A/N: Introduction.

As my readers may or not be aware, I recently had an opportunity to assist fellow Fan Fiction author "Old Crow" Id: 616007 in his unique story "Unintended Consequences-(The Great Wand Out) # 13903544. If you're looking for a new post Riddle take on the wizarding world, I endorse checking it out. While we mentioned Jack-a-lope, we did not pursue it as a wand core in the story as we had another thread we ran with. Old Crow has posted a Great Wand Out Challenge. Rather than writing a whole new novel, I thought I would attempt to complement that great work with an occasional short story in that world. Here is an expedition to search for the very "Rare Jack-a-lope" antler wand core material. This takes place about five years after the Great Wand Out events in the graveyard. Harry is now about 19 years old. Oddly enough this was inspired by an old Lite Beer Commercial I saw on U-Tube. "You can call me". Oh well if you are of a certain age, you'll figure it out when you read this.

oOoOoOo

The Great Jack-a-lope Hunt!

"Please pass the potatoes Harry," asked Neville Longbottom. Spearing a roasted potato half with his fork he held it up and examined it. "Dobby, you are a great cook. These are crispy on the outside, creamy on the inside and seasoned perfectly with fresh herbs. You need to give your recipe to my family Elf Jasper."

"Dobby does put out a fine table," agreed Harry Potter at their monthly evening dinner get together with the Longbottom's.

Dobby blushed in embarrassment. "The great and wonderful Harry Potter, sir and his friend Neville are too kind," answered Dobby as he blushed and stroked his ear in nervousness with a slight smirk. "Herbies are from Master Neville's gardens."

"I did not know we were selling to you Dobby," replied Neville.

Dobby smirked. "Dobby picked this morning."

Winky was beaming at him in adoration and Dan and Emma traded smiles bordering on smirks at the byplay as they enjoyed a dinner with friends.

Neville looked at Dobby a moment and shrugged. "So, Harry, how's business at the wand shop," asked Neville?

"We've been pushing hard and have plenty of wands for our next sales trip to the USA that is scheduled for January. But I think we all need a break and I'm thinking of going on an expedition to the American Southwest and was wondering if you and Luna want to join us?"

"What are you looking to do Harry?"

"Well, when we had our classes with Daryl, he mentioned that powdered Jack-a-lope horn was a good wand core but was quite scarce and hard to collect. We were able to get a hold of about ten pounds of ground antler and did a test trial run of wands with it. I'd like to try and gather some more and do a more extensive run. The test was very promising."

"Oh, oh, oh" exclaimed a bouncing Luna! "We're going on a creature hunt!"

"We are going to the dessert Nev, you can look for plants while we search for the Jack-a-lope ."

Luna was bouncing in her seat. "Harry, Harry, Harry, Harry!"

"A little excited Luna? What is it Luna," answered Harry with a grin?

"You need to talk to Daddy! Him and Mom found Jack-a-lope s on their world trip for their honeymoon! He's got pictures and several notebooks full of information from that trip."

"And how do you know this Luna," asked Hermione?

"I've read all the back issues of the Quibbler and there was a two-page article about them. I was interested so looked up his source material in the archives."

"Do you think he'd share them with me Luna?"

"Of course, Harry, I'll talk to him for you," grinned Luna. "And he may want to come along too," giggled Luna!

Hermione groaned and rolled her eyes.

Winky looked at Dobby and gave him a look and the two popped into another room.

"You go with them on this trip. While I love Miss Moonbeam her father Xeno is another story entirely. He has the attention span of baby crup. You make sure they are safe and don't do anything stupid. And take Red and Black Eye for security."

"Dobby just nodded. He knew who he had to listen to first.

oOoOoOo

The next day found Harry strolling down Diagon Alley towards the Quibbler offices with Goblin guards from the Eye clan, Redeye and Blackeye accompanying him. Even though the Wand Shop had provided wands to all of those in Great Britain that wanted one, and had extensive sales throughout Europe and the United States, security was still a concern with the near monopoly Harry's partnership enjoyed. While there had been nothing untoward for a year, traditional wand cores were in very short supply. Hagrid and the elves harvested a small steady supply of wand core from the Thestrals and unicorn heard that lived on the elven reserve and Potter lands. Harry also had locked up the only European supply of Dragon parts. The Acromantula silk was a closely guarded secret and only distributed in finished generic wands except for a few chosen broom manufacturing partners. Other wand makers that were generating a small supply held little risk to impact the Potter business. But events like attempted thefts and abductions had taught Harry the lessons from the ersatz Moody imposter, that the need for 'Constant Vigilance' was real and absolute.

Harry abruptly stopped and started laughing when he came abreast of the Weasley twins' shop. In the front window was a colorful display. An attractive and shapely female mannequin with waist length hair dominated the window. She looked remarkedly like Nymie Tonks! Her arms were up with hands clasped provocatively behind her head. An unseen breeze blew her hair about. It cycled through every color of the rainbow with a different color every ten seconds. A tripod held a poster board advertisement for "Tonks" miracle cream, the Meta-a-morph hair cream providing hours of fun! Rub it in and rinse out for 12 hours of automatic fun hair color change. Find it in our wonder witch section! Wizards are welcome to purchase it too. Not that there is anything wrong with attractive hair on a Wizard! Seeing this he hoped Tonks would be getting a slice of the profits.

