It was hard to say what was louder that Saturday morning; the wind that was howling or Harry's heart, jumping inside his chest. Today was the Harpies' match against the Wimbourne Wasps, which made him nervous. A lot of things had happened lately and he had a gut feeling that this quidditch match wouldn't be uneventful. He sincerely hoped he was just overreacting. Athena didn't seem to share the same worries as him; she seemed more concerned by his lack of sleep. He had stayed awake the entire night, as he was supposed to, and his eyes were bloodshot.

"Are you sure you won't collapse on the pitch?" she asked him as she handed him a cup of strong coffee.

"I'm used to it." Harry waved her off. "After all, we are aurors. We aren't exactly renowned for our excellent sleeping schedules."

"Good point," Athena agreed before taking a long sip of her own cup. "Say, who do you think it's going to win today?" She asked, changing the subject.

"I'm going to sound biased, but I think the Harpies," Harry replied before taking a sip of his own coffee. It tasted it differently. He tasted some sort of herb inside his drink that didn't fit there. Perhaps a potion? He couldn't tell. "Did you put something in my coffee?" He asked.

"Just a little something so you won't pass out during the game." Athena shrugged. "Don't worry, it's only going to last a couple of hours. Once the game is over, you'll be able to go to sleep in no time."

Harry nodded. "Thanks. I'll probably need it."

"And back to my previous question, I agree with you. This season has been very good for the Harpies."

"I didn't know you were such a fan of the Harpies." Harry raised an eyebrow.

"I'm more of an Appleby Arrows fan actually," she said. "I'm more excited about seeing the Wasps losing than seeing the Harpies win, to be honest."

"Oh, I see."

Athena looked at the window. "Speaking of the Harpies, you might want to drink that coffee quickly. Ginny needs to get to the pitch at least two hours before the game."

"Alright, alright. Got it." Harry took some large sips out of his cup. Whatever Athena had dropped in had actually given it an interesting taste, although he doubted it was very healthy on a daily basis. "I'm ready to go whenever you are."

A couple of minutes later, Ginny appeared outside her house waving at Dean before walking down the street, towards their home. That was their cue. They made sure to lock their house before following her down the street. They had almost forgotten that they were supposed to be a couple, when Harry noticed Mrs Sharron looking at them through her window, so he quickly grabbed Athena's hand and intertwined their fingers.

"Good thinking," she praised him quietly.

Ginny was aware of their presence, that's why she kept a normal pace. They apparited together once it was safe to do so. When they appeared near the Holyhead Harpies' pitch, Harry let go off Athena's hand.

"Why are your hands always so dry?" he complained, although he wasn't being serious.

"Sorry I have sensitive skin." She rolled her eyes. Ginny walked in front of them, seemingly unamused by their theatrics.

They followed her to the changing room where the rest of the team prepared for the upcoming game. The two aurors stayed outside, listening to the loud chattering of the players while they wore their uniforms and discussed the upcoming game, until their captain, Gwenog Jones, took the team for their warm up. Harry and Athena headed upstairs, to the stands from where they would watch the game.

Being this early, the pitch was practically empty. Harry and Athena were practically the only ones at the stands at this hour. The Holyhead Harpies had already started their warm up exercises by the time the two aurors got to the wooden stands. A little while later, the Wimbourne Wasps team arrived as well, in order to start their own warm up on the far side of the pitch, away from the Harpies.

It was only an hour later that people started arriving and taking their seats. Around Harry and Athena sat the fans of the Harpies, dressed in green and carrying the team's merch. Fans of the Wasps took over the opposite side of the pitch, dressed in yellow and black. Soon, the pitch was buzzing with life, with chatter, laughter and maybe a bunch of arguments here and there being the only things you could hear. The weather was moody, but that didn't discourage the excited fans.

