Harry Potter & The Knights Of Merlin's Keep

Fan fiction: Harry Potter

Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling owns Harry Potter. I own the original characters. Any similarities to persons living or dead are coincidental.

Rated R: For violence, some language, mature content, and eventual slash. Though I haven't decided how much, you have been warned.

AN: This is a revised version of the story. It is not complete and though I am working on completing it, I have many other things of higher priority (like school) that I must do first. Please read & review.

---

Aaron Devlin was a wizard. His potions were the stuff of legends in his world and his magic was unparalleled. There was little in his world that could withstand it once he got going. The evil grime that he fought daily may be persistent, but at the end of the day, it was always he who was triumphant.

"Only the pure and clean shall remain." He whispered.

"Hey Janitor!" Aaron's work was disrupted by a rather officious looking businessman tapping on his shoulder. "When you're done with those windows, my office could use some cleaning."

Aaron stood from his kneeled position and rose to his full 6 foot 2 inch height. Though not extremely tall in this day and age, he was a giant compared to the diminutive man in front of him, who barely stood 4 feet tall himself. Aaron looked down at the small man with a raised eyebrow, as if expecting something else.

"Please," The dwarfed businessman added almost hastily.

"Of course, Mr. Halvacek. I will attend to it the moment I'm finished here." His voice was a soft baritone. It held neither malice nor threat. It was the voice of dignified capitulation. "Have a good evening, sir."

"You, too." Mr. Halvacek said with an almost nervous smile as he walked towards the bank of elevators.

Aaron watched his boss leave then shook his head amusedly when he was no longer in sight.

"Arrogant ass." he whispered to himself as he went back to cleaning the lower windows.

An hour later, he had finished cleaning every office on the entire floor and was on his way down to assist the other janitors who were still lagging behind. The building must be clean by morning and even Aaron could not do the whole thing by himself. Not in the time allotted anyway.

The other janitors didn't like him that much. He constantly hounded them on their less than adequate work. No one was as meticulous as he was and though this annoyed him slightly, it was their lack of efficiency that really bothered him. It was the same night after night. He would clean the top floor by himself in the same time it took three of the others to get the next floor down. And they cut corners all the time. Thankfully there were only three floors to the office complex that they had to clean. Otherwise it would have been impossible for Aaron.

He supposed he could be a little more approachable, but he had no need for friends here. He was here to do a job, not socialize. And socialize he didn't. As the other janitors were talking and sometimes working, he cleaned. When they took breaks, he cleaned more. When they were finished, he cleaned the worst of their work. He was always the first to arrive and the last to leave.

There was one difference this morning. As he left through the side entrance, he noticed an envelope lying on the ground. It didn't look like any of the normal envelopes used for mail. This one was yellowed and appeared to be made of parchment rather than standard paper. It had emerald green lettering on the front.

Aaron picked up the letter and looked at whom it was addressed to.

A. Devlin, Head Janitor
Omnidyne Corporate Center
Portland, Maine
United States

Devlin's face curled in disgust as he removed his cigarette lighter and ignited the letter. He watched it burn into ash, his breath heavy and fast. He looked around to see who might have dropped off the letter. All he saw was a tawny owl, sitting in a tree watching him as he burned the letter. Once the letter was no more, the owl took of into the morning sky. Eastward bound he flew.

Aaron scowled. This was the third such letter he'd received in the past month. He never bothered to read them. They were the same as the one he got almost a quarter of a century earlier when he lived in England. They had to be. An acceptance letter to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Aaron would never go back to their world if he could help it. He had forsaken magic completely. There were far too many bad memories. The teasing. The ridicule. The loneliness.

He was only twelve when he left Hogwarts. He came to the United States and started a new life, without magic. When he was old enough, he got a job as a janitor and poured everything that was himself into it. Now he was one of the best.

Aaron's life was simple. He wasn't rich nor did he want to be. He had everything he wanted: A good job, a decent and clean place to live. Sure he didn't have many friends, but the ones he did have were all he wanted. He was content.