Harry continued down the alley until he came to the Quibbler office, a very non-descript store front with a simple sign. "The Quibbler- Xenophilius Lovegood, Owner and Publisher". On the inside of the smaller than average alley window was pasted the covers of the last twenty-five special weekend edition issues, all that the window could hold. Since the great wand out, the Quibbler had surpassed the now defunct Daily Prophet, in content and quality reporting in publishing six days a week. Its staff printed real hard news, researched, factual and in a respectable and responsible manner, though in homage to its roots, it did retain a magazine section in the weekend edition. It was devoted to the arcane, 'The Bermuda Traingle,' conspiracy theories, 'The Rotfang Conspiracy,' strange animals, 'Kangaroos, reality or myth,?' exotic travel, 'Bora Bora tropical paradise,' barbarian food (anything not British) and odd ball news items culled from non-magical news sources of weird and outlandish items like Bigfoot siting's, UFO's and alien abductions, an occasional Stubby Boardmen sighting with one sided interviews, and strangely enough a 'society' page devoted to fashion, engagements and weddings. The back page held the now famous Quibbler Crossword puzzle created by Luna Lovegood. Non-Magical born claimed it rivaled the respected crossword by the London Times.

Harry left the Eye brothers outside standing guard and entered the storefront and was greeted by an elf wearing a white tunic, edged in gold piping with green and red striped arm garters and eyeshade. "Mr. Harry Potter Sir! What can the Quibbler be doing for you today?"

"I've got an appointment with Xeno."

"Go on back to his office. He's waiting. I'll bring the tea and ginger biscuits!"

Harry walked towards the back of the press room. A half a dozen elves from Bright Moon Domestic Co-Op worked the presses. It was an amazing sight as they produced the paper, rolled them, shrunk them and attached them to owls for delivery. Harry smiled when he saw Xeno.

"Thank you for seeing me with so short notice." Harry eyed the coat Xeno was wearing. A copy of the one worn in the musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. "I love the suit coat Xeno, the colors are fantastic."

Xeno stood up to great him. Taking Harry's hand in his he shook it and said: "It is so good to see you again Harry. Thank you about the coat, it has it seems every color! I received it as gift from the Weasley twins for helping them with a color changing potion of my Pandora. My Moonbeam told me you are interested in learning about Jack-a-lopes?"

"Yes, we want to gather some antlers and try them as a wand core."

"Come and sit and have a spot of tea. I have dug out my maps and notes from the archives. I can really help you out. My Pandora and I spent a few months in the American Southwest researching them on our around the world tour when we were first married. When are you thinking of going?"

"We thought we'd talk to you first and plan after that."

"You or your advisors are sharpe, Harry. Best time to go is in between the full moon of September and October and that is next month! The Jack-a-lopes all congregate for the Great Rut and migration to their winter ranges. I hope you can get away."

"Rut?"

"The Jack-a-lopes have a matriarchal society Harry, the males, called Bucks are all lone rangers so to speak, the females, called Doe's lead small family groups with a group of females and cubs. Much like elephant society. Once a year they all congregate in one area to mate, then they make their way south to their winter foraging grounds.

Harry blushed red. "Go on Xeno," said Harry as he took out a spiral notebook and a biro to take notes.

"They migrate south from northern regions of Utah and Colorado to the Mountains in northern Arizona and New Mexico in the United States. As the weather gets cooler the bucks antlers grow rapidly. They reach peak size by the time of migration. They seem to congregate in some American Indian or Aboriginal tribal lands near the Four Corners region for their mating season and then trail south. They are for the most part chameleons. They blend into their background. That is why they are legendary. People thought it was a hoax when the occasional dead one was found. Their magic helps them blend in. Most of them die in dens underground so they are rarely seen. It's only in the rut that they can be seem easily. When they meet the camouflage drops so they can see each other. The mating ritual is fascinating. They do a ritual dance with lots of hopping straight up and down. Two or more bucks may butt heads to claim an area of ground. These can go on for an hour or more till one gives up. Once a buck sets his sights on one of the female led groups, they start doing these vertical jumps, some as high as five to seven feet straight up. Their prowess in jumping seems to attract the doe's. The higher they go the more likely they are to attract then. This way the males gather a harem. A few days after mating they drop their antlers and move south. It only happens at the full moons. You have about a week to find them and harvest their Antlers. You must collect them during the moonlight hours and pack them into a bag with no light for at least twenty-four hours to retain their magical properties. If they see the sun, or any light at all, they are just another dropped antler. Harvested in the moon light and cured you have a potent magical item. Can be used for wand core, potions, and rituals."

"That is fascinating Xeno. Would you like to come with us? "

Xeno smiled. "I thought you'd never ask. Take this box with my notes and maps and the Quibbler article we wrote. Give you a bit of background for your planning. They are fascinating creatures." Xeno face lit up with a huge grin as he rubbed his hands together. "We're going on a creature hunt!"

oOoOoOo

Three weeks later an eclectic group made its way out of a stretch limo and into the entrance to the British Airways terminal three at Heathrow Airport in London. Conservatively dressed in muggle casual clothes Harry Potter was accompanied by his steady girlfriend Hermione Granger, a hyperactive Mr. Dobby, a house elf under a glamor who appeared to be a middle-aged man with a goatee with his hair pulled back into a ponytail was in a velour sweatsuit. Neville Longbottom and his wife Luna, (nee Lovegood) close behind were dressed in business suits, Luna's father Xeno who wore his eye watering colorful coat and bringing up the rear were Red Eye and Black Eye, two of the Goblin security detachment for the Wand business in glamor's to appear human.

