Hello all! This chapter officially marks the beginning of the end of Telling Time. After this, there are only four more chapters to write. Mind you, Telling Time is merely part one of the Lost Founder Series, which at this point will likely span at least four more stories about this length. Titles of those, so you know what to look for, will be:
Telling Time
Seeking Time
Buying Time
Harvest Time
Fated Time
Those five parts, which will likely all be nearly as long as Telling Time has gotten, will conclude with the end of the war, on canon schedule. After Fated Time, I do have some shorter additions to the series planned, though that's still a long way out yet. I just know I want to be able to show how Harry, Dudley, Emma, and their friends and family continue to grow in the aftermath of the war. Likely, what will conclude this series once and for all will be Hermione's - she being "The Lost Founder" - death. The series post Fated Time will likely skip years here and there so don't get too worried about a never ending series. I guess for me, at this point I've put so much planning into the series that it feels silly to not allow it to continue. Anyway, without further delay, Telling Time - Chapter 48. Do enjoy, and as always, thank you for your support!
Hermione rubbed her temples as each person at her and Minerva's kitchen table added their opinion to the ins and outs of the increasing tensions in the Wizarding world. It was not an Order meeting, but it seemed to be only thing anyone was interested in talking about, and as Head of that organization, she knew she couldn't just tell them to shut the bloody hell up and allow her a moment of peace - even if the headache she was currently getting was urging her to do just that. Not even Minerva seemed to understand how heavy a burden Hermione carried, as she was as guilty as the rest of the group of bringing up the war during what had been meant to be a nice dinner for a group of friends.
"Patrick says his parents are dealing with admin meetings at St. Mungo's in which they are being told to make it routine to check for dark marks with every patient coming in," Minerva remarked. "The board is divided though, on what to do when they do get a Death Eater on their hands. Janet Hammond, of course, is Head of the hospital but a good half of the board believes that Death Eaters should be treated with the same level of care and discretion as any other patient."
"While I know for certain that four of the Dark Lord's sympathizers are members of the Mungo's board," Severus added, "there's really no telling how many of the others are truly sympathizers, or if they just take the mediwizard oaths entirely too seriously."
"Five," Leland corrected his fellow former Death Eater.
"Arimund Stannis, Charles Devlin, Judith Pritchard, and Katrina Millson," the Potions Master listed. "Who makes five?"
"Katrina, really?" Leland asked, looking surprised. "Didn't know about her. In that case, six. Henry Monksfield is a sympathizer and Greg Dennover is a Death Eater."
Severus looked sour. "Monksfield? You'd think a man who'd taught at Hogwarts would have more sense. Learned more from him during my seventh year than I did in the first six under Slughorn. Damn."
"Likely how the Dark Lord got clued into your potential," Hermione added with a sigh, filing away the name Katrina Millson for further investigation. It was the only one Severus and Leland had listed which she'd not already known about.
"Did Malcolm or Robert mention to Patrick anything about the staff checking for the Mark of Eyghon?" Rupert inquired, having joined Severus for the evening.
Hermione had to admit, Minerva seemed to be holding together quite well considering both Rupert and Leland were here this evening, though the Head of the Order suspected her partner's manners might have something to do with her and Remus flanking her. Neither the Defense nor Transfiguration Professors had much tolerance for Minerva's attitude toward Leland and Rupert. Poor Severus was sitting opposite Minerva's position at the head of the table, with his boss's two least favorite people flanking him. Hermione was suddenly quite marveled at how a common cause could bring together all sorts of people, no matter their differences.
"Mungo's aside," Remus put in, "Is there any new word on the status of the Ministry?"
"You mean other than its continuing decline into a cesspool of corruption?" Leland snarked.
"Samantha has stopped going to work," Rupert put in, regarding his sister-in-law. Despite the rift between the Giles brothers, the blond woman who'd married into the family had always welcomed Rupert, encouraging him to be a part of his nephew's life. "She firecalled the other night in a panic because she'd found a list in her pile of papers to file that day with the heading Undesirables, and her name was on it, along with Rob's and a handful of other Order members."
Hermione nodded. "Yes, she Owled me a copy of the list. About half of those listed were Order members or family members of Order members, though I'm looking into the other names. Potentially, knowledge that the Ministry is after them one way or another will encourage them to join the Order. I've spoken with more than a few potential members who have opted out per not wanting to put themselves or their families at risk. If these people are already on the radar then they have our protection to gain and very little to lose by joining. Minerva, Patrick's parents were on that list. We're going to need to speak with them."
The Scottish woman glared. "You're just now mentioning this? Bloody hell, Hermione, this is my family we're talking about!"
"And I've already assigned Order members to be watching their every move," Hermione said calmly. "I meant to speak to you about it last evening, but I'd passed out by the time you came in."
