Chapter 8: Tracking

The next week was very hectic for the Auror students, and especially for Kelria, who had indeed been assigned a project at the meeting where Dumbledore had introduced Snape. She found herself getting less and less sleep as her days were devoted to her auror and Order assignments, leaving only the evenings and nights for studying. And she knew the auror exams were rigorous, having taken them the past two years as well. Which meant she really needed to study.

"Exams start on Monday," she muttered to herself Saturday morning. "And I'm not doing any more work on any assignments until they're done."

She pulled her notes from Stealth and Stalking toward her, but was interrupted before a half hour had passed by a loud knocking on the front door.

She grumbled and cursed the person the whole way to the door, but opened it nonetheless.

"Yes?"

Andromeda Tonks was standing on the front stoop, looking most uncomfortable.

"I'm sorry to bother you at home, Kelria, but I have some information that you might find useful, and I didn't trust it to a letter."

Putting aside her frustration, Kelria plastered on a smile and invited the woman inside.

Andi entered the house, and Kelria led her to the living room.

"Sorry about the mess," she said somewhat sheepishly. "I'm studying for my exams."

"Of course, I understand," Andi replied, sitting on the couch.

"Now, what is this important information?" Kelria asked, eager to get the meeting over with and get back to her studying.

Andi looked around furtively, as if watching for spies. Kelria gave an exasperated sigh at the drama and flicked her wrist, creating a soundproof barrier around her home. Andi looked relieved.

"I've got information about Malfoy," she said quietly, despite the barrier.

"How reliable is your source?" Kelria asked immediately. She wasn't exactly sure what good the question ever did, but she had heard Moody and Dumbledore both use it, and thought it sounded cool.

Andi's eyebrows shot up. "Very reliable," she replied. "I've been using him for information for years, and he's never yet led me astray."

"Okay," Kelria answered, nodding. "Continue."

Andi nodded. "Malfoy's boys are on the move. He's been employing three young Hogwarts graduates for several months now, but they haven't been doing anything other than buy him drinks and other supplies at local pubs and grocers. Now they've moved onto bigger things. We're not sure what, but I thought you should know."

Kelria groaned. This was the last thing she needed, with exams and her Order work…more work. Great.

"Thank you, Andi," Kelria sighed. "Do you have any idea who the boys are?"

Andi nodded. "The Wilkes boy seems to be the ringleader, and he other two follow him around. Avery and Travers, I think."

Kelria's head was spinning. Donavan Wilkes was only 16, he should still have been at Hogwarts. What was he doing?

"You're sure they're Hogwarts graduates?"

Andi nodded. "Why?"

"Well, Donavan Wilkes is only 16."

Andi looked confused. "Are you sure?"

Kelria nodded. "Very sure. He was 5 years younger than Sara."

"Hmm." Andi looked thoughtful. "Well, I'll talk to my informant, and see what I can do about it."

"And I'll talk to Dumbledore. He'd know."

Andi nodded and stood to leave. "Well, I'm sorry to have intruded. I will leave you to your studying."

Kelria smiled thankfully and saw her guest to the door, before sinking back onto the settee with a scream of frustration. She pulled her Stealth and Stalking notes towards her, but knew that it was hopeless now. Andi's news had intrigued her, and she knew there was nothing for it now but to find Professor Dumbledore and ask him what was going on with Donavan Wilkes.

She grabbed her cloak and hurried out the door, cursing her inquisitiveness to the ground.

She found Dumbledore exactly where she expected to find him: in his office on the seventh floor of Hogwarts. The Hogwarts grounds were exactly as she remembered them, and as she strode across the lawns, she was reminded strongly of herself in her seventh year, studying under the big tree by the lake with Khyana, Lily, Alice and Remus. When she reached the seventh floor, she gave the password, which everyone in the Order had been given at the beginning of the year, and the gargoyle jumped aside, allowing her access to the spiral staircase, which she climbed two at a time, knocking loudly on the door at the top.

"Come in."

The door opened easily, and Kelria entered the office, a wide grin on her face.

"Morning, Professor."

Dumbledore looked up, surprised. "Good morning, Kelria. What can I do for you?"

"I had a visit earlier today from Andromeda Tonks, Professor," Kelria replied. "She had some information for me, and I was hoping you could help clear up some confusion."

