Author's Notes: I just know realized how totally ridiculous and unprofessional my little "[FLASHBACK]" things were. I don't know why the hell I included those brackets. A few comments managed to knock some sense into me, so I vow never to write flashbacks in such a patronizing manner again.
And for something different, this chapter is in… HARRY'S POV! It gets a bit tedious writing as Hermione after a while, you know, and Harry's just so unbelievably exciting, how could I pass up the opportunity? I hope I kept him mostly in character. He's twenty-three here, and the last time we saw him, he was fifteen, so if you think he's a bit OOC, then just blame it on character development.
I somehow was able to work in a couple significant hints to the plot in this chapter that you might want to store in your brain for future reference. Very subtle, they are, so keep your eyes peeled. Just don't let them fall out.
Oh, and before I forget: go check out Siriusly Disturbed's story, Ghostly Outcomes, because I said so (and because she somehow managed to blackmail me into it).
CrimsonEnchantress: I think you're my new favorite person =) Seriously, your reviews are always so nice and so full of words of encouragement. You rock! And nope, the Beaters weren't possessed… but I bet you'll figure it out eventually.
Moonypadfoot: I'm so glad that you love having to figure things out. I myself love that in a fic too. I might use your suggestion about Harry and Kinsey for the next chapter; it didn't really fit into this one.
Lady of Ankoku: Could you elaborate on that theory about Parvati a bit? I'm interested to know what you think.
Angelus cado: Two words: plot angst. ::grins::
Grimy Grunhilda Grunt: Haha, I do have a way to get myself out of this, whether you believe it or not. I was afraid everyone would figure it out really soon, because I thought I was making it really obvious, but… suppose not. That's good, though. Yes, I wish Hermione and Ron too could be "juming" – we'll save that for later chapters, I think.
Thoroughbredchickie: I like the way you're thinking about Desdemona. There may be more to her than you think, and on the other hand, I just may be handing out false information. You never know with me. Keep up the amazing thinking!
And now… The Chapter in Fantastic Harry's POV. Enjoy.
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CHAPTER FOURTEEN: AN EARLY DEPARTUREA tinny, barely audible tapping broke the early Thursday morning silence of the peaceful dormitory, startling one of its two occupants. A golden-orange glow was just visible over the top of the Forbidden Forest, spilling light into the room and bathing a very confused, groggy man in dazzling colors. Swinging his legs over the side of his four-poster and reaching for his glasses, Harry Potter dragged his feet towards the window where a beady-eyed owl was hooting at him reproachfully.
"Who the blazes would send you out this early?" he muttered thickly to the owl, unlocking the window. It fluttered down onto the corner of Harry's bed, shaking the settled snow from its feathers and wriggling the letter clenched in its beak importantly.
Harry felt his stomach twist unpleasantly; that envelope was all too familiar. Taking in the scarlet color and the official seal on the back, he realized with yet another anxious pang that it was sent from none other than the Ministry of Magic. He crossed the room, feeling his legs weaken by the second, and retrieved the letter from the dignified owl. It hooted once more and hopped onto Ron's bed, pulling at his disheveled hair with mild interest.
Scanning the letter quickly (which was short and to the point), Harry half-expected it to be addressed to Ron, too; but no, it seemed to be directed only at him. He dropped onto his tangled mess of a bed, running his hands distractedly through his hair, torn between different thoughts and opinions and trying hard not to notice how his stomach seemed to have disappeared completely.
This was exactly the breakthrough he had been waiting for. In the beginning, the prospect of conducting investigations at Hogwarts school, miles away from being involved at the Ministry, had sent Harry into an enraged fury. How was he supposed to learn of any new information while being confined to the walls of the castle? There was always the Daily Prophet, naturally, but at the Ministry, he was always the first to hear of anything important. Casting around for the right word, he realized he had felt somewhat… useless. Being an Auror was his life – not snooping around his old school, interrogating wizards of half his size and half his knowledge, and being informed of anything worthwhile hours after the rest of his peers. He only felt truly at peace with the world when he was doing his duty defending the innocent from the dangers still lurking out there, unbeknownst to most commoners.
