Five for Fighting
Part Three
Karkaroff, Hogsmeade
It was cold - but then, Igor had grown used to Egypt. That had been stifling for months, he had never been comfortable...but now he had grown used to it, and he would miss the heat.
It was strange, being back in Europe - back in Britain. He asked Lupin how long it would be. Lupin gave him a look and a shrug.
He looked up at the dark sky and decided it was going to start raining. He said this aloud. Ginny blinked and shrugged. Dung didn't react at all. Remus cast a glance to the sky and frowned, but said nothing.
Silence was uncomfortable. Even in the pyramids, in hiding, there were always creaks and groans. Silence was painful. Silence meant that something was about to cave in, or that he was going crazy.
There. There was some noise. A clippy sort of sound. Yes, it was hoofsteps. Not much longer in this cold. He hoped.
He could see the figure farther on down the station, skirting around the pools of light cast by magical streetlamps. Inky shadows, but this one was just a shade lighter, so Karkaroff could see that he was a fairly small centaur, and that he wasn't carrying anything.
Each of the rest of them had something to carry with them. For Igor, it was his wand and a few talismans, hidden in various inner pockets of his cloak - pockets that couldn't be revealed unless you had the right combination of buttons done up. Ginny had a rucksack and her wand in her back pocket - she was wearing Muggle clothing, a shirt and jeans, underneath her cloak. Remus had a battered suitcase, full of papers and strange items on one side, with containers of potion on the other. Fletcher had his tattered brown coat, which held so many things in its seventeen pockets that Igor was sure it would be impossible to find anything without an Accio.
But the centaur had nothing. Nothing.
Firenze stopped a few feet away from them, his front two hooves forwards into the pool of light between them.
Igor stared at him, at his pale, wild eyes, and felt a shiver down his spine.
Firenze
It was a long time before any of them spoke. A minute at least. And it was the girl, the fire-haired child who Firenze had once taught, who broke our silence.
"The stars are veiled," she said.
"Aptly," the centaur said. "These are dark times." Turning to the others, "I, as I am sure you know, am Firenze."
"Yes," the white-bearded man said. Firenze assumed him to be Karkaroff, and had met Remus Lupin once in Dumbledore's office. Mundungus Fletcher was the other, and he stared blankly and almost eerily.
"The password?" he asked finally. Firenze took another step forwards, the light cast over his face, bringing it into sharp relief.
"It is the name of my dearest friend," he said. "Writing it into a spell is one matter, Mundungus Fletcher, but saying it is another, and I cannot do so without bringing myself great sadness."
"How are we moving from here?" Karkaroff asked. "I mean, do you Apparate, Firenze?"
"No," Firenze said. "I was not aware that Miss Weasley had passed her test, either."
"I didn't," Ginny said. "I failed it. Had a bit of a tense moment. But I don't need a liscence. I Apparate fine. I didn't have enough to pay for a second try."
Firenze nodded and looked to Lupin. "How, then?" he asked.
"How much magic can you do?" Karkaroff asked as Lupin opened his mouth, quite rudely and frankly.
"More than you," Firenze said contemptuously, a bit angry. "Just in different ways."
"Be quiet, Karkaroff," Lupin said softly. "We'll travel by Floo, for now. Later, when we have to move quickly, we can take you by Apparition, Firenze. For now, we've got to think, and plan. Understood?"
Sharp nods all around. Lupin looked up and down the dark street.
"The Three Broomsticks will just be closing," he said. "Madam Rosmerta knows my name. It's been seventeen years since I've seen her, but that doesn't matter."
"It's only time," Firenze said quietly. "Time matters little."
Remus and Ginny nodded, and they set off down the darkened street, and away from that spot.
Ginny
"Where from here?" Karkaroff asked. "Lupin? Where are we going?"
"Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place," Remus answered, peering in one of Rosmerta's windows and then moving to the door to knock.
"But Harry -" Ginny began.
"He won't mind," Remus said simply.
The door opened and Madam Rosmerta's face peered out. "We're just closing -" she said hesitantly.
"That's quite all right, Rosmerta," Remus said. "We've only got to use your Floo."
"Remus Lupin?" she asked incredulously, and looked at the others. "And Miss Weasley - you should be in school -"
"I quit," Ginny said flatly.
"Mundungus Fletcher, the number of times I've told you never to come back -"
"And the number you've then welcomed me with open arms," Dung said.
"Only to have to kick you out again. And Professor Firenze, I presume."
A nod from the centaur.
"And I believe I don't know you," she said, turning to Karkaroff, who offered nothing. She pulled open the door and ushered them in.
"Could you do me a favor, Rosmerta?" Remus asked. "Could you send Professor Dumbledore an owl and tell him we're at Padfoot's for the night?"
"Dumbledore's off again," Rosmerta said. "It was the talk of the place today. And I've heard the name Padfoot from your mouth before, Remus Lupin, and I know who it refers to."
"Then you'll also know his house belongs to Potter," Dung said, steely- eyed.
