The Safe Wizards

9: Assassination

"The Acting Prime Minister murdered by a vampire in the Ministry of Magic's offices. Fifteen other people were found dead, mostly aurors who would have tried to protect the minister. The crime took place late last night while Minister Shacklebolt was in a meeting with the head of the aurors and his top assistants. They were all found dead, drained of their blood, this morning. The vampire is nowhere to be found. "

Harry put his newspaper, hands shaking, on his kitchen table. Charlie gave him a worried look, but he was not fit to answer. He simply slid the paper away from him. Harry felt tears welling up in his eyes, he had known this man well, a member of the Order of the Phoenix, present in many of the battles he had had to fight, always a steady support and a listening ear. He didn't understand why a vampire would go to the Ministry to kill him, it didn't make sens.

Charlie put the paper down, tense. He hadn't known the man as well as Harry had, but this news was clearly not good.

"I'll ask my dad and Percy if they know more," he said, walking around the table and kneeling in front of Harry. He took his hands, squeezing them gently. "Are you going to be all right?"

"Yeah, don't worry, I have my meeting with Borgak anyway, I'll see if this impacts Gringotts."

When he arrived at the bank, Harry noticed that everyone was very tense. Still, he was admitted to his advisor's office.

"Mr. Potter, have you heard the news?" the goblin asked immediately.

"Indeed, I confess to having trouble understanding how this could have happened."

"Mr. Potter," Borgak said, leaning in close to him, speaking so softly that Harry could hardly hear him. "You know that we goblins are not supposed to interfere in wizarding politics." Harry nodded. "However, I will make an exception for you because you have already been through enough. I would like to suggest that you apply for asylum in the United States as soon as possible. With the death of Shacklebolt, I fear that the Safe Wizarding party is a threat to your little heir. Your home in Alaska is secured and the work you requested is complete, other than finalizing the decoration your home is ready."

Harry considered the goblin's words for a moment. If he was advising him to prepare to flee, his situation had to be worse than he had imagined.

"Thank you for your advice and I will be ready to leave if the need arises, but could you also make arrangements for Andromeda Tonks? There's no way I'm separating Teddy from his grandmother," Harry whispered back.

"No worries, may I suggest that you change to using an assumed identity for your American papers and invent a family relationship with Mrs. Tonks and Mr. Teddy?"

"You're right. How about Harry Evans?"

"Too obvious. Smith? It's a very common name in the United States, so they'd have a harder time finding you if they start looking for you."

"All right, let's go with Smith."

"Can we say that Mr. Teddy is your son and Mrs. Tonks is your mother-in-law?"

"Okay, I'll work out the details of our story with her. But isn't it possible that they know I inherited the Black houses?"

"No, they're unmarketable and Bill Weasley has removed the allegiance of the houses to the Black line. Only Narcissa Malfoy knows about the houses, but she doesn't know you inherited them, and she wouldn't be able to locate them on a map."

"But Andromeda remembered the two houses and was able to locate them without a problem."

"Only because you told her about them first, which I assume is not the case with Mrs. Malfoy."