The vehemence of his statement, with the added profanity shocked them all. Ron and Hermione counted themselves lucky that the Goblins hadn't gone after them like that. Padma clutched onto her husband afraid that it might still happen.
Harry coughed uncomfortably, after a short awkward moment. ôSorry... I'd rather not talk about it right now...ö
ôSo... Not that I'm not happy you're back and all... But why did you come back?ö Ron asked changing the subject.
ôMostly because TeddyÆs starting Hogwarts soon,ö Harry replied, glad for the change in subject.
ôMostly?ö asked Hermione.
Harry nodded. ôYeah, I got the strangest bit of news a few weeks back. Honestly, when I initially read it, I was almost certain IÆd picked up one of TeddyÆs muggle comics. So what do you guys know about this vigilante?ö
ôNot much, really,ö said Hermione with a tired sigh. ôHe just appeared a little over a month ago. No oneÆs really gotten a good look at him so weÆre not entirely sure the vigilante is even a single person, let alone male.ö
ôDid you guys try that scrying method Parvati suggested?ö asked Padma.
Harry raised a questioning eyebrow at Ron, but the red head simply shrugged.
Hermione nodded. ôIt took some doing to get everything, and in the end we still had to get Lavender to help us. Whoever this person is, theyÆre very thorough. WeÆve tried nearly every magical method we can think of to try and either track him down or figure out his identity and we keep coming up short every time.ö
ôIt should have worked,ö Padma said with a frown. ôItÆs the strongest non-dark scrying ritual we know of.ö
ôWhat scrying spell did you guys use?ö asked Harry, intrigued.
ôStrangeÆs Scrying Method,ö Hermione informed him.
ôAh,ö was HarryÆs simple reply.
Hermione looked at Harry skeptically. ôAh?ö
Harry nodded. ôAh.ö
Ron rolled his eyes. ôSince Hermione apparently doesnÆt want to admit that you know something that two of the smartest women of our class donÆt, IÆll ask. Harry, since you obviously seem to know something none of the rest of us do, could you please fill us in?ö
Harry rolled his eyes at Ron and then began to explain what he knew. ôStrangeÆs Scrying Method is probably one of the most overrated remote viewing spells in existence.ö He held up a hand to forestall interruption from either Hermione or Padma. ôI know, IÆve seen the arithmancy behind it. Going strictly by the numbers itÆs nearly more powerful than any other scrying spell in existence. However, the spell is rare. In fact, itÆs impressive than any of you know about it, so itÆs not all that surprising that the spell didnÆt work as it should have.ö
ôWhat do you mean, the ritual went flawlessly,ö Hermione said with a frown.
ôIÆm sure it did,ö Harry nodded in acknowledgment. ôHowever, whoever your vigilante is, he doesnÆt have the standard set of anti-scrying enchantments or else it might have worked. Concealment spells that secret away a person into a separate space/time will cause it to fail nearly every time.ö
ôYou mean like the fidelius charm?ö asked Ron.
Harry shook his head. ôNo, StrangeÆs Scrying Method can see through the fidelius- sort of. They wouldnÆt be able to tell where he was at that moment, nor would they really perceive his surroundings, unless they knew the secret of his location, but theyÆd still be able to identify the person they were trying to scry. No, the fidelius charm, simply put, bends all methods of perception around a specific location. WhatÆs being hidden is still there and you can see, hear, touch and smell everything about it, however, the magic involved doesnÆt allow your senses to perceive those things as being there. In short, the fidelius charm is an illusion. ItÆs an extremely complex one but still just an illusion. No, the magic IÆm talking about doesnÆt simply hide a person; it places them into a separate dimension entirely.ö
Ron whistled in amazement.
ôBut Harry, the spell takes that into account,ö Padma cut in. ôThatÆs why Parvati recommended it in the first place.ö
ôTo a point,ö Harry acknowledged. ôIt will easily pick up on most forms of intradimensional concealment, unless the enchantment covers an area no bigger than a small room. As for extradimensional scrying- there are some places that are immune to any form scrying from outside of their own realm. I can name at least three right off the top of my head. For your spell to gain the capability of seeing such places it requires an even rarer, extra component, an Eye of Agamotto.ö
ôAga-what?ö asked Ron confusedly.
