His suddenly hollow eyes were piercing hers, and however not. If she was honest, he looked right through her, just as if she had stopped existing – or he had moved to another world. And still, his expression was familiar to her. Familiar in ways that alarmed her to the point where she should panic. Panic, shout at him, ask him what was going on – while actually not wanting to know. But no shout left her. Only a gargle past the knot in her throat.
“Severus – ”, he didn’t react. “What’s – what’s it that you feel?”, Hermione’s question had received a new meaning within a second. “What’s going on? What’s happening to Harry?”
Startling her, his eyes now flicked off her, past her head, down into the meadow. She too had felt it. Someone had crossed the barrier. Passed the enchantments. Someone who had been granted entry. And another. More people. Confused, Hermione turned around, trying to spot them through the water running down the glass. She could see the shine from the now open door falling outside onto those who had just arrived. It were dozens. Staggering, slouching, some holding on to others, others supporting someone. Now she was even more confused. And even more startled when Severus too leaned closer to the window, so he could see better. Then he was gone and with him banging the door open, also his spells on the room lifted.
Worried to the bones she stormed after him, downstairs, towards the hectic murmurs from the kitchen and Molly’s moaning voice.
“Goodness gracious! Who are you all and why do you – oh my – come, come in – George – Percy – move the table a bit so they can – oh goodness – ”
Hermione nearly crashed into Severus as he had halted where he had before, looking over the scene. Too shocked to do anything, Igor pressed himself into the corner at the bottom of the stairs. As Hermione too looked around, she had to notice that the men and women who had just flooded the kitchen, were of all ages and even crying children were among them, desperate parents or alike meaning to calm them. But what united them, other than the horror or fear in their faces, were their soaking clothes of differently coloured linen, Celtic seeming, adorned with strings of wooden beads or animal bones. Some wore cloaks or furs over their shoulders, but not everyone’s clothes were intact anymore. Not few of them were stained with dirt and blood that the rain hadn’t managed to wash off.
Only when Severus rushed down the remaining stairs, she spotted the two women again who had walked ahead, one held close by the other, her trembling arms pressed to her chest, with her distorting hands free under her chin. From the amount and pattern of the bloodstains on her face, Hermione could tell that someone had been murdered brutally right before her. But what worried her even more, what made her gasp, clap her own hands on her mouth, was that despite all the blood, she recognised the face. Also the face of a chubby yet muscular man that fell into one of the chairs, slackly holding distraught looking twin boys that were clinging to his hips. His ochre shirt had been hit by blood as well. So had his sons’.
“S-Severus – ”
He had already forced one of the blondes onto another chair and a bluish silver flash left the kitchen before he crouched down in front of her, the woman that had supported her, squeezing herself between her chair and the next that now was occupied by a shattered old man with a heavily bleeding wound on the cheek he didn’t seem to notice or bother at all.
“What happened – ”, Severus breathed.
As if on his command; or maybe it had been the split-second presence of a Patronus; everyone fell quiet. Even the children’s cries became chuckling sobbing, while Molly, Arthur and Percy already tried to clean some wounds with wet dish towels. George was trying to find space for everyone, leading people over to the adjacent sitting room.
“They came as friends.”, aspirated Ivory, who hadn’t let go of her friend on the chair. “Wanted to talk to our leader. They claimed to be of another clan. So we let them in. After all they had found our settlement, regardless of the enchantments. Clearly someone must have told them where to find us.”
“Who were they?”
“I – I don’t know.”, she whimpered. “When – when we were all gathered, they suddenly drew wands and with a battle cry that made no sense, started to attack us. Most of us were unarmed or too slow. We tried all we could. But they got more than half of us. Burnt down our huts and tents. They didn’t even spare the kettle. I – ”, turning her head right, onto the other woman, she broke off.
“H-he tried t-to – he tried to kill Dudley and t-the boys – ”, Petunia stuttered, looking right through Severus like he had looked through Hermione not much more than two minutes ago. “I grabbed – an axe – t-that was l-lying – a-around – ”
“I had no idea she’s that strong. She couldn’t lift more than a single piece of firewood, before tonight. But that was a heavy axe. An axe not even I could hold. And she grabbed it and – Severus – when you were done with my brothers, they looked stunning compared to that man when I got to her. There wasn’t much of a body left when I could finally stop her. Still she wouldn’t let go of the axe. Luckily, to be fair. She killed another two with one swing before we could build a chain and Disapparate.”, shaking heavily herself, she lifted her head and turned it around. “Molly – Arthur – I’m so sorry – this was the only safe place I could thin-”
“It’s alright.”
Molly dismissed her, pointing her wand at an obviously dislocated wrist that cracked back in place with a suppressed groan of the owner, right when another man came stumbling through the still open door, stopping in place, clearly overwhelmed by the amount of people as well. Or so Hermione had thought at first. A second look made it clear that he tried to figure who needed his help the most. As soon as he had found his first target; Severus’ face remained on the door; she heard another Apparating onto the grounds. From the deep sigh that left him, she had an idea who it was. Still standing on her stair, she almost counted the seconds until Harry came in. But he wasn’t alone.
