Chapter Two Interlude: The Interrogations and After Action Report

[Pontifex Maximus]

With the evidence and witnesses gathered, it was time to go through the stories, timelines, and inconsistencies between stories.

Nyeman was still in custody.

Bogrod, a goblin employee of Gringott's, would be available for questioning.

Delila Hicks, the witch who had dueled Edmund before being stunned, was still in custody.

Julius Small, the wizard who had attempted to use the torture curse on Edmund, was still in custody.

(use this thread to collaborate among the team, form a plan for interrogations, perform the interrogations, etc. Each of these witnesses can provide clues as to two separate plots currently underway among the dark wizards. The details they reveal will depend on rolls and the quality of the interrogations.)

Chapter Two After Action Report

Edmund: For brilliant work in the field, Edmund increases Curses by +20 and Hexes by +20
Glenn: For adequate work in the field, Glenn increases Charms by +10 and Hexes by +10
Mathis: For adequate work in the field, Mathis increases Curses by +10 and Hexes by +10
Penelope: For inadequate work in the field, Penelope increases Hexes by +5.

Please reflect these changes in bios, and in future, please post the stats in posts where combat is taking place.

[Pontifex Maximus]

Penelope was entirely ignorant of the events of the night she was wounded, so once she had made a full recovery she returned to work and to her team, the team that she had let down. She gathered in the small office which they had used to organize their investigation, eager to regain some trust in the eyes of her colleagues. She had used the time in hospital to analyze every movement of her last duel, trying to see where things went wrong. Moving targets she had hit before but what was it about this encounter? The fact the target was fighting back? It seemed plausible but it wasn't a comforting realization. Perhaps deep down something else had held her back, her desire not to use excessive force. Had that been driven from her in light of her own injuries? Maybe it had, only time and another duel would tell. It was a perplexing problem.

Her mind trailed to the reports she had read of the encounters that night. She was aware of the murder of the goblin, the duel in Diagon alley, and the capture of another suspect. She wondered how, if at all, the two events fit together. Surely Mathis would make a report that might shed light on this.

[Trot]

Mathis strode into the office the small vile of Vertiserrum tucked away in his pocket. Soon he would go back to interview the wizard. His eyes widen in shock when he sees Penelope, he had thought she was still in Saint Mungos.

"How are you faring," he asks a touch of concern in his voice. Their was a small feeling of guilt at the fact he had not gone to Knockturn, maybe had they stayed together she would not have been hurt. Still of all the group he had expected her to fare the best.
"Are you caught up with everything?"

[chesser2538]

Leaning forward is his chair, Edmund looked over a thick binder of photos; a compilation of Hogwarts graduation pictures, ministry ID's, and arrest mug shots, hoping to make the perp who had escaped, but so far his progress had been unsuccessful. Every once in a while he would catch a glance at Penelope at the other side of the room poring over field reports. After the events of their last mission he had been rather concerned about her recovery, so it was with great relief when she had been cleared for duty, though even now the scars of that day were still apparent.

Continuing with his work Edmund leafed through a couple dozen more pages before his concentration was broken by the sound of the door. Looking up he eyes Mathis entering. The man meets his gaze momentarily before moving over to Penelope to share his concern. Thinking over the events of that day, Edmund knew that the situation could have ended a lot worse. While it was unfortunate that a man had gotten away, Edmund doubted even he could have taken on three people at once. As it stood they aimed to gain a good amount of intel from the situation, that is if they could make the suspects talk.

Giving a sigh Edmund glanced back down to the binder, feeling the pangs of a headache beginning to form at his temples. Doing a quick estimate, he figured he might finish before Glenn got back. Returning to his work now he waited...

[Pontifex Maximus]

Scarrow smiled as Mathis entered. "As well as could be expected, I'll recover. In the meantime we have work to do, and I couldn't let you all do it alone." She said, itching at her new scar. A slash on her neck. She was angry at herself for being so useless, she had something to prove now. Her dark blue robes and silver sash looked becoming on her, at least. Or so she thought. She always felt better when she thought herself to be looking proper. It was perhaps a flaw in her personality, but it was a small comfort in an otherwise uncomfortable situation for her. "I've gone over the reports." She replied "Some planned robbery at Gringotts...that will need looking into. Perhaps some extra security as well, even though I doubt the goblins will see the need for it." Gringotts was renowned as a very secure location, so secure in fact that the security measures were often kept secret. "As for those others...I was hoping to interrogate them myself, perhaps along with a partner. I want to know what they were up to." And I want pay back. Perhaps some active interrogation was warranted in this case.

She sighed heavily and rose with a shudder. She crossed the room and actually hugged Mathis, feeling somewhat stupid for having done so. "I'm just glad nobody else got hurt." She felt guilty. The original plan was her idea. What if it had been someone else who got hurt? Could she have lived with that?

