The Family Name—Year Five
By Elbereth in April
Chapter 9
Cronin stopped directly before them and smiled mockingly. "Fowl, Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle, and Nott," he pronounced loudly. "You need to come with me. You're wanted at the Ministry for questioning regarding the breakout from Azkaban."
All conversation stopped as every eye turned to them.
"Do you honestly believe we can control dementors?" Draco demanded.
"You could still be in on the plot," Cronin said. "Let's go."
"I'm not going anywhere until I have contacted my lawyer," Artemis informed him matter-of-factly. "Butler!"
Butler, Snape, and Dumbledore all headed over towards them.
"The same goes for us, as well." Draco turned his chin up haughtily and dismissed the man by turning his thoughts away from him to look at Artemis. "Shall we have ours collaborate?"
"This is a direct order from the Ministry." Cronin was frowning darkly now and looked ready to grab them by the arm.
Butler inserted his large body between the man and the boys. "They'll be paying the Ministry a visit," he assured him. "In a few minutes."
Theodore Nott, a Sixth Year, sidled over and hid himself behind Crabbe and Goyle and Butler, seeking protection.
"Exactly what is going on here?" Severus snarled at Cronin.
"I think you heard. These five boys are to be taken to the Ministry for questioning."
"You think they had prior knowledge of the event?" Dumbledore asked.
"At the very least."
Now the whispers were starting amongst the students; whisper, whisper.
"You are aware questioning children under Veritaserum is illegal?"
"These are desperate times. They may require desperate measures," Cronin replied, smirking at Snape. "We'll do whatever we have to."
"We'll need to get our owls to contact our barristers," Artemis said.
"You might run for it. I can't let you out of my sight."
Dumbledore sighed. "Let's go to my office. They can fire-call from there, and we can wait for the lawyers to arrive."
"Very well," Cronin agreed with bad grace.
"Morning classes are cancelled," Dumbledore announced, seeing as Butler, Cronin, and Snape were all about to miss teaching, anyway.
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The wait seemed to take forever, although it was only a short time between the Floo-call and the arrival of the lawyers. Vince and Greg used a different one from Artemis and Draco, and from Nott, so the three came to work together. Snape decided he might do more harm than good at the Ministry, so he stayed behind. Cronin, Butler, and Dumbledore went with them. They went through the Floo to Hogsmeade, then portkeyed to just outside the Ministry building.
Vince and Greg were clearly nervous. Artemis seemed calm, but Draco thought that underneath he was very angry. Draco himself kept wavering between fear and rage. His father was free again! And was he about to be blamed for it? As if he would want to give the man who'd nearly murdered him the opportunity to try again.
Theodore Nott, who hated Potter with a vengeance for getting his dad arrested, and who looked happy by the news that he'd escaped, seemed to naively assume that the lawyers would get them off with no problem. Draco wondered at that. Then he mentally shrugged. Nott wasn't really his concern.
They had to pass a security desk to get inside. The wizard in attendance looked over Cronin's official paperwork and scanned them all with a long golden rod. Then he asked everyone to pass over their wands. Draco produced his, which the man set on a strange brass scales. It spit out a slip of paper, which the man read. "Ten inches, hawthorn, unicorn tail hair, been in use four years. Correct?"
"Yes."
"I keep the paper. You get the wand back—unless you're found guilty, then they'll take it away at the trial. Next?"
Dumbledore handed his wand over. "Nice to see you again, sir," the attendant told him.
"It is unfortunate the circumstances could not be better."
"Oh—oh yes, of course. These would be your students, right, sir?"
Artemis and Draco's lawyer, Irius Gossamer, insinuated her way in between. "We don't want to give out too much information, now do we, Eric?"
"Ms. Gossamer, ma'am, no ma'am." Eric nodded respectfully. He turned to Butler. "Wand?"
"I don't have a wand. I'm a Muggle."
