Shortly after dawn, Sirius heard a knock on his room door. He went to open it and found Red, grinning widely.
"Great! You're already dressed!" Red said.
"Er...I didn't change...Isn't it a bit too early?" Sirius asked.
"No, my room window overlooks the street, and there's already some activity outside. Anyway, I can't go back to sleep. I'm too excited to start working!" Red asked.
"Where is Joan?" Sirius asked.
"I went to wake him up before you, but he told me he didn't want to come over, after all, then he slammed the door in my face," Red said.
"So you came to bother me instead?" Sirius asked.
"Yes...No, I thought you would like to come with me this morning for the tour of the reserve!" Red said.
"No, I don't want to, and I have better things to do this morning. Have fun!" Sirius said as he slammed the door.
Sirius threw himself flat on his bed, hiding his head under the pillow, but had to come back to open the door when Red started pounding on the door.
"Please! I ask you as a friend, come with me; I don't want to be alone with them!" Red said.
"They won't eat you!" Sirius said.
"I know, but..." Red said.
"But what?" Sirius asked.
"Don't tell Joan, but...I have some anxiety issues, I don't handle stress well. If I'm all alone in the middle of complete strangers, I'll end up screwing up!" Red said before taking out his inhaler and taking a deep inhale.
Sirius sighed and nodded, "Alright, let me take a quick shower, and I'll meet you downstairs for breakfast." Sirius said.
"Thanks! breakfast is on me!" Red said before disappearing down the stairs.
After taking a shower and getting dressed, Sirius went downstairs to join Red. He sat down at a table, and immediately a house-elf appeared with a tray loaded with food and two cups of coffee which he placed on the table in front of them.
"So...is someone supposed to pick you up here, or do we have to go to the Hall?" Sirius asked.
"Dragan told me last night that he would let me know...But I still haven't heard from him..." Red said.
"Well...Instead of waiting, if you are done eating, let's go to the Hall and find out." Sirius said.
He finished his coffee and got up from the table and left the tavern. Unlike the day before, the streets were bustling, despite the early hour. Again, they walked to the big building. The large door was open this time, and a man in wizard's robes came to greet them.
"Sirius Black and Red Russell, am I right?" The man asked with a smile.
"Yes," Sirius replied, shaking his hand.
"Nice to meet you, unfortunately, the director has already left...He asked me to direct you to the home of the agent who is assigned to accompany you this morning." The man said.
"We know, he told us yesterday that he would not be present. So where can we find this person?" Red asked.
"Do you see the carpenter over there?" He asked, pointing to a street a little further down, to the right of the main square. "Just across the street, a little house."
They went there and found themselves in front of a small stone house. Sirius knocked on the door, and it slowly opened by itself, revealing the house's interior. On the doorstep, they exchanged surprised glances. From where they were standing, they couldn't see the chaos inside the home. Finally, Sirius cleared his throat and called out loudly.
"Hello! Is anyone inside?"
Receiving no answer, he gestured to Red to take out his wand and follow him inside without making a sound. First, they entered the house, then the living room, which could mock an authentic battlefield or pigsty. A broom and its cleaning kit were on the coffee table. Clothes piled up on the couch and an armchair in front of the fireplace. A fireplace that must not have been cleaned for weeks, empty bottles of liquor were lying on the floor, some of them rolling around. Next, Sirius entered the kitchen, which seemed to be in competition with the living room...A pile of dirty dishes had been left in the sink, could testify. After that, he opened the fridge, which he found empty, except for a bottle of expired milk and a half-eaten dish covered with a plastic film. Sirius closed the fridge abruptly when he heard Red cry out in pain. He hurried back into the living room, where he found him hopping around on one foot, holding the other with both hands.
"What happened to you?!" Sirius asked, reaching out to him so he could lean on him.
"I didn't see that piece of shit on the floor, and I got my foot caught in it!" Red replied, pointing to a dumbbell lying on the floor, underneath a t-shirt.
"It's not your fault! What kind of animal lives here? Bloody hell!" Sirius asked.
"Sirius..." Red said.
"I swear! I shared a dorm with a stag, I lived in a forest with animals for a year, I've even been in jail..." Sirius said.
"Sirius..." Red said.
"But I've never seen a shithole like this! I'm sure even a pig farm would be cleaner." Sirius sputtered.
