Chapter 30 - The Hunting HP
"Harry! Do come in, my dear fellow."
It unsettled Harry to see Ambrose looking so old and drawn. Of course, he had every right to look old, but chose not to the rest of the time. He did not stand to welcome him, Harry noted.
"Forgive my dreadful manners, Head Auror," Ambrose apologised. "I cannot rise to greet you. As you may realise, I am in the middle of a mortal struggle with forces from beyond our world. Please take a seat."
Ambrose's study was warm and comfortable, as always. There were cups, a teapot, milk, sugar and a loaded cake stand on the low table between the two armchairs. The fire glowed in the grate. Harry noticed an unusual smell. It had a hint of sulphur and burnt hair. He looked at Ambrose's hands. They were gripping the arms of the chair until his fingers were white.
"Is it all right for me to be here, Ambrose?" he asked. "I don't want to distract you from… anything."
Ambrose attempted a smile. "It is fine, Harry. I possess the wherewithal to have a little chat while I tussle with this wretched Watcher. I cannot promise you a great deal of assistance, but I feel this may be a time when a friendly ear and a word of advice may be valuable to you in your own struggles. Tell me how you and the Ministry are faring. Oh, and help yourself to refreshments, naturally."
"Thanks," Harry replied. "Hermione, Kingsley and I have been visiting the families of those who gave their lives at Malfoy Manor. The house and grounds have been restored and the family are back in residence."
"How is Draco?" Ambrose inquired.
Harry sighed. "I haven't spoken to him since we got back from the Anteworld. I have seen him, though. The anger has gone, but it's worse. He looks like a broken man. I think he's feeling… friendless. It's as though all the distrust that Lucius earned is reflecting on Draco."
"The sins of the father," Ambrose said. "We must help him through this, Harry."
"I want to, Ambrose. But he's still pushing me — and Hermione — away. He's discussing his resignation with Minerva."
Ambrose bowed his head. "If that happens, Harry, we will have lost an important example of redemption; Hogwarts will have lost a fine professor; and you will have lost a good friend. And our best hope for turning him around — Lydia — is not available to help us. They are very close, teacher and pupil."
"How are Lydia and the Companions doing?" Harry asked. "It's been a couple of days. It seems longer, in a way."
"They are making progress," Ambrose said with a flicker of a smile. "There is much more ahead of them, but they are rising to the challenges.
"I have one of her team with me at the moment. He has been unwell but has recovered and will either be eating or sleeping. You should speak with him before you leave, if he is receiving visitors. But please continue with your news."
"We have captured all of Rowle's people who were at the manor," Harry went on. "But we think two or three vampires got away. Rowle himself, we believe, is dead."
"Your beliefs are unfounded, I am distraught to say," Ambrose said. "Both Rowle and Elena Stoia, sister of the leader of the vampire clan, escaped. I know not where, but cannot spare the time to look for them. I must leave that to you."
"Well, that's pretty… disappointing," Harry noted.
"Quite so," Ambrose agreed. "You should waste no time in tracking them down. If they are together, they could cause untold mayhem.
"Rowle is cunning, ambitious and forceful. He will not want to lose his remaining followers, having put such effort into gathering them.
"Stoia is intelligent, subtle and every bit as ruthless as Rowle could ever hope to be. She has centuries of experience in manipulation and murder. And she has just lost her clan and her beloved brother. I imagine she hates Rowle as much as she hates you. If she can use Rowle to attack you, she will do so with no qualms about you and Rowle killing each other."
Harry gave him a wry smile. "That's the great thing about this job: you get to meet such interesting people."
Dennis Creevey sat in the chair, facing Harry across his desk. He seemed confused, but excited.
"Harry, I had a weird dream last night."
Harry frowned. "That's… not really something we deal with, Dennis. We hunt down dangerous wizards, mostly."
Dennis grinned and sighed. "Yeah, I know, Harry. But this is going to help you. Rowle is still alive. He was in my dream. Somehow, I just know it was true! It wasn't like an ordinary dream. It wasn't like any dream I've ever had before."
Harry narrowed his eyes and stared at the young reporter. "I'm prepared to listen, Dennis. I know Rowle is alive."
"You do?" Dennis sounded disappointed. "How?"
"Same way you know," Harry said. "Or, at least, from the same source, I'd guess."
"The same source?"
