Harry Potter 1. Chapter 1

**Well, hey everybody! I won't let you begin your reading with a too long author's note, but before reading, you have to know that this fic is an AU, and that I normally speak French, so if you see things that can be improved, don't hesitate to say it.**

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The wooden door creaked loudly when Aveline opened it, but It didn't matter, because no one would hear it anyway. Those who just came back of a mission were probably already sleeping, and the rest would be drinking, playing or talking in the common room. After all, that was only what you could expect in the lair of the Guild, an organization that regrouped all kinds of criminals: from thieves to assassins and dark wizards. These people were considered as the scum of the wizarding world, but the Ministry of Magic didn't deem it necessary to hunt them down for the moment. They weren't even worthy of going to prison. Although, to be honest, it had to be said that the Ministry of Magic didn't really bother with that insignificant kind of criminality anymore, these days. Ever since Voldemort had won the war against the Order of the Phoenix, he had more bothered to make wizarding Britain to his standards than to arrest the little criminals in the cities. Of course, that brought more than a few advantages to the Guild, like more freedom to fulfill their contracts as they pleased.

Sweeping a strand of short, curly hair behind her ear, she closed the heavy door of the building and took her woolen cloak off, throwing it on the back of a dusty couch that had seen better days. She then walked in the common room. It was a big room, with faded tapestries that hung on the walls and a bare stone floor. Originally, the building where their headquarter was situated had been used as an inn during the middle-ages. The common room was what had been the main room, where meals and drinks were served and still were, and next was of course the kitchen. At the first and second levels, the bed- and bathrooms were located. It wasn't luxurious at all, but they didn't need fancy surroundings to be happy. The laughter and songs that were heard in this room all day and night long were enough proof of it. Aveline stepped forward and let herself fall in one of the hard wooden chairs, next to her friend Maxwell. She took his glass of firewhiskey and downed what was left of the content at once.

"Hey, that was my glass, did you have to do that?"

Aveline smiled, but didn't answer, placing the glass back on the table. When a hand was placed delicately on her shoulder, she abruptly turned back, and found herself gazing straight in Maxwell's golden brown eyes.

"Well, how did it go? Your mission, I mean. As you're not dead yet, I guess it didn't go so terribly bad."

"It went… well. I took what the Order asked and brought it to them. They even gave me some extra money beside the payment to the Guild. Of course, considering the difficulty of the contract, it was only normal."

She reached inside the pocket of her trousers and held a handful of coins to him. He thanked her and took the money. It was some kind of ritual for them. Every time one of them would get extra money, the other would get half of it. It was their way of expressing their trust in each other. Sharing their precious money and trusting the other not to spend it on vain things.

Aveline's smile widened as she reached again inside of her pocket, holding a wand before his face with an expression of triumph.

"Avy, that's a wand. That's nothing special. And, where did you even…"

Maxwell's eyes widened.

"You didn't…"

His voice was faint, and he sat back in his chair with a horrified look on his face. If he knew her half as well as he thought… Aveline's smile grew even wider, to the point she seemed slightly insane with that joyful gleam in her pale blue eyes.

"Yes I did!"

Maxwell buried his face in his hands, desperate at the insanity of his best friend. Sneaking in the manor where the dark lord and some of his most important death eaters lived, stealing a box containing something she didn't know herself, and stealing Voldemort's own wand. Aveline may be an exceptional thief, but even she wouldn't get away with that one.

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**Thanks for reading, and please leave a review! Thanks!**


	2. Chapter 2

When Maxwell looked up again, the first thing he saw was Aveline's innocent pout.

"C'mon Max, they've got no way to know that I have the wand. And it's a nice trophy!"

At this point, the young man seriously considered to strangle his friend. Or to smack her in her cute little face. After all, she did deserve it. She had always had a way to get herself in the worst kind of trouble, but to risk having the Death Eaters and their lord chasing her was even more than he had believed her able to. Deciding that nothing would be solved sitting on a chair and drinking beer and firewhiskey, he spoke again. After all, he often was the voice of her rationality.

