Chapter 4: Where Hearts Lie
The room, if one could call it that, had just three walls in which the walls were of a light beige color. Instead of bearing a fourth wall, this room instead had no fourth wall but a wide open space in its place. Harry and Hermione landed in this very room with a soft THUD as they arrived in Australia, many miles away from home.
After Harry pocketed the portkey watch, the pair slowly circled around, seeing the three windowless walls, as they then found themselves staring up at a squared metal archway, in which the word 'Arrivals' was printed against, in big silver letters.
Harry and Hermione ventured under the metal arch and down a long hallway, which housed no doors or windows, before the passageway opened up into a wide clearing. This open space contained a single desk, as Harry noted that another hallway was situated behind it.
A newspaper titled 'The Aussie Magical Press' obscured the witch or wizard that sat behind the desk. However, at the sound of approaching footsteps, the newspaper was set down, as Harry and Hermione then saw an aged witch. Her curly white hair was stacked in piles on top of her head, which largely represented a beehive, and in which at least five different quills were sticking out of. The witch also had round cheeks that looked as if they were home to two tennis balls. Her caramel-colored eyes peered over at Harry and Hermione from behind white-trimmed glasses.
"May I help you two," she asked, in a clear voice.
"Yes, um, my name is Harry and this is Hermione," Harry started, gesturing towards the two of them, "and we just arrived here from the Ministry of Magic in London. We're here to visit family."
"Hmm," the witch said, holding out her right hand in which one of the quills flew out of her pile of hair and into her hand. She started writing on a piece of parchment as she asked, "What is the expected duration of your visit?"
Harry looked over at Hermione as she answered, "No more than three days."
The witch nodded, in which Harry noticed her pile of hair wobbled dangerously.
"And you say you are here to visit family," she asked, looking up at the pair.
"Yes," Harry replied, nodding his head.
"What are their names," she asked.
"Daniel and Emily Granger," Hermione answered, "they're Muggles."
"Muggles, yes," the witch reiterated, as she made more notes on her piece of parchment. "And you said you are from London?"
"That's right," Hermione answered again.
"Did you hear about that war that had just ended over there," the old witch asked, "what a terrible tragedy…just some nasty piece of business."
At this, Harry and Hermione shared a look that went unnoticed by the witch.
"Yes, well anyway, is this your first time either of you have visited Australia?"
Harry and Hermione both nodded in answer.
"Very well, very well. I should tell you then that the wizarding community in Australia is quite small. Just outside of the Magical Parliament Monarchy, which you both are standing in at this very minute, we have a small town called The Castellum. There, we have a small tavern by the name of Impi's Inn if you need a place to stay. Do you have any questions?"
"Is there a place where we can exchange our money? I think that tomorrow we're going to be traveling around by Muggle transportation, but all we have is wizarding money," Hermione replied.
"Oh, not to worry, my dear, I can help you there," the witch said, holding out her hand.
Hermione retracted some of her money from her beaded bag, while she and Harry placed their currency into her hands.
"Just a moment," she said, as she placed the money before her, took out her wand, and gave it a merry wave. Instantly, the money transformed into Australian dollars.
"There you go," she called out happily, handing the money over to Hermione. "Is there anything else I can help you with today?"
"No, I think that's everything," Hermione stated, giving her a small smile.
"Well, then, just follow this hallway towards the atrium where you will find your exit out into Castellum. I wish the both of you a very good night!"
Harry and Hermione then parted ways with the witch with small waves of their hands and followed her instructions as they walked down the hallway and towards the atrium. Harry looked back over his shoulder to see the quill the witch had been writing with fly up to her pile of hair, where it nestled itself comfortably.
"Well that went pretty well," Hermione stated, looking quickly at Harry.
"Did you expect any trouble," he questioned.
"No, but you never know what could happen. We are in a different country which has different laws and procedures pertaining to witches and wizards. There's always a chance for problems to arise."
"Did you know that the wizarding community here is small," Harry asked.
Hermione shook her head as she responded, "I had no idea. But I guess that make sense considering Australia's population is smaller than England's."
