Chapter 6. First Impressions.
While Draco was waiting in his rooms in Knockturn Alley for Kreacher to recover, twenty three year old Julie Swan was finishing her final combat practical examinations in what used to be the wizard prison of Azkaban. She had one last cavern to clear of her tutors who were all set on getting her with a stunner if they could. If she was successful then this would give her full certification as an Auror and her passport to a job with Weasley's Watchers.
Although at the present time there was a dearth of dark wizards to hunt down, Arthur Weasley was not stupid enough to let the fighting arm of the ministry fall into disrepair. He knew well enough that problems could arise from any quarter and that Harry's defeat of Voldemort had not caused a universal outbreak of peace and bonhomie in the wizarding world. Now he had Solomon's warning about the muggles ringing in his ears and it was a good job he had his W.W's, they may prove to be far more important than he had first envisaged them. It could well be up to witches like Julie, and her male counterparts, to uphold the law and maintain the peace that for the moment held sway over the country.
Julie had been in one of the first intakes to the Auror programme that had received all their initial defence training under Harry Potter. Solomon was no slouch in passing on his knowledge, Harry himself was testament to that, but Harry's students had just that little bit more. They had a drive to prove to their teacher that he was not alone any more in his fight against evil however it may show itself, and it made them a very tough bunch. By the end of her final practical most of Julie's instructors were nursing wizard-sized headaches and she had passed with flying colours.
Now with all her training out of the way Julie decided that it would be nice to have a short holiday and spend some time with her father. He was still in the muggle police force, but would be retiring in a few years having reached the rank of Chief Superintendent and unlikely to go any further. He had always reconciled his knowledge of Julie's world with the thoughts that it rarely crossed over into his and therefore didn't fall into his jurisdiction, though the tales she had told him about dark wizards did give him cause to worry over his daughters safety.
She was sitting across the table from him looking very elegant and demure but he knew she was trained to the limit of her chosen profession. Her father had decided upon a small restaurant not far from the police station for her welcome home meal, as he never knew when he could be called back to work. So he was not surprised that young John walked in through the door, as they were waiting for their food, probably thought Gerry Swan, to get his only decent meal of the week. Most of the young coppers at his station lived off takeaways and sandwiches from the local corner shop, but occasionally they would push the boat out and have a proper meal. The young, plain clothed policeman saw his superior and nodded in recognition, and then he almost ran down the waitress, because he was staring intently at the young woman seated with him. His boss smiled then beckoned him over.
"John, all OK?"
"Yes, Sir… err thanks," he smiled nervously at the seated pair.
As if he was playing a part in a play, the older man looked pointedly at his daughter, then at the young man.
"Ahh John, you won't have met my daughter?" He didn't wait for an answer, but John was shaking his head in agreement. "Julie, this is DS John Burford,… John, this is my daughter Julie."
Julie extended a hand and John took it and as he did so what felt like a small electric shock shot up his arm.
"Oh, hah,… pleased to meet you, Miss Swan," John said as he rubbed his arm to lessen the tingling sensation.
"Likewise," said Julie, her response may have been a little cool but on the few occasions she had met any of her father's `young policemen' he had tried to encourage some rapport, and he was doing it again.
She was just about to kick him under the table in an effort to make him stop, when his pager went off. Her father sighed in exasperation and retrieved the unit from his pocket; read the message scrolling across its top, then gave his daughter an apologetic look.
"Sorry love, I have to go, I'll meet you back at the flat later." As he stood Julie began to gather her things, "No, no you stay and have your meal," then he placed a hand on John's shoulder, "young John here will keep you company, won't you lad?"
"Err."
"Well that's settled then." He said, and Julie's father propelled the young policeman down into the chair he had just vacated.
It was probably just as well that Gerry Swan wasn't telepathic, as the thoughts Julie was sending out would have made his toes curl. He kissed his daughter on the cheek and made his way out of the door.
"If you would rather I left I quite understand, Miss Swan," John said quietly, "the old man, err… your father, is always trying to pair me off with the spare girls at the station, I didn't think he would try it with his own daughter."
Julie's eyes narrowed dangerously, "Spare girl?"
John jumped, "No I didn't mean that you were spare… or anything like that. Oh God!" He exclaimed. "Look, do you think we could start again." He held out his hand, "John Burford," the shock was stronger this time. "Ouch!"
