Disclaimer: I own no part of Harry Potter or its associated canon nor, any other already copyrighted material.

(A/N):

Chapter 20

Hunting the Hunter

Wracking their brains for the entire day had proved fruitless so the pair of Aurors fell back on the one tried and true method they had come to rely on when they got stuck. Shooting out the fireplace in Ron's house Harry was almost immediately embraced by Hermione. Before he could form a greeting however she had broken away at the arrival of her husband. As the couple shared a light kiss Harry glanced over the room and felt his lips turn up into a smile. On a side table there sat a small flask of potion with several ingredients atop a chemistry textbook. The strange juxtapositions in the house never failed to make him chuckle.

"So…what brings you here Harry?" He turned to find Hermione watching him and waiting for a reply. He pulled a file from his robes as he spoke.

"This. There was another attack, which I'm sure Ron mentioned," she nodded he had. "And we thought you might want to take a look." He handed it over as she disengaged from Ron.

"Certainly. Come on." Opening the folder, she began paging through it as she led them to the back of the house and the small sitting room that resided there. Dropping slowly into one of the chairs she continued flipping through pages as Harry and Ron each found seats. Hermione's brow furrowed as she turned back and forth amongst the report carefully pulling out all of the relevant and likely many of the irrelevant facts it contained. A glance to the side told Harry that Ron was grinning ever so slightly. He had always thought his wife's expression at these moments particularly attractive.

With a quick riffle to make sure she hadn't missed anything the woman closed the file and set it aside. She leaned back into the chair and her eyes slowly rose to contemplate the ceiling, tracing random lines across the ornate patterns. Harry very carefully schooled himself to patience. He needed to wait until she had worked through it. After several minutes her head finally came back down and her gaze fixed on them.

"Does Mr. Adelus have any descendents in London?" Harry and Ron glanced at each other in confusion. Neither could even begin to surmise where that question had come from. Harry was the first to get over his shock and speak.

"I…I don't know. I can owl the Ministry and find out."

"Good. Go ahead. That may provide a crucial part of the puzzle."

"May I ask exactly why it's relevant?"

"After you send the owl. Trust me, this will be worth it." Harry shrugged as he rose and stepped quickly toward the kitchen. With any luck a couple of employees from Records would still be in the building. Reaching the kitchen he stepped past the small cauldron and stand mixer to the message center. Hermione always liked to keep things neat and this was no exception. A stack of blank parchment sheets sat next to a pile of envelopes right next to the window.

Writing out a quick message he folded it carefully, stuffed it into a waiting envelope and sealed it with a tap of his wand. As the address wrote itself across the front he looked around for a messenger. A small nervous looking owl with golden brown feathers had arrived at the slightly open window apparently having heard the scratch of quill on parchment. Harry recognized it immediately as Snitchwidgen, a descendent of Ron's first owl. The bird's head cranked to the side for the moment as if trying to see the address before bounding a few inches closer. Handing the envelope to the owl's beak Harry instinctively scratched it behind the ears, something it seemed to approve of. "Thank you. Return quick as you can." With a muffled hoot and a small bob of the head the bird bounded into the air.

Harry watched it flutter toward the horizon and out of sight before turning and heading back to the study. He never reached his destination though as he met the Weasleys in the hall. With a gesture from Hermione he fell in. "Message sent. Now, what's this all about?" Hermione raised her hand for patience as she led the way.

"In a moment." With a few more steps they reached Hermione's laboratory. As they entered a tap of Hermione's wand caused the jumper and skirt she was wearing to shift and change into a pair of pants, blouse and long white lab coat. A second flick gathered up her hair and bound it into a pony tail out of the way. A slight grin was once more playing across Ron's lips.

Harry glanced around and could see things had changed a little since he was last here. Several of the projects that had been in progress were either gone or pushed aside. In their place was a wide variety of reference material and notepads. Against the back wall was a case board that made the one in their office look woefully incomplete. The board here contained all the attacks in the Americas as well as the more recent once, full notes written in Hermione's own peculiar shorthand and far more detailed information than they had thought necessary. The side tables contained several stacks of books covering such diverse topics as concrete construction and magical laws for transatlantic air travel. The main table in the center of the room was covered in once massive piece of parchment that managed to hang off all four corners and was covered in lines linking small boxes each of which contained one or two words in Hermione's tight script. Clearly, she had been busy,

Hermione gestured to a pair of stools that sat on one side of the table and rounded to the far side to face them. As Harry sat he glanced at the stack of books nearest him. They appeared to be works about magical lineage and ancestry with specific focus on the United States. A glance to the side found a similar stack only this time focused on Wales. Ron's eyes followed his before settling on his wife.

