Disclaimer: I do not own any of this, really. These are the copyrighted property of another; may all props go to JK Rowling, who has blessed the literate world with a body of fiction so rich and so beautiful so as to defy belief. Let this humble work serve as an homage to her brilliance. I certainly will not make any profit off of this tale. It exists in part to aid me in learning to write, and largely only for my own amusement.
Dark Days: Remus Lupin
November 2, 1997. Remus Lupin glanced nervously around at the faces in front of him, all gathered around a long table set up in the main building of the compound. There were seventeen pairs of eyes staring back at him; not a one of them over twenty years of age. Why did you leave this to me, Minerva? "You might wonder why I have gathered you here today," he began, his voice unsteady.
"Oh, I think I've got a pretty good idea," Harry muttered, sitting at his right.
Remus tossed him an aggravated look, but decided not to address it. "I have gathered you here to address your future plans," he went on, feeling the agitation of his audience. "As you know, there is a war going on. Many of you came to us on Halloween night, without much option in the matter. Others of you have been with the Order of the Phoenix for some time now, and have gained our trust and respect," he said, glancing at Harry and the twins. He could hear Moody coughing from somewhere behind him. Okay, the trust and respect of most of us. "However, most of you have ended up here against our plans and against your own intentions. It is with you in mind that I hold this meeting."
Lupin paused, turning his eyes around the room. They had already sent off the two youngest of the group, a pair of Ravenclaw first years. That left twelve refugees from Hogwarts, all fourth years and above, as well as the Weasley Twins, Seamus Finnigan, Viktor Krum and Harry. "I am today to invite you all to join the Order of the Phoenix as active members, and to encourage you not to take me up on it."
One of the twins coughed aloud: "You're off you're rocker!"
Remus glanced back at him with a look that severe enough to suspend further comment, then continued. "I know that some of you are already active members of the Order, and take some pride in that station. However, I think you have all gained a new perspective on what that might entail after what happened Friday. In light of that, I am giving you all an out. If you wish, you are now free from any obligation to the Order."
"If you do choose to leave us, I have spoken to Madame Maxime and she has agreed to take any of you in at Beauxbatons, should you wish to continue your education. Admittedly, this would require you to learn French, but the option is available should you want it. Otherwise, you may return to your homes. You third option is to remain here, as an inactive member of the Order; you would only be required to cook and clean and things of that nature in order to earn your keep."
"I will also say that we are in dire need of trained soldiers, and I would happily welcome anyone who wishes to enlist with us," Remus added with a heavy heart. "However, I have no desire to plunge any one else into this conflict, especially ones as young as yourselves. You should know that I cannot guarantee your safety, or even the continuation of your life if you remain in the Order."
Hermione raised her hand, likely the product of so many obedient years in school. "But, then again, you can't guarantee our safety if we go home either, can you?"
Blast. "No, I cannot," Remus conceded. "Recent actions have led me to believe that the wizarding world, and the world in general, are not safe so long as the Dark Lord is still in power. If you remain with us, your life could well be in jeopardy. I can say that I believe that the Order is the last line of defense against He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. If we do not stop him, I fear the world may be safe for no one."
Remus tried to keep his eyes away from Harry as he said this. He could almost feel the stony look from the Boy-Who-Lived. "What are the current plans for the Order?" Harry asked suddenly.
Remus was a little startled by the question. He turned to look at Harry, whose eyes were ablaze with passion. He looks just like James when he's angry. "Well, we are going to lay low for a little while and recover," he said after a moment of consideration. "And then, we will wait to see what happens, when the Dark Lord makes his next move."
At this comment, the room broke into murmurs, sounding displeased. Remus was surprised again. What's going on here? Every head in the room was looking back and forth between Harry and Remus.
"Mr. Lupin?" Luna Lovegood spoke up. "We might as well tell you that your speech, while well intended, is entirely unnecessary. We, the survivors of Hogwarts, have already met and discussed our options."
"You have?" Remus asked, incredulous.
