Dear Nigel,

Your mother says you have only been using the Map for exploration purposes.

I'm still waiting for the toilet seat! And not a SINGLE detention? I'm disappointed!

Come on show us that even the nerds in Ravenclaw can have fun so long as you bear the last name of Potter!

Love,

Dad

PS Congratulations on getting first in class for your Transfiguration Essay. Your mother is very proud. She sends you her love as well.

~X~

Dear Nigel,

Please disregard your father's suggestion to blow up a toilet. Your father had gotten dozens of detentions at this point of his First Year.

How are your friends? Do you want to invite Yiannis, Conrad and Karen over during break? Tell them they'd be very welcome.

Much Love,

Mother

PS Send my regards to Maggie too.

~X~

Dear Nigel,

Wow first place in Potions too? Damn you're becoming like your Great-Aunt Hermione! I'm so proud of you!

I was quite rubbish at it— maybe you did take it after your mother. Although those excellent Transfiguration and DADA grades definitely were me.

Don't forget to have fun too! Peeves is a great ally when you want to drop dungbombs.

I'm happy you've explored the kitchen after curfew though! Proud of my little boy! Now, you could always try putting some hair coloration potion in the pumpkin soups those House Elves make. They're perfectly harmless and perfectly fun, I promise!

Love,

Dad

~X~

Dear Nigel,

Please disregard your father's suggestion.

If you do indeed slip hair coloration potions in the food, I WILL send you a Howler.

Love,

Mother

PS. Our trip to Egypt is almost fully planned and booked.

~X~

Ever since the incident at the Owlry Jacob had developed a fond friendship with Nigel and Yiannis, often stopping by then on their table during lunch or dinner.

Conrad and Karen were still always around and the former seemed to have a really strong grasp on anything Charms related. Conrad was always willing to help Nigel out on any Charms related homework. Meanwhile, Nigel seemed to have a knack for Defense Against the Dark Arts like his grandfather and father before him and tutored his friends on basic defensive spells, which he seemed to master rather quickly. (And also because mother and father are sometimes paranoid and often tutored him on basic defensive abilities at home.) This reciprocal relationship benefitted them all and Flitwick was really pleased by the progress his First Years had made so far.

Even Marius, who often gazed at him suspiciously, was behaving on amicable terms. So were Lewis, Thaddeus and Mark, the three other Ravenclaw boys in his year.

Things were indeed going smoothly, despite his father's occasional disappointed letters of him not being involved any pranks (followed by mother's letters that insisted he should under no circumstances get involved in such childish antics.)

~X~

Dear Nigel,

Only two weeks till Christmas! Do tell me what treats you would like me to make! Your dad sends his love!

Remember to have some fun too! (Real fun— not what dad keeps egging you to do!)

We will pick you up at platform 9 and 3/4 together along with Andy!

xoxo Mother

~X~

"What I'm saying, is that it's totally my cousin Jadis who did this," their client finished explaining for the umpteenth time. "She wants my money. She tried to kill me. She killed dear Francis Forester instead." He dug his face into his hands again, upset and paranoid.

Thomas shot Neil weary look. Indeed, there was actually very little indication that Cornelius' cousin Jadis was the murderer, nor the fact that he was the main target. "So far our investigations have not yielded evidence that suggested it was her," Neil explained patiently but the guy was having none of it.

"You know what I mean!"

"No I don't! I don't have crazy relatives who want to murder me for my inheritance — anymore!" Neil snapped and everyone else in the room was rather surprised at his sudden flare of temper. He suddenly looked apologetic. "Sorry. That was an unprofessional outburst."

"Maybe I should hire some private security…" Cornelius murmured.

"I hope you realize that's illegal under contemporary magical law and that should you proceed I will be bound to arrest you," Neil remarked.

"Your brother is right," Cornelius said, "You really are no fun."

~X~

In the end, it was Morrison who figured it all out from the clues, Neil and Lily who located and examined the existing evidence, while Cynthia and Thomas subdued the suspect. They made a good team.

It transpired that it was an act of jealousy committed by Cornelius' assistant, dismayed that his concert organizer was on the verge of marrying another woman. She ended his life with a stunner and then a dagger to his heart. Spells were cast on the latter to erase all finger prints and she had taken her wand to a shop to erase its previous magical traces. But there were witnesses who unwittingly knew just enough to aid the investigation. She was sentenced to a lifetime in Azkaban.

