January 24, 1945
Sunday Night
"Save it until we're home in the evening if you would," Elaine said to him, one of her cool hands coming to rest upon one of his. "Your mood need not decline so early in the evening, least of all while we're together as was intended and only hours before I meet my grandmother. Speaking of which, Corene, why don't you tell us about her? I'm sure there's much you could offer me in the way of what to say and to avoid saying."
Corene cocked her head at Elaine and, in a moment that wasn't extremely like the girl, he saw some level of curiosity come through her typically stoic face. "You're not going to say or take any action that would see me in an unfavourable position?"
Before Elaine could respond, Harry did. Both of the lists Corene had given him were already in his pants' pockets with a self-made promise to read them in the evening as Elaine suggested, as the girl was right. It wouldn't do him any good to get distracted. "There'll be no punishments of any kind for you. Had you wanted to keep it a secret indefinitely, you could have. Elaine and I spoke, she just wants to get to know her new family, considering your parents are now her aunt and uncle."
"They're unaware of that fact," Corene said unblinkingly, her eyes focused purely on Harry with only the occasional, brief flicker over to Elaine despite the topic at hand. "Our grandmother did her best to hide away her ancestry on account of threats of violence and ill-treatment at the hands of her family. Should you like to tell them after you meet her, I imagine she'll allow it if only with a few requests, so that it could be done in her way."
"Is she where the both of you get your seriousness amongst other traits from, then?" Harry asked, genuinely curious if the older woman would be a more mature, more dangerous version of the two girls in front of him. If that were the case, he didn't see himself surviving in the presence of all three of them for all that long.
"You will find out very shortly what personality traits we inherit from her, the physical ones will be too varied between ages for that to be readily apparent," Corene answered, entirely serious and not picking up on the lighter tone that he'd used; it wasn't all that surprising, though he had hoped the mood would be a touch lighter - far lighter - than it currently was.
"You mentioned all of these openings, Ministry-wise that is, but you've yet to mention the whispers of a new bill that could potentially reach the Wizengamot in the coming months. Tell me, Corene, what does your father believe will happen to it and do speak in-depth, I'd very much like to see it failed before it reaches the chamber," Elaine inquired, suddenly having shifted gears to one that was far more political and official-sounding after only having spoken about her previously unknown nan for all of a few minutes if that.
"You mean the Muggleborn bill?" Corene asked, her head cocked to the other side - her right - now.
Elaine nodded whilst Harry observed the two young women; Corene seemed to favour her right side for negative or neutral emotions and the left for positive ones, or so he thought. The odds were very high that he wasn't remotely correct, but that was about all he could read based on the girl's expressions and body language, Merlin, did he hope that she would eventually let that less-controlled side of her out more often.
As for Elaine, she was sitting in a perfect, prim posture that seemed to show her newly given authority as an advisor in the Minister's office. Had he never seen her before, she would have looked born for that specific role and as it was currently, she looked far more formal than he'd seen in a very long time.
"That would be the one, yes," Elaine answered, her legs crossing as she leaned forward a tad further in her seat. "Tell me all that you know about it; which families support the bill, who amongst the Wizengamot would like to sponsor it and who would second it, the likeliness that it reaches the chamber and should that happen, the chance for it to pass or rally enough public support that discontent begins to spread. It wouldn't do if my and Harry's advancement came at a time when a Civil War or mass protests caused strife in our world. Not after we worked so hard to achieve peace, a peace that I would argue was far too costly with how many undesirables we still have within our country."
Nope, it wouldn't do at all if people were allowed to ask for better living conditions and the right to qualify for every position, Harry agreed, rolling his eyes but allowing the conversation to continue on account of his own curiosity, This could be the start to the anti-Muggleborn hate that was taking place during my original time or it could be something that was never given the time of day back in the past.
"Nearly twenty per cent of Wizengamot families support the passing and enforcement of this bill, last I recall from when my father spoke about it. That statistic should not be taken as if it were Merlin's word himself, though I do believe it's in the general range of ten to twenty per cent, with the latter being the peak," Corene paused and began to dig through a satchel that was at her side, seemingly interested in gathering notes before she spoke. He didn't mind, not when it gave him extra time to speak with Elaine and think.
"Elaine?" Harry asked, Corene's ears twitching ever so slightly like that of a cat or dog when they swivelled to track a conversation.
