Chapter Five: Conversations and Conclusions
I: Tabitha's trials
Tabitha James was not one of the top Aurors in the business for nothing.
Her character was the kind that people described as being 'strong', for she was no-nonsense, frank and to the point. She was intelligent; she had more N.E.W.T.'s than anyone else in the office, graduated top of her class from the Auror training program, and was responsible for putting some of wizarding Britain's worst criminals behind bars, where everyone who even dreamed of misusing magic to enforce their stupid blood purity refrain belonged.
You either loved or hated Tabitha James, and she didn't care either way. All she cared about was doing her job well. She wouldn't stop at anything until the bad guys were locked up, and she didn't care how she managed to get them there.
That, she thought, was why the head of the department, Robards, had given her this job. She was young, much younger than some of the other Aurors in the department who had far more experience, but she was the best. This was a high profile case: two muggleborns kidnapped, one off the Hogwarts Express for Merlin's sake. The Ministry wanted it wrapped up, tied up tight with a nice pretty bow, as quickly as possible, and everyone knew she was the only one who could give them the answers they needed.
She sat on a chair in the office that Professor McGonagall had set her up in - a small room off the Transfiguration corridor- drawing up a schedule of student interviews. Her assistant (Robards had called him her partner, but she preferred to think of him as her assistant), Munroe, had gone off to… to do something. She wasn't sure what, but she didn't exactly care either, as long as he was out of her way.
It was rather odd being back at Hogwarts, she thought. When she'd left at the end of seventh year, there had been a sort of finality to it as if that was that, done and dusted, a chapter of her life closed. It felt as if she'd turned back the clock to her days of spending endless hours in the library, of holing up in the Ravenclaw common room practicing spell after spell, of sneaking around in the middle of the night with boys. The castle looked exactly the same as she'd left it; only she had changed.
Student interviews were sure to be a pain - she wanted nothing less than to sit in this tiny office, talking to silly teenagers whose biggest problems related to homework and Hogsmeade weekends, but she wasn't about to let Munroe handle it. He might miss something and set them back days. She let him handle the administrative concerns: coordinating with the professors, pulling the kids out of class, bringing them to her, sending them back. She just went through them systematically, name after name, face after face.
She hated dealing with kids. She hated dealing with people in general. To her, each and every person was just another name on the list, another individual who was either bad, or good - for in Tabitha James' eyes, there really was no inbetween. You couldn't do something bad with good intentions, there were no shades of grey. You were just one thing, no matter how much you tried to pretend you were more.
No one saw the world in black and white anymore except Tabitha James. Other Aurors got attached, they got too involved with the victims, with the perpetrators. They went in too deep and were unable to resurface. That's why they weren't here at Hogwarts. The kidnapping of two children was one of those cases that only the toughest could handle, because it was too difficult for everyone else to stay detached.
As far as Tabitha James was concerned, it was her lack of concern that made her the perfect person for this job, and everyone else knew it.
At six PM on her fourth evening at Hogwarts, she scanned her schedule for the next day, hoping for something that might make the previous fruitless interviews worth her while. Halfway down the list was a name that stood out from the others. Tabitha stared at it for a few moments, before marking it with her quill.
Riley Carrow.
.oOo.
II. Accio
Teddy Lupin and Alfie Hayes had always thought that it was rather unfair that just because Ella Anderson happened to be a Ravenclaw, she couldn't enter the Hufflepuff common room.
They hadn't always realised that she wasn't allowed to - in first year, she'd happily come in with them to help them with their homework until she was thrown out by a group of disgruntled fifth years who proceeded to lecture Teddy and Alfie about the sanctity of the common room and how it was only a space for Hufflepuffs. This, Teddy and Alfie decided, was incredibly unfair. After all, they'd been in the Ravenclaw common room a number of times and no one had said anything (although Teddy suspected that this had much more to do with the fact that everyone had been too busy reading to notice their entrance).
Still, over the next five years they made an effort to stay out of either common room and limit their interaction and time spent together to other areas of the castle, from the Great Hall to their favourite oak tree by the lake. Some exceptions were, however, made - such as on that particular Saturday when Ella stopped by the Hufflepuff common room to drop off a book that she'd borrowed from Teddy, and to meet up with the boys before lunch.
"I don't know how you live in here," she tutted, dropping the book on Teddy's bed, which was covered with clothes, scarves and books. "It's a mess. A complete mess. How do you find anything?"
"It's not that bad!" Alfie exclaimed, self-consciously brushing the covers of his bed down. "I mean, it's not that great either, but it's significantly tidier than it was a week ago."
"We've barely been back a week, Alfie." She crossed her arms and gave him a rather judgemental look.
"Well, it's tidier than it was when all five of us were unpacking," Teddy said.
"But -"
"I know Ella - your dormitory is perfectly neat and tidy all the time, and we should all endeavour to be like you. Let's just go."
"You should all endeavour to be like me," she said rather huffily as they walked through the tunnel leading from the boys' dormitory to the common room. "At least I'm neat, and tidy and -"
"Where is it, Daisy?"