And now, Albus Dumbledore wanted to ruin that contentment. Aaron would not have that.

---

It had been three weeks since that last letter from Dumbledore. Aaron figured that he finally gave up. He was glad, for if there had been another letter, Aaron would have responded. It would have been a very unkind response.

Aaron chained up his bicycle outside the Office complex and went in to begin his work. He always started early to help make up for the fact that the rest of the staff was lazy. His boss used to mind that, but then Aaron suggested he be put on salary. Then it wouldn't matter if he worked 8 hours or 12, there would be no overtime. It also helped that he rarely asked for a raise, and when he did, it was just enough to keep him at his current living status.

Aaron was a very frugal man. He kept his lifestyle simple. He only rarely went out to eat, and even more rare, the occasional movie. He kept up with current news by reading the leftover newspapers from work. Lunch was always brown bagged and simple. He entertained himself by visiting the library and making various crafts. He found that if he needed some extra money, or if he wanted some extra to see a show that week, he could sell some of his crafts on consignment at the Mennonite craft shop. (It took him near forever to get them to charge more so they could make a profit off his crafts.)

But today, he came in even earlier at the request of his boss. He was expected to have a meeting with him. So Aaron was dressed in a collared button down shirt and his good slacks and shoes. Aaron brought his work clothes that he could change into later when the meeting was over.

Mr. Halvacek was waiting in his office. Aaron noticed right away that Mr. Halvacek's demeanor was more emotional than it usually was. Rather than being nervous as he usually was around Aaron, it was almost remorseful. Aaron foresaw nothing good for him from this meeting.

"Mr. Devlin," He said keeping direct eye contact with him, "Please have a seat."

Aaron complied, not letting what he feared show on his face.

"I'm not going to beat around the bush, Mr. Devlin. We're letting you go." Mr. Halvacek did not let his gaze wander around when he said this. He kept it solidly on Aaron while he continued. "Please understand that we are not firing you. This has nothing to do with your performance. The tenants are most pleased with your work. However, we are in the midst of a recession, and many of our tenants have already moved out.

"We can no longer afford to maintain our own janitorial staff. The rest of the staff are being laid off this evening when they arrive. I singled you out because I wanted to let you know just exactly how much I appreciate your efforts working for this complex."

Aaron's face was calm. Mr. Halvacek continued, never letting his eyes break from Aaron's.

"The staff will be given the standard two weeks severance package. However, in light of the exceeding quality of work, and the fact that you have put far more than your fair share of time in, on salary no less, the owners have authorized me to not only give you a 4 week severance package, but an additional one thousand dollars. I realize it's not much in this day and age, Mr. Devlin, but that's a lot better than what most companies give."

Aaron nodded, "This is true, sir. I take it this lay off is effective immediately?"

"Yes, Mr. Devlin. Today is the last day of the pay period, so your check next week will be the standard size. You will also receive two more checks. One is your severance package, the other is the bonus."

Aaron nodded, not exactly sure what to say next. He figured he could find a new job in a short amount of time, and the extra money would help in case it took longer than expected. But it was still a new experience for him. Mr. Halvacek misinterpreted it as being upset at him.

"Mr. Devlin, please believe me when I say I'm truly sorry. I'm sure there are some other opportunities out there and I am willing to write up a letter of reference for you if you wish."

Aaron shook his head, "No, sir, it's not that. I believe you. I'm just new to this, is all. I would be happy to accept your offer of a letter of reference however. Never turn down an offer that can't hurt but only help. I thank you for being up front and to the point."

"Well I've had to go through the same thing several times now myself. One thing I can't stand is a boss who tries to sugar coat it."

Aaron smiled at his boss's humor, "Agreed sir. If there is nothing more?"

"No, Mr. Devlin, Thank you again for your excellent work." Mr. Halvacek stood when Aaron did and gave him a hearty handshake. "Oh, there is one more thing. This came for you by Registered Government courier."

Aaron was handed a large manila envelope with the Seal of the United States Government stamped prominently on the front. There was no specific office on it however.

"Hmm... I wonder if I'm being deported?" Aaron deadpanned.

