Agent Potter Ch.18: Wits not Wands

Le Duff sat in the small, brightly lit interrogation room, his hands tied to a table in gleaming silver cuffs, his pale brown eyes darting across the room. He occasionally tugged at the cuffs and shifted in his chair, trying to fan himself as sweat dripped down from his forehead.

“We’re going to make him as uncomfortable as possible.” Valkyrie paced across the corridor outside, where Harry and Daphne leaned against a wall, watching Le Duff squirm in the silence. “He’ll be sweaty, tired, and frustrated by the time we ask him our first question. We’ll wear him down quickly after that.”

“He doesn’t seem all that bothered to me. More like mildly  inconvenienced.” Daphne peered through the window. “The way he’s sitting and what he’s said so far, he reminds me of someone.”

“Lucius Malfoy.” 

Daphne’s eyes turned to Harry, and she nodded before glancing back at Le Duff. “Why are we interrogating him? We all should be out on the field, bringing his operation down and gathering evidence. That is what we’re supposed to do.”

A flash of grimace passed Valkyrie’s face, and she twirled a lock of hair between her fingers, letting out a heavy sigh. “Your whole team isn’t leaving the building until this case is wrapped up. The other six teams will carry out individual operations while you all will pursue only and only this case— the arrest of Le Duff. And I’ll lend you a hand to do so… unofficially.”

Daphne’s forehead creased. “I thought this case was Level Seven, which meant that the whole of WAND would act as one unit.”

“It no longer is though, is it?” Harry said, his eyes on Valkyrie. “You are sticking us with Le Duff because if we fail to make him talk, you can cut us loose and feign innocence.” Valkyrie flinched, and Harry’s lips curled. “What? You didn’t expect me to put that little thing together?”

“No, I didn’t expect to hear those exact words.” She grimaced. “Knowing it is one thing and hearing it is another.”

Daphne whirled around on Valkyrie, her fist balling her robes. “So, it’s true. This— this—”

“Is standard protocol for all teams. The main team takes the fall to keep the organization intact. We’ll quickly cave and punish the agents by firing them and canceling all their licenses. Two months later, it will be buried within the history of ICW’s archives, and it won’t matter.” 

“I don’t see how that won’t matter for us.” Daphne glowered.

“You’re just names on the paper to us, Daphne.” Valkyrie rolled her eyes. “You’re Khione, he’s Felix, I’m Valkyrie. So, if the pressure comes from the ICW, an internal hearing will be held, and Mage will find you guilty and fire you all. Then, in a month or two, you’ll slowly be rehired to form a new team— the same one, but with different names.” She hesitated. “Only De Luca will be fired, because us Team Leads have our official names at the ICW.”

“And does De Luca know about this?” Harry demanded. “That it’ll be only his head on the pike if it all fails?”

“Oh, he knows. Every team leader knows this when they take on the mantle,” Valkyrie said. “He’s the one who’s coming up with the trails for all the other teams right now and putting as much truth as he can in his own basket.”

“So, he can fight it out in court too.” Daphne narrowed her eyes. “But that doesn’t stop him from going to jail, in a cell next to all those he has put away, does it?”

“He’s not going to jail,” Valkyrie scoffed. “Worst case, he goes through a hell lot of inquiries for the next few months, and then gets fired. He’ll either find a new job or retire. And if he wants to find a new job, all he needs to do is make one Floo call, and we’ll get him whatever he wants. From Gringotts to private warding firms. He was not the one at fault here— not in our eyes.”

Harry’s jaw twitched. “Well, let’s ensure it doesn’t come anywhere near that point either. What’s our plan going in there?”

“Well, wear him down. Get him to speak without laying a hand on him. We could feed him Veritaserum, but it’d be a debatable testimony because of the nature of the potion. It’ll be presented in court, but it won’t be a thing that’ll put him away like a confession would.”

“Right. Let’s get to work. Good cop, bad cop?” Daphne asked.

“You two decide,” Valkyrie tossed her hair over her shoulder. “Chutney was killed due to him. And I do illegal types of interrogation better.”

