The living room was spacious and luxurious, but they didn't have time to admire the expensive furniture or to relax on the comfortable, leather sofa. Amberrose threw a fugitive glance towards the piano, but she resisted the temptation to play some tunes on it.
They spoke for hours. Tommy provided a detailed description of what he'd heard while Amberrose and Andreas listened quietly. From time to time, Amberrose noted things in her notebook. However, Andreas couldn't help voicing his thoughts as Tommy finished what he had to say.
"So, the big, bad attacker is a boy who thinks he can change the world," he exclaimed. "Isn't too much noise for nothing?"
"Well, I used to know a boy...a boy just like him" Amberrose started,,he is now terrorizing Great Britain….By the way, Andreas, how old are you?"
"27" came the answer. He was the youngster of the Aurors.
Amberrose was very exigent on the training of future Aurors and it usually took several years for someone to be considered suitable for the position. As a result, few magic alumni dared to apply for a position at OZD in the years after their graduation. Andreas had dared, though. It took seven years of training, but with only two years of experience on the field he was among those Amberrose could rely on during critical times.
Tommy, though younger, he'd never got an official position at OZD. It wasn't for him. He'd run from school at only 14 because he couldn't stand the rules. Amberrose had given her best to teach him as she didn't want to force him to go back. His years spent on the streets as an orphan, before Amberrose had found him, had played an important role in developing a wild character. Despite loving Amberrose, he'd caused a lot of troubles during the years. She had patiently dealt with everything. However, once he got 17 she had to let him fly.
"Well, the boy is...how old, Tommy?" Amberrosed continued.
"Around 20. A few years younger than Andreas."
"So, older than you, isn't he?" she addressed Tommy who was only 18. She didn't wait for an answer as she'd made her point very clear."Yes, I'm paranoid," she went on, "I know people will try to defend him. He's just a boy. He doesn't know what he's saying. They could criticize me. Doesn't he? I rather make sure he isn't dangerous. Though, I'm not going to pay him a visit. Not yet"
Amberrose briefly presented her plan while the two blond men listened carefully. Andreas didn't feel comfortable with her idea of letting the boy free for a while in order to lead them "to something bigger". Suddenly, when he realized that the responsibility of preventing a future attack laid on his shoulders, the attacker wasn't just that boy, but a real danger.
"Isn't it too risky?" Andreas couldn't help asking after he'd listened to Amberrose's plan. "I mean...as you'll be in England...we...What if he had help. Someone who could really launch an attack. And we fail to prevent him… Isn't it better to arrest him now?" Andreas had a point. It was one thing to go along Amberrose's plan while she was there, coordinating them and another to deal with it by himself. Without her, Andreas felt he couldn't bear such a burden. If only she'd chosen someone else to lead the operation. He felt young, small, afraid. "What if I fail?" He finally voiced his fear.
Amberrose laughed. "You won't. And I'm not going to be gone for too long. I've changed my plans. I just need to meet some people. I'll be back until Sunday."
"What if he changes his plans and he doesn't wait until 24th?" Andreas continued.
"That's why I need you to check on him. If the boy is just a pawn in someone's hands, I doubt that arresting him will fix the problem. We need to find if he really has connections with the Death Eaters or someone powerful enough not to fear the consequences. There's only one way we can achieve that...allowing him to take us to the puppetmaster. If he is just a boy with evil ambitions, I think he rather needs some visits to a psychiatrist than waste his youth in a prison. I hope he can be saved. At least we have to try."
"What if.." She cut him off before he got the chance to speak his mind.
"I need to speak with him before. I'll leave tonight. I hope I'll be back in two days. I'll speak with my friends to keep an eye on him. I'll decide then what to do with the boy."
"What about the party?" Tommy finally intervened.
"You'll go without me and Ivy. I can't lose time. I'm sorry. I'll make up for it. At least, I will try." She promised. It started to become a habit for her. She didn't remember when she had last managed to keep up her promises.
It was almost night when Amberrose arrived in London. Rufus Scrimgeour was already preparing to gather his papers and leave for home. The entirety of Britain was a mess. He hardly had an early night since he took over Fudge position. That night, though, there wasn't much he could do. There was still no news about You-Know-Who and his followers. Scrimgeour didn't like it. He had a very bad feeling. You-Know-Who wasn't the type to hide unless he had something big to prepare.
He'd only left his office for a moment as he wanted to pass the last directives to his people. When he returned his spot at the office was already occupied by a figure covered in black.
"I was waiting for you." The figure spoke. She had a nice voice, but too confident and old for his liking.
"Who are you?" He had so many questions in his mind, but somehow he'd stopped at that one. The woman stood and she offered him a small hand covered in dark velvet gloves.
"I'm Amberrose Eissee." The name caught his attention instantly. "The head of Auror's Department of OZD Austria." Amberrose went on in perfect English. He reached for her hand to shake it. He might have had to kiss it, as a real gentleman would do, but he didn't care for pleasantries and Miss Eissee didn't seem to expect him to treat her like a lady.
"Could you take down your hood?" Being unable to see her face made him uncomfortable. "Have a seat, please." Scrimgeour tried to break the ice. "It must be important if you can be bothered to come to London to see me."
"Indeed." She replied. "Unfortunately you'll have to make do with the way I look. I had an accident years ago and my face is not a very pleasant view. " He'd heard something about that Miss Eissee, both good and bad things. She was an expert. None could deny it. Yet she wasn't the type to accept defeat no matter what. Many of those who'd ever dared to cross her would never forget that day.