Mr. Halvacek laughed, "I warned you about not celebrating Thanksgiving."

Aaron smiled, "That you did. Next time I'll take your advice."

Aaron left the complex silently. He wasn't in as bad of a mood as he could have been. Mr. Halvacek was an arrogant ass, but he was still a decent fellow. And he was honest. He would write a glowing letter of recommendation that would almost in itself guarantee a new job for Aaron.

He rode his bicycle back to his small apartment. As soon as he was inside, he opened the envelope from the U.S. Government and emptied its contents onto the small desk that served as both his office and dining room. There was a first class ticket for British Airways to London. There were also slips that were reservation tickets for various lodgings and local forms of travel while in London. Then he saw it. A travel pass from Diagon Alley to Hogsmeade.

Aaron fell limply into his chair as he stared at the travel pass. After a brief moment of shock, he rifled through the rest of the papers, finding what he was looking for.

Fr: The United States Republic of Magi: Office of International Magical Relations.
To: Mr. Aaron Frederick Devlin, Naturalized Citizen of the United States of America and Republic of Magi
Re: Requested assistance in international educational relations.

Mr. Devlin,

There has been an official request from the United Kingdom Ministry of Magic for your assistance in the continuing efforts of educating young wizards with special needs. This request is made by Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry by proxy of the United Kingdom Ministry of Magic, Office of International Magical Cooperation: Percival Weasley, Acting Director. It has been brought to our attention that there is a new student that will be attending Hogwarts that will have special needs to assist in learning. Your name has been mentioned as being one able to help fulfill those needs.

We therefore request, in the interest of continued good international relations with our neighbors across the sea and your former brethren, that you meet with Headmaster Dumbledore at Hogwarts and discuss with him, the possibility of employment. This is not a mandatory obligation to the US Republic of Magi, nor if you meet with Headmaster Dumbledore will you be required to accept his offer, but we do implore you, in the interest of educating special needs children, please consider his offer carefully.

Included here are all necessary arrangements. Travel, food, and lodging have all been provided at no expense to you.

Please reply no later than June 30th to the following address:

U.S. Diplomatic Corps, Special Services
Attention: Walter Jeffries, Secretary
1300 Pennsylvania Ave
Washington, D.C.

Reply by owl preferred.

Aaron set the letter down on the desk, staring out his apartment window. He sighed heavily. He didn't want to go back, but he knew, if they were asking him to come back as a teacher or assistant, then they found someone like he was so long ago.

Aaron was torn. Go back to the life he forsook and the troubled memories with it, or abandon a child who, through no fault of their own, would suffer the pain and torment he did so many years ago. His head hurt and he just couldn't think. He felt the pressure in his chest and his eyes watered.

Soon he broke down crying as the pain of his past once again caught up with him.

---

Arthur Weasley looked once again at the envelopes in his hand. He had two. Both written on with the trademark emerald green ink that Hogwarts used for its official letters. One was the typical acceptance letter. The other... well it was not so typical. very rarely did Albus Dumbledore send a letter specifically to the parents. This time he felt it necessary considering the boy's unique case.

Arthur had to agree. This was only the second time that a student like Kim Vermont was accepted into Hogwarts. The first time didn't work out as Dumbledore had hoped. But things change, and Dumbledore learned from his previous experience. He would be bringing in a specialist who would be helping out.

Albus had tried owling the man directly, but the letters met with some resistance, so he went through the Ministry channels. Arthur's son, Percy was acting head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation. He sent an official request to the US equivalent of the Ministry for assistance in contacting the specialist. They readily agreed and after a days worth of negotiations, arrangements were made to bring the specialist to Dumbledore at shared expense.

Arthur had to hand it to his son. He had no idea Percy could be that persuasive and was even more masterful at maneuvering through the US red tape. Percy would no longer just be the acting director if he kept that up. Now it was Arthur's turn to prove why he was the Head of the Department for Muggle Affairs (assuming the Ministry would allow him to change the name of his department).

