Greetings fellow readers and writers! This is my twelfth story, and I hope you like it! At last, my long awaited sequel to 'Harry Potter: Quest for the Horcruxes.' Time wise, this story takes place just over three years after Harry defeated Voldemort once and for all. Our three heroes, Harry, Ron and Hermione, have just completed their training as Aurors. This story contains elements of the 'Saw' trilogy, which I don't own; neither do I own Harry Potter. But before we start, I would like to take the time to thank J. K. Rowling for Book 7, coming out on July 21! Yes! Book 7 is coming out a week after Movie 5! And now, without any further delay, please enjoy…

First Assignment

By AndrewK9000

Chapter 1: Day One At The Office

The time: September 2010

The place: Near the village of Ottery St Catchpole, England

As Harry Potter checked himself in the mirror, he could hardly believe that three years had passed so quickly. At age 20, Harry resembled his father even more, as his peers would say. Yet his eyes were still as green as his mother's were. The one major differnce was the lack of his scar, which marked his forehead for most of his life. Said scar disappeared when Voldemort was destroyed, and Harry hasn't missed it at all. Making sure he was presentable, he picked up his attaché case, exited the bathroom and walked downstairs.

During his Auror training Harry was residing at The Burrow with his best friend, Ron Weasley. Yet that was due to change. Harry recently purchased a good-sized piece of land within walking distance of The Burrow, and was currently in the process of having a house built there. It was this new house where Harry, and hopefully Ginny, would spend the rest of their lives together, assuming I ever get the nerve up to ask Ginny to marry me, thought Harry.

He, Ron and Harry's other best friend, Hermione Granger, were due to start their first day as fully-fledged Aurors that morning. Harry and Ron were meeting Hermione at The ministry of Magic, Auror Office at 9:00 a.m. It was now 8:45, yet when Harry entered the kitchen, he only saw Mrs. Weasly. Ron was nowhere in sight.

"All set to start at the office?" asked Mrs. Weasley. "You bet," said Harry, "Assuming Ron ever pulls himself together. Ron! We're going to be late!" "I'm coming!" shouted Ron as he bounded down the stairs with his own attaché case. Ron was still tall and gangly with bright red hair, yet seemed much more sure of himself as both a wizard and a man.

"Now, you two," said Mrs. Weasley, "I expect you both to do your best. And Ron, don't make a fool of yourself." "Mom!" complained Ron, "I'm going to be fine." "Just make sure you do your best," said Mrs. Weasley.

"I swear, Harry," said Ron as he and Harry left the house, "My mother is going to drive me up the wall. God! I can't wait until I have my own place." "You can come live with me at my new house," said Harry, "It should be finished in a month or so." "I appreciate the offer," said Ron, "But I have no intention of living the rest of my life with both my best mate and my sister. Speaking of which, when are you going to ask Ginny to marry you?"

"Assuming we don't get anything too time consuming for work," said Harry, "I'll ask her tomorrow night at dinner. And when are you asking Hermione to marry you?" "I don't know," said Ron, "I just don't know yet. I get the heebiee-jeebies just thinking about it."

Just as they were about to apparate to London, Harry heard the front door slam open. He turned around to see Ginny walking towards him. After finishing her last two years at Hogwarts, Ginny had taken to teaching Quidditch at a regional youth center for underage wizards and witches, "a very fulfilling job," she would say. The past three years had more than enhance Ginny in Harry's eyes; the sight of her walking towards him was enough to make his heart do the conga.

"You didn't think you could leave without saying goodbye," said Ginny, "Did you?" "My bad," said Harry as he kissed her, "First-day jitters." "Well, Harry," said Ginny, "You just remember, we have a date tomorrow night at 7:15. So don't think that just because you're starting your new job, doesn't mean you can forget about us." "Me?" asked Harry in a mock-shocked tone, "Forget about us? Never happen."

"I thought so," said Ginny as she kissed Harry. She then shook Ron's hand. "Is that all I get?" asked Ron, "Just a handshake?" "You want me to kiss you as well?" asked Ginny. "No," said Ron, "That wouldn't be right. Besides, Hermione would probably kill me if she knew another girl touches me." "She's gonna kill both of us if we're late," said Harry as he checked his watch, 8:53.

"Remember," said Ginny as she walked back to the house, "7:15 on the dot!" "I'll be ready!" said Harry. After watching Ginny back to the house, Harry and Ron then apparated to The Ministry of Magic.

