The Knife in The Soul

This story takes place in Season Four. I hate Daisy so I destroyed her. . .In the sense of just pretending she doesn't exist. Time line for Harry is Three years after the Battle of Hogwarts.

The body was left on the steps of the Jeffersonian sometime in the night. Despite an on-site security staff and 24 hour surveillance no one saw who left it. The Security guards mistook it for a sleeping homeless person and only discovered the truth when they went to chase him off a few hours later. It was raining heavily so they had let him sleep for a few hours with meager shelter the building provided. However at 5:00AM when the guards knew people would begin to arrive they went out intending to chase whomever it was off.

When the sleeper didn't respond to yells the guard reached down to jostle him awake. It was then that the moth eaten blanket he'd been wrapped in fell back to expose the near completely decomposed flesh. The skull was hairless but a thin layer of flesh was still stretched out over hollowed cheeks. The corpse was moved without much fanfare directly to Dr. Temperance Brennan's forensic anthropology lab.

Vincent Nigel-Murray was first to arrive after Cam had called them all in. He began the preliminary X-Rays as well as took notes on anything Dr. Brennan might want to see when she arrived. Agent Booth arrived first taking long even strides and looking around for Dr. Brennan. When he saw Vincent was alone he quickly barked out an inquiry.

"Got cause of death for me squint?"

"Dr. Brennan will want to do a more thorough exam but right now I would say stabbing is fairly likely." Vincent told him.

"What brought you to that conclusion Mr. Nigel-Murray?" Brennan demanded as she strode confidently into the lab. Brushing past Booth and no doubt missing his attempt to smell her hair as she did so. Vincent moved back so she could see the rest of the remains and Dr. Brennan's eyes lit with understanding. Reaching out Dr. Brennan curled her fingers around the knife that still protruded from the victim's chest and pulled it out with a firm yank.

"They delivered him with the murder weapon still in him?" Booth asked, the already strange case quickly becoming odder but Brennan shook her head as she examined the wound.

"No," She looked closer pulling back a bit of desiccated flesh to get a better look at the bones beneath. "There is very little evidence of bleeding, the knife was added post mortem."

"So somebody killed the guy, then stabbed him and left the knife?"

Meanwhile Vincent was examining the knife that Brennan had handed off to him. It was thin and made of some sort of black stone with a handle wrapped in leather strips.

"There are scratches on the blade," He told them reaching for a magnifying glass as he spoke. He held the blade under it tilting carefully to reflect the light on each facet of the hand carved blade. "There appear to be symbols, carved down the length of the blade."

"What kind of symbols?" Booth demanded reaching out to pull the blade away. Vincent relinquished it without complaint.

"I'm not sure. Did you know Obsidian has often been associated with healing? Quite ironic considering in early cultures it's high value was based on the ease with which it could be sharpened into a blade." Booth stared him down and Vincent glanced away. He felt an idea forming in his head but couldn't quite grasp at it. Something about those symbols seemed very familiar.

To focus Vincent began to trace through various fact's.

Centipedes on average have 17 pairs of legs nowhere near meeting the one hundred it's name suggests.

Elephants cannot jump.

Elizabeth Bathory was believed to be a direct descendant of the man who inspired Dracula.

And Vincent had it!

"Dr. Black!" He exclaimed drawing confused stares from the other occupants of the room who had been discussing ways to find an ID on the victim.

"I'm sorry," Vincent apologized quickly "It's just I was trying to think where I'd seen those symbols before and I realized it must have been in Harry's office."

"Dr. Harry Black?" Cam asked looking confused, "You know him?"

Vincent nodded.

"Yes I met him when I first started here. We often take tea in his office. He has all his imported." He trailed off as he noted the odd looks he was getting. "Anyway He's an expert in the occult. I daresay he can tell us everything we need to know about the blade."

Cam nodded slowly.

"Alright, I'll call down and see if Dr. Black can stop by."

1. . .2. . 2 1/2. . . 3

Lance Sweets took the steps to the Jeffersonian three at a time. Booth had called him in on a consult and he was thrilled. He'd known that if he stuck it out eventually they would recognize the value of having him around. Booth met him at the door and began speaking to him in a low tone as they headed towards the lab.

"Cam is bringing in this Occult guy and I want you to keep an eye on him." Lance looked at him in surprise.

"You think he might be a suspect?"

"I don't know I haven't met the guy yet. But he works here and the body was left here and the squint seems to think he's seen some of the symbols on a knife that was found with the body in the guy's office. Just watch him and tell me if he does anything suspicious. Lance nodded and braced himself to face a possible killer.

They entered the lab and Cam smiled walking toward them.

"I just got a call from Dr. Black he's heading right over, it was his day off but he's agreed to come in and look at the knife."

As if he'd been waiting in for his name to be mentioned a short, muscular man strolled into the room. He didn't look like a doctor. That was Lance's first thought, in skin tight jeans and a snug T-shirt, he looked more like a college student. There were smudges of last night's eye liner still smeared around piercing green eyes and black hair was tousled and stuck out in several directions. The man glanced around the room his eyes brushing past Lance and Booth to settle on Cam.

