Death by Cubicle
"Ugh!" I drop the parchment onto my desk and close my eyes while I massage the headache settling in my temples. I'm going to need to stop at the apothecary and purchase another batch of headache potions. I've needed one every night this week. Ron and I finished our training and graduated on my birthday. Since then we have been at Auror Headquarters each day for our assimilation.
That is an important sounding term for reading through all of the active files until our eyes bleed. We arrived Wednesday enthusiastic and looking forward to being assigned partner and hopefully making a difference. Instead we were led to the same conference room we were in the first day and told that we'd be manning Auror Headquarters under Mad-Eye Moody's direction for a couple of weeks while we familiarized ourselves with how things were done.
The final disappointment came when we were assigned our cubicles. We were assigned by alphabetical order so now I'm between Posey and Runcorn and Ron is in a different row so we don't even have the chance to goof off together. The first two files I managed to read the files on Lucius Malfoy and Bellitrix Lestrange. Theirs are the the longest since the two of them seem to be more active than the rest.
So far Malfoy has murdered his mother, put his wife in the hospital, and injured his son, Draco, in the midst of the free-for-all that erupted in Knockturn and Diagon Alley a few weeks ago. Bellatrix so far has made the one attempt on Ron and Hermione, broke into our cottage, and was involved in the duel with Lucius. The Ministry seems to think Lucius and Bellatrix must be in a power struggle to become the new alpha of the Death Eaters.
They are trying to keep a close watch on Narcissa and Draco, but it seems Lucius is unstable, even willing to injure them. As a result, the Auror watch is more for their protection rather than to seeing if they are in league with him.
As for Bellatrix she's vanished again, although the Aurors figure it is only a matter of time before her husband and brother-in-law join her where ever she's hiding. Given that twice she's came up short of her goals it is a strong possibility she'll seek out support.
Since them I've moved through the files on Snape, Desmond Avery, and Starvos Mulciber. There's been no definitive intelligence on Snape since the night he killed Dumbledore beyond the ramblings Draco gave when he was brought in. The ministry seems to think that since the three of them were schoolmates they may have united forces when the other two broke out of Azkaban, but I'm not sure Snape would be willing to work with anyone, although there is a part of me burning deep in my heart that hopes I'm the one that finds him.
I'm now going through the files of Viktor Crabbe and Gustuv Goyle. It is felt the two of them most likely will end up serving as lackeys for someone like Lucius or Mulicber. Both apparently are known to be excellent duellers, but neither is intelligent enough to remain free for long without someone else looking out for them.
This sitting here, reading, doing nothing is maddening. "Ugh!"
The stumble of her military boots announces her arrival before her melodic, "Wotcher Harry! Are you feeling assimilated enough yet?"
I make a low growl in the back of my throat. "This is bloody useless!"
"Welcome to my world," she says drumming her fingers on the top of my cubicle wall. "Let's face it, sometimes the Ministry in general is just useless now, isn't it?"
I shake my head, "I just though it would be different now. I mean they can't keep doing things the exact same way and expect different results, can they?"
She shrugs. "You'd think someone would cotton on eventually, but government has a long-standing tradition of ignoring what the people want and serving their own interest. I think we'd all be better off if we were out in the field, or at least doing research with our partners and not alone. What good is it going to do you if you read every note in Bellatrix's file if you're assigned someone like Greyback or Lucius? They should have doled out assignments first."
Frowning I toss down the parchment with Gustav Goyle's file on it. "Dammit! That's assuming I'm going to even get an assignment. The way Dawlish is acting I'm going to be pushing paper here until he retires!"
She snorts. "Oh just wait. The shite will hit the fan one of these days and you'll find yourself at some Death Eater safehouse, busting down doors, throwing hexes, and fearing for your life. Your day for action will come, little greenhorn, fear not."
My head throbs fiercely, "That's a load of crap! If all they wanted was someone to push paper they could find any number of bureaucrats to do this." I wave my arm over the scattered files, "What was the point of bothering to train us at all?"
"No worries, mate, I promise- you'll be out there soon enough. My first solo assignment wasn't too bad, but I would have appreciated a partner who knew the full story. As bad as it sounds I think all this rubbish will benefit you eventually."
I snort, "Yeah it will ensure I know the wonderful intricacies of the Ministry's filing system? Who designed this thing? Percy Weasley?"
She smiles. "Took the hard line on policies, did he? I don't know him at all. Sad really."
