When Night Falls

by

Darkhaven

Chapter 2

Discovery

John Edwards was talking with one of his coworkers, Melissa Rutherford, the following day. Both of them were aurors, and detailed to the terrorism investigation squad, known in the past as the You Know Who Division. Fortunately, however, those days were well over a decade away. Currently, the members of the squad had a fairly simple task; as their opposition mainly consisted of former Dearth Eaters who were more interested in Muggle baiting than causing any real trouble, a fact demonstrated by the Quidditch World Cup. Edwards was in charge of the Squad, and, as their leader, was responsible for representing them within the hierarchy of the Ministry. At the moment, he was discussing his latest meeting with his boss, James G. Philips, the current head of the Magical Law Enforcement (MLE) Department.

"That man is unbelievable! Not only did he turn down your request for a vacation because our section 'does not have the personnel necessary for the satisfactory completion of its duties,' but he also refused my petition for extra funding claiming that 'the rumours that have been spreading as a result of Dumbledore's speech are obviously false, and, as a result, your department need not be concerned with preparing to regain a wartime footing.' First he tells us that we don't have enough people, then he refuses to give us the money needed to accomplish the goals that he sets. I swear, one of these days I'm going to --"

"John, calm down! I know that Philips is . . . perhaps not the best man for the job, but he is what we have to work with. You have to work with him, because otherwise he will find someone more willing. Now, why don't we go have lunch? It might help you get your mind off of him. We can even go to that Muggle restaurant that you like so much. What was its name? Oh, Malati."

"Trying to get me to lighten up, Melissa? Thanks for the effort, but I doubt it will work. On the other hand, lunch does sound good. We don't even have to go to there, if there is somewhere you'd rather go."

"No, I insist. Besides, I kind of like the food there, too." The two of them left the Ministry, chatting. About an hour later, they were walking back through Diagon Alley when John stopped in front of a store that had a Wizarding Wireless Network broadcasting a Quidditch Match in order to check out the score. After checking the score, they began to walk away when suddenly they heard a new voice come over the WWN.

"We interrupt this match in order to bring you a special news report. Late last night, the Tyler family was murdered in Godric's Hollow, following what appears to be a prolonged torture session. Although a tragic occurrence, this event would not normally be remarkable but for two things -- the sighting of the Dark Mark and the fact that the site of the murder was the former Potter House, where You Know Who met his end slightly over a decade ago. When combined with Headmaster Dumbledore's speech claiming that You Know Who has returned, this event is making many people wonder. Is Dumbledore right? Or is this simply the act of a few disturbed individuals, desperate men seeking to take advantage of the situation? More on this story as it develops. This is Blair Winston, signing off. We now return you to the WWN's broadcast of the match between the Chudley Cannons and the Falmouth Falcons."

Edward and Melissa looked at each other, then immediately apparated.



Authors Note:

As always, everything belongs to JK Rowling. I know that it is a short chapter, but at least it got updated, as it is still finals week. In response to the reviewers (in no particular order):

Tincerbel and Brittanie: To be honest, I don't think that Harry will play too much of a part in this story. As it stands, he may not even appear, with his dreams being relayed through other characters. I know you'll hate these words, but . . . wait for the sequel.

Dr. Fritz: Hopefully this will help you make up your mind. As for the author, it's me, and this is my first fic.

Lee: Your right of course, and I totally forgot that when writing the first chapter. However, I think I have come up with a work-around for the situation which leaves my plot intact. Check out the rewritten second chapter for more info.

Icediamond: Problem solved, and don't worry - that isn't going to happen.

Icequeen: It's a new story set in the Harry Potter Universe (I don't want to call it a new HP story because he won't play much of a role)

Natty, Voldemort (), Vanessa, Hermione Weasley, GryffinGirl,

Nyght^Mistress, Thanks. Its nice to get some positive reviews.

Amarissia: That's what I was trying for. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on your POV), the atmosphere will lighten up for a while, as Voldemort terror machine gets started up once again, and as John and co. begin investigating. Don't worry though. As one of my inspirations for the murder scenes is the Anita Blake series, by Laurell K. Hamilton, it's still going to be fairly dark (especially once they begin to get more . . . inventive in order to increase the terror).

Shea T. Peregrine (): Thanks for the review. I don't think that they will get much shorter, as that is *very* short for me. I'll work on the characters, and now that my protagonist has been introduced, hopefully your other concern will be addressed.

And finally, Hermione Gulliver: I already answered the majority of your questions in the e-mail. As for the prologue . . . I'm working on it somewhere at the back of my mind. Just have patience, as my mind seems to have shut down on that specific issue.

*Note* This fic was formerly titled The Dark Times. The title was changed because I feel the When Night Falls will bet suit its overall mood. In other words, its going to be depressing for a while, folks.