CHAPTER 1

THE TRUTH UNTOLD

The darkness had seemed to consume the building, and the chill on the back of his neck had now turned to goosebumps. His senses were trying to focus on their target, but something seemed to block them. Shuffling from his right is heard, and then from his left. He knows he followed one person into this abandoned building, but it seems like there are half a dozen or so making all the noise. If that was the case, he'd probably be dead already.

The shuffling has gotten louder and louder, yet no one has fired on him. He figured it was time to talk to his target, hoping he would make a vital mistake.

"FLETCHER!" he said. "There is no escape Mundungus, a charm has been put on around this building. No way out, except through me. Give up, and I'll make sure you get a fair trial."

He heard some swearing, and again more shuffling. He was staying clear of any open light and staying in the shadows. He was getting pissed right now. And he wanted to hit something or someone.

"Give it up Mundungus, "he said again. "This is your last warning. Come out, with your wand up, and end this ridiculous pursuit."

"What's my charge Auror?" a voice screamed out. "I've done nothing wrong. I'm a viable informant. I have rights."

Invaluable informant or not, he knew that was just Mundungus trying to weasel his way out again. This time he wasn't letting it happen. The sweat on his forehead from the heat that has been building up in this building is now getting to him. He wasn't letting him get away this time.

"Come on Mundungus, you know what you did. We saw it. You conned those muggles, leading them away with the imperious curse, to rob them." He said. "You exposed our kind. That in itself is a punishable offense. 10 years in Azkaban minimum."

"That wasn't me Auror," said Mundungus. "Besides, I haven't been to Knockturn in months."

That was the mistake he was hoping for, and now he got him. With a flick of the wand and a mutter of the "Lumos Maximum "spell, the bright light caught the criminal straight in the face, causing a moment of blindness."

"Expelliarmus!" he said, as Mundugus' wand flies out of his hand and lands by his feet. He hits him with a stupefy charm and Mundungus goes down. With an "Incarcerous" spell, Mundungus can't move.

"Get off me!" said Mundungus. "I didn't do anything."

The auror got on top of him, holding him down making sure he can't get away.

"If you didn't do anything," he said. "Then how did you know it happened in Knockturn? By order of the Ministry of Magic, Mundungus Fletcher, you're under arrest. You will be tried and convicted of your crime."

"Please no," said Mundungus. "He'll have me killed. "

Before he could ask, he starts to hear loud pops, as Auror's start to come into the building. Lights flicker on, and there stands Draco Malfoy, with his prisoner in hand. He hands Mundugus to another Auror.

"Take him to the ministry," Draco said. "I want to be there to question this piece of shit. There is more to this than a robbery."

"Belay that order." a voice says. The Head of Auror's, Gawain Robards appears.

"Malfoy," said Robards. "I should have known. What are you doing with Fletcher?"

"Sir," Malfoy said slightly lowering his head. "I didn't realize you'd be here."

"Cut the bullshit Malfoy," said Robards. "Why didn't you call in the deaths?"

Draco was confused. He wasn't for sure what he was talking about.

"Death's sir?" asked Draco. "No one's dead. Thomas and I saw Fletcher lead a group of muggles to Diagon Alley. We confronted Mundungus, who fled. We managed to get a trace on him, which led me here. Thomas was getting the muggles to safety while I chased down Fletcher."

He watches as Robards shakes his head. Again, the confusion goes through Draco's mind.

"No one's dead? Tell that to the 5 bodies we found in Knockturn," he said. "It things like this, why I thought it was a bad idea to have you here."

Draco had a confused look on his face. He wasn't following what was going on.

"Your partner, Dean Thomas is dead, along with the muggle family. Now give me your wand."

Without hesitation, he did so. As Robards is looking at the last spells he made, Draco lowered his head. It wasn't easy for Draco to get where he was today, especially becoming an Auror. Draco knew no one like him being an Auror, including Head Auror Robards. A lot of his fellow Aurors probably felt the same way, all with the exception of Harry Potter. He probably has Harry Potter to thank for becoming an Auror, but it wasn't just that.

