Tempus Magia
Part Four
Chapter 33: The Department of Mysteries
Hermione Granger made a grave error during the final battle that resulted in Remus' death. Working as an unspeakable she spends two years working on a spell using powder from time turners to go back to Remus's greatest hour of need. What if Remus's greatest time of need wasn't in *this* war?
Beta love to mrsren!
Tuesday, two days before Hermione's departure.
"And you're sure you don't mind, right?" Saul waved his hand lackadaisically at Travis Scott continued mutterings. "I know you want her to run your old department when you retire. Saul, just you think about it. I really think she has a future in the Time Department."
Travis had spent the last half an hour trying to convince him to attempt to poach Hermione to his department. It was most likely a lost cause as Hermione enjoyed the challenge of working in a department that allowed her to work with all of the departments in the DOM.
"Honestly, Travis, very few people know of my talent with time magic and I believe Hermione has that same magic. She does great work here, but I think she is better suited running the entire Department of Mysteries. To do that, she will need to have worked in each department."
Saul tried to hide his grin as Travis was shocked into silence. "Wow… that's actually brilliant. Why didn't I think of that?"
"Because I didn't think of it either," he said kindly. "Amalaya brought the idea up. She had Hermione do a three-month transfer stint with her last August. She's been slowly pushing her through the different departments. Honestly, she's a walking library of information of the DOM."
Travis shuddered and Saul knew why. "Imagine, what would happen if she was ever compromised?"
Saul sighed and Travis caught himself. "I'm sorry, Saul. I didn't mean to…"
"It's okay. Auggie made his choice and I made mine. I still have a hard time wrapping my around the fact that he was… is a Death Eater."
"I heard he's being let out on parole this summer," Travis continued delicately. "Have you seen him?"
Saul nodded. He went to see Auggie once a week. There were some people, like Remus, that were able to bounce back years after losing the love of their life. Saul was not one of them. He gave everything he had in their relationship and when Auggie betrayed that trust to sign up for terrorist propaganda, he destroyed Saul along with him.
In hindsight, he realized that Hermione Peverell had tried to warn him. She made tiny comments or raised eyebrows when he was concerned about Auggie's late hours. He missed the tiny witch and he couldn't wait for her to come back properly. Lily often said that Hermione had only gone back for six short weeks, but she changed all of their lives. James often complained she was like having a daughter and a friend all in one. How did you deal with your mate dating your daughter?
"I visit him," he replied vaguely.
"It was a shock when he surrendered himself after the prison break," Travis leaned back against the chair he had been occupying. "I mean, you know him better than anyone else but… everyone who knew him thought he would run."
"Then you didn't know him. Auggie was a family wizard. Sure, his family was dead but I was family to him. If he ran, he would have eventually been caught and he would never have seen me again. Before Albus Dumbledore died, he secured me access to visit him."
"All these years?" Saul nodded. "Shit, mate. That's not healthy. You need to move on."
Saul shrugged. Auggie made massive mistakes in his life and Saul wasn't entirely sure he could ever forgive them. He'd not only betrayed the trust and safety of the wizarding world but the person who loved him most. After realizing that neither was able to let go of each other, the two settled into a rhythm of visits and deep but monitored talks between bars.
The two had agreed a decade earlier that if Auggie was ever released, they would just move on rather than living in the past drowning in heartbreak and betrayal. It spoke volumes of his change in character that after the prison break, he neither returned to Saul or the Death Eaters.
If he had returned to Saul he would have sheltered him, no questions asked. It was most likely the reason that he avoided his partner during the Second Wizarding War. Severus Snape confirmed that he did not return to the Death Eaters willingly. When he was finally hunted down and found, You Know Who brutally punished him and imperiused him to make him obedient. He would likely never walk properly again.
Saul had fought in the final battle and spent most of it looking for Auggie. He finally found him dazed and shooting Crucios at a group of terrified third years, who had not made it out in time. It took a bit of work but he was able to release him of the curse and the two liberated the group of children, placing their own bodies in between Death Eaters and the terrified students.
"He helped in the final battle, you know."
"Yeah, I read the court transcript. Everyone in the DOM did. He saved seven third year, Hufflepuff kids and two Ravenclaws. You know, I heard a rumor that two of those kids were trying to get in touch with you. I believe Minnie said they were orphans."
Saul looked up curiously. "Orphans?"
"Yeah, two of the kids lost their parents in the war. One had parents on the other side. Minnie's been having therapists talk with all of the students. Mental Health is a mandatory class at Hogwarts now. Anyway, the kids sent letters to Azkaban or something to thank Rookwood. They wanted to personally thank you and since they have that trip scheduled for the end of the month…."
