分卷阅读8（1 / 2）

Pansy nodded. “Look, I realize you’ve summoned me and it must be somewhat important if I had to come back all the way from Brussels, but the girl who’s practically my godchild has gone missing and I’ve only just found out and I—”

“Oh dear,” the woman shook her head and her face flushed with pity.

“What?” Pansy cried, shaking her head back and forth. Suddenly the pessimism she’d worked so hard to bury came bubbling up to overwhelm her. She fought back a sob. “What is it?”

“Why don’t you follow me to my office?”

Tears pooled in Pansy’s eyes as she trailed behind the woman down the main hall of the Atrium into a division office she didn’t recognize. As soon as she read the sign outside Family Affairs Ministry Liaison, something cold and bitter shot down her spine. “Can you tell me what this is about, please?” I’m starting to panic, Pansy thought and forced herself to take a deep breath.

The woman stopped at an empty desk, took her place behind it, and motioned for Pansy to sit. Aurora Thistlewick, according to her desk placard, calmly opened a folder and gulped. “I’m sorry to be the one to inform you of this terrible news but—”

“Oh, Salazar, no,” Pansy whimpered.

“Marwan Zivantus is now deceased, which leaves guardianship of his daughter, Bertrice, to you.”

“WHAT?” Pansy yelled, in shock, relief, and perhaps a small pinch of wistful affection.

The force of Pansy’s outburst caused Aurora Thistlewick to shoot back in her chair.

“I apologize,” Pansy gathered what little composure she could find. In her clarity, she remembered Draco’s letter, and narrowed her eyes. Perhaps later she might regret the tone and the look she gave the poor Thistlewick woman. Most likely not, though. “Wait a moment. You want to sign over guardianship of a child to me, who according to my best friend has been missing since—” Pansy pulled out the letter and noted the date, “—last Tuesday!”

“We have two highly experienced Ministry officials working on the case,” Thistlewick assured. “It’s all very messy up there what with the murder of Mister Zivantus.”

Pansy laughed and then schooled her face into something once again neutral and hopefully terrifying. “Here’s what we’re going to do. I will sign whatever paperwork you have for me while you write down the names of both officials on the case, the names of the officials involved in the murder investigation, and any other pertinent information that will help me navigate the so-called mess that is the Edinburgh Ministry offices.”

“This is practically Muggle Edinburgh, Eversworn. Where are you taking me?” Malfoy walked beside him, and Harry could’ve sworn he didn’t remember inviting the git along. He was about to say as much, but Malfoy asked, a hint of worry in his voice, “Don’t tell me she’s all the way out here?”

Harry shook his head and pointed to the familiar townhome on the next block. “Just there,” he said. Malfoy swatted Harry’s hand down and pulled him to the side of the houses. “What are you doing, Malfoy?”

“We can go in from the back, through the garden.”

“You plan to break in?” Harry wasn’t sure why he was surprised. “Have you not met your weekly quota of committing burglaries?”

Malfoy almost sneered but seem to catch himself. “And what was your plan, knock on the door and calmly ask whoever is holding her captive to politely give her up?”

Harry frowned. “Who said she was being held captive?” Malfoy broke their stare and pretended to be interested in the vines crawling up the lattice of a nearby home. Harry took a step closer and made Malfoy look at him. “The papers and the signs just say missing. What do you know that the rest of us don’t?”

“I don’t know what you mean,” Malfoy still refused to look at him.