His family, which mostly consisted of his father, had done a lot of terrible things, and everyone felt that Draco was just the same. Draco didn't want to be a Death Eater; he didn't want to be part of anything. But his father…his father said it would be an honor.

There was so much pain building in him, along with confusion. With numerous Death Eaters staying in his home because Voldemort took it over, if he denied it, he would have surely been killed, along with his mother. They put fear in those who wanted nothing to do with it at all, or in his father's case, anymore.

The problem with being a Malfoy is no one could truly trust him. But without hesitation, he relinquishes his wand. "Sir I did not know. It must have happened after I chased after Fletcher."

Robards returns Malfoy's wand back to him.

"Speaking of which, can you tell me why it is that you decided to leave your partner in Knockturn to chase after a small-time conman?" said Robands. "Mundungus Fletcher is NOT the kind of criminals we are chasing right now."

"Head Auror," said Draco. "If you please, Mundungus lured muggles under the imperious curse to rob them."

"And now, because they're dead, we cannot verify that," said Head Auror. "You left him to die Malfoy."

"Sir," said Draco. "I didn't leave him. He told me to follow Fletcher."

"So you say," he said. "But again, we cannot ask Auror Thomas. No, I think it's that he died because you were not thinking properly. Rule 1, never leave your partner, especially in a dodgy place like Knockturn."

"Sir," he said. But it was coming on deaf ears.

"Their deaths ore on your hands Mr. Malfoy." Said Robard.

Malfoy couldn't believe it. Dean had told him to chase after Mundungus. He would stay with the muggles. He heard him correctly. He was not lying about that. Dean's wand will tell the truth, he knows it.

But that wasn't important, Dean's death was. They all had been through a very traumatic event in the battle of Hogwarts. Even though they were in a different house, each who went into the Auror training became a team. Things had changed Draco, for the better. Dean's death is now on him, and he wanted nothing more than to find those responsible. Starting with Fletcher!

"Let me talk to him Head Auror." He said. "Let me talk to Fletcher. He said that someone would kill him if he went to Azkaban. He can give us the information."

"I don't think that is a good idea Malfoy," said Robands. "You need to go home."

Please." He begged. "Let me make this up."

Robands took a deep breath and shook his head in disbelief,

"Alright Malfoy," he said. "But Potter sits in with you."

"No…come on sir," said Malfoy. "anyone but him."

"Because I'm head Auror and you're not, says he does," Robands said. "Potter sits in or you don't get your time with Fletcher. Understood?"

Draco lowered his head with a small nod. "Yes sir." He said. In his mind, he knew that Potter being there was like a knife in his back. He and Harry never really were friends. He was part of the group that joined after the battle, but Harry was put on a high level for defeating the dark lord. He wasn't power-hungry, but he has been nothing more than a poster boy for the ministry.

And now Draco is going to dread being in the room as Saint Potter, which he thinks that Potter will try to take credit for his work on Fletcher. But it's either this or nothing at all, and he owes it to Dean to find out who did this to him.

The ministries' hustle and bustle of the daytime aren't like that at night. Draco enjoyed the ministry at night when there weren't a lot of people around. He went to his desk and looked over some paperwork. The filing system was very primitive and he really wished the ministry would put in some muggle technology, like computers.

He managed to request Mundugus' Fletcher's record and started to read it. It was pretty big, and going through it would take a lot of time, but right now, he's going to take all the time he needs to find Dean's killer. He was so lost in the reading that he didn't notice the individual sitting across from him. As soon as he looked up, he jumped.

"For fuck's sake Potter, don't scare me like that," Draco said. "I'm already stressed as it is."

"My apologies Draco," said Harry. "I just wanted to see what you had so far."

