Chapter Ninety-Five

Squib and Wand

'My client is willing to provide you with the name and location of the woman involved in coordinating the attack on Malfoy Manor and the details on how the wardborer came to be present,' Master Heap said. 'If you were to guarantee that my client is only charged with breaking and entry on his part of this defence – I would insist that in writing, authorised by the Head of the DMLE before my client will speak.'

'We could administer veritserum,' Scrimgeour threatened.

'You could,' agreed Master Heap. 'But to be allowed to administer veritserum on a new case would mean getting a new allowance from the Wizengamot. The next meeting is not for another three weeks and with the mastermind dead it is unlikely Fudge would agree that it was an emergency.'

Amelia knew that Heap was right.

'We will have to speak about it,' Amelia said.

Amelia ended the interview and gestured to Scrimgeour to leave.

'I think we should agree,' Scrimgeour said.

'My biggest worry is what exactly Arthur's involvement was,' Amelia frowned. 'If his lawyer is asking for a deal, it means he was involved … but he has been in a Ministry cell the whole time and aside from writing to relatives he doesn't seem to be in contact with anyone.'

'He might have been using coded messages,' Scrimgeour suggested.

'But we need to know who this witch is,' Scrimgeour said. 'The fact she can apparently bypass our scanners makes me … nervous.'

Amelia nodded, 'me too. And quite frankly with the charge of second-degree line theft already on the books being charged with two years instead of seven isn't going to make much of a difference to his overall stay in Azkaban.'

'It will likely make it worse,' Scrimgeour said. 'As he can't claim that second-degree line theft was his only crime so he might be given a longer sentence.'

Amelia nodded and signed off on the deal.

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Amelia Bones and Rufus Scrimgeour returned with the deal signed by the Minister of Magic an hour later. Master Heap read through it and nodded his approval.

'First things first who is the witch?' asked Madam Bones.

'She's not a witch,' Arthur replied. 'Her name is Arabella Figg, she is a Squib – I'm not what sure family she hails from, but she was an old friend of Molly's, I believe she kept an eye on Harry when he lived with his-with his stepmother's family.'

'A squib?' Amelia said sharply.

Arthur nodded.

'Well, that would certainly explain why she couldn't be detected,' muttered Scrimgeour. 'Now what was your involvement in the attempted kidnapping of Heir Slytherin?'

'Nothing,' Arthur said quickly. 'I had no idea that was going to happen.'

'Then, what do you know?' asked Bones sharply.

Arthur swallowed, 'I planted the wardborer. My daughter had been cursed … she almost died! Dumbledore told us that it was Malfoy … he convinced me that if anything like that happened again, we would be able to stop him before it got that far again … I know I shouldn't have … but I couldn't do nothing!'

'When was this?' asked Bones.

'In October 1993 – I don't remember the exact date,' Arthur took a deep breath. 'But it will be in the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts records.'

Scrimgeour breathed, 'why would your office have the exact date?'

Arthur had a feeling that they already were guessing what he had done. After all, the Malfoys and Weasleys were not friends, ever since the broken betrothal, the Malfoys and Weasleys had been sworn enemies. Thus, the only time Arthur would have had access was when he was conducting raids on Malfoy Manor.

'We received a tip off that the Malfoys had illegally enchanted Muggle artefacts and a raid was conducted,' Arthur explained. 'It wasn't hard to leave a wardborer behind. Perkins, never saw a thing, nor did the Aurors present.'

'So, what you are saying is you used your official function to plant a device meant to cause harm to an Ancient and Noble House?' asked Scrimgeour.

'Yes,' Arthur said weakly.

'Well, then as per the deal we charge you with breaking and entry,' Scrimgeour said.

'You are only luck that thanks to the deal we cannot charge you with corruption, also,' Bones said coldly.

Arabella Figg read the newspaper with a sense of trepidation.

Dumbledore was dead!

Her face was plastered all over the Prophet.

If she was caught the Ministry would be the least of her troubles! If the Dark Lord learnt that she had seen his brat abused and done nothing he would kill her! Nobody would trouble themselves over one missing Squib. Certainly, her family wouldn't give a damn.

Arabella swallowed down the bitterness at continually being rejected.