"There's a 65% chance of raining today, with a 98,4% chance of off-your-edge excitement!" came suddenly the voice of the commentator. "I'm Murphy McNully and today we're going to watch what is undoubtedly going to be an exciting match between the Holyhead Harpies and the Wimbourne Wasps!" The crowd cheered excitedly in response. "Take your seats and stay tuned! The game is starting soon."

Murphy McNully was one of the best quidditch commentators and analysts of England in recent years. Himself had never been a player and would often joke about how brooms cannot accommodate wheelchairs, but his knowledge was admirable. He was a professional when it came to statistics, and often his predictions came true. He was nominated for leadership of the Department Of Magical Games and Sports, but rumor claimed he had politely declined at least two times.

The two teams withdrew to their changing rooms to discuss strategy and give the players last minute advice. Now the pitch was filled with people, old and young, anticipating the upcoming quidditch game. Quidditch matches didn't happen often, according to legislation, and every single one of them was a reason to celebrate. Even people who didn't support any of the two teams had managed to find tickets just in time.

"I only hope it doesn't rain," Athena commented, looking up at the clouded sky, her hair getting in front of her face because of the wind. Harry followed her gaze.

"Me too-"

"Wait, is that Harry Potter?" He heard someone shout and he groaned.

"Merlin's pants, it's actually Harry Potter!"

"Is that his girlfriend?"

"Oh for fuck's sake," he muttered under his breath, trying to hide his face away.

The thing with being a famous person was that it was almost impossible to avoid situations like that. It had always been like this for Harry, because he was mostly known as the Boy Who Lived, the Boy who had put an end to Voldemort's reign and brought peace in the Wizarding World. He was a symbol, a symbol of peace and unity. People went frenzy when they noticed him. He never liked this sort of attention, but he couldn't help it.

"I do hope Rita Skeeter isn't around, because the last thing I need is rumors about me being your actual girlfriend," Athena humored him, but instead it made Harry worry more. Rita Skeeter was always bad news for him.

"Thanks for reminding me of her existence," he grumbled. "If only one of the Seekers is fast enough to get the snitch within ten minutes, that would be great."

"Don't worry. If anyone tries to bother you, I'll handle it," Athena promised.

"Thanks."

Thankfully for Harry, people's attention was drawn back to the pitch as Murphy announced each team's players and everyone cheered loudly as fourteen brooms appeared in the sky. Each team made its own special entrance, sending the crowd into hysterics. The two captains landed on the field to share a handshake between themselves and the referee. Then, the referee released all the balls - the quaffle, the bludgers and the golden snitch - and the game began.

Murphy excitedly described what was going on in the air. The crowd could see for themselves, but sometimes it was hard to follow the quaffle between the players, as they were moving very fast, and his commentary helped drastically. Harry realized that Athena had been right about the Harpies; their performance was simply outstanding.

"Weasley scores the first ten points for the Harpies!" Murphy exclaimed and the crowd on Harry and Athena's side cheered loudly. "Gwenog Jones discovered this gem five years ago, and I doubt she regrets her decision to recruit her."

Harry followed Ginny with his gaze as she flew around the pitch. He was well aware of her quidditch skills, since he had witnessed them for himself back in the day, and he wasn't that surprised she was performing well. Natural talent combined with hard training could only lead to such a performance in the pitch. He was proud of her, he couldn't deny himself that. He missed the days when they played together for the Gryffindor quidditch team. After all, it was quidditch that had brought them together.

He sighed.

Despite the Harpies' excellent performance, the game didn't seem as easy as Harry would have thought. The Wimbourne Wasps were also a strong team that shouldn't be underestimated. They did a very good job keeping up with their opponents, keeping their difference between ten and thirty points. It was up to the Seekers to secure the win for their team.

The weather conditions didn't really help. It was hard to fly and look for the small golden snitch under such strong wind, while trying not to lose control of your broom at the same time. Harry, who had played years as a Seeker, knew well that struggle. It wasn't that surprising that none of the Seekers had been able to spot the snitch.

