Empty Spaces

Chapter 51

There were many things Harry Potter should have done. He should have stayed hidden. He should have spoken up earlier. He should have been open and honest and trusting and a million other things. In fact, the list of things he should have done was almost as long as the list of things he shouldn't have done. He shouldn't have kept secrets. He shouldn't have assumed. He shouldn't have eavesdropped.

Harry returned to their flat with a strange sense of resolve, ignoring the tapping at the window and tossing his cloak back into the bedroom instead. He couldn't take Draco away from Aberforth, not now, not after what he'd overheard. He would talk to Holmberg, tell him he was grateful for everything he'd done, but Germany was too far away. Unless of course Draco never wanted to see him again, which after everything Harry had done– or not done? – was entirely understandable. If that was the case, Harry would be packing his bags immediately.

It was a lot of its. It made his head spin and his shoulder was aching again, worse than before. The tapping was back, louder this time, and with a groan, Harry crossed the flat to the kitchen window where he let in a rather irritated-looking Ministry owl.

"What the fuck..." Harry took the parchment as the owl gave his hand an annoyed peck before sweeping back out of the open window.

19th February

Dear Mister Potter,

Please report to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement at the Ministry Headquarters in London. You are needed for immediate questioning regarding the Blair Ironbark Case.

Yours,

Clarence T. Whittikins

Department of Magical Law

"Fucking fuck what the fuck..." Harry muttered to himself, turning the stupid letter over in his hands. It was just like the days after the war, when he'd spent nearly every day in and out of the stupid Ministry, giving testimony and answering questions and being called in to judge people's character. What the fuck does that even mean??

He jumped at the sound of the door opening, turning around with the far-fetched hope that Draco might have decided to come home, but it was just Hermione coming back from her Friday night shift, wearing a concerned expression on her face.

"Harry...? Harry, what's going on?? Draco's downstairs with Aberforth, I don't know what they were talking about, but it looked serious... Hey, what's wrong?"

I fucked up so badly that I might lose Draco forever. We had a fight. He stormed out. Oh, and Lucius escaped from Azkaban and now I've been called down to London to give my statement as a witness to his accomplice. But it's okay, Draco defeated his father and Narcissa is safe and Draco is safe...

"Harry..." She came up beside him, putting her hand on his shoulder while Harry tried not to flinch. "Wait, Harry, are you hurt??"

"Draco's father escaped," Harry said bluntly, not really knowing how else to begin. "For the last time."

"Wait– what?? Harry, what happened? Is Draco okay?? And what's wrong with your shoulder???"

"Nothing's wrong– well, one of Lucius' curses got me, but barely, it's fine–"

"WHAT!?"

Harry launched into an explanation of everything that took place that afternoon. He was having trouble recalling everything in order, but Hermione just listened, visibly thinking as she put the pieces together in her head.

"Alright," she nodded finally, "Let me see. Ironbark denies my application to apprentice with the Ministry. Lucius probably put him up to it to use as leverage against you. But you don't take the bait, so Lucius switches strategies. He uses Polyjuice to trade places with Ironbark so he can leave Azkaban, going straight for the Manor while Draco just happens to be there...? That part can't be coincidental."