Harry woke up with his face pressed to a cool floor. Something about that seemed wrong to him. Wracking his brain he suddenly shot up off the floor. The last thing he remembered was the green light of Riddle's killing curse hitting him in the chest. Wait! This feels familiar. Looking around Harry realized he was in an ephemeral version of the office where he had first met Ephialtes. As he looked towards the desk he saw the Reaper himself sitting there with another man.
"Fuck." Harry said eloquently as he got up off the floor. He walked over to the desk and threw himself down into the chair next to the other man. Looking across the desk he saw that Ephialtes was refusing to meet his eyes. "Look, I'm sorry Ephialtes but I couldn't let him kill Hermione like that." When the Reaper didn't react except to clench his fists Harry turned to the man sitting next to him. "Were you on your last chance too?" The man was large and powerfully built with an olive complexion and dark curls. He boomed out a laugh at Harry's question.
"No, lad. My destiny was not such that I had to be sent back. Unfortunately, like this little sneak here, my soul was judged to have incurred a debt." The man had a deep, pleasant, cultured voice. Something about the way he spoke struck a chord in Harry's memory but he couldn't quite place it. "First things first, I should say. My name is Gaius Cassius Longinus, an Angel of Death. A pleasure to make your acquaintance." Harry took the hand the man was holding out.
"Harry James Potter. Likewise. So is an Angel of Death the same thing as a Reaper?" He replied to Gaius' introduction. The man let out another booming laugh.
"Not quite, though I suppose there are some similarities. To use a metaphor: if a Reaper works at the Reception, an Angel of Death is the Concierge. Ephialtes is supposed to deal with the new arrivals and send them on. I take care of them after that." That cleared up what Gaius' position in the afterlife was but not what he was doing here.
"At the risk of sounding rude, what exactly are you doing here? I thought that if I died both Ephialtes and I would be dropped into Purgatory? Or is that your job too?" There was a massive grin on Gaius' face as he answered.
"No, that is not a part of my tasks. I am here in a supervisory capacity at the behest of corporate. Your Reaper managed to make a right mess of things and your actions in the mortal realm just now provide us with a chance to make things right again."
"How did he make a mess of things and is that why he hasn't spoken yet?" Harry asked. Ephialtes' face turned red with shame.
"The little sneak doesn't know how to operate the Room of Returning, but thought he could get by with a manual and some luck. He was so desperate to avoid having your last chance denied by corporate that he decided to send you back without a technician who knew what they were doing present." When Gaius mentioned the Room of Returning Harry knew where he recognized the voice from.
"You're the one who tried to stop him. The one who said that he was putting everything in danger." Harry exclaimed. Gaius looked pleased at the interruption.
"I don't know why you've been having trouble with the lad, Ephialtes. He seems rather on top of things to me." Gaius told his colleague who only gave an unintelligible growl in response. "At any rate, Ephialtes made a mistake when he didn't engage the filters that were supposed to keep certain parts of you here. He sent back every soul component when he activated the Room. You had your memories, but also the magic attached to your soul and the abomination. You will doubtless have noticed that your magical power has increased?" Harry was dumbfounded.
"Well, yes, but I thought it was because the Horcrux was parasitic and its removal gave me access to whatever it had been using to keep itself alive." he managed to get out.
"Not an unreasonable assumption under the circumstances. The Horcrux is parasitic, just not to an extent that you would notice. It is only a small part of a larger soul and as such not capable of draining a significant amount of energy from an intact soul." Harry sat in his chair trying to absorb this information when he felt a glimmer of hope start to stir. Not wanting to make any assumptions he turned to Gaius.
"So, what happens now?" he asked. At the beaming grin from the other man he felt that glimmer of hope strengthen.
"The Killing Curse strips the soul from the body and banishes it to the afterlife. You had the unique situation of having two souls in your body. One of you must stay. The other may return. I will hear both souls arguments for their return and decide which has the stronger claim to life. Between you and me: that piece of Riddle's soul does not have the capacity to argue its case, broken as it is, so all you have to do is convince us that you have a reason to go back. Even Ephialtes would be able to win a debate without an opponent!" Harry saw that Ephialtes features were starting to purple at Gaius' repeated insults and decided to get out of here before the two really came to blows.
