Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any other characters that belong to J.K. Rowling; other unknown characters plus the plot are within my ownership.
A/N: This chapter contains a major turning point, read it carefully or you might get confused with the next chapters; and not to announce the winner of the first Gmail account who discovered the ghost (It was easy anyway ;P). Everyone, a round of applause for 'Dark wolf of Teros'; Huzzah. And for the rat, he/she will be exposed as the plot moves forward; so the game is still on; thanks for all who reviewed my story; I will never forget your kindness (Teary Eyes)
Enough of the rubbish and let's get it on ...
First Blood
"You?" Harry said hoarsely "Professor Dumbledore …"
Dumbledore's eyes twinkled as he smiled at his favorite student "How are you doing Harry?"
Harry was shocked beyond words as he stared at the ghost of his mentor and former headmaster "But … How can you be here; are you a descendant of Gryffindor?"
"I think you misunderstood the whole thing Harry" Gryffindor intervened "It is true that this place is called 'Gryffindor Chamber', but it is not limited by the blood line. Any person who is a Gryffindor at heart is allowed to dwell in here; as a ghost of course; which means …" he ended his explanation with a pointing finger; Harry looked at the location he pointed at, and his heart was filled with joy.
"Hi Harry"
"Neville, Seamus, Dean, Parvati, and … Luna! Aren't you a Ravenclaw?" Harry exclaimed. And Gryffindor chuckled "Rash as I've heard of you, Harry Potter. I've just told you that people who prove to be Gryffindors at heart are allowed to dwell in the chamber; and Miss Lovegood proved that easily by aiding your cause non-hesitantly"
"How are you Harry?" Luna asked him with a calm smile.
"I'm fine" Harry said sadly "In fact; I miss you all; I can't help but to blame myself for not being able to save you"
"Do not blame yourself Harry; it was Flint who must take the blame, not you" Seamus said with his usual joyful tone.
"I swear to you, I will bring that bastard down" Harry clenched his fist tightly as he spoke.
"We know Harry; we all know that you are up to the task" Parvati said calmly; and they all stood silent for a minute before Godric cough soundly.
"Now then" the owner of the camber said "I believe that you have some questions that need to be answered"
"Yes" Harry said hastily "I have some trouble finding Flint; he stole a muggle device for an unknown purpose"
"Alas Harry; we are as powerless as the mortals when it comes to reading the future; you have to find the answer yourself" Dumbledore said apologetically.
Harry pouted in disappointment; but he remembered something else "Professor; have you heard of a curse called 'Explodia'?"
"A good finding indeed Harry; unfortunately, I do not know very much about the ancient curses; but a certain Asian swords Master might have the answer" Dumbledore said the last words with his trademark twinkle. Harry looked confused at his; then the answer hit him "Tatsuya"
"Indeed" Dumbledore nodded in approval.
"So, I have to visit the village again; I needed to say hello after all; I haven't stopped by since I completed my training"
"Your training is far from completion; and your destiny in yet to be fulfilled; don't forget your ultimate objective" Gryffindor said in reminiscing tone.
"Ah, that soul mate matter; right" Harry said dully "As much as I like to do that, I still don't have any clue about it"
"The answer is before your eyes Harry; don't look too far" Dumbledore said with a twinkle; and an image of a certain bushy haired young woman kept nudging the back of his mind, he shook his head hard to force the image out and succeeded barely gaining a slight dizziness along the way. He then tried to shift the course of the conversation "Professor; I always wondered; why have you sacrificed yourself for me?"
Dumbledore smiled calmly as he answered "Harry my dear; you have to understand that my role has come to an end; and it is your time to assume the leadership of our people, you have guide them through the upcoming darkness"
"But I don't even know what will come" Harry exclaimed in confusion. And Dumbledore never changed from his clam grim "You will know Harry; soon you will know; and you will succeed"
"I had enough of the responsibility" Harry cried out of frustration. And he felt the warmth overcome him as his mother hovered her hand over him "It is your destiny Harry; and always remember; you are not alone; we are always watching you"
"Thank you mother" he wanted to hug her; but sadly he remembered that she was a specter. He kept conversing with his friends and family until the time for Ragnok's return; he said his goodbyes and stepped out of the chamber only to find Ragnok waiting for him outside.
"Harry" the elder goblin beamed at him "I hope that I'm not late"
"Not at all; in fact, you are as punctual as you've always been" Harry answered with much calmness, and the goblin beamed even more then he took his seat and ushered Harry to do so.
"The portal is almost finished; they only need to test it now" Ragnok said as he launched the underground wagon "And you; have you found anything worth your while; precious things may be"
Harry answered absent-mindedly without looking at him "Many"
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Hermione the book on the bed in frustration before throwing it on the table "That's absurd, I can read the whole collection but sleep won't come; I shouldn't have taken that nap" but in her mind it was another matter; and she groaned at the revelation.
"Face it Hermione; you can't rest with a case left unfinished" she muttered, 'And persons un-researched'
She made up her mind so quickly, so she dresses quickly for an outing, and quietly stepped out of her room not forgetting to shoot a glance left and right to make sure the coast is clear, before tip-toeing toward the main door.
"Hermione!" the voice made her jump upward at least a meter; she turned slowly and saw her mother holding a glass of water while looking at her in surprise "What are you doing!"
"Out for a stroll" Hermione answered looking anywhere but her mother's face.
"In this late hour!" Emma said almost in scolding tone.
