Chapter Forty Six
Disclaimer: I do own the OCs and the Guardian Program and the other things that being a Guardian entails.
Summary: After the Second Wizarding War, a Guardian was given to each child of the main families that helped in the war. They were all tasked with a simple job, protect their allocated person with their life. Somehow, Freya screwed it up in the biggest way. She fell in love.
HARRY POTTER
James and Freya walked back to the courtroom, hand in hand. As they had walked back, Freya had explained to James what had happened when she was alone with Lance and James had taken it farther well. James didn't like nor did he condone what had happened, but he understood. He understood that Freya had been taken to a dark place and it wasn't his place to judge her for what happened. All James cared about was that Freya was safe. Now that Freya was away from Lance, the dark thoughts had completely left her and now she felt good. She felt proud of herself because she had walked away from Lance without killing him – in her eyes that was an achievement and she felt like celebrating.
Ginny was the first to spot James and Freya as they walked back into the courtroom. "James! Freya!" She yelled as she ran over. When she was close enough, she wrapped James up in her arms and hugged him fiercely, glad that he was okay. Freya watched with a soft smile as Ginny smothered James in hugs and kisses. James protested that he was fine as he tried to getaway. But Ginny was having none of it and would hug and kiss him more, just to embarrass him.
Freya was about to walk away and leave them to have their moment when unfamiliar feminine arms wrapped around her. Freya tensed and was about to reach for her wand when she realised exactly who had hugged her. "I am so glad you're safe," Ginny whispered softly as she embraced Freya, placing her head on top of Freya's. Freya stilled for a moment, not understanding what had happened. She looked to James to guidance but he had a knowing grin on his face and shook his head, silently conveying that he wasn't going to help her.
"I wasn't gone that long," Freya muttered, not understanding why Ginny had hugged her. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't good either.
Ginny let go for a moment but kept her hands on Freya's shoulders. "I was worried about you, that's why. You've been through so much already and I was scared something had happened." Ginny's voice was soft as she explained her reasons, making sure she looked Freya in the eyes so she could convey how genuine her words were.
This stumped Freya. She stared at Ginny, not knowing what to say next. She wasn't used to people worrying about her, especially not a grown-ups. In her sixteen years alive, she could count on one hand how many grown-ups cared about her, but in the last week, more adults had cared about her than before and it confused her.
"I want to apologise as well," Ginny said, not knowing the internal battle Freya was having inside her head. "I treated you unfairly when we first met and I have no excuse. I am so sorry."
Freya's eyes widened, "But I thought you hated me?" She wouldn't have blamed Ginny if she did hate her, Freya hadn't exactly been kind either.
Ginny pursed her lips together, ashamed of her actions the previous night. "I don't hate you. I could never hate you, I just didn't understand the situation. Now that I do, I am mortified with how I acted. Can you forgive me?" She asked, her expression pleading.
It took a few moments for Freya to comprehend what had happened. Ginny was asking for her forgiveness. A weak grin rolled onto Freya's face. "Only if you can forgive me pointing my wand at you,"
Ginny laughed and smiled, "Of course," She pulled Freya in for another hug, one that Freya weakly returned, still not used to physical contact with other people that wasn't James. But it was enough for Ginny and she pulled away with a large smile.
"I say that went rather well," James said with a grin as he watched his mother walked away.
Freya glared at him, "With no help from you,"
James looked away and whistled innocently. Freya rolled her eyes at his behaviour, used to it by now. Freya looked around the room and for the first time, noticed the carnage. The courtroom was complete trashed. Benches had been thrown across the room, papers were scattered everywhere and glass was broken. The walls and floors had been scorched from the spells that had been unleashed and the doors to the courtroom were off their hinges. It looked like a warzone and Freya hadn't remembered it being this bad when she left.
"What were the casualties?" Freya asked as she looked to James for answers.
James looked around the room and about to answer, but someone beat him to it. "Nine Witches and Wizards of the Wizengamot were killed. Benjamin was one of the people who was killed, but it was Rupert who killed him." Draco said as he walked over to Freya with Hermione at his side. They had received Harry's Patronus and had headed back to the courtroom, more relaxed than they had been before.