"Okay…I didn't ask before, but Hermione…what is all this?" Taking a moment to flick her wand and stack the books off on a side table so they could view the entire parchment she leaned toward them.

"This Ronald is the closest thing I've been able to find to a connection between all the attacks you've recorded." Harry looked over the parchment once more. If there was a pattern here he couldn't see it. It looked more like a labyrinth than anything else. He could see Ron's similar confusion out of the corner of his eye.

"Hermione…forgive me for being slow but…what is it? I see names…hundreds of them and lines connecting them, but unless this is some sort of…what?" His eyes had risen to her and found the look that always said he had missed something obvious.

"Here. I'll give you two a hint." She waved her wand a they noticed a couple of the names to the right side near their edge of the parchment turn to a glowing red. Looking closer they found their own names staring back. After glancing quickly at Ron Harry looked along the lines radiating from his name. One lead directly to Ginny Weasley. Between them another line led down and broke into five separate paths. Each of them ended in a box containing the name of one of his children with the fifth left blank. Something was trying to click into place about all of this but it wasn't quite there yet. Tracing the other direction he found a line leading up to the names of his parents and from them his grandparents before the lines on his mother's side stopped. All at once it clicked.

"This is-"

"Our family tree!" Ron burst out. Harry nodded as he too understood and then slowly looked back down. His eyes drifted right, left and up. The shear number of names involved soon began to make an impression on the back of his head.

"But this…this isn't just our families… This is…"

"Everybody," Hermione finished for him. She gestured to the books that had stacked themselves to the side. "Every single magical person I've been able to find is on here along with their ancestry as far back as I can trace. Many fade out in five or six hundred years though I've managed to trace a couple back to before the founders of Hogwarts." Harry could only stare slack jawed at her while Ron beamed at his wife's accomplishment.

"This is incredible! Only you could possibly manage this." Harry could only nod in agreement as she smiled at her husband's compliments. "So…how does it help?" Taking a moment to refocus she looked back down.

"I think I may have found a connection. Look." A quick tap of the map caused Harry and Ron's names to fade back to normal black script while a second tap caused several others to begin glowing red instead. Harry's eyes bounced from one to the other.

"These are all of the victims. The victims we know about at least." Hermione nodded.

"Now look carefully. Notice anything peculiar?" Harry started on the left, the American victims. Beginning at the name his eyes traced upward for a ways but found no connection. The second also found no connection. He continued on but failed to track any of them to a common ancestor that history hadn't forgotten. Eventually Harry shook his head.

"They don't connect anywhere in their ancestry. Anything over there?" He glanced to Ron who had started on the other side of the parchment.

"Nope. No common ancestors here either. So what's the deal?" Hermione indicated the far edge of the paper with her chin.

"Try the other way." Harry shrugged as he started again, this time seeking common descendents. The first person he tried…well…that was odd. They didn't have any children. Shrugging, he moved onto the second name. Weird, not a single line heading down. Perhaps the third. No…no children here either. "Found it yet?" Ron's head slowly rose.

"They don't have any kids."

"Exactly." Harry looked up, confusion apparent on his face.

"So…our attacker is only targeting people…without children?"

"Partially. Not only are they childless, they appear to be the last of their family line." The pair sat back down on their stools as she pointed between the names. "Each and every one of the victims is part of the youngest generation of their bloodline. And not only that, most of them are also a member of the youngest generation of several bloodlines. You know how many pure blood Wizarding families marry amongst themselves?" The pair nodded, neither sure where this was going. "Well, that means that at this point someone can carry the blood of several or even a majority of the more well known Wizarding families. Look here." She pointed in quick succession to the American victims. As she did so their lines traced back to a point where the entire American magical community seemed to split off from the British one. About…500 years ago. She pointed at that moment.

"Right here was the first mass emigration of magical families to the new world. And you can see how the few dozen families intermarried over the following centuries." Harry nodded as he followed the family lines of those first families and the others that had joined them or appeared over the intervening decades. "In fact, and this is the relevant point, every single major blood line in the Americas and many of the minor ones can be accounted for in just a handful of witches and wizards." Harry's eyes rose slowly.