"I had a nap early this afternoon, so I couldn't sleep"
"You can find a hundred ways to get sleep at home rather than 'strolling' outside at this dangerous hour"
Hermione groaned loudly "Mum; I am a police detective; I have been into many dangers; what would an innocent stroll do to me"
"Who knows Hermione; who knows" Emma said calmly but firmly "Now, I know that this is not the true purpose of your midnight stroll"
"How can you be sure?" Hermione said stubbornly, but cowered when she saw an equal resolve in her mother's eyes "I know when you are bluffing Hermione; if your mother didn't know you well then who will; you never looked me in the eyes when you were talking"
Hermione sighed in surrender "Alright; I give up. I was going to the police station to research more on the case"
Emma looked victoriously at her daughter "I knew it; typical Hermione can't relax with work at hand" Hermione shot her an angered look; then Emma said seriously "So, what is the case?"
"Mum" Hermione said in irritated surprise "It is police business"
"That doesn't mean I can't help; I love to solve 'whodunit' mysteries"
Hermione surrendered for a second time "Okay; the FBI took command of the whole precinct and are acting to solve my previous case which they 'took over' callously; so I was left with the only thing at hand, researching about Harry Potter"
Emma looked alerted "Harry Potter as in, Harry Potter who saved you" she asked cautiously and Hermione nodded in agreement "And why do you want to research about him?"
"Because" Hermione said stressing her words "He seems to know about us much more than we know about him"
"And you allied yourself with him" Her mother asked again with more tension "While knowing absolutely NOTHING about him"
"Yes" Hermione said feeling her mother's tension creeping under her skin.
"Are you mad? How can you trust someone you know nothing about?"
"I don't know; he came at a critical time and presented crucial information that might prove useful" Hermione answered defensively as she backed off.
"That is so un-Granger of you Hermione; my experience with life taught me to be wary of people who present me anything for free; it might be a snare to catch me and gain more from me"
"I AM researching him now as I said, but without good results. Do you believe that we found no record about him; no passport, no immigration application, not even a flight ticket"
"See, how can you work with a mysterious person, even if has saved you" her mother stated, then what Hermione said it her "Wait, you said that you found no flight ticket of him?" Hermione nodded "Then how …"
"He entered the country? I asked myself that and got one answer … Illegal immigration"
"I don't believe it, then why would he associate himself with the police; that would expose him for sure"
"I honestly don't know; but I found something interesting" Hermione said attracting her mother's attention "I found that he has shares in some companies here; but the details are unavailable"
"Have you checked with the one of the companies; they might give you some answers" Emma said calmly, and Hermione looked at her dumbfounded "Mum, you always amaze me with your straightforwardness"
"Straight way is the shortest way" Emma said chuckling "I can't believe that you forgot to do that"
"Well, my mind was a bit busy in the last few days; but now I'm all free to further investigate this case"
"Don't let me be in your way then; just be careful Hermione" Hermione nodded and walked out of the door.
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Ron groaned as a constant noise prevented him from sleeping and yelled angrily as he sat up "Who the bloody … Harry!" he exclaimed in surprise "What are you doing in this late hour" and he noticed that Harry was packing up "What happened"
"Ron listen; I need you to inform Malfoy to hand you any newfound information regarding the curse; I have to go somewhere before heading back to the states; any intelligence operations will be postponed until my return, just go ahead of me and I will catch up with you after I finish my urgent business; Okay?"
Ron was dumbfounded by Harry's firm and sudden revelation "Harry, I … Why are you leaving all of the sudden?"
"Because I think I can find an answer for the unknown curse at a certain place?"
"Where?" Ron asked eagerly as he jumped up; but was hit by a firm look from Harry "Not here mate; walls have ears; I will tell you when we meet again at the HQ"
Harry picked up his canvas backpack; and apparated directly from Ron's room to Diagon Alley; from where he apparated internationally bearing one image in his mind.
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"Detective Granger" the night office greeted Hermione as she walked in through the main doors "I'm totally surprised"
"Hello Paul; I know that you don't have much visitors in this late hour; but bear me for an hour will ya" Hermione greeted back joyfully.
"Actually I am surprised because I just met the second visitor for the night" Paul explained as Hermione looked in surprise "Really! Who's the first then?"
"Detective McLaden; he preceded you by full ten minutes" Hermione was in utter surprise right now; but then she smiled "Good; two heads are better than one. Well, I'll leave you to your patrol then"; she nodded to him and when straight to the third floor. She walked through the empty desks towards the detectives' office and opened the door.
"Pierce" she exclaimed joyfully causing the young detective to jump in surprise; "Hermione; what are you doing here?"
"The same is said to you" she retorted while placing her hands on her hip "You go first"
He too a second to regain his composure before answering "As I told you yesterday" he looked at his watch "Yes, it is now yesterday; 1:10 is considered tomorrow even if you didn't …"
"PIERCE" Hermione cut him angrily; and he backed off immediately "Alright girl; sheesh, you are no sport. Anyway, as I told you I went to baby-sit Sherry because Lydia went shopping; when Sherry's nap time was up I lolled her to sleep, but it was me who ended in a slumber"
Hermione giggled at him and he rolled his eyes "Yeah; laugh now, the scary part is not up yet"
"Why? What happened then?" Hermione urged him to continue; and he put a leg on the other "After slumbering for a while, a high-pitched scream woke me up and I ran to the source of the scream only to find Lydia holding on of my guns from the gun collection in the showcase"
"Why?" Hermione urged him more; and he shrugged his shoulders "She told me that she found the gun in the hands of Sherry"; Hermione clapped her hand on her mouth "My God"
"Don't worry; I always check my gun collection to make sure that no gun was left loaded; but what annoys me is that all the guns in the showcase are bolted firmly to the wall; so there is no way in hell that one of the guns would fall off"
"Maybe; no one is perfect" Hermione said as she took her turn to shrug her shoulders "Anyway; what has Lydia done then?"
