Hidden In These Walls

CHAPTER ONE

The day started off lovely, with warm sunny weather, oddly enough in London, which was unheard of. Sitting on the dock by a beach seemed to help. I was able to enjoy and bide my time outside reading the Daily Prophet while sitting and waiting, listening as the waves crashed into the large wood poles below. I couldn't begin to describe how boring this part of the job was, just sitting there and biding my time as I waited for the other to arrive.

I listened carefully to every footstep made that went by. It wasn't until I heard thudding traveling closer and the bench behind me creaking under weight that I realized he arrived. I muttered, "Do you have it?"

"Keep yer' britches untwisted," The man graveled out, "Yer as impatient as a Niffler with gold strung in front of 'im," You practically are one you daft... I sighed and collected myself, "Alright.." I muttered, folding my newspaper over, "Listen, I am on a tight schedule, whether you have the information or not. Now tell me, and you might get paid."

The man grumbled, "Watch it, boy–"

"Sounds like you don't want the payment..." I sighed and stuffed the newspaper under my arm, and uncrossed my legs.

"Fine! Take this..." I glanced down and watched as a large yellow envelope slipped through the cracks of the bench. I took it and quickly slipped the bag of coins and left it on the bench, "Thank you for your business," I said as I stood up, taking the envelope and putting it in my pocket inside of my jacket.

"Don't ask for anything like this again..." He griped. I went to turn around and say something to the grouch, but when I turned to look, the man and the bag of coins were nowhere to be seen. As if he was never there in the first place and I had simply made it all up in my head, but the bright envelope proved otherwise.

I hummed and shrugged, might as well head out. I glanced around one last time, making sure that no Muggle saw the interaction, and began walking with the crowd toward the inward of the city. I needed to find the entrance to the Ministry, then from there, I could make my way to my mentor, Alastor Moody by floo. Thankfully, before I had been given this task by him he gave me a quick rundown of where all the entrances were. One of them happened to be a big red telephone kiosk beneath a large building that I was about to pass by. So convenient! I honestly didn't pay attention to what the building was, I only beelined to the kiosk and shut the door behind me with a soft click.

"What was that password again... um..." I flitted from button to button, from what I believed the code to be today. I was told it was 6-2-4-4-2-5-#. I waited for a moment, then heard a small 'Ding'. I smiled, the information was correct and I wasn't left stranded, thank you Moody! The kiosk started to travel down and down beneath the surface. The pavement started to get higher before I completely disappeared into the dark. The only light given was from the kiosk light on the inside.

Soon enough I could see again and was able to see the dark of the Ministry, its walls tiled with black and green in its cracks that scattered in a somehow patterned manner. The crowd bustled beneath me. It was all so much, but thankfully I had been here before. As I gazed around I was lucky enough that my eyes landed on a few floos, one that said "Outward Bound" and another that said "Inward Bound". The kiosk landed and I opened the door, stepping foot out of it, onto the tiled floor.

Now I just had to make my way through the large crowd and hope I don't get swept up into it. I puffed out a long breath, pumping myself up, "You can do this, Oz..." I began pacing forward, getting through the crowd was like hardened butter on a cold biscuit. A few people nudging, shoving, and stepping on my toes, coupled with a few aggravated comments left my head spinning and dizzy for air. There were too many bodies touching mine. After some struggle, I got through to the other side. I panted lightly and decided it was no time to stop now.

I got in the (thankfully) short line for the floo and before I knew it I was next. I whispered my breath, "Moody..." The green fire flushed around me, sending me into a whirlwind, and opening me back up through a portal inside of Moody's home.

"Took you long enough," I gazed over at the table where Moody sat, taking a sip of what I would only imagine as Pumpkin Juice. I sighed, "It wouldn't have taken so long if your informant would have just given me what I needed without back sass."

"That's not what I heard, I hear you sassed him and threatened not to pay–"

"Again, if he just gave me the information when I asked for it..." I grumbled as I walked over, tossing the envelope down on his old oak desk, "Either way, at least I got it for you..."

He glanced up and down from the envelope to me with his mechanical eyeball before humming, "Well done, let's see what we were given..."