Thought I'd post Chapter 2 straight after I finished putting the finishing touches on it. This Chapter starts the motor that is the plot here and introduces someone who you'll become quite familiar with. Thank you to those who have already followed, it's much appreciated, also any questions you have, place them in a review and I'll my very best to answer as many as possible! Enjoy!

Age of Heroes

Chapter Two

Senior Undersecretary

Commander Rose Weasley guided Harry Potter through the Atrium of the Ministry of Magic, they had felt that until he had met with the Senior Undersecretary, he should keep himself disguised as nobody wanted a media frenzy. They had bypassed the security check desks under both Rose's and the Senior Undersecretary's personal authority.

To Harry, there had been a lot of changes but the biggest surprise to him was the poster of the current Minister, a surprise enough to bring him to a full stop as he gazed into the massive eyes of Draco Malfoy. Rose had called him on and directed him into one of the lifts which took them down past four floors before they reached the office of the Senior Undersecretary. Harry had been here once before whilst on the run from the forces of Voldemort on a daring raid to seek, locate and destroy a Horcrux belonging to the vanquished Dark Lord. But the Senior Undersecretary then had been the horrible figure of Dolores Umbridge, the name enough to make Harry shiver a little and his right hand twitch when the reminder of Umbridge's so-called detentions back in Harry's fifth year came flooding back in his mind, now however the plaque had been replaced and now read:

SENIOR UNDERSECRETARY TO THE MINISTER FOR MAGIC

HERMIONE GRANGER

Harry's eyes darted to meet Rose's who merely rose her eyebrow as he had done when she had found him.

"You said the Senior Undersecretary wanted to speak with me." Harry stated.

"Yes I did." Rose confirmed, somehow oblivious to Harry's line of questioning.

"You never said it was your mother though?" He asked incredulously.

"You never asked." Rose said as she shrugged her shoulders and knocked on the door four times.

The door's lock snapped open and Rose entered first with Harry following.

"Commander Weasley reporting in Ma'am, mission accomplished. Captain Harry Potter, the Senior Undersecretary to the Minister for Magic, Hermione Granger." She introduced while standing to attention.

Harry's eyes couldn't find his old friend's eyes. Hermione got up from behind her desk and walked up to Harry, she took his chin in her hand and looked straight at her friend. What happened next surprised both Rose and Harry, Hermione drew her wand and pointed it at Harry's face. Rose wanted to draw her own wand, as her Auror instincts compelled her to, but all her mother did was cast a Finite charm to cancel out Harry's magically induced disguise and soon enough the real face of Harry Potter returned. The grey hair was replaced with Harry's natural colour of jet black and while the neatly-trimmed beard remained, it too returned to black. Hermione put her wand down on her desk and turned to envelop Harry in a tight embrace, Harry was still taller than Hermione so she was on her tiptoes as her arms went around Harry's neck. Harry's arms slowly encircled her hips as he returned the hug from his old friend.

Rose relaxed as she saw her mother let go of her friend and wipe away several tears that ran down her face.

"Thank you Rose and well done. Would you leave us for a while? Harry and I have some catching up to do." Hermione said as she hugged Rose.

"Sure thing Mum, see you later. Good to finally meet you, Captain." Rose said as she shook Harry's hand and nodded at her mother before heading out of the office leaving only Harry and Hermione.

"So...Senior Undersecretary to Draco Malfoy? How did that happen?" Harry asked first before Hermione had a chance to begin her own questioning of him.

She laughed first before answering, "Draco came to me and Ron with an offer, believe it or not. He wanted me to run with him on his campaign trail endorsing my radical ideas as he put them. He won in a landslide and between me and you, it's been the best thing for the country, the people love him as does the Wizengamot. We've butted heads a couple times but when your daughter is dating the Minister's son, you can't throw a hex his way unless you want jail time."

"Rose and Malfoy's son?" Harry choked.

"Oh yes." Hermione said, quite happily too, "They've been dating since their sixth year in Hogwarts, Draco and I have a bet on when Scorpius proposes. I'm not losing to him again, that's for sure."

Harry shook his head and did the only thing that he could at the moment and started laughing.

"How times change." He said out loud.

"Quite so." Hermione said and shared a laugh with Harry before clearing her throat, "Listen Harry, while I'd love to sit here with you and catch you up, I'd rather get to the point as to why I had Rose find you and bring you back."

Harry sat up in his chair, his full attention on Hermione.

"A number of days ago, certain members of society, all high-ranked in their respective profession went missing. Civil servants, Heads of Ministerial Divisions, even business owners all just disappeared without warning." She explained. "The DMLE investigated and came up with nothing, anyway two weeks, exactly two weeks, they all re-appeared in their last known location, nothing had changed about them, they were wearing the same clothes and nothing had been stolen but they all reported a lack of memory of the two weeks they were missing."

