Chapter 205

After being woken by a floo-call from a very irate Augusta Longbottom, Amelia Bones decided she was up and she may as well head into work.

'That woman might like people to think she was 'light' but she was, when riled, as dark a grey as it gets before being considered 'dark' outright,' she thought. 'Damn it, Potter! What in Merlin's name have you done?'

Once in her office, having flooed directly into her office over the secure floo connection between her home and work offices, she walked out her office door and into the bullpen.

Immediately finding the 'duty senior auror', the magical equivalent to a police 'desk sergeant', she asked her, "Who's on the PPD, right now?"

The senior blinked back once, surprised to see her boss already there, and looked down at her records. "Flamebright, Standish and Patterson" she replied.

Bones frowned for a moment in thought and asked, "Which Seniors or above are here, right now?"

"Shack was floating around a little while ago," she replied. "He was being tailed by Newbie Tonks, as usual. I don't think there are any others 'In', yet."

"Actually, those two will do," said Bones. "Track them down and send them into my office."

As Bones turned away to head back to her office, the Senior Auror firmly replied, "Yes, Ma'am."

As Bones was reviewing her file on the missing Longbottoms, a Lord and Lady of a Noble and Most Ancient House definitely rated her attention, Shacklebolt and Tonks walked in.

"You wished to see us, Ma'am?" asked Shacklebolt. Tonks was standing half a pace behind and on his left, as she should.

Bones looked up from what she was reading and said, "We're going to the Grangers' - Golf Romeo. I had the Longbottom Regent on my floo, this morning, claiming she has proof Lord Potter kidnapped her son and daughter-in-bond."

"With the PPD in place?" blurted a surprised Tonks. "How'd he do that?"

"That's what we're going to find out, Auror Second Class Tonks," she grimly replied.

Tonks blushed when she heard both the unsaid mild rebuke from Bones and saw her senior partner turn to frown at her. 'Oops,' she thought. 'Must learn to keep mouth shut. Gonna get yelled at later by Shack for that one'

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―==(oIo)==―

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The Grangers, including Hermione this time, had just sat down for breakfast when an auror raced upstairs from the lower ground floor, barked, "Stay there!" and ran for the door.

"This'll be the aurors coming to question me about the Longbottoms," said Harry. "Remember. I've done nothing illegal and you are required by the covenants of the Potter-Longbottom Alliance to not speak of it."

"We won't lie, Harry," said Wendell.

"I'm not asking you to," he replied. "But, unless you're directly asked, don't volunteer any information."

When the three Grangers nodded back it was just in time for Bones and four aurors to walk in. Harry remembered two being part of their normal contingent of aurors stationed there to watch over him; plus young Tonks, Dora.

"Good morning, Madam Bones," he said. "I think Dobby's made enough breakfast if you haven't―"

She rode over him saying, "This is an official visit, Lord Potter."

"That doesn't mean you don't get to eat!" he said, acting offended. "Wouldn't this be a little early for you, anyway?"

"I was woken, this morning, by a very irate Regent for the House of Longbottom," she almost growled.

"Ah!" he said. "Firstly, let me remind you all that you are currently under protective wards erected for the purpose of protecting the Grangers and myself against ill-intent.

"Madam Bones, you need to calm down. I cannot help you and answer your questions if you don't. You're going to trigger the wards!"

Watching the expressions on the faces of the aurors as he also watched Bones visibly rein in her temper, he saw that all of them had forgotten about the wards he'd told them were on the property.

'Morons,' he thought.

When she locked her temper down, Bones firmly asked, "Did you kidnap the Longbottoms?"

"No," he immediately replied.

When that confused her she looked to the Grangers.

What she saw had her turn back to him. "You're lying," she snapped.

"No, I'm not," he calmly replied. "Would you like me to give a magical oath to that effect?"

"Then why do the Grangers look like they think you are?" she asked.

"Because they know I'm being... what's the word?"

"Prevaricating," supplied Monica.

"Yes!" declared Harry. "That's the word I was looking for. I'm prevaricating."

Bones raised a hand to massage the bridge of nose. But, she was scrunching her eyes so much it didn't shift her monocle out.

"Explain!" she snapped.

"I'm not your tutor in the subject of English comprehension, Madam Bones," he replied. "Nor am I your instructor in the art of asking the right questions. I'm the person who, almost as soon as you spotted me, you decided to interrogate.

"Now, if you wanted to discuss with me what it is you wish to talk to me about, I'm happy to do so. But, you'll need to lose the attitude, first."

Bones stood there staring back for a few moments. 'He's right,' she realised. 'I did. And we did forget about the wards, too. That was stupid.

'We also forgot this is the young man who, as a child, completely and utterly had everyone fooled for years - even Dumbledore. And has made a constant habit of making the rest of us look like... daft morons.'

She gave a mental sigh.

"Good," he immediately said. "Now, if Regent Bones would like to take a seat, I'll tell her something she seems to have forgotten about the Potter-Longbottom Alliance Charter."

'Aaaannd... he picked up the exact moment when I realised I had to capitulate,' she thought.

With a grunt, she indicated one of the spare chairs and asked, "May I?"

"Regent Bones may sit," he replied. "Madam Bones was offered hospitality and decided she was going to be rude. She can stand."

'Now he's making me choose between my titles. But, I need those answers. Stupid, stupid, stupid.'

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