The ministry was bustling when Harry and Ron entered the foyer. It had changed over the past couple of years. Kingsley had begun a push toward inclusion and international relations, which had spurred a change of design within the ministry. Harry led the way through the crowd and up to the elevators, pushing past a group of young witches who were waiting in line for their international travel passports.
"Morning Potter, Weasley," grumbled the stout man behind the passport booth. "Haven't seen you two in a spell."
"Morning Grusnik. We've been on a job. Auror business, you know how it is," Harry replied, shooting Grusnik a slim smile.
"Hah! I'd rather stick to this, thank you, left all that behind after that war. Don't you go making me relive it, boy."
It was true. Grusnik had been an auror for eleven years but had suffered a bad injury during the war. After that, he had asked to be transferred to another department, something less risky.
"Well, gentlemen, I'll be seeing you." He tipped his hat to Harry and Ron as they passed and turned back to the line.
"Alright, who's next? Please have your wand and identification ready before approaching the booth."
Ron gave Grusnik a glance over his shoulder and leaned toward Harry, "You reckon we'll turn out like old Grusnik after all this?"
Harry grinned. "Hey, it wouldn't be the worst outcome. He's happy, isn't he?"
"Yeah, but completely bald, and he's missing a... you know..." Ron gave Harry a look that suggested that he did indeed know what Grusnik was missing.
"He seems to get on fine without it." Harry hid his laughter and ushered Ron into the lift at the end of the hall.
There was a soft chime, and then a voice echoed throughout the lift.
Welcome to the ministry of the magic lift system. Please clearly announce the level you wish to visit today.
"Level Two," Harry announced to the lift.
"You think 'Mione's going to stay mad?" Ron asked, leaning against the left wall of the lift as it shifted into motion.
"No. She'll pretend to be, though. You know she was very worried for you."
"Hmmph."
They lapsed into silence, both reliving their strange day. The lift chimed once more, and the gates opened, Level Two, Department of Magical Law Enforcement, including the Improper Use of Magic Office, Auror Headquarters, and Wizengamot.
Harry and Ron got out and made their way down the corridor. This one was busier memo flew passed Ron's left ear, though he knew it would pass by he dodged to the right to avoid it.
"I miss the owls. These magic memos are a menace."
Ron had taken this stance ever since he'd gotten stuck in a lift with a swarm of them. He hadn't been the same since. Harry smiled to himself but chose not to make light of Ron's trauma.
"There you are," came Gawain's gruff voice from the end of the hall. "Where have you two been? I was beginning to worry that I would need to send out a search party." He chuckled, but the smile he gave didn't quite reach his eyes.
Harry gave the glimpse of a smile before gesturing for Gawain to follow Ron and himself into a more private location.
"There's been a development in the Malfoy case," Harry said, led the way into his office. After the others had entered, he shut the door firmly behind them.
"When I left the ministry yesterday, I discovered Ron had gone missing. He had gone back to the manor to investigate a couple of loose threads in the case and didn't turn up at Grimmauld place as planned. Hermione and Draco Malfoy took things into their own hands and by the time I reached the safe house, they had gone after Ron. I will admit that I should have sent word to you prior as soon as this occurred, however all thoughts of calling for backup went out of my head."
Harry gave Gawain an apologetic glance before continuing. Ron was staring at the desk, looking sheepish.
"I found a dagger at Malfoy manor and when I touched it, I was transported to a forest." At this, Gawain raised an eyebrow.
"It was a portkey?" Gawain asked. Harry nodded.
"That is our current theory. It was a trap, however. I was escorted into a camp and found Ron, Hermione, and Draco Malfoy inside. There were masked figures, who I believe may be part of a new era of Death Eaters. They were led by someone fashioning themselves as The Raven."
Gawain started, "Hold on. The Raven..." He strode from the room and made his way to his own office. Ron and Harry exchanged looks of confusion and followed him into his office. A pensive sat on his desk. Gawain shuffled through his desk drawer, sorting the vials of memories for a specific one. "I've heard that name before. I just can't seem to place where from. Aha!"