Saul shuffled through his schedule, his eyebrows rising into his hairline. "Bollocks! Travis that trip is tomorrow."
Travis hurried around the desk, "Shite. We have literally nothing prepared. I'll pull some people off of their projects. Do you have anything prepared?"
"Hermione set up something a while back, but she's been so busy with the Malfoy case and the Potter pendant that I forgot about it." Saul sent a memo to his secretary, Mary. "They're fifth years, right?"
Travis nodded. "Minnie thinks that this will ease their stress levels for O.W.L.s. Personally, I would have been more stressed about the wasted studying time."
"Same," he began drafting up a plan and a potential tour route through the DOM visitor level. "Confirm these details and have Amalaya set up something fun for the kids. I'll set aside some interesting and non-lethal objects for the kids to look at."
Travis was reading through the changes, while Saul poked his head out of his office. The entire floor was empty. "Uh, Travis… where is everyone?"
"The class," he said distractedly. Oh, right. The ethics and code of conduct in the workplace class. It was overdue and should really be done once a year. He had already booked the next five years of annual inter-office training meetings. He was currently trying to get the other departments to make it a yearly thing as well. Predictably, the DMLE was the only holdout.
"Crap. We should just take this to Amalaya and work from there." Travis didn't respond as he was staring at his calendar. "What?"
"You visit him once a week ?" Travis's eyes were wide and his jaw elongated to show a straight row of pearly whites.
Saul rubbed his temples tiredly. "We were basically married, Travis. We still are and Azkaban didn't change that."
Travis's eyes sparkled. "That's why Albus helped you?"
Saul sighed. They had things to do and his relationship wasn't really a time-sensitive subject. Hermione's though... "I went to him and begged him for help. I actually convinced him to visit Gellert."
"What happened?"
"He was a mess for a while afterward and he refused to talk to me about it when I asked. I don't think he ever went back. I thank Merlin every day I don't work in the DMLE. I don't think I would have been able to have been the one who put him behind bars."
"The more I find out about that wizard, the more I realize why he holed himself up in Hogwarts." Saul nodded in agreement. "Regardless, you two should get properly married once he's released. The Ministry overturned the regulations on same-sex marriages laws last year."
It was something Auggie had brought up several times over the past year since his parole had been properly scheduled. He ran his hand through his hair nervously. Travis noted his hesitation and quirked an eyebrow.
Seriously, why were they talking about this? They had a humongous deadline.
"It's not that I don't want to get married," he said quickly walking towards his office door. Travis followed intrigued by the gossip. "I just don't want to rush into anything. He was in Azkaban for a long time. He says he only survived it because he had something to hold onto. That and he was next door to Black and the Dementors preferred Black over him."
They left his office and walked toward Amalaya's.
"Really? But you've basically been married for two decades." Travis threw his fingers up into air quotes. "Just seal the deal already."
"It's complicated," he said as they approached the center of the Love department.
"No, it's not," Amalaya called from within her office. "You were named his successor and you've been taking care of his estate, business investments, and house elves. Augustus is likely ashamed of the position he put you in. I would know. We were best friends since Hogwarts. He won't broach the subject if you don't, but I can tell you that he wants to."
They each took seats in front of her desk. She was wearing her reading glasses and her desk was covered in parchment. Contrary to popular belief, the Love department was actually the busiest. All employees had to have rudimentary Auror training and they spent most of their time arresting people who used love potions on others. A very small portion of their department actual worked in the Love Chamber. Amalaya had been an Auror for five years before she transferred to the DOM. She had gotten in based on a recommendation from Auggie.
"You aren't the only one who visits him, Saul," she said kindly before her face morphed into her usual stern and annoyed demeanor. "Now, we have an interdepartmental head meeting in five minutes. I assumed you gits forgot all about the tour tomorrow, so I wrote rough drafts of ideas for tomorrow so you don't look like idiots."
Saul and Travis exchanged triumphant looks. "Actually, we have a floor proposal written up. We thought you could do a hands-on workshop on the dangers of love potions. We thought we could bring them in on why You Know Who was brought into existence in the first place."
Amalaya read over the proposal her head nodding in approval. "And what are you two doing?"
"I was going to have Olinda show them some time turner dust and talk about time travel for a bit." Saul rolled his eyes, he literally quoted Saul's suggestion word for word. "She could use a break. The poor witch has been so overworked that she miscalculated the sand dust. Had to give her three calming draughts just to figure out what was wrong with her."
Amalaya turned to Saul, "And your people?"
Saul was the Head of the DOM and his department did a bit of everything, including overseeing other departments. They also worked on specialty requests from the Wizengamot. Hermione had that department. "I was going to take them on a tour of the visitor floor and then have someone bewitch a souvenir or something for them. I figured we can turn it into an activity and then let the kids take it home."