Carrying Lily; already way too tall for that; on his arms whose expression mirrored Dudley’s sons, he carefully pushed a third person inside. The three too had been hit by splattering blood. Had they been with the druids for some reason? But they didn’t seem like they had been in the rain for long. Molly yelped, dropping her wand in shock when she saw her daughter who looked even more disturbed than she had had at the end of the Battle of Hogwarts.
“What happened to you!”, Ron moaned and Hermione nearly jumped as she hadn’t seen him standing right below her, by the door to the laundry cabinet.
“The better question is, what happened here!”, groaned Harry, looking around like his wife. “Dudley? Aunt Petunia? Ivory? What’s half of your village doing here and why do they look like they barely escaped a raid? Dad?”
“Because we have.”, breathed the man Molly had treated, rubbing his wrist. “You?”
“We – ”, worried, Harry turned his head at Ginevra.
“I caught Harry when he got off work. We rarely dine out, so I figured I’d take Lily and surprise him. They must have followed us to the restaurant. We were just ordering when they stormed the location and locked us in. They killed everyone who moved or made a sound. Without any warning. Only a – ”
“I tried to stun some,”, Harry carried on, “But Lily – she just jumped onto the table to shield me. It all happened so fast. I – ”
“I just reacted – no idea how many I hit with the slash or if any of them were guests or attackers. I didn’t check. I only grabbed them both and Disapparated. What the heck is happening? What does this all mean?”
“I thought we had them all – ”, moaned Igor, not knowing whom to look at. “None of them left – we were – certain – ”
“We had.”, Severus meant, indeed certainty in his voice. “We got everyone who was branded. But I’m afraid, this is a new chapter; the new generation. And for those, we have to figure a new way of tracking.”
“Tracking – ”, Harry aspirated, straight at his father.
“Yes?”
“Tell me again – how exactly – did Aunt Petunia and Dudley join the druids?”
“I offered her to – ”, Severus’ eyes slowly flicked between her and Harry, that much Hermione could just barely see mirroring in the window front by the sink.
“As a mean of safety.”, she had to confess, she didn’t like his sudden harsh tone.
“As – a mean of – freedom – as a new life – mo chreach.”, now both turned their heads in opposite directions.
“Just like that, yes?”, grunted Harry; Hermione narrowed her brows.
“Hold on.”, she meant to interrupt but was unsuccessful.
“So, you helped her packing, right? She just left Uncle Vernon and Dudley came with her, yes?”
“Not exactly.”, meant Dudley. “Dad woke me with his yelling when she wasn’t there. We found the empty garage. Waited for her to come back. Yeah, he helped packing, but only because we gave away all the stuff. And he was right. We didn’t need any of our stuff in the camp.”
“But you just left, didn’t you? You didn’t tell him where you’d go?”
“Why, yes, of course I told Vernon where I’d go!”, Petunia chuckled upset. “I wanted him to know that I preferred living with druids in Wales over him!”, Severus sank down, coming to sit fully on the floor now, burying his mouth in his hands.
“You told him exactly that?”, Harry groaned, almost conceited. “And you? Found it completely okay to just take off with her? Just like that?”
“I don’t quite understand, Harry.”, Hermione finally could throw in. “Are you blaming him? Are you saying, it is his fault the settlement got attacked?”
“Yes!”, he barked.
“Quite likely rightfully.”, agreed Severus.
“But that doesn’t make sense! And what does that have to with what she said to your uncle when – ”, it dawned on her.
“Yes.”, panted Harry, like a mad horse. “If you excuse me,”, he somehow managed to heave his daughter onto his wife’s arms, “I gotta check something.”, Severus already meant to raise, but Harry imperatively pointed on him. “No, you stay.”
“Dun’ think I’ll le’ ye go alone.”, Severus responded grim.
“You will. Because, you will stay here and help Francis fix what you caused. I won’t be long.”
Spinning fiercely on the spot, he rushed out and Disapparated before any more word could be said. With an angry but also trembling huff, Severus lastly got up and tended to one of the refugees in silence. In fact, not a single word was spoken in the endless seeming minutes of waiting for Harry’s return. Helplessly lost in the situation, Hermione wasn’t the only one who didn’t leave her position. Ron and Igor stayed where they stood as well, merely watching. From her position she still couldn’t see Ron’s face as even where his reflection in the windows would have been, was the towel rack, but she could see Igor’s and wondered what was going through his mind.
Like a scared child, he almost melted with the corner, his arms wrapped tightly around himself, the brooding icy crystal eyes wandering around. He looked frightened but at the same time as though he already made his very own battle plan. Though he must have noticed her stare, as he abruptly turned his head up at her, his lips a wee bit apart. Hermione could feel hers be the same and sadness fill her, which must have been so obvious that it made his lips close and the same expression smote him. Clearly unwilling to look at her for much longer, his focus was back on the people around the table.
That made her understand why Severus could possibly bear him. While he was very full of himself, witty and determined, he was also a goof, as she remembered from occasions, and a very fragile human being seeking for comfort in a big wide world that was everything he was not. He had always been the different child. The strange one. The one nobody wanted to be friends with and Severus related to that so much they bonded over it, yes, even learned to love one other. Igor was much more self-aware in his position as an outcast, much more embracing it than she, and that might have been a contributing factor, Hermione considered. While she still tried to fit in, the man down below had accepted he would never fit in and by it, found a place where he actually did fit in.