"I suppose the reason I want, no, I need to go back is that Hermione is still in danger. I would give my life for her...I suppose I already did, come to that, but now I am asking you to let me return to life for her." Gaius once again had an approving look on his face.
"Well put, lad. A poignant plea. Since Tom Marvolo Riddle's soul piece has no way to present a superior claim I judge that yours is the stronger and you may choose to return." he proclaimed. Harry looked around surreptitiously for a door or some other portal that might take him back. "Just follow the pull of your soul bond, lad. You'll find her." Gaius said.
"Thank you for your help, sir." Harry said with an honest smile before he closed his eyes and focused on finding Hermione. As he imagined her curling chestnut hair, her shining chocolate eyes, that scent that was uniquely Hermione he felt himself slowly getting lost in her. After a while he noticed a sensation was invading his thoughts of her. Something cold and hard was pressed against the length of his body. The floor at Riddle Manor. I need to stop waking up like this. Wait! I'm back! The realization flashed through his mind and he had to force himself to keep still until he knew where Riddle was and how he was going to attack the bastard.
Harry focused on trying to gather as much information as he could with his eyes closed. He heard a soft almost rhythmic clinking behind him and pained wheezing groans further away and in front of him. He could also feel something cold and hard resting against his right hand. The clinking could be the shackles that kept Hermione chained to the floor. He hoped the pained wheezing was Riddle. He didn't even have a guess for what was resting against his hand. He opened one eye just a sliver and snuck a look. He could see mostly silver with a few fairly large dots of red at one end. The Sword of Gryffindor! Harry exulted in his own mind. He let his eye close again and tried to keep from showing that he was anything but dead. If he had the sword almost in his hand then his plan would be simple. Wait for Riddle to gloat like a bloody Saturday morning cartoon villain. The moment that the bastard came close enough, ram the sword somewhere it would hurt and preferably do irreparable damage.
Harry could hear some scrabbling and grunting ahead of him. It sounded like Riddle had recovered enough from the loss of his last Horcrux to try and stand once again.
"I have no idea what magic that little shit just used on me, but I assure you, my dear, you will pay for it." Riddle's voice sounded harsher than usual, his sibilant hisses coming out almost as growls. "If I can't break Potter, you will have to do. You will be the door-prize for my new recruits. You will be a slave, a fuck-toy, until you can no longer excite my men and then you will die in as agonizing a fashion as they can devise. You will come to regret his sacrifice I promise you that!" By the end Riddle was nearly screaming hysterically as he threatened Hermione with a fate worse than death. Harry could hear his enemy's footsteps, not quite steady yet, coming closer to him.
"Let's lift that Silencing Charm, shall we? I want to hear you scream when I'm wrecking your cunt on top of your precious Potter's cooling body." He must have ended the charm because Harry could hear heartbroken sobs coming from behind him interspersed with repeated whispers of "please", "Harry" and "don't be dead". The footsteps were close now. Just a little further, you bastard. I'll cut you down before you can lay a finger on her. Just three more steps I think…two...one…he should be right in front of me NOW!
Hermione's heart had shattered. She could barely hear the vile threats spewing from Voldemort's mouth. Nothing he could do to her would be worse than knowing that Harry was dead. She would never see his lopsided smile again, his smiling green eyes. Never feel his arms around her again. She was begging with him to not be dead in defiance of all rationality. She only had eyes for Harry but she noticed when a pair of feet stopped next to his head. One of the feet drew back to kick Harry's body. A scream of rage was clawing its way out of her throat when Harry's body moved. He surged up and she heard a grunt from Riddle before she saw him slump over Harry and a length of silver sticking out of his back.
"Don't you ever even think about touching her." came a vicious snarl that sounded like a choir of angels to Hermione. Her heart stopped inside her chest for a moment before it resumed beating with what felt like enough force to jump out of her chest. The entire world seemed to holding its breath.
