Summary: A first war story. As the Order is plunged into a war for which they are unprepared, each must decide where his or her loyalties lie. Follow Marauders, their friends, and their enemies, through a perilous and confusing journey that puts long-standing friendships to the test. Marauder-centric with featured periphery characters.
Categories: Marauder Era Characters: None
Warnings: Violence
Challenges: Series: None
Chapters: 3
Completed: No
Word count: 5219
Read: 3834
Published: 07/29/15
Updated: 09/04/15
1. Prologue: Assignment by starscribe
2. Chapter 1: Reunion by starscribe
3. Chapter 2: The Order by starscribe
Prologue: Assignment by starscribe
Author's Notes:
All characters and content of the Wizarding World belong to the incomparable JKR. (Long may she reign).
Dim lamplight pooled over the slick asphalt, casting a sickly glow in the street that threatened to spill into the shadows between the darkened buildings that flanked it. Tucked away in an alley, a lean man in a threadbare cloak flattened himself further against the wall, as though the weak illumination might suddenly leap over the dented dustbins and expose him.
The street was absolutely empty. A November chill lent an unpleasant bite to the dampness, somehow making everything look sharper. Silence hung thickly, not even the persistent hum of London nightlife could penetrate the waiting tension. Subtly, the man shifted his hand, and the tip of a wand lifted through the shadows. He tensed, bracing against the grimy cement at his back. Any moment now.
A tiny noise made him spin around, wand up and a curse ready on his lips. An almost inaudible bark of laughter sent relief crashing through him.
–Padfoot,†he hissed, struggling to recapture his breath. –I could have killed you.â€
Sirius Black grinned, his white teeth gleaming in the shadows. –Not a chance, Moony,†he breathed. –You’re far too principled for cold-blooded murder.â€
Remus Lupin glared, though he was fairly sure Sirius couldn’t see his face. –That,†he whispered, –was foolhardy in the extreme. How in Merlin’s name did you even get back here?†His eyes raked the darkness behind Sirius where the alley stopped dead against the brick wall of a building. He hadn’t heard anyone Apparate.
–Window.†Even in a whisper, Remus could hear the smugness in his friend’s voice. –The back house is deserted; I just climbed through. Of course, my masterful Silencing Charm enhanced my stealth.â€
–And modest, too,†Remus muttered.
–Hey, we chatting or working here?â€
–Right.†Remus quickly returned his attention to the street. He felt Sirius move up silently beside him. –Why are you here, Padfoot?†he hissed, so softly he barely felt the breath leave his lips. –I thought you and Fabian were checking that warehouse in Bath?â€
–We were. Moody sent word; he thinks someone tipped the Death Eaters off that we were coming. Didn’t want us walking into a trap.†Remus could almost hear Sirius rolling his eyes. –I think the nutter’s paranoid, but I wasn’t complaining. I figured you’d appreciate some backup.â€
–Perhaps some quiet backup,†Remus murmured.
–Right.†Sirius lapsed into silence. For several minutes, they simply watched the street before them. Remus was beginning to pick out the tiny sounds that were the only hints that the street was alive. The dripping of the evening’s rain from a gutter. The whine of a breeze through broken windows. The skittering of rats. Wormtail’s compatriots, Remus thought, with an inner smile. He began to note the shape of shadows in the derelict buildings opposite him, tracing the contours of darkness with his eyes.
–Charming locale, Remus,†Sirius hissed. –You can really pick them.â€
–I believe the Death Eaters ‘pick them,’†Remus began to protest, but something made him stop. He felt Sirius go completely still, frivolity instantly expelled from his friend’s body. Both of them strained to catch the insignificant noise that had sounded so foreign on the quiet street.
With narrowed eyes, Remus searched the street as far as he could see for any sign of change. What had he heard? He squinted at the shadowed alley opposite them, again seeking the now-familiar lines of innocuous shadows. He couldn’t seem to tell them apart.
