19

Chapter 18

When Severus Snape emerged from the Pensieve, Lucius sighed in exasperation at the man's expression.

"Why, exactly, did you feel the need to inflict the Potter brat on me before I'm forced to deal with him at Hogwarts?"

Lucius quirked an eyebrow and stood, moving to the drinks cabinet to pour a scotch for them both.

"I would like your opinion. Draco is quite taken with him, though he knows to remember where his loyalties lie. The boy is much more than he appears, that is quite clear. The fact that Petrikov is willing to work for him, as well as this Charleston…" He trailed off, deep in thought as he lightly swirled his drink. "Some form of relationship with him is inevitable, I merely wished your opinion on how close it should be."

Severus sneered. "He is an arrogant brat, exactly like his father. He proved that when he was strutting around with those monsters of his. At least he has the credit to not have his beasts pretend to be human, unlike Potter Senior. He is nothing special, and that Petrikov is working for him merely means that he is fritting away the Potter fortune, nothing more." He took a deep sip from his drink. "If you wish to cosy up to the boy that is up to you but I will have none of it."

The blond man hummed, not so uncouth as to roll his eyes. "Your history with his father is prejudicing you and blinding you to the potential benefits. The-Boy-Who-Lived has a lot of political cachet. If you were to be seen close to him, that could only benefit you. It might even be enough to get you out from under the Old Goat's thumb. You do yourself a disservice by holding onto a grudge against a dead man." He shifted his weight, and gestured at the penseive his glass. "That boy has never known the man that you hate so much, and he is not as light as Dumbledore would paint him. Underestimate him at your own risk, Severus."

The Potion Master sneered, his crooked teeth seeming more yellowed than usual in the firelight.

"I'll not be party to your madness." The sneer shifted into an ugly smirk. "Though I will reserve the right to say I Told You So when the time comes."

Lucius couldn't fight the urge any longer, and gave in, rolling his eyes hard enough to send a twinge of pain through his eye sockets.

"If you must. For your sake, I hope you don't antagonise him too much when he gets to Hogwarts. It is entirely possible you won't survive the experience."

Harry was sitting in his office at The Nest, cursing the paperwork that seemed to breed exponentially if he stepped away from his desk for zero point three of a second. He could barely wait to get out of what he was starting to privately think of as the Brat House, and give the bulk of his paperwork to his 'Father' to handle.

A quiet knock on his door had him sitting back in his chair with a sigh, and grunting for whoever it was to enter.

The girl who entered sent a jolt of pain through his heart, his mind flashing back to the little redhead girl who'd run with Mike and Dave back in the day.

He'd adored Sally, nearly as much as he'd worshiped Dave. He wished he had a picture of them, but he made do with looking at the picture of his mother in the 'biographies' of him. They looked similar enough that he would sometimes pretend that he was looking at a grown up Sally; one who had managed to free herself of the life she hated so much.

He knew Mama Andrews had seen him mooning over the picture, and thought he was missing his parents, but honestly, he didn't give a damn about them. He had no memories of them or their sacrifice, but Sally had been there for him in ways that even Dave hadn't.

And now, he had another red haired girl with soulful hazel eyes in his life.

"Alice. What do you need?"

The elegant sixteen year old smiled faintly, sitting in the chair in front of his desk and crossing her legs, hands folded neatly in her lap.

"Nothing. Your employer is very thorough, thank you. I just thought that since we will be working so closely together that it would be worth getting to know each other better, yes?"

Her voice was a smooth velvety purr, her training so deeply ingrained that even now, everything about her oozed seduction. Harry privately thought that seeing Alice and Narcissa together would be… something else. Alone, either woman could have any man falling over themselves to satisfy her every whim, but together, they could rule the world inside of a week. He was almost tempted to set them both on Mr South just for fun.

"Is that so? I'm aware of your abilities, Alice, so why don't you cut to the chase and tell me why you're really here. I know you've done your research since you woke up here, and you aren't stupid enough to bother me without a reason."

Chuckling lightly, she tucked a stray wisp of hair behind her ear. "I genuinely do think we need to get to know each other better, but you're right; I do have an ulterior motive for this visit."

Harry waited patiently, his gaze never wavering.

"I can feel your frustration with the paperwork from the other side of the house. I thought you might appreciate a break. The chance to get to know you was a convenient bonus."

