224AGENT POTTER: THE WIZARD OF W.A.N.D.
Ch.1 The Offer
"Mr. Potter, are you sure of this?" The deep voice of the Minister of Magic cut through the silence in his office.
"Absolutely."
"Mr. Potter, I beg you to reconsider. You are the best we have on the field right now."
"Kingsley, I have given deep thought to this. Most of the Death Eaters are captured or dead, and my mandatory two-year service is complete as well. I see no reason to stay any further."
"Harry, but you are doing well! If there is a problem, we can deal with it together. Is it the pay? I can increase it. I think a promotion is long due anyway for a capable young man like you." Kingsley offered.
Harry scoffed. "Money is of no concern to me and you know it, Kingsley. Sirius and my parents had left me enough to live a decent life without working for a day. And then, these awards came in after the war, quadrupling that amount. Not to mention, I don't have to pay taxes as I have an Order of Merlin, First Class, and plus, I get a pension as well."
"Then what is it, Harry? You cannot just hand in your resignation."
"I can," Harry said dryly, smothering his growing irritation. "I am giving you an advanced notice of a fortnight as the ministry's—"
"Yes, yes, I am aware of that. But, I am asking if there is a reason you're resigning."
"I gave you my reasons already," Harry replied, taking a sip of the earl grey Kingsley had offered.
There was a moment of silence as Kingsley paused to collect his thoughts.
"What will you do then, Harry?"
"I do not need to work, Kingsley. I get a pension equal to the salary of your undersecretary as I—"
"Oh spare me," Kingsley snapped. "I know you, Harry. The Harry Potter I know would not sit on his ass the rest of his life just because he doesn't need to earn."
"What do you want me to do, Kingsley. Paperwork?" Harry snapped back. "For the last three months since I captured Selwyn Senior, all I have been doing is bloody paperwork."
"You recently captured a crook if I remember correctly. Yesterday, I believe."
Harry's eye twitched. "He was selling cauldrons without a permit in Diagon Alley. I would hardly call him a criminal. He paid a fine, his cauldrons were confiscated and he was let off within an hour."
"That is a part of the job. Not everything has to be dealt with spells, Potter."
"I know and that is why I am resigning. This job no longer holds the same purpose for me as it did once. Please, Kingsley. My decision is final."
"Harry—"
Harry's eyes hardened.
"Minister Shacklebolt, by all means, I request you to stop. You wouldn't do this if any other auror had resigned. You are doing this because I am the Man-Who-Conquered or whatever shit the Prophet calls me these days."
"Harry—"
"This talk is over, thank you for the tea," Harry replied, standing from his seat. "Have a good day, minister."
He moved to the door and pulled the handle only to find it locked. Harry growled in irritation.
"Open the door, Kingsley."
"Not until you hear me out."
Harry pursed his lips as his wand, the death stick slid into his hands.
"Alohomora," He intoned.
"That door won't open with a simple spell as—" Kingsley stopped short as Harry pulled the door open and walked out of the room.
"POTTER! COME BACK!" Kingsley's call echoed through the corridor.
Kingsley Shacklebolt watched helplessly as the young man swiftly walked away as his cry echoed through the hall, undoubtedly reaching Harry. A part of him felt for the young man as his words rang in his head. Had he fallen to the same level that his predecessors had when it concerned the boy? Probably.
As an Auror, he had never concerned himself with politics and focused on getting the job done. But now, as the minister who led a country that was rising from the ashes of a civil war, he needed to think of the greater implications of the resignation that the hero of the wizarding world had handed him.
As Harry hurriedly walked away, before pushing the door of the nearest bathroom open. Going to the sink, he tapped the tap with his finger and water flowed out. Gathering the cool water in his cupped palms, Harry splashed the liquid on his face, relishing in the feeling as the cool water soothed him while trickling down his face.
He opened his eyes and saw his face staring back at him from the mirror. His eyes flitted to his lightning-bolt-shaped scar, which was now a barely noticeable, thin line.
He shut his eyes again as memories bombarded him.
Much had changed in the two years since the war had ended. The very morning after the battle of Hogwarts, as people dubbed it, Harry had begun to notice the changes. He had no longer needed his glasses for one. His need for his companion of fifteen years had just vanished. Harry felt it was a relief to lose his glasses but sometimes he felt like he had lost a part of his identity. So did many people who were accustomed to seeing Harry in glasses.
