Elizabeth hugged her five year old daughter tightly. It still amazed her how much they picked up on and how well they recovered from events. She was glad that her daughter's main concern was not missing school tomorrow. It could have ended so much worse, "Be good for Mary please. Good night Em."
"Night Mommy." Emily waved as Mary led her out the door.
"Sweet girl." Detective Craft complimented.
"Very." Elizabeth smiled then prepared herself for the questions, "What do you want to know."
"What happened from your point of view?"
"Em and I were walking home from school. Suddenly two men landed in the street and both pulled wands. The blond was yelling something but the others in the crowd were asking questions so I couldn't hear the words that were said. I tried to move off, I didn't want to be in the middle of a duel, but I was stuck with people pressing in from all sides. The blond turned his wand on us and everyone tried to move back. Emily was pulled from my grasp and next thing I know she's in the street and the blond moves threateningly at her. The dark haired one summons her and puts his body between her and the blond. I think he sent a spell back at the blond at the same time but I didn't see what it was. He was just able to make sure Em was on her feet and then he passed out. I know the blond was down but I didn't see exactly what happened to him my eyes were on Emily the whole time."
"Thank you very much." Craft said, "So in your opinion the dark haired one is the good guy in this equation?"
"Most definitely. I believe he only fired off that spell in defense of Emily and the rest of us." Elizabeth stated.
"Did you see the blond fire any spells?" Craft asked.
"No but he was going to hit Emily with something when the dark haired one summoned her out of the way." Elizabeth said.
"Do you want to know what happened to the blond?" Craft asked.
"I just want to know he won't try to hurt Emily again. I want to make sure you have him arrested." Elizabeth said.
"He's not under arrest because he's dead." Craft stated, "The curse sent was a cutting curse aimed at the wand arm. But it was overpowered and the blond stumbled. I don't think you want to know more."
"No but it's good to know the dark haired one wasn't trying to kill him." Elizabeth mumbled.
"If he hadn't overpowered it and if the blond didn't stumble it would have sliced into the arm disabling him." Craft said, "To me this is a clear case of defense. I still need to question the dark haired guy though."
"One more thing." Elizabeth turned as the officer stood to go find the healer, "I'm pretty sure the blond had an English accent."
"You don't happen to know them do you?" Craft asked.
"No I don't know either of those men." Elizabeth said. After the officer left she mumbled to herself, "I don't know them but I do know who they are or at least who his family is."
"Elizabeth what are you still doing here?" Healer Brent Harper asked some time later.
"Waiting on news of the guy who was injured today." Elizabeth answered.
"Go home, he won't be waking tonight." he told her.
"But he will live?" she asked concern evident in her voice.
"Of course, I don't let saviors of little girls die." he joked.
"Em would be disappointed if you did." Elizabeth's smile was a bit shaky.
"He's injured badly and he probably won't wake for several days." Brent said, "I don't think I want to know how he got the injuries he has nor the ones he's already healed from."
"I have an idea." Elizabeth said, "I'm just hoping I'm wrong."
"Do you mean the ones that killed your husband?" Brent whispered the question.
Elizabeth nodded in response then added, "I'm pretty sure I know who the blond's father is."
Every afternoon Elizabeth would drop Emily off at Mary's house and then spend a few hours sitting by the bed of the injured man. Brent allowed it and wondered if she knew who the dark haired man was. He had heard from the sergeant that she said she didn't know either man. He was sure she had never met the man before but at the same time he was sure she knew who he was. He wondered why she wasn't giving the information to the authorities but he kept the questions to himself hoping all would become clear when the man awoke.
On the third day Elizabeth was getting ready to leave when the man stirred and then opened his eyes, "Great I'm in the hospital again."
"Yes you are." Elizabeth chuckled, "Everyone will be glad to know you've finally finished your nap. Let me just call for the healer and I'll be right back." She stepped out and then right back in, "He'll be here shortly."
"Hmmm, I thought I used the coordinates to America." he mumbled.
"You did." Elizabeth smiled, "I'm from England too. I moved here a few years ago. I don't like Death Eaters being allowed to run around free."
"So you're an English witch then." Harry stretched out his hand, "I was beginning to question my abilities. Nice to meet you." Harry's was reluctant to introduce himself. He was glad when the door opened and the healer walked in.
"Great you're awake." the healer busied himself by running some diagnostic spells and then said, "You're healing quite well. I've called the officer in charge of the investigation on your case. I'm not allowed to question you past how are you feeling and do you know who you are. So let's start with how are you feeling?"
"Fine." Harry replied.
"Really, because I'd have thought you'd be a little sore." Brent stated, "By the way I'm Healer Brent Harper. Let's ask another since you are so agreeable, do you know who you are. Remember don't tell me who you are."
"Yes I know who I am, there are no memory issues." Harry grinned, "And yes I'm sore but I've felt worse. I can deal with this just fine."
