Sorry! I had added an extended scene in Chap 29 with Tonks' reaction to Hermione telling her Draco was the spy but I didn't update the document properly. It's updated now if anyone wants to go back and read.
Chapter 35
"Missing in Action: John Dawlish, Eloise Midgen, Oliver Wood, Hannah Abbot, Dedalus Diggle."
Remus slowly spoke aloud the names of those captured, and then those that were killed.
"Killed in Action: Seamus Finnigan, Gwendoline Hedgeflower. We have confirmation they were killed, but don't have their bodies."
They all observed a moment of silence until little Teddy Lupin broke into a mewling cry.
It was bittersweet. Teddy arrived a month early. Tonks had given birth one week before the raid and was recovering at her mother's house, where the Order leadership continued to have their meetings. Everyone had been so happy, but then they lost seven.
The mood was somber around the table as the five Order leaders recalled their interactions with those that were killed and missing. Tonks got up from the table and walked back and forth with Teddy swaddled to her chest, one hand cupping his bum. Her hair was black to mourn the loss of those that were killed and captured. Teddy's wail softened to a whimper and then he went back to sleep.
This was their first major loss. Dolohov's suicide and the financial situation didn't compare. They were lucky Malfoy had warned them, it could have been so much worse. Remus and Minerva had been working on the anti-Apparition ward trigger which activated the caterwauling alarms, but after Malfoy's warning, they dropped all other responsibilities and focused solely on that task.
If Minerva had been captured, Remus might not have finished, and then the Order would be sitting ducks at Paddington. Hermione would be sitting in a cell somewhere, probably being tortured. As would Harry, Ron, and the remainder that were housed there with them.
"Seven injured, Roger Davies in critical condition," Remus continued.
As it stood, while their losses were still painful and significant, they weren't crippling. In the meantime, they needed a new safe house, the others would be even more cramped once they were consolidated from the financial loss. Maybe they could still keep Worcester since they lost Paddington.
Hermione was surprised at how quickly she went from mourning the death and capture of her friends to calculating the impact of their loss on logistics. She wondered if the others were the same. But… that was her job as a leader. She had to. There was no rest for any of them. That's why Tonks was here, barely recovered from her labor.
"Four Death Eaters captured. None Inner Circle," Tonks added. "Six killed that we know of."
"We need more Portkeys." Hermione had been beating this dead horse for long time.
They knew. She knew. No one disagreed with her anymore, she had convinced them long ago. The rare and expensive potions ingredients, long brewing times coupled with complex Arithmancy formulas few could understand, made them extremely costly and difficult to acquire. Even if done with inside help at the Ministry. She knew they had someone helping them out in the Portkey division of the Ministry and they were pulling as many strings in the black market as they could so Hermione could repurpose existing ones, but even then it was taking a long time.
"We should start with a Portkey evacuation plan now," she said, unable to conceal the sad tremble in her voice. "Even if we're not at 100%. People can share. You already secured us a destination, Remus. It doesn't matter that it's not furnished or warded or stocked with supplies yet. I can complete the Arithmancy to charm the Portkeys we do have within a week, I think. But it will be mayhem without a plan."
Remus stared at her and nodded. His eyes were bloodshot. "Agreed. I'll get started on one first thing tomorrow morning and we'll drill it."
Tonks spoke to Hermione while checking to see if Teddy's diaper was wet. "You also need to replace everyone's communications Galleons for our raids and operations. They'll be compromised. But keep an old one for yourself in case one of the captured is able to message you."
She nodded, choking back tears. "Right." She bent down to make a note for herself.
"We're not completely dead in the water with finances," Kingsley spoke, sipping his coffee. "You already know I've had some mild success with the Canadians and Australians. I'll be pushing more aggressively with some of the countries bordering the Mediterranean as well. I don't think we'll have to give up the safe houses, although it will be some time before we can purchase Portkeys on the black market."
"On that note," Minerva added, wiping a few tears from her eyes, "Horace has some Rockwurst root and Wild Hornflower seeds for you."
Hermione raised her head in surprise. "I'll get started on a fresh potion."