But he hadn't refused the job; something in his subconscious, perhaps the more logical part, had told him that if he was wanted at Hogwarts, he needed to go. Ron might've been satisfied ("I'll take any excuse to go on vacation from that stuffy hell of an office," he had said, though Harry wasn't sure what office Ron was referring to, as he had never seen any Unspeakable offices in the Ministry) but he, Harry, felt restricted. Hordes of criminals were plaguing the world with their evil every minute, and all he could do was sit in the staff room of the school, playing a casual game of chess with Ron while discussing Puddlemere United's latest match against Australia.
Selfish thoughts had run endlessly through his mind, mostly things along the lines of, I'm a top Auror, what's the Ministry playing at, sending me to Hogwarts? Isn't there someone else for this job? There were Dark wizards to be caught, perilous missions to embark on, rabid creatures to restrain, and yet here he was, surrounded by hundreds of children no less dangerous than venomous flobberworms. But his superiors had assured him his presence at Hogwarts was imperative and his duty would not be insignificant, and since Harry trusted them, he obliged and accepted the invitation to stay at Hogwarts.
Soon after he came to comprehend the reason why he was assigned to investigate the school, and his gloomy, reclusive thoughts were quickly replaced by alarmed, sharp ones. True, he sorely yearned to be in the heart of the Ministry again, but there was something amiss at Hogwarts and amongst the students, perhaps something a bit bigger than anyone else had yet realized…
And here it was in writing, as clear as a crystal ball (or the ones Harry gazed into, at any rate). Not only were things muddled at Hogwarts, things were muddled out in the wizarding world as well, and the Ministry was finally running after him, summoning him back. It's only for a few days, Harry reminded himself, his eyes reverting back to the letter. I'm needed at Hogwarts. It won't be long. Don't get your hopes up.
The tawny owl hooted again at Harry from Ron's bed, its eyes round and critical. Glaring at it, Harry tossed the letter onto his bedside table and muttered in its direction, "All right, I'm going. You don't have to look at me like that."
The owl took flight and disappeared out the open window, flying towards the lake, which was now glistening with sunlight. Harry threw on the closest pair of robes, vaguely aware he had just been speaking to an owl, and looked recklessly around the floor for a comb. Finding one stashed under his bed, he attempted to flatten the growing mess atop his head, wanting to look somewhat respectable upon reappearing at the Ministry.
There was no need for any type of luggage; Aurors were constantly called away at all hours of the day, never expected to bring along anything more than their wand and their dedication. Glancing at his watch, Harry realized it was barely past seven in the morning; he was longing for a quick cup of coffee before Apparating to the Ministry but was not in the mood to confront anyone in the staff room.
He started for the door, checking that his wand was secure inside his robes, and stopped upon touching the handle as a loud snore emitted from somewhere on the other side of the room. For a brief moment, he contemplated why Ron hadn't been called to the Ministry as well; he was indeed helpful with his knowledge gained from working in the Department of Mysteries for so many years. He hesitated; in a few hours' time, Ron would awake and wonder where his roommate had disappeared to, and perhaps he would be consoled if Harry left a quick note… but the summons had said word for word, Do not tell anyone of your whereabouts. In a worst-case scenario, be prepared to disarm those who get in your way. Your departure from Hogwarts is not something the entire school needs to know of. For reasons unknown to Harry, the Ministry was not keen on the idea of him boasting about a quick exit in the early hours of the morning. He swiftly seized the Ministry's letter from his bedside with a flick of his wand and, clenching it tightly in his left palm, departed stealthily from his dorm.
Snores drifting up and down the corridor suggested that the other staff members were deep in dreams of their own. Harry tiptoed towards the staircase, careful to dodge the floorboards known to squeak and announce his location. Faded sunlight was beginning to reach the windows surrounding him, casting odd shadows against the walls of a tall, disfigured-looking shape sneaking down the stone steps.
Harry finally dared to breathe again once he reached the empty staff room. Books were stacked here and there on random tables and chairs were pulled out, looking as if their former occupants hadn't bothered to replace them properly. Grateful of the room's vacancy, Harry crossed to the drinks in the corner and began pouring himself a steaming cup of coffee. The mug was barely touching his lips when a small noise from behind him made him start; his hand slipped and the cup went crashing to the ground.
Apparently, he wasn't alone after all.
He whirled around with surprising speed and agility, his hand already clenching his wand and pointing it at the perpetrator in his midst. What Harry had mistaken for a pile of parchments and an old cloak at a nearby table was actually a person, having just woken from their doze at the sound of the tinkling china. The familiar face was gazing at him with a look of half surprise and half exasperation and it took Harry ten more seconds than necessary to register in his mind who the person staring back at him was.
