Chapter III – Fun In the Sun
The sound of the owl pecking on the window of the Burrow woke Arthur and Molly Weasley at five o'clock Sunday morning. "What could this possible be," asked Arthur, "and why didn't the owl wait until the normal mail delivery time. It's addressed to you Molly."
After tearing the letter open and reading quickly Molly gasped. Arthur took the paper from her hand and read, "Baby Victoire came down with a high fever over night. We are very worried and are taking her to St. Mungo's now. We will send word when the healers tell us anything. Bill"
"I'll get dressed and go to be with them." said Molly.
"No, wait. We know Bellatrix is after you and can't get to you while you're here. This is just the type of trick she would use to get you to come out in the open." said Arthur. "Let's try to reach Bill in person first. You can get dressed but don't leave until I confirm this."
As Molly dressed Arthur alerted the Aurors who were downstairs on guard duty and they agreed it could be a trap. After trying to send a Galleon message to Bill without a reply Arthur sent a Patronus to shell cottage telling Bill to reply by Galleon immediately. When Molly came down and heard Bill hadn't replied to the Galleon she started to cry saying between sobs, "He was in a hurry to get the baby to St. Mungos and forgot to take the Galleon."
"Bill wouldn't forget the Galleon." said Arthur. "When I told him of the attacks on Luna and Neville he suggested you might be next since he thought Bellatrix would want to end with those closest to Harry so he would know what was coming and suffer more. Bill asked me to send a Galleon message if anything happened."
Just then the Galleon began to warm up and Arthur read aloud
what is up is mom safe
Arthur replied
got owl saying victoire sick you took her to st mungos molly wants to go
A moment later Bill replied
baby fine all safe dont go its a trap
Molly began to cry even harder but tears of relief and joy now. "Oh Arthur," she said, "I would have gone right into a trap. How could that evil woman use a baby to try and kill someone."
Arthur put his arm around her shoulder and said, "Remember Bellatrix has no feelings but hatred, she would use anyone to get what she wants and do anything."
By now the Aurors had contacted Chitterly and they approached the two Weasleys. "Our orders are for one of us to use Polyjuice potion and go to St. Mungos as Molly. A heavy detail of Aurors will be there waiting for the attack and we hope this time to capture at least one of the attackers for questioning."
"No," said Molly, "I'll go myself. There was an Auror killed doing the same thing with Neville. I couldn't live with myself knowing someone died because they were pretending to be me."
"I'm afraid we can't allow that." replied the Auror in charge. "We are responsible for your safety."
"You have no choice." said Molly. "I won't give you any of my hair and I will go to St. Mungos on my own if you try to take hair by force."
Just then Chitterly arrived. "Is everything set?" he asked.
An argument between the Aurors and Mrs. Weasley ensued as both tried to present their side to Chitterly. Finally he yelled, "Enough! Molly I think you're wrong and you should stay here but I can't force you. If you insist as acting as the bait in this trap that's up to you. Auror in charge Wilkie will explain what you have to do and how best to protect yourself when the attack starts. Arthur could I speak to you for a moment."
Clyde took Arthur into the next room and said, "Can't you convince her not to do this, she isn't safe out there, we can't protect her properly."
Arthur just smiled and said, "We have been married almost thirty years and as of yet I haven't figured out how to stop her from doing what she wants. I think you'll find she is a formidable opponent to anyone that tries to hurt her family. Remember who killed Bellatrix the first time during the Battle of Hogwarts."
Auror Wilkie leaned into the room as said, "We're as ready as we'll ever be. The Auror team signaled they are in place at the entrance to St. Mungo's. All I need is your okay to go."
Chitterly nodded and the group started to walk out to beyond the Fidelius charm's limit so they could apparate. Molly and Arthur were in the center with Chitterly while six Aurors all under disillusionment charms formed an invisible circle around them. They would apparate to the entrance of St. Mungo's in this formation.
As they reached the perimeter of the Fidelius charm a killing curse hit one of the Aurors then a second curse hit another Auror. Disillusionment charms like invisibility cloaks are not perfect and a trained person can spot someone using either especially when the hidden person is in motion.
Arthur pulled Molly down to the ground as a killing curse flew over her missing by inches. For a minute he thought she had been hit by the curse but she was breathing; only stunned from hitting the ground. The remaining Aurors and Chitterly had spotted and stunned two death eaters by then, but killing curses were still flying in while only stunners were being used by the Aurors in the hope of capturing and questioning the death eaters. Another Auror was killed but two more death eaters were down.
"I count two left," yelled Chitterly, "but I lost track of them. Get Molly and Arthur inside."
