Chapter 7

The Many Hats of Mr. Potter

Ginny had to leave early the next morning, which was more complicated than you might think. According to Ministry protocols, Ginny wasn't required to have a team of security wizards follow her around at all times, but they did have to accompany her while traveling outside of her normal commute. That meant that they needed a second team of security wizards: one to make sure Ginny arrived at England's quidditch tryouts safely and a second team to accompany Harry on his journey to the Burrow to drop off his boys and then to follow him the rest of his day at the Ministry.

Harry arrived at the Ministry as he usually did: flanked by security wizards wearing steel grey robes and receiving overly cheerful morning greetings that he half-heartedly returned. The other aurors gave Harry a wave or a nod, but Amanda positively jumped out of her seat when she saw him approaching.

"Good morning, Mr. Potter!" she announced. "I have several messages for you here", she said handing him a large stack of parchment. "And you have meetings with the Head of the Department of Finance and a reporter from the Daily Prophet."

"Thank you, Amanda. I'll let you know if I need anything else." Harry's good mood from the night before did not last long. A quarter of his messages were fan mail, gushing over his heroics on this latest Dark wizard capture. Another quarter was love letters. Witches (and some wizards) writing to tell him that they were his soulmate, they alone could bring him happiness, to leave his wife and be with them (although a few requested that Ginny remain involved as well).

Once he got through the riffraff, the remaining messages were the mundanities that made up his job these days. He had to review and sign off on reports for several cases that had closed the past week – he'd been putting off other cases the last week or two when they were closing in on the Huntsman. He had to approve several expense reports. Aurors incurred a variety of expenses while out on cases: food, lodging, buying equipment, bribing informants – it was all reimbursed by the Ministry, but Harry had to review and approve these expenses. He thought it was ridiculous, who cares how much aurors spent on dinner when they were out catching Dark wizards? Harry barely glanced at those reports before signing them and passing them on.

Harry let out a sigh and glanced at the clock as he finished signing the expense reports. Noon. He'd been here three hours already and he still had hours of paperwork ahead of him. Harry rubbed his eyes and grabbed the next stack of parchment. Auror training documents. He had to review applications from hopeful aurors and determine if they were worthy to be admitted to the training program, review the progress of current aurors-in-training and see if they were ready for the Trials, and he had to monitor the progress of newly anointed aurors as they went on side-along missions with seasoned aurors. And he had those two meetings later this afternoon so he would either have to skip lunch or stay late. Not for the first time, Harry wished there was a spell that would instantly transfer information from documents into his brain.

Harry was considering giving up the whole thing as a bad job and getting lunch anyway when he heard raised voices outside. Whatever this was had to be more interesting than the parchment on his desk, so he got up and opened the door.

"Ah here's our reclusive Mr. Potter! I say you're harder to get ahold of than the Minister himself." The speaker was a woman in emerald green robes with blonde hair curled in tight ringlets and long nails painted crimson. Harry knew her well.

"Rita Skeeter", Harry said shaking his head. "'A reporter from the Daily Prophet', now I know why they didn't give a name."

Rita let out a high-pitched laugh, "Well, dear, you'll find I like to make a dramatic entrance just as much as you do! As I was telling your fetching young assistant here, you and I go back quite a ways. I was the one who wrote your fabulous little comeback story, told the world all about the night that You-Know-Who returned all those years ago. And you've been stonewalling me ever since! I'd say its high time that you give me a story. The capture of the Hogsmeade Huntsman followed by the shortest trial the Ministry has seen in years. That should make a fascinating story…and who better than me to write it?" She smiled wide and pulled an acid green quill out of her crocodile skin handbag. "So, shall we head into your office?"

"Rita, you do know that you're banned from Ministry premises, don't you? And that I personally have a restraining order against you? You cannot seriously think that I'll grant you an interview. In fact, I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

"Oh, Harry, please. Surely we're past all that."

"I'm not sure we are", Harry said coolly. "Just a few weeks ago, didn't you write an expose on the Holyhead Harpies describing, in great detail, how Ginny Potter was ruining team chemistry and would be solely responsible for the downturn of their season? And a few weeks before that, I believe you wrote an article for Witch Weekly speculating that Ron and I were 'sharing' Hermione?"