Harry nodded and glanced at Daphne, seeing the shadow of uncertainty in her eyes.

“Guess we’ll have to do it.” 

Harry touched his bracelet and pushed the door open, striding into the interrogation room. Le Duff glanced at him and leaned back in his chair, clasping his cuffed hands on the table.

“Mr. Le Duff,” Harry growled. “You’ve been running a few too many illegal and questionable operations and even funding them.”

“You’re mistaken. All my businesses have permits from the Macedonian and Bulgarian Ministries. The international businesses have permits from the ICW,” Le Duff smiled. “I could show the permits to you, and I’m sure this could be put behind us.”

“I’m talking about the illegal ones that you run and fund.” Harry growled. “Trade of forbidden potions, of Veelas, of weapons, and rare potion ingredients. We’ve a list of crimes that could put you away for the next century.”

Le Duff raised an eyebrow. “I have no clue—”

“Don’t bullshit me!” Harry slammed his fists on the table. “You know exactly what I’m talking about, Liberator.”

Le Duff leaned back in his chair, his fingers drumming over the table as he stared back at Harry, unperturbed. “I would love to help you out, officer, but I do not know the things you speak of. And while I do some occasional philanthropy, calling me a Liberator would be quite a push.”

“Khione?”

Daphne threw a file over the desk and photographs scattered across it. She sauntered around the desk and leaned next to Le Duff.

“See? We’ve proof. But if you cooperate and confess, we could have your sentence reduced. Maybe even have the fines increased instead of years served. You could get away with paying, if you cooperate right now.”

“Or we could do this the hard way,” Harry suggested. “Our team gathers more and more evidence against you as we speak. Everything you own is being raided. By this evening, we would have a pile of evidence taller than you.”

“I’m telling you, madam, I have not done anything wrong.” Le Duff glanced at Daphne before turning back to Harry. “And if you do not get anything from the places you raid, you better be prepared for a lawsuit.”

“Is it so?” Harry scowled.

“I told you, I’ve done nothing wrong, nothing illegal.”

“Oh, but you have,” she said, her voice smooth like silk wrapping around barbed wire. She leaned closer, her breath brushing his ear. “Do you want to know how I can tell?”

Le Duff’s eyes flickered toward her, a glimmer of doubt in his brown eyes.

“You don’t look like a man who’s surprised by these accusations,” she whispered, her voice low and dangerous. “You look like someone prepared—but not quite enough.” She straightened, her gaze sharp and piercing. “Someone who thought he was too smart to be caught.”

Le Duff exhaled through his nose, an almost imperceptible snort. “You can play your little games, but I assure you, madam, I have nothing to confess.”

“The way I see it, Le Duff, is that we’re giving you a chance,” Harry said. “Cooperate, name some names, and you could get yourself some room to breathe. Don’t, and… we find it anyway. Like we did in Macedonia. Like we did at the port. Like the dozen others, we’re doing right now. Tell us what all you were doing and save yourself.”

A gleam of triumph flared in Le Duff’s eyes, vanishing a moment later. “I know nothing of that sort.”

Harry pushed a photo toward him, of his Macedonian warehouse. “That warehouse is in your name. The business is owned by one of the companies you run. You know what we found there?”

“I’m guessing all that you’re accusing me of?” He snorted.

“We caught several dozen weapons being manufactured, illegal potions, ingredients, and most of all, a dozen criminals who had fled from the law,” Daphne said. “You were harboring fugitives, and that itself is enough to see you behind bars.”

“The warehouse was supposed to be empty— a storage unit. I had no idea that there was work happening.” Le Duff shrugged. “Though, for my role in it, I will pay the necessary fines. I didn’t know my property was being used by someone else.”

“What about the port? The woman who was with the container of Veela and other illegal items was the one protecting you. The other two bodyguards are fugitives from Japanese law. And the other men who had the guns? It is illegal for magical weapons to be created.”

“I am entitled to defend myself any way I wish to. And the security company—”

“Which you run through a shell company, funded by the account under the name of another, which we’ve already traced back to you. Wizardly Protection Services only has one customer. You.”