Minerva couldn't seem to find too much fault in Hermione's delay of speaking with her about the threat on her brother and sister-in-law. However, she still looked decidedly upset, and after issuing a few, lowly spoken Gaelic curses she excused herself from the table with a glance at Hermione that assured the younger witch she'd be crashing in Emma's room for the night.
"Someone's in the doghouse," Leland muttered once Minerva was up the stairs.
Remus snickered. "Sirius will be glad to hear someone besides him gets put there now and then."
Severus just rolled his eyes, though Rupert tossed her an understanding look. Nothing was said in the next few minutes as the five remaining at the table took to finishing their meals. The silence was broken by an Owl swooping through an open window in the kitchen, and directing its path toward the Head of the Order. Hermione took the crisp envelope from the creature's beak and opened the missive, scanning the contents quickly.
Professor Slytherin,
I'm well aware that I'm likely the last person you'd wish to hear from, but I find myself in a position where I'm in need of a way out of an uncomfortable situation, and loathe as I am to admit it, I believe you are most likely to be a person with the ability and willingness to provide me with one. Of course, I believe I know you well enough to surmise that this willingness will come with a price. I assure you that there is very little I would hesitate to give you for the sake of your assistance.
I request a meeting with you to discuss the particulars, but I suppose you can guess the basics. You know whose mark I carry, and you know what I've done in the service of that monster of a man. Quid pro quo, I know that I would not be the first you'd liberated from a mistaken path. Assuming you're agreeable to at least speak with me, I shall be waiting on the outskirts of Hogsmeade for your arrival. I'll be alone, though I don't expect you to be as well, and I'll concede that considering our last encounter, that is only fair.
D. Umbridge
"I'll be god damned," Hermione let out with a shaky voice, tossing the parchment to Remus, who read it before passing to the other end of the table. By the time Rupert, the last to read it, had done so, the other three men were clenching jaws in fury.
"Who's Umbridge?" Rupert asked, confused.
"The woman responsible for Albus' death," Severus ground out, looking furious.
"You cannot be actually considering her request!" Leland growled in an unusually emotional display.
"Does she not deserve to be heard out?" Remus inquired sharply, "much as you and Severus were?"
"Even that aside," Rupert put in, "tactically speaking she'd be a hell of an ally to have. If she did kill the Headmaster, that would have put her right in the inner circle."
"Fair point," Severus muttered, angry undertone in his voice still holding though the admission. "Though we also have to consider her aims the last time she was here. Her message may simply be a means to get Hermione out of the castle for an ambush, or to get Hermione away from either Minerva or Harry."
Hermione nodded in agreement. "I do mean to at least hear her out," she said. "Though Severus and Rupert, I'd appreciate you keeping an eye on the children while I'm gone."
"I'll watch Minerva," Leland offered.
"If Minerva comes downstairs to find you and you alone still here, she'll be even more mad at me than she already is," Hermione sighed. "Remus, you stay and keep guard on Minerva, and Leland, you can come with me. I would bring another person to this meeting, but I don't want to scare her off if she does come for the reasons she's stated."
"That makes sense," Severus agreed. "But for Merlin's sake, Hermione, stay alert."
She looked at her once Professor and now dear friend. "Ob...viously," she said, mimicking his baritone, nearly trademark response to any instance it could be used.
This caused Remus, Rupert, and Leland to all let out small chuckles, breaking the tension almost entirely.
"Insufferable…" Severus groaned. "Alright, you insane lot. Let's get a move on."
Severus and Rupert conferred briefly with Hermione that for the sake of having all three children under guard and none of them in the Head Tower to alert Minerva there was anything going on, that they'd collect the children and hang out in Severus' quarters until Hermione sent word otherwise. Hermione agreed with the plan, and quickly scrawled out a note to Filius to assure the Head of Ravenclaw that Severus was free to take Emma from her dorm. Hermione of course was Head of Gryffindor and Severus of Slytherin, so they didn't need their own permission to add to the verbal agreement.
As that conversation was taking place, Remus had snuck down to the expansive collection of rare books in the Head Library, and grabbed a few books to keep himself occupied with. He also suggested that he'd have an easier time getting Minerva to believe he was just hanging out if Hermione had supposedly said he could look at certain books but could not take them out of the Head Tower. As much as Hermione hated the idea of lying to Minerva at all, she knew damn well that Minerva would not approve a meeting with Dolores Umbridge, much less support an allegiance with Albus' killer if it did come down to that truly being the Death Eater's purpose. Already in hot water with her partner, Hermione was not in the mood to prompt a fight that frankly, she hadn't the time to engage in at the moment. She'd talk to Minerva about it tomorrow.
Those thoughts still on her mind as she and Leland left the Head Tower, a huff escaped her lips.
"What?" Leland asked.
