Once more, My beta-readers, fredfred and InquisitorCOC, deserve a huge thank you. They helped a lot.

Chapter 58: The Interrogation

Villa Sonnenschein, Outskirts of Berlin, Germany, February 4th, 2006

Hermione shook her head, blinking for a moment, before she turned to Dumbledore. "Sorry, sir," she said, "I was distracted by your library."

"By its lack of certain subjects, I presume?" Dumbledore replied, smiling. "It wouldn't be a very good safe house if a single glance at the library would reveal that its owners have a profound and professional interest in spycraft."

"Does that mean you have a second, secret library?" Hermione asked, and Ron was almost sure that her eyes lit up at the thought.

The old spymaster chuckled. "In a manner of speaking - it's all digital, though."

"Oh." Hermione didn't quite crumble, but her enthusiasm waned almost as quickly as it had appeared.

Dumbledore inclined his head. "As much as I love handling actual books, like any true bibliophile, digital editions simply have too many advantages when you're a frequent traveller."

"And they can be replaced far more easily," she admitted.

"Provided you have made backups," Ron pointed out - mostly to take part in the conversation, if he was honest. He wasn't a bookworm, but he was the most avid reader in his family. And Harry's.

"That goes without saying," Dumbledore agreed. "No one should neglect proper electronic security."

"Too many do, though," Luna cut in. "Which is a good thing when those who do are people of interest."

"Indeed. The proliferation of electronic data storage has opened a number of possibilities in my old profession."

"Your old and current profession," Ron corrected him.

"Quite, although I see myself more as an interested private citizen these days. An amateur, so to speak."

"I don't think that the current administration would agree with that assessment," Sirius commented.

Dumbledore's smile became a more sly grin. "They would be mistaken. Technically, of course."

"Speaking of mistakes," Sirius said, "how will MI5 and MI6 react to this incident? In your opinion, of course." Ron had to suppress a grin at Sirius's sarcastic tone - he wasn't the only one who was a little tired of Dumbledore's way with words.

The old man nodded, acknowledging the point. "Privately, I like to believe that they are pleased with what they will see as retaliation for Putin's attack on Britain. They will also be a little envious, of course, that they hadn't been the ones to pull this off."

"Envious enough to move against us?" Harry asked.

"They will attempt to increase the pressure and surveillance, but, thanks to the outcome of our mission, I am optimistic that I can counter such efforts with the offer to share the intel our turncoat will give us."

"The government won't be happy, though," Sirius pointed out.

"Plausible deniability is a two-edged sword, of course. But the unwritten rules of my old and current business are quite clear in that the only thing that matters is success. And, even though we weren't as discreet as we had planned, we succeeded today."

"We also created a lot of trouble for Germany and Britain," Sirius retorted.

"Not as much as we created for President Putin," Dumbledore replied.

"But won't he come after us even more determinedly?" Hermione asked.

"I think he won't, provided we prepare Mr Ivanovich's memory accordingly."

So the guy would be sacrificed.

Dumbledore showed his teeth. "Thanks to his position in the Russian embassy in London, Mr Ivanovich was perfectly placed to manipulate both the British and the Russians in order to rise to the top himself. He even managed to convince us poor saps that we should rescue him if things went wrong... only to promptly escape before we discovered the truth about his plans."

"And Putin will believe that?" Harry didn't sound as if he was convinced.

"He will already suspect a traitor. His paranoia will prompt him to accept the story, once he has additional evidence and the traitor in custody." Dumbledore spread his hands. "It will also save some face, so to speak, if one of his own men and not a retired British spy was the mastermind behind the entire affair."

"Ah." Sirius nodded. "But if the news spreads, then your former colleagues will think that you were manipulated and deceived as well."

"Some will, no doubt. Others? They know me too well not to at least doubt such a story." Dumbledore chuckled. "Not that it matters either way - I'm under no illusion that my sterling record and long career grants me any influence with the current administration, so whether they consider me a mastermind or a gullible old fool won't matter. Money talks, as the saying goes, and old favours and secrets work as well - or better - in our business."