"Oh, Muggles aren't supposed…"
"He's here for the trial, Eric," Crabbe and Goyle's lawyer, Robert Lightbearer, interrupted this time.
Butler passed through. Artemis and Draco looked at each other. Apparently, the Ministry of Magic did not check for guns—or knives. The others passed through the gates in turn. They rode the lift down to Level Two: Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Auror Headquarters, and Wizengamut Administrative Services.
Cronin led them into Auror Headquarters, where Kingsley Shacklebolt joined them. "Is this really necessary?" he asked.
"I want you to keep an eye on the big man," Cronin told him in a low voice that Butler nonetheless heard. "He's some sort of bodyguard for Fowl."
"You don't feel Dumbledore is qualified enough to do that?" Shacklebolt asked.
"Dumbledore is on their side. Mr. Butler is one of his professors!"
Shacklebolt sighed. "Fine. Let's go. The hearing is down in Courtroom Ten. They're waiting for us."
"An actual hearing?" the third lawyer, Bufort Bumby, demanded. "For teenage boys? I thought they were just supposed to answer a few questions."
"Yes, before the Wizengamut," Cronin replied. "We've held them up long enough. Come on."
They all entered the lift again and got off at the Department of Mysteries. "We have to go down another flight," Cronin said as they walked down the corridor.
"That door at the end—is that the Department of Mysteries?" Artemis asked.
"Yes," Shacklebolt answered absentmindedly.
"What sort of a name is that? What do they do?"
They turned and went down a flight of steps to a hall with stone walls, lit torches in brackets, and heavy bolted doors.
"It's where the Unspeakables work," Shacklebolt explained. "They—research magic—the 'magic inherent in the very fabric of existence.' So they say. No one knows much about what they do. It's all top secret."
"Oh, your government is seriously in need of a major overhaul," Artemis muttered.
They finally stopped outside a grimy, dark door with an immense iron lock. "Butler and Dumbledore…" Cronin began.
"Will be coming along as character references," Artemis cut him off, opening the door and sweeping inside. They were in a large room, at the lowest, center point. Rising up on all sides were tall benches, mostly empty, but the highest seats were full of shadowy figures. It was hard to see in the dim light. A few feet in front of them was a chair covered in chains. Artemis looked at it with distaste.
Draco had been in front of the Wizengamut before, as a witness against his father. It was more nerve-wracking when 50 or so adults, in purple robes, were all staring down at him, looking suspicious and unfriendly. Draco tried to adopt the neutral, law-abiding image that Artemis was projecting.
"Very well," Minister Fudge began. "This is a formal inquiry, January 4th, to determine if Misters Crabbe, Fowl, Goyle, Malfoy, or Nott are responsible for or had prior knowledge of the mass breakout at Azkaban on January 3rd—"
"Are our clients actually being charged here?" Lightbearer interrupted.
"That will depend on their answers. What is Albus Dumbledore doing here?"
"Character witness," Bumby answered happily. "This one, too," indicating Butler.
"Well. Interrogators: Cornelius Fudge, Minister of Magic; Amelia Bones, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement; Dolores Umbridge, Senior Undersecretary to the Minister. Court Scribe: Percy Weasley. Let us begin. Each of you, excepting Mr. Fowl, here, had a father in Azkaban at the time of the breakout…"
"As Mr. Fowl had no relatives or friends in Azkaban, why is he here?" Gossamer demanded with a raised eyebrow.
"If you would let me finish," Fudge snapped. "Mr. Fowl had for some time been under surveillance by the Ministry of Magic due to his various crimes and underworld connections before he even began his schooling at Hogwarts—"
"Objection. Nothing of the sort has ever been proven."
"Fine, his alleged criminal activity. He is, as he fully admits, a genius—"
"We accuse people based on their intelligence now? I know you're under a great deal of stress and pressure, Minister…"
"It is because of his shady background, his current Slytherin associates, and his high intellect that we believe he could have masterminded the entire escape," Cronin supplied.
