Albus Potter, Classmates and Elves

Ch 31 Jane's Family

Major changes by or inspired by Deb and Diane. Thank you.

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Lavender Brown walked up to Mary Lou Creevey's desk in front of Harry's office at the Ministry mid-morning, and saw Mary Lou and a young wizard deep in conversation, so she sat down to wait. She heard the wizard complain, "How am I going to itemize these expenses? This week Harry was working on Great Britain Auror work, International Auror work, Wizengamot work, and work for the International Conference of Witches and Wizards."

Mary Lou replied, "You could ask Dobedo. He usually can give you some idea."

"I have, but what do I do when he tells me people talked about two or three different things? And the accountant would like to know if Harry is working on a current case or general administrative work or, look at all these categories."

"Do your best, and don't worry too much about it," Mary Lou let the young man know. "Addition and subtraction are precise, but accounting is not. Do your best. Just do not ask Harry."

The young wizard left, muttering to himself.

Lavender stood up and quipped, "Attack of the precision bookkeepers?"

Mary Lou laughed. "Harry is involved in so many different things keeping everything straight is as easy as keeping his hair neat," Mary Lou admitted. "What brings you here, Lavender?"

"I need to talk to Harry about Jane Smith, the girl Harry and Ginny are taking care of."

"They are?" Mary Lou wondered. "Things have a tendency to gravitate towards Harry, and often I try to push them back down to where they belong. This is something I haven't heard of. What happened?"

"You know, of course, that Scorpius and Cleopatra ran away from Malfoy Manor," Lavender tried to confirm.

"I think everybody in the Ministry is aware of that mess," Mary Lou granted.

"When Scorpius and Cleo got on the Knight Bus there was another runaway on the bus, a witch who was running away from her father so she could go to Hogwarts this fall. Well, that's the two Knut version of the story. Jane ended up at the Potters. When Harry has time, I need to go over what we have found out about her and her family."

Mary Lou and Lavender looked into the window in Harry's office. There were seven other people in the office, and they were looking at papers and parchments and some sort of display on the wall.

Mary Lou looked at Harry's schedule. "Harry is busy until about two this afternoon," she suggested, "and I cannot promise that this mess will not run over. I will put you on his schedule for three. I have your number, and will let you know if that does not work out."

At three Lavender wandered back to Harry's office, just as a harried looking young witch left the office with several papers in hand.

"That was intense," the young witch remarked. "That is the worse meeting I have been in yet. I have to document it, and then summarize it on one page?"

"If you can," Mary Lou gently reminded the young girl. "You wanted to be on the team that helps manage Harry and the Auror office. I do need that report by this time tomorrow."

"I will get my great-grandmother-in-law to babysit a few more hours tomorrow," the young witch sighed. "I wanted this job."

Harry came out of his office, looked at Mary Lou, and the young witch who was walking away. "Glenda looked overwhelmed," he remarked as Glenda was disappearing.

"Tough case?" Lavender inquired.

"Ten countries are involved, so it is an administrative and logistical nightmare," Harry confirmed. "The law enforcement part of the case might be the easiest."