My mind drifts to Ginny's reactions to Percy. Before he vanished she was vicious in her verbal abuse of him, but once he had vanished she ended up shedding tears over him. We've talked a bit about it and one of the reasons his betrayal of the family hurt so much was because he used to be the brother than looked out for her, even protected her from the worst of what Fred and George could do. "Yeah it is, Ginny is torn up inside over it." I lean back in my chair, "You sure we'll be out there actually doing something soon?"
She smirks. "It's only a matter of time, isn't it? They're never quiet for long. I wonder when we get assignments for partners- I haven't heard a thing!"
I pick up a quill and begin whirling it through my fingers, "Yeah and I'll probably get assigned to someone like Dawlish and we'll be searching for the latest signs of Grindelwald."
She leans in closer and drops her voice. "I'm terrified I'm going to get that McLaggen-git. Ugh," she groans and rolls her eyes. "I've already asked Remus if he remembered him- and you know him- he isn't going to say the really awful stuff. He'd rather give people the benefit of the doubt and all that rubbish." She winks and smiles though.
I drop my quill into my lap, "He's an arrogant arse who will try to tell you the best way to do your job. I wouldn't be surprised if he was giving your morphing pointers."
"I'd love to morph into... something or someone and scare the living shite out of him and knock him down a peg or two. Then he can tell me how to morph." She grins and, for good measure, changes her hair from blonde to black. "You can bet your arse if he does end up my 'partner' we'll come to blows by the end of the first week!"
Shaking my head I pitch my quill back onto my desk, "Just make sure you don't let him near a beater's bat."
She smirks. "I hate doing it, because it is.not.funny. but I may just have to reinforce the fact that m'boyfriend has been in the papers because he is a you-know-what. I spoz it won't work, because he knows Remus, but it does put the fear in some people. Even big tough Junior Aurors like McLaggen."
"I don't think he'd get it, he's pretty thick, I mean from what I understand to this day he can't understand why we didn't want him on the Gryffindor Quidditch team."
"I'll just cross my fingers he isn't my partner then, but you know my luck. No way would I be lucky enough to get you or Ron for a partner."
"Hmmm...," I steeple my fingers as I lean forward on my cubicle, "that would be way too lucky." I glance over at the stack of parchment I still have to go through, MacNair, Rookwood, Yaxley, Carrows... "Well if I don't get through this stack I'll be stuck here while you and your new partner are actually out there doing something important. Catch up with you later."
"Sure thing, Harry. Later!"
I watch until her black hair disappears from view before pulling MacNair's file and begin reading. I can't wait to get out of this box!
That is an important sounding term for reading through all of the active files until our eyes bleed. We arrived Wednesday enthusiastic and looking forward to being assigned partner and hopefully making a difference. Instead we were led to the same conference room we were in the first day and told that we'd be manning Auror Headquarters under Mad-Eye Moody's direction for a couple of weeks while we familiarized ourselves with how things were done.
The final disappointment came when we were assigned our cubicles. We were assigned by alphabetical order so now I'm between Posey and Runcorn and Ron is in a different row so we don't even have the chance to goof off together. The first two files I managed to read the files on Lucius Malfoy and Bellitrix Lestrange. Theirs are the the longest since the two of them seem to be more active than the rest.
So far Malfoy has murdered his mother, put his wife in the hospital, and injured his son, Draco, in the midst of the free-for-all that erupted in Knockturn and Diagon Alley a few weeks ago. Bellatrix so far has made the one attempt on Ron and Hermione, broke into our cottage, and was involved in the duel with Lucius. The Ministry seems to think Lucius and Bellatrix must be in a power struggle to become the new alpha of the Death Eaters.
They are trying to keep a close watch on Narcissa and Draco, but it seems Lucius is unstable, even willing to injure them. As a result, the Auror watch is more for their protection rather than to seeing if they are in league with him.
As for Bellatrix she's vanished again, although the Aurors figure it is only a matter of time before her husband and brother-in-law join her where ever she's hiding. Given that twice she's came up short of her goals it is a strong possibility she'll seek out support.
Since them I've moved through the files on Snape, Desmond Avery, and Starvos Mulciber. There's been no definitive intelligence on Snape since the night he killed Dumbledore beyond the ramblings Draco gave when he was brought in. The ministry seems to think that since the three of them were schoolmates they may have united forces when the other two broke out of Azkaban, but I'm not sure Snape would be willing to work with anyone, although there is a part of me burning deep in my heart that hopes I'm the one that finds him.
I'm now going through the files of Viktor Crabbe and Gustuv Goyle. It is felt the two of them most likely will end up serving as lackeys for someone like Lucius or Mulicber. Both apparently are known to be excellent duellers, but neither is intelligent enough to remain free for long without someone else looking out for them.
