A/N: Once upon a time there was a Harry Potter Society, who were all the best of buddies. They were such good friends that they decided to spend a weekend in the Scottish Highlands to hang and check out HP movie sets.

All was wonderfully glorious for a day. Pictures were taken, the hostel was embraced, and Cards Against Humanity was played. Until, that night, a game of 'Werewolf' was interrupted. For L looked down at her mobile and announced she had a text. This was highly unusual in itself, as they were in the middle of nowhere and reception was touchy at best. But the confusion was only heightened when L explained what a friend had sent without any explanation: 'R/Hr?! Rowling's announcement! My heart, oh my heart…'

Without further warning, twenty-four Harry Potter fanatics frantically dived for their phones or raced from the room to find a laptop. I'm shocked that my delighted shout of "DIVORCE! I CALL DIVORCE!" didn't get me crucioed right then and there. All in all, a brilliant night.

On the actual fic: huge thanks to Spellmugwump97 (for her wonderful betaing) and to Bludger1 (for coming up with how to escape a dragon and rampaging goblins)!

General Disclaimer: Though I'm clearly not Rowling, I do believe we share a love of flaming shipping war fires.

Teddy hadn't had the best evening. Not only had he barrelled into a dozen Jack o'Lanterns while trying to avoid his mother, but his family was being mysterious. Even more so than usual, which wasn't a great sign.

It was bad enough that his godparents were obviously keeping some sort of 'big dark secret' for the past week, but now everyone had seemingly gone insane. For example, Jamie had cornered him outside the kitchens to ask about the resurrection stone. He'd come too close to the truth and Teddy (distracted in looking over his shoulder for a determined metamorphmagus) found himself saying he should ask Henry, since he knew nothing. Jamie only grumbled, said that his dad never told him anything, and wandered off while mumbling about Grim Reapers.

Next, he'd almost slammed into Hermione outside the library. The girl had only paused to shriek out a hurried apology before rampaging away as though a Heliopath was at her heels.

But perhaps the most peculiar instance had to go to Al and Lily. Teddy loved them like his own siblings, but he'd always wondered if they'd been dropped on their heads as babies. This suspicion was not lightened by their current questioning of whether or not he knew that their dad was a Time Lord.

Teddy had gaped at them, spotted a grinning Tonks coming speedily down another corridor, and hightailed it away from all the crazies.

Which was when he all but had a heart attack when a stag Patronus appeared an inch from his nose.

Teddy (clutching his side from the mad run and fervently hoping that his last detour through a tapestry had set his mother on the wrong path) stumbled into his family's common room. As he caught his breath and bearing, he was a little bit put off by the sight of his godparents repeatedly headdesking.

"I. Hate. 1995." Henry fervently groaned. In looking up and spotting his hesitating godson, he straightened as his voice raised to an exclamation. "Teddy! Isn't 1995 idiotic?"

The younger wizard gaped, taken aback and still recovering from racing away from what seemed like half the castle. "Yeah, it's a bit rubbish? Voldemort, intro to war, my psychotic not-inferi mum…"

"No no." Henry moaned, head collapsing back to the table. "Not any of that. They don't have the internet!"

The metamorphmagus only felt more confused as he slid into a 'seat' on the top of the couch. "I guess that's bad. But don't you barely use it?"

"It's. For. Research." Jenny joined the trend in stating her sentences in tightly gripped words. "Because Hogwarts just can't have information on muggle objects, and muggle libraries will have books rather than current events! Bloody useless."

"I'm telling you," Henry turned to her with the air of one restarting an argument, "the stone was moved before 1995. The Scottish were making a ruckus about it, no way did it take longer than that."

"You just don't want to rob Westminster Abbey." Jenny let her head fall into her arms.

"Like I want to break into Edinburgh Castle?" He rebutted, leaning back in his seat and rubbing his eyes. "The magical protections over both are mad. I doubt Voldemort needed to add a thing."

"Hold on!" Teddy at last interrupted. "What are you talking about? I thought you were robbing Gringotts, and that won't be for ages."

"We're doing that too. But 'ages'? I wish." Henry stated sourly, clearly wishing he could be anywhere else. "By the end of this we'll be master criminals. Cheers!"

"Don't be so glum." Jenny said with forced humour. "This is actually good news. You see Ted, putting the DA on horcrux research worked and Hermione found a lead on Gryffindor's object."

"The Stone of Destiny." Henry sighed, though he was appreciative. "If we don't end up in Azkaban we'll be charged with high treason. Fantastic."

"Sorry, stone of what?" Teddy tried to keep up, but the vagueness and late hour made this tremendously difficult. The Patronus had only mentioned 'urgent news' and 'come here now', so he was feeling out of the loop. "No, wait. You mentioned Edinburgh Castle. Didn't we see some rock there? Is that it?"

"'Some rock'?" Jenny sent him a peeved look. "We spend family vacations trying to teach you kids history and nothing sticks. It's the Coronation Stone, munchkin: the big block of rock every Scottish royal sat on to become king. But then England being England took it to use for their own coronations."

