coyotegoth (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
coyotegoth) wrote2009-05-04 09:45 pm
coyotegoth) wrote2009-05-04 09:45 pm
Chapter 6- Marching Orders
This is the latest installment of my story set in the Harry Potter universe; it immediately follows the events of Chapters 3, 4 and 5. As always, Half-Blood Prince spoilers. (Please note also that this series is not Deathly Hallows compliant in the least.)
Chapter 6- Marching Orders
"...until my dying breath," Brin recited. Once the spell was complete, Lupin tucked his wand back in his belt, and walked back to his seat at the table. "That's the last of us, Harry," Lupin said, as he sat back down. "What now?"
"Now, we figure out how to find these things, and destroy them," Harry said grimly. He paused in thought for a moment, then asked, "Will McGonagall be joining us...?"
"I was in contact with Headmistress McGonagall earlier today, just before they shut down the Floo network," Lupin answered. "She's at Hogwarts, awaiting our signal."
"What are you going to do- owl her?"
"Not exactly, Harry," said Brin. "Alastor...?"
"Dawlish hasn't budged- he's still right by the hedge, as he should be," said Moody. "I'm keeping an eye on him."
Brin nodded, then turned to Arthur. "You're the head of this household; I don't need to tell you what will happen if Scrimgeour finds out about this..."
Arthur had been glancing at the Weasley family clock; he sighed, and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Just be careful about it," he finally said. Brin nodded; he, Moody, and Lupin drew their wands, then walked over to the fireplace.
"What are they doing?" Ron asked, as they began making swirling passes at the fireplace with their wands.
"The Ministry controls the Floo network proper- and as such, Scrimgeour has closed it down for security reasons," Brin said over his shoulder. "Essentially, what we're doing is to open a direct line between here and the Headmistress's office at Hogwarts, which will bypass the network- and its security and recording spells- altogether."
“Really...?” asked Fred, as he and George craned their necks to see better.
"Not to mention preventing the Death Eaters rerouting anyone," growled Moody. "They took out Proudfoot and Willamug before we figured out what they were up to." He knelt clumsily in front of the fireplace. "All right, Minerva?" he called.
"Yes, Alastor; step away from the fireplace," came McGonagall's answer. Moody did so; seconds later, McGonogall came spinning into view. She delicately stepped out into the living room, wanding away stray ash as she did so.
"Do stop gaping, Weasley," she said to Ron. "It's not as though you've never traveled by Floo before." She turned, and looked at Harry. "This is highly irregular, Potter; I hope you have a plan."
"That's what we're here to talk about," said Harry. The Vow was administered; then, Charlie waved his wand, sending their dirty dishes into the kitchen. They could be heard in the background quietly washing themselves as Harry began to speak, once again summarizing his researches with Dumbledore.
"Horcruxes..." murmured McGonagall, as she took a seat at the table's far end. "I remember Albus once telling me he'd feared Grindelwald's having one... but seven?"
"Can I ask a foolish question?" asked Charlie.
"What is it?" replied Brin.
"Well... sorry if this sounds a bit thick, but... what good is having a Horcrux?"
"Yeah," interjected George. "What's the point of tearing your immortal soul to bits, just to stick it in some manky old cup? You die, the Horcrux gets lost- then you're pretty much helpless after that."
"The diary wasn't helpless," said Ginny quietly.
"Yeah," said Ron. "I mean- the diary nearly became a whole new Tom Riddle, right?"
"Right..." said Brin.
"Well," Ron continued, "aren't there four more Horcruxes still out there...?"
"Or if those Tom Riddles should recast the Horcrux spell upon themselves..." added Lupin; the room fell silent.
"Let's... draw up a list of what we know so far," interjected Brin. "Let's see- the diary, the locket, the ring, and Voldemort's own fragment of soul are the four that are definite, yes?"
"Well, and the cup, at least as far as Dumbledore knew," replied Harry. "But..."
"Yeah, well- if he was ever flat-out wrong, I don't want to hear about it."
"Barty Crouch Junior," murmured Lupin, as Brin and Moody both scowled.
"Let's start with the diary..." Brin said after a moment.
Harry watched through a haze of tension and fatigue, as people began exchanging ideas; he was briefly amused to see Tonks and Hermione simultaneously take out quills and parchment, with identical intent expressions on their faces.
"The thing I'd like to know is," Ron was saying, "when exactly did the diary become a Horcrux? Horcruxes happen when someone gets killed; could that have been to do with Moaning Myrtle's death?"
"Yeah," said Charlie, "and was that what made it able to answer people who wrote in it? The fact that it was a Horcrux?"
"Spells that will counterfeit the writer's personality are easy to create," Lupin said quietly, with a glance at Harry. "It doesn't mean they're Dark magic per se."
"Good questions," said Brin. "I'd also like to know if the diary stayed in Riddle's possession- or Malfoy's- all that time, or if it was misplaced and later recovered between Voldemort's fall and the time Malfoy slipped it into Ginny's schoolbooks..."
"Another interesting question," said Moody. "I also think we can assume Malfoy didn't know it was a Horcrux- otherwise, he would've been more careful with it; probably would’ve slipped it to some unknowing Death Eater after Voldemort fell, too." He snorted. "Imagine that: 'Here, Timmy, The Dark Lord himself wants to speak with you- don't you feel honored? Never mind that tired feeling...'"
"I don't think that's funny," said Ginny tersely.
"Let's move on to the ring," Brin said quickly. Harry rubbed his eyes, and toyed with his spoon for a moment, as Brin, Moody, and Tonks started talking with Lupin about the Peverell coat of arms, and the possible scenarios by which Dumbledore might have been injured.
"The thing that puzzles me," said Arthur, "is that by Harry's account, Dumbledore said that Snape acted immediately to save his life when he was hurt destroying the Horcrux, when he could have just stood there, and let him die- right, Harry?"
"Right," Harry said quickly.
"It may have simply been professional pride," said McGonagall. "He certainly had every opportunity to tamper with the Wolfsbane potion- which was experimental to begin with- but he brewed it perfectly, every single month."
"Shame he didn't stay on our side," said Moody. "Wizard like that- this war'd be over by now."
"He may have felt torn between conflicting loyalties," said Lupin quietly. "From what I remember, Severus was always adept at walking a moral tightrope."
"...but, since he chose the wrong side, that doesn't help us," said Brin. "Anyone have anything on the locket? R.A.B. is definitely Regulus Black- we've checked the handwriting. Any chance he left it at the house?"
"If so, it's probably gone," said Harry reluctantly. "We threw away pretty much all of the Dark junk, except what Tonks confiscated, back when we cleaned the place out." Brin took a quick glance at Tonks, who gave a negative shake of her head. "Besides,” Harry added, “there wasn't anything that looked like the necklace I saw in the Pensieve..."
"Easy glamour to cast," said Fred. "It could have looked like any old amulet."
"Yes, Harry," said Hermione, biting her lip. "Remember that heavy locket that none of us could open...?"
"That's gone," said Harry heavily. "I threw it out myself."
The room fell silent; suddenly, Ron lifted his head. "Hang on," said Ron, "is there any chance Dung might have nicked it from the bins? I saw him going through them once..."
"Mundungus Fletcher?" asked Brin quickly.
"Yes- he was known to be taking things from there," said Tonks, with a glance at Harry.
"Any idea where he is now?" George asked.
"He got sent to Azkaban for impersonating an Inferus," replied Hermione.
"That's right," said Tonks. "Good- that'll make it easier for us." The idea of searching for the Horcruxes seemed to be helping her to focus; she took a quick note on her parchment, and circled it.
"I'll say," said Moody. "Scrimgeour'll have the truth from him in no time at all."
"I don't doubt it," murmured Lupin.
"So, the cup..." said Brin.
"You said that witch's name was Smith, right?" Ginny asked Harry. "Hepzibah Smith? Any chance she was related to Zacharias the Royal Prat? After all, it was Hufflepuff’s cup..."
