Harry Potter let out a frustrated sigh as he scrawled his signature on the final document sent to him by the Ministry of Magic's budget oversight committee. He added it to the towering stack on his desk, feeling the weight of the endless bureaucracy pressing down on him.

Staring at the mountain of paperwork in front of him, Harry was exasperated by the endless bureaucracy he had to navigate just to secure funding for his department. It seemed like no one in the Ministry understood the importance of hiring and training new Aurors to ensure the nation's safety. Instead, they were preoccupied with spending the budget on frivolous galas and functions. None of them realized that a strong Auror force was crucial to keep the dark elements at bay and prevent the country from descending into chaos.

Unfortunately for Harry, no one else in the Ministry seemed to share his views, thinking he was just being paranoid like his once-time mentor and previous Minister of Magic 'Kingsley Shacklebolt'. Twenty years after Voldemort's defeat, Wizarding Britain was once again set on course for another war in the near future, and only Harry could see it. Purebloods and Muggle-borns were once again butting heads with each other, trying to secure rights for their respective groups. The new Minister Tiberius Cowell and his close cabinet members, however, were blind to the unrest boiling in the country. They saw no need to keep more than a minimal number of Aurors on the payroll. After all, according to them, what was the need for wasting money on things like Auror recruitment or training when there were far more fun things to do instead? No, those greedy bastards prefer to spend taxpayers' hard-earned money on throwing lavish parties or lining up their own pockets.

As a result, Harry now found himself buried in tedious paperwork, signing countless request forms just to get the necessary funding to bring new recruits into the depleted Auror ranks.

"I swear I'm going to kill someone if they don't approve my request this time," Harry growled under his breath as he organized the signed papers into a neat folder, ready to be dispatched to the clerks in the basement.

Despite his threatening words, Harry harbored only a slim hope that his request would be granted. He could only wish that someone with a modicum of intelligence in the budget commitee would come across the paperwork and authorize his request. Realizing his work for the day was finally done, Harry dropped his quill into the inkpot and leaned back in his leather chair, taking a moment to relax.

Harry closed his eyes and brought his hands up to massage his temples, trying to alleviate the headache that had been nagging him for the past half-hour.

"Ah, that's much better," Harry moaned in relief as he massaged in slow circles, causing the throbbing pain in his head to subside slightly. Feeling a bit better, Harry opened his eyes and glanced at the clock on the wall.

He was surprised to see that it was well past midday. Harry groaned inwardly as he realized he had completely missed lunch. His stomach growled in agreement, reminding him that he hadn't eaten anything since breakfast. With a sigh, Harry pushed himself up from his chair and decided to head downstairs to the Ministry cafeteria on the ground floor. Gathering his jacket from the back of his chair, Harry made his way out of his office, locking the door behind him.

As he made his way down the corridor, Harry nodded to some of his co-workers in the cubicles outside. They glanced up, acknowledging him with respectful nods before returning to their work. Harry couldn't help but feel sad as he passed them by, noticing the boredom and lethargy etched on the faces of all his subordinates. The atmosphere on the floor was a stark contrast to when he joined the department twenty years ago. Back then, the air crackled with energy. The war against the Dark Lord had just ended, and the Auror office buzzed with the thrill of the chase. Every day in the DMLE was filled with action and danger to people's life back then as they tried to catch the escaped Death Eaters and the Snatchers on the run.

Unfortunately, those days were long gone. Nowadays, the DMLE office considered itself lucky if they received even one call about a crime in an entire week. The trust in the Ministry was at an all-time low. People preferred to handle matters by themselves rather than risk calling a corrupt official to their door.

Harry shook off his gloomy thoughts as he finally reached the cafeteria. To his surprise, it was still bustling with activity, even though the peak lunchtime rush had passed. With a slight shrug, Harry grabbed a tray and scanned the options. He settled on a turkey sandwich, a steaming bowl of soup, and a strong cup of coffee to chase away the lingering headache.

Tray in hand, Harry glanced around for a place to sit. The tables were scattered with groups of colleagues deep in conversation and a few solitary diners absorbed in their own worlds. To his delight, Harry spotted Susan Bones sitting alone at a corner table. Giddy at this wonderful opportunity, he quickly ran a hand through his hair before making his way toward her.

