All for one

by midnightsstar9212

For you

52. Chapter 52

Chapter 52

Barty rubbed his eyes tiredly as he exited the pensieve for the umpteenth time.

For the past forty-eight hours, he'd been reliving the misery that had descended upon Scunthorpe through the many eyes of the Aurors under him.

Despite emerging victorious, it had been a disaster for the Ministry, and the public was demanding something be done about Riddle and his followers.

Barty agreed wholeheartedly with the vocal masses, but convincing the Wizengamot and the Minister was another matter entirely. Nonetheless, he would once more reiterate the urgency in the upcoming meeting due to take place this afternoon.

Until then, however, he had much to occupy his time.

As expected, the death toll had been significant for both the magical and muggle populations. More than four hundred of the latter had perished, and Barty had lost a further six Aurors.

In truth, he'd expected it to be higher, but a single life lost to Riddle and his group was too many as far as he was concerned.

Still, seeing the memories of others made for particularly enlightening viewing, and Barty was beginning to piece together all that had occurred.

He was proud of how his Aurors had conducted themselves.

Were the memories to become a matter of public interest, many of their actions would be called into questions, but Barty would defend them until his dying breath.

His men and women had done what was necessary to fend off the attackers, even if some of what he'd seen had been questionable.

Moody killing Evan Rosier with a car was not something he'd forget, and nor would the young man's family when they inevitably learned of it.

No, it didn't matter.

Rosier had been trying to murder Alastor, and the Auror had simply been quicker to achieve it.

What was troubling Barty, however, was the presence of Dumbledore and his group of civilians, though considerably less than the four masked me who arrived and began slaughtering Riddle's followers without prejudice, along with most of the giants who were killed.

Who these men were, Barty didn't know, but he wasn't going to make a point of mentioning them. Their actions had saved several lives, and for that Barty was grateful.

Still, questions needed to be answered, and he knew if he was to be completely transparent, many of those who had fought against Riddle and his ilk would find themselves at odds with the powers that be.

That was why Barty was going to be vague when it came to the actions of his Aurors and those who had assisted them.

He would highlight the damage done by Riddle's forces, the death toll of the muggles, and how impossibly difficult it had become to maintain the Statute of Secrecy with the disruption, damage, and deaths they were causing.

That, unfortunately, was the truth.

Despite Barty's best efforts, the war was not being won as decisively as it should have been.

Something had to change, and if the Wizengamot did not see fit to finally support him, then Barty did not know what would happen next.

Riddle had grown to be quite the problem, and he'd already proven he had no limits when it came to getting whatever it was such a madman could want.

(Break)

Cassiopeia had never really liked Spain.

Before Gellert's rise, the country had undergone significant political changes, and the effects of it could still be seen. The muggles had been embroiled in the war that followed a revolution, and the magical population had not fared well either.

Corruption remained rife in the country, and the Head of International Magical Relations, Fernando Espinosa was at the forefront of it.

Not even the Minister could stop him, and the woman supposedly in charge certainly knew it.

Why Espinosa had not taken the top job for himself was beyond Cassiopeia, but he evidently had his reasons.

Having been watching him for a few days now, it was clear that he was as cunning as he was shifty.

He often made public appearances to mingle with the population, and said all of the right things, but his words were little more than wind.

Espinosa came across as genuine, but when push came to shove, there's was little of substance about him unless it came to his own interests.

He lived in a rather lavish villa on the south coast with his wife and three children, who were enrolled at Beauxbatons.

Mrs Espinosa was a magical historian, and rather dull, though she served the purpose of being a dutiful wife to a powerful man.

From what Cassiopeia had observed, her target was not unfaithful to his wife, and by all accounts, he was a proud and doting father.

It was a shame that beneath it all, he was the worst kind of human.

Having only read through some of the newspaper archive at her leisure, she'd identified at least three murders in the past few years that were more than a little suspicious, including that of a man who'd wished to challenge Espinosa's position.

Senor Torres had been found murdered in Albania of all places whilst on a family holiday, only two weeks before a vote was to be held to decide if Espinosa was to be replaced.

None had challenged him since.

Cassiopeia certainly didn't like it, nor the air of innocence the man had about him.

