov, Samuel Rookwood, and George MacNair."
"Do you really think Sam and George would come after you?"
"I think Dolohov will definitely. The other two, I think they'll get so far away that they won't even think about me or what they used to do with the Dark Lord."
"I agree with you, for the most part. I do remember George and Sam being very jealous that you had become the Dark Lord's right-hand man."
Severus arched a brow. "Do you know where they might hide?"
"MacNair will flee the country. As for Rookwood, there are a couple of family estates scattered around the UK. I'm sure you can get that information in the Ministry archives."
"What about Antonin?"
Lucius' lips thinned. "He'd be much harder to track down. Obviously, you should start at his home."
"I'm sure the Aurors have searched it already."
"Yes, but," Lucius smirked at him, "they wouldn't know what to look for, now, would they?"
"You were close to him, Lucius. Who else was he close to? Who might hide him?"
"Anyone who would hide him is already here. He didn't make friends easily. He barely tolerated talking to me."
Severus looked at his friend.
"So, what should I look for in his home?"
Lucius shrugged. "A journal, perhaps. Or letters? Watch out for curses, though."
Severus sneered. "Obviously."
ooo
After leaving Azkaban, Severus went directly to Dolohov's home. Unlike most of the Pureblood Death Eaters, he didn't own a mansion. He lived in a large house near Marlborough out in what was practically the middle of nowhere. As Severus approached the house, he cast some spells to determine what kind of wards or booby traps were set up. He found there were no wards at all. The Aurors had definitely been here.
He approached the door and used an "Alohomora'' to get it open. He cast more detection spells but wasn't surprised to find nothing awaiting him. He entered the house and looked around. Moving into a sitting room, he noted a huge fireplace on the far wall and dark red leather sofas and reading chairs surrounding it. The other walls were lined with bookcases. Severus cast a Finite spell to take off any glamorous. Several books were revealed to be other texts. He was surprised the Aurors had missed that. Perhaps the Notice Me Not spell that had been cast on the bookshelves had swayed their eyes to look elsewhere, but Severus was adept at being able to recognize and ignore that magic.
He was looking for a journal or a book of letters. His eyes scanned the shelves. He saw nothing. Casting another Finite, he noted more books changed. Interesting. He kept casting the spell until nothing changed. Clever. Perhaps the Aurors had done the one Finite and left it at that. In any case, they had missed all of this.
His eye was drawn to a tattered leather-bound journal. Pulling it from the shelf, he cast another diagnostic spell before opening the journal. He quickly cleaned it of any hexes. Opening the book, he flipped through it. This was what he was looking for. He looked up and reviewed the other books on the bookshelf. He found a second journal and pulled it from the shelf, removing the hexes on that one like the book before.
There were several Dark texts that he was tempted to take as well, but he refrained. He didn't need such darkness in his personal library. If he needed Dark texts, he knew where to find them. Right in the Malfoy library. Smirking to himself, he turned and left the home.
Apparating back to Hogwarts, he hurried to his quarters. He settled into his reading chair and began to go through the first diary.
An hour passed and he'd not found anything. Setting a Tempus spell, he realized it was time for dinner. Rising, he headed to the Great Hall. Sitting down, he nodded to his counterparts.
"How was your trip to Hogsmeade?" he asked Hermione.
She leaned over and looked at Jonathan. "It was fun. Jonathan and I went to Madam Puddifoots."
Severus choked on his pumpkin juice. "On purpose?" he exclaimed.
Jonathan laughed. "I'm a tea aficionado. Hermione was nice enough to go with me so I could test the tea offerings."
"And?"
He wrinkled his nose. "I think she's been catering to students for too long. But…!"
Severus arched a brow.
"She had some private blends that she brought out when I told her my interest. They're actually quite good."
"He bought four tins," Hermione told him.
Severus burst out laughing. "That will last you, what…? A week?"
"Oh, no. Maybe two. Thankfully, she's close by so I can always get more."
"May I borrow some tonight? I have a long night ahead of me."
"Yeah, sure," Jonathan said. "Grading essays?"
Severus shook his head. He told them in hushed tones what he was doing.
"Do you need me to make sure there aren't any hexes on those journals?" Jonathan asked.
"Already done, but thank you."
Jonathan reached into his robes and pulled out a small tin. "Here," he said as he handed it to Severus. "I was going to ask the elves for a cup of hot water, but you can have this. There should be enough for a few cups in there. It has hints of Assam and Rooibos."
"Thanks."
"You should be honored, Severus. I asked Jonathan for some, and he acted like I was trying to steal his most prized possession."
Jonathan blushed and looked down at his plate, deciding to stir his mash instead of saying anything. Severus looked over at him, noting his embarrassed demeanor.
"I appreciate your generosity. It will be nice to have something other than Earl Grey."
ooo
Severus sipped his gifted tea. Looking down at the cup, he made an appreciative face. It was quite good. Setting the cup down on his side table, he picked up the journal and continued to read. After a bit, there was a knock at his door. He flipped his wand at the door.
"Come in!" he said.
Hermione entered and smiled at him.
"Hi."
"Hello."
She came up to him. "I was wondering if you needed any help."
"You just want some of this tea."
"Well, I won't refuse a cup if you offer it, but I thought maybe you could use a second set of eyes."
Severus waved his wand and a teacup and saucer sailed over to his side table. He poured her some of the tea and handed it to her. She took it and settled in on the sofa next to his reading chair.
"I actually could use your help. There are two journals, and I need to review both."
He handed her the other diary.
"This one looks like it's older," she mused.
"It is. The one I'm reviewing goes back about twenty years."
"What have you found so far?" Hermione asked.
"It's mostly psychotic rantings about the Dark Lord. I'm at the point where Dolohov is in Azkaban. He must have somehow secreted this in with him… along with a quill. I'm not quite sure how he did it. He's dated every entry, so it's not like he went back after breaking out and filled it all in."
"Sounds fascinating."
"Yes, if you like psychotic ramblings. Given what he wrote in here, I'm surprised he was as put together as he was after he escaped."
Hermione touched her chest absently, thinking about her attack at the Ministry in her fifth year.
"I'm sorry," Severus offered. "If this is going to be disturbing to you, I will review the journal myself."
She glanced down at her hand and put it back down at her side. "No. I'll be fine. And if I can help in catching him, I definitely want to."
She sat back and cracked the journal open.
"After the unfortunate incident at the Ministry, Dolohov found himself… injured."
Hermione looked up from the book and turned toward him.
"What do you mean?"
"There are some potions… tasteless, odorless… that if you slip them into food or drink… cause terrible fits and tremors. And they're untraceable."
Hermione's eyes grew wide. "You poisoned him!"
"Damn right, I did. He almost killed you."
"I thought…"
He turned and arched a brow at her.
"I can't believe you did that! I mean, I know much of how you treated me was an act, but I know you didn't care for me as a student," she said softly.
"You weren't my favorite student, no, but as we've discussed before, my attitude was mostly an act. You were the one hurt the worst. I was furious that any of them would try to kill students. Not that I was surprised, knowing who was in that company."
"How long did the tremors last?"
"A month. I was tempted to douse him again, but the Dark Lord was already suspicious, and the Healers knew something was up, but couldn't put their finger on just why Dolohov was so ill. If I had been found out it would not have ended well."
"I can't believe you did that."
He shrugged. "I'm not a monster."
"Oh, Severus, I know that! I just… you took a great risk by poisoning him, just to get even for me." She smiled at him. "Thank you."
He nodded and looked back down at his journal. He fought not to have his cheeks tinge pink, but he feared he'd failed miserably. Hermione didn't say anything about it, though. She just turned back to her reading.