Unexpected events

By Zakairen

Disclaimer: You people know the works: I don't own them, I don't make money with it, only the plot's mine.

Warning: English is not my mother language. There may be some spelling and grammar errors. Please point it out if something is seriously wrong. Gets a bit redundant, does it not? Maybe I'll just leave it out in the next chapter.

AN: I'm terribly sorry for the delay, but this chapter just didn't want to be written. I had three different versions, one more crappy than the other, before I finally took the hint to write something else instead of trying again. The only good that came out of this is that I now already have parts of the next chapters written, as well as the start of some other stories. Anonymous reviews have been set up to be accepted thanks to nonjon – thank you for telling me that, I had overlooked the setting. Would you believe that I have only been online three times including this update since the last? It seriously shocked me. But between the time I have spent in laboratories lately and the upcoming finals I am hard pressed to find time to write, let alone surf the net for hours on end.

"blah" - talking, 'blah' - thinking, italics - incantations, quotations and writing, "blah" - parseltongue

Chapter 8

When Harry woke up on Sunday morning, he was surprised to see that the black owl was still in his room. Even more so, as Hedwig seemed to have taken a liking to it. They slept peacefully next to each other with their heads under their wings. He didn't want to disturb them, but felt the need to get up and going. So he moved silently through his room and got ready for his time jump. It couldn't be later than half past six and the air coming in through the window was still cool. He would have more than enough time to work on the laboratory before his past self would come into the trunk to unpack the books. He scooped up his plans and slung the chain of the time-turner over his head. Then he turned the hourglass one time.

Harry noticed his mistake the moment he appeared in the past. The room was occupied. Thankfully he hadn't made any noise yet. The Harry that would go back for the Diagon Alley trip was sleeping peacefully in his makeshift bed. In Dudley's old room he knew he would find the Harry that had already gotten back from the shopping trip and would decorate the house today. Because of the early time both were still sleeping. He would need to schedule the time jumps more precisely. It wouldn't do to run into one of his past or future selves lest he attract the attention of his guards, even if it could make for some interesting dueling training later on. He slinked silently into the other room and into the trunk, where he immediately relocated into the workrooms.

The first thing he did was cutting off samples from every single wooden board he had, leaving them all at the same length. Then he went into the laboratory and closed the door behind him. Harry knew that wouldn't need that much wood for the transfiguration of shelves and cupboards, but the unnecessary samples he would use for other things. As he looked around the stone room he suddenly knew that this wouldn't be finished today. The image floating around his mind was that of a muggle chemistry laboratory, with tables and work spaces made from resistant matter instead of wood and stone. And he knew that he couldn't transfigure those, because he didn't have a sample and there wasn't an incantation for muggle advanced plastics and ceramics. He would either have to obtain some over the internet, which was not such a bad idea – for glass and other smaller equipment – or go to the high school laboratory to duplicate a table and take it with him. Whatever he did, it would take some time.

But first, he would make some cupboards for his ingredients and his finished potions, as well as a shelf for some potions and chemistry books. Hopefully he could connect the shelf to the library and make an extra index for his potions and chemistry texts. Harry used cherry wood for the potions cupboards and book shelf and beech wood for the ingredient cupboards. He knew perfectly well that some ingredients and potions didn't tolerate exposure to light over long time periods well, so he couldn't integrate glass into the doors. Later on there would probably be need for more cupboards, but that wasn't really a problem. The ingredient cupboards he divided into plant and animal parts, then subdivided and labeled them in alphabetical order with the help of the owl order catalogue that he fetched from the storeroom for the purpose.

