Wednesday 14 October 2020
In which the narrator receives unwelcome news.
"They're gone again," Ms Mbewe said. "Albus Potter and Scorpius Malfoy."
"Are you shitting me?" I said. I do not usually like to use such indelicate language in the presence of a lady, but this was ridiculous.
"No. Apparently this time it's kidnap. The Aurors are planning to interrogate you again."
"Oh joy. But they must know that I can't do anything for them now?"
"Apparently not," Ms Mbewe said. "Look, just go along with them. I doubt they have anything new on you. Most likely they're just desperate and out of ideas."
"My scar has been hurting," Potter said dramatically, at the start of the interrogation. This was something new. The other two Aurors looked on respectfully, but I wondered if they privately harboured some doubts about Potter's more unorthodox methods.
"Is that supposed to be significant?" I asked, a note of disdain creeping into my voice.
"My scar," Potter said, "is my connection to Voldemort."
"Yeah, yeah," I said. "You're the Chosen One. Well done you."
"My scar hurt, you know, when Voldemort was feeling particularly angry, or happy. It hasn't hurt since. Until now."
"So?"
"Do I have to spell it out for you?"
"No," I said. "But something tells me you're going to anyway."
"Look," said Potter. "We've reason to believe that Voldemort will be attempting a comeback."
"Oh yeah," I said. "How?"
"How do you think?" said Potter nastily.
"How would I know?"
"Because you are the means of his return. All the evidence suggests that the Time-Turner will bring him back – we just don't exactly know how."
"Well, I'm sure I don't know either. And I think you're pinning an awful lot on this scar business."
"My scar acted as an alarm bell before," Potter said. "I'm not going to ignore it now."
"You could be wrong," I said.
"I hope I am," Potter replied. "But I doubt it. If it weren't for you, we could be sure that Voldemort was still dead and stuck in the past. You have a lot to answer for, Nott. You wanted him to come back?"
"Of course not," I said.
"I'm not so sure where your loyalties lie anymore."
"With myself," I said. "As ever. Let me assure you that my selfishness is still my principal virtue."
"Which would be well served if you brought about Voldemort's return. The Time-Turner is difficult, complex Dark magic. He would respect you, and reward you."
"Better than I can reward myself? The Dark Lord would only keep me as long as I was useful to him, and I have no desire to be his slave. I've seen how he treated his followers."
"Plenty of them will be pleased if he returns."
"I'm not one of his," I said. "You know I won't feel the Dark Mark burn."
"Well," Potter said. "That will be interesting, won't it? Don't assume that you'll just slip by this time - that can be undone. If Voldemort had won, we both know you would have joined him."
"Disagree," I said, although I could feel the panic rising in my chest. I looked over at Jones. Surely she knew that I felt no nostalgia for those old days, that I too felt only fear at the thought of the Dark Lord's possible return?
"I'm not sure what he'll make of you," Potter continued. "Good family, but seriously patchy magical ability."
I could tell he was trying to get a rise out of me; I would not take his bait.
"Can you follow orders, Nott? Can you?"
"I don't want him to come back – you know I don't."
"And yet you might be the means through which he returns," Potter said. "Unless you help us."
"I don't know what you want from me," I said.
"We need to know where the Time-Turner has gone."
"I can't tell you that," I said. "I don't know."
"My understanding is that your son and Scorpius Malfoy have been kidnapped," Ms Mbewe said. "But I fail to see what this has to do with my client."
"They've been taken along with the Time-Turner," Potter said. "And that's why I think Nott can help."
"Mr Nott has given you all the help he can," Ms Mbewe said. "He's been quite clear with you that no connection exists between him and the Time-Turner."
"It's the difference between Voldemort coming back, and the peace we've enjoyed for more than twenty years," Potter said.
"I know," I said. "But what would you have me do? I can't stop it and I can't trace it. I want to stop the Dark Lord coming back as much as anyone - "
"I'll believe you on that when you show me something I can use."
I took a deep breath.
"Anything," Potter said.
The Aurors were all looking at me.
"I can't help you," I said.