"Well that was swifter than expected," Neil remarked, trying to lighten the mood as the team approached the Auror Headquarters with their report on the resolution.

"Not bad, Neil, not bad," Thomas commented, "I must say, I've grown rather fond of this team."

Cynthia snorted.

"What? Does this surprise you Cynthia?"

"I would have never guessed, judging from all the years you've tried to swat us away." She sounded rather bitter.

"I'm not the only one. Don, Isadora, Loris and—"

"Isadora? Hugo's dating her now!" Lily interrupted, trying to dissipate the tension.

"What?" Everyone's eyes were now on he

"Yeah, they both work in the Department of Mysteries and Hugo always talks about her. They ended up going on a date really got along well," Lily said.

"I—"

"Seriously?"

"Um—"

"Wait—"

"Guys," Cynthia interjected on top of the garbled mess, "We're meant to be focusing on Thomas."

"No, I actually find the side story about how Lily's cousin working in the Department of Mysteries dating his colleague far more interesting," Neil quipped.

As they laughed and — eventually, seemingly, reconciled, if only tentatively — Neil found his mind wondering to the paranoid conjectures of Cornelius. Neil was no stranger to drastic struggles over money, fortunes and inheritances among well-established pureblood families. Cornelius had insisted that some branch member in France was looking at his wealth, mostly acquired via his singing career, in jealousy. He was concerned the guy might be tempted to hire private security. He would have to include that in the finalized report.

In fact, the proliferation of Wizards hiring private security, investigators and, at times, assassins, had become a booming industry all over the globe. It was a topic of much concern amongst the International Wizarding Government Confederation. England was still on the less chaotic side of it all.

~X~

"So we're pausing the investigation?" Lily inquired when no one else on their team was noticing.

"Not exactly," Neil replied. "Douglas, well— friend of a friend and my brother's friend. He says my brother might known something."

"Oh." There was a certain concern among her gaze.

"Well, there's always the possibility that your brother might simply be in America," Neil theorized.

"Why?" Lily hadn't caught on his implication.

"What, didn't you know? It's kind of an inside joke at this point," Neil explained.

"On what?"

"Ever since Isolt Sayre, really, all throughout the ages," Neil said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"I'm … not sure if I follow you."

"At least 70% of umm people in Slytherin have relatives in America," Neil explained. "You know, even during — especially during — the time your dad fought in the Second Wizarding War. Particularly when they did not get along with their family. Of course, a lot fo that connection is lost or better left unsaid. My parents and their hideout in Spain were an exception, admittedly. Of course, you came from a family of proud Gryffindors but your brother should have picked it up. "

~X~

Albus groaned as the boggart shape-shifted into her. Her sulfurous, seductive figure beckoning him to her. He was both afraid and aroused. Also ashamed. He had wanted to cast the spell — Riddikulus— but couldn't bring himself to do it.

Instead he drew closer and before it could react he clasped his fingers around his—her— it's— whatever— neck. It was so smooth, so lithe, the alabaster sheen that would have fared perfectly in the moonlight. She had once made him feel whole. He wanted to feel whole again. "Delphi…" he murmured. He wasn't thinking straight but at this point he no longer cared.

"Oh Albus," it responded suggestively.

"I…" He paused. All of a sudden he felt a violent urge sweep over him. He whipped out his poisoned dagger— fashioned by a violent cult of Wizards in remote Siberia who had been grateful he had dispensed their toxic leader— and began stabbing that creature. Her. No, merely a crude imitation. He felt hard.

Stab. Stab. He slashed its neck. He still felt that horrible, uncontrollable urge. He drew nearer and contemplated the ways he would fuck it senseless — fuck her senseless. [It's not real.]

"Dearest," they whispered at the same time. He could see that she was bleeding it. Somehow it made him excited. Who was predator and prey? It no longer mattered. Once upon a time, she had discovered him, twisted and corrupted him, taught him things that mangled his soul, initiated rituals that destroyed him, stripped him away away of people he loved. Now it was his turn.

When the appearance of her collapsed onto the ground. He felt hard. And fucked it until he felt senseless.

"Albus — no—"

"Albus—please—"

"We could rule everything—"

"Your'e everything to me—"

"Value yourself as much as I value you—"

"You're on the way to beaconing quite the wizard—"

Perhaps once upon a time he would have found this scene in front of him utterly abhorrent, but he was beyond caring. It felt so depraved — fucking the corpse of a boggart— but it felt so satisfying, so, so good. He wreathed and screamed as he held his dagger and sliced its neck again and again. Until — finally— it stopped. It fell lifelessly and he was sweating in excitement, eyes gleaming. He decided to thrust himself in it —her — one last time.