"Julie Swan", she grinned at his discomfort, "I hope you like your steak well done."
"Sorry?"
"That's what Dad ordered," she said pointedly, as the waitress appeared and placed the food on the table.
"Oh fine." said John, what on earth had induced him to try this particular restaurant and land himself in this situation; for he realised he was quite out of his depth with this young lady.
As they ate and talked Julie began to regret her initial rudeness to this young man, he was, after the shaky start, engaging company, and in the course of their conversation, she discovered the reason for his earlier comments over her father's proprietary feeling towards him.
"I was at school still and he was a station sergeant," he had explained, "he gave us kids a pep talk about the force and I was hooked. When he found out why I joined he sort of took me under his wing. Good really, I'd lost my parents back in '97, been living with an aged aunt, she's gone too now. Still that's life," he said philosophically.
If he thought that Julie was being less that honest about her past he said nothing, she had a well rehearsed tale to tell, courtesy of the Auror department, but she had not tried to tell it to anyone who had been similarly trained at least in observation. Julie hoped it was good enough, though at one point in the evening she had her doubts.
"Do you know anything about magic?" the remark was said in a very off hand manner and Julie nearly choked on her drink.
"Magic, what makes you ask that?" she asked cagily, she hoped a small memory charm would go unnoticed by the other diners, and inched her hand towards her wand.
"Oh, nothing really, its just I have a choice of two magicians for the local community bash,… entertainments officer," he indicated himself in explanation, "and I wondered if you knew of them."
Julie relaxed, "Err… sorry no," she gave a nervous little laugh, "magic's not really my scene." Quickly she looked down at her plate hoping to hide her confusion.
"Just a thought" he said, and the conversation moved on to safer topics.
Julie considered the whole evening quite a success, as she sat in her father's lounge enjoying a nightcap. She had managed to maintain a perfect muggle front, and after the initial misunderstandings, had enjoyed herself. Even so she was going to have serious words with her father when he eventually arrived back, and as she heard his key in the lock, that was going to be now.
John Burford walked back to his flat deep in thought, fancy the `Super' having a daughter like that, she was pretty, intelligent, and there was something about her that he couldn't put his finger on. Not an ordinary girl certainly, perhaps he'd get the chance to meet her again.
……………………………
Kreacher recovered his senses but if Draco was expecting some answers he was sadly disappointed, the elf said nothing and was unresponsive to Draco's questions. Then as the light outside began to fade, Kreacher clambered to his feet and picking up his robe fastened it around his neck.
"It is safe to leave now," the elf's voice rasped, "gather your belongings."
Draco was incensed at the house elf's manner, but there was something in the look from those red eyes that stilled his rising anger. He put his few clothes in the single bag he had arrived with, and resumed his observation of this most peculiar elf.
Kreacher appeared to be engaged in some internal conversation, he mumbled words that made no sense but part of him was disagreeing with the other, as Draco clearly heard a succession of "No…No…NO!" then a silence during which the elf shrugged his shoulders then reluctantly said "Yes as you wish."
The baleful red eyes turned to Draco. "You will retain the appearance that you have now and you will use your assumed name in the presence of others," Kreacher said. Not expecting a response, he continued, "I am taking you to meet a muggle, you will observe him and study his ways, our plan will succeed where the other failed,… touch my cloak."
Draco found the only way he could cope with the attitude of the elf was to forget what his eyes saw and listen to the increasingly familiar mode of speech. Imagine those words coming from a six foot tall wizard with similar pale skin and red eyes to match, and it was all too easy to obey their commands.
It wasn't apparation Draco was sure, but whatever means the elf had used, they found themselves on a deserted road which led down a hill to the entrance gate of a large complex of buildings, brilliantly lit by muggle electric lights.
"What is this place?" Draco asked.
"This is the laboratory of the muggle Magus; he is the one who will aid us in our quest."
"You must be out of your skull if you think I will consort with muggles, they are worse than useless against wizards." Draco said disdainfully.
"You will do as you are told!" the elf responded. "Magus is powerful in the muggle world he has many resources and many followers. He also has an insatiable interest in our world and that we can use to our advantage. You want vengeance, my master wants vengeance, you will both have that vengeance against Harry Potter and his family, but you need the help of Magus for we have no wizard friends left, we must have muggle ones."
