Douglas leafed idly through the newspaper.
At last, in an inconspicuous corner of page four, he found a tiny news item tucked away.
[Dumbledore's ambitions exposed? His confidant Professor Holmes reportedly assembling a werewolf army in Italy]
[Reports from a source who wished to remain anonymous indicated that Hogwarts Headmaster Albus Dumbledore was attempting, through his confidant Douglas Holmes, to recruit and consolidate werewolf tribes within Italy, possibly to establish a private armed force answering exclusively to him.
The source expressed grave concern, believing that this move would seriously undermine the stability of wizarding society.]
Lupin took the newspaper in confusion, read through it again, and said, "Nothing about Greyback?"
Douglas folded the newspaper in half, then in half again, gripping it so tightly that the paper groaned under the strain.
"They didn't see the body."
His voice was level, scattered by a breath of wind, yet carried a chill.
Lupin stood beside the rough stone marker, its inscription like a shadow carved into his face.
His brow knotted.
"That's far too... casual, Douglas."
"If Fenrir died, the entire British Ministry of Magic would be up in arms. They should at least have sent someone to look!"
An almost imperceptible curve tugged at Douglas's lips.
"Why let them look?"
A small flame sprang from his fingertip and silently licked a corner of the newspaper.
The pink toad struggled for an instant in the flames, then turned into drifting black butterflies along with the printed words.
"Greyback is in our hands."
"It won't be too late to hand him over to the Ministry once we've squeezed the last bit of use out of him."
Isabella had remained silent, her gaze darting between Douglas, Lupin, and the solitary gravestone.
Something sharper pierced her exhaustion.
"So..."
She drew a breath. The smell of