Montague rose his wand, ready to attack anything he was about to face as he entered his own bedroom. He slowly approached his door already slightly ajar, as if set up for him. Whoever was in the flat wanted him to know they were or had been there, but he had no choice but to fall into this trap--it's the only way he could get any information he desperately needed. With that last thought, he took in a deep breath and kicked his own door in, sliding in quickly. Everything looked as it did when he left that afternoon, something just felt off. He turned quickly to his bathroom door, barging his way in and pulling back the shower curtain. The sound of high heels on the hardwood floors of his bedroom made him spin around and slam the door behind him. Alicia Spinnett sat on the corner of his bed, legs crossed and wand pointing at him,

"Tsk, tsk. Honestly, Montague, you are getting sloppier and sloppier." She taunted

He felt a hand grab the back of his neck and a wand stick into his back.

"You knew we were here, and you walked in anyway."

"What do you want?" Montague said annoyed, he didn't have time to waste on the likes of her.

"Where the hell is she?" the familiar voice of Oliver Wood rang from behind him as he tightened the grip on the back of his neck, digging his wand even further into his back

"Who?" Montague asked coyly.

Oliver growled at this lack of cooperation and removed his hand from Montague's neck and spun him around by the shoulder. He took by the collar of his neck and shook him,

"I am not in the mood to play your little mind games, where is Angelina?" Wood spat.

"You tell me." Montague grimaced breaking Wood's grip from his shirt. Wood tried to grab him again, slapping Montague's wand out of hand and delivering a right hook. Montague quickly recovered and returned the hit with a jab. Wood tried tackling Montague to the ground. It didn't work, it only made Montague's mood worse.

"ENOUGH!" Alicia said, pointing her wand and delivering a tiny stunning spell to both of them.

"Obviously this is not why we are here, stop your fighting and let's get down to business."
Wood was the first to stumble to his feet, scrambling his way back to Montague as Alicia sent another mini stun his way, "I am serious, I am not in the mood. We already know he has nothing to do with this."

"I am not convinced."Wood croaked out as soon as he could.

"Montague, we have reason to believe that you might be able to help us get Angelina back." Alicia said, ignoring Wood's paranoia.

"Where is she?" Montague said, straining to keep his composure and not cross the room and rip Wood to shreds.

"We don't know precisely." Alicia sighed.

"Then get the hell out of my home, don't waste my time." Montague said rubbing his jaw and shooting daggers at Wood with his eyes.

"Really? We need you to help get her back and you are doing a shitty job of going about it alone, so why don't you just drop the facade and let's get down to business, shall we?" Wood spat.

"Tell me what you know, Spinnett." Montague said begrudgingly as he pulled the desk chair around to sit directly in front of her, this was the first bit of news he had heard of Angelina and he was desperate to learn all he could, even if it meant cooperating with the likes of them.

"I know it's not you. I now know that you care too much for her to pull off something like this, not that I didn't suspect you before but your careless actions are characteristic of someone at a loss and not someone trying to cover his tracks. If we don't involve you this instance, you run the risk of exposing yourself as well as getting her killed--if she hasn't been already."

"What do you know?" Montague repeated coldly, he wanted to know exactly where she was going with this and he couldn't if she kept at the rate she was going, all he wanted to do was find Angelina.

"Well, days after she disappeared you were at work the full day. You returned the next, not jumping to conclusions that this was an actual disappearance as of yet--when she didn't come in on her break and you checked in to find she never even reported to the Prophet-- then it was on. You lost it, skipping scheduled meetings and staking out Sarin at St. Mungo's, as if her mother would ever be any help. You've been wasting valuable time that you could have been using to track who really would want her gone, maybe avoiding involving innocents and inciting hysteria."

"Smooth move, by the way." Wood interrupted. "That mess wasn't easy to clean up."

"I said, enough." Alicia directed toward him, before turning back to Montague and leaning in.

"You are far too important to your organization for them to risk you acting all rogue on them, if they start getting suspicious of the ill timing of your behavioral problems you will get yourself and our girl killed and no one wants that."

"What do you know?" Montague repeated, this time in reference to her mention of the organization he was involved in.

"Well, I know you are the best at what you are assigned to do. I know that you are slated to be one of the biggest risks that the forces of good will be up against in the fight against the Dark Lord. You are one of the few in an elite organization designed to lead an army that could possibly be the demise of the world of wizardry as we know it. You are their prized asset and their deadliest enemy all in the same sentence." She moved in closer and locked her brown eyes with his green. "You are working alone in a war where there is no gray, tied only to the two allegiances you have developed. You are neither on the side of light or dark, and won't be protected by either when the truth comes out or if you continue to act so strangely. For the greater good, just stop being such a red flag and try to do the right thing here."