"Im…possible." she heard the Dark Lord croak before she saw Harry bunch his shoulders and heave upwards. He used the space he created to step back and rip the sword he was holding out of Riddle's body. Then she heard the clatter of Voldemort's wand hitting the floor as it dropped from fingers that were now desperately clutching his chest in an attempt to keep his blood in his body. Hermione didn't think she would ever forget the scene in front of her. Voldemort was on his knees, a look of incomprehension on his face as he stared up; towering over him, holding a bloody sword, stood Harry, broad-shouldered and straight-backed.
Even as she was watching Voldemort's hands seemed to fall nervelessly away from his chest and his shocked look turned to one of fear for a brief moment before contorting into a snarl.
"You…haven't won…Potter. I will…return." Riddle was glaring up at Harry with hatred as he hissed out the name 'Potter' as if it was a curse. Harry looked thoroughly unimpressed and reached into his pocket for something.
"You mean your anchors? They're gone, Tom. The diary, the diadem, Nagini, the locket, the cup. I took care of the ring before I came here tonight." He threw two small pieces of something on the floor in front of Riddle. "You are going to die here today, Tom." Hermione felt a vicious sense of triumph course through her veins at the naked fear on Riddle's face.
"No…I checked...was still...p-please..." the dying man stammered out tremulously. In the end the most feared Dark Lord in history was reduced to begging for his life. Harry Potter's face was hard as granite.
"You should have stayed the hell away from her, Tom. Goodbye." With that Harry swung the Sword of Gryffindor and sent Tom Marvolo Riddle's head bouncing across the flagstones. The rest of the body had barely slumped to the ground before Harry had dropped the sword and spun around, his eyes finding Hermione's instantly and instinctively. He was by her side so fast he might have apparated and he himself could never say how his wand slapped into his hand. He cast a Vanishing Charm on her restraints as fast as he could. The moment her hands were free Hermione had her arms locked around Harry as she sobbed into his neck. The joy she felt at having his arms come around her after she had thought he was dead was indescribable. In the middle of the rubble and carnage she sat there and sobbed as she thanked whatever higher power had sent him back that he was there.
It seemed to Hermione that it took an age for her tears to run out. When they finally did she started becoming aware of herself again. Sitting naked on a cold stone floor is not ideal for keeping one's body temperature constant and her body was reminding her of that now by shivering repeatedly. She felt Harry start to pull away and hung on tighter.
"I'm not going anywhere, Hermione, but you need something to keep you warm." His soft voice was soothing in her ear. Reluctantly she loosened her grip and watched as he cast a warming charm on her. She was about to clamp him to her again when he removed his shirt and held it out to her with earnest eyes. Shyly she took it and slipped it over her head. Immediately she was surrounded by Harry's warmth and scent and a moment later his arms. They sat like that for a while longer, trying to come to grips with the fact that it was really over. In the end though, with that many dead bodies around them the smell forced them to move. It was Harry who took the initiative.
"Come on, my Lady. We should leave this place." he said softly. Hermione leant back to look in his eyes and nodded. Harry stood up and offered her his hand but Hermione was staring at his chest.
"Harry." she whispered pointing at a spot roughly in the middle of his breastbone. Harry looked down and there, amid the various burns, cuts and bruises from his battle with Riddle was one that stood out. Raw, red, and open, was a cut in the shape of lightning bolt. Harry gave a sigh.
"Well, one of the first things I learnt in the wizarding world was that my scar was left by a powerful dark curse. It makes sense that that same powerful dark curse would leave another mark. At least I can cover this one up." Harry tried to make light of his newest soon-to-be scar. Hermione was looking at him with tears in her eyes.
"It hit you. It really hit you." She gasped out. "How-...how did you survive?" Harry's face took on a grim cast as he remembered that he had once again been walking around with a piece of Riddle sticking to his soul.
"Do you remember how I found out about the Horcruxes?" he asked Hermione. At her nod he continued. "Would you like to guess what that connection between Riddle and myself turned out to be?" Harry could see Hermione's brain processing at high speeds. He could also see the moment she hit upon the answer.
"You were a Horcrux." she breathed.
"One he never meant to make, I would assume. In the end he made himself mortal again by trying to kill me. The Killing Curse took his partial soul rather than my whole one." Hermione grabbed him in tight hug.
"So there was no trick? You didn't know you would live when you took a Killing Curse for me?" she asked.