"Molly's down, I think she was hit." yelled back one of the Aurors. "I count two also. I think they're still here but stopped moving, it will be hard to find them."
Just then from the ground, Arthur shot a killing curse and another death eater only twenty feet away collapsed. "Only one now." he yelled.
The three remaining Aurors and Chitterly gathered around Molly who was still on the ground and Arthur who was now standing. As they prepared to move back to the Burrow another killing curse hit Wilkie while three stunners shot in the direction from which the curse had come. All must have missed because the death eater remained invisible. Then, hidden behind Arthur and Chitterly's legs, Molly who was still on the ground but now alert, shot a killing curse thirty feet to the right of where the other stunners went and a death eater became visible as he fell over dead.
"Search them all and bind the ones still alive." said Chitterly. "I'll send for help from the Aurors that were sent to St. Mungo's so we can get the prisoners back to the ministry for interrogation. I thought for sure they would attack at the entrance to St. Mungo's because they had a more confined area between the city buildings so we had no place to run. Also people apparating in are often disoriented for a few seconds. I never would have thought they would attack in an area like this where we had a chance to retreat back inside the Fidelius charm. We'll have to reconsider our ideas about Bellatrix's tactics."
Just as the roller-coaster went over he top of the first hill Ron and Ginny both felt the warming of the Galleons that were in their pockets. Not wanting to drop the Galleons where they couldn't be found both Weasleys waited until the ride ended to read the message which was the same on both coins.
attack at burrow repelled we are safe six death eaters killed or captured
Then another message
daily prophet told molly was killed to keep bellatrix from trying again don't worry
"Another day, another attack." said Ron. "Looks like Bellatrix's plan is clear. Kill one of us every day. Which one of us will be the target tomorrow?"
"I'll bet I'm last on the list." said Harry. "She'll want me to see all the others killed before she comes after me personally."
"So what's our plan?" asked Ginny. "Are we safe or does she know where we are?"
"I don't know enough to guess." said Harry. "I better ask Kingsley what he thinks. He has all the latest information and experts to help figure what Bellatrix's plan is. This is going to take some time to send and receive a long message. I better go back to the condo so I will have quiet time. You three don't have to ruin your day, stay at the park and by this evening I will be free and we can go out clubbing again."
"I'll come with you." said Ginny. "I won't feel right until I talk to mom and get the whole story straight from her."
Hermione and Ron also decided to return to the condo. We can swim and get some sun at the pool like yesterday. "We're here to relax and have fun and the pool is relaxing." Hermione said.
After changing into bathing suits the four friends spent two hours at pool side with Harry and Ginny sending and receiving messages most of that time. Finally Harry said, "We should go back inside to talk where we won't be overheard."
Ginny related her mother's version of the attack first, and then Harry told what he had learned from Kingsley. "According to the experts the first two attacks were frontal assaults. Bellatrix must have thought Luna and Neville would be easy targets. The attack on you mother was different. Bellatrix knew she couldn't penetrate the Burrow so she devised a ruse to get your mother to come out where she would be vulnerable.
They think she will try the same thing on us; something that will get one of us to come into the open where she can strike. What ruse she'll use is another matter. She has to know we heard of the other attacks especially since the attacks on Neville and Luna were in today's paper and your family would surely notify us about your mother. It will have to be something that one of us can't resist responding to so that person will want to leave the rest of us. Like Bellatrix knew your mother had to go if the baby was sick.
The notification to the Prophet will say you mom was killed but all six attackers were also killed before they could escape. Bellatrix will have no way of knowing your mom is safe. With only two of them actually dead the interrogators should be able to get some information from the four captured ones. I wish Luna was there for the interrogations.
Kingsley also said the experts feel we are as safe here as anywhere because they don't think Bellatrix could know we're away.""
"I'll send Luna a message explaining everything and asking her to help." said Ginny. "Then we might as well get dressed and go out to celebrate that Bellatrix's plan was foiled again; as long as we all agree we are safe here."
"We will be," said Hermione, "because even if she knows we're here, she has been trying to kill one person each day instead of attacking all of us at once. That would have been smarter because we wouldn't have a warning. This way we know its coming and can prepare."
"Maybe she doesn't have enough people to attack all of us at once." said Ron. "If her followers are few she would have to move people from one place to another for the next attack."
"I still believe she wants to make me suffer by being helpless as she kills all my friends. But if what Ron said is true she must be rethinking because she lost eleven people; three at Luna's cabin, two at Neville's, and six now at the Burrow." said Harry.
So if she has an attack planned for tomorrow she may not be able to get enough people to pull it off." said Hermione.
"If she has few followers," piped in Ginny, "she could have dozens of people even hundreds as far as we know."