"But surely he cannot match a wizard?" Draco asked in a conciliatory tone, "someone as powerful as Potter would destroy him."
"That is correct but it is not our intention for Magus to ever confront Potter," the elf stated, "but do not dismiss his resources entirely, because with Kreacher's help he has already captured six wizards and holds them still."
That gave Draco something to think about, as they walked down the hill to the gate. He couldn't see how a mere muggle could hope to contain a single wizard let alone six of them.
Julius Magus had built an empire that stretched around the whole known world. His wealth knew no bounds, he could buy anything he wanted and yet he wasn't satisfied. Why he could not rid himself of the compulsion he had with magic, he did not know but he suspected that it was because the knowledge he craved was always just out of reach. He knew for certain that another world existed, a world of wonder, of magic and power, a world that as yet he didn't belong to, but that was what he wanted.
He fondled the wand he held in his hand, in the fifty years he had owned it the wand had only once shown him any of the power he knew it contained, and that was the tingle he had felt the first time he had picked it up. Since then it had lain dormant and no application of electric fields, magnetism or radiation had any effect on it. His only progress in the world of wizards had come after his connection with the spy that went under the code name of Elf. With his help he had captured four supposed wizards, all had been very drunk at the time and in a most disreputable condition, their only common possession had been a stick similar to this one, a wand.
His people had worked on them, kept them sedated, and away from their wands, confined in the structures that had been built under instructions from the mysterious Elf, but so far they had learned nothing. Now they had another chance, only last month they had captured a young couple, again the product of a timely piece of information from the shadowy Elf.
It had been all too easy to manipulate the family. As had been expected the son had come to try and placate the father, but the man was bitter over the loss of his company and he wanted no reconciliation. There had been an argument, and then the father in an uncharacteristic display of revenge had spiked the drinks himself. Once the man and woman were unconscious it was an easy matter to take them and their wands, but despite this latest capture, they had still made no progress. Now Julius was hopeful yet again, at last he was to meet the mysterious Elf face to face, he was going to bring him something invaluable, so he had said, something that would make it possible for him to feel the power held in these wands.
…………………………..
"You say you want this Magus person to think I am a muggle?" Draco asked.
"Yes."
"That I can manage, but unless he is blind he will know that you are not human,"
"He will not see me as you do, none of them will," the elf assured Draco, "now be ready." They had reached the guarded gateway.
Both the muggles on guard carried guns, not hidden away, but out in the open, strung across their chests. Draco was unaware as to the damage those semi automatic rifles could do, but they looked capable men so he assumed their muggle protection devices would be capable too. Kreacher walked up to the men and spoke.
"I am Elf, Magus is expecting me." his voice was hard, each time he spoke he sounded less like the house elf he was, and more like someone Draco believed to be dead.
"Wait" the guard intoned, staring at a point several feet above the elf's head. He was obviously seeing someone considerably taller than Kreacher.
There was a hushed conversation with the main security post by the second guard, then two transparent squares on neck strings were passed over.
"Security passes, wear these at all times," the second guard said, indicating his own pass hanging from its string around his neck. He raised the barrier. "Go to the main entrance, you will be met."
The man at the door was smartly dressed in suit and tie, and looked overly clean; Draco couldn't help but notice the artificial shine on his shoes. He led them quickly, with short fast steps, along a labyrinth of corridors to a bank of lifts, he pressed a button and downward pointing arrow lit up. The lift door sighed open to a woman's voice stating "Door opening". Draco could not see who had spoken and looked around for the source of the voice when "Doors closing" issued from a grill set into the lift wall, well that was a surprise, muggles had talking lifts too, just like the real thing in the Ministry. The lift was very quiet, but descended rapidly and stopped when the light panel on the wall read SB10.
The smart man gave Draco and the thin air four feet over Kreacher's head a very false smile, "Ten floors down gentlemen, Mr Magus likes his privacy, don't you know."
"Err no I didn't," said Draco unnecessarily, receiving another false smile in return.
The room they were shown into was large and airy, false windows gave the appearance that the room was ten floors above ground rather than ten below, and the furniture and fitments gleamed with an over abundance of chrome. To Draco it appeared very strange, bleak in a clean sort of way, the only part of the room that gave him any feeling of comfort was the carpet. It was green, not just any green, but Slytherin green, he remembered the old common room at Hogwarts carpeted in exactly the same colour, he had a few fond memories of that place, but it also came to his mind that his old haunt was never as warm as this room was.