"Nothing really, just Fletchers normal hijinks," said Draco. He really didn't like talking to Potter. Of course, they didn't get along during Hogwarts, but with everything that happened between them, Harry still would talk to him. It kind of drove Draco crazy, but he couldn't dwell on that.

"But?" asked Harry. "I feel there is a "but" in there somewhere."

"But…what happened tonight wasn't a norm for Fletcher. He does his crimes in high muggle areas. Kings Cross, Big Ben, or Buckingham. However, to lure muggles to Knockturn, as if…"

A shiver went up to his back. The thought of a wizard luring muggles to places like Knockturn didn't sit right with Draco. It has happened before. During his 6th year, when Voldemort was killing muggles and wizards who interacted with them, the Death Eaters would lure the muggles or other wizards under the Imperious curse. He's seen this before and it didn't register until now. Someone was targeting Muggles like before.

"As if he was instructed to do so," said Harry.

Draco nodded. Harry knew his stuff. He was really good, and no one could deny it. Potter didn't seem like he was stuck up most of the time, only when the Ministry and the Minister himself would ask Harry to be the poster boy. But Harry was a great Auror, and even Draco knew it. He may not have liked it but he knew it. He had a certain respect for Harry Potter. He stiffened up.

"But who instructed him?" asked Draco, still looking through the files, seeing if there were any accomplices or acquaintances that would draw that kind of attention.

"Let's ask that son of a bitch," said Harry. "I'm sure he'll tell us anything we want to know."

"Why's that?" asked Draco. He's seen that look in Harry before. He knows Harry is turning all the wheels in his head.

"Because we have an ace up our sleeve," said Harry. "Mundungus Fletcher is scared shitless of me."

"Come on Potter," said Draco. "Not this I defeated the Dark Lord bullshit."

"No, said Harry. "Fletcher stole from my home multiple times during the time in the Order. He will spill every bean the moment he sees me."

Draco just shook his head in disbelief.

As soon as Draco walks into the interrogation room, Fletcher is already trying to prove his innocence. That is until Harry Potter walks in. Fletcher looks at Potter and his face goes cold and grey.

"I can't Harry." He said. "He'll kill me."

"Who?" asked Draco. "Who will kill you?"

Mundungus didn't even look at him. His eyes were only focused on Harry.

"Fletcher," said Draco. "Who is he?"

Mundungus still didn't look in his direction. This upset Malfoy but pissed Harry off even more.

"I believe Auror Malfoy asked you a question Mundungus," Harry said.

Mundungus nodded a lot and turned his head to Draco. He could see Fletchers face, and it had fear written all over it. Not just from Harry, but from whoever it is he is protecting.

"I can't," he said. "He has eyes all over, including here in the ministry. Please don't make me."

Malfoy has seen that type of fear before, just like when Voldemort came into power. Then the sound of what seemed like water dripping is heard. Both Harry and Draco could hear it, and then there was the odor. Fletcher's pants were wet as piss was dripping down his leg.

"Ugh…Fletcher!" said Harry.

"Potter, a word?" said Draco. "Please."

Harry agreed, and they stepped outside almost hitting someone on the way out. Harry closed the door, and both men step into a small crevasse just outside the interrogation room.

"I've seen this before. No one could draw that much fear into anyone except you-know-who," said Draco. "I've seen that look and fear in so many others around. What do you think? Voldemort, is he back? I mean he's done it before."

"No," said Harry. "He's gone for good. Yeah, he came back, but he can't anymore. Long story, but I do know that look too, and that isn't good."

Suddenly, Draco has a strange feeling. There is a slight chill in the air, and both men look at the door and it's opened. As they walk in, there sat Fletcher with his eyes wide open in a deep stare.

"You alright Fletcher", asked Draco. "Hey Mundungus, I'm talking to you."

Harry goes to Mundungus and puts a hand on his shoulder. The slight weight on his shoulder causes the body to slump and hit hard on the table face first.

Both men look at each other and Draco hits the button on the wall to sound the alarm.