"It's Ambrose," Harry announced. "Obviously. He told me — directly, not through a dream. He didn't say where he was, though. For some reason — probably because he's spent so long being weird — he's told you by giving you dreams."
Dennis shook his head and grinned. "He's such an interfering old bat, from what I've heard."
"You don't know the half of it, mate," Harry said. "But this seems to be how he's been using you all along: to give me hints."
"Why doesn't he just tell you?" Dennis asked.
Harry shrugged. "I guess before, it was all to do with the Watcher. Now, it's because he's so busy keeping the kids alive. I think we can forgive him under the circumstances. So, go ahead: what did you see in this dream?"
"OK," said Dennis, leaning forward. "Then… well, I saw the Battle of Hogwarts."
Dennis stopped. Seeing his face fall, Harry got up from his desk and pulled a chair up beside Dennis, putting a hand on his shoulder.
"Hey," Harry intoned. "That must have been horrible, Dennis. I've been back there lots of times in dreams. It's never been good."
"Sorry, Harry. I wasn't there, of course. I guess it was…"
"Hell," Harry finished. "It was. It was."
"Anyway, when I saw the Hogwarts grounds, I mostly saw Rowle: big and blond and angry. I saw some other stuff, things I knew from the stories of the battle. Rowle was getting angrier all the time until he walked away, stormed off before the fighting was over. I couldn't believe it."
"Explains how he survived, though," Harry pointed out. "Go on."
"Well, then I saw Rowle as a vampire again. He was in a house, a small, ordinary house. It was like someone's granny's place, with chintzy furniture and knick-knacks and doilies. It was almost funny seeing him there until I thought about what might have happened to the proper owner.
"He went outside. The house was wooden, boarded, with peeling white paint."
"An American house, you mean?" Harry asked.
Dennis mused. "No, I don't think so. It was single storey, a bungalow, like a seaside cottage. The scenery was really flat, with sandy ground and spiky grass, like you get on dunes. It looked to me like Norfolk, or somewhere along that east coast. I couldn't see the sea, but there's a kind of light you get by the seaside. I think it wasn't far from the sea."
"That doesn't really narrow it down much," Harry said. "There's a lot of East Anglia coast."
"Wait on, Harry," Dennis warned. "There's more. I could see some buildings in the distance. Rowle was looking at them as though they could be useful to him."
"Buildings aren't rare either, Dennis," Harry said.
Dennis laughed. "Ha! True, Harry. But these buildings had a white dome. It looked like an observatory — y'know, with a big telescope."
Harry stood in triumph. "Now, that's a lead!"
"I know," Dennis said with a grin.
"How can we narrow it down, find this observatory?" Harry asked, taking to his seat again.
"I'm already on it, Head Auror," Dennis informed him. "I've asked one of my muggle friends to search using his computer. He's looking for white domes next to the coast, starting in East Anglia. I left him to it. I didn't want my magic to affect his computer, in case he got suspicious."
"He doesn't know you're a wizard, I take it."
"Hell, no, Harry! If he found out I'd obliviate him," Dennis exclaimed. "He's a pleasant lad and everything, but not someone you'd trust with your secrets."
"I'll put some muggle clothes on," Harry said. "Let's see what your friend has found."
"Hi, Harry," the young man said. "Do you work for the same newspaper as Dennis?"
Harry shook his hand. "Hi, Mr Timari."
"Call me Justin, or Juss," he said.
Justin Timari was about Dennis's age. He was thin, pale, and looked like he could do with some fresh air, good food, and exercise. It takes all types, Harry reminded himself. If this 'computer nerd', as Dennis called him, could give them a lead, then he was all right by Harry.
"Harry's more of a private investigator," Denis said.
"So, not police," Justin inferred. "Something beyond the police, perhaps?"
Harry smiled. Perhaps he had the air of a detective. Justin seemed to think he was some kind of secret police officer, which was not so far from the truth. It might help them to let the lad think so.
"I couldn't comment, Justin," Harry replied. "I assure you your assistance will be appreciated at the highest levels."
This was true, Harry reflected. Kingsley would be delighted if it helped them catch Rowle.
"I've followed the clues that Dennis described," Justin explained, "not sticking to East Anglia, but going all around the coast. There are a few places that might fit. I have a favourite, given the concern at the highest levels, but I'll let you decide. Come through into the office."
Harry and Dennis followed Justin into a back room. For such a young lad, especially one who did not seem to leave the house during office hours, he had a pleasant home. It was a detached, new-build on a private estate. The decor was a bit too minimalist for Harry's taste, but the office was a complete contrast.
