▌𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐢𝐱𝐭𝐲-𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐫 ━︎━︎ 𝐔𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 ▌

━︎━︎━︎━︎𝐉𝐔𝐍𝐈𝐏𝐄𝐑 𝐒𝐀𝐓 𝐀𝐓 the piano with Hermione sitting beside her, letting her hands gently run along the keys in a soft melody. Hermione watched with a small smile, awe dancing in her eyes. Juniper finished the melody, lowering her hands from the instrument. She turned her head to look at Hermione, giving her a small smile. "I didn't know you could play," Hermione softly said.

Juniper shrugged. "You never asked. Besides, I don't really play that often. My mother taught me when I was little, when I went to Hogwarts I stopped doing it but over the two summers I stayed here, mom and dad both got me back into it. Can you play?"

Hermione nodded her head. "A little." Juniper motioned for her to show her. Softly Hermione began to play Fur Elise, a muggle melody that Juniper had heard many times. When she finished playing it, she pulled away. She turned her head to look at Harry, placing a hand on Juniper's shoulder as she stood, leaning down to give Juniper a kiss on the cheek.

Ron walked over, taking Hermione's spot. "Teach me."

Juniper cocked a brow before an amused smile fell on her lips. "Alright."

As Juniper taught Ron how to play the piano, Hermione took a seat in front of Harry who was playing with the snitch Dumbledore had given him. "They have flesh memories." Hermione told him. "When Scrimgeour first gave it to you, I thought it might open at your touch. . . that Dumbledore had hidden something inside it."

A banging was heard followed by voices and they all turned their attention towards the sound. Juniper shot up from her seat and was the first out of the room with Harry and Hermione hot on her heels. She pushed the door open to the kitchen, coming to a stop when she saw Mundungus with Kreacher on his shoulders, placing a hand over his mouth. What Juniper wasn't expecting, however, was Dobby clinging onto Mundungus' foot.

"Harry Potter!" Dobby called. "So long it's been!"

"Get off me!" Mundungus yelled as Kreacher brought him down on his knees before Mundungus fell forwards and Kreacher went flying off him. Juniper placed a hand over her mouth to stifle her laughter.

"As requested, Kreacher has returned with the thief, Mundungus Fletcher." Kreacher said, closing the door.

Mundungus pulled out his wand and Hermione was quick to pull out hers and yell, "Expelliarmus!" The wand flew from his hand and into Hermione's.

Mundungus stood, looking at the group of three. "What you playing at, setting a pair of bleeding house elves on me?"

Dobby stood in one of the chairs at the table before climbing on top of the table. "Dobby was only trying to help. Dobby saw Kreacher in Diagon Alley, which Dobby thought was curious, a-and then Dobby heard Kreacher mention Harry Potter's name―︎"

Kreacher jumped on the table, trying to get to Dobby. "I had to―︎"

"―︎and then Dobby saw Kreacher talking with the thief, Mundungus―︎"

"I am no thief." Mundungus cut Dobby off just as Ron entered the room. "You foul, little git. I'm a purveyor of rare and wondrous objects."

"You're a thief, Dung." Ron said, approaching the table. "Everyone knows it."

"Master Weasley. . ." Dobby approached him. "So good to see you again." He shook Ron's hand as Mundungus tripped over a pile in the corner of the room.

"Hey, can you not mess up my house? That would be great." Juniper said with a false smile.

"Listen, I panicked that night, alright?" Mundungus told them, taking a seat in the chair that was in the corner of the room. "Can I help it if Mad-Eye fell off his broom?"

"Tell the truth." Hermione demanded as Kreacher poked at the man.

"When you turned this place over―︎don't deny it―︎you found a locket, am I right?" Harry asked.

"Why?" Mundungus asked. "Is it valuable?" Kreacher poked him again, making the man sit back in the chair.

"You've still got it?" Juniper asked.

"No, he's worried he didn't get enough money for it." Ron told her and Juniper's jaw clenched.

"Bleeding give it away, didn't I? There I was. . . flogging me wares in Diagon Alley when some ministry hag comes up and asks to see me license. Says she's a mind to lock me up. And would've done it too, if she hadn't taken a fancy to that locket."

