A dark, crushing silence filled the cell.

There was no windows, and the only source of light was a lamp in the corner of his room. Emmett wasn't sure how long he had been in the cell for but he thought it must atleast be a few months. It felt like a lifetime since he had last seen natural light. Every once and a while food would enter through a flap in his door, and even less often the constraints on his ankles would pull tight dragging him to the wall, allowing a guard to enter his cell and refill the lamp with oil.

He had already tried to escape the cell using wandless magic, but he had found himself unable. Whether due to protections in the cell itself or due to his own lack of ability in the skill he couldn't say, but regardless he had found no way escape.

He hadn't gotten a hearing, no doubt he had Warner to thank for this, and when he had awoken he was already in a cell. But exactly where he was he wasn't sure. He knew he wasn't in Azkaban, the cells there had windows overlooking the ocean and the rocks far below. He supposed it was meant to remind prisoners of their isolation from the rest of the world, but honestly an ocean view sounded like a wonderful luxury right now.

At the very least he was certain Rina had gotten away. She had taken the money, and his friends would look after her, he knew they would. And besides, she was a very resourceful witch, no one would find her until she wanted to be found. He just hoped that when he managed to get out of this cell he would be able to find her. He was certain he would escape, it was only a matter of time.

The chains on his ankles pulled tight, dragging him to the wall. The door burst open with a slam against the wall. Emmett didn't even bother to look up, he heard the guard fill the lamp with oil, before leaving, slamming the door in his wake. As the chains loosened he walked to his bed and went to sleep.

How long passed before he next heard a noise he couldn't say, but the next time the door opened it didn't slam, a man had entered and was holding a file in his hands. The man conjured a table and two chairs and took a seat on one, then indicated with a gesture for Emmett should sit on the other.

As Emmett took his seat the man levitated over the lamp, revealing himself to be Harry Potter.

"Your name is Caractus Emmett Burke, correct?"

"Yes."

"But you go by Emmett Burke."

"Yes."

"On the 11th of July 2017 you were arrested along with over 30 other witches and wizards for your involvement in an illegal underground duelling ring. What exactly was the extent of your involvement in this ring?"

"I just fought."

"To the death?"

Considering he had been caught in the act Emmett didn't see the point in lying.

"Occasionally."

Harry Potter opened the file, reading the first page inside it.

"It took me a long time to track this file down, and to identify exactly who you were. Someone at the ministry was very intent on having you go missing."

"Probably one of my brothers."

Harry continued to read the file.

"Your Hogwarts results are outstanding. Head boy, Prefect, Tri-Wizard Champion. Not a single disciplinary issue the entire time you were at the school. So how does a young man with such promise end up in an underground duelling ring only months removed from these sorts of results?"

"I finished Hogwarts and was offered a couple of jobs, but I needed money and needed it fast, to get out of the country and away from Warner. He wasn't happy when I turned him down, he needed me in the Department of Mysteries, it is the only department he hasn't infiltrated. I had the marks and everything, but I wasn't interested in that sort of work, especially not just to help him out."

After Emmett finished talking Potter stood up and turned to leave, taking his file with him, "I want to help you. And I can. But I won't unless you help me."

And with that life in the cell resumed as normal.

Time passed by, the oil was replaced 4 more times before Potter came back, this time he brought 3 files with him but otherwise the routine was the same, he conjured furniture, levitated the lamp and took a seat. He placed two files on the desk, and the third on the floor next to his seat.

"A request came down from your brother's office today." Potter started.

Emmett didn't respond but took his seat opposite Harry.

"He requested us to locate a witch from your grade. Rina Thorne. Last seen in the Leaky Cauldron a few weeks after the end of school last year."

"Don't know anything. Haven't seen her since we finished."

"Is that right. Information I have suggest the two of you are, or atleast were, close."

"Information is a funny name for Teddy Lupin."

What looked like an arrogant smirk flashed across Potters face.

"So you did know her."

"Not that well."

"Just well enough to impregnate her in your last weeks together at Hogwarts."

"If you know all this, why bother questioning me."

"Because I honestly couldn't care less about finding her. Infact I want to do the exact opposite. The only thing I know about the girl is that she was offered a position in my unit and turned it down. I'm not interested in her, I am interested in why your brother, wants her found. And how he managed to get this file onto my desk."

