She tapped her quill restlessly atop her desk, pondering what she'd learned in the very early hours of the morning. Of all those she could've suspected being involved, Fenrir Greyback had not crossed her mind.
The werewolf had last been sighted in Germany a few years prior and had fallen suddenly silent from what could only be considered a rampage across mainland Europe.
His pack was said to number close to one hundred, each of them sharing his vision for their kind to feed freely and without prejudice.
Greyback had quickly garnered a reputation for being particularly vicious, purposely targeting children in the hope they would be cast out by their families. He would then add them to his pack, grooming them to be as violent as him.
If he was truly in Britain, it was the most unwelcome of developments.
"What's happened?" Alastor asked, pausing before he stepped into the office.
"What makes you think something has happened?"
"Bones, I have worked with you day in and day out since you walked in this hellhole, I can tell when something is bothering you, someone has annoyed you, and definitely when something is troubling you. What is it?"
Amelia released a deep breath.
"Close the door," she requested.
A frowning Alastor did so and took a seat.
"I got the examiner's report in the early hours," Amelia explained. "Imelda Smith was bludgeoned to death, but it's worse than we thought, much worse."
"Go on," Moody urged when she paused.
"I have to be careful what I say," she murmured. "I need you to trust me, Alastor. I have it from what I believe is a reliable source that Fenrir Greyback killed her."
Moody blinked before shaking his head.
"Well, shite," he grumbled, frowning once more. "What aren't you telling me, Bones? This reliable source, who is it?"
"That's what I can't say," Amelia groaned, "but as much as I wish it didn't, the evidence adds up. Jenny found a hair that was neither human nor animal. My source told me they heard Greyback admit to the murder whilst listening in on a conversation. All I can say is that the source is not an Unspeakable, but someone of equal standing."
"Equal standing," Moody murmured. "A bloody Hit-Wizard?"
Amelia nodded and held up a hand.
"That cannot be made known to anyone," she said firmly. "They are going to be assisting us from the shadows."
Alastor was not pleased with the revelation, but he nodded his understanding.
"We keep your source a secret, Bones, but we can't keep Greyback from Grimm and Jones. It's more than our jobs are worth not to tell them."
"I know," Amelia sighed. "We tell them what we have to, but no more."
"Aye," Moody agreed. "Well, there's no time like the present. Grimm is in his office now. Let's see how quickly he cacks his pants."
"I can't say I'm best pleased by him being here," Amelia murmured. "Do you think he'll have his whole pack with him?"
"If he does, that begs the question of how the hell that got into the country in the first place without anyone knowing."
"Muggle transport?"
"Monitored. No, I would bet my life on it they had help, but from who?" Alastor asked. "Only someone in the Department of Magical Transportation could have facilitated it."
"That will be a problem for Grimm to solve," Amelia pointed out. "We cant go around pointing fingers and doing internal investigations."
"Aye, it's a delicate situation," Alastor conceded. "Not unless your source can help us?"
Amelia frowned thoughtfully.
"Maybe. They did manage to get the information on the killer for us. I'll see what I can do. For now, we should probably speak with Grimm."
"Aye," Moody agreed. "After you," he added amusedly.
Amelia led the way, knocking on the door to the office only a short walk from her own.
"Ah, if it isn't an impending headache," Grimm sighed as he leaned back in his chair. "Now, how do you two plan to ruin my day today? You haven't happened to curse a pensioner on your way in, have you?"
"It's worse than that," Alastor said amusedly. "Tell him, Bones."
Amelia shot him a glare before turning back towards the expectant Grimm, his moustache already twitching irritably.
"I received a partial report from the medical examiner as to what happened to Imelda Smith."
"Well, it was bloody obvious what happened," Grimm huffed. "Someone gave her a nasty blow to the head. Blood and bone splattered all over Knockturn Alley."
Amelia nodded at the crass description.
"She was killed by a single blow," she explained. "Jenny says it has to be someone much larger than her and stronger than any human."
