Unofficial Portkey Archive

Chapter 46

--

Hermione wiped her forehead and panted. She was absolutely exhausted. She hadn't left the Ministry of Magic in three days, and in those days she had slept for just a couple of hours. She kept trying to rest, but something always pressed on - needing to getting done.

The Ministry had become the new headquarters for the revolution. Or could it be called a revolution now? They had won, so revolution might not be the right name anymore. Hermione scratched her head, she was so tired.

The Ministry was temporarily completely restricted. The department of magical law enforcement was now overseeing all pureblood wizards and their actions, deciding who to be sent immediately to holding cells, some were sent immediately to trial and some walked free. Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures was completely shut down at the moment, right now it only housed injured. Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes housed the volunteers while Department of International Magical Cooperation tried to sort out what was happening around Europe.

Hermione stepped into one of the lifts and hit level six, Department of Magical Transportation; she needed to find Ron and had been told he was working there today. The Department of Magical Transportation was questioning the most wanted criminals, and very few people were allowed to enter there. Only Order members could go there now.

The doors opened on level four and a small family stepped inside - a mother father and two daughters. They all looked very tired and exhausted but the girls were beaming.

"Mom, I can't believe it, will I really get my own wand?" the older of the two shrieked.

"Yes dear," her mother answered for what sounded like the hundredth time.

"And will I have a shiny new one or will I get someone's used?"

"I don't know dear, you'll have to wait and see what Mr. Ollivander gives you."

Hermione looked down at her feet and smiled to herself.

"And you don't get one," the girl said from the corner of her mouth at her sister who looked heartbroken at her older sister.

"Stop taunting your sister Jenny!" their father scolded. "She'll get one when she is of age as well."

"But when will I get it?" the older sister demanded,

"When everything settles down dear," her mother sighed.

The lift stopped on the sixth floor then and Hermione stepped outside. Just as the doors behind her closed she heard the girl ask. "But exactly how long will that take?"

-

The corridor was completely empty and all the doors around her were closed. She took a deep breath as she walked down the hall. She could just imagine the number of Death Eaters in the different rooms right now, being questioned.
She walked to the larger staff room down the hall where she found Ron, Kingsley and Lupin at a table. They acknowledged her with a nod but kept talking.

"Well what is he admitting to then?" Ron asked Lupin.

"He says that his father was the minister, he claims he had no knowledge of what was happening to Muggleborns," Remus sighed exasperated.

"Coward," Ron groaned.

"Yes, but Draco will get what is coming to him. He will have a trial shortly."

"Could he get off?" Kingsley asked as Hermione sat down at the table.

"No, never. He has tried to keep his hands clean, but they've already ransacked his flat and they found some… well very disturbing items."

"What?" Hermione asked and grabbed a mug of tea on the table.

Kingsley didn't get a chance to answer as they all looked up, Mad-Eye Moody was just walking by with a prisoner in handcuffs. Hermione stiffened as Blaise Zabbini walked by. He looked into the staffroom and met her eyes. He didn't look surprised or outraged, he just looked weary.

Hermione let out a breath as he was out of sight.

"Did he confess to anything?" she asked.

"No, he claims he was innocent - just as most of these fucking assholes do," Ron groaned, "but we have evidence. He has killed Muggleborns, he has sold some as slaves, and he has raped a few girls in his bar. He won't be seeing freedom for the rest of his life!" He looked a bit apprehensive at her, and she knew he was thinking about her working in the club with Blaise. She shook her head slightly, blinking her eyes then giving him a confirming look, trying to say "No, that didn't happen to me!"

"Any news?" she asked and he shook his head sadly.

"Not since last,"

She shoved her hand into her pocket and clasped the small piece of paper hiding there. She had held it, touched it, and squeezed it so many times it was almost falling to pieces. A day after they had reclaimed the ministry, they had received it from Dumbledore. It only read, "Harry is injured, but alive"

It was her hope now… that note was what made her fight and not just collapse in fatigue. Ron squeezed her shoulder.

