I'm No Weak Link -- Blaise

[Deleted]

The news reached Hermione probably a lot faster than it should have; the hitwizards had a lead on Harry, and were getting ready to send a squad led by Blaise Zabini out to investigate it further. Ever since Harry had disappeared on that last night in April, Hermione had felt rather trapped and helpless. She wanted to be out on the field, questioning any witnesses or potential suspects herself, to be helpful in finding her best friend. But all of her advisors had firmly been against the plan. Hermione Granger was the Minister for Magic; it’d be nearly suicidal for her to go out unnoticed onto the field with hitwizards and hitwitches; the suspects target would likely change to her. It made Hermione angry, though she did not outwardly express this. She hadn’t become one of the brightest witches in her year by sitting around and doing nothing, while others did her work for. Hadn’t that been the whole purpose of Dumbledore’s Army, back in their fifth year? Hadn’t it been why she had skipped her seventh year entirely to search for Horcruxes with Harry, never leaving his side until they were all gone and Voldemort defeated? She knew in her heart that Harry would want her to help search for him, as he would do the same thing for her if she was the one who disappeared.

Her mind made up, Hermione shut the door of her office and locked it. With a wave of her wand, she redressed herself into a pair of black jeans, a black tank and black combat boots. She glanced towards the small mirror she kept in the corner of her office and smirked. She looked much more dangerous than she felt like she was, and the thrill of anticipation sizzled through her. According to her leak, this was the biggest hint into her best friends whereabouts the department had gotten in months; there was no way she was going to miss this. She walked out of her office and briskly made her way to the elevators; the Ministry workers had been set a task that called for complete concentration, so nobody noticed the Minister leave. She made her way down to the second floor, where the Hitwizards offices were. She strode up to Blaise’s office, knocked once before entering. “Zabini,” she greeted shortly with a curt nod. “I hear you’re headed out to follow a lead on Harry,” she said, almost casually as if this wasn’t a huge deal. “I’m coming with you.” It was not a request; it was a command, from the Minister of Magic. Hermione would not sit behind a desk while people risked their lives to find Harry. That was her job, her responsibility to bring him home safely. And she would.

blaise leo zabini

[blaise leo zabini]

@hermionejean

This was preposterous, and an immense waste of resources. Blaise knew he was right when it came down to ‘locating’ Potter. He hadn’t gone missing; he ran off, just like he had years earlier when things got hairy at Hogwarts. Why anyone thought this was something new for him, was beyond Blaise’s knowledge. In his opinion, Potter was an idiot and always would be. He made it through his ordeal via extreme luck, not whatever nonsense magic he claimed to have on his side. There were other players in that war that everyone seemingly forgot about as well, instead crediting the former Gryffindor with all of the glory. To add to it all, Blaise was pretty sure that there were more pressing things currently, like cleaning up the international mess that had fallen on them. Harry Potter could wait when there were terrorists running amok in London. No one else seemed to agree with him on that though, so the order to round up and follow the most recent lead had resonated with everyone but him. Instead, Blaise was camped out in his office still, reading over trainee documents once again.

And then she came through his door. It apparently didn’t matter if he was in the Obliviator department or the Hit Department, because the Minister always seemed to seek him out regardless, like he had an infinite supply of answers to her demands. Sometimes he wondered if she came knocking on his door just to get his pessimistic view on everything, because that was what she was going to get this time just like every other time before it. “Me? Headed out to find Potter? I wasn’t aware that I was personally tasked with finding the princess,” Blaise said, not looking up from his files more than what was required of him. “I assume sending Aurors and interns would suffice for his case. They need something to do these days.” Flipping to the end of the file he was on, he added it to the top of the already large stack at the side of his desk before reaching for the next one. Even though he knew it wouldn’t happen, there was always a sliver of hope that the Minister would move on to the person in the next office over and leave him to do his own work. Going through recruitment files was surely more important than sending trained killers out to find a man that was more than capable of fending for himself. How no one else saw what was going on here was asinine.

[Deleted]

Hermione refrained from rolling her eyes at the former Slytherin; she knew Blaise didn’t care much for Harry, but this was also the most solid lead they had on him since he disappeared several months ago. She slammed the file containing the information on his case on Blaise’s desk. “Listen up Zabini, because I’m only going to say this once,” Hermione began, her voice low and dangerous. “I don’t know why you decided to join the Obliviators over from the Hitwizards, but even Stephen Holmes says you’re one of the best trackers he’d ever seen. We have our Aurors and other Hitwitches and wizards dedicated to the terrorists involved in the Beauxbatons and Durmstrang cases, as well as Elaine Dupree.” She paused, knowing he’d want a moment to bask in the compliments he had just been given. “Whether you like him or not, Harry is the Head of Magical Law Enforcement, which, if you recall correctly, makes him your boss. He vanished without a trace, and without and leads over three months ago, and even if you don’t care, he has a wife and family that needs some answers,” she told him.