~X~

During his way back home on the Hogwarts Express, Nigel decided he would try to spend some time with Dorothea. They had grown slightly more distant in the past month or so, mostly because she was starting to fit into Slytherin more and spending more time with her housemates, all while Nigel hung out with his friends in Ravenclaw. Pausing to ruminate as Conrad rushed to join his cousin in another cabin and Karen and Yiannis and entered another one filled with second-years, Nigel realized that as time progressed, people were spending more and more time with those in their own house. It made sense, the friendships you made at the beginning, back before everyone got sorted, was bound to diminish as you settled into your house. It was still a little sad though -

"Missed me?" Maggie abruptly hugged Nigel from the back. He had not expected her.

"Oh Nigel, there you are! Are you okay with Maggie joining us for today?" Dorothea beckoned him towards a compartment.

"Um... Well, Maggie, you see I did not -"

"Ohhhh I see, you want to catch up with your 'friend' privately first," his cousin, much to his chagrin, winked suggestively, "Very well. Dora! I'll check up with Martina and the others first and join you guys later!"

"I didn't mean - "

"Hush..." Maggie held two fingers in front of her lips. "Have fun without me."

~X~

"So you're officially Dora now," Nigel chuckled as he settled in facing Dorothea. "I know you said that's your preferred name but still."

"Maggie made it up and I figured it was a lot less of a mouthful than Dorothea," she shrugged, smiling. Nigel noticed she was wearing eyeliner and fake eyelashes like his cousin, along with red lipstick. It was identical to Maggie's. "You know, she's a lot nicer than the way you made it seem."

"I never said she wasn't nice, I only said she was a bit of a snake," Nigel explained, "Well, more like she's... you know."

"Well so am I," Dorothea said, "You know, like all we Slytherins are."

"Well I don't have a problem with that at all, not going to lie I miss having you over at the Ravenclaw Common Room and playing card games until midnight and all that but I'm glad you're getting along well with your housemates," Nigel said. It was true. He was kind of afraid of them growing apart. "I really am."

"Me too, but that's why I'm sitting here with you," she shrugged before her eyes lit up. "I just remembered, I got loads of chocolate frogs and ... wine candy. Got it from some upperclassman from Hogsmeade - it's all that jazz and I wanted to try it with you."

"Wait... I've heard about it. Isn't that the one the Prefects tried to ban? That would be illegal wouldn't it?"

"Oh hush. It's harmless. I've seen people try it and the worst is that you get inebriated after consuming too much."

Nigel chuckled. Of course he didn't mind bending the rules a little, especially if he had tried alcohol before, way before. His dad had given him a pint of beer once when he was 8 and he was half-way through gulping it down when his mother found out and lost her temper. Then there was the time when he had mulled wine at his Great-Grandmother Weasley's place. "Alright then!"

"Anyway, Nigel, how have you been? I know there's homework and all of that but has there been anything interesting in your life so far?"

"Not really. I don't consciously seek out thrill or anything and trust me, all the essays are more than enough to keep you occupied. I mean, of course I have free time but you know what I usually do."

"Mmmm... Yeah. So what are you doing over break?"

"Family dinners, meetings, reunions and all. I also get my own sweater every year, which is nice," Nigel remarked, recounting all the sweets and presents he got when he was young. "What about you? Excited to meet your family again?"

"Oh yes. So much to tell them. You know, they're all muggles and they can't wait for me to explain EVERYTHING to them! You know, my little sister - I don't know if she's a witch or anything - wants me to do magic for her -"

"You do realize that's illegal."

Dora deflated. "I mean…"

"They've loosened the restrictions slightly nowadays so yes for chocolate frogs and Exploding Snap but no, you know, wands doing spells for minors," Nigel explained.

"A shame."

"My dad's also thinking of taking us on vacation," Nigel said to change topics, recalling a letter he received earlier, "We're going to see the pyramids, learn more about ancient magic, visit the djinn in Egypt... and all that. Just me, my mother, my dad and my sister. The twins are still too young to go so they're staying with the extended family. "

'Wow that's so cool! You know how we all learned about Ancient Egypt in muggle school but all the magical stuff they supposedly did, all of that was actually real and, honestly, I would love to go there some day," Dora exclaimed.

