Author's note: This is the last character and my cast is finally complete. I love this chapter and hope you guys do too. Ch 21 was short so here is a longer one. All of this is JKRs except what isn't.
-Maybenotahufflepuff
A small dirty wizard sat at a table that couldn't be seen from the window. This pub was an unremarkable but busy one just off Knockturn Alley that had been there for hundreds of years. He had come the last three days and sipped a whiskey for an hour at about three o'clock. This man hadn't talked to anyone or tried to hide. He gave such a look when someone moved to take the chair or sit down, that it had remained empty even when it was the only one available. The third day had been just the same except he left after only twenty minutes. This was remarked on my the bartender and a few others who spent most of their lives sitting in chairs in that dingy pub. Even they didn't notice his reason for leaving.
A small 31 appeared burned into the table and that signal sent the old man out of the pub with more of a stride than the slight hobble he had come in with. This too went unnoticed. When his black cloak blended in with the shadows he was never seen again. All the sound that could be attributed to him was the faint crack of apparition.
The old man straightened to a height no one would have credited him with and took a potion vial out of his pocket. The old man's face grimaced before he pulled the cork and waved his wand. Then he tipped the liquid into his mouth and within three seconds Rueban Yaxley stood there. His unique amethyst eyes gleamed as he surveyed his location and then, stowing the potion vial, he strode into the dense forest. It was only about ten minutes later when he reached a barrier and the grin would have surprised someone watching, had anyone been doing so.
If they knew him well though they would have recognized the light of triumph in his eyes as he began to take down the trip ward that would open most of the remaining wards for two seconds. When he felt the slight give he strode forward, as if the moment before that ward wouldn't have trapped him, visible to anyone and helpless. He felt the ripple of magic that indicated the wards snapping back up behind him. Another three minutes brought him to the front door of a tiny cabin built against a cliff wall. The chimney puffed smoke that disappears two feet above it. A small light shone through the window that had too many panes for its size.
Without pause he turned the handle of the door and felt more magic ripple over him. So familiar and exactly what he had expected. Had everything not been as agreed and practiced many times before he would have disappeared again, perhaps permanently. Instead however, he entered a room sized impossibly large compared to the cabins appearance on approach.
Sitting at the table facing him was the only person Rueban Yaxley loved that was left alive in the world. A real smile with no malice or trace of a sneer broke across his sharp features and the one he got in return was as infrequent a sight. In fact it had been decades since either had truly smiled at anyone else. After a moment of drinking each other in they moved to shake hands and then Antonin Dolohov gestured his friend to sit. Where they had sat together many times.
"I had begun to think you had forgotten me." Rueban grinned at his friend. Enjoying teasing the stoic Russian as much as he ever had. It was his favorite pastime and as far as he knew, it was his alone.
"I needed to understand some things." His voice had a pensive edge to it. He nodded, understanding that the situation was not one he could easily navigate. In fact neither of them had been in such a situation before.
"Did you get some answers then?" Antonin always interested him but the situation he had gotten himself into was unique and Rueban wasn't sure all at what was at the bottom of it.
"Some. More questions." It was clear that his friend meant him to answer them.
"I find I have some as well." This time it was Antonin that nodded. Exchange of information had been an aspect of their relationship since the Slytherin first year dorms. This was where they had met. Before moving into the next years dorm a lifelong friendship was made and plans for an oath were in the making. Both men settled in a waved hand brought the bottle and glasses to the table. No need for privacy wards or charms, Antonin would know if someone was kilometres from them before they needed to act. Since it was his friends problem it was custom to wait until that person was ready to speak.
"It was the curse. Lestrange's." Antonin explained how the girl had ended up across from him in an Azkaban interview room.
"It was as if she just knew. Offered me a challenge. That little girl told me she had outscored me in runes and then said she would do the magic. Nothing better to do until she decided what to study." Rueban let none of his fascination show. That would make his friend uncomfortable.
"Bold of her. Though she didn't have any options ready to hand." He felt this needed pointing out.
Antonin waved his hand and a paper flew to the table. Assuming he was to read it, Rueban flipped it over and was surprised to see a paper he had read twenty eight years ago. He let it show.