"Yes, my love?" Elaine asked as she turned partially to face him whilst keeping an eye on Corene, an apparent lack of trust visible in her actions that had never before been all that constant previously. "Are you curious about the bill too, or is that curiosity stemming from the fact that I hadn't brought it up to you or the Minister's Chief Advisor whilst we were meeting with him?"
"I wouldn't expect you to bring it up to him after we, well, ascertained that our positions would be higher up than he or the Minister had initially wanted to give… speaking of that, isn't it a bit curious that the Minister's set to leave now that war's over? I mean, why even both offering us any form of power if you're just going to abandon ship a month or two later - I still don't get it, but what I was going for in the first place was why the bill's so important? Muggleborn are treated fine right now, even if Purebloods do hold most of the higher offices and wealth," Harry knew that his final remark truly conveyed the injustice of the current government, but that was how all old countries worked, wasn't it?
Elaine didn't seem too keen to discuss it based on the way she bit her bottom lip and rolled her neck ever so slightly, one small cracking noise reaching his ears from her effort. She even glanced over to Corene in the hopes of the other girl finishing up her note-gathering, but that wasn't to be and so she turned back to Harry with her nose elevated ever so slightly. "You'll hold your questions and comments until after I've finished, lest we end up arguing with one another in front of my family."
Didn't take her very long to use the family card at all, did it?
"Go on then," Harry said, nearly rolling his eyes but settling on motioning to her to speak as he leaned back in his seat. He knew he would want to remain seated and comfortable for the likely shite that was about to come out of her mouth.
When he thought that, Elaine narrowed her eyes at him if only barely but there was no comment made. All she did was start her speaking, her tone deeper and as business-like as it ever was when more formal or political actions were being discussed.
"The Muggleborn currently hold three positions of intermediate political power or higher and none of those work within the Ministry. Halfbloods make up nearly half and the Purebloods, the other half. It's that way for a reason, as those with Muggle parentage aren't aware of our traditions or culture enough to ensure their security, so why should we risk those core values for their sake?" Elaine shook her head at the same time her upper lip twitched in what he assumed to be an uncontrolled visual of annoyance or some other form of discontent. "Beyond that, they seldom have the magical power or knowledge enough of our inner-workings to deserve or qualify for any such positions. That isn't to say it's impossible for them to rise above their ignorance, only that it's very unlikely, hence the reason we shouldn't impose hiring measures or anything along those lines for them. The bill is meant to do just that, only they're not using it to counter-act anything, rather, they're trying to encourage their highering to fill the Ministry as quick as possible instead of using effective staff. I hope you understand at least a portion of what the bill is and why it's not going to improve anything now that I've spoken the truth of it."
"It's purely for the sake of highering people that aren't suitably qualfied?" Harry asked now that she was finished, wanting to hear those exact words from her.
"I would say that sums it up well enough, though the exact wording won't say as much. Regardless, the bill isn't likely to pass even with the large number of wounded or otherwise unable to attend Wizengamot members - the bill that prevented the conscription or enlisting of Purebloods of note assured that the future remains the same, if not slightly more conservative culturally on account of the Muggleborn and Halfbloods making up the bulk of the Ministry forces," Elaine had a smile about her when she said those words, as if the thought of the Muggleborn and Halfbloods being removed whilst protecting the Magical Society was something that wasn't too horrible a happening in her opinion.
He understood her dislike for them and what she perceived them as being responsible for ran deep, he also recognised that she had changed heavily in the past year from the first year that he had known her. Thus, it was his hope that he could temper those darker thoughts and desires of hers so that he could replace them with empathy, affection or at the very least, light dislikes instead of hatred. It would be far harder to do just that, as he'd just figured out.
There was a pop, louder than most that were caused by a house-elf and then, right beside Corene, was one of the oldest house-elves Harry had ever thought he'd seen. The creature was half a head taller than the rest, it wore an old-styled uniform the likes of which he figured only those in Hogwarts still wore and when it spoke, there was no sign of any accent or unintelligble phrasing.
"The Mistress is ready for you, Corene," the creature said, his large beady eyes focused purely on Corene without any attention paid to Harry or Elaine. "Shall I tell her you'll be along shortly?"
Corene took a quick glance over to him and Elaine, likely for a nod or a sign in the negative and when she got nothing, she spoke back to the house-elf whilst already rising up from her seat. "Please do tell her just that. It'll take less than five minutes for us to reach her, please ensure there are drinks as well as whatever else she would like to remain comfortable, Gideon."