James winced at the news and glanced at Freya, concerned about her reaction. However, Freya slowly nodded her head. She wasn't surprised by this. In the short time Rupert had to cause a distraction, the best gamble would be to attack the Head of Wizengamot as it would send people into a commotion. Rupert had caused the most destruction he could and she began to wonder who had subdued him.
"How are you feeling, Freya?" Hermione asked, fretful for her. The Patronus had given a brief breakdown of what had happened, but even then it had been vague. Hermione had her suspicions that more had taken place but she didn't want to push too much.
Freya smiled slightly, Hermione's concern made her feel warm inside. "I'm feeling good, better than I thought I would be," Freya never thought she would feel good, especially considering what had happened. James reached out and took Freya's hand in his. Freya glanced at him and smiled softly, just being near him relaxed her.
Hermione watched Freya for a moment and nodded her head when she felt that Freya had been genuine. She watched the interaction between James and Freya and found it cute, so cute that she couldn't help the smile that rolled onto her face. Draco had also watched Freya closely, focused on her eyes because they were the only part of her that revealed any emotion – no matter how small it may be. Draco was pleased when he didn't see any darkness in her eyes and that's how he knew she was okay.
Remembering that she had Eva's wand, Freya reached into her pocket and handed the wand over to Hermione. "It's Eva's wand, you'll probably want this,"
Hermione took the wand and placed it in her own robes for safekeeping. "Thank you," She had been equally surprised about Eva being involved with betraying Lance. Hermione had a whole team and operation waiting to arrest Eva but now that would have to be discarded and a new plan would need to be made.
Just then, Harry walked back into the courtroom and everyone turned to look at him. Freya was amused when she saw Harry was dragging Lance by the scruff of his robes and Eva was levitated in using magic. Freya watched as Lance moved his mouth but no sound came out. Freya smirked when she realised what Harry had done and she felt a smug sense of satisfaction. Freya nudged James and whispered to him what his dad had done. James' eyes lit up with laughter, a large grin on his face. Two Auror ran towards Harry and took Eva away, no doubt to be questioned. Harry dragged Lance into the middle of the room and magically bound him to the chair. Lance took this opportunity and looked around the room, only to be met with hostility. Everyone in the room glared at him, hate in their eyes. If Lance had the ability to move, he would have slumped down in his seat but he couldn't and he bared the full force of everyone's disdain and hatred.
A woman cleared her throat which caused everyone to look at her. Freya immediately recognised her as the woman who had referred to Helga's report on Gretchen and Caitlin while she questioned Lance. The woman was tall and lanky, her purple robes were fitted to match her willowy figure. She had dark ginger hair and brown eyes, with freckles dusted on her face. "Under normal circumstances, this case would be adjourned until a new leader of the Wizengamot could be found. However, after speaking with my colleagues and a quick vote between us, I am now acting as Head of the Wizengamot until we can have a proper vote. For everyone that does not know me, my name is Cassandra Summers. This case will continue. Everyone, please take your seats," Cassandra said, her head held high as she gracefully walked over to Benjamin's seat. As she spoke, three Auror worked in the background and restored the courtroom to what it was before the ambush had happened. Within a blink of an eye, the room looked perfect and everything was back in its place.
Freya watched Cassandra and instantly recognised that Cassandra was a Pureblood. No one other than a Pureblood could handle themselves in such a noble fashion. Also, Freya was certain she had seen Cassandra at a few Pureblood events that her parents forced her to attend. Freya, as well as everyone else, sat down in their respective seats they have been in before the chaos. James and Freya sat together again and she watched as Harry and Hermione whispered to one another. Draco sat perfectly still, years of Pureblood training came into play. Ron was sat next to Hermione, his leg bounced up and down, the adrenaline not fully gone yet. Freya spotted Kingsley sat in the corner of the room, his face void of any emotion. Seamus and Dean were sat on the other side of the room, Seamus looked quite smug whereas Dean stared at Seamus in exasperation.