His scar, which always looked angry and inflamed, had faded, healing to a degree after sixteen years. Another of his companions and identifying traits lost
And perhaps most surprisingly, the day after, he had noticed that he had a new tattoo. A symbol of the Deathly Hallows, as big as a Galleon, right over his heart like a brand burnt into his skin.
The three hallows had refused to leave him alone. He had tried to get rid of them except for his beloved cloak but had failed. Now, they were his constant companions regardless of whether he wanted them or not.
'It is not completely bad.'
The hallows had been a great help to him especially after he joined the Auror department straight away, intending to capture the remaining Death Eaters and bring them to justice.
And, that was when he had taken advantage of his fame for the first time in his life and used it to ensure that each and every death eater received a fair sentence. He had wanted to ensure that there were no Sirius Blacks or Lucius Malfoys again.
No innocent should receive prison and no criminal should walk free.
That was what he had worked by in the Wizengamot council.
And now, his work was done. Some of the Death Eaters, the ones who had likely fled overseas, were still free. But spending his time in the auror force, waiting for their whereabouts was a waste of time. He had gotten no lead on them in the past three months, and it was unlikely that he would get one now.
It was as if some of them had disappeared off the face of the Earth.
Harry shook himself out of his thoughts and wiped his face clean before exiting the bathroom, only to find himself face to face with Hermione, who was leaning against the wall in front of the bathroom.
She had changed quite a bit from how she was at Hogwarts. Once a girl was now a woman. Her face had angled and her assets had developed through the years. Her figure, once plain, now turned heads as she entered a room, her model-worthy beauty enthralling people before she even spoke.
'Or it could be the robes and light makeup she now wears almost every day that highlights the features that she always had.' Harry mused.
Hermione now donned formal attire, giving her the look of a seasoned, beautiful diplomat rather than a school girl who once had a bush for her hair and buck teeth. Her hair was set properly in a neat bun while a strand of her hair fell on either side of her face in curls, accentuating her beauty. Not to mention, Hermione was actually a diplomat now and an extremely busy and important figure in the wizarding world to boot. She had risen rapidly through the ranks and now was the Undersecretary to the Minister of foreign affairs. Percy Weasley to be precise.
The two of them had worked wonders as far as foreign relations were concerned, working day in and day out for the past year and a half to re-establish Magical Britain to its former position in the international arena. It was among the many things Voldemort had ruined for Britain during his reign. The nation had been booted out from the ICW and the other councils soon after the Scrimgeour administration was overthrown.
The councils had levied heavy trade duties and regulations on Britain to discourage countries from trading with terrorists.
Hermione and Percy had worked to reverse it all once the internal conflicts in Britain had settled and were still working to establish Britain back on the dominance it once held. Hermione's name had featured several times in International Newspapers and magazines. Her name had recently been featured in the list of the ten most influential witches in the world.
"Harry," Hermione greeted.
Her voice was prim and crisp holding a disapproving edge to it.
'Time to bear another one of Hermione's scoldings, I suppose. But we have already talked about my resignation. Then what is it now?'
"Hermione. Is there a problem?"
"Kingsley sent me after you hoping to play a last gamble at keeping you with the ministry. His offer was a promotion, double the pay, and no paperwork beyond the official signing." Her voice held a twinge of jealousy to it at the last part.
'Of course, he did.'
"My answer still stays the same, Hermione. Tell him—"
"I already did," Hermione shrugged, a small smile flitting across her face. "Sent him a Patronus message a minute ago when you didn't come out of the loo."
'She knows me too well. Perils of being best friends for nine years, I suppose.'
Harry felt a smile bloom on his face. "Thanks. Then why are you here? Not that I mind, but you are usually busy."
"I am never too busy for you, Harry. You know it."
"I do," Harry conceded, as he remembered the good times they had together. He, Ron, and Hermione.
"Also, next time, don't leave conversations hanging, especially when it is with someone who can get away with ordering me around." She added.
'So that was her reason for her disappointment. Well, too late now.'
"I will keep that in mind," He assured.
"Good. By the way, did you know Susan broke up with Ernie Macmillan last week?"
He felt a ripple of irritation rise but he suppressed it.
'Hermione is trying to set me up on yet another date.'
"You mean the breakup that took place in front of my office ending with Susan slapping Macmillan so hard that he fell to the floor? Yes, I do." He replied.
"So, she is single now. And you know her well. She was in the DA and fought in the final battle as well. Also, she is pretty good-looking."
