Disclaimer: Harry Potter and characters are in the owned by J.K. Rowling; I only own the plot and the characters you can't recognize are within my ownership.
A/N: Sorry for being late with the update process; but my new job is taking a lot of time from me. Anyway, I have to warn you that the story is reaching a dark turn from this point forward; so sensitive people beware (Dark does not mean gore; remember that).
Divide and Conquer
While Harry was leafing through the ancient books of the sacred library, he felt sharp pain piercing through his heart; he kneeled forcefully as he was taken by surprise by that sharp pain.
"Are you okay, Harry-kun?" asked Tatsuya with concern.
"I'm alright" Harry said breathlessly and with a pale face "It felt like my heart was pierced with a sharp knife"
"A sharp knife …" the old sage mumbled absentmindedly; then said firmly "Harry-kun; you need to leave; this sharp pain indicates that someone close to you is in grave danger"
"What!" Harry exclaimed "But … Who?"
"Your heart felt the pain; your heart will lead you to the source. Just go" Tatsuya said horridly; and Harry hesitated "How about the curse?"
"Harry-kun; you seem so hesitant about saving this person; leave the research to me and do your job. I will contact you if I found anything; just leave the parameter report so I can check my findings"
Harry pulled out the report and handed it to his sensei "At least tell me how can I know who is the one in danger"
Tatsuya stood up and ushered Harry to do so "Now, close your eyes, and concentrate on the pain feeling you just experienced; and an image will appear in your mind. Harry did as he was told, and a distorted image came to his mind before it clarified.
"No …" Harry whispered "Hermione …"
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"Avada Kedavra …" Hermione's teary eyes widened as the green lightning flew toward her. Suddenly, a burst of flame erupted in front of her, and a red-feathered huge bird appeared out of thin air and swallowed the green lightning, before getting scorched again and turning into ashes.
"Impossible" Harry's eyes widened "Bloody bird"; he prepared to shoot another curse but, much to his luck, he heard the elevator doors opening at the same time a strong surge of pain overcome his body.
"Damn" he cursed angrily "You got lucky this time Granger; but next time; you won't" and he disappeared back into the shadows he came from.
Hermione stood in state of astonishment for a minute trying to understand what has happened during the last ten minutes; but the voice of Officer Greene returned her to reality before concluding anything.
"Detective Granger I heard som- … Good Lord, what happened?" Paul asked in shock as he saw the massacre that happened; and Hermione replied quickly "We were attacked Paul; quick, call the ambulance"; Paul nodded and headed back to the elevator hall.
Hermione ran toward Pierce, who was still lying down, and checked him quickly. Luckily, he was still alive though, at the same time, unconscious. She slapped lightly trying to wake him up; but all what he did was groaning and murmuring "Lydia …"; he mumbled lightly, and she remembered that there was another fallen victim.
She paced toward Lydia praying to God that she is alright, but when she reached her she felt a shudder overcome her as she observed her motionless body; she slowly turned her on her back only to gasp sharply as a pair of two vacant eyes stared at her.
"NO" Hermione exclaimed in anguish as she started CPR, but it was all in vain … Lydia was already dead.
"NO; Lydia please, wake up" Hermione yelled at the fallen woman; and her eyes glistened with tears. She continued the CPR procedure for another five minutes; but with no avail.
"Damn" she said as she helplessly gazed the dead body of her partner's wife "DAMN YOU POTTER! WHY!"
Her tears began to fall; and for a minute she did nothing but crying; until she heard a strange singing coming from the pile of ashes that was all left from the strange bird. And suddenly, another bird appeared from that pile of ashes looking exactly like the bird that scorched; before it too disappear in a whirl of fire, and she was all alone … again.
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"I don't believe it!" Ron exclaimed in frustration as he paced back and forth in the main hall of the HQ with Vlad looking at him indifferently "The day has passed and he didn't contact us"
"He will, sir; I am sure of that" Vlad answered firmly, and Ron nodded with agreement "I'm not questioning his survival ability, Vlad; It's just that he asked me to deliver these files to him, here; but he hasn't showed yet"
Ron continued his pacing, but not for long, as he was fed up with it "THAT'S ENOUH; any more waiting and I will kill my self for sure" he turned to Dick, who was working on his PC "I will go out and look for any information regarding our case; do you want me to bring anything from the precinct, Dick?"
Dick waved graciously as he replied "Thanks for the offer Wes, but I got everything I want by hacking; although there was another hacker on the other side who appears to be an elite"
"Must be Pierce" Ron ensued casually "But what is he doing at the precinct in this late hour?"
"Don't know, but it's nothing our Sofia can't investigate; I'll contact her immediately" Dick replied in excitement and was about to send the instructions; but stopped dead in his tracks.
"What? Why have you stopped?" Ron asked in concern.
"Weird; Sofia has sent an e-mail that is titled 'Stat'; I hope nothing is wrong" Dick answered while checking it up
"Then check it up" Vlad said in his usual firmness.
"I'm doin' it right now, and it says, hmmm … Auror report no. blab blab, yada yada yada … Yes, here where we begin; another death eater attack"
"Finally they're showing up again" Ron exclaimed in sheer excitement he didn't try to hide "when and where?"
"As for the time; it has just happened ten minutes ago; as for the place …" Dick didn't complete his sentence as he eyed the name of the location.
"Where, Dick! Where!" Ron urged him to talk.
"You won't believe it …" Dick said finally in hoarse voice "The precinct itself …"
And Ron's eyes widened at the revelation.
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Alicia yawned soundly and stretched her limbs as the clock was ticking slowly toward the end of the shift.
"Man … this shift is as dead as the morgue" she stated in boredom "If I don't get something to do right know, I might drop snoring"
"Then snore in another room please; I need some silence in here" Ginny replied firmly not removing her eyes from what appeared to be a report she's writing.
"Are still persistent on completing that report? It won't hurt to delay it a bit"
"I've delayed it too much" Ginny replied firmly "And if I delay it much further, my chance for earning the fellowship will go up to smoke"
"Are you still thinking about that fellowship? You are still a first year resident; and you got some major competition, ya' know; so your chance is about"
"I know" Ginny sighed irritably not liking the 'encouragement' her friend showing "But it won't hurt to try"
"Right …" Alicia said slowly before pulling the report off Ginny's hands without warning.
"Hey!" Ginny yelled in anger trying to reach the report "Give it back"
"Not until you promise me to postpone it for some time; the interview will take place within two months ahead, and I'm getting bored of watching you writing" Alicia said to Ginny as she held the report away from her; Ginny tried to reach it but she couldn't.
