JENNIFER

I sat at the kitchen table in Grimmauld Place, turning a piece of parchment over and over again in my hands. I had already tidied up the space as best I could, several times over. Down here, I couldn't hear Ron and Hermione bickering, or keep staring outside at the Death Eaters that were watching the house from across the square. I could instead mull over information again and again, only snapped out of disassociation when someone entered the room.

Kreacher had been gone for three days, and I was getting worried something might have happened to him.

Though, Hermione did have a point about wizards greatly underestimating and dismissing house elves and their magic. If one could outsmart even Voldemort, then Mundungus surely would be.

I turned the parchment over again to the side with writing and smoothed it out against the table again with a delicate touch. I read my mother's words over for the hundredth time, and then closed my eyes to try and remember. Could I actually see our house in Godric's Hollow, or was my brain conjuring images to please me? The green rug in the sitting room, a rocking chair that mum liked to sit in when she read us stories, a lush garden, the leaded windows, a sunny kitchen where dad was cooking. The cat. We had a cat? I had a vague sense that I had pet one as a child. I tried harder to remember a specific memory, perhaps one with all four of us… five counting the cat. But it was like the sun was coming from my parent's faces - I couldn't see anything more than a blur and a semblance of warmth.

Frustrated, I wiped at my eyes and stood up. I wish there was a potion I could take, or some spell I could do, that would bring these memories back to me. They had to be in my mind somewhere. I could force them out. Somehow.

"Don't move!"

I froze, unsure of if I had heard the voice correctly. It had sounded like Harry, maybe in the hall above. A moment later, the screeching of Mrs. Black's portrait confirmed my fears, and I drew my wand as I shoved the door open and ran up the half flight of stairs to the hall. Harry was planted about halfway down the hall, wand pointed at a shadowed figure at the door.

"Hold your fire, it's me, Remus!"

"Oh, thank goodness!" I heard Hermione up the stairs, and the screaming portrait went silent. I made it to Harry, and we stood shoulder to shoulder as the figure walked slowly forward into the lamplight, showing what appeared to be Remus in his usual shabby clothing, looking particularly gaunt. My body was tense, ready to pounce and strike at a moments notice.

"Not so fast," Harry said.

"Prove it," I added.

Remus's hands were raised, our wands pointing at his chest. "My name is Remus John Lupin, though sometimes I am known as Moony. I am a werewolf. I have a wife, Nymphadora, though she prefers to be called Tonks, and a daughter, Launa. I helped create the Marauder's Map."

A few moments of heavy breathing passed before Harry and I lowered our wands. "I had to check," Harry said darkly.

Remus just nodded. "I quite agree. Ron, Hermione, you shouldn't be so quick to lower your defenses."

Hermione and Ron descended the stairs as Harry asked, "What's going on? Is everyone alright?"

"Yes, but you're being watched. There are Death Eaters—"

"Outside. We know," I said.

"I had to Apparate precisely onto the top step so they didn't see me. They must not know you're here, otherwise there would be a lot more of them outside." He indicated back over my shoulder toward the kitchen. "Let's sit down, we have a lot to share with each other."

We walked together down to the kitchen. I lit up the fireplace, and Remus produced bottles of Butterbeer from within his cloak. We all sat down and had a quiet moment where we all took a drink of the beverage. I could feel warmth tickling my insides, and for a brief second, this place felt almost homey. I carefully folded up the letter I had left on the table and tucked it away.

"I would have come sooner, but it took some time to shake the Death Eater tailing me," Remus said. "You managed to get here right after the wedding?"

"No," Hermione said. "We went to Tottenham Court Road first."

"And then ran into a few Death Eaters," Harry said.

Remus choked on his drink. "What?"

"We ducked into a cafe, and were just talking when two blokes slipped in not long after us," Ron said.

"Rowle and Dolohov," I supplied.

"But how did they track you so quickly?" Remus asked. I shared a glance with Harry. How did Remus not have any ideas?

