What's in a Name?
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Summary: Sick of being constantly known as a Weasley's little sister, Ginny moves to America to start a new life for herself. After two years, she's perfectly happy...but then her past comes back to bite her in the arse. Harry/Ginny
Rating: PG-13 for language.
Disclaimer: Don't own Harry Potter. I merely play with it for my own enjoyment.
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Chapter Four: The Coven of the Dark Sun
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"The ability to speak does not make you intelligent." -- Qui-Gon Jinn (Star Wars: The Phantom Menace)
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"Merlin's Beard." Ginny heard Harry breath. "Miss, are you okay?"
"If you count nearly getting my head blown to bits by a crazed wizard, my ego is the only thing damaged." Ginny said standing up, rubbing her elbow where it had hit the ground rather hard. She turned to look at Harry, willing herself not to blush. "What are you doing here?"
"Oh, I was just...just passing outside and I heard a child scream." Harry said, not meeting Ginny's eyes. "So I ran in." Ginny noticed that Harry's lying talents hadn't changed since Hogwarts. They were vaguely good, but Ginny noticed he didn't meet her eyes, and he shifted almost so slightly on his feet. She knew he was keeping information from her. Ginny took a second to drink him in. He was only a few inches taller than her height at 5"6. His jet black hair was messy as ever and unkempt. His glasses were gone, emphasizing his green eyes more than was necessary. His once scrawny body had added a layer of muscles to it. "My name is Harry." He said. "Who are you?"
Ginny nearly breathed a sigh of relief. Harry didn't recognize her. "Reggie Evans." A look of recognition crossed Harry's face but he hid it again. They shook hands and Harry looked surprised at her strong grip. "So...Harry." She emphasized his name. "Does that come with a last name? Or is it like Cher or Madonna?"
Harry looked flustered once again. "It's Reynolds." He said. "What are you doing here, anyways?" He masterfully changed the subject. " Dueling with a man that nearly doubles in your size?"
Ginny flushed, something she hadn't been able to lose with her red hair. "I'm with Magical Child Services. I'm investigating the reports of an abused magical child, though it's none of your business."
Harry's eyes narrowed at her tone. "Look, I didn't have to come in here..."
"No. You didn't." Ginny cut him off in the middle of his sentence, her temper rising. "If you hadn't, I would have bagged the son of a..." She cleared her throat. "For assault and have gotten the child out of harm's way. Thanks to you, I didn't either."
"What makes you so confident?" Harry crossed his arms over his chest.
"I've handled worse, but I won't bore you with my scars." Ginny gave a sarcastic smile. "If you'll excuse me..." Ginny moved to leave, but Harry blocked her path with his arm across the doorway out of the kitchen.
"Hold up a minute." Harry said, eyes narrowing. "Don't I know you from somewhere?"
Ginny's heart pounded in her chest, but she managed a small laugh. "Do you use that line with every girl you meet, Mr. Reynolds? I said, excuse me." She grasped her forearm in her grip and yanked it free to leave the way to the front door clear.
.:.:.
Walking down the street, Ginny allowed herself to let down her guard. Her legs were shaking, and her heart pounded against her ribcage. Harry had almost recognized her, and that would have ruined everything. Assignment. His assignment must be in San Francisco. Of all the luck. Ginny thought sourly as she kicked a loose pebble on the sidewalk as she walked down the street.
Finally after a long walk and some heavy thinking, Ginny Apperated back to her office. "Reggie!" Ginny turned around quickly to see who had said her name the minute she had Apperated in. It was Ryan, looking very worried. "Where have you been? Brooks has been going mad looking for you. He wanted to see you at his office as soon as you got in."
"Bugger bloody blue blazes of hell." Ginny muttered under her breath. Of all the things she needed, it was Michael Brooks being mad at her. Walking across the office building, she was beating herself for not coming back right away and filing a report about the incident. Ginny walked into Michael Brooks office only to see two unfamiliar people sitting in the two hard-back chairs that faced Brooks desk, while Brooks himself sat behind his desk talking to them. As they both turned to look and see who had interupted their conversation, Ginny realized she reconized one of them right away.
