"Harry what's wrong?" Hermione came running from her house. She was still wet and wrapped barely in her bathrobe. She had shoved her arms through and it hung open down the front. What just because we aren't sleeping together doesn't mean I shouldn't look? She would be insulted if I didn't.
"Ron!" she snapped closing her rob and belting it. "Harry why did you send me an urgent pantronus?"
"We are about to have some fun! It's is going to be great! I have the most perfect case sit down, sit down." He dropped her unceremoniously onto the divan.
"There has been a large number of missing working women from a burrow in New York. I've been working on another paper on the link to crime and sex. The sale of human body is marriage any different?" That sounds like a paper for the conservatives "Here's is the thing, I'll interview a girl and the next day she or a friend of hers in gone. So far eight women form Queens alone are missing. No they aren't in lock up, the morgue and too many have gone to have just moved"
He was right it was enough to get our ire up. Hermione was already sheathing "Hookers and transient females aren't going to be in the best shape. It might right murder. The human trade would want their product in better shape. They would need a place to fix the damaged goods." My mind was already falling back into what I do best which is plan.
"Damaged goods!" I instinctively raised my shoulders and her hand solidly smacked me across the head. "They are people, Ron."
"Hey I was thinking like the bad guy! I do trafficking Hermione I am a business man import, export! This is how I paid for my side." She huffed, crossed her arms.
"Well if they aren't showing up anywhere then they could be killed for any number of reasons."
"So are you in?" Harry asked.
Was there even a question.
I took a week off of work. My boss was not happy, I simply told him that my student loan had been called in. When he asked just how I expected to pay when I wasn't working. I told him that I had to go on a vacation once a year at the time and place of the loaner's choice. He was flabbergasted and asked where he could find one with that interest. I explained that my best friend was loaded and paid for my college because he was bored and didn't want to go by himself. He quite arguing, he just shook his head and waved me away.
That is how we came from our house in Alexandria Virginia to a slum in New York.
I was dressed in attire fitting for one on the locals. My jeans wear taken from a thrift store and set into the kitchen trash for a few days then washed with cheap bottle of bourbon. My shirt was covered with grease and some other substance. I was spending my day wandering around the third precinct of Queens, I caught one old man taking a piss on the wall.
There was a women in her late fifties shooting a needle up her arm. She might have been younger, her life style was not conductive to holding on to your youth. The place reeked. There was a layer of hopeless to the place.
I knew Harry and Hermione were going about their own surveillance. Hermione casting a glamor on herself to give a male appearance. Harry was simply walking about in his nice clean clothing. He made no move to disguise that he didn't belong there. No, he changed form a jeans and a tee-shirt, and sneakers so wore that toe was flapping open showing his stripped socks, into a two thousand dollar suit including gold cufflinks and a cane al 'a Malfoy.
I saw a filthy child running down the road, not more than five her mother chasing after, the kid was shrieking and squealing was full of innocent fun. I couldn't help but wonder at the child and her gift for laughing in such a place. Needle girl was hypnotized by it also. Her mother nearly caught, her face was nearly gray with filth as was the child's her hair I am sure was once blond.
The girl had a gap where a front tooth should have been. She bumped into my leg and fell on to her backside. I watched her apologize and squirm back. It was sad that a child would expected to be hit by a stranger from the look on her face. I found myself on one knee and picking her up.
"No harm done." I patted her shoulder and winked. Her mother came running and scooped up her child. I could see the bruise on her cheek.
"You talk funny." The little girl stated and gave me another big smile.
"That because I come from somewhere far far from here."
This tiny little girl would sell for a nice dollar on the human market, my mind supplied with disgust. "Hold on thought I saw something back there. It must belong to you. Wait right here." I ran back to the mouth of the alley and conjured a small teddy bear. Then rubbed it on the ground. I scratched a quick note. The train would leave New York and take them to Virginia. I then slipped a fifty from my pocket.
They were waiting thankfully, the mother had stepped back a few feet. "This has to be yours! A pretty teddy for a pretty little girl. It just needs a good wash." When the child reached out. I gripped the mothers shoulder. "They are taking women from the streets, a child on the black market goes for thousands, if you love your child you will take the money I slipped in your pocket and go to the house listed." She jerked back. Her face draining of color.
"Melly, Silver. I thought they just found a new corner." She cringed and gripped her kid close to her chest.
"I'll need to talk to you later, go to that address." Her eyes were wide. I heard the footsteps of Harry come up from behind me. The women's face drained of even more color. A nicely dressed man in a place after being told how much her child could be worth.
