"Oh, there is that!" laughed Diggory. "Seventh year is hard. But, I think I've learned far more trying to come up with ways to prepare for the Tournament." "Oui," agreed Delacour. "It iz for zat reason we are... excuzed classes and eexams."
As they were talking, Harry could not help but notice young Gabrielle kept trying to watch him both carefully, and surreptitiously.
Finally, he looked right at her and said, "Don't be afraid to talk to me, Gabby. I won't bite."
She looked back at him in awe and softly asked, "How did you know ma famille call me Gabby?"
'Oh, crap,' thought Harry. "Someone must have mentioned it to me," he said, before quickly changing the topic. "Are you enjoying your time in Scotland?"
"No, it eez too cold 'ere," she softly replied. "Where we go to school... Beauxbatons... it is warmer."
"I dare say it is," agreed Harry. "It's in the south of France, is it not?"
"Oui... err... yes," she said. "In zee... err... foot'ills of zee Alps. Near zee city of Avignon."
"We'll have to visit, one day," he smiled.
Before much longer, the others all decided they needed to think about leaving. "Homework waits for no wizard or witch," said Diggory. "I know we're excused from them. But, mother insists I maintain my grades for a decent position within the Ministry."
After seeing their guests off, Hermione spun to Harry and said, "You make sure none of them reaches that Cup first, Harry."
"That's been the plan from the get-go, love," he replied.
"I've been thinking about the graveyard," she suddenly said. "I have an idea."
That perked both her bondmates up. "Oh?" asked Daphne.
With a nod she said, "I've been thinking about the words of the ritual, and the ingredients."
"We can't do too much, love," cautioned Harry. "John told me I have to defeat him after he's been resurrected. I can't just kill him at the graveyard."
"No," she said. "He... they... needs Dumbledore to die from the ring horcrux. Dumbledore won't go after it unless Voldemort is coming back, or is already resurrected. We get Dumbledore to go after it before the third task.
"Then we can manipulate things with the ingredients to weaken Riddle enough that you should be able to easily defeat him."
"Alright," he said, thinking about what she was saying. "What do you want to cause to happen?"
With all three, again, sitting down at the rearranged couches, Hermione explained her idea. With that basic idea, they started fine-tuning it.
Back at the Ministry, Madam Bones practically flopped into her office chair, she was that tired. The Minister and his pet toad - and she snorted at that description - had left that morning for a Heads of Government conference in Vaduz, Liechtenstein. He was planning on being away for a week. But, it would definitely be no less than three days.
The Minister had wanted to be at the second task of the Tri-Wizard Tournament being held at Hogwarts. However, his scheduling didn't allow it. And, didn't he throw a hissy fit when he learned that? Crouch and Bagman were almost sacked on the spot when he discovered the scheduling conflict. But, by then, the contracts had already been signed, and the event could not be moved.
Almost as soon as she knew the Minister was gone, and it was too late for him to return before the conference started, Madam Bones made a move on the Floo Network Office; and, more specifically, the Floo Network Authority and it's Floo Network Regulators.
She entered the office and stated to its Head, Violetta Edgecombe, that a crime had been committed and it was believed Regulators had been responsible.
"What?" the witch decried. "My office?"
"Your office, Madam," Madam Bones shot back. "As per their employment agreements, we'll be questioning each of them to determine what they know, if anything."
"I want to talk to the Minister!" huffed Edgecombe.
"He's currently out of the country and cannot be contacted," said Madam Bones. "Shall we start with you, first?" With not a little fear, Edgecombe sighed and nodded.
"Thank you," said Madam Bones. One of the aurors she brought with her, Master Auror Gawain Robards, hit her in the back with a cheering charm as soon as she sat down. Then he easily convinced her to hold her head back before dropping three drops of Veritaserum on her tongue.
They'd worked out using a Cheering charm first made their interviewee a lot more pliable and far less likely to anger over the use of the truth serum.
As soon as the serum took effect, Madam Bones began her questions.
"Are you now, or have you ever been, a Death Eater? Did you then, or do you now, support the policies of the wizard known as Lord Voldemort? Do you believe that muggleborns should not be allowed to live in our world? Do you carry out spying for anyone? Do you accept bribes? "
With five quite succinct No's for each question, Madam Bones directed Robards to administer the antidote. As soon as the woman came around, she was hit with the Obliviation Charm.
"You were asked questions relating to a highly sensitive and confidential target concerning the theft of items from within using the Floo network," instructed Madam Bones. "You have been told that you are not permitted to discuss this with anyone, including that there is even an ongoing investigation."
As soon as the woman's mind cleared, Madam Bones thanked her for her time and called the next person in.
By the time they'd gone through all the Regulators, and moved on to the rest of the staff in the Office, they'd found another marked Death Eater and two Regulators who took bribes in the previous war and since to temporarily shut a Floo connection off the network. They would then fudge the records, and look the other way.
Their identities were noted and they were then Obliviated with the same information implanted as Madam Edgecombe.
"Damn it," she muttered when they finished with all the staff of that Office. "Young Mister Potter was on the galleon."
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