Directly after breakfast a team of four aurors - two males and two females - turned up to escort the two to the Ministry. They were escorted off the grounds by way of the main gate and, once outside the wards, directly side-along apparated to the auror apparation point inside the DMLE.
Harry, for one, was thankful; as it meant they had bypassed the public areas of the Ministry. And that meant not also being stared at by both Ministry workers and the public at-large.
Once inside the DMLE they were directly escorted to an interview room by one each of the male and female aurors.
They'd only been there a minute or two when they were also joined by another male-female auror pair. This time, both sat on the opposite side of the table to the two chairs at the table Harry and Hermione were seated in.
After quick greetings of 'Good morning's across the table between the four, the female auror got right to the heart of the matter.
"Lord Potter, Miss Granger," she began, "I'm Master Auror Constance Hammer. You may address me as 'Connie'."
After both teens nodded back, she then introduced her partner. "And this is my partner, Senior Auror Beauregard Fleming."
"You may call me, Beau," he smiled. "Everyone does."
That had both teens smiling back.
"Here's how this is going to work," said Hammer. "When dealing with children we normally provide them with a glass of water that contains a squeeze of lemon, plus a very mild calming potion and similarly mild truth potion. It's not Veritaserum, so no need to worry about that."
Harry knew of Veritaserum; but only knew it to be a strong truth potion, nothing more.
"We don't normally use it on adults as we believe adults are more than capable of remaining calm and understand the need to be entirely truthful. They understand the consequences when they aren't. Therefore, their water only contains the light lemon flavour.
"For you two we'll leave it to you as an option. However, I recommend you choose to have the potions as they'll stop you from worrying about what you say. Further, it means there is less chance of your statements being disregarded in court.
"Which would you prefer?"
After a glance at each other, both teens turned back.
Harry said, "So long as we do not delve off the subject matters I raised during the first task - and you do not go too deep into my personal life - I have no complaints about taking both potions."
"Same here," Hermione immediately added.
"I understand your concerns," said Hammer. "However, while the second is a truth potion, unlike Veritaserum it will not force you to answer. You can also state you do not wish to answer the question. That will be the truth and, therefore, it will not be unacceptable to the effects of the potion."
After both teens glanced at one another again, Hermione was first to answer.
"Then I have no problem taking either potion," she firmly stated.
"Me neither," added Harry.
Both aurors nodded back with pleased expressions.
"In that case..." said Hammer. She turned her head to the side and looked down a little. "Locky!"
A little house elf almost silently popped into place. "Yes, Miss?"
"Water with both potions, please," Hammer immediately ordered.
Without a word the little elf popped away again. A long moment later and it was back, together with a silver tray holding a carafe of ice water and two inverted tumblers.
"Thank you, Locky," said Hammer.
With a small smile, Fleming asked, "Alright, who wants to go first?"
"I do, please," Hermione immediately replied. Turning an embarrassed glance to Harry, she added, "Sorry, Harry. But, I really need to get this out of the way before I barf."
Harry just smiled back, gave a sheepish shrug and replied, "That's fine, Hermione. I don't mind."
"Very well, Miss Granger," said Hammer. She indicated the tray and said, "You'll want to drink about half a glass of that to start with. Then you can sip from it as often as you like."
As Hermione reached for it Harry could see her hands shaking. As could the two aurors.
Fleming simply reached out, flipped a tumbler over to be right side up and poured her half a glass of water.
Hermione carefully lifted it and - after a couple of steadying breaths - drank the entirety of it in one hit.
When she turned to look at Harry, he could see she was a bit embarrassed by that. He smiled back, just reached out and silently patted her thigh.
"It's alright," he said.
Meanwhile Fleming was setting up a large Dicta-quill in front of himself.
Once he was ready he turned to Hammer and nodded once.
Hammer just gave a slight clear of her throat and began. "Interview of Miss Hermione Granger in Interview Room One at the Department of Magical Law Enforcement on Friday, twenty fourth of November, 1994, at 9.30am. Interviewer, Master Auror Constance Hammer. Dicta-quill operator, Beauregard Fleming. Also present are Senior Auror Prusilla Proudfoot and Master Auror Thaddeus Pickwhistle. Master Auror Pickwhistle is senior officer of this interview."
She then turned to Hermione, who was now clearly a lot calmer and gently smiling back. It was clear to even Harry that the potions were having a positive effect.
"Miss Granger―" continued Hammer.
"Hi!" Hermione immediately and brightly returned with a smile, interrupting the auror.
Hammer smiled back and repeated, "Miss Granger, for the record, please give me your full name and date of birth."
"Hermione Jean Granger. Nineteenth of September, 1979," Hermione promptly replied.
"Confirmed," said Hammer, after checking off a sheet of parchment she had before her. "Do you give this interview of your own free will?"
"I do!" replied Hermione
Hammer gave a small nod and then got into the meat of the interview.
"Let's do this as chronologically as possible," said Hammer. "In your own words, Miss Granger, please describe for us what happened at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry - from here on referred to as simply Hogwarts - on the afternoon and into evening of the thirty-first of October 1991. I believe there was an incident concerning a troll."
"During Charms class that day, I was trying to help a fellow class and housemate, Ron Weasley, in how to successfully perform the levitation charm, Wingardium Leviosa, when..."
With a break after the first hour, Hermione continued with her interview right through to the day of the first task. Hammer asked for further information along the way.
When she'd finished Harry was surprised to discover it near enough to lunch that Hammer decided they'd break for lunch before continuing.
The four aurors escorted both teens to the DMLE-only cafeteria and remained with them the entire time.
Once they'd eaten and taken a short break in the water closets, also escorted by aurors of their own genders, the two teens were escorted back to the interview room.
This time it was Harry's turn and Hammer and Fleming switched roles. Harry opted for the same potion-laced water.
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