"I know, believe me. We did not fit well but we are good friends." Harry stated as he reminisced the wild nights he had with her. His time with her was more of a fling. A very enjoyable fling but a fling nonetheless.
Hermione frowned. "You've dated her?"
"Briefly about a year ago. We decided that it wouldn't work."
Hermione frowned disapprovingly. "Another one of your flings then?"
Harry gave her an affronted look. "I will have you know that not every relationship works out like yours and Ron's."
He eyed the ring on her finger for good measure and Hermione rolled her eyes.
"Yes, you have said that before. After your every fling."
"Speaking of which, when's the wedding?"
"That is a really bad change of topic, Harry."
'Damn it. She knows me too well.'
"And, I have said before, we will marry soon. Just not… now. We are engaged and we live together but marriage is a whole different thing."
"You both have been behaving like a perfect married couple for the past nine years, Hermione," Harry joked, making the brunette give him a dry look.
"It is evident that you do not wish to talk about it."
'I really don't.'
"So, anyway. Have a good day. And remember. Tomorrow night—"
"I have to be at the Weasley's. I know. I got a letter from George, Ron, and Mrs. Weasley reminding me that. One would think I have short-term memory loss with how many reminders you all are giving me." Harry said dryly.
"You almost missed the last one."
"I didn't miss it. I was just held up."
"Excuses," Hermione simpered. "Be there on time tomorrow. And don't forget to bring Teddy."
"I will. Don't want to get on Mrs. Weasley's bad side."
"Good. See you later." Hermione said as she walked away to the lifts.
"And think about Susan!" She called just as the grills closed, making Harry roll his eyes.
'On second thought, maybe it isn't such a bad idea to go and say hello. She was quite fun. We both might be in need of some relief.'
A week and a half later, Harry found himself in the Hogshead pub in Hogsmeade, under a simple disguise as a light wind blew, prickling his skin.
Just because he had handed in his resignation notice didn't mean that he didn't have to work.
'Just four more days and I can do whatever I like.' He thought as he pushed the door of the pub open, the bell chiming with the motion.
Over the past week, Harry was being sent to all the shadier parts of magical Britain from Knockturn Alley to shadier pubs by Gawain Robards, the current Head of the DMLE. He had a sneaking suspicion that it was being done on Kingsley's orders but there was a little he could do.
'The bastard is probably trying to make me find some lead on a Death Eater in hopes that I would stay… probably would till I capture the Death Eater but it seems unlikely that I will find anything in four days which I have not found in three months.'
As Harry entered, he glanced around the pub almost mechanically, his eyes analyzing his surroundings.
'Constant Vigilance!' The voice of the late Alastor 'Mad-eye' Moody rang in his head.
The pub looked almost empty save for four customers that he could see and the bartender. Harry frowned as he saw the bartender. It was a young, blonde lady behind the counter instead of Aberforth Dumbledore or his usual coworker.
'Probably a new worker.' Harry mused as he walked up to the bar.
Seeing him, the girl, who was probably his age, gave a smile. Harry noticed how a dimple formed on her left cheek while she smiled.
"What may I get for you, sir?"
"A Dragon Martini. Shaken, not stirred." Harry replied as he took a seat at the bar counter.
'This is the same place where I had sat on the day Dumbledore's Army was formed.'
The bartender nodded and wordlessly got to work, preparing his drink.
Looking around the bar, Harry knew that there wasn't going to be much business today. There was hardly anyone around. Including him and the bartender, there were a total of six people in the bar.
"Your drink, sir." The bartender said, drawing his attention. A tall coupe glass with a clear liquid in it stood in front of him, blue flames sizzling on the surface of the drink.
Once upon a time, Harry would've been reluctant to drink anything from such a place like Hogshead, but Aberforth had improved the condition of the bar to that of a much more decent place after the war, even if it was still a bit shady.
"Thanks," Harry said, picking the drink up and taking a sip, ignoring the flames on top of it. The chilled liquid felt heavenly to his throat and taste buds.
Yes, the drink was chilled despite a fire burning on it. A fire, which enhanced the taste of the vodka and was perfectly consumable. Perks of being a magical drink.
"So, are you new here?" Harry asked the pretty blonde as he discreetly cast a hearing charm on the table where two hooded occupants were seated, having a drink together.
"I joined this week."
"Nice. If you don't mind, where's Aberforth?"
