Chapter 2: Horcruxes and the Ministry of Magic

Hermione spent the next few days researching curses and consulting with Tubersnuf, but she found herself easily distracted. She found her mind drifting back to her walk around the house, not on the Horcrux—and she would not find her answer in Gringotts. Hermione left the white marble building early and Apparated to the Ministry of Magic.

The nagging thoughts in the back of her head had led her to question just how the Ministry employees had found the Horcrux. Hermione thought that working for Gringotts would give her some pull for information at the Ministry, but she was wrong. She questioned the three employees that were on the scene, but they were of no help. Determined not to be put off, she rode the lift while she thought.

Employees came and went, purple memos swirled around her. The list of Order members still at the Ministry was short, and even shorter still were ones that she thought might be in a position to help her. The lift doors opened again and she was aware of a tall presence entering the confined space; it was Kingsley Shacklebolt.

Hermione smiled.

**

The next afternoon, Hermione received an owl. She unrolled the parchment to find the Ministry’s report on the Horcrux and another smaller roll of parchment. The Ministry had received an anonymous letter delivered by a plain, brown postal owl. The letter contained nothing more than an address. The three employees had Portkeyed to the given address, arrived in the attic, and had basically found what she and Tubersnuf had arrived to.

She took the report to Tubersnuf.

“Did you know where we were going?”

“I knew we were going to Scotland,” he answered.

“But did you know exactly where? Did you have the address?” she asked, the urgency no longer tempered in her voice.

“No.”

“How did we Portkey there then?”

“The Ministry supplied what information they thought we needed and the Portkey.”

“Is that the standard procedure?”

“There is no standard procedure when it comes to the Ministry,” he said with a slight half-wink of his eye, and if Hermione didn’t know any better a grin on his face.

“We need to go back to there as soon as possible.” Hermione gathered up the report.

“Why?”

“I need to sort out a theory. It won’t take very long.”

Ten minutes later they were again standing in the attic of the small house. Hermione left Tubersnuf studying the Horcrux and again descended the stairs and followed the path around the house. This time when she turned back, the house was still there. She walked a bit further, the house remained. She returned to the attic.

“Did you find what you were looking for?” the goblin asked.

“I’m not sure.”

“What do you mean?”

“I think this house was protected by a Fidelius Charm.”

“Not uncommon with the events of the past several years.”

“No,” Hermione paused to think, “but why would the Secret Keeper suddenly betray their secret? And for a Horcrux?”

“The more answers one finds, the more questions there are.”

Hermione shot a glare at Tubersnuf. She hated when he got all philosophical sounding on her.

She continued on, thinking out loud, “Kingsley must have suspected as much, or he wouldn’t have risked including the original letter in his report.”

“And your thoughts or progress on the actual Horcrux?” Tubersnuf asked as he continued to study the stone basin.

Hermione crossed her arms, a posture she took in defense when she knew someone else was right, and Hermione knew Tubersnuf was right. Even though she had answered some of her questions, she still found herself unable to focus on the Horcrux.

**

The next week proved unproductive in penetrating the curses and destroying the Horcrux. Tubersnuf had been sent to Egypt to organize a shipment of artifacts back to Gringotts. Hermione was exhausted and her eyes glazed over from too many words on a page after about an hour of reading, adding to her frustration.

By Friday, Hermione decided to leave work on time, for a change, and Floo Ginny to see if she wanted to come by for a late tea. The plan was slightly disrupted when after inviting Ginny, Hermione realized that her larder was quite bare. Slightly embarrassed, but wanting the company, Hermione Flooed Ginny back to see if she might bring something for tea, and while she was at it, maybe some tea.

Ginny arrived five minutes later with some Earl Grey, chocolate biscuits, and roast beef sandwiches. Hermione relaxed for the first time in weeks, eating and talking with her friend. As the afternoon turned to evening, tea became wine and seconds on the roast beef were had.

Somehow the conversation ended up on work. Hermione couldn’t give the details of what she was working on for Gringotts, but she would occasionally discuss different spells and charms with Ginny; it was sometimes good for her thought process to have an objective opinion.

“So, if someone has invented their own spell and you don’t know what that spell is, how do you counteract it?” Hermione asked.

Ginny thought for a moment, chewing on her sandwich, “I think you might gain more insight if you studied the wizard first—gain insight into their personality and what kind of spell they would be most likely to create.”

“The problem is, we have no clue who we are dealing with.”

“Then instead of trying to come up with a counter spell, you should try to come up with the spell, see if you can curse something, inanimate of course, to have the same affect.” Ginny finished off her sentence with a sip of wine.

“No, we have already tried that.” Hermione sighed. What I need, she thought, is someone who has a natural ability for inventing spells and counter spells. She stared past Ginny.

Ginny stood to pace the path Hermione had already worn and think. The movement of red hair sparked a memory—Hermione pictured Ron, hanging by his ankle. A trick Harry had learned in their sixth year that he chose to spring on Ron when he was least suspecting and not in eyesight of any adults, prefects, or a certain cat. The spell, Levicorpus, and counter spell, Liberacorpus, both written by a sixth year in Harry’s copy of Advanced Potion Making.

“Ginny, you’re brilliant!”

“What?” Ginny looked perplexed.

“I have to go back to Gringotts.” Hermione looked flustered. “I need to post a letter as soon as possible.”

And with that Hermione disappeared in a flash of green flames, leaving her friend sitting in her flat, and staring after her in the fireplace.

**

Hermione spent an hour writing the letter, carefully wording her request for assistance. She had no idea how it would be received. She sealed the envelope, pausing as she turned it over, questioning as to how to address it. In the end, hoping that the owl would know where to find him, she wrote two words:

Severus Snape

A/N: A big thank you to GinnyW for her patience and beta reading.