"Who knows."

Potters green eyes looked directly into his own.

"Before I leave. That Auror you nearly killed was one of mine you know. Quite impressive. Where did you learn to duel like that?"

"Here and there. Mostly at home I guess."

"Fair enough." Potter stood up and left again. However this time he left the desk and chairs in the middle of the room. He placed the file from the ground on the middle of the desk and left without a word.

Emmett initially promised himself he wouldn't touch the file, but as time passed he found himself bored enough to give it a look. It was a very thin file, obviously a very new case with very little information.

CASE FILE #317728C

On the 18th of May 2017 Apothecary "Z. Budge Apothecary" in Knockturn Alley was not open at the usual time. When the shop had remained closed for 6 straight days basic law enforcement officials were called to the scene.

At the time there was no indication of foul play, however Fidelus Budge, current owner was nowhere to be found. This was not considered to be abnormal considering what the department knows about the man. Fidelus was prone to bouts of extreme paranoia.

On the 27th of May 2017 loud noises were heard from inside the shop in the early hours of the morning. Nearby residents were interviewed. Upon investigation the shop and adjoined apartment had been ransacked and there was traces of dark magic (see ap. 1). Traces of illegal potion ingredients (see app. 2-5) were found in the apartment.

The case was referred to the Auror's department on the 30th of May 2017.

IMPORTANT NOTE: H. J. Potter

The interviews of nearby residents as well as the appendices were removed from the file at some point between the 27th and 30th of may. There is no record of the removal anywhere in the Department of Law Enforcement.

On the 30th of May attempts were made to once again interview the residents nearby. None of them had any recollection of the events on the 27th.

On the 30th of may Auror R. Weasley and apprentice T. Lupin investigated the Apothecary again. Traces of dark magic and illicit ingredients were gone. All Boomslang skin, Bicorn horn, Occamy Egg and Murtlap tentacle was gone. These ingredients are all immensely valuable, so whether the items were taken before or after the events on the 27th are unknown.

Emmett lay in bed and thought about the file. Why had Harry Potter wanted him to read this one. He had known Fidelus, but nowhere near as well as his brothers had. Fidelus was Warners age, and they had both been classmates at Hogwarts.

Time passed slower than ever as Emmett thought about the file. The oil in the lamp was changed twice before Potter came to him again and took a seat at the table.

"You read the file I hope."

"Yeah I read it."

"Good, good. I wanted to make sure I left you enough time to get through it all."

"Right."

Potter's sarcastic attitude annoyed Emmett.

"It's very curious don't you think?" Potter asked.

"That Fidelus Budge has gone missing? Not really."

"No," Potter laughed, "Not that. What is curious is the state of that file. And it wasn't someone in my department. It's unusual."

"I guess."

"This man was friends with your brother right?"

"I'm not sure Warner has friends. But he found him useful."

"Is that right. Do you have any other thoughts on the file."

"Yeah just one."

"Go on." Potter said eyes lighting up.

"It isn't a kidnapping. Guy up and left. By the look of the ingredients he took he is going to be pretty busy too."

"I thought the same thing." Potter stood up and left again.

"Potter wait!" Emmett yelled at his back.

The Auror stopped, but didn't turn back to look at him.

"Have you found Reni?"

"Ahh the Head Girl you don't know?" Potter turned back with that stupid smug look on his face, "You know, I traced her from Knockturn Alley, all the way to a ship in south London. She boarded a ship and set sail to Peru. On route the ship appears to have been lost. It never arrived in Brazil. I can only assume it sunk on route. Naturally I have declared her legally dead."

After Emmett gave no reaction he continued.

"It is very interesting that not a day after this ship went missing a ship of a remarkably similar description has landed in San Diego. Unloading a single passenger. I can only assume these two events are completely unrelated."

Potter turned to leave again. "And as long as you keep helping me it can stay that way.

This time he hadn't left a file, but Emmett was to relieved to care. Rina was safe. And thanks to Potter's help there was no way that Warner or Spencer would ever find her now.

The oil was only replaced once before Harry Potter returned to his cell once more. This time he had brought a single file. The two men took a seat and Potter opened the file.

"You aren't close to your brothers?"

"No. Not since I was young."

"You are a lot younger than them."

"Yes, they both were at Hogwarts when I was born."

