Chapter 56 - An Affirmation of Guilt
Hermione watched as both Harry and Andy left the interrogation room in silence. From the troubled expression on Jack Muller's face she sensed something unexpected had just happened.
"Listen," Draco got her attention, "This whole thing has wreaked a mini disaster on my schedule. I may have to take a rain check on that lunch we talked about."
"That should be the least of your worries," Hermione was more concerned for him than he was; "Their accusations are serious."
"They're wrong so I'm not worried. It's just a bloody inconvenience."
"I heard they found you in a trash bin. Are you okay?"
"Ego's a bit bruised and suit's a write off but physically I'm fine," he brushed the incident off and then added, "About Aunt Bella. There was more to her visit that I need to tell you about."
"Maybe we shouldn't talk about her here."
She really did not want him to get into any more trouble than he already was.
"I have nothing to hide," he replied. "I don't know when we can talk again and it's a matter of some urgency."
Hermione couldn't argue with him, not with the grave look he wore.
"What is it?"
He sighed and told her, "I don't know how else to tell you this. It's about Creevey."
Her heart froze for a second.
"What about Dennis?"
"You should fire him and stay away from him as far as you possibly can."
Talk about unsolicited advice...
"Why?"
"I was hoping you wouldn't ask that," he joked but she couldn't find it funny, "Let me ask you something. Didn't you ever wonder why despite the long awful history between us you found my company tolerable?"
"What do you mean?"
She knew exactly what he meant but needed time to think of a good way to answer it. She'd be lying if she said the question never crossed her mind.
"Weasley hates me and let's not even talk about Potter. I would too if I were you."
"It wasn't easy. Everybody makes mistakes but I think we all deserve at least a second chance," she immediately thought about what she did to Ron and hoped she would listen to herself more. "What are you getting at?"
"Aunt Bella hired Creevey to poison you."
"Dennis?"
"Those smoothies he prepares for you were spiked with some undetectable love potion. I looked it up. Dennis has been in trouble with the law before. He has embedded some permanence charm to it that gets activated when...well...it's just good we haven't, you know...," his voice trailed off and she thought that needed no clarification.
She was astounded by his revelation.
"Are you sure about this?"
"I wish I wasn't but I can't think of why she would lie about that. And she has actually given her blessing for me to continue dating you."
Lestrange, unbothered by a Muggle-born going out with her Pureblood nephew?
"That's very hard to believe," she said to him.
"Disturbing, I agree."
"But why would she want us together?"
"I don't know."
"She must be up to something."
"Probably, or hoping that I'd wonder the same thing I would stop seeing you just to spite her."
There was indeed something distasteful about being given Lestrange's stamp of approval. It wasn't so much of a blessing but a curse. Draco continued.
"I'm not going to lie. I wish I never heard about the Creevey potion at all. It was kind of nice knowing you really thought I've changed."
"No, don't do that," Hermione could not let him conclude that immediately, "Even if what she says is true, that doesn't necessarily mean I never believed you."
"That's just the potion talking," he said to her, upsetting her more. "Look, I'm not saying you don't know yourself. I'm just saying it's okay if you regain that repulsion you had for me. I understand. It's human nature to look at someone's past and expect the same behaviour from them, a lot of times for good reason."
"Mia didn't," she let go of the first thought that came to mind.
"Mia wasn't at Hogwarts. She wasn't on the tower like Potter was and I never called her Mudblood or some other disparaging name. She never knew the old me."
He had a good point.
"So, this thing you have with Potter, how long has it been going on?
Answering that question directly would have led to one very complicated explanation.
"Thing?"
"I'm not blind," he was jesting, "You've always liked Potter more than anyone else, even during Hogwarts."
"That obvious, huh."
"Uh-huh. It kind of surprised me when I heard you settled in with Weasley. I guess Potter finally got his head out of his ass to see it. I'm happy for you. I'm sure beyond his self absorption he cares about you a lot."
Utterly surprised at what she was hearing, she opened her mouth to say something but couldn't come up with anything to say. She had intended to tell him that she was seeing someone else and here he was telling her that he saw it coming.
He saved her from her struggles, "It's okay, I get it. Isn't it great you don't have to tell me you can't see me anymore?"
