It's a Mystery, Granger

Chapter 1

Hermione was having a fantastic morning. Crookshanks hadn't peed on her floor (something that had been happening more and more often as the kneazle got older), her coffee had been free after the barista made a small mistake, and Ginny was meeting her for lunch with what she'd insisted was very important news. By the time Hermione took a seat behind her desk, she was smiling at nothing and work was happily awaiting her.

"You look happy," Harry said from the doorway, startling Hermione abruptly. Her coffee wobbled in her hand, but it didn't spill. "Did Ginny finally convince you to go out with that bloke she plays with on the Harpies?"

"No, and she never will," Hermione insisted, organising her desk and setting her coffee aside. "I just had a good morning."

"Well," Harry said, with a smile as he pushed off the doorframe. "It's either about to get much better or go down the drain. Larkin called us to his office."

Hermione frowned.

"What for?" she asked. She picked her coffee back up and stood up from her desk.

"I have no idea," Harry admitted. He stuffed his hands in his robe pockets and nodded at the auror's office secretary as they passed.

Together, they walked to the chief's office. It wasn't a long walk, but by the time they reached the door, Hermione had finished her coffee and dropped it in the waste bin just inside the door.

"Good morning," Larkin said. He gestured to the two seats in front of his desk and they both took a seat. "Weasley's out for the week and I know you two work together better than anyone else, so I've got a case for you."

Harry and Hermione shared a look at the news about Ron. He hadn't mentioned being gone the day before at Weasley brunch, but perhaps it was a last minute thing.

"Gringotts reported a break-in last night," Larkin said, handing a file to Hermione. Hermione's eyes widened in surprise and Larkin nodded, looking just as shocked. "Only one vault was touched, but the goblins won't disclose if anything was taken from it."

"I thought Gringotts was impenetrable," Harry said, taking the file out of Hermione's hands to skim over it.

Larkin hummed and Hermione nodded in agreement.

"So did we," Larkin said. Harry glanced up at him then back down at the small file. "For obvious reasons, the break-in has not been published in the Daily Prophet. It's a sensitive case and needs to be handled with care, but I did promise the goblins you two would have an answer by the end of the month."

Harry coughed and Hermione's eyes grew wide. Larkin had just told them the impossible had happened and he wanted them to solve the entire thing in less than a month? Even with a bigger lead, it was almost an impossible task.

"Mione," Harry muttered, pointing to something in the file.

"No disrespect, sir," Hermione said, taking the file from Harry. "But that's impossible."

"Difficult, yes, but not impossible," Larkin argued.

Hermione frowned at him then looked down at the file where Harry was pointing and inhaled sharply. Abruptly, she looked up at Larkin, the question on the tip of her tongue even as Larkin nodded.

"Yes, that file is 100% accurate. The magic surrounding Gringotts ensured it personally and the goblins confirmed it."

"But the—There's no way someone broke into Gringotts and the Malfoy vault," Hermione exclaimed, looking back at the writing to make sure her eyes hadn't deceived her. "Larkin, are you sure this isn't a ruse? It doesn't seem possible."