"I want to set a deal with you." She brought him back to reality. "You give me every datum you have about that Snake-face and his followers. Any possible connection. Everything that could give me an idea about his plans and resources, be it human or material." He didn't like her tone. She wasn't his superior and nor was he owing her anything.
"Why would I do that? We can handle it ourselves." The truth was Britain would have needed all the help it could get and if the rumors were real Miss Eissee would have been perfect as a partner. However, he couldn't allow being perceived as weak. He had an image to protect. What would the magic community think about him if he would ask help from a foreign woman?
Amberrose laughed. She'd expected something like that.
"Because you need me. What do you know about Snake-Face? Probably some things you've read in a book."
"I've fought him during the first war." Scrimgeour threw at her. He wouldn't allow her to question his ability.
"Did you really? How many of your colleagues got through unscathed from that war? Are you aware how many people you will have to send to the battlefield to die for your vanity? Would you rather sacrifice everyone than use brains? I admire your bravery, but bravery without sense is madness, as well as brains without bravery, have no use. Napoleon said that before me. Though, I won't be surprised if you don't know who Napoleon was. That's why you need me. I, compared to you, don't care for rules and rumors. I have no problems in making friends among elves or muggles and I have no problem with reading the bibliography of influential people be it Muggles or wizards."
He still didn't like her. Her views were very strange if not completely wrong. How would a Muggle help him defeat You-Know-Who?
"How do you know him? How many wars have you fought?" The minister asked in a sharp tone, confident he'd finally reduced her to silence. "What have your books taught you?" He continued to attack her.
"Just one thing: History tends to repeat itself. He isn't the first who tried to conquer the world. And you know what's funny? They all made the same mistake. Underestimate their adversaries. How many wars I fought? Just one till now. I captured Grindelwald and his followers, but I didn't do it alone. You will need an entire week if I were to give you all the name of the people that fought along with me. But it doesn't matter anymore. I've already found what I was looking for."
"What do you mean?' She hadn't moved an inch. What could she have found. He started to get afraid of her.
"Never mind. When the time comes you'll understand. There is someone in Austria. A girl. A teenager. She was born in Nurmengard prison. There are a lot of rumors about her. It was a secret. A big secret. We couldn't allow anyone to find that two of our top prisoners had escaped. It would have been a scandal. Imagine what the world would say about us if they were to find Grindelwald was free. He could help only one of his followers. His best. Miss Rosier. A terrible and cruel woman. She used to be a beauty. Now she's just a shadow of her former self. You should know I'm going to deny everything in case you're going to let the cat out of the bag." She warned him.
"I don't expect anything else." A woman like her wasn't someone to accept a defeat so easily. He was tempted to tease her for such a mistake. For the first time since he'd found her in his office he sensed he had the upper hand, but he was wrong.
"What happened with the prisoners from Azkaban?" She asked sarcastically, ruining his hopes of having a laugh at her defeat.
"I wasn't Minister at the time. Fudge." He uttered some pitiful excuses.
"But you were the Head of the Aurors, weren't you?" She continued her attack.
"Fine. Your secret is safe with me." He was sure he would feel sorry if she were to die. In fact, he would be thankful to You-Know-Who if he were to manage to cut her sharp tongue. "I guess you dealt with them, didn't you?'
"Yes, they are back in their cells, but it's the baby I'm worried about."
"The baby?!The one who was born in prison?! Do you think it's Grindelwald's? But weren't they a bit too old…?"
"It isn't an ordinary baby. Dark magic must be involved. I know it was madness to send her away. Yes, it's a girl. Probably 17 or 18 by now, but we have to avoid rumors. I hoped that far from her parents she could have an ordinary life."
"What's wrong about her?"
"She's half snake." He hadn't been prepared for something like that. Voldemort had snakish characteristics, but he didn't expect that someone else could be the same. Finally, he understood the urgency of her presence there. The girl was a problem and it could get worse.
"Did she do something?" He asked. This time he seemed willing to cooperate with her.
"Not yet, but I lost track of her. We sent her to an orphanage somewhere in Eastern Europe. She isn't there. The maid wrote to me two days ago. She told me she'd found papers about Riddle in her room. She seemed to admire him."
"Can't you find her?"
"We're trying, but we had a lot of problems, too. It seems that Riddle's propaganda has reached some ears in Austria, too. A crazy, young pureblood. I don't think he would be a problem, but I can't risk."
'What can I do for you?' The Minister asked.
"I need you to tell me if she comes to Britain. Now, you asked what I was looking for. Data. Your people aren't as good as you make them look like. It was a piece of cake for my friend to access your archives."
"You've stolen data from me?!" He didn't know if he should be furious or surprised that she not only managed to trick him, but she also shouted it proudly in his face. "You deserve to be sent to Azkaban."
She laughed. He hated the ease she ignored the threat, but most of all he hated that he had no power over her.
"I deserve a lot of things, Mr. Minister, but you're not going to have that pleasure. You can stay here and wait for Snake-Face's next move. I, though, prefer to know the move and block it before he gets a chance to harm my people. I won't lose, least of all to him."
"This is not a game of chess, Miss Eissee."
"No, this is war. And I'm going to win it even if I have to cheat a bit. If you really want to send me to Azkaban make sure Tom Riddle would be my companion. I don't accept less. Good luck."
She stood, gave her hand for him to shake and left the room before he had time to say another thing.
Now she had to meet her little thief and find a room for the night. She knew it was going to be a very long night.
Scrimgeour didn't go home, though. He spent the night with his people debating the problem of the snake-girl. Little did he know that just a few hours later Voldemort would listen pleased as his followers reported to him about Grindelwald's daughter.