"Harry… hasn't still got the Trace on him, has he?" Hermione asked hesitantly.

"No, he can't have." Remus took another drink of Butterbeer. "It's impossible. And anyways, they would know he was here if he did." His expression was tight, pensive. "But I still don't know how they could have followed you into London. That is very, very worrying."

He looked wearier than I had ever seen him.

"What happened when we left? We haven't heard anything since we got a message from Ron's dad," Harry pressed.

"Kingsley's message saved us," said Remus. "Most the guests were able to get away before anyone showed up."

"Death Eaters or Ministry people?" Hermione asked.

"Both. But they were dressed in Ministry robes." He took another drink. "They managed to over power and stun most of us. Yaxley was leading them."

My grip on my bottle tightened. "And?"

"They weren't certain you were there, and searched the Burrow and the grounds. And interrogated us. It wasn't pleasant, but we are all alive." All I wanted was to ask about Cedric, but I bit back the question. "They raided a bunch of other Order safe houses too. No deaths, but they were clearly searching for you."

Bloody hell. Was my own flat raided? "How did they get through everything?" I asked.

"Hidden places were fine," Remus assured me, "though they are being watched, much like here. But now that they control the Ministry, Death Eaters can perform spells now that would have gotten them arrested previously."

"So what's the excuse they're giving for torturing people on Harry's whereabouts?" Hermione asked. She had a sharp look in her eyes.

"Here," Remus said, finishing off his bottle before pulling a Daily Prophet from within his cloak. "You'd find out sooner or later."

He slid the paper across the table to Harry and I, and I didn't even need to open it before my stomach dropped. Above the centerfold was a headline that said, 'WANTED FOR QUESTIONING IN THE DEATH OF ALBUS DUMBLEDORE,' and half of a picture of Harry and myself. Hermione immediately snatched up the paper and Ron let out a cry of disbelief.

"There's been a lot of policy change at the Ministry," Remus elaborated. "Official story is that Scrimgeour resigned. Pius Thicknesse is the current puppet, under the Imperius Curse, of course." At seeing Hermione's disgusted expression as she read the front page, he added, "It gets worse. Check page two."

Hermione's expression darkened as she read out loud. "The Ministry of Magic is undertaking a survey of so-called 'Muggleborns,' the better to understand how they came to possess magical secrets. Recent research undertaken by the Department of Mysteries reveals that magic can only be passed from person to person when Wizards reproduce. When no proven Wizarding ancestry exists…" Hermione cleared her throat. I caught a worried expression on Ron's face, his eyes trained on her. "…the so-called Muggleborn is likely to have obtained magical power by theft or force."

"Theft or force? What kind of dragon dung is this?" I hissed.

The paper was shaking in Hermione's hands, so she laid it on the table to keep reading. "The Ministry is determined to root out such usurpers of magical power, and to this end has issued an invitation to every so-called Muggleborn to present themselves for interview by the newly appointed Muggleborn Registration Commission."

"What?!" Ron shouted. "They can't be serious! People won't let this happen!"

"It is happening, Ron," Remus said. "As we speak."

"Issued an invitation though," I said, looking over the paper myself. "Who would be daft enough to turn themselves over?"

"Several have, I've heard, wanting to avoid trouble no doubt. But the rest… they've already started rounding people up."

I felt sick. I folded the paper up again and pushed it down the table from us, as if that could protect us from the news within. I glanced at Hermione, gripping Ron's hand tightly. How long until they came looking for her?

"It's… it's…" Harry muttered beside me.

"I know," Remus said quietly.

We finished our Butterbeers in silence.

"I understand that Dumbledore left you a task, Harry," Remus finally said, vanishing the empty bottles on the table. "Can you… confide in me what it is?"

Harry glanced at me, and I frowned. "Erm… no," he finally said. "If Dumbledore didn't tell you, then…"

"Of course," Remus said. He shifted in his seat. "Still, I could be of some use to you. I could provide protection, I don't think Dumbledore would have objected to that."