"That…sums up British history in a nutshell. I'm missing what this has to do with Gryffindor?"

"According to Hermione," Henry took up the explanation, "all of Hogwarts' Founders were friends of the Scottish royals at one point or another. But the Gryffindor line was particularly close to the kings who had the Stone. Godric Gryffindor was no exception. Apparently there's court records that shows him at Holyrood Palace and the like."

"Okay," Teddy hedged, "so Gryffindor was close to the royals. But the 'Stone' would've been important to the muggle kings rather than him. Would Voldemort really have used it as his horcrux?"

Jenny cut in. "Magical historians always downplay Gryffindor's relationship with the muggles. But Hermione thought to look at what happened to the Stone of Destiny in Gryffindor's lifetime, which was where it gets complicated. See, the Stone seems to get magical protection. It might've even been put in the 'lost city' of Evonium to protect it; that is, what Hogsmeade used to be called. More importantly? The 10th century was when the English really began to want the Coronation Stone, but every plan they made to steal it failed. They only succeeded after Gryffindor's death."

"Gryffindor did everything he could to sustain Scottish power for both wizards and muggles." Henry commented. "Ever wonder why Hogwarts is in the Highlands? The Founders must've liked Scotland's 'independent spirit'." He yawned, tiredness showing through. "The point is, Gryffindor seems to have protected the Coronation Stone like it was his own. Merlin knows any object attached to both a Founder and royalty would be appealing to Voldemort."

"Brilliant." Teddy grinned, not understanding the problem. "Let's get it! We've even seen it down in Edinburgh."

"We saw it in Edinburgh Castle in 2009." Jenny expression returned to one of frustration. "Before then it was in Westminster Abbey. It was in the '90s that the Stone returned to Scotland."

"Then we're heading to London?" Teddy questioned.

"You're not going anywhere and we're going to Edinburgh." Henry turned back to Jenny, taking up their previous debate. "I'm telling you, the Stone was moved in the early 1990s. It'll be in the castle!"

"It was in Westminster Abbey for decades." She shot right back. "It was the late 1990s that it changed."

"Well, we don't have Google to check." Henry said flippantly, sarcasm ringing his words. "Flip a coin?"

"Don't joke about this!"

"I wasn't. Do you have a better suggestion?"

"Yeah, I do!" Teddy broke in on his godparents' argument. "Why don't you check both places for the Stone, and then break in? You guys never take the easy route."

"We can't." Henry ran an irritated hand through his hair. "Ted, both these places are national treasures. They, and most of the administrations, are protected by magical security."

"I—what?" The younger man said.

"Think how easy it'd be to rob the Louvre with a few basic spells." Jenny cut in with a frustrated scowl, hands waving in explanation. "The Ministry has detectors set up around these muggle sights that note any entering magical signatures. If something goes missing, they'll know exactly who to check."

"But you'd only be looking." Teddy cast them an odd glance.

"We're from a different time stream!" Henry exclaimed. "Who knows what our signatures would show up as, except that they'd ring a million alarms. Plus, if we send someone from the Order and then rob the place, guess who the aurors would first suspect?"

Teddy paused, unease deepening as he realised the situation. "Are the protections ever down?"

"During oddly busy times? Maybe." His godfather considered this, pushing his glasses up to rub his eyes. "Or for a special event."

"It's the 30th." Jenny frowned in contemplation. "We're busy tomorrow, but there could be something going on for Guy Fawkes Day?"

"Huh." Henry's eyes scrunched in thought. After a moment he leapt from his seat, grabbing his coat. "I'll be back in a bit!"

"What?" His wife whirled around as he rushed to the door. "Where're you going at this hour?"

"LONDON AND EDINBURGH!" Was the shouted reply before the portrait hole slammed shut behind him.

There was a beat of silence. The remaining occupants stared at the door, feeling as though a storm had swept by them.

"So," Teddy broke the gap, "what's happening on Halloween?"

Two hours later a wizard reentered the common room. He stopped to gaze at the sight before him.

They'd both fallen asleep. Teddy was drenched over an armchair, mouth hanging open and hair changing colour with every snore. Jenny was curled up on the couch, her body shifting ever so slightly with each breath.

Henry quietly approached them, coming to a kneel beside Jenny's sleeping form. Brushing her hair away from her face, he kissed her. In barely a few moments before it was returned, her eyes fluttering open as the dreamy glossiness gave way to annoyance. She pulled away, glaring at him.

"What were you thinking?" Jenny hissed. Sending a small glance at the still-slumbering Teddy, she kept her voice low.

"I was trying to find a solution." In contrast to her irritation, he sent her a smirking smile. "We're robbing Edinburgh Castle."

She paused, having to shake away the last remaining bit of sleep to focus on what he said. When she had, her glare was replaced with relief. "The Stone's there?"

"Dunno." He fished a small pamphlet out of the coat pocket, handing it to her. "But Westminster's not doing anything for the fifth. Edinburgh is. Thank their tourist office for the info."