As Harry nodded his head in understanding, Hermione suddenly turned to him and asked, "Harry, you still have the pocket watch Kingsley gave you, right?"
In answer, Harry pulled out the small golden watch, and showed it to Hermione. "Do you want to hold on to it? Maybe you could put it in your bag?"
"Of course," Hermione said, taking their portkey from Harry, "no problem."
As Hermione placed the golden pocket watch in her beaded bag, Harry looked over at her and asked, "So, Hermione, where do we start in trying to find your parents?"
"Well, I was hoping we could ask the owner of Impi's Inn if he or she knew of popular Muggle areas, and start our search there for my parents. That's where we begin. Then, if they aren't in the more populated areas, we can expand our search farther out," she answered.
"Do you think there's a small chance that your mum and dad decided to move away from Brisbane and to a different city in Australia," Harry asked.
"That's definitely a possibility, but I have a feeling they stayed here," she answered back.
"Okay, that sounds like a plan then. Shall we start right now or do you want to start tomorrow?"
At his question, Hermione smiled and asked, "Harry, what time do you think it is right now?"
Harry shrugged his shoulders as he answered, "Oh, I dunno, sometime in the afternoon?"
Hermione laughed as she said, "No, it's a bit later than that. Brisbane is around nine hours ahead of London. We left the Ministry right before noon, as we both woke up a little late. It's probably either around nine or slightly after nine right now. I'm guessing we were one of the last people to arrive here before the Magical Parliament Monarchy closed for the night. That's why the witch back there wished us a good night."
The pair continued to walk along the passageway before it opened into a large atrium. Looking around, Harry and Hermione saw that the atrium was made completely of glass. From the tall ceilings to the wooden floors, large panes of glass formed a wall, separating those inside and those outside the Magical Parliament Monarchy. Harry could see the small Castellum village just past the windowed walls, with its bright lights framed against the dark sky.
Harry saw that many different hallways led off in different directions to different parts of Australia's Ministry of Magic.
"Let's go, Harry," Hermione said, taking his hand and walking out of the Magical Parliament Monarchy. After the exited, they walked down a long flight of wide stone steps, as the building for the Magical Parliament Monarchy was atop of a small hill. They noticed then that a large clock tower was positioned at the foot of Australia's Ministry, with its purple hands pointing at the time 9:05.
As they set foot on the cobblestone streets, Harry and Hermione saw a small collection of people meandering about within the village. Two-story brick buildings lined these narrow streets, leading off to different blocks packed with a wide array of shops and eateries.
Walking past what looked like a small wizard's theatre, Harry saw a narrow sign that blazed in bright red letters 'Impi's Inn.'
"Over there, Hermione, look," he pointed out.
Hermione followed his gaze and saw the two-story tavern directly ahead of them.
"Nice going, Harry," she stated, as he smiled over at her.
Hand-in-hand, Harry and Hermione entered Impi's Inn, escaping the dark night that reigned supreme outside.
Harry's first impression of the inn was that it was quite cozy, as it distinctly reminded him of The Leaky Cauldron back in London. The first floor of the inn had four large couches and at least half a dozen cozy armchairs, all stationed near a large fireplace. There were windows on each wall that gazed out at the streets of Castellum.
Walking up to the desk, Harry also noticed that an opening to his left housed the inn's dining quarters.
"How may I help you dears out tonight," a middle-aged witch said, smiling over at them in a polite manner, who Harry guessed was the owner.
"We were hoping we could rent a room for two nights," Hermione said, looking over at Harry standing next to her.
"Of course, of course! Room 312 is empty right now. How about that room, yeah?"
"That sounds fine," Hermione responded. "How much is it?"
"That'll be ten galleons honey," the innkeeper said, as Hermione reached into her beaded bag and pulled out the necessary money before handing it over.
"Thank you, and here the two of you are," she replied, handing Harry a key, "your room will be up the stairs, taking an immediate right, and down at the end. Just for your information, the dining hall will close before midnight. Enjoy your stay!"
"Thanks," Harry replied, as he and Hermione walked behind the witch's desk and traveled up the wooden stairs. Taking their first right, they made their way along a blue carpet, as closed doors lined the hallway their room was in. At the end, they reached their destination, as its door had the numbers '312' in gold plastered against it.