"Don't tell me…" Hermione nodded slowly in confirmation.

"The people who were attacked in America represent the ancestral legacy of American magical society." The pair could do nothing but stare for several long moments as the implications worked through their minds. Finally Ron managed to speak.

"But…that's insane! Who would go to all the trouble of working that out and why? It's not like they could destroy magical society. These families have other lines. You'd have to wipe out most of the magical community to get rid of them all and clearly that wasn't the plan." Hermione could only shrug in response.

"I don't know. It doesn't make sense to me either but this is the strongest connection I've been able to find and if the pattern holds true I believe we're on to something." Harry waved it off.

"You mean you're onto something. Neither of us could have managed this. You truly are incredible Hermione." She smiled broadly at the compliment. "So…now that we have this pattern, what can we do with it? Clearly it's too late to help the Americans, but can we do something here?"

"Possibly. I haven't been able to trace Magical bloodlines here as clearly due both to time and secrecy but I think I still have a fairly solid picture. Look." Sliding the parchment to the side she brought the United Kingdom portion to the center of the table. "I've taken the victims and traced back a few hundred years. Assuming our attacker is based in America-"

"Fair considering that's where the attacks started."

"Exactly. Assuming that, then the last four centuries worth of record is about all they could get with out raising interest at the Ministry which I would have found during my own investigation. So, taking that timeframe and the victims we know of I've managed to strip away all of the bloodlines they would account for." With a tap of her wand those leading up from the victims faded into a light grey. "Then I trimmed off all the lines that have ended already." Several more faded out and as Harry rose from his chair he could just make out a few as being that of Death Eaters. "I thought you'd want to see the grand reveal yourselves." Harry leaned down close to the names, an arm propping him up on the table. "Here we go. All of the remaining bloodlines can be accounted for in these people." With a complicated set of motions she finally tapped the page and caused most of the names to fade out.

Looking over it Harry could see six…seven…eight names that still remained black. A scratching sound of a quill alerted to him to Ron who had already begun copying the names down on a blank piece of paper. As he did so he made a couple small comments. "Silvesrti? Better warn her right away. Beaknupple? Isn't that the guy in Diagon Alley?" The shear scope of the research and planning this must have taken began to weigh down on Harry's thoughts. Clearly someone had a grand scheme in the works. Now if only they could understand what it was. As Ron finished copying the names Harry looked up at the woman.

"Any idea where they'll strike first?"

"Not for certain. Adelus was a good target; he incorporated dozens of family lines. The best secondary choices are McMurta and Vance. They each have strong ties to several powerful families." She tapped the parchment again and all of the names returned to their previous state. "Though we still don't know why they're being targeted." Harry pushed himself back to a standing position and glanced over the chart.

"We can figure that out after we've caught this son of a bitch." Ron nodded as he glanced over the list.

"Any idea how we do that? And what to do now that we have this list?" Harry let out a long breath.

"What I'd like to do is bring them all in, put them under protective custody in the Ministry and keep them as safe as possible. Unfortunately that would tip our hand and cost us what little advantage we've got. So at the moment, no I don't have an idea. But I will by tomorrow morning." Hermione's hair and clothes returned to their original state as she rounded the table and gently clasped her husband's hand.

"Well, for the moment, would you like some coffee? Or tea?" Harry nodded slowly as he half turned.

"That sound's like a really good idea." Several minutes later as they stood around the kitchen enjoying their beverages Snitchwidgen shot through the open window and circled around the room several times before slowing enough to drop the envelope in Harry's hands. Opening it slowly he read over the brief response. Hermione's eyes traced the envelope as he lowered it.

"Well?"

"You were right. Richard Adelus was the last of his family line."

"So now you two really do need to come up with a plan." Harry and Ron glanced at each other before nodding in unison.

"The only reason I won't say this is the craziest plan I've ever heard is because I've lived through the Second War." Arthur Weasley looked up from his desk with a mix of mirth and disbelief as Ron and Harry stood side by side in front of him. "Run it by me one more time." Harry gestured to the list once more.

"It's simple sir. We've identified these eight people as the most likely targets for the next attack. So we detail a team of Aurors to keep a covert eye on each of them and if they are attacked, the team can step in and capture our suspect." Arthur leaned back and stared at them for a good long time.