To her, it meant that he was perhaps one of the worst of the group Gellert had convinced to join him.

Still, it wasn't as though he was long for the world.

He was cautious in everything he did, but Cassiopeia Black was determined to find an opportunity to get to him, and such thing might just present itself sooner rather than later.

She simply needed to continue dogging his movements, and then she would strike, much like a serpent from the shadows.

She paused at the thought and tried to find an equal alternative, not willing to compare herself to the man she still saw as a foe.

Perhaps when this was all over, Cassiopeia would once again turn her attention to the infamous man.

Until then, however, Espinosa would be next, and as she watched him take his leave of the Ministry, flanked by half a dozen Aurors, a smile of anticipation crested her lips.

Now was as good a time as any, after all.

(Break)

Amelia took no pleasure in seeing the remains of the dead, but she couldn't help but feel a little satisfaction at the grimace of pain that adorned Greyback's features in his final throes of life.

If anyone deserved such a miserable end, it was the notorious werewolf.

Not that she was here for the sheer satisfaction of seeing Greyback a last time.

Although it was evident he'd been killed during the battle of Scunthorpe, a cause of death needed to be ascertained.

"What do you have, Jenny?"

The woman yawned.

She'd been as busy as any other in the couple of days that had followed.

The Department of Magical Catastrophes had been doing everything they could to repair the town, the Aurors had been maintaining a strong presence, and Jenny had been dealing with the dead.

A grim and thankless job, but someone had to do it.

"I don't know," she answered honestly. "I have never seen anything like it."

"What do you mean?"

Jenny shrugged.

"Whatever magic was used on him, I've never seen it. What I can tell you is that Greyback suffered. Every single bone in his body is shattered, and the muscles are torn apart. The last thing to happen was a slow and painful shutting down of his organs. With him being a werewolf, I expect it was much worse than if it was a human."

Amelia nodded.

Harry never did anything by half measures, and given Greyback's involvement in what happened at the farm, she wasn't surprised.

"So, you'll put it down as an unexplained magical incident?"

"I will," Jenny confirmed. "He was killed, that much is obvious, but it is impossible to prove exactly what killed him or who did it."

Amelia could only shake her head.

For Greyback, it was a case of what goes around comes around.

He'd been the source of misery for many, and he had perished in quite the fitting manner.

"How are you?" Jenny asked.

"Tired," Amelia answered.

Her two days off had been less than relaxing.

She'd been called into the office twice to provide a memory for Crouch and once to be interviewed by Grimm.

The two men were putting together a detailed report of what had occurred to present to the Wizengamot in the hopes of passing legislation to prevent further attacks.

It wouldn't work.

Voldemort and his followers didn't care what laws were passed, nor would they be deterred by the potential punishments awaiting them if they were captured.

They'd already proven that time and again, but Amelia was no fool.

She knew that Barty was angling to pass legislation to allow the Aurors to use lethal force without fear of repercussions.

Alastor certainly already did, but there were those who would not take such risks, and it could prove to be to their detriment.

"You and me both," Jenny groaned as she stretched. "I still have another eleven to get through today before I am done."

"Well, I'm finally finished," Amelia declared. "I'm going to go home and do nothing until I have to come back in the morning."

"I'm sure Harry will love that," Jenny snorted. "How is he?"

Amelia quirked an eyebrow at how the woman had asked the question.

It was a little too suggestive for her liking, though that wasn't unusual for Jenny.

She liked to hear any gossip she could, especially when it came to Amelia and her love life.

"He's fine," she answered dismissively.

He was, even if he had been a little quiet the past couple of days.

Something was on Harry's mind.

Whatever was bothering him, he would eventually tell Amelia, but he'd not been so forthcoming since what had happened in Scunthorpe.

Both had been busy in the aftermath of the attack, but there was something definitely bothering him.

"You don't seem so sure."

Amelia released a deep sigh.

"I don't know. Maybe I'm thinking about it too much, but he's just quieter than usual. It's like something is bothering him, but it's not like him not to tell me."

"What do you think it is?"

Amelia shrugged.

"I don't know, but it's worrying me. Do you think he might have changed his mind about us?"

