The flames died down as the floo connection closed and the Overseer grew concerned.
"Do you think we should have warned him about the Weasleys?" he asked Lichfield as he fiddled with his Concealer, the salsa dancers it contained again giving him no comfort. He knew what his answer would've been if the question had been asked to him instead. "He should know, but I saw the look you had."
"It's better he not know. He's friends with them. It's best he's just himself for a while."
"He'll be embarrassed," Barchoke said.
"He'll be humble, and they'll know he's sincere. If they're going to take him seriously they've got to get to know him and what it means for the future."
"I know you're right on that," the goblin said. "It's what Charlus would've done. I think James would have told him though."
"You could never tell with James," Lester said. "He grew up. Especially if what your father says is true. And he grew cautious. Perhaps too cautious. How did your father take seeing him, by the way?"
"Remarkably well," Barchoke replied. "He only cried once, but it was a short visit."
"Part of me hopes I'm right about him. The same part that hopes Harry's wrong."
"I know the feeling. He's put together more than enough to get us a peek at-," even with the Concealer the goblin looked around and didn't dare use the name. "-at his file. But if we don't see anything there won't be anything we can do."
"And he," Lichfield said, sharing his friend's caution, "hasn't been sloppy enough to leave anything around that could be easily traced back to himself. No one around him will be easy to interview without tipping him off either. Until we can tear down the protections around Hogwarts itself we may not find anything."
"The fact Harry picked up on all that is remarkable," Barchoke said. "Worthy of your old line of work."
Lichfield nodded with a grunt.
"Did you see the way he took charge?" the goblin asked. "I was not expecting that."
Lichfield chose not to comment.
"He must have known he wouldn't be able to control everything once Harry entered Hogwarts," Barchoke continued. "But the depth of secrecy here, I haven't seen anything like it since You-Know-Who. I blame this on you. Damn you for always saying you wanted to go after someone intelligent. I prefer my criminals to be dumber than dragon droppings."
Lichfield turned to go.
"Where are you going?" the goblin scurried after him. "We've got a file to look at."
"You look at the file, there won't be anything there," the old bailiff said as the goblin tried to keep up with him. "I'm going to track down whoever conducted the Knight Bus today and confirm where Harry was picked up."
"We know where he lived, he have his address. And the coin will show-"
"Thoroughness," Lichfield interrupted. "That's how we'll win this thing. I'm interviewing them, this Cadogan man," he gestured with the box containing Harry's old shoes that was supposed to be a gift for the shoemaker. "-And whoever altered his robes this morning. That was a Hogwarts cut or I'm some flirty French flipskirt. I'm documenting every step that boy took since the time he started to walk."
"He said he didn't want the Dursleys involved."
"Then I'll interview everyone else on that street if I have to. I'm not having anyone say the wrong person locked down his Account or bewitched him to do it."
"-You think someone would - How do you even think these things?" the Overseer asked coming to a halt.
"Vigilance!" the Litigator cried as his long stride carried him away.
.....
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