I was going to wait to update (hah that rhymed ) but I love to see all the views and response I can get back so I did it sooner. You're welcome. Now, I'm getting the vibe that you guys aren't getting that these appearances of this guy are the work of the same guy. So, to be clear, the fiendfyre setter; the creeper in the field; and this guy: all the same. Any time an unnamed person is mentioned in this story it's the same guy (he's the bad guy). I'll try to be more explicit in my writing, but thank you guys for reading it anyway.

Chapter 14: A Trip Down Under

"KREACHER," Ron bellowed. The man's laugh still ringing in his ears, Ron could not clear the image of the disappearing form from his head.

"Yes, master Weasley" Kreacher wheezed, bowing low again.

Ron reached down and grabbed the elf by the throat and screamed into his face, "Who did you let in here?"

"N-no one… master Weasley" Kreacher gasped, trying to pry the fingers from his tiny throat.

Ron dropped the little elven body to the floor with a clatter, and produced his wand. He concentrated for a moment and a silvery terrier leapt from his wand to sprint through the wall. He turned back to the quivering elf at his feet, leveling his wand as he spoke "Don't lie to me Kreacher, who did you let in."

"None… sir" Kreacher whispered between gasps and dry retches. "The house has remained empty since your and Master Harry's departure." Kreacher raised a shaking hand to protect himself from Ron's wrath.

Realizing his anger was directed toward an innocent, he slowly lowered his wand and moved to console the elf. "I'm sorry, Kreacher. I had to be sure you weren't trying to off Harry or something." He patted the creature's shoulders and helped him to his feet. "Now, really I am sorry, but once you feel up to it could you get us something to sober us up" he asked in his nicest tone.

Kreacher wiped the snot from his long nose and bowed again, "certainly sir." He disappeared with a crack, followed by a softer snap on one of the landings below.

Ron turned to his still snoring friend and kicked the half-tied trainer on his left foot. "Wha-" Harry started, sitting upright. "Whoseit" he asked stupidly before falling back onto the pillows.

Ron sighed and smacked him across each cheek. A loud pop was heard behind him, he turned to see Kreacher holding a bottle of the murkiest potion in a dusty tumbler. Heaving the barely conscious Harry to a sitting position, Ron and Kreacher forced the inebriated man to swallow it all. "Thank you, Kreacher" Ron said while making the now empty glass disappear.

"My pleasure, sir. I will let in your guests" he added with a bow before vanishing from the room.

"Uhg" Harry spluttered. "What was that" he asked moving his tongue in and out of his mouth, trying to rid the taste.

"Instant Sobriety" Ron answered dryly. "We have a problem" he finished, looking gravely at his friend.

_

Ron shared all he knew to his father, three Aurors, and seven other Ministry officers that worked the magical forensics of the house. Harry sat on the couch and never moved, he sat in stony silence staring at the wall in front of him.

"Right, well these guys are going to be here a while" Mr. Weasley said wearily "why don't you two get a room somewhere in London."

Ron got slowly to his feet and looked at his father, "wouldn't the Burrow be safer" he asked.

"No" Mr. Weasley said grimly. "Our friend" he said gesturing towards the ceiling "already attacked there once, with all the protection the ministry could offer. It's too easy for him there."

Ron looking back at his father, shocked. "Are you sure it's the same man" he asked.

"I certainly hope so" replied Mr. Weasley. "We have a major problem if there is more than one wizard that can penetrate the most powerful wards we can give" he added, his voice rising into hysterics slightly.

Ron nodded and looked at the still silent Harry, "C'mon mate" he said pulling the dazed man to his feet. With Harry following, Ron started to the door.

"Oh, and Ron" Mr. Weasley called after them. "Better stay in muggle London for now" he added with a grimace.

_

Harry shuffled to the doorstep and shut the front door behind them both. "Grab hold" he commanded. Once Ron's hand had a firm grasp on his shoulder he turned into the cold air and felt the all-too familiar suffocating sensation. They appeared in an alley behind a dumpster that contained fermenting fish heads. The smell was nauseating, though neither said anything.

"Where are we" Ron asked at once.

"A Place I saw once on a trip with the family" Harry said, spitting the last word out. "The Dew Drop Inn" he added humorlessly.

"Catchy" Ron responded brightly. Leave it to Mr. Weasley's son to turn a dangerous situation into an interesting adventure into the muggle world.

Harry strode forward, glancing around to check his surroundings before turning the corner to face the front of the building. "Let me do the talking" Harry said in an emotionless tone, and with that he opened the door wide and walked into the shabby looking lobby.

_

Harry and Ron both slept very little that night; Ron dreamt of the unknown intruder and the maniacal expression that held his face while he smiled at Ron. Harry thought of the intruder too, but without the face that Ron saw. Harry's mind kept putting another face on the shriveled old man. Voldemort's pale, snake-like face filled his head and kept him from rest until the sun's rays brought relief to his beleaguered mind. They woke and dressed quietly, choosing to leave for the office early, rather than sit and allow the last night's events sit in their memories any longer.

They apparated separately and landed in the ministry apparation point within seconds of each other. In front of where they landed were several other Aurors as well as the Minister himself. "Harry, Ron" he greeted each of them with a nod. "I have something for you" he continued, turning from them to walk away "if you could follow me please" he said over his shoulder.

"What's up" Harry asked urgently. "Who was in my house?"

The Minister stopped and turned back to face them, "I have no idea Harry" he started slowly. "But we will find out, and we will stop him" he added fiercely. A byproduct of his Auror days, Kingsley had yet to master the art of inexpressions and a stony, calculating demeanor. "Anyway" Kingsley continued, wheeling to march back towards the lifts to carry them to his office. "We have located the Grangers and we are dispatching you and Ron with one slightly more experienced Auror to bring them back. And Hermione of course" he added as an afterthought.

