4,552The Thief of Hogwarts
By: Bluminous
A/N: I don't own Harry Potter
Chapter 22 Harry Haunter
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Excalibur Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada
Harry checked his new watch and quickly adjusted its settings for his own time. The first problem he encountered when he arrived in the city was the time difference. It was still confusing in his head and he wondered how to solve the issue. It was Sunday at four in the morning at Hogwarts, which meant it was lunchtime in this city.
Tonks was in a lunch meeting with the rest of the program participants from the other countries, and he didn't fancy being approached and touched again by strangers and quickly escaped the function room.
Happy that the hotel had given Tonks a pair of special VIP card keys, Harry could eat at one of the many restaurants inside the hotel and casino. He merely had to show the black card containing the room number and was free to eat anywhere he wanted.
After he enjoyed a quick meal at the amazingly large restaurant called The Buffet, the young wizard casually strolled down the corridor. He was eager to explore what the flyers said was the largest hotel in the world and the entertainment it offered. One such sign advertised a magic show, and he quickly followed the directions.
Maybe he could pick up a trick or two.
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Marius the magician gave an awkward smile at the weak applause and bowed his head. The usual numbers were missing, attracted by the Miss Nevada pageant that was being held in the same hotel. He bowed his head again and decided to quickly finish his act, it was better to cut his losses and wait for the pageant to finish before he decided to conduct another show.
"And now, for my final magical trick!" Marius proclaimed and he waved his hand at the curtain behind him. It was quickly pulled up, revealing a large, ornate rectangular box. "I would like to request a volunteer from the audience."
A few hands were immediately raised, but they did not literally fit the criteria needed for the trick to succeed. Marius looked around and spotted a suitable candidate, sitting alone in the entire row at the right side of the stage.
"How about you, young man?" Marius pointed to the boy and immediately his crew followed his direction. A spotlight was directed at the now squinting boy, while one of his beautiful assistants in a revealing outfit made her way to the indicated row. "Come up here! Let's give him some encouragement!"
At the cheer, Harry reluctantly followed the stage assistant as she kept a firm grip on his shoulder. He liked the fishnet stockings though as his eyes trailed her figure. The girl noticed his staring and gave him a wink.
"What's your name, son?" Marius asked once his volunteer climbed up the stage.
"Harry." The boy replied.
"I see, and it looks like you're watching my show alone. Where are your parents?"
"Uhhh they're dead. They died when I was one."
An awkward silence ensued as both the audience and the show staff shared awkward glances.
"No matter!" Marius broke the quiet atmosphere and dramatic music started playing from the background. "For a moment, and only a moment this magic artifact will transport you to the spiritual realm."
The stage magician tapped the red box with the elaborate text and design with his black wand with a white plastic tip. "Step inside, and maybe, just maybe you might see them while inside. You'd like that, won't you?"
It was a terrible way to use his volunteer, but Marius knew he needed to win sympathy from his meager audience. Vanishing the orphaned boy to the spiritual realm to see his family provided a nice story. He glanced at the boy and nodded when he noticed the whispers his assistant Jess was giving him.
"Just close your eyes honey, and stay still for a minute. 'Kay?" The magician's assistant patted the boy and guided him inside the box. "Stand exactly here, and do not move."
The boy merely nodded and closed his eyes. He felt the box close when darkness engulfed him as the assistant locked the lid.
Marius gave several complicated movements with his hand, his face scrunched in concentration. "With the powers of the ether, I command you to… Vanish!"
Gasps of surprise echoed around the auditorium when the lid opened and revealed the empty box. Marius waved his hand inside, indicating that there weren't any illusions or tricks. His fingers reached the false wall that hid his volunteer and he turned back to his audience who stood up in applause.
The red box prop had wheels on it, and he spun it around with the help of his assistants to indicate there was no way for his volunteer to escape. He tapped the wooden panels hard to show they were sturdy as well.
"Now, to summon him back!" Marius closed his eyes and raised his arms once more. At his cue, the girls closed the lid and continued with their routine, drawing eyes to their stocking-clad legs and cleavages. Intense music built up in the background and Marius opened his eyes. This was his bread and butter and the audience ate it up. "I command you to Appear!"
The lid was quickly opened but still revealed an empty box. The magician quickly gave a harsh glare to Jessica, his primary assistant but the girl merely shook her head. He saw that her hand had indeed moved the hidden switch.
