Called to Action

"Damn!" Williamson spits under his breath. "See any more?"

I scan the side of the room I'm closest to carefully, seeing only what appears to be a few moaning customers on the floor and a few others coming out of hiding. Must be they don't feel threatened any more coming out like that - unless just us being here is making them feel more sure of themselves. Wish I felt that way.

"No," I say, "not over here. You?"

I see him narrow his eyes and tense, his wand raised, at a sudden voice and movement toward the back. But it turns out to be an older wizard who's likely had too much Firewhiskey snapping at his wife about something, then promptly forgetting what.

"No, I guess not," Willie says. "Right then - so it looks like we're pretty much clear, but - what do we do next?"

I try not to roll my eyes too obviously. "Walk the perimeter of the room."

"Right," he says. "I'll take this side. Don’t forget your checks."

I sigh and start off, working my way through the overturned tables and helping a few people from the floor who were yet to get up. I walk close to the walls so that nothing or no one could slip through unnoticed. Once in a while I follow his progress through the other side of the room in case he manages to scare up another Death Eater in his travels. But no matter - we end up at the far end of the room with nothing to show but a lot of scared patrons, broken glass, and furniture.

"No obvious signs of specific Death Eaters, nothing left behind on the floor, no telltale markings...?" he asks.

No calling cards with printed names and addresses... "No, nothing like that. All clear. But we know the leader was Bellatrix Lestrange. I wouldn't have even had to see her face all I need is to hear that laugh to know."

Williamson's looking at me oddly. "Hmm. What do you know, Weasley. You've really done your homework on her, haven't you? Those files really can be helpful in sighting our wanteds on the street."

"What files?" I ask. "The bitch ripped apart my cottage and tried to kill my wife and me - and she damn near succeeded. Hell, the best broom I ever had's still a mess because of her. I don't need files with a lot of those bastards. I've got up close and personal to get me by."

My so-called partner tips his head to the side a bit and peers at me closely as if I'm trying to play some lying name-dropper game with him or something. Something like he'd do. He's also trying to act like he doesn't care, which he probably does. I’m sure he could use a story like that to wow all the witches he brags about bedding all the time.

"I'll be looking for evidence, Weasley - a more careful and meticulous scan than we made just now," he says. "It takes a seasoned eye to be able to know exactly the sort of evidence we might be able to tie to a certain individual and prompt a warrant for their arrest." He looks around the front again. "There - that gentleman up there - the one that I believe is still on the floor. He's the son of Lucius Malfoy, but the bloke claims he's out to make a respectable living. He's owner of this club. You'll need to go interview him regarding what happened here tonight."

It takes me a second or two to catch up to what he's assigned me to. "Erm , what? I’ll what? You want me to interview Malfoy?"

He looks at me like I'm daft. "Yes. You have some problem with that?"

"Well, no, not usually - I mean, not with anyone else, but - " I wonder if I should give him the satisfaction, but I'm a little afraid of what might happen otherwise. "I, erm, well you see, Malfoy and I have something of...a past."

"A past? You mean you know him? Hey, that's even better. He's likely to speak more openly with you then-" Willie says.

"Uh...no," I interrupt. "He's likely to tell me to f-…well, this past we had - not a good one. I promise you. Come on - why don't I start out on evidence, you can take over and tell me everything I did wrong - you'd love that, right? Then when you're done with Malfoy, I'll take over interviewing anyone else you want in here. Anyone!"

"Look - if you're going to do this job, you'll have to learn to ignore whatever happened in the past with anyone, be it good or bad. You're on interviews. Simple as that." And with that, the git turns and walks away, incanting "Lumos Maximus" and starting to search the floor.

Bloody hell. It'd have to be Malfoy. Of all the prats in the bloody world, it'd have to be...him. I sigh and walk back to the front of the room where Malfoy's still laid out on the floor lying in some witch's lap - probably Pansy Parkinson. Looks like she’s dabbing at his face with what looks like a cloth napkin from the restaurant. Leaning over Ferret Boy at first and then standing is another figure that I sorta recognize, but I can tell it's someone I haven’t seen for a while...

He turns in the dim light and the pasty whiteness of his face against the shiny, greasy black of his hair clues me in immediately. Snape... Damn, could I get any luckier? It really must be Halloween - all the ghouls are out tonight.

