𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗹𝗲, harry potter

˗ˋ 03

CHAPTER THREE
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-: the department of aurors :-

── IN WHICH SHE'S ASSIGNED
TO THE CASE

. . .

"SO THIS IS YOUR OFFICE." Harry watched as Phoenix sat down in the spinning leather chair behind the desk, twisting slightly as she looked around. "I was always curious." 

"Always?" The Potter man blinked once, twice. "Phoenix - you've been here a couple of weeks at most." She was too busy looking around his office to reply, eyes travelling over the surface of the desk, to the red-framed window looking over the Atrium, the old Gryffindor banner on the wall and the board of newspaper clippings. 

Over the dark oak bookshelf that held several files, thick and thin and all labelled in neat handwriting on the tabs - Harry had convinced Hermione to write them because he kept getting confused at his own messy scrawl - it had gotten deadly when it came to light he almost got a victim confused with a known Death Eater, a mistake which would've thrown the wrong person into Azkaban.

"And that's supposed to mean I shouldn't worry about what dead stuck-up prick's office they stuck you in?" As always, Phoenix seemed to completely disregard the sensitivity of the subject and Harry swallowed, about to move and cover up the plaque stuck to the side of his desk when the girl's eyes landed on it. "Oh." She breathed out.

"Oh." Harry repeated back to her, nodding slowly. "Mad-Eye died in the Battle of the Seven Potters. A shit name, I know."

"It's apropriate though." Phoenix's eyes lowered as a silent apology to the former owner for the names she unintentionally called him. "He helped me once - before the times Barty Crouch Jr. attacked him."

"What did he do?"

"Arrest my Death Eater grandfather. My mum's dad. He was a stuck-up prick if I've every seen one, and didn't hesitate to unload that on everyone else." Phoenix shook her head, looking already disappointed and regreatful for sharing such a private detail about herself. "But nevermind that, they're all rotting up in Azkaban now, thanks to you."

For some reason, no matter whether Phoenix had expressed her gratitude towards him putting away her mother and father after the end of the Second Wizarding War, Harry felt oddly sad about that fact. 

Their trial was one of the many he remembered clear as day, the sight of Phoenix Crowe being called to witness and testify against her own parents an image he would never forget. There was so many of them that he had attended school with ready to go against the cruel people who had attempted to make their children carbon copies. 

Harry had seen their attempts succeeding in most of the Slytherins at Hogwarts during his six years there, not once thinking about how they might end up being completely different people to what he assumed. Draco Malfoy, Phoenix Crowe and Blaise Zabini were a part of that generalisation, but that was ruined when Harry saw a different side of them during those trials, especially that of Mr and Mrs Crowe, for which all three had been present.

He was glad that the three of them had each other during that though, and hearing from Phoenix that Blaise was having the time of his life in Italy - well that may be a bit of an exaggeration - and Draco could find peace in being a Healer at St. Mungo's gave him an odd sense of peace.

"Azkaban's more right.. than up." Harry had no idea what he was saying really, but he really didn't like the idea of a sombre Phoenix Crowe (it just seemed to be the exact opposite of her personality) and wanted to lighten the mood in some way or another. 

"Huh, I wouldn't know. Even when Sirius was escaping, I always got the impression it was a lot closer to Norway for some reason, or just miles off the coast of upmost Scotland." Phoenix remained in his spinning chair, and instead of moving her off of it and taking the seat himself, Harry busied himself with retrieving the various parts of the files and paper he needed - his higher ups had given him permission to, following Phoenix's discovery of the possible killer's mark in the blood, to properly assign her to case rather than just have the intern serve as his assitant through it all.

Harry couldn't at all imagine her as someone's assistant of all things and worked quickly to remedy that. Despite not being her biggest fan - which also sort of contributed to his decision - he was also attempting to get her work on the case count as training, and she would just have to go through the three week magic training course. 

"I've been up there a few times, so I would." Harry replied, as he examined a template printed out onto a sheet of paper, before extracting a second copy. "Alright, I've given you enough time, now budge."

"You'd think the boy who lived twice would've learnt some manners on the way." Phoenix commented, in a way that Harry was sure was a joke but was said so seriously it was almost like it couldn't be. 

"Or he had enough of everything and decided manners got him nowhere." Harry sniped back as he sat down in his chair, hazarding a glance up at the girl to get just a glimpse of her reaction.

Phoenix was sitting down in one of the two seats across from the auror's desk with a look of approval. "I decided to take that route long ago and look where that's got me - sat across from Auror Potter. Also, I'm regretting not asking you why I had to come to your office." She had that sudden realisation and the approval was replace by utter confusion. "It isn't about that boring report thing I had to fill out because of my discovery is it? Because I may or may not have used a Quick Notes Quill so I could dictate my answers to the questions and not have to lift a finger and if that's messed up your system then I'm... gross, I was considering apologising. Excuse me whilst I call Blaise to talk some sense into me."

Harry stared unblinkingly. There was a moment where he though she was embarrassed - not by the Quick Notes Quill thing that was actually considerably genius on her behalf - but that the 'I'm better than you' attitude had slipped for the slightest fractions as she careened towards an apology. 

"It's nothing about that, actually." Harry swallowed. "And I'll forget the apology thing, you could Obliviate me if you doubt it."

Just like every other witch and wizard, Phoenix could relax upon hearing that from him. Although only really popular since the news about what happened to Gilderoy Lockhart was made public, the promise of someone being able to Oblivate a memory from another's mind often meant they were deadly serious.

Phoenix didn't mention her thanks, and Harry suspected if she even thought of doing so she would be off to contact Blaise Zabini all the way in Italy with absolutely no way of convincing her otherwise. But he could sense the gratitude.

"No, this isn't about the report." Harry repeated, when Phoenix seemed to have calmed down. "I've got permission to properly put you on this case to formally work as a detective. And with any luck, this'll count to your training."

"Good." Phoenix swallowed, unspoken appreciation shining away in her eyes. "The sound of solving a double murder - even if it's with Harry 'I'm the boy who lived but I still wear glasses and patterned socks' Potter and Ron 'I'm one of the highest ranking Ministry officials but working with my older twin brothers at their joke shop seems so good right now' Weasley - sounds better than what I heard about training anyway."

Harry hadn't even needed to convince her.

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