Disclaimer I don't own Harry Potter. All rights to the characters and universe the story belongs in belong to JK Rowling

Chapter 18 - Out on the Rails

After completing their map, Harry and Trott, started familiarizing themselves with the witness reports and statements from the Raid on the Underground Society.

Mid way through the week after starting at Hogwarts, Ron and Neville had started to send through their research on the first location they wanted to visit from the map while O'Manda and Owens were still looking into the map room. They hadn't managed to remove the Confundus Charm but they were certain they could detect transportation charms as well.

After reading through everything and not finding anything new, Harry and Trott decided to head to the hideout in order to map out the railway. They still needed to see where it went and where the trains/carts were that run on the tracks.

They arrived at the hideout deciding to check on O'Manda and Owens to see how they were getting along. After working for almost two weeks on the map they were getting frustrated with their lack of progress. After being told rather eloquently to bugger off, Harry and Trott left the two moody Aurors to their own devices.

The two of them walked around the platform to see if they could find a way to summon a cart or train. Trott was waving her wand in complex patterns trying to find any concealment charms and Harry was trying to look for some kind switch that they could use.

Harry moved between the pillars searching for anything that could help. It was tedious work, each pillar was exactly the same and he couldn't spot even a blemish on them. He felt as if he was playing a game of spot the difference when there was no difference to spot.

He toiled away despite his frustration and was only half-heartedly searching the last one. That's when he felt it, it wasn't a ward or anything like that, it was more a feeling, a small trace of magic which he'd managed to pick up on. It was that small he almost missed it, feeling for it again he called over to Trott. 'Leanne, I think I've found something.'

Trott's evident frustration lifted a little as he called to her 'What is it?' She asked as she walked over to him and frowned at the Pillar in front of them.

'I can feel magic here.' He placed his palm over the spot.

Trott reached out for it and touched it as well, the frown on her face deepened. She took out her wand and started muttering relentlessly under her breathe as she worked. After a painful amount of time according to Harry, who knew better by now than to interrupt her when she was so focused, Trott finally stopped and looked at him.

'Are you sure you can feel something here?'

Harry blanched 'Course I'm sure.' He looked at her with a bemused expression on his face. 'You mean to say you've been working non-stop for the last ten minutes and you can't find anything.'

She looked like she was about to hit him. 'No I can't find anything. There's nothing here apart from a small piece of residual magic which as far as I can tell doesn't do anything.'

'Seriously?'

'Yes.' she snapped.

'It's definitely there, I can feel it.'

'I'm telling you there's no ward or concealment charm there. I'm going to carry on with what I was doing.' She said dejectedly, offering a small apologetic smile as she walked off.

Harry furrowed his brow, he knew it did something, he just had to work out what. He searched for the magic again and started to inspect it himself.

As he worked he realised that the magic wasn't new to him, he had felt something similar before. The question was where, it felt like old magic, he racked his brain to think about whether he had felt it at Hogwarts or even the ministry on the night Sirius had died. He couldn't think of where it was though.

He was sure on further recollection that it wasn't Hogwarts, with all the magic around he would have missed it anyway and something told him that this kind of magic wouldn't have been allowed in the castle. There was something gruesome about it, something to do with blood but he couldn't put his finger on it.

He thought back to the fight in the department of mysteries, which was something he didn't do often due to the disastrous events that took place. He hadn't been concentrating properly that night so he was sure he could have missed something.

What would Dumbledore do? Of course that's it. The thought of his old headmaster made him recall the time he watched his headmaster figure out a similar problem to this. Merlin, this is so similar, I wonder how involved Voldemort actually was with these people. Nah, surely, he wouldn't have used the same trick twice this must be a coincidence.

'I think I've got it Leanne.' He pulled out his wand and made a cut in his palm.

'What are you doing?' Asked Trott incredulously 'Hurting yourself won't get us anywhere!'

'Actually it's the only way.' At her questioning gaze he placed his palm, which now had blood seeping out of the wound, over the spot where he could feel the magic. The result was instantaneous. There was a loud screeching noise as a single train carriage came into the station as if from nowhere.

Trott whistled 'How did you figure that out?'

'I've seen it before. Voldemort used the same trick.'

'Do you think he could have put this in place for them?'

'I doubt it, he wouldn't have wanted to share this secret with anyone. Whoever did this knows what they're doing though. That's old magic.'

Trott jumped aboard the carriage motioning for Harry to join her. He stepped inside and started to make his way to the front where Trott was looking at something. Before he got to her he heard her gasp audibly.

'What's wrong?' he asked.

