Scam of the Century

Clowns to the left of me

Jokers to the right

Here I am

Stuck in the middle with you...

-Steelers Wheel, Stuck in the Middle With You

CHAPTER 2

We were ahead of schedule. Everything was going as planned. The twins were on our side, Ginny had gotten Colin... with a bit of difficulty. It wasn't that I wanted to take the easy way out, by stealing all Malfoy's money. This was going to be the hardest thing I'd ever done, and the answers weren't going to be found in any book. I have my reasons, and I'll tell you, another day, another time. Right now I have some planning to do.

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As Ginny walked away from Hermione, she could have kicked herself. She should have talked to the twins instead, it would have been easier. She swore under her breath, as she approached Colin Creevey's flat. It smelled like old cabbage and feet there. Ginny took a deep breath and knocked on the door twice.

"Who is it!" an excited voice asked from inside.

"Uh, Ginny... Ginny Weasley," she said loudly. There was silence from within. "You remember me from Hogwarts, don't you Colin? Hello?"

The door burst open and she was momentarily blinded by a bright light and she was yanked inside by an unseen hand. Once her eyes adjusted to the light she looked around. They were in the kitchen, which was filthy. Dirty plates lay everywhere, food that looked weeks old was sitting out on the counter. Colin was beside himself with excitement.

"Ginny!" he exclaimed. "Why I haven't had a visitor in months!"

"I can see why. Colin... why aren't you wearing pants?"

He had the decency to blush slightly. "A little openness never hurt anyone," he replied slyly.

"Right..." Ginny began. "Well I need your help Colin. You remember Malfoy from school? Draco Malfoy?"

"How could I forget him?" Colin said darkly. "He broke the first camera I ever owned and threw it in the lake. And when I cried... he only laughed!"

Ginny smiled. "Would you like to get back at him for that?" she asked.

"Get back at him? HA! I already did. You remember that article in The Daily Prophet about how him and Millicent Bulstrode had a fling? I'm the one that got the picture of that proved it. Of course, I had to wait outside his house for months... in the rain, the snow, when it was those tree dwellers mating season..." He cringed at the last thought. "I got my revenge in the end. Then again... he did kill my pet Fluffers when he found out who took that picture."

"Alright, want to get back at him for that? In memory of your beloved Fluffers?" Ginny asked slowly.

"How?" he asked.

Ginny quickly explained the plan. "Think of the money Colin. Think of how many porn magazines you could buy with that," Ginny said spotting his already large collection. "You know all there is to know about cameras, we need you."

"Tell you what," he began. "Beat me at a game of chess and I'll do it... deal?"

"Alright," Ginny said.

"Great!" Colin said. "Just let me go get pants on."

Ginny narrowed her eyes. "Why now?" she asked.

"Ginny, my dear," he smiled. "In the game of chess you can never let your opponent see your pieces."

Ginny cringed, and got ready to play a game of chess. Playing chess with Ron all those years had taught her a few tricks of the trade.

An hour later, Ginny looked at the board. Smiling to herself she moved her queen. "Checkmate," she exclaimed.

"Damn," Colin said. "Alright I'll pack my things."

"Whoa, Colin... you don't have to stay with us. We'll meet up later and discuss."

"Well my flat is being taken over by rats, so unless you want to help me kill them, I'm staying with you," Colin shrugged.

"I can't kill rats... I love every living creature," Ginny said.

"Even me?" Colin asked suggestively.

"As a friend," Ginny replied.

"Damn."

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Hermione sighed deeply, and tapped her fingers impatiently on the table. Ginny was supposed to meet her an hour ago at The Leaky Cauldron, with or without Colin. She had rented a room, and currently Fred and George were bouncing off the walls.

"These are the coolest, my dear brother," George said as he hit the ceiling and bounced off and hit the door.

"Guys!" Hermione shouted. "Would you please stop that... I can't even hear myself think."

"Sorry Hermione," the twins said sheepishly.

"We still need five people, assuming Ginny got Colin. Let's see," she said chewing on the tip of a quill. "We have Ginny, you two, Mundungus, and Colin is a question mark. Counting me, we have six people. We'll need 11 in all to pull this off. Hmm... we still need one person on the inside..."

"And we need cigars," Fred interrupted.

"What are the cigars for?" Hermione asked.

"They make me look cool," Fred replied.

Hermione shook her head. Just then, the door opened and in stepped Ginny and Colin. Colin had what looked to be 3 suitcases and they were arguing.

"Ginny, that's enough. Our love has constantly been tested by your hatred, and now this!" Colin was saying.

"For the last time Colin," Ginny said through gritted teeth. "We are not together and I do not love you."

