Malfoy Files Chapter 7
A/N: In this chapter I will introduce the Potter Initiatives... These are a series of changes made to the DMLE when Harry became Head Auror. Many of the changes include modeling the Wizarding police force to closely resemble it's Muggle counterpart. I own none of this and am getting no benefit (except the warm fuzzies I get from reviews)
I made my way down the dark street to the Hogshead. This bar was one of those rare places where no one asked your name and even fewer people cared. Aberforth Dumbledore still ran the bar despite his advanced age. He always joked it was due to the amazing restorative properties of goats.
I entered the smokey tap room, my eyes adjusting to the firelight. As it was Monday night, the room was mostly empty containing only a few regulars.
"Hey Ab," I said walking to the bar. "Give me a double Fire Whiskey and hold the water."
"You wound me with your baseless accusations," Ab snapped, sliding me a drink.
"I am sure your stellar reputation as a fine upstanding member of the community can withstand it," I said paying for my drink.
I was nursing my second drink, and debating with myself whether to go back to my office and go over the files, go home or just rent a room and get thoroughly polluted.
I was still trying to decide what to do when the doors opened and two young men in dark blue robes entered the bar. They were Aurors and not very experienced ones judging by the looks of them. One of them had sandy brown hair while his partner was bald.
"What the devil do you want?" Aberforth growled, moving his hand beneath the bar. Several of the patrons moved out of the line of fire.
"Take it easy gramps," sandy haired sneered. "We don't wanna have to run you in."
"Yeah," his partner said. "We're on official business so bugger off."
"Smith, Winslow," snarled a gravelly voice from behind the two Aurors, "what the blood hell is wrong with you? I told you to wait for me before coming in." The owner of the voice was a very stocky gray haired wizard. He wore an eye patch that covered a scar that ran from his left temple under the patch across his nose and ending on his right cheek. He had an elaborate brace on his right leg that squeaked when he walked, and caused him to limp.
"Sorry sir," The bald one started to explain. "We thought we should secure the area."
"Did I tell you to secure the inside? No! You two are about as worthless as tits on a bull." The older Auror moved between Aberforth and the others. "Now you Tweedledum take Tweedledumer there and got outside. One of you watch left the other watch right," he continued to growl. "Ya think you two mental midgets can handle that?"
"Yes sir!" both men barked and quickly left the bar.
"Sorry, Ab. Trainees," the man explained jerking his thumb towards the door. "They're full of piss and vinegar, but they don't have the sense of one of your goats."
"Don't you be insultin my Goats, Boot, or you can just, bloody well leave," Aberforth growled,but he did remove his hand from beneath the bar.
"Relax Ab, I really am here on official business," the man said looking at me a moving towards my chair.
Crap I knew that look and it never bode well for me.
"Draco Malfoy?" he asked.
"You know I am. What can I do for you?" I asked, draining the last of my drink.
"I am Auror First Class Terry Boot. We need you to come down to headquarters and help us identify someone."
"As in a dead someone," I asked, "or a live one?"
"There is no easy way to say this so I am just gonna come out and say it. The Auror department recover a body from a river this afternoon. It appears to be your father."
"Are you sure?" I asked, shaking my head to clear the whiskey fog.
"As sure as we can be, which is why we need you to come down make an identification and answer a few questions," Boot said.
"Uhm, yeah Okay, I can come down," I say still in shock. "Hey, Ab can I use your floo?" I wasn't going to apparate in my current condition. Aberforth grunted and jerked his head towards the fireplace.
"Just a moment," Boot said. "I'll go with you."
He walked to the front door. "Smith, Winslow, you two head back to headquarters. I'll meet ya there."
We both walked to the fireplace. Boot went first to show me what to say.
"Auror Headquarters Receiving," Boot called out throwing down a handful powder and disappearing in a plume of green flame I followed him saying the same thing.
I arrived stepping from the fireplace into a crowded receiving room. Even thought it was a Monday night the room was busy with people who looked accustomed to bring there. I recognized a few hookers and pushers from Knockturn Alley.
"Hey Charlie," Boot said to the busy Auror manning the reception desk. The man nodded, not stopping his conversation with the elderly witch in front of him.
"Look lady I don't care what moon of which planet is in what house, if yer gonna go outside ya gotta wear clothes," the man said.
"I am going up to investigations," Boot explained to the desk Auror. "Toss me a visitors badge, would ya?"
Charlie reached in a drawer and tossed Boot a badge.
"Here, put this on and follow me," Boot said to me.
I clipped the badge to my shirt and followed Boot through the crowded room and into a lift.
"No ma'am I don't wanna read yer warts," I heard Charlie yelling as the doors slid shut.
After a few seconds the lift doors opened into a well lit, very spacious room. There were multiple desks in the room, paired up so they were facing one another. This was my first visit to the new DMLE headquarters. It used to be housed in the same building as all the other departments. It had been one of the many Potter Initiatives, a series of proposals and changes instituted by Harry Potter upon being names Head Auror. The DMLE was moved to a separate building to give at least a semblance of impartiality.
As we moved around the outside of the room, I read some of the names on the office doors. Harry Potter H.A. Ronald Weasley D.H.A. Hermione Weasley D.S. I was amazed at how many of my school mates were either in law enforcement or, like Blaise and myself, spent a good deal of time avoiding it.
We made our way to a small waiting area with a few couches and chairs.
"If you could please wait here. Auror Phillips will be with you in a few minutes," Boot said to me, turning his back and heading into his office.
"Smith! Winslow!," he bellowed. "Get your sorry arses into my office... NOW!"
I took a seat and waited. Boot was yelling so loudly that the closed door to his office shook. I could only make out bits and pieces of what he was saying, but tit made me glad I was not an Auror Trainee.
"You're damn lucky he didn't hex your bullocks off," he yelled while opening his office door. "I want a full action report from each of you before you leave tonight." The two trainees scurried from his office with red faces.
"Mr. Malfoy? I am Auror Second Class Alec Phillips," a middle aged man with black horn-rimmed glasses and a receding hairline introduced himself extending his hand. I shook his hand.
"Are you up to making an identification now?" he asked showing trained symapthy.
"Might as well get it over with," I answered.
We reentered the lift, Phillips said "Medical Examinations," and the lift took off.
After a few seconds of strained silence, the doors opened and he led me through a series of desks and offices, to a large gray metal, swinging door.
"Let me warn you, sir," Phillips said to me, "he is not a pretty sight."
"Okay," I didn't know what else to say.
We entered a small well lit room. Behind a large glass wall stood a man in white robes with a surgical mask. Next to the man was a metal table with a white sheet, obviously covering a body.
Phillips nodded to the man and he lifted the sheet. There laid out on the table was my father. I could tell it was him as he still had his long silver hair, pointed chin and hawk-like nose. What he did not have was his eyes. Where they should have been were two large jagged wounds. I nodded numbly to Auror Phillips, positively identifying my father's body. I always knew this could happen given his history and beliefs. The thing that concerned me the most was all I felt was shock and maybe even a little bit of relief.