"She Lectured me on how I should keep my guns will secured or next time we won't be so lucky; I remained alert since then and couldn't get back to sleep even when the clock sounded midnight; so I decided to come here and resume the search of the old cases"
"Not the old cases, Pierce; we have more important business; Harry Potter" Hermione said firmly and Pierce groaned "Hermione, I thought were over it; we found nothing about him"
"My mother 'enlightened' me about a certain source of information we have neglected" she said coolly
"And what is it?" Pierce asked leaning to the front; and Hermione answered in excitement "The companies he have shares within"
"Hermione; that's a good lead and might get us loads of fundamental information; but …" Pierce had a despondent look on his face "You still need a warrant to get what you want, and guess who you need to ask"
Hermione frowned and said nothing although she knew who does he mean; she waved her hand and turned toward her desk "I will ask him tomorrow; in the mean time we have to review the list of the companies and choose the most convenient one; so, where is it?"
She didn't hear him answer "Pierce" she demanded again, but stopped as she so him looking intently at his screen "What is it?"
"Someone is trying to hack into the police department system" he answered "In fact; he is now IN the system"
"What?" Hermione exclaimed and paced toward Pierce desk "Who is he?"
"I don't know; but he has balls, no body would hack into a system full of monitors unless he has the guts to do it, and a pressing issue" Pierce answered as his magical hands began to work on the keyboard "Let's see what he wants"
He opened the log file and began to read it "Weird; he went straight to the archive. And look what he is taking, a copy of the old cases we collected"
"Can you pinpoint the bastard?"
"Let's give it a try" he said as he opened a certain program "Well, well; we got a bouncer; true professional"
"What does it mean?" Hermione asked in confusion; and pierce didn't answer "Damn; he logged off; and he didn't forget to delete his logs; what a smart mother-"
"PIERCE! Please don't continue; and tell me what the bloody hell has just happened" Hermione yelled at him with impatience; he turned off his screen and turned his attention to her "Simply we got hacked by a professional hacker; not to mention he was a bouncer too; he sliced in; got his purpose, and logged off not forgetting to delete his logs"
Hermione felt dizzy at the explanation "Pierce, if you please; can you explain it again without the fancy computer terminology?"; the ex-hacker sighed patiently before speaking again "Look Hermione; the new hackers usually access a distant computer using many programs that help in covering their tracks; but the sheer number of programs needed may also slow the process of hacking"
"Unlike the culprit here" Hermione retorted; and Pierce nodded in approval "Exactly; the professional hackers; like this culprit; access the designated target computer without the aid of many programs; instead he access many public servers as he could before attacking the main target" he pointed a finger in conclusion "And that is called bouncing"
Hermione understood every word he has said, but many questions have formed instead "Wouldn't the lack of security put him in risk of discovery?"
"Good question" Pierce nodded "The answer is yes; he can be discovered easily; but what distinguishes newbies from professionals is the speed of execution. Freshmen use security programs to make up for their slow entry; professionals, on the other hand, have the speed and guts to hack with swiftness and without being encumbered with needless softwares; in and out in a flick, and no one will know what hit 'em"
"Wicked" Hermione whispered "But that means we will never catch that wanker"
"On the contrary; you see, when I was a hacker I used to be an elite bouncer; and with the constant use of this hacking method I revealed a major flaw. You can hack swiftly, yes; but your computer is still unprotected and can be hit with certain viruses; like the Trojan Horses"
"I heard about these viruses; nasty ones indeed" Hermione remarked.
"Well; mine is the nastiest one you'll ever encounter; I developed it after exposing the flaw but still hadn't have the time to test it yet; maybe next time when this bouncer hit again"
"Alright; now let's go down to business shall we" Hermione stated while picking up the list of companies.
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"Okinawa" Harry muttered "Long time no see" he waded through the never-ending waves of muggles; and thanked God for being accustomed to muggle clothing; walking around here while wearing wizard robes would definitely attract attention. He reached Matsurumi village by dawn. He walked along the trail which leads to Tatsuya's dwelling.
"Sensei" Harry called from out of the house, but received no answer. He slowly unsheathed his sword and stepped in carefully.
"Sensei" he called almost in a whisper; suddenly he felt a tingle in the back of his head, he lifted his sword seconds before another one came out of the shadows; and the two swords clashed.
"Very good Harry-kun; very good indeed" Tatsuya said in a content voice as he came out of the shadows "But you are still a little bit slow"
"Sensei" Harry greeted his master with a half bow "I came here on an urgent business; it is about …"
"A curse you encountered; I know" the old seer interrupted him with a smile "Alas, I don't know much about it"
Harry frowned at the knowledge, and his sensei grin widened "That doesn't mean your venture to here is in vain; you still have one resource left"
"What is it sir?" Harry blurted; and Tatsuya looked at him with a hint of reprimand "The Sacred Library of course; luckily enough, my family collected even the darkest book in the dark arts; so maybe you can find your curse here" he said the last statement as he walked toward the secret passageway
They ventured through the ancient catacombs where only the vermin live now; Harry shivered as he eyed the old scattered bones and skulls "No matter how many times I venture through this place; it still causes me to quiver with fear"
"It is the unknown you fear Harry; not the ashes and dust; these bones reminds you of the afterlife; a stage we all will pass sooner or later" Tatsuya said as they reached the rusted gates of the library and stopped in front of one of two dragon statues "Take your position, Harry-kun"; Harry did as he was ordered and went over to the opposite side of the door in front of one of the dragons; they both placed their hands on their respective dragon statues and pushed down firmly; the dragons moved down with fluency; and the gates rumbled as they opened slowly.
"When I passed away; you will be the only one who knows about the library; however, you will not be able to open the gates by yourself only; you have to look for a trustworthy person whom you can confide this treasure to, only those whom you chose will be able to access the library. It is like the fidelius charm but stronger and somewhat different in concept"
"Very well, sensei; I will keep that in mind" Harry bowed with respect; and Tatsuya smiled in fatherly manner "Now; why don't we begin our research on your curse?"
