Chapter four up.

Damn, last chapter got a crapload of hits and so many people added the story to favorites and alerts. I haven't had a story this popular since ever, I don't think.

Just so we don't have it all happening the same day, I'm making this chapter takes place the day after.

Salemsoriginal99: Skip's my humor character, and the scene with him and his wife was intended for pure comedy. The "time changes everything" line- I just realized that by your comment. I'm glad you enjoyed it, and I can guarantee a Ron x Hermione encounter either next chapter or the one after.

becky whitman: I'm glad you like this story. I'm well at work.

L-Ae-D: I know many words… using them properly in a sentence is something else. I don't know why I do that, it's like, I know what the word is; I can just never use it right. Maybe I just don't know better, or I'm a moron- haven't figured it out yet. But in any case, I apologize, and I'll try to do it less often. I can't promise anything- sometimes I do it without realizing it- but I'll do my best. But I'm glad you like it, including my humor (which my friends say is bland half the time) and while Ron is a moron, I at least try to give him a brain.

zenon-92793: wow. I see that you do. In that case, here you go.

fanficmania101: I'll try to end this one on a better note.

ronweasleyfan5: I like it too.

Avanell: We'll see what happens next… now:


Chapter Four: Riddles in the Dark

"Miss Granger?"

Hermione snapped out of her thoughts. "Yes?"

"Is there anything else you might be able to tell us? A description of the assailant?" the Auror asked.

She sighed, "I've already told you all I know. Why must you insist on asking me all these questions?"

"It's standard procedure, m'am," he responded, "Now-"

But this time Lindsay interrupted.

"Really, this is stupid!" she exclaimed, "We've been here for the last seven hours answering all sorts of questions, like 'do you have any enemies?' or, 'is there something you're not telling us?' She's a Healer, for Chrissakes! Why would anybody want to hurt her?"

"We don't know, Miss Green, and that's why we're asking all these questions, so we can get a better handle on this case," the Auror glared at her.

Lindsay threw her hands in the air, giving up. Hermione just stared out the window, wondering why this was happening to her. After everything she had had to endure since she entered the wizarding world, why did she have to be burdened with one more?

Before another question could be asked, the door opened and another, younger Auror came in.

"Sir, the delegation from America just arrived on the compound. The General's in the main lobby."

-----

Ron hopped out of the Ministry van and looked around. St Mungos really hadn't changed much since the last time he had been there. Except for the fact that there were a dozen Aurors on sight.

"Weasley, DuMont," General Brownside stepped out, "You two remain out here as security. Rodyle, Loiselle, drive around the block a few times. Huntington, you're with me. We need to meet with the Auror-in-Charge here."

"Wait, why are we out here?" Ron argued angrily.

"Just do your job, Weasley," was all he got as an answer as the General and Huntington went inside.

Ron sat against the pillar. "I hate him," he said.

"Hey, forget about him, man. Ease up," said Skip, looking around, "we're in England! How often do you get to go to a foreign country?"

Pause. Ron glared at Skip, who turned to face him, realized what he had said, and gulped.

"Oh… yeah… right, sorry," he apologized.

The two sat in silence. Ron looked over towards where some of the Healers were and saw two of them loading a stretcher into a Ministry car.

A stretcher bearing a body covered in a white sheet.

"Skippy," he nudged his friend's shoulder and pointed, "look."

Skip glanced over and saw the body. "Aw, hell," he cursed.

"Come on. We'd better take a look," Ron got up and went over to the body, Skip following.

They stopped the Healers and squatted down to, yet again, pull the covers back to reveal a heavily destroyed Healer male.

"Jesus," Skip shook his head, "No matter how many times you see it, you just can't prepare yourself for the horror of it."

"It's Deviggio, alright," Ron put the blanket back on, "Clock's ticking."

"Yup."

Ron looked back at the building. What was Brownside doing?

-----

Hermione stood up to leave. This was all becoming too much, and all she wanted to do now was go home. But just as she went for the door, she slammed into a large body.

"Oh, sorry, I-" but she stopped cold when she saw who it was… someone she had not seen since the War.

"C-Colonel Brownside," she stammered, "What are you doing here?"

