Tristan Parkes: Day of the Dementors

As Ashlee walked towards the store and entered, Tristan sat down on a bench near the shop, plugged some earplug earphones into his handheld computer and patched through the feed from the glasses he gave Ashlee.

As Ashlee entered the store, Tristan could see her viewpoint looking around the dark shop at all the creepy objects on the shelves.

Ashlee finally called out in a stern voice: "Are you open?"

A woman came round the corner to the counter. Judging from her appearance and the photos Tristan had seen of Martin Slecmann from his great-grandfather's school days, Tristan deduced that she must be Corrine Slecmann. Corrine was a thin woman, about fifteen centimetres shorter than Ashlee, with hazel eyes, dark brown hair and a pointed nose. When she spoke, her voice sounded a bit like Captain Janeway's from Star Trek Voyager, only a lot nastier. "What do you think, Missy? Of course we're open. What do you want?"

While Tristan couldn't actually see Ashlee's face, the strict teacher-like fashion she was using to speak to Corrine told him everything he needed to know about Ashlee's opinion of her. "I need some help. I work closely with some people whom I don't entirely trust. They refuse to tell me anything." The view momentarily changed to looking at Ashlee's fingernails and then tilted back up, but at an angle, as if Ashlee were giving Corrine a sly glance. "I need something to loosen their tongues."

"Ah, sounds like you're looking for some torture implements," replied Corrine, her eyes appearing to light up. "Come right this way," she said leading Ashlee over to the other side of the shop where there were some pretty nasty-looking artefacts present. "I think one of these should suit your needs," said Corrine with a nasty grin.

"I need something that's not too obvious. Subtle. But effective."

"Hmmm... Subtle. Let me think," said Corrine. "I know, how about the Black Quill? It forces whoever writes with it to write in their own blood and slices the words into the back of their hand every time they finish a sentence or pause in their writing." Corrine looked like she was really enjoying talking about this.

The view moved left and right as Ashlee shook her head. "That's fine for a little fun, but these people are quite stubborn. Money is no object, as long as it gets the job done."

"Stubborn, eh?" said Corrine and picked up a bottle of glowing sickly-yellow liquid. "Cruciatus Potion. One-hundred dollars for this little bottle, but just one drop on the skin will have anyone screaming as if Lord Voldemort himself put the Cruciatus Curse on them."

"Is that really the best you can do? I could cast that myself for nothing," said Ashlee. Tristan was pretty certain that if could he see her face, he'd see that Ashlee was smirking.

"Not as well as Lord Voldemort could, I'd wager," replied Corrine. "Well, if you want something nastier, how about this?" Corrine picked up an object that looked like a chain with razor blades welded onto it. "Lock it around someone, and the blades magically grow longer, slowly cutting into them. It's one of my personal favourites."

Ashlee's reply had a nasty-sounding tone of glee in it. "Ah, that's more like it. But not exactly subtle, is it? I'm looking for something that is possible to use in public. Without getting caught, of course."

"You are a tricky customer," replied Corrine. "Are these people male or female?" she inquired.

"They are a couple," came Ashlee's sly-sounding reply. "If only their other halves knew!" she exclaimed in mock-innocence. "They would be devastated!" cackled Ashlee, not sounding the least bit concerned for the fictitious couple.

"Aha! I think I know just the perfect thing, or rather, things for them," exclaimed Corrine and headed back to the counter, Ashlee following. Corrine took out a ring box with three rings in it. One ring was silver; the other two were gold. "The golden rings can cause great pain to whoever is wearing them and they can't be removed by the wearer. The silver ring acts as a control and allows you to make the wearers of the gold rings feel as much pain as you want them to, wherever you want them to feel it. Like the sound of them?"

"Oh, yes. I think these will do quite nicely," said Ashlee smugly. "While I'm in here, I do have a rather pesky uncle..."

"Got anything in particular in mind for this uncle of yours?" asked Corrine.

"Let's just say I want him to go on a trip. A really long trip."

"How about a Portkey set for one of the Volcanoes in Hawaii?" offered Corrine.

"Not far enough."

"You do know that the range of a Portkey is limited to locations on the surface of the Earth, so it's not like I could make you one to dump him in the sun," replied Corrine.

Tristan decided now was the time for him to turn up and entered the shop. "I could do that," he said smugly.

Ashlee smiled in greeting when Tristan turned up. "Hello! I was wondering when you'd get here."

"So, who is this charming young wizard?" asked Corrine.

"A friend of mine."

"Friend, as in boyfriend?"

"No!" exclaimed Tristan and Ashlee simultaneously.

"So, what can I do for you, then?" Corrine asked Tristan.

"Well, you can give me that gem you stole from the late Matt Carson."

"And what makes you think I deal in stolen goods?" demanded Corrine.

"Oh, please," replied Tristan with a disgusted look on his face. "I know your nephew, or rather, I will know him. You're just like him."

"You're not making sense," said Corrine, looking confused.

"I don't have to make sense to you," replied Tristan. "Give me that gem. I know you have it. Magical scans throughout a one-point-two-five kilometre radius are jammed. It is also attracting Dementors like a magnet."

"Dementors, sure. Do you really expect me to believe that?" snorted Corrine.

"Yes, because that's exactly what it's doing," replied Tristan slowly, to illustrate how serious he was.

"If you expect me to give you the gem, you'll have to make it worth my while. That thing has a very high price tag on it."

Ashlee whipped out her stungun and aimed it at Corrine. "How about your life?" she asked nastily.

Tristan drew his wand and pointed it at Corrine. "Hand it over, so I can dispose of it properly."

"You want to destroy it?!" shrieked Corrine.

"Something that dangerous can't be left lying around," replied Tristan calmly.

"Well, you're not getting it." Corrine suddenly dashed out to the back of the shop, narrowly missing being hit by Ashlee's stungun. Tristan and Ashlee vaulted over the counter and quickly followed Corrine.

"Give it here, Corrine," ordered Tristan.

"Make me," snarled Corrine defiantly.

"Accio gem!" said Tristan and the gem flew out of Corrine's hands and towards him.

"Accio!" snapped Corrine and the gem stopped its mid-air movement, caught by both Summoning Charms.

It was a rather strange sight to see the gem suspended in mid-air between Tristan and Corrine, not moving towards either person. Ashlee took the initiative, ran in between the two of them and grabbed the gem. "Catch!" she called, as she tossed the gem to Tristan.

Tristan quickly pointed his wand at the gem and said "Gravilumos!" The gem was caught in a bright blue beam which pulled it towards Tristan.

Just as Tristan grabbed the gem, Corrine shouted, "Expelliarmus!" and sent Tristan flying backwards, dropping the gem. Corrine wasted no time in snatching it up. The moment she had the gem in her hands, Corrine dashed out of the shop. Tristan managed to get to his feet, snapped his fingers and his wand was back in his hand. Tristan and Ashlee quickly rushed out of the shop after Corrine, just in time to see one of the lift doors close on her.

"Damn it all to hell!" cursed Ashlee. "How are we going to catch her now?"

"Teleporter. Here," replied Tristan, as he tossed Ashlee a teleporter. "Oh, I forgot to replicate you a shield," realised Tristan, tapped in 804 on Pattern Buffer and tossed the replicated device to Ashlee. Tristan then repeated the process and clipped an identical device onto his belt. "Now, where does this lift lead out?" asked Tristan, peering at the panel next to the lift. He then entered some commands into his teleporter, hit the onscreen "Teleport" button and they appeared topside with Corrine running towards them.

Corrine skidded to a stop, then turned around and fled, with Tristan and Ashlee giving chase.