o'beater o'bat

I hated paperwork. Flinging the last record sixteen centimeters to my left, I rubbed at my eyes and yawned. I'd been staring at the tiny, faded print of past house elf cases for six hours, twelve minutes, and twenty-six seconds, but at least I'd finally finished.

Blargh. I buried my head in my hands, groaning loudly into my aching wrists.

Someone knocked on the door tentatively. I motioned the visitor inside, keeping my eyes firmly closed. Ah, peaceful darkness.

"Er, Adela?"

I looked up, my brows raising when I saw Henry Patil. The skinny intern cracked the door open but didn't enter, instead staring at me nervously with dark brown eyes.

"Yes, Henry?" I prompted.

He glanced to his side. "Um, there's someone to see you. He seems a bit adamant about it and honestly a bit odd…" his voice trailed off, eying me contemplatively. "Er, not as odd as you, but still od-"

Well. Rude. I wasn't odd. I was...unique. And no, 'unique' is not another word for insane. Sod off.

"Who is it?" I asked.

Henry adjusted his bowtie (a rather nice purple one - note to self: ask Henry where he purchases his bowties and then obtain the gaudiest one for Al) and opened his mouth to speak.

A loud protest came from further down the hall, and Henry paled.

"He's here," he whispered. I stood up clumsily, my legs protesting from the sudden movement, and gripped my wand with shaking fingers. Who could it be?

A sturdy form barreled through the frosted glass door, easily pushing Henry to the side ("Hey!").

I stepped back automatically, my mouth dropping open when I saw familiar golden blonde hair.

"Seth?"

My brother scowled, folding his arms over his chest. Merlin, how had he grown taller since I'd last seen him? He wasn't supposed to grow anymore! It wasn't fair!

"Hello, sister," he said icily. I swallowed. Well, he was angry.

"Er, hi?" I tried. He sniffed, still glowering.

"Hello, brother o'mine?" Adding an 'o' in front of words usually worked with Seth; growing up I got him to give me the last brownie by saying "give me the last brownie or I'll o'hit you with my o'beater o'bat." (Looking back, maybe it was the threat of violence that did it, but, hey, it didn't hurt to try).

His scowl deepened.

"Not going to work," he said.

I frowned. "Wow, you're looking really great! Your hair is looking particularly...hairy and your cheeks are nicely cheeky!"

I caught a flicker of amusement in his eyes and resisted the urge to jump in victory.

"Do you argue your cases that way?" he said finally. I nodded nonchalantly, hopping onto my desk.

"O'course. It always o'works."

He laughed, cut himself off, then sighed. "Fine, fine, although you were a rubbish twin for not letting me know you were okay...I forgive you," he said formally.

"Thanks," I said quietly. I looked down at my hands, rolling my wand between my bruised fingers.

"Hey," he said, sitting heavily to my right. "I'm just glad you're okay."

"Me too," I admitted. It sounded terribly selfish to say, especially considering that Al was still in peril while I was safe in a law office, but I feared pain. I wasn't a hero. I didn't seek danger or glory or even conflict (okay, beating people in Quidditch does not count).

"I just want this to end," I whispered. He wrapped a comforting arm around me, and I rested my head on his shoulder. We sat in silence for six minutes and forty-nine seconds, staring blankly at the bookshelf on the opposite end of my office.

"I saw Rose in the morning," Seth said finally.

I started, pulling away from him slightly.

"Rose?"

He nodded, his smile widening into a broad grin. "Yeah. She's not technically conscious yet, but Healer Park said she should wake up any day now."

"That's fantastic!" At least that was some good news. Merlin, I hoped Rose would recover soon; I missed her warmth.

"Mm. It was weird, though. I saw four Aurors in the lobby. You'd think Auror Potter would dedicate all his troops to locating Gre-"

I flinched automatically, and Seth snapped his mouth shut, fixing me with a worried look.

"-um, the bad dudes," he finished lamely. I smiled weakly, giving a hapless shrug of my shoulders.

