A/N: My apologies with the delay of this story. I have been really busy with my second job and now I have to go on and continue to focus on my 1st job. I will be very busy once again but I will update as quickly as I am able. I have just started another story. Different from what I usually write. It is called "Harry Potter and The New Destiny".
Disclaimer: The only one who gets the credit for the wonderful world of HP is J.K. Rowling.
Chapter 13 New Horizons
Ministry of Magic-Auror Department
Millburgh and Moore did indeed take training very seriously with their aurors. It all began with physical training. There was a lot of running and lifting weights. Followed by practical magic and curses and counter-curses then began to fly across the room in different colors. Soon thereafter there were life-size models of a place that were materialized from Moore's wand and in a matter of seconds the model now life-sized with walls was standing before their eyes.
"Blimey! That was bloody brilliant" said Ron without thinking as his jaw dropped.
"Thank you for that fine assessment Weasley" said Moore quickly and curtly before turning to the rest of the group.
Ron then shook his head and realized the words, "There is something familiar about that. Where have I heard it before?" and Ron continued to think of them.
Before Ron could face an inquiry about his training, Harry quickly whispered in his ear, " Mate, it was McGonagall who once said that to you when we got lost at Hogwarts when we went there for the very first time."
Ron nodded in agreement and his thoughts rejoined the group.
Millburgh continued with his instructions, "Now, there are 100 aurors in training here today and you will all be separated into 10 groups. Your purpose is to go through this model which also happens to be a maze. The maze will move differently for each group. Be on the alert because dementor-like beings and dark wizard-like beings will appear out of thin air. You will be expected to fight them back. This excercise should last about 4 hours. Don't complain. Merlin knows that you will be out there for a longer time when you actually go into the field.
Moore then waved his wand and a sort of strong wind separated the 100 aurors into 10 groups. They were then magically labeled with different colored short robes. The colors were respectively, red, yellow, blue, green, black, gray, orange, burgundy, turquoise, and white. Harry looked down and he liked the color he was assigned. It was burgundy and it reminded him of his beloved Hogwarts. He couldn't help it and after a while his thoughts took him back to his beloved Ginny. For a moment he remembered that fateful day back at Hogwarts as he ran its corridors..
I have to get to Ginny quickly, thought Harry as he ran back to the head student tower. He had finally gathered his strength, courage and found a small moment to tell her that he loved her. She was his only love. Merlin, if things went well, he wanted to marry her!
Harry ran around the corner and ran into Hermione. He gathered his breath and said "Hermione, have you seen Ginny? I was hoping to talk to her." asked Harry hopefully. He was begging Merlin that Hermione would know.
"Yes, I just came back from the head student tower. That's where we went off to" replied Hermione with a small smile.
Harry started to walk towards the head student tower but Hermione held on to his arm, "Oh she's not there anymore Harry. She has left."
Harry gave a confused look, "Left? When will she get back to the head student tower?"
Hermione shook her head, "She isn't coming back Harry. She got special permission to not go to graduation Harry. She got her diploma from McGonagall and has left Hogwarts. Much to McGonagall's dismay" and this time Hermione frowned.
"No! But she couldn't have left yet! I need to talk to her urgently Hermione. Where did she go? Maybe I can send an owl" exclaimed Harry nervously.
Hermione shook her head again, "I'm afraid you can't Harry. All I know is that she has gone on holiday to Greece with Phillip and won't be back until the end of July when she begins to train with the Harpies."
Harry dropped his face in his hands, "No, this can't be, I didn't have a chance to tell her. I tried telling her tonight at the party but there wasn't a chance. Every time I thought of talking to her, something always came up."
Hermione put her hand on Harry's shoulder, "To tell her what Harry?"
When Harry looked up, there were tears streaming from his eyes, "To tell her that I have broken off my engagement with Susan to tell her that I still love her."
Hermione gasped in surprise as she brought her hands to her mouth.
Harry hadn't noticed but a tear dropped down his cheek and Harry jumped at the feel of Ron's hand on his shoulder, "Mate, you alright there?"
Harry quickly wiped the tear, turned to Ron and nodded affirmatively. Then the two of them went in with their corresponding team.
Harpie Quidditch pitch
Ginny was sweating profusely as the harpies continued to train. Just when she thought that they were done training she heard Gwenog call out, "Come on you lot! Move it! Just 5 more hours! Show me that you want to win the next World Quidditch Cup!"
The 5 hours went by really slowly for Ginny. When training was over, her entire body was aching. Training with the harpies was nothing like training with the quidditch team back at Hogwarts. Suddenly Harry's face came to her mind but she shook the thought away quickly.