A very anxious looking Matilda Goshawk was running across the common room, rifling through stacks of papers on tables and checking under every cushion. "Where is it? I left it on the table when I went to change my shirt after you spilled orange juice on it."
Daisy Shipkins was sitting on the sofa, checking her nails. She looked rather blasé in comparison with Matilda. "There are lots of tables, darling," she said casually. "I really can't be held accountable if you don't remember where you put it."
"She's got a memory of a goldfish, that girl," Morna Clemmons said, shaking her head.
Ella snorted quietly at this. "Clemmons is one to talk, isn't she?"
"Don't give me that, Daisy!" Matilda whined, her hand shaking slightly. "I know you took it. G- someone told me that you did, and that you've hid it and I really need it back, please! I have a Prefect meeting this afternoon, they'll notice if I haven't got it, and then I'll get into trouble!"
Daisy shrugged nonchalantly. "See if I care, Matilda. Maybe you should just try summoning it or something." She got up from the sofa, and gestured to Morna. "We're late for lunch."
The two girls sauntered out of the common room, noses in the air; Teddy heard them erupt into giggles as soon as they left. He approached Matilda, who was looking horribly upset and scared.
"You okay, Mat?" he asked her tentatively.
She shook her head. "That Daisy...she knows! She knows!"
"She knows what?" Alfie asked.
"That I can't use Accio," the Hufflepuff Prefect mumbled unhappily.
"You what?"
"There's no need to sound so shocked about it," Matilda snapped before visibly recoiling. "I'm sorry, Alfie, that was unfair of me. I'm just upset."
"That's fine," Alfie said.
"I could find it for you," Ella offered, taking her wand out of the pocket of her robes. "I got full marks on my Charms exam last year, it would take about a second and-"
"Matilda!"
Alfie let out a sound that was a cross between a sigh and a squeal, and as a result, Teddy didn't need to turn around to know that Bella Watson was approaching. The Head Girl smiled at all four of the fifth-years - including Ella, who was trying very hard to blend in - and dropped a tiny badge in the shape of a Hogwarts crest into Matilda's hand. "Is this yours?"
The brunette gasped, and immediately pinned it to the front of her shirt before she lost it again. "Where did you-"
"It was on the floor near my dormitory," Bella explained. "I noticed you weren't wearing yours, so I thought it might be - "
"It is! Thank you so much!"
"How did you lose it?"
Matilda opened her mouth, hesitated and then shrugged. "I don't know, I just woke up this morning and couldn't find it. No idea how it got all the way to your room, but thank you."
"No problem." Bella grinned. "I've got to go see Macmillan about something now, but I'll see you at the meeting, yeah? You too, Teddy - and Anderson." She winked at Ella, who looked rather embarrassed, and mumbled something incomprehensible as Bella walked off.
Alfie let out a deep sigh that he seemed to have been suppressing. "She's wonderful, isn't she?"
"Yes, Alfie, you only say so ten times a day." Ella rolled her eyes. "She's Bella Watson. She's a human, just like everyone else."
"Not her. She's special."
Teddy exchanged a look with Ella - they had the same conversation with Alfie repeatedly, and after a while, it did get boring. He took it upon himself to change the subject. "Matilda," he began, "why didn't you say anything to Bella?"
The brunette looked up at him with wide eyes. "What do you mean, Teddy?"
"You know," Teddy pressed on. "About Daisy taking your badge. She's Head Girl, she can do something about it."
Matilda bit her lip and avoided eye contact with him, looking intently at a rather attractive watercolour on the wall that was supposedly painted by the Fat Friar himself during his living days. Teddy waited for an answer, but all she said was, "Mm."
He knew how to respond to a direct answer or even an evasive answer. He knew how to steer things back onto track when they'd gone completely off, and yet he had absolutely no idea how to respond to an "Mm."
And, apparently, neither did Ella, nor Alfie.
There was a heavy silence between the four. Matilda shuffled around uncomfortably, clearly hoping that the subject would not be broached again.
"Let's go to lunch," Teddy said at last.
.oOo.
IIII. Riley's interview
Riley Carrow took a deep breath, and knocked on the door.
"Come in!" called a voice from the other side.
She pushed the door open to reveal Tabitha James sitting behind her desk, quill poised, eyebrow ever so slightly raised and a smile on her face. Sitting at a table at the back of the room was the blonde man that had come in with Tabitha. Riley didn't know his name. She hadn't been paying much attention when Professor McGonagall had been introducing them. Rather, she'd been focusing on the fact that Tabitha James was here, at Hogwarts, and that it could only really mean one thing: the Ministry was worried.
Riley knew many people at the Ministry, for her parents were well-connected and wished to stay that way. The head of the Auror department, Robards, had been around to the Carrows' for dinner many times, and she had often heard him wax poetic about Tabitha and how she was the best Auror he'd seen. She was somewhat of a celebrity, the public face of the Auror department; she got all the best cases, all the toughest cases, and she solved them.
If Tabitha James had been put on the job, it meant that these kidnappings were the Ministry's number one priority.
