Chapter 15 : The Informant
Albus had hoped that the news that he was banned from the Quidditch Final wouldn't have reached his house's ears by the time he woke up the next morning, but he was sadly disappointed. It only took one glance around the Common Room to realize that missing dinner the previous night, and then going immediately to bed, had made him lose all chances of explaining himself. There wasn't a single face that showed anything other than cold anger towards him.
He wished that he could be mad at Scorpius, as had he not fought Eckley the situation wouldn't have arose, but it would have been quite foolish to do so. With almost his entire house now against him, his brother officially a recluse, and Mirra and Rose being as close as they were to Eckley and his gang, Scorpius and Morrison were quite literally all that he had at Hogwarts. The only other person who seemed to not mind him was Hagrid.
"Ah, Qui'itch is just a game Al" he told the three of them as they sat in his cabin on a Saturday morning in April. "And once the Final's over, your house'll see tha'. They just thought that they had a chance this year, an' you took that away from 'em, tha's all."
Albus frowned. "Thanks for trying to make me feel better" he said bitterly.
Hagrid chuckled. "Anytime Al. What about the kids you fought? They lost some points for Gryffindor I heard, they gotta' be goin' through summat jus' as bad as you!"
Morrison snorted, and Albus knew why. From what he had heard (although admittedly, he heard very little) Hornsbrook and Eckley were nothing short of celebrities to the remainder of the school. They had lost points, sure, but they had not only won the fight, but also caused Albus to not play in the Final. Gryffindor's chances of winning the cup had been increased ten fold because of them.
"They're popular over there" Scorpius said, speaking up and glancing nervously at Albus. He still felt bad about what had happened, and frequently checked to make sure that he wasn't going to be chewed out when he spoke. "But that'll change. It's April. Plenty of time left for me to get some payback...finish things with Eckley."
Albus nearly threw his tea at him. "Don't even think about it!" he spat. "They won okay? Just get over it! If you could have just stomached the fact that people thought that Eckley got the better of you we wouldn't be in this situation!"
Silence followed his outburst; he had risen from his chair without knowing it.
"I'm gonna' go an' get more fudge for Morrison here" Hagrid said, before standing up and busying himself with a tin.
"Cheers Hagrid" Morrison said.
Albus was still breathing heavy, and Scorpius had turned his head away, ears pink. He knew that he was only exacerbating the situation. Scorpius, though not quite as popular as he was, was somewhat liked for having dueled Eckley on Halloween, even if he hadn't showed up for the rematch, and being Albus' friend hadn't hurt either. Now however, he had went from being "Albus' cool friend" back to the "arrogant know-it-all punk" that he had been known as the previous year.
He frowned and sat back down. "Sorry mate" he said. "I've just got a lot on my mind..."
As the weeks went by however, it turned out that Albus had very little on his mind. With no Quidditch to distract him, he was doing the one thing that he thought would never happen-studying. Gone were the days of simply skimming through textbooks and jotting down homework assignments the class before it was due; being unpopular had its educational benefits. And his teachers had taken notice.
"Well done Albus!" Professor Flitwick, the tiny Charms Professor said as he passed Albus back his paper on the freezing charm. There was a giant red "O" on it. "Your paper was the best in the class!" Albus blushed as the other Slytherins around him muttered mutinously.
He was becoming equally as good in Transfiguration and Defence Against The Dark Arts, was still top of the year in Potions, and he had even stopped guessing and making up names on his History of Magic tests. Indeed, though he hated to admit it, he was becoming too much like Rose for his liking.
Studying and doing homework, though distracting in its own right, still couldn't cure his thirst for Quidditch however. It had been nothing short of heartbreaking when he entered the locker room for the first practice since he had been banned. He had at least been hoping he would still be able to participate in the training sessions.
"What are you doing here?" said Osmund Hall the second that he entered the locker room with his broom slung over his shoulder.
"I'm- I'm here to practice" he stammered, trying not to show how intimidated he was by a six foot seventh year holding a Beater's bat.
Atticus came running towards them, pulling on his robes. "Sorry Al, you can't practice" he said, though he didn't sound it at all.
"What, am I off the team?" Albus asked, angry, though he tried masking it in his voice.
"No, but since there's only one game left anyway, we have to spend all of our time training our reserve Seeker" Atticus told him icily. "You'll only get in the way."