"And you have a different mother?"

"Yes. My father remarried after my mother died in the war."

Harry eyed the file carefuly, "For the other side I take it."

"Obviously."

Harry didn't say anything until Emmett spoke again.

"She had nothing to do with me though."

"I'm aware."

"So you were close growing up. Your older brothers were at Hogwarts, and you lived with your mother?"

"And my father yes."

"Your mother was a lot younger than your father."

"Don't pretend you don't know her Potter. You've got my file."

"Right. So your problems didn't start because you had a different mother to your brother?"

"No they didn't."

"They started later than that, when your father died? As I understand it he left a sizeable amount of wealth to your mother?"

"No they didn't care about that. By the time my father died they were well established in the ministry."

"So when did the problems start?"

"Probably when I started at Hogwarts."

"Slytherin was your family house right?"

"Every Burke for hundreds of years."

"Until you."

"Right. Until me."

"You were sorted into Gryffindor instead. I imagine that went over well with your mother."

"She didn't care. No one from her family had been sorted outside of Slytherin either, but it didn't bother her. Or atleast if it did she never told me. Being in Slytherin never did much for her."

"Right, fair enough. But your brothers did care."

"Yes of course. Said it demonstrated my lack of ambition."

"But your school results-"

"Changed their opinions. Temporarily atleast."

"But then you turned down a job offer from your brother coming out of Hogwarts. In the department of ministries."

"I wasn't planning on sticking around with everything going on with Rina. My brother is very ambitious. He didn't need a bastard nephew or niece getting in his way. Wouldn't have reflected well on the family. Especially with her being muggle-born. Sacred 28 and all that you know."

"Right. So you clashed about that?"

"Yeah after I turned him down he was furious, our only communication since has been through my brother Spencer. Warner expected me to pull my head in and do my part for him, like everyone else does. Why are you so interested in my family anyway?"

"I'm not really. Only one of them. I'm sure you know who."

"Can I have 3 guesses?"

Potter smiled before he stood up, "I think I have almost everything I need from you. I'll be back tomorrow."

His last sentence haunted Emmett as he tried to get some sleep. He didn't know what awaited him when Potter returned but he didn't care to find out. He was getting out of here and he was going to America.

Emmett waited in desperation, he wasn't sure how he was going to get away. But he had one idea.

He didn't have to wait long. He felt his chains begin to tug on his ankles and he heard the door burst open. The man coming in hadn't been careful enough. Emmett grabbed his ankle as the chains dragged him to the wall.

The man fell on the floor with a thud, his wand rolled from his grasp. The man reached for it, but Emmett was faster. He scooped up the wand quickly casting a silencing charm and blasted the chains free from his ankles.

He rounded on the man who was making for the door and stunned him. He slammed the door shut, but he didn't hear a noise. Emmett felt a smile reach his lips. He tossed the unconscious man onto the chair and restrained him using the chains that he had blasted off of his ankles.

"Rennervate"

The mans eyes opened but Emmett could tell no one was home. Not having time to waste he pointed his wand at him again.

"Legillimens"

Flashes of the past entered Emmett's head, but he dismissed them, he needed to focus on the now. The man came to work, Emmett could see him entering, he was in the Auror's department, through the back door and down a hallway to the left. There was a long hallway of single cells. But only one guard on. The rest of the cells were empty.

Emmett knocked the man out with another stunner and stuck his head out of the door. The hallway was empty. Emmett cast a disillusionment charm on himself before taking a step out into the hallway.

He made his way back to the Aurors office easily, but then came the hard part. Taking extra care not to make a sound or bump into anyone he began to make his way across the office, past the shoulder high cubicles.

He saw the door that lead to Harry Potter's office across the hall. He made his way past it and out into the main foyer of the department. From here Emmett was familiar with the way out. He hopped onto an elevator and waited. It wasn't long before a woman hopped in and pressed the button that would send them back to the ground floor.

He breathed a sigh of relief. It appeared the woman heard him as she looked around, but apparently was satisfied seeing the lift was empty as she had turned back to the front. The woman was attractive, she had a pretty face, deep brown eyes and had curly brown hair that she had pulled back into a tight bun.