They cleared security without much delay with their carry-on baggage and soon boarded their plane, a 747. They occupied the six first class seats on the left side of the plane and the last two seats on the right. Shortly the British Airways flight was on the taxi way. "Welcome aboard to BA flight 2059 direct to Dalles Forth Worth Texas. For those continuing the connecting flight to Amarillo Texas is the next gate to your right on our arrival point. I'm your captain Richard Dunfield. Enjoy your flight.

The attendants went thru the prefight safety demonstration and soon the loaded 747 was in the air. Dobby and Xeno were fascinated by the headphones and settled in to watch their first movie ever, Saving Private Ryan. Xeno took copious notes for a future article. Harry stared out the window until there was nothing to see any more and promptly fell asleep as Hemione babbled about their itinerary. Neville took out a thick illustrated tome on "Plants of the Southwest" and settled down to read. Luna moved to an empty seat across the cabin, took her sketch pad and began to draw the group in their seats, while the Eye brothers kept a wary watch over the group.

oOoOoOo

Harry walked into their room, clicked on the air conditioning, and set it for a brisk 16 degrees Celsius to take the heat and humidity out of the room and collapsed onto the bed with a healthy sigh, closely followed by Hermione. They were finally in Amarillo Texas, after a grueling sixteen-hour day of travel. An early flight out of London's Heathrow Airport to Dallas Fort Worth, a two-hour layover in a terminal with a failed air conditioning system, and finally arriving at Rick Husband Airport in Amarillo. Thankfully with little delay, they picked up their two new Ford Expedition autos from the rental agency. It was then only a short drive to the Big Texan Motel. A campy tourist attraction on old Route 66, modeled on the main street of the typical Hollywood western town. The attraction, for which Hermione had picked it, was the cheap, clean comfortable rooms, with the attached riding school, for which she had contracted two full days of lessons. Tomorrow would be a day of sightseeing and then down to work.

oOoOoOo

At breakfast Hermione handed out a sheet of paper with their day's activities listed. First off, they had taken a short drive out on the old Route 66 to see the Cadillac Ranch 'Art' exhibit. Mr. Dobby slipped a spray paint can to Harry and who added a lightning bolt and magic wand to the psychedelic graphic covering the old automobiles. Hermione looked on with amusement and wondered how long it would last before being covered by someone's else's contribution to the ever-changing monument. Xeno was busy taking photo after photo while Luna quickly wrote a story. Luna sketched Harry painting his graffiti. She would color it in later. The early morning had produced the first of the weekend Quibbler articles from the trip. One with pictures that the British Wizarding world would find hard to believe they were real.

The rest of the day was spent at the Wonderland Amusement Park. The type of place none of the magical's except Hermione had experienced. Harry and Red Eye rode the Roller coaster ten times. Red Eye exclaimed, "It is almost as exciting as a vault cart ride on extra fast!" Hermione and Luna preferred the more sedate enclosed Ferris Wheel. Neville turned out to be an ace See ball player, winning enough points to redeem a white polar bear almost as big as Luna. At a "saloon" for lunch, Neville tried to ride the mechanical bull and impressed everyone with staying on a full ten seconds before being bucked off. Xeno took photo after photo as Luna composed her second article of the trip.

At sunset they made their way back on old Route 66 to the Big Texan Steak Ranch.

When they pulled into the parking lot Neville asked, "Does everything in Texas have the word Big in front of it," as he starred at the blue and yellow building façade with the giant model of a Texas Longhorn Steer that towered over them at ten feet tall and a thirty-foot stretch Cadillac limo with longhorns on the front bonnet?

Luna became very excited. "Look they have a 72 oz steak challenge!"

Hermione spoke up. "Eat well as tomorrow we start riding lessons!"

Once their party was seated and perused the menu, Harry, Neville, Red Eye, Dead Eye and Luna decided to take the 72 oz steak challenge. You had to eat a bread roll with butter, a shrimp cocktail, a garden salad, a baked potato and a 72-ounce steak. If you could eat it in one hour it was free!

A waitress, wearing an old fashioned western style dress served the plates to the group and set a timer down with an old fashioned push bell. "Yaw'll enjoy your meals folks." Luna put a bib on and when she received her plate she cut everything up into bite size pieces and created a miniature sculpture of the steer model from outside. It stood on a field of greens from her salad. The two cherry tomatoes for eyes and the shrimp cocktail made the horns. Only after admiring her creation did she pick up her fork to begin to eat. Before she could take the first bite the waitress who had stood by watching her laughed as she took a picture of Luna's creation. "I like your using the shrimp for the horns and teeth!"

The Eye brothers doused their steak in cayenne pepper and Tabasco hot sauce before digging in. At the thirty-five-minute mark Luna hit the bell several times and daintily wiped her mouth with a napkin and asked, "Can I order pudding now?"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Luna, I'm surprised you didn't have pudding first."

"Luna looked off into space for a moment before looking directly at her best friend. "It was a 72-ounce steak. I've never had one that big before."

Harry and Neville had given up at the half hour mark and pushed their half-eaten plates away. About ten minutes after Luna, both the Eye brothers dinged the bell and asked for another pitcher of beer, each!

"Well look at here everyone," called the waitress to the dining room as she looked at the bar tender to catch his eye. "Ring the bell for three people who won against the steak!

oOoOoOo

The next morning the group, led by Luna who had spent time talking to the horses the previous night, went to the corral where they were to have riding lessons after they had finished breakfast.

"Welcome everyone. My name is Texas Jack. Yawl can call me Tex or Jack. Or hay you, Youse doesn't has to call me Texas Jack. Now this here critter I'm a holding by something called the reigns is a hoss. I'ma gonna learn yawl how to ride, so you pay close attention now, ya hear."