She flipped open the file and pointed. “We have a lead in the Shepherd’s Bush neighborhood of London - it’s a busy enough area, but residential. Very mixed in terms of cultures. But the important bit here is that there was a trail of lightning bolts that led to a house at the end of a quiet lane. It’s the best lead we’ve had so far, so I need my best people going after it.” She straightened up, and gripped her wand tightly. “In case you object, this is not a request, this is an order,” she added with a sense of finality. Blaise would have to follow a direct order from her, as she was his Minister. She crossed her arms, waiting for his reply with a sense of impatience. Every moment they delayed meant less of a chance of finding anything solid on her best friend.

blaise leo zabini

[blaise leo zabini]

@hermionejean

He didn’t have time to move the file that was on his desk before the one the Minister had in her hands came crashing down on top of it. He assumed this was all they had on Potter, mostly because it was thin and they literally had no idea where he was. “Then please, continue,” he managed to get out as she said she was only going to say whatever it was once. If he was going to be forced to do this by her, then he might as well get in as many jobs as he could. She went on to explain that he was the best tracker they had, yadda yadda, mostly stuff he already knew and some kind words from Holmes, who, while a great wizard, would probably never compliment someone in the way Hermione was apparently saying he had. Or maybe he would have if he didn’t want to go hunting down Potter either. That was probably what was going on here. He had enough weight to throw around that he could probably have gotten the Minister to back off by throwing Blaise under her radar. While excellent at his job, he could be quite the sycophant at times, especially if it benefited him in the end.

Blaise didn’t like the fact that she was bringing up about Harry being his boss. He had forgotten about that detail, seeing as he wasn’t around when rejoining the squad. As for giving the family answers, he probably had to be more sympathetic towards that. That was always a low blow to go at him with. Hermione flipped the file open and explained where the lead was coming from and what exactly was happening there to make them think it was Potter. He pulled it towards the edge of his desk and read over it quickly. It didn’t look like much more than what they already had. The lightning bolts could have been from virtually anyone or anything. Treating his case as if he was on the run was silly. Who was to say he wasn’t already dead and this was just someone pretending to be him? Knowing full well they could lead high up hit wizard and auror squads into a trap, or in this case, the Minister herself. “Who else is going?” Blaise asked, looking up from the file. He knew it was going to be the two of them, but that couldn’t be it. They would need more people, just to be safe.

[Deleted]

Hermione didn't know if Blaise was just accepting her words because she was Minister, because she was his former classmate, or because he actually believed that this lead might end up bringing them closer to Harry.  She was inclined to lean towards the first option - Blaise had never been the sentimental type, and she could tell from his body language that he wasn't certain this lead would amount to anything.  If she was totally honest, neither was she.  This could be a false trail, a trap even, she knew that.  But she had to try.  If there was even a glimmer of hope Harry could be found, she had to hold onto it.  Harry was the spark that would keep the light of the side of the Order alive, and with him gone, Hermione was struggling to make sure it didn't go out.

"We'll take three of the best hit witches and wizards in the department, your choice.  Name them, and meet me in the foyer in ten minutes time," she instructed, and turned on her heel to prepare herself for the mission.   She went to her office and found her hands were shaking.  Closing her eyes, she took several deep breaths to calm herself.  She was going to find her best friend, and if this lead didn't pan out, the next one would, or the next one.  She wouldn't give up, she couldn't give up.  He would never give up on her if the tables were turned.  She had to find him, for the sake of his wife, his children, and the entire Wizarding World.

She made her way down to the lobby ten minutes later, a fierce and determined look on her face.  She crossed her arms, waiting by a fireplace for Blaise and his assembled team.  Whens he finally saw him, she nodded curtly.  "Right on time," she said briskly.  "Shall we get on then," she asked.  The words formed a question, but her intent behind them was anything but.

blaise leo zabini

[blaise leo zabini]

