A/N: I'm not sure when this story became lodged in my brain, but it's been knocking around for a while. I couldn't let it go, so I decided to write it down instead. It's my first foray into multi-chapter fanfiction, so reviews and feedback are appreciated! xx

October 26th, 1998
Department of Mysteries—Ministry of Magic

There were two things Hermione noted about the group of people around the conference table. First, the ten people in the conference room deep in the bowels of the Department of Mysteries were either very powerful, very intelligent, or both. Aside from that, however, she could not figure what discernible connection they had—why these ten people?—and she particularly couldn't understand why she, the lone woman and youngest by almost least ten years, was seated among them.

Standing at the head of the table, in well-worn official Ministry robes, was Arthur Weasley, the recently-elected Minister of Magic. He'd been in office less than two months, taking over for Kingsley Shacklebolt when his interim position had ended. Many had encouraged Kingsley to run for the position permanently, but he dismissed the idea that he'd make a good politician.

"I'm an Auror," the formidable man told a group of Order members one evening at the Burrow, after gorging on one of Molly's roasts. "I understand bringing order to chaos, and that's what the Ministry has been these past three months. But now we're at a place to start settling down—to start really governing again. I'm no good for that. The bureaucracy has been killing me, and the last thing we want is a Minister who will Incarcerous any smarmy politicians who imply they want to bring back bribery and back-door dealings. I don't have the stomach for it. I'll be much more useful back in the DMLE."

Today, Arthur looked worse for the wear, and Hermione was rather surprised to see a little stubble on his face; he was usually quite clean cut, although Hermione wasn't sure that was his personal choice or Molly's influence. His developing beard was a shade lighter than his bright red hair, and the blond notes brought out the creeping dark circles under his eyes. He didn't look like he'd slept; it was a drastic change from the jovial man she'd seen the day before at the Burrow's weekly Sunday.

To Arthur's left was Gerald Greengrass, the Advisor to the Minister, and another older man she didn't know but gathered was someone high up in the Ministry's legal department. The two were talking in low tones, and Greengrass seemed to be taking notes on their conversation.

To their left, directly across from Hermione, were two Unspeakables. They had not removed their hoods, nor had they said a word to anyone. Hermione felt like they were watching her, but she shook off the notion and glanced to the other end of the table.

Also wearing an Unspeakables robe, but with his hood down, was Lucius Malfoy, who was talking with Severus Snape. After the Battle of Hogwarts, which the Malfoys had left after locating Draco, Lucius and Narcissa had bent over backwards to avoid Azkaban. While Severus had long ago given the Order a list of every Marked Death Eater, Lucius gave the Ministry the most comprehensive list of un-Marked Death Eater supporters they had seen; the number of people financially backing Voldemort's cause was much longer than even Severus had anticipated. Malfoy had also noted which families had donated under duress, and given his well-known contempt for most of those families, he was taken at his word.

Hermione guessed that, once his name had been cleared, he'd been scooped up by the Department of Mysteries. She couln't deny he was brilliant, and his knowledge of the Dark Arts was vast. That, coupled with the short leash the Ministry had on him, made him a useful tool for the DoM.

The period leading up to Severus Snape's trial had been, for lack of a better word, a fiasco. The Prophet ran scathing interviews from Hogwarts students chronicling Headmaster Snape's "reign of terror" the prior year. The Quibbler ran competing interviews that noted the Headmaster had, in fact, curbed the more grotesque tendencies of the Carrows. Susan Bones wrote an essay recounting a detention with Amycus that involved cutting curses, Crucios, and promises of sexual violation. The Headmaster had interrupted with what even Susan could see was a spurious excuse and had dismissed her from the detention unceremoniously. Her frank account ended with the claim that without him she would've at least been raped and would most likely be dead.

The trial itself was quick and closed to the public. A few representatives of the press were invited, but no photographers; Hermione had been gratified to see that Rita Skeeter was not among the invitees. Harry, Hermione, Neville Longbottom, Minerva McGonagall, Filius Flitwick, Pomona Sprout, Poppy Pomfrey, all three Malfoys, and Dumbledore's portrait had testified on Snape's behalf. He refused to plead innocent, as he claimed such a plea would be unfair to those who suffered under him, but he was given immunity for his crimes due to his status as a spy. It was the best way to exonerate a man who felt guilty for his actions, even though those actions had been for Dumbledore's "greater good."

After the trial McGonagall had offered Severus the position of Deputy Headmaster, giving him the option to teach either Defense or Potions, but he declined. Instead, he had claimed the Prince inheritance and set up a mail-order apothecary, specializing in healing potions. He was less abrasive, but by no means more social. Draco, with whom Hermione had developed a precarious friendship, claimed his godfather joined his family for dinner once a week but spent most of his free time reading or renovating the small Prince estate he had inherited.

