CHAPTER ELEVEN
MARA GREAVES
"It's her," Harry said with certainty, placing a folder on the table. He looked around his office desk to his assortment of visitors. Kingsley, who despite his busy schedule, was involving himself heavily in this case. Ron, who Harry had invited because this directly concerned him. Hermione, as his superior. And Dawlish, his Deputy.
Harry opened the folder and spread out a series of documents for everyone to see.
"This is all the information the Ministry has on Mara Greaves," Harry said, "As a young child, she went off the radar for a couple years. Brennan and Mara Greaves' father died in 2002, alcoholic. After that, Brennan left Hogwarts to care for his sister. He was offered assistance but fled with his sister within days."
"What about the trace?" Ron asked.
"Couldn't trace them. They left the country," Harry said.
"So then they didn't show up again until…" Ron trailed off, a glassy look in his eyes.
"Until the night Brennan Greaves died," Harry continued, "After that, Mara went to Hogwarts in 2007. Ravenclaw. Just like her brother. She graduated in 2014 with 12 NEWTs. She received positive comments from all of her teachers. And then, a few weeks after graduating, she vanished again."
"And now she's back," Dawlish said.
"Yeah. It seems she has access to a rare and ancient branch of magic. I believe it is from the fabled Grimoire of Dabria," Harry said.
"How sure are you that the book she has is the book?" Kingsley asked, not judgmentally, but curiously.
"I didn't get a very close look at it, but it fits the description. Of course that could be any old magical book," Harry replied, with a dry chuckle, "But it does explain a lot if I'm right."
"So, now what?" Hermione asked, "We still have no idea where she is or how to find her."
"Have you considered that she might be just a copycat?" Dawlish asked.
Harry nodded.
"I did, actually," Harry replied, "the problem is, the copycat theory goes out the window when she's actually been performing magic I didn't even know existed before this."
Dawlish grumbled, "Fair point."
"I'm going to put out a reward. One thousand galleons to anyone with information that leads to the capture of Mara Greaves. She's been hiding in the shadows this whole time. Let's show her that we know who she is."
"You think it's wise to antagonise her?" Dawlish asked.
"What could she possibly do that she isn't already doing? She's already put my family in danger. She clearly has no regard for the safety of muggles or even other magical people. The time to act is now." Harry argued.
"I agree," Ron chimed in.
"I'll leave it in your hands," Kingsley nodded, getting up from his seat, "What time shall I send someone to bring the new recruits down?"
Harry remembered that Kingsley's nephew, as well as two other new recruits, would be starting with them today. The trainees had finished their induction period and Harry had received positive notes about all of them. Dawlish had even mentioned that this may be the best class of newbies since Harry, Ron and Neville came in. Boka Shacklebolt would be joined by Hibiki Kato and Sienna Harlan.
"Send them after lunch. I want to get all this Greaves stuff done first."
Kingsley nodded and left the room. Dawlish soon followed, leaving Harry, Ron and Hermione all alone in the office.
Harry grinned, "Just like old times."
"Yeah," Ron grinned too, "But Harry—I'm not really sure why you invited me here today—there's nothing I can do to help. Not anymore."
Harry shook his head, "It's not about that, Ron."
Ron frowned in confusion.
"Mara Greaves is out for revenge. She's already put my family in danger. There's a chance she could do the same to you. I want you two to be prepared." Harry said.
Hermione looked at him with a mother's sympathy.
"That's touching, Harry—but as Head of Magical Law Enforcement, security is pretty tight," she quipped.
"That's what I thought when we I got cursed at the family Christmas dinner," Harry argued.
"Right, and we've learned from that little faux pa."
Harry held his arms up in resignation, "Alright, alright. Well still, I want you two in the know."
"Well, I have to run, Harry. I have a meeting in fifteen minutes, but be sure to forward me any other information you have that we haven't discussed," Hermione said, checking the time on her pocket watch.
Harry nodded and Hermione left the room, leaving just Harry and Ron.
Ron sighed heavily.
"It's been years. I thought I'd put all this behind me," he said.
"You have," Harry said, firmly, "but she hasn't."