Gideon didn't respond to Corene's demand verbally, though the old-looking house-elf did nod his head once before he popped away. As for Corene, she didn't say or do anything that was unusual of her aside from a split-second of her hands smoothing her skirt when she stood up. Once that action was done and her hands went behind her back, grasping onto one another, she turned to speak to him and Elaine; the two had silently observed the entirety of the interaction and seemed equally curious in regards to the elf's stature.
"It is time for you to meet her," Corene said simply, her feet already carrying her to the door in an elegant, refined fashion that Harry had come to associate with the girl. It was one of the traits that she and Elaine shared, that being their love of formality and an insane amount of refinement in any and all actions. Oftentimes, Harry considered those shared traits of theirs to be incredibly maddening on account of his lack of understanding, as it made the pair incredibly difficult to understand even after having spent such a large amount of time in their presence.
"Finally," Elaine said in an almost bored tone of voice as she quickly rose to her feet, the quickness betraying some sense of eagerness despite her even-sounding voice and the words that followed shortly thereafter. "I had thought it would be a lot quicker than it's been - you said there's nothing I need to know in relation to our grandmother, cousin, but won't you give me a name that she prefers? Anything at all would be appreciated and very welcome, it may very well help your own ambitions too, now that I've woven my way into the Ministry."
Woven isn't really the right word, more like they begged us to be good press and ended up getting screwed by what we got out of them, Harry thought quietly, still attempting to come to terms with his new position as a direct assistant to Director McMacson and his friend, Urban Maxis.
"Be respectful, patient and if I may, please ensure that you pay attention to her social queues rather than your own. Grandma gets very cross if she's interrupted or somebody speaks out of turn," Corene offered, cracking ever so slightly at the mention of her ambitions being furthered; he would speak to her in private in regards to those ambitions too, as he didn't know what they were beyond the many agreements their families had made in recent times.
If they were anything horrible, such as the removal of Muggleborns or their permanent placement at the bottom of the social pyramid, he would have to work with her on those issues the same as Elaine. Truthfully, however, Harry figured they were more in-line with what made her seek out Elaine in the first place; power. Reinhard wanted the chance to fight and better himself at doing just that, Aster wanted to stay by his best mate's side and Corene wanted knowledge of any and all types. It didn't seem to matter to the girl if that knowledge was magical, political or for something as basic as survival so long as the knowledge she received was beneficial in some practical way.
"Say, Corene, you're not interested in anything Auror-like, are you?" Harry asked, pulling the conversation to a field he enjoyed while at the same time steering the aforementioned girl away from any more Elaine-given questions.
"Auror work is not something I would enjoy, it is heavily physical and relies on fast-paced decision-making instead of any form of ingrained, automatic actions," Corene responded, blinking her dark eyes at him as her head cocked itself to the right, a curious look on her face with a small, barely perceivable and passable smile. "I am pleased to be offered the position and equally as happy to know that you think the position is one that I am capable of holding. Should you be interested in learning what area of the Ministry I would most prefer to work in, I would tell you whilst we talk to our grandmother."
Elaine spoke up before Harry could, her hand tightening around his as her eyes flickered between he and Corene. "Corene would most prefer to work as the Chief Unspeakable in the Department of Secrets or as an independent, contracted aid in the research and creation of new magics or potions. The latter would grant her more freedom whilst the former would give her unlimited access to centuries worth of research in any and all fields deemed dangerous enough that the information has remained private."
"Is that right?" Harry asked appraisingly as he looked between Elaine - of whom was wearing an expression of knowing and smugness - as well as Corene, who looked as surprised as was possible or normal of her in such circumstances. "You really want to know as much as you can, huh?"
"That's correct. Knowledge is the key to power and whilst my ambitions in politics are limited, my friendships are not. Any form of friendship whilst I hold a remotely powerful position, would require that I give as equally as I take and as such, the easiest, least cost-heavy way to do so, is by giving said persons whatever they'd like in return for getting what I would like," Corene nodded towards the door that they were fast-approaching once she answered his question. "Here, at last, we arrive to the room in which our grandmother occupies. Harry, it would be for the best if you were exceedingly cautious with your choice of words whilst in her presence and Elaine, if I might make one suggestion, I would tell you to avoid bringing up specific members of the Gaunt family."
"She's not very fond of the family as a whole, or just the recent members therein? I'm certainly in agreeance with her if it's the latter," Elaine stated with a dry lock shot over to Corene, clearly unimpressed with what little family from House Gaunt she had met.
