Don't own anything recognisable from JK Rowling's Harry Potter books

Chapter 8

Roger…. & Company.

"Oh Merlin!" Roger exclaimed as he sank into the pale yellow chair in Remus' living room. "I thought for a moment they had me!"

"What?" Pat asked sharply. "Did they know?"

"No. It's okay." He said, and opened his bag. "Here." He gave the bottle of white wine to Pat. Who noticed that there was nothing else in the bag.

"Uhhhh… Thanks. You did bring the information didn't you?"

The unexpected knock on the door made Roger jump, and he peered out of the window. "Oh, it's alright. It's my fiancé."

Sirius got up to let the girl in. "Sorry I'm late!" The red haired girl said brightly and shrugged off her coat. "Hi everyone!" She said gaily to the people in the living room. "I'm Meredith."

Pat frowned at her. "Don't I know you?"

Meredith squealed. "She remembers me! You hear that Roger?" She perched on Roger's lap. "An Auror like Miss Carver… whoops! I mean Mrs Black! Remembers me!"

"Yes Sweetie. Pat has an uncanny ability to remember things." Roger said proudly, gently hugging Meredith's waist.

Pat looked to the heavens for help. "So where do I know you from?"

"Oh!" Meredith stopped pinching Roger's cheek, and concentrated on Pat. "I work in the filing department at the ministry of magic. That's how I met my snuggle puss."

Severus turned green, and sipped his water gently, trying not to hit the offending "snuggle puss" and friend.

"I'm so glad that you turned to him in your time of need." Meredith said, quite seriously for once.

"So did you manage to get the information on Lunar's attack?"

"Ooohh!" Meredith squealed again. "I almost forgot that!" She dug around in her handbag and came up with a small folder. "I didn't get all the information. Just in case they tried searching me. But I got the important bits."

She opened the folder, and started to pass round the documents inside. "Firstly the Aurors searched Lunar's home, where they came up with nothing. The crime scene was dusted, but again nothing was found. Except a small echo of a previously used Floo gate. However when they tried to use it they couldn't open it."
Pat scanned the results of the spells performed on the crime scene. As Meredith had said, nothing interesting except this echo.

Meredith continued her narrative. "Preliminary interviews were taken from the bartenders of the surrounding pubs when it was discovered that a high concentration of alcohol was in the victim's blood. One bartender recalled a girl like Lunar at his bar, but couldn't describe the people that had taken her. These were labelled the prime suspects in the case. The bartender was drained, and all the information…"

"Drained?" Sirius asked. "What's drained?"

"It's where a member of the muggle world is taken without their knowledge, and a kind of rememberall gathers all the knowledge they have." Roger explained.

"It's harmless. The muggle thinks it's all a dream, and the information is released to the Aurors on the case." Pat said hurriedly. "Please continue Meredith."

"Thanks. All the information is here." She passed around another document. "At present they have no leads, however as the victim was an Auror, and her brother is… well you." She said pointing at Sirius. "They think it's a Death Eater attack."

"They think???" Sirius asked incredulously, barely glancing at the documents being handed around.

"Yes. There have been other similar attacks recently. Six in total. Whoever is doing it is good at covering their tracks. This is the only case where any information has been gathered about them."

"Avery." Severus breathed.

"What?" Roger asked quickly. "What did you say?"

"Nothing." Severus said bluntly, and looked into Roger's searching gaze blankly. "Would it be possible for us to keep hold of these?"

Roger looked at Meredith, who shrugged. "Sure. Just don't let anyone else see them. If anyone should find them…"

"We don't know you." Pat said reassuringly.

"Well, we should be going." Roger said reluctantly. "That is, unless there is anything you want to say to us?"

"No, no." Sirius said, and got the pair their coats.

"Thank you very much for this Roger, and Meredith." Pat added, gratefully. "We will, of course, inform you if we find anything."

Roger nodded. "As will we. Goodnight."

Severus waited until they had left before holding up the artist's rendition of the attackers. "This blonde one here bears more than a passing resemblance to Avery."

Katrina shuddered. "He also has a thing for punishing women as I recall."

Severus put a hand on her knee and squeezed. "I still have a few contacts. I could…"

"No." Albus said forcefully. "If Avery has something to do with it then…"

"Voldemort is almost certainly involved." Severus ended his sentence. "The echo they were talking about happens when he calls a Death Eater to him. He has a way of opening and shutting passages to and from himself."

"They are unlikely to reveal any possible cure for Lunar's situation." Albus said quietly.

"Unlikely?" Severus sneered, and stood up. "They will not, no cannot reveal a cure. More that likely they will not even know of one!"

"We should still attempt to track them down." Sirius said vehemently.

"To fuel your desire for revenge?" Severus asked mockingly.

Sirius glared at Severus. "You keep your focus on possible potions and away from matters that don't include you."

Albus looked at the two men with sadness in his eyes. "There is only one thing that we should be focusing on, and that is the girl in the bed above us." He sighed. "I will return to Hogwarts, and back to the library. Perhaps if I looked up other cures for mental disorders and madness, then…"

"I will come with you. There are many potions books I have not yet studied." Severus said bitingly. He held out his arm, and Katrina accepted it.

"I shall be back. If ever there is any time you need someone, call on us." Minerva said, and stepped into the Floo network with the other three.

~ ~ ~ ~ * ~ ~ ~ ~

"Did it work??? Did the dance work?" Harry asked the instant they returned from Remus'. He had waited patiently, sitting opposite the fireplace in the great hall, since Albus had left that morning.

"No." Severus said shortly, and stalked off towards his dungeons.

"Sorry Harry." Katrina smiled at the three uncertain people in the hall, and hurried off towards the dungeons after her husband.

"Back to the drawing board?" Harry asked Albus.

"Yes. I'm afraid it is." He said, and they went in the direction of the library, preparing for another night of fruitless study.

~ ~ ~ ~ * ~ ~ ~ ~

A/N Sorry about the shortness of this chapter. I promise the next one will be longer. Thanks to Iluvlegolas, Moony Lover, and Annoriel for their reviews.