Chapter Fifteen
Plans and Pumpkin Juice
Alaw sat on the edge of the meeting table, frowning at the notice boards before her. She'd spent most of the day in the new Flame headquarters, getting it ready for their first meeting that evening. She'd brought all her notes about Voldemort, his Death Eaters and his new recruits within Hogwarts, duplicated them, and pinned them up neatly on the boards. The biggest and fullest board was dedicated entirely to the Death Eaters at large, the ones who had been in the graveyard in May, and who's names they'd picked up whilst eavesdropping on the Order. Beneath each of the dozen or so names Alaw had stuck a short snipped of information like age, occupation, important family and business connections, and a photograph.
At the top of the board was Lucius Malfoy and Alaw glared at his image, taken from the Daily Prophet. In it, he was shaking hands with Cornelius Fudge at some fund raising do for St Mungo's. Then her eyes slid from him to the next board, which she had reserved for Voldemort himself. Only, there was very little pinned to it. She didn't even have a photograph.
"This just looks sad," she complained, shaking her head at the empty board.
Ron wondered over, munching on a pumpkin pasty, and sat himself next to Alaw on the table.
"What can you do? The bloke's practically a ghost."
"It's weird, he's this huge figure, and yet we know next to nothing about him!" Alaw sighed. "I mean seriously, we have no idea who he is, what his real name is, or who his family are. The only thing we know for certain is that he was in Slytherin a long time ago."
Voldemort's board consisted of a few newspaper clippings, documenting his rise to power and all the important events during that reign, until his downfall twenty years ago. Hermione joined her friends at the table with an armful of books.
"Do you know how old he is?" she asked and Ron and Alaw looked at her in surprise.
"No, why?"
"Well," Hermione mused. "If we had an idea of his age, we can work out when he might have been at Hogwarts, and then we can look at the old school records and maybe track him down that way."
Alaw hummed thoughtfully and hopped off the table to approach the board.
"The earliest mention I have of him is in January, 1961. This article here."
She tapped the short, yellowing clipping near the top of the board. The headline read; 'LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS BREAK UP ANTI-MUGGLE RALLY IN LEAKY CAULDRON'. Beneath it was a small piece describing the rally as little more than a delusional young man spitting bile at a crowd of equally delusional young men. There was also a picture of members of the Law Enforcement squad dragging away a couple of struggling young wizards. Neither of the wizards were Voldemort himself, the caption named them as Evan Rosier and George Selwyn.
"The article doesn't say anything about Voldemort himself," she sighed, crossing her arms in frustration. "Doesn't even use his real name! It just says he got away before the squad could interrogate him."
"Well, if that was 1961, and we assume he had already finished school by then, that makes him at least seventy-something," said Hermione, who seemed determined not to be disheartened.
Alaw remembered back to the graveyard and the twisted, inhuman figure who had risen from the cauldron. She shuddered. No, his physical appearance now was nothing to go on, that body had been custom made for the ritual, his original had been burned to a crisp during his first attempt on Alaw's life. Luckily, she didn't have much time to dwell on this as the door to their headquarters opened at that moment and Neville came in, leading Fred, George, Ginny and Luna.
"Whoa," said Fred appreciatively, his eyes roving around the room. "Nice secret hideout!"
"It's good right?" said Ron, hurrying over to the duelling dummies enthusiastically. "Check these out!"
Luna Lovegood was also gazing around at the ceiling and walls.
"You know, I think this might be the Come and Go Room," she said absently. "Professor Flitwick told us about it once. It's also called the Room of Requirement. He said there had been rumours about a secret room hidden around Hogwarts for centuries, a room that appears when the seeker has great need of it. But he said it was probably just an urban legend like the Chamber of Secrets."
Alaw grinned and also glanced up at the ceiling.
"Good old Hogwarts, never lets us down does she?" she chuckled.
The rest of the Flames arrived soon after and they were able to start the meeting properly. Everyone took their seats around the table and Alaw went to sit on the left-hand side - only to be prodded away by Ron.
"No, no, you're the leader, you sit there at the head of the table," he said, rolling his eyes. Grumbling irritably, Alaw sank down into the only empty chair left and immediately felt awkward with everyone's eyes on her.
