Life is Like T-Rex

By: Sam Lincoln

Disclaimer: The characters from Harry Potter belong to JK Rowling and are used here without permission. The story image is property of Jenny Owen Youngs and is also reproduced without permission.

"Not trying to make you think this is some kind of great big deal I just know exactly how you feel I could be the thing you reach for in the middle of the night.

Let me be the one to treat you right."

-Last Person, Jenny Owen Youngs

Chapter 25: Great Big Plans

Ron rushed into the Auror's office with Hermione right on his heels. "What was so bloody important you dragged me in here on my day off? And what's she doing here?" He asked as he pointed at your mum who was sitting on top of my desk.

"I asked her to be here," I told Ron. "And I'll tell you what's so important once Robards arrives."

"You don't have to wait any longer Mr. Potter," Robards said as he swept into the office. "And I'm sure you have a good explanation for why these 'civilians' are here."

"Yes sir, Ginny's actually here as a consulting expert, and well Hermione's brilliant so it never hurts to have her around for advice."

"Potter I am familiar with Ms. Weasley's profession, and unless Harris has taken up Quidditch I don't see how having a professional player around is going to help us catch the bastard."

"Begging your pardon sir, but she already has. Ginny tell them what you told me."

"That list of potion ingredients Harry had; they were for the contents of a Quidditch Healer's kitbag," your mum told Robards as she held up the list from Goyle.

"I believe Harris intends to attack a Quidditch match on the last day of league play." I announced. "Or maybe even all of them."

"And you know these are the contents of a healer's kitbag how?" Robards asked Ginny.

"Because I've been given everything in that bloody bag!" Ginny snapped. "And I'm a fair hand at Potions so I recognised the ingredients."

"We didn't make the connection until now because while both Hermione and Neville know what the potion ingredients were for, they know nothing about Quidditch, and I've never seen the inside of a profession Quidditch team's healer bag," I admitted to Robards.

"That's why we have resources beyond your circle of friends Mr. Potter," Robards chided.

I blanched at the rebuke, even though it was well deserved. "I suppose I have no choice but to get better at that."

"Quite," Robards said with a barely contained smirk. "So what do you think this means? Is Harris going to try to tamper with the healing potions used by the league?"

"I don't see how," your mum said. "The teams all brew their own potions for just this reason, and then keep the supply stored under lock and key. I think the potions cupboard for the Harpies is even protected by a Fidelius Charm."

Ron let out a low whistle. "Blimey that seems like a bit overkill."

"Not if you consider how many Galleons change hands over each match," Hermione pointed out. "It makes sense teams would go to great lengths to make sure no one tries to influence the outcome of a match."

"Even so if there's anyone who could sabotage the teams' potion supplies it's Harris," I mused. "Oh the other hand it might just be his way of hinting at where he's going to attack next."

"Seems like an awfully obscure hint," Ron noted.

"And why hint at all?" Your mum asked. "If it were me I'd just show up without any warning and starting tossing Hexes around. Not that I've ever considered doing such a thing," she added quickly.

"Harry believes that Harris is trying to destabilise the Ministry," Hermione explained before I had a chance to. "And attacking the Quidditch League on its busiest day would certainly do that."

"For someone who works in the Department for Regulation of Magical Creatures you are remarkably well-informed as to the workings of this office Ms. Granger," Robards said as he glared at your uncle.

"That's actually Kings…er, Minister Shacklebolt's doing," I interjected quickly. "He gave Hermione a 'Most Secret' clearance in case we ever needed her help."

"Well if anyone has proven that they've earned such a clearance it's Ms. Granger, thought I will have to take the matter up with Kingsley. I would have appreciated knowing we have such a valuable resource at our disposal."

Your aunt's cheeks pinkened slightly at the compliment. "I just try to do what I can to help out."

"So then Potter, assuming you are correct, what do you recommend our next steps to be?"

"There's only one possible answer. We cannot let those matches go on as scheduled," Hermione said. "The risk is much too great."

"No you can't do that!" Ginny shouted. "Mad men be damned, we need the Quidditch League. If you call off the matches there will be hell to pay."

"Plus this is our best chance to catch Harris since he went to ground," I added.

"And if we can't stop him Mr. Potter? Do you want that much blood on your hands?" Robards asked as he gave me a hard stare.

I fixed Robards with my steeliest gaze. "I've been making hard decisions since I was eleven sir. It's what I do."

"We'll discuss this with Kingsley. He's the only one who can cancel the matches, or give us the go ahead to allow them to continue."

"I don't evny him having to make that decision," Ron said.

"Indeed Mr. Weasley," Robards agreed. "Potter you do realise the amount of manpower this operation will require?"

"Yes sir, I am aware of that."

"And that Kingsley is going to want a plan before he makes any decision."

"We will have something for you to take to Kingsley by the end of the day," I promised.

