A/N Welcome back to the Jennifer Craw Seeker series! This one is a classic adventure, the last classic adventure of the entire JC series, and it's full of laughs as well, so I hope you really like it. For those new here, this is book 30 (or 31 if you combine the three short stories into one book).

If you're new here, the Jennifer Craw books start with an alternate HP book 5, a very quick read romance-drama novel called Jennifer Craw and the Phoenix Wand. Other genres sneak in, all tied together with different themes of the world, and I'll hope you give it a try.

As for us old campaigners, it's been a while since I've done one of these, not since Monkey's Paw, and there are some interesting return characters in this book that I hope you'll enjoy. Don't get caught up on the great grandkids, Jennifer and Severus can't keep up with them either. If anyone wants to do a who's who feel free... I don't have time until I finish this series, and I have seven more to go! There are some running themes in this book whether at Hogwarts or abroad, and the mysteries aren't deep and easily picked up on. I hope you have fun and enjoy this newest addition to the series. Thanks for reading, and joining me through this 20 year journey! ~DQ

Jennifer Craw and the Smuggler's Medallion

Chapter One

A Day at the Ministry

Worley Maxen strode irritably towards the Law Enforcement Ministry. Outside it was warm, humid, and threatening to rain at any moment. Inside wizards were loosening ties or pulling up the sleeves of their robes. Worley did neither. Discomfort was inevitable and he saw no reason for such futile gestures. He strode through the corridors until he finally stepped into the office and saw the minister's assistant sitting behind the reception desk.

"Good morning, Mr. Maxen," Gary March greeted him cordially. "What can I do for you?"

"I was told there was some word about my son," Worley replied.

"Yes, go right in," Gary said, gesturing towards the open office door.

Thomas sat behind his desk, meticulously going through Enforcer reports. He set them down in front of him, marking his place as Worley came in.

"Mr. Maxen. Care to have a seat?" Thomas suggested.

"I prefer it if you would skip the formalities altogether and tell me what you've learned concerning the whereabouts of my son," Worley demanded impatiently.

"Very well," Thomas replied unconcernedly. "After thorough investigation, we have found evidence that indicates that your son Culver left of his own volition."

"Evidence? What evidence?" Worley asked in disbelief.

"He sent a private note to someone indicating his intent to leave the country for a few years," Thomas explained.

"Someone received a private note from my son? I insist on seeing it!" Worley snapped.

"Exactly what part of 'private' do you not understand?" Thomas asked bluntly. "Since it was a private note written by an adult that I was given only to confirm that no crime had been committed, I can't reveal its contents even if I wanted to... which I don't, because it had nothing to do with you. It's confidential information."

"How convenient!" Worley snapped ferociously. Thomas didn't seem intimidated in the slightest. "I do not believe the note is genuine for a single instant! This is some sort of plot to take my children away from their family!"

"Isn't Cadha still living with her aunt?" Thomas pointed out.

"Yes, and she's absolutely beside herself wondering what happened to her brother!" Worley claimed.

"That would explain why her debutante ball is still planned for this evening," Thomas replied evenly.

"Of course it's still tonight!" Worley said angrily. "We're not canceling a ball we spent months planning just because someone in the family went missing. It is completely unthinkable. Can't you double-check to make sure that note is genuine? I do not believe that Culver could simply drop out of my mind without any sort of reasonable explanation! He may be dead, and Mari as well! And if I ever get my hands on the murderer..."

"Maxen, you are jumping to conclusions without any evidence whatsoever. Everything we have uncovered in our investigations reinforces the fact that he decided to get away from his family for a while. And since I have an appointment and our business is done, I suggest you leave before I lose my temper," Thomas warned.

"Fine! Then I'll try the Auror department, if you won't help me..."

"The Auror department is technically part of the LE Ministry. They assisted Boltin with his investigation about Culver," Thomas informed him.

"Mysteries then!" he snapped.

"Minister Wilder is still on her honeymoon," Thomas replied calmly. "She has senior agents filling in who have protected identities. You won't be able to get an appointment with anyone in that office until she's back next month."

"Next month!" Worley repeated in disbelief.

"Have a nice day," Thomas said in such a tone that Maxen was certain that Thomas was thinking of some other phrase entirely. Growling with frustration, Worley stormed out.

"Have a nice day," Gary March offered as Worley walked by. Worley kept on walking, so Gary simply shrugged unconcernedly and went about his business.

When Severus arrived in the Mysteries office, he quickly observed that Sally Scribe had made herself quite comfortable behind the desk. In front of her was a meticulously sorted stack of papers and a large plate of exotic canapes.

"You're not here to take over for me, are you?" Sally asked Severus flatly.

"No, I'm just checking in at the moment," Severus reassured her. "Since Jay is still in officer training and the boys have jobs this summer, we had to shorten our trip abroad. I am simply here to inform you that I am available if you need my services while Alexandria is away."