Red patted him on the shoulder as someone cleared its throat loudly. Sirius turned and blushed when he found the woman from the night before standing in the living room behind them with her arms crossed, glaring at them.
"May I ask what you are doing inside my house, uninvited?" She asked them curtly.
"We're really sorry. The door opened by itself and seeing the state of the interior, we thought something had happened." Red said.
"The state of the interior? So not only do you allow yourself to break into my house, but you insult me too?" She asked.
"Not to be rude but look around; if you agree to live in these conditions, you are the one insulting your own person...And the entire humankind." Sirius said, picking up a black bra with the end of his wand.
"Give me that back! You pervert!" She said as she snatched it from him, her face red. "I've been swamped lately...That's why it's not tidy...We, the people who have to work for a living, don't have an army of house-elves at our service!"
"House-elves would rather get clothes than get anywhere near…" Sirius replied before Red scolded him.
"Sirius, shut up! Dragan told us that you would be our guide..." Red said politely.
"Yeah, I know… I've never been very lucky! Anyway, I wasn't expecting you so soon...Wait here and don't touch anything, I'll get dressed, and we'll go." She told them.
"Take your time!" Red said.
"And a shower," Sirius said with a chuckle before walking out, leaving Red to apologize to the woman who had picked up the dumbbell from the floor to throw at Sirius.
Sirius sat down on the small steps in front of the house, Red coming to join him a few seconds later and sitting next to him.
"What's wrong with you? Talking to her like that! In her own house! That's rude!" Red said.
"Wait! have you seen what it's like inside?" Sirius asked.
"Why do you care? If she wants to live like that, that's her business! "Red lectured him.
"Okay, I get it...My bad." Sirius said, stretching his legs.
"Is it personal? Did she say or do anything to you last night when you left by yourself?" Red asked.
"Of course not! What do you think she could have done to me?" Sirius asked.
"I don't know...Unless..." Red said.
"Unless what?" Sirius asked.
"Unless it's seduction technique. Putting her down, so she feels bad about herself and then makes her want you to like her!" Red said as he scratched his chin, clearly satisfied with his analysis.
"You're delirious; why would I want to hit on her?" Sirius asked.
"Are you fucking blind?" Red asked.
"No, I'm good," Sirius asked.
"Have you seen what she looks like? Her blonde hair, those blue eyes, her fucking body! I'm sure she must be a Veela! it's in this part of the world that they live, I'm I wrong?" Red asked, lowering his voice, glancing behind him.
"A Veela? Are you sure you didn't forget to pick your brain this morning before leaving your room? If she was one, you would have been drooling like a bulldog." Sirius said.
"I was drooling all the time! But look, you're doing it wrong; if you want to seduce her, you must do it differently. She works with dragons, so that means she likes animals; you should tell her that you saved a Unicorn the other day to try to win her over. Not directly! let it casually spill. " Red suggested.
"I don't want to seduce anyone..." Sirius said, rolling his eyes.
"I'll tell Joan later to write a poem for you to read to her!" Red said, ignoring him.
"You're not going to tell Joan anything! Nothing! Because there's nothing to tell!" Sirius said, grabbing him by the collar.
"Okay! Okay! Whatever you say!" Red said a mischievous smile on his lips.
The door opened, and the woman reappeared, carrying rolls of parchment under her arms. Unlike the day before, she was not wearing her uniform but a simple pair of jeans and a t-shirt. She closed the door behind her with a spell, and they stood up. She gestured to them to follow her.
"We'll start with the southern zone, from where you arrived. That is the area where the dragons never go." She said as she ran down the steps before leaving her garden, the two men at her heels.
"Excuse me, but we still don't know what your name is," Red said gently.
"Oh...My name is Xenia." The woman said to Red.
"Are you a dragonologist?" Red asked.
"Yes, I joined the reserve staff eight years ago, right after I finished Durmstrang," Xenia said.
"I see...You must be particularly skilled to have been hired right after graduation!" Red said.
"Oh, I didn't join the reserve as a dragonologist from day one! The training took two years, but I already knew more than anyone since I grew up in the village. We'll go first to the tavern...I didn't have time to have breakfast," Xenia said.
"No problem...How do you guys usually move around the reserve? Unfortunately, we don't have any landmarks here, so we can apparate..." Red said.