Albus hung his head and left the locker room, his broom dragging across the floor as he went.
It wasn't until two days before the match that Albus got to speak to Mirra, who had done nothing but apologize to him as soon as they met in the library.
"I'm so sorry about Donny" she said. "I know you were only jumping in to get Charlie off of Scorpius, but he thought you were trying to double team him."
"Yeah, I know" he said as he took his seat at the table that they usually studied at, the only difference being that he actually planned on studying this time. "I can see why he thought that, it's cool" he told her.
She took a seat across from him and bit her lip nervously. "Did it- did it hurt when Donny hit you? It looked pretty bad..."
He was right about to snap how ridiculous of a question that was, as he had been knocked to the floor, but held it back. He had already shouted at Scorpius, and he wasn't keen on doing it to another of his best friends so shortly afterwards. "A bit" he lied.
"I really wish you were playing" she said. "Your brother isn't playing either though."
Albus looked up from his book. "Still miserable over Denise?" he said.
"Yeah" she said. "But that's not why. He doesn't agree with you being banned. Wanted to even things by not playing."
Albus gave a weak smile. "It doesn't really matter. We're still going to get crushed."
Mirra frowned, then apparently decided that Quidditch wasn't the best topic. "So...anymore leads on Ares?" she asked hopefully.
Albus sighed. "None" he said. He hadn't really thought about it. He didn't quite know why, but since his sudden drop in popularity he hadn't bothered thinking of it much. "I mean, a while back I read this article on this guy I know disappearing, and I thought he had something to do with it all. He was one of the guys here to investigate Hogwarts that day. Remember them?"
She chewed on the tip of her quill. "Yeah, I do. Kidnapping?" she said, the tiniest hint of sarcasm in her voice.
Albus grinned. He liked how she was trying to keep his mind occupied, on a topic that they were both fond of discussing no less, but for some reason, he couldn't get into it. "Maybe" he said. "I don't really know. I haven't really got proof for any of this."
"Didn't you say once you found the leak in the Ministry you were going to tell someone and have it traced back to Ares?'
He gave a small shrug. "If the entire Ministry of Magic can't find the leak, I don't think I'll be able to."
He was about to continue when he was cut off by a small crumpled ball of paper hitting him on the back of the head. Half a second later another landed, right in the middle of the table that they were sitting at. Albus spun around and saw, to what would have once been his very great surprise, two older Slytherin students laughing at him, before turning around and returning to their conversation. He felt his face go red.
"Just ignore them" Mirra said coldly. "They're only throwing stuff at you because you're with me. Being a Gryffindor and all."
Albus turned back to her. "No. They're throwing stuff at you because you're with me" he said sadly.
Perhaps his drop in popularity was making it seem that way, but Albus thought that his time at Hogwarts was passing by much quicker than it had the previous year. His days mostly consisted of sitting in his dormitory doing work or relaxing in the Room of Requirement, where he couldn't be bothered by rude looks or crumpled up pieces of paper. All too soon, it was the last day of April, and the Quidditch Final was set to commence.
"They'll know who you are" Morrison whispered to him as they walked up the stands in a bustle of emerald and silver. Albus was walking in between him and Scorpius, his cloak drawn way over his head to avoid dirty looks.
"I know" he said. "I should've brought my Invisibility Cloak."
"Well it should all be over soon" Scorpius said to him as they took their place in the middle of the stands. "According to the wagers I've been hearing about, odds are for Gryffindor winning in under ten minutes."
"My brother isn't even playing!" he exclaimed from under his cloak, causing several students who were chatting excitedly near him to stop and glance over.
"But neither are you. And apparently, Gryffindor has a pretty good reserve Seeker."
Albus scowled as Dimitrius Parks' obnoxious voice rang out through the stadium for what would thankfully be the last time. "Welcome to the Hogwarts Quidditch Final!" he said.
The crowd erupted in cheers. Albus shrunk a bit in his seat.
"It's been a long road for these two teams, with heartbreaking victories on both sides. The biggest talk of the Final of course is the absence of both Potters, James and Albus, who normally play Seeker for Gryffindor and Slytherin, respectively. And speaking of Gryffindor, here they come now!"
Albus watched as seven figures dressed in scarlet emerged from their locker rooms to tumultuous applause. The students all around him were booing and shouting. With a sharp pang in his gut, Albus realized that the last time he had watched a game from the stands was the previous Quidditch Final.
