Connections
The next morning, Harry sat enjoying a full cooked breakfast at the vast dining table in Malfoy Manor. He had managed a decent night's sleep - perhaps the first in months - and was feeling much better as a result. He sat alone and found the silence highly enjoyable. He had never been a morning person and found that the solitude was just what he needed to start the day. Solitude and three cups of strong coffee.
He glanced up as Narcissa entered the room and was struck once again at how she always managed to look a picture of poise and grace. She really was a fine looking woman and Harry was amused to discover that he thought Draco Malfoy's mother hot. He put these thoughts aside, however, as he noticed the stern look on her face.
'What's wrong?' he asked.
'Have you seen this, Harry?' she asked, handing him a folded copy of the Daily Prophet. He took the proffered newspaper and flipped it open to reveal the front page. His eyes were immediately drawn to a large photograph of Hermione and he felt his own sense of unease grow as he began to read.
Surviving Members of Trio Unite to Free Malfoy
By Rita Skeeter - Chief Reporter
The astonishing Malfoy case took yet another twist yesterday as it was revealed that Hermione Granger, head of the DMC and member of the famous trio, has been appointed as assistant to Harry Potter, Soul Thief of Draco Malfoy. This reporter has discovered that Granger (24) is now working closely with Potter in order to establish the truth behind the events that have led to the Malfoy heir facing the Dementor's Kiss. In a move that will…
Harry stopped reading - he had seen enough. He looked directly at Narcissa.
'Did you mention this to anyone?'
She shook her head. 'Of course not.'
'That's what I thought.' He threw the paper onto the table. 'I never mentioned it to anyone either so it begs the question - how did she find out?'
'Have you any ideas?'
'A few. It would appear that Rita has a very good source among the Aurors.' He noticed Narcissa raise an eyebrow in question and decided to explain further. 'The only other person who knew is John Dawlish and only because I had to tell him in order to get us out of a tight spot.'
Narcissa looked curious but did not press for details. 'Do you think it was him?'
'I wouldn't be surprised, but he isn't necessarily the one. You can bet that he would have told everyone else in the department within minutes of finding out, so it could be any one of them. It means I can't trust anyone in that office.' He leaned back in his chair. 'I'm not happy about this; I didn't realise that Hermione would be thrust into the limelight so soon. She's going to spit when she sees this.' He held his head in his hands. Shit.
'So what are you going to do now?' asked Narcissa.
'I'm going to see Hermione and tell her she can step back if she wants. She won't want to though,' he added with a grim smile. 'Then I think I will need to arrange a little meeting with our old friend Rita. I need to know what else she has discovered about this case.' He noticed a look of surprise on Narcissa's face. 'Don't underestimate her, Narcissa; Rita has her own sources and methods and it is possible that she has heard something that we haven't. She's an absolute cow but she does have a knack of finding things out. I'll see her in the next few days.'
Narcissa nodded her understanding. 'What else?'
'I hope to speak to the Chang family today. If I can discover why Cho was the victim then I will have a fair chance of discovering who is responsible. I suspect that Cho was killed for a reason though for the life of me I can't think why.'
'You think there is more to it than just merely framing Draco?'
'Yes. If this was merely an exercise to attack your family then the identity of the victim would be irrelevant. However, Cho is the daughter of a rather influential family and I can't help but think that there is something behind this. I mean; why her? Draco hasn't seen her since school and believe me, he wasn't her type. It doesn't add up,' he added, the frustration evident in his voice.
'Anything else?' asked Narcissa.
'I'm going to pay a social call too if that's OK. I think I am going to visit the Weasleys for lunch. I hope you don't mind.'
'Mind? Why should I mind?'
'Because when I am there I will not be working on the case. Time is precious.'
Narcissa looked thoughtful for a moment. 'It is, Harry, but you cannot devote every second of the day to the investigation. You will burn out if you do and then you will be of no use to Draco.' She smiled. 'I know I have something of a reputation for severity but I think I can allow you to have some lunch, Harry.'
Harry smiled in return pleased to know that Narcissa still retained a sense of humour despite everything that had happened.
***********
Hermione was enjoying her first cup of coffee of the morning as she mused on the events of the previous few days. Had someone told her a week ago that she would now be assisting Harry in investigating a murder she would have thought them mad, but she knew from experience that life could throw up the most unlikely circumstances at times. It didn't matter to her what had brought them together again; what was important in her view was the simple fact that Harry had returned - he had come back to her.