"Not looking forward to Minerva finding out what I'm up to," she replied with a frown. "It's moments like this, while I deeply love Minerva, that I miss Salazar and Rowena. Sal never had a moral high horse to get on, and Rowena couldn't hold a grudge for longer than a few hours if her life depended on it. She simply did not have a temper. Sal did have the ability to hold a grudge, and he did have a bit of a temper, but nothing that comes close to Minerva. I'm afraid that one of these days Minerva and I will have to duel our differences out."
"You'd beat her," Lelend said with certainty. "She's good, but you're faster and have a repertoire of spells that she's never even heard of."
"I'm not worried about whether or not I can beat her," Hermione said softly. "I'm worried because I know I will beat her and she is all Gryffindor pride. I'm not certain our relationship would survive a duel."
They pair were silent for a while, till they were halfway down the path to Hogsmeade, and Leland finally mustered a reply. "I knew her parents, of course. Robert was muggle, Isobel a witch. While she did get the magic from her mum, she got her da's temperament. That said, no matter how bloody mad Robert got, he'd never make decisions while he was angry. Minerva's the same. She'd never end your relationship in a heat of the moment way."
"I hope you're right," Hermione said. "Though she got the wizarding blood both ways. Robert was a squib."
"Is that so?" the aged man asked, looking interested. "I've never heard of any McGonagalls who were wizarding before Minerva and her brothers."
"Robert was likely several generations removed - I'm not honestly sure the potion we gave Dudley would have worked for Robert - but there were wizarding McGonagalls back at the founding of Hogwarts, and I was still there when the plans for present day McGonagall Manor were being drawn up."
They were still conversing about the McGonagall line and what they each knew about it when they stepped into the gateway that separated the grounds of Hogwarts and Hogsmeade village. A minute prior they'd both drawn wands with no comment, uncertain how close to the gate Umbridge would be slinking about. They were right to have been on guard, as they'd gotten no more than five yards into the village when an irritatingly familiar voice sounded.
"Hem-hem."
Both turned rapidly, wands at the ready and pointed toward a pink clad woman they'd both had the displeasure of meeting before today. "Umbridge," Hermione said tersely.
"Slytherin," the other witch returned, holding both her hands out, palms up, to show she was unarmed. "I do believe I said I came in peace."
"Pardon us for assuming it was possible you'd be lying about your intentions," Leland ground out.
"Fair, I suppose," Umbridge shrugged. "Now, as I'm obviously alone and unarmed, shall we get down to business?"
"You stated in your letter you were seeking… liberation from Voldemort's ranks," Hermione kicked off the conversation. "Why the change of heart?"
"While I am all for pureblood reign in the Wizarding world, I find it highly distasteful that a man I opted to follow per his supposed agreement in this mindset would forget whose blood was pure or not as he so chooses. He murders purebloods who are unable to achieve a given task, and will readily advance half-bloods or mudbloods, or worse werewolves in his ranks when they succeed where a pureblood has failed. I like order, and the Dark Lord is the very image of chaos."
Hermione studied Dolores' face and after a moment, decided that the woman was being honest. Her reasons for switching sides were far from noble, but that really didn't matter in the grand scheme. Salazar hadn't been highly noble either, but he also was solidly on one side or the other of an issue. He wasn't fickle, and Hermione didn't believe Dolores was either. Hermione was actually a bit impressed it had taken less than a year of seeing Voldemort in action for her to realize how insane he really was.
"Taking you under our protection is a risk to us," Leland stated. "What are you prepared to offer that would be of enough value to warrant that risk?"
"Information, obviously," Umbridge replied curtly. "With Snape no longer able to act the part of double agent, and the Dark Lord on high alert toward any newcomers for the potential of that, you need someone already in the inner circle to become your spy. I'm willing to fill that role in exchange for your word that should I be discovered - which I'll do my best to not allow as I'd likely be killed - you'll protect me."
Hermione and Leland looked at one another, both understanding the need for information from an inside source, and the value in how little Umbridge was demanding in return. Worst case, they had one more person to protect. Best case, Voldemort never discovers her duplicity and they get information at little to no cost. "Have you anything to offer, information wise, as a show of good faith?" Hermione asked. "Also I'm sure you understand that any agreement on my part will include an unbreakable vow to ensure you don't find yourself dissatisfied with my own leadership to the point of turning on me just as you've turned on Voldemort."
Umbridge looked thoughtful. "I expected the Unbreakable Vow bit, and will submit before we part ways. As to the good faith information… the Dark Lord has been collecting magical artifacts from all around the world. He had to recruit someone from the Ministry who specializes in untraceable Portkeys in order for him to go on these missions. He always goes with only Antonin and Bellatrix in tow, and I get the impression that they have been forced into vows which keep them from speaking about what they see."
