This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

Word Count: 1220

Title: Snowball Fights and Stolen Wands

Note: AU- Voldemort isn't gone, Harry is still an Auror

Warnings:

Beta: DarylDixon'sgirl1985

Hogwarts

Assignment 3: Dueling Lessons: Notable Duels in History: Task #3 - Augusta Longbottom vs. John Dawlish: Task: Write about a formidable female character.

Yearly:

Prompt 295 [Character] Hermione Granger

[87] Enormous

Luna's new job in the Misuse Of Muggle Artifacts office came as a shock to many of her former classmates, seeing as she had never seemed particularly curious about them during her years at school. When she found out that the Elder wand had been stolen from Albus Dumbledore's tomb (again) she decided that it was time to take this into her own hands.

Nobody ever took her seriously except a select few, and she knew that if she went to the Aurors they would laugh off her anonymous tip. She knew exactly the person she could count on for help, the Minister of Magic, Hermione Granger, herself.

"Expecto Patronum," Luna said in her dreamy voice, pointing her wand at the floor. The small spectral hare appeared, awaiting her instructions.

"Please go see Hermione for me, tell her that the Elder wand has been stolen, and we need to go find it, lest some of the dark wizards who avoided detention gets hold of it," she said, and then gave the hare a pat on the head before it disappeared. She wondered why she had gotten the message; it wasn't like this had anything to do with her, really.

Hermione's otter patronus returned with a speedy reply.

"We leave tomorrow."

Luna arrived at Hermione's office to see her bent over a book, yelling furiously about something.

"Why are you yelling at your book?" Luna asked, looking closer to see if there was something odd about it. Hermione looked up at her, and laughed.

"I wasn't yelling at the book," she explained. Luna was carrying her duffle bag over her shoulder; everything they might need on a mission like this was packed in there.

"Ready?" Luna asked, seeing Hermione's bag on the floor next to her desk.

Hermione nodded, picking up her bag and shrinking it. Luna did the same, and put her bag in the pocket of her robes.

"This is an enormous responsibility," Hermione said, and Luna nodded. She understood the risks involved.

The two of them started searching near the Arctic, where Luna had gotten some rumours of the Elder wand being spotted.

"So where do we look?" Hermione asked, turning to Luna. She was the one with the information, after all. She wasn't used to leading anything, but she knew this time it was up to them to find the Elder wand.

"Maybe we should check that cave over there?" Luna said, pointing into the distance. "I hope there is no Yeti in there."

She could tell Hermione wanted to laugh but she was used to it by now, her friends didn't always take her seriously. She was just happy Hermione had believed her that the wand was gone.

"I'll go in first," Luna said when they reached the cave entrance. "To make sure it's safe."

"Luna, we should go in together, what if you get hurt?" Hermione asked.

"I'll travel through the darkest depths of Hell for you," Luna replied seriously. Hermione smiled at her, and waited by the entrance of the cave.

"Send your patronus out if necessary," Hermione said, and Luna nodded before casting a "Lumos," with her wand. Luna found nothing in the cave, so after a while she muttered, "Expecto Patronum," sending out her hare with a message that the cave was a dead end.

She started making her way back to the entrance, and when she reached it, she saw Hermione grinning at her. "You had me worried," she said.

"I'm fine, Hermione," Luna said, tucking her wand into her robes.

"I know," Hermione agreed, and the two of them climbed down from the rock face.

Luna sat down on a rock covered with snow, and looked over the vast expanse of white surrounding them.

"It's quite beautiful, isn't it?" Luna asked, turning to her friend.

"Yes, it is," Hermione agreed.

Luna was feeling mischievous, so she grabbed a handful of snow, subtly rolling it into a ball.

"What are you—" Hermione started when a snowball hit the side of her face.

Luna laughed, tossing another one and running off.

Hermione grinned, catching Luna with a snowball before she hid behind a hill of snow.

The two of them ran around for a while, just having some fun and enjoying the cold weather. Snow had always been one of Luna's secret loves.

It was a couple of days before the two women found trace of anyone in the mountain ranges, and then they were on the case again. Luna was surprised at how serious she could be when the need arises.

"Look, over there," Luna said, pointing to a man with a black hooded cloak. They managed to avoid detection over the winds that drowned out their voices, and they could see the Elder wand in his hands. The man seemed to be struggling with something, A sudden gust of wind blew off the man's hood and revealed a head of long blond hair, it was none other than Lucius Malfoy himself.

Luna shivered, and as soon as she was close enough, she hit him with a full body bind from behind. The two ladies walked up to him, and they saw a small area that was blackened, as if someone had tried to light a fire there. It appeared that Lucius Malfoy was trying to make a fire, and when they took the Elder wand off him, they noticed he was missing his own.

"I wonder what happened to his wand," Luna asked.

"Perhaps he gave it to You-Know-Who," Hermione responded with a shudder.

"I don't understand, I am sure he would have wanted the Elder wand instead."

The man looked furious, and beneath his anger Luna could have sworn she saw a flicker of fear.

"Oh, that's just it, isn't it?" Hermione spoke to the man lying in the snow. "He did want the Elder wand, but you took off with it instead."

When Luna called the Aurors, they took one look at the two women and were in awe of what they did. They took down one of the most famous Death Eaters, carrying the missing Elder wand that nobody even realised was missing.

Hermione spoke to Harry directly. "Harry, I suggest we keep this in a Gringotts Vault, it seems to be the only way of keeping it safe until, you know?"

Harry nodded seriously. "That does seem to be the best course of action," Harry said. "Thank goodness you two got the information, or it might have taken ages before we found him."

Luna just shrugged. "I just did what I thought was right."

"That's one of the best things about you, Luna," Harry grinned, and leaned in to give her a big hug. "The world could use more people like you."

Luna blushed. "Thank you, Harry."

Ron was standing slightly behind Harry, it was clear he was unsure about how to respond. The two of them had a strange relationship recently, after it became clear to her that the Auror Weasley might have romantic feelings for her. She found it strange; she had always believed that Hermione and Ron would end up together.

So she just smiled at him, she didn't mind waiting until he was ready to speak to her about it. She had never been one to force a subject, after all.