Semper Fidelis

Chapter 17.10

Remus watched, wide-eyed, as the delicate chain was transformed back into its original form because of the spell. The chain glowed and then it expanded to be a little longer than the wand Hermione was currently holding. The silver chain turned to wood and it thickened to a wider girth. Indentations formed on the surface and Remus noted it looked like two vines were winding themselves up the column. A single wing the size of Hermione's hand sprouted from the end.

"This is the staff?" Remus asked, as Hermione carefully handed him the wooden object. He held it carefully in his hands for it felt so delicate in his touch. He looked at it in awe, turning the staff over and over in his palms as if expecting it to do something. He handed it back to Hermione when it didn't perform in his hands.  "What does it do?"

Hermione gently placed the object on her lap. "I think it has healing properties," Hermione responded. Remus looked at her inquisitively and she explained further. "Well, it's only a guess, but the mythical object of Hermes' caduceus which was fashioned after this one had healing properties. I'll... I'll need to do more research."

Remus nodded, noting that Hermione was taking on the task. Deciding to shelf that for later, Remus asked, "What do you know about Demetre Demos? Why does he want the staff?"

At this, Hermione frowned. Still she felt like such a fool for not realizing Demos was a wizard. She was utterly blindsighted by his deception and felt like an idiot for letting herself get caught in his web. "I... I don't know," Hermione said, though she hated saying it. "I did my research of him before taking on the job, but that only told me that he was a museum director. His post in the museum was legitimate and I never questioned his personal life. The man in his office whom I saw said that they were looking for it. And it seemed like he had a lot of men working for him too. They were able to figure out that I went to Toronto shortly before the exhibit moved to New York where they tried to get the staff. He was meant to retrieve the staff for someone else. But who?"

Remus grimaced. "That's what we're trying to suss out," he said. "How do you think he found out about the staff when you didn't tell him anything?"

She bit her lip in thought and shrugged again. "It's not unusual to have more than one researcher on a project. I reckon he might have gotten help when I... when I wouldn't tell him anything. I gave him updates on my progress until the very end, unfortunately - it was just part of the process with my clients. He could have used that and handed it off to another researcher."

The Auror nodded in understanding and looked at the staff on her lap. "I'll need to take the caduceus with me, Ms. Granger," he said softly "It needs to be protected. You need to be protected."

Hermione frowned. "It's safest here, at Hogwarts," she said. "Where it will remain transfigured into a simple bracelet that no one will care about." She grabbed her wand and muttered the spell with such precision and ease. Remus watched as the wooden rod shrunk in size and transformed into a silver chain. He was almost surprised at how easily she did the incantation but caught himself. This was Hermione Granger, after all. She was still her same brilliant self even after years of not using magic.