Chapter Two

Harry sat back casually in the chair. He should have been upset...he should have been tense and anxious and worried, but he wasn't. He couldn't manage to be. Thoughts of the previous evening in Hermione's flat made him feel as if all was forgiven and everything was going to be fine. His imagination took him on a journey from her lips, through her neck...and chest, he sighed...down lower...he ran his mouth across all parts of her, he happily recalled. Everywhere.

He was barely aware of the newspaper that was slapped before him.

He saw Ron speaking, but registered nothing that he said.

It took a forceful slap on the back for Harry to come to and pay attention.

"Harry! You haven't heard a thing I've said. I've got to announce something to the entire wiziarding world about what went on, and you haven't heard a bloody thing I've said!"

Ron looked flustered, and stared desperately at Harry.

"I've told my story, Ron. What more can I say?"

Ron sighed and sat down next to Harry. Harry looked down at the paper, which was that days edition of the London Times-Dispatch. The headline read simply:

"SUBWAY TUNNEL TRADEGY: FIFTEEN DEAD AFTER MYSTERIOUS EXPLOSION" Harry skimmed the article. The last lines read: "One suspect, a Mr. Harry Potter, was taken into custody after several eyewitnesses noted him responsible. Mr. Potter was placed in the St. Andrews Psychiatric Hospital after claiming that he was a wiziard able to perform magic. Mr. Potter, the only suspect so far, escaped late last evening and is yet to be found." Below that line, a portrait of himself looking very confused.

Harry stared silently at the paper.

"Ron...I'm sorry. I just thought...I was doing the right thing"

"Harry," Ron said "What I need from you now is advice. The Ministry has no reason NOT to suspect you! You could end up in Azkzban, Harry...for the abuse of muggles! We need some type of proof that you did not do it before you get arrested and have to go there. I'm worried about you, and I'll pull whatever strings it takes, but there's only so much..."

Harry looked into Ron's sympathetic features. His red hair beamed at him, and his warm brown eyes had an expression of deep sincerity.

Harry felt a pang of guilt for his actions with Hermione the evening prior.

He reached out and grabbed Ron's hand and squeezed it "Thank you, my friend. I suggest that the best thing for the ministry to do is to let it slide. Apparently the muggles see it as some type of terrorist act, and actual magic is their last suspect. They will take the gruesome over the fantastic any day." Harry sighed.

"You'll be a fugitive in the muggle world, though, Harry. Everyone knows your face now." Stated Ron.

"I really have no need for the muggle world anyway, Ron."

"But you do, Harry. That's where Voldemort has been making his attacks. It's your responsibility."

Harry looked around the office and thought. It was simple and small, good enough, though. Ron worked for public relations between the Ministry and the masses. It was a good job, and Ron was good at it. Harry wished he could say so much for what he himself did.

"I suppose there's no way that all of these headlines can be erased" he muttered absently

"Not unless the Ministry performs a memory charm on every subscriber to the Times-Dispatch" Ron replied.

"Well, then. I guess that I'm going to have to go back there and sort everything out...Prove my innocence. After all, it is innocent until proven guilty. Strange though...there's no mention of You-know-who at all in this article, and I know everyone in that tunnel saw him!"

Ron Looked puzzled. "Did they?"

"Yes, I'm absolutely positive."

"I wonder..."

"What?"

Ron lit up "Perhaps this is a desperate ploy on behalf of You-know-who, Harry! What if he knows that YOU are the only person that can overpower him, his only worthy opponent. And since he can't kill you in the world of magic, He'll set you up to look like you were the one responsible for a horrible crime in the Muggle world! That would explain why he's been choosing muggles as his victims. He's trying to lure you, Harry. Make you look guilty so the Muggles will take you out and eleminate a step for him! He knows that you have no choice but to go back to London."

"That's Right, Ron. Before the explosion, Voldemort looked directly at me. He knew I was there! He set the whole thing up!" Harry said excitedly.

"Yes...it's a...a..." Ron searched for the right phrase.

"A catch-22, Ron. Stuck between a rock and a hard place...up the creek..." Harry moaned "What am I going to do? You're right, Ron! But how do we fix things this time?"

Hermione, who had been sitting silently next to Harry for the duration of the conversation, finally spoke up "I have a solution".

At the sound of her voice, Ron went deep red and tried looking away, but could not. Harry felt guilty once again, but also felt a familiar surge of desire as memories rekindled in the back of his mind.

"You do?" Ron asked, trying to keep his composure.

"I think so. We could very easily send Harry into the muggle world disguised."

"Disguised as who?" they both inquired.

"If you something else goes wrong, I wouldn't want somebody else to be banished from London! It's difficult." Harry said.

'That's why we don't change you into somebody else" Hermoione said flatly, as if her response made perfect sense. Ron and Harry exchanged glances as Hermione removed a vial of clear liquid from her cloak and delicately placed it on the table before them.

"You'll still be Harry Potter, " she said with a smile "Just a few years...younger"



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