"And here comes Slytherin!"
Cheers erupted all around him, but the sounds of booing echoing from the rest of the stands nearly blocked it out completely. Albus craned his neck and saw the replacement Seeker right away. He was small and slim, much like himself. Albus would have guessed that he was no older than a third year.
"The points are almost all tied up for this match!" Parks' voice echoed through the disdainful sounds of Slytherin's arrival. "Not much strategy here, just catching the Snitch ought to do it! The previous final, also played by these two teams, went undecided after that fiasco on the field that year. So you know these two teams are eager for this one!"
More cheers, and then, as loud as the crowd behind it, a whistle. The game had begun.
As it turned out, Scorpius had been quite wrong in his estimation of the game's length. It was one of the longest that Albus had ever seen. The Chasers for both teams were doing their part, and the Beaters were certainly doing their jobs as well, but an hour into the game there had been no sign of the Snitch.
"Hathel to Finnigan - Finnigan drops the Quaffle to - no wait, intercepted by Sanders - who scores! Ninety to eighty Slytherin, goodness me this is a close game!" Parks was commentating. "Orik takes possession of the Quaffle - she's heading for the goal post, ouch that'll hurt, nicely played Bludger to the head by Reverin - where is the Snitch?"
Though it was certainly possible that the Snitch was hiding, Albus thought it more likely that the Seekers simply weren't up to par. It had taken him maybe the first ten minutes of the game to realize that it would take the Snitch literally flying into one of the Seeker's hands to end the game.
James' replacement was at least semi-competent, as he was circling high above the other players, which was the best way to catch a glimpse of the Snitch. His own replacement however, seemed nothing short of lost. He was hovering in mid-air, his head rapidly turning from side to side as if hoping it would come to him, rather than actually look for it.
"Blimey, this is taking forever" Morrison said from next to him twenty minutes later. They had been watching for almost two hours. "Has there been any sign of the Snitch?"
"Couldn't tell you" Scorpius said, his entire body slumped down in boredom. Even the noise had died down. It seemed as though the entire audience had stopped caring once both teams hit the three hundred point mark. Even Parks was beginning to lose his touch; he hadn't voiced his concerns on foul play for the last half of an hour.
"Finnigan - to the girl with sandy blonde hair, her name escapes me now - she dodges a Bludger, passes back to Finnigan - and now he takes - THE GRYFFINDOR SEEKER IS DIVING!"
Albus sat up straight and watched as the people around him also came out of their stupor. The noise that had echoed through the Pitch at the beginning of the game had returned.
Albus watched as the figure in scarlet swooped down and flew right past the Slytherin Seeker, who was frantically trying to tail him. It mattered not however; there was a sharp intake of breath, and the game was over.
"GRYFFINDOR WINS THE CUP!" Parks yelled into the microphone, and the cheers coming from the Gryffindor part of the stands drowned out the rest of it.
Albus leaned back in his seat and buried his head in his hands. He had known all along that it was going to happen-but hearing it said had made it all too real. Slytherin had lost. Because their star Seeker hadn't been playing.
People dressed in emerald were chucking their brooms and retreating to their locker room. Parks was announcing the score as a massive pile of gold and scarlet made its way down to the field to congratulate their team.
"One of our longest finals ever! Gryffindor wins four hundred and eighty to three hundred and ten! Look at those Slytherins storm off! Headmaster Ares should be coming out to present them with the Quidditch Cup momentarily."
"Well it's all over Al" Morrison said, giving him a clap on the shoulder. "At least you don't have to worry about it anymore. And there's always next year, right?"
Albus snorted and crossed his arms. He peered into the crowd and saw Mirra and Rose jumping around excitedly with their housemates; Rose's red hair made them quite easy to spot. The Gryffindor Seeker was being hoisted up on his shoulders, eagerly anticipating the moment when he could hold the cup.
And there certainly was a lot of anticipation. Ten minutes after Parks had announced it, the Gryffindor team was still waiting.
"It appears as though the Headmaster isn't aware that the game is over" Parks said, and the crowd began muttering. The Gryffindors on the Pitch were standing there quite stupidly, turning their heads in every direction. "Wait, here comes Professor Longbottom now!"
As he said it, Albus saw the figure of Neville hurrying towards the group. He exchanged words with the captain of the Gryffindor team, then turned to face the commentary podium. He pointed his wand at his throat, and a second later his voice was magically amplified.
