Eve Travers and Cambria Morehouse
"Shall we go to the Ministry, then?" Cambria said. She tried to keep her voice light and cheerful, but she was anxious.
Eve was too. Her demeanor didn't show it, but she was quiet and distant.
"Have you ever been here before?" Cambria asked her, just trying to make conversation.
"Once," Eve replied absently. "My trial."
Well, Cambria thought. There it is. She has even more cause than I do to wonder how today is going to go.
When they arrived - for a moment it wasn't clear if they had arrived.
"Pretty sure this is the visitors' entrance," Cambria said doubtfully, gesturing to an old and apparently disused red phonebooth. She picked up the receiver, and dialed 6-2-4-4-2.
For a moment, nothing happened... and then suddenly they were in a the huge atrium of a massive building. Busy employees bustled here and there, and owls swooped through the air above them. Huge fireplaces lined the walls; apparently these were connected to the Floo Network, because witches and wizards in professional attire were stepping out of them at intervals and walking purposefully to some destination.
As visitors, however, they were expected to sign in at the front desk. They gave their names - the young wizard on duty didn't even flinch at 'Eve Travers,' either not recognizing or not being concerned that he had just admitted a former Death Eater - and were given visitor badges.
When they were asked to state their business and said they were here to see Auror Barclay, however, the plan started to go awry.
"Barclay isn't here today. He's on an investigation in Scotland. If I may direct you to another Auror...?"
Scotland. It struck Cambria as a little ironic that they might have crossed paths with him if they were back at Hogwarts instead of in London. And no - another Auror wouldn't quite do. What if they were sent to someone who was in on the plot?
"Any idea when Auror Barclay will be back?" Cambria asked a little desperately.
The wizard shrugged. "He didn't say. Maybe a few days? A week?"
That was too long. By then the evidence trail would have gone cold. They were going to have to chance it.
"We're here to report a crime," Cambria said. At least they could get it on the record, make it harder to brush under the rug.
"Oh? What kind of crime?"
"We really need to speak to an Auror..."
The wizard adopted the bored but polite mien of a public servant having to give the same answer he had given a hundred times. "Not all crimes require the specialized services of an Auror. You'll need to tell me the nature of the offense, so that I may direct you appropriately."
Eve stepped forward. "The uncle of my son's girlfriend was attacked in his shop. He was beaten and the shop was vandalized."
A slight flicker of interest appeared on the wizard's face, and he pulled out a quill and parchment. "And what was the victim's name?"
"Granrod."
The interest immediately died. "Granrod? Goblin name." The bored tone had returned.
"Yes, he's a goblin--"
"You need the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures," the wizard said, gesturing in the appropriate direction. "Being Division, Goblin Liaison Office."
"But he was attacked..."
"He's a goblin. You have to go to them."
He turned away, offering no other choice.
The Goblin Liaison Office was not particularly helpful either. When Eve repeated what had happened, the witch at the desk just said a short, "We'll look into it," and turned back to her paperwork.
A Visit to London
Re: A Visit to London
Rosemary Bain
At least this time she was going to the Ministry of her own accord - not to plead her case with the powers that be regarding the disagreement between her and Auror Barclay - but she still felt distinctly uncomfortable. The bustle was unlike that of the school. Official. Self-important. There were no clusters of people chatting, no distant sounds of laughter. It was a cold, lonely place in an entirely uninviting way.
The reactions they received to reporting the incident at Granrod's shop were even more disheartening. Not only was this place impersonal, it was downright dismissive of anyone other than a human magic-user. It irked her that they would still consider goblins 'creatures' when they also clearly labelled them as 'beings'. If goblins were beings, why were they still considered as lesser than humans? It didn't make sense to her. Never had. She'd actually removed the lecture in her class on goblins because she thought it was inappropriate for her to teach about them.
"There should be a course on goblins - history, literature, politics, that sort of thing. There's one for muggles, why not goblins?" she thought to herself, while starting at the part on top of the of the rather unhelpful witch's head.
It occurred to Rosemary that this was about as involved as anyone at the Ministry was going to get. Certainly their little group had done some sleuthing on their own and had come to some startling conclusions, but they'd come to the Ministry because there was nothing they could do to punish the people responsible. But now she had to wonder if there would be any repercussions at all for assaulting a 'magical creature'. Especially for a bunch of children from well-to-do wizarding families. Perhaps they needed to take matters into their own hands after all...
"Well, I suppose we have done our civic duty in reporting the crime. Let us know if you want our statements. Good day!" Rosemary said, in an overly chipper tone. A dangerously chipper tone, her friends would realize. "We might as well get on with our day, ladies!" she added, strutting away in the direction of the lobby.
Once out of earshot of the desk, Rosemary slowed her pace and spoke in a normal tone and volume. Something fit to be ignored.
"So, we're agreed that's going nowhere, right? What do you say we do some research while we're here? I want to know just how far Granrod's 'allowed' to go to protect himself - and his shop. If we act within the letter of the law...well, with interpretation of course, then he shouldn't get into any trouble with the Ministry because of us, right?"