"I've got that covered," I said testily.

He sighed. "Jennifer—"

"What?"

He finally looked at me, expression cool. "I am vastly more experienced than you are."

Before I could snap back, Hermione asked, "What about Tonks? And Launa?"

"Launa will be at Hogwarts, and Tonks… she's perfectly safe at her parents' house."

"Won't she have an opinion about you going off with us? You're married, after all." My voice was a lot snider than I originally wanted, but something was off about this.

"Is everything alright between…?" Hermione's voice trailed off.

"Perfectly," Remus said, his voice very cold and pointed. Hermione blushed. He took a few sharp breaths, seeming to will himself to say more. "Tonks is… going to have a child."

"That's amazing!" Hermione squealed.

"Excellent," Ron grinned.

"Congratulations," said Harry next to me. I didn't say anything, eyes still trained on Remus's face. His heart wasn't in it as he nodded.

"So you want to leave Tonks, pregnant," I said slowly, make sure to emphasize my words, "with her family. In their home. Where Death Eaters broke through the defenses. While you go off with us and, what?"

Remus made eye contact with me finally. "And protect you. It's what your father would have wanted."

"Oh, I'm not very sure about that," said Harry. I could feel him tense next to me. "I think my father would want to know why you are abandoning your family."

The tension was palpable. I could feel Hermione's eyes on me, see Ron fidgeting at the corner of my vision. But Harry and I were sitting perfectly straight, staring down the man across the table from us – the man who was supposed to be a role model, our dad's best friend.

"You don't understand," said Remus, voice a hoarse whisper.

"Explain then," I retorted. My teeth were clenched very tight; I could hardly get the words out.

"I've… I've made a terrible mistake, marrying her. I've made her an outcast."

"So you're just going to dump her, dump your whole family, and run off?" Harry asked.

Remus's chair flew into the wall behind him as he sprang to his feet. I saw his hand fly to his pocket and I gripped my wand under the table, but he drew it away empty-handed.

"You don't know how the rest of the Wizarding world sees me! People won't speak to me, even look at me when they find out what I am! Her entire family is disgusted with me, and this child—"

"You already have one, Remus," I reminded him sharply. My muscles itched to stand too, to take a dueling stance.

"Launa was lucky!" he cried out. "What if… this time… I would have infected an innocent child? I promised myself I would never do this again, and yet—"

"And yet they love you!" I retorted. "You daughter loves you. Tonks loves you. And you're running away from them?" I found myself on my feet too, staring at him with a burning rage in my stomach.

"I'd be pretty ashamed of you, if I were them," Harry said, voice chilly, standing too. I heard Hermione squeak. Remus looked at us as if he had been struck in the face. "Our father died protecting us, and you reckon he would tell you to just go off on some adventure with us?"

"How… how dare you?" Remus gasped. "How dare you suggest—"

"How dare you," I snarled. My wand was pointed at the floor, my hand twitching to point it at Remus. "You've already abandoned one child, how dare you do it again?"

"I never knew the man who taught us how to fight Dementors was a coward."

We both moved quickly - I managed a Shield charm in front of Harry and I. But the force of Remus's spell was so strong it still sent us blasting back into the kitchen wall. I fell to my knees, and turned to just see his cloak whipping out of sight from the kitchen.

"Remus! Remus, come back!" Hermione yelled. Ron was still sat at the table, gaping at us all. "How could you?" she asked, rounding on us.

"Easy," Harry said, shaking as he pulled himself up to his feet.

"You shouldn't have said that stuff to him." Ron was glaring at Harry and I both as I stood up too. I pocketed my wand so I wouldn't be tempted to use it.

"He had it coming. He has no idea how… how painful it is for all of us," I said. "Did you leave your family willingly, Ron?"

"No, but—"

"Dumbledore trusted this mission to us. We have to do it. He doesn't have to leave his family."

