Chapter 4: The Hunt Begins

Harry was just leaving the Nimbus Arena after conducting another fruitless interview when a familiar bird appeared in a puff of feathers. He was carrying a short note. "Hello Fawkes, is that for me?"

The phoenix trilled what Harry could only guess was a 'yes', and allowed him to take the note. Harry unfolded it and scanned it quickly:

Dear Harry,

After the defeat of Voldemort and our departure from Hogwarts I had hoped that I would no longer need to call on your services, but I fear I must. I have lost contact with two members of the Order whom I am still in contact with, and I need someone to investigate. They should be found in the flat above the Sherwood Florister flower shop in Nottingham or in the shop itself, however you will need to Floo to an abandoned house on Locksley Avenue two streets away, as for some reason the Floo connection to the shop has been cut and Apparation is impossible due to it's location in a Muggle area. Thank you in advance for your help.

Albus Dumbledore

Harry growled in frustration but then sighed, trying to recall where the nearest Floo point was. It took a few minutes to locate, but he finally did and came out in a damp, dark shell of a house that had clearly not been used in some time. He was dressed in smart casual Muggle clothes anyway so that wasn't a problem and so he left through a broken window, and headed down the street towards the flower shop.

As he approached, he noticed that the door was swinging open and everything was dark, the hairs on the back of his neck prickled as he came to the conclusion that something probably was wrong. He tapped the lining of his coat once and a hidden pocket appeared in the lining, he extracted a small radio transceiver from it and switched it on.

"AS Scar to DMLE Operations. Code Three Urgent."

The radio crackled for a second and then a tinny voice came out. "This is DMLE Operations, go ahead."

"I'm outside a wizard-owned flower shop in Nottingham called the Sherwood Florister. It looks like it may have been attacked," Harry said. "I want an STU squad, and Inquisitor and medi-wizard teams on immediate standby. I'm going to check it out."

"Message received Sergeant. Requested personnel will be alerted. Standing by."

Harry clipped the radio to the outside pocket of his coat and then reached behind himself and removed his standby weapon from its holster in the small of his back. It was a short-barrelled Dan Wesson .357 Magnum revolver, nowhere near as powerful as the weapons he carried on regular duties but easier to conceal. He nudged open the door and entered. A cursory scan of the hall was enough to tell him what he needed to know. He tried to call it in but the radio didn't work so he left quickly and tried again outside. "AS Scar to DMLE Operations, are you receiving? Over."

"Receiving you loud and clear, Sergeant. What's your situation? Over."

"I need that back-up here ASAP," Harry told the controller. "They'll have to come in through the Floo point two streets away, everything else is blocked. Ask the DFDL Duty Inspector to come down too, I think we've got a possible Dementor or Vampire killing."

"Understood. Hold position at the perimeter until back-up arrives."

"I will," Harry promised. "Scar out."

----

Reinforcements weren't long in coming, and soon Harry re-entered the flat above the flower shop with Ron, Seamus and five of their squad at his back - Hermione, Susan, and the four remaining Hit Wizards stayed outside. The shop had clearly been vandalised, but other that there wasn't anything terribly remarkable about it, it wasn't until they reached the flat on the first floor that Harry's worst fears were realised.

The main door at the foot of the staircase had been broken open and there were clear signs of disturbance, including a couple of dark stains that looked suspiciously liked dried blood and some other powdery black residue that Harry couldn't readily identify. The adjoining living room bore similar signs of an attack but was also empty. The master bedroom however was not.

There were three people in the room: a blond woman in her late twenties, a slighter older man with a blond beard and a young child, also blond, who was hunched behind them. Harry, Ron and two of the Hit Wizards entered the room, Seamus and the other three continued up the corridor to the second bedroom and bathroom. None of the three were moving - Harry guessed they were either unconscious or dead - the two adults had visible burn-like wounds to their chests and abdomens, but he couldn't see if the boy had any injuries from where he was standing because he was curled into a foetal position with his arms shielding his head and his knees drawn up against his torso. He turned to one of the Hit Wizard squad, "Check them over."

The woman put down her rifle and moved forward, checking first the two adults then the boy. She frowned and looked up. "They're dead," she said, indicating the adults. "The kid - who is probably theirs is just unconscious, but he's got some really weird injuries I can't account for."

Before Harry could respond, Seamus ducked his head back in the room. "All clear, Harry, Ron."

"Excellent, let's get the teams in," Harry decided. He was just about to send one of the Hit Wizards down, when he had a thought. He unhooked the transceiver from his belt and spoke into it. "Sergeant Scar to Inspector Granger. Do you receive? Over."

"Loud and clear. Are you ready for us?"

"Affirmative. Have Sergeant Bones run a sweep of the shop, I want you up here with the medi-wizards immediately. We have a live one."

"Received, on our way."

