Chapter Sixteen

New Acquaintances, Old Friends

The second set of practical tests made exclusively for Harry and Ron were more of a formality than a real assessment of their abilities. It was a simple one-on-one duel that they each undertook as individuals with one of the Aurors. It wasn't too hard. They didn't even need to disarm the Auror. They only had to make sure that they could battle it out without being knocked unconscious for five minutes each. Their Auror opponent didn't even try to make it difficult. Apparently, Chief Atalanta had already given her decision.

"Congratulations, you did well," Shacklebolt praised when he floated by where they were resting on a bench at the reception area.

"Thanks," Harry replied. "But that was exhausting."

"Get used to it," Shacklebolt said. "When you get to training, you'll find yourselves feeling that way almost everyday."

"Is it worth it?" Ron asked, taking a swig from a jug of water the receptionist handed them after their last duel.

"Sure, it's worth it. It's a real adventure, if you're that kind of person, which I think you both are considering how many times I heard you got yourselves into trouble before. By the way, Chief already posted the exam results. You don't need to know about yours but you may want to see who else got in. Normally, we don't tell anyone until we owl the people who passed, but since no one's around, it might not hurt for you two to take an advance peek. Consider it a treat," he added with a wink.

They followed Shacklebolt to a bulletin board that they hadn't noticed before. There was a list of around ten people there.

"Blake made it?" Harry asked, surprised.

"Barely," Shacklebolt said. "He got out eight seconds before his time was up. After he got stuck with the Pixies, he boiled two wrong potions before he got the right one. He came out with a cottontail and whiskers. But at least he got out. There were others who broke down half-way through the test. One applicant didn't even get past the second door. She was so nervous she gave up when she set foot inside the testing room."

Harry could just imagine Blake looking like a bunny. He and Ron laughed and he knew Ron was thinking of the same thing. They stared back at the list. Terry, Padma and Alicia were all there. Harry didn't see his name, but Ron's was there. But what surprised him was the name underneath Ron's.

"What is Zabini doing here?"

"He passed," Shacklebolt replied matter-of-factly.

"WHAT?!" they both said. "But he cheated and we had to get him out!" Ron added.

"He didn't exactly cheat," the Auror ghost explained. "That test was designed not only to check your abilities but also to see how you would handle a situation. Most of you chose direct confrontation with the Aurors, he chose stealth. One way or another could get you out. He managed to get the object he was ordered to retrieve, he performed all challenges he encountered and he got out within the time limit. He also managed to knock-down an Auror, though he didn't need to—that's extra points for him."

"But why send us to get him?" Ron argued.

"Amazing what the Auror Academy faculty could think of, isn't it?" he sniggered. "You have to understand that when you go out into the field, there are no set rules. You manage with what resources you have according to the circumstances. The important thing is to accomplish what you were ordered to do with the least disadvantages to yourself or the people around you. Sometimes you need help--if I may remind you, you did get some from Miss Spinnet when you got in a fix with that Kelpie."

Harry and Ron reddened.

"Nothing to be ashamed of, it happens. You did assist Mr. Blake, too. If it weren't for you, he could have failed. And that group attack with Spinnet, Madeleine Dindarte and John Dee turned to your mutual advantage. When we say we only take the best people, we not only look for ability, we check to see that you don't crack under pressure. We can't have Aurors who turn to mush when it comes to a real battle. Likewise, we want people who could think quickly out of a problem and know how to work as a team. You can't all be like Orion de Lancre."

"de Lancre? Isn't he that arrogant prat from Beauxbatons?" Harry asked.

"Prat isn't really what I'd call him. But yes, he's from Beauxbatons. He got out first and got the most points. Amazing really. I've never seen anyone like him. He's fast, he's accurate--he even perfected the written exams. They were right when they said he's the best in Beauxbatons. He graduated the same year that you two did. I've heard the French Ministry wanted him in their own Auror force, but he moved here."

"Well, he's so full of it!" Ron muttered through clenched teeth.