Jenny rolled her eyes.

"Bones, I have seen how that man looks at you. He has not changed his mind about you."

"Then what do you think it is?"

"I can't say I know him well enough to have the foggiest idea."

Amelia frowned.

"Well, I suppose there's only one way to find out," she declared. "I'll just have to ask him."

"And what if he doesn't tell you?"

"He'll tell me," Amelia said confidently, "Or I must just strangle him."

(Break)

As had become the norm when the Wizengamot gathered now, the mood was rather sombre, and there was a palpable tension in the air. Over the weeks, Albus had noticed the clear divides that had formed, and although they were not openly discussed, not a person in the room was unaware of them.

On one side were those who supported Tom, not openly, of course, and then there were those who were doing their utmost to remain neutral, hoping to be left out of the affair entirely.

The most vocal were those who opposed him, and much to Albus's relief, they still made up the majority, though it seemed to be dwindling with every attack and subsequent meeting.

In the middle of it all was the newly minted Minister Bagnold, who had the job of attempting to keep the peace between them.

It seldom worked, and Albus suspected that her gavel would be liberally used this evening.

Barty was present and carrying an enormous stack of parchment, his expression one of a frustrated man.

Tapping his own gavel on his podium, Albus cleared his throat and prepared himself for the impending back and forth, arguments, and disagreements to follow.

"I call this meeting to order," he declared. "Minister, if you please."

Bagnold stood, her eyes already adorned with heavy bags and her posture inspiring little confidence.

"Before I address the room, Mr Crouch, I have read your report, but I would ask that you summarise it for those who have not."

She took a seat and Barty stood, his steely gaze sweeping across the room.

"My report makes for grim reading," Barty began darkly as he shuffled through his stack of parchment. "At the latest count, four-hundred-and-three muggles were killed during the battle of Scunthorpe along with six Aurors, forty-one identified to be followers of Tom Riddle, and twenty-two giants. I do not need to tell you how deeply disappointing this is. The Statute of Secrecy was breached countless times during the incident, and the Magical Catastrophes team, with the assistance of the Aurors, are continuing their work to repair the damage done. More than two thousand muggles have been obliviated, and that number will continue to grow exponentially over the coming days."

Barty retook his seat, though it was clear there was more he wished to say.

For his own reasons, however, he held his tongue.

"Thank you, Barty," Bagnold offered appreciatively. "Your work and the efforts of the departments involved is most appreciated. I am sure you will keep us updated with anything else relevant."

Barty nodded, and Bagnold shifted her attention to the room at large.

"We can simply no longer pretend that what is happening is a problem outside of these chambers," she spoke darkly. "War has somehow found its way onto our shore, and amongst ourselves no less. I will not feign ignorance to spare the blushes of any. There are those of you in here who support the Dark Lord, and there are those of you who oppose him. I intend to be on the right side of History, and I will not allow these disgusting acts to continue. That is why…"

"Minister, it is rather unbecoming of you to…"

"You will be quiet, Lord Lestrange!" Bagnold snapped irritably.

The young Rodolphus was taken aback by the tone with which he was addressed with but offered no argument.

"Now is not the time for any of you to speak," Bagnold continued firmly. "You are going to listen to what I have to say, and my word will be final. These attacks are going to stop. One way or the other, they will not continue, and this Tom Riddle will stand before me to face the justice that awaits him. Failing that, he will be hunted down like a dog and his very existence will be wiped away. For those of you that follow him, I urge you to rethink your decision, because you might just meet the same fate. The muggle Prime Minister will no longer stand for what is happening, and I will not see Britain being responsible for an irreparable breach of the Statute of Secrecy. That is why I am exercising my right to implement emergency laws that will become effective immediately."

Albus was surprised by the decisiveness of the Minister, and he leaned forward to listen to her closely.

"As of now, the Aurors will be granted the powers to meet Tom Riddle and his followers with deadly force. It has been proven that they have no qualms in killing those trying to protect, and I will no longer see them inhibited by inaction."

A displeased, worried murmuring came from some of those within the room.

"SILENCE!" Bagnold snapped.

