Disclaimer: Weasley family spells are surprisingly useful in duels.

Dragons HO

"So this is the Granger house?" Tonks asked as the walked up to the front door.

"Yes it is," McGonagall agreed. "Though they've gotten new wards since the last time I was here."

"Good," Tonks said quickly. "You can never be too careful."

"Though I do wonder how a muggle family was able to arrange to have such extensive wards put in?" Minerva mused.

"The Ministry does them sometimes," Tonks said. "And I think you can arrange them through Gringotts if you're willing to pay enough."

"I see," Minerva said thoughtfully. "They're a bit more… extensive then I would have thought, given their origins."

"Really?" Tonks squinted at the house for several seconds before giving up.

"Don't they teach about wards in the Academy?"

"For an afternoon," Tonks agreed. "And I slept through it. They didn't test on it."

"Rather different from my day," Minerva said with a shrug. "But I don't suppose that matters."

"I didn't know you were an Auror?" Tonks said in shock.

"I wasn't," McGonagall replied with a grin. "But I dated a few."

"Do you want to do the talking then?"

"Is it so hard to believe that I used to have a love life?"

"Not hard per say," Tonks hemmed. "Painful is a better word."

"The two of us are going to have a long talk later." McGonagall promised with a smirk. "Now straighten up and be on your best behaviour."

"Yes, Professor," Tonks said before she could catch herself. Minerva lifted her hand and gave three short knocks on the door.

"Yes?" A woman answered after a few minutes. "May I help you?"

"Do you remember me, Mrs. Granger?"

"Professor McGonagall?" the woman asked, "Come in. Hermione talks about you all the time."

"She does?" The old woman asked with a pleased smile.

"I think you're her favourite teacher," Hermione's mother added with a smile. "Care for some tea?"

"I'm afraid we're in a hurry," Minerva said regretfully. "Perhaps I could stop by again to socialise."

"Please do, I'd love a chance to have a talk with Hermione's favourite Professor."

"Is Hermione here?" Tonks interrupted, "Can we see her?"

"She's out at the moment."

"When will she return?" Tonks persisted.

"I'm not sure," Ms. Granger said with a shrug. "She was planning to spend the summer with a friend and they weren't sure of when they might be back in the area."

"May I ask who her friend is?" Minerva asked quickly.

"You know him, it's her friend Harry from Hogwarts."

"Thank you for your time, Ms. Granger." Minerva all but dragged the young Auror out of the house.

"What'd you do that for?" Tonks demanded. "I didn't even have a chance to get any information."

"We got enough for now," Minerva replied. "Mad Eye is going to be hard to live with for a while."

"Why?" Tonks asked, "Because we didn't even notice that Hermione had gone?"

"No," Minerva said with a sigh. "Because Harry was smart enough to get help."

"What kind of help could she be?" Tonks asked with a smile.

"Ms. Granger is familiar with both the Muggle and Magical worlds," McGonagall lectured. "And I understand that she's travelled extensively around Europe and she is utterly loyal to Harry. Mr. Potter has led a rather sheltered life, without a guide he'd be lost. It would be difficult to find a better companion."

"Oh," Tonks said. "Not to mention that she's a pretty young witch and he's a teenage boy."

"Yes," Minerva sighed. "Not to mention that."

IIIIIIIIII

"What do you think are in the bags?" Harry asked.

"I don't know," Hermione replied. "Do you think we should look now or wait?"

"We should probably find a hotel first," Harry said. "Do we have enough for a room?"

"No," Hermione replied immediately. "We don't, and even if the goblins have set up something."

"There isn't a bank in this town," Harry finished.

"Right," Hermione agreed. "I suppose I could call my parents…"

"I think I know something we could try," Harry muttered.

"What?" Hermione asked quickly.

"I haven't tried it yet."

"Just tell me what it is," Hermione sighed.

"Pick pockets," Harry muttered. "Spell… well, it's kinda like apparition."

"I think I understand how that could work," Hermione said slowly. "Who would we go after."

"I don't know, someone who has money?"

"Let's find an isolated place to talk about this," Hermione suggested.

"Right," Harry said with signs of obvious relief. The two friends walked out of town and up the road until they found a likely looking spot.

"This looks good," Hermione remarked.

"What if someone finds us?"

"A boy and a girl alone?" Hermione said with a smile, "what do you think they'll assume?"

"Good point," Harry agreed. "Let's have a look then… what's this?"

"What'd you find?" Hermione demanded.