Once Cassandra was sat in Benjamin's old seat, she waited until everyone was seated and silent. She looked down on Lance. "Mr Johnson, you have caused quite a stir today in this court. One that has not worked in your favour," Her tone held a heavy accusation, one that no one could deny or refute.
Lance practically squirmed in his seat.
A small smirk rolled onto Cassandra's face when she saw how uncomfortable he was, "I think we're ready to cast our vote unless anyone wants to add anything?" Cassandra asked as she looked out at the audience.
James squeezed Freya's hand, already guessing what was going to happen. Freya stood from her seat, "I do,"
Cassandra looked at her, "Then speak now," She said as she motioned for Freya to begin and to be quick about it. In her eyes, Lance Johnson had already been given too much of a platform that he didn't deserve.
This was something that Freya hadn't missed. She noticed that the other members of the Wizengamot looked impatient and knew that she needed to be quick. "Lance has done terrible things. Things that shouldn't be repeated. However, there are somethings he hasn't been held accountable for and he should. I request that the Veritaserum potion be used on him so all his crimes can be accounted for," She looked at the sea of purple robes, internally hoping that her words wouldn't be dismissed.
"We shouldn't be entertaining this. She is but a child," A male voice said from the audience. There were a few murmurs in agreement as people turned to each other and whispered their thoughts. Some were in favour of Freya's ideas, but others weren't.
Another plum robed member shouted out. "Veritaserum isn't always accurate either!"
"Order!" Cassandra raised her voice. The muttering stopped as the courtroom fell silent once more. Cassandra looked at Freya, "Miss Williams, are you suggesting that Lance is responsible for more crimes than what has been brought forward?" Her tone was soft but severe, one that commanded the respect of the room.
Freya nodded her head, "I am,"
Cassandra's dark eyes considered Freya for a moment. "Under normal circumstances, Veritaserum potion wouldn't be used because it isn't always accurate because it can be fought against."
"I understand that. But I know for a fact that Lance has no skill in Occlumency and cannot fight against it," Freya answered back, prepared for this. Lance was not proficient in Occlumency because he never assumed that anyone would invade his mind – Lance was always invading other people's minds instead.
"Then we must investigate," Cassandra said as she reached behind the desk and pulled out a bottle of Veritaserum and passed it to a nearby Auror.
The Auror took the potion and walked over to Lance. The Auror cancelled the spell that Harry had placed on Lance and then tried to pour some of the potion into his mouth. Lance resisted, his eyes pleading for mercy but he was largely ignored. The Auror grabbed the back of Lance's head, tipped it back and forced three drops of the potion into his mouth. Lance chocked on the potion and tried to spit it out, but it was too late. After a few seconds, Lance's eyes glazed over and his expression was blank.
"Ask your questions," Cassandra said to Freya, knowing that they only had a limited amount of time to ask questions.
Freya squeezed James' hand before she let go. She walked over to Lance and stopped when she was a few feet away from him. She could feel that all the eyes were on her, but she disregarded them as they were not important, "What is your name?" She asked as her tester question. She needed to make sure that the potion was in full effect.
"Lance Archibald Johnson," He answered, his tone dead.
Satisfied that the potion was in effect, Freya began her questioning. "Did you kill Garrick Ollivander?" She remembered seeing Garrick's name in the newspaper not too long after she informed Lance he had spoken to her. This had been a regret that sat heavily on Freya's chest for a long time and she regretted telling him that Garrick had spoken to her and remembered her.
"Yes,"
Gasps filled the room as everyone looked horrified. When the death of Garrick Ollivander had emerged, people had been shocked. He may have been old, but it seemed as though he was never going to die. People had dismissed his death as a natural cause, but others, like his son, had suspected foul play was involved.
Moving on, Freya asked her next question, "Did you have Lucius Malfoy killed?" She had her suspicions but no evidence to substantiate it. It seemed odd that soon after her parents visited Lucius that he would end up dead in a small amount of time. Especially when Lucius had refused Lance's offer multiple times.
"Yes," Lance answered.
Draco's eyes widened slightly as his whole body tensed. He had never suspected that his father's death was because he was murdered. He felt very confused about how to feel about his father now, a sense of guilt hit him.
