PART THREE

Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, several weeks ago.

Albus Dumbledore sat behind his much-cluttered desk giving no indication that he was paying attention to a single word being uttered by the strangely attired woman seated in front of him. She was young, in her early to mid-twenties, with dark pink hair highlighted with streaks of blue. Her name was Nymphadora Tonks and she was giving the Headmaster his weekly briefing on Death Eater activity.

As she continued her report, she shifted in her chair slightly and her deep purple robe slipped open revealing a fishnet stocking covered leg. The elderly man momentarily arched an eyebrow then returned to the book in front of him. After several more minutes she finally completed her report.

"Was there anything else Auror Tonks?" He asked.

"Details are sketchy at the moment." She answered flipping through her notes. "But there was an incident in Paris two nights ago."

"Paris?" He asked interested. "What sort of incident?"

"Two men were killed in Salute Memoria Garden, that's a cemetery 10 kilometers outside the city. One of our people in the Paris police confirmed that they died from an Adva Kedvara curse. From what we can gather so far they apparently stumbled on some grave robbers and well…" She trailed off knowing full what the result was. "It doesn't sound like your typical Death Eater MO but we're looking into it."

"Does the report mention the name of person whose grave was being desecrated?" He asked stroking his beard afraid that he already knew the answer.

Tonks looked closely at her notes. "The name on the grave was Rebecca Horne." Dumbledore gave no indication that he recognized the name. "Was there anything else Professor?"

"No. Thank you Nymphadora." She smiled sweetly at the old man. He was one of the few people she allowed to use her given name. "Do keep me apprised of the investigation."

After Tonks had left Dumbledore sat in his office alone deep in thought. Why would they disturb Rebecca's rest? Of course he knew why, but it still didn't make any sense without the rest of it her piece is useless unless, unless… No it wasn't possible, he couldn't have found it. Although there was a great deal of confusion during the battle… with the death of Sirius… the destruction of the prophecy… I shall have to be certain he finally decided.

He picked up a small bell and rang it. A few moments later his office door swung open and in walked a small creature about three feet high with pointed ears and wearing a much too large Griffyndor House Quiditch shirt.

"Professor Dumbledore rang for Dobby?" It asked.

He peered over the edge of desk to address the House Elf. "Yes Dobby. Please go and fetch Professor McGonagall and tell her I need to speak with her on a matter of the utmost urgency."

"Yes Professor." Dobby said as he rushed from the room. "Dobby do."

About ten minutes later a somewhat flustered Professor Minerva McGonagall arrived. "You wished to speak with me Headmaster?"

"Yes Minerva." He answered as he tidied up his desk. "I have to go to the Ministry on some rather important business and I suspect that I shall be gone most of the day."

"But Professor those people from the Watchers Council are due today."

Dumbledore sighed he had completely forgotten about them. The old Watchers Council had severed formal ties with Hogwart's and most the Wizarding world almost a hundred years earlier, but now that a new regime has taken control following the near total destruction of the previous Council they were anxious to renew old ties once again and that was something that Albus had long lobbied for.

"I'm afraid you'll have to deal with them what I have to due is much too important and cannot be put off."

"Albus…"

"Minerva I have every faith in your abilities to speak on behalf of this institution. All that I require you to do is merely escort Mr. Giles and Miss Rosenberg around the castle and then listen to their organization's proposal. I shall make the final decision."

"Is there anything else I can do?"

He looked up at her and Professor McGonagall thought she saw a flash of fear in the old man's eyes. "You can pray Minerva because if what I think has happened has then we could all be in more danger than any of us had ever realized."

The Ministry of Magic, a short while later.

"I still don't understand why you had to drag me all the way down here so early in the morning."

To say that Cornelius Fudge, the esteemed Minister of Magic was annoyed would be an understatement. Not more than thirty minutes ago he was having a very nice breakfast when his office doors suddenly flew open and Professor Dumbledore walked in and all but ordered him to accompany him down to the Department of Mysteries.

"Albus what is going on?" He asked for what must have been the hundredth time.

"Something I have feared for nearly sixty years."

Dumbledore and Minister Fudge entered the Department of Mysteries and found Mad-Eye Moody and Remus Lupin were already waiting for them. They shook the professor's hand and nodded respectfully at the Minister.

"The Curator is looking for the item now." Lupin said. The four men stood in uncomfortable silence for several minutes. "Have you heard from Harry?"

"I received a letter last week."

"I got one as well. How did he seem to you?"

"He spoke of his excitement and eagerness to return for his sixth year but I could tell things are not well. Harry is still taking Sirius' death very hard. He feels as if he's lost the only true connection to his parents."

The Curator returned and Moody and Fudge went over to speak with him.

"Perhaps Professor…" Remus began. "I know we've had this conversation before, but given the circumstances perhaps now might be the time to tell Harry about…"

"No." Dumbledore stopped him before he could say any more. "I know full well your reasons and I do not dismiss them lightly or off hand, but now is not the time. Until the threat Voldemort poses has been dealt with permanently my original decision must stand."

Remus sighed knowing that Dumbledore was right. As long as Voldemort was out there sharing this news with Harry would only give the evil wizard one more weapon to use against the boy, a weapon that could very well destroy him.

"He's going to hate us when he finds out." Remus finally said.

"He may well indeed. My hope… my hope is that Harry will keep his anger in check long enough to permit me to explain my reasons and hopefully understand why I did what I felt I needed to do."

"Would you understand?" Lupin asked him.

Dumbledore didn't answer him. Moody rejoined them and handed the Professor and plain wooded box and for a moment it seemed that all his fears were unfounded but as soon as he opened it his heart fell.

"He's got hasn't he?" Moody asked seeing the expression on Professor Dumbledore's face.

"Got what?" Fudge asked thoroughly confused.

"Yes my friend. He's found it." Dumbledore answered solemnly as he showed Moody and Lupin the empty box.

"Who? Who has found what?" Fudge asked again.

"Voldemort." Dumbledore said and the Minister visibly flinched much to Moody's disgust. "And I fear that our time to stop him may be running out."

more to come