"I'll bring you a souvenir this time round or a post card. Or both. If you want."

And they rattled on and on about travel destinations, fantasizing about magic in all corners of the world. Nigel wondered if he'd bump into Uncle Albus again if he decided to travel the world. Probably not unless the man, the most elusive individual in the world, were actively looking for him but still. The horizons were far and wide. The future was stretching out before them as the Hogwarts Express waded through hills and valleys and plains.

~X~

Albus loathed Quidditch in a way that could only stem from certain deep-set family-related insecurities he would rather not elaborate on. But he never really did loath it so much as accept the fact that he was never really going to be good enough to make it to the team. He lacked the nimbleness on the broom, the astute awareness of the snitch or the quaffle or the resolute stoutness required to be a Beater. Still, when he received his nephew's letter about thriving in flying classes, it all put a smile on his face.

Nigel loved flying just like his brother, sister, father and mother — plus he was top of his class and all the other members of the Ravenclaw Quidditch team were itching for him to join next year. Unfortunately, unlike Harry Potter, Nigel Potter will probably never get the privilege of being Seeker his first year. [No one ever did.] Still, Nigel reportedly enjoyed borrowing broomsticks from those older than him and flying out at night.

Come visit us this Christmas Uncle Albus, it'll be so fun I promise! We'll play a giant family-wide Quidditch game it'll be amazing! Or I mean, if that's not your cup of tea then we don't have to do that… it's just you've never been around. Mom and dad aren't particularly happy when I ask why. But I still remember when I was young and you would come over and spend time with us and we all had so much fun! You were —

Albus put his nephew's letter away. Christmas holiday was indeed approaching and if schedules hadn't changed since he was in school, all the Hogwarts students should have been home less than 2 days. He wondered why the boy was still so intent on contacting him all the time,. Their communications could very likely cause future inconveniences if not handled well, which was why he always tried to be sparse on words in his replies. Although to think about it, sending postcards to his nephew in and of itself had risks at well. But he would have felt bad to repeatedly ignore Nigel especially after relying on the boy to enter Hogwarts that one night.

He strolled over to the table and picked up the tome he nabbed off the Hogwarts Library. He was never particularly good at translating runes and it hurt his head but he finally waded through pages after pages on breaking dark curses until it finally mentioned the word "Horcrux." (It was obviously written before anyone could conceive of the word in plural.)

The same message again and again in book after book he had perused. Regret. Regret was key to breaking the curse and fixing his soul. The instructions to unlocking the ritual were all right there but they could not guarantee success unless his heart was at the right place. He had acquired a copy of Magicke Most Evile (very original name) from the Black Market it said the same thing. This tome in front of him, as old as Ancient Egypt, looked like it was noting the same thing and detailed the death of a Wizard, a scribe to the Pharaoh in actuality (they were more lackadaisical about the separation of the magical and the mundane worlds) who attempted to mend his soul without feeling true remorse for his actions, unrepentant till the end, quite literally. And the outcome was harrowing and gruesome.

Albus sighed. Another effort gone to waste.

What did remorse mean in his context? Did he have to feel regret over his killing of Delphi? The way he handled things with Scorpius? His family? Albus felt that everything was all too far gone for anything to matter.

He missed his family, but he dared not venture near them anymore. But will he have to?

~X~

Neil entered Professor Lawrence Nott's office in Ilvermorny with a box of chocolates and an apology letter memorized inside his head. He would be exceptionally nice, exceptionally police and exceptionally self-flagellating. He needed to get Lawrence to talk. Anything meaningful - not just because Lawrence could reveal something seminal to the case he was working on but also because Lawrence was his brother. His flesh and blood. And at the end of the day, no matter how much they argued, they always made up and cared for each other. It's not emotionally manipulative to do such a thing, right?

"Ah, there you are Neil. How are the toils of the Auror department weighing on you?"

Neil instinctively rubbed his eyes, laden with dark circles. Sleep deprivation was kind of the point of being an Auror. "Nothing unusual," he remarked. "A lot on my mind actually, but it happens when you're in charge of a team in the Auror's."

"At least you're not in charge of rowdy school children," Lawrence chuckled.

"There's always a bright side to everything," Neil mused. "I missed you brother."

"Me too, Neil. I guess I have some apologies to make. But - but you'll have to listen to me explain everything. I - I don't know where to begin."