"Headmaster Ares had urgent business to attend to" he said, his booming voice silencing the muttering going on around him. There was no denying the discomfort in his voice as well. "We do not know where he is currently, so I will be presenting Gryffindor with the Cup instead."
The Gryffindors on the field cheered, as did the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws. Professor Flitwick entered the field, levitating the massive trophy in front of him. Neville grabbed it from-mid air and began speaking again.
"Let's get out of here" Albus muttered to his friends, and he, Scorpius, and Morrison all stood and walked out of the stands, their housemates muttering in disappointment as Neville's words echoed throughout the Pitch.
"So it's kind of strange that Ares didn't watch the game, huh?" Scorpius said as they walked back to the Common Room.
"Not really" Albus said. "He doesn't care much about the school, does he? Gives us the same damn speech at the start of every term. He doesn't pay attention."
"Where do you think he is?" Morrison asked. "Forest?"
Albus knew what he was trying to do. Like Mirra, they were trying to keep him from focusing on Quidditch. He thought of the irony with a bitter smirk. Had it not been these same two people who had doubted it and ridiculed him for thinking something was up?"
"Probably" he said. "Not much we can do about it though. I still have no idea who the leak in the Ministry is, and without that piece of the puzzle, I can't prove Ares is up to anything. All he has to say is that he's never heard of the wand and he's clear. Let's just let it go."
Morrison and Scorpius exchanged a look of great surprise, and they entered the Slytherin Common Room a moment later. It was empty. Everyone was at the game.
"Ceremony should be over by now" Scorpius said. "Want to drop off our things and go to dinner?"
Albus shrugged. "I'm just going to head to bed" he said. "Tired" he lied.
"Okay" Morrison said, clearly not wanting to press the point any further. "Just try and cheer up okay? Tomorrow's May. Year's almost over."
They both gave him a clap on the back and left the Common Room. He walked into his dormitory and collapsed onto his bed.
He didn't know for how long he layed there, drifting in and out of sleep, but he supposed it must have been a few hours. He heard people enter the dormitory and knew that it must be late. He simply kept to his bed, curtains drawn around him, trying not to think.
Of course, trying not to think is the worst thing he could do, as that tended to make him think about everything. Albus realized this as different thoughts swam through his head. Tomorrow's May, Morrison had said.
The first of May. Tomorrow, or in a couple of hours actually, his father was going to have a ceremony in his honour. His father, the biggest success of the Potter family. His father was receiving an Order of Merlin! And what had he done today? Sat and watched his team lose. They had a chance and it had been blown because of him.
He turned on his side and wondered vaguely who would be at the ceremony. He knew that his Uncle Ron would be speaking, and Kingsley would be the one presenting the award. He thought of a few people that his father had mentioned from work. The girl Susan who had been on the elevator the time they visited the Ministry, she might be there. And the man with the long brown hair, Max, or whatever his name was, he might be there too.
He rolled over again. He knew one person from the Ministry who wouldn't be there. Fango Wilde. As long ago as it had been, he still remembered that day. He had thought of Fango Wilde as one of the most boring people that he had ever seen. But he had seen him in the Auror's office later that day, arguing with someone. That man, Mr. Fairhart. The man with the scarred face...
Albus bolted upright, sweat pouring down his face. Mr. Fairhart had been arguing with Fango Wilde that day. And Mr. Fairhart worked in the Auror office. And it must have been someone in the Auror office who knew of the wandmaker's whereabouts. And from the way that his father had been talking to him, Fairhart had been away for some time; right around the time that the wandmaker was murdered. And that the Dragonfang Wand was stolen.
How had no one seen it before? The evidence was all there, Fairhart had been missing, a wandmaker was murdered, and when he returned he'd argued with Fango Wilde. But Wilde knew something...that's why he investigated Hogwarts that day. And now he was missing. And what had his father said about Fairhart? That he was funny? A likeable guy? No one would ever suspect him...
He felt excitement rush through him, excitement that he hadn't felt since he'd read about Wilde's disappearance weeks ago. He had found the informant.
He jumped out of bed and pulled the curtains back. Everyone was sleeping; he must have been drifting in and out of it for a long time. He walked over to Morrison's bed and shook him.
"Morrison" he whispered. "Morrison wake up, it's important."
"Wussa' matter?' he said, rolling over, his brown hair getting caught in his mouth, his eyes half open.
