Hermione found putting back her room together immensely satisfying. The way everything went back to its original place with a wave of her wand, the curtains mended and the shards of glass flew back to the window and stuck themselves properly was good to watch. It somehow felt like pieces of her soul coming together, except that her soul was as broken as ever.

While she arranged her perfectly fixed bedclothes, she noticed bundles of paper near the window. She found that they were the newspapers for the three days she'd not come to the Great Hall. The delivery owl must've dropped them off here and I wouldn't have noticed, she thought, picking up that day's Prophet. Unfurling the latest paper, she found herself gaping at the headline.

MINISTRY OF MAGIC ATTACKED; SEVERAL INJURED

In the late hours of yesterday evening, the Ministry of Magic headquarters in London was attacked by a group of Death Eaters, sources report.

Several Ministry workers and officers had started noticing unusual activity around the building by half past seven in the evening. "...there were unauthorized entries into the complex from various entry points, including the Floo, the guest entrance, and the main entrance," a security wizard said. "They were not paid complete attention by the concerned authorities and the entries went largely unnoticed."

"The Ministry has gone lax about security after its glorious win in the Second Wizarding War, and they now think that there are no dangers left, which is extremely ironical considering the events of the day before yesterday," a junior Auror reported, and we have to agree, seeing as the invulnerability of the Ministry has been largely compromised in the last few days alone.

Events of the day before yesterday? She'd read that Prophet next. Hermione furrowed her brow and continued to read.

The intruders went for the high-ranking officials of the organization, resulting in three casualties of the junior officials who tried to help, namely Tiberius Swift, Susan Graybone, and Honoria Lutsen, all from the Department of  Magical Accidents and Catastrophes. At the beginning of the night, Kingsley Shacklebolt, the Minister of Magic, was admitted to St. Mungo's Spell Damage sector with serious injuries, along with Augusta Longbottom, Chief Warlock, and Dedalus Diggle, member of the Wizengamot. Percy Weasley and Griselda Marchbanks sustained minor injuries, which were taken care of by a team of Healers dispatched to the site from the hospital.

"The purpose of the intruders, who most likely included the runaways from Azkaban, is not yet recognized. We have sent several Aurors to capture and interrogate them at the earliest," the head of the Auror department said.

Hermione sat stunned for a few seconds, then a solitary thought popped into her mind. Neville's grandmother! She was in St. Mungo's. She desperately hoped someone was there to comfort him when she couldn't be there, probably Luna or Dean or Seamus. She needed to find him. But before that, she needed to read the day before yesterday's paper. She picked up the Prophet and looked at the headline, though she had already anticipated what it would be.

BREAKOUT FROM AZKABAN, MINISTRY CLUELESS

Close to midnight yesterday, five Death Eaters captured recently escaped Azkaban and ran away with little hindrance provided by Ministry Aurors.

The runaway convicts were identified as Mulciber, Avery, Lucius Malfoy, Rookwood, and Dolohov, all of whom were recognized as people in Lord Voldemort's inner circle during his reign. They have been classified as extremely dangerous and Aurors have been put on high alert throughout Britain.

The Ministry is completely clueless as to how the gigantic error in their security of a place like Azkaban went unnoticed. "The Dementors of Azkaban have assumed their loyalty to us ever since the Second Wizarding War was won and we are quite sure that there is no possibility of them switching sides," Kingsley Shacklebolt, the Minister of Magic, said. "As for the Death Eaters, we plead the Wizarding community to remain calm and cooperate with us. Anyone who suspects unusual activity or sights one of the criminals mentioned is requested to contact the Ministry immediately without putting themselves in danger. Rest assured that this error will be corrected very soon."

The said criminals were arrested and taken into custody a few weeks ago at Malfoy Manor, where Lucius Malfoy is said to have been hosting a meeting. Narcissa Malfoy has still not been caught and remains, as of now, on the loose.

This article was followed by a huge black-and-white moving picture of Lucius, Avery, Rookwood, Dolohov, and Mulciber in grubby prison clothes, holding out dirty plaques with their prison numbers written on them. All of them looked insane, but not an insanity that made one reel out fire. It was an insanity in their eyes that spelled out that something in their brains was so twisted and had become so much more dark in the presence of Dementors that they had become walking shells with nothing inside, or else, a vortex of black inside. Hermione shivered. She folded up the papers quickly and got out of bed. She had to get to Draco. He might not even know yet.