"Ronald, what's up?" He shoved his hands in his pocket and rocked back on his heels. In that second he went from slightly dangerous to 'MARK' with a big florescent sign pointing over his head. Yep, that's him slightly crazy, why not run dancing in the streets and singing rob me I'm rich and foolish.
"This fine women and her daughter really need to leave. I gave them the address to the Samaritan house in Quantico" Harry looked at the kid. He must have had the same clue as me. The woman as nervous as she was for her child, wouldn't go without persuasion.
"Only if she wants to keep her daughter." He lifted his hand from his pocket and I noticed a needle I his hand, he stabbed it into her arm, without mercy. "I have just placed a tracking device in your skin. If you do not go to the Samaritain House I will hunt you down and take that little girl. She will be placed into a foster home. There she may be treated kindly or without mercy, nothing more than a support check."
"What are you going to do to me?" she cringed back.
"This is my block the people and children are mine. I don't allow the sale of those on my streets. Get to that Address and we will talk tomorrow, don't and you forfeit the girl to me." He turned and walked away. The woman had tears streaming down his face. I wanted to play the bad cop… That creep, that's why he dress nice, that no good, sneaky Sythering.
"Aright I'll go just don't' let him take my Abbey. She's the only good thing in my life." Her hand began to convulsively shake and bury her fingers into the child's hair.
"Go on then." The mother ran from the alley. I wonder if she was going to go to the police or if Harry frightened her enough.
Me I sat myself down a few streets over and watch the lay of the land. This was a ghetto, only the poor and destitute wander the streets, the windows of those with a roof were protected by iron bars. Many had plywood in place of glass. I watched three drug deals and a five pros get picked up. There was a pattern to the life of those who lived here. I would just need to study and watch.
We all apperanted back to the house near the crack of dawn. All of us with the same idea of meeting in the Courtyard. Hermione stripped her galmore off then began removing her clothes, I did the same thing both down to our starker's, she cast several Scrouphies, and then conjured some comfortable clothes.
"Did you have to stab that women Harry? She was frightened enough." I finally had a chance to protest.
"Yeah, sure did. The bruise on her face was probably form her pimp, she had to be more afraid of me than him. Did you miss the look when you handed her the money she was going to just take the cash and run." He flopped down, kicked off his Italian shoes, yes I have learned what good expensive clothing is and why Malfoy made such a deal about it. Cashmere, is so soft.
"But why would she talk to us if you just go around stabbing people?" We may have become a little calloused over time but we don't' go stabbing people for no reason. Our frat days are long over. I had the best time at Alph Beta Phi. There was this one time when the sorority came over… Wait no never mind.
"Because I developed Piquerism. I gave every women I meet tonight a slight dose of caedis rector draught."
The caedis rector draught. Is used by assassins in the old day thus the name Assassin guide. It would directly guide the person to the intended victim. It is comparable to scrying with a map. Only you don't have to have any sort of gift for this to work. It is considered a dark art because you have to give a little of your own blood into the person, causing a slight link. This particular potion would stop working when entering into a highly concentrated magical place. Which is why it is not used much anymore. Most wizards and witches live in our communes and set away from the muggles, the land over generations even a single family would be enough to cause it to fail. If the person did not kill the target then the link would end when the person did away with the old blood which meant about two weeks.
"But that is dark arts, Harry!" Hermione predictably protested.
"Nope, only when the intent is to kill my intent is purely good and in my desire to protect and keep the women safe, I have turned it into good magic." He raised his hands into a Ta'da' giving her a big smile.
"You used blood thus, blood magic therefor Dark Arts."
"No the ancient wizards performed Blood Magic all the time. The wards surrounding Hogwarts many were built with the literal blood of the founders. How about Dumblebutt, he hid me behind my mother blood for years."
"Do you really want me to compare you to Dumbledor?" she asked. Yes, the three of us have our issues with the man, it wasn't until after the war and growing up, going to school, that we did so. Harry diagnosed the old Dead Headmaster as having a God complex fuelled by Narcissism. Don't believe me look it up.
… did you? See told ya.
"Alright that was stupid. But my intentions are good. If the girls move outside their regular walk or to where ever they are holding the girls then we will be able to rescue them."
I was convinced, hey no other wizards are going to be checking on us.
"Did anyone find out anything as to who might be taking the girls?"