This sitting here, reading, doing nothing is maddening. "Ugh!"
The stumble of her military boots announces her arrival before her melodic, "Wotcher Harry! Are you feeling assimilated enough yet?"
I make a low growl in the back of my throat. "This is bloody useless!"
"Welcome to my world," she says drumming her fingers on the top of my cubicle wall. "Let's face it, sometimes the Ministry in general is just useless now, isn't it?"
I shake my head, "I just though it would be different now. I mean they can't keep doing things the exact same way and expect different results, can they?"
She shrugs. "You'd think someone would cotton on eventually, but government has a long-standing tradition of ignoring what the people want and serving their own interest. I think we'd all be better off if we were out in the field, or at least doing research with our partners and not alone. What good is it going to do you if you read every note in Bellatrix's file if you're assigned someone like Greyback or Lucius? They should have doled out assignments first."
Frowning I toss down the parchment with Gustav Goyle's file on it. "Dammit! That's assuming I'm going to even get an assignment. The way Dawlish is acting I'm going to be pushing paper here until he retires!"
She snorts. "Oh just wait. The shite will hit the fan one of these days and you'll find yourself at some Death Eater safehouse, busting down doors, throwing hexes, and fearing for your life. Your day for action will come, little greenhorn, fear not."
My head throbs fiercely, "That's a load of crap! If all they wanted was someone to push paper they could find any number of bureaucrats to do this." I wave my arm over the scattered files, "What was the point of bothering to train us at all?"
"No worries, mate, I promise- you'll be out there soon enough. My first solo assignment wasn't too bad, but I would have appreciated a partner who knew the full story. As bad as it sounds I think all this rubbish will benefit you eventually."
I snort, "Yeah it will ensure I know the wonderful intricacies of the Ministry's filing system? Who designed this thing? Percy Weasley?"
She smiles. "Took the hard line on policies, did he? I don't know him at all. Sad really."
My mind drifts to Ginny's reactions to Percy. Before he vanished she was vicious in her verbal abuse of him, but once he had vanished she ended up shedding tears over him. We've talked a bit about it and one of the reasons his betrayal of the family hurt so much was because he used to be the brother than looked out for her, even protected her from the worst of what Fred and George could do. "Yeah it is, Ginny is torn up inside over it." I lean back in my chair, "You sure we'll be out there actually doing something soon?"
She smirks. "It's only a matter of time, isn't it? They're never quiet for long. I wonder when we get assignments for partners- I haven't heard a thing!"
I pick up a quill and begin whirling it through my fingers, "Yeah and I'll probably get assigned to someone like Dawlish and we'll be searching for the latest signs of Grindelwald."
She leans in closer and drops her voice. "I'm terrified I'm going to get that McLaggen-git. Ugh," she groans and rolls her eyes. "I've already asked Remus if he remembered him- and you know him- he isn't going to say the really awful stuff. He'd rather give people the benefit of the doubt and all that rubbish." She winks and smiles though.
I drop my quill into my lap, "He's an arrogant arse who will try to tell you the best way to do your job. I wouldn't be surprised if he was giving your morphing pointers."
"I'd love to morph into... something or someone and scare the living shite out of him and knock him down a peg or two. Then he can tell me how to morph." She grins and, for good measure, changes her hair from blonde to black. "You can bet your arse if he does end up my 'partner' we'll come to blows by the end of the first week!"
Shaking my head I pitch my quill back onto my desk, "Just make sure you don't let him near a beater's bat."
She smirks. "I hate doing it, because it is.not.funny. but I may just have to reinforce the fact that m'boyfriend has been in the papers because he is a you-know-what. I spoz it won't work, because he knows Remus, but it does put the fear in some people. Even big tough Junior Aurors like McLaggen."
"I don't think he'd get it, he's pretty thick, I mean from what I understand to this day he can't understand why we didn't want him on the Gryffindor Quidditch team."
"I'll just cross my fingers he isn't my partner then, but you know my luck. No way would I be lucky enough to get you or Ron for a partner."
"Hmmm...," I steeple my fingers as I lean forward on my cubicle, "that would be way too lucky." I glance over at the stack of parchment I still have to go through, MacNair, Rookwood, Yaxley, Carrows... "Well if I don't get through this stack I'll be stuck here while you and your new partner are actually out there doing something important. Catch up with you later."
"Sure thing, Harry. Later!"
I watch until her black hair disappears from view before pulling MacNair's file and begin reading. I can't wait to get out of this box!