–Lights,†Sirius mouthed at his ear, at the same time that Remus realized what was wrong. It hadn’t been a noise that had alerted them. His eyes flicked to the street, a dimmer yellow than it had been moments before. Then it was darker and darker still, as each of the lights on the deserted street was slowly snuffed into blackness. Remus shut his eyes tight and reopened them, trying to force them to adjust faster.
Footsteps broke the silence, and soon three cloaked figures insinuated themselves into the shadows, walking slowly. Neither man in the alley moved.
–No one here,†murmured a man’s voice. He sounded tense, agitated.
–He said he would meet us,†growled a second, a threat implied in his voice. –Your brother told him the signal, right?â€
–Of course,†snapped the first.
–If we don’t get the information tonight…â€
A prickle of unease stirred in Remus’s stomach. His briefing had said nothing about a liaison. Emmeline Vance had only just discovered this afternoon that three Death Eaters were to meet on this street tonight, and with only Remus available to send, Dumbledore had strictly forbidden combat. This was a listen and learn operation.
–Maybe something happened…†muttered the first voice uneasily.
A third voice, a woman’s, spoke up for the first time. –And maybe something will happen if he is not here in the next three minutes.â€
Remus felt Sirius stiffen; the woman’s cold, aristocratic tones were familiar to both men. A wand tip flared suddenly, aiming a thin beam of light down the street past their line of vision, and Remus tensed, ready for action should the light swing in their direction.
–Put that away!†snarled Bellatrix.
–Just checking,†sulked the second voice. –Don’t trust this one. I want to see his face when he gets here.â€
–The Dark Lord trusts him, is that not enough for you?†Her tone was positively icy. Clearly the second man perceived the danger, as the light was extinguished with a hasty –Nox.â€
–Did either of you check this street for spells? Or eavesdroppers?†Bellatrix demanded abruptly.
There was a deeply uncomfortable silence; it appeared neither of the other Death Eaters was willing to point out that the oversight had been Bellatrix’s as much as theirs.
Remus sensed, rather than heard, Sirius lean in until his mouth was at Remus’s ear.
–Party time.â€
–Wait…†Remus breathed. He was curious, hoping to catch the name of their correspondent.
–Until they find us? Till there are four instead of three? No thanks. Dibs on Bellatrix.†Then, without further warning, Sirius leapt forward, red light erupting from his wand and streaking across the street like a flare from Hell.
Remus was right behind him, as of course Sirius had known he would be.
End Notes:
Buckle up, Bette Davis. It's going to be a bumpy night.
Chapter 1: Reunion by starscribe
Headquarter’s tiny kitchen was very quiet, given the number of people jammed in there. Dorcas Meadows sat on the counter in a corner, nervously twirling a stray strand of her curly dark hair around the tip of her wand. Sturgis Podmore leaned against one wall next to Elphias Doge, who periodically attempted to relieve the tension by regaling Sturgis with tales of his Hogwarts days, none of which seemed to relate to anything in particular and all of which ended rather quickly, as no one else was talking. Dedalus Diggle wandered aimlessly, dropping his top hat with irritating regularity and making Minerva McGonagall purse her lips. Hagrid was crammed into a corner between Caradoc Dearborn and the Prewett brothers, trying not to move for fear of inadvertently squashing anyone. In fact, considering that there was hardly a square foot of space left unoccupied, it was remarkable that the little room felt as empty as it did.
James Potter was only too aware of the fact. He drummed his fingers against the scrubbed wooden surface of Alastor Moody’s crowded kitchen table. From time to time he glanced over at Benjy Fenwick and Marlene McKinnon, who sat opposite him. Both of them looked exhausted, having just returned from a two-day stakeout in Surrey. From the looks of things, they had been unsuccessful. Benjy had started to comment when they first arrived, but Marlene had silenced him with a look. Both of them respected Moody’s insistence on waiting until everyone was present to make reports.
Truthfully, James could not be less curious at the moment. He and Lily had arrived for the meeting to the alarming news that Remus was late returning from his mission, and on top of that, that Sirius had gone to join him. Nearly everyone else who was supposed to be here tonight was, and the nervous energy was driving James crazy. He twisted reflexively to look for his wife.