"It's okay," I said.

He frowned, not looking totally convinced, but continued slowly, "Anyway, I took a note from your book and investigated. I overheard a Healer whispering about some mystery patient. He referred to the patient as Patient 43B."

Patient 43B! That was the same one Auror Potter had been so secretive about. Numberita whirred excitedly, relieved to have something other than dry case files and werewolf-induced terror to latch onto.

"Did the Healer say anything about Patient 43B's true identity?" I asked, reaching for a spare scrap of parchment to take notes on.

He shook his head. "No, I got caught. They told me to go back to Rose or leave. Said I was using up precious oxygen," he said, sounding greatly wounded.

I rolled my eyes (and, no, Al's nasty habit was not rubbing off on me; some instances just called for a good eye roll) and scrawled "Note to self: sassy Healer knows Patient 43B's identity; do all Healers know? If so, try Elise?" on the parchment.

Seth read over my shoulder, his hair blocking the notes from my view. I scowled, shoving him away. He let out an exaggerated yelp and toppled to the marble floor, resting a limp hand against his forehead.

I rolled my eyes again (okay, maybe it was rubbing off a little). I tapped my opal quill against my lip, transferring my attention back to the parchment.

"The Healer told you to go back to Rose," I began slowly. Seth, who was now in the midst of brushing the dust from his grey tee, nodded distractedly.

"Yeah, why?" he asked.

"Well, why would a Healer refer to the same person as Patient 43B and Rose in the same conversation? I think we can rule out Rose as being Patient 43B-" I crossed off Rose's name on my parchment "-but then who does that leave us? It can't be Gr-Gre-the bad dudes. Auror Potter got the message mere minutes after they disappeared from the Department of Mysteries. Besides, he wouldn't have looked so worried if he had captured them."

"Maybe it's someone completely unrelated to the goblins?" Seth suggested.

I frowned. "I suppose so."

A tendril of dread wound its way around my stomach, clenching tight. Could there be another threat out there major enough to warrant four Aurors even in the face of a massive werewolf-goblin attack? From what Al had said, Auror resources were stretched thin as it was. Could we handle two attacks at once?

Merlin, I hated just sitting here. It wasn't that I thought the Daisy case inconsequential - far from it, actually - or that I wished to charge into mortal danger. I just...I hated waiting for mortal danger to come. I hated being paranoid. I hated the dependence I had on my wand, hated that I couldn't even say the duo's names without flinching.

"O'you okay o'in o'there?" Seth asked, nudging me gently.

I let out a heavy sigh, shaking out my shoulders.

"No. But I will be," I said firmly.

Someone knocked on the door behind us.

I looked over my shoulder, sighing inwardly when I saw Henry. Who could it be this time?

"Adela, an, um, Auror-" he began. Could it be Al? I was up in two seconds and at the door in three, peering into the hallway eagerly.

Instead of seeing a tall, achingly mischievous black-haired beautiful amaz - (Merlin, when did I become one of those sickeningly sweet gushers? Note to self: research a spell that will slap me everytime I become too overly cutesy), I only saw coldly competent blue eyes and blonde hair.

"Where's Al?," I asked, trying to keep the disappointment out of my voice. She gave me a knowing look before stepping around me, marching into my office with confident professionalism.

I followed her inside, watching as she surveyed my messy (okay, so I'm a bit of a slob) office with an emotionless face. Her eyes slid over Seth easily, and after completing her round she stood rigidly at the very center of my office.

I walked past her and joined Seth on the desk again. Seth, for his part, was staring at Vane with an odd expression on his face.

"Any news on Al?" I prompted. She turned, a flash of sympathy darting through her otherwise expressionless eyes.

"He's fine," she said quietly.

I let out a long, low breath, my shoulders slumping. "Thank Merlin," I breathed. She inclined her head, her high, elegant ponytail brushing her black overcoat.