Hermione quickly conjerd a large map of Queens." It was quickly stuck to the white board Harry had been using earlier. "I did a bit of talking to people. I tried to pick up a girl or two," she said with a blush. "That is of course after telling them my favorite was missing. I asked if they knew her new troll. It took some work here is what I have. "Missy and Diamond went missing from their corner on 5th, Mavis went missing from her crack house on 10th. The youngest might have been sold by her street father, she is twelve and they run a pick pocket ring, from what I gathered he's been having quite the party after Jane, the twelve year old, went missing."
"I was watching the patterns of the people. Where the houses are centers of activities are and who talks with who. There are several mail collectors that return to the area. Most likely mail fraud or identity theft. I doubt that those house are going to be involved with snatching the girls."
"I poked girls." He said with a smile. I wanted to palm my face, or his. Instead I settled with "Accio Beer."
We made our way to the Samaritan House the next morning. It was a safe home for abused women and children. Men generally aren't allowed to enter, unless they are they are janitors or police. The reason that we are different is that Harry after hearing about the work the place was doing decided to make a donation. He bought an old manor and had it fixed up and gave the house to the charity, with the contract that it would only ever be used for the safety of children and women. I would think his ancestors would be rather pleased with his spending of all their money. He still needs to find a job.
I was able to change into a pair of comfy well broke in Levis, and a ragged pair of trainers that I wear to run in. It would never do to go there where the women are uncomfortable enough simply screaming money, not that I am as rich as Harry, I might be if he doesn't start working soon and keeps spending the way he does. No matter.
Harry took a slightly different tactic than last night. He wore a button down shirt, tucked into a nice pair of jeans. We entered the building with sure steps, Mrs. Thomas greeted us with a large and full smile. She was always glad to have Harry come because he usually ended up paying some bill for them.
"Harry, welcome back." Her breath hitched a bit when he fitted his doctor's coat on. "Excuse me Doctor Potter, I take it this is a business call. The young women made it here last night. That poor women was terrified out of her mind, some random man simply stabbed her then threatened to steal her baby. I take it the pair of you intervened."
I wonder if he could feel my eyes boring into the back of his head. "Something like that." Harry answered with a bland smile.
We were escorted down a straight hallway. The walls were painted a light blue with children's drawing be they crayon or pencil framed on the walls. I managed to get a look into a side room a pair of teens were sitting side by side on the couch playing a video game, something with blood and guts. I had seen enough in the real world to not want to see it on screen.
We entered into a small glass room, there was porch furniture scattered about. Women were taking tea filled with ice, I am too much an English man to every have it anything but hot and with a bit of cream and sugar. Several children with padded butts were crawling about. I saw the women from last night first. She and her daughter were both clean, and by the looks of their hair it was too matted to work loose, or they had lice, either or both might have been true.
"Dr Harry!" one women rose from her chair, her face sported a fading yellow bruise, a child was wobbling by her side, he I am guessing because the child wore a romper with trucks on it rose quickly and to his side. "Ladies I want you to meet Dr. Harry he saved my life, from that bastard husband of mine." She gave him a peak on his cheek. I gave the women a look from last night a pointed look, as if 'See he is a good person."
"Matilda, how Jason?" he poked the kid in the stomach then lifted him from her arms. The kids was quickly hung upside down by his ankles, he gave the child a slight swing pendulum style earing a squeal of delight. "He seems to have lots his head."
"I'm down here!" he turned the child over. His face flushed and delighted. "Hi!"
"Oh there you are. Seems you have that head after all." He handed the child back to his mother. "Ladies. I need to speak you the new guest so if you can excuse us." The women quickly left the sunroom.
I made the approach to the women who had been frightened the night before. She gave the little girl in the corner of the room a look, it was almost as if I could read her every thought, how fast can I get to my daughter and run away.
"We were never properly introduced last night. I am Ronald Weasley and this is Dr. Harry Potter." I waved my hand to Harry whom was taking his roll as the bad cop very seriously. With his white coat and crossed arms I could almost feel the authority rolling off of him. I'll never get to be a bad cop.
"What do you want? I'm here what more do you want from me?" she asked. I saw her hands shake and twitch. Harry gave a huff, he stepped out and came back with a large cup of orange juice and a bottle of water.
"That will help with the withdraws." He told her gently. When she hesitated, he barked "Drink it." His tone was sharp and flat.
She did with nearly convulsed to as asked. He sat down nearly in front of her crowding me out, I was pushed slightly to her side. "Here's what is going to happen, we have questions, and you will answer them honestly. Then we will leave, and you will stay here get clean and take advantage of this place, if at anytime you return to the streets where we found you I will take your little girl and never allow you to see her again."
