Beacon of Light in a Sea of Darkness

Chapter 1

Hermione Granger yawned widely, eying the piles of paperwork before her helplessly. A large stack of files also sat on her desk, all containing profiles of suspected Death Eaters that the Ministry had not yet acquired enough physical evidence to convict. As she flipped through Theodore Nott's file, she knew that he was undoubtedly a Death Eater, but all evidence against him was circumstantial. They could not bring him before the Wizengamot and expect to win the case.

A long, wistful sigh escaped her lips. These past two weeks had been terrible. Not a single real Death Eater arrest had been made and the public were getting increasingly agitated, accusing the Ministry of inefficiency. The Minister of Magic, Rufus Scrimgeour, was being bombarded with Howlers lately; he was always in such a foul mood, and who better to take it out on than the Aurors? Even his scapegoat arrests no longer worked, for they were getting more and more ridiculous by the day. The result was the Aurors, like Hermione, were forced to work with hardly a break for at least twelve hours a day, and often into the early hours of the next morning. Hermione had heavy, purple bags under her eyes from many sleepless nights as she pored over the piles upon piles of documents.

A clock somewhere chimed twelve times. It was midnight already, and she was still nowhere near finished. Many of her Auror colleagues had half-jokingly said that they saw so much of the office that they forgot what home looked like. To Hermione, she could barely classify that as an exaggeration. She stifled an oncoming rib-shattering yawn as she scribbled down notes from a previous interview with Nott. Every failure of the Ministry was being pinned over the Aurors' heads, and yet, they were still not getting anywhere. There were so many cold cases in the Ministry's storage rooms that she didn't even know where to begin. She ran her fingers through her rebellious hair, and picked up her mug of coffee, hoping it would stop her eyelids from drooping so much.

Suddenly, Harry Potter burst through the door of her private office, almost making Hermione spray her mouthful of coffee all over her precious paperwork. However, in her attempt to keep the coffee in her mouth, she did choke, her face turning bright red as she coughed. Harry did not even seem to notice since he was panting, and his face was flushed, but he was undeniably pleased over something. His brilliant, green eyes sparkled behind his glasses as he flashed her a wide grin.

"I've got great news!" he said excitedly.

Hermione wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, throwing Harry a sharp, reproachful glare. "You could have knocked, you know," she said, her tone very much disapproving. After all, he did make her choke.

"I'm sorry, Hermione," he said, the grin never leaving his face, "but I've just dug up some hard evidence on Draco Malfoy's guilt."

This almost made her choke again, but she caught herself just in time. "H--How...? What...?" she stuttered, disbelieving. All disapproval of Harry vanished at once. "Did you tell Ron? He's your partner."

"No, I haven't yet," he said. "You were the only one still here, so I thought I ought to share with you first. I mean, this is your job. We just track those Death Eaters down. You're the one who actually makes them stand trial and prosecutes them."

"Yes. Ron isn't here?" A hint of disapproval dropped into her voice again.

"No," said Harry. "He went home about an hour ago, muttering something about 'should have taken their offer at Puddlemere United'."

Hermione smiled, not at all surprised by Ron's behaviour. He had been particularly vocal about his disapproval of Scrimgeour and his treatment of Aurors, especially having been one himself.

"So what is it?" asked Hermione, excitement evident in her voice. "What did you find?"

Grinning, Harry slapped down a photograph onto her desk and leaned back, satisfied with his work. Hermione picked it up, her eyebrows knit closely. In the picture was a horde of ghastly corpses, surrounded by figures in black, hooded cloaks.

"Inferi," she murmured. A chilling tingle ran down her spine. She had never been particularly fond of this branch of magic.

Harry nodded as she returned to the picture, but she could not find anything that could possibly incriminate the prestigious Malfoy.

"But you can't prove Malfoy was there," she noted.

"As a matter of fact, you can," stated Harry enthusiastically. He withdrew his wand from his back pocket, and tapped the picture, muttering, "Engorgio."

The picture expanded and stretched until even the tiniest detail became visible. That's incredible resolution, Hermione thought. Harry pointed at one of the Death Eaters' hands, and Hermione's jaw promptly dropped. No way. She closed her mouth quickly as she looked up at Harry, whose expression was smug.

"The ring?" she asked, incredulous. "Is that the Malfoy crest?"

"Yes," he replied.

Hermione looked at the ring again. A snake coiled around a large letter M over the words "Sang Pur". Lucius Malfoy must have passed it on to his son right before his death. Hermione was almost convinced. Almost.

"How can you be sure it's him?" she asked.

"It has to be," answered Harry, a little annoyed. "It's the Malfoy crest. How many times have we seen that crest? It's got to be him."

"But how do you know that he isn't being framed?" she asked.

"He can't be," answered Harry. "You can't get something like that off of someone like Malfoy. It's got to be bewitched in a million different ways. And look at the colour of the skin. He's the only one I know who's that pale."

Hermione still wasn't too convinced. "All right," she said, "how do you know that this picture isn't a mere fabrication? They even have software in the Muggle world for things like that."

"I've done tests on them," he said, fully annoyed now. "Why are you asking all these questions? Aren't you happy that I got it?"

