After The War - DARKNESS WITHIN (HP9)

Chapter 8 - Into Nowhere

"This is boring." Ron groaned crumpling another parchment away. It was only the second day at work and they were already bored of going through old case scrolls.

"This is only temporary, remember Jones said she will get us on the field once she has us properly equipped." Harry told him carefully filling in the big book with criminal records.

"I can't imagine what grandpa Weasley is going through." Ron sighed. "I hate doing nothing!"

"I know how you feel." Harry said sympathetically.

By noon Jones came hurrying to their desk with a slim, tall man with black hair and black eyes. He wore long green robes and had a bored look on his face.

"Harry, Ron, I would like you to meet Boris Gregar. He is a former Hogwarts student too!" Jones said. Boris Gregar gave a small nod in acknowledgment.
"He will be helping me with the new recruits in the auror department. Perhaps you remember each other from school?" All three of them shook their heads.

"No? That's alright. In a few months we will be getting another round of students applying to become an auror and we are already running on limited staff so the sooner we get you into the field the better."

"I'm going away on an undercover mission so I'm leaving Gregar in charge of you two. I want you to listen to him, he has very good instincts." Jones said slapping Gregar on the back.

"Oh! How wonderful!" She said when she noticed how few scrolls were remaining. "You are almost done updating the criminal database. Good job!"

All the while she spoke, Gregar stood silently next to her with a stern look on his face. Harry and Ron didn't say anything either but they had a strange feeling that they met Gregar before. Gregar seemed to recognise them too as he stared unblinkingly at Harry's scar.

"Alright then! I best get going now. Have a lot to prepare for." Jones said finally. "I'll leave you three to get aquatinted."

Harry had a sense of dread the moment Hestia Jones walked away. It was almost as though she was leaving them alone with something heavy to deal with.

"You have a lot to finish before you can get on the field. I would have this finished by tonight if I were you." Gregar said pointing at the rest of the scrolls.

"I think we've met?" Harry told Gregar uncertainty.

"I don't smalltalk. That is the first  rule you need to remember if you want to continue working at the ministry." Gregar said before stomping away.

"Oh he definitely knows us." Ron said watching him walk away. "How did we get from bad to worse in just a few days?" Harry sighed.

*******

It was midnight as Hermione stood at the entrance hall waiting nervously. She hid behind a suit of armour incase Flitch came that way.

She was already questioning her decision to listen to Malfoy. It was the curiosity to see what Malfoy was up to that made her wait for him and not run back to her dormitory. It would ofcourse be easier to put her head down and finish the year without any trouble but after getting the news about Ron's grandfather, she felt she had to do something to be useful.

Suddenly she heard footsteps coming closer. She pushed herself further into the shadows of the suit f armour, silent and alert.

A slim figure came into view. Malfoy's rugged blond hair combed back. He had worn black robes with silver stripe at the border. Even though he looked skinnier than ever, he was holding himself with a lot more confidence than she had seen him since school began that year.