"Thank you, but I'm fine. Close the door behind you." Harry flicked open a new report, beginning to skim it.

"Sir, with all due respect, we do need to get to know each other better. Your boss wants me to take over running this house, I need to know what is expected from me so that I can actually do it effectively."

Biting his tongue until he could taste blood, Harry took a moment to just breathe and calm himself down. She was right, and there was no excuse to take his annoyance out on her. Her resemblance to a shade of his past was hardly her fault.

"Very well. What do you need to know?"

"Before we begin, do you have a notepad and pen I can borrow? I don't want to forget anything."

Harry handed over a legal pad and ballpoint, before sinking back in his chair, resting an elbow on the armrest and his chin on his fist.

"Ok, so firstly, how long do you want me to run the place?"

"Indefinitely. Barring a change in circumstances unrelated to you that you don't need to know about, you're welcome to live out your entire life here. You'll be provided with everything you need to do your job, as well as a generous personal allowance. That said, you're by no means a prisoner. You're welcome to leave at any time." Harry watched as she jotted down a few notes, observing her reaction. She hid it well, but finding out that she had a permanent protected home had removed a great deal of tension from her frame.

"Who will be doing general maintenance, cleaning, cooking, that sort of thing? Am I expected to hire staff?" She glanced up, eyebrows raised slightly.

"No, that's already been taken care of. In fact, I may as well introduce you now. Jinky, Tinky, Twirly!" He called out, watching Alice carefully as the three small elves popped into the room.

"Master called?" Jinky questioned.

"I did. I wanted to introduce you to Alice. She will be taking over running The Nest." He turned back to the redhead. "Alice, this is Jinky. He's my personal elf. You may call him in a dire emergency if you can't reach me any other way, but for no other reason. Tinky and Twirly," he gestured to the two unusually small twin elves, "this is Alice. She will be Mistress of the house for as long as she stays here."

The elves turned adoring faces to the slightly pale girl.

"Mistress!" The first stepped forward slightly and bowed low. "I is Tinky. If you be needing anything, call for Tinky."

The second elf bowed low, then ducked behind her sister nervously.

Tinky glanced sadly at her twin, then returned her attention to Alice. "Twirly is shy. Old Master hurt her bad, even for an elf. Talking hurts her lots. But Twirly is a good elf! Twirly is a good cook, and likes watching over the children and caring for the garden!"

Alice shook her head dazedly, and then smiled at the anxious elf. "I'm sure you both work very well. You cook and clean here? What else do you do?"

Tinky beamed. "Oh, elves do all sorts of things! We clean and cook and fix things, and care for the garden! Is there anything else Mistress would like us to do?" She looked up hopefully, her hands clasped in front of her bony chest.

"Uh, no, that will be everything right now, thank you." Alice looked back at Harry with wide eyes.

Taking pity on her, Harry turned to Tinky and Twirly, getting their attention by clearing his throat.

"Mistress Alice will be living here, and you are to obey her as long as her orders do not endanger any of the children here, or countermand my orders. Do you understand?" Seeing their eager nods, he dismissed them back to the kitchen. "Jinky, if Miss Alice calls you, you are to go to her. But you are to exercise extreme caution, as she will only call if she has no other option."

Jinky frowned slightly, his ears drooping a little. "Miss Alice? Not Mistress Alice like Tinky and Twirly?"

Harry nodded. "That's right. Tinky and Twirly answer to her, you do not. The only person you answer to is me."

Jinky nodded in agreement, then popped back to whatever he had been doing before Harry had called him. Probably sculpting the little zen garden he was developing in the Apparition Courtyard at Sanctuary.

Alice slumped back in her chair, looking pale. "What were they?"

Raising an eyebrow and quirking his lip in amusement, Harry leaned back in his seat and twirled a pen between his fingers. "House elves. A slave race that needs to be bonded to a magical family or person to survive. They're extremely resilient, and love to work. Honestly, the more you give them to do, the happier they are. Unfortunately many people consider them little more than useful vermin, and mistreat them horribly. Severe punishments for the smallest perceived misdeed are not uncommon. Twirly was forced to eat hot coals and had her throat cut for supposedly speaking out of turn. She healed up quickly, and can speak, but between the mental trauma and a small amount of scarring on her vocal chords, she'll avoid it if she can."

