Disclaimer:
Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling.
I own nothing but the original characters I make.
"Dialogue"
'Thoughts'
-Author notes-
Chapter 25: Agents
"Are you sure this is the boy you saw?" Veteran agent Cassius Flint was showing a picture to the barman of the Leaky Cauldron.
This picture had been created using the most recent memories provided by Dumbledore, since the Dursleys did not possess a single picture of Harry.
Agents of the Auror Department, as well as other agencies, had been sent all over London, looking for the missing boy.
These two Aurors were sent to investigate Diagon Alley and found the innkeeper still cleaning the tables, as it was still very early in the morning.
As far as Agent Cassius was concerned, the possibility of the boy coming here was near zero. From the information he had been provided with, Harry Potter was completely unaware of the wizarding world.
So when he heard the owner of the tavern claim that he had seen a boy who matched the description, he became a bit skeptical about it.
Tom leaned closer to take another look at the picture. "Aye… it was this one. But he looked dirty and was wearing some old clothes, a large bag, and was also carrying a long stick for some reason."
"How long ago was this?" A young female agent who was standing next to Agent Cassius asked the question.
Her name was Rhea Hawthorn, and she was still considered a newbie, having only been in the department for four months.
She noted a look of disapproval from her partner and supervisor, Agent Cassius, and she knew why. He always preferred to carry the questioning by himself.
"Ehm… not long ago. Perhaps thirty minutes?" Tom responded. "He looked like he hadn't eaten in a while, so I offered for him to stay and eat something, but he was in a hurry, I guess. I don't know why… the shops in the alley aren't even open yet."
"So you sent him into Diagon Alley?" Cassius asked.
"Aye. He said he was looking for something." Tom said.
"Did he say what it was?"
Tom shook his head. "No, but whatever it was, he was probably going to find it there. He sounded like a muggle-born, didn't seem to have any idea what the alley even was, so I explained a few things to him."
"Was he alone?" The female agent asked, earning another look of disapproval from her partner.
Tom nodded this time. "All alone. Which I found odd for a boy so young. Usually, someone from Hogwarts would accompany Muggle-borns during their first visit."
The two Aurors exchanged a glance.
"Cassius…"
"I know. I will inform her." The agent glanced at Tom. "Do you mind if I use your fireplace to send a message?"
"Not at all, suit yourselves," Tom said.
While Cassius went ahead, his partner, Rhea, stayed behind.
Tom turned to look at her. "Excuse me, but… can I ask something?"
"Of course, I don't know if I will be able to answer." She told him.
"It's just that, you know… when I saw that boy, he felt very familiar. Those green eyes and glasses. I was wondering wh—"
"I'm sorry, Sir. But I cannot disclose the identity of the child. Just that it is very important that we find him, as he may be in danger." She responded, sounding apologetic.
They then got startled by Agent Cassius yelling.
"What?! What do you mean, there could be someone with him? Why wasn't I infor— oh, I see. I understand, Madam Bones. We will proceed to search the alley then. Yes… understood."
The green flames vanished from the fireplace. The Auror stood up and walked back to Tom.
"Sir, I need you to confirm with me that the boy you saw came alone."
"Yes, I already told you. He was alone." Tom responded.
"What about after? Did anyone else come by shortly afterwards?"
"No. You two are the only ones I have seen after that boy came by." Tom said.
"Is there a chance that some wizard or witch could sneak into Diagon Alley with the use of an invisibility spell?" Agent Cassius asked.
Tom looked offended at the question. "Through here? Absolutely not! You think we don't have protections set in place to prevent something like that from happening? If someone sneaked into the alley, they did it from somewhere else."
"Cassius?" The female agent glanced at her partner, waiting for an explanation.
"Hawthorn, let's go. We need to investigate the alley." Cassius said in his usual serious tone before walking away.
The female agent went after him. "What did Madam Bones say? Did they see someone accompanying the boy? Could this be… a kidnapping after all?"
"Never jump to conclusions, Hawthorn. I thought I taught you this already. We follow the evidence. That is all. For now, this is just a speculation on Madam Bones' part."
"Oh… right. Sorry."
"That being said." Cassius tapped the stone wall to open the entrance. "Be ready for anything. There is a chance we may have to face a dangerous criminal."
"Y-yes, Sir!" She unconsciously grasped the wand holster on her right wrist.
When they walked into the alley, they found it completely empty.
"The shops shouldn't open for at least one more hour. But the shopkeepers will be arriving soon." Cassius said. "However, the boy came through here thirty minutes ago. Which means…"
"That no one could have seen him." She said.
"Correct, but do you remember what the innkeeper said?"
"He told the boy about the bank, right? And that he needed to exchange his muggle money to buy things from here." She recalled.
Cassius nodded. "The bank works all day and night. The boy could have gone there first."
"To Gringotts, then." Hawthorn pointed towards the bank.
Cassius shook his head. "No."
"Why not? It is the most logical place to find him."
"That is exactly why. Madam Bones had already sent more agents this way. Soon enough, there will be dozens of Aurors in the alley. If Harry Potter went to Gringotts, then they would find him safe and sound in no time."
"I don't understand… then where are we going?" She asked.
"As the first responders, we should cover the most dangerous scenario, even if it is not the most likely one." Cassius pointed towards a narrow alley ahead of them. "We are going to Knockturn Alley."
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