"I know who killed the wandmaker" he whispered. "I know the informant in the Ministry is!"
Morrison stared blankly, then rolled over. Albus narrowed his eyes. He looked over to Scorpius' bed. Things had been rocky with him since their fight with Eckley and Hornsbrook. But he needed someone to back him up...
He walked over to Scorpius' bed and shook him awake as well. He opened his eyes up at once. "What's going on?" he said. He peered at his watch. "Al it's midnight."
"I know" he said, though that was a complete lie; he hadn't had the slightest idea what time it was. "But I know who the informant is. The one in the Ministry."
Scorpius sat up straight and rubbed his eyes. "What? How? Who?"
"It just came to me. It's this guy Fairhart. I'm going to go and tell Darvy, he might be able to contact my dad."
"You'll have to tell him about the wand won't you?"
Albus nodded. "You coming?"
Scorpius glanced at his watch again and sighed. "Let me get my slippers on."
Five minutes later and they were walking along the stone passageways in the dungeons, still dressed in pajamas, on their way to speak to Darvy.
"Think he'll be up?" Scorpius asked him as he stifled a yawn.
"If not, we'll wake him" Albus said. "This is important. Damn I should have brought my wand!" he added as he bumped into a wall. The torches were not lit at night, and he and Scorpius were forced to feel their way through the darkness.
"Same" Scorpius said. "So, this bloke Fairhart, you got like, concrete evidence it was him?"
"Yeah" Albus said, though he knew that was kind of a stretch. "Well, it all fits, and I can see why no one's suggested it before. Everyone likes the guy."
Scorpius stifled another yawn. "Well that makes sense. You never suspect the ones you like."
They reached the Potions classroom. Albus gave a small knock. There was no answer. He knocked again. He heard bustling around, and Darvy came to the door.
Albus raised his eyebrows when he saw him. He was dressed in all black, including a cloak that looked very much like it would blend in with tar. His long blonde hair was ruffled and sticking out at odd ends, and his bright blue eyes did little to detract from the look of surprise on his face. Albus knew at once why he was dressed. They had caught him moments before was going to leave to spy on Ares in the Forest.
"Albus!" he exclaimed. "Scorpius! What are you boy's doing up at this hour? What's wrong?"
"We have something to tell you sir-" Albus began.
"Come in, come in" Darvy ushered them, and they entered the Potions classroom. Darvy flicked his wand and the lights turned on. He took a seat at his table, forcibly reminding Albus of the last time he had been in this position.
"Is everything okay?" Darvy asked them both.
"We're fine" Albus said. "But we have something to tell you."
Darvy looked at both of them and began biting his fingernails. "Boy,s I'm sure it's important, but I have somewhere to be."
"We know, you're going in to the Forest to spy on Ares" Albus said. "That's kind of what this is about."
Darvy froze. "Has something happened?"
"Do you remember when you asked us if we knew anything about that wandmaker being murdered?" Albus asked. "Because...we do. We think we know who did it."
Scorpius nodded his head stupidly, Darvy merely continued to stare. "You do?" he said.
"Yes" Albus said. "Sorry we didn't tell you before. My dad said he thinks that there's an informant in the Ministry, and we think he's the one who killed the wandmaker."
Darvy continued to stare, then slowly closed his eyes and ran his hands through his matted blonde hair. "An informant in the Ministry you say? Dear me...who?"
"We think it's someone named Fairhart" Albus said. "We have to hurry and tell my dad."
"Oh yes, certainly" Darvy said, standing up. "But I'm afraid we'll have to wait until morning-"
"There's more sir" Albus said. "We think that the person who killed that wandmaker stole something. A wand."
Darvy froze once more. Albus quickly glanced at Scorpius. "A wand?" Darvy asked. "What kind of wand? Like a particular kind, or what?"
"It has a name" Albus said. "The- the Dragonfang Wand?" he said, hoping that it would register for Darvy.
It did. The Potions professor looked like he was going to faint. "The Dragonfang Wand! Do you- do you know who has it now?" he asked hesitantly.
Albus was quite taken aback. He had expected to be bombarded with questions about how they knew about the wand, or at least told that it didn't exist. "We- we think Ares has it."
"Oh my" Darvy said. He stared up at the ceiling for several seconds. Albus and Scorpius traded looks once more. "Boys...boys this is serious" Darvy said. Albus swallowed. "You could be in great danger."