"It's 'General' now," Brownside answered coldly, "and what are you doing here, Miss Granger?"

"She's the one that was attacked, General," the interrogating Auror replied.

Brownside just stared at her, giving her the X-ray look she had hated back then.

"You never can stay out of trouble, can you, Miss Granger?" he asked.

Hermione felt herself go red in embarrassment. That incident rang out clear in her mind, one she would rather have forgotten. Fortunately, Lindsay spoke up for her.

"What the hell are you doing here? Trying to recruit more people for a suicide mission?" she sneered.

"I'm here, Miss Green, to track down a mass murder," Brownside responded coldly, "One that I hear you've come into contact with."

"Who is he?" piped up Hermione.

"We don't know yet. But we're working on it. I've got a group of American Aurors on sight. This is one of them," Brownside inclined his head towards an Auror with messy brown hair.

"Um, hi. Cameron Huntington, m'am," the Auror extended his hand, which was in turn smacked away by the General.

"Huntington, go out and inspect the body," he ordered.

"Yes sir," Huntington scrambled out of the room. Lindsay eyed the young man eagerly.

"You've been placed under our protection, Miss Granger," Brownside said, "your roommate too."

"And these American Aurors… you believe they can save me and stop whoever this is?" Hermione asked wearily.

"I believe we'll do our best."

-----

Loiselle bobbed his head to the music coming out of the "radio" in their Ministry car. This thing was a lot of fun, even if he had no idea what he was doing. All he knew were where the keys went, which foot to stay on while driving and which to break with, and what that little stick did. He also knew accidents were bad, and so far, he avoided them.

The radio, however, was the best feature. He had no idea how someone- or in this case, group of people- could fit into that thing and sing, but he didn't care, he loved it. He drove through the streets, just bobbing his head, sometimes heavily, sometimes softly, depending on the song.

"Can you please turn that down?" snapped an irritated Rodyle.

"As you wish, mademoiselle," he said with a grin, turning it down and ignoring the glare she shot at him, "How is it looking out there?"

She turned back out the window. "I'm watching everybody's hands," she said. "No wands out, no sudden movements, I get to go home at the end of the day."

"That goes for both of us," he rested his elbow on the window and placed his head on his hand while driving, "though I have to say, I am in more of the fighting mood."

"Men. Always looking for a fight."

"Hey, if I did not, you would be dead. Remember?"

She scoffed. "How is it every single time I make a comment about you, you shove that whole incident in Maine in my face?"

He was about to answer, but suddenly stopped, his brow hardened and he stared out her window.

"What?" she looked out to where he was looking. Nothing out of the ordinary. Except-

"Didn't the witnesses say he wore a large trench coat and a hat?" Loiselle asked.

A man fitting that description was walking down the street with his hands in his pocket.

"That's our guy!" Rodyle screamed, "Stop the car!"

"I gotta roll up the windows-"

"STOP THE CAR!!!"

Loiselle jammed on the breaks, causing them to almost hit an old wizard crossing the street with his grandkid. Both Aurors slammed out of their car and threw back an apology as they chased after their murderer.

They caught up to him just as he snuck into an old, decrepit, off-limits factory building and closed the door behind him. That didn't stop Loiselle from planting a heavy kick to the door, taking it off its hinges. Both he and Rodyle came in, wands ready.

"Lumos," both said. At once, a small light illuminated from the tip of their wands. The hallways were dark and damp, filled with many doors.

"Great. We've got to go door-to-door now," Loiselle muttered.

"Stop moaning," Rodyle snapped, "this place looks like it's been off-limits for years." She moved to the first door and proceeded to kick it down.

"You coming?" she asked her partner, "or is the 'Fighting Frenchman' chickening out?"

"Pfft. Please, sherrie, do not make me laugh," he pushed past her through the door.

Inside were large machines used for powering up the building. Row after row of engines lined the room, all looking worn with age. Above the room, a wide, rectangular window viewed down upon the scene. The two Aurors went through cautiously, using their wands to examine the machinery.

"You know, Rodyle," Loiselle said, rubbing some oil between his fingers, "I cannot help but think this equipment was up and running just yesterday."

Rodyle pressed her wand closer. He was right; this grease looked recent. Did that mean this place was still up and running? But then where was everyone?