They reached the lifts which ended the conversation until the space cleared again. "Why so much protection" Ron asked, "are you expecting trouble?"

"Hardly," Kingsley chuckled, deep from his throat "but there have been Voldemort sympathizers as close as New Guinea, so we need to be careful." As he said that the smile slid from his face and the lift doors opened, giving Harry and Ron full view of the calamity that was the Auror department. People were scurrying across the room, cluttered with cubicles covered in pictures and charts. "Gawain," Kingsley shouted to a flustered wizard hunched over a table with three others.

"Yessir" he called back, hurrying to the Minister.

"Your newest recruits" Kingsley said while patting Harry and Ron on the back. "I think you should brief them as soon as possible so they can get started. I must be off" he added with a smile before shoving them both into the office.

"Yes sir" Gawain grumbled with as much insubordination as he could muster without being disrespectful. He glared at Ron and Harry "this way," he snapped. He led the two past all the commotion to a back alcove with a door, which bore a simple name plaque: Gawain Robards, Auror's Department. Robards opened the door and entered his even more cluttered office to begin shuffling papers around on his desk. "Have a seat, won't you" he snapped at them without looking up.

Harry and Ron sat in the two chairs in front of the overflowing desk and waited for their boss to find whatever he was searching for. "Sir, I understand we are going to Australia to bring the Grangers back" Ron said timidly.

"Yes" Robards sighed impatiently, "you both get a nice little vacation from this mess" he added bitterly. "Here" he said impatiently, "these are your orders. Read them then destroy them" he added, shoving pieces of parchment under both of their noses. "Now get out of here" he snapped again "I've got too much work to do to babysit a couple rookies" he said as he ushered them back out of the office and slammed the door in their faces.

"He's an alright bloke, once you get to know him" said a passing Auror. "Jim Savage" the man said, offering his hand. Introductions were made around, the usual glace to Harry's scar was taken, and the man called Savage was gone again, leaving Harry and Ron alone again.

"Right, shall we" Ron offered.

_

Hermione sat next to a snoring Ron in her airline seat reading her book, although she had read the same paragraph repeatedly so she sat in her airline seat and stared at her book. She knew she was being silly, but could not stop the thoughts nonetheless. What if I can't fix it, she thought. What if they hate me? Joe returned to his seat just then, distracting her from her thoughts. Joe was nice enough, albeit odd sometimes. He stood not much taller than Harry, nor any more different in his build. His eyes were also the same color as Harry's, but subdued somehow. If Harry's eyes were emeralds, hard and bright; Joe's where made of fabric, dark and soft.

"Can I help you with something" Joe asked quietly, smiling like he always is. Hermione had little experience with Americans, but the one encounter with American tourists she had was awful. "Are you ok" he asked, smile gone replaced instead with a look of concern.

She flashed an insincere smile and answered "yes. Just a bit nervous."

"Nervous to see your parents" he questioned, his smile returning. "What happens when you meet someone you don't know."

She laughed in spite of herself, "No about putting them back in their minds, and whether they'll forgive me" she concluded, her frown returning.

Joe snorted slightly and settled himself more comfortably in his chair "If my parents can forgive me for making their mirror talk, and not put it back" he added with a grin "yours ought to be able to see about forgiving you for saving their lives."

Hermione furrowed her brow, "why didn't they just un-charm the mirror" she asked.

He opened his eyes to beam at her, "because they don't know how" he answered with a huge grin. "They're both Gnymps" he said, resting his head back again.

Her brow creased further, "'Gnymps'" she repeated. "What is that" she asked.

Joe sat up and turned to her, "non-magical people. Why, what do you call 'em" he asked, his own curiosity peaked.

"Muggles of course. I thought it was a universal term" she replied, amazed.

"Apparently not" he responded. "But," he started again, "that's just where I'm from. It could be different somewhere else."

"And where exactly are you from" asked Hermione, completely enthralled by her new study. She looked at him like and anthropologist would look at an undiscovered Amazonian tribe.

"A little place in North Carolina" responded Joe. "A long way from here" he continued, looking past Hermione out of her window. She looked too, gazing at the sea below her. The Great Barrier Reef was directly below them, but stretched into the horizon. Hermione had never seen a more beautiful sight, she woke Ron to show him as well, he was a little too cranky to appreciate it fully.

_

Ron, Hermione, and Harry stood in the terminal in Sydney International Airport, waiting for their companion to come back with their one normal bag. It was purely aesthetic, as they could carry all they needed in Hermione's magically expandable bag, but it was needed to keep up appearances.

"What is the story on Joe" Hermione asked quietly. "Why is he here" she pressed with just a hint of suspicion.

"Easy killer" Ron teased. "If me and Harry didn't see anything in the seventy days we were living with him" he continued, "there is nothing to see."

"Ron's right Hermione" Harry agreed, turning to a flushed Hermione. "He didn't even ask me anything about myself. He didn't know anything about me" Harry exclaimed to a shocked Hermione.

"Ok, but what is his story" she pressed again.

Harry looked at Ron and Ron looked at Harry, both shrugged before Harry answered, "let's ask him."

All right. What did you think? I can already hear the screams now: 'You said this would be canon compliant, why is Hermione flirting with this Joe fellow?' Calm down my sensitive few; Hermione is just the type of person that wants to learn as much as she can and Joe gives her a chance to learn about another magical culture. This story will end with Ron-Hermy and Harry-Ginny combos. Anywho, please tell me what you think of this latest installment. Until the next time.