The Marauders: Year Five #Wattys2017

Keep an Eye

Then a thought occurred to him, "Did you have a mum and dad once, Kreacher?"

"Everyone is having a mum and dad, Master Regulus, yes, even Kreacher once."

"Where are they?"

"Dead," Kreacher said simply.

"Kreacher," Regulus said gently. "I'm really sorry."

"Kreacher was not knowing them well," he answered. "House Elf families are not kept together at the Agency. They is separated as soon as they is being born, Master Regulus, and so then the mother and father is not missing their young when they are sold away. House Elf families never stay together, Master Regulus, and so Kreacher is never knowing his family. Kreacher's family is here, Master Regulus. Kreacher's family is you."

There was a hamburger shop on the south side of London with a checkered floor and shiny red leather booth seats lining the walls. Albus Dumbledore stood out with his purple robes as he pushed his way through the front door. The woman at the counter stared, chewing a wad of gum as she watched him walk over to a booth in the corner, where a man was sitting, wearing a long coat and a scarf on, despite the warmth outside.

The woman walked over carrying a chocolate malt milkshake, which she slid before the man with the scarf and put a menu down before the old man. "We're out of the monte cristo," she said tiredly, and turned away to the kitchens.

Dumbledore looked carefully at the menu. "A shame; there is nothing like a monte cristo at a diner." He mused a moment, then put the menu down and looked at Newt Scamander, his briefcase beside him. Newt glanced at the woman behind the counter, making sure she wasn't looking and he reached down, unlatched the briefcase and handed the milkshake down. Dumbledore craned his neck to see and spotted Remus Lupin's face peering back. "Hello Mr. Lupin," he said quietly, stealing a glance behind himself at the woman, too, "And how is your summer going so far?"

"Very good sir!" Remus answered, and he poured the chocolate malt into another cup from within the suitcase, handing Newt back the empty diner glass. "Cheers," he added, holding up the cup he'd just filled with chocolate malt and he winked and ducked back into the case, saying, "Watch out Niffler! You know Mr. Scamander said you can't go out there." And Newt quickly closed the briefcase as the woman came over from across the diner.

She looked surprised at the empty glass, "Did you... need a refill?" she asked, confused.

"Yes please," Newt answered.

She picked up the glass, then turned to Dumbledore. "And for you?"

He held up the menu, "Perhaps a dish of lemon sherbet," he answered.

She nodded and disappeared, still marvelling at the empty glass in her hand.

Dumbledore looked at Newt. "The boy looks very happy."

Newt nodded, "He, uh, he does. Yes." He fiddled with the straw wrapper on the table before him, his eyes flickering across the room as a couple of teenage boys came in, laughing to one another as they slugged each other's arms and joked about. Newt's eyes swung to Dumbledore's. "I have a concern, Mr. Dumbledore. A very...grave... one."

"Yes, Mr. Scamander?" he asked.

Newt looked into Dumbledore's eyes. "Your friend Mr. Flamel... he, uh, he's safe, isn't he?"

"Yes," Dumbledore's eyebrows narrowed. "To my knowledge."

"And his... his, uh, possessions are all where they ought to be?"

Dumbledore considered this a moment. "If we are speaking of... the stone... then yes," his voice was nearly a whisper. "Why do you ask?"

Newt glanced at the teenagers at the far end of the diner, where they were laughing amongst each other. His eyes turned back to Dumbledore's. "I have recently come into the possession of a stolen Charkorais egg," he said quietly, meaningfully. "A fertile Charkorais egg. Left in a bed of spearmint."