Any Random Tuesday

Chapter Six

“Gwen take a seat please,” the low baritone of Police Chief Mike Varren intoned as she entered his austere office. Gwen had been surprised that he wanted to see her at such a late hour. It was nearly nine in the evening and she had thought that he had gone home a long time ago.
“I have an interesting assignment for you. It’s going to require that you drop your current case. I know that you hate do that, but this is a unique opportunity,” he stated as he pulled a piece of gum out of the pack on his desk.
“What’s the assignment?” Gwen asked trying to hide her excitement.
“It is collaboration with another law enforcement agency. One that you have never heard of,” he paused to gage her reaction, but Gwen was a master of the poker face. “Here’s a report for you,” he added pushing a blue file folder across the desk.
Gwen flipped it open and quickly skimmed the document. Missing persons wasn’t that exciting, but what was this ministry of magic? Gwen frowned. She hadn’t though that Chief Varren was the joking type. She threw the folder on the desk and straightened her skirt. “What do you think I am?” She asked her cold eyes boring into him as she leaned back in the chair.
“Gwen, I am not trying to pull a joke on you,” he laughed, “You are going to be working with the Ministry of Magic’s law enforcement agency, the Aurors.”
“I’m sorry sir, but this seems like a bunch of bull.”
“I know that magic, wizards, and witches are suppose to be the stuff of fairytales, but they exist. They have instutions right here in London. Sometimes we even interact with them and don’t even know it…”
“Stop. Just stop,” Gwen yelled. “I don’t know why you are doing this, but it isn’t funny.”
Chief Varren sighed. He pulled open his desk drawer and brought out a crumpled piece of newspaper. “Take a look at this,” he commanded passing the paper to Gwen. In her hands the parchment felt old and crinkly. Its corners were curled and yellowed. The writing was in a dark black ink. The letters appeared to be from an old script like Chaucer. The front cover read: The Daily Prophet.
What startled Gwen was the picture on the cover. It was a picture of two men in peculiar dress. Both men were decked in long robes that flowed about their wire thin frames. One wore a pair of half moon spectacles on his long pointy nose. Both men had beards that flowed down to their waists. Their hands pumped up and down as they shook and one turned to pat the other on the back. “How is this possible?”
“It’s magic,” the chief smiled, “A magical photograph.”
“I’m still not sure about this.”
“That’s perfectly understandable.”
“I mean this photograph could be a trick. It is not by any means substantial evidence,” Gwen spouted.
“Gwen, it is not a prank. Trust me.”
“Okay, I’ll do it,” she agreed.
“Good. Right now as you can tell it is simply a missing person’s investigation. However, the subject, Ms. Granger, is a very important person in the Wizarding World. She helped the head Auror to defeat Lord Voldemort, when they were still in school. It is considered very likely that foul play will be established. Ms Granger interacted in both the Wizarding and non wizarding world. That is why you will be working with Head Auror Potter. There is one thing you must remember though. In this department only you and I know of the Wizarding world and you our not to let anyone else know about it,” Gwen nodded her head as he spoke and pulled the folder off the desk to flip through it again.
“It looks to me like we should start with a crime scene investigation of the girls’ apartment.”
“Yes, I agree. That would be good. You can take Smith, Andrews, and Bramble with you,” he answered.
“Is there anything else I need to know?” Gwen asked.
“No, I think we have covered the basics. You can ask Potter’s team any questions you might have. I will let them know to meet you at Ms. Granger’s apartment.” Finishing he picked up the phone and dismissed her with a wave of his hand.