"I guess that's good because I can't give you any potions until you talk to the police." Brent stated.
"Police?" Harry questioned.
"They are similar to Aurors." Elizabeth interpreted, "I'm Elizabeth Mayfield."
"Nice to meet you. I guess they have my wand too?" Harry asked.
"As far as I know." Brent replied.
"We have both wands found on your person." Detective Craft stated as he entered the room having heard Harry's question, "I can't give them back to you right now. After the investigation is completed and if you are cleared of any charges then you'll get them back. Would you two mind leaving us alone for a bit?"
"Sure, can I come back when you're done?" Elizabeth asked.
"If you're still around. This may take some time." Craft answered. After they left he introduced himself, "I'm Detective Craft, Homicide Detective for the City of Quebec Petit, Colorado, U. S. A."
"Sir." Harry shook the man's hand.
"First off I need your name and where you're from." Craft started.
"Harry Potter, Little Whinging, Surry, UK." Harry stated.
Craft blinked and stared at the young man in front of him, "Really?"
"Yes last time I checked." Harry said.
The officers eyes flickered towards his forehead and Harry obliged him by pulling back his fringe. Craft started to ask another question but stopped himself, then he scratched his head and said, "I'm going to have to get someone higher up in on this. Your healer will be referring to you as John Doe until we tell them different. Please keep your identity to yourself."
"No problem." Harry assured the officer. He was glad to do that, he didn't want anyone to know who or where he was anyway.
"Well that was interesting." Brent said when he returned, "I've never see Craft that rattled. What on earth set him off? Never mind I'm sure you can't tell me. Ok Mr. John Doe here is what I can tell you about your current health. Your injuries are healing well. The cuts and bruises are almost disappeared. The bones have all been repaired, so has your lung that was punctured. You are recovering well from the dark curses. We know you were tortured before you got here."
Harry nodded his agreement.
"Do you remember what happened? Usually we use John Doe for those that don't know their names or history." Brent said.
"I remember everything." Harry said, "There are just extenuating circumstances that prevent my name from being stated. Detective Craft said he needs to get someone higher up."
"Ok, well I'm getting some weird readings on you. What can you tell me of your medical history." Brent asked.
"Well I was hit by a dark curse the first time when I was fifteen months old. I can't tell you which one but I know which it was." Harry stated and Brent nodded his understanding, "I've been hit with several since then but just in the last few years. I play quidditch so that should explain most of the sprains, concussions and some of the broken bones. I've had to re-grow all the bones in my left arm when I was twelve. This scar was from a knife." Harry showed his arm where wormtail had got him, then he showed his right hand, "This was from a blood quill. A bit of spell damage from some fights I've been in. I think that's all… Ah except I was bit by a basilisk, again when I was twelve, but I had a Phoenix handy that cried on it for me."
"How old are you?" Brent asked concerned.
"Sixteen unless my birthday had passed. It's July thirty-first." Harry answered.
"Today's July fourteenth." Brent stated, he continued to look Harry over. He spotted a scar on the boy's face that he hadn't referred to, "Have you already covered where you got this scar?" He lifted Harry's fringe and saw the lightning bolt and froze.
"Yes that was the one I got when I was fifteen months." Harry stared at the healer willing him not to say anything as a nurse had taken that moment to enter the room.
"Well John, I think that's everything I need." Brent sat back in the chair and waited until the nurse finished and left the room, "I won't let that information out."
"Thanks." Harry replied steadily.
"The torture… was it from… that dark group you all have over there?" Brent asked.
"Yes."
"Makes sense." Brent sighed then chuckled, "Explains Craft's hasty exit. I think you've freaked him out a bit."
"Happens sometimes." Harry nodded.
"You should probably know, Elizabeth is the mother of the girl you saved. She lost her husband to their group when Emily was just two." Mark sighed, "I think it was during that World Cup fiasco. Anyway she moved here to get away from all that and I don't know how she'll respond when she finds out."
"I think she may already know." Harry shrugged, "I've had my picture in the paper a few times. Is the girl alright then?"
"Yes." He didn't know what else to say to him which was just as well because a knock stopped their conversation. Brent opened the door to find Detective Craft and another man he didn't know.
"John I'll just be outside. Elizabeth went to get some coffee and we'll both come back when these two are finished." Brent said as the left the room.
"Mr. Potter. " Craft said, "This is Federal Agent Wilkins."
"Sir." Harry shook the man's hand.
"A pleasure Mr. Potter." Wilkins replied, "First I need to verify you are who you say. A drop of blood on this parchment please." Wilkins handed him a small sharp knife and Harry sliced his finger a bit and then healed it with a wave of his hand after the drop of blood had oozed out. The agents eye's widened but Harry didn't notice the reaction. Once his name appeared on the parchment the Agent continued, "Do you have your passport Mr. Potter?"