"He's caught up on another assignment, but he wanted me to keep you updated," she continued. Her eyes landed on the scrap of parchment six centimeters to my left, and she strode forward, her leather boots clipping against the marble floor.

She picked it up, her brows furrowing as she read my hurried scrawl.

"Do you know anything about Patient 43B?" I tried. Perhaps Vane knew who she - or he - was.

She shook her head. "Information is compartmentalized until the conclusion of a mission. I don't know anything about it."

"Oh." This time I couldn't keep the disappointment from my voice, and Vane threw me another sympathetic glance.

"But you must know who would know, right?" Seth asked. His voice was harsh, edging on the border between stiff and rude. I narrowed my eyes; yes, something was off.

"No," she said coldly, looking down at him. He bristled, and I quickly cut him off before things escalated (what was up with him? Vane was usually abrasive, but Seth?).

"What mission are you on?" I asked. She was still eying Seth with calculated indifference, but she said, "I'm going to survey Gringotts and make sure the goblins haven't turned."

I nodded. If Ragnuk was still at large, the Ministry needed to ensure that the rest of the goblins weren't planning a revolt. They controlled every galleon of Wizarding currency; the potential ramifications of an allied attack…

I suppressed a shiver, forcing Numberita from my rather dismal train of thought. Seth and Vane were still staring each other down (or at least Seth was; Vane looked more apathetic than angry), now, and I fidgeted, feeling like that awkward piece of bacon that had been thrown to the ground and now no one knew what to do with it (eat it? Toss it? Ignore it?).

"I'll go with you," I offered. Vane looked at me, breaking off whatever odd "Let's stare at Seth and aggravate him with indifference mwahaha" scheme she was pulling.

When she didn't say anything for the next twenty-six seconds, I said, "If Greyback is going to come after me anyway, I might as well work to stop them. Besides, I'm all caught up here. What else would I do with the rest of my evening? Go home and eat dinner like a normal human being? You know that's out of the question."

She nodded slowly, tilting her head three centimeters to her left. "Hm..yes, I'm sure if you actually - Merlin forbid - ate dinner and went to bed at a reasonable hour, then a thousand hippogriffs would come raining from the sky. Or some other comparatively bizarre event."

I shrugged; it was true. Besides, I was already responsible for major destruction at the Ministry. No need to add "Terror by Hippogriff" to my resume.

"I'll come, too," Seth said. Vane shook her head. "No, one civilian's bad enough."

"I'll come, too," he repeated firmly, standing abruptly. He was only around seven centimeters taller than Vane, but he glowered down at her, pointedly looking down to emphasize the (small) height difference.

She paused for two seconds, considering him silently. My eyes darted between the two blondes (the Blonde Squad? Blazing Blondes? Bling Bling Blonde Duo? … Okay, Numberita, enough with the alliteration), my fingers working my wand nervously as I sensed the growing tension.

"Fine," she said finally, letting the syllable drop curtly from her lips. Seth beamed, all traces of his prior hostility gone.

She rolled her eyes, but the movement lacked conviction.

"Right, let's go," Vane ordered stiffly.

As we followed the Auror out of the office, Seth bent down to whisper, "I think I'm in love."

When we'd arrived at the pavement outside of Gringotts, Vane turned to face us sternly, her eyes almost colourless against the gloomy grey sky.

"Remember, subtlety is key here. We do not want to offend the goblins if there is no threat...but at the same time, we need to be sure of whatever answer we conclude. Whether they are in league with Ragnuk or not, we need to know. Seth, there is a goblin seated four seats in from the right. His name is Merg. Assuming you have an account at Gringotts, I want you to withdraw some money. Flash your wand around. Act like an obnoxious, self-confident wizard. Observe his facial expressions and look for any sign of extreme bitterness. Remember: he is smarter than you. You cannot outsmart him. Do not try to ask him any outright questions."

Seth frowned, looking like he was about to protest the whole "smarter than you" bit, but he quieted with one well-aimed kick (at times like these I missed ol' Bessie).