"From who?" Scorpius asked, speaking for the first time. "From Ares?"
Darvy nodded. "I'm afraid so. If Ares does have the wand..." he trailed off.
"So what do we do?" Albus asked, trying to ignore the panic in his voice. "Tell my dad now?"
"No" Darvy said. "First- first we get you boys to safety."
"Safety?" they both said. "Can't we just go back to the Common Room?" Scorpius asked.
"No!" Darvy yelled, and they both jumped. "You will be in danger. Ares- the wan- you boys have no idea how did this happen-"
He began pacing, beads of sweat dripping from his forehead. "Come with me" he said, and he opened the door. He raised his wand and the tip became illuminated at once, allowing them to see in the stony passageways. They followed him through the labyrinth of the dungeons.
"Can we go to the Common Room first?" Albus asked as they followed him. He wanted to get his wand, and maybe his Cloak too. He felt quite frightened without them. One look at the terrified expression on Scorpius' face told him that he was thinking along the same lines.
"No, we don't have time" Darvy said, and they picked up the pace. Soon they had left the dungeons and entered the Great Hall.
"Where are we going?" Scorpius asked. "The grounds?"
Darvy nodded, but didn't look back. "Believe me, it's the safest place until I can get a message to the Ministry."
They exited the castle and entered the grounds. The night sky was starless, and a fierce chill made Albus' spine tingle. He wished that he at least had a jacket. They descended the grassy slope and Albus saw Hagrid's hut, smoke coming from the chimney. "You're taking us to Hagrid's!" he exclaimed.
"No" Darvy said. It was hard to see him now. His cloak was so dark. "Follow me" he repeated.
They followed him until they reached the edge of the Forest. Then he turned and looked at them. He sunk down onto his knees and stared at them both intently. "Boys, I need you to listen to me carefully. You are in danger. I am going to take you somewhere safe, and then send a message to the Ministry. We are going into the Forest."
"But isn't that were Ares is?" Scorpius exclaimed.
"Shhh!" Darvy whispered. "I need you to trust me, I have a plan."
Albus stared into his electric blue eyes. Darvy had spent the entire year spying on Ares and preventing him from causing harm. "We trust you" he said, and Scorpius turned to look at him.
"Good, now follow me" Darvy said once more. He stood up, and placed his hands onto their shoulders. He began steering them into the Forest. "Stay quiet" he told them.
They did as they were told. For five minutes, Darvy walked them though the Forest, the only sounds the snapping of twigs and hooting of owls. Darvy appeared to be leading them along a very poorly made trail. Eventually they began fighting their way through bushes. It wasn't long before they heard voices. Eventually they found themselves just outside of a forest clearing; the very same clearing that Albus had found Rookwood's wand in. He peered into the clearing and his jaw dropped.
There was a large fire in the middle of it, crackling merrily under the night sky. Standing all around it was a group of cloaked figures, at least fifty of them, and most of them were wearing strange looking masks. Albus tried to turn around only to realize that Darvy's hands were still on his shoulders. Holding him in place. He heard Scorpius give a small whimper. They were no more than twenty feet away from the congregation.
Though the cloaked figures were all standing together around the fire, there seemed to be another, somewhat shorter man, in the center near the crackling flames. Only when he spoke did Albus realize who it was.
"We are one step closer, my brothers!" Ares announced. "The Dragonfang Wand will soon join our arsenal, fully ready to aid us in our endeavors! For I have here in my hands the very tool that will help us create this war! Help us continue to support the arts that we cherish so much!"
The men all muttered in excitement, then stopped at once when they spotted Darvy-and Albus and Scorpius.
Even if Darvy weren't holding him in place, Albus wouldn't have been able to run. His legs felt like jelly. He could feel Scorpius shivering, and hear his teeth chattering as well. Ares turned and saw what the cloaked figures were looking at. He too was wearing a black cloak. He saw Darvy and his face turned stony. He approached them.
"What is this?" he barked, his black mustache quivering. His grey eyes lingered on Albus and Scorpius. The group of cloaked figures behind him were still muttering. "Sebastian, what's going on?" Ares said. "Why have you brought them here?"
Albus looked up and saw Darvy staring back at Ares, his blue eyes narrowed as he spoke directly to him. "We have a problem, Red. These two kids know about the wand. They know everything."