Half of a Heart's Desire: Entre Deux Guerres

Chapter 7: Searchin'

Contrary to popular belief, the 1692 International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy had not been a blanket prohibition on Wizard-Muggle interaction, but rather, a regulatory mechanism to oversee the egregious flaunting of magical prowess. In some arenas, the boundaries had remained quite permeable of necessity, but as time had passed and the two worlds had started to drift apart, many institutions straddling the two worlds had perforce had to choose one side or the other. Thus it was that St. Mungo's had stopped admitting Muggles unless they had suffered magical catastrophes or were the immediate family of wizards, while the Bethlehem Royal Hospital, or Bedlam, had chosen otherwise, unfortunately retaining a complement of patients suffering from ailments unsusceptible to Muggle methods of cure, which eventually earned it its place in the English language.

In the field of law, the choice had largely gone in favor of the Muggles. The so-called Magic Circle of venerable English law firms, had for the most part, retained little more than the time-honored appellation, having found it far easier to deal with Muggle financiers than Gringotts goblins prone to frequent rebellions. The sheer volume of work emanating from the Muggle world was an extremely attractive prospect. Not so for Ripp, Levin, and Somerset. Ripp, Levin did serve some Muggle clients with whose families it had an ancient association, but its primary expertise was in the vagaries of wizarding law, and it proudly maintained its head offices in League Alley.

Ripp, Levin had represented the Potter family for generations, and their ties to the family went beyond simply offering their services. The current managing partner, Jebediah Levin, had been a dear friend of James's grandfather as well as his solicitor, and though he was always soft spoken, he was one of the few people in the world whom James had always been a little in awe of. Thus, having arranged to meet Mr. Levin for lunch at White's, James arrived nearly ten minutes early, his hair uncharacteristically neat. He was waiting in the lobby for only a few minutes before his guest arrived.

"Ah, there you are, James."

"I hope you're quite well, sir."

Levin was just as James remembered him always looking, slightly heavy set, in a dark suit that would pass beyond reproach in a Muggle setting except for its rather old fashioned air. His dark eyes, James knew, were very perceptive, and though they had often made James a little uncomfortable when he was younger, he knew as his father had before him that this was a wizard he wanted on his side.

"Very well indeed. And how about you and young Harry?"

"As well as can be expected, sir. He's growing very quickly."

"So they do, at that age."

"Shall we, sir?"

Apart from its other notable distinctions, White's was unique in that it had always kept its doors open to both Wizarding and Muggle members from its inception just a few years after the passage of the Statute of Secrecy. Remus had once joked that this was because chocolate was a kind of magic all its own, but of course White's had long since left those roots behind. Of course there were those in the Wizarding world who sneered on the club's mixed membership policy, and preferred Watier's, which had chosen to disappear from the Muggle world years ago, and was now visible to members only, but many others had a long history of association with the club.

James led his guest up the stairs, eschewing the club's smaller dining room reserved for Wizarding members as well as the large airy chamber where members were able to entertain lady guests. He made his way to the other members-only dining room, which he had rarely ever seen after the first time his father had brought him around the club prior to proposing him as a member. This was the first time James had availed of the club's facilities in several years; White's membership was very exclusive, but many of those he had found himself fighting had come from the Wizarding world's finest families. For today's meeting, it was certainly the most appropriate venue; James could not risk appearing in Ripp, Levin's League Alley offices, and however much he trusted Mr. Levin, he knew that Dumbledore would not have considered it appropriate if he had invited the solicitor to his new home. There was a relatively small risk that James would be spotted here, but even if he was, it was well known that he was a member.

The dining room was relatively quiet for a weekday, and they were able to obtain a small table in a relatively secluded corner. James waited for his guest to be seated before he drew his own chair, and the two of them took a few minutes to order lunch.

"So James, my boy, is there something on your mind, or is this a purely social occasion?"

"No, well, yes. I wanted to see you, of course. And I haven't really had a chance to talk to you after Lily's funeral, and I know there are some things we need to discuss, especially about Harry's future. But I also had some other questions, and I'd appreciate your advice."

James looked up, meeting Levin's compassionate eyes, which were looking suspiciously bright.

"How are you holding up, James?"

"Well enough, I suppose. I miss her like anything, but I know she'd want me to be strong through this for Harry. I don't know what I'd do if it wasn't for him; I'd probably go mad. I just... I mean, you know what we've been through; I'm not going to pretend I never feared that Harry would lose a parent, but somehow I always thought it would be me; that I'd be able to protect Lily and Harry somehow. It doesn't seem very fair, what's happened. I never had a chance; I wasn't even there."

"You know that nothing good will come out of that line of thought, James."

"I know that, sir. I know I should be happy that Harry has me, at least. And I'm not being morbid, really."

"I'm not going to minimize your loss, James. She was a remarkable young woman. Your parents were very proud of your choice."

"Thank you, sir."

They paused for a few minutes as the waiter served them, and resumed the conversation over an excellent lunch.

"So is it young Mr. Black who is minding Harry today, or Mr. Lupin?"

James blinked.