"Hermione, my mom and Ginny went to the Leaky Cauldron to shower. They are in room seven, why don't you go? Maybe try and get some sleep?"

She looked down at her hands. They were black with dirt; her fingernails looked like a health hazard.

"Maybe…" she sighed.

"And please, could you bring Luna? I don't think she has stopped to eat."

"Where is she?" Hermione asked.

"She is helping with the injured."

-

Hermione entered Control of Magical Creatures. There were beds literally everywhere, and she had to press herself between them to get down the corridor. A few of the wizards and witches on the beds were handcuffed to bed and she avoided looking at them.

She found Luna taking care of an injured wizard further down the hall. Luna's hair was in a messy ponytail and she had dried blood in her hair.

"Luna," Hermione called out and she looked up.

"Oh thank the lord, "Luna sounded relieved, "Did you bring the new potions?" Luna stared at Hermione's empty hands and realized she hadn't brought anything. "Damn it all to hell…" she sighed and slumped against the bed. Hermione could see that Luna was just as exhausted as she was.

"I was thinking about getting a shower, maybe some food and rest. Do you want to come?"

Luna looked around the room, people were moaning all around, asking for water, complaining about pain. She didn't have to answer. Hermione had already rolled up her sleeves and grabbed a cloth and was helping Luna clean the wounds of the man on the bed.

-

Six hours later she was walking in silence out of the entrance of Ministry of Magic. London was in total and utter chaos. At the entrance hundreds of owls were waiting to enter and deliver their post. Everywhere Death Eaters were giving up.

Owls had started arriving to London just about the same time as the Death Eaters gave up there. The war was over! They had won! They had defeated Lord Voldemort and his followers!!

Hermione squinted at the sun outside the ministry. The whole street was filled with people everywhere. They were running, dancing, cheering, screaming and some were crying. They walked silently through the crowd to the Leaky Cauldron, and it was a struggle to go up the stairs to room seven.

It was empty now, the Weasley's had left long ago.

"Do you want to shower first?" Luna asked and didn't move from the doorframe.

"Why don't you shower, I'll go down to the kitchen and see if we can get something to eat."

They ate in silence, both almost falling over with exhaustion. When Hermione was finished in the shower Luna had already fallen asleep on the bed.

-

She got no rest from her sleep; her dreams were erratic and scary. She kept seeing Harry injured in various ways. Bleeding and screaming, begging for her to help him.

Most of the times he was standing far away from her and she was trying to run to him, but her feet would be stuck to the muddy ground.

She woke when Luna was shaking her violently in bed.

"Hermione, wake up! You're dreaming!" she was yelling and Hermione's eyes darted open.

She stared around her for a few moments before she realized where she was. She wiped her face and felt tears on her cheeks, and she was soaked in sweat.

"Wh-what…?" she started but before Luna answered she leaned forward and hugged Luna tight, sobbing into her shoulder.

"He's going to be fine!" Luna promised and gently stroked her back.

"I just wish I heard something from him or about him!"

"I know, I still haven't heard anything about my father," she said sympathetically.

-

They walked back to the Ministry, going on the fourth day now; celebrations were still wild in the streets. A lot had died down after the first day, but people were still mad with joy. Everything owned by a Death Eater was being reclaimed, and places like the Leaky Cauldron - who had catered to the evil purebloods, but technically not done anything wrong - had to get used to muggleborns entering their establishments like it was nothing.

"Hermione?" someone said and Hermione spun around.

"Christina?" she asked in surprised. The stripper from Blaise's bar was standing in front of her.

"I'm so glad you're okay!" Christina said and hugged her tightly. Hermione pulled back and eyed her suspiciously. Christina pretended like she didn't notice it and carried on, "Yeah I saw you yesterday at the ministry, seems like you know a lot of the new people huh? Well anyway, I have been trying to get someone to let me into Blaise's club. You see I have a lot of jewelry in there, and I'd just like to get it you know."

Hermione sighed tiredly.

"His club had been repossessed. You'll have to wait like everyone else. If it's in your name, you'll get it I'm sure… Now I have to get back." She started to turn when Christina grabbed her upper arm hard, her red nails pressed into Hermione's skin and Hermione looked down at the hand.