"This law will become retroactive as from three days ago, so any Auror who may or may not have used lethal force during the incident in Scunthorpe need not fear being punished for their actions. No, I am not interested in what your lawyer has to say, Lord Nott, so you may as well throw that file you are carrying on the fire. I will not be bribed, blackmailed, or intimidated by any, and unless you wish to draw considerable unwanted attention to yourself from here on out, I suggest you remain quiet."

Nott too was taken aback by the countenance of the usually neutral Minister.

"In addition to this," Bagnold continued. "Any and all suspected of being involved in the actions of Tom Riddle and his followers, will be subjected to questioning under Veritaserum by a panel selected by me. I will inform you of those individuals when they have been chosen."

There were several concerned expressions to be seen around the chambers, and Albus took note of them.

"I have only two more points to make," the Minister announced tiredly. "Firstly, the upcoming Quidditch season will once more be postponed until further notice, and I am imposing a nationwide curfew for all magicals in Britain. Unless you have a valid reason for exemption, every man, woman, and child of magical Britain must return home by nine pm. There will be no negotiation on this. These restrictions will be lifted only when I am satisfied that it is safe to do so. I have nothing further to say."

Bagnold shot Albus a pointed look, and he cleared his throat once more.

"Meeting adjourned," he declared.

Minister Bagnold stormed from the room before she could be waylaid, and Albus could only shake his head.

How she intended to police such drastic action remained to be seen, but he could not fault her decisiveness on the matter.

Tom would certainly be displeased, but Albus was not foolish enough to believe that it would prevent from continuing.

What it would do, however, was mitigate the casualties amongst the magical population, leaving only those actively participating in the fighting at risk of being killed.

Well, that was clearly the intention of Millicent Bagnold, at least.

What would come of it, Albus didn't know.

Perhaps it would do some good, or maybe her measure would be seen as too draconian and only encourage more people to join Tom's cause.

(Break)

The fallout from the destruction of Gringotts had been more widespread than Harry had anticipated. Having arrived in Paris early in the morning, he'd witnessed quite the significant protest by the members of the magical community here demanding the goblins allow them to retrieve their valuables from the vaults below.

The bank, however, remained steadfastly closed to the public, and the scene had become rather ugly when the Aurors had arrived to disperse the furious crowd.

According to the newspapers, the protests had been an almost-daily occurrence in recent days, and with no reassurances from Laurent, the French were becoming impatient with the Minister.

That would only serve Harry in his own efforts.

If Laurent was ousted, he would lose the protection of the French Ministry, though to Harry, it didn't matter.

The man would die regardless of what protection he had in place.

That eventuality, however, was reserved for another day.

Harry's target was not currently Laurent, but the woman posing as his wife.

Dubois was something of an anomaly in the magical world.

With most already believing her to be dead, her absence wouldn't be noticed other than by Laurent and his associates, which made the dangerous Dubois the perfect person to remove from the equation; something easier said than done.

The duo were exceedingly careful when making public appearances together, and for the most part, Dubois remained hidden.

Getting to her would be the biggest obstacle to overcome, but Harry was certain he would manage it.

Without Dubois, the consortium would be less another member, bringing Harry once step closer to being rid of them entirely, and the truth of what happened to Amelia's parents.

For now, there was little to be done until Harry found a way into the Laurent home, which he had been closely observing for the past several hours from beneath his cloak.

He'd learned much in the short period of time.

The two Aurors standing guard outside the entrance were relieved every two hours, and there were four other guards posted around the property. Six in total, which was less than he'd expected.

There would, of course, be other measures to contend with along the way, but Harry was confident that within the coming week, he would be rid of Dubois.

He would strike when he knew Laurent was absent, likely when the man left for the office at six am.

That would give him a considerable window in which to act, but until then, there was little else he could achieve here.

Taking his leave of the area and walking a few additional miles to ensure his presence would be detected, he activated his portkey to return home.

There was something else which required his attention this evening, something he'd put off for long enough.

Over the past couple of days, there had been no real opportunity to speak with Amelia about what he wanted to. Both had been preoccupied with what had happened in Scunthorpe and waiting to hear news on Moody's condition.