"You!" She and Harry said at the same time.
"I see you two know each other already." Brooks said dryly. An older man with a large bald spot covering the top of his head, steel gray eyes pierced out from underneath bushy ash co.lored eyebrows. A firm mouth set straight in a line, he rarely smiled, whether it was by choice, or he had forgotten how had been a subject of debate for years at MCS.
"I've had the pleasure, I think." Ginny said sarcastically. "Mr. Reynolds?"
The man that was sitting next to Harry turned his eyes from Ginny to Harry, disbelief dawning on his face. "Reynolds?"
"Your name was the first one that popped into my head." Harry shrugged.
The man stood up, and Harry followed his lead. He held out his hand for Ginny to shake. "My name is Oscar Reynolds. This is Harry Potter. We're part of the White Riders."
"I'm quivering in my boots. What are the White Riders and what does that have to do with me?" Ginny crossed her arms over her chest.
"Direct little thing, isn't she?" Reynolds said over his shoulder to Brooks.
"Yes. I am." Ginny said, drawing then attention back to her. "And I'm accustomed to having my questions answered when I ask them."
"The White Riders are a sub-department of England's Magical Law Enforcement." Harry answered. "Currently we're tracking a group of Dark Wizards that have christened themselves The Coven of the Dark Sun."
"How melodramatic." Ginny rolled her eyes effiently. "Again, what that does that have to do with me?"
"Does this man look familiar to you?" Reynolds held up a photograph of a shifty looking Richard Smith. He had more hair, and it looked darker than it had before, but it was the same sinister looking man.
Ginny took the photo in her hand. "That's the father of the girl that I was sent to check on this morning."
"He's not her father." Harry said, taking the picture and looking disgustedly at it. "Her parents were murdered when she was two years old. She's English by birth. After her parents were murdered, she was promptly kidnapped. We think she has been used for bait so that several social workers have been lured under the pretense that she's being abused, and have been kidnapped."
"And from what Potter here just witnessed." Reynolds said. "We think you were going to be next."
Ginny gulped and sat down feelin gher head reel from what she was hearing. Ginny looked up at Harry and Reynolds. "I was going to be kidnapped." She said, breathlessly. "To what point and purpose?"
"We don't know yet." Reynolds said, and Ginny noticed the same thing. He didn't meet her eyes. You'd think that Aurors would learn to lie better. Ginny thought. Perhaps it's growing up with six brothers and learning their lying habits.
"Are you nuts?" Ginny said loudly.
"I can assure you, Ms. Evans, that we are not nuts." Harry said with an undertone of distain that she wasn't keeping her temper in check. Ginny gave him a very dirty look that made him pause for a second, which allowed Brooks to get in a word.
"The point is, Evans." Brooks began, standing up and walking around his desk. "That you were the victim of an attempted kidnapping by Dark Wizards."
"And this is where our department comes in." Reynolds said. "The Coven of the Dark Sun originated from Britian, and we've been following their movements, which is what led us here."
"If you were following their movements," Ginny asked, "and knew that Avalon was being used as bait, why didn't you inform us? For all you know, I could have been kidnapped."
"I apologize for that oversight." Reynolds said in such a sweet tone that Ginny felt her gag reflex come into effect. "We didn't have the knowledge that The Coven of the Dark Sun had already put on their front with Avalon. They usually wait a while before they begin to integrate themselves into the city or town they station themselves in. But as of right now, this case is in our jurisdiction."
"Excuse me?" Ginny said, deadly furious. "You just said yourself that there is a small child that was abducted and is under the same roof as a housefull of murders. This is still MCS work!"
"Evans." Brooks voice broke through her anger. She took a couple deep breaths, supressing her anger and her tongue.
"As much as I disagree with Evan's temperment," Brooks said, "I do agree with her point. THere is still a child involved and I'll be damned to hell if I let you loose-wand baboons take over without a fight."