"Okay then, uh, afternoon everyone," she said, dropping her gaze to the notes she had in front of her and shuffling the papers unnecessarily. "So I guess you all found the place alright. And I don't think I have to say this but - don't tell anyone else about this room and uh…"
She became distracted when, to her left, Hermione started jotting something down. Alaw looked at her questioningly.
"Oh I'm just taking minutes," Hermione said cheerfully. "Carry on."
Ron suppressed a snort and Neville smiled down at his lap.
"Anyway," Alaw pressed on, now trying to ignore Hermione's scribbling. "What do you all think?"
"I love it!" said Hannah appreciatively. "I can't believe it's been here this whole time and no one knew!"
"I especially like how you redecorated," said Susan, eyeing the information boards. "Very uh - professional. How do you know all those people are Death Eaters?"
"Well, some of them I saw in the graveyard in May, and others are names we've picked up listening in on Dumbledore and company," Alaw explained. She didn't really want to name drop the Order of the Phoenix specifically but it seemed obvious, from the look Hannah and Susan exchanged, that they knew what she was talking about anyway.
"Uh, yeah, so for the time being you're just going to have to take our word for it that this lot are with Voldemort. But don't worry, the first thing we're going to do is get proof, and I personally think we should start with the baby Death Eaters, the ones who are here at Hogwarts. Dumbledore and his lot are dealing with their daddies, but no ones keeping an eye on the students."
Alaw waved her hand at the third board, the one dedicated to Voldemort's Hogwarts operations. It bore the names and photos of Theodore Nott, Vincent Crabbe, Gregory Goyle and - much to Alaw's regret, Draco Malfoy. She'd hesitated before adding Draco's details, but she couldn't just pretend he wasn't a Death Eater now. The Flames needed to know who to watch out for.
"Um, what's that bit underneath?" Ginny asked, nodding at another series of photographs and the strings that connected different names.
"Ah, now, you'll have to bare with me here cause it sounds a bit weird. But we think Voldemort is trying to build a series of marriage alliances."
There were twitters around the table at that and Fred full on snorted.
"You Know Who's playing match maker? Come off it."
"No I'm serious!" Alaw pressed. "It makes sense if you think about it. He's getting all his Death Eaters to marry their kids off to each other, or into influential families. The red strings are the matches I've got evidence for. Like Daphne for example, she told me herself she's got to marry Thorfinn Rowle after she graduates. And I'll tell you now, she is not happy about it."
"I don't blame her," said Ron, looking revolted. "Thorfinn Rowle's a right creep! A couple of years back he nearly landed in the Wizengamot after some sort of trouble with a muggle prostitute, but his pal Avery hushed it all up. Daphne's parents can't make her do this!"
Alaw hadn't actually heard that particular piece of gossip and after raising an eyebrow, she glanced at Hermione who nodded and underlined the information in her notes.
"They're scared," Alaw explained grimly, bypassing that for the time being. "They think that by marrying her off to one of Voldemort's supporters, they're keeping their family safe. You can see where they're coming from, even though it sucks for Daphne. So if you all don't mind, I want to add 'breaking up engagements' to the agenda. It'll help with turning all the Death Eaters against each other."
There were nods of agreement around the table and Fred and George exchanged a gleeful look. Causing mischief amongst the most powerful families in the country was right up their street.
"Where does Daphne stand in all this?" Lee asked. "Are her and the other Slytherins supporting Voldemort then?"
"Not all of his fans are Slytherins," Alaw pointed out, a little waspishly. "And as far as I can tell, they're just keeping their heads down for now, which is the smartest move to be honest. But people like Tracy, who's a half-blood and a bastard, and Cameron, who's got a history of being pro-muggle, will be in real danger if Voldemort comes into the open. Theodore and the other baby Death Eaters would just love to have a crack at them."
Fred's face twisted.
"I don't recon we should waste our time protecting people who would rather side with Voldemort than stand with us. They made their choice."
An unpleasant chill ran down Alaw's spine and she struggled to keep her temper.
"Not every frightened person deserves to be thrown under the bus," she snapped. "That sort of attitude will just drive more people to him, if they think they've got no other choice."
Ron unexpectedly chimed in to support her.
"Daphne and Tracy are our friends, we can't just dump them because they're scared. I think we should help as much as we can."