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"Blue team standing by"
"Red team standing by"
Johnson received the call in the police surveillance van not far away from the action site. He turned on the mic after he heard the confirmation "This is gold leader; keep on hold, element"
"Roger" both teams replied.
He then pushed the mic button again "Eagle team; can you confirm visual?"
"Negative; no visual on suspect" the indicated team responded. And then he turned to our protagonist detectives and said in a cocky voice "Here, ladies and gentlemen, we will make history"
"Make sure you don't become one yourself" Pierce retorted with his usual irony, and Johnson snapped with fury "I'll show you the true application of tactics, joker"; and Pierce retorted with a short laugh "I never knew you were a tactician, Montgomery"; Johnson snorted but never replied.
The only one who was not participating in the quarrel was Hermione; her eyes was on the monitors showing the hideout via cameras pre-placed by the FBI surveillance team; there was no sign of movement inside or outside the hideout which made her more doubtful about Harry's intelligence; 'Is it true that you are not trustworthy, Harry?' she thought to herself as she recalled her conversation with her mother 'Have I been too trusty?' she was pulled out of her thoughts by the voice a one of the team leaders.
"This is Eagle team; we have visual; appears to be a black-hooded suspect walking slowly"; she felt a throb hitting her heart as she heard the description 'It's them'
"Roger; Gold team, storm the designated entry" Johnson exclaimed through the walky-talky. And tugged his sleeve hard "Pull the men out, now"
He shoved her hand roughly "Stop tugging my suit; and don't forget that this case is no longer of your concern; I give orders now you"
She shook her head violently before replying "You don't understand, these are not Muerte's men; the are the death eaters"
"What 'death eaters'? Is it another crap that Potter told you?"
"Listen to her tough guy; those are the ones we encountered just before you came with your rangers; with my humble experience, I say that no one can stand against them; so your chance against them is slim to none" Pierce remarked in a mix of seriousness and scoff. Johnson couldn't stand anymore of this and exploded angrily "This is my case! If you didn't like it then bang your head on the wall!"
As soon as he finished his sentence, a horrifying scream came out of the speaker followed by the sound of gunfire and other screams, before everything went off. Johnson looked worried as he pushed the speak button "Gold team report in …" but no answer came "Gold team confirm your status …" still no answer.
"Great; now you've lost us some good men; what a great tactician" Pierce remarked in a mix of scold and sarcasm before shooting out of the van with his gun un-holstered; and Hermione followed him without a word spoken; but her mind was twirling with thoughts.
"Why do you always mix sarcasm with seriousness even in the gravest situations, Pierce?" Hermione said without looking at him as they walked toward the hideout.
"Believe me when I say, I did that for Johnson's sake; if I didn't, I might be punching the lights out of him right now for wasting our men for nothing"
"He's a true idiot; I told him to pull them back; those death eaters are not some common thugs; and our first encounter with them proves it" Hermione stated
"It's a second encounter now; and we know what we will face, and ready for it"
When they reached the hideout; they stormed the place without looking back only to see a black hooded figure disappearing with a crack. They stood looking eye-widened at the void space the black hooded figure used to occupy.
"D-Did you see what I just saw?" Hermione finally spoke in a shaky tone.
"If you hadn't said anything I would've thought I was dreaming" Pierce retorted in similar shock "Has that guy just disappeared?"
She stepped forward carefully and stretched her arm toward the void space as if trying to catch anything "Impossible, no body disappears just like that" she exclaimed breathlessly; then glanced into the next room and her eyes widened "Pierce, come quick"
She paced inside the room and Pierce followed her "Good Lord …" he said in a hoarse voice as he saw the massacre inside. All the attack force team members where dead; the murder was either by decapitation or body explosion like the victims they saw.
"So, there were no thugs at all" Pierce said as he examined the body of the nearest cop; and Hermione shook her head "On the contrary, look there"; she pointed at the far end of the room, and he saw a dozen of bodies laying on the floor in a shape similar to that of the attack force.
"I dare to presume that they are our main objective" Hermione said calmly as she stepped toward the bodies followed by the flabbergasted Pierce. She turned the first body she reached only to be finding a mutilated face wearing a fierce image of pain and suffering; she backed off quickly almost losing her balance.
"Disgusting" Pierce remarked with disgust expressions "Who would be that sick; mutilating the bodies; that is inhumane"
"And I thought Muerte was the cruelest; but those death eaters won the price" Hermione as she took deep breaths to prevent herself from throwing up; and Pierce looked at her with astonishment "You think they are the ones who killed those thugs? Aren't they allies? Why did they do such thing?"
"To lure us in" Hermione said absentmindedly; and Pierce looked at her with confusion "This is not the right time or place to reveal any theories, when we return to the precinct I will tell you everything; I can summarize the whole theory in two words" she looked at him firmly before resuming "Harry Potter"
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"I told you Malfoy" Ron said with total lack of patience "Harry instructed me to pick up any information regarding the exploding curse, and you are not helping with it"
"And I told you not yet" Malfoy said in with usual coldness "I will not hand out incomplete information; Potter would've understood, but you seem to be too thick to do so"
Ron's head teamed with fury "Too thick; you …" he pointed an angry finger before exhaling loudly and controlling his anger "Very well; I will wait, but it has better be ready by the end of the day"
Malfoy shook his head in disbelief "I know that you are thick; but that is beyond limit. Haven't you learned anything about spell research; it will take some time to complete the spell sequence and incantation; as for this curse, it will take a lot because we don't have due to the lack of vital information"
Ron clenched his fist and it took a lot of self-control from him to prevent himself from punching Malfoy's face hard "I understand" he said dryly "Still, I will wait for the results; as Harry told me"
"Whatever" Malfoy said then headed toward the laboratory.
