"Oh, right. I almost forgot to mention something to Mr. Malfoy."
Hermione smiled like she'd just remembered a pleasant afterthought. "Professor Lockhart is stepping down at the end of the school year. He's planning to pursue a career at the Ministry of Magic."
Lucius raised an eyebrow, lifted his teacup, took a measured sip, and said nothing.
What is that flamboyant fool planning to stir up now?
"How wonderful. I wish Professor Lockhart every success." He set the teacup down, his tone perfectly cordial. "But what does any of this have to do with me?"
"Professor Lockhart intends to join the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Starting as an Auror."
Hermione paused. "As you know, Aurors need real achievements to earn promotions. But those dark wizards are like sewer rats — they hide deeper than anyone."
"So..." She drew the word out deliberately. "We need someone who... frequently interacts with those dark wizards. Someone who could provide information. Or simply lure them out."
Lucius caught the implication immediately. His expression went cold.
"Miss Granger, you have the wrong person."
"I don't know any dark wizards," he said flatly. "I suggest you find yourself some information brokers."
"Ah, Mr. Malfoy, that's quite something coming from you..."
Hermione sighed, almost theatrically, dropping her voice low. "I did hear from someone that Voldemort's Death Eaters are all upstanding, virtuous individuals..."
"Shut up!"
Lucius's vision went dark. His palm cracked against the table hard enough to send the teacup jumping.
"Miss Granger, I will say this once more. I have no connection with dark wizards or Death Eaters!"
His face had gone the color of old iron. "Don't think for a second you can pull any of your schemes in my house!"
"Mr. Malfoy." Hermione's tone shifted , amused now, almost lazy. "We're both reasonable people. What you were, what you did — we both know perfectly well."
She watched him hold his ground and smiled. "If you still insist you have no connection to dark wizards, then Professor Lockhart and I will simply have to keep spreading the word about you. Publicly."
A vein jumped at Lucius's temple. His fist clenched so tight his knuckles cracked.
Last time it was this exact line that nearly destroyed him. And now she's doing it again?!
Is she addicted to pinning this on him?!
Hermione's tone eased. "However. If you're willing to cooperate, Professor Lockhart can testify on Draco's behalf."
"Testify that he was acting under the influence of Voldemort's Horcrux. That he had no real choice."
"It would make things considerably easier to explain at the Ministry. What's the downside?"
She tilted her head. "Unless... you're still loyal to a certain someone. Willing to let your son suffer rather than give up your Death Eater colleagues."
Lucius's jaw was tight enough to ache.
"You're threatening me?!"
He looked at Lockhart , sitting calm and unbothered, watching Hermione's performance like it was none of his business. And Lucius finally understood. These two hadn't come to negotiate. They'd come to use Draco against him, plain and simple.
Their entire goal was to make him hand Lockhart a career at the Ministry.
Hermione shook her head. "If that's how you see it, I can't help that. I..." She paused, then dropped the pretense entirely. "Actually, fine. Yes. I'm threatening you. What are you going to do about it?"
She couldn't be bothered with polite fiction anymore.
Mr. Malfoy, you wouldn't want anything to happen to Draco...
Lucius stared at her, thrown completely off balance.
Why isn't she following the script?!
The standard procedure was clear: she was supposed to say this isn't a threat, I'm simply stating facts, and then he'd weigh his options. That was how these things worked.
How did she just admit it outright?!
Beside him, Lockhart looked equally startled.
Watching her drop even the pretense of performance, he realized with fresh clarity that Hermione had actually been quite decent to him. She'd put on a whole act, given him two options , rotten options, both of them, but still. She'd at least behaved like a civilized person.
Now she couldn't even be bothered to maintain appearances.
Left school and immediately let herself off the leash. Showing her true witch nature, apparently.
Hermione shrugged.
She just thought skipping to the final step was more efficient. It was a threat either way , why waste time on the preamble?
Lucius snapped back, fury rising fast. He looked ready to explode. But before he could, Hermione stood, crossed the room, and leaned down close to his ear.
Her voice dropped to something only the two of them could hear.
"Don't think I don't know exactly how that diary ended up in Ginny Weasley's hands."
Lucius's pupils shrank to pinpoints. His whole body went rigid.
The pieces slammed together all at once. If Hermione had known about the diary — known it was with Ginny, known he was the one who put it there , then when the Heir of Slytherin accusation had landed on Draco out of nowhere...
Everything that happened at Hogwarts had been her.
This girl had orchestrated all of it.
She framed Draco.
Lucius shot to his feet. His wand was out before he'd finished the thought, leveled straight at her.
WHOOSH!
A streak of green light kissed the air beside his ear.
The breath of death rolled over him. Lucius froze solid, pupils blown wide, cold sweat flooding down his spine in an instant.
Hermione's voice came quietly. No heat. No hurry. Just absolute certainty.
"I don't like people pointing wands at me."
"My Killing Curse still needs work. The aim was off this time." A beat. "Next time might be different."
The pressure in the room was unlike anything Lucius had felt in years. He didn't move. He didn't dare. He had no doubt , none at all , that she would do it.
Hermione looked at him standing stiff as a statue, and the corner of her mouth curved up. She gestured toward the sofa.
"Lucius. Sit down."
He sat. Mechanically, like a puppet whose strings had just been handed to someone else.
The silence stretched.
Finally, he raised his head and looked at her. "You... all you need is for me to give you the whereabouts of those dark wizards and Death Eaters. And Lockhart... will testify for Draco."
Hermione nodded. Her smile widened.
"Not just Lockhart. Harry Potter as well."
Lucius blinked. A wave of relief moved through him , and then something bitter settled in behind it.
He had spent years looking down on Harry Potter. A lucky boy who'd stumbled into a reputation he hadn't earned. A so-called Savior with nothing behind the title but good fortune.
And now his son's future depended on that reputation to survive.
Lucius sat with the feeling for a moment. He opened his mouth, seemed to think better of whatever he was about to say, and let it go as a sigh.
"Those people... they aren't easy to deal with."
He glanced sideways at Lockhart, still sitting with the serene detachment of a man watching someone else's problem unfold.
"Lockhart... may not be their match."
Hermione shrugged, perfectly at ease.
"That's not your concern."
Lucius had nothing left. He sank back into the sofa, the last of his resistance draining out of him.
"Fine. I agree."
He had wanted to use the diary and Ginny to cause trouble at Hogwarts. Embarrass Dumbledore. Stir things up from a safe distance.
He hadn't expected Hermione to turn the whole thing around on him. He'd picked up the rock himself and dropped it squarely on his own foot.
➤ Next: It Must Have Been Voldemort's Doing!
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