“Eversworn,” Malfoy alled. Harry gned over his shoulder and soffed whe Malfoy was still radling the damned kneazle in his arms.
“I’m goiry,” was all Harry himself to say.
“Well, alright.”
Harry stopped. “That’s it? You have us break into someo Bertrie, we proeed to leave her there, and h simply goiry and having them ha?”
Malfoy shot Harry a areful look. “There was obviously something very wrong with that girl. You ouldn’t help her. Perhaps they an.”
“And you didn’t think to grab her? Apparate out with her? Or were you too busy ooi dreadful animal?” Harry poio Guinevere, who hissed in response.
“There’s somethi this kher like her.”
&aked me.”
“What’s not to like?” There was a satisfied look on Malfoy’s fae and it reminded Harry of their time at Hogwarts. He expeted the look to morph into a was shoked ly wi him iheention on the ball of fur in his hands.
Harry bit his lower lip, onfused. “Alright then,” he finally mao say. “I’m going to go tell them what I know now. Atually, you know what? You should tell them.” Harry thought it was a rather iest to prove if Malfoy really had noble iions. “I’m a person of i a make too many assumptions. It should be you.”
“You’re a person of i? That would imply that someone, somewhere finds you iing.”
“Malfoy, will you go or not?”
Malfoy ated as if he didn’t hear him ao oo at the kneazle, rubbing her belly as he radled her like a baby. “I don’t trust the authorities to solve this ase,” Malfoy finally said.
Harry rolled his eyes, “But you trust me? We’ve only just met.” The blond didn’t aknowledge Harry’s words. He simply arried on doting on the red devil. Harry gave up ahe rest of the way to the Edinburgh Main Offie.
&here twie before. The first oasion had beee dire irumstahere had beetaks in a matter of days and half of the wizarding ommunity in Sotnd ani. It was oimes Harry had bee out into the field with Ron, and though they didn’t do muh more than anvas a few neighborhoods, it had felt good to be a part of something again.
Ron had been on loads of missions by then. He’d made his way arou and got assig ases aners, and Harry had the suspiirooming Ron for a very speifi jht’ve envied Ron from time to time, espeially when he found himself being paraded arouhe ry. But most of his jealousy boiled down to wishing he ould make a differene. Harry wao be a suessful auror, Merlio be takiions from Head Auror Weasley someday. In fat, that would be where his envy might stop. Harry didn’t want the responsibility of a managing positio waual bloody job.
You had a job, he thought to himself. A up.
That reminded him of the seoed the DMLE in Edinburgh. Harry aompanied Rh priority iiohe st kers, too gerous to be moved.
“I just o stand against the wall in the bakground,” Robards had said before they Flooed th. “Look me wahis up.”
Harry did as he was told, mostly beause he was ied to see horoahed the situation. It ended up being a fasinatih as Robards piked at the maatements down to nothihe lies. In what seemed effortless, the Head Auror pulled valuable ihe man within two hours, and it ended up saving the lives of four urse breakers in a standoff outside le.
At the time, Harry had beeo see a textbook tehed so well ahlessly. But as he approahed the doors of the DMLE, he realized he’d probably a ha a pration himself.
“Good m,” a v. To the left of the entrane, Harry reoghe iigators that i the hotel. Stramitz, maybe? She was leaning against the wall, asually holding a half goe. Harry found it an odd oinidene sihe person he was oming to see.
“I have some information for you,” Harry said, aed it. He kept fetting he was a questionable low-life ahe iigators would likely distrust, ause, or even jail.
Stramitz smiled. “I bet you do.”
Harry follh the mairane, doay filled with preoupied aur around, until they reahed ahe bak of the building.
“Here we are,” she said and led him inside. He briefly z’s partner before a familiar figure to the left aught his eye. Harry tur a he almost fell over.
“Ron?”
His best friend stood to ay desk, arms rossed, with a look of hopelessness Harry hadn’t seen on Roheir shool days. He was giving Harry the dejeted stare he used to give essays he’d ome up short on. “Har—Have you lost your bloody mind?” Ron stammered, and Harry was sure he’d almost said Harry’s name. His suspiion was onfirmed when Ron, visibly anxious, added an awkward, “Arhie?”
Harry opened his mouth to speak, but he really didn’t k. Had Ron gotten his owl yet? Harry looked between Stramitz aner before he deided it was safe to ask. “I sent Mister Wazlib a letter this m.”
“Well he dide,” Ron shook his head. He stared at the ground. “These here have some que