"How about a hat?" Travis suggested.
"That's boring," Solomon Sutton said as he entered the room. He turned to Saul. "I was just by your office and realized I was running late or early as it were. You should really ward your office, mate. I walked right in."
Amalaya, who had little patience for her brother-in-law waved her hand in annoyance, "Is there a point to this Solomon?"
"Oh, yeah. I wanted to know if we can bring the kids inside the Death Chamber."
The room was shocked into silence. Saul recovered first. "Solomon, you realize that your primary focus now is trying to retrieve someone who is trapped inside the Death Chamber, right?"
Solomon brightened. "We're really making headway! Oh, I should owl that Potter boy. We were able to make audible contact yesterday."
Once again, the room went silent in shock. Shock, that Solomon seemed to be oblivious to. "He's a sweet boy. He comes in once a week and talks to the veil. Tells his godfather about his day and his wife. It's a terrible tragedy what happened to that boy."
"I'm sorry, Solomon. You were able to actually speak to Sirius Black?"
"Oh, no," he said quickly. " I couldn't speak to him, but I have Miss Lovegood on a contract license. She's quite brilliant you know. I do hope the Hall of Prophecies doesn't snatch her up. She's a regular seer, that one. Dating a Scamander boy, I believe."
"I'm sorry, why are we talking about Luna Lovegood's dating life when you're telling me that you spoke to Sirius Black? Also, why wasn't I notified earlier of progress for this project?" Saul was reigning his temper in or trying to anyway. He was going to have to cancel his appointment with Auggie for today. It would be the first time missing a visit since Auggie broke out during the war. Saul motioned to Solomon, "You and I will have words after this meeting."
Solomon bowed and took a seat next to Amalaya's desk. He liked to have Amalaya run the meetings so that he could observe his staff. He was able to see how they interacted with each other and often, he used light legillmancy spells to confirm they had no traitors. It was a spell created by the Barty Crouch and Mad-Eye Moody at the end of the First Wizarding War and was still in practice today.
The department heads slowly trickled in until all eleven sub-divisions of the Department of Mysteries were present. Though he was the Head of the entire DOM, Amalaya was in charge of PR and External Affairs until Director Isobel Burke returned from maternity leave next month.
Saul sat in the back of the room, observing his directors in their seats. Amalaya called everyone's attention and began to take roll call.
"Head Unspeakable Croaker?" Saul nodded and waved to the room in front of him. He was greeted with a cheery round of hellos.
"Director Unspeakable Powell of Filing and Administration?" Matteo, the quiet fellow raised his hand nervously. How he ran one of their largest departments being as timid as he was, was a mystery. Last year, he went on leave for three weeks when one of his five sons opened a brewery in North America. Saul was pleasantly surprised how organized and well oiled the introverted pale brunette left his department.
"Thank you, Matteo. Director Unspeakable Wood for HR and Billing?" Wendy looked up and nodded from where she was showing the elderly Beatrice Perry pictures of her son playing in the last Quidditch match for Puddlemere. "Please try and focus your attention on the front. Oh, and Oliver was brilliant last week, Wendy."
Wendy beamed as Amalaya continued, "As all of you know, Isobel from PR and External Affairs is on maternity leave. I am filling in for her, as well as her assistant, Doris."
Saul raised a finger and Amalaya paused. Heads turned and Saul waited until he had everyone's undivided attention. "Due to the mishap last week, that will be addressed separately, the PR and External Affairs department came in over the weekend and stayed late hours to ensure that we were able to have workshops today. I expect every department head to thank each one of them personally at some point today and by latest tomorrow noon. I have arranged a thank you luncheon for them tomorrow. Amalaya, you may continue."
He could see most of the people were curious about what the altercation was the result in someone being fired and another being suspended. Only Amalaya and Travis were properly aware of the nature of the incident, as it was their employees.
"Director Unspeakable Sutton for Research of Death department?"
"Here," called Solomon. "And wondering what's for lunch." Several chuckles went around the room. Solomon's wife and Amalaya sister, Amariah, owned a bakeshop. Saul made the visit to the bakery once a week and it was easy to understand why Solomon was on the rounder side.
"Thank you, Solomon. Calling Director Scott of the Research of Time department?" Travis nodded. He was still a bit put out with Saul and he figured it was probably because he didn't enjoy being the only single director in the DOM. Amalaya's husband died in the Janus Thickey ward during the war and she just started dating Belby Barnes.
"Director Barnes of the Research of Space Department?" Belby winked at his girlfriend and she rolled her eyes.
"Director Perry of the Research of Thought Department?" Beatrice smiled happily, her white hair rippling past her shoulders. Beatrice had gone to school with Albus Dumbledore. She was that old.
