Veritas
Part Two: When I'm Gone
Chapter Twelve – Shadows
A man paced back and forth in the cold of London. Winter had arrived in full force. He was ordered to wait in the bitter cold for his contact. This person was due to arrive at anytime. He really wished that the contact was not so vague. His left hand felt almost numb, while his right was just fine. His right hand was not normal at all. It did not feel the cold at all. It moved with his thoughts, but felt nothing.
He kept his hood on because his head was bald. He fretted as he looked around. He was thankful to be alive. He was barely alive day to day; he was constantly afraid of getting killed by his associates. This could have been a trap. It would not be the time that someone was asked to wait in a dark alley somewhere only be murdered by an associate.
"Excuse me for keeping you waiting," said a soft voice from the shadows.
"Where are you?" he demanded, his voice trembling.
"You do not need to know that," said the voice. "Are you Wormtail?"
"Yes," he answered.
"Show me."
Wormtail pulled down the sleeve of his robes to show his Dark Mark.
"Good. I have some information for your master," said the voice.
"What kind of information do you have?" asked Wormtail.
"Veritas," said the voice. "I have information about the Veritas."
Wormtail had no idea what the voice was talking about. The Dark Lord had given him orders to bring back whatever information the contact had. Wormtail thought that this was information about the Order of the Phoenix. He was afraid of disappointing the Dark Lord.
"What is that?" squeaked Wormtail. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Your master will. Just listen to me," said the voice.
The Ministry of Magic was once again lulled into a false sense of security due to the lack of activity of the Death Eaters. The Aurors were working full force hunting for Death Eaters, but there was little evidence of their activities. Minister Fudge was once again self-confident, and so was the majority of the Ministry with him. Only a hand full of people disagreed with Fudge. He said that they were inciting needless panic.
Percy was the person who heard and saw all this first hand. He was also one of the few people who disagreed with Fudge, but not openly. Percy was still just spying on the Ministry and the Order, but there was little to report. The lack of activity from both groups made Percy very uneasy as he always expressed in his reports. To top it off, Percy was getting extremely restless and tired of doing nothing but paperwork. He found it more and more difficult to stifle himself around Fudge.
Percy found himself looking forward to more and more meetings with the Order. There he felt more like himself, even though he was still lying to them. Moody was suspicious of him, but then again Moody was suspicious of everyone. Percy had limited contact with the other members of the Veritas, except for Jason.
Jason sent him owls from Hogwarts. He told Percy about how well he had adjusted. He was placed into Gryffindor. He was getting along well with the other students; he had made friends with Neville Longbottom. Neville had invited him to one of the D.A. meetings, which Jason found to be very enlightening. He wrote about the meetings and quickly labeled them "The Junior Order of the Phoenix Club." Percy did not write back that often because it was not wise, not with Jason staying in the same room as Ron.
Ron and Ginny were writing him more often than they had done last year. Percy figured they were doing it out of courtesy, but he responded to their letters carefully. He knew that they were eager for any information on the Order, but Percy never said much. He kept them at bay by discussing other things.
During the weekends, Percy was spending more time with Bill and Charlie. They were inviting him to various things such as Quidditch games and eating out. Fred and George were still reluctant to spend any time with him, but they did meet with Percy occasionally. Their parents also had them come to the Burrow at least once a week for a meal. Sometimes Percy declined, wanting to keep in touch with the Muggle world. To him, the Muggle world was a place where he could feel free.
Percy wanted to contact Sidney again, but from what he could feel from her messages, it was not a good idea. He thought about her and Bill. Both of them living their lives as if the other never existed. Bill talked about Fleur even less than he did before. Perhaps, it was Percy's unwillingness to hear anything about her; he did bother to hide his feelings of dislike towards her. Bill just sensed it.
One could only have guessed how surprised Percy was when he received a call one evening from Sidney Nelsen. He was at home reading a book and having a cup of tea, when she called his cell phone. Percy stood up and answered it. "Hello?"
"It's me."
"What is it?"
"I need to see you."
"What for?"
"Stop asking questions."
Percy sighed. "Just one more question: why?" he asked. He could almost imagine her smiling. "I'll text message you the address and the time," she answered and promptly hung up. Percy looked at the LCD screen on his phone to see the address. He had no idea what it meant, so he shrugged and decided to look up the place instead.
