Hope of the Phoenix (15/?)
Rating: PG 13
Pairing: Remus/ Petunia
Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling owns Harry Potter and everything within it. I am playing in her universe with no profit.
A/N: Thank you to all who reviewed the previous chapter! Sorry I am so late updating this one; I had two essays to write this week, and then I got writer's block – thank you to Tsuchi for getting my creative juices flowing again! Well, on with the chapter!
Chapter 15: The Plot Thickens...
By the time Petunia was released from St. Mungo's, the Christmas holidays were over and the children had gone back to Hogwarts. Remus, Harry and the others had come nearly every day to visit, and Neville had even dropped by with his Gran, on his way to visit his parents, who she gathered were ill as well. Dumbledore had scheduled an Order meeting for as soon as Petunia was well, and he had made it quite clear that it was to be an important one.
As Petunia closed the door to her bedroom, and prepared to go down to the meeting, she noticed Remus coming down from his room. She smiled, and waited for him to reach her, and they walked down together.
Once Molly had cleared away all the breakfast dishes, she waved her wand, and conjured several comfy armchairs, and organized them all in a semi- circle. Petunia sunk into one with relief. She was still rather weak – the medi-witch at St. Mungo's told her that the treatment hadn't worked as well as usual, because she was a Muggle – apparently the spell was supposed to use the magic in the victims bloodstream, or something. At any rate, she was glad of the chance to sit down!
Soon, Dumbledore and the other Order members who did not live at Grimmauld Place arrived. Snape looked like he was in an even fouler mood than usual – he swooped into the room like an oversized bat – and Petunia suddenly remembered Sirius, the summer that the Marauders had stayed with the Evans', wrapping himself in a black cloak, which he waved menacingly, shouting "I am Snivellus, the overgrown bat of doom! Fear my scowl and overly large nose!" – Petunia had to hide her giggles; it really was an abnormally large nose. Professor McGonagall looked extremely serious as well, her mouth in a thin line. In fact, everyone looked extremely serious, even Dumbledore's blue eyes were twinkling. She felt a tumor of dread begin to spread throughout her body. Remus put his hand on her arm, and smiled at her. She began to feel calm once more, but the worry didn't go away entirely.
Once all the Order Members were seated in the armchairs, Dumbledore addressed them all.
"I have very troublesome information for all of you. We have succeeded in questioning the Death Eater that attacked Petunia and Remus, and he has informed us that Voldemort has begun preparing for his final assault. Bulstrode was unable, or unwilling to tell us the nature of Voldemort's plan – but it is clear from what he has revealed that the Second War with Voldemort is about to begin in earnest. Severus informs me that he has not heard anything of this plan, and we must accept the possibility that Voldemort does not completely trust him. What is clear, however, is that the M.D.A. is a source of concern for him. His attack on the hotel seems to have been an attempt to test our strength, sending a relatively minor Death Eater to do the job. He underestimated us, thinking that as most people there were Muggles, a single Death Eater, and a couple of Dementors, would be enough. But the fact that he is paying attention to a Muggle movement shows that it was worrying him. We need more information on the nature of his plan if we are to effectively combat it. Severus will continue his role as spy, but we cannot rely on that if Voldemort suspects that he is a double agent. I suggest that we use the M.D.A. to set up a trap in order to capture one of the higher-ranking Death Eaters. They should know the nature of Voldemort's plan."
"But Dumbledore, wouldn't that put Petunia in danger? She is the one most associated with the M. D. A. If we use the M.D.A as a trap, the Death Eaters will come right for her!" Remus protested.
"It will involve some risk to you, Petunia," Dumbledore addressed Petunia directly. "But it is the only way I can think of to lure a more senior Death Eater into a trap without risking Harry. Are you willing to take the risk? I assure you, you will be quite well protected."
Petunia looked at Remus' concerned face, and at the worried expressions of the rest of the Order. Tonks had even turned her hair black to express her dismay. She looked back to Dumbledore, and said clearly, "of course I am willing to risk it! The Death Eaters have to be stopped. Do you have a plan for how to trap them?"
The rest of the Order fixed Dumbledore with piercing stares- except Moody, who had only fixed his regular eye on Dumbledore, as the magical one was staring at Remus' hand on Petunia's arm. They all seemed to be waiting for him to tell them the plan. The tension in the room was so thick that it couldn't be cut even with a machete.
"Of course," said Dumbledore serenely, seemingly unaware of the tension in the room. "Petunia, you will announce a major press conference for the beginning of June, and you will make contact with all of the world's press associations. You will also contact the Daily Prophet, and I shall be using some of my contacts at Witch Weekly to see if they will do an item on the M.D.A. You will be in contact with the Ministry of Magic, and arrange magical protection for the meeting..."
"But, Dumbledore," interrupted Percy, "Fudge has spies throughout the Department of Magical Law Enforcement"
"So does the Dark Lord," added Snape, "they will both now about the conference the minute the Department does."