She stopped and turned to them, looking thoughtful.
"Yeah, now that you say it…You will always have within sight the points to which you will have to apparate... So, I don't think transportation would be a problem, of course, unless Lord Black requires that I carry him on my back while you massage his feet..." She said before setting off again towards the tavern.
Sirius didn't move, weighing the pros and cons of turning into a dog to tear her to pieces. Red patted him on the back.
"Dude...did you see that?! She's totally under your spell!" Red said.
"Clean your ears Red and I thought we had this matter covered," Sirius said.
"Just think and watch! She listened to you and took a shower, she smells like vanilla, she braided her hair long so you can get a good look at her face and breasts, she's the same age as you...I don't know what more do you need." Red said.
"Just leave me alone, that would be great. Sirius said as he started walking again.
Kingsley got into Detective Patil's car in the morning, who greeted him with a long yawn. Kingsley had called him in the middle of the night to make an early appointment in the morning without giving him any more details. They passed the truck driver with whom he had talked the day before, who greeted Kingsley with a big hand wave and a broad smile that turned into a middle finger for Detective Patil. They started to drive, and it was only then that Kingsley revealed to the driver that he wanted to go to university.
"The university? At this hour? They must just have opened the doors," The patient detective said.
"So they will have time to receive us," Kingsley said.
"And why do you want to go there?" Patil asked.
"Last night, I became aware of some legal disputes that would have involved the university and a local farmer a few years ago," Kingsley said.
"What disputes?" Patil asked, adjusting his glasses.
"You're not aware that a farmer accused the university of killing one of his sheep?" Kingsley asked.
"No. I was transferred here six years ago, so it must have happened before then. I started my career in Cardiff." Patil said.
"He pressed charges, but it didn't go any further...Did you find anything on your end?" Kingsley asked.
"Nothing! Absolutely nothing!" Patil said.
They arrived in front of the university, a gothic-style building that must be at least two centuries old. They entered the building and made their way to the administrative wing, where the dean's office was. Kingsley entered a large, renovated building from the 1970s, with high ceilings and a distinct pastel colour on each wall. He introduced himself in a sort of anteroom occupied by a secretary and her tiny office and asked to see the dean on the top floor.
He waited a few minutes and could contemplate, on the walls, photographs of triumphant students, brandishing cups and medals, along ski slopes or furious torrents. Then, a few minutes later, Kingsley stood before the rector. A man with frizzy hair and a blunt nose but with a complexion of talcum powder. In the stormy gloom, a few rays of sunlight darted in, cutting shavings of light. The rector offered them a seat and began to massage his wrists nervously.
"I was expecting to receive a visit from you detectives." The dean said.
"Why so?" Patil asked.
"I had a conversation yesterday with one of our former students who is currently working at the hospital, Dr Gavin; you met him yesterday morning." The dean said.
The dean stiffened in his seat. His entire office was built of ochre wood, punctuated with metal mobiles that reminded him of flower stalks on a steel planet.
"Have there ever been any suspicious stories in your college?" asked Patil, in a quiet tone.
"Suspicious? Not at all." The dean replied.
"No drug stories. No robberies? No fights?" asked Patil.
"No," the dean replied.
"There are no gangs, no clans? Young people who have gotten into trouble?" asked Patil.
"I don't know what you mean," said the dean.
"I'm thinking of role-playing games. You know, those games full of ceremonies, rituals..." Patil explained.
"No. There's none of that with us. Our students are very clear-minded," the dean affirmed.
Kingsley remained silent. The rector looked at his shaved head and tall build. The man ran a hand over his face and then said as if trying to convince himself.
"I was told you were an excellent agent."
Kingsley said nothing more and stared at the dean. Finally, he looked away, perhaps realizing that he had made a mistake, and continued.
"I only wish one thing, detectives, that you discover the murderer as soon as possible. The new school year will soon be upon us and..." The dean said
"So far, no human or veterinary medical students have set foot on campus?" Kingsley asked.
"No, the undergraduates won't be back until the first week of September, and the graduate students won't be back until January; they're currently scattered around the country doing their internships before the final exams." The dean said.
"Very well...Mr. Dean, thank you for your time; we will not bother you any further. Have a good day." Kingsley said as he stood up.