Jenny stared down at the paper, rubbing at the wrinkled sheet as she read the words. She looked back up at them, whisper becoming even softer. "A black tie event?"

"A fireworks gala." Henry tried to cover a yawn. "There will be less surveillance. This is the sort of thing where the influential guests won't want their names on any paper trail."

"Speaking from experience, Mr. Potter?" She gave a small grin.

"Pot meet kettle, Mrs. Potter." He grinned back, giving her another kiss. "Security will be minimal."

"Just when I was thinking I'd get a break from galas." Jenny stretched up, far more hopeful than annoyed. She sent him a coy glance. "Now to stuff objects of questionable legality into a skimpy dress. Again."

Her husband suddenly found himself far more awake.

Halloween began as a relatively boring day. Hogwarts' classes went on without a glitch, and almost no one was made wiser to the plots unfurling beneath the calm facade. Only a few odd conversations punctured this calm facade. One of which was held in the Headmaster's office so early in the morning that most of the castle was still asleep. The paintings faked similar slumber, but were instead watching silently so as to catch every word.

"Gringotts is ready to go." Henry said calmly to Dumbledore. The younger man glanced at a miserable looking Fawkes, giving a sympathetic smile to the bird on the verge of its Burning Day. "We'll go in today; gives us more room for excuses if something happens. We can always blame some things on a prank for the holiday."

"I see." Dumbledore frowned. "I still doubt this is necessary."

"Voldemort wasn't targeting muggles this early last time. Also, we both know some of his attacks have been covered up." The time traveller wasn't willing to budge on this. "The future's already been twisted up. We might as well use what advantages we have, which starts with the horcruxes."

The Headmaster, while weary, didn't argue further. "As it is obvious I can't talk you out of this, I can offer my assistance if things go awry. While I do not have the influence I once had, I have friends yet."

"Thank you." Henry said gratefully. "I actually have some details about that. But first, would you be free on 5th November as well?"

"I believe so. Might I ask why?"

His expression turned sheepish. "When I said I was planning a heist? I meant two. We think Voldemort's hid another horcrux in Edinburgh Castle. They're having an event there on Bonfire Night, so it's as good a time as ever to sneak in."

There was a pause. Dumbledore's twinkle came back so brightly that he almost appeared to be laughing. Even Fawkes gave a faintly tinkling squawk, though bits of his feathers did fall into ash. "You wish to rob two highly secured places within a week?"

"No time like the present." Henry said with a shrug. "Distractions and galas don't come along very often."

It was then that Fawkes burst into flame. Both wizards gave a start before comprehension dawned. The portraits raised a few eyebrows as murmurs of omens and prophecies were whispered back and forth.

Henry fiddled with a piece of parchment in his cloak, watching as the fire died and a baby phoenix blinked up at him. "There's one more thing."

"Hmm?" Dumbledore turned from placing a few comforting charms around the timidly chirping Fawkes.

"I can't talk Ginny out of going." He dropped all pretences of fake names. Worry swam over his features as he took out a paper and placed it on the table. "Not that she won't be brilliant, but this is too big of a risk."

The Headmaster took the parchment. As he read the first few words his eyes widened. "My dear boy…"

"Don't tell her. Don't tell anyone." Henry gazed back at Fawkes, smiling softly as his squawking became stronger. "Hopefully this will go off without a hitch, though I don't usually have that sort of luck."

"But this?" Dumbledore's true age shone through as he read the paper.

"Ginny doesn't trust you," Henry said simply, turning to meet and hold the old man's gaze, "and I probably shouldn't. But I'm too much like you, too fond of giving second chances. So I'm asking you this. If something goes wrong, if neither of us makes it, follow these instructions. Protect them."

The Headmaster dropped his gaze as the will fell from his hands. All that could be heard was Fawkes and the muttering portraits, though as the seconds ticked by even they fell silent.

"I am sorry." Dumbledore's words were etched with many long years and of decisions that could not be changed. "For the mistakes I made, for what you have had to go through. Unless time twists again, it is impossible for me to unwind the past. But I crave that exact thing. I, an old man filled with regrets. One could so easily curse hindsight, but I? I hope to aim forward, dwell on the future rather than the past, and fight to not repeat my failures."

Henry remained silent.

"I am deeply thankful that you have gained a family. Never doubt that, nor my wish for your happiness." Dumbledore closed his eyes, the sorrow of a wartime general creasing his skin. "I swear that your children will be safe. I will do whatever it takes to return them home."

The younger wizard inclined his head in a bare nod, tension falling as relief swept over his features.

The next conversation that day was one Henry had been looking forward to even less. A cautious Teddy and confused Jamie, Al, and Lily were grabbed by their parents before they got to breakfast and hurried into an empty classroom off of the Entrance Hall. After a number of security and anti-eavesdropping charms were put up, the adults turned hesitantly to them.

