Chapter 4: Inexplicability of the ‘Now’

Author's Note: Story depicted may be unpalatable to sensitive readers for its portrayal of Hermione and Ron's relationship. Hermione may also not be likeable to readers. Some readers might consider the characters a little OOC. Some organisations and Ministry of Magic departments are made-up.

It would help readers following the story to view it as a 'cinematic' experience whereby there are shifts in perspectives, as well as shifts between flashbacks, the past, the present, dreams and reality within the space of one chapter.

Footnotes follow chapter.

Emphasises are italicised and book titles are underlined.

From the Blood of the Gorgon

Chapter 4 – Inexplicability of the 'Now'

A week of hard work at Chambers paid off, for Hermione had cooled down sufficiently to exchange a few words of no consequence with her husband. And Ron, on his part, did not allow any ludicrous accusations to cross his lips even if he smelt increasingly like Lavender's cloying perfume. Moreover, the week of hard work had the added advantage of rendering Hermione well prepared for her case of Malfoy and Goyle vs the Crown and the Ministry of Magic.

What happens when two crime families clash and a witness could attest to their physical brawl? Both families' mutual solicitor from the firm of Strauss and Leibniz hooked them up with the top barristers of wizarding Britain – Hermione Granger and Cho Chang. Who indeed could be better qualified to ensure the continued prosperity of the two wizarding crime families than these two barristers? Hermione Granger and Cho Chang were both nominated for King's Counsel, and were the only two wizarding barristers to be considered for such an honour in a long time. As befitting their stations, the two witches were averse to make the disputes between the Malfoy and Goyle families a court matter. They had decided the matter over tea at a quaint café overlooking Oxford Street a week receiving the cases. Given that both witches were observers of social etiquette, they had arrived right on time within seconds of each other. As they sat down at the table, they began to jump straight to business without preamble.

"Hermione."

"Cho."

"What's the key similarities between our clients?" asked Cho as she waved for a waiter to take their order.

As soon as the garcon left to bring them their tea, Hermione replied nonchalantly, "No one can tell the Malfoys apart and no one can tell the Goyles apart. We have a group of five platinum blonds, inclusive of the senior Malfoy's cousins and a group of heavy-set balding chaps, inclusive of the extended Goyle family."

"This thing about each group looking pretty much the same will work in our mutual advantage," pointed out Cho.

"For Chambers or for our silk applications?" challenged Hermione whilst hooking a loose lock of hair behind her ear.

"Our reputations," said the Head of Graftonleigh Circle Chambers. "This is the new face of the underbelly of wizarding society. Since when do we take care of wizarding crime families?"

"By allowing the crime families to carry on with their business within the limits we set them, they don't get sucked into supporting another Dark Lord. I love it when you pose those sorts of statements, Cho," smiled Hermione knowingly. "One never knows whether you're making a proper question, or whether it's one of those questions you throw out at witnesses and other wizarding barristers whom you regard as your competitors to make your words sound nice and fierce and to make the person at the receiving end feel nice and small."

Cho threw back her head and gave in to the impulse to laugh. "I love it when you talk dirty. You've always known how to read my words. Not everyone can do that."

A cough interrupted their conversation as Hermione was about to reply when the waiter brought them each a slice of blueberry cheesecake with their tea.

"We did not order this," said the ladies in unison to the hapless garcon.

The pimply boy shifted his weight on his legs and stammered, "The gentleman over there asked that it be sent to you with his compliments."

The two barristers turned around to the area indicated by the boy and found themselves staring in the direction of Lucius Malfoy who bowed his head graciously at them.

"It would appear he knows we're trying to do something for his family," said Hermione with an artificially bright smile pasted on her lips.

Cho took up her teacup and looked across the table to her former schoolmate, who also did the same. "Only one thing to do in a situation like this."

"Universal sign of hypocrisy?" Hermione curled her lips in faint amusement.

"But of course," smiled her esteemed competitor in response. "On three now – one, two, three."