"Keep your eyes open for anyone still alive in here," she whispered.

Loiselle nodded. He waved his wand around just to see if there was anything else in the room. The light fell upon a brown briefcase.

"Rodyle," he motioned towards it. She aimed her wand at it.

The briefcase itself was nothing special. It was small, rectangular, brown… hell, what'd you expect? But it was the fact that it was there, sitting there, all by its lonesome, that piqued their interest. An interest that it might possess some clues, as to the warehouse, what it was for, who ran it, and, by some stroke of luck, maybe belong to the killer.

Rodyle went over and picked it up. The minute she grabbed the locks, long since rusted away, broke apart and the contents came spilling out of the briefcase.

Loiselle flashed his light above the spilled papers while Rodyle read them.

"These are interesting," she said, "These are as recent as yesterday. The documents are showing plans for some sort of event coming up later this week."

"So?" he shrugged.

"So take a look at that."

Loiselle bent down and grabbed the edge of the paper just to tilt it towards him. The picture showed a giant machine, the height of it going past the picture frame, and the width just barely falling in the lines. There was a sinister atmosphere to it.

"What is that?" he asked.

"I dunno. A bigger question is where is it?" her eyes scanned the written documents, "It's not saying where it's taking place."

"Well, maybe it is just showing off a new power plant or something, I heard the Britain Ministry was looking into more of those."

"Get real, Loiselle. Whatever this machine is, it might just be connected with our killer."

Loiselle rummaged through the rest of the files until his eyes came across something and he froze.

"No, now I would say this is connected with out killer," he said.

Underneath some documents were pictures of all the victims of their murderer. All after the other, all directly after they were killed. Their horrified faces as they knew what was happening to them before they never thought again. All the blood and carnage that was pouring out of the large slits and holes in their bodies. Their mangled bones protruding out of their skin, making for a hideous, grotesque sight.

Rodyle turned away. "What kind of sick maniac would do something like this?" she asked.

"Well, I'm glad you look at me like that."

The sudden voice came from the afore-mentioned glass window starting down into the room. Both Aurors stood and whirled around, aiming their wands up at the window.

Behind the glass, they could just make out the being of their trench-coat wearing murderer. Unfortunately, they could not make out his face, due to the distance and the hat and scarf covering his face. He spoke in a deep, sinister voice, and his eyes gleamed like hazel jewels when light bounced off of them. He waved his fingers towards them and cackled in an evil-sounding laugh. His wand was at his throat, which was how he was magnifying his voice to reach down to them.

Loiselle was about to speak up, but Rodyle pushed past him and started screaming at the man.

"WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?" she screamed, "WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS??! WHY??!!!!"

The man laughed. It was a dry hollow one.

"What is the deal with these plans?" Loiselle called, holding up some documents, "What is this machine for?"

The man said nothing.

"Not talking, huh? Then how about you come down here and I will BEAT it out of you!" the Frenchman screamed.

The man only laughed again.

"Give me what I want," he said, "And I might just go away."

"And what do you want?" Rodyle demanded.

"Well…that depends on what you have to offer," the man never gave emotion to his voice. It was flat and lifeless, with a hint of dry humor.

"Stop screwing around with us!" Rodyle screamed. Loiselle held her back from shooting a curse up there.

"Come down here and I will SHOW you some real pain!" he hollered up.

"HA!" the man gave a loud laugh. "Stupid fool, I am beyond your skill .Stop me if you can, but beware. You know what I want. Give it to me, or I'll kill everyone. Let this be your warning."

Then there was a bright flash of light, and he was gone.


This ending, I like to think, is better than the last one.

A little shorter than the last one, but all in all, I think it was good.

My French sucks. As you can tell. I know no French. That might be why I took seven years of Spanish.

For the killer's voice, think Final Fantasy VII's Vincent Valentine mixed with Resident Evil 4's Bitores Mendez.

I like to keep the killer believable. Most people write their killer's to be talkative and loud. I don't like that. I figure, the less they talk, and with the less amount of emotion, then the more enigmatic they are. That's my belief and I hope I lived up to that, for the most part.

Next chapter- the reunion. Dun dun duuuun!

Review please!