Minerva blew her nose. "So MACUSA still won't intervene after what happened in the States?" she asked, directing her question to Kingsley.
Kingsley shook his head. "Lucius was smart. If he would have assassinated the donors, which is what I thought I was hurrying to prevent, then the Americans would surely have gotten involved. Instead, he threatened and blackmailed. He must have known about the donors for a long time before acting. They won't report anything to the authorities. They wouldn't even admit they're being threatened."
Months.
Malfoy had known about the financial attack for months. Every time they had been together.
But he still warned them about the raid. They'd be finished without him. With a start, Hermione wondered if he was one of the killed or injured Death Eaters. They all looked the same. She had no way of knowing. She reached for her Galleon and then stilled her hand. It was probably too risky to contact him now, so soon after the raid. Even with the cover of an affair.
Kingsley spread his hands. "I'm still not certain how their identities were discovered but I've stopped using Gringotts and moved to foreign banks outside the jurisdiction of the Ministry. The Malfoys have been in and out of the Financial Bureau for a long time now. As a precaution, I've also switched four intermediaries and Obliviated them. There are a few smaller, lesser-known banks in France and Bulgaria I've started to use instead. We won't be putting all our eggs in one basket. International deposits at those banks are frequent from Canada and Australia and southern Europe. Our sources will be nearly impossible to pinpoint even if the banks are identified. A needle in a haystack."
Remus turned around to Tonks, who stood behind him rubbing Teddy's back. "Do you know how they were able to find the safe house? Here, let me take him, love. You sit down."
Tonks held Teddy while Remus awkwardly removed the wrap from her and tied it around himself. She delicately placed the baby in the fabric of the wrap and secured him to Remus's chest. Tears pricked Hermione's eyes at the sight of the new family. It was a war. Her friends had died, and they were all in hiding. It didn't seem like they would ever return to normal life, but the presence of a new baby proved that life was indeed, carrying on.
Tonks slunk down onto the chair, exhausted from recovering from the labor and nightly nursings, while Remus walked around the table. He hummed softly to Teddy and pressed his lips to the top of the baby's head.
"We don't have many outside contacts besides Hagrid and Minerva that interact with Order members in hiding. It's only the Aurors that knew the location of Paddington safe house in particular, because they train them. All four of them now serving in the DMLE," Tonks explained. "And they all showed up according to plan. John and Dedalus are likely being tortured in a cell somewhere."
They sat in silence. Hermione wondered if Malfoy knew where the prisoners were. He had denied knowing where Luna and Ollivander were. That didn't mean that he was telling the truth, but if he wasn't, he probably wouldn't tell her where the Order members were either. She'd have to press him harder.
"What if one of the Aurors found out who the Secret Keeper was for Paddington?" Hermione asked Tonks. "Paddington's grounds were used for training. They've all been there to help Remus train us. The Secret Keeper could have been Imperiused to reveal it."
Tonks rubbed her eyes groggily. "But the Aurors also knew about the anti-Apparition ward trigger. If one of the Aurors was a traitor, we'd have a lot more missing people to worry about."
"No, they didn't," Minerva corrected, looking down at Tonks through her glasses. "They only knew where to come if the Caterwauling alarms went off. Like with the rest of the safe houses. Remus and I didn't tell anyone we were modifying them to be triggered by anti-Apparition wards. What of the other two Aurors?"
Tonks tapped her fingers on the table. "I could administer Veritaserum to Pamela and Ignatius to see if they betrayed us. If one of them refuses to comply, I suppose that's our answer."
Remus turned to her in thought, his hand delicately cradling Teddy's head. "Unless one of them was Imperiused and Obliviated. They wouldn't even know what they had done."
"But the Aurors didn't know who the Secret Keeper was," Hermione protested. "I don't know who the Secret Keeper was for Paddington. None of us do. How could they figure that out during combat training?"
"An Auror could have Imperiused one of you to find out," Remus explained, "and Obliviate the controlled member and anyone they talked to in order to cover their tracks. Or one of the Death Eaters could have Imperiused an Auror to control one of you."
"What?" Hermione sat back in her chair abruptly. "Is that even possible?"
