The next day at the ministry went by rather uneventful. Harry and Ron spent it going through final paperwork and other formalities on cases concerning wizards that had already been dismissed or sentenced. Most of them were open and shut, straight-forward and simple. Magical creatures had gotten into squabbles, lost their tempers or at their sanity (however briefly) and performed curses on the other.
There had also been a few instances of wizards torturing muggles for apparently no grander reason than the fact that they could. Usually these were very young wizards who had just lost their trace. None of these individuals were sent to a place as cruel as Azkaban. They weren't considered evil or even hardened criminals for such offenses...especially considering such people generally were never tried for such crimes again. Minor things, perhaps, but nothing to do with performing unforgivable curses.
Harry welcomed the slow and steady day, however. He knew he'd be dealing with Draco Malfoy and possibly even his father that evening and he didn't really want any more stressors until then. He'd need to keep himself cool and collected. Something he doubted Draco would worry with doing. No doubt he would be his normal, entitled self, not worrying how much it showed.
A few hours past lunch, there was a knock on the Auror Department's door. Ron quickly jumped to answer it. Harry had come to the conclusion a few hours prior that his partner wasn't as enthused about the unadventurous day. He had hardly been able to stay focused on the paperwork.
On the other side of the door, the ministry's postman stood, his enchanted cart bumping into his heels impatiently. He smiled at Ron, holding out a letter, but as the cart hit him once more, a flair of aggravation took the place of his smile. He spun around barking at the buggy carrying hundreds more letters, ordering it to stop.
The scene was quite comical and neither Harry nor Ron could suppress a bit of laughter. The postman halfway grinned even though it was obvious he didn't appreciate the joke. "Sorry," Ron almost giggled, "I know how difficult charmed objects can be. Mind of their own sometimes, yeah?" He offered the man who gave a sincere beam then before nodding his hat and leaving back toward the elevator with the cart following closely behind.
Postmen weren't commonplace in the magical world as there were owls to do the job at a faster pace and more efficiently. However, owls did not reach within the walls of the Ministry of Magic. Instead, they were sent to a protected tower further out of London. There the mail was collected, brought inside, and dispersed by the postman. It was the same place that Harry had gone the previous day to escape the office for a few moments and to send the letter requesting a meeting with Igor Karakoff.
Which exactly who had sent the letter just delivered to them.
"Mr. Potter,
I am with thorough commitment to assisting the Ministry of Magic including helping you however I am able in your investigation.
I understand your concerns with communicating in ways other than face to face. However, I am presently incapable of traveling to Great Britain to speak with you in person. There is much here I must attend to concerning the school as well as personal affairs.
However, if you wish to visit Durmstrang Institute, I can allot time to see you. I only ask to be alerted to your arrival in advance.
Sincerely,
Headmaster Igor Karkaroff
Durmstrang Institute"
Harry located a clear piece of parchment and his quill and jotted down a reply:
"Headmaster Karkaroff,
Thank you for your continued assistance to the Ministry. My partner, Ronald Weasley, and I would appreciate to see you at Durmstrang Institute in the coming week at the earliest possible date. If a Monday meeting is acceptable to you, will we arrive then. Please acknowledge or notify me if this is not an agreeable day.
Harry Potter
Auror's Department"
"I guess we'll go and send it off ourselves then," Ron spoke, getting up from his seat.
Harry looked over at the wall to his left. The clock upon it read 3:32. They were due to be at Malfoy's home in just under an hour and a half. Harry folded the paper in front of him and slipped it inside of an envelope before sealing it. He took a moment to write the headmaster's name on the front and flipped it back over to stamp it. He then stood as well, walking with Ron out of the office and down to the elevator. As they went, Ron sighed loudly and deliberately.
"You know, part of me just wants to show up late like even just ten minutes. Just to piss him off," he said.
Harry chuckled, "Yeah, me too."
It didn't take them long to reach the tower and send their owl. They were probably rushing more than was necessary. It did leave them time to sit around with Hermione for a while before the dreaded meeting with Malfoy. The three friends updated each other on their days. Hermione's had apparently been just as bland as the two aurors' had been. They managed to relax a bit, but as the hands got closer to five, it was finally time for them to leave again.
Harry and Ron would have both loved to take Hermione with them. It would certainly make the entire thing more comfortable for the trio. However, with it being a matter of business, the aurors couldn't ethically justify their childhood friend accompanying them. Draco Malfoy, although reformed and very much more open-minded following the fall of Voldemort, still kept many of his childish manners even into adulthood. Therefore, none of them wanted to present him with deliberate ammo against them should he decide to use it.
Draco had become a far more agreeable man, having finally realized that muggles were not beneath magical folk, but his demeanor had remained mostly the same. He had an air of importance about him, his words always sharp and unfeeling or even critical to those other than his family. Harry tried to understand that it was surely a facade, but that didn't keep it from being annoying to deal with.
Thinking about this, Harry discussed with Ron how they should approach the situation. Although showing Gerald's photograph and name would most likely be part of their questioning, they both wanted to leave that as a finale. They didn't really think that Draco would attempt to pick up associations with Gerald so much as they were unsure of what Draco would relay to his father, if anything.
After his open acceptance of impure magical blood lines and even muggles, the relationship between Draco and Lucius had become strained as his father held strongly to his 'values' if you could even call them that. However, having shared information that led to the capture of nearly every remaining death-eater, Lucius remained with few associations making it clear that he didn't also want to lose ties with his son.
If Gerald was innocent, neither Ron nor Harry wished to be guilty of informing the Malfoys of his existence in regards to their investigation should Lucius decide to seek him out and cause him trouble. Likewise, if Gerald wasn't, keeping the dark wizards from communing would also be a positive.