"Yeah. We're not children you know," Ginny Weasley spat at him, seeming offended. She was sitting on the far side of Harry; her chair scooted right up next to his. It seemed like she had not left his side since her arrival at headquarters. Fawkes was, as usual, sitting on his shoulder between them.
"Professor Lupin?" Hermione asked, raising her hand again persistently.
"Hermione. Don't address me as Professor; now I'm just Remus, okay? And don't raise your hand because we're not at Hogwarts anymore," he told her.
"Remus, are you familiar with Dumbledore's Army?" she asked.
"Sure," he responded.
"Everyone that escaped Hogwarts that night was in that group. We are all dedicated to the cause of stopping Voldemort, you see," she said. Remus surveyed the reaction of the rest of the group, which seemed to be agreeing with her every word. How little his name seems to disturb them. Hermione went on. "We are willing to risk our lives to make this world a better place."
"It's… it's our fight, too," Ginny added. The twins nodded vigorously.
"We feel that this is as much our responsibility as anyone else's," Neville put in.
But you're all so young! "I am thankful for that."
"There is only one question that remains," Harry spoke up. "We feel that… well, we feel that we need to change our tactics."
"What do you mean?" Remus asked.
"We can't just sit here and wait for Voldemort to attack," Hermione said loudly. The children in the room seemed to agree. "So far, all the Order has done is to sit around and react to Voldemort's actions, and that hasn't worked very well. We think we must make the next move."
Remus could not think of how to respond to this. "But- we don't have the manpower! We need to rest!"
Harry stood to his feet suddenly, and all eyes turned to him. "What we need to do is to stop being afraid," he said quietly, but everyone in the room heard him. "I understand that we are pretty beat-up after the battle at the Ministry. I agree that we need to rest, to regroup. But then, what we need to do marshal our forces and pursue Voldemort."
Remus thought about it. "I-I don't know that we would stand much of a chance."
Harry shrugged. "If we continue to merely react, we will lose this war. The longer we delay, the less our chances will be. If we do not attack, he will continue to grow in power until he really is unstoppable. We must attack simply because any other option is defeat, and that cannot be allowed. We must attack even though we are not guaranteed victory; in fact, we must attack even though victory seems unlikely. It's our only chance for success."
Harry put both of his palms flat on the table and leaned his face in close to Remus'. He spoke very quietly, so that no one else could hear. "Remus, you know that how much I care about you. You were a close friend of my father's, and you have always been a friend to me. But I believe that this is the only way to stop Voldemort. If you are unwilling to commit to an offensive, than I will do it myself. Everyone in this room is prepared to back me up, and I think several members of the Order as well. Please, don't make it come to that." He sat back down, and the room filled with expectant silence.
Remus stood up and looked back at Moody, who had a very severe look on his face. He did not doubt the loyalty of these young soldiers to Harry. He knew that Moody would likely defect to that cause as well. Arthur and Bill Weasley would doubtlessly follow their family. "Harry, can we have a word outside?" he asked, gesturing to the hallway.
"Of course, Remus," Harry remarked, following him outside.
"Harry, do you want to lead the Order of the Phoenix?" he asked in the quiet of the corridor.
Harry regarded him seriously. "No, I'm not after your position."
"Harry, you can have it if that's what this is all about," Remus answered. "I don't know why McGonagall picked me to lead this group; it's clearly you that everyone will be loyal to. If you split off from the Order, it could not help but divide and weaken the resistance. Is that what you want?"
"No, Remus, it isn't. I am… fanatically dedicated to stopping Voldemort. You know that," Harry told him. "I don't wish to divide or lead the Order. McGonagall picked you because you're a better leader than I am. I don't want to lead any group, and will only leave the Order as the last alternative. I think that if we continue on as we have, we will fail. We must go on the offensive, Remus; there's no other way."
Remus sighed. "Very well, Harry. I can't say that I agree with how you're handling this, but I will consider your idea. I will present it to the rest of the Order, and if we agree on it…"
"That's the wrong idea, Remus," Harry said quietly. "You are their leader. You need to lead them."
"A good point, I suppose. Can we give it a few days, to heal and regroup?"
"Sure."
As it turned out, they had to take action a little earlier than he would have liked. Shortly after his meeting with the younger generation, Remus settled down in his chair in his office to get some work done.
