Harry, Hermione, and Teddy appeared in front of the familiar red-bricked department store that Harry had visited now eight times. It was nearing dusk, and the street was empty. Harry walked up to the old female mannequin and said, "Here on Auror business, to see Healer Malfoy." The mannequin gave a curt nod and beckoned them forward with a jointed finger. Harry, Hermione, and Teddy walked straight through the glass barrier, one after the other.

They appeared in the usual crowded reception room full of waiting patients. Harry wove through the crowd of oddly disfigured witches and wizards to the window in the front where the same blonde witch as when Harry first visited St. Mungo's sat.

"How can I help you?" said the old witch in a monotone.

"I'm looking for Healer Malfoy – is he in today?" Harry asked. "Auror business," he added as he flashed his badge.

"Yes, came in a few hours ago, he'll be on the fourth floor today – working with the long-term patients," replied the blonde witch.

"Thank you, ma'am," replied Harry. He, Hermione, and Teddy walked through a crowd of lime-green clad healers on their way up four flights of stairs. When they exited, they only walked down the hall a bit until they caught sight of Draco exiting a room labeled "Long-term Residence" and talking to a nurse dressed in white, following him with a clipboard.

"… and we must find a new lock for that door, Lockhart keeps escaping and wandering off – Potter – Weasley – what a pleasant surprise!," Malfoy exclaimed as he looked up from his own clipboard and stopped walking, seeing the three Ministry workers in their robes. "Eleanor, could you go down to the first floor and bandage up Mr. Agnes – his wife seems to have bitten him again," he said to the nurse, and she hurried past him and down the stairs.

"So, what do I owe the pleasure of the Head of the Auror Office and such a high-ranking Magical Lawyer, Mr. Potter?" Draco asked Harry.

"We're here on Ministry business; we've got some questions for you, Draco," said Hermione.

"What sort of questions?" asked Malfoy.

"Has Goyle visited you recently? Or been in contact with you at all?" Harry asked bluntly.

Draco looked dumbfounded, "Yeah – yes, Goyle came by a few weeks ago, asking for help – but I wouldn't hear it! I threw him out after that!"

"Okay …" began Harry, "Did he say anything else? Maybe about his plans?"

"No … nothing more than …" Draco trailed off. "wait. There was more. I received an owl shortly after, saying 'If you change your mind, meet us in Godric's Hollow', signed 'KOL'. I was never able to figure out what it meant until now …" Draco looked solemn.

"'KOL' … 'KOL?' …" Harry muttered to himself. "Not again …"

"Well, thank you for your time, Draco" said Hermione, seeing that Harry was dazed, "We'll look into this some more, and if we need to ask any more questions, we'll be back."

This brought Malfoy back, "Oh – sure – I'll be glad to help."


"'KOL'?" repeated Ron again, "How are we going to figure this one out?" Ron said as he played with his deluminator, turning the lights on and off in Harry's office. Harry and Hermione were used to this by now.

They were back at the Auror's Headquarters, trying to figure out what the initials meant. It was late now.

"Last time we just stumbled upon it; should we continue with the investigation and hope we stumble upon it?" asked Harry hopefully.

"Am I missing something? What is this 'last time' you're talking about?" Teddy asked out of the blue.

"No, Harry," Hermione replied, the lights clicking off and everyone ignoring Teddy. "This is our only lead, so I think we'll just have to go to Godric's Hollow and find out."

Harry's mind was still full of questions. Why Godric's Hollow? Was there a reason that this meeting place was in his birth town? Harry decided he would just have to find out.

"Well, I say we call it a night and head home," said Ron, putting the deluminator away in his pocket. "then we can decide our next move."

They all nodded in agreement, and exited Harry's office.


The four of them appeared in the garden of the Burrow.

"Oh heavens, it's you lot," exclaimed Mrs. Weasley, who had been bent over in the Garden and had apparently just been startled. "You're just in time for supper. Teddy, should I put out another plate for you?"

"No, Mol; thanks, but I was planning on spending the evening with my Gran," said Teddy. "I'll see you here in the morning, Boss," he said to Harry.

"Tell Andromeda I said 'hello', will you?" asked Harry. Teddy nodded in acknowledgment and he walked out of the garden and Disapparated.

"Well, dinner's ready, come on in," Mrs. Weasley said. Harry and the others walked up the steps, past the old Wellington boots and the rusty cauldrons, into the Burrow, where an extra-long table was full of food. Everyone was already around the table finishing supper, eating dessert; Arthur at the head with his askew glasses and his balding hair, an empty seat next to him and Ginny in the seat adjacent, then Lily beside her; beside Mr. Weasley was Hugo, then three empty seats.

