Disclaimer: None of the characters from the Harry Potter series belong to me, only new characters I have created within this story.

A/N: Many thanks to my beta

The streets were deserted as Harry and Hermione made their way to The Three Broomsticks, no doubt due to the events of earlier that evening. Even as they arrived barely anyone was to be seen – Madame Rosmerta sat at the counter, drinking a lime-green liquid, a couple of shifty-looking men were sat around the fireplace playing cards, and McGonagall sat in a corner next to a young freckled man with red hair.

"Ron!" Hermione yelled, letting go of Harry's hand and running to her boyfriend.

"Blimey Hermione! You didn't half give me a scare!" Ron laughed as he hugged her. He looked up at Harry and smiled. "Hello stranger. Been looking after her I see."

"Come on, Ron – you know it's her that looks after me!" The three of them laughed together before Harry turned to McGonagall and handed over the Death Eater mask.

"Good gracious, Potter! Where did you get that?"

"We ran into a bit of trouble down town." Harry continued to explain their close encounter with the three Death Eaters.

"And the other two are still down there?" McGonagall asked.

"Yes – obviously being pulled from the test the way we were, we have no official paperwork or means of communication to the Ministry."

"Not to mention we don't know what to do in situations like this!" Hermione added. "What do we do with their bodies?"

"I'll deal with that," McGonagall reassured her. "The next course of action should probably be to make your way back to the Ministry. The Minister of Magic has informed me he has captured the imposters and has them under guard in the court rooms before they are sent to Azkaban tomorrow. You might have better luck getting through to them than the Minister's interrogators."

"Sounds like a good place to start," Harry agreed. "What do you think, Hermione?"

"I agree," she replied through a sip of Ron's butterbeer. "We'll stay here tonight and head out first thing."

"In that case, I shall head back to the school." McGonagall rose to leave. "Lot's to do, so little time. Dumbledore made being headmaster look easy. Needless to say it's been putting the strain on me lately." She smiled at the three friends. "I'll keep you posted on any more developments at this end. Goodnight."

"Goodnight," they all replied before continuing their catch-up. Ron was now teaching Defence Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts, and seemed to be enjoying it thoroughly. Yet there was something about him that unsettled Harry slightly – he just could not place what it was.

"But apart from that, nothing new has really happened," he finished, taking a swig from his pint glass. "So, you two are Aurors now! Congratulations! I know that was a tough year."

"Thanks," Harry replied. "We kind of started without realising it – it's been a mad twenty-four hours!" He looked down at his watch. "You know what, I'll just head up to bed. Give you two a chance to catch up properly.

"Yeah… ok…" Ron muttered, fidgeting with his glass. Hermione looked at him awkwardly, then turned to Harry, forcing a smile.

"See you in the morning Harry!"

"Night Hermione." As he reached the door to the stairs, he looked back at his two friends, expecting to see them kissing, or hugging, or at least holding hands. But all he could see was Ron looking at his shoes awkwardly and Hermione sipping at her butterbeer. Whatever happened tonight, Harry had a feeling tomorrow would only bring more misery.

/ - / - / - /

Harry woke to the sound of rain. Grabbing his glasses, he pulled them on and walked towards the window, pulling the curtains apart as he reached it. Sure enough, his eyes met with the sight of rain bouncing off the cobbles, small streams of water flowing down the hills, and murky grey clouds hovering above it all ominously, threatening to strike down with lightning; the castle was hidden from view.

He pulled on his clothes and walked downstairs for breakfast. As he walked past Hermione's room, he noticed the door was ajar. He knocked on it lightly. No answer. He knocked harder. No answer again.

"Hermione?" Harry pushed the door open, revealing a neat, tidy little bedroom, bed made and curtains open.

She must be eating breakfast with Ron, he thought as he walked down the stairs to the bar. Opening the door, he met a scene very similar to the night before, the only movement being Madame Rosmerta sipping from a mug behind the bar and what Harry could have sworn to be the same three men as the night before playing cards in front of the fireplace. In the back corner of the room sat Hermione, picking at a slice of bacon with her fork. Ron was nowhere to be seen.

Grabbing a plate of food Rosmerta had pulled out for him when she noticed Harry enter, he made his way to Hermione and sat next to her. Her eyes were red and puffy. Harry dreaded the worst.

"Are you ok Hermione?"

She sniffed, then smiled sadly. "No Harry. I'm not ok."

Harry hung off as long as he could from asking the question, but the silence was killing him. Eventually, he gave in.

"Um, where's Ron?"

"Hmm?"

"Ron? Where's Ron? Was everything ok last –"

"No Harry." Hermione snapped. "Everything was not 'ok' last night. Ron's… He's been… Ron's a prick." Harry nearly choked on a piece of toast. "He is a foul, good for nothing, disgusting little toad!" She slammed her plate on the table, causing it to break and sending the last piece of bacon falling to the floor as she stormed off out of the pub. Harry sat several seconds, unsure what to do, before getting up and running after her.

"Hermione!" Harry shouted as the cold rain hit his face. He could see her up ahead, pulling her wand out. "Hermione, come with me! Let's get out of here – let's get to the Ministry. We can talk more about this when we are warm and dry…" Harry reached her side and realised why she had unsheathed her wand. "Hermi –"

"Shhhh!"

One hundred yards ahead, standing tall and proud against the buildings around him, stood a centaur. He had chestnut-brown hair and dark eyes – eyes that were fixed fiercely on the two Aurors.

Harry pulled out his wand. "Hermione, why don't we just talk to him?"

"Because he's different."

"But how do you know that?"

"For a start, he's in the town!" Hermione hissed. "Centaurs in this area keep to the Forbidden Forrest. They are rarely disturbed there. And look at his shoulder." Harry focused. It was hard to see through the rain, but he could just make out some kind of tattoo on his right shoulder. "I think he's a rogue, but if he is, what is he doing this close to such a densely-populated magical community?"

"Um… sightseeing?" Hermione rolled her eyes at Harry for a moment, then cracked a smile.

As Harry smiled back, he noticed movement in the corner of his eye. Looking up, he noticed the centaur had disappeared.

"Where did he go?" Harry asked, starting to walk up the hill.

"I don't know…" Hermione followed behind him, wand at the ready. "He was there just a moment ago, and then – gone."

As they reached the crossroads where the centaur had stood, they looked out into the distance. No matter which direction they looked, he could not be seen. There was nowhere nearby for him to hide and no trees for a good five hundred yards in any direction.

"Harry… where could he be?" Hermione asked, puzzled.

"I don't know…" He flicked his wand. "Revelio Soulaeus!" Nothing happened.

"Come on," Hermione linked her arm around Harry's and smiled. "Let's get out of this rain!"

"But what about the centaur?"

"Don't worry about him," she suggested quietly. "He's nowhere to be seen, and he doesn't appear to be a threat to the village, which means we have more important things to attend to. However," she pulled out her wand again, "I am just as curious as you are. I'll put a trigger in place on this crossroads. It'll span past the length of Hogsmeade. If he passes the boundary, we'll know about it." Hermione made quick work of the alarm system, taking just a few short minutes of repeated incantation. "There! If he heads back into Hogsmeade, we'll know about it right away!"

"You're brilliant Hermione," Harry laughed.

"Nope," she replied. "I just paid attention to Flitwick in Charms class." Looking much more cheerful, she grabbed Harry's hand and smiled. "To the Ministry?"

"To the Ministry," he replied.

As the two young Aurors disapparated, a shadow stirred behind the downpour of rain.

A/N: Revelio Soulaeus – a spell I have created which should reveal any hidden living presence