"I had no idea." Harry answered completely truthfully. "Now let's go. I think there are some people who will want to see us; and I could use a shower." He felt Hermione freeze in his arms.
"Harry, I can't go back." she said, fear ringing loudly in her voice. "What if Dumbledore decides he wants me killed again?" Harry gave her a reassuring squeeze.
"We're not going back to Hogwarts as long as that bastard is still there. I was going to apparate us to Sirius' place. From there we can ask the elves to bring our things from Hogwarts and your parents from their hiding place." Hermione nearly went limp with relief at hearing that they were going to be staying away from the man who had facilitated her kidnapping. Harry grabbed Hermione and held her tight to his chest. Once she got her own legs back under her, Hermione watched Harry summon the cloak and the sword, which he slid into the scabbard Dobby and Kreacher had given him for Christmas. A stray thought that a Harry wearing only dragon-hide trousers and gloves was one of the sexiest things she had ever seen, even if he was covered with wounds that had started to clot, whispered through Hermione's mind, gone almost as soon as it was formed. Her thoughts were cut off by the sensation of being squeezed through a hose.
When they landed in Sirius' entry way both teens stumbled slightly due to their exhaustion. Mere seconds later their legs were hit by two sobbing house elves and it sounded like a stampede was coming down the hall. Sirius and the Grangers burst from the living room and paused only a moment at seeing the two half-dressed teens trying to calm the elves.
"Hermione!"
"Harry!" There was a race on to get to the children first and hug the stuffing out of them. Harry and Hermione were too tired and overwhelmed to do more than accept the attentions of their parents and guardian.
"Mum? Dad? What are you doing here?" Hermione asked when she had been thoroughly hugged. Her mother was currently hanging onto Harry and tearfully thanking him for rescuing their little girl and Harry was doing his best not to look uncomfortable at the combination of physical contact and, in his mind, excessive praise.
"It is being Dobby's fault, Mistress. Dobby is telling Master's Dogfather that Mistress is taken and Master goes to rescue her. Master's Dogfather is telling Dobby and Winky to bring Mrs. Grangey-Mum and Mr. Grangey-Dad here. Dobby will punish himself if Mistress asks." Dobby spoke rapidly as if the old wisdom about removing plasters applied equally well to confessions.
"I'm not angry, Dobby, and you don't need to punish yourself. I was just wondering." Hermione rushed to reassure the little being. "While we've got you here though, do you think you could get our things from Hogwarts?" Dobby nodded, eager to please his Mistress and popped away.
"He's pretty well covered it, sweetheart. I can't tell you how worried we have been waiting here for word that you two were alright." Mr. Granger told her before turning to Harry. "As for you, son, you risked your life to save my little girl. I can never thank you enough for what you have done for my family." This was loudly and tearfully confirmed by Mrs. Granger who still had Harry in a tight hug. Hermione stepped over and reclaimed her boyfriend from her mother. Mrs. Granger just let her before grabbing hold of both teens.
"Do we need to add some more wards to this place, pup? Maybe we should consider a Fidelius and invite the Grangers to stay if the Death Eaters are going to be coming after them." Sirius broke into the conversation sounding worried. Harry shook his head.
"Only if you think we need that to keep Dumbledore out, Sirius." Harry responded. "Riddle's dead." Sirius' jaw dropped. "So are his Death Eaters." Sirius looked like he was about to faint.
"What the hell happened tonight, Pup?" He asked, awe lacing his voice. Harry's expression turned grim.
"Can it wait until tomorrow? It's not such a pleasant story that I feel like telling it more than once and right now I'm dead on my feet. Maybe you could invite Minister Bones over and we'll fill her in at the same time." Hermione had paled at the mention of Harry being dead in any sense of the word and was squeezing Harry hard. Mrs. Granger still had her arms around the pair and noticed the way her daughter tensed.
"Hermione? Do- do we need to get you to hospital for a rape kit?"
"No, mum. Harry got them before they got started on me." Mrs. Granger was relieved to hear that and also confused as to what had caused the reaction from her daughter. "I know you don't want to let us out of your sight but we really could use some rest. It's been a really long day." Reluctantly Mrs. Granger let them go and kissed them both goodnight. Sirius and Mr. Granger also wished the kids a goodnight and watched as they stumbled into the same room together.