By now it was already mid morning, and Harry decided to begin furnishing his bedroom, as he couldn't begin working on the library or the den until his past self left the trunk. He knew the integral parts of a stable bed from the times he had to put another one together for Dudley as he broke through his old one and was therefore quickly done with the frame. As he remembered that he didn't have any sheets, blankets or pillows he sighed. While he could transfigure all of these items, in those cases the originals were of better quality. They would hold for a much longer time if made the normal way. Which was the number one reason for the fact the wizarding world did have clothing stores and the like. If you wanted special furniture you went directly to a carpenter or a muggle store – well, only if couldn't transfigure them yourself or were too snobbish to do so. There were not that many people who had the natural talent needed to make good quality furniture out of wood samples. Harry was lucky to have at least partially inherited his fathers gift for transfiguration and to have enough raw power to pull it off. The bigger and more elaborate the piece of furniture the more difficult it was to make. If you tried to make the thing in one go. But for some reason, wizards and witches were so shortsighted that they didn't even try and make several smaller pieces to put together. Which, at least in Harry's opinion, was utter folly. Common sense seemed often times not to be a part of the vocabulary of magical people.

Another thing he needed to buy. And this he couldn't do over the internet. He would have to do it himself, to be sure he got exactly what he wanted. But Harry didn't really want to leave the wards again so soon. While he didn't like being caged like an animal, he also knew that he wasn't safe outside of them. The anxiety he had felt on his shopping trip to Diagon despite the disguise had been immense. But he seemingly couldn't get around it. The duplication spell his parents had left him for the bookcases would thankfully take care of the mattresses for the rest of the house, so he didn't have to worry about that. He only wished he had known that spell when he had copied the volumes in the Hogwarts library, because those were timed copies. They would expire at the end of the holidays as that was the longest he could made them last. The duplication spell he had used for the bookcases seemed to be a family secret, used to make an exact copy, down to the wards and other magic applied. And it got around copyright spells - which was a big plus. On the other hand: the nastier curses on some books would also be copied.

Harry sighed. He had to go soon, if he wanted to have any chance that the shops in Surrey were still open, it was after all a Saturday. So he went for his invisibility cloak, but decided to wait until he knew his past self safely in the backyard with Tonks. Instead he took the samples and went into the livingroom of his trunk after quick tempus. His past self was already remodeling the ground floor. The table he made with the same features as the one in the den of Number 4, then he added some shelves around the room and a small cupboard for a TV and DVD-player. He left some space for a fireplace as he simply loved staring into the flickering flames. It soothed him a great deal, not to mention it made for a comfy atmosphere. He decided to leave the armchairs and sofas for later and entered the kitchen to equip it with an eating table and some chairs. As this was done easily enough and he had gotten a good deal of experience in the last few days, he had still a lot of time to spare 'til he could head out.

Remembering he had more than just potion ingredients and books to put away, Harry retrieved his clothes and began to sort them into the appropriate parts of his closet. He distinguished between magical and muggle clothing in this task, as to easier find the correct clothes for every occasion. Deeming the time right for his excursion after that, he slung his cloak around his shoulders and put the hood up to vanish into thin air.

His past self was still talking to Tonks when he came back. He had found all he had needed in time before the shops closed. Even two nice hard mattresses and a dark alley to shrink his purchases down. The expression on the face of the shop assistant had been rather comical when Harry had told him that no, he wasn't joking about the matter. After all the years in his cupboard and later on the threadbare mattress in Dudley's second room he just wasn't able to sleep properly on the overly soft mattresses most people seemed to prefer. Hogwarts was just like that and he could no longer count the nights he had lain awake because of that. On the other nights his nightmares had done nothing to improve his rest. The last few nights of sleep were among the best he could remember. He went straight back into the trunk and finished his bed. Queen sized, it stood on a low platform and was now done up in black and deep purple silk sheets and bedding. He made a mental note to charm the ceiling with a look of a cloudless night sky over an unpopulated region (to allow for a better view of the stars) as soon as he found the necessary spell.

