::::::-------------
Chapter Five: Christmas Evening
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"What're we going to do now?" whined Ginny, throwing herself down on Harry's bed.
"Nothing we can do, really," Neville said making a motion somewhere between a nod and a shrug. "Though I would like to know what's going on."
"Me too," said Harry. "What's Snapey got to say, I wonder?" **[;) ears91]**
"You're forgetting something," said Ron cryptically.
"What?" snapped Hermione. "This is hardly the time for riddles, Ron."
"Fine," Ron retorted. "No need to be so touchy. I looked through those sample kits Fred and George gave us; they include the new version of Extendable Ears. I don't know how it works, but they kind of ignore walls and floors. It's like making a hole in the floor. Mum hasn't worked out a way to get around THEM yet."
There was a pause, followed by a scramble to get out their new gadgets. Less than a minute later, five slender peach strings were pressed to the floorboards.
"... don't see how it'll help," said Mrs Weasley crossly. "It's not as though-"
"Three people are missing, Molly and we don't know why," Snape interrupted sharply.
"You never said who they were, Severus," said Dumbledore.
"One from three Houses. Susan Bones, Stewart Ackerley and Cho Chang."
"No Slytherins?" Mrs Weasley's voice was sharp.
"No."
Even from one floor up, the silence sounded awkward.
"Any ideas on how they got in?" said Snape.
"Must've been an inside job," said a new voice as a door slammed shut.
"You've heard, Alastor?" said Dumbledore.
"Enough of it, anyway. Now, let's start with you, Sn-"
"Do not cast suspicion where it isn't due," said Snape coldly. [;) MGS2]
"I concur," said Dumbledore. "We must summon the entire Order. A council. If they have managed to infiltrate the school, it is only a matter of time before we are besieged; Hogwarts could not withstand such an attack."
"It's not the idea of spies that worries me," said Moody. "It the fact that Voldemort thinks he's strong enough to take you on, Albus."
"Now, what do we have here? Eavesdroppers on a private conversation?"
They looked at each other; those last words hadn't come from the Extendable Ears. Slowly and fearfully, they turned round. It was Tonks.
"If you wanted to listen in, you should've told me. Your room's right above the kitchen. I've had to put up with that echo in the pantry."
"But you're in the Order," spluttered Ron, seemingly amazed that adults also broke rules. "You can just go join in!"
"Not really," shrugged Tonks. "Those ones are all senior members - I'm just Tonks."
"Oh, Nymphadora!" called a voice upstairs. Tonks' eyes widened.
"My mum," she said, looking positively horrified.
"Time for your bath, Nymphadora!" She closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths.
"Nymphie!"
Tonks' face snapped into an unreadable expression between rage, annoyance and amusement. Sticking her head into the hall, she yelled, "DON'T CALL ME NYMPHADORA!"
Cackling with satisfaction, the Weasley twins Apparated in the room. "Worry not, friend!" said Fred in the same high-pitched voice that had called for Tonks, "'Tis only us!"
"Just testing the Mum-Mimic 1.0," chuckled George, his voice unchanged. "Name the person whose mother you want to impersonate, then talk into it. We got the idea from an old Muggle spy film. Magically enhanced, of course."
"Ooh," said Hermione, "was it that James Bond one? 'Diamonds Are Forever'? My mum loves that one!"
"Muggles, Dentists and Jeeves Bond fans," sighed Ron. "What AREN'T your parents?"
"They don't read fantasy novels," suggested Hermione.
"And they don't get crushes on Gilderoy Lockhart," Harry sniggered.
"Which is more than can be said for SOME of the Grangers!" added Ginny. The three burst out laughing. Hermione looked indignant, Neville seemed confused and the Weasley twins were busy demonstrating the 'user- friendly' controls of the Mum-Mimic 1.0 to Tonks.
"This really isn't the time," said Hermione. "We should be focussing on how we can help them!"
"Who, your parents?" said Ron.
Hermione's eyes flared and narrowed in a way that shut up even the twins.