If possible, Alice's eyes grew even wider. "Magic?"

Snorting faintly, Harry threw his pen on the desk between them. "Yes, magic is real. I'll have some books put in your room to explain the basics." Flashing her a wicked smile, he crossed his legs. "Welcome down the rabbit hole, Alice."

Offering a sickly smile back, she chuckled slightly. "Curiouser and curiouser!"

Harry watched her quickly shake off her shock, accept the new information, and move on. He was grudgingly impressed at her fortitude.

"What else did you need to know?"

Regaining her poise, she glanced down at the notepad. "I'm assuming since magic and magical people exist, you're thinking my empathy might help you somehow?"

"When you're around Alex, Sergei, or I, do you feel anything different than you do around say, Captain, or Greg?"

Drawing her eyebrows together slightly, Alice thought for a moment. "Yes. A faint static tingle. Why?"

"That's our magic. You yourself are magical, but because of what happened to you, your magical core fractured and internalised. Your empathy is a result of that; it's how your magic uses itself up so it doesn't burn uncontrollably through your body. You'll never be able to use magic the same way that we do, but it's possible that you may discover other talents that normal magicals don't have, because of the unique way your magic behaves now." He knew he was being unnecessarily blunt, but he really didn't have the patience - or inclination - to coddle her. He had no use for someone who wasn't strong enough to deal with both him and the responsibility of looking after a varying number of street tough kids. They'd eat her alive otherwise.

"I see." She swallowed. "I assume you want me to keep an eye out for any other magicals that come through here?" Seeing his nod, she continued her train of thought. "And you have a separate place for them to go? One that will teach them to use their talents?"

"The Haunt. Magical children are offered a place at a special school for magic when they turn eleven. Magicals have an entire society hidden away from the muggles - non magic folk. Any magical children you find will be taken to The Haunt and taught the basics of the magical society and any other information they need to assimilate properly into this society. We call them Ghosts, since as far as the muggles are concerned, that's essentially what they are once they begin at Hogwarts."

Alice choked slightly. "Hogwarts? The school is called Hogwarts? Who on earth thought that was a good name?"

Harry chuckled. "I have no idea, but I agree with you. It's awful."

"So what will happen with these Ghosts once they move to The Haunt? Will we ever see them again once they've gone?"

"Oh yes. Until they start school they'll still have regular lessons with the Nestlings. They'll be taught everything they need to know to be comfortable in either society. Once they've begun school, they'll be returning to The Haunt over summer holidays at least, as well as any other holiday breaks they wish."

Nodding and jotting down a few notes, Alice pursed her lips. "So all new kids will come through here first? Like a screening process?"

Harry nodded and sipped from the coffee Jinky had thoughtfully popped in for him. "Yes. Your job will be to not only weed out any magicals, but also counsel the kids and help identify any that're going to be unable or unwilling to follow the rules here. You'll find a copy of all rules and expectations in your room with the books I promised you." Leaning forward and adopting a more serious look, he continued once he had her undivided attention.

"Alice, the children that will stay here are the ones who have nowhere else to go, but if there is one that is too disruptive or problematic, then arrangements can be made to get them the help they need and find somewhere safe that will suit them better. The Ghosts and Nestlings will be taught how to survive, but more importantly, they will be moulded into a form that is most useful for my employer both now and once they reach adulthood. We don't ask them to do anything they're uncomfortable with, and we attempt to work with their natural talents. That said, some of the things we teach or allow are," he paused, looking for the right words. "Morally ambiguous. As Nest Mother, you need to be aware of this, and not undermine our work. In fact, your active support would be ideal, though I understand this might not be possible."

Alice's hazel eyes developed a fierce glint. "You promised those children that they would never have to whore again. Did you lie?"

Harry actually looked slightly startled. "Absolutely not! And if I had, my employer would make very sure that I understood the error of my ways. I was referring to things such as how to break and enter, pick pockets, fight - and when necessary, kill effectively, gather information, negotiated with a fence; those sort of things. It means that they'll frequently be engaging in illegal activities, and will actively work for my employer when they reach their upper teens. We sculpt them now to help them be as well-adjusted individuals as possible given their pasts, and also build their loyalty to Vahan. He looks after his people. Happy people with no reason to waver in their loyalty make better employees, which makes for better business." He gave her a hard look, scrutinising her closely for any signs of discomfort or reticence. Seeing none, he relaxed slightly.