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Hermione walked out of Maronski's office totally stunned; her request for a warrant regarding questioning Harry's companies was met with an unusual acceptance. She entered her office quietly and Pierce asked her in curiosity "What's up Herms?"
"Something unusual has just happened" she said absentmindedly; and Pierce replied with his usual humor "What? Johnson proposed to you?"
"That is not funny, Pierce" Hermione retorted in disgust as the image crept into her mind; and Pierce bellowed with laughter "I know; but if I said that about a certain PI you won't be happy either; because you will be blushing"
"Hey" Hermione exclaimed as the blush crept to her cheeks; and the image of her and Harry together made her even blush harder.
"Anyway" she said while trying to fight the blush "The unusual thing is this" she handed his the warrant "An open warrant for searching anywhere for any information regarding Harry Potter"
"Hermione, I'm astonished" Pierce said "How did you get it that easily; I didn't hear the voice of Maronski reaching the office as usual"
"That's what I called the unusual; he was so helping this time; I think this is because we lost so many men during the assault; I saw him argue with Johnson about that before handing me the warrant in front of him; maybe he wanted to infuriate him as a pay back"
She shrugged before replying "Maybe; but we got what we wanted whatever the case was; and now I can verify my theory"
"By the way; you haven't told me about your theory yet; you said it would involve Harry Potter" Pierce stated; and she sat calmly on her seat "Okay; but listen carefully because I will not repeat it again as we don't have much time and we have to finish our investigation before his return"
Pierce paid full attention as she began to review the theory "Since the beginning of this case I noticed that there was no crime that involves both party members; each party execute its own crime with no of the other; Muerte's men have their own acts including my assassination attempt; but the major sum was by those cult, the death eaters; they killed; robbed; and terrified the people in several places; and with weapons we never heard of; I processed all that and came with one answer"
"And what is it?" Pierce was asked in interest
"Power struggle" she answered casually "These is a hint of power struggle amid the crime lords; the old and new ones; and when I say crime lords I mean Muerte and that newcomer Flint. Flint seems to be more cruel and savage than Muerte which might help him make a name in the LA underworld, and his exploits prove that; Muerte, on the other hand, fears that the newcomer might dare to challenge him on the leadership of the cartel even if he was not Columbian; so he tries to prove his eligibility for the Cartel throne by attempting to assassinate me; the police detective who brought him to custody a year before"
"But, aren't they allies?" Pierce asked again in confusion; and she answered "Allies, yes; friends, no; their alliance is just a cover to the cold war between them"
He tried to digest every word he heard; and a question erupted "And where does Harry Potter fit in that remarkable theory?"
"Yes; Harry Potter, an unknown private investigator who suddenly appears out of nowhere bringing forth much needed information in a crucial time; and he persist on obscuring his so-called resources. All what I want to do is to reveal more about him so we can work together more properly; although the last piece of information prove to be useless"
"And fatal" Pierce remarked "I can swear that they were waiting for us"
"They also used the thugs as a bait before disposing them, which adds credibility to my theory; normal allies don't kill each other"
"Your right once again Herms" Pierce said in approval with rubbing his hands in excitement "OK; count me in; what can I help you with?"
Hermione paced toward him with the warrant "I want you to copy this warrant so you can check half the list of the companies while I check the other half; and don't misprize any meager information because it might prove useful in the future"
"Got it" Pierce nodded "Let's begin the hunt" and they both left the office.
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"Hola"
"It's me" the usual caller said before hearing the phone handed to someone else.
"Talk" the firm voice said
"Detective Granger has been handed a search warrant regarding information about Harry Potter as you have predicted"
"Great; now all what she needs is some … Motivation" the firm voice said in a calm tone which surprised the caller.
"What would you benefit from that?"
"Not on the phone" the firm voice said "But I can say it will create a desirable distraction"
"Just a distraction!" the caller exclaimed
"The other benefit will reveal itself soon" the firm voice said cryptically before hanging up as usual.
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Harry and Tatsuya remained at the Sacred Library until noon; and found nothing. Rubbed his eyelids in pain before mumbling in frustration "We've wasted a whole morning for nothing"
"It was not a waste; we knew that we were looking in the wrong direction" Tatsuya replied without removing his eye from the book he is holding.
"But how can we know the right direction?" Harry replied with his usual hot temper, earning him a scolding glare from his master "Watch your manners, Harry-kun, when you are addressing your sensei"
Harry noticed his improper tone and apologized immediately "Forgive me, sensei; I'm a bit frustrated due to our slow progress while Flint, on the other hand, is acting swiftly and precisely. I don't want any innocent suffer by his hands anymore"
Tatsuya smile in a fatherly manner "I know how are you feeling; you are a hero and a natural leader; I would be surprised if you didn't fell so" then he leaned forward with a serious face "By the way; you haven't describe the curse to me yet"
Harry looked in surprise at his sensei "I thought you told me you knew about it"
"I knew IT but not about it; I a sage not a warlock" the old swordsman explained "So tell me, what does it look like"
Harry straightened out his spectacles before speaking "Actually; I got nothing but scraps. Flint is too cautious and he instructed his death eaters to erase any trace of that spell ever time they use it"; Harry dragged his backpack before continuing "However; our latest encounter with them gave them no time to erase anything, and we came up with this" he pulled out a copy of the curse parameters Sofia wrote down "I never came across a curse with such spell patterns"
"Indeed" Tatsuya retorted as he examined the file "I know each and every spell pattern that has been discovered post Hogwarts; but this curse match none"
"What does that mean" Harry questioned in confusion.