"Mr. Dumbledore is away on business along with Mr. Booth. That is what he told me before he left."
Harry hummed as he took yet another sip of his drink, allowing the chilled liquid to grace his throat again.
That was when the door opened again and a cool breeze blew in just as a well-dressed, middle-aged man entered the pub, a long umbrella in his hands.
'From his looks, he doesn't seem British.' Harry mused to himself, looking at the man and his appearance.
The man walked to the counter and took a seat right next to Harry.
"A Firewhiskey please, my dear. Ogden's finest." He ordered.
'Definitely not British. I might not be an expert on accents but that sounds Italian.'
"Right away, sir," She said dutifully before serving him a glass of Ogden's premium fire whiskey.
"Grazie," The man replied, confirming Harry's suspicion.
'Now the question is, what is he doing here?'
The man took a sip before letting out a burp with a slight flame before looking at Harry with a smug expression. Harry raised his glass in acknowledgment. It needed perfect timing to do what the man did after all.
"Good evening, Mr. Potter," The man greeted, making Harry stiffen as alarm bells went off in his head.
A blink of an eye later, the man found a glowing red wand tip between his eyes.
"Who are you?" Harry asked dangerously.
"You are fast," The man remarked, appearing inconvenienced due to the wand pointing between his eyes. "Very few men can draw a wand with such a speed that you hardly realize what they are doing till you find a wand pointing at your face."
"I ask you again, who are you?" Harry growled.
"Cutting straight to the chase, I see. My name's Leonardo De Luca. I am from the Warlock's Association for Nebulous Defense, or, as we call it, W.A.N.D."
"Never heard of it," Harry replied as the red light on the tip of his wand grew brighter.
"I would have been extremely worried if you had," The man remarked. "We, to simply put it, are a secret service. An international spy organization in layman's terms. We are the magical version of MI7, CIA, but only international as compared to serving a single country."
'A spy organization in the magical world. Sounds almost surreal.'
"How do I trust you? And, if it is a secret organization, why are you talking about it in a public pub, that too, in front of her." Harry asked, gesturing to the bartender who was looking at the exchange with an impassive gaze.
The man smiled mischievously "She is one of mine. So are all of them."
At that, all the occupants in the pub stood up from their tables and formed a line, standing side by side in attention.
Harry narrowed his eyes before turning his glowing wand on the bartender.
"Where's Aberforth?" He growled. "What have you all done to him?"
"Mr. Dumbledore and his assistant are asleep. They won't remember anything tomorrow morning." She replied, raising her hands. "We mean you no harm, Potter. We don't even have our wands in our hands."
Harry turned back to the man who was sitting in front of him, calmly sipping his Firewhiskey.
"Ok, who is in charge among you all?"
"I am the team leader and this is my team. But, if you want a familiar face, you might know her from school." The man replied, gesturing to the bartender who touched her necklace, making her face shimmer.
Her brown eyes turned to brilliant blue as her cheekbones and nose sharpened. Her hair turned a shade brighter.
"Recognize me?" She asked with a coy smile.
Her voice was different as well.
Harry narrowed his eyes, trying to remember who she was.
'She was in my class. Slytherin if I remember correctly. I saw her during the battle somewhere and at the Wizengamot. But… who is she?'
"You were in Slytherin in my year. You used to hang out with Zabini and another girl. I saw you somewhere during the battle of Hogwarts."
"Very good, Potter. Now my name."
"Davis?" Harry guessed making the blonde scoff.
"No. She is the other girl you mentioned. I am Greengrass. Daphne Greengrass. Seriously, spending seven years in school, one might have thought you would have had the courtesy to remember my name." She snarked.
"Six," Harry corrected mechanically, making Daphne roll her eyes.
"You two can catch up later," Mr. De Luca said. "Mr. Potter, we can talk more if you lower your wand."
"No," Harry said. "Not until you give me enough reason to trust you. Be glad that you have not been stunned already."
"Alright. As you wish. Warlock's Association for Nebulous Defense, or, W.A.N.D is a secret service that was founded in 1905 as an autonomous branch of the International Confederation of Warlocks, or the ICW as you call it. Officially, we do not exist. All of us are normal citizens of our countries. I am Leonardo De Luca of Italy."
"Who are you really then?"
"Leonardo De Luca is my birth name and I am from Italy. But, my name in concern right now is Hippogriff."
Harry scrunched his nose. "Don't tell me you codename yourself after animals."