"Why are you pointing that thing at me?"
Hermione checked her watch and began gathering the books and papers at her desk. With an enormous sigh, Harry lowered his wand and stuck it back inside his robes, apologizing for rounding on her with it in the first place. "Can't be too careful," he explained. Hermione only rolled her eyes and muttered something that sounded suspiciously like, "Aurors."
"What are you doing down here?" said Harry.
"I could ask you the very same thing," Hermione said suspiciously.
"I'm – nothing."
With an accusing look, Hermione sighed and checked her watch again. "I was up late last night grading papers. Honestly, the stupid things some of these students write, I really wonder whether their last Transfiguration teacher actually taught or just played Exploding Snap all lesson. Guess I must've dozed off halfway through, which is just awful; I promised my sixth years I would hand back their tests by today." She broke off into a wide yawn and Harry was distantly reminded of a younger Hermione who would study rather than sleep for weeks at a time.
"Now I've told you what I'm doing here, so you tell me."
"I was going – I was getting a cup of coffee," Harry replied truthfully.
Hermione fixed him with a steely gaze that clearly suggested she suspected foul play. Harry found himself cowering under her stare and, unable to bear the thought of lying to his best friend, finally cracked.
"All right," he muttered furiously. "You can't say a word to anyone, not even Ron. I'm not supposed to say anything, but…" He glanced around as if expecting someone to pop up from underneath a table. When he was sure they were completely alone, he whispered, "I've been called away on official Auror duty for a couple days – just a couple days!" he emphasized upon seeing Hermione's face drop. "It's – I can't really say anything, I'm sorry, the letter was really vague itself –"
"Harry," Hermione said slowly, looking as if she was biting her tongue. "You don't think… I mean, it's possible, but… you don't think the Ministry's found out about what's going on here, do you?"
Harry had to bite his own tongue from spilling the contents of the entire letter to Hermione. "No, it isn't anything like that. I'm sure they don't know anything, Hermione. Don't worry about it. Just keep a watch over the place while I'm gone, okay? Don't let Gryffindor lose a Quidditch game again," he added with a wry smile. Obviously, Hermione didn't find it amusing.
"Is something the matter? Besides the fact our school's going mad, I mean. Nothing –" She cast a glance around, beginning to tremble slightly. "Nothing dark is going on, is it?"
It pained Harry to lie to her so, especially when she had as much right to know as anyone else. Swallowing his concern, he reminded himself that Aurors where people of few words and were not expected to brag about their duties. He knew Hermione was trustworthy, of course, but there were ways for others to unexpectedly overhear. "No, it's all fine, don't worry," he repeated, clenching his teeth and forcing a strained smile.
Hermione didn't look thoroughly convinced but heaved a great sigh nonetheless. "Well, if you say so, Harry. Just owl me if you need anything. And do hurry back, won't you?"
Harry nodded and repaired his shattered teacup, filled it with coffee once more, took a few sips, then discarded the empty mug and started towards the door.
"See you," he muttered.
Unpredictably, Hermione lunged forward and threw her arms around Harry's neck. He staggered backwards, bumping his head against the solid door and wincing, before he was able to pry her off and hold her at arm's length.
"Harry, please be careful," she begged, her eyes big and shining with tears. "It's really dangerous what you do, and I've read stories about Aurors who go away, expected to turn up a few days later, and they go missing for years…"
"I'll be back soon," Harry told her somewhat guiltily. "Really, everyone's okay. Don't tell anyone where I've gone, though, or I could really get into trouble."
Hermione nodded and bade him goodbye, disappearing up the stone staircase, her arms laden with books and quills.
Unsure of whether or not he had the privileges to Apparate inside the castle, Harry silently made his way through the vast corridors and over the soggy, dewy morning lawns. He was a full ten feet away from the winged gates before, taking giant breath and inhaling the frostiness of the day, he concentrated on appearing in the midst of the hectic Ministry of Magic.
And with a reverberating pop, where there once stood an apprehensive, fully grown wizard, now stood nothing.
