The Greater Power of Three

Chapter 3- Ministry Run-in

Her cell phone rang.

“Hello?”

“Hey Willow, it's Harry.”

“Oh hey Harry, I was just finishing up at the magic shop. I tried the locator spell and all I got was a phone booth.”

“We have a pretty good idea who the new slayer is.” Hearing about the telephone booth confirmed Kennedy's theory about Hermione. “Can you meet me at that phone booth?”

“Sure.”

“Ok, see you in a minute.”

“Wait, don't you want to know…” Click, “where the phone booth is.” Willow was confused, how could Harry know what phone booth it was? Willow walked back to where the phone booth was and Harry was already there.

“How'd you get here so fast, I thought you were at Slayer Central?” Willow asked him. Harry didn't say anything but opened the door to the telephone box and motioned for her to get in. Willow raised her eyebrows.

“Do you want to find the new Slayer or not??” He asked her. Willow was still reluctant. “You know how Andrew keeps on ranting and raving about me and who he thinks I am?” Willow nodded, “Well it's true. So can you please get in the phone box, we might be able to catch up with Hermione.”

“Hermione is the slayer?” Willow was shocked she had sensed something in Hermione but Willow figured it was because she was a witch. Willow got into the booth followed by Harry, it was a tight squeeze. “So she is Hermione, as in Hermione Granger.” Harry nodded as he picked up the receiver off the crooked apparatus held it above his head for extra room and reached for the dial. He pressed the six, then the two, the four twice and then two. And just as Harry remembered from all those years ago, a cool female voice sounded inside the telephone box.

“Welcome to the Ministry of Magic. Please state your name and business.”

“Harry Potter, of the Auror squad, here to escort Willow Rosenberg, who is her to see Hermione Potter in the Research Department.” Harry said.

“Thank you,” said the voice, “Visitor, please take the badge and attach it to the front of your robes.”

Harry handed Willow the square silver badge and the telephone box slowly descended into the ground.

“Visitor to the Ministry, you are required to submit to a search and present your wand for registration at the security desk, which is located at the far end of the Atrium”

“After all these year,” Harry muttered, “they still haven't changed that message.” It was known for a couple of years now that it was possible for some people to do magic without a wand, and those people, such as Willow, never owned a wand in their life.

“I still can't believe that this is all real.” Willow said, “I mean for once Andrew was right about something.”

As the elevator/telephone booth neared the bottom Harry felt the need to start Willow's encounter with an over dramatic line, “You are about to enter a world where magic is a way of life.”

“The Ministry of Magic wishes you a pleasant day,” said the woman's voice.

As the doors opened Willow and Harry piled out of the cramped space, and into the large hallway. They viewed many fireplaces where people were constantly going in and out of. They passed the gold gates and entered one of the lifts and ascended to the second level.

“Does Hermione work here?” Willow asked as the passed by huge oak doors into a room with cluttered cubicles, buzzing with chatter.

“No, she works on the third level, Research Department. Right now, I work here, least until I hand in my resignation.” Harry reached from inside his jacket and took out his letter of resignation. He has it with him for months, just didn't know when to give it to his boss, Nymphadora Tonks. “You don't mind if we went to hand this in before we see Hermione do you?”

“No not at all”

He entered his cubicle, which was filled with stack loads of paper work. He packed what little personal belongings he had and headed for Tonks' cubicle.

“Wotcher Harry, haven't seen you in a while,” Tonks said in annoyance, “Have half a mind to complain to Hermione how much she's keeping you at home, with all these days off and all.”

“I haven't exactly been with Hermione Tonks,” Harry started to explain; “I've been doing something else on the side. Being an Auror just isn't in my heart anymore. I've come today to hand in my letter of resignation.”

“You can't be serious Harry. You're the best Auror on the squad.” Tonks was baffled.

“Every since Voldemort was defeated, there has hardly been anything that the law enforcement can't handle. I've found something of a higher calling.”

After ten minutes of Tonks trying to convince Harry not to do this, she finally gave up. Harry and Willow went back to the lifts and went to the third level. Harry was a little hesitant leaving the lifts, he still didn't know what he was going to say to Hermione. Not only was he lying about where he was during his absence, but now he was going to tell her that she was a Chosen one; He was putting her life in danger.

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Hermione was sitting in her neat and tidy office, working on her latest project. It was a book written in an ancient language about three men who burdened the weight of the world on a mortal girl's shoulders. They made her faster, stronger, and the ability to fight all that is evil.

Hermione's mind wondered on that thought. She wondered what it would have been like, for one girl in the entire world to have a job that was almost impossible. She thought of Harry, and how he had to shoulder the burden of defeating Voldemort.

There was a knock on the door of her small office and she turned around in time to see Harry peek his head in the door.

“Harry!” Hermione exclaimed getting up from where she was sitting, almost running to embrace her husband. It felt so good to be in his arms, it had been so long. As she was hugging and kissing Harry she noticed the red head standing behind him. “Willow?” she stepped away from Harry, “Harry, what's going on?”