"Okay, I give up, I will delay it; give it back now" Ginny said irritably; but Alicia shock her head in refusal and replied sweetly "You didn't say the magic word"
Ginny sighed in frustration before speaking again "Would you give it back … Please?"; and Alicia nodded in agreement and gave back the report.
"Now" Alicia said happily "Let's talk about something other than work. What should we talk about?"
Ginny shrugged indifferently "I don't know; you are the one who suggested the whole thing"
"I know; let's talk about you; your love life to be precise" Alicia suggested; and Ginny startled at the sudden suggestion.
"Why have you chosen such sensitive subject" Ginny said awkwardly; and Alicia's eyes rolled before replying "Because it IS a sensitive subject; and I like to discuss such subjects. Now, care to tell me who was the first love interest in your life?"
Ginny blushed fiercely before answering "You met him once before; he's Harry Potter"
Alicia yelled in victory making Ginny jump "I know it; so tell me, how was your first date with that hot guy?"
"Believe it or not; we've never dated" Ginny answered casually; earning her a disapproved snort from her friend "What? Never dated? How can you pass up such good-looking guy?"
Ginny sighed in depression as she explained "We were raised together for quite some time; he was an orphan who lost his entire family in a bloodthirsty murder, and when we lived together he always treated me like a sister, the sister he never had"
"How sad … But when was it when you discovered your feeling toward him?"
"I always fancied him; being our school famous icon; but my feeling towards him didn't increase until we embarked into a series of … Dangerous adventures; and he saved my life in each and every one of them. Sense then I felt so attracted to him; my feeling even increased when he started to track down his family's murderers; which gained him more renown in our … County. I finally revealed my feeling toward him just before he came here, but he insisted on treating me like a sister" Ginny sighed slowly trying to calm her nerves "So, after he rejected me I asked myself an important question; was it love that I felt toward him; or it was just simple crush that I felt toward Harry Potter; the icon?"
"What was it then?" asked Alicia, who was deeply immersed into the story; and Ginny smiled unhappily before answering "Sadly enough; it was the latter; so I finally came to terms with my infatuation and sworn to wait until my heart decide who is my true love"
Alicia gaze silently upon her friend's sad face before speaking "Well, I thought we were going to have fun with this conversation; but it looks like I triggered some deeply buried emotions inside you; sorry Gin"
Ginny chuckled "Don't worry; I needed to speak my mind with someone I trust; and who would been more trusting than you; my noisy friend" she smacked Alicia lightly on the head; and the latter laughed "You said it girlfriend; and don't worry about that thickhead investigator; one day you will a lord"
"My dear Alicia; Harry Potter is a lord" Ginny said with a smile, and Alicia looked at her in speechless shock; they didn't say another word as Martha, the admission desk employee, stormed into the room.
"Dr. Weasley, Dr. Adams; EMTs are pulling in with two, ETA ten minutes"
"Well then" Alicia stood up trying to cover her shock "Let's get our hands dirty"
They took their positions in front of the ER entrance; as the first victim brought in, she's fallen into shock "Pierce!"
The EMT began his chores "Pierce McLaden; 29-year-old male; 6'3", suffering from multiple seizures and we've counted three until now; been unconscious during the trip; airway has been established properly"
"Thank you Lopez; take him to trauma one now. Alicia, I'll take him and you handle the rest" said Ginny before heading toward the trauma room.
As soon as she stepped in, she assumed her usual role "Okay everybody; I want a clean swift procedure this time; Maria, I want CBC, chem.-7, blood gases and X-ray"
"He's seizing" Nurse Katie exclaimed.
"Damn; 8 mg of Valium; quick" Ginny said as she examined him physically "Abdomen rigid and distended; must be internal injuries …"
The procedure went through for fifteen minutes before everything became under control. After she finished with Pierce, she walked into the trauma room next door where Alicia was working on the second patient.
"Time of death … 1:47" Alicia said in a shaky voice; and Ginny felt a sudden pang in her heart at the statement. Everyone stepped out of the room slowly except her and Alicia who turned to her slowly.
"How is your patient?" she said with unusual sadness; and Ginny looked at her oddly before answering "Luckily, he will survive; I assume yours didn't"
"Bull's eye" Alicia replied with dark sarcasm "At least she won't be orphan after all"; the statement caused Ginny to think fiercely before speaking "Who was it, Alicia?"
"See yourself" Alicia said gloomily as she removed the sheet of the body's face; and Ginny gasped soundly "Lydia; No …"
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Ron walked into the precinct at 2:00 only to be greeted with a buzz sound as the police officers paced here and there posting some criminal images.
"Detective Weasley; welcome back" Office Greene greeted him hastily before walking away.
"What happened, Paul? Why is everybody on their toes?"
"A disaster sir; detective Granger barely escaped from another assassination attempt; and detective McLaden and his wife were injured badly; but I'm not the best one who can tell you the details, detective Granger is; you'll probably find her at her offices"
"Thanks Paul; I'll go now" Ron said as he walked toward the elevator; he reached the third floor quickly; and saw that it was as crowded as the first floor; some investigators were taking photos of the crime scene and a strange pile of ashes; and he saw Sofia amid them.
"Sof- Laura; what happened in here" Ron said cautiously; and the metamorph replied "There was an attack here involved detectives Granger and McLaden …" she looked at him with a significant look and lost her balance dropping the file she was holding on purpose.
"Watch it" Ron kneeled as if was trying to catch her; and she whispered slowly "Traces of the Cruciatus curse all over the place"; she stood up and thanked him before returned to her work; and Ron stood thinking about what she said before heading toward Hermione's office.
He knocked the door before entering; and the first thing he saw was Hermione leaning at her desk while covering her face with her hands; he stepped in silently and walked toward her.
"Hermione; are you all right?" Ron whispered at her, and she jerked at his voice and uncovered her face; he saw the trail of tears in her face … She was crying.
"Ron, welcome back; I hope your fare was okay … Unlike here" she greeted him gloomily; and he noticed the uneasiness in her voice "What happened here Hermione? I head that you were involved into another assassination attempt; are you alright?"
She didn't bother answering him as she spoke absentmindedly "Have you ever trusted someone, Ron? Trusted him so much even with your life; and in the end it appeared that this very person was the one responsible of turning your own life upside down. Have you every granted someone everything he desired; and he used your grant to turn your life into living hell? Have you!"
Ron looked at Hermione with utter confusion "What are you talking about, Hermione?"