"Come off it, you two could use some healthy competition. If you must know, you came in second. It's just a couple points down from him and it had something to do with a really deadly Veritaserum formula and too many broken pieces of pottery."

"Oh yeah, that," Ron admitted.

"Well, I suppose you want to get home and tell the good news to everyone. Fireplace is clear, you can go now. I'll see you at the start of training in two weeks."

They thanked Shacklebolt and headed to the fireplace, eager to give a blow-by-blow account to the waiting Weasleys.

As soon as the dust settled in the Weasley living room, Harry became aware of several eager faces staring at him and Ron expectantly from the living room.

"Well?" asked Fred.

Harry felt Ron put on a neutral expression to prolong the anticipation for greater dramatic effect. Fred, George, Ginny and Hermione looked worried. Slowly, they eased out a smirk.

"We passed," Ron muttered.

A chorus of cheers erupted. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley burst in to see what the commotion was about, and on their heels were Bill and Fleur.

For several minutes, Harry was caught in a blur of handshakes and pats. But when he came to Mrs. Weasley, she gave him and Ron a sad smile and ruffled their hair. Harry knew she was secretly wishing they didn't choose to be Aurors. He expected to hear about it for years to come--just like she always lamented Fred's and George's career choice. She quickly turned away and muttered something about needing to make dinner.

Everyone else, though, was genuinely happy for them and eager for their account. Bill and Fleur who were just about to leave when they arrived, decided to stay on for a few more minutes. Harry let Ron tell everything, adding just a few details every now and then.

"I 'ave a friend from Beauxbatons that applied for the Aurors. Do you know if Maddy
Dindarte pass too?" Fleur asked after Ron told them -in a very indignant way- how Zabini managed to pass.

Harry remembered the French girl they met on the staircase. Shacklebolt mentioned her name which he recalled, began with an 'M.' "Maddy? Is she strawberry-blonde?" he asked.

"Yes, yes, Madeleine Dindarte," replied Fleur. "She was one of my friends in school though she was younger."

"Yeah, I think she did. Ron and I met her during the practical. We teamed up with Alicia and this Hufflepuff boy when we had to duel the Aurors."

"Oh, I am glad!" Fleur exclaimed. "I must owl Maddy when I get home. We were good friends, Maddy and I. You will like her. She is a lovely person. Brilliant at potions."

Harry made a mental note to ally himself with this girl. He and Ron needed all the potions help they could get if they wanted to get through Auror training. Without Hermione, he realized they needed someone else to fill the void as a study back-up.

"Eez there anyone else from Beauxbatons zat passed?" Fleur asked.

Harry scowled. "There's another one…"

"Yeah," Ron interrupted. "There's this bloke that's been giving us airs, some arrogant prat named Orion Lanc--Lanc…"

Fleur's expression soured. "Orion Pierre de Lancre." She spat the name as if it disgusted her.

"You know him?" Bill asked.

"I went out with 'im once in my sixth year."

Ron's eyebrows shot up the same time as Bill's. "But isn't he the same age as Harry and me?" Ron said coyly.

Fleur reddened and Bill's curious expression turned into a scowl. "You went out with a younger bloke?"

"Well, I was sixteen when I did."

"And he was what? Thirteen?" said Bill. Harry wasn't sure if the oldest Weasley sibling was annoyed or amused.

"Well, he is a very 'andsome boy," Fleur defended. "And brilliant… until I learned what a bigheaded… what do you British call a lizard?"

"Git," everyone replied.

"Yes, exactly," Fleur said. "Orion was the best in Beauxbatons, even in 'is fourth year. But he doesn't want competition. When the Tri-wizard Tournament came in my seventh year, he was disappointed he couldn't compete 'cause he was underage. I was a threat to 'im because I qualified for the Tournament. Orion despised me for it, especially when he found out 'arry competed too. Before I left for the competition, he told me I would not win--that Beauxbatons couldn't win if he did not compete--as if he was the only brilliant student."

Fleur shook her head and placed an assuring hand on top of Bill's. "He is intimidating you?" she asked Ron and Harry. They nodded.

