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"I'm going with you," Hermione told Smith as the next SUV pulled up and the agent made to climb into the back seat.

"Suit yourself, Inspector," Smith replied sliding over to the far side of the rear seat, realizing that the irate witch wasn't going to take no for an answer. The dark haired wizard waited for her to get seated and pull the door closed before speaking again. "Where can we drop you?" Smith enquired as Willis climbed into the passenger side of the front seat and the vehicle started out.

"Wherever he is going to," Hermione replied as she slipped her wand out and cleaned the blood from her hand with a silent Scourgify.

"St. Mary's," Smith informed the driver who simply gave a nod to indicate that he had heard.

"Was he hurt that bad?" Hermione asked, not liking the note of concern she heard in her own voice.

"Yes, but he'll be fine by the time we reach the hospital, Inspector," Smith replied. "He's become very adept at repairing himself over the years. By the time we arrive he'll have already taken care of his injuries."

Hermione didn't say anything and just stared out the window as the dark SUV rolled along. Harry. Harry! Harry? How could that be Harry, her mind boggled at the thought. What happened to you, Harry?

It had been a decade since she had left England, and she had made it a point to avoid any news concerning her homeland when possible. The first two years away she had focused on her parents and had little time for anything else. The person she had just seen, that had laid waste to a building, killing everyone but two people indiscriminately, was not the Harry she had known all those years ago.

"Is that why?" Hermione asked as she head shot around to look towards Agent Smith. "Was I asked to be in on this operation because we had been friends?"

"You were his friend?" Smith asked with a great deal of surprise in his tone, only to see her nod once. "I guess that explains it," he added thoughtfully turning to look at the headrest before him absently as he processed that piece of information.

"Explains what?" the head of TASS enquired.

"When we initially heard that Davis was in this area and we were outlining the plans to come here, Archangel asked if you were still working here," Smith told her.

"So he asked that I be a part of the assignment then?" Hermione asked.

"No. He merely asked if you were here and when we confirmed it he didn't say anything else the entire meeting. You have to understand that he typically never says anything at any of the meetings," the Agent clarified. "I don't know if the higher ups were more shocked that he knew your name or that he actually spoke. They did some checking and requested that you be included as the direct liaison for the joint operation. When asked if your presence would cause a problem he simply shook his head and then walked out of the room. Personally I think the Bureau thought they were doing him a favor by giving him the opportunity to see a friend. Till then none of us knew he had any friends outside of MIB."

Friends? Are we still actually friends? I have no clue what has been happening in Harry's life nor have I made any effort to find out. As much as it pained her to admit it, she knew that she had not been a friend to the wizard for a long time. It's not like he's gone out of his way to find me either. Hermione's brows creased in confusion as she replied, "So he didn't ask that I be a part of this?"

Smith smiled though it held little humor. "Don't take it personally, he never asks for anything. The Bureau has him setup in a high class penthouse apartment in DC. The bars may be gilded but he knows it for the cage that it is. It's just better looking than most with better food and cable television. I'm certain he could leave if he chose to, especially after what he pulled at the White House. I guess he realizes that if he wants to hunt Dark wizards then he has to play by MIB rules."

"They would rather have him on our side than against them so they make certain to take good care of him. They make sure to pay him a very comfortable income as well as living expenses to cover anything he could possibly need. He doesn't lack for anything, though he doesn't ask for anything either. To the best of my knowledge, every cent they've ever paid him is still sitting in the bank account they established for him. When he's home, if you want to call it that, all he does is prepare."

"Prepare?" Hermione found herself asking, intrigued, though not surprised at what she was hearing.

"For the next mission, the next assignment. The next chance to hunt those sorry souls unfortunate enough to be on his list," Smith told her matter-of-factly.

"That doesn't sound much like living, Agent Smith," Hermione said after a few moments of silence where they were both lost in their own thoughts.

"No Ma`am," Smith replied, his tone clearly indicating the fact that he was not thrilled about the current situation. "Hard to live when you're already dead."

The bushy haired witch remembered the emotionless expression that Harry had worn when she had confronted him earlier and a cold shiver ran down her spine as she recalled what she had told Jess earlier that day 'You can't kill that many people without it doing something to you.' Oh Harry, what have you done to yourself? With nothing to say she could do little more than stare out the window at the passing scenery. A sudden thought popped into her head. How did Harry know I was here?

"Davis wasn't there," Smith said, cutting into her thoughts before she could find an answer to her own question.

