Disclaimer : As we all know, Harry Potter is JK Rowling's. Not mine.
Chapter 15 - A Cardinal In Need of Assistance
There were two remaining phials that Harry still had not seen.
The 5th memory was dated about a month ago. Harry found himself in an office very much like Hermione's on the 9th Level of the Ministry. Ron was seated just next to the door under his invisibility cloak and Hermione was pacing with a most furious expression on her face.
Ron whispered, "Will you calm down, you're making me dizzy!"
Hermione tried to keep her voice low, "If I could I would curse him! What was he thinking?!"
Harry looked around and realized who she was referring to. On the wall were pictures of a thin balding wizard shaking the hands of the current and three former Ministers for Magic. He recognized Hermione's former supervisor; they were in Alfred Lowes' office.
"If you don't calm down you're going to pop a vessel. Listen. Remember that he knows who the Cardinal is. We need his help," Ron tried to reason with her.
"I think he has helped enough!"
"Keep your voice down."
"He better turn this person in or I swear, I'll strangle him with my bare hands!"
"I'm concerned about Kingsley. It's been a week since we talked with him about this and he still has not done anything. Tonks won't discuss it any further either, saying it's a Muggle issue," Ron was visibly worried, "Should we tell the rest of the Order?"
"I've been thinking about that too. It's only a matter of time before this asshole becomes confident using them against Muggles, the prey will be much more enticing on this side of the world. But since Professor Dumbledore died, there has been no one who has been able to make everybody in the Order work together. Case in point, the fallout from last year's Death Eater Sweep up north resulted in so many factions within the Order, it has become more political than what Professor Dumbledore intended it to be."
"Hermione, we need to let somebody else know."
"I know, we'll talk about it after I deal with this lowlife. What was he thinking?" she repeated.
Harry was now very worried; he could not believe that Kingsley and Tonks knew about the Cardinal. They helped him help Hermione escape. This just did not make sense.
Then the door to the office opened and in came Lowes. Harry noticed that he quickly went behind his desk maybe to put some distance and furniture between him and Hermione.
"Miss Granger, how are you on this lovely…" Lowes asked nervously.
"Can it Lowes! Explain this!"
Hermione took a familiar parchment and slammed it on Lowes desk. Lowes did not take it but quickly scanned it from afar. Harry leaned over and read what the note said.
Miss Granger,
I need your help. The last three curses have been particularly difficult and I was hoping you could teach me how to do them. I understand from Mr. Lowes that the Projects have been terminated and that he can no longer assist in my education. It would be an honour to learn them directly from the creator herself. I will find us a suitable test subject and I will be in touch.
The Cardinal
"Demented!" Lowes exclaimed.
"You think?" Hermione was so furious her face was almost unrecognizable, "And you, you're just stupid! What were you thinking?"
Lowes tried to explain, "I wanted to know if the curses worked!"
"Your curiosity has definitely killed much more than the cat! How did you get a hold of Lumos? Only Dorner was supposed to have access to it!"
"Dorner told me," Harry thought Hermione was going to make Lowes cry, "I was having trouble with Project C7, you know, the actual curses and he said Lumos might give me ideas."
Harry was as furious at Lowes as Hermione. Lowes obviously took Hermione's ideas again and made them his own. Not only that, he was careless with it.
"Well, guess what Lowes. Dorner is hanging us out to dry."
"Do you think I don't know that? I didn't know about the Muggles until Dorner shut us down last month. I suggested informing the Minister but he hasn't and the Muggle killings continued. The Minister has refused to even see me and I know for a fact he destroyed both our reports."
"You should do the decent thing!"
"I can't turn this Cardinal in," Lowes said quietly, "I made an unbreakable vow."
"Break it, then! And your death will be such a small price to pay for being such a moron!"
"I was thinking, why don't you find someone you can train to use the curses against the Cardinal?" Lowes proposed.
Hermione growled at him even more, "You just don't get it, do you? You're willing to risk creating another monster? Just stop thinking and start talking! If you don't want to die then figure out how to rat on the Cardinal without breaking your stupid vow!"
Then Harry was pulled off from the scene. That explained why Gomez couldn't find anything about Lumos; Dorner made sure the reports were destroyed. Harry was also convinced that the Cardinal had a lot of loose head screws thinking Hermione would actually help in training a murderer. There was the Lowes connection; surely it would be easy enough to find out who he was working with the most during the few months before he vanished. Harry was almost sure that this was the argument witnesses said happened a few days before Lowes' diasppearance. And now, he had to sort out why Tonks, Kingsley and Scrimgeour were acting as if they never knew the Cardinal existed.