"Wherever you feel comfortable," Neil nudged encouragingly.

"It's really not what you think, Neil. It's - you are familiar with the Sons of Walpurgis?" There was a pause as Lawrence waited for a reaction. "I know you were still in Hogwarts during their early days and by the time your Auror training was over, well, it wasn't a threat anymore. But surely, you've picked things up from all the chatter?"

"Indeed, I'm not going to lie, I was terrified of them. Not that - well, I'm sure you can sympathize Lawrence, I simply had no desire to be associated with them, but you know that's kind of impossible. But then if you turn them away, they become a threat to you and you still have to deal with all the suspicions from everyone else. Above all though, I just wished they would disappear, I mean so life would be easier for me and us. Okay, I sound awfully opportunistic but I-"

"Oh Neil, don't be. We're on the same boat. Mom and dad wanted to book a secret location in Mallorca and wait things out."

"That's kind of why I stuck with being an Auror in the first place. Not to prove I'm not evil or anything - I actually do enjoy the things and skills involved - but so I can live a life of clarify, you know? I don't like being approached by shady dark wizards asking me to join their cause, it's creepy and I'd rather they know that I'll always be opposed to them than appear as some ambiguous target." It felt good to get things out of his chest. He froze. He was talking too much, way too much . It was supposed to be the opposite "And yes I was approached by the Sons of Walpurgis, multiple times."

"So have I, that's why I stayed in America."

"I thought you actually liked teaching."

"Well, of course I did. I wouldn't still be here otherwise."

"How about you? Are you faring better with your team of misfits?"

"Splendidly," Neil retorted.

Lawrence laughed.

"No, I really mean it! We started out rough, but they're wonderful. I wouldn't trade them with anyone else. Cynthia, Lily, Morrison, Tobias - not a single one of them," Neil answered. "I mean, sometimes I wish they talked a bit less."

"Ah the toils... where was I? We got a bit distracted didn't we?" Lawrence remarked.

"Merlin's beard, we always do."

"The Son's of Walpurgis were after me. They were after all of us. Vacilius Nott - you remember him?"

"Our crazy cousin. Had a few unpleasant interactions here and there."

"He kept trying to recruit me. Actually, he vacillated between trying to recruit me and threatening to kill me, often over the telephone. Pure Blood supremacists are a confused bunch. Naturally, I was worried. Albus worked at the Auror department, so I relayed my concerns to him. I help him gather some useful intel on the identity of the members of the Sons of Walpurgis - a lot of them were surprisingly willing to reveal themselves - and in exchange, he informed me about any threats on the horizon. How useful, I could not tell. I felt safer. More importantly, I suppose it was some sort of psychological support. Of course, at the end of the day, there was still much we did not know."

"Even to this day," Neil added. "I- Go on, brother." He felt his head hurt, just a little. Must be the time difference weighing in.

"You know, sometimes you never suspect those that are close to you. Did I tell you that I was actually quite close with Vacilius when we were young? It was pre-Hogwarts for me after all, but we used to go on family vacations together. Then his father beat his mother to death and shipped him off to Durmstrang. It's strange, you know, I still remember enjoying all these tag games and sandcastle buildings sessions, but now when I look back at the times our families were together, it feels... tainted."

"Yes, well, I was probably too young to remember."

"You weren't even born."

"Definitely too young then."

"So that was how you and Albus set up correspondence? Did he help you in anyway other than information and moral support? I mean, the way you said it kind of -"

"Oh I helped him far more probably, but there was this assassin they tried to send after me that was intercepted and incarcerated by his team."

"Go on, I feel like I'm interrupting you - "

"The Sons of Walpurgis, first they were nothing, then they were everywhere and suddenly, they were nothing again. All their members captured, their leader killed, their resources confiscated - it all happened so fast. One moment I was worried sick about our safety and suddenly it was all okay."

"But do you know anything that happened that night? Do you still talk to Albus Potter?" He needed to stick on topic.

A pause. Lawrence was frowning, biting his lip, thinking hard. "Neil... what I'm about to tell you…"

Neil waited for his next sentence.

"This I'm comfortable sharing with little Neil my brother, but not Neil the Auror. I would like you to sign the following document, then I'll talk," Lawrence uttered, staring closely at Neil. "If you do end up trying to arrest me…"

"Of course I won't! That escapade with Director Thunberg was an accident, I swear! He's been following and stalking my activities! I swear!"