"The latter would be a good assumption to make, no-" Corene was interrupted with the sudden appearance of her typical house-elf and unlike how he usually acted when conveying information her father wished for her to know, he looked mighty nervous… for a house-elf. "What is it?"
The little house-elf looked at Harry and Elaine nervously, but when Corene cocked her head to the left and made a hand motion, the little thing spoke. His tone was normal, unlike his appearance, but the words were ones that Harry had hoped not to hear, least of all so soon after that large scale final battle. "The Master wanted to let you know that there was an attack, missus Lady Corene."
"Details," Corene said, tapping on the wooden frame of the door they had come to a dead halt in-front of and likely annoying her and Elaine's grandmother in the process.
"It was two men of unknown origins that were doing the attacking. They were in the bottom of a business, the master believes it was the Head Hog, but they attacked the ones repairing and rescuing it, Missus Corene. Four dead and more hurt, many more, the master wants to restrict you from continuing on at Hogwarts and thinks he can enforce that you pass without attending your final year," the house-elf said, wringing his hands before the three of them in a way that seemed normal amongst the small race of worry-worts.
Corene shifted her weight to one side, her right hip sticking out as she brought a hand to her head in thought. There was silence, Elaine looking equally as lost in her thoughts whilst Harry knew a majority of those were likely schemes for more power to go her way. Eventually, Corene responded by thanking him and bidding that the house-elf return with more information if possible, then she turned towards the two of them and away from the door.
"You two will be needed for an interview within the confines and safety of the Ministry within the day on account of the deal you made with the Minister's Chief Advisor," Corene stated, her words not remotely a question or suggestion. "With Grindelwald confirmed killed by Harry's hand, it is likely that they'll attempt to lure out any remaining followers by using your persons. Suggestion, keep your hairs close and any other form of detachable pieces of your person equally as close, lest you get impersonated by a proficient enough potioneer."
"Isn't the Ministry able to detect such simple potions and magic?" Elaine questioned as she visibly rolled her eyes as if she were bothered by Corene's suggestion. "I imagine those two were killed not too long after they attacked the rescue workers sent by the Ministry. If not, they'll likely never see the light of day again, not with the many wards and wands currently patrolling the village - none holding out could hope to avoid escape."
Harry wasn't too fond of that sort of thinking, so he made his own suggestion. "If that Chief Advisor was serious, I think I'll head to the Ministry after this meeting with your grandmothers. I'd like to help the Aurors to the best of my abilities and it doesn't look like Hogwarts will be resumed until everything is far safer than it currently is. Ah, right, Corene - how many Aurors are still up and functioning in the Ministry?"
"Last I recall, the number was around one-hundred and fifty-four, give or take six based on unknown factors the likes of which proved too difficult to surpass on my part," Corene answered almost automatically, just as she'd stated earlier.
That number is higher than the entire force was during my time, but that makes sense, doesn't it? They recruited hundreds of people right before Grindelwald invaded and afterward, hundreds more. The population being nearly four times as high is probably a small contributing factor too…
"Surprised?" Elaine asked with a snort as her other hand which was previously free came to rest on his closer shoulder whilst the other still held onto his hand with an intensity that was normal of her, even with her less jealous attitude. "To think you were put into such a high position in such an informal way and by a man who isn't supposed to do so without the Minister's express permission given in person. We're the epitome of a perfect saviour couple and our friends are equally as impervious to the likes of Grindelwald and others who would see our homeland wounded."
"There will be no others. The two Dark Wizards on the rise in the other parts of the worlds have been removed from power, one via an assassination and the other imprisoned by his own son, never again to breathe in the free air," Corene interjected in Elaine's favour, seemingly equally as pleased with the lack of competition as Elaine was.
"Wicked," Harry said, letting the silence linger for a few seconds before he nodded towards the door. "Are we going in to speak with her now, or are we going to make your nan wait even longer for the lot of us?"
"No," Said a fourth voice from beyond the door. "The Peverell Heir will not join my air."
Elaine visibly bristled at the old woman's voice, the one that belonged to a person she likely thought had abandoned her and her entire family for seemingly no good reason. At least, not one that she had heard or agreed with yet. "You claim that you'd like to speak with me, but you won't allow my fiance to join our conversation, grandmother ? I was so eager to learn from you, but now, it seems as if this meeting may very well be for nought if my other half isn't permitted."
