Chapter One

“Ooh! Here’s one. What about Snowdrop?�

Teddy Lupin turned away from the scrambled eggs he was frying on the stove top to look over his shoulder at his very pregnant, and currently very hormonal, wife as she held up yet another of the million or so colour swatches fanned out around her on the kitchen table. The so-called ‘Snowdrop’ looked just like all of the other various shades of blue she’d already shown him, and certainly not for the first time, he wondered just what in the name of Merlin they had gotten themselves into with this whole baby thing.

“I thought we’d already decided on that yellow one ... Moon Magic. Or was it Moon Mask?� He frowned, turning back to his eggs. Absently, he lowered the heat on the burners and flipped the eggs a few more times in the pan before dumping them unceremoniously onto the two plates waiting on the counter beside him.

Victoire rolled her eyes, one part amused and two parts annoyed. “Moon Mist. We discussed Moon Mist Yellow. But we hadn’t decided on anything. And now, I want to know what you think about Snowdrop Blue.�

“It’s fine. They’re all fine.� He set one plate of eggs and a cheese bagel in front of Victoire and kept the second for himself, glancing at the wall clock before hurriedly starting to eat. “Listen, can we talk about this tonight? I have to be at work in five.�

He should have known that that would be when she’d snap. Victoire was always quick-tempered and fiery – it was only one of the many things Teddy loved about her – but the last six and a half months she was even more so than usual, to the point where any misstep was liable to set her off; an active volcano constantly boiling at the mouth. Sure enough, when he next looked up, her face had turned the trademark Weasley red and her blue eyes were glaring at him treacherously.

“We are talking about our first child’s nursery, Teddy! Aren’t you even the least bit interested in that? Or do I have to do everything by myself?� Angry tears were starting to prick at the corners of her eyes and she glared forlornly down at the large bulge of her stomach and her slipper-clad feet propped up on the chair opposite. “I’m too fat for you now, is that it?� she demanded. “You’d rather someone skinny like Dominique, or ... or Roxy, right, who doesn’t imitate a penguin whenever they try to walk.�

Teddy looked at the clock again, noticing that the minute hand was becoming exceedingly close to pronouncing him late for work. Again. Bloody hell, he did not have time for this! “No,� he placated, “Victoire, of course not, you know that. I love you, I love our baby, and I would never in a thousand years rather have your sister or any of your cousins before you. But I really have to go!�

The tears dried up as quickly as they had come and Victoire sniffled once, twice, and then nodded. Teddy sighed in relief. This pregnancy was really messing with his wife’s emotional balance because before this, Victoire had hardly ever cried, and she certainly would never have lost it over something as trivial as paint for the bloody nursery.

“Sorry. I overreacted. I hate that I keep doing that.�

“Are you okay?� he asked carefully.

She nodded again and Teddy stood, taking his empty plate over to the sink and rinsing it clean. He washed his hands, retrieved his wand from the bedside table, and kissed Victoire on the forehead, taking time to smooth the flat expanse of one palm over the width of her belly in his own silent apology before he Disapparated with a loud crack into the silence.

He arrived just in time, too. No sooner had he slipped behind his cubicle desk and shuffled around a few papers in the hope of looking like he’d been there a while, then he spotted the Head of the department walking towards him, carrying a large manila folder under one arm and his customary stern frown as he approached Teddy.

“Got that file you wanted to see,� he grunted, dropping the folder on Teddy’s desk. “There.�

Allard Hammel at first glance was not the sort you would expect to see as the Head of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. He was big and muscular, with the attitude and bearing of a professional Beater, and not much suited to work behind a desk. He had huge gorilla-like arms and he never liked anybody, ever, no matter who you were. He gave everyone the exact same disapproving grimace that he’d come to Teddy’s cubicle wearing, as if he’d seen far too much real evil in the world to still be able to catch any glimpses of good. But he was smart, and quick, with a poker face that most Aurors couldn’t even crack.