Lily Potter was leaning against the sink, her long, dark red hair hanging loose down her back. One hand brushed absently across her belly. James felt a twist of anxiety. It had been barely a week since they had discovered she was pregnant, and James was only just starting to realize what that meant. He focused on her other hand, which was wiping a dishcloth over the already spotless counter. In fact, Headquarters had begun to look more and more livable since Lily came along. A tiny old house tucked discreetly away in the outskirts of Bath, it had been in Moody’s possession for years, unused and charmed into virtual nonexistence as far as Muggles were concerned. An ace in the hole, Moody had explained, saved for a rainy day. He had been unbearably smug when he had handed it over to the Order of the Phoenix for headquarters. Naturally, he had neglected to keep it up, but Lily had seen to that, scrubbing and dusting away in the hours she was forced to wait here. James had long since observed her tendency to clean when worried. Since the times when they were not worried were dwindling with depressing rapidity these days, both Headquarters and their home flat were positively immaculate.
She smiled at him now, in that way that always made his heart do a little flip. He knew she was trying to reassure him, sensing, as she always did, when he needed it.
–Don’t worry,†she murmured, coming to stand behind him. –I’m sure they’re fine. You know Remus likes to be especially thorough.â€
–Mmm, and I know Sirius likes to be especially impulsive,†James fretted.
–Maybe they’ll balance each other out,†suggested Benjy.
A sharp huff came from the corner near the fireplace, and Alastor Moody glared out at them. –Maybe if certain people had thought to check in at Headquarters before haring off on unassigned missions, we’d know a little more.†He fixed a beady gaze on Fabian Prewett. –Or if certain other people had stuck with their original partners—â€
–Oi, it’s not my fault!†Fabian yelped indignantly. –I’d like to see you stop Sirius when he has a mind to do something!â€
–It’s a good thing he did,†James overrode Moody before the Auror could protest. –Obviously Remus ran into more than he bargained for, or he’d be back by now.â€
For the first time Moody looked worried. –Yeah,†he muttered, rubbing his grizzled chin, –I suppose you’re right at that. I thought about going over myself, but I don’t want to give them away if they’re hidden. Best wait a bit longer.â€
–Dumbledore will be here any minute,†Marlene spoke up. –Maybe he knows something more.â€
At the mention of their leader, the atmosphere in the kitchen eased a little.
–Hey, Moody, what did Dumbledore want us all here for anyway? Bit grim-sounding, he was.â€
–You mind your own business, Gideon Prewett. Dumbledore will tell you when he’s good and ready.â€
As though on cue, green flames bloomed in the fireplace, and the tall, thin form of Albus Dumbledore himself spun into view and stepped gracefully out of the hearth.
–Dumbledore!†several people cried. James and Marlene both bolted to their feet, and Dorcas jumped down from the counter, almost flattening Dedalus Diggle in the process. James, Fabian and Benjy all started talking at once.
Dumbledore held up his hands, motioning for quiet. His light blue eyes looked solemn behind his half-moon spectacles. –One at a time, please.â€
–It’s Remus and Sirius,†James began at once. –they’re four hours la—â€
But at that moment there was a fantastic shower of green sparks from the recently vacated fireplace. Dumbledore and Moody hastily stepped aside as a large, ungainly figure was forcibly disgorged, along with a colossal amount of ash, onto the flagstone floor. For a moment everything was very confusing as the figure flailed about like a beached porpoise. Then—
–Ouch!†the thing shouted. –Remus, you great git, that was my face!â€
–Perhaps if you would remove your knee from my neck—â€
–Gerroff my arm!â€
James felt weak with relief. The soot settled, revealing the hopelessly entangled forms of Remus Lupin and Sirius Black.
At once a great cheer went up from the rest of the Order, and there was a unanimous movement to converge on the two. James bounded around the table, stumbling over Moody’s foot and elbowing aside Edgar Bones in his haste. Sirius had managed to yank his arm out from under Remus and roll to one side, leaving Remus free to rise unsteadily to his feet. James reached out to give Sirius a hand but jerked it back almost immediately.