At one end of the room, with one of the large false windows in the wall behind it, was a massive desk made of glass. Seated at that desk was a man, his iron grey hair and lined face gave him an air of someone who would expect respect from those around him, and not be one to accept inefficiency. Draco put him in his mid sixties, a little older than his father would be now, had he survived. The man stood and walked out from behind the desk holding his hand out in muggle fashion to his perceived vision of the house elf. Kreacher did not respond, his hands staying firmly under his cloak. Draco took the initiative and steeling himself for the contact, reached out his own hand and took that of the muggle.
"Julius Magus," the muggle introduced himself.
"Laska Yoflam, pleased to meet you…Sir," the pause before the honorific was short as to be almost unnoticeable.
"I take it that our silent friend here is the mysterious Elf," said Magus nodding toward Kreacher.
"You are correct, Magus," came a rasping voice from under the hood of the cloak. The older man stiffened at the mode of address but he let it pass. "I have brought you that which will aid you in your quest, Laska is an expert in those you seek, and he will serve you well or answer to me." This time it was Draco who reacted unfavourably to the elf's words but again he held himself in check.
"I see, I must admit I was not expecting a person to be this valuable gift," Magus smiled, "but I am sure we will work together well, ehh Laska?"
"Yes sir, we will try."
Kreacher had disappeared again and left Draco in a quandary, it was not in his nature to acknowledge muggles, let alone to work with them, but whatever the power was that was controlling the house elf, it expected him to do so. He decided that as Draco was playing the part of Laska, Laska would play the part of a muggle, and to do that he would need to keep his wits about him and use his magic. Knowing that other wizards were held captive in the complex caused him some concern, partly for his own freedom, but also because it was possible that they could feel him using his wand. He would have to seek them out.
It took him only a few days. Even though Magus was not a man to trust others on first meeting, Draco's movements were not restricted, but he had no knowledge of the layout of the complex and could not use his magic to overcome this. Eventually the information on the other wizards was shown to him, meagre though it was, and reading the notes he surreptitiously managed to find their location within the building.
He apparated as close as he dared to their place of imprisonment and used a memory charm on the guard, who for the rest of his shift saw nothing but the empty corridor.
Draco could feel the anti-apparation charm on the room, Kreacher's work no doubt, and was about to walk up to the door when a red light blinking in the corridor caught his eye.
He reacted just in time, security cameras, a device new to him; so the entrance to the room was watched by more than the guard. What to do, he had no invisibility cloak; he would have to disable the camera there was no other way. Keeping close to the wall he raised his wand and cast a staticus spell, there was a brief shower of sparks and the light on the camera went out. He moved quickly now up to the unseeing guard and through the unlocked door. The prisoners were all lying in bed and they did not react to his presence, he assumed they were under the influence of some muggle potion.
He felt no remorse, his freedom and possibly his life depended on his actions now, six times he performed the curse, six times the green fire jumped the few inches between wand and body as he held it close over each heart in turn. Draco gave an only brief thought of recognition for two of the bodies, they would have been of his age, maybe he had known them, not that it mattered now. The others were much older and were dressed poorly, Draco correctly assumed their low position in life, so now in death no one would miss them.
The curses drained him and he wasted precious minutes recovering his strength, then he left the way he had arrived and was back in his room before the security post noticed the malfunction in the camera. Draco now felt secure, as the only wizard in the complex he could fool the muggles to his hearts content and learn what he had to from Magus.
There was a tremendous fuss made when the deaths of the six prisoners were discovered the next morning and Draco as the expert was allowed to see them. He made a cursory inspection, then looked pointedly at the bottles of drugs set out by the side of each bed.
"Is this what you used on them?" Draco didn't wait for an answer. "If it is I am surprised they lasted this long, this sort have a very bad reaction to mug… err normal treatments."
"But why should they all die at the same time?" asked the senior scientist.
"Coincidence?" suggested Draco, "Well as there is nothing you will learn from them now I suggest you get rid of the bodies. I understand they spontaneously combust," he lied. "Vigorously." he added as an after thought.