"Christina," she said warningly.

"Hemmy!" Christina snapped and she sounded like her old self now - commanding Hermione what to do. Hermione yanked her arm back.

"My name is Hermione, Christina! And you will have to wait for your turn in line now, that's what the rules mean!"

"But you could help me, you know these people…" Christina begged. "we're friends right?" she asked.

Hermione glanced over at Luna who looked impatient and then back at Christina.

"Things have changed Christina, you should probably start to adjust," she started to walk away when Christina yelled after her.

"Hey come back here, don't you forget what I have done for you." Hermione stopped in her tracks.

"Just leave it," Luna murmured from the corner of her mouth. But Hermione was far too tired and strung up. She whirled around so fast that Luna hardly had time to react. She grabbed Christina hard by her arms.

"You have done nothing for me, do not kid yourself. Things are about to change now Christina, and everything you have done to anyone will come back and bite you in the ass. So you should stop expecting favors and prepare yourself. Of better yet, maybe you should start running because it won't be pretty!" she hissed and shoved Christina away from her.

As she walked behind Luna, back to the Ministry she scolded herself. She shouldn't have done that. It was unnecessary, but still, she had never been able to speak back to anyone who treated her like dirt. It was liberating! Now, if only that fat man she used to work for, who used to make her eat on the floor with the dogs would be here - it would make her day!

-

They entered the Ministry and looked around the complete and constant chaos which was the lobby.

"Are you going back to help the injured?" Hermione yelled over the crowd.

"Yeah, I think I can do the most there and you?" Luna replied but suddenly froze to ice.

Hermione spun around and saw Ron walking towards them. His face was like stone, and he looked ghostly white. She met his eyes and felt like ice filled her veins. He walked towards them and instantly Luna and Hermione grabbed each other's hands, their fingers intertwining. Who?

Finally he was at them and with a shaky voice he started.

-

Hermione was holding on to Luna for dear life. Luna was crying uncontrollably in her arms and Hermione tried to comfort her.

"I'm so sorry," Ron said behind her shoulder and in a swift motion Hermione and Ron exchanged the crying heap of Luna between them.

"What happened?" Hermione asked.

"We don't know," Ron answered and patted Luna's head. "I don't know more than that they found him recently. But it was an Avada, so there was no pain," he spoke softly and Luna cried harder.

"Number seven in the Leaky Cauldron is still empty..:" Hermione said and hurriedly wiped one of her own tears away. "Go…" she encouraged and Ron steered Luna towards the exit.

As they had left her eyesight she clutched at her chest. Poor Luna! Poor wonderful sweet Luna!

Yet, she felt so terrible guiltily. For those seconds, those moments before Ron had spoken she had believed he was about to tell her it was Harry. And when his focus had turned to Luna she had felt relief.

She tried to shake that thought away; it made her feel too awful! She thought about the heartbreak her friend was going through and she felt so miserable… it was just so sad.

At least Harry is alive, her mind snuck in before she could stop herself.

-

She was in yet another meeting with the Order inside the ministry. They were in discussion about who would become Minister of Magic. Moody wanted Kingsley to take the position, Kingsley said Dumbledore should do it, and Lupin thought there should be some sort of vote. The discussion went around and around and they weren't getting anywhere. The lack of sleep was probably why, but it was irritating everyone. Finally Arthur Weasley stood up.

"I suggest Kingsley Shacklebolt be the temporary Minister of Magic, does anyone disagree?"

No one spoke and it was decided.

"Now," Alastor spoke again, "On to the next subject; the wands of the Death Eaters, should they be burned, saved, redistributed?"

Just as the discussion was about to start the door burst open and Ginny Weasley clutched her chest in the doorframe.

"It is Dumbledore," she gasped and Hermione sat up straight in her chair, "he is back - he is here. And Harry is with him!"

-

Thanks to my wonderful and so fast beta Anna!

Document created with wvWare/wvWare version 1.2.7

-->