As he approached her table, Susan Bones looked up from her meal, her eyes widening in surprise at the sight of him.

"Potter, do you need something?" she asked, raising an eyebrow in curiosity.

Harry tried to ignore the butterflies fluttering in his stomach. Susan Bones was one of the most attractive woman he had ever seen in his life. Possessing vibrant red hair and bright blue eyes, she was a vision of true beauty. As a result, Harry always found himself a little flustered whenever in the company of the beautiful woman. Taking a deep breath, he flashed Susan a charming smile. "I was wondering if you would mind if I joined you?" he asked her, trying to sound casual.

Susan hesitated a little before giving a tiny shrug of her shoulder. "Sure. Go ahead if you like."

Harry didn't waste a second. He grinned, sliding into the chair opposite her with silent relief. For a moment, he had feared she was going to say 'no,' but luckily for him, she hadn't. Giving her a grateful smile, he set his tray down with a slight clatter before beginning to unwrap his meal.

"It's nice to see you taking a break from your usual crowd," said Harry, trying to ease the awkwardness between them with a friendly comment. "It's not often I see you around here for lunch break."

Susan nodded. "Yeah, I usually just take lunch in my own office. But today, I just needed to take a little break. Honestly, things have been pretty crazy in the Floo department ever since we started working on updating the rune matrix," she answered, before taking a bite of her Greek salad.

"Oh, are you guys having trouble with the runic scheme?" Harry asked curiously, picking up a spoon to stir his hot soup. "I thought the geeks in the Arithmancy department usually triple checked everything before forwarding things to you guys."

Susan shook her head in response. "No, they did and the runic scheme is fine. It's just that people flood our office with complaints whenever we have to close their network for maintenance. It's like they can't wait to use the floo for a couple of hours while we finish our work."

Harry frowned. "That's not very nice. Surely, they understand it's to prevent any unfortunate accidents."

"They do," Susan replied but then shrugged her shoulders in response as if to say 'well, what can you do?'

Harry shook his head, not believing how stupid the everyday and witches could be. After a few seconds, he leaned forward conspiratorially. "You know what? The next time someone complains too much you should let them bounce around between fireplaces for a couple of hours. That'll teach them a lesson," he told Susan.

Taken aback by his suggestion, she snorted in amusement. "You're crazy. I can't do that," the redhead exclaimed, scandalalized.

Harry, in reply, simply offered her a mischievous grin. "Trust me. Try it out once with someone who's being a real pain in the ass. I bet they'll never complain again whenever you want to do maintenance work on their floo network the next time."

Susan shook her head in response, the corner of her mouth curling upwards. "Thanks. I needed that," she told Harry in a much warmer voice.

The two of them shared a smile before they both fell into a comfortable silence, the sounds of the cafeteria filling the space between them. Harry took a deep breath, feeling a bit more at ease now that the initial tension had dissipated. He focused his attention on his meal for the next few minutes as he built up the courage for what he was going to do next.

The moment he had seen her, Harry had already decided that he was going to ask Susan out. The redhead was beyond gorgeous, and according to the recent rumor mill, had just gotten out of a relationship. It was the perfect opportunity for Harry to impress her and make her his girlfriend before someone else got decided to swoop in. After all, it was common knowledge that beautiful girls like Susan didn't stay single for long. Besides, Harry decided that it was long overdue that he went on a date with someone. It'd been almost four years now since his divorce with Ginny Weasley and he hadn't been involved with anyone since then.

Now, Harry just had to pluck up the courage to ask Susan out. Unfortunately, the task seemed too daunting, making him tongue-tied.

Finally, after a few minutes of companionable silence, Susan put down her fork as she finished her salad. She dabbed her lips with a napkin before dropping a few sickles next to her empty plate. "So, I guess I'll see you around then," she said with a smile as she began to rise from her chair.

"Susan, wait!" Harry blurted out, realizing he was going to miss his chance with her. Fortunately for him, she paused and turned back, her expression curious. Harry took a deep breath, trying to steady his nerves before asking. "So, I was wondering... would you like to have dinner with me sometime?"