Grimm frowned as he nodded.
"Well, what is the theory we are working on?"
"A werewolf."
"A werewolf," Grimm repeated.
"One in particular."
"So, you have a name? Well, don't stand on ceremony Bones, I'm not getting any prettier."
Amelia released a deep breath.
"Fenrir Greyback."
Grimm shot to his feet and immediately began pacing back and forth in front of the fireplace, digesting what he'd been told.
"I'm missing something," he muttered to himself. "How did you come to that ludicrous outcome?"
"Oh, you're going to love this, sir," Moody responded.
"Bleeding hell, I can already feel the headache coming. Out with it, Bones!"
"There is a licenced Hit-Wizard who gave me the information with the understanding their involvement is to remain unknown to those who do not need to know about it."
"A Hit-Wizard?" Grimm scoffed.
Amelia nodded solemnly.
"I checked his licence myself, sir. He has been personally ratified by the ICW."
"Oh, this just gets better. Well, how did he discover it was Greyback?"
"He overhead Greyback telling someone whilst he was following up on a lead."
Grimm scowled.
"He got close enough to Greyback without being detected," he murmured, impressed by the feat. "Well, I will have to fill Jones in on this, but I expect he will want to keep it quiet. I want you two to focus on this case and finding Greyback. When you do, we strike hard and fast. I will not have any fannying about when it comes to him. I have enough of that to deal with."
"How is the wife, sir?"
Grimm's expression fell.
"Have you ever had a boil on your arse, Moody?"
"I can't say that I have."
"Well, I would sooner live with that than my wife, and now she's angling for her mother to move in. Honestly, her moustache is more luscious than my own, and the sound of her toenails scratching across my living room floor gives me the willies. If you ever want a semblance of happiness, never get married."
"Noted, sir," Moody replied with a nod.
Grimm released a huff of frustration.
"Go on, get on with it. I will speak to Jones."
Both Amelia and Alastor took their leave of the office, leaving the rest to Grimm to deal with.
"Well, where to first?"
"I'm going to speak with Jenny again to see if she has anything else for us. Maybe there's something that can point us in the wrong direction."
"Aye," Moody agreed. "I'm going to go through the transcripts from the interviews yesterday, just in case there's any indication any of them know about Greyback being here."
"You'll speak with your contact about how he got into the country?"
Amelia nodded.
"I will," she promised. "I'll meet you in the office in around an hour or so."
With that, they headed in opposite directions, both hoping they would find a lead of sorts in the evidence they'd already gathered.
Amelia wasn't hopeful, but where Greyback was concerned, it was better to be thorough than come undone by neglecting the basics.
(Break)
"And just a little to the left," Harry muttered to himself, grinning as he heard the click. "Thank you, Grindelwald."
He'd paid a brief visit to the continent to retrieve another of the treasure troves. This one he'd read of in the archives he'd studied whilst completing his training as an Unspeakable.
It was a stash of gold and other valuables, though it was for one of them in particular Harry had come for.
They had likely been donated to Grindelwald sometime before or during Grindelwald's uprising.
War was an expensive commodity and something the former Dark Lord had not been exempt from. As such, he'd seen fit to stash some of his valuables across Europe, this one being one of the more challenging to obtain but the worthiest to Harry.
How the Department had learned of it remained a mystery to him, but they wouldn't be getting their hands on it now.
Why Grindelwald had chosen Belgium, of all places, was lost on Harry. All he knew now was that it was his and would use it wisely.
Ensuring he left no trace of his presence behind, he climbed his way out of the deep hole before filling it in once more, relieved he'd learned to read and follow coordinates.
He wondered how angry Grindelwald would be that he'd stolen it, though being locked in Nurmengard, a prison of his own creation, it wasn't as though he had use of it.
Still, Harry would need to find somewhere to exchange the valuables for useable currency, but that was a problem for another day. For now, he would keep them at home within the safety of his own protections.