"Where's he to this time?" Ginny asked.
"Rumors as thick as Fudge. No way to tell, dear, you ought to know that. Go on then, if you're not going to tell me anything. I'll send the owl, but who knows if it'll get to him."
"Thank you," Remus said.
"Any owl from this village or yonder school will reach Albus Dumbledore," Firenze said, his face unreadable.
Rosmerta nodded and handed Remus a bucket from behind her counter, full of green powder.
And one by one, they vanished into the fire.
Remus, Grimmauld Place
They arrived whole, although Firenze was looking puzzled and a bit dizzied from the transportation. Harry was in the kitchen, and he looked up as Remus came in.
"Hello," he said. "Any message this time?"
Remus shook his head mutely. "No more news," he said. "Can we stay the night here, Harry? We need somewhere safe?"
Harry nodded. "Kreacher died last week, so no worry about him any longer. I imagine he wanted to be put up on the wall with his family. Did you say we?"
"Five of us," Remus said. "Dung and I've finally managed to get a few together to fight."
"Well, I'm afraid I can't help you any, I haven't gotten any leads, and I'm off tomorrow. But you can stay as long as you like. Who are they? Anyone I know?"
"I'd say," Remus said dryly. "Ginny, Firenze, and Karkaroff."
Harry gave him a flat look. "You're not joking," he said. "God, Remus, you're crazy. Karkaroff?"
"He's well trained in Dark Arts and knows Voldemort better than anyone else would. Anyone else who's available. Where are you going?"
"Classified," Harry said. "I actually can't say. I could try to speak the name of the place, but I can't even drop hints. I'm meeting Dumbledore."
"Think he's onto something?"
"It would take that to get him out of Hogwarts. Are you going to be planning tonight, or could I borrow Ginny?"
"It's late enough that I was thinking we'd just sleep, and plan in the morning," Remus said. "They're in the den, I can fetch her -"
"She'll come if you mention where I am," Harry said. "I'm not going anywhere."
"All right," Remus said. Then, after a moment, "Something's different with you today."
"It's been a long afternoon," Harry said. "You have no idea how much has gone wrong with my plans." He moved away from the cupboard he'd been standing in front of, setting a half-empty bottle of firewhiskey on the table underneath a single flickering candle.
"Dung could tell you half a million reasons not to drink that, Harry," Remus said.
"And I could tell him half a million that I should," he answered. "I'm not a heavy drinker, Remus, you know that."
With a nod and a lifted hand, Remus moved out.
Part Three
Karkaroff, Hogsmeade
It was cold - but then, Igor had grown used to Egypt. That had been stifling for months, he had never been comfortable...but now he had grown used to it, and he would miss the heat.
It was strange, being back in Europe - back in Britain. He asked Lupin how long it would be. Lupin gave him a look and a shrug.
He looked up at the dark sky and decided it was going to start raining. He said this aloud. Ginny blinked and shrugged. Dung didn't react at all. Remus cast a glance to the sky and frowned, but said nothing.
Silence was uncomfortable. Even in the pyramids, in hiding, there were always creaks and groans. Silence was painful. Silence meant that something was about to cave in, or that he was going crazy.
There. There was some noise. A clippy sort of sound. Yes, it was hoofsteps. Not much longer in this cold. He hoped.
He could see the figure farther on down the station, skirting around the pools of light cast by magical streetlamps. Inky shadows, but this one was just a shade lighter, so Karkaroff could see that he was a fairly small centaur, and that he wasn't carrying anything.
Each of the rest of them had something to carry with them. For Igor, it was his wand and a few talismans, hidden in various inner pockets of his cloak - pockets that couldn't be revealed unless you had the right combination of buttons done up. Ginny had a rucksack and her wand in her back pocket - she was wearing Muggle clothing, a shirt and jeans, underneath her cloak. Remus had a battered suitcase, full of papers and strange items on one side, with containers of potion on the other. Fletcher had his tattered brown coat, which held so many things in its seventeen pockets that Igor was sure it would be impossible to find anything without an Accio.
But the centaur had nothing. Nothing.
Firenze stopped a few feet away from them, his front two hooves forwards into the pool of light between them.
Igor stared at him, at his pale, wild eyes, and felt a shiver down his spine.
Firenze
It was a long time before any of them spoke. A minute at least. And it was the girl, the fire-haired child who Firenze had once taught, who broke our silence.
"The stars are veiled," she said.
"Aptly," the centaur said. "These are dark times." Turning to the others, "I, as I am sure you know, am Firenze."
"Yes," the white-bearded man said. Firenze assumed him to be Karkaroff, and had met Remus Lupin once in Dumbledore's office. Mundungus Fletcher was the other, and he stared blankly and almost eerily.
"The password?" he asked finally. Firenze took another step forwards, the light cast over his face, bringing it into sharp relief.
"It is the name of my dearest friend," he said. "Writing it into a spell is one matter, Mundungus Fletcher, but saying it is another, and I cannot do so without bringing myself great sadness."