The game progressed for at least another hour, with the two teams continuing at the same pace as before, albeit the players started getting tired and it showed. Harry had frozen and barely felt his fingers. He wrapped his arms around his body in an attempt to keep it warm. He allowed his gaze to leave the pitch and look around him. The crowd didn't seem to mind the cold, like him. Or even if they were actually cold, they didn't care. He should have at least brought his gloves with him. His coat wasn't enough. He dug his hands inside his pockets, hoping that this could keep them warm for a little while.

Harry was about to return his attention back to the game, when he noticed something unusual. Among the sea of green, he spotted a person who was wearing full black, sitting on the far side of where Harry and Athena were, exactly where the pitch curved in an oval shape. A couple of stands to their right there were Wasps fans cheering for their team. Not all fans wore the Harpies' colors, but this particular person stood in the crowd due to his fashion choices. Harry narrowed his eyes. It was too far to even see his face and maybe he shouldn't be bothered with what someone chose to wear, until he managed to see his face. Or rather, what covered his face; He wore a dark owl mask that covered all of his face. Harry's blood froze.

Harry blinked. Maybe Athena's herb wasn't as strong as she thought it would be. Was he hallucinating? No. He matched Mundungus' description. It was definitely him. Dark Owl. What was he doing here in broad daylight? Did he come here to mock Harry? To harm Ginny right in front of his very own eyes to prove a point? Harry immediately looked for Ginny up in the sky. She seemed fine so far, but that didn't cease his worry. Harry was well familiar with cursed brooms that tried to throw you off. Another old incident from "Hogwarts", when Quirell had tried to kill him during his first year. He couldn't let this happen to Ginny. And even if Dark Owl didn't plan on doing anything today, Harry wasn't going to let him slip away.

"Harry, where are you going?" Athena asked when she noticed that he had stood up.

"I'll be right back," he said. There was no time to explain her the situation. He needed to act quickly, before Dark Owl disappeared.

Approaching him wasn't as easy as he had thought it would be. He needed to move between the people that were trying to enjoy the game. He needed to share a tone of apologies and listen to a lot of complaints in response, not always polite. He didn't exactly blame them. He occasionally made sure that Dark Owl was where he left him. He hadn't even flinched. Hopefully, he wouldn't notice Harry until he got close enough to him.

Suddenly, the fans of the Harpies stood up and cheered loudly, blocking Harry's way. Harry moved around in annoyance, trying not to cuss out at someone. He could try to apparate, but that didn't seem like a good idea in a stadium full of people, where he couldn't know where he would land. He moved as fast as he could.

He was so close, when he heard Murphy's voice through the speakers; "Hayes catches the golden snitch! The Holyhead Harpies win the game!"

The crowd jumped in excitement, leaving no space for Harry to move. He had to push his way through, but everyone was so excited that no one paid him attention. Harry had to squeeze through the crowd to finally get to the spot where he had seen Dark Owl.

But Dark Owl was nowhere to be seen. His seat was empty, a silent mockery to Harry. Between the cheering, no one heard him curse.

The game was over and Dark Owl had disappeared. He felt so damn stupid. Now he had to make his way back to Athena to complete his auror duties. They needed to guard the changing rooms again and he was on the other side of the pitch. This time, he didn't hesitate to apparate.

The Holyhead Harpies' changing room was in absolute hysterics when he arrived, as far as he could tell by the noise that was coming from inside. Athena, on the other hand, didn't look very amused.

"Where the fuck did you go?" she barked at him. "Are you out of your bloody mind?"

"Later," Harry said tiredly. He wasn't going to discuss it here. Athena narrowed her eyes dangerously at him, but didn't push on the matter. They had to attend the celebratory dinner with the team afterwards and they needed to remain on the alert. But he knew he wasn't going to hear the end of this once they were alone.