ôAgamotto,ö Hermione automatically corrected. ôHe was an ancient wizard whose power of over The Sight was so powerful he was able to siphon part of his ability into several fist sized orbs allowing non-seers to gain the ability, however limited, to see into what he called æThe BeyondÆ.ö
ôStrangeÆs Scrying Method was always meant to incorporate an Eye of Agamotto. The reason why the spell generates as much power as it does is to allow the person doing the scrying to safely access those realms otherwise restricted to them and to aid them in sensing pocket dimensions they otherwise wouldnÆt,ö Harry lectured. ôDue to the fact very little scrying actually required an Eye of Agamotto to see the subject they were searching for, they fell into disuse, doubly so when most of the jewels were either lost or destroyed three hundred years ago. The ritual itself fell into disuse as newer simpler scrying rituals were developed.ö
ôAnd as of the MinistriesÆ last count, there are only three left in existence,ö Hermione said dismally. ôAnd nothing short of a miracle could get us anywhere near close to one, let alone managing to get one of them into our custody even temporarily.ö
ôFour, actually,ö Harry interjected. ôIÆm betting the Unspeakables failed to mention that Waller and I found one in the ancient dwarven city of Bownammar about three years ago, but were unable to recover it.ö
ôAmanda Waller?ö Hermione asked slowly and deliberately.
ôOne and the same,ö Harry replied a bit smugly, though that had gone unnoticed by Hermione who was stewing over the fact that sheÆd been lied to and by Ron and Padma who were awaiting the possible eruption of Mount Hermione.
ôTell me everything,ö Hermione demanded in an even voice.
ôWell, it all started when Varric and Iàö
HP- AA- HP- AA- HP- AA
ôSister!ö exclaimed a surprised, grey eyed blonde woman as she moved to embrace a blue eyed brunette. ôItÆs good to see you, Daph, but I had no idea you were coming. I put Scorpius to bed about an hour ago; he will be so disappointed he missed you.ö
ôIÆm not here for a social call unfortunately,ö Daphne Greengrass said as she warmly returned the hug. ôI have business to discuss with your husband, Tori.ö
ôOf course,ö replied Astoria. ôDracoÆs in his study working. Have you heard about the Auror Charity Ball weÆre throwing this weekend? IÆm looking forward to it.ö
ôAs am I, sister,ö Daphne replied formally with a smile.
ôOh? Any particular reason why?ö Astoria pried.
ôIÆm not seeing anyone,ö Daphne gently rebuked her excitable younger sister.
ôI just want to see you happy, Daphne,ö replied Astoria with a sigh.
ôTori, I know how much you enjoy planning these types of events,ö Daphne temporized. ôJust seeing you happy makes me happy and I am content with that for now.ö
ôI just worry about you sometimes.ö
ôI know, Tori, you wouldnÆt be you if you didnÆt. But, I assure you, I am more than capable of taking care of myself,ö Daphne asserted as she and Astoria came to a stop in front of the DracoÆs study.
ôYouÆll stop by to see me before you leave, right?ö asked Astoria.
ôOf course, sister,ö Daphne answered making Astoria smile brightly. The blonde then left to return to whatever tasks sheÆd been doing before her sister arrived. With her back turned, Daphne allowed her features to shift into a slightly disgusted scowl. As much as she loved and cared for her sister, sometimes it was odd for her to think of the two of them as being related, let alone sisters. She knocked on the door briefly, before walking right in, not bothering to wait for an answer. She greeted the man inside in a cold tone. ôHello, Draco.ö
The blonde man didnÆt look up from his desk that had all sorts of papers scattered around it. Some looked like legal documents, others were obviously financial statements, and some still looked like blueprints, with various arithmantic equations scrawled all over them. The white board on the wall was also covered in equations- mostly theoretical if Daphne remembered her Arithmancy correctly. There were also two large tablets of paper on wooden easels, one filled with more arithmantic equations, the other a complex diagram that she couldnÆt begin to decipher without examining it closely.