"It means that we were indeed looking in the wrong direction; we have to look into older books deep inside the library" the old sage answered before rubbing his forehead "But now we seem to be rather weary; I suggest that we rest a bit before continuing our search"
Harry rubbed his eyelids and replied "you are right sensei; I feel drained and my eyes are hurting me; I never felt that exhausted since the last time is forced my aura; which reminds me" Harry said as he remembered "It appears that my aura is proving to be an encumber more that a benefit; last time I used it was during an interrogation, and it took me a lot of strength to sustain it"
"That is because you haven't performed any training that could up your endurance, Harry-kun; and you have to get rid of these glasses too; they are also showing quite a disadvantage in battle"
"I can always place a sticking charm on it" Harry blurted
"An your enemy could use a counter charm" Tatsuya stated "But that is not our concern right now; we have to concentrate on the task at hand"
"Very well, sensei" Harry nodded and they both stepped out of the library gates"
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"That's it" Hermione mumbled "My final destination; I hope they are no as 'Friendly' as they previous ones"
She walked in through the main gates of the company only to be met with a glare from the security guard at the entrance counter.
"May I help you miss?" the security guard asked suspiciously.
"Detective Granger, LAPD; I have a few questions regarding one of your shareholders" Hermione answered flashing her badge.
"If you have the proper papers; I may direct you to someone who can help you" the guard said politely but firmly.
"I think this warrant is sufficient" Hermione retorted pulling out the warrant; the guard scanned it quickly before handing it back "This way" he ushered her toward the elevator and exclaimed at a distant guard before following her "Mark; cover my place for a minute, will ya'"
They reached the highest level which Hermione presumed it was the management office level; they walked forward a bit before reaching a lobby "This is main lobby in the management level; and this is the guide counter" the guard said and he pointed at a nearby counter "they will help you through your investigation"
"Thank you" Hermione thanked the guard, who nodded before turning back toward the elevator hall; she walked calmed toward the guide counter and greeted the employee in charge.
"Good afternoon I am detective Granger from LAPD, and I have a few questions regarding one of your shareholders"
"First; do you have a proper warrant to conduct such investigation?" the employee said, and Hermione showed her the warrant; "This way please" she walked her toward a nearby office and knocked the door before entering.
"Hi Sarah" the employee greeted another woman.
"What is it Mary" the woman said firmly.
"An LAPD detective here wants some questions to the manager; she got all the proper papers"
"I'm afraid you have to wait detective; because the CEO, who has enclosed all the information about the shareholders is in the middle of a meeting"
"I can wait" Hermione said rapidly.
"Then I will return to my post" Mary said before exiting
"Please, have a seat" Sarah pointed her at a chair in front of her "I'm Sarah Springfield; chief secretary of Malcolm Export Co." she offered her a hand
"Hermione Granger; police detective" Hermione accepted her hand graciously thanking God for the warm welcome.
"Care for a drink; detective?"
"A cup of tea will be welcomed"
Sarah nodded and pressed the intercom "Eddie, a cup of tea if you please" then turned back to Hermione "So, what brings a police detective to our humble company? I hope no one has committed a felony"
"Not at all; in fact one of your shareholders has helped us in one of our cases; and we wanted to collect some information regarding him; that's all"
Sarah raised an eyebrow in understanding "I see … Ironically, the CEO's meeting is with the shareholders themselves"
"Really! Then Harry Potter is here" Hermione said excitedly; causing Sarah to shoot up "Harry Potter! Did you say Harry Potter!"
"Yes" said Hermione cautiously "Anything you know about him?"
"I was gonna ask you the same question; we were trying to contact him ever since he bought the shares off the stock market saving the company from liquidation; and his direction helped us greatly in boosting the companies figures up to the beak"
"So, you are telling me that he is an effective shareholder" Hermione said slowly.
"An effective MAJOR shareholder" Sarah corrected "He holds more than 80 of the company's shares"
Hermione's jaw dropped at the revelation "Y-You say 80; then why is he working as a private investigator?"
"PI! Are you sure we are talking about the same Harry Potter?" Sarah said in confusion.
"I'm not sure; but let me describe him anyway; he is a young male in the middle of 20's; unruly raven hair; emerald green eyes …"; but Sarah interrupted her "No need to describe him as no one here has every saw him in person"
"But you said he bought the company's shares" Hermione said in confusion; and Sarah replied immediately "Via an agent, that is. But I'm not in place of telling you anything else; only the CEO knows the full details; I'm but a poor ol' secretary"
Hermione laughed at the last remark and no other word was exchanged between the two women. Finally, after a slow hour, the meeting ended.
"You can enter now detective" Sarah pointed her at the office door; she thanked the secretary and knocked the door before entering.
"Yes?" a chubby man in the middle of his forties said firmly.
"I am detective Hermione Granger, sir; I have a few questions regarding your major shareholder"
"You mean Mr. Potter" the CEO said in surprise "I'm afraid I only have very little information about him" then he remembered that they were standing "How silly of me; please have a seat. I am Edward Peterson; CEO of the ever-flourishing Malcolm Export Co.; thanks to Mr. Potter himself and his crucial instructions"
"So you have seen him; why then did Miss Springfield say that no one saw him?"
"I never said I have seen him; I said that his funds and instruction led our company to flourishing"
"How do you receive his instructions, then?" Hermione demanded.
"By mail" Peterson said simply "And they contain no return address if that came to your mind"
"How did you accept the help of a person you barely know about" Hermione asked in frustration.
"When your company is on the brink of bankruptcy; you ask for money; not details" Peterson answered calmly; and Hermione matched this situation to hers.
"I understand your point of view" she retorted "Can I request something? I need to obtain one of the instruction letters he sent to you"
"You can have them all; we have copied every word of it in our policy book" the CEO said as he pulled out a bundle of papers and handed it to her.
"Thank you" she said before ending the investigation and exiting the building holding her newfound evidence very tightly.