"I'm holding him close to his mouth. This is the front end. And notice it has teeth. Horses like to bite. Now this here is the middle where you'll be putting a saddle on later. Now this here with the tail is the rear end. Best you not stand behind a hoss as they like to kick. I guarantee you won't like it. Now then, we gonna take half the day learning how to care for your hoss, have lunch and then we gonna go for a ride. Yawl be in the saddle for about six hours today and when you come back you will take care of your mounts and put them up in the stable. Then tomorrow we gonna do it all over agin. By the end of the second day, you will be riders.

Neville looked at Harry and caught his eye as he smirked. They both knew it would be a long two days of lessons. "Hey Harry, with your scrawny arse, I bet you're gonna be sore tomorrow!"

Harry just stuck his tongue out to Neville.

oOoOoOo

Today, finally after the long flight, the stopover in Amirillo to learn a little about the American Southwest, a day of fun, two painful days to learn how to ride a horse, and then a long ride to Gallop and then on to Shiprock moving ever west on route 64. A few miles before arriving in Shiprock they found the turn off onto the dirt two track and almost ten bumpy miles to the ranch and their guide.

The next morning, as Harry was dressing, they were going to set off on their adventure. Harry pulled on wool socks, blue jeans, a flannel shirt, a woolen jumper, comfortable heeled leather boots, pulled on a denim jacket and put a ten-gallon Stetson on his head as he stretched while walking out of his room. He was not looking forward to riding again today. Not after the two days of torture learning to ride and then the long auto trip to the turn off to the ranch and the ten miles of bone rattling dirt road to where they met their outfitter and guide who would lead them to destination Jack-a-lope. Even cushioning charms did not do much to ease the pain.

It was 5:00 o'clock a.m. with the sun shining directly on to the porch of the main ranch house when Harry walked out onto the front porch with the wide overhanging roof, railings with built in benches and scattered benches and chairs against the wall of the house. The air was cool enough that his breath condensed into a visible stream with each exhale. Harry was gob smacked by what he saw as he looked out into the courtyard.

Sitting a horse was the ranch guide Gus, who was a lean weather beaten, grey haired, mustachioed old timer. He was dressed in faded but serviceable blue jeans, a red flannel shirt, a creased and well-worn honey colored leather vest, a quilted denim jacket and a big wide brimmed sweat-stained Stetson hat. His saddle was western style and held a scabbard with the butt end of a rifle sticking out. He sat there calmly chawing tobacco, a big wad between his cheek and gum, while holding the reigns of two loaded pack horses. Horses for the rest of the party were tied off on the railings in front of the Ranch House.

Old Gus was not what had him gob smacked. Nor was it the usually the eye watering clothing that Xeno was fond of. What was though, was sitting a horse next to him with a huge smile on his face. A glamoured Dobby who appeared to be a short older person to non-magical people, he wore an outlandish outfit too outrageous for even a Hollywood comedy about dude ranches. Harry blinked twice and looked at the two girls sitting on a bench beside the door.

They both smirked at him barely suppressing laughter.

"Dobby, why are you dressed like that," asked Harry?

Dobby quickly interrupted Harry once he saw him on the porch. In a deep voice he said:

"The horses are saddled Kemo Sabe. Time to mount up. We got job to do. Time to hit trail."

"What did you call me"?

"Kemo sabie."

"So, I suppose you want me to call you Tonto?"

"What else would Kemo Sabe call his trusted pardner?"

"How about Idiot"?

A howl of laughter behind him caused him to start. He turned and scowled at the slim, beautiful, brown eyed girl dressed in denim jeans, knee length burgundy colored leather boots, a cotton red and white checked shirt, long curly brown hair, and a large white Stetson on her head, holding her sides with tears in her eyes as she tried to hold in her laughter. Beside her a similarly clad blonde girl sat on the stairs and giggled.

"Do you have to encourage him? OK self-proclaimed side kick, why should I call you Tonto?"

"I am Red Man Kemo Sabe, faithful servant to most trusted lawman in the west!"

"I am not a lawman, and you are not my servant."

"Kemo Sabe has a saving people thing."

Harry shook his head slowly from side to side. He muttered something unintelligible under his breath. "Why are you dressed that way 'not' Tonto?"

"What is wrong with way I dress?"

"Well, you are wearing leather bedroom slipper moccasins, brown fringed leather pants, a pink polka dot cotton shirt, a vest with green stripes, feathered arm bands, fake long black braids held in place with a head band with a single feather, a utility belt, and a dish towel wrapped around your head. A very authentic costume, NOT! So, I guess you think you are a red man?"

"Ooi I have red skin Kemo Sabe."

"That is a sun burn you idiot."

Just then the blond-haired girl sat down loudly on the stirs, said "Kemo Sabe angry" and both girls burst into giggles.

"You are both impossible. Stop encouraging him. And don't call me Kemo Sabe either!"

The small man dressed in faux Indian garb replied: "Well, should I call you "skipper and you can call me Gilligan? I'll get a sailor hat! Though I really prefer MaryAnn, she had the nicest pig tails, just like mine, Here see my little bows?"

Harry face bloomed red. "NO!"

How about you are Joe Friday and I'll be Joe Gannon?'

'No, you are straying from the facts here Mr. Dobby!"

How about I call you Colonel Klink and you call me Sargent Shultz?"

"No, no, you know nothing!"

Fresh peels of laughter erupted from the girl and she rolled on her side holding her stomach.