Despite the man being in relatively good spirits, the curse he'd been hit with was particularly nasty, and as the adrenaline of the fighting had worn off, he'd become quite ill.

The Healers had taken good care of him, and he was over the worst of the ordeal, though his nose had not been able to be salvaged.

Once more, the man began to resemble the one Harry remembered from so many years prior, with the missing leg and a large chunk of the facial appendage missing.

It was somewhat comforting to have something of his past returning, though he was not so eager for other parts of history to repeat themselves.

Not that he would allow it.

Releasing a deep breath as he crossed the length of the entrance hall of his home, he noted that Amelia was upstairs showering and that Bart was stoking the fire in living room.

"Master Harry, sir," the elf greeted him. "It's wonderful news, sir!"

"Wonderful news?" Harry asked.

Bart nodded, and his ears flapped comically.

He wasn't usually so animated unless it came to something pertaining to the creatures he'd become so fond of.

"Zelda, sir."

"Zelda?"

"She got her wings back!"

Harr's eyes widened at the revelation.

"Where is she?"

"She's in her room and very excited to see you, sir."

Harry all but sprinted up the stairs and opened the door to the den he'd created for the Occamy.

He'd lost count of how many years ago it was that he'd taken her from the rescue centre, but he remembered it so vividly.

She'd been so sad, and the colour of her scales dull.

Now, however, she looked like a new snake entirely.

The blueish hue of her scales was vibrant, and resting along her back was a powerful, almost glowing pair of wings.

Zelda hissed contentedly as she slithered towards him, and Harry laughed as she wrapped herself around his shoulders.

She was still rather shy in nature but had become more vocal the longer she'd been with him, and it seemed that the hard work and patience had finally paid off.

Zelda was happy, and it was all that Harry could ask for.

"How do you feel?" he asked.

The snake only hissed in response, but it was one of confidence and gratitude.

Harry chuckled as he petted her head fondly.

She had steadily grown more independent throughout the months she'd been here and could often be found harassing the thestrals and hippogriffs in the paddock.

To see her so vibrant warmed Harry's heart, and he was so proud of how far she'd come when he'd never been certain she would truly recover from all that she had endured.

"What's going on?" Amelia asked worriedly. "I heard hissing?"

She was wearing only a towel, and her thick, red hair was still wet from where she'd been showering.

"Look at her," Harry urged.

Amelia smiled at the sight of the snake and ran a finger down the scales on Zelda's neck.

"She looks amazing."

Harry nodded his agreement as he took in the splendour, and Zelda rubbed her head against him affectionately.

"Would you like to test your wings?" he asked.

The snake hissed gently, and Harry carried her from her room and into the kitchen, where he opened the door leading to the grounds.

Without hesitation, she uncoiled herself from around his neck and took off, flapping her wings to take to the air.

Harry watched as she flew laps around the perimeter of the property, beaming at the noises of contentment she made.

"I'm just glad to see you smile again."

Amelia's voice pulled him from his observations, and he turned to find that she'd gotten dressed in a set of his pyjamas, which had become the norm.

He shook his head amusedly as she quirked an eyebrow at him.

"I didn't say anything," he defended.

"You were going to."

"No, I wasn't."

Amelia hummed as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"What's bothering you, Harry?" she asked worriedly. "I know the war…"

He shook his head to cut her off.

"The war is nothing new to me," he snorted.

"Then what is it?"

"Something that isn't so familiar," he murmured. "There's not much that makes me nervous these days, but there's something."

Amelia frowned but said nothing, and Harry released a deep breath.

"I spoke to your brother."

"My brother? Why?"

"To see if he would give me permission to marry you."

He couldn't bring himself to look at her reaction to what he'd said.

"Marry me?" Amelia whispered after a moment of seemingly letting his words sink in. "What did he say?"

She sounded as nervous as Harry felt, and though it was not so easy, he managed to finally meet her gaze.

"What do you think he said?"

"Well, if he said no, I'll…"

Harry chuckled amusedly at the fiery response.

"He didn't," he assured her as he removed a small box from within his robes. "I've been trying to find the perfect time to do this and think of something creative and brilliant to ask you, but when I think of everything we've been through since we met, there's not anything left. We've hunted werewolves…"

"Fought Riddle," Amelia murmured as she eyed the box.

