After those who had been on the morning run were washed and changed, a quick and hurried breakfast was had by all of us. As breakfast was being cleared away, I noticed Dave carrying what looked like a set of documents over to Julian and possibly another set for Bill. Curious as to what they were, I wandered over myself to see if I could find out what was going on. I arrived just as Dave had caught up with Julian.

"Monsieur Delacour, a moment please," Dave called to him (a little formally) as the Delacour's were making their way back to their tent. "If I may Sir, I would like to ask you to please have a read over this before I submit it." Dave requested as he held up a file of parchment.

"What is it?" Julian asked as he regarded the file Dave was holding.

"It is a copy of the formal report on the incidents that occurred here on Thursday." Dave explained, "As part of the report covers what happened to Gabrielle, I'm required by law to present a copy of it to her parents." He advised.

"You will need to read it." He requested, "Not the entire report, just the part that I have indicated that concerns the events directly relating to Gabrielle. Then if you have no objections regarding what has been written, you can approve it for submission, or highlight the parts that you don't agree with. They can then be re-worked so that they meet with your approval, while still meeting the facts of the events." Dave explained looking slightly embarrassed.

"I see." Julian replied while regarding Dave approvingly, "I will read over it and advise you of my findings shortly." He advised Dave.

"Thank you," Dave answered.

"If you have no objections I would also like to request your approval to make a redacted copy, of that same section of the report, available to the Indonesian Ministry of Magic." Dave requested, "They made a copy of a similar report available to us. It covered one of their Aurors who had been killed by a cursed knife that was almost identical to the one used on Gabrielle. Bill was able to read over that report while we were getting things prepared to make an attempt to heal Gabrielle." Dave explained.

"I would like to return the favour to them, for their help to us." He advised. "Gabrielle's name will not be mentioned in the report that they get to see, nor will the names of the Weasley family or their home be mentioned either. As per standard practice."

"Understood." Julian replied, "If I find no issues with your report I will be happy to give my approval for it to be shared as you mentioned." He stated.

"Once again, you have my thanks," Dave replied gratefully. "Bill, this is a copy for you to read over as well. To make sure I have accurately recorded all that we did and discussed." Dave advised as he presented Bill with the other report.

"Thank you, Dave." Bill replied while trying to hide his amusement, "I will read over it and get back to you shortly." He advised.

"Excellent. Thanks." Dave answered as he quickly smiled at Gabrielle before heading off back to his tent.

"He seemed almost nervous, just now." Bill chuckled to Julian as they headed into their tent.

"Oui, he did." Julian replied showing his amusement at the incident, "There must be some good reading in this report of his." He chuckled as he followed Apolline into the tent and they sat at the kitchen table. I could see them begin to read Dave's report. This jolted my memory around some books that Dave had promised to look up for me. With that thought in mind, I made my way over to his tent.

Walking into Dave's tent, I found him working on his vest with the Bunyip scales on it. He noticed me enter and waved me to a seat at the kitchen table.

"What can I do for you this fine morning Hermione?" He asked me as he continued to work on his vest.

"I came to ask if you had managed to locate those books on the Talismans that you told me about." I reminded him. He quickly looked up at me with a slightly alarmed expression.

"Boggarts." He exclaimed, "They had almost slipped my mind." He said as he got up from the table and crossed to one of the many bookshelves in his tent.

He returned carrying two rather heavy looking books.

"These two should get you going for starters." He explained as he placed them on the table. "That first one discusses personal Talismans in general, how they were first discovered and their evolution over the centuries."

"The second one goes more into the different types of Talismans along with what they can do and a little on how they go about achieving that."

"The first half of the second book covers 'targeted' Talismans of the type that I made for the attempt on Gabrielle." He explained, "While the second half of the book deals more with the type of Talisman that you are currently wearing."

"When Kingsley gets the laws here on Sorcery sorted out, you can borrow the book that covers their actual creation." He promised me.

"Thank you," I replied as I eagerly collected the books, while also trying to see what he was doing with his vest. He noticed my curiosity and happily explained to me what he was doing.

"I'm changing out the Bunyip scales that were 'killed' when those two killing curses struck me yesterday." He explained, "I got most of them changed out last night, but ended up having to go to bed with it mostly done. As it is a rather tedious process to carry out."