"That is just like 'im. You are threat to 'is becoming the best in everything. He treats all threats that way. But I do not worry," she beamed at them. "I believe my little bruzzers can beat 'im anytime."

Harry felt his cheeks grow warmer at the compliment. He wondered if Ron still had a bit of a crush on Fleur, though she treated him with sisterly affection now. Fleur was so much a part of the Weasley family that she had taken to calling Ron, and even Harry, 'her little brothers.'

"Well it's late, Fleur and I need to get going," said Bill. "Congratulations again, Harry, Ron."

"You will not stay for dinner?" Mrs. Weasley peered in from the kitchen.

"Sorry Mum, Order duty." He kissed his mother on the cheek and Fleur followed before they went outside to Apparate.

"You two better wash up," Mrs. Weasley said to Harry and Ron after Bill and Fleur left. "Dinner will be ready in fifteen minutes and I don't want you looking like you just came out of a battle when you're at my table."

Ron was about to protest, but Harry reminded him that they were sweaty and that they could continue their account during dinner. They had a quick shower that left them refreshed and a bit sleepy. Harry thought Shacklebolt was right; they really needed to postpone moving into Godric's Hollow until tomorrow. He convinced Ron to lie in bed for a few minutes though they were still too excited to fall asleep completely. They were in bed for five minutes when someone knocked.

Hermione came in. "I didn't bother you, did I?" she asked.

"No, come on in Hermione," Ron invited with a tap to the side of his bed. She slowly sat down and clenched her hands nervously. Ron was about to launch into another detail of their exam but Hermione stopped him.

"I need to tell you something."

"I know, Hermione," Harry said. "We're a bit too tired to move to Godric's Hollow today. Let's just do it tomorrow, gives us more time."

She shook her head. "It's not that. Could you two sit up, please?"

"Too tired, Hermione," Ron mumbled. But Harry got up for him. There was something about her manner that told him he needed to be sitting up for what she had to say.

"Remember when I told you I wanted to become a healer and that I'm interested in Asian Magic? Well, I think I've got a chance, a really good chance."

Harry brightened. "You got a job already? That's good. Where? St. Mungo's?"

Hermione shook her head and gave them a small smile. "No, not St. Mungo's, and it's not a job. It's something better, it's a scholarship. There's this new program, see. That friend of Dumbledore's in India, she's retired now but she has this project that she likes to call 'sharing knowledge with the West.' She wants to give a chance for European students to see a more Eastern perspective. It's still an experimental program so she'll only take one student. And she sent me an invitation as the first student to undergo training." Her eyes brightened with excitement. "This is really a good opportunity. I'll get to learn a lot and maybe even be a specialist in Asian healing. I could start a new trend; open new doors to others in a new field of study."

"Well that's great then," Ron said. "Congratulations."

"Thanks," Hermione beamed, though Harry could sense she was still agitated about something. "Well, it's just that, this scholarship is different. It's an immersion that will take me to really learn things on field."

"Meaning…?" asked Harry.

"I'm going to be sent to a tour of the East to learn about their different healing practices. It's not just India, though I stop there first. I'll be going on to China, then Japan, then the South East Asian countries."

"Wow!" Ron cried. "You get to travel? That's just amazing! You know I've been to Egypt before and it's been wonderful. Just go get Harry and me souvenirs when you get back after a few weeks."

Hermione bit her lip. "That's just it. It's… the trip's going to take a little longer than a few weeks."

Harry eyed her carefully. "A few months then?"

She shook her head. "The program's for two years."

Harry didn't think he heard her right. It was Ron who muttered, "What?"

"It's not like I'll be gone for the whole two years. I can come home for holidays. Christmas… and Easter."

"And what about the rest of the year?" Ron asked doubtfully.

"I have to go around, take a few courses at every Asian Magical School that's part of the program, work a bit at their healing centers; it's all part of the training."

"You're going to be living away from us?" Ron remarked. "I thought we were moving together, at Harry's house."

