Mundungus Speaks

At the sound of the commotion below, Ron and Harry came running. There was a moment when Harry's face lit up at seeing Mundungus, clearly knowing they'd have some answers soon and then realization that this man had stolen from his deceased god father over took him.

Hermione saw it coming a mile away but she was too far to stop it and honestly, if she had been close she wouldn't have. She rather felt like punching Mundungus herself.

Harry threw himself into his fist and Mundungus was probably out before his head even hit the floor.

Before Harry could throw another hit Ron stopped him by wrapping his strong arms around those of Harry's. Ron had been a keeper and Harry a seeker. Ron's upper body strength had Harry pinned.

"We need him alive mate," Ron said as Hermione checked to see if Mundungus was as out as he looked.

"We need to move him out of here, there's no space for all of us. Mobilicorpus," with her wand she moved Mundungus's body towards the dinning area and set him on the floor next to the table. After all, they did eat on the surface of the table.

"He looks more roughed up than normal," Draco acknowledged. All pair of eyes moved and landed on him. They had forgotten he was here.

Hermione looked at Harry and wondered silently if they should let him stay. Harry nodded and she took that as an okay.

"I thought you didn't know him," Harry said walking around Mundungus and looking inside his robes for his wand. Kreacher came up next to Harry and gave him what he was looking for. "Thanks Kreacher."

"I never actually said that," Draco said with a smile, then as soon as it had come it went. "He's a bloody idiot but he knows where to get certain artifacts. There's a reason he's never been sent to Azkaban."

"And your father surely used his services often, like with the diary?" Ron said. Hermione and Harry shot daggers at Ron.

Draco shrugged, he seemed unperturbed or curious by Ron's words but Hermione knew better. He was making connections in his head. He had too.

"I heard my father talk about a diary once but I don't know what you're talking about Weasley. My father collects plenty of strange and dangerous objects."

Ron was about to say something else when Hermione decided that this conversation needed to be over.

"I'm going to wake him up. Get ready in case he tries to make a run for it. Rennervate," a red light shot from Hermione's wand as everyone else's wand came up. The light hit Mundungus straight in the chest and the next thing she knew she was stumbling backwards at the sight of Mundungus flinging his body towards her.

Draco caught her before she could fall but she didn't have time to react because the kitchen erupted into chaos.

Kreacher had found a pan inside one of the cupboards and started hitting Mundungus with it. Mundungus fought with Kreacher and Harry for the pan. "You dare attack one of master's friends in front of Kreacher! Kreacher will make you pay in the name of Master Regulus!-"

"Kreacher no!" Harry yelled as he fought off Mundungus who was trying to get at Kreacher who was still trying to hit the thief.

On the other side of the kitchen Ron was yelling at Draco for touching Hermione.

"Get your hands off her you scum!-"

"Make me Weaselbee-"

"Stop it you two! I was falling Ron-"

"Yeah well he didn't have to grab you, I was right here-"

"You did a rubbish job of catching her!"

Hermione untangled herself from Draco and stood in the middle of the kitchen where it was still free of chaos, screaming, and grunts. She raised her wand above her head and muttered, "Tonitrus."

The room was filled with a clap of thunder so loud it shook the ground and the windows. Dust fell on all of them and a couple of chairs toppled over but when the blinding sound had dissipated they were all quiet.

What she saw would have made her laugh if she wasn't so incredibly frustrated.

Harry had his hands around Mundungus's neck as the latter was face down on the floor holding the frying pan Kreacher had used to hit him with. Kreacher was barring his teeth near Mundungus's leg, already a sharp set of teeth were marked on the pale skin.

Ron and Draco were facing each other, wands at the ready but what surprised her was Draco's bloody lip. In the time she had reached for her wand and sent the spell Ron had managed to hit him.

Her anger returned full force.

"Alright, that it!" She pointed her wand at Ron and Draco first. "No more fighting you two. I mean it. We're working together damnit. Behave!"

"And you!" She wasn't sure what she was going to say but first thing was first. "Kreacher, thank you for bring Mundungus back but we need him conscience in order to help you with Master Regulus's task okay? And Harry, well...the same goes to you. Can we just get on with it?"

Ron and Draco lowered their wands and stepped away from each other as far as they could. Kreacher let go of Mundungus's leg and took back the frying pan from Mundungus's clenched hands but refrained from hitting the thief again.

