DECEPTION By KnockturnSeller

While the Golden Three were in the woods, other battles were going on around them. This is a look at some that fought to give support to the Chosen One.

Head cannon fires. When the smoke clears a disclaimer banner floats to the ground. "I Don't Own Harry Potter. But I Do Play In The Forbidden Forest."

CHAPTER ONE: BEGINNINGS

"I'm not in this nutter group of yours, this Order of the Phoenix. Just why have you taken me off protection duty? And by just what authority do you have the nerve to do so?" Robert Lynch was angry, glaring at Kingsley Shacklebolt.

Kingsley calmly gazed back. "This is more important than guard duty,
vital though it is to maintain the security of all those innocent people you're helping keep safe," he said. "As to my authority, why, I have none whatsoever." He saw the look of incredulity of Lynch's face.

Blinking a couple times, Lynch frowned and clenched his fists. "I see.
You just thought of some task and decided to take me from my duties? My wife and two kids are at risk because I defied the Deatheaters when they came calling, me and the others. What do you think is more important to me than my own family?"

"The future of the Wizarding world," Kingsley said in an easy tone.

Lynch held back his anger as he scrutinized the man sitting across the desk from him. He gave a snort and said, "This had better not be another of your schemes to storm the Ministry. Seems to me the last time you did that,
only Dumbledore's appearance saved you, saved the whole lot of you he did."

Kingsley didn't respond to the jibe. It was true that Dumbledore had saved them all after the Hogwarts students had gotten into the Prophecy storeroom then out to the Atrium, though it was the Order that had saved the students before that. Dumbledore had sealed their safety, nearly at the cost of his life in battling Voldemort to save Harry.

"There is some truth to that, Robert," he said. "And, yes, I suppose you could say this is one of my schemes, though the overall idea is to help Harry Potter do what he's destined to do. There are very few people that know the prophecy concerning the Potters and I'm not sure I know the whole thing myself, but I do have a fairly good guess as to what it is. More important to me, and to you, is we've figured out what Harry is trying to do.
Have you ever heard of a Horcrux?"

Lynch's eyes went wide for several seconds then got a look of disgust on his face. "You mean He Who Must Not Be Named dabbled in ... in that dark a magic?" He sat quietly for a few more moments then nodded and muttered. "Yes, he would go that far. Murder is right up his alley, especially if it preserved his own life."

Kingsley nodded. "His name is Voldemort, and yes, you understand the implications. We believe that is exactly what has happened and we think Harry is looking for them. Not it', but them. What we have to do is give him the time to find them and figure out how to destroy them. I don't even know how he can do that, he's only seventeen and I'm worried he won't be up to the task. Worse, we have information that Voldemort has sent out nearly every witch and wizard he has to comb the countryside for Harry. He's been living rough, Miss Granger and Mr. Weasley along with him. What we have to do is keep him out of their reach. That's where you come in. You'll be leading a deception campaign to throw all possible confusion their way, make camps to send the Snatchers around the countryside, the further afield the better."

Lynch took a deep breath and let it out in a stuttering sigh. "That is going to be very chancy, very dangerous. I don't know if I'm ready to undertake this one for you. If anyone's caught, it's too much to think about.
That psychopath Lestrange he has with him loves to torture. I don't want to think of anyone ending up like the Longbottoms. That's worse than dying."

Kingsley nodded again. "Yes, very dangerous. The people you choose can only know the minimum amount of information to complete their tasks.
The Muggles have a history of forming underground cells against occupation armies and for revolutions. I propose we use that as a model. Each team member only knows the two others in his cell, the leader only one senior commander. It won't help them if they're captured but it'll keep the rest of the people involved safe. That's a lot to ask of those you'll be leading in this.
Are you comfortable with that?"

Another long breath and deep sigh that ended in a nodding, Lynch's eyes looking off to a blank wall as he considered the risks and responsibilities of his position. "Can't say I'm comfortable, not in the least,
but you tell me this is important. You've never led me wrong and you've never lied, at least not that I could find out. You have a plan then?"

"Yes, more or less," Kingsley said. "The basics and a lot of information,
but I'll need your help fleshing it out. I have some tea brewing in the kitchen. Would you care for a cup and we can discuss plans."

An hour later they were still talking. Kingsley said, "So as I see it, we have to convince them they have valid information though it'll all be false. If we can find where Potter and company are camping we need to guard them,
draw off the Snatchers and make them believe they know where they are and that will never be anywhere close. Keep them guessing and guessing wrong. We know after the Ministry fell, they were warned off ..."

"Oddly enough, by a Lynx Patronus as I heard it. Know anything about that?" Lynch asked with a grin.

