Harry Potter and A New Chapter of Life

Chapter 8: Things Get Shaken Up

Ron and Hermione had just arrived in Sidney Australia through an international portkey that Minister Kingsley had provided. They were advised by Kingsley that a Mr. Jones would be meeting them on the other side. When they finally arrived they found themselves completely alone somewhere in the Australians outback.

“Bloody hell where is that Mr. Jones bloke who was supposed to meet us here,” Ron asked Hermione with signs of agitation evident in his voice and on his face. They had been wandering for the last hour in the blazing Australian heat.

“I don’t know Ron, Kingsley said he’d be here,” Hermione snipped with agitation matching Ron’s. Both were becoming more agitated and worried as they continued to wander blindly in a strange land.

They would wander for another hour until with a series of pops ten witches and wizards appeared around them all with wands out scanning their areas. Ron drew his wand and tried to put Hermione behind him shielding her from the majority of their unidentified visitors.

A short plump wizard, with dirty blond hair and face covered with a growth of mangy facial hair that only his large nose and a pair of small  grey eyes were visible, stepped forward after pocketing his wand and hands raised in surrender, “Easy there bloke, I'm Thomas Jones. Sorry I'm late got held up by some unsavory characters, me mates here decided ta give me a hand ta make sure I get yoos somewhere safe.”

“What do you mean get us somewhere safe,” Ron asked narrowing his eyes.

Jones gave the young man a thoughtful look, but just for a moment, “I understand your hesitation, but I assure yoos we mean you nah harm.”

Ron hesitated for a moment but then Hermione placed her hand on his wrist and lowered his wand, “Ron if they wanted us dead we would be already.”

“Ok so what’s with the small army with you?” Ron asked .

“I was about ta apparate ta meet yoos at our scheduled time when I was attacked by a group of people. We don’t know who they were;   we had never encountered them before. I called for help and me mates here answered me call. Once we defended ourselves from the attack everyone felt it would be better if they all accompanied me to retrieve you,” Mr. Jones said as he wiped the sweat off his brow with the sleeve of his shirt. “And if it’s alright with yoos I would like ta get goin' and get out of this heat here mate.”

“Right, lead the way then Mr. Jones,” Hermione cut in when Ron appeared as he may have more questions.

Mr. Jones and the rest of the group stepped closer to the couple tightening the circle around them and then turned and faced outwards. Mr. Jones let out a sigh of relief, “I’m glad we found yoos, we didn’t know what had happened ta you when you weren’t at the ridgy didge meetin' location.”

“We didn’t think it’d be smart to remain stationary in an unfamiliar land, when you didn’t show up we figured something went wrong.” Ron said he dried his brow on his sleeve, “So where are we going?”

“I am takin' yoos ta our Ministry;  there we will meet our Minister of Magic. She’s a fierce Sheila, but capable. Okay let’s be off then the sun will be gone in moments.” Mr. Jones advised as he extended his arm to the couple. Ron and Hermione grasped each-others hands and then together took Mr. Jones by the arm and with a pop the couple and their escort disappeared.

They reappeared in a large, greatly furnished office which had a large overburdened desk in the middle. There behind large dark desk was a middle-aged witch in midnight purple velvet robes. She had purple black hair, with soul piercing ice-cold blue eyes. Her face was slender and pointy as she looked up to the new arrivals and their guest with a glare that would have made Professor McGonagall flinch beneath it.