It fell to his department to handle any situation that involved Muggles, including those whose children are wizards and are accepted into Hogwarts. Officially, his department covered only the misuse of Muggle artifacts, but as Arthur was a Mugglephile and the ministry generally wanted little to do with them, his department handled most of these situations anyway. Arthur volunteered to do this particular visit himself. It was a highly unique situation and Arthur wanted to be sure the situation was handled properly. That and he wanted to see how Muggles like Kim Vermont lived. It was most curious, more so than other Muggles because of his situation.

Arthur gave himself one more look in the mirror. He thought he was quite handsome in the Muggle clothes that he was wearing. He had enlisted Hermione Granger's help through his other son, Ron. She sent him some pictures of what Muggle suits looked like, and also the address of a suit maker in London. The fitting was done in similar fashion to getting fitted for robes, but Arthur had to admit, as much as he liked Muggle things, Robes were much more comfortable.

He straightened the black tie around his neck. Now he was ready.

"All right, Molly, dear," He said to his wife as he walked down to the kitchen, "I'm off. Wish me luck."

"Oh good luck, dear," She said giving him a kiss.

And with a pop, he apparated to the Ministry. Once there, he signed out a ministry vehicle and drove his way to the Vermont household. In just wouldn't be good to accidentally be caught apparating into the neighborhood.

Arthur pulled the vehicle to a stop in front of an old looking house. It was nothing extraordinary by the look of it, but it housed a rather extraordinary family. He took a deep breath to steady his nerves. Then he walked up to the front door and rang the bell.

It wasn't too long before a young boy who looked to be about eleven opened the door. He had short brown hair and his eyes were a rich chocolate brown. He wasn't extremely pale, but he looked like he didn't get as much sun as most boys his age. Nor was he as tall as most boys his age would be, but Arthur knew from experience with his own children that growth spurts are as random as chaos itself.

Arthur looked at the boy and smiled warmly. The boy looked a little disappointed and walked off, leaving the door open. However, no sooner did the boy leave than a young looking woman, most likely his mother appeared from behind the door.

"May I help you?" She asked him.

"Why yes, Mrs. Vermont, I believe you can. More importantly, I believe I can help you. My name is Arthur Weasley." He extended his hand but made no move to come in. He wouldn't until invited.

She shook his hand but looked rather bewildered, "How do you know who I am?"

"I work for the Government," It wasn't a complete lie, "I've been sent here to give you news about a special scholastic program for your son."

Mrs. Vermont's jaw dropped a bit, "We.. we were told that the program was full this year. Has there been a change?"

"Oh no, I don't believe so, Mrs. Vermont. However the program that I'm talking about is quite different. May I?" He asked, motioning inside.

"P-please," the excited woman opened the door to allow Arthur in. "Please call me Athena, Mr. Weasley."

"Only if you call me Arthur. I've always felt the government should try to be more casual in some circumstances."

"Of course, Arthur. Please come in."

Arthur looked around the living room as he entered the house. It was typical of most living rooms. There was a sofa, some end tables and a fireplace, but this living room also had electric lamps and a television.

"Oh my goodness, I don't think I've ever seen one so large!" Mr. Weasley squeaked with delight at seeing the large screen. "How do they manage that?"

"I'm not exactly sure. I never studied electronics." was all Athena Vermont could reply with. This was an odd man, even if he did have good news. "You were going to tell me about a new program?"

"Oh yes! Sometimes I forget myself, I do apologize. Is your husband home? I think your whole family will want to hear what I have to say."

"Um, yes. One moment please." She went through a set of swinging doors that Arthur presumed led to the kitchen. A few seconds later, she came back out, followed by her husband and their son, the same boy who first opened the door.

"Please have a seat, Arthur." Athena motioned to a comfortable looking chair that face perpendicular to the couch. The three Vermont's sat on the couch, the boy in between his parents, appearing very shy all of a sudden.

"Why thank you, Athena. Let me introduce myself to all of you. I am Arthur Weasley, I work with the government. "He offered his hand to the father and the boy. The father gave him a sturdy handshake, the boy cautiously accepted the handshake.

