by Aspen in the Sunlight
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Chapter Seventy-Four: Return to Gryffindor
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"No trouble hearing it this time," Harry weakly joked as the magic doorbell went off in his head. Quickly banishing the notes and articles Snape had provided on deafening potions, he rose unsteadily to his feet. Oh God, would he be able to keep all the lies straight? And what about Draco later? He was a terrible liar!
Harry's head started to ache, right then and there.
"Everything will be fine," Snape said, his whole manner exuding calm as he strode to open the door to admit Tonks and Shacklebolt. "Good afternoon."
"Severus." Shacklebolt nodded pleasantly.
Tonks popped her gum, waving a hand in greeting as she walked past Snape.
Harry eyed the empty hallway as his father shut the door. "Where are the other Aurors?"
"It seems they've taken ill," Shacklebolt said, his deep voice adding layers of implication to the words. "Both of them."
Harry couldn't tell quite what he meant by that. He wondered if Snape had somehow slipped the other Aurors something to make them sick, or if Shacklebolt meant that he'd arranged matters that way himself. Or maybe Dumbledore had done something... whatever the truth was, Harry hardly believed this sudden illness was a coincidence.
"You're stuck with just us," Tonks said, helping herself to a seat without waiting for one to be offered. She patted the cushion beside her until Harry took the hint and sat there.
"Please." Snape indicated with a hand that Kingsley should make himself comfortable as well. "May I offer you any refreshment?"
"No thanks," Tonks answered for them both. "Albus stuffed us with tea and sweets while he filled us in."
Leaning back in his chair, Kingsley studied Harry for a moment. "You seemed a little upset before, Potter. Not to mention, adamant about Draco Malfoy's innocence. I understand the two of you have become close friends?"
"Yeah, we have." Harry thought about saying they were brothers, but decided it would only bring up questions like And you'd say anything to save your brother, wouldn't you?
"An interesting development," Kingsley commented, slanting a glance at Snape. "Though we do of course know that it was Malfoy who rescued your wand from Death Eater control."
"He's been great. Seriously."
Kingsley raised an eyebrow but didn't comment. Well, not on that, anyway. "I'm not quite sure how to put this, Potter. I thought my colleagues would be here and we'd be forced to question you to make it all seem above board, but in the circumstances..." he shrugged.
"You're not going to interrogate me?"
Tonks burst out laughing. "You make it sound like we brought thumbscrews and a rack, Harry! We were never going to interrogate you, for Merlin's sake! What do you think we are, the Pestago?"
"Gestapo, I think you mean. But I don't understand. You don't have any questions?"
Kingsley crossed his long legs. "Ordinarily, we would. You've been living with the prime suspect and would presumably be aware of his movements on the day of the murder. But these aren't ordinary times. Albus has assured us in strictest confidence that you three have been working on some important matters that might come to light if a full investigation were conducted. Matters he'd prefer even the Order to remain unaware of at the present. If our colleagues were here I'd have to do some fancy footwork to make sure these secrets don't see the light of day. As it is..." Another shrug, that one accompanied by a slight smile.
"So that's it?"
"Not quite," Kingsley admitted. "Order or no, we can't allow Draco Malfoy to remain at large if he's the killer, so we've reached a compromise with Albus. As long as we're personally satisfied as to Malfoy's innocence we'll leave the three of you out of any subsequent investigation, even if that means playing fast and loose with the truth when it comes to the written reports."
That didn't sound too bad to Harry, but he wondered what personally satisfied might entail. Snape was obviously thinking along the same lines.
"You refer to Veritaserum, I presume?" said the Potions Master.
"It seems the only viable course. Albus was concerned that using a Pensieve might inadvertently reveal things best kept under wraps."
Snape looked Kingsley in the eyes. "Will you trust Veritaserum of my own brewing?"
The Auror dodged the question. "As this is an official investigation I have Ministry-official truth serum with me."
The Potions Master leaned back, his features impassive though Harry could somehow tell that he wasn't too pleased. "Indeed."
"It can have unpleasant side effects, I know," Kingsley admitted, shrugging.
Harry didn't like the sound of that. "I thought you couldn't make Draco take truth serum. I mean, without his own consent. He's an emancipated minor, so he gets to decide--"
"Unless he wants us poking and prying through these secrets, he'll consent," said Tonks. "He's got nothing to worry about unless he's guilty, since all we're going to ask is a few pertinent questions about the murder. That's our deal, Harry. We get to hear under truth serum that he didn't do it, and the questioning stops right there, before he spills anything the rest of the Order doesn't need to know yet."
Harry tilted his head to the side. "That doesn't bug you, being told you don't need to know this or that?"
"Well of course it bugs me," Tonks said, laughing. "We'd all like to feel indispensable. But learning that you aren't all that matters is part of growing up, I suppose."
Harry thought that sounded well and good, but in his case, with that prophecy looming over him, he wasn't sure it really applied.
"Once Draco satisfies you as to his innocence, what do you plan to write into your official report?" Snape asked.
"Whatever it is had better coordinate with the evidence our colleagues have already collected. Notably, one diamond button found at the base of the Owlery window from which the young lady was pushed. There are also a number of rumours that Draco Malfoy was seen just before or after the murder, but thus far no eyewitness accounts."
"Of course not," Harry said. "If they come forward we'll know who was involved in the conspiracy."
"The diamond button is easily explained in any case," said Snape.
"Ah yes, the Malfoy house-elf who visited. And the innuendo about the boy's whereabouts won't be worth much against direct contradicting testimony which I presume you and Potter can provide?"
"Draco was with me the whole time," Harry said, catching on that he was being prompted. "We were working on a potions project, actually, and Severus came down to help us. We were all three together when we got word that Pansy had died."
"Remember for the record that you told me that under Veritaserum yourself," Kingsley advised. "That's the way the report will read. In the interests of clearing this matter up without delay, your father authorized its use. Yes?"
"Yes," Snape confirmed. "I also want it on record that Draco used to habitually wear a turquoise amulet, one which gave him a severe burn on the day of the murder."
Kingsley raised an eyebrow. "Turquoise shouldn't do that."
"It did; you can examine the amulet and burn for yourself. Our presumption is that the protective amulet somehow sensed events in the Owlery and was trying to warn Draco of the threat of Azkaban."
"Still an odd thing for turquoise to do, but I see the implication. "
Harry couldn't help but frown. "Can't you leave the burn out of your report? Severus hasn't let it be healed because it's evidence that somebody was trying to mess with Draco when they pushed Pansy, but I know Draco would really rather not have a scar."
"Your father's right; better to keep the burn," Tonks said. "It'll bolster our conclusion that the young man's been framed."