Chapter Thirty-Nine

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Ten days later.

Hermione woke up ten days after her wedding with a pit in her stomach. For ten days she had stayed at the Leaky Cauldron listening to Christmas shoppers chattering outside and writing letters which returned unanswered. Ten days of anger, grief, and self-recrimination. Christmas day passed, although she was not sure when.

But this morning was not like the others. After ten days Hermione could no longer hide. It was the last day of the holidays, and it was the day of their induction into the Order of the Phoenix. And so Hermione forced herself to shower and dress and to put on a face that perhaps if she were lucky, nobody would see through.

The Order of the Phoenix held their meetings at the home of Edgar Bones, and Hermione was not looking forward to meeting another group of people who, in her time, had been killed long ago. The apparation coordinates led her to a small copse of trees, and as Hermione looked around to get her bearings she discovered she was not the first to arrive.

"Good Merlin Black you look like hell," Sirius said, leaning against an elm tree with folded arms.

"Leave her alone Sirius," Lily said. "She's been on her honeymoon. She's probably exhausted. Congratulations, by the way."

Lily smiled at Hermione with unfeigned warmth. She was sitting against a tree with James and Remus, all three of them holding playing cards in their hands. James nodded at Hermione, and Remus waved a hand in greeting.

Hermione hadn't spoken to anyone in ten days, and she wasn't sure her voice would work if she tried. She stared at them, unsure how to respond, and nodded vaguely. There had been no thought of a honeymoon. Even a wedding night would have been enough. To escape their stares, Hermione took in her surroundings. Through the woods, there was a field and beyond this a distant collection of houses nestled between two hills.

"Your friends haven't arrived yet," Lily said, misinterpreting her glance.

As though her words had summoned them, a crack split the air, and Arabel, Regulus, Rabastan and Alecto appeared. If Hermione had been in any doubt as to whether Severus had told them what had happened that doubt disappeared. Arabel caught sight of Hermione, turned her back, and the others followed suit. The marauders watched with a bewildered air.

Severus arrived last. He didn't speak a word or glance in her direction but went to wait with the others. Hermione watched him, unable to tear her eyes from his back which looked smaller; shrunken. He had not returned to their room at the Leaky Cauldron. She had owled, to no avail.

How had he disposed of the body? What had he told his mother? Pain pierced her. It seemed that ten days had not eased his anger.

"Good day to you!"

A tall burly man walked up the path through the trees. He was dressed like a muggle farmer in jeans and a thick woollen jumper and smiled kindly at their surprised faces.

"Here you are, very good. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine of you. Excellent. Come along, come along."

They all exchanged glances, but rose and followed the man, who called back over his shoulder.

"The name's Bones, Edgar Bones. Sorry about all the cloak and dagger, just don't want the address getting out. We've already had to move locations twice..."

Edgar Bones led them through the small village of grey stone cottages, with the occasional unexpected village store or post office. A steady drizzle was beginning to fall and the narrow streets were empty.

"Just in here," Edgar said, gesturing at a two-storey farmhouse on the edge of the village. They followed him through a gate swinging open on a broken latch, into a yard of clucking chickens. The top of the farmhouse door swung open and a plump woman looked anxiously at them.

"You've got them, Edgar? Good, good. Dumbledore's going to make sure it's them first. He's got the veritaserum ready."

"Sorry about this, Edgar said apologetically as they all crowded into the yard and tried unsuccessfully to shut the gate behind them. "You're new and we're being careful. Usually, we use safety questions."

Hermione half-expected someone - probably Arabel or Rabastan - to complain about being crowded into a yard that smelt of manure and then told they were going to be dosed with an illegal truth potion. But none of them said a word, they just all tried to shuffle away from the largest piles of chicken droppings.

"Ah welcome, welcome!" Professor Dumbledore cried, appearing at the farmhouse door. His spangled purple wizards' hat looked very out of place in the farmyard.

"All here, Albus," Edgar said.

"Excellent, excellent. Well, I thank you all for being so prompt. I apologise for the indignity of the veritaserum, and also that we did not warn you, but unfortunately, we have to be so careful. And we need to be certain of your intentions in joining us."

Rabastan coughed at this, but Dumbledore didn't appear to hear.

"Miss Evans, would you like to join me first?" he said, and the door swung open. Lily disappeared inside looking nervous but determined.

"Veritaserum eh?" Sirius said in a low voice when the door had shut.

"I don't like it," Regulus said at the same moment, and they looked at each other in irritated surprise.

