CHAPTER 19 There's Nothing Like A Good Catastrophe To Unite People

"Really?" Hermione cried sounding both shocked and surprised.

"Yeah group two caught them late last night, I got called in as soon as they got the suspects locked up in the jails down in level nine. Wreaked quite a bit of havoc too, so they did. We've had to send three Aurors to St Mungo's to get them checked over", Harry replied tiredly.

"Oh god, so what have they learnt?" Hermione asked as the elevator stopped and the golden grills slid open.

"Not that much, they're keeping pretty quiet about their involvements in dark arts activities lately. The only thing we could get out of them with veritaserum was that the Blood Kindred have the book. The rest of their minds must have been blocked up so they would not even know themselves", Harry sighed. "I'm so knackered!"

"Won't they let you have some time off?" Hermione asked laying a sympathetic hand on his shoulder. "Can't you let Kaylee cover for you?"

"No, I sent her home to recover, she was on the group that captured our dark arts group and she was pretty shattered", Harry replied as they walked down the corridor to the Auror headquarters. This time in the morning it was full and crowded as Aurors rushed about the place filling out reports, giving statements and working on the case.

"God I haven't seen it this busy since the fall of Voldemort", Hermione said with awe in her voice.

"I know", Harry replied stifling a yawn.

"How are you and Kaylee anyway?" Hermione asked curiously.

"We're ok, she's a great girlfriend", Harry sighed.

"But?"

"But what?" Harry asked.

"Well there's got to be a but, you don't sound too happy about it at all. In fact you sound quite down about the whole thing. What's up?" Hermione asked worriedly.

"Oh its nothing", Harry replied sitting down at his desk, but Hermione remained standing, choosing not to sit down on the other chair, but to gaze at her friend, trying to read something from his rather impassive face.

"Come on Harry, its more than nothing. You can tell me, I am your best friend after-all", Hermione said.

"Its just something is off about the whole relationship. Its not Kaylee that's the problem, but something's changed and I don't know what it is and its been bothering me for ages", Harry sighed.

"Oh Harry", Hermione sighed crouching down so her face was level with his. She took his hand and smiled at him. "Are you unsure about your relationship?"

"Yeah".

"Is it someone else?"

"I don't know", Harry sighed then shook his head. "It doesn't matter".

"Mr Potter?" a witch cried behind them and Hermione rose to her feet once again, letting go of Harry's hand and turning around to face the witch.

"Oh I'm sorry Miss Granger", the witch added meekly, blushing. "I didn't mean to disturb you two", she added smirking.

"Its alright Breeda", Hermione replied.

"What is it Breeda?" Harry asked looking up.

"Its Mr Whiting, he told me to give you this", she said handing his a piece of parchment folded up. "And I didn't read it sir, he gave me explicit instructions not to read it as its confidential". She handed Harry the parchment and turned around.

"Thank you Breeda", Harry replied and opened the parchment.

Mr Potter, Latest news on our group is they have confirmed that the book is in the possession of the Blood Kindred and all that we could get out of them on what purpose they have is that they intend to unleash its powers onto the world. From our experts we've learnt that this can actually be true. If Miss Granger has finally checked in I would like both of you to work on this book. Find out exactly what it does and how we can stop this. I want the rest of your team out scouring the country looking for this group. I've put it on top priority of all Auror groups to find the Blood Kindred. It is vital that we do so, for the sake of us all. I've also informed Krista Speketer of the more recent developments and I want your personal group to join up with hers. Gerald Whiting.

"God he must be getting really worried", Harry exclaimed igniting the paper with his wand and letting it burn to ashes in his bin.

"I think its about time we start getting worried", Hermione replied anxiously. "I've been fearing this for quite some time. Its inevitable really that the Blood Kindred use the book to its full potential. Alright Harry, I'll meet you downstairs in my office in a few minutes and we can get started on this problem", Hermione said anxiously as she rose to her feet and walked out of the Aurors headquarters. She quickly made her way down to the ninth floor and, stopping only once to say hello to Kaylee before she walked into her office, pulled out all her notes on the book and the groups she had researched. With a flick of her wand the candles in the room brightened and she began her work. Harry came in five minutes later and they set to work poring over old books and new notes.

"I can't do this anymore", Harry said tiredly as he stretched out his arms and yawned loudly.

"Don't you'll get me started too", Hermione sighed dropping her quill on the parchment in front of her. She stifled a yawn and stretched also.

"I don't know how you can research all the time and not fall asleep. When I'm on a case you'd be lucky to catch me doing half an hours work of this. I hate research", Harry complained playing with his quill, by twirling it around his fingers.

"Well someone has to do the research, all you do is push it onto the workload of your new recruits and trainees", Hermione scolded looking at him intently.