"Dr. Saroyan, I apologize for my appearance. I had a late night but your call sounded urgent so I came straight over instead of stopping at home to wash up."

"Not a problem Dr. Black, thank you for coming in on your day off. Here let me introduce you to everyone. This is Agent Booth of the FBI. Beside him is Dr. Sweets he's a psychologist who consults with us on some of our murder cases. Dr. Temperance Brennan and of course you already know Mr. Nigel-Murray. Everyone this is Dr. Harry Black, he specializes in the study of the Occult and looks after our History of Witches exhibit here at the museum."

Harry Black gave a small wave, and an awkward sort of smile to the group before turning his attention to Nigel-Murray.

"I saw this knife and I thought I recognized the symbol from that book you had the other day." Harry narrowed his eyes and stepped up holding out his hand for the knife.

1...2...3...

Harry's heart stopped in his chest as his eyes took in the symbol on the knife. He had taken the job at the Jeffersonian almost as a joke. He'd wanted to relax after the war and getting away from the wizarding world and Kingsley had offered the job to him. He worked displaying various objects while discretely removing anything that was actually magical and replacing it with an identical duplicate. Using magic he'd learned all he needed too, much to Hermione's fury, before being dropped into the Jeffersonian to replace the man who'd held the post before. In the two years since Harry had encountered several charmed necklaces and a few cursed objects.

The knife was entirely different, it practically radiated darkness as did the bones still lying on the table. Etched into the blade were dozens of different runes but they didn't unsettled him nearly as much as the one etched on the hilt. It was the symbol of the Master of Death and it had landed on his doorstep and that, seemed like one hell of a coincidence.

"You recognize the symbols." It wasn't a question but more a statement coming from the stern looking FBI agent standing nearby. Harry nodded slowly and opened his mouth to answer but was interrupted by a dark haired woman rushing into the room.

"Hey guys, I've got the facial reconstruction but. . .you may not like it." As she spoke she slowly moved to set up and display the picture, "I figure it's some kind of birth defect or maybe an injury. . . "

Angela continued to talk but Harry couldn't hear her, his eyes glued to the the picture she had drawn. The skin color was wrong as were the eyes, obviously Angela was trying to make him look human but he wasn't human. No eyebrows, a narrow face and two slits for nostrils. Unconsciously Harry stepped back from the picture bile rose in his throat. Impossible! It couldn't. . .he looked back at the bones and felt darkness again. He let it wash over him sending his magic out to greet it and the feeling of familiarity made his skin crawl.

His grip slipped on the knife in his hand and only Vincent's quick reflexes saved it. His friend looked at him putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Harry? Are you alright?"

Harry was amused to realize his friend didn't recognize the image. Vincent was the cousin of a french muggleborn girl who'd gone to Beauxbatons. They had been quite close so Vincent was 'In the Know' even though he was only distantly connected to magic. This was convenient for Harry because while Vincent knew he was famous, his cousin had a bit of a crush on Harry, he didn't really know all the details and mostly disregarded it.

Harry barely glanced at him unable to tear his eyes away from the decomposed body of the man he'd killed. The man who had killed his parents and destroyed thousands of life. The man who was supposed to have been cremated and and buried deep within the Department of Mysteries never to be seen again. Harry cleared his throat but when he spoke his voice was still gravelly.

"I have to make a phone call."

"You know who he is." This came from the psychologist who was eyeing him with intense interest. Harry nodded vaguely and looked toward Cam.

"Do you have a phone I could use?" Harry could tell from the way Cam looked over his head at Agent Booth that she was silently asking for permission. Apparently she received it because a moment later Cam nodded and led him toward her office.

1...2...6...5

Booth watched them go before raising a finger to his lips and gesturing Lance and Brennan to follow him into Bones's office. As Lance closed the door behind him Angela snuck in as well and Booth gestured for quiet a second time as he picked up the receiver and hit the button to conference into Cam's line quickly hitting mute and putting the phone on speaker so everyone could hear.

The line was still ringing and they all waited with baited breath to see who the other man was calling. Finally the line clicked.

"Hermione," The other man's voice was still gruff as though he was having trouble forcing the words out of his mouth.

"Harry this is unexpected. I would have thought you'd still be chasing whatever boy you'd brought home last night out of your bed." The woman on the other line sounded distinctly snippy and Booth choked back a laugh.

"Hermione!" But before he could continue his friend spoke again.

"I'm sorry Harry that was unfair, you're perfectly free to shag your way through every man on that entire continent if that's what makes you happy." She sighed "I just worry sometimes that you're run-"

Whatever the woman was worried about was cut off by a sharp response from her friend.

"Hermione! That is decidedly NOT what I am calling about shut up this is important!" There was a long silence. "Hermione?"

"You told me to shut up, I'm shutting up."

"Merlin! I'm sorry I'm freaking out and taking it out on you. I need you to get Kingsley for me. I have to talk to him."

"Harry what could possibly be so important? Are you in trouble?"

"No!" a pause "Maybe I don't know, it's not my fault! Just get Kingsley."