He moved closer and noted the false wall was back in its place, so there couldn't be any possible reason for the boy to be anywhere else. In panic he quickly moved inside the box and started to tap the interiors hard with his hands, his fake wand forgotten on the floor of the stage. His assistants stood petrified while the small crowd grew restless.
Nothing, the box as expected was sturdy in construction according to his specifications. He gave the crowd a confused, pale look and the audience quickly picked up on it. At the corner of his vision, his stage manager was quickly telling him to stop the act.
"Hey, where did the boy go?"
"Bring him back!"
"Daddy, where did that boy Harry go?"
"You're scaring my kids!"
"Did you really send him to the afterlife to be reunited with his dead parents?"
"This is horrible!"
Unable to speak, Marius and his assistants struggled to think of what to do or say. The red heavy curtains quickly dropped, hiding them from view as a voice from the speakers thanked the audience and that the show was finished for the day.
"What the hell happened here?" Marci, his wife and stage manager asked as she reached them. "Where's the kid?"
The rest of the crew soon appeared, along with the props manager Bill.
"I don't know Marci!" Marius tried to explain. "The kid fucking vanished!"
"Check again." Marci commanded. "He must be traumatized in there. Hurry!"
Bill, the props manager, and their carpenter, quickly opened the box and removed the false wall by sliding it open like a door. His face was suddenly pale. "Boss, nothing's here. Kid's gone!"
"See, I told you! The kid's gone!" Marius waved his hand at the box, but to his surprise, his assistant Jessica dodged his movement like she was scared that he would spray her with water. "What the hell Jessica?"
"Don't you wave those arms around me!" Jessica yelled. It was obvious she was panicking. "You vanished poor Harry! You might vanish me too!"
"Uhh Marius." The sound engineer approached the group after he turned off the equipment at the sound booth located above and behind the audience. "Some audience members are still here, demanding that they see this boy, Harry. Where's the kid anyway? Did you build a trap door or something I don't know about?"
Marius glanced at his wife and shook his head. "I really don't know Jeff, this wasn't part of the act. The kid just vanished."
"Maybe, he was a ghost?" Bill suggested. He was always a believer in the occult and enjoyed watching horror films.
The crew shared scared looks, and everyone glanced at the now haunted box. No one in their right mind would now touch it, but they needed it for their magic show. Who were they going to call?
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GHOSTBUSTERS!
Who you gonna call?
If there's something weird
And it don't look good
Who you gonna call?
A black cat yawned as the music blared in the speakers around the waterpark. He noticed that the hotel was early in placing Halloween decorations and playing songs to suit the atmosphere.
He was getting bored inside the box, and the sliding wall nearly took out his nose. He was embarrassed at what happened earlier in his panic, thinking that he would be late at Hogwarts. Once he arrived at his dorm he realized it was still Sunday morning, and Michael Corner was snoring on the four-post bed beside his. He quickly faded back to Tonk's room after he made a quick visit to Andromeda, as he promised. He noted the dirty dishes in the sink and with a shrug, he quickly washed them and placed them on the drying rack.
His shirt had gotten wet from the strong current from the faucet, and it suddenly reminded him that there was a water park at Excalibur Hotel. Curious to visit the attraction, he remembered the swimming trunks he wore were in Tonks' room and quickly retrieved them. He faded a few seconds later, just as the door to Andromeda's room opened.
Harry quickly arrived at Tonk's room and quickly changed his clothes and moved quickly to the water park. He was disappointed though when he reached the park and saw that it was packed. A stage seemed to be built on the water, while every tanning bed and chair was occupied. He quickly moved through the bushes and a moment later a black cat walked out and looked around.
Kit spotted a nice suitable area and swiftly made his way up on a nice boulder located by the largest pool facing the built stage. The boulder had holes drilled within it, with water gushing out to provide a small waterfall to the public below.
The music he heard slowly died down and he heard a voice speaking. His ears perked up when he heard a cheer as the people on the water moved closer to the stage, but they were prevented by a piece of floating rope that surrounded the stage.
Kit's eyes widened when women started to appear on stage, wearing either bikinis or one-piece swimsuits with heels on. It was the start of the swimsuit portion of the Miss Nevada pageant. Sadly for Harry, as the crowd cheered their favorites, a man wearing goggles noticed him and started to splash the boulder he was on with water. A couple of teenagers followed the man's actions and splashed him as well.