Colin looked crestfallen. "Stop testing our relationship!" he said running into the bathroom.

Hermione looked at Ginny and raised her eyebrows. "Everything going well?" she asked.

"Wonderfully," Ginny said sarcastically. "That little pervert has it in his head that we are in a relationship now. Hermione, I'm going to kill him." Colin peeked his head out of the bathroom, and Ginny threw a vase at him.

"Now there is a wave of destruction that is easy on the eyes," he said dreamily.

"Hey Colin," Fred started.

"It is five o'clock and you still have your pants on," George added.

"Yeah, what's the occasion?" Fred said.

"That's enough you guys, don't encourage him," Ginny exclaimed.

"Everyone get in here!" Hermione shouted.

They all sat around the table in the room. Hermione had put the blue prints of the Malfoy Casino. The paper had been charmed so that once the tip of a wand touched a certain room, minuscule words would show up and explain what the room was. Hermione placed the tip of her wand on the vault.

THE VAULT- protected by spells, timers, sensors, cameras, and locks. This vault holds the money of the casino. Well protected, nobody has ever broke into the vault before. Draco Malfoy himself cast several charms on the vault, and only he can open it and step onto the floors. This vault is made of stainless steel, and is impossible to penetrate.

"This is what we are up against guys," Hermione said. "Now, any ideas of how to get in there... without getting zapped, caught, or killed?"

"Well for starters," Colin said. "We need to make a different security tape and make it play on their security televisions. It needs to be of the vault, untouched... and we can loop it to keep playing that, well in the mean time we are stealing all the money."

"Can you do that?" Hermione asked.

"Sure can, we just need a replica of the vault, and then we record that, and make that play, and presto... it's like we aren't there at all," Colin said.

"Right, Colin... I need you to make the replica of the vault. Charm the bedroom to look exactly like it. Here's a picture of it," Hermione said, handing him a colored photo of the vault as it stood one year ago.

"If we could somehow turn the elek... rity... off for a bit, that would take care of the timers, and locks and stuff," Ginny chipped in.

"We could probably make something that could interfere with the... what's it called... turn it off for a bit," George said.

"And for the spells, you were the smarted witch to ever grace the land of Hogwarts, Hermione. That's your field," Fred said.

"We still need somebody else to go into the vault though," Hermione said. "Even with the electricity off, the floor sensors are placed there with magic. Someone is going to need to go in there and not touch the floors at all."

Hermione looked at the blue prints again. If they could somehow pass the money up to the room directly above or below the vault, they wouldn't have too much trouble getting the cash out. Hermione traced her finger over the blue prints. Below the vault was the main casino. Too many people to pull it off there. Hermione groaned when she saw what was above the vault, Draco Malfoy's personal office.

"Well, looks like we are going to have to get into Malfoy's office too," Hermione said. "It will be the easiest way to get the money out of there. There is a duct that connects the two rooms. It shouldn't be too hard."

"I know who can get in the vault without touching the floors!" Ginny suddenly exclaimed.

"Who?" Hermione asked.

"Padma Patil."

"Why her?"

"She is incredible. Into all that acrobatic stuff, and I bet she'll learn how to pole vault if we ask her too," Ginny said quickly.

"Nice," Hermione said with a nod of approval.

"Zacharias Smith," Colin called from the other room. "The kid is a genius. Get him."

"I remember him... Hufflepuff, questions everything... didn't he die?" Hermione said confused.

"Nope, he is still alive and kicking. Works in a muggle book store now," Colin said.

"Ooo," Hermione exclaimed. "A book store, we must have him!"

"We'll get him," Fred and George said in unison.

"I can get Padma..." Colin said.

"NO!" everyone shouted.

"Uh... I'll get her," Ginny said.

______________

"Absolutely not," Padma said.

"He dumped you for your sister!" Ginny exclaimed.

"That was a long time ago, I'm getting on with my life."

"Listen Padma, we'll be doing everyone a favor. That git needs to be taken down a notch or two," Ginny explained.

"I don't care," the other girl said flipping her hair.

"Think of the money!" Ginny almost shouted. They needed Padma badly. She was the only person that could pull this part of the plan off, and she wasn't going for it.

"Don't try to tempt me, you can't do it," Padma said in a tone of voice that would suggest the conversation was done. However, Ginny knew she had the girl now.

"Really?" she asked. "There's nothing you want?"

Padma paused for a moment and her gaze shifted to the floor suddenly. "Damn it, I forgot you could tempt me with things I want."

"Name the price," Ginny smiled.

"One date with your brother, Ron."

"Done!" Ginny said cheerfully.