'This' she pointed at a route planner in front of her 'look at it, there's stations all over Britain. Hogsmeade, King's Cross Station, Knockturn Alley, Godric's Hollow, Dover Docks and Manchester Piccadilly Station.

'They could launch an attack on all these places pretty quickly and anti-apparation wards wouldn't help.'

'Do you think they've got a base by each station like this one?' Harry asked her.

'I don't know, we're going to have to check them out though.' Trott said determinedly.

'Do we rope anyone else in or are we going now?'

Trott thought for a minute 'Let's go now. We can take Dave and Manny with us.' She headed back out onto the platform to pick up the other two Aurors. When she returned with them in tow, they set off towards Hogsmeade.

The ride was wild, reminding Harry of an unhappy mixture of the Night Bus and the Gringotts carts. It was weird travelling underground for such a long distance, there was no indicator of how far they had gone, so they had no sense of the speed they were travelling. The ride wasn't great as the four Aurors were constantly being bandied about as the carriage changed direction all too quickly.

When, several hours later, the train finally came to a stop, four jelly legged Aurors stepped out onto the station which was a replica to the one they had left. Once they were all on the platform the carriage left the station and disappeared waiting to be called.

'Well that was fun.' Said Harry sarcastically.

Owens threw up in response. 'I'm not going on that bloody thing again. I'm apparating back.' He said wiping his mouth when he was finished.

'I'm with you Manny.' Moaned a rather green looking O'Manda.

Trott shook her head at them, rolling her eyes. 'And I thought you were the toughest Aurors around, sheesh. Alright then ladies let's check this place out.'

They started by checking around the tracks to see if there was a door or a concealed entrance to another base. After an extensive search they didn't find anything so worked their way back to the station. They climbed the stairs to a small landing which ended abruptly via a brick wall.

Trott and O'Manda waved their wands to test the wall. 'I think we just walk through it like at Kings Cross.' Said Trott.

O'Manda agreed with her so they purposely strode at the wall, waiting for the impact that never came. They were in a secluded clearing in a forest with their backs to a hill. There was a large rock at the base which was where they appeared from. They were so close to the village they could see the smoke rising from Chimneys.

'So, this is where they came from on the night of the attack.' Said Owens.

'Yeah and some of them could have come through here after the attack when they almost took us all out.' Said Trott. 'What do you think, do we block it up?'

'We should at least trip it with an alarm so we know if it's been used.' Suggested Owens. 'Depends on how much we want them to know we're on to them.'

'Not boarding them up could risk lives.' Said Harry.

'Yeah but we have a better chance at catching them if it is just alarmed.' Argued Owens.

'I agree with Manny.' said O'Manda.

'That's settled then, we'll have to visit each location though if we want to track them.' Said Trott.

That's how the next few weeks panned out. The four of them trailed the country to each location and searched around each new station for any other places the society could be holed up. To their disappointment they didn't find any.

Each place was similar to Hogsmeade in that it was only a station that led to public place. They were more worrisome though, the other stations led directly into public areas. If there was an attack, they wouldn't have long to respond.

If the society used the underground, they could launch an attack in minutes, despite the alarm. That was not the only thing worrying Harry though, the society seems to have just vanished. Despite finding their way around the network they still hadn't picked up the trail. There was a feeling he couldn't shake that this was bigger than they were realising.

'Harry! Are you there?' Shouted a voice from the floo. It was a Saturday morning and Harry was getting ready to go to Hogsmeade to meet Ginny. He rushed over and knelt down to see the rather ill face of Andy looking up at him.

'Blimey Andy, you look awful are you OK?' Asked Harry concerned.

'No I feel awful. I'm sorry to drop this on you, can you watch Teddy today?'

Harry didn't hesitate. 'Sure, I can have him as long as you need I'll come and grab him.'

'Thanks' she sniffed back at him and removed herself from the fire. Harry immediately went straight over. After assuring her he was fine to have him for the rest of the weekend Harry took Teddy home to get him ready to go out. Well this will be a surprise for Gin.

Ron arrived at the flat so they could apparate to Hogsmeade together. Harry took Teddy straight into the Three Broomsticks because it was cold and he didn't want Teddy to get ill as well. Ron went to meet the girls. Four Butterbeers were just on the table when the other three arrived.

Ginny made a beeline for him and hugged him tightly 'I've missed you.' She whispered before pulling back to kiss him.

They broke apart to a gurgling kind of laugh 'I've missed you too and I think this guy has as well.' Said Harry laughing as Teddy excitedly waved his arms and legs about.

'Why hello Teddy.' cooed Ginny giving him a kiss on his forehead.

'Be careful Harry, you've got competition.'

Harry laughed 'Hi Hermione, how are you?'