She felt regret that they had missed their mark but at the same time there was a spark of relief. Harry will have to stay a bit longer it seems, that thought alone causing her to smile slightly till she realized it meant that he would probably have to kill again because of that. "He's bound to turn up," Hermione replied. It was a simple truth that bad people like Davis just couldn't stay away. The world would be a much nicer place to live if they could. But then I would be out of a job, she told herself. Not exactly a bad thing considering the trade-off. The remainder of the ride passed in silence.

-oOo-

The SUV came to a stop before St. Mary's Hospital and Hermione opened the door to get out when she was stopped by the Agent's voice. "Look in the children's ward, Inspector. If he's likely to be found it will probably be there."

It didn't take long to find the children's ward of the hospital. She knew she had the right place by the two MIB Agents that were standing just up the hallway from the metal doors leading into the ward. Neither Agent batted an eye behind their dark glasses as she briskly walked past them. Just outside the doors to the ward, she paused as she heard laughter and squeals of joy coming from within accompanied by several voices yell "Me next! Me Next! Do me next!" As quietly as possible she eased open the door just enough to see what was taking place within.

Harry was standing in the middle of the room with a group of young children gathered around him and two beds that had children in them. Some were seated upon chairs, others in wheelchairs and some sat upon the floor as they all watched in wide eyed wonder.

"Alright then, who's next," said a voice that caused the witch outside to inhale sharply at the pain in her chest. It had been a decade since last she had heard that voice of her friend from school. It wasn't the dispassionate voice that had spoken to her only a short while ago. This was someone else in the other room, this was her Harry from Hogwarts and not some killer that had just wiped out an entire building - bad guys, hostages and all. "You there, Brian wasn't it?"

"Yes, Sir," replied a small boy seated towards the back of the group who couldn't be more than six or seven.

"Why don't you come up here and we'll let you be a part of the next trick," Harry said. Seeing people start to move so the boy could wheel his chair to the front the wizard continued, "No, you can leave the chair there. No need to bring it with you."

"Bu…but I...I can't walk, Sir," the young boy said in a sad quiet voice as his eyes dropped to his lap in shame at his disability. "Maybe you should pick someone else," he said, just loud enough for those gathered to hear.

Harry rubbed at the stubble on his jaw in a thoughtful gesture as if considering Brian's words carefully. "No. No, that just won't do," he finally replied. "If you can't walk then I guess you'll just have to fly!" Harry exclaimed as he silently and wandlessly levitated the boy before flying him around the room several times.

Hermione, standing by the door had a clear view of the small boys face as he had risen from the wheelchair, it was a priceless look of wonder that she somehow knew she would always remember for the rest of her life. The witch watched the child fly about the room squealing with happiness. "Show-off," she whispered softly to herself as Harry had the boy do several barrel rolls and flips before bringing Brian to stand directly before him.

"That was BRILLIANT!" Brian exclaimed out of breath from laughing so hard. "Can we do it again?"

"Perhaps later," Harry replied. "I was hoping that you could help me with a bit of magic though, Brian," he offered upon seeing the boy's look of disappointment. Brian's head bobbed up and down quickly even as the smile reappeared upon his face. "Great! I think you need an assistant though. How about you?" Harry asked, pointing to petite child sitting on the floor. "What's your name?"

"It's Cindy," the small girl replied with large blue eyes opened overly wide in astonishment at being called upon.

"A perfect name for such a pretty girl!" Harry exclaimed with a broad grin only to see Cindy's face break out into a huge smile at his words.

Hermione watched as a small, very frail looking girl stood and self-consciously ran a small hand over her hairless scalp. Cancer, the poor Dear, the witch thought to herself feeling extremely sorry for the child.

Harry quickly had the girl stand in front of the group, facing away from Brian and himself. "You trust me right, Cindy?" Harry asked the small girl who nodded hesitantly that she did. "Good girl," Harry replied with a reassuring smile. Quickly he leaned over and whispered in Brian's ear while removing a cloak from a small pouch attached to his hip.

Hermione recognize the cloak almost instantly, even though it had been some time since she had last seen it. As Harry passed the cloak to Brian, who remained floating in the air as if he was standing, she suspected what was about to happen and couldn't help but grin.

"I give you, Brian and Cindy! Two up and coming Magicals!" Harry said before stepping to the side to leave the two children in front of their peers.

"I will now attempt to make my lovely assistant," Brian said loudly with a flourish towards Cindy, as he got into the showmanship role, "disappear right before your eyes! Behold! Vanish!" The floating boy yelled as he tossed the cloak around the small girl causing her, as well as the cloak, to vanish before the eyes of everyone watching.