"Now what I'm about to tell you is... Well to be honest, it's rather incredible. Hmm..." Arthur looked at his surroundings again. He noticed a set of glass coasters sitting on one of the end tables. He stood and picked one up.

"These are quite lovely," he said, walking near the fireplace hearth. "I used brick for mine, but then, it's less expensive."

In a moment of practiced clumsiness, he turned to place the coaster back but dropped it on the hearth. The heavy glass cracked and broke, mostly in large pieces but a few small bits flying about.

"Oh dear me!" He said as Athena went to pick up the pieces. She looked a little more than annoyed. "No please, allow me. I insist."

Arthur pulled out a strange stick. it looked like it might have been a conductor's baton that had seen better days. He swished and flicked the baton as he said "Repairo!" The pieces of the broken coaster gathered as if sucked up by a black hole. They came together and reattached themselves. Soon, the coaster lay on the Hearth. Not one crack much less a scratch upon it. Arthur picked up the good as new coaster and handed it to a stunned Mrs. Vermont.

"Who are you?" Said the father, now cradling his son who was clinging to him for dear life.

"I am Arthur Weasley. I work for the government. Not the one you're thinking of, however. I work for the Ministry of Magic. I am a wizard."

"Ministry of Magic? Wizard?" Mrs. Vermont repeated nervously as she slowly backed away.

"Yes. I think if you read these letters, you would better understand what's happening." Arthur pulled out the two letters and set them on the coffee table. He separated them so that each could be seen. Then he backed away, so that he wouldn't be seen as a threat.

Mr. Vermont opened the letter addressed to them and read it slowly. He read it again just to be sure he had read it correctly. Then he handed it to his wife. She read it at least three times, Arthur was fairly sure.

"Magic really exists?" She asked him.

"Oh yes!" Arthur said excitedly and with a huge smile. "Naturally, we have to keep it hidden from Muggles. Non-wizarding folks like yourselves. Your initial reaction is one of the very reasons why we keep to ourselves. No offense meant, of course. However, sometimes Muggle parents have children who share our talents. Normally we just send a letter like that other one to the child in question. But in this case, we felt it prudent to be a little more direct, considering Kim's special situation."

"Are you saying that Kim is one of you?"

"Yes, Mr. Vermont. That is exactly what I'm saying. Has anything strange ever happened while he was upset or angry? I mean really strange. Things that are very much out of the ordinary."

Mrs. Vermont nodded, "One time, a few years ago, we were shopping. He wanted a particular toy but I had to say no. Bill hadn't been at his job for long and we were still struggling. Somehow, from twenty feet away, he managed to get the toy in his hands anyway. Through out the trip, even though he never left my side, he managed to keep getting the toy."

"Hmm... summoning charm mixed in with possible conjuration. Quite unusual for one so young but not unheard of. I imagine he will be quite good in Charms and Transfiguration." Arthur talked as if this were nothing startling, "Oh I'm sorry. Those are types of magic. Charms are the classic spell casting, like that repair spell I used on your coaster. Transfiguration is turning one thing into another. Very difficult, Transfiguration is, but at Hogwarts, they have one of the best Transfigurations professors there has ever been."

"Hogwarts? That's the school where you are proposing we send him?" Mr. Vermont asked, looking at his son who still looked a bit confused.

"Yes. Perhaps you should let him read his acceptance letter."

Mr. Vermont nodded to his son, who in turn picked up the letter that was addressed to him. When he was finished reading it, he looked at Mr. Weasley, then the coaster. Then he looked back at Mr. Weasley with a questioning look. Arthur smiled widely and nodded. Kim beamed radiantly.

"Well I'm not sure, but I think he likes the idea." Arthur said knowingly.

After a few hours of explaining what the Wizarding world was like, and what would be expected of them, Arthur Weasley left the Vermont household feeling happier than he had in a long time, especially because the Vermont's were gracious enough to give him an old clock radio. And it had a plug!