Alaw looked at Ron in surprise and smiled gratefully. She'd have thought he'd be the last person to speak up for the rights of Slytherins, but, then again, he did spend a lot of time with Daphne last year when they were both on the Quidditch team. Alaw decided to move on before anyone else could voice their disapproval.
"Ok, so our main goals so far are turn the Death Eaters against each other, find proof that Theodore and his merry band of bastards have joined up and then expose them, and get some allies in the Ministry. Susan, how are we looking on that?"
"I wrote to my aunt a few days ago and I got a reply this morning. She says she's coming to Hogsmeade on Ministry business the first weekend in October and she'd be happy to meet up in the Three Broomsticks for lunch."
"Brilliant! It will be good to have at least one sensible person in the Ministry at least willing to listen to us," said Hermione and Alaw nodded in agreement.
"Definitely, although, whilst we're on the subject of letters, I'd advise you all not to put too much information in writing, ok? The Ministry and Voldemort are bound to be intercepting owls and we don't want to draw too much of their attention."
Or Dumbledore's, Alaw added privately in her head.
With Amelia Bones' visit still a few weeks away, the Flames decided to keep their heads down and concentrate on their school work for the time being. Alaw still spent most evenings down in the Slytherin Common Room, hoping to pick up gossip about Voldemort and his Death Eaters, but idle chatter was beginning to feel rather childish. She wished she could snoop around Theodore's room and read his letters, but a little experimenting had shown her that the locking spell on his door was too sophisticated for her to break without making a very obvious mess. She'd also burned her fingers into the bargain and had to report to Madam Pomfrey.
Her failure in the dungeons wasn't the only thing irritating Alaw. Umbridge's lessons did not improve as September wore on. She continued to have them make notes from the atrocious textbook whilst she sat at the teacher's desk, not actually doing much work herself. She seemed to enjoy making Alaw uncomfortable by watching her throughout the lesson. Alaw did her best to ignore her and used the time to plan the Flames' next move. She was determined to out Theodore, Crabbe and Goyle as a Death Eaters. It had to big, it had to be public and it had to be soon. There was an ugly rumour going around that he and his cronies were responsible for a midnight attack in Hogsmeade on a lone Ravenclaw muggle-born a few days ago. The girl had been too frightened to say a word, but passers-by had heard the sounds of a scuffle and her screams.
Alaw had over heard Theodore sniggering about the incident during break the next day, but he'd stopped talking abruptly when Draco had joined the group. It seemed the baby Death Eaters no longer held any respect for Draco and were trying their best to cut him out of their social circle. Draco didn't spend much time with them anymore as far as Alaw could tell, he seemed to practically live in the potions lab or the library. Alaw was glad, the best thing he could do for himself was stay well out of all this.
Alaw had been staring off into space for sometime whilst these thoughts buzzed around her head and didn't notice that Umbridge had approached her desk until she coughed.
"Hem-hem."
Alaw jerked out of her reverie and looked up at Umbridge who smiled sweetly at her.
"A little less day-dreaming, and a little more work, if you please Miss Jones. Ten points from Slytherin."
There were a few quiet grunts of annoyance from the Slytherins, but Alaw had long since stopped caring about the House Cup.
"Sorry, Professor," she said blandly, picking up her pen and scanning the textbook for her spot. Before she could put pen to paper however, Umbridge plucked it out of her hand.
"Students will use proper writing equipment in my class, you aren't a muggle, after all. Do you have a quill with you, or would you like to borrow one of mine?"
Alaw glared up at Umbridge, not bothering now to hide her loathing. Hateful bitch, she thought venomously. How she would dearly love to introduce Umbridge to Emrys, and see how cocky she was when facing down a dragon's jaws.
"I have my own, thank you, Professor," Alaw said coldly. She reached into her bag for a quill and a bottle of ink whilst Umbridge returned to the teacher's desk, taking Alaw's biro with her. Once all had settled down in the classroom, Alaw heard the chair behind her creak and then Theodore's low voice hiss,
"But you are a muggle, aren't you? A muggle slut with no business being here."
Alaw's quill paused on the parchment and she considered turning around, but thought better of it. As she continued with her notes she wrapped her free hand around the dragon pendant. The garnet barely gave off any warmth now, the protective magic had all but died. But Alaw had an idea for a more permanent form of protection, she just had to speak to Tracy about it in private.
