"Oh, by the way, I almost forgot to tell Mr. Malfoy." Hermione's voice was light and conversational, the perfect counterpoint to the heavy gloom of the room. "Professor Lockhart will be resigning at the end of this year. He plans to develop his career in the Ministry of Magic."
Lucius, who had just forced out a painful, whispered thank you, picked up his silver teacup. He was already composing his strategy, trying to regain control. "That's marvelous news, I wish Professor Lockhart all success," he said politely, but his mind was racing. Why tell me this triviality? Get to the point.
"He intends to join the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Starting as an Auror." Hermione paused, her gaze fixed on him. "You know, Aurors need to accumulate outstanding achievements to be promoted. Capturing dark wizards, uncovering conspiracies, things like that."
Lucius slowly set his teacup down. The porcelain clinked sharply against the saucer. He heard the veiled threat. "Miss Granger, you have come to the wrong place," he said, his voice cold and hard, a warning in every syllable. "I know no dark wizards. You should take your business to some low-life information broker."
"Oh, Mr. Malfoy, that is a terrible lie," Hermione said, affecting a tone of profound sadness. She leaned forward, lowering her voice, but her gaze was sharp and unforgiving. "I have heard from many people that the former Death Eaters were loyal, righteous men, and that their leader, Lord Voldemort, was a legend."
Lucius's eyes went black. He slammed his fist down on the table, making the teacup jump again, this time with a spray of tea. The sheer audacity of her public challenge was breathtaking. "Shut up!" he hissed, his face draining of all color. "I repeat, I have nothing to do with Death Eaters!"
"Then stop fighting me!" Hermione snapped, her voice suddenly sharp and cutting. "We all know your previous identity, Mr. Malfoy. And if you insist on lying to me, Professor Lockhart and I can only continue to 'publicize' your innocence. You remember the bookstore? I can assure you, the front page of the Prophet would love to run a story about how Lucius Malfoy, the reformed Death Eater, still praises the Dark Lord years after his supposed redemption."
Veins throbbed violently on Lucius's temples. He was gnashing his teeth, the sound a low, desperate grind. She was addicted to putting the blame on him.
Hermione quickly softened her tone, offering the bait. "However, if you cooperate, Professor Lockhart will testify before the Ministry on behalf of your son." She pressed the key point. "He will testify that Draco was genuinely under the control of the Horcrux, not a willing participant. That, Mr. Malfoy, will save your son from Azkaban and protect your family name."
She held his gaze, her voice now a silk thread of manipulation. "Or… you are still loyal to someone else, and would rather see Draco take the fall than betray your Death Eater colleagues…"
Lucius was silent, trapped. He saw the cold, unyielding truth: she had him completely. He had no defense.
"You threaten me," he spat out, the words thick with fury.
"If you think so, I can't help you," Hermione replied simply. "But yes, Lucius, I am threatening you. And what are you going to do about it?" She didn't bother with the polite euphemism of "This is not a threat." She just admitted it. She was too powerful to waste time with pretense.
Next to him, Lockhart, who had been completely lost in the rapid-fire political negotiation, finally understood the full, terrifying truth of the situation. He was not a chaperone. He was a piece of blackmail collateral.
Lucius's entire body trembled. He looked from his blood-soaked carpet to the small, calm girl, realizing that his son's fate was entirely in her hands.
In a final, desperate act of defiance, he gripped his cane.
"Avada Kedavra!"
The incantation was ripped from Hermione's lips, silent and terrifyingly fast. A searing bolt of brilliant, sickly green light flashed so close to Lucius's face that he felt the heat on his skin. It slammed into the wall inches behind his head, leaving a smoking, cratered hole. The sudden rush of displaced air, the raw, palpable presence of death, was overwhelming.
Lucius froze, his wand hand still halfway to his chest. He had no doubt she had intended to miss. He also had no doubt she would not miss a second time.
Hermione's voice, though soft, was filled with an unquestionable menace. "I don't like people reaching for their weapons in my presence, Mr. Malfoy." She pointed her wand at the ruined wall. "My aim is usually quite accurate, but I've been out of practice. I wouldn't recommend testing my range again."
She then turned her cold, victorious gaze back to him and pointed her wand at the sofa opposite. "Lucius. Please sit down."
The great, proud pure-blood aristocrat, his arrogance shattered by the raw, absolute power of a death curse, obeyed mechanically. He lowered himself onto the couch, his face gray.
He finally raised his head, staring at the small, victorious girl. "If… if I tell you the names of those who are loyal to the Dark Lord," he whispered, "will Lockhart and the boy… testify for Draco?"
Hermione nodded, the curve of her mouth widening into a triumphant smile. "Not just Lockhart, Mr. Malfoy. Harry Potter, the hero who survived the Dark Lord, will also attest to your son's innocence. Your son's life will be saved by the very fame you despise."
Lucius's shoulders slumped. His hatred for Potter was profound, but his love for his son was greater. He had completely lost.
"The price is accepted," he sighed, his voice thick with defeat. He looked at Hermione, a flicker of genuine warning in his eyes. "But those men… they are not fools. They will kill your accomplice."
Hermione shrugged, looking unconcerned. "That, Mr. Malfoy, is no longer your problem. Your only concern now is keeping your end of the deal."
Lucius completely lost his will to fight. He slumped deeper into the sofa, a broken man. "Alright… I promise you." His life was irrevocably changed, his reputation destroyed, and his future was now dictated by a child.
PLS SUPPORT ME AND THROW POWERSTONES .