"She was his great great aunt," said Tonks. "We've already contacted the Smith family, asking if they have any information on Riddle, or the cup; we’re waiting for an answer."
The group went on discussing the cup and its possible location, as Harry listened, while picking at a spot of spaghetti sauce on the tabletop. This is the part they never tell you about in History of Magic, with some old ghost droning away about dates of rebellions and how great the Four Founders were, he thought, as he looked from Fred, who was looking anxiously out the front window, to Ron, who was listening to something Lupin was saying. They never tell you about how, when you take an oath with your best friend that could kill him- or you- you still have the taste of ready-made spaghetti in your mouth, and you’re looking at some stupid-looking Muggle wallpaper with houses and flowers. He looked from face to face, people intently listening and interjecting with this comment or that; for a moment, he felt sad, and oddly lonely. I miss the old days- when going after Voldemort was an exciting adventure, and Dumbledore was always around when things got too scary. When I always knew where home was, even if it was just a cupboard under the stairs.
Now, Tonks and Brin were exchanging theories about the snake, and its possible use as a Horcrux.
"...certainly not native to England; it's probably Indian, with a name like 'Nagini,'" Brin was saying. "He must use some sort of spell, to keep it warm in the wintertime."
"How old is it, anyway?" asked Charlie. "Is there any chance it might die soon? Cobras usually only live about twenty years or so..."
"Well, if it's anything like wizards, it might live..." Brin began, then shot Harry a look. "You all right?"
"Yeah; I’m just tired," Harry said guiltily, taking his hand away from the sauce spot.
"I'll make coffee," said Charlie, waving his wand; filled cups floated in from the kitchen, and placed themselves in front of everyone. Harry watched from the corner of his eye as McGonagall quietly took out her wand and changed hers into tea, and then did likewise for Lupin. He took a sip, and felt himself become somewhat more awake.
"So much for theories," Arthur said. "I think it's time we discussed tactics."
"I agree," said Harry.
"One thing we could try is to check any location where Voldemort is known to have killed people personally," said Hermione. "People like Dorcas Meadowes or Amelia Bones."
"I agree," said Brin. "If he has made that many Horcruxes, there'll be traces of residual magic; that's a powerful spell."
"I can help with that," said Moody. "I've dealt with Horcruxes before- don't think many of the current Aurors have."
"Now, talking of Horcruxes," said Arthur, "how do we set about finding them?"
"Well, it sounds as though Mundungus Fletcher will be a natural starting point," said Tonks. "I actually think we can leave that to Scrimgeour, at least for now."
"We should search number twelve, as well," said Harry, nodding. "No telling what else we might find there."
"Agreed, although the Ministry and the Order have both gone over it rather thoroughly," Brin said. "What else?"
"What about the Gaunt family crypt?" Hermione asked. "He hid one Horcrux in the Gaunt house itself; maybe..."
"I checked the crypt myself, earlier today," Brin replied. "If there's a Horcrux hidden there, we may as well pack it in; I couldn't find any sign of any sort of enchantment beyond standard anti-vandalism and security charms." A pause. "Anything else...?"
"Well, I was thinking," Ron said, with a glance at Harry,"What about Godric's Hollow? You know- Godric Gryffindor..."
"Aurors have been through that village for hundreds of years, lad," Moody said. "It's a natural thought, though."
Harry looked over at Arthur, who had been staring out the front window. "Arthur...?" Brin said.
"Eh? Oh, sorry," Arthur said, coming alert. "I was just..."
"Yeah," muttered Fred, with a glance at the clock. "Weren't we all."
There was an awkward silence. "Hang on," Ron finally said, "How much do the Aurors actually know about the Four Founders...?"
"Not much, other than what we've gleaned from ancient documents and legends, and the occasional interview with a ghost," said Brin. "Why?"
"Well- you know how they're all supposed to be buried in that memorial on the school grounds, near Dumbledore and all that?"
"Yes...?"
"Well- do we know for certain that Slytherin actually returned to the school, and was buried there? I thought he left, after a big set-to with the others..."
Brin began, "No, that's not..." then broke off. "Tonks...?"
She frowned for a moment. "I've read most of the transcripts, and histories," she said. "They just say that the Four Founders were given the memorial as a gift of gratitude from the witches and wizards of Britain- I certainly don't think anyone ever went inside, to confirm that they were there..."
"We tried, once," said Fred. "There's no door on it, anywhere; if there's a secret passage, we couldn't find it."
"I'm prepared to accept that as definitive," said Brin dryly, as Harry caught Ron's eye and mouthed the words Marauder's Map. "Harry...?"
"Well," Harry said quickly, "Couldn't we- I don't know- get permission from the Ministry, and check?"
"Disinter the Four Founders?" said McGonagall, sounding shocked. "I have never heard such a..."
"Well," said Ginny, "what if we have one of the ghosts do the checking? Nick would- or maybe the Baron, if you asked him- he is Slytherin, after all..."
It took a great deal of discussion, but McGonagall finally gave her consent. "That's one possible location, then," said Brin. "What next?"
"Well, what do we know about Voldemort himself?" Harry asked. "Does anyone know where he was between Hogwarts and the First War?"
"1945 to 1955 should be the crucial years," said Hermione. "According to that interview between him and Dumbledore that you told us about, that's when he actually started... changing. Has anyone heard anything from then...?"
"No, and I've been looking..." Moody began, when Fleur lifted her head; she had been silent since taking the Vow. "Wait..." she said. "I 'eard my father speak of a rumor once... a Dark, handsome English wizard, a ghost of a man, who came through France into Germany just after the war. Supposedly, ze few who crossed his path and survived said even the snakes came to his aid; if I remember, they said he was searching for something..."
"Germany," asked Brin intently. "You're sure?"
"What's Germany mean?" Harry asked.
"Grindelwald," said Moody grimly. "Sure as hell- don't know why I never thought of it. Charming Tom Riddle went looking for Grindelwald's leavings."
"Well, how much do you all know about Grindelwald?" asked Ginny. "Do you know where he lived?"
Tonks frowned. "He had some sort of fortress... The Ministry acted to suppress any information about him after Dumbledore defeated him, though; I think even the Obliviators were called in. I can check our Confidential files..."
"Well, I know he attended Hogwarts," Harry said. "Scrimgeour said he was in Ravenclaw."
Moody frowned. "I'm trying to remember- mostly, I just remember rumors that he was investigating some sort of powerful, ancient Dark magic during the Second World War, before Dumbledore finally stopped him."
"Good thing wizards tend to stay out of Muggle wars," Brin said.
"You have no idea," McGonagall answered. "Can you imagine if Grindelwald Transfigurated Allied troops into, say, dragons, so that they attacked their fellow troops? Or giants? Or the air around them into chlorine gas?"
"Or plutonium dust," said Hermione in a small voice; there was a pause.
"Wonderful," sighed George. "Right rays of sunshine, you lot are."
"Let's keep going," Harry finally said. "If he went to Hogwarts, he must have a school folder. Can we get a copy of that?"
"I'll try," McGonagall said. "Scrimgeour is already moving to seize the school's records- I don't know how he expects us to operate..."
"One crisis at a time," Brin said. "Tonks- go to the Confidential files tomorrow; see what you can turn up on him." He turned to Hermione. "I hope to get you in there as well- I'd like for the two of you to investigate Tom Riddle. The official file doesn't hold much- mostly second-hand rumors- but from what I understand, you have a knack for digging up information."
"And perhaps check on Regulus Black, too," Harry said. "What happened to him, anyway? How did he die?"
"His body was found at number twelve, in the living room, around November of 1979," Remus said quietly. "I remember standing out front with Sirius, and seeing the Dark Mark set over the house..."
Moody nodded. "Yeah, I remember finding him," he said. "Poor lad was sitting on the sofa, staring off into space; the place had obviously been searched. We could never tell if it was the Death Eaters got him, or if he'd killed himself before they got there."
