From a Cradle to a Grave

Chapter 28

Hayley's Pov

"No. Absolutely not," Kingsley Shacklebolt says to me and Klaus.

"What? Why not?" I sputter in disbelief. With Margaret's help, we managed to walk into the Ministry of Magic via an enchanted telephone booth. It took us three hours just to get a meeting with Shacklebolt, and here he is, bluntly refusing to help us without further discussion.

"There is no bloody way I'm helping a Mikaelson," Shacklebolt points at Klaus.

"I told you to wait in the car!" I scowl at Klaus.

"What have you got against me? I don't even know you!" Klaus yells indignantly.

"But I know you," Shacklebolt says. "I don't care what it is you need help with. I know what your family is, and what nightmares you've ignited over the years. Leave now, before I have an entire legion of Aurors escort you out."

"Look, you seem like a good person," I say to him. "Better than him, anyway," I jerk my finger at Klaus. "Don't you want to do what's morally right?"

"Morally right? You're walking around with a Mikaelson on your arm, and you're talking to me about 'morally right'?" Shacklebolt laughs. "Out. Both of you."

"An innocent girl's life is in danger!" I shout at him. "We received word of a direct threat on her life. Are you really going to stand by and let her die?"

Shacklebolt hesitates at this. "What innocent girl?" he asks.

"A student at the school Hogwarts," I answer. "Fourteen years old. She... She's my daughter, but she was raised by another family. It's all really complicated, but the point is, somebody knocked me and Klaus out of a plane, just to deliver us the message that they're going to kill her."

"Death threats?" Shacklebolt mutters. "I'll get you in touch with someone in the Magical Law Department, I'm sure somebody will be able to-"

"It's not just a death threat," Klaus says. And before I can tell him to shut up, he continues. "There's a very high chance that the person who's after our- I mean, Hayley's- daughter, is very old, powerful, and evil," Klaus says, deciding to portray Hope as my daughter and not ours, if only as a way to further persuade Shacklebolt to help us. "With numerous dark witches by their side. This isn't a matter to be settled by the law department, not when this threat could endanger the existence of your entire bloody Wizarding World!"

Shacklebolt stares at Klaus, then turns to me. "How sure are you that this threat is as serious as Mikaelson just described?"

"Extremely sure," I say.

He sighs, then looks at Klaus one more time. "If you swear never to contact me ever again, I'll get half of my Aurors to look at this situation," he says.

"That's amazing. Thank you," I say, before Klaus can utter a word of protestation. Because knowing him, he would have gone off and disemboweled someone for being treated with such disrespect.

"Thank you for being so unhelpful," I say to Klaus, once we exit the Ministry. "Really, I appreciated it."

He doesn't snap back at me with a witty remark like he usually does.

Frowning, I turn around, and see that he looks to be deep in thought.

"What is it?" I ask him.

Klaus hesitates. "That Shacklebolt person knew who I was," he says quietly.

"I noticed," I say sarcastically.

"No- Hayley, what if- Couldn't that also mean-" He struggles to get his words out. "If he knows about me, couldn't that mean Hope does, too?"