"Now you are accusing people based on their Hogwarts House?"
"On their Death Eater ties," Fudge said firmly.
"I have none."
"How about your friendship with three of these four boys with Death Eater fathers?"
"You didn't even believe my father was a Death Eater when he was on trial for almost killing me," Draco sneered. "Now you've changed your minds?"
"He confessed to a few things while in Azkaban," Bones said.
"He was under the influence of the dementors," Lightbearer argued.
Draco decided that protesting that wouldn't be in his best interests.
The witch on Fudge's right, who looked very much like a toad with a bow on its head, cleared her throat. "If we may get back to the questioning." This was the witch who had gifted Cronin with the Blood Quills, Artemis remembered. "Where were the five of you on the night of June the 3rd?"
"Hogwarts. We had the Return From Holidays Feast and went back to the Slytherin dorms." Artemis looked at Theo. "Did you go anywhere, Nott?"
"No, same as you guys. I spent a little time in the Common Room and then I went to bed." The other three boys all nodded.
"There would be numerous witnesses, if you would care to check," Gossamer offered pleasantly.
"Before that, however, you were all home for the holidays. We know you weren't actually present for the breakout itself—"
"Obviously, as teenage boys have no control over dementors."
"Nor would they have been able to recruit dementors. That was all Voldemort. It has been Voldemort's plan for some time, as I tried to warn you, Minister," Dumbledore said, also pleasantly.
Fudge scowled.
"You didn't see fit to pass this on to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement?" Bones asked, turning to Fudge with a frown of her own.
"The likelihood seemed low." Fudge waved it away with his hand. "That is not the issue here."
"I'd keep my eye on Walden MacNair if I was you," Artemis said, speaking directly to Bones.
She nodded solemnly as Fudge sputtered a bit. "You are not here to accuse other people! How do we know you haven't been conspiring with Lucius Malfoy and plotting this escape?"
"Have any of us visited the prisoners?" Artemis asked, looking bored. "Or passed on any messages?"
"No," the boys chorused.
"So you have no proof whatsoever that anyone here is guilty?" Lightbearer stared hard at the head inquisitors.
"Or any probable cause," Gossamer added.
"Therefore no right to even be asking these questions," Bumby finished.
"We gave you our cause!"
"No, you tried to justify yourself, but you have no evidence. You are accusing five innocent boys who were trying to deal with the trauma of their fathers' imprisonment, who are now trying to deal with the shock of their escape. They had no foreknowledge."
Gossamer was a really good lawyer, Draco thought, watching her display of shining, righteous anger sway the other members of the Wizengamut.
"I move we dismiss this inquiry." Madam Bones spoke in a loud, firm voice. She was clearly on their side.
There were a dozen or so against, but the majority ruled.
"Dismissed, then. No charges will be brought against you."
"Excellent." Dumbledore smiled at them all. "Shall we be on our way?"
The boys all smiled back in sheer relief. They followed Dumbledore and the barristers out of the court room, Butler bringing up the rear.
"The door we passed, the Department of Mysteries," Artemis whispered to Draco. "Take a good look at it when we go by again. That's the door from Potter's dreams."
Draco turned to him, eyes wide, when a half-hysterical figure swept around the corner and grabbed Draco. Butler moved for his gun and Dumbledore his wand before they realized it was Narcissa Malfoy. She was weeping and hugging Draco tight. "Oh, oh!" she choked out. "Ecleus is gone! Draco, it was your father!"
Fudge and Bones came out, hearing the commotion. "What's all this?"
"I've just been to your Aurors to report—my baby boy has been kidnapped!"
"You suspect Lucius Malfoy?" Bones repeated.
"He's the only one who could get through all the wards. His nanny had been Stunned, and when she woke up she said she it was him. One of the house elves confirmed it."
"When did this happen?"
"Just in the last half-hour. I came home and Peony was frantic." She wrung her hands.