As soon as she counted to three, both ladies turned with their raised teacups in Lucius Malfoy's direction and nodded at him, as if acknowledging and thanking him with a silent toast.

"Wanker," muttered Cho, with her smile still sweetly on her face as she drank from her cup.

"Vain-pot," murmured Hermione, as she did the same. "Back to business now, shall we?"

The other woman nodded her assent.

Hermione continued, "Some months ago, the Malfoy family and the Goyle family cast hexes and other curses at each other in the lobby of the Inner London Crown Court for Wizards. It was a bad day for serious crime in the new Britain, especially since it degenerated to physical beating as well. We are trying to avoid getting one family locked up at the expense of the other. It will go to trial in three days, as it must, but both families must be allowed to be at liberty to run their respective crime empires for which we rely on for so much of our work. To get them both off, we need to give the impression of being relaxed under pressure, and that means no going cutthroat on each other or each other's clients. Realistically, if the Malfoys try to get the Goyles down, and if the Goyles try to get the Malfoys down, the jury will likely say, 'Fuck the lot of them, let's lock them up because they're all as bad as each other.' Like you, I am in favour of a truce."

"I don't know how far you've gotten with your lot, but on my part," explained Cho, taking a bite out of the cake. "I've spoken to Ambrose Goyle, currently the heaviest, most balding one and Head of his family's business since the death of Gregory Goyle's father. He's in favour of an outcome beneficial to both families."

"Which is why we're having this meeting," nodded Hermione in agreement. "Your lot is meeting my lot with us at Saint Paul's in..." She checked her watch. "An hour."

"With any luck, peace will break out to the benefit of us all. You know, I'm amazed how simple it could have been – the Goyles bring me a little work, and the Malfoys do the same for you. Damn thing is none of us can afford to let them go away for a few years. I hate your guts."

"I hate yours too," Hermione replied with a teasing smile. "But that's why we're both here. It's to our advantage to talk things through, and it is our job to get Lucius Malfoy and Ambrose Goyle to do the same thing. We have to get everyone to talk like adults. Is our supremely crooked solicitor, Charles Warrington going to be present?"

"He had better be. I told him I'll hex off his bollocks if he didn't."

"Good one," said Hermione with a low whistle, wishing that she had threatened something similar to her husband.

"Shall we go then, to Saint Paul's?" enquired Cho, as she rose.

"Aren't you meeting with the rest of your team?"

"Blaise, Stanley, Melza and Kirke will be heading there on their own. Blaise is leading Melza is a murder today, so Chambers is a mess with drafts of his closing," sighed Cho in mock exasperation, as they made their way to the Apparation point.

On their arrival at Saint Paul's Cathedral, they found most of their barristers and the members of Goyle and Malfoy crime families seated in the stalls facing each other. Their solicitor, Warrington, was pacing with his hands clasped behind his back, with a worried look on his brow.

"Playing the sheepdog, Charles?" asked Cho as she patted his cheek affectionately as they stepped into the church.

Automatically jerking away from her touch, he grabbed onto her hand and hissed in relief at her. "The Goyles have been waiting for more than three minutes! What kept the two of you?"

"Tea, darling," replied Hermione mock coquettishly as she took her seat. "We're English, we need fortification whenever something big like this happens."

Warrington could do nothing but roll his eyes at the two witches. Truth be told, he could not abide by either of them (though he had a certain private fondness for Cho). However, they were the top in their profession and up for King's Counsel. He was a shrewd wizard who demanded the best. As a solicitor, he had the same principle, and it was clear from the way his eyes flicked over the two crime families that he wanted the best for his clients as well. It was with this in mind that he cleared his throat and addressed his Slytherin brethren on both sides of the divide. "On behalf of Chiswell Square and Graftonleigh Circle Chambers, I thank both the Malfoy and Goyle families for your maturity in setting aside your not inconsiderable differences and calling this temporary truce. In a nutshell, both Miss Chang and Miss Granger have pointed out that collectively there are twenty legs, twenty arms, ten wands and ten heads – five with blond tresses and five with thinning black hair. Collectively, you are a frightening lot in your black robes."