Harry asked, "Who was she, the witch? Do you know?"

"No, I. . ." Mundungus trailed off as his eyes found a paper on the floor. Quickly he moved to grab it. "Well, she's there. Look." He placed the paper on the table, allowing all of them to look at it. "Bleeding bow and all."

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me." Juniper groaned. "Harry, I cannot physically or mentally deal with that woman again. She hates me!"

"Quite frankly, I think she hates all of us." Harry said, glancing at her.

Juniper closed her eyes. "Why her? Of all the witches in the world, why did it have to be her?"

Harry shrugged before offering, "Because the world is against us?"

Juniper opened her eyes and looked at him before letting out a false laugh. "Great! I would rather fight an army of Death Eaters than deal with that woman again." Juniper sighed. "Kreacher, get rid of him."

"Yes, Mistress Juniper." Kreacher said before he started grabbing Mundungus and pulling him from the roomer.

"He's probably going to kill him." Hermione said.

Juniper shrugged. "Not my problem."

"Jay!"

Juniper sighed. "Kreacher, without killing him if you please." The house elf grumbled in response before agreeing. "Now, how in the holy hell are we going to get into this place undetected?"

Hermione looked at her. "We go undercover of course."

Juniper straightened. "Don't tell me you have supplies for polyjuice potion in that bag of yours." Hermione's face turned red in response.

⋆.ೃ࿔*:･⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

━︎━︎━︎━︎𝐊𝐈𝐃𝐍𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐅𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐏𝐄𝐎𝐏𝐋𝐄 had never been on Juniper's agenda. Quite frankly, she wasn't a fan of the whole kidnapping ordeal, but they had to do what they had to do in order to get that locket back. Hermione had grabbed a hair from each of the people, creating the potion for all four of them.

"Right." Hermione sighed. "Remember what we said. Don't speak to anyone unless absolutely necessary. Just try and act normal. Do what everybody else is doing. If we do that, then, with a bit of luck, we'll get inside. And then. . . "

"It gets really tricky," Harry finished.

"Correct." Hermione nodded.

"This is completely mental." Juniper muttered. "You guys, I think we've reached a new low. And when I'm saying that, you know it's a problem."

"Completely," Harry and Hermione agreed.

"The world's mental." Ron argued. The three of them turned their heads to look at him. "Come on. We've got a Horcrux to find."

Juniper hated walking in heels, and she hated it even more when there was a pencil skirt added on. She absolutely hated this woman's choice of clothing, but she sucked it up and walked with the others before they were forced to be separated and enter the bathrooms. Juniper was disgusted, having to place her feet inside the toilet and flush before she was transported inside the Ministry. Juniper spotted Hermione―︎or rather the woman she was disguised as―︎and quickly walked up to her. They said nothing as they walked forwards, coming to stop in front of the statue that was placed in the middle of the room.

A man joined their side and Juniper froze for a moment before realizing it was only Harry. Harry looked at the statue. Muggles were being crushed under a slab of stone with wizards standing on top. "Are those. . ."

"Muggles," Hermione answered. "In their. . . rightful place."

Ron joined them. "Got to tell you, I'm starting to freak out a bit."

"How long did you say this batch of polyjuice would last, Hermione?" Harry asked.

Hermione looked at him. "I didn't."

Juniper closed her eyes. "Merlin, save me."

They made their way to the elevator, thankful they were the only ones inside, however just as the elevator was about to close, a man with long greying hair stopped it. "Cattermole. It's still raining inside my office. That's two days now."

Ron, who was supposedly Cattermole, said, "Have you tried an umbrella?"

The man looked at him. "You do realize I'm going downstairs, don't you, Cattermole?"

"Downstairs?"

"To interrogate your wife." The man said. "Now, if my wife's blood status were in doubt and the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement needed a job doing. . . I think I might just make that a priority. You have one hour." He walked away and the elevator door closed before quickly moving backwards. They all reached up and grabbed the hand rails.

"Oh my God. What am I gonna do?" Ron asked. "My wife's all alone downstairs."

Juniper cocked a brow as Harry said, "Ron, you don't have a wife."

Ron let out a sigh of relief. "Oh, right." They made it to level two. "But how do I stop it raining?"