It had started in the summer when she was eleven years old, and the Hogwarts letter had never come. Or maybe it had started before then when she was eight and had yet to produce any accidental magic. But eleven was when all hope of her being a late bloomer died and so did any love her parents may have once had for her.

She was moved out of her bedroom and into the servants' quarters. Her parents had reduced her from their child to household help, they had only spoken to her to issue orders. Her older sister who had always doted on her, had begun sneering at her, and her baby brother had never known to treat her as anything but a servant.

Then when she had turned seventeen, she found herself penniless and homeless on the streets of Muggle London without any education or Muggle identification. Arabella had begged to be allowed to stay as a servant terrified of the world beyond their walls. But her parents didn't so much as say a word before she found herself at the opposite side of the wards.

If Dumbledore hadn't taken pity on her Arabella thought she wouldn't have made it to her eighteenth birthday.

And now he was dead.

And Arabella was facing the same thing as she had back when she was seventeen. She was alone and had nowhere to go, nothing to fall back upon. Only this time the Aurors and a Dark Lord would be coming for her.

Arabella couldn't access the safehouses without magic. The other Order members would have little care for her no matter how useful she and her Kneazles had proven they only saw her as a Squib. Only Dumbledore had ever treated her as an equal.

So, when the Aurors came, Arabella didn't even try to resist.

Harry was getting ready for his first Mind Healing appointment with Franco Hoghedge. His stomach was flipping, and he had been pacing the room for the last twenty minutes. Lucius and his father had been trying to calm his nerves but the idea of going to speak to a stranger about his feelings was terrifying.

And Harry couldn't help but think up every negative thing his Uncle, that Vernon Dursley had ever said about people who needed therapy – either they were crazy and should be in the madhouse or nancies who should stop with their whining. Harry knew most of what Vernon Dursley said was absolute dragonshit. But hearing his bile so often didn't mean it had sunk into his thoughts more than he would like.

Harry's stomach dropped when the Floo went. His father came back, but instead of a Healer he found himself looking at Amelia Bones with her usual grim, no nonsense attitude. She took in the three of them obviously waiting for someone.

'Madam Bones,' Harry's father said delicately. 'We would, of course, be pleased to answer any questions you may have, but Hadrian is about to have a Healer's appointment.'

Harry tried hard not to flush at the shame of not being able to deal with his emotions himself. Harry was just relieved that his father had made an effort to conceal the nature of his healing appointment.

Madam Bones nodded, 'of course. It will be quick. Firstly, you should know by the Act of Conquest which states that as long as you defeat someone in a manner that is not against any other laws you can claim their wands. Thus, you have a legal right to Albus Dumbledore's wand and as Lord Aberforth Dumbledore has made it clear he does not wish to have anything that Albus Dumbledore once possessed. This is now yours.'

Amelia pulled out a very knobbly wand that Harry instantly recognised as the wand once belonging to Albus Dumbledore. It had after all been pointing at him not that many days ago. Harry was about to open his mouth to say he wanted nothing to do with anything of Albus Dumbledore's. However, his father was looking at it with interested eyes.

'Thank you, Madam Bones, but I am sure that was not all you came to say.'

'No,' agreed Bones. 'Have you ever heard of someone called Arabella Figg?'

'She was my babysitter growing up,' Harry replied. 'Why? She wasn't a witch, was she?'

'A Squib by all accounts,' Bones said grimly. 'Her home in Wisteria Walk was bought by one Albus Dumbledore, and she has been receiving annual payments since 1981.'

Harry felt conflicting emotions – anger, betrayal, shock. Harry had … well not liked or trusted her, but she had been the kindest person in Privet Drive. Not that that was any sort of competition, but she didn't seem to believe he was a hoodlum like the rest of the street did and didn't hurt him like the Dursleys did.

There had been many times she had bandaged Harry's various cuts and bruises or popped his dislocated bones back into place. She had even given him a bit of cake when he was eleven. Harry had thought she was going senile, and she was like him – alone in the world with no one to take care of her when she needed it most.

But all this time she had been being paid to spy on him for Dumbledore! It didn't necessarily surprise him that Dumbledore would do something like that. She had seen what his life was like and did nothing to help!

Tomput a hand on Harry's arm gently pulling Harry out of his thoughts a little. Harry took a calming breath clutching his father's hand in his. But quickly let go when he realised Bones was watching them.