"Daddy! Daddy!" Lily cried as she jumped off her chair and ran up to Harry and hugged him, as Hugo did the same to Hermione, then Ron. "How was work today, Daddy?" asked Lily.

"Busy, honey; I'm going to be having a lot of work soon," said Harry. "Why don't we eat?" he said, picking up Lily and putting her back in her chair, and taking his seat next to Arthur.

They all ate together rather quietly, only perturbed by Lily and Hugo recounting their day. Mrs. Weasley gave Harry second helpings of her delicious cooking, as she had done since he was twelve. Harry, Hermione, and Ron finished off with Lily and Harry's favorite, treacle fudge.

"Hugo, why don't you and Lily go upstairs and play," said Hermione when they had finished eating. Hugo and Lily both jumped down and chased each other up the zigzagging stairs of the Burrow.

"We need to talk about our plans for tomorrow," said Hermione once the children were out of earshot.

"Are we going to go after this 'KOL' guy?" asked Ron.

"I think we have to," replied Harry.

"Wait, what happened today boys?" asked Mrs. Weasley. Ginny too looked attentive.

"What's the matter, Harry?" Ginny asked.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione explained their day to the other three.

"… and then Malfoy said it was signed by someone named 'KOL'," finished Ron.

"This sounds very serious, Harry," began Mr. Weasley, leaning back in his chair, "especially because of what happened this afternoon," he said as he looked toward Ginny, "I sure hope you make the right decision and know what you're doing."

"Do you think you are going to go after this person?" asked Ginny.

"I think I have to, and I know you want to come, but you can't, hon," Harry replied.

"I thought so …" she said quietly as she leaned her head on his shoulder, and he kissed her head. Ron placed his hand over Hermione's.

"Well, you kids should go on up to bed if you're leaving in the morning," said Mrs. Weasley as she stood up.

"Merlin's beard, Mum, we're not 'kids'" said Ron as he got up with Hermione. Everyone laughed. Harry and Ginny stood up too and followed Ron and Hermione up the stairs, leaving Molly and Arthur at the dining table. As Harry walked up, he saw Molly turn on their old wireless.

"Why don't you go on and get ready for bed," said Harry to Ginny on the first floor landing in front of Ginny's old bedroom where she and Harry usually slept when they stayed at the Burrow. "I'll go take care of the kids."

She nodded in agreement as she opened the door and went inside. Harry followed Ron and Hermione to the second floor where Harry said, "I was going to read Lily a bed-time story – God knows she can't sleep without it – I can take care of Hugo too."

"Really? That'd be nice, Harry, thanks," replied Hermione, then Ron opened the door on the right and they entered Percy's old bedroom, while Harry entered the one across from it.

Lily and Hugo were playing with a set of Self-Shuffling playing cards by the light of the lamp on the bed-side table. Fred and George's room didn't smell of gunpowder anymore, but of the perfume of the flowers in the vase on the windowsill.

"Hi, Uncle Harry. Me and Lily just started this game, do you want to play?" asked Hugo, looking up at him from the ground.

"No thank you, Hugo," Harry chuckled, "but you kids should go to bed."

The two children didn't complain, but climbed into the two twin beds that once belonged to Fred and George Weasley.

"Alright," said Harry when the kids were settled and he pulled the Weasley's copy of The Tales of Beedle the Bard of the bed-side table. "What story do you want to hear tonight?"

"Hopping Pot! Hopping Pot!" Hugo cried excitedly.

"No, Hugo! You always want to hear that one," said Lily rolling her eyes, "Read the "Fountain of Fair Fortune", Daddy."

Hugo looked satisfied as he pretended to pull out a sword and slashed the air, so Harry read them Lily's personal favorite.

"… the three witches and the knight set off down the hill together, arm in arm, and all four led long and happy lives, and none of them ever knew or suspected that the Fountain's waters carried no enchantment at all,"1 Harry finished. He looked up and saw that both the children were fast asleep, so he leaned forward and turned out their lamp, kissed Lily on the head, and left the room.

Harry crept down the stairs. As he reached the first floor, he could hear the faint sound of "Cauldron Full of Hot Love" playing downstairs and the sound of the light shuffling of shoes on the floor that sounded like Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were slowly dancing.

Harry slowly opened the door to Ginny's old room and walked in. Ginny was propped up against pillows with a single lamp on her bedside table illuminating her copy of Quidditch Quarterly, which she was reading.

"How were they?" she asked as she looked up from her book.

"Fine. They were asleep by the time they reached the fountain," replied Harry as he climbed into bed next to her.

Ginny smiled, "That is her favorite." Her smile faded, "Are you sure you won't need me tomorrow?"

"Ginny, we'll be fine," Harry said as he kissed her on the forehead, "We know what we're doing," and he settled into bed. Ginny still looked worried, but turned off the lamp and went to sleep.