"Unfair or fair, there is a fare and it remains unpaid today. When your wholeness resides in two nought but two places wide, access will be granted. Another time, lest you wish to trade your seat, granddaughter," the old voice responded, the rhymes and riddles annoying Harry beyond belief.
Before Elaine could respond again, this time angrier, he gently rubbed the back of her hand and urged her forward, towards the door that Corene was stood directly in front of. "Go on," he said to Elaine, smiling at her. "I'll go about working on the Ministry while you're here and if anything happens, you'll be the first to know, I promise."
Elaine didn't look remotely pleased, but she nodded once, her eyes narrowed and headed albeit slowly towards the door. Not long after, she and Corene vanished within the darkness of the room and he was left in the flickering torchlight of one of Carrow Castle's long, empty halls. The brisk of the cold outdoors was welcome, the lack of sleep the previous night had gotten to him for even with Elaine's presence, nightmares were bound to happen. They were all that he saw when he closed his eyes; bodies of youths and adults alike, strewn about on the ground. Dumbledore's corpse, was sickly looking and crippled.
Harry shook his head, swallowed and rhythmically began to clench and unclench his fists as he headed back whence he came. It wasn't time to deal with those issues yet. They were far too fresh and the violence wasn't even over. Who knew how many of Grindelwald's followers, actual or ideological, were around?
Merlin, to think he would have to the help the Auror's office of this time with an anti-Grindelwald campaign while he dated a more politically focused, equally crazy female version of his time's Voldemort. He reckoned if this really ended up being real and he wasn't in some sort of Saint Mungos recovery wing, he'd have quite the story to tell his mate's in the afterlife.
January 24, 1945
Sunday Late Night
When Harry arrived in the atrium of the Ministry, what he saw wasn't remotely what he'd expected so late in the evening despite his earlier recognition of the population difference; there were potentially one-hundred people going about various tasks and assignments. Two dozen and some change seemed like foreigners, likely French and American Aurors that had come to support their allies against Grindelwald's legions whilst the rest seemed like Commonwealth members.
There were Canadians, Indians, Pakistani, Australians, South Africans and even those who came from other colonies at the time, like Egypt or Chad. All of them shared tables or meals with one another, the lot of them all showing brotherly love the likes of which his time seemed to lack. It was a wicked thing to see and had he not been where he currently was for business, he would have loved the chance to join the larger groups of them for the sake of a decent conversation or ten. If they were still milling about by the time he returned, should anyone of note be in the Auror office to begin with, then he would surely appreciate the chance to speak with them. As it was, however… he had a place to be.
Harry walked on up to the atrium where an older woman was sat behind a desk, gave her his best smile and a small cough so that she saw him, then he spoke. "Hello, I'm here to speak with the Director of Magical Law Enforcement or the Head Auror, if either of them are in."
The woman looked up from her desk and squinted her eyes at him. One second, two seconds, thr- she widened her eyes almost comically so and swallowed nothing, one of her hands visibly shaking ever so slightly as she opened her mouth to speak. "Mister Peverell!" she said quickly, her voice catching on itself before she regained composure after nearly five seconds of flailing about in her words, "Mister Peverell, we, you weren't expected for quite some time… sir. Congratulations on your assignment as the Deputy Director, we were all told ahead of time before tomorrow's paper went out. Right! Your request, sorry, yes I can take you to where those two men are, they sleep here thanks to how busy it is nowadays, but you'll probably be able to fix that if you managed to kill the Dark Lord."
"It wasn't just me, and thank you," Harry responded, a small smile on his face as he looked the older woman up and down appraisingly. "Does everybody know about my new position too, or just a few people? I'm hoping to figure out if I should be exceedingly careful before the announcement or if it's pretty common knowledge by now."
"Oh the rumour mills have been in a frenzy ever since your visit with the Gaunt woman earlier in the day. The Chief Advisor let it slip to his secretary and she told her husband, who told his friends and before long, it became something everybody was speaking about. The Prophet's already planning on running an article tomorrow, specifically mentioning you and your wife-to-be. Everybody seems much more certain all of a sudden, so thank you!" the woman then nodded towards an old-timey elevator and within seconds, the two of them had raced over to it with her hand flicking a button that most certainly wasn't the one he would have picked.
"Anything I should know before tomorrow's announcement then? You seem like a good person to know," Harry said politely, smiling again at the older woman when she turned to look at him in what could only be described as pure awe despite their twenty or so year age difference.