"Did you kill your bullies in Hogwarts?" Freya asked. She already knew this answer because Lance had told her, but he had never revealed what their names were or gave a specific number as to how many he killed. But she wanted the court to know Lance had killed far more people than just Guardians.
"Yes,"
"What were their names?" Freya questioned as she pushed further for answers. She needed the names so they could retribution.
Lance's face remained stoic. "Aiden West, Luke Hunter and Andrew Summers."
Freya made eye contact with Cassandra and noted how pale she had become. Cassandra stared at Lance with a sickened expression, an expression that was shared by most people within the court. No one could believe that someone who had been respected within the Ministry could commit all these heinous acts. It was then that Freya realised that Cassandra and one of Lance's old bullies had the same last name and began to wonder if there was any relation between the two. Freya looked away and focused on Lance, knowing she needed to continue before the potion lost its effect. "Did you blackmail Alastor Moody into training you?"
"Yes,"
"Did you kill Katrina Thompson, knowing that she was pregnant with Frank Longbottom's baby?" Freya asked, going for the jugular with this question as her tone became harsher. This needed to be brought to light because Freya refused to let Lance get away with this.
Lance's face remained expressionless. "Yes,"
There was a screech of outrage from the sea of plum robes, Lance's answer had enraged quite a few members. Harry had stood up in shock, his eyes widened in horror. Freya hadn't shared this piece of information within their interviews and now he was felt sick. Freya had shared that Katrina had been pregnant but he had no idea that the child was Neville's grandchild. Ginny gasped in horror, a hand over her mouth. James' jaw clenched at the news, this was something Freya had shared with him in private and it had been horrible to hear, but he was glad it was finally being brought to light.
"Murder!" Seamus screamed as he jumped up in his seat.
Cassandra sent Seamus a scolding glare, "Mr Finnegan, there will be order in this court!" She exclaimed, her voice slightly raised.
Seamus sat down and crossed his arms over his chest in a huff.
Freya knew that she needed to move on before anything else disrupted the questioning, "Did you kill Amy Fisher, a Guardian who was also pregnant?"
"Yes,"
"Is there truly a self-destruct function on the Guardian Mark, where if you die, everyone who has a Mark will die with you?" Freya asked, her gaze solely focused on Lance.
"Yes," Lance answered.
Freya stepped away, having asked all the questions that she needed to. "Does anyone else want to ask any questions?" She asked as she opened up the floor.
There was silence in the courtroom. It was so quiet that everyone could hear the noise of another courtroom. As there were no takers, Cassandra passed the antidote to the Auror and they gave it to Lance. After a few drops touched his tongue, the glazed look in his eyes disappeared and the horror set in. He had revealed his secrets for everyone to hear.
Cassandra cleared her throat, "I think we're ready to vote. Raise your wand or hand for guilty and leave it down for innocent. On the first count of the kidnapping of two minors, Caitlin Finnegan and Gretchen Thomas, what is the verdict?"
Out of the remaining forty-one members of the Wizengamot, forty-one raised this wands or hands.
Seamus and Dean looked at each member of the Wizengamot with satisfied expressions. This had been the verdict they had hoped for. In their eyes, Lance was guilty no matter what and Dean was glad that everyone else could see it. Now, they would get justice for what happened to their daughters.
"On the second count of starting a Department on fraudulent claims. What is the verdict?" Cassandra asked as she looked to the sea of purple robes.
Twenty-one wands and hands were raised.
Kingsley sighed in relief, the majority had voted Lance guilty. But, he was slightly disappointed there weren't more wands raised for this charge.
Cassandra looked at every person who didn't raise their wands and silently judged them. "And on the final count of the massacre of minors through extreme methods. What is the verdict?"
Finally, thirty-two wands or hands were raised.
Cassandra looked down at Lance and noted the fear in his eyes. "Mr Johnson, you have been found guilty of all three charges. Taking into account the other crimes you have admitted to, they will be added on and will be considered in your sentence. I will personally make sure that everyone who has been affected by you will get their justice. Mr Johnson, you are a cruel man and a monster. In my long career, I have had the pleasure of never coming across someone like you before. You sully the very court you're sat in by your presence alone. Your sentence will not be light." She warned harshly, her tone like velvet steel.