"How about Sherlock? It is obvious I could be Watson?"

"No!"

"How about Captain and you call me Mr. Spock?"

"No! and Mr. Spock was second in command, not a sidekick."

"Tom and Jerry!"

"No, I am not a cat and you are not a mouse!"

"Batman & Robin?"

"No!"

"How about you call me Ed and I'll call you Heeeeeeere's Johnny!"

"No!"

"What about I call you Fred and you call me Barney?"

"No!"

"You Bullwinkle? Me Rocket Rocky?"

"No!"

"Stop it, stop it!" screamed the Hermione struggling to stand, "Doby you watch too much late-night television!

Gus interrupted with his booming voice. "Alright people, you've wasted enough time jawing here, we are burning daylight so mount up and let's be going, we have a long ride ahead of us and we need to be up the hill to the campsite before nightfall."

oOoOoOo

Gus led them out on a trail that wound ever upward at a steady easy mile eating pace. Every hour Gus had them dismount and walk their mounts for ten to fifteen minutes despite grumbling from certain members. "You got a long way to go, and you need to spell the horses. Good to stretch the kinks out of your backs too."

As they rode on the trail, Harry enjoyed the arid breath-taking scenery. He had expected dessert and was not surprised by the lack of green grass and trees. But as they moved on Harry gave his mount a little spur and moved quickly up to the front to ride by Gus. They rode quietly for almost thirty minutes when Gus looked at Harry.

"I know it ain't none of my bidness, and I almost never ask a paying customer sometin personal like, but that short fella of yours is a mite strange. How do you put up wit him? Better yet why?"

Harry laughed. "He is certainly out there. Dobby is many things to me. A friend, a teacher, mentor, confidant, business partner, and bodyguard. I consider him family, even if he's a little off."

"Hard to see that little guy like being a bodyguard. You selling me a pig-n-poke? You fooling wit me?"

"No sir, you don't cross him, and you don't threaten those he sees as family. He has lived a hard life. He is a fierce warrior when he must be. He's pulled my bacon out of the fire a few times."

Gus raised a single eyebrow and looked at Harry. "You be a mite young to have your bacon pulled out of the fire?"

"Well, I've led an interesting life. I feel a lot older than I look. I run a business in England and some folks took exception. There have been several attempts on my life."

Gus looked back at Dobby who smiled at him. He had a strange look in his eye, one Gus had seen before when he served in the Army in Vietnam. That stare, the always on wariness. He decided right there that his client was not selling him a tall tale and they rode on quietly from there.

"Tell me about your friends," asked Gus. What's with the flashy dresser?"

Harry laughed. "You mean Xeno? He's a publisher, puts out a paper five days a week, then on the Weekends he publishes this magazine type thing. It's somewhat like your National Enquirer, or the Globe Magazine sold in your food markets. He prints outlandish things, UFO and celebrity sightings, strange animals, fashion. The stuff is out there but its popular. His daughter Luna is training to be a Zoologist. They take a trip every summer looking for mythical beasts and then write about it their magazine. The flights of fancy are very popular. Then there is Neville, the one with his face in a book all the time. He's married to Luna. He's a prodigy in Botany. He's working on his master's degree now, but he's already well known for some of his conservation efforts in saving rare plants. He's along for the ride. He is hoping to find something out here worthy of his thesis.

Then there is Hermione, my brilliant best friend, business partner and Fiancé. I believe her next goal is to become a doctor. Bringing up the rear are part of my security team. They are the Eye brothers. The one on the left goes by Blackie and the one on the right is Red."

Gus looked back at the two. They had the same look in their eyes Dobby did. Gus shrugged. Out here it was good to have capable people. The next several hours passed in companiable silence.

oOoOoOo

It was nearing six p.m. as the expedition followed a small depression about halfway up a steep hill. It was clearly a path to the bench above. A few minutes later they came out from the trail and a break in a rock wall to see a large flat area about one hundred feet below the top of the rock formation called blue bluff mesa on the Topographical maps but locals referred to it as Blue Bunny mesa.

Once everyone had come through, he rocks Gus reigned his horse up and turned to the group. "OK folks, this is the end of the line, our campground. We only got a little bit of time fore it gets dark so we need to be quick about setting up camp. There will be time to dawdle after supper."

Harry looked around. This bench was a flat area about one hundred yards wide and 30 deep. A trail led up the last one hundred feet or so of the mountain to the mesa top, their ultimate scouting area for the Jack-a-lopes. The area was sand and some loose gravel. The center of the bench had a circular fire pit with rocks piled up to a foot and half. There was a large pile of firewood stacked next to it. Against the sheer rock of the mesa was a three-sided corral of split rails tucked against the wall to make a safe enclosure for the horses. Further towards the far-left end of the shear wall a small spring bubbled out of the rock and into a pool about ten feet across that then drained down the hill.

Gus pointed to the campfire pit. Pitch your tents in a row about ten feet from the campfire pit. We will be camping here while you folks go off on your creature and plant hunts. Now we got two weeks of supplies, so you have 13 days here before we have to head back. Let's set up camp. Once you unload, take care of your mounts, and put them in the corral. Saddles go on the that rail set on the rocks yonder. Once you get your horse taken care of and your tents up, I need some of you young bucks to haul some water from the spring."

"Do you think we should let Gus know who and what we are Harry," asked Hermione?

"Yes, you should," said Luna. He's a Squib anyway. I can see some aura about him.

"Hey Gus, I have a special tent for you," said Harry as he walked towards Gus. "You do know about magic don't you?"

