OLD MAGIC

Chapter 63: Kreacher's Mission and More Briefings

After his meeting with Professor Snape that Saturday morning, Dobby went to visit Kreacher in the quarters he had been placed in. The house elves had a sort of dormitory of their own beneath the floor of the kitchen. It was always warm and comfortable there during the winter and cool during the summers and each had their own little alcove with bits of blankets, fabric, and other bric a bac they collected from around the castle.

Dobby had placed Kreacher in an empty alcove that was down from his own and had a wall beside it for more privacy for the distressed house elf. As he had known the elf would be, Kreacher was rolled up within a furry coat that was rather ratty looking but still very warm, his eyes were closed but Dobby could tell he wasn't asleep.

"Kreacher, Dobby needs to speak with you," he said softly, leaning close.

For a few minutes it seemed Kreacher was going to pretend he didn't hear the other elf but when it became obvious Dobby wasn't going to leave, Kreacher groaned in annoyance and unfurled enough to look up at the other elf in aggrieved silence.

"Dobby knows Kreacher is tired and distressed but I have something important to discuss with you and time may be short."

Rolling his huge eyes, Kreacher pushed up into a seated position. Dobby dropped down in tailor fashion so the two were facing each other.

"Dobby has been asked to see if you wish to take on a mission that will give you the chance to prove you wish to help the Light."

Kreacher eyed him warily. "What be this mission?"

Dobby was pleased that Kreacher's response was more positive than he had expected even if it was rather hesitant. "Professor Snape has realized that you could be of valuable assistance in capturing your former master and their associates if you are willing to allow yourself to be called by Bellatrix LeStrange Black if she should summon you again. We understand you be free now and have no ties to the House of Black any longer which is why we are asking not telling you to do this. What say you?"

Kreacher looked at Dobby as if he was insane. But he didn't say that and spent a moment truly thinking about what the elf had suggested. Frowning, he asked, "Besides heeding the Black call what am I supposed to do?"

"When … and we are hoping this happens at all …. when Bellatrix summons you. We want you to respond and once you appear where they are, to quickly see who is there then snap all in the room to the dark tower and into the cells here at Hogwarts," Dobby explained carefully.

Kreacher gaped at him. "Hurt me they would!" He screeched, fear making his eyes huge and his ears stand up tall.

"Nay. They will not expect you to do such a thing so it will be surprise they not be prepared for. In those precious seconds you send them here before they can act. We be house elves. We are fast and powerful. We serve because that is in our nature but that does not mean we are slaves!" Dobby said in forceful, ringing tones, standing suddenly as he made his point. "You can do this Kreacher and strike a blow against evil wizards who use and abuse us as if we were but worms beneath their feet."

Kreacher stared up at Dobby in speechless amazement. He had never heard a house elf speak this way before nor said such words of rebellion before either. It be unnerving but stirring as well. For the first time in his life he felt more empowered then anytime in his life.

But could he do this? It was a frightening and daring thing to do but it would shock those wizards at what a house elf was truly capable of if they had the free will to do what they wanted.

Wait...that be amazing! Being free did allow him to do as he pleased. To work or not to work for another family. To chose or not chose to even be owned by another master. What he had been hearing since he'd come into the castle and the stories Dobby had been regaling him with was a world where house elves had choices. Such a novel thing to imagine. So if he did this, he would be striking against the injustice done to many house elves by the Death Eaters, himself included even though he had never thought about such a thing before.

Dobby said nothing as he watched Kreacher's features turn to a glow of wonder and hope and maybe a little of the fire Dobby himself felt about this new future they were building. Dobby hoped that was what was going on in the old elf.

Kreacher thought hard and long, chewing his lower lip as he worried at the idea of doing something so bold and daring. Finally, he blew out a gust of air and looked up into Dobby's hopeful face.

"I'll do it! You be right. House elves are more than slaves! We be a wizard family's helpers and housekeepers but never slaves. I be interested in seeing what this new world we try for is reality or yet another dream. So, Kreacher be willing to take this chance and see what it brings for me and for the new future the Light hopes to bring."

"Dobby is pleased you are willing to see the positive side of what the Light is trying for. Now we must wait and see if Bellatrix LeStrange Black will call again. Once she does, I will inform Professor Snape immediately so we all be ready. And Dobby thinks he should inform Hogwarts as well to be prepared for prisoners within it's tower. Dobby afraid with all the tasks Professor Snape is doing for the Elder's he may have forgotten that necessity."