Giving the small boy behind the large desk a flat look, Alice quirked an eyebrow. "That's hardly going to be a problem for me. When I worked for McKinnon, I all but ran that House, and I had to convince and train kids to do a lot worse things than that." Changing the subject and tapping her pen lightly on the notepad, she sighed. "How many kids am I likely to be playing Mother to?"

Harry shrugged. "It'll vary. Some days you'll only have one, others you might have a full house. Whenever new kids come through, they will been seen by Marcel first, and assessed before they even get here. You'll never see the ones that have a good home to go back to. The kids who'll stay here will probably be here for a few years at least, some longer than others. We don't usually take kids older than twelve, though you might get one or two occasionally."

"You mean you move them at twelve-ish?"

Harry shook his head. "No, I mean we don't usually take them in after that age. If they're already here then they'll most likely stay, but they'll be expected to start taking on more jobs for Vahan, so you won't see as much of them."

"What about their educations? Will you let them go to school? What about time for their homework once they are working for our boss?"

Harry grinned faintly, amused at how protective she was of the children already. "Their educations are priority. They will attend the local school, which I've been assured is quite a good one, and will be provided supplementary tutors where needed. If they have particular skills, for example sports, or science, they will be encouraged to pursue and develop them as best they can. They'll be provided with every support possible for them to succeed in life, as long as they work for it. There are no free rides here. If they don't put in the effort, then there is no future for them in our organisation, and other arrangements will be made."

Alice frowned, tilting her head quizzically. "I'm not sure I understand. You expect them to work for Vahan, but they will simultaneously be encouraged to create lives for themselves? Even ones that may lead them away from Vahan's influence? I mean, what use would a crime lord have for an astrophysicist, or a basketball star?"

Smiling openly, Harry stood and moved to stand in front of the picture on the wall. Staring at it with his hands clasped in the small of his back, he hummed lightly while he gathered his thoughts. Spinning on his heel, he walked back to the desk, perching on the front edge, leaning forward intently as he began to explain.

"Not every child has the brains and dedication to become an astrophysicist, but if they did, our employer would find a way for them to be useful, even if it wasn't related to their day job. More likely to occur are mechanics, doctors, nurses, chemists, artists, social workers, teachers, builders, engineers, or even bar staff. All of them have the potential to be useful, even if it's only in making other connections or finding potential clients, though many will just be assigned to pass on whatever interesting information they come across. Besides that, not all of Vahan's investments are less than legal. In fact, the majority are completely above board, and these companies will need qualified employees in the future. Not every child who comes through here will be suited for those roles, but the options are there if they want them.

"To use your example of a basketball star, what do you think being a basketball star would entail? Travel, meeting lots of people, making connections. Now imagine what information or artefacts someone who does those things for a living might encounter? The people they might be able to direct to my employer for future business deals? Or if you prefer something a little more blatant; how many drug samples do you think they could move, especially if they never raise suspicion by taking it themselves?"

Alice was gaping by the end of his speech, finally beginning to understand a fraction of the scope of Vahan's operation. "He's playing the long game."

Harry nodded, still smiling, his green eyes shining with fervour. "Oh yes. And right now, you're positioned to be a key part to that."

Sitting up with a determined look and holding out her hand, Alice smiled back, a shark's grin concealed behind perfect white teeth. "Sounds like my kind of place. It will be an honour to work with you, Sir."

Chuckling, Harry shook the offered hand.

Alice got a thoughtful look. "So, how do you stop the kids from finding out about the elves?"

"Muggle repelling charms on the kitchens. It acts as another way to see if any of the kids have magic, as they would be completely immune if they did. Other than that, the elves are excellent at keeping hidden. They keep a weather eye on the kids though, and will intervene if they get into anything dangerous."

"And if they are seen?"

Harry shrugged. "Memory charm it away."

Alice's eyes bugged. "Wait, you can do that?"

Dudley quivered in fear as the door to the small room shut behind the rumpled looking older man who had arrested him, and a plump woman from Social Services who introduced herself as Amanda.

"Hello Dudley," Amanda said. "I'm here to stay with you until your parents arrive."

Dudley nodded silently to show he understood, his multiple chins wobbling with supressed tears.