Emmett exited the elevator behind the woman, he took his first steps into the entrance hall. He made for the exit. He was in such a rush on his way out the door that he crashed into a gangly man with freckles and red hair, who looked pretty confused when Emmett took a quick glance over his shoulder.

The exit Emmett had taken was a newer one. It lead straight into Diagon Alley. If he could get a change of clothes he was only minutes from muggle Britain and the freedom, however temporary, it presented. Once there he could secure passage to the US using muggle means, he would be untraceable for the ministry.

But in order to do any of this he needed muggle money, and there were only 2 places nearby he could get it. One of them was Gringotts, and he put his chances of escaping there with his life at less than 0. So he took a turn onto Knockturn Alley and made his way to the bookmakers shop where he had been what feels like a lifetime ago.

The old man didn't seem the least bit surprised when he opened the door.

"Emmett. Come in. Quick. Before they see you."

The man ushered him inside and gave him a seat by the window.

"I was wondering when you might come back to see me. Man like you has too many enemies."

"But I got arrested."

"And you are a resourceful boy, grew up on Knockturn Alley, made of tougher stuff than the average criminal. And smarter stuff too."

Emmett recoiled at the words, he had never considered himself a criminal.

"I need muggle money. I need to get out of the country fast."

"What is in it for me?"

Emmett had to think, but only for a moment.

"If I get caught I am going to turn you in. If I get out of the country you never have to worry about me again."

"But anyone else captured could have already turned me in."

"They won't, what will they do? 6 months in Azkaban, then they will be back on the street looking for work, and back in the duelling ring. I won't. I don't give a fuck, If I don't get out of here tonight they will bring you in tomorrow."

The man smiled, "Like I said. Smarter than the average criminal. Very well. I can give you a thousand pounds. I am sure that will be sufficient to get you too the US."

"Chuck in 200 american and a change of clothes. I'll give you this wand, ministry members."

The man eyed the wand greedily.

"Fine. Thousand british, 200 American."

The man carefully counted out the money and gave it to Emmett in an envelope. He then grabbed a change of clothes from under the counter, and left Emmett alone to change.

"Farewell Emmett Burke."

Emmett didn't look back on his way out of the shop. He stepped out onto the dark Alleyway and made for the Leaky Cauldron and the streets of muggle London on the other side. No one gave him a second glance. Once he was on the street he called for a taxi and hopped in, ordering him to go to Heathrow.

Emmett made it to the airport and through customs without a problem, aside from confunding a few security workers. It was a risk to use magic until he was out of the country, but it was a calculated one. He didn't have a problem until he went to take his seat, and Harry Potter was already in it.

"Emmett, take a seat."

Defeated Emmett took a seat.

"Remarkable effort, very impressive escape."

"Not impressive enough obviously. How did you find me?"

"Had eyes on you the whole way to the airport."

Emmett slumped in his chair looking at his knees.

"The pair of us are going to hop up and walk out of this plane like nothing is wrong," Harry continued, "then we are going to grab a bite to eat, and we are going to talk."

They made their way to the food court where Potter bought them both a burger from a small stall in the centre.

"Now." Potter started, "The way I see it we have two choices on how to proceed from here."

"What are they?"

"The first one is I take you back to the Ministry, file you properly, get you in-front of the Wizengamot as soon as possible. You will be sentenced, likely harshly if your brother has his way. Hell you might even go missing in transit to Azkaban if I had to guess. It'll slow his progress down at the ministry which will buy me more time to figure out exactly what is going on."

"Or?"

"Or you come work with me. I've been put in charge of an internal affairs department. I am looking into the ministry to find the corrupt wizards and witches and then they will be removed. Your brothers are under investigation."

Emmett wasn't sure how he felt about his brothers being investigated. He didn't have any love for his brothers, but he wasn't much interested in helping Potter either.

"Now, if you come and work with me, your paperwork will mysteriously go missing, and your trial suddenly cancelled. You will live and work with me until we get your brother, then I will personally help you get to America and you never hear from me again. Either way I win."

"Don't suppose I have much of a choice."

Harry Potter smiled, "No you don't."

They ate in silence for ten minutes before Potter spoke again.

"I've been wondering. The sorting hat takes your choice into account."

"So?"

"So you didn't get put in your family house. Why not?"

"Because when I got to choose I chose not Slytherin."

Potter grinned, it didn't bother Emmett quite so much this time.