A/N: Sorry for the delay. I'm not a particularly avid writer /.

Also had to retcon the dates in the first two chapters to match up with the canon timeline. See? Told you I'd botch the lore.

Also, I changed the spelling of Tara's name because I didn't like it. Flip me.

August 1st, 1991

Ministry of Magic

Jacob glanced up as he heard the telltale crack of apparition. Ewan adjusted his robes before locking eyes with Jacob. "Gaffer. What is it?"

Jacob returned his focus to the reports he was continuing to peruse. "Welcome back."

"Tara said it was urgent."

"How was your mission? You got your mark, I assume?

Ewan rolled his eyes. "Everything went off without a hitch, yes. Anymore questions Dad?"

Jacob met his gaze then and gave him a patronizing smile. "I believe that will be all."

Ewan scoffed lightly. "Good. Now, would you please tell me what was so important that you decided to drag me halfway across Europe for it?"

Jacob smirked. "New mission. From Dumbledore." He could see Ewan perk up slightly at that.

"Really." Ewan replied. "No wonder you wanted me back. What does he have this time?

"A burglary."

A moment of silence passed. Ewan cocked an eyebrow. "A burglary. Why does he want us looking into a burglary?"

"An attempted burglary, to be more precise. It appears the thief left empty-handed."

Ewan visibly scowled at that. "All the more reason why I'm asking: why does he want us looking into this? The DMLE is more than capable of looking into a simple 'B and E'."

"Dumbledore was adamant that the DMLE have no part in this investigation." Jacob said. "The item in question is a very powerful magical artifact. Something called The Philosopher's Stone. Ever heard of it?"

Ewan shook his head. "News to me. What is it?"

"It's a stone that gives whoever possesses it immortality."

Ewan scoffed again. "You're pulling my leg, Gaffer."

"That's exactly what I thought too, but you know Dumbledore. He doesn't kid around when it comes to powerful magic," Jacob replied.

Ewan crossed his arms, clearly skeptical. "You're telling me that there is a way to live forever… if you're holding on to a blasted rock?"

Jacob nodded. "Well, not so much the rock as the Elixir of Life that it produces."

"...The rock brews potions now?"

Jacob rolled his eyes, not dignifying Ewan with a response. He got up and walked over to his window, staring out at the magically conjured countryside. The rain had begun to taper off into a light drizzle. "It is imperative that we find the culprit."

Ewan crossed his arms. "Why's that? He didn't even get the bloomin' thing."

Jacob turned his attention to Ewan, his expression now deadly serious. "It could be the difference between life and death. It could be the only thing that keeps Voldemort from returning." Jacob paused, taking in the wave of confusion that spread over Ewan's face. "Dumbledore thinks there's a chance that he may still be alive, Ewan."

Ewan's expression of confusion melted into simmering anger. "What? How is that even-"

"Think about it." Jacob said, crossing the room to stand in front of Ewan. He grasped Ewan's shoulders firmly. "Think back to that night, at the Potters. We never saw his body, did we?"

Ewan shook his head slightly. The anger had settled into a sort of daze. Clearly he was trying to process this new information, despite how difficult it was to believe. His eyes were a tad vacant. "But Dumbledore said-"

"I know what Dumbledore said!" Jacob replied heatedly. "But he even admitted himself that perhaps he was mistaken." He shook Ewan slightly, snapping the man out of his haze. "Imagine what could happen if Voldemort returned again."

Ewan didn't respond.

"Another war, Ewan. One we don't win. Thousands - hundreds of thousands - dead. Muggleborns imprisoned and - or executed. An end to the free Magical Britain." Jacob sighed before releasing his grip on Ewan's shoulders. "That's why we need to find the thief."

Ewan exhaled and ran a hand over his face. "Ok. Ok. I've got it. Where do we start, what do we know?"

"As of this moment, not much." Jacob replied, returning to his desk and taking a seat in his chair. "The break-in occurred last night, and so far we have no suspects. We need to do some digging, try to find out if anyone was planning a big score recently." He looked back at Ewan. "Start with the usual suspects. I'm not sure who would be foolish enough to plan a heist at Gringotts, but word of a job of that magnitude would have had to have made the rounds."

