I still ate though because the possibility of getting arrested didn't diminish my appetite one bit.

Aunt Vannessa was impressed by this, encouraging me to eat even more to fill out the bones in my neck.

She left soon after dinner, saying that she had a lot to attend to and I should bear living alone in the desolate mansion for a couple more days.

I couldn't find it in me to make a complaint.

She was right though, the mansion seemed even bigger and darker, although there was proper lighting.

I went straight to my room after dinner and locked the doors behind me out of reflex. I wasn't the jumpy type but I had more than enough to be worried about.

I had to do just two things to improve my stats. Work out and read.

I couldn't remember the last time I worked out, after getting depressed, I could barely work up the motivation to get out of bed. Working out was out of the question.

I didn't read academic books after I graduated college and fictional books were a pain. They only reminded me of the success I could never attain.

If this was the Harry Potter universe though, it meant that there was a clean slate in the world of writing.

A lightbulb went off in my head, I could be the one to write all the bestsellers if I played my cards right.

But before that, I had to survive long enough to even get the chance to write.

I pushed that thought out of my mind, it was a nice thought because it gave me a long-term purpose but I had too much on my plate currently to entertain it any longer.

I did a couple of stretches and then the basic ones I could remember. Sit-ups. Press ups. Squats…

The new body I had was in an even worse physical shape than my previous one that by the time I was done, I was a sweaty, panting mess on the carpeted ground.

I just wanted to take another shower and roll over to sleep but I knew better than to do that, I needed to read.

I thought I wouldn't be able to fall asleep because even though I tried not to show it, I was worried about Wizards from The Department of Magical Law Enforcement coming over to interrogate me the next day.

My body didn't seem to care much though because I crashed while reading a book on Nonverbal Spells.

Or maybe I simply slept out of boredom because I couldn't make head or tails of what it was talking about.

It was probably a bad idea to start by reading sixth-year material but I had to start from somewhere.

I woke up the next day with the book I was reading over my face. I pulled it off with a look of frustration, sitting up only to freeze.

My back was stiff, a sharp pain shooting down my legs. I forgot that the new body I had now was one of a softie.

I got up with a groan of pain, forcing myself to stretch through the pain because I knew that if I didn't it would only get worse.

I turned around to get ready for the bathroom only to get startled so badly that I forgot how to scream for a while.

Wilkins was standing at the door to my room. I had made sure to lock my doors before I slept last night so it meant that the little creature had apparated right into my room.

I would have to forbid him from doing that, not just for my sanity but because the House-Elf was looking like he had seen something that he shouldn't have.

'Didn't Audric do any kind of exercise when he woke up in the morning?'

"What is it, Wilkins?" I straightened up to ask, an unimpressed look on my face

Wilkins looked slightly panicky. "Wilkins is sorry, Master Audric. Wilkins didn't mean to interrupt Master Audric..." He bowed, looking around for something to punish himself with.

I had no interest in being a party to that. "It's fine, what do you want?" I repeated in a weary voice.

Wilkins bowed furiously. "Master Audric is too kind, but... but the Wizards from the Ministry are here sir. Wilkins is very sorry…" He bowed one more time and turned around to fumble with the door before stumbling out, too harried to apparate.

I felt a little twinge of guilt for causing that but it disappeared just as fast when his message sank in.

The Magical Law Enforcement guys were here!

"Shit!"

There was no time to bathe, I would have to attend to them first.

I was dressed in the ridiculous silk pajamas I had found in my wardrobe, it was either that or dress shirts and suit pants.

I pulled a pair of them on now, not wanting to see the guys from the Ministry in my nightclothes.

I stopped in front of the mirror to try and fix my bedhead and make sure there wasn't drool on my face.

I opened the door carefully like I expected them to be waiting on the other side.

It was only after I had started down the hallway did I realize that I had no idea where I was going.

It wasn't like they would be waiting in the dining room. I had no idea how to get to any other room.

I didn't want to summon Wilkins so soon because the poor creature seemed quite unsettled when he left earlier.

I just decided to wander around till I found them or they found me, what could go wrong?

I took the turn that led to the wide hallway that was filled with portraits of my dead and perhaps living relatives.

My steps fumbled when I saw someone standing at the end of the hallway, looking up at what seemed to be my portrait!

I couldn't stop walking though so I forged on. 'Is he one of the Magical Law Enforcement guys? Has he noticed me yet?'

I walked even closer, my thoughts a mess. Mind reading was a thing in the world of Harry Potter. I would be fucked if one of the Magical Law Enforcement guys went through my head.

They would probably take me in on the spot without asking questions, and I would have bigger worries than my family dying or shady plans that I was involved in.

"Uh, hello." I greeted hesitantly when I got close enough to the stranger.

He hadn't noticed me before then or maybe he was pretending not to, I still couldn't just walk past him though.

A tall imposing man in a three-piece suit and important robes turned to look at me. "Why hello, young Master Audric."

I remained quiet. When in doubt it was best to do just that.

"I'm Malark Peckgray." He introduced, bringing out a badge from the inner pocket of his suit. "From the Ministry of Magic."

I barely got a proper look at the vaguely familiar badge before he quickly tucked it back into his pocket.

I stared blankly at him, still wary of saying anything.

I mean, back on earth the police would have said something like, 'You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can be used against you in court. You have the right to talk to a lawyer for advice before we ask you any questions…'

'Does that mean I get a lawyer?'

"I apologize for showing up at such a delicate time." He bowed magnanimously. "I have to bother you to answer a couple of questions concerning the incident." He adjusted his suit lapels. "My partner should have been here as well, but he was held up."

It was a relief that he was going straight to the point, anything more would be the death of me.

I nodded stiffly, keeping steady eye contact with him. 'I won't be accused of killing my family, right?'

"Please let's take a walk outside, I don't want this to come off as formal." Malark waved his hands as he talked, gesturing for me to follow him.

I narrowed my eyes, it was already formal.

This dude showed up in a three-piece suit, flashed an FBI-worthy badge, and was now going on about informality.

I didn't voice my thoughts out though, the less I said, the better for me.