"If Dumbledore thinks it's necessary then I believe him," James said, puffing out his chest.

Severus scoffed, and James seemed about to say something in return, but Arabel fixed them both with such a look that they subsided.

It didn't take long before Dumbledore returned to call Arabel inside - the selecting seemed random - and they waited. Each person took only a few minutes. James went next, followed by Rabastan, and then the others until only Hermione and Severus remained. Hermione revised her opinion that the selection had been random.

"Sev -" she tried, when the door closed behind Remus.

"Don't speak to me," Severus said in a low voice.

"I just wanted to say -"

"I said don't!"

"- Sorry," Hermione finished.

Severus looked at her bitterly but said nothing. The door opened and he went inside, and Hermione waited outside with the chickens. A heavy hanging mist spread across the landscape. Hermione wondered where they were. It looked like Derbyshire - there were hills in the distance and a quarry with machinery rumbling away. The drizzle was making Hermione's hair puff and her clothes grow damp.

After what seemed like the longest wait yet the door opened, and Edgar beckoned her in.

"Sorry about the rain love," he said as he led her through a small kitchen where a young boy was sitting at the table peeling potatoes, and the plump woman bustled about the stove. He led Hermione along a hallway and into a small sitting room where despite the time of day the curtains were drawn. Professor Dumbledore perched in a chintz armchair looking perfectly at ease.

"Good day Miss Black, and thank you for your cooperation. Edgar, could you let the others know we are almost ready to begin?"

Edgar nodded and left the room, closing the door with a soft click. The noises from the kitchen faded at once, and Hermione took a deep breath.

"Before you say anything, I need to tell you something. I killed Severus's father."

Professor Dumbledore sighed. "Yes, I know. It was the first thing Severus said under veritaserum."

"I'm sorry," Hermione said. "I am. I lost control. I know this could have consequences if Severus -"

"If Severus should take it as a reason to turn his back on you and our side," Dumbledore finished. "No, I assure you there is no cause to fear that. Severus was certain. He has no wish to follow the Dark Lord, and longs only for his downfall."

"Are you sure?" Hermione said, her heart beating fast. "In my time, he -"

"No, don't tell me," Dumbledore said.

"But -"

"No. Whatever Severus did in your time is immaterial. I questioned him briefly under veritaserum, and I am entirely satisfied."

Hermione swallowed and nodded. It was enough.

"I killed a muggle," she said in a low voice. "A scum-sucking bottom-feeder of a muggle, but still an unconscious, defenceless one. Professor, are you sure I should be here?"

Professor Dumbledore removed his glasses and placed them on a spindly wooden table beside the chair, rubbing the bridge of his nose. He took a long time to answer.

"I believe you are our best chance at stopping Tom Riddle," he said at last, which did not answer the question, but was, Hermione thought, the best she could expect under the circumstances.

"Now truly I don't wish to question you under veritaserum, but I must," Dumbledore continued. "It is Order protocol, and although you have my trust I must know for certain that you aren't - ah, how do the muggles say it? Playing both sides against the middle?"

He shook his sleeve out, and a small bottle appeared in his palm. Hermione suppressed her discomfort as he measured a single drop onto a spoon, and took it. She had ingested veritaserum before; it tasted like cool water.

"What is your name?" Dumbledore asked, and Hermione's eyes widened with alarm.

"Hermione Jean Granger," she said, unable to prevent herself. Dumbledore's eyebrows shot up.

"You're not a Black? Wait! No, that wasn't a question. You don't need to answer. Ahem."

Dumbledore shook his head as though ordering his thoughts. "What is your intention in coming here today?"

"To join the Order of the Phoenix again," Hermione said, the words spilling from her lips. "And to see if Severus was ready to talk. And warn the Bones family that they're all going to be murdered soon. And I was really curious to see where the Order met before they used Number Twelve Grimmauld Place."

Dumbledore blinked. "I must be more specific with my questions. Do you mean any harm or deception by joining the Order of the Phoenix?"

"No."

"Do you wish to see the downfall of Voldemort?"

"Yes."

"And are you willing to fight alongside us to achieve that outcome?"

"I am," Hermione said firmly.

"Very good," Dumbledore said and withdrew another bottle from his sleeve. "Here - I believe you should take the antidote now before anything else comes out that is not meant to be shared."

Hermione drank the antidote, grimacing at the bitter taste, and then sighed with relief.

"You didn't tell me you were going to ask about anything except the Order and Voldemort," she accused.

