Chapter 2: Loopholes
Hogwarts, Two Months Prior, Graduation Day
"Hermione, calm down. You'll do fine."
Ron was only marginally successful at assuaging his girlfriend's nerves. Hermione was pacing back and forth, muttering the words of her commencement speech underneath her breath. Harry and Ron traded amused smirks at the expression of sheer terror that graced her face.
"Easy for you to say," Hermione sputtered angrily. "You don't have to address the whole assembly by yourselves!"
Harry grinned. "Don't forget their families, the Ministry of Magic, the Daily Prophet…"
Hermione's face turned a pallid green. Ron rolled his eyes, stepping up behind the nervous witch and placing a gentle kiss on the back of her neck. The color in Hermione's face faded to white and then a light pink as Ron drew her back against his body.
"You'll do fine," he murmured as a gagging Harry looked on. Hermione grinned, glancing over her shoulder to her best friend.
"If you two are done snogging, I'd like to get going," Harry sounded flustered.
"Bugger off," Ron said with a smirk. "We're hardly snogging."
Harry let out a snort as Hermione felt her blush deepen. It was true. She and Ron had been remarkably chaste since they started dating a month ago. Hermione reluctantly pulled away from Ron and straightened the hem of her graduation robes.
"See you at the party tonight?" she looked at Harry. Ron had gotten a flat a month earlier in Ottery St. Catchpole and was holding a housewarming/graduation celebration. It would be small, with a few close friends and family members.
"Wouldn't miss it for the world," Harry grinned. "Shall I fly or floo?"
Ron smirked. Hermione and Harry were the only two people who knew the location of his flat. It had been a precaution taken before the destruction of Voldemort less than 48 hours prior. Hermione found herself staring wistfully out the window. Hogwarts had been closed temporarily and graduation postponed after a deatheater attack during the Quidditch cup. While she argued vehemently against him moving out of his parent's home, Ron had been insistent. He said his mom was driving him insane with worry.
That's when Hermione had made him promise to make her and Harry secret keepers. He'd reluctantly agreed, and since that date no one had visited Ron Weasley's flat.
Most of the guests would be flooing in. Hermione was going to meet him a few hours before to help him get ready for the party. Now that the dark lord was gone, restrictions had been relaxed, and it was only a matter of time before things were back to normal.
Somewhere in the Gryffindor common room, a clock chimed, drawing the trio's attention. Hermione's eyes widened as she grabbed the sleeve of Ron's dress robes. "We're late!"
The trio ran towards the Great Hall.
* * *
Hermione apparated in front of Ron's flat an hour before she was supposed to. She'd decided to surprise him with some alone time before the party began. Their relationship had progressed in baby steps since their first date. Other than a few stolen kisses in the common room when they thought no one was looking, there hadn't been much of anything … there wasn't the mood - not with Voldemort and his Death Eaters on the rampage. But now Voldemort was gone.
She felt her face flush as she slowly made her way to the front door, rapping sharply with her left hand. No one answered.
The witch frowned. Ron had said during the graduation reception that he planned to spend all afternoon cleaning for the party. She rolled her eyes. He must have left to make some last minute purchase, she reasoned. It was just like him to procrastinate until the last minute.
She drew her wand and murmured, "Alohamora."
The house was dark and empty. Hermione grimaced as she began stepping around piles of dirty laundry and dishes. The place looked as if it hadn't seen a cleaning charm in years. Obviously, Ron had not started cleaning yet. For some reason, that fact brought a chill to Hermione's stomach.
"Ron?" her voice wavered slightly as she stepped into the kitchen, her wand drawn. Ron was lying face-up on the ground, a look of shock plastered on his face. Hermione immediately rushed to his side, pressing two fingers to his neck.
Nothing.
Her eyes began to water, and she leaned down, cradling his limp body to her chest. Denial echoed in her mind as she patted his pallid cheek, futilely trying to waken him.
"Ron? It's me, Hermione," she said, tears streaming down her face as she patted his cheek. "Please wake up. Please? Don't do this to me. Don't leave us like this." The thought that Harry would not take this news well flitted through her mind, but she quickly shoved it aside as she cradled the body of her boyfriend to her chest. A choked sob erupted from her throat as the despair building behind her eyes exploded.
* * *
Hermione blinked back an errant tear as she stared out the window of her attorney's Diagon Alley office. It was too much … Ron's murder, Harry's betrayal, the accusing stares of Ron's family. Her mind flitted to the permanent ache that had settled in her stomach. That day she had wanted to die.
Eventually those feelings of despair had faded, eroding into a righteous anger at those who had brought up these insane murder charges. The very notion that she would have killed Ron was ludicrous. Ron had been her best friend. She had loved the Weasleys - even Percy when he wasn't acting like a slimy git. That they believed her capable of such an act of betrayal defied all reasonable expectations. Could they really think so poorly of her? After the anger had faded, the logical portion of her mind struggled to conjure up a probable suspect, but she always hit the same mental block in her investigation.
No one had known where Ron lived. No one but her and Harry.
She looked up as her parents entered with Julius. Her parents looked as if they'd not slept in ages. Her mom's red eyes had permanent circles underneath them. Hermione simply glanced down in shame, trying to bury the nagging feeling of responsibility for their current state. Her mother and father sat on either side of her while Julius pulled up a seat across the table. Hermione tried to shove all thoughts out of her mind and focus on her attorney's half-moon spectacles. She tried to suppress the hope that had begun to build after Harry posted her bail. Slowly weaving her fingers around her mother's hand, she cast a gaze at Julius.