Harry's interest was piqued almost straight-away, he could never resist a mystery.

Hermione continued with her report, "Two days ago, Redcliffe Ignatius came here for work but…" She stammered with her next words, worrying Harry. "Redcliffe massacred his entire office staff. He used an exploding curse to kill twenty-six people in just two shots."

Harry's eyes widened in disbelief. Twenty-six people dead, just like that.

"He was taken in for questioning and the Aurors investigating reported that he just saying one name and one name only. Thaddeus Walker." Hermione said.

Harry gasped loudly. His eyes now as wide as possible. That name, that impossible name, brought back the horrors of the past. The darkness that was Harry's fall was on Thaddeus Walker's shoulders, Ginny Potter's blood was on Walker's hands, in short one Thaddeus Walker had destroyed Harry's life in just two shots of a blasting curse.

"That's not possible." Harry whispered.

Hermione did not deny it but said, "There's more, on the same day, Franklin Greengrass destroyed a shop in Diagon Alley using the same curse. Only there was a difference with Mister Greengrass. He was under the Imperius Curse, the Aurors were able to trace the source."

Harry shook his head, he did not want to hear the words, he could handle hearing the words but they came with Hermione's voice.

"I'm sorry Harry. The magical trace left on Franklin Greengrass was of Thaddeus Walker. There's no mistaking it, he's somehow back." Hermione said, tears again running down her face as she saw Harry clench his fists in anger or grief at hearing the man who had killed his wife and the closest person she had to a sister was somehow back and killing people again.

"Those two people, Ignatius and Greengrass, they went missing didn't they?" Harry asked, his fists still clenched.

Hermione nodded.

"What else was there?" Harry asked through clenched teeth as he tried to keep his temper in check.

"The Azkaban Guard reported that his cell was empty. Once news had leaked to the public, the Minister put me in charge of the situation along with the Director of Law Enforcement. Myself and the Director agreed that if he is going to be fought, we needed you back." Hermione stated, drying her eyes once again and clearing her voice. "As Senior Undersecretary..." She began to say, "...it is my duty to tell you that the Minster has cleared your record and declared the events that led to your exile are now classified beyond top secret. Everybody involved has had their memory adjusted slightly except myself and Ron, due to his position."

Harry was about to ask when Hermione answered for him.

"He's Director of Law Enforcement." She said proudly. "Oh and once you pass all the tests to show that you're mentally and physically fit for duty, your new boss."

Harry was dumbfounded as he looked at Hermione's now-smirking face.

"I quit, I handed in my badge, sorry to disappoint there." Harry argued.

"Little known re-activation clause in the service Harry. Comes in handy with former Aurors who leave the service. It's known as the Moody Clause more colloquially." Hermione said, still smirking.

"Consider yourself reinstated, Captain Potter." Hermione said, handing Harry his old Auror badge. "And yes, of course I kept it." She said before Harry again could speak.

Harry took it with a shaking hand. This time he would do things right, for Ginny, he would avenge her death the right way.

-oOo-

"So what was he like?" Scorpius Malfoy asked while cutting some vegetables and placing them in a pot to boil.

"Who?" Asked Rose Weasley as she dried her hair having just gotten out of a very well-earned shower.

"Harry Potter. You know who I was talking about." Scorpius answered.

"Oh not at all what I expected. He's broken sure, but there is still something in him that my parents spoke about." She answered.

"Oh yeah? What's that then?" He asked again.

"Kindness. As soon as I told him my name, he just surrendered. I think if it had been any other Auror, he would've defended himself." Rose thought aloud.

Rose got changed into some comfortable clothes and joined her boyfriend and flatmate in the kitchen, he greeted her with a kiss on the head as he kept on cooking. Rose absolutely adored his cooking, he took great care in it as with most things he went about doing, while he was no master chef, Scorpius knew his way around a kitchen.

Rose and Scorpius had been firm friends since their second year in Hogwarts, they had studied together and enjoyed each other's company immensely much to their respective fathers' annoyance, an old school rivalry taken to the extremes of the previous generation's past in the War before Rose and Scorpius were even born let alone walking. A relationship between the two grew closer in their sixth year when they had begun dating to the delight of both of Astoria and Hermione and the gradual acceptance of Ron and Draco. It didn't hurt also that by the time they had graduated, Hermione and Draco were the two highest serving Governmental figures in Magical Britain so they now were most certainly stuck together.

What Rose was oblivious to was that Scorpius had gone to Mr Weasley and asked permission for him to ask Rose to marry him. Ron had taken great pleasure in making the young Malfoy squirm a little before happily approving on the condition that Scorpius never hurt Rose lest he send a Auror squad after him. Scorpius just needed to plan the moment, he would do it on her birthday which was now a month away, with all their friends and family gathered. He smiled at the thought of seeing Rose in a wedding dress and lost himself in the image until he was brought back into reality by Rose's voice begging his attention.