"We don't want to scare you." Was Henry's unencouraging start. He blew out a puff of air, searching for words. "I'm sure everything will be fine. But, just in case, your mum and I wanted to let you know what's happening and—"

"We love you so much!" Jenny interrupted with a lunge forward, trying to hug all four of her scandalised kids at once.

"—tell you we love you." Henry lightly intoned, watching them try to escape their mum's hold. "You know, strangling them might be counterproductive."

"Git." Jenny murmured, not reducing the force of her hug by an iota (much to the receivers' chagrin).

"MUM!" Jamie cried out as the embrace turned to kisses. "God, you're so embarrassing."

"Urck!" Lily yelped, scrambling to try and get away. Al and Teddy had more or less given into the inevitable, silently hoping the onslaught would end soon.

Henry couldn't help but snicker at his 'tortured' kids. "You could always stay in the castle."

"Like that's going to happen!" Jenny huffed, at last releasing the relieved kids. She twisted to her husband with narrowed eyes, hands now at her waist. "We know what happens when you're left to yourself with something like this."

He scrambled for a second to find a reply. "Ron and Hermione were with me—"

"You lot almost took out half of Diagon!" His wife exclaimed. "I'm going to try and reduce the chaos and make sure you don't kill yourself."

Henry sent her a glance, a previous argument now reignited as a distraction from telling the kids what was happening. "It'd be less dangerous with only one of us. Besides, you can't act."

Jenny scowled. "My acting's fine. It's not my fault you're in a huff about the plan, you're who came up with it!"

"Sure, but I'd forgotten Tonks was pants at mimicking people." Henry winced at the reminder of his role in this plot. "Before you say anything, no, growing elephant trunks is not 'similar enough'."

Meanwhile, the four kids were staring at their parents or parental figures in confusion.

"Taking out half of Diagon? Are you saying what I think you're saying?" Jamie at last spoke, delight entering his voice.

"Impersonating?" Teddy said in a much more incredulous tone. He pointed to himself with an eyebrow quirk (one that reached up beyond his hairline). "Hello? Impersonator extraordinaire, right here."

"NO!" Henry and Jenny cried out as one, startling the others.

"Absolutely not." The older wizard continued firmly, leaving no room for argument. "Much too dangerous. You're not having anything to do with this."

Jenny nodded, sending a stern look at her godson. "It's not going to happen. Not in a million years."

"A billion." Her husband added on.

"A billion." She agreed.

The kids stared at them in bewilderment. Jamie was the first to put it fully together. His eyes widened in excitement. "No way. Really, again? WHOO! YES! YOU'RE ACTUALLY COOL PARENTS!"

"Again?" Lily asked, brow furrowing.

"Gringotts." Her brother whispered in awe, staring at his parents as though they were wizarding gods.

"Wait, what?" Teddy twisted to stare in horror at the abashed pair. "You're kidding me. This is what you're doing today? Breaking into Gringotts?"

"I can't tell you how much I'd like to not be doing this." Henry sighed, running a hand through his hair. He then sent Jenny a peeved look. "Mainly since I'm somehow the only decent actor in the Order."

"Just be happy Sirius found an old hairbrush in Kreacher's den with a lucky hair sample." Jenny replied, only adding to the kids' confusion. "Also, it could be worse. Imagine drinking a bit of Bellatrix Lestrange."

"Can we go back to how you've gone insane?" Al haltingly interrupted as his father looked disgusted by the last comment. "You're joking about robbing Gringotts, right? Guys? Some reassurance would be great."

"Dragon!" Jamie happily mused, oblivious to the ensuing arguments. "I hope I can ride this one."

"NO!" His parents again yelled in unison, sending warning glares at all their children for good measure. Teddy and Jamie got particularly narrowed glances.

Needless to say, between the final explanations and more than a few strangling hugs, the three young Gryffindors were late to the day's classes. Henry and Jenny never showed up to teach theirs, but Teddy was a perfectly capable substitute.

A witch and wizard sat at a Diagon Alley cafe who were altogether nondescript and forgettable. If any passer-by had been pressed, some might have hazarded that the redheaded woman had a similar facial structure to the numerous Weasleys. But all would've been clueless about the man holding her hand, for though he resembled the Boy Who Lived it was common knowledge that the child was the last of the Potters.

As it was, everyone who strolled past were wholly uninterested in the couple. Yet this would have changed had they known what they were planning, that there was no alcohol in the flask before the man, that a muffliato was cushioning their conversation from any sly eavesdropper, or why they hungrily stared as though to memorise the other's expression before it was too late.

"We'll be in and out without anyone knowing better." Henry kept his tone hushed, though it was impossible for them to be overheard. "The only risky bits are the entrance and exit. So remember, no matter what happens when we're going in, stay hidden! Dumbledore's on the look-out for a Patronus; if I'm captured, contact him."

"Or I'll handle your escape myself." Jenny frowned, making it clear that sending a message to the Headmaster would be a last-ditch option. "Entering's straight-forward enough, but I still don't like the exit. What if we're late on the potion? The goblins will know something's wrong. Forget about strolling out: we'll be up against an army."