"When we get home, I'm going to have a chat with Jackie to see if she has any ideas on how to simplify this process."

"Not that I'm planning on getting hit by any more killing curses." He quickly clarified with an embarrassed chuckle.

"I understand," I told him with a smile. "May I see them?" I asked indicating the scales that he had out on the desk.

"Of course, you can." He replied as he pulled out a seat next to him. "Just be careful when you pick them up as their edges can sometimes be very sharp."

I indicated my understanding of this and then eagerly picked up one of the scales that was 'alive'. It was very light and gorgeous to look at. When I mentioned this to Dave, he answered a little sadly.

"Yes, they are gorgeous to look at." Dave agreed, "That is part of the reason why there are so few Bunyips around today compared to a few hundred years ago." He advised. Seeing the question on my face, he explained further.

"With the arrival of people from Europe and Asia into Australia during its colonisation, the number of interactions with the Bunyip population increased drastically." He explained, "The muggles who saw the Bunyips called them monsters and tried to shoot them. Thankfully muggle firearms of the period were of little use against the Bunyips."

"It was the witches and wizards who saw the Bunyips that were the most dangerous." He said sadly, "At first they simply drove them out of their lands or frightened them off. But eventually, they came to try and capture them and experiment with them to see if they were useful in potions or for other purposes. They never took the time to try and learn about them."

"Then when the Bunyip's scales were noticed they quickly became a prized item. For even when they have 'died' they are still beautiful to behold."

Dave then showed me one of the 'dead' scales that he had removed from the vest. While it wasn't as lovely as one of the 'alive' scales, it did have a remarkable beauty all of its own.

"Those early settler witches and wizards devised several truly horrible spells to strip Bunyips of their scales so that they could be collected for fashion or other decorative purposes. They didn't care at all about the state it left the Bunyips themselves in after they had been stripped of their scales."

"When this started to happen, the Bunyips began to fight back to protect their lands and families," Dave explained sadly.

"That was when the trouble really began, as the manipulative and the greedy quickly saw a way to turn this situation to their own profit. They fed stories into the magical population about Bunyip's going on rampages, killing indiscriminately and eating those that they have killed." He said shaking his head in disbelief.

"While an enraged Bunyip is a truly terrifying sight they will only kill if they are left with no other choice. They certainly do not eat humans either, despite all the stories that say otherwise."

"The Ministry of the day stepped in and 'helped' clear Bunyip's from large areas of the country." Dave explained, "This, of course, dwindled their range drastically."

"If it weren't for the local Aboriginal people actively hiding the Bunyips along with some compassionate settlers they would have been driven to extinction."

"It has only been since the late 1950's that official laws were brought in to protect Bunyips and even then, they were rarely enforced."

"Since then it has been slow going, getting laws of sufficient strength with sufficient penalties in place enacted to provide real protection for them. Likewise getting dedicated areas of protected habitat set aside has been difficult also."

"You care about the Bunyip's a great deal, don't you?" I asked Dave very interested in his answer.

"I do." He replied simply as his eyes took on a bit of a faraway look, "I'll be the first to admit that some of their forms can appear monstrous if you came upon them unawares." He explained.

"All it takes though is a little time to observe how they interact with each other. When you do that, you can clearly see the Bunyips true nature."

"They care for and support each other in a way that you just have to admire. Even other creatures they will look after to a certain extent. Provided they are not hungry at the time that is." He added with a laugh. I had to laugh as well when he said that. We both heard laughter coming from the door at this point. I Looked up and saw Gabrielle standing at the door, listening to the conversation with apparent interest. Dave quickly waved her to a seat where she could also clearly see what was going on.

"How did you get to be accepted by them?" I asked Dave, and I could see Gabrielle's eyes show her interest in this topic also. "As your parents said that you are allowed by them to approach their actual campsites."

Smiling at a memory of some sort Dave explained. "Grandpa had taken me up to visit the Bunyip's one day. While he was in their camp 'talking' with Big Jim, I was seated on a log, which was on the top of a small hill just outside of their camp. I was just watching them, as I found them endlessly fascinating."

