A.N./- Hey guys, long time so update huh? Heh—but I seem to have found a little inspiration this holiday season, so here is a chapter for you. I am hoping to update two more chapters by Christmas. Let's see how that goes.

Anyway...a massive shout out to Roohi, who is finally reading my story. I hope you're enjoying it and that you will reach this chapter soon. 3

Chapter 68

Audrey woke up to a grumbling stomach as she groaned flipping over; her leg hit something as a sharp groan was heard. She was now completely awake and aware of the hands around her waist as they slid away and below the blankets.

"Are you okay...I am so sorry," she said pulling her legs into her bare chest.

"I'm fine," replied Harry groggily as he smiled at her.

"Are you sure?" she asked as he nodded pulling himself up and kissed her on her lips softly, she smiled at him contently. It was a rather poignant moment for them, they knew that time was short and they needed to make the best of it.

"We need to get down before Ron and Hermione wake up," said Audrey as she broke the kiss. Harry agreed and they began to dress.

Audrey and Harry slowly walked down as quietly as they could manage; thankfully Ron and Hermione were not awake. Audrey strolled into the kitchen and went through the cabinets for any leftover supplies from two years ago...all she found was some moldy bread and rather old frozen chicken.

There was nothing to eat...and they needed to save their supplies before they could refill, but she was just so bloody hungry that she summoned the box of cereal from the bag and the small carton of milk...all smuggled in by Fred and George on Hermione's orders.

Audrey made a breakfast out of it for her and Harry as he smiled when he entered the room and sat down and pulled a spoon to him that Audrey had found and washed. They ate in silence till Hermione and Ron came into the kitchen and joined the breakfast.

"So...where from here?" asked Audrey breaking the comfortable silence.

"Well...we need to find the true Horcrux...that belonged to Salazar Slytherine," said Harry.

Audrey's eyes lit up instantly as she gulped the contents in her mouth and spoke, "I need to show you guys something," she said and pulled the rest up to the room she had discovered last night.

"Regulus Aructus Black...so..?" asked Ron a little groggily...probably still sleepily.

"So...Ron...this could be it...this...Sirius's brother could be R.A.B." said Hermione excitedly as Audrey nodded.

"Question is whether he destroyed the real Horcrux...like he said," said Audrey.

"Well...only one way to find out huh?" said Harry as they went back down to the kitchen.

He stood near the counter and knelt to open the cramped up cabinet. Harry was looking for the house-elf and to be sure, he found the elf swearing and spitting at him. Harry pulled him out of his hiding spot.

"Spying on us have you?" snarled Harry as he threw the old elf to the side. He was the reason Sirius almost died that night.

"Kreacher has been watching," he replied slyly eyeing Hermione with disgust.

"Do you know what this is?" Harry asked as the elf looked at the offending locket in his hand.

"Ummm...hhh"

"Kreacher!" Harry ordered the elf.

"That's master Regulus's locket...he had asked Krecher to destroy it but, however hard Krecher tried he could not destroy the most evil object that..."

"Yes, there were two weren't there?" Harry asked.

"Ask him if he knows where the other one is?" asked Hermione grew anxious.

"Do you know where it is?" Harry snapped at the elf.

"Krecher...does not know...where it is!" said the elf cringing at the offensive locket.

"He's lying!" snapped Audrey disgustedly as Harry looked at Krecher.

"Krecher... do you want a punishment!" snapped Harry as Hermione was offended.

"Harry, don't do that," she said standing up in front of the elf.

"Answer the question Krecher!" snapped Harry.

"He came...in the dead of night!" began Krecher.

"Who did?" asked Hermione softly.

"Filthy mudblood...coming into the house..." the elf muttered glaring at her murderously as Ron went forward to strike him.

"No, you will make it worse," said Audrey pulling him back by his hand.

"Answer her!" snarled Harry.

"Who was it?" asked Harry.

"I don't..." the elf tried to recall but was slow due to age.

"He took many things...including that locket...the most dark of them all..." said Krecher closing his eyes to recall the name.

"Who did Krecher?" Harry asked his tone much more civil than it had been before.

"Mundungus Fletcher...the thief!" said Krecher as Harry stood up straighter.

"Get him here!" ordered Harry as Krecher did not move.

"Krecher...I know that your master Regulus died because of this locket...help us...avenge his death by finishing what he started," said Harry and Audrey completed his statement.

