Lessons In Love

Chapter 58: The End to the Beginning

"What are you talking about Hermione?" Harry questioned and she growled, running a hand through her mane of curls,

"Don't you see it? The Ministry isn't after me. They want Snape."

"They what?" Firenze flared his nostrils.

Hermione nodded, "If they were so against our relationship, then why was I not locked up in a holding cell too?"

"Does Kingsley know about this?" Mrs. Weasley covered her mouth in shock.

Harry shook his head disbelievingly, "He would have to, wouldn't he?"

Draco stood up and smoothed out his suit coat and sarcastically snapped, "I guess while everyone was making their own plans and agendas, the Ministry slipped by without so much as a notice."

"Professor McGonagall is out searching for Kingsley right now, isn't she?" Cho asked and Harry nodded,

"Yes, I thought she would be back by now though..."

Luna finally stood up, "Well who is next in line to the Minister?"

Everyone turned to the airy girl and Hermione crossed her arms, "What are you talking about?"

"It probably wouldn't hurt to find who is next in power, under Kingsley, for answers. They would probably know what was going on given that he was at the trials as well, right?" She questioned softly, watching everyone stare at her in incredulity.

Harry stuck his hands in his pockets, thinking, "Who is under Kingsley?"

"Well," Hermione started, "the second highest position in the Ministry is the Senior Undersecretary to the Minister for Magic and it used to be held by Dolores Umbridge before she was sent to Azkaban."

"So who is it now?" Ginny asked.

"That's Delmer Blevins, that is." Hagrid said, "Ran across the fellow on me way here. Seemed to be in rather a hurry ter get ter where he was goin' if ye ask me."

Luna smiled, rocking back and forth from her heels to her toes, "He was at the trial wasn't he?"

Hermione narrowed her eyes trying to think, "I don't even remember..."

"Alright back up for just a second," George said, looking deep in thought, "Why would the Ministry want to lock up Snape so badly? Wasn't he offered the title of Order of Merlin, First Class after the war? Why would they want to award him with such an honor if they would then turn around and want to send him to Azkaban?"

Everyone was silent as George stood up and started to pace around Harry and Hermione, "And didn't Harry clear Snape's name when he fought to keep the portrait of him as Headmaster up in Hogwarts? Why would Kingsley want to give him high titles and honors of being head of the school if they were so against him?"

"I am so confused," Ginny rubbed her temples, "I don't think I can handle much more!"

Cho frowned, "Well perhaps we should switch it around and ask ourselves what we do know rather than everything we don't."

"We know that the Ministry is more concerned about sentencing Snape, not Hermione." Neville offered.

"Okay what else?" she asked the group.

"Hold on," Harry stopped Cho with a raised a hand, "When did you and Hermione start recognizing odd occurrences at Hogwarts?"

She thought about it and answered, "Probably when that story came out about Hermione and Professor Snape in the Daily Prophet."

"Which was when?"

"It was mid-December... and it was published during Christmas break." She replied.