He held in his hands the last ever issue of The Daily Prophet, a single page covering the attack at the Ministry. There was also a brief note from the editor, explaining that The Prophet would cease to exist, and its members were going into hiding.
The muggle newspapers had been abuzz with stories surrounding the battle two days before. The Prime Minister of England had admitted to knowledge of the Magical World, which had caused an uproar in its own right.
The English people were, and the world as a whole, had just been alerted to the existence of a whole new world. There were articles about the attack itself, about the Dragon and the Giants that had been seen, and wildly speculative articles about the nature of the Magical World. There were stories that attempted to delve into the "Immense Government cover-up" of the Wizards. There had even been a break-in at the armory for the Muggle Police. That can't be good for us.
Across the front page of the first paper was plastered a thick, bold headline: POLICE SEARCH FOR WIZARD OUTLAWS!
Oh, this can't be good. He read the article underneath:
The Minister today issued a statement in which he swore that his forces would not rest until the criminals responsible for the chaos in downtown London were located.
"We cannot allow these people to remain at large. The well being of this city and the nation as a whole depends on bringing them to justice," he said in a statement yesterday.
Starting at midnight last night, the London Police and Army forces have been conducting a systematic sweep of the city.
The government last night admitted to knowledge of the group for several years. Top-level members have been in contact with the leader of the Wizards, a man known as Minister of Magic Tom Riddle. Riddle blamed the attack on a renegade group of wizards, known as the Order of the Phoenix, that has plagued the Wizarding World for many years with brutal attacks. He has pledged his help in locating the group, and hopes to restore peace and order to everyone involved.
Lupin read on, his sense of foreboding growing. He then read the next paper and the next. They all seemed to say the same thing; The Muggles were after them. He called an emergency meeting of the Order, and stood before them in a state of near panic. "Ladies and gentleman, members of the Order of the Phoenix," he said. He always opened meetings this way. "Our stay here is over."
* * * *
November 11, 1997. Remus woke earlier than usual that morning, when it was still dark outside. He was accustomed to rising with the sun each day, but he never slept well the night before the full moon. He sat upright in bed, glancing at his watch. It was only 4 a.m., and all vestiges of sleep had been driven from his mind. No sense in fighting it.
He rose from bed and dressed quickly. Nymphadora stirred in the bed uneasily. "Remus?" she murmured, semi-conscious.
"Go back to sleep, my love," he said gently. "Nothing's wrong." Well, nothing more than usual.
To all appearances, she did as he suggested.
He left their room and stepped out into the narrow hallway, lit only by a few stray lamps. Overhead, one of the ceiling panels had come loose, allowing the night air in. He reached up and pushed it back into place, sighing. Their compound had been built in a hurry and was far from perfect.
Still, it was a vast improvement over the vulnerability of their former headquarters. They were safe from the raids conducted by the Muggle Police, and for the time far from the reaches of the Dark Lord. The new headquarters were made possible only through Hermione's assistance. It was she who suggested they relocate to the Forbidden Forest, and she who supplied the manpower to construct the new building. Two-dozen house-elves turned their attention to the project, and within a day they had carved out a niche in the middle of the forest.
Remus opened the outside door, and felt a blast of icy air. It's much warmer in the city. He considered going back to his room for a jacket, but decided against disturbing Tonks any further. He stepped out onto the porch, jamming both hands into his pockets.
"Morning, Remus," Neville greeted him. Neville had been assigned guard duty for the north side of the complex that night. They had encountered quite a bit of trouble with the Giant Spiders. It took a concentrated effort from the entire Order to repel their attacks, so they stationed four people at a time to watch the perimeter. In case of an attack from the spiders or the Deatheaters, one of the sentries would sound the alarm, rousing everyone. The spiders seemed to understand that they would not find any meat here; they had not attacked since the third night in the forest.
"Good morning, Neville," Remus said quietly. "Who else is on duty right now?"
"Hestia, Hermione and Colin," Neville answered. "Been a real quiet night, so far."