"And in Germany as well?"

"As well or better - there were a lot of secrets to keep, after the war."

Blackmailing Nazis for leverage… Well, no one ever said that the spy business was a nice business. "So, how long will we stay here?"

"Not long at all. Although having Mr Ivanovich escape in Germany would be best, I think. After his interrogation, of course," Dumbledore replied. "However, it might take a while until he wakes up. The Russians didn't skimp on the sedatives when they dosed him."

"That sounds a little careless," Ron said.

"I'm sure President Putin sent experts in their field to prepare our guest for transport."

Hermione frowned. "We could travel back right now and return here afterwards. We should be able to reach the location in Finland we used to travel to and from Russia by Apparition."

And from there, they knew the route back.

"I would prefer to stay here, though," Dumbledore said. "If we were observed in Britain, President Putin might suspect that we have the means to travel without being detected, and much faster than by plane." He spread his hands. "It's not as if we're in any more danger here than in Britain."

That was true. Probably.

"We don't have anything to do other than wait, then." Sirius yawned. "Unless you overlooked some bug on or in Ivanovich."

"I scanned him," Ron said.

"And we did it again upon arriving here - quite thoroughly," Dumbledore added. "Nevertheless, I don't think we should trust our security system to the point of not keeping an eye out."

"I'll cast a few spells," Hermione said.

"We'll help!" Wizarding Harry smiled as he and wizarding Ron stood.

"Beats sitting around doing nothing," Ron's counterpart added.

They had done enough, Ron thought. Magic made so many things easier. Or easy. "I'll take a nap," he announced.

Hermione smiled at him, "I'll join you once I'm done."

"And we'll keep an eye on the Russian," Luna said. "Can't trust the tools of an authoritarian regime even when they've been betrayed by their leader and cut off. And sedated."

"Good." Dumbledore stood. "I think we should reconvene for dinner… say at six?"

"Who's going to cook?" Ron asked. He didn't think that Dumbledore would have a cook in the house, and ordering takeaway would be too dangerous.

"While I'm, by necessity, not a regular customer, I do know of several very good takeaways in Berlin," Dumbledore said. "It shouldn't raise any suspicion if one or two of those who can apparate go and fetch dinner, I think."

Ah. Well, that was true. Especially in disguise.

Ron nodded and left the living room, heading to the guest room assigned to Hermione and himself. He lay down on the bed and grabbed a magazine to read. Hermione wouldn't take long, after all.

She didn't. Fifteen minutes later - he was skimming an article on new developments in computer networks that was written from far too technical a perspective - she entered.

"All safe?" he asked.

She nodded and sat down on the bed. "We'll know if someone enters the property."

And they would. The best skills and technology in the world wouldn't defeat those spells. Although…

"Hm? What are you thinking?"

"I was planning how to defeat the spells. Would a drone be able to enter undetected?"

She blinked, then nodded. "Yes, it would. That needs to be remedied."

"I don't think that the Russians will deploy drones. They would have to find us in the first place. And that won't be easy with the entire German police force looking for suspicious armed people."

"That's true." She smiled, kicked off her shoes and lay down as well. "I guess the Russians' paranoia has rubbed off on me. Moody would be proud."

He snorted. "I'm not sure he'd be proud of what we're doing here." At her confused look, she added: "We're not acting like police officers. We're acting like spies. Or soldiers."

"Ah." She sighed. "I forgot that your Moody hadn't fought in two wars."

"He did hunt IRA terrorists in the 1970s," Ron pointed out. "And he hunted Riddle's cell in the 1980s."

"But those weren't wars. Not here, at least." She sighed again. "In Wizarding Britain, it was a war. The Aurors tried to treat it as a police action, first, in the seventies, when it started. But by the end of the decade, they were fighting a war. A dirty war. And when it started again in the nineties, the veterans went straight to war. We all did."

