Kissed

Even as they entered the ministry and went through the lobby, the thief was still fighting him.

''What's this about, 'Arry? Gotta make a living out of somethin', don't I?''

- ''Shut up, Mundungus.''

- ''Now, wait- 'Arry, wait! What's wrong? If you wanna turn me in, then take me to the boss, Kingsley and I we're old pals-''

- ''Just as little as we are.''

- ''It's always like this'', Mundungus growled ''If you need me it's 'Dung here, Dung there', but once the danger's over, you're not looking at me with your a-''

- ''Will you please shut up already'', Harry hissed and pulled him into one of the lifts.

Right after the doors had closed and they started to move, Mundungus tried to attack him, but Harry merely hit him in the stomach with his elbow so that the thief collapsed to the ground.

''I'll sue you for that, 'Arry!''

- ''Stop this rubbish'', Harry growled. ''Try to maintain a little bit of dignity.''

Mundungus spat at his feet just in the moment when the lift arrived and opened. Paula Zeas who'd been waiting for it with Williamson looked at him contemptfully.

''Not guilty again, Fletcher?'', Williamson asked with a wide grin.

''Slander, sir'', Mundungus moaned. ''Potter's been after me for years, just 'cause I took that stuff from Sirius's-''

- ''Go on, Mundungus'', Harry grinned. ''Use a burglary as an excuse for theft.''

- ''I thougt you weren't in this weekend, Potter?'', Zeas asked.

''I didn't want to'', Harry said. ''But we caught him red-handed while he was robbing people in the middle of Diagon Alley in broad daylight, so I figured I'd bring him in.''

- ''Johnson did already guess that was him'', Williamson said. ''He's at his desk. Don't accept anything under a free lunch as payment.''

- ''How very intriguing'', Zeas moaned. ''Come on now, I want to finish this search before Sunday.''

- ''Where are you going?'', Harry asked curiously.

''Magic has been registered at a muggle gardener's in Hicksville'', Williamson said. ''In the one that belonged to Avery's aunt.''

- ''You think that's Jugson?''

- ''I think we're looking for a needle in an haystack'', Zeas moaned. ''But the weather's nice in Sussex today, so we'll look into it.''

- ''Do you need help?''

- ''It's a muggle gardener, Potter'', Williamson said. ''There are no dangerous plants that might attack us. You can follow us after you're done with Fletcher, if you really want to - but too many extra hours here make you look like a careerist, okay?''

Zeas and he stepped into the lift while Harry led the now resigning Mundungus to Haytham Johnson's desk.

''Johnson'', he greeted Angelina's cousin. ''I've solved your theft series in Diagon Alley.''

- ''Hello, Mr Fletcher'', Johnson said happily. ''Why, I've been looking just for you!''

- ''I want to turn me in, sir'', Mundungus said. ''I came here to show my good will-''

- ''Where did you catch him, Potter?'', Johnson asked who didn't believe a single word from Mundungus's lips.

''In front of Fortescue's ice cream parlour'', Harry said. ''He stole from passersby. About fifty people saw him.''

- ''Fortescue's is open again?'', Johnson asked. ''I thought we're still looking for him.''

- ''We do'', Harry said. ''His wife is running the place now.''

- ''Ah'', Johnson said and stood up. ''Well, Mr Fletcher, as there is a high risk that you might escape justice, we'll bring you to Azkaban now where you can await your trial and think about your decisions in life. There's no need to fight this'', he added when Mundungus opened his mouth. ''I do already have sixteen statements from witnesses that observed your thefts, plus that burglary in Stansted last Friday night. Potter, do you want to accompany us?''

- ''I was expecting a free coffee or something like that, but why not.''

- ''The coffee in our cafeteria is the reason for all things evil in this world'', Johnson said. ''Besides you've never been to Azkaban, have you?''

Harry shook his head. After Avery's arrest, Kingsley and Savage had brought him there while Williamson, Ron and him had closed the case. He wasn't very eager for a trip to the wizarding prison, but sooner or later it would be inevitable anyway.

''It'll do you some good'', Johnson said. ''It's always nice to see the fruits of our work here.''

Johnson sent a message to Azkaban to let them know they were coming and then took him and Mundungus there via side-by-side apparation. They landed on the island's beach. Although the dementors were gone, the place still held a dark, depressing aura. The wizarding prison stood on a lonely, bare rock in the North Sea.

''Charming'', Harry said grimly who unwillingly had to think of Sirius and all the years his innocent godfather had been forced to live here. How would his life have turned out if he hadn't been shut away? Would Harry have grown up with him? Would his childhood have been happy?

''You alright, Potter?'', Johnson asked.

''Yes'', Harry said grimly. ''So, what now?''

Johnson led them to the fortress's gate where they were already expected by ten members from Magical Law Execution.

''Everything fine, Johnson?'', the tiniest of them asked, an old, crookbacked wizard with a bright-red nose.