"And that," Harry confirmed. "I really don't know what I'm doing here, but I know that this is what I want, and I hope you do too."

This wasn't going exactly as he'd intended, but given that such a thing was so far out of his comfort zone, Harry was just pleased he wasn't fumbling his words too much.

"I do," Amelia replied sincerely.

It was a sense of relief like no other that washed over Harry, and Amelia positively beamed as he placed the ring on her finger.

He knew her well enough to know that she wouldn't want anything gaudy or too extravagant, so he'd chosen a gold band adorned with a simple diamond.

Amelia seemed to like it, and she stared at the ring on her finger for several moments to get used to it before wrapping her arms around his neck once more.

"So, it's a yes then?" Harry asked.

Amelia nodded.

"Did you really think I would say no?"

Harry shrugged.

"You might have."

He could feel her roll her eyes.

"Idiot," she sighed contently. "Come on, it's cold out here, and I'm only wearing my pyjamas."

"My pyjamas," Harry corrected.

Amelia shook her head.

"If we're getting married, you have to get used to knowing that whatever is yours is mine."

"Is that right?"

Amelia nodded as she grinned.

"Don't worry, Jameson, I'm not so difficult to keep happy. Just share your pyjamas with me, and everything will be fine."

"I've been sharing my pyjamas with you for the past five years."

"Then it's not anything new," Amelia quipped.

For some time, they simply sat in front of the fire, where Amelia's gaze would constantly flitter towards the ring she now wore.

"You know, it's not just going to vanish," Harry chuckled.

"I'm just getting used to it or coming to terms with my fate."

"Coming to terms with it?"

Amelia nodded.

"You're not the easiest person to tolerate, Jameson," she pointed out. "You're a troublemaker, you're stubborn, and you always find yourself caught up in some mischief."

"That's true," Harry conceded.

"Strangely, they are some of my favourite things about you."

"Well, that bodes well for our future."

Amelia hummed, but the smile didn't leave her lips as she continued to eye the ring fondly.

'And in other news, Minister of Magic Fernando Espinosa is in critical condition after an attempted assassination was made in Madrid today. One person remains in custody.'

Harry sat up suddenly as he heard the announcement from the wireless and released a deep groan.

"What is it?" Amelia asked worriedly.

Harry shook his head.

"You know, it's a good thing that you find my proclivity for getting into trouble quite endearing."

"Why?" Amelia asked with a frown.

"Because I'm about to cause a lot of it," he sighed as he stood.

"The assassination attempt?"

Harry nodded.

"Espinosa is one of those involved in the group," he reminded Amelia, "and someone clearly got too zealous. Bloody hell, I'd best get going. I can't see the Spanish being happy about this, but then again, some will be pissed that she failed. I'll keep you updated."

With that, he sent off a Patronus before readying himself and taking his leave, wondering why nothing could just go smoothly.

Cassiopeia had gotten herself caught.

How it had happened, Harry didn't know, but it was now down to him to ensure she got out of there, and he didn't have much time to do it.

(Break)

Madrid, as ever, was a hive of activity. With the dozens of museums, milder weather, and selection of fresh food, people flocked to the city year-round, and despite it being October, today was no different.

Cassiopeia sipped her coffee as she observed the comings and goings of the wizarding market in the magical district, watching Espinosa as he went about his business, flanked by four Aurors.

She watched as he visited the local wandmaker, an apothecary, and even a few bookstores. By the time that man had finished browsing, it was nearing lunchtime.

"I think we will go to Rosita's today," Espinosa declared with a smile.

"What about getting treats for George?"

"Ah, thank you for reminding me, Gerard. We will get the treats first."

The small group wandered to a nearby pet store, and the moment they were out of sight, Cassiopeia quickly located the restaurant Espinosa had mentioned. It turned out to be more of an intimate diner, and as she entered, she found that the place had just opened.

"Welcome!" an older woman greeted her with a smile, only for her eyes to widen briefly as Cassiopeia stunned her with a nimble flick of her wand.

Acting quickly, she dragged the woman into a nearby cold store and tied her up before removing a single hair from her head and transfiguring her own robes to match the uniform she wore.