She was well aware that Harry was not the same person as a year ago, but then - as Arthur had pointed out - who was? She had to admit to herself, though, that the events of last year had affected her dearest friend more than anyone. If she was honest, this new Harry had intimidated her a little at first and she had actually been a little afraid of him. Ironically, it was the sight of his rage at Dawlish that allayed these fears. Initially, she had been terrified to see the violence of her friend but she now realised that the rage had only been unleashed in defence of her. Harry had always been fiercely protective of those he cared about and she reckoned that his anger yesterday had been a manifestation of this concern. This gave her some cause for hope.
She had been watching him closely since his return and had felt her heart almost break as he tentatively reached out for the lifeline she offered. He was definitely letting his guard down and becoming more at ease, but it occurred to her that this only happened when she was alone with him. His discomfort in her office at meeting her department heads had been obvious, but once they had left, something of the old Harry had returned. It was a start.
She was also aware that there had been a few uncomfortable moments between them and wondered if it was merely down to Harry's current fragility. When he had held her at the window in Malfoy's flat she had sensed something more than mere consideration over her dislike of heights. She shivered. No one had held her like that since…well, since Harry, if she was honest with herself. Whilst Ron had been her first - and only - lover, she had never felt as secure; as safe - almost as if she belonged - in his arms as she had in Harry's yesterday. Harry had never been a demonstrative person, but on those rare occasions in the past when he had held her, she had sensed the fierce protectiveness that was as much a part of him as his skin.
But when they had locked eyes by the window, Hermione had caught a glimpse of…something - she couldn't quite put her finger on what, though. She had felt drawn to him for a brief moment before he had suddenly moved. When they had broken apart she had sensed the inner turmoil in her friend and for a few seconds they had regarded each other like strangers. The problem was that she was having difficulty reading him; he was bottling so much up that it was hard to tell what exactly was lurking behind his barriers. There was no doubt in her mind that he was holding something back, but she didn't know what it was and it irked her because she believed that whatever it was would be the key to unlocking his defences. Was it something he had done whilst in self imposed exile? Perhaps it was the outstanding issues of guilt and remorse?
Or perhaps, she considered for the first time, I can't figure it out because it is something he has always been keeping from me.
She turned suddenly at a knock on her leaned forward in her chair in order to compose herself.
'Come in!'
The door swung open and Harry strolled in, a grim look on his face.
'Have you seen this?' he asked without preamble as he thrust a folded copy of the Daily Prophet towards her.
'And good morning to you too, Harry,' she replied, a hint of asperity in her tone. Then she noticed the look on his face. She grabbed the paper from his hand and flipped to the front page. On seeing her own image splashed underneath the lurid headline, she felt an overwhelming sense of anger surge through her.
'That bloody bitch!' she exclaimed. 'That foul, evil…'
'I know,' said Harry, interrupting her tirade. He looked directly at her. 'You can walk away if you want,' he said quietly. He lowered his eyes. 'I know you don't like being in the spotlight.'
She took her time before replying, taking a moment to study her friend. He was right, of course; she hated being in the spotlight, but she had to confess that the events of the past few days had given her a new lease of life. It occurred to her that she had hardly thought of Ron at all recently; and whilst she did feel a pang of guilt about this, the enjoyment she was deriving from accompanying Harry on this case more than assuaged any feelings of remorse. She also noticed that Harry was deliberately avoiding her gaze right now.
'Not a chance, Harry,' she finally replied. 'There's no way I'm walking away from this - or you,' she added. She noticed a flash of relief flash across his face for a moment and knew that she had made the correct decision.
'Thank you,' he replied. He looked directly at her once again. 'I'm glad.'
She tried to hold his gaze but wilted under his scrutiny. He was looking at her with such intensity that she felt he was looking into her. She sought desperately to change the subject.
'How did Rita find out?' she asked, her voice thick.
Harry shrugged. 'I have my suspicions. Did you tell anyone?' he asked.
'No! I never told a soul - not even the Weasleys when I saw them last night.'
Harry nodded. 'That's what I thought. So who did talk?'
She narrowed her eyes. 'Dawlish,' she hissed.
'I don't think there is any doubt about that - he was the only one we told. But,' he added, holding up a finger, 'it was not necessarily Dawlish who told Rita. It's just as plausible that he told the entire office once he found out. It could have been anyone.'
She conceded the logic of this. 'So we still have no idea who the leak is?'
'No; but I suggest we go and speak to Rita when we get a chance.' He glanced at his watch. 'Not today though; we have an appointment with Cho's father this morning - Kingsley arranged at all for me yesterday. Do you know anything about him?'
