Chapter 8- A Surprise Visitor
Harry apparated to the ministry early so he could check on any messages left by Kingsley or Thicknesse. Plus it was a good place to meet up with Ron before they went back to the assignment. Ron showed up about a half an hour later, looking tired.
"Mate, you gotta get more sleep."
"Actually, I did. Mum's cooking is so good that I tend to overdo it and then get overly sleepy. I end up sleeping longer and am still tired when I wake up."
"I suppose we better get going. Merlin only knows what surprises we'll get sprung on us."
Harry and Ron used the floo to get to their surveillance point. They generally preferred apparition because there was less ash involved but they couldn't take the chance of someone hearing the loud crack that usually went with it. Since there wasn't a thunderstorm to conceal it, they were better off using the floo network for transportation.
"So, how long do you want to wait until we pretend we're from the Yard?" Ron asked.
"Let's give it a while. I have the feeling that whatever has Mr. Prince spooked will show itself soon; especially after Elizabeth's little 'walk around town'. I think I'll make some tea while we wait. You want some?"
"Yeah, sure." Ron replied.
Harry went into the little kitchen and started the kettle for tea. He probably could have heated the water magically but felt he needed something to do to keep himself occupied. He also hated spending endless hours staring out a window. After several minutes he had made two cups of tea and brought one out to Ron. He went back into the kitchen to get some sugar when Ron called him back out.
"Harry, you were right someone's coming down the street and he looks rather unpleasant. Come to think of it, he also looks familiar. Huge man with no neck and big mustache."
Harry came out to the front room and looked out the window. If his jaw could have dropped any lower he would have heard it crashing through the floor. Marching up the street with the most sour and unpleasant face was Harry's Uncle Vernon.
"What in the name of Merlin's baggy Y-Fronts is he doing here?"
"Who is it?" Ron asked.
"It's Uncle Vernon!"
"That sour, obnoxious walrus whose living room Dad blasted to bits all those years ago."
"Yeah, that's him. What the bloody hell would he have to do with wizards?"
"Yeah, but remember the Princes are pretending to be muggles."
"It's too much of a coincidence. Though I find it hard to believe he could bully a Slytherin."
Vernon Dursley went right up to the Prince's door and started banging on it. He went at it for a couple minutes before someone finally let him in.
"We need to hear what's going on in there. Get the extendable ears."
"I only have one set of them. Besides, it's too late. Look." Ron said.
Harry turned around and peered out the window to see Uncle Vernon storming out of the house. He caught a glimpse of Mr. Prince before he shut the door again and for that brief moment he saw a man who looked like he had just seen death.
"I guess it's time for the Scotland Yard act." Harry told Ron.
Harry and Ron changed into the suits they had brought with them to impersonate Scotland Yard agents and Ron did a little magical altering to Harry's face to hide the scar.
"I hope I don't sneeze and disfigure you. Hermione is so much better at this than I am." Ron said while putting the finishing touches on Harry's magical plastic surgery.
"Now remember, you start things by introducing us and explaining that we've come to talk to people about an extortion operation going on in the town and ask him if he knows anything about it. After that, I'll chime in and start asking a few questions."
"Are you going to let on to who you are eventually?" Ron asked.
"I might. It depends on if I think it might get him to open up to us. Ready?"
"Yeah, let's go."
They walked out the back of the house and around. They made it a point to pretend that they were conversing to keep up the act in case people were watching. After putting up the appearance for a few minutes they approached the door and knocked. There was silence for a few minutes and then the door slowly opened with Mr. Prince peering out.
"Excuse me sir, I'm Agent Warrington and this is Agent Patterson from Scotland Yard." Ron said introducing himself and Harry. "Whom do we have the pleasure of speaking to?"
"My name is Richard Prince. What can I do for you agents?"
"We've been investigating an extortion operation going on in this area and some of subjects of our investigation have been working in this area. We were wondering if you have seen or heard anything going on that might help us." Ron asked.
"I'm sorry agents, but I know of nothing of the sort." Richard Prince said.
"He may not know anything but I certainly do!" came a voice from behind Mr. Prince.
Harry looked past Mr. Prince to see Elizabeth walking toward them with a look of determination on her face.
"Elizabeth, this is not the time for this."
"It's the perfect time for this father. They're looking for an extortionist and we just saw one come up to our house, bang on our door and threaten to ruin us by setting some bloke named Harry Potter on us." Elizabeth said.
Harry and Ron traded quizzical looks. "I'm sorry, he's going to set who on you?" Harry asked.
"Harry Potter, whoever that is."
"And just who is this Harry Potter, Mr. Prince?" Ron asked him taking his queue from Harry's surprised look.
"From my early days of school I was loosely affiliated with a group of people who did some very bad things. This person meant to tie me to those wrongdoers. Harry Potter is a person of authority who has made it a habit of bringing these people to justice."
"And did you participate in any of these wrongdoings that you mentioned?" Harry asked him.
"No, that was not my nature. I was only associated with these people, and I use the word 'association' loosely, because of certain talents and traits I possess. I tried to have little to do with them."
"So why would this man who came to visit you want to expose you to him? What have you done to upset him?"
"I'm not sure, he once claimed before that it had something to do with his son, but I'd never seen him before until recently and wouldn't know who his son is at all."