"I am, Harry," she said, calmly. "But wouldn't you rather I ask the questions now than wait for the defence to during the trial? How would that make us look?"

Harry was silent, knowing that she had a point there.

"So where did you get this?" asked Hermione.

"It was sent to me by owl." He shrugged.

"Do you know from who?" asked Hermione. But before he could answer, another chilling thought occurred to her. "Who took the picture?"

Harry shrugged. "Could be any of our Aurors," he said, looking bored and unconcerned. "We have spies all over the place. It could be any one of them."

"Well, Harry," said Hermione sceptically, "I suggest you do a thorough investigation. I have to have this information for our case to stand."

"Fine, I will," replied Harry, deeply irritated. "If this photograph doesn't manage to convince you, how about if I tell you we've actually got a witness?"

Hermione's jaw dropped again, but this time, she didn't close it, not having realised her mouth was open in the first place. "Who is it?" she asked.

"A Muggle-born who survived," he said. "She's currently steadily recovering from her injuries in St. Mungo's."

"That's great," exclaimed Hermione. "I will go and talk to her as soon as possible. And now, we must make an arrest; hopefully, we can keep him in our custody as we try to obtain a search warrant."

"I'll notify Kingsley and Scrimgeour, and I'll go get the team," he said, and was off to his office.

Hermione watched her best friend leave excitedly, but she found herself unable to share the same enthusiasm. There was definitely something fishy going on, but she felt powerless. There was nothing she could do. She would have to wait until she had interrogated the witness Harry had procured. Even though she trusted Harry with her life, she was still absolutely certain that there was something that he overlooked, which may result in the loss of the entire case, and worse. She would have to be the one to make sure that it wouldn't happen.

Not long after, Harry had arrived with a grumpy-looking Ron, followed by two other Aurors, Richard Johnston, and Cecilia Costa. Johnston was several years their senior, but he was burly and strong. His beefy moustache and piercing hazel eyes were intimidating to say the least, and he was very useful when physical violence arose during an arrest. Costa, on the other hand, was a thin, rather petite woman who had a sweet, soothing voice, which was probably why she was also a member of the brand new Redemption Squad, which focused on convincing captured Death Eaters to change sides in the war.

"Hermione, you're coming, right?" asked Harry.

"Sure," she answered. "Maybe some fresh air will help me look at the Nott case at a new angle."

Harry nodded. Hermione grabbed the cloak that had been draped over the back of her chair and followed the team out toward the lifts. They were finally going to make an arrest after two weeks of deep gloom and inactivity. She couldn't help but feel a certain tinge of excitement. Since it was so late, they were bound to catch Malfoy off-guard. After all, he was dangerous. He was suspected to be one of the highest-ranking Death Eaters in Voldemort's inner circle. If they caught him, maybe they would be able to force some information out of him, tipping the war to their advantage. Therefore, her whole career, and possibly even the Ministry's future, depended on this arrest.

They came to a stop near the rebuilt fountain in the Atrium of the Ministry. Hermione remembered that it was Harry, Dumbledore, and Voldemort who had destroyed the original fountain in their fifth year.

Harry pulled out a sheet of parchment from the inside pocket of his cloak.

"These are the coordinates of what we believe is a safe Apparition point," he said, dabbing a point on the map with his wand. "It's on the outskirts of a Muggle village, and a little more than half a mile from the gates of Malfoy Manor. We're going to have to walk the rest of the way."

Ron distinctively groaned, but everyone ignored him.

"There will be plenty of wards at the gates," continued Harry. "But there's good news. Ron and I have done extensive research, and we found all the spells for these wards." He looked at Costa. "Because you are a curse breaker, you will perform the necessary charms to disable them."

He withdrew another sheet of parchment, and this time, handed it to Costa. Hermione caught a glimpse of it and knew that Harry had written down all the charms and hexes on the gates. Many were made using the Dark Arts.

"Remember," he said, pointing at the map again. "Here."

So all five members of their team held out their wands and prepared for Apparition. With several loud cracks, all five disappeared into thin air, only to reappear in a completely foreign place. A chilly autumn breeze caused Hermione to hug her cloak tighter against her, looking around her and taking in every detail of her surroundings. It was deathly quiet. Nothing stirred except for the occasional tree limbs and the rustle of leaves. Small, old houses lined up neatly all the way down each of the narrow streets. Somehow, she doubted there was much bustling about even in plain daylight. Everything was so ordinary; it was strange to think that people so evil could possibly live here. She could see a small, thinning forest surrounding the village, and not too far off was a huge building on a gentle slope overlooking these small, insignificant rows of houses. Its grey stone walls and old elegance held an unusual beauty that Hermione couldn't quite describe. But there was no doubt in her mind that this was Malfoy Manor. The place looked like it was made for royalty.

Hermione snapped out of her trance, seeing her companions were already heading toward a path through the clumps of trees, which would inevitably lead to the huge mansion towering above.

"This is like going back to the feudal ages," remarked Hermione to no one in particular.

"That pompous git treats everyone like serfs anyway," said Ron, shrugging casually, appearing as though he was faking disinterest.