The woman, who finally identified herself as Catlin Villy, shook her head. "There's been almost no news aside from death announcements or people retiring now that the war's over. You and Miss Gaunt being brought into the Ministry is already doing us wonders though, let me tell you. People feel safe knowing that you're involved - who would have thought two Hogwarts students would kill a Dark Lord?"
Harry was too stunned by her lack of mentioning Dumbledore to respond. He was certain that he and Elaine each had mentioned Dumbledore's role in the fight, especially as it'd been an especially large one, yet she made no mention of the old man. Had he felt bolder at that moment, he would have asked her why there were no words regarding his former Headmaster, but he let it go. One personal opinion didn't mean the collective magical community thought as she did and Professor Dumbledore… Harry didn't think the man would care who it was that went down in history so long as there was a history to teach in the first place.
That wouldn't have been possible without the efforts of Elaine and him, Merlin, there was still a chance that it could all blow up. There were thousands of dead and injured thanks to the entirety of Grindelwald's campaign. Tens of thousands of Muggles were killed too, but their numbers would regenerate far quicker and with far fewer problems than the magical communities would.
"Would you like a coffee brought up to you, dear? I'm sure the kitchen is still up and running, it always is," Catlin said to him, the older woman looking at him with concern in her eyes as the elevator continued its fast-paced shooting about on the way to the Auror's office.
"No, thank you. I should be fine, it's just been a busy few weeks, hasn't it?" Harry responded with a smile, one that didn't make him feel internally happy or light despite his attempt to convince the woman before him that those very emotions were running within him. "Did you hear about what happened at Hogsmeade? I'm sure somebody with your experience probably hears a hundred things a day and forgets none of them."
I feel dirty using Elaine's charming smile and seductive phrasing, but I reckon this is the best I can do if I don't want to waste too much time gathering information, Harry thought to himself as he noticed another bit of Elaine's influence creeping in on his daily life.
"I heard there was an attack, if you can believe that!" Catlin said loudly, her eyes wide as she looked around despite the lack of hiding places for people to utilise. "People said there were ten dead and thrice as many injured, but who knows? Grindelwald - they say it was his followers responsible - would have ordered all of his people to continue on with his plans, wouldn't he? Fanatics don't surrender, not so long as there's a goal they think is reachable."
Harry… didn't disagree with the woman's words, actually. She made a lot of sense, a surprising amount considering her earlier ignorance. Whilst that made him respect her and elevate the place he'd initially placed her in his mind, it also made him feel another emotion; worry. If she were right and Grindelwald had issued an order such as that to his most fanatic followers, would attacks continue and would Harry himself remain a target?
Should that be the case, there would be no true sense of security or safety so long as he was in the public's eye. Elaine, his friends and even those he would eventually develop a working relationship with, none of them would be safe so long as Grindelwald had even one of his most loyal followers left alive and free. They would all have to be imprisoned or killed, there was no other way.
"It's mad, isn't it?" Harry asked, shaking his head and looking anywhere but at the woman as he repeatedly flexed various muscles across his body and yawned repeatedly. The actions were controlled to an extent, but he could feel the creeping sensation of an incoming attack of some kind. Not the violent type of attack, but one that would leave him feeling as if he'd just had a heart attack, as the Muggles called it; his throat would feel tight, his chest would be painful and his mind wouldn't be able to focus.
"Mad's one way to put it. I think sad's another way, one that's more fitting. People let their hate consume them so much that they're willing to be blinded by what they'd like to see and once that happens, there's almost no getting through to them. It'll be their death, yours, or an innocent not even remotely involved. That's how war always starts, dearie - here's your stop, please send for me if you need any assistance or have some questions," Catlin then motioned towards the elevator doors that were just opening up, a smile on her face as she curtsied and pressed another button, likely one that returned her to her desk.
Harry wanted to ask her more, so much more, especially after those wise words that further elevated her in his mind, but he wasn't affored the opportunity. Instead, she was off and he was left in the entrance of the Auror's wing. It was far larger than people often said it was back in his time, but that could very well be an actual difference. If the Auror Corps had nearly one-thousand employees at the start of the war, it certainly needed a lot more space than the one-hundred or so his time had, didn't it?
"Deputy Director," said a voice as he stepped through a set of doors that brought him into a grand room maybe a third of the size of the Ministry's atrium. "My name is Junior Auror Levit and I'm the sole administrator on duty this evening. Can I help you with anything, sir?"