She puffed out her cheeks as she considered his question. 'Not really,' she finally replied. 'I know that the Chang family are very rich; richer even than the Malfoys. They are not an entirely magical family - apparently they deal quite a bit with the Muggle world as well as ours. Fingers in a lot of pies from what I can gather. They are very influential in the Wizengamot too; we have been spending a lot of time and effort to gain their support recently and I think we are starting to convince them.'
'I've been meaning to ask you about that,' said Harry. 'How come you are dealing with Fudge?'
She noticed the accusing stare he was giving her but decided to ignore it. 'I know you don't like him, Harry; neither do I for that matter. But he has been doing some important work for us. I was not too happy about it at first but Kingsley convinced me that we sometimes have to work with those we don't like. It's not as if we are bosom buddies - he serves a purpose, that's all. He's been working on the Changs for some time now. We think their support will be crucial.'
Harry regarded her for some time before finally shrugging, dismissing the matter as irrelevant. Instead of pursuing things further, he reached over and grabbed Hermione's coat.
'C'mon; we have a lot to get through today.'
Feeling strangely relieved, Hermione took the offered jacket and led them out of her office.
***********
Forty minutes later found Harry and Hermione standing at the front door of a plush town house in the St James' district of central London. It was a very exclusive address, close to both Westminster and the palace and it was evident that the people who lived in this neighbourhood were serious players. The façades of the various buildings positively reeked of power and influence.
Hermione watched as Harry pulled on an old fashioned bell to the right of the imposing black door. After a few moments, it swung open and an immaculately attired butler stood before them, regarding them imperiously.
'Can I help you Sir? Madam?'
'Yes,' replied Harry, formally. 'Could you please inform the master of the house that Harry Potter and Hermione Granger have arrived? He is expecting us.'
'Of course, sir. Please come in,' the butler replied. As he led them into a small drawing room just of the hallway, Hermione shared a look with her friend as they both sat down on comfy leather Chesterfield armchairs. She had always suspected that Cho had come from wealthy stock but had no idea just how rich her family was. This was a different world to anything she had ever encountered. Even the Malfoys could not fail to be impressed by the understated wealth of this house. The other thing that struck her as she cast her glance around the room was the Muggleness of the whole setting. Examination of the various portraits and ornaments that adorned the room provided no clue that the owners were magical.
'Is there anything else you can remember about them?' asked Harry in a low voice.
She shrugged. 'Not really. I reckon you know as much as I do now. Kingsley always said that the Chang family were important in our world but he didn't go into detail.'
Harry nodded his acceptance at her words and lapsed back into silence. Almost five minutes passed in this manner, the only sound being the incessant tick-tock from a rather grand clock that adorned the far wall. Finally, the door opened and they were confronted once more by the haughty butler.
'Sir? Madam? Please follow me.'
They were led past a number of grand rooms until they finally reached a sturdy wooden door at the end of the hall. Thrusting it open and standing aside to allow them to enter, the butler announced their arrival.
'Mr Harry Potter and Ms Hermione Granger to see you, sir,' he intoned.
Hermione was finding the situation faintly ridiculous; this was like something out of a P.G. Wodehouse novel. No one employed butlers in the Magical World; House Elves were the preferred servant of the Magical elite. She entered the room and her attention was immediately drawn to a tall, thin man of Asian extraction who stood in front of a large Mahogany desk. He nodded his head to them both.
'Mr Potter, Miss Granger? I am Cheng-Yung Chang. How can I be of assistance?'
'Thank you for agreeing to see us,' replied Harry. 'I know that this is not an easy time for you.'
Chang inclined his head in acknowledgment of the words. 'Please; sit down,' he said, indicating to two seats by the desk. Hermione sat and watched Harry do the same. Both chairs were low and placed them at a disadvantage. Chang remained standing.
'I must confess,' began Chang, 'that I was pleased to hear of your appointment, Mr Potter. The evidence certainly points to the guilt of Mr Malfoy but I think it is prudent to be sure in such matters.'
Such matters? thought Hermione. This was the murder of his daughter that was being discussed. Did the man have no feelings? She turned as Harry cleared his throat.
'I agree Mr Chang. That is why we are here. I would be grateful if you could provide any information on Cho's movement the night she died.'
Chang sighed. 'There is not much to tell I'm afraid. We had been hosting a party here when Cho told us that she had received a message and had to leave. I naturally assumed that she had a date. Indeed, that was the impression she gave to me.'
'Did she say who she was going to meet?' asked Harry.
'No.'
'Had she mentioned seeing anyone prior to that evening?'
'No. I did not pry too much into my daughter's affairs. You may learn one day that a father should not ask too many questions of his daughter for fear of receiving answers that do not please him.'