"Yes." He sounded lame, but there wasn't much else he could think of to say. So he reached over and pulled her into a hug.

They had a few hours for themselves, after all.

"Are you going to join the interrogation?" he asked later as he stared at the ceiling above their bed. "Once Ivanovich has woken up."

Pressed into his side, half on top of him, she sighed. "Are you?"

"I guess so." He was a trained interrogator, after all. He could be useful there, even with Veritaserum being used. Of course, Dumbledore had a few more decades on him where experience was concerned. But the old man wasn't infallible.

"I'll come as well, then."

He shrugged, half-heartedly so as not to dislodge her from his side. "It'll be more of the same, I guess. Corruption, abuse of power…".

"...murder and espionage?"

"Ivanovich might have been involved in the last attack on us," he pointed out. Ron was quite sure, actually - if Putin trusted the man enough to tell him about Hermione's research, then he would have been trusted enough to help attack the lab.

He felt her tense. "In a way, that would be a relief. I wouldn't have to feel bad about framing him and sending him to Putin, then."

"We aren't sending him to Putin," he told her. "Well, we aren't openly sending him. We want him to act naturally and to try and avoid the Russian snatchers."

She shuddered, and he felt a stab of guilt. "Sorry."

"It's not your fault."

But it was. He should've used a different word. Not one loaded with past grief. "In any case, we're not setting up innocent children for death, here."

"No, we aren't. But we are setting people up. Manipulating them and changing their memories." Hermione sighed again.

"They started it. Literally."

She didn't look convinced, though. "Well, we'll be done soon enough. And then our families will be safe."

"Yes." He nodded.

"At which point we can focus on fixing Azkaban and similar problems in Wizarding Britain."

"And on keeping the Lunas from turning this world upside-down?"

Hermione groaned in response. "Yes, that too. And the twins - both sets - also."

He winced. "I think I'd successfully repressed that until you reminded me."

She laughed at his weak joke. "Perhaps all of them will keep Dumbledore and Grindelwald too busy for any more of his schemes."

And pigs would fly. Wait, wizards probably had flying pigs. "They'll want to form their own wizarding group." Was that a coven? Or a cabal?

"I know." She sounded a bit angry. And frustrated. "And if we cut ties, they'll do it."

"They're the type to do it anyway," he pointed out, shifting so he could look at her.

She was frowning. "I know. Though if we don't cut ties - which would be difficult in any case - we should have some influence on whom they recruit."

"You're a bit of an optimist, aren't you?" He raised his eyebrows at her. "The closer you are, the more influence they'll have on you."

That earned him a glare. "Do you have a better plan?"

That was the crux of the matter. If they went their separate ways, Dumbledore and Grindelwald would likely use magic in various questionable ways - and would work on recreating the portal. If Hermione kept working with the old men, they'd have a huge amount of power due to his investment in the whole portal project. "No, I don't." Damned if they did, damned if they didn't. "But if you decide to keep working with them, milk them for everything they've got."

"It's not just my decision," she told him. "It's ours."

He smiled like an idiot upon hearing that. "Well, I think staying close to them is the better option." Less likely to get blindsided or treated as competition. Or enemies.

"Like having them provide the gold needed to abolish Azkaban?"

He suppressed a wince. That was a tricky question. "Unless you've got a plan to destroy the Dementors without anyone noticing, what are the alternatives?"

"I thought about opening a portal to a barren world and forcing them through it, but that isn't practical."

"In fantasy novels, banishing demons to another dimension never really works out. Unless they came from there."

"Fortunately, life isn't a fantasy novel." She sighed once more. "The problem is that as long as the Dementors are around, someone will think of using them - no matter how reprehensible and dangerous that is. Not that having private citizens paying for what should be a core task of the government is a good idea. But if we simply hand more money to the Ministry, then sooner or later, some short-sighted or corrupt politician will argue that the money being spent on a humane prison should instead be used to help victims, not criminals." She shook her head, her mane hitting the side of his face. "No, we must destroy the Dementors to settle this once and for all."