"After the captured death eaters are interrogated Kingsley should know more." said Ron. "For now let's get dressed and have fun. Tonight nobody forget the fake IDs Kingsley gave us last year. We can't be using a Confundus charm every time the men at the night club doors ask to see proof of age."
In the Royal Trafalgar Hotel a man known only as O'Donnell stood in fear of his life while a tall woman all in black ranted on. "Fools, imbeciles, incompetent idiots. My plans laid to waste because they can't carry out simple tasks without getting themselves killed. Now I must change everything. You are sure the Weasley woman is dead."
"Yes, I was watching from a distance as you ordered just like the other two attacks. I saw her go down, she did not get up again and one of the Aurors said she was hit. After that they started shooting killing curses and I saw our last man go down. I apparated back here and I have been waiting for you to arrive."
"Were our people killed or captured." she asked.
"Some were definitely killed," he answered, "others I could not tell from where I was. The Prophet reports all six were killed."
"The Prophet lies for the ministry; but it doesn't matter. They don't know anything but their own part in each attack so far. They know nothing of my future plans, not even each other's real names. If they are still alive they cannot betray me.
There is no need for you to abduct the mud-blood's parents now. I have no people left to set a trap when she comes to save them, we will take them when I am prepared again. She will not come alone; the Weasley boy at least will come with her if not all four of them. Until I can bring people from another coven here to London I must wait. New plans must be made. For now they will still live but soon they will all suffer and die."
In the interrogation center of the Ministry of Magic Clyde Chitterly was frustrated. Without Luna he was back to relying on his own instincts and they told him the prisoners were telling all they knew which was almost nothing. They didn't even know each other's names only pseudonyms they used. All he really got was that Bellatrix was back in London which he had been sure of already and what could be two useful bits.
Bellatrix would not go into normal magical areas for fear of ministry spies so he would have to send people into muggle areas to look for her. The problem was, like all countries, most of Britain was muggle so she could be anywhere and he didn't have enough people to cover that large an area. He would have to concentrate on London only; hoping she would want to be close to where her intended victims were.
More useful was that she had organized her people into old fashion covens. Each county where she had been had a coven of thirteen witches and wizards. Since eleven had been killed or captured, and Bellatrix herself was the thirteenth member of each coven, she had only one follower left in Great Britain. She would have to stop her attacks until she found new followers or could bring some in from another country. That would give him at least a day, probably more, to plan how to stop her. At least he was sure there would be no attack today. He put out an alert to watch for any of the gray list witches and wizards that had gone out of sight recently.
Deep in the woods of Sweden Luna was looking at and considering Ginny's message. She wanted to help but was unsure of what to do. If she returned to help at the ministry the fact she was alive would become known and her new friend Rolf said her best protection was to allow her enemies to continue to think her dead. While she was never afraid for herself as she had shown at the Battle of the Department of Mysteries and the Battle of Hogwarts Luna knew if she were found to be still alive Bellatrix might think that Neville and Mrs. Weasley had also survived the attacks. Bellatrix might check on them even if she had only a slight suspicion, which would endanger them.
She decided to contact Kingsley Shackelbolt and ask for his opinion. She sent a message telling Ginny this then sent a long one to Kingsley expressing her concern.
Kingsley took time to answer all her questions ending with a series of three messages
understand your worries stay where you feel safe
know where you are but will not send guards unless you ask
if we really need help will contact you
Luna sent Ginny another message explaining Kingsley message and her decision to remain where she felt safe for now. If Ginny needed her just send a message and she would come.
When Ginny told the others of Luna's message Harry contacted Kingsley and asked his opinion of their safety. Kingsley forwarded Chitterly's interrogation information along with his opinion that they were safe for now.
The relief on the other's faces was clear. Though they had carried on their vacation over the last two days everyone had been clearly worried and alert. Now they could truly relax for the first time. The used the remaining days to enjoy themselves for the first time in a year.
A bus trip from the condo to the beach about an hour away let them body surf in the waves. Hermione and Ginny in their Bikini's drew a lot of attention from the muggle tourists but Harry and Ron refrained from hexing any of them; perhaps because it's not easy for the guys to conceal a wand in a bathing suit and impossible for the girls.
That night while at dinner, they heard an American couple about their age at the next table talking. This couple had looked over several times and could hear the British accents as Harry, Ginny, Ron, and Hermione talked over dinner. Harry leaned to Ron and whispered, "Think their Aurors guarding us or Bellatrix's people following us."
Just then the woman said quite loudly that her boss was a real witch; the code the American Secretary of Magic had told them last year that young witches and wizards use to recognize each other when out in a muggle crowd. Ron looked at Harry and asked, "What do you think?"