After several unpleasant moments of whirling through an ethereal void, Harry was thrown forward with such force that he slammed head-on into a hard, rock wall. Rubbing the top of his head gingerly and re-focusing his eyes, he realized that he had Apparated into the hallway leading towards the large group conference rooms. He was quite thankful he hadn't popped up elsewhere; appearing suddenly with no warning in places such as the Atrium was rather a foolish thing to do (the witch that had Apparated on top of the hippogriff going in for a hearing suffered a subsequent week of distress in St. Mungo's, how could anyone forget?). Thursday mornings were among the busiest at the Ministry, and yet Harry was surprised to find the corridor completely unoccupied.
He barely had a moment to contemplate where exactly he should set off to when a door down the hall flew open, banging against the wall behind it. A very frazzled-looking face stuck its head out, yelling angrily at someone concealed inside the room that Harry could not see.
"Shut up, will you, Burns? I'm very aware of Decree Fifty-Nine for whatever the hell, you don't need to remind me!" Mad-Eye Moody hissed, and Harry found himself sympathizing for the person on the receiving end of Moody's anger. The aging Auror swung his head around, his magical eye swiveling madly in its socket, until he spotted Harry massaging his head some ten feet away.
"There you are, boy," he muttered, beckoning Harry forward. "You're late, we've been waiting for you to get this damn meeting underway. Come on now, follow me in…"
Harry obliged and staggered in after Moody, realizing he had never been in this particular conference room before. The ones they usually used were ordinary – a round table and innumerable chairs were usually stuffed into a wood-paneled room with a dim lamp hanging from the ceiling overhead. He didn't care much what their rooms looked like; it was the information being presented that mattered. Still, Harry couldn't stop his eyes from wandering. The conference room he had walked into was much larger (perhaps due to the fact that more Aurors were present than normal) with very deep, rich mahogany walls. A wizard with an expression of indifference was prodding the grand chandelier hanging above the table with his wand, watching in boredom as it swung back and forth, threatening to crash down on the wizards assembled at any moment. The chairs looked noticeably more comfortable than the hard-backed, rigid ones Harry was used to, and he found himself yearning to fall onto one and put their looks to the test himself. But as magnificent as the room itself was, Harry couldn't help noticing the odd feeling lingering in the air. He heard a small click of the door behind him and, turning around impulsively, saw that, strangely enough, there was neither a lock nor a handle on the door. And he suddenly realized what the feeling was – secrecy.
"All right, let's get this started, then," Moody growled, pulling up a chair for Harry and setting himself in a neighboring one. "Lysander, you stop sticking your wand where it doesn't belong; I'll confiscate it if you prod that chandelier one more time." The young wizard toying with the chandelier guiltily lowered his hand, stuffing his wand away into his robes.
Harry found his eyes wandering around the room again, but instead of taking in the room's décor, he was taking in its occupants. He recognized several of the Aurors, of course – Moody, for starters; Kingsley Shacklebolt, whom he had known since he was a child at Hogwarts; and Nymphadora Tonks, the witch a few years older than himself who he had known just as long and who was now sporting shockingly purple hair. She winked at Harry fondly.
Steven Burns, a mid-forties man with an abnormally large mouth, was ranting and raving to the witch seated next to him about something Harry couldn't quite catch. Burns had a tendency to ramble on about a wide range of tedious subjects to anyone within earshot (none of them ever listening to a word of it). The witch, who Harry knew as Romina Celestino, was twiddling with her wand, staring unfocusedly at the ceiling and looking like she would've rather liked to hex Burns. Romina originally had been sent from the Italian Ministry of Magic to assist the British Aurors in the chase of several deranged Muggle-killers three years ago and, finding that she liked England so much, decided to stay permanently. Many of the Aurors were drawn to Romina, and Harry could see why; with her dark complexion and chin-length bronze hair, she could easily be the target of many a man's affections. Harry, however, found himself being fond of Romina in only a brotherly sort of fashion. He would never forget the wild expeditions they embarked upon together two years before to Eastern Asia, tracking a group of dragon smugglers. Romina caught sight of Harry and, stowing her wand away with a brief look of reluctance, grinned.
Two other Aurors, Grey Deckers and Dominic McAllister, also smiled and waved to Harry. Slightly younger than most of the group, the two wizards were almost always happy and cheerful, always wanting a new assignment and always willing to assist as much as possible. Dominic had a nasty slash under his left eye that was a reminder to everyone in the room of how brave he had been facing a venomous horde of goblins several months ago alone and managing to disarm them all and escape alive. Harry had never seen such a man with so much spirit before.