"Riley Carrow, isn't it?" Tabitha said sweetly. Riley nodded. "Please," she gestured to the chair in front of her table, "have a seat."
As she swept her robes under her and sat down on the rickety wooden chair, Riley realised that she didn't really know what to expect from Tabitha. It was one thing to hear about her, and quite another to be sitting across from her, about to be interrogated.
"Shall we get right down to it then?" the Auror said, opening a notebook in front of her. "You know why you're here."
Riley shrugged. "Yeah."
"And why is that?"
This caught her off guard. "What?"
"Why are you here?"
Riley raised an eyebrow - surely this was wasting time. Tabitha knew why she was there. But she humoured her anyway. "To answer any questions that you might have about the disappearance of Melissa Cooper and Leslie Stiles."
"You know their names," Tabitha noted. Riley felt as if there was another layer of subtext to this that she was missing; the way Tabitha spoke, she couldn't tell whether she was impressed, or suspicious.
"Um, yeah, it's hard not to-"
"Well, it's an improvement over the last person I interviewed," Tabitha interrupted. "So, why don't you tell me Riley - may I call you Riley?"
"Yeah su-"
"How well did you know Melissa Cooper?"
"Never met her before."
"Really?"
"Really."
"Where do you live?"
"London."
"Where in London?"
"Hampstead Heath."
"Hm."
There was silence; Riley wasn't quite sure where Tabitha was going, or what she was implying, but she wasn't sure she liked it. It wasn't as if she knew every single person in London. Hampstead Heath was well away from Parsons Green, where Cooper had been kidnapped. If Tabitha wanted someone who might have been in the vicinity, she ought to speak to Ella Anderson- Kensington was much closer than Hampstead.
"What about Leslie Stiles? Did you know her?"
At last, a somewhat reasonable question. Riley was starting to think that Tabitha James wasn't all she was cracked up to be; she seemed to talk in circles a lot. "Not well."
"Ever spoken to her?"
Riley hesitated - of course she'd spoken to Leslie Stiles. She wasn't about to forget it anytime soon. "Yeah, I guess."
"You guess?"
"I mean, I'm sure I have, but I don't really remember any kind of...you know, significant interaction." You're just a death eater baby, Carrow, you'll never amount to anything. You'll be behind bars in Azkaban by the time you turn twenty, if not earlier. "We're not best friends, or anything like that, you know."
"No?"
"No."
"Interesting." Tabitha put her quill down and settled back on her chair. Riley almost thought that the interview was over, but she quickly said, "So would you say that you two are enemies then?"
"What?" This took Riley off guard. She might not like Leslie Stiles after the things that she'd said, after the way that she and Rosalind Kettleburn had laughed at her in the corridor, but then again, she didn't like a lot of people. It didn't mean they were her enemies. "No!"
"No?"
Riley was getting rather impatient with Tabitha - she kept asking the same questions in different roundabout ways, pushing at things when there was nothing behind them. "No!"
"Really? So you've never said anything to her? Never threatened her!"
"No!"
"Well, that's news to me," Tabitha said. "Because I have a quote, right here, from a student - hand it to me, Munroe. The blond auror gave her a slip of paper, and she read out loud: "Riley Carrow told Leslie Stiles that one day, she'd die a painful death if she kept on this way."
Riley rolled her eyes. "Rosalind Kettleburn told you that, didn't she? I bet she didn't tell you why I said that."
"Pray tell." Tabitha folded her hands under her chin and gave Riley a rather prissy, expectant look.
"Leslie Stiles and Rosalind Kettleburn bullied me last year. They called me a death eater baby."
Munroe let out a little gasp; it surprised Riley, who had forgotten that he was there. "That's not-"
"Did I give you permission to speak?" Tabitha said icily. She turned back to Riley. "That's not what Miss Kettleburn told me."
"Well, she wouldn't, would she?"
"I suppose it boils down to who I believe."
Riley felt a bolt of fear in her stomach; something told her that Tabitha wasn't about to believe her.
"Why didn't you tell Professor McGonagall about this?"
Riley shifted uncomfortably. "I didn't want to be that girl."
"What girl?" Tabitha asked innocently.
"You know, the one who tells on other people."
"Or it didn't happen."
"It did!" Riley exclaimed angrily. "It did happen, I swear, I'm telling the truth, you have to believe me!"
"I don't have to do anything, you little brat!" Tabitha snapped. Riley recoiled, suddenly afraid of the woman in front of her.
"Tabitha," Munroe said, hesitantly.
Tabitha ignored him. "Let's cut to the chase, shall we? Tell me where Leslie Stiles and Melissa Cooper are."
"I don't know! How would I know?"
"Funny, isn't it, that the one muggleborn who happens to disappear off the train is the one who bullied you."
"I thought you said you didn't believe me!"
"Shut it!"
Although the other woman hadn't moved at all, Riley felt as if Tabitha was looming over her, trapping her in a corner. She could feel her hands shaking with a mixture of anger and fear: how dare this woman come in here, to a place that was practically her home, and make her feel guilty for something she hadn't even done, for something that wasn't her fault?