Ginny's mouth fell open. She had always thought of Brooks as cold and unfeeling, but this show of passion completely took her by surprise, and by the looks on Harry and Reynold's faces, he had surpresed them as well. Harry was the first one to regain his senses, and control of his mouth. "Loose-wand..." He began to step forward, and Ginny's sharp eyes caught sight of his hand reaching for his pocket, and no doubt for his wand, and she grabbed hers as well. But Reynolds put a comforting hand on Harry's arm, and Harry relaxed. Ginny's arm muscles were still tensed, just in case Harry lost his temper, as he had done so many times at Hogwarts.
"Mr. Brooks. We could just stay here all night arguing who has jurisdiction over this case." Reynolds said. "The fact is, we're out of our region. We're out of our country. What I purpose is this. Give us one of your people to work with us on this case, to cover Avalon's best interests, and to help us with local authorities. They must be well versed in Defense Against the Dark Arts, combat training and hexing. They should also be able to keep a cool head in hot situations, and be able to think on their feet."
"I can think of only one person that fits that description." Brooks said. He jerked his head in Ginny's direction. "Her."
"Her?!" Harry exclaimed.
"Me?" Ginny's mouth fell open again. Brooks was surprsing her way too many times today.
"Yes, her, Mr. Potter." Brooks said cooly. "She's the only one in this department that completed the Defense Session with Outstanding Marks. She's closed more cases of maltreated children in this office in the time she's been here, and according to my transcripts, she was in Advanced Defense Against the Dark Arts N.E.W.T.S level at..." He stopped when he saw Ginny's eyes go wide and paused for a moment.
"At Jenkins Acadmey." Ginny finished, naming a well-acclaimed magical school in Salem, Massachusetts.
Brooks raised a single eyebrow in her direction, but didn't say anything. "Mr. Brooks." Reynolds said, looking Ginny over, and she felt herself flushing. He was obviously unimpressed by her lilthe figure, disbelieving as most people thought that she wasn't up for field work because of her body build. "If Ms. Evans is as good as you say she is, she and Potter will work together." Brooks narrowed his eyes at the implication that he was lying about Ginny's skills. Reynolds picked up his coat that was on the back of his chair. "I have to catch the next Portkey to London. THere is another assignment there that requires my attention. You have your orders, Potter." Harry nodded and Reynolds Apperated out.
"Mr. Potter, if you'll excuse us, I need to talk to Evans alone." Brooks said in a deep voice. Ginny gulped. He sounded serious.
Harry hesistated, but saw the look in Brook's eyes. "I'll be outside." He said to Ginny. "We can discuse the details of the case from there."
Ginny inclinded her head to show she understood and Harry left, closing the door behind him.
"Evans." Brooks started. "This case is going to require special care, and do believe you're the only one in this office capable of doing it."
Ginny blushed and looked down. Tight fingers grasped her chin and forced her to look up again. ""You remind me a lot of my daughter." He said in an oddly husky voice. "Full of fire." He backed away and turned a picture on his desk around, showing a girl that looked about ten on the picture-Brooks shoulders. He looked younger and full of joy, not the cynical man she saw before her. Ginny was astonished. He had never talked about having a family. "This was taken two weeks before she was kidnapped." He looked up to see Ginny's surprised face. "You didn't know?" He guessed.
"No sire." Ginny said, shakin gher head, feeling if anything else was revealed to her, she'd fall over dead from a heart attack.
"She was never found." Brooks said. "But she's the reason that I went into MCS. I didn't want any other parent to go what I went through." He looked up at Ginny, tears in his eyes, but they cleared slowly. "I don't know why you wanted to lie to Mr. Potter and Mr. Reynolds, but I've known you long enough to know that you don't do something unless there is a reason behind it. Whatever it is, I don't care, just don't let it effect this case, Evans. Time is precious."
Ginny nodded. "Yes, sir."
"You may go."
"Thank you, sir."
Ginny walked out the door to see Harry in conversation with a young girl that lookef vaguely mermaid like with green messy hair, streaked with silver strands and large silvery-green eyes. She was making sounds like a bird song, full of trills and whistles, and Harry responded in the same manner and she giggled and clapped her hands in delight.