Harry took the final phial and looked at it, hoping that it would answer more questions. It was dated two weeks ago; Ron's last preserved memory. Before going into it, he recalled all the memories that Ron wanted him to witness. From hearing about Lumos for first time, to Hermione showing him the notes, to their dinner with Ritchie and the morning after, and then Lowes' involvement. It was odd to see just Ron and Hermione without him in Ron's memories when so many of his had both of them by his side.
When he fell into the pensieve, Harry found himself in the back seat of a Muggle car; a fast moving, swerving with sirens blazing, unmarked police car. Ritchie was driving and Ron was on the passenger seat holding on for dear life. It was late in the night and worse, the streets were still packed with vehicles.
"What happened?" Ron asked, keeping a wary eye on the path they were taking.
"She was closing the bookstore when she got an envelope. An amulet fell out and when she touched it, it transported her to a warehouse."
"Great!" Ron exclaimed, "The Cardinal can make portkeys. How did you find out where?"
"Jane's description, and she found an old sign board with a partial address. I know the place, abandoned warehouses down by the river; the question is which one," Ritchie suddenly stepped on his breaks and swerved right to avoid some pedestrians.
A rhythmic Muggle dance tune was playing over and over again, barely audible.
"Ron, your phone!" Ritchie pointed out.
Ron fumbled through his pockets and awkwardly tried to find the button to answer the call, swearing loudly as he did.
"Give it to me," Ron handed it over to Ritchie who put Hermione on speakerphone, "Jane?"
Harry heard Hermione whispering on the line, "Is Ron with you?"
"I'm here,' Ron replied.
"I'm going in," she said quietly.
"No, we're only two minutes away. Stay put!" Ritchie replied with urgency.
"I can hear them in there, I have to. Come as soon as you can."
"Jane! Wait…"
And the line went dead.
"Ugh!" Ritchie was irritated, "Does she ever listen?"
Ron answered, "Oh, she listens; she just prefers doing it her way."
Harry was as frustrated as the two other men seated in front of him. She could be stubborn without even trying. She had just gone off to face the Cardinal by herself.
They were now away from the city and were approaching the complex of abandoned warehouses. Ritchie turned his lights and sirens off.
"I asked her to move in with me," Ritchie said to Ron.
Harry groaned. Not another one of those gut-wrenching, reminding-you-how-stupid-you are memories.
'I get it already, they're together and they're happy,' he said to Ron. He was starting to feel Ron wanted him to suffer. Ron knew how he felt about her.
"I'm good; you don't need to ask my…"
Ritchie interrupted, "She said 'no'."
Finally, a break! Harry was suddenly grinning up to his ears!
Ron was trying to make Ritchie feel better, "She might be feeling a bit rushed."
"We argued."
"That's normal."
"Our first big fight."
"After almost two months of going out with her? You must be a saint."
"About Harry. I asked her if it was 'no' because of Harry. And she just went ballistic!"
Harry was feeling kind of pleased with himself at the moment.
Ron rolled his eyes up and said dryly, "You brought him up."
Ritchie said defiantly, "Yes, I did. I brought up He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named-Ever in a conversation."
Harry thought that was a cool title.
"I guess somebody woke up with a death wish today. Should I say 'I told you so'?"
Ritchie thought out loud, "I wish she could be more open."
"She's an Unspeakable. That's about as open as she can get. Count your blessings!"
"You know how she doesn't ever talk about him?"
"She makes that obvious for a reason," Ron said plainly.
"I don't really want to talk about him; I just want to know why she doesn't ever talk about him, for now anyways. Why is that?" Ritchie was venting.
Harry looked at Ron, 'Yeah, why is that?' He was hoping it would explain her interesting treatment of him lately.
Ron put forth a logical theory, sarcastically, "Because she doesn't want to talk about him," emphasizing 'want'.
Ritchie insisted, "But why wouldn't she want to talk about her best friend who she helped defeat Voldemort and who saved her life maybe a dozen times? Was he more than a friend to her and he left because of it?"
Ron did not answer.
"I asked her if they were ever intimate, you know, like you and her once were."
Ron said knowingly, "She said 'no', didn't she."
"She's telling the truth then," Ritchie wanted confirmation.
No, she isn't. Harry frowned. He didn't think it was possible for them to get any more intimate than they were that one night.
