"Harry, what if..." Hermione stopped peering through the doorway and glanced around the room. Harry was nowhere in sight. "Harry? Harry!"

She knew he couldn't have gotten far, but a quick check of the surrounding areas confirmed that Harry was indeed missing. Hermione decided it was time to talk to Holly and Foaly.

"Has anyone seen Harry?" she asked, stepping into the other room.

Holly shot an accusing glare in Artemis' direction. "Tell me you don't know anything about this."

Artemis chuckled in disbelief. "What possible reason could I have for kidnapping a teenage boy?"

"What about a teenage boy who also happens to be a wizard?" said Hermione.

"I didn't do it," Artemis replied coolly.

"Prove it," Holly challenged.

Foaly's voice crackled over the headset. "What's going on, Holly?"

"The wizard boy is missing."

"Oh, is that all?" Foaly said in relief.

"Any ideas about what to do?" asked Holly.

"What do you mean? He's not our problem."

"We can't just loose him! We have to do something."

Foaly sighed. "If you insist... Have you talked to Fowl?"

"Working on it. I'll call you when I know something."

"Fine. Foaly out."

"You know," said Hermione, twirling her wand and staring at Artemis thoughtfully, "there are several spells that could come in handy right about now. Of course, I don't think any of them would be very pleasant for you..."

Artemis, though obviously uncomfortable, struggled to maintain an air of superiority. "Ok. You want proof? Follow me."

He led them to the very heart of the mansion, a room filled with television screens and expensive-looking electronic equipment. Juliet sat with her feet propped up on the desk, polishing her fingernails. She sat up straight as soon as she noticed Artemis entering the room.

"What's up, boss?" she wondered.

"Mulch is missing," he told her. "And so is Larry."

"Harry," Hermione corrected him.

"No kidding!" said Juliet. "How about that?"

Holly was appalled. "And you're in charge of security?"

"Yeah, well," Juliet replied, waving her freshly painted fingernails, "I got distracted."

Artemis frowned. "Juliet, how many times have I told you-"

"Might I remind you all," Hermione interrupted politely, "that Harry is missing, and I would very much like to get him back."

"Why?" asked Juliet. "Is he your boyfriend or something?"

"No," Hermione answered crisply, "but I certainly can't leave without him. Which reminds me, Holly, has Foaly..."

"He's working on it," Holly assured her. "He said he's almost done."

"Then all the more important to find your darling Barry," said Artemis.

"It's Harry," Hermione said through gritted teeth. She would have very much liked to sock him one to the jaw right then and there, but she managed to restrain herself.

"My apologies," Artemis replied with a charming smile. "Juliet, have you found any footage of Harry or Mulch on the security tapes yet?"

"Nope," said Juliet, her hands flying across the keyboard. "Wait... Got it!" The image of Mulch capturing Harry appeared on the large center screen.

"Where did they go?" wondered Holly.

Juliet shrugged. "I have them leaving the house, but that's all."

"Great," said Hermione. "So they could be anywhere."

"Surely they can't have gotten far," Artemis suggested.

Holly sighed, feeling a major headache coming on. "Actually, with Mulch's digging abilities, who knows where they are?"

Hermione was not one to give up, especially on one of her best friends. "Well, where do we start?"

Artemis shrugged. "This one's beyond me. Of course, if we had some fairy help..." He looked purposefully at Holly.

"I suppose I could try to convince Root to send a team," she offered, adjusting her headset. "Let me check."

"Foaly here."

Holly explained the situation and Artemis' idea.

Foaly laughed. "Are you kidding? Holly, I had enough trouble getting Root to send you. But a whole team?"

"You're probably right," Holly admitted. "I guess we'll try to think of something else, then."

"Well, you'd better think fast."

"Why is that?"

"Because I just figured out how to send them back."

Ahh! It's been forever! cringe Sorry about that... Thank you, reviewers! Thank you, thank you, thank you. If anyone feels the need to scold me for tardiness, I completely understand. Please review! Ciao! -Luna