At that time, Hermione's lower lips began to tremble; and her tears began to flow again as she answered him "It was Harry, Ron; it was Harry who attacked us"; and Ron entered a state of shock "Harry! Impossible! It can't be!"
"It already happened, Ron; he attacked us and confessed that he was working for the death eaters; he tricked us into trusting him; he tricked me" she barely held herself from crying all over him; and she covered her face with her hands again. Ron patted her on her shoulder as a way of comforting her, before assuming the seat in front of her and speaking calmly "Now, I want you to tell me everything that happened …"
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Pierce opened his eyes slowly and found out that he was lying on a hospital bed; he sat up slowly biting his lower lip out of pain only to feel a pair of soft hands helping him; and a familiar smell of jasmine filled his lungs.
"You should not be moving, Mr. McLaden; your injuries are yet to be healed" he heard a familiar angelic voice and turned toward the source to be greeted with the face of Ginny.
"I think I should be attacked more often to be able to see you, Dr. Weasley" he said in his usual amusing remark; but felt uneasy as Ginny smiled weakly "What is it?" he asked gravely; and Ginny leaned toward him with a grim face "It's about your wife"
"Lydia; what happened to her; is she alright?" he exclaimed while leaning forward violently, and how groaned as his whole body itched with pain.
"You shouldn't move violently Mr. McLaden; your body is battered enough" Ginny helped him resting back on his bed; and he asked weakly "Ginny, what happened to my wife? Tell me she's alright"
Ginny sighed soundly before speaking "Mr. McLaden; your wife was brought here right after you; we utilized all our abilities to revive her; but she was already dead when they brought here … We couldn't save her … I'm sorry"
Pierce's eyes widened as she said those word; and as she finished he was so pale and in a total state of shock "No, no, no, NO … WHY; WHY HER!" he began to shake violently and screamed madly "SHE WAS INNOCENT; WHY HER!"
Ginny tried to calm him down; but he pushed her away as he tried to get up; and his whole body itched again "LYDIA, LYDIA; YOU CAN'T BE DEAD, NOT YOU!" and tears began to flow from his eyes.
"Mr. McLaden, please; your body can't take anymore" she pushed him back on his bed, and he obeyed weakly as if he was a rag doll "Not her; please tell me it's not her"; he began to cry on her shoulder, and she massaged his back in a comforting way "Shh, shh; relax, you are now the only family for your daughter; you won't be any help to her if you were handicapped" she slowly injected him with a sedative.
The statement hit him "Sherry; where is she? No body at home with her now"
"Don't you have a nanny for her?"
"No, not after Lydia left her job; please bring her here for me; Lydia must've dropped her at our neighbors' as usual, please" Pierce said slowly as the medicine began to take effect.
Ginny nodded at him "Okay; you just relax here and I will go to look for her now"; Pierce smiled at her weakly "Thank you Ginny; you are such a wonderful person" and he drifted to sleep.
Ginny stepped out of the ward barely holding together; it took her great deal of strength to prevent her self from crying in front of him, but now she couldn't take it anymore; so she leaned against the nearest wall and let her tears flow freely.
"Why? Why should the innocent always suffer?"
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" … And the ambulance came and picked up Pierce and Lydia" Hermione ended her retelling of the incident to Ron, who sat silently digesting every word she said; and at the end of her speech he finally spoke "That was … Horrible"
"You've been lucky not going through this whole ordeal; I can't believe that Harry did this, just when I began to trust him" Hermione said her last word as in a stifle; and Ron sense something beyond mere distrust in her words; but it was not the right time or place to speak about anything but the case at hand.
"As for me; I believe that it was not Harry who did it" Ron said attracting her attention "That must be a death eater in disguise"
"Honestly Ron, how can I mistake a disguise?" Hermione said in disapproval "It was Harry, his hair, face, and even sound proves it. Although I have to admit that his eyes weren't; his eyes didn't show the usual gentleness and warmth, instead they showed utter malice and cruelty; as if he was enjoying our pain and torture. It was … Brutal" she ended her statement with unsteady voice and Ron felt sympathy towards her; whatever she faced it wasn't meant to be 'Muggles shouldn't encounter our dangers, it won't be fair' he thought to himself.
"There is another thing that I forgot to mention" she said in a tone that attracted his attention "There was some kind of bird, a red bird, that appeared in a burst of flame and swallowed the green light aimed at me before burning to crisp" she looked at Ron, who nodded her to continue "It was strange enough that it appeared out of nowhere, but what happened next was even stranger"
"What happened?" Ron asked in apparent curiosity, but deep in his mind he knew what next, and Hermione proved him right when she said "It appeared out of its ashes, as I it was … A phoenix"
A pregnant silence followed her statement, before Ron spoke firmly "I can't explain what happened; but deep inside I believe in one thing … Harry didn't do it"
"Based on what proof?" she interrupted him with equal firmness; and he blurted "Because he …" but stopped before revealing anything; she looked at him stubbornly before relying "Was with you, right? He told me that before going to your flat the day you left; but now I see that he lied"
Ron didn't reply, so Hermione continued "I think this matter will be of dispute until we meet that so-called investigator again … Or arrest him" they ended their controversy with the last agreement not knowing that at the same time, Harry was crossing the front doors of the precinct.
Before he passed through the doors he felt some kind of magnetic field around him; he thought it was some king of ward, but it was unlike any ward he ever encountered. He dropped the matter off his mind as it was not the best time for it, he have to make sure that Hermione is alright. The second he passed through the doors he was met with a cold breeze which forced him to pull his coat tighter, and large commotion amid the police officers, which made him feel more uncomfortable; he walked toward the nearest office in intend to ask him about Hermione.
"Excuse me officer; may I speak with detective Granger" he asked politely as usual; but the look on the officer's face wasn't of his liking.
"Son of a bitch … Freeze" the cop pulled out his gun and pointed it at him; and the rest of the police force who noticed his presence did the same.
"What? What is it?" Harry asked in confusion; but was forced to kneel by an officer as another cuffed his hands.
"Why are you doing this? I did nothing" Harry exclaimed in a mix of confusion and anger as he tried to stand up; but the officer behind him forced his head down as he yelled back at him "You got the nerve of asking about what you've done? Keep your head down you fucker"; he began to search him thoroughly and he pulled out his wand.
