Not Lethal
Hermione stepped back into solid existence where she left Bregi at the edge of the Blood Garden and wiped her face. The words had cut deep, but they weren’t unfounded. She’d intended to make him forget, to take that choice from him. She thought she was doing the right thing at the time and only reconsidered it when it turned out to be more trouble than simpling running away.
There was too much blood between wizarding and non-wizarding magical beings, too much blood between Muggles and wizards too for it to ever work out. If that wasn’t enough, she was a merchant’s daughter and the granddaughter of a siren aligned with Marvolo.
“Let’s go home, Bregi,” she said. “I think I’ve been strong enough for a while.”
With Granger Enterprises safely out of Narcissa’s clutches, she could afford to take a few days off. Whether Harry had gotten Ginny away from Molly or Ron had ever gotten himself together, whether she lost the account with the palace because of this or not, she didn’t care. She had enough money from Granger Enterprises and her inheritance that she would be alright. Maybe she’d even consider leaving Surtse and heading back to Espirit with her mother’s side of the family. Maybe Selene and her people would find her like she said she would and she’d escape with them only returning to occasionally visit people in Surtse if she were still allowed.
It was a dangerous game she was playing letting Viktor know who she was and giving him a hint of what she could be.
Maybe he thought she was aligned with Marvolo and all of it had been a trick to ensnare him. Maybe he was secretly a purist and would show up at her door ready to drag her in for interrogation, observation, torture, or some combination of the three.
No matter it was, she just didn’t have the energy to think about it.
When she saw the Granger Estate rising out of the distance and the force surrounding the house, she lifted her chin defiantly, dismounted and schooled her expression into one of serenity.
“May I help you?”
“Are you Hermione Granger?”
“Who asks?”
The carriage opened and outstepped Narcissa with a sneer, “This is her. The filthy blood traitor.”
The leading knight whom she didn’t recognize stepped forward as her eyes drifted from Narcissa’s sneering face to the scroll in the man’s hand.
“Hermione Granger, you have been accused by Narcissa Malfoy of blood treason by virtue of acquiring a wand as a Muggle-born wizard through underhanded means, evading the wizarding registry for the intent to conspire against the crown of Surtse and the sanctity of the three kingdoms, and involvement with the wizards of Marvolo as testified by Sir Logan Harrington,” the knight closed the large scroll in his hands and other knights advanced to surround her and Bregi. She recognized the name as one of Narcissa’s boy toys, but she had no idea that he was also a part of the KNights that Viktor had led into Marvolo.
Small world.
“You will be taken into custody. Due to the severity of the claims, know that the knights of Surtse are licensed to use lethal force if necessary to subdue you. All of your property has been seized, your accomplices will be apprehended, and you will be tried before the Tri-Kingdom Wizengamot.”
Hermione sighed and pet Bregi’s coat gently as he grew restless, “There, there. It’ll be alright. Eat lots of apples for the worry.”
She looked at the knight and then to the Estate’s barrier, “Am I to be treated like a terrorist then?”
“You are.”
She nodded and lifted her hands in a show of meaning them no harm, “There will be no need to use lethal force.”
Bregi nuzzled her and walked past the knights. As he walked onto the property, the barrier activated and forced the few knights loitering by the front porch beyond the gate that marked the front of the estate.
Sir Logan glared at her as he stood up, “You--”
“As I recall, you have no right to seize my property until after the trial has concluded and I have been found guilty,” she said, “Given too that the concept of my property is wrapped in with my family business and firmly stewarded legally by my financial advisor, I would suppose that you have nothing of much value to seize.”
“You see!”Narcissa hissed, “She obviously planned for this all along.”
“Madam Malfoy, if you could return to your carriage,” the leading knight said and bound Hermione’s hands, “The Knights of Surtse can handle it from here.”
She glared one last time at Hermione and climbed into her carriage. It trotted away as the knights led her to the cart that would carry her to the palace. She sat down on the straw in the magic cage and sighed as they bumbled along towards the palace.
Maybe they would torture her until she confessed and then kill her.
Maybe they would just kill her.
Whatever happened, she couldn’t seem to care anymore.