"An envelope taped to the side of the bag," Harry said.

"Well?"

"Dear Mr. Hound, or Ms. Fox." Harry began. "Below is a list of local places with absent owners…"

"Let me see that," Hermione demanded. "This doesn't look like the hand writing in the other note, I don't think your parents wrote this."

"That's my opinion, too," Harry said with a smirk. "The date at the top was my first clue."

"Oh… this says it was amended a week ago."

"Yup," Harry agreed. "And I think they mean that place over there."

"Yeah," Hermione agreed. "Shall we?"

"We shall," Harry said with a smile. "After you."

"Age before beauty," Hermione giggled.

"You're older then I am," Harry retorted.

"Why don't we go together then," Hermione suggested.

"My arm," Harry offered.

"Why thank you," Hermione said as she took Harry's arm. "Let's go."

"'Round the back I think," Harry suggested. "Don't want to get careless."

"Constant vigilance," Hermione agreed with what was supposed to be a serious look.

"Never know what could be waiting round the next corner," Harry said with a mock scowl.

"Right," Hermione agreed seriously. Her resolve lasted about three seconds and then she started giggling. "We really should be quiet."

"Nah," Harry said with a grin. "At the moment, we're just two kids out on a romantic walk, nothing to pay attention to. If we're sneaking around, well…"

"Good point." The two friends reached the back of the house and Harry peaked into one of the windows.

"Looks like the information was right," Harry muttered. "There are sheets on a lot of the furniture."

"Could do with a bit of cleaning, too," Hermione agreed. "Looks safe enough."

"Yeah," Harry reached for his wand. "You unlock it, I'll cover you."

"Al…" Hermione stopped and looked down at a small flowerpot next to the door. "I wonder if…" Hermione tipped over the flowerpot and found a key. "Bingo, found a key."

"Who'd hide a key in such a obvious place?" Harry asked in shock.

"Lots of people," Hermione replied. "Shall I see if it works?"

"Yeah," Harry agreed. "Why do things the hard way if we can do it the easy way?"

"Exactly." Hermione opened the door. "Ta da." Harry and Hermione crept into the house and quietly explored. "What now?" Hermione asked.

"Now?" Harry said. "Now, I think we should find a room without any windows so we can have a bit of light while we go through the stuff we got."

IIIIIIIIII

"I told you," Moody crowed. "I told you, hah. You lot didn't think ol' Moody knew what he was talking 'bout, you thought you'd have Potter back in his cage without much effort. Hah, boy was smart enough to take someone with him, too; don't expect to find him anytime soon."

"Calm yourself, Alastor," Dumbledore said sharply. "Minerva, continue."

"That's it Headmaster," McGonagall said with a sigh. "I thought it best to end the meeting before her parents got suspicious."

"Does anyone have any ideas on where they could be?" Dumbledore asked. "Put yourself in Harry's place, where would you be?" The silence was broken by Tonks breaking into a fit of giggles. "Did you have something to add Nymphadora?"

"Sorry Headmaster," Tonks said with a blush. "I was trying to put myself in Hermione's shoes and I thought of something funny."

"What was it?" Dumbledore said quickly, "Anything could help at this point."

"Well…" the young Auror began with obvious reluctance. "I was thinking that if I were Hermione then at this moment I'd be on my back with my ankles crossed behind my head while Harry…"

"That's quite enough," McGonagall snapped.

"Sorry Professor," Tonks replied. "But he asked."

"You think that Mr. Potter and Ms. Granger are… " Dumbledore paused to find the right words.

"I think everyone's over thinking it," Tonks said quickly. "Why does a young wizard usually run off with a witch his age? To get a bit of freedom, or to get the freedom to… get to know each other."

"Yes well." Dumbledore was at a loss for words. "Minerva?"

"I did see them getting… comfortable with each other at Hogwarts," Minerva mused. "But I still have a hard time believing that Ms. Granger would be so irresponsible."

"It's always the quiet ones," Tonks snickered. "Bet Harry's thanking his stars that he had the good sense to find a girl with an imagination."

"God, I'm glad Molly isn't here," Remus said to himself as the meeting erupted into chaos. "I don't even want to think about her reaction to this."

IIIIIIIIII

"Shall I get a bit of light?" Hermione asked.

"Just let me stuff the crack under the door with a few more towels," Harry replied. "You can never be too careful." The two friends had found a windowless bathroom on the third floor and were in the process of light proofing the place to avoid detection. "There," Harry said with satisfaction. "That should do it."

