Disclaimer: I am not Timothy Zahn or J.K. Rowling.

Enter Aberforth, with Quintius, outside on the Isle of Drear.

Aberforth. [aside] In a single day, my whole life has turned over.

Quintius raises his head.

[to Quintius] Company?

Enter Goldstein.

Goldstein. Aberforth?

Aberforth. Over here. Go get a chair and join me.

Goldstein. This is okay. I've got to get back to Central pretty soon, anyway.

Aberforth. The mystery message?

Goldstein. Yeah. What in the world was Ginny thinking of?

Aberforth. I don't know. Something clever, though.

Goldstein. Probably. I just hope we're going to be clever enough to decrypt it.

Aberforth. [nods] Did Weasley and Thomas get bedded down all right?

Goldstein. [scowls] They went back to their car. I don't think they trust us.

Aberforth. Under the circumstances, you can hardly blame them. Maybe pulling Potter's computer logs tomorrow morning will help convince them we're on their side.

Goldstein. Yeah. Are we?

Aberforth. [purses his lips] We don't really have a choice anymore, Goldstein. They're our guests.

Goldstein. The Grand Admiral isn't going to be happy.

Aberforth. [shrugs] They're our guests.

Goldstein shrugs.

I'll want you to organize a search party for tomorrow morning. Probably futile, all things considered, but it has to be tried.

Goldstein. Right. Do we defer to the Ministry in that regard?

Aberforth. [grimaces] I doubt if they'll be doing any more searching. That broom that sneaked out from the Ministry cruiser an hour ago looked suspiciously like a stripped-down assault broom. My guess is that they'll set up in Dufftown and wait for Ginny and Potter to come to them.

Goldstein. Sounds reasonable. What if we don't get to them first?

Aberforth. We'll just have to take them away from the Hit Wizards, I suppose. Think you can put a team together for the purpose?

Goldstein. [snorts] Easier done than said. I've sat in on a couple of conversations since you made the announcement, and I can tell you that feelings in camp are running pretty strong. Hero of the Army and all that aside, a bunch of our people figure they owe Potter big for getting them out of permanent hock to Golgomath the Giant.

Aberforth. I know. And all that warm enthusiasm could be a problem. Because if we can't get Potter free from the Ministry . . . well, we can't let them have him alive.

Goldstein. I see. It probably won't make any difference, you know, in what Grindelwald suspects.

Aberforth. Suspicion is better than unequivocal proof. And if we can't intercept them while they're still in the forest, it may be the best we're going to get.

Goldstein. [shakes his head] I don't like it.

Aberforth. Neither do I. But we need to be prepared for every eventuality.

Goldstein. Understood. [sighs] I'd better get back and see if Wolpert's made any progress on Ginny's message.

Aberforth. And after that you'd better hit the sack. Tomorrow's going to be a busy day.

Goldstein. Right. Good night.

Exit Goldstein.

Aberforth shakes his head.

Aberforth. [aside] What was Ginny trying to do with that opaque message of hers? Is it something simple, something that he or someone else here ought to be able to decrypt with ease? Or has the witch who always plays the Exploding Snap cards close to her chest finally outsmarted herself?

In the distance, a Quintaped cries out, causing Quintius to look up.

[to Quintius] Friend of yours? [aside] Quintius and MacBoon were like that once before they were domesticated . . . just as Ginny was. I wonder sometimes if she ever will be similarly tamed. I wonder if she'll solve this whole problem by killing Potter first.

A Quintaped growls again, closer this time.

[to Quintius] Come on, Quintius. Time to go inside.

Exit all.