"Well, I'll certainly do my best," Dumbledore replied with a small smile, putting down his quill, steepling his fingers and regarding her over the top of his half-moon spectacles.

"Donavan Wilkes. Is he still here at school?"

Professor Dumbledore nodded. "He certainly is. Why do you ask?"

Kelria looked perplexed. "Because Andi says he's working for Lucius Malfoy."

"Is he indeed?" Dumbledore asked, looking bemused. "Well, that would certainly explain a lot."

Kelria shot him a confused look. "Pardon me?"

"Donavan has been missing classes lately, and seems to have no explanation, even for Professor Slughorn. No amount of punishment seems to do him any good, I'm afraid, and he keeps missing classes. And Avery and Travers have been joining him."

Kelria nodded. "That's what Andi was saying. So they've been missing classes…that could explain some things. I was wondering how they managed to do things for him. But Andi swore that they were graduates."

Dumbledore shook his head. "They're sixth years, eager to get in on the war. Donavan even more so, to prove to the Death Eaters that his older sister's traitorous ways were not passed on to him and his younger sister. I'm surprised that all he's doing is running silly errands for Lucius Malfoy."

"I guess he has to start somewhere, though," Kelria added.

"Yes, I suppose he does. You were assigned the Malfoys for your auror assignment?"

Kelria nodded. Dumbledore looked pleased.

"I always knew James Potter was a born leader. He is wise."

Kelria nodded. "He is that. We're lucky to have him as our leader."

Dumbledore nodded. "So you like him then?"

Kelria looked taken aback. "Well, yeah, I like him alright. He's married to one of my best friends…"

Dumbledore chuckled. "You like him as a leader?"

"Oh, yes," Kelria agreed. "He's a very capable leader."

"Good," Dumbledore said, nodding once. "That's just what I thought."

Kelria was to get no more insight into Professor Dumbledore's mind at that time, because at just that moment, Professor McGonagall burst into the office.

"Albus," she panted, "Wilkes is going out again."

Kelria was out of her seat like a bullet. She raced past Professor McGonagall, down the spiral staircase, down all seven floors and out onto the grounds before Wilkes' back was out of the front gate. She had never run so fast in her life.

Since Wilkes was underage, he could not apparate, so Kelria had no worries about losing him before she caught him. She wanted to see whom he talked to, where he went, and if he made any further plans.

She was surprised to see that he was alone, expecting him to have Avery or Travers trailing after him. He headed for the Hog's Head; stopping at the door to see if he was being followed, he went inside, followed closely by Kelria, wishing fervently that she had an Invisibility Cloak.

Once inside, Kelria realised why she had never been in before. It was a stuffy pub, with none of the warm coziness of Madam Rosmerta's Three Broomsticks. She had no trouble keeping her eye on Wilkes, who sat down at a table in a back corner of the pub. She sat at a table near the door, where it was easier for her to make her escape if things got dangerous.

After about fifteen minutes, just as she was starting to remember that she had exams starting Monday, Kelria's patience was rewarded. A tall man entered the pub and approached Wilkes' table. Kelria instinctively lowered her head as he passed, pretending to be engrossed in fixing something on her cloak. The barman was eyeing her suspiciously, and she hoped the meeting with Wilkes wouldn't take Malfoy long; she didn't want to have to buy anything.

She growled in her throat as she realised she was too far away to hear anything that was being said, but she couldn't risk getting any closer. Not without an Invisibility Cloak. The man was obviously Malfoy, though. Everything from the way he held his head to the wisps of hair visible under his hood told his identity, no matter how hard he tried to hide it.

After about ten minutes, Malfoy stood and left the pub. Kelria watched him out the door, saw him turn right, then waited five minutes before following him, hoping fervently all the while that that was the only half hour she'd ever have to spend in the Hog's Head Inn.

A/N: ONE MORE EXAM!! You have no idea how happy that makes me! Yes, Kel, shut up. (Kel's done her exams, because she did the ISU for Anthro instead of the exam). But I'm so ready! Even thought I TOTALLY FAILED my math exam today, I'll do better tomorrow. (BTW: WHO CALLED IT?!? I did!) Anyway, yeah so chapter 8's done, and I'll shut up now.