Harry got off Mundungus and grabbed both his wand and the thief's and pointed his at the angry man. Mundungus turned over and sat up on a chair that had fallen next to him.

"What the bloody hell do you lot want?" He said between thin lips. "You send a crazed house elf after me when all I'm tryin' to do is sell ma stuff an earn a livin'!"

"Selling stolen stuff, stuff you got from here!" Harry exclaimed and stepped forward.

Mundungus's face fell, "You really have to get over that kid, I said we was sorry for robbing Sirius's home but ain't nobody here then, who'd use all that stuff?"

"Kreacher was here! Kreacher told you not to take anything and you laughed at Kreacher!" He held the pan over his head and held it at the ready. Both Harry and Kreacher looked like they were on the verge of attacking Mundungus again.

"We need to know about a certain artifact that you took from here," Hermione interjected, "a locket with Salazar Slytherin's emblem. You took it from Kreacher's room..." It was hardly a room but Hermione refused to call it what it was.

"Yeah yeah I member it" Mundungus groaned as he massaged the side of his leg where Kreacher had bitten him. "I don't have it anymore."

"What did you do with it?" Hermione asked knowing this had been a real possibility but still hating the situation.

"He sold it," Harry said defeated. Mundungus huffed, disappointment written all over his face. "He probably wishes he got more for it."

"More for it?" Mundungus blanched. "More? That wouldn't have been effing difficult…bleedin' gave it away, di'n' I? No choice."

"What do you mean?" Asked Harry.

"I was selling in Diagon Alley and she come up to me and asks if I've got a license for trading in magical artefacts. Bleedin' snoop. She was gonna fine me, but she took a fancy to the locket an' told me she'd take it and let me off that time, and to fink meself lucky. Little woman. Bow on top of 'er head...Looked like a toad."

Hermione sat down on a chair as the air left her lungs. Almost like a slap in the face Mundungus had looked around him, beside him a stack of old newspapers had been laid forgotten and he saw them.

He pointed excitedly at the one on top, "That's her! Umbridge, Dolores Umbridge. She has your bleedin' locket. Now you can let me go!"

"Kreacher," Harry whispered. He knelt down on his knees to be at the height of Kreacher and whispered something in the house elf's ear. Kreacher nodded enthusiastically. Harry gave him Mundungus's wand and watched as Kreacher took a hold of the thief's injured leg.

Mundungus gave a feral cry and then they were gone.

"Where'd he take him?" Ron asked.

"The rock near the cave where the locket was. I told him to hide his wand in the sand. When the waves calm in the morning he can swim to retrieve it."

"How are we going to get the locket from Umbridge?" Hermione whispered rubbing hands over her eyes. It seemed they were never going to find the locket at this rate.

"Is that really your problem?" Draco asked. She turned in her chair to look at him. He was wiping blood off his lip with the back of his hand.

"Malfoy..." Harry warned.

Draco sighed and elaborated, "She's in charge of the muggleborn registration committee. That thing I told you is a trick to send muggleborn witches and wizards to Azkaban. You can find a way with that or..."

"Or?" Hermione asked seeing hesitation written on his features.

"Well, there's always the Autumn Ball but it depends on how badly you want this locket."

"Why?" Harry asked stepping forward, "wouldn't it be easier to go during the registration process?"

"I heard there's going to be dementors there. I don't think Voldemort expects you to prance into the Ministry of Magic anytime soon so I doubt he changed those plans on account of me." Draco transfigured an apple that sat on the table into a mirror and looked at the damage Ron had caused his face. "But the ball is no...well, ball either."

He grinned at his own joke, "There will be Aurors swarming the place, not to mention some of the most elite in the magical world. Your real problem is getting in there without someone realizing you're not supposed to be among their class. Again, it depends on how much you want this locket of yours."

"When is this ball?" Harry asked.

"During the Autumnal Equinox, 23rd of September."

"And you've been to one of these balls?" Hermione asked looking on as he healed his own cut. It was impressive how quickly and confidently he did it. It was almost like he had practiced that spell a million times before.

"I've been going since third year. I know these people like the back of my hand. But then again, they also know me." He put down the mirror and his wand. "Like I said before. I'm here to help, just tell me what to do."

"Alright Malfoy, we'll go to this ball. We have more than a month to prepare and you have that time to prove yourself useful." Harry conceded to Draco's plan even though Ron huffed and Hermione looked apprehensive. She wasn't sure which was worse. Dementors or a room full of people who by nature hated her kind.

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-Maria