Chapter 045

The auror's expression turned grim and almost thunderous. He gave a firm nod back and pulled out his auror badge. He gave it a tap with his wand and whispered into it before returning it to a pocket within his robes. "I've let her know to make all haste here."

As Harry nodded back, in a clear voice the auror said, "I need everyone to move away from this area. This is now a crime scene." And he and three other aurors moved in to clear everyone away.

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―==(oIo)==―

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Madam Bones turned up in mere minutes accompanied by a team of whom she immediately explained to be 'departmental cursebreakers'.

Harry returned, "I had no idea the DMLE had cursebreakers."

She smiled and said, "People tend to forget the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office is part of my department. We use them there, plus share them with the Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes."

As they were talking, the cursebreakers were going over the mail and quietly speaking between themselves as they systematically worked through it all. Eventually, one of them pulled out a floating portable Dicta-quill and parchment pair, activated it and began muttering to it as he worked.

Finally, they appeared done. And the one not working with the Dicta-quill turned to Madam Bones and said, "Five Howlers, one loaded with a modified explosive curse set to activate when the letter was opened and would then spray undiluted bubotuber pus over the hands of the person who opened it, plus a few other minor hexes and curses. Only the second and some others listed would be considered significantly harmful."

Her expression turning irate, Madam Bones snapped back, "I want to know the identity of whoever sent anything that was harmful, even if you don't consider it significant. This was an attack on the Scion and Head of a Noble and Most Ancient House. I want the culprits in my holding cells."

Both cursebreakers, already with grim expressions, turned back to try and identify magical signatures.

A mere couple of seconds later they looked about and said, "Who deactivated these?"

"Neville Longbottom cast a massive Finite over pretty much all of it," replied Harry. "Miss Granger and I did the same with only a couple of them."

"I need to analyse your magical signatures," said the cursebreaker.

"What do you need us to do?" asked Harry.

"Cast a Lumos and hold it," he replied.

Harry immediately did just that. And both cursebreakers then cast their own magics over his wand tip.

"That will do," the first one said. "Who's next?"

"That would be me," replied Hermione, stepping forward.

As Hermione cast her own Lumos Harry called Neville forward.

Neville stood up straighter and stepped confidently up.

As soon as the cursebreakers were done with Hermione, Neville cast his own Lumos. It lit up bright enough to almost blind everyone.

"Woah, Lad!" exclaimed the other cursebreaker. "Back off on the power a bit, yeah?"

Again Neville blushed a little before he did just that. And his light dimmed a fair bit.

Once the cursebreakers had somehow managed to get the magical signatures of all three, the first said, "Anyone else?"

"No," replied Harry. "I'm pretty sure we were the only three."

The cursebreaker gave a firm nod back and both returned to scanning the mail again.

It took a little while with Madam Bones, the aurors, Harry, Hermione, Neville and pretty much everyone else watching, but the cursebreakers stepped back and lowered their wands. "I think we got it all," said the first one as the second one deactivated the Dicta-quill.

"Good," said Madam Bones.

The second one then dried the ink on the Dicta-quill parchment before rolling it up and handing it to Madam Bones without a word.

"Right," said Bones, once the cursebreakers were clearly done. Gesturing to one of the aurors who had accompanied her, she indicated the pile of mail and instructed her, "Get all this gathered up. It's coming with us."

As the auror stepped forward with wand raised to do just that, Madam Bones turned to Harry again and said, "After we go through it all and remove that which is offensive or charmed, I'll organise for you to have the remainder returned."

"Not a problem," said Harry. "I doubt there's anything in that lot I want, anyway. I didn't recognise any of the owls."

Madam Bones gave a nod back and asked, "While I'm here, has there been any instances of people... whether they be students, staff or anyone else... who've bothered you?"

"Nothing you need to concern yourself about," he replied.

She frowned back and said, "You did not reply with a 'No'."

"The only incident of note was only relating to the Potter-Longbottom Alliance," he replied. "As such, it's House business. Nothing for you to concern yourself with as Director of the DMLE. Susan can bring you up-to-date with Alliance business when you're not wearing your DMLE robes."

She glanced towards one of her aurors who'd been in the castle on shift before she arrived. Harry didn't see what the auror had to say to her, but she didn't react. When she turned back she said, "Very well. Then I'd best get back to the office. My people and I have work to do relating to that mail."

Before she had a chance to turn away, Harry asked, "Any news you can share with me relating to what I brought to light during the first task?"

She hesitated a moment before she replied, "Not yet, Lord Potter."

"Fair enough," he replied. "Thank you."

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