"Should we say something about the two of them sharing a bed?" Mr. Granger wondered to his wife.
"Let's not." she answered. "We may not have the full story yet, but I'm sure it's been bad enough that they'll need each other tonight."
"Well, now that that's settled, I'm going to do as my godson told me to and contact the minister to invite her over for a cuppa tomorrow. Then I plan to get comprehensively drunk to celebrate the end of the war. Who wants to join me?" The Granger parents shared a quick look before agreeing.
:-:-:-:-:
At Hogwarts most of the students had drifted off to sleep. Minerva was still wide-awake even though exhaustion was starting to wear at her. The worry she felt for two of her lions was enough to stave of sleep for a while yet. She looked over a corner of the hall where the Weasley twins and Luna Lovegood were in a similar situation. They were talking quietly so they didn't wake the first years who had curled up against the older students seeking comfort. Minerva had to admit that she had never expected these particular Weasley's to be so caring. It was as if they were determined to make up for Potter and Granger's absence and it made the Head of Gryffindor prouder than she could say.
A pop to her side alerted her that a house elf had shown up. She turned to see what it wanted and shot up out of her seat when she recognized Potter's oddly dressed elf.
"Professor Kitty. Dobby is happy to report that Master and Mistress is home safe. Master says He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is dead. Dobby and Winky is taking their things to them now." Before Minerva could respond or ask any questions of the elf it was gone, but its presence had not gone unnoticed.
"Did Dobby just say that Harry killed You-Know-Who?" A Weasley twin's voice rang across the Hall.
"The stupid bugger took Hermione. What did you think was going to happen?" came his brother's reply.
"Hush, you two. We can celebrate tomorrow. For tonight it's enough that we know that they're safe." Ms. Lovegood said in a firm voice. She watched as all three settled down and half an hour later they were all fast asleep. I wonder if Filius has made his choices for next year's prefects yet?
:-:-:-:-:
The next morning four bleary-eyed adults met two teens who were looking like they hadn't slept too well at the breakfast table. Sirius had apparently invited Lupin to join them in getting a head-start on celebrating the end of Riddle's reign of terror. Communication was kept to a minimum as everyone tried to just get the necessary amount of food and caffeine into their bodies to start the day. When the floo chime sounded Harry shot Sirius a look.
"You told the minister to show up at this time of day and then went off on a bender?" he asked in disbelief. Sirius scowled at his godson.
"Of course not." He grumbled. The floo chime sounded again and everyone kept looking at their host who threw his hands up in the air. "Fine. I'll go see what ancients damned idiot thought this ungodly hour was an appropriate time to call." Several minutes later he came back into the room followed by Professor McGonagall and Madam Pomfrey. Both women stopped in their tracks when they saw the two students sitting at breakfast looking tired but not seriously injured. Before they knew what was happening Harry and Hermione found themselves in a strong embrace from their Head of House.
"Thank Circe, you're okay." McGonagall rasped out in a suspiciously thick voice.
"I'll be the judge of that, Minerva." Madam Pomfrey said, but her tone lacked some of its usual snap and her eyes looked suspiciously shiny. As soon as Minerva was out of the way the school matron was waving her wand over the teens. Professor McGonagall took the chance to look around the room and felt her jaw drop when she saw the two worried and very much alive Granger parents. Before she could bring it up Poppy was giving her diagnosis of Ms. Granger.
"Some bruising, abrasions, one cracked rib and you could do with a good night's rest, Ms. Granger. You are lucky to have gotten so few injuries from being captured by those brutes." Hermione nodded with a bleak look in her eyes as she remembered Riddle's words.
"Let's see about you, Mr. Potter. Bruises, lacerations, burns, two broken ribs and…and…and what the hell is that reading?! I've never seen this spell signature before." Madam Pomfrey was looking extremely agitated as she moved her wand over Harry's chest.
"That's where he was hit with a Killing Curse." Hermione said in a small voice. That statement froze everyone in the room until Pomfrey exploded.
"That is it! Minnie, I want a damn raise if he's going to keep doing this sort of thing to me!"
"I won't." Harry's level statement turned the Healer's indignation on himself.
