Well, here's a new chapter, finally. As for the tardiness, I apologize.
Chapter 26.
Harry's office reminded me of a club house, for grown-ups. A large round, mug and parchment covered table dominated the room, surrounded by several over-stuffed chairs. Harry's desk sat in the corner, a portrait of his family featured prominently next to the ledgers and quill cup. There was an overloaded bookcase in the corner, and a large poster of Ginny, in her quidditch gear, framed on the wall.
"Ve know the identities of two of de Sang Pur who have come to Britain. Ve tink der commander is dis man." Viktor placed a photograph on the table of a fairly short looking, 40-something wizard with short mousy brown hair, beedy eyes, a nose like a plow, and a perpetual scowl.
I'd encountered some unpleasant looking characters in my time, this guy was way up there. "Dis is Bernhardt VonLunde, from Germany," he explained. "Ve believe that he is der commander. He is fairly new to Sang Pur. Up until five years ago, vas German Auror, ven he disappeared , resurfaced last year, claimed responsibility for murder of fifteen centaurs in colony in Black Forrest, Ve do not know his motivation."
"Looks like a right bloody bastard," Ron commented off-handedly, Viktor just nodded in agreement.
"A very dangerous bloody bastard," Harry threw in.
Viktor presented a second photograph. "Dis voman is Monique Jeunoit, from Belgium." The woman was thin to the point of being emaciated, with poker straight black hair, icy blue eyes and sallow skin. She reminded me of a muggle dominatrix, she wore what looked like a pseudo-uniform, complete with military cap and riding crop on her belt. "She specializes in charms and transfiguration magic, ve also believe she is illegal animagus, some type of reptile, if rumours are to be believed. We tink dat she is da vone who cursed dose claw traps you ovled me about, Harry. Deese monsters always travel in groups on four, ve do not know who der partners are. Ve do, however, know who are de British contacts, vone is him." Another picture landed on the table, an older man, with gray hair and blue eyes, he must've been very handsome in his youth.
"That's Rudolphus Lestrange," Harry said, "dammit, I told Kingsley letting him out of Azkaban was a bad idea. He's supposedly ill, but I has a feeling he would be a bother. Are there anymore?"
"Dis voman," Viktor dropped yet another photo on the table, of a dumpy looking middle-aged woman, with a bow in her short hair, and a face that reminded me of a...
"Bloody hell, it's the Old Toad herself," Ron muttered. "I thought she was still in Azkaban."
"Her sentence ended back in June," Harry explained.
"Ve know dere is someone inside Hogvarts who is helping dem. Ve do not know the identity."
"Any ideas Glinda?" Harry asked me.
"Not really," I said, "Theodore Nott comes to mind, but I don't think he's involved."
"Why is that?" Harry asked. "His father was a deatheater."
"I seriously doubt that a supporter of a group like Sang Pur would've tried to get into my robes for the last month." I thought Charlie was going to dig a whole in the table with his bare hands.
"There is that," Ron observed, as his older brother glared at him.
********
November 25, 2011
Although,the Aurors assigned to guard Hogwarts did their best not to interfere with the students' or staff's lives, there presence was quite pronounced. They were everywhere one looked, and though they hadn't rooted out the traitor inside Hogwarts, I'm sure having the tough looking witches and wizards wandering around in the distinctive dark blue robes made for quite a deterrant. Nightly patrols of the halls were no longer just the duty of the staff, each teacher had been assigned a "helper". My 'assignee' was a bright young wizard, just out of training, named Alexander Harkness. About six-foot-three and twenty-one years old, with brown curls, a baby face and dark eyes that would launch a million teenaged girl dreams, he looked more like a student than an Auror, but for his robes. He followed me around like a shadow. Minerva assigned him to bunk in one of the empty Gryffindor dorms, all three of the most endangered students were in Gryffindor, it made sense for them to have one of their former house mates guarding them. And he had a close connection to one of them, he and seventh year Gryffindor and future auror Daniel Royden, were first cousins.
"His dad and me mum were brother and sister," Alex had explained to me. "Our grandfather was a selkie." I'd heard of the seal-form shape shifters but, I'd never met any. I knew that they were native to Northern England and Scotland.
"That's interesting, what's it like? being a seal?" I asked him. I just had to know.
"I wouldn't know," he shrugged. "I've never transformed, but I am a really good swimmer," he grinned and winked. "You want to go swimming, tonight? after patrol, I mean, the Black Lake is beautiful at night?"
I just blinked at him, "huh? Alex, are you propositioning me? I'm old enough to be your mother."
He turned three shades of purple, "blimy, Glinda, I would never, I mean, if there were the slightest chance, I would, but you're, well, I don't want. Ah, never mind, I need to get back to the dorm, I promised Teddy and Vic that I'd help them with some shielding spells." I'd never seen anyone that big move that fast. "Can we forget most of this conversation ever happened?" he pleaded as he departed. I was laughing all the way to my office.
"All right troops," I announced to my fifth year students as they filed into my classroom, "today we're going to be practicing out disarming spells." I'd moved the desks back to the parameter of the room, and set mats down in the middle of the room, usually I'd call for practicing outside but it was pouring rain, and cold. "Please all stand around the mats, if Mr. Harkness would be so kind to assist me, I'll demonstrate the disarming spell, then we'll demonstrate blocking."
Alex joined m on the mat. "What do you need professor?"
"Please cast a disarming spell at me, I won't try to block it, I want our students to see the full effect."
"Yes, mam." Alex took his position, and then pointed his wand at me. "Expelliarmus!" My wand flew out of my hands.
One of the Hufflepuffs picked the wand up, and returned it to me. "Thank you, Miss Pertwee."
"You're welcome, Professor."
"All right Mr. Harkness, please cast the spell again," I'll give Alex credit for speed, but I was still able to block it, and return the same spell.
"Ouch," Alex said as he rubbed his hand where my counter spell hit him.
"Blimy!"I heard one of the boys mutter sounding a bit nervous.
"Ok," I said, "pair off, and practice." The students hurried to follow my instructions, this particular class was Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw, they seemed to want to pair off by house. "All right form two lines, partners opposite each other, then step back about ten feet... OK, good, everyone on this side, cast... that was a good first attempt, other side, your turn... Excellent. Now, everybody at once... OK, I want you to keep practicing till the bell rings." They didn't do half bad for their first time,
"Not bad," Alex remarked as we sat and watched the students. "That one's really good." He said, motioning to Sally Pertwee, one of the Hufflepuff students. She's succeeded in disarming her partner four times. I kept the students at it until the bell signaled their next class, Alex and I then waited for the next group, my fifth year Gryffindors and Slytherins. I wish I could say they were as polite to each other as the first group. The old rivalries were still there in full force. By the end of class, I had assigned detentions to two of the Gryffindors, and three of the Slytherins. I wondered if Neville needed any more weeding done, I was getting tired of assigning lines, then I remembered that the house elves could always use help with the dishes. I'll admit to grinning evilly as Alex and I went to lunch.