'Given your upbringing I have to ask did Figg know you were being abused?' asked Bones.

Lucius straightened up grey eyes becoming stormy as he heard the question. Harry's father's face wiped clean of all emotion, but Harry was sure he was thinking of every awful thing he could to Mrs Figg if she had known.

'I don't think I specifically told her,' Harry admitted. 'But she did often give me first aid when I was over at hers on the weekends. When I was eight, she even put my arm in a sling and told me not to use it, because she thought I had broken my arm.'

Bones nodded, 'that is much in line in what we think happened.'

'I hope,' the Dark Lord said with an undercurrent of fury, 'that you are agreement that this Figg was being paid to ensure that my son was being abused. And if that is the case then she is as responsible as Dumbledore for that!'

Bones sighed, 'I understand your anger, and yes that is what we think happened.'

'I assume she is going to be charge with conspiracy for kidnapping, as well,' Harry's father said (apparently getting his urge to torture the person who had hurt his son under control).

Amelia raised an eyebrow.

'I am aware you were searching for a woman wanted in association with the raid on the manor,' the Dark Lord said darkly. 'And then two days later you return to question us about Arabella Figg, it is not hard to figure out.'

'Quite,' Bones agreed.

'What I want to know,' Lucius said darkly. 'Is how my manor was breached?'

'It would seem Dumbledore invented a twin-wardborer which allows one to be planted and the other to be activated outside the wards,' Bones said grimly. 'It was planted many years ago.'

'By whom?' asked Lucius.

'Arthur Weasley,' Bones said.

Harry's heart jumped once more. Mr Weasley had planted the thing that almost got him kidnapped, had almost killed Lucius and Sirius. Sirius was still in a coma in the hospital. Arthur had always been kind to him. Harry had been under the impression that Arthur's problem was that he had been led astray by his family. But apparently, he was to blame for everything that had happened that dreadful night.

'Mr. Weasley, why?' asked Harry.

'From what he has said, it would seem that he did not know what it was to be used for,' Bones said.

'Of course not,' sneered Lucius. 'It was just to get back at me. Arthur Weasley has always hated me! His department has been targeting me for years, even tried to blame me for the Chamber of Secrets debacle a few years ago. Somehow, I am not surprised that he felt the need to plant a wardborer so he could break into my home! And worse he used the Ministry to do so!'

'Yes, it would seem so,' agreed Bones.

Tom snorted with disgust, 'of course, he did. Between him and Dumbledore – the Ministry really needs to do something about their corruption issues!'

Harry had his feeling that his father was going to use this situation to push his anti-corruption bill. The Dark Lord had been planning on waiting until after the elections in 1997 at which point, they might have someone who may be less averse to such changes. But his father was no fool and was happy to take advantage of opportunities given to him.

'Now that is something we can both agree on,' Bones said.

Her eyes were on Lucius even if she didn't say something. Harry was sure she was thinking that Lucius had certainly taken advantage of the loopholes in the corruption laws and she would be right. But Harry's father although not shy of using them wanted to fix the problems in the Wizarding World that allowed one bigoted wizard to impose his fears of the Dark side on the whole of Britain.

'Have you located the rest of the Order there?' asked Harry.

'I am afraid not,' Bones sighed. 'They have not returned to their homes, and they have made no contact with family members.'

Lucius snorted, 'of course not. They may be cultists, but that doesn't mean they are completely brainless!'

'Rest assured we are doing everything possible to apprehend them,' Bones said crisply.

'You were looking for Dumbledore too,' Harry said quietly. 'It didn't stop him from almost kidnapping me.'

'No,' Bones agreed with a sigh. 'I can't offer you promises – but we do know how he managed it, so the Order won't manage to get access to your location again.'

Before anything else said the Floo went again.

'And that will be the Healer,' Harry's father said. 'If there was nothing else, we will bid you well.'

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'Formal interview of Arabella Doreen Figg, arrested on charges of conspiracy to kidnap,' Amelia said. 'Conducted by Head of the DMLE Amelia Susan Bones and Head Auror Rufus Adam Scrimgeour. Interview started on the twenty-first of August 1995 at fourteen o'clock.'

