Boy Who Lived Attacks Muggles screamed silently at Leanne as she leaned against the kitchen sink, a cup of tea in her hands. She'd left the paper where the owl had dropped it this morning, face up on the counter. She wasn't sure she could handle the news without her morning tea. To be perfectly honest, she wasn't even sure why Dennis bothered getting The Daily Prophet anymore. He'd long ago told her that he preferred reading Wizarding World Weekly once Colin had started working there.
Dennis. Leanne glanced toward the hallway, multiple emotions making her heart race, and wondered if she should leave before Dennis woke up. She'd promised herself that she wouldn't expect anything from Dennis, that she couldn't expect to jump back into his life as though no time had passed. But Dennis had caught up to her after she'd slipped out of the sentencing and asked her if she'd like to talk, and how could she refuse? She owed him an explanation, at least.
Except he hadn't asked for an explanation. They'd chatted about Colin for hours before falling into bed - more like the floor, really - and Leanne had no more idea where she stood with him then she had the first moment she'd seen him in that courtroom.
"Good morning," a voice said, and Leanne twitched, her tea sloshing slightly.
"Good morning," Leanne returned, unsure what else to say. Dennis looked just as hesitant as she felt. "Tea?" she asked.
"Please," Dennis said.
Leanne busied herself with the tea. When she at last handed the cup to him, she noticed Dennis was looking at her with something akin to hope, and her heart leaped.
"Thank you," Dennis said, accepting the cup and leaning against the counter, his hip resting on the door to the cabinet where he kept his pots and pans, and she felt herself blush as she tore her eyes away.
Leanne watched Dennis take a sip and couldn't take the loud silence anymore. "The Prophet came not long ago."
Dennis didn't even glance at the paper, but looked at her with a knowing expression, and she blushed again. "Leanne," he said softly. "What was that last night, to you?"
Leanne stared at him and didn't know what to say. She had never known Dennis to be so blunt. While he'd never shied away from hard conversations, he'd usually preferred to build up to his bold questions, at least when it came to their relationship.
Dennis might have seen the question in her face, or perhaps he simply knew her well enough to know what she was thinking. "As you might have guessed, my head isn't in the best place right now. If last night didn't mean to you what - what it did to me, I'd prefer to know now. Please don't lead me on because of Colin."
Leanne still didn't know what to say, but she had to speak now, or Dennis would get the wrong idea. Already she could see the tinge of hurt creeping into his eyes. "I'm yours," she said, hating how stupidly cheesy and cliché it sounded and wishing she could find the right words. "It - that meant something. It meant everything."
Dennis smiled at her, hope clear in his expression once more, and he reached out to take her hand. "There is so much we need to talk about," he warned her. "You hurt me, Leanne. I need to know why. We're going to have some hard discussions and I'm hurting like hell right now, I may be less patient than you might remember me. Are you okay with that?"
"I'm not going anywhere," Leanne said, blinking back tears. "I was wrong, before. To leave. I panicked instead of trusting in the love of the people around me."
"I don't know your reasons," Dennis said, and there was a clear yet added on at the end from his tone. "But I know that Colin - didn't leave when he should have and he died for it, Leanne. I can't - I can't judge you for it."
Leanne nodded, her tears spilling over, and Dennis squeezed her hand, his thumb rubbing soothing circles, and Leanne wiped her face. "Sorry," she mumbled.
Dennis didn't speak, but kissed her forehead gently. "Perhaps reading the Prophet would help cheer you up," he said, irony in his voice, and Leanne laughed wetly at the absurd thought. "Perhaps so," she said, attempting sarcasm.
Dennis picked up the paper. "I thought I knew Harry," he said, shaking his head. "I don't understand how the person I thought I knew turned out to be so troubled."
Leanne didn't answer, but leaned into Dennis so they could read together.
Boy Who Lived Attacks Muggles
Written by Mazie Smith
The Wizarding World was shocked when Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived Twice, was accused of the murder of his boyfriend, Colin Creevey. (To read the recount of the Trial, turn to page 3.) "He saved us all," Romilda Vane relayed from her home on the outskirts of London. A former Hogwarts classmate of Harry's, Romilda's account of the final showdown between You-Know-Who (turn to page 4) and Harry Potter was spellbinding. "He saved our lives," she said. "I don't believe that he did this."
Believe it or not, but Harry Potter's downfall was displayed for all to see during his recent Trial. (To request a bottle of the memories shown at the Hearing, fill out the form on page 6.) Is it not so surprising to learn that such a deeply disturbed soul would lash out at others?