"Asking someone's name is a way to test the potion," Dumbledore said. "I apologise. I had no idea that you were operating under a false one"

He looked a little miffed too, Hermione thought, to discover that she had been lying to him.

"Come on," Dumbledore said, standing up. "I believe the rest of the meeting should be assembled by now and they will only be waiting for us."

Hermione followed Dumbledore down the hall and into a slightly dining room which was so full of people it was hard to see the furniture. The crowd of witches and wizards looked with interest at Hermione, and she stared back, equally fascinated. Dedalus Diggle and Elphias Doge were shoulders to shoulder sharing a newspaper. They still looked like old men, but others like Arabella Figg and Mundungus Fletcher were so young.

Hagrid was there too, making the room feel uncomfortably crowded, and he beamed at the Hogwarts students who clustered together. James was bouncing like an excited puppy, while Regulus had an expression that said he couldn't comprehend how he had ended up in this room.

"So glad you're all here," Hagrid was saying to the Slytherins in a hearty voice, clapping a hand on Rabastan's shoulder and making his knees buckle. "Always knew you weren't such a bad sort."

"If I could call this meeting to order," Dumbledore said, shooting a few sparks from his wand. They all immediately quietened.

"We are here to welcome new members," Dumbledore continued, beaming at them. "It isn't every day that we expand our ranks with young people willing to risk their lives to protect our society."

"Aren't they a bit young?" a gruff voice cut in. Hermione looked past Hagrid's bulk and had to stop herself from crying out a greeting to the grizzled man, recognisable despite everything. It was Mad-Eye Moody. He already had his magical eye, but his nose was still whole, and Hermione had to prevent herself from looking down to check if he still had both his legs.

"I seem to remember you were not too much older when you saw your first heavy action Alastor," Dumbledore said mildly, and Mad-Eye grunted.

"Aye. But have they got what it takes?"

His gaze lingered on Arabel's expensive robes and Regulus's slight figure.

"They do," Dumbledore said firmly. "I can assure you that I would be glad to have any one of them at my back in the fight."

Mad-Eye shrugged. "We'll see."

"Indeed you will," Dumbledore said. "Now there is much that I must share with you all today, but let us begin with updates from the Auror office. How goes it?"

"Minchum and Crouch are turning the Auror department upside down and sending most of us off chasing down attacks on muggles," Mad-Eye growled. "Voldemort's hitting muggles town right left and centre, tying up the Obliviators and keeping us running all around the country."

"The muggles are terrified," put in Edgar Bones. "The attacks are increasing in frequency and ferocity - people are dying in huge numbers and despite the ministry's best efforts they know something is wrong."

"I see," said Dumbledore, looking grave. "This rapid increase in attacks is alarming. But I hope that now we have a mole on the inside of Voldemort's ranks we might be able to gain a little more idea of how he plans to proceed. Miss Bl - ah apologies, I mean Mrs Snape, could you shed any light on this?"

Hermione winced as Severus avoided her eyes while the rest of the room turned to stare at her. She had spoken in countless Order of the Phoenix meetings but had never been the subject of such suspicious gazes. A pair of young wizards that she thought were Sturgis Podmore and Caradoc Dearborn was glaring at her, and even Dedalus Diggle looked unfriendly.

"Voldemort is planning something big very soon, and I think it's going to be at Hogwarts," she said, focusing on Dumbledore and Edgar Bones. "He's preparing to take over, and he's trying to keep the ministry tied up and occupied so they don't notice what he's really up to."

"And exactly what is it that he's up to?" broke in Edgar Bones.

"He hasn't told us the details, but I think he's planning to attack Hogwarts," Hermione said, to cries of outrage.

"Surely not, surely the ministry…" Edgar Bones began.

"Sir with all due respect, if Voldemort took control at Hogwarts, the Ministry would crumble straight away," Hermione said. "Almost half the staff at the Ministry have children at Hogwarts, and if he took them hostage the Ministry wouldn't last a minute."

Edgar Bones opened his mouth but closed it again, and so Hermione continued. "Dumbledore is his biggest threat. Voldemort has never been able to take Hogwarts before because there wasn't a way in, but I think he's found one now."

"What?" Mad-Eye said impatiently.

"The duelling tournament. I believe he plans to get his people inside the building in the guise of guests and spectators. It would be the perfect foil - how many Death Eaters have children at the school?"

Mad-Eye paused. "Most of them."

"Exactly, and now he has us -" Hermione gestured to her friends. "I think Voldemort's going to use us in some way to destabilise things from the inside."