Amelia Bones frowned at the old Squib who at the very least was involved in organisation an attack on an Ancient and Noble House. And was involved in Heir Slytherin's abuse. Did Figg not realise that when it came out it was going to impact Squibs as a whole? Squibs had little enough rights as it was, and her actions would see anti-Squib movements popping up.

'These are pictures taken from recordings of suspects in the attack on Malfoy Manor,' Scrimgeour said coolly. 'What were you doing there?'

'Can I not visit my friends?' asked Figg.

'Half an hour after visiting your friends attacked and almost killed three wizards,' Scrimgeour said coolly. 'At the moment we can easily charge you with conspiracy to kidnap.'

'If you are charged with conspiracy for kidnap there will be a massive public backlash against squibs which will aid no one,' Amelia said. 'If you are willing to testify against your fellows and able to give us information on where your remaining associates are we can agree to downgrade your charges to being an accessory only and agree not to mention your status in court.'

Figg sighed, 'I can't help you. I don't know where they are. I was barely involved except in wat-…. Dumbledore only contacted me because he knew that I as a Squib would be overlooked and would be hard to identify. We usually met in the Weasleys home – I have no idea where they will be meeting now.'

Scrimgeour nodded, 'now, we have to ask, your address is listed as Wisteria Walk – a street away from Privet Drive where Heir Hadrian Slytherin, formerly known as Harry Potter, lived. What was your relationship with him?'

'I … babysat him from time to time,' Figg said weakly.

'Were you aware of any of the abuse that Heir Slytherin has claimed happened?' asked Amelia coolly.

'No,' Figg said. 'I mean I knew that Harry didn't like each other.'

'So, you did put his broken arm in a sling 1989 when Heir Slytherin was eight?' asked Amelia.

Figg froze, 'accidents happen-'

'Yet, you did not take him to a Muggle hospital?' asked Scrimgeour coolly. 'More to the point, 7000galleons or 35,000 muggle pounds, was distributed into your Muggle account on the 31st of Octoberof every year. This money was embezzled funds from Heir Slytherin's accounts. Were you aware of that?'

'No,' Figg said.

'Was Dumbledore paying you to watch over Heir Slytherin and to cover up the circumstances of his home situation?' asked Amelia.

'No,' Figg said. 'He just knew I struggled from time to time and wanted to help out.'

Scrimgeoursnorted, 'he paid you a wage! And on top of that he bought you a four-bedroom home in a nice Muggle suburb, that just happened to live a street away from Heir Slytherin, are you really telling us that is a coincidence?'

Figg's grey eyes were steely and impassive, 'yes!'

'You have to see how bad this looks, Miss Figg,' Amelia cajoled the woman. 'A Squib receives gold from Dumbledore and babysits a wizard child he is now known to have kidnapped and be having abused.

'It looks like you were being bribed to spy on said child and ensure that he was being abused' Scrimgeour said sharply.

'Well, I wasn't!' Figg said sharply.

'Is that really the story you are sticking to?' asked Scrimgeour disbelievingly. 'A Pure-Blood wizard would have trouble selling that in court – a Squib like yourself will be slaughtered!'

'It's the truth,' Figg said stubbornly.

Amelianodded, 'okay, if then we have no choice but to charge you with conspiracy to kidnap and conspiracy of abuse of a magical child.'

Figg scowled, 'you wouldn't give a damn if it was a Squib! Squibs his age are subjected to abuse everyday of their lives, my parents considered themselves kind because they didn't drown me in the pond, and no one gives a damn about us! Its only because the boy is magical that anyone cares about the bumps and bruises, he got growing up! I got smacked around as a child and no one gave a flying fuck! I ended up on the streets when I was seventeen and no one cared! Yet, a magical child gets hurt, and you people are up in arms! You make me sick!'

'And do you think what you have done will make that any better for your fellows?' asked Amelia said softly.

Tom turned Dumbledore's wand over in his hand feeling the thrum of magic through his skin which in itself was unusual as usually wands not your own felt like little more than a twig. Tom curiously traced the familiar symbol carved into the base. It was the same one as that on his uncle's ring. Tom had thought it strange at the time – because it wasn't the Peverell crest, nor a crest of any documented Wizarding house.

So, what did it mean?

And how did Dumbledore possess something that may have belonged to his ancestors?