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Tweak says, "Foolish Earth larva!"

Richard Summerby (en_summerby) wrote in enigma_rpg,
@ 2009-04-08 19:45:00

Entry tags:

* complete, 2004-04, character: ginny weasley, character: richard summerby, npc

Home Again

When: April 8th, 2004
Who: Richard Summerby, ?
Where: Clink St.
Private/Public: Private, unless it gets loud
Rating: All Ages
Summary: Home from another trip away

It was after mid-day when Richard rode the <i>Eurostar</i> back to London from Calais. It had taken him a while longer than he'd planned to locate a small Volvo for Lavender as well as the older Jaguar saloon he'd always wanted since he started to notice muggle automobiles. The morning had been spent finding and renting a small place to garage them not far from the train station. That, added to his extended stay in Hong Kong, had kept him away a couple of days longer than he'd planned.

He had sent Lavender a text message, giving his probable arrival time, but hadn't received anything in return. He'd written that off to her still not being really comfortable with her mobile phone. He'd been lucky enough to convince her to carry it in her purse most of the time.

He'd been careful to go through Customs on both ends, beginning to build up a muggle persona, in case it was needed with all the bad doings with Carrow and her crew. The flat was empty when he apparated into the foyer from a quiet corner of the station. Not unusual for that time of day. Richard tossed his small traveling case on his bed, and went to his 'office' area to check his email and send off a report to the new company office in Marseilles, to his father. If nobody had anything planned for dinner, there were a couple of good restaurants in walking distance, or even takeaway chicken right across the street. He just didn't feel like cooking.

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en_summerby
2009-04-09 09:05 am UTC (link)

Richard noticed the ripple in the wards when somebody knocked at the outer door. Must be somebody wizarding, Richard said to himself, anybody muggle would know to push the door buzzer rather than knock. Quickly changing windows on his laptop, he accessed the security camera server over in the main building. He didn't recognize the man at the door.

He closed the inner door to the foyer behind him, then let the outer door stand open on the chair while he looked at the man waiting there. "Can I help you?" Richard asked politely, keeping his wand to hand but out of sight behind the door.

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en_ministry
2009-04-09 09:28 am UTC (link)

The man's appearance fit the description of the assailant perfectly, and the hair was indeed the same reddish blond colour as the hair they'd found on the sight. Savage didn't even pretend to smile.

'Richard Summerby?' he asked, making sure to have the right man. 'I'm Senior Auror Savage. Your presence would be needed down at the Aurors office, we need to ask you a few question about the attack last Sunday. Would you mind accompanying me?' It was worded as a question, though really it wasn't one. There was no real option in the matter for the man, as either Summerby would accompany him freely or he would arrest him and bring him by force. If he resisted - well then he'd be in even bigger trouble than he was before.

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en_summerby
2009-04-09 09:50 am UTC (link)

"I'm Richard Summerby," Richard confirmed.

"Attack? What attack? Who was attacked and where?" He started to throw off the chain, then his eyes narrowed, "And let's see some proper identification, Mister Senior Auror Savage, and no sudden moves while you get it out, or I'll stun you and take you to the Aurors myself." Richard moved his wand so he could swing it around the doorframe in an instant if he had to.

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en_ministry
2009-04-09 10:21 am UTC (link)

Savage's eyes narrowed as he looked at the man, playing all innocent. He'd get the truth from him, with whatever methods he needed. 'You don't recognise Auror robes when you see them?' he asked sarcastically, but took out his identification all the same. He'd not become senior in his profession for making mistakes.

'Now that my identity is affirmed you can put that wand away before I arrest you for threatening a Ministry official,' he said calmly. 'As for what attack, I think you know very well what I'm talking about. Now let's go, I don't have all day and the faster we get this over with the better.'

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en_summerby
2009-04-09 11:05 am UTC (link)

"I see some ponce I don't know in what might be stolen laundry," Richard replied bluntly as he scrutinized the man's identification.

"Suppose you pretend you don't have a broomstick up your arse," Richard went on as he threw off the chain and opened the door, slipping his wand back up his sleeve. "I just got back to town a little while ago; left fairly early Sunday. Now pretend I haven't got the foggiest idea what attack you're talking about."

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en_ministry
2009-04-09 11:13 am UTC (link)

Savage snorted even as he stepped back to let the other man leave the building. 'Left early Sunday, did you?' he asked. 'How convenient.'

