Malfoy blinked. “e again?”
Harry walked out of the owlery and ier, overast haze. Before he did anything else, he was going bak to that house. He was goi pirl.
Igora pushed her way through the overrowded halls of the Edinburgh DMLE Main Offie. From what she ould tell, the vultures were swooping ihouse I, everyone from Improper Use of Magi to the Beast Division of the DRCMbsp;If it meant there’d be fresh offee in the breakroom, she ould five the mob.
& a glimpse of Auror Phillips at some point, luthing a thik file and looki in his lothes at the offie. She didn’t envy him or the headahe today would likely bring. If he was busy the masses, it meaually stood a haihe rest.
“Stramitz,” Felix greeted when she fiheir offie at the farthest end of the building.
& give him a gurned her bak a of her loak, hanging it up on the rak. “I almost feel like we should share , but Phillips already looks like he’s about to break uhe pressure.”
A throra turned arouheir desks, ihe a louhey’d stolen from Misuse of Muggle Artifats, a very familiar man sat. The red hair gave him away immediately. If Igora hadn’t reognized him from the War, she’d have reognized his distinguished rimson auror robes.
& out his hand to ihe guest. “Stramitz, this is—”
“Auror Weasley,” Igora ied. Her mi ohird of the Golden Trio to their offie? Possibly oheir open ases? Surely there was no reason for him to ome himself. Igora faked a smile a her haing. “Igora Stramitz.”
Roood ahe room, broad and o, smiling bak at her. He reahed over and shook her hand, and they exhanged fored pleasantries, ihe Loil finally, Igora steered the oion to the reaso.
Weasley gween her and Felix, leared his throat and pulled a parhment from his poket. “I onding to the inquiry you seerday about Arhie Eversworn.”
Eyebrora moved to sit at her desk. She had . “You have information about our person of i?”
“That’s the thing,” Weasley frow iever y into.”
Her brher. “And you know that beause—?”
&egral part of an ongoing iigation.”
Felix leaned forward. “He’s a C.I.?”
Igora snorted, remembering the indeision ay of the man to oneal his iions. “There’s no way that man is an informant.”
Weasley shifted his weight and rossed his arms. Igora realized he must’ve assumed he’d be able to marh into their offie, say his piee, and that would be the end of it. She didn’t doubt he had his reasons, but in her experiene, defeetive oupled with seretive did not usually lead to maki responsible deisions. “I’m telling you, Eversworn isn’t involved ao drop it.”
Finally, Ight. Her forehead rexed and she narrowed her eyes. “Eversworn khing about our ase; I would bet my life on it.”
They shared a long, pointed ler than was omfortable, whih was ihe breeze and whoosh of ary memo flying onto Felix’s desk. Igora took advahe distratio. “See,” she poihe parhment Felix had begun unfolding. “If Eversly part ation as an informant, you would follow the ode of ation for suh irumstanes. And you’d have sent it by post.” Igora wathed as Felix read whatever was ihehere are ways to tell other departments to y off informants for suh situations. Instead, you made the mistake of oming up here yainst er proedure ditates.”
Weasley glowered at her and his shoulders tensed.
“Y something, Auror Weasley,” Igora stated. Felix huffed and Igora leao get a view of her partner who she’d briefly fottehe room. “What is it?”
“Bloody unbelievable,” he muttered. He rumpled the letter a over to her desk. “Home offie says the ops-team we saw st night is ‘out of our purview’ ao akhem.”
Weasley huffed, half a grin f on his lips. “Do not disturb,” he said. “Typial Department of Mysteries nonsense.”
“The DOM?” Igora tilted her head to the side and aught Felix’s gaze. That made things iing. That meant Drao Malfoy and Arhie Everswht up ihing omplex, probably tremendously important.
“Wait,” Weasley turhen bak to Igora. “Where did you see an ops- team?”
Igora ouldn’t stop herself fr. “Outside Arhie Eversworn’s ft.”
ed.
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“You’re te.” The attery frow her, and Paurned his k with a sowl. The young oihe sig. “Sign in and sit iing area. A ase ith you shortly.”
Pahe mahe quill, and wrote her e forefully with his gaze. Something ab