Hermione didn't know whether she was imagining it or not, but she thought she spotted red tinges on Ron's cheeks as he looked on at Malfoy Manor. Was it envy?

The five Aurors made their way across the forest quite uneventfully with Harry reminding everyone to be quiet and careful every two minutes. Hermione knew that Harry had felt responsible over the deaths of several of those he cared a lot about, such as Sirius and Dumbledore. She knew that he would not be able to endure any more strain if more of his friends died even if it was because he had indirectly made a slight mistake.

Diverting her gaze back toward the mansion ahead, she couldn't help but wonder what it would feel like if she were to live here. Not long later, they had arrived outside the gates. She watched with great interest as Costa pulled out her wand and muttered words in an ancient and foreign language. Small, indiscernible sparks erupted from the tip of her wand as she continued muttering. Even though Ron had lost interest in Costa's awesome curse breaking skills a long time ago due to routine, Hermione was still captivated. She had read books about curse breaking, but there had never been a chance for her to try out the spells she had learned. Soon, Costa stepped back, and gave Harry a nod. The latter reached for the latch, and warily, pulled it off its hook. Nothing happened. Harry let out a sigh of relief as he pushed the gates open and was the first to step onto Malfoy land. The others soon followed suit, their wands drawn, their steps cautious, and their senses sharpened.

"Are there any more wards on the doors?" whispered Hermione, stopping short of the golden door handle. It seemed to be shaped oddly like a twisted snake, but since it was so dark, she could neither confirm nor reject her observation.

Harry nodded just before Costa stepped forward. It took less time to disable these wards since they appeared to be simpler. The door was unlocked with an effortless "alohamora". When all five Aurors entered the Hall, everything was plunged into even deeper darkness and utter silence. However, when they moved, the soles of their shoes made clanking sounds on the polished marble floor that echoed eerily off the walls. But they were off again after a quick "silencio" was cast on their feet.

"Lumos," whispered Harry as they made their ascent on the grand staircase toward the upper-level.

Carpet, remarked Hermione to herself, as she felt a cushiony softness beneath her feet, the only indication that they were no longer stepping on marble. It was twelve fifty, according to the antique grandfather clock on top of the staircase when Harry's lit wand shined on it. It was so late, yet the adrenaline in her veins did more than all the coffee she had consumed today had done. She felt wide awake. The excitement and suspense was almost tangible in the cold air of the Manor, but the twists and turns were making Hermione dizzy. She could never find her way back if her companions weren't with her. Then, Harry made an abrupt stop in front of two large mahogany doors. His hand was already on the handle when he turned around to remind them to be silent. He opened the door slowly, thankful that there were no creaks. Even in the darkness, Hermione could tell that the room was incredibly large and beautifully decorated. No sound was being emitted except for the deep breathing that bordered on snoring. Draco Malfoy was asleep.

The Aurors filed in. Hermione didn't even realise that she was holding her breath until her lungs began screaming for oxygen.

"What do we do?" asked Hermione. "Do we wake him?"

"No," replied Harry. "He's dangerous. Better take advantage of him while he's vulnerable. Muffliato."

The spell hit Malfoy directly in the face, but he did not stir. Only a snort was released from him.

"Ready?" asked Harry, looking back at his team. "Mobilicorpus."

"Should have used 'Levicorpus'," said Ron, stifling a snicker from an entertaining mental image. Harry couldn't help but smile also.

Nevertheless, Malfoy floated off the bed and hung limply in midair, still sound asleep. The covers slid off of him, revealing his plain, black silk pyjamas. He floated nonchalantly toward Harry, until they were merely a foot away from each other.

"Do you have the portkey ready?" asked Harry.

Ron withdrew a battered old glove. Malfoy's clock read twelve fifty-nine.

"In a minute," said Ron.

"Good," said Harry. "I think you and Johnston should go with Malfoy. Take him to one of the free detention rooms. Make sure that you confiscate his wand. Good luck."

When the clock turned one, Ron, Johnston, and Malfoy vanished awkwardly, back to the Ministry.

"Let's go back," said Harry.

After the remaining three Aurors left the Malfoy grounds, they set up a large field to ward off unwanted lurkers and Muggles. When Harry, Hermione, and Costa arrived back at the Ministry, Ron was just locking the door of the temporary jail in which Malfoy was kept.

"Can you believe the bastard's still asleep?" asked Ron when he saw them approaching.

"Deep sleeper, eh?" said Harry, shaking his head. "Who would have known?"

"What do you suggest we do now?" asked Johnston, keeping a wary eye on the closed door, as if expecting it to explode at any second.

"That is the Director's decision," he replied. "I will Floo Shacklebolt since he told me to inform him of new developments as soon as possible. Interrogation is, no doubt, impractical now. We'll put that off until tomorrow, at least... or technically, several hours from now." It was already past one o'clock in the morning.

When Hermione re-entered her office, she decided that it was time to leave because she was sure that whatever they had to do could wait until tomorrow. Back at her flat, she soon collapsed on her bed, completely exhausted, but ready for a good night's sleep. However, nothing could prepare her for what was to come the following morning.