"Lucky thing there was so much Dark junk there," Charlie said. "Otherwise, the locket wouldn't have stayed hidden long..."
Harry shuddered, thinking of Sirius walking the hallways of number twelve, staying in the house where his brother had died. He caught a glimpse of Lupin's face; the other man looked stricken. Harry tried to think of something to say to him; Ron was asking if you could Pensieve a corpse, and Brin saying you couldn't, as Harry forced himself to re-enter the discussion.
"Speaking of Voldemort and his lot," Harry said, "has there been any word on the Malfoys?"
"We've been checking Malfoy Manor and the other houses," Tonks said. "There's been no sign of them."
"Given the way Draco muffed things during the invasion of Hogwarts, I wouldn't be surprised if he and his mother were next on Voldemort's list," Brin said. "We know Lucius is still in Azkaban..."
"Surprising Tom gave him a second chance," Moody said. "Losing a Horcrux..."
"He was powerful," McGonagall said. "And rich- that's not a servant you throw away."
"Speaking of which," said Hermione, "has the Ministry been in touch with Gringotts about pulling known Death Eaters' financial records? We might at least have an idea of how much gold they have..."
Tonks shook her head. "From what I understand," she said, "the Head Goblin has been utterly refusing to cooperate with the Ministry; Scrimgeour's up in arms about it, but the goblins just say human crimes aren't their business..."
"That makes sense," Harry said. "Sirius certainly didn't have trouble buying me a new broom, when he was on the run from the Ministry." Tonks winced, and looked away at this; Remus pointedly looked in the other direction.
"Well, perhaps we should speak to Borgin and Burkes about Riddle," Arthur said. "He used to work for them, after all..."
"Borgin turned up dead, in the middle of Knockturn Alley, three days ago," Brin said. "No sign of the Dark Mark. As to Burke, he vanished, back around the beginning of the last school year."
"Death Eaters?" Ginny asked. "And as far as that goes- is there any way of tracking them...?"
"From what we've been able to determine," Tonks said, "the process by which one becomes a Death Eater seems to involve a variant of the Fidelius charm; you can see them, but you can't magically find them- or owl them, say- unless you know the proper countercharm."
"Not so far," George muttered, as Fred nudged him.
"You know, that gives me an idea," Brin said. "Harry- can you call Dobby?"
"Yeah, sure," said Harry, frowning in puzzlement. "Err... Dobby...?"
Dobby appeared in the middle of the table; across the table, Harry saw Lupin force his attention to the house elf. "Harry Potter!" Dobby cried. "Dobby is pleased to..." He broke off, seeing the number of people in the room.
"Dobby," said Brin, "do you mind if I ask you a couple of questions?"
"Go on," Harry nodded encouragingly. "This is Abador- it's all right."
Dobby nodded doubtfully. "What are you wishing to know, master Abador...?"
"Dobby, if Harry needed you to keep an eye on Lucius Malfoy in Azkaban for us,"- the house elf looked frightened- "could you do that for him?"
"Oh, no, master Abador," whispered Dobby. "When Dobby left master Lucius's service, he lost the ability to find him- master Lucius has taken the Dark oath, and we can only magically find those sorts of people if we are bound to one of them..."
Brin nodded. "Tell me, Dobby- could you bring Headmistress McGonagall back to Hogwarts for us?"
"Dobby is sorry, master Abador," said the house elf, obviously relived to no longer be speaking of Lucius Malfoy. "I cannot be bringing humans; we can only bring as much weight as we can carry."
Harry frowned; Brin actually looked pleased at the answer. "All right- thank you, Dobby."
"See you soon, Dobby," said Harry. Dobby smiled and vanished, as Moody gave a sigh of relief. "And a good thing, too," he said. "Imagine a dozen or so Death Eaters with wands drawn, ordering their house elves to make them appear in the middle of the Great Hall..."
"...or the Minister's office, although I'm sure Scrimgeour has had the Ministry charmed against them by now," added Lupin. "Apparently, whichever wizard created house elves must not have thought of using them for transportation."
"Speaking of magical creatures, what about the Dementors?" Charlie asked. "What do we know about them?"
"Surprisingly little, considering how long we used them as prison guards," Brin replied. "From what it appears, new Dementors are formed when they administer the Kiss; their numbers have roughly doubled over the last year, according to Ministry estimates. That corresponds with reports of Dementor attacks we've been getting in."
"Err- any way of stopping them, besides a Patronus...?" Ron asked.
"We're working on it..."
"Well, what about Transfiguration?" Ron replied. "If one attacks you, can't you just- I don't know; turn it into a canary, or something?"
Brin paused, and looked at Ron appraisingly. "Not bad, Ron- you have a real gift for this sort of thing." Ron blushed with pleasure, as Brin went on, "Actually, we've been looking into that at the Ministry; as it happens, dementors are immune to most forms of magic, as are..." He abruptly stopped.
"As are werewolves," Lupin said quietly. "They're both technically Dark creatures, after all."
“Yeah,” muttered Fred, “just like my brother.”
“Fred, that’s enough!” Arthur snapped.
“Well, what do you want me to say?” Fred snapped back. “We’re sitting here going on about Horcruxes and Dementors, while my brother could be losing his mind!”
“Yeah,” added George, “or getting locked in a cell in Azkaban, so Scrimgeour can say he’s doing something...”
“I said, that’s enough!”
As the argument raged on, Harry felt himself beginning to panic; he looked at the others, all of whom simply looked scared and anxious. Suddenly, Harry pushed his chair away from the table.
“Harry...?” Brin said.
“I just need a break,” Harry muttered, as he quickly strode out of the room. “Breath of fresh air.”
He opened the kitchen door, and sat down on the back steps, resting with his face in his hands as he took several deep breaths. This is the group that’s supposed to be taking on the Dark Lord, he thought, as his heart raced. We're supposed to save the world, and we can’t even sit around a dining room table without-
“Harry...?”
“Hey.” Harry looked up, and saw Abador Brin standing there. “I’m fine- just needed some air. I guess I'm just tired.”
“Yeah, me too.” The Auror looked down at him for a moment. “Mind if I sit down?”
“Go ahead.” Brin closed the door, and sat on the edge of the steps; they both paused, and listened to crickets chirping, and looked out at the night sky.
“See that?” Brin finally asked.
“What?”
Brin pointed to a section of the sky. “That’s Orion, the hunter: a good omen, considering what we're up to in there.”
Harry looked at it, and nodded. “If you say so- I never was big on Astronomy.”
“Me neither, at first. You should’ve seen my early grades- I thought Sinestra was out to get me. Dumbledore wound up tutoring me for my OWL himself.”
“He did...?”
“Yeah- he knew all about that stuff. The stars; the planets; the craters of the moon...” The Auror spoke in a good imitation of Dumbledore’s voice. “And that one, Abador, is Mare Nubium- one could have a lovely view of the Earth from there, had one the opportunity to see it.’” Brin shook his head, and resumed speaking in his own voice. “He was always saying things like that. Mad as a hatter, as I said.”
Harry smiled. “Still, you’re lucky- I would’ve liked to have done that with him.”
“Yeah- I guess he knew my marks in my other subjects, and thought I had potential.” The Auror looked up at the sky for a moment, then back at Harry. “He and I spent a great many nights on the Astronomy tower, looking out at the night sky; whenever I look at the stars now, I think of him.”
“Yeah,” said Harry quietly; he felt a pang at the mention of the tower.
“I know this is hard for you, Harry,” Brin said. “I know you wish he was here- and so do I. Sometimes, I think he kept Wizarding society together, all by himself.”
“Yeah- and now, he’s gone.”
“And now, he’s gone,” Brin repeated. “He’s gone, and as I said back on the Knight Bus, it’s up to us now. We have to work together as a group- as a team, like a Quidditch team- if we’re going to hold things together.”
Harry laughed bitterly. “Hold things together? Yeah- we’re doing a bloody great job so far.”
