Chapter 55 - Illicit Affair (1/2)
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.”