Ginny and Hermione took things out of the boy's hands when the both turned to the girl and said the code answer at the same time, "My boss is a real witch too."
The Americans introduced themselves as Samantha and Darin Williams, and started to laugh. When there was no response they said it again, "We're Samantha and Darien." Still getting no response the man finally said, "I guess being from England you don't get the joke. Years ago over here there was a television show about a witch named Samantha that married norm by the name of Darien. It still is shown from time to time and when we met our names were the first thing that made us interested in each other."
Darin said they heard Ginny mention she didn't like the short sleeves on the clothes she had to wear in this warm climate because her wand couldn't be kept there. We realized the four must be witches and wizards but didn't know if you would understand the code. We thought we would take a chance.
"We were in the states last year on business and learned about it." said Harry. He then introduced them all by their names from the fake IDs Kingsley provided.
Samantha and Darien related how they were on their honeymoon and they worked for Darien's father who owned a store selling all types of magical goods.
Darin then asked about the four of them; were they married and what they did over in England. Harry used a pre arranged cover story that came with the fake IDs. That he and Ginny were engaged, and Hermione and Ron were engaged and they were having a double wedding next summer. That he, Ron, and Hermione were junior clerks in the British Ministry of Magic and Ginny played on an all female Quidditch team where she had been rookie of the year this past season. Auror training said when telling a lie it is best to keep as close to the truth as possible without revealing your secret.
The Americans didn't seem to be interested in the lives of junior clerks but Ginny playing a professional sport seemed to draw their attention and they wanted to hear all about her Quidditch matches. Before parting for the night Darien said, "I have something to confess. When we saw you four, Samantha thought you," pointing to Harry, "looked like Harry Potter. You must have heard of him, you all being from England. His picture even made the papers here a few years ago after the big battle at that school over there."
Harry again fielded the question, "I've been told that before. We were in school with him but in a different year. We've seen him at school but didn't really know him that well."
"Well", said Darien, "we're at the condo across the canal. What say we meet tomorrow and you can tell us more about the war over there. We got just enough about it in our classes to make us want to hear more." Before parting they made arrangements to meet the next day.
After getting back to the condo Harry asked everyone, "What do you lot think about Samantha and Darien."
"They could be American Fleas watching us for Kingsley." said Ron.
"I suppose they could be Bellatrix's people planning an attack on one of us tomorrow." said Hermione. "But I don't think so because contacting us wouldn't be necessary to attack. They could have just kept watch on us without taking the chance of making us suspicious."
Ginny said, "I think they are just what they claim to be. Like Hermione said, why contact us if they are Bellatrix's people, and the same for Fleas. If they have been watching from a distance why change tactics now. Besides Kingsley and his analysts think were safe."
"I think Ginny's right, they seem harmless. But we better be careful of talking about anything magical in public like Ginny did about her wand; and don't let slip any of the truth about who we really are." said Harry. "I'm tired, let's get some sleep."
Next afternoon, Samantha and Dairen ran into another magical couple they knew, Joan and Stan Wolinski, and introducing everyone. They were pleasant company and did not seem suspicious. Over the next few days the four couples spent time together. The Americans had been to this area before and were able to show the four new comers sights they would never have thought of by themselves.
Besides the usual parks they went on an airboat ride into the swamps to see alligators, went on a safari at a wild animal park, ate a some unique restaurants where the Americans suggesting some meals the British group would never had tried on their own. By Friday night Harry, Ginny, Ron, and Hermione agreed this vacation was the best ever. After they packed their bags to get ready for their early flight as the four of them sat on the balcony looking over the water Hermione said, "Ron, there's one thing we didn't get to do."
What's that?" he asked.
"We never got into the hot tub. It dark, why don't we all get out of our clothes and take a dip."
Even in the semi darkness they could see Ron's face turn red. The story of the hot tub from when Ron and Hermione visited Viktor Krum's house had become a running joke, with Harry and Ginny teasing Ron at every opportunity.
Apparently he had enough and in an attempt to put an end to the joke he stood up pulling his shirt off and took Hermione's hand saying, "Okay, let's go."
Now it was Hermione's turn to get red faced. "Called your bluff." said Ginny laughing as she grabbed Harry's hand. "If I'm getting naked it will be in my own bedroom, come on Harry. Good night you two."
Next morning the van was there to take them to the airport where they caught the flight to London and apparated to the park in front of 12 Grimmauld Place. Kingsley and Chitterly were there with the Aurors who remained on guard duty all week knowing there was nobody inside to guard.
"Welcome back," said Kingsley, "we need to talk about your adherence to orders."