"And how do you propose to keep that promise given the evidence of the past five years?" she demanded.
"Hermione and I will not be setting foot in Hogwarts as long as Dumbledore is still there. He is the one who handed her over to the Death Eaters. If I had known that before I left I wouldn't have limited myself to a Disarming Jinx. Either way, he will not be given the chance to put her life at risk again." The two Hogwarts staff members were pale as ghosts while the parents looked red-hot with rage.
"You're damn right you'll not be going back there!" Mr. Granger roared. "Sirius, when is that minister getting here? I want that man up on every charge we can manage." Sirius was looking just as furious.
"I'll go give her a call and see if she wants to move our meeting up a bit." he growled out. There was a tense silence until Sirius came back into the room. "She'll be here in ten minutes with some auror witnesses." He reported. Mrs. Granger got up from the table.
"I'll just clear the table then, shall I? Madam, do you think you could finish treating the kids?" At this pointed reminder Madam Pomfrey started moving in a daze. She gave Hermione a pot of Bruise Salve and a vial of Dreamless Sleep Potion before casting a Bone-Knitting Charm at her cracked rib. Next Madam Pomfrey asked Harry to take off his shirt and briefly closed her eyes when she saw the damage that had been done. She was just finishing wrapping bandages around his chest to keep the various salves and poultices pressed to his injuries when the floo chime went. Sirius left the room to answer it and quickly came back with Minister Bones and Aurors Montrose and Tonks. The minister was carrying a familiar rune-engraved bowl.
"Good morning all. Considering the way our interviews with Mr. Potter tend to end, I took the liberty of bringing a Pensieve along. Especially since it seems there may be charges stemming from this encounter and I like to have evidence when that happens." She was slightly surprised by the guarded look Mr. Potter was wearing.
"It's up to you, Mi. Your memory would probably give a clearer account anyway." Hermione looked around the room for a moment before coming to a decision.
"I think I'll be okay if it's just these people, Harry. I wouldn't like it if it was to be shown in public, though." Madam Bones raised a brow at this wondering what would cause these two to act like this.
"We'll be using your memory, Ms. Granger?" the minister clarified. The girl hesitated for a second before she nodded. Bones brought her wand up to Hermione's temple and the younger witch closed her eyes and concentrated. Gently Minister Bones pulled the memory away from Hermione's temple and dropped it into the Pensieve. She was burning with curiosity now but remembered to ask "Do we have your permission to watch this memory?" Hermione hesitated again but nodded resolutely. She watched with some apprehension as everyone gathered around the memory, her parents joining in and looking around at the rest for an indication of what to do. Almost as one everyone extended a finger and entered the memory.
Hermione watched everyone get sucked in but she couldn't bring herself to touch the silvery vapours. She jumped when a hand touched her wrist and pulled it back. Looking up she saw Harry's eyes full of understanding.
"I don't like the idea of going back in either. We already know what happened so let's just wait for them, alright?" Hermione gave a relieved nod and settled on the couch as her body relaxed at the thought that she wouldn't have to see that again. Harry moved into the kitchen to make them a cup of tea and was chased out by Winky. The small elf came out with a complete tea service and shot Harry a stern look before filling two cups which she handed out. Hermione accepted hers gratefully as she and Harry settled in to await the re-emergence of the others.
It took them around an hour to watch everything which told Hermione that the Pensieve functioned in real time rather than at the speed of thought. The whole group looked to be in a state of shock when they emerged from her memory. Harry reached for the tea service before he suddenly stopped and sat back with a resigned sigh.
"Winky! Would you please serve everyone tea?" Winky popped in and gave her master an approving smile before she got started. Everyone who had just come out of the Pensieve took a cup of the warm beverage and clutched it in a desperate search for comfort or at least normalcy. Helen Granger's cup was rattling against her teeth as she tried to control her shaking. Setting her own cup down Hermione moved over beside her mother.
"Mum? Are you all right?" Helen looked up at her daughter's concerned face and broke down completely. She dropped her tea and threw her arms around Hermione as she blubbered something unintelligible. Hermione tried to comfort her mother as best she could. When she looked over to her father for help he seemed to be nearly as badly off as his wife.