"Scorpius, are you alright? You wandered off there." She questioned, quite concernedly.

"I'm fine Rosie, just thinking about you that's all." He said grinning.

She shook her head and laughed it off. "I swear you remind me of Teddy when he looks at Vic sometimes. Boys, you'll be the downfall of us all." She said as she made herself a cup of tea.

Scorpius chuckled and kissed her again on the top of her head. "I love you too Rosie."

"Shut up and cook for me, Scorpy." She replied with a cheeky grin.

"At once Commander Weasley! Right away, Commander Ma'am." He said playfully saluting and standing to attention.

-oOo-

While Rose and Scorpius were enjoying each other's company, Hermione was pouring Harry and herself a cup of tea as she caught Harry up with everything that he had missed.

"What else is there? Seamus married Parvati, oh and Neville is Deputy Headmaster to Filius now." She was saying as she poured milk into both cups.

Meanwhile Harry was looking at a picture of Hermione, Ron and their two children along with Teddy and Victoire. He smiled at the picture with everyone waving at the camera or looking at each other as Teddy and Victoire were doing. Hermione saw him looking at the picture and smiled sadly, her poor friend was robbed of the chance of having such a family photo being taken. Harry and Ginny had quite frequently spoken about having children of their own in the past, both quite excited at the prospect of having children.

"Everyone looks great, Hermione." He said as she handed him a cup and saucer.

"I have two great kids, a wonderful husband. All I need is my best friend back and I'm a happy camper." She said sitting beside him.

The door opened behind them suddenly and in stepped the tall and imposing figure of Director Ronald Weasley, head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. The first he did was laugh uproariously and pull Harry up for a hug as Hermione had done earlier. Harry began to laugh as the two men patted each other on the back.

"You look good Harry. Nice beard, tried it for myself but the wife didn't like it." Ron laughed as he admired Harry's facial hair.

Hermione cleared her throat loudly and gazed sternly at Ron. "Good evening, Director. I didn't realise you were joining us tonight." She said sternly.

Ron stood straight. "Sorry Ma'am. I hope I'm not disturbing anything." He said apologetically.

Harry though was bewildered and only looked from Hermione to Ron and back again.

"This…" He said wagging his index finger from one friend to another, "...is weird. I don't like this. You're married, I get it, but is this really how you two are at work?" He asked the couple.

Before either one could answer, another voice answered Harry's question for him.

"No, they're a lot worse at work. It's like watching two puppies play with each other. Sickenly sweet is how I describe it." Answered the Minister for Magic, Draco Malfoy, as he closed the door behind him.

Harry and Hermione got up in respect to which he waved and they sat back down again. Hermione yielded her chair behind her desk to her superior as Ron stood in-between Harry and Hermione, his hands resting on both of their chairs.

"I trust that Hermione has briefed you on the situation, Harry?" Draco asked.

His use of his first name and not his last was not lost on Harry, this was most definitely a new Draco Malfoy he was talking to, one that he would most assuredly get used to.

"Yes she has and I accepted her offer to come back. I owe it to Ginny." Harry said.

Ron patted Harry on the shoulder and nodded with a confident smile at his best friend.

"Good!" Draco said as he patted the desk. "Now as it's an occasion to celebrate, I invite the three of you to dinner with me and Astoria." He offered.

"We'd be delighted." Hermione answered.

"Splendid, best to take the floo." Draco said.

Harry could only smile at the exuberance showed by the Minister, Hermione had already spoken about the good he had done so far and she was right that he was not the person they had battled with back in their school days.

Ron put his hand on Harry's shoulder to hold him back a moment.

"We've set up a room for you at The Burrow if you want it, if not, your flat is the way you left it, all I've done is clean up a bit." Ron said quietly.

"Thanks Ron, but I'll be fine at the flat. Best to just jump straight back in, besides I think my Auror uniform is still there too." Harry said kindly.

"Oh yes, I expect you at St Mungo's tomorrow at nine o'clock sharp, Captain." Ron joked.

"Yes sir, Director!" Harry laughed as the two reunited friends went through the floo one-by-one.

So...everyone pretty much has moved on with their lives. Hermione serving as Draco's Undersecretary was an idea I've wanted to use for AGES now so I'm quite happy to put pen to paper, so to speak, and give the idea life. We also now know the antagonist, he is an OC and someone I've fleshed out and I'm quite happy with his character. Also my final point, I am going to put up a poll to answer a question I'd like reader's choice on and that being Harry's Auror partner, some of the choices will surprise you. The vote will be up until Friday the 17th, so that leaves most of the week to cast your votes.