Case of the Cintimani Stone: A Hammer Mystery

Chapter 7

Canvassing went swimmingly as far as fruitless activities were concerned. It gave the Hammer an excuse to knock and barge into rooms uninvited, clocking faces and names and cliques. They made their way forward to the train cars with older students, some of them already changed into their school robes bearing trim of the different house colours. The Hammer found them all mostly unhelpful and unobservant regardless of their hue. It wasn't a house fault as much as it was a human one.

He found the Weasley twins and the youngest son piled into a freed compartment not far from where the boy with the tarantula in a box had settled - he was more convinced they would know something, someone, or a way there as soon as he moved in earshot of their room.

"-more of this about that Gringotts in Africa."

"Same nonsense 'bout the stuff Bill is working on with the high security vaults, Fred?"

"Right you are, George."

The Hammer knocked on the doorframe, the three Weasleys turning immediately to him.

"Why if it isn't the Hammer. What's our local celebrity gracing us with his presence for?" Fred greeted him.

"Well gents, I was hoping you two could help me."

"Ah, who's this?" The youngest boy asked.

"This, Ron, is - drumroll please," George spoke and pointed to Fred, who began finger drumming on the windowsill, "The one, the only, Harry Potter."

Ron's jaw dropped, "Wicked. Do you have-"

Harry raised his hat up again, "That said, Fred, George, I'm on the case looking for this guy's pet Toad. I had the idea in my head that you boys might have the gumption to make all this duck soup." He gestured toward Neville who was mostly behind Hermione.

Fred brought a hand to his chin, miming deep thought.

"Can't say we've seen a toad as of late. Though I don't know what you mean about duck soup."

"Just a saying. Anything I can do to remind you, or maybe just a way of finding him? After all, we don't know any magic yet."

"Hmm. What would be worth it? Maybe if you answered some of our questions?"

Harry gave a quick glance at Hermione before replying, "Info for info sounds like a fair trade."

"Okay then, do you remember anything about the night you blasted You-Know-Who?"

"What, Volde-" Hermione pinched him in the side while the others had expressions frozen on the horror setting, "Gah! What? Why is everyone afraid of just a name? And no, but I do remember some bright green flashes of light."

"Lame!" said Fred, "Boring!" Said George, "Wow." said Ron.

"But it is the truth. Before we go finding the toad, I had a question."

"Just means we get to ask you another one." Fred said.

"Fine by me. What's all this about a quidditch scandal, then? I heard you talking about it with your mother."

"We categorically deny our involvement, of course." George replied.

"Of course."

"But they are being extra careful this year because of the few sixth and seventh years on last year's team who got busted in a cheating ring with a stockpile of performance enhancing draughts that all connected to another O.W.L. assistance group in a different year distributing black market Felix Felices. Some of that stuff was tainted and I think some of the people involved are still in St. Mungo's with rotten luck."