As it turned out, Dolohov had been telling the truth and the information he gave Sark did indeed, reverse the curse that Hermione had been inflicted with. She hadn't woken up yet because the healers indicated that her magical core was depleted from it trying to fend off the curse...and it might be a day or two before she regained consciousness.
Once Harry had been assured by the healers that Hermione was out of danger, he utilized the cell phone that Sark had given him to share the good news with the assassin and made arrangements to meet at MI-6 Headquarters the following morning.
Theo and Draco had insisted on going with Harry...which the Boy Who Lived could well understand. After everything that had happened with Mione, Harry was fairly certain that her brother and Malfoy would want the satisfaction and peace of mind of seeing Dolohov taken care of.
When they returned to the interrogation room, it was to a Dolohov who was still strapped in the chair, but his wounds had been bandaged and he was now dressed in some kind of a jumpsuit. Harry, Theo and Draco walked in, seeing Julian whispering with his superior. When they were noticed, Chief Scofield came over and shook each man's hand in greeting.
"Mr. Potter, it is good to see you again. I am glad to hear that Miss Nott is doing better after her recent ordeal."
Harry nodded and gestured towards Theo. "We are both more relieved than we can say and we all wanted to thank you for allowing Mr. Sark to handle the situation so quickly."
Tipping his head in return, Phillip Scofield smiled at the group in mass. "We were happy to help. I understand you have some unfinished business to attend to so I will leave you to it." With one final nod in Julian's direction, Chief Scofield left the room.
"He's been patched up." Stated Harry quietly, looking at Dolohov through the two-way mirror.
"Yes." Nodded Julian. "There was no reason to not do so. I may be an assassin Harry, but even I have a code of conduct I live by."
"So you meant it when you'd said about allowing his sister to live?" Theo asked quietly.
Sark smirked in that infuriating way of his. "Of course."
"How magnanimous of you, Sark." Draco drawled condescendingly.
"You'll find, Mr. Malfoy, that I am a man of my word. Now, Mr. Dolohov mentioned something about an unbreakable vow yesterday. I am assuming the vow will automatically kill him if he so much as indicates Rambaldi's location? Does this vow only pertain to verbal confirmation, or written as well?"
Theo was surprised by the question, but answered firmly. "Both...the vow will prevent him from speaking or writing it and if he should try, it will strip him of his magic and then kill him."
Julian smiled wickedly. "Quite a handy spell."
Harry and Draco glowered, but didn't say anything...most likely thinking about Severus and how that particular vow had been used against him. Julian, not missing any of the byplay, wisely decided not to comment on both wizard's discomfort.
"Well, be that as it may...you are all welcome to stay and observe Mr. Dolohov's end."
All three wizards stood their stoically and Theo nodded. "Let's get this over with, Sark."
Moving towards the door that lead to the inner room, Julian turned and gave each one of the wizards a hardened look. "Just for the record...each of you has been a proponent of Mia's pain over these past few years...and while I've taken your subtle and unsubtle threats to heart, please know that I have my own declaration to make in this regard. You may all have magic, but I have an entire underground worldwide network at my disposal...so while I appreciate your protectiveness where my Mia is concerned...be warned...if any of you should hurt her again and abandon her...you simply won't need to worry, because I am far more ruthless, intelligent and motivated than any of you could ever hope of being...and I will make sure you know it's me when I end you."
All three wizards stood there in shock, while Julian eyed each one with his icy blue gaze and waited until they all nodded at him in an unspoken understanding.
When the door opened, Dolohov's eyes widened at the blonde man who was once again, immaculately dressed.
"Mr. Dolohov, I trust your evening was far more pleasant than the last few days have been?"
The Russian man chuckled. "She lives?"
Sark nodded..."She does, and I thank you for your cooperation. You have my word that Alexandra will be left alone and blissfully unaware of what has transpired here. I understand you are unable to tell me where Rambaldi is currently?"
Dolohov nodded and Julian sat down across from him and eyed the man intently. "Do you know of a man named Arvin Sloane, perhaps?"
Dolohov's gaze narrowed momentarily before he nodded once. "He is after Rambaldi's works."
"He is." Julian sat back and poured a glass of wine, offering Dolohov a glass, which surprised the man, but he nodded all the same. Julian held the glass to the older man's mouth and watched as he took a generous sip of the expensive French wine.
"Would he be able to give me the information I seek?"
"I do not know...I've only heard the name in passing and not much else."