@hermionejean

The decision on who to bring was left up to him and had to be conducted within the next ten minutes. Wonderful. Blaise gave his response with a nod of his head as the Minister left his office, presumably to do something only Merlin knew. This was one of those instances where he wished he had stayed in the Obliviation department; no one ever told him what to do there because he knew what was best. The politically charged need to rescue the ‘boy who lived’ when he probably wasn’t even living anymore was asinine in his opinion. But a job was a job, and Blaise still liked the new one and preferred to come into the office tomorrow morning and still have it. Scribbling out a short letter directed towards his family in case the worst happened (something that was always at the back of his mind whilst conducting missions), Blaise stuffed it into an envelope and dropped it into the top drawer of his desk, replacing his wand which was normally stored there. He was positive that Holmes was out of the office doing his own thing today, so that took away one of his potential partners. Whether or not that pairing, with the extra addition of the Minister herself, would work in the first place was something he wasn’t willing to field test while actually in the field. That left a few old names that had still been idling around in the department since his first tenure there, as well as the newer girl, her name slipping Blaise’s memory. He whistled at the two old-timers and motioned to the blonde girl as he exited his office, hoping that they knew he needed them stat. To the lobby Blaise went, the other three following behind him, to arrive right on time, as the Minister astutely pointed out. Blaise glanced at the squad they had formed and shrugged. “Unless you prefer to stand here and chat,” he said lazily. Obviously they were all ready to move onto the next step. They weren’t goddamn rookies at this.

[Deleted]

Hermione simply glowered at Blaise. “You’d do well to remember Zabini, that I am the Minister for Magic, and that sort of tone is not appreciated,” she retorted, a warning note in her voice. They may have known each other for years, and he may remember her from their school years as a brainy know-it-all, but in the present she was still in the highest position at the Ministry, making her his de facto boss. She wouldn’t take that tone, especially not in front of other Hit Witches and Wizards. Without another word, Hermione strode towards the fire places. The neighborhood in question was comprised of mostly Muggles, but she knew of a couple that made their home there. She flung a handful of powder into the fireplace and stuck her head in. After a brief, thirty second conversation with the woman at home, Hermione proceeded to give them the address and the group Apparated to the safe house.

Once they were all there and accounted for, Hermione took charge. “The location of the lightning bolt on the wall is about a block away from this home. Once there, I want us to split into teams; Blaise you take two of your team members and I will take the other. I will be interviewing Muggles in the surrounding areas to see if they heard or saw anything. Blaise you will be in charge of canvassing and looking for signs of magic. Are we all in an understanding?” she briefed, looking each one of them directly in the eye in turn

blaise leo zabini

[blaise leo zabini]

@hermionejean

Clearly the Minister was not beyond threatening employees in front of their coworkers. Blaise still wasn’t sure what to expect with Hermione – her predecessor had practically been in diapers when winning the position, so he had lax ruling during that time, coupled with the easy-going nature of the Obliviator department. Most seemed to forget that they were the ones tasked with wiping traces of magic out of muggle minds before all hell broke loose, and that they had to delve into the darkest dreams of criminals. Not everyone could conduct invasive interrogations like he and the other Obliviators could. Blasé kept his face even as he was chastised, not wanting to give her anything else to berate him on. There was no use telling her that respect was a two-way street, since it was quite clear that he wasn’t going to get it from her today, and especially not under these ‘stressful times’.

Hermione went off to one of the hundreds of fireplaces, held some sort of conversation with someone on the other side, and returned to give his squad the address to apparate to. Easy enough. Blaise let two of his team go first, giving them a brief time at the location before going himself. He had learned years ago that a group apparating into an unknown location was potentially dangerous, especially if they didn’t know who was on the other side. If they entered into a trap, getting hit with a slew of stunning spells all at the same time would be a death sentence for each and every one of them. By giving a few seconds of time between them and him, he was potentially saving his own life or catching an enemy off guard. Upon snapping into the safe house though, Blaise was pleased to see that everyone was still alive and that the Minister was wasting no time giving them directions.

He nodded his head as she explained they would work in two teams of three, and that his group would focus on tracking magic residue through the neighborhood. Easy enough. He had an arsenal of scanning spells and diagnostic charms that could tell him virtually everything he needed to know about Potter’s whereabouts (assuming this had to do with him), or whoever had left the supposed lightning bolt mark the Minister was talking about. “We’ll start at the wall then,” Blaise stated, confirming that he understood everything Hermione had said. Motioning with his head, he took his team out of the house and the direction the wall was located at. His long strides had them there in about a minute, and Blaise directed his team to cast safeguards to ward off any muggles that could wander their way while he was scanning the mark. Taking a deep breath, he tapped his wand to the wall and waited.