Most of them, at least.
He had a use in mind for some of them, the very thought causing his expression to darken.
With Greyback lurking around and having Harry somewhat in his own thoughts, he was taking no chances.
Yaxley was evidently another matter entirely and an eventuality Harry was preparing for.
"So much for keeping well out of it," he grumbled to himself before activating his portkey.
He arrived home a moment later and looked around at the large land expanse surrounding his home.
Harry had considered purchasing some creatures, both for company and additional protection, but he was not certain what he wanted.
He'd thought about a herd of Thestrals and even some Hippogriffs, but he needed to give it some more thought.
A basilisk had even crossed his mind, but such a dangerous creature could be problematic, and if he were caught with it, a lengthy spell in Azkaban would be the outcome.
No, not a basilisk and Thestrals and Hippogriffs only served to remind him of Sirius.
No nearer to deciding, he entered the house where he concealed much of his loot in the hidden basement he'd created with the other stuff he'd already obtained.
When he wasn't at the restaurant or playing the fool by sticking his nose into affairs he truly had no desire to be a part of, he was here, turning his home into a fortress that not even Voldemort could enter.
His time on the run had taught him the basics, but his training with the Unspeakables had made him an expert at hiding, among other things.
There was still work to be done, arduous labour that would indeed be time-consuming, but Harry was determined to make his home safer than both Gringotts and Hogwarts.
Maybe he would get a dragon or two.
He shook his head at the thought, his hand going to the scar left behind by the Horntail.
No, not a dragon.
That would truly be problematic, especially as the nearest properties to his own were other farms, and dragons were not known for their restraint when it came to feasting on any livestock they could find.
Humming to himself, he decided to shower the dirt off from his latest adventure and head to the restaurant.
Thomas would need some help setting up, and Harry had a few things he wished to attend to while he was there.
Finally being free of the grit, he dressed and arrived at the restaurant. It was mid-afternoon, between the lunch and dinner service that would begin in a few hours.
"How was it?" Harry asked Thomas.
"A good one, sir," the man answered happily. "We did thirty-two covers. Business is booming."
"That's brilliant," Harry declared. "Go on, take a couple of hours off. I'll be here."
Thomas nodded appreciatively.
"It will give me time to get some orders in. I'll see you soon, boss."
Gathering his coat, Thomas left, and Harry locked the door behind him before setting to work on what he'd come here for.
It would take some time, but additional security around the place was evidently needed.
(Break)
The smell of the chemicals in the examination room was rather pungent, but to Amelia, they were something of a comfort. It often meant that she would soon get a break in the case, though this visit was merely circumstantial.
Already knowing who it was they were seeking, anything else Jenny had discovered was little more than a formality that needed to be addressed.
"Back again already?" the woman asked with a smile.
Jenny was a beautiful woman, not often seen outside of this room. Her expertise was required at all hours, just as Amelia was.
"I was wondering if there was anything else you could tell me."
Jenny nodded and beckoned for Amelia to join her.
"The object she was struck with was metal, likely old iron, based on residue of rust found on some of the broken fragments of her skull. I can't say for certain what the object is, but it certainly had a rounded end. It could be a club of sorts or even the blunt end of a poker. The only other thing I can confirm is that she definitely died between three and four am."
Amelia hummed thoughtfully.
"Well, that means the alibies the others she was with beforehand check out. All of them were at home and in bed by then."
"Do you really think it is Greyback?" Jenny asked worriedly.
Amelia nodded.
"I do," she sighed. "It's worrying, but I have spoken to Alastor and Grimm. It is to be kept under the strictest confidence whilst this is being investigated."
"My lips are sealed," Jenny assured her. "What about the man who was with you last night, Harry Jameson, was it?"
"You cannot mention him to anyone," Amelia said firmly. "Strictly speaking, he is not involved in any of this. He was never here."
"That sounds ominous," Jenny said with a frown. "Who is he?"
