"This is insane. You know that, right?", Mr. James Malcolm said as he frowned down his nose at me. "Obviously, someone did not want you to know this information and that someone or someones can be fully aware of the path you are treading."
Diagon Alley is the entrance for the wizarding world here in London and The Leaky Cauldron the gateway, where the line blurs and the muggle is distinguished from the wizard. It is the meeting place for all sorts of magical people. It's popularity is why I chose to meet the great wizarding genealogist James Malcolm at the Leaky Cauldron. Mr. Malcolm engendered himself to me by taking me on as an apprentice right after the battle of Hogwarts. It is because of his studies that the theory of Waning has become scientific fact to many in the magical community. Many scholars in the area of Muggle studies have implied that magical powers dwindle as the genetic pool grows smaller. Yet that theory was not taken seriously until Mr. James Malcolm published a study on pureblood families who refused to marry outside of certain groups of wizarding families. Not only was the amount of squibs increasing but the quality of magical ability was decreasing as the generation progressed. These groundbreaking studies made Mr. James Malcolm an ideal sounding board. I sent an owl summarizing my encounters with Persephone's family as well as a time and meeting place. He responded quite readily to confirm. His look of disapproval and his awkward greeting, including an implication of mental instability, as he was seated revealed his perspective.
"Sir, this is why I chose to meet with you. I am unsure as to how I should proceed." Mr. Malcolm's receding hairline was further emphasized by how far he raised his eyebrows. He smoothed down his silk tie as he prepared his answer.
"I'm sure you are brilliant enough to know that there are only two alternatives. For the sake of curiosity, you pursue every avenue until the true ancestry of the baby is revealed or you stop here, equip the baby's parents with the knowledge necessary to raise a magical child and the means by which you can be contacted in case of emergency." he concluded.
"Well, of course, the latter course of action must be done. Common sense. But what of the mysterious death? The erased and implanted memories? By what means can there be justice?", I whispered harshly.
"You will only cause a scandal, if not endanger your very life. There are reasons why these adoptions are conducted secretly. Powerful witches and wizards go to any lengths to keep this kind of information private.", Mr. Malcolm stated.
"I did not bring a scandal to this family. Someone else did through a secret adoption hidden in memory charms. Annette has to suffer consequences. And Donna, Rufus, Todd and baby Persephone. When will the true perpetrators reap the consequences of their actions?", I indignantly spoke lowly.
"Consequences? For what? Giving up a child for adoption? Performing memory charms? These actions are legal and condoned for the greater good. Adoptions allow Squibs to live normal lives in the muggle world. Memory charms allow us to coexist with muggles without the risk of exploitation." he explained.
" I agree to a certain extent. But how does a secret adoption help anyone? It only protects the identity and reputation of the magical family. And what about Annette? I cannot see how the memory charms benefited her. It is quite likely her dementia results from those charms.", I said as my voice grew higher.
"I beg you to calm down. You're getting ahead of yourself. Now you're assuming. Our responsibility to the muggles is not to avoid the sad circumstances but to lessen the effect of those sad circumstances-", I shook my head in consternation and in response, he raised his voice louder, "-and some of those means by which we lessen the effects may be displeasing to you but they have sufficed for centuries, even longer."
I whispered,"And murder is a sad circumstance? According to our laws, there are consequences for -" he cut me off.
"Wait. Are you judging someone by the unclear memories of a demented old lady? Shame on you. You have no substantial proof." he said, disappointment dripping from his words.
"Well, what if I get the death certificate? Or exhumed the body? Either would lead me to the cause of death.", I murmured, ashamed for being scolded by my mentor but determined to expel my curious yet offensive thoughts.
"Okay. Hypothetically, let us say it was murder, even forbidden murder. What motive does a witch or wizard have for murdering an adopted squib?", he whispered appealingly.
The possibilities flew through my mind. All sounded sinister. I looked around at the occupants of the Leaky Cauldron. While I had nothing to hide, I could see how voicing my true thoughts would be the most foolish thing to do. So I sought to change the subject. "None that I am willing to voice but what motive is there for Annette's condition? There is clearly more to this case than the circumstances surrounding the adoption of a squib."
"Of course there is but your work is investigative for scholarly reasons, not for the purpose of satisfying your standards of justice. What are your scholarly reasons?"
He looked at me suspiciously as if he could already read the answer in my eyes. I had purposely left the answer to that question out of my correspondence with Mr. Malcolm , knowing that he would think my thesis too ambitious.
I looked down at the table, and whispered, " I seek to use this case as well as many others to prove the Theory of Mingling."