"Join us...help us out," said Audrey placing her hand in front of him. Krecher looked at her hand bewildered.

"The foreigner...master Regulus...said a foreigner would help him...he said...Krecher...will do whatever you and master Potter wants him too...after all Krecher lives to serve the Noble house of Black," said Krecher placing his bony hand into Audrey's and shook it.

"Good, now get that rat here Krecher!" said Audrey as Krecher bowed and disappeared with a pop.

An hour passed without any word from Krecher, it was odd to trust someone who had gone against them. They still did not trust the elf completely...they couldn't not after he had tried to kill Sirius two years ago. But Audrey knew the family history now...and Krecher seemed to be more closer to his late Master Regulus than the present dark lord loving Mistress Bellatrix.

In the side Hermione was teaching Ron to play a simple tune on the piano. He was dreadful or pretending to be to have her sit next to him. Harry on the other hand did not talk as he played with the snitch, while it hovered over his face like a bug.

A loud pop was heard along with a crash as the four rushed into the kitchen to find two elves over a bald and stout man.

"Expelliarmus!" snapped Ron as the man's wand flew over into his hand.

"Good one Ron," smiled Audrey as Ron nodded.

"Hey...so what's the big idea!" snarled Mundungus.

"Dobby...only wanted to help...when dobby saw Krecher in Diagon alley...Dobby thought it was most curious and when dobby followed Krecher and saw him talking to the thief!"

"Oye! I ain't a thief...I am a respectable businessman...who trades rare and mysterious objects," snapped Fletcher.

"You're a thief Dung, everyone knows that!" snapped Ron as Fletcher shrugged.

"Mr. Weasley...so good to see you," said Dobby shaking hands with Ron.

"Alright...I was scared that night...I didn't want Moody ta die...he's a good man...I mean...I was in front of you-know-who...what were they thinkin...I ain't got guts for that!" began Mundungus as Harry shook his head.

"This is not about Moody...it's about this!" said Harry as the locket dangled from his hand in front of him as the man studied the locket.

"What's this?" he asked

"Don't pretend Dung...you know exactly what it is...you stole it...didn't you...when the elf was asleep...last year when the house was empty...you stole it from right under his nose," said Audrey edging towards Mundungus her wand raised.

"Alright alright...I admit it...I stole it...but I sold it alright," said Mundungus as Krecher poked in with a fork.

"Sold it...to whom?" asked Ron worriedly.

"I don't remember...I was in Knocturnal alley minding my own business...which was slow on that day and then this ministry woman dressed in pink comes around and asks me for a license...said she'd have to take me to the aurors if I didn't have one...but she saw the necklace...she said she'd let me go if I gave it to her...I did...now that I think of it...was it worth anything?" he asked scratching his chin. Krecher poked him with the fork again as Mundungus's hand landing on a large stack of old newspapers.

"There...she is, bleedin bow and all!" he exclaimed pointing out the front page of a two year old newspaper as a toad like woman smiled at the lot from the picture.

Silence ensued as Krecher was told to take Mundungus away...after his memory of them had been wiped off.

"So what now?" Audrey asked as sat together mulling over what to do next. They did not know how to get to Umbridge...unless they broke into the ministry which didn't seem to be a very feasible option seeing that they were all on the run apart for Ron who was supposedly dying of Spattergroit at home.

"We need to break into the ministry...it's the only way," said Hermione shaking her head.

"And how do say we do that?" asked Ron looking at her like she had gone mental.

"Simple," she replied smirking, she held a bottle as Audrey frowned.

"You're brilliant...you know that...right?" Audrey asked impressed, Hermione smiled.

"Now all we need is four ministry officials," said Harry throwing his hands in the air.

"Don't worry...I know who we could use...seeing you thought the daily prophet was rubbish...I think it could help us out here," said Audrey as they devised a plan.

The very next morning four separate vials of polyjuice potions sat in Hermione's hand bag as they made their way discreetly onto the muggle streets of London and waited near the ministry entrance Ron had heard his father talk about a few days ago.

"Ok...there's the first one...Mafalda Hopkirk...Hermione...this one is yours...she's Umbridge's assistant...sort off," said Audrey as Hermione nodded and popped open her vial of potion.

A while later Mafalda Hopkirk was fast asleep in one corner along with Runcorn...one of the enforcers of snatching, he would help Harry out. Audrey turned into Reg Cattermole, a maintenance worker and Ron was Rectamus Polanski, another one of Yaxley's snatchers, just like Runcorn.