"I can't say much, but he owns the new restaurant that opened in Knockturn Alley."
"He's a restaurant owner?" Jenny asked sceptically.
"Officially, yes."
"But he's not?"
"No, he is," Amelia assured her. "It's complicated."
"Oh, do tell."
"Not like that," Amelia said firmly.
"Why not? He was handsome."
"He's annoying."
Jenny laughed as she shook her head.
"How do you know him?"
"It's complicated."
"Bones."
Amelia huffed.
"He saved me from a dangerous situation I found myself in," she explained. "I didn't know it was him, and I tried to track him down."
"And?"
"He tracked me down and told me to leave him alone," Amelia answered with a shrug. "The same night, Greyback killed Smith, who was a guest at his restaurant, and it was Jameson who looked into it. He was with me when you sent your message."
"So, you brought him along?"
"He wouldn't tell me what he knew if I didn't."
Jenny laughed once more at Amelia's frustration.
"Now what?" she asked.
"He wants to help with this case," Amelia explained. "He says that he's taken it personally, and honestly, I'm not in any position to stop him."
"You can't tell a restaurant owner to keep his nose out? Come on, there's more to it than that."
"It's like I said, it's complicated. I can't say any more than that."
Jenny nodded as she took a few more notes on her clipboard.
"Would you introduce me to him, away from here?"
Amelia frowned.
"Why?"
"He seemed nice," Jenny said with a shrug. "You don't meet many nice people like him often."
"He's like a child."
"So, he likes to have fun. What's wrong with that? You know, you could do with some fun in your life."
"I have plenty of fun," Amelia protested.
Jenny hummed.
"Then you won't mind introducing me. Is he single?"
"I have no idea."
"Well, he wasn't wearing a ring," Jenny pointed out.
"You were looking?"
"Not all of us live only for our jobs, Amelia. Besides, it's not as though I want anything too serious. There's nothing wrong with enjoying ourselves, away from what we do."
Amelia wouldn't deny that Harry Jameson was attractive, but for someone as seemingly talented and brilliant with magic as him, she couldn't fathom how he was so casual and laid back.
"Fine, I'll introduce you to him away from here. I need to speak with him later anyway to warn him not to show his face around the office or anywhere else he might be seen."
Jenny grinned.
"Dinner on me then?"
Amelia shook her head.
"He said there's a free meal waiting for me and a guest whenever I want it."
"Well, we can't turn away a free meal, can we?" Jenny chuckled, beaming happily.
Amelia didn't know what to say.
She'd come here for an update on Imelda Smith and would now be leaving with the knowledge that she was to introduce her friend to a man she barely knew but who had become rather frustrating in the short time he'd been around.
Had Jenny taken leave of her senses, or was Amelia missing something?
She didn't know, but the sooner this case was over with, the sooner she could return to her life without the clandestine nature of a Hit-Wizard/Restauranteur unwittingly, for the most part, injecting himself into her life.
(Break)
"How is everything, Lord Boot?" Harry asked the man.
He'd been present for the first night of service as a guest and had returned for two other dinners, both nights they'd been welcoming paying guests thus far.
"It is wonderful, Mr Jameson. Please do pass on my compliments to the chef."
"Thomas will be pleased to hear it," Harry chuckled, offering the man a respectful nod before continuing to make his rounds of the other clients.
They were once again fully booked for the evening, and even the paying customers were not exercising restraint when it came to the luxury items they ordered.
Harry wouldn't pretend to know much about such things, but Thomas did, and assured them they were turning a very tidy profit each service.
Whether or not this was just an initial boom remained to be seen, but he was hopeful the popularity would remain.
"I can't say I expected you to take up my offer so quickly," he chuckled as he bumped into Amelia Bones in the reception area.
"Well, I do need to speak with you about a couple of things," Bones answered.
Harry nodded.
"Dinner first for you and your…guest?" he added amusedly.
Amelia shot him a glare.