Harry suppressed a sigh; this was going nowhere. 'Can I ask who else attended the party?'
Chang considered him for a moment. 'It was a private affair, Mr Potter. A small gathering - only about thirty or so. Most of the guests were Muggles.' He noticed the looks of surprise on the faces of his inquisitors and smiled for the first time. 'You find this strange, I presume? I should explain that my interests are not merely confined to our world. I have prominent associates in the Muggle world too. This is why I keep such a house as this. Our estate in the country would perhaps more suit your magical tastes.'
'Would it be possible for me to see the guest list?' asked Harry.
Chang took a moment to answer. Finally he nodded. 'Of course, Mr Potter; that should not present a problem. I will have it sent to you.'
'Thank you. Just a few more questions, if you don't mind?' Chang nodded his assent. 'Where did Cho work?'
This brought a reaction from the man, his face displaying a hint of distaste. 'She worked at Gringotts, Mr Potter; although I would rather she had not. She handled some of the more…prestige accounts on behalf of the bank. I am sure that you will appreciate that some of the wealthier elements of our society, whilst content to bank at Gringotts, still prefer to deal with a human in certain affairs. This was Cho's role. Something troubles you, Miss Granger?' he asked suddenly.
Hermione flushed, realising that she must have let her annoyance show at the sort of person who did not like dealing with the Goblins directly. 'No; it's just that this unfortunate event has affected me somewhat,' she lied.
'Quite understandable,' replied Chang. 'I believe you both knew my daughter at Hogwarts? She mentioned you both on occasion, particularly you Mr Potter,' he added.
Harry ignored the irrelevancy. This was turning out to be a complete waste of his time. He decided to change tack. 'I understand you advised Gawain Roberts to take a more active role in the investigation. Might I ask why?'
For the first time, Hermione noticed a flash of impatience on the man's features. It had been fleeting - almost invisible; but she had seen it.
'As I said earlier,' replied Chang, 'I think it prudent to be sure in these matters. I just wanted to be certain that the case was being handled properly. Mr Robards is a man of some experience. Is there anything else?' The question was almost a dismissal.
Harry decided that he did not like Mr Chang very much and allowed some of his irritation to show. 'I would like a look around Cho's room,' he said flatly. 'I also want a look at any papers she may have left.'
Chang considered the request for some time. Finally he nodded. 'Of course, Mr Potter. Cho had her own apartment but I will arrange for you to gain access. I will have my man provide you with the necessary information. Is this satisfactory?'
'More than satisfactory. I think that is everything,' replied Harry evenly. He relented somewhat. 'And thank you for your time.'
'Your welcome, Mr Potter,' replied Chang as he reached for and pulled a bell rope, 'I will have my man show you out. Please do not hesitate to contact me again if you require further information.'
Yeah, right, thought Hermione. Information? He had told them nothing.
'Thank you Mr Chang,' said Harry, getting to his feet. In a moment the door swung open and - after a brief wait for the location of Cho's apartment - the two friends found themselves on the pavement outside in the morning sunshine. Hermione looked at Harry.
'That was a waste of time, wasn't it?'
To her surprise, Harry smiled in return. 'Maybe not,' he replied, somewhat cryptically in her opinion. He noticed her look of confusion and decided to elaborate. 'Sometimes you can tell a lot about someone by what they don't say. He's not happy that I asked to see the guest list and he's not happy that I want into Cho's flat either. It wouldn't surprise me if there are a few things missing from both. He's up to something.'
'You don't think he's involved with the murder of his own daughter, do you?' she asked, incredulity in her voice.
Harry smiled at her naivety. 'As it happens, no; I don't think he's involved, but I wouldn't rule it out either. You'd be surprised at what people are capable of.' He glanced at his watch. 'C'mon, we have time to visit her apartment before lunch,' he said, as he headed off towards The Mall.
Hermione sighed in frustration before hastening to catch up. She was beginning to wonder if she was cut out for this sort of thing.
***********
Harry cursed as he closed yet another folder and placed it on top of an ever growing pile on the desk in front of him. Since arriving at Cho's apartment he had found nothing of relevance to the case and he was beginning to wonder if he was leading them on a wild goose chase. He glanced up at Hermione who was still poring over Cho's diary. She had found it almost immediately and Harry still marvelled at her powers of reasoning and deduction.
On first entering the room, Hermione had made an immediate beeline for the well stacked bookcase on the far wall. There were books on Magical History; on Quidditch and Charms; books on Arithmancy and Ancient Runes. In fact, there had been books on just about every aspect of the magical world that a person could think of. He had been amused at her behaviour; it didn't matter where she was, Hermione was always drawn towards books. He had watched for a few moments as she cast her eye over the various tomes on display before he had turned to begin the search for the room. That was when she had let out an explanation of surprise.
