Love, War and Her Wizards

Drip,
Drip, Drip, Drip, Drip…

 Hermione
sighed.  It was a boring rainy day.  She was stuck at home because of the
weather.  Both of her parents were muggle dentists, so they were at their
office working on people’s teeth, while she sat at home bored.  Hermione wasn’t
usually a person that got bored easily.  She loved reading and learning about
everything she could get her hands on, but on this particular day, in this
particular summer she was bored.  There was a horrible war waging in the
wizarding world.  The evil Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters were trying to
kill all muggle’s and muggleborn witches and wizards.  Hermione was a
muggleborn witch.  The smartest witch to grace the halls of Hogwarts School of
Witchcraft and Wizardry since Rowan Ravenclaw herself was a teacher there.  And
if that wasn’t a big enough mark against her, her best friend was Harry Potter,
the boy-who-lived.  The boy who was prophesied to kill Lord Voldemort, and
already survived one horrific attack by him that killed Harry’s parents when he
was just a year old, and the boy who had kept him from ruling the world all
these years.

        At
the end of their Sixth year at Hogwarts, Harry witnessed Headmaster Dumbledore’s
death at the hands of their most hated Potion Master’s hand.  Harry and
Dumbledore had been away from the school looking for one of Voldemort’s six
external Horcurx’s that Harry needed to destroy to finally defeat Lord
Voldemort forever, when the school was attacked by Death Eaters.  

        Draco
Malfoy was a sixth year like them, but was a Slytherin, and there had never
been a dark wizard that didn’t come out Slytherin.  He had been a thorn in
Harry’s side since the sorting ceremony in our first year.  This past year,
with his father in prison for being a criminal working for the Dark Lord, Draco
was brought before Lord Voldemort and given a task.  His task was two fold. 
One, he was to find a certain chest that had been smashed and placed in the
Room of Requirement and repair it.  Secondly, he was to kill Headmaster
Dumbledore.  If he didn’t he would be killed.  Draco was scared.  His mother,
Narcissa Malfoy was terrified.  Her husband was already in Azkaban, and if her
only child didn’t become a killer than he would be killed.  Her world was
falling apart.  So she went to the only person she could trust.  Severus
Snape.  Has the Potion Master at Hogwarts and Head of Slytherin he would be
able to help Draco.  She didn’t want him to become a killer, but she didn’t
want him to die either.  She made Severus Snape take place in a wizarding oath,
that if Draco couldn’t kill Dumbledore than he would.  It meant his life. 

What
Narcissa didn’t know was that Snape was a double agent.  After a fit of rebellion
when he was still a teenager, Severus regretted joining the Death Eaters.  He
went to Dumbledore, confessed his sins and became a spy of the light.  Snape
told Dumbledore everything.  And they planned.  Unfortunately they did not let
anyone else in on their plans, except for Lucius Malfoy.  They were worried
about Lord Voldemort finding out about Snape’s activities as a spy, and years
ago, unknown to anyone, Lucius Malfoy had turned spy.  His incarceration in
Azkaban Prison was to keep him safe for the moment.  And to keep his family
safe.  They Dark Lord had promised not to make Draco a Death Eater until after
he graduated at the end of our Seventh year.  The Dark Lord broke that promise.

That
morning, Hermione had read her copy of the Daily Prophet, and one story caught
her eye.  Narcissa Malfoy Found Dead.  The reporter stated how
her body had been found yesterday morning on the front steps of Azkaban
Prison.  The same prison where her husband is residing.  The article doesn’t
describe everything that was done to her, but you could just imagine.  Hermione
felt sick.  She never liked Mrs. Malfoy, but to die that way was unthinkable.  She
was even feeling bad for Lucius Malfoy.  To not be able to go to her body, to
say goodbye, that was just cruel.  Not knowing where his son is.  It has to be
horrible.  Lucius Malfoy had done some horrible things, but this was an
inhumane punishment.

Tap,
Tap, Tap…

Hermione
looked up at the owl in her living room window.  She had never seen this owl
before.  It could be Bill’s or one of the other Weasley’s owl, sending her more
information about Bill’s wedding in a few weeks.  That was when she was joining
up with Harry and the Weasley’s youngest son, Ron, her other best friend.  They
were going to start looking for the remainder of the Horcurx’s.

        Opening
the window, the owl flew in and perched itself on the back of her father’s easy
chair.  Getting up to retrieve an owl treat that she kept in the desk in the
corner, Hermione returned to the owl to take the letter.  The owl took the
treat, pecking Hermione on the hand in thanks, and flew back out the open
window.

        Walking
over to close the window, Hermione study the scroll.  Not from any of the
Weasley’s she thought.  Opening it, Hermione had to sit down.  She read the
letter carefully from top to bottom, and then read it again.  She couldn’t
believe it.  It was from the warden of Azkaban.  Prisoner Malfoy had requested
an audience with her.  But why?

        Still
in shock, Hermione hears her fireplace in the study flare to life.

        “Hermione,
are you there?” a disembodied voice calls.

        Getting
up, Hermione walks down the hall to the study to see who is calling her.  There
in her fireplace is the head of Kingsley Shacklebolt.  Head Auror.

        “Hello
Kingsley.  How are you?”

        “Hermione,
I am so glad that you are in.  I am fine thank you.  Look, I just got some
disturbing news.  Lucius Malfoy wants to talk to you.”

        “Yes, I know.  I just received an owl from the warden of Azkaban.”

        “Yes,
well, this is very disturbing.  Why would a pureblood Death Eater want to talk
to you?”

        “I
have no idea.  I guess the only way to find out is to go.”

        “No,
it is too dangerous.  Azkaban Prison is no place for a child…”

        “Kingsley,
you and I both know that I am not a child.  I am an adult in the wizarding
world.  Now able to perform magic legally, thanks to that time turner in my
third year.  There is no reason why I shouldn’t go to Azkaban to find out what
Lucius wants.”

        “I
don’t like it.  But by that look in your eye I know you are set on going.  I
just ask that I be allowed to go with you.  I would feel better.”

“I
see no reason why you couldn’t.  When would be a good time for you?”

“How
about I come by your house tomorrow after breakfast?  We can go then.”

        “That
sound’s wonderful.  See you then.”

And
with that Kingsley’s head disappeared in the fireplace leaving Hermione deep in
thought about her meeting with Lucius Malfoy tomorrow morning.

        “What
could he want?” she asked herself.