"That depends on the exact question you asked her and how she understood it," Ron was squinting amongst the rows of abandoned warehouses, looking for signs of activity, "Intimate, she would say no, because intimate for her is not the same as intimate for you and me. And her and Harry were definitely not like me and her once were."
"You mean I asked the wrong question?"
"You just need to ask a different question. I think I see green flashing light over there," Ron pointed to the dilapidated warehouse that barely stood farthest to his right. Ritchie slowly approached it and talked softly.
"Are you saying that they did sleep together?"
'Feeling a bit jealous, are we? Yes, we did, and it's just a shame I can't tell you right now.' Then Harry chastised himself for talking to a memory. He was glad this was the last one. He was starting to feel like he met this Ritchie already. And Harry was cross that Ron was actively helping Ritchie sort Hermione out.
"I'm not saying anything," Ron answered as quietly, "I'm just saying ask her what you really want to know and make it so clear she can't fib her way around it, if she even considers to answer."
"You mean ask her if they ever had sex?"
That didn't sound right to Harry. It wasn't just sex. It was demeaning to sum up what they had with just sex. Was that what Hermione told Ron they had? The glee in his heart went away very quickly.
"Close enough," Ron countered, "But first, we have to save your girlfriend from getting herself killed so you can at least get a chance to ask that question. I can't believe she can't wait two minutes. What does she think she'll do when the Cardinal starts cursing her?"
The car came to a halt in the dirt road just in front of what looked like an abandoned lumber warehouse. They alighted the car and both gentlemen drew their weapons out. Ritchie motioned Ron to go around the back. Harry had to follow Ron and as they turned the corner saw Ritchie disappear into the building.
The back of the building was all boarded up and save for a few gaps in the board, there was no way they could get in without breaking in.
A diabolic laugh filtered through the gaps in the board. The Cardinal. It was a man's voice and Harry thought the voice was familiar.
Ron heard it too and magically loosened a few boards using his wand. He was careful not to make a noise so he would maintain an element of surprise. They still could not see but they could hear what was going on inside.
"Help me perfect this and we can be famous together," it was that voice again.
"Thanks, but no thanks," Hermione's voice was calm, "It's nothing personal, but I don't work with murderers."
"Please, oblige me and collaborate. I have admired you and your work for so long. I am your number one fan you know."
"Well, you won't need my autograph considering how you write just like me," Hermione replied.
Ron was trying to loosen up more boards as fast as he could. Hurry up.
"I am so disappointed in you," the voice was full of displeasure, "I'm giving you one last chance. Join me or die!"
"That's not even a real choice; I'd rather die, of course. And I am more disappointed in you. If you were a true fan you would know I would never use the curses to kill innocent and defenceless Muggles. And such lack of originality! My curses, my handwriting. You are a nobody! Nobody even knows you did all of this!"
The laughter progressed to maniacal. Harry had heard that laugh before.
"You arrogant, conceited bitch! You don't know it all! You can't even do the curses. I was offering you what I thought was a generous gift. My services to show the world that you are indeed the brightest witch of our generation, finally solving the mystery of the cardinal curses! But your ego is too big to allow collaboration! And to think I wasted all this time admiring you and your work! You will regret this!"
A gunshot rang out from within and Harry knew curses were thrown around.
Hermione screamed, "Ritchie!"
Ron finally used his wand to blast through. Harry could see the Cardinal, standing at a clearing about fifty feet from where Ron was. The Cardinal turned towards them and a red jet of light emanated from his wand. Ron took cover behind a large block of wood as fragments flew in the air. The Cardinal had a black cloak on and a hood over his head. He had no face; in its stead was just darkness.
"Ritchie!" Hermione called out again with urgency, looking at Ritchie's immobile figure a few feet from where she was. She was physically bound with ropes to one of the load bearing supports. A lifeless woman lay on the ground beside the Cardinal, and beside her was a wand.
Ron sent several stunners his way and they just bounced off him like a flock of birds crashing into an unbreakable window. "Blimey," Ron muttered under his breath. The Cardinal was laughing even harder.
"It's nice of you to join us Mr. Weasley."
"My pleasure!" Ron called out as he magically untied Hermione. Harry saw her go to Ritchie's aid.
There was a light grey sphere of mist surrounding the Cardinal as he said, "Don't worry Miss Granger, it was only a stunner. Mr. Weasley, why don't you join us out here? I promise I won't cast another curse."
