Chapter XXI - Preparation
A few weeks went by in which students took their OWL and NEWT exams, and Rosemary brought the potion to the maned wolf in the Forbidden Forest under Dumbledore's orders. The encounters went roughly the same, with Rosemary leaving the vial's contents in a bowl for Tyra to lap, and then leaving again once the potion was gone. Snape continued to brew it as long as needed, keeping very tight-lipped about the real reason behind her giving the potion instead of him. Luckily enough for him she hadn't inquired further about his waking her the night before giving her this task, and neither had she suspected anything about the task in the first place. He trusted Dumbledore in that she would not be in any more danger doing this than she would have been in otherwise, and that was enough for him.
Not that he cared for her well-being outside of the fact that she was an Order member and they needed all the members they had, of course.
One night, however, she found that Tyra was not in the place they usually met- and a quick transformation revealed that her scent was old. Immediately distressed by this, Rosemary returned to the castle to alert Snape.
"What?" He asked when she knocked on his door, sounding thoroughly annoyed. Had it not been dire, she wanted to tell him, she would never dream of waking such a bitter man in the middle of the night as he had done to her not long ago.
"Snape..." She lowered her voice to barely a whisper. "She's gone."
He took a moment to respond. "Are you certain?"
"Of course I'm certain," she hissed. "My nose has never lied before."
He raised an eyebrow at her momentarily, obviously not catching what she was referring to, but he didn't inquire further. "He must have moved her." Without another word he turned and disappeared back into the room again.
"Snape?" She asked quietly from outside the door.
"Get your things," he said.
"All of them?"
Impatience crept into his tone. "If you wish; I don't have time to babysit and monitor everything you pack, DiNozzo. We've got to alert the Order. Meet me outside the gates."
"Well if you would just tell me what we're doing, maybe I wouldn't have to ask."
He ignored her.
With that she left him to his own preparation and returned to her quarters to pack her things. While Snape left to tell McGonagall what was going on, Rosemary waited outside the gates. When Snape finally joined her, he had less things than she.
"Dumbledore will meet us at-"
"How did you-"
"Grimmauld Place," he said with some emphasis. "Now hurry up and take my arm."
"I can Apparate myself, thanks," she said, picking her things up once more. In an instant he raised his wand and Disapparated, and she followed suit shortly after.
In a whirl and an uncomfortable landing they arrived outside the house. Snape approached as the door revealed itself, and Rosemary followed. She walked in front of him to knock on the door, glancing around briefly to be sure no Muggles had seen.
The door swung open and in the doorway stood a large dog, who cocked his head slightly at the two of them on the doorstep.
"Padfoot," Rosemary said quietly, leaning over toward the dog slightly. "We'll explain once we're inside."
The dog turned and disappeared into the darkness of the corridor beyond and the other two followed, the door closing behind them.
"Sirius?" She called down the corridor as loudly as she dared with his mother's portrait still on the wall. There was no answer, but a dark shape turned into another doorway. "We'll meet you in the dining room." With that she ascended the stairs to put her things away.
Dumbledore arrived shortly after and Snape met him in the dining room before the others. Snape imformed him of the situation and Dumbledore sent out a patronus, hoping to alert the other Order members who had not already been alerted by McGonagall from Hogwarts.
Upon descending the stairs once more, Rosemary found Sirius and Remus waiting at the bottom.
"What's going on?" Remus asked.
"I'm not sure," she said, again very tempted to tell Sirius of Lauren having been in the Forbidden Forest all this time. "You-Know-Who's moved her."
"From Malfoy manor?" Sirius asked this time.
She gave them a glance she hoped Sirius would take as a yes. "I assume Dumbledore will call together a meeting; we'd better be ready."
Sirius headed immediately for the dining room. Remus, however, lingered, keeping his voice low.
"He's moved her from the Forest? Why?"
"I don't know. She didn't get the-" Rosemary stopped short. She hadn't yet told him about the potion, but now that Lauren wasn't going to be around to be given it, would it matter?