"That's good," Remus remarked. "Just the way I prefer it. Which side is Hermione on?" Since McGonagall's death, Hermione was the only one who seemed to be able to make the complicated Wolfsbane Potion. He wanted to thank her personally.
"Um, East, I think," Neville answered. "Remus?"
"Yes, Neville?"
"Have you, um, thought any more about what Harry said?" he asked hesitantly.
"About going on the offensive?"
"Yeah."
Almost constantly. "No, I haven't had time to give it proper consideration," Remus replied.
"Oh," Neville answered, looking a little troubled. "You should know that he is serious, Remus. He will move if you don't."
"Thank you," Remus said politely, and stepped off the porch and into the frosty grass. He walked around the building rather than through it; all the while looking in between the trees for signs of life. He saw Bane just in time to avoid colliding with him. "Um, Good evening," he said politely.
"Good morning to you as well," Bane answered him. It could have been the typical stoicism of the centaurs, but it seemed to Remus that he was getting a cold reception. Werewolves and centaurs had a tenuous history. "It is nearly your time of the month, is it not?" Bane's eyes were, as usual, aimed at the sky.
Remus considered explaining what that particular phrase often implied to humans, but thought better of it. "Yes, it is."
Bane grumbled but said nothing else for a minute. "I know that the position of the Moon is concerning to you, Remus Lupin. But tonight the stars have something to say that is worth your while."
Remus glanced skyward. Above him, the moon was bright and large, nearly full. Everything else seemed normal to him. "What do they say?" he asked meekly.
Bane made a disagreeable noise. Centaurs were proud of their ability to read the sky, and reluctant to share what they saw there. "We centaurs are sworn not to set against the heavens," he said angrily.
Very well; if you don't want to tell me, that's fine, too.
Bane stared at Remus with a displeased look for a moment, as if defying him to challenge the statement. Remus was not about to do so.
"I know that Firenze had a mind to join your cause, but you see where that got him," Bane growled.
Indeed. Firenze had been bold enough to not only leave the Forest to teach at Hogwarts, but had joined the Order of the Phoenix. His life had been lost at the hands of the Deatheaters the night that Dumbledore fell. Remus held his silence. He knew that their presence in the Forbidden Forest was at the reluctant permission of the centaurs, and he did not wish to strain their relations any further.
Bane lost his patience. "Centaurs have been reading the sky for all of time; we can divine the future through the positions of the heavenly bodies," he said, as if hinting at something.
Yes, I know all of this.
"Tonight, the skies tell of interesting events in the near future, but it was not the stars that were talking tonight," Bane said.
"Come again?" Remus asked, confused.
"Tonight, we have seen a dragon, flying low over the forest. We believe he had landed over by the place that once held a school," Bane told him.
"Thank you!" Remus exclaimed. "If you'll excuse me, I'm going to go and check that out!"
"Be safe," Bane said, and then darted off into the darkness of the trees.
Remus wasted no more time and Apparated onto the grounds of Hogwarts. After the destruction of the building, all the spells that protected the defunct school had ended, and one could now Apparate freely into or out of the area. He appeared near where the doors to the old school had been; from where he stood he could see the wreckage clearly.
The Stoneburner had devoured every last bit of the school, no doubt about it. This went down several hundred feet below ground level, digging a giant hole into the landscape. Most of the hole was filled with the material objects inside of Hogwarts; tables, chairs, books and various furniture. Once headquarters had been built, Harry and Hermione had put the house-elves to digging through the debris. The primary goal had been to salvage the books from the library, but on the second day of the task, Plunky and his crew had found Gryffindor Tower.
The Order helped to pull out the dead students, one by one hauling up corpses of old friends and enemies. The bodies were, in general, mangled and battered. They had spent the better part of the day retrieving the bodies, and then burying them. Many tears were shed during the grim work. Remus turned his gaze away from the wreckage in front of him toward the forest. Next to the shrine for Dumbledore beside Hagrid's home laid dozens of rows of unmarked graves. Each was adorned only with a placard that read "We Will Not Forget".