Annoyed and with his fur soaked, Kit jumped from his spot and ran, dodging legs and attempts to catch him. He quickly made his way into the covered tent and looked around to make sure he was alone. He was about to transform when he heard the sound of heels and turned around to see the group of women he previously watched storm in.
"Ughh, did you see that judge?"
"I think he was actually drooling."
"I can't wait to change into real swimsuits! These things don't have any padding!"
"Look! There's that poor cat I saw earlier!"
The Miss Nevada pageant contestants started to change in front of Kit, and the cat was in a daze until he felt a pair of arms lift him up and into a topless chest.
"Look, the poor thing is all wet!" The brunette observed. "Do you have a spare towel, Olivia?"
"Hang on." The blonde woman named Olivia approached with a small face towel and Kit was soon sandwiched between a pair of naked breasts.
"Meow"
He felt his fur being gently wiped down and he relaxed at the sensation.
"I have a pet cat. They don't like water much." Olivia said as she continued her movement of drying Kit while the Brunette held him in her arm while the cat's eyes followed the jiggling flesh.
"He seems to be someone's pet." Another woman approached, this one fully nude as an assistant wiped the sunscreen from her body. "But there's no collar."
"It's obviously well cared for." The brunette said. "Should we hand him to the hotel staff?"
"Just let him go." Olivia replied. "He made his way here, he can find his owner easily enough. They're probably out there in one of the pools."
"Why was he doing perched on the top of that rock sculpture?"
"It's nice and sunny up there, and cats enjoy the warmth." Olivia answered. "There, he's perfectly dry. Why don't you hand him to me while you get changed."
"Thanks. Let me cuddle him again after. His fur is really soft."
"Me too!"
"Same here!"
The pageant contestant finally finished changing to their normal clothes and moved out of the covered tent. Unfortunately for many of them, the cat accompanied them escaped under the fabric wall of the tent. The poor thing was probably traumatized by the water.
One of the contestants, Olivia was stopped by a shirtless man, asking for her autograph. She narrowed her eyes when she recognized him as the instigator that splashed the innocent cat sunning himself before he was disturbed.
Unaware of the cameras around them because of her anger, Olivia narrowed her eyes and scolded the man. "You! I know what you did to the poor cat?"
"Huh?" The man stepped backward as attention shifted to him.
The other pageant contestants realized what Olivia had said and decided to join her.
"You splashed a poor innocent cat who was just trying to get some sun." Olivia folded her arms and pinned an amused stare at the man.
"Hey, it wasn't just me!" The man replied with a British accent. He was obviously a tourist. "There were a couple of lads as well that did the same."
"They only did it after they followed you. They're kids, what's your excuse?" Olivia asked. Around her, she heard the shutters of cameras.
"I don't know about men in Britain, but, here we don't abuse our pets." Olivia said firmly and walked away.
The British tourist hung his head in shame and walked away, trying to ignore the attention of the crowd around him.
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2 days later, London
Pageant contestant scolds British animal hater!
Emma Granger was not amused as she read the article in the tabloid. Her husband flew for a business trip in Las Vegas and gave all the details. There was a conference in one of the hotels and she knew it wasn't located at the Excalibur. But he was, judging by the picture of her husband, his face filled with guilt as he was surrounded by a group of angry models.
She looked at the newsstand and saw similar articles about her husband, his picture clear but from different angles. His fair was still dripping wet in the pictures, and he wore red trunks. She handed a crisp note to the vendor and decided to purchase all of them.
She couldn't wait for Dan to return.
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Ancient Runes classroom
Hermione quickly wiped the sweat from her brow and sat beside Padma. It was a near thing, running from the very top of the divination tower to the Ancient Runes classroom. She wondered if it was worth keeping divination since she was not learning anything at all.
She tucked her golden necklace back beneath her robes and as expected, Padma jumped in surprise. "Hermione! When did you get here?"
"What are you talking about?" Hermione repeated the coached phrase from Professor McGonagall and pulled out her rune carving kit. Only her head of house, the headmaster, and his deputy knew about her special schedule and arrangement. "Honestly, you should be more aware of your surroundings."