Now Harry was ready to sort the rest of his books and give the books from the Hogwarts library a temporary home in one of his bookcases. He would have to make duplicates from the originals, otherwise the duplicates would puff out of existence at the same time as the copies he already had. The first thing he did however, was to connect one bookcase to the second compartment of the trunk. In that bookcase he placed the index, the manuals and the owl order catalogues. The books would now appear in the special bookcase when he selected them in the catalogue while outside the trunk. Having done that he made short work of the rest of his magical and muggle books, before he went to the storeroom to fetch the Hogwarts books. Those were sorted into a special bookcase that he adjusted to his needs with the help of his parents manual for cases like this. Still, he felt almost restless as he created a desk out of the wood samples he had brought, along with a nice, comfy chair. Then he lowered the floor before the long wall with the portal and brought the desk and chair over to one side and created some cushions and pillows in the other. To charm the wall the way he wanted to was still way of - the charms he needed for that were even more complicated than the ones he would use for the night sky over his bed.

When he was finally satisfied with his reading corner, Harry fetched his schoolbooks, notes and some muggle notebooks as well as some pens and different colored inks. Making several lap desks of the magical variety – hovering and without legs – for easier access to his books and as firm pad for his notebooks, he settled comfortably into the pillows and began the lengthy task of rereading his books, taking notes along the way on every detail he deemed important. It was early in the evening before he stopped, his growling stomach reminding him of the fact that he had not had any lunch. He went outside and down to the kitchen. His past self was still immersed in his mind when he pulled out some rolls, cheese and sausage. After he thought about it, he also took some fruits and vegetables, to store them in the kitchen of his trunk. Then he made himself some sandwiches, fetched the book on household charms from the library to charm some of the kitchen cupboards to do the same as a fridge and a freezer, as both were not known to the magical world.

To his surprise, he also found some charms that would put a stasis on fruits, vegetables and other perishables so they would be in the exact same state upon retrieving them, as they were in when putting them away. It was astonishing what the wizarding world sometimes came up with.

'You have to give them one thing. The way they achieve things is more often than not easier than the muggle way. If I think of all the chemicals muggles put in and on food to keep it fresh for a long time or free from vermin… Brr. The things I bought Friday were cultivated biologically and you can really taste it.'

Harry decided to bring down the spare package of camping dishes and cutlery, and to duplicate all other kitchenware he had. As he looked around, he saw a place to put a small shelf for cooking books and one for spices. He would put them there the next time he came into the kitchen.

Then he took his sandwiches with him to the library and continued his studies while munching them. It was a few hours later when a slight cramp in his right hand brought him out of his studying. He had read his Herbology, History and Astronomy texts first, as they contained mostly theory. That he followed with his Potions text. The notes he had taken were extensive and now his hand just wouldn't stand for it anymore. He hadn't changed positions for at least two hours and his whole body was so stiff he had trouble getting up. Now he collected his things and went to his bedroom, making a pit stop in the storeroom for some soap, shampoo and towels. He was thankful that he had thought to also create a small sideboard and a nightstand in the morning and put his belongings down on the sideboard. Then he collected a bathrobe and marched straight into the bathroom with his soap, shampoo and towels.

Harry turned the tap for the Jacuzzi on and waited for the warm water to fill the tub. Meanwhile he got rid of his clothes, ironically the same ones he had worn to Diagon Alley and yesterday, some of Dudley's cast-offs. They would have warded of any suspicions the Order members could have had about them, as they were easily recognizable even in their shrunken condition. But now he felt rather filthy, despite the shower and the cleaning charms on the clothes. He put them in the hamper and stepped into the now filled tub, turning of the tap and the jets on. It was pure bliss, he decided. He could literally feel the soreness bleeding out of his body, soothed by the warm water.

The thought that he hadn't put the potion ingredients away crossed his mind, but he mentally shrugged.

'Oh well. There is always tomorrow. It wasn't that urgent. They won't come to harm in their packages. I'll just do it first thing tomorrow morning. Then I'll work on the details for the time jumps and my timetable for studying. From first year the remaining books are Transfiguration, Charms and Defense. The last two I only need to skim, 'cause I already did the intensive learning throughout the years. But I'll need to find a way to get all my notes organized into notebooks and to sort the information in the other notebooks. If I have to leaf through the whole thing to find something specific, I could just as well take the book. The charms on the library index should be able to help me at least partially with that.'