'Harry? Look at this.'
He'd wandered over to join her and had noticed that she held a rather large book in her hand. She held it up to show him the title.
"The Complete Works of William Shakespeare."
He had looked at her in bemusement, before shrugging.
Hermione had sighed at his obtuseness. 'How many witches or wizards have you even seen read Shakespeare, Harry?'
He'd considered the question, suddenly aware that the obvious answer was none. Well, none if you didn't count the witch standing in front of him. That was when she had opened the cover and he'd been astonished at what lay within.
Cho's diary.
He still could not fathom how she had made the connection that something was awry when she had spotted the Muggle book in amongst the magical tomes. It occurred to him that only a Muggleborn would have noticed such a discrepancy and even then, only a particularly well read Muggleborn would have been suspicious at the presence of such a book and would have considered that something was awry. After noticing her quiet satisfaction at the discovery, he'd been happy to let her be the one to go through it. He still had some scruples about reading someone else's diary - especially a woman's and especially someone he knew.
He watched as she licked her index finger before turning over a page. She was completely oblivious to anything else and he was captivated by the look of fierce concentration on her face. He knew that Hermione loved an intellectual challenge and he was happier than he would care to admit that she had decided to remain with him on the case. He was feeling the old pull; the pull that he'd been fighting for years and he found to his surprise that he was finding it harder than ever to keep his guard up. He told himself that he only wanted her with him because he needed her intelligence and insight, but he knew - deep down - that this was only partly true. If he was honest, he had to admit that he just wanted her close to him at the moment for his own sense of wellbeing. He felt twice the man he actually was when he was with her. His resolve to remain aloof had crumpled almost as soon as he made contact with her again and his greatest concern now was the possibility that he would slip up and reveal too much to her.
With a sigh, he removed another handful of parchment from the pile of unread items. He'd been surprised at the sheer volume of paperwork that Cho kept in her house but he'd quickly come to realise that she had been something of a Magpie when it came to possessions. The good news was that Cho had been an extremely well organised individual; the various documents had been sorted by category and then in date order. He had even found a neat pile of old homework essays from their time at Hogwarts. In this respect, Cho was an ideal victim, for if a clue existed, it would be somewhere in this room.
He glanced at the next piece of parchment and immediately sensed that something was awry. It took him a few moments to work out what was amiss but when the realisation finally hit he felt a sudden surge of excitement. He quickly flipped through the remaining pile to confirm his suspicions.
'Hermione?' he began quietly, 'How far back have you managed to reach in the diary?'
He noticed Hermione regard him with a curious look before answering. 'I've only managed to go back six months so far and I haven't found anything useful. It's not a particularly sordid diary - mainly it just deals with her work and stuff. Why do you want to know?'
Harry took his time before answering. 'Could you check back a bit further? Say around the time of Ron's death?' he asked as casually as he could. He noticed that her curiosity was really piqued now.
'What is it Harry?'
He sighed. 'Have you noticed how organised Cho was? I mean, everything is categorised and in date order. It's unbelievable.'
Despite the situation, Hermione smiled. 'I had noticed, Harry, but it's nothing out of the ordinary. Just because you are disorganised doesn't mean everyone is. Cho's system isn't very different from my own. Now can you tell me what's wrong?'
'There is stuff missing,' he replied. There's a two week gap in her documents and it relates to the time Ron was killed.' He had tried to sound nonchalant but his voice had sounded hoarse. 'I was thinking that someone has already been in here and removed some papers. I also think that whoever has done this wouldn't have discovered the diary. No one else is as brilliant as you.
He noticed her flush at his complement before the full implications of his words hit home. Her coy look changed to one of astonishment before she quickly turned her attention to the diary. She flipped back furiously through the pages until she reached the relevant dates. Harry watched with a growing sense of anticipation. After a few minutes she finally looked up and he was surprised to see tears in her eyes.
'What's wrong?' he asked in concern as he moved towards her. 'What is it?'
Hermione didn't reply. Instead, she proffered the diary towards him and he turned his attention to the page. He noticed that it was dated the day before Ron's death. With a trembling hand he took the diary from Hermione and began to read.
And there it was; the break they had been looking for written in the neat, round handwriting of their former schoolmate.
Tuesday - 1.30pm. Meeting with R.W. re transfers.
He looked up at Hermione, the realisation dawning.
R.W.
Oh, Ron; what the hell did you get yourself involved with?