Gwenog took the team to "The Magical Lobster" in Diagon Alley to celebrate their victory. Everyone was thrilled. Harry and Athena looked so out of place because of their mood, that it made Harry wonder if they should even be there in the first place. The rumbling in his stomach indicated otherwise. He was hungry, but definitely disappointed, even slightly scared. Still, he wasn't going to discuss this here with Athena, who still seemed mad at him. There were too many people, including the team and their own people; Harry spotted Dean sitting next to Ginny on the Harpies' table, resulting in his mood worsening even more, if that was physically possible.

After the feast, they headed home. Dean and Ginny seemed to be in a very good mood - although, that could be the result of Firewhiskey too - in contrast with Harry and Athena who looked moody and tired. After they dropped the couple home, they headed towards their own. This time, Athena walked faster, so she didn't have to walk besides Harry. The whole fake-couple thing was temporarily abandoned and she didn't seem to care if Mrs Sharon noticed or not.

Harry shut the door quietly. He would prefer to go straight to sleep, but that wouldn't be happening for a while. Athena stood in the middle of the living room, glaring at him, arms crossed.

"Speak up," she ordered.

Harry inhaled sharply before he started narrating what had happened last week with Mundungus and what the man had told him about Dark Owl. He then proceeded to explain that he had tried to approach Dark Owl in the pitch when he saw him there, with no results. Athena listened to him quietly. When he finished, he looked at her nervously. He couldn't tell what was going on inside her head.

"So let me get this straight," Athena started. "You went to Knockturn Alley, the last place you personally should ever be, without authorization and without any back up, pursuing a criminal the Auror Department hasn't been able to locate for weeks?"

"Yes?" Harry replied hesitantly.

"Are you out of your bloody mind?" She barked at him. Harry shrank, wondering if this was a bad idea. He knew how strict she was and how she always went about how important it was to follow the protocols. "You could have gotten yourself killed!"

She wasn't exactly wrong in that sense. Harry was more surprised by the fact that her immediate reaction wasn't to lecture him, like Hermione would. Somehow he managed to regain his posture and defend himself.

"I agree it was reckless-"

"Oh, you think so?" She snarled.

"...But I took a risk and it worked out," he continued, ignoring her comment. "And if I hadn't known about Dark Owl, he would definitely try something right under our noses."

"He literally lured you into him, Harry! He could have killed you right there if there weren't so many witnesses present."

"I think you're overreacting. He would certainly try to harm me, sure, but-"

"Am I?" Athena cut him off, glaring. "This man, whoever he is, he doesn't just want to harm you, Harry."

"How do you know that?" He inquired.

"A friend of mine keeps tabs on what happens on Knockturn Alley for the Ministry," she explained. "And he told me that all Dark Owl and his gang care about is you. This isn't just about Ginny's safety anymore. You cannot throw yourself into situations like this," she pointed out matter-of-factly.

Harry felt himself grow pale. He knew that already, but having it confirmed only made it worse. He placed his hands on the kitchen counter, turning his back at Athena. He ran a hand through his hair, sighing. He could feel her burning gaze onto him.

"You know, all this makes me wonder if any of this was worth it," he said eventually. "I had to break Ginny's heart so no one would target her like this and in the end it didn't even matter. All of this heartbreak was for nothing." He wanted to scream. He felt the rage boil in his veins, but the mixture of pain and anger only produced tears. "All these years, I comforted myself by thinking this was the right thing to do. It was nothing but a mistake." He wiped his eyes on his sleeve.

Athena was silent for a while. "You did what you thought was best for her, even if it meant breaking her heart. We are often faced with decisions that are not easy to make, especially ones that will ultimately harm our loved ones. But sometimes, doing the right thing requires a sacrifice," she said eventually.

Harry slowly turned around to face her. There was an unfamiliar sadness in her eyes, one he had never seen before. There were times he suspected that she understood more than she let on and this was one of those times. She wasn't going to give him an explanation, that much was certain, but they were at a common understanding and that was important.

