Chapter 1 – Arrangements

"Ah, Harry. There you are."

Harry stood up straight and turned away from Tempest Savage's desk. The Minister of Magic was smiling but the smile looked tense.

"Tempest," the Minister continued, "would you please excuse us. I need to have a word with Harry in his office."

"Please, Minister," Tempest said, "take him, I think we're finished. Harry, I'll get back to you when I have any more information."

"OK. Thanks, Tem," Harry said and led Kingsley towards the corner of the office area.

"Is Ronald still around the office, Harry?" Kingsley asked. "We should probably include him, if he is."

Harry could only think of one open case which would involve the Minister and Ron. Ron was currently winding down. He was handing over his cases to others in preparation for leaving the Auror Office. He caught Ron's eye across the open area and beckoned him over. Ron waved back and walked towards them. Harry held open the door of his side office for the Minister and waited for Ron. Ron nodded as he passed and Harry shut the door behind them.

Kingsley cleared his throat. "I have received a reply from Director Harizanis of the MBI. He has personally approved our application to interview… their prisoner."

"They took their time," Ron muttered.

"That was not because of Kostas," Kingsley explained. "I gather that it was his government which delayed the process by nearly two months. It might have been longer, had it not been for the Director's insistence at the highest levels.

"I am sorry to have to involve you, Ron. I am aware that you must be keen to clear up all of your cases. But I and, I believe, Harry would greatly appreciate your assistance a little longer. You were a part of the Alorea Rakissen case. I am reluctant to have anyone else privy to the details until we have a better understanding of how far-reaching the implications may be.

"I have no right to order you, Ron. I am asking this as a personal favour. Will you please assist Harry for as long as he needs you? If it helps, I have cleared it with the Head of Magical Law Enforcement."

Kingsley gave him a rare and expansive grin. Harry chuckled, shifting some scrolls of parchment on his desk which had crunched as he leaned on them.

Ron gave a wry smile. "Well, if Hermione approves, I suppose it must be OK."

Kingsley turned to Harry, his face subsiding into a more serious expression. "I would like you to deal with this as a matter of some urgency, Head Auror. Speak with Ginny as soon as you can. I am sure the self-styled 'Captain' Treddle will be happy to help."

Harry and Ron smiled at each other.

"There is an obvious complication, however," Kingsley frowned. "Nobody knows how to open the cage in which Rakissen is imprisoned."

Ron's face clouded. "There's only one person who can help us with that. And I'm not sure if even she knows how."

"The good news is that it is the school holidays," Harry pointed out. "She should be able to come with us."

"Do not approach the girl directly, Harry," Kingsley warned. "Please talk to her uncle first. She has been through a great deal – life-changing events. I believe Ambrose Ward will be best suited to assessing her state of mind."

Kingsley scowled in thought. "Harry, we need the girl to open the cage. We also need not to hurt her or turn her against us. It will be a difficult situation to balance and time is of the essence. I can only impress upon you that the stakes are high. I know you will do your best, my friend."

Harry stepped down from the bus, thanking the driver. Apparating to the toilets at the railway station had been as close to Ambrose's house as he could get without being seen. From there it had been a short bus ride to the stop at the end of Ambrose's street. He looked around himself then turned to walk down the rows of terraced houses.

Ambrose's front door had a brass number eleven. Someone had repainted in the few months since Harry had last seen it. The red paint looked fresh and glittered in the summer sunlight.

The door swung open to reveal the quizzical, bearded face of Ambrose Ward. The aroma of freshly baked bread accompanied him.

"Harry, my dear fellow," he beamed. "Might I invite you to come in?"

Harry gaped. "How did you…?"

Ambrose stepped to one side to let Harry enter. "I received your owl, indicating that you would be visiting today. I employed my scrying crystal to watch for your arrival."

Seeing the shocked confusion on Harry's face Ambrose chuckled and explained. "I sat by the window and saw you coming down the street."

Ambrose showed Harry to the sitting room towards the back of the house. Harry sat on the sofa, leaving the armchair for his host. They exchanged a few pleasantries. Ambrose offered him a drink, but Harry insisted on producing two mugs of tea and a plate of savoury scones.

"Ginny's cheese and bacon scones?" Ambrose asked.

"Of course," Harry grinned. "She insisted."

