Cyrus snickered as he read the latest cartoon on the fight between Fudge and Dumbledore.

He turned to the front page, and read the story about how Albus was not only hiding away Heir Potter, but had him locked away and the rumours from the sources in the school ranged from 'fattening him up like pig for slaughter' to Keeping him as a personal boy-toy, to even using him to breed a race of super-wizards.

Just then, Archimedes, Daphne's personal Bubo owl, arrived at the desk perch.

To hear Astoria tell it, Archimedes ruled the Owl Aiery, bowling only to the Snowy.

Boo.

A regal talon was offered to him.

His wife floated in, wearing her housecoat… also reading a scroll… and with the smug look on the owl's face, Cyrus knew that he had just been snubbed.

"Husband… Has Daphne told you about her Lord Husband?"

"I have yet to open my scroll…" which he did…

"Father.

As I have relayed to Mother, My Lord Husband is arriving today. I am intending to pressure him to take me with him when he leaves. If I have timed this right, you should be receiving this missive about the same time as he arrives… and we will be gone by the time you can get here.

Judging by the Gift he has sent… I will be well supported no matter what I choose to do with my life.

I have told Archimedes that as of tomorrow, he will answer to Astoria or lose his standing among the Owls of Hogwarts.

Cordial affection.

Daphne."

"Little Bint!" He tossed the note on the desk. "She has run off into the night with that Bounder Black!"

"That's basically what she said to me. So… the next time we see her…" His wife glared at him.

"Will be, at the lastest, her wedding." Cyrus sighed. "Though that will be more to rub Malfoy's nose in it. But I don't think she will take that long."

"Oh… do tell."

"Lord Potter is coming home as soon as he finishes his business."

She cocked her eyebrow and hip. "Don't you mean Lord Black?"

"You ran with McKinnon back in the day…"

"It was more of a waddle… That Son of a Bitch!"

Just then a distraught Elf appeared at his elbow. "Squiggy need Boss in Parlor. Boss has Guest."

The two Adults exchanged looks before running to the Parlor.

Squiggy was watching an equally distraught Goblin was twisting the brim of a black fedora. "Ah, Lord Greengrass… what did you do to Lord Potter and Lord Black?" The two humans exchanged looks again.

"I engaged my eldest daughter to Black…" Cyrus poured a measure of a black tar like goo into a glass and handed it to the Goblin. "Talk to me. Tell us what happened."

"Not even an Hour ago, Lord Black and Lord Potter dropped off…" his tonight swelled, until he sipped the goo. "Anyway… someone I can't talk about dropped something I can't talk about at the Bank and your name was brought up. It seems that this… Person of Dark Reputation… dropped off something for the Harvest and Rendering Guild. While he is keeping the Hide and Bones, twenty percent of the meat pays for the processing, and the rest of the flesh is to be sold to Nation… but the other organs are to be sealed and delivered to House Greengrass to sell on commission. Twenty percent commission… and I have had ten demands for Preferred Access…"

"No doubt these… demands include some palm grease…" His wife purred.

Cyrus snickered, "So take the grease, write the names down… and then lose the list."

"Or when we are ready to sell, we rent two boardrooms … and then we deal with the Special Access Bidders after the rest of the bidding… if we can even find the Boardroom in the first place."

"But that's dishonest!" The Goblin gasped.

"Trying to bribe our Account Manager for Preferred Access…" Cyrus grinned.

"Of course half of the Grease should soothe the burn to your…"

"Oh, you misunderstand." The Goblin sneered as he pulled out a list of names, amounts of 'grease', and notation of his cut. "I have delivered the list… as I will do so each evening at the end of Business. Now as this is not included in the selling of the merchandise so I will leave it to you to decide on whether you share with his Lordship."

"So… I heard…" Annabelle Lynn perched on the edge of the couch. "Lord Black is a bit of a Bounder…"

"I don't think I can say much… but the cad arrived at the Bank, or so I was told, with three Witches, while he was wearing a Dragonhide body sleeve. One witch was also wearing Dragonhide… the other two looked like they were dressed for Scotland Weather." He picked at his talon beds. "One was rumoured to look like your eldest… but no one was really looking at the witches… the Snake and Lord made sure of that." He dug out a pocket watch, "Oh… look at the time…" and vanished into the floo.

The wizard and his witch looked at each other. "Well… He shows up out of the Black, steals our Daughter, forces me to sell… did he say Snake… and then returns to the Black!" Cyrus cried in mock outrage.