Harry turned the key and opened the door to let Hermione in first. He shut the door after he entered and took in the room: it was quite small, with a lone carpet situated in the middle, where a small brown coffee table, a tan couch, and a red armchair stood atop of. A small coat rack stood against a lone wall, while a door to their left housed a bathroom, completed with a small sink pedestal, a round mirror, and a tiny squared shower. A large window pane was implanted within a far wall, its white curtains drawn against the night outside. A queen-sized bed stood feet away from the window, while a small kitchenette against an opposite wall finished off their room.
"It feels a lot different from Potter's Cottage in Godric's Hollow, doesn't it," Hermione asked quietly.
"A little too different for my liking, actually," Harry responded, "but it won't be for that long anyway."
Hermione nodded her head as she said, "Yeah, you're right, Harry." Hermione removed her beaded bag from her back pocket and set it down on the coffee table. "Are you hungry? Did you want to grab a bite to eat before the dining hall closes?
"Yeah, okay," Harry agreed, before the pair walked over to the door and exited.
Making their way along the hall, Hermione turned to Harry and asked, "So, what are your first impressions of the world outside of London?"
Harry thought about this before he responded, "Well, like you said before, it's definitely different. Before we left, I guess I didn't really have any expectations about other wizarding communities."
Hermione nodded in understanding as the pair made their way down the wooden staircase and past the innkeeper's desk to walk into the nearly vacant dining hall.
A large table packed with a wide assortment of foods and drinks stood to their right, as both Harry and Hermione walked away from it, each with a large bowl of cereal and a cup of pumpkin juice in hand.
As they started eating at a lone table, Harry asked, "Hermione, have you seen any other wizarding communities outside of London?
She shook her head from side to side as she replied, "No, I haven't. Although, the times that my parents and I traveled to Paris, I always wanted to visit their small village they have there."
"There's one in Paris," Harry asked in surprise.
"Harry, I'm sure there are small pockets of witches and wizards all over the world. It isn't confined to just London. It actually isn't even confined to Europe."
As Harry took in this information, Hermione added as an afterthought, "But I think the community in London might be one of the largest."
"You know, Hermione, I don't think I ever asked you about your vacations you took with your mum and dad," Harry said thoughtfully.
"Harry, you had more pressing problems to deal with than think about the trips I took with my parents," Hermione said, waving away his words.
"I know, but…I don't know, never mind," he finished lamely. Deep in his heart, he wanted to tell Hermione something that had been bugging him ever since the final battle finished but his head, for some reason, kept holding these words back.
"What is it, Harry," Hermione asked quietly, as she peered over at him.
Looking down at his half-eaten bowl of cereal, he said, "Back in sixth-year when you were fighting with Ron, you said something that I always remembered."
"What did I say," Hermione questioned.
Harry sighed as he relayed, "You said that I always took Ron's side whenever you and him were arguing."
Harry briefly looked up at her as she was staring at him with wide eyes. Then, she quietly nodded her head a few times before she said, "Yeah, I remember that. But what do you mean by it?"
"Sometimes, back when we were at Hogwarts and Voldemort had already returned, I felt as if I didn't appreciate all you had done for me. I mean, you've helped me ever since first-year, before you and I were even friends. I just always wanted to tell you that your friendship meant a lot to me, more than I could ever express in words."
Harry felt the back of his neck grow hot as Hermione's face broke into a small smile, as her eyes started to water.
"That's what friends do for each other, Harry. You didn't have to tell me."
"Yes, I did, Hermione. Because you were right, I did take Ron's side most of the time, even though I knew he was wrong and you weren't. I don't know why I did that or why I always agreed with him. You always had my safety as your first priority."
"Well, you and Ron had a knack of landing yourselves into trouble. But, Harry, I think you went along with him because he was your first, true best friend. Before you found out about the wizarding world and all, you always said you were lonely. Then Ron came along, and you paired up with him. I was just a bossy little know-it-all."
"You were definitely a know-it-all," Harry remarked, as Hermione shot him a mocking glare.