“That’s what I want to talk to you about,” Brin replied; he paused for a moment. “This whole thing with Fred and George... well, I can see how it upset you in there. This is an incredibly stressful time for them- for all of us- and even though they’re good people...”
“Yeah,” Harry said; he shook his head. “I feel like everything is about to fly to pieces,” he said quietly. “Like we’re all just kidding ourselves- we’re supposed to be fighting Voldemort, and we can’t even hold a meeting without...” He shook his head helplessly.
“I know,” Brin replied. “Personally, I don’t think it’s quite so hopeless as all that- hell, you’ve faced Voldemort and won more times than any Auror ever born, all by yourself. Besides, we have some damn good witches and wizards in there- even without Dumbledore, I think we have a real chance at this.” He paused again. “Still, it would help if someone could talk with Fred and George... persuade them to stay on track.”
“Someone- you mean me?”
“Well, yes. Arthur’s doing everything he can- but he’s desperately worried about Bill himself. Between being Ministry, and an Order member, and Bill’s father... well, he's stretched fairly thin, and it’s hard for him to keep them under control.”
Harry hesitated. “What do you think I should do, then?”
Brin paused for a moment. “Not much. Just... well, I’m a Ministry employee, and new here; I don’t think Fred and George would trust me on this. You- you’re their friend; they’ll listen to you. If you were to convince them that Bill’s going to be all right, and simply help keep them focused on the task at hand, that could make a real difference.”
“I could try,” Harry said doubtfully. “I don’t know, though; they seem pretty worked up over this.”
“I know,” Brin said. “As I said, I’m not asking you to do much- you could simply... well, perhaps you could tell them that the Ministry has been working on a cure for Bill.”
Harry looked at him in surprise. “Have they?”
“Scrimgeour has been giving Bill’s case a great deal of study,” Brin said. “As Remus pointed out, this is a unique case. I can assure you the Ministry is doing everything they can to understand what’s happening to Bill.” Brin looked at him speculatively. “Still, if you’re not comfortable with this...”
“No; I want to help,” Harry said. “So- I can say that the Ministry is working on a cure?”
“You can say that, yes. You don’t need to make a big deal about it just now; you could simply take them aside and...”
There was a soft knock on the door. “Everything all right?” Charlie called quietly.
“Yeah; we’re fine,” Harry said, as he got to his feet. “Be right there.”
“Think about what I said, Harry,” Brin said quietly, as they walked back inside. “This is all up to you now.”
Everyone looked up as they returned to the table and sat back down. Fred cleared his throat, and said, “My brother and I would like to apologize for the unfortunate disturbance just now, and to assure everyone that we are not, in fact, Death Eaters in disguise.”
“Stunningly handsome disguise though it may be,” George added. “Personally, I think Charlie put something in the coffee.”
There were somewhat forced chuckles at this; Harry cleared his own throat and said, “Yeah- I know we’re all worried about Bill, but I think it’ll be okay.” He glanced over at Brin, who gave a tiny nod of approval.
“Of course it will,” Arthur said.
“Of course it will,” Fred and George echoed; Fred gave Harry a quick wink.
Well,” said Arthur, “now that that’s settled...”
"There's one more thing I wanted to bring up," Harry said, turning to face McGonagall and Moody. "We were talking about this before; you two knew Riddle at Hogwarts- are there any memories you have that we could check with a Pensieve...?"
McGonagall fell silent, hiding her face with her napkin as Moody looked grim. "Yeah," he finally said, "we knew him. So did Hagrid."
There was a pause. "Well...?"
Moody sighed, as McGonagall got up and walked into the kitchen. Harry had stood up to follow her, when Moody caught his gaze and shook his head. "Give her a moment, Harry," said Moody quietly; Harry eased back into his seat. Moody fell silent for a moment, as the rest of the room looked at him.
"Yeah, we all knew each other at Hogwarts,” Moody finally repeated.
“What happened?" Hermione asked.
“Well- she and Riddle... were rather friendly, at one point. I think it still bothers her- although mind you, they were well out of touch by the time the First War came around," Moody said. "Minerva was one of the first people Dumbledore chose for the Order, but... well, I don’t know all the details. She doesn’t talk about it, but I think she feels she didn’t break off all contact as soon as she should have. There was an incident...” The old Auror hesitated. “Right around the time she broke off with him for good, I was dosed with Sticksum Serum- Hagrid, too," Moody said. "You know how when you Obliviate someone, they get all glassy-eyed and such?" They nodded. "Well, this was more subtle than that- it was a potion. Didn't do any harm- but I can't have my memories Pensieved, ever. They're stuck in my head. I can still talk about them, but they can't be examined for details, as you can with a Pensieve." His mouth quirked. "Small wonder I only drink from my own flask, eh?"
"Subtle," Lupin murmured, as Harry took this in. "You wouldn't even know it had been done, until you were trying to Pensieve yourself..."
Moody nodded. "Yeah- he was a subtle one," he said, before turning to Harry. "You don't have to worry about Minerva- Dumbledore cleared her himself."
"Like he did Snape," Fred muttered.
"Enough of that," Arthur said. "I've known Minerva for almost forty years."
"Didn't she almost become an Auror herself?" Charlie interjected. "I seem to remember she worked for the Ministry for a while..."
Moody got to his feet. "Think I'll go see how she's doing," he muttered.
As he walked into the kitchen, Arthur was saying, "Hmm; as I recall, she came into the Ministry about ten years before I did; not sure which department. She left to join Hogwarts when Dumbledore was appointed."
There was a pause. Hermione caught Harry's gaze, and gave him a searching look; Harry looked at her silently, not knowing what to say. For a moment, he found himself thinking of her words about Snape, after the battle at Hogwarts- ‘Evil’ is a strong word...
After a moment, Moody and McGonagall re-entered the room; she seemed to avoid meeting anyone's gaze, and there was an awkward silence as she sat back down. "When I return to Hogwarts, I'll get those files, if I can," she said quietly.
"Yeah," Brin said. "Get files on Riddle; Grindelwald; the Malfoys; Snape; Pettigrew; and Regulus Black, if you can."
"And if there are files of any other known Death Eaters, perhaps those as well," Hermione said; McGonagall nodded.
"And if you could just speak to Mister Filch for us," Fred added, "there are a few items in his filing cabinet which were unfairly..."
"And check the castle's wards, although I'm sure you have already," Moody interjected. "The Vanishing Cabinet was one thing, but I still can't believe Black got in twice; you'd think Dumbledore would remember to ward against Animagi..."
"Constant vigilance..." muttered George quietly; Arthur shot him a look.
"There's one more thing..." Harry said. As best he could, he gave the location where he had hidden Snape's Potions text, in the Room of Requirement.
"Clever of you to hide it there," McGonagall said. "The Ministry has already seized Severus' own papers- and rather forcefully, I might add."
"You might also want to speak to the centaurs," Charlie said. "Don't know they'll feel about helping us, but it couldn't hurt." He quietly reached into his robes, and took out a letter. "And give that to Hagrid, please." McGonagall nodded, her eyes suddenly shining.
"Well," Brin said, "unless anyone has anything else to add, that would seem to be it for the moment; at least we have some avenues of investigation now."
"One other thing we should work on," Lupin said, "is Occlumency lessons for everyone."
"Yes- that makes sense," Brin said, looking at Harry. "There's too much inside our heads now; Scrimgeour won't hesitate at Legilimensing anyone he thinks is hiding something."
Harry nodded. "Will you be doing that?"
"Probably not, at least at first; from what you've described, I don't seem to be associated with the Order. I'd like to keep it that way; it'll probably be Shacklebolt, or Doge."
"And I'll be happy to volunteer myself for Defense teachings, and perhaps Apparition practice as well," Lupin added. "I suspect we'll need all the magic at our command, before long."