At the end of the lesson, Alaw hurriedly packed her things and wriggled through the scrum at the door to get ahead of Theodore. He had a habit of trying to corner her before and after lessons and meals. There was a girl's toilet at the end of the corridor which Alaw ducked into so she'd have somewhere discrete to put the invisibility cloak on. She'd just locked herself in one of the stalls and was tugging the cloak out of her bag when she heard a group of people enter the bathroom.
"Just leave me alone, Pansy!" said a voice that Alaw recognised as belonging to Millicent Bulstrode. She sounded tearful.
"Come on, Millie, we're only having a laugh. So go on, how much if your father offering Flint to take you off his hands?"
"Shut up! He's not offering anything! Just go away!"
"What ever it is, it won't be enough," Hestia Carrow chimed in. "He'd have to throw out great sackfuls of Galleons to get anyone to marry a fat cow like you."
Alaw peered through the crack between the stall door and the wall and saw Millicent pressed up against the sinks, weeping, her chest shuddering, whilst Pansy and Hestia bore down on her.
"You do know you have to be pretty to get a husband right?" Pansy jeered. Millicent's distress was apparently amusing to the other girls but Alaw scowled. After taking careful aim at the toilet behind Hestia, Alaw whispered,
"Bombarda!"
The cistern cracked and the pipes burst loose from the walls. The spell hadn't been strong enough to send the porcelain flying, but Pansy and Hestia were coated head to foot in toilet water. Whilst they squealed, Alaw took aim again, this time at Pansy's feet.
"Flippendo!"
Pansy went flying on the wet floor and took Hestia down with her. Millicent remained upright, clutching the sink and gazing in confusion at the destruction before her.
"It's all in my hair!" Pansy wailed, scrambling to her feet and bolting for the door, Hestia hot on her heels. Alaw waited until their angry voices were out of earshot before opening the stall door. Millicent started when she appeared.
"Was that you?!" she asked, gesturing at the broken toilet.
"Uh, yeah, sorry about that," said Alaw, noticing that Millicent's robes were soaked up to the knee. "Hang on a sec, I'll take care of it for you. Aerocalidus!"
She gave her wand a wriggle and hot air flowed from the tip, drying off the worst of the damp in Millicent's robes.
"Come on," she said, stowing her wand away in her robes. "Let's get out of here before Filch catches us and goes mental."
Millicent nodded and followed Alaw out of the bathroom at a brisk trot. After they'd put a few corridors between them and the toilet, Millicent turned to Alaw.
"Hey, um, thanks. For making them go away."
"Don't mention it. It's not like I need a reason to make Pansy make a prat of herself."
Millicent sniggered but then abruptly fell silent as a couple of Ravenclaws walked passed them.
"Um, I really do appreciate your help, but I can't really be seen talking to you," Millicent mumbled. Her cheeks reddened and she looked down at her feet. Alaw glanced over her shoulder at the retreating Ravenclaws and sighed.
"I understand, Theodore's still conducting his witch hunt, is he?"
Millicent nodded miserably.
"Anyone who talks to Mudbloods of blood traitors gets hexed. The other day, he and some others cornered Malcom Baddock just for lending that Weasley girl a hand putting the Quidditch balls away. He ended up in the Hospital Wing! I am grateful for what you did for me in first year but - I'm scared."
"Millicent, it's okay. I get it. I don't want to put you in danger. I'll leave you be now."
Alaw started to walk away but she'd only taken a few steps when Millicent blurted out,
"You're in danger too!"
Alaw paused and glanced back, frowning. Millicent looked wretched and she lowered her voice.
"Theodore's out to get you! I heard him talking to Gregory and Vincent last night. He said they were going to corner you and - uh…"
Millicent trailed off but her pale face and trembling lip told Alaw all she needed to know.
"Don't worry, he'll have to catch me first," said Alaw stoutly.
"Be careful when you go to your rooms a night, that's where he said he'd wait for you."
Alaw nodded.
"I will deal with Theodore and his cronies soon," Alaw vowed. "I won't let the Death Eaters take over Slytherin. We deserve to be more than Voldemort's recruitment ground."
