Chapter 55 - Illicit Affair

In a shady part of Diagon Alley, a short wizard with bandy legs, long scraggly ginger hair, bloodshot baggy brown eyes with a perpetual 5 o'clock shadow took out a cigar to smoke. Despite already smelling of tobacco and alcohol that does little to stop Mundungus Fletcher from smoking.

Mundungus blows out a cloud of smoke as the puff quickly disperse in the chilly air. Rubbing his hands to keep them warm, Mundungus cursed, "I should've bloody waited at the pub." The minutes trickle by as Mundungus finds that he is shivering with the bitter cold. However, at long last, his contact appeared in a fur coat and bowler hat. "What took you so long, Gittins?" Mundungus snapped.

"I had a bit of a run-in with a nosy fellow. I had to double track to lose 'em," grumbled, the chubby fellow with a bushy beard and a bowler hat to hide his baldness.

"Fine, do you have what I need?" Mundungus said.

"Same here," Gittins snapped.

Each eye each other with shady eyes and say, "On three then."

The two of them take out parcels and each holds them out as they each snatch the other parcel from each other. They both carefully check the contents of the package, before nodding to each other. "A pleasure doing business with you, Gittins," Mundungus said.

"Same," Gittins said as he tipped his hat at Mundungus as they each briskly trotted off in different directions.

Gittins rapidly makes his way through the dark streets and suddenly turns to find the street before him with all the street lanterns snuffed out. His sharp ears perk up from years of experience and strain themselves at the eerie silence. Unable to hear anything, Gittins takes a hesitant step forward, before hearing a crisp footstep up ahead in reply.

Years of law-breaking experience kick in as Gittins immediately turns on his heels to run, but suddenly finds the street blocked off as two figures in dark hoods stand before him. Before Gittins can ask, what is that they want nor much less take out his wand, a spell hits him the back as everything goes black.

With a groan, Gittins suddenly finds everything is upside down as he realizes he is hanging by his ankle's upside down. Seeing four dark hooded figures before him, Gittins hastily says, "If it's about that one time I stole from ya, like I already said, I'm sorry. I swore never to do it again and I've kept my promise!" Gittins holds up his left hand in emphasis to reveal a pinky only up to the mid-joint with the top half missing.

The four hooded figures seem to be confused until a tall figure in the middle removes their hood. Gittins gawks at the dark-haired beauty in an appreciative fashion. "Why, hello, there beautiful. Have we met before?"

Bellatrix arrogantly stares down her nose at the pudgy, bald, bearded man. "Tell me, who is behind the attack to our men?"

"Lady, I have no idea, what the hell ya're talking about. All I know is that Sanderson doesn't get up into those kind things and neither do I. Ya would have to be scatterbrained to break the rules!" Gittins grunted.

"I said, tell me the truth!" Bellatrix roared in fury as her nostrils flared.

"Look, lady, I can't tell ya, what I don't know about," Gittens grumbled. "Really, if ya wanted to find something like that out, ya're barking up the wrong tree. I'm just a measly smuggler, I wouldn't know anything more than the next-door neighbor. If ya want to find something like that, ya have to pay a broker or go much higher up. And either way, I can't help ya, 'ere because I don't have the money for a broker nor 'em connected to higher-ups that would. So, your rightly out of the job so to speak."

Bellatrix and the other three Death Eaters gaze at each other as Gittins sighs and says, "Now can ya let me down now? It's obvious ya got the wrong fellow. And don't worry, I won't say a word of this to anyone one. I can see that the four of ya mean serious business and I aim to keep my neck. I've learned a thing or two how to keep my mouth shut."

Bellatrix narrows her eyes, but a Death Eater at her side stills her hand and says, "The Smuggler may be right. Perhaps, we need to go dig elsewhere."

"What he said!" Gittins exclaimed.

"That's what they say, every time and we still have no results to show the Dark Lord!" Bellatrix snapped as she removed roughly pulled back her arm as she pointed her wand at Gittins.

"Wait! Wait! WAIT!" Gittins shrieked seeing the situation go out of control. "But I might just know someone who might!"

Bellatrix and the three Death Eaters eye each other as Bellatrix slightly lowers her wand. "Who?!" Bellatrix barked.

"I don't know his real name, but they call him, the Rain Man," Gittins hurriedly said. "I can take ya 'ere if ya like?"

Bellatrix and the three other Death Eaters nod as Bellatrix says, "Livicorpus." Gittins is released and falls onto the dusty cold floor with a painful groan.

"No tricks," Bellatrix said with a cruel gleam in her eyes.

"No tricks," Gittins replied as he held his hands up in emphasis. Gittins hastily pats himself to find his wand gone, but even worse the package. Gittins tries not to blanche as he says, "Ya wouldn't have taken my package would ya?"

"You'll get it back once you take us to that Rain Man of yours," Bellatrix smugly said.

"Of course," Gittins said. "But first does anyone have a smoke?"

"Why?" Bellatrix suspiciously said.

"Because I do," Gittins said as he pulled out a dung bomb from his inner pocket and threw it to the ground.

A cloud of stinky dark smoke causes Bellatrix and other three Death Eaters to wheeze and be unable to see nor breath due to the stench. Despite watery eyes, Gittins holds his breath as he scrambles past the four figures and up the stairs. Bursting out of one of the empty warehouse, Gittins keeps running as he hurries around the corner. Footsteps and shouts can soon be heard behind him, but no matter, Gittins knows this shady area like the back of his palm and easily gives them a slip.

Bellatrix lets out a stream of curses as the three other Death Eaters return to the warehouse with empty hands. "Idiots!" Bellatrix snapped and kicked over anything she could see including the snapping of Gittins wand. After a while, Bellatrix composes herself and snaps, "Let's go!"

"Wait," a Death Eater said.

"What?" Bellatrix snapped with a dangerous zeal.

"Either way, it can't be harmful to follow up with this Rain Man. We might even be able to get some results."

Bellatrix eyes flicker with a new light as she reluctantly agreed. With a swoosh of her robe, Bellatrix and the Death Eater's apparate away. Sadly enough, the wand of Gittins lays broken on the ground as if an omen of the nearby future.