“The one we talked about last week?�

“That’s the one,� Hammel replied. “Don’t see why you’d want it, though. It’s above your clearance level to read.� He snorted into one curled fist. “It’s probably not gonna help any with that draft you wanna pass, either, not that you had much chance to begin with. Nobody in their right minds would pass your bill, Lupin.�

Teddy refrained himself from the use of many colourful, sure-to-get-him-fired-on-the-spot expletives and settled for saying, “I think I’ll take my chances ... Sir,� in the politest tone he could manage.

Hammel let out a harsh, amused chuckle as he turned to leave before grimacing again. “Then good luck. You’re gonna need it,� he said as he strode off, laughing.

-

Hammel was telling the truth when he said that the file was above Teddy’s clearance level; the glowing orange band around it signified that only the very top Ministry employees were supposed to have access. But he had prepared for this, and the spell that was needed to remove the seal was simple enough once you’d seen it before.

After all, he hadn’t grown up as the all-but-adopted Weasley and Potter nephew without learning a few tricks over the years. Those who did have clearance for the orange files weren’t as careful with their secrets as they’d like to think.

He quickly undid the seal and opened the file. Skimming through, he saw all of the information he was looking for, plus more. It almost made him feel bad for requesting to see it. And if Hammel found out that he’d actually read the file he could kiss his job goodbye in an instant. He flipped to the end of the file, looking for the names he knew almost as well as his own ... and paused.

It was even worse than he thought.

“This isn’t right,� he whispered.

What he was reading couldn’t be right! It ... it just couldn’t! The situation couldn’t have gotten this out of hand; the Ministry would have done something by now if it had. But Teddy could not deny the facts that were right in front of him ... Damn it, somebody must have known about this!

He stood up so fast he knocked his chair over backwards and didn’t bother to pick it up as he sped down the aisle between adjoining cubicles. People looked up at him as he passed, and Ethan Boot actually started to rise from his chair, but Teddy ignored them. He was flat-out running by the time he reached the lifts and got on.

He pressed the button that would take him from the fourth level up to the second and glanced behind him. He was sharing the lift with a small, frazzled-looking witch who was busy commanding her Quick Quotes Quill as it scribbled furiously on a floating sheaf of parchment in front of her. A few interdepartmental memos floated lazily near the ceiling. The witch wasn’t paying Teddy any mind, but he still hugged the file closer to his chest uneasily.

A bell dinged as the lift slowed to a stop and Teddy got off, breathing a little easier. It was a bit more crowded on this level, but the people were less nosy, preferring to concentrate only on their own work rather than on him. He followed the corridor down to the North end where the Aurors spent their days and very nearly crashed headfirst right into Ron Weasley as the older man exited the Man’s lavatory.

“Teddy!� Ron exclaimed once the shock had worn off and they had both righted themselves. “What are you doing up here?�

“Do you know where Harry is?� he asked.

The surprised smile slowly slipped from Ron’s face as he studied Teddy, his eyes dropping questioningly down to the file gripped tightly in Teddy’s sweaty hands. “Yeah, sure, he’s in his office. Why?�

But Teddy was already darting around him, continuing his sprint down the hall past a group of cubicles identical to his own on the left and a line of closed offices on the right. Ron tried to call him back, but Teddy didn’t wait. He could see the bronze plaque reading his godfather’s name on the Head of the Auror Office’s door from where it stood at the far end of the hall.

A woman’s raised voice was saying something on the other side of the door. Tentatively, Teddy knocked before he stepped inside, not wanting to disturb whoever was yelling, and found Harry kneeled before the fireplace talking to the disembodied head of his wife floating in the green flames.

“Whoa, whoa, Ginny calm down. You said Al did what?� Ginny said something else, and Harry chuckled. Ginny just glared. “Come on, that’s not so bad! You can’t really blame him, can you?�

“That’s not my point! It’s not that I mind so much what he did ... it’s that it was Al who did it! I expect it from James, but not from him. He’s usually the good one!�

The door clicked closed behind him and Harry turned around at the sudden noise. “Oh, hey Teddy,� he grinned. “Come on in.�

He sat down in one of the plush armchairs around Harry’s desk and waited. In the flames, Ginny’s face swivelled, seeking him out. “Is Teddy there?� she asked. “Harry, remember to ask him about tonight –�

“Yeah, I know, I will. I’ll talk you later, okay? And Ginny, don’t be too hard on him. Like you said, it’s normally James who does this stuff.� He finished saying goodbye and stood up, stretching his back as he moved around to his side of the cluttered desk. “I’m getting too old to sit like that,� he sighed.

