Hermione's plan had come to fruition quite easily with Amy helping. Harry and Ron had spent the past couple of days in the records office trying to gather information and possible evidence. They'd contacted Kingsley to get clearance without having to sign in and risk blowing both their real and fake covers.
Meanwhile, Jake and Charles had been placed on stakeout duty outside the Woolworth building. This time, though, they weren't looking for a specific person, but some other type of consistency. Perhaps someone entering or exiting the building at the same time every day, or whether there were similarities in people's gaits with their walk. Hermione and Amy had researched possible ways to imitate a person, and, with the trio's past use of Polyjuice, they had more ideas of what to look for. Rosa was still stationed on surveillance duty, so she was monitoring the surrounding blocks for any sudden appearances. Sometimes she, Charles and Jake would switch around their duties to not get caught up in the monotony.
What Ron and Harry had found the next day was a similarity in times on the main sign in sheet for the Wand Records Office, but it was always a different name. The names were always male, so if it was Gerteso posing as other people, it narrowed the search for who the 99 was looking for. Once in the Wand Records Office, the second sign-in indicated that Gerteso was searching wand records between 1993 and 1998, but the rows varied. It looked as if Gerteso had been tackling about five rows a day, and was a week in.
He typically only spent about forty five minutes searching each day to not arouse suspicion, and he didn't go in order when searching the rows. Gerteso clearly planned everything out to minimize suspicions. The first day Harry and Ron were investigating, they split up the rows between them.
It was a small records office, the rows weren't very long, and the shelves were only four rows high. The years were labeled at the ends of the rows and indicated the record holder's school age entrance year. Records were kept in manilla folders that had stickers on the end with letters. The first two appeared to be the first and last initial, and most folders only had two stickers, but some had three or four. So Harry and Ron decided to decipher the labeling system first to see if they could save time.
"How in the world does he get through five rows each day? There must be at least a hundred records to sift through on each shelf!" Harry said as he was looking down the row.
"Maybe there's a classification system with the letters that makes it easier for him to look." Ron suggested. He scanned the row he was currently scanning. "Americans certainly go through a lot of wands, don't they? This one person has had at least five, and their Ilvermorny start was in '93!" He shook his head in disbelief.
"Guess they're more careless than we are, or more interested in power and status. Who knows." Harry was silent for a bit before he said, "Hey Ron, I think the third letter is the married name for those witches."
"I think you're right, Harry," Ron said as he handled a folder himself. "Black and white lettering for first and last name, blue and white lettering for married name, yeah?"
"Yeah, now let's look for-" Harry cut himself off as they heard a door open.
Ron checked his watch and knew it was close to that time. He pointed at his watch, and then the end of the row. Harry grabbed the invisibility cloak from inside his pocket and put it on while Ron made his way to an area in the shelves where the newcomer wouldn't find him. He double checked that his phone was on silent, and opened it to send a text message to Jake and Charles. He's here.
Jake responded fairly quickly. Harry texted Charles. He's going to give us a description to work off of so when he comes back out we can trail him to see where he goes.
Brilliant, Ron sent back before switching his contacts to Hermione.
Her response was a bit less stealth. Omg. He's there? Are you going to apprehend him?
Not yet.
Well, why not? Isn't that the whole reason you're there?
Ron rolled his eyes. He was once again reminded why Hermione wasn't an Auror. Hermione, we don't know for certain that it's him. Plus, we need to be sure we know what he's after to have enough evidence. It'd look pretty bad if we arrested the wrong guy and then spooked Gerteso.
Ugh, fine.
While we're waiting, have you found any more on The Cryptic yet?
OH! Yes, actually. Amy is going to send you a couple files now. It may actually help us narrow it down.
As Ron was reading Hermione's text, he saw the drop down notification from Amy and clicked on it. There were three links to articles. He clicked on the first one. Apparently one of the street names The Cryptic goes by is Francesco Martini. At least that was his good samaritan name.