He gestured for the man to come. 'Once we get to the Aurors' office you can tell me all about where you went to miss what every paper in the country reported about.' He didn't buy it for a second.

'Now, shall we?' he asked impatiently. 'You'll have to relinquish your want at the entrance of course.'

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en_summerby
2009-04-09 11:36 am UTC (link)

Richard stepped back into the foyer a little, and summoned his long overcoat, which he put on. He knew his muggle passport, train tickets, and a hotel bill from Hong Kong were still in the pockets. Grinning at the pompous Auror, he also summoned his long blade and harness, using his little clothing magic to put them in place under his coat.

"Went to Hong Kong by way of Calais," Richard replied as he made a show of running his hands over his pockets. "Scarcely read the local papers, let alone anything from England. I still want to know who was attacked where and what I have to do with it."

"International Wizarding Law says I have the right to carry my wand at all times, anywhere."

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en_ministry
2009-04-09 12:44 pm UTC (link)

Savage snorted. 'And you miss the new decrees about Apparating or using a portkey outside of the country? Or are you telling me you managed a permit in spite of the backlog?' he asked, not that it mattered, the man was in enough trouble as it was and Savage didn't believe his story anyway.

'As for any international wizarding law, no one besides those who work at the Ministry is allowed into the building with a wand, you check it at the entrance. Do not try to tell me you've never visited the Ministry before.' Was the man an idiot? The rules about wands at the Ministry had been there for years. Lately St Mungo's had been smart enough to apply the same standard. It was only logical.

'You should not say anything else until we're at the Ministry and your words can be recorded. I'll Apparate us both to the Atrium and you can leave your wand there. The weapons you tried to slip under your coat you can leave here before we head off, they're not allowed at the Ministry nor will they be needed.' He would be searched when entering the Ministry, naturally. Something told Savage this man needed to be kept on a tight leash. 'We'll leave when you've left your weapons behind and locked your door.'

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en_summerby
2009-04-09 12:53 pm UTC (link)

Richard grinned, "Actually, the decree was just about portkeys and apparating in and out of the country. Even you must know there are more ways than that to get off an island. For all you know, I've been swimming the Channel."

As a matter of fact, I never have been to the Ministry. Only experience I had with that lot was when Voldemort was in charge. Let me guess," Richard went on, "you were one of the good little worker bees then, just following orders."

"Actually," Richard leaned insolently against the half-opened door, "both our words are being recorded right now." He gestured for the Auror to look up to where there was an outside camera, then pointed a thumb over his shoulder to where the foyer camera watched the door from inside. "Little muggle bits of hardware that came with the building. They still work."

"So far, what I've got on record is someone who is apparently an Auror - and I don't think I've ever seen an Auror go to pick up some dangerous criminal by himself; you lot can't even go to tea alone. So I have to assume you're operating by yourself because you don't want anyone to know what you're up to. Given you never used to be able to tell where the Death Eaters had infiltrated, you expect me to not want my hardware, to not be suspicious?"

"Here's a hint for you, when dealing with a wizarding gentleman during an investigation," Richard went on coldly. "You knock at my door, tell me you're investigating a matter that took place Sunday night, perhaps show me a letter from the Ministry along with your identification, and if it wouldn't inconvenience me, could I please account for where I happened to be. That, of course, I'd be willing to do - could do right now, if you weren't acting the tosser and had only asked. As far as disarming and apparating off with you to what you claim will be the Ministry, I think not bloody likely. I've got too much experience with the Death Eaters to blindly trust someone like that."

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en_ministry
2009-04-09 01:04 pm UTC (link)

Savage glared. 'I showed you my identification, told you that the subject is the matter of the attack last Sunday and asked you to come with me freely. As an experienced Auror let me tell you that we do not ask dangerous criminals to go freely. For now all we want to do is to question you though that might rapidly be changing. I also simply informed you that the Ministry will not allow you to carry neither wand nor weapons inside the building. Your option is to leave them at home, or have them taken from you by Ministry officials once there.'

He stood his ground, looking at the man. 'As for you not Apparating with me, that is not something you get to choose. Visitors only have the option of the phone boot or Apparating along with an official working in the Ministry. Obviously the second option is a lot faster. Besides, the Decree for the right to detain suspects clearly states that any Auror have the right to detain any individual without explanation or cause for up to one hour. If you chose not to come with me freely, I can have you detained against your will, which I would rather prefer not to at this time.'