Ewan nodded. "Aye, I know just who to talk to."

"Good," Jacob replied. "Once you've gathered more intel, pay a visit to the goblins at Gringotts. They may not be very cooperative, but they could shed some light on this case."

Ewan grimaced. "Surely there's someone else who could go."

"No, Dumbledore specifically asked for you to be assigned to this case." Jacob leveled a stare at Ewan. "That means going places and doing things that make you uncomfortable."

Ewan sighed before lowering his gaze. "Understood, Gaffer."

"Good. Take Tara with you. I don't want you going to Gringotts alone."

Ewan raised his gaze, an eyebrow arched at that. "Don't trust me to get the job done?"

Jacob shook his head. "Not that at all." He smirked. "I don't trust you to play nice with the goblins."

Ewan scowled. "It's not my fault those greedy buggers are so stubborn-"

"Anyway, you'd best be off." Jacob said, cutting Ewan off. "The longer we delay the greater the risk that the thief will never be apprehended. Time is of the essence."

Ewan nodded. "Agreed. I'm off." He turned and headed towards the door.

"Ewan-" Jacob called after him.

"I know. Tara." Ewan said with a wave. He walked out of the office, slamming the door behind him. The coat rack by the door rattled slightly at the force.

Jacob leaned back in his chair, his focus returning to the field reports scattered across his desk. However, he was unable to concentrate on the pages in front of him. His eyes narrowed, thoughts beginning to race through his head. Who was responsible for the attempted theft of the stone? What was their motive? How did they even get access to the vault in Gringotts, one of the most secure establishments in Magical Britain? Who would even be brave - or stupid - enough to try it?

And most concerning of all, was Dumbledore right? Did any of this have anything to do with Voldemort?

Jacob sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I've got a bad feeling about this."

-TH-

Tara closed the door leading to the holding cells in the DMLE where she had left Adler in the care of the Watch Aurors on duty. She was correct in assuming that the Wizengamot were interested in speaking with the dark wizard - his trial having been set for the following afternoon. After that, it was a one way trip to a cell in Azkaban. Serves him right.

She remembered witnessing the carnage that Fenrir Greyback left behind on several occasions during the war. She recalled the time Remus told her about his encounter with Greyback when he was still a child. She shuddered thinking about what the werewolf had done to him. To think that Adler was the one giving Greyback his targets infuriated her to her core. She wasn't ashamed to admit that the thought of the dementors tormenting the worm for the rest of his days was satisfying.

She was still stewing on this when she almost bumped into Ewan, who was headed her direction. She snapped out of her thoughts and greeted him. "Fancy meeting you here."

Ewan smirked. "Likewise. Have any trouble with Adler?"

Tara scoffed. "Of course not. He's barely said a word since we arrived."

"Has he been processed yet?"

Tara nodded. "He's in holding, pending his trial tomorrow. They'll ship him to Azkaban once they're finished."

"Good." Ewan muttered. "Monster'll get what's coming to him."

Tara crossed her arms. "So what are you doing all the way down here?"

"Looking for you, actually." Ewan replied before lowering his voice. "Gaffer's tasked me with tracking down some leads on the Dumbledore job. You in?"

"Absolutely." Tara grinned, her sober thoughts forgotten for the moment. "Where to first?"

"I'm thinking Knockturn Alley. There's someone I need to speak to."

"Wait." Tara paused. "You don't mean-"

"Aye." Ewan said. Tara rolled her eyes.

"All right, all right. As much as I hate speaking to that infuriating rat, he is the most likely to have the information we're looking for." With that, the two Harbingers began making their way toward the exit.

"Anywhere else we need to check?" Tara asked.

Ewan nodded. "Gaffer suggested we speak to the goblins at Gringotts, see if we can get anything out of them regarding the break in. Most likely a lost cause though." He aimed a small smile at Tara. "He suggested I bring you with me to speak with them."

Tara snickered. "I'm not surprised. You and goblins go together like oil and water."

Ewan scowled at that. "Again, not my fault those little blighters won't get on with me. How am I responsible for my grandfather's decision to do business with a rival clan?!"