"Good I will go brief the Minister immediately about our concerns and then wait to hear from you. Excellent work once again Harry."

"Thank-you sir."

"And you too Miss Weasley. Your keen eye has probably saved a great many lives."

"Like Hermione said, I'm just trying to help out anyway I can," your mum replied.

"Well keep doing that. Mr. Potter seems to think he already knows everything there is to know about catching dark wizards, and I need people around who can disabuse him of that notion."

"Not to worry sir, I know how to keep Harry in his place."

Robards laughed. "I like this girl Potter, hang onto her."

"I fully intend to sir," I told Robards as he turned and walked out of the office. "Here Ginny, I'll walk you down to the Atrium. You probably don't want to sit around here while Ron and I review duty rosters and stadium plans."

"And if I do want to watch, what then?"

Honestly I didn't much care if she stayed or left, but I did want to talk to her in private, and I did not want to let your and aunt and uncle know that we were going off to talk. "In that case I would point out that unlike Hermione you do not have a security clearance so technically you shouldn't be in here." I winced as I said that knowing what would come next.

"Oh so that's how it is. You're pushing me away again?" Ginny fumed as she stormed out of the office. I admit I was so pleased at getting your mum out of the office that I did not pay all that much attention to what she said, or the worried look Hermione was giving me.

"I should go calm her down," I said to Hermione and Ron.

"Are you sure that's a good idea mate?" Ron asked. "She seems pretty hacked off. You might want to let her cool down a bit on her own first."

"It'll be fine," I assured Ron.

Hermione said nothing during this exchange, but if she had I imagine it would have been something like "Yes run after you idiot! This is your chance to set everything right!" Instead she held her tongue, mostly because she wanted your mum and I to sort things out on our own.

I dashed out of the Auror's Office, past the astonished faces of Aurors coming in to help with the planning, and headed for the elevator. Your mum had just stepped into one when I got there and I managed to stick my arm in the path of the door as it slid shut.

"Ginny wait a second," I said as the door rattled back open. "Give me a chance to explain."

Your mum stared at me balefully. "Explain what? You were pretty clear back there that you did not want me around."

"No I really wasn't. All I was trying to do was talk to you without Hermione or Ron knowing I wanted to talk to you."

"So your great big plan was to get me so cross with you that I storm out and give you the opening to talk to me alone? Harry that has to be the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard."

The elevator door started to slid shut again so I chanced it and ducked into the car. "I didn't give it a lot of thought," I admitted. "But it's also the truth."

"So you don't want to send me away?"

"No! Ginny that's the whole reason I wanted to talk to you alone." I took a deep breath before continuing. "All morning I've been trying to decide if Harris is doing this as a way to get at me. He knows I care about you, maybe not the whole story, but enough, so maybe…" I wasn't able to finish that sentence because your mum lashed out and slapped me across the face. "Bloody hell what was that for?"

"You were being entirely too full of yourself," she said. "Harris is not doing this to get at you." A sharp finger to the sternum punctuated her comment.

"I know that," I spluttered. "And I would have said so if you'd let me. I remembered what you said about Ron and how he and all the other 'nutters' as you put it keep the league afloat, and how the league is a more attractive target because it will be hard for us to protect all the stadiums at the same time, and for me to think I had any significant impact on Harris' decision making was the height of arrogance on my part. He isn't Voldemort, and the two of us aren't locked in a life and death struggle. He's just a thug looking to cause as much chaos as possible, that it includes you is just a coincidence and nothing more."

"You got me alone to tell me you pulled your head out of your arse? I don't see why you couldn't say that in front of Ron or Hermione."

"I'm not finished, because along with pulling my head out of my arse as you so descriptively put it I was also thinking about what to do with you. The thought of you out there, exposed, made me feel sick to my stomach. But," I said hastily as I held up an arm to ward off the blows I expected to fall. "I'm not going to do anything as stupid as to tell you not to play."

Your mum lowered her hand. "You're not?"

"No of course not. Quidditch is what you do, you belong out on the pitch, and nothing, not even a crazed madman, or over protective boyfriend, is going to keep you away from it. Though if I had my way you'd spend the whole day next to me, out of the line of fire."

"But aren't you going to be at Holyhead?"

"I haven't told anyone this yet, but I decided I'll stay here at the Ministry to coordinate the operation. As much as I want to be in Holyhead looking after you, the overall mission is too important, and my place is here making sure everything runs smoothly."

Your mum reached out and stroked my jawline. "As selfless as ever eh Harry?"

"I wish everyone would stop making doing the right thing sound like a character defect."

"And I keep telling you it's not," Ginny insisted. "It just…gets in your way sometimes."

I reached up and grabbed your mum's hand. "Well how about this for selfish. I don't care whatever happens in the future, I am never ever going to send you away. I did that once before and it nearly killed me."