Remus paused from circling around the table. "It's rare, but not impossible. The one doing the primary Imperius curse would have to be an extremely powerful witch or wizard. Possibly You-Know-Who himself. Your spy warned us that suspected Order members would be lynched or kidnapped. What if they chose to control one of the Aurors instead of capturing them? It adds another layer of subterfuge that's nearly impossible to trace."
"They only attacked Paddington," Tonks added peering at the ceiling. "So they only knew about Paddington."
"Harry was there," Hermione added.
Tonks nodded, bringing her gaze down. "It's looking more and more like one of the Aurors is our leak, whether on purpose or not. If being Imperiused is the problem, we should train everyone to throw off the curse. A secondary Imperius is less difficult to throw off but none of you are trained at all," Tonks said. "The Aurors should be able to throw it off though. It's part of their training."
"Should?" Minerva asked skeptically.
Tonks' flicked her eyes to Minerva. "With the exception of a talented few, it's a skill we have to keep up with. Under normal operations, it's a requirement for Aurors and DMLE officers to be trained and retested yearly. If you slack off, you're probably vulnerable. The Ministry has been under upheaval and with our Auror contacts' extra responsibilities towards us, it's possible that one of them hasn't kept up with it."
"Now that I'm not teaching at Hogwarts anymore," Minerva added, "I can take over some of the training responsibilities from the Aurors that have been helping you, Remus. We shouldn't let them near the other safe houses until we figure out where the leak came through."
"What if one of us is still Imperiused?" Hermione asked. "They're a sleeper agent." The thought was terrifying.
Tonks glanced at her. "Minerva will go one by one and release everyone. I have to train you lot to throw it off anyway. Whatever the link is to the outside, we'll sever it immediately."
"I know finding the leak is our top priority, but we need to discuss what the Malfoys are doing with the Wizengamot before it's too late," Kingsley added. "I don't believe that bill is to legalize the occasional violent drunken escapade into Muggle London."
Hermione didn't either. Neither did Malfoy.
Tonks met Kingsley's eyes. "I think my interrogation with MacNair points to You-Know-Who's purpose."
Everyone turned to her, anticipatory expressions on their faces. "MacNair was in charge of scoping out details of Wembley Stadium and Brockdale Bridge."
"Terrorism." Kingsley stated blandly, in a way that gave Hermione the impression he had seen terrorism by wizards against Muggles before. "You-Know-Who controls Wizarding England and wants to destabilize Muggle England as well."
Tonks nodded in agreement. "MacNair agreed that was most likely, under Veritaserum. Although he wasn't in charge of planning the attack and couldn't confirm terrorism was the purpose."
Minerva looked disturbed. "That's not the most intelligent move. Wembley Stadium can seat-"
"Ninety thousand," Tonks answered. "I checked."
"But If he violates the Statute of Secrecy so blatantly, other countries will be drawn into fighting him," Kingsley countered, "They won't tolerate terrorism against Muggles of that magnitude. That would put all Wizarding communities under threat. It doesn't make sense."
"There's no shortage of Muggle groups to blame it on," Minerva replied. "The other countries don't want to be involved. They're looking for an excuse not to be. Waving it off as yet another Muggle conflict will be easy."
Kingsley didn't appear mollified by Minerva's explanation.
Hermione thought of how isolated Malfoy was from the Muggle world. "How would they know?"
Minerva turned to her in question.
"About Muggle terrorism," Hermione clarified. "How would they know how to simulate it? Pure-blood wizards don't know much about Muggles, let alone Muggle technology or current affairs."
She didn't know if the Order leadership was aware that Voldemort was a half-blood. And Snape, for that matter.
"Most pure-bloods don't," Kingsley agreed. "But we can't assume that applies to all of them. Don't underestimate the enemy."
He was right. Without even a whisper of warning, the enemy had found out where they were hiding, most likely in an effort to get Harry and wipe out the safe house. It had been so close. They had been so close to destruction.
Hermione thought of Seamus. Loud and obnoxious but extremely funny. Non-stop pranks in Potions and the bane of Snape's existence, perhaps even more so than Harry was. She knew him better than any of the others that were killed or captured. Since the age of eleven, she watched him grow into a man and then transform into a soldier like everyone else from Hogwarts who joined the Order and had been forced to grow up quickly.