"So can I go home?"
Hermione had been confined to the Ministry of Magic since her arrest. Ministry officials wanted to send her to Azkaban for holding until the trial, but Dumbledore raised such a ruckus that they'd chosen to place her in solitary confinement under constant Auror supervision.
Julius sighed, rubbing his temples. "Maybe. I don't know. They're not telling me much."
Hermione sighed. Julius Mockridge was one of the few wizard attorneys willing to defend her in the controversial trial, but demeanor of the timid wizard had caused her on more than one occasion to contemplate defending herself. Dumbledore had quickly squelched that notion; logically pointing out that she would not be able to conduct her investigation while in solitary confinement.
"You are my attorney," Hermione stated plainly, regarding Mockridge with a cool stare. "They have to tell you these things."
Julius sighed. "Hermione…it's like I told your parents. Things don't work the same in the wizard world as they do in muggle London. Look how long it took to get your hearing. Or to discover the charges that were leveled against you."
Hermione gripped the arm of her chair lightly. "So that's it then? I'm guilty until proven innocent?" She felt the indigent anger seep into her veins.
Julius sighed, his shoulder slumping as he leaned back into his chair. "I'm getting too old for this."
John Granger looked at his wife, Emma. "We can disappear. Take her somewhere where they can't find her."
Julius shook his head. "Won't work. The Aurors would track you down. You'd spend your entire lives looking over your shoulders."
Hermione watched as her mom began to cry, helplessness replacing the anger. Her own eyes began to tear up and she wrapped her arms around her despairing mother. Oh mother, I am so sorry, Hermione thought as wet trails snaked down her cheeks.
John glared at Julius, his eyes hinting of rage. "This is ridiculous. They can't prove anything!"
Her attorney leaned back, inhaling deeply. "There's the letters…"
Hermione's eyes snapped open. Aurors had arrived shortly after Harry. A series of letters were found on the countertop suggesting Ron's breakup with Hermione.
"Those letters weren't real," she said calmly, amazed that she could retain her composure at the tense situation. "They couldn't have been. Ron and I were fine that morning."
Julius sighed. "That may be true, but it gives you motive."
"That's ridiculous. That's only one piece of evidence, and a weak one at that!" John was barely maintaining control of his voice. He slammed his hands on the table.
Julius shrank back in his chair, fear flitting across his features. He didn't relax until Hermione rested an arm on her father's sleeve, soothing his ire. "There is the fact that she was his secret keeper."
"Her and Harry," John said.
"Yes, but Harry Potter is the hero of the Wizard World. And Cornelius Fudge…" Julius' voice trailed off.
Unspoken was the comment that Cornelius Fudge loved his role as Minister of Magic too much to level charges against Harry Potter.
"Harry…" John said sourly.
"Isn't he planning on testifying against my daughter?" Emma's voice wavered.
"No," another voice called out. "I am not."
Hermione's eyes jerked upwards and fell upon the figure of Harry. He was hunched over, his hands shoved deep into the pockets of his faded jeans. He had a dark robe on, as if he was trying to blend in to the shadows of the dark office.
Julius glanced up at Harry, momentarily losing his composure. Then he frowned. "I don't think you should be..."
Harry interrupted. "I'm helping Hermione whether you like it or not."
Hermione stared at Harry, her confusion returning. Wasn't Harry angry with her?
Her attorney frowned. "You can't escape testifying, Harry."
"I can lie."
"They'll use Veritaserum."
"What's ..Veri…?" John interrupted.
Hermione felt a wave of nausea flood her body. "It's a truth-telling potion," she responded numbly.
Her father frowned. "So…why don't you take it and tell them you didn't do it?"
Julius leaned back in his chair. "It's…a powerful potion…but it can be broken. Hermione is an accomplished witch…she could take it…but it'd be possible for her to beat it."
Her dad's shoulders deflated.
Harry turned to Julius. "What can we do?"
Julius sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "I'm afraid that Minister Fudge seems really intent on putting Hermione away…and it doesn't help that he has the support of the majority of wizards."
Emma started crying again. Hermione stared at her mom helplessly, feeling defeated.
I'm going to Azkaban … I'm going to Azka…
"Unless…"
Everyone's eyes went to Julius. He immediately rushed out of the office, leaving the others there to ponder what he was going to say. There were some loud thumps, a few curses, and then he returned, slamming a musty book on the table. Hermione could barely make out the gold text on the worn cover: Wizard Law and Procedures of the Early 20th Century.
"I thought I had it here." He opened the ancient book and began skimming through its tiny print. John opened his mouth several times but was immediately shushed by Hermione's upraised hand. Her eyes narrowed slightly, wondering what possible loophole her attorney could have found to help her escape this predicament.
"Here it is…Marital Protection Law of 1913 … Any wizard, when called to testify in front of Wizengamot … must testify, unless he/she is the spouse of the defendant/plaintiff. In such a case, he/she must still testify, unless testimony will incriminate his/her spouse. In such cases no wizard/witch may testify, on his/her own accord or under duress."
Hermione's face paled as the implication of her attorney's words registered in her mind. She cast a nervous glance at Harry, who was staring at Julius, his expression frozen in bewilderment.
Julius looked up at the rest of the group. "It's simple. I wonder why I didn't think of it before. Harry and Hermione simply need to get married."
The room was deathly silent.