Chapter Fifty one.
The heavy magnificent building of the cloud that shrouded London threw shades of grew on the streets. The crowds wove seamlessly around a stationary and vibrantly coloured character waiting patiently outside the gates surrounding London's Eye.
The tall man cocked his head interestedly as he watched the huge Ferris wheel slowly move around and waited patiently for them to arrive.
Draco and Harry walked close together as they searched the crowds beadily for suspicious behaviour, Draco's eye caught a small glimpse of colour and turned just as an obscenely coloured coat disappeared from his view. Hurriedly tugging on Harry's arm the two took off after the splash of colour on the grey landscape.
Every now and then they caught an almost full glimpse of the man they were tailing. His coat was colourfully dyed and even though it was spring, he wore several layers, a scarf and beanie. The colourful coat would've indicated a wizard, except for the layers. The layers of various mismatching clothing indicated 'tourist from a warmer climate', the colourful coat was obviously something borrowed, so the tourist wouldn't be staying for long, but the way his step would somehow float indicated their initial response, that this man was a wizard. So, a touring wizard from a Southern climate meant maybe his country was lax with mixing magic with muggles. That just wouldn't do in England, especially in London where so many muggles resided.
Of course, being Hogwarts teachers, Harry and Draco usually didn't go patrolling the London area for wayward witches and wizards, but when one gets a random message saying, I'm coming. 20/4. London. Well, obviously something's out of the ordinary.
The man disappeared around the corner and onto Westminister Bridge.
"Where is he going?" Draco muttered.
The followed him until he got to the Houses of Parliament.
"Maybe he's… sightseeing?" Harry offered.
Draco just gave him a look and Harry shrugged helplessly.
The man and his colourful coat found his way high up into the clock tower, once again disappearing into the crowd of tourists.
Harry and Draco discreetly looked for him, searching through the milling people; suddenly Harry spotted him.
"There!"
The two took after him determined not to lose the man this time. Following him, they came across the giant clock face of the tower with surprisingly no tourists in sight.
Only the man in the colourful coat.
Facing them.
Expectantly.
They soon found out why no one else was there. Big Ben began chiming and Harry and Draco heard the excited exclamations of the tourists surrounding it.
If Harry and Draco thought they would be able to make out the face of the man now, they were mistaken. The man's face was shrouded in shadow cast by the dark clouds outside the clock face and he strode menacingly towards them.
Harry mentally cursed that there were so many muggles nearby.
Draco just slid his wand from out of his sleeve regardless and smirked.
"Careful, if the wind changes, your face will be stuck like that forever." The man in the colourful coat chuckled, his deep voice resonated through their bodies over the chimes of Big Ben.
On Big Ben's last chime, something unexpected happened.
Draco and Harry were frozen. They couldn't move a muscle. And they were suddenly sucked into a whirling black hole.
When Harry could finally blink away the darkness, bright, white light, flooded his vision.
Goodfellow and O'Harrow laughed as they went through their hotel room door after they were finally allowed to leave the ship.
Goodfellow's knees buckled, "My Goodness! I swear, I hate it every time we go on land after being at sea!"
O'Harrow walked around proudly, "Don't worry, its not just you… The Captain does that too."
Goodfellow grinned and said good naturedly, "Stalker."
"Fan girl."
"Grapeist."
"Rap- Wait, Grapeist?"
"Remember, I showed you that Youtube video…?"
O'Harrow laughed, "Yeah, but I'm not wearing any purple."
Goodfellow smiled evilly, "Not yet you're not!"
The two girls laughed and a vicious game of 'Paper, Scissors, Rock' was played, with the winner getting the window side bed.
Draco opened his eyes blearily and groaned.
"Are you alright, mate?" A strange voice asked. Draco blinked and realised, as his vision shifted into order, that it was the man in the colourful coat.
"Wha-?" He sat up and looked around. Beside him Harry was ruffling his hair wearily and with a shock Draco realised where he was.
The Australian International Apparation Port in Sydney.
The man in the colourful coat was cheerfully stripping off his many layers of clothing, "Sorry about that mates, I thought that you knew we were apparating to Australia."
"How the bloody hell were we supposed to know? We got a suspicious note saying that someone is coming to London on the 20th of October and that was it!" Draco raged.
The man, now down to a white singlet, and a pair of loose, dirty pants frowned while he took off his shoes. "Seriously? Ugh, I'm going to kill Steve! That mongrel was supposed to send you lot a note with more details than that!"
Harry stared at him, slightly dazed, "I'm sorry, but… Who are you?"