"What is this? A wooden stick! And I thought I've seen everything" he handed the wand to his fellow officer and continued his search; until his hand hit the sheathed sword under the coat "What we got here! A cold steel; now that is considered a weapon. You've got the right to remain silent; any word you speak of will be counted against you …"
Harry was fuming right now "That is an outrage; I demand explanation; I demand an audience with detective Granger"
"You will ... In the interrogation room" the officer said to him as he was pushed toward the elevator; when they reached the interrogation room he was handed to the officer in charge, who was no one but Officer Crawford.
"Damn; I knew you would be caught; but not that quick"
"He walked trough the front doors so innocently; as if he didn't do anything" the officer who brought him remarked sarcastically; and Crawford laughed ironically before replying "Well, put this jerk inside; Granger will soon deal with him"
They placed Harry in the same room that he interrogated the thug in "Such irony" he muttered sarcastically; then he assumed a serious face as Hermione stepped in with Ron on her tail.
"Potter … How dare you show your face after what you've did?" Hermione said in sheer anger that surprised Harry.
"Hermione" he said in confusion "What happened?"
"Do you have the nerve to play dumb on me? It is barely two hours since you attacked us injuring both Lydia and Pierce; and you almost killed me"
"I attacked you! But I wasn't even in the states"
"Don't you dare lie to me!" she slapped the table hard "Did you think that I recognize you in the darkness? Unlucky for you the hall was not all dark, and I could recognize you easily. Now tell me, who are you really and where've you been before you attacked us?"
"I told you, I was out of the states" he said stubbornly; but she interrupted him for a good reason "Then why didn't we find a flight ticket with your name on it? Or your work address? Or even any information regarding your residence here and in England" Harry was dumbfounded at her findings; and he cursed himself silently for forgetting such trifle details.
Hermione sensed his uneasiness, and smiled in victory "Slipped off your mind, didn't it?" he didn't reply, so she completed "And you were either unlucky, or thick, to use the name of a businessman; although I found nothing but meager information …" she threw a copy if the letters she got from the company "… But our experts will compare it with the handwritings in the folder you gave me; and this will affirm whether it is your handwriting or not"
Harry didn't say a single word, and appeared as if he was clueless; but deep in his mind, his highly experienced brain cells were fully functioning and processing every word she said 'She has gone beyond expectations; I truly underestimated her'
"Now; you can spare me the trouble by telling me one thing; who are you really … Potter or whoever you are?" she waited for an answer, but received nothing but the same irritating silence "ANSWER POTTER" she exclaimed angrily and slapped the table hard, but he didn't even flinch, "So, trying to be a strong bloke? A night or two in the isolated lockup will definitely force you to yield"
She turned around and was about to walk out of the room; but Harry called her calmly "Hermione" she turned around with a raised eyebrow "Whatever happened here tonight; it was not my doing; I have been framed"; she turned her back on him before replying "It is detective Granger for you … Potter"
As soon as she walked out of the interrogation room, Officer Crawford stepped in and picked him up; after a short walk, he dropped him in a small dim cell and walked out without a word although he seemed angry.
'Great, like I need this whole bloody situation; bloody good timing' he thought angrily "But it is the time for re-evaluation not self-reproach; but first we need to get out of this bloody prison"
He tried to apparate to the HQ; but he tried for whole ten minutes and failed miserably 'Bloody Hell; why can't I apparate, I can sense a ward pulling me down; but I don't remember passing one; unless …' he remembered the magnetic field he felt at the entrance "Of course! How can I be that stupid; luckily, I got another trick up my sleeve … Fawkes" the trusty phoenix appeared out of thin air and landed on Harry's shoulders; he brushed its feathers and felt him somewhat weakened. He said calmly "How are you doing friend, I hope that protecting Hermione didn't give you any trouble; anyway, right now it appears I can't seem to be able to apparate, so I need you to help me reach the HQ as soon as possible" he didn't need to complete his sentence as Fawkes instantly engulfed both of them in flames; few seconds later, they appeared in the intelligence hall of the HQ and he saw Ron arguing with Dick before he notice his arrival.
"Bloody Hell Harry! What took you so long?" Ron shifted his attention to him.
"The death eaters placed an anti-apparition ward around the police station; that's what kept me" Harry said casually as he walked toward his office, with Ron following him.
"Merlin! A ward encircling the whole precinct? But I didn't feel anything …" Ron was dumbfounded at the revelation.
"Well, I barely felt strange magnetic field surrounding the precinct, which I think was produced using the EMPA" Harry said as he opened the door to his office and switched on the lights.
"EMPA! Now, now, Harry; here is where we disagree. As the team's muggle artifact specialist, I have to say that firing electromagnetic pulse weapons do not go unnoticed; and it doesn't place a magnetic field only; but temporarily disable any muggle electronics within its radius; which means that the whole precinct's electronics must've been disabled by the time we reached it"
Harry got irritated at the improper-timed scientific explanation and voiced his irritation in his reply "I know Ron, I've read some muggle physics books during the last month; but this is not the best time to discuss this 'theory'. Also, keep in mind that Flint might've incorporated magic into the machine which led to this unusual phenomenon"; he assumed his seat before continuing "Now, care to tell me … what happened?"
Ron seated down and began to retell the event as Hermione told him, and saw Harry's body tense as he want further into the story; but when he reached the last part where Fawkes appeared, he saw a faint smile and Harry's body totally relaxed.
"So that's why it appeared a bit weak" Harry mumbled to himself, before speaking up to Ron "Thank you for your thorough report, Ron; now if you may, I need to write down every word you said into an incidence report; and also, I have to arrange my thoughts. So, would you please summon the team leaders and Sofia and arrange an urgent auror meeting for me?"
"Right away, Harry" Ron nodded at his superior and best mate and walked out of the room. Harry leaned back in his seat and began processing every word Ron said 'Now let's see; an imposter disguised as me attack Hermione and her muggle friends probably killing one and injuring the other; the muggle police arrested me without second thought and Hermione seemed enraged with me; I couldn't apparate from the police station because, apparently, someone has placed an anti-apparition ward that was concealed somehow; also, my wand and sword got confiscated. If this isn't a bad situation then I'm a flobberworm'
He opened a drawer and pulled out a parchment and a quill, then dipped the quill in an ink pot in on the desk and began to write the incidence report …
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"WHAT! ESCAPED! HOW CAN YOU BE SO CARELESS!" Hermione bellowed at Officer Crawford, who's face turned red from shame and irritation "I wasn't careless, detective Granger; he's definitely hasn't escaped by normal means because the cameras hasn't recorded any break-out, as if he has magically … Disappeared"
"Nonsense" Hermione said firmly, and something hit her "Of course; how can I be so stupid; the same thing happened with Muerte; so, if Potter was from the death eaters …"
She cut her voiced thoughts when she saw Crawford looking confusingly at her, and she looked at him firmly "Mike, I want you to prevent anyone from putting a foot inside the holding cell where Potter was until the investigators finish their work" she finished her words before pacing toward the elevator and going straightly to the third floor aiming for the Captain's office.