He paused, making sure the man understood him perfectly. 'It's only up to you on how you choose to come with me. I do warn you that any resistance will get you arrested and likely tried for assaulting an Auror.' He looked at the man, waiting for his next move.

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en_summerby
2009-04-09 04:42 pm UTC (link)

"You really are an insufferable swot, aren't you?" Richard asked cheerfully. "I noticed you didn't answer my question. Afraid to say what you did during the last war in front of the cameras? And you know as well as I do that right to detain is only for those suspected of using polyjuice - or are you accusing me of that now, as well? Or is it that you're the one using polyjuice and have dumped the real Auror someplace and are trying to get me outside of my wards?"

"Fact of the matter is," Richard reached slowly into his inner coat pocket and brought out his bundle of assorted documents from his last trip, "I have my muggle passport that shows when I passed Customs in France outbound Sunday morning, and inbound in England today, a dinner receipt from the Marriott in downtown Mumbai where I ate with several business associates, and a hotel bill showing I checked in to my room in Hong Kong late that night. I have more paperwork showing where I transacted business in Marseilles and Calais between then and today. All also verifiable by various wizarding gentlemen of good reputation and some renown, that would be easy enough to contact to confirm what I have documents here for. Would you care to examine them here?"

"As far as assaulting an Auror, if you choose to use force, I'll simply close this door. You know as well as I that it will take you a curse breaker and some time, to get it open again. Time in which I will have notified the media, several barristers, and the Ministry, that there is some person at my door apparently impersonating an Auror, attempting to get me outside my wards, kidnap me for some nefarious reason. Wanting to separate me from my wand and apparate me off someplace unknown."

"Or, you can come in, sit down like a civilized person conducting business with a gentleman, while I cooperate, prove where I was in the usual fashion, and then you can tell me just what bloody attack you're talking about, and why it concerns me.

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en_ministry
2009-04-09 05:20 pm UTC (link)

'You're a wizard, Muggle documents are easily forged, and interviews are generally conducted in the interview rooms at the ministry where the result can be recorded magically. Muggle means does not count in a Wizarding court,' Savage said politely though what he wanted to do was to kick the man's arse.

'As for the evidence of your whereabouts those will be examined, carefully and with the proper care they deserve - at the ministry. You can call the media and the Ministry all you want, the result would be the same and I'd still get to question you. As for your wand, I have never tried to take it from you, only informed you that you will have to check it in at the Ministry. Or do you think that I have taken over the building as well?' he asked sarcastically.

Rolling his eyes, he decided that enough was enough. 'I have shown you my identification, identified myself, and asked you politely as well as informed you that you can come freely or be arrested. Now, which of those options will it be? I will not stand here and argue with you any longer. Either you come with me and show your wish to aid the Ministry and have your documents and your story examined. Your other option is being arrested and then have those documents and your story examined after your arrest. If you resist arrest I'll come back with other Aurors, and if you run you'd be put on a wanted list and sought after by the Aurors' department. Those are your options, if you were not in the country then it should be a matter that can be resolved very quickly. However running or resisting arrest won't be resolved as quickly.'

He waited for the man's response, fully prepared to leave and return with back up, possibly a few hit-wizards as well. The man was clearly insane not to mention armed. He would not go into a one on one combat with him.

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en_summerby
2009-04-09 06:15 pm UTC (link)

Richard sighed and put his paperwork away. Pulling out his mobile phone, he quickly entered and sent a text message. "I've notified the company attorney what's happening. If he doesn't hear from me within an hour, I've told him to start quite a legal ruckus, mentioning your name prominently." He smiled when he got a message confirming that there was indeed an Auror Savage, and the man was most impressed with himself. Richard closed his phone and put it back into his side pocket.

"Given that you say there's been even another attack, I think I don't want to leave my wand and weapons at home. If it is the custom, I'll turn them in to the hat check girl at the Ministry while I'm there. As to having taken over the entire Ministry, you apparently don't remember which Dark Lord's minions were in charge there at one time. I shall definitely have to inquire about what you did during the last war."

"As to being chased by the Aurors," he went on more softly, "after watching you step on your collective dicks during the attack at Dumbledore's Birthday, all I can say is I've certainly been chased by better in the past."