"Thanks! It's always good to have a Counter for emergencies," Sally said cheerfully.

"Yes, that is the idea," Severus agreed. "Even so, I believe it will be a quiet summer. Bagman is well aware that he over-analyzed the situation with Alexandria, and that his mistake alone was the main reason we were on the brink of a spy war."

"Are you sure he's so willing to acknowledge that he out-thought himself?" Sally asked seriously.

"Oh, yes. No matter how ego bruising, as a former Minister of Mysteries, he is more than capable of conducting a postmortem after a mission has gone decidedly wrong. He will learn from his mistake as we all must learn from them," Severus replied.

"Thus becoming a stronger adversary," Sally pointed out.

"And hopefully a more cautious one, especially since his main concern other than setting up house is calculating what the Maxens are doing," Severus said.

"Well, right now Worley is in a tizzy about Culver making a break for it, while Blair seems to be focused on marrying Culver's twin sister off," Sally said, holding out the canapes. Severus avoided Sally's more exotic choices and went for the salmon instead. "I feel a bit sorry for her, even if Cadha has bought into this whole 'marrying well for the family' idea. She's just a kid, and I really don't know if she understands exactly what it is she's signing up for."

"You know as well as I that she was given as many opportunities to choose a different path as her brother was, Sally. She simply chose to stay on that path, as is her right," Severus replied solemnly. "The fact of the matter is that Cadha is very interested in improving both her station in life as well as her status in the family. She has always felt the pressure of being in the middle, squeezed between Mari as eldest and Moira, a gifted Truth Seeker. When Mari left and she thought she was taking over as oldest daughter, Griselda's power garnered her father's attention. Cadha decided that becoming her aunt's protege was her best option to get what she wants most... a place where she didn't have to stand in anyone's shadow."

"That last bit sounds more like an observation that Jennifer would make," Sally commented.

"You are correct, that was her observation," Severus agreed. "She wasn't surprised in the least that Cadha would be the first to stay, any more than she was surprised that Culver decided to leave."

"Wasn't Eben the first to stay, technically?" Sally asked.

"Eben neither stayed nor left, but chose to thread the needle," Severus replied. "As for the fate of the others, I suppose it is yet to be determined. We must do what we can to guide them, but in the end, they must decide for themselves. Will they follow their family's quest for power, or make their own way in life?"

Over in the Auror Department, Eben was watching the flag board with very little interest. Harry walked through the reception area on the way to his office.

"You're not daydreaming over there, are you?" Harry asked.

"I can't help it. This is so boring!" Eben complained.

"It is important work, and you need to figure out how to keep yourself focused," Harry said firmly. "Personally, I concentrate on the flags I'm the most concerned about, or wizards that I know there's a high possibility we're going to be asked by the LE Department to capture in the future."

"I think I'd end up watching my own family, then," Eben said dryly.

"Good, if that is what works for you, do it. That's what Jennifer does when she watches the board as well..."

"That's only because she's extremely nosy!" Eben complained.

"Yes, and she has proved time and time again how it's possible to use that nosiness to stay one on top of the wizards on this map. Look, everyone on this board is well aware they are on here and that they're basic movements are being watched, either for their protection or for the protection of others. So when it comes to watching this board, feel free to be nosy. Start learning people's daily routines so that you can tell when they're going somewhere strange that we need to be concerned about. Don't just wait for a flag to flash, actually watch where they're going. Practice on someone you're actually interested in. I think that's how Jennifer got so good at it," Harry said.

"Am I allowed to watch the movements of other Aurors as well?" Eben asked daringly.

"If they're on that board, absolutely," Harry confirmed. "I'll be in my office."

"Alright," Eben said, and Harry stepped inside.

Eben sighed, glancing at flag board. In reality, was the only member of his family on there; his family was extremely adept at making themselves looked respectable. Hope once told him that very fact was one of the things that put Draco Malfoy on edge the most.

"Draco doesn't trust any influential families with a clean record. It reminds him of his father too much," Hope had explained to him. "I've even heard that even Bagman doesn't trust your father and took the time to warn my Uncle Mage about him." Eben made a face and shook his head.

"That sounds like it might be classified Mysteries business..."

"Yes it is, but I'm telling you anyway," Hope agreed.

"You're a walking security leak, you know that don't you?" Eben replied flatly.

"Nah, you're my husband and my Auror partner. I trust you with any information I may have accidentally on purpose overheard," Hope decided.

"Thanks, but I'd rather not hear about it unless it's Auror business or it directly puts you into danger," Eben said.

"Aw! You're so cute!" Hope teased, pinching his cheeks before changing the subject altogether.

Eben sighed at the memory. Hope was so incorrigible, and impossible to rein in no matter what they were doing. In fact, the only time she seemed serious was out on a capture; while her banter never ended, she became focused and serious. The recklessness she exhibited at all other times melted, and she became the third... maybe even the second best Auror on the entire force...