On Dominic McAllister's other side was Basil Hardy, an Auror with graying hair and a countless number of scars on his face to rival even Moody's. Basil was a man of few words and was very involved with the Department of Mysteries; Ron spoke dotingly of the man every so often, telling Harry that he had never met a man of more intelligence.
The last Auror, Brom Lysander, was seated on Harry's right. The one who had been told off for poking at the chandelier, Lysander was the youngest of the group and possibly the most reckless. Never able to pass up a good joke, he reminded Harry very much of Ron's older brothers Fred and George – he was just better at being careless and better at being annoying. Yet Harry was amazed at what an asset Brom was to the Ministry; aside from being immature and irksome, he was simply superb putting together clues and, in the end, throwing Dark wizards into Azkaban.
The group of Aurors quieted promptly under Moody's gaze, all waiting expectantly for him to make the first move.
"There's no need to record who showed up and who didn't," Moody said. "Because as far as anyone else is concerned, this meeting is not taking place."
"Alastor, perhaps you should explain why," Tonks pointed out briskly, pushing a rebellious stand of violet hair out of her eyes.
"Like I said, no one else is to know we're here," said Moody, looking significantly around at everyone in attendance. "We've put charms on the door to keep it locked from intruders. I don't think it would be a very good idea to be interrupted. The Ministry likes to go through the records of our meetings, and the record of this meeting isn't something they should know about."
"What's going on?" Harry asked boldly. "My letter was really vague, is it something that –"
"Tell Potter, Moody," Basil Hardy said quietly. "The rest of us know and since he's been up at that school, he's been a bit in the dark. Tell him so we can get this stupid thing going."
Moody sighed and turned to Harry. "Don't think we haven't got it under control," he began, eying Harry warily and loosing his harsh tone of voice for a moment (something that turned Harry's stomach, making him realize the magnitude of whatever situation they were facing). "Well, I mean – we don't really have it under control," he added, glancing at Tonks. "That's why we called you. But it isn't anything serious yet."
Harry knew what Moody was doing – he was trying to soften him up a bit first and then break the news to him so that he wouldn't completely loose his head. The rest of the group was looking at him as if silently pleading for him to keep his voice down – were they all expecting him to completely explode?
"What's going on?" he repeated, getting irritated from the looks he was receiving from his fellow Aurors.
"Bellatrix Lestrange has been spotted," Moody said seriously. "Out somewhere in bloody Germany, of all places. You know they're not too keen on helping us right now after we banned the trade of Chimaera eggs."
"What?" Harry asked, flabbergasted. "But – I thought – I thought she was dead or something –"
"Yeah, so did we," Romina said with an expression of disgust. "We were just stupid enough to believe she was actually gone for good. But that isn't all of it. A few more Death Eaters who we haven't heard from since the downfall of their loving master have suddenly appeared across the continent –"
"Oh, don't forget, that one bloke was spotted in Russia," Dominic commented.
"Yes, thank you," Romina replied icily. "Can't forget those damn Russians, what a lot of good they're doing right now, spreading around the word that we're all crazy for thinking the Dark Lord's finally disappeared."
"Forget those idiots," Steven said, cutting off Romina and earning another frosty glare. "They're all talk and no action. Pathetic when it actually comes down to it, if you ask me."
"Excuse me," Moody said, clearing this throat. "I do believe we're getting off topic. We can save the Russians for another time."
"So have the Death Eaters taken any action?" Harry asked, unsure of whether he wanted to hear the answer or not. "Have there been any killings? Anything at all?"
Tonks shook her head and grimaced bitterly. "No, but an inside source has notified us that they have plans, all right. Taking refuge up in Greece at the moment, I believe. We sent some men to investigate but haven't heard back from them yet."
"We need to take action first," Romina said. "If the Ministry finds out, it'll be a mess. Of course, it will give them something else to worry about. You know, instead of trying to work their way into the problems at Hogwarts," she said pointedly at Harry. "How's that coming, anyway?"
"Er – superb," Harry muttered. A few people chuckled half-heartedly.
"Yeah, we know, Harry," Brom Lysander remarked airily, fiddling with his wand again. Blue bubbles were spurting from the end, making small popping noises every few seconds. Moody was glaring daggers at him, but he didn't seem to notice. "We know everything. Doing a really nice job up there, you are."
"Stuff it, Lysander," Romina snarled.
"Romina's right," said Grey from across the table. "Something needs to be done before the Ministry gets involved, it'll just be a fiasco if they do. And that's not even considering what destruction the Death Eaters themselves are planning. Probably world domination this time, or something."