"Parents… shouldn't leave their kids. Unless they have no choice." Harry's voice cracked and I reached out to place a hand on his arm, but he shrugged me off.

We were all quiet, staring at the floor. "I… I shouldn't have called him a coward," said Harry.

"No, you shouldn't have," Ron said at once.

"It'll be worth it if it makes him go back to Tonks," I interjected. Ron glared at me, but I didn't care. I was so furious with Remus. He had the chance to be with his family, with his wife and children, to be a father. "I'm going to check outside," I muttered, leaving the kitchen so none of them would see the angry tears brimming in my eyes.

I brushed away tears as I walked up the stairs to the dusty hall, then up another flight of stairs to the window from the first floor landing that looked out over the street. I sniffled and opened the curtains just enough to peak outside. There were now five Death Eaters out there, and my stomach clenched. Had they seen Remus? Found us again somehow? This was not good at all. They didn't seem to indicate they had seen me open the curtain though, and I rested my head against the window. More tears spilled down my face. How did Remus not understand? What I would give for this to not be my path. Cedric had been attacked, our flat possibly raided. What about the Twins and Ophilia? Sarlanda? Were they safe in their homes? No one was safe, and I wasn't there to protect them. But my place was here, with Harry. Nothing I could do would change that fact, nor would I walk away from this. I was not a coward.

Another crack and yelling came from downstairs and I whipped my head around to sprint down the stairs. I heard Hermione shout "Expelliarmus!" and I jumped the last three steps into the hall. How had they gotten in? Or was Remus back?

Wand out yet again, I thundered down the hall towards the few steps down to the noise from the kitchen, and was surprised to see the bloodshot, scruffy face of Mundungus Fletcher staring back at me, trying to scramble his way out of the house. With a roar, I jumped down the stairs and tackled him, crashing to the floor and nearly knocking myself unconscious as pain bloomed from where my elbow smashed into stone.

"Wha've I done? Setting a bleeding 'ouse elf on me—"

He was stronger than I expected and we struggle on the floor. I couldn't quite reach my wand where it had rolled away from my hand. He had a fist full of my hair, trying to yank my head back, but I pinned him by the neck with my arm. I heard someone walk over to me, and recognized Harry's voice behind me.

"Let my sister go." Dung stopped struggling as Harry pointed his wand directly at Dung's nose. "You're in no position to make threats." Panting, I was able to stretch and snatch my wand up off the floor. I noticed now that Kreacher was back, looking particularly pleased with himself.

"Kreacher apologizes for the delay, Master," Kreacher croaked out. "Fletcher is very cunning, oh yes, and has lots of hidey-holes. But Kreacher was able to catch him just the same."

"Thank you, you've done well," Harry said, and Kreacher bowed.

"We've got questions for you," I said, getting to my feet as well, making sure to point my wand squarely at his chest.

He opened his mouth to argue, noises coming from him that didn't quite form words. His eyes darted around the room, to Ron and Hermione, both of whom also had their wands out. Defeated, he said, "Wha' do you want?"

Harry started. "When you cleaned this house out of its valuables—"

"Sirius never cared about any of that junk—"

A piercing scream broke as Kreacher leapt forward, a saucepan in hand, and struck Mungdungus over the head with it.

"Oi, call 'im off, 'e should be locked up!"

"Kreacher, stop," I said, holding back a laugh.

Kreacher did, looking up at me with pale eyes. "Perhaps, one more, Mistress? For luck?"

I let out the laugh. "If he keeps being… uncooperative, then you can do the honors."

Mundungus looked up at me with fury as Kreacher bowed, and Harry continued his questioning.

"When you stripped the house of everything valuable, you took things from this cupboard," he began again, indicating now to Kreacher's cupboard. "There was a locket. What did you do with it?"

"Why?" he asked.

"You've still got it?" Hermione asked, hopeful.

"No, he's just wondering if he should have asked for more gold," Ron sneered.

"Gold? Didn't see a Knut, 'ad to give it away."