Aurelius stepped into the room and Eben blinked. Third, make that third... he corrected his thoughts quickly.

"Hey, Eben. Daydreaming at the flag board again?" Aurelius asked knowingly.

"I'm not daydreaming, I'm just going over some things in my head. Auror related," Eben said defensively.

"Well, focus on it until you meet me in my office so that we can talk about other things in your head," Aurelius said. He pointed him at the flag board before unlocking his office. "Please make sure that everyone is behaving before you end your shift, regardless of who is coming in to take over for you."

"Natalie, I think," Eben replied.

"She'll be in early today. She wants to talk to Harry," Aurelius explained, then stepped into his office.

Sure enough, it was only a few minutes later that Natalie walked in.

"Good morning, Nat. Harry's in his office," Eben said.

"Good morning, thanks. How did you know that I wanted to talk to Harry?" Natalie asked. Eben shrugged. Natalie shrugged as well, going over to the office door.

Harry looked up thoughtfully when Natalie stepped in. She seemed rather uncomfortable from the start.

"Hey, Nat. What's up?" Harry asked.

"Oh, um... right. Well, do you know how Tonks and my grandparents have that special status where they've got their Auror licenses and they're on call for whenever something really big happens?" Natalie asked.

"I wouldn't say that they're on call. I'd say it's more that they can come in when they damn well feel like it or if I beg," Harry said with a slight chuckle.

"Ah, well. I was wondering if I could get on that list myself, actually... only you don't have to beg. I'll come in whenever you're in a pinch," Natalie added quickly. Harry gazed at her thoughtfully without saying anything. "See, Garvan and I were thinking about trying for a boy."

"Oh, okay. So you want a year off for a maternity leave?" Harry asked.

"No... well, yes, but... it's more than that, really," Natalie admitted. "You see, as I'm sure you already know, I'm not like my other sisters. I take after my mother, while they all take more after my father. And to be perfectly honest, the job has been wearing on me lately. Garvan's noticed it too, really... it's an under the surface sort of burn out. It hasn't been affecting my job here, but it has been affecting me at home quite dramatically. I spend an awful lot of worrying, and I can't seem to get rid of the stress. It comes home with me, and that's not really fair to Abby, is it?"

Harry nodded in understanding and smiled softly at her.

"You're not upset with me?" Natalie asked anxiously.

"No, I'm not upset. In fact, I admire the fact that you have the wisdom to step away. You definitely get that from your mother's side of the family," he added.

She chuckled silently out of relief.

"Look, Nat... when the five of you committed to be Aurors as children, I knew from the start that not all of you would be life long Aurors, even though I was sure that all of you would make it through training. I knew that the five of you would be good at it and would give it your all, but I also knew that for some of you this would only be a first step to who you were going to be. Yes, you're all dedicated to service, but that can play out in many different ways. So, as long all of you don't decide to leave at once, I'm prepared for it," Harry assured her.

"Well, you'll always have Hope," Natalie said with a grin.

"There's no doubt about that. She's an Auror through and through," Harry agreed. "Can you give me until the end of summer?"

"Yes, certainly," Natalie agreed.

"Thanks, but let me know if it gets too much for you and I'll make sure you're on lighter duties," Harry said.

"No, no, no..." Natalie said quickly, knowing he'd give her extra flag board shifts. "I'm sure I'll be fine."

"Great," Harry replied with a smile.

Harry watched Natalie as she went to relieve Eben at the flag board, then noticed that Arnold Jeffers was chatting with Eben while waiting for them to finish their discussion. Harry gestured and Arnold came in.

"Hi. Sorry to interrupt," Arnold said.

"It's okay. What's up?" Harry asked.

"It's about one of my clients. Lockhart... Roy Lockhart..."

"You didn't have to specify a first name. What did he do this time?" Harry asked flatly.

"He's late from his holiday... if you could call it that. He went off on one of his expeditions but he should have been back by now," Arnold explained. "Conner came to my office and asked me if I'd seen him. He told me he had missed an appointment, and since I have his Power of Attorney, I went to Roy's house for a welfare check. While nothing was out of order, there was a note on my table with my name on it... this isn't the first time I've had to do one of these welfare checks when he's gone adventuring."

"I bet," Harry said.

"Well, the envelope had a check for my retainer, and it said, 'Just in case I'm late getting back. However, if I am extremely late, please inform Harry Potter. I am more than likely in serious trouble,'" Arnold repeated. Harry groaned, resisting the urge to put his head on his desk. "Did an Auror go with him?"

"Not this time. To be honest, I thought he was still in Canada because his flag hasn't moved," Harry said. "He wouldn't have gone alone, he's not that stupid. I feel sorry for whoever went with him, though, because they're probably in just as much trouble as Lockhart is."

"Assuming they really are in trouble and not just running late..." Arnold ventured optimistically.

"Oh, no. If Lockhart's involved, I'm sure there in trouble," Harry assured him.