AN: While there have been many, many theories pertaining to the Potterverse set forth over the last few years, it isn't always possible to trace the provenance of a given idea, or state with assurance that no one else has bruited a theory you think to be original with you. In general, most of the theories, plot points, and ideas given here are original with me (as far as I know); however, the notion that McGonagall and Riddle dated while at Hogwarts was originally (as far as I know) put forth by the most estimablecopperbadge.
Chapter 6- Marching Orders
"...until my dying breath," Brin recited. Once the spell was complete, Lupin tucked his wand back in his belt, and walked back to his seat at the table. "That's the last of us, Harry," Lupin said, as he sat back down. "What now?"
"Now, we figure out how to find these things, and destroy them," Harry said grimly. He paused in thought for a moment, then asked, "Will McGonagall be joining us...?"
"I was in contact with Headmistress McGonagall earlier today, just before they shut down the Floo network," Lupin answered. "She's at Hogwarts, awaiting our signal."
"What are you going to do- owl her?"
"Not exactly, Harry," said Brin. "Alastor...?"
"Dawlish hasn't budged- he's still right by the hedge, as he should be," said Moody. "I'm keeping an eye on him."
Brin nodded, then turned to Arthur. "You're the head of this household; I don't need to tell you what will happen if Scrimgeour finds out about this..."
Arthur had been glancing at the Weasley family clock; he sighed, and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Just be careful about it," he finally said. Brin nodded; he, Moody, and Lupin drew their wands, then walked over to the fireplace.
"What are they doing?" Ron asked, as they began making swirling passes at the fireplace with their wands.
"The Ministry controls the Floo network proper- and as such, Scrimgeour has closed it down for security reasons," Brin said over his shoulder. "Essentially, what we're doing is to open a direct line between here and the Headmistress's office at Hogwarts, which will bypass the network- and its security and recording spells- altogether."
“Really...?” asked Fred, as he and George craned their necks to see better.
"Not to mention preventing the Death Eaters rerouting anyone," growled Moody. "They took out Proudfoot and Willamug before we figured out what they were up to." He knelt clumsily in front of the fireplace. "All right, Minerva?" he called.
"Yes, Alastor; step away from the fireplace," came McGonagall's answer. Moody did so; seconds later, McGonogall came spinning into view. She delicately stepped out into the living room, wanding away stray ash as she did so.
"Do stop gaping, Weasley," she said to Ron. "It's not as though you've never traveled by Floo before." She turned, and looked at Harry. "This is highly irregular, Potter; I hope you have a plan."
"That's what we're here to talk about," said Harry. The Vow was administered; then, Charlie waved his wand, sending their dirty dishes into the kitchen. They could be heard in the background quietly washing themselves as Harry began to speak, once again summarizing his researches with Dumbledore.
"Horcruxes..." murmured McGonagall, as she took a seat at the table's far end. "I remember Albus once telling me he'd feared Grindelwald's having one... but seven?"
"Can I ask a foolish question?" asked Charlie.
"What is it?" replied Brin.
"Well... sorry if this sounds a bit thick, but... what good is having a Horcrux?"
"Yeah," interjected George. "What's the point of tearing your immortal soul to bits, just to stick it in some manky old cup? You die, the Horcrux gets lost- then you're pretty much helpless after that."
"The diary wasn't helpless," said Ginny quietly.
"Yeah," said Ron. "I mean- the diary nearly became a whole new Tom Riddle, right?"
"Right..." said Brin.
"Well," Ron continued, "aren't there four more Horcruxes still out there...?"
"Or if those Tom Riddles should recast the Horcrux spell upon themselves..." added Lupin; the room fell silent.
"Let's... draw up a list of what we know so far," interjected Brin. "Let's see- the diary, the locket, the ring, and Voldemort's own fragment of soul are the four that are definite, yes?"
"Well, and the cup, at least as far as Dumbledore knew," replied Harry. "But..."
"Yeah, well- if he was ever flat-out wrong, I don't want to hear about it."
"Barty Crouch Junior," murmured Lupin, as Brin and Moody both scowled.
"Let's start with the diary..." Brin said after a moment.
Harry watched through a haze of tension and fatigue, as people began exchanging ideas; he was briefly amused to see Tonks and Hermione simultaneously take out quills and parchment, with identical intent expressions on their faces.
"The thing I'd like to know is," Ron was saying, "when exactly did the diary become a Horcrux? Horcruxes happen when someone gets killed; could that have been to do with Moaning Myrtle's death?"
"Yeah," said Charlie, "and was that what made it able to answer people who wrote in it? The fact that it was a Horcrux?"
"Spells that will counterfeit the writer's personality are easy to create," Lupin said quietly, with a glance at Harry. "It doesn't mean they're Dark magic per se."
"Good questions," said Brin. "I'd also like to know if the diary stayed in Riddle's possession- or Malfoy's- all that time, or if it was misplaced and later recovered between Voldemort's fall and the time Malfoy slipped it into Ginny's schoolbooks..."
"Another interesting question," said Moody. "I also think we can assume Malfoy didn't know it was a Horcrux- otherwise, he would've been more careful with it; probably would’ve slipped it to some unknowing Death Eater after Voldemort fell, too." He snorted. "Imagine that: 'Here, Timmy, The Dark Lord himself wants to speak with you- don't you feel honored? Never mind that tired feeling...'"
"I don't think that's funny," said Ginny tersely.
"Let's move on to the ring," Brin said quickly. Harry rubbed his eyes, and toyed with his spoon for a moment, as Brin, Moody, and Tonks started talking with Lupin about the Peverell coat of arms, and the possible scenarios by which Dumbledore might have been injured.
"The thing that puzzles me," said Arthur, "is that by Harry's account, Dumbledore said that Snape acted immediately to save his life when he was hurt destroying the Horcrux, when he could have just stood there, and let him die- right, Harry?"
"Right," Harry said quickly.
"It may have simply been professional pride," said McGonagall. "He certainly had every opportunity to tamper with the Wolfsbane potion- which was experimental to begin with- but he brewed it perfectly, every single month."
"Shame he didn't stay on our side," said Moody. "Wizard like that- this war'd be over by now."
"He may have felt torn between conflicting loyalties," said Lupin quietly. "From what I remember, Severus was always adept at walking a moral tightrope."
"...but, since he chose the wrong side, that doesn't help us," said Brin. "Anyone have anything on the locket? R.A.B. is definitely Regulus Black- we've checked the handwriting. Any chance he left it at the house?"
"If so, it's probably gone," said Harry reluctantly. "We threw away pretty much all of the Dark junk, except what Tonks confiscated, back when we cleaned the place out." Brin took a quick glance at Tonks, who gave a negative shake of her head. "Besides,” Harry added, “there wasn't anything that looked like the necklace I saw in the Pensieve..."
"Easy glamour to cast," said Fred. "It could have looked like any old amulet."
"Yes, Harry," said Hermione, biting her lip. "Remember that heavy locket that none of us could open...?"
"That's gone," said Harry heavily. "I threw it out myself."
The room fell silent; suddenly, Ron lifted his head. "Hang on," said Ron, "is there any chance Dung might have nicked it from the bins? I saw him going through them once..."
"Mundungus Fletcher?" asked Brin quickly.
"Yes- he was known to be taking things from there," said Tonks, with a glance at Harry.
"Any idea where he is now?" George asked.
"He got sent to Azkaban for impersonating an Inferus," replied Hermione.
"That's right," said Tonks. "Good- that'll make it easier for us." The idea of searching for the Horcruxes seemed to be helping her to focus; she took a quick note on her parchment, and circled it.
"I'll say," said Moody. "Scrimgeour'll have the truth from him in no time at all."
"I don't doubt it," murmured Lupin.
"So, the cup..." said Brin.
"You said that witch's name was Smith, right?" Ginny asked Harry. "Hepzibah Smith? Any chance she was related to Zacharias the Royal Prat? After all, it was Hufflepuff’s cup..."
"She was his great great aunt," said Tonks. "We've already contacted the Smith family, asking if they have any information on Riddle, or the cup; we’re waiting for an answer."