The older man peered at the frightened boy intently, a notepad in one hand, and a chocolate bar in the other. "My name is Inspector Adama. Do you mind if we have a bit of a chat with you before they get here?"

Dudley nodded again, twisting his pudgy fingers together nervously under the table.

"Great. Here, I know it's been a while since you've eaten anything." Adama handed over the chocolate bar, then pulled a bottle of juice from his pocket, and placed it on the table in front of the boy.

"Now, we need to ask you some questions about what you were doing in the Robertson's house this afternoon. We know they are away at the moment, so why don't you explain why you were there?"

Dudley bit on the inside of his bottom lip, and stayed silent. He wasn't going to say anything to the bacon. He didn't really understand why the police were called bacon, but he'd heard Bobby call them that, and Bobby was the boss, so bacon they were. His stomach rumbled.

Adama sighed, looking disappointed.

"Now, son, it's alright. We know that you were just doing what you were told. All we need you to do is tell us who it was that made you break in to the Robertson's house. Just give us a name, and we can make sure you don't get into any trouble. You understand that breaking and entering is a very serious crime? Unless you tell us what we need to know, we can't help you."

Dudley closed his eyes, sick to his stomach. He was pale and sweating with fear, but he refused to squeal on his gang. Everyone knew that Bobby answered to men higher up, and those men answered to the two men who had been with Harry in the park that day. Those men had been terrifying, and had clearly been following his cousin's orders when they left the park, even though they'd been pretending not to. They'd reminded Dudley of the Secret Service men that followed the American President around on the TV. Harry may not live at Privet Drive any more, but he still scared Dudley a lot more than a sweaty and overworked cop did. Whoever he worked for now was obviously top of the food chain, and while he knew he wasn't very smart, Dudley knew better than to piss off someone who must be even scarier than Harry and his goons.

Thinking of Harry reminded him of the phone that the men had given him. For some reason, the cops hadn't seemed to notice it even when it was right in front of them, so he'd quickly stuck it back in his pocket. He could feel its outline against his leg as his pants strained against his flabby thighs.

"I have to pee," he squawked suddenly, an idea forming sluggishly in his brain.

Alex raised an eyebrow at the barely comprehensible text message he'd just received from Dudley's mobile. Rereading it, he took the time to decipher it's meaning properly before swearing and calling Bradshaw, then stalking out of the room to find Harry.

Quickly finishing his business in the stall, the obese boy readjusted his pants, and emerged to wash his hands. He hoped that Harry and his men understood his message, and that he wouldn't get in trouble for using the phone. They'd told him to send a message if he was in trouble, and he figured this probably counted.

Waddling down the hallway back to the interrogation room, Dudley could hear his mother yelling at Inspector Adama even before the Social Services woman whose name he couldn't remember opened the door.

"My Diddi-kins would never do something like that! If anyone is out breaking into houses, it's that degenerate nephew of mine! Always blaming things on my little angel, even now!" She sobbed dramatically into a lace edged handkerchief while Vernon nodded officiously next to her and patted her shoulder in what could be interpreted as a consoling manner if you squinted.

Adama frowned, and rechecked his file.

"Your nephew?"

"Harry Potter," Vernon spat, his lips curling is distaste under his massive walrus moustache. "Brat was dumped on our doorstep as a baby after his no good parents were killed in a car accident. We took him in, we did, but blood will tell, you know. We gave him the very food from our mouths and the clothes off our backs, and the little miscreant repaid us by causing trouble around the neighbourhood, and attacking our Dudley whenever he thought he could get away with it."

Dudley paled, his eyes flicking between his parents and the cop. He knew, he knew that mentioning Harry was just going to get the cops interested in his cousin, and that couldn't lead to anything good for his health. Before he could fall over, or do something else to distract the adults, a smooth voice interjected.

"Mr and Mrs Dursley I presume?" The tall redhead was impeccably dressed in a tailored suit, a briefcase held lightly in one hand. "My name is Marcus Bradshaw, I'm your son's legal representation."

Vernon frowned. "Dudley's lawyer? But we didn't-"

Bradshaw cut him off with a smile. "Your son is a very bright boy, and has made friends with someone who wanted to help when he found out your son was being accused of a crime. My fee has already been taken care of, never fear." Turning smoothly to the incensed and overly interested Inspector, his face hardened slightly. "What is my client being charged with?"

Adama gritted his teeth. "B and E."