The dean stood up as well, shaking their hands. Kingsley put his hands on his hips, his eyes roaming the elegantly furnished room.
"Just one last thing...I must admit, you have a very nice office... This university is a private institution, am I right?" Kingsley asked.
"Yes, it was founded a little over two hundred years ago, and since then, we have been educating the brightest minds in Wales." The dean replied proudly.
"And without indiscretion, how much are the fees?" Kingsley asked.
"Between ten thousand and fifteen thousand pounds a semester, depending on the course. Do you have children in high school, Detective?" The dean asked, pulling a pamphlet from his drawer, and thrusting it into his hand and another into Detective Patil's.
"I don't have any children, but Detective Patil has two daughters who may someday come here," Kingsley said.
"Oh, honestly, I don't think I would ever be able to afford to send my daughters to study in a castle!" Patil said, reading the pamphlet.
"Our price scares off many candidates, and they run away before they even look at our scholarship and aid program... We regret every year that we don't receive applications from low-income or foreign students." The dean said.
"Without indiscretion, while driving here and on the way to your office, I couldn't miss all the installations…how do you manage to offer such a high standard? The tuition the students pay can't be enough, right?" Kingsley asked.
"Obviously, it barely covers twenty per cent of the operating costs of the university." The dean said.
"And where does the other eighty per cent come from?" Kingsley asked.
Five per cent from the municipality, the remaining sixty-five from the Daffodil foundation." The dean said.
"I see... Well, we wish you a good start to the school year. Thank you." Kingsley said before leaving, followed by Detective Patil.
When they arrived at the hillside where the entrance to the dragon reserve was located, Xenia brought up a wooden table on which she unrolled one of the rolls of parchment that she took with her before leaving her house. Then, the three of them looked at a topographical map of the area they were in at the time.
"Well, from where should I start?" Xenia said to herself. "Okay…There are several wards to protect the reserve. The biggest one covers the whole reserve and is directly controlled in collaboration between the Romanian and Ukrainian Ministries of magic. We have no kind of control over it."
"Ukrainian?" Red asked.
"Yes, the reserve extends to the Hoverla, which is in Ukraine. This allows us to take advantage of the mountain ranges and thus use them as natural borders." Xenia said.
"I see...So I shouldn't worry about the biggest ward." Red said.
"No, just the ones inside; their locations and boundaries are shown on the map." She said as she ran her finger over the surface of the parchment. "There are some on the populated areas, the enclosures for the smaller specimens to protect them from the larger ones, the nursery, the clinic...Then up high...let's say the sky is divided into two floors, the lower one for the young dragons still learning how to fly, the higher and larger one for the adults." Xenia said.
"I see...Well, I'll take a moment to study all this before I get to work. Thank you." Red said.
"I'll be up there if you need anything else. Let me know when you're ready to move on to the next area." Xenia said, pointing to the top of the hill where the rock was before disappearing.
"She seems to have calmed down..." Sirius said, leaning on the table.
"It's because of you," Red said a smile on the corner of his lips.
"Shut up!" Sirius said. "So? What do you think?" he asked, drumming his fingers on the map.
"Well...The architecture of the wards is pretty simple; however, they cover a huge area...I don't know how they generate so much magical power. I need to take samples and analyze them later..." Red said.
"Okay...I see you know what you're doing; I'll leave you to work. Unless you feel like fainting or something " Sirius said as he walked away.
Sirius went to sit under a tree, leaning his back against the tree trunk. He was yawning, laughed when a squirrel came down from the tree and started nibbling on the toe of his shoe. Apparently, Red wasn't going to need him. He closed his eyes and dozed off for a while.
He was twelve years old, a smirk on his lips. Standing with his little brother in front of the portrait of their mother, who was yelling at him. His brother was slightly behind, casting worried glances behind him.
"You see? It's just a painting! You have absolutely nothing to worry about." Sirius said as he winced at the portrait, pounding his chest with his fists like a gorilla.
"Sirius! Stop it! Mother will hear you, and we'll be punished because of you." Regulus begged as he pulled him by his sweater.
"Stop whining, Reg! She's not here anyway; she's on the other side of the country because she thinks she was invited to the Parkinson's house." Sirius said, sticking his tongue out at the portrait that continued to scream.