"Do you have a plan?"

"I'm working on it."

She didn't elaborate, which he took to mean that she didn't have a plan yet. But he was positive she would come up with one.

"Did you know about the Russian attack on Scotland beforehand?" Dumbledore asked.

"Yes," Ivanovich replied in that potion-induced monotone.

"Did you help plan it?"

"Yes."

"Was that on President Putin's orders?"

"Yes."

"Were you planning another attack after this one?"

"Yes."

"On the same location?"

"No."

"What was the planned attack's objective?"

"Dr Granger."

Ron clenched his teeth. He had expected that, but to hear it confirmed… He glanced at Hermione, who was glaring at the Russian.

"Did you plan to kidnap her?" Dumbledore went on.

"Yes."

No surprise there.

"How did you plan to kidnap her?"

"By using hostages."

Again, no surprise.

"Was that your plan or President Putin's plan?"

"Mine."

"Who in Britain was involved in this plan?"

Ivanovich started to list names, both Russian and British. Ron didn't recognise any of them - except for a Detective Superintendent of the Met.

Dumbledore, though, shook his head, sighing. "It seems that the Russians have penetrated more of our government than I suspected. I knew that my successors were not as diligent as they should have been, the end of the Cold War notwithstanding, but this is worse than I had feared."

"On the other hand, you'll be able to do something about them," Ron said. "Turn some, use the others to feed Putin fake information…"

"Those ploys are far more effective when handled by a member of Her Majesty's Secret Service rather than by a retiree," the old man retorted. "Despite my great wealth and influence, I am still a civilian and not part of MI5 or MI6. I lack the knowledge of our operations necessary to use those assets to best effect. Officially and unofficially," he added. "And the amount of misinformation about Gellert, myself and the Phoenix Gruppe I could spread by using those traitors without tipping off President Putin to the fact that I have suborned his spies wouldn't be worth it."

Hermione shrugged. "But once again you'll be able to tweak the noses of your successors and detractors, won't you?"

The old man smiled. "Which will further antagonise them." With a chuckle, he added: "The price of success, I think. I can but hope that this will serve as a wake-up call. As God is my witness, we need one."

"I think this whole affair has already done that," Ron pointed out.

"You would think so, wouldn't you?" Dumbledore shook his head. "A few traitors in the police aren't nearly as shocking as traitors in the Civil Service - at least according to the government."

Ron hoped that the old man was joking but feared that he spoke the truth.

"That's very short-sighted," Hermione said. "If you control the police, you can control the Civil Service much more effectively."

"Indeed." Dumbledore nodded. "And with them, the budget. However, most ministers would prefer to skip the step of suborning the police and go straight to those who hold the purse strings."

Ron nodded in agreement. That certainly fit what he had heard from Dad and Percy - and older detectives in CI5. But… "Shouldn't we finish the interrogation?"

Dumbledore chuckled. "Yes, I think we should. I'm sure there's more information to be gained - much of it potentially devastating should it fall into the wrong hands."

Or the right hands, of course.

An hour later, Dumbledore had finished the interrogation. At a glance, Ron would say that Ivanovich's information would be enough to send two dozen people of influence to prison. If it were admissible in court, of course. Although if Dumbledore wanted, he could easily use the information from Ivanovich to find admissible proof of treason.

Ron wasn't holding his breath, though. Dumbledore was a spymaster, not a police officer.

"I trust any doubts about Mr Ivanovich deserving his planned fate have vanished."

And he was a little too smug sometimes.

Hermione, as expected, didn't like that. "He'll be tortured - which is not something anyone ever deserves - and likely killed."

"An unpleasant but necessary part of the plan, I assure you. I doubt that President Putin will be content with mere interrogation. And I don't believe that we will find a more fitting victim than Mr Ivanovich. However, I confess that I am more concerned about the potential risk of torture affecting your mental modifications than about Mr Ivanovich's fate."