"Well, Harry, if you want to set the record straight, what better opportunity than this?" Rita said shrugging her shoulders. "You know my readers are desperate for anything Potter related – they'll salivate over a one-on-one interview with the man himself." She dropped her acid green quill back in her bag. "No Quick-Quotes Quill, just you and me, I'll report whatever you have to say", she finished, dramatically snapping her bag shut.

"Did you offer the same thing to Hermione after that article?" Harry asked. "You know she's here in the Ministry today as well. I wonder what she'd think if she heard that you were buzzing around the Ministry and bugging people you were supposed to leave alone. Hmmm…" Harry said tapping his chin and looking thoughtful, "I don't think she'd like that at all."

Rita looked as though she'd just been forced to swallow a gallon of stinksap. "Fine. Message received. You'd think that you would treat me with more respect. I'm an award-winning writer, I penned your sappy You-Know-Who comeback story for free, and I'm committed to giving my readers the truth – isn't that the ethos of this new Ministry? But I know when I'm not wanted." Rita turned on her heel and marched away. "But don't come crawling to me when you need a story written!"

"Don't worry, I won't!" Harry called after her.

"Oh, Mr. Potter, I am so sorry!" Amanda said, flustered. "I told her that you were not to be disturbed, that she wasn't on the approved list, but she wouldn't take no for an answer."

"Don't worry, Amanda. Rita Skeeter has made a career out of being in places she's not supposed to be. You did well. Is there a real reporter from the Daily Prophet coming?"

"Yes, he'll be here later today. But you're meeting with the Head of the Department of Finance is in just a few minutes."

Harry grimaced. "So I don't have time to run home and pretend I didn't know he was coming?"

"I'm afraid not, Mr. Potter", Amanda said smiling.

"Well send him in when he gets here." Harry returned to his office feeling an odd combination of satisfaction for kicking Rita out of the Ministry mixed with dread over the upcoming budget meeting, which he knew was going to be incredibly boring. Then again, the paperwork he had to do was also incredibly boring. It was like trying to decide which variety of poison you wanted to drink.

A short time later there was a knock at the door. "Enter", Harry said. In came Abacus Contador, a man who looked like he was born to be an accountant. He was short, balding and wore extremely thick glasses. But Harry rose and shook the newcomer's hand, "Abacus, always a pleasure."

"Mr. Potter, I wish I could say the same", Abacus said taking a seat. "Your Department has a budget issue. Your Department always has budget issues. We have these meetings seemingly all the time and yet problems always happen!"

"Well then maybe we should stop having these meetings…" Harry said under his breath. Abacus either didn't hear him or chose to ignore him. He waived his wand and several documents flew out of his briefcase and floated in front of Harry.

"Mr. Potter, your Department was almost a thousand galleons over budget last month alone. We need to get these expenses under control. Look at some of these expense reports that you approved." Abacus waved his wand and the documents formed a line in front of Harry. As Abacus spoke, each document would fly in front of Harry's face, then retreat to the back as it was replaced by the next one. "Dragon steaks every night on a two-week mission! A 65 galleon bottle of firewhisky ordered with dinner! A week-long stay in a five-star hotel that included massages and spa treatment! Are these really necessary expenses for your aurors?"

Harry swatted the last piece of parchment out of his face, more than a little annoyed. "I wonder, what's the point of having me approve my aurors' expense reports if you're just going to second guess everything anyway?"

"Oh, Mr. Potter, I would never dream of having the knowledge necessary to understand the intricacies of an auror mission. You have insight I could never have and are a crucial resource to validate the spending of those in your Department. I merely get involved when budgetary concerns reach a critical level."

"That sounds like an awful fancy way of saying that you're second guessing all of the expense reports that I approved. Listen, Abacus, my aurors are getting results. They catch Dark wizards; they keep our people safe. Quite frankly, I don't care what they eat for dinner or where they spend their nights. My priority is keeping Dark wizards off the streets and keeping my aurors out of harm's way as much as possible. And that's exactly what we've done. If my aurors feel safest in a fancy hotel, I want them to stay there. If they feel they do their best magic with dragon steak in their stomach, then I want them to get that. I'm not going to sacrifice the well-being of my aurors or the citizens so you can save a few knuts."

"We're not talking knuts here, Mr. Potter!" Abacus exclaimed, clearly agitated. "Your Department is hundreds of galleons over budget every single month! The Ministry only has so much money, we have to fund this Department's overage by taking from other Departments. The citizens fund the Ministry via taxes. We have a budget to disclose to the people and we are responsible for sticking to that budget. Can you really sit here and say that your Department is the most important? That you deserve to take funds from other programs? Do you want to stand in the Theatre of Truth and tell the country that their taxes are going to be increased so that your aurors can get massages and eat fancy dinners?"