Le Duff shifted slightly in his seat, his eyes roaming between the two of them. His breath was short, and his fingers tugged at the cuffs lightly.

Harry sat down on an armchair and smiled at him. “You see, the funny thing is,” Harry said, “we know the story already.” He looked up, meeting Le Duff’s gaze. “It’s not a question of if you’ve been involved. We know that. You’re not the first mob leader I am dealing with.”

A spark of anger burned in Le Duff’s eyes, and his face twisted. 

“I’m not a mob leader. I am—” He took a deep breath, and the sparks of anger smothered away, a calm covering his face. “I am just a normal citizen. I do not run any mobs or gangs. I’m a respected man in my country.”

“Well, not everything will last after the word of your crimes gets out,” Daphne circled the desk. “Veela trafficking, dealing illegal potions, redesigning non-magical weapons to be magical… we’ve seen all of this before. Only last year we caught a small-time Mafia in Sicily doing half the things you’ve been doing.”

Le Duff balled his fists, rage burning in his eyes. “I’m not a small-time mafia.”

“We always know it is for the money,” Daphne continued. “As far as crime goes, this is the place where there's the most money in, isn’t it?”

“Money’s not the reason I do what I do!” Le Duff scoffed. “It is for a greater purpose! A better world! A—” Le Duff stopped short, his agitation draining away. “All I aim for is a better world for all. And I try to do that through the businesses I do, which, for your information, are all legitimate.”

Before Harry could fire back, a knock sounded at the door, and Valkyrie peeked in. “Felix?”

“I’ll be right back.” Harry stood and walked out of the door, raising an eyebrow at Valkyrie.

“Le Duff’s breaking. He knows to keep his temper under control but doesn’t like to be called a mobster or a small-time criminal.” Valkyrie declared. “Also, we found another lot of magical weapons and potions at Pyxis. Not to mention, mermaids.”

“Mermaid trafficking, another thing to add, I suppose.” Harry sighed. “Right, we’ll work on it. Have him blurt out and catch him. Once we do that, a veritaserum interrogation will give us a lot more stuff.”

“He hasn’t given anything away till now. He’s breaking but not broken.” Valkyrie sighed. “I would’ve had him singing by now if not for the ICW being directly on the case now.”

“But this is all being recorded, right?”

“Closely. The cuffs take another set of readings to ensure it isn’t tampered with. So, do not punch or hex him, come what may.” Her eyes gleamed as she looked through the wall. “Though, Khione is doing a good job of making him uncomfortable. She’s better at it than you are.”

Harry shrugged, catching a paper that flew at them and unfurled it. 

“The Pyxis findings. God, those are some Galleons. That’s the biggest catch we’ve had in one place.” Valkyrie peered over his shoulder. “And… I didn’t know I’d think that mermaids could look beautiful.”

“They’re half-human.” Harry commented. “Though, this isn’t directly under Le Duff’s name.”

“He can be connected to it… vaguely. But it could be dismissed, yes.”

“If we prove it, how long is the punishment?”

“Life or at least a few decades. Magical weapons, holding a protected magical species without a license, illegal potions — it’s all that he’s already accused of, and more. But we cannot prove it concretely.”

“Unless we have him tell us that it is Pyxis.” Harry smirked. “What is his biggest legitimate place of business?”

“The Wizard’s Castle. It is a building in Bulgaria. It’s where his office is. We also didn’t find anything there, unless you count a locker of money, muggle, and magical.”

Harry hummed and nodded, before turning and going back into the interrogation room, where Daphne spoke with Le Duff in hushed, menacing tones.

“So, Mr. Le Duff.” Harry smiled at him. “Seems like your gang is all caught. Our teams are combing through loads of evidence that we’ve gathered. Every illegal operation you’ve ever had is busted.”

“I do not own a gang. Nor any illegal operations.”

“You’re still maintaining that?” Harry snorted. "We've got statements from your little mob—”

“I do not run a mob. Or a gang. Or a syndicate. I’ll tell you this for the last time. I am a well-respected member of society. And now, I want an attorney.”