“You’re not old, Harry,� said Teddy automatically. “What on earth did Al do? I haven’t seen Aunt Ginny worked up like that since Lily announced she wanted to be a Dragon Handler like Uncle Charlie after Hogwarts.�

“Apparently, he got into another fight with Professor Trelawney.�

“That old fraud is still working there?� Teddy exclaimed. He remembered many an occasion when as a student he, too, had felt the urge to jinx the aging Divination teacher if she predicted one more miserable and untimely death for which he was inevitably doomed.

“She’s not a fraud,� Harry stated tiredly, “but yes, she’s still there, and she’s always coming up with increasingly new and inventive tragedies for Al to befall with every class. I don’t know exactly what it was this time, but according to her Al is just like me and is destined for ... well, a lot of things, and sure to come to an early end. Al got so mad he shattered her best pink china set and most of the blue before anyone could stop him. Trelawney had to go to the Hospital Wing for a Calming Drought. I have no idea why he doesn’t just quit that class; Lils already has.� Harry shook his head.

“And don’t lie to me,� he teased, “I’m not that young anymore. Now, what can I do for you, or is this purely a social call?�

Suddenly, Teddy remembered why he was here and his panic returned. Harry was one of the most influential and caring people in Wizarding Britain, not to mention the closet thing Teddy had to a father, and if he wanted anybody’s reassurances on the issue at hand it was Harry’s. He flung the file from Hammel onto Harry’s desk and watched as the man’s eyes widened when he saw the broken orange seal still coiled around it. “Did you know?� he demanded.

“Teddy,� gasped Harry, “that’s a Level One Privacy Band! Did you open this? You could be –�

“Fired, yes, I’m aware,� he snarled. “Maybe I have no right to see what’s inside, but you’re one of the only people who do. It doesn’t really matter at this point. So, did you know about this or not?�

Harry waved his wand at the door in a complicated pattern and picked up the file in both hands. He shot a wary look at Teddy before muttering, “I should have you reported.�

“But you won’t,� Teddy replied, trying to sound confident of this fact. Harry grunted. “It’s a record of all the newly bitten werewolves that have been administered into St. Mungo’s for treatment in the last six months,� he explained.

Teddy watched his godfather’s face as he read through the pages and then stopping as he reached the end, flipping back several times to look through them again. A confused crease formed down the center of his brow. “Just the last six?� The crease got even deeper when Teddy nodded.

“But that’s ...� he said slowly, his voice trailing off into silence. “What ...? That’s – that’s not right.�

“That’s what I said,� Teddy answered.

Harry looked up sharply. “How did you get this?�

“Hammel: my boss. He probably only handed it over because he knows I don’t have the clearance, and because he has it out for me. But you know what I’ve been researching; what I’ve been working on all year ... You see what this means, right?�

“Cub, I had no idea,� he said, using the nickname he’d called Teddy since childhood. “I swear.� He ran a shaking hand through his thinning black hair.

“I know,� Teddy answered after a minute. And he did. He knew that Harry was far too righteous to allow something as big as this to go on right under the Ministry’s nose; that of course if he had known, he would have done something. He was Harry bloody Potter, after all! “What do I do?�

“Nothing,� snapped Harry, closing the file. “Teddy, you do nothing, you hear me? You’ve got to keep your nose clean – you have the baby and Victoire to think about.�

“I can’t just ignore it either!� he shouted. “And I’m not the only one with a family,� he added pointedly.

Harry rolled his eyes. “Of course not,� he murmured exasperatedly. “You wouldn’t be my godson if you could.� He paused. “Does anyone other than Hammel know you have this?�

“No.� Teddy shook his head. “I don’t think so.�

Harry stood and began to pace the office, pausing only long enough to stare at the family portrait hanging above his fireplace. “Keep it that way,� he said.