"No, we don't. But it is preferred by several amongst us. Agents choose their own names. But, we make sure it has nothing that can be related to them." He shrugged.
"Okay, so—"
"Sorry to interrupt, but before I give away more now, I will need a vow of silence. I think I have given away more than I should've, in order to create a semblance of trust in my words. But, before I give away more, I need a vow of silence from you."
'Vow of silence. This means I won't be able to speak about this to anyone without his permission. But, then again, it is a secret organization after all if this man is to be believed. But... should I do it?'
"First you give me an oath then I will give you mine," Harry declared.
"For?"
"That whatever you are saying is true."
The man seemed to contemplate for a moment before nodding. "What I have told you so far is the truth and nothing but the truth. Ut Magica Iudex Juramento."
The man glowed with a golden hue and Harry lowered his wand but didn't put it away.
'At least it is not a sham.'
"A word of advice, Mr. Potter. Do not trust oaths completely. They don't depend on intent but rather on raw words, which can both be harmful if said wrong and can just be an evasive play of words, making the oath useless. Even in a vow of silence, information can be gathered by an enemy by various methods including Veritaserum and Legilimency. If one wishes to give someone some information under the vow, they can ask to be administered the truth potion and ask the specific question."
Harry nodded contemplatively despite already knowing it. "I concede your point, Mr. De Luca. But, for now, it is perhaps the best we will get. Now, I—"
"Your vow, Mr. Potter," The man reminded simply as he took another sip of his whiskey before letting out another burp of flame.
'Damn it. Looks like I have no choice but to give the vow.' Harry thought sourly before swearing a standard vow of silence, making the man smile.
"Good. Now, before you start asking questions, I will give you some more information by myself to save both of our time."
"Fair enough," Harry conceded.
"So, as I already informed you, W.A.N.D is a secret service. A top secret spy organization. We do not exist on paper and very few know of our existence. We are ghosts in the dark, one might say. We hunt down high-profile criminals. Sometimes, it is also information gathering and espionage. We recruit only the best or the exceptional and train them to be the best. And, we have many immunities. And… other things that will be told to you if you agree to join."
"So, you have come all the way here and set all of this up just to recruit me? Including the tip-off to the Auror department?"
"Yes. We have our contacts. We wished to meet you and we did what was necessary."
Harry frowned. "Why?"
"You are one of the best Aurors your country has seen. Your success rate on cases is above ninety percent. You can work in a team. You are excellent on a broom. You are known to react rather excellently in high-pressure situations. And, by what we can gather, you are a good young man, barely twenty, who is willing to do good for the world. Everything we need in an agent."
Harry raised an eyebrow. "Not because I am the man-who-conquered?"
"No. We do not care for fame or power, Mr. Potter. We care for the abilities of a person."
'Well, that's a first. A person not wanting me for my fame but for my abilities. But, I would make a bad spy due to my rather annoying fame.'
"You do realize, Mr. De Luca, that I would make a terrible spy due to my fame?"
The man looked amused. "Weren't you just on an espionage mission? Gathering intelligence on the whereabouts of Death Eaters? Also, you can drop the glamor now. We all know who you are."
Harry waved his wand and closed his eyes as he felt his face tingle as the glamor washed off.
"Much better. Also, you do not have to worry about things like your appearance. We have a team on the back-end, inventing and modifying things for us every day. You, Mr. Potter, will be a field agent like us."
"Okay, do you have anything more to add or should I start my questions?"
"Ask away. Daphne, a refill please."
Greengrass' eyes narrowed slightly but she pursed her lips and filled the man's glass with the magical drink again.
"So, where were you all during the war with Voldemort? A dark lord should be something that would be on your to-do list, surely?"
"He was one of our top priorities till two years ago when you finished him off for good. W.A.N.D worked primarily to prevent the war from spilling outside Britain. Voldemort was hell-bent on conquering the whole world or so we were told. We kept him in Britain though, by eliminating his teams from doing out their tasks like kidnapping families of high-up officials, recruiting vampires, werewolves, and all sorts of things. We also occasionally took some death eaters out, but our work within Britain was limited especially after your government was overthrown and we lost a majority of contacts within this country."
Harry found himself nodding reluctantly. "And… How do you get your cases? You say it is an international organization that works under the ICW. There are hundreds of cases in each country. How do you choose?"