He found out that it was a nightclub in London called the Ministry of Sound. It was a large club in London. It was a dance club. A Muggle dance club. Percy had never seen Muggle nightlife in London; let alone something that Muggles his age went to. So, he had to figure out what to wear.
Percy went through his walk-in closet, carefully picking out clothes. He had to have a walkthrough to hide his wizarding things. He had used a portion of the wall for it. It could only be opened with magic. He did not even go to that part of the closet. He searched until he found a pair of black jeans and a light blue shirt. He changed clothes in the closet. He looked around for a pair of socks and shoes and left the closet after putting them on. He grabbed his brown leather jacket on the way out.
Percy looked for his watch. He hoped that he looked all right. The wizards did not have clubs like the Muggles did. He did not have a car, but he glanced at his watch. He had been only given a half hour to get there. Percy shrugged and grabbed his wand. He Apparated to the club.
After placing his wand in his jacket pocket he walked up. There was a line of people waiting to get in, but there was a man gesturing for Percy to come up. He went up to him. "You Omega?" asked the man. Percy nodded. "Cool. I thought you'd never make it. This way, mate. You've got a ticket inside."
Percy followed him. "Just walk around, mate. You'll see what you want soon enough," said the man as he left Percy.
The music in the club was thumping through speakers as the lights in the club swirled around. The atmosphere was unlike anything Percy had ever experienced. It was like coming out of sensory deprivation. His senses were blasted by the activity around him. He stumbled over to the bar, which had neon lights. Percy sat down, placing his feet on the railing that ran underneath. The bartender was a woman, dress in the punk style that some of the young people in London liked. Her style was akin to Gizmo's, but not quite.
"What can I get for you, love?" asked the bartender; her voice was husky and her words seemed drawn out.
"What do you recommend?" asked Percy.
The bartender smiled. "You look like the sophisticated type, so I recommend a French 45."
"What's that?" he inquired as she set a glass on the table. He watched her make a drink that had French champagne and blue orange liqueur in it, along with other things in bottles that he could not read fast enough. She shook it up. The bartender finished it off by putting a martini glass on the bar that contained some ice and a lemon twist along the rim. She poured the blue potent potable into the glass. "That's what it is, love," said the bartender, flashing him a smile.
Percy reached for his wallet to pay for it, but she shook her head. "That won't be necessary," she said. "I know who you are." With that, she walked off to the other side of the bar. Percy suspected that she was a member of the Veritas network. He smelled his drink a bit before taking a sip of it. It had a bit of a kick, but it tasted great. He had no idea that blue liqueur had an orange flavor to it; it was pretty wild to him.
The disc jockey at the turn tables up front called everyone's attention to him. He was dressed in sporty Muggle clothes. He wore sunglass, even though they were indoors. That was most puzzling to Percy.
"Let's get this party started!" shouted the DJ. "I want to see some bumpin' and thumpin'!" He spun something on the turn tables. There was a pause before the music started blaring through all the speakers, louder than it had been before. Percy turned his attention back to his drink.
From across the room, Sidney Nelsen had watched him for a bit of time before deciding to approach him. She walked up to him when the houselights dimmed again and the strobe lights started. She was dressed in a red halter top that left her back bare. She wore a skirt that tapered over her knees and a pair of open toed sandals with heels that carried her towards him. Her reddish-brown hair was pulled back into a sleek ponytail, swinging back and forth to the rhythm of her gait.
"Been waiting a while?" she asked.
Percy looked up at her. Her appearance stunned him for a moment. Sidney's voice sounded much more sultry than usually. It might be the music, the lights, or something else interfering with Percy's senses. He collected himself once again.
"What did you call me here for?" he demanded after clearing his throat.
"Always straight to business, aren't we?" she asked with a slightly raised eyebrow. "Dance with me." Before Percy could refuse, Sidney had pulled him to the dance floor, abandoning his drink. The beat of the music seemed to cast a spell over the people on the floor. Percy was moving rather stiffly.
"You need to relax more," said Sidney teasingly. "All work and no play…"
"I've heard that numerous times. I really wish people would come up with more original quips," said Percy in a bored tone. "Are you ever going to tell me why I'm here?"
Sidney started to sway her hips along with the beat. She was still holding Percy's hands in hers. She guided them to her waist, but ended up resting them on her hips. Percy was barely moving his feet. He looked around, noticing the strange, almost erotic movements that the Muggles were performing. Had they no decency? Percy felt his cheeks grow hot.
