The Talisman

Hermione held her wand straight out in front of her, unconsciously fingering the automatic pistol secured at her waist. They were standard issue now among Aurors, especially in the L-10 Division.

It was nearly pitch-black and she hadn't the foggiest idea of where she was going. However, she did know that casting a simple Lumos could instantly spell death for her and her partners. She could not risk being seen.

Speaking of her partners…

“Where are you guys?” she murmured to herself.

Hermione wished she hadn't dropped her communication crystal back in the now-demolished meeting room. Even more so, she wished she hadn't destroyed the power system and left the entire building in darkness, so that she had no hope of ever finding her damn crystal. She felt so alone without it.

Her senses detected a corner up ahead. She cautiously maneuvered around it, finally pulling out her pistol and cocking it. As soon as she made it safely around the corner she relaxed. It appeared that she had wandered into a completely abandoned indoor parking lot. She could barely make out the letter G painted on the wall, indicating she was on the ground floor. Through the darkness she squinted and saw that a few thick, but crumbling, columns were all that was holding up the concrete ceiling. Of course, it was empty. The Neos had chosen this spot to congregate for two reasons, the first being that it was a former Muggle facility and thereby the last place the authorities would look for them. The second being the fact that the old office building had been closed for years and condemned for demolition.

CRASH!

Every strand of Hermione's bushy hair stood on end as she raised her wand and gun. She stayed silent and slowed her rapid breathing as best she could. Hermione's ability to slow her breathing to a near-stop was the pride of her task force. It had saved her life several times, since apparently people left you alone when they thought you were dead. And then it was child's play to whip around and catch the murdering buggers off-guard.

There was a soft shuffling noise, as if someone with a slight limp was about to round the corner she had just passed.

Shuffle, step, shuffle, step.

Hermione was positive it was coming from around the corner. She aimed her wand at the noise, keeping the gun aimed in the other direction. Auror training taught her that one weapon would take care of one person. Aiming two weapons at one target proved no advantage and if anything left you more vulnerable from the other side.

Textbook definitions and training exams always ran through her mind during missions. She was never a pure instinct kind of gal, anyway.

Suddenly, a soft red light glowed in front of her, revealing a tall, broad-shouldered man standing not six feet in front of her.

“STUPE - “

“HERMIONE!”

“RON!?”

“For fuck's sake, where the HELL have you been!” Ron demanded. “I just called in for back-up! You had us so worried and I swear to God Harry wet his knickers.”

“Don't swear,” Hermione said automatically. “And don't be so loud, Ron! Where is Harry? Did he get away?”

“Yeah, he's prowling around now looking for a way out like we are. Not as easy as it sounds since someone decided to destroy the entire fucking meeting room!” Ron reminded her incredulously, still not believing what Hermione had done.

“And how else were we going to stop Macnair from handing off the talisman? Honestly, as if we were going to just sit there like wet bogies and let a bunch of washed-up Death Eaters play games with potentially dangerous magical objects!”

“I know, but that was probably the least subtle thing I've ever seen in all my twenty-three years of living.” Ron snorted. “Jeez, Hermione, bursting through a ceiling with a Reductor Curse?”

“They had guards at the door!” she replied crossly.

“Yeah, well, it doesn't matter anyway,” Ron said, his tone going dull. “Goyle isn't their leader.”

“He's not?” Hermione's stomach plummeted. L-10 had been so sure on this particular lead…

“No, he's just a middle man. I guess the real leader of the Neos had a bit more sense than to be present at the hand-off.”

Six years after the defeat of Voldemort, his Muggle-hating, mask-wearing, murderous gang of cronies had again banded together into a massive terrorist organization that threatened both the Muggle and Wizarding world. They had no known name for themselves, but the Ministry was calling them “Neo-Death Eaters” because of their obvious hate of Muggles and Muggle-borns, and the fact that most identified Neos were also former Death Eaters escaped from Azkaban.

Their actions were destructive and terrible, but not yet enough to spark the fear of the entire Wizarding community. Their several curious thefts of very valuable, powerful items and a few amateurish attacks were so scattered and far between that many never even thought to connect them.

That was why L-10 existed. The existence of Level Ten, or L-10, of the Auror Department in the Ministry was top secret, even to the other nine levels. Its purpose: to stop the “Neos” from becoming any stronger. At the moment they were merely an unpolished shadow of their former Death Eater glory, but that could easily change. Especially under the direction of a reported new “Dark Lord” that was supposedly leading the Neos as Voldemort led his Death Eaters. Level 10's job was to make sure the Neos' threat never became as powerful as Voldemort's. The wizarding world was still reeling from its last Great War, and the Golden Age (as so many were calling it) that was going on right then was just what it needed.

Unfortunately, the identity of the Neo-Dark Lord was a secret as tightly guarded as that of L-10's existence.