"Oh, come, James. You may have disappeared from the Wizarding World quite publicly, but surely you'd realize that Sirius Black's conspicuous absence would be noted as well? He did have quite a reputation at one time. Of course not everyone has noticed that Lupin hasn't been seen for exactly that same period either, but you might have guessed that some of us would keep an eye out."

"They both have him, actually, although Remus wanted to try and get some work done."

"Your son is a good influence for Mr. Black, I think."

"I'm glad you think so. Everyone else thought I was quite mad to make him godfather."

"That's never stopped you from having good ideas in the past."

"Thank you, sir. Though I must admit I'm a bit surprised you'd think they were good ideas. I thought you'd share my father's views on that kind of thing."

"I hardly need to dignify that with a response, James. You were a little rowdier than a man his age could keep up with all the time, but you know perfectly well that your father could not have been more proud."

James nodded, concentrating perhaps a little too intently on his dover sole. Levin gave him a sharp look, and spoke briskly.

"Well then, what was it you needed to talk to me about?"

James looked up, still looking a bit awkward.

"I suppose we should talk about Harry, first of all."

"You know what the arrangements for him are, of course. You're his primary guardian. And you and Lily named Sirius his Godfather, so he has custody rights should anything happen to you, and custodianship of the estate before Harry comes of age."

"After what happened, I'd like a few more contingencies arranged for, in case something happens to me or Sirius."

"Is there something in particular motivating this?"

James hesitated for a moment, before speaking.

"Professor Dumbledore wanted to put Harry with Lily's sister and her family. I've nothing against Muggles, sir, but I know what these people are like. They didn't come to our wedding, or her funeral, even. I know Lily wrote her letters every month, but I never once saw a reply. They like to pretend that we don't exist, that she never had a sister. Merlin knows how they would have treated Harry. And I just know that if I hadn't survived that night, Dumbledore would've packed my son off with them, regardless of Sirius's or anybody's rights in the matter. I want to make sure that can't happen, but at the same time, I need to make sure that Harry's somewhere safe from harm, too."

"And do you have any ideas about what measures you want to take?"

"Well, to start with, I was wondering if we could get Remus in there as well."

"It's a bit tricky, given his condition, but it should be possible, yes."

"I wasn't aware you knew of his condition, sir."

Levin raised an eyebrow, considering James shrewdly.

"If you didn't think I knew of it, I certainly hope you were planning on telling me. His situation does have legal consequences, you know."

"It's sheer discrimination, sir. You know it is. It shouldn't be encoded in our laws."

"When they affect an upstanding young man like your friend, certainly, but those who made him what he is are a very different sort of creature, James. You can't be so naïve as to think otherwise."

"There are plenty of monsters who walk on two legs at all times of the month and don't have the excuse of sublunary insanity. We're letting half of them walk free."

"I can certainly understand your impatience with the circus Crouch and his lot are making of the Wizengamot right now, but you see, the point really is very similar, in some ways. And I must say that your old mentor, Dumbledore, is at least as responsible as Crouch, or for that matter, my colleagues over at Crafte & Guyle."

"How so, sir?"

"Dumbledore is a remarkable man who has accomplished a great deal in his time, and no doubt he has much more left in him. But he deals with the world on an individual basis. He has very little faith in institutions, certainly not the Ministry, but not even his beloved Hogwarts. And perhaps it is just an old solicitor's bias, but the world doesn't quite work like that, because even very great men do not stay in this world for ever, and the not-so-great must be protected by institutions and processes, because they must be protected from those very institutions and processes run amok. But it's not the most efficient way of doing things, or even the best way, one instance at a time, so he dispenses with them."

"But that's necessary, isn't it? He'd never get anything done, otherwise."

"Perhaps that's true, but it does make it harder for other people who don't have his capabilities or status to achieve the same ends, and if he's not careful he won't always have the luxury of doing exactly what he wishes without heed to the consequences. Your friend Mr. Lupin is an excellent case in point. He was the first child in his position, being raised by a loving and supportive family, even-tempered, cautious, well-prepared academically. He deserved the chance for an education, and Dumbledore decided, unilaterally, that he would have one. But to this day, no one outside a very select circle knows that a werewolf was ever at Hogwarts. Even the Board of Governors was never informed. Healers at Mungo's aren't able to tell parents that their children still have the chance to go to school, and have a childhood. Employers don't know that werewolves are capable of getting twelve OWLs and ten NEWTS and being responsible Prefects, without ever injuring anybody. What'll happen to the next child in his position, whose parents are tempted to abandon him to Greyback's pack? Who isn't quite as even-tempered, and actually has the temerity to be a little angry at the world? How will the Ministry know that there are decent people being affected by those laws you were railing against? And it's the same thing that happened in fighting the war. Dumbledore fought with his own crowd, those he trusted, rather than the Ministry, and now that You-Know-Who is gone he's taking a backseat in what happens next, and letting Crouch run the show."