"The point I'm try to make, Harry, is that you trusted both Ron and I by telling us about Voldemort's horcruxes and took us along with you when you went searching for them. I don't think I can even express how much that meant to me."
"Yeah, but when we were away, it wasn't exactly like we were on a camping trip," Harry retorted. "We were in immediate danger almost all the time."
"Even so, you trusted us enough. That means a lot, Harry."
He nodded, though for some reason, he still felt troubled that he couldn't truly express his appreciation for Hermione.
After they finished their food in silence, the pair headed back up to their room, where Hermione and Harry both took their respective turns in the washroom, and changed into their pajamas before they decided to call it a night.
"So, Hermione, er, would you like me to sleep on the couch then, since there is only one bed," Harry asked, as his cheeks flushed.
Hermione looked back before she said, "No, Harry, you take the bed and I'll take the couch."
"No way! You paid for the room so you get the bed and I'll sleep on the couch."
Hermione shook her head back and forth, as she replied, "It was your money, too. The couch doesn't even look all that comfortable, though I think I can manage."
"Hermione, I slept under the stairs of my aunt and uncle's home for nearly eleven years! I think I can manage sleeping one night on an uncomfortable couch."
"Well I'm not taking the bed, Harry, it just wouldn't be right," Hermione said, crossing her arms over her chest, not willing to back down.
Harry, in turn, glared over at her, frustrated that she wouldn't sleep on the bed.
"Fine, have it your way, then," he said in aggravation, as he waved his wand, making a mattress appear on the floor of their room, coupled with a pillow and some bed sheets. He laid down in a huff and faced away from Hermione.
Suddenly, Harry felt a soft wind at his back. Confused, he turned over to see that Hermione had conjured herself a mattress, with a pillow and sheets herself.
Harry rolled his eyes as he asked, "Is it so hard to just sleep on the bed?"
"I could ask you the same question, Harry! I told you that you could have the bed!"
"Hermione, what kind of friend would I be if I took the bed while you slept on the couch?"
"A good friend, actually, since you did pay for this room," she whispered back harshly.
"So did you!"
"Harry, this is silly. We've got a big day tomorrow and I just want to get some sleep," she said, turning away from him in irritation.
Harry then turned away from her in a hassle.
For a while, all Harry could do was stare at their room door in the darkness, for he was still wound up from his argument with Hermione. He thought to himself why it was so hard to her to listen? Why did she have to counter his every suggestion? It was just like last night when the two were in Godric's Hollow, and she insisted that she would sleep on the couch.
However, ever so slowly, sleep finally came like a shadow in the Forbidden Forest, as Harry closed his eyes and drifted away.
After what seemed like mere minutes, Harry felt a brisk chill blowing against him. Peeking open his eyelids, he found that he was shivering slightly. Turning around, he then saw that Hermione's mattress was unoccupied. He looked over towards the lavatory but saw that its light had not been turned on.
Casting away his bed sheets, Harry stood up and observed that the white curtains of the large window were blowing softly against a night breeze. Silently making his way over, he spotted Hermione leaning against a small guardrail of a tiny terrace he did not know their room was equipped with.
"Hermione," Harry called out softly.
She jumped, clearly unaware that Harry was awake.
"Harry, what are you doing up," she asked.
"I could ask you the same thing," he nodded over at her, as he made his way onto the veranda.
She rolled her eyes before responding, "I'm just taking in Brisbane," turning her head away from him to gaze at the dark night among the bright city lights.
Harry and Hermione looked at the landscape of the city, in which dazzlingly lit towers roared towards the black sky that was painted above, while the moon could be seen off in the distance. The pair felt like two small beings, a part of a much larger city, sprawling with people going about their lives they lived at night.
"They're out there somewhere, Harry. I can feel it," Hermione stated in a somber tone.
Harry looked over at her. Something in her voice made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.
After a solid moment of silence, she continued, "But I'm worried."
"Worried about what," he asked gently.
"That they won't remember me," she stated.
"Why would say something like that," Harry posed.