"That's a bit of an over-exaggeration, even though I personally found the interrogation exceedingly unpleasant."

"Yes, I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry."

Lawrence's eyes scanned him, they narrowed a little and Neil pouted in response, ignoring the buzzing in his head, which was getting a little painful. "You don't trust me?"

"Trust you on what?"

"To not ... stab you in the back?"

"Oh I don't think you'd literally be able to penetr-"

"No I mean - I know I'm an Auror, but this doesn't change anything! This doesn't mean anything!" Neil was getting mildly frustrated. To think -

"Fine, you know, Neil, keeping these secrets to yourself sure is exhausting. My correspondence with Albus Potter has been limited. I - before he disappeared, he went to visit me here. We smoked pot under the skies and I had no idea what just happened. I tuned off the news because I didn't feel like following it. Then, when I finally caught up, it was too late, he was out of sight, out of mind. We sometimes wrote to each other though, I'll admit. I never believed he was some ascendant Dark Lord, that's just ridiculous. Don't listen to those ghastly newspapers. But it was mainly him asking a few questions about spells and potions and important locations. I never collaborated with him on any criminal act. That day, when I was at Hogsmede during Alumni Day, well, rather, after that, I cut ties with him completely. He wasn't resentful or anything. It was just quiet acknowledgement and understanding. I was the one that invited him there, so we could talk about this."

"I'll believe you. But what was he doing there?"

"Who knows?"

A pause.

"I - it appears the information you relayed to me is not enough to warrant criminal charges," Neil remarked, sensing he had hit a dead end.

"Thank Merlin!"

"And even if it were... there are other cases of priority for me. This technically falls within the jurisdiction of MAGCUSA too. So, it's their call."

"Good to know."

"I ... I also wanted to ask you about the Sons of Walpurgis. How much do you know?"

"What do you want to know?

"Who led them?"

"Rodolphus Lestrange, along with Euphemia Rowle and a few others."

"What were they trying to do?"

"You know just as I do. You weren't exactly a child when they were active."

"Fine, what - do you know anything about Horcruxes?"

Lawrence flinched, but said nothing.

"I mean, my theory was that they were trying to make one and I'm trying to collect more information about them, so as to better understand the case."

"... They indeed were trying to. That was, after all, what Voldemort once did. And they're obsessed with emulating him."

"Right."

"But - my theory was that their leader was trying to make one."

Silence.

Something felt wrong about all of this. And his head was still buzzing. Sure, he had experienced jetlag and all the complications that came with traveling between time zones, but this felt peculiar. It was like his brain was trying to fend off a fly. As a fairly acclaimed Occlumens and a concerned Auror, he naturally constructed mind shields to prevent intrusions. That was how this felt like! An incursion. When your mind resists, it begins to hurt! But this was a skilled Legilimens, normally, it wouldn't have hurt this much - but Lawrence wasn't-

"What have you done to my brother?" Neil brandished out his wand at the man standing before him. "And stop trying to read my mind!"

"Took you long enough to figure out," came a smirk. Lawrence's brown eyes glinted green as his face slowly morphed into something morbidly familiar. It was one Neil had seen in all the Wanted Posters, old news articles and, well, in old photos his brother had during his Hogwarts days. The same emerald green gleam of the man who had greeted him on his first day as an Auror. It unsettled him. The messy jet black hair was almost a dead ringer of Harry Potter, the Head Auror, his boss's boss's boss. So were those eyes— but he looked a lot meaner. "It's good to know my old man is still hale and hearty at the Aurors."

"Stop reading my mind, Albus Severus Potter! What have you done to Lawrence-"

"Relax, I intercepted your letter, changed it a bit - he's out on a date with his girlfriend. And he's not returning until 9," Albus said with a beam. "Do I look like a murderer or kidnapper to you?"

"Um, yes?" Neil realized he should probably feel afraid, but really, the only thing he could muster was infuriation.

"I only wanted to talk to you," Albus remarked, "Among many things, your brother may have - well - he never told me anything, but I read it all in his mind. I learnt from him that you were... working on a case about me. Well, more like you've decided to derail your priorities and open a side-project to subdue me to improve your promotion prospects."

"Yes and you are under arrest-"

His wand flew out of his hand.

"Relax Neil, I only wanted to explain things myself," Albus said as he caught Neil's wand and twirled it in his other hand long with his own. "Also, first rule as an Auror: fire first, then ask questions."