He was the youngest philanthropist New York has seen in decades, only 28. It was an article about how he donates thousands of dollars to help orphaned children, both magical and non-magical. He even takes some of the kids into his home, almost like that Daddy Warbucks in that muggle movie Hermione had made him watch once.
Hmm, I wonder if that's a cover to better assess kids for the squib trafficking. Ron texted Amy.
I was thinking the same thing. Everything we've found on Francesco Martini is pretty solid and checks out, though. He's careful with his aliases. Plus, he's only ever seen in pictures by this name, so whoever his true identity is, he keeps that locked up tight.
Merlin, how does she text so fast? Ron thought. He moved onto the other articles she sent to pass the time. The first thing he'd do once Gerteso left would be to double check the name Martini, happy to have a solid plan for once.
The last article was still open on his phone when he noticed something about Martini's picture. Why didn't it look the same as the other article. Ron quickly toggled back and forth. Bloody hell, he thought as he opened the text thread for Hermione.
Check those images on the articles of Martini, and tell me if you notice anything. He sent the text and waited a few moments. Sure, the years were two apart, but he was vastly different. Almost as if a beauty charm was used on the more recent article. In the older one he looked like-. His thought was cut off as Hermione's text came through.
It doesn't look like the same person, even though he's labeled as Francesco Martini. That's odd. I'm having Amy cross reference to see if we get any more image hits.
Notice anything else? Ron sent back.
The older image looks like someone I've seen before.
Like Gerteso.
Oh, my... YES, RON THAT'S RIGHT! Ron nodded as he read Hermione's message.
There are some differences, though.
You don't think they could be brothers, do you? That could fit the whole taking what's rightfully his.
Maybe even closer than that.
TWINS? But how…
I don't know. I'll search both names, Ron sent the last text to her as he heard a door shut. Harry texted.
He's leaving, but don't come out yet. I want to be sure. I'm texting Jake and Charles to make sure he doesn't see them following him, and not to engage. They'll meet us back at headquarters.
They waited a good five minutes before they received word from Charles that Gerteso had left the Woolworth building. When Harry told him it was safe, Ron quickly showed him what Hermione and Amy had found and where he wanted to look.
"But that wouldn't make sense, I trailed him the entire time he was here. He didn't search the rows he wrote down in the log book, either, Ron. He stayed in the G section of 1998."
"I think they're brothers Harry, and if Martini is an alias, then of course Gerteso would be looking in G. Let's just check the M1998 section." Harry nodded reluctantly as they quickly found it.
"There's no Martini here, Ron," Harry said impatiently, but Ron didn't move.
He stood there, thinking hard. "What did Kingsley say about the Sanguinity connection with The Cryptic?"
"Just that the Sanguinity named him head of the New York Division," Harry said, scratching his head.
"He's 28, Harry. Very young. There's got to be something special about him."
"Or maybe they couldn't find a suitable leader in New York and sent him here," Harry said half jokingly.
Ron looked up at him. "That's it! Harry, you're brilliant!" He immediately began moving to the end of the aisle.
"What? I was only-"
"But what if he was sent here? From Italy? Do they have immigrant records?"
"Er, yeah on the other side of the floor."
"What are we waiting for?" Ron hurried to the immigration record area and searched for Martini. It didn't take long to find one singular match in 1998. "Bloody hell," Ron muttered as they grabbed the file.
He opened it as Harry looked over his shoulder, and sure enough, there was a picture of a boy who closely resembled a younger version of the man who Ron had seen in the article. It turned out Martini was indeed an alias.
"So The Cryptic's real name is Lorenzo Guarnieri?" Harry asked quietly.
"Looks like it. Let's take pictures of all this so we can take it back to the team." Ron handed Harry the folder as he reached for his phone.
As Ron was taking the pictures, Harry continued studying the document. When it came across familial relations, Harry drew a sharp breath in. "Whoa."
"What?" asked Ron.
"I think you might be right about the brother hunch, mate."
"Yeah? Why's that?" Ron asked curiously.
"Because it says so right here. A twin brother, who was older, but presumed dead. Leonardo Guarnieri."
Ron looked up at Harry and both men had the same thought at the same time. "Gerteso."