A half hour later the girls were ready to go. Hermione grabbed the list where the three names had been circled by Moody as well as her small notebook and Ginny was waiting for her when she made it back to Rufus' office.
"Good luck, ladies," Rufas said as they made their spin and dissapperated.
Moments later, Hermione and Ginny landed just outside the gate of Hogwarts. They both looked up at the winged hogs that sat perched at the top of the two stone columns on either side of the gate. Hermione sighed.
"I miss it too," Ginny said as Hermione pointed at the carraige making its way toward them from the castle.
Both women watched as the carraige, pulled by two thestrels, approached then came to a stop on the other side of the gate.
"Welcome girls!" McGonagall said, opening the carraige door and stepping out to unlock the gate. "It's been a while since we've seen each other!"
"You look well," Ginny said as she and Hermione stepped through the now-open gate and onto the Hogwarts ground.
"Thank you," Minerva said. "I have everything you need waiting in Dumble.....I'm sorry, my office. I guess I am still not used to saying that."
"We understand, Professor," Hermione said. "It feels rather strange to be back here again, but we both miss it, and Professor Dumbledore!"
Minerva turned toward the carraige, making a motion that looked like she just might have wiped away a tear. She cleared her throat as she opened the carraige door and turned back again to face the girls.
"Climb on in," Minerva said. "We will have time for a pleasent chat as we ride back to the castle."
"Oh, please Professor," Hermione said. "After you!"
Minerva smiled and stepped back into the carraige. Hermione and Ginny climbed in after her and closed the door. The carraige began to move as it made the turn around to head back to Hogwarts.
"One thing I would like you girls to do for me now," Minerva said as they both looked at her, puzzled looks on their faces.
"Yes, Mam?" Ginny said.
"Please call me Minerva," the older witch said, smiling. "After all, you are no longer my students, but full grown adults. I would feel more comfortable addressing you as Hermione and Ginny rather than Weasley and Potter."
"Alright, Minerva," Ginny said, trying to suppress a giggle. "I must admit, if feels pretty strange."
Minerva smiled also. "I know it does at first, but you'll get used to it."
"The three chatted about old times all the way back to the castle, and anyone walking nearby would have been able to hear the laughter floating from the carraige as it moved along the trail.
"Minerva, I have a special question for you," Hermione said as the carraige approached the castle. "As you know, Ron and I are going to have our first baby in the spring, and we were wondering...I mean to say, we would be honored it you would consent to be the baby's Godmother!"
"Hermione, dear," Minerva said, her eyes tearing up again,"The honor would be mine! And thank you for for thinking of me!"
The two younger women jumped out of the carraige and helped Minerva out.
"Perfect timing!" Minerva said. "Classes are in session, so we don't have to try to move through a student tidal wave to get to the office."
The three made their way, unmolested, to the gargoyles.
"I kept some of Albus' passwords," she said, smiling again. "Sherbet lemon!"
Moments later, the three walked through the doorway into what had been Dumbledore's office. It was now Minerva's, but she hadn't changed the room at all. Of course, there were more of her personal items on her desk, but otherwise, everything was left just the way it was on the night Dumbledore died.
"I felt that this room should be left as a memorial to Albus," Minerva said quietly. "Please, have a seat."
The two sat across the desk from Minerva as she pulled out several folders and handed them to the girls.
As they studied each file, they found that one had been in Hufflepuff and one in Ravenclaw. The other one indeed had been a Slytherin. Hermione studied this one as Ginny continued to check the Hufflepuff and Minerva the Ravenclaw. They sat silently for 20 minutes or so. Each carefully searching their file for any possible clues that stood out that could make that person suspicious. Hermione jotted notes down into her notebook.
Minerva sat the folder down on her desk.
"I see nothing in this man's chart that would raise any red flags at all," she said.
Ginny spoke next.
"This Ravenclaw had some minor disciplinary actions taken against him, but there is nothing to suggest that those had anything to do with the dark arts or activities." she said.
Hermione sat back in her chair and took a deep breath.
"Of the three then, Hermione began, "I would have to say this man could very well be our spy. There are numerous detentions for cursing other students with hexes only done by those interested in the dark arts and those attacks usually happened against those who were different...muggle-borns, muggle supporters and the like. In fact, he got into so much trouble that he was finally kicked out of Hogwarts in his sixth year."
"I remember him well," Minerva said. "He was expelled from Hogwarts about 20 years ago. Real nasty piece of work! A real loner, even for a Slytherin. However, there were a few that he would hang around occasionally, though, who were just about as bad. One of them was Blaise Zabini's mother! I will give you the list of these people and make Rufas a copy of the files on each of them as well as the one on this man here."
"Minerva!" Hermione said suddenly as an idea hit her. "Would you please include the file on Delores Umbridge and anyone she was close to as well?"
Minerva's face puckered in disgust.
"You mean that this foul woman is involded in all this!" She spat.
"It is very possible!" Hermione said, telling Minerva about her run-ins with Umbridge at the Ministry.
"I can't believe she is even still allowed to set foot in that place after what she did!" Minerva said indignantly, her lips pursed thinner than Hermione and Ginny ever recalled seeing them.
"We know!" Hermione said. "We couldn't believe it either. We did find out that she had been demoted all the way down the ladder and she has a small office several floors down below ours where the very minor departments are. Rufas detests her, and it was Fudge that assigned her the position shortly before he was ousted himself."
"Exactly what is her title?" Minerva asked.
"Head of Office Inventory, I think." Ginny said.
"Yes," Hermione added, chuckling. "She is responsible for making sure we all have our paperclips and rubber bands."
Minerva chuckled too.
"So Fudge kept her safely inside the ministry for carrying out what were their own paranoid orders but was chucked out himself!" Minerva said. "Well, hopefully this will get that evil git out of there for good!"
"Well, we had better get those copies and get back there," Hermione said. "There's still a lot I have to do before I can go home today and it's already getting on toward 4 p.m." Hermione said.
"Yes, well," Minerva said. "I will get these copied and get you back on the carraige then. We'll have to get together some time soon. I want to hear all about your jobs and, Hermione, congratualtions on your promotion! I hadn't seen you since I heard about it. I am so glad you are there and I believe you will do some wonderful things for the Ministry. Honest things, for a change!"
Minerva dissappeared into a back room for a few minutes, then returned with the copies.
"This time," Minerva said, smiling a bit crookedly "I'm afraid we will have to face that tidal wave!"
Sure enough, as the three walked out of the entrance to the office, they were caught in the swarm of students making their way from their classes back to their common rooms. The three had to struggle to move out of the swarm and back to the giant doors that led to the outside.
Minerva saw them off at the door and reluctantly turned and disappeared back into the swarm.
Hermione and Ginny shared a silent ride back to the gate where they would apperate back to the Ministry.