Lance whimpered slightly as his body shook in fear.
"However, due to a clause within the Guardian Mark, we must first remove them from the assailants from earlier so we can deal with them separately." Cassandra glared at Lance for causing this issue, "As such, you will be placed into a magically induced coma and placed in a secret location until your sentencing date. This is to stop you from making any more of your plans," Cassandra practically spat the last word out in disgust and contempt. Cassandra motioned for the Auror to take action by lifting her chin ever so slightly.
"No! Please, I beg you!" Lance shouted out in desperation.
However, he was ignored. The Auror walked over to Lance and muttered a spell no one heard or saw. Slowly, Lance stopped shouting and his head slumped forward. Once unconscious, the Auror unbound Lance and muttered a levitation spell. Three other Auror joined him as they circled Lance, acting as a barrier in case anyone came to collect him. All four Auror then left the room with Lance to be placed somewhere else until further notice.
Cassandra cleared her throat which gained everyone's attention. "Mr Johnson's sentencing will take place in three days' time. This case is adjourned for the moment until we can properly decide Mr Johnson's sentence. This will also give the Ministry's Curse-Breakers time to remove the Marks." Cassandra stood up and left out of the back entrance and soon after the other members of the Wizengamot followed after her.
HARRY POTTER
Later that same day
Harry sighed to himself, it had been a long day. He and Ginny had sent both Freya and James back to Hogwarts until Lance's sentencing. Ginny had made sure to send Freya's trunk back to Hogwarts too so that she would have everything she needed. Harry pitied them, they would now have to act like everything was normal until Lance was sentenced. Freya had told him that she would keep him updated on the other Guardians and whether a Curse-Breaker needed to come to visit them to remove the Guardian Mark. But Harry was confident that it wouldn't be needed because Freya had told him that she had given them the Celestial Crystals to negate the defences of the Mark. However, the Guardian's parents weren't so lucky. The Ministry didn't have any Celestial Crystals on hand and a bunch of Curse-Breakers were sent to find them.
Since the trial had finished, Harry, Hermione, Ron and Draco had interviewed the Guardian's parents. Nearly all of them had been extremely forthcoming with answers, most of them engaged with the questions and were honest with them – as much as they could with the Mark in place. However, the one person that refused to speak was Rupert. He had stayed silent for the entire interview and no amount of interrogation tactics had broken him. Rupert had uttered one sentence the entire session and it was that he would only speak with Freya. Harry, Hermione and Draco had refused him but Ron had stayed silent on the matter. Draco had been particularly furious and had immediately shut Rupert down without another thought, and Hermione had done the same but more politely.
Harry walked the hallways of the cells within the Ministry. He had one last visit he needed to complete before he could head home. The thoughts of his bed came to mind and he wished he could be there, snuggled up with his wife but duty called. As he walked down the hallway, he noticed a figure up ahead. It was Bill Weasley, his brother in law.
"Hey, Bill. How's the case been going?" Harry asked when he was close enough.
Bill smiled when he saw Harry, the smile made the scars on his face more prominent. Bill was a tall, thin man with long ginger hair that matched the rest of his family. He wore casual clothing that looked comfortable. "Not bad, you know I always love a challenge." Bill had been made Head Curse-Breaker at Gringotts but he was mainly based in the Ministry, training up future Curse-Breakers. He also helped out at the Ministry when strange things came in. Currently, Bill was the Lead Curse-Breaker trying to break the Guardian Mark.
Harry nodded his head, "Well this will definitely be a challenge. What are your thoughts so far?" He asked, genuinely curious to know a professional's opinion about the Mark.
Bill pressed his lips together as he thought about it. "The Mark is definitely made by Curse-Breakers because I spotted their insignia on the Marks itself. It's very detailed and highly volatile. One wrong move could cause the Curse-Breaker and the poor sod to become injured or even killed. It is especially delicate considering it's on the back of the neck. How did Freya say she got hers off?" Bill asked in curiosity. The Mark was a genuine mystery to him and all the other Curse-Breakers on the team. They had never seen anything so intricate and temperamental at the same time. It was an exciting task but it needed to be treated very cautiously.