She hid a sigh of relief as Padma shrugged and turned back to her own task. She was lucky that most of the Ravenclaws did not take divination as their elective, since they viewed ancient runes as more rewarding.
She looked around and tried to ignore Harry's gaze and turned back her focus to her task for the day. She didn't need to turn back around to know her friend was still observing her. Of all her friends she didn't even realize how observant Harry Potter is. He was always the first one to spot her at first, but after a week he didn't comment further, but merely watched her appearances. Behind the aloof, somewhat lazy teen was a highly aware and observant wizard, she realized. She wondered if that was what made him compete in grades with her in some subjects.
As the class continued with their carving exercises on the clay tablets, she heard laughter behind her and quickly turned around. She rolled her eyes at Harry and Michael's antics. If it weren't for their grades she would have scolded the two boys.
Harry was using the dense clay to create a castle, while Michael was trying, and failing to create a figure of a woman. She knew he was trying to make a female figure because of the enormous breasts on the poorly made clay doll. She looked up at their professor and realized that she also heard the noise and was quickly moving to their tables.
"While I appreciate your carving skill, Mr. Potter, this isn't the time for it." Professor Babbling snapped. She waved her wand and Harry's clay castle fell back to its wooden base, once again in the form of a tablet. She did the same with Michael's but with more vehemence in her movements. "And I don't know what you're doing with this… sculpture of yours Mr. Corner."
"Sorry professor."
Bathsheda Babbling pursed her lips and crossed her arms in front of the two Ravens. "Five points from each of you for not paying attention to the exercise. Now, I'll wave off your detentions if you can carve the Celtic rune set without any mistakes, and in the correct order."
The two boys shared glances while the rest of the class paused in their work to watch the entertainment.
"I'm waiting, gentlemen."
The two quickly started on their tasks, and their professor made no comment as the rest of the class stopped their work and didn't pretend that they were paying attention to the two claws. Hermione noticed that even the Slytherins were amused, with Greengrass even partially sitting up to get a better view.
A few minutes later Harry Potter handed the clay tablet to their Professor. Hermione noticed the woman was staring at Harry and the tablet with a complicated expression on her face. She reluctantly handed back the tablet to Harry.
"Excellent work, Mr. Potter. Have you practiced carving runes before?"
"Yes, professor." Harry answered. "I practiced during the summer in preparation for your class."
"Good." Professor Babbling gave Harry a brief smile and turned to his partner in crime and observed his work.
Michael Corner's work was decent, but he made a few mistakes in the carving. "Good effort, Mr. Corner. I'll wave the detention this time, consider this a warning."
"Yes, Professor." The two Ravenclaws replied in unison.
Their professor simply nodded and headed back to her desk.
With the show over, most of the class returned to their work. Hermione however paid attention to the boys behind her as she resumed her own work.
"Merlin, that was close!" Michael whispered. "I thought I was done for!"
"We got lucky." Harry whispered back.
"Lucky? It was a good thing you did yours perfectly, and it put the professor in a good mood."
"You just need practice, that's all." Harry replied. "And I did practice a lot during the summer."
Hermione turned back to her work and tried to copy Harry's. Once again her friend showed how far ahead he was in runes. It wasn't just a matter of memorization and theory like arithmancy, there was a practical component as well with how well you carve the runes you study. It was proving more difficult for many of the class.
"Can you tutor me in carving, Harry?"
"Sure, but only for an hour a week."
"Can I join?" Hermione quickly asked, not bothering to pretend she was eavesdropping on a private conversation. She needed the practice, and it would be a good opportunity to speak with Harry more. The boy was proving very elusive outside of the classroom lately.
The two boys shared a glance and finally, Harry nodded in acceptance. "Sure Hermione, but on one condition."
"What is it?"
"Bring snacks." Harry replied. "Just open your schedule on Thursdays after class, our dorm room."
"Thanks Harry." Hermione turned back to her work and found Padma giving her a teasing look.
"Two boys, Hermione?" Padma whispered. "Naughty!"
"Shut up!" Hermione nudged her elbow at her friend's side. "Do you want to join me?"
"Sure." Padma replied. "Just make sure you tell them I'll join you ahead of time."
"As soon as class is over Padma."
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October 31, Excalibur Hotel
"Settle down!" Chester Harisson called out and the two groups of trainees moved quickly to their assigned seats.