Ambrose chuckled. "How very perceptive of her to divine that they are favourites of mine."

"You hid it so well," Harry joked.

"I have, myself, been baking," Ambrose said. "Just a loaf of bread. I would offer you some but it is probably a little too warm, as yet. And, after all, there are now scones present."

They settled for a few moments with their drinks and the scones.

Harry fixed Ambrose with a curious eye. "How have you been, Ambrose? I'm sorry, I should have checked you were OK after… everything."

Ambrose finished his scone and took a deliberate sip of his tea.

He turned his gaze towards Harry. "I have to admit, Harry, that the full force of the events we experienced did overhaul me a few days after Lydia left."

Harry sighed. "Sorry," was all that he could muster.

"Oh, do not worry about me, old chap," Ambrose winked. "I have, as they say these days, 'processed' all the weirdness and conflict. I am now at peace with my new understanding of the world."

Harry was aware that he was wringing his hands. He looked down at them, then looked up to see that Ambrose had also noticed.

Ambrose sighed. "Lydia has, of course, had even more with which to come to terms. I was concerned, I must admit. For now, it seems, her youth and resilience have served her well. Catherine and I continue to monitor her, but she seems to have taken it all in her stride."

"And… her powers?" Harry asked.

"I believe we have all managed to reassure her that Hogwarts will help her immensely. Professor Malfoy has visited us both and kept in touch admirably. Lydia has decided by herself that she should wait until she is within the confines of the school before exercising her new abilities. It is wisdom, rather than timidity, which tempers her actions."

"Has she had any more of her 'insights'?"

Ambrose shook his head. "As far as I am aware she has not. I do wonder whether that is because she is no longer in danger. Or it is possibly that she is separated from her familiar."

Harry smiled. "The chicken?"

"The former chicken, who is now Xander the cat," Ambrose reminded him.

"Where is he?"

"As of my last encounter with the young fellow he was upstairs in the guest bedroom, sunning himself. At this time of day I imagine he will still be there."

"Why isn't he…?" Harry began.

"Catherine, Lydia's mother, is a little allergic to those of the feline persuasion," Ambrose explained, with a wry smile.

The sitting room door gave a soft creak. They turned to see a pale ginger form flow around the edge and into the room. Xander the cat slinked across the carpet and sprang onto the sofa beside Harry as if he were momentarily weightless. He found a sunlit patch, sat erect and looked at the two gentlemen in turn, seeming to give them permission to continue.

"Perhaps, Harry," Ambrose resumed, "now would be an appropriate juncture at which to address the favour you came here to ask."

The older man sank back into his armchair, raised his eyebrows, and peered at him.

"How did you…," Harry attempted.

"Alorea is something of a loose end, Harry," Ambrose said. "You would not be Head Auror, and the living legend you are, if you did not feel compelled to pursue the information she might have. Lydia incarcerated her using magic you admit you have never seen before. She is presumably the only one who can free her. Only then can you interrogate Ms Rakissen."

"Er. Yes, exactly," Harry conceded.

Ambrose sighed. "No, Harry."

Harry's head jerked back in surprise. "I wouldn't ask but this is important, Ambrose. And, like you said, Lydia seems to be our only option."

"I appreciate all that, Head Auror," Ambrose replied. "I am sorry that I am not inclined to accommodate your request. Please let me expand upon my reasoning."

Harry nodded once, scowling.

Ambrose steepled his fingers together. "Consider the situation with Lydia's 'powers', if I may refer to them as such."

Harry nodded.

"Lydia has little or no concept of how they work," Ambrose continued. "Professor Malfoy, for all his research, is no better informed than she is.

"This has been a momentous, even monumental, change for her, Harry. Quite apart from the issues around her powers, whatever they may turn out to be, her life has been turned upside down. She will be moving up an academic year to go to Hogwarts. She will be separated from all her current friends, probably permanently. She has discovered that science, which she believed could explain her whole world, cannot explain everything.

"That is fundamentally important to her, Harry. In hindsight I feel her belief in science and knowledge gave her hope. It was the hope of being able to explain the disappearance of her father, possibly even to help her find him. That hope is threatened. It is a loss.

