Sophia Holmes and the Search for Horcruxes (Harry Potter Fanfic) *Completed*

Chapter Five

"There's a Ministry of Magic?" I ask, lost once more after Hermione explains who the woman, Dolores Umbridge, is. Dobby escorted Fletcher back to Diagon Alley and Kreacher is skulking around somewhere here. "Wait a minute, of course there is! You couldn't be regulated by our government."

"Quite," Hermione agrees. "Although the Muggle Prime Minister is aware it exists."

"Really?" I frown. Funny, Mycroft has never said anything. Either he doesn't know, or he's been able to keep it quiet. "So how're we getting in?"

"Polyjuice potion," Hermione says, drawing a vial out of her bag. The boys look stunned and she rolls her eyes. "We were going on the run, it would have been ridiculous if I hadn't packed the best disguises known to man - or in this case, woman."

"Hermione, I may have said this before, but you are truly brilliant," Harry says smiling.

"They're missing the final ingredient,  but that's the easy bit," she says.

"I'm sorry," I say, shaking my head as she lowers the vial back into her bag. "What does that do? Is it some kind of invisibility charm or something?"

"Not quite," Hermione replies. "Closer to hiding in plain sight: you take a part of the person you want to be and put it into the potion and it'll make you look like them for an hour - or longer if the potion is stronger."

"Neat," I grin. "Remind me to get some off you when this is over." Hermione returns it.

"Where did you say the commuter entrance to the Ministry is, Ron?" she asks.

"Whitehall Street - in the public toilets."

"But they were knocked down years ago," I frown. "There's a restaurant there now." I realise the answer as I say it. "Ah, a glamour."

Hermione nods. "Saves anyone from going inside who shouldn't. There are several other places in London alone like it."

"Like this place," I say, gesturing around us and remembering the house appearing from nowhere.

"Exactly." She checks her watch. "I say we turn in for the night - we're going to need to be up early tomorrow."

***

"Okay, we've got our final one," I say, leaning against one of the buildings in Whitehall Street and watching a middle-aged Witch walking down towards me. The trio decided that I was probably the best for deducing which ones were witches and wizards and so far, I've been right.

Ron steps out from a building a little further up, slowing the Witch down as she follows behind him. As he reaches the door to the storeroom  Hermione magically lock-picked earlier, Ron bends to tie his shoelace. There's a short 'zap' and I watch for the fourth time as she goes stiff and falls backwards into the arms of Harry who steps out behind her. Ron stands back up and catches hold of her feet and the two boys carry her out of view into the storage area and I follow them inside.

Inside, they prop her up beside another Witch and two Wizards, all of whom Hermione has convinced us are under a considerably strong sleeping charm which should keep them out of the way until we return.

Hermione hands me a small cup of the Polyjuice potion which they have all warned me tastes disgusting.

"Right. So let’s do it," Ron says, looking down at the four. "Who gets who?"

"Well, unless either of you fancies
wearing a skirt..." Hermione says and I smile. She leans down and plucks a hair from the Witch we stunned last and slips it into her cup. Fortunately, the other Witch is wearing a pair of black suit trousers and a matching jacket which leaves me completely within my comfort zone. I bend down and take one of the young Witch's silver hairs and drop it into my cup and making it fizz softly.