The group went on discussing the cup and its possible location, as Harry listened, while picking at a spot of spaghetti sauce on the tabletop. This is the part they never tell you about in History of Magic, with some old ghost droning away about dates of rebellions and how great the Four Founders were, he thought, as he looked from Fred, who was looking anxiously out the front window, to Ron, who was listening to something Lupin was saying. They never tell you about how, when you take an oath with your best friend that could kill him- or you- you still have the taste of ready-made spaghetti in your mouth, and you’re looking at some stupid-looking Muggle wallpaper with houses and flowers. He looked from face to face, people intently listening and interjecting with this comment or that; for a moment, he felt sad, and oddly lonely. I miss the old days- when going after Voldemort was an exciting adventure, and Dumbledore was always around when things got too scary. When I always knew where home was, even if it was just a cupboard under the stairs.
Now, Tonks and Brin were exchanging theories about the snake, and its possible use as a Horcrux.
"...certainly not native to England; it's probably Indian, with a name like 'Nagini,'" Brin was saying. "He must use some sort of spell, to keep it warm in the wintertime."
"How old is it, anyway?" asked Charlie. "Is there any chance it might die soon? Cobras usually only live about twenty years or so..."
"Well, if it's anything like wizards, it might live..." Brin began, then shot Harry a look. "You all right?"
"Yeah; I’m just tired," Harry said guiltily, taking his hand away from the sauce spot.
"I'll make coffee," said Charlie, waving his wand; filled cups floated in from the kitchen, and placed themselves in front of everyone. Harry watched from the corner of his eye as McGonagall quietly took out her wand and changed hers into tea, and then did likewise for Lupin. He took a sip, and felt himself become somewhat more awake.
"So much for theories," Arthur said. "I think it's time we discussed tactics."
"I agree," said Harry.
"One thing we could try is to check any location where Voldemort is known to have killed people personally," said Hermione. "People like Dorcas Meadowes or Amelia Bones."
"I agree," said Brin. "If he has made that many Horcruxes, there'll be traces of residual magic; that's a powerful spell."
"I can help with that," said Moody. "I've dealt with Horcruxes before- don't think many of the current Aurors have."
"Now, talking of Horcruxes," said Arthur, "how do we set about finding them?"
"Well, it sounds as though Mundungus Fletcher will be a natural starting point," said Tonks. "I actually think we can leave that to Scrimgeour, at least for now."
"We should search number twelve, as well," said Harry, nodding. "No telling what else we might find there."
"Agreed, although the Ministry and the Order have both gone over it rather thoroughly," Brin said. "What else?"
"What about the Gaunt family crypt?" Hermione asked. "He hid one Horcrux in the Gaunt house itself; maybe..."
"I checked the crypt myself, earlier today," Brin replied. "If there's a Horcrux hidden there, we may as well pack it in; I couldn't find any sign of any sort of enchantment beyond standard anti-vandalism and security charms." A pause. "Anything else...?"
"Well, I was thinking," Ron said, with a glance at Harry,"What about Godric's Hollow? You know- Godric Gryffindor..."
"Aurors have been through that village for hundreds of years, lad," Moody said. "It's a natural thought, though."
Harry looked over at Arthur, who had been staring out the front window. "Arthur...?" Brin said.
"Eh? Oh, sorry," Arthur said, coming alert. "I was just..."
"Yeah," muttered Fred, with a glance at the clock. "Weren't we all."
There was an awkward silence. "Hang on," Ron finally said, "How much do the Aurors actually know about the Four Founders...?"
"Not much, other than what we've gleaned from ancient documents and legends, and the occasional interview with a ghost," said Brin. "Why?"
"Well- you know how they're all supposed to be buried in that memorial on the school grounds, near Dumbledore and all that?"
"Yes...?"
"Well- do we know for certain that Slytherin actually returned to the school, and was buried there? I thought he left, after a big set-to with the others..."
Brin began, "No, that's not..." then broke off. "Tonks...?"
She frowned for a moment. "I've read most of the transcripts, and histories," she said. "They just say that the Four Founders were given the memorial as a gift of gratitude from the witches and wizards of Britain- I certainly don't think anyone ever went inside, to confirm that they were there..."
"We tried, once," said Fred. "There's no door on it, anywhere; if there's a secret passage, we couldn't find it."
"I'm prepared to accept that as definitive," said Brin dryly, as Harry caught Ron's eye and mouthed the words Marauder's Map. "Harry...?"
"Well," Harry said quickly, "Couldn't we- I don't know- get permission from the Ministry, and check?"
"Disinter the Four Founders?" said McGonagall, sounding shocked. "I have never heard such a..."
"Well," said Ginny, "what if we have one of the ghosts do the checking? Nick would- or maybe the Baron, if you asked him- he is Slytherin, after all..."
It took a great deal of discussion, but McGonagall finally gave her consent. "That's one possible location, then," said Brin. "What next?"
"Well, what do we know about Voldemort himself?" Harry asked. "Does anyone know where he was between Hogwarts and the First War?"
"1945 to 1955 should be the crucial years," said Hermione. "According to that interview between him and Dumbledore that you told us about, that's when he actually started... changing. Has anyone heard anything from then...?"
"No, and I've been looking..." Moody began, when Fleur lifted her head; she had been silent since taking the Vow. "Wait..." she said. "I 'eard my father speak of a rumor once... a Dark, handsome English wizard, a ghost of a man, who came through France into Germany just after the war. Supposedly, ze few who crossed his path and survived said even the snakes came to his aid; if I remember, they said he was searching for something..."
"Germany," asked Brin intently. "You're sure?"
"What's Germany mean?" Harry asked.
"Grindelwald," said Moody grimly. "Sure as hell- don't know why I never thought of it. Charming Tom Riddle went looking for Grindelwald's leavings."
"Well, how much do you all know about Grindelwald?" asked Ginny. "Do you know where he lived?"
Tonks frowned. "He had some sort of fortress... The Ministry acted to suppress any information about him after Dumbledore defeated him, though; I think even the Obliviators were called in. I can check our Confidential files..."
"Well, I know he attended Hogwarts," Harry said. "Scrimgeour said he was in Ravenclaw."
Moody frowned. "I'm trying to remember- mostly, I just remember rumors that he was investigating some sort of powerful, ancient Dark magic during the Second World War, before Dumbledore finally stopped him."
"Good thing wizards tend to stay out of Muggle wars," Brin said.
"You have no idea," McGonagall answered. "Can you imagine if Grindelwald Transfigurated Allied troops into, say, dragons, so that they attacked their fellow troops? Or giants? Or the air around them into chlorine gas?"
"Or plutonium dust," said Hermione in a small voice; there was a pause.
"Wonderful," sighed George. "Right rays of sunshine, you lot are."
"Let's keep going," Harry finally said. "If he went to Hogwarts, he must have a school folder. Can we get a copy of that?"
"I'll try," McGonagall said. "Scrimgeour is already moving to seize the school's records- I don't know how he expects us to operate..."
"One crisis at a time," Brin said. "Tonks- go to the Confidential files tomorrow; see what you can turn up on him." He turned to Hermione. "I hope to get you in there as well- I'd like for the two of you to investigate Tom Riddle. The official file doesn't hold much- mostly second-hand rumors- but from what I understand, you have a knack for digging up information."
"And perhaps check on Regulus Black, too," Harry said. "What happened to him, anyway? How did he die?"
"His body was found at number twelve, in the living room, around November of 1979," Remus said quietly. "I remember standing out front with Sirius, and seeing the Dark Mark set over the house..."
Moody nodded. "Yeah, I remember finding him," he said. "Poor lad was sitting on the sofa, staring off into space; the place had obviously been searched. We could never tell if it was the Death Eaters got him, or if he'd killed himself before they got there."
"Lucky thing there was so much Dark junk there," Charlie said. "Otherwise, the locket wouldn't have stayed hidden long..."