"Magic, while exciting her, does not yet give her new hope. She has demonstrated very little control over it, particularly without her familiar. Those insights of hers utterly defy science and seem to defy control, even reason. Her own powers have remained untouched since we returned home. She is wise to leave them until she is at Hogwarts. Magic has challenged her world view, her own particular brand of magic even more so."

"You think she is scared of her powers?" Harry asked.

"Apprehensive, at the very least, Harry," Ambrose nodded. "She moved us from one place to another. She saw into the future, to some extent. She survived being zapped by some spell at Trenton, which should have killed her, I gather."

"What?! I didn't hear about that," Harry protested.

"Ah, it must have been lost in all the excitement," Ambrose reasoned. "Tally and I witnessed it. Tally called it 'The Killing Curse', as I recall."

"She… she survived it?!" Harry was aghast. "Avada Kedavra?"

"Oh, is that what it was?" Ambrose said. "I have read about that. I was not aware that was the Killing Curse Tally meant. It was a green flash, as I recall it."

"That's it," Harry breathed. "Why didn't Tally tell me?"

"As I suggested, Harry, lost in the excitement. And she would not have included it in her official report, presumably."

"No, she didn't," Harry mused. "She wasn't allowed to mention muggles, I suppose."

"This Avada Kedavra was the one that only one person had ever survived, as I recall."

"Yeah," Harry sounded distracted.

"And I am taking tea with the very fellow, if I am not mistaken."

"Yeah."

"Well," Ambrose said, "to return to my point, Lydia has done all that. She faced all those nightmares Alorea threw in our direction. Then she captured her, and saved all our lives in the process. Under the circumstances I believe it is understandable that she should be wary of her powers."

"But I thought you said…" Harry attempted.

"She is sufficiently remarkable not to have been traumatised," her proud uncle smiled. "She is also sufficiently prudent to leave those powers alone. That is, until she has the inestimable support of Hogwarts and its professors."

Harry thought for a few moments before trying to answer Ambrose's concerns.

"If she came with us back to Trenton she would be surrounded by the most capable and experienced agents in the magical world, Ambrose."

Ambrose sighed. "She would be expected, at the very minimum, to attempt magic not one of those wizards understands. What would happen if she were to release Alorea and then be unable to contain or control her? Remember how easily and unexpectedly Alorea disappeared from Hogwarts when we confronted her. She might do the same, or worse, much worse."

"This would be in the most secure magical environment in the world," Harry protested. "If Alorea was so powerful she could have killed any one of us at any time – she didn't."

"She was a moment away from doing exactly that, Harry," Ambrose reminded him. "Lydia prevented her by putting her in that cage, if you recall."

"Well, yes," he admitted. "But that was on her terms, in her stronghold."

Ambrose leaned forward and murmured, "When you were similarly… egg-bound at Throakley Mine, did you not say you experienced no passage of time? If that is the case, might not Alorea emerge with the same homicidal intent she had when she was incarcerated?"

"She will be surrounded by MBI agents, Ambrose. And if Lydia can open the egg, she can capture her again – or at least Alorea will have to assume she can."

Ambrose drank the remainder of his tea. He looked at Xander curled up next to Harry, while he ran a fingertip around the edge of his teacup.

"I remain to be convinced, Harry," he told his guest, his voice deep and flat.

Harry nodded. "Will you consider it, at least?"

Ambrose looked up and pursed his lips, staring Harry in the eye for several uncomfortable seconds.

"I shall give it further consideration, my friend. I shall consult with Lydia, once I have discussed it with Xander here, naturally."

The cat uncurled himself from his resting position and sat up, eyeing the two humans.

Harry, who had been watching Xander, turned back to Ambrose to find him smiling.

"I would not wish to give you false hope, Harry. I will present the case as dispassionately as I may and gauge her reaction. If she shows willingness I will discuss my concerns with her. If, in the end, we do agree to aid you I must insist that Xander and I accompany her, for emotional support, at least."

Harry smiled and nodded. "That seems fair, Ambrose. By the way, do we even know that Xander is at all magical?"

Ambrose and Xander looked at each other, then at Harry. Ambrose's glare seemed to mirror Xander's.

"Harry!" Ambrose scolded. "He is a cat. All cats have some degree of magic."

Xander curled up on the sofa again, with a certain amount of ceremony, and went back to sleep.

7