"I am present," Amalaya said as she checked herself off of the list she was reading. "Director Duncan of the Research of Classified Materials Department?" Duncan was one of his two departments that became swamped after the war.
After the DMLE had provocation to search and confiscate old Pureblood homes, their department sagged under the weight of the things being found by the Aurors. Everything had to be organized and cataloged before be investigated and sent back or filed because it was too dangerous. Saul's own department had been rerouted to aid in this task.
"Any chance you have new hires for me, Saul?"
Saul chuckled. They had this conversation twice a week. "No, and stop asking for Granger. I'm not giving that witch up. She's invaluable."
There was a murmur of agreement around the room.
"Yes," Amalaya said impatiently. "Unspeakable Granger is very bright. Is Director Barrett of Research of Seers and Prophecies Department here?" Duncan who had his head buried deep into scrolls of parchments he was scribbling on had to be nudged twice for his attention to be drawn.
"Yes, yes I'm here and annoyed my time is being spent on something that could have been written in a memo. Can we get a move on? I have an entire department to rebuild because a bunch of ruddy teenagers decided to blow the place up." Saul had gotten to know him much better since You Know Who showed up in the Department of Mysteries. They were still rebuilding and fixing Prophecies and Saul estimated at least another decade before the entire department was running properly again.
Amalaya rolled up her parchment. "Your reluctance is noted. I would like to-"
A cough from behind Saul drew the attention of everyone present and startled the entire room into action. After being on high alert from the war it was unsurprising that everyone had wands trained on the dark figure directly behind Saul. Amalaya, Wendy, and Duncan each erected a shield so strong around Saul that it shimmered and crackled blue and yellow. He was touched at the gesture but it wasn't needed.
See, there was a twelfth department in the Department of Mysteries. The department was not simply covert or their government's 'best-kept secret.' It didn't exist, not in rumor or fable. Throughout the Ministry of Magic's time in power, there were only ever three beings that know of its existence and those are the Heads of the Ministry, the Auror Department, and the Department of Mysteries. When each director finished their service they would lose all knowledge of the group, known simply as the Unknowns.
Before Rufus Scrimgeour was killed and replaced with Pius Thicknesse, it was his belief that You-Know-Who wanted access to the Unknown Archives. Since Pius was under the Imperius curse, many of the duties a Minister should have been able to do were inaccessible to him. It was this reasoning that saved Pius from a life sentence in Azkaban after the war and what saved all of them from falling under You-Know-Who's rule.
Saul turned around fully and upon spotting the black diamond encrusted shield on his chest, waved a weary hand to his colleagues. "It's alright. He's with me."
The Unknown was standing behind Saul's chair, his back to the wall. He was wrapped in a black cloak that obscured his features and any discernible age. His shoulders were narrow and when he shifted slightly, his polished but well-worn boots poked through the hem. Upon closer inspection, he was not surprised to see the diamonds on the shield were actually made up to be five raging Romanian Ridgebacks. It was the coat of arms of the Unknowns.
"Am I to assume you are an Unknown?" Saul asked the wizard. One hand slid from within the folds of his long sleeves and he shook it in confirmation. His battle-worn hands were partly covered by hand-stitched leather gloves. The finger portions of the gloves had been cut off by a blunt object leaving a jagged edge around his palm.
Saul nodded at the man and turned to the rest of the room. "Please carry on this meeting without me. I will escort our guest to my office. Amalaya please see that all matters are discussed."
Saul pushed his chair back to stand, the noise of the legs scratching on the linoleum almost making him miss the Unknown's raspy and oddly low pitched voice. "It is unnecessary to rearrange your meeting, Unknown Saul Croaker. We shall speak when you are done here. I shall endeavor to be less of a distraction to those under your charge."
His voice had a lilt to it that was decidedly ancient and definitely male. It wasn't the accent that was out of place though, it sounded as if the Unknown hadn't spoken in many years and had grown unaccustomed to his own voice. Saul felt a shiver up his spine when he called out his full name. His very soul shrank back and huddled for warmth.
Based on the looks of his employees and their raised wands, he was not the only one unsettled by his voice. Saul nodded to Amalaya, who struggled to regain her composure. "Alright, let's go over the Hogwarts tour and every department's contribution towards the Department of Mysteries tour."
Going to see shazam tonight and I'm so freaking excited! I've been a huge fan of Zachary Levi since the first season of Chuck and Billy Batson is arguably one of the funniest most chill DC characters. Can't wait! eeepppp!
Oh right, hope you enjoy part 4. once we hit chapter 38 the updates will slow from daily to every Thursday and Sunday. Hopefully, unless I have no control and you get random extra chapters.
Thank you for all the likes, follows, and comments! You guys are the best! -chefke