Adding the hair to a measure of Polyjuice potion completed her transformation just as she heard the bell, signifying the arrival of a customer.

It was a relief to see Espinosa, and the man greeted her with a beaming smile, taking Cassiopeia's hands and placing a kiss on each of her cheeks.

"Rosita!" he said fondly. "We will have five of your delicious omelettes when you are ready."

"Of course," Cassiopeia replied.

Espinosa and his entourage took a seat, and she headed into the kitchen to ponder her next move.

With the Minister all but at her mercy, she could pick her moment, but Cassiopeia saw no reason to delay the inevitable, and with the diner only playing host to Espinosa, the sooner she killed him, the better.

Having no idea how Rosita made her omelettes, Cassiopeia did what she could using the ingredients at hand.

She'd never been much of a cook, but it didn't matter.

The eggs only needed to look the part.

Finishing up in the kitchen, she re-entered the dining area and placed the five plates on the table. As she stepped away, the moment to act presented itself.

Whipping her wand upwards, she unleashed a vicious curse, and though Espinosa instinctively turned his head to avoid it, the spell still cut deeply into his neck.

What Cassiopeia had not expected, however, was that she would immediately be surrounded by more than a dozen Aurors as they removed their invisibility cloaks.

Four would have been a difficult task, but she'd been confident she'd be able to hold them off long enough to make her escape.

With so many wands pointed at her, however, she didn't even have time to attempt to activate her portkey before darkness took her.

With how many stunning spells she'd been hit by, Cassiopeia was lucky to be alive, let alone feeling as though a stampede of hippogriffs had trampled her.

Still, the dark room she found herself within was spinning wildly, and it was all she could do to not throw up from the sickness she felt.

Cassiopeia didn't know how long she remained there secured to a chair, but soon enough, she heard the sound of approaching feet, and the sudden influx of light pouring in from the corridor only made her more nauseous.

"Tell us how to reverse the curse!" a masculine voice demanded.

Cassiopeia cackled in response.

"No, I do not think I will," she replied. "My job is done."

She recoiled as she was struck with the back of the man's hand and spat the resulting mouthful of blood at his feet.

"TELL US!"

Cassiopeia shook her head.

"The more you harm me, the less likely I am to help you," she said with a grin.

"Or we will harm you until you speak."

"You could," Cassiopeia said thoughtfully, "but you will not break me, and your Minister will die anyway. He has probably a day or so at the very most. It all depends on how strong he is. You should think about that. Now, I would really appreciate a coffee, and don't attempt to lace it with anything. I can assure you, I have quite the immunity to Veritaserum."

The man growled frustratedly and slammed the door behind him as he exited.

Straining her ears to listen to the hushed conversation taking place outside the room, Cassiopeia grinned as she heard her family name mentioned.

It was good that they knew who she was.

Despite their differences, Arcturus would not allow anything that happened to her to go unpunished.

Still, her position was not favourable, and unless she could come up with something to see her way out, it appeared as though this could well be the end of the road for her.

(Break)

It was not often that Grindelwald cursed, but he did so as he paced back and forth across the width of his cell, contemplating what it was he had learned.

"It is not like her to be careless enough to get caught."

"Well, she did," Harry sighed. "Is there anything you can tell me that might be useful?"

Gellert shook his head.

"Espinosa comes across as someone quite clueless, but he is anything but. He's as shrewd and as cunning as they come, so you have to expect just about anything from him."

Harry nodded his understanding.

"I thought Gringotts was bad. Taking on the entirety of the Spanish government is something else."

"Well, if there's anyone who can do it, I suspect it is the two of you."

Harry snorted as he turned towards Evans.

He'd considered informing Arcturus Black of what had happened, but that would entail disclosing much more than he was comfortable with.

No, he and the other Harry would have to manage, just as they had in Paris.

"Come on, it will be a fun day out," Evans snorted humourlessly, clapping him on the shoulder.

Harry chuckled.

"I wouldn't go that far, but we can't leave her there."

"We can't," the other Harry agreed rather reluctantly. "Shall we?"

Harry nodded.

"Let's go."