Harry Potter:

Four years have gone by since Harry Potter had stepped foot on the grounds of Hogwarts. He told himself it was because of his hectic schedule as an Auror, but really it was because of the bad memories. To be sure there were plenty good memories, but the bad ones were what dominated his nightmares. Flashes of Voldemort, always over him, always ready to kill. The faces of lost loved ones surrounded him, blurring his vision, drowning him.

Even during their repeated Seventh year of Hogwarts, bad things managed to find Harry. He was lucky that way, if one could call being targeted for death at least once a year since he was born lucky.

After he graduated and passed his NEWT's, Harry Potter, Saviour of the Wizarding World, decided not to look back. He decided to push forward and focus on his new life. A life that was still dangerous, but at least this time it was his choice, not some bloody prophecy, which made a difference, thank you very much.

Except, life has a funny way of making you do the things you fear most, so when his boss, Blaine Bellshot; Head Auror, gave Harry his new assignment at the morning briefing, Harry shouldn't have been surprised.

"Potter, you are charged with investigating the uses of illegal Love Potions among Hogwarts students," Bellshot said his greasy hair sticking to his forehead. He liked saving Harry's assignment for last because he knew it annoyed Harry.

Ron was lucky enough to be assigned to the Death Eater task force. Small splinter cells of Death Eaters seemed to be popping up again, wreaking havoc, or trying to at least. Most of their attempts had been stopped before they caused any real damage. Harry desperately wanted on that case, but, of course, Bellshot wanted him on a case that a first year Auror could handle.

Bellshot had a problem with Harry. His problem was that Harry was Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived. His boss felt he didn't deserve to be an Auror and that Harry had only secured a spot because he was Harry Potter, not because he was good at his job.

Bellshot claimed that Harry had an attitude problem and, so spent most of his time giving Harry the shit jobs and then yelling at Harry any chance he got. Harry could take it though because he loved having a job where he got to protect people. It's all he ever wanted, really, to save people and keep them out of harms way.

"All right, you stupid prats, get on with your assignments," Bellshot shouted and then spun on his heels before strutting out of the conference room. His boss's mannerisms sometimes reminded him of Voldemort, though Harry would never say that aloud. Most people were perfectly happy forgetting that name and Harry didn't like to bring it up either.

Harry looked over at Ron who was pretending to be occupied with a small bit of string hanging from the sleeve of his black Auror robes. Harry found it amusing that Ron always pretended that the strings on his clothing were interesting when he thought that Harry was about to get angry.

"Ron, I'm fine. Really," Harry said. The rest of the Auror team had cleared out of the room. Ron perked his head up and smiled at Harry, who despite his kind of horrid mood, smiled back.

"Well, at least it's Hogwarts, yeah? You can visit with Neville, Hagrid, and McGonagall. Should be nice," Ron offered as encouragement.

"Yeah, 'supose it could be worse," Harry chided. He hadn't meant to sound angry. He really did love his job, but Love Potions? Really? Do the students at Hogwarts have no shame? Merlin, did Harry hate Love Potions. They always went wonky and someone almost always got injured. Since the war, Harry had gotten his fair share of Love Potion attempts. Most of them the short term kind that one could purchase at such fine establishments as Weasley's Wizard Wheezes.

During the first year after the war, Harry spent most of his free time avoiding women who weren't Hermione, Ginny, or Mrs. Weasley for that exact reason. So, one might say Harry Potter was still a bit weary of Love Potions and being anywhere near them.

"Hey mate, I'm off to Hermione's office before heading out with the task force. Wanna come with me?" Ron asked, pulling Harry out of his thoughts.

"'Course, mate," Harry answered and fell in stride with Ron. The two of them walked out of the Auror's main office and headed for the elevators that would bring them to Hermione's office in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures.

Hermione was at her desk, surrounded by books and parchment. Harry decided it wasn't much different from school and the thought brought him back to thoughts of his impending assignment. He was scheduled to head to Hogwarts by floo within the next hour. McGonagall had apparently requested Harry be the Auror to handle this job, something he found out when an owl dropped a small envelope in his hands while he and Ron made their way to Hermione's office.

"Hey, 'Mione," Harry said.