"She had this?" A nod.
"She knew about you." Another nod.
"Since she is still alive and you aren't still in Azkaban I can think of no other solution than she did the magic and you solved it. Who performed the magic?" Having run the Ministry, from behind the scenes, he knew everything there was to know about the dampeners and Azkaban restrictions.
"I did. She brought Shacklebolt." Rueban blinked at this. His eyes flicked to the wand on the table, having noted it wasn't Antonin's original.
"Her wand." Both were silent at that, she had given him her wand for the magic needed. It could have been out of necessity but that didn't feel right. She had accomplished much and getting another wand would have been child's play for her, or them.
"I don't have a copy but I'll get you one. It was as complex as we thought it might be." The look on his face showed his triumph over the complex magic and his enjoyment of the puzzle.
"She has it then? How long and after that?" A nod to the first question and his explanation to the following ones.
"Just about seven months. 16% loss. Total return after it was removed. Much slower than with Nott. Could have been the Mark. Bored and unwillingly interested I gave her an equation. She solved it. Kept on solving them. Failed once and I gave her a blind so she wouldn't get ahead of herself. The last two were my midway trials." Rueban couldn't have predicted this. Those trials were how you became a senior apprentice and were serious magic.
"Alone?" He couldn't think who could be helping her with this level of magic or its complexity.
A nod. Alone the girl had done this. Kept his friend feeding her information and he even seemed to want her to survive. A blind meant it wasn't solvable. No matter what the girl had tried it would have failed, but it wouldn't allow her to drain herself. This was more interesting and less common than having Voldemort attempting to reign over them all. After all that had happened twice and this was the first time this had happened. Unable to help himself he quirked a brow, in question. Having been so close for so long Antonin only huffed before replying.
"She didn't tell me about the parole plan. I knew she was responsible for the improvements to the day to day." Rueban nodded. He wasn't pleased that she hadn't told him. Which was interesting as he was sure they didn't speak about anything but magic. The girl did enjoy talking and seemed quite friendly so this was certainly the Russians doing. That brought a question to mind that he thought might be a revealing one. It should be asked now anyways, for context.
"Does she speak Russian?" It was delivered so adroitly that no one else could have heard the importance of the question and the slight pause before the response told him the answer.
"Net." The denial was to be expected.
"Dazhe ne nemnogo." Not even a little bit, the cajoling tones made his friend scowl.
"Some." So he had been the one pushing the Russian. He would have derided it in some way had she tried to use it to entice him.
"And now?" This was all very interesting and he could see that Antonin wasn't at all sure of his course of action. Which was a rare thing.
"Now you tell me what you know." It was his turn then. How to tell him of his encounters with the girl.
"When you signaled me go, I did." That had been the last time they had seen each other. Bleeding and concussed Antonin has signalled him go. They would have seconds to escape capture and both knew that for the second time Antonin's physical injuries meant he couldn't make it. This was harder, the last time he hadn't been there. Had in fact been out of the country for months on an assignment from the Dark Lord. Both for his best friends capture and Dark Lord's first fall. It was different to leave him there but the signal was repeated and they had made oaths covering this very situation. Neither wanting the other to be taken down for them.
"I came back about a year later and began piecing together the current landscape. It was surprising in many ways. There she was, and not what I would have expected. I have seen her fight and I have seen her terrified. This was neither. It looked like determination only. Even from the papers it was easy to see she was fronting the Ministry. Spending time with young Malfoy and Nott, privately. And the legislation. Watching her balance the push to destroy where we came from with the opposing force to move forward and forget it all. The public, and the Ministry, was on track to try and make it all disappear. My first real run in with her was in The Alley. The day before it had been reported, her triumph of saving the Family grimoires. The masses wanted to ban their creation and destroy the ones listed. Which after Riddle, was nearly every one. It rallied the old families and was only the beginning. She forced equality in hiring and stopped two pushed for marriage laws." He stopped and took a sip before meeting his friends eyes and letting the mischief show. The details could be filled in later. This showed what he really knew was her, not part of some role she was playing.
