Typical Disclaimers Apply
A/N: Sorry for not updating for awhile, but this isn't going to be like my old stories, where I could update every day. My life's sort of crazy right now, but in a good way. Thanks again for the lovely reviews!
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"Why the hell did we have to walk here from your flat?" Bellatrix panted, struggling up the last hill of Hogsmeade. The four of them: Bella, Narcissa, Lucius, and Snape, had left from Snape's house nearly an hour ago. They'd been walking the entire way.
"Dumbledore's alerted any time a person apparates near the grounds. He has sensors that tell the person's name, age, and at times, intent," Snape said, also breathing heavily.
"How do you know all this?" Lucius inquired.
"I know things."
"Okay, next question," Bella began. "It's the middle of the summer, and we're on a spy mission. Why are we in school robes? Also, where did you even get these?" She tugged at the itchy black fabric enshrouding her body.
"I have my reasons and my sources. I don't divulge either."
"Why are we supposed to trust you?"
"Hey, you dated me for two years Bella."
She blinked, "Oh. I'd forgotten about that."
They approached the school gates, which, oddly enough, seemed to be wide open. Slowly, they crept up the pathway and towards the large door that marked the entrance to the school.
"I bet it's locked, or cursed, or something," Lucius whispered. Narcissa went up, twisted the knob, and swung it open. She stepped in, her pink heels clicking loudly on the floor.
"You just had to wear stilettos, didn't you?" Bella muttered. The other three followed the cheerful blonde into the castle. Tiptoeing quietly as Cissy clicked boldly, the group made their way through the school. A flash of silver made them all freeze: The Bloody Baron was floating down the corridor. Bella turned a corner and pressed herself flat against the wall. Snape leapt behind a suit of armor. Lucius jumped under a table. He didn't really hide himself, but it was a good plan. Narcissa just walked forward and began to chat amiably with the ghost. Bella began banging her head against the wall at her sister's stupidity. Everyone watched as she and the baron carried on a conversation that had to be at least ten minutes long. When she turned around and he floated away, the three other spies exhaled strongly.
"What is wrong with you?" Snape growled.
"I just got directions to the staff meeting," she said proudly. She strut down the hall, beckoning Lucius to follow. He shrugged and went after her. Snape and Bella skulked behind them, grumbling to themselves.
When Narcissa reached a cool, empty corridor, she slipped off her shoes and began to creep up the hall. There was only one door in the hallway; it was thick oak, slightly ajar, with a tiny shaft of light peaking out from under it and a brighter shaft peaking through the opening. When she reached it, Narcissa lay down on the floor and attempted to scoot her ear underneath it.
"What are you doing?" Snape and Bella stared at her while Lucius imitated his fiancée. They both shushed him.
"Well, I really think that our new tables should be made out of elm, rather than oak. It's much less expensive…" They heard Dumbledore speak through the door.
"We are trying to listen!" Narcissa hissed.
"Why don't you listen through the part of the door that's open?" Bella sat down on Lucius' chest and leaned in towards the open door. Lucius struggled to push her off. Narcissa, noticing his struggle, rose to her feet and tried to pull her sister to her feet. Bella pulled back, knocking the both of them into the door. It swung open, and they toppled to the ground and Dumbledore's feet. He raised a silver eyebrow.
"Hello. May I ask what you're doing in my school in the middle of July?" About two dozen other professors peered out from behind him. Bella began to stutter.
"I, ah, well, we…"
"We're here on Ministry business!" Narcissa chirped, looking as anxious as her sister.
"None of you were ever qualified to work for the Ministry," McGonagall said plainly.
"That's where you're wrong, Minerva," Snape said silkily. "The Ministry found us as their top choices for new Aurors."
"That still doesn't explain why you're here."
"Yes it does."
"No, it doesn't."
"Well, we can't tell you why we're here, secret Ministry business."
At the same time as Snape said this, Narcissa blurted, "We've been commanded to break into the school by the Dark Lord Voldemort!"
Dumbledore seemed not to hear this.
"Ah! The Ministry! Always keeping secrets and ruining our economy! Well, I suppose I must allow you to carry on, though I will be writing to your superiors to tell them that you've failed your mission."
"You can't!" Bella cried. "Do you understand how difficult it is for a young witch to get a job in this day and age? If they find out we failed, Cissy and I will have to become prostitutes or teachers, or something of that category!"
"Oh, well, we can't let that happen," Dumbledore said
cheerfully. "Why don't you just go home?" Heads bent, the four
spies walked out of the room. McGonagall stared and Dumbledore.
"You do realize that you just let four Death Eater informants
get away, don't you?"
"Oh, they're no harm to us. Let the Ministry handle them."
"That sort of trust is going to get you killed someday, Albus. You should probably go back and grab them."
"Minerva, when I was made headmaster, I was told that I was completely infallible when it comes to dealing with the students. And I know that those four are no longer my students, but I still feel that not punishing them will teach them the greatest lesson of all."
"But they're wanted by the Ministry!"
"Is the Ministry infallible? No. Am I? Yes."
"But—,"
"When you become headmistress, you can send whoever you want to prison. But for now, what I say goes. Understand?" She rolled her eyes.
"Whatever."
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