"You okay there Weasley?" asked Linda.
"Yeah, just a silly thought I had is all. With all this quidditch training, there is no time for silly thoughts I suppose" answered Ginny as she and her teammates headed back to their lockers to change.
Daphne the other chaser then said, "Well, that's why we are going to the pub you silly girl. To get it all out and get a few firewhiskeys. No too many though but enough to let ourselves loose after a long day of hard work. Come join us, what do you say Ginny?" asked Daphne fluttering her eye lashes.
Ginny remembered that Phillip had left for another quidditch match that morning with the magpies and by the time she would be home, he would be gone, "alright, bring on the firewhiskey girls" she said trying to put on a big smile.
At the Leaky Cauldron pub the harpies were happy drinking away butterbeer and firewhiskey. Just then, Ernie caught Ginny's eye, "Ernie! Over here mate!"
Ernie walked up to Ginny and gave her a big hug, "Ginny, how's it going. I heard you hit it big and are now playing with the Hollyhead Harpies."
When they separated there were no hard feelings and now Ernie and Ginny were just good friends. They had kept the communcation in the coming weeks after they left Hogwarts.
Ginny grinned widely and smiled she then turned to her teammates and and presented them one by one to Ernie. "Girls, meet Ernie a friend of mine"
The music started to blare on off of the walls as the younger wizards and witches started to dance to the music. Ginny took a break and went back to the bar to get a butterbeer. Ernie walked to the bar and he saw Ginny, smiled and offered her one, "Care for a smoke Ginny?" Ginny had never tried it but she decided to, "Yeah, why not?" Ginny took a smoke and coughed.
Ernie giggled, "why didn't you tell me that you didn't smoke Ginny. I wouldn't have offered you one."
Ginny waved away with the hand that had a cigarette, "It's alright. I thought I'd try sooner or later"
Ernie and Ginny finished smoking and went back to dancing with her teammates into the hours of the morning.
Ernie walked Ginny back to the large flat that she was staying in. Her starting salary with the harpies had allowed her to find a really nice flat in the center of London. It was barely furnished because nearly as soon as she arrived for training she barely had the opportunity to furnish it.
"You sure you are going to be alright by yourself?" asked Ernie half-laughing, the giggleness barely leaving the two of them.
Ginny laughed and laughed and finally gathered herself enough to say, "I'm a harpie McMillan, if only you knew what we are made out of" and she laughed away again.
"Alright then…" Ernie laughed again and controlled himself enough to wave and say, "see you later you mighty red-haired harpie"
"Bye" said Ginny and she took a quick shower and dropped dead asleep on her bed.
The following morning, Ginny was grateful to have followed Gwenog's advice in not drinking too much firewhiskey. She was so tired she could go back to sleep and and sleep on for another week. As much as she didn't want to, she got up, took a shower and headed out tot he pitch.
Harry's Penthouse flat in London
Harry had been up since 6 in the morning. He just couldn't sleep. He had a whirlwind of thoughts. There was Cho who was sleeping in the room across the hallway, he still had thoughts of Ginny and at the same time the excitement of training at the Auror Department. Harry looked out at the city of London. He had a grand view of the Parliament and the Eye of London wheel. It reminded him when others had flown with him to fight off Voldemort at the Second War of Hogwarts. His beloved Hogwarts… how he missed it. It was the one place where he had met the love of his life… Ginny. Ginny was now far away somewhere else with another bloke and restarting her life. No matter how much it still pained him, he also had to restart his life too. At one point he had become fond of Cho and his future was now with Cho. As soon as he was done training at the Auror Department, he was going to look forward to transferring back to Morocco to be closer to Cho. He was actually beginning to look forward to it.
Harry didn't hear Creely the elf quietly appear at the door. He gently knocked on the door and waited for Harry to call on him. Harry didn't hear it the first time so Creely knocked a second time. This time Harry heard him and turned around, "Yes Creely."
"Begging your pardon sir but your breakfast is ready in the dining room" answered Creely as he bowed before Harry.
"Thanks Creely. Do you know if Ms. Chang is up yet?" asked Harry as he turned around to look at the city.
"Yes sir. She said that she will meet you in the dining room before you leave for the Auror Department" responded Creely now placing both his hands behind him.
"Very well, I will be over shortly. Thanks Creely" said Harry without turning around.
"Sir" bowed Creely in acknowledgement and then he disappeared with a popping sound.