"Dobby smart and thorough. I see why wizards have come to rely so much on your abilities," Kreacher observed.

Dobby blushed with pleasure that someone who had no reason to like or trust him was willing to trust him now and even pay him a compliment. He nodded thanks then turned his attention to the castle.

"Hogwarts! Dobby needs speak with you."

"I hear you little friend. What needs you?" Hogwarts responded promptly. Dobby smiled then quickly explained what was being planned. "I will be ready. Good hunting." Then it went silent again. Dobby sighed and looked down at Kreacher who had been watching him.

"Hogwarts is warned and will be ready to take care of the prisoners."

"Is it truly able to take out such powerful wizards?" Kreacher asked. He realized they hadn't covered this part of the plan. The vengeance of the group would be horrible if they weren't subdued immediately.

"Hogwarts be powerful. More than any truly knows. It will disarm the wizards the instant they arrive and the iron cells keep any magic from being used. Death Eaters will not be leaving anytime soon," Dobby said with surety. "Besides, Dobby plans to take their wands before they can do aught."

Kreacher relaxed. "Good to know."

"Now, you rest. I will return with food shortly. Dobby needs to inform Professor Snape that you are willing. Return soon." So smiling Dobby apparated away.

Snape, it turned out was very busy most of Saturday so it wasn't until after the dinner meal that Dobby managed to catch him in his quarters once more. The man was relaxing and drinking tea when the house elf appeared beside his armchair.

Dobby was smiling. "Kreacher will do it and for all the right reasons, sir. Dobby is pleased with his turn around. Kreacher was a little hesitant but then Dobby reminded him house elves are powerful and wizards forget that," he winked at the professor.

Snape grinned back. "That is wonderful news. So now we have to hope Bellatrix calls which I think she will as her colleagues are cut off from gathering any viable information on what the Light is up to. They will be frantic to use whatever means to gain the information they need."

"Dobby hopes you are right, sir. While we wait, Dobby promised a meal to Kreacher. Will wait with him and inform you the moment contact is made."

"Excellent. I'll be waiting." Dobby smiled then disappeared leaving a relieved professor behind.

~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~

Sometime after the lunch meal that Monday afternoon, Snape received the summons to meet with Dumbledore. Hurrying up the stairs from his classroom to the main hall, he stopped at the secret entrance to the Headmaster's office. Saying the password to the gargoyle statue, he quickly ran up the staircase as soon as it appeared and knocked at the door at the landing at the top.

A firm, "Come in" reached him through the door. He stepped in, shutting it behind him then walking across the floor to where Dumbledore waited at his desk near the window. He noticed Fawkes was not on his perch or in the room. He suspected the bird was on a mission for the council right now. The Phoenix had nearly as many tasks to do as Snape did.

Taking a comfortable seat Dumbledore made appear next to his desk, Snape sat.

"What did you need to see me about, Severus," Dumbledore asked immediately.

"I have a great many things to impart to you this morning, not the least of which what the results were of the two meetings Hagrid and I held, the results of which involve you and the Order," Snape began.

"Oh, what has been going on? I haven't heard from you except for that message about Kreacher," Dumbledore reminded him.

Snape hissed. "I'm terribly sorry, sir. I've been run off my feet with tasks and hoping I didn't miss anything and still I managed to do so."

Dumbledore raised a palm up to halt the younger man's apology. "I can see how stressed you are Severus and understand the burden you took on doing this. Though I hate being out of the loop, I can't blame you for simply not having enough time to brief me. So now that we have a moment, let's do that now, shall we?"

Snape managed a small smile of resignation. He should stop berating himself as he was only one person and it was nice of his boss to be so understanding, not many would be.

"Thank you, sir. I do appreciate your forbearance during this busy time. Well here's what's been going on and what is taking place next …." Snape proceeded to relate the result of the meeting with Black, the reason for the meetings with Madame Bones and Shacklebolt. That last making Dumbledore stare at him in shock and interrupt.

"Kingsley as co-leader? Why?"

Snape explained the reasoning he had given the council and why the headmaster wasn't a good candidate which Dumbledore had to accept was very true.

"Ah, so if I understand where you are going with this, the Elders want the Order and the Aurors to team up with them?"