A Ministry source confirmed that Harry Potter briefly escaped custody last night. He has since been recaptured, but not before attacking two muggles in their home. One of the muggles, Lucas Bellingtine, was sent to a nearby muggle hospital and is expected to make a full recovery. The other muggle, Bellingtine's son Bill, was simply Stunned and is otherwise uninjured. Further digging revealed that both Lucas and Bill Bellingtine are connected to Homes for Hope, Luke as a security guard and Bill as a patient. It appears Harry befriended them both, but it is unknown why Harry attacked either one of the men. Both muggles have had their memories modified. "They no longer remember the magic they witnessed," the same Ministry source said. "They believe that they were attacked with muggle weaponry."
The Wizarding World now finds itself in a new era. While Harry Potter is believed innocent by some (for a summary of the multiple conspiracy theories, turn to page 8), the vast majority of the magical world must now make peace with the knowledge that Harry Potter is no longer a wizard one can aspire to be.
Leanne couldn't read any more. She moved away from Dennis to freshen her tea. "I don't know how to live in a world where these things happen," she said quietly, more to herself than to Dennis.
She heard Dennis take a breath, as though he wanted to speak, but a loud crack sounded and Leanne whirled around. "Skye!" she cried. "You scared me!"
"I is sorry," Skye said to her, not sounding sorry at all. "I is told to bring you back this morning."
Leanne looked at Dennis. "I shouldn't have stayed here last night," she told him. She saw something flair in his eyes, and hastened to reassure him. "I mean - until things are resolved with the reason why I left in the first place, I need to stay in the safety of the Underground."
Dennis nodded slowly. "When - ?"
"You'll know when," Leanne said. "Trust me, you'll know. That same day, we'll talk, yeah?"
"I've waited this long," Dennis said. "I'm not going anywhere."
Leanne looked at him, and could see those three words shining in his open expression, but he didn't speak. That look was the last thing she saw before she allowed Skye to apparate her back to the Underground.
"I'm sorry, I should have owled," she told Astoria guiltily.
Astoria just shook her head. "I've had Skye and another one of the elves looking out for you the whole time you were outside these walls," she said. "I knew where you were."
Leanne looked down. "I don't know what I was thinking."
"You love him," Astoria said. "I get it, Jane. That's why I was thinking for you."
"Can you - please call me Leanne," she said. "I've always hated my first name. I had to use it for work but everyone else knows me as Leanne and I would rather be called that name."
"Of course," Astoria said. "I apologize, I should have asked sooner what you preferred."
Leanne smiled and thanked her, but her mind was still on Dennis. She'd known he was special, that day he'd defended her at the Ministry when her ex had verbally attacked her because she'd asked to share custody of the kitten they'd adopted. But it still surprised her, how someone so special could love someone so ordinary. How he could still love her now, even after she'd done all she could to push him away.
The days passed, and Leanne missed Dennis so much it was like a constant stomach-ache, but she knew it wouldn't be long before she could go home. Natalie Mayes was close to publishing her article, working directly with Aurors and with her sources to bring the events that had started so long ago to an end. Natalie had told her that she didn't think they would be able to tie all of the pieces together, but that they would at least be able to expose the pieces that threatened Leanne, and that was enough for Leanne. She could see in Natalie's eyes that she hungered for more answers, but as far as Leanne was concerned, as long as she was able to live peacefully with Dennis in her life, she didn't care about the rest.
Some nights she'd lay awake thinking about Dennis. Other nights she lay awake and her brain would spin with what ifs. What if she hadn't left? Would she have been able to catch Colin's struggles? Could she have helped him? Helped save him? Helped save Harry, perhaps? She'd worked at Homes for Hope long enough to know what Mind Healers looked for, how they helped people - what if?
Sometimes she'd make herself get out of bed and pace the room. Once, she padded softly to the garden and spent several minutes staring at the waterfall, remembering flashes of conversations with Colin and the way he laughed. More often than not, she'd stare at the ceiling until the emotions built up enough for her to cry herself to sleep.
The day the article was published, Leanne cried happy tears and hugged Astoria tightly. "Can you bring Dennis to the garden today?" she asked when she stepped back. "I promised him we'd talk the day I was safe."
"I'll send Skye to collect him," Astoria said, and Leanne laughed in relief and looked joyfully at the article, savouring each word once more.
Saving Hope: Homes for Hope Admin Caught
Written by Natalie Mayes, Photographs taken by Sally Ann Perks
Anton Chandler, 57, a recently fired supervisory administrator for Homes for Hope Institute, was arrested yesterday in connection to a plot encompassing multiple crimes, including conspiracy to commit murder and embezzlement. His 29 year-old squib niece, Jessie Jacques, was taken into custody only hours later for multiple charges, including abuse of power and conspiracy to commit murder.
Three anonymous sources within Homes for Hope have stepped forward with knowledge relating to Chandler's crimes. "I noticed the money wasn't adding up," one source commented. "I did some digging with the help of a colleague and we discovered that the money trail led back to Chandler."