Millicent flinched at the sound of the name and gave Alaw a serious look.
"He really is back, isn't he?"
"I'm afraid so."
Millicent shuffled her feet. She opened her mouth to say something but after meeting Alaw's eye her nerve seemed to fail her. All she said was,
"Be careful."
Then she turned on her heel and hurried away, leaving Alaw feeling thoughtful.
The weather developed a bite when October arrived so Alaw and Hermione wrapped up warm for their walk into Hogmeade to meet Madam Bones. They'd met up with Susan and Hannah in the Entrance Hall and the four girls had to fight a strong wind on their journey down the lane. Due to the bad weather, there's weren't too many students in the village that day, and the Three Broomsticks was mainly filled with locals. There were only a few Hogwarts residents dotted around. Alaw spotted Draco sitting up on the balcony with Blaise Zabini, his head, as usual, buried in a book. Alaw hadn't spoken to Draco once since term started, even though they were meant to meet and discuss their Prefect duties from time to time. Also in the pub was Tracy Davies. She was sitting alone for some reason at a table by the door.
"I don't think aunty is here yet," said Susan, her eyes sweeping the room. "We're a little early."
"We'll get some drinks whilst we wait. What would you like?" asked Hermione.
The Hufflepuffs told Hermione their orders, handed over some coins and then went to find them a table.
"Just get me a Butterbeer or something, here," said Alaw, fishing a couple of sickles out of her pocket and pressing them into Hermione's palm. "I'm just going to be here."
Hermione followed her gaze and nodded in understanding before turning to the bar. Alaw walked over to the table by the door and dropped into the seat opposite Tracy.
"Hi," she said, and Tracy looked up from her mug in surprise.
"Oh, hi, god, it's not often I see you out and about. You're usually under that bloody cloak," Tracy remarked and Alaw smiled faintly.
"I'm meeting someone here in a bit," she explained and then she cocked her head quizzically. "No Daphne today?"
To Alaw's surprise, Tracy bowed her head and looked suddenly forlorn.
"Uh, no, just me. I can do my homework in here without getting harassed by Theodore's lot. I'm not very welcome in the library or the common room at the moment."
She did indeed have a Potions textbook open in front of her, along with a wad of parchment covered in notes. Alaw squinted at her dubiously.
"Have you and Daphne had a falling out or something?"
"No, no, nothing like that, it's just," Tracy glanced around awkwardly. "I just don't think it's safe for her to look too friendly with, well, someone like me. She's really stressed out at the moment. Her parents are dragging her to London next week to meet Rowle. They're going out for dinner or something."
Alaw grimaced at the mention of the upcoming nuptials. She hadn't been able to find much on Thorfinn Rowle from her evenings eavesdropping in the dungeons. The only way Alaw could think of breaking up the engagement was to somehow land Rowle in prison. But some rumours from the Common Room weren't going to be enough for that, she needed real evidence of a real crime.
"I am working on that," Alaw assured Tracy. "But it's slow going at the moment."
Tracy shrugged in a 'what can you do?' kind of way and took a dejected sip of her drink. Anger was gnawing at Alaw's stomach, not at Tracy or Daphne, but at Voldemort. He wasn't even operating openly yet, but he already had Slytherin house at his beck and call. Well, Alaw wasn't going to let it continue. Slytherin was full of good, intelligent people, they deserved better.
"There's actually something I've been meaning to ask you," Alaw said, recalling Tracy's attention. "You remember how you did this for me last March?" She indicated the small tattoo in the shape of an acorn and an oak leaf on her inner wrist and Tracy grinned.
"You want another one eh? I told you you'd get the bug, everybody does."
"Well, what I had in mind this time is a bit more ambitious."
Alaw quickly outlined what she wanted and Tracy's eyebrows crept up.
"That is ambitious," she said. "I dunno Al, I think you're over-estimating my skills. I mean, I can do the tattoo no problem, though it might take a few sessions. But the extra stuff, that's probably beyond me."
"I could help with it, I've had some ideas. And I can pay you for your time."
Tracy chewed her lip, mulling it over. It seemed the more she thought about it, the more she warmed to the idea.
"I guess we could try it," she said slowly. "I'll have to do some sketches and then get back to you…but it sounds interesting. My mum would be so into this. I'll write and tell her all about it. She's not a witch, but she'll probably have some advice for me."