“Harry ...� said Teddy. “I have a bad feeling about this, about that file. Something just feels ... off about it, you know? Somebody made that file, and somebody put that orange seal on it. And that means that somebody high up –�

“Somebody high up knows and is trying to cover it up,� Harry finished. “Yes, I think so too. I should take this file to the Minister; Kingsley has to have heard of this – even just in rumour.� He stood up, resting one hand firmly upon Teddy’s shoulder. “I’m glad you brought this to me, Teddy. But I want you to go back to your desk now and act like you’ve never seen this file, never heard of it, and finish your work today just like any other. Then come over for dinner tonight; Ginny wanted me to invite you anyways. We’ll discuss it further then.�

Teddy stood up too. His hands were trembling and he shoved them deep into his trouser pockets, trying to still them. “Maybe I shouldn’t have involved you in this.�

“No, you did the right thing. Trust me, you did.�

“I have to check on Victoire,� he said. “Make sure she’s alright. I’ll come straight back,� he promised, seeing the look on Harry’s face.

“If you must,� said Harry, gazing at him sympathetically. “But go now. And remember, nobody knows about this.� They looked back at the folder simultaneously and then after a long moment of contemplative silence, he showed Teddy to the door. “I’ll see you tonight.�

-

Teddy walked back the way he had come, past the Department of Magical Law Enforcement cubicles, and towards the lifts. He made his way slowly and steadily, trying to make it look as though he had every right to be there, hoping that nobody would pay him any more attention than they had on his way going to see Harry. He had left his desk earlier in such a hurry that he had completely forgotten to take his wand with him, and now he had to go back there first before he could check on Victoire at home.

He felt much more relaxed however now that he knew Harry had the file. His godfather had influence over matters such as this which Teddy, barely five years out of school and still in a starting position at the Ministry, did not. And Kingsley ... Teddy knew that they could trust him.

The lift was empty all except for him this time and that, too, helped to slow his racing heart.

He got off on his own level and hurried to his cubicle, trying his hardest to ignore the curious stares his coworkers who had witnessed his previous hasty exit gave him as he passed. Not even two minutes had gone by before he had his wand safely in hand and was strolling off the lifts again and through the uppermost level of the Ministry in the direction of the Atrium fireplaces.

He was just waiting his turn in line to use the Floo, tapping his foot impatiently upon the stone floor, when there was an ear-splitting noise like a firecracker over his shoulder, and the world exploded around him.

Teddy whipped around. People dressed in long black cloaks with huge dark hoods that covered their faces were storming through the Ministry entrance. Everywhere, people were starting to scream. A few of the braver Ministry workers were pulling out their wands and casting spells back at the attackers. Others were attempting to exit through the fireplaces, but the Floo Network must have been cut off, because they weren’t going anywhere. Then a siren wailed, and red warning lights started flashing and bouncing off of the walls of the Atrium – the Anti-Apparition wards had fallen.

There must have been dozens of the black cloaked intruders because the Ministry workers were being picked off like flies right where they stood; bodies in various conditions were strewn about the floor marking the cloaked men’s path. And more were still coming, appearing out of nothing. Teddy looked around, ready to help where he could. He drew out his wand and began to shoot spells into the oncoming group of attackers. The sickly green light of a Killing Curse flew over his head and Teddy ducked, rolling behind a large marble plinth, only to watch in horror as it hit the same woman that had shared the lift with Teddy earlier that day.

He stood again, crept stealthily out from behind the plinth, and had just about decided that he would run and get help when suddenly he felt a strong hand grab his arm and a raspy voice hiss in his ear, “Gotcha,� just as he was hit with a Binding Spell and thick ropes wrapped themselves around him.

Teddy twisted his body frantically as the ropes kept squeezing tighter and tighter. He stretched his neck up, looking under the hood and through its shadow to light upon the grizzled face of his captor, and froze. “It’s you,� he breathed in shock. “I know who you are ... you’re –�

“That’s right, m’boy,� the man sniggered, holding him up. “I know who you are, too.�

Teddy squirmed desperately, even though he knew it would do no good. The shouting and spell fire had increased exponentially as more Ministry workers joined in the fray. And then Teddy saw a tall head of dark, messy hair running towards him calling his name (Harry, it was Harry!) before he felt a tight clenching somewhere near his navel and he was pulled away.



TO BE CONTINUED ...