The kitchen of the Burrow was so crowded that it was difficult to maneuver knives and forks. This was largely because the Weasleys were joined by Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and several members of the Order of the Phoenix.

Harry found himself crammed beside Ginny and, having broken up with her a few months previously in an attempt to protect her, he found the seating arrangement very awkward. He was trying so hard to avoid brushing her arm he could barely cut his chicken.

"No news about Mad-Eye?" he asked Bill. Mad-Eye Moody had been killed a very days ago when they were ambushed by Death Eaters while trying the get Harry from his aunt and uncle's house.

"Nothing," replied Bill. "The Daily Prophet hasn't said a word about him dying, or about finding the body. But that doesn't mean much. It's keeping a lot quiet these days."

"And they still haven't called a hearing about all the under-age magic I used escaping the Death Eaters?" Harry called across the table to Mr. Weasley, who shook his head. "Because they know I had no choice or because they don't want me to tell the world Voldemort attacked me?"

"The latter, I think. Scrimgeour doesn't want to admit that You-Know-Who is as powerful as he is, nor that Azkaban's seem a mass breakout."

"Yeah, why tell the public the truth?" said Harry, clenching his knife so tightly that the faint scars on the back of his right hand stood out, white against his skin.

"Isn't anyone at the Ministry prepared to stand up to him?" asked Ron angrily.

"Of course, Ron, but people are terrified," Mr. Weasley replied. "Terrified that they will be next to disappear, their children the next to be attacked! There are nasty rumors going round; I, for one, don't believe the Muggle Studies professor at Hogwarts resigned. She hasn't been seen for weeks now. Meanwhile, Scrimgeour remains shut up in his office all day: I just hope he's working on a plan."

"What about Mrs. Petrroci?" Harry asked. "She always stood up to the Minister in the past. What's she doing now?" Antonia Petrroci, the Italian ambassador to England, was infamous for her fights with Fudge, the previous Minister for Magic, and now with Scrimgeour.

"Ah," Mr. Weasley said, laying down his knife and fork. "That's right, you know Isabella, her daughter. Well, Antonia Petrroci didn't come into work one day. When they went looking, the house was empty."

"What do you mean, 'the house was empty'?" Fred demanded, leaning out over the table to look at his father, George copying the movement. The twins had always had a soft spot for Isabella.

"I mean, it appears that Isabella's family had packed up and moved out," Mr. Weasley explained. "Vanished without a trace. Most people think they returned to Italy. Do you remember Florean Fortescue?"

Harry nodded, his stomach clenching. Fortescue had always given Harry free ice creams at his shop in Diagon Alley.

"His shop was boarded up about the same time. He was, after all, Isabella's father's godfather."

"Practically raised him," Tonks nodded.

"Yes, it seems old Leonardo Petrroci knew what was going on before anyone else," Kingsley nodded. "Knew the English Ministry was being infiltrated and got his family the hell out of there. I understand he's very fond of Antonia and Isabella."

"What we were surprised about is why Patrick didn't tell us," Lupin said. Patrick O'Reagan was Isabella's father. "He joined the Order a week after Dumbledore's funeral."

"Did he?" Harry asked, surprised. "Who did he-?"

"Me," Tonks answered. "You know Patrick and I were best friends in school. He was so torn up about Dumbledore's death, really wanted to do something. He was one of our most active members for a few weeks. And then he disappeared without a word."

"It is very possible they had no idea they were leaving," Kingsley said. "I understand Leonardo to be an ambiguous, cunning man. He probably didn't tell them until the last minute so that their departure wouldn't be anticipated."