The money trail led the source to another discovery, one even more chilling: Murder. "Chandler was using the money to pay Katarina's Killers, an underground organization dedicated to killing people they see as threats to society."
Many in the wizarding world might wonder why the name of this despicable organization does not sound familiar. "It's a muggle association," another source said. "They're well known where I grew up. The name 'Katarina' in my hometown is what 'Voldemort' is to the magical world."
Chandler, a former Unspeakable, had become disenchanted and angry in recent years. "It didn't take me long to hear the rumours about him," one source mentioned. "People also tend not to notice me in a room. I overheard him talking to one of the catatonic patients, ranting about how his daughter had been killed last year by a corrupt muggle cop. He'd decided right after her death to make sure that never happened again."
The solution to Chandler's rage came in the form of his squib niece, London muggle police officer Jessie Jacques. Using sensitive criminal information Jacques fed to her Uncle, Chandler in turn relayed the information and thousands of Galleons worth of muggle money to Katarina's Killers. In a statement given to Auror Blake Williamson, Chandler admitted that he thought he wouldn't be caught if he worked with muggles. Hundreds of people, both magical and muggle alike, have been the victims of this group's illegal campaign for a biblical form of justice.
While Chandler appears to be a fairly recent criminal convert, Jacques has been feeding information to multiple sources for years, based on information found by Aurors. A team led by Investigative Auror Desi Rainn discovered detailed records of nearly six years' worth of criminals who Jacques believed had been given lightened sentences or had escaped justice in some way. While unable to comment further on what is still an active investigation, an unnamed senior Auror did mention that of the people listed in the records so far, all have been reported missing or presumed dead.
Leanne stopped reading as she heard Astoria start talking. She hadn't noticed that Skye had entered the room, so lost had she been in the words of the article. She only half listened as Astoria instructed Skye to bring Dennis to the garden. It's over, she thought. I'm free.
"Yes you are," Astoria said, and Leanne blinked; she hadn't realized she said the last part out loud. "I believe the Aurors will want to talk to you again at some point, but given what Auror Weasley told you in your last interview, I think you're safe to go home."
Leanne smiled, but then her face dropped as she realized something. "I don't have a home to go back to," she said lowly. "I gave up my flat when I left everything behind."
Astoria shook her head. "I have an apartment waiting for you to move in. It's yours if you want it."
"How...?"
Astoria hesitated. "It's...Colin's," she said quietly. "It's the place I found for him when he told me he wanted to stay in London. But I think he would want you to have it."
Leanne took a sharp breath. She let it out slowly, thinking. "He's still looking out for me, even now," she said. "I'll take it, thank you."
Astoria gave her another hug, and Leanne thanked the heavens above that she'd met such a kind soul.
Leanne found Dennis sitting near the waterfall. His back was turned, and Leanne watched him for a moment before speaking. "Some part of me worried you wouldn't come."
Dennis turned around and shot her a cautious smile. "Some part of me worried you wouldn't want to see me again."
Leanne sat down next to him. "You saw the article?"
"I did. I take it you are one of the sources mentioned?"
"I was, yes," Leanne confirmed. "I found something strange when I was filling in for a co-worker. He had been working on the annual financial audit, but came down with the 24 hour stomach flu, so I stepped in."
Dennis tucked his legs into his chest and wrapped his arms around himself. "What happened?"
"I brought it up with my supervisor," Leanne said. "Anton, of course, dismissed my concerns. He took me off the audit and put me in a different position. But Jackson found something off about the numbers too, and talked to me. We decided to show Anton's supervisor, but before we could, the book was somehow altered, and the numbers no longer showed any odd inconsistencies."
"That bastard," Dennis said. "Why didn't you tell me any of this was going on?"
Leanne shrugged. "I've always kept my work and my private life very separate. I realize that's a lame excuse, but - it's the truth."
Dennis looked at her seriously. "I'd like to talk about that further at some point. What happened next?"
"I went to Natalie Mayes. I'd read her articles, knew she was the kind of person who would keep at the puzzle until it was solved. I had no real proof, so I knew the Aurors wouldn't hear me out. I needed help digging. Months went by. And then it happened." Leanne took a deep breath, her hands clutching at the grass she was sitting on. "I was cleaning the bathroom in one of the catatonic patient's rooms. Lucy is a teenager, she's spent most of her life in that frozen state...I liked to talk to her, so I'd planned to sit with her after finishing cleaning her living space. I heard a couple of people enter the room just as I was finishing up. They were arguing in low voices. One of them, a woman, was saying something about how she needed to steal a file, there was a new case in need of putting down. But she needed money to pay off someone. The other voice I recognized at once. Anton said he'd get more money. Mentioned that he'd fix the books properly this time, so no one asked any questions. They talked for several minutes before leaving the room. That's when I learned about Katarina's Killers. I didn't know what to do. I finished up my shift and contacted Natalie with the new information. I barely slept that night. I didn't know if I should try to go to the Aurors, or Anton's boss, or wait for Natalie to do more research."