Instantly, Harry waved his hand at the person and shook his head. "No need for the sir when we're not in a truly formal setting, Harry or Pev work just fine. As for helping me, I'd like a tour of my office and afterwards, I'd like to head on over to the Director and Head Auror. They're likely together, unless I've been led to believe incorrect reports regarding their close friendship."
The Junior Auror, a boy about Harry's age if slightly older, shook his head. "No, uh, Harry. The two are best friends, they rose up the ranks together from what I heard and the Head Auror, he isn't exactly fond of the political stuff so he opted to remain in his current post. They're expecting you a few days from now, s- Harry, so I'm sure having you join them tonight will be a welcome surprise."
"Wicked," Harry said with a grin as he nodded towards the largest set of doors. "Is this us, or are we someplace else?"
The Junior Auror stood up and placed a sign on his desk that spoke of a fifteen-minute lunch break, there was even a bell that he left at the desk in the event of an emergency. Once that was done as quickly as the young man could manage it, he was at Harry's side and moving towards the door in large, quick strides. "This is us. It's pretty empty right now, the battle cost a lot of our manpower and the new class isn't half as ready as they think they are. You said your office, then you want to be brought over to the Director and Head Auror, right?"
Not one to waste time, Harry simply nodded and thus the two walked past a random Auror or team of Aurors until they found themselves at the furthest possible point from the initial entrance. Harry would give the Ministry credit for putting the higher-ups on opposite sides of the room whilst keeping them far from the entrance in the event of an attack, though if he were honest, he wasn't sure if that was the intended purpose on account of how stupid the Ministry and Magical world at large could be.
"Sorry for the long walk and dozens of crates," Levit said with a bit of a nervous chuckle as he did a Harry signature move and rubbed at the back of his neck. "All of these belongings needed to be packed and returned to the fallen's families, but we don't have enough spare time or people to get the moving part done with. This big door with the, well, 'Deputy Director' sign on it is yours. It's a bit bigger than it looks and the person who held the post before you was sure to make it as up-to-date and comfortable as possible. He spent a lot of time here before the final battle, when he was planning what essentially came to be the entire war effort."
Harry was certain then that he picked up some level of animosity from the other young man, but he could just as easily detect that it wasn't directed at him. It was likely sent towards the Ministry or the Minister himself, as the late preparations meant the Auror force wasn't totally ready, even if it was in a far better position than it was one year earlier.
"Thanks, Levit. I'm guessing the Director's already taken everything he's wanted out of the office, or should I leave stuff where it's at instead of meddling about?" Harry asked, changing the topic and steering it away from discussing the Minister whilst they were in the Ministry, lest word gets out despite the lack of visible people near them.
"I think the Director has already taken everything that he wanted. If I'm not mistaken, he actually left a fair few documents for you to personally review so that he doesn't have to catch you up in long meetings that would waste your time and his. There should be a key that you can get from him to access those papers," Levit pushed on the entrance to Harry's office then and the door opened to reveal a rather average size room with a small desk and many a file cabinet near it. "That's not your desk, that's the one that belongs to your secretary. You'll be given two like the last Deputy Director was, but if I can ask this of you, please don't have me do it - I was meant for the field, not all this quill-pushing."
"Are we supposed to pick two Aurors of our own or can the hires be non-Aurors? I don't imagine it's very wise to use trained Aurors as people who do nothing more than sit at a desk, though I wouldn't be surprised if that were the case currently on account of the many staffing issues," Harry nodded towards a whole empty wing with a sign that said it was temporarily closed down, there were a couple of those that likely expanded into offices and barracks, portions that likely had been sealed off in his time.
"I don't think the Director or the people above him care so long as your job is getting done and you aren't burnt out. Sorry to do this to you too, Deputy Director Peverell, but I really should be headed back to my desk before I'm missing. If you need anything, look for Linda or Joseph, either of those two should be able to help you out and they sit in the main office nearest to the door. You've already been shown where the Director's office is, so I'm guessing you won't need my help to find your way in," Levit waited for a nod from Harry, which was very quickly given, and then the young man was off in the direction of the entrance.
Well, this isn't half as bad as I thought it would be, but Merlin, there are so many empty desks and shut-down portions of the Auror Corps. How in the name of magic are we supposed to make sure the country stays safe from Grindelwald's fanatics if we don't have even a fifth of what they originally did?