In between him and the graveyard, splayed on the ground lazily, was a small green dragon. A solitary wizard stood in between them, still as a rock. Remus made his way slowly that direction, feeling a sense of dizzying anticipation. He thrust his hand deep into his pockets until he located his wand, and clutched it tightly for security. He made a wide arc in his path, so as not to sneak up behind the other wizard. Within a couple of minutes, he reached the edge of the graveyard.
The wizard still had not moved. "Good morning to you," he said simply, turning around to face the newcomer. He was tall and thickset, with short wavy brown hair.
"And to you as well," Remus answered, a little perplexed. "My god, Jimson is that you?"
The other man looked back, and blinked a few times. "Professor Lupin?"
"Yes!" Remus exclaimed. Jimson had been about to graduate when he taught at Hogwarts four years before. He was not one of the better students in the Hufflepuff class, but he was one of the more entertaining. "Well, I'm not a professor anymore, but yes, it is I. What… How…"
Jimson chuckled a little, anticipating the questions. "You want to know about Gloria?" he jerked his head toward the dragon, which was watching the conversation quietly. "After I left Hogwarts, I went and joined the Dragon Wranglers. I stayed with them until… until the massacre at Neddleton Island."
Remus said nothing, waiting for him to continue.
"I was one of two survivors of the attack. I waited in the shadows while my friends fought and died," he said bitterly. "I should have fought with them, died alongside them. But I was… drunk. I am ashamed to admit it; the fight of my life came, my time to prove myself in this great struggle, and I was drunk."
Remus waited for more. When none came, he said softly: "It's not your fault, Jimson."
"How can you say that? Every day I go through this life, knowing that my time should have already come. I go on, knowing that I should be dead, and would be, if not for my weakness!" he cursed.
The Last Marauder put his hand on the shoulder of the troubled young man. "I think I may know how you feel. I spent my youth running with the best and bravest wizards that I've ever met. I hated myself for my weakness, for not being what they were. I don't know how much I can help you right now, except to say that I've learned a thing or two since then. I understand that I too have a role to serve in this war, even though it's not the one I expected, the one I wanted. I could not be the wizard I thought I should be twenty years ago, but since then I've found ways to be useful. Just like you did, when you showed up at the Ministry."
Jimson nodded slightly. "I was anxious to prove myself, somehow."
"I don't mind telling you that you saved our hides that day," Remus continued. "I don't want to think about what might have happened if you hadn't shown up."
Jimson said nothing for a while. They passed a few silent moments, looking over the graveyard. "What happened here?" he asked at last.
Remus sighed. "The Slytherins revolted, with some help from the Dark Lord. They killed most everyone inside, and brought the building down with some old, powerful magic. There were only a few survivors."
Jimson nodded soberly. "There is a graveyard just like it on Neddleton Island, only smaller, of course."
"Yeah, and all over as well," Remus intoned, thinking of Seamus Finnigan's destroyed village.
"There's been so much death!" Jimson exclaimed. "When will it all end?"
Remus thought about the dead children in front of him. He considered the wreckage at the Ministry of Magic. He remembered the indifference of most of the other magical communities in the world. He thought about the Order of the Phoenix, most of which was camped out in the middle of the Forest. When we make it stop, I guess.
He waited a few more minutes before he said anything else. "I can tell you that the sense of guilt you feel right now will pass someday. It's just a matter of time," Remus told him. "And while you're passing time, why don't you come and join our cause?"
"What cause is that?" Jimson asked.
"The Order of the Phoenix. I happen to be a close personal friend of the guy in charge of it," Remus said with a grin.
* * * *
November 15, 1997. Remus followed Nymphadora down the narrow aisle, his eyes scanning the shelves eagerly. "I hear you aren't supposed to go shopping when you're hungry. Do you know anything about that?"
She shrugged. "I suppose it invites you to spend more money."
"Hmm, yes," Remus agreed, eyeing a bag of potato chips with interest. He picked them up and shook the bag about, listening to the shuffling contents inside.
"Put that down!" Hermione hissed. She appeared behind the two of them and snatched the bag away from and restored it to the shelf. "Remember that we are among Muggles here, and they are in no way fascinated by potato chips."