***

Early next morning, Hermione was in the Head Common Room along with Draco, Harry, Ron, and Ginny. She knew she had to go over this with the others, even if it meant coming face-to-face with Ron. She shuddered slightly at his sight and made sure to keep diagonally opposite him when they all gathered. Draco had, understandably, not agreed to discussing matters with 'those bloody Gryffindors', but had come along when Hermione had pleaded. He had seemed more disturbed than upset over the news. Anyway, he, being the expert he was in hiding his emotions, hadn't expressed much about anything. He had just been more quiet than usual, but Hermione could see that fading as the minutes ticked by. He was getting back to his snarky, arrogant, don't-give-a-crap self around Harry, Ginny, and Ron, especially Ron, who he was eyeing with such intensity Hermione felt he might burn up and catch fire.

"Okay, first off, you guys really need to get into the habit of reading the Prophet daily. I wasn't here for three days and none of you could bother picking up the paper, which, coincidentally, contained important information," Hermione hissed.

"Ah, if it isn't the most important subject on our catalogue of problems," Draco said. "What the hell is there to discuss, anyway? You Gryffindors are just too nosy for your own good."

"Yeah, nosy that didn't get us where you are now," Ron snapped. "Son of an escaped convict."

"You know, we didn't read the paper, but the others sure did. We caught your name a few times here and there, even among the teachers." Ginny threw back her hair from her shoulders.

"That's enough," Hermione said. "I can't meet you guys separately for going over the same thing because this concerns all of us, so I need you all to hold your fire for a few minutes."

"Bring it up, Hermione, I can see that's not going to hold true for long," Harry said, glaring at Ginny.

"Yeah, I know," Draco said, stretching his legs on the sofa and twirling his wand somewhat threateningly towards Ron.

"What I don't get is," Hermione said, "how did they escape Azkaban? I mean, after the war, didn't the Dementors come over to the Bright Side?"

"They did, but I'm guessing they might have been lured over again," Draco said darkly. "Those creatures don't know loyalty to either side. They only temporarily help the side that benefits them."

"You'd think for a soulless creature, they'd have lesser brains than that," Ron said.

"But even if they could be lured," Harry said, "the Dark side is destroyed. What do those Death Eaters have to offer the Dementors? They have no powerful leader. Their side is utterly disorganized. Even they must know that they can't hope to reach pinnacles of power like this."

"That's the problem with this theory. Though, I think, those Death Eaters never stop overestimating themselves. If they offered them something, they must believe they'd rise to rule the world again," Ginny said.

"Which means they'll try again," Ron said.

"But wasn't it reckless on their part to attack the Ministry two days after they escaped, if they're aspiring for world leaders?" Ginny said. 

"Whatever that was, it wasn't stupidity, or even plain revenge. I know my father. He'd be leading the rest right now, and he wouldn't do something huge without a plan, just for the sake of getting back at the Ministry," Draco said.

"Of course, no one can understand a Death Eater like another Death Eater," Ron flung.

"Shut up, Ron. We're not here to fight," Harry hissed.

"They must be looking for something," Ginny conceded. "Or someone." 

"I'm guessing that's a something," Harry said. "They don't have anyone left to find. Everyone they had is either dead or imprisoned. And if they had to go for an imprisoned person, they'd attack Azkaban."

"Something they could hope to find at the Ministry," Hermione brooded. 

Something stirred inside Draco's mind. A conversation he'd eavesdropped on. 

"...think we all have finally agreed on one point, that there can only be two possible places," Avery was speaking.

"Yes, and I think we all ought to agree on yet another point," Dolohov whispered angrily. "This is a completely foolish idea! What are we going to gain, may I ask you?"

"What we'll gain? What we'll gain?" Mulciber said incredulously. "Have you not been following, Dolohov? We have nothing to lose, and everything to gain!"

"Two possible places," Draco mumbled. Then it clicked. 

"Of course! My father had a meeting with the other Death Eaters the night I left for Diagon Alley. They were discussing possible places for finding something. Two possible places. One is the Ministry. Then the other is bound to be - "

"Hogwarts," Hermione said, getting up and pacing. "That means it can only be something of immense value that'll somehow help them get back to power. Probably something of historical significance, enough significance to be kept heavily guarded either here or at the Ministry."

"That means we can almost predict an attack on Hogwarts sometime in the next few days," Harry said worriedly. "We need to inform McGonagall."

"We do," Ron said. "Our information would've been much more helpful, though, if we knew what the object was - an insider could probably tell us." He eyed Draco with an expression that suggested disdain.

"I don't think we need that," Hermione said, suddenly stilling, as she made sense of the entire plot. "They're looking for the Resurrection Stone."

***

A/N: And now the story begins in earnest! This is going to be a hell of a ride. Buckle up and tell me how you're liking the story so far! Constructive criticism is always welcome.