"What is in your favour is that no witness can say whose wand was pointed where, and whose arm was in whose face or why," stated Hermione, breaking into Warrington's carefully prepared speech, much to his chagrin. "This means the prosecution is in trouble. You are all individuals in your own right. They have to prove against each one of you that you did what you allegedly did. But they can't, provided you don't start screaming hexes, curses, jinxes and fist-shaking at each other in Court Number Five."

Cho looked across the stalls to Hermione and nodded, indicating both her agreement with her colleague in law and her desire to speak. "Exactly, even though the Court Aurors and special Wizarding Constables at the courts will have taken away your wands, you still possess the ability to perform wandless magic. I advise you not to do any such thing because screaming hexes, curses, jinxes and fist-shaking at each other is counted as evidence. They will be counted as evidence against you. The jury and the judge will watch you doing such deeds against at each other. Once that happens, the prosecution won't have to do a single thing. They can sit back and watch you send each other down for three to five years. Not in your interest at all to pull any such stunts."

The sound of a fist coming into contact with the top of a wooden pew came to be heard, and all eyes turned in the direction of Draco Malfoy, who was sitting between his father and Hermione. "Bollocks!" he declared in an even and carefully quiet voice. "You know you hit me first, Gregory Goyle, and I know you hit me first. I feel a bit innocent."

"Look," interjected Hermione in barely concealed irritation, standing up and pointing to the representation of Christ on the stained glass. "He's the enemy, not each other." Her voice sounded odd as it echoed across the church.

"Him?" sneered Lucius suppressing a laugh of incredulity.

"Yes, him – the King, the Crown, the titular head of Wizarding Britain. So long as you keep your mouths firmly shut in front of him, we can all go home."

"Technically, that's Jesus," pointed out Blaise Zabini snidely upon raising his hand in fair imitation of Hermione's younger self.

Ignoring his attempt to make fun of her, she continued, "There are some men, Mr Zabini, who are so far above the rest that it means one and same thing." She jerked her head in the direction of Christ on the stained glassed window. "Him, C. R. Three, Sir Ian McKellen, and maybe Albus Dumbledore – now that's a bundle where they were all men and wizards above the rest."

"C. R. Three?" murmured Gregory Goyle to his barrister.

Cho rolled her eyes and graciously allowed Hermione to cast her a sympathetic look. "She means Charles Rex III, the King. Or should that be Carolus Rex III, Hermione, since we're doing it in proper Latin?"

The assembled party chuckled softly to themselves and echoed eerily in the Church.

"As Hermione and I were saying," Cho said, bringing the conversation back to the matter at hand. "The prosecution has one witness whom they claim stands a little better than the rest. But we believe he stands alone. It is not beyond our collective ken to chop him up."

"Who's Ken?" enquired Gregory Goyle with a look of genuine curiosity on his face. The Malfoys sniggered and the barristers of both Chambers shook their heads.

"'Ken' as in the noun," answered Blaise, trying hard not to laugh. "Perception, understanding. Not Ken Brannagh or Towler or Hastings."

As the explanation seemed lost on the young Goyle, Cho went on, "If we all stick together, it is up to the prosecution to make the best of what is in effect, a pretty weak case. By playing on their witnesses' inability to be specific, we don't think they can prove the case, and we don't think they will."

"Which means, acquittal times ten," explained Hermione, lest some members of the Goyle family should find the barrage of legal jargon too much to bear.

"Excellent," announced Lucius as he stood up. "I trust this will keep everyone happy. Are you happy with this outcome, Ambrose?"

"Deliriously," deadpanned the head of the Goyle of the family, as they shook hands on the agreement.

