James Potter (goingstag) wrote in reduxpitch, @ 2016-08-29 09:27:00 |
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James wasn't a stranger to his boss’ office - in fact he was quite familiar. He was there often enough it had long since lost any intimidation the position and authority might have had otherwise. As a long time veteran of the department, he'd been around everywhere enough it felt like a second home. Did Barty’s office feel like home? No, not quite, but if ever the job were to come his way it wouldn't take long to break the office in as his own, that was the point. He’d received a memo, so he went. The secretary let him in, and James thanked her quietly before crossing over to the desk and settling into his usual chair across from it. “If you're wanting to know what the new leads are with the investigation, I'll tell you right now we don't have any. There are shockingly few people coming forward to admit to seeing anything.” -- Barty looked up at him from the reports on the desk in front of him and steepled his fingers, “I am sure you understand the importance of us not botching this case James. I mean, for that thing to appear in the sky at such an event...we need to get to the bottom of this.” He leaned back in his chair and motioned to the paperwork in front of him. “However, I am seeing that your notes from your interview with Sirius Black are less - complete than I would have liked. Did you have a recorder in the room to take notes for you?” He tilted his head to look at the man across from him, “I am sure you would have in order to soothe any worries of impropriety…what with your history with the man.” ~~ Honestly, the case was one of the biggest that had come across James’ desk in a very long time. The Dark Mark didn't appear out of nowhere, not ever, and especially not at all in recent times. Its appearance was enough to make even the calmest Auror shaken, and his brow furrowed as he listened to Barty go on. “He had his lawyer with him,” he said, leaning against one of the armrests of the chair. “There was a self-writing quill taking notes just like I use for any interview with anyone involved with any case. My personal history has nothing to do with my ability to do my job. I've always kept work and personal life separate.” -- “Does it now? I have been getting - comments and concerns.” Barty said, giving James a commiserating look, “Look, I understand that you are very good friends with the man. I mean you made him godfather to your eldest child. But I need you to understand that this doens’t look good James. You taking the interview, your own dictating quill...and coming up with nothing. When he admits to being the only one with keys to that vault. Did you even get the keys? Or have him show you to the vault to inspect it?” Barty folded his hands on his desk, “I am wondering if maybe someone else shouldn’t head this one - just to appease people.” ~~ James took in a slow breath to keep from saying something he shouldn't. This was exactly what he'd been trying to avoid while simultaneously helping his friend clear his name since he knew it was ridiculous to suspect him. This was why he had done everything by the book, right down to the formal Ministry request for a statement rather than simply asking him to come in during a normal conversation. “Yes, he's my friend, but that doesn't mean I can't do my job,” he said with a frown. “I didn't get the keys or inspect the vault because we haven't charged him with anything to merit cause for either. If someone has a problem with me heading the investigation, they're welcome to inspect my work. I've done everything properly.” -- “And I am not saying you haven’t. I would never suspect you of such things. I trust you - hence why you hold your title and I was willing to go along with you heading this investigation.” Barty said, his tone even, “But James, this isn’t looking good. It’s been quite some time and we have no leads. I am getting pressure and we need to make some sort of inroads.” He picked up some of the notes, “While there hasn’t been an ‘i’ that hasn’t been dotted, or a ‘t’ that hasn’t been crossed….I think you can tell where I am going with this conversation James. I am going over this with a fine tooth comb…” He looked up at James with a very calm face, “I would be saying this to anyone with this close of a link to a main suspect James….I do hope you understand that….” ~~ There was a horrible, sinking feeling in James’ stomach the more Barty went on. He'd done his job - he'd worked the investigation as he would have any other one that didn't involve his best friend. He'd pissed off so many of the people he'd considered closest to him in the process because he refused to allow any kind of special treatment or inside information. Yet here they were. “What exactly are you saying?” he asked, his tone cooler as he looked across the desk to the man sitting behind it. If he was kicking him off it, he would have to say so directly. He wasn't about to give in to implied suspicions. -- “James, I am going to have to take you off of the case. I will be taking it over from here on out. I will see that this is not a negative mark on your record of course.” He was trying to keep thing calm. He was very fond of his Senior Undersecretary. He had done very good work - but this is a case he never should have had control over. Barty could see that now. “I am sure there are other matters that you can see two while this is being sorted out.” he licked his lips and sighed, “Also, I am going to ask that you obviously not advise anyone of this change of hands where the case is concerned.” “Most notably, Mr. Black. We are still trying to sort out everything in this matter - as