Harry's Future

Chapter 31

Chapter 31

"Alright, what's been going on?" Harry asked his deputy and two team leaders while they sat around the battered table in the break room. 

"Probably the most significant thing right now is the arrest of a wizard attempting to deal in some pretty unsavory banned potions," Maxwell began. "It's something your idea about street policing can be credited for. Our Patrollers picked up some talk in Diagon Alley and did some nosing around and fed the information back to Milligan's people. We nabbed him with the goods, some very nasty stuff he was looking to deal in." 

"Good work. How are things going with the Auror trainees?" 

"It's going well although at the moment it's mostly classroom mixed with some conditioning. I think you remember what that was like," Maxwell said with a small smile. 

"Vividly," Harry said. "Try not to rough them up too much. We still need them to fill out patrols. Which reminds me, have we been seeing anything in the way of applications?" 

"Yes, sir. We've had a fair number from the upcoming graduating class at Hogwarts and a few reapplications from those that didn't make the cut during the open tryouts. We should be able to fill vacancies without any trouble this year," Maxwell replied. 

"Speaking of which, did we ever receive an application from a Beauxbaton graduate named Henri Pelletier. He slipped me a letter when I was there during my honeymoon and I sent him back a message encouraging him to apply. I don't remember seeing anything." 

"I think I can answer that, chief," Milligan said. "When I was in Paris before the holidays I was talking to a couple of wizards from the French ministry and apparently the idea about exchanging students and applications and the like has hit a roadblock. Apparently, both sides of the Channel have some firmly entrenched traditionalists and they've been making a lot of noise about it. I don't think it will last but I wouldn't expect any contacts too soon." 

"Wonderful. A perfectly good idea and it's hung up over a bunch of stubborn fools," Harry groused. 

"Sir, you can't expect all your ideas to be welcomed with open arms," Muntab said. "Think how we all felt about what you were trying to do at first. If you look at it objectively, you've moved this department further than most of your predecessors combined. Excuse me if I sound like someone's mother, which I am," she said with a laugh, "but you need to be a little more patient. You're young and have plenty of time to see your plans come to fruition." 

"I'd like to think I do, and as much as I hate to admit it, Evelyn, you're right. But I don't think it's the time factor. It's the obstructionism. If Milligan had said they need a year or two to work things out, I'd accept that. But having someone stand in the way because of 'tradition', it just sets my temper off." 

"Oh, dear, there goes the furniture again," Milligan said quietly. 

"Very funny. Okay, Mr. Milligan, what have you got for us?" Harry asked with a mock scowl. 

"Now that we have your friend Mr. Malfoy under surveillance we've had the chance to start back tracking his trail. For a former rich wizard down on his luck, he's been doing a lot of moving about. The Ministry didn't leave him all that much but he seems to manage. He's made at least half a dozen trips across the Channel. He's also crisscrossed England quite a bit this last year. We can't pinpoint any contact with Ministry personnel but we're still digging. I wish Miss Abagail could help on this one," Milligan said while holding up his hand to forestall Harry's response, "but I wouldn't ask anyone to peek into that one's head." 

Harry settled back in his chair and signaled Milligan to continue. 

"As to the hybrid itself, we haven't found out too much more. It seems like they've clamped down pretty hard. No more shipments, no money transactions that we can uncover. It's possible that whatever you think you felt, however that works, may have marked a new phase in what they are up to. I'm thinking Malfoy may be our best lead at the moment."