"It's not as if we have many alternatives," Ron said. "Putin didn't exactly publish his information."

Hermione pressed her lips together before answering: "I will do my best to prepare for that eventuality and will keep the modifications to a minimum. Unless he suffers a complete mental breakdown, our families should be safe."

"I think so," Dumbledore told her. "If anything, President Putin should focus on myself and Gellert, should he, against expectations, come to distrust the information he will extract from Mr Ivanovich." The old man smiled. "And both of us are well prepared for that kind of attention."

Ron forced himself to smile even though he wanted to scowl. Now Hermione would feel obligated to the old man again. Dumbledore had probably planned for such an outcome.

Expendable Safe House, Outskirts of Berlin, Germany, February 4th, 2006

This house looked more like a safe house. Cheap furniture, pantry stocked with tins and other non-perishables - no MREs, though - and located in the sort of neighbourhood where you'd find very few surveillance cameras and where a bunch of new arrivals wouldn't attract too much attention. It would certainly help sell the story that Ivanovich was taken by Dumbledore's people and then managed to escape. On the other hand, any cop checking the house out would know at once it was a safe house. It lacked anything that would indicate that someone lived here, or had lived here.

Putin would believe that it was a safe house for spies. That there wouldn't be any trace of a car would only help to sell it - it couldn't be perfect, after all. A mystery or two would work well, especially with paranoid Russians.

He walked through the living room, past the door to the first bedroom. He didn't need or want to watch Hermione adjust the Russian's memories. Steps on the stairs made him tense for a moment before Harry appeared in the corridor.

"Upstairs is set;" his friend told him as he entered the room. "Won't fool a competent cop, though."

"It doesn't have to," Ron replied. "It just has to leave the right impression after the fire." After all, Dumbledore's hired men would try to avoid leaving traces, especially after Ivanovich escaped, and a fire was an effective way to ruin DNA traces.

"I know," Harry said, sitting down on the ugly couch. After a moment, he added: "If this works, what will you do?"

Ah. Ron shrugged as nonchalantly as he could. "That depends on what Hermione does."

His friend snorted, and Ron rolled his eyes. "And what will you be doing? Playing Ginny's bodyguard?" His sister would love that.

"What about our plan to become private detectives?"

That had just been a way to calm Mum and Dad - mostly Mum - hadn't it? A legal fiction. "Technically, guarding Hermione and Ginny would fit that job description."

"I'm not a fan of legal fictions," Harry said. "And working as a bodyguard for Hermione would mean working for Dumbledore."

"Only at the beginning," Ron retorted. Money shouldn't be a problem in the long run. Not with magic and a portal. Hell, just offering the same treatment Dumbledore and Grindelwald had received to a single billionaire would set her up for life.

"And then you'll work for her?"

He rolled his eyes at the question. "Why not?" Not everyone inherited a fortune. Or had a rich godfather. "People will think the same about you if you're officially Ginny's bodyguard." Harry might be rich, but Ginny was loaded. As much as she hated being reminded of it, she made more money with advertising than in tournaments - never mind that the prize money she did earn was great. "Gold digger!"

Harry laughed. "I can always claim to be independently wealthy."

Ron shrugged again, a little forcedly. "I bet Hermione's life will be more exciting than Ginny's, though."

"Full of magic, too." Harry looked at him.

Ron knew what his friend meant. "I can handle it." He didn't have magic, but he had other qualities. There was a reason Harry and Ron were preparing the safe house - a wizard wouldn't know how to do it. All the magic in the other world wouldn't help if you didn't know what to do.

"If you're sure."

"I am." He was. Mostly. He grinned. "Besides, I'll get to travel the multiverse!"

He saw Harry's eyes widen - had his friend truly not thought about the implications? If you could open a portal to a different world, you could open a portal to yet another world, couldn't you?

"That's… a good point." Harry smiled.