Satisfied with the day's outcome and the civilised nature in which the discussion took place, everyone streamed out of the cathedral, the barristers huddled together and talking normally for once. Although Hermione knew her staff were not pleased to do business with Cho's mainly Slytherin staff (as was evident from the way her lot squeezed together), she acknowledged Cho had guts in helming those dagger-drawing snakes together to work for her. In all likelihood, Cho had more guts than her, she reflected as the two Heads of Chambers and their solicitor walked out together and exchanged a few words.

"Joining forces makes sense, Hermione," confessed Warrington.

"Of course it does. You know what I like about this whole business?" asked Cho

"The sense of unease hanging over our clients?" ventured the chocolate-eyed witch.

"Exactly," laughed Cho with a backwards glance at her staff as she took Warrington's arm. "Better than sex."

"Too right," acceded Hermione.

"That is why I bring all my business to the two most perverse witches in law!" acknowledged Warrington, offering the use of his other arm to Hermione.

Before she could accept the gesture, one of her staff, Daphne Greengrass, hollered after her. "Oi, 'Mione, dinner tonight, remember? We have to feed the new puppy!"

"Puppy?" asked Warrington.

"New pupil. I'm obliged to take Chambers to dinner," came the reply in a slight groan. "I'll see you in Court?"

"Court would be easy when one has to feed a hungry mob," laughed Cho. "See you!"

The three of them parted way and Hermione hastened to rejoin the company of her lawyers. After Apparating to the Inner London Crown Court to pick up Perseuss von Bastiae and their senior clerk, she allowed her staff to haggle over where they would dine before firmly overruling their various suggestions with the decision that they were having Malaysian cuisine.

The Malaysian restaurant in Diagon Alley was everything that Hermione hoped it would be. It was, fortunately, not crowded, and the ambience was excellent. From the reviews she had heard from Minerva McGonagall, the place served authentic Malaysian food, and was as spicy as it would have been in Malaysia. It was the perfect thing she needed after a hard day's work, and a brief repose before she went home and faced that idiot of a husband. Still, Hermione was not one to allow her personal problems to get the better of her, and as far as she could manage to keep her private life separate from her professional one, no one need know of the matrimonial fracas that had broken out in her household.

These were the thoughts tripping through her head when she sat down and bade everyone order what they liked. Perseuss, who had seated opposite Hermione stared at the menu briefly before looking up and catching the eyes of his Head of Chambers. It appeared that he had been observing her for some time. She could sense a haunted look in his eyes, and before she could venture to ask him about it, he hunched over curling his lips disdainfully at something. Hermione thought he looked worn out, as if tired from carrying too many burdens. There was something about him that made him look as if he was older than twenty-five years.

The more she observed him, the more she found him familiar – from the way he tapped his long, pale fingers on the table, to the way he traced his lips in thought, to the way he would twitch his mouth contemptuously at behaviour and events he found distasteful – she had an odd, creeping sense of déjà vu. Sometimes, she felt it was as if she was watching the only available snippets of a silent film, and left the viewer wondering as to the rest of the plot. She levelled her gaze to the new pupil again, and he licked his lips, a gesture she knew indicated that he was about to speak. Instead of speaking as she thought he would, he mumbled something about using the bathroom and harried off.

His momentary departure led the senior clerk to say something while he jabbed at items on the menu he wanted to the waiter. "Have you guys ever noticed there's something odd about the new pupil?"

"Look, the boy's German, he's bound to be funny in the head," reasoned the ever politically incorrect Lee Jordan, as he placed an order for ayam masak merah.

"Not that!" objected Summerby, as Daphne Greengrass ordered sambal udang and fried chilli kangkong. "Every time he locks eyes with Miss Granger, he goes all strange and seems all uncomfortable and has to excuse himself to the loo."

"Nerves maybe. Our Hermione's a force to be reckoned with," suggested Anthony Goldstein as he watched the waiter disappear to the back with their orders.

"Nah," insisted Summerby, "there's something more than that. He always comes back from the loo with his face wet, like he's just washed his face. Why would he do that? Unless it were to clear his head of thoughts that...."

