Chapter 7
"What do you know about blood curses?" Harry asked Hermione the following Wednesday at lunch. She looked at him curiously. "Who's asking?"
"I'm asking. I just asked you," Harry said. She rolled her eyes. "Alright then, why are you asking?"
"Theoretically speaking – would it be possible to…take over someone’s body with a blood curse?
“You mean like the Imperius curse?”
“Er, no, think more like…The Exorcist,” Harry wracked his brain for a better explanation. ”but you know, like a wizard instead of a demon.”
Hermione put down her sandwich with a sigh. “You think Malfoy’s possessed?”
“I didn’t say anything about Malfoy.”
She narrowed her eyes but went back to her sandwich. “Alright, fine. Theoretically , yes, I suppose that would be possible. But it would require an incredibly powerful energy source to keep the curse in place if it was being used long term.”
She paused to take a bite of her lunch. “Not that you’re suggesting that’s the case with Malfoy.”
“Of course not,” Harry said. “But if I were…”
“Harry…” she said, a warning in her tone.
“Alright, but don’t bite my head off,” he whispered, pushing his own sandwich aside and leaning in across the table. At Hermione’s raised brows he cast a discreet Muffliato too.
“I visited Corban Yaxley in Azkaban.”
“What? Why?!”
“He was Malfoy’s cellmate. Or, Malfoy was his cellmate. Or, if I’m right, then actually yeah, he was Malfoy’s cellmate and now he’s walking free in Malfoy’s body while the real Malfoy is stuck in Azkaban,” Harry rambled.
“So, really, I visited Malfoy in Azkaban. Or that’s the running theory at least.”
“And what makes that the running theory , exactly?”
“Well he sort of…implied it?”
“Corban Yaxley. Implied that he was Malfoy,” Hermione said back to him. “Are you hearing yourself right now?”
“Ok, yes I know it sounds completely mental, but-”
“Harry! You’re seriously entertaining the possibility that Malfoy has been…what, body swapped with a convicted death eater — serving a life sentence for crimes much more grievous than Malfoy’s ever committed, I should add — rather than accept that maybe Malfoy really has just learned his lesson? Paid his dues? That he’s capable of becoming a better person?”
Harry opened his mouth to argue, but Hermione wasn’t done.
“Look,” she said, her sandwich fillings falling out onto her plate as she gestured with her hands.
“I know things have been a bit…tame at the moment. It’s been a while since your last big case,” she said, biting her lip in the way that meant he wouldn’t like what she had to say next.
“But I don’t think it’s healthy for you to be making up conspiracy theories just to get some sort of a thrill again.”
“What?” Harry asked in disbelief.
“I mean, have you considered joining the intramural quidditch team at the Ministry, Ron says it’s really gotten better, and-”
Harry couldn’t listen to this.
“Hermione,” he said tightly. “I’m not just making things up to feel alive again or whatever you’re suggesting. This isn’t some midlife crisis-”
”I should hope not, we’re not even 30,” Hermione muttered.
Harry groaned, running his hands through his hair.
“I’m asking you as my friend to hear me out. Please. And if you really think I’ve gone completely mad, I’ll let it go. I swear,” he said.
“No you won’t,” Hermione sighed. “But I suppose you wouldn’t be you if you did. Alright, what have you got?”
Harry relaxed, relieved to have an opening.
“That’s exactly it, Hermione! Malfoy isn’t himself . And I don’t just mean the charity stuff,” he said quickly before she could interrupt.
“His mannerisms, his personality — it’s just not Malfoy . And yeah, I know he’s been in Azkaban for 10 years, but doesn’t that make it odder? How much can a person change when they’re locked away, isolated from the world? Even with your prison reforms — he was surrounded by death eaters, reminders of his past. And he comes out a completely different person? It’s not even like he’s some remade man, it’s like he’s…following a script. Playing a part.”
Harry went on to explain his doubts, relaying the way Malfoy didn’t seem to recognize his wand and wasn’t using it, how he lied about reading the file the ministry had on him, how he didn’t seem to remember how he got his Sectumsempra scars, how muted his reaction was when he led the Aurors to Lucius and watched him die.
Hermione still looked skeptical.
“None of these things mean he’s not Malfoy, Harry,” she reasoned. “Though I’ll grant you out of all of us, you’re probably the expert.”
Harry ignored the snide remark in favour of making his case.
“He also visited Yaxley in prison, Hermione. The day after he lied about his scars, he went to see him. I saw his name in the visitor’s log.”
That caught her attention. It was only for a moment, but Harry saw Hermione pause to consider the information before going back to gathering up the rubbish from their lunch to toss in the bin. She’d put away enough criminals to know no one would return to Azkaban by choice.
“Ok let’s say, just as a thought experiment, that you’re right. How would he have done it?”
“Blood curse,” Harry reminded her.
“No, I mean how would he have managed to cast a blood curse in Azkaban, without a wand and without anything to tether it to?”
“Haven’t the foggiest. That’s why I need your help,” Harry said honestly.
”I’m a Witan prosecutor, Harry!” Hermione huffed. “I can’t just investigate ex-prisoners.” After a thoughtful pause, she added, “at least not without substantive evidence.”
“What if you just got me some Veritaserum? Then I could just ask Malfoy and be done with it.”
“You know I can’t. And besides there’s a reason we don’t rely on Veritaserum in testimonies. It’s fallible.”
“Fine, but don’t you think as a Witan prosecutor you have a moral duty to ensure there hasn’t been a miscarriage of justice?” he challenged, appealing to her principled side.
Hermione snorted and stood up, preparing to leave.
“ As a Witan prosecutor — I have to get back to work,” she said.
“And anyway, as an Auror , aren’t you due an abuse of power or two? I’m sure some devoted clerk would love to help you out.”
Harry blew out a breath and slumped further into his chair.
“Right yeah. Thanks ‘Mione. Love to Ron and Rosie.”
Hermione sighed in defeat.
“Unrelated to everything we just talked about…I’ll see what I can find on blood curses. You know, for some light reading,” she offered him a small smile that Harry returned tenfold.