"I managed to coax Jenny out of her examination room, for once."
It was only then that Harry recognised the blonde woman accompanying the Auror.
Without her hair pulled back in a ponytail, the white coat and glasses she had worn, Jenny looked like a different person.
"You can say it. I don't look the same," the woman said with a grin.
"No, it's not that. It's more the lack of chemical smell that is throwing me off," Harry replied with a playful smile.
"Is that so?" Jenny asked. "Now I'm wondering why I bothered to dress up."
She gave him a twirl in the red dress she had chosen, and Harry nodded appreciatively.
"I cannot find the words that would be a suitable complement," he declared.
Jenny quirked an eyebrow at him.
"I see you do not lack charm. That could bode well for you."
"Well, aren't you going to show us to our table, Mr Jameson?" Amelia broke in.
Her tone was not as demanding as it was amused, though the woman hid it well.
"Did you make a booking?"
"Did I have to?"
"Well, we are fully booked," Harry sighed, "but I'm sure I can find something for you. If you would follow me."
He led them into the dining area, where he managed to find an area he could set up a small table with only a few waves of his wand. When it was in place, he held out a chair for each of them so they could be seated.
"Menus," he murmured, snatching two out of thin air.
"You can do wandless magic?" Bones asked.
"A little," Harry answered. "I'll have a waitress come over. When you're finished eating, come to the kitchen and Thomas will show you a quieter entrance to my office."
"Why would you need a quiet entrance to your office?" Jenny asked almost suggestively.
Harry leaned closer with a grin before he spoke.
"I have a business in Knockturn Alley. It's best if I keep my association with the Aurors to a minimum. I don't want people thinking I'm a grass. Enjoy your meal."
With that, he left them to do so and stopped one of his waitresses whilst he was on his way to his office to wait for them.
"Annabel, I've just seated a table for two. Their meal is on the house. Please look after them."
He placed two galleons in her hand, a sizeable bonus for the additional table she would be waitressing.
"Of course," she complied.
Harry offered her a grateful smile.
"When they are finished, show them through to Thomas, please."
Annabel nodded and went about her work, leaving Harry to gaze around the dining area a final time before deciding everything seemed to be in hand.
(Break)
He stalked towards the time room, eager to hear the results of the investigation, which had been ongoing for the better part of three weeks now. Anomalies were not so unusual in his line of work, but to experience such in his own department from something they could not identify was troubling, to say the least.
Clarence Croaker may have only been promoted a few years prior, but he ran his teams with the utmost efficiency, and each of them was amongst the most competent witches and wizards in the magical world.
"What have you found?" he barked.
The man he addressed released a deep sigh and shook his head.
"Nothing," he answered simply. "The disturbance did not come from any of the time-turners, and every grain of sound has been accounted for. Whatever set the alarm off was something else, and that troubles me more than if one of the devices had malfunctioned."
"Go on," Croaker urged.
"There are no traces of anything happening," the man answered. "With a disturbance strong enough to have set off the alarm, I would expect traces. There are none, nor were there any that night. I am loathe to admit it, but I'm stumped. There is no evidence, no traces, and no sign of tampering or malfunctioning."
"What of the alarms?"
"All in perfect working order," the man assured him. "The one that was set off recorded a severe incident. I had considered that the alarm had merely blipped, but it did not. It caught something, sir, I just can't figure out what."
Clarence cursed under his breath.
"And there have been no incidents since?"
"Not a thing. Only the disturbance in Cornwall."
Clarence hummed.
It couldn't be a coincidence that the incident here and the one in Cornwall showed no signs of foreign magic. The site in which something had been taken continued to emit traces of powerful protection charms that had been placed an inordinate amount of time ago but nothing else.
Whoever had been there knew what they were looking for and how to cover their presence, and yet, Clarence had discovered nothing.
"They're good," he murmured. "Very good."
"What shall we do, Sir?"
Clarence shook his head in irritation.