Harry shuddered, thinking of Sirius walking the hallways of number twelve, staying in the house where his brother had died. He caught a glimpse of Lupin's face; the other man looked stricken. Harry tried to think of something to say to him; Ron was asking if you could Pensieve a corpse, and Brin saying you couldn't, as Harry forced himself to re-enter the discussion.
"Speaking of Voldemort and his lot," Harry said, "has there been any word on the Malfoys?"
"We've been checking Malfoy Manor and the other houses," Tonks said. "There's been no sign of them."
"Given the way Draco muffed things during the invasion of Hogwarts, I wouldn't be surprised if he and his mother were next on Voldemort's list," Brin said. "We know Lucius is still in Azkaban..."
"Surprising Tom gave him a second chance," Moody said. "Losing a Horcrux..."
"He was powerful," McGonagall said. "And rich- that's not a servant you throw away."
"Speaking of which," said Hermione, "has the Ministry been in touch with Gringotts about pulling known Death Eaters' financial records? We might at least have an idea of how much gold they have..."
Tonks shook her head. "From what I understand," she said, "the Head Goblin has been utterly refusing to cooperate with the Ministry; Scrimgeour's up in arms about it, but the goblins just say human crimes aren't their business..."
"That makes sense," Harry said. "Sirius certainly didn't have trouble buying me a new broom, when he was on the run from the Ministry." Tonks winced, and looked away at this; Remus pointedly looked in the other direction.
"Well, perhaps we should speak to Borgin and Burkes about Riddle," Arthur said. "He used to work for them, after all..."
"Borgin turned up dead, in the middle of Knockturn Alley, three days ago," Brin said. "No sign of the Dark Mark. As to Burke, he vanished, back around the beginning of the last school year."
"Death Eaters?" Ginny asked. "And as far as that goes- is there any way of tracking them...?"
"From what we've been able to determine," Tonks said, "the process by which one becomes a Death Eater seems to involve a variant of the Fidelius charm; you can see them, but you can't magically find them- or owl them, say- unless you know the proper countercharm."
"Not so far," George muttered, as Fred nudged him.
"You know, that gives me an idea," Brin said. "Harry- can you call Dobby?"
"Yeah, sure," said Harry, frowning in puzzlement. "Err... Dobby...?"
Dobby appeared in the middle of the table; across the table, Harry saw Lupin force his attention to the house elf. "Harry Potter!" Dobby cried. "Dobby is pleased to..." He broke off, seeing the number of people in the room.
"Dobby," said Brin, "do you mind if I ask you a couple of questions?"
"Go on," Harry nodded encouragingly. "This is Abador- it's all right."
Dobby nodded doubtfully. "What are you wishing to know, master Abador...?"
"Dobby, if Harry needed you to keep an eye on Lucius Malfoy in Azkaban for us,"- the house elf looked frightened- "could you do that for him?"
"Oh, no, master Abador," whispered Dobby. "When Dobby left master Lucius's service, he lost the ability to find him- master Lucius has taken the Dark oath, and we can only magically find those sorts of people if we are bound to one of them..."
Brin nodded. "Tell me, Dobby- could you bring Headmistress McGonagall back to Hogwarts for us?"
"Dobby is sorry, master Abador," said the house elf, obviously relived to no longer be speaking of Lucius Malfoy. "I cannot be bringing humans; we can only bring as much weight as we can carry."
Harry frowned; Brin actually looked pleased at the answer. "All right- thank you, Dobby."
"See you soon, Dobby," said Harry. Dobby smiled and vanished, as Moody gave a sigh of relief. "And a good thing, too," he said. "Imagine a dozen or so Death Eaters with wands drawn, ordering their house elves to make them appear in the middle of the Great Hall..."
"...or the Minister's office, although I'm sure Scrimgeour has had the Ministry charmed against them by now," added Lupin. "Apparently, whichever wizard created house elves must not have thought of using them for transportation."
"Speaking of magical creatures, what about the Dementors?" Charlie asked. "What do we know about them?"
"Surprisingly little, considering how long we used them as prison guards," Brin replied. "From what it appears, new Dementors are formed when they administer the Kiss; their numbers have roughly doubled over the last year, according to Ministry estimates. That corresponds with reports of Dementor attacks we've been getting in."
"Err- any way of stopping them, besides a Patronus...?" Ron asked.
"We're working on it..."
"Well, what about Transfiguration?" Ron replied. "If one attacks you, can't you just- I don't know; turn it into a canary, or something?"
Brin paused, and looked at Ron appraisingly. "Not bad, Ron- you have a real gift for this sort of thing." Ron blushed with pleasure, as Brin went on, "Actually, we've been looking into that at the Ministry; as it happens, dementors are immune to most forms of magic, as are..." He abruptly stopped.
"As are werewolves," Lupin said quietly. "They're both technically Dark creatures, after all."
“Yeah,” muttered Fred, “just like my brother.”
“Fred, that’s enough!” Arthur snapped.
“Well, what do you want me to say?” Fred snapped back. “We’re sitting here going on about Horcruxes and Dementors, while my brother could be losing his mind!”
“Yeah,” added George, “or getting locked in a cell in Azkaban, so Scrimgeour can say he’s doing something...”
“I said, that’s enough!”
As the argument raged on, Harry felt himself beginning to panic; he looked at the others, all of whom simply looked scared and anxious. Suddenly, Harry pushed his chair away from the table.
“Harry...?” Brin said.
“I just need a break,” Harry muttered, as he quickly strode out of the room. “Breath of fresh air.”
He opened the kitchen door, and sat down on the back steps, resting with his face in his hands as he took several deep breaths. This is the group that’s supposed to be taking on the Dark Lord, he thought, as his heart raced. We're supposed to save the world, and we can’t even sit around a dining room table without-
“Harry...?”
“Hey.” Harry looked up, and saw Abador Brin standing there. “I’m fine- just needed some air. I guess I'm just tired.”
“Yeah, me too.” The Auror looked down at him for a moment. “Mind if I sit down?”
“Go ahead.” Brin closed the door, and sat on the edge of the steps; they both paused, and listened to crickets chirping, and looked out at the night sky.
“See that?” Brin finally asked.
“What?”
Brin pointed to a section of the sky. “That’s Orion, the hunter: a good omen, considering what we're up to in there.”
Harry looked at it, and nodded. “If you say so- I never was big on Astronomy.”
“Me neither, at first. You should’ve seen my early grades- I thought Sinestra was out to get me. Dumbledore wound up tutoring me for my OWL himself.”
“He did...?”
“Yeah- he knew all about that stuff. The stars; the planets; the craters of the moon...” The Auror spoke in a good imitation of Dumbledore’s voice. “And that one, Abador, is Mare Nubium- one could have a lovely view of the Earth from there, had one the opportunity to see it.’” Brin shook his head, and resumed speaking in his own voice. “He was always saying things like that. Mad as a hatter, as I said.”
Harry smiled. “Still, you’re lucky- I would’ve liked to have done that with him.”
“Yeah- I guess he knew my marks in my other subjects, and thought I had potential.” The Auror looked up at the sky for a moment, then back at Harry. “He and I spent a great many nights on the Astronomy tower, looking out at the night sky; whenever I look at the stars now, I think of him.”
“Yeah,” said Harry quietly; he felt a pang at the mention of the tower.
“I know this is hard for you, Harry,” Brin said. “I know you wish he was here- and so do I. Sometimes, I think he kept Wizarding society together, all by himself.”
“Yeah- and now, he’s gone.”
“And now, he’s gone,” Brin repeated. “He’s gone, and as I said back on the Knight Bus, it’s up to us now. We have to work together as a group- as a team, like a Quidditch team- if we’re going to hold things together.”
Harry laughed bitterly. “Hold things together? Yeah- we’re doing a bloody great job so far.”
“That’s what I want to talk to you about,” Brin replied; he paused for a moment. “This whole thing with Fred and George... well, I can see how it upset you in there. This is an incredibly stressful time for them- for all of us- and even though they’re good people...”