"And if this all turns out to be a fool's mission?"

"Chalk it up to field training for some of the corps. It's not like they couldn't use it."

"True. I have the Aurors to spare. But what about these two you pointed out? The most likely targets. I can't imagine you'd offer to let a pair of junior Aurors keep an eye on them." Harry was mostly successful in keeping a grin off his face.

"No sir. Mr. Weasley and I would like to be assigned to Jane Vance. And as files indicate Victor McMurta spends much of his time in the muggle world I also have a suggestion for their protection detail." Arthur raised an eyebrow.

"Would this suggestion consist of two Americans? One of whom is a muggle herself?" Harry nodded firmly. "I can't say I like leaving one of our prime targets in the hands of a pair who aren't even associated with the Ministry."

"It's not my first choice either sir but Mr. Keystone can out fight any ten Aurors I've ever met and they'll blend into the muggle world far better that anyone else in the corps, including myself, possible could." Arthur nodded slowly.

"Very well. I'll draw up the orders and detail shifts today. We'll have them in place by this evening. Dismissed."

"Thank you sir,"

"Thank you." Arthur nodded again as the pair turned and headed from the office.

"You had better be careful." Harry glanced up from the small duffle bag he was packing to the figure of his wife, arms crossed, eyes set, leaning against the door to the hallway. His first shift on protection detail started in a couple hours and he needed to be ready. She hadn't been exactly thrilled to find out about his plan. Though they had done their share of strange and potentially dangerous things, she often tried to see their lives as more settled now.

Setting the clothes he had been packing aside he crossed the distance to her and stared deeply into her eyes becoming momentarily lost in their sheen. "Of course. I'll be fine."

"You had better be." She stared up into his eyes for a moment before he turned and began packing once more. "I know it's your job but…"

"But?" She glanced to the side while letting out a short breath.

"But I still worry." Her eyes returned to his face and found a small smile forming on his lips. His eyebrows rose a little.

"So do I. But I've got Ron and Hermione to watch my back. They've never let me down." He stuffed a couple last things into the bag and zipped it shut. "What about you? Are you going to be okay?" After a long moment's thought she nodded slowly.

"I'll get by. So will the kids." Picking up his bag he checked his coat pockets one more time before rounding the bed and closing the distance to her. Reaching up slowly he ran a finger down her cheek. After a moment it it continued down her side and turned so he could place his hand lightly against her stomach. A strength of conviction entered his words.

"I will be back. Soon as I can. And if you need me for anything, just owl. Okay?" She moved into his hand a little as it rounded to her side before nodding. "Good. I love you."

"Love you too." Leaning down he planted a firm kiss on her lips.

"Three days. Three boring days. Three…long…days…we've been at this and…nothing." Ron spoke as he stared at the ceiling and turned in lazy circles on the chair nearest the window. His summary was accurate. Three days they'd be watching Jane Vance and so far nothing out of the ordinary had happened. It had taken most of their skills not to be noticed but years of practice and Hermione's magnificent skills ahd paid off. For better or worse the woman lived a fairly dull life writing from home for a small publication and only going out once or twice a day. The furthest she had gone was a specialty paper store ten blocks down the road. Other than that most of their time had been spent in the flat they had rented across the street keeping an eye on her home. It was a decent sized flat on the fourth floor of an older building that probably dated to just after the great fire. Harry looked up from the desk where he had been working.

"This is a protection detail Ron. Boring is good. Besides, Hermione will be back from the store in a few minutes and you can try to break that locking charm she created." Ron's head lolled to the side before rolling back up to the ceiling.

"I guess…" Harry's eyes rose to the window before him once more and glanced over their target. Miss Vance was still sitting near the window reading. She turned a page every counple minutes or glanced down to the street. Harry knew the wards he and Ron had erected some time ago would alert them to anything out of the ordinary, but he still trusted his eyes more. The streetlights were slowly coming on as the sun set and cast the city into deep shadows. Harry continued his occasional glances until the door opened and a woman with blond hair and bright blue eyes strode in with a shopping bag in one hand.

As the door closed and bolted itself the charm melted away to reveal Hermione looking around the room. "Ronald, stop sitting like that or you'll mess up you neck." Reluctantly Ron pulled his head forward and spun around to face her. "Better." He rolled his eyes until they fell on the bag.