"Captian Maro- … Oh, you're here" she said in loathsome manner as she eyed the hateful FBI agent.
"Well Granger, I heard that your PI friend wasn't a friend after all" Johnson sneered in enjoyment.
"None of your business, Johnson" she snapped at him before turning to her boss "Captain, I request an open search warrant for Potter"
"Not so fast, detective" Maronski said firmly "First, let the investigator team finish their work, and then we'll talk about that"; Hermione said now word as she stepped out of the office.
"Granger" Johnson called her firmly.
"What is it, Johnson?" she responded coldly; but the agent never minded her tone as he replied "I want just to remind you that we on the same side; even though we are not on the same wavelength; so, how about forgetting our feud and joining forces" he extended his hand toward her, but all what she did is looking at him coldly and replied "In your dreams, Johnson; I reckon that you have proved to be untrustworthy. So, forget it"
She turned her back on him and continued on her way; then she heard him bellow "Is that what I deserve for being helpful? Remember Granger, you are all alone and that Potter has marked you for death, you hear me? Death"
"I believe that he didn't have a liking of you either, so we are in the same position" she retorted quickly and didn't wait for his reply as jumped into the open elevator.
She reached the basement floor and went straight to the holding cells only to find Crawford and the team of CSIs minus one.
"Where's Laura?" she asked the nearest investigator.
"Family emergency, she had to go quickly; but don't worry, we are more than enough to do this work"
"I hope so …" she replied in unconvinced manner; as much as she loathed the mentioned investigator, she was one of the best whom she worked with. She then walked past them toward the evidence vault, signed the needed papers, and entered. As soon as she entered she saw her goal on the nearest shelf, Harry's sword and wand.
She picked up the elegant shaped wand and admired the craftsmanship that made it 'Why would a sensible person walk around while pocketing a worthless peace of wood; I have to admit that it has been crafted elegantly, but this isn't a convincing reason. And what is the meaning of this drawing' she looked interestingly at the phoenix carving that encircles the wand 'It looks like a bird of some sort; but I can't identify it clearly'
She put the wand back to its place, and picked up the sword 'Now that is wicked' she partially unsheathed the sword and gasped in awe as she eyed the shining metal, she took notice of the English name and Japanese characters on both sides of the blade 'Godric Gryffindor … Who is it?'; She unsheathed the sword totally and waved it unskillfully 'Light … Yet deadly; he could've sliced me in half if he wanted to'
After examining the sword fully, she returned everything to its place and walked out of the evidence vault and went back to the busy investigators "Can I speak with you please" she said to one of the investigator who appeared to be their superior.
"Yes, detective?" he looked at her cautiously.
"I just want to know if you have begun your work on the confiscated evidences, the sword and the wooden stick"
"Ah, well, we were about to process it, but this 'incident' halted it temporarily. Anyway, we have taken a few pictures of them and sent it to the lab; you can check with Yoshiro, the lab specialist, if you want to check up any progress; you can find him in the lab in the second floor"
"Thank you" Hermione said as she walked away; she got into the elevator and pushed the button to the second floor. As soon as the elevator doors opened she leapt forward eagerly toward the lab and entered without caring to knock the doors.
"Excuse me" she called the lab specialist who was immersed in his work, and he jumped at her voice.
"Whoa; haven't you heard about knocking before entering before entering?" the Asian specialist yelled in disapproval, and she apologized for her rudeness.
"Sorry about that; the leading investigator said that you have somewhat processed the confiscated items that we got from Harry Potter"
"Ah, yes, the katana and that wooden stick; we've examined that stick first and it appeared as ordinary as any other of its kind" he handed her several pictures of the wand, and she took a quick glance of it, then he resumed "But when we took an X-Ray photo, we found something weird" he pulled an X-Ray photo out of a drawer, and handed it to her "The stick is hollow, but not empty; it contains a bird's feather" she can see his point as the photo clearly showing the image of the hollow wand.
"Have you specified what kind of bird?" she asked him as a theory began to develop in her mind.
"Not yet; we were about to extract the feather from it, but we fear that we might damage the evidence, so we preferred to use less invasive approach, like photo comparison" he said casually before pulling out another pile of pictures an X-Ray photos "And we found a match in an odd place … The katana handle"
"What? It's an odd place indeed" she retorted, and he pointed at an area in the X-Ray photo of the sword handle and the wand "Look here, the same patterns, but if you looked closely, you will see that the stick's feather is more worn out that the one in the katana handle, which means that it has been placed in the stick in a time prior to the handle"
She looked at the photos in amazement before speaking again "Speaking of swords, have you translated the Japanese markings on the blade?" she said.
"Of course; if I, pure Japanese, didn't translate it, then who would? The words engraved are 'Phoenix Blade'" he said the words slowly, and Hermione looked at him as her eyes gleamed "Phoenix, you say of course; the patterns of the stick carvings match the mythological shape of the phoenix; but, why is the phoenix mentioned her and there?"
"I don't know, but something came back to me and … Nah, forget it" he said half-mindedly, and she urged him to speak "Speak your mind, it won't hurt even if it was wrong"
"It isn't about right and wrong, it's just … a bit silly. You know that I'm Japanese, and we have book-loads of legends; my grandfather once told me about a legend, and said that it will happen soon; this legend involves a legendary katana …This katana, to be precise"
Hermione was in state of confusion "You really lost me here"
"I'm sorry, but I'm not the best one to tell you anything about it; you should speak with my grandfather"
Hermione nodded "If it helps the case, then yes; can you arrange a meeting between me and him?"
Yoshiro looked apologetically as he answered "I'm sorry, but he is out of the country now; but he will not take long; as soon as he returns I will inform you"
She nodded in appreciation "Thank you, is there anything else you can share?"
"Yes, it's about the pile of ashes they found in the crime scene" he leaned forward "We've processed it and the result came out weird; it seams that it belongs to an animal of some kind because we found traces of amino acids. The problem is; these traces are so scarce because whatever the creature was, it has been burned at a very high temperature that we can only find in metal factories and volcanoes; it is so strange that the hall wasn't touched; what kind of weapon can do that; and most importantly, what was the creature that has been burned" Yoshiro said as he rubbed his head trying to think of an answer
"I don't know" Hermione lied; she wanted to tell him about the strange bird, but something in her mind told her not to; then something hit her "That bird …" she mumbled.
