Disclaimer: I do not own anything from the Harry Potter world.

"Is this some kind of sick bloody joke?" Ron bellowed as Hermione sat, stunned, between her two best friends.

Harry gripped her arm tightly. "There has to be some sort of mistake," he said anxiously. "Kingsley you cannot be serious!"

"Harry, I dislike this as much as you do," the Minister for Magic began to reply in a grave voice but the bespectacled wizard cut across him.

"You don't!" Harry insisted, "There's no way you could possibly feel as strongly as I do otherwise you wouldn't be letting this happen."

"Harry, this is one of the most sacred magical laws," Kingsley explained calmly, not letting a couple of upset teenagers crack his eternally cool demeanour. "The legal power that is evoked when saving another witch or wizard's life has been recognised since well before even the time of the founders of Hogwarts."

"There has to be some mistake," Harry repeated, shaking his head and chewing on his bottom lip. "It doesn't make any sense." It seemed to suddenly dawn on him that Hermione had said nothing since Kingsley's startling announcement and he gave her arm a little shake. "This is all wrong, isn't it, Hermione? Tell him it's not true," he urged. "It didn't happen, did it?"

"Of course it didn't!" Ron spat angrily. "That piece of shit is just making a desperate attempt to save his neck! What I wouldn't give to get my hands on him," Ron muttered darkly, glowering as he mimed strangling something or someone.

Hermione could feel Kingsley's gaze on her as she stared in disbelief at the luxurious carpet in his office.

"Miss Granger?" Kingsley prompted. "Hermione?"

Her body trembled as she tried to fight against saying the words that would certainly unleash some terrible, unknown fate. "It's true," she choked out quietly. "That's what happened; he's telling the truth."

There was a stunned silence from her friends, even more intense than the one that had followed Kingsley's initial announcement.

"No," Ron said shortly, "It doesn't make any sense! He must have confunded you, Hermione."

"Ron," she said softly, touched that he was so determined to protect her against whatever this could lead to that he would resort to ridiculous alternatives, instead of accepting the truth when she spoke it.

"It doesn't make sense!" he insisted, his eyes imploring her to agree with him.

"I know, Ron," she replied, shaking her head, "but as crazy as it sounds, it is what happened: Antonin Dolohov saved my life during the Battle of Hogwarts."

Harry pushed his glasses upwards and rubbed his eyes. "You're absolutely sure?" he asked, his voice slightly obscured by the hand that was trying to rub sense into his brain. "It couldn't be a misunderstanding?"

Hermione let out a humourless breath of laughter. "Believe me, Harry, I wish it was but the fact of the matter is that I would have died that night if it wasn't for Dolohov."

"This is bullshit," Ron cried incredulously, his feelings about the manner so strong that he was unable to prevent himself from using such profanities in front of the most powerful person in magical Britain. "It was a battle! People were saving each other's lives all over the place – hell, we even saved Malfoy's life a couple of times! You don't see us lording it over his head and enacting some ancient law."

"With respect, Mr Weasley," Kingsley answered, his overly polite, clipped tones suggesting that the red-haired wizard remember his manners, "You are not facing a life time sentence in Azkaban."

"Yeah, and that's because he's a fucking murderer!" Ron snarled, jumping to his feet.

Hermione let out a scandalised, 'Ron!' at the language, but the other occupants of the office didn't bat an eyelid.

"Dolohov killed Remus!" Harry joined in, also standing up. "It's his fault Teddy's got no father!"

"He's an evil bastard that should never see the light of day again!" Ron concluded vehemently.

"Ron, Harry, while all of that may be true," Kingsley said calmly, "that unfortunately doesn't change the validity of his claim and the laws with which our society is governed."

"Then the law should be changed," Harry muttered, sinking back into his chair.

"Maybe it should," Kingsley agreed, "Maybe this case will spark a review of the law but it cannot just be dismissed at the drop of a wand because we do not like the person who is utilising the law properly."

"But – " Ron began but Kingsley cut across him.

"And certainly not by a new Minister for Magic who has only been in the job for a few weeks following a war that has affected the entire magical community," he said sternly.

Ron's shoulders slumped and he sat down, looking defeated.

"What," Hermione began, but she disliked how weak her voice sounded so she cleared her throat. "What will happen now?"

"There will be a hearing to decide Dolohov's fate," Kingsley informed her. "You will be called to give testimony."

Hermione wasn't happy to hear that but it was to be expected.

"What if," Harry began cautiously, shifting in his seat and raising a cautionary hand, "Hear me out," he said quickly as though prepared for objections, "What if Hermione refuses to attend?"

"Yeah," Ron agreed, nodding slowly. "Or what if she goes but doesn't confirm his story – makes him out to be a liar? It's hardly the worst thing he'll ever be accused of."

Hermione and Kingsley exchanged exasperated looks at the young wizards' ill-conceived notions.

"Mr Potter, Mr Weasley," Kingsley said with an unamused smile, "I'm sure neither of you are seriously suggesting that this new and improved Ministry condone corruption? That Miss Granger take part in a deliberate act to pervert the course of justice?"

"Justice?" Harry scoffed. "How can a law that allows one of Voldemort's most infamous and devout followers to escape a lifetime in prison be any kind of justice?"

"Magical law must be upheld," Kingsley replied coolly. "That is the highest responsibility that comes with this Office."

"And what about keeping the people of Wizarding Britain safe?" Harry argued, "Where do they rank on your list of priorities, Minister?"

"Harry," Hermione said with a warning tone. "Kingsley is right; we cannot take the law into our own hands."

"Hermione, that piece of shit tried to kill you a few years ago!" Ron pointed out passionately.

"You don't need to remind me," she replied pointedly, a flash of purple flames racing through her memories. She still bore faint scars from Dolohov's unknown curse on her torso.

"Then how can you be so calm about him using you to secure his release?" Harry asked incredulously. "To grant him the liberty he does not deserve; to allow Remus' killer to go unpunished?"

Hermione's stomach twisted in despair as she was plagued by more memories; this time of her former professor and friend lying lifeless on the floor, the body of his wife still and cold next to him; of their newborn son, Teddy, sleeping peacefully, without the slightest awareness of the parents he would never meet.

"It makes me want to be sick, Harry," she said truthfully, her voice trembling a little with emotion.

"Then why – " Harry began to ask.

"Because he saved my life," she said through gritted teeth.

"Hermione, one good deed doesn't erase a lifetime of bad ones," Ron said softly, reaching for her hand. She knew that he was trying to be comforting but, more than anything, she felt a little patronised.

"At no point during the hearing will that fact be forgotten," Kingsley reassured them all. "While Dolohov may be reprieved of a sentence in Azkaban, I am confident that he will not become a 'free' man. Safeguards will be put in place to ensure that he does not pose a threat to others. I will do everything I can to protect my people within the law," he vowed, with a pointed look at Harry in response to the way he'd challenged Kingsley earlier.

Hermione could tell that neither Ron nor Harry were happy (neither was she, really) but they had come to realise that arguing against both Kingsley and herself was pointless: they were always going to do what they thought was right, what they thought they must.

"When is the hearing?" Hermione asked.

"Tomorrow," Kingsley replied.

Hermione got to her feet, trying to project an image of strength that she didn't feel. "I'll be there."

A/N Thanks for reading!