Tara chuckled as she patted Ewan's shoulder. "I'll be sure to do most of the talking then."

-TH-

The streets of Knockturn Alley were slick with the recent rainfall. Puddles pooled in areas around the street, filling in the various cracks and crannies in the worn stones that made up the roads that cut through the Alley. The sun had just begun its descent, managing to peek through the remnants of the storm clouds that remained in the sky overhead. The shops in Diagon Alley would be closing down for the day soon. But in Knockturn Alley? The day was just getting started.

Mundungus Fletcher inhaled deeply, the smell of the recent rainfall mixing with some form of gruel that the pub around the corner always whipped up on Thursday nights. His stomach growled. He hadn't eaten yet today, and a steaming bowl from the Hag's Flagon sounded pretty good right now. The only issue would be how to afford it.

Mundungus huffed as he passed under one of the many archways in the Alley. He was flat broke at the moment. He hadn't received any new pieces to fence from his usual suppliers, and due to the recent legislation passed in the Wizengamot cracking down on the distribution of counterfeit cauldrons, sales were way down this month. At this rate, he may have to break down and find an honest line of work just to survive.

At that moment, he noticed a lone figure browsing through one of the stalls that had just opened up shop for the night. Upon further inspection Mundungus saw that it was a man of an average build, wearing a dark cloak with the hood pulled over his face, presumably to ward off the rain that had blown through earlier. He seemed completely engrossed in one of the objects on display. Mundungus also didn't fail to notice the slight bulge in the figure's right pocket. A promising sign of a full purse.

Mundungus grinned to himself. Maybe he'd be eating at the Flagon tonight after all.

The man was the perfect mark. Alone, unguarded, completely distracted. A simple lift would be all it took to relieve the chap of his wealth.

Mundungus made his way closer to the stranger. As soon as he was within a few paces of the man, he bumped into him a little harder than necessary. The man stumbled, and one of Mundungus's hands reached out to stabilize him. The other reached deftly into the man's pocket and extracted the money pouch from within. Mundungus swiftly pocketed the pouch while patting the man's shoulder. "A thousand pardons, mister," he said before continuing on his way, leaving the man to resume his perusal of the shop's wares.

Mundungus rounded a corner before pulling out the pouch to take a look at its contents. His eyes bulged slightly as he immediately counted several galleons, a few sickles, and a plethora of knuts. He chuckled to himself as he stashed the ill gotten wealth back in his pocket before starting out on an alternate route to the Hag's Flagon.

The next thing Mundungus knew, he was hanging upside down and careening down the street in the opposite direction. He let out a wail as he was whipped around a few more corners before coming to a complete stop under another archway. This particular part of the alley was darker than normal. Mundungus whipped around, trying to get a bearing on his surroundings. That was when he noticed the figure in the shadows, their wand glowing with the spell that was currently leaving him suspended in mid-air.

"'Heya 'Dung." A feminine voice said. Mundungus gulped.

"W-who are you? Show yourself!" he cried out.

The figure stepped out of the shadows and Mundungus could see that it was a woman wearing a dark cloak, the hood covering her face. She lowered her hood, revealing wavy cropped auburn hair. The nearby torchlight reflected off of her cerulean eyes. Mundungus swallowed.

"M-MacDonald? What are you doing here - what do you want from me?"

"Well for starters, how about you give me my money back?" said another voice, this one belonging to a man. Mundungus did his best to pivot his body in midair so he could get a look at the newcomer. The man was walking down the alley toward their location. Mundungus recognized him as the mark from the pop up stall. He groaned.

"You're with her? Look, I don't know what you guys are playing at, but-" His blood ran cold as the figure lowered his hood.

"Callahan," he breathed. "L-look, I don't want any trouble. I-if I had known, I'd never-" Mundungus fumbled with the money pouch in his pocket. "Here-here's your money," he said, tossing the wallet to Ewan. Ewan caught the pouch and opened it, taking a quick account of the contents before putting it back in his pocket.

"Look, whatever you fine people think I did, I can assure you it wasn't me." Mundungus said, still suspended upside down.