[Deleted]

Hermione was pleased that Blaise wasted no more time once he came through the fireplace in following her instructions. She figured it would be easier for him to lead the way on scouring the location where the lightning bolt was found since his reputation was better used for that purpose. Being a Muggleborn, Hermione knew the proper terminology to use when questioning Muggles on anything odd or unusual the past day or so, and therefore it was best for her to do the interviewing. She was not all that tall, and though she knew she was imposing to some people, that was more to do with her title than anything else. She knew however that when she looked determined, most people could tell she was not a woman to be crossed with.

Gesturing to the two Blaise had assigned to her to follow her out into the sunlight, Hermione immediately strode over to a pair of Muggles that were close to the wall, their heads bent together whispering. “Excuse me gentlemen,” she said loudly, causing the pair to jump. One looked like they were about to run, but thought better of it. “I’m a detective investigating a complaint in the area,” she told them, flashing a blank piece of paper while uttering a spell under her breath. Their eyes slid in and out of focus momentarily before they nodded in comprehension. They told her they had seen someone in the area last night, a man with dark hair and glasses. He had been arguing with someone, but whoever it had been their face had been covered by a hood. They remembered that the man had stormed off in the direction where Blaise and his team were currently combing through and Hermiones’ pulse sped up. “Thank you, you’ve been very helpful,” she said, then handed them each a business card. “Should you think of anyone else, please call me,” she added. As the two walked off, she made her way over to Blaise, careful to not disturb any of the spellwork. “Those two saw someone who could match Harry’s description arguing with a hooded figure here last night,” she said casually. She didn’t dare get her hopes up; he had been missing for over a month now, and she couldn’t bear to have it all come crashing down around her.

blaise leo zabini

[blaise leo zabini]

@hermionejean

Blaise could already feel the twitchy pulsating sensation in his temple that happened when he was getting frustrated coming on. This area that he was supposedly scanning for signs of magical residue was absent of just that: magical residue. There was a damn mark on the wall indicating that there should have been something, and yet there wasn’t. That left two options: either this was pure chance that a mark looking like a lightning bolt appeared in an area where Potter was supposedly last seen (and he wasn’t much of one to believe in fate like that), or the place had been scrubbed clean sometime between the sighting and now. That couldn’t be though, because at least those spells would leave an indicator, and yet there was absolutely nothing. If the wall in front of him wasn’t considered evidence, he would have blasted a hole in it right then and there. At least that would relieve some of the stress that was currently tipping to a boiling point.

The reintroduction of the Minister in his zone didn’t help at all. She mentioned that someone matching Potter’s description was indeed seen around here, and that he was arguing. Wonderful. Even more of a reason to have all of the evidence tampered with. “There isn’t anything here,” Blaise growled, lowering his wand from the mark finally. “Please tell me you have a better spell, because I’ve tried everything.” If she pulled something out of her arsenal that did the trick, he would start thinking she was the one that set up Potter in the first place. Everything he had attempted produced zero results, so it had to be more than impossible for anyone else to breakthrough without incriminating themselves, right? “Who’s to say this supposed lookalike wasn’t just someone trying to throw us off? For as much as I dislike him, Potter isn’t stupid, nor is he easy to take down. That takes effort. The sort that would lead to something like this, just to distract us from whatever is really happening.” Being the voice of reason after putting up a front back at the Ministry was exactly what he wanted to do today, sarcasm intended.

[Deleted]

Hermione didn’t know what she was expecting going on this expedition with Blaise Zabini. She knew the man deep down didn’t really care about Harry, and was here because she had ordered him to be. There had been no love lost between Gryffindors and Slytherins during their time at Hogwarts, though she was pretty sure Blaise had remained neutral (as neutral as one could get) during the Second Wizarding War. Reminiscing aside, Hermione stood in front of the mark and stared intensely at it, as though it would give her a sign of what to do next.

After a few moments, Hermione let out a frustrated shout, making a flock of roosting pigeons fly upwards in a frenzy. She ran her hands through her hair, and stalked off without a word back to the safe house they had come out of. She began pacing the living room, the gears turning in her mind, trying to figure out if this had just been a wild goose chase or if they had just arrived too late. “As long as Harry still has his wand, he'll be okay,” Hermione murmured under her breath. As if the fates were answering, a golden retriever Patronous bounded in and formed in front of her. She took a sharp intake of breath; it was Ron’s Patronus. They had decided to separate earlier in the month, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t work together when it came to the important things in life, like their children and friends. If Ron was sending her a message like this however, she knew it probably wasn’t good news. The Patronus disappeared as Blaise returned from outside, but Hermione did not immediately register when he walked in. “They…” she tried to speak, but found it immensely difficult. She took a deep breath, and let it out with a shudder.

“They found Harry’s wand.”

blaise leo zabini end on your post or end here, either way