Having settled that, he lathered his hair with lemongrass shampoo and washed his body. When the last suds were rinsed from his hair, he climbed out of the tub and dried off before wrapping himself into his bathrobe. He pulled the plug and left the Jacuzzi to empty itself.

In the bedroom he selected some underwear, then opted to sleep in Dudley's old room, as he had forgotten to look for the charm that lit the room and a simple nox was not sufficient to put the light out. Apart from that, even if it had worked, there would have been complete darkness in the room. Not something he liked overly much. Climbing into the makeshift bed once again, he dived into his mind and strengthened the shield, before finally going to sleep.

In London a redhead was wondering just why the ex-auror hadn't picked up on his following the party of five.

'Or does he just not say anything? Maybe he thinks that I should hear whatever they have to discuss?'

Silently he sneaked after them. Up to the second floor, through the corridor and… he stopped before entering the room they had gone into. That would have been just plain old stupid. Bill waited a moment for Moody to call to him or for some privacy and silencing spells to be thrown up. Neither happened. The only thing he could hear were the slightly disgruntled voices of Remus and Tonks. When Moody told them to be quiet and listen he was a bit torn. But as the conversations began to drift a certain way and he overheard a whisper between the two not involved in it, he decided to intervene. It was not in their nature to be this careless, even in or more likely especially in a location packed with Order members. Silently he moved to the door, peeked in and coughed to get their attention as soon as he realized that they had not tried to set him up.

The five inside the room jumped in surprise and Moody let out a string of curses as he noticed that he had gone against his own first principle of constant vigilance. To not even close the door and throw a basic privacy charm and proximity ward up had been utterly foolish. As he saw the redhead peeking in through the open door, he didn't know if the event was a curse or a blessing. The ex-auror knew perfectly well that the Molly and Arthur Weasley were blind to all of Dumbledore's transgressions and almost fanatically loyal to him. As of right now the question was if their oldest son shared that opinion. He waited with baited breath as Bill slowly entered the room and closed the door after him, throwing up a multitude of wards to guarantee that they would not be overheard again.

While Tonks and Remus were a bit dumbfounded at the commotion the interruption had caused, both McGonagall and Shacklebolt had been shocked into silence. At first that is. Now they were pacing in the room like caged animals, occasionally shooting a mistrustful look at the redhead. Who had at a slight smirk gracing his face at that particular sight.

As Bill leaned back against the warded door, he decided to make the first move. After he had heard the whispers accompanying the conversation he had interrupted, he knew that at least three of these people did not trust Dumbledore as far as they could throw him. The other two were seemingly sympathetic, if their recent actions were anything to go by, and about to be introduced to the more severe real situation.

'Just the people I needed to talk to. If anybody should be informed about the goblin situation it is them. They should be able to understand – and it will be good to finally have someone other than Charlie to talk to.'

"Why don't you continue that conversation, now that you won't be overheard, Mad-eye? It was just getting interesting. After you have finished, I would like to tell you something that I didn't tell Dumbledore. It concerns the goblins and some things that have apparently been overlooked by you and your companions. If you decide after that, that I'm not trustworthy you can still obliviate me. How's that sound, hmm?"

"Wipe that smug look out of your face, boy. Who's to say that you don't spy for the Headmaster?"

"After I decided to make myself known to you when I could have stayed in the shadows and simply listen to your conversation? And found a better setting for an infiltration afterwards? You have to be kidding. I'll share my opinion with you – after you have told Remus and Tonks what this is all about. Scan me, if you think I have listening charms or something else on me."

The ex-auror promptly took this as his cue and fired a barrage of spells at the oldest Weasley child. Having checked three separate times for anything he could think of, Moody grudgingly declared the redhead spell free and safe to talk to – for now. A quick look to his companions assured him that they would keep an eye on him and evaluate everything he said carefully. A short, whispered discussion later it was the Transfigurations teacher who began to speak.