For her part, Sidney was noticing how just how handsome Percy was. His features were softer than Bill's. She slid her hands up his back, feeling how tense he was. He was always on alert, ready for almost anything. Her hands were now up his shoulder blades, but he did not seem to mind. Sidney was not feeling any sort of real attraction to Percy. Her hands were now at the nape of his neck. She could feel the softness of his hair. It jolted her; it was the same consistency as Bill's hair. In fact, Percy's hair was almost styled the same way that Bill's once was. Back in the time that Sidney knew him.
"Is there something wrong?" he asked. His voice was slightly deeper than Bill's. Sidney looked up at him, wondering if she could stop comparing Percy to Bill. Or Bill to Percy. She wanted to be held, but not by Percy. "What's wrong?"
What's wrong? A familiar voice echoed through her head once again. Percy's voice sounded too familiar to her.
Sidney looked up at him; the pain must have been blatant on her face. Percy was mystified by the look on her face. He had only asked her a question. She leaned into his ear. She was tall enough with her heels. "The chip that fits into one of your cards is in my mouth. I'll pass it to you," she whispered, getting down to business.
"How will you do that?" asked Percy. "Is it damaged?"
"No. It's waterproof. It'll get you to another section right in the Muggle Ministry. The access is only given to certain agents," whispered Sidney. She turned her attention to his face directly. Her hands were still at his neck. Percy was staring straight into her eye; he was amazed at the strange coloring, marveling at them. Why hadn't he noticed—
Percy's train of thought was disrupted as Sidney pressed her lips against his, sending tingles down through him. They were soft like rose petals. Percy was lost for a moment before he realized that he had to open his mouth. That was the only way for Sidney to transfer the chip over to him. Percy opened his mouth, deepening the kiss. In less than a moment, it was over.
Percy could feel the chip was is his mouth; he moved it to one of his cheeks. It was tiny like a raw kernel of popcorn. Percy was surprised at how calm Sidney looked as she pulled away from him. She walked away without a word. Pale like a ghost.
Percy was not used to being stunned by a single person in less than fifteen minutes. He looked around him to notice that some girls were headed towards him. He had to get out of there. He walked to the men's room before the girls could get to him. He stared at the mirror.
His cheeks were slightly red. Someone came out of the stalls. "Having a good night, mate?" he asked when he saw Percy standing at the sink.
"Yes," answered Percy.
"You look like you've had too many," said the guy before leaving the men's room. Percy turned on the sink and splashed his face with a little cold water. He wiped his face dry with a rough paper towel before going into one of the stalls and Apparating home.
Upon his arrival, Percy immediately spit out the chip into the palm of his hand. He stared at it, not knowing that there was special coating on it to protect it. He pulled out handkerchief that was in his jacket pocket and carefully dried the chip. He placed it on his dining room table. Percy reached for his wallet to search for the card that Sidney had been talking about. It was a credit card that had an odd indentation. To the untrained eye, it would look like the card just had a dent in it.
Percy found it and placed the chip inside. It fit perfectly. He placed it back into his wallet. His head was still ringing from the music. He walked to his room and took off his clothes before talking a shower.
As the water pounded his shoulders, he thought about the strangeness of the evening. He did not feel much. He was starting to not feel anything. Even a kiss from a beautiful woman had no effect on him. In his mind, images of Sidney flashed. Percy realized how sad she must have been.
He did not know much about Sidney's private life outside of the Veritas. Percy turned off the water after a half an hour. He went to his closet with a towel tied loosely around his waist. He found a pair of boxers and put them on. He put on just a pair of pajama bottoms, but did not bother with a top. After much thought, he went to his laptop and turned it on.
He immediately logged onto the Veritas network. He found that he had an e-mail from Sidney waiting for him and another from Eve. Percy looked at Eve's e-mail first because he already had a vague idea of what Sidney had sent him.
It had been a while since Percy had seen Eve face to face. She was currently living in London in one of the safe houses of the Veritas. Percy did not get a chance to see her all that often because he had to continue working most of the time.
Percy,
I was wondering how you were doing. I'm fine. I haven't heard from you in a while, but Jason has been writing all the time. I know that you're not really free to meet anyone these days, but I would like it very much if you would e-mail me from time to time.
Eve
Percy was slightly uncomfortable around Eve. She considered him her savior, her hero. He did not think of himself that way. To Percy, it was part of his job. It was not that he was being modest or humble. The work of the Veritas had to be done in secret, so there was no room for bragging or showing off.
