Just Call Me Tease
My first Remember to Breathe: Sequel to A Collision with Hope teaser (that second bit added just in case anyone forgot). *smiles* Enjoy!
"Avery Conor is dead."
Harry blinked. Without saying another word, Kingsley gestured to one of the two seats that sat opposite side of his desk in his Minister's office; Harry fell into one gratefully, blinking again. As the news digested, he swallowed hard, taking his time in asking, "Who?"
"Avery Conor," Kingsley repeated with quiet understanding; he hated repeating himself, but with all things considering... "Avison, rather, but he's dead all the same--"
"I know who he is, Minister." Harry took a deep breath, pinching the top of his nose. "I meant, who killed him?"
"Ah." Swiftly, Kingsley pulled out a file from the mess of papers on his desk and read a few lines before glancing back at Harry over the manila's top edge. "Pearce and Coltan Sanchez. As a matter of fact."
Once more, Harry found himself blinking. It wasn't as though names from his past rarely surfaced in his life these days, but so many in just a matter of moments... He shook his head and asked, "I thought they were dead?"
"Yes. Well." Kingsley cleared his throat and then shrugged in a very non-Minister way. "Turns out, they aren't."
Harry sunk deeper into his chair; normally, he wouldn't be so informal, but he wasn't particularly adjusted to the way his heart had suddenly sped up, the way his upper lip and hands had broken out into a cool sweat. There was a small pause before he made sure, just in case, "So, Avery Conor, who has been alive and fleeing us for the past five years, is dead, and Pearce and Coltan Sanchez, who have been proclaimed dead since the First War, are alive? Right?"
Kingsley thought a moment and then nodded. "That's correct, yes."
For a second, Harry just stared at his boss and muttered, "Do I even want to know what my mission is?" He cleared his throat. "When did it happen?"
"Just last night," Kingsley stated. "We got a tip on his location and followed it, but by the time we arrived, he had already been taken care of." Snickering, he added, "As it seems, the Sanchez brothers have been living in their Animagi form these past years; they were only ever registered in Spain, so we couldn't have tracked them down even if we had considered the possibility of them still being alive."
"Where are they now?" Harry asked. He had always known he had to face his past sooner or later -- might as well start with the least direct source as possible.
"Hm." Kingsley tapped his fingers against his desk. "Well, they cooperated enough when we were filling out necessary paperwork. However, when we went to bring them back here for some more questioning, they... disappeared."
Harry arched an eyebrow. "Disappeared?"
Kingsley nodded. "Appears that way, yes."
"Let me guess," Harry added after a beat. "We still don't have their Animagi information in order to track them down. Right?"
Again, Kingsley nodded. "Pretty much."
With a small sigh, Harry nodded. "Right then. Lovely." And he had to swallow down his question again of, Do I really want to know my assignment? because, by now, he was already fairly sure of the response.
Kingsley, though, seemed to read his mind regardless; he stood from his seat and gave Harry the familiar look that read business, the stern eye the Minister would always gain just before handing out missions. But, even then, there was reluctance, and that wasn't good, Harry internally wincing when Kingsley took a breath to finally speak.
"Right now, we're not all that worried about finding Pearce and Coltan Sanchez. They warrant no cause for alarm, particularly since they helped us rather than hurt us. However..." There was a small pause before he continued. "However, with Avery Conor's death, the last of the Dark Lord's inner-circle is gone, either killed or secured in Azkaban. What is left of the Death Eaters holds very little concern for us and for the people of the Wizarding world."
Slowly, Harry straightened in his seat. He could feel Kingsley on his way to the point and, with each hesitant word he took, Harry felt his chest grow a little heavier and his pulse move a little quicker.
"Because of such, a mission has come to light that needs be only handled by one Auror." Kingsley eyed Harry carefully, observing him like something teetering on the edge of an enormous drop. "I can give it to someone else if need be. But, at the same time... I felt that you deserved it... even if it is a personal matter."
Harry's response came on a very measured breath. "Personal matter?"
Kingsley let out a deep sigh. He hesitated for one final moment, gaze traveling around his office, before finally stopping back on where Harry sat and nodding. "Because of Conor's death, Amelia Sanchez is free to come out of hiding," he said. "As a safety precaution, I'd like you, Harry, to go and retrieve Amelia and bring her back here for a final hearing."
Immediately, Harry stood up. A burst of energy shot through him like a bullet, Kingsley's words ringing as loud as an alarm in his ears. Before he could manage to say anything, Kingsley took his abrupt gesture in stride and added very calmly, "Notice has also been sent to Amelia's daughter. She is to return here as well."