"You didn't tell us how many times you nearly died. You also failed to mention that Harry took a bullet for you." He managed in a quavering voice.
"I think I need another drink; or twenty." Sirius agreed weakly.
While Hermione was trying to comfort her family Harry took over the discussion with the Ministry and Hogwarts staff.
"Do you have enough to go after Dumbledore from what you saw?" he asked them.
"Harry, could you please act like a normal human being and be a gibbering wreck right about now?" Tonks asked him in a shaking voice before anyone could answer him.
"I've never been particularly normal, Tonks. Do the rest of you have any questions or can we get back to Dumbledore?"
"We don't have enough to arrest him since the only witnesses are dead, Mr. Potter, and you are not willing to show that memory in a public court." Minister Bones told him. "Still, I believe that if you present an ultimatum to the Board of Governors after this story breaks, Dumbledore will be out on his arse so fast it will leave his beard spinning and you would have accomplished your goal of removing him from Hogwarts anyway."
"That's not good enough!" Mr. Granger broke in. "You saw what he exposed the children to. Surely you can bring him in for questioning and get the truth out of him with some kind of spell?" Tonks broke in on her boss' behalf.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Granger. We could bring him in but we're talking about a man who was the most experienced politician in Magical Britain. He's not likely to just let something incriminating slip. We do have a potion that could force him to tell the truth, but we're very restricted in when we're allowed to use it. Unless the kids allow this memory to be seen we really don't have any grounds to request its use." Harry could see his girlfriend's father working himself into a rage at that answer, reasonable though it might be.
"I'm not willing to let a collection of randy old goats have a peek at Hermione. If I provide the same memory and swear an Unbreakable Vow that the memory is my recollection of what happened without modifications, would that be enough in front of two auror witnesses and the Minister for Magic to get Dumbledore arrested?" Harry asked suddenly. Mr. Granger stilled as he waited on the answer from the Ministry officials.
"That would be enough for at least a Veritaserum questioning I would think." Bones ventured. Montrose snorted.
"If'n ye tell the ponces in purple wha' we jus' saw right before ye drag the howlin' bampot in, there's nay a one in that room as'll gainsay ye." He said. "If there's any as demand t' see the memory anyway, ye jus' remind em what happened to the last lot what wanted a peek at the lass."
"That sounds like a plan, but there is no need for Harry to swear an Unbreakable Vow. I can do that right now." Hermione spoke up.
"What is this Unbreakable Vow, Hermione Jane? It sounds like it could be dangerous." Her father demanded. It took Hermione some fast talking to get her parents to agree that literally swearing on your life that you had told the truth as you understood it would not pose a risk to their daughter's future. Mrs. Granger was passed to Harry who looked rather alarmed at the amount of hugging going on while Hermione took the Vow with Minister Bones. When they were done Harry brought up another point.
"Minister, the location of at least some of the crimes is currently under a Fidelius. If you have any intention of investigating it for more evidence we would be happy to provide you with notes describing the secret." At the confused looks he got, Harry gave an explanation he himself had heard after Dumbledore's death in the last time line. "Riddle was the Secret Keeper and with his death everyone he told became the new Secret Keepers." The minister and her aurors were more than eager once they understood the situation. Soon they were clutching several small scraps of parchment as if they were winning lottery tickets. Harry had one more request to make.
"While you're tearing through the place I would be much obliged if you would keep an eye out for 10 3/4 inch, vinewood and dragon heartstring wand. We were more concerned with getting home last night than looking for it and I think that Hermione would like it back." The two aurors had agreed before the minister could.
When the Ministry delegation left it was with promises that a warrant for Albus Dumbledore's arrest was first on their to-do list. Professor McGonagall and Madam Pomfrey left shortly after to prepare Hogwarts for the loss of its headmaster. That preparation would probably consist of making a short-list of possible Heads of Gryffindor and Slytherin, a new deputy and new teachers for Transfiguration, Potions and Defence. They were unlikely to be hindered by Dumbledore as he was going to be stuck in the Hospital Wing until at least that night. They did get Harry and Hermione to agree to attend the Leaving Feast provided Dumbledore was truly gone at that point. The rest of the day was spent by Harry and Hermione reassuring their families that they were alive and well.