"No... You did it again?! This time, she's going to know it's you!" Reg asked.
"Who cares...Ouch!" Sirius said, stumbling backwards. When something came between him and the portrait.
"LEAVE MY MISTRESS IN PEACE!" Kreacher shouted, his skinny arms spread wide to protect the painting.
Sirius chuckled, looking down on the elf before warning him. "Kreacher, get out of my way, or I'll strangle you."
The elf remained frozen in place, trapped by the dilemma of obeying the portrait or his master's order.
"As you wish," Sirius said before grabbing Kreacher by the neck.
"NO! YOU'RE HURTING HIM!" Reg screamed, throwing himself at Sirius, biting his arm.
"REG! FUCK!" Sirius screamed, dropping Kreacher, before kicking him with his foot, and the elf took off down the stairs.
"What's going on here?" A deep voice said behind them.
Immediately, the calm returned, the painting fell silent, and its curtains closed tightly. Sirius and Regulus turned slowly; their faces paled when they found their father. Orion Black was a tall man with a defined jaw, shared Sirius' curly black hair and eyes. As usual, he was impeccably dressed even though it was a Sunday.
"Good morning, Lord Black! Master of the most noble and ancient House Black! So ancient that its customs haven't changed since the stone age." Sirius said, bowing very low to his father.
"Good morning, father...we are sorry for the noise," Regulus said, lowering his head.
"Not me," Sirius said.
"Regulus, go to your room and get ready. I want to see you in 10 minutes in the living room." Orion said calmly to his son.
Regulus looked at his older brother and his father in turn before he complied and left. Leaving them alone.
"What's that rubbish on your chest?" Orion asked, referring to the Gryffindor house crest.
Before Sirius could answer, he felt his body freeze and not one of his members would obey his commands. He could barely breathe, let alone move his eyes. Then, he saw his father's hand reach out and rest on the crest before tearing it off and turning it to ash between his fingers.
"There...Now you're decent." Orion said with a sly smile.
He released him from the spell, and Sirius instinctively put his hand on his heart, where a hole in his red sweater was instead of the crest. He looked at his father angrily, who paid no attention and took out an open envelope from his suit jacket.
"I remember that I specifically forbade you from associating with the Potters' son! Don't underestimate your years at Hogwarts Sirius; you will never unite the great houses of Great Britain if they see you consorting with blood traitors, and who knows what." Orion said.
"DON'T YOU EVER..." Sirius shouted before his body levitated a few inches off the floor, and he found himself pinned back against the wall, once again not able to make a single move.
"Another letter arrived this morning. Your first term marks are brilliant. Yesterday after the wizengamot session, Dumbledore came to tell me that you were the best student currently enrolled in the castle, so Why do you persist in wasting your potential?" Orion said, looking him in the eyes, his hands in his pockets. "You obstinately hate me instead of siding with me. Listen to me, and in twenty years, you will be the most influential Minister of Magic in the history of this country; Perhaps Supreme mugwump one day, the world will be at your feet, Sirius."
Sirius tried to free himself, but nothing worked; his wand was in his room. Anyway, he couldn't move a finger and wouldn't have a chance against his father.
"Maybe there is something I am missing... Perhaps I should take a little look inside this stubborn little head." Orion said as he approached him, ruffling his hair before his ice grey eyes, eyes he shared with his son, looked into his.
At that moment, he was forced to relive all the events of his first year, from the moment he met his friends, the first fights with the other Slytherins, the pranks, to the moment his brain began to hurt as Sirius saw the memory of when he and James had guessed Remus' secret approaching. However, before the disaster, he felt his body break free before falling heavily to his knees on the floor. His head ached as if a herd of elephants were charging. He slowly lifted his head and realized that his little brother was back and looking at him worriedly.
"I'm sorry, Father. You told me to be back in ten minutes." Regulus said to Orion.
Orion ignored his son. "What a waste... If only you could be a little more like your brother," Orion said before turning his back on Sirius and walking down the stairs. "Follow me, Regulus." Regulus gave his brother an embarrassed look before running down the stairs to find his father.
That's when he opened his eyes, feeling a slight pain in his foot.
"Fucking squirrel!" Sirius said as he stretched.
"Excuse me?" asked Xenia, one eyebrow raised.