"How are we moving from here?" Karkaroff asked. "I mean, do you Apparate, Firenze?"
"No," Firenze said. "I was not aware that Miss Weasley had passed her test, either."
"I didn't," Ginny said. "I failed it. Had a bit of a tense moment. But I don't need a liscence. I Apparate fine. I didn't have enough to pay for a second try."
Firenze nodded and looked to Lupin. "How, then?" he asked.
"How much magic can you do?" Karkaroff asked as Lupin opened his mouth, quite rudely and frankly.
"More than you," Firenze said contemptuously, a bit angry. "Just in different ways."
"Be quiet, Karkaroff," Lupin said softly. "We'll travel by Floo, for now. Later, when we have to move quickly, we can take you by Apparition, Firenze. For now, we've got to think, and plan. Understood?"
Sharp nods all around. Lupin looked up and down the dark street.
"The Three Broomsticks will just be closing," he said. "Madam Rosmerta knows my name. It's been seventeen years since I've seen her, but that doesn't matter."
"It's only time," Firenze said quietly. "Time matters little."
Remus and Ginny nodded, and they set off down the darkened street, and away from that spot.
Ginny
"Where from here?" Karkaroff asked. "Lupin? Where are we going?"
"Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place," Remus answered, peering in one of Rosmerta's windows and then moving to the door to knock.
"But Harry -" Ginny began.
"He won't mind," Remus said simply.
The door opened and Madam Rosmerta's face peered out. "We're just closing -" she said hesitantly.
"That's quite all right, Rosmerta," Remus said. "We've only got to use your Floo."
"Remus Lupin?" she asked incredulously, and looked at the others. "And Miss Weasley - you should be in school -"
"I quit," Ginny said flatly.
"Mundungus Fletcher, the number of times I've told you never to come back -"
"And the number you've then welcomed me with open arms," Dung said.
"Only to have to kick you out again. And Professor Firenze, I presume."
A nod from the centaur.
"And I believe I don't know you," she said, turning to Karkaroff, who offered nothing. She pulled open the door and ushered them in.
"Could you do me a favor, Rosmerta?" Remus asked. "Could you send Professor Dumbledore an owl and tell him we're at Padfoot's for the night?"
"Dumbledore's off again," Rosmerta said. "It was the talk of the place today. And I've heard the name Padfoot from your mouth before, Remus Lupin, and I know who it refers to."
"Then you'll also know his house belongs to Potter," Dung said, steely- eyed.
"Where's he to this time?" Ginny asked.
"Rumors as thick as Fudge. No way to tell, dear, you ought to know that. Go on then, if you're not going to tell me anything. I'll send the owl, but who knows if it'll get to him."
"Thank you," Remus said.
"Any owl from this village or yonder school will reach Albus Dumbledore," Firenze said, his face unreadable.
Rosmerta nodded and handed Remus a bucket from behind her counter, full of green powder.
And one by one, they vanished into the fire.
Remus, Grimmauld Place
They arrived whole, although Firenze was looking puzzled and a bit dizzied from the transportation. Harry was in the kitchen, and he looked up as Remus came in.
"Hello," he said. "Any message this time?"
Remus shook his head mutely. "No more news," he said. "Can we stay the night here, Harry? We need somewhere safe?"
Harry nodded. "Kreacher died last week, so no worry about him any longer. I imagine he wanted to be put up on the wall with his family. Did you say we?"
"Five of us," Remus said. "Dung and I've finally managed to get a few together to fight."
"Well, I'm afraid I can't help you any, I haven't gotten any leads, and I'm off tomorrow. But you can stay as long as you like. Who are they? Anyone I know?"
"I'd say," Remus said dryly. "Ginny, Firenze, and Karkaroff."
Harry gave him a flat look. "You're not joking," he said. "God, Remus, you're crazy. Karkaroff?"
"He's well trained in Dark Arts and knows Voldemort better than anyone else would. Anyone else who's available. Where are you going?"
"Classified," Harry said. "I actually can't say. I could try to speak the name of the place, but I can't even drop hints. I'm meeting Dumbledore."
"Think he's onto something?"
"It would take that to get him out of Hogwarts. Are you going to be planning tonight, or could I borrow Ginny?"
"It's late enough that I was thinking we'd just sleep, and plan in the morning," Remus said. "They're in the den, I can fetch her -"
"She'll come if you mention where I am," Harry said. "I'm not going anywhere."
"All right," Remus said. Then, after a moment, "Something's different with you today."
"It's been a long afternoon," Harry said. "You have no idea how much has gone wrong with my plans." He moved away from the cupboard he'd been standing in front of, setting a half-empty bottle of firewhiskey on the table underneath a single flickering candle.
"Dung could tell you half a million reasons not to drink that, Harry," Remus said.
"And I could tell him half a million that I should," he answered. "I'm not a heavy drinker, Remus, you know that."
With a nod and a lifted hand, Remus moved out.