TheGrandDisciple: sorry for the delay. Took me forever to get my parts written. Starting a new job and had a few unexpected trips and uncooperative weather. Regardless I got it done.
SOTM- interested to hear what everyone's thoughts are on the mystery part. Remember, this story is part of a series but not necessary to read. It just helps a lot lol
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Harry followed Hermione out of Kingsley's office with solemn looking faces. Having just been briefed by their boss and confirming their game plan for the case, neither said anything as they walked through the bullpen towards the holding cells.
"Miss Granger," one of the guards greeted, "The Minister sent word ahead, we have the prisoner ready for questioning in room seven."
Hermione smiled, "Thank you, Mr. Knight." Turning to Harry she smiled, "That was thoughtful of him."
"Very." Harry stopped in his tracks, "Hermione can I ask you a personal question?"
"Of course, Harry."
"Are you…." He paused, not knowing how to ask if she was involved with their boss. "Are you and Kingsley seeing each other?"
The blank look on her face was replaced with a loud snort and a giggle, "Where is this coming from? Of course not!" Hermione cupped her hands to her face, embarrassed that her laugh was so loud.
He let his shoulders drop and he chuckled, "Well, you guys seem pretty close and you stayed the night at his pad."
Catching her breath, "I can see how that could be misconceived, but I assure you, I am not sleeping with our boss."
"Well Ron doesn't see it that way." Harry said, quickly adding in a lighter tone, "Not that it's his business."
She stopped laughing at the mention of her ex boyfriend, "Maybe it's not such a bad idea to let Ron think that. After all…"
"What? Yeah, I mean, I don't see why not."
"It's just that he's so… you know. And I don't want to…. You know." She mumbled as she dramatically waved her hands.
"I understand. Of course." He agreed and cleared his throat, "So I guess it's safe to say you two still need to work things out?"
She sighed deeply, speaking under her breath, "More like he needs to work himself out of my life."
"Potter! Can we hurry this up? He's expected in Azkaban admitting in an hour." A man called out from down the hall.
"So good Auror, bad Auror?" Harry perked up, laughing as she swatted him on the elbow.
The man cuffed to the chair sat up straight, crossing one leg over the other and tried to flick his hair out of his face without using his hands, "Well, color me impressed, my homecoming has prompted a visit from The Boy Who Lived."
Harry walked in, keeping his head down and his hands in his pockets, "Yeah, yeah, played out joke. You're not special. Tell us about the letter."
"Aren't you going to read Scabior his rights first?" he licked his dry cracked lips while looking at Hermione up and down.
"I did that already." Hermione spoke up, "But you probably don't remember because you were unconscious. Answer the question, please."
Scabior tilted his head back and chuckled to himself, "Please? My, my, my. You hear that, Scabior? Little girl finally learned some manners."
"One should return the favor," She said sweetly, "please tell us what you know about the letter."
He moved his head back and forth to a slow rhythm, "She says please. Oh, but that isn't enough for Scabior. I want to hear you beg." He growled through his teeth animalistic like, with saliva forming on the edges of his mouth.
Harry picked up on Scabior talking in third person, "Unless Scabior wants Harry Potter to shove his wand down his throat, he'll answer the bloody question."
Hermione shot Harry a look, "We know Alastor-"
Scabior lunged from his seat, or at least attempted to, but it was bolted to the floor and his wrists were magically restrained. "Don't speak his name!"
"Then tell us what you know." Harry demanded.
"I was trying to deliver the letter. Scabior tried. Scabior did as told." He started to rock back and forth in his chair, looking down to a spot on the table with unfocused eyes. "No matter what, he says. Scabior was good."
Harry stood up straight and crossed his arms again, "Sorry to be the one to break it to you, but this Son of the Morning fellow is dead. Severus Snape died in the war."
Scabior let out a twisted giggle, "The same war that I died in?"
"You have 30 minutes to tell us all you know before you get throw in Azkaban until your trial. Right now, your trial just got pushed back six weeks. You really want to make this harder on yourself? I can push it back eight weeks." Hermione held her hand out and a scroll magically appeared above her hand. Having summoned his paperwork, she unrolled it and summoned a quill as well.
Knowing that he would be put in solitary confinement until his trial, "Wait!"
"Talk."
"The Son of the Morning lives. Scabior was trying to deliver letter." He said again.
"I find that really hard to believe, Scabior. If that were the case, why did you have his wand and his mask?" Hermione asked him. She was now sitting down at the table across from him. Her quill in hand and parchment full of notes in front of her.
"How else was I supposed to find him?" he asked her with a serious tone.
"You try looking in his grave?" Harry said sarcastically.
With an enthusiastic nod he replied, "That's where Scabior got them from."
Harry and Hermione looked at each other suddenly, a mental red flag popping up. They made no comment but continued the questions. "Why did you take them?"
"How else was Scabior supposed to deliver it?"
Hermione shook her head as she started to jot down some notes, "How do you know he's alive? He died in the Shrieking Shack. We saw it with our own eyes."