Gus smiled. "I was wondering when you were going to bring that up. I guessed you were Maj's."

"What gave us away Gus?"

Gus smiled and pulled out a weekend Quibbler. "Mr. Xeno!"

"Well then Gus, you can help us look for the Jack-a-lopes," smiled Luna. We got us a believer!"

oOoOoOo

The next morning, they had breakfast early and Neville kissed Luna, said goodbye to her and Xeno and despite Luna wanting Gus to help with the Jack-a-lope hunt, set off with Gus who was to guide and Red Eye for security. As the sun was just coming up on the horizon they mounted up and led a pack horse with a tent and rations for five days.

Neville had a special permit from the U.S. Forest Service to search for, study and take sample seeds of the rare Cirsium vinaceum, the Sacramento Mountains Thistle, an endangered plant that grows near springs where the springs build large mounds of travertine, a calcium carbonate rock upon which Sacramento Mountains thistles grow. They usually grow in mixed conifer/mountain meadow associations and always occur in wetlands or sub-irrigated areas associated with springs, streams, and seeps. This rare thistle is threatened by water diversion at spring habitats, direct and indirect impacts from grazing, competition with exotic plant species, logging, and recreation activities as well as from competition with invasive non-native plants. Its once wider range has steadily shrunk and is now thought to be only found in the upper west corner of Arizona near the four corners area.

"Why are you looking to study this thistle Mr. Longbottom," asked Gus?

"Call me Neville please. Well, it's a plant with some magical and healing properties. The adult plants have many flower heads and may be five feet tall. The flowers when steeped in water and salt overnight yield a substance that shows promise for several disease therapies. Its leaves are used in some rare potions. Problem is the plant is endangered and we can't get enough to study and develop it as a medicine. I'm doing my doctorate dissertation on the plant. My goal is to find some, take ground core samples to understand its growth medium, carefully document everything growing around it, take samples of the flowers and seeds, make a photographic record and document temperatures through a 24-hour period, and photograph the plant as it reacts to changes in temperature. My hope is I can be the first to propagate this plant in a green house. Goal would be to repopulate its original range and provide enough samples via greenhouse propagation for scientific study.

"You interested in bugs too?"

"Of course, any insect around or on the plant will be sampled and documented. Most plants are pollinated by bee's but there are others that ants, or bats or birds serve the function. We can't discount anything."

"That is sure interesting Neville."

"How long a ride we have to get to the study area?"

"We are a good four or five hours away from the area on your permit."

Neville smiled. "I can't wait to get there and get down in the dirt."

oOoOoOo

While Neville was off searching for his rare plant, Harry, Hermione, Luna, Xeno and Dead Eye took a pack horse up to the top of the mesa with their extensive gear.

Dobby elected to stay behind and promised to have a hearty lunch ready when they returned. He began setting up his camp kitchen smoker and grill while humming the William Tell Overture and Light Cavalry Overture, grinning all the time. He rubbed almost twenty pounds of pork ribs and ten pounds of brisket with his secret rub mixture and placed them in the smoker. He prepared pork butt the same way which would need longer to smoke and would be for tomorrow. He was drooling over the thought of pulled pork sandwiches! Dobby was happy! This was his first real vacation, and he was having fun!

When Harry's team reached the top, they stood there for a while as Xeno pointed out certain topographic features. After a short time, Xeno indicated to Harry where to set up the observation blind while Hermione, Luna and Xeno set up a dozen still and motion camera's on tripods in a large arc to cover a small depression covered in a course grass with the occasional mesquite bush, a likely place for the Jack-a-lopes to congregate. Xeno then set up a surveyor's tripod and mounted a telescope and worked with Dead Eye to place about one hundred leveling rod's marked in one-inch increments around the area. These would be reference points that the cameras would pick up and help in further research. Out one hundred yards in a larger arc they set up a dozen motion detectors and small observation cameras as an early warning system. These were all connected, and a wire was laid back to the blind and from the blind back down the hill to their campsite and a monitor. If wildlife happened to pass thru, they could do limited observation remotely and know it was time to get to the blind.

They cast disillusion spells on the blind and the cameras. In addition, they cast silencing and odor masking charms over the blind. They uncoiled cords back to the blind where they could remotely trigger both the still and motion cameras as needed.

The blind was much bigger on the inside than the outside and like a magical tent it had a loo, a table and four chairs, a kitchenette, and observation ports with benches to view any action that occurred outside. There was a small table with dicta quill and parchment. There was a recording weather station, with 24-hour clock providing temperature and humidity and with a flick of his wand Xeno set it to recording.

Hermione was impressed by Xeno and Luna's cool no nonsense professionalism while they were setting up. It was obvious they were experienced in these tasks. Hermione thought badly of herself for a moment, thinking how she had discounted Luna's creatures babbling unkindly. Despite Xeno's outward outlandish appearance and flighty disposition, he was proving to be the utmost professional scientist. While people may have believed the creatures in the Quibbler were flights of fancy, he took great pains to document a side of magic that was shrouded in mystery. She would have to reread old issues. I guess I still have a lot to learn she thought. Xeno was certainly eccentric, but he was competent.

Now they only had to wait for the right moon phase. The last three days of the waxing gibbous moon, the one-day full moon and the first three days of the waning gibbous moon would give them approximately seven nights to observe and collect Jack-a-lope antlers. They had another two days or so before things began to happen. This was the month that the migration and Great Rut would happen. To say Luna was excited was an understatement. She was quivering in anticipation and nervous energy.

"I know they will be here Harry and I know we will collect a good-sized antler sample."