"I'll talk to them about the massages and…wait, what kind of firewhisky even costs 65 galleons?"

"You should know, Mr. Potter, that was an expense that you approved! I must say I am disappointed, you're clearly not taking this part of your job seriously. I'll have you know that we had to take funds from the Department of Magical Games and Sports in order to cover your overage from last month. They had to cancel a quidditch camp planned for this summer. Dozens of wizard children who thought they'd be spending their summer playing quidditch with their friends will now be stuck at home instead. When they ask their parents why, will you be the one to tell them that an auror wanted to drink expensive whisky for free? When we have to dip into the Department of Education next, will you be the one to tell the teachers of Hogwarts that their pay has been slashed?"

"Alright, alright!" Harry said throwing up his hands. "Spare me the guilt trip. I'll take care of it. Approve and pay out all the expense reports you have now and I'll make sure we're in line going forward."

"Brilliant!" Abacus said standing up. "I knew I could count on you to do the right thing."

"Hang on", Harry said as the smaller man moved towards the door. "If performance slips even a little bit, I'll go back to approving everything my aurors want. If we need to raise taxes to fund it, so be it. You cannot put a price on safety. And I'll make sure you're up on stage with me when we tell the public. Better yet, when crime rates increase, you can tell them it's due to budgetary policies that you implemented. Do you understand?"

Abacus audibly gulped but he nodded. "Good. Have a nice day." Abacus opened the door and practically ran out of the office. Harry's years in the Ministry had taught him that accountants feared nothing more than public speaking. Still, he wasn't looking forward to telling the aurors that they had to tighten the purse strings on missions. He was unpopular enough at the moment.

The rest of the week was more of the same. Paperwork, meetings, other pointless tasks. The Daily Prophet sent another reporter the following day. He apologized so profusely for Rita's appearance the day before, Harry wondered if it was an act. He wouldn't put it past Ron or Fred to hire someone to apologize over and over until Harry couldn't stand it anymore. Unfortunately he was genuine, and he made sure to painstakingly triple check everything Harry said so as to not misquote him. He even promised to let Harry review the article and provide notes prior to it being published. Harry thought he actually preferred Rita Skeeter to this complete pushover.

The following week gave Harry déjà vu: pointless meetings, endless paperwork. Was his calling really to be a paper-pusher? Sometimes he felt his role was some perverse combination of a cheerleader and a janitor, encouraging his aurors and then cleaning up their messes. Why was Harry doing this? He'd been far happier in that brief period where he was just one of the other aurors. Then he'd gone on missions. He'd actually been involved in the capture of Dark wizards – now he just read about them in the reports he got. And even those reports were boring. Nothing new requiring an auror had happened since Belvina Greengrass' trial. Harry found himself daydreaming about a triple magical homicide coming across his desk and him going to out to solve it – then he spent even longer hating himself for even fantasizing about something so horrible happening.

After dropping off his usual mountain of paperwork that Friday, Amanda returned shortly after with another (slightly) smaller stack of parchment.

"Mr. Potter, Malfalda Hopkirk is on holiday this week."

"Brilliant", Harry said. "I hope she enjoys her time off." Harry turned back to his desk, the sheer amount of parchment on it rendering it invisible to the naked eye. But out of the corner of his eye, he noticed that Amanda didn't leave. "Is there something else?"

"Well, Mr. Potter, I've been told that you are responsible for approving all missives from the Improper Use of Magic Office in her absence."

"What? Why me?"

"Oh, um", Amanda stammered. "Well Miss Hopkirk is head of the Improper Use of Magic Office, which is part of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, which you are the head of…"

"Yes, I know that. But why can't someone else from the Improper Use of Magic Office do this? Is this really the best use of my time?" Amanda opened her mouth to respond but Harry cut her off. "Rhetorical question, Amanda, I know you didn't set this up."

Harry snatched the top parchment from the stack Amanda had brought and speed-read the message. A few phrases stood out: due to budgeting realignment within the Department…lacking requisite leadership aside from Miss Hopkirk…denial of resources…request Mr. Potter's immediate assistance…anticipated spike in violations of the Reasonable Restriction for Underage Sorcery…

So their budgeting and staffing issues were his fault as well? It seemed like even the Ministry employees he didn't work with had a problem with him. He decided to side-step that part of the message for a moment. "Why would they be expecting higher than normal violations of the Reasonable Restriction for Underage Sorcery? Isn't every kid with a wand at Hogwarts now?"