"There's been reports of some weird things that's happened in the strip." Chester read the file in front of him. "You'll work in pairs, I want these investigations done discreetly."
"Yes, chief!"
"Tonks, Williams." Harisson began. "There's rumors of organized cheating at the poker tables in the Mirage. Take a close look. Report to me in a week."
"Yes, chief!" Tonks replied. She hid her discomfort at being partnered with Williams. It reminded her of her ex-boyfriend, as he always gave inappropriate comments to his female partners. He had already asked every female in the program out for a date and they all declined his offer. It didn't stop the horny American auror from continuing his behavior.
"Vance, Laurent, we received reports of a ghost sighting in Excalibur." Harisson continued. "There's supposed to be a ghost of a boy that vanished in the middle of a Nomaj illusion trick, and it happened in front of dozens of witnesses. It's clearly magical in nature so prioritize this."
"Yes, chief!"
Tonks wondered how a ghost could appear in clearly muggle hotel and casino. She decided to ask Harry later, maybe he could ask his mentor about magical artifacts that could hold spirits within them.
"There's a noticeable increase in reports of missing nomaj valuables." Chester Harisson raised an eyebrow at the number of reports. "I'll assign the whole team for this. Make this your secondary priority Hill, Jackson, you have the lead on this one."
"Yes, chief!" Hill and Jackson responded.
"What went missing, chief?"
"Mostly jewelry and watches." Harisson replied. He showed a glossy picture of an elaborately crafted crown. "This is the crown for the Nomaj beauty pageant. It went missing a few weeks ago when it was on display at the Caesars."
"Why are we looking for it chief?" Tonks asked. "Isn't it a nomaj crime?"
"The Nomaj law enforcement agency went to us for help." Harrison replied. "They couldn't find any lead, since there are no traces at all aside from it simply missing."
"Must be a professional." Williams mused.
"We'll graciously lead them a hand as a professional courtesy. Get to your assignments!"
"Yes, chief!"
The briefing reminded Tonks that Las Vegas was a crime hotspot. As she made her way to her cubicle, she spotted Kit lounging on her desk. She quickly picked up her familiar and hugged him, happy that he could vanish away from any danger.
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October 31, Tonks Residence
All Hallow's Eve was today and it was the first time in many decades that Andromeda felt scared of being alone. Ever since her daughter left for a three-month-long training overseas, strange things started to happen around the house.
At first, she thought she was just tired from work, but she was sure she didn't wash the dishes. She was confused the next morning when the dishes and utensils were cleaned and in the drying rack.
The strange incidents continued without pause. Her favorite channel on the telly was always changed to the one that was Kit's favorite whenever she opened it, but she knew that was impossible since the adorable cat was across the pond. Objects she placed on a desk in the morning were moved to another location in the evening. She heard strange noises at night, but her detection spell always told her that she was alone.
The wards never alerted her to an intruder, and the floo was never used. She had even asked her friends to check, but the results came back clean. It wasn't a ghost or a poltergeist like Peeves since they couldn't be sustained in her house like a magical home or Hogwarts. They were in a muggle neighborhood and far away from any ley lines.
Andromeda finally decided she was going on vacation. She quickly called her office and began to pack. She couldn't wait to surprise her daughter and Kit!
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2 weeks ago, Caesars
"What happened?" A man with short blonde hair asked, the taco in his hand long forgotten. They had planned the heist carefully for weeks. They memorized all the schedules and shifts of the guards, and they had an inside man to disrupt the surveillance.
"It just wasn't there." Basher replied, his British accent noticeable when he was stressed. "I swear before I was about to cut the power, I noticed it missing from its case and the silent alarm had activated. That's when I aborted the mission."
"We're fucked." Rusty replied. He made a signal to his team to withdraw. He ignored the complaints of his crew that he heard from his earpiece. "Let's regroup. I'm sure we missed something."
"We must have." Basher muttered.
"I'm going to call Danny." Rusty said as he threw his unfinished taco in a nearby bin. Losing made any food he ate taste bitter. "Maybe he knows something."
"If Danny doesn't, then there's a new group operating here." Basher observed. "I suggest we lie low for the meantime and keep our ears on the ground. Something's bound to come up."
"That's what I'm planning." Rusty, despite his frustration couldn't help but admire how their target was stolen from under noses. There was no hint at all they were being monitored. Their rivals were quiet, precise, and didn't leave any traces.
