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Chapter 37: Espionage
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Harry and Ron were walking up to the castle, after the Second Task. Hermione was still with Krum, and while Ron was technically walking with Harry, he was wholly preoccupied with entertaining three second-year girls- Delemza, Romilda and Victoria- with the entirely imaginary tale of how he had come to be at the bottom of the lake. Apparently the mermaids had kidnapped him, after he had tried to fight them off. How Ron imagined the mermaids could have gotten to him on dry land, Harry really wasn't sure he wanted to know.
Still, Harry smiled at the fact that Ron finally got to be centre of attention for a change. He was clearly loving every second of it.
"Hey, Harry." Jack Harkness called from behind. It was quiet enough that Ron, mid-rant about underwater kickboxing, didn't notice in the least, and just kept on walking with the three girls.
Harry stopped, turning immediately to face the younger Slytherin. He might not be as wary of Harkness now- they had each helped the other out with their respective tasks in this tournament- but there was still something fundamentally wrong about turning your back on a Slytherin. Ever.
Just then another voice shouted from nearby, "Owen Harper, you are DEAD!" It was Ianto Jones... the boy who Harkness had nearly kissed at the Yule Ball.
Then Harper zoomed past them, closely followed by the enraged Hufflepuff. For being both younger and shorter than Harry, that kid looked downright scary, charging past them with murder in his eyes.
Harkness laughed, grinning at Harry, "Yeah, you really don't want to piss him off."
Harry stared, "Er... right." he mumbled, rather stunned by the random interruption, before suddenly remembering who he had been talking to, "What do you want, Harkness?"
"I just wanted to talk." Harkness said, holding his hands out to show he meant no harm. Okay, so Harry believed he wasn't a threat right now, but there had to be more to it than just casual conversation. The talking had to be for a purpose.
"About what?" Harry asked, edgily.
"Well who do you think put your name in the Goblet?" Harkness asked. It sounded like a friendly- possibly even concerned- question, rather than an admission... although Harry did not rule the latter possibility out completely, just yet. "Only, I definitely cheated to survive down in the lake for an hour, and according to all the books I've read there's no fourth-year spells that'll do it."
"And what, a Slytherin cares about my wellbeing?" Harry asked, in what he hoped was a joking tone.
"Yes."
Harry blinked, doing a double-take at that totally serious and incredibly blunt admission. "Really?"
"I really didn't expect to be chosen for Hogwarts. I just did it to annoy the Weasley twins." Harkness admitted, taking a step closer. He must have noticed when Harry tensed at the advance, and stopped almost immediately. "But whoever put you in for it either wants you dead, or is cheating in your favour."
"In- in my favour?" Harry asked, shocked. "What? Why?"
"Well, you're three years younger than the other two, but you still beat them both hands-down in both tasks." Harkness pointed out darkly. "That takes more than luck... and Bagman seemed far too interested in you, right before each task."
Harry stared... but just as he opened his mouth to deny it, he realised that it was true. Bagman really had been far too intent on Harry's plans for each task, asking if he was sure he was ready, and offering help. "Why would he?"
"No idea." Harkness admitted with a shrug, "I'm going to interrogate him later, but I was hoping you might know something to make that a bit easier."
"When you say interrogate...?" Harry asked cautiously.
Harkness smiled, and Harry would swear he looked genuinely dangerous for a moment, before suddenly turning charming again. "Just some friendly conversation. Nothing that'll leave any permanent scars."
Harry stared.
"Well, not physical scars, anyway." Harry backed away a step, and Harkness laughed, "I'm kidding! I'm just going to scare him into telling me why he's so interested in you."
Harry shook his head, really not wanting to know how a second-year planned to scare a fully trained wizard... and not doubting for a moment that if anyone could do it, it was him. "Look, all I know is he wanted to make sure I knew what I was up against, and offer to give me advice. Now that you've said whoever put my name in might be trying to help me- can't imagine why- he did sound a bit over-eager to make sure I got through okay, but isn't that normal? I mean, Bagman's harmless!"
"Maybe he's got big money on you winning? I've heard he's a compulsive gambler." Harkness said with a slight shudder, as if whoever he heard this from had told him that and more, whether he had wanted to listen or not. "Who else has been asking you about the tournament?"