Hermione refrained from swearing. “Did you get the talisman?”

Ron shook his head. “MacNair nicked me with a Jelly-Legs.” He pointed down at his left leg, which he had been dragging.

“Oh, Ron! Here, lean on me. Let's get you out of here. You have your Comm crystal, right?” Hermione dug in his pocket and pulled out a small blue crystal. “Let me contact Harr - “

“Shhh!”

They fell silent and listened as several heavy footsteps echoed through the lot. Ron and Hermione shared a desperate look and backed away as quietly as they could.

Then, Ron's Comm crystal glowed to life.

“Red Weasel? Are you there?”

Hermione grabbed the crystal and shoved it into Ron's pocket, but it was too late.

“Accio crystal!” a deep voice thundered.

“Shit!” Ron yelped, pointing his wand out into the darkness. “Lumos!”

The tiny light didn't help much, but it was enough to reveal at least half a dozen masked Neos standing right in front of them, one of them playfully tossing Ron's Comm crystal in his hands. They all had their wands aimed point blank at the two young Aurors.

“You're outnumbered, Weasley.” This voice was familiar. Ron kept his wand trained on the Neo as he removed his mask.

“Crabbe.” Hermione spat disgustedly.

“Granger.” He nodded his bloated head at her and leered wickedly. “Still clinging to this poor bastard, I see. I wonder were the great Harry Potter is? Not here to save you now, is he?”

“The Ministry must be grasping at straws, letting a librarian and a beggar become Aurors.” Gregory Goyle guffawed. “Both of you, wands down. It won't do you any good pointing them at us. Your filthy Muggle weapons too.”

Ron lowered his wand and Hermione slowly turned her wand away from them, reluctant to lower it completely.

“Hermione, I really really really hope you have a plan,” Ron whispered in her ear. He was still leaning on her shoulder, of his jelly-leg. She furrowed her brow.

“Any last wishes?” Crabbe asked mockingly.

“Actually yeah, I wish something even bigger and heavier than you would roll over on your fat, putrid body. Talk about poetic irony,” Ron snarled.

That's it! Hermione thought excitedly, as Crabbe howled his rage and prepared to fling a curse at Ron.

“REDUCTO!” she bellowed for the second time that night.

“Avada Kedavra!”

The Unforgivable was cast by six wands simultaneously, though poorly-aimed out of surprise.

“Get down, Ron!” Hermione dragged Ron to the floor and the spells missed their mark. Her Reductor Curse, however, had long hit its target.

The crumbling column Hermione had aimed for collapsed, spreading gray dust and chunks of rock almost noiselessly. Immediately, the ceiling began to fall.

“Stupe - “ Crabbe began desperately, but was quickly silenced as a massive chunk of concrete crushed him.

Ron gaped. “I also wish for a million galleons, a new broomstick, a gorgeous lady friend who looks down upon clothing - “

“Shut up, let's MOVE!” Hermione cried, pulling Ron along. The Neos scattered, in effort to escape the ceiling that was crashing down on them. Dust and building material was quickly clouding their already poor vision in the dark parking lot.

Suddenly, Hermione spied a dull red glow. Ron's Comm crystal! She stopped.

“Accio crystal!” she gasped. The Neo who was still holding it stopped running for a moment and watched in shock as the crystal flew towards her.

“Impedimenta!” he cried.

“Protego!” The spell bounced off, giving Hermione another idea. She whispered another spell and pointed it to a cluster of Neos trying to escape the indoor lot in the dark.

“Hermione, what are you doing! Let's go!” Ron yelled. “Do you think the anti-apparition ward they had on this place is gone?”

“It's not.” Hermione wheezed. “I can't do it.” The air was thick with dust and building material.

“How do we get out of here?” Ron wondered.

Hermione and Ron ran blindly smack dab into a wall.

“Oh, this is ridiculous!” Hermione groaned. For the third time in less than thirty minutes she cried “Reducto!”

The wall was blown away, opening out into the Muggle street.

“Brilliant!” Ron exclaimed as Hermione helped him out. “How'd you know the wall led out here?”

“I didn't,” Hermione muttered. They limped out across the street and fell onto the sidewalk, completely worn out. They watched in awe as the entire office building, parking lot and all, began its impressive collapse.

“What the hell did you do!” Ron breathed.

“Oh Merlin, HARRY!” Hermione remembered suddenly. She fumbled with Ron's crystal and said urgently “Green Phoenix, are you there? Green Phoenix, get OUT of the building! I repeat, GET OUT!”

Nothing.

“Green Phoenix! EVACUATE THE PREMISIS! NOW!”

“Give me that.” Ron grabbed the Comm crystal back from Hermione. “GREEN PHOENIX, THIS IS RED WEASEL. GET YOUR BLOODY ASS OUT OF THE FUCKING BUILDING! DO YOU FUCKING COPY? GET THE HELL OUT!”