It didn't take them long to get up there, and after a cursory - but largely fruitless - examination of the bodies and of the boy by Hermione and the two medi-wizards, the pair conjured stretchers and lifted them onto them. After a quick check by one of Ron's team to make sure it was safe to do so, they activated their Port-keys and all five disappeared with a 'pop'. Hermione took a small wizarding camera out of her bag and after asking the others to step outside she started to take pictures of the scene, occasionally stopping to take a sample or bag something for evidence.

This went on for a while, so eventually Ron dismissed all but two of his team and told Seamus to take them back to base. About five minutes after they left, Susan joined them on the top floor having completed her investigations of the shop below. They continued silently through the flat until loud thumping on the stairs interrupted them. Harry groaned, the on- call Inspector had arrived, and unless he was very much mistaken, it was the one person that he had been hoping it wouldn't be.

When the source of the noise crossed the threshold, the awful truth was revealed, it was indeed Inspector Theodore Sicarius.

----

When Harry reappeared with a pop in the entrance hall of St Mungo's about half an hour later, his head was still reeling from the hostile reception that he had received from Inspector Sicarius upon the later's arrival.

The man's dismissal of the case as a 'pair of stupid Mudbloods that got out of their depth' was ludicrous in the extreme and his allegation that Hermione was a 'silly little Mudblood that shouldn't talk back to her betters' had made Harry's blood boil, and if he and Seamus hadn't been there to hold him back, Harry rather expected that Ron would have attacked the older man then and there. As it was, he had confiscated all the evidence and sent away, telling him that no further action needed to be taken.

Naturally, Harry hadn't been terribly happy with this idea, so as soon as he was clear of the scene and out of sight of Muggles he Apparated straight to St Mungo's.

Harry's luck as in, as it happened to be Ginny's night on call as Healer for Creature Induced Injuries and he ran into her just as soon as he reached the Pyroneus Salamander Ward. Ginny beamed. "Hi Harry! Have you come to see me?"

"Actually I haven't Gin, but I'm glad you're here all the same," Harry admitted. "Have you any kids brought in, in the last hour?"

Ginny nodded. "One, according to the Matron, his name's Hawkin O'Connor. Why?"

Harry took her to one side and embraced her so that he could whisper in her ear. "He's the only witness to a pair of very odd deaths that took place a few hours ago in Nottingham. According to Inspector Sicarius there's nothing suspicious about them, but I saw the aftermath and I don't believe him so."

"You're doing a little unofficial investigating of your own," Ginny finished.

Harry nodded. "What can you tell me?"

"Nothing officially of course, as you're not part of any investigation," Ginny told him. "But, if you were to assume that he had sustained serious burns to his face that have rendered him blind, but that he was otherwise okay, you won't be making wild guesses."

"Okay, thanks." Harry sighed. "Does he have any family?"

"No, he doesn't," Ginny admitted. "I'm not sure what's going to happen to him."

Harry's eyes narrowed, a though had just crossed his mind but wasn't sure if it was a good one or not. After thinking it over for a while, he decided it couldn't hurt to ask. "Ginny, once he safe to move, would it be possible to have him released into your care?"

"Probably. Why?"

"Just do it for me," Harry urged her. "I'll explain when you get home."

"Okay, I'll try."

"That's all I ask, love."

After sharing a brief but tender kiss, they parted company, Harry headed back downstairs to return to the office, and Ginny continued on her rounds.

----

Harry Potter was known for being a lot of things, but a sufferer of fools was not one of them, and that probably one of main reasons why he wasn't terribly pleased when three more children - Daniel O'Neil, Cassandra Brown and Stephanie Caine - were all orphaned within nine months of the Sherwood Florister Incident. On every occasion, either Theodore Sicarius or his close friend Jenkins were the first Inspector on the scene and were scrupulous in their confiscation of the evidence and their cover-up. However, Harry's wide-ranging contacts enabled him to circumvent their conspiracy: Hermione, Susan and Ernie were all too glad to report the incidents to him, and Romulus' post in Intel Analysis enabled him to gain access to the records department to retrieve the files. Harry didn't want to tip his hand too early just in case he was being a little paranoid, but Sicarius' cover-up of the death of world-renowned Vampire Hunter Paul 'Angedemort' Vallis in the spring of 2009 finally tipped his hand. He called in a few favours and managed to get a closed-door session with Deputy Assistant-Commander Messervy, Head of Domestic Security and Kingsley, who was know the DAC's Head of Special Task Forces, and DAC Connors from the Magical Integrity Branch of the DMLE's Legal Affairs Commission.

"What can we do for you Sergeant?" asked Messervy. "You do realise yours was a rather unusual request?"

"Yes sir," Harry admitted. "And if you bear with me for a few moments all will become clear."

"Make it brief, AS Potter," warned DAC Connors. "My time is short."

"And I don't intend to waste it, sir." Harry told him. "Over the past nine months, I - along with contacts in the DFDL, the MLES, and St Mungo's - have been tracking the suppression of investigations, into a series of unusual attacks on Muggleborns, by two members of my own Branch: Auror Inspector Theodore Sicarius and Auror Inspector Michael Jenkins."