"How is it like being a man?" Ron asked Audrey as she glared at him from under her red moustache.

"Shut up Ron!" she snapped at him, they all got a small laugh out of it as the three 'men' entered the men's lavatory while Hermione was sent to fend for herself.

It was funny as they stood in the line to enter a cubicle each, once they were all in together; they seemed to be confused as to what to do.

"We've got to flush ourselves in," said Ron as Audrey looked at him in horror while he shook his head and jumped off the toilet and flushed in. A second or two later the other two did the same.

There grates had been different but they found each other and stuck together like glue. Everywhere they walked they could see flyers with their faces circulating in thin air as 'Most Wanted' was stamped across Harry and Audrey's faces. There were snatchers everywhere they stepped pulling muggle-borns in as Audrey placed her hand into Hermione's to comfort her, not realizing that people were looking but Hermione quickly brushed her off.

"People will stare," she replied urgently, Audrey as Cattermole shook his head gravely.

Once in the Atrium, Harry stopped in his path as they passed the newly replaced fountain. There where once stood the symbols of wizarding unity was now a family of wizards sitting on thrones made of...

"Are those?"

"Muggles," replied Hermione looking away and continuing forward, the rest followed her down to the lifts.

They stood for a while in the line waiting behind a blonde man with a sharp nose as they all entered at the same time. The blonde got off at the first level as the other's waited.

"Cattermole!" snapped the blonde who Harry recognized as Yaxley. Audrey raised her head slowly and raised an eyebrow.

"It's still raining in my office it's been two days now," said Yaxley as Reg Cattermole frowned.

"You tried using an umbrella?" asked Audrey laughing at her own joke as Yaxley narrowed his eyes and lifted his cane into his hands.

"You do realize I am going down don't you?" smirked Yaxley his bad breath fogging Cattermole's glasses.

"Down?" asked Cattermole confusedly.

"To the courtrooms...to interrogate your wife...now if my wife was being interrogated for being a muggleborn...and the head of the magical enforcement department asked for something...I would do it that minute...you understand don't you Cattermole?" snapped Yaxley crudely as Cattermole drew in a sharp breath.

"It better stop raining in my office today Cattermole...or I might just put in a word for dear old Mary's hearing!" snapped Yaxley turning and walking away. Audrey gulped as the lift went forward towards level two.

"Oh god...oh god...my wife's downstairs...she's going to be interrogated," she repeated to herself panic stricken.

"Audrey...you don't have a wife," said Harry as Ron sniggered in the back.

Audrey looked at Harry and then came back to her senses.

"Right...right," she said nodding.

"Use the general counter spell," mouthed Hermione as Audrey aka Cattermole licked her lips in frustration and nodded and got off at level two.

The lift then travelled downwards leaving Audrey alone as she sighed and walked towards Yaxley's office.

She looked extremely worried as the intra departmental memos along with 'Undesirable No.2' pictures of her flew around the place, threatening her as her heart thumping harder in her chest. The picture wasn't very flattering either.

She stopped in her path towards the offices as she saw her parents behind who stood the rest of the Hogwarts teachers looking disgusted as they waited till Snape finished talking to Pius Thickness...the new minister of magic.

Audrey walked up to the row of teachers as her grandmother stood there talking to Professor Flitwick about something. Audrey could hear Thickness talk to her father about something as he laughed loudly while her father smirked.

"Profess McGonagall?" Audrey called her to her grandmother as the woman looked up to see her, Audrey could only hope that she knew who Cattermole was.

"Mr. Cattermole...so...umm...good to see you," said Minerva a little taken aback.

"You sound different...Reginald..." said Minerva softly frowning.

"Sore throat," Audrey replied as her words were caught in her throat on seeing her grandmother.

"How are you? How are Mary and is your children...your son will be eleven this year, I presume?" asked Minerva as Audrey nodded giving her a faint smile.

"What are you doing here?" asked Audrey as Flitwick was heard squeaking indignantly.

"Professor Snape was appointed as the new headmaster yesterday by the minister of magic...and all teachers...need to register...to make sure none of us are...muggleborn," said Minerva with pauses that surprised Audrey, her grandmother hardly placed so many pauses in her sentences.

"I see," replied Audrey as she could no longer hold in what she truly wanted to say.

