The Game Is Afoot

The next day, Severus was to be found lurking outside the tradesmen’s entrance to the Ministry, spying on the Magical Maintenance staff. Workmen went everywhere and talked to everyone, and so it was a member of this Department who would have to sacrifice a chunk of his hair to Snape’s Polyjuice Potion, and suffer a few Stunning Spells.

After a tense few minutes of waiting, two men in navy blue overalls came into view, the younger one, whose name badge read ‘Escott’, complaining vociferously.

‘In for a week an’ ‘alf, I am. It’s raining in Mrs Weasley’s office. Says she’s tried Finite – doesn’t work.’

His colleague laughed. ‘Taken over Yaxley’s office, hasn’t she? They never did get that sorted. Cheer up, mate, at least she won’t turn you into a toad like he used to old Cattermole! Blimey, you were lucky you weren’t with us then, Brett, mate. Hated Muggle-borns, old Yaxley did.’

‘Aye, but t’lass isn’t herself, anyone can see that. Weasley’s going round t’Auror Office with a face like thunder, an’ all. Probably thump me if ‘e finds me in ‘er office! An’ no one else has been able to fix it, ‘ave they? Goin’ to take me all week, I reckon.’

Severus breathed a sigh of relief. There was his man. Brett Escott was about Hermione’s age, so she’d be more likely to talk to him, he was new, so no one would be surprised if he was curious about his new place of work, and, most usefully of all, he was a Yorkshireman. Polyjuice Potion would give Severus his subject’s vocal chords and voice, but wouldn’t change his own cultured tones. Severus would have to do that himself, and, thanks to his otherwise useless father, a Yorkshire accent was something he could imitate.

Poor Escott was going to have a hell of a headache from all the Stunning Spells he would have to undergo this week.

*

‘Mrs Weasley. Still raining in ‘ere, is it?’

‘Oh, thank Merlin, at last. Come in Mr…’ she glanced at his name badge, ‘Escott.’

Severus stepped into the office, hauling the ladder behind him. ‘Nay, lass; call me Brett. Mr Escott makes me sound like my old dad. ‘e’d laugh if ‘e could see me now, I tell you. ‘e were a plumber, an’ all. “We Plumb the Depths” – that were ‘is firm’s motto. Reckon ‘e thought it sounded clever.’

Despite her constant worry, Hermione laughed and perched on the edge of her desk. ‘Well, I’m very glad you’re here, Brett. It’s been a nightmare in here.’

Severus smiled to himself. He’d made her laugh. If ‘Escott’ could make a friend of Hermione, his, Snape’s, task would be a lot easier. ‘Tried Finite then?’

‘Yes, but it only works for about half an hour at a time. I have to keep using Impervius on all my reports. It’s like trying to use Mum and Dad’s old computer – you have to keep saving stuff before it crashes!’

Severus laughed shortly. ‘Computers! Magic for Muggles. I’m glad they don’t work ‘ere – more trouble than they’re worth, they are.’

Hermione looked at him quizzically for a second, then laughed too. ‘I think my mum would agree with you, Brett!’

Snape set the stepladder in the middle of the room. ‘Righty-o then, lass; let’s see what we can do.’

He had been wondering why Miss Granger, one of the cleverest witches he had ever taught, had been unable to deal with the problem herself, but after two hours he was all but ready to admit defeat. (Two hours with a trip to the loo for a swig of Polyjuice – fortunately, the incessant rain meant frequent bathroom trips were not questioned.) Escott was right: it was going to take all week. It looked like a complex bit of magic he was going to have to diagnose and unravel a bit at a time. Which was good, of course. It would have been no use to his investigation if he’d been able to fix the problem within twenty minutes.

He’d tried every charm he knew; Finite, Impervius, Protego, even Impedimenta and Arresto Momentum in the vain hope they might slow the ferocity of the downpour. Eventually, a combination of the Imperturbable Charm and the Room Sealing Spell Severus used on his own office at Hogwarts created a barrier around the room which, while not stopping the rain, would at least keep Hermione from drowning while he attended to more urgent matters.

‘Right you are, lass; I think that’s about all I can do for t’moment,’ he informed her, climbing down from the stepladder a little stiffly. ‘Onwards and upwards; well, downwards – got to go and deal with a problem in t’Department of Mysteries.’

Hermione started slightly.

‘You all right, lass?’ Severus asked, knowing full well she wasn’t.

She recovered herself and went to help him fold up the ladder. ‘Oh… yes. It’s just…’ She laid a hand on his arm, and Severus felt the heat of her touch through his overalls. ‘Be careful of the new Unspeakable, won’t you? Malvetis. I… well, there’s something about him.’ Hermione looked up into his eyes and gave a small smile. ‘Just be careful.’

*

The only other person in the lift was a small, stout man in expensive black robes that looked to be cashmere and probably cost more than Escott’s entire salary. He had a perpetual frozen smile, and keen grey eyes, which gleamed brightly from behind broad, golden-rimmed glasses. There was something of Horace Slughorn’s benevolence in his appearance, but the hard glitter in those grey eyes was disconcerting, and a more calculatingly insincere smile Severus hoped never to see.

The small, stout man got out on the ninth floor, and as he realised Severus was following him, turned to stare at him. ‘Can I help you, young man?’ he enquired. His voice was as smooth and suave as his countenance.

‘I was told you had a problem with your windows, Mr, er…’ Snape shuffled his feet, suddenly feeling Escott’s nineteen years. He was out of practice when it came to spying.

‘Malvetis. No, as far as I’m aware, our windows are fine. Thank you and goodbye…’ he peered at Severus’s name-badge through his gold-rimmed specs, ‘… Escott.’

So this was Hermione’s Nemesis. Severus could see why she had confessed to being ‘unsettled’ by Malvetis’s gaze. Well, having struck lucky first time, he wasn’t about to leave without information. ‘Um… should I maybe just come in an’ check ‘em for you?’

‘Oh, no.’ Malvetis’s smile was still fixed firmly in place, but the glitter in those penetrating eyes intensified. ‘No, this Department has the highest levels of security, you see, and I couldn’t give you all the passwords and counter-spells just so you can ‘check’ whether I’m telling the truth.’ His insufferable smile was more complacent than ever. ‘Besides,’ he purred, ‘I should hate to put you to any trouble.’ Malvetis waved his hand imperiously at Snape, dismissing him.

As he turned to go, resolved to come back another time, Snape felt Malvetis whisper in his ear: ‘And tell them to send a real wizard next time there’s a problem. I don’t want a Mudblood contaminating my office.’

Severus spun round, shock and anger robbing him of the power of speech.

Malvetis sneered. ’Tell anyone,’ he hissed, ’and there will be retribution.’

He stalked away, leaving Snape rooted to the spot with shock. His every instinct was telling him to go straight to Kingsley Shacklebolt with the news there was a budding Death Eater in the ranks, but he would have to keep quiet. Whatever Malvetis had, or would manage to dig up, on Escott, Snape was sure the boy wouldn’t be able to pay the terms. But he’d come face to face with the enemy. He knew, at last, who he was dealing with.

‘The game is afoot, Malvetis,’ he said softly. ‘The game is afoot.’

*

A/N: The blackmailer’s name comes from ‘Mammon’, the demon of avarice, ‘mal’: bad, and ‘Vetis’, the demon of corruption. And, of course, the fact that it sounds like Milverton doesn’t hurt either!

Many thanks to bleddyn for advice on Yorkshire accents.