Montague outwardly laughed at her dead on accusations and summary of his life. She was good, a better investigator than most twice or age. She was able to tail him and learn more about him then she needed to, something that would have gotten her handled if he didn't need something from her."You believe all of what you say to be fact?" He chuckled.

"I know it. I don't where your loyalties will lie in the end, but I know your mind is on Angelina. I could be making a mistake by sharing so much of my intel with you, but if there is a remote chance it could save her then I will just deal with the consequences later."

"You're right." Montague agreed slowly. " You don't know where my loyalties lie. I trust few and work with even fewer, Spinnett if you don't tell me exactly how you plan on getting her back here then I have nothing to show you but the door you broke in to."

"Broke in?" Alicia laughed, "Boy, if you think that is my style then you are more daft than Wood thought you were. I told you that you have only two of whom you have allied yourself with. One we know to be lost, the other...."She trailed, motioning behind him at the door as Flint leaned against the door frame.

"Oy mate." Flint quietly mummered, nodding somberly toward his friend, ashamed.

"What the hell." Montague said rubbing the side of his face and letting it rest on his hand. Stunned beyond reason. Flint? Flint was involved in all of this.

"There are only two people in this world that you give a damn about, and protecting one risks the exposure of the other and vice-versa. It is more than obvious that you cannot continue this fight alone and make it out with a positive outcome. You have done a sensational job, truly remarkable up to this point, but it's time to let the Order step in from here." Alicia concluded. "Come with us."


The meeting place in 12 Girmmauld Place was just an odd shaped room with a long, oversized heavy wooden table surrounded by many tall backed chairs pulled up to it. The table had several glasses of water on them, the "Order" that Alicia spoke of must have been a very informal group, Montague thought, his hand tightly grasping his wand under his robes.
He looked around at the dark green decor and the dusty interior and knew that this was not a place where appearance meant much of anything. He ceremoniously sat at the head of the table, waiting for one of the three of them to even begin to object to his actions. Then stared directly at Wood, still wishing he would have creamed the smarmy bastard when he had the chance, if Alicia wasn't there he more than likely would have. He knew that Angelina would not have wanted it that way, one thing he wanted to do was to keep her wishes as well attended as possible.

Wood grimaced at Montague's placing and took the seat to his left while Flint took the one to his right and Alicia alerted the others in the home of their arrival before taking her seat next to Wood. A parade of uneasy looking adults made their way into the room keeping all speak to a minimum and by the way they carried themselves they ,much like himself, were ready to defend if the moment presented itself. The tension in the air was heavy and it could be read by the uneven glances and nervous ticks of this bunch. From that point, Montague knew he had to carry himself in such a way that this group would never get the upperhand, he was already at a disadvantage being surrounded and on their ground. He couldn't risk overexposure but at the same time for as long as he knew Alicia Spinnett, she had been a voice of truth and reason where sense is more than a little lacking. She was easy to read because she shot straight.

"Mont, let me introduce you to Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Weasley, Tonks, Professor Lupin, as you know Professor McGongall and Professor Dumbledore, and our host the notorious Sirius Black." Alicia choked on the last introduction a bit, as Wood placed an arm around the back of her chair and shifted his weary eyes between Montague and Sirius.

"Welcome , we have heard so much about--" Molly Weasley began before being interrupted by Montague's raised hand.

"Save the pleasantries. You have taken me from my home, threw down some pretty heavy accusations, and currently keeping me from finding Angelina. I suggest--"

"I suggest you show a little bit more respect, this isn't a Silver meeting." A voice from behind announced his presence, as Professor Snape made his way from the shadows into the last seat at the table.

"Ah, Severus." Montague chuckled, rubbing his chin. Trying to take all this in as he began to put the pieces together. This night kept getting more and more interesting.

"Should have known you had something to do with this, tell me, what is the going rate for traitors nowadays? A superior in the works with Dumbledore—my gosh I thought Flint was in trouble. You ? You, sir, would be made into dust. I mean, you are a stone throws away from being ousted anyway but maybe that's why you decided to run for the opposition."

"Trust me, Montague, you are the one who will reap what he sows." Professor Snape lashed out at his student with a clear disdain that threw Montague off. He was being brazen because he could, Snape clearly held something against him. Something he never seen before, and the only rationale Montague could come to was jealousy. He was losing his patience with all of this and his curiosity was no longer enough to keep him there.

"Is that right? I am in danger, am I?" Montague scoffed.

"Oh the contrary," Dumbledore intervened "We think we can help save your mission."

"My mission is to stop wasting my time here with you and get back what's mine." Montague barked.

"All that is achievable on your own, is it? You are irrational and blind to the mistakes that you are bound to make--you are underage and ill-equipped, if we let you continue with this kamikaze lifestyle you are so committed to we will be looking at a body count number that is unnecessary." Professor McGongall tried to reason.