"Then we won't be late." He stopped, but seeing her exasperated expression continued on. "Fine, if something mad happens there's always the alternative passage."

"The tunnel that's a goblin secret?" She said sarcastically.

"We know other ways out of the tunnels exists. Bill's said as much." Henry tried to persuade. "How can there be no back-up if the lobby's blocked for some reason? Where do all the tunnels lead off to? How can they get massive things in and out of the vaults? That's why we'll spell the goblin with us right off; worst case, he'll tell us where there's another exit."

"Great." Jenny grumbled, not exactly pleased with her task therein. But she abruptly shook her head. "Enough rehashing, we aren't going to talk each other out of it."

"True." He reluctantly agreed. "Shame."

"Don't be so glum." She nudged him. "With these heists added to everything else, you're our generation's criminal mastermind."

Henry gaped. But, as she continued to grin, he felt her good humour rub off on him. A smirk grew as he leaned in, gently wrapping his fingers through her hair, coming closer and closer to her lips. He caught the slightest whiff of citrus. "Hmm. You'd be the femme fatale?"

"Maybe." But her amusement, in comparison, was rapidly fading as reality fell back in. She plucked off his glasses with a sad smile, putting it in the moleskin pouch around his neck. "You should take the potion."

"We have a moment." Then he was kissing her. The citrus smell grew stronger and he found himself randomly missing her old flowery smelling shampoo. She was here, safe. With her arms snuggled around him and hands ruffling his hair. He embraced this moment with all the desperation of a drowning man catching a last breath of air.

Jenny pulled away a fraction of an inch, worry shining through her determined stance. "I love you."

"Love you too."

The two stayed in the cafe for a bit longer than planned.

"Try being snider." Jenny looked at her husband, quirking her head.

"I am snide!" Henry's voice was much higher than usual and ended with a snip. Scowling, his eyes narrowed.

"There!" She said happily, leaning against the alleyway's wall and uncaring about its dirtiness. "Much better. I'm quaking in my non-existent boots."

His frown increased as he flicked back his now long hair. "This hair is so, ugh, distracting. How do girls deal with it? Or why couldn't you have just taken acting lessons? Bloody mortifying, this is." He resisted looking down, determinedly staring straight ahead. "If you've taken any pictures…"

Jenny giggled before throwing the Invisibility Cloak over herself, waltzing behind him as they headed out of the alleyway back into the main part of Diagon Alley. She whispered her response in his ear as they passed by the cafe and towards Gringotts. "No pictures yet. But acting lessons wouldn't have made a difference. I've never spent time with most of the Malfoys: you have."

"Not by choice." He murmured out of the corner of his mouth, shooting glares at any who approached them. They neared the intimidating white building towering over the other businesses. "Don't know how Scorp turned out half-way decent."

"His mum's lovely," she chided, "and for some reason you can stand Draco."

"Not for extended periods of time." He muttered back as they joined the throngs on Gringotts' steps. Tossing a glance at the plaque, he had to let out a half-smile at the poem inscribed. He felt his wife ruffle beside him, clearly also seeing the formidable lines of a morning rush inside the bank.

"We only have a few doses. This needs to be quick." She murmured in his ear.

"Follow me." Henry breathed out. Placing a condescending look on his face, he swept through the protesting crowd while sending contemptuous glares at any noise of protest. Remarkably soon he was brushing past the person at the front of the line. Silencing the blustering wizard with a palmed galleon, he twisted to look down his nose at the goblin. His voice was cleared. "I wish to make a withdrawal from the Lestrange family vault."

The goblin raised an eyebrow, but didn't object to the cutting (unlike the howls from behind them). A frown only appeared after he checked the records. "Mrs. Malfoy, this vault has not been accessed in more than a decade."

"Yet wholly belongs to me with my dear sister in Azkaban." Henry sneered. "It's my gold, goblin, to do with as I wish."

The goblin seemed merely bored. "With this large of a waiting period, the vault in question has been put in stasis."

"Stasis?" The wizard's pompous attitude shifted to indignation. "Are you claiming I have a right to my property? How dare you creatures deny me access! Or is the gold gone? Taken by embezzlement or a common theft?"

"Excuse me?" The goblin narrowed his eyes. Jenny shifted nervously beside her husband. "The nerve of you, human! Insinuating our security is lapse!"

"Insinuation? Oh no." The disguised wizard gave an unamused laugh. "Complaining, more like. Or do you creatures not count the robbery four years ago?"

"Nothing was taken." The banker growled, long fingers clenching on the table. "Security procedures were increased. Now, as always, thieves are too terrified to even consider breaking in."

"Which is lovely, I'm sure," Henry said sarcastically, flicking the long blonde hair back, "but hardly reassuring. Now then, will you let me inspect a vault I have legal access to, or will I have to floo my husband and our dear friend the Minister? Pfft, 'stasis': unbelievable."

The goblin scowled but grudgingly acquiesced. "Key?"