Julian nodded, pleased with Dolohov's willingness to cooperate. Once the wine glasses were empty, Julian stood and gave the man an appraising look. "Goodbye Mr. Dolohov. Beda ne prikhodit odna." (Trouble never comes alone)
"Berezhonogo bog berezhot." (God keeps those safe who keep themselves safe)
Julian nodded in agreement and in a blink of an eye, unsheathed his gun with silencer from his jacket and shot the Russian man between the eyes...killing him instantly. "Bog s toboy tovarishch." (God be with you, comrade)
When Julian re-entered the room where the three wizards were watching from, he blatantly ignored their stares while sauntering over to one of his associates who was waiting by the main entrance. Whispering in the man's ear and seeing that his request was understood, Julian watched him leave and turned towards the wizards.
"Harry, did you bring the item I requested of you yesterday?"
Harry nodded and pulled out a small bottle from his pocket. Draco and Theo gave Sark a look of confusion before the man answered their unspoken question.
"You'll recognize your magical truth serum. Like Mr. Dolohov, Arvin Sloane is immune to all forms of known Muggle truth serums and...unfortunately, torture doesn't seem to motivate the man to speak the truth. Your magical potion equivalent should be sufficient to loosen the man's tongue and hopefully give us the information we need to find Rambaldi."
Theo looked dubious at Sark's suggestion. "And what makes you think Arvin Sloane will have the information we need?"
Julian smirked at Mia's brother. "Because the man has always deemed himself much more clever than he truly is and likes to feel as if he's a step ahead of everyone else playing the same game. I believe he may have pertinent information and this is the easiest way to procure that information."
Harry nodded thoughtfully. "And if he gives you the information, what then?"
Julian's look became predatory. "Then I kill the man."
Draco sneered at the blonde assassin. "You just dole out punishment as you see fit, don't you Sark? You're not any better than Dolohov or the Dark Lord."
Julian rolled his eyes at the naïveté of the blonde wizard. "Your scathing criticism of my personality notwithstanding Mr. Malfoy, you've been coddled your entire life by parents who've made poor choices and then foisted them upon you as a result. I've had no such impetus for my questionable choices...they are mine and mine alone. If Arvin Sloane is left alive...how many people do you think he will kill or torture in his never-ending quest for Rambaldi? Hundreds? Thousands? And then what? The man is far too well-connected to remain incarcerated for long. Best case scenario...he makes some absurd deal with the American Intelligence Agencies for his freedom and starts his machinations all over again. You've dealt with a despotic megalomaniac who was insane by all accounts...Arvin Sloane is your Voldemort minus the insanity...how much more deadly do you think your Voldemort might have been had his mind remained intact after his resurrection?"
Harry, Theo and Draco all looked at each other in horrified understanding of what Sark was trying to tell them. Theo cleared his throat and spoke softly, but firmly. "Are you trying to tell us that Arvin Sloane is that dangerous?"
Sark chuckled sarcastically. "The man is so resolute in his own narcisstic superiority that he truly believes that those he kills or maims in his quest for immortality are simply...what do they call it...thinning out the gene pool. He feels absolutely no remorse for his actions."
"And you do?" Draco sneered haughtily.
"I feel remorse for those who can't defend themselves. For those who die because they are innocent pawns in a larger Machiavellian scheme not of their own making. Mr. Potter didn't choose to be the harbinger of a prophecy concerning the death of a madman obsessed with his own mortality...yet here we are. Do you not think it is far kinder to remove a poisoned apple from a tree, than allow that apple to poison the rest of the life sustaining fruit?"
"So you have no qualms about killing Arvin Sloane once you've extracted the necessary information from him?" Theo asked.
"I do not." Sark replied succinctly. "Nor will I feel any compunction about killing Rambaldi when he is finally located. He cursed your family Mr. Nott. If it hadn't been for that, you and Mia would've grown up together...she would've never been discarded by your parents. Tell me, that you do not wish the man dead?"
Theo glared, but couldn't argue with Sark's logic. The man was far too good at manipulating situations and conversations to his advantage. Theo was flabbergasted at how brilliant the man was...and could finally understand why Hermione was in love with him. He truly was her intellectual equal in every way. If he'd been a wizard, he'd have been a Slytherin for sure.
"I would like to observe your interrogation of Arvin Sloane, if that's alright?"
Sark nodded in agreement. "I'd deduced you'd be curious...you are all welcome to stay and observe, but when the questioning is done, the man dies...I just want to make sure we are all clear on that point."
"Crystal clear, Sark." Draco spoke for the rest of his magical companions. "Let's get this over with."