"Very well, let's get you a Calming Draught, my dear, and I will make sure the Aurors are on the case." Bones placed a comforting hand on Narcissa's shoulder.
Vince and Greg were huddled protectively on either side of a shocked Draco. Artemis was plotting. Butler leaned over until he intimidated the Minister back a step. He followed, then whispered, "You know, Artemis has tolerated your interference in the past. He doesn't consider you an enemy yet. But keep pulling stunts like this and he will. So ask yourself—do you really want the heir to the wealthiest family in Ireland, a teenage genius, a strong wizard, with friends in so many places—do you want him as an enemy? Or personally involving himself in politics? Hmm?"
"Are you trying to threaten me?" Fudge hissed nervously.
Butler smiled. "Of course not!" He patted the man on the back—hard—and walked over to Dumbledore, who was thanking the three lawyers and sending them on their way.
Artemis took Draco's arm and pulled him off to the side. "I can find your brother and father the same way I found Potter last year, with the C-Cube. I just need to get it and a copy of the recording Narcissa made over the summer of Ecleus babbling."
"Yes, right." Draco took a deep breath, trying to get his mind to think clearly. It seemed to be stuck. And he felt so cold. "OK, we'll Floo to my house and get it, and then your cube at Hogwarts."
"Go ahead," Dumbledore approved from behind them, making them both jump. "Take Butler with you. I will return the other boys to the castle. Floo into my office."
Artemis gave him a tight smile, wondering how much Dumbledore did know about his invention and its capabilities. Just enough, he decided. "Let's go."
"What about Cronin?"
"He's still talking to Umbridge. He'll be along on his own. He was most displeased by the outcome of the inquiry."
"Let me just tell my mom I'm going…"
So the three of them Floo'ed to the Manor, where they picked up the small box that held the magical recording of Ecleus's voice.
Then back to Hogwarts, where Artemis dug out his C-Cube, and had it search the country, then the world, for any trace of the baby. But instead of searching for his voice, as he had with Potter, Artemis ran the recording through his computer, bumped up the sound somehow so they could hear Ecleus's breathing and heartbeat, and searched for that.
No results were forthcoming.
"He can't be dead," Draco said a bit desperately. "My father wouldn't have taken him just to kill him. He's taken him to raise him as his own, his new start, his Death Eater heir."
"No, Draco. He's not dead. The C-Cube isn't just finding nothing—it's being blocked. And only one thing could block fairy magic and technology. More fairy magic. Do you understand? Your father once had a LEP-Recon officer in his dungeon. Lucius had his mind wiped, but what he found once, he could again. He's got a fairy ally—maybe many allies. This—is bad."
Draco and Artemis stared at each other, then at Butler. "What do we tell Dumbledore? He's waiting for a report."
"For now just the basics—Lucius is using magic to block my technology. We need to contact Holly, though. She'll need to know if fairies have gone rogue."
"But what about my little brother?"
"The Aurors are looking. Put your people on it, too, and of course I'll start my own investigations. Butler?"
"Yes, sir. Right away." He put a comforting hand on Draco's shoulder. "It'll be OK. Like you said, Lucius doesn't want to hurt him. Also, you should talk to Snape. He may have ideas, contacts."
Draco nodded. "Thanks."
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Dumbledore allowed Draco to skip afternoon classes, as well, to make arrangements and talk with Narcissa. Artemis kept racking his brain, trying to come up with a solution. Snape was going to see what he could find out.
In between his last two classes, Potter stopped Artemis in the hall, looking part resolved, part apologetic. "Listen, Fowl… I know you'll be mad, but I've had members of the D.A. coming up to me all day. They don't want the Slytherins in the group anymore."
Artemis raised his chin and narrowed his eyes. "They know all of us were found innocent by the Ministry?"
"Some think you pulled strings, or fooled the Minister. Some don't care because the chance is there in the future now—with the breakout and everything."