"As though you beasts have given me one." Henry huffed before his voice became even more condescending by stating a quote. "'While company policy is to reassign ownership of vaults to the convicted criminal's closest family, the original keys cannot be reproduced'. Does that sound familiar? Barbarians, all of you." He raised his voice to reach the still-huffing crowd behind him. "To think that goblins are keeping me from my gold! HOW DARE YOU! Never have I been so insulted!"

"Enough!" The goblin snarled as the other customers became nervous at the statement. "No need to make a scene. Without a key, I'll need a sample of your blood for identification."

Henry sighed, aggrieved, before sticking out his arm and rolling up the robes' long sleeve. "Leave no scar and don't you dare let the sample leave your sight. Though, I needn't bother trying. It's clearly child's play to get around your so-called security."

Bristling, the goblin took a snipe at the wrist with a small dagger. Healing the cut, he placed the few drops of blood on a parchment. The surface began shining gold; the banker's scowl deepened, though he didn't seem surprised. "Very well, Mrs. Malfoy. Griphook will take you to the Lestrange's vault."

Henry stiffened at the name before giving a jab of a nod. Straightening the sleeve and giving one last parting, sneered insult, he strolled after a scowling Griphook. If the wizard held the inner door to the vaults open for a few more seconds than necessary, none were the wiser.

In no time at all the small party had reached a cart. As Henry sat down in the far seat, he felt a soft breath in his ear and a faint whiff of flowers. He shifted his head to the empty place, fingers tapping as he silently counted down.

'Three.' Griphook climbed into the front, pulling on a lever.

'Two.' Their cart whizzed off with a bang (one speed only, like always). At this point Griphook relaxed, as nothing else needed to be done with the controls in the interim of the trip.

'One.'

"Imperio." Jenny's whispered incantation hit the goblin's back. A soft sigh came from the 'empty' seat before she spoke at a regular volume. "I hate that spell."

"It was necessary." Henry said sympathetically as the cart continued on, the goblin happily steering and oblivious to their conversation. "You'll need to help search if the goblet's been moved, and it's not like Gringotts won't realise something's happened. An owl might already be racing to the Malfoys about their reopened vault. We need to be quick."

"I know that." She said testily. He could practically hear her eyes roll. "Doesn't mean I have to like the spell."

"Awful feeling, isn't it. Things like that ought to be, oh, unforgivable or something." He gave her a side-long grin.

"Prat." Jenny sent him a look (an odd one, seeing as how Narcissa Malfoy's face was smirking at her). "You scared me half to death, you know that? I thought I'd have to save you from being chucked in Azkaban. But every time, every bloody time, you wiggled your way out of it."

"Thanks. I think? That didn't sound much like a compliment."

"I thought you were about to start another Goblin War!" Jenny continued accusingly. "With the way you were insulting him but, no, it all worked out. Because of your stupid snark, your stupid luck, and your stupid acting!"

"Okay, those were definitely insults. A Goblin War? Also, it's not like it's hard to pretend to be Malfoy. Just act like a spoiled brat who thinks everyone should bow at your feet." He smiled sheepishly. "So I'm good at reading character. Comes in handy."

Jenny shook her head. "Here I thought Ron was exaggerating in claiming you pulled off a pitch-perfect Bloody Baron your first year."

He blinked, thrown by the tangent. After a moment of thinking back to remember, he only became more confused. "We were cornered by Peeves. What else was I supposed to do?"

Her only response was a groan.

Shortly thereafter the humans found themselves in the vault. A slightly swaying though grinning Griphook remained by the cart, having found nothing at all unusual about letting two people rather than one into the Lestrange's vault.

Jenny, Invisibility Cloak now stored, wasn't looking at the mounds of gold and silver. Instead, she was gaping at a collection of stuffed peacocks right by the door. "The hell…?"

"Inbreeding causes madness. Who'd have guessed?" Henry whipped his head around, staring around the heaps of treasure. "Leave the peacocks, we have a horcrux to find. Preferably before I turn back to myself and the blood parchment turns black. If it's all the same to you, I like alarms better when they aren't blasting."

"No need to be grumpy." Though she did pace after her husband, joining him in inspecting the large room. "Still, it's odd no one's cleared up that gapping hole in security."

"It's not well-known that polyjuice changes one's blood as well as appearance. At least, not yet." They set off down a narrow pathway, careful not to touch the gold. "Blame nineties' wizards for not knowing about DNA."

"Shame it's been fixed in our time." Jenny considered the possibilities. "Imagine how easy a bank robbery would be."

"There's still plenty of loopholes." The wizard paused to glance at a pile of paintings. He turned in feeling her stare on his back. "What? Hello, Head Auror here. It's sort of my job to know these things."

"To think up crimes before they occur?" Jenny's eyes widened at the potential.

Henry gave her a strange look. "How about we finish this first. Then I'll help you become, I dunno, a cat burglar or something."

"I'll hold you to that." She winked saucily as they set off again.