There were many gasps and squeals as the other kids saw Cindy apparently vanish. Before the budding magician could bring his assistant back, though, a small head suddenly appeared hovering in midair, "But I'm still here," Cindy said loudly causing those present to start to laugh at the comical picture of the disembodied floating head.

"A big round of applause for Brian and Cindy," Harry said as he stepped up and removed the invisibility cloak from the blushing girl. Harry carefully maneuvered Brian back to his wheelchair as Cindy returned to her seat on the floor only to be heavily praised by several of the other children seated around her for doing such a splendid job.

In a matter of a few moments all the children were asking if they could be Magicals too. Hermione, hearing the many questions, decided it was her queue to enter. Everything that Harry had been doing was against the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy, no matter how happy it made the children. As she stepped into the room all the eyes, including Harry's turned to look at her.

Harry sighed and sat down upon the floor with his legs folded before him only to pause upon seeing Hermione enter. "I think I'm in trouble," Harry stage whispered to the gathered audience causing several of them to giggle.

"Don't yell at Harry!" Exclaimed Cindy as she jumped up and ran around Harry, spreading her arms to block Hermione from reaching him.

Hermione couldn't help but grin at the picture of this small little girl with angry blue eyes and a determined expression trying to protect the most ruthless of hit wizards, known throughout the world as the Angel of Death. "I wouldn't think of it," she replied as she slowly crossed the distance from the door to the group of children. Hermione nearly laughed aloud as Cindy climbed into Harry's lap and crossed her arms defiantly over her chest while shooting Hermione a challenging glare as if daring her to say something mean to Harry.

Harry cleared his throat and turned back towards the waiting children, adjusting the small bundle of arms and legs in his lap to a more comfortable position. "Ah yes, being magical," he said as if suddenly remembering what they had all been clamoring for but a few moments before.

"Can I be magical, Harry?" Cindy asked in earnest from Harry's lap as she gazed up at him with those large blue eyes of hers.

"I think you're pretty magical already with how you suddenly appeared in my lap," he told her as he gave her a hug that elicited a squeal of delight from the petite cancer patient. "As much as I wish everyone could perform real magic, sadly not everyone can."

"But why can you do it and I can't?" asked a slightly older boy seated upon the foot of one of the beds.

Seeing Harry pause to consider his answer, Hermione jumped in. Old habits die hard I guess. "Why does Cindy have blue eyes or you have black hair," she asked the boy who had posed the question.

"I was just born this way," the boy replied with a shrug of his shoulders.

"Exactly. Just as some people are born with light eyes, dark hair or even blonde hair for that matter, some people are born with the ability to do magic," she explained to the rapt audience before her. "It isn't anything that you did or Harry did that decided that he could do magic and you couldn't."

"But that's not fair!" the boy exclaimed disappointedly as he realized that he would never be able to do the things Harry had done.

"Everyone is different," Harry chimed in. "Some people are great at sports. Some can play musical instruments while others can sing. You certainly do not want to hear me try and sing," he told them with a grin. "Sounds about the same as when you step on a cat's tail," he added causing several to laugh and others to grin. "Everyone is special in their own way. Each and every one of you are special, and I happen to think that is pretty magical."

"It's the middle of the night and the nurse will be here soon, so back to bed for the lot of you," Harry said rising to his feet while holding onto Cindy who had her small arms thrown around his neck. His words were greeted with groans of disapproval and cries for more magic. With a wave of his hand he called forth dragons and fairies to playfully chase the boy and girls back to their beds amongst peals of laughter and gales of giggles.

Hermione watched as Harry made the rounds and said good night to each and every child, offering each words that were specifically just for them. Finally the wizard reached the empty bed near the end of the room and gently set Cindy down before tucking her in. It warmed Hermione's heart to see Harry being so caring and loving like a normal person. The two of them turned to leave to the cries of goodbye and thanks.

Hermione walked beside her one time friend who crossed to the elevator and hit the up button. "It's a shame that the Obliviators will be arriving soon to erase their memories. I could see just how happy they were," she said as they waited for the doors to open. "Sometimes laughter truly is the best medicine."

"The room was warded. The Obliviators will never know magic was done there tonight unless you tell them," came the cold dispassionate reply in the same tone of voice she had heard earlier at the end of the operation. "Those children deserve a little magic in their lives."

