antebellum [t. riddle]

vi.

october 1944

today was the day. the first set of interrogations. 

sicaria sat at the breakfast table, absentmindedly listening to venus reciting transfiguration notes. she mentally went through her list of prospect targets for today. 

galleria mercanthy, fifth year

hector harley, seventh year

abraxas malfoy, seventh year

caroline macmillan, sixth year

she had plans to get to each of them today. most were foolproof. 

galleria wasn't particularly bright, but her family was rich. her last name had big connections to ministry families that were notoriously corrupt, so it wasn't a wild guess that she'd have a bit of knowledge. sicaria noticed daily that she left for the prefects bathroom about thirty minutes before breakfast ended. she knew the prefects had specific times to access the bathroom, so no one else would be in there right now. 

she made sure not to stare at the girl; people were watching her. she just made sure to note when she left, and bit her goodbyes to venus early. she was droning on about adonis rosier anyway, and sicaria hardly felt like listening. she stepped out the great hall, casting a disillusionment and silencing charm on herself before rushing to catch up with galleria. the fifth year muttered the password and stepped into the bathroom, sicaria slipping in silently behind her. before galleria had a chance to do anything but drop her bag, sicaria stunned her and she crumpled to the ground. 

quickly, she conjured a bench and laid the girl on there. sicaria opened gallerias' mouth and poured short-term veritaserum in there. she conjured a magical hourglass which counted down the nine minutes left until the potency of the potion decreased. after nine minutes, wizards could fight the effects. they'd be compelled to tell the truth, but could choose to say nothing if lucid enough. then, she cast the spell "memorias obstructionum" on the girl. this would stop her from collecting any memories until she casted the countercurse. she pointed her wand at the door and cast a complex locking charm, just in case. 

finally, she cast "nolite pugnare" (caused the victim to resist the urge to fight their circumstances) and rennervated the girl. galleria sat up and looked at sicaria, her eyes milky white (symptom of the memory charm). she sat silently. 

"who are you?" galleria asked, her voice slurred because of the veritaserum. since she was asking a question and not responding to one, her speech would be incoherent. 

sicaria started the magical recording device that transcribed all the words said into written records. the quill stood ready to write down every word spoken in this room.

"what is your name and age?" sicaria said, starting the first phase of questioning. identity.

"galleria elanor mercanthy, 15." her voice was smooth and fragile, almost like glass.

"what are your parents and siblings names and ages?"

"mother: abigail collins-mercanthy 37. father: daniel mercanthy 44. brother: carson daniel mercanthy 19. sister: isabella jane mercanthy 6."

"are you a pureblood?"

"no."

"are your parents?"

galleria did not respond and looked immensely troubled. she started to hyperventilate. sicaria forgot she had to ask direct questions only, and "are your parents?" is not an answerable question.