"Don't do it, Ron!" Hermione yelled out.
"I could come and get you, you know," then he had a sudden wave of inspiration, "But I have a better idea. I'll curse Miss Granger if you don't come out."
Ron had to. He walked over to where Hermione was, and let go of his wand as their adversary motioned him to do. Harry followed him to the clearing where they were now up close and personal with the Cardinal. The grey field around him dissipated.
"Well, this is certainly a sight," the Cardinal said mockingly, "Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger and a Harry Potter substitute. Poor thing, we should just leave him stunned for now."
Hermione stood up, shook off Ron's attempt to stop her and walked as close to the Cardinal as she could, "Let them go. It's me that you want."
He just laughed at her, "You challenge me, Miss Granger. I am a nobody with no originality? I do want to let you know that I remain anonymous because I chose to be, at least for now."
Hermione was unfazed, "Let's be honest. You want to remain anonymous because you don't want the Ministry to come after you. What's the matter? Don't think you're good enough to evade capture?"
The Cardinal ignored her last comment, "You, on the other hand, have been trying to tell the Ministry about me. But no one seems to want to listen. I guess your assistance in saving the world from Voldemort was not quite good enough for everyone to just believe you."
Ron muttered, "That's why no one wants to talk."
"So you have the Ministry covered. Dorner, Kingsley, Tonks, other aurors, maybe even Scrimgeour. It seems like we are in a stalemate. What do you want? Obviously, not to kill us."
"No, today you all get to live."
"That's very generous of you."
"I had hoped to be able to work with you, but because you said you'd rather die than join me, I will grant you your wish. You will die, but not before you see me perfect your curses and unleash them into the wizarding world. The best part is you will get credit for all of this and you will be written about for centuries as one of the few to have conjured it."
"Gee, thanks. Being thought of as a murderous lunatic will certainly temper some of the nicer stuff that has been written about me," she said poker-faced, "But what's in it for you?"
"We get to play a game called guess who I'm going to kill next, and then I get to destroy your life. And as you rot in Azkaban dying a slow death, thinking about your life's contribution to magic, I will be out here knowing for a fact that you were not so bright after all," the Cardinal laughed again and disapparated.
"That hurt," Ritchie said after Ron enervated him, "What was that?"
"A stunner. Are you okay?" Hermione had a most worried look for Ritchie on her face it hurt Harry to watch. He turned to Ron who had picked up Hermione's wand and was looking over the woman on the ground.
"I'll be fine. And the victim?"
Ron shook his head.
"She died just before you came," Hermione said quietly.
"What did I miss?"
Ron replied, "We got to know the Cardinal a bit better; former number one fan who now just hates her. Good job pissing him off."
And a Ron-Hermione argument, something about her not willing to wait, faded as Harry was sent back to his study.
On that last Cardinal laugh, Harry finally recognized the voice, but it couldn't be. It just was not possible, but quite understandable why Ron or Hermione wouldn't have noticed. They did not have the unfortunate experience of having to meet him many times. The Cardinal's laugh sounded very much like Voldemort's.
xxxxxxxxxx
Draco Malfoy felt he was being watched. He was at home and having just met Hermione Granger, his nerves were a bit frazzled. Maybe that was it. The visit was just making him anxious. She had a most bizarre request.
He would be the last person in the world to admit it, but he did believe Granger was innocent. Had there not been too much negative history between him and her friends during Hogwarts, he would have been more inclined to help her when the Ministry had her in St. Mungo's. She sent him a secrecy note to meet with her that afternoon, saying that she trusted him to not let the Ministry know. Not many people trusted him nowadays and he appreciated it that she did. He did not let her down.
Malfoy guessed right that she wanted to meet because of the murders. When he heard the story he immediately accepted her proposal to learn the curses and help her fine-tune the counters. He was willing to make the vow she required. He needed something like this, not only because he wanted to help put an end to this Cardinal, but also to restore some credibility to his name. They would start tomorrow. He did wonder why Granger did not ask Potter; but Potter's loss was his gain.
He was excited; he listened to Granger's cardinal curse theory and the principles of the counters. Granger felt his occlumency skills would help protect him; they would have to wait and see if that was true.
Knocks at the door interrupted Malfoy's revelry. He wondered who it could be. Surveying his porch he decided he would entertain this guest.
"What do you want?" he spat at his visitor as he opened the door, "Is there a Hogwarts reunion today that I'm not aware of?"
Then everything around him turned black.