Dumbledore smiled. "Naturally they will know! That is why she is to contact that Department, so that Voldemort will know she is really planning a press conference, and that the papers are correct. She will inform them that the Muggle Prime Minister, the American President, the Canadian Prime Minister, the Australian and New Zealand Prime Ministers, and the Heads of all the European Countries will be in attendence, and Petunia, you will begin negotiations to have them all there. Don't worry, you will have a staff of people to help you. Voldemort will not be able to resist the opportunity to have all of his enemies together in one place, and will use his spies in the Department to ensure that the conference does not have adequate protection. However, you will change the date in secret, and fill the hall with members of the Order, and Ministry members who are our allies. We will use Voldemort's attack on the conference as an opportunity to trap enough Death Eaters to discover his plan."
Snape's scowl deepened. "Voldemort will suspect it's a trap. He knows you're a Muggle-lover, Headmaster. He will expect that you will have arranged for additional protection of the meeting. They will not come unprepared."
"Ah, Severus," the Headmaster replied, "that is where his spies at the Ministry will prove him false. They will be checking for known sympathizers to our cause among the guards, and will not find them. You will inform Voldemort that I trust the Ministry to protect the Muggles, and with his spies seemingly confirming his story, we have a fairly good chance that this will work."
Petunia considered the plan. It was risky, but if Dumbledore felt it would work, then it probably would. It wasn't scheduled till June, though.
"What if Voldemort succeeds in his plan before June?" She asked worriedly. "I mean; we don't know anything about his plan! What if it is something that will only take a few months? It could be anything!"
"I'm afraid we will have to trust that his plan will take time, Petunia. The Press conference cannot be too soon, or Voldemort will not believe it is real. International press conferences take a great deal of time to arrange. However, it is unlikely that his plan will succeed in just a few months. You will find that the magical world doesn't have the means of killing thousands of people at once that the Muggle world does. The Avada Kedavra is a terrible thing, but it must still be wielded one person at a time. I think we can trust that we have the time."
Dumbledore looked around at the room. "I do not need to impress on all of you the importance of this conference. We must know the nature of Voldemort's plan. I know I can rely on all of you to help Petunia in her tasks. If this plan works, we will be able to create a plan of our own before he destroys both the Wizarding and Muggle worlds."
Petunia felt Remus' hand gripping tightly onto her arm. The situation was dark, yes, but they had Dumbledore, and they had a plan, and they had each other.
Rating: PG 13
Pairing: Remus/ Petunia
Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling owns Harry Potter and everything within it. I am playing in her universe with no profit.
A/N: Thank you to all who reviewed the previous chapter! Sorry I am so late updating this one; I had two essays to write this week, and then I got writer's block – thank you to Tsuchi for getting my creative juices flowing again! Well, on with the chapter!
Chapter 15: The Plot Thickens...
By the time Petunia was released from St. Mungo's, the Christmas holidays were over and the children had gone back to Hogwarts. Remus, Harry and the others had come nearly every day to visit, and Neville had even dropped by with his Gran, on his way to visit his parents, who she gathered were ill as well. Dumbledore had scheduled an Order meeting for as soon as Petunia was well, and he had made it quite clear that it was to be an important one.
As Petunia closed the door to her bedroom, and prepared to go down to the meeting, she noticed Remus coming down from his room. She smiled, and waited for him to reach her, and they walked down together.
Once Molly had cleared away all the breakfast dishes, she waved her wand, and conjured several comfy armchairs, and organized them all in a semi- circle. Petunia sunk into one with relief. She was still rather weak – the medi-witch at St. Mungo's told her that the treatment hadn't worked as well as usual, because she was a Muggle – apparently the spell was supposed to use the magic in the victims bloodstream, or something. At any rate, she was glad of the chance to sit down!
Soon, Dumbledore and the other Order members who did not live at Grimmauld Place arrived. Snape looked like he was in an even fouler mood than usual – he swooped into the room like an oversized bat – and Petunia suddenly remembered Sirius, the summer that the Marauders had stayed with the Evans', wrapping himself in a black cloak, which he waved menacingly, shouting "I am Snivellus, the overgrown bat of doom! Fear my scowl and overly large nose!" – Petunia had to hide her giggles; it really was an abnormally large nose. Professor McGonagall looked extremely serious as well, her mouth in a thin line. In fact, everyone looked extremely serious, even Dumbledore's blue eyes were twinkling. She felt a tumor of dread begin to spread throughout her body. Remus put his hand on her arm, and smiled at her. She began to feel calm once more, but the worry didn't go away entirely.
Once all the Order Members were seated in the armchairs, Dumbledore addressed them all.