"Now that we are sure that we won't be interrupted again, we can finally talk about the reason we brought you up here. Remus, Tonks, you two have changed in your behavior towards Albus. You seem to be more critical of the things he says and does. Don't look so alarmed, we only want to know what changed."

The werewolf and the young auror looked at each other. They were silently debating if they should trust the people they were facing. They had had a talk after Sirius death and had come to an understanding and a tentative friendship as opposed to the working relationship before the incident. When Tonks tilted her head slightly, Remus nodded.

"There are several reasons. But the root are Sirius and Harry. See, Sirius was slowly going mad here, being caged in this infernal house like an animal by Dumbledore's will, even if it was Sirius who allowed him to use it. Sirius was suspicious of the way Albus has treated Harry over the years, especially after he got an account of Harry's life from him. There was a huge difference to what Albus always told us. I don't know everything, but he tried to get Harry away from his relatives and not only because of their treatment of him. He told me that there are some blood wards around this house and he knew a bit about them. It seems, that blood wards are stronger with a godparent or someone approved by them than they are with blood relatives, if the parents are dead. It is a bit contradictional, I know, but the bond between godparent and godchild is the reason. It would not have been a problem for Harry to stay here over the summer with Sirius, under Fidelius with Albus as secret keeper no less. He still refused without a reason other than that he wouldn't be safe anywhere but at Privet Drive. Considering how his relatives feel about him that particular statement is a bit of a laugh. Then there is the fact that he has right out forbidden us to contact Harry, as you heard downstairs. At a time when Harry would need us all the more, he cuts us of from him. Harry is the only thing I have left and for Tonks he is like a cousin or godbrother because of Sirius. Take that and add Albus recent behavior concerning Harry and you have yourself some very good reasons to be suspicious."

Remus was breathing heavily when he finished speaking, the emotions it had brought up were having an effect on him. He quietly walked over to the sofa that was located in the room and sat down, leaning back and closing his eyes to calm down. It wouldn't do any good if he were to lose his cool completely. Tonks walked over to him and sat beside him before she began to speak.

"You heard that I talked to Harry after he invited me for lunch, yes? We did cover a good deal of different topics, but the main things we talked about were the Dursley's and surprisingly Sirius. That reminds me, Remus: he wants to talk to you when you are on guard duty. He has helped me a great deal to come to terms with Sirius death, it should do you a world of good. Especially as you and Harry were closer to him then I, in a way. Well, what he told me about the Dursley's had me reeling. We only touched the surface there, but it was bad. I don't even think Sirius knew exactly how badly they treated him. And never once has someone of our world checked up on him in all that time before Hogwarts. I know Arabella lives there, but she only had him over for babysitting and some chores. She never showed any interest in taking a closer look. The worst is what he doesn't say, not the things you can gather from the tit-bits he lets slip. It woke me up enough to not tolerate anyone berating me for illusional offences anymore. Even if it is Albus Dumbledore."

Alastor Moody, Minerva McGonagall and Kingsley Shacklebolt were silent. Some of the information they had received was new even for them. They had thought that they had been able to stall the worst of the schemes, but seemingly it was not so. Somehow they had a feeling it would get worse. After having shared a look out of narrowed eyes between them, they turned to the young redhead who was still leaning against the door. He only arched an eyebrow and shrugged his shoulders.

"It does not shock me, if that is what you want to know. You better tell them the rest, because what I have to tell you would shock them senseless otherwise. I heard enough of Harry's escapades from my siblings as not to take Dumbledore at face value, even if I didn't have other reasons before that not to trust what he says."

That statement managed to silence the three conspirators even further. This wasn't turning out the way they had wanted! It seemed there would be a lot more information and unethical behavior on Dumbledore's behalf unearthed than they had anticipated. The things the redhead had to say didn't bode well for all of them. The fact that he wasn't even fazed by the admissions Tonks and Remus had given was unsettling. In the end it was Moody who spoke up.