"Sorry? Did you say something?" Yoshiro looked up at her.
"Nothing; can I ask a favor? Can you send me a copy any report about anything regarding this case?"
"Of course" he said and winked at her "And I'll make sure that the feds wouldn't know about it"
"It will be much appreciated" she thanked him graciously before walking out of the lab.
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"Harry, the team leaders and Sofia are all here" Ron said as he popped his head into Harry's office.
"Okay, escort them all to the meeting room, and be ready for full case discussion" Harry replied as he pocketed the report parchment and picked up the case brief. He then walked out of his office toward the intelligence hall only to find Dick sitting in front of the computer immersed, as usual.
"Dick! Why aren't you at the meeting!" Harry said firmly; and dick jumped when he heard his commander's voice.
"Sir, I-I thought it was another team leaders meeting, so I …" Dick stammered as he tried to explain, but he was stopped by a firm wave from Harry.
"Do not assumed every again; it is a case discussion not a group meeting, and I always want my team members to be updated; so, if you want to be a death tracker then act like one; get used to the sudden meetings, and always remember, constant vigilance"
"Sir, yes sir" Dick saluted his superior firmly and jogged off the hall; Harry followed a moment after. He heard the commotion coming out of the meeting room; but as soon as he entered, silence fell.
He gazed upon the crowd with unusual firmness, which caused a shudder to spread amid them; he assumed his leader seat and all have seated after; the silence persisted for a whole ten minutes before Harry broke it.
"We … Have a situation here" said Harry slowly, and all of them, save Ron and Sofia, looked at him with utter confusion, which didn't last as he continued "There has been a murder and a casualty at least among the muggles; I know it is not something unordinary considering the death eaters at loose, but you have to know that the victims are no other than our unofficial allies; the muggle police detectives" as he said those last words, murmurs have risen up; "The main problem, or problems to be correct, is that I was the one who was framed with the murder" several gasps have been heard, and the murmurs became loud; Harry gestured them to silence before continuing "The second problem is when I was arrested, and my belongings got confiscated; I tried to apparate from the holding cells; but I appears that the death eaters were ready for that attempt; they have erected an anti-apparition ward and concealed it somehow"
"You mean with a concealment charm, sir" Vanessa asked curiously; and Harry shook his head "No, not a concealment charm, but something else; I have a theory regarding it, but first let's hear yours … Anyone?"
The hall fell into pregnant silence as Harry waited for someone to talk; finally, Auror Lee Chang spoke breaking the silence "Sir, have you identified the impersonator and the method he used yet?"
"A good question, Lee" Harry nodded "But as you see, we have just discovered the murder, so the murderer hasn't been caught yet. As for the impersonation method, my theory is that it the method won't be other than polyjuice potion; or the murderer might be a metamorphagus"
Vlad seemed to be in intense thinking before getting up and asking "Sir, How did the death eaters know that the muggle detectives will be present during that time? Auror Weasley said it is unlikely of them to be there during that late hour"
Harry looked at him with a significant glance "Well, you don't expect us to be the only ones with insiders in the precinct now, do you Vlad?"
Harry then waited for another question to be asked; and when he received nothing, he decided to put forth his theories "I see that you have no more questions, so let's discuss my theories" everybody paid careful attention at what was going to be said "From the beginning of this case, I felt that everything was confusing; the murders, Flint's alliance with a muggle, and finally; their attempt to kill the muggle detectives; I couldn't see how can the death eaters benefit from such deeds; but then, everything seemed to clarify" he leaned forward and continued "Unfortunately for the death eaters is that I'm a half-blood; so I have some muggle habits which I couldn't give up; on of them is reading the muggle newspapers, where I found something rather intriguing" he pulled out an old newspaper from his pocket and threw it across the table for all to see "A muggle device was has disappeared in strange circumstances, and all what appeared on the muggle surveillance cameras was a black hooded figure; a death eater to be precise"
Sofia looked at him confusingly before asking "But sir, what would the death eaters benefit from stealing muggle artifacts"
Harry smiled at her before answering "Dear Sofia, we all know that magic can do great things; and these things can be even greater if magic and muggle artifacts have been utilized together in a good way; so you never know what they can come up with when they incorporate magic with the stolen device; but knowing the death eaters; we can expect it to be so harmful; Which bring us to my second theory" he picked up the newspaper and flashed the bold title "This contraption, called EMPA, is a device used to produce a strong electro-magnetic pulse that can knockout the power out of three to four city block; but the effect of incorporating magic into it is yet to be discovered … or it what appears to be" he looked at them intently "When I passed the gates of the police station this morning, felt some kind of magnetism erupted inside me; and I didn't feel the anti-apparition ward that hindered my escape; so I assumed that Flint has used this contraption in masking the presence of the ward"
Dick stated in confusion "But sir, shouldn't the precinct be de-electrified?"
"In normal cases, yes" Harry replied casually "But in tour case, I can't be certain; and I will say it again … We do not know the effect of magic on this contraption"
The pregnant silent fell again; before auror William Hanson cleared his throat and asked the question that has been eating the inside of most of his colleagues "Sir … Considering the presence of a strong anti-apparition ward, how did you escape?"
"Well, I asked a friend for his aid … Fawkes!" as soon as Harry finished his call, the brilliant red phoenix appeared; and the whole room gasped in awe.
"Is it a … Phoenix, sir?" an auror asked while eyeing the majestic bird.
"Yes, Fawkes has been in the property of none other than Albus Dumbledore, my former mentor; and now he has become my aide and helped me out of pretty tight situations; now … Let's let him be, he needs recuperation" the brilliant phoenix disappeared in a swirl of fire that caused the aurors to flinch, and some of them muttered 'Brilliant' at the scene.
After Fawkes has disappeared, Harry's face turned serious as he addressed the aurors "Now, I want suggestions regarding the situation at hand"; everybody went into a state of deep thinking before Ron spoke up.
"I really don't know what to say, Harry; the whole ordeal is complicated; and with the ward still erected, I doubt you'll ever retrieve your belongings"
Harry pointed a finger at him "Which means that we need to take it down and erect one of our own, just in case" then he turned toward his favorite team leaders "Vanessa, Lee, and William; I believe that your teams possess the best conjurers in the whole battalion; you will be the ones responsible for the ward dispelling and re-erection with teams four, five, and six, will watch your backs while doing so. Also, I want the teams from seven through fifteen to search the whole city, including Brimstone Alley, for any death eater activities and report it to the headquarters immediately. Team sixteen will question the muggle professors at College of Science to pinpoint the exact layout of the EMPA, just make sure mot to attract so much attention to your selves"
An auror stood up and asked "What about the rest of the teams, sir?"