"Relax 'Dung." Tara said, crossing her arms. "We just had a few questions for you, that's all."

"Last night someone attempted to break into Gringotts." Ewan continued. "We're looking for leads. Know anybody who was planning on hitting the bank recently?"

Mundungus smirked, which looked more like a grimace. His face was becoming redder by the minute. "What, you kiddin'? That's the Holy Grail of scores, but ain't no one dumb enough to pull off a job of that scale."

"Well news flash, someone did. Funny thing is, they only seemed to be interested in a particular vault. Didn't take anything else. Thankfully, they were unsuccessful, but the fact that they got in at all is concerning. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you, 'Dung?" Tara replied. She walked up to Mundungus who was now hovering at eye level. "And I know for a fact that word travels fast in the Alley. If you know something, you'd better share it with us."

Mundungus scoffed. "I ain't no snitch, MacDonald. And even if I did know anything, my lips are sealed."

Tara leaned back, sharing a look with Ewan. "Fine. We can do this one of two ways." She then locked eyes with Mundungus again. "One: You cooperate and tell us what you know, because no matter what you're telling me right now, I know for a fact you know something." Ewan then spun him around to face him. "Or two," he continued. "We haul you back to the Auror office, you tell us what we want to know, then we book you on suspicion of obstruction of a sanctioned investigation along with anything else that comes up during our chat." He crossed his arms, smirking. "Your choice."

Sweat was now running down Mundungus' face, dripping onto the cobblestones below. "You're bluffing. I haven't done nuthin' wrong - you've got no grounds to do this to me." His face fell as Ewan laughed.

"'We've got nothing,' he says." Ewan looked across to Tara. "Can you believe this guy?" Tara only smiled in return. With a flick of his wrist, a piece of parchment appeared in his hand before he turned his attention back to Mundungus. "Because I've got a rap sheet here that says otherwise, 'Dung. Let's see here…" He browsed the contents of the page. "Two convictions for petty theft, a person of interest in at least a dozen other unsolved burglaries, one of which is grand larceny…" He leveled a gaze at Mundungus, who looked even more uncomfortable than he already was. "If I didn't know any better, I'm starting to think you might be our prime suspect. You fit the profile pretty well." He gave Mundungus a patronizing smile. "And don't get me started on that little cauldron business you've been running on the side - yeah we know about it." he said before Mundungus could interrupt. "Pretty sure that new decree that went into effect shook things up for you, but I've got a feeling you didn't bring your merchandise up to code." He looked back down on his sheet. "So, assuming we get the evidence we need to convict you on those burglary charges - which we will, by the way - coupled with the fine and jail time for racketeering on the cauldrons, you could be looking at… oh, somewhere between fifteen to twenty years in medium security at Azkaban." He looked back over at Tara. "What do you think Tara, that sound about right?" Tara nodded, smirking.

"All right, all right!" Mundungus caved, clearly shaken. "You win, I'll tell you what you wanna know, okay?" He squirmed a bit. "Can you at least let me down? Then I'll tell you everything, promise."

"Fine." Tara agreed. The next thing Mundungus knew, he was laying face down on the alleyway, face smarting from the impact. Tara pulled out a small notebook and a portable quill. She flipped the booklet open to a new page and readied the quill before glaring at him. "Start talking."

Mundungus groaned, pulling himself into a sitting position. He leaned against the wall of the alley, massaging his nose. The absence of blood confirmed it wasn't broken. At least he had that going for him.

"Merlin, woman you could've let me down easy. Literally." He stopped complaining when he noticed the looks the witch and wizard were giving him. He sighed.

"Ok, look. A while back, I was in the 'Flagon down on the corner of Cawbles and Düncairn, you heard of it?"

"We know the place," Ewan replied. Mundungus nodded and continued.

"So I was in the 'Flagon, minding my own business, grabbing a bite to eat and something to drink, y'know? And I notice something...a little outta the ordinary."

Here Mundungus paused. Ewan and Tara waited for him to continue. Ewan broke the silence first. "Which was….?"

"Right," Mundungus continued. "Well, it wasn't really too outta the ordinary, it just seemed a little weird. Y'see, there was this guy come wanderin' in, looked kind of strange."

