Chapter 40

Disclaimer: You know the drill. Last time I checked I was not the creator of a billion dollar book series. If you ever thought I was…well, thanks, I suppose.

A/N: Sorry for the delay. How long has it been since I updated? A full week? Sorry. Class has been hectic lately. I have a science test tomorrow, and a paper due Tuesday. Plus, as my friend pointed out, I've been lazy and had writer's block.

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Hermione Granger was livid. Absolutely livid. Of all the people in the whole wizarding world, she would have to see Lavender Brown. Her silly, giggling roommate from Hogwarts who had not only adored Professor Trelawney and her stupid subject, but had snogged Ron for a good deal of sixth year. This was quickly turning into a bad day.

And it was raining. Of course. Not only was she going to have to see Lavender in a bad mood, her hair was going to be a crazy bird's nest. Sometimes life was out to get her.

However, they had to talk to Lavender. Lavender had to know something about Elliot's death.

They found Lavender at St. Mungo's, sitting dejectedly in the lobby area.

"Lavender?" Fred asked softly.

She looked up, her eyes brimming over with tears. "George?"

"No, I'm Fred."

"Oh. I'm glad you're alive."

"Thank you."

She eyed Hermione. "Oh, hello. What are you doing here?"

"I need to talk to you."

"About what?" she asked Ron.

Ron sighed. "Your brother."

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An hour later, the four sat around a table at the St. Mungo's cafeteria. Hermione was picking at her salad, as was Lavender. Fred and Ron, in the meantime, were downing their sandwiches.

"What do you want to know about Elliot?" Lavender finally asked. "I hadn't seen him in years—maybe two years. I don't know. I hadn't heard from him in more than six months. He was supposed to come see me for Christmas, but he didn't. I guess he knew someone was looking for him. I just never thought…" She burst into tears.

"You never thought the next time you saw him you'd be identifying his body," Ron said sympathetically.

"Yeah. You just never think. I mean, he was probably trying to protect me, but…"

Hermione nodded. "What had you two talked about the last few times you spoke?"

Lavender looked at her, utterly bewildered. "Um, a lot of things. What do you mean?"

"Anything about France?" Fred offered.

"France? Yes, actually. He said he had one last thing to do for a friend in France, now that you mention it. He wouldn't tell me much about it, though."

Hermione sighed. "We need to know what he did tell you about it, Lavender."

"Why? Are you investigating his murder?"

"Not really…" Ron trailed off.

"We think the reason Elliot was killed was because he knew something about the attack on the Burrow. Something about why Fred was captured. Something about the Death Eaters that have eluded capture."

"How? Elliot wasn't an Auror or anything…"

"What did he do?" Fred asked curiously.

"He worked in the Ministry. He did something with International Relations, I believe."

"Maybe he worked with Egypt?" Hermione asked.

"Yes. He did go to Egypt quite frequently."

"So he might have come into contact with Bill," Ron thought out loud.

"Bill? Bill Weasley? Sure. They went to Hogwarts together. Of course, Elliot was a Ravenclaw, but they were friends just the same. He mentioned that he worked with Bill a few times."

Hermione, Ron, and Fred grinned.

"Wonderful!" Ron cried. "Now we're getting somewhere."

Hermione ignored Lavender's confused expression. "Did Elliot leave you any personal affects, Lavender?"

"Of course…"

"Any documents or anything?"

She shrugged. "Probably. Maybe they'll be some information in his journal."

"Where is this journal?" Hermione asked.

"At my flat. Oh, I suppose you want to see it now? Well, come along, we'll floo…"

"I think flooing might be dangerous. How about you give us a landmark near your flat. I think someone wants to know just how much Elliot knew. So they might be watching the floo network," Hermione explained to Fred.

"Oh. I just wondered."

"Ta, it's no problem. Just Apparate next to Harrod's. I'll lead you from there."

"Harrod's?" Fred asked.

"It's a Muggle department store," Hermione explained. "Do you know where it is, Ron?"

"Yeah. I've passed it on the way to Ginny's doctor."

"Good. Grab Fred and go first. Lavender, you go first and wait for Ron and Fred. I'll go last."

Lavender nodded and Disapparated with a pop.

"Okay, go along Ron," Hermione ordered.

