The Good Goblin made The Hog's Head look salubrious, but Severus would have drunk from their spitoon if it meant he found the information Hermione wanted. Putting up with their cheap rum and Mulciber's company was a doddle by comparison. He hadn't even needed to use the vial of Veritaserum he had secreted in his sleeve.

"Baby Barty managed it before," Severus suggested casually. "It couldn't be too hard."

"The boy had been coached. That damn Moody, I bet," Mulciber protested. "Threw off the curse like an old cloak. It wasn't my fault."

"So you were forced to kill him?"

---

"I put her to bed," Molly said, pushing a mug toward Mad-Eye.

"She'll have to show her face at the Ministry sooner or later," Moody warned. "Better for her if it's sooner."

Molly sighed. "She's in no fit state. She's blaming herself. She's blaming the boys. We both know she was nowhere near the Ministry, but if she said some of the things she said to me in front of an Auror, they'd lock them all up. She needs time to pull herself together before she goes anywhere near Magical Law Enforcement."

"She doesn't have that sort of time, Molly."

---

Hermione stood halfway down the stairs.

"They had a fight," said Moody. "If I know that, then so do half the Prides. Once the will comes out, she's going to be the prime suspect."

"The perfect scapegoat, you mean," Molly added.

"Either way, it's better if she goes in now."

Hermione trudged down the remaining steps with deliberately heavy feet. "Let me fetch Crookshanks," she requested. "Once he's safe, I'll go with you."

"It won't be easy, lassie," Mad-Eye warned.

"Do I have any other choice?" she asked. "Short of joining the Foreign Legion, I mean."

"A Portkey to Brazil?"

---

"Miss Granger, I think you fail to realise the gravity of your situation." The Auror leaned forward, resting his knuckles on the table. His face was distastefully close to Hermione's.

"Mister Dawlish, I think you fail to recognise the need for mouthwash."

"You filthy—"

Both of Moody's eyes suddenly glared at Dawlish. "You don't have any evidence. I think it's high time you let the young lady go."

"The young lady has refused Veritaserum."

"No, I did not!"

"The evidence exists..."

"I said I'd take it if I set the questions."

"And she can rot here till we find it."

---

"Be reasonable, Dawlish," Moody growled.

"The girl's hiding something."

"Everybody's hiding something."

"Not everyone's involved in a murder."

"There's a difference between dating a murder victim and being involved in a murder."

"Either she's involved or she's protecting someone. In my grimoire that doesn't make her girlfriend of the year," Dawlish argued.

"She loved Krum. She's willing to swear under Veritaserum she hadn't seen him in days. She knew he had an appointment at I.M.C. but she doesn't know why he was up on M.L.E.. She didn't know about the will-"

The door opened.

"Give her the Veritaserum," Shacklebolt ordered.

---

"Miss Granger," Shacklebolt addressed Hermione in his soothing bass. "When did you last see Viktor Krum?"

"The tenth, but I wrote every other day."

"You weren't in the Ministry yesterday?"

"No."

"Do you know why Viktor didn't leave the Ministry after his appointment with International Magical Co-operation?"

"I have no idea," Hermione answered sharply.

"Have you ever conspired to murder Mr Krum or cause him any physical harm?"

"No."

"Did you know of Viktor's death before you saw it in The Prophet?"

"No."

"When did you discover the terms of Mr Krum's will?"

"When I overheard Professor Moody this morning."

---

"Miss Granger, did you have any reason to wish Viktor Krum dead?"

"No, I didn't. We'd had an argument, he said some unkind things and broke my necklace, but that didn't change how I felt about him."

"And what were your feelings for the deceased?" Kingsley asked softly.

Hermione looked up, bright eyes meeting his. "I loved— love him... deeply. He's the only lover I've ever had. He made me feel... special, cherished."

"Thank you, Miss Granger," Shacklebolt added, glancing toward the stenographer who gave a nod. "You should get some rest until the Potion wears off. I'll escort you."

---

Hermione's eyes widened as she found herself not at The Burrow, but at Order headquarters. Moody stepped out of thin air beside her and Kingsley.

"Here?" she asked.

"It would be unwise for you to stay anywhere not currently protected by a Fidelius Charm, Hermione." Kingsley pulled a vellum envelope from his robes and passed it to her. "This is for you. I believe its contents will explain things. For now, suffice to say, you were in danger at the Ministry. As far as the wizarding world is concerned, you need to disappear."

"Crooksh—"

"Leave it to me," Moody growled.

---

Headquarters' front door burst open, and Ron tumbled out. "Hermione, are you alright? Mum said—"

"Of course I'm not alright, you moronic git. Viktor's dead, and maybe I'm not as much to blame as whichever Death Eaters he ran into, and I'm not as much to blame as you and Harry, but I didn't stop you either and he would never come to Britain and that makes it my fault, too, so, no, I'm not alright."

Kingsley sighed. "Come on, Hermione. Let's get you to your room before anyone else asks a question they don't want an honest answer for."

---

Kingsley settled Hermione on the bed and assessed her with dark eyes.

"You know I had to check that letter before I passed it on?" he asked.

"I knew you would," Hermione answered resignedly. "I suspect he did too."

"If I asked you when you hadn't taken Veritaserum, would you tell me who Prometheus was?"

Hermione flinched away from the kindly gaze. "No," she replied, her expression becoming more shrewd. "And you won't ask."

Kingsley blinked.

"You need our trust more than you need to know his identity. Even if you Obliviate me, he would find out... sooner or later."