"Seems to me, I have a Lynx Patronus," Kingsley said with an equal grin. "After the wedding we lost track of them. We didn't know anything until Ted Tonks reported in. He thought he felt a Repello charm in the forest while he was running with a runaway student and a couple goblins. That information was a week old by the time we got it but it was enough. We have an idea where the general area they frequent is so it'd would be advantageous if we can set a few fake camps to throw them off. Do you think Wales would be a effective place to start?"

Lynch nodded in agreement, saying, "Good idea. I have a few people in Llanelli. Do you have any articles that we can set? Personal stuff?"

"Not really all that much," Kingsley said. "We got to Grimauld Place and gathered as much as we could, the Death Eaters attacked and we barely got out of there. But yes, we have some things that might be useful. I'll get them to you. When you make a camp send word and I can get word leaked to the Snatchers and send them that way. Say a week's occupation? Do a good trample, trails to get water, food, firewood and such. What do you think?"

Lynch nodded. "Should be adequate. I'll set it up so they'll hightail out of there next Thursday, just before sunset. That should keep the opposition occupied, being dark and all. If they bring in the usual gang, they'll run around trampling everything into the dirt. It'll look good, a warm fire and all that, but there won't be a clue where they might have gone."

A frown crossed Kingsley's face. "Is there a way we can leave a map with a few camping spots? Would that send them off in the wrong direction?"

"I just don't know," Lynch said. "We're trying to capitalize on their stupidity and gullibility. As long as it's the second string it'll fool em. If they bring in someone with their wits about them, they might, no, they will winkle it out. They might be in league with Vol ... He Who Must Not Be Named, you got me using his name now. Anyway, they're not idiots, some of them aren't easily fooled. If they bollix up, I hear the penalty is severe. Cruciatis and worse."

"Tough on them," Kingsley commented.

"Pretty cold attitude," Lynch said. "They're still wizards and witches."

"On the wrong side. They made their choice," he said. "They're welcome to come over to our side, some have after seeing what goes on around Voldemort. You also have to keep in mind the ones that stay are the ones ready and willing to murder anyone not with them. Don't put too much concern for their safety into your planning. The more they lose the better."

Lynch shook his head back and forth. "I'm not sure I can be that cold about it."

"Your wife. Half blood, isn't she?" Kingsley asked. "How long do you think she'll be safe? And your children? Keep that image in your head. We may have to be as vicious and willing to kill as they are. We aren't fighting for power over others, but so others can be free. That's the difference, what we're fighting for. No matter how things go, keep that thought in mind first and foremost. What we are fighting for."

Lynch was frowning at first, now he was absently nodding in agreement. "Yes, sometimes I forget that. I'll pass that idea on to my teams, even if it means using dark magic we are fighting for our freedom and our family's lives. They'll know why they are doing what we've asked of them, I'll make sure of that."

"Right. Now, you have a good idea of the teams you'll be sending out amongst the names I've given you, yes?" Kingsley asked.

Once more, Lynch nodded, this time with a grave expression. "I do.
Let's go over them and see if you have any input."

It was six days later and Lynch was stirring the coals of well used campfire. "That about does it, Thompson. Don't bother using water, leave it warm and cozy like for them to find."

"Then what?" he asked.

"I don't know," Lynch said in his best down-country accent. "I get me orders same as you. This is what we's supposed to do so we do it. I want to be in a nice inn with a tankard of beer in front of a warm fire tonight. Let's get this done and get warm. Bloody hell, what they think we are? I'm frozen to me toes."

They trudged out of the woods, Lynch making sure they left a good trail, along with dropping an old hairbrush, then apparated to the nearby town for the promised drink. "You order for us, I got the first round. Got to take care of business in the loo. Back in a mo."

Thompson sauntered toward the bar, Lynch moved around the corner toward the loo until he couldn't be seen and slipped into a closet. His wand raised up and he said the words, sending his patronus off to Kingsley. The Snatchers would know about the camp and raid it, finding what they were supposed to find and report back. By tomorrow the rest of the Snatchers would have the information. Job done. Seeds of confusion sewn.

He used the loo and returned, Thompson, sitting in a chair close to the fire, looked around and held up a tankard, nodding toward another chair.
Lynch took it and sat, putting his booted feet up on a stool to warm them by the flames. "Ah, warmth. Bloody tired of huddling around that charmed fire in a bottle. No way to keep warm, that. Maybe we can spend a few days here before we have to go out again. I'm tired of sleeping on a stiff cot. Give me a good feather bed, I say, and I'll sleep the rest of the week in peace."

"You got that right," Thompson agreed. "Good beer this place has.
How'd you know about it?"