"What does that mean?" I asked.

"This woman came up to me while I was sellin' in Diagon Alley, asked me if I 'ad a license. Wouldn't bleedin' leave me alone 'till she saw it. I let 'er 'ave it and she let me alone."

"Who was this? Describe her."

"Dunno, some Ministry hag. Had a face like a frog." I felt my heart skip in my chest. "Wore all pink, bleedin' tiny bow in her hair and all."

I looked at Harry, who was very pale. We all knew exactly who Dung described, and I had hoped I'd never have to see her again.

Umbridge had the locket.

Harry's wand dropped from his hands and bounced on the stone floor, sending sparks all over Mundungus and lighting him on fire. Hermione quickly extinguished him, but he was still shouting about it as I leaned back against the wall. I feared my knees would give out.

"The' enough for you? Bloody 'ell, lightin' me up, I'm tellin' the bleedin' truth!"

"Yeah, we believe you," Ron said, face incredibly pale. "You're, er, good now, I guess."

"Wha's this locket good for, anyways? Should'a gotten a load of gold, I 'spect."

"Kreacher, take him away," I said, trying to control the tremble in my voice. "I don't care where, just out of here."

"If you breath a word of this to anyone," Harry said, his wand back in his hand and pointed at Mundungus again. "You will be very sorry indeed."

Mundungus stuttered, and before he could come up with a retort, Kreacher grabbed him and they Disapperated with a sharp bang.

"What," Hermione whispered, "are we going to do now?"

"I mean, we don't know where she lives, do we?" Ron asked. "And it's not like we can just waltz into the Ministry, your faces must be everywhere by now."

"Are you suggesting we catch her on the street, Ron?"

"She must go out for shopping sometimes—"

"The Ministry is the only place we know she will be just about every day," said Harry.

"I was sort of joking about the street, but—"

"No," I said. "She's high enough up I bet she has a direct Floo connection to her house." I sat down on a bench, my entire body shaking terribly. "It's absolutely insane, but… Harry's right."

"But Ron has a point, our faces are everywhere."

"I've got Polyjuice still," Hermione said, sitting as well. "In the bag, I got some from Moody. I think we have enough for the four of us, we could disguise ourselves."

"Anyone know if the Ministry has detection charms against that?" Harry asked. Ron and I both shook our heads. "Okay, so we pick a few targets to turn in to. Get in, search for Umbridge and the locket, and get out."

"In an hour," I pointed out. "Give or take. Polyjuice isn't perfect."

"We have to scout before-hand," Hermione insisted. Her voice was still high. "We don't know anything about it, I've only ever been there once myself, and who knows what changes have happened since."

"Yeah, you're right. And we have to pick careful targets, people we can count on to show up at the same time every day, so we can jump them," I added.

"Well, we have the Cloak," Ron said. "How about we just take turns watching the entrance to the Ministry, maybe going inside a few times? It's not like we've got anything else to do."

I looked at Harry, who was frowning, deep in thought. "Harry? It's your mission, what do you say?"

Another crack made us jump out of our skins, but it was only Kreacher returned, dusting himself off. "Kreacher has dropped off Mundungus Fletcher in a very inconvenient alley, Mistress."

"Th-thank you, Kreacher," I stuttered.

"What would my masters like for dinner?" he asked, bowing low to us.

It was still a bit early in the day. "Erm…" I glanced around to everyone. They all just shrugged. "A roast, maybe? If you've got time."

"Of course, Mistress, Kreacher will begin right away!" With a cheery attitude, he began bustling around us in the kitchen, and we all huddled together at one end of the table.

"Well, Harry?" Hermione asked, her eyes fixed on his face.

He finally sighed. "We've got to break in, it's the only way."

We all nodded in slow agreement. Hermione began digging through her handbag and produced a quill, ink, and a roll of parchment.

"Alright, Ron, Jennifer, tell me every single detail you know about the Ministry of Magic."

Thank you as always for reading!

Much love,

Icamane