"I hope Pierce has same luck as I do"
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"Well; I'm not" Pierce exclaimed in frustration "And I consider you very lucky that the security got you inside; I barely have a word with them and almost got into a fist fight with one of them"
"Don't be angry; at least we got some evidence" Hermione said "Which we need to send to the analysis laboratory"
"It will take some time for them to get anything useful out of it; so let's call it a day"
"Okay; just don't forget to bring your computer virus tonight in order to catch that hacker" Hermione reminded him; and he slapped his forehead "I totally forgot about that bouncer. Alright; I will be here at the same time as yesterday" and both of them walked out with a pair of eyes following then "Tonight then"
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"So; they are gathering tonight" Flint said in amusement "I don't know what goaded them to do that, but it is a heavenly chance that we must utilize to the maximum"
"What should we do; my lord" Nott asked in his usual grim tone; and Flint wave his hand "Proceed with our plan; and make sure to leave witnesses; we don't want them to associate the 'accident' with an anonymous person"
"Aye; my lord" Nott bowed to him before apparating; and a sly smile played on Flint's lips "I wager it will be so amusing to observe" and he laughed evilly.
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"Mum, Dad; I'm home" Hermione exclaimed as she stepped into the flat. She went straight to the kitchen only to find her mother cooking dinner.
"Mum; what are you doing?" she looked at the food being prepared "And where did you get all that from?"
"Your father and I took the liberty of filling your refrigerator with REAL food" Emma said casually stressing the word 'real' as she spoke "Come and give me a hand"
"Mum" Hermione groaned "I have just come from work and feel so exhausted; and you know that I do not like to cook"
"You have to learn how to do house chores young woman" her mother said firmly "Or you will not find a husband"
"And what would I benefit from that?" Hermione said stubbornly.
"Because" Emma said impatiently "When you see the satisfied look on your husband face; you will then feel fulfilled"
Hermione seemed to analyze every word her mother said; then she spoke suddenly "Mum"
"Yes, dear"
"How would I know that I found a suitable husband?" she asked the question that twirled in her mind for years.
"When the time comes, Hermione; you will know. Because your heart will guide you"
"But my heart can fool me sometimes" she said; and her mother nodded "Yes; that can happen in the beginning when you cannot read your heart correctly. Your husband is the man whom you share the same interest and wavelength with; a man whom you can read his desires before he speaks them" she then looked at her daughter with a significant look "A man who never think twice about sacrificing himself to save you"
Hermione understood what her mother meant, and a blush crept to her cheeks "Mum; you told me not to trust unknown strangers"
"Don't trust them, yes; but that doesn't mean you can't fancy them" Emma retorted "Now, let me finish your father's dinner"
They heard a commotion coming from the guest bedroom before Dan came out of it "Emma; is the dinner ready yet? I am too hungry"
"Right away dear; I just finished your favorite vegetable stew" Emma voiced casually; and was rewarded with kiss on the cheek "You are truly a mind reader"
Emma beamed happily and gave her daughter an 'I told you' glance; and Hermione seemed to begin to grasp the true meaning of the married life … Understanding.
After the dinner; Hermione sat in the living room with her parents reviewing the memory album; she never laughed very hard in her life like she did in those two hours.
"I am telling you" Dan said irritably "I should've won that bet; only if that git hasn't cheated"
"Tom hasn't cheated dear" Emma retorted "It is just because you are a sour loser"
"Who in the world can drink ten bottles in a row without even feeling dizzy?" he snapped
"It is called endurance dear; which, unfortunately; you didn't have"
"Who are you siding with Emma" Dan exclaimed with a hint of anger "Me or Tom?"
"There are no choices here" Emma said as she rested her head on her husband's shoulder. And Hermione was amazed by the amount of love and caring they show to each other
'I hope I'll be as lucky as them' she said to herself.
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Time passes quickly for Pierce; who was having some luxury time with his family. He looked at his watch and cursed loudly.
"Damn; I will barely catch up with him right now" he stood up quickly and paced toward the bedroom.
"What is it darling" Lydia inquired while cuddling their daughter; and Pierce answered from behind the door "My and Hermione have some work to do tonight; we have a hacker to catch"
"Pierce" she scolded "I thought you gave up that thing"
"I did dear" he came out of the room fully dressed "But that doesn't mean I allow that other hackers to wreck our servers; see ya'" he kissed his wife and daughter goodbye; and stormed out of the house not noticing the disk that has fallen out of his pocket.
"Honey; you dropped something" Lydia picked up the disk and tried to catch up with him; but she heard the screech of tyres as he took off. She stood looking at the empty space idly before shrugging "Hasty and clumsy; and lovely. I have to hurry behind him and hand it to him, as always"
Sherry yawned deeply and her mother cuddled her "Sorry sweetheart; it is another night with the Burtons; I have to bring this thing to our father"
She walked toward the bedroom "Not to mention another surprise"
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"Detective Granger! unbelievable! Two nights in a row!" Paul exclaimed in surprise "Is it another tough case?"
"Something like that" Hermione said as she paced toward the elevator "Wish me luck". She reached the third flour and went straight to her office only to find that Pierce has not come yet.
"Pierce; what on Earth are you doing? That hacker will flee again" as she finished her statement; the doors burst open and Pierce came in.
"Sorry I'm late" he greeted breathlessly "I forgot myself in a happy family moment"
"You could've turned on the alarm" Hermione said irritable "No matter; we are here; and that hacker is not"
"I would like to say the same thing …" Pierce retorted as he hit the keys of the keyboard "But he's here"
"Quick; use your virus" Hermione commanded; he nodded excitedly and searched his pockets; but found nothing "Shit; where is it?"
"Pierce …" Hermione yelled at him as her body tensed "Quickly; I think he is leaving"
"Damn" Pierce cursed "I think I've dropped it somewhere" he said as he eyed the screen helplessly; and Hermione sighed in frustration and barely prevented herself from strangling her partner.
