Chapter 225 - Claret Ⅲ

Despite the rather late hour, two wizards' heads could be seen bent over a pile of important documents which they were currently going over. The forty-year-old, dark-haired wizard with slicked-back hair sighs out loud. Elphinstone Urquart tiredly blinks his dry eyes and runs a hand through his widow's peak. "Ogden, I do believe it is time we retire for the evening," Elphinstone professed. "The letters are starting to swim in front of my eyes again."

The short, plump wizard and head of the Auror Department exhales loudly at the remark. Bog Ogden adjusts his enormous thick glasses across the bridge of his nose. "I know, Elphinstone," Ogden sighed out loud. "However, Auror Clements has been providing excellent intel and we can't let him down. We must do our part and confirm his information as soon as possible in order to allow him to find the killer of Vinovich."

Feeling a jolt of guilt, Elphinstone rubs his tired eyes with his hand, before slumping back down to read through the reports. However, before he had progressed much a knock can be heard at the door. Both men glance up in surprise as Ogden asks, "Who is it?"

"It's Alastor Moody, sir," the Scottish Auror could be heard replying.

Stifling the urge to roll his eyes in exasperation, Ogden says, "Auror Moody, if this is another complaint, I do not want to hear another word on the subject at the moment. It is late and despite your being on duty for tonight's evening shift I expect you to be at your post, which is your desk."

"I know, sir," Alastor Moody grumbled back. "However, there is an unexpected guest here, whom I do believe you would like to meet with despite the late hour. Sir."

Ogden and Elphinstone share a look, before Ogden says, "Very well let them in, Auror Moody."

The door opens to reveal the short-hooded figure of a goblin. Ogden instantly recognizes his informant within Gringotts. "Thank you, Moody," Ogden swiftly said as the informant slipped inside. "You may be dismissed."

Alastor Moody, however instead gives Elphinstone a glare which says, "I better get in on this, Elphinstone."

However, Alastor Moody only moved to close the door when Elphinstone sheepishly nods his head back in voiceless promise to keep him in the loop. Satisfied with the unspoken promise, Alastor closes the door with a firm slam behind him emphaizing his vast displeasure at being left out of the discussion. After all, he was a senior Auror and had enough rank to be included in the meeting.

With the door now firmly closed shut, Ogden turns his attention to the goblin before him. The informant had a rather pointed nose and rather pointed beard. With a sly smile, Gornuk says, "I have something for you, Ogden. But what do you have for me?" In emphasis, Gornuk rubbed his fingers together as if touching a golden galleon between his fingers.

Ogden's eyes burned dangerously as he stiffly replies, "You'll get your payment, Gornuk. However, I won't pay even a single knut until I know the value of what you offer."

Gornuk merely sneers and says, "Bah, wizards always so untrusting."

Ogden's eyebrow twitches as Elphinstone smoothly leaps and says, "We are Auror's Gornuk. If we aren't paranoid, then we aren't much good, are we?"

Gornuk nods his head a bit mollified by the wizard's response. "Very well, I have two new tidbits of information for you. Firstly, Grok Gringotts will be increasing security not only at the bank but including on the employees. And secondly, a goblin has been tortured and killed by the same ones, who killed one of your own."

"Vinovich," Ogden swore under his breath.

Gornuk's eye's glitter with interest as he had not been aware just who had been killed. However, that was a very juicy bit of information that he could resell to the council members. They'd pay a pretty galleon for information like that.

Stifling the urge to rub his hands together in glee, Gornuk instead extends his hand and says, "Payment, please."

Ogden instead smirks right back at the goblin. "And pray do tell me, Gornuk, why exactly should I pay for something that we would be informed within the day?"

Gornuk stiffens in anger, but before he can yell, Elphinstone quickly interjects, "Instead tell us exactly why Grok Gringott's is so drastically increasing security at Gringotts."

Gornuk lips twitch mildly in approval at the question as he leans back and says, "I don't know the details. But we do know is that during the Goblin Auction, an incident occurred. Two goblin guards in the deeper vaults were found dead. But nothing was stolen as not even the king would be able to keep that quiet."

Ogden and Elphinstone's eyes meet as they put pieces of the puzzle together in an unspoken conversation. What could be so priceless that someone would be willing to break into Gringotts's at the height of security? The Philosopher's Stone. And if that was indeed the case, then the death of Nicholas Flamel and his wife was no accident, but murder.

Reaching into his desk, Ogden pulls out a heavy hand pouch and tosses it over to the goblin. Gornuk easily catches the pouch and weighs it in his hand. Satisfied at the amount, Gornuk mutters, "As always pleasure doing business with you, Auror's." Pulling up the cowl of his hood, Gornuk slips away and closes the door firmly behind him.

Ogden points his wand at the door and firmly locks it shut as Elphinstone lets out a low whistle. "Now that I was not expecting," Elphinstone confessed.

"Mm, rather troubling is more like," Ogden snapped as he slumped down into his seat tiredly. "Just what is going on?!"

"Whoever they are, they wanted to steal the Philosopher's stone," Elphinstone mused out loud. "Either they were caught stealing it or they purposefully destroyed the stone. Either way, it was premeditated."

Ogden furrows his brows in deep concern. "It is rather worrying, how fearless and organized this group is," Ogden concluded. "And I fear that as time passes things will only escalate. We must get on top of this, Elphinstone. But I fear that it is already much too late and all we can do is defend for the moment."

"That may very well be the case," Elphinstone admitted. "However, trust in our Auror's, Ogden. They're the best, we've got. And they'll catch them."

"I know," Ogden snorted. "But rather I fear when and what the price will be for doing so."

The office falls silent for a moment before Ogden grabs the pile of documents, he had been reading prior to being so rudely interrupted. "We best get back to it, Elphinstone," Ogden sternly ordered, before bending back down to read the document. Elphinstone merely sighed as the reprieve was over and done with. Without further ado, the wizard returned to reading and trying to make sense of the report. Either way, both wizards wouldn't be leaving any time soon to Elphinstone's distress.