"What, anyone who helps me is a suspect, now?" Harry asked defensively. Ron and Hermione had helped him. So had Hagrid and Moody.
"Depends who helped you."
"Besides you, you mean?" Harry demanded, "You Slytherins really are a bunch of evil, scheming, paranoid gits, aren't you?"
"Yes, but that doesn't mean I'm wrong."
"You want to know who I think put my name in?" Harry snapped, "Karkaroff! He used to be one of Voldemort's servants, maybe he's trying to kill me off, like everyone thought Sirius was last year! He's just being more discrete about it!"
Harkness blinked, "Karkaroff? Really? Huh, I had almost crossed him off the suspect list."
"There's a suspect list, now?" Harry asked, his anger fading slightly, in awe of the almost professional attitude this boy was taking to the problem at hand.
"Yep." Harkness nodded, "Right now, Bagman's at the top of the list. Crouch is a close second, then Moody and Karkaroff."
"Crouch?" Harry asked, confused, "Moody? Why?"
"The way they reacted, when I said the culprit was a bloody moron." Harkness said with a dismissive shrug, "Bagman was third on the list, until he started paying too much attention before the tasks."
"But that means... you think Crouch?" Harry asked, "But he's the head of magical law enforcement. Why would he want to hurt me?"
Harkness shrugged, "I didn't know much about him until that night. I just observed his reaction, that's all."
"Were you watching everyone?" Harry asked, very surprised at the other boy's unusual interest. If Harry was making a suspect list, Harkness might be on it now, too.
"Mmhm." he nodded, "Dumbledore was doing the same... watching. Fleur and Maxime were both too honestly indignant to be guilty. Bagman was far too pleased with the situation. Krum didn't seem to care. Moody didn't even blink, which could mean he was trying not to react."
"Moody's been helping me, too." Harry admitted, "The summoning charm in the first task was his idea... and he told Hagrid about the gillyweed, and then Hagrid told me. But Moody's an old friend of Dumbledore's, he wouldn't-"
"Trust no one." Harkness said, grinning maliciously now, "A favourite quote within Slytherin house, and these Pureblooded sons-of-bitches I share a common room with would wet themselves if they knew it was from a Muggle TV show."
Harry snorted with barely stifled laughter at that. "Are you really trying to help me?" he asked quietly. The insult to pureblood prejudices did help.
"Would you believe me if I said yes?" Harkness asked, smirking now, "Because if I wanted to hurt you, of course I'd tell you I wanted to help... just to make you let your guard down."
With that infuriatingly confusing- and entirely logical and believable- remark, he turned and left Harry standing there, staring after him in shock.
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Owen had been confined to the hospital wing for a week. No one but he and Ianto knew who had put him there... although Jack may suspect. But there was no way he was about to admit that tea-boy had so successfully ambushed him, disarmed him, and managed a perfect rendition of a curse that was supposed to be tough for fourth years, that had turned his face into something strongly resembling the barnacled hull of a ship.
Still, it hadn't been all bad. After Madam Pomfrey had given him something for the pain, he had taken to spending his time snooping around when she wasn't watching. Magical medical salves and potions were now secreted in his coat pockets and schoolbag for further investigation.
It had been a productive week, and he still deemed the insult to have been worth it.
"Hey, still alive, Owen? I'm surprised." Gwen laughed as she met him outside the hospital wing. She came bearing coffee, which he eyed sceptically. Gwen's coffee was never to be trusted.
"House Elves?" he asked. Gwen nodded, smiling, and he immediately accepted the coffee and inhaled half of it. "Still not as good as at work." he muttered, the closest he would ever get in his life to complimenting Ianto Jones. The Hogwarts House Elves really didn't make coffee as well as he did.
"So how was your stay in the hospital wing, this time?" she asked casually, turning to guide him down towards the entrance hall. Owen followed, not at all bothered by the why of wherever they were going.
"I missed History class, so it was worth it." Owen said with a firm nod. He decided not to mention his petty theft to Gwen, she tended to get a bit judgemental about crime. Probably came from having been a policewoman before Torchwood.