Taken aback by his sudden proposition, Susan's eyes widened in surprise. "Do you mean like a date, Harry?" she questioned him in a hushed voice.

Harry gave a nervous smile and nodded. "Y-yeah, like a date."

Susan hesitated, her gaze flicking around the cafeteria to see if anyone was watching. Then she leaned in closer. "Harry, it's nothing personal, really," she said gently. "You're a great guy. But my last boyfriend was actually a lot like you—kind, thoughtful... but not what I was looking for. He didn't have the edge I needed in a partner and the same thing applies to you. So, I don't think it would work out between us. Because the last thing I want is to end up in another relationship that feels... boring."

With her piece said, Susan offered Harry an apologetic smile before quickly walking away from the cafeteria. Harry watched her leave, his heart sinking as he processed her words. For a moment, he just sat there, staring at the empty spot where she had been just seconds earlier, feeling the harsh sting of disappointment.

It took Harry a few minutes before he finally managed to drag himself out of his chair. He cut a pretty dejected figure as he returned to his office, lost in his own world. How had it come to this? he thought to himself in disbelief. The absurdity of it all gnawed at him—how could a former Hufflepuff, of all people, find him boring? The thought alone was maddening.

Unfortunately, no matter how much her words stung him, Harry had to admit Susan was right. He had become a boring man since joining the ministry. The spark that once defined him in his youth seemed to have dulled, buried beneath endless paperwork and monotonous routines. A part of Harry shivered in excitement as he remembered the good old days at Hogwarts where he was in the prime of his life, fighting against dark lords and magical creatures at every corner. Witches used to throw themselves at him when he was simply the boy-who-lived.

Harry sighed. What he wouldn't give up to have that time of his life back?!

Unfortunately, that was all in the past now. Harry shook his head as he remembered the reality of the situation. He was stuck in a meaningless desk job now. It was infuriating, no doubt about that, but that was his fate no matter how much he wished otherwise.

Harry stumbled into Grimmauld Place later that night, utterly exhausted and in desperate need of sleep.

Stepping out of the fireplace in the sitting room, he shed off his Auror uniform with a weary sigh and tossed it onto the couch in the corner. Suddenly, a crack sounded beside him as Kreacher materialized into view from thin air.

"Master Harry is home late again," the old house-elf muttered in a displeased voice, his arms crossed over his chest. "Should Kreacher bring Master his dinner now, or would Master like to freshen up first?"

"No, thank you, Kreacher. There's no need to trouble yourself. I think I'm just going to retire for the night," Harry replied wearily, turning to head upstairs to his bedroom.

Kreacher's scowl deepened as he grudgingly obeyed Harry's request. Years of loyal service to the Black family had instilled in him a strict sense of duty, making it difficult to defy his master's wishes, even when it was for Harry's own good. With a reluctant bow, he muttered after Harry's back in his bullfrog voice, "As Master wishes."

Once Harry had vanished from view up on the second-floor landing, Kreacher straightened up from his bow. Scowling and muttering under his breath about stubborn, foolish masters, the surly house elf pop-clicked to the basement kitchen, where he stored the entire meal in the icebox for the next morning. After swiftly finishing his task with a few clicks of his fingers, he retired to his bedroom in the attic.

Despite, sleeping there for the past two decades it was still strange for Kreacher to have such a large space all to himself. The high walls around him made him feel small in comparison, not to mention the four poster bed on which he slept every night, it was all too much luxury for a lowly house elf like him. On occasions, Kreacher missed his old cosy den in the basement. It was a small, yet familiar place. Unfortunately, Master Harry had strictly prohibited him from going back there. It had been one of his first orders to Kreacher after he had made Grimmauld Place his permanent residence. So, now Kreacher was stuck with more living space than he knew what to do with. However, the old house-elf had to admit he rather enjoyed staring at the night sky through the glass ceiling.

As he began to prepare for the night, Kreacher's thoughts drifted towards his Master Harry. He knew the young wizard wasn't happy with his life for the past several years. Kreacher's long floppy ears drooped in sadness as he thought about the exhaustion that clung around his ward's shoulders all the time, causing him to look like he had no happiness in his life. The old house elf sighed, wishing there was a way he could help his beloved master.