"Been round these parts before," Lynch said. "Just glad I don't have to pay for the rooms. At least the bosses help out there while we're on a job.
Wish they'd send us to Spain or someplace warm like that. But for now, we done our part. I'll get the report out tomorrow after I've had a hot bath and good night's sleep in a comfortable bed."

Lynch raised his tankard. "To good beer, a warm fire and comfortable beds."

Thompson raised his tankard and said, "To good beer and a warm fire.
Drink and be merry I says. To the good life." He took a deep and long drink,
wiped his mouth on his sleeve and said, "Ahhh. Good grog, that."

Lynch smiled, looking to be in total agreement. Inside, he thought of the Snatchers that were, by now, tramping around in the cold woods in the dark and rain, messing the evidence up they'd so carefully planted. Another bit of deception. A small grin came to his face and he raised his tankard once more. "Confusion to our enemies."

"Confusion," Thompson said and took another good swig. "Just glad to be out of the cold. We're doing good, Robert. Doing good."

"If the bosses say we are," Lynch said, "I'd have to agree. Now, I'm off to a hot bath and a good night's sleep. See you at breakfast. Just watch out for folks asking round about things. Don't get drunk and start talking or we'll both end up as guests of You Know Who. Finish your beer and go to bed.
See you in the morning."

He left for his bath and a good long soak, thinking of how nice it would be to get under real sheets and warm blankets. As he got ready to get in bed, a group of rough voices came from the first floor so he cracked his door open to listen.

"I'm tellin' yer, they were there," one loud voice said.

"Yeah, an' I spoze you be wantin' to call the Dark Lord, do yer? You know what happened to Dozier when he thought he found one of 'em."

"Sure, and he's been a git all his life. No loss, that."

"I'd think it be a loss if I was under his eye; you, though, I could stand to see you do a bit a squirmin' under Madame Bella's wand. She wants to be his favorite, got plans she does."

"Don' yer be sayin' nuttin' she might hear. I be as loyal as yer be."

"Jus' sayin' we better be careful what we say. Just report back what we done seen in the woods, let others take the blame what if it weren't what The Dark Lord wanted ter hear."

"Alrigh', alrigh'. Just what we been seein' then. We be afraid our own shadows we keep this up."

"Least wise, we still got shadows and not be inside that bloody big snake a his."

There was a long pause and the first voice went on. "Jus' what we seen. No more. Gotcha."

Lynch smiled to himself as he closed and touched the doorknob with his wand. "Yes, you be afraid of him. Fear makes you weak, makes you make mistakes. Yes. Be afraid you fools. Going to enjoy putting this in my report." A word and the door snicked locked and Lynch went to his bed and got under the covers, relishing the softness of the mattress after days on a cot.

In the morning he knocked on Thompson's door and got a series of grunts and groans when he told him to get dressed for breakfast. He ordered up a plate of eggs and corned beef, sipping a second cup of tea when Thompson showed up looking worse for the wear and sat down, Lynch signaling the waiter for what he'd ordered his partner.

"Sleep good?" he asked with a grin.

"Least wise it was warm." Thompson looked in rough shape.

Lynch smiled. "I'm gonna talk to the barkeep, try to sell him some new dishes. The bosses said to look like a tradesman so I might as well keep up appearances. Finish your breakfast, no hair of the dog this morning, and we'll head back to London."

An hour later Lynch finally gave up the game of trying to sell a complete set of tankards and dishes to an already well equipped inn,
gathered Thompson and took a floo to Llangynin and headed out into the Muggle town. After walking for half an hour through the shopping district,
Lynch stopped and asked, "You see anyone following us? You been looking in the windows and all like I taught you?"

"Well, most the time," Thompson said, his eyes half lidded and looking to be hung over still. "Ain't seen nobody though."

Lynch frowned and said, "I'm depending on you and you're depending on me see, so we both have to keep our eyes wide open when we're on the job. Now, there's a good alehouse I know about down the end of this street.
We can have a pint and head out from there. A witch owns the place and serves Muggles as well as magical folk but do try to keep your eyes open and don't upset the Muggles."

A tall pint and they flooed to Swansea, Thompson taking his leave and heading home, Lynch moving into the town and down toward the water. He wandered idly past the docks and down the beach in the chill wind until he was outside the University, stopping to look out over the sea and over his shoulder all along the way. No one could possibly be watching, not at least where he would be visible so he turned and trotted up to Mumbles Road to the tree line just up from the beach, peeking out in both directions before hustling across the street and into the school grounds.

Shacklebolt stepped out from a tree with a grin. "Use a cup of hot tea?" he asked in a pleasant voice. The two men grinned at each other and headed for the student cafe.

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