“Igor?”, she solely whispered, but in spite of the murmur in their surrounding, he had heard her.
“Yes?”, his head turned up to her again.
“I’m sorry.”
“What for.”, he threw her a haughty pout.
“That I tried to take him away from you.”, Hermione said earnest. “While I should have seen that you’re his perfect match.”
“Thank you.”, Igor puffed, his look back on the other people. “I guess. You too have some merits.”
“Do I.”, she frowned.
“Yes. Too bad you’re a woman. Otherwise I might have stayed for a threesome.”
“Charming!”
And all her surprise about a compliment was swept away in a blink. But something told her that he had only said that to make her stop bothering him in his lonely corner. If she was really honest, that insult was even very similarly constructed like some Severus had dropped in times when he had been annoyed by simply having been talked to while he actually had wished to be left alone. Though now also those of her considerations were dismissed by Harry standing in the door once more.
All eyes on him, his only looked at Dudley. What knowledge he shared with him by looks only, seemed as mysterious as it seemed obvious. Downright as if he had already expected it, a deep sigh left Dudley and his eyes lost focus for staring into nowhere. When he saw that, Severus slowly turned around.
The mix of emotions Harry’s face bore was one of a kind. Pondering, nearly devastated, somewhat determined, with a flicker of still remaining anger.
“They knew I’d go check.”, he said and silence fell. “There was a sign on the inside of the front door. From the looks of it, they got there days ago. Nothing I could do. I’m actually surprised nobody’d gone looking for him. But seeing as he never really got along well with any of his co-workers,”
“Harry?”, Petunia was on her feet, but having a hard time doing so. “Are you talking about whom I think you are? What did – they – do to him?”
“Not in front of the boys.”, he said serious.
“You said something about a sign.”, meant Ron, sounding more definite than curious.
“The emblem of the Ministry, upside down, yes.”
“What do you mean by that?”, Arthur, at the other end of the room, wasn’t the only to prick up his ears even more thoroughly now.
“That means, that however personal and projected on me and my family these attacks were, they turned this into a public matter.”
“Meaning?”, Percy urged.
“Meaning, however rare their appearings are, this time, they’re going somewhere. There had been tries that had remained tries. But this time they succeeded. They successfully attacked and didn’t bother collateral damage at all. I – ”, he nodded, more to himself than any, “I think it’s about time we’ll bring Kingsley into this. A serious meeting is in order. I’m going back to the Ministry to set off the alarm. It isn’t that late at night yet anyway. We need to be prepared and that can’t wait til tomorrow.”
“I’ll come with you.”, said Ron and already walked over.
“So do I.”
“No.”, Harry stopped Hermione however, at the foot of the stairs, where she ignored Igor’s apparent discomfort behind her. “You’re not going anywhere. You’re pregnant.”
“Which I’m not for the first time,”, she huffed, crossing her arms.
“Still. I don’t know – ”
“Don’t be ridiculous. If they had planned any more attacks tonight, you wouldn’t be back here.”
“She’s got a point,”, Ron meant casually.
“Besides, it affects me too.”
“It affects your boss. She’ll get notified by the alarm as well and that should do.”
“Since when do you prefer McGallaham over our Hermione?”, chuckled Ron, Harry said nothing.
“That’s actually pretty sad.”, Hermione continued. “As charming as your care for me is, for a second I did indeed believe we could handle this together.”
“For the nostalgia or what.”, Harry gnarled.
“But if you already don’t want me to join you as a friend, accept my decision as a Ministry official. As you said,”
“Your boss will be there and that shall be enough.”
“My boss is Kingsley and that is hardly enough.”
For a few seconds they just stared at each other, fierce but contemplating, and everyone else stared at them. Then Harry started laughing. His laugh however was cold, downright icy. So angered it actually hurt her personally. Insulted her. And he shook his head in meaningless disbelief, not daring to look at her anymore.
“You’ve been promoted – ”, Ginny aspirated. “When – ”
“Yeah. When indeed. Not that it matters. Not that I’m – only – Head Auror – not that I’d need to know that you’re my superior now,”
“How about `Congratulations, Hermione´? Not that it matters. Seeing as that is all you care about, McGallaham resigned this morning. She said she can’t work for a government anymore in which the Minister himself signs contracts that incommensurate with court decisions.”, the look she gave Harry, didn’t have the effect she had hoped for at all. “That is why I actually came to your office, before you decided to denigrate me without even waiting on hearing what I’d wanted to see you for.”, his laugh was gone in a deflated chuckle to the corner of the dining table. “And as you are, how you already pointed out so well, not only miraculously still my friend, but Head Auror, and despite the reason for her resignation, I meant to entrust you with being my deputy.”, Hermione continued, sadness back in her voice. “Now, I’m not so sure anymore. So much I might actually even need to consult my pillow on the matter.”
“Then, for all the Angels’ feathers sake,”, he looked her straight into the eyes, “Make your pillow your deputy. For all I care.”
“What a brilliant idea!”. Hermione snapped. “It doesn’t bark at me because I care for it!”