"Listen, even if you don't believe me, I'm sure they will have some kind of way to track you down. So before you can get into real trouble, please place the matter in more competent hands. You know, like those of Enders."

Even if the Guild didn't have a real hierarchy, theystill needed a leader figure. The role was that of Enders, a sixty-years old man. He did the paperwork and decided which contract was delivered to who. He had a solid theoretic and practical knowledge of everything crime-related, magic and non-magic, and he also knew everyone in the Guild perfectly.

Aveline sighed exaggeratedly before answering him.

"Well, I see you still don't trust me after all these years. Since I came here and became a thief, I only failed one mission, and…"

"But this is the dark lord we're talking about! You can't just…"

"Max, please don't interrupt me. Anyway, I'm going to speak to Enders, just so you stop harassing me. But it'll have to wait until tomorrow morning. It's late, I'm tired, and I'm sure Enders wouldn't like to be interrupted during his romantic tête-à-tête with his pillow. Speaking of pillows, I'm going to sleep. Good night!"

She stood up and blew him a kiss before exiting the room in her usual swift yet silent pace.

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Aveline didn't even have to open her eyes to know that the weather would be beautiful that day. The warmth that fell on her face and the soft light of the sun that pierced through her eyelids where enough of an indication. She turned on her back and opened her eyes, taking in her surroundings.

Like many of the Family, like members of the Guild called each other, she had her own little room in the old inn. It was rather sober, with only the furniture that were absolutely needed, but her belongings were scattered everywhere. Not that she owned so very much apart from clothes and a few more personal objects, but it still added a slightly personal touch.

She sat up and took her wand from under her pillow. The wand she had stolen from Voldemort was safely put away in the drawer of her nightstand. That would do, after all, nobody would go look for it here. She put on her usual clothes: black shirt, black leather trousers and black boots, and ran her hand through her messy curls. Her hair was a desperate case: no brush had ever managed to tame it. The only solution was to cut it short, it prevented tangles and other problems due to uncontrollable hair.

Once she was done, she ate a quick breakfast with a few other thieves. Maxwell was never awake before ten o'clock in the morning, so eating breakfast with him was out of the question.

She then decided to follow her friend's advice to speak to Enders. When she entered his room, that also served as his study, he was sitting behind his imposing mahogany desk. Every time she came here, she couldn't help but be in awe at the mere sight of the many books on the shelves: all that ancient knowledge forever held by walls of paper, so solid yet so frail. She was interrupted from her thoughts by Enders' voice. It was unique, rough yet kind, if that was even possible. Anyway, the old man forced respect, but you also knew when he respected you.

"Well, Aveline, why did you come this time? Or should I be more direct and already ask in which trouble you managed to put yourself again?"

He sounded slightly amused, like everyone when speaking of Aveline's recklessness. She quickly thought about how to put her problem delicately, but renounced, deciding that nothing could really soften the blow.

"Well, you know what my latest contract was about, I mean, get inside Malfoy manor, stealing a mysterious box and giving it to the Order."

Enders nodded, waiting for the rest of her confession.

"Well, the mission went perfectly well, but… maybe I was a bit enthusiastic. I was, you know, spying a bit on the dark lord, I hoped to get a bit more extra money if I heard confidential information. Well, he left his wand alone a few seconds, and… I… stole it. I know it sounds a bit crazy, but really, he won't be able to find it. It's Maxwell who's paranoid and wanted me to speak of it to you, and…"

"Enough!"

Even if he stayed rather calm, this was the first time she saw Enders even remotely upset.

"You didn't only put yourself in danger, but the whole Guild with you! The only solution is that you go back to their manor and bring it back, and please, please, don't let them capture you!"

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**Sorry for the bad cliffhanger. Anyway, I wanted to thank the two people who added this story to their favourites, and also to beg for a review or two. Please, please? I promise you'll get a cookie if you review! :) **


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Harry Potter, Adventure, Drama