"Why you like the bossy types is beyond me," Fred muttered.

Ron pinched him as he grabbed his arm. "Sod off." Then he Apparated them away.

When Hermione saw Harrod's, she smiled. She hadn't seen the famous department store in years. She had missed London dreadfully.

She finally spotted the two redheaded Weasleys. They may not like their distinctive hair color, but it came in handy. It certainly made her girls easy to spot in a crowd of children. She sighed. She hadn't been spending much time with her two girls lately. She'd have to take them to Hyde Park when she got a chance. And give Tonks and Lupin a gift certificate somewhere. And offer to baby-sit Sirius and James for them.

She followed Lavender, Ron, and Fred to Lavender's flat about three blocks away. Then they had to manage the stairs. The rickety, narrow, dark stairs. Just looking at them gave her the creeps, much less making her way up them. Which she was forced to do, for Lavender's flat was on the third floor.

When they finally entered the flat, it was just like Hermione had thought it would be—pink and frilly. Way too girly for her taste, anyway. Ron did a poor job of stifling a snicker.

"It's nice, Lavender," Hermione said genially. "Now where is this journal?"

"In the dining room. I've been contemplating reading it, but I haven't had time."

"When did you get it?" Fred asked.

"He had sent it to me. I just got it today, right before I got the owl from St. Mungo's. I guess he wanted me to have it."

Hermione picked up the small leather journal. She looked at the first entry. "It starts four years ago. I'm not sure how far back we need to look."

Ron shrugged. "We might as well read it all. If he sent it to his sister, there must not be too much in it he didn't want her to see."

"Aww, no sexual exploits to read about," Fred sighed.

Hermione smacked him. "Fred, this is serious. We could be holding the key to your family's deaths. We could find out why you were captured and where your captors are. We could find out what was so important that it cost Elliot his life to protect it."

"Hermione," Ron sighed. "Please get off your soap box. We realize how important this is. Fred was just trying to lighten up the mood."

"Honestly, there are better and more dignified ways to do it," Hermione sighed.

She opened up the journal. "Okay, let's see..." She flipped through the journal. "Elliot mentions going to Egypt here. Nothing exciting, just meeting new people…and Bill. Bill was working for the Ministry at this time, having given up his curse-breaking job at Gringott's for marriage and Fleur. Elliot says it was nice to chat with him again."

"Go further ahead. They have to become friends again."

"Here it is. About six months later, he mentions that Bill had found something out about the Death Eaters. Listen to this: 'Bill Weasley came by my flat today. He said we needed to speak in private. He has apparently found out some intriguing information about the Death Eaters. This time, so it seems, they have a better plan to follow if Voldemort fails, not claiming the Imperius Curse. They plan to run for it and hide in France, it would seem. The problem is, the Death Eaters seem to be aware that Bill has this knowledge. He gave me an artifact today in which he had inscribed the information in a code. I was given charge of the artifact, along with a list of those approved to retrieve it. Bill's family, mostly, but a few notable exceptions, including Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Neville Longbottom, Remus Lupin, Alastor Moody, and Nymphadora Tonks.'"

"So you were on the list," Ron said softly. "It makes sense now."

"You were too. All the people on the list were people Bill trusted." She paused. "I wonder if Percy was on the list."

"I doubt it," Ron quickly affirmed. "He always said he was up to no good."

"I wonder if he knew anything else about the artifact," Fred wondered aloud.

As the four sat at Lavender's dining room table, they didn't hear the men approaching her door until it was too late.

Lavender screamed in horror as the door caved in.

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A/N: Once again I apologize for the delay. I'll try not to be so long this time. I also apologize for the cliffhanger, but this chapter was running far too long as it was.

Any Americanisms are my fault, so pretend you don't see them.

Thanks to my beta jwoods471. Check out her stories Forgotten Memory and Opportune Mistake. Also check out JohnCardy87's story Harry Potter and the Heir of Gryffindor.

Thanks to all who reviewed last chapter: jwoods471, JohnCardy87, Sammydoll, thesongremainsthesame, Borrow-the-moonlight-until-it-is-through, Alex Boyd, Ponee, ainat92, elle, equestra2010, Leonew, blooh2, MIDNIGHT-PIXIE, krumfan, bruisedpapaya, Sugery Snitch, and Elyse90505.

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