“Oy. Stop fighting with him. I thought we agreed that’s what I’m for,”, said Ron but was ignored by the puffing oxen he stood between.
“So it is settled then.”, Severus had joined them, completing the wonky square. “While you three do what your employment contracts command you, hopefully without biting off your heads in the process, I’ll gather the rest of the Order and DA. If you don’t mind. Before they can attack any of those.”
Harry only nodded with a deep breath and turned to leave. The other three on his heels, they walked over the muddy grass, almost to the edge of the barrier, trying to keep a trail of people in fair distance: Ginevra, George, Arthur and even Ivory had decided for themselves to ignore Molly’s protest and followed them. Angelina, who must have eavesdropped from the staircase, was also suddenly there, having a quiet discussion with her husband.
“Don’t tell Aunt Petunia.”, Harry said hushed when he suddenly stopped and spun, making his father almost collide with him. “I have no idea what he’d planned, and it doesn’t really matter anymore anyway as they made all his plans void, obviously very shortly before he could proceed with them, but I found some documents on the bed. Passport, plane ticket, a travel visa for the USA, and he’d packed.”, a deep sigh left Severus and he turned into the night, away from the trio, hands on the hips. “There’s more. He’s sold his share certificates of Grunnings and quit the job. Two years before pension. And there was a sale contract on the house. It was only missing the signature of the agent. I also found an old testament of his, opened, and a half finished new version on the desk. All very odd, but what made me curious is – I never found he was particularly religious.”
“Why would ye wonder ’bou’ tha’?”
“Because he disinherited everyone but wanted to devise that all his remaining belongings would pass on to the parish of Westhumble. What d’you make of that?”
What he really made of it, neither of them would get to know as he Disapparated.
“Fantastic.”, huffed Ginevra. “And where did – wait,”, she reached into the left front pocket of her jeans with a frown, “I guess, we’re off to headquarters then. Looks like I need to lock some doors.”
“Bring Crookshanks into the salon while you’re at it, please.”, Harry grumbled, distorting his mouth. “I lost a hamster sized cockroach in there the other day.”
“If you enlarged it that much, how could you’ve possibly lost it?”, Ron laughed.
“It can match its colour to its surroundings.”
~~#~~
Flickering, trying their best to fill the drab room with warmth, the flames danced in their assigned cove, yet still they were blocked away, by a brooding figure, dark against the light. The candles on the hanging chandeliers seemed as bereft of their power as the big fire. Ten white sticks elegantly balanced a mug, filled with steaming tea that couldn’t give enough warmth either. Not that it was cold per se, it was the general mood in the room that battled against any sources of comfort. Tapping impatiently, fingertips on worn down wood. One after another, came down via the stairs, like drops of water flowing into a bucket. Not one of them spoke a word as they decided for a seat, confused, eager, curious.
At one side of the long table, a lone saucer lingered and as if it was the Holy Grail itself, or wetted with poison, either way, nobody dared to claim the chair by it. Maybe it was however, because nobody wanted to sit in the middle of the two men by its sides. And still, everyone at least once looked at the back of who was holding the matching mug, wondering why they had been summoned. One pair of eyes, belonging to the tapping man, constantly flicked at two ponytails framing coffee coloured skin, crowned with a white and pink bonnet that fitted well to the heavily frilled dress and apron below. A glance under the table resulted in a questioning frown at the kind of shoes she wore.
“What’s your problem, Neville?”, she grunted under her breath.
“Nothin’?”, he shrugged it off, equally quiet.
“To your information, I am working in a Maid Café in Tokyo. I was just heading to work when I got the message. Hopefully I won’t be more than an hour late. That way I can blame it on the traffic.”
“Okairinasaimase.”, snickered Seamus, catching himself quite a nasty grimace in response.
“Shove your Japanese up your bum. I have a feeling it isn’t good enough to reach far anyway.”
“And I have a feeling, that you will be more than an hour late.”, hissed Hannah at Neville’s other side. “Do you hear me complaining that I had to tell the night porter he’s on shift although I gave him tonight off previously? Also where’s Padma?”
“In India. I don’t think she got the message. She’s likely asleep already. By the way,”, she leaned over to Angelina, “Does Roxanne still love cats that much?”
“She does, yeah. Why?”
“Well, if you’d allow her to travel to Japan during Christmas break, there’s something I’d like to show her.”
“Uh – sure! But only if you can take care of Freddie too. He’s hella jealous if she gets something he doesn’t.”
“Fantastic! Then we could also watch the season final of the Island Games.”
“Japanese Quidditch? You got a place for us all to – oh damn. Christmas sales.”
“Nah.”, George grinned. “I’ll ask Ron if he can run the shop for me during the holidays. That should be – ”
“Shush now.”, Arthur hissed.
In had stepped an old man, who took a glance around as he wiped back his long grey mane. Although they had run out of chairs by the insanely long table and some people had to stand, they still managed to create a passage for him. Stopping with his hand on the right shoulder of the one by the fire, he barely raised his voice.
“Looks like I’m last. At least I couldn’t see anyone else coming.”
“Not that they’d fit in here anyway,”, chuckled George, lifting the mood a little.