"She said she burned it off after using a Celestial Crystal," Harry winced at the memory. The burn on the back of Freya's neck had been angry and inflamed before they got it treated. The fact Freya had to go to such extreme lengths had appalled him.
Bill grimaced at the information. It had been gruesome but an astonishing way to get the Mark off, not that Bill would ever recommend such a procedure. Bill had spent his time examining Mark while also trying to bring together a plan. The only plan they could think off at the moment was to locate some Celestial Crystals and then go from there. "I can't believe this was happening under our noses the entire time," Bill sighed and shook his head. Harry had told him everything. To say Bill had been sickened was an understatement and Fleur personally wanted to hit Lance herself for what he had done.
Harry frowned grimly, "I know. But the important things is that it's over. The Guardian Program is no more and all the kids are free."
"It's what comes after that concerns me," Bill said, his tired eyes spoke volumes. Everyone who had been in the Second Wizarding War suffered and some didn't recover from the War. Bill would fully admit that he still suffered to that day. His face was physically disfigured from the Werewolf attack and he had Werewolf tendencies to back it up. However, Bill was far more concerned about the children's mental health and how they would cope with being released into a society where they didn't live in constant fear anymore.
Harry shared that same concern, and so did Hermione and Draco. Hermione had written ahead to McGonagall and asked for her to keep an eye on Freya in case anything happened. The children may not have been in a War, but they had to live in constant fear of one man. No doubt, there would be repercussions.
"Give Ginny my best anyway," Bill said as he walked away. He still had so much to do for when the other Curse-Breakers brought the crystal back.
Harry watched as Bill walked away. After a few seconds, Harry continued to walk down the hallway. He only stopped when he arrived at one of the interrogation rooms. He nodded at the two Auror that stood guard before he entered the room. Harry had placed two Auror in front of this door who he could trust. Lance's influence in the Ministry reached further than anyone had anticipated and now each Ministry employee was being watched at – scrutinised to see if they had been in league with Lance. They were mainly searching for the Guardian Mark on the back of necks as Fernsby had. Fernsby was also being held in the cells and Ron had personally volunteered to interrogate him. Harry hoped that Fernsby could reveal some names of other members of the Guardian Program but he wouldn't hold his breath either.
Harry closed the door behind him and looked at Eva. Eva had the magic draining cuffs placed on her wrists and her wand had been removed. Eva's wand was currently in possession of Hermione, who had placed it away safely. "Good evening, Miss Lamb," Harry said as he sat down in the seat opposite her. Eva had been placed in this cell hours ago and had been forced to wait for him to be done with everyone else first.
Eva scowled darkly. "I have been here for hours,"
"I know," Harry answered with a smile, "My team has been busy clearing up the mess that is Lance Johnson," His tone was heavy and the accusation was clear. All of the cases within the Auror Department had to be put on hold to handle this situation and that meant double the paperwork for Harry – the bane of his existence.
Eva fell silent but her eyes hardened.
"You're an odd woman, Miss Lamb," Harry began as he leaned back in his seat, getting comfortable. "After sentencing Lance, we were going to arrest you. But, then you end up nearly killing Lance,"
Still, Eva said nothing.
Harry decided to push it further. "Your wand was examined as well. We found evidence of an unfinished spell – the Killing Curse. We also have a witness who saw this." Hermione had been the one to test Eva's wand and she had passed on the results to Harry and Freya had confirmed this story. Harry could have convicted Eva on this alone and she knew this. Using any of the Unforgivable Curses was a crime and was punishable by Azkaban – or even worse depending on the situation.
Eva clenched her jaw, a vein ticked in annoyance, "You know nothing,"
"I know more than you think," Harry insisted, "I know that you've been Lance's secretary for ten years. I know that you've stood by Lance's side as he tortured and killed children. You did nothing to help those children and as such, that makes you an accomplice," This charge could get Eva just as harsh a sentence as Lance plus the other charge. It wasn't looking very good for Eva. He was hoping that Eva could pass on more information about the Guardian Program since she was Lance's secretary.