Remus nodded. "Yes, it's a good thing we brought you along."
Twenty minutes later, the three wizards arrived at the front of the cashier's line and began checking out. They had three shopping carts full of food in every variety. Remus knew little of Muggle money, but he suspected that his paltry funds might not cover the purchase.
After ten minutes of exhaustive effort, the cashier announced their total. "That'll be two-hundred and fourteen pounds exactly."
Remus opened his pouch and peered at the unfamiliar bills inside. Hermione, glancing over her shoulder, began cursing quietly. "Remus, that isn't nearly enough money!" she whispered.
"Oh?"
"Please, allow me," a new voice interjected, silky and thick with self-satisfaction.
Nymphadora pulled her wand out and aimed it at the heart of Lucius Malfoy. Oh no, not here!
He had appeared next to Remus and Hermione, dressed in a black Muggle suit. His long silver hair was pulled back into a tight ponytail, his eyes blazing with amusement. His long, skinny fingers held no wand, only a small rectangular piece of plastic. He put his hands up in a non-threatening gesture, handing the piece of plastic to the cashier slowly.
Nymphadora did not waver, earning curious looks from the inhabitants of the grocery store. The bewildered cashier took the credit card, and ran it through his register.
"I imagine your expenses are piling a little high these days," Lucius remarked, not taking his eyes away from Remus'. "I've heard there's a veritable army at your place, now."
Hermione voiced the question in Remus' mind. "What are you doing here?" she asked.
"Here you go, Mr. Malfoy," the cashier said, returning the credit card along with a few slips of paper to the Deatheater.
"Excuse me," he said, opening his jacket with slow and deliberate movements. Hermione had pressed up against Remus' back, and was training her wand on Lucius with a little more subtlety than Nymphadora. He pulled a muggle pen out of his interior pocket, and signed the slip.
"Did you… need some help taking that out?" the cashier asked, eyeing the unusual standoff.
"No, thank you," Hermione answered quickly.
"I do think we're holding up the line, here," Lucius said, gesturing to the crowd that had gathered behind them. "Come, I'll help you with your groceries." Moving slowly and carefully, he put both hands on the lead cart, and began pushing it toward the door.
Completely thrown for a loss, the other three followed him, expecting a throng of attacking Deatheaters in the parking lot.
There were none.
"What do you want, Malfoy?" Remus asked, after they had crossed to the back of the lot, away from listening ears.
"I'll admit to being a stranger among these filthy folk," Lucius snarled unpleasantly. He stopped walking "But I think it is customary for them to thank someone after they have purchased several hundred pounds of food on their behalf."
"Thank you," Hermione said. "You seem awfully knowledgeable about the people you hate so much."
Lucius shrugged. "It serves me well, from time to time."
"What do you want?" Remus repeated.
Lucius frowned. "Very well, I can see there are no pleasantries to be had here. I have come to provide you with some useful information, and to ask something very specific."
"What is that?" Nymphadora asked. Her wand had sagged to waist-level, but was still aimed at the Deatheater.
"I want you to kill the Dark Lord."
"What?" Remus could scarcely believe his ears.
"Don't act so surprised," Lucius drawled, looking around nervously. "Do you not know that his most devoted servants hate him more than you do? Some of us with better reason than others."
"And what's yours?" Hermione asked.
Lucius glared at her. It was evident that he was not enjoying this exchange. "I imagine you wouldn't just take my word for it, would you? Very well. The Dark Lord has taken something I value greatly from me forever."
"What's that?" Nymphadora snapped, shaking her wand at him.
"Merlin's Beard, woman! Can you not see that I am unarmed?" Lucius exclaimed. "If you must know, it was… it was my only son, Draco."
Hermione bristled at the name. Remus glanced at her; she was evidently remembering her own encounter with the youngest Malfoy.
"I know that my son… led the attack on Hogwarts. I did not wish him to, but it was the Dark Lord's design. He sacrificed my own son for his cause, and I have reason to believe that I am every bit as expendable to him. This is my reason for wanting to stop him, and as far as that agenda goes, I am willing to aid you."
