Fighting the urge to snap at her, Hermione drew a slow inhale. "So what you're telling me is Blaise will go to Azkaban, even if he buried Bellatrix's body himself."

Hestia frowned, reaching up to rub her brow. "It might commute his sentence. I can see his prison time decreasing significantly"—she looked at her and spoke directly—"particularly with a top-notch barrister." Hestia glanced at the door again and lowered her voice. "You say Zabini buried the body. May I ask who, in this hypothetical situation, cast the Killing Curse?"

"Hypothetically, it was Draco Malfoy."

Hestia closed her eyes briefly, like she'd assumed as much. "And I presume the reasoning for killing his aunt is specific and measurable in a court of law?"

"Yes." Hermione hesitated with her next question, but she knew it was time. "I have another hypothetical for you."

Hestia studied her with a weary expression before nodding her head to continue.

Hermione felt her heartbeat in her fingertips.

"What would happen if I told you," she said, "that Blaise Zabini provided critical assistance to Draco Malfoy and myself in our mission to reduce Lord Voldemort to his mortal state, thereby allowing Ginny Weasley the opportunity to successfully kill him?"

Silence descended between them. Hestia turned to the window again, standing perfectly still. "And I assume this evidence will be key to Draco Malfoy's defense as well?"

"Yes."

Hestia turned her sharp gaze on her. "Then hold onto it."

Hermione's throat felt dry. "'Hold onto it?'"

"Let me amend my statement," Hestia said, "I'm confident this information would fully exonerate Blaise Zabini, if that's your primary concern. But if you give this to the Tribunal in three weeks, you'll be giving up your opportunity to save Draco Malfoy."

Her heart hammered in her chest. "I don't understand—"

"I think you underestimate how badly this Tribunal wants to see Draco Malfoy pay for his crimes," Hestia said, and the fine hairs on the back of Hermione's stood on end. "You'd be giving up Draco Malfoy's main defense a month before his trial instead of a day. They'd be prepared for you, Hermione. They'd make sure they had enough evidence so that he'd rot in Azkaban no matter what you told them."

A long silence. Her limbs felt numb. "They have no idea what he's done for Europe— for the entire world—"

"I'm sure they don't." Hestia's eyes hardened. "Save it for his trial, Hermione. What I'm hearing—hypothetically—is that Undesirable No. 1 is dead, and Undesirable No. 2 was killed before he could stand before this Tribunal." She took a step closer. "That leaves Draco Malfoy, who just so happens to be a blood relative of them both."

"And that's what you call 'justice?'" Hermione curled her hands into fists. "Laying the sins of this war on Draco Malfoy's shoulders?"

Hestia looked down at her hands resting on the windowsill. "You can't have it all, Hermione. I had to learn that the hard way."

She stood tall from the window, clasped Hermione's shoulder, and exited the room, leaving Hermione with a thousand arguments on her lips and no one to scream at.