Mad-Eye began to laugh, and everyone in the room looked at him, wondering if he had gone mad. He coughed and shook his head.

"Apologies Miss. I was just imagining old Voldemort's face if he knew every recruit he thought he had in Hogwarts this year was working for us. How'd ye manage it, lass?"

Hermione's friends shifted uncomfortably and Rabastan spoke up.

"We can think for ourselves, and it's clear to all of us that the Dark Lord does not care for pureblood values or history, but only his gain. We have seen our fathers bowing to a half-blood murderer, and we won't stand for the same."

"Half-blood murderer eh?" Mad-Eye said, his magical eye swivelling to fix on Rabastan. "Aren't you the charmer."

"Enough," Dumbledore said, and silence fell. "Every person in this room has taken veritaserum and been tested on their loyalties, and all are committed to the downfall of Voldemort. We will disagree on other matters, but now is not the time for that. Emmeline - does Minchum have any idea that Voldemort is planning something big?"

Hermione gave a start as she realised Dumbledore was speaking to a young witch across the room whom she hadn't recognised.

"Minchum is a hard-liner, but he still thinks that brute force will make it go away," Emmeline Vance said. "Over the last few years he's ramped up the Auror training programs and that's beginning to bear fruit, but he's not got any imagination. The ministry is full of spies and he has no idea how Voldemort is predicting his every move. But frankly neither do I."

"Rookwood," Hermione said without thinking.

"Excuse me?" Emmeline said.

"Augustus Rookwood. He's the one in the ministry running the spy network."

"Augustus? Impossible" Edgar Bones said, shaking his head. He turned to the group. "Augustus works in the Department of Mysteries. He's helped us with several enquiries, and he's one of the last people I'd think capable of running a spy network."

"That's why he's good at it," Hermione said.

"Can you prove it?" Emmeline asked.

"Leak him some information and see what happens," Hermione said irritably. "Or just trust me, since I have to sit in Death Eater meetings next to him."

"Enough," Dumbledore said with a quelling look. "Hermione, thank you for this information. Edgar, Emmeline, I hope this will help you make further investigations into how Rookwood is gathering information."

As Dumbledore began addressing individual members of the Order, Hermione's attention remained sharp but her gaze wandered to Severus. He looked so unwell, and he kept twisting his hands in his lap. His wedding ring was absent.

Hermione's hand dropped involuntarily to her ring; plain silver with a small green stone. They had shopped for them together, even added communication features in case they ever lost each other. She saw Severus glance over, notice it, and look away, and a sharp lump rose in her throat. Although she tried to meet his eyes he wouldn't look at her again.

"As for our new members," Dumbledore said, "we are depending on Hermione and her fellow members of Slytherin house to glean all the information they can on the movements of Voldemort."

"All the information we can?" Arabel said, her eyes gleaming.

"Yes, Miss Selwyn, all you can."

Arabel said no more, but Hermione caught her triumphant smirk and groaned internally. Nothing and nobody in Slytherin would be safe from Arabel from now on. Dumbledore turned to the Marauders.

"And as for Messrs Black, Potter and Evans, I would ask that you keep an equally careful eye on the sympathies of those in your own house. Death Eaters do not come from one house alone."

Muttering and dissent rose from the Order members, but James and Sirius nodded seriously. Remus put up a timid hand.

"Professor Dumbledore sir - did you mean to include me in that list?"

"No Mr Lupin I did not. I have another task for you, and one to which you are uniquely suited."

Remus looked apprehensive, and Hermione frowned as understanding dawned on her. Dumbledore had used Remus this way the first time. It had caused Remus to spend extended time away from friends and family, and to endure mistrust from even those closest to him.

"Professor, I don't think -"

"Kindly do not interrupt," Dumbledore said.

"But -"

"Enough. Mr Lupin your task is to begin to ingratiate yourself with the werewolves under the command of Voldemort. He has many different strands to his forces and we should not underestimate the strength of this one."

Remus turned white. "But those werewolves are controlled by -"

"Fenrir Greyback," Dumbledore said heavily. "Yes."

"Albus he's just a boy," Edgar Bones protested.

"And he may be the only one who can do this job."

"Don't make him do this," Hermione said. "It isn't right."

Voices began to join in and the noise level rose, but a quiet voice stopped them.

"Stop. I'll do it," Remus said, although he was the colour of milk beneath his freckles. He twisted his hands together. "I want to be useful, and nobody else can do this."

"Remus -" Sirius said, looking ill.