With that, Montague whipped his wand out of its hiding twirled it toward Lupin and broke the water glass he held to his mouth before returning it his seated position before as much as a defensive wand could be raised to him as the others gasped and angrily whispered.

"Underaged so banned from magic? Oh, Professor there are ways around that. You have no idea what we've learned outside the walls of Hogwarts." Montague growled, tired of being toyed with. He was no child.

"Alex," Flint said quietly, speaking for the first time since they left the flat they shared. He looked a mess."They want to help. Remember the days we spent plotting our ways out of this legacy? I couldn't tell what was important to you anymore and for that I am sorry, but without that I would have never found my way here, I turned to Professor Snape when I thought I had no one else. He brought me here, I know that I am only alive because of you and him. I didn't bring you here to fight I brought you here cause I know that your heart isn't in the organization and we still want the same thing, this is our lives. Don't you want to be able to control it? They took her, they did."

"You doubted me that much? I gave you my word and that itself should have been solid." Montague said, ignoring the fact that anyone in was in that room other than he and Flint.

"Yeah, well you are too good of an actor for your own good. Let me help you now the way you continue to help me. We think we have a lead on Angelina, but it will take you playing along with Silver as long as it takes."

"Where is she?" Montague demanded.

"We don't know for sure but...we have a firm lead"

"Where?" Montague asked his friend again, "Fuck discretion."

"See? That's the problem right there. You are so uncooperative. We will lose her and more than likely the others and become exposed with this kind of attitude. Everyone loses, most of all you if you don't calm down and listen. There is only one way that this has a chance, Alicia has been working very hard on it, so shut up and just play your part."Wood exclaimed.

"I am going to need some answers real fast. Why am I sitting here if you know where she is?" Montague posed the question to Alicia

"Angelina, I believe, was taken by several of the operatives that work for your organization. She unfortunately must be thought of as a conspiracy theorist one of some of the more vigilante reporters at the Prophet, you see this is what I want to do the rest of my life I am not like Angelina, this isn't settling or second choice, a year from now this kinda of stuff will be my life. Angelina, as you have noticed, draws attention to herself weather she wants to or not. Believing that she and some others knew too much, they were taken--we think their plan was to take out the sources of info and to scare the ones left."

"So because you cannot mind your business, she might die?" Montague asked

"Or maybe because she spent all her time looking suspicious as hell at the Ministry is why she is gone. She had her questions about you ministry interns also, she just gave you the benefit and couldn't stay away no matter what and we now see how that panned out for her." Alicia countered. "Tell, me what you know and together we can crack this thing and get her back."

"Nothing, I know nothing. I don't know who or what has her."

"Tell me about Silver."

"No."

"No?" Alicia questioned obviously stunned by this response

"No. I can tell you a lot of things, but Silver isn't one of them. You think you want to know everything and you can handle it all, the things that have come to pass and that are going to be are of the nature that would destroy you worse than a dementor's kiss. I am willing to do whatever it takes to get her back, that's not an option. Whatever operation we are running here will remain separate so not to risk exposure, the less you know the better." Montague assured, allowing himself to slip into business mode to avoid the boiling emotions just below his surface. " I will keep you informed on a need to know basis, it would be a mistake to choose to treat me the same way. I will work with Flint, Wood, and yourself primarily on this task as you I feel are the only ones that will do whatever necessary. Silver isn't something that you can infiltrate without consequence. Its meetings are as guarded as Azkiban. "

"Oh please, don't be ridiculous by painting a darker picture than what it is. We knew of your every move when you were under suspicion, the ministry as a location has its secrets but it's no Azkiban." Professor Snape scoffed.

"And you knew that I wasn't where I usually am. Tell me, Severus, do you think I can get people to dislike you here as much as they do at the other meetings? You know the ones held on the Department floor that are used as recaps from the decisions at the Shrieking Shack?"

Professor Snape's face contorted at hearing this, unable to understand where Montague was going with this or if his words held any truth.

"Yes. Flint, when you go out on your meaningless scouting efforts are you standing around truly believing I am sitting pushing papers. Where do you think I am? Why do you think they would employ us the whole summer if it wasn't for something big and worthwhile? There is much about Silver even supposed members aren't privileged to know and if what you don't know has anything to do with where Angelina is now then we have got to go. It appears not even I know all of the inner workings between Dorgan and Malfoy but if tonight is any indication than I am well on my way to knowing more than either had ever had planned for me. If they are hiding it from Warrington and I then it must be something---something not fully developed yet. Trust me that is dangerous."

"What kind of danger is she facing?" Wood asked, leaning in toward the table. He, Flint, and Alicia had all gravitated more toward Montague as he spoke.

"Hear this, I am sitting here right now for the sole purpose of getting back what was stolen. I am not committing to anything other than that and I expect nothing but your cooperation throughout the process."

