LONDON -

Harry makes his way back to London and into the Pringles Bar, a rundown place for gambling and drinking, and he lays down cash to do a bit of both. The dealer, a middle aged woman who, thankfully, doesn't recognize him, shuffles the cards and places two of them in front of him.

"20," she says in a somewhat cheerful voice and he smiles slightly. She flips her own cards. "Dealer has 19."

Harry isn't paying attention anymore. He's gazing off into the distance at a pair of people who have come into his line of vision. One is an older man he's never met before, but the other is someone he knows very well.

The dealer makes a show of changing cards and emptying her hands and showing him and the rest of the bar that she has nothing up her sleeves. "Good luck. I'm going on break."

He nods and smiles and she walks away, only to be replaced by the familiar face.

"Hello, Hermione," Harry says and the woman in front of him falters just slightly, then smiles.

"I'm sorry sir, you must have me confused with someone else. My name is Natalie." She points to the nametag attached to her shirt and it does, indeed, say 'Natalie' in bright red letters.

"My mistake." He picks up his chips and makes to stand. "Table's cold anyway."

"You could try the Compton. The lounge gets real busy about one on days like this."

He smiles a little. "The Compton?"

She nods. "Yes sir."

"Thanks for the tip."

He makes his way across town to the Compton Hotel, one of the grander pieces of wizarding architecture leftover from the war a few years back, and sits in the lounge for a couple of hours. He orders lunch and revels in the real food taste that fish and chips has when it isn't served with the same flare as creamed spinach. He eats and he waits.

At about 1 o'clock, Hermione Granger sits down next to him and orders a drink.

"How do you do, Natalie," Harry says and Hermione laughs a little.

"Hermione Granger can't get a job in London to save her life. Too many people know me from the war and too many people have suspicions about my involvement in the last job we pulled together. Natalie, on the other hand, can work anywhere she wants." She takes a sip of her beer and studies him. "You look old."

"Being in prison will do that to a person."

"Have you seen him?"

The 'him' hangs in the air and neither of them feels the need to specify. Harry shakes his head. "No. Know where he is?"

Hermione shrugs. "Last I heard he was in America teaching tricks to snot-nosed rich kids." Her careful eyes rest on him once more and he wonders just what she's seeing. "What have you got in mind?"

He grins and proceeds to tell her the scheme. When he's through, she tells him to be careful and to contact her once he's settled. He heads off into the night and to a quick meeting with his parole officer.

"Auror Daniels, this is Harry Potter. I was told to check in with you after the first 24 hours."

A tinny voice comes over the Wizarding Wireless and he has to strain to make out the questions.

"No sir, I haven't been getting into trouble." Question. "No sir, I haven't been drinking." Question and this time he has a hard time not laughing. "No sir, I wouldn't even think about leaving the country."

For those of you who are weird like me and loved the soundtrack to this movie, play it along in the background. Ambiance, people. It's all about the ambiance. :)