Remus put a hand on Sirius's arm. "No, Dumbledore's right. I need to do it."

After that, nobody could object. Dumbledore led the meeting to its conclusion and dismissed the Order. They filed out chattering amongst themselves, Edgar Bones calling something about having tea in the kitchen. But as Hermione and the other Slytherins made to leave Dumbledore held out a hand to forestall them.

"Not you six," he said.

They waited, lingering in the sitting room until it was empty. The Marauders were the last to go, James looking jealously back at them as Lily tugged him away. Finally, Dumbledore shut the door and returned. He sat down on a recently vacated chair and breathed deeply.

"Thank you for remaining just a little longer. I know that you will all undoubtedly need to return home before you are missed, and I will try and keep this short. Firstly - thank you for being here. Please do not think I underestimate what it must have taken for you to turn your back on your families to come here."

Rabastan looked uncomfortable and Alecto's lip trembled, but they sat straighter as Dumbledore continued.

"I wish to speak to you about the incident which occurred last week between Mr and Mrs Snape. This is a deeply personal matter and one which none of us has the right to interfere in. I would ask therefore that going forward you all act with the utmost professionalism in your Order duties and do not let hard feelings come between you."

"Agreed," Severus said through gritted teeth.

"Yes," Hermione said, her throat closing. "Agreed.

"Good. Now Hermione has something very significant to tell you. But first I am afraid I must ask you all to submit to a secrecy oath."

At this Rabastan snorted, and even Severus broke a smile. Dumbledore raised his eyebrows.

"I fail to see the humour in this situation."

"A secrecy oath? Professor, we're all already under an unbreakable vow," Arabel said. "We can't disclose anything Hermione tells us under the pain of death."

Dumbledore sat back, his mouth falling open.

"Hermione I can't condone -"

"What, I was just supposed to let Voldemort read their minds? It's done, let's move on," Hermione said wearily. "Now shall I tell them?"

And so in a few short sentences, Hermione explained to those present what Horcruxes were, and what it meant that Voldemort had made them. Hermione noted the difference in how these Slytherins received the news. They were horrified, revolted but not astonished. Unlike the Gryffindors, Hermione's friends had grown up in households where the dark arts were familiar, and this was unpleasant but not unduly shocking.

"What I don't understand," Rabastan said, scratching his jaw, "Is why you needed to go into Voldemort's mind to find the locations. If they were the same ones he used in your time why did you have to look?"

"Because they shouldn't be the same," Hermione said. "In my time Voldemort placed Slytherin's locket in a cave, and he used you to do it Regulus - or at least he used your house elf. You saw that in the Pensieve didn't you?"

Regulus looked ill. "Yes. That's how I died."

Arabel snarled at that, and Hermione put up a hand. "Easy, it's not going to happen this time. But the point is that hasn't happened. So why is the locket there?"

Dumbledore sighed.

"I am afraid that's the problem, Miss Black. Our Aurors, Edgar and Emmeline - both of whom you just spoke to - checked the locations, and they were empty."

"What?"

Hermione stared at Dumbledore, stunned. It hadn't even occurred to her that she could be wrong.

"But I saw -"

"He must have known we were coming and moved them."

Hermione shook her head. "He wouldn't. Right now he's arrogant. He believes his protections are enough. There's no way. You checked every single location?"

"All bar one. The Aurors could not access the Room of Hidden Things. It refused to appear for them."

"But that makes no sense!" Hermione cried.

"We will continue to search," Dumbledore said. "Perhaps you could try yourself to access the Room of Hidden Things once you return to Hogwarts. But tell me - were the Horcruxes in those locations in your time?"

Hermione frowned. "They were when we first went looking for them in my seventh year. But after the last battle when Harry died...he made new ones, and even though we tracked them down, we never found them all. Multiple times during our war he moved them...maybe that's what's happening here."

Hermione's mind raced. It didn't make sense. Why had she seen those locations in Voldemort's mind? Had they simply been locations that he intended to use in the future? She longed more than anything to have a record of everything that had happened in her time so she could look up precisely where the Horcruxes had been at that moment.

But, as they said, hindsight was everything.

"Then we will simply have to continue," Dumbledore said. He rose from his seat and gathered up the papers in front of him.

"Thank you for your time today. We will keep in regular contact over the months ahead. And if you ever have any information or suspicions you wish to share, my office is always open."

Dumbledore nodded to them and left the room. Severus nearly knocked over his chair in his hurry to get out, and Hermione's friends followed. Within moments, she was alone.

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Thanks for reading,

Cas