"Those are very serious allegations, Sergeant. Can you prove them."

"Yes Commander, I can," Harry told him. "I was present at the scenes of two of these murders - the killing of Moira O'Connor and Oliver Lance on the 5th of May 2008 and the killing of Paul Vallis, known in vampire hunting circles as Angedemort, the 'Angel of Death'. I have also obtained Pensieve evidence from at least three people who attended each of the other scenes and if you compare it to these records." Here he tapped a series of folders he had laid on the long table. "You will see that the Inspectors intentionally reported the wrong information, for reasons that as yet unknown."

"If your allegations are proved to be accurate, what would you see done, Sergeant?" asked Messervy.

"I have. no opinion on what should done with the Inspectors, sir." Harry told him. "But I feel that the cases are clearly connected and should be investigated immediately and thoroughly."

"I see," said Messervy. "It will take us some time to review your submission, Sergeant. Please return in three days, you will have our answer then."

"Thank you sir," said Harry, he saluted the three men and then left, closing the door behind himself.

----

When Harry arrived at work three days later, there was a note from Kingsley in his in-tray. It was short and to the point:

Scar,

The DAC's and I have discussed the evidence you submitted to us three days ago and have come to our decision. Please come to see me in my office at 10am this morning and we will talk.

Sovereign.

Harry nodded to himself and crumbled up the small piece of parchment and then disposed of it with a simple wandless Shredding Charm. Then he leaned over to remove the next piece of mail from his tray, which turned out to be a copy of the report of an autopsy carried out of the body of Paul Vallis, which told Harry nothing new.

He presented himself to Kingsley at the appointed time. The Auror captain and former Order member was in the middle of signing off an a report so it was a minute or two before he noticed Harry. "Harry, you're here! Have a seat."

"Thank you, sir."

"Harry, we're alone, you can call me Kingsley."

"Okay," Harry agreed. "What have the DAC's decided, Kingsley?"

Kingsley sighed. "After considered the evidence you presented, and checking your story with several witnesses, they have decided that AI Sicarius and AI Jenkins will be suspended effective immediately, and will subject to irrigation by the MIB to determine what they did, with the possibility of a full Wizengamot trial at a later date."

"Good. What about the murders?"

"Given the spread of the killings it seems likely that national security is involved, so the National Security Task Force is being activated effective noon today to look into it. As you have already done some work on the case, you're being transferred to the NS Task Force as of now."

"What about the fraud investigation, Kingsley?"

"That investigation isn't going anywhere. Lieutenant Foley believes that an undercover operative should be sent in, which obviously takes you out anyway. Do you have thoughts on a suitable candidate? You know most of the Aurors we have with a Quidditch background."

"I recommend Katie, Katie Bell. I also think she's rather overdue for her Sergeant's stripes."

"I'll recommend her,"

"Who should I report to?" Harry asked.

Kingsley grinned, fished out a gold badge from his desk and tossed it to Harry who caught it one-handed. "That should answer that."

Harry looked at the badge, first his eyes bulged in surprise, then narrowed. "Why are you giving me this, Kingsley? First I join as a sergeant, then I'm leap-frogged to Lieutenant. I made it clear at my interview that I didn't want special treatment."

"And you're not getting any, Harry," Kingsley promised. "You've earned that badge, you're not getting it because you're the Boy-Who-Lived or any of that nonsense. You're getting it because this case needs to be investigated by the best investigator close to the case. And that's you. You're a great Auror, Harry. Don't let anyone tell you any different."

"I won't," Harry promised. "Can I pick my own team?"

"You can pick two current inspectors or promote up to two people to that rank. They'll be your deputies. You'll also have two sergeants and two regular agents at your disposal, but they'll have to come out of the draw."

Harry nodded. "Anyone else?"

"I'll make sure one of your people is a certified DMT Liaison Officer. And I'm also allocating you enough to second a Vampire Hunter from the DRCMC's register. You chose which one."

"That's easy," Harry said. "I want Romulus Moon and Blaise Zabini as my number twos and I want to hire Cruento."

"Why Cruento?"

"Because he's one of the best. And if my fears about this whole thing are correct. We'll need his level of skill."

"Okay, it's your team."

"Yep. And we'll get to the bottom of this. I promise."

"I know you will, Harry," Kingsley confirmed. "You always do."

A/N: Sorry for the huge wait between chapters, but university's been murder lately and I've not had much of a chance to get online. I hope this makes up for it. I'm pretty much finished with this story now, as what happens after this links in with the Epilogue of HP and the Scrolls of Amor. I may post one more chapter, or I might just leave it here. Anyway, when I am finished with The Time Between I intend to take a break from the Hog's Head Prophecy Saga for a bit and write some original fic, so it is unlikely that I will starting the next story (provisionally titled HP and the Next Generation) much before my half term which is in about two weeks. In the mean time, read and review!