He shot me an aggravated look before saying primly, "Well, with that wonderful sending off, I bid you farewell." He gave an exaggerated bow, bending down almost 90 degrees, before sauntering through the polished wooden doors.

Vane turned to me, adding, "Adela, you can follow me. We're targeting Nagnok."

I nodded, eying the bank's tall, imposing marble exterior determinedly. Although the sun ought to be setting by now, the thick shroud of heavy grey clouds sapped all colour, casting a dull, damp cast on the massive building. Six or seven wizards streamed through the doors, which whispered open automatically when someone came within two meters of the white stone steps.

Right, I - we - could do this.

As we walked through the double doors, Vane kept her head straight and high, whispering out of the corner of her mouth as I hurried to keep up with her longer strides (curse my short stature). "Nagnok has expressed unhappiness before but not enough to be labeled as a potential threat. He should be a good representative of the moderate goblin's stance."

I nodded, glancing around nervously. The grand lobby (thirteen meters in length) was dimly lit with flickering blue lights stationed at each polished desk. When we'd reached the sixth station from the right, Vane stopped, approaching the short, shrewd goblin stationed behind the wooden surface.

He finished scribbling on his parchment, sweeping the roll from the desk, and said expectantly, "Yes, what do you need?"

"Hello, my friend would like to make a deposit," Vane said in a considerably higher voice than was normal. She nudged me subtly, and I blinked. Oh. I guess it made sense to conceal her identity if possible; as an Auror, I'm sure the goblins would pay more attention to Vane.

The goblin nodded, slipping his small reading glasses off of his hooked nose, and reached for his quill (a rather nice barn owl specimen).

"Your name?" he asked, looking at me.

"Adela Lancaster," I answered.

He paused for two seconds, his pale eyes narrowing almost imperceptibly, before continuing, "And what is this deposit?"

I resisted the urge to look at Vane to see if she'd caught his hesitation too. "Um, three sickles," I offered weakly. Well, it was probably not the biggest Gringotts deposit, but, honestly, I was lucky I had any money to offer. Between the free food at the firm and my less-than-copious amount of free time, I usually just Apparated to and from work without any expensive stops.

I could feel Vane's incredulous gaze boring into the back of my head. She should have warned me! I could have scavenged some galleons from Seth if I'd known I was supposed to supply the money.

Nagnok looked down his large nose, the very picture of disgust, before saying loudly, "One deposit of three sickles." Git. He didn't have to say that aloud. His derisive words filled the suddenly quiet lobby, and the surrounding goblins turned as one to throw me incredulous looks. I winced. So much for keeping a low profile.

I handed over my three coins sheepishly, and he slipped the silver into a velvety smooth, fawn-coloured pouch.

After snapping the roll of parchment shut and tying it to the pouch, a peculiar expression shadowed his eyes. He looked at Vane, and Vane leaned forward, saying, "I'm going to get some fresh air. I'll meet you outside."

I nodded slowly, looking curiously at Nagnok. What did he want to say? He cleared his throat, hunching his shoulders as he quickly opened a new roll of parchment and scrawled something down with rapid, precise strokes of the quill. He nudged the roll three centimeters towards me, and I pocketed it quickly.

"Good day," he said, inclining his gnarled head. I nodded back, turning to leave.

"Take care!" he called out.

I paused, turned my head slightly to nod, and continued down the room. The small roll burned in my pocket, brushing against my leg as I walked past Seth and dragged him out of what looked like a rather...interesting conversation (somehow I didn't think Vane would be pleased with "YO DAWG YOU A HOBBIT OR SOMETHING" as a subtle interrogation technique).

This parchment could hold the key to the whole investigation. It could be the beginning of a war with all goblins. It could be the end of one end of the threat.

I hoped desperately that it showed the former.

Author Note: ahhh thank you all so much for your kind reviews/reading/follows/etc! You guys are a large portion of the reason I write fanfic. Seriously cannot thank you all enough :) If you want to keep up with writing updates/etc, I have a tumblr (same url as my penname)

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