I know you are keenly aware.” ~~ And there it was. The biggest case they'd handled in his tenure and he wasn't allowed to touch it. James sat stunned for a moment before he stared at his boss, the rest of what had been said getting lost in the background of being dismissed from his work. What had kept him from food and sleep since the World Cup, away from his family and barely leaving the office. Gone. “Are you kidding me?” he asked, raising an eyebrow. “I've done everything by the book - you said it yourself. Everything has been done by protocol and you're still taking it away from me just because other people don't understand compartmentalization?” -- “I am taking it away from you James, because of concerns that others have. Concerns that you are missing things - things that perhaps you don’t want to see. Can you tell me that if there was evidence to arrest Mr. Black that you could and would send him to Azkaban?” He held up a hand, “And you have - but that’s just it - by the book. I wonder - had someone else let it slip that the last place the wand had been seen was in a family vault - and one that they alone had the key to - if you would have left that vault unsearched. There could be a clue there. And yet you admit to me here that you have not done so. Have you spoken to the goblins at Gringotts on the activity of the vault? I see nothing of that in these notes….” It was a deep and sad sigh that James got, “I am sorry James. I know this has been a slightly stressful time - it is never easy to investigate one’s friends. But now you won’t have to worry over that.” ~~ James couldn’t deny that part of what he was saying was correct. No, he hadn't investigated the vault. He knew Sirius hadn't done it, and it wasn't like Gringotts had security cameras like muggle banks so what could they provide him? The point was that he'd followed the investigation to the letter, like he would expect of any Auror in the department. But that wasn't enough. “Slight stressful?” he repeated, a laugh slipping from his lips despite himself. “Slightly? I’ve spent countless hours in this office looking into it, losing sleep, sanity, and time with my family - and now you're going to pull me from it because someone in the department doesn't understand that my personal relationships aren't my professional ones? I'm sorry, but that's bullshit.” -- A dark brow arched, “I would remind you to watch your tone Mr. Potter. I understand that you are upset - but keep in mind where we are and with whom you are speaking.” Leaning back in his desk chair, Barty took in James Potter’s overall appearance, his body language, his eyes….the nuances that so many might overlook, “Can I get your word that you will leave this case be? I don’t want you to look upon it, meddle with it - or start some sort of sideline investigation.” Clearing his throat, Barty drummed his fingers on the desktop, “Once you leave here I want you off of the case entirely.” ~~ Oh, James knew exactly where he was and who he was sitting across from. That was what made it all the worse. His record with the department was pristine, yet he was being pulled off the case like some rookie Auror who was trying to prove something to the rest. How long had he been fighting the good fight? Too long to be suspected of foul play. “I won't mess with it,” James said, a frown still turning down the corners of his mouth as he thought over everything they'd done on the case so far. Without him, who knew what they might come up with that was completely wrong. The lack of experience would cause errors that would reflect so badly on the department. “Though I would request you reconsider your decision.” -- “I hesitated to keep you on this once we suspected it was a Black family wand. Your ties are too strong to the family.” Barty looked at him, “It’s the same reason we don’t have relatives investigating family - as much as we try to be impartial - we just aren’t always.” “And I will be having my assistant come and remove notes you still have on this case.” He shuffled some papers around, “And I am sorry James, there will be other cases though I am sure for you to focus on.” ~~ “I don't have ties to the family,” James said before he could stop himself, because decades of ill will toward Sirius’ parents didn't exactly go away and the thought of being tied to them was enough to make his temper flare. “I have ties to Sirius, that's all, and have worked very hard to keep impartial on this case - to the point of detriment in my personal life.” He paused, running his hand back through his hair to keep from letting it form into a fist, tension building throughout him and looking for an outlet. “If you're accusing me of not doing my job properly, I'd like to see the evidence. As you already said, all the i’s are dotted and t’s are crossed. They can have my notes, that's fine, but taking me off this case is a mistake. I'm much better service to the department working on it than being wasted on lesser cases than any low level Auror could handle.” -- “Perhaps. But yes, while all the i’s are dotted and the t’s crossed - there are things that are slipping through the cracks. For instance - the vault. Now, with the reporting of that being the last place the wand was seen, why hasn’t it been checked? Why he brought in to custody to take you to said vault? Why not let someone else do the interview, so as to avoid these issues? It’s like you are trying to buffer Black from the reality of this….” Barty sighed, “I really wish you weren’t taking this so personally.” “And it’s my job to see the bigger picture and make the choices for this department that I feel will best serve that larger picture.” ~~ “It's difficult not to take something personally