"Tabitha," Munroe tried again, but Tabitha completely ignored him.
"You know where they are, and you've got to tell me."
"I don't know-"
"Yes you do!"
"Tabitha, she's just a kid!" Munroe shouted. Both Tabitha and Riley looked at him, surprised; the latter hadn't realised that Munroe was capable of raising his voice, and was somewhat grateful to him for intervening.
"You're right, Munroe," Tabitha said, suddenly sweet again. "She is just a kid. A kid with parents who likely know who's behind this, if they're not embroiled in it themselves. And Riley here's perceptive."
It was the first nice thing that Tabitha had said to her, and it was more of an insult than a compliment.
Riley made eye contact with her; she was unflinching, and she was so confident in her belief that Riley knew exactly what was going on. All Riley had wanted was fairness; someone who'd come to Hogwarts, and solve the mystery quickly and quietly, without invoking the blood politics that were always involved in situations like these.
She realised now that she'd been too optimistic. Wasn't she always?
"If we're done here," she said, getting up from her chair, "I have a class to get to."
"We're not done," Tabitha said, sharply.
She turned on her heel and left without a word.
.oOo.
IV. Ella's worries
The week continued without much event. Teddy noticed that the workload had increased significantly; it was as if the teachers thought piling on essay after essay would remind them that they had O.W.L.'s coming up at the end of the year, and that these exams would determine what N.E.W.T.'s they could take, which would in turn determine what jobs they could go into and...ugh.
It was too much for Teddy, who preferred to live in sweet oblivion of the fact that he actually had a future to plan for. Ella, on the other hand, seemed to be reading a large number of books entitled things like, Find Your Passion or What Job Is Right For You?
Her nose was stuck in The Path Ahead: A Guide to Choosing the Career That Fits You when he found her on Saturday, sitting just outside the Great Hall. Before he said anything, she lifted a finger to silence him. "Let me finish this chapter."
"Ella -"
"It's just two more lines, hold on."
He waited, but tapped his foot impatiently. She skimmed the last couple of lines, and snapped the book shut. "Are you ready to go?"
"I've been ready for the last two minutes," he said pointedly.
Ella raised an eyebrow, as she gathered her things, shoving the book into her satchel. "You haven't been here for the last two minutes."
"You know what I mean. Come on - we're going to be late! And you know how Alfie gets when we're late."
She got up, dusted off her robes. The two set off across the grounds, heading for the Quidditch pitch. They walked in silence for a few moments before Ella said, "I had my interview with Tabitha James this morning."
"Oh?" Teddy queried, interested. He had yet to have his - it was scheduled for Tuesday. "How did it go?"
"Fine." She shrugged dismissively, but Teddy could tell that there was something about it that was making her uncomfortable.
"Ella?"
"She asked about my family," she said. "I don't know why - it's completely illogical, it doesn't make sense at all in the context of the kidnappings. She spent a few moments on Leslie and Melissa, and then it was 'Where are you from?' 'What do your parents do?'. It was just...weird."
"That does sound weird," Teddy agreed. "You don't suppose -"
"What?"
"Well, you don't suppose that -" he glanced around quickly to make sure that no one was around (no one was, but he lowered his voice anyway), " - that she knows."
Ella bit her lip. "I have no doubt that she knows. I didn't… well, I hinted at it, but I didn't come out and say it outright. She's probably done lots of research into us, and she probably knows all about Mum and Ashton. I just don't really see how it was relevant. To the kidnappings. Unless she thinks that they're going to -" she trailed off, looking rather stricken.
"Hey," Teddy said softly. "No. Of course not. She might have just wanted to know whether you're comfortable talking about it."
"Then why didn't she ask?"
"Aurors go about things in roundabout ways. She might've thought asking directly would...I dunno, spook you or something."
Ella smiled ruefully. "I guess I'm just worried."
Teddy's heart went out to Ella; despite her calm exterior, he knew that she was constantly on edge, and, quite frankly, he didn't blame her. Ever since she'd told him and Alfie about her family in second year, he'd just understood.
There were so many more layers to the Ella onion than most people realised.
"You shouldn't be," he said reassuringly, before pausing and correcting himself, "I mean, you've got every right to be worried - Merlin, I'd be too, but they'll be fine, Ella. Rajiv's there, isn't he?"
She nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, he won't let anything happen to them."
"Exactly. Now let's go watch Alfie, yeah?"
They reached the Quidditch pitch and took their places in the bleachers. Much to Teddy's relief, the trials had yet to begin.
.oOo.
V. The seventh year girls
Macey Longstone was nothing if not efficient.
She'd been Hufflepuff Quidditch captain since Teddy's fourth year (she was in the same year as Bella Watson and Laura Shipkins) and he'd always admired her staunch work ethic. She was the reason that the Hufflepuff Quidditch team was at the calibre it was, and rumour had it that she'd been drafted by the Wimbourne Wasps for the season beginning next autumn.
It was the day after Quidditch trials, and she'd already decided upon the team. The list was to be going up in the common room at twelve o'clock sharp - in exactly three minutes - and Alfie was shaking.