"Still," Richard shrugged, then turned to wave at the foyer camera, "I suppose I will go with you. Not freely, that's a joke, and definitely not willingly, but in the interest of resolving this as soon as possible with your superiors. By the way, I'll have my hand on my wand as we apparate. If we end up any place but the Ministry, I can guarantee that I'll at least be most upset with you."

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en_ministry
2009-04-09 06:33 pm UTC (link)

Savage rolled his eyes. Whomever he was calling would not be able to help him if he was found suspicious enough. What did he think this was - Muggle law where you had a rights to the right and left? Luckily things were different in the Magical world - especially with the new decrees.

Still he didn't say anything, but simply grabbed the man's arm and Apparated them straight to the Ministry. 'Now you can check your wand and your weapons at the counter,' he said, leaving a note with the girl to get one of the other Aurors to examine them carefully. The Muggle witness had mentioned a knife, perhaps she had not been mistaken as he had first thought. Muggles usually got things confused.

As they were done signing the man in and giving him a visitors pass, Savage took him to the lifts and up to the second floor and the interview rooms where he left him for a few minutes while stepping inside the office finding Weasley.

'Weasley, come along, we have the boyfriend to interrogate.' He grabbed the case file off this desk and headed off. 'Don't tell him anything,' he said in passing as they went. 'The man is trying to play games, play innocent, don't let him get away with it. If you tell him too much he'll just say he didn't know a thing before you told him.'

'If you're unsure, let me handle it.' He had every intention of doing so anyway. Ginny was there because she was assigned to be. Looking at her, he opened the door and let her in, placing the case file on the table and starting the magical recording. 'Richard Summerby, this is ju- Auror Weasley. She will conduct this interview with me,' he started, looking at Ginny and giving her a chance to speak.

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en_ginny
2009-04-09 06:55 pm UTC (link)

Ginny gave Savage an annoyed look. He'd been doing this the whole investigation. She understood he had years on her, and knew quite a bit, but she was finding it very hard to respect the man who had such little respect for others.

She looked over at Richard, recognizing the face. "Richard," she said as professionally as possible. She knew him, well, she'd met him twice in her life and heard of him, and the stiffness seemed somehow fake.

She cleared her throat, "This investigation deals with the events of last Sunday, and we'd appreciate it if you would answer our questions willingly. It would be in your best interest, all things considered."

She really didn't want to mention the decrees, so she went on.

"First, off. Can you tell us where you were on the afternoon and evening of Sunday, April the fifth?"

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en_summerby
2009-04-09 07:17 pm UTC (link)

"Ms. Weasley," Richard nodded, returning her greeting.

"If by events, you mean the attack the boy over there," he jerked a thumb at Savage, "with the broomstick up his bum mentioned, I'd tried to do that with him at my flat."

He reached into his pocket and pulled out his document collection again. Separating his out his passport, he skimmed it across the table to Ginny. "You can see where I cleared French customs early Sunday, rode the Eurostar train from London to Calais. Apparated from there to Marseilles to meet with one of my father's partners about the trip I was taking. Hit all the usual apparition points eastbound." He ticked things off on his fingers, "I know I stopped for a while in Rome to catch my breath and talked to Ravelli for a while; he was their Auror on duty at the time."

"I had dinner in Mumbai at the Downtown Marriott with Ramesh and Kishan Singh, both well known gentlemen. I think one of the Patel family was in the international apparition point when I arrived there, don't know which one. But here's Ramesh's card; he has a mobile phone, you can call him right now if you want." Richard pulled out the dinner receipt. "Charged dinner on my credit card, that's my signature on the receipt."

"Then here's my hotel check-in slip from late that night when I got to Hong Kong. I'm well known there; call the front desk and ask to talk to the manager. Couple of hours sleep and I met with two of our factors about some contracts. Here's their cards as well. Caught a nap and went out with some friends. Made my way back via Calais yesterday, did some business there in the afternoon and this morning, took the train back to England not long ago."

"As I told Mr. Senior Auror Savage, all of which can be verified by various wizarding gentlemen of good name. And if he has half a brain, which point may still be up for discussion, he's had somebody check my long and short blades, and both wands as well, for any sign of evil doing or dark magic. Other than a habit of multiple apparations closer together than is safe for most wizards, I think he'll find them all in order."

"Now, do you think somebody could have the courtesy to tell me exactly what attack you're talking about? Who was attacked and where, and what in Merlin's name do I have to do with it?"

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