Reaching into my robe pocket, I take out the minimized parchment roll and wave my wand over it with an Engorgio. I also cast a stiffening spell on the part I'll use so that I won't need to write on a table and can hold it in my hand. Then I trudge my way back to the front of the club toward at least two people I'd really rather be walking away from.

I step up to see Malfoy still lying on the floor. Maybe he's too badly hurt for me to interview him...

" ‘Evening, ladies and gents," I say, really pushing myself to sound...relaxed about this whole thing. "Pansy...Professor..." I nod to them in turn after realizing I should at least acknowledge their presence. I don't say anything to Malfoy right off since I already know I'm stuck with talking to him for a long time. "Is everyone over here all right? Erm, Malfoy, I noticed you there on the floor. You need to go to St. Mungo's or anything? Anyone else over here?" I need to make it sound at least official, but with Malfoy, I’d sure hate to make it sound like I care.

He looks like I'm the last person he wants to see, and tries to smirk. "So, you're an Auror now?"

"No, Malfoy," I say sarcastically. "They just let me buy some pretty dark blue robes and hang around with them when they go out on attack calls. Yes, I'm an Auror now, and I'm sure you want this over with as much as I do, so let's just get it done."

"OK, Weasley," he says, matching my sarcasm. "What do you need to know?" He grimaces as he tries to sit up. FerretFace - he's probably milking this for all it's worth - I've seen it all before.

"Everything that happened, from the beginning," I say. "This will be the official report." I see Snape ready to chime in with something and Pansy looking up at me expectantly. Hmmm... "...Meaning I should only get one eyewitness account at a time." They both look at me blankly, but don't move. "Meaning separately. Malfoy, reckon you could make it through this if we prop you up in a chair by yourself or something?" I try not to smirk, I swear I do. "Or does your face hurt too bad?"

He appears to think for a moment. "I expect I'll manage." He nods to Pansy and Snape. "I'll be OK." He watches as they reluctantly leave and Pansy comes back with a chair, then leaves again after helping him into it. "Funny thing, isn't it?"

What is he on about? "Funny? What's funny?" I reach down and grab an overturned chair, setting it upright and then sitting down in it opposite the Ferret.

"Bet you never expected to be interviewing me about a Death Eater attack without carting me off to Azkaban."

He's gotta be kidding. "Take a look around you, Malfoy. You're not outta here yet. There's still time for all that. Why? Got your reservations all set up for that cell with a view?" I cough to cover the snigger that comes out all on its own, but I don't see how he coulda missed it. Yeah, that cell with a view...right next to Daddy's? In the special Malfoy wing of Azkaban??? Damn, better stop my brain now before I burst out laughing.

"Look, Weasel, I'm the victim here. Do you really think I'd be stupid enough to set up Bell over there after I just apol-" He stops short. "Never mind. You can't possibly understand what it's like to have your own business."

Yeah, knew that was coming. Somewhere in the conversation we'd get to hear about all the money the git's got. "Stupid enough? Oh yeah, got no problem thinking that. Setting up Katie Bell after you...what? What was that you were about to say?" He just sneers at me. "Hey, sorry, I need it for the record. Eyewitness account, I need to write down everything you say as part of the official record. Nothing personal about it."

"Weasley, I swear, if you tell anyone this..."

"First off, Malfoy, it's against regs for me to tell anyone." Wonder if I should...? Yeah, can't resist. "Second, you're assuming there's someone out there that'd want to know anyway. I mean," I shrug a bit, "how exciting can it be?"

He narrows his eyes at me and then mumbles as it hurts, I reckon. "I apologized to Bell, OK?"

I can't believe my ears. "You did? You? DID?" Damn, this is killing me!

I'm laughing my guts out inside and can't let it out. I want to tell him to go on, but I'm afraid that if all I do is open my mouth, some of the laughter will escape.

He glares at me. "Look, sometimes we have to do what we don't want to do. So let's get the matter at hand taken care of so I can go get these cuts bandaged, okay?"

"Never thought I'd hear you say that's all," I manage to say. "Didn't know a Malfoy ever had to do what they didn't want to do. So, how is it you set this attack up with your father? Er, I mean, what was it that happened? From the beginning."