"You know we'll just form our own group and then you will all have to simply wonder what we're getting up to?"
"They don't seem to get that." Potter swallowed.
Artemis shrugged. "Fine. Understand this won't help House relations at all, and I'll still consult with Hermione and Ginny about what your group is doing."
Potter nodded unhappily.
"Fine," Artemis said again. "Oh, and tell Ron I heard that Dean Thomas is after his sister." That should cause some chaos for Ron—who was probably the biggest proponent for kicking out the Slytherins—and if Ginny was actually interested in Thomas, she could handle her brother. Artemis wasn't above a little spite when he was feeling this worried.
After his last class, he got back on his laptop and used the email for Foaly that Holly had given him in case of emergency, last time he had seen her, when she'd healed Draco. "I think Lucius Malfoy—maybe even Voldemort—is plotting with someone from the fairy realm," he sent, then waited for the fall-out.
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Foaly read his latest email, groaned, and rubbed his eyes. "Just great." He stood up and made his way to Commander Root's office, sending a message to Holly as he did so. "Better join me to talk to our exalted leader. There's trouble with the Mud Men, and it involves our Boy Wonder."
"What? What's he done?"
"Not him this time, believe it or not. It's the British bad guy who's making all the headlines right now. Voldemort. Fowl thinks he's had some help from the People—or at least his right hand man has."
"Do you mean Lucius Malfoy?" Holly really didn't like him.
"That's right."
"I'm on my way."
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In Root's office, the Commander and Holly both read Artemis's email. There wasn't much to it. "Do we have any ideas who it could be?"
"Do we have any confirmation the Mud Boy is even right? How does he know? How does he know without knowing who?" Root demanded.
Foaly sighed. "I don't know, to all of the above. We stopped monitoring him, so we don't know what he may have discovered or how. But if he says so, I believe him. He's too smart to be wrong, much as it pains me to say."
Root glowered. He didn't want to send Captain Short in to talk to Fowl; she was due for promotion to Major and he didn't want her involved in a long drawn-out mission on the surface. But she knew Fowl best—it had to be her. "Looks like you'll be making a visit to talk to him, Captain Short," Root began, but was cut off by a message alert. "What is it?" he growled.
"Commander Root, General Scalene has escaped from the goblin prison, Howler's Peak!"
"What? How?"
"I'm transmitting the video surveillance now, sir," the officer reported. "He had a visitor at 7:50, his nephew Boohn. Scalene goes into the visiting room. He never comes out. He just disappears."
Foaly brought up the video. "Boohn checks out at 8:15…"
"And again at 8:20." Holly pointed at the visitors' list displayed on part of the screen.
"Just a glitch." Foaly waved it away. "It happens sometimes. He couldn't leave twice."
"Unless it wasn't him the second time." She enlarged the video of Boohn and sharpened the image. "Look. He's shedding. But there was no skin in the visitors' room. And in this picture of him leaving, he's green, not gray."
"You're saying he put on the skin, fooled the sensors, and just walked out the front door," Foaly breathed. "There's no way a goblin could think of that on its own."
"Agreed," Root said, stubbing out his cigar. "We need to catch Scalene and find out who planned this."
"I'm going to check—no, Opal Koboi is still unconscious at the Argon Clinic. Thank goodness. She's Public Enemy #1."
"I'm going to send Major Kelp to look for Scalene. Holly, I want you to go ahead and visit Fowl. Kelp and I can handle Scalene, but we need to know what sort of contact is going on between the People and Lucius Malfoy. We can't allow a renegade fairy—or fairies—to be causing trouble with the Mud Men."
"Yes, sir." Holly wanted to help with Scalene, but Root was right. This could be serious—if the Mud Men were to learn of the People's existence it would be disastrous. Besides, Root could surely handle one goblin, even a dangerous, notorious one.
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A/N: Bit about Scalene taken from Artemis Fowl: The Opal Deception by Eoin Colfer.
