"Rose?" a voice suddenly came from the door. She jumped up. "Uncle Harry!" She forgot herself and tried to run over to him. The chain yanked her back painfully. Harry looked at it with a sad expression on his face.
"Please, Uncle Harry, what is happening? They think I helped the Death Eaters, or that I may be their leader. Please, help me to convince them I was not helping them!" She sounded desperate, but she didn't care. Uncle Harry was here! He could sort this all out, she was sure of it. But Harry just stood there, looking at her.
"I have tried, Rose. I really have. But they are angry, Rose. They are not used to attacks by Dark Wizards, and they are not ready to simply release anyone that was involved in it just yet."
Rose almost started crying. "But what can I do? I can't just sit here? I mean, I have tried to explain to that man, Lagasete or whatever his name is, that I was a captive, but he doesn't seem to believe me. He seems to believe what Lestrange says sooner than what I say!"
"Lagasete is trying to make you trip up, Rose. It is a common tactic. When you think that someone is lying, you ask them to elaborate, so that they mix up the different parts of their story. It's meant to be confusing. I am not a fan of him using that tactic against you, but I hold very little authority here."
"But weren't you there when we were captured? How did they find us, if not for the Tracker? How can he think that I was one of them when I had no wand? I didn't attack them!" That last she shouted. Harry looked at her with sad eyes.
"Rose, they don't know you. When I came here, I didn't know whether you were a captive or under the Imperius Curse as well. When you moved forward like that, it could be seen as an attempt at running or as a distraction. And they timed it so that when you shouted, they all started attacking."
"Lestrange pushed me forward. It was a cry of surprise."
"I know that. But they didn't see it like that. They want to make sure that they have every detail before considering release or not."
Rose sat down on the bed. She needed to understand.
"Have you been to Azkaban yet? Did Mum get my note?"
"Yes, she got it, but not until it was too late. The owl was delayed due to the bad weather, so she only got your owl right before she got the owl alerting her about the escape. I am sorry. I should have never let you go there, especially not alone."
"You weren't the one letting me go. Quite the contrary, you tried to convince me that it was a bad idea. I didn't listen. And if you had tried to stop me, I would have tried to find a way there anyway. No, I am the one who should say sorry. If it wasn't for my stupidity, we wouldn't be in this situation. You are right, I never should have gone there. I accomplished nothing."
"Don't be so hard on yourself. Thanks to you, we were able to expose Barnsby. He is captured now, and we are working on removing the Imperius Curse and other charms he used on the remaining guards. We may never have found out if it wasn't for you."
"And if it wasn't for me, Thomas may not have died. He only tried to fight back because I was there. He fought against the Curse, and they killed him for it."
"You can't blame yourself for that Rose. He would have fought against it anyway."
"No, it was because I moved. Barnsby tried to wait until he had moved out of sight. I wasn't even supposed to be up there. And if I had been a better actor, Barnsby would not have caught on to me not being under his spell, and I could have Apparated away to safety."
"That is enough, Rose," Harry said with a stern voice. "This situation is bad enough without you blaming yourself for everything. Your mother feels just as bad, but you both need to get over it. We can talk about all those things when the current situation is dealt with. Now, listen to me."
Rose gaped. Uncle Harry rarely spoke to her like that. What did he mean, her mother felt bad? Did she blame herself for Rose's capture? It had not been her fault!
"Listen. Tomorrow, you will be getting your first interrogation. Hermione has sent someone from the Department of International Magical Cooperation to be your representative, but you will need to do most of the talking. I will be present as well, but I won't be able to speak much. Remember this: All he cares about is what happened on that island. He cannot punish you for what happened in Azkaban. What you need to be clear on, is what actions you took when leaving the boat, and why."
"He said he thinks Britain "let loose" the Death Eaters from Azkaban. That I led them here."
"That is my problem to solve. You focus on your story. Tell them the truth, how you ended up on the boat with them. Don't claim that you were under a spell. Explain how Lestrange pushed you. Try to think like your mother. Be respectful and answer their questions. If you are not sure, or don't know the answer, say so."
Rose nodded. "How long will I have to stay here? Could you at least ask them to take this off?" she indicated to the chain on her hand. "It's not like I am going anywhere."
"I wish I could, Rose. I really do." Harry looked sad again. Then he seemed to remember something. "Do you want some news from home?"
"From home? Why wouldn't I want it? Is it about Scorpius? My mother didn't want to tell me the bad news. Is it more bad news?"
"No, on the contrary, it is good news. Scorpius is doing a lot better. He now remembers most of the events that took place last year and then he even remembered who you are. The Healers are optimistic that he will make an almost complete recovery now."
Rose smiled. "That is great!" Then her smile faded. "I should be there with him. I might be allowed to see him now."
"Yes. Yes, you should be there with him, and with Draco. But there is nothing to be done about that now. As I said, we need to focus on your current predicament first. You studied Magical Law a lot last year, it is not that different in Norway. But please, the most important thing, don't lose your temper and be respectful. Answer the questions truthfully and we should be fine."
"Will it be that man, Lagasete, that interrogates me?"
"Yes, most likely."
Rose scowled.
"See? Don't do that! Remember, he has all the power here, Rose. You must not make an enemy of him. Right now, you are entangled in a web of diplomatic relations and suspicions. Don't make it worse for yourself, or us." Harry looked at her sternly again.
Rose sighed. "I'll try. I just have trouble with people that don't believe me."
"Then make him believe you. But you won't achieve that with shouting or arrogance."
"I know. I just… I don't understand. Why does he think that I am a part of the group?"
"Lagasete is a good man, Rose. But he doesn't jump to conclusions before he himself is satisfied. He is a man of principle. He is not the kind of man that lets a person get away with something just because he or she is famous or well-connected." Harry didn't say anything about how this whole battle had been a disaster for Lagasete. Rose didn't need more discouragement.
"Does he have anything against Malfoys? He seemed particularly unfriendly when I said my name."
"Hmm, I don't see why he would have, but I'll have Hermione look into it. But regardless, Rose, please. Be respectful. This is not going to be solved in a day. I know this must be painful for you and I wish I could make it better. For now, just know that we are working on this. Do your part well, and we may be able to solve this."
Rose didn't know how she felt after Harry left. There were so many conflicting feelings, from the good news about Scorpius to the very real issue of her own imprisonment. But Harry was right. She needed to focus on here and now. Scorpius and her feeling of guilt towards Thomas and her family could wait. The interrogation tomorrow was the important thing. She started thinking about it like she had with Scorpius' trial. All the different scenarios that could come up. What she would answer on different questions. She focused on that. When she sat still, her chain was not a problem. She refused to focus on it.