Hermione actually had to turn and look at the man beside her to make certain it was still Harry and not someone else given the dramatic change in demeanor. Before she could think of something to say, the elevator arrived and they stepped in. Harry quickly hit the button for the fourth floor. "Another group to see?" she asked innocently, trying to keep the conversation light.

"No," was Harry's only reply.

As soon as the elevator reached the fourth floor and the doors opened Harry stepped out and headed down the hall, leaving her little choice but to follow in his wake. Just before they walked in front of the nurse's station, Harry flicked his hand and Hermione felt the familiar tingle of a Notice-Me-Not charm settle over her. Hermione sighed and continued to follow her former friend, finding it hard to see the Harry from her school days within the hit wizard walking before her once more.

When Harry paused at the door to one of the rooms, and then entered after knocking softly, she had little choice but to follow him in. There were still a great many questions she wanted and needed answers to. She wasn't about to let him out of her sight till she had them. It seemed that the longer she was around him the more questions kept coming to mind.

"Hi Beautiful. How's my number one girl today?" Harry's voice floated to her from behind the privacy screening. Once again the wizard's tone had turned to one she had never heard before as it held within it so much love and caring that it nearly broke her heart to hear it. "Is it alright if I talk with you?"

Hermione stepped around the screen, feeling as if she was intruding upon a private moment. She had never, in all the years they had spent together at Hogwarts, heard Harry speak in the tone of voice he was now using. Situated on the hospital bed was a small, childlike patient bandaged from head to toe as near as Hermione could tell. The only thing visible was one brown eye which flashed at her before returning to Harry.

"Hi Sara," Harry said as he slipped his hand within the girl's in the bed.

"You came back!" a soft girlish voice, tinged with happiness, spoke within the wizard's head.

"I said I would, didn't I?" he replied with a gentle smile.

"I know, but I wasn't certain that you would."

"And miss the chance to see you? Not likely, Angel," he replied with a soft chuckle.

"Who's that?"

Hermione listened to the one sided conversation from the foot of the bed only to see Sara glance in her direction and then Harry turn to look at her as well. Having worked within law enforcement for some time, and seen all manner of injuries, it didn't take long for the witch to determine that beneath the bandages were severe burns.

"Inspector, meet Sara. Sara meet Inspector Granger," Harry said in way of introduction as he glanced towards Hermione. "Sara is a very special girl. She's an empath as well as possessing the ability to speak mind to mind. A very special girl."

"A pleasure to meet you, Sara. It's just Hermione. No need for the Inspector Granger part" Hermione offered with a forced smile as she tried to deny the sharp pain of hurt in her chest she felt upon hearing Harry not even use her first name when introducing her.

"I am not." Sara protested Harry's words after Hermione finished introducing herself.

Harry chuckled softly as he turned his attention back towards the girl in the bed. "You are too, and you also have problems with accepting compliments. You're special to me and you know I'm not lying when I tell you that."

"I know. You can never lie to me."

"Why would I ever want to?" Harry countered with a small smile.

"Does she take good care of you?"

"That's not her job," Harry replied in a neutral tone.

Sara regarded the wizard for a very long time till Harry had to look away. "So she's the one?"

"It doesn't matter," Harry replied silently.

"Why not?" Sara's tone of mental voice in Harry's head sounded confused.

"That was long ago," he replied mentally, not wanting the witch in the room to be privy to their conversation.

"I want to speak to her."

"No," was Harry's quick silent reply.

"Please," the girl's mental voice whined. "I haven't much time left to me."

"I know. I wish you'd stop saying that though," the wizard added aloud.

"I'm sorry, Harry. I know you don't like to think about it. Please Harry? Let me talk to her."

"She'd like to speak with you," Harry said without taking his eye off the girl in the bed.

Hermione walked to the other side of the bed. It was clear to her by Harry's tone that he was not happy with her speaking to the injured girl. "What do I have to do?"

Harry gave a slightly pleading look towards Sara once again before replying, "Just take her hand in yours. Don't worry about the burns. I numbed her pain centers a long time ago."

Hermione slid her hand under the small bandaged one. Even knowing what to expect she was still slightly startled when she heard a voice in her head.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Hermione."

"Harry's right, you are special," Hermione replied offering a friendly smile.

"So he's been telling me," a young feminine voice laced with exasperation sounded once more within her mind. "Personally I don't see it."

"Harry usually knows what he's talking about," Hermione replied.

"He certainly thinks he does," Sara's mental voice said humorously.

"Sara!" Harry's voice suddenly sounded in both their minds, somehow managing to sound offended and wounded at the same time. Both girls gave a mental chuckle that was clearly heard by the only wizard present.

