Later that evening, Ginny and Hermione apparated to the Burrow where Molly and Arthur Weasley were waiting for them. Ginny had said goodbye to Harry earlier and the Aurors had taken off for their assignments. Molly had made their favorite - onion soup, which took the chill off the early winter's day. Fred and George stopped by to eat as well, taking a needed break from their exceptionally busy joke store.
The twins tried to keep Hermione and Ginny's minds off their husbands and the potentially dangerous work they had been sent to do by showing them some of their newest joke inventories.
"I wonder if we could hide some of those in Umbridges office?" Ginny said with a laugh. Hermione joined in, recalling how frustrated Umbridge got when students successfully used the twin's various store inventory against her! Of course they couldn't say anything about the suspicion surrounding Umbridge since the capture of the spy, but both knew the other was thinking about it. It was a pleasent evening and the girls got a good night's sleep there.
The next morning, however, it was back to business, and the first thing that greeted them in the office was a meeting with Moody.
"The attempts to round up our suspects is going well," Moody said "Two of them have already been taken in, and we may have discovered even more, whom we are checking on right now. Can't tell you much yet, but we can tell you that we have captured Blaise Zambini, Marcus Flint and a witch named Millicent Bulstrode. They are now after the witch that the prisoner mentioned. Turns out she is higher up than even Zambini, and no one knows where she might be hiding. But Mrs. Weasley was right when she told us yesterday about the group Ubridge formed. Everyone captured and wanted so far are former Slytherin students."
"Does that mean Delores Umbridge is the one behind it?" A Wizengamot witch inquired.
"It raises the suspicion, yes," Moody said. "But so far we have found no proof. We have two of our Aurors following her right now, and they will report any suspicious activity on her part immediately. We have a new special Auror whom we recently discovered. They have some very special talents, and I assure you, little will escape their detection."
Hermione raised her eyebrows at this. How come she hadn't heard of this new Auror? She felt a slight twinge of resentment as she was supposably still an Auror despite her position in the Ministry and her pregnancy. She swallowed that resentment though as she reminded herself how quickly everything was moving right now in the attempt to catch these new troublemakers. Surely Moody would tell her later when he had the time.
"As far as meeting with Umbridge is concerned," Moody said, looking at Ginny and Hermione, "I think you should hold off for a while. But I want to know what she says if she approaches you again in the halls or lunchroom, and Ginny, you are to be with Hermione at all times when she leaves this office, understood!"
Ginny nodded quickly and Hermione also nodded her head to show she understood.
"I want to meet with you both in my office at 2 this afternoon," Moody said. "Can you be there?"
"I have a meeting with the Department of Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures at 1 p.m.," Hermione said. "But it should be over by 2. I suppose there is a chance we could be a few minutes late, but we will be there."
"That will suffice," Moody said. "Send a flying fax if anything changes."
"Of course," Hermione said.
The meeting then broke up with everyone going to their respective offices. Hermione did the same to do some studying up for the meeting she had after lunch. She like to research the meeting itineraries of each office before they met so she would be familiar with as much of what was being discussed as possible. She was making a name for herself with the departments and gaining their respect. They were also beginning to value her opinions on those matters of importance they often discussed during these monthly meetings. Hermione had also noticed that the members of the Wizengamot now took her seriously and treated her with more and more respect even though, by now, she had only attended one of their meetings in her own capacity as First Undersecretary to the Minister of Magic. Even Rufas himself treated her more like an equal than an employee! She was gaining confidence and found herself very glad that she had accepted this position! She was feeling at home here.