"Sorry, I thought a squirrel bit me," Sirius said.
"No, that was me; You didn't want to wake up so I kicked you," Xenia said.
"Oh...what time is it?" Sirius asked.
"Almost noon," Xenia said.
"Noon?! I slept for four hours?!" Sirius asked.
"Yes, you are useless here anyway...Well, if his highness is awake now, it would be a good time for him to move his butt so we can head to the second zone." She said.
"His highness needs a lift to move his butt," Sirius said as he held out a hand to her.
She rolled her eyes and grabbed it, then helped him up. After that, they went to join Red, who had already picked up his gear and was waiting for them, then set off again, heading northeast.
Kingsley stroked his lip, immersed in these thoughts, watching the countryside go by from the passenger seat window of Detective Patil's car as he gave instructions to other officers from the radio transmitter his vehicle was equipped with. They hadn't talked much since leaving the university, which suited Kingsley because he didn't know what to think about the case. The modus operandi was, in his opinion, impossible to reproduce without the use of magic. However, his instincts pointed to that university. His conversation with the dean had not deterred him. He was confident that the dean didn't share all he knew. Finally, he was pulled out of his thoughts by the voice of Detective Patil, who had put down his radio transmitter and was speaking to him.
"Can I ask you a question?
"Sure, what is it?" Kingsley asked.
"Why didn't you ask him about that dead sheep story?" Detective Patil asked.
"Because it's not relevant to this case" Kingsley replied.
"Er...can you elaborate? Because the reason we went there in the first place was because of the sheep story. Detective Patil said.
"No, we went there to get a glimpse of the people who could get a charge dropped and get a farmer kicked off his farm. That's why my questions were directed toward where the funds came from." Kingsley said.
"Yeah, but this isn't a tax fraud investigation... Crap," Detective Patil said after a light ricocheted off the windshield.
"Problem?" Kingsley asked.
"Yes...I got flashed... I can already see them laughing at the station." The Detective said.
"Where? Stop the car! Go Back!" Kingsley said, looking back.
"What?! I can't stop in the middle of the highway! Let alone drive back!" Detective Patil said.
"Do it! It is an order!" Kingsley said curtly.
"Okay, okay!" The Detective said as he pulled over to the side of the road on an emergency lane. " I can't back up; it's too dangerous."
"That will be enough!" Kingsley said as he got out of the car. "Where is it?"
"The radar? over there below the sign." Detective Patil said, pointing to a large metal plate hanging from a pedestrian bridge that linked one side of the highway to the other, some five hundred yards from them.
"Let's go!" Kingsley said as they headed over.
They walked hastily to the square, to the radar. It was a rectangular-shaped metal box. Kingsley crouched down in front of the box. The day before, the truck driver had complained that this kind of Muggle machine could take pictures of cars that passed above a certain speed and that they were everywhere in the village and its surroundings. What, is his opinion, must have been the lens, was aimed directly at the road and was placed high up... He looked out of the corner of his eye at Detective Patil.
"Can you open it?" Kingsley asked.
"Me? No... I have to stop by the Central, that's where the control unit is and ask that one of the traffic cones with me." Detective Patil.
"I see...I guess there must be a lot of these from here to Manchester, right?" Kingsley said.
"Here we are pretty close to the border with England; there are only two more on the highway further away...How many are they in England; I have no idea." The Detective said.
"Are they constantly recording?" Kingsley said.
"Yes, but they are not surveillance cameras...The angle is set to capture the license plate and the driver. To monitor traffic in general, some cameras shoot a wide view of a section considered dangerous or heavily used." The Detective said.
Kingsley played a hand on the box, looking at the road. "Fine, this is what we are going to do... On your side, you will check all the video recordings you can find, all the surveillance cameras between the Manchester freeway exit and Cardiff's entrance. Check the gas stations along the way. "
"Er...do you know how many videos that is?" The Detective asked.
"I know, but we have no choice... We need to reconstruct the victim's journey from where he started to when his car disappeared. It will give us a lead on where he was kidnapped. Maybe we'll find out more at the scene. Because honestly, at this point, we're dealing with the perfect crime. And trust me, these muggle things can make the difference." Kingsley said.
"These mugs what?" Patil asked.
"Nothing…Just a way of speaking." Kinglsey said.