"Any idea what artifacts he's seeking, or what his purpose with them are?" Hermione asked, suddenly concerned that he was seeking more objects to put horcruxes in.
"The pattern I'm seeing is that he's looking for objects that boost his existing magical power. After everything at Hogwarts, Alecto Carrow handed off one part of a spear to the Dark Lord in an effort to regain his favor, and stated that it had once been in the hands of Grindelwald, who had later handed it off to a muggle called Hitler. Carrow's grandfather or something stole it back from the muggle, and it had been passed down as an heirloom since."
Hermione raised an eyebrow, having a suspicion and not liking it one bit. "Do you have any idea by whom this spear was made? Goblins?"
"Not sure, but it wasn't the Goblins," Dolores replied. "In fact, none of the artifacts he's been bringing back from these trips have been Goblin made. He keeps referring to two people, a man and a woman, who keep beating him to the artifacts. He tends to be in a foul mood after that happens."
Leland snorted.
"Well, I'd call that a satisfactory show of good faith," Hermione concluded with a sigh, suspicions all but confirmed. "Leland, if you'd kindly act as bonder, we can get this over with and Madam Umbridge can be on her way."
"Actually, Madam Slytherin, I'd prefer if you'd act as bonder," Leland cut in.
It was so seldom that Leland questioned Hermione that the Head of the Order stopped short for a moment before nodding in agreement. For Leland to interject like that, he must have had a very good reason, and she couldn't see harm in him taking her place. Dolores didn't seem to have a problem with Leland being the one taking the vow instead of Hermione, so the continued in doing things Leland's way without any issue. After that was finished, Hermione and Dolores spoke briefly about a safe way to communicate, and then the newly christened spy was on her way and Hermione and Leland turned back toward Hogwarts.
"You going to tell me why you found it worthy information to know the Dark Lord is after magical artifacts?" Leland asked after a moment.
"Because there is only one collector of magical artifacts with no connection to the Goblins who sends a two person team for retrieval," Hermione said. "I believe I know what particular spear Voldemort has his hands on, and if I'm right then Hogwarts' wards will not hold out against an attack if Voldemort finds even one more piece of the spear. I'll need to consult an old friend."
"You've only been in this timeline for a couple of years. How old a friend are we talking about?" Leland asked.
"I believe he was already five hundred years old when I met him. He was one of the few I told the truth of who I was, and he made me promise to look him up when I did find my way home. Presuming he has managed to survive through the ages, he'll have left some trail for me to follow to find him," Hermione posed. "Likely, clues hidden in a book he left in the Hogwarts Library."
"There's a lot of books in the Hogwarts library," Leland remarked. "How will you know which one?"
"It'll be the only one written under the pseudonym of William Jinks, which was the name he was going by when we met in, oh, what year was it... 1112, I believe. We parted ways after eight years."
"Why?"
"We'd been… coworkers of a sort," Hermione elaborated. "While I agreed to work for the establishment he did for a time, when that assignment concluded I was expected to remain at Hogwarts and he was expected to remain with his organization. We saw one another, mere months before I left to come back here, a final time and only briefly so. I suspect that's when he brought the book here. I bumped into him in the astronomy aisle of the Restricted Section. Presuming the book is in the same place, I should be able to find it quickly. Deciphering the clues, well... we'll see how much of a tosser the old relic was being when he set the system up. He did like to push my intellect to the max. Now, a question for you, my friend. Why did you insist on my being the bonder and you making the Unbreakable Vow with Umbridge?"
"Simply put, because I don't trust her, and we cannot afford to lose you," Leland replied.
"Don't sell the value of your own life short, Leland," Hermione said softly, touched by his protectiveness.
Leland let out a barking laugh. "I don't. But an Unbreakable Vow, even broken, won't kill me as it would you."
Hermione looked at him in confusion, never having heard of an instance in which someone was immune to the power of an Unbreakable Vow. There was a good reason it was a so carefully used bit of spellwork. "I don't understand. How is that even possible?"
Leland offered a wide grin. "Haven't you ever taken a good look at my teeth, Hermione?"
The witch stared at him for a moment, and then it all clicked into place. "Oh, my," she whispered.
The wizard laughed at her expense and then trudged back up the hill ahead of his companion, leaving her to digest the fact that she'd missed something that she now believed she should have realized the day she'd met Leland Dourif. He couldn't be killed by the Unbreakable Vow because he was already dead.
Leland was a Vampire. The next burning question in her mind was how the devil he managed to walk in the sunlight, but it would have to wait till later. Right now, she had a book to find.
Some big reveals in this chapter, and more on the way! The last four chapters of part one of the Lost Founder Series are going to be setting the stage for the rest of the series in a big way, and I'm totally excited about it. I hope you are all continuing to enjoy! PLEASE REVIEW!