James nodded, a little surprised that Levin had responded at such length. It was obviously a subject on which the older man had strong feelings. He understood the basic point, of course, although he personally had never taken a particularly passionate stance on the subject. Having grown up in the wizarding world, he had always taken for granted that the separation of the magical and muggle courts of law and equity was all for the better. How ever much modern Muggles might mock the idea of trial by fire or trial by ordeal today, he had firmly believed that magical procedures were sufficient safeguards against miscarriages of justice. Lily, on the other hand, had been quite appalled to realize how the wizarding justice system now operated. She had argued that magic could always be used to overcome magic, even such tools as Veritaserum, and that real procedural safeguards like those the Muggle courts had developed after the Separation were necessary. Seeing how Crouch, as self-appointed prosecutor-in-chief, was manipulating the Wizengamot had certainly suggested to him that Lily had a point, but neither of them had ever really thought that in joining Dumbledore they were similarly circumventing what might be the more sensible established procedure.

"That's an interesting way of putting it, sir. I don't think I'd ever thought about it quite that way."

"No, I'd imagine not. One hears things, of course, and given what happened it's fairly obvious of course how you were fighting this war. And it's not wholly wrong, either; certainly the Ministry wasn't doing as good a job as your lot, and in times of war, there's something to be said for that, but it's not the most effective way to handle the peace, if one wants it to last."

"But there's clearly a problem in the way the Ministry's working this stuff out right now. Do you think there's any way of fixing it, sir?"

"There are always ways of changing these things, James, but they are often slow and time consuming. You can act through the Wizengamot, or the Ministry, of course, or sometimes it's easier to act from the outside. But I've never known you to be particularly interested in abstract miscarriages of justice, James. You've got something particular on your mind, don't you?"

James nodded. The waiter returned, to clear their plates, and James took the minute to gather his thoughts.

"It's not so much about the trials, actually; it was Sirius who was the one fretting about Malfoy and the Lestranges the other day. I know solicitors don't have much to do with that side of things, although I did hear about Trevor Guyle. It's more about Ministry protocol to do with Muggles, really. I met someone the other day whose husband disappeared without a trace, and I had a sort of idea that he was one of our kind, you know, a war victim, and she had absolutely no way of ever finding out anything, other than thinking for the whole of her life that he just abandoned her for nothing."

"And do you have any particular reason to believe that it was connected to the war? Was

"There was something familiar about her, but the name I didn't recognize. Lester Thomas."

"Lester Thomas? Are you sure, James? I didn't know he was married."

"It was quite sudden, apparently. They were only married a few weeks when he disappeared. He hadn't even told his parents. But you do know him, then?"

"I've been in contact with his parents, trying to trace him. He's from Barbados; very prominent family. Apparently he was here in England to administer the family properties. There's no obvious connection to the war, but of course under the circumstances everyone assumes that he got caught up in it somehow."

"And now there's a wife and child involved."

"A child, too? That's certainly something we'll need to contact the family back in Barbados about."

"She knows nothing about magic at all. And there must be so many like her."

"Not so many, James. The Ministry isn't completely inept, you know, and most wizards don't tend to keep their Muggle relations completely in the dark."

"Enough that we should try and do something to fix it. Enough that we should at least try and find out exactly what the Death Eaters were up to. It's not just wizard relations; there was plenty of Muggle-baiting that wasn't connected to wizards at all. And we just obliviate their relations and let them live out a lie, or let them wonder for ever? There's so many disappearances that we've never really traced. How many more that we don't even know about?"

"That sounds like quite a crusade, James. An interesting job for a man supposedly in hiding."

"I'll find some way."

"Of that I have no doubt, James."

They rose, walking towards the doorway, and paused outside, in the vestibule, as James returned to the subject at hand.

"Do you have any leads at all, on Thomas?"

"Not as such. I have some information on what properties and interests he had come here to look into, but it's just a starting point. But if he did wind up involved in the war it's likely your lot knows something more than the Ministry does. Tracing missing aliens certainly hasn't been their strongest priority lately."

"You'll be in touch, won't you? I need your advice on both fronts, really."

"One more thing, James, I've been meaning to mention. Do let young Mr. Black know that we're available to help him should he require any advice about his current situation."

"I'm not sure what you mean about his current situation, sir."

"You do know that I handle young Mr. Black's affairs, don't you, James?"

"Yes, of course, sir. I know you helped him protect his inheritance from the family."

"And I'm sure you've heard about the younger Mr. Black's demise?"

"Yes, of course."

"Your friend is now the last of that name. There is no other Black male to father another heir, and all of Sirius's cousins are females married into other families. Given the conditions of that particular inheritance, he is once again the heir to the Black properties, as much as his family would like otherwise."

"Does Sirius know about this? I'm not sure he wants to be heir any more than they want him."

"I can't be sure how much he knows, but he will undoubtedly be contacted by someone from Crafte & Guyle eventually. It's just as well that he should know his position before it comes to that."

"Yes, of course sir. I'll let him know to contact you."

"Thank you, James. It was very nice seeing you today, after so long."

"Likewise, sir. I'll be in touch."

The two shook hands, and Levin disapparated to his offices. James grabbed his topcoat from the stately butler, and followed likewise.