---

It had been two weeks since the second worst day of his life. two weeks since he was laid off and got that horrible request from the government. Aaron had gone out the next day and went looking for work. True to his word, Mr. Halvacek had written him a glowing recommendation letter. But it hadn't been enough. He had not yet found a new job. At least not one that would keep him in his current lifestyle. So many places wanted minimum wage labor, and though Aaron's lifestyle was hardly extravagant, it was enough to require more than that.

It had only been two weeks, but Aaron knew that he wouldn't find a janitor's position that would pay him enough. The unemployment rate in the city was relatively high. Employers could pick and choose. And as most employers do, they chose the cheapest. Aaron had a considerable amount of money saved up, and with his severance pay, he wasn't hurting for income yet. But Aaron had made a promise to himself. If he couldn't find a job within two weeks (which he could conveniently use as an excuse to decline Dumbledore's offer point blank), he would agree to meet with him and hear him out.

Aaron figured he would turn him down anyway but he could at least be courteous enough to tell him no face to face. Might as well get a mini-vacation at Dumbledore's expense. Aaron was usually a better man than that, but he was also a bitter man, and still quite angry with the old headmaster.

Well the two weeks was up and still no job, though certainly not for lack of trying on Aaron's part. So Aaron sent his reply, by U.S. Mail. He had no owl and wasn't about to go out of his way to send them one. There was a magical community in the city, Aaron knew. He couldn't help but know, being a wizard, but he had only gone there in times of great emergency, of which in the past twenty years, had only been once or twice. There would have been an owl post office, but again, Aaron saw no reason to spend more money or expend more effort than he needed. They wanted him, so they could play it his way or not at all.

He collected the pre-paid tickets, all first class accommodations, and packed his bags. Aaron couldn't help but be impressed. The fact that they sent him the tickets (not just vouchers) at all meant that they thought that this was very important. Usually if the government paid for travel, they did it by way of reimbursement after the fact, which meant that Aaron would have had to go through the red tape of collecting.

Packed and ready, Aaron headed out for the airport, stopping briefly at the apartment's management office to speak with his landlord. He pre-paid the next month's rent and requested that his apartment be watched while he was gone. The landlord was quick to agree, as Aaron had been a major help in keeping the complex clean (He got a rent break for it).

The airport security was considerably tighter than the last time he went through, but that had been almost twenty years earlier. It did help that he was a first class customer. His line was considerably shorter and he noticed that the same clerk who had been rather indifferent to the coach passengers was exceptionally pleasant to him.

Normally, Aaron would have brought the injustice of their behavior to the manager's attention, even if it was in his favor, but he was in far to foul a mood to say anything at the moment. He was careful to not actually be rude, but he certainly didn't go out of his way to be polite.

The flight itself was quiet for Aaron. He didn't bother with the movie or any of the other media entertainment offerings. Instead, when he wasn't taking the occasional catnap, he read a book or the complimentary newspaper. The gentleman who sat next to him was a talker. He kept on talking even though it was painfully obvious that Aaron was ignoring him. He talked so much that the older woman in the seat in front of them looked around and shushed him. She threw an annoyed glance at Aaron for not doing it sooner, to wit he just shrugged.

"He wasn't bothering me."

This prompted the man to go off into his endless prattle again. Aaron kept reading, taking the occasional glance at his neighbor, still going on about the future of soy milk. Aaron would nod every now and then, or just shrug his shoulders when asked a question.

Soon it was dinnertime. Aaron was so engrossed in his book that his neighbor had to tap him lightly on the arm to get his attention. The flight attendant smiled and asked if he wanted the pot roast or lemon chicken. Being the Americanized Brit that he was, he chose the pot roast. It was quite good by normal standards, exceptional because it was airline food.

The rest of the flight was pretty much the same. His neighbor (Thaddeus Weasley, Accountant) still went on about soy milk and Aaron continued to pretend that he was listening. By the time they arrived at Heathrow, the fire-red haired man had talked himself to sleep. Aaron left the man to the devices of the flight attendants. He grabbed his small backpack and was the first one off the plane.