"Didn't get what?"
She glanced back at him, hesitating. "I'll tell you later."
With that they both entered the dining room to await the start of the meeting.
"I can only guess when the Dark Lord will call together his followers for a final meeting," Snape said to Dumbledore from his seat at the table. "I assume it will be very soon."
Dumbledore nodded once. "We will make the meeting brief."
The remaining Order members, minus McGonagall, arrived within a short amount of time. All seated themselves at their respective places at the table.
"The Dark Lord is on the move," Snape said, starting the meeting. "He has recalled Lauren Black, whom he has had under his control since last summer."
Snape paused, leaving a few of the Order members to glance at each other.
"It is my belief that he will assemble his followers very soon for his attack on the Department of Mysteries." He looked to Dumbledore.
"We can beat them there, Dumbledore," Moody said, his blue eye rotating eerily in its socket. "If they launch their attack when the Ministry's not around."
Dumbledore considered this. "Kingsley, Tonks... can you ensure that should the attack happen while the Ministry is occupied, that they are not involved?"
"Yes," Shacklebolt's deep voice rumbled.
"If you all will remain here until further notice," Dumbledore said, looking around the table.
"Dumbledore," Sirius broke in suddenly. "I assume you've thought of how we'll get her back?" He studied the man slightly, not quite convinced of it.
Dumbledore's answer was calm. "I have, Sirius."
"And how he's controlling her?"
"You were correct in assuming it was the necklace. There is no need to worry further."
Sirius stiffened in his seat, but kept his tone even and calm. "We're not leaving it up to Snivellus, are we?"
Remus and Rosemary gave him slightly shocked looks. From his seat, Snape glared daggers.
"Severus," Dumbledore said, seemingly unfazed by Sirius' namecalling. "Will not be joining us."
"Convenient."
A hint of sharpness entered Dumbledore's voice. "Severus must ensure Voldemort's trust in him. Neither will Professor McGonagall be joining us, to keep watch at Hogwarts in mine and Severus' absence. I will personally ensure that your wife is returned safely, Sirius."
Sirius watched Dumbledore a moment before breaking his gaze, apparently placated for the time being.
Dumbledore looked around the table once more. "Lauren may yet give us more trouble than we anticipated, but no matter what happens I must ask you all not to harm her. Stun, immobilize, if you must, but do not harm her..." He paused, his voice growing quiet. "No matter what spells she is using. We cannot say for certain the extent of Voldemort's control over her, even now."
"Exactly what are we up against, Dumbledore?" Moody asked.
Dumbledore's silver-blue eyes turned to meet Moody's. "Lauren possesses an aptitude for powerful spells unrivaled by most, but it is her emotions and determination that drive them. Under Voldemort's control I do not know how much of that emotion and determination comes through. Still, there are other things we must be aware of, particularly her penchant for fire-related magic."
Sirius, Remus, and Rosemary glanced at each other, remembering Sirius and James' accidental run in with such magic in their sixth year.
"Fawkes' blood remains bound with hers," he continued. "I cannot say for certain whether Voldemort is aware of the magic she possesses, but we must not assume he is ignorant. This magic can be tapped into without the use of a wand, so should she be disarmed one must not assume that she is not still dangerous either.
"Lauren's magic aside, we will be up against a lot in terms of a fight, which none can deny is inevitable." Dumbledore paused as if to let this sink in. "I must say, however, that this does not mean we do not have hope. Far from it, in fact. Where there is one noble cause backed by one sincere person with determination and perseverence, there is not and cannot be an utter loss of hope.
"Some of us may die, as in those years before and as do even now," he continued, and a few of them glanced at one another. "But as before there remains hope, and the promise that even though our entire Order may be wiped from the Wizarding world, there is one thing Voldemort cannot wipe away: our fight in the pages of history, that we may inspire future generations to rise against him no matter the odds... and no matter how those odds stand now, one day they will invariably turn to the favor of those that hold the values of the Order of the Phoenix. Always remember this: we may not win the battle, but we may yet win the war."