With a pat, Aberforth turned and sat down on the second-to-last empty chair, at the head of the table, right behind Severus. That resulted in more curious looks being exchanged. Severus however, used the passage they had formed before, to walk back into the middle of the table at the stove side, only fitting between due to his slim figure, where he thoughtfully placed his mug on the saucer. Both hands on the back rest of the crooked wooden chair then, he took a deep breath and scanned the rows with a bleak nod.
“Well then,”, he said softly, with the faintest smile, “As Seamus already was kind enough to say so, welcome back home, everyone.”, Ivory’s flat chuckle gave him some time to sort his words. “You all may have guessed right, that we aren’t here to prepare a surprise for Horace Slughorn’s Hallowe’en party. Also seeing as neither of you is surprised to see me, word must have spread even into the remotest places on earth.”
“Oh come on. Tokyo isn’t that far away.”
“Merely on the other side of the planet, yes.”, Minerva pointed out, smirking over her spectacles and giving everyone a subdued laugh.
“Yes.”, Severus too, smiled woefully, but his smile didn’t stay long. “And regardless you all followed the call. Not bothering how much time had passed. You sit; and stand; here together, what remains of those who fought alongside, about twenty years ago, or even longer. But it was twenty years ago, that I had sworn to myself, and others, that I would do everything, yes, even give my life, as I had in the end, to grant us all a peaceful future. No matter the cost. Now here I too stand, before you, asking each of you and myself, how could I have been such a fool? How could anyone possibly believe that they are able to guarantee such?”
“I mean, you did?”, meant Charlie, a patch of linen covering healing clay on his left cheek. “Who else can claim that they managed to capture and kill about five hundred Death Eaters?”, his eyes travelled between the respective three, agreeing murmurs around.
“And still, somehow, we only scraped the scales off the Hydra. Naturally I’m glad of course, that we didn’t yet cut one of its heads. I hope, you all understand what I imply by that. But now we stand facing the bigger problem.”
“What’re you talking about?”, gnarled Filius Flitwick.
“I am talking about a danger that attempts on our lives. All our lives. Their main goal is of course to kill Harry; so to say, sink the flagship; but they have proven to accept tremendous collateral damage in order to weaken the number of his friends and followers. Even among their own kind.”
“Kamikazes, so to say?”, wondered Dean Thomas aloud.
“Yes. They are ready to give their lives similarly, to server their cause.”
“And what do they call themselves?”, wanted Susan Bones to know. “Or do they even have a name?”
“The Knights of Walpurgis.”
Some of the present escaped a snicker. Others listened attentively. Only the oldest gasped, raising their heads to look at him even more properly than before.
“Quite the ceremonial name, huh?”, grinned Ernie. “But not really frighting, if you ask me.”
“Oh you should indeed be frightened, Mr Macmillan.”, warned Minerva. “To enlighten you all, The Knights of Walpurgis was the name of a secret students’ club formed in the fifties, by Tom Marvolo Riddle. I trust you all still remember or at least can surmise, what became of them.”
“Death Eaters.”, confirmed Katie Bell.
“Yes.”
“And now they are back to the roots,”, continued Severus, “Dispersed, but much more dangerous.”
“How can a dispersed group of people be more dangerous than a unified one?”, chuckled Lee Jordan.
“Because we know nearly nothing about them.”, Ginevra gnarled. “Other than they’re after Harry and all he holds dear, namely, us. Tonight they tried to kill him, me, and three of our children, in public.”, she gave them time to let that sink in, ignoring Severus’ sudden frown. “They nearly got Harry’s aunt and cousin, but eradicated almost an entire settlement of druids in their attempt. And they went after his uncle for information. If that’s not determination, I don’t know. While they may be ruthless, they’re also patient. Their attacks in the past have been random. Seemingly done by lone nutters. But what they had in common, was their battle cry and their fearlessness. They don’t appear to care for anything but their cause. That is what makes them so dangerous.”
“So you say, we should keep an eye open?”
“They say you should grab your buttocks and run.”, grumbled Igor, his arms and legs crossed. “Or fight fire with fire.”
“Is there anything else you know about them?”, Angelina asked, hooking her fingers onto George’s arm; Ginevra looked up.
“What she just said.”, Alastor growled. “They’re unpredictable. And they like abusing symbols. Everyone in their right mind knows that such kinds of groups are the most full of themselves and therefore, require the most caution.”
“Abusing symbols?”
“Their sign is a W.”
“Walpurgis.”, Neville shrugged. “Makes sense.”
“But it isn’t just a W.”, explained Aberforth. “It is the emblem of the Ministry of Magic, flipped upside down. Surprise, surprise, they paint it on doors.”
“So they declared war to our government.”, Arthur understood.
“And you want to know whether anyone of us will fight back.”, added Dean.
“That you came, proves that you are at least valuing some sort of loyalty.”
“I didn’t come out of loyalty.”, Flitwick grunted. “I merely wanted to know what you wanted to tell us and if it’s anything worthwhile.”