"So, what's for dinner?" Hermione shook her head as she set the bag on the small table in the center of the room.

"Why is it I'm still surprised that you always jump right to the food?" Ron shrugged and wheeled the chair closer.

"My incredible good looks drive all other thoughts from your mind?" She nearly rolled her eyes before they rose in a thoughtful expression.

"Well…"

"Other person in the room, you can stop right there." Hermione glanced at Harry before shrugging. "So, what is for dinner?" She continued pulling things out of the bag.

"Nothing exciting I'm afraid. Spaghetti, chicken al fredo, breadsticks. There was a Mexican place open but the thought of that much spice didn't really sound to good."

"Really? That's weird. 'Cause you always like to spice things up-"

"That's quite enough Ronald." Her sharp glare snapped his mouth shut though it couldn't wipe away the grin. As Harry rose from his chair he glanced down at a car coming to a stop across the street. A small lit sign sat on the roof advertising a restaurant. A young woman stepped out carrying an insulated bag.

"Hm. Looks like someone is having pizza for dinner. How about that for tomorrow?" He glanced back at the other two as Hermione finished unpacking and stepped closer. She watched as Harry headed for the table to see what was available.

"Pizza sounds good. Haven't had any in a while. Huh. Looks like that's what Miss Vance is having." Harry glanced at the hot containers Ron was uncovering as he responded.

"Really?"

"Yep. Just got up to answer the call button and…yep. She's buzzing him up." Harry glanced between his choices. White sauce? Red sauce? Both? "Makes you wonder if she orders just for the eye candy. Delivery guys don't usually look like that." Harry glanced back as he pulled a meatball out of one of the containers.

"Hermione, stop staring at the guy and get over here. She's having dinner, so are we." He stopped mid motion while grabbing a breadstick. Something wasn't right. A moment later his thoughts began to connect. "Hermione…did you say delivery guy?"

"Yeah. So?" Harry dropped the breadstick on the table, his hand already reaching for his wand. Ron instinctively matched the motion though he was unsure why.

"Because a woman got out of that car!" Rushing to the window he stared across the space into Jane Vance's apartment. She had risen and headed to the door. "No…" As she opened it the delivery girl, a youngish person with short blond hair dropped the pizza box and shoved into the room slamming the door behind her. Harry could feel alarm bells going off in his head, not just his instincts but wards he had placed on the woman's apartment. A small stick flew across the room from where Jane had been reading into her outstretched hand. Her other hand was already being knocked away by the furious assault of the other woman. "Ron!" Not waiting he turned on the spot and vanished.

As Harry appeared across the street he was instantly aware of three things. First was the unearthly cold he felt within the flat. Second was the pervading sense of fear that it still took his well trained reflexes a moment to put down. Finally was the fact that even in the moment it had taken him to arrive the fight was already over. The delivery man had Vance's stunned frame by the lapels and was pulling her closer.

The man's eyes turned sharply to stare at Harry. In one blurred motion he spun the woman around to use as a shield and drew a wand from up his left sleeve. "Ministry Auror! Drop your wand!" Harry heard himself shout the command almost by instinct as he raised a shield to defend himself. It wasn't a moment too soon as a stunning spell crashed against it with surprising power. Countering with his own attack Harry stepped to the side trying desperately to get a clear shot.

The pop to his left signaling Ron's arrival gave him just enough of an opening to target the man's arm with a precise stunning spell. As it connected he involuntarily dropped Jane to the ground. Using the falling woman for cover he spun back and ducked behind the nearby kitchen counter. "Ministry Aurors Miss! Drop the wand and come out with your hands up!" Ron's command was greeted with a barrage of spells that tore apart the wall above their crouching forms.

Glancing over to his partner Harry quickly motioned to the sides of the room and indicated a flanking attack. Ron nodded sharply and began edging closer to the wall. Harry rose slightly and launched his own attacks trying to drive the assailant toward Ron's side of the flat. A moment later a young boy rose from behind the counter with his hands up. Harry hesitated for a heartbeat. "Step around the counter and-" The boy aimed a suddenly retrieved wand and Harry just avoided the crashing hex. Cursing himself for his foolishness Harry grunted fiercely. "Okay. Enough of this." Another pop near Ron's position belatedly indicated Hermione's arrival. Though he felt momentary anger she had followed without asking he was also thankful for the help.