"Great!" said Alaw, grinning. "Oh, I have to go, but I'll talk to you soon."
As she left to join Hermione, Hannah and Susan, Tracy turned her attention back to her homework, but instead of writing notes, she began to doodle.
Alaw had barely sat down with her friends and accepted a Butterbeer from Hermione, when the door of the pub opened and Amelia Bones walked in. She was wearing a light grey, velvet traveling cloak over her black robes as well as her usual monocle. Susan waved and witch's sharp eyes caught the movement. She wound her way between the tables of chattering locals and the girls rose to greet her.
"Hello aunty," said Susan, hugging Madam Bones warmly.
"Hello dear, you look well," said the older witch, dropping her professional demeanour for just a moment to favour her niece with a smile. But then her face became neutral as she turned her attention to the other girls.
"Miss Jones, Miss Granger," she greeted rather coolly. Alaw marshalled her courage and extended her hand.
"Madam Bones, thank you for agreeing to meet us."
"Yes well, I could hardly deny my niece a quiet drink in Hogsmeade," said Madam Bones drily, also shaking hands with Hermione and Hannah. The five of them sat down and Madam Bones flagged down a passing waitress to order a glass of pumpkin juice. No alcohol, Alaw noted, perhaps she should have done the same. Nervously, she tugged the sleeve of her robe down to cover her tattoo.
"So, Miss Jones, to what do I owe this summons?" Madam Bones asked once the waitress and gone to fix her drink. Alaw knew she'd have to be delicate here, or she'd run the risk of sounding like a whiny kid, or Dumbledore's mouthpiece.
"I was hoping to talk to you about the Voldemort situation."
Hannah and Susan shifted uncomfortably in their seats and Madam Bones blinked, the only reaction to gave to the sound of the name.
"I surmised as much," she said. "So, you're going to try and convince me that a man who died twenty years ago has risen from the grave?"
"I'm going to tell you what I know, what I've seen. Without Fudge and Dumbledore hanging over us and interrupting every five minutes to have a go at each other."
Alaw had done her research. Amelia Bones had worked under Barty Crouch during the war, she'd been senior enough in the Law Enforcement Department to know the true circumstances of Voldemort's 'death'. She may even have been there at the Hospital after his killing curse had backfired, but that was where Alaw's information dried up because the files concerning the end of the war were still classified, two decades after the fact. Madam Bones pursed her lips and regarded Alaw through narrowed eyes.
"Alright Jones, I'll listen to what you have to say. But that's all I'll do," she said at last and Alaw nodded.
"That's all I ask, for now."
Madam Bones waved a hand.
"Well, go on then," she prompted and Alaw took a deep breath and, for what felt like the hundredth time, began her story.
She had become quite practised at leaving out or glossing over incriminating bits of information, like Emrys' existence, or Sirius' involvement. She didn't need the Ministry loosing sight of the real issue, Voldemort, and latching on the idea that she knew something about Sirius' whereabouts. Alaw was now also able to talk about the events in the graveyard without shuddering at the memory. It made her sound a bit dispassionate, but that was probably the best approach with someone like Amelia Bones.
Madam Bones, for her part, listened in silence, her face unreadable and occasionally taking a sip of her pumpkin juice. But Alaw, caught up in her retelling, was letting her Butterbeer grow cold. When she was done she sat back in her chair and watched Madam Bones closely to see her reaction. When she said nothing, Alaw glanced at Hermione and said,
"So uh, yeah, that's what I know. That's the truth."
"The truth?" Madam Bones repeated with a dry smile. "Is it indeed?"
"It is," said Alaw firmly. "Why would I make up a story like that?"
"Loyalty to Dumbledore?" Madam Bones suggested. "He also requested a meeting with me, back in May. He told me much the same thing."
Now that was very interesting information to Alaw, though not all-together surprising, and she squirrelled it away in her mind to add to the file she had on the activities of the Order of the Phoenix later.
"Why would Professor Dumbledore make it up then?" asked Hermione earnestly. "He's a good man, he wouldn't lie about something like this."
Alaw had to fight very hard not to snort at these words and Madam Bones fixed Hermione with a hard stare.