"The top priority is always International cases which are registered in the ICW. Say, some dangerous criminal has fled a country to somewhere else, we catch them and hand them to the ICW who proceeds further. Sometimes, it is other high profile cases like smuggling of artifacts, human or creature trafficking, some high profile robbery, and so on and so forth."
"So you just take cases like Aurors, albeit the more difficult ones?"
"You could say that but we have prevented several catastrophes as well. Once, a wizard in South America had managed to breed a new species of Hungarian Horntail Dragon with the powers of a Basilisk. It had all the powers of the Hungarian Horntail, plus a killer stare and a venomous tail."
Harry winced violently. A Hungarian Horntail was dangerous enough but mixing it with a Basilisk was downright lethal. He had faced both after all.
"What happened?"
"This was some fourteen years ago. The creature killed the man who bred it before we got there. But, the teams managed to kill it before it got to civilization. But it came at a great loss for us. We lost sixteen agents that day."
"How many total agents do you have?" Harry asked.
"You ask too many questions."
"I have sworn a vow of silence. You are trying to recruit me, not the other way round. And, I am genuinely interested." Harry placated.
"Forty-nine agents. Seven teams. Seven members each."
"And you have only six," Harry observed.
"Yes. so, will you be the seventh member of my team, Mr. Potter?"
"Can I think about it for a bit? This is a little too sudden and too fast."
"Very well. You have to give me your answer before you step out of this bar though."
"What if I say no?"
"You will be obliviated of the details of this meeting despite your oath and end up thinking that you had a perfectly boring, useless visit to this bar and gained nothing out of it except the martini."
"Harsh, innit?"
The man just smiled before picking his drink up and going to a nearby table instead. The rest of the group took their seats as well except for one hooded figure who came toward them before removing the hood.
It was a dark skin woman with hair as black as Harry's own. She grinned at him, showing her pearly white teeth before turning to Daphne.
"Can I get a Scotch on the rocks, Daphne?"
"Fuck off. Take it yourself. You won't get away like De Luca."
"Spoilsport. At least give me the bottle."
"You can join us, you know?" Harry told Daphne, who rolled her eyes.
"Quite generous of you, Potter."
"I would say it was more gentleman-like. Ignore her. She is a bit bitchy sometimes." The woman said with a seductive smile.
Harry took another sip of his martini, observing her. Her accent was different but he couldn't place it correctly. Likely American or something if he had to take a guess.
"I don't think we've been introduced. I am Harry Potter."
"Natalie."
'No last name. Is she being secretive or is it like a Nymphadora 'Don't call me by name' Tonks situation?' Harry mused, ignoring the pang that went through his heart, remembering Teddy's mother.
"Just Natalie? Like Belle? Socrates?... Plato?"
"Yes," She replied dryly. "Just Natalie"
'So, a Tonks situation.'
"Very well. Nice to meet you, Natalie."
"Nice to meet you as well."
"Oh, Something for you, my lady," Harry added, waving his wand, and a bottle of scotch, which Daphne had still refused to touch, flew up from the shelf and opened just as ice flew from the ice dispenser into a glass. A moment later, the glass floated next to the bottle, and the bottle tilted and poured the drink into the glass before recorking itself.
"Here you go," Harry said as the glass floated towards her.
Natalie picked it out of the mid-air and tipped it towards him with an amused expression before taking a sip.
"Nothing like a good old scotch," She remarked. "Are you going to join us or are you going to wait there waiting for us to place an order so that you can snap at us?"
Daphne grumbled, picking a butterbeer from beneath the counter and uncorking it.
"I rather prefer it warm," Harry remarked. "And from Rosmerta's. No one makes butterbeer like her."
"Why do you think I was not preferring to drink, Potter?" Daphne questioned.
Harry shrugged before leaning forward towards the ladies. "Is this worth it?"
"The job? Definitely." Daphne replied as she took a sip from the bottle.
Harry waited for a moment before asking, "Care to elaborate?"
"It is fun if you ask. Dangerous and not for the weak of heart." Natalie replied instead. "Daphne is still a rookie. Joined us some eight-nine months ago. I have been working here for almost seven years now. Started as a rookie as well and trained my way up."
"So, now, I will be the team's rookie?" Harry asked, making air quotes.
"Depends."
Harry raised an eyebrow and she elaborated. "As De Luca said, we recruit the exceptional and train them to be the best, OR directly recruit the best. You are the top Auror in Britain right now and one of the best in History, only being topped by Alastor Moody in the period of 1975-79 until he lost his leg."