"That's correct, sir. As events that were set in motion are moving swiftly forward to our hoped for conclusion of ending this war, it is important not to lose that momentum gained by ensuring all parties meet and greet soon then integrate into one army to attack the already off balanced enemy. We need you to set up a meet with the Order, tonight if possible or at least within the next few days. Once Madame Bones and her agents have been introduced then both Aurors and Order members are brought up to date on where they stand on the capture of the Death Eaters, only then will Hagrid and I bring you all to a meet and greet with Jason. Information we've already received has told us that we are very close to shutting down the enemy. Only a few pieces are left to fall into place before that can happen," Snape said with relish.

"What next pieces do you speak of?" Dumbledore asked, frowning.

"The finishing of the identification of all the spies within the ministry and within Hogwarts, the capture of the army we know exists, and the capture of the inner circle."

Dumbledore leaned forward excitedly. "You've found them?"

"Not precisely. You see, sir, we recently realized, Sirius, Harry, and I that we haven't been using a valuable resource sitting right under our noses."

"Resource? What resource?"

"House elves and I mean, Kreacher, specifically. We realized he had an important part to play in taking out the inner circle," Snape said, a gleam in his eye.

"What on earth do you mean important? In what way is a house elf important?"

"What if Bellatrix tries to summon him again?" Snape shot back instead.

"What if she does? He's free now and doesn't have to answer her at all. Of what use would he be?" Dumbledore frowned in confusion, not seeing where Severus was going with this or what house elves in general had to do with this conversation.

"Oh, he's the most important part, if Bellatrix does call him. What we and all wizards fail to think about, sir, is just how powerful house elves truly are. They service us willingly so we forget they are more than simple servants. It was this realization that lead Harry to the conclusion that if Kreacher responds to the summons, he would immediately learn the enemy's location but instead of asking what they needed, he would, instead, use his abilities to simply snap the enemy into the dark tower before they could retaliate or escape."

Dumbledore's mouth dropped open in shock then snapped it shut as he felt instant disgust and annoyance with himself for forgetting that very thing. But then he realized what Snape suggested might not be that simple. Frowning, he asked, "But will he do it. Kreacher was just given his freedom so has no allegiance to us here at Hogwarts to endanger himself to do this just because we ask."

"He will if he wants to gain the trust of the Elder Council, which is why he has agreed. Dobby was a great help in making him see what a great thing this would be for him to do and just informed me before this meeting with you that Kreacher is willing. Now all we need to do is wait and hope Bellatrix and the others are desperate enough to want to summon him."

Dumbledore nodded, a cautious hope flickered in his eyes but he did see a possible hole in their plan. "And what if she doesn't?"

Snape shrugged acknowledgment at that possibility and gave a pragmatic answer. "Then it will be a long hunt finding them as they are not in any of the known places they had been seen and there are no clues where the hide out is they managed to find to stay off the radar."

"It's a good idea nonetheless, Severus. So, I too hope it bears fruit. But you said house elves plural … what did you mean by that?"

"What we further realized was if Kreacher could get us the inner circle, why couldn't other house elves help take down the enemy elsewhere? So with that in mind, I went and spoke with Fawkes who is the spokes person for them. Fawkes learned that the Hogwarts house elves are very willing to identify those within the castle who work for the enemy and, as we are speaking, Fawkes is speaking with the leader of the house elves at the ministry seeking their assistance to do the same, working in tandem with Wizard Munch and Blodrig the Goblin Leader who are already doing identification work there."

Dumbledore again just gaped at Snape then shook his head. "We wizards are so blind!" He said bluntly.

Snape shrugged. "We have always taken them for granted and never thought how their devotion and need to serve wizard kind could also drive them to help keep wizard kind from destroying themselves and the homes they are a part of."

"Too true and that blindness will now serve to take down the enemy. They will never know what hit them," Dumbledore said smiling broadly now. "Hopefully, the inner circle will fail to remember that as well, so until they make a move, apparently I have a meeting to set up." His eyes twinkled with excitement as he prepared parchment and quill to send out messages to the Order.

He paused and frowned at Severus a moment. "I normally would include Kingsley in this summons. Do I still do that or were you planning to?"

Snape shook his head. "No, you go ahead. He's expecting it anyway to come from you." Then he sighed. "I hope everyone isn't out of reach as I can't stress how important we get this part done quickly."