There was a great deal of nodding and agreement around the table.
"But what's their motive?" said Harry. He was slowly becoming frustrated; was this all the information the Aurors had? That Bellatrix Lestrange and a few fellow Death Eaters had been spotted? They hardly knew where they were and were also as clueless as to their scheming.
"We don't know yet, Harry," Tonks said slowly, exchanging a glance with Moody. "It isn't very coincidental that a group of murderous Death Eaters have all decided to nicely come out of hiding at the same time. If Bellatrix Lestrange is involved, it has to be something big."
"Lestrange was first spotted in Turkey," Dominic commented, unrolling a long piece of parchment on top of the table. It turned out to be an enchanted map of Europe; small dots were moving across the countries slowly and others seemed to be stationary. He pointed to the shape labeled TURKEY and trailed his finger along to Greece. "They're moving westward, see here? It's been a pattern. We aren't sure where they're headed, really."
"Ultimately, we need to catch them," Romina said rather unnecessarily, as Harry had already figured so. "It'll be quite the job, though. Azkaban will hold them, of course, the problem's just tracking them down and getting them there."
"But someone spotted them!" Harry cried. His mind was getting jumbled from too much information in too short a time; he was unable to work it all out and began acting on instinct. "Obviously they aren't hiding too well if they've been seen!"
"No, Harry," Kingsley Shacklebolt spoke up. "You're missing the point. They wanted to be seen. They let a random person catch glimpse of them on purpose, to let us know they have indeed returned. This is something we should have expected of Bellatrix Lestrange."
"If they were brave enough to appear publicly, then they've definitely got something up their sleeves," said Dominic.
"Or maybe it was a foolish act on their part," Brom suggested, now floating the blue bubbles around Moody's head, much to his aggravation.
"No," Romina snapped at the young wizard. "Lestrange is much too clever to do something so foolish. No, it wasn't an accident… they're planning something…" She trailed off thoughtfully, staring with mild interest at Dominic's map. Harry followed her gaze and his eyes fell on GREECE again; three tiny dots with illegible names were stationed inside the miniscule country.
"Potter," Moody said crossly, jolting Harry back into reality.
"Sorry, what?"
"I said, are you ready, Potter?"
The room was silent as the Aurors all stared expectantly at Harry, who blinked. "Erm – ready for what?"
Brom dissolved into silent snickers and was only silenced by a swift kick to the shins from Romina.
"Ready to go to Greece, of course," Moody replied.
Harry's heart leapt – he was actually going to track down Dark wizards, and just thinking about it, it had only been an hour ago that he was still at Hogwarts, not expecting this in the very least. This is it, he told himself. This was what he lived for, what was worth living for. With another jolt of anxiousness, he found several other people rising out of their chairs.
"Celestino, Lysander, and McAllister will be assisting you, Potter," Moody told him. "We can't all go at once, people will start to get suspicious. Don't worry, you'll only be gone for a few days; Celestino, you know when to Apparate back," he told Romina, who nodded importantly. "Your absence will be explained thoroughly, so don't bother making up your own alibis. Send an owl before you depart home but contain no information that would be valuable if the owl were to be intercepted, understand?"
The four of them nodded and as Romina, Brom, and Dominic moved to the shadows in the corner of the room, Harry followed. His excitement was mounting by the minute. In less than a few minutes, he would be thousands of miles away in Greece, tracking a group of highly lethal Death Eaters. He almost couldn't stand the exhilaration.
"Good luck, Harry!" Tonks called warmheartedly. Several others nodded their heads in Harry's direction, the barest of smiles just visible on their faces.
"Yes, good luck to you all, and mind your recklessness," Moody said gruffly, shuffling the Aurors along. "Try not to get yourself killed, right, Potter? You're still needed back at Hogwarts," he added in an undertone to Harry. Harry nodded in understanding, bearing Moody's last words in his mind.
"On my count," Romina muttered once the four of them were assembled in the corner, their backs to the remaining Aurors. "Ready? One, two, three –"
And with another resounding pop, the room was suddenly devoid of four less people.
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Author's Notes: Here's a question about as off-topic as possible – has anyone ever heard/listened to Maroon 5? I think they're an American band, so I dunno if you British/Canadians have heard of them. They freaking rock, really. Just thought I should let you all know. For future reference. =)