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Harry ran through the warehouse, keeping the dark wizard just in sight. His partner, Justin, wheezed somewhere behind him and Harry had to shake his head at the state of the man. If he hadn’t gone through three partners in a month, Harry would have begged Kingsley for a new one. Justin was about the last person on the force who dared partner with Harry now, though, considering all the wildly dangerous situations that seemed to seek Harry out.
Harry gained on the wizard, and took the opportunity to shoot a silent stunner at him. The wizard fell to the ground, insensible, and Harry finally slowed to a jog as he came up to the wizard and bound him. After taking the wizard’s wand, Harry began to search his robes for any trace of the network of artifact smugglers his contact had suggested the man belonged to. Justin finally joined him, gasping for air as he surveyed the dark wizard lying on the ground.
“Could have left some action for me, Potter…” Justin said weakly. Harry just shook his head, slipping a few scraps of paper and unmarked coins into an evidence bag. “Hey, wait, what’s this?” Justin bent over an object that lay in the shadow of the edge of the hall; it must have either fallen out of the man’s pockets or slipped out of his hand when he was stunned.
Harry saw Justin reach for the object like it was happening in slow motion. He had a heartbeat to curse internally at how idiotic his partner was being for reaching for an unknown artifact before he made a decision. Harry lunged forward, knocking Justin aside just before his fingertips brushed the artifact, and grabbed it with his bare hand. Harry knew the second it made contact with his skin that he was in trouble.
Dark tendrils swirled out of the pendant of the necklace, wrapping around his wrist and up his arm. Justin reeled back from Harry, eyes wide with alarm as he babbled out apologies. Harry gritted his teeth as the searing magic shot up his arm, then his neck, reaching for his face and head.
“ Expecto Patronum. ” Harry forced the spell out, and his stag appeared before him. “Find Blaise, bring him to me. Blaise, I’ve been cursed by an unknown artifact. I’m sorry… I love you.”
When Harry slumped to the ground, Justin began to truly panic and managed to gather enough thought to send his own patronus to the Ministry for backup. He’d barely gotten it off when the crack of apparition had him spinning around to meet the fiery, dark eyes of Blaise Zabini. Blaise ignored Justin completely, pushing past him and falling to his knees beside Harry. He quickly scooped up the necklace with a thick cloth and stowed it in a charmed bag before casting diagnostic spells on Harry, his focus singular.
“Come on, gorgeous… Harry, damn you, wake up!” Blaise’s eyes were wild and a tear cut a path down his cheek as he cast a rennervate on Harry, and he sighed deeply in relief when Harry’s eyes fluttered open. “Oh thank Merlin, my love. Are you all right?”
Harry stared up at Blaise, eyes confused and unfocused as his head cocked to the side. “Do we know each other?”