分卷阅读10（1 / 2）

“Eversworn,” Malfoy called. Harry glanced over his shoulder and scoffed when he saw that Malfoy was still cradling the damned kneazle in his arms.

“I’m going to the Ministry,” was all Harry could bring himself to say.

“Well, alright.”

Harry stopped. “That’s it? You have us break into someone’s house to get Bertrice, we proceed to leave her there, and now you’re fine with simply going to the Ministry and having them handle it?”

Malfoy shot Harry a careful look. “There was obviously something very wrong with that girl. You couldn’t help her. Perhaps they can.”

“And you didn’t think to grab her? Apparate out with her? Or were you too busy cooing over that dreadful animal?” Harry pointed to Guinevere, who hissed in response.

“There’s something special about this kneazle. I rather like her.”

“She attacked me.”

“What’s not to like?” There was a satisfied look on Malfoy’s face and it reminded Harry of their time at Hogwarts. He expected the look to morph into an outright sneer but was shocked when Malfoy simply winked at him instead and then turned his attention on the ball of fur in his hands.

Harry bit his lower lip, confused. “Alright then,” he finally managed to say. “I’m going to go tell them what I know now. Actually, you know what? You should tell them.” Harry thought it was a rather ingenious test to prove if Malfoy really had noble intentions. “I’m a person of interest and they’ll just make too many assumptions. It should be you.”

“You’re a person of interest? That would imply that someone, somewhere finds you interesting.”

“Malfoy, will you go or not?”

Malfoy acted as if he didn’t hear him and continued to coo at the kneazle, rubbing her belly as he cradled her like a baby. “I don’t trust the authorities to solve this case,” Malfoy finally said.

Harry rolled his eyes, “But you trust me? We’ve only just met.” The blond didn’t acknowledge Harry’s words. He simply carried on doting on the red devil. Harry gave up and walked the rest of the way to the Edinburgh Main Office.

He’d been there twice before. The first occasion had been under quite dire circumstances. There had been three werewolf attacks in a matter of days and half of the wizarding community in Scotland were in a panic. It was one of the few times Harry had been able to get out into the field with Ron, and though they didn’t do much more than canvas a few neighborhoods, it had felt good to be a part of something again.

Ron had been on loads of missions by then. He’d made his way around the department and got assigned different cases and different partners, and Harry had the suspicion Robards was grooming Ron for a very specific job. Harry might’ve envied Ron from time to time, especially when he found himself being paraded around as the face of the New Ministry. But most of his jealousy boiled down to wishing he could make a difference. Harry wanted Ron to be a successful auror, Merlin, he’d love to be taking directions from Head Auror Weasley someday. In fact, that would be where his envy might stop. Harry didn’t want the responsibility of a managing position. He just wanted an actual bloody job.

You had a job, he thought to himself. And you screwed it up.

That reminded him of the second time he visited the DMLE in Edinburgh. Harry accompanied Robards for a high priority interrogation, one of the last known Death Eaters, too dangerous to be moved.

“I just need you to stand against the wall in the background,” Robards had said before they Flooed to Edinburgh. “Look menacing. We don’t want to screw this up.”

Harry did as he was told, mostly because he was interested to see how Robards approached the situation. It ended up being a fascinating game to watch as Robards picked at the man, whittled his statements down to nothing, cracked open the lies. In what seemed effortless, the Head Auror pulled valuable intel from the man within two hours, and it ended up saving the lives of four curse breakers in a standoff outside Newcastle.