"Try telling Ginny that," Ron told him with a faint smirk. His sister liked adventure, but she liked being a celebrity as much or more. She wouldn't give up her career as a pro tennis player, Ron knew.

And judging by Harry's sigh, his friend knew it as well.

"It wouldn't be any different from when we were working for CI5 and she was on tour," Ron said with an encouraging smile.

"But she's looking forward to that changing," Harry replied. "'More time for us', she said."

"Ah." Well, Harry would have to stand his ground. Ron doubted that Ginny wouldn't take the chance to travel through a portal whenever she wasn't on tour. But he also knew that trying to meddle in her relationships wasn't a good idea. Even - or especially - when it involved his best friend.

About an hour later, Hermione entered the living room. Ron took one look at her tight expression and swallowed the comment he had been about to make. "Done?" he asked.

She glared at him for a moment, then sighed, "Yes, I'm done. He thinks he was kidnapped by masked mercenaries, woke up here and then fought his way free when they started to suspect that he was planning to betray them."

"He'll remember getting shot and escaping the house?" Harry asked.

"Not in great detail, but the 'getting shot' part should explain that."

Ron nodded. "Yes, shock can do that."

"Let's hope he doesn't die from it," she said with a frown.

"He won't," Harry told her. "It will just be a flesh wound."

"Complications could still arise during treatment. Or he could manage to avoid being found and bleed out in a hidden corner," Hermione pointed out.

"The chance for that is very low," Ron replied.

"It could happen, though."

"If that happens, Putin should still assume that Ivanovich was a traitor and was silenced by Dumbledore's men," Ron said. "It wouldn't be as watertight, though."

She sighed again. "I just want this to be over. We've already done far too much. If we were in my world…"

Ron shrugged. "Well, we aren't. And Putin started this." Technically, Putin's former colleague, the late Kirikov, had done so, but Putin had taken over and escalated things.

"Yes." She glared at him for a moment. "And even if he completely believes what we've made him remember, we'll still have to be careful and limit our overt association with Dumbledore."

That was a plus in Ron's book. "That'll be easy thanks to Apparition."

"It's still a potential danger. We'll have to keep being careful."

Ron shrugged again. "We already had to be cautious. Some of the criminals we've arrested would like to get back at us."

"Or the relatives and friends of those we shot," Harry added. "It's not as if you won't have to worry about Death Eater remnants, right?"

"Well, that's true," Hermione admitted. "Sort of." She sighed once more. "At least the Fidelius Charm, once I am able to cast it, will help with that."

"Could you use that to deal with Azkaban?" Ron asked.

"Too many know about the island for the charm to hide it - and even if it worked, the Dementors would still be around, and it wouldn't stop them from leaving," Hermione said. "You'd need wards to keep them confined to the island, but such spells don't exist, or we wouldn't need the Patronus Charm to defend against them."

"Or such spells haven't been invented yet," Ron said with a smile.

She smiled in return but shook her head. "Spellcrafting is a tricky and dangerous venture. Luna's mother died due to a failed experiment in spellcrafting. I'm not saying that it's impossible, but it would take a long time. And even if I invented such a spell, that wouldn't make the Ministry give up on Azkaban - in fact, they would probably think it makes using Azkaban safer since the Dementors wouldn't be able to escape or bother the guards in protected areas."

"It all comes down to money, then?" Ron asked.

"Gold, yes."

Ron sighed. "So, you'll either have to rely on Dumbledore and Grindelwald's wealth or make a lot of gold yourself."

"Essentially, yes." Hermione grimaced. "There are ways to make money using magic in this world, like providing magical healthcare, but helping a few rich people while not helping those who might genuinely need magical healthcare is morally questionable, in my opinion."

"That's what you did with Dumbledore and Grindelwald," Harry told her with raised eyebrows.

"I know," she snapped back. Then she took a deep breath. "Sorry. I know I did it. And I had to - but that doesn't mean it's OK to keep doing it. If we do that, what would stop Dumbledore from doing likewise? There's a lot of money to be made in saving or prolonging the lives of the rich."