Harry arrived at Hermione’s apartment to find it buzzing with activity. The door was wide open and a yellow piece of police tape had been put across the entrance at chest height. Three men in LPD vests were scattered around the living room lifting prints from various pieces of furniture. A woman stood at the bookcase. Harry ducked under the tape and entered the apartment.
“Cooper,” one of the men yelled as he stared at Harry horrified. Harry wondered if he had grown fangs or a third eye. The woman at the bookcase turned and strode toward him. Her arms were crossed in front of her. Her short black hair swayed at her shoulders. Her blue eyes stared into him with a ferocity that kept Harry from moving.
“This is a crime scene sir, please step outside,” she said.
“I’m perfectly aware of what this is,” Harry responded, “but I’m not going anywhere.
“Well then, I’ll have my men escort you out.”
“You will do no such thing,” Harry answered with a sneer, he saw fear flit across her cold façade and took pity, “I am Auror Potter.”
“Oh. I am so sorry. I wasn’t expecting you dressed so normally. Or to be so young.”
“That’s alright. I assume you are Gwen Cooper?”
“Detective Gwen Cooper,” she corrected.
“Sorry Detective,” Harry answered, “This is my crew senior Aurors Flemely and Penbittle, junior Aurors Zorilla and Molina, and my secretary Draco Malfoy.”
“Personal assistant, not secretary,” Draco amended as he walked over to stand by Harry.
“Right then. This is the forensic team Smith, Andrews, and Bramble. They have pretty much covered the living room, but I thought I would let you look at the bookcase…”
“That’s great,” Harry interrupted, “How about you get them out of here as soon as possible so we can start the real work.”
“Excuse me?” Gwen began, “I am not going to take orders from you. This is collaboration not a dictatorship.”
“Actually, in the few collaborative investigations to date wizarding law enforcement has always led the investigation,” Draco spouted with a sneer.
Gwen raised her hands to her hips and tapped her foot on the floor. “Your missing person lived in my world, she worked in my world, and I have the connections in my world that you need for this investigation. Now the only way that I am going to use those connections is if you and I are on equal footing, Auror Potter.” Harry couldn’t help, but be reminded of Ginny’s strength. He sighed in defeat.
“Fine, I’ll look at the bookcase and the rest of my crew will start in the bedroom. If that’s alright with you Detective Cooper.”
“Good, I will help you and my men can head into the kitchen, “she confirmed before walking away to confer with her crew.
“Way to have some balls,” Flemely said sarcastically as he pushed past Harry to head for the bedroom.
“Don’t touch anything without gloves!” Gwen yelled throwing a box at Harry. He pulled out a pair and passed them to Molina.
“What a bitch,” Penbittle grumbled.
“Just get to work,” Harry muttered. The crew left and Harry went over to the bookcase where Gwen already stood with her arms crossed.
‘There are a lot of strange titles here. I didn’t think I should let my men go through them.”
“Hermione reads everything.” Harry answered. He glanced through the shelves. They held many worn titles that looked familiar. Hogwarts textbooks Harry confirmed upon coming across Hogwarts a History. There were other titles specific to potions and potions ingredients. There were even some muggle novels by Dicken’s, Bronte, Hardy, Tolstoy, and Cervantes.
‘This book looks like a diary,” Gwen said pulling a purple leather bound book from the shelf. It had no defining marks on its cover such as a title. Gwen flipped it open to the first page. “Hermione Jane Granger 1999,” she read.
“That was last year,” Harry commented as he looked over her shoulder, “When does it end?”
“June 19, 2000,” She responded flipping to the back of the book. “Took the MPS today. I think my months of studying paid off and I will do well enough to get a job at a decent hospital”
“Typical, Hermione,” Harry grunted, “I wonder if there is a more recent one around here.”
“If she does it would probably be in the bedroom. Most people like to write in their diaries right before they go to bed.
“Thanks. I’ll go check it out.”
“Don’t forget to photograph it before you move it!” Gwen yelled after him as he strode off to the bedroom. She flipped the pages of the diary between her finger and opened the book to a random page>
“July 26, 1998,” Gwen read, “ Ron and I went to dinner tonight at Anatoli’s. It is a very elegant place. Ron wanted to celebrate getting the keeper position with the Chudley Cannons. He was in such a good mood. We chatted all through dinner about how this was his dream job and now he can move into his own place. Things were going so well, but then he pulled a small black box out of his pocket. He got down on one knee beside my chair and said ‘ Hermione Granger, I have known you for over eight years. Together we have fought against Lord Voldemort and the death eaters. I have seen your strengths and your weaknesses. I cannot imagine finding anyone more amazing than you. Please, say that you will marry me.’ I was horrified. I did not expect Ron to propose, not now. I told him I couldn’t marry him, that I had plans to go to university. I asked him to wait six or seven years until I was done and settled in a good job. Ron grew red in the face and I think smoke was even pouring from his ears. ‘It is now or never,’ he said between gritted teeth. ‘I guess it’s never,’ I responded. He stormed out of the restaurant.
Gwen flipped forward to an October entry. “Imagine my surprise when I met Draco Malfoy at the department party tonight. Turns out he and I are in the same specialty. We talked about classes and ambitions while heavily imbibing from the punch bowl. I’m not sure how it happened, but we ended up in a closet together. He was amazing. They don’t call him the slytherin sex god for nothing. Ron was never that good.” “Ouch,” Gwen thought to herself before continuing on, “I know that Draco and I have had our differences, but I think he has changed since the end of the war.”
“Draco Malfoy,” Gwen thought to herself, “that sounds familiar.” Then it hit her. “Potter,!” she yelled.
“What?” he exclaimed running up to her, “Did you find something?”
“Did you realize that your secretary is or was sleeping with the victim?”
‘Personal assistant, “ Draco exclaimed, “ And I was sleeping with her up until she disappeared.”
“Potter, how can you allow this?” He needs to be ruled out as a suspect and you are allowing him to be part of this investigation,” Gwen responded.
“Come with me,” Harry commanded with a large sigh. Both Gwen and Draco followed him to the bedroom and he shut the door. “Draco give me your wand.”
“Why?” Draco responded.
“Wands? You have wands? Isn’t that a little cliché?” Gwen questioned.
“I will give it right back,” Harry answered ignoring Gwen’s questions.
“Sure you will.”
“Draco, give me the wand or you are off this investigation.” Draco drew out his wand and handed it to Harry. Seeing the long thin piece of wood Gwen grew uneasy. Images of three men laughing, one of them holding a long piece of wood, covered in her blood. It shot through her mind and nausea bubbled in her stomach.
‘Are you alright,” Draco asked noticing how pale the woman had turned. “Don’t worry were not going to curse you.”
“I didn’t think you would,” Gwen sneered as she fought to regain her composure.
“Watch this,” Harry commanded. “Prior Incantato” he whispered. Images popped out of the end of Draco’s wand in a macabre dance of colors. They were representations of Draco’s spell use over the last two weeks. The images swirled together in a myriad of colors. It was fascinating for Gwen to watch. “See, nothing involving Hermione. He’s cleared.”
“I don’t understand what that display has to do with it. How does that clear him?”
“That was all the spells that I cast in the last two weeks.” Draco answered.
“But he could have harmed her using something other than his wand!” Draco began to laugh at this suggestion. Gwen gave him an icy stare and he stopped.
“He’s a Malfoy, “ Harry started, “ He wouldn’t lower himself to committing a crime by muggle means.” Gwen visibly flinched and began to shake.
“”Muggle, “ she muttered to herself. A million pieces running through her head. Suddenly a hand was on her shoulder, she slapped it away and stepped back.
“What is wrong with you?” Draco asked staring directly into her eyes.
“Nothing, “ she gritted out, “I have work to do.” Gwen stormed out of the room.



Authors Note
I have never heard of Gwen Cooper before or Torchwood. I had no idea that someone had already created a character of that name.