"Poor Tori." Annabelle stood up and dropped her robe…

"Poor Tori?" Cyrus turned to glare at his wife, and raised an eyebrow at her nudity. "That's all you have to say? 'Poor Tori'?"

"Well, she is now an only child." She grinned at him.

"Well… I think I will have to do something about that…" He slung her over his shoulders. "Squiggy. I am seeing to Family Business. We are not accepting any further visitors today." His long legs carrying his giggling witch easily up the stairs.

"But Boss have two o'clock with Director Bones." The Elf tugged on his Ear.

"She too will be busy. Lord Potter just kidnapped her niece." Cyrus hip checked the door closed and threw the squealing witch on the bed.

Squiggy, outside the door, threw up silence spells, and tugged on his ear. "Squiggy bad Elf. Squiggy not need to hear Boss ravaging Bitch. Squiggy have his own problems."

SPRB IV

Amelia Bones was having a paperwork day. While she was in the Office, anything that could be handled by someone else, it had better be.

She was just finishing a long lunch with Connie Hammer, when Tonks fell out of the Floo…

"Oh… this has to be good." Connie Hummed. "Yaxley took her out. He insists on going first when he Floos with her."

Amelia stood and excited the office. "Auror Tonks. Where is your Partner?"

"St Mongo's. He tried to confiscate a delivery to Gringotts. The Lord objected."

"Oh?" Hammer asked from beside the Director. "What and from whom?"

"A Basilisk." Tonks grinned. "As to whom… that's where things get fuzzy. I heard the Name Potter and Black shouted in the Alley, after Yaxley took a hook to the kisser."

"Did Potter throw the punch?" Shacklebolt appeared beside Tonks.

"No… It looked like a half-breed Mao." Tonks tried to look serious.

"Black and Potter." Bones leaned on the rail. "Who was there?"

"I saw three Females, one Male carrying a lizard and a wolf in a pack, and four goblins. Two witches, wearing their Hogwarts cloaks, a Slytherin and a Hufflepuff and the Mao Half-breed Mao." Tonks locked eyes with Bones. "The Hufflepuff was a redhead."

"Hogwarts! Now! Tonks, Shacklebolt! Double Time! Vance! Prophet. Persons high in the DMLE Question Albus's claims of ignorance of Heir Potter!"

"Lord Potter." Tonks reminded the Bullpen. "Potter was de facto declared of Age when he faced the Dragon last year. That means that Headmaster Dumbledore either has been hiding Lord Potter, kidnapped Lord Potter, or has completely lost control of his Weapon."

Hammer looked between the two witches, "Vance… you just overheard the suspicions of two Aurors talking about the Disappearance of Lord Potter… and the Rumoured Kidnapping of the Director's Niece. They will no doubt need to send an owl to Lord Greengrass as a witch matching his eldest daughter was seen in the Company of a disreputable individual." She looked around the Bullpen. "You were given your orders."

Twenty Aurors bolted from the Bullpen.

"Do you really think Cyrus is going to make your appointment today?" Hammer smirked at her Boss.

"Depends. He just lost his Heir… that means that he will need another spare…"

Connie snorted, and turned to clean up her lunch. "Are you going to go to Hogwarts?"

"Yes. I am just waiting for Fudge." She too cleaned up her Desk. "Any word on Delores?"

The Chief of Analytics grinned. "She is cooling her heels in Rio. She tried to first pressure the ministry there first with the 'Power of the English Ministry' and then tried to bribe them… openly. Those who might have taken the Bribe and helped were insulted and arrested her for attempting to bribe an official. She is cuffed and sent to the Muggle Female Detention system."

"And how did that happen?" Amelia smirked as she shrugged into her Red Dragonhide robes.

"One of her Escort let slip her Blood prejudices." Hammer also dressed in her Official Robes. "They are monitoring the situation, but are under orders to not interfere in Brazilian Ministry Matters so long as no permanent harm comes to the Envoy."

They returned to the railing overlooking the Bullpen. "Runcorn. Jones… Pickette and Puckett. Full Robes. And someone get Weasley, or we will need to gag his wife."

Arthur arrived just as Fudge came huffing into the Department.

"Minister Fudge… you are being included as a courtesy. You will remain silent and Observe only. One word, and I will have you removed from the Castle in the most embarrassing way possible." Bones to glare at Arthur. "I know that you and your family are staying at Hogwarts. I am including you to manage your Wife. She gets one warning, before I will shut her down." She turned to Scrimgeour. "Ready to portkey to the Gates, should I signal. Should I go Dark… load for Dragon."

