Hermione of Hogwarts

Chapter 3: Seduced by her Intelligence...

Minerva McGonagall sat crossed-legged on the floor. Dumbledore had brought in a chair but she didn't want to sit on it. There was food but she wasn't hungry. There were books but all Minerva could read was the Front page of the Daily Prophet- "Granger Gores Krum!"

She put her face in her hands and wept.

~*~

Hermione sat crossed-legged on the floor. Through her pathetic excuse for a window, she could see the water ripple like the cloaks of her guards. She shivered and hugged her knees.

A carving on the wall of her cell caught her eye. She read it.

I listen to the seagulls I envy their freedom.

I listen to the flies, I envy how much room they have.

I listen to the Dementors-

You know you're in trouble when their life seems better than yours.

Let me out of here.

Arthur Weasley

Hermione wept, thought of Ron, and beat her fists against the floor. She hated Azkaban.

~*~

Severus Snape stood by his cauldron. Gold sparks danced on the surface and every so often, a pink jet of light would burst out from the potion making the whole office seem like Valentine's Day at Madame Pudifoot's.

He, like the rest of the Wizarding world, knew that Hermione Granger had been arrested. He knew that tomorrow she would stand trial for the murder of Viktor Krum. He had made up his mind that he would be there.

He hoped she wouldn't hang, but he'd be there if she did.

The corners of his mouth turned up. The potion was nearly finished, but for once he wasn't thinking about that. He had a plan.

~*~

Two teenage boys, both green eyed, one with dark hair and the other red, steeped out of a lift several metres below the ground surface of London. They both wore square badges with the words Wizengamot Audience written below their names.

"Do you think Dumbledore will be there?" Ron asked, rubbing his nose.

"I don't know," Harry answered. "But I hope he is. If anyone can convince the Wizengamot of Hermione's innocence, it's him.

Ron nodded, as though Harry was simply confirming what he had known all along and they entered the courtroom.

Harry looked around. Many teachers were there, from Professor Flitwick to Snape. Rita Skeeter was sitting at the front, her quill skidding over a piece of parchment and, to Harry's intense relief, Dumbledore was waving to them, indicating some spaces next to him.

Fudge stood up. "Bring out the prisoner."

Hermione was brought out by two Dementors. She was unrecognisable. Her hair was dirty and unkempt, her eyes unfocused and sad. She used to stand so tall and so self-assured, now she bent almost double, as though trying to hide from the gazes of everyone in the room. To see her so lifeless was tragic. She sat on the chair, closed her eyes, and chains snaked around her ankles, wrists and neck.

"We are here for the trial of Hermione Jane Granger into the murder of Viktor Krum. Interrogators: Cornelius Oswald Fudge, Amelia Susan Bones, Mitchell Rupert Smith. Court Scribe: Rita Skeeter." Fudge put his scroll away and muttered very quietly, "Lawyer for the defendant, Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore."

Hermione opened her eyes, but her expression remained vacant.

"We will begin by hearing the facts."

A grey-haired wizard stood up, stuck a monocle in his eye and recited in a monotonous voice, "On Tuesday, 23^rd of June at eleven forty-five, Viktor Krum was murdered by a ten-inch knife stuck into his head. He died ten minutes later. The defendant was found at the scene."

"Hermione Jane Granger, how do you plead?" Fudge sneered.

Hermione looked at him. She opened her mouth, but only a rasping sound came out.

"She pleads not guilty," Dumbledore said.

There was only one witness from each side, as well as the usual cross-examination of the defendant. The prosecution brought out a former Slytherin student who spent most of his time bad mouthing Hermione and her family. Dumbledore brought out Madame Rosmerta.

"Where did you last see Krum?" Dumbledore asked.

"On the night he died. He was drinking a Firewhisky in my pub. Actually, he drank quite a few of them."

"Was he alone?"

"No. He was with a man with black hair and a green cape. The stranger wasn't drinking much but he paid for everything."

"What happened?"

"They talked for a bit, but I didn't hear what. At about half eleven, Krum stood up to leave. The stranger disillusioned himself and Krum was so drunk he couldn't see him at all. He was calling out for him but the man didn't reveal where he was. Finally Krum left and the man followed him.

"The man followed him. Are you sure?"

"I saw out of the window, Krum was walking with the man a few steps behind. I could just about make him out, he wasn't very clear, but I'm positive he was there."

"Did you hear anything they said?"

Rosmerta frowned. She opened her mouth and said hesitatingly, "The man in the green cape said something like 'I'd like to see her again'."