Harry smiled. "I'd love to make a nice haul Luna, but if we don't this will have been a fun trip. Despite Dobby's wardrobe malfunctions, he's been keeping everyone loose. I've not had such fun in a long time."

Just before noon, Xeno indicated they were done with the setup. "Ok folks let's head back done the trail for a Dobby Barbecue! The Jack-A-Lopes won't begin appearing for a few days so we can do some riding and exploring.

After everyone was sitting at the tables Dobby had set up with a full plate, Dobby took a huge picnic basket loaded with his culinary delights and popped to Neville, Red Eye and Gus. He arrived just as they were setting up camp at their destination.

"Hello everyone, I thought you'd like some lunch!"

oOoOoOo

They had a few days to wait. Harry, Hermione and Luna took advantage of this time to explore on horseback the surrounding area, but never letting the mesa get out of sight as Gus, their guide was off with Neville. It would not do to get lost. It would be embarrassing to have to call Dobby to rescue them! Xeno was content to stay in the campsite with Dobby. The two were often seen on lounge chairs taking the sun and drinking some concoction from imitation coconuts with little umbrellas. Xeno and Dobby were certainly in a mellow mood.

Luna took her sketch pad everywhere they rode and took time to record plants, animals the topography and even Harry and Hermione on horseback. Harry also took time to fly his experimental Thunderbird model broom in the moon light. The three days before the motion detectors tripped indicating the migration was passing them were relaxed and idyllic to the three friends. Sitting beside the campfire drinking butterbeers, Harry thought it could not get better. After the frenetic pace they had been on making wands assembly line fashion it was good to just relax, even if for the wand shop, this was a business trip.

The next afternoon the motion detectors tripped, and they observed a few Jack-a-lopes on the monitor. They quickly made their way quietly into the blind and began observing.

Slowly by ones and two's, then in larger groups Jack-a-lopes began appearing, dropping their natural camouflage. Mostly it was matriarchal groups, but a few males began showing up. Xeno and Luna quickly tripped still and motion cameras to capture the happening.

They all had impressive racks of antlers, six, eight, ten points on some of them. Their forehead had a mass of bone in the center between the antlers.

This night the moon rose at ten p.m. and by that time the grassy swale was teaming with the animals. Xeno pointed out two Jack-a-lopes with impressive racks that were just to the right of the blind that began to circle one another. Suddenly first one, then the other leaped straight up into the air with a strange keening scream like sound. This went on for several minutes and some of the leaps were six feet in height! They circled one another again and again leaping each time. Both then stopped, heads down almost to the ground, both pawing the ground with their front hooves. Then in a blink of an eye they launched themselves at each other and crashed their foreheads together. A loud 'bonk' was heard as both animals were momentarily staggered. They locked horns and pushed at each other. Several family groups of females and young sat in a circle watching the contest. After about an hour one Jack-a-lope was successful in driving off the other. The victorious male pranced about the circle eyeing the adult females. He stood up on his hind legs and shook his head and the antlers dropped. He then proceeded to lead his harem group away.

The whole group was excited and fascinated by the exhibition. They had been focused on the one that occurred right in front of the blind and had not noticed that the same thing was happening across the swale in many different places.

It was about an hour before dawn when suddenly there was not a Jack-a-lope to be seen.

"Quickly now, let's collect the dropped antlers," stated Xeno. He held open a large space expanded bag made of a very dense cloth. The rest of the team picked up every antler they could and dropped it in the bag. They had just finished putting the last pick up in the bag when the first hint of dawn could be seen in the east. It was a wild and fulfilling night.

Over the next four nights they observed the same activity, helping Xeno and Luna document the activity and doing a frenzied antler pick up at the end of the night before the sun came up. They had an estimated 500 pounds of antlers and Xeno had hundreds of photos and several thousand feet of film documenting the great migration and rut.

Neville came back on in the evening of the last day of the antler collection. The next day the whole group went for a long ride led by Gus to see some of the breath-taking scenery in the area and soak in some secluded hot springs in a remote canyon he knew of. It was a weary group that trailed into the ranch at the end of their trip. This had exceeded everyone's expectations.

oOoOoOo

After an exhausting but exhilarating and productive three-week trip, the group split up at the airport. It was a Thursday afternoon when they went their separate ways.

Xeno, the Longbottom's and Dead Eye were returning to London. Neville needed to start experimenting with the Thistle plant beginning with a trial cultivation, and he needed to revise and complete his field notes, as well as to check up on his greenhouse operations. Luna and Xeno were anxious to begin putting together the Quibbler articles on the Jack-a-lopes and the Texas experience and Luna had to check in with Bright Moon. Would anyone in the British Magical world believe that the Cadillac Ranch really existed or the 72-ounce steak Luna had polished off?

Harry, Hermione, Dobby and Red Eye were taking a detour to Salem Mass to see Daryl and drop off a shrunken chest with fifty pounds of Jak-a-lope antler.

They called Daryl from Logan International Airport in Boston after they deplaned.

"Hi Daryl, I'm in Boston with Hermione and Dobby. We have something for you and want to drop it off and hopefully go to the Full Moon restaurant for dinner."

"Harry! It's good to hear from you. I'm on Mandy's boat, it's at the Three Sheets to the Wind Marina in Salem at Tabitha Cove, near the House of Seven Gables. Come on up. We are only a short drive to the Full Moon from there."

"How will I find you when we get there?"

"Harry, are you a wizard or not? Try a point me spell." Daryl burst out laughing. "Sorry Harry, just funning ya, cracked the scotch bottle open a mite early today. Ask for "Harpy's Dreamboat" and the help will direct you."