Aaron had timed his flight so that when he landed in London it would be late evening. Given the time change meant it was just after noon on the U.S. east coast. As Aaron kept himself on his graveyard schedule, that was later than he normally went to bed. This meant he was really tired. The catnaps helped, but he needed good solid rest. But as it was late evening in London, he didn't have to worry about changing his sleep schedule to drastically. It would be harder when he went back to the United States, but not as bad as it would be for those who work in the day.

As he exited customs, he noticed a gentleman in a suit looking horridly uncomfortable. Aaron couldn't help but smile. This was obviously the Ministry official sent to meet with him. The poor man was dressed properly as a Muggle, but it was quite apparent to Aaron that the man was unused to wearing Muggle clothing or being in a Muggle environment. The man had a sign with the name Aaron Devlin on it.

Aaron nodded to the man as he walked up to him.

"I'm Aaron Devlin. What's your name?"

"James Thompson, sir." The man said almost calmly, "I have been assigned as your valet while you are here in London. If there is anything you need, I will do everything within my capacity to see to it. Welcome to London, sir."

"Thank you, Mr. Thompson." Aaron said, "I'd like to get to the hotel as soon as possible. It's way past my bedtime."

"Yes, sir. Please follow me," Mr. Thompson said as he turned away from Aaron, "We have made reserv..."

"Excuse me!" Aaron said quietly yet firmly as he gently turned the man around to face him. "Your rudeness is rather appalling. Didn't they teach you anything at the Ministry?"

"Sir?" The ministry official looked perplexed.

"When you speak to me, you will maintain eye contact with me. Is that clear, Mr. Thompson?"

"I- I'm afraid I don't understand."

"I gave specific instructions to your office. At all times when you speak to me you are to look me directly in the eye. You are not to break eye contact." Aaron explained, getting more annoyed, "Where did the communication break down occur? Did they forget to tell you or did you not bother to pay attention?"

"I- They- um. I was not made aware of this requirement, sir. I do apologize and I will not make the same mistake."

"See that you don't. And when you check in with your superiors, you will convey my disappointment at the Ministry's lack of consideration. Also tell them that if it happens again, this trip is over."

"Yes, sir." Mr. Thompson waited for Aaron to nod him on before he would turn away.

The trip from Heathrow to Downtown London was quicker than Aaron remembered, but that had been when he was only twelve years old, when he was a lot smaller and everything else was much bigger. They stopped in front of The Leaky Cauldron and Aaron held his breath. The memories of his past never left him, but they were gaining an alarming clarity and sharpness as he returned to their origin.

He left Mr. Thompson to get his luggage while he entered the small and quaint pub. With the exception of the patronage, everything was exactly how he remembered it some twenty years earlier. The large fireplace off one end, the old tables and chairs that looked well past their prime, and then he saw Tom. Tom had been here the day that he left for America. Except for the grayer, thinner hair, Tom looked exactly as Aaron remembered him.

Or so he thought.

---

Aaron stood underneath the shower head, letting the hot water roll down his body, soothing his aching muscles. He'd grown so used to Muggle style mattresses that his body was quite unhappy with the soft down mattress that was one of the trademarks of the wizarding world. However, his muscles soon relaxed under the long hot shower.

One of the few things that Aaron would ever admit to missing from the Wizarding world was the showers. Unlike Muggle showers, you could almost indefinitely let the shower run and still not run out of hot water. Aaron had been in the steaming hot shower for a good hour now, and his muscles were so relaxed, he almost fell. That signaled for him to finish without delay. The last thing he needed was to fall and hit his head.

When he got back to his room, he noticed his suit had been cleaned and pressed, no doubt paid for by the Ministry. Well if they were going to be nice enough to clean his suit, he would be nice enough to wear it. He dressed quickly and then sat down cross-legged on the bed. It was fairly difficult to sit up because the bed was so soft, but Aaron managed it.

He then began a long complicated ritual taught to him many years before. It was made even more difficult by the fact that he didn't have a wand, but Aaron knew this spell well. He had learned to cast it a long time ago and as it was cast on himself, the wand was not necessarily needed, though it did help considerably.