"He seems… happy," Draco said over tea. "The other night he was talking about clearing out one of the kitchen gardens so he could grow his own potions ingredients and he smiled. Do you know how goddamn disconcerting that was? I've known him my whole life, and I'm pretty sure I've never seen him smile."

On Hermione's right was Bill Weasley, who had returned to Gringotts with Fleur. There had been some animosity between him and the goblins, as Ron had been part of the break-in of the Lestrange vault and the liberation of the dragon protecting it, but the bank was not about to let the best curse-breaker in Britain work for anyone else. Hermione was surprised to see him at the meeting, since Gringotts rarely loaned out their curse breakers, and certainly not at a rate the Ministry could currently afford. Hermione wondered if he was here in some other capacity—perhaps on behalf of the Order?

To Hermione's left were two wizards wearing the lime green robes of St. Mungo's Healers. One of the two looked vaguely familiar. Hermione guessed she'd looked at him a hair too long, as he offered her a wan smile and extended his hand.

"Augustus Pye."

Hermione took his hand. "Hermione Granger."

Pye smiled. "As if anyone in Wizarding Britain didn't know who you were, Miss Granger."

Hermione had the decency to look a little embarrassed, and then place the Healer's name. "Oh! You're the Healer who helped Mr. Weasley after he was attacked by Nagini!"

Pye nodded, and Hermione noted that his smile did not reach his eyes. He looked like a man trying to make small talk at a funeral. It was a look Hermione had become very familiar with after the war. "That's me. I'm lucky to have survived that, though. I thought Molly Weasley would Avada me for using stitches on her husband. But, as you can see, I survived, though I've since transferred departments. I'm now the Head Healer on the Potions and Plant Poisoning Floor." He gestured to the man on his left. "This is Healer MacMillan, my second-in-command."

The man to Pye's left nodded at her politely. "I think you went to school with my nephew, Ernie?"

Their conversation was cut short, however, when Arthur cleared his throat. Healer Pye dropped his tentative smile, and everyone fell silent. Hermione noted that Greengrass continue to look at his notes rather than at the Minister.

"Forty-eight hours ago," Arthur began, "a team of Aurors entered an old Death Eater safe house. The DMLE has been working their way through various Death Eater estates and hide outs, and there was nothing in our intelligence that indicate this safe house would be any different than the others we have found.

However, upon entering the basement, the Aurora discovered a potions lab, with an entire section of cauldrons that were full and under a stasis charm. Despite following protocol, one of the Aurors triggered a defensive ward, which in turn triggered an explosion. Two Aurors suffered injuries, but the rest of the team was able to secure the site before taking the two via Portkey to St. Mungo's.

One of the Aurors, Natalie Frobisher, is a Muggle-born. Her medical file has been released to this group only, and her blood status will become relevant shortly. She was in the lab during the explosion, and suffered the most severe injuries, including a number of deep lacerations that were healed by the Mediwitches on duty. She was held for the standard 12 hours for observation, and then released. She remains in good health.

Six hours after Natalie entered St. Mungo's, two of her Mediwitches, both women, fell ill. Within an hour of each other, they collapsed on the hospital floor, and when they were revived, they complained of extreme fatigue and abdominal pain. Diagnostic spells didn't reveal anything. Both were put under observation, but, given the innocuous nature of their symptoms, were allowed visitors. Early yesterday morning, one of the women died. She was a pure-blood. At mid-day, the other woman died. She was a half-blood.

The first woman had been visited by her sister, who later went to a small dinner party with her husband. The next day, all six women who were at that dinner party were admitted to St. Mungo's with similar symptoms. Five of those women are now dead."

Arthur paused and sighed, and then rubbed the back of his neck. He looked like he was at a loss for how to continue. Normally, Hermione would have expected Greengrass to pick up where Arthur left off; he, however, was staring a hole in the notes in front of him. Arthur looked at Healer Pye.

"I left St. Mungo's approximately an hour ago," said Healer Pye. Arthur did not sit, but his relief at not having to continue the story was palpable. "As of that time, eighteen women have been admitted to the hospital with the same symptoms. Eleven are dead, and two more are not expected to survive the day."

The room stilled completely. Hermione scanned the room, making eye contact with a terrified Bill before he asked, "What do we know?"

It was Healer MacMillan who answered. "Not a lot. We know whatever this is seems to stem from Natalie's admission to St. Mungo's. We know whatever this is moves quick and is easily spread. We know that, so far, it only effects women." Here, he paused. "And we know whatever it is seems to disproportionately target pure-bloods and, to a lesser extent, half bloods. Of the eighteen women who have been admitted, twelve have been pure-bloods and six have been half-bloods. Ten of the pure-blood women and three of the half-blood women have died or are expected to. Zero admissions have been Muggle-born."