“No, I did neither summon you to recruit you, nor to question anyone’s loyalty.”, his hands still on the chair’s back rest, Severus straightened a little more. “I merely wanted to inform you that we are, yet again, facing an uprising civil war, however personal one group’s vendetta may be organised. But the truth is, we know nothing about their organisation. We don’t know who they are, where they are, if they have a base, a leader, multiple leaders or sub-leaders, we can only guess their ulterior goal and we know nothing about their means of communication. These are all things that are vaguely known of us however; a result of our open mindedness at the end of the last war.”
“This place here is safe though, is it?”, Susan panicked.
“Yes.”, Severus assured her, and telling from the sighs, not only her. “I may be a fool, but I’m not an idiot.”
“So you say, in order to fight them, we need to gather information?”, the question had come from Neville. “How d’you think we’d do that? Offer Luna as bait?”, he said dark. “Hoping they don’t take her seriously?”
“Strange. And I believed, you, of so many here, thought better of Luna.”, Severus huffed. “Anyone else wishing to dash a hook through Luna Scamander’s ribs and throw her into the cesspit?”, his scanning eyes clearly made many uncomfortable.
“Where is she anyway?”
“She isn’t here.”, Ginevra leant back, arms crossed. “And if Luna isn’t here, that means she’s on her very own mission. Already. While we are sitting here, doing exactly what any of our enemies would desire. We question our own motives. Congratulations. See how far we’ve come.”
“Not everyone goes playing Quidditch pregnant.”, warned her father. “Do not mistake recklessness for bravery. Let them decide if they’d rather fight for their lives or run and hide. And most of all, none of you, say `let X do the job´. Not if they aren’t here to speak for themselves, anyhow.”
“I’ll do the job.”, silencing the murmur as fast as it had built up, she stiffened, her arms flat on the table.
“I beg you pardon?”, Severus wasn’t the only to frown at her.
“I’ll be the mole. You’ll need a mole. And since three of us killed too many of them to gain their trust, it has to be someone who can gain their trust without making themselves conspicuous.”
“I don’t fully understand.”, mock-ponderingly, he let go of his chair and paced over, now hooking his fingers onto her back rest instead, looking down on her head while she stared straight forward, right between George’s and Angelina’s elbows. “What part of me sparing you didn’t you get, Ivory?”, he sneered, but clearly disappointed. “How suicidal are you?”
“Look. My brothers were Knights. If anyone here can, it is me who can get in contact with them. I can tell them I succeeded at convincing you to let me live. That I played my role so well you showed mercy, and that I can use that to twist you around my finger.”
“She’s right.”, meant Igor. “She’s been there. She might actually be the weapon we need.”
“Very well.”, Severus sighed grim. “But first and foremost, she is still a living, breathing woman, not a weapon. And as I hope, everyone here can see by the sheer size of her belly, there is another we’d have to ask for permitting her suicide mission.”
“There is no one.”, she gargled. “Her father is dead. And I don’t think I will be able to take care of her anyway.”
“Ivory,”
“It is my life, not yours.”, she hissed up at him, striking him with quite the similarity and giving him pause.
“If that shall be your way of gratitude, shall it be that.”, he huffed. “So let me ask you, mole. What will you tell them? If they want to know what our plans are?”
“That you don’t know where to start. Sometimes the truth is the better lie. It will cosy them.”
“And what will you tell them, if they ask who our leader is?”
“That there isn’t one. Free people, don’t follow a leader. But there are nine major departments in the Ministry. As a start, it’ll keep them busy.”
“Hm.”, he smirked, now looking at the distant fireplace again, ignoring Arthur’s heavy blinking.
“Now the question is,”, said Seamus, “Do ya trust her?”
“Oh I do,”, Severus said languidly and bent down, their heads now side by side and he spoke into her ear, however loud enough for everyone to hear. “I trust her to know what she is doing. I trust her to do the right thing. For herself and for us. I trust her digging skills. Mole. Good luck. You have forever doomed your life. I of all, should know. But I hope you know, that none of us can tell you much about our plans now anymore. We will have to leave you wandering in shadows. Because, you must see, the more you know, the more they can hold against you. I trust your acting skills. But not enough to believe you can handle. Forgive me. Ivory. If you all excuse me now, there is something I need to do. You may stay here, for as long as you want. It is Harry’s house and he doesn’t mind. Just do me a favour and try not to – ”, a crunching sound came from a big ginger cat that had just hopped onto the table, “Go looking for cockroaches. Yet.”
~~#~~
“So? What now?”
Now, the image of the sky was gone. Outside the window, sprinkled with only little dots of light, much like a nightsky, laid the grand main hall of the Atrium. Endless rows of dark windows, the lonely statues on the well below guarding. All had returned where they had come from. All but a small group that had followed him on a mere nod. Ever humble, in an emerald robe, Kingsley nearly melted with the plants in the corner he stood in, hands behind the back, patiently waiting. Ron had taken himself a chair by the desk, while Ginny sat in Harry’s, almost like a Viking queen, Hermione thought, with her radical undercut and the long dreadlocks woven artistically, still some blood on her face that she must have overlooked. Only the strappy top over her long sleeved t-shirt gave her away as a twenty-first century woman. Behind her, Harry studied the splashing water in the deep.
“Now,”, he said staid, “We wait.”
“Wait.”
“We wait, watch, and see.”, said Inama, in the other door-side corner.