……………………………
John Burford was not in a good mood, which was a shame as this was the first proper date he had had for a long time. He didn't count the meal in the restaurant, that hadn't been his idea but this evening was. Julie had surprised him by agreeing to see him again and this time a quiet evening in a country pub was all he had in mind, but they never got there. The call had come through on his mobile, and he couldn't ignore it, turning the car around, and apologising profusely he headed even further out into the fens.
The blue flashing lights from the police cars and the ambulance identified their destination. A local `wooden top' was stopping the few cars that used these isolated roads and turning them around, John showed him his identification and they were allowed to pass. They pulled up beside the ambulance and John turned to his passenger.
"I'm sorry Julie," and he really was, "wait here, I'll be as quick as I can." he opened the door and climbed out before Julie Swan could reply.
Julie had seen the shrouded shapes by the side of the road as they had drawn up, and being a trained Auror and now one of Weasley's Watchers, her curiosity got the better of her and she followed John into the night.
Standing behind the people gathered around the blankets spread out on the bank of the fen, Julie watched as the paramedic lifted the corner of one of them to expose the body it concealed. The face was that of a woman, it was pale; the eyes open blankly staring into the night sky, obviously dead. It was not the sight of the dead body that made Julie gasp, causing John to spin round to see her standing there with a look of shock on her face, but the fact that in her bag was a picture of that self same woman and that Julie knew who she was.
More police arrived on the scene and Julie manged to persuade John to take her back to see her father, she need to talk to him.
The police station was very busy that night with a major incident underway, and Julie had to cool her heels for three quarters of an hour before her father could see her.
"Sorry love, but this has sent us all in a bit of a spin, its not often that four bodies turn up out of the blue," he sounded tired.
Julie looked at her father and said grimly, "You've only got four? I would have expected there to be six."
Gerry Swan stared at his daughter, not daring to say a word. Then clearing his throat he said the only thing he could think of. "Why?"
"They are ours Dad, wizards and a witch, they went missing, we're not sure when, but we were trying to find out where they had gone, there should be six of them." She said sadly.
"Fine mess this is, do you have any suggestions as to what we do now," her father asked. "I take it that their identities will not be on our data base?"
"No Dad, you'll have no records of them at all." Julie fell silent, lost in thought. "Could you arrange to have all the bodies brought here and all the personnel involved, even the ambulance people?"
"I could…" but he sounded dubious.
"Please…I'll be back as soon as I can," and with a CRACK she apparated away.
Julie probably should have apparated to the Ministry, but unless she managed to see Arthur Weasley himself, the ministry response would be slow to act and then be out of all proportion to the situation. Instead she went to see the one wizard she knew could sort the problem out.
Julie ran up the short gravel path that led to the front door which was opened just before she reached it. The diminutive figure that stood in the doorway bowed once to her and then stood aside to let her in.
"Welcomes Miss Julie, the master and mistress are in the sitting room, please go through."
"Thank-you Dobby," she replied, all breathless from her haste.
Harry and Hermione were sitting in the dim light from the oil lamps that were dotted about the room looking through a photograph album, they had been laughing at one of the pictures.
"Julie!" said Hermione in surprise, "how lovely to see you."
"Sorry to burst in on you like this," the young witch apologised, "there is a problem, and… I have some bad news."
Harry gave his wife a sideways glance. "Come on, sit down and tell us what's up." he said.
So she did, and Harry's face became grim as he heard the news of Hannah and Justin's death, and the fate of the other wizards.
Collecting their cloaks, Hermione had a quick word with Dobby and then the three hand in hand peragated to the yard of the police station. Julie spotted John guiding an ambulance back into the large garage that was to serve as a morgue.
"Hi, I don't know what's got into your father, most irregular," he said, "but I suppose he knows what he is doing," then he saw Harry and Hermione standing behind her, "Hello can I help you?"
"Oh John, this is Professor Potter and his wife," Julie explained. "Dad asked me to bring them down."
"Ah, you must be the pathologist," he held out his hand. "I am very pleased to meet you Professor."
At that moment Superintendent Swan walked into the pool of light shining out of the garage door. "All here, John?"
"Yes sir, all here."
"Gather round," said Swan and he prepared to give a briefing to the officers and the ambulance personnel who had attended the scene.
No one saw Harry touch his wand to the side of the ambulance, nor hear the murmured words of the transfiguration spell he placed on the bodies inside, but they all turned to stare as the rear door of the vehicle popped open on it own.