"Professor..."

"Yes"

"I...I am sorry...about your...I am sorry about professor Dumbledore," said Audrey as Minerva looked into her eyes as she stood straighter than she had before, as Audrey began to say something but couldn't muster the courage as she knew her secret was almost out her grandmother stood there dumbfound and staring at her as she smiled at her in disbelief.

"Everything all right Minerva?" came a baritone from the back that Audrey recalled so very well. She blanched or Reg blanched and turned around in spirit.

"Shouldn't you be asking yourself that?" Audrey snapped at Severus looking at the tall man. She had to say that being in a man's body sure made her fell more aggressive as she reached for the wand in her robes.

"Mr. Cattermole, might I remind you as to who you are talking?" snapped Severus sneering in the man's face...stupid Gryffindor.

"Yea...well you sure don't have same soul you did Snape...so maybe you should remind me...what Snape...the devil take your tongue like he did your soul?" Cattermole countered Snape before he could say anything as the teachers in the back were heard whispering impressively, Cattermole puffed his chest as if daring Snape to comment, but the man smirked evilly.

"Maybe...you'll realise that this could cost your children a year off their education...they'll be entering Hogwarts this year won't they? Half blood—don't know if they will be entering the school—seeing you don't know what's going to become of their muggleborn mother?" sneered Severus as someone cleared their throat in the back before Audrey could use Cattermole's hand to punch her father's overgrown nose.

"Severus," said Mr. Weasley as Audrey looked at the man as his hand rest on her shoulder.

"Arthur...I received good news to know that one of your ruffians wouldn't be attending school this year due to scattergoit," said Severus as Arthur looked at his shoes and said nothing.

"Come Reggie...you are needed at Lord Yaxley's office," said Arthur pushing Audrey forward.

"Good day...professors...head...headmaster," said Arthur with too much trouble.

"What are you doing here Reg? Your wife...she's waiting for you at the court rooms," snapped Arthur as Cattermole could be seen gulping.

"I had to fix Yaxley's office," said Cattermole shrugging as Arthur nodded in understanding.

"I'll do it...just go collect your wife...she seems too frightened to get through this alone," said Arthur as he thumped Cattermole on his back. Cattermole nodded and spoke as they waited for the lift.

"Arthur...how is your family...your kids?" asked Cattermole.

"Fine...we'll get by," said Arthur smiling as Cattermole nodded. The lift doors opened and Cattermole got in as Arthur waited till the door shut as the other occupant shouted.

"You're being tracked Weasley," he shouted as the door shut before the curse from Arthur's wand reached the occupant. Audrey panted in distress and waited straightening her tie and gulping at interval

"Audrey...it's me," said Harry as she looked at him and squinted.

"Harry?" she asked, he nodded, and another occupant entered the lift at level one.

"Ron?" she asked the man nodded and smiled.

"Where's Hermione? Did you find the Horcrux?" asked Audrey urgently.

"Nothing...I checked her office...but there was nothing," said Harry shaking his head.

"Hermione's down in the courtrooms with Umbridge...," replied Ron as Audrey nodded. They had to get her and get the hell out of here before their time was up.

"Ground Zero," said the voice recording in the lift announcing their arrival in the courtrooms.

"Come on," said Harry stepping out first.

"Bloody cold isn't it?" asked Ron as he shivered in his clothes.

"Dementors," replied Audrey pointing at the ceiling inside the courtroom where the voices where coming from. The dementors were restrained by a patronus charm in the shape of a cat as Audrey knew who that belonged to.

"It's here," said Harry all of a sudden.

"The Horcrux?" muttered Audrey pushing herself into his back as he shifted away uncomfortably.

"Right...sorry...I am a man...I forgot," she said frowning at him. He nodded but by now they were in full view of the court.

"Mary Elizabeth Cattermole...mother of Angus, Zeus and Regina Cattermole...wife of ministry worker Reginald Arnold Cattermole?" asked Umbridge sitting where the head of the hearing would normally.

Harry could see the necklace in her neck as he looked over to Hermione who glanced back at the necklace; he nodded and pushed Audrey forward.

"What are you doing?" she hissed.

"Reg!" called Mary Cattermole...stretching her hand out for her husband.

Audrey was stuck in an awkward situation, she didn't know how to react, this woman obviously needed some support from a loved one, but Audrey could hardly support herself right now.