"The remaining teams, seventeen, eighteen, and nineteen, will be assigned with an important task, the guarding of the police station; we do not want the death eaters to hurt any more innocent muggles" he pulled out the handout he pocketed earlier, which appeared to be a quick layout of the precinct and the surrounding districts "Your guard posts will be here, here, and here …" he dotted three specific places "And your covering area will be overlapped with the ward …" he drew a circle around the precinct "And each other's" he drew a circle around each dot which overlapped as he mention "This will increase the effectiveness in preventing the death eaters from accessing the station; and it will prove to be more effective when an anti-apparition ward is applied around each area" he looked at the usual three "Which, unfortunately, will be your duty too, Vanessa, Lee, and William"
"We are ready for anything, sir" Lee said with evident enthusiasm; which Harry smile at. Ron, on the other hand, had anther matter in his mind.
"Say Harry …" Ron interjected "Why don't use Fawkes' apparition in retrieving your stuff? I reckon that he can pass any ward no matter how strong it is; he helped you out of prison after all"
"It's a good point Ron, but don't think I haven't given it a thought; I didn't utilize Fawkes' abilities for three main reasons. One, I don't know where they put my belongings in; which will be your task to find. Two; Fawkes' apparition is too noisy and messy to be used in covert missions, like the one at hand. Lastly, I consider Fawkes a secret weapon that must be utilized only when needed, even though he appeared when he saved Hermione, they still cannot associate him with me"
After he finished his rather long instructions, Harry clapped his hands joyfully and stated "Well then … shall we make ourselves busy?"
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Hermione paced hastily into the ER aiming for the admission desk; "Excuse me" she called for the clerk "A police detective has been brought here along with his wife; he is my partner, and he has been shot on duty; where can I find him?"
"He has been admitted upstairs; but you can check up with the doctors here if you want" the desk clerk said half-mindedly as she was immersed in work. Hermione nodded in appreciation and walked further into the hall until she met Alicia.
"Excuse me … Doctor?" Hermione called; and Alicia turned to her "A police detective has been brought here directly from the police station along with his wife; his name is Pierce McLaden"
"McLaden? He has been admitted upstairs" Alicia answered, and Hermione nodded at her "I know, the desk clerk told me; but she didn't say a word about Lydia"
Alicia gloomed at the name mentioning "Well, I sadly say that she didn't make it"
Hermione's heart fell at the revelation "S-She's dead!"; Alicia nodded at her "We tried everything, but she was already dead when they brought her in"
Hermione stood silently while closing her eyes as she tried to control her emotions, and Alicia respected her silence; then she spoke to the female doctor "How about Pierce's condition?"
"He fine" Alicia replied quickly "In fact, he is being tended to by doctor Weasley right now. He's in ward 3A"
"Thank you" Hermione thanked her before going straight for the elevator hall; she reached the third floor and went straight to the nurse station there.
"Excuse me" she called a near nurse "I'm looking for a patient …"
"Sorry miss, visiting hours are over" the nurse said calmly; but Hermione looked at her stubbornly "He is not a regular patient, he is a police detective goes by the name of Pierce McLaden; I'm his partner"
"Pierce McLaden" the nurse scanned the list of admitted patients "Sorry, he is newly admitted; thus, his visiting is not yet allowed"
"Can I speak with the MD in charge of his case? She is Doctor Ginevra Weasley"
"I'm here Hermione" Ginny called for her from the end of the hall "It is okay Melissa, I'll take her"
Hermione paced toward Ginny, and found that she was holding Sherry who was sleeping peacefully on her shoulder "Ginny, thanks; how is Pierce?"
"He is sleeping now; he couldn't bear it when I told him about Lydia's passing, so I had to sedate him" Ginny replied sadly, and Hermione felt her heart choke again.
"On of your colleagues told me about her" she said with equal sadness "I-I felt helpless when she was hit with that green beam"
Ginny's eyes widened at Hermione's last words "Green beam! Have you seen who shot it, Hermione?"
"Yes" her sadness now turned into sheer rage "None other than our so-called investigator … Harry Potter"
"Impossible" Ginny said rather loudly which caused Sherry to wince in her sleep; she cuddled her softly before speaking again in a low tone "Impossible Hermione; it cannot be Harry"
"Don't start it you too; I barely endured Ron's quarrel so start another one on the same subject. If you want to know why I insist on my stand, then you have to know that I saw him with my own eyes"
"But Hermione, I can't believe it; he …"
"He old me that he was going for England; but appearantly, he lied. It was part of his grand plan" Hermione said stubbornly as her fist began to shake violently "He told me that all his generous information was to lure me into his trap; he then shot Pierce with a strange red beam that caused him to shake violently before shooting that green beam at Lydia and me; and miraculously, I survived"
Ginny's eyes widened even more as he heard the ordeal her neighbor and friend gone through, and she recognized every spell she spoke of "He was hit with a red beam; then that explains his seizures"
"What explains what?" Hermione looked at her confusingly; and Ginny began to blurt excitedly forgetting that she is talking to a muggles "It is one of the death eaters' spe … Oops"
"You know the death eaters?" Hermione said in curiosity "How come?"
"Well, I worked with Ron and Harry against them for some time; in our private investigation club" she said as she thanked God that Ron told her about their cover up story.
"Then you should know that he has confessed to me that he was a death eater all along, you better watch out for him"
Ginny shook her head as she replied "Hermione, if you knew Harry Potter as I knew him, then you wouldn't have said those words"; Sherry cooed softly and Ginny looked at her in motherly way "I think our little angel is waking up"
Hermione smiled at the little thing and addressed Ginny calmly "Ginny, why don't you let my parents take care of her? You have a busy job here"
"It is not my decision to make Hermione; she is Pierce's daughter; and personally, I prefer that his daughter stay near him in the mean time, at least until he recover fully"
"Until then, I will wait for the warrant to hunt down Harry Potter" Hermione said firmly, and Ginny couldn't help but to pray silently for the quick reconciliation between her two best friends …
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"Sir, Auror Vanessa is calling via a muggle cellphone" Dick said to Harry; who was reviewing the case for the umpteenth time.
"Then bring it forth" he took the cellphone from the elite hacker; and pressed the call button "Yes, Vanessa"
"Sir, there is a problem" Vanessa's voice came out nervously.