For once, Hermione didn't reprimand him for his swearing. For some reason, not hearing from Harry was distressing her far more than just a few minutes ago when she and Ron were trapped in a collapsing building.

“We're outside of the building already - “

“GREEN PHOENIX, DO YOU - “

“I'm going back in,” Hermione said determinedly, rising to her feet.

“Green Phoenix here! I'm - I'm out,” A weary voice answered suddenly. It hesitated before continuing. “Bloody hell you guys, what did you do!”

“Red Weasel here,” Ron gasped into the Comm, slapping away Hermione's attempts to grab the crystal. “What's your status, mate?”

“I'm fine, just a few bruises. Is she - “

Hermione finally got her hands on the crystal and brought it to her lips. “I'm right here.”

She could hear Harry smile broadly through his breathlessness. “And what is your status, Bald Veela? Over.”

“I'm just fine,” Hermione answered. “Though I'm seriously going to the Intelligence Division and having my code-name changed.”

“He didn't ask me how I was.” Ron rolled his eyes.

“Roger that, Bald Veela. Is the pile of rubble I'm seeing right now your handiwork?”

“Bloody woman's insane!” Ron moaned into the crystal. “She just demolished an entire building with three Reductor Curses!”

“Blimey - “

CRACK!

Kingsley Shacklebolt appeared in front of them looking positively outraged.

“What the HELL did you do?!” he demanded, gaping over the two young Aurors' shoulders at the demolished building.

“There are at least a half a dozen Neos in there,” Ron reported.

“And you collapsed a bloody BUILDING on them!” Shacklebolt's temper flared and they couldn't help but cringe a little.

“”They had us surrounded, sir - “ Hermione began to explain.

“We need them for QUESTIONING, Granger!” Shacklebolt groaned. “You just killed the whole lot of - “

“NO we didn't,” Hermione said irritably. “I cast a shield charm over several of them.”

“You did?”

“You did?” Ron raised an eyebrow.

“Yes, they should be trapped in a small blue bubble under the rubble right now.”

Shacklebolt's rage softened to the point that he actually looked impressed. But he was never one to congratulate on a job well done.

“Task Force 9, the Neos are contained inside the collapsed building. Send in the Memory Squad, there are going to be a lot of Muggles needing a wipe.” He sprinted off towards the building where they could see more auxiliary Aurors closing in.

“Wonderful manners, that one.” Hermione watched Shacklebolt run off.

“So that's why you were dawdling,” Ron realized. “I thought you were just taking your own sweet little time!”

“Oh honestly, Ron!”

“Red Weasel, Bald Veela, are you there?” Harry's voice interrupted them.

“We're here by the building. Across the street,” Hermione said, once again taking over Ron's Comm crystal. “What is your location?”

“Rendezvous point,” he answered. “What's taking you so long? Merlin, I send the two of you into a room and you manage to tear the whole building down. Come on.”

“You didn't send us, you lost the Rock, Paper, Scissors!” Hermione pointed out indignantly.

“It's a stupid, pointless Muggle game.” Harry pouted.

“You taught it to me.” Ron spoke up.

“We are going to be in so much trouble,” Hermione fretted, instantly reverting back to the old Hermione of their Hogwarts days. “This was supposed to be reconnaissance only and we collapsed a building - “

“You did,” Ron corrected.

“Good reminder of how not to get on her bad side, eh, Red?” Harry laughed softly.

“Shut it. You're already on my bad side,” Hermione growled. “We must have tried to contact you about fifty times to evacuate!”

“Your girlfriend is throwing another hissy fit, Green Phoenix,” Ron teased.

“Oh shut up and get to the damn rendezvous point. I'm hungry,” Harry said, quickly ending the conversation. The crystal's red glow faded and Ron looked at Hermione, who was trying not to look embarrassed. He suspected Harry had a similar look on his face as well.

Together Ron and Hermione walked down the street quickly crowding with Muggles, even though it was well past midnight. They squeezed through the throng of onlookers and Ron sent her a disparaging look.

“The Memory Squad is going to have a great time tonight,” He said dryly.

Hermione rolled her eyes. “They must be jumping out of their knickers for some work, they haven't had a real mass wipe since…”

“Voldemort.” Ron nodded.

“Yeah.”

Suddenly Ron's Comm Crystal glowed again. Hermione had it and held it close to her ear.

“Oh yeah, and Bald Veela?”

“Yes?”

“I heard your conversation with Shacklebolt. You did a great job. I'm very proud of you.”

The crystal dimmed again, but Hermione still felt the nice warm glow.

- - -

Note: That was my first attempt at fiction for this fandom. YESH I am a biig fan of “Alias”. Does it show? **blush** Please Review! Thanks!