"Jack wants our help with something 'important'." she explained, as they walked out of the front doors and started down the path towards the front gates of the school.
On the bright side, Owen thought, they weren't headed for the lake or the forest.
As they reached the front gates, Owen heard tea-boy protesting the plan, "But we're not supposed to leave the grounds during term. If I get detention with Snape, I will never forgive you!"
"We're not leaving the grounds. And it's a dumb rule, anyway." Jack retorted dismissively, as Gwen and Owen joined them, "The forest is on school grounds, and it's a hell of a lot more dangerous than meeting someone at the gates. Ianto, Gwen, Tosh, positions?"
Tosh? Where was she? "I'm good." Tosh called down from a precarious looking perch at the feet of one of those stone boars that Owen was sure actually watched the gates.
Gwen nodded efficiently, and then quickly stepped around the other pillar, out of sight. Ianto stepped behind the pillar below Tosh. It was, Owen suddenly realised, a planned ambush!
And now Jack was turning on him. This didn't bode well. "Owen, you and I will pick a fight with each other. When the target rushed forward to break it up, the other three will surround him." Well, at least he wasn't the target. Good to know these things.
"Who're we ambushing, then?" he asked as casually as he could manage.
Jack nodded out through the gates, and Owen looked. Strolling cheerfully up the path from the nearby village was Ludo Bagman. "Oh, we're assaulting a Triwizard judge. Nice."
"Stop talking and start fighting." Ianto hissed irritably.
"I'm gonna love this." Owen muttered, grinning maliciously. Then he turned and threw a punch at Jack, who blocked and tried to hit back.
It wasn't meant to be a real fight, but just because they were both pulling their punches didn't mean Owen couldn't relish the fact that his fist connected a bit more solidly than necessary with Jack's smugly handsome face.
It took at least thirty seconds- by which time Owen already had what felt like a couple of bruised ribs and Jack had earned himself a split lip for this ludicrous plan- for the bumbling wizard they were here to take by surprise finally deigned to interfere. Bloody coward stood there spluttering in shock for about five of those seconds, and then shouted at them for ten more before finally intervening personally.
"Depulso!" The spell threw Jack a couple of feet backwards, sprawling onto the ground, away from Owen. "What the- just- just what is this all about then?" Bagman asked, flustered.
"Well Owen seems to think that the whole conspiracy against Harry Potter was orchestrated by someone who wants to profit from him being in the tournament." Jack explained casually as he pulled himself to his feet. Bagman paled horribly. Guilty as all hell by the look on his face.
"And we were wondering if you'd know anything about that." Ianto said, stepping out from behind the stone pillar.
Gwen also stepped out from her hiding place, looking grim, "Expelliarmus." There went the adult wizard's only means of self-defence, soaring through the air and into Gwen's hand.
"Levicorpus." Tosh's voice called clearly, from above... and Bagman was levitated about a foot in the air by the scruff of the neck.
"So, Ludo, is there anything you'd like to tell us?" Jack asked coolly, somehow managing to seem like he was looking down at Bagman even as the already taller man was suspended in the air above him.
"Yeah, fess up!" Owen ordered sharply.
"I- but- you see- well- er- the thing is- no- I-"
"Full sentences would be preferable." Ianto said coldly.
"I- I do have a- a small wager on- on Harry winning." Bagman stammered, "But I- well, you see I never put his name in! Only placed the bet the week after the drawing!"
"Yes, because that makes so much sense." Jack drawled, clearly disbelieving.
"You- you can ask my book-keepers if you want to! I swear I never- I wouldn't- couldn't possibly- really never would!"
"You have a criminal record, Ludo." Ianto put in, "You were tried after the last war, for suspicion of passing information to Voldemort."
"I was innocent! Never convicted!" Bagman cried, horrified.
"But you did steal the information." Ianto insisted.
"Insider trading! I had a bet on for who would be the next head-of-department! That's all!"
Jack and Ianto exchanged a dubious look, then Jack shook his head and asked Bagman, "So you are in it for the money, but you really don't have a clue who put Harry's name in?"
"No idea! I swear!"