Chapter Five: Christmas Evening
::::::-------------
"What're we going to do now?" whined Ginny, throwing herself down on Harry's bed.
"Nothing we can do, really," Neville said making a motion somewhere between a nod and a shrug. "Though I would like to know what's going on."
"Me too," said Harry. "What's Snapey got to say, I wonder?" **[;) ears91]**
"You're forgetting something," said Ron cryptically.
"What?" snapped Hermione. "This is hardly the time for riddles, Ron."
"Fine," Ron retorted. "No need to be so touchy. I looked through those sample kits Fred and George gave us; they include the new version of Extendable Ears. I don't know how it works, but they kind of ignore walls and floors. It's like making a hole in the floor. Mum hasn't worked out a way to get around THEM yet."
There was a pause, followed by a scramble to get out their new gadgets. Less than a minute later, five slender peach strings were pressed to the floorboards.
"... don't see how it'll help," said Mrs Weasley crossly. "It's not as though-"
"Three people are missing, Molly and we don't know why," Snape interrupted sharply.
"You never said who they were, Severus," said Dumbledore.
"One from three Houses. Susan Bones, Stewart Ackerley and Cho Chang."
"No Slytherins?" Mrs Weasley's voice was sharp.
"No."
Even from one floor up, the silence sounded awkward.
"Any ideas on how they got in?" said Snape.
"Must've been an inside job," said a new voice as a door slammed shut.
"You've heard, Alastor?" said Dumbledore.
"Enough of it, anyway. Now, let's start with you, Sn-"
"Do not cast suspicion where it isn't due," said Snape coldly. [;) MGS2]
"I concur," said Dumbledore. "We must summon the entire Order. A council. If they have managed to infiltrate the school, it is only a matter of time before we are besieged; Hogwarts could not withstand such an attack."
"It's not the idea of spies that worries me," said Moody. "It the fact that Voldemort thinks he's strong enough to take you on, Albus."
"Now, what do we have here? Eavesdroppers on a private conversation?"
They looked at each other; those last words hadn't come from the Extendable Ears. Slowly and fearfully, they turned round. It was Tonks.
"If you wanted to listen in, you should've told me. Your room's right above the kitchen. I've had to put up with that echo in the pantry."
"But you're in the Order," spluttered Ron, seemingly amazed that adults also broke rules. "You can just go join in!"
"Not really," shrugged Tonks. "Those ones are all senior members - I'm just Tonks."
"Oh, Nymphadora!" called a voice upstairs. Tonks' eyes widened.
"My mum," she said, looking positively horrified.
"Time for your bath, Nymphadora!" She closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths.
"Nymphie!"
Tonks' face snapped into an unreadable expression between rage, annoyance and amusement. Sticking her head into the hall, she yelled, "DON'T CALL ME NYMPHADORA!"
Cackling with satisfaction, the Weasley twins Apparated in the room. "Worry not, friend!" said Fred in the same high-pitched voice that had called for Tonks, "'Tis only us!"
"Just testing the Mum-Mimic 1.0," chuckled George, his voice unchanged. "Name the person whose mother you want to impersonate, then talk into it. We got the idea from an old Muggle spy film. Magically enhanced, of course."
"Ooh," said Hermione, "was it that James Bond one? 'Diamonds Are Forever'? My mum loves that one!"
"Muggles, Dentists and Jeeves Bond fans," sighed Ron. "What AREN'T your parents?"
"They don't read fantasy novels," suggested Hermione.
"And they don't get crushes on Gilderoy Lockhart," Harry sniggered.
"Which is more than can be said for SOME of the Grangers!" added Ginny. The three burst out laughing. Hermione looked indignant, Neville seemed confused and the Weasley twins were busy demonstrating the 'user- friendly' controls of the Mum-Mimic 1.0 to Tonks.
"This really isn't the time," said Hermione. "We should be focussing on how we can help them!"
"Who, your parents?" said Ron.
Hermione's eyes flared and narrowed in a way that shut up even the twins.