"Easter break starts this week Mr. Potter, so I'm sure plenty of students have gone home."

Harry rubbed his eyes in frustration. "They want me to monitor every kid with the Trace that's gone home for Easter? What, do they think they'll start hexing their family if they don't get enough chocolate eggs?" He opened his eyes to see Amanda's mouth opening and closing, struggling for a response. "Rhetorical, Amanda. Sorry. Thanks for bringing this in, I'll take care of it."

"Let me know if you need anything else, Mr. Potter." She flashed her impossibly cheery smile and left his office.

She'd only been gone for a minute when there was a knock at the door and Hermione poked her head in. "Hey, Harry! Ron is stopping by the Ministry this morning. Any chance you've got a spare minute to grab a coffee?" She eyed the mound of parchment on his desk. "But if you're working on something really important, we'd both understand."

"I am working on something of the utmost importance, Hermione. In fact, I could use your help with it. Come in, shut the door." Looking puzzled but intrigued, Hermione closed the door and approached Harry's desk.

Harry pulled the first report from the Improper Use of Magic Office and gave it a dramatic flourish. "Brace yourself, Hermione. Jimmy Ebbins, a third year Hufflepuff that lives with his Muggle parents, used the Lumos charm at 5:42 this morning." Hermione waited for Harry to continue, but he just looked at her.

"Harry what is this?"

"It's a flagrant violation of the Reasonable Restriction for Underage Sorcery is what it is! Jimmy Ebbins goes home for the Easter holidays and suddenly thinks the law doesn't apply to him! Well he is in for a rude awakening. I bet he just needed a light to find his slippers on his way to the bathroom. Well, now he'll learn that, until he is of age, he needs to blindly grope for his slippers on his hands and knees like a Muggle. But he is still a Hogwarts student so, as Head of the Department of Magical Education, I want to know what you think about discipline. Should we send him to Azkaban?"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Harry!"

"Not for life of course", Harry said raising his palms in a sign of lenience. "I believe in second chances, Hermione, you know that. How about just for the rest of the Easter holidays. A little hard time ought to set him straight."

There was another knock at the door before Hermione could respond. A mop of red hair appeared in the doorway, announcing the arrival of Ron Weasley. "Oi, are we stepping out for coffee or what? I know Harry's not actually doing paperwork." Harry smiled and he and Hermione followed Ron out of the office, four grey-clad security wizards tailing behind.

Thankfully, the Ministry coffee shop was nearly empty. Harry's four security wizards each sat at a separate table surrounding Harry's, forming a defensive perimeter. Once they had gotten their coffee, Hermione asked "So what was that all about, Harry?"

Harry explained how he was stuck with the excess work from the Improper Use of Magic Office. "And quite frankly, I'm not going to do anything with it. Mafalda can handle it all when she gets back next week. I hardly think underage magic is a priority."

"Harry, you can't do that!" Hermione gasped. "What if it's something serious? Have you forgotten that you once used underage magic because you were attacked by a dementor!? You can't let something like that go unlooked at for a week!"

"First of all, Hermione, the dementor was an assassination attempt by the Ministry. Not to brag, but I doubt any current Hogwarts student has reached my level of notoriety. But, if it will make you feel better, we could ask the person in charge of all the Ministry's legal, militaristic, and justice related matters if any underage wizards are currently targets for assassinations." Harry took a sip of his coffee. "Oh wait, that's me! The kids are safe from assassins." Ron chuckled and Harry continued. "Second of all, these are almost always pointless violations. The other time I got in trouble for underage magic was because a house-elf levitated a pudding. Hardly worth the Ministry's time and attention."

Ron smiled broadly. "I think you're forgetting one, mate. Didn't you also blow up your aunt?"

Harry froze, then smiled sheepishly. "Oh yeah, I did."

"She was floating and everything, right?" Ron was barely able to contain his laughter.

"Yeah, she kept bumping against the ceiling." Ron roared with laughter and Harry couldn't help but join in.