"Elf-Nymph." Harry said, standing up and the girl scampered off. "Or at least part, anyways. If she was a full blooded one, she'd be complete with fangs and fins."
"Thank goodness then." Ginny said. "What do you know about the Coven of the Dark Sun that your boss conviently forget to tell me?"
Harry's face immediately went to impassive. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Bullshit." Ginny said. "Why would the United Kindom's Ministry put the most celerbrated newest Auror on a measly mission to round up some rogue Dark Wizards that have named themsleves so well? There's something bigger going on, isn't there?"
Harry looked aroud and asked, "Is there somewhere private we can go?"
Ginny nodded. "My office. This way." She weaved her way through the office building, finally coming upon her office, Ryan sitting outside it, by his desk, playing with her laptop. "Ryan, what did I say about playing Mindsweeper?" Ginny asked.
"I'm not." Ryan said distractedly. "I'm playing Solitare."
Ginny rolled her eyes. "Ryan!"
"What?" Ryan looked up.
"No. More. Laptop." Ginny said slowly and clearly.
Rayn made a face and finally got a look at Ginny's compainon. "Reggie..."
"Important meeting." Ginny cut him off firmly. "Rayn, this is Auror Potter from Britian's Minsitry. Mr. Potter, my P.A. Ryan Sullivan."
"Pleasure." Ryan said, standing up and shaking Harry's hand, but shooting a look out of the corner of his eye at Ginny.
"He is going to be assisting me with the Smith case." Ginny said. "No calls or messages until after this is finished, if you please."
"No problem, Reggie." Ryan said, nodding, though still looking confused.
"He's interesting." Harry said, walking into her office and Ginny closed the door.
"He's harmless." Ginny said. "So. About the Coven of the Dark Sun."
Harry sighed. "You're right. Reynolds is downsizing it. The Coven has exsisted for hundreds of years. It's not just a measley gathering of Dark Wizards. It's the Dark Wizard coven."
"How come this hasn't become part of public knowledge?" Ginny said, sitting on the edge of her desk, crossing her arms. "Surely something this big would be known by people."
"The Coven prefers to keep it's practices a secret, until the day they are powerful enough to take over the Wizarding World." Harry said. "The recent developments, such as Avalon's kidnapping and the social workers that have gone missing...we think they are growing in power, and will soon have the power to take over."
"Was..." Ginny gulped, forcing the word past her lips. "Voldermort part of this Coven?"
"Not to our knowledge." Harry said. "We think that he was working on his own, but several Death Eaters have joined the ranks of The Coven of the Dark Sun. And many of the Death Eaters are very powerful wizard, despite how evil they might be."
Ginny nodded. "Okay, Mr. Potter." She said, looking at her clock, and realizing she was already thirty minutes late meeting Phoebe at Orange Court. "Can we continue this tomorrow? I'm late already."
Harry looked at his own clock. "I'll meet you here at nine-thirty?"
"Sounds good." Ginny said.
Harry nodded and he Apperated out.
Ginny let out an exhasperated breath. Not only was Harry here, in San Francisco, but she was going to have to work with him. The sounds of Avalon's terrified screams still rang through her head. She just had to get through this. Just one day at a time.
Ryan poked his head in. "Is he gone?"
"Yes, Ryan, he's gone." Ginny said, giving a small laugh.
"Was that the REAL, Harry Potter?" Ryan squeaked. "He's a looker isn't he?" At the disgusted look on her face, Ryan laughed. "Ah, well, he's probably straight as an arrow anyways."
Ginny laughed, despite the sick feeling she had in her stomach. "Thanks, Ryan."
"Don't mention it, Reggie." Ryan said.
Ginny smiled and grabbed her purse and left the office, thinking hard about everything that had happened in short a condensed period of time.
Author's Note: Bwahaha! Two chapters in less than a week! I feel so proud! Well don't expect this pace for a while, I have to plan out the next couple of chapters and the rest of the story, if I want them to make sense.
