Disclaimer: Don't own and never will.
AN: Written for the Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition round 7. This time, the prompts used are permeate, envelope and special and as usual, the prompts are in italics.
Theodore Nott looked from the envelope to the door and back to the envelope once again.
He licked his lips and swallowed. He could still walk away. Just step out the other door and leave. He really didn't have to go through with this after all, he could just…disappear. Make himself vanish without a trace, just leave the wizarding world entirely. He was sure he could do it, after all, who would think to look there for a good pureblood wizard?
The again, he was also pretty sure he didn't want to live as a muggle.
He fidgeted nervously with his neatly pressed robes. Maybe they were too plain or maybe they were too light. Maybe they were too workmanlike and maybe they made a bad impression, he had no idea.
And of course, then there was the issue of his family and the alliances they had made with the forces of darkness. It didn't matter how many protestations he made of his own actions against the Dark Lord, the name Nott still carried a taint. Not as much as the name Malfoy of course, but still enough to have an overshadowing effect on how people saw him.
He turned the envelope over in his hand once more and nervously licked his lips. At the back of his mind, he could hear his father shouting for him to just open it and have done, along with some choice words about how a Nott should behave.
"Would you like a Calming Draught?" a familiar voice asked and Theo gave a brief chuckle.
"No thank you," he said grimly. "It's a Calming Draught that got me here in the first place."
"Come on Theo, it's not your fault he didn't listen to your instructions, or pay attention to the warnings on the bottle," the owner of the voice said with a touch of annoyance and Theo smiled. Padma might own a rival potions shop, but she could always be relied upon to defend him. "He was just a stupid old man who thought he knew better."
"He was a stupid old man with lots of pull at the Ministry and St Mungo's and he was poisoned by an overdose of Calming Draught made by the son of a Death Eater," Theo pointed out grimly. "If they decide that I'm responsible for his death…"
He didn't finish his sentence. He didn't need to really. They all knew precisely what could happen if the Ministry ruled against him. At the very least, he would be lose his potions business. At worst, he would go to Azkaban for criminal negligence an the ministry would start looking at applying yet more regulations and more limitations on potions businesses all over Diagon Alley, regulation that they did not need in his opinion. The potions industry in Britain was already one of the most regulated in world, especially since the fall of Voldemort and they were safe, he would stake his name on that.
He turned the envelope in his hands once more. Opening the letter would give them both the answers they wanted to know, but that did not make opening the damn thing any easier.
A sense of dread and fear seemed to permeate the air around them. So much was riding on the outcome of inquest that it seemed to squeeze out all other emotions.
"You know, I think you were actually less afraid when you were helping us spy on Voldemort," Padma joked nervously and Theo winced.
"Less to lose with him," he replied with a grimace. "Well that and I was young and stupid. If things go against me and-"
"They won't go wrong," Padma said before he could finish. You need to open it and find out what they say."
He nodded and before he could lose his nerve, he slit the envelope open in a single movement. With a mounting sense of dread, he unfolded the letter inside and began to read.
Mr Theodore Nott the letter began and Theo felt his stomach clench. This was it; this was where he discovered whether he was going to even remain in business. His mind wandered momentarily to the history of bribery in the Ministry. Of course, it was supposed to have been cleaned out after the fall of Voldemort, but it hardly inspired confidence. Especially in something as important as this.
As you are no doubt aware, an influential member of the wizarding world died after taking an overdose of Calming Draught, supplied by your business.
On the thirteenth of September 2010, Alexandre Adnet of Adnet Charm Robes Limited purchased four bottles of Calming Draught for his stomach pains from your business. Later he was to consume sufficient amounts of the Calming Draught to stop his heart from beating. The purpose of this enquiry is threefold. Firstly, to establish whether the instructions you provided were adequate for the potion you sold. Secondly, to establish whether Mr Theodore Nott had poisoned or otherwise adulterated his potions with an aim of causing death or serious injury to your client. Thirdly, to establish whether your potion was indeed of standard strength as per Ministry regulations.
The inquiry has lead to a number of conclusions and is prepared to dispense with those conclusions forthwith.
1: Examinations of the bottles found at the scene show that they did indeed carry the correct instructions for the correct usage of a standard issue Calming Draught.
2: As per testimony of one Miss Padma Patil, this inquiry acknowledges that you are indeed not an active, nor have ever been, a Death Eater and is unlikely to attempt to poison any such influential person in an attempt to destabilise the wizarding world.
3: This inquiry acknowledges the exceptional work performed by one Theodore Nott during the Second Wizarding War and recommends that Mr Theodore Nott's position during the war be considered when drawing conclusions on the subject of this inquiry.
"They certainly like to go on, don't they?" Theo said with a hint of annoyance. "Why can't they just tell me my fate and have done?"
"Since when have bureaucrats ever managed to get to the point?" Padma replied and Theo gave her a weak smile before continuing with the letter.
4: As per testimony of one Miss Padma Patil and one Healer Ernie Macmillan, this inquiry acknowledges that Alexandre Adnet was a particularly demanding individual who on more than one occasion had ignored the advice of healers and potion makers to his detriment.
5: Examination of examples of Calming Draught found in the business premises' have all been examined and have been found to be within Ministry approved standards.
6: A post mortem of the deceased showed that the deceased had consumed far more Calming Draught than standard recommended guidelines recommend.
7: The Calming Draughts found within the deceased appeared to be consistent with those of Ministry approved standards.
8: No traces of poisons of any kind were found within the deceased with the exception of the aforementioned Calming Draught overdose.
It is therefore the conclusion of this inquiry that Mr Theodore Nott did indeed provide suitable instruction in the use of the Calming Draught his business provided and is not at fault in terms of the instruction provided.
It is also the conclusion of this enquiry that the Calming Draughts provided by Mr Theodore Nott on the thirteenth of September 2010 was not in any discernable way poisoned or otherwise tampered with to cause death or serious injury to Alexandre Adnet.
The final conclusion of this inquiry is that Mr Theodore Nott is innocent of any wrongdoing in this case and hereby declares Mr Theodore Nott as free to continue as a licensed potion seller.
Theo let out a sudden and uncharacteristic whoop of joy. Cleared of any hint of malpractice on his part, it seemed like a weight on his shoulders was gone and suddenly he felt lighter than ever.
"Padma, would you do me the privilege of coming out for a celebratory meal with me? I think something this special deserves a celebration," he said, a grin spreading across his face. Padma smiled back and nodded.
"That," she said with a smile, "Sounds like an EXCELLENT idea."