"Honestly, yes."
He chuckled and so did she.
"Well if things don't work out between you two and if you continue to be in this forgiving state potion free, call me. I'd love to hear how horribly he treated you and how being with him does not live up to all the hype."
It was amusing to her how similar Draco and Harry were in that regard; the two men would never be friends. Hermione was relieved that Draco was alright with it but felt bad for him at the same time.
"I hope you won't be a stranger," she said earnestly.
Draco remained skeptical.
"Tell me again in two weeks then I'll be convinced," he answered back, "Now, about my little family problem. I think the next time she pushes for grandkids I'll push back."
"What? Demand she give you cousins?"
"Ugh! Thanks for putting a disgusting image in my mind. I was actually thinking of a more civilized approach."
"Civilized? With her?"
"I'll tell her exactly what I think. That I'd sooner castrate myself than have her involved in raising any child of mine."
He wasn't kidding about it either and she could not help but laugh at how serious he was. A smile crept up in his eyes.
"Well, what would you do if you were in my shoes?"
"I honestly don't know," she shrugged, "Maybe you should get one of those virtual babies."
"Those ones that do all the gross stuff?"
Grinning at his average single male reaction, she nodded.
"I think she'll know it's a fake."
"Of course she'll know it's a fake," she replied, "But see how she does with it for a day, Muggle rules apply and if she hasn't killed it by the end of the visit with Gran, tell her you'd seriously think about it."
"It wouldn't stand a chance."
"Exactly."
They slipped into a conversation about their favorite memories growing up. She brushed aside thoughts about potions and smoothies, finding it hard to believe that this friendship of sorts was all about that.
XXXXXXXXXX
Harry couldn't believe his eyes or his ears. He had known this man for a very long time. This wasn't possible.
"He's been asking for you."
He made one step towards the door when Jack held his arm.
"Kingsley and I thought it best not to give him what he wants, at least not right away."
"We've been friends forever. There is a logical explanation for this."
"If there are we'll get to the bottom of it," Jack reassured him.
The door to Neville's right opened and in came Kingsley followed by a rookie Brit Auror he knew only by face.
"Kingsley!" Neville said surprised, "What are you doing here? I was expecting Harry."
"Harry's in the middle of something else right now. We're having difficulties getting him in here."
"I understand. He's a busy man," Neville nodded. "My cousin Tommy has been having too much fun with him."
"Your cousin Tommy?"
"Tommy Waterman."
"Tommy Waterman is your cousin?"
"His Mum was a Longbottom," Neville explained, "I've been trying to tell Tommy not to overdo it but he and Harry got off on the wrong foot. Tommy doesn't listen very well."
"Neville, before we continue, I'd like to remind you of your rights."
"They were read to me earlier. I know all about them. I don't want any lawyers in here. They make things unnecessarily complicated. I just want to confess."
"We sent Dean and a few men over to your hotel to bring you in," Kingsley said, worried. "We can't seem to get a hold of any of them."
"Uh-oh…"
"What is it?"
"Matilda, my plant. She doesn't like strangers," Neville explained, "You might want to send someone with half a dozen white mice; she loves those. Then maybe play a little Britney Speers music to calm her down. Just don't hurt her."
Kingsley nodded and glanced over across the two way mirror, "We'll try not to."
"Hillman!" Jack belted out, "Get on this. Grab ten HWs and tell them to expect a giant plant, the one Shacklebolt briefed us about."
"I like Dean. I hope he's okay," they heard Neville say.
Harry did too. He watched Neville closely and felt a disconnect between his affect and the words that just came out from his mouth. Underneath the familiar caring voice was a coldness and lack of compassion.
"Okay. Where do you want to start?"
"Hogwarts, of course. That's where it all began. Did you know I almost didn't make it to Hogwarts? My entire family thought I was a Squib."
Neville talked about his struggles as a student, how he was the worst in his class and how had it not been for Hermione helping him through first year he would have given up and flunked out. He spoke about how Harry gave him the confidence to believe in himself and that he owed Harry for that.