"Honestly" she yelled at him "How can you be that stupid?"; he banged the table in anger "That's not the point" he said "The problem is I haven't had the time to coy this virus; and now I've lost it … Permanently"
"Stupid" she mumbled; and he didn't commented. He began to hit the keys as swiftly as usual "At least I can try some old tricks"
He tried to intercept the bounce; but it was all in vain as the hacker was alerted to the interception attempts, and logged out immediately "Damn" Pierce banged the keyboard in anger.
"At least you tried" Hermione patted him on the back; and they both stood looking at the screen idly for a minute before Hermione spoke.
"What are we going to do if he came again?"
Pierce looked a bit depressed as he answered "I don't know. But what I know is that programming another effective Trojan horse will take quite some time from me; and that bouncer will not be here forever" as he finished his statement; footsteps could be heard outside in the hall.
"Somebody is out there" Pierce said as his body tensed; and Hermione tiptoed toward the door "The sound is getting nearer" she whispered.
"Better be ready" he un- holstered his gun and nodded to her; she grabbed the door handle and waited for the person to near.
"Now" Pierce exclaimed at her and she quickly opened the door; he pointed his at the comer.
"Eeeeeeeeep" Lydia screamed when she saw the gun pointed at her; and Pierce prevented himself from shooting at the last moment.
"Shit; Lydia" he paced toward her and pulled her out of the room "I was about to shoot you; what are you doing here?"
"Is that how you thank me?" she snapped at him barely shaking from the near mishap "I brought you this" she handed him the disk; and he hugged her fiercely "I love you; do you know that; you saved my day"
"Like always Pierce" she smiled at his emotional break "And are as clumsy as ever"
"Ahem" Hermione cleared her throat nervously "As much as I hate to interrupt this 'intimate' moment, I think we can return to our homes empty-handed this night"
"Yeah" Pierce said calmly before addressing his wife "I wish you were a bit early honey so we can catch that bouncer; but I admit that not losing this disk is fortunate enough. So, let's call it a night"
"Not yet" a cold voice came from the far shadows; and a person stepped into the light leisurely.
"Harry" Hermione exclaimed happily "When did you return?"
"I was here all the time Granger" Harry replied with unusual sneer "Watching you taking the bait foolishly"
"What are you talking about Potter?" Pierce inquired in confusion protectively hugging his wife for no apparent reason "What bait?"
Harry laughed evilly as he answered "You can say it's a series of baits that you followed with your utter muggle foolishness; which lured you here; right where I wanted you to be"
"I don't understand" Pierce said with more confusion; but Hermione, being highly intelligent, understood everything.
"You" she said in sheer fury "You lured us to a trap; the hideouts were nothing more than a dirty trap"
"Aren't you the clever one luv" Harry sneered at her rage "It is a shame that you are a muggle"
"What muggle? What's goin' on?" Pierce yelled at both of them; and Hermione explained not removing her eyes from Harry "Do you remember the folder he brought, Pierce? When he said it was from his 'good resources'?" she stood silent for a second before resuming "Those so-called resources were Muerte and the death eaters; it was a bait"
"What?" Pierce said in astonishment; and his wife clung onto him with fear as Harry laughed again pulling out his wand "I told you Granger; you are the brightest muggle I ever met; unfortunately, you will not live to tell the tale … Crucio"
Pierce screamed as hell when the curse hit him; and his wife shrieked when she saw her husband convulsing madly "Pierce" she exclaimed in hopelessness as she hugged him trying to relieve him from pain.
Hermione's eyes widened "This weapon … HARRY STOP!" Hermione yelled at him in rage, not being able to endure what she is witnessing "STOP!" she yelled again; but he didn't stop until Pierce passed out because of the immense pain; then he turned to her with a dark grin.
"Why are you annoying me woman? Stand back and enjoy the show; your turn will be next" he said with dark delight.
"You are one of them" she said breathlessly "You are a death eater; how didn't I see that"
"Took you so long to admit it" he smirked "The whole case was my doing; and I couldn't help but laugh at your helplessness"
"Why?" she said in disbelief "Why are you doing this?"
"Because you, commoners, are spoiling the world with your foul presence; and it is our ultimate goal to cleanse the world of your dirty blood; and we, the pure bloods will rule" Hermione was shocked at the sheer wickedness he spoke with; and when she locked her eyes with his; there was neither warmth nor care in his eyes, but instead she found sheer malevolence and maliciousness.
"You are not Harry" she whispered as tears began to gather in the back of her eyes "You are not him"
"How sentimental; are you going to cry all over me now?" he said before laughing loudly; and suddenly something solid hit him on the chest. He looked at the fallen handbag then looked at Lydia with furious eyes.
"You monster" Lydia exclaimed "You don't deserve to live"
"You are the one who will die, insolent bitch … Avada Kedavra" the sickening green lightning shot out of his wand; and the static electricity filled the air as the curse flew across the hall and hit Lydia squarely in the chest. She flew backwards and fall dropped on the floor … Dead.
"No" Hermione exclaimed desperately, and tried to go and check Lydia; but Harry pointed his wand at her "Don't move" he yelled warningly.
"Harry why? Why are you doing this? I trusted you with my life" she said almost crying; and he replied acidly "Because you are weak. I would love to enjoy torturing you, but I'm already behind schedule and Muerte wants you dead. Farewell, Detective Granger … Avada Kedavra"
Her teary eyes widened as the green lightning flew toward her …
A/N: Awwwwwwww, another cliffhanger; I'm beginning to love this style; admit it, it is nerve pulling, isn't it? Anyway, I apologize if you have seen the pace moving a bit faster; but remember that these events took place within two day; so I couldn't make t any slower. And that short-scene style; I know it is head-spinning, so I promise to use when necessary only.
Read & Review Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease.