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

As Harry and Ginny make their way out of the forest on the Isle of Drear, they begin to hear the sounds of Ministry brooms.

Ginny. You're sure that's a military model?

Harry. I'm sure. I nearly ran one of them into a tree on the Forbidden Forest.

Ginny. Sounds like they're off to the south, too. North . . . I don't hear anything from that direction.

Harry. Neither do I. I wonder . . . [to Hedwig] Hedwig, can you make up an audio map for us?

From Hedwig, a map of the Isle of Drear materializes before them.

Ginny. I was right. A few units directly ahead of us, the rest off to the south. Nothing at all north.

Harry. Which means we must have veered to the north.

Ginny. [frowns] How do you figure that?

Harry. Well, they must know we'll make for Dufftown. They're bound to center their search on the direct approach.

Ginny. [smiles] Such wonderful Auror naivete. I don't suppose you considered the fact that just because we can't hear them doesn't mean they aren't there.

Harry. [frowns] Well, of course they could have a force lying in wait there. But what would it gain them?

Ginny. Oh, come on, Potter. It's the oldest tactical trick in the book. If the perimeter looks impossible to crack, the quarry goes to ground and waits for a better opportunity. You don't want him to do that, so you give him what looks like a possible way through. In this case, they get a bonus: if we swing north to avoid the obvious brooms, it's instant proof that we've got something to hide from them.

Harry. [grimaces] Not that they really need any proof.

Ginny. [shrugs] Some officers are more legal-minded than others. The question is, what do we do now?

Harry. They're probably going to try to ring us. Move units around to the north and south, and eventually behind us.

Ginny. If they haven't done so already. No reason we would have heard them. They don't know exactly how fast we're moving, so they'll have made it a big circle. Probably using a wide ring of assault brooms or hoverscouts with a group of broomsticks working around each focal point. It's the standard Hit Wizard format for a web.

Harry. So how do we break out?

Ginny. We don't. Not without a lot more equipment and resources than we've got.

Harry. In that case, we might as well go straight up the middle. Call to them before they see us, maybe.

Ginny. [snorts] Like we were casual tourists out here with nothing to hide?

Harry. You have a better idea?"

Ginny. [glares at Harry] Not really. I suppose you're also going to want to do that role-switch thing Aberforth suggested.

Harry. [shrugs] We're not going to be able to blast our way through them. And if you're right about that pincer movement, we're not going to sneak through them, either. All that's left is a bluff. And the better a bluff it is, the better chance we've got.

Ginny. I suppose so.

Ginny unloads the rifle and hands it to Harry.

Harry. They may check to see if it's loaded. I would.

Ginny. Look, Potter, if you think I'm going to give you a loaded weapon . . .

Harry. And if another Quintaped finds us before the Ministry does, you'll never get it reloaded fast enough.

Ginny. Maybe I don't care.

Harry. [nods] Maybe you don't.

Ginny glares at Harry, then reloads the rifle and hands it back to Harry.

Thank you. [to Hedwig] Now. Hedwig?

Hedwig opens the same storage compartment within herself where she once stored Harry's lightwand. He holds his hand out to Ginny, who hands him the lightwand.

Ginny. So that's how you did it. I always wondered how you smuggled that thing into Golgomath's.

Harry places the lightwand inside Hedwig, and she seals the compartment.

Harry. [to Hedwig] I'll call for it if I need it.

Ginny. Don't count on being very good with it. The hinkypunk effect is supposed to extend several kilometers past the edge of the forest. None of those little attack-anticipation tricks will work anywhere near Dufftown.

Harry. I understand. I guess we're ready to go, then.

Ginny. Not quite. There's still that face of yours.

Harry. [raises an eyebrow] I don't think Hedwig's got anywhere to hide that.

Ginny. Funny. I had something else in mind.

Ginny takes out a pair of leaves in the forest.

Pull up your sleeve and hold out your arm.

Harry rolls up his sleeves, and Ginny rubs the leaves onto his forearm.

Now. Let's see if this works.

Harry. What exactly is it supposed to . . . O!

Due to an allergic reaction, a rash spreads across Harry's arm.

Ginny. Perfect. You're allergic as anything to them. Oh, relax. The pain will be gone in a few seconds.

Harry. Oh, thanks. Right. Now, what about this . . . this blasted itch?

Ginny. That'll hang on a little longer. But never mind that. What do you think?

Harry. Looks disgusting.

Ginny. Sure does. You want to do it yourself, or you want me to do it for you?

Harry. I can do it.

Harry rubs the leaves onto his face. Due to the rash and pustules it creates, his face is completely disguised.

I hope I didn't get it too close to my eyes. It would be handy to be able to see the rest of the afternoon.

Ginny. I think you'll be all right. The rest of your face is pretty horrendous, though. You won't look anything like whatever pictures they have; that's for sure.

Harry. Glad to hear it. How long will I look like this?

Ginny. The puffiness should start going down in a few hours. It won't be completely gone until tomorrow.

Harry. Good enough. We ready, then?

Ginny. As ready as we'll ever be. Come on.

Harry and Ginny, with the latter pulling Hedwig's travois, move onward. Harry holds the rifle to Ginny's back in order to complete the deception. As they come out of the forest, they are intercepted by two Hit Wizard scouts.

First Scout. Halt. Identify yourselves, in the name of the Ministry.

Harry. Boy, am I glad you showed up. You don't happen to have some sort of transport handy, do you? I'm about walked off my feet.

First Scout. [hesitates] Identify yourself.

Harry. My name's Weasley. I've got a gift here for Aberforth Dumbledore. I don't suppose he sent some transport, did he?

Thrown by the gender of the prisoner, the scouts confer amongst themselves, then turn back to Harry and Ginny.

First Scout. You'll come with us. Our officer wants to talk to you. You - woman - put the droid down and move away from it.

Ginny moves away from Hedwig, as the second scout maneuvers his broom toward the travois.

Harry. Fine with me. But I want both of you to witness, for the record, that I had her fair and square before you showed up. Dumbledore weasels his way out of these capture fees too often. He's not going to weasel out of this one.

First Scout. [disdainful] You're a bounty hunter?

Harry. That's right. [aside] The more firmly the scouts have the wrong image of me set in their minds, the longer it will take them to see through the deception.

The second scout attaches the travois to his broom and remounts.

First Scout. You two follow him. Drop your rifle on the ground first, Weasley.

Harry drops the rifle, and he and Ginny follow the second scout. The first scout picks up Ginny's rifle and rides behind them. As they move into the city, they are escorted by legions of Hit Wizards and broom-riding scouts, a clear sign of how serious Grindelwald is treating this incident.

Enter Major Gunnar Grimmson, a hardened man, flanked by two Hit Wizards.

Grimmson. About time. Who are they?

Hit Wizard. The male says his name is Weasley. Bounty hunter; works for Dumbledore. He claims the female is his prisoner.

Grimmson. Was his prisoner. [to Ginny] What's your name, thief?

Ginny. Electra Holyhead. And I'm not a thief. Aberforth Dumbledore owes me. He owes me big. I didn't take any more than I had coming.

Grimmson glances at Harry, who shrugs.

Harry. Dumbledore's other dealings aren't any of my business. He said bring her back. I brought her back.

Grimmson. [glances at Hedwig] And her theft, too, I see. [to Second Scout] Get that droid off your broom. The ground's flat enough here, and I want you on perimeter. Put it with the prisoners. Cuff them, too. They're hardly likely to fall over tree roots out here.

Two Hit Wizards approach.

Harry. Wait a minute. Me, too?

Grimmson. [raises an eyebrow] You got a problem with that, bounty hunter?

Harry. [with mock anger] Yeah, I've got a problem with it. She's the prisoner here, not me.

Grimmson. For the moment you're both prisoners. So shut up. [frowns at Harry's face] What in the world happened to you, anyway?

Harry glares at Grimmson as the Hit Wizards cuff him and Ginny.

Harry. Ran into some kind of bush while I was chasing her. It itched like hell for a while.

Grimmson. [smiles] How very inconvenient for you. How fortunate that we have a fully qualified medic back at HQ. He should be able to bring that swelling down in no time. [glances at the Hit Wizards] You disarmed him, of course.

The first scout hands Grimmson Ginny's rifle.

Interesting weapon.

A Ministry assault broomship approaches.

Ah. All right, Commander. Let's go.

Grimmson and the Hit Wizards lead Harry and Ginny into the center of Dufftown.

Enter Ron, cuffed and carried into the scene by four smugglers, including Borgin.

What do you want?

Borgin. Name's Borgin. We caught this scum snooping around the forest, maybe looking for your prisoners there. I figured you might want to have a talk with him, eh?

Grimmson. Uncommonly generous of you. You come to this conclusion all by yourself?

Borgin. Just because I don't live in a big flashy city doesn't mean I'm stupid. What, you think we don't know what it means when Ministry Hit Wizards start setting up a temporary garrison?

Grimmson. You'd best just hope that the garrison is temporary. [glances at the Hit Wizards] Check him for weapons.

Borgin. We already . . .

Grimmson glances at Borgin, and he falls silent.

The Hit Wizards frisk Ron and come up empty.

Grimmson. Put him in the pocket with the others. All right, Borgin, you and your friends can go. If he turns out to be worth anything, I'll see you get a piece of it.

Borgin. Uncommonly generous of you. Can we have our guns back now?

Grimmson. You can pick them up later at our HQ. Railview Inn, straight across the square. But I'm sure a sophisticated citizen like yourself already knows where it is.

Borgin hesitates, glances at the Hit Wizards, and exits with his companions.

Move out.

Grimmson and the Hit Wizards move on with their prisoners Harry, Ron, and Ginny.

Ron. [aside, to Harry] Well, together again, huh?

Harry. [aside, to Ron] I wouldn't miss it. Your friends there seem in a hurry to get away.

Ron. [aside, to Harry] Probably don't want to miss the party, a little something they threw together to celebrate my capture.

Harry. [aside, to Ron] Shame we weren't invited.

Ron. [aside, to Harry] Real shame. You never know, though.

As they move into an open area, the Hit Wizards raise their rifles in expectation for an ambush.

Harry curses.

Harry. [aside, to Ron] Is Percy here?

Ron. [frowns] He's with Dean, yeah.

Harry nods, then purposefully trips over Hedwig.

Harry. [aside, to Hedwig] Hedwig. Call to Percy. Tell him to wait until we're at the archway to attack.

Hedwig. [beeps and whistles]

Grimmson pulls Harry to his feet.

Grimmson. [scowls] What was that?

Harry. He fell over. I think he tripped . . .

Grimmson. I meant that transmission. What did he say?

Harry. He was probably telling me off for tripping him. How should I know what he said?

Grimmson glares at Harry, then turns back to the Hit Wizards.

Grimmson. Move out, Commander. Everyone stay alert.

Grimmson turns away.

Ron. [aside, to Harry] I hope you know what you're doing.

Harry. [aside, to Ron] So do I.

Exit all.