"And did you attempt to question him before his parents or legal representation arrived?"

The Inspector snarled, his jaw clenched so tightly that he could feel a headache forming. "He gave permission, and a Social Worker was present at all times."

Bradshaw's eyes sharpened, even as he adopted a slightly bored look. "I'll take that as a no then. Tsk tsk, Inspector. You should know better. Procedure is there for a reason, after all." He smirked faintly. "I'll be speaking with my client in private now. And then we'll be signing the release papers. Perhaps you should save us all some time and go and get those ready now?"

"And why would I do that?" Adama sneered. God he hated lawyers!

"Because you have illegally detained my client and questioned him without suitable representation. We both know your case is going to get thrown out, so why don't you cut your losses and just withdraw the charges, hmm? It'll look a lot better on your record."

The two men stared at each other, until finally Adama looked away mutinously and stalked from the room, slamming the door angrily behind him. Amanda followed, her exit much quieter.

Bradshaw turned his charming smile on the elder Dursley's. "Why don't you both go get a cup of tea and take a moment to compose yourselves? I know how stressful these situations can be, especially for such upstanding citizens as yourselves. I'll stay here with Dudley, and make sure he isn't bothered any further."

Petunia nodded, still sniffling soggily into her handkerchief. "Thank you, Mr Bradshaw was it?"

Bradshaw nodded. "That's right. Go ahead and take as long as you need."

Offering a watery smile, Petunia exited the room, escorted by a solicitous Vernon.

Dudley eyed the newcomer warily.

"Hello Dudley. Our mutual friend on the other end of the phone sent me. I need you to tell me everything that happened, alright? We'll take care of everything."

Adama stopped by Missing Persons on the way to organise the Dudley kid's papers. Winding his way through the maze of desks, whiteboards and filing cabinets, he stopped at the one manned by his drinking buddy.

"Max, can you do me a favour?"

Max Brendan looked up from his computer screen, automatically minimizing the windows. He'd gotten into the habit of it after working a particularly sensitive case, and saw no reason to change now.

"What do you need?"

Adama scrubbed his hand through his hair roughly, and sighed heavily. "It's probably nothing, I've just got a feeling, you know?"

Max nodded with a faint smile. Over the years he'd learned to trust Adama's instincts; he hadn't steered him wrong yet.

"Sit down, tell Daddy all about it." He smirked at the revolted look his friend gifted him.

Flopping into the chair next to the desk, Gregory rubbed his eyes and threw Dudley's file on the desk. "It's this kid. Caught him doing a B and E. Tight as a fucking clam, wouldn't talk at all until he had to piss. Seemed scared of more than us if you ask me, but that's not it. Thing is, when his parents showed up, the father mentioned a cousin who was always causing trouble and blaming it on Dudley. They said they took the kid in as a baby, that he'd been left on their doorstep, and accused him of causing Dudley trouble 'even now'. I checked, there's no record of a Harry Potter - that's the cousin's name apparently - ever being listed as living there. The way they were talking…" He trailed off, looking troubled. "It's probably nothing, just incomplete records, but would you mind checking it out for me?"

Max nodded amiably. "Not a problem, Greg. It's a slow week anyway, so I may as well. Want to meet up at the pub after work? I still owe you a game of darts from last week."

Adama smiled. "Thanks Max, I appreciate it. And yeah, I'd love a pint. I finish at seven, I'll swing by your desk and pick you up so you don't have to drive?"

"Perfect. I'll do some digging for you in the meantime and fill you in once I have something either way."

Max frowned at the picture of a small dark haired boy with messy hair and a lightning bolt scar on his forehead. It was a school class picture, and the boy was huddled on his own at the side of the group, his soulful green eyes half hidden behind a too long fringe and ugly round glasses. Noticeably smaller than his peers, he was clad in baggy clothes that were barely a step up from rags, and held himself in a way that reminded Max painfully of a wounded animal. The photo was a couple of years old, and the calls he'd made indicated that he'd been adopted by a new family and had been withdrawn from the Surrey school in favour of home schooling with private tutors. The kid had all but disappeared, and yet every lead seemed perfectly legitimate; the boy's new father supposedly reclusive and paranoid about security. Given the man's net worth, it was hardly surprising.

He jumped as Adama materialised next to him, and automatically closed the screens before shutting down his computer.