"Nothing, for now," he returned. "We've invested enough time into the matter. So long as nothing is missing, there is little else we can do. None of this is to be discussed with any other."
"Of course," the man complied as Clarence left the room, a deep frown marring his features.
With nothing to go on, it would be like chasing air. It would achieve nothing, and Clarence was not one to waste his time on such things.
Nonetheless, he would remain vigilant.
If any other occurrences were to take place, he would be ready.
(Break)
"It's a nice place," Jenny commented, "and the food is amazing."
"You do realise he doesn't actually make the food," Amelia pointed out.
Jenny frowned at her.
"Do you have a problem with him?"
"No, but I won't be sorry when this case is over," Amelia murmured. "I have my way of doing things, and he…"
"He what?"
Amelia shrugged.
"I don't know; he's just so unserious about things."
"Or could it be that you take everything too seriously?" Jenny returned.
"My job is serious."
"it is," Jenny agreed, "but you don't have to be so uptight all the time, especially when someone is helping you. He's even giving you a free meal. You could at least be nice to him."
"I'm not unkind to him, and I'm grateful for his help," Amelia sighed. "I'm just set in my ways, I suppose. For someone like him, I'd think he would be more, I don't know, intense."
Jenny shook her head.
"Even for an Auror, you're overly intense. I get that what you do is hard, and you encounter some unpleasant things, but wouldn't it be easier if you had some lighter moments in your life?"
"And you think Harry Jameson is the one to do that?"
"Maybe, maybe not," Jenny replied. "This isn't about him. It's about you. Now, what shall we have for dessert?"
"The Sticky Toffee Pudding is good."
"Then we will have that."
Their attentive waitress took the order and returned only a moment later with the last of their food. When she'd finished the final morsel, Amelia leaned back in her chair.
"I could get used to eating like this," Jenny declared, satisfied.
"I'll need some bigger robes if I keep eating like this," Amelia added.
Seeing that they were finished, their waitress approached once more, offering both a warm smile.
"Was everything to your liking?" she asked.
"It was," Jenny replied. "There's not many places like this you can get food so good."
The waitress's smile widened.
"I know, but I am going to be waddling to my tables at this rate," the waitress groaned. "We get free food here."
"You get to eat like this every day?"
The waitress nodded.
"Mr Jameson insists," the waitress replied.
"What's Mr Jameson like?" Jenney inquired curiously.
"He's really nice. I didn't have any experience, and he gave me a job. He pays us really well, and he makes sure all of us get home safely when we work late. I like it here. It's hard work, but I have no complaints."
"I might quit my job and work here," Jenny snorted.
"Well, you can always discuss it with him," the waitress offered. "He has asked for me to show you through to the kitchen when you are done. Will there be anything else?"
"No, thank you," Jenny offered, taking some coins from her purse and offering them to the girl, who shook her head.
"Mr Jameson has taken care of everything. Please, follow me."
They did so and quickly found themselves in the busy kitchen, which was being overseen by a man familiar to Amelia. However, before she could place the face, they were led into one of the fridges and then through a hidden door.
"Mr Jameson?" the waitress called.
Another door appeared before them, and when they crossed the next threshold, they were in an office where Harry Jameson was seated behind a desk.
"Your guests," the waitress announced.
"Thank you, Annabel," Jameson said with a smile. "That will be all."
The young woman took her leave, offering the man a wave before closing the door behind her.
"Please, take a seat," he invited when they were alone. "You had something you wished to discuss with me?"
Amelia nodded.
"A couple of things," she replied, taking one of the chairs. "The first thing is that no one is to know you are working with me on this case. My partner is aware of what you are, as is our superior, and his. Jenny knows who you are, but not what you are," she added for clarification.
"That could get complicated," Jameson sighed. "Can I not just wipe her memory of her existence?"
"That's something else I've been meaning to speak with you about," Amelia grumbled. "The night you helped me, do you wipe my memory? I tried to view it in a pensieve and couldn't."