"No way, son. This is no game. People's lives are at stake here, it cannot be left in the hands of four teenagers." Lupin protested.

" We are no mere collection of young adults, you will not treat us as such. We did not choose this life or this war. This is the life we were born for, c'mon. That is obvious, we were made for this. We are here now and win or lose you are not going to get a better team, the rest of you cannot afford to be on the field nor would go undetected. Let's not have this fight again, we are not average so do not look at me as some teen prima donna, I am here to work. I am not asking for permission and you know as well as I do that this is going to happen with or without you so might I suggest that we not even go down that rabbit trail and just focus. Mont, I will follow you. You have my word." Alicia pledged. "Let's not fight, not now anyways."

"Montague, I have always followed you." Flint said, Montague sighed and rolled his eyes, trying to ignore the previous yet oh-so-recent deceit pulled by his friend.

"I mean it Mont, it never came down to you or the Order and if it did, they would have to kill me before I rolled on you. Wood, can tell you I struggled for the longest. They kept me at bay until right before the festival, I was not sure I was able to do this without you and now I do not have to. You are my best friend. The only family I have here and now, I will gladly follow you into the dark. If you know anything, know that."

"Don't tell me what I know and what I do not." Montague sighed, glancing over to Wood—the only one yet to answer. The best Wood could manage to do was nod , Montague knew that was the best he'd get from him.

"Let's do this. Alicia—get them all over covering this story, you might be doing it now but if they wanted publicity , give them an amount of it that they cannot control-- someone saw something everyone was there and at the current disarray the more we can get under their skin, the easier it will be for them to fall off their game. Flint, stop being horrible at your job for christ sake, you are a grown man about a day and half from having his memory dusted. Stick so close to Dorgan I want him to mistake your reflection as his. Dorgan is the answer I know it-- he is the weak link of the two superiors despite appearances . Wood, if they have taken her the wolves will have her. Warrington might be the go to target for this one, make such a hell for his family that he cannot ignore it get him out of commission so all they have is me. I am trying my damnedest to be calm and not go and rip into him right now—but that won't keep her alive," Montague planned quickly. "also become Snape's overgrown shadow—there is the memory dust that they used that could be valuable if we learn how to even come close to duplicating it for own uses."

"I know of what you speak of ,Mr. Montague, I am sure you are aware that I have had my hand in helping acquire it and would be able to manipulate some if we were able to have access to said magical base, no one knows where or—" Professor Snape jumped in.

"If all you need is a sampling and for some damn reason as a superior you actually do not have access to it, I can have you a vile by tonight." Montague shook his head and spoke quietly below his breath, "Seriously, Severus, what do they have you around for is they do not trust you with anything?"

"WOLVES!!!!!!! As in Werewolves? All of you believe that these kids are now the playthings of vile wolf creatures?" Molly squeaked covering her chest with her hand, " NO!"

"Yes, and you can pump the breaks on the dramatics, you saw them at that festival and yes they are in league with us. That much Severus should have filled you in on." scoffed Montgue beginning to lose the battle with his emotions, "Probably used her as scrap meat by now—god, Flint if you knew. Why didn't you save her?"

"I didn't know!"Flint defended, pale in the face.

"Kiss my ass." Montague bit quickly.

"We confirmed everything only hours before we tracked you down at the flat. I had an idea at the festival that the quills used for the Prophet reporters were portkeys to Dorgan's but I didn't know for sure I wouldn't have let it go on if I knew it was us at Silver for sure. Professor Snape wasn't even certain, man. We weren't sure that Angelina and the others just didn't go off somewhere and our portkey theories weren't just that, we had to put together that it wasn't you and it was Dorgan's placed used. He more than likely has got'em locked up there doing god knows were the one she was always sneaking off too—Wood had to come clean what he knew about the two of you and then we realized that she was indeed taken with Oz and the others. I might suck at ruining people's life at the Ministry, but I can save'em—I have to. We'll get them back—all of them, I will not let you down. I can give you your life back." Flint grasped, he looked as if he was at the edge of his wits and if Mont didn't agree soon he would lose it.

For a brief moment, Montague sighed with relief, forgetting that the worst was far from behind them. Flint's words were everything he needed to hear and then some—even if he wanted to continue to be mad at Flint he knew it wouldn't hold up and overall was a waste of time. Angelina seemed that much closer. Real. Tangible even. The hell and the absolute devastation he felt he faced earlier that same day was replaced with a fire and a need for redemption. He was with Alicia. They'd get back what was theirs or die in the process, if they were not too young to feel such lose they sure as hell shouldn't be too young to set fire to the world because of it. If they'd allowed him, he knew he would lead them to victory, this felt right. He belonged there. It wasn't false, this was where he needed to be, fighting for what he needed in order to live.