"In case you haven't noticed," said Hermione blithely interrupting his conjecture. "I'm still here. I will not tolerate idle gossip in my presence."

It was just as well that she made that announcement for Perseuss chose that time to return to his seat. The restaurant also chose that time to deliver the dishes. No doubt they used magic to cook the dishes, thought Hermione as dishes upon dishes of piping hot rice and bowls of spicy dishes were laid in front of them. Very pleased with the aromatic smells wafting from the steaming clay dishes, Hermione bade everyone help themselves. All the assembled were scooping up the food and eating with great gusto save Perseuss. Instead of helping himself to whatever that was laid out before him, he was cradling his head, gently rubbing his brow. True to the observations of her senior clerk, Perseuss had indeed splashed cold water on his face, and his eyes were strangely glittering. Those eyes of his met hers across the table, and once again, she felt a jolt of an indeterminate sensation in her soul.

The sensation was broken when eye contact was lost at Summerby's comment to Perseuss.

"You should really get something to eat before Mr Jordan finishes everything," joked Melvin Summerby as he placed a handful of chicken in his mouth.

Perseuss only twitched his lips weakly in half hearted attempt of a smile.

Hermione hid her smile behind her napkin. She found it particularly amusing that his smirking sneer bore a passing resemblance to that of Severus Snape when he was annoyed with Neville's potion brewing efforts. Repeatedly telling herself that it was nothing but a figment of her imagination, she quickly took up a bowl proffered by Summerby and was about to scoop some of its contents onto her plate when she felt the strong sinewy fingers of Perseuss around her wrist.

"You shouldn't eat that," he stated plainly, eyeing her with concern.

"Perhaps you should release my wrist and give me a good reason why I shouldn't partake of this dish of..." Hermione cautioned lowly with a glare.

"The curry base in Ayam Masak Merah contains belachan as they call it in Malaysia," explained Perseuss knowledgably as he relinquished his grip. "Belachan is better known as fermented prawn paste. You're allergic to shellfish. I suggest you not eat it unless you want your throat to close up. I haven't anything to use to treat you in my bag if that happens, and I suspect neither do you."

At which exposition, Hermione started almost imperceptibly. Though she looked curiously at him, she was inwardly affrighted as to how he came by this knowledge. Beyond her parents, her Muggle family doctor, Madam Pomfrey, Professors McGonagall, Dumbledore, and Snape, and her mediwitch at St Mungo's, no one knew else knew of her allergy, not even Ron. But Ron's ignorance was nor surprising, he hardly paid attention to anything that was not played out right before his eyes. So how in the world the new Pupil from Germany know about her allergy? As part of the natural way in which her brain was wired, Hermione tightly grabbed on to his hand and immediately asked the question which was foremost on her mind. "How did you know?"

Perseuss stared at her and quickly swept his eyes around the table at everyone staring at them. He struggled free from her grasp and dropped the bowl he was then receiving from Lee Jordan. "Please forgive me, I spoke out of turn. Excuse me."

"There is something wrong with that boy," stated Summerby with great conviction as the young pupil stalked off to the loo again.

"Indeed." Lee nodded as he swallowed another mouthful. "It seems his bladder is defective."

However, Hermione was not attending to his words. Her concentration was entirely focused on Perseuss von Bastiae. It was not lost on her that as he wound his way to the water closet, his hands were clenched into angry fists that were quivering slightly. That gesture reminded her of something she had once seen a long time ago as a teacher strode past the rows of desk in a classroom as he dismissed cauldron after cauldron of poorly brewed potions. Shaking her head to dismiss the notion that was running through her mind, she attributed his trembling fists as a sign of his numerous private troubles and pushed Perseuss's habitual resemblance to Severus Snape out of her mind.

FOOTNOTES:

The Gorgon in the title refers to Nagini. I know she is not a 'real' Gorgon'. However, I believe her role in the books position her as a kind of symbolic Gorgon. There is another reason for dubbing Nagini the Gorgon, and that will be more apparent in subsequent chapters.