"Harry, Ron, hello," Hermione said and then softly kissed Ron on the cheek, setting his face a nice shade of pink. Harry thought it was sort of wonderful that Ron still blushed when Hermione did that. It brought back nice memories. The kind that reminded Harry just how he had made it through school.

"How's it going?" Ron asked.

"Splendidly stressful, but that's to be expected," Hermione smiled when she said that, which convinced Harry that she must really like being stressed out. She continued quickly, adding, "So, Hogwarts, yeah?"

"How'd you know?" Harry and Ron asked at the same time.

"Uh, well, I might have suggested to McGonagall that Harry handle the Love Potions thing," Hermione said guiltily.

"You what?" Harry asked.

"Well, thing is, you have gotten much better at Potions, brilliant even, and well Hogwarts is home and honestly, Ron and I thought that it would be better than sending you off to kill Death Eaters so soon after Ned," Hermione added.

"Sorry, but did I miss the part where you two became my mum and dad?" Harry's voice was angry and he felt his hands shaking. He hated when Hermione mentioned Ned as if it were the weather, so fleeting and easy to talk about.

"No, mate, of course not, but 'Mione is right. We are worried about you. Ned only passed less than a year ago," Ron's voice was tender and Harry knew, deep down, that Ron was only trying to be a good friend, but when Harry got into these moods, he had tunnel vision and could only see anger.

"Ned wasn't your fault. You have to know that by now, Harry. And capturing all of the Death Eater's in the whole of London wont bring him back," Hermione said. She was right, of course, but Harry didn't have to admit it, especially if his best mates were going to treat him like a child.

"I know that. Ned…he was…" Harry couldn't speak. His voice hitched in his throat and he felt his face get hot they way it did right before he cried and he was not going to cry over Ned in front of Ron and Hermione. Not when they were both still convinced that Harry had survivor's guilt.

Ron put a hand on Harry's shoulder and smiled weakly. Harry only nodded and then turned to exit the offices and head for Hogwarts. At least at Hogwarts no one would ask him about Ned. So, that was something.

"Harry, dear, so good to see you," Professor McGonagall smiled at Harry upon his arrival in her floo.

"Yeah, wonderful to see you too, Professor," Harry said and really it was wonderful to see her. McGonagall was the closest thing Harry had to Dumbledore. She even acted like the man sometimes which was both oddly comforting and oddly terrifying.

"So, I assume you've been told what's happened?" McGonagall crossed the large office to sit in a chair next to Harry. The office hadn't changed much since Dumbledore was it's tenant. Less trinkets to be sure, but many of the same paintings dangled from the stone walls. There was, however, a missing pensive and no longer a spot for Faux.

"Only a little. I know you are having a Love Potion problem, but that's it."

"Yes, our Potion's professor informed me that students stole the ingredients for Amortentia," McGonagall sighed deeply before continuing, "Previously, ingredients for lesser Love Potions were stolen and given out as pranks, but now it has escalated. Obviously, this needs to be dealt with before any of the students experience it's effects. We are not sure who stole the ingredients, but we have a list of students who might have the ability to make the potion themselves."

"May I speak to the Potions professor?" Harry asked. He also wondered who had taken up the position after Snape's replacement, Matilda Melthrose, had so abruptly resigned last year. Harry vaguely remembered Hermione mentioning to him, but couldn't place the memory.

"Yes, I do believe you know the way, Mr. Potter," McGonagall smirked at him, which was weird and totally unnerving. Then she stood up and abruptly transfigured herself into a cat and pranced out of the office, leaving Harry by himself.

Harry did indeed know the way. He found the dungeons easily enough, but found he was stopped by several students asking him if he really was Harry Potter, the Harry Potter. Some of them wanted autographs, which Harry hated doing because he felt he didn't really deserve the fame since he wasn't the only one who defeated Voldemort. However, he did it because Hermione explained that he was the face of Hope for young wizards and it would be selfish of him if he didn't embrace it, even just a little.

The door to the Potions room was ajar, so Harry peeked his head in and saw there were no students and no professor. Harry really wished he could remember who Hermione had said the Potions professor was, but Harry never really remembered things unless they were Quidditch related, or for his job.