At least this time she was going to the Ministry of her own accord - not to plead her case with the powers that be regarding the disagreement between her and Auror Barclay - but she still felt distinctly uncomfortable. The bustle was unlike that of the school. Official. Self-important. There were no clusters of people chatting, no distant sounds of laughter. It was a cold, lonely place in an entirely uninviting way.
The reactions they received to reporting the incident at Granrod's shop were even more disheartening. Not only was this place impersonal, it was downright dismissive of anyone other than a human magic-user. It irked her that they would still consider goblins 'creatures' when they also clearly labelled them as 'beings'. If goblins were beings, why were they still considered as lesser than humans? It didn't make sense to her. Never had. She'd actually removed the lecture in her class on goblins because she thought it was inappropriate for her to teach about them.
"There should be a course on goblins - history, literature, politics, that sort of thing. There's one for muggles, why not goblins?" she thought to herself, while starting at the part on top of the of the rather unhelpful witch's head.
It occurred to Rosemary that this was about as involved as anyone at the Ministry was going to get. Certainly their little group had done some sleuthing on their own and had come to some startling conclusions, but they'd come to the Ministry because there was nothing they could do to punish the people responsible. But now she had to wonder if there would be any repercussions at all for assaulting a 'magical creature'. Especially for a bunch of children from well-to-do wizarding families. Perhaps they needed to take matters into their own hands after all...
"Well, I suppose we have done our civic duty in reporting the crime. Let us know if you want our statements. Good day!" Rosemary said, in an overly chipper tone. A dangerously chipper tone, her friends would realize. "We might as well get on with our day, ladies!" she added, strutting away in the direction of the lobby.
Once out of earshot of the desk, Rosemary slowed her pace and spoke in a normal tone and volume. Something fit to be ignored.
"So, we're agreed that's going nowhere, right? What do you say we do some research while we're here? I want to know just how far Granrod's 'allowed' to go to protect himself - and his shop. If we act within the letter of the law...well, with interpretation of course, then he shouldn't get into any trouble with the Ministry because of us, right?"
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Monkey Kitty
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Re: A Visit to London
Eve Travers and Cambria Morehouse
"It certainly seems that way," Cambria agreed with a sigh. "I suppose we'll just have to--"
Eve made a motion with her arm - a pretense of adjusting her sleeve - with a slight inclination of her head, and Cambria stopped talking. She now saw what Eve had noticed before she did... Auror Andrew Darby himself had entered the foyer and was making his own way to the desk. Eve turned toward the window, as if she were admiring the intricate stained glass, as the conversation became semi-audible. She didn't want to risk getting closer and attracting attention, so she could only catch snippets.
"...Was told three witches were trying to report a crime against a goblin..." Darby was saying.
The woman who had been at the desk pointed in their direction, and Eve's heart started pounding - but she carefully avoided looking directly at them, observing only with her peripheral vision.
"...Say anything about the goblins having wands...?" Darby went on.
Careful, Eve thought to herself - and willed the message to Cambria and Rosemary. Be very careful. Apparently someone was now interested - but that someone was the person they were pursuing, and he was asking questions that could lead to the trouble falling back on Granrod instead of himself.
A moment later, the Auror approached with a cheerful smile on his face. "Good morning, ladies," he said with a small bow. "My name is Andrew Darby. Please accept my deepest apologies that your concerns have not been given adequate weight. Unfortunately outside of the Aurors, crimes are not always treated with the gravity they deserve. Let's find a quiet spot - over there, say?" He gestured to a small group of chairs in the corner. "And you can tell me exactly what happened to poor Granik."
"Granrod," Eve corrected absently.
"Yes. Poor dear Granrod. Of course. Shall we?"
"It certainly seems that way," Cambria agreed with a sigh. "I suppose we'll just have to--"
Eve made a motion with her arm - a pretense of adjusting her sleeve - with a slight inclination of her head, and Cambria stopped talking. She now saw what Eve had noticed before she did... Auror Andrew Darby himself had entered the foyer and was making his own way to the desk. Eve turned toward the window, as if she were admiring the intricate stained glass, as the conversation became semi-audible. She didn't want to risk getting closer and attracting attention, so she could only catch snippets.
"...Was told three witches were trying to report a crime against a goblin..." Darby was saying.
The woman who had been at the desk pointed in their direction, and Eve's heart started pounding - but she carefully avoided looking directly at them, observing only with her peripheral vision.
"...Say anything about the goblins having wands...?" Darby went on.
Careful, Eve thought to herself - and willed the message to Cambria and Rosemary. Be very careful. Apparently someone was now interested - but that someone was the person they were pursuing, and he was asking questions that could lead to the trouble falling back on Granrod instead of himself.
A moment later, the Auror approached with a cheerful smile on his face. "Good morning, ladies," he said with a small bow. "My name is Andrew Darby. Please accept my deepest apologies that your concerns have not been given adequate weight. Unfortunately outside of the Aurors, crimes are not always treated with the gravity they deserve. Let's find a quiet spot - over there, say?" He gestured to a small group of chairs in the corner. "And you can tell me exactly what happened to poor Granik."
"Granrod," Eve corrected absently.
"Yes. Poor dear Granrod. Of course. Shall we?"