In the Muggle and wizarding world, there were certain things that happened that no one could figure out. These incidents that happened all over the world, even outside of England, were unexplainable. These were the markers of the Veritas. They slipped in and got out with no one being the wiser.
The Veritas was not acknowledged nor thanked for their work. It was important to maintain their secrecy otherwise their work could not be done. They worked outside of most of the rules, operating on their own protocol. It was something that hardly anyone in the Veritas questioned. They only questioned it when they needed to get around the laws and rules of other organizations. They considered themselves above such common laws because there was no other organization like the Veritas in the world.
At first, Percy found breaking rules of the Ministry Magic very difficult. He had lived by the rules most his life before entering the Veritas. However, he had learned very quickly just how people manipulated the rules for their gain. Percy had seen for himself how Minister Fudge got around the rules.
Percy knew for a fact that Fudge had taken bribes from the Malfoy family in the form of "charitable contributions." Percy also knew that Fudge was a closet bigot when it came to the Muggle borns, half-bloods, Muggles, and anyone who sympathized with them. Much to Percy's disgust, it did not take long for him to realize it. Percy slumped in his chair just thinking about it.
Percy couldn't believe his luck. He thought that he was in deep trouble because of Crouch. He had faced an inquiry at work, which made him realize how foolish he must have been. Crouch had proven to be a liar. Percy felt a sharp stab of betrayal; he had believed in Crouch and admired him. Percy was sure that he was going to be sacked.
That did not happen. To Percy's utter surprise, he was promoted to junior assistant to the Minister of Magic. He could hardly contain his excitement. He could not wait until he went home to tell his parents the wonderful news. Minister Fudge said that he did not think what happened with Crouch could be helped. So, the Minister stood up for him and gave him a promotion to prove his faith in Percy. At least, that's what Fudge told Percy.
Percy went home to tell his parents the news. As soon as he finished, his father and mother glanced at each other. His father's lips were in a thin line, while his mother looked slightly pale. Percy did not pay attention to any of these signs, rather he ignored them. He was not prepared for what happened next.
"Percy, I don't think you should take the job," said Arthur after a long pause.
Percy was flabbergasted. "What do you mean I shouldn't take the job? This is great. It's a wonderful opportunity. I would have to be crazy not to take the job. It's too good to pass up. Why should I pass it up?"
"Because Fudge only wants you there so that he can spy on us," stated Arthur calmly. "He wants to know what Dumbledore is doing. Fudge wants to know what's going on, and that is the only reason why I haven't lost my job yet. Fudge only wants you in his office because he thinks he can cleverly glean information from you, Percy."
Percy's jaw dropped. "That's not true. Minister Fudge does not want to spy on you. Why would he want to spy on you? He already knows about you and your Muggle obsession." Percy's tone was bitter.
"Percy, don't talk about your father that way!" exclaimed Molly. She noticed how Percy's and Arthur's ears were getting redder by the minute. "Why don't we sit down and talk this over calmly?"
It was too late for that. "Is there something you want to tell me?" asked Arthur.
Percy never said it out loud, but people always talked to him about how odd his family was. The other Ministry employees could hardly believe that Percy was Arthur's son, except for the resemblance. Once they found out that Percy was different from his father, the other employees were quick to ask questions about Arthur's unusual hobbies. Percy had to listen to all of it. At first, he tried to say that his father's hobbies were harmless, but he soon realized just how close minded people were.
Percy was blinded by the Minister; he had been given a chance to rise above his family's station in life. He was not about to throw that chance away. So, in a voice, that Percy would not be able to recognize as his own much later, he retorted, "Because of you, I have found it very difficult to get anywhere in the Ministry. Your reputation somehow got attached to mine. As a result, I have to keep reminding people that I am not you. They think that I think the same way you do." Percy avoided spending time with his father at work, even having a meal with him would set Percy's efforts back.
"I've had to claw my way upwards and rise above your reputation. There's plenty of room for advancement. You just don't have the ambition to go for it. You could have thought of us, too, you know. You could have tried to go forward, but no, you had to think about yourself and your hobbies," went on Percy.
"What do you mean by that?!" demanded Arthur, his voice getting louder with each word. Molly had paled over. Arthur rarely lost his temper right out, and when he did, he really lost it.