They moved down the slight path, careful to avoid touching any of the objects. While Jenny peered around Henry's gaze remained focussed straight ahead. Yet as they got closer to the back wall, a small frown settling on his confused than angry expression.

"What?" He finally gasped, squinting up at something.

"What?" Jenny echoed, stepping forward to follow his line of sight.

"The Cup was right there." Henry pointed at a tiny alcove, his uncertainty billowing. "Last time, that is. It must've been moved."

"Moved." She rubbed her forehead. "You're telling me that, even if the Cup's in this vault, it could be anywhere?"

"Maybe." He felt an horrific sense of deja vu.

"Anywhere in these piles of gold that burn and multiply at our touch?"

"Maybe?" Henry repeated, taking a last desperate look at where it was supposed to be. "I don't know. Great, another treasure hunt!"

"At least we have the extra polyjuice. Looks like we'll need it." She glanced around, more determined than ever. "Where do we start?"

"We…we figure out if there's a curse on the gold yet. What I'd give for a charm that could detect it." Henry stooped down. Stretching out his hand, he hesitated before gently nudging a single galleon. He quickly drew his arm back with a short gasp; a blistering burn swiftly spread from the point of contact, stopping just short of his palm. Jenny stepped forward in concern, only to be waved away by her husband's good hand. "I'm fine, it's nothing. Look at the coin."

The galleon had finished rolling and multiplying. Comprehension dawned as she counted the gold pieces. "There's ten of them now, but it's stopped. Gemini can only multiply something so many times."

"It depends on the power of the spell and how much someone grasps onto it." Henry stood up. Sending a healing charm at his burned finger he frowned when it failed. "Bugger."

"I wish gloves would work." Jenny looked at the mark in concern. "So a small touch equals ten items—"

"As well as a second-degree burn resistant to healing charms." He caught her look and shook his head. "It's nothing, don't worry about it. Let's split up and look for the horcrux."

Jenny hesitated, the changed plan throwing her off-guard. "Hey?" He turned back, having already started to head off. "Are you sure," her words trailed off, "of course you wouldn't be, but with all the crazy things happening…"

"I can't detect the horcrux." Henry said softly, easily reading through her stumbled words.

"Oh, good. That's very good. Excellent actually and," she shook her head, "sorry. I made a mess of that. I'm very, very happy you can't detect horcruxes anymore. Don't know why I asked."

"Because we know it'll take a 'horcrux detector' to find the Cup." He smiled understandingly at her abashed state. "I was thinking the same thing. If I do miraculously regain that power, I'll give a shout."

Jenny returned the mostly cheerless smile, turning down another aisle.

"HARRY?"

Henry glanced at where the shout had come from, surprised to hear his actual name. "YEAH?"

"DOES—COME HERE!" Jenny's scream hadn't quite reached a level of utter panic, but he'd set off running almost before the pained words had come through. "NOW!"

"GIN? GINNY! ARE YOU OKAY?" Rounding a corner he spotted a small corridor cleared of gold. It was here that his wife was sitting. With arms clutched around legs her shoulders were shaking. He fell beside her, gently lifting up her fearful face. "Ginny? What happened?"

"It feels like…Merlin, I'm being ridiculous." Though she gave a wrenching sob no tears fell. "It's been decades since I, I felt this. Like something, something's crawling through me."

"Tell me what's wrong." Henry's voice was almost a whisper. He wasn't sure why that was. It was as though the air around them was vibrating with an unknown spectre. "What is it?"

"You can't feel it?" Jenny's wide, petrified eyes stared into his own. "It feels like the diary."

"The dia…" the words halted as comprehension dawned. Drawing Jenny closer to him, he twisted to gaze at the treasure towering over him. There was no obvious sign of the Cup. "I can't feel anything."

"Looks like one of us was a 'horcrux detector' after all." Her tone was stricken between dark humour and panic. But any amusement rapidly fell through. "It's somewhere here, I know it. But I, I can't—"

"It's okay," he said softly. He got up reluctantly, peering at the lofty gold, "this narrows it down."

But not by enough. For even in this small section Hufflepuff's Cup could be anywhere, and digging through the piles of treasure would be a death sentence. What they needed was a way to reduce the possible area down even more.

Henry listened to the pickering silence stretch out around him. Though, it wasn't completely silent. There were soft shuffles from Jenny, as well as an odd hum he couldn't identify. His thoughts grasped onto this even vague sign of a pattern. An almost familiar feeling was in the air and a flickering hum like a mosquito buzzed around his brain. It was more than familiar, more than something he'd only felt once or twice before. He was aware of his breath quickening, but in the face of dawning comprehension he didn't much care.

"I can feel it too." Henry said unsteadily, his gaze flickering from one stack of treasure to another. "Something. Maybe."

But not really. It was merely a long-forgotten feeling. He'd felt something vaguely similar while holding Ravenclaw's diadem, but then his thoughts had been so fraught with exhilaration and fear that he hadn't realised…

"Harry?"