–Sirius!â€
–S’all right mate,†Sirius blinked up at him. –Almost half this blood isn’t mine. I am a mite dizzy, though. Remind me how to get up, will you?â€
There seemed to be blood everywhere. A huge swath of it bloomed down the front of Sirius’s robes; more drenched his sleeve from a vicious slash across his shoulder, and he was sporting a nasty head wound that had the left side of his face streaked in crimson, mingling with black soot. Remus had hardly fared better. A spectacular bruise was forming around his right eye and half his forehead, he was moving with a decided limp, and his left hand seemed to have shriveled into something resembling a burnt prune.
–A Confundus Curse grazed him right at the end there,†Remus muttered to James as James and Edgar each took an arm and hauled Sirius to his feet. –It should be nearly worn off by now, though. That’s part of the reason we’re late—didn’t want to travel while he was still seeing double.â€
–I was not seeing double,†Sirius protested in dignified tones. –I was merely under the unfortunate impression that your head was a tea kettle.†He grinned at Marlene McKinnon, who looked as though she was fighting tears. –Miss me, Marlie? I tried to bring home a Death Eater for you but I didn’t know what kind you liked—â€
–That’s enough,†barked Moody. –If you two aren’t seriously hurt, get yourselves cleaned up and meet the rest of us in the living room. It’s risky enough having this many of us here at one time, let’s get this meeting going. I’ll deal with you later,†he growled privately to Sirius, who raised one bloodied eyebrow.
–Thank you, Alastor,†smiled Dumbledore, wiping the soot from his spectacles. –Perhaps Alice would be so kind as to tend to Remus and Sirius; I should like to send a quick message to Aberforth before the meeting commences. Is everyone else here?â€
–Peter isn’t,†James suddenly remembered. –But I talked to him earlier today. He’s visiting his sick grandmother in Liverpool—I expect that’s held him up.â€
Moody sighed. –Anyone not on assignment has no excuse for being late,†he grumbled.
Sirius snorted. –He probably just botched the Apparition and got lost again.â€
–I’ll send him a Patronus,†James said quickly.
–Very well,†Dumbledore said, forestalling further discussion. –Now, if we can get down to business, as they say.†With a wave of his wand, the layer of soot and ash was quickly siphoned from the floor, the hearth, and everyone standing within a six-foot radius. –There.†He nodded at Alice Longbottom, who was working her way over to the fireplace. –That should make your work a bit easier.â€
Led by Dumbledore, the rest of them trailed out of the kitchen, casting many a curious glance behind them. Lily stayed to help Alice. Always good friends, the two had been utterly inseparable since they had both realized they were pregnant within a day of each other.
James lingered too, wanting to stay and make sure his friends were all right. He wasn’t unduly concerned about Peter—Wormtail had enough of a record for absentmindedness that a late arrival wasn’t uncommon. He watched as Alice, who had a gift for basic healing, quickly mended the worst of the wounds. Her husband Frank stayed too, under the pretext of relaying trivial Order happenings, but James knew he just wanted to stay near Alice. James completely understood the feeling. Lately he hated letting Lily out of his sight for even a moment. Knowing he was to be a father had re-colored everything James knew. He was thrilled, certainly, but there was no denying the dominant emotion at the moment was anxiety. It was bad enough living in the thick of the Wizarding war—knowing Lily would be an easy target for Death Eaters and that they would soon have a child to protect increased his fears tenfold.
He sent Peter a message via Patronus, feeling a little annoyed with his friend for being late. He’d had enough people to worry about tonight.
–Prongs, you’re brooding. Everything all right?â€
James turned to see that Sirius, clear-eyed and patched up, had appeared silently at his shoulder. Alice and Lily were still debating how best to restore Remus’s hand to its natural state, with Frank chipping in.
–It’s the baby isn’t it?†Sirius pressed shrewdly.