"Strange how?" Tara asked, beginning to scratch down more information.

"Well for starters, he had this really ratty old cloak that he kept wrapped around him, even after coming inside. Hood pulled up and everything." Mundungus said. "And then he starts stopping at random tables, buying people drinks and speakin' to them for a few minutes before moving on to the next table."

Tara finished taking down the description. "Continue, please."

"So then he comes up to me at my table. Now I'm just mindin' my own business, didn't draw attention to myself or nothing - he just kind of walks up and takes a seat. Now, I'm not a snob or anything - I'm a pretty outgoing kind of guy, y'know? I don't mind meeting new people, 'specially if they got money, but this guy?" Mundungus shivered slightly. "Oh, this guy made me uncomfortable 'soon as he sat down. Had this… kind of aura about him, y'know? And as soon as he speaks, I get this feeling in my gut - like this isn't someone I wanna mess with."

"So what did he want?" Ewan asked. Tara continued to take notes.

"Well first off, he asks if he can buy me a drink, which makes sense, since I see he's been doing that since he walked in. And I ain't one to pass up a free drink. So I says 'Sure, one firewhiskey, mate.' So he flags down the barmaid, gets me my drink." Mundungus then leaned forward, his voice lowered. "Then he starts asking me about what I do for a living. So I tell him I'm a businessman, I deal in cauldrons, along with other items of antiquity." Ewan scoffed at that, but said nothing. Mundungus ignored him. "And that's when things start getting weird."

"Go on." Tara said.

"He asks me about my 'other' line of work. And I know what he's hinting at, but I never let onto anything about my various 'side hustles'. I know I've got a bit of a reputation, but I ain't too big outside of my little corner of the Alley, and I've never seen this guy before in my life." Mundungus licked his lips. "I tell him I've got no idea what he's talking about, and he turns around and tells me that he's heard I've got a knack for getting into places I don't belong and getting my hands on things that ain't mine."

Tara rolled her eyes as she continued to write.

"So I figure the cat's outta the bag at this point and I hint that maybe he's not too far off in his assumptions. Then he tells me he's got a job lined up and a lot of money for me if I'm interested." Mundungus looked at each of the Harbingers. "Now I'll be honest-"

"That's a first." Ewan mumbled.

"I'll be honest-" Mundungus repeated louder, glaring at Ewan. "-that business hasn't been all that great lately, so I was intrigued. Asked him for some more details. That's when he told me he needed a burglar to break into a 'highly secure facility and extract a very powerful magical artifact' for him - his words, not mine. I asked him what he was trying to get. He told me I didn't need to know, only that it was in a vault and it was the only thing in the vault." Mundungus scratched his ear. "Now that's when I start getting suspicious, because if a vault's involved, it's usually a noble house, or a bank. And I don't know of any nobles who have a vault for just one particular item. So I ask him what the target is. He tells me it's Gringotts." Mundungus paused again.

"What happened next?" Ewan asked.

"Well to be honest, I didn't believe him - asked him to repeat himself. So he says Gringotts again and I laugh in his face. Told him I wasn't interested anymore. He didn't seem too happy about that." Mundungus replied. "Sounded like that's pretty much the same answer everyone else gave him when he asked." Ewan cocked an eyebrow.

"Earlier you said it was the Holy Grail of scores. Why didn't you take the job?"

Mundungus looked exasperated. "Yeah, I said it was the Holy Grail of scores because that's what it is - it's unattainable!" He wiped some of the residual sweat from his forehead. "Gringotts is one of the most highly secured locations in Magical Britain. Hundreds, if not thousands of thieves have tried to map out a plan to infiltrate the place, but no one's ever had the stones to pull it off."

"Have you ever considered attempting to rob Gringotts?" Tara asked.

Mundungus gave her an incredulous look. "What, are you nuts? Of course I have! Scouted the place for months, drew up plans, everything," he said. "But in the end I decided against it. I don't have a death wish or a desire to rot away in a cell in Azkaban for the rest of my life. And that's if the goblins don't get to ya first, the savages." Mundungus then scratched his head sheepishly. "'Course, even though I didn't want no part of what he was planning. I offered to share my knowledge of the in's and out's of the place. For the right price of course. So he slides me a bag of galleons and I conjure up a copy of my plans for him, walk him through the routes, the whole deal."