'I'm good thanks.' Then she scowled a little 'I would be better if you hadn't sent my boyfriend to distract me from my NEWT studies.'

'What Auror work is important work.' Said Ron.

'What I really want to know is, why aren't you on Hogwarts detail Mr Potter?' Asked Ginny wickedly, grabbing hold of his robes.

'Well I wouldn't get much work done with you around would I?'

'Are you saying I'm a distraction?'

'Yeah, the best kind.' He responded before kissing her again.

'Come on you two, do you really have to put me through watching that.' Said Ron with a rather disgusted look on his face.

'You could always look away Ron.' Replied Ginny 'Or you know, snog your own girlfriend.'

'What away from the Library? Are you mad!' Harry asked his girlfriend.

'Why would we be snogging in the library? It's not the most appropriate place.' Said Hermione disapprovingly.

'Well it's one way of keeping Ron quiet in there.' Suggested Ginny.

'There's also all those dark nooks and crannies where you can get down to finding that Pygmy Puff tattoo.' Sniggered Harry.

'Oh, shut up you two!' Said Ron blushing Crimson.

'Can you imagine if Pince found them?' Said Ginny whilst tapping her chin.

'Yeah she'd get ideas on what she could be getting up to with Filch.' Said Harry grimacing.

'Well she wouldn't get them from a book, I'm not sure you would get that kind of material in the Hogwarts library.'

'You might in the restricted section.'

'Yeah maybe. It would be embarrassing to ask for a note though.'

Ron and Hermione were spared any further teasing as Teddy started to get all fussy. 'I think he's hungry.' Commented Ginny, expertly scooping him up out of his pram to place him in a highchair as Harry pulled baby food from his bag. 'Here I'll do it.' She said gently.

Harry opened Teddy's food and handed Ginny a small plastic spoon. Knowing what was coming Teddy started clapping and giggling loudly.

'Here comes the Broomstick Teddy, open up.' Instructed Ginny. The next five minutes was a blur of mushy Baby food (which was a rather suspect brownish green colour), a laughing couple and a very smiley Teddy.

'They're so good with him.' Whispered Hermione, not wanting to disturb the trio opposite them.

'I know.' Said Ron just as quietly.

'I want that someday.'

Ron smiled 'Me too.'

A couple of hours later Ron and Hermione left because Hermione wanted to do some shopping. They offered to get anything Ginny needed as well so she could stay with Harry who didn't want to lug Teddy around all of the stores.

'He's cute when he's sleeping.' Said Ginny smiling down at the pram.

'Come on you think he's cute all the time.' Teased Harry.

'Yeah, especially when he has red hair and emerald eyes.'

Harry chuckled. 'It's easy to imagine him as ours when he's like that isn't it.'

Ginny was quiet for a few moments. 'Would you like that? A family I mean?'

'Yeah.' He said quietly. 'Would you?'

'Yeah, I just want a go at a career first before settling down with kids. I think being a pro with a baby would be tough.' She turned to face him, almost nervously 'Is that all right?'

Harry beamed at her 'That's more than alright. We've got time, we can wait until we're ready. Have you told anyone yet?'

'No, I haven't, I'm a little nervous. I didn't think anything would happen this quickly.'

'I'm not surprised. You're brilliant. When are you going to tell them?'

'At Christmas, I think. It's as good a time as any.' She didn't seem convinced though.

'What's wrong?'

'I just don't know how they're going to take it. Mom wants me to go into healing and she was quite adamant about it.'

'What did you say?'

'I said I was unsure on what I wanted to do and she dropped it.' Ginny started biting her lip like she always did when she was nervous.

'They'll support you whatever you know? Just do what makes you happy, they can't ask for more than that.'

She leaned her head back on his shoulder 'I know.'

'So, are you excited?'

'You bet I am.'

'Hara' came a small voice.

Harry and Ginny looked at each other excitedly. Harry moved quickest and popped his godson onto his lap. 'What was that Teddy? Can you say Hara?'

'Hara.' Parroted Teddy with evident excitement.

'Hara.' Said Ginny, gently tickling him with her index finger.

Teddy began to laugh, 'Hara' he crowed again.

'Very good Teddy.' Praised Harry. 'Now can you say, Gee Gee.'

Teddy's eyes narrowed in concentration 'GaGee'

'Almost Teddy, Gee Gee.'

'Ge Ge.'

Ginny took Teddy onto her lap 'Come on darling you can do it. Gee Gee.'

'Gee Gee.'

'That's it' cried Ginny hugging him tightly before pulling away too look at him. 'Gee Gee.'

'Gee Gee.'

'Gee Gee.'

'Gee Gee.'

Ginny laughed softly 'Hara.'

'Hara'