Harry finally turned away from the sight of the city and made his way to the dining room. There he saw Cho serving herself her morning tea, "Good morning handsome" she said before he gave her a quick kiss on her lips before he sat down.
"Morning" was all Harry said with a quick smile before he poured his tea. This eventually didn't go unnoticed by Cho, "Harry, everything alright?"
"Yeah, just a rough morning I suppose. Things will get better as the day begins to pass" added Harry before finally taking a sip from his hot steaming cup of tea.
"What time should I expect you back from the Auror Department today?" asked Cho.
"I'll be a little late today. We have an auror meeting after training today" said Harry as he buttered his toast.
"I suppose I will go to Hogsmead for a little shopping and then go off to Diagon Alley" said Cho smiling back as she took a bite out of a strawberry from her fruit salad.
Harry made an effort to smile again. That was the least he could do since Cho had made the effort to take a few days from work just to be at his side, "That sounds nice. I wish I could join you but I have loads of things to do today" said Harry before taking a bite out of his toast.
"Me too love. Besides, we will be moving to Morocco later on won't we?" asked Cho as she took another bite from her fruit salad.
Harry smiled more easily this time, "Yeah, I look forward to working with the International Magical Enforcement Department at the Ministry in Morocco. That will definitely be an interesing experience. That and learning some arabic of course"
"You will have loads of fun learning it! That and you have me to help you" said Cho with a big smile this time.
Harry finished his tea and toast. He then got up and gave Cho another kiss on her cheek and said, "Without a doubt, I look forward to that too." Harry smiled as he turned around to look at Cho and then was out the door of the dining room.
Ministry of Magic-Auror Department
Harry walked into the Auror Deparment and he was met by his three friends, Ron, Seamus and Neville.
Harry! Mate! You almost didn't make didn't ya?" asked Seamus Finigan with a smirk.
Harry looked at the clock and noticed that he made it just in time. One more minute and he would have been taken out of the auror training! Harry signed in relief and joined his friends as Millburgh and Moore joined the aurors in training.
"Now gentlemen and ladies, let's begin with the training, shall we?" asked Millburgh.
Everyone took their positions and continued with their training.
Moore walked up to Millburgh, "Sir, here is a list of aurors from the department that are well qualified to continue the training for us."
Millburgh took the piece of parchment without looking at his colleague, Millburgh didn't blink an eye as he kept eagle eyes on the aurors in training. Then he took small looks at the parchment while keeping an eye on the auror through the very top of the parchment.
"Very well, these look very suited for the assignment. Good of you Moore to think of having back up just in case those aurors get called to the field" and then handed the parchment back to more, "they begin first thing tomorrow morning."
"Alright then Auror Millburgh" said Moore. Millburgh turned around to give him a quick friendly smile, showing that they were still friends yet they had to keep the formalities within their department.
The groups again went back into the life-sized model as Millburgh observed from above. Harry, Seamus, Ron, and Neville continued on with their colleauges to fight off as the dementor and dark wizards within the maze appeared. Thankfully they were successful in attacking and protecting themselves. Their group was one of the few intact. If an auror was caught of guard, he or she would be reapparated from the model and be dismissed from the Auror training. Once dismissed, they had one more opportunity by signing up again. If they failed on their second attempt they would no longer be accepted into the Auror Department and they would have to find employment elsewhere.
A few hours later, the walls of the model suddenly appear and the groups could see the other groups prepared to attack or to protect themselves. When they saw that the walls were down and the only ones there were their colleagues, they lowered their wands and their shoulders relaxed. Upon observation, Harry noticed that several of the aurors from most of the groups were not there anymore and that the classification of aurors was drastically reducing.
Millburgh appeared before them and spoke, "Well done aurors. You have made it to the next level of your auror training. The next stage is the last one and we will be able to see who truly qualifies to be an auror and who will leave our training. Be prepared because this time, I will not tell you what the next stage of your training is. That is what being an auror is all about. You always have to be prepared because you never know what you are going to face when you go out into the field." He continued and said, "Those who have qualified to continue on tomorrow will find their names on the piece of parchment at the main doors of the auror department. I wish you all luck and if I don't see you tomorrow, you know what are our terms about reapplying with the auror department." With that Millburgh and Moore turned around and walked away.
Harry, Ron, Neville, and Seamus looked at each other and then headed for the lockers to change. They walked out and headed immediately for the main doors of the auror department to look for their names…
P/A note: Yes, I know. It is another cliffhanger. Will just Harry make it? or will all for of them make it? Will they have to reapply to the auror department? Stay tuned for the next chapter.