"And a lot of influence to be gained. I'm sure Dumbledore and Grindelwald are already considering that," Ron said.

"I know," she spat through clenched teeth. "It's still wrong. It's unfair."

"Life's unfair," Harry said. "If you can use the money to do good and aren't hurting anyone - actively hurting anyone - why shouldn't you do it?"

Ron nodded. "A few rich people live a little longer - so what? The fortune they'd be willing to pay for that could help a lot more poor people. And if you start this with Dumbledore, you've got some control over it." Not much, but it was better than nothing.

"I thought you didn't like depending on Dumbledore so much," she replied.

"I don't. But I'm not about to hurt myself or my friends over it," he told her.

She slowly nodded. She wasn't convinced, but she would work through it, Ron was sure - he knew her, after all.

He grinned and changed the subject. "So, shall we tell Dumbledore that we're ready to shoot Ivanovich?"

"It's not funny," Hermione snapped.

But in a very black humour sort of way, it was.

"This looks like, as the colonials would say, shooting fish in a barrel," Dumbledore commented, looking down at the still stunned Ivanovich. "Not that I mind, mind you," he added. "In my old business, opportunities to shoot a Russian secret agent without having to fear for your own life were to be cherished. Or they should be."

"You want to do the deed, then?" Harry asked.

"I would never ask something of others I wouldn't be willing to do myself," the old man replied as he opened a box and pulled out a small machine pistol.

Dumbledore did seem very willing - but it could be an act, of course. On the other hand, why would he display himself as eager to hurt a defenceless man? As a warning? To underline his willingness to do whatever was needed to achieve his goals?

"The biceps of the left arm is where he'll remember getting shot. And the left shoulder," Hermione said. "From behind."

Dumbledore inclined his head in response. "Very well."

Hermione waved her wand, and Ivanovich floated upright, then slowly turned until he was facing away from them.

The old man drew a pistol - a Walther PPK, Ron noted - from a holster in his suit and screwed a silencer on. "If you'd do the honours?" he asked, nodding towards the machine pistol.

Harry grabbed the gun and put it in Ivanovich's hand, then fired a few bursts into the walls and ceiling - and the window in the room.

"That should alert the police," Ron commented.

"Indeed, it should," Dumbledore replied as Harry put the machine pistol's sling on Ivanovich.

Then the old spymaster took aim and shot the Russian in the shoulder and arm. "Time for his memorable exit, I believe."

Hermione didn't nod or acknowledge the order - she swished her wand, and the Russian flew through the broken window, landing in a heap on the ground outside. A flick of her wand later, Ivanovich suddenly screamed. He rolled over the lawn, got up and pressed his right hand on his bleeding arm as he stumbled towards the street.

Then he released his shoulder - and grabbed the machine pistol dangling at his side.

Hermione cast a shield moments before the bullets ripped through the jagged remains of the window's glass.

"Time to set fire to the house and vacate the location, I believe," Dumbledore said.

"I concur," Hermione agreed and grabbed his hand.

Ron pulled out a white phosphorous grenade while Harry opened the gas valves in the kitchen and spread some gasoline around.

By the time Hermione returned - looking none the worse for wear - they were back in the kitchen, away from any observers.

"Ready?" Ron asked.

"Yes." Hermione touched both of them.

"Fire in the hole!" Ron said, then lobbed the grenade into the hallway.

Then he felt as if he were being pushed through a narrow pipe as Hermione took him and Harry away from the house.

Black Lake, Scotland, February 5th, 2006

"...and German authorities have declined to comment on rumours that the attack on the Russian embassy vehicles was instigated by rogue Russian intelligence assets. However, a spokesman for the British government pointed out that Russia has been plagued by such rogue elements - as proven by the attack in Scotland last November by what the Russian government called 'criminal elements' but who Western investigators have identified as members of a Russian paramilitary unit. The German police have identified the wounded kidnapping victim as Pavel Ivanovich, military attaché in the Russian embassy in London, who had been forced to stop over in Berlin after a medical emergency."