"I'm not going to get it," he whined to Teddy as they left their dormitory for the common room. "I was awful at tryouts."
Teddy scoffed. "Please, Alfie, you were brilliant. You scored the most goals out of everyone."
"No, I -" he paused, " - oh wait, yeah. But that doesn't mean anything."
"It means everything. You're going to get it. I know you're going to get it."
"Did you see the list?" Alfie perked up. "I know Macey's known since yesterday, she probably had the list for ages now, it's probably been lying on her bedside table for ages."
"No, Alfie," Teddy sighed, "I have not seen the list. Why would I be in the seventh-year girls dormitory anyway?"
Alfie shrugged. "I don't know, mate. You might get up to some nefarious activities when I'm not looking."
Teddy elbowed him and shook his head, laughing.
By the time they reached the common room, the sheet had just gone up on the wall, and a large number of students, including many who hadn't actually tried out for the team, were crowded around it. Macey Longstone stood to the side, watching everyone clamber. She seemed nervous, Teddy thought, and he didn't blame her. There was a lot of pressure riding on her decisions.
Alfie tried not to look too eager as he approached the list. He scanned it quickly, and his face broke out into a massive grin. "Teddy!" he exclaimed, spinning around. "I made the team! I made the team!"
"Congratulations!" Teddy said, smiling back - he hadn't doubted Alfie for a second.
"I can't believe it - I made the team!"
"You'd think it was his first time,"said a female voice from nearby, and Teddy looked up to see Bella Watson smiling over at him. "Congrats, Alfie."
Alfie went purple. "Thanks, Bella! Congrats to you too!"
"You made the team again?" Teddy inquired.
"Yeah, I'm Seeker again," the blonde said, blushing ever so slightly. "Really grateful that Macey picked me - I wasn't sure she was going to, what with the… well, you know," she pointed to her badge and Teddy nodded, "I've got so many responsibilities this year and Macey, she always wants the team to be tip-top."
"Yeah, but you're the best Seeker Hufflepuff has," Alfie pointed out. "She'd be bonkers not to pick you."
"Hah!" Laura Shipkins appeared at just that moment, crossing her arms. "She's bonkers to pick you Watson."
Bella rolled her eyes. "Not again, Laura, please. I know you only got second string, but this really isn't a big deal -"
"Oh, I'm only second string for now." Laura tossed her ginger waves; Alfie just managed to dodge getting slapped across the face with them. "Once you drop out, I'll take over your position."
Bella gave her a funny look. "I'm not dropping out, Laura," she said slowly.
"You say that now," the other said innocently. "But you will. It'll all be far too much for you, you'll see."
"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah!"
They continued to bicker; Alfie watched with a mixture of horror and fascination and Teddy stuck around just to make sure that he wasn't stupid enough to say anything that'd make him Laura Shipkins' new target. He barely noticed Professor Macmillan enter the Hufflepuff common room, speak to Macey briefly and then realise that two of his seventh-year students were making quite a fuss.
Professor Macmillan was not the kind of person who had an instantly commanding presence, like Professor McGonagall. He was fairly good-looking - tall, with messy blonde hair and dark eyes - but not the same kind of good-looking as Professor Smith, not the kind that made people immediately aware that he had entered the room. And yet, when he wanted to, he could make himself known in a split second.
"Watson, Shipkins!" he barked, making both girls - and Teddy and Alfie - jump slightly. "What's going on here?"
The common room quietened suddenly, anticipating that something was to occur. Out of the corner of his eye, Teddy saw Daisy Shipkins standing with Morna Clemmons - the two of them were whispering excitedly to one another, and it was all Teddy could do not to roll his eyes.
"Professor Macmillan," Laura said in a voice that Teddy could only describe as simpering. "Bella here's been made Seeker."
"Oh, is that so?" Macmillan turned to the Head Girl. "Congratulations, Miss Watson."
Bella inclined her head.
"No," Laura became slightly more agitated. "No, I don't think you understand. She's Head Girl."
Macmillan raised an eyebrow, somewhat bemused. "Yes, Miss Shipkins, I am aware of that."
"No," Laura said again - she was beginning to resemble a child throwing a temper tantrum. "She's not going to have time to be a good Seeker and a good Head Girl. She can't do both! That's unfair! And...it'll be tiring for her. She won't do a good job."
Bella twisted her lips to the side and rolled her eyes in an emphatic display of disgust.
"I see," Professor Macmillan said. "While I appreciate your...concern for Miss Watson, Miss Shipkins, it may be misplaced. If Miss Longstone," he inclined his head to Macey, "believes that Miss Watson will be a good Seeker, then so be it. I, for one, am sure she'll do an excellent job."
He paused, giving Laura a chance to reply. She appeared to be rather angry, but simply lifted her head and said nothing.
"Well, glad we've cleared that up," the professor said lightly. "Now, I just came to congratulate the new Quidditch team, so...congratulations. I must be off now."