"Harry, can you give us a little privacy?" Sara asked.

"I'd rather not," he replied honestly.

"Please."

Rather than saying anything further, Harry stood, releasing Sara's hand and walked over to the only window in the room to stare out at the city lights below. In the reflection on the glass he saw Hermione glance sharply in his direction several times over the next ten minutes.

"Harry, Sara would like to speak with you again," Hermione said finally.

"I'm assuming you're here in the middle of the night because you have some news for me," Sara sent him as soon as he held her hand once again.

Harry nodded slightly. "It's over. I got him," he replied silently not bothering to speak aloud as he knew Hermione, who was still holding Sara's other hand, could hear him. "He'll never hurt you or anyone else again."

"I see," came Sara's slow mental reply, tinged with both happiness as well as sorrow. "It's finally over then? I can rest now?"

"You don't have to go," Harry offered hopefully.

"I'll miss you to, Harry," came Sara's amused reply. "We both know that I was only waiting for this. I couldn't have done it for this long without you, Harry."

"What can I do for you?" Harry asked softly. "Anything at all. You need only name it."

"I…I've always wanted to ride on a broom," Sara confessed. "I wish I could go flying."

"Wish granted," Harry said as he reached into his pouch and pulled out a small broom which quickly expanded into his Firebolt. A wave of his hand and he transfigured the solid window into a pair of shutters which quickly opened allowing the night air to flow into the room. Another gesture and Sara was situated in Harry's lap where he straddled his broom. "Make sure no one comes in," he said to Hermione before dashing out the window and into the dark skies over Sydney.

Harry flew carefully about, zipping past tall dark skyscrapers and under bridges. Each action bringing with it a squeal of delight in his mind from his passenger.

"Thank you Harry! This is so awesome!" Sara's ecstatic voice sounded in his mind. "I see now why you love it so much!"

"Anything for the most special girl in my life," Harry replied, happy that he could grant her wish to fly on a broom.

"Anything?" Sara asked. Harry, in the midst of a slow curve around another tall building simple looked down with a smile and nodded once. "Then you need to tell her."

There was a long pause before he replied. "Sorry, Beautiful, but I can't do that."

"I thought you said anything?" Sara said in a pouting tone.

"Anything but that," Harry replied.

"I didn't know 'anything' had limitations attached to it," she whined. Seeing that she wasn't going to get anywhere she decided to try a different approach. "She loves you."

Harry snorted in amusement. "I didn't know you could lie this way," he stated. "You're just full of surprises."

"I'm not lying Harry. You know as well as I do that when joined this way I can't lie. Just like you can't lie to me."

"Maybe she did once and even that I'm not so certain about," he replied begrudgingly.

"Still does," Sara interjected insistently. "I felt it every time she thought of you."

"If she does then all the more reason not to tell her," Harry retaliated with. "People who love me don't usually live long. I've buried enough of them to know," the last of his mental reply came out far more vehemently than he had intended it to be.

"I'm sorry then Harry," Sara said softly in his mind. "For it seems that I will be adding yet another name to that long list of those who have loved you and you've had to bury."

"It's alright," he assured her, leaning down to kiss the crown of her head where it rested against his chest. "It's far too easy to love you, Angel. I couldn't imagine not loving you."

"Thank you Harry."

"For what?" he asked with an amused snort.

"For loving me when no one else would. For everything." Harry felt a pair of gauzed wrapped lips brush his cheek tenderly. "I love you, Harry Potter. You're my own personal angel."

"I love you too," Harry replied, blinking the tears from his eye.

"My last wish to you is for you to tell her. She needs to hear it as much as you need to say it."

Several long minutes passed as he slowly brought the broom about and headed back towards the hospital. "I'll try," he whispered aloud to the stilled body in his arms that would never again hear anyone's voice.

-oOo-

Hermione watched as Harry gently laid Sara's body back in in the hospital bed and with a wave of his hand reconnected all the monitors which remained frozen. She didn't have to look to know that the girl had passed away while flying through the air. She had clung to life till she knew that the person Harry killed was no long able to hurt anyone else, she realized.

They walked from the room and entered the elevator when it arrived. Just as the doors were closing, the alarms went off and a team for doctors and nurses ran into Sara's room with a crash cart to try to revive the girl.