Ron rolled his eyes at the news report. He already knew that - that was basically what the news had reported last night! At least the reporter wasn't standing in front of the smoking remains of Dumbledore's safe house this time. Oh, wait - there was the footage of the burning house.

"According to experts, the fire that destroyed the building where Mr Ivanovich was held was started deliberately, and it was only due to the quick response of the Berlin fire brigade that the neighbouring houses weren't set ablaze as well."

"Really?" Hermione asked as she took a seat next to him and put a plate with finger food down.

"No," he replied. "The neighbours were too far away."

"Mr Ivanovich is not yet able to testify due to injuries sustained while escaping from the kidnappers. However, according to a statement released by the police, Mr Ivanovich is not in critical condition and is expected to make a full recovery. Due to security concerns, he is being treated at an undisclosed secure location."

Ron hoped that Putin's forces wouldn't hurt the guards. If they did, then Russia's relationship with Germany would be soured for a few months, but that wasn't much of a deterrent to Putin.

"Russia blames Chechen terrorists for the attacks, although foreign experts claim that the Chechens lack the ability to conduct such operations on German soil. Nevertheless, the Russian president condemned the attack in harsh words and announced retaliatory attacks in the near future. He also called the ability of the German police to protect Russian diplomats into question and announced that additional guards will be moved to the Russian embassy in Germany until the situation is deemed safe for Russian citizens."

"I guess that's the cover for his snatch team," Hermione said.

Ron agreed and grabbed a small sandwich for himself. "Yes. It's a good excuse to move more armed assets into Germany without raising suspicion - at least official suspicion."

"This attack took place suspiciously soon after a rumoured attempted coup in Moscow. President Putin has declined to reply to questions regarding these rumours. However, witnesses have reported that units of the Russian Army supposedly hunting an escaped tiger and bear were conducting searches of properties that had no connection to the escapes. The fact that Mr Ivanovich was recalled to Moscow at short notice also throws doubt on the claim that this was a routine trip."

So, Dumbeldore and Grindelwald had already started to spread rumours that the entire incident had been the result of an attempted coup in Russia. "Let's hope Putin buys the story," he said.

"He better," Hermione muttered. "I don't want to have to wipe his memories again."

"Brave Aurors discovered a hideout of unidentified dark wizards and drove them away thanks to their swift and decisive action. The Ministry stands tall in defence of Wizarding Britain against all attackers."

She sighed and dropped the Prophet on the table in the Gryffindor common room. "I can't believe they're writing this sort of nonsensical drivel!"

"I can," Ron replied. "It sounds much better than 'Aurors failed to catch any Death Eaters again and bungled yet another lead'."

"But 'unidentified dark wizards'? Everyone knows they are Death Eaters!" Harry exclaimed.

"They don't actually know that," Ron told him. "They haven't caught anyone yet. The group who's been murdering Ministry officials might be a completely different group of dark wizards! It would be embarrassing if you announce you've caught Death Eaters and then turn up with some French lot."

"The Aurors wouldn't catch either," Harry spat. "Well, those not in the Order wouldn't."

She nodded. The Aurors certainly hadn't impressed her.

"And the Order members won't arrest Death Eaters either, since they can't trust the Ministry to hold them," Ron added.

"So, we've got a newspaper that's actually useless as a newspaper, and an Auror force that's useless for law enforcement." She shook her head. "How did this come to pass?"

"Gold." Ron shrugged. "Malfoy's gold, to be exact."

And wasn't that a depressing thought. "Perhaps we should do something about that."

"No problem. Once I've got a fortune, I'll help," Ron said.

She snorted. "I had something different in mind than bribing the Ministry ourselves."

But they would need a lot of help - or a lot of training - to pull it off. And a lot of nerve.