"Ma'am."

She drew out the jump rope and held it for Runcorn, Jones, Hammer, Pickette and Puckett. They grabbed on, as everyone looked at Fudge and Weasley. Arthur looked skyward, before he groped the rope. Fudge removed his green bowler, heaved a sigh, and grabbed the end.

[Portus]

SPRB IV

The six red robes and two wizards landed heavily just outside the Gates. Arthur, being tied into the Wards and Gates, opened the way in. The Front Doors were open and the Students were taking advantage of the last of the warm weather of the year.

"Dad!" A redheaded spitfire dropped from where she was practicing her Chaser Drills. "Is something happening?"

"Miss Weasley." Hammer looked at the Girl. "We are here to inquire as to the rumours of the abduction of two witches in the Fifth year course."

"Yeah." Ginny grinned. "Harry was here, he talked with Dumbledore and then vanished… Susan Bones and Daphne Greengrass had disappeared too. Both of their trunks and things are gone as well."

"I am sorry." Rita Skeeter was there. "Did you just say that Potter walked in, chatted with the Headmaster, and then left … stealing away two Heiresses of Prominent Houses?"

"Actually, Harry travelled by the Headmaster's Phoenix." Ginny frowned at the Green robed blonde. "But I don't think the Bird is answering his Calls for it."

Fudge snorted… but held his tongue.

"Miss Weasley." Bones spoke softly, "Please guide us to the Great Hall before you go fetch your Head of House."

The Group followed the student Weasley to the Great Hall, where Sprout and Flitwick were watching over the Students who were finishing their homework.

Once they were in the Hall, Ginny ran out and up the stairs.

"Aunty!" Hannah Abbott ran up and hugged the Director. "Do you know where Sue went? She wouldn't tell me anything other than it was House Business."

"She is as safe as if she were home." Amelia whispered to the honey blonde as she hugged the young witch. "This is more theatre than worry."

"If you want a picture of the man who took Sue, talk to Creepy Creevy. He is always using that camera of his." Hannah spoke loudly.

"Oi!" A blond Gryffindor stood up.

Hammer pointed at the lad and snapped her fingers. Puckett moved to secure the lad before Rita could.

Suddenly McGonagall was at their side. "Director Bones. Is this…"

"Business, I am afraid." The Director turned to look at the professor. "Deputy Headmistress, Where is Daphne Greengrass and Susan Bones?"

"Perfects?" McGonagall called out over her shoulder.

"Last Seen in the Company of Potter." Parkinson sneered.

"Ah, Amelia!" The Old Fool had arrived. "What Brings you to Hogwarts on such a fine afternoon!"

Amelia turned slowly, noticing that Arthur was talking to his wife under a dome of silence. "Headmaster Dumbledore. It has been brought to my attention that you have misplaced two Heiresses of Prominent Houses. What can you tell me?"

SPRB IV

Thirty minutes earlier, Albus was in his Office, sucking on lemon drops, while Molly and Snape belittled each other.

Just then, the Floo bloomed green, as Tonks fell out. A second later Shacklebolt stepped out over her.

"Bad News, Sir." The black man's voice was soothing. "The Director knows that the boy is back. Someone reported that he was in an altercation outside Gringotts."

"What did the Brat do this time?" Snape Sneered.

"He dropped a sixty foot Basilisk on the front steps of the Bank." Tonks was grinning as she found her feet.

"How Big?" Snape demanded.

"Sixty feet." Tonks sighed. "Overheard two Goblins arguing about why 'The Boy' was dropping the carcass off now… it was nearing the point of turning to Rot, having been resting in the Chamber for two years."

"Two years ago?" Molly paled. "That is when Ginny…"

"And you let the Brat steal the prize from my House." Snape was demanded of the Headmaster.

The Hat chuckled from the Shelf. "And you thought that he was returning from abroad to resume learning here?"

"Ah… Sir… Rita was informed and the Director is going to be coming in person…"

Albus looked out his window at the Front Gate… and saw Arthur Weasley open the Gate and escort the Auror Force in.

'Smart. She bypassed the Gate… and she has most of the bridges crossed.' Albus stood slowly. "She's here. Let's go see what she wants."

As they entered the Great Hall through the side door, he almost missed Arthur pulling Molly to the side.

TBC