'"I realize the urgency, Severus, however, I have found it takes at least forty-eight hours to gather everyone so two nights from now is how quickly I think we can get everyone together. I do realize we are on a tight schedule but some things can't be rushed. Besides, I suspect it will still take time for all the identifications to get done, yes?"

Snape sighed and was forced to agree. "Then let us just do what we're able to as fast as we can. It sounds like everything else is coming together slow but sure. As much as we want this to be ended, we will get there quicker if we make no missteps along the way," Dumbledore admonished gently.

"Very true, sir. And you're right, everything is moving according to plan and with more speed than I and the others have hoped so if it takes a week, we still should see success very soon." Dumbledore smiled and nodded then began writing a summons for the Order to meet while Snape remembered he too needed to send out a message ... one to Jason to tell him of the results of the meetings of that morning, this one, and about Kreacher's mission.

With a hand gesture he made quill and parchment appear and began a message of his own. The portraits on the wall muttered among themselves about all the incredible doings going on and how much things would change for the world they had known when alive.

As Snape and Dumbledore were sending out their messages, Fawkes, as Snape had said, was doing a meeting of his own at the Ministry of Magic Headquarters.

Appearing in an empty office, Fawkes perched on an office chair back then sent a call out to Blodrig who luckily happened to be within the building. The Phoenix sent a mental picture of where he was and asked the goblin leader to find the wizard Munch and meet him in this room as soon as he was able. Curious about the Phoenix's reason for being here at all, Blodrig sent an acknowledgment and went looking for the wizard in question.

Thirty minutes later, the pair slipped into the room. Munch eyed the Phoenix questioningly.

"If you would Munch, please set a shielding on this room," Blodrig requested. Still confused and wondering what was up, Munch did as asked.

"Thank you. What has brought you here, Fawkes?" Blodrig asked.

Munch startled when he heard the bird's next words in his mind.

"I have been reminded of a resource for which responsible for I am, and feel most embarrassed I forgot would be extremely useful in this endeavor you two are involved with."

Before either could ask what the Phoenix meant another person appeared suddenly within the shielded space. A house elf was standing beside Fawkes who looked familiar to both males.

"What? How did he manage to get through my shield," Munch demanded, stunned.

"That be the resource I meant, gentle beings. Meet Jeg, the leader of the house elves within the ministry," Fawkes introduced the taller than normal house elf with keen eyes and obvious intelligence as he studied the others in the room. He wore the livery of the ministry and had funny blue curved slippers on his large feet.

"I hadn't realized house elves even had leaders," Munch muttered, completely nonplussed by this event.

"And that be the reason they are overlooked as a resource," Fawkes said, amused.

"I get it!" Blodrig blurted out, excited by what he was certain was Fawkes' plan. "House elves are everywhere within this building. They have the best set of ears and eyes to ferret out anything that goes on within the ministry including who is working for the Death Eater camp and who isn't, right?"

Fawkes gave a chirp of delight. "Sharp you are my good friend. That be it exactly. With their assistance, identification of the enemy can be done in half the time." Fawkes gave Jeg a quick head bob. He had spoken to the house elf first and had found a common comrade as Firg had said. The leader was all for getting rid of the 'vermin' he called the infiltrators, as soon as possible and thrilled that this was already begun and only needed their assistance to get it done quicker and perhaps, more accurately.

"Jeg's fellow house elves be honored to do what is necessary to clean out the plague that has overtaken our masters and our home. Too long have they besmirched this hollow place. Already, my people are making lists of names to add to the ones you have been working on. That includes any of our own that have turned to evil. But those will be dealt with by our own justice not yours," Jeg spoke in a gravely voice, his tone firm and brooked no argument.

Munch eyed him in surprise but did not argue with him. He cared not if they wished to take and punish their own. That just made their own job easier. "I have no problem with that, Jeg. Thank you for being willing to aid in our cause," he said stoutly.

"Glad I am that all parties are in agreement. As soon as all think they have identified every enemy, summon me to collect," Fawkes said.

All nodded their heads. As there was nothing more needing saying and no questions needing asking, Fawkes chirped a farewell and disappeared in a flash of light.

The three he left behind stayed only long enough to divide up the labor, find out what sections of the ministry had already been combed, and set up a meet to compare notes before passing on to the Phoenix. Pleased to know they all were making such a difference, they left separately to their day's tasks.