And Hannah. Sweet and kind and tough all the same. Hermione felt like she was just getting to know her. Eloise. Always shy and keeping to herself. But strong and determined. Gwendoline. Hermione didn't know her very well. Oliver. Harry would be devastated, having played Quidditch under his captainship. Dawlish and Dedalus. They were so hard on the young Order members but had built them from the ground up. Dedalus, who understood and appreciated Hermione's brutal pragmatism. Even when it scared her.
And what of Draco? Where was he right now? Was he safe? Was he hurt? Her hand twitched, fighting the urge to contact him. Two days. She'd wait two days. That should be enough.
Tears pricked Hermione's eyes and she felt relieved at their presence. Relieved that she was able to feel the tragedy of the raid, and that she didn't merely view it in terms of the logistical and strategic problems it posed.
Tonks reached over and took her hand, giving it a tight squeeze.
Remus was watching her sympathetically and rubbed Teddy's back. "It'll get worse before it gets better, Hermione."
ooooooooooooooo
Sex?
Hermione bit her lip. She hoped it was safe to contact Draco. Even with the cover of an affair she wasn't sure if it was too close to the fallout of the raid.
The glowing letters appeared and she exhaled a shuddering sigh relief. He was alive.
Definitely. How about later?
He wasn't available now. Maybe things were too chaotic on his side. Or was he injured? Hopefully he wasn't injured.
Is your cock in working condition?
Her heart pounded, waiting for his reply.
You don't ever need to worry about my ability to perform.
She smiled in relief.
I'm glad.
She shoved the Galleon back in her pocket, feeling better knowing that he was alright. But it warmed again and she pulled it out.
Your bits still in working order?
She felt a familiar pull on her heart, knowing that he was concerned about her, and remembered the feel of his arms as he carried her up the stairs. She put her thumb on the Galleon to reply.
Yes.
His reply appeared.
I'm relieved I can still make you come.
She stared at the Galleon, eyes watering slightly. After a pause the letters disappeared and another set replaced them.
More than you know.
ooooooooooooooo
Hermione shifted her gaze between Tonks and Harry while he squinted in concentration. Tonks held her wand out, pointed towards him, and her arm shook slightly in effort. Teddy was asleep, wrapped tightly to her chest. Harry squatted, hovering above the ground for a few seconds and then after gritting his teeth, stood up, opened his eyes and exhaled with a smile.
Tonks turned to the crowd around them. The entirety of the Order was watching rapt in attention. Kingsley had come through just in time before they had to give up their safe houses. They were all happy to be gathered together on the grounds outside the new safe house somewhere in Westchester, but they were all sick of beans.
"And that, my friends, is how you throw off an Imperius Curse. Well done, Harry."
He grinned and returned to his place next to Ginny to the sound of clapping. Harry had been able to throw off the Imperius Curse for several years now. He had a natural skill and power that aided him, and a few others in the Order also picked it up quickly. To her dismay, Hermione discovered that she wasn't one of them, but Tonks assured her that just like with anything else, she'd develop that skill with practice.
"So all we have to do is pretend we're constipated?" Fred quipped. He turned to George. "Shouldn't be hard with all the beans we've been eating."
"Push out a poo, and we get rid of you?" George added with a smirk.
Everyone burst into nervous laughter. Fred patted George on the back. Then he patted himself on the back. The twins could find levity in any situation, but the humor was ill timed. The seriousness of the war and its consequences were still fresh. Everyone was still thinking of the killed and captured.
Tonks rounded on the twins and stalked over in their direction while her hair changed from blond to dark red. They had enough sense to school their expressions into something more serious and stand at attention. Tonks could be downright scary when she had to be. Everyone stopped laughing. Somehow, having a baby swaddled to her chest made her even more frightening than usual.