"Oh, Fine...I can find what you're asking for as long as it's in Wales but in England...I'm out of my jurisdiction." Detective Patil said.
"You will receive what you need before tonight," Kingsley said.
"Okay...And in the meantime, what will you do?" Patil asked.
"On my side, I will investigate this generous foundation that provides funding for the university," Kingsley said.
"You seem convinced of their involvement...Why?" Patil asked.
"At one point, the dean said that he had inquired about me. That he had been told I was an excellent agent...If he had nothing to do with this case, why did he ask about me? Is he interested in my skills or my integrity?" Kingsley asked. And more importantly, who could answer these questions since he wasn't really a Muggle police officer, and his name was supposed to be on a top-secret list.
In the late afternoon, Sirius and Red had just dropped into chairs around a table that Joan was occupying. They were exhausted. Xenia had made them walk, climb, run, all so that they could do only two regions in one day. Then, after arriving at the second region, she left them alone and set off, pretending to have to start her shift. Red crossed his arms on the table and rested his head. Sirius ordered a drink before starting a conversation with Joan, whom they had not seen all day.
"What did you do all day? Sirius asked.
"I woke up late and then spent the day walking around the village and talking to people. What about you?" Joan replied.
"For me, it was really boring...I spent all day watching Red work." Sirius said.
"And did he make any progress?" Joan asked as she looked at Red, his head buried in his arms on the table.
"He seemed pretty happy, so I guess he must have," Sirius said.
"Did you see any dragons?" Joan asked.
"Yes, two! But from a distance! Tomorrow we'll visit zones three and four; we'll probably see more than one." Sirius said, thanking the bartender who had just placed a tray with three pints on it.
"I might come with you, but I want to talk to Dragan first," Joan said.
"Why?" Sirius asked.
"An old man in the village told me there is a library that the dragonologists filled over the years at the Hall. Scarce copies, I can't leave this place before having a look at them. Joan said before downing a pint.
"we'll go see him later to talk about what I've been doing all day," Red said.
In the early evening, Kingsley was pacing back and forth in his hotel room carrying the phone in one hand, the handset pressed against his ear, trailing the wire behind him. On the other side of the line, Rufus Scrimgeour was silently listening to Kingsley's report.
"I've assigned Detective Patil to a task that will keep him busy for a while," Kingsley said.
"So, As I understand, you have made absolutely no progress in this case," Scrimgeour said.
Kingsley hesitated to answer for a moment. "No. But I think I got a lead. As I told you, the university receives funding from a foundation..."
"Schaklebolt, you're spreading yourself too thin! I sent you to solve a murder, not to do bookkeeping." Scrimgeour said dryly.
"I know that, but the case is much more complicated in my opinion, Sir," Kingsley said.
"No, it isn't! You say that a wizard committed the murder, and I believe you. However, now you are telling me that you want to investigate a muggle university finances. Unless you can come up with some concrete evidence, you're off the rails! Get your head in the game, or I'll take you off this case!" Scrimgeour scolded him. "It's Monday. I'll give you until Friday to solve this case, don't disappoint me!" he added before hanging up.
Kingsley sat on his bed, dropping the phone on the floor in frustration. If only the head of the Auror office was still Alastor Moody, things would have been done very differently. Rufus Scrimgeour was an excellent Auror and had been a major asset to their side during the war, but he was also a politician asshole. He picked up the phone from the floor, realized that he had broken it. He quickly fixed it with his wand. He took out of his pocket a small card that Detective Patil had given him the first day. He dialled the number and waited while it rang.
"Hello?" Patil said.
"Detective Kingsley Schaklebolt on the phone, we need to meet," Kingsley said.
"Er...right away?" Patil asked.
"Yes, otherwise I would have called you tomorrow morning," Kingsley said.
"It's that now, I'm home... I'm taking care of my daughters, my wife is not here so I can't leave." Patil said.
"I understand. Stay home; I'll be there in five minutes." Kingsley said before hanging up.
Hello Everyone! Thank you very much for reading and following this story! I hope you'll like this chapter and what's coming next. A to my posting schedule, it's very irregular, some chapters take two days to write and others a week. However, if you see no update for like a month it won't be because I dropped but because I would be writing a particularly important chapter and I want to be fully satisfied or at least sure I can't do any better before posting it.