"Great," Hermione said. "Let's see what he gave us." Hermione eyes bugged out after she'd opened the bag. "Harry," she gasped. "Do you know what these are?"

"Uh… leather bags?"

"Impossible," Hermione said in awe. "I can't detect any magic from them." Hermione said in shock.

"So?"

"Open yours up."

"I… see," Harry peered into his bag. "How deep do you suppose they are?"

"I can't see a bottom," Hermione replied absently. The girl stuck her arm into the bag and sunk to the shoulder. "Or feel anything."

"These will be useful," Harry mused.

"If we can figure out how to use them," Hermione said quickly.

"There is that," Harry agreed. "So now what?"

"We've got a place to stay and I saw some canned food in the pantry," Hermione said with a shrug. "Stay for a day or two then loot the place on the way out?"

"Sounds good," Harry agreed. "Lunch?"

"Ok," Hermione agreed.

IIIIIIIIII

"Send in Severus," Lucius said to his assistant. "He should be waiting outside the door."

"Right."

"And give us a bit of privacy."

"What's the mission?" Snape asked bluntly.

"Something I thought you'd like," Lucius replied. He waited until his assistant left the room before continuing. "Potions ingredients."

"Why are so many men coming with me then?"

"Our Lord wishes you to harvest them from the dragon sanctuary," Lucius explained. "He wishes you to procure several gallons of blood and enough skins to make a new set of robes, everything else is a bonus to you."

"I see," Snape said thoughtfully. "Anything else?"

"I'm told that the Weasley family is on holiday somewhere in the area. Kill the blood traitors if you have the time." Lucius said. "But the priority has to be the dragons."

"Excellent," Snape said gleefully.

"I thought you'd like that part," Lucius said with a smile.

IIIIIIIIII

"Wonder what Harry's doing right now?" Ron muttered to himself. "Hope it's better then this anyway." The family had been in Romania for the past couple of days and Ron had quickly run out of things to do, his mother's suggestion of homework hadn't even merited a snort of derision. "Just wish something would happen." As Ron turned the corner, he quickly came to regret that declaration; fate has a way of accommodating those that tempt her.

"Bloody hell," Ron cursed. "Death eaters, bastards had to spoil my vacation didn't they?" Ron looked at the strike team and gulped, one he could handle, two maybe, three would be worth trying, but ten? "I'm scre… hmmmm." Ron's frown turned into a sadistic smile when he noticed the corral full of dragons behind the death eaters… frisky male dragons.

IIIIIIIIII

"Stop looking at me, you bloody bastard," Alecto growled.

"Excuse me?" Snape said coldly.

"Not talking to you, talking to the bloody drake," Alecto explained. "I don't like the way the bastard's eyeing me."

"Ignore it," Snape said with a frown. "Even if it was something to worry about, it and all the others are locked up behind that fence."

"Uh…"

"What is it?" Snape snapped.

"The gate just swung open."

IIIIIIIIII

Ron laughed as he cast another lust spell on one of the drakes, wouldn't want it to loose its motivation in mid… well, I think you can guess. "Who'd have thought I'd have found a use for Weasley spells in a duel?" he asked himself. "Wait till I tell Dad and the rest… well, maybe not mum… or Ginny."

Ron watched for several minutes as the dragons… assaulted the death eaters, casting more lust and endurance charms as needed. "And that takes care of that," Ron said in satisfaction. "Better go get some help, not sure it'd be a good idea to capture them all myself."

IIIIIIIIII

"How'd the raid go?" Lucius asked the waddling death eaters. "And where are the others?"

"We had to leave them behind," Snape gasped and several of the surviving strike team winced at the unfortunate pun. "Sacrificing them so that we could get away."

"Was it an ambush?" Lucius pressed.

"Yes," Snape agreed quickly. "An ambush."

"What happened?" Lucius demanded. "I want every little detail." One of the death eaters burst into tears.

"It's… it's too soon," Snape sobbed. "Right now I just want to go back to my chambers and take a bath."

"A bath?" Lucius asked dumbly.

"Yes, take a bath while I brew up as much topical pain relief potion as I can."

"Could you brew some up for me, too, Severus?" Jugson asked quickly.

"If I have any to spare," Snape agreed. Lucius watched the remainder of the team waddle off and he couldn't help but wonder how he was going to report this to the dark lord.

"Perhaps it's time Draco took a hand in helping me manage the reports?" Lucius mused to himself.

AN: Several chapters posted, several more to go. I called the male dragons