"Well, we brought the two of you here, because with your recent attitude there are two things you need to know - and it just so happens that it would be in our favor if you would agree to help us. Firstly, you need to tone it down. We know very well that Albus is more than just a bit in the wrong. Problem is, you will lose your reputation with the rest of the order and any sway you might have on his decisions if you snub him too often. It also puts you out of the information loop. Secondly, we are working on disturbing his schemes without him knowing it. The better part of the wizarding world seems to be absolutely blind concerning the man that is under the grandfather façade – and ironically that includes Voldemort and his Death Eaters. We would like it very much if you would join us in that endeavor."

Moody took a deep breath, but Shacklebolt beat him to the next part. The two on the couch meanwhile had weird expressions on their faces. They couldn't decide if the whole scenario was for real.

"The ministry is utterly incompetent under Fudge, he is more of a hindrance than of use. Under his management corruption and nepotism have flourished beyond belief. Unfortunately that includes the Department of Magical Law Enforcement at least partially, the standards have gradually dropped down and most of them couldn't find their way out of a wet paper bag, much less fight. The ministry is absolutely useless against Voldemort, but they manage to stall some of Dumbledore's plots just fine in their incompetence. However the problem arises the moment forces and support of every kind are needed. The more experienced aurors take a position a bit different. In the last war they allied themselves with the Order and they – as a faction - have gained the support of a lot of the disillusioned younger aurors and a even some Unspeakables. They do not want to ally themselves to the Order because all of them have seen a decline in Dumbledore.

Finally the Transfigurations teacher decided to take the word. She was a bit nervous and paced around the room. Had she been in her animagus form her tail would have swished furiously from one side to the other.

"I have known Albus for most of my live, I was apprenticed under him. He has changed a good deal over the past few decades. Poppy and Alastor can testify to that, they have known him equally as long if not longer than me. We are not quite sure when it began, but it was before You-know-who's first reign and even as far back as Grindelwald's defeat. We are also not sure just what triggered the changes in the first place. It took all of us a good deal of time to notice and admit to these changes. Of course we hope that it was magic that is responsible for the changes, because that means it could be reversible and that we can not hold him accountable for everything he has done. The chances for that are however rather slim, as we have not found anything to support that theory – and we have been at this for more than a decade. Lately his behavior has been more erratic and questionable than ever, he seems easily angered and rationality is thrown out of the proverbial window. Add to that the fact that he is obsessed with Harry and is painting a very false picture of him to anyone who could maybe help the boy… Even if confronted with longtime friends or common knowledge he acts more than a little bit odd. It is disconcerting to say the least and we could very much use your help to prevent anything worse happening. What do you say, Remus? Tonks?"

She looked at the duo on the couch as they whispered to each other. Their faces did not betray their emotions, but they were easily seen in their eyes as they turned around to face the four waiting people. There was sorrow, anger, determination and even some helplessness.

"Before we decide, Minerva, we would like to hear what Bill has to say. All these facts have shocked us quite a bit, but he still isn't fazed. He seemed to know about what you wanted from us, even if he is not part of your group."

The realization of that particular truth hit the elder witch and the two wizards like a ton of bricks. They whirled around to look in the expressionless face of Bill Weasley. He still hadn't move from the door and was staring coolly at them. Nothing about him told of the earth shattering revelations he had witnessed. Then again, if set into correlation to the things he was about to reveal to them… He finally decided to inform them about the things that had been weighing heavily on his conscience for some time.

"You know, of course, that in working for Gringotts one has to swear an oath of loyalty to the goblins. You also know that Dumbledore told me to spy on the goblins and reveal knowledge that I had been trusted with. I did not do that, but provided him with background information that any outsider could have gathered with time. It might surprise you, but the only reason I joined the Order, was to be able to fight You-know-who and protect my siblings and parents. I knew beforehand that Dumbledore wasn't trustworthy."