"Thank you Albert," said Umbridge addressing Harry who stood in a corner, glancing at the people in the court room. He glared over at Snape and Yaxley who were sitting together in the booth next to Umbridge's while Hermione shifted uncomfortably. Yaxley smiled at her like a pervert; maybe he had a thing for middle aged lonely women. There were hardly any other people there apart from two aurors and two other guards.

"Mary Elizabeth Cattermole...a wand was taken from you upon your arrival at the ministry today...is this that wand?" asked Umbridge her face had that evil honey suckle smile on it that made her look most sinister. Mary nodded as her fingernails dug into her husband's hand.

"Can you please tell us from which witch or wizard you took this wand?" Umbridge asked as Mary looked at her dumbfound. Audrey trailed over to Harry as he wandered around the room looking at the dementors above.

"I didn't take it...I bought it in Diagon alley at Ollivanders when I was eleven...it chose me."

"You're lying," snapped Umbridge as the poor woman seemed to be on her last nerve.

"Wands only choose witches and you my dear are not a witch!" continued Umbridge insulting Mary further.

"But I am, tell them Reg, tell them what I am, Reg tell them, please!" Mary looked over to her husband. Audrey was about to speak when she noticed Harry's wand slide down his sleeve and into his hand.

"What on earth are you doing Albert?" Umbridge asked astound as Harry moved forward his eyes focused on the locket.

"You're lying Dolores...and one mustn't tell lies," said Harry his wand out.

"Stupefy!" he shouted as Audrey's wand was out and she managed to get Yaxley but missed her father by the second. He ducked under the booth and stayed there.

"Coward!" she muttered in resentment but the temperature dipped further as they made a run for it...dementors flying behind them as Audrey pulled Mary with her.

"It's Harry Potter," said Mary surprised as Reg looked around waiting for Snape to come up.

"Yea...isn't it...there's something you can tell the kids," muttered Audrey stunning the rest who followed them along with the dementors.

They got into the lift as the dementors reached for their souls through the grills; it was a reflex action when the four of them scream out the patronus charm in unison. The four creatures deflected the dementors all the way back to their previous place. Audrey knew her father would spot her patronus out of the lot, but she didn't care...all she wanted to do was get Mary to safety.

The lift doors swung open at the Atrium as Ron, Harry and Hermione's polyjuice had already worn off, they dashed towards the grates as guards were on their tail.

"Reg! What, what is going on?" Mary called for her husband as Audrey was held back, she realised that her potion was still working.

"Mary...listen...listen to...me...go home... I'll meet you there...take the kids...we have to leave the country...Mary...do as I say," snapped Audrey as Mary's mouth was on hers.

This was it...for Audrey...she had decided...this would be the most awkward moment of her life as the other three stared at her in shock while a man pushed his way past them.

"Mary? Who is that?" called the real Reg Cattermole in surprise as she kissed his now changing form.

Mary instantly let go...of the girl who she had been kissing and yelped in surprise calling attention towards the party as Audrey decided that she had to get the hell out of that situation.

"Umm...long story...nice meeting you," she said awkwardly as smiled and then ran as fast as she could, Harry couldn't stop laughing.

"Shut the fuck up!" Audrey snapped as they were finally spotted and the guards were let loose.

"It's Harry Potter...it's really him...and the girl!" said a passerby in admiration little knowing that he was a massive danger to their lives.

"The grates are closing," snapped Ron as they ran towards the line of fireplaces.

Yaxley however had other ideas as curses were exchanged between the group and Yaxley. Yaxley threw stunners while Harry pulled a spell that made the memos and papers fly in a tornado of sorts.

"Eat this ponytail!" snarled Audrey as a large inferno rushed towards Yaxley which staggered him but only for a few seconds as Audrey could see her father deflecting it for Yaxley in a manner of seconds.

"Audrey, Come on!" shouted Hermione as Audrey glared at her father but a tug from the fireplace made sure she tumbled in with Hermione. A chase ensued even when they were in the fireplace Yaxley caught hold of Ron's hand...and was flooed over to Grimmauld Place with them. But Hermione using her presence of mind managed to get them out of the house and into the forest as they fell onto the ground with a loud thump and no Yaxley.

A.N./- Stay tuned for more, coming up soon. Very soon. Reviews will be both appreciated and eaten as holiday sweets. Thanks and enjoy.

-Penny