“You won’t be needing one. You see, Mr. Le Duff?” Harry slid the page in front of him. “These photos are from a building in Bulgaria called The Wizard’s Castle. Does the name ring any bells?”

“Prosperous!” Le Duff burst. “There’s nothing of that sort in there.”

“Yet we found it. Your biggest building and business was a hub for all sorts of illegal activities.”

“No, it isn’t.”

“I’ll confess, I’m surprised. I didn’t expect you to operate like this.”

“This isn’t from the Castle!” Le Duff rose to his feet. 

“Oh, really?”

“Yes!”

“We found it there— the potions, the guns, and the mermaids.”

“The mermaids were in Pyxis, you dim-witted moron. There’s—” Le Duff froze as Harry smirked. 

“Thank you for your cooperation, sir. Have a pleasant stay in prison.”

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Light music played in the room, lights flashing over the bottles neatly lined on the shelf, gleaming off the ice at the bottom of the liquor glass. Harry swirled the amber liquid and took a sip, flashing a smile at Natalie, who raised her beer bottle and winked at him.

“So, Harry.” A voice behind him said, and he turned on his chair, raising his head to see Valkyrie looming over him. “You did well. In every aspect.”

“Thank you. So did you.”

Valkyrie let out a tinkling laugh, tossing her hair over her shoulder and placing a tall glass with a fruity drink next to his glass. She sat on a tall bar chair and spun to face him.

“So, have you thought about my offer? To join my team?”

“I’m afraid I’ll still decline. I’m happy where I am.”

“Shame. I’ll have to find someone now that Ares has finally declared his retirement.” Valkyrie drawled. “You wouldn’t have just been a good team member. But a good successor as well.”

“Successor?”

“Next team leader. In yours, Natalie, as much as I loathe to admit, is a decent leader when it comes down to it. De Luca is, in a few aspects, even better than I. Especially when it comes to caring. Not every team leader would have had the balls to blow the secrecy on a level seven mission to save his team when there wasn’t even any proof of danger. Yet, he did.”

 Harry frowned. “You wouldn’t have taken the same call?”

“Probably not with the haste he did. I would’ve sent a surveillance team and tried to reconnect with them. If not, I would’ve led a strike force into there myself. But, yes, I wouldn’t have summoned the ICW’s war wizard, every WAND agent, and raised an alarm at the ministry to have their Auror force kept ready. He even had a letter ready to take command of the said Auror force, opening us up to a lot of shit. But he would’ve done it anyway.”

“I guess so would I.” Harry hummed. “I’m sure you’ll find someone else, though.”

“I told you, I only take the best.” Valkyrie sipped her drink. “Where else would I find someone who could uproot a house and smash multiple attackers to pulp? Or pull off spells to shatter a mage shield with a single bolt and proceed to battle fiendfyre?”

“You could.”

Valkyrie snorted. “Maybe. With the right spell, and runes, maybe blood magic in the mix… nothing’s impossible.”

“Then teach someone the right spells. It is not all about power or experience.”

“You mean a rookie?” She twirled a hair between her fingers. “I’ve never taken a rookie in the team.”

“Time to try something new then, isn’t it?” Harry grinned and rose from his seat. “Try not to go for dramatics. Approach them normally.”

Valkyrie shrugged. “I’ll see you around, then.”

“Always.”

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AND… DONE! Hope you all liked the story!

And holy shit, was that a ride. I confess that I haven’t faced so many roadblocks in a single fic that I've had for Agent Potter. It took me some great effort to write 18 chapters. My plans changed so much that it was something I do not look forward to again. Now, I’ve vowed to plan out my fics properly, and not change the initial ideas. 

Though, I suppose it was a first of its kind fic. I am thankful for all your support and love to the story, and I shall now move onto the next one. This time, with better planning and greater wisdom.

Also, this is not the last we’ve seen of Agent Potter. He will return, but, not in any long fics. It’ll be more of one-shots or two-shot fics, continuing his journey ahead. Short, full of action, maybe a dash of romance, and a perfect spy-thriller series. :)

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