"Well they need to learn to do research", Harry replied, then when he spotted Hermione looking at him, he added, "What is it?"

"I was just thinking about Hogwarts. You and Ron always hated doing homework and if possible you would copy my homework as often as possible. You really haven't changed that much", Hermione chuckled.

"Yeah I remember, and you used to hate it, and then Ron would just do that to piss you off severely", Harry laughed.

"You two were so childish", Hermione laughed, "Some things really don't change with you two!"

Harry scowled at her, then his face contorted with confusion, "What you mean some things don't change with me and Ron. Were you speaking to him lately?"

"Sort of", Hermione replied uncomfortably.

"Hermione?" Harry said warningly. "What exactly happened?"

"Its nothing big really", she added hesitantly. "Just that Ron came to my flat last night saying he wanted me back in his life and that he needed me", Hermione said quickly, hoping against hope Harry wouldn't hear, but Harry was too acute for that.

"What?" Harry cried sitting up straight. "He was at your flat last night and you didn't even tell me?"

"Because it isn't that big a deal", Hermione replied.

"Oh yes it is! Jesus why did he go to yours anyway?"

"Something along the lines of that his relationship with Krista is going bad and that he realised he needed me in his life and he needed me. But I told him that he couldn't blame the slow break-up of his relationship with Krista on me and that he couldn't just come waltzing back in my life just because things with him and Krista are going bad. I mean I have pride!" Hermione said haughtily.

"Are you mad Hermione?!!!" Harry cried.

"What?"

"You two have been tiptoeing around each other for the last ten years and you just have a golden opportunity to have Ron back and you come up with this bullshit?"

"What on earth are you on about?"

"Its very simple Hermione. You want to know the real reason why Ron came back to your flat at three in the morning?" Harry asked calming himself down.

"And what's that?" Hermione asked.

"Because he still loves you!"

"No way, Ron and I are past that, he's got his new girlfriend and I have my own life", Hermione replied.

"Oh really, well I don't believe that. Ron still loves you, though I'm quite sure he isn't aware of it yet. Hermione you and Ron belong together", Harry sighed massaging his temples.

"It can't be", Hermione said sadly. "Ron and I are past that. If I take him back I would just be going backwards, and that's not right. No Harry, Ron and I are over each other, we have to be to have everything work out right".

"You are hopeless, if you don't realise you and Ron belong to each other, then you don't deserve him".

"Whatever Harry, come on now we have work to do", Hermione replied stiffly and started reading through her book again.

"I found it!" Hermione squealed, jumping up in her seat and dropping her quill on her table. "What have you found?" Harry asked.

"In order for them to unleash the powers of the book they need to do it on a natural magical site that has lots of power and they need to do it during the spring equinox", Hermione cried excitedly. "We've found it Harry, now we only need to make a list of natural magical sites in Britain and we will have our Blood Kindred", Hermione said happily.

"You said spring equinox?" Harry asked his brow knit in confusion.

"Yeah why what is it Harry?" Hermione asked perplexed.

"The spring equinox is today", Harry replied.

"SHIT!" Hermione cursed.

"Looks like we have a lot of work to do", Harry said quickly getting off his seat to grab a book on magical sites from Hermione's shelf.

"How can we check each site to find the Blood Kindred in one day. Its impossible", Hermione replied, the panic rising in her voice.

"Don't worry we'll manage it", Harry said.

"Yes, but there's over a hundred magical sites in Britain and-", but Hermione never got to finish her sentence as her assistant Emily rushed in looking rather flushed.

"Hermione, oh hello Mr Potter. Hermione there's a visitor in the Atrium who says he needs to talk to you as soon as possible. He said its important", Emily said.

"Alright Emily we'll go up and see him", Hermione replied and both Hermione and Harry rushed out of Hermione's office, making their way as quick as possible to the elevators. Hermione impatiently jabbed at the button as the lift soared up towards the Atrium. The lift stopped and Hermione and Harry walked out making their way through the golden gates to the front of the Atrium. There was a man waiting for both of them, and as soon as Hermione spotted who it was she stopped dead in her tracks, her face showing a mixture of confusion and anger and something else hidden deep beneath her tight control that she had on her emotions. Harry glanced at her for a second, before walking up to his best friend and said rather perplexed.

"Ron what is it?"

Ron watched as Hermione walked up to him and nodded slightly as if to say hello.

"Something is going to happen at the Canon's grounds. It kept saying tonight, tonight and then when I asked a team mate about the Canons grounds and that cave that dark arts group took Hermione to, he said it was a magical site. Whatever they're planning to do it doesn't sound good", Ron said rather worried. He looked from Harry's to Hermione's faces and his own brow knit in confusion as he watched the look of astonishment and understanding flash across their faces.

Hermione cried, "We have it!"