"Perhaps we should get the err…bodies out Superintendent," suggested Harry. Julie was nodding at her father her head to encourage his agreement.
Her father understood the surreptitious message, "OK lads lets have them out."
It took but a moment for the ambulance to be unloaded, and all those gathered in the garage watched as Harry removed the first blanket from the still form on the trolley. Lying exposed for all to see was a lifelike mannequin, not a real body at all.
"I don't believe this," the paramedic said, "there was a body, I am sure of it," but now there was doubt in his voice.
"Sorry gentlemen," said Harry in his best professorial tone, "state of the art, but fakes none the less." He turned to Julie's father, "Satisfied with the exercise, Mr Swan?"
Err…yes, Professor Potter," he said prompted by Julie mouthing Harry's name. "You lot can go,… well done all of you. John, stay behind please."
The bemused officers and paramedics filed out and a mild memory charm followed them into the court yard removing the last doubts that this had all been a very realistic exercise.
Harry watched as Hermione sadly moved to the trolley carrying the uncovered dummy, and she gently laid her hand on its shoulder. The dummy shimmered and sparkled and in its place lay a blonde haired woman whose form was as still and lifeless as the dummy had been.
"Oh Hannah!" Hermione sobbed. "Why?"
Harry was there beside her with his arms round her giving her support. "We'll find out, I don't intend to let the terror spread again," he said sternly, and then he turned to Julie. "We must tell Arthur, go now, he should be at home, ask him to come here."
Without thinking of the consequences Julie apparated away, the CRACK of her departure made John Burford jump; he was staring with disbelieving eyes at the body of Hannah Fitch -Fletchley and at the young woman standing at her side.
"What, how?" he mumbled.
"We need to talk," Gerry Swan said, "Mr Potter would you mind closing the doors?"
Harry removed his wand from its concealment, waved it at the doors which swung shut at his command. John was having some difficulty in grasping everything that was happening around him, and looked imploringly at his superior.
"Sir, I don't understand, what is going on?"
"I don't know quite how to explain all this," Gerry Swan, began, "but, you see, …there is this other world, …and when I found out that Julie was, …so you see," he stopped, "I'm not making much sense am I?"
"Not really sir," said John, even more confused than he had been a few minutes ago.
"Perhaps I can explain," and John found himself staring into a pair of deep brown eyes which at the same time made him feel very calm and a little hot under the collar.
"My name is Hermione Potter and this is my husband Harry, we know Julie from her time at the school where Harry and I are Professors." Hermione had guided John into a seat and then sat next to him. "There is a subtle difference between Harry, Julie and myself, to you and Mr Swan. You see we are able to use magic, you can't." John started up to protest at this silliness, but Hermione's hand restrained him. "Show him Harry."
Harry raised his eyebrows at his wife but drew his wand and from the end of it a silver strand poured out on to his open palm. Right there in front of John's incredulous eyes a glass beaker half filled with an amber liquid, formed in Harry's hand.
"Here" said Harry holding the glass to the stunned policeman, "Ogden's Old Fire Whiskey, looks as if you could do with one."
John took the proffered glass and downed its contents in one, the tears that came unbidden to his eyes, were matched with the searing of his throat as the spirit descended to his stomach.
"That was brave," said Harry to no one in particular.
As he recovered from his brush with the Fire Whiskey, John was given the short version of the existence of the wizarding world and its interaction with and around the muggle one. Hermione's lecture was brief, concise, and full of so much information that even Harry thought he learned something. Just as she finished there was a double CRACK as Julie and Arthur Weasley apparated into the garage. Age hadn't really changed Arthur much, his sparse ginger hair still stuck out from under his wizard's hat, he had never taken to wearing the bowler hat of his office, and his robes were rumpled, as if he had been wearing them in bed.
"Harry, Hermione," he said in greeting, then he saw the bodies lying on the trolleys, "Oh Merlin!" He walked over to them and shook his head in disbelief. "You were right of course Harry; need to keep the muggles out of this if we can." He turned back and stopped dead, for the first time he saw the tall grey haired uniformed police officer and his plain clothed companion. "Ah!"
"Arthur Weasley, Minister for Magic," Harry said by way of introduction, "Gerry Swan, Julie's father and John, sorry didn't catch your surname, Julie's err… boyfriend."