"You know exactly what I'm talking about. You're the reason why we don't have any money!" bellowed Percy. "You're always following the wrong thing, too! Dumbledore is wrong! He is not back! You're an idiot for following him. Dumbledore's going to go down, and you'll be dragged down along with the rest of us!"
"Percy, you don't understand. You-Know-Who is back," said Molly immediately as she glanced fearfully at her husband. "I was there. I saw for myself what happened."
"All you saw, Mother, was Harry Potter coming out of that maze with Cedric Diggory's body. And we're supposed to take his word for it? How do we know that Harry Potter didn't do something?" said Percy. "You believe what Father and Dumbledore believe."
"Yes, I do," said Molly as she looked straight at him.
"It's you who doesn't understand! I will not be called an idiot in my own house!" flared Arthur. His face was red and livid. "I have done everything for this family! I am your father and I will be respected! I worked hard to put clothes on your back and food on the table!"
"Fine," said Percy as he looked away from her and back at his father. "I see how it is. I guess I have no choice."
"What are you going to do?" demanded Arthur in a loud voice.
By that time, the other children had heard part of the argument. They had congregated just outside the kitchen, hearing each word without any trouble. Fred and George's eyes were wide. Their father had never raised his voice like that before, not even when Fred and George had gotten their O.W.L. results back. Ron and Ginny looked fearfully at each other.
"If you and Mother are going to betray the Ministry and follow Dumbledore, then I have no choice, but to leave. I'm going to make sure that everyone knows I'm not one of you. You're traitors to the Ministry. I am not," said Percy in deathly calm as he turned on his heel and left the once warm kitchen.
He did not even look at his brothers and sister as he marched up to his room. It was not over yet. Arthur had marched into the living room with Molly trying to stop him. "If you don't want to be a member of this family, then just leave!" shouted Arthur, causing the others to flinch. "I do think of this family, even more so than you do. I am not a fool. You will soon realize that I was right. That your mother and I are right. You are no longer welcomed in this house!"
"Arthur!" cried Molly. "Please, just try—"
"He has gone too far, Molly! Let him leave!" shouted Arthur.
It took less than fifteen minutes for Percy to pack up all his things and come back down. He did not care where he was going. His mother was in tears when she saw him come back down with his things packed up into his trunk.
"Percy, please don't go," pleaded Molly. "You don't have to go. Just listen."
"He's said everything that he needs to say, Molly," said Arthur coldly. Neither Percy nor Arthur looked at each other.
"Where will you go?" whispered Molly. "Arthur, please stop him. Percy, please don't go!"
The door swung open by itself. Without looking back, he walked out of the Burrow. The door slammed behind, urging him forward. He could hear the muffled voices behind. His mother's sobbing echoed after him.
Percy shuddered at the memory. The shame consumed him for a minute before he could focus on the present. Percy remembered his mother coming to his flat in Diagon Alley, pleading with him just to talk to her. But he had been too proud to even let her inside. He had slammed the door in her face. He slumped in his chair.
Slowly, he moved his hand to the mouse on the table. He clicked on the message waiting for him from Sidney. He had to stay in the moment. He could not look back. Percy read the message from Sidney. It was an address to a Muggle government building.
The Veritas had members that were in the Parliament and other high government positions. They passed laws that would protect the wizarding world, but also protect the Muggles from wizards who would harm them. These laws looked very silly to some people, but nonetheless were passed. Lord Wallace was a rare face in the House of Lords, but when he did show up anything that he wanted passed would pass.
Percy tried not to dwell too long on the person he had become. Was he proud of himself? How could he be? He was not even sure what he was. The only thing he could do was stay in the present. He could not think of the future because he was afraid that he did not have one. The past was only fleeting shelter to him. Percy found himself very much alone.
Written by kirikarin
Beta Read by IvyDragon
AN: Gets a little melodramatic in the end. I decided to write about how Percy walked out on the family. It was important because it started the chain reaction of events that led him to his current position in life. Most people don't know what angst really is. In psychological terms, it is an idea out of personality psychology. It occurs when a person questions their existence altogether. Only the person can resolve this problem. They can face it or turn away from it. I dislike it when people call things angst when it isn't. I doubt that some of the people who claim to write angst knows what it really means. Percy is not having angst at the moment. Not yet. He doesn't question his existence as of yet.
Actually, Percy does feel things, but he doesn't really realize it. I was watching the Food Network when I heard about the French 45. It really does exist, but I believe it's more than what I can afford.
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. This story belongs to me and cannot be posted anywhere else without my permission.