"Harry,"The woman's voice was stern, like a parent talking to a difficult child but again Harry cut in and his voice was different. Commanding and uncompromising.

"Hermione, Now is not the time Get Kingsley." It was a order clear as day and Lance was surprised by the total change in demeanor. There was a small huff on the other end of the line but then the sound of walking and someone knocking at a door. A moment later the man who must have been Kingsley go on the line.

"Harry what's happening?" It was clear whomever the other man was he shared none of the other woman's doubts about her friend. Respect was clear in every syllable.

"Tom Riddle is at the Jeffersonian." There was a sharp horrified gasp.

"But he's dead! I saw," Harry cut in quickly.

"Yes, he is. His body is here someone dumped it on the fucking front steps! With a knife in it's chest. A knife Kingsley that is covered in runes and the fucking deathly hallows!"

There was silence both on the line and in the room below where Lance and the rest were listening. Harry Black did know the ID but he didn't sound like a murderer. He seemed almost offended that this had happened. After a long moment Harry spoke again.

"I was told he was cremated." his voice was low and filled with a terrifying sort of anger. The man on the other end of the line heard it too because he began to speak quickly.

"He was supposed to be but. . .there was such a research opportunity." Harry scoffed and the disgust was clear in his tone when he spoke again.

"I don't even want to hear it. Just get the thing out of here, find out who left it and deal with the problem Kingsley."

"I'll send someone right away. I'm sorry about this Harry. I'll make sure it's destroyed this time." There was a relieved sigh from Dr. Black.

"Thanks Kingsley."

The line clicked off. There was a long silence in the room before Booth turned to Lance.

"So. . .murderer?" Lance shook his head.

"I don't think so. There's definitely something going on with Dr. Black but his attitude wasn't of a man who was afraid of being found."

1. . . .2...

It turned out not to matter because not even an hour after the call was placed the body was taken away. It was explained to Booth by his boss's boss who told him the body was that of an English terrorist whose body had been stolen from a top secret research facility. The body and all evidence was carried away and the staff of the Jeffersonian were left with many questions and no answers.

Dr. Harry Black had offered no explanation and Booth had been cautioned not to ask him about it.

1...3...

Lance Sweets had always been the sort to want to help people who needed it. He told himself in the weeks that followed his strange encounter with Dr. Black that the reason he kept going over it in his head was that Harry Black was obviously in need of help. He'd seen the absolute horror on his face when encountered with the body of the former terrorist and Lance was forced to assume that Harry Black had to have had contact with him. His friend had been worried about him. So Lance told himself he only wanted to help the other man.

He ignored the part of him that pointed out there were plenty of people in need of help who didn't have a gorgeous ass and startling green eyes. Plenty of people who didn't have luscious pink lips and wear eyeliner to clubs on the weekend. Lance disregarded all of this however because he was so curious. That snap change from scared kid to authoritative leader left something humming inside Lance and he just couldn't resist wondering. He kept an eye out for him whenever he came to the Jeffersonian and considered seeking him out but couldn't think of a good enough reason.

It wasn't until three weeks later that he saw Harry Black again. He found himself walking shirtless into the Jeffersonian, having realized upon leaving the Death Metal concert where a man had nearly died, that he'd left his briefcase in Dr. Brennan's office. He had washed most of the paint from his face but his hair was still spiked and his choker and wrist bands were still in place. He felt a bit self conscious with his back exposed for anyone to see but the halls were mostly empty because it was late and he didn't want to have to come back in tomorrow morning.

Harry Black was exiting the building around the same time Lance stepped from the elevator to leave. Upon seeing him Lance called out and ran to catch up to him. Harry stopped and turned to watch him run up with raised eyebrows. The other man was dressed much more professionally in a grey turtleneck and black slacks, holding a briefcase loosely in one hand. Lance caught up to him breathing heavily from his sudden unexpected run after an already exhausting night. He stood grinning only to blush as Harry's eyes raked him up and down lingering on his bare chest.

"Was there something you needed?" Harry asked finally when Lance could think of nothing to actually say he blushed again and shrugged.

"Oh umm. . .No I just saw you and you know thought I'd say hello." Harry gave him a bemused smile.

"Hello."

Lance nodded and stood for another moment suddenly unable to think what to say. Harry looked at him curiously before tilting his head to the side his eyes seemingly focusing on something behind Lance. His eyes widened minutely and Lance turned curious to see what had surprised him only to flush in realization. With the dark outside his back was clearly reflected by the glass doors of the entrance. His scars were visible in sharp contrast and Lance was horrified to realize he'd forgotten how he looked when he ran up to Harry.

Harry seemed to realize his concern because his face softened and he patted Lance gently on the shoulder in a comforting manner. It sent chills down Lance everywhere that Harry's skin touched him.

"You should never be ashamed of your scars Dr. Sweets. They remind us of where we've been, one day I'll have to show you a few of my own." Harry's voice was soft and there was a suggestive lilt to his tone that left Lance shivering long after Harry Black had disappeared into the night.

Author's Note: I sure hope you liked it. I always get nervous posting new stories so Please review and tell me what you think. :)