Harry was not completely out of touch with modern muggle life. He recognised computers, monitors, and game controllers in the room. He recognised what he believed to be a ham radio set. What all the other black boxes were, with their knobs, switches, and little glowing displays, he could not guess.
Justin sat down in a high-backed, padded swivel chair and did something which lit up a large computer monitor screen. There was a picture of a building in the middle distance on a flat area of coastal land.
"Does this look like it?" Justin asked, turning to Dennis.
"No, not quite," Dennis mused. "The dome needs to be more of a globe, or like a golf ball, and it was bigger. Also, there were more buildings with it."
"Thought so," Justin crowed. "That's the only one that's an actual observatory. Let me try another."
The picture changed.
"That's more like it," Dennis pondered. "There weren't those hills in the distance, though, and the other buildings were more modern and more ugly."
Justin grinned at them. "Didn't think it was that one either."
He changed the picture again, with something of a flourish. "How about this?"
"That's it!" Dennis cried. "Where is it?"
"That was my favourite," Justin said with some pride. "I even found the cottage you talked about. And this place is in East Anglia, only it's in Suffolk."
"So, what is the site?" Harry asked.
"That… is Sizewell B nuclear power station," Justin announced.
"It makes sense, Minister," Harry said. "If Rowle can cause what appears to be an accident at a nuclear power station, it makes the muggles seem more incompetent and harmful to the planet than before. It all feeds into their plan to start an uprising against the muggles."
"I see that, Harry," Kingsley confirmed. "I have received word from our friend Director Harizanis in the USA. They have intercepted some of Rowle's supporters entering their country. Our goal should be to prevent them from getting a foothold there. Once the dissension takes hold, it will be difficult to eradicate. That is the situation we find ourselves in already. The US is much larger and the momentum will take more effort to stop."
"What are your thoughts on how we should deal with Rowle?" Harry asked.
Kingsley scowled. "I think we must take great care not to involve anyone we do not know one hundred per cent. We have to face the possibility of their being a leak, whether intentional or otherwise. In particular, I believe you should tell none of your aurors."
"What?! You suspect my people?" Harry demanded to know.
"We have to look at the evidence of our previous operations, Harry," Kingsley insisted. "We have lost good witches and wizards because Rowle has known our plans. Whether it is legilimency, imperius curses, extortion, or willing informants, that information is getting out and is reaching Rowle. Ambrose has said he cannot help us, but he does not believe the Watcher is involved."
"I don't intend to face Rowle down by myself, Kingsley," Harry said. "Especially as there is at least one more of his vampire family unaccounted for."
"I would never suggest that you try to tackle him alone," Kingsley retorted. "Losing you would be too great a blow, not only to our community, but to me personally."
Harry smiled.
"And imagine what Ginny would do to me!" the Minister added.
Harry chuckled. "So who would you suggest?"
"Old friends," Kingsley said. "Ours and Ambrose's"
"Ron?"
"I would say so, Harry. I understand you do not want to keep putting him in danger. But we are all in danger. St Mungo's has given him a clean scroll of health after his injuries at Malfoy Manor."
"Hermione won't like it," Harry warned.
"Hermione will not know until after the event," the Minister said. "I am still angry with her for keeping the grimoire. It is only because of Ambrose's actions we avoided disaster. Hermione needs to learn a lesson, if I am to continue grooming her for the role of Minister of Magic."
Harry grimaced. "Who else? Stephano Verdi? And Lavender Brown, perhaps?"
"Both are excellent suggestions, Head Auror," Kingsley agreed. "I can contact Lavender, if you would approach Minerva for Stephano's assistance."
"What about our other contacts at Hogwarts? Filius, for instance."
"Filius has the expertise, Harry, as has Minerva. But I am unwilling to risk our best professors," Kingsley said. "Hagrid is an exception I will make. He is uniquely qualified. His giant's blood makes him less vulnerable to vampires than most. As he has shown, he is a formidable fighter. Do not give him an opportunity to go to the pub before your mission, though. With a giant, a werewolf, and a vampire to entertain Rowle, you and Ron should be able to despatch any other vampires. Attack in the daylight and you will only have Rowle to deal with."
"Unless he has gathered more supporters," Harry pointed out.
"The quicker we can confront him, the better, Harry."
"I'll go, shall I?" asked Harry, already knowing the answer.