James shrugged. –Guess it’s been on my mind a lot lately.â€
–It’ll all be fine,†Sirius said with unexpected gentleness. –No one can lay better protective charms than Dumbledore; Godric’s Hollow is going to be a fortress. Then you won’t have to worry when you have to leave her at home.â€
James forced a smile. –Lily will hate that, being cooped up with nothing to do.â€
–Well, she’ll be busy again soon enough.â€
–That’s what’s really got me scared.â€
–Talking about the baby?†said a low voice behind them.
James turned to see Remus, both hands intact, watching him closely. Frank was escorting Alice to the living room, Lily trailing behind. –Hey Moony. Yeah. Seems like we just keep getting more to lose.â€
A wistful smile crossed Remus’s mild features. –Thank goodness we do.â€
Sirius clapped James on the shoulder. –Don’t worry, mate. The whole Order’s going to be looking out for those two. I was talking to Andromeda the other day, and she knows some really excellent spells you can use to track your baby at all times. I reckon we could even modify them to—â€
But how Sirius intended to modify them James never knew. For the third time in the past half hour, green flames burst to life in the fireplace, and Peter Pettigrew lurched into the kitchen.
–Sorry I’m late,†he gasped, brushing the ash hurriedly off his robes. –Got lost.â€
Sirius grinned. –Well, look at this. It’s a Marauders’ reunion.â€
And James smiled too, genuinely this time, happy to have his best friends together again.
Chapter 2: The Order by starscribe
Peter fought the urge to squirm. He was certain Professor McGonagall (Minerva now, he reminded himself), knew nothing, but the way her perspicacious gaze kept flicking in his direction him uncomfortable.
She’s just miffed at me for being late, he told himself firmly. Nothing to worry about.
He was too jittery. To distract himself, he looked around the room. Headquarters’ living room wasn’t much bigger than the kitchen, and every available seating space was crammed with people. In contrast to Peter’s anxiety, there was an atmosphere of almost giddy relief in the room. It was always thus when the majority of the Order was able to be together. Unanimous survival was tantamount to outright victory these days. At the moment, Marlene and Benjy were explaining to Dumbledore and the others how they had waited forty-eight hours outside Nott’s heavily protected home. Though they had determined that he was, without a shadow of a doubt, a Death Eater, they had been unable to apprehend him, learn any further names, or discover where he was going next. He had Apparated safely from his doorstep this afternoon.
Peter, of course, knew all this, so he felt comfortable letting his mind wander for a few minutes. He snuck a covert glance at his three friends, squashed together on the lumpy couch next to him. Although, he remembered with a slight jolt, he could no longer really count them as friends. Since agreeing to spy for the Death Eaters, Moony, Padfoot and Prongs had officially become his enemies. How…strange. This was the first time he had been with all of them together since betraying the Order. It was going to take some getting used to.
Remus, immediately next to him, noticed his gaze and frowned. Leaning in to Peter’s ear, he murmured, –Everything all right, Wormtail? You’re awfully quiet tonight.â€
I’m always quiet, Peter thought resentfully. But he whispered back, –Fine.â€
Remus was going to be the hardest to fool.
Despite his immediate apprehension, Peter felt more secure than he had since being inducted into the Order, really since the outbreak of the war. He had lived in constant fear, trembling at each horrific tale of the Death Eater’s victims, flinching internally whenever he heard the name his companions seemed to throw about with ease. The Dark Lord had been an ever-present force in his life. Now he had become a part of that force. Trusted by his talented, erstwhile friends, protected by an unstoppable unit of Dark wizards, Peter was probably one of the safest people in the Wizarding world.
Naturally, he hadn’t had the nerve to approach the Death Eaters himself, but the decision had been shockingly easy when the offer came. Peter had always known he didn’t belong in the Order of the Phoenix. Just as he had long since concluded he never belonged in Gryffindor House. Out of habit, he had followed his school friends into their dangerous new occupation. In a rare moment of intuition, Peter realized that his path had probably been cemented long ago, from the early days of the Marauders’ induction.