The moment he left, Laura spoke again: "Don't get too cushy, Watson. Being Macmillan's favourite doesn't mean anything."
And with a toss of her head, she was off, sauntering down the tunnel to her dormitory as if she owned the place. Teddy and Alfie both watched her go, somewhat disgusted; Daisy, being Daisy, ran after her sister.
"Well, that was something," Bella commented. "But then again - can you expect anything less from Laura Shipkins?"
.oOo.
VI. Teddy's interview
Tabitha James did not seem like a bad person to Teddy. She was brief, and to the point, and the interview was over within five minutes; she did not ask about his parents, or his grandmother. There were only a few, simple questions about his relationship with Melissa Cooper (there was none), Leslie Stiles (they had spoken a few times, but not often) and whether he had seen anything on the day of Leslie's kidnapping (definitely not).
He'd been a bit nervous before he'd gone in. The carved threat at the Ministry wasn't common knowledge, and he'd worried about somehow revealing to Tabitha that he knew, which was sure to get Riley in trouble, because he'd have to mention how he knew about it, but it never came up. In fact, she seemed...well, Teddy couldn't exactly put his finger on it, and he was sure he was wrong, but she seemed slightly distracted, as if there was something else on her mind, something more important than their interview.
Teddy was somewhat surprised that she didn't ask him about his godfather. Uncle Harry and Tabitha James were friends, that he knew. She'd been to his Christmas parties after all, and they had worked together for a long time now - Tabitha had joined the force around the same time his godfather had, and though they hadn't known each other at school (he recalled Uncle Harry mentioning Tabitha was a Ravenclaw), they were still well acquainted with one another. He supposed that was simply something that came with being an Auror; you had to know and trust the people you were working with.
"I suppose that concludes our interview then, Mr. Lupin," the witch said, nodding curtly at him. "Unless there's anything else that you would like to tell me."
Teddy shook his head. "Nothing I can think of."
"Thank you for coming," she said. "I shall be in touch if I have any further questions. You may return to class now."
Nodding goodbye to her and her partner, Teddy got up and left the small office. He had missed half of Charms and was rather eager to get back. It was a practical lesson, and he quite enjoyed being able to use his magic in classes. Plus, it wouldn't hurt to get in some practice before the dreaded O.W.L.'s - they might be ages away, but with a best friend like Ella, who was already fretting, it was impossible to forget about them.
His return journey to class, however, was cut short before it even began, for as he closed the door to Tabitha's office, he noticed a boy standing a couple of metres away. He was about Teddy's height, with ash blonde hair, narrow eyes and a smug expression. He wore a red and gold striped scarf and was playing with the frayed ends casually, as if he had no care in the world. Teddy was filled with a mixture of hatred and irritation at the very sight of him.
The boy looked up and spotted him. His mouth curled into a malicious grin and Teddy mentally began psyching himself up for what was sure to be a trying interaction. "Well, if it isn't good old Lupin."
"Hello Terence," said Teddy mildly. "Had a good summer?"
Terence Gates rolled his eyes and shrugged lightly. "Oh, you know, the usual. What about you? I didn't hear about anyone getting attacked by a werewolf brat, so I assume they kept you in your cage."
Teddy felt his blood beginning to boil. After five years of unfortunate acquaintance with Terence Gates, one would think that he would have learned not to let the idiot get to him, but alas, he had not. Ever since Gates had pushed him on the Hogsmeade platform as they disembarked the Hogwarts Express for the first time, they hadn't been able to get along. There was something about Terence and the stupid, idiotic things that he said that really angered Teddy - whether it was insulting Alfie's blood status by insinuating he had no use for a wand, or Ella's bookishness by suggesting she might as well jump inside one for all the practical knowledge she lacked. But worst of all were the things he said to Teddy. For some reason Teddy didn't understand, Terence hated Teddy's guts.
Well, perhaps Teddy did understand. To put it simply, Terence seemed to have something against werewolves. It shouldn't have surprised him, really, for despite progress in werewolf legislation, they were still stigmatised and distrusted by many members of the wizarding population. And yet no one at Hogwarts seemed to really, truly have a problem with Teddy being the son of a werewolf except Terence. Despite knowing full well that there was nothing truly wolfish about Teddy (apart from his inability to sleep on full moons), he still taunted and mocked him to no end.
Needless to say, Teddy wasn't about to simply sit there and take his insults, and his reactions had gotten them both into trouble a fair few times. Their enmity was well-known enough that in the classes that Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors had together, the professors took care not to pair them up.
"I heard that a violent ape escaped from a zoo up north," Teddy commented. "I suppose they didn't do as good a job of keeping you in your cage."
Terence's jaw clenched. "You shut your mouth, Lupin."
"Only if you shut yours."
"Why don't you make me?"
He stood facing Teddy with a raised eyebrow and a daring expression on his face; Teddy knew he was taunting him, that he wanted him to attack him. He knew that if he did, it would just give Terence more material to spread around school - proof that Lupin was violent and not to be trusted. And yet he so badly wanted to smack the smirk off his entitled little face.