She glared at him, "And you trust what she says?" Eva's voice was filled with disgust and resentment. It was so harsh that it nearly made Harry wince but he was able to hide it and his face remained impassive.
"A lot more than you," Harry answered honestly. Freya had been honest with him, not shying away from any details. Harry could tell that she had been genuine when she described her experiences and that's why Harry fought so hard to get the justice she deserved.
"She was Lance's pet!" Eva snarled as she tried to lean forward in her seat, but found that she couldn't because she was magically bound to the chair, "She has killed more people than any other Guardian. She was Lance's informant!"
Harry's face darkened, "She is a child. She has been coerced and brainwashed, just like all the other Guardians. She was a victim. But you, you are an adult. You don't even have a Guardian Mark so you have no excuses," Harry had the Auror and Helga check the back of Eva's neck and found that she had no Mark. There has been slight scarring of the neck, but Helga had found the scarring was old – around eight years old.
Eva swallowed thickly and she tensed.
"So you stood by Lance's side and didn't say anything, even though you didn't have a Guardian Mark stopping you from saying anything." Harry's voice was casual, but his eyes spoke volume. He stared at Eva in silent anger. It had been a long day and he was starting to lose his patience. If Eva didn't start talking soon, he was going to end this interview and just charge her. Harry was also considering using more extreme methods of extracting information out of Eva, but he decided against them for now.
"I wanted to," Eva said, her voice had lost its bite. "I wanted to tell people but I was scared. Lance was cunning and he had people in high places so I didn't know who to turn to. Eight years ago, he was completely different – more observant. So I had to be careful."
Harry frowned, not expecting this answer. "What do you mean?"
Eva looked at Harry in the eyes. "Who do you think sent you that message about Lydia Williams?"
Harry tensed. He had wondered who had sent him that message about Lydia. A mysterious message had appeared on his desk, informing him that everything began with Lydia. The note had led him to investigate further into the Williams family and what led him to Freya in the end. "You sent that message? How did you get it inside the house?" The thought that Eva had set foot into his house sent a child down his spine.
"Through Ginny. I said I was from the Ministry and asked her to place the note on your desk," Eva said with a slight shrug of her shoulders. "We needed your help to bring down Lance,"
"Whose we?" Harry pressed further.
Eva sighed deeply, a haunted look in her eyes. "I knew that Lance needed to be stopped, but I didn't know-how. I found that people felt the same as me and we formed a group. We planned to have Lance brought to justice but he was too hard to catch. We tried but he was too vigilant and cautious. We had to be careful because one wrong move could have resulted in a massacre. No Guardian was willing to come forward either which made it even more difficult to pin him,"
"Yet you were so ready to kill Lance," Harry argued, unimpressed with her answer.
"I had enough," Eva shook her head, "I didn't care about the consequences and I still don't. As long as Lance died, I didn't care. But then Freya got in the way," She scowled darkly as she thought about the younger girl.
Harry held back a retort and moved on. "Who was part of your group?" He asked out of curiosity. He was aware that there was a group that wanted to bring down Lance, but he never would have thought Eva was the leader. But this meant he could find out more information about it. He had only ever met one member – a female – but he had no idea who it was because they were wearing a hood that had been charmed so no one could see their face.
Eva wet her lips, "Amy Fisher and Logan Phillips, they were Guardians. But they got caught and Lance killed them. Most of the parents of the Guardians are part of the group as well, the only person who wasn't included was Vivienne Williams,"
Harry felt like he had been punched in the jut, he didn't miss the fact Eva hadn't excluded one name in particular. "Are you saying that Rupert Williams is part of a resistance against Lance Johnson?" He asked.
Eva nodded her head.
Harry stood up, he had heard enough. He ignored Eva's calls for him to come back and he shut the door to the interrogation room. Harry turned to the two Auror, "Do not move her from that room until I say so,"
The two Auror nodded their heads.