Chapter 12

Hunching forward, I read: “Auror Robards: I'm afraid for my life. Potter's been threatening me to stay away from Teddy. He said if I came near my son, he would kill me. Please help me. Remus Lupin”

“That's ... that's ridiculous,” I spluttered. “I've never threatened Remus a day in my life. I didn't even know he'd been to see Teddy!”

“How did you know he'd gone to see Teddy?” Robards quickly asked.

“I didn't! I just said that!” I groaned. “If he had, I would have been thrilled. I may not spend much time with him anymore, but I know he loves his son.”

“Potter, Remus went to see Teddy today, just hours before you supposedly found him dead,” Robards stated.

“And you think I killed him because of it?” I asked incredulously.

“Did you?”

“Absolutely not!” I seethed. “And that doesn't explain how you found me at Stonehenge anyway.”

“Any Auror that's under suspicion of anything criminal has a tracking spell put on them the minute they leave this building,” Robards growled. “If they leave their home, we know about it, and if they go more than a few kilometres in any direction, or show up in any suspicious locations, we follow them. Pure luck on our part that you didn't remember that, eh, Potter?”

“Sod off, Robards!” I spat. “I didn't kill him. I didn't attack Tonks, I didn't poison Teddy. They're my family, you bloody bastard! I've got no reason to hurt any of them!”

“That's enough, Harry,” I heard Ron say, his hand on my shoulder.

But Robards stepped in front of me swiftly. “Oh, yes, you do, don't you, Harry?”

“What the hell are you talking about?”

“You've got the greatest motive of all: greed,” Robards stated softly.

“Greed? Greed for what?”

“Come on, Potter, don't play dumb with me. You know and I know that if Tonks and Teddy Lupin were to die, you'd be the sole inheritor of the Black family fortune,” Robards whispered.

Ron's head jerked up, and he stared at Robards through narrowed eyes.

I was dumbstruck. I had no idea what the man was on about. “What family fortune?” I asked.

He laughed, a soft, cold laugh with no humour in it whatsoever. “Come off it, Potter. Teddy's currently the only one that can inherit the fortune, as the last surviving member of the house of Black through his grandmother, Andromeda. Draco Malfoy's son, Scorpius, would have been first in line, but once the rest of that branch of the family passes away, Teddy would inherit everything. But if there's no Teddy, and no Tonks, and no Remus, then you, as Teddy's godfather and Sirius's godson, are the last tenuous link to that fortune.”

I had absolutely nothing to say. My mind whirled frantically, trying to digest this information. My mouth worked, opening and closing without a sound.

Robards laughed again. “Got you in one, Potter.” Standing up, he turned to Ron and White. “Lock him up, lads. Lock him up.” And without another glance, he turned and walked out of the room, whistling tunelessly.

I walked blankly between Ron and White down to the holding cells, where I was shut in with a thin blanket and a jug of water.

White began to walk away. “Coming, Weasley?” he called.

“Yeah, gimme a mo', will you?” Ron responded. He turned and looked down at me, a woeful look on his face.

“Oh, Ron, please, don't believe him,” I pleaded, grasping the bars of my cell in an effort to be closer to him, trying to make him look at me.

“Is anyone watching?” Ron mumbled, still staring down toward my chin, not looking me in the eye.

“No, why?” I asked, puzzled.

Then he smiled, a quick flash of brilliant whiteness, before reclaiming his serious look. “Harry, trust me on this one, alright? I do believe you, but I can't let Robards know that, or he won't let me work this case. He knows we've been best mates for ages, so unless he thinks I'm on his side, I might not get to know everything. Just trust me,” he said quickly.

I exhaled, almost falling to my knees in relief. “Thank Merlin, Ron. Do you have any idea what he's going on about? What Black family fortune?”

“Harry, the Malfoys may have used up a shite ton of their own wealth, but there's still a lot of Black family money sitting around at Gringotts that not even they could access after the war. It's watched, and not just anyone can access it. Bill told me about it once when we were talking about Draco's potions business,” Ron said. “And it's true; that money would have gone to Scorpius, or to his heirs if he had any, but with them gone, it would go to Teddy once Narcissa Malfoy dies.”

“But Tonks never mentioned any of this to me. I had no idea. And besides, what do I want with more money? I've got Sirius's, I've got what my parents left me, plus I have a job.”

“I know, Harry, and that's what doesn't make sense. I know you would do a lot of stupid shite, but never something like this, and especially not for money,” Ron jibed.

I cracked a swift smile in his direction. “What can I do to help? Anything?”

“I dunno right now, mate, but I promise you, I'm going to keep on looking,” Ron swore. “And so will Hermione; you know she loves a good challenge.”

“Thanks, Ron. I owe you,” I said in all seriousness. Once Ron left, I settled down on the hard metal cot and wished with all my might that I had thought to ask him to bring me some cigs.