when it's a personal attack,” James fired back. “Why would I have someone else do the interview when I'm perfectly capable myself? The vault hasn't been examined but Gringotts has been alerted to let us know should anyone open it, so it's being preserved in the state it was in and we would know if there was the potential of tampering.” “Do you really thinking pulling one of your most senior employees off the case will serve the department well? I show up, I do work, I've barely seen my home or family since this all started. If that's not serving the department, then what the hell is?” -- “I would suggest you watch your tone Mr. Potter. I am saying that you need to step back from this case. I am saying that as your department head I am not required to explain my reasoning to you. And yes, at times you will pour your all into something and it’s take away. I am sorry Mr. Potter - but as in the rest of life - at times that is just not fair.” Crouch’s voice had gone from calm, to soothing and now it was gaining tension, “Keep it up and you won’t have to worry about any cases that you feel are so beneath you….perhaps then it’s best that that you just take some time to re-evaluate things.” ~~ It wasn't just that he wanted to stay involved with the case to make sure they found out who had framed Sirius, because obviously that was what had happened since there was no way he could have done it, but James also wanted on the case because of what had happened. Seeing the Dark Mark again, it had stirred up a lot of old memories and concerns, a level of fear he hadn't felt in decades. He couldn't sit idly by just like he hadn't the first time that symbol had been bandied around. “You really think my decades of experience are best used working on cases we give to interns and junior Aurors to get them experience? Every other tenured associate is working on this case, but you're going to pull me. Because despite the fact that I do my job correctly, people think I can't be professional. That sounds like they should be the ones getting talked to, not me.” -- “I am pulling you for a variety of reasons - one being that this department has more important things to manage right now - other than explaining to everyone that is concerned about you and your ties to Sirius Black just how professional and above board we are being. I am talking about the fact that once we do catch this person - WHOMEVER it may be - that they can’t use your ties to him and thus the family - to cast a shred of doubt onto the case….” Barty gave him a look over the desk, “I am talking to you about this as a courtesy James. Due to your decades of service….and due to the fact that I do trust your word and that if you say I don’t have to suspend you to keep you from hindering this case - I know that I can trust that you won’t.” ~~ James wanted to yell, shout, do something because his level of frustration had reached a boiling point. With his boss, with this situation, with the case in general. Being taken off it was something he'd never envisioned, and he didn't want to speak disparagingly about the rest of his department but he didn't see how they would handle it without him. There was a reason he had the position he did. Still, he set his jaw and kept from saying anything that would get him fired. The possibility of suspension had already been mentioned and he didn't want it to come to that or worse. “I'm not going to hinder the case.” -- “Good and to keep you busy while this is going on….I think you are right. We do have Junior Aurors and interns that would be best served with someone with all of your decades of experience guiding them.” Barty leveled a look over the desk at him, “I will get you a small mentoring group to keep your hands full and out of this case.” There was a sharp knock and at Barty’s affirmative grunt, the door opened, “Mr. Crouch, sir, Sirius Black has been brought into custody sir. He is being sent to one of the interrogation chambers as we speak. His solicitor is on his way.” Barty nodded, purposely not looking at his right hand man, sure the other one was about to implode, “Thank you Stevenson….please wait outside for me.” He waited a few moments after the door had closed again and then looked at James, “I will have a group for you by this afternoon. And I expect all notes and files to be here on my desk by lunch.” ~~ Great. Perfect. A group of kids to keep him busy and from doing anything helpful. Under any other circumstance, James would have been glad to have a group to mentor. Not when it was being given to him as busy work, as a distraction. He clenched his jaw to keep from saying anything, but then quickly looked over to the door at the knock. All he had to hear was Sirius’ name to know it wasn't good. Of course he'd been brought in the second James was taken off the case, which meant someone else would be talking to him and whoever it was wouldn't get anything from it because Sirius would be uncooperative and that would make everything look worse than it already was. James sat frozen in his seat, feeling helpless to do anything, and tried to quell the way his insides felt like they were churning. He barely heard what his boss said to him, and gave a nod automatically before registering the words. “Right, by lunch.” Rising from his chair, he ran his hand over his face and moved toward the door. “I'll go get everything gathered.” -- Barty watched him leave, and for a moment as the door closed, there was a slightly satisfied look that was on his face for a moment before it was gone in the blink of an eye. Gathering up his files, he joined the Junior Auror outside of his door and together they headed to the basements to have a little ...chat with Mr. Black. |