"I'm sorry I won't be able to be with you. I appreciate the invitation and I can still stay with you whenever I come home. Ron don't look like that. It's not like I'm going away forever. I'll be owling you and Harry as often as I can. It will be just like summer vacation."

Harry thought Hermione made it sound so easy. But the disappointment was not so easy to suppress by saying it would just like be summer vacation. Hermione had disappointed them once when she bailed out on them on being an Auror. And now she was leaving--for two years. Harry knew he was probably selfish, but in his life he had lost too many friends. He wanted to make sure at least the ones he had left behind were close to him, especially the two closest friends he had.

"When are you leaving then?" he asked, trying to ease the bitterness out of his voice but he failed miserably.

"I'm leaving by international portkey first thing tomorrow morning."

"Tomorrow!" Ron exclaimed. "How could it be tomorrow? You've just gotten your letter."

Hermione refused to meet their gaze.

Harry felt a twinge at his throat but it was Ron who voiced out his hurt. "How long have you known about this? Were you even planning on telling us?"

"I got the owl after we got back from Cornwall," she replied. "I wanted to tell you, but I didn't want you to get you upset before your exams."

"Oh, so you just tell us a day before you leave. That's really sensitive of you!"

"I thought you understood what I had to do."

"Yeah, but Harry and I didn't think you would be doing it on the other side of the planet! How could you just leave us like this? I thought we were friends."

"I'm still your friend. And I'm asking you now as a friend not to make a big thing out of this. Not on my last day here."

"NOT A BIG THING!" Harry finally roared. "I DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU, HERMIONE, BUT YOU LEAVING THE COUNTRY FOR MERLIN KNOWS HOW LONG…"

"Five months, Ron! I'll be back in five months! So don't shout at me!"

"Yeah, you'll be back for what? AWEEK? Then you'll go traipsing out in some foreign country again," spat Ron. He huffed then added. "And I didn't shout at you, Harry did."

Hermione held up her hands in a pleading gesture. "It's part of my study. How can I make you understand this is important to me?"

"FINE,THEN! GO! Harry and I aren't stopping you. Have a nice life, Hermione; do whatever's important to you."

Harry was too upset to care when Ron walked out of the room. In fact halfway down the stairs, he took control and began running until they reached the door. Ron stopped abruptly, turned around and summoned his Firebolt. When they had it in their hands they stomped out, ignoring Ginny and the twins who looked on dumbstruck in the living room. They took off to the air when they reached the Weasley backyard.

Harry let Ron's anger propel his own fury that fueled his need for speed and altitude. They flew so high and so fast, he barely noticed that they were getting a nosebleed when they soared past the clouds. Harry just jerked them into the opposite direction so they could plummet to the ground just as fast. Ron didn't even complain or scream at him to pull up. It was a sign of how angry he was. Harry righted the broom barely five feet from the ground.

From somewhere below, someone was screaming at them to stop. But they ignored whoever it was and repeated the same neck-breaking moves over and over again. Let Hermione see us then, Harry thought vindictively. Let her think she's losing her two best friends. Maybe then she'll realize how selfish she is for leaving us.

He made loop the loops around the trees before flying very low. He felt his arm get scratched by a branch. Then he turned the broom upward again before plunging back down.

"Okay, Harry, stop, pull up!"

He turned up, and slowed the broom until they were about a few feet from the ground. Ron let them collapsed into the soft grass. They were drenched with sweat, aching all over and their nose was gushing out blood. But Harry felt better, so much better.

"What are you doing?! Are you trying to get yourselves killed!" They heard Hermione's scream coming from somewhere far away. There was the sound of running footsteps.

"I hate her, Harry."

"No, you don't. And I don't either. We wouldn't be in this much pain if we did."

Hermione's face came into focus. Her expression was so anguished, Harry was immediately guilty. He was about to say something apologetic, but Ron was quicker.

"Go away, Hermione. Just leave me and Harry alone like you want to."

Harry registered a tear falling from Hermione's eye before he gave in to exhaustion.