“I don’t quite understand – ”
“Well, they know that we know. Now we wait and see.”
“Like what.”
“Just like that.”, Ginevra boredly gazed at her own fingernails, encouraging Hermione’s previous thought about her.
“It’s not like we aren’t prepared, Herm.”
When Ron called her like this, she knew he just dropped the sweetening y at the end without any grand reason, but it had been Harry to do so. Something told her that every time he used that nickname, he deliberately referred to her as being as stiff and cold and clueless as a pillar with a bust on top. Still, she shrugged it off.
“Wait what?”
“What indeed.”, said Kingsley. “This has been going for years, hasn’t it?”
“Of course it’s been going for years. They’ve been cautious, but so have we. We tried avoiding alerting everyone for as long as we could. But now that Walpurgis has gone public, we had no choice. We were forced to notice people of their existence so those who we had managed to keep off the radar, can prepare themselves just in case.”
“You waited for the right moment, Harry?”, Hermione’s brows narrowed.
“Yeah!”, said Ron. “What’s the use of panic? It worked out really well until they, apparently, caused havoc. More than usual, I mean.”
“More than usual?”, she shrieked. “About seventy people died tonight!”
“Which is tragic, yes.”, asserted Inama. “No doubt. And I hope you know we didn’t want something like that to happen, but it did. Now we are making the best of it.”
“The best of it.”, huffed Hermione. “And what exactly would that be?”
“Now they think we are vulnerable!”, Kingsley had understood the consequence faster, apparently. “And you hope that by this, they make a mistake!”
“Yes.”, sang Harry, finally turning to them.
“You offered your aunt as bait!”
“Not her, no.”
“You – for Heaven’s sake, Harry! You offered yourself!”
“Not my idea, actually.”
“Whose then!”
“It was mine. And as you see, they took the bait.”
“Ginny! Are you – are you completely mental?”, she couldn’t believe what she’d just heard. “You’re pregnant too! And you took Lily with you!”
“What should I’ve done, according to you then? Left her alone at home? Cut them out and stored them in the sink until I got back?”
“Them?”, Hermione pressed her, but her look confirmed it, “You’re getting twins!”, so did her shrug. “You are completely nuts! And Petunia?”
“I told you!”, snarled Harry. “I have no idea how they found out about her.”
“But Vernon – you said he’s dead and that they – ”, his empty stare made her realise what had actually happened. “Hold on. You – you only said that he’s dead!”
“Actually,”, chuckled Ron, “Harry didn’t say anything about him being dead.”
Her brain, much against her own will, told her that he was actually right. Not a single word Harry had said in The Burrow, or even during the brief chat outside, had explicitly referred to Vernon Dursley as dead.
“You only wanted everyone to believe he’s dead! That’s why you – you said that Severus shouldn’t tell Petunia! You – goodness Harry! You told him what you’d done to get him out of the country, right?”, again, Harry didn’t comment. “Were they even there?”
“They were. They’d really turned the house upside-down. Even left their mark on the door. But, in his case, they’d come too late.”
“Wow.”, she could only aspirate. “Who would have thought. I had no idea you liked him that much.”
“I don’t. But after all that happened when we were kids, you did hopefully notice that I reconciled with Dudley. I’m not carelessly turning him into an orphan just because I never got along with his dad. They’re after my family and he’s my family too, regardless. Sadly we made the mistake to believe Wales was safe. We should have listened to Petunia’s dream and sent her to Scotland. The druids up there got much better means of protection, but Dad feared it’d be too obvious, bringing her closer to where she was born. That’s really about the only thing I blamed him for, if you care to know.”
“And now he’s doing what? Seeing as you’re here,”, her look was back on Ginny.
“Turing on the streetlamps. To limit the number of dark corners.”, the longer she hung in that massive armchair, the more she looked like a warrior queen.
“He’s gathering his army of defected Death Eaters again – ”, Hermione sighed. “At least what’s left of them – they’ll be our spies, won’t they?”
“Wherever and whenever they can.”
“He’s strategically placing his pawns!”
“Why’s that such a surprise?”, laughed Ron. “I thought you knew he likes chess? They’ll be our trusted eyes and ears where we can’t trust anyone.”
“But the Auror Office – ”
“Why do you think, Inama is the only of them in this room right now?”
“Because you don’t trust any of them.”, it dawned on her.
“They’re just getting paid to follow my orders. Not my convictions.”
“That’s sad, you know.”
“It is. Unfortunately, the sad truth.”
“But you trust her?”
“I’d trust her with my life, and you know that is saying something.”
“Okay!”, Hermione nodded from one to the other. “But I hope you trust me, still. And that this little meeting isn’t designed as a test.”
“You think that low of me?”, his frown again resembled his father’s so much her brain reminded her with Arthur’s words to not think what she meant to think.
“You thought that low of me too.”, she casually smirked. “That I just agreed with McGallaham’s decision because I wanted to stand above you.”
“Said who. Other than yourself, I mean.”
“Y-”, no, she had to realise, he hadn’t. “You foul gargoyle.”, Hermione snapped, puffing more at herself than him. “You really are the same wayward, calculating, word twisting beast your father is.”