Counting off the split seconds he rose as the boy once more appeared to attack the new arrival and cast one of his stronger counter charms. Surprised at the attack the boy reeled for a moment and stepped back. With a sound like distantly shattering glass the boy's form cracked, split and then exploded into a thousand figments before falling away and melting into the ether.

In their place now stood the form of a woman just under six feet tall with long black hair, bronzed skin, a lithe build and black eyes that seemed to drink in the light near them dimming even the surrounding whites. Dressed in a tight fitting jumpsuit she shook visibly with rage and Harry could feel magical energy radiating from her. The cold and cloying fear he had felt on his arrival now seemed to magnify and if took every shred of his focus not to reflexively summon his patronus to his side. Out of the corner of his eye he could just make out Hermione inching backward.

With an inhuman scream that seemed to strike at his very soul the woman jabbed her wand out and fired a torrent of pure destructive energy at him. Harry raised his shield quickly but was forced to dodge as it almost immediately collapsed under the assault. In turn she drove Ron and Hermione back as well. Massive pile of ash and char now sat where parts of the flat had previously been.

Harry was on his feet a moment later and attempted a counter assault. Taking his blows in turn she barely registered stunning spells that would drop a horse. Soon Ron joined in and had little more luck. Hermione was trying some more subtle and intricate attacks but so far meeting with no more success. The woman was lightning fast and darted back and forth twirling out of the way and easily engaging all three of them in pitched battle. Whoever she was she had been well schooled in the art of magical combat. Hermione finished something complex he couldn't readily identify and launched it toward the ceiling.

A hundred beams of light shot out and assailed the woman from all sides keeping her temporarily occupied. Harry used the opportunity to summon Jane's unconscious body closer to them. Seeing this, the woman's eyes widened in anger and she swept a hand to the side neatly removing the counter, chairs and everything else between them into a crashed pile at the side of the room.

"Leave her! She's mine! All will be bound in one!" The woman didn't speak so much as howl and Harry suddenly had an acute appreciation of what hearing a banshee scream must be like. Rising fully to his feet he planted himself between the two women.

"Over my dead body." With a blast of power to drive the others into cover the woman sneered back at him with what on a less horrific visage would be called a smile. Harry could feel her gathering strength and it struck just a touch of terror into him.

"So be it!" With a shout she released a hex at him that crackled with sickly yellow and purple energy as it closed the distance more slowly than most spells would. Raising the strongest shield he could Harry pushed everything he had into his own defense. As the rampage of light arrived he nearly collapsed in shock at the strength of it. Somewhere in the distance his knee crashed painfully to the floor

Just before the shield buckled Ron appeared at his side adding strength and reinforcing Harry flagging defense. With a stronger howl the woman redoubled her effort and a cascade of hellish energy began bashing at the shield smashing it back an inch at a time. Just as he could feel Ron failing Hermione appeared on his other side, spoke words alien to even his well versed mind and added her own calculated strength to the defense. Though she lacked their raw power her understanding of the underpinning magic made her every bit as effective. With a burst that shrouded the woman in incandescent darkness the apocalyptic forces assaulting them gained strength once more.

In that moment Harry managed to focus his mind and see the fight entire. It gave him a strange sort of calm. With his friends on either side he slowly rose to his feet, a determined light glowing in his eyes. Drawing on their strength he took a firm step forward and pushed the shield closer to the woman. Disbelief battled rage behind her dark eyes. After one last burst the assault ended. Harry could just make out the burst and charred piece of wood that used to be a wand as she cast it aside. It broke into several smoldering pieces as it crashed into the wall and then to the ground. She stared at him for a long moment before growling a few clipped words.

"This isn't over. I'll have what's mine!" Before Harry's exhausted body could respond she turned in place and disappeared. Waiting several moments to make sure she was really gone he dropped his wand to his side and nearly collapsed to the ground. Only Ron's steadying hand kept him upright. Hermione was the first to voice what they were all thinking.

"What was that?" Harry shook his head as he took long breaths.

"A witch. One far more powerful and dangerous than any I've ever seen." After a long moment his eyes fell on the still unconscious woman just behind him. "Come on. We need to contact the ministry and get her to safety." With Ron's help he managed to get the woman safely to one of the undamaged chairs while Hermione tried to work out just what had happened. This had been their trap and yet they had almost been caught by it.

(A/N): If you feel it is warranted go ahead and review. I welcome any and all opinions.