"Imagine if nobody from the Ministry showed up for a week" Ron howled. "Bloody hell, she might have just floated away!" They all laughed for a good while at that, even Hermione

When they finally stopped Hermione looked ready to go on the attack again. "Fine, Hermione. I'll have someone stay on top of it, at least looking for urgent stuff. But if someone else blows up their aunt, there is legal precedent that that isn't a big deal", Harry said with smirk.

They spent another 20 minutes there, talking about Hogwarts (with Hermione) and quidditch (with Ron) – but not another word about work. Then Amanda walked up, a living reminder that Harry no longer got to spend weekdays with Ron and Hermione.

"I'm so sorry, Mr. Potter, but you told me to remind you to be ready for your ten o'clock meeting."

Harry checked his watch which showed quarter to ten. "No need to apologize, Amanda. Remind me, what is this for again?"

"The new recruits for the National Reserve are being sworn in."

Great, Harry thought. But Hermione perked up. "Harry, you need to go, that's really important." Harry was about to contradict her, but then thought better of it. He said his goodbyes to Ron and Hermione and followed Amanda out of the coffee shop.

"Want to come with?" Harry asked Amanda. "I need a witness for these things."

Amanda looked as if Harry had asked if she wanted to be queen of the universe. "Yes, Mr. Potter! I'd be ever so happy to be the witness for the swearing in ceremony!" Her enthusiasm only made Harry dread this more.

"The National Reserve is like an army, right Mr. Potter? I've never heard of them taking action."

Harry winced. "I wouldn't call them an army. They are a group of citizens that are willing to help their country in times of crisis. After Voldemort took over the Ministry, Kingsley thought it best that we have a defined group of allies ready to call on in an emergency. But none of the Reserves are going to war or anything."

"And you're in charge of the National Reserves?"

"That's what they tell me", Harry said with a shrug.

"Have the Reserves ever been called into action before?"

"Twice", Harry said as he entered the lift and pressed the number nine button. "A couple years ago we were hosting a qualifying match for the Quidditich World Cup and a nasty bout of dragon pox was going around. We didn't have enough healthy people to work the match so we brought in some of the reserves as security. Checking tickets, making sure no one burned the pitch down, that sort of thing. Then last year, there was a big accident in the Department of Potions and Elixirs. Dangerous potions flooded the whole seventh floor. We needed the help of the Reserves to get everything cleaned up and repaired as soon as possible. They were very helpful both times, but I have no intention of ever using them as an army." The lift opened and they exited into the ninth floor.

Recruits were always sworn-in in one of the smaller courtrooms. Harry entered today's courtroom and saw that there were eight new recruits. Eight! Why did people want to sign up for this pointless thing? Didn't they realize the Reserves never actually did anything? Or maybe they did realize and were hoping this would make them seem important without actually taking on any real responsibilities. If so, that was a goal Harry could understand.

As he ascended the steps to the judge's seat, he realized that every recruit was wearing the same scarlet and gold robes. Gryffindor colors. Certainly these weren't all Gryffindor alumni? Were they wearing it for him? Did they mean this to be some kind of uniform? Before Harry could remark on this, something far more horrible happened: they all knelt.

"Please, please don't kneel", Harry said. "It's unnecessary and that isn't what this ceremony is about." It was embarrassing enough he had to be seated above these people, but kneeling was just too much. He imagined the look of disgust on Draco Malfoy's face if he saw grown wizards kneeling before him. Harry decided he'd better get this over with as quickly as possible.

"You're all here because you want to do what is right and to serve your country in the event of a dire crisis. Your applications have been reviewed and approved. Let's not waste any time with pleasantries – you are all ready for this next step. I am Harry James Potter, Commander and Chief of the National Reserves. Before myself and this witness", Harry said with a nod to Amanda, "let any who wish to join our ranks step forward and speak."

A middle-aged woman to Harry's far right stepped forward. Harry was surprised how many older witches and wizards had joined the Reserves over the years. He had expected plenty of kids fresh out of Hogwarts with no clue what they wanted to do with their lives to join, but they were outnumbered by grown wizards with families and careers.

The woman spoke. "I am Helga Applegate. I wish to serve my country as a member of the National Reserves. I pledge to respond if and when I am called upon. I pledge to uphold the values of this nation. I pledge to follow the orders of the Commander and Chief." Then, holding it horizontal, she touched her wand to her heart and then her forehead in a salute to Harry.

Harry nodded. "Your pledge is accepted. Welcome to our ranks. Go now in peace and await your country's call." The woman smiled broadly but rather than actually leave, she took a seat in the back of the courtroom. She'd want to talk to Harry after the ceremony. They always did.