"I have very troublesome information for all of you. We have succeeded in questioning the Death Eater that attacked Petunia and Remus, and he has informed us that Voldemort has begun preparing for his final assault. Bulstrode was unable, or unwilling to tell us the nature of Voldemort's plan – but it is clear from what he has revealed that the Second War with Voldemort is about to begin in earnest. Severus informs me that he has not heard anything of this plan, and we must accept the possibility that Voldemort does not completely trust him. What is clear, however, is that the M.D.A. is a source of concern for him. His attack on the hotel seems to have been an attempt to test our strength, sending a relatively minor Death Eater to do the job. He underestimated us, thinking that as most people there were Muggles, a single Death Eater, and a couple of Dementors, would be enough. But the fact that he is paying attention to a Muggle movement shows that it was worrying him. We need more information on the nature of his plan if we are to effectively combat it. Severus will continue his role as spy, but we cannot rely on that if Voldemort suspects that he is a double agent. I suggest that we use the M.D.A. to set up a trap in order to capture one of the higher-ranking Death Eaters. They should know the nature of Voldemort's plan."
"But Dumbledore, wouldn't that put Petunia in danger? She is the one most associated with the M. D. A. If we use the M.D.A as a trap, the Death Eaters will come right for her!" Remus protested.
"It will involve some risk to you, Petunia," Dumbledore addressed Petunia directly. "But it is the only way I can think of to lure a more senior Death Eater into a trap without risking Harry. Are you willing to take the risk? I assure you, you will be quite well protected."
Petunia looked at Remus' concerned face, and at the worried expressions of the rest of the Order. Tonks had even turned her hair black to express her dismay. She looked back to Dumbledore, and said clearly, "of course I am willing to risk it! The Death Eaters have to be stopped. Do you have a plan for how to trap them?"
The rest of the Order fixed Dumbledore with piercing stares- except Moody, who had only fixed his regular eye on Dumbledore, as the magical one was staring at Remus' hand on Petunia's arm. They all seemed to be waiting for him to tell them the plan. The tension in the room was so thick that it couldn't be cut even with a machete.
"Of course," said Dumbledore serenely, seemingly unaware of the tension in the room. "Petunia, you will announce a major press conference for the beginning of June, and you will make contact with all of the world's press associations. You will also contact the Daily Prophet, and I shall be using some of my contacts at Witch Weekly to see if they will do an item on the M.D.A. You will be in contact with the Ministry of Magic, and arrange magical protection for the meeting..."
"But, Dumbledore," interrupted Percy, "Fudge has spies throughout the Department of Magical Law Enforcement"
"So does the Dark Lord," added Snape, "they will both now about the conference the minute the Department does."
Dumbledore smiled. "Naturally they will know! That is why she is to contact that Department, so that Voldemort will know she is really planning a press conference, and that the papers are correct. She will inform them that the Muggle Prime Minister, the American President, the Canadian Prime Minister, the Australian and New Zealand Prime Ministers, and the Heads of all the European Countries will be in attendence, and Petunia, you will begin negotiations to have them all there. Don't worry, you will have a staff of people to help you. Voldemort will not be able to resist the opportunity to have all of his enemies together in one place, and will use his spies in the Department to ensure that the conference does not have adequate protection. However, you will change the date in secret, and fill the hall with members of the Order, and Ministry members who are our allies. We will use Voldemort's attack on the conference as an opportunity to trap enough Death Eaters to discover his plan."
Snape's scowl deepened. "Voldemort will suspect it's a trap. He knows you're a Muggle-lover, Headmaster. He will expect that you will have arranged for additional protection of the meeting. They will not come unprepared."
"Ah, Severus," the Headmaster replied, "that is where his spies at the Ministry will prove him false. They will be checking for known sympathizers to our cause among the guards, and will not find them. You will inform Voldemort that I trust the Ministry to protect the Muggles, and with his spies seemingly confirming his story, we have a fairly good chance that this will work."
Petunia considered the plan. It was risky, but if Dumbledore felt it would work, then it probably would. It wasn't scheduled till June, though.
"What if Voldemort succeeds in his plan before June?" She asked worriedly. "I mean; we don't know anything about his plan! What if it is something that will only take a few months? It could be anything!"
"I'm afraid we will have to trust that his plan will take time, Petunia. The Press conference cannot be too soon, or Voldemort will not believe it is real. International press conferences take a great deal of time to arrange. However, it is unlikely that his plan will succeed in just a few months. You will find that the magical world doesn't have the means of killing thousands of people at once that the Muggle world does. The Avada Kedavra is a terrible thing, but it must still be wielded one person at a time. I think we can trust that we have the time."
Dumbledore looked around at the room. "I do not need to impress on all of you the importance of this conference. We must know the nature of Voldemort's plan. I know I can rely on all of you to help Petunia in her tasks. If this plan works, we will be able to create a plan of our own before he destroys both the Wizarding and Muggle worlds."
Petunia felt Remus' hand gripping tightly onto her arm. The situation was dark, yes, but they had Dumbledore, and they had a plan, and they had each other.