Gawain withdrew a vial of swirling liquid. Harry leaned forward to observe the pensive as Gawain tipped the memories into the basin. The surface became foggy and then images began to form. There was a man held at wand point. He was quivering and spluttering something.
"Why don't you two join me?" Gawain suggested, tipping his face toward the liquid.
Ron glanced over at Harry, who was familiar with the process of diving into Pensive's. He shrugged.
"I don't see the harm in it," Harry said, then he tipped forward, tumbling into the swirling depths. Ron followed after him, hesitating before leaning forward to join the others within Gawain's memory.
Ron landed in the foggy darkness at Harry's side. Gawain was a few steps ahead of them.
"Ah yes. This is the one," Gawain muttered.
"Watch," Gawain growled as he stepped aside for Harry and Ron. They had entered a slightly foggy forest with dappled sunlight. It was slightly foggy due to the age of the memory.
A woman was running through the clearing, muttering to herself as she glanced back and forth through the trees. She looked scared and bedraggled. Her jeans were faded, the knees worn out, and her jumper had holes at the collar and elbows. There was a shout from behind them and a younger and slightly pale Gawain stepped toward the woman, his wand pointed firmly at her.
She jumped and held out a wand with trembling fingers.
"You can't take it! It's mine. I earned it. It chose me," she stuttered. Her pebble grey eyes begged Gawain to leave her alone.
"I mean you know harm, ma'am. Please lower your wand and we can discuss your situation in a more private forum." Gawain took a step forward, and Harry noticed his finger twitch. Harry glanced around and knew that there were more Aurors entering the clearing.
"I don't trust you. You'll just snap my wand and put me away like my sister."
Gawain took another step forward.
"Please don't make this more complicated, Ms. Baker. I am required to return you to the Ministry of Magic in one piece with your wand for judgment."
The present version of Gawain grimaced and muttered to Harry and Ron, "This was three years ago during the war. It was an awful time. I almost left the Ministry, but I didn't want to draw attention to my family. You know how it was. If you turned your back, you were a target. I was high enough up in the food chain that it was a real concern."
Harry and Ron exchanged dark looks behind his back. They understood only too well what the war had done to families.
Ms. Baker was openly sobbing and begging. Then there was a crack of a stick and three robed figures with bone white masks stepped into the clearing. Harry hissed air through his teeth. Death Eaters.
"Robards, we can take it from here," said the middle one, clearly the leader. Her mask was that of a Raven. The same that they had seen the other night. She was tall and slender, probably just a few inches shorter than Ron, with a set of jet black robes that hid her hair and distinguishing markings.
Gawain glanced over at her and a flicker of fear passed over his features, and then smoothed into a professional mask of respect.
"Yes, Ma'am." He bowed slightly and took a couple of steps back as the Raven reached Ms. Baker. She flickered her wand silently and the woman's wand zipped from her grip to the Raven's waiting palm.
"That's better."
The Raven gestured to the two masked figures. They stepped forward and ropes sprang from one wand and a silencing spell sprang from the other. Ms. Baker fell to the ground, tears streaming freely down her cheeks as she silently begged to be freed. She struggled against her magical bonds as the Raven appraised her.
"Mudbloods. They don't know their place." She leaned over the woman and ran a hand over Ms. Baker's wand.
"Silver Birch, what a beautiful wand. Pity."
The Raven held both ends of the wand and then pressed on both ends. It snapped with a heartbreaking crack. Harry had, without realizing it, made his way up to the Raven. He saw the Unicorn hair glisten between the two separated parts of the wand. The Raven stood straight, holding the pieces in her left hand and her wand in her right. "We'll return this to the ministry on your behalf, Robard's." She turned to appraise the younger version of Gawain, looking straight through Harry with silver-blue eyes.
The memory faded into darkness and the three watchers felt a tug at the back of their necks as they were pulled out of the memory and back in to Gawain's office.