"Even though I was and still am a bossy know-it-all, there was always this little voice in my head that seemed to will me to fail. It was almost as if it knew my deepest desires were to succeed and that I was afraid to be unsuccessful. Literally, most of my life surrounds the love I have for my parents and everything hangs in the balance of me finding them tomorrow."
"Hermione, ever since I've known you, you have always pulled through in succeeding. Why should this time be any different?"
"Because, Harry, there's always a first for everything."
"You shouldn't talk like that," he said more harshly than he had intended to, "you're talking as if you almost expect not to find your parents."
"And what if I don't? Harry, I took a big chance in modifying their memories and sending them away from home. What if something happened to them while they were here?"
"You took a chance to send them to safety, away from Voldemort and his Death Eaters, and the war back home. That takes a lot of bravery to do, Hermione. You did what you thought was best for your parents."
"You know, after they left, I tried to always remind myself that what I did was the right thing to do. But lately, maybe it would have been better if I just kept them at home in London."
"That would've been a big risk to take," Harry replied.
"I know, but I'm just wondering if I made the right decision for them. What if something happened to their memories that are irreversible? What if they don't remember me?" Hermione again whispered her last question over at Harry.
"Hermione, if your parents are anything like you, I'm sure they'll have no problem remembering who you are. You're the brightest witch that I know. There's no possibility that I can see in which you don't get your parents back."
"I hope so, Harry," Hermione said.
After they fell silent, another cool breeze swept over them.
"You know, back at Hogwarts, I ran into Mrs. Weasley," Hermione suddenly remarked.
"What did she say," Harry asked.
At this, Hermione smiled as she responded, "She wanted to know how Ron and I were doing…as a couple."
"But the two of haven't even begun dating, have you," Harry commented, as he racked his brain, trying to remember if Ron and Hermione had ever truly confessed their feelings for one another in front of Mrs. Weasley.
"No, we haven't, but during sixth year, I mentioned to Ginny that I still had feelings for Ron."
"Still?"
"Well, I guess I always had feelings for Ron for quite some time, and when I saw him kissing Lavendar, that's when I knew I had a crush on him."
"And what about now?"
"Now…I don't feel anything but friendship towards him. Unfortunately, I think that he doesn't see it that way."
"Is that what you told Mrs. Weasley," Harry asked.
"No, not at all. She seemed so hopeful that Ron and I were dating and all, that I just didn't have the heart to tell her that we aren't together like that…actually, I didn't have the heart to tell her that we aren't together at all."
"So what did you say to her?"
Hermione shrugged her shoulders as she replied, "All I told her was that everything was fine. Of course, she probably took that to mean that Ron had mistreated me somehow and she left to most likely go reprimand him."
"Actually, I ran into Ginny back at Hogwarts also," Harry stated.
Hermione turned to look at him as she asked, "And how did that go?"
"Worse than I would have wanted: she's still hoping that we're going to get back together soon enough," Harry answered.
Hermione nodded as she explained, "Well, I guess that makes sense. She told me at Bill and Fleur's wedding that after the war was over, the two of you would get back together again."
"But that's exactly the problem, Hermione: with Ginny, something didn't feel right about our relationship," Harry remarked.
"What do you mean?"
"I dunno exactly, but it somehow felt forced in a way, like it wasn't natural. I mean, I've always seen Ginny as Ron's little sister. Then suddenly, during sixth year, I started seeing her differently."
"Well, she did grow up, Harry, and maybe it's possible that you just didn't notice her until then," Hermione replied.
"I don't think it's that," Harry said, shaking his head slightly, "it felt like it was something else."
"Well did you tell her you weren't interested in getting back together with her?"
"In a way…I told her that I needed more time," Harry answered. "And I do…the last thing I want to do right now is think about our relationship. I still feel weighed down by the war. I don't even know when I'll be ready to start a relationship again."
"Harry, if she loves truly loves you, then she'll wait."
"She did tell me that she loves me. But for whatever reason, I think she loves the idea of me instead of well, me, if that makes any sense."
"Are you saying that she loves the idea of 'The Boy Who Lived' or 'The Chosen One' instead of Harry Potter," Hermione asked.
"Yeah," he responded.