Despite his many personality deficiencies when they were children, Daphne Greengrass knew that Draco Malfoy was not stupid. After all, a stupid person couldnÆt have accomplished the things Draco had in the aftermath of VoldemortÆs defeat. In less than a decade, MagiCorp was the single most successful company in the entirety of the Wizarding World. Though sheÆd never admit it out loud, she grudgingly admitted that her sister could have chosen much worse for a husband.
ôI thought it was getting a bit chill in here,ö Draco commented, still perusing the documents on his desk. ôWhat brings one of the last remaining Dementors to my humble abode?ö
ôTo visit my dear sister and her darling husband of course,ö Daphne said sweetly, a fake smile plastered on her face.
ôAnd my father really was under the Imperius Curse when he was serving the Dark Lord,ö Draco snapped sarcastically. ôCut the pleasantries and tell me why youÆre really here you soul sucking bitch.ö
DaphneÆs regarded Draco neutrally, ôDo I truly need to express my displeasure with you, Darling Brother?ö
ôAs if what I say or think has ever stopped you,ö Draco pointed out.
ôThen IÆd like you to explain this!ö snapped Daphne as she slapped the regular edition of that mornings Daily Prophet onto his desk- the one whose headline announced the Auror Charity Ball being hosted by the Malfoy Family, as a show gesture that MagiCorp was doing its part in helping secure the safety of the Wizarding World.
ôOh, that,ö replied Draco unconcernedly. ôWhat about it?ö
He knew he was intentionally provoking her, but he didnÆt particularly care.
Daphne narrowed her eyes. ôYou know damned well why IÆm furious right now. The last thing we need is more Aurors breathing down our necks.ö
ôDonÆt forget who your little clubÆs main benefactor is Dearest Sister,ö Draco sneered. ôLest you forget, Malfoy is not a name well thought of in most circles- politically dead in most cases. These little piecemeal gestures keep Granger off my back. You losing a few thugs in the process is a small price to pay in the grand scheme of things.ö
ôAnd while you play your little games trying to make nice with the Aurors, how fairs your progress in figuring out who this vigilante is who keeps interfering in our business?ö the calculating woman demanded. ôDonÆt think it has escaped our notice that heÆs using MagiTech.ö
ôYeah, and wherever he got it, it didnÆt come from me. Every last piece and component is accounted for,ö Draco shot back. ôIÆve checked with a couple of my contacts within the GU, but most of them either have no clue or arenÆt talking. TheyÆve made a lot of enemies over the years, some more powerful than others- even a couple right here on the isles. One in particular just recently returnedö
ôPotter?ö Daphne asked incredulously. ôIÆm willing to admit the hero thing is right up his alley, he doesnÆt have the power or skillset to pull off the particular brands of magic weÆve seen.ö
ôLook, IÆm not saying it is him, but we shouldnÆt outright rule him out as a possibility,ö Draco warned.
ôYou certainly havenÆt changed much,ö Daphne scoffed. ôIt was always æPotter- thisÆ and æPotter- thatÆ at Hogwarts. With the way youÆve always gone on and on about that buffoon, one has to wonder if your marriage to my sister is just for show after all.ö
ôWatch yourself woman,ö Draco warned. ôYou might be my wifeÆs sister, but donÆt think I wonÆt see you gutted at my earliest convenience.ö
ôAlways with the idle threats,ö Daphne quipped back. ôPerhaps if you actually grow a pair of testicles, you might actually follow through- might even do it yourself. I doubt it though. Even your father, as impotent as he was, had some form of killer instinct, even if he was proven to be the Dark LordÆs bitch in the end.ö
Draco swiftly drew his wand.
There was a loud bang and a bright flash.
A lone figure was left standing in the room and it wasnÆt the Malfoy Scion.
ôPathetic,ö Daphne said with disgust. ôDraco, you are just as much my bitch as your father was the Dark LordÆs. DonÆt you ever forget that, Darling Brother.ö
As she said this, the Greengrass Matriarch kept her wand drawn on the young Malfoy. Then, her face shifted from its cold and calculating expression to one more reminiscent of when she arrived and was greeted by her sister.
ôIÆll see myself out,ö she said with a smile as she whirled her wand scattering all of the paperwork throughout the room. ôAnd donÆt worry about the Director- she shouldnÆt be an issue much longer.ö