Bill took a deep breath before he continued. His voice was darkened by sadness as he spoke.

"Over the few years I have worked for the goblins, I learned a good deal about them, their laws and the behavior some people show towards them. I learned of several case in which Dumbledore has directly broken the law – and I mean both ministry and goblin law. Cases were he overstepped his rights, cases were he tried to usurp positions he was not entitled to, the same goes for money and inheritances. In other words, he tried to commit theft of truly giant proportions. He tried to gain control over estates – the Potter estate is included in this, he tried that several times – and made arrangements for testaments to be ignored, wills to never be read, etc… I'm sure you get the drift."

The pure horror that showed in his companions faces gave Bill a perverse satisfaction. They had probably had at least an inkling about some of the things he had mentioned, but had not even in their worst nightmares thought about the proportions of the things he had revealed to them. It needed to be brought out in the open though. Otherwise they would never gain any leverage over the wily old man.

"Not all of this was known to me prior to the meeting yesterday. Just before the shut-down was announced, I saw a young man come out of the estate manager section of Gringotts. He was younger than I, maybe in his mid teens, had reddish blond hair and black robes on. I noticed it, because he greeted the goblin at the information terminal when he left. But what surprised me even more was the goblins behavior. He smiled and nodded a greeting back."

This statement drew gasps of surprise from the other five people in the room.

"The senior employees had been acting oddly since about two hours earlier, having satisfied grins plastered on their faces. At that point in time I did not connect those events, but I am reasonably sure that he was the one responsible for the invention of magical credit cards. After thinking about it after the announcement, I decided to speak to my boss concerning Dumbledore. I had only been aware of minor transgressions on his behalf, making him a persona non grata with the goblins, which had raised my mistrust. My boss assured me of the fact that they were not allying themselves with You-know-who. Then he continued to fill me in on the real amount of illegal activities Dumbledore had committed. All of the people he slighted with his actions however did not want to do anything about it – he is after all the great Albus Dumbledore."

This drew muttered derogatory comments from his companions. Bill chuckled darkly. "Yeah. That was exactly my reaction. The goblins couldn't do anything about that. It seems however that now someone has come of age and learned about Dumbledore's manipulations. I have never seen a more feral expression on a goblins face than at the moment when my boss told me that this one had absolutely no qualms about suing Dumbledore for every single thing he did and tried to do to him. And that they were attempting to get others to join into the law suit on that grounds. I was told that even if no other joined the suit, there was enough material there to get him thrown into Azkaban for a really long time. You might be interested in the fact that Charlie knows about this and is completely of my opinion. We joined the Order to keep an eye on everything and because nobody else is effectively fighting against HIM."

As he finally finished speaking, Bill's throat was parched. He felt a bit exhausted after unveiling everything to them, but oddly giddy at the same time. Maybe now he could get a bit of rest away from the dreams that haunted him every other night. The silence in the small room was not breached for quite some time. At long last it was Tonks who broke through their gloomy thoughts.

"I think I can speak for Remus also, if I say that we will help you in every way we can. I do not doubt that what you said is true, but it does bring up the question if Dumbledore has done this to us too, behind our backs. As we are Order members, he could have easily used that to gain advantages over us. The most concerning, I think, is Harry's situation in all of this. I somehow think that he has probably suffered the most under Dumbledore's actions, especially if you include his obsession with him. We cannot go against the Headmaster in all of this openly. But we should evaluate our situations and try to help Harry as best as we can without garnering suspicions."

After that new development all six of them sat together and discussed their situations for hours on end. They did not come to a final conclusion, but ensured that they had secure means of reaching one another if need be. And they put the knowledge they had gained under a selective secrecy charm. It simply wouldn't do for the object of all their mistrustful interest to become privy to their double play by legilimency or a conversation held in the wrong audience.

upload date: 06-08-05