The next seven recruits stepped up in turn and repeated the same pledge. Once Harry accepted the pledge of the final recruit all eight of them erupted into cheers, shook each other's hands, and beckoned for Harry to join them. Harry descended from the steps and whispered to Amanda as he passed her, "Give it fifteen minutes, then get my attention and say I have an urgent meeting with the Minister."

Harry put on his best smile and shook hands with each new member, patted them on the back and congratulated them. All of them were so thankful for Harry accepting them, promised they would be a tremendous asset to the Reserves, and asked if there were any tasks they could do right now. "Nothing right now and maybe nothing ever", Harry told them. "This is truly a group to be used in emergencies only. We anticipate – and hope – that your services will be few and far between. So make no mistake, if we call on you, it's because the Ministry well and truly needs you. So go home and live your normal lives, but stay ready."

"Mr. Potter!" Amanda called from the entrance of the courtroom. Right on cue. "There is an urgent message awaiting you, Minister Shacklebolt said it demands your attention at once!"

The new Reserves gasped and Harry put on a look of deepest concern. "Of course! I am so sorry, but I cannot say no to the Minister. Until we meet again!" Harry gave a wave and strode briskly from the courtroom. He caught up to Amanda and the two of them walked side by side to the lifts.

"Amanda, that was perfect. You're a natural at this."

"No, Mr. Potter, I was being serious!"

Harry raised an eyebrow. "You were?"

"Yes, the Minister's assistant ran down to the courtroom and I spoke to him in the hallway. There is an urgent message waiting in your office and the Minister said that you need to read it at once!"

"Oh. Well, let's go then."

There were actually two reports on Harry's desk that Friday evening, when Harry returned from swearing in the reserves a week and half after Belvina's trial. The first was an urgent distress call, surely the message Kingsley had warned him about. A landowner had returned to a property he was renting out and found a dead body in the cellar. Several signs of Dark magic. Harry needed to move on this immediately and, based on what the report said, this required a top team. Harry had promised Allec Flint that he would get the next high-profile case, but Harry didn't like him for this. Allec was a gifted auror but he preferred to work alone. He had no standing partner and Harry knew this would be a case that was best investigated by a team. Putting Allec on a team with someone would take time that Harry wasn't sure they could afford to lose, and Harry wasn't sure who else was currently in Headquarters and would be a good fit with Allec.

No, Harry knew the right team for this case: John Podmore and Abraxas Nigellus. Neither of them had spoken to Harry since the morning of Belvina's trial and Harry couldn't blame them. Harry knew he owed them one, why not give them a high-profile case that Harry wanted them on anyway? Harry made up his mind, giving this to Nigellus and Podmore was a win-win situation. Allec would be angry at him, but he could live with that. He couldn't live with an unsolved murder.

"Amanda!" Harry shouted. "Get Podmore and Nigellus in here right away!"

They walked in with faces made of stone. "What can we do for you, Mr. Potter?" John asked.

"You can solve a murder. We just got an urgent distress call from south London. A body was found in the cellar of a rental flat. Apparently there are symbols and other drawings around the body – the owner was afraid to get close. This looks bad – we need to move on this immediately."

Abraxas looked stunned. "Yes, well, uh-"

"I know you were just on a big case and you were expecting to be rotated on to some low-stakes raids, but I need you on this. Can you guys handle it?"

John smiled at Harry for the first time in 10 days. "You can count on us, boss."

"Brilliant. Everything you need to know is on this report", Harry said handing them the piece of parchment. "Oh, and take the trainee with you. Tim needs experience on a homicide case. Let me know if you need any other support."

They both made towards the door, but Abraxas hesitated. "Thanks, Harry", he said. Then they were both gone. That had been the easy conversation. Time for the awkward one. The second report that appeared on Harry's desk this morning was Allec Flint's expense report from the raids he finished the week before. It was a textbook example of the type of excessive spending Abacus had been harping on. Well, Harry had just got to be the good guy with John and Abraxas, time to be the bad guy.

Harry was about to call out to Amanda, but Allec appeared in his doorway. He smiled broadly and the morning light shined off his gold tooth. "Door was open, hope I can come in?" He phrased it as a question but entered and sat down without waiting for a response. "So, where do I go and what am I dealing with?"

"Uh…what?"