"Try finite incantatem." Hermione suggested as the door opened. "This is you, Ron." Ron didn't move and Harry shoved him out of the elevator.

"Finite incantatem, okay." Ron nodded. "And if that doesn't work?" But before anyone could answer, the elevator door closed and they began moving, leaving Ron to his duties.

They made it down to level one as Harry said, "I'd say that if we don't locate Umbridge within the hour, we go find Ron and come back another day. Deal?" The two girls agreed. the elevator opened and low and behold, there stood Umbridge.

"Ah, Mafalda, Crane. Travers sent you, did he? Good." Umbridge said to both Juniper and Hermione before entering the elevator. "We'll go straight down." She stood there for a moment before looking at Harry. "Albert, aren't you getting out?" Awkwardly, he walked out. The elevator closed and just before the elevator moved Harry turned to look at the two of them and Juniper just looked at him with an annoyed grimace. She knew this was a bad idea.

Having to sit behind Hermione with a straight face as she stared down at the woman that was being interrogated was absolutely aggravating, especially when she had to listen to Umbridge's voice. Her eyes cautiously glanced up to the ceiling where she could see dementors floating around and being kept their by a barrier.

"Mary Elizabeth Cattermole?" Umbridge started.

"Yes." Mary answered.

"Of 27 Chiselhurst Gardens, Great Tolling, Evesham?"

"Yes."

"Mother to Maisie, Ellie, and Alfred? Wife to Reginald?"

That's when Mary turned her head towards the entryway. "Reg?" When Ron didn't move, Harry grabbed him and pulled him into the room before pushing him forwards.

"Thank you, Albert." Umbridge said before looking back at the woman. "Mary Elizabeth Cattermole?"

Mary took a second to pull herself together. "Yes."

"A wand was taken from you upon your arrival at the Ministry today, Mrs. Cattermole. Is this that wand?" Umbridge raised a wand up, showing it to the woman. Mary nodded. "Would you please tell the court from which witch or wizard you took this wand?"

"But I didn't take it." Mary claimed. "I got it in Diagon Alley, at Ollivander's, when I was eleven. It chose me."

"You're lying." Umbridge replied. "Wands only choose witches, and you are not a witch."

"But I am." Mary said, her voice soft and vulnerable. "Tell them, Reg. Tell them what I am." Ron said nothing. "Reg, tell them what I am."

That's when Harry's wand appeared in his hand, but he had it lowered to the ground. However, Umbridge noticed. "What on earth are you doing, Albert?"

Suddenly, the potion began to wear off as Harry's face started to change back. "You're lying, Dolores. And one mustn't tell lies. Stupefy!" He hit her with the spell, knocking her out. Ron quickly struck another Ministry member with a spell as Hermione quickly snatched the locket from around Umbridge's neck and tossed it to Harry.

Mary looked at him. "Oh, it's Harry Potter."

Harry grabbed Hermione and Juniper and quickly ushered them out of the room followed by Ron and Mary as the dementors were released and began chasing them. They ran to the elevator, quickly pulling it closed just as the dementors slammed against the gate trying to reach for them. The dementors started to suck away their souls and Harry pointed his wand yelling, "Expecto patronum!" The elevator began moving as soon as the dementors were sent away.

By the time they had reached the main lobby, Juniper and Hermione had both turned back to themselves whereas Ron was the only one that was still changed. They tried to keep their heads down as they began walking, with Ron stopping for a moment to talk to Mary. Hermione, Harry, and Juniper stopped and turned to look at Ron when they realized he wasn't following them. They watched as Mary kissed him just as Ron began to change back. Juniper placed a hand over her mouth to cover the laugh that almost escaped. She pulled away and looked at Ron horrified.

Just then, the actual Reginald pushed through Harry and Hermione, looking at his wife with confusion. "Mary? Who's that?"

"Long story." Ron said, looking at Mary. "Nice meeting you."

Suddenly, a man recognized Harry and began saying his name, earning them a lot of attention. Quickly, the four of them began running. Guards started chasing them before spells were being thrown their way. They began running faster and Harry used his wand to send papers flying. The floo networks began to be shut off and they quickly reached one, jumping into it and sending them to who knows where with the man that was chasing them jumping in after them.