"Albus Dumbledore always does what he thinks is best. He has dedicated his life to fighting Dark Magic and those who practise it. During the war against the Death Eaters, Dumbledore held an unprecedented amount of power in the wizarding community. People looked to him, rather than the Ministry, to protect them. Since the end of the war, his influence has waned and people like Fudge have risen in his stead. Perhaps Dumbledore feels he can lead this country better and he needs this story to depose Fudge."
That, unfortunately, is a really good argument, Alaw thought. Susan however, pointed out the flaw in it.
"But, aunty, Professor Dumbledore has never wanted to be Minister for Magic. He turned it down when Millicent Bagnold retired."
"And a shrewd move it was," said Madam Bones. "Madam Bagnold was a good war leader, as was Dumbledore. But this country was tired of war and they would have grown tired of Dumbledore soon if he'd taken office just after the war. Much the same thing happened to Barty Crouch. Fudge has been a much more measured peace time Minister."
Weak, in other words, Alaw thought bitterly. All well and good for peace, but not when Voldemort was at large.
"This isn't about Dumbledore and his ambitions," Alaw said, a little anger leaking into her voice. "I am not his puppet. He stood by and did nothing during out first year when the Purebloods harassed and beat me for daring to be a Slytherin and a Mudblood. And now he treats us like children, he acts like this is nothing to do with us, even though Voldemort is actively gunning for us! So, what I'm saying is, I'm not asking you to believe Dumbledore, I'm asking you to believe me."
"I don't know you, Miss Jones," Madam Bones pointed out. "And you still don't have a shred of proof."
Alaw schooled her expression. Madam Bones was clearly here to get the measure of her and she would not loose her temper. It was, after all, a perfectly reasonable point.
"No," Alaw conceded. "I don't have any evidence that will stand up in court. Just my word. But I intend to find evidence."
There was a pause whilst Madam Bones studied Alaw shrewdly. Her grey eyes flicked from side to side and Alaw knew she was checking to see if there was anyone close enough to overhear them. When she spoke, her voice was quiet.
"Miss Jones, I saw the Dark Lord's corpse after his spell backfired. It was blackened and burned, and it was disposed of by the Ministry. For what your saying to be true, he would have had to find a way for his soul to survive without a vessel, and then elude the Ministry for twenty years."
Hermione spoke then, also in a muted tone.
"Madam Bones, you fought against him during the war, you know the kind of twisted magic he's capable of, you know the lengths he was willing to go to. Is this really so unbelievable?"
"Ah, but with that logic, you could justify any story you like," Madam Bones countered. "And the ritual you described, I have never heard of anything like it."
"Voldemort said it was an old spell he'd adapted himself," Alaw explained. She couldn't tell if Madam Bones believed them or not. She argued against their every point, but she was listening all the same.
"We'll find proof," Alaw said eventually. "I swear we will, but until then, I have to ask you to be careful. Voldemort has Death Eaters in important positions at the Ministry."
Before Madam Bones could think of an answer to that, Professor McGonagall passed their table and then doubled back.
"Amelia, I had not thought to see you here," she said in surprise. Her gaze took in the four students and Alaw groaned internally. She hadn't expected to keep this meeting a secret from Dumbledore for very long, but this had to be some kind of record.
"I had some business with Ambrosius Flume," Madam Bones explained. "And my niece asked for a catch up."
"Will you be returning to London today? Because you're welcome to dine at the castle this evening if you wish."
Alaw glanced at Madam Bones and willed her to say yes. This was too perfect an opportunity. Madam Bones considered the proposal and then, to Alaw's delight, accepted. Their business concluded, Madam Bones bid farewell to the students, shaking hands with each of them and hugging Susan again.
"Just make sure you don't do anything illegal in your pursuit of proof," the older witch said sharply, before taking her leave. Once she was gone, the girls sat back down and looked at each other.
"I can't tell if that went well or not," Hannah muttered anxiously.
"She listened, which is more than more people would do," Susan pointed out and Hermione nodded in agreement before turning to Alaw.
"So, how do we get this proof then?" she asked. Alaw pursed her lips and fiddled with her fingers.
"I have an idea," she said slowly. "It might be dangerous, and I wish we'd had more time to prepare, but this is the best chance we'll ever have. We need to head back to the castle and round up the boys."