"I doubt Ginny doesn't understand where I'm coming from… It's just that she wished I had made a different decision," Harry responded.

"All I can tell you is that there's no right or wrong decision in this context," Athena retorted. "If you want to make that decision count, you need to focus. I don't know how many times I need to tell you this."

"You're right…" Harry admitted. She didn't sound condescending at all, something he was grateful for. It helped him feel slightly better.

"What else do you know about this Dark Owl?" She asked, returning back to their main issues.

"Not anything more than what you've just told me," he admitted. "A couple of weeks ago, Ron and I came across Draco Malfoy though… He mentioned some interesting facts."

Athena raised an eyebrow. "Which are?"

"The Wizarding World hasn't been the same since Voldemort fell," Harry explained. "After the war, the Ministry focused mostly on fighting against the dark arts and arresting those previously involved with Voldemort's reign. Most social issues have been ignored. Unemployment, poverty, you name it. Some people grew extremely frustrated by the Ministry's ignorance and decided to do something about it. I suspect that Dark Owl and his gang are one of those people."

"I see," said Athena skeptically. "I mean, they do have a point, but how becoming domestic terrorists will help their cause?"

"I would like to kindly remind you that ourselves had to be "terrorists" in order to put an end to Voldemort's reign," Harry pointed out. "Besides, I don't think it's about social justice anymore. Someone is using people's frustration as a weapon for their own personal gain. If Dark Owl and his people actually cared about changing society, they would probably do something more productive than sending threats to a famous quidditch player who hasn't done anything to them."

"You're right," she agreed. "It's clear that you are their actual target, for whatever reason."

"Exactly my point. Which brings us back to why Dark Owl was at the pitch today." Harry paced up and down in front of Athena, who just watched him. "Our cover is definitely blown. They know we're here thanks to that fraud, McCarthy."

"But if they knew that, why did they try to harm Ginny right under our noses? It doesn't make sense," Athena argued. "These were really sloppy attempts."

"I thought that myself," Harry hummed. "I'm convinced that these were mere warnings, a taste of what is about to happen in the future."

"You're probably right…" Athena agreed, looking puzzled. "There's one more thing I do not understand though."

"Why?"

"Why does Robards keep us here if our cover is blown then? I'm pretty sure he knows that, or at least suspects it. Wouldn't it make sense to put someone else?"

"I… actually don't know," Harry replied. He hadn't thought about that. "But I think he knows what he's doing, right?"

"I wouldn't count on that," Athena argued. "Come on, Harry. I expected better from someone who had formed a secret organization at age 15 just to spite the Ministry," she added with a little smile. "If I've learned anything all these years as an auror, do not blindly trust your superiors."

She did have a point. Harry thought back to Dumbledore and his heart ached a bit. He had never questioned the old headmaster until it was a little bit too late. Despite his good intentions, it didn't change the fact that he had manipulated him, and had done so in a way that hadn't given young Harry much of a choice. Again, it was the same dilemma as before; what is the right thing to do when innocents are in danger?

"Look, if Robards is aware of Dark Owl's goals, then it's more likely that the Ministry will try to cover it up," Athena continued. "Why did you have to learn about him from Mundungus Fletcher out of all people and not from your own boss? If your life's on the line, you ought to know."

"What exactly are you saying?" Harry inquired.

"I'm suspecting there are some things Robards doesn't tell us," she said. "And, I cannot believe I'm about to say this, but perhaps Dark Owl is right about not wanting to trust the Ministry."

Harry wasn't exactly surprised about that. It wouldn't be the first time the Ministry behaved like this. Did Kingsley know about all these? He was the Minister, it was very likely that he did. It made Harry's stomach turn. He despised politics. They were straight up corrupting.

"Let's focus on one thing at a time. I feel like my brain is about to explode," he said.

"Couldn't agree more." Athena nodded. "And if you are right, and I sincerely hope you aren't, the situation is going to get much worse."