He remembered the night in stark detail. James and Sirius had been on assignment with Minerva McGonagall and Carlon Podmore, Sturgis’s elder brother. It was the first really perilous mission they had undertaken, and Peter (having returned from a less hazardous assignment) had been waiting in Headquarters’ kitchen with Hagrid, Marlene and Remus when first James, then Sirius and Minerva, had come whizzing through the fireplace. Carlon never appeared.
The battle wounds had been stomach turning, but it was their faces that had been seared into Peter’s memory. Actual tears trailed down Minerva’s cheeks as she told Hagrid how they had been ambushed, Carlon getting cut off from the rest and going down even as the other three desperately tried to duel their way over to him. James had vomited right there on the flagstone floor; Sirius had barely spoken a word to anyone for days following. Most of all, Peter remembered realizing with cutting clarity that his friends, whom he had always thought so brave and invincible, could no longer protect him. Not in this world.
Now, looking at the wizards and witches surrounding him, Peter marveled that he had made it almost two weeks as a Death Eater without giving himself away. There was a kind of thrill in knowing he was one step ahead of wizards like Dumbledore, Moody and McGonagall. Peter had never been one step ahead of anyone in his life. He drew strength from this fact as he surveyed the room, mentally searching for details that might later prove useful. It was like a game.
Edgar Bones was directly opposite him, quietly sitting in a straight-backed chair across the room. His thoughtful, introspective face lent him the look of a poet, but Peter knew his keen judgment and decisiveness in emergencies made him a dangerous adversary. Next to him, curled in a moldering armchair, Dorcas Meadows was listening to the discussion with intense focus. A practical, soft-spoken young witch, she was a surprisingly fierce dueler and valuable asset to the Order. Peter had long suspected she rather fancied Remus, though the latter showed no signs of reciprocating those feelings. Still, it was an interesting angle to keep tucked up his sleeve.
But his attention was suddenly diverted, for Dumbledore was now asking Remus and Sirius to report.
Remus took over, thoroughly detailing their experience (with helpful elaborations from Sirius). Peter focused on keeping his expression casually interested. That had been a close call. He had arrived for his rendezvous with Bellatrix, Rabastan and Crabbe tonight to find them in the thick of battle with his two old friends. Prudently, he had waited in rat form until the coast was clear to go and make his excuses to the other Death Eaters. This had taken quite a bit of maneuvering, but eventually he had pacified them with information about the Order, including the juicy tidbit that both Lily Potter and Alice Longbottom were pregnant.
–They were supposed to meet someone else? You have no idea who?†Dumbledore was asking. Peter felt a twinge of anxiety.
–I’m afraid we didn’t catch a name,†admitted Remus.
Moody snorted. –You mean Black jumped the fight before you could find out.â€
–Alastor,†warned Dumbledore.
–They were about to cast hominum revelio!†Sirius protested indignantly. –Have a little faith.â€
–That’s true,†Remus affirmed placidly. –We waited until the last possible second. And if Sirius hadn’t been there to fight alongside me, I probably wouldn’t be here now.â€
Moody huffed quietly, but his gaze softened. –Fine. So you dueled them. Did they see your faces?â€
–I was disguised,†said Remus.
–And it didn’t matter for me,†Sirius added.
–Beg pardon?†growled Moody, bristling again.
Sirius smiled tightly. –Bellatrix would have recognized my dueling style.â€
There was a brief moment of uncomfortable silence. Peter knew how much Sirius hated alluding, even obliquely, to the fact that he was technically related to more than one Death Eater. Almost as much as Bellatrix and Regulus hated any mention that they shared blood ties with the Order. Another interesting dynamic of the strange situation he in which he found himself.
–Indeed,†said Dumbledore. –Well, since there were no captures and everyone has emerged relatively unscathed, I believe it is time to hear the rest of the reports. Emmeline, if you would be so kind?â€
Peter listened closely to the rest of the reports, mentally noting who knew or suspected what, weeding through old news and useful information, all the while keeping careful control of his reactions. He paid especially close attention when Dumbledore began delegating tasks. Usually discreet, almost secretive, when it came to handing out assignments, Dumbledore was at times compelled to coordinate groups. Peter thought he looked rather tired.