"I began teaching Herbology after Professor Sprouts retired. I love Herbology. I love plants and plants love me. It still continues to amaze me how they're so useful for many things. Having worked at a magical plant supplier for the St. Mungo Potions Lab prior to accepting the job offer from Professor McGonagall, Hermione and I would talk a lot about plant healing properties and how she used them for cures. Simply fascinating. Plants in potions became a hobby of mine," Neville laughed at himself, "Ironic really, considering I was a terrible Potions student."
Harry vaguely remembered talking with Neville about potion making a long time ago. He asked Harry for suggestions on how to be good at it. It was one of those forgettable party filler conversations, forgettable until something like this happens. He looked around him and noticed how everyone was hanging on Neville's every word as his friend started talking about the Watermans. No one would ever think of this as forgettable.
"I first met Teddy and Tommy Waterman when we were kids. I must have been seven or eight. Aunt Sybilla's father, my great uncle Harfang, had died and the Watermans came to London for the funeral. Gran insisted on them staying at the Longbottom manor."
"Then two years ago while I was here during one of these research conferences, I got a surprise call from Teddy," Neville continued, shifting slightly in his seat, "He heard from a relative that I was in town. He mentioned coming across a recipe for a magic enabling potion and asked me if I knew anyone in the family who could brew it. Teddy was a great pitchman. He talked about how they all had suffered as Squibs, how the potion could change all that for those less magically endowed and how much of an honor it would bring to the family who discovered it."
"I could not resist. Despite it's illegality I volunteered. They found me ingredients, thought it best not to ask where they came from. Teddy tried to make me not feel bad by telling me they were tissues from abandoned dead magical beings from the state morgue in Michigan, that they were contributing to science. I worked on it during the Hogwarts summer break and in two months it was done."
"But it wasn't very good. It made almost everyone sick. There were quite a few instantaneous deaths in test animals and I told them we shouldn't use it. Tommy would not listen. He had been using a lot and said there was nothing wrong with it. I got scared about what I had done I just ran away as far from them as I could, hoping that when they ran out of potion, the idea would fizzle out too."
Neville paused just as someone had come into the observation room reporting to Jack that the four Canadian Aurors they sent to Neville's hotel were dead and the Brit Auror was injured. Dean was taken to the Toronto Hospital. The collective tension in the room shot up through the roof. He understood the murderous look Andy and the rest of the people around him wore. She was shaking from extreme anger that she walked away from him. Unimaginable as it was, he too lost all sympathy for Neville and his part in all of this. He hoped Dean would be okay.
"I really wish Harry were here," Neville mentioned him again.
"He should be here soon," Kingsley lied, "So, where does Lestrange fit into all of this?"
"Lestrange found out about the potion's existence last year. She heard about what had happened in the Ghoul, how Teddy and Tommy tried to give some of the remaining potion from the small batch I made to Squibs. She was livid, rattling on about the Hufflepuff Prophecy, how it had to be her, that it was her destiny. She was crazy."
"Was that why she had everyone killed?"
"Yes. Except for Teddy and Tommy, I guess because they were family. Teddy took his own life in prison, but you already know that."
"What about the witch who worked with Tommy?"
"She supported Teddy and Tommy financially. I didn't know her but I heard she died from the potion."
"So, what happened next?"
"Tommy told Lestrange I brewed the potion and, not wanting her enemies to find out, she came to me to brew the potion again. I refused. She tortured me and told me she would go to St.Mungo's and gladly do my parents again," Neville's face hardened, "I decided that it was time to exact revenge."
"Why didn't you ask for our help?"
"Aurors have been after her for years. I didn't have reason to think you could catch her. I couldn't take that chance," he explained, "I was able to convince her that the potion wasn't good enough. That it would cause too many deaths amongst Purebloods. I reminded her that Purebloods were a dying breed and that the potion would wipe us all out."
"She bought it."
"It was the truth. She gave me a deadline to improve it. A year she said. And it was then when I realized that I needed the best potion maker I had ever known. I needed Severus Snape. He had come by to ask for help on some plant project of his and I took the opportunity to get him to teach me advanced potion making. He found out what I was up to. I had to kill him."
"And his organs?"
"He was dead. He couldn't help me anymore. I needed to become the Potion Master that he was."
"You've been taking the potion?"