"While I was watching them, I became aware of something watching me."

"I quickly did a check of the area to make sure it wasn't anything dangerous like a Yowie or a Drop Bear."

"What I found was that one of the younger Bunyips, Big Jim's Grandson to be precise, had come over to check me out. As he hadn't seen a young human before."

"When I noticed him watching me from such close range I got quite a fright. This caused me to jump back off the log I was sitting on. When I did this, I instinctively changed my form to something that roughly resembled a Bunyip." He said with a half-smile. "My form was far from perfect, but it was close enough to make it clear to all those watching what I had tried to do."

"Unknown to the two of us Big Jim and Grandpa had the seen the incident and they had both found it extremely entertaining." He chuckled, "When I noticed them both laughing at me I changed back so that I once more appeared in my usual form. Big Jim's grandson found this to be hilariously funny and he then also began to laugh so hard that he fell over and rolled down the hill to Big Jim himself."

"That, of course, caused me to erupt into laughter and I had to sit down to get my breath back," Dave recalled smiling. "Once we all got our breath under control Big Jim invited me down into their camp. Because as he explained to me, anyone who can bring that much laughter to his family was welcome in his camp anytime."

Both Gabrielle and I were laughing at this image, as we could picture that event unfolding.

"How old were you at ze time?" Gabrielle asked.

"I would have been around ten years old." Dave told us, "Each time I go to visit Big Jim's family since then, if his Grandson is present he always requests me to change form, from what he calls 'the silly one' into the 'normal one' and back." Dave explained with a laugh.

"As to this day he still finds it extremely hilarious," Dave said smiling.

"They seem to have a very active sense of humour then?" I asked him.

"Yes, they do. Bunyips love to laugh and make those that they care about laugh and smile."

"Although the sight of a 14-foot-tall Bunyip smiling at you with a mouth full of very sharp fangs can be a bit unsettling if you are not used to it," Dave advised us with a chuckle.

"I can understand how that would take a bit of getting used to." I agreed with Dave. Gabrielle also looked to be of the same opinion as me as well.

"What will happen when you return the dead scales to Big Jim?" I found myself asking. As soon as I had asked the question I could see a small amount of worry on Dave's face.

"I'm not entirely sure." He admitted, "I'm willing to bet that Big Jim is going to want to know all about what happened when they were killed. With that in mind, I'm more than willing to share my memory of that event with him as he has a right to know about it."

"Other than that, I just don't know. Because Bunyip's have never given permission, for their scales to be used like this before. So, I just don't know." Dave confessed.

"My biggest worry is that he will decide that I haven't looked after his gift to Emma, and demand that I return all the scales," Dave admitted as he looked at the vest and the scales on the desk.

"Somezing makes me zink zat will not 'appen," Gabrielle stated confidently to Dave. As she reached across and took his hand and gave it a comforting squeeze.

"Merci," Dave said with an impish grin at her. This gave us all a good laugh.

We both then sat back and watched Dave change out the last few dead scales from his vest. While he was engaged in that task, Gabrielle and I carefully examined the loose scales that were on the table.

"How is it that we can pick up these living scales without them dying?" I asked Dave.

"These scales know that they have been 'given' to me." He explained, "Therefore, as long as they can still feel my magical signature they won't die."

Holding one 'dead' and one 'alive' scale in the same hand you could feel (albeit just barely) the life force in the in the 'alive' scale. It was like a faint tingling in your hand; there was a comforting sense to it.

I did notice that the dead scales that Dave removed from the vest were placed into a beautifully made wooden box. It put me in the mind of a coffin for a much-loved family member. This also added to my insight into Dave's view of the world.

I found that while I might not understand him as well as I would have liked I could very well appreciate the way he viewed the fundamental things in this world. And that was a great start.

Ron came looking for us shortly after this to let us know that Harry, Ginny, Bill, Arthur and Ivan were getting ready to head to Gringotts and they were waiting for us.

Changing out of his T-Shirt (I could see the smile on Gabrielle's face when he took it off), Dave put on his Bunyip fur top, the now repaired vest, and a shirt. He also quickly packed away all his tools and the Bunyip scales. We then followed Ron from the tent to where the others were waiting for us.