It took some time for Aaron to finish the spell, but as he had woken up exceptionally early for his meeting to day, he had the time to devote all his efforts into it. It paid off. The spell was working perfectly, exactly how Aaron remembered it from so long ago. He rubbed his now throbbing temples. The spell was extremely useful, but it had a toll, and it was made worse by the fact that he had not cast it in many years.

But this meeting was going to be worth the headache.

Aaron made his way down to the pub. It was nearly empty. A few customers were scattered about having their breakfast. His Ministry assigned valet, Mr. Thompson, was sitting at the far end talking with a younger gentleman. So much younger, Aaron thought the boy couldn't be much older than eighteen. However, from the look of his mannerisms, Mr. Thompson was clearly a subordinate.

The younger man was tall, lanky, wore horned-rim glasses and had short fire-red hair that could almost stand out in total darkness. He was listening to the valet, no doubt hearing of Aaron's demand to be looked straight in the eye when spoken to. The young man nodded to the valet then answered back. Aaron couldn't hear the soft-spoken reply but that didn't matter to him. All that mattered was that he get this meeting done and over with as quickly as possible.

The red-haired man noticed Aaron first and immediately stood, a smile instantly forming on his face. The valet followed suit. Aaron gave a half but friendly smile to the men. No reason to be rude to them, they weren't the ones he was angry with.

"Mr. Devlin," The red-haired official looked him straight in the eye and extended his hand, "I am Percival Weasley, acting head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation. I'm very pleased you came."

"Mr. Weasley, a pleasure," Aaron accepted the handshake heartily and they all sat back down, "I'm going to be blunt, sir, but I don't want to be here. Now I can only guess as to why Albus Dumbledore wants me specifically to help him, but I assure you, there are qualified specialists who would be better suited for this task."

Mr. Weasley's smile faded, "And you are not qualified? But I thought..."

"You thought incorrectly, Mr. Weasley." Aaron interrupted him, "What you are asking me to do is extremely difficult. This type of thing is usually left to those who have years of professional training in this specific field. Now yes, I may be in the same situation as your new student, but even though I have first hand knowledge of what he needs, that does not necessarily mean I will be able to provide it. "

"I see," Percy looked as if he might get sick, "Well that does make things a bit awkward."

"Are you all right, Mr. Weasley?"

"Oh, yes, thank you. It's just that even though there are those who are professionally trained, none of them are wizards, and none of them have any knowledge of the wizarding world. So you see, it's either you, or no one."

Percy looked as if he'd rather say anything else. Aaron just sat back in his chair regarding the young Ministry head. After a brief uncomfortable silence, Aaron spoke.

"I think," he began, "That before we continue, we should clear up a small matter. There was a minor incident yesterday and I wanted to..."

"Mr. Devlin, I will not make any excuses as to why we were not informed of you request. I can only apologize and assure you that it will NOT happen again."

"I believe you, Mr. Weasley. But I think that I owe you an apology as well. More specifically, Mr. Thompson." Aaron turned to the silent valet who now looked as if he were about to be hit by a truck. "I didn't take into consideration that the Ministry has probably never dealt with people like me before, and I always get cranky when I travel. Your error just happened to be the catalyst that set off a series of pent up bad days. That's absolutely no excuse for my behavior though. I am sorry."

Mr. Thompson could only nod.

"Now, Mr. Weasley, I will be honest with you. I had originally intended to say no without even giving you a chance to explain the situation. But then I walked into this pub last night and remembered exactly why I left in the first place. I'm still not planning on staying, but I will consider what Dumbledore has to say."

"And that is all I can ask of you, Mr. Devlin."

They ate breakfast in silence. Percy and James, the valet, didn't know what to say, and Aaron, who was used to eating by himself, didn't think to offer up any conversation of his own. As soon as breakfast was finished, Percy led Aaron to the Diagon Transit Office. From there the two would catch a portkey to Hogsmeade, then a carriage ride up to Hogwarts, where Albus Dumbledore would be waiting for them.