Tara finished with her latest notes before looking back to Mundungus. "Then what?"

"Then...that was it. I thanked him for the drink, got up, and left." Mundungus looked up at the other two magicals, eyes wide. "I didn't think much of it. I thought the bloke was crazy, figured he'd get caught or killed. Giving him the plans seemed like a quick way for me to make some gold." He looked down at a crack in the cobblestone nearby. "Didn't think he'd actually pull it off."

"When did this encounter take place, 'Dung?" Tara asked.

"Dunno. Two, maybe three weeks ago?" Mundungus replied.

Ewan pinched the bridge of his nose. "All right, well we're willing to overlook the fact that you enabled a felon in exchange for your cooperation." He looked back up at Mundungus. "Do you have a way to get us a copy of the plans that you sold?"

Mundungus nodded. "Yeah, sure one second." He closed his eyes and muttered a quick spell.

"Accio folder."

A large leather portfolio rocketed into Mundungus' outstretched hand moments later. He opened the portfolio and flipped through its contents until he came to stop on a couple of pages with some diagrams of a large building on them. They appeared to be poorly drawn blueprints.

"Duplici exemplari." The images seemed to lift off of the pages before materializing into physical pieces of parchment suspended in the air. Mundungus collected the floating pages before handing them to Ewan. "There ya go."

Ewan glanced over the diagrams before handing them to Tara. She quickly examined them as well before shrinking them and placing them in her notepad. She closed the notepad and stashed it along with the quill into the pocket of her robes. "Thank you, 'Dung. We appreciate your assistance. You can go now."

The petty crook looked between the two Harbingers. "Wait. So, you're not taking me in?"

Tara sighed. "Unfortunately, you don't appear to be our target tonight, and since you've been so helpful, I'm willing to look the other way." She smirked at him. "For now."

"Why, do you want to be taken in?" Ewan asked, arms crossed, one eyebrow cocked.

Mundungus held his hands out, vigorously shaking his head. "Nah, nah, there's no need for that," he said, getting to his feet. "I'm takin' my leave." He began to head down the alleyway before turning back to the Harbingers. "And don't you worry 'bout me! I'm going straight from now on, yeah?"

Ewan couldn't help but chuckle at that. "Of course you are, 'Dung!" he called out to the man. "I'm sure we'll be seeing more of you soon enough!"

The thief just gave a hasty wave before scampering around a corner, out of sight. Tara turned back to Ewan.

"Well, that was illuminating," she said. Ewan grunted.

"Indeed. At least we have a potential suspect. Unfortunately not too much to go on." He sighed. "A man in a ratty old cloak. We've officially narrowed our list of suspects down to half of Magical Britain."

Tara snickered. "That's the spirit," she said cheekily, patting Ewan on the shoulder as she walked past. "Now come on, let's head to Gringotts."

Ewan's mood immediately soured. "Or we could do literally anything else."

Tara turned to face the sulking Harbinger. "Oi, you are such a baby sometimes!"

"You don't know those goblins like I do, Tara," Ewan replied. "They are foul, greedy little-"

"Come oooon!" Tara said, walking back to Ewan and grabbing his arm. "Let's just get in, ask the questions, and get out." Ewan continued to sulk.

"I'd rather kiss Mrs. Norris." Ewan grumbled. Tara couldn't help but laugh at that.

"Let's go, you petulant child," she said, dragging him after her. "Don't make me imperius you."

"Yes ma'am," Ewan replied, allowing himself to be led from the alleyway. It hadn't been more than three hours and he was already beginning to dread this assignment.

Another chapter down. Again, sorry for the delay. I write when inspiration and drive strike, and unfortunately that doesn't happen too often.

That being said, I do have a rough idea/outline of how this story will go. Now it's just a matter of writing it all out somehow…

As always, thanks for reading. Feel free to leave a comment or a critique if you'd like. Have a good one!