He was saved, thankfully, by Tabitha James. The Auror opened the door to her office at the very moment that Teddy was seriously contemplating punching Terence Gates in the face, and said: "Terence Gates, please?"
Her eyes narrowed as she focused her attention on the two boys. "Is everything okay here?"
"Oh, it's fine," said Terence, his tone completely different. "Just fine. Right, Lupin?"
"Right," mumbled Teddy.
"Well, let's get on then," said Tabitha, irritably.
With one last glare at Teddy, Terence turned his head, and entered her office. Teddy, his ears still ringing slightly, turned and walked to Charms.
.oOo.
VII. Arrogance gets you (no)(every)where
Teddy's mood had improved considerably by the time dinner rolled around - despite arriving three-quarters of the way through Charms, he'd still managed to do well in the practical and had earned fifteen points for Hufflepuff. He'd gotten an E on his first Herbology assignment of the term, and he and Alfie had somehow managed to scrape a high A on their Transfiguration project, despite not really starting it until a few days before it was due. All and all, it had been a good day; he hadn't thought about Terence, Tabitha James or the disappearance of the two muggleborn girls at all, and was much less stressed for it.
He slid into a seat at the Hufflepuff table next to Alfie and opposite Ella, and was helping himself to roast potatoes when a tall, bulky boy with dark hair, a chiseled jawline and bright blue eyes sat down in the empty seat on Teddy's other side. There was something about the way this boy carried himself that conveyed his belief that he was superior to everyone else; he held himself exceptionally well, if not a little too straight and his head was always high.
"Hello Teddy," he said, in a deep, somewhat formal voice. "How are you?"
"Well, thank you, Michael," Teddy responded.
Michael Goshawk - Matilda's twin brother - straightened his Slytherin tie. "I've made the Slytherin Quidditch team, you know."
"I didn't know," commented Teddy. "That's excellent, well done, Michael."
Michael narrowed his eyes. "I'm surprised you're pleased."
Teddy glanced at the Slytherin. "Why wouldn't I be? We're friends."
"Yes, but I'm not in your house. My addition to the Slytherin Quidditch team puts Hufflepuff at a grave disadvantage."
It was all Teddy could do to not roll his eyes in extreme irritation. Michael Goshawk was the kind of boy who thought endlessly of himself. Ever since Teddy had first met him on the boats to Hogwarts in first year, he had gone on about how he was a Goshawk and how that, somehow, made him inherently superior to everyone else. It was the most irritating thing about him - he had plenty of ambition, but (if Teddy was being completely honest) not much intelligence to go with it, and he seemed to harbour illusions that he was Merlin's gift to wizardkind. Still, despite his inflated ego, he was a nice person, and Teddy enjoyed spending time with him.
He did not, however, get to spend much time with him (which was perhaps good in a way, because Michael Goshawk was only really tolerable in small doses) because of the Slytherin's close friendship with one Terence Gates. Teddy didn't know what Michael saw in the other boy, but had long since realised that it was not his place to judge who Michael was friends with. Michael could be friends with Teddy, while also being friends with Terence. Just as long as Michael didn't share Terence's views.
A memory flashed into Teddy's mind, but he repressed it almost instantly. It was a long time ago, he thought. Michael's changed.
Michael was still blabbing on about Quidditch and how Slytherin was sure to win the Cup this year (Teddy took issue with this, for the rest of the team wasn't nearly as good as Michael made them out to be, but he refrained from arguing). "You know, Martin went to a Quidditch training camp this summer, he's learned all sorts of tricks that'll make him the best Chaser out there. And, of course, Professor Smith has offered to coach us."
This sparked Teddy's interest. "As in the new Potions professor?"
Michael gave him a rather contemptuous look. "Well, how many other Smith's do you know, Teddy? Of course the Potions professor - apparently he was quite the player in his heyday. Quidditch player, that is." He added this last part emphatically in response to Daisy Shipkins, who had been listening, and had begun to giggle quite loudly.
"Is that allowed?" enquired Teddy.
Michael shrugged. "I guess. Macmillan helps out the Hufflepuff team, doesn't he?"
Teddy had no idea, but figured it must be true - Professor Macmillan was highly involved with his house. "I guess."
"Smith's a good guy," the other continued. "Good professor, well-known… knows of my grandmother - but then again, who doesn't? He's not as well-connected as Slughorn, of course, but then again, who is?" He chucked to himself before continuing. "Hope retirement is treating old Sluggy well - I've been keeping in touch with him, of course, it would be idiotic to lose a connection like that, and he seems to be doing well."
"Is he? That's good."
"Yes, he was a good professor. Though I would've liked to see him coach the Quidditch team - that would have been a laugh."
He paused, as if to imagine the situation, and Matilda Goshawk, who was sitting slightly further down the table, but close enough to hear the conversation and be heard, took the opportunity to say: "Well done on making the Quidditch team, Michael."
There was an icy silence before Michael responded: "Thanks, Matilda."
He did not make eye contact with her. She looked slightly hesitant, and then nodded once before distracting herself by pouring a glass of water. Michael went back to talking about something or the other, and all was normal once again.
