Fan Fiction ❯ Chaos Factor ❯ Bill Weasley Has Left The Building ( Chapter 1 )

Disclaimer: Lady Knight3: Joining me for the disclaimer is Lady Sei! Take it away.

Lady Sei: *Sigh* Just because YOU don't say it Lady Knight, doesn't mean it's not true. Having me give the disclaimer just means neither of us own Harry Potter or any other characters belonging to the world J.K.R. has created - no matter how much we'd like to kidnap certain ones…

~*Chapter 1*~

"What do you mean, `he transferred back home'?" An irate young woman demanded of Paula Inverse, Gringott's Site Forwitch and Acting Chief Curse-Breaker. The petite blond eyed the woman who gave her and the rest of the curse-breakers a run for their money on a daily basis.

"I meant exactly what I said, Juline. Bill transferred back to the main office, headquarters owled the paperwork this morning." Paula scowled in annoyance. Bill Weasley was the best damn curse-breaker Gringott's had employed in years and Paula was royally screwed until a replacement was sent. She wished she could hire Juline, there hadn't been anything invented that she and her crew couldn't break or hack (as they called it, must be an American wizard term) into. Paula smiled at the 22 year old with the shoulder length brown hair. Juline didn't strike one as a dangerous type standing only 5'6", but from the rumors around Egypt and from Bill's own testimony, she was a little hellion. Her constant competition with Weasley to break into the tombs first amused the forwitch. No matter what Bill did, she was always five steps ahead of him.

Paula scowled again. Damn Cornelius Fudge! He and his stupid Ministry caused more problems then they solved. They just had to have a hand in everything, including Gringott's. The wizard bank had taken to plundering…er…excavating ancient wizards' tombs for at least a thousand years (possibly longer, but no one wanted to question them too closely). They'd send in their Curse-Breakers (ancient wizards weren't stupid and had some rather interesting wards) and then cart everything out, keeping anything in their interests (treasure) and disposing of the rest of the artifacts (old magical components) to whomever could afford them. Most recently this meant the Ministry of Magic who, even if they managed to figure out the spells, tended to label them as "illegal" or "impossible" (when they couldn't figure out the spells) and lock it up in one of the departments.

Juline was an American witch (Sorceress, Damnit!) from the U.S. and what some might call a thief, she preferred `tomb raider' but there probably wasn't much of a difference, at least now. The way things had worked before the Ministry's interest in Egypt was that private individuals and sometimes Gringott's would contract tomb raiders to break into temples or tombs and retrieve the contents. Then came the Ministry's decree that only "sanctified" Ministry curse-breakers could be employed by anyone. Most of the tomb raiders had either gone to the Ministry for jobs or quit the field entirely. But there were a few like Juline and her gang (consisting of her two younger sisters and her best friend) who were stubborn beyond belief and continued as before.

"Did any of that paperwork say why Bill suddenly decided to stay in England?"

Paula frowned, trying to remember. "Something about a family emergency…I think." Juline looked thoughtful for a moment then shrugged.

"I guess it doesn't matter, we already cleaned out everything we wanted. Take care, Paula. See ya in a week or so." Juline turned from the forwitch and walked through the arch of the Egyptian temple…. into a modern (if not excessively large) kitchen. "I'm back," she announced to the brown haired young woman seated at the table.

"Really? That was fast, how's Weasley?" Chris asked looking up from the muggle crossword puzzle she was working on. "What's a six letter word for a stool pigeon that begins with `S'?

"Snitch. And Bill transferred back home." Juline replied as she slid into the chair across from the witch, who'd been her best friend and partner for as long as she could remember. Opening her can of Coke she briefly studied her friend. Her dark brown hair was done up in a high ponytail so the ends brushed the collar of her sky blue t-shirt. Matching blue eyes twinkled from behind thin, nearly invisible wire-frame glasses. Across the front of her t-shirt silver calligraphy spelled out the word "princess". Knowing Chris as well as she did, Juline assumed her petite friend would be clad in her customary blue jeans and stocking feet. At just over 5'2", most people mistook the 23 year old for a teenager and dismissed her as non-threatening. Those people didn't usually last too long in her company. They ended up either lambasted by her cutting wit, or beat to a pulp by her martial arts skills. Juline gave a tiny smirk as she counted down the seconds. `3… 2… 1…'

"He what?!?!" The shorter girl exclaimed, dropping her crossword. Juline shrugged and sipped her pop.

"It's not like anything else was keeping us in Egypt. Though I know you thought he was sexy, Chris." Juline smirked.

"Everyone with a pulse thought he was sexy," Chris grumbled. Her eyes shifted to the letter laying on the table next to her Diet Pepsi. "I hope this is a bloody coincidence," she mumbled, flipping it to Juline. "This came in the owl post; Emily and Rini have already seen it."

Juline frowned as she caught the letter. "Speaking of, where are my darling siblings?"

"They thought it might be good to stay away from the fire works…." Chris trailed off as a stream of loud curses ensued.

"What does that bloody old man want now? Thrice be damned son of a Cornish pixie's…."

Just then two blond witches entered the kitchen, hands covering their ears.

"Sounds like you showed her Dumbledore's letter."