Shattered

Six

January 9, 1996

Harry's POV

    "Mr. Potter, I presume? Sit down, have some tea." From a shadowy corner of the room comes a young man with a cup of tea which he stoically places in front of me. He walks slowly backwards towards the corner. "I'm Elijah, Elijah Carter- and this is my assistant Adrian Knott." He smiles at me pleasantly but something about it is off. "I'll be asking you some questions about Kalia Lestrange. The ministry-" I cut him off. "Does this mean you're launching a full-scale investigation into Kalia?"
His warm air changes in an instant and he becomes cold. The room darkens around him. "It is not your place to inquire into the ministry's business. Understood?" I nod shakily. "Alright, let's begin. What kind of interactions have you had with Kalia in the past?" Whoever this guy is, he's going to get to the bottom of Kalia. So I answer his question truthfully. "I try to stay away from her. When we shook hands..."
I try to put into words the feeling I got when we shook hands, but find that I can't. "I was told you experienced little to no damage while she was put in the hospital wing. Is that correct?" I nod, still grasping at a definition of the feeling. "Good. Have you ever seen Kalia weaker than when you shook hands?" I shake my head. I don't see how these simple questions are going to help find out anything about her.
"Are you aware of any mental issues she may have, or have you otherwise noticed anything strange about her behaviour?" I pause for a moment to gather my thoughts. This is the kind of question I can answer. "Yes, actually. She seems to be angry, then fine, but in a sinister way, you know? And when she's happy, it's only because others were hurt by her or because they're scared of her." He writes something on a piece of paper I hadn't noticed he had.
"Intense mood swings are a common symptom of many mental issues. Thank you for your time, Mr. Potter." I wasn't done, but it's clear the conversation is over. As I get out of the chair, he taps me lightly on the shoulder. "I would appreciate it if we kept this conversation just between us, if that's alright. We wouldn't want her getting angry at us, you see. We're just trying to help her." While he speaks warmly and it seems like a suggestion, the cold hand pressing into my shoulder says otherwise.

-

Draco's POV

I walk out of the interview feeling strangely worried. Not for her, she can handle herself. But for me. For my family. For what will happen when the world finds out we're harboring Voldemort's daughter. Maybe I'm even more scared of what will happen if no one cares.
Of course I'm going to tell Kalia right away. Maybe I won't tell her how honestly I answered, though. How his eyes stared straight through me. I shiver, prompting glances from all around me. Draco, scared? That's a first. I stand up straighter and continue on my walk to the guillotine. She'll either have my head for this or be grateful I told her, depending on her mood at the moment.
I open the door to the dorm to find Kalia yelling at someone and pushing them out of the doorway. "I don't want to hear your bullshit apology. Get out of my dorm before I make you." She's speaking in a low tone, something that can only be taken as a bad sign. I prepare myself with a deep breath. This is not going to end well.

-

Elijah's POV

    I couldn't have been luckier if I had taken Felix Felicis this morning, which I seriously considered. The treasure trove of information those two interviews gave me is enough to finish the job today. But of course, I have a second objective. "Adrian. What was the most important thing we learned in those interviews?"
He emerges from his corner and opens his mouth to speak before closing it again. "It was equally important, sir. Every detail matters." I smile warmly, indicating his correctness. I'm quite proud of how he has turned out, even if it has taken several beatings to drill it into him.
"I have taught you well. Now it's time to give you your assignment. Befriend the girl. Find out everything you can about her." His next sentence comes with a hidden excitement behind it. "Sir, does that mean..." He trails off before he crosses the line. "We shall see, Adrian. We shall see."