Whether Draco's father was there that evening or not, the aurors still planned to meet with him. Initially, Harry had hoped Lucius didn't appear at his son's home, but after further thinking upon it, knew he'd much rather see him at a place other than Malfoy Manor. The young wizard's previous horrid experiences there were still fresh in his mind.
As Harry and Ron walked up the stone steps to Draco's much smaller, but equally elegant home, Ron glanced down at his wrist, "Dammit," he grinned, "Right on time."
The two exchanged smiles before Harry placed his hand on the huge steel knocker adorning the green door in front of them. It was crafted in the shape of a roaring lion. Lifting it high, Harry immediately let it fall again without aide. A loud bang could be heard echoing in the walls beyond and the sound even vibrated the stone on which Harry and Ron stood.
Not even a moment passed before the door opened, revealing a thin and timid house elf, "Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasely," he spoke softly, "Master Draco is expecting you." The elf stepped to the side, allowing the door to creak open completely.
"Thank you," Harry replied, stepping over the threshold and beginning down the hallway inside.
Ron nodded awkwardly at the elf as he quickly followed behind his partner. The elf pushed the door closed behind them and then snapped his fingers, disappearing and reappearing in front of Harry. The tiny creature led the guests further into the home, ending in a right turn into a large room.
In the room was an enormous fireplace with a handful of velvet-lined seats and sofas surrounding it. The walls were lined with portraits and paintings and on the furthest end was a pair of glass french doors leading onto a patio outside. The room was dark even though lamps were switched on in each corner. It was most likely so due to the deep crimson color of the curtains and furniture and the hunter green and dark greys of the wallpaper.
In one of the large chairs facing the fireplace sat Draco. He seemed to be lost in thought, his body perfectly mimicking the seat in which he sat. His back was flushed against the back of the chair, his arms straight against its arms, and his feet planted firmly on the floor at the base of it. He was staring forward into the fireplace, not moving nor even blinking. For a brief moment, Harry wondered if h was somehow charmed into a trance.
"Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley have arrived, sir," the house elf's body shook just as his words did.
Draco then turned and peered around the corner of his chair, raising an eyebrow in the aurors' direction before looking down at his servant and nodding. The elf gave a slight bow before turning around and retreating past the wizards back into the hallway. Harry and Ron ventured further into the room, stopping in the midst of the furniture, a few feet from their old classmate.
"Thank you for seeing us," Harry spoke.
Draco nodded again as he gestured to the sofa behind his guests. His thoughts were still elsewhere and both Harry and Ron wondered where that was. They took their seats, situating themselves before turning their eyes back to Draco, politely pausing to allow him to speak first.
The ex-deatheater shifted in his seat so, while retaining a reserved posture, was better facing his guests. He cleared his throat and turned his head slightly to the side, "What did you wish to speak with me about?"His affect was flat.
"Well," Harry started. "As I said before, we are in the middle of an investigation. We wanted to speak with you concerning your time as-," Harry cut off quickly changing his words, "amongst the deatheaters. We know you've already spoken to Ministry representatives about all the deatheaters you recognized. All the names and so forth. But," he paused, "We wondered if there was anybody else that perhaps you didn't mention... Someone who may have seemed inconsequential, but who you did come into contact with during that time."
Draco turned his head straight again, lifting a hand to hold his chin as he spoke, "Am I supposed to remember every stranger I passed while working under Voldermort?" he scoffed.
Harry sighed. He should have known that Draco wouldn't let this be easy. The man knew exactly what Harry was asking and that he was trying NOT to divulge more details than necessary...so the reformed dark wizard was refusing to answer vague questions by avoiding them with reasonable excuses.
"Of course not," Ron said. Harry could tell he was trying hard to be professional and not call Draco out. "Just anyone that specifically dealt with one one the other deatheaters or that you perhaps had seen with one of them that might have had a bigger part in things than it seemed at the time."
Draco dropped his hand, his eyes narrowing on Ron. Harry had to admit he was quite impressed with the redhead even though he could see him already losing patience.
"Even perhaps someone from before you worked with them," Harry spoke deliberately to take Draco's gaze from Ron. "Someone around your father or one of your friends' parents growing up."
The pale blonde man straightened in his seat, cocking his head from one side to the other before relaxing again and answering, "No," he said tauntingly, "I can't say that there is."
Harry glanced toward Ron who rolled his eyes. Sighing again, Harry pulled the two pictures of Gerald that he had been carrying around- the band's portrait and the photo displaying Gerald's tattoo. He stretched out his hand, offering them to Malfoy.
"Have you ever seen this man?" Harry relented as Draco took the pictures.
Malfoy loosened his pose, leaning forward with elbows resting on his knees as he held the photos side by side, studying them. Harry and Ron also leaned forward in similar positions, watching Draco's eyes, face, and hands for any sign of recognition before the man actually spoke again. Neither picked up any markers other than a fleeting frown that appeared to signal confusion.
After several silent moments, Malfoy emitted a grunt and handed the pictures back before leaning back into his chair and crossing one leg to where its ankle was resting on the other's knee, "No, he doesn't look familiar. Do you have his name?"
"Gerald Davis," Harry said.
Draco shook his head, "Sorry, Potter. I can't help you."
After looking intently at the man for a grin, a diverted gaze, anything to show he may be lying, Harry gave up and simply nodded. He and Ron picked themselves up from the sofa simultaneously.
"Well, thank you for your time anyway," Harry managed not to mutter, "Please let us know if you think of anything."
"Of course," Draco replied slyly as Ron and Harry continued on their departure.