Dennis shifted closer to her, his hand reaching to rest on her knee. Leanne gave him a brief smile before looking back down. "The next day I went into work and Anton cornered me. He asked if I'd heard anything interesting yesterday. I told him I didn't know what he was talking about. He told me that was the correct answer. That if I had any sense, I'd keep my mouth shut. He told me that he had contacts all over the world, that there wasn't anywhere I could go that he wouldn't find me if I opened my mouth. And he said that if I told anyone he'd have his contacts kill all my loved ones before killing me."
"How did he know?" Dennis asked, and his voice was shaking.
"There are muggle cameras set up in St. Hope. In Magical Hope, there are magical means for surveillance, but because St. Hope is a mostly muggle institution, muggle technology is used when possible. I'm assuming he was double checking that no one had heard him and noticed me entering the room before he did."
"So you ran," Dennis said.
Leanne looked up. Dennis didn't look upset, merely thoughtful, his mouth downturned in a frown. She nodded. "I thought - I don't know. I panicked. I'd already told Natalie, I was scared he'd find out, I didn't want to risk your life or any of the other people I care about. I knew he'd worked as an Unspeakable before, he didn't make idle threats and knew magic most wizards only dream about. So I blurted out that I quit. I would leave town and I'd never tell a soul. He told me I'd made a smart choice. I left. Packed up, left the apartment, wrote a quick letter to you, and went to the Underground. I'd heard about the place from Katie Bell, knew they could help."
"Why did you send the letter to Colin, not me?"
Leanne sighed. "This is going to sound stupid. I knew that you wouldn't - I knew you'd be hurt. I figured that if you found out with Colin, at least you'd have someone with you who cared about you and could, in some small way, comfort you."
Dennis was silent. Leanne watched the waterfall as she waited. The spray as the water hit the small flowing river bounced back into the air, and she could see a rainbow where the light met the drops. She looked back at Dennis. He was watching her carefully. "Why didn't you trust me to tell me?" Dennis finally asked, bewildered. "I don't understand, Leanne."
"I don't know," she said.
"Leanne. Look at me."
Leanne kept her head turned away, afraid of what Dennis might read in her face. "I don't know," she said again, but her voice gave her away.
"Damn it Leanne, look at me," Dennis said in a low voice, and she could hear the forced calm in his voice. Leanne took another deep breath. God, she was such a coward. She'd never been good at this. There was a part of her that rebelled at the responsibilities that came with a relationship, a part of her that was afraid to let someone else see her completely. "I'm scared," she admitted.
"Scared?" Dennis questioned.
"I'm scared you'll see right through me," she confessed, her voice low, and Dennis' hand briefly tightened against her knee.
"Leanne," Dennis said again. And this time, Leanne obeyed, summing all her courage to meet Dennis' gaze. He looked at her for a long moment, his eyes moving back and forth just slightly, slowly taking in her expression, and she felt vulnerable, exposed.
"Why didn't you trust me?" Dennis asked again, very quietly.
Leanne looked down, unable to say the words while looking in his eyes. "Everyone I've ever cared about in my life has let me down. I love you too much. I couldn't bear to be let down again. It was just - easier." She could hear Dennis' breathing, shaky and deep, and kept her gaze down.
"We have some work to do," Dennis said at last in a choked voice. "I can't promise you that I'll never let you down. But you didn't even give me a chance. All I ask in the future is that you give me a chance."
Leanne looked up. "In the future?"
"It's not going to be easy," Dennis said, and he was still holding back tears, she could tell. "But I'm all in - if you are too."
Leanne nodded vigorously as she scooted closer. "I'm in Dennis, I'm in."
Dennis leaned in and kissed her, and she could taste his tears mingled with her own, and felt some small part of her chest click into place. As they parted, Leanne reached up to wipe Dennis' cheeks. "Astoria found me an apartment," she said softly. "In London. Would you like to help me move in?"
Dennis gave her a radiant smile. "I'd be delighted," he said.
Leanne got up and bushed the grass off her robes. She held out her hand, and Dennis took it without hesitation. When he stood before her, their gazes locked. "I see you," Dennis whispered.
Leanne looked back at Dennis and was unable to speak. She'd never been good with words when it counted. She hooked her hand in the front of his robes and pulled Dennis to her. A sharp breath came out of his mouth but she swallowed it, kissing him messily but with all the force of her emotions, and he responded in kind.
As they walked together to her room to pack her things, her hand tight in Dennis', she realized that for the first time in a long time, her heart held hope.