Ginny bit back a short laugh. "I hate to break this to you, but it did kill you."

"All the more reason for me to never let you go," I said as earnestly as I could.

The elevator dinged to inform us that we had reached the atrium and the door behind us rattled open. We both stood there in silence for what felt like an eternity before your mum pulled her hand out of mine and moved to leave the elevator.

"You don't have to go," I blurted out. "Not if you don't want to."

Your mum grabbed me by the shirt collar and pulled me in for a searing kiss. "This is me being selfless. You need to stop this bastard and you don't need me in your when you're doing it."

"You wouldn't be," I protested. "And we could use your help. You're our resident expert on professional Quidditch after all."

Now kids this is what your mum wanted to say. "Oh no you don't! You don't make years of doubt and worry go away with a snap of your fingers you prat!" Instead what she said was. "If you really think I can help I'll stay, but Harry, you and I are going to have a little chat when all this is over, yeah?"

"Of course, whatever you want," I assured her. "That's probably for the best anyway since having this conversation here is probably a bad idea." We both paused to look around the cavernous atrium that thankfully was mostly deserted. I punched the button for the Auror Office's floor and the elevator slid back shut. "So what did you want to talk about?"

"I think we've had enough revealing conversations in a Ministry lift for one day don't you?" Your mum tartly replied.

"Fair enough," I conceded. "Have I mentioned how pretty you look today?"

"So what, you think you give me one compliment and I'll be falling all over you now?" Her tone was sharp, but I could see the beginnings of a smile on her face.

Deciding I had nothing to lose I summoned up all my Marauders bravado and flashed your mum a cocky grin. "Of course and it worked didn't it? And if not I'm fully prepared to keep on complimenting you until it does. Potters are nothing if not persistent after all."

Ginny closed the distance between us and reached up to plant a soft kiss on my lips. "You always have the best answers." She then pulled back, crossed her arms across her chest and stared at me expectantly. "Well go on then, get complimenting."

I was still singing the praises of her hair when we reentered the Auror's Office. Ron and Hermione were still there, pouring over scrolls and maps. Ron looked over at us and laughed.

"I thought you were sending Ginny home?" he called out.

I glanced at your mum and winked. "Oh she insisted she could be a help so I decided to give her a chance."

"And the compliments are for?" Uncle Ron always enjoys it when he thinks I'm on your mum's bad side; probably because he steps in it with your aunt so often.

"She's the best Chaser in Britain, not to mention the sexiest, why would I give her compliments any chance I get?"

"Don't we have more important things to worry about?" Hermione snapped in an attempt to get Ron and I back on track, thought I did notice she also gave your mum a look that said the two of them would be talking about all this very soon. Your aunt is one who is never keen on being left out of the loop.

Feeling somewhat abashed by Hermione's admonishment, though not by much, we got back to work. There is always time to take the piss out of a mate, and don't let anyone say otherwise. That being said, this was hopefully the conclusion to the most important Auror investigation since the end of the war, so I couldn't completely ignore Aunt Hermione's irritation over Ron and I's antics.

"What have you managed to put together so far?" I asked Hermione in an attempt to placate her.

"Just the most basic assignments." Hermione said. "You and Ron in Holyhead. Neville and Howard at Puddlemere…"

"Make that Neville and Ron at Holyhead," I told Hermione. "I'm going to stay here and coordinate."

"But Harry that's Ginny out there," Ron protested.

"I know mate."

"My sister…"

"I know, why do you think I'm assigning you and Nev to Holyhead? Ron I have to stay back and monitor the operation from the office. There are too many moving parts that need to be coordinated for me to be in the field. That's why I need you to be at Holyhead Ron. Keep Ginny safe, for me." Now Uncle Ron will always be protective of your mum. Just like how James and Albus will always look out for you Lily. It's how older siblings are wired. But that was the moment when Uncle Ron realised no matter how protective he felt towards Ginny I would be more so, and that I was asking him to keep her safe for me.

Ron nodded. "Alright then, Nev and I in Holyhead, Howards and Lefours to Puddlemere…"

We spent the rest of the day planning for the protection of all the league matches. As it turned out having your mum there was a tremendous help. She talked us out of many ideas that would have been too unwieldy, or just flat out refused by the teams. I'm sure if she had left the results of that day would have been very different. As it was, when Robards returned with Minister Shacklebolt we had what we were convinced was the best possible plan for stopping Harris. Then of course on the day all that changed, but I'm getting to that.

Author's Notes: Another chapter of table-settling, but at least in this episode issues got talked through, exciting! Until next time, when we barrel into the first part of a four part conclusion. More people talk sternly to another, and I make the single most nerdy, and obscure, joke in the history of ever, only slight hyperbole. Thanks again everyone for following along.

-sam, 2013-07-29