La Paz del Mundo

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2:15 pm

August 1, 2005

The man made his way through the summer crowds on Chicago's Navy Peir. A majority of the people just walked on by him, but an eighth smiled at his bottle green eyes and the lightening bolt scar on his forehead. It hadn't taken the magical community of Chicago long to discover his presence; but he was used to it by now.

Harry Potter never made a quite entrance.

Harry smiled at all of the sticky faced and fingered youngsters eating churros and Italian ices, and tried to encourage their parents silently. He finally reached the center of the pier, and made his way to the Chicago Shakespeare Theatre. He tried to look inconspicuous as he vanished behind a door underneath a stair case. Leave it to Kate to pick a public place, and a theatre on top of it, as an access point to the H.C.

He followed the stairs down a damp passage. He still couldn't believe that an organization that was on the cutting edge couldn't update its entrances. Harry went 100 yards more when he came to an empty cavern with four circles, one black, one blue, one green, and one gold. He stepped into the gold and mumbled to himself.

When he looked back up, he was in a sterile looking white and chrome room. Benny stood before him, dressed in a kind of uniform. It was high collared, and black with red trim, and four red bars on each sleeve. Harry supposed they showed rank. Benny looked up from the file he was reading and smirked.

"Potter, how did Granger and Weasley manage to get here before you? I mean, you're loosing your touch, Harry. C'mon, let's go; they're in Ka...I mean, the back office."

Harry followed Benny to the back of the room, passing other people, all of them ranging from fourteen to twenty-one, twenty-two. Harry could see eight people through the plate glass that made up the back office. He knew Chris Jordan wasn't one of the Elite Eight, but he seemed close to all of them. He and Dani were singing much to the entertainment of the others. Benny held the office door open for Harry, and when they had both entered, he slammed it. Chris and Dani stopped singing, looks of shock plastered on their faces. Harry saw Hermione muttering a spell to replace part of the plate glass.

He kissed Hermione in hello and then turned his gaze to the office. It had that freshly emptied look, the one most cubicles get when an employee is handed a cardboard box and told to clear out with in the hour. Benny sat behind the modern looking desk and threw the file down.

"Chris get out."

"But, Ben..."

"OUT, CHRISTOPHER! I've warned you before. Yea, we trust you, but Victoria told us no more. And I am NOT messin' with her when she's that pissy. Now leave."

Chris went to the door. "Ya know, man, Kate would've let me stay. I mean, that's wack man; I live in the friggin' apartment. I co-own the damn thing! It's not like I won't find out what's going on." The door shut silently behind him.

Benny sighed and put his head in his hands. He stayed that way for a few minutes, and then looked up. Dani was looking at him with concern in her eyes; Harry, Hermione and Ron tried not to look. It seemed to be an intensely privet moment. Harry coughed and Benny started in.

"We found this going through our international clippings. Teen en español. An article on la actriz Kate Morgan. Complete with picture." he opened the file and passed around copies of what Harry found to be a translation of the article and a copy of its picture. "It came into the international branch this morning, sometime around eight. They're trying to see if it's a recent article, or one that's just been delayed by the editor. If it's recent... well then, it looks like we may have found them. The article says that they're in..."

Just then, they all heard foot steps resonating outside the office door. Ron thought he was hallucinating for a moment; the footsteps almost sounded like Kate's. He held his breath and watched as the door knob turned... and in stepped a woman. She was a good four inches taller than Kate, somewhere around 5'9, with long black hair cascading down her back. She wore a uniform similar to Benny's, but had five red bars on her sleeves instead of the four the Elite Eight wore.

"That they're in La Isla de Margarita, Venezuela. You'll leave tomorrow morning."

Benny gave the three newbies a smile. "Harry, Hermione, Ron, this is Victoria. Victoria, these are the best and brightest of Hogwarts."

"So I've heard. Hello, and welcome to the H.C." She leaned over and shook all of their hands. "Benny, how far are you into the briefing?"

"Just started."

"Mind if I take over?"

"Be my guest." Benny looked more than a little relivedto hand the briefing over to his boss. He let out a sigh of relief and took his seat between Dani and Jarrod. Victoria continued.

"Okay, here we go." She took out her wand, snapped her wrist, and a small table with a detailed map rose from the floor.

"Nice parlor trick," Hermione mumbled. She didn't much care for all the pomp and pageantry the Americans put into their office and work. Harry nudged her to keep silent and returned his attention to the table and Victoria.

"Margarita Island, Venezuela. Or, La Isla de Margarita. You'll fly American Airlines to Miami tomorrow, where you'll proceed to take another flight to Caracas, the capital..."

"Um, excuse me, but, HOW IN THE WORLD did you decide to send us to Venezuela? I mean, we don't even know that they're there, right?" Harry looked at his girlfriend. As much as he despised the man, Snape had been right; she needed to learn when to hold her tongue and when to speak.