Jack sighed and turned his back on Bagman, clearly disgusted, "Well this was a waste of time."
Tosh made to lower their hostage to the ground, but Owen held his hand up "Wait a minute." he said, eyeing Bagman carefully, "You made a bet with the Weasley twins at the Quidditch cup."
Bagman paled once more, "With who?"
"Don't play dumb with us, we can tell when you're lying." Jack said, idly turning back to face him, "And Owen's right, they don't shut up about you for five minutes."
"Common room's a nightmare." Owen grumbled, before adding, "You never paid them."
"And we'd like to buy them." Ianto added, catching on quickly, "So in exchange for us not telling everyone about your criminal record and illegal gambling, how about you give us the twins' money."
"Yeah, Bagman." Owen sniped, "Where's the money?" Gwen chuckled at that one.
"I- I don't have it- I'm broke! Your friends aren't the only ones after me!"
"How much do you owe?" Tosh asked carefully.
Bagman looked up at her, startled at where she was sitting, "Er, I- I suppose I'd say about... ten thousand to the goblins, and fifteen hundred to your friends."
Tosh stared, "You owe fifty-seven thousand, five hundred pounds in gambling debts?" she asked sceptically, "Even my cousin isn't that bad, and he's got fines for rigging the machines, on top of everything else!"
Bagman spluttered defensively.
"There are ways to get out of debts like that without paying." Jack pointed out darkly.
"Oh, please don't." Owen complained. Gwen also spluttered at this, clearly guessing what Owen was thinking.
"Oh, shut up Owen." Jack said sharply, turning back to Bagman, "What do you think, Bagman?" he continued, "We can arrange to erase your debt to the twins, if you help us."
"Where're you gonna get that sort of money from?" Owen demanded.
"Unlike you, Owen, some of us know the meaning of a savings account." Ianto sniped, smirking faintly.
"I- what would I have to do?" Bagman asked, clearly shocked and confused.
Jack grinned, folding his arms and staring up at Bagman in an authoritative way, "Since you're not the one who put Harry Potter's name in for the task... we want you to watch everyone else involved in the tournament, and report to us if you see anything unusual. If you notice one of them so much as sneeze out of turn, we want to know about it."
Poor guy stammered for a moment longer, then finally sighed, "Yes. Yes, alright, I'll do it." Once he conceded, Tosh lowered him to the ground again, allowing him to land very lightly and neatly on his feet. He glanced up at her warily, and she just smiled back smugly. "Er-" he turned to Jack, "How do you want me to contact you, then?"
"In person." Jack said blankly, "There's another school Hogsmeade visit in a few weeks. Meet us here while everyone else is down in the village, tell us everything, and if we're satisfied we'll pay off the twins. Simple as that."
Bagman scowled, but then nodded quickly, conceding to this plan, "Of course, of course, yes."
x x x
One week later.
'LUDO BAGMAN'S DARK PAST
A reasonable witch or wizard would like
to believe that the Ministry of Magic
takes great care in the appointment of
its officials, however this reporter has
recently discovered that Ludo Bagman,
head of the Department of Magical Games
and Sports, has for many years indulged
in the sordid pass-time of gambling.
Having confessed to placing bet on issues
ranging from games originating within his
own department to matters of official
Ministry business.
It has recently come to light that while
this very reporter attended a trial
years ago in which Mr Bagman was accused
of passing vital information to the Dark
Lord, You-Know-Who, he did in fact steal
the information in question, for personal
use in his extensive gambling habits.
And now, even today, Mr Bagman has
recently admitted to placing bets on the
current Triwizard Tournament. His wager
that Harry Potter will emerge victorious
from these trials has led to speculations
that Mr Bagman himself did in fact submit
the young Mr Potter's name for the
Tournament.
Special Correspondent Rita Skeeter.'
Bagman never showed up to report any unusual information to the Torchwood team. It was the general consensus amongst the team that this intrepid reporter must have somehow witnessed their confrontation- though none of them had seen her- and Bagman must now believe that they had willingly passed this information on to the sensationalist journalist.
As if any of them ever would.
So much for gaining a new ally, they had in fact found a new enemy in Rita Skeeter.
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