Hermione could feel her emotions welling up inside of her. The day had been long as well as an emotional roller coaster ride for her. She had been shocked to see Harry again after all these years. The fact that he had destroyed an entire building, dark wizards, hostages and all with no remorse for his actions had angered her to no end. Yet given all that, seeing him playing with the children in the hospital had brought back wonderful memories of the Harry she use to know. It had raised her spirits after a long and tiring day. Meeting Sara had proven to be a shock in more ways than one. To have the poor girl pass away shortly after their first meeting just left the witch floundering.

Hermione could only imagine how Harry must be feeling. "Harry," she started to say, reaching out to grasp his arm only to be cut off abruptly.

"She's better off now," Harry stated, once more in that cold and detached tone that sent shivers down her spine.

"How can you say that?" Hermione asked in disbelief. "She's dead! How can that be better?"

"Her father was a follower of Davis back in Salem," Harry replied emotionlessly. "When he found out that his daughter was a Squib, he doused her in petrol and lit the match himself. He didn't want to soil his family name. With a family and a life like that she's better off gone so she can't be hurt by anyone ever again."

Hermione gapped in horror both at Sara's plight as well as Harry's attitude towards the girl's death. "Harry, what happened to you?" she asked in disbelief before she could stop herself.

Harry turned his head to look at her and the cold emotionless expression nearly made her take a step away from him. Gone was the Harry she knew and had seen glimpses of, only to be replaced once more by the number one hit wizard in the world. His reply, when it came, was like a physical blow. "It's not important. If it was important enough to you, then you'd already know."

Anger flared in the witch partially due to the events of the entire day and also in part to the fact that there was a heavy element of truth to his accusation. His words hurt her deeply, which was something she had never experienced from Harry before. Ron yes, Harry never. Even though she knew in that small part of her mind which was still capable of rational thought that Harry had merely stated the facts, she couldn't help the hurt that shot through her heart. "Like you did such a bloody brilliant job of keeping in touch with me!" Hermione snapped, lashing out in her pain and anger.

"I guess that says something about the both of us then, doesn't it?" he replied, then in the moment between one second and the next he was simply gone. There was no crack of apparition or portkey, he simply vanished, leaving her alone with her thoughts in the elevator.

-oOo-

"You wanted to see me, Boss?" Jess asked, sticking her head into Hermione's office.

"Yeah," Hermione replied waving the blonde witch in.

"Damn, you look like shite, Granger!" Jess said once she got a good look at the witch seated behind the desk. "Have you gotten any sleep yet?"

"I'm heading home in just a bit," Hermione replied. "In fact, right after we're done here," she assured her friend.

Jess nodded, well aware of the events that transpired last night and the amount of paperwork involved. Once again she gave thanks that it wasn't her that got chosen for Hermione's current position as the head of TASS. "What can I do for you?"

"I need you to track someone down for me," Hermione replied. Jess was like a bloodhound when it came to finding people. In the eight years that Hermione had been working with the girl she had never seen anyone better at locating people. "This is their name and their last known residence," she added passing a piece of paper across to the blonde witch.

Jess accepted the paper and took a look at it. Ronald Weasley, The Burrow, Ottery St. Catchpole, in Devon, England, she read silently to herself. "Sure thing. How high of a priority should I give this?"

Hermione chewed the inside of her lip for a long moment debating her answer. She wanted, no needed, to speak with Ron to see if he knew what had happened to Harry, but it wasn't exactly official work either. "It's more personal than work related," she finally settled on telling the waiting witch. "Work on it when you have a chance but don't go out of your way. I'll owe you one."

"Understood," Jess replied, folding the paper. "You need to get home and sleep before you fall over or have an accident while driving."

"I'm on my way now," Hermione said, rising and grabbing her purse.

"Good girl," Jess said, then proceeded to walk her boss out so that Hermione didn't get sidetracked and stay another hour or two. After seeing Hermione out she went back into the building only to find an nervous rookie looking around anxiously. "You lost or something Burns?" Jess enquired.

"Have you seen Inspector Granger?" Michael Burns asked hurriedly, clearly relieved to have found if not his target than at least the person who might best know where the sought after Inspector currently was.

"Yeah, I just sent her home," the blonde witch replied. "Something up?" Jess asked upon seeing the crest fallen look upon the young man's face.

"We need to know what to do with the group of hostages that were portkeyed into St. Bernadette's last night," the newest rookie to TASS stated.

"Get their statements and then send them home or to their closest kin," Jess told the man before sending him on his way. Once she had seen the rookie off she returned to her desk and got to work on locating one Ronald Weasley. Personal takes precedence over work any day of the week. Especially where Hermione is concerned, the buxom blonde mused silently to herself.