There are double entendres in the title (of the literary kind not the sexual kind as my prelim reader thought). Make what you will of them.

All references to characters are from Rowling's Harry Potter universe unless otherwise stated. Any character you do not recognise is my own creation.

Facts about Wizarding Law and Wizarding Politics are made up.

Facts about the improvements of any Wizarding and/or Muggle object, governing body, and facility are made up.

Facts about other Harry Potter universe characters in the post-Voldemort years are also made up.

Legal references are to British Law. American readers, please bear with me. My beta also made the suggestion that readers unaccustomed to the legal jargon herein pretend you are watching Rumpole of the Bailey or Sherlock Holmes.

The C. R. III reference –

In this chapter, I have assumed that 22 years after the defeat of Voldemort, Charles, currently Prince of Wales, will be King of Great Britain. I have also assumed in this fic that he will use Charles instead of George as his name as King. My beta pointed out that this would make His Royal Highness some seventy years old, which is awfully long for male members of the Mountbatten/Windsor families. But given the long lives of the late Queen Mother and the Queen, I think it would be possible for Prince Charles to reign as king for a few years.

Silk is British legal slang for King's/Queen's Counsel because the gown for the KC/QC is made of silk.

The key members of Graftonleigh Circle Chambers (other than Cho Chang) are from the HP-verse:

Blaise Zabini (referred to as 'Blaise' in this chapter) is mentioned as a Slytherin in the same academic year as Harry, Ron and Hermione.

Stanley Urquhart (referred to as 'Stanley in this chapter) appears as 'Urquhart' and is mentioned as Slytherin's new Quidditch captain in Harry, Ron and Hermione's sixth year.

Demelza Robins (referred to as 'Melza' in this chapter) appears in Book 6 (HBP) as a new chaser in the Gryffindor Quidditch team.

Andrew Kirke (referred to as 'Kirke' in this chapter) is mentioned in Book 5 (OoTP) as replacing one of the Weasley twins in as a Gryffindor Beater after Dolores Umbridge bans them from playing.

The key members of Chiswell Square Chambers (other than Hermione) are from the HP-verse:

Summerby is mentioned as a male Seeker for the Hufflepuff Quidditch team in Book 5 (OoTP). I have given the character the first name Melvin.

Anthony Goldstein is mentioned as a Ravenclaw in the same academic year as Harry, Ron and Hermione in Book 5 (OoTP).

Padma Patil is mentioned as a Ravenclaw in the same academic year as Harry, Ron and Hermione. She is the twin sister of Parvati Patil.

Lee Jordan is mentioned as is a close friend of Fred and George Weasley, and in the same academic year as them.

Daphne Greengrass is mentioned as a Slytherin (likely in the same academic year as Harry, Ron and Hermione) who took the practical portion of the OWLS Potions examination with Hermione.

The solicitor, Warrington appears as 'C. Warrington' in the HP books Slytherin Quidditch Chaser, in Book 4 (GoF), he attempted unsuccessfully to enter the Triwizard Tournament. He was also mentioned in Book 5 (OoTP).

Chambers – for definition and explanation, c/f footnotes in Chapter 1.

Head of Chambers – for definition and explanation, c/f footnotes in Chapter 1.

'Employed' barrister – for definition and explanation, c/f footnotes in Chapter 1.

Barrister – for definition and explanation, c/f footnotes in Chapter 1.

Solicitor – for definition and explanation, c/f footnotes in Chapter 1.

Ayam Masak Merah is a Malay styled chicken dish cooked thick red-curry. Literally translated it means 'chicken cooked in red'.

Sambal Udang is a Malay styled prawn dish where the prawns are cooked in a chilli paste mixture

Kangkong (sometimes spelt as Kangkung depending on whether you speak Indonesian Malay or Malaysian Malay) refers to the water spinach.