"I'm sorry for all this, Harry… if I had only just -"
"Stop," Harry interrupted.
Ron looked up at him.
"We're not regressing back to blaming ourselves. You know as well as I do, we did everything we could," Harry said.
Ron didn't argue.
"You're a war hero, Ron."
Ron sighed, and Harry was shocked for a moment how old Ron looked to him.
"You know, when all this first kicked off, I wanted to help. I tried to join in, even though I knew I couldn't. Because I felt guilty over my past failures... because I felt like I needed to redeem myself... But to be honest with you Harry, I don't want to be a war hero. I just want to be Ron. Dad. Mr Weasley from the joke shop. I've had enough war for a lifetime."
"I think we all have," Harry agreed, "And you don't need to redeem yourself, Ron. Without you, without Hermione, without everyone else who helped me along the way, I never would have finished Voldemort. That war nearly destroyed me; and I don't mean physically. That's why, this time it's going to be different."
Harry met Ron's eye.
"Mara Greaves is ill, like her brother was. I'm going to make sure she doesn't meet the same end as him. I won't let this come to war."
Ron's gaze told Harry that Ron believed him; or did he just believe in Harry's conviction?
"I hope you're right, Harry," Ron said, "I really do."
After lunch, when the reward had been made public and Harry had tied up his loose ends in the case reports, the three new recruits to the Auror Department arrived. Boka Shacklebolt shuffled in first and behind him, two young women. Dawlish had brought them in and turned to Harry.
"The new recruits; Boka Shacklebolt, Hibiki Kato and Sienna Harlan."
Hibiki Kato was petit but had a fierce glint of determination in her black eyes. Sienna Harlan was taller than Harry, well-built, with her hair tied up behind her, revealing a scar running down her right cheek. She seemed to wear it like a badge of honour. Harry shook each of their hands in turn.
"Welcome, all of you. Congratulations on passing your inductions. I'm proud to say that the Auror Department is the best it's been in decades and that's down to one thing: we're a team, through and through. Come with me," Harry said.
Harry led the new recruits to a vantage point in the office where he could address most of the tables and cubicles simultaneously.
"Everyone, just a moment of your time. Our new recruits are in. As you all know, Junior Aurors are assigned a Senior partner for their first year of active duty. Boka Shacklebolt, you'll be paired with Wynne Kendrick."
Harry pointed over to the bald, stocky Welshman as he waved a hand lazily in response.
"Hibiki Kato, you'll be paired with Ori King," Harry announced.
The short Israeli-English Auror, with very short dark hair and a nose piercing waved politely to Hibiki.
"Finally, Sienna Harlan, I've paired you with David Williamson."
The red-haired man nodded at Sienna.
"Alright, let's make sure the new recruits know their way around the office before anything else. Any questions, I'll be in my office."
The new recruits headed to the desks where their new partners were situated. Harry knew that he could leave the new recruits with their partners and they would be well looked after. He was grateful to not have to share the burden, because exhaustion seemed to creep up on him often and quickly these days. He didn't want the new recruits to see him struggling with a curse, acting as a beacon for weakness.
No, he would take a backseat from recruits for now; he had a much more imposing task ahead of him.
He had to find Mara Greaves.
The days turned to weeks, and no sign of Mara Greaves came. It seemed no-one knew where Mara Greaves was or what she'd been doing. It had been three full weeks of nothing and Harry had considered increasing the reward money, when a letter arrived in his mail.
Harry opened the letter, which held the stamp in the left corner of an M to show it had been approved through Ministry security.
The letter was short and to the point:
Auror Harry Potter,
I am writing to you in confidence because I have information regarding Mara Greaves. Do not respond to this letter. I do not want to endanger myself. I will meet you at your office tomorrow morning at nine o'clock. I suggest you make yourself available because I cannot make repeat visits. It's too much of a risk.
Hoping you are well,
Bethanie Bleet
Harry read the letter over twice. Bethanie Bleet. Whoever this woman was, Harry saw through her words a paranoid, anxious woman. What information did she have to make her nervous? Harry mentally noted to himself to do as Bethanie had said and clear his morning appointments; he was not going to miss this opportunity.