'What is it?"
"The anti-apprition ward; we cannot bring it down. It seems that the magnetic field that surrounds it protects it from any meddling"
"Is that so? Then proceed with the second part of the plan; erect the wards around the guard posts. We will contact you when we come up with a solution"
"Roger, sir" Vanessa replied firmly before hanging up, Harry sighed irritable and throw his whole body at the sofa "From bad to worse; Flint has played it will this time"
"What is it, sir?" Dick asked as he noticed his superior's irritation.
"Apparently, the magnetic field around the ward sustains it and protects it from meddlers, like us"
"I can ask for help, sir" he said cautiously and Harry turned at him questionably "My mother is a muggle, ya' know; A Physics professor to be precise. I can ask her about a solution to this problem"
"Great" Harry beamed at him "Just don't mention the situation to her"
"Don't worry, sir" Dick nodded "She know that I work at the ministry, but she doesn't know my 'Exact' profession"
"Much better; carry on then" Harry waved at him "And Dick, I read your complaint about the lack of funding for your research; and as you said before, there is not any intention of increasing it. So, I took the liberty of stopping the ministry's funding …" Dick when into a stat of shock at the horror; but Harry smiled at him and continued "And began to privately fund your research; here …" he threw him a Gringotts vault key "This is the key to your funding vault; there is already three million galleons in it plus the interest which is about 7.5, use it wisely"
"Thank you, sir. I'll put it to good use" Dick couldn't contain himself from happiness; he only asked for a couple of grants from the ministry; but now he is being privately funded; and by whom? Harry Potter himself.
Harry knew what Dick is feeling right now; he experienced the same feeling when Dumbledore chose him as head boy; it was the warmth of trust that he felt; but at the memory of Dumbledore he felt a sting in his heart; "Well" he addressed his soldier "Carry on, then"
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"We are gathered here to mourn the passing of Lydia McLaden" the attending priest said slowly; and the attendees bowed their heads in respect "She was not a wife only, but a mother and a loyal friend …"
Pierce felt his heart sting as he gazed upon his wife's coffin; his admittance to the hospital has ended yesterday completing five days; but he didn't care about his own health, all what he cared for is to take his daughter away from the hospital as he grew overprotective of her. He shifted his sight right and his eyes settled on Ginny who was wearing a black dress and cuddling Sherry protectively; she gave him an assuring squeeze on the hand, which e returned graciously.
"… Ashes to ashes, dust to dust; Amen" the priest finished his speech, and the attendees began to move forward to pay their respect to Lydia. Pierce tried to get up, but the sheer pain he felt forced him down.
"Pierce, are you okay?" Ginny looked at him worriedly.
"Yes, don't worry Ginny" he said as he tried to get up again.
"You are still not fully healed; lean by my shoulder" she said as she leaned to him by herself; but he refused politely "Thanks for the offer Ginny, but I am too heavy for you; I might hurt you"
"Then let me help" Hermione said as she pushed toward them; and Pierce stood up by their aid not forgetting to thank God for having such good friends. They walked toward the coffin, and the people stepped aside for them.
When they reached the coffin; Pierce leaned at it began to speak weakly "Hiya there, Wife" he said in joyful sadness "I hope you have found peace right now because I didn't. One day, we will be united again; but until then I will be a good boy and behave mannerly"; but then his emotions took the best of him; and he began to tear "Why have you gone?" he said I a choked voice "It should've been me … It should've been me who is dead; not you. I am the detective dammit"
Hermione and Ginny couldn't control themselves at the sight of their broken friend, and they began to sob silently; "Lydia; I-I'm sorry, I shouldn't have cursed. I just want you to know that I love you; and will love you until the end of my life"
Sherry began to laugh loudly, and Ginny gasped; he turned to them and asked slowly "What is it? Are you alright?"
"Yes" she said almost in a whisper "It's nothing, thank you"
"I'm done here; let's go home"
They all walked away from the coffin not noticed the pair of emerald green eyes that followed them; then shifted back at the coffin.
"Flint … Death is too good for you"
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Hermione reached her hotel after dropping Ginny and Pierce at his home; since the day he was discharged she insisted on taking care of him herself, it took a lot of convincing; but in the end Ron accepted, and she is now living at the McLadens and only dropping in to hand off Sherry before heading to work.
She reached her flat, but noticed that the light of the corridor is almost dim; but she was so tired to think of anything but her bed.
"Hermione …" a voice called softly out of nowhere; and she recognized it.
"Potter …" she called coldly, and he stepped out of the shadows "What are you doing here? Let me guess, you came to finish me off, isn't it?"
He never minded her sarcastic tone as he spoke slowly "I went to the cemetery today …"
"Why?" she snapped "Did you want to check out your deed? Or to collect a trophy?"
"Neither" he said firmly "I just wanted to pay my respects to Lydia"
"How polite of you" she said darkly "I never met such polite murders who pay their respects to their victims"
"Hermione" he pleaded "when will you believe that it wasn't me who did this?"
"When the image of you shooting that green beam at Lydia is taken out of my mind; which will not be. How can you lie to me? You said that you were going to England"
"I did …" he said defensively.
"No you did not; I haven't found a single ticket proves that you did. Why have you lied to me Harry? Why? I trusted you with my life" her face fell as she began to tremble as she whispered in a barely audible voice "... And my heart" ; and at that moment their gaze met.
She felt the warmth and calmness of his eyes, and she found neither malice nor malevolence which his eyes showed the night he attacked her. Her heart told her that it was the real Harry who is standing before her; but her mind said that she must be cautious; and as usual, she followed her mind and ignored her heart.
"Hermione" He said with in a gentle tone "Remember what I told you about the death eaters' favorite tactic; divide and conquer. They are using it not; don't let them destroy the alliance we've built"
"You already have Potter" she said gloomily "And next time I see you; I will shoot you down. Now, please leave …"
Harry gazed upon her firmly "Then Flint has won"
"Please …" she said almost in a whisper turning her back on him.
"Alright; sorry for disturbing you. Goodbye … Detective Granger" he said dryly before stepping away from her.
She turned to him in pure apprehension "Harry, wai- ..." she cut her sentence as he was there no more.
A/N: Another chapter has been finished, and the story itself is drawing to a closure. Will, not the story but Part One to be precise. Also, I want to inform you, my dear reviewers and readers, that I have finished writing the Auror Officers and Enlists ranks, and Auror chain of command I used in this story; and I will post it at the end of this Part. Seeya' next chapter.
Raed & Review Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease.