The Fellowship of the Fox
by Ryuuohjin
/ AN /
Disclaimer - I do not on any way own Harry Potter or any of its world or characters.
They all fully belong to J.K. Rowling and her affiliates.
Update 2018-06-26: Rewrote and changed things here and there.
Update 2018-11-11: Rewrote, removed, and added various things here and there. Also, put it through Grammarly.
/ AN /
Chapter 14 – Crimes & Clues
While it had been over two days since Sirius had received the letter from Harry, about him going underground. It hadn't made him feel any less worried about his godson, maybe even more so, as he could do nothing to help to search for Harry himself. But everything he had tried seemed to have lead dead ends, except maybe the goblins, as he felt they were hiding something from when he had asked them. On the other hand when weren't goblins hiding something from wizards.
Then this morning, Hedwig had suddenly appeared again carrying a strange package from his godson, and addressed to his eyes only, along with a large regal owl carrying a letter from Gringotts. After having quickly retrieved them both, and after making sure he was alone, Sirius quickly ripped open the package from Harry. But what he found was a smooth, seemingly seamless metal box. Each of its sides was emblazoned with a different kind of animal.
On the front was a majestic and ethereal stag with its head proudly hold up high, in a field of swaying lilies. To the left was a magnificent but haggard wolf, that while it was a fearsome looking beast, if one looked closer it seemed to quite kind and wise. And to the right was what looked like truly massive and grim looking dog, that looked quite ferocious in all is splendor, but with eyes that spoke of steadfast loyalty.
While on the back of the box was a quite small and ugly weak-looking rat. It looked quite ragged and shifty, with many jagged lines and sharp edges. That along with it's overall rugged and rough surface gave off the distinct feeling that the rat was not to be trusted or relied upon. Another thing that separated the rat from the other animals was that, while the other three were gilded with gold and silver. Burnt and scorched with fire until it was black and sooty, making looking even more shifty, almost evil looking.
But what caught Sirius attention the most was the small note on top of the box. It was in the scrawly handwriting of his godson, telling him that if he was a Marauder he would know what do, with a strong emphasis on the word Marauder. After having completed the same actions required to unseal the Marauders map, the box popped open, and what it did contain was several animated drawings with a number in the top left corner of them.
The first drawing seemed to be of a black pup growing up surrounded by snakes.
In the second drawing, the pup meets a young fawn and became close friends with it.
The third drawing the pup and the fawn, meet a grey wolf cub, which they also become friends with.
The fourth showed when the trio showing up at a castle and befriending a rat, while also meeting a bat and a flower.
The fifth showed him how the fawn fell in love with flower, and bullying the bat with help of the pup.
Drawing number was about how the wolf cub turned into a monster at the full moon, and how the cub tried to hide this from everyone.
The seventh drawing was about how pup, fawn and the rat discovered the wolf's secret.
The eighth felled about how pup tricked the bat into the following wolf when it was a full moon.
The ninth showed how the fawn saved the bat from the wolf cub, who had become a monster.
The tenth showed how everyone grew up, and how the fawn, which now was a stag, and pup, which was a big dog, stopped to bully the bat.
The eleventh showed how the bat became a follower of a snake with a crown, and how the flower became close friends with the stag, the dog, the wolf, and the rat.
The twelfth drawing was about how everyone was leaving the castle, and the flower married the stag, which turned it into a doe.
The thirteenth drawing shows a bumblebee being joined by many other animals, amongst them is a goat, a cat with glasses, a pair of bears, a couple of weasels, and several others, in a fight against the snake with a crown.
In the fourteenth drawing the doe, the stag, the wolf and the dog also helps the bumblebee with fighting against the snake with a crown, which now was being helped by the bat and several other snakes.
The fifteenth was about when bumblebee meets a drunk bird telling the future, and with the bat eavesdropping on them, before being thrown out by a goat.
The sixteenth drawing portrayed how after being thrown put the bat flew to the snake with a crown told what it all of what it had just heard had heard.
The seventeenth drawing was about how the stag and the doe got a fawn, and the pair of bears got a cub, and the rat secretly joined the snake with a crown.
The eighteenth drawing tells of many of the animals that had joined the bumblebee, is killed by snakes, with the rat secretly helping the snake with a crown to fight against the bumblebee and its friends.
The nineteenth drawing it was described that when the bat found out that the snake with the crown intended to kill the doe, the bat went to bumblebee to beg for help to stop it.
In the twentieth shows how the bat secretly helped bumblebee to fight against the snake with a crown, how bumblebee told both pair of bears and the stag and the doe to hide with their children.
While the twentieth described how the rat showing the snake with a crown where the stag and its family is hiding.
In drawing number twenty one portrayed a fight between the stag and its family against the snake with crown, which ends with the stag and doe dead, the snake with a crown turned into a ghost, and the fawn hurt and bleeding.
The twenty-second drawing was about how the dog found the hurt fawn, and the stag and the doe dead, along with remains of the snake with a crown.
In the twenty-third show how a giant finds the now angry dog and injured fawn, and how after leaving the fawn with giant, the dog begins to chase after the rat.
While the twenty-third depicts how dog corners the rat, but the rat then creates a big explosion to escape injuring many other around them animals.
The twenty-fourth drawing describes how the dog gets the blamed for the explosion and is sent to the pound for it. Along with the wolf becoming sad and starts mourns its dead friends.
While twenty-fifth show the bumblebee leavening the still wounded fawn at the house inhabited by a horse, walrus, and their baby whale.
The twenty-sixth show how some snake attacks the home of the pair of bears, putting the bears in the hospital, the snakes are then captured and put in the pound too, while the cub is raised by its grandmother.
The twenty-seventh about the fawn growing up while being locked up and bullied by the horse, the walrus, and the baby whale.
The twenty-eight show fawn once meeting the giant, which scares the horse, the walrus, and the baby whale.
Drawing twenty-nine is about fawn going to castle and meeting the bear cub, a cat fuzzy brown hair, a young red-haired wolf, a blond fox-like animal with a horn on its head, and a small red-haired animal, which Sirius couldn't recognize at all.
Thirty was of depicted how they went on adventures at the castle, and how all of them became close friends with each other. Along with the black dog breaking out of the pound.
Thirty one showed how the snake in disguise captured the fawn and sent to the rat, which used it to resurrect the snake with a crown. Along with killing a raven that had come along with the fawn
Thirty-two showed the fawn fighting the snake with a crown and escaping with the body of the now dead raven that rat had killed.
Thirty-three showed the fawn telling the bumblebee and the dog what it had seen, and only to then be sent back to the house of the horse, the walrus, and the baby whale.
Thirty-four show how bumblebee sent the bat to spy on a snake with a crown, while it was gathering its friends to fight against the snakes again.
Thirty-five was showed the friends of the bumblebee watching over the now sad fawn.
Thirty-six was about how the fawn got turned into a fox cub, meeting with a pair dragon hatchlings, and they became close friends.
Thirty-seven is how the fox cub ran away from the house of the horse, the walrus, and the baby whale.
Thirty-eight shows how the bumblebee finds out that fawn is missing, and orders its friends to find it.
And finally the last and fortieth drawing showed how the cub was reunited with its other friends. And along with the dragon hatchlings, they began to fight against the snake with a crown and its underlings, all the while hiding from the bumblebee and its friends.
Sirius then looked at the note again, and after having studied the various pictures for a second and a third time. He was still somewhat confused, what did Harry want to say with this.
'Maybe if he gave both the pictures and the note to Remus, perhaps he could shine some more light on them,' he thought as grab the letter from Gringotts.
The next day at the old home to Evan Rosier, where the Dark Lord had established his new hideout, was filled with the groaning and tortured bodies of those who'd felt the Dark Lord's wrath when he found out that the goblins had sized the vaults of several of his members.
Voldemort was seething.
HOW DARE THOSE FILTHY THIEVING LITTLE BEASTS STEAL FROM HIM! HIM! HOW DARE THEY!
After he had freed his faithful from Azkaban, he would have to eradicate those little pests.
As to add insult to injury, and injury to insult, he still hadn't managed to get any information about that damn Fellowship, that had dared to mock and attack him. Only that the goblins had seemingly joined up with them.
Voldemort was definitely not in a good mood, but he also knew he could do nothing about it for now, except for torturing his followers for their failure. Which would also help him to alleviate some of his bad mood. But it was still so frustrating, but knew he couldn't rush thing, so he would have to think up something else to do for now.
'What did I do to deserve this?'
It was the question that Wormtail found asking himself for the umpteenth time, as he stood outside throne room of his master's new hideout. He could clearly hear groans and screams from the Death Eaters as his master continued his raged rant, cursing them whenever he felt it was necessary.
'I suppose I volunteered for this when I first took the dark mark I suppose, so perhaps I deserve it,' Wormtail sighed sad and dejected.
Peter Pettigrew was not a happy wizard, though this was not a new phenomenon, the degree of unhappiness was gradually climbing to heights that hadn't been scaled in well over a decade. And he was fully aware that he had no one to blame but himself for that.
Sometimes he couldn't help himself to wonder, how his life would have been if hadn't chosen to betray his friends so long time ago. But he often avoided that train of thought since it only served to make him even more depressed. As what was done, was done. He had made his choice years ago, so now all that was left was to live with the consequences.
After pushing those melancholic thoughts aside, Pettigrew took a deep breath and steeled himself, as walked in and bowed before his lord and master.
Elsewhere, far away from the angry dark lord, Cornelius Fudge had the public's reactions at the forefront of his mind as he smiled, while he looked over the throngs of reporters from various newspapers and magazines, that had assembled on his word. Fudge was feeling quite good, last night he got a brilliant idea. All that was left now was to put it into action. Today was going to be a glorious day for his career because he would be able to remove an obstacle and so distract the sheep that any cries against his continued rule would be silenced.
"Witches and wizards of the press, thank you all for coming today," Fudge greeted the crowd of reporters. "I have called you here today to discuss several things. Mainly to address the rumors that have been flying about concerning Sirius Black. New evidence that has just been brought forward, reveals some questionable actions regarding the Black case, and when he was sent to Azkaban. Therefore I am offering Sirius Black a temporary amnesty, and I request that he give himself over to the Ministry of Magic so justice is properly served. I give a Minister's guarantee that this is not a trick to capture you, Black. The evidence that has been brought forward is quite shocking and could very well easily turn over the guilty verdict made over twelve years ago."
"Then why was he in Azkaban..."
"What about the Potters..."
"Those are all good questions, of which we sadly currently don't have any answers to at the moment," Fudge stated. "Therefore I personally rescind all orders in regards to the capture of Sirius Black, along with rescinding the kiss on sight order for him. If he gives himself up to the Ministry willingly, I will personally ensure his protection."
"The Ministry screwed up Black, I'm fully aware of that. But if you are willing to put that all behind you, this is the chance to it," Fudge then declared. "I will give you a two-week deadline Black. Your open criminal trial will be held in two weeks from to today in front of the whole public and all of the Wizengamot. If you aren't there then by then, you're to be arrested on sight and sent back to Azkaban, whether you're guilty or not. Since you're obviously are guilty about something if you chose to stay away."
The noise rose in the room rose slightly, as finished his speech.
"There is one more issue that needs to be addressed today," Fudge announced. "Now there have been many rumors floating around that I wish to put an end to. Especially those in concern of the wild rumors that You-Know-Who has been resurrected. I will say it right now that all those are nothing but baseless. You all are perfectly safe. Our world is not under attack by anyone. You must remember to always consider the source of your information carefully. People lie. People do things to seek attention. Keep in mind, along with that the Ministry and I are always working for your best interest in everything we do," He smiled his politician's smile to them all.
"I now open the floor for questions," Fudge said, thinking how magnificently this would solve all his problems. Little did he know how wrong he was. The press conference was then broken up shortly afterward and Fudge left to inform the Prime Minister of what had occurred and to ensure the muggle police would stop looking for Black as well.
At the same time as Fudge was holding his press conference, the visitors at Gringotts Bank watched in confusion as they were witnesses to a most peculiar scene. A big black dog had just casually strolled up to a teller and then gave up loud bark that caught the attention of everyone present. The goblin teller looked nonplussed at the dog for a while before he quite puzzled asked.
"You must be Mr. Snuffels, I assume."
The dog responded with what looked like a nod and what only could be an affirmative bark.
"You're expected. Please wait here a moment. Woebringer will soon come to meet you." After giving a bark of confirmation, the dog took a few steps back and sat on its haunches to wait, much to the confused onlooker's amazement.
A few minutes later as the customers (who most still bore a look of shock, confusion, or curiosity) was waiting in the queue at one the counters at Gringotts. Out of the corners of their eyes, they saw the dog being led across the hall by another goblin, toward the large doors that led into the vaults. Many wondered to themselves if anyone else had seen that and found it odd that a dog were being led into a vault, without so much of traces of an owner. How could a dog have a vault at Gringotts in the first place?
At same time Snuffles were meeting Woebringer, after having calmed down a bit, Voldemort addressed the portly wizard who was prostrating himself before him. "Rise, Wormtail."
As the Rat Animagus hastily complied, an uncharacteristic chuckle slipped from the Dark Lord. "It really amazes me, Wormtail, that you seem to be the most capable of my people."
"Th-th-thank-you, m-master," Pettigrew fawned, while trying to hide his pride in his Master's compliment.
"Don't get so excited. It doesn't really say very much about you, and even less about the others," admonished the Dark Lord mildly, though he was slightly amused. "Now then, Wormtail, I have a new task for you. This is what I want you to do..."
With the summer sun starting to set, Rhy crested a rise that gave her a good view of her final destination. Pausing a bit in her hiking, she looked out over the extravagant and opulent manor house before her. She was currently looking out over the property where the senior undersecretary to Minister, Dolores Umbridge lived. It was here they would aim the first strike, because of all that she had done and stood for. But most importantly was what she would do, and she would try to preach.
While Umbridge shared the same sentiments as Voldemort and his ilk. As she preferred to do things more legally, and if that was not possible, she would make sure that it could not be traced back to her. While not really rich, she had many connections both high and low and had no scruples about using blackmail to achieve her goals. She was amongst the most outspoken about her views against mudbloods and half-breed, as she called them.
Therefore Rhy and her friends had deemed her to be the perfect subject to further test the effects Rhy blood had on people. Unlike the goblins, Ron, or Neville, who just had a drop or two on their tongue, Umbridge would be injected with a full 20 ml directly into her heart with a medical syringe. According to their calculations, that would be fastest to spread it through the body.
So whilst Umbridge was sleeping, Rhy silently snuck into this 'wicked' witch bedroom to do the deed. But what Rhy really hadn't counted on, was that the door creaking loudly as she was opening it. The sound had woken Umbridge up, but before she managed to register what was really happening, she had been quickly subdued and silenced. Now sitting straddled over the older witch, Rhy reaches into her sub-space pocket and removed a syringe pre-filled with her blood.
Umbridge eyes grew wide in fear as watched her attacker reach for something, and then pull an out a syringe filled with some red liquid out of mid-air. Her heart raced when she felt the needle pierce her skin and the liquid was slowly pushed into her chest. After the syringe had been removed, in a desperate attempt to flee, she gathered all her and threw her attacker off her.
But before she could do anything else, everything around her seemed to suddenly slow down to a crawl. All the sounds around her became more muted and long drawn, to the point that they were no longer even comprehensible. She tried to move her body but for some reason, it felt extremely sluggish, and would only move in ultra rapid. She screamed in her mind, not even noticing that her attackers were now long gone.
After having left a panicked Umbridge in a world that, to her, almost seemed to stand completely still. Rhy proceeded to ransack the house the house for the keystone to the house wards. While at the same time filling the house with some prank traps and limbo mist, as a surprise for the visitors that would come later.
Limbo mist was an odd-looking golden mist that floated a few feet above the ground. When stepping into it, the mist appeared to reverse the effects of gravity. Individuals caught up in the mist felt that they were hanging upside down from the ground. If the individual could keep a cool head and walk through the mist, then the effects were reversed upon exiting the mist. Because of this, Rhy had deemed it to be the perfect surprise present to those who were unwary.
After several hours of searching, she found the wardstone hidden in a concealed room in the basement. After making various changes to them, she triggered the ward that would make the Ministry Aurors come running. Rhy then shoots their own version of the dark mark high in the sky (a scarlet sniggering fox head), before then becoming Nine-tails and faded out to observe the spectacle that would surely soon unfold.
A few minutes later she saw a small group of Aurors appear just outside the wards boundary line. A few of the older ones became cautious and stopped as soon as they saw the unknown mark hanging above the house, while the younger ones just ignored it. It was then it happened, just as one of them passed the boundary line, along with his partner was stripped buck naked. To the others, it looked like that when they had passed the wards their clothes had just disintegrated. Another thing they noticed was the pairs skin and hair had changed colors, even their eye color had changed.
The first person's skin and eyes had become completely golden, while all the visible hair on his body had become a deep red. His partner, on the other hand, had gotten bronze colored hair and deep blue skin. The pair was quickly overcome with embarrassment and dashed off to find their clothes again. Another Auror then walked through, but unlike the previous couple, she only lost her clothes. But her partner wasn't that lucky as her skin become dark green and her hair had turned to silver, along with the loss of her clothes.
Rhy could barely keep herself from laughing out loud at that prank wards she had added, when she saw Tonks trying to cross the wards and promptly every stitch of clothing, while her skin and eyes became bright yellow, and her hair turned pitch black.
The wards were of their own design, the first made so any clothes someone disintegrate as soon as they the ward line. It was also one reason Rhy had changed to Nine-tails before crossing it since it didn't affect animals. The second was another ward of their own creation, which they had chosen to call a Hogwarts detection ward. From studying the Hogwarts sorting hat, Rhy and her friends had learned that when a child is sorted by the sorting hat, a certain specific mark is left on them, one which unique to the house they were sorted in.
This mark had originally been created so it would easier to keep track on who did what and where. But it had since long ago been forgotten, they had only stumble on this information when had asked the hat if it was possible to make anti-Slytherin ward.
The Hogwarts detection ward worked in that way that if you went to Hogwarts, you would turn into colors for the house you were sorted into. For Griffindors that would be red and gold, while for Ravenclaws that would be bronze and blue, Slytherins would become green and silver, and Hufflepuffs yellow and black. Once Rhy had her fill with a what she considered a successful prank, she shifted home tell her sisters and the others all about it.
The sun dawned on yet another day at Grimmauld Place 12, the HQ of the Order of Phoenix, the light from the sun streamed in through the window covered by a set of blinds that only did a half-arsed job of actually keeping said rays of blinding luminescence from getting through greeted Sirius Black as he roused himself from a restless night of sleep. He groaned in discontent as his eyes flickered open very briefly. They were closed almost immediately after as they were hit by a beam of light so bright the young man thought he might go blind.
Damn that sun. Couldn't it have picked a better time to rise? Or better yet, not risen at all? One of these days he was going to find some way to turn it off.
Or blow it up.
He would prefer blowing it up.
Grunting slightly, Sirius slowly sat up in bed, trying to stifle a large yawn with one hand as he did. Oh, how he hated mornings. They always seemed to come at the worst times.
They actually didn't. He just wasn't much of a morning person.
As the wizard began to gain more cognitive thoughts, the sudden shrill blaring of an alarm clock then began to resound throughout the bedroom. After glaring at the clock for a short while, he shut it off and began to he stretch himself out, turning this way and that as he raised his hands high into the air and listened to his back pop and crack in a way that would make most people cringe. Slowly but surely, he began to crawl out of the bed, and made his way into the bathroom with a stumbling gait, after taking a shower and taking care of the other necessities.
Yesterday had been quite interesting, to say the least. He didn't really know how he had done it, but somehow his godson had managed to win favor a from the Goblins. He spent most of his visit in deep discussion with the goblin solicitor, Woebringer, about his case and he what could remember about that day. He also managed to take care of most of the Black family business.
It was mostly officially claiming the Black title, all vaults, and properties, along with updating his will and a few other things. He hadn't really been able to leave Gringotts until they closed late in the evening, at which he had transformed back into Padfoot. After reaching a secluded alley, he changed back and apparated back to Grimmauld Place 12.
Miles away in a slightly affluent muggle neighborhood; three men strolled towards a house; they felt no need to conceal themselves. They were wizards after all; the muggles were as harmless as fish in a barrel to them or a house elf. It would be no different than stabbing a doll to them. They didn't even bother checking forwards or any other type of security, as they thought their magic was superior to any muggle security system. Even if the muggers in question did have a mudblood daughter, that were friends with the Boy-Who-Lived, what really were the chances of them having any kind of wards. All they cared about was that the Dark Lord had said, and was to an example of the family, to all those who dared to oppose him.
That was something that they would really regret dearly later on. Just as they crossed the ward line, an ominous hum seemed to fill the air, making feet tingle inside their boots. A lattice of multicolored light then suddenly appeared around them, glowing all the brighter by the second.
When arcs of electricity began to cover the property, one of them to took step back and started to nervously back away, and that was all that saved him. As the light finally coalesced and screams erupted from the other two and they abruptly tried pulled backward as they suddenly began to smoke. One man had tried to apparate from whirl that did he tried to use his portkey, only that didn't work either before he could formulate another plan the wards had fried.
The other decided to run instead, which he too would have if, he hadn't in panic tripped over himself, falling flat on face, which all time the wards need to reduce him to dust. The remaining wizard didn't even bother to try to apparate or portkey from there, as watched his comrades get obliterated. He just scrambled to his feet and ran. If anyone had seen him, they would have noticed a large wet spot on his robes and a distinct smell of urine.
That evening at Grimmauld Place, the Order of the Phoenix was once again having a meeting. On today's agenda was what they thought about the goblins and the minister's recent actions and if anyone had any idea what they were up to. They also discussed yesterday's attack on Dolores Umbridge, Tonks reported that while they were not completely sure on who had actually done it, the presence of the large scarlet fox head that seemed to be laughing at them was a big clue.
And it seemed that the more Tonks was talking about it, the more irritated she seemed to be getting. It ended with Remus asking her if everything was alright, and Tonks snapping back that was she just fine. At this point, Kingsley Shackelbolt explains with a snigger, that Tonks was alright she was only still sore about what happened to her yesterday.
Sirius, who had by now gotten really curious, asked Tonks happened to her. But only get a glare in response. So it fell to Kingsley to tell them the story, while Tonks aimed death glares at him. He began telling them how they had arrived at the Umbridge house after an alarm had been set off. He then told them how seen the marking hovering over the building, how that some of them had stormed off to check it out, and that Tonks was amongst the first those who had stormed off.
When he told what happened to Tonks when she had passed the ward line, several of them burst in laughter. Tonks just aimed an ice cold glare at them all. As the laughter had died down, Kingsley told that after they had taken the wards, they found that the house had been filled with prank traps and limbo mist. After a while of clearing out the house, they had found Dolores Umbridge, that seemed under the effect of something. It was suspected to be a potion or drug of some kind as the staff a St. Mungos had suspicious needle mark above her heart. Further investigation of the crime scene had also revealed evidence that someone had tampered with the wardstone. The perpetrator or perpetrators seemed to have added some unknown wards to it, before then triggering the alarms themselves. Why they did that I still don't know.
"Isn't it obvious," Remus spoke up after Kingsley had finished. "Whoever did this knew what those wards would do, and they were most likely created by them too."
"And from your description of them they sound like a pair of magnificent prank wards," Sirius cut in. "And I agree with Moony here, it is quite obvious why they triggered the alarm."
"Oh, do tell, dear cousin," Tonks said quite snidely.
"Any true prankster knows a real prank isn't really fully completed unless someone falls for it," Sirius said, ignoring Tonks tone of voice. "They were probably nearby watching the whole thing too. For what meaning would there be to set up a prank, if you didn't know the result of it."
"The pranks was just a diversion," Moody said. "I think they are to just there to mislead you from the purpose of why they triggered the alarms."
"So why do you think they triggered the alarms Mad-Eye," Kingsley asked.
"To test the ministries Aurors respond time, of course."
"Maybe, but I don't know."
Dumbledore then presented his theory that the goblins might be working with the elusive Fellowship of the Fox, and they were somehow responsible for the disappearance of Harry Potter and the Longbottoms. And while we're on the subject of his missing godson, Sirius laid forth his suspicions the kids knew more than were telling them.
While he had no proof of it other than a feeling in his gut, he was sure that they were hiding something from them. After much discusion it was decided that they would confront the children tomorrow morning to see if Sirius was right. Snape then reported about the dark lord anger when he had found out that most of his funds had been cut. A short time later the meeting was adjourned.
The sun was shining in through the narrow window, as Ginny awakened slowly, stretching like a cat. She was feeling quite content and happy at the moment. She'd had the best dream last night, while she couldn't remember it very well, but she knew it was fantastic.
Number Twelve Grimmauld Place was, in a word, grim. That had been Ginny's first thought when the entire Weasley family had been relocated there for "safety purposes," and it really hadn't changed that much, not even with all the cleaning that they had been doing.
"Ginny, Hermione." The girl turned to survey the one who had said her name, as well as she looking around the room she was sharing with Hermione. "Are you up?"
"I'm up," Ginny said with a wide yawn, stretching her spine, while Hermione just stirred slightly in her bed.
Sirius crossed his arm and leaned against the threshold, canting his head slightly to the side in a dog-like manner. "Good, then wake up Hermione. You've been requested downstairs."
When they arrived downstairs, they saw that Ginny's brothers were already there along with several members of the Order, who stared at the children with penetrating gazes, the air tense and heavy. As Ginny and Hermione sat down, her twin brothers spoke up.
"Whatever it is we didn't do it."
"Don't worry boys, you are not in any trouble," Mr. Weasley assured them.
"So, what's this all about?" Ron asked.
"As you all no doubt know," Remus said carefully, "Harry has gone missing."
Ginny arched an eyebrow and Ron stifled a snort. "Missing? Or maybe you've just lost track of him." Her airy comment drew unwanted attention to her, but if it bothered her no one knew.
Remus did not smile. "Harry hasn't been seen for weeks, and close off as he is to his friends… do any of know where he is, or where he was going?"
"We knew he was leaving," Hermione replied, "he told us and he was going underground for a while, to get away from everything, after what happened with Cedric, you know."
"He didn't tell anything else?" Remus asked.
"Nope," Ron said popping the 'p'. "He probably thought we'd hold up better under interrogation that way."
"I'm serious," Sirius said as eyes narrowed, and locked on the children. "So you don't know where he is? Or have an idea or any suspicion on where he might be?"
"I'm Ginny, nice to meet you," Ginny answered with a grin. "And no we don't where he is at the moment."
"That's was bad," Fred said.
"Absolutely terrible," George agreed.
"But it had to done, who knows what Sirius might come up with otherwise," Ginny continued conversationally.
"Hey!" Sirius squawked indignantly.
"Hay is for the horses," Ginny jibbed. "Was that all, or was there something more?"
Remus looked at Ginny suspiciously, there was in her precise wording that caught his attention. "Since you said, 'at the moment'. Wouldn't that mean you do know where he had been, or where he will be then?"
"Why do you think that, Professor Lupin?" Ginny responded with a look of innocent confusion on her face.
As Remus was pondering that, Snape let out a noise that could perhaps be best described as that of a frustrated cat letting the mouse get away from him, Snape then angrily stood up from his chair and quickly drew his wand.
"Legilimens," he spits out irritated as he aimed his wand at the Weasley girl.
He too had seen the same signs as the others, but he neither had the patience nor was he in the mood to deal with what he viewed as tomfoolery and a complete waste of time.
Ginny which had been prepared for the assault as soon she had spotted Snape sitting there, used her own legilimency probe to catch the one of the potions master. She then used it to enter in his mind, as when one use legilimency, one's shields are disabled for that period of time. She chose hone this skill instead of building shields or mindscapes like others. And while she had some minor shield, she adhered more to the proverb that offense is the best defense.
So before Snape had managed find anything of value, Ginny had already managed to infiltrate his mind and was currently reckon havoc in it. By digging up and bad memories, replaying shameful and humiliating ones, while also looked to see if Snape really was on the Order's side or if he just was playing Dumbledore for a fool. But she had only barely got started as Snape quickly broke the connection, and glared at her in utter contempt.
"WHAT THE MEANING OF THIS?!" Ron yelled angrily. "So how it is then, you called us down to interrogate us, and when you didn't get what you wanted you to try use force. Is that really how the Order of Phoenix operates. I thought the 'give us want we or we will take it by force' approach was more in line for how Voldemort and ilk acted, but guess I was wrong."
"Ginny, did you know that is quite illegal to use legilimency on a minor, especially without permission for said minor and their guardians," Hermione told the little red-head with a tooth-rotting sweetly tone. "I think the minimum penalty it's three months at Azkaban and a rather large fine."
"Is that so, I didn't know that Hermione," Ginny replied just as sweetly. "Mom, Dad, did you ever give Professor Snape permission to use legilimency on me? He surely never asked me if he could use it, not that I would I have allowed it if he had asked."
"So even if they did, he would still be commting a crime," Ron cut in with impish glee, and an evil grin spreading on his face. "I'm actually kind of curious. So, mom, dad, did give Snape the permission to use legilimency on Ginny?"
"Of course not," Molly squawked indignantly, offended that her children would even need to ask her that question. "But if you do know something you better tell us, young lady?! That goes for the rest of you as well."
"We never meant for that to happen, believe us," Arthur pleaded. "But if you know something about Harry you must tell us."
"Why?" Ron then asked.
"Huh... Why what?" he asked confused.
"Why must we tell anyone in the Order anything?" Ron added with strong emphasis on the word must. "Why is it so important for the Order to know the where a fifth-teen-year-old boy is?"
Unfortunately, his mother did not approve of this. And when his mother does not approve, she shrieks. But before she could really start her rant she cut by his father who asked.
"By the way Ginny, when did you learn occlumency?"
"We all learned the basics when where at Hermione's house. And I been practicing on it ever since then," Ginny replied. "And I agree with Ron, why is it so important for the Order know where Harry is. Surely the illustrious Order of the Phoenix has other much more important things than to babysit a single teenage boy."
When none of the grown-ups answered Ginny then continued. "Though that's not really what is important isn't it. No, the real question is are you gonna report Snape to the Aurors for his crimes, or we are gonna have to it?"
TBC
/ AN /
I snatched sniggering fox head from some other fic, it was simply too good to not use, don't remember exactly which one though.
Could any give any good suggestion if you would happen if tried to floo to an address that doesn't exist? I'm kind of having a hard time deciding what should happen to the person trying to do that.
I'm also having problems figuring out what would be the correct dosage for Felix Felicis. Do any have any suggestions to that?
I have been having the feeling lately that thing are to smooth for Rhy & Co. but may just be me. So I was thinking of adding some setbacks for them. What do think you think?
And as always plz review, I highly appreciate any thoughts, comments, questions or suggestions you might have.
/ Ryuuohjin