But Victoria kept her cool; to a point, that was. "Ms. Granger, I realize that you were top of your class in England, and that you got away with quite a bit; but we are a military institution. You will follow your orders without question. Because, as of now, and as far as I'm concerned, you have no rank. You are a civilian until I give you a uniform. And when you receive said uniform, you will still be lower than me, and will only speak with my permission, and when I am through, do you understand me?"

Hermione kept a level gaze and didn't acknowledge the question.

"Do you, Ms. Granger? Because if I don't hear and answer in the next thirty seconds, I will seriously consider sending you back to London instead of Caracas. Now, do we have an understanding?"

"Yes."

"I'm sorry, what was that?"

"Yes, ma'am."

Victoria gave a firm nod. "Then let's finish this briefing. Then, Benny will take you to get fitted for your uniforms. Now, as I was saying..."

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5:54 pm

August 1, 2005

"How DARE she! Harry, how could you let her? She spoke to me like I was five years old!" Hermione turned on Benny. He was taking them back to Kate's apartment, where they had been staying, after getting them their uniforms. "Is she always that heinous, Benny?"

Benny actually laughed. The man had more balls than Harry had thought. Then again, he might not have known that laughing at an upset Hermione was dangerous to you health.

"Hermione, you've only been here a month, and I'll tell you right now, Victoria gave us hell for our first year. Kate, Matt, and I shook her off after nine months, but she tortured poor Nikola until the girl had a melt down. Nik went completely nuts, and she was throwing papers around the office and spilled Victoria's coffee all over her lap. It made for one entertaining week, but Nik had to clean the lavatories for the next month. The sooner you stand up to her the better, but not until you prove yourself. Wait until after this mission to take our dear old Victoria on. And here you go..." he used his key to get the elevator to Kate's apartment.

The Trio's eyes went wide. Kate had bought the top four floors of a high rise a year before she had gone to the UK. Benny had told them she had just finished the move in a week before she left. Where the elevator had left them, Harry, Hermione and Ron could see that the entire living room had floor to wall windows facing Lake Michigan and that the space could easily be converted for parties of both the high school and high class kind. They could see the gourmet kitchen and dinning room from where they were standing as well. And when Benny was taking them up the stairs (plain but classy, modern, but with more pizzazz) they peeked into Kate's screening room. It had about twelve regular movie theatre seats, and three of the "love seats" in the back. It almost seemed wasteful to Hermione.

On the other three floors were the bedrooms. Each of the Elite had their own, along with Chris' room, plus three guest rooms to spare, each with either privet or connecting bathroom and sitting room, complete with fire place. Kate had put actual thought into this place, or at least thought as to making the people living with her comfortable.

But the living room (Benny and the rest called it the "fronchroom") and its pool table, and mega entertainment center, CDs, DVDs, and amazing view weren't what impressed Hermione the most. What Hermione liked best about the apartment was the fact that Kate had converted the top of the building into a kind of enclosed garden and pool. There was almost every plant and tree indigenous to the area were planted around an indoor patio and grill for winter parties. The pool even came part way into the glass enclosure and was heated for winter swimming.

For lack of a better expression, the place was tricked out.

Harry and Hermione decided to share one of the guest rooms, while Ron took one next to Shannon's room; not that he'd be using his own bed. Nikola pointed this out, and Ron just shrugged them off.

When they had all settled in, Benny pre-ordered food from Luke's Italian Beef and got ready to run out and pick it up. Just as he called for the elevator, it opened up and out stepped Victoria. Benny looked shocked but kept it together.

"Hey, Victoria. You want me to pick you up a sandwich too, or did you eat already?"

"Thanks, Ben, but I'm okay. I just came over to tell you something about the case."

"Victoria, what's wrong? I mean, is there anything wrong, or did you just forget to tell us something?"

"Oh no, nothing's wrong. It's just that I talked to Chris after I spoke with you, and I've decided to send Chris, Aeneas, and Adonis with you. They know Kate and Matt pretty well, and I feel that they'd be indispensable on a case like this."

"Victoria! But you told me before that..."

"I know what I said before, Benjamin, but what I say goes. They're to go with you, understood?" Benny nodded. "Good. Go get your food, and get to bed early. I want you at H.Q. by 0500 hours, no later, so I can perform the necessary charms and such. Good night."

She turned on her heel and left. As soon as the elevator doors closed, Benny slammed his fist into a wall.

"GODDAMN IT! I fuckin' hate it when she does this!"

Dani went over to sooth him. "Listen, you're friends with Chris and Adonis, and Aeneas is your best friend..."

"It's not that, Dani. I just don't want her changing the rules whenever she wants to." He shook his head. "But whatever. We're gonna go find Kate and Matt, bring them back home, and everything will go back to normal. You know where the keys for the Alpina are?"

"Benny, you know that's Kate's baby... and that she would never let you drive it."

"Yea, I do know that, but where the hell am I supposed to put the food on my bike? And I don't want the paint on it scratched."

"Then don't do anything stupid, as hard as that may be for you. C'mon, Ben, Kate gave you that bike for your birthday so you'd leave her car alone. And I'm sure you'll find something to do with the food."