“Yeah,” Harry said; he shook his head. “I feel like everything is about to fly to pieces,” he said quietly. “Like we’re all just kidding ourselves- we’re supposed to be fighting Voldemort, and we can’t even hold a meeting without...” He shook his head helplessly.
“I know,” Brin replied. “Personally, I don’t think it’s quite so hopeless as all that- hell, you’ve faced Voldemort and won more times than any Auror ever born, all by yourself. Besides, we have some damn good witches and wizards in there- even without Dumbledore, I think we have a real chance at this.” He paused again. “Still, it would help if someone could talk with Fred and George... persuade them to stay on track.”
“Someone- you mean me?”
“Well, yes. Arthur’s doing everything he can- but he’s desperately worried about Bill himself. Between being Ministry, and an Order member, and Bill’s father... well, he's stretched fairly thin, and it’s hard for him to keep them under control.”
Harry hesitated. “What do you think I should do, then?”
Brin paused for a moment. “Not much. Just... well, I’m a Ministry employee, and new here; I don’t think Fred and George would trust me on this. You- you’re their friend; they’ll listen to you. If you were to convince them that Bill’s going to be all right, and simply help keep them focused on the task at hand, that could make a real difference.”
“I could try,” Harry said doubtfully. “I don’t know, though; they seem pretty worked up over this.”
“I know,” Brin said. “As I said, I’m not asking you to do much- you could simply... well, perhaps you could tell them that the Ministry has been working on a cure for Bill.”
Harry looked at him in surprise. “Have they?”
“Scrimgeour has been giving Bill’s case a great deal of study,” Brin said. “As Remus pointed out, this is a unique case. I can assure you the Ministry is doing everything they can to understand what’s happening to Bill.” Brin looked at him speculatively. “Still, if you’re not comfortable with this...”
“No; I want to help,” Harry said. “So- I can say that the Ministry is working on a cure?”
“You can say that, yes. You don’t need to make a big deal about it just now; you could simply take them aside and...”
There was a soft knock on the door. “Everything all right?” Charlie called quietly.
“Yeah; we’re fine,” Harry said, as he got to his feet. “Be right there.”
“Think about what I said, Harry,” Brin said quietly, as they walked back inside. “This is all up to you now.”
Everyone looked up as they returned to the table and sat back down. Fred cleared his throat, and said, “My brother and I would like to apologize for the unfortunate disturbance just now, and to assure everyone that we are not, in fact, Death Eaters in disguise.”
“Stunningly handsome disguise though it may be,” George added. “Personally, I think Charlie put something in the coffee.”
There were somewhat forced chuckles at this; Harry cleared his own throat and said, “Yeah- I know we’re all worried about Bill, but I think it’ll be okay.” He glanced over at Brin, who gave a tiny nod of approval.
“Of course it will,” Arthur said.
“Of course it will,” Fred and George echoed; Fred gave Harry a quick wink.
Well,” said Arthur, “now that that’s settled...”
"There's one more thing I wanted to bring up," Harry said, turning to face McGonagall and Moody. "We were talking about this before; you two knew Riddle at Hogwarts- are there any memories you have that we could check with a Pensieve...?"
McGonagall fell silent, hiding her face with her napkin as Moody looked grim. "Yeah," he finally said, "we knew him. So did Hagrid."
There was a pause. "Well...?"
Moody sighed, as McGonagall got up and walked into the kitchen. Harry had stood up to follow her, when Moody caught his gaze and shook his head. "Give her a moment, Harry," said Moody quietly; Harry eased back into his seat. Moody fell silent for a moment, as the rest of the room looked at him.
"Yeah, we all knew each other at Hogwarts,” Moody finally repeated.
“What happened?" Hermione asked.
“Well- she and Riddle... were rather friendly, at one point. I think it still bothers her- although mind you, they were well out of touch by the time the First War came around," Moody said. "Minerva was one of the first people Dumbledore chose for the Order, but... well, I don’t know all the details. She doesn’t talk about it, but I think she feels she didn’t break off all contact as soon as she should have. There was an incident...” The old Auror hesitated. “Right around the time she broke off with him for good, I was dosed with Sticksum Serum- Hagrid, too," Moody said. "You know how when you Obliviate someone, they get all glassy-eyed and such?" They nodded. "Well, this was more subtle than that- it was a potion. Didn't do any harm- but I can't have my memories Pensieved, ever. They're stuck in my head. I can still talk about them, but they can't be examined for details, as you can with a Pensieve." His mouth quirked. "Small wonder I only drink from my own flask, eh?"
"Subtle," Lupin murmured, as Harry took this in. "You wouldn't even know it had been done, until you were trying to Pensieve yourself..."
Moody nodded. "Yeah- he was a subtle one," he said, before turning to Harry. "You don't have to worry about Minerva- Dumbledore cleared her himself."
"Like he did Snape," Fred muttered.
"Enough of that," Arthur said. "I've known Minerva for almost forty years."
"Didn't she almost become an Auror herself?" Charlie interjected. "I seem to remember she worked for the Ministry for a while..."
Moody got to his feet. "Think I'll go see how she's doing," he muttered.
As he walked into the kitchen, Arthur was saying, "Hmm; as I recall, she came into the Ministry about ten years before I did; not sure which department. She left to join Hogwarts when Dumbledore was appointed."
There was a pause. Hermione caught Harry's gaze, and gave him a searching look; Harry looked at her silently, not knowing what to say. For a moment, he found himself thinking of her words about Snape, after the battle at Hogwarts- ‘Evil’ is a strong word...
After a moment, Moody and McGonagall re-entered the room; she seemed to avoid meeting anyone's gaze, and there was an awkward silence as she sat back down. "When I return to Hogwarts, I'll get those files, if I can," she said quietly.
"Yeah," Brin said. "Get files on Riddle; Grindelwald; the Malfoys; Snape; Pettigrew; and Regulus Black, if you can."
"And if there are files of any other known Death Eaters, perhaps those as well," Hermione said; McGonagall nodded.
"And if you could just speak to Mister Filch for us," Fred added, "there are a few items in his filing cabinet which were unfairly..."
"And check the castle's wards, although I'm sure you have already," Moody interjected. "The Vanishing Cabinet was one thing, but I still can't believe Black got in twice; you'd think Dumbledore would remember to ward against Animagi..."
"Constant vigilance..." muttered George quietly; Arthur shot him a look.
"There's one more thing..." Harry said. As best he could, he gave the location where he had hidden Snape's Potions text, in the Room of Requirement.
"Clever of you to hide it there," McGonagall said. "The Ministry has already seized Severus' own papers- and rather forcefully, I might add."
"You might also want to speak to the centaurs," Charlie said. "Don't know they'll feel about helping us, but it couldn't hurt." He quietly reached into his robes, and took out a letter. "And give that to Hagrid, please." McGonagall nodded, her eyes suddenly shining.
"Well," Brin said, "unless anyone has anything else to add, that would seem to be it for the moment; at least we have some avenues of investigation now."
"One other thing we should work on," Lupin said, "is Occlumency lessons for everyone."
"Yes- that makes sense," Brin said, looking at Harry. "There's too much inside our heads now; Scrimgeour won't hesitate at Legilimensing anyone he thinks is hiding something."
Harry nodded. "Will you be doing that?"
"Probably not, at least at first; from what you've described, I don't seem to be associated with the Order. I'd like to keep it that way; it'll probably be Shacklebolt, or Doge."
"And I'll be happy to volunteer myself for Defense teachings, and perhaps Apparition practice as well," Lupin added. "I suspect we'll need all the magic at our command, before long."
AN: While there have been many, many theories pertaining to the Potterverse set forth over the last few years, it isn't always possible to trace the provenance of a given idea, or state with assurance that no one else has bruited a theory you think to be original with you. In general, most of the theories, plot points, and ideas given here are original with me (as far as I know); however, the notion that McGonagall and Riddle dated while at Hogwarts was originally (as far as I know) put forth by the most estimable
copperbadge.