"Do you think this is funny?" she hissed up at them. They both shook their heads to the negative. Tonks whirled around and shouted to everyone out in yard. Hermione had no idea how Teddy could continue to sleep through all of this. Maybe there was a Silencing Charm on the baby wrap. "Two of you were under the Imperius Curse without even knowing it, and we don't even know for how long. That's why Paddington safe house was compromised. Not just last week Seamus and Gwendoline were killed, eight were injured and five others captured that we can only hope are still alive. Is that funny?"
No one spoke. It wasn't funny. Not at all. Everyone felt the pain from their loss.
Tonks swiveled back to the twins and grinned wickedly. "Fred, if I put you under the Imperius Curse I could make you cut off George's other ear and force him to eat it before slicing his throat." She paused for effect. "And you'd smile while you did it."
Fred and George both swallowed in fear, wide eyed. Tonks would be a scarier mum than Molly Weasley.
Hermione watched Tonks as she stalked back and forth in front of everyone. She had been describing how to determine whether or not an Imperius Curse has been cast on oneself, even if it wasn't presently activated, emphasizing the importance of checking each day and pairing off with a buddy to check for you in case you were unable. She explained again and in greater detail, the principles of fighting it off. She punctuated her points with hand gestures, changing her hair color when arriving at a particularly urgent one.
Teddy slept through the whole thing.
The day wore on and the Order gradually divided into two groups. Those that were able to throw off the curse, and those that were not. As time passed, the group able to throw it off got larger, and the group that could not got smaller. The larger group began dueling exercises instead.
Hermione was still in the group that could not throw it off. It was frustrating. She was so used to being able to understand the fundamentals behind magic more easily than others and could usually master skills more quickly than her peers. She assumed that because she had been doing so well at Occlumency, especially lately, that throwing off an Imperius curse wouldn't be too much trouble.
Apparently there wasn't any connection between the two types of magic.
She watched as Tonks made Lavender do a series of cartwheels. Lavender finally shook it off in the middle of one and collapsed in a heap. Hermione exhaled in frustration. Even Lavender could do it better than her.
She shifted her gaze to Roger Davies over to the side. He looked weak, but the Ravenclaw Trio had saved his life after he had been horribly hexed during the raid. Parvati was holding his hand, and Hermione saw her stroke his fingers. Padma had tears in her eyes while watching her twin.
Padma lost Seamus.
Hermione noticed that even though Tonks was the primary person responsible for casting the curse on the Order members, every so often Remus would come up and whisper to her and he or Minerva would temporarily take over. While Remus and Minerva provided her a brief respite, Tonks went back into the safe house on her own and then came back, ready to instruct again. She must need to nurse Teddy, but then Hermione remembered her discussion with Tonks about the cost of using Unforgivable Curses. She wondered if taking breaks helped her cope.
Hermione recalled that Tonks explained Unforgivable Curses were addictive and wondered what kind of toll training everyone was taking on her. It was a burden Tonks shouldered for all of them. McGonagall and Remus were helping out somewhat, but it was primarily Tonks performing the casting. She had also used the Cruciatus Curse on Dolohov and Bixley.
She remembered how Tonks explained that the Aurors were taught methods to deal with the effect of casting Unforgivable Curses, mitigating the negative psychological effects. She wondered if what Tonks did enabled the effects to be completely reversible, or if it was simply a way to adjust and deal. Potions? Meditation? Cognitive behavioral therapy?
Perhaps a mixture?
Hermione knew everyone respected Tonks. She was terrifying, she was skilled, and between the training and the raids, she and Remus had transformed every single Order member into a hardened soldier ready for anything Voldemort's army could throw at them. But she doubted that her friends truly understood the sacrifice Tonks was making for them.
Tonks turned to address the Order, pulling Hermione from her thoughts. "It's essential you all learn this skill. We will practice daily until every last one of you throws it off without fail. Any questions?"
Neville raised his hand. He had been taking Hannah's disappearance hard.
"Yes, Neville?"
"What if we can't learn it? What if we have trouble figuring it out?"
Tonks walked up to him, hands on her hips, and her chest pushed out with Teddy on display. "Failure is not an option. Whoever has trouble learning will have private lessons with me every day until they do."
Neville audibly gulped.
Chapter end notes:
Next up... very bad things