Jameson grinned.
"I didn't wipe the memory as such. You can remember what you saw in the moment but not view the memory outside of your own mind."
"You can do that?" Jenny asked, impressed.
"I can."
Jenny beamed, and Amelia rolled her eyes.
"Well, I'd rather you didn't do that to me again," she huffed. "Now, the other thing I need to speak with you about is Greyback."
Harry's expression darkened at the mention of the notorious werewolf, and Amelia caught a glimpse of a more focused side to the man.
"What about him?"
"I need to know how he got into the country," Amelia explained. "There is no fathomable way he got here without help, not unnoticed, at least."
"That's not true," Harry replied thoughtfully. "There are certain portkeys that can be used to avoid detection, but I do not think he would have gotten access to one, let alone enough to bring his pack."
"You think he brought his pack?"
Harry nodded.
"He wouldn't come without them, and the conversation I overheard certainly suggested he had them here. You think someone in the Department of Magical Transportation helped him."
"I think it is a possibility we can't ignore," Amelia confirmed. "I don't want to think that anyone would help him, but I'd rather be certain. I was hoping you might be able to shed some light on whether that is the case or not."
Harry frowned before nodding, though a knock at the door interrupted them.
"Who is it?" he called.
"It's Thomas, Sir. The last of the guests have left, and we are now closing."
Harry nodded as he stood.
"Excuse me for just a moment," he requested. "I just need to make sure my staff get home safely."
"And you said he's not serious," Jenny murmured once he'd left.
Amelia did not reply, taking the opportunity to look around the office.
It was not decorated as lavishly as the restaurant. The desk was of hight quality, but much of the rest of the room was rather sparse. There were a few hanging photos similar to those in the dining area, but little else of note.
On the desk, however, were around half a dozen magazines and a couple of books on creatures.
"You don't think he's considering adding something different to the menu?" Jenny asked jokingly.
"Nothing like this," Amelia replied as she thumbed through one of the volumes.
Most of the featured beasts were of dangerous species and not ones any would risk tackling for the sake of feeding people.
"Found something interesting?"
Amelia was startled by the voice that sounded behind her.
"How did you…?"
"I have my ways," Harry replied amusedly. "Are you interested in creatures?"
"Some," Amelia answered cautiously, still taken aback by his sudden return. "I assume you are?"
He smiled a genuine smile as he nodded.
"I am," he confirmed. "If you're interested, I'm thinking of setting up some of my land as a sanctuary. I'm just trying to work out the best way of doing so and what creatures will co-exist with one another."
Amelia quirked an eyebrow at him, surprised by the revelation.
"Even if they are dangerous?"
"Most creatures are just misunderstood," Harry said dismissively. "Some aren't," he added, rubbing his right arm close to the elbow.
"I think it's wonderful," Jenny piped up. "I have a kneazle at home."
"Does it look like it's been hit in the face with a frying pan?" Harry asked.
"Why would it look like that?"
Harry shook his head.
"A friend of mine had a half-kneazle. It was evil."
"Kneazles are wonderful," Jenny defended.
Harry held his hands up placatingly.
"I'll take your word for it."
"Says the man who has circled a hydra as a potential pet," Amelia scoffed. "Do you realise how rare and dangerous they are?"
"And how protective they are of their territory," Harry pointed out with a grin.
"If I didn't know better that you had to be of sound mind to do what you have, I would question your sanity. Is that even legal?"
"You're the Auror, you tell me."
Amelia flared her nostrils at the man.
"That would be the Department for the Control and Regulation of Magical Creatures remit."
Harry hummed.
"Then I suppose I shall have to discuss any options I decide on with them."
"Why do I have the feeling you will do no such thing?"
He merely winked in response, and Amelia decided to drop the subject.
What she didn't know didn't hurt her, after all.
"Anyway, where were we before you decided to snoop through my personal things?"