The bright light of the port building shone down on the man who no longer looked menacing. In place of the previously suspicious character, a tall, cheerful man now stood.
"Sorry mate! I'm Matt, Matt Gonzalo. I joined the Australian Magical sector of the Defence Force for a doctorate at the same time as Alice."
Matt was a tall, wiry man with his hair shaved close to his head, which was in stark contrast to his big bushy eyebrows that rested comically over bright brown eyes.
"And we are here because…?"
He smiled easily, "I found Alice. You know how all the Faes are competing to become the next Heir? If Alice is returned to her Fae form she'll become the Heir again, so her magical side has been locked away, along with all her memories. She was placed in a roadside bombing and Cobweb sorted out an entire supposed past life for her that mirrors her real one closely, but leaves out important things. Like magic and anyone associated with magic. Which is everyone. And because the crown was left behind, they think you're the Heir and so, well, they'll probably try to break you and Hermione up so that one of them can marry you." Matt finished with a big sigh.
Harry and Draco stared at him, "So… where's Alice now?" immediately dismissing the thought that anyone could get between Hermione and Draco.
"She now goes by her initial maiden name 'Goodfellow'. Fletcher is her sister's married name, but because Alice was practically raised by her, her name was changed. Although she does now have a weird first name… Adriana… I dunno where that came from…" Matt mused.
Hope flared in Harry's eyes, "Where is she now?"
"She's in the Navy. But all the Navy ships are docking and attending Anzac ceremonies this Wednesday. She's going to be in the Sydney parade, so that's why we're!" Matt looked excited and Harry wondered how he could have ever thought this man suspicious.
Ron sat scribbling furiously at his work desk when he heard the beginnings of Alice's hungry cry. He jumped up, startled from his project and turned to the doorway, only to hear her quietening down to Padma's gentle whispers.
He collapsed, exhausted, into his chair and ran his hands through his hair. A moment later Padma quietly came in with a softly cooing Alice.
"What are you still up?" She asked softly.
"I'm working on Hermione and Draco's wedding present."
Padma leaned over his shoulder to look. Baby Alice's tiny face looked surprised at the looming face of her father and she stared at him, her mouth slightly ajar as her dad smiled amusedly at her. Reaching up, Alice clasped a tiny fistful of Ron's red hair and held on tightly.
"I think Hermione'll love it. She'll have a field day filling that library you put in with books." Padma smiled and straightened up.
Ron gave a strangled squeak as the hair captured in Alice's tiny, but strong fist nearly came out by their roots.
Tita laid in the Head's Common room, chatting amicably with Milly as Andy idly worked on his Charms homework nearby.
A lull in the conversation urged Tita to say something that was really bothering her, "Do you think something weird is going on with the Professors?"
Milly froze and Andy glanced sharply up from his homework, "So you think so too?" Milly whispered.
"Well, yeah. Professor Granger set us a whole heap of uninteresting homework on the first day of school and then never talked to us for the rest of the week, only looking at bridal magazines. Professor Potter and Malfoy suddenly disappeared on the weekend and Headmistress McGonagall won't say a word about it. Not to mention that that Madam Morton who replaced Healer Fletcher is just way out of her depths here! She just can't improvise and substitute with the things that happen here! She's always crying on Madame Pompfrey's shoulder about how Professor Potter doesn't see her as a woman!" Tita frantically spoke.
Andy smirked and coughed, "Yeah, well, that's cos he only has eyes for Healer Fletcher. I see why though; did you know that I've learnt more about the history of magic talking to Healer Fletcher in that one day I was in the Hospital Wing, than in my entire schooling career spent in History of Magic?"
Tita stared at him through her huge round glasses, "How did that happen?"
Milly gaped at him, "You were in the hospital? Why didn't you tell me? I thought you were wagging!"
Andy's eyebrows rose in surprise, "Really? So that's why you ignored me for a week?"
Tita broke in, "Yeah, yeah, yeah, but what I want to know is how you got Healer Fletcher to talk for long enough in order for you to learn something like that!"
Milly nodded, "You're right, usually she doesn't say much. She's really nice and all, but she has such a 'don't come near… don't even think of coming near' aura."
"I suppose it's because she was in the Royal Australian Air Force? You know how they're so strict and everything."
"I heard she used to do undercover operations!" Milly enthused.
"Yeah, while being a muggle liason officer for the Prime Minister and the Minister of Magic of Australia and New Zealand!" Tita said excitedly, her eyes glittering.
Andy rose an eyebrow, "What if she was, I dunno, shy?"
The two girls looked at him and sighed.
"Andy, you're no fun." Milly stated.