About an hour later Harry pulled into a spot in the car park at the Marina and they filed in and asked a workman where they could find the Harpy.

With a laugh the ponytailed, tattooed young man pointed towards a corner and told him. Third slip down, look for the boat with all the flying witch flags and plastic pumpkins hanging from the rigging.

The party made their way over to the boat.

Harry called out, "Ahoy the Harpy!"

Daryl popped his head out of the hatchway and waved with a glass filled with amber liquid. "Hiya Harry, Hermione, and Dobby. And who's your friend," asked Daryl as he spied Red Eye?

Red Eye stepped forward and held out his hand. I'm Harry's security. I'm Red Eye."

Daryl shrugged his shoulders. "Good to meet you. Welcome aboard."

"Turning back to the group he introduced his girlfriend. "This is Mandy if you've not already met her."

"Nice boat you have Mandy," said Hermione.

"Thank you, it my pride and joy as well as my home. I live aboard now."

"Interesting decorations," opined Hermione.

"Just hiding in plain sight," smirked Mandy.

"Is this the boat you and Daryl took up to Alaska and back?"

"Yes, it is. It's quite a good sailor in all weather."

"I'm impressed. Can you tell me about transiting the Panama Canal?"

"Sure, let's grab a soda and sit on deck."

"We have a present for you Daryl," said Harry as he climbed onto the deck of the Harpy.

Harry pulled the shrunken trunk out of his pocket and placed it on the deck, then tapped it with his wand. "Take look Daryl."

Daryl leaned over and opened the lid of the trunk.

"Merlin's beard Harry. Is that Jack-a-lope antler?"

"Yes"

"Wow, that's more than I've seen in my career. How much is there and how the hell did you collect that?"

"It's fifty pounds Daryl. We just came back from the four corners region out west.

"Do you know what the Efficiency and Compatibility are? How about how many woods?

"Last year we were able to get a hold of about five pounds of ground antler and did a test trial run of wands with it. The test was very promising. We found that Aspen and Beech woods were the best at getting a usable wand. No other wood we tried was very effective, well below any reasonable usability standard for a wand. One out of two magical's could use the wand. Some much better than others. Some a lot less.

Daryl whistled. "That's good. I think for the right people a Jack-a-lope wand will make an exceptionally powerful wand. Is this all you collected Harry? How much can I have to experiment with?"

Harry laughed. It's all yours. We were able to collect almost 500 pounds."

"They are so rare; how did you find so much?"

"A friend's father is an amateur magi-zoologist and he had studied them years ago. He guided us and it's an incredible story. How about we go out to dinner, and we'll tell you about it?"

"Let Mandy & I treat Harry! Its karaoke night after the dinner hour."

oOoOoOo

Dinner at the Full Moon in Riley Plaza in Salem was fantastic. A four-star Michelin rated restaurant noted for both its treatment of locally caught seafood and sustainably grown grass-fed Bison from Vermont. Harry enjoyed the surf-n-turf made up of broiled scallops in butter and very rare Bison filet mignon. Everyone else elected the fisherman's broiled sampler. On Thursday nights, dinner hours ended at 9:30 p.m. Then it was open mic Karaoke, and the place was hopping with a college aged crowd. Harry was laughing as he watched Dobby bounce in his seat to the music. His face was a giant smile. Hermione nudged Harry. "Want to do a song or two lover boy?"

"Why not Hermione. Let's put on a show."

They went up to the stage when there was break in people taking a turn and searched the data base for songs. As it was also a wizarding place it had both magical and non-magical music. They picked a Weird Sisters song for their first song. It was the oh so risqué "Want to help polish my broom stick!" with Harry leaning in with a leer and Hermione stepping back wagging her finger and singing No, NO, NOOOOOOOO! Harry responding with "Yes? YES, YESSSSS!"

The crowd really got into it and crowded the dance floor. Next up was the Weird Sisters newest song that was rising quickly on the charts: "What you do is magic". Then Harry did the lead in "Let's fly tonight" and then Hermine took the lead with, "This potions for you". Finally, Harry and Hermione finished the set with two songs, Hermione did the first with an inspired performance of a Disco Classic by muggle artist Donna Summer: "Hot Stuff Tonight" and followed by Harry crooning the haunting love song by Three Old Hags, "You don't need love potions for me to love you!" With a bow, Harry and Hermione pecked each other's lips with a caste kiss. The raucous crowd was stirred up!

Towards the end of the night, and after several butter beers, Dobby decided he would take a turn. With a smirk he said to Harry: "Dobby bee's doing a song, the Great Mr. Harry Potter Sir."

Harry laughed, "Break a leg kiddo!"

Hermione just raised an eyebrow.

Dobby skipped up to the stage and grabbed the mic. He turned to the machine and dialed in his choice. Dobby stood tall on stage and rose his hands for silence.

"Hi, I be Dobby! I'm not going to sing B-B-B-B-Badly. I'm going to sing a rock and roll classic by George Thorogood and the Destroyers!" He pressed the button to start the machine and begin to belt out a perfect imitation:

"On the day I was born
The nurses all gathered 'round
And they gazed in wide wonder
At the joy they had found
The head nurse spoke up
Said, "Leave this one alone"
She could tell right away
That I was bad to the bone"

Harry's table led the standing ovation when Dobby finished and took a bow.

"Thank you, Thank you very much!"

È tutto

(As Porky Pig used to say "That's All Folks!"

Thanks for reading.