"Harry, do you remember what I told you back when we first returned to Hogwarts?"
Harry thought for a moment before he replied, "You told me that I could just be myself, instead of accepting any titles the community gave to me."
"That's right. Harry, when you're with the right person, you don't have to change for them and that person doesn't have to change for you…you accept each other as you are. Relationships are all about compromises because no one is perfect."
"So then, how do I know if Ginny is the right one," Harry asked.
"I think you already do know, Harry, but you're afraid of hurting her," Hermione replied, "just like I am with Ron."
"So then, are we stuck – you with Ron and me with Ginny?"
"Only if we allow ourselves to be," she said simply. "They're hurting so much, Harry, their whole family is with what happened to Fred. I think that Mrs. Weasley wants what every mother wants for her children and that is she wants what is best for them. In terms of relationships and love, she pictures Ginny ending up with you and Ron ending up with me."
"I just don't see that happening, Hermione. Everything's changed since the war; in fact, I'm pretty sure things have been changing ever since Voldemort first came back during the Triwizard Tournament."
"I know everything's changed Harry, but I'm positive that's what Mrs. Weasley wants what's best for Ron and Ginny."
Harry shook his head and he said in a cold tone, "You know what, I'm so sick of doing what other people think I should do. Most of my life seemed as if I was never under control of what had happened to me, or my family and friends. When does that end, Hermione? When can I finally live the life that I've always dreamed of, in which I am in control and nobody else is?"
"You can start right now and take control of your life. But, Harry, you always had a choice, you know that right?"
"Really, because it sure seemed like people were making all of my choices for me," Harry spat out.
Hermione shook her head, ignoring his last comment, as she continued, "Do you really think, Harry, that Professor Dumbledore would have forced you into fighting Voldemort if you weren't prepared for it?"
"It had nothing to do with that, Hermione. The prophecy said that I was the only one that could finish Voldemort off."
"Exactly, Harry, but you always had a choice! Just because the prophecy stated you were the one to end him, it didn't mean that you had to do it!"
Harry looked over at Hermione as if she had lost her mind. "Of course it did! Why else do you think that prophecy was even made then?"
"Harry, why exactly did you go and hunt for horcruxes," Hermione asked, her eyes, Harry noticed, had started to blaze.
"To finish Voldemort," he answered.
"And why did you want to finish Voldemort," Hermione asked back.
"Because he was out to kill me! He killed my parents and was responsible for so many other deaths, including Dumbledore's!"
"Exactly! Don't you see it, Harry? You went to search for horcruxes to finish Voldemort on your own accord! You made that choice in order to save the wizarding world from him! You wanted to protect your friends, Harry, and the people that cared for you. You made that decision on your own, even if you didn't know it at the time. What I'm trying to say is Harry, is that you've always been in control of your life. You made a decision to face Voldemort in the Forbidden Forest all on your own. But the truth of the matter is that your decisions will have consequences, good and bad."
Harry thought over the words Hermione had been trying to drill in his head. It was true, that Harry wanted to save the wizarding world from the threat of Voldemort and his Death Eaters, but he always thought that that was what he had to do, what he must do, instead of making a choice to end Voldemort once and for all.
Hermione turned her attention away from Harry to focus on the cityscape that lay before her. She sighed in Harry's silence, as she gave him one more look before turning around and walking back inside their room to lie on her mattress.
After another few moments, Harry sighed on his own, his mind jumbled with so many different thoughts, as he too turned around and walked over to his mattress.
As he laid his head back on his pillow, he said softly into the darkness, "Good night, Hermione."
He shut his eyes as sleep quickly took him, so fast indeed, that he didn't hear Hermione whisper back, "Good night, Harry."
The following morning, Harry and Hermione awoke at the same time. As sunlight poured into their small hotel room, they both rubbed the sleep out of their eyes.
"Good morning, Harry," Hermione said, sitting crossed-legged on her mattress.
"'Morning," Harry yawned, "do you know what time it is?"
Hermione looked towards the room's kitchenette and saw that it was 10:15 in the morning.
"Just after ten," Hermione replied.