''Everything fine, Adams. Potter, this is Theobald Adams, the director of this reformatory.''

- ''An honour meeting you, Potter'', Adams said and shook Harry's hand.

''Er, thanks'', Harry said embarassedly.

''Well then, Mr Fletcher'', Adams said and clapped his hands. ''We've prepared your old cell for you - I never doubted you would need it again some day.''

Mundungus didn't say anything and let Harry and Johnson take his arms to follow Adams. The inside od the fortress reminded Harry of the vaults at Hogwarts: no windows, but torches at the walls. The doors were made from thick steel and had small signs with the inmate's names on them.

''We'll keep you a little away from the other inmates, Mr Fletcher'', Adams said over his shoulder. ''As a former member of the Order of the Phoenix you should keep your distance to the Death Eaters.''

He stopped in front of an open door at the end of the corridor which already had a sign that said 'Mundungus Fletcher'.

''Dinner at six, Mr Fletcher. Everything else will be explained then - now we'll give you some privacy.''

He locked the door with his wand. Harry heard chains rattle and locks click, then everything was silent.

''This place used to have lattice doors'', Adams said. ''But that changed after Sirius Black's breakout.''

Harry felt a stitch in his chest and looked away - at the door to the cell next to Mundungus's which said 'Barty Crouch Jr.'.

''Barty Crouch Jr.?'', Harry asked stunned. ''He's supposed to be dead!''

- ''Kissed'', Adams corrected him calmly. ''Do you wish to see him, Potter?''

Harry collected himself and nodded curtly. Adams opened the door which apparently wasn't locked at all. As Harry could see with his first look, that was hardly necessary. The Death Eater who had pretended to be Mad-Eye Moody lay on his bed and stared at the ceiling. From time to time he blinked, but that was all he did.

''Crouch?'', Harry asked loudly. ''Barty Crouch?''

Crouch didn't show any reaction.

''He can't hear you, Potter'', Johnson said grimly. ''He's gone. That's just his shell.''

Harry stared at the man who'd been responsible for Voldemort's return, the man who'd been among those who tortured Neville's parents into insanity and asked himself why he felt nothing at all. No satisfaction, no pity, nothing. Only horror in the face of what he had in front of him.

''If anybody ever deserved this fate, then it's him'', Adams finally said.

''Come on now, Potter'', Johnson said. ''I need my weekend. My wife will strangle me if I'm not home for tea.''

They said their goodbyes to Adams and went back to the beach.

''Are you done for today, too?'', Johnson asked.

''No'', Harry said. ''Williamson and Zeas are following a lead on Jugson, I'll go help them.''

- ''You're absolutely too motivated, Potter.''

Harry shrugged. ''I'll have a whole year of holidays in two weeks, so I can afford that.''

Johnson laughed, wished him a nice weekend and disapparated. Harry thought of the gardener in Hicksville which they had searched a month ago, turned on the spot and vanished.

When he arrived at his destination, he immediately jumped behind a rusty car to cover himself. The market garden was ablaze and there was no sign of Williamson and Zeas. Harry sent his patronus into the ministry for assistance and then he screamed as loud as he could.

''WILLIAMSON! ZEAS!''

There was no answer. Harry swore loudly, moved to the entrance door and raised his wand.

''Homenum Revelio!''

He felt a presence to his right and entered the burning building.

''Aguamenti'', he coughed and tried to make his way while people were apparating behind him.

''POTTER!'', a loud voice called that he recognised as Proudfoot's.

''IN HERE!'', he called back and coughed heavily because he had inhaled so much smoke. Harry advanced further through the flames, steadily conjuring water from his wand and following his spell until his foot hit something soft and he fell into a puddle. When he came back on his feet he realised that the something soft was Paula Zeas and the puddle was her blood.

''Zeas'', he coughed and grabbed her arm, but then he hesitated: would she survive apparation? Suddenly an icy-cold stream of water hit him as Proudfoot entered, followed by other aurors.

''Take her arms!'', Proudfoot called and they hauled Zeas up and brought he out of the burning place into the open, where Proudfoot immediately started to close her wounds, while Harry was shaken by another coughing attack.

''Williamson'', he said hoarsely. ''Williamson was with her!''

- ''If he's here, we'll find him'', Proudfoor said curtly.

Harry forced himself up again and turned around. About twenty aurors were busy extinguishing the fire and stabilizing the building. He staggered back towards the door when two aurors carried two limp bodies out of there and lay them down in the grass. With the feeling that things were even worse than he had expected, he looked down at their faces and breathed out relieved as he realised that he knew neither of the two men. Harry was already starting to feel ashamed when he spotted the Dark Mark on their forearms.

''Potter'', Jameson said tightly and Harry looked up.

Jameson and Yates put the third man they'd found in the flames down next to the others. It was Williamson. Unlike Zeas he wasn't full all bloody and had no enormous wound in his chest, but his grey eyes stared at Harry just as meaningless as those of Barty Crouch. Williamson was dead.