Finding Neverland | George Weasley ✓

Chapter Sixty-Seven

'James Duerre'

The name came to Thea before anyone had the chance to say it. The boy she had met during her sixth year, the boy from her past, someone who she had met before everything had gone to hell. The Beauxbatons boy, who she had crashed into in the corridors sending themselves as well as their books and stationery to the ground. The boy she had gone to the Yule Ball with, the boy who had become a friend. Was a criminal? Who had killed an entire muggle family? Who was a Death Eater supporter?

It was impossible.

Or entirely possible.

Thea had never had much of a chance to know very much about James' past, could there be a chance? Thea shook her head slightly refused to believe it, she liked to think she was a good judge of character and there was no chance that James who be so twisted enough to kill a family of muggles just because he felt like it.

"Miss Diggory?"

Thea couldn't slowly feel herself coming out of her thoughts back to reality. There were people calling her name and their concerned faces swam in front of her just out of focus.

"Miss Diggory?"

"Thea." Elliot's face came into focus as he stood beside Thea. "We've been calling your name for a few minutes, are you okay?"

Thea looked up to where James was sitting only a few moments earlier who was now replaced by an Auror who looked vaguely familiar. "What happened to the criminal?"

"We had Aurors take him away until you were ready. What was the matter, Thea?"

"Oh, nothing." Thea lied. "I just kind of spaced out there for a second."

"Okay, then." Elliot replied.

"Thea. Are you ready now?" Mad-Eye Moody asked her.

"I'm fine." Thea replied.

Elliot's tutor, John Dawlish then waved at one of the Aurors who then brought James back to sit in front of the Aurors. James looked over to where Thea sat, raising an eyebrow slightly to ask if she was alright.

"Now, James Duerre, is it?" Elliot asked from beside Thea starting to question him but Thea lightly tapped him on the arm before continuing with her own questions.

"Now James, can you please tell me if you killed that family of muggles or not?"

"What are you doing?" Elliot whispered to Thea. "We need to make sure that they are actually the person for our records before we start interrogating."

"Well, trust me that person is James Duerre." Thea whispered back.

"Now tell me, did you or did you not?" Thea said turning back to James.

"Thea..." James trailed off.

"Thea!" The others exclaimed in shock.

"How do you know her name!" Mad-Eye Moody demanded.

"Thea and I met a few years ago when I came to Hogwarts with Beauxbatons for the Triwizard Tournament, which speaking of I recognize you," James said looking to Mad-Eye Moody.

"Well, I've never met you." Mad-Eye Moody said. "But now that that is out of the way, Thea please continue with the interrogation."

"Just a reminder that this is an interrogation, not a conversation or a reunion," Thea said coldly. "Tell me whether or not you killed that family of muggles."

"Well, all the evidence points to me doing it but I don't remember anything except me hitting my head against something. But Thea you know that I wouldn't do anything like this, I know you do."

"Quiet." Thea snarled, her emotions getting the best of her.

The others asked their own questions and continuing to question James while Thea sat still, going through everything in her mind.

Her heart was telling her that there was no way he could have committed the murder, while her brain kept showing her the evidence. Death Eater posters had been found in James' apartment while the eye-witness accounts pointed him right at the scene of the crime. All the evidence seemed to be pointing towards James committing the murder, but Thea simply couldn't believe it.

By the time, the interrogation finished and James was taken back to a holding cell to await trial, Thea headed back with the others to process the data, her brain was still racing.

"He didn't do it," Thea muttered, causing everyone to look over at her strangely.

"Don't be silly, girl. All the evidence points to him committing the crime." Dryslin dismissed quickly.

"I know he used to be your friend but that doesn't mean that he didn't do it, people change Thea," Dawlish said.

"It's not just because he was my friend. I know what I feel, my instincts are telling me that he didn't do it."

"Well, I'm sorry but I don't think some instincts will do much for him in trial." Dryslin said again.

"No one can tell you to think, Thea. But as Aurors, we can't let our emotions distract us from the end goal." Dawlish said.

"Fine then be that way," Thea muttered under her breath.

Thea sat at her desk in the Auror office as one of the only people still there going through James' file and all the evidence for a second time, she couldn't shake the feeling that something else was at play here and that James hadn't done it. No one believed her, saying that her feelings and her former friendship with James were making her feel that way. They had even threatened to have her taken off the case but she couldn't let that happen it would mean she wouldn't be able to have access to the files and wouldn't be able to prove James' innocence.

"Thea! What are you still doing here?" Elliot asked, shocked to see his friend still at her desk.

"I could ask you the same thing," Thea replied.

"I had to take one of the examinations because I missed one because I was sick. Surely you remember Thea? I told you."

"Sorry."

"Are those the case files from today?"

"Um yes, bu-"

"Thea, I know you feel like he did it but all the evidence points the other way. I'm sorry but there isn't much you can do."

"Elliot, I know he is innocent. I know he is!" Thea said, a slight sob escaping her mouth.

"Hey. It's okay Thea. He knows that you think he is innocent and that's probably a bit of a comfort to him, come on let's go home, we can stop at the Leaky Cauldron on the way for some dinner before we do."

"Fine." Thea huffed before following Elliot out of the room.