After a moment, Harry looked intently over at her and asked, "Are you ready for this?"
"It's now or never, isn't it," she asked, shrugging her shoulders.
Harry nodded his head at her as he stood to his feet and helped Hermione to hers.
"When did you plan to leave," Harry asked.
"Let's do so within the next ten minutes. I have a plan," she responded.
After a nod from Harry, the two took turns in the washroom, and got dressed, as Hermione grabbed her beaded bag from the coffee table and exited the room after Harry. They made their way along the carpeted hallway and down the wooden staircase, as Hermione marched towards the innkeeper's desk.
"Good morning, but my friend and I wish to visit Muggle Brisbane but we don't know how to do that," Hermione said.
"Oh, not to worry my dears, it is quite easy! Now what you do is you follow the main road of Castellum and at the end of it, you'll see an entrance to what Muggles call a 'parking garage', whatever that is. All you have to do is go inside the garage and out the other end and you'll be in Muggle Brisbane!"
"Doesn't the parking garage ever close," Harry asked, his eyebrows pulled together.
"Of course it does, my dear boy, but don't forget that we control that garage! It is blind to Muggles! They tend not to see much, do they?"
"Right," Harry nodded, "well, thank you for your help."
As Harry and Hermione turned to leave, the innkeeper suddenly called out, "Wait just a moment!"
The pair turned around as she said, "Listen closely, you two. I've been into Muggle Brisbane before. If you plan on taking Muggle transportation, it would be best if you took what is known as the 'Black and White Cab' instead of the 'Yellow Cab.' The latter is just a nasty piece of work. Do you hear?"
"Yes, thank you for that," Hermione said, smiling, as both she and Harry exited out of Impi's Inn.
"Have fun sweethearts," the innkeeper called out to their retreating backs.
As they stepped outside, Harry and Hermione looked both ways, before Harry took Hermione's hand and tugged her softly to his left, as they made their way down the early morning Castellum main lane.
After walking past two eateries, a women's boutique, and a small shop selling dress robes, Harry and Hermione finally saw the entrance to the parking garage which separated the wizarding and Muggle worlds in Brisbane. The entrance to the garage was quite unspectacular as all that it was was a square, framed in steel, with a rusted chain hanging off to its left. Beyond, the square opening glowed a dim green color.
The pair entered through the opening and found themselves in a wide open garage, vacant of cars. To Harry, it seemed as if this one-story garage had room for maybe twenty Muggle cars as it wasn't very large.
"This is certainly different from London," Hermione remarked, as Harry led her by the hand through the empty garage.
"Well, witches and wizards in other countries need to find different ways to blend in with Muggles, don't they," Harry said back to her, as they departed from the garage and entered what looked like a wide alleyway.
Harry and Hermione walked up a mild incline before they found themselves surrounded by tall buildings and green trees. They were standing on a large sidewalk as cars drove back and forth mere feet from them in the main motorway.
Hermione looked up at the building the alleyway had been situated next to.
"Rowes Arcade," she read aloud, making Harry also look up at the building. "Don't forget about Rowes Arcade, Harry," she said, "as the garage next to the building is our entrance back into Castellum."
"Okay," he said, nodding his head. "But now what do we do?"
"We call a taxi," Hermione said simply, "there are many here right now."
Harry looked at the busy roads and saw that she was right: at least a dozen taxis's drove by, some of them yellow cabs while the others were black and white cabs.
"The innkeeper said to get a Black and White Cab, right," Harry asked, looking over at Hermione.
She nodded her head in answer just as a Black and White Cab pulled up to the curb, seeing Hermione's outstretched hand.
Impressed, Harry opened the door of the backseat to let Hermione in as he slid in after her.
"Where you kids headed," the bald-headed driver asked in a rasping voice.
"Um, you see, that's the problem. My friend here," Hermione started, placing her hand on Harry's shoulder, "indulged in too much chocolate and now he has a tooth ache. Since we are new to Brisbane, we don't know where many dentists' offices are located and we were hoping you could help us out."
Their driver appeared to be deep in thought as he scratched his chin. "Well, I know of a place in the Ascot area. They have different practices over there on Racecourse Road."
