Chapter 31: Infiltration

After leaving the Artefact Room, Claire went to the Owlery to meet Tonks, Jae, and Talbott before they embarked to Knockturn Alley through the Floo Network. When she got there, though, the Owlery was empty.

"Tonks?" Claire said, though her voice echoed in the chamber full of owls. "Where are you?"

"Begone, wretched student!" Said a menacing voice. "Yeh have no business 'ere!"

"Show yourself, whoever you are!" Claire demanded, taking out her wand.

"As you wish, Claire."

Claire heard footsteps behind her and turned around. Behind her stood a tall woman wearing a black dress and hood with wavy blonde hair and a menacing face.

"Is that you, Tonks?" Claire asked.

"Pretty convincing, eh?"

Jumping in surprise, Claire looked to her right though nothing was there. As the sun was setting outside, she thought she saw a faint outline in the form of a person.

"Where did you get the Invisibility Cloak, Jae?" Claire wondered.

"Originally, I was going to ask you for it before we met here," Jae explained, still wearing the Invisibility Cloak. "But Tonks thought it would be good practice for us if we snuck into the Ravenclaw Dormitory and took the Invisibility Cloak from your room ourselves. Then I suggested we pull off this prank to startle you when you got here to lighten the mood a bit."

As Jae chuckled, Claire frowned. "Now I know how Chiara must've felt…."

Hearing that, Jae's silhouette seemed to slump. "Thanks for reminding me."

"What's this about Chiara?" Tonks asked, still in the Dark Witch form.

Initially, Jae said nothing. But Claire gave his silhouette a stern look, so he reluctantly told Tonks about his actions during the Outdoor Festival where he tricked Chiara into helping him give a love note to Claire in order to make Chiara jealous and ask him out to the festival.

"That's pretty cruel, even by my standards," Tonks remarked. "Did you apologize?"

"Yes, after Chiara got really upset when I told her why I did it," Jae said. Then he decided to change the subject by saying, "Where's Talbott, by the way?"

A screeching noise drew Claire's attention to the rafters, where a familiar golden eagle was perched and looking down at her.

"Let's just say he's going to be keeping a bird's-eye view on us during this mission," Claire said in a cryptic manner.

While Tonks and Jae seemed confused, Claire took out the vial with the Polyjuice Potion in it. She then dropped Rakepick's hair into the vial, and drank the whole thing. Indeed, the taste was horrible as the bubbling sensation on her skin followed. After it was done, she looked at Jae and Tonks who were speechless.

"Did it work?" Claire asked.

"The resemblance is uncanny, at least," Jae joked.

Looking down at her hands, she saw they were adult-sized. Her cleavage was also significantly larger, and fortunately the clothes she wore seemed to expand with them. Even her hair was a different color as it had changed from brunette to ginger-red.

###

As the lights from Borgin and Burkes shed a sinister light on the streets of Knockturn Alley, Claire arrived under the guise of Rakepick while accompanied by Jae who was still wearing the Invisibility Cloak. Nearby, Tonks leaned against a brick wall in her Dark Witch form nodding subtly to Claire and Jae. Though as Claire approached Borgin and Burkes' entrance, she noticed the Japanese White-Robed Wizard who attacked her by the Lakeshore standing there with another Dark Witch.

"Rakepick?" The White-Robed Wizard exclaimed, speaking in English.

"We didn't think you would come to our meeting tonight," said the other Dark Witch. "So why are you here?"

"You should be thankful that I appeared at all," Claire retorted in Rakepick's sarcastic tone.

"But you said it was too early for you to appear in public after killing that kid at Hogwarts," the Dark Witch reminded.

Claire made a sharp laugh. "I do not fear the public, and it would do you good to not question me again."

"Of course," the White-Robed Wizard bowed. "Forgive us, Rakepick."

"Now let's get down to business as 'R,'" Claire insisted.

"Are you sure?" The White-Robed Wizard asked. "There are others who have yet to arrive."

Frowning, Claire said, "My patience is wearing thin enough as is."

The Dark Witch chuckled. "It seems that our 'inside' agent is making progress at Hogwarts, and I'm in constant contact with them. So I know they won't let us down in terms of finding the final Cursed Vault first."

"Yes, planting an agent within Hogwarts was arguably one of our best ideas," the White-Robed Wizard agreed.

"May I have the chance to speak to this mole myself?" Claire asked.

Just as the Dark Witch was about to answer, a blast of white energy came from Claire's right and knocked her down. When she got up, she was staring at Rakepick herself who had appeared out of nowhere. Nearby, Tonks in her Dark Witch form used Stupefy against the White-Robed Wizard. Unfortunately, he dodged the spell but was then attacked by Talbott in his eagle form. This caused Tonks to use Confringo, but her spell was blocked by the Dark Witch.

"We're here to end your dirty tricks, Rakepick!"

Recognizing that voice, Claire looked behind and saw Mad-Eye Moody standing behind her with Jacob right beside him with their wands out.

"Now get away from my sister, or I won't ever forgive you!" Jacob demanded.

As Moody cast a spell that didn't seem to hit anything, Jacob cast Confringo on the real Rakepick. She managed to block his spell as the Dark Witch stood beside her. Meanwhile, Claire got up and stood next to Jacob.

"This isn't over." Rakepick smirked as she Disapparated while the Dark Witch did the same.

"I'm on it," Jacob said, and Disapparated.

"Let 'em go," Moody said to Claire. "We don't need Rakepick."

"How can you say that?" Claire demanded.

"Because we caught the next best thing."

Following Moody's pointed finger, Claire saw the White-Robed Wizard was tied up with thick ropes around his body.

"Oh, you caught the White-Robed Wizard using Incarcerous," Tonks realized.

"Exactly, and he's going back to Azkaban Prison where he belongs," Moody said as he stood next to the White-Robed Wizard. "But first, me and Claire will sit down and have a nice long chat with him."

To be continued…