Remus regarded the other man carefully. In spite of himself, he felt sorry for the Deatheater. "I'm still not sure why you're here, Lucius. We… appreciate your monetary contribution, but we still have little reason to trust you. But more than that, your words change nothing: it's not as if we haven't been trying to kill Voldemort."
Lucius scowled. "I came to you, because I know of the Prophecy that Dumbledore received, the one regarding how to kill the Dark Lord. You have, in your group, the only weapon that may destroy him," He went on, his voice sounded more passionate than it had ever had before. "You have had not been able to do so yet, but I offer you my aid. I can disclose to you the location of the Dark Lord and his army."
Remus eyes widened. "Where?"
"Not just yet," Lucius snarled. "First, I want your word that, should you win this war, that I be spared, and excused from my crimes against the state."
Remus considered. If he was on the level, and if he was willing to aid them in the battle, this would easily be worth the cost of pardoning him. If, on the other hand, this were a lie or a ruse, then they would not have to pardon him. All that would remain is to decide whether or not to trust him. "You have my word."
Hermione and Nymphadora looked at him, a little surprised. He continued: "I do not know if we can trust you yet, Lucius, but if what you say is true, then you are free from our persecution."
Lucius nodded, and reached back inside his suit, drawing a nervous twitch from the witches. He slowed his actions down a little and produced a scroll of parchment. "Here, you will find a map of my estate, where the Dark Lord makes his base at present. I have indicated what I think are key points of tactical interest; underground entrances, spying holes, places from which he will defend the building. Feel free to confirm them or not as you please."
Remus took the scroll, keeping his eyes on the Deatheater. "Thank you."
Lucius snorted. "Surely you must know that I would rather not be dealing with you at all," he sneered. "But all the same, I hope you succeed." Without a further word, he Disapparated.
* * * *
November 15, 1997. Remus had Moody come out and inspect the scroll on site before he brought it back to headquarters. The retired Auror could not find any hint of enchantment about it; to all appearances, it was not a homing beacon. They returned to the Forbidden Forest, and Remus spent most of the rest of the day pondering his decision.
He very much wanted to believe that Lucius was for real. He had not made up his mind whether or not to take the offensive in the war, but this presented a great opportunity to do so. Unless it's a trap. It would be easy to verify the map, as Lucius had suggested, but it would also be easy for the Deatheaters to fake it. He'd puzzled the question for hours, and it all boiled to down to the same question; was Lucius lying?
A knock at his office door took him from his thoughts. "Come in," he said wearily.
"Hey there, lover," Nymphadora said, peeking her head in. "How's it going?"
"Just thinking about… well, you know." He got up and walked over to the doorway, putting his hand on her arm affectionately.
"Yeah," she said softly. "What do you think?"
"No idea," he said, shrugging.
"It's going to take some time to figure out."
Nymphadora frowned. "I hope Harry doesn't make the decision for you."
"Me too."
"Come on, dinner's ready." She led him out of his office by the hand. They entered the dining room to see the entire Order of the Phoenix gathered. Most of them were sitting at the dining tables, waiting for their leader to begin the feast prepared by the army of house-elves. Remus and Nymphadora made their way to the farthest table, which had become the unofficial place where the "senior members" of the Order sat.
Just as they approached, Remus heard a Arthur Weasley look seriously at Harry and say "Whatever happens, Harry, you know that you have my full support."
Remus stumbled but recovered himself. Harry was going to make his move that very night. Trying in vain to remain calm, Remus took his seat. The rest of the Order began eating, and he spent the majority of the quiet meal thinking over his choices. I can't let Harry pressure me into a bad decision!
Suddenly, the time came. Harry rose, somewhat nervously, and cleared his throat loudly. After a few seconds, the whole room fell silent. "Thank you," he said gravely. "I have an announcement to make."
Please don't do this Harry.
"We are in the midst of a terrible war," he began, his voice bold, confident. "Darkness presses in against us, and I for one believe that the time has come to make a statement." He looked down at Remus, his eyes set with determination.
"That is why I think now is the time to tell you all," Harry went on, his voice getting progressively louder. "That today Ginny Weasley has agreed to become my wife."