–…so Dorcas, Marlene, Sturgis and Frank will be responsible for tracking the LeStrange brothers. We believe that will take them east?†He glanced over his half-moon glasses at Remus and Sirius.
–It’s only a guess,†Remus shrugged apologetically. –One of the men mentioned a brother, and as Bellatrix was present we assumed it was either Rodolphus or Rabastan.â€
All eyes turned to Sirius, whose mouth tightened almost imperceptibly. Peter suppressed the familiar twinge of irritation. What an utter waste. If he’d had a family of such renown, he wouldn’t be whinging about it.
–I’m fairly sure it wasn’t Rodolphus, but I couldn’t tell much else,†Sirius replied reluctantly. –They had those bloody hoods on, we never saw their faces.â€
–You didn’t recognize his voice?†The query came from Sturgis.
–Well, one would think I would, considering those lovely long chats we always have, but then his dulcet tones may have been distorted by screaming curses at me.â€
James fell prey to a sudden fit of coughing that Peter knew disguised laughter. Remus elbowed Sirius discreetly. Sirius sent a conciliatory smile Sturgis’s way, softening the sarcasm.
–Er, that is, no, I wouldn’t recognize his voice.â€
McGonagall’s mouth thinned. –Perhaps we can move on.â€
Dumbledore smiled into his beard. –An excellent idea, Minerva. Now, I believe an immediate priority should be to concentrate our efforts within the Ministry. As you all know, there is circumstantial evidence that one or more Death Eaters have infiltrated the Ministry and are spying from the inside.â€
Hagrid snorted. –Bet it’s that Department of Mysteries bloke that was actin’ shifty when I went to apply for a doxy breeding license. What’s his name. Rookwood.â€
–However as we have no incriminating evidence,†Dumbledore continued, –we will have to send in some spies of our own. I believe our best chance may be next week, when the Official Gobstones Club is due to lobby the Ministry. There will be plenty of...er, colorful characters; blending in should not be too difficult.â€
Peter felt a flicker of unease. The Dark Lord valued his Ministry spies greatly, and if Peter had inferred correctly from Death Eater gossip, Hagrid’s guess was right on the mark.
Dumbledore was still speaking. –James, I believe you have an uncle who works in the Ludicrous Patents Office? Perhaps you and Remus?â€
–Lupin can’t†Moody interrupted suddenly.
Dumbledore raised an eyebrow. –Has he another assignment?â€
–No, but it’ll be that time of the month, won’t it?â€
Dumbledore’s expression cleared at once at the reference to Remus’s lycanthropy. –Ah. Of course, how inconsiderate of me. You’ll have to pardon me Remus, I’m afraid my age is showing.â€
Remus’s mouth twitched. –Moody makes the matter sound more menstrual, less monster.â€
There was general chuckling, and the uncomfortable mood was eased. Peter saw James lean in to mutter in Remus’s ear.
–Worst PMS ever.â€
Sirius snickered. Remus just smiled. More of the same, Peter thought, out of habit. He had never been able to manage the easy teasing that seemed to come as second nature to the other three.
–If you can delay it a week, I’m due to check in with the Werewolf Registry. But I’ll need at least one more besides James. Two obligatory witnesses.’
–I’ll go,†Sirius volunteered at once.
–I will too,†Peter said quickly, internally cursing Sirius for beating him to the punch. –That way, while you two are tied up being witnesses, I can have a look around,†he justified.
–That’s a very good idea, Peter,†Dumbledore approved. –Very well then, we’ll wait. Perhaps we shall make it a monthly appointment. I doubt very much we will be lucky enough to gather all the information we need the first time around. You four can be in charge of that.â€
From the corner of his eye, Peter saw McGonagall suppress a wince. She still seemed to feel that the four of them were a dangerous combination. Little did she know where the real danger lay.
–Sounds like a plan,†Peter smiled.
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