Harry looked at Ron and motioned with his head to the side indicating a quick word in private.
"Excuse us for a second Mr. Prince, Ms. Prince." Harry said as he stepped aside with Ron.
"Well, what do you think?" Ron asked.
"I think it's time we tell Mr. Prince what is really going on. Be ready to remove my disguise on my signal."
They stepped back into the living room where Mr. Prince and Elizabeth were sitting.
"Ms. Prince, would you excuse us for a few minutes? We'd like to have a quick chat with your father to find out more about this person who just visited you." Harry asked.
"Yes, but you better tell Father. I'm tired of living like this." She said.
Harry walked with her to the kitchen and closed the door behind her. He then pulled his wand out of the sleeve of his suit coat and quickly cast the Muffliato spell on the room before walking back to Ron and Mr. Prince.
"OK, Mr. Prince, could you tell me what this Harry Potter looks like? Would you know him if you saw him?" Ron asked.
"Not much of his basic looks like hair color or anything, but I do know that he bears a scar on his forehead shaped like a lightning bolt. It was supposedly given to him by the leader of these aforementioned wrongdoers."
Harry nodded at Ron who reached into his jacket and pulled out his wand.
"Tell me would the scar look something like this?" Harry asked as Ron cast the reversal spell of the disguise charm. Slowly, Harry's features returned to normal including the scar that now came back into prominence on his forehead.
"By Merlin, this can't be. NO, don't hurt me or my daughter I'm begging you."
"First of all Mr. Prince, I cast a spell on the room that will keep our conversation private so as not to distress your daughter. Secondly, I have no intention of causing you or her any harm or distress. Frankly, I'm more interested in why my uncle would be using my name and character to threaten you. Even more puzzling is how he even knows about your wizarding past."
Richard Prince cast Harry an uncertain look but then spoke. "So you know of my being in Slytherin?"
"Yes, but that's hardly a crime; look at Slughorn. He was a Slytherin and he wasn't evil…a bit pompous and annoying but not evil. I learned of it by Severus Snape, or his portrait in the headmaster's office at Hogwarts. He wanted me to convey to you that he kept your secret; well past the point that it could do any good to protect you."
"Yet he told you, that's hardly what I call keeping a secret."
"Snape kept your secret to protect you and your daughter from Death Eaters and Voldemort. He didn't expect a muggle like Vernon Dursley to be of any threat to you. And to be honest, who would?" Ron pointed out.
"I was more scared of him exposing me to you than I actually was of him. Elizabeth had fallen in love with his son and I guess he didn't particularly care for wizards. He threatened to expose my past to you if I didn't make her break it off. I know I didn't do anything wrong in the past but I just wanted to live the rest of my days in peace with my family. I've heard enough about Azkaban that I didn't even want to take a chance of ever getting sent there. He said that you were a relentless hater of evil and even my having been in Slytherin would be enough for you to come after me. So I found Elizabeth and told her she had to end her relationship with Dursley's son. She refused so I put her under a memory charm and she's been living here with me the last few years. She snuck out of the house to get some air a few days ago and I guess her husband saw her. I know she saw him and said he looked familiar. That must have been what set him off and made him come down here."
"Well, we know about the memory charm, or at least we guessed at it anyway. I'm wondering why when you put the memory charm on your daughter you chose to abandon your granddaughter as you did. Surely you knew about her?" Harry asked.
"Yes, that was his additional price for keeping his silence. He felt that if he deprived his son of too much he would be miserable and resent him. Maybe he also felt that the magic would not manifest or I think I heard him mumble that 'he could stamp it out of her'."
"Like he thought he could with me. What an idiot." Harry said.
"What I don't get is how he knew about your past. Harry only found out a few days ago from your cousin. How would a muggle know about Slytherins or even Harry's dislike of them much less who you were associated with while at Hogwarts?" Ron asked.
"Well, Uncle Vernon did go into hiding with Dedalus Diggle and Hestia Jones. While with them he may have overheard some conversation about me from them regarding my feelings towards Slytherins. But you're right, he shouldn't have known about you, Mr. Prince. That will be an interesting question to ask him."
"So, Mr. Potter, what do you intend to do now with me?"
"Well, for starters, can you remove the memory charm from your daughter?" Harry asked.
"Yeah, I might need some help with a familiar face though."
"Alright, for now I want you to do nothing. Tell Elizabeth nothing until we contact you again. I will confront my uncle over this nonsense. After that, you should have no further problems from him."
"I will abide by your wishes. Thank you for your understanding. I should have come to you from the start but I'm a frightened old man."
"Well, hopefully you will do right by your daughter and granddaughter in the future."
"I will certainly try."
Harry pointed his wand at the kitchen door and reversed the muffliato spell and opened it to let Elizabeth back in.
"Thank you for your time and information, Ms. Prince. We will begin investigating this information immediately. I feel confident that you should have no more problems with the extortionist anymore.
Harry and Ron left the house and walked down the street before turning down a side street and apparating into their hideout.
"I don't know what to make of Prince. He seems to be scared of his own shadow." Ron said.
"Yeah, I've never seen anyone so paranoid. Oh well, let's floo back to the ministry and give them our report."