"Just like you saw Scabior die on that bridge?" his smile vanished, a firm scowl set in place and the corner of his mouth went up as he spoke with a less formal accent, "Your silly little Order could never keep track of us. Not even your own spy. Everyone had an exit plan, Potter. You were fed what you were needed to at the right time."
Scabior continued, barring his teeth as he spoke, "Do you know what that name means, Potter?" His eyes shot to Hermione next, "What about you, girlie?"
"We know people were afraid of him."
"Were?! Naïve of some, foolish of others and dangerous for all."
Hermione put her quill down, "You're telling us that he faked his death, just like you did. Then how did you get caught and he didn't?"
"Scabior wouldn't have been caught if he had the same blood as Son of the Morning." He said angrily, his demeanor changing drastically once more.
Hermione's hands formed fists, her curly hair frizzing and reacting to the static charge of magic around her. How dare he throw her blood status in her face when she had just best him in duel the day before! Harry noticed it immediately, her temper was going to hit critical unless he stepped in. She had to know that it was obvious his mind was gone from his previous years in Azkaban and on the run.
"What do you mean his blood? His blood status as a half blood? That's counterintuitive of what your whole organization was about." Harry rolled his eyes.
Scabior bend his head down, smiling and looking down at his hands, "Oh no… no… no…. the fire cleansed his impurities. The Dark Lord made sure of that."
Hermione sighed and looked up at her partner, "There's no point in talking to him, Harry."
"The Phoenix is reborn from the ashes, but the dragon… the dragon is death incarnate." Scabior whispered as he leaned in across the table, as much as his restraints would let him.
There was a swift knock on the door before it opened, "Ma'am, Sir, he's scheduled for side along to Azkaban."
Scabior started to kick and scream, "NO! SCABIOR WON'T GO BACK THERE! TELL THEM I HELPED! TELL THEM SCABIOR DID AS HE SAID!"
"See you at your trial in eight weeks." Hermione said and she stood to leave.
"I can prove it!"
Harry held his hand up to the waiting guard, "Last chance."
"What do you know about the masks of the inner circle?"
"Pretend I don't." he replied impatiently through grit teeth.
Scabior licked his lips and looked from Harry to Hermione, "When the Death Eater dies, as does the mask. If he were dead, why hasn't his mask turned to dust?"
As the guard walked him out he spoke again, "You tell him that Scabior did good, yeh? That Scabior tried his best."
"Tell who?"
In a whisper, "The Legal Assassin."
Harry and Hermione returned from the interrogation and were greeted by Bill and Fleur Weasley at his desk.
"Bill?" Hermione happily shouted and hugged him.
Bill returned her hug and then greeted and shook Harry's hand. "Great to see the two of you."
Hermione then let out a happy shriek and placed her hands on Fleur's swollen belly. "Oh my goodness, Fleur. No one told me you're pregnant again. How far along are you?"
Fleur smiled and blushed. "I am five months. Another girl. We're naming her Dominique."
Hermione happily exhaled. "That is wonderful and your English has gotten so much better."
"Merci, Hermione," she replied. "So when can we expect children from you and Harry?"
Hermione and Harry looked at each other in shock. To change the subject, harry turned to Bill and asked, "What brings the two of you here?"
Bill nodded. "We were informed that you received a letter that may contain unknown magic. So they sent use here in the event it's cursed so that we can remove it if necessary."
With that, Harry set the envelope down on his desk and he and Hermione stepped away. Bill and Fleur took turns casting spells on the envelope. They watched as it repeatedly flashed from the spells and then sat normal. After a few more minutes, Bill and Fleur holstered their wands and Fleur shrugged. Knowing what that meant, Harry was relieved.
"Good news. There is no dark magic or curses on that envelope. The only thing I could find was that it has an enchantment that makes it so the letter can only be read using another object that was enchanted by the same spell."
"What is the other object that is enchanted?" Hermione asked.
"Not sure," Fleur answered. "The most I can tell you is that the spell we used to detect it, will last for one more hour. The other object will also be glowing orange."
"Well we must be off. Fleur needs to eat and then we're due to be at St. Mungo's this afternoon," Bill said and shook their hands.
Harry thought for a minute. "Having the baby checked on while you're here in London?"
Fleur giggled. "No. You remember my sister Gabrielle?" she asked and Harry nodded. "She recently finished schooling to become a Healer and was accepted at St. Mungo's. She's being sworn in today. We'll tell her you say hi."
Once Bill and Fleur exited the department, Hermione said she would be right back and quickly ran towards the evidence storage. She returned with a box that had Scabior's name on it. She set it down on Harry's desk and looked back at her.
"What is all this then?" he asked.
"Scabior mentioned he had other items that belonged to the Son Of The Morning. Which means they were confiscated when we caught him. This is the box that has Scabior's property. Luckily, Hawkins and Sutton just finished processing it. I am more than certain that the other item is in here."
Harry smiled. "You're always a step ahead. I love that about you."
Hermione tried to hide the blush that crept up her cheeks. "Flirt with me later," she teased. "We have very little time to get through this and find that item.