He closed his eyes and tried to remember anything that indicated they were being followed. He was sure his crew was loyal, no one stayed long in the business if you had a reputation for double-dealing. It was bound to come out soon, and their circle was small. Their reputation for being loyal was as important as their skills.
He was sure he would eventually know who they lost to. Fencing highly valuable and customized jewelry was extremely difficult. Almost all the buyers talked and had a close relationship with their circle.
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Paris, France
"That's a nice doll." Apolline Delacour observed while her daughter played with her latest toy. Gabrielle had received a gift from Harry after a quick visit where he had lunch with her family and the Flamels. Perenelle was happy with Harry taking the time to visit and bring gifts despite his busy schedule.
As usual, the adults' stolen jewelry collection had grown from Harry's visit, but none of them had any intention of disposing of any of the gifts. They were after all prepared by Harry with them in mind, and it was the thought that counted.
"Mama, look!"
Apolline looked down as her daughter showed off the very intricate and realistic miniature crown that was now on top of Gabrielle's high-end doll. She didn't realize that Harry's gift came with accessories for the doll and wondered how he acquired them.
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October 31, Tonks' room, Excalibur Hotel
Andromeda raised an eyebrow as her daughter hastily packed the clothes that were around her room. She had surprised Tonks when she contacted her daughter through the front desk and minutes later she had come running down the lifts to embrace her.
After a quick, warm hug, her daughter eagerly invited her to her room, but soon realized her habits did not change despite living in a different continent.
"I'm sorry Mum." Tonks repeated while she threw armloads of used clothes into a basket. "We get so busy most days that I barely have enough time to sleep."
She was about to reply when her daughter sniffed an article of clothing, and apparently decided it was still good enough and tossed it back to her cabinet of clean clothes. She objected and with a swish of her wand, the shirt flew and landed into the basket.
"Mum!"
"No." Andromeda decided to help but froze when he picked up an unfamiliar shirt. "Dora, is this yours?"
"Of course, it's mine who else is it for?" Tonks asked. She trailed off when she noticed what her mother indicated.
"Are you sure?" Andromeda's practiced eyes spotted another unfamiliar shirt and a pair of shorts underneath it. She quickly summoned the clothes and held them out for her daughter to see.
"I can explain." Tonks muttered and her eyes shifted to Kit who was now on Andromeda's lap. The cat gave a warm welcome when he spotted her enter Tonk's hotel room and immediately jumped into her arms.
"Look, I don't really mind you having a bloke over." Andromeda explained. "It's none of my business, but if he's leaving clothes inside your room then it might be getting serious and I'd like to meet him."
"It's complicated." Tonks replied.
"You're so stubborn." Andromeda smiled and shook her head. "No matter, have your boy toy with you, I'll just have Kit with me."
"Kit's mine." Tonks replied.
"Then whose lap is he sitting on?" Andromeda asked with a grin. She missed the two and their antics.
"Come here Kit." Tonks ordered and indicated to her familiar to join her on the bed. The cat merely yawned and closed its eyes, clearly comfortable on her mother's lap.
"Traitor."
"Meow."
"He missed you." Tonks shook her head and continued to organize her bedroom. "Are you hungry? They have a good selection of food here."
"Lead on, dear." Andromeda agreed and stood up and slowly placed the now sleepy cat on the bed. "Is it healthy for Kit to spend the whole day alone in your room?"
"I bring him with me to the MACUSA office." Tonks answered. "He then spends the rest of the day doing what he wants."
"How safe is he?" Andromeda asked. "A magical cat, intelligent or not, has no place in a street full of vehicles, not to mention the muggles."
"He's fairly safe Mum." Tonks replied as she led her mother down the hallway to the lifts. "Why did you decide to visit anyway? I didn't realize how much I missed you until I saw you in the lobby."
"It's a strange story." Andromeda admitted as they entered the lift. "Things started on the first week since you left…"
The shared meal was a pleasant one, and Andromeda had no trouble getting a room for her own use. It was strange to see Tonks disregard the weird events inside their house and hear her suggest wild theory after wild theory to explain the strange incidents. She simply did not accept the suggestion that their home had become alive because of the magical inhabitants living inside it.
Though her daughter's other theory had merit, and a wayward house elf had come to call their home its own. She just needed to know its name to summon it.
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