“What can I say, other than that I’m Edwin the Hunk from Uranus?”, Harry childishly shrugged.
“Oh, my, god.”, she gritted her teeth, trying to show as much disgust as she could, without starting to laugh. “Really? Who told you that crap?”, he only languidly pointed his left thumb at Ron.
“I liked that line,”, that one meant. “Very unique and memorable. Who would have thought what he’d confessed back then?”
That as well, was right. Hermione remembered the exact words he had said in McGonagall’s office. It had been his way to tell them who had made the solution that would allow them to survive underwater. And if one would really say that Edwin the Hunk from Uranus was Harry’s secret name in some stupid spy game –
“Fine. Now that we settled that, is there anything else we can do but going to bed and waiting for any breaking news about Walpurgis?”
“There is breaking news, actually.”, said – the Viking Queen.
“Which is?”
“Ivory’s the mole.”
“Come again?”
“Ivory, is the mole. She’s the closest we know to any Knight, with her brothers having been some. She offered herself, actually.”
“Interesting.”, Harry smirked, causing confusion in Hermione’s head again.
“So she’ll do what Severus did? Infesting the party from within?”
“No. She’ll be our post owl.”, said Harry.
“Wait a sec – ”, Ginevra turned her head, but naturally couldn’t see past the chair, which didn’t matter anyway, as Harry had decided to face the window again. “He knew she’d offer herself?”
“Maybe?”, Ron too now listened up, more than visibly trying to put one and one together.
“Does that mean we have to be careful what we say to her?”, he asked.
“Yes, it does.”, confirmed Harry. “We need to be utterly careful. The more she knows, the more information they can potentially get out of her. It won’t be easy finding the balance to get more information out of her than the other way round. But it’s doable, yes.”
“But he said he trusts her – ”
“What did he really say, Ginevra? What were his words?”
“``I trust her to know what she is doing. I trust her to do the right thing. For herself and for us. I trust her digging skills.´´”
“Now there you go,”
“He doesn’t trust her?”, Hermione wondered aloud. “But he was certain – he spared her from death! They let her live!”
“Look, Hermione, I don’t know why he did that,”
“Oh maybe just because he didn’t want his husband to kill his sister-in-law,”
“I said I don’t know why he did that. But be certain of that; if Dad drags somebody in a room, has them tortured to almost death and then spares them, he does that for only two reasons. One, because he has no other choice. Two, because he has a plan. Is it plain simple? Is it extremely complicated? Maybe both. There is indeed a reason he kept Ivory Burbage alive. I can only repeat that I don’t yet know why. And even if I did, I don’t think I’d tell you.”
“So you say, we should assume everything but nothing until we are certain?”, crossing her arms, Hermione downright drilled her eyes into the back of his head.
“Yes. And we should pay attention. To little details, however minor they are.”
“There is something, if we’re already at it.”, his wife considered, leaning back again, but looking at Kingsley this time. “Dunno if it means anything, but I think I like the idea. If I was – whatever Walpurgis is – ”
“You think there is an actual Walpurgis? A person?”, Kingsley responded.
“Yeah. The idea seems just right. They’re not branded, but they’re the new generation of Death Eaters. They have a leader, I’m sure. But there’s something Ivory said. She meant she could confuse them by hinting that we are the ones without a leader, but that the Ministry has nine departments.”
“Eight.”, both Kingsley and Inama corrected her.
“She said nine. No, no, listen. She said, that would keep them busy.”, Harry clearly scanned the underground hall outside the window again.
“Nine floors – ”, he breathed.
“My thoughts exactly.”, his wife chuckled. “One is the Atrium. Where all runs together. Eight departments, one plane where they all are involved, and one big fat bee queen plopped on top. She knows how they organise themselves. And Dad – ”, her eyes briefly flicked at Ron, “Severus understood that. Much more than anyone else. But yeah, I think, Dad, also noticed the flaw. Their sign is the upside-down emblem of the Ministry. They mirror the Ministry. Eight branches, a ninth consisting of people who are designed to exchange information, and a single leader they refer to. Oh and it’s likely, seeing how much time they’d had, that they have people in all departments of the Ministry.”
“Why didn’t you become an Auror?”, chuckled Inama.
“I prefer beating people on brooms.”
“Do you still ask, why I don’t trust anyone under my nose, Hermione?”
“Before you say it, I’m actually an inch taller than Harry.”, Inama meant.
“Wait what?”
“`Under his nose´,”, grinned Ron, like George would normally.
“Oh shut up,”, she hissed back.
“But how do they communicate?”, wanted Kingsley to know; they all could hear Harry’s breath getting stuck.
“It’s perfectly simple – ”, he whispered then, but immediately raised his volume again. “They are using the most mundane way of communication! One you cannot track!”
“Which is?”
“They just talk to each other! Sure, it takes a while; probably why they didn’t grow as a group in a single night. But as long as you have an unsuspicious coded language that doesn’t have any particular meaning to outsiders, you can meet anywhere and just talk about your plans! And that is why – ”, he paused, but Hermione already nodded, understanding, “Why he went to collect more ears and eyes. Wait, watch, and see.”, the pleased smile was audible in his words.
“Or listen.”, Hermione added.
“Or listen.”
~~#~~