And Harry promptly went back down, missing the chair entirely and falling to the floor.
Ah. I'm looking forward to February.
"Avery Conor is dead."
Harry blinked. Without saying another word, Kingsley gestured to one of the two seats that sat opposite side of his desk in his Minister's office; Harry fell into one gratefully, blinking again. As the news digested, he swallowed hard, taking his time in asking, "Who?"
"Avery Conor," Kingsley repeated with quiet understanding; he hated repeating himself, but with all things considering... "Avison, rather, but he's dead all the same--"
"I know who he is, Minister." Harry took a deep breath, pinching the top of his nose. "I meant, who killed him?"
"Ah." Swiftly, Kingsley pulled out a file from the mess of papers on his desk and read a few lines before glancing back at Harry over the manila's top edge. "Pearce and Coltan Sanchez. As a matter of fact."
Once more, Harry found himself blinking. It wasn't as though names from his past rarely surfaced in his life these days, but so many in just a matter of moments... He shook his head and asked, "I thought they were dead?"
"Yes. Well." Kingsley cleared his throat and then shrugged in a very non-Minister way. "Turns out, they aren't."
Harry sunk deeper into his chair; normally, he wouldn't be so informal, but he wasn't particularly adjusted to the way his heart had suddenly sped up, the way his upper lip and hands had broken out into a cool sweat. There was a small pause before he made sure, just in case, "So, Avery Conor, who has been alive and fleeing us for the past five years, is dead, and Pearce and Coltan Sanchez, who have been proclaimed dead since the First War, are alive? Right?"
Kingsley thought a moment and then nodded. "That's correct, yes."
For a second, Harry just stared at his boss and muttered, "Do I even want to know what my mission is?" He cleared his throat. "When did it happen?"
"Just last night," Kingsley stated. "We got a tip on his location and followed it, but by the time we arrived, he had already been taken care of." Snickering, he added, "As it seems, the Sanchez brothers have been living in their Animagi form these past years; they were only ever registered in Spain, so we couldn't have tracked them down even if we had considered the possibility of them still being alive."
"Where are they now?" Harry asked. He had always known he had to face his past sooner or later -- might as well start with the least direct source as possible.
"Hm." Kingsley tapped his fingers against his desk. "Well, they cooperated enough when we were filling out necessary paperwork. However, when we went to bring them back here for some more questioning, they... disappeared."
Harry arched an eyebrow. "Disappeared?"
Kingsley nodded. "Appears that way, yes."
"Let me guess," Harry added after a beat. "We still don't have their Animagi information in order to track them down. Right?"
Again, Kingsley nodded. "Pretty much."
With a small sigh, Harry nodded. "Right then. Lovely." And he had to swallow down his question again of, Do I really want to know my assignment? because, by now, he was already fairly sure of the response.
Kingsley, though, seemed to read his mind regardless; he stood from his seat and gave Harry the familiar look that read business, the stern eye the Minister would always gain just before handing out missions. But, even then, there was reluctance, and that wasn't good, Harry internally wincing when Kingsley took a breath to finally speak.
"Right now, we're not all that worried about finding Pearce and Coltan Sanchez. They warrant no cause for alarm, particularly since they helped us rather than hurt us. However..." There was a small pause before he continued. "However, with Avery Conor's death, the last of the Dark Lord's inner-circle is gone, either killed or secured in Azkaban. What is left of the Death Eaters holds very little concern for us and for the people of the Wizarding world."
Slowly, Harry straightened in his seat. He could feel Kingsley on his way to the point and, with each hesitant word he took, Harry felt his chest grow a little heavier and his pulse move a little quicker.
"Because of such, a mission has come to light that needs be only handled by one Auror." Kingsley eyed Harry carefully, observing him like something teetering on the edge of an enormous drop. "I can give it to someone else if need be. But, at the same time... I felt that you deserved it... even if it is a personal matter."
Harry's response came on a very measured breath. "Personal matter?"
Kingsley let out a deep sigh. He hesitated for one final moment, gaze traveling around his office, before finally stopping back on where Harry sat and nodding. "Because of Conor's death, Amelia Sanchez is free to come out of hiding," he said. "As a safety precaution, I'd like you, Harry, to go and retrieve Amelia and bring her back here for a final hearing."
Immediately, Harry stood up. A burst of energy shot through him like a bullet, Kingsley's words ringing as loud as an alarm in his ears. Before he could manage to say anything, Kingsley took his abrupt gesture in stride and added very calmly, "Notice has also been sent to Amelia's daughter. She is to return here as well."
And Harry promptly went back down, missing the chair entirely and falling to the floor.
Ah. I'm looking forward to February.