"Ready to go?" He asked, grabbing his jacket.

Adama nodded, leaning a hip on the desk as he waited. He'd caught a glimpse of some sort of class picture before Max had closed the screen, but it was gone too fast for him to be able to glean anything from it.

"Yeah. Find anything on that Potter kid?"

Max shrugged. "Not really. Kid was listed as living with the Dursley's until about a year ago, when he was given up for adoption. A guy named John Smith adopted him, and he pretty much disappears after that. His new daddy is super rich and just as paranoid. Apparently the kid even has personal bodyguards for when he goes out. Home schooled, the works."

Adama grunted. "Anything else jump out at you?"

Max scowled. "He seems to be doing fine now, but I'm glad he got away from those Dursleys. I don't think they ever even fed the poor kid."

"Why do you say that?"

Shaking his head sadly, Max grabbed his bag from under his desk. "The boy is tiny."

Adama froze for a moment, something tugging on his memory.

"You coming or what?" Max teased, jostling the older man as he walked past.

"Yeah, yeah," Greg laughed, shaking his head, the half formed connection drifting away undiscovered.

Harry stood in front of his mirror as he knotted his tie.

"Who the fuck is Bobby?" He asked, distracted. He scowled and undid the knot, starting again. For all his prodigious skills in nearly every area, he just could not tie a fucking tie properly!

"Timothy White, the undercover cop." Alex offered a file, but Harry waved it off, more intent on trying to get the tie done up.

"We have an undercover cop who chose to go by Bobby?" Harry snorted in amusement.

Alex smirked. "Yep. And despite being named White, he's as black as they come."

Harry shook his head. "I think I like this guy already. So what went wrong? Why did Dudley get picked up?"

Sighing, the mercenary-turned-mostly-butler-and-personal-assistant flipped through the file. "Short version, he didn't know Dudley was your cousin. Not surprising since we've gone to such lengths to hide all your connections. He was being pressured to start handing up people to be questioned by the cops, and he thought Dudley would be suitable for the role. Young, pliant, but didn't know anything and wasn't likely to."

"But he gave me up?"

"Oh no, not at all. In fact, he never said a single word until he asked to go to the bathroom to send us a message. It was just bad luck that his parents got there before Bradshaw. They accused you of framing him."

Harry sighed. "And that got Adama my name."

Alex nodded, then walked over, brushing Harry's hands out of the way and quickly tying a perfect Half-Windsor knot.

"Thanks to Shot, we managed to strengthen John Smith as an alias before anyone started digging, but it was a near thing. That said, unless he manages to dig up a picture of you, it's unlikely he'll make your alias as Tiny."

Handing Harry his jacket, he grabbed the files off the side table. "Did you want to do anything about Bobby or Dudley?"

Pursing his lips, Harry thought for a moment. "No. Anything we say or do will just draw unwanted attention. Bobby may be on my payroll, but I have no reason to trust him yet. And god knows what Dudley would do if he was singled out in any way; though I'll have to reward him for keeping his mouth shut. There's no reason to punish him for his parent's idiocy."

Alex nodded and jotted a note in his book. "Anything else?"

"It's Connor's sixth birthday in two days. I want to spend the day with him, then take all the kids out to dinner. Any suggestions for places that won't raise an eyebrow at eight kids and a handful of adults? Nothing fancy, I want the kids to be able to relax."

"Wimpy's?"

"Yeah, sounds perfect. Will you arrange it? And invite Bradshaw too. I doubt he'll come, so don't let Connor know; I'd rather he think I was the bad guy if his dad decides not to come."

"Of course. Now, where exactly are we going?"

Harry smirked. "Sanctuary, via Savile Row and possibly Harrods. I'm in the mood for some shopping."

Alex's eyebrows shot up. "You're taking an afternoon off?"

Harry shrugged. "Why not? I'll be at Fortress tomorrow, which means I'll probably have to spend at least a little time with the Malfoy's, and then the day after I'll be with Connor all day. Then I'll be swamped in paperwork, even after I hand the bulk of it over to Father. I think I deserve some time off."

"Absolutely. And we can look for a gift for Connor too. Actually, you should let Alice know so she can arrange to take the Nestlings out and get him something too."

Harry sighed. "Yeah. But for now, let's go. If I don't get away from these kids for a while I'm going to do something unfortunate."