Hermione beamed as she said, "Would you mind taking us there, please?"
The driver nodded his head before pushing his foot on the gas pedal and driving away.
As the taxi passed numerous buildings along the way, Harry leaned down towards Hermione and whispered, "A tooth ache?"
She shot him a mocking glare before she whispered back, "What? Tooth aches are common. My mum and dad talk about their patients with tooth aches all the time."
"I was just wondering where that came from," Harry remarked, returning to sit upright again. He then noticed that the driver had been staring at them in his rearview mirror. Feeling slightly uneasy, Harry turned his attention to look at the outside scenery they were passing.
About twenty minutes later, the taxi pulled up to the curb as he said, "Well, here we are, Racecourse Road! This street here as all different types of shops and restaurants and of course, dental practices; I'm sure your friend will feel better in no time."
"Thank you," Hermione said while she reached in her beaded bag and pulled out the necessary amount of money to pay their driver. As soon as he collected this from her, the two exited the cab and he departed.
Harry and Hermione stood on the sidewalk of Racecourse Road, right outside of a place called 'Caffe and Gelato Milany.' Harry then turned to Hermione and said, "And now we go looking for your parents?"
Hermione nodded as she said quietly so that passerby would not overhear, "When I modified their memories, I changed their names to Wendell and Monica Wilkins. I think what we should do is go into the medical practices we can find and say we have an appointment with Dr. Wendell Wilkins. That should tell us if my parents are in that specific practice or not."
"Sounds like a plan to me," Harry said, as together, they strolled along the sidewalk, looking at the different shops around them, trying to spot a dental office.
As cars whizzed past them on the street nearby, Hermione suddenly pointed and said, "There!"
Harry looked at a small shop several paces ahead of them. The pair hurried over and saw a sign plastered against the shop's exterior that read 'Holiday's Dental Care.'
"Should we try it," Harry said.
"I don't see why not, though I don't think this is the place. Come on," she said, tugging Harry by the arm as they entered through a set of glass doors.
Harry and Hermione marched up to the receptionist's desk, which was situated next to a rather large fish tank. The red-haired woman looked up, smiled, and said, "Do you have an appointment with Dr. Holiday today?"
Before Harry could think of an answer, Hermione suddenly said, "Oh, Dr. Holiday? I'm sorry, I had an appointment with Dr. Wilkins."
"I'm afraid that I don't know who Dr. Wilkins is. This is Dr. Holiday's practice. Thank you," the receptionist replied in a clipped tone.
As Harry and Hermione walked out of the office mere moments later, Hermione turned to Harry and said, "Well, she turned rather rude quite quickly, didn't she?"
Harry smirked as he said, "They're all competitors, aren't they? I'm sure it's somewhat natural. Anyway, let's keep looking, then."
After walking for a few minutes, Harry asked, "Would you like to try 'Smile Care'? It's located right across the street there."
Hermione looked over replied, "Well, it couldn't hurt to try."
After Harry and Hermione walked across the street, the pair strolled into the Smile Care and up to the receptionist's desk.
The woman at the desk looked up and asked, "And how may I help the two of you today?"
"I had an appointment with Dr. Wilkins at noon," Hermione said, smiling.
"Who?"
At this, Hermione's smile faltered considerably as she repeated, "Um, Dr. Wilkins."
"I don't know who Dr. Wilkins is. This is Dr. Shrodes' practice."
"Oh, I'm sorry about that," Hermione replied, looking crestfallen.
"Not to worry, there are quite a few dental practices around here. Many people get confused at times," she said.
After a quick 'thank you' from Hermione, the pair left.
"At least she was friendlier than the last receptionist," Hermione stated dryly.
"Well that's two down," Harry started, "I wonder how many-,"
However, Harry was cut off as Hermione suddenly pushed him violently between a narrow space between two buildings.
"What is it," Harry asked, looking around in alarm.
Hermione's voice shook as she said, "Harry, over there...that's my mum."
Author's small note: This is part 2 to Harry and Hermione's adventures in Australia. As stated before, part 3 will be posted later tonight (US Eastern time). Thanks for reading.