Harry receives a strange request.

The phone's ringing startled Harry out of his sleep. For a moment he looked around disorientated before he realised what it was. The phone didn't ring that often, simply because when any of his friends or companions contacted him they did it by owl. In fact he was one of the only ones who actually had a phone. Ron's parents had one, but Ron still hadn't realised that you didn't need to yell down the phone, and Harry didn't have the heart to tell him, so he was much happier when Ron sent him an owl, then rang him!

"'Lo?" He answered sleepily.

"Is this Mr. Potter?" A strange, smooth voice asked.

Harry frowned slightly, but conceded that it was.

"Mr. Potter, we just want to warn you not to meddle in things which don't concern you. We know your reputation, and we assure you that we won't make it easy for you." The voice said, and Harry shivered at the tone of menace in it. He reached for his glasses beside his bed, and put them on. For a moment a sharp pain shot across his forehead, a pain in his old scar which he hadn't felt in years!

"Who is this?" He asked, scared

"That doesn't matter." The voice said, and it hung up suddenly leaving only the dial tone in Harry's ear. Frowning he hung up the receiver, and looked at the clock by his bed. Unlike many wizards and witches Harry lived in the muggle world quite comfortably as he had been used to it for eleven years before he found out he was a wizard! It was eight fifteen, so with a sigh, Harry got himself out of bed, and dressed for work. He was puzzled about the strange call, and the strange pain from his scar- it only ever came when danger was near, and it made the strange phone call seem even more strange, there was something about the voice which disturbed him.

"I just can't quite place my finger on it!" He said out loud. A noise at the window startled him, and he turned to see his owl, Hedwig, tapping on the glass. He hurried over to let her inside, and she dropped a letter on the bed for him. Harry unfolded the parchment.

"Dear Harry,

I hope you don't mind me using Hedwig, but for some reason my owl has disappeared off the face of the earth, and I didn't trust any of the school owls with this letter. As you may or may not know the ten year reunion is coming up here at Hogwarts soon; if you haven't received an invite this is simply because the Headmistress is somewhat preoccupied at the moment. I don't suppose you could get a day off work and come up here to see me, it's really rather important.

Fondly, Hermoine."

Harry frowned at the letter; it wasn't like Hermoine to write something so mysterious and the letter got his curiosity. He realised Hedwig was waiting patiently for his reply, so he hurriedly reached for a quill and scribbled something on the bottom of the letter, and handed it back to Hedwig. She flapped her wings for a moment, and then flew out the window carrying Harry's reply. For a moment Harry leant against the window watching his owl fly off over the city, and then he turned from it, and got his things ready for work.

"Percy, I was wondering if you could do me a favor?" Harry asked, a little nervously. Whilst his boss, Percy, was also Ron's brother, he was a stickler for rules and wouldn't look kindly on Harry wanting a day off for something he didn't even know about.

"A favor Harry? Let me guess- you want tickets to the upcoming quidditch world cup! Every single person in the place has been asking me-"

"It's not that Percy!" Harry interrupted, although he reflected he wouldn't mind tickets to the cup, especially considering he had played in the last world cup for England. Unfortunately an accident with his knee had put an end to his sporting career, and he then started work for the Ministry of Magic, in the Misuse of Magic department. "I need tomorrow off."

Percy eyed him thoughtfully. "I don't know Harry, the timing is bad….we've got to deal with all the paperwork from the circulation of those growing sweets….if I find out Fred or George was behind that!" Fred and George, the Weasley twins, were well known as pranksters and it was just the sort of trick they would play; giving unsuspecting muggles sweets which would make them grow rapidly taller. "What's it for then?"

"Well that's just it. Hermoine sent me an owl this morning and she didn't really say, but it seems something is bothering her…" Harry trailed off, and Percy frowned. Harry wondered whether if he told Percy about his scar hurting again would he give him the day off?

"Hermoine Granger? She's the new Defense Against the Dark Arts Teacher up at Hogwarts isn't she? I seem to recall reading about her appointment in the Daily Prophet a few months back."

"That's right." Harry said, a little proud of his friend.

"Alright Harry, just this once mind you!" Percy said, and he put his head back down, signaling that Harry was dismissed. Relieved to have got that over Harry headed for the Muggle department where Ron worked.

"Ron Can I talk to you for a moment?" Harry asked, a finger to his lips signaling that this was a secret. Ron glanced around and got up. In the privacy of one of the meeting rooms Harry related the strange call, and his scar hurting, and then Hermoine's strange owl.

Ron looked thoughtful. "It's not like Hermoine to not say something is it?" He said. In the ten years since they had graduated from Hogwarts Ron and Hermoine had had an on again-off again relationship; at the moment it was off.

"No, so there must be something strange going on at Hogwarts-which reminds me, have you had an invite to the reunion yet?" Harry asked.

"Yeah, the other day…Harry, I don't like this, your scar hurting and all- should we tell someone?" Ron asked, a worried look on his face.

"Like who?" Harry asked. "We're not kids anymore, Dumbledore's retired so we cant go to him even if we wanted to! No Ron, we've got to handle this ourselves, I don't suppose you fancy a trip to Hogwarts?"

Ron hesitated. "Harry, I don't know that Hermoine would really want to see me at the moment…" He hedged.

Harry raised an eyebrow. "Why, what did you say to her?" He demanded.

Ron's face turned the same color as his hair. "Not much, I just told her that she hadn't really changed from the know-all girl she'd been at Hogwarts, but honestly Harry she was unbearable! She said I-"

"You know what Ron? I don't want to know what she said; you're both my friends so don't put me in the middle. Are you coming or not?" Harry interrupted.

Ron hesitated, and then he nodded. "Sure Harry, maybe Hermoine will have something to say about your scar hurting again, hey, you don't think you- know-who-"

"Don't Ron!" Harry said, feeling as though his blood had turned to ice. "I spent three years with Sirius getting over that whole thing before I came back here. I'm sure it's nothing…"

But Ron wasn't entirely convinced. "Something must be up at Hogwarts though…."

Harry didn't reply, but he was of the same opinion, and for some reason he was not looking forward to the next day………