After arriving at the apperating/disapperating point on the main floor of The Ministry, they saw Hermione anxiously waiting for them. Three years had also enhanced her, for now it was Ron's turn for his heart to do the conga. "There you are," she said, her tone of voice edging towards annoyance, her hand gripping her attaché case tightly, "Do you realize that you were almost late for our first day on the job?"

"It's only 8:54," said Harry, "We've got plenty of time." "Yeah," said Ron, "Plenty of time. What time did you get here?" "I've been waiting for you two slackers since 7:30," said Hermione, "I would have thought you two would have adapted to getting up early by now." "Well we're here," said Harry, "So let's go to work."

With one last glare of contempt from Hermione, the three made their way to a nearby elevator. They arrived on the second level and proceeded towards the Auror Headquarters wing. "This is it," said Harry as he, Ron and Hermione stood outside the doors to their new job, "Today is the first day of the rest of our lives." "If you two don't mind," said Ron, "Let's savor this moment." They waited about ten seconds before they stepped through the doors.

As they made their way to their assigned office, Ron said to Hermione, "You seem more tense than normal, and I don't mean that in a bad way." "It's nothing," lied Hermione. "Nothing?" asked Harry, "Or something?" "It's not that big a deal," said Hermione, "It's just that, well, I got this really disturbing letter in yesterday's mail."

"Define 'disturbing,'" said Ron. "What I call disturbing," said Hermione, "Is a letter that has no return address, and only the words 'I'll be seeing you soon,' written on it." "That is disturbing," said Ron.

"Probably just a chain letter," said Harry, "Best just to throw it out." "But what if the letter is cursed?" asked Ron. "That's just an urban legend," said Hermione, who was sounding more relaxed, "Besides, it came in the muggle post, so I doubt it's anything serious. Ah, here we are."

They stood outside a door with three names on it:

Granger, H.

Potter, H.

Weasley, R.

"Our own office," said Ron, as he opened the door. Inside were several empty file cabinets and three desks with their names on them. Ron immediately rushed over to his desk and sat down, testing out the feel of his chair. "I think I'm gonna like it here," he said as he put his feet up on his desk. "Well don't get too comfortable," said Hermione as she set her case down next to her next, "We have a 'first-day-of-work' meeting with the new Auror Head."

"I had to see it to believe it," said Harry, "When Professor Moody was made Chief Auror last spring." "Who'd thought it," said Ron, "Old 'Mad-Eye' Moody." "Who indeed, Weasley," said a rough voice. Ron jumped to attention when he saw that Alastor Moody was standing at the doorway.

"Professor Moody!" said a surprised Harry, "I mean, Sir. We weren't expecting you so soon." "I thought I'd surprise you younglings," said Moody as he limped into the office room, his magic eye roaming every which way, "Glad to see you're enjoying your surroundings, Weasley."

"It's a very nice office, sir," said Hermione. "Glad to hear that, Granger," said Moody, "Now, to business. Your fist assignment as Aurors will be a relatively simple one. I assume you three have been reading The Daily Profit the past few weeks?"

"I have," said Hermione, "Those four gruesome murders, it's terrible." Harry and Ron had also been keeping up with the news. Over the past seven weeks, two wizards and two witches were killed in London, in manners too graphic to be printed in detail. What was said was that the victims died agonizing, unique deaths.

"Well here's something that hasn't been in The Profit yet," said Moody, "A fifth victim was found early this morning." "Bloody Hell!" said Ron. "Exactly," said Moody, "The manner of death is as different as the first four, yet the evidence suggests that all five murders were committed by the same person or persons unknown."

"I can assume you want us to help out on the case," said Harry, saying rather than asking. "Correct, Potter," said Moody, "minister Scrimgeour personally requested that you three be involved in the investigation. Now, young Tonks is leading the case, so you three will report to her. I expect you to have a positive impact on this investigation."

"You can count on us, sir," said Harry. Both Hermione and Ron nodded in agreement. "Excellent," said Moody, "Report to Tonks within the hour." He then limped out of the room.

"Typical," said Ron, "Our fist day at the office, and we get a mystery to solve. Just like the old days at Hogwarts." "Only this time," said Hermione, "It's a murder mystery, one we have to solve before anyone else is killed."

The end of chapter 1. Next chapter, our three young Aurors go over the evidence of the murders. Reviews will be rewarded with cake and pie. See you next time!