Teddy, however, was unable to get those few moments of interaction out of his mind. It seemed that the summer holidays had done nothing to increase Michael and Matilda's closeness; rather, they were as cold with one another as ever before. The twins puzzled him - he'd heard so much about how twins were supposed to be close, how they were supposed to be like built-in best friends...he'd even wanted a twin of his own when he had been much younger. But Michael and Matilda were different; there was something between them, some kind of wedge, and no one had any idea what it was. It was just one of those things that had been around so long that people had stopped asking about it; it no longer seemed out of the ordinary.
But it was still there, and Teddy, despite everything, still noticed it.
.oOo.
VIII. Tabitha's conclusions
The interviews took no longer than Tabitha James had anticipated.
She was particular about many things, time constraints included, and although certain interviews had run over their allotted time (Riley Carrow's interview came to mind immediately, but she preferred not to think about it, for it was the only one that hadn't exactly gone according to plan), she had managed to make up for it.
After all, Tabitha James was nothing if not efficient.
That evening - two Fridays after term had officially started - she was sitting in her small office with Munroe and Professor McGonagall. She was behind her desk, Munroe was standing to the side, and Professor McGonagall was also standing - near the bookcase by the left wall. Tabitha had offered her a seat but she had refused it; something about this small decision unnerved Tabitha. It was as if McGonagall wanted to remain in a position of power.
Tabitha didn't like other people being more powerful than her. She had a compulsive need to be at the top, but in this particular case, she supposed she was willing to (somewhat unhappily) concede. Professor McGonagall had, after all, taught her when she was at Hogwarts, and she supposed that accorded her some degree of respect.
"None of the children seem to know what happened on the train," said Tabitha. "None of them saw anything - "
"- Or none of them are willing to come forward," Munroe pointed out.
Tabitha ignored him - she was sure that if someone had seen something they would've said something. Her questioning had been too thorough. "- and quite frankly, it simply complicates the situation more. How did a girl go missing without anyone noticing? The Hogwarts' Express isn't exactly expansive."
"It baffles me, Miss James," McGonagall said. "The parents won't be happy with this."
Tabitha bristled. "Just because none of the children saw anything doesn't mean that we don't know anything." Munroe opened his mouth as if to say that that was exactly what it meant, but Tabitha wasn't about to let him make her look worse. "I think that there's still a lot we can learn from staying at Hogwarts, developing relationships with the students - that sort of thing."
McGonagall made eye contact with Tabitha and the auror suddenly felt as if she was in school again, in Transfiguration class, being berated because her pincushion still had spikes. She felt a wave of fear and distaste run through her; McGonagall had never thought she was good enough. She didn't want Tabitha hanging around Hogwarts - she'd realised that from her very first meeting with the Headmistress. She was going to kick her out.
"I think that would be an excellent course of action."
"Excuse me?" Tabitha was unable to hide her shock.
"The students need someone they can trust in this," the Headmistress continued. "They do not trust me - I have withheld information from them. You, on the other hand, are closer in age to them. They look up to you. I'm certain they respect you."
Tabitha disagreed intensely with this last point - Madame Riley Carrow who was rather too big for her boots certainly did not respect her - but she did not reveal this to Professor McGonagall. Rather, she smiled and nodded. "Yes, ma'am."
"Keep at it, James, Munroe. Is there anything else?"
"Yes." Tabitha pushed a piece of parchment across her desk towards the Headmistress, who picked it up and examined it. "These are the students I want to keep an eye on."
The Headmistress raised an eyebrow as she scanned the list of ten names. "Based on…"
"A combination of what they said in their interviews, their relationship to the taken students and their family history." She paused briefly - McGonagall's eyebrow had risen further. "Unfortunately, no matter what we say, family counts for a lot in the wizarding world."
"Yes, Miss James," Professor McGonagall said quietly. "It does indeed. Is this -"
"For you, yes," Tabitha confirmed. "I've made copies."
"Very well."
Not long after she had left, Munroe turned to Tabitha. "And were you ever going to show me this list?"
Sighing dramatically, she roughly opened a drawer and threw a piece of parchment at him. "If you were any smarter, you'd have seen it when I was making it."
For a moment, he seemed as if he was going to respond, but obviously thought better of it (the first smart decision he'd made all day, in Tabitha's opinion). Instead, he scanned the list.
A few names stuck out. Rosalind Kettleburn was a given, she knew Leslie Stiles the best. Riley Carrow, he supposed, was also a given, after the way that interview had gone. Maisie Duncan, slightly odd, but she was the last person to really see Leslie Stiles. Ella Anderson…
He paused and looked at Tabitha. "Why Ella Anderson?"
Tabitha shrugged mysteriously. "That's for me to know, and you to find out."
A/N: Thank you guys for all the support! I love reading your reviews, and I can't wait to hear what you think of this chapter (and Tabitha James!). Chapter Six will be up in two weeks (July 27th) because I've been crazy busy lately. But it's definitely one of my fave chapters and suffice it to say relationships will be tested.
Until then! xx