"What's the case? I saw the messenger run in here earlier, looked like an urgent distress call. I'm next on deck for a high-profile case. What are we dealing with?"

Harry decided to sidestep this rather than tackle it head on. "I actually need to talk to you about something completely unrelated to future cases. This is your expense report for those Belfast raids", Harry said as passed the document across his desk to Allec.

Allec glanced at the parchment then threw a bewildered look back at Harry. "Yes, it is…and?"

"Were all of these expenses necessary for the mission?"

Allec looked as if Harry had asked him the fastest way to get to Mars. "I don't understand."

"Well", Harry said pulling the parchment back to himself. "This was a four-day mission and you're reporting over 100 galleons in expenses. That seems way above and beyond what would be necessary for the mission. And you spent more than half that at dinner on the final night – after the mission had been completed. If you filed this report correctly, you got a 50-year-old bottle of elvish wine and you paired it with an Erumpent steak. I'll be honest, I thought it was illegal to serve Erumpent with them being an endangered species and all. I guess that explains why it was so expensive."

Allec stared at Harry for almost a full minute. "I still don't understand. Why do you care about the specifics of this expense report?"

"Because this Department has a budget. The entire Ministry runs on taxes from our citizens. I've gotten word from the top that the Auror Office is way over budget and we need to cut back on expenses. I want you to have what you need to solve cases and keep yourself safe. But I can't justify 100 galleon dinners after the mission has already been completed. I'm sorry, but the Ministry cannot reimburse you for this."

"Potter, you've got to be joking! ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND! I'm out there facing Dark wizards, risking my neck every day of the week and you want to give me grief over my dinner bill!? I've been an auror for 28 years. 28! I've never been questioned over an expense report! You think you're better than Scrimgeour? That you're revolutionizing this Department? Please! I should've been the one -" Allec cut himself off but he was breathing heavily and had an ugly look on his face.

Harry had remained seated through his tirade. "Anything else you want to say?" Harry asked in an even voice.

"No reimbursement – that's your final word on this?"

"Final decision, no reimbursement." Allec kicked his chair over and stormed out of Harry's office, slamming the door behind him.

Harry sighed and leaned back in his chair. Allec was fifty something years old and he still acted like a child. This job wasn't anything like Harry had imagined. He sat behind a desk filing paperwork, managing grown men who acted like children, and having to answer to holier-than-thou accountants. Harry wanted nothing more than to go home and spend time with his wife – but she wasn't at home. She was at tryouts for the World Cup team. She had been the smart one – why on earth had Harry chosen this job over quidditch? He had a natural talent for flying, even Viktor Krum had been impressed. Perhaps it wasn't too late for a career change…But Harry gave up on that fantasy almost immediately. He was sure he could play for any team in the country. Not necessarily for talent, but because they would want to have the famous Harry Potter on their team. Then the Rita Skeeters of the world would write stories about favoritism and Harry's presence would likely overshadow his wife's hard-earned achievements. No, quidditch wasn't the answer no matter how fun it was to think about.

A knock at the door snapped Harry out of his reverie. By the look of the light Allec had been gone for an hour or two. Abacus Contador poked his head in the doorway, adding machine in hand. "Mr. Potter, can I have a word?"

"No, not you, not now."

"I – what?"

"No, you can't have a word. Get out of my office or I'll hex you."

"I can't tell if you're being serious Mr. Potter."

Before Harry could respond he heard Amanda yell. Harry got to his feet alert, wand out. Abacus turned around to see it then leapt to the side to avoid the person sprinting into Harry's office. But he needn't have moved – the intruder slammed into an invisible wall a few feet in front of Amanda's desk. There was a loud crack and ropes sprang out of nowhere, restraining and gagging him. Four security wizards suddenly appeared from behind disillusionment charms with wands pointed at the intruder – a blonde young man. Harry recognized him immediately – Tim, the auror trainee.

"Let him go, let him go!" Harry said emerging from his office. "Now! He's an auror." One of the security wizards snapped his fingers and the ropes disappeared. Harry knelt next to the young man and put a hand on his shoulder. "Are you alright?"

Tim seemed surprised to be addressed. "I – err, I need to talk to Harry, I mean Mr. Potter."

"Tim, I'm right here, what's going on?"

Tim's eyes snapped to lucidity and focused on Harry. "Harry, the crime scene. You have to come now! There was a ritual, someone made a horcrux!"