Just as Harry resolved to come back later to find the professor, he heard a soft thump and someone cursing. Harry stifled a laugh because the voice had seemed to mumble blasted first-years…dundering fools. And so, he looked and saw the professors office door was cracked ever so slightly and marched over to it and knocked lightly, "Excuse me, Professor?"

"Oh, what is it now?" The voice spoke and Harry's heart flopped. He knew that voice. How had he not recognized it at once? That posh, drawling voice. The voice that so often had been on the other end of an insult. And before Harry could make a run for it, the professor had opened his office door.

"M-Malfoy?" Harry stammered. He hadn't seen the sniveling git in almost four years. Not since their repeated seventh year after the Battle of Hogwarts. Not since…but his thoughts were cut off when the door was abruptly slammed in Harry's face.

Harry was smarting. Had Malfoy really just slammed a door in his face? They were adults now, surely they didn't have to behave like they were eleven all over again. To be fair, the two had never really resolved things between them, but they had both made attempts at apologizing in their repeated year. That had to count for something.

So, Harry decided to bang on the door loudly, until Malfoy answered. Just as he raised a hand to knock, very loudly, the door swung open again and Harry was face to face with Malfoy who looked more composed this time.

"Sorry, Potter," Malfoy spoke, but his voice was strained, "Where are my manners? Do come in."

"I, uh, I didn't know you worked here," Harry said. What he had meant to say was something polite of course, but instead his brain had settled on an obvious observation as it often did when Harry was caught off guard.

"Only got hired last year," Malfoy made his way back to his chair that sat behind a large oak desk. The office had a much different feel than it had when Snape was the owner. It was lees doom and gloom and more hey, I like potions, couldn't you tell? There were vials everywhere, empty and full. They were organized in almost an obsessive manner and Harry noticed that there was a small puddle on Malfoy's wooden work bench which led Harry to believe to have prompted the cursing he heard earlier.

"I'm here about Love Potions," Harry asserted all too quickly in one breath, hoping desperately for a subject change.

At that declaration, Malfoy raised and eyebrow playfully and quirked his lip up into a half-smirk before saying, "Oh, trouble with the ladies, Potter? There are easier ways to get dates, you know."

"Oh, no, Merlin, no. What I meant is I am the Auror assigned to your case…Hogwarts case," Harry's face went red as he spoke. He wasn't really sure why he was blushing. Malfoy had insulted his sexual prowess plenty of times over the years, but for some reason even the implication that Harry was so hopeless romantically that he needed a Love Potion embarrassed him.

"Ah, right. That makes a bit more sense," Malfoy said and smiled wryly.

"Profe-Headmistress McGonagall said that you have had the ingredients to Amortentia stolen? And previously the ingredients to lesser potions, as well?" Harry was still getting used to calling McGonagall, Headmistress. She had told Harry not to bother with it, but he felt since he was here in a formal capacity, he could at least try.

"Yes, the students at this school seem to have gotten bolder since we left. They are playing pranks on one another. I think they find the effects of the potions to be amusing," Malfoy was twisting a small quill around between his index finger and thumb. Harry noted that the blond seemed distracted.

"Right, bloody hilarious," Harry mumbled remembering his last experience with a short-term Love Potion. He had made quite the fool of himself at a Ministry dinner, leaping over a table to kiss Ron, who had accidentally handled the potion before giving it to Harry.

"Hmm," Malfoy hummed before continuing, "However, the ingredients for the Amortentia can be dangerous and long lasting. Plus making the potion is much more advanced and if done incorrectly, could result in the drinker going mad."

"Any ideas on who took it?" Harry asked. "We could give them a small bit of Veritaserum and ask them."

"Haven't the slightest," Malfoy quipped. The blond, who up until now had been avoiding making eye contact with Harry, was now starring at him in an excruciatingly intense manner.

"Well, I am going to be staying at Hogwarts for the duration of my investigation, so if you think of anything…" Harry trailed off mid-sentence because he was starkly aware of Malfoy's eyes all over him.

"Yes, well, as wonderful as it has been catching up, I do have other things to attend to. You may root through my potions closet if you wish to get a better idea of how much of everything was taken. Excuse me," and with that Malfoy exited his office and left Harry to stare at a very large portrait of Severus Snape. Of course the Slytherin git would have a bloody portrait of Snape looming over his desk. Typical.