[Trot]

Mathis was shocked for a moment by the hug, he had not been expecting that in the slightest, still he returned it saying "I'm glad you're alright Penelope." He paused letting her return to her seat.

"Yes there seems to be a plot to break into Greengots, and if it is a serious threat that means wizards more powerful then the ones we ran into." Mathis paused before continuing. "I have interviewed the Goblin Bogord and the Wizard Nyeman, Nyeman would not talk, but the Goblin told me of the attack on Greengots, however he would not tell what vault was being targeted." He pulls out the small vile of Veritserrum.

"Crouch has consented to the use of Veritserrum on Nyeman. I hope to get more information from that."

[Pontifex Maximus]

Penelope glanced at the vial with awe. "I don't think we'll need it." She said, her confidence growing. "Give me some time with him." she said. The hate and rage broiled inside her. She was convinced that she would be able to extract the required information. This Gringott's break in was intriguing to her. It would take an almost suicidal witch or wizard to break into that establishment. What was that person's motivation for doing so? It must have been great indeed, and she intended to find out.

[Axis Sunsoar]

Despite his earlier meeting with Penelope suggesting he might beat the others to the interrogation, Glenn was the last one in to the room. Unbeknownst to the others he had taken an opportunity to visit the grave of his mother, where he had spent some time talking quietly into the air, as if he were explaining the recent events which had unfolded to her. Whether or not such a thing would help him cope in the long run, it seemed to have done nothing for his mood in short term, as when he swept in to the room he was short-tempered, brusque and businesslike. His gaze fell first on Mathis, "You had stayed back to speak to the goblin and wizard after the cauldron. What do we have to work with at the start from that?" he then flicked a glance over to Edmund, "and what do we know about the trio in Knockturn? what were they talking about before the attack? What was the situation?"

As he waited for the answers to these questions, his expression softened noticeably when he saw Penelope, "I'm glad to see you up and well," he said quietly.

[Pontifex Maximus]

Penelope shortened her gaze. "Thanks" she replied, with regards to Glenn's comments. He regarded his contributions as additions with a grain of salt. He seemed to be petitioning everyone's assumptions. "I share some of Glenn's questions." she said, hoping to deflect some of them. Not only was she a woman, bu she was an idiot who was defeat multiple times in the field - she might be able to absorb some of the information and critiques of her fellow Aurors without being on the receiving end of their official complaints about her comments and contributions, which might end up being her disqualification for participation for several weeks.

"Gentlemen, I am sure we can agree upon a general plan of operation." She interjected without much emotion.

[Trot]

"From what I have got from Bogord," Mathis begins pocketing the small vile. If Penelope could get the information without using it then it could be saved for another time. "The target vault belonged to a witch from one of the older wizarding families. "The goblin wouldn't say any more. As for the wizard well maybe now he will be more willing to talk." He stopped letting, "What exactly went down in Knockturn Alley, I haven't been told much."

[Pontifex Maximus]

Penelope absorbed all the information. There was a lot to digest, but already the wheels in her mind were turning. It was an apt space to launch an ambush against would be burglars... "How interesting." She replied for now, not revealing her internal thoughts. She twirled a segment of her long, black hair in response to the information before replying.

"Knnockturn Alley?" She focused her memory. these were not the happiest memories for her. "We tracked three suspicious looking individuals to a shop. I stepped forward to detain them and we were attacked. As of yet I am not sure of their motivations..." She cast a furtive glance at Edmund to see how he would reply to he account. "It would seem we need to gather more information from all of our sources." she concluded.

[Pontifex Maximus]

In the spirit of keeping things moving along:

As it turns out, the owner of the vault in question was none other than Edwina Wildsmith, the descendant of Ignatia Wildsmith, the inventor of Floo Powder. Having amassed an incredible fortune from their entrepreneurial ancestor, they had become investors of sorts in peerless magical items. They had several vaults in Gringott's filled with odd items. Many grumbled that such items should be open to the public and in museums. It is unclear what item they had planned to steal exactly or for what purpose.

The veritiserum worked like a charm. The suspects in the attacks in Borgin & Burkes had spilled their guts. They were members of a dark order of wizards known simply as the Knights of Walpuris, and owed allegiance to this Dark Lord, Lord Voldemort. Lord Voldemort was responsible for various attacks in the past several months, thus confirming the Ministry's worst fears. They were under attack by an organized cabal of dark witches and wizards. It was enough to send Barty Crouch up a wall,and he reacted accordingly. What's worse, this Lord Voldemort was gathering an army to himself. He was gathering not only dark witches and wizards, but all manner of creatures. This particular group's mission was to reach out to werewolves and vampires. Other teams had associated with giants, ogres, and centaurs - all creatures considered vulnerable and turned to dark uses.