"Mixed with essence of Snape. How else could I make the potion better? I had to keep him alive longer to get the mix right. Here's a potion making tip; fresher ingredients make better potions."
Neville seemed to think that was the natural thing to do. He wasn't thinking right.
"Who killed Firenze?"
"Tommy's magical being contact in Michigan got arrested and the bitch made me get my own ingredients. After the Professor, killing was easier. I Stunned Firenze and had a couple of Thestrals stomp on him. The arrow was to point you to a suspect. Magorian was perfect until Hermione found what she found."
"Winky?"
"I didn't think anyone would question her death. With her drinking she was practically at death's door," Neville said nonchalantly, "Ragnok is also dead and I killed the transient half giant as Snape. I had to take Filch's life too because he knew it was me who led the robbery at Gringott's."
"But you wanted revenge. Why did you have to make the potion better or make it at all? You've killed almost everyone else. Why didn't you just kill her?" Kingsley asked a valid point.
"She was an experienced Legilimiens. I had to make a real attempt to improve the potion because I needed time to set her up. You of all people should know that you can't just kill Bellatrix Lestrange."
"Lestrange didn't know you wanted revenge?"
"She knew. I told her I would kill her if she gave me the opening," Neville said coldly. "She just laughed. She didn't think I could do it. Well, she's not laughing anymore. "
"What do you mean?"
"Bellatrix Lestrange is dead."
While Kingsley did not act surprised from the commotion in the observation room everyone else was. Kingsley asked one of the many burning questions in his mind.
"Did you kill her?"
"No. I would have loved to do the honors but she was too guarded around fellow Death Eaters, especially me."
"Who did it?"
"Sir Isaac Umber."
"When and where did this happen?"
"Just before I walked in. I'm not sure where but if I were you I would start with Sir Umber's place of residence here in Toronto."
"If you didn't see it happen then how do you know for sure she's dead?"
"This."
Neville slowly unbuttoned his shirt and on his chest just above his heart was the Death Eater Mark with a dead black rose embraced by the Slytherin serpent, faded petals disappearing and being replaced by a steaming cauldron filled with purple potion.
In the background Harry could hear Jack barking more orders. Troops were being dispatched to Sir Isaac Umber's Bridle path home.
"Why would Sir Umber kill her?"
"Precisely the point. That was why she never saw it coming. Am I a genius or what?" he patted himself on the back.
"How did you convince him to do it?"
"I never talked to him. Umber was an anti-potion Bruin and I knew he would do anything to stop Lestrange from releasing the potion to the public. I robbed Gringott's framed Umber as if Lestrange did it. They went after each other."
"No offence, Neville, but I'm still struggling with this idea that you are the Potion Master."
"What do I have to do to make you believe?"
"It's just that out of all her Death Eaters, why would Lestrange anoint you as her successor?"
"It was never her intention. She wanted Malfoy to rejoin the Death Eaters but when Malfoy turned her down she had no choice. She had to pick someone and seeing that I had gained the respect of her Death Eaters she had no choice but to pick me."
"But why Toronto?"
"The potion is not ready."
Kingsley was as confused as he was.
"Potions were shipped here from London. Waterman and his men are using it."
"I've managed to get rid of most of the lethal impurities caused by the breakdown of conventional phials by using the Romanian incasabil ones but it's still not perfect."
Neville stopped, calm, eerily waiting. It was a game for him. Something was not right. Harry reached into his robe and wrapped his fingers tightly around his wand.
What was in Toronto that would make the potion ready and perfect? As he thought it, Kingsley asked the same thing.
"Excellent inquiry. What indeed?" Neville asked back, lifting his brows up as a grotesque smile formed on his face, an expression he had never seen on Neville nor imagined he would ever in all his life. "Too bad Harry isn't here but it was nice talking with you."
Neville stood up slowly and raised his right arm towards Kingsley as if offering to shake his hand. What was he thinking?
Kingsley shook his head, pity for Neville obvious in his eyes and in the tone of his voice, "You can't leave, Neville."
"I've done horrible, unspeakable acts. Did you really think I would stay?"
Before Harry could react, the veteran Auror in the other room brought his hands up on his neck, choking sounds sputtering from his blue lips. He fell forward onto the floor face down and did not move.