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 72: The Letter
Amelia Bones was standing in front of her office's fireplace.
"Thank you for letting me know about Harry." A human face that had been formed with green flames suddenly spoke to her.
"It's no problem. I know how worried you were." Amelia responded.
"Yes…I was." McGonagall felt somewhat guilty for hiding things from her friend, but she had ulterior motives for wanting to locate Harry that went beyond the concern of a School Headmistress.
"What do you want me to do? I instructed the boy not to leave the party without telling me first. He is currently hanging with my niece, Susan."
"With your niece? Are they by themselves?" McGonagall couldn't quite conceal the fear in her tone.
"Not really alone. The party hall must have over a hundred attendees. Also, my niece knows not to do anything inappropriate, if that is what worries you." Amelia said.
"That's not it…is Auror Tonks working tonight? Or perhaps Moody?"
"Tonks already finished her shift, and I never really know what Moody is up to. What's going on, Minerva? What are you not telling me?" Amelia asked with suspicion.
"Just…try to keep an eye on Harry. I will be there as soon as I can. Don't let him leave until I arrive. This is very important." McGonagall said.
"Okay, but I do want a proper explanation. I do not appreciate being kept in the dark." Amelia knew there was more to the incident at Harry Potter's house, and now she had the feeling this woman knew a lot more than what she was letting on.
"Yes, I promise."
Amelia nodded. "Very well, then I—"
She was interrupted by a knock on the door.
"I said not to bother me." Amelia turned around with a frown.
"My apologies, Lady Bones, but it is time for your speech." A young woman spoke from the other side of the door.
"Right, the speech. I almost forgot about it…" She glanced at the fireplace. "I have to leave now. We'll talk soon."
"Yes, and thank you for your help." McGonagall said before dispelling the flames.
Amelia took off walking at a brisk pace, while her young assistant tried to keep up.
When she got to the party hall, Amelia realized that everyone must have been waiting for her, as she was the guest of honor and had spent the last hour or so attending her job obligations, informing the Minister, and calling the new Headmistress of Hogwarts.
She walked up to the podium area and apologized for her delay, before starting a short speech, thanking everyone for their attendance in celebrating her tenth anniversary as Director of the Auror Department, and how she hoped to continue serving the community for many more years.
Amelia Bones was not a very talkative person and preferred to speak with her actions instead of words. Everyone present already knew this about her, so no one was surprised or offended by the short speech. It was just politics, but it had to be done.
They applauded for her, and Amelia smiled while looking around the party hall.
It was then that she realized someone important was missing.
Her niece would always stand near her during these parties, but no matter how much Amelia searched for Susan, she was unable to spot her.
Neither could she spot Harry Potter, whom she was supposed to be keeping an eye on.
"Don't tell me…" Amelia grumbled something under her breath, thinking about what those two teenagers could be doing right now.
She immediately approached her assistant and questioned her about it.
"Your niece?" The young woman pointed to the area where all the tables had been placed. "I saw her over there just a few minutes ago. Before I went to fetch you."
"Was Harry Potter with her?" Amelia asked.
"I think so…" the assistant said. "Do you want me to look for them?"
"No, I bet she will come back soon." Amelia could imagine what she and Harry could be doing, and wanted to roll her eyes, but couldn't do that here.
'I'll make sure to give her a good scolding when I see her again.'
"Miss Bones."
As Amelia was thinking of how to better punish her niece, someone sneaked behind her and called.
When she turned around, Amelia saw that it was one of the aurors she deployed as security for the event, a tall man called Collins.
"Something wrong?" she asked.
The man had a serious expression on his face as he produced a small piece of parchment that had been folded and sealed. "A moment before you arrived in the hall, I saw this piece of parchment levitating. It landed next to the wooden podium. It has the Director's name written on it." He handed her the envelope.
Amelia had a very bad feeling as she broke the seal.
Whoever would deliver a message to her in such an indirect manner could not possibly have good intentions.
Her concern turned to something much worse as she read the contents.
The letter had her niece's handwriting and claimed that she had been kidnapped.
At the end, it only made one demand: that she go to the Ministry Museum alone, threatening to kill her if someone else accompanied her or if she shared the contents of the letter with anyone.
"Madam Bones?" The assistant was glancing at her boss with curiosity.
"What is the letter about?" She tried to get closer and take a quick peek.
Amelia quickly folded the letter and hid it inside her robes.
"It's just…something private."
The auror was looking at her intently. "Madam Bones, if there is something we can do…" He noticed how pale her face had become.
"Not right now, Collins. I have to deal with this matter in person." Amelia told him. "I want everyone to remain in their positions until my return."
After saying this, she turned and walked away from the hall.
"But Madam Bones…" the assistant called. She turned to the auror. "What do you think is going on?."
The auror frowned. "Nothing good, that's for sure."
Amelia ignored the looks she was getting and continued moving.
The moment she left the room filled with people behind and ventured into the corridor that led to the elevator, she pulled her wand out of the holster.
"Just hold on, Susan…I'll save you in a moment." Her face turned to one of anger as she wondered who would be crazy enough to kidnap her niece and keep her right here in the Ministry before calling her.
But then another thought came to her mind. 'Wasn't she with Harry Potter?'
A.N: - Remember to comment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.
You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 20 advanced chapters. You can also find characters images to view for free in Collections/Beneath the Skin Images
-patreon.com/Kriogenix
For donations and commissions, go to ko-fi.com/kriogenix