She twitched. "Why? I love my Abbey. She's a sweetheart."
"Do you love her enough to get clean? Protector from your johns and pimps? Do you love your daughter enough that you would live for her." He drilled the questions close to her face. He gave her a clearly disgusted look including scrunching his nose as if he smelt a foul odor.
I jumped in placing a hand on his shoulder. "Hey she's here, Harry let's just give her a chance." Man I wanted to be the bad cop. "We don't' even know her name yet." I was going to pout later about it, I am a champion pouter.
"She a crack addict until she finds some usefulness that is all she is." He jumped and passed away on his turn around he began to stomped back. I took his seat, before he reached it, to which she was clearly relieved the Harry backed up. She had sweat dotting her brow.
"So what is your name?"
"Jessica, um Jessica Hale."
I grabbed her hands when they began to shake and pulled her attention to me. Those managerial and personal seminars were coming in handy. "Hey focus on me. He'll stay over there if you just answer."
"Alright, sure." The savior of the wizarding world, bully to the helpless. I took a recorder out of my pocket.
"Hey I am not a cop, just a person trying to do the right thing. Nothing that you say to me can be used against you. Alright." She leaned forward. And whispered.
"What about him?"
"He's is a doctor he can't tell about anything he learns here."
She relaxed then, I poured her another cup of water. "You mentioned two women went missing last night. I want you to tell me everything you know."
"Why do you care they're just whores?" it must have been a sentiment she heard often.
"Not to us. Like I said I am not a cop. The thing is… I came from a very poor family, and Harry there. Well it's no matter. He just hates to see people hurt." Not exactly a lie. Jessica gave Harry a look of understanding to which he filched away.
"Just answer his questions. He muttered and turned away. See he's a great actor, all those psych classes taught him how to lie.
"When was the last time you saw your friends?"
"Melly and Silver, we worked a corner on 10th, Silver was the black girl, Melly for those that like dark hair, and I'm blond. We pulled our resources. It' worked better that way, One of us got a day off, and the other could hold our place. They were working while I was home. Jill had a nasty ear infection. It was a Friday, about three weeks ago. See I had to pay the doctor's bill and when I got back they were gone and the corner was taken by the Tranys. Man those bitches are mean."
"I couldn't pay the rent on our apartment and Jilly and I had been on the street for two weeks."
"Did you report this to the cops?" Harry asked.
"We're Whores what do the cops care? One less for them to arrest, one less crack addict dirtying their streets."
"One less mother loving her child." Harry gently told her, he dropped the act of mean doctor. He gave her a look full of compassion. "Jessica, I will do everything in my power to find your friends."
We left them there at the house, Jessica was still afraid of Harry that was most likely for the best. Too many go back to their abusive husband or lives. If she does go back it likely she will leave Jill.
WE returned to see that Hermione had been working while we were gone, The board had expanded the length of missing women in the New York was amazing, it was as if see the war victims pictures were all stacked up again.
"This is every female in New York missing in the last five years, I think we can eliminate all women over fifty." She said in way of greeting, several sheets disappeared."
"They are going to want easy targets one no one is going to put up a fuss about, get rid of all with nine to five jobs." I told her. The stack had dropped to nearly half.
Harry sat down and lifted a picture to his face. It was a fifteen year old girl. Her face was made up and her eyeliner was smeared. "Eliminate any with handicaps mental or physical." Another twenty were whipped from the pile by Hermione's wand.
It was dinner when everything was sorted. There was piles for prostitutes, another for runaways, and a third for women dealing drugs it was a very small number they mostly fell into the other two. We then sorted in to Burrows and then into time frames.
Harry was adding then pins with names to the board we had set up. Ten from Queens in two weeks. Before that we have five in Brooklyn, and before that another ten from Manhattan, one from Bronx last night.
"I did a little research in the case files of missing persons. (i.e. spying with her animangus form). Turns out that this has been going on for years. Every three or four years a bunch of hookers go missing this has been going on for twenty five years. No one has made a move to solve this or find out who it is because they aren't making waves." By this time Hermione was in an uproar. Her hair had bushed out. Her face was red and tight. Her hand kept slipping to her wrist where she kept her wand.
"So we need to head over to Bronx, and watch for the gang to work there." I said.
"I'm going to brew some more potion."
It was going to be a long night after another long night. "Accio Beer!"