"Fine. I'm going, I'm going. Pass me the Adventure keys then, will you? Thanks, babe." He gave her a peck on the cheek and left.

Hermione looked at Dani.

"Kate bought him a motorcycle?"

"Yep."

"And that doesn't bother you? I mean, its kind of an expensive birthday gift isn't it?"

"Yea, but they're like family."

"But how can it not bother you?"

"You know, I think I liked you better back in England, where you didn't ask questions because you thought you knew everything. And the reason it doesn't bother me, Hermione, is the fact that Benny got two tickets driving Kate's car, and Kate got sick of being watched when she drove, so she got him his own crotch rocket. That's justifiable, isn't it?"

"I guess so." Hermione looked down. It was way too quiet.

"Look, Hermione, I didn't mean to snap. It's just that we've barely had a month with our families since we got back; we had to tell Mr. and Mrs. Morgan and the Quinnlins that there is a STRONG possibility that their children are dead, and now have to worry about training the three of you while solving another mission. Let's just go swimming, or hot tubing or something. Then we'll eat and hit the sack."

Harry liked that idea. "I'll get our gear." He headed up the stair case and looked back down at Dani. "Did you say hot tub?"

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5:00 am

August 2, 2005

Aeneas Nike wiped his eyes and mumbled to his twin, "Its way to fucking early for this shit." He had forgotten how uncomfortable the uniforms could be. At least they all had to wear them;

Adonis smiled; he had always been a morning person. "Relax, man, we'll be done in a few secs and we can sleep at the airport. Just chilax brah."

Hermione leaned past Aeneas to look at Adonis. They sounded exactly the same, and looked exactly the same, accept for their hair. Aeneas was blonde (definitely not natural, but it looked good all the same) with black tips, while Adonis had stuck with his natural dark brown hair with blonde tips. Both of them wore their hair spiked in the same style. The same but opposite. Hermione found they created an intriguing, yet damn good looking, paradox. Adonis was more serious, while Aeneas was a complete smart ass. If she hadn't been dating Harry, she would have been more than willing to try puzzling them out.

Hermione bit her lip, then cleared her throat and addressed Adonis. "Um... why are we here exactly?"

He smiled a smile that made her weak in the knees. "The charms will enable us to speak in English, but be understood in Spanish. In plain terms, we open our mouths, they hear Spanish; they open their mouths, we hear English. It's just a lot easier than having to explain why you look Hispanic but can't speak a damn word of the language. That's another thing; they'll charm us to look Hispanic. Not overly done, but not lily white, either. That answer your question?"

Hermione gulped. Her thoughts raced through her mind. This could be very very bad. Bad bad bad, Hermione. DON'T think THAT way! But she answered, "Yeah, it did. Thanks."

"Always happy to help."

Aeneas broke in here. "Stop flirting for Christ's sake; her boyfriend's right there! I mean, hit on someone single at least." He rolled his eyes as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Or at the very least, wait for him to go take a piss or something. Jesus." When Aeneas was done, he looked at Hermione. "Forgive my brother, 'Mione. He just doesn't understand women the way I do." He flashed her an identical smile. Hermione never thought she'd say this, but thank GOD Victoria got to her when she did.

But unfortunately, it wasn't before she saw Aeneas' smile. Shit.

"Hermione, ignore Aeneas; he thinks he can bed whomever he wants when we all know he doesn't have the... let's say, proper "equipment" for the job." She smiled. "Ready, Hermione?"

Hermione nodded, and as she did so, she couldn't help smiling. Victoria had actually stuck up for her.

"Cambia."

That was all Victoria said, then she smiled at Hermione, and continued down the line. She looked over at Harry... and was completely shocked.

Harry was a shade of dark brown, his scar was gone, and, quite possibly the most shocking to Hermione, his eyes were no longer their familiar bottle green. Instead, they were this deep, deep blue that somehow still managed to sparkle. And his hair was this light brown color... his new appearance made Hermione say "Aeneas and Adonis who? But Harry beat her to the punch.

"'Mione, close your mouth, love. And you should look in a mirror." Harry leaned in closer and whispered in her ear. "Nice dreds, 'Mione." He pulled back, grinning like the cat that caught the canary. Hermione felt the gasp catch in her throat. Victoria wouldn't... would she? I mean, sure they had gotten off on the wrong foot, but she wouldn't just... oh God!

Hermione practically ran to the mirror hanging up behind her.

Well, she didn't have dreds. But her hair was now black instead of brown, and her eyes were an icy gray color. As for her skin tone, it didn't look any different than when she over tanned in the summer. She thought she looked good. She turned to Harry.

"Potter, you're dead!"

He laughed and took off around the office. Hermione took chase, and five minutes later had him trapped in a corner. Just as she was about to make her move, Benny called to them.

"Harry! Hermione! Stop goofing around! We have a flight to catch, and don't forget the security check points! Let's move!"

Hermione looked at Harry and smiled.

"You're safe for now... but you're all mine when we get to Miami."

"Is that a promise, Ms. Granger?"

"You could stake your life on it, Mr. Potter."

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