"No, all my stuff was taken while I was unconscious in England." Harry replied, "And please just call me Harry."
"Certainly." Wilkins nodded, "Were you brought here under duress?"
"Under what?" Harry didn't understand the term.
"Were you force to come here against your will?" he clarified.
"No. One of my friends taught me how to make emergency portkeys. I memorized ten sets of coordinates for various destinations. When I was able to escape the Death Eaters I made the one that was the furthest from them." Harry stated, "I wasn't thinking of passports and things sorry."
"I don't suppose you were." Wilkins agreed, "What can you tell me about the blond man that came with you?"
"His name is Draco Malfoy." Harry said, "Voldemort had been spending his time hiding at the Malfoy's Manor at Draco's parents invitation, they were part of his inner circle. That's the house I was tortured in and escaped from. Draco is wanted in conjunction with Albus Dumbledore's death and helping Death Eaters enter a school full of children or at least he was last time I knew. He jumped me as I activated my portkey. I think he's already seventeen."
"What happened when you arrived?" Wilkins asked.
"We landed and rolled away from each other coming up with our wands ready." Harry said, "He accused me of murdering his father. I said I did it but it was defense, his father was using the killing curse. Then Draco used the killing curse and I stepped out of the way. A woman screamed and got his attention and he threatened the crowd. A child fell to the ground in front of the crowd as it backed away. He was beginning to use the killing curse again so I sent a cutting hex to his wand arm and summoned the girl. I caught her and then passed out. I think Draco's mind is not right. I believe he was tortured because he wasn't able to kill Dumbledore himself. That's the way Voldemort did things."
"Well at least everyone's statements match." Craft stated.
"What's to happen to Malfoy?" Harry asked.
"He'll be sent back to England." Wilkins stated.
"Deported to face trial?" Harry asked.
"No." Wilkins said and tried to find a easy way to say what need to be said. Craft beat him.
"You overpowered your cutting hex and it connected." Craft said, "He's dead."
"I didn't mean for that to happen." Harry said, "Am I being charged?"
"No, he stumbled as you sent the hex. He was leaning down to catch himself." Wilkins described the scene, "When the hex connected it took off his head and his arm. He won't have the chance to hurt anyone else. We haven't sent him back yet we've been waiting on a positive identification. We couldn't get a blood sample, there wasn't any left. Blood on the pavement said Draco Malfoy but we don't like to trust it unless we pull it from the body. Several said he had an English accent but the only other thing we had to go on was a weird tattoo on his arm. "
"A skull with a snake coming out of its mouth?" Harry asked, Wilkins nodded in reply, "That's what we call the Dark Mark. Voldemort branded his closest followers with that mark."
"Good to know." Wilkins said, "Would you mind telling me what happened in England? It's just for curiosity sake I don't need to know if you don't feel like talking about it."
"The short version is: I was captured and tortured, then he ask me to join his group I said no, he killed my girlfriend and two best friends and I lost control." Harry looked anywhere but at the two officers, "I think I killed everyone there and when it was over I came here."
Wilkins shifted uneasily, "We can get you a portkey home as soon as you want."
"I'm not ready to go home unless you're asking me to leave this country." Harry said, "I'm not ready to go back to that yet."
"I understand." Wilkens grimaced, "We will just request your passport so we can get this straightened out."
"Will a muggle one do?" Harry asked sheepishly scratching the back of his neck, "I'm public property in the magical community. If they find out I'm here they'll be here in no time to drag me back."
"We'll just be contacting your ministry. We'll ask them to keep it private." Craft said, "They won't let the others know."
"Yes they will." Harry grimaced, "Have you ever seen the English paper called the Daily Prophet?" Craft shook his head no so Harry explained, "Everything I do makes the paper. If they like me at the moment then I'm the Chosen One. If not then I'm that deranged attention seeking brat. The Minister has been the one that tells them if I'm being a good boy or not. They can't think for themselves."
"You're right." Wilkins said, "We've been keeping an eye on the situation just in case we need to stop it from coming across the ocean. It's almost a day to day change in opinion. Harry you may want to know that your Minister was killed late last week by death eaters, just before you managed to escape. They haven't picked a new one yet. Do you have a muggle passport?"
"Scrimgeouris gone then. I guess that I won't know of any charges until they pick one." Harry mumbled then said louder, "I did have a passport years ago. My muggle primary school let us apply for them one year for a project in class. I got one but my Uncle destroyed it."
"Should still be on record." Wilkins said, "We'll get it and make sure it's current. I can foresee a possible problem when we return the body. They'll want to know how it got here. I think we can get away with saying it just showed up a blood sample told us who it was. The time that has passed will be another problem."
"We are required by law to do an autopsy to determine the cause of death. Just say the city he was found in held you up with that." Craft supplied.