He jumped at a hand on his shoulder. But reality caught up and he shook away Jenny's concerned look. "I can't tell."

"Makes one of us." Jenny gave a wry, dark chuckle. She pointed at a stack on their left and second from the wall. "It's there."

"How do you—"

"I'll never forget that feeling." She wouldn't quite meet his gaze, not even when he cupped her chin in his fingers. "Not when the diary's been in so many nightmares."

"Ginny, you—"

"Let's find it and get out of here." Jenny pulled away from his touch, breath hedged. She stepped to the foot of the stack in question, her gaze drifting upward and to the right. "Now comes the fun part. I think it's tucked behind that chess set."

"Which is…high." Henry warily hedged, before realising she was now looking at his held wand. "You aren't thinking what I think you are?"

"I don't know if I can sustain that spell so long." Jenny tried to give him a smirk, apprehension over the horcrux partly diminishing for both in the face of possible success. She approached the stack of treasure. "Unless you have a better idea, you'd better not knock me into anything."

"Damn." He sighed, not seeing an alternative. "Fine. But keep your legs and arms tucked in, all right?"

"I will." She gave an impatient twirl of her fingers.

He began to flick his wand, but paused. "Are you really sure? We can find another way to do this. You'd have to handle the Cup and after what just happened…"

"Do the spell! We don't have time to spare." Jenny fidgeted a tad, though her vehement determination was what shown through.

Henry met her gaze. After a moment of searching for something, he nodded, then swished and flicked. "Wingardium leviosa!"

Soaring into the air, Jenny came to a suspended halt close to where a wave of gruesome familiarity was washing over the treasure. Giving a disgusted shiver, she shook her head to clear it. Finding her balance in more ways than one, she took a few swimming paddles until she found herself in front of the chess board (shimmering in all its onyx and mother-of-pearl glory).

She fetched her wand and a tiny rod out of her pocket and, carefully aiming the sticks away from the stack of Lestrange's items, reversed the shrinking spell. The rod rapidly enlarged; she had to readjust her weight to avoid dropping the full-size Sword of Gryffindor now suddenly in her hand. Wand was repocketed. "Thanks for letting me nick the sword!"

"I didn't know you were doing it!" Henry hollered back, concentrating on the levitation. "Dumbledore would've given us it if we'd asked."

"More fun this way." She muttered to herself, twisting back around to the stacks of gold and the dark, unclean feeling. "Oh Cuppy Cuppy Cuppy. Where are you, you stupid Cup? OI, SHIFT ME TO THE RIGHT! I NEED TO SHOVE THIS BOARD!"

"Easier said than done." Jenny could just hear Henry mutter below, but still, she was gently moved to where she'd directed.

"THANKS!" She inserted the sword against one side of the chess set and a rickety bronze chest. Craning the sword to the left, the board was peeled towards her as she took advantage of a small alcove. She shouted down again. "I CAN'T GET THE BOARD OUT WITHOUT TOPPLING IT OVER!"

"SO DROP IT." Henry replied, voice heavy. "It will only multiply if it hits us!"

She wasn't thrilled by this plan. "There might be an avalanche!"

"DROP IT! I'll move to the right, you drop it to your left!"

Jenny groaned. She held the sword at the ready. "Fine, FINE. BUT BE CAREFUL!"

"I'm always careful!" His dry reply came up. There was a short pause before another holler. "I'm out of the way and you're farther from the pile. Let it fly!"

"Geronimo." She muttered without humour. With one more sword push, the chess board came loose from its fellow treasures and careened to the ground. Though not 'careened' so much as 'bounced'. Jenny heard the thuds and plops one after another; alongside the finale sympathy of bangs a low curse rang out. Her heart was suddenly in her throat. "Harry? HARRY?"

"I'M FINE!" His shout echoed up. Twisting around, she could make out him scowling at the many bars of gold, galleons, and sickles that now littered the floor. "They just singed my robes. Can you see the Cup?"

Coming out of her concerned distraction, she turned back to the treasures before her. A relieved exhale escaped her. "IT'S HERE! At least, I've found a goblet!"

"Brilliant! Hook it with the sword and we'll get out of here!"

The dark magic thudding around her was—unpleasant—to say the least, and she was more than a bit worried by the haunted expression on her husband's face, but with the reward almost close enough to touch she felt her apprehension loosen.

Leaning forward, Jenny gently moved the sword into the newly revealed small cavern. Her aim was for the duly bright goblet shining in the back. A prickle of ghastly magic sparked her even from this distance. But she fought back this sensation, threaded the blade through one of the Cup's handles, and slowly pulled both of them out of the tiny opening.

As Gryffindor's Sword and Hufflepuff's Cup were revealed to the air, Jenny gave a cry of delighted victory. She inclined the sword ever so slightly to ensure the prize tilted towards her and didn't fall off. "I HAVE IT! WE DID IT!"

But then the treasure blurred before her. She didn't feel her breath clenching, her heart beating at a dizzying pace, or the blackness racing from the corners of her vision…