"Alright, thank you for the praise, and I know it is a high praise being compared to Moody, but what does it have to do with my question?"
"It means you are already equipped to go into the field. You have experience both official and unofficial. Four times more than what I have." Daphne cut in.
'She is jealous.'
"So, you say I should take it?"
"I would love to work with you, darling," Natalie replied, leaning forward. "I would like to see what all you can do."
'Trying to seduce me isn't going to work. Many have tried in the past two years.'
He gave her a smile before leaning closer as well. "I can do a lot. It depends on how much the other person can take."
"Ahem. If you don't mind, I think it is time for you to make a decision, Potter."
"Can I quit anytime I want?" Harry asked, draining his Dragon Martini.
"After a mandatory five years of service or a crippling injury, yes."
'That is a bit long,' Harry mused. 'But, will it be worth it? Will I be able to see Teddy and my friends once I am a spy?'
"Do you get to visit family?" Harry asked the ladies.
"If you are not on a mission, you are free to do whatever you want," Natalie replied, her eyes trailing up his body. "Whatever."
"You will be an absolutely normal citizen… well as normal as it can be in your case, outside the missions," Daphne added, glancing at the woman. "But no one except for your spouse, who will also be put under the contract, can know your real job along with one other person of your choosing."
"Also, you all so readily showed me your faces and the talk was straight to the point. De Luca even revealed quite a bit."
Daphne tilted her head. "What did you expect, Potter? Us kidnapping you, taking you to an unknown dark place, and then offering you the job? Please. We are offering you a job. Not torturing you. The best way to do it is in a peaceful manner. Confrontations don't make a first good impression. If you say no, we will just obliviate you and be on our merry way as the protocol demands."
"Blunt, but true." Natalie nodded.
"What if I resist?"
"Don't be ridiculous Potter," Daphne scoffed. "We all are highly trained officials whose job is to deal with hostile situations. You may be good but you won't be able to take out the whole team in one go. At least not unscathed."
Harry saw Natalie's hand go to her waist as she appeared to sip her drink while watching the conversation.
Harry hummed before taking the leap of faith.
"Mr. De Luca," He called across the bar.
"Have you made your decision, Mr. Potter?"
"Yes. I am in."
AND... DONE!
So, as you can see folks, I am here with a brand new fic for you all, and this time, it isn't a one-shot! This will be a short fic with around 60-80k words... At least I assume it will be. But, it will have sequels like other spy movie franchises. (eg. James Bond, Kingsman, Johnny English, etc.)
Yes, it will have quips and references from them as I enjoy them too much. Like, in this chapter, the line, 'A Dragon Martini, shaken, not stirred' is adapted from James Bond's favorite drink which is actually a Vesper/ Vodka Martini. (Don't tell me you just realized that. LMAO.)
So, anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Let me know your thoughts in the reviews, and don't forget to follow and favorite the fic! (God, now I am sounding like a YouTuber. xD)
NOTE: There is no fixed schedule for updates right now, but I will try to keep it the same as RoLP and LoSP, i.e. twice a month... but no guarantees (If you haven't read the fics, go and try them after reading this AN. No need to google. Just click on my name and u will see them in my profile.)
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A huge thanks to my friend, Matt, aka Darkness Enthroned (Yes, the writer of the fic, A Cadmean Victory) for betaing this chapter for me.
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Also, join my server, House of HPfanfictioner66, to interact with me directly, and also, I will be posting the pictures of the characters there, so you all can get an idea of how they look.
Link: discord . gg / 4qfP3fxdQ4 [Remove the spaces please]
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As of this moment, I have five main stories. They are:
1. The Rise of the Last Potter My Novel length Harry Potter fic which is already 300k+ words long and it is a work in progress. Updated Regularly.
2. The Legend of the Son of Poseidon: A Novel Length Percy Jackson fic which is already 250k+ words long and it is a work in progress. Updated Regularly
3. Loved Ones Skipping Stones and Ice-cream: A fluffy Haphne one-shot. It is completed obviously.
4. SECRETS: Another romantic one-shot I published recently. Complete as well.
5. Agent Potter: The Wizard of W.A.N.D. - The thing you just read and I take this opportunity to remind you to follow and favorite the fic if you haven't. If you have, love you too ;)
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Stay Happy! Stay Safe! Keep Smiling! Keep Reading!
HPfanfictioner66