"I did not snoop! It was on your desk for everyone to see."
"Always the Auror, I see," Harry commented. "You were saying that you want me to look into the Department of Magical Transportation?"
"Can you manage it without being detected? If you're caught, I can't help you."
"I can do it," Harry assured her. "Is there anyone in particular you want me to look into?"
Amelia shrugged.
"There are almost two hundred people who work in that department in some capacity. I can pull the files of each of them for you. I can manage that."
Harry nodded.
"It's something, I suppose," he sighed, stiffening suddenly and placing a finger to his lips.
"What is it?" Amelia asked, drawing her wand.
"Something just tripped the first line of my security," Harry answered, sliding his own wand into his hand.
He began tracing an array of runes in the air in what appeared to be a black smog.
Cutting across his palm, he snatched at them with his bloody hand and hurled them through the wall.
"Blood magic is illegal!" Amelia hissed.
"Frowned upon," Harry corrected darkly.
Where there was always an air of joviality to his demeanour, it was all but absent now, his green eyes burning intensely before he closed them.
"There's thirteen of them," he murmured. "Unlucky for some."
Before Amelia could question him, an almighty crash sounded from within the dining area, and it was quickly followed by another.
A loud screeching filled the air, and both Amelia and Jenny covered their ears.
"What is that?"
Harry's response was lost, and Amelia followed him as he took his leave of the office.
He reached the dining room only a few seconds before her, but as she entered, she found him pinning one of the intruders against the wall while the others cried out in pain, each nursing various wounds.
"What was the plan?" Harry growled.
"Fuck you!"
"Fuck me? How about fuck you!"
The man groaned as Harry rammed his knee into his groin, and Amelia looked on, pondering whether she should intervene.
Legally speaking, Jameson had done nothing wrong.
These men had broken into his premises, and the magical law gave him the right to defend his property.
"Shall we try again?"
The man wheezed, grunting as he was slammed into the wall forcefully.
"We were paid to burn the place down," he gasped. "A man in a pub a few doors down paid us ten galleons each to burn it down. I don't know who it was."
"Do not lie to me!" Harry snapped. "It was Yaxley, wasn't it?"
The man's expression became fearful, and his lip trembled as he nodded.
"Good. See, it's good to tell the truth. Now, I have a message for Yaxley that you are going to pass on, yes?"
The man nodded, and Harry leaned in.
Amelia did not hear what he said, but it evidently had the desired effect, causing him to swallow deeply and offer a pleading look.
"I c-can't tell him that."
"Of course, you can," Harry encouraged. "It will do him good to know that he has pissed me off. Tell him, and then we are even for what you tried to do. It's simple. Do we have a deal?"
The man hesitated only briefly before nodding, and Harry clapped him on the shoulder.
"Good, now you and your friends can be on your way."
With a flick of his wand, all of the intruders vanished, leaving Amelia alone with Harry and Jenny, who had arrived in the interim.
"I'm sorry about that," the former offered. "If you don't mind, I have some things to do. I will look into how Greyback got here."
"Why didn't you let me arrest them?" Amelia asked.
"Because we need to keep our association to a minimum. It would be a little strange if you were here waiting for them and out of your uniform. Besides, I can handle Yaxley."
Amelia could only shake her head.
"Don't do anything that will cause me to have to arrest you," she sighed.
Harry merely grinned in response as he led them to a door near his office.
"Would I do something like that?" he added, closing it behind them when they'd passed through.
"And you said he wasn't serious," Jenny snorted. "He seemed quite serious then."
Amelia said nothing as she pondered what had happened.
Yaxley evidently had a grudge against Harry, but it seemed the Lord may have bitten off more than he could chew this time.
Edgar would say it was about time Yaxley was put in his place. Amelia, however, could do without the additional worry of what Harry Jameson would do to him.
"What do you think the message was he asked to pass on?"
"I have no idea," Amelia grumbled. "Whatever it was, I don't expect it will be happily received."