To Thwart The Darkness {Book 3}

Son of a Her--Umbridge

 Grimmauld Place

Percy was in the kitchen, two weeks after the encounter with Kreacher, re-wrapping Annabeth's shoulder when a man appeared next to the stove. Percy jumped back and Annabeth drew her knife with her good hand, ready to jump off the table if needed. There was a string of curses released from the man's foul mouth but it was silenced with a snap of a house elf's fingers. Percy looked down to see Dobby, assisting Kreacher in keeping Mundungus restrained.

"Dobby!" He exclaimed. Harry, Hermione and Ron ran in to the kitchen, giving Percy a wave of déja vu from the Kreacher incident.

"Percy Jackson!" Dobby beamed. "And Harry Potter!"

"As asked, Kreacher has found the thief," Kreacher said.

Mundungus reached for his wand but Hermione shouted "Expelliarmus" and it flew out of his hand.

"Get off me," Mundungus growled. Dobby and Kreacher, with a nod from Harry, released the man and Dobby hopped on top of the table next to Annabeth, who put her knife away.

"Why are you here Dobby?" Ron asked. "Nice trainers by the way." Dobby looked down at his bright blue sneakers and his smile grew.

"Dobby found Kreacher in Diagon Alley and Dobby thought it was strange, but then Dobby heard him mention Harry Potter!" Kreacher opened his mouth to continue on, but Dobby kept talking, "so Dobby followed him and found this man trying to get away, so Dobby came to help."

"Thank you Dobby," Harry said. The name Dobby was said so many times it made Percy's head spin. Harry turned to where Kreacher had pushed Mundungus into a chair in the corner of the room.

"Listen," the man said desperately as the teenagers rounded on him, each drawing a wand or sword, "it wasn't my fault that night. Can I help it if Mad-Eye fell off his broom?" Kreacher growled and poked him with a fork.

Harry ignored his excuses. "When you turned this place over — don't try to deny it — you took a locket. Where is it?"

"Why, was it valuable?" Mundungus asked. Kreacher poked his knee with the fork again.

"You've still got it?" Hermione asked hopefully.

"No," Annabeth said bitterly, "he's worried he didn't get enough money for it."

"Bloody gave it away, didn't I?" Mundungus brooded, his dirty eyes flicking around the room like a rat looking for it's next meal, no doubt looking for something else to take. "There I was, minding me own business, when a ministry lady comes up to me and asks to see me licence. Says she has a mind to lock me up. Hadda done to, if she hadn't found a fancy to that locket."

"Who was she?" Percy asked, his sword dropping down to his side. Mundungus shook his head, as if he couldn't remember, but his eyes landed on an old newspaper stacked beside the chair.

"That's her! Right there on the front." He pointed and heads turned. Percy cursed. No one bothered to scold his language; they were all thinking the same thing.

The sickeningly sweet smile of Dolores Umbride waved up at them from the newspaper.

—

"How in Hades name are we supposed to get into the ministry when everyone wants Harry's head on a stake?" Percy asked. Mundungus, Kreacher and Dobby had left about an hour earlier and they were all sulking on the couch-beds. Percy finished tying Annabeth's sling around her neck, her arm was killing her lately and his wrist was quite stiff, and he wrapped his arms around her middle. She moved back and put her head on his shoulder, looking up at the ceiling.

"We have our invisibility caps," Annabeth reminded him.

"I've got enough polyjuice potion for three people," Hermione suggested. "It's the excess that I managed to pocket from the moving night. Harry, Ron and I can go in disguised and you two can follow behind."

"We shouldn't rush into this," Annabeth said. "We need to plan this out to the T. We can't afford to be caught."

"Give it a week, maybe two?" Percy suggested. "That way we have enough time to make sure the plan is perfect." The others nodded in agreement. "Okay then, let's get started."