"That is a made up rule and technically not consistent with the rules of engagement-"

"Which do fuck all when you're faced with a runaway international criminal," Albus mused with a grin, "Don't worry though. I know the history behind such rules with Barty Crouch and all that. It's understandable in context. However, I'm not really a runaway international-"

"Oh yes you are. And you know if I go missing - "

"Who said anything about you disappearing or going missing. If I wanted to kill you, I already would have done that."

"Thank you Albus, for not murdering me in my brother's office. Such generosity and benevolence."

"Oh stop it. The Sons of Walpurgis were going to make a Horcrux and I stopped them, mainly by offing them one by one in methods that my father would have disagreed. Bless that man though. But the Aurors deemed that my actions warranted arrest, like there was anything else I could have done to stop a dark ritual. As for Hogsmeade, your brother called me in to basically cut ties and to fuck off forever, which I understood because I would have done the same thing. Then I broke into Hogwarts to check out their library and their potions cupboard - nothing of use came out of it though— I took a detour through the Forbidden Forest and I soon returned the books I borrowed. There. That's all the information that you need, Neil." Albus stared into him.

"Can you not do that?"

"Do what?"

"Read my mind?"

"Sorry, force of habit."

"You know I could just call MAGCUSA and my teammates -"

"Oh I don't think you'd want to, Neil. I don't want to add another pile of traumatized and obliterated Aurors to the list. Especially because I have no intention of harming you."

"So is that what you wanted to meet me for: to tell me that you stopped the Sons of Walpurgis by making a Horcrux, that my brother is innocent and you broke into Hogwarts that day for shits and giggles while someone pretended to be you that night and sneaked into the Department of Mysteries. Is that all?" Neil demanded. "Somehow this all sounds too convenient."

Albus darkened at the mention of that. "I was the one that dumped him in front of your department, along with the stolen items."

"But not the scroll documenting Ministry secrets," Neil said. "Morrison and Cynthia figured out important things were missing.

"I burned it."

"What?"

"It contained information about Horcruxes - well, specifically what I just told you. No point in getting intellectual researchers of the future immersed in the pits of dark magic. Some things are better left unknown."

"I see. I'm not sure I believe you-"

"You don't have to," Albus said nonchalantly. "There's nothing you can do."

"My head no longer hurts. Thanks for not trying to read my mind," Neil retorted.

"MacLaggen is not a bad guy," Albus remarked, "He's just very motivated and a little intense and hard on himself. Give him a chance on your team, at least."

"I said, don't read-"

"Oh picked that up way before. He used to have a thing with Cynthia, you know? They were always so close and intimate but never really got anywhere."

"On that I am left in the dark."

"She probably doesn't want you to know then. Which is fine. I understand people wanting to keep their emotional romantic lives a secret."

"They were quite tense, yes, I've noticed."

"Unsurprising."

"Anything else? Can I get my wand back at least?"

"Of course not! I'll mail it over to you. It should arrive by tonight."

"What if I get ambushed and die?"

"During an apparition?"

Neil rolled his eyes. A quiet fell between them.

"Your father still thinks highly of you," Neil finally managed to say after minutes of silence. "There's still a photo of you two on his office. I mean, sometimes he hides it when others are visiting but I caught him pulling it out of his drawer once."

It must have hit a nerve because Albus shut his eyes and took a deep breath. "Whatever."

"Your sister misses you too -"

"No she doesn't," he snapped back. "Stop trying to manipulate me."

"That's not true, she was really distressed when she thought you were the one at the Department of Mysteries attacking us. She shut herself up in her room all day and only came out when we found out it was an imposter. Look, now I know what happened. I can't force you to do anything but think carefully about your family. Whether you like them or not, whether you love them or not - they haven't managed to let you go. Now I must leave, have a good day." Neil stood up and headed for the door.

"Not so fast," Albus cut in front of him and brandished his wand. "You can't tell Cynthia. Nor Thomas -"

"I'll stop her from doing it - focus on another case. We have lots, you know. It's not as if we're not busy all the time. I - I won't tell anyone what happened today. I- I promise."

"A promise without an Unbreakable Vow is futile. And you need three people to make it work."

"Bugger off."

"Never mind that," Albus remarked, changing tone wryly. "They won't be able to catch me anyway. Tell them all you want. It will only instill their suspicion on you."

"Merlin's beard! What is wrong with your head?"

"Lots of things, so I've been told."