"As usual she was hurrying and it was raining. I was cloaked of course and partially disguised. As she passed I said 'well done' and kept on moving. Before I had taken a step she had her hand on me and disapparated us to a field. She beat me to casting and had us warded in and in duelling stance before she straightened and pocketed hers. Then her head cocked and she gave me a sly grin before dropping the wards and leaving." A tightening in Antonin's jaw was the only visual tell that he was affected at all by his tale. It was plenty. His interest was piqued. Rueban's own interest had been equally engaged at the time.
"I didn't seek her out but the second time was in Hogsmeade. She came out of Tomes and as if she knew I was there walked over to where I was. 'Not smart, here as yourself. Next time I'll tell Harry I seen you.' This time her grin was even more vexing. This happened twice more but now I was looking for her and wasn't me. The girl would wink at me. It was provoking. Finally I took her off a muggle street." There it was. The eye twitch. This was quite fun and he really hadn't expected his friend to be so interested in her. Maybe as a past adversary but not a current interest. Before the parole bill he hadn't expected to see Antonin again unless he broke him out. In detail he told him of that day.
When they landed, in the same field she had brought him to, she didn't struggle or push against him with her magic even. As she straightened she casually stepped away as if this was a planned trip.
"This is a bit much, even for someone who seems to enjoy the bold as much as you do. What do you want?" Her mane of curls was being pushed around her face by the wind and she looked so young. Not scared at all though. Interesting.
"It seems out of character for a senior Ministry employee to fail to apprehend a wanted felon." His voice was dry and he was observing every detail of her expression and posture.
"We have an Auror department for that. Surely you are familiar with delegation." What was the girl thinking, such cheek. Then her smile fell and she put up several wards to fast for him to clearly make out. He raised an eyebrow at that. Having hid Potter from Antonin, he knew she was good but he had only seen one person cast wards in tandem like that.
"Are you a danger to society?" This was asked seriously and she clearly expected an answer. His own face became serious.
"Currently I have no plans to kill or torture anyone." This was true and he felt the slight pull of magic that told him there was a truth ward on him. For a moment, a short one, he was stunned. That was beyond anything he would have credited anyone her age with. Knowing she knew that he would recognize such a thing he let his rueful feelings show.
"Then I see no need for you to be in there instead of out here." This was said as if that answered all of his questions. Of course it didn't. Looking at her watch changed her expression to one of exasperation.
"I have a meeting in twenty minutes. I doubt you want me to use you as an excuse for missing Avery's barely concealed disgust of me." Letting his wince show brought her grin back. "Chums, were you?" He let out a bark of laughter which made her smile falter for a second. Noticing things was his stock and trade, this girl was getting more interesting instead of less.
"There are no windbags more pompous. Lost out on the girl he wanted, made him bitter. Made him think women were stupid too. Who would have turned him down after all?" Her laughter seemed genuine and that devious look was in her eye.
"That will help today. It's worse when he agrees with me. I've got to go, though this was fun if unexpected. Don't get caught now. Bas timing, alright?" He was mulling over her words minutes after she took down the wards and apparated away.
"Now I can surmise that was the time she was petitioning for the bill to get you out." Rueban wrapped up the story and his observation. A nod. Then a grimace. It was like seeing his stoic friend as a caricature. Then Antonin started speaking of Thorfinn bringing the girl to him, she had requested a meeting during their last in prison conversation. After giving him the answer to his latest warding riddle she asked the question. He answered no and she looked upset but rallied and nodded. Then she gave him the journals and, then marvel of all marvels, his wand.
The wooden box landed on the table with a soft thud. Ruebans mind was racing she had stolen his journals and wand. Wanted to apprentice. Had told no one of their tasks specifically. Another two fingers of whiskey were consumed in silence as his mind twisted and turned what he knew.
"Well?" Antonin sounded defeated.
"Haven't opened it yet?" Was his reply, looking at the box.
"Three day equation. Tomorrow." Was the reply and with it he grinned slightly, seemingly against his will.
"All on the box?" A nod.
"You've already said no." That shouldn't have indicated Rueban meant for him to definitely take the girl on. However, the unspoken 'might as well try yes' between them made it clear what he meant. He was unable to help the chuckle at his next thought.
"Do you still call her." His words were cut off by him being told, not too politely, to fuck off in Russian.