Suddenly, Kreacher's blue eyes widened as he remembered something his ma had told him when he was just a wee tot. It was an old nighttime story elves told their younglings about a great and loyal house elf who had willingly given his life force to mother magic so that his master's wish could become true. He rubbed his hands together in excitement as he realized there was something he could do to help his beloved master.

Kreacher snapped his fingers together, arriving in the store room on the ground floor. Quickly grabbing the supplies he needed for the task ahead, he pop-clickd inside the ritual room on the fourth floor. The house elf ignored his creaking bones as he bent down to settle the basket in his hand on the cold, stone floor. From its depths, he drew a piece of chalk, his gnarled fingers steady as he began to etch intricate sigils onto the hard floor. It took almost an hour of painstaking hard work before Kreacher was done. When at last he finished, the once-dark room was bathed with hundreds of candles on a raised dais, their light casting dancing shadows over the ancient elven runes that now adorned the floor.

Kreacher assessed his work with a sharp, critical gaze for a long minute before finally deeming it satisfying enough. His lips curled upwards in a satisfying smile as he realized it was finally time. Standing in the middle of the runic circle, Kreacher took a steadying breath before he began to chant the ancient spell in the elven tongue, starting the ritual at last. Immediately, the sigils lit up an ominous red color, the same color as Kreacher remembered from his ma's story. Recognizing it as the sign that the ritual was working correctly, his voice began to rise in intensity, causing an invisible breeze began to blow inside the locked room. As the candles on the dais began to flicker dangerously, Kreacher's eyes gained a feverish gleam, his bony arms raised in the air, and shaking with fervour as he arrived at the last verse of the ancient spell.

A loud boom shook the ritual room as Kreacher finished the spell. His legs failed him immediately, and he collapsed on the floor in a heap. The old house elf could feel his lifeforce draining away at an alarming rate but the large smile on his face never diminished. Kreacher didn't mind for a second that he was going to die. He was so old, his end was probably near anyway. No, Kreacher was satisfied that his last act before his death was going to give his Master Harry the chance he needed to live a happy life.

So, with a content look on his face, Kreacher the house-elf breathed his last breath.

At the same time -

Meanwhile, Harry was sound asleep in his bedroom when he suddenly found himself tossed unceremoniously on the hard floor. For a second, he lay there on his back groaning in pain as his mind struggled to comprehend what had just happened. However, a few seconds later, his eyes widened in alarm as realized that the entire house was shaking around him.

Harry quickly jumped to his feet, summoning his wand to his hand from the bedside table. With a quick flick, he brought the lamps in his room to life. He squinted as his eyes adjusted to the sudden brightness. Once he could see clearly, Harry was left speechless. The furniture in his bedroom was shaking uncontrollably, rattling against the walls with a menacing clatter. His mind raced as the tremors intensified, accompanied by a low rumble that grew louder by the second.

"Is this an earthquake?" he wondered to himself, aloud.

However, Harry quickly shook his head. 'Of course, it couldn't be an earthquake' he thought to himself, remembering that Grimmauld Place had wards all over it to prevent something like that from affecting the building. No, it had to be something unnatural and probably fueled by powerful magic to override the ancient protective enchantments on the Black townhouse.

Suddenly, the windows in the bedroom shattered, causing Harry to summon a shield to protect himself from being cut. As shards of glass rained down around him, Harry observed from behind magical protection as a shining blue ball of light manifested in front of him. It hovered in the air, similar in size to a Snitch, but within seconds grew to resemble a whirling vortex that began to suck things inside it.

Thinking quickly, Harry quickly tried to grab onto the bedpost to save himself, but the pull was too strong. His fingers slipped, and he could do nothing as he was helplessly dragged into the swirling abyss.

As he fell into the magical portal, Harry's mouth opened in a silent scream as his body was stretched and contorted in unimaginable ways. The pain was so horrific that he passed out within seconds. As he slipped away from awareness, the vortex destroyed Harry's body, reducing it to mere atoms. Yet, amid the chaos, Kreacher's sacrifice ensured that Harry's soul remained intact and continued on its journey to somewhere where he could finally get his heart's wishes.

A.N.

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