Harry was in blissful ignorance of the look that flashed between Julie and John, which contained the promise of further discussion about that one.
"Good, good, pleased to meet you," said Arthur, walking up and holding out his hand. "I take it we can rely on your discretion in this matter? You being …ah connected shall we say." he smiled at both the policemen. "Right, we must get St.Mungo's to collect the …err, …Harry what do you suggest we do then?"
"We still have two bodies missing, assuming they are all dead of course, so a search in the area where these were found would be sensible," Harry thought for a moment. "Aurors could cover that, but we ought to have permanent contact with the muggle police. Mr Swan, could you arrange a position for Julie here, it would be most useful."
"Harry…!" Julie complained.
"You were the one who called me in Julie," Harry reminded her, "if you would rather give sole responsibility to the Ministry, …I do have lessons to prepare."
"No Harry," Arthur interrupted, "let's keep this low key for the moment, Solomon suspected muggle interference, I think it's a good idea, it is what the W.W's was formed for. I can make it an order if you wish Miss Swan."
"No sir, if my father thinks he can sneak me in, then I will do it," said Julie admitting defeat. `Merlin, working for my Dad, whatever next' she thought.
The Aurors found the two missing bodies the next day, scouring the sparsely populated wet lands on brooms; they were discovered in a small shallow inlet bound up in the bulrushes. The healers from St.Mungo's examined all the bodies and although they appeared unmarked to the untrained eye, they reached a very definite conclusion.
"It was the killing curse, Minister," the senior healer spoke to Arthur and Harry at a secretly convened meeting. "Used at a very close range, there can be no doubt."
"They have the mark then?" questioned Harry.
"Yes Professor Potter."
"Mark, what mark?" asked Arthur.
"It's not generally known Minister, but the killing curse does leave a visible mark," the healer explained. "When fired from a distance, even a few feet, the mark is so spread over the target that it cannot be seen, even with close examination. However if the target is only a few inches away or if the wand tip is held against the clothes or skin then a small discolouration is found at the point of impact of the spell."
"And in these poor people?" Said Arthur.
"They all had the mark, directly over the heart, I would suspect that they were all helpless to prevent it," the healer said sadly.
Arthur was horrified. "You mean tied up?"
"Or unconscious at the time Arthur," said Harry. "Remind you of the way someone used to work?" Harry added darkly.
"But he's dead Harry," Arthur's voice was incredulous; "you destroyed his body yourself."
"I was certainly under that impression," said Harry thoughtfully, "but maybe some things are so evil that they cannot be destroyed."
"So what do we do now Harry?" asked Arthur later that day.
"Not much we can do at the moment, but keep our eyes and ears open," said Harry, "we have Julie liaising with the muggle police, and you will need to keep the Aurors and your W.W's on their toes. We just have to hope that something turns up."
Fortunately, or unfortunately nothing happened, at least nothing that explained the deaths of five wizards and a witch. The loss of Justin and Hannah and the other four became one of those sad unexplained events that worried those who knew that they were all connected, but it was a private tragedy for the individual families. For the Fitch-Fletchley's the tragedy was doubled as soon after hearing of Justin's death his father disappeared and was never heard of again.
For Julie and John the aftermath of that day was as profound but infinitely less unpleasant. Initially Julie was furious that John had given Harry the idea that the two of them were connected in any way, but after his many assurances that on the contrary he had been so bemused by the events happening around him that he had said nothing, she began to wonder why Harry had automatically paired them up.
"He's an incurable romantic," Hermione told her, as they were sitting enjoying a cup of tea in Harry's room at Hogwarts one afternoon. "Love makes him happy, and he likes other people to be happy too, perhaps he saw the situation and he jumped to a conclusion."
"You don't think he saw anything else, do you?" Julie asked.
"Well…," said Hermione staring out of the window that overlooked the lake, "you never know. Harry can be very perceptive sometimes," she laughed, "and at other times he is just like he was when I first met him." Julie could see the shine of memories in Hermione's eyes and the smile at events in the past.
"What's it like to be in love, Hermione?"
Hermione turned to the younger witch and her smile deepened. "Wonderful." She replied.
It took a while for Julie to realise what wonderful was, but as she worked with the diligent, serious policeman, her acquaintance became a friend, and the friendship deepened and from that, the feeling that was wonderful, began to develop.
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