"Deputy Director, sir," came another youthful-sounding voice, this time from his right. "The Director would like to see you now that you're here. He says I'm to get you coffee, food, whatever you'd like on account of your first meeting likely taking over three to four hours… should I show you the way and could I please have your order?"
Harry shook his head respectfully. "I was just pointed in the right direction, not more than a minute ago, but I'd definitely fancy a cup of coffee, please. Especially if these meetings are meant to last a few hours at the least - I didn't catch your name either. I'm Harry Peverell, and you are?"
The youthful woman in front of him dipped her head, her hair falling slightly before her face before she raised it again with a blush-heavy smile. "I'm Marelia. Our families are very distantly related, not that you'd probably know or care about that but it's really cool for us to be related to a war hero like yourself. Oh, I'm an Auror by the way. I was at the battle, I saw the Dark Lord and you standing near him. You're already a legend around here."
From that one question he had asked, the young woman went off on a tirade speaking about the war and his part in it amongst other things whilst they walked to the office together, the girl having invited herself; they discussed her family, the battle even though he didn't care to speak all that much about it, the Auror Corps, the Ministry and the recent problems that the Ministry was keeping tucked away so that the general public wouldn't get into a frenzied panic. The girl was remarkably helpful if a bit too energetic and bold with how she spoke.
Harry shook his head and looked after the girl who had just left him one more time, then, he knocked on the door and awaited the response from those within. It didn't take more than a few seconds before he heard the familiar voice of McMacson, albeit in a form that sounded more stressed out and far less outgoing than it previously had. Still, Harry couldn't blame him on account of everything that had happened and he entered, dipping his head respectfully as quickly as he could.
Now inside the room, he saw the two older men, one of which was very gruff-looking with a leather jacket as well as other Muggle-styled clothing on whilst McMacson wore robes of high quality with ornate pieces strewn about. In other words, the latter man that he was familiar with looked every bit the politician whilst the other man, the one he assumed to be the Head Auror, looked like a fighter through and through. It made sense now why that man refused to climb the latter, as he looked nowhere near the type of person who enjoyed or would wish to engage in politics whilst Harry was, even if the choice wasn't exactly his own.
"Director McMacson," Harry said with a smile as he walked over to the man with a purpose, his hand stuck out once he was close enough to do so respectfully. "It's good to see you in good health again, I had heard you were fairly injured towards the tail end of the battle."
McMacson grinned at him and flexed his left arm. "I knew I'd see you again, I'm pretty sure I said as much back when you were in Hogwarts meeting with Horace too. It's good to see you again, it's even better to see that you've made quite a few friends and a solid reputation. I'm fine too, thank you for asking - more than aware enough to realise you'll be playing a pretty important role in the months to come. Tell me, how much did your friends share with you about what's been happening behind the scenes, mate?"
"Are you talking about the Grindelwald holdouts, the potential for more attacks or the Minister resigning soon?" Harry asked with a small grin of his own on his face as he sat down beside the Head Auror after a nod to do so from Director McMacson. "If it's anything else, I'm afraid I don't know about it. Or rather, I suppose I didn't know about it since you're probably about to tell me, isn't that right?"
"Perfectly so," McMacson agreed as he settled into his own seat and motioned with one hand towards the Head Auror, who huffed and turned towards Harry.
"Alright lad, here's the rundown since Mac's too lazy a shite to do it himself; Grindelwald currently has anywhere from three-hundred to five-hundred followers unaccounted for and whilst that isn't horribly high, especially since a good amount have likely fled elsewhere in the world, we can assume at least half of that number have stayed in our country to wreak havoc and continue towards his ultimate goal of arrival, though we're not entirely sure what it is," The Head Auror, Urban Maxis, then tossed a folder into Harry's lap. "Inside are their identities, last locations if applicable and the single way for us to reach our contact, YC. Only the three of us are aware of these specific details whilst a lot of the Ministry is aware of some form of organised terror group spreading out into the country."
Harry nodded and with that being the ending to the opening portion of the conversation, he began to think deeply about what he'd just learned whilst the other two men spoke again, this time about a roster. He was suddenly reminded about his own, the one that still was in his pocket that he would go over when he returned ho-
"I never asked you, but I'm curious," McMacson said to Harry, rousing the younger boy from his thoughts. "How exactly did you go from a Hogwarts student straight into Deputy Director? I know you and your girl took out Grindelwald, you're set to receive all sorts of accolades for doing so, but that's a hefty jump, isn't it?"
It definitely is.