1. Chapter: The Order of the Phoenix
The members of the Order of the Phoenix met as usual in the dinning room of their headquarters in Grimmauld Place 12. Just now they were deep in conversation.
"I'm still in favor of keeping them prisoner! What profit do we have if we let them free?", Bill Weasley said to everybody around and banged his fist on the table.
"We would take a risk if we do so, Bill. Voldemort knows that we exposed them and that's why he isn't longer interested in them", Harry disagreed, who was the leader and presided at the head of the table .
"I agree with Harry, but we should let Mundungus Fletcher that backstabber free. This guy is smarter than he looks like and he will find a way to get around the vow", Mr Weasley joined the conversation.
"There is no way to get around the unbreakable vow", Lupin corrected and nodded to Harry. "I agree with Harry, too. Fletcher and Podmore are traitors and it brings bad luck having such backsliders at home. Just think of Snape. Treason and murder always hold together."
"True words, Remus", Luna said and smiled at him.
"We should start the voting. Talking doesn't help us further. Who agrees that we let them free after...", Harry asked, but was interrupted by Hermione, who crashed the meeting.
She was still wearing the white mask and the white robe with an Phoenix on the backside. The new Order clothes had a similar function than Harry's invisibility cloak.
"Good evening", she welcomed everyone, while she put down her mask and sat next to Harry. "Where did you leave off? Sorry, for my interruption Harry."
"No trouble at all. We just start voting on the way forward with the traitors", Harry told her.
"By the way I have to interrupt you again. I listened to an alarming conversation during my mission in Knockturn Alley. The death eaters know that the Gringotts' goblins are working for us and that they will meet with Bill tomorrow. Fletcher and Podmore couldn't inform them about that", Hermione said.
"I trust you all", Harry explained, "but it has to be one of us. I ask that one to be honest. Maybe it slipped out wittingly?"
Some eyes wandered to Fleur, who once had told her French relatives some secret information carelessly as she was.
"Why are you all look at me?", she asked in disgust. "This time it wasn't me! Bill was so angry with me that he didn't speak a word with me for three weeks. I thought he wanted to annual our marriage! It wasn't me! Actually where is Molly? She is an old gossip!"
She just finished her speech, when Molly bounced into the room hysterically.
"He kidnapped Ginny!", she yelled and caught hold of the next chair feeling faint.
"What? Who?", the others wanted to know and jumped off their seats.
"Molly – talk!", Harry screamed and start to shake her shoulder. "Who kidnapped my wife?"
"It was Percy – her own brother!", she blubbered out. "We were picking out the old baby stuff, when he joined us and caught her without warning!"
Mr Weasley caught her in his arms to consoled her.
"Percy? Why should he betray his own family? Are you sure it was him?", Professor McGonagall asked.
"I'm able to recognize my own son!", Molly yelled in disgust.
"I do not suspected that, but we can't eliminate the opportunity that someone used his body with help of Polyjuice Potion. Maybe the poor boy is captured or something much worse!", the professor responded.
"It doesn't matter, who exactly kidnapped Ginny. We had to rescue Ginny first!", Harry screamed.
"Did Percy say something, honey?", Mr Weasley wanted to know.
"No... just were you mentioned it, he didn't say a word. His view was odd too...", she stumbled.
"So it seems probable that it wasn't Percy but a death eater, but that does not help us further! We have to find Ginny! Damn it!", Harry said impatiently.
"Harry calm down!", Remus interposed. "We will find her!"
"In my opinion there are just three places she could be. Malfoy Manor, Hogwarts and Azkaban", Hermione supposed. The others agreed.
"We aren't able to attack them all", Neville sighed and pulled out a map. "I noted on this map how many death eaters are positioned at each place. Malfoy Manor is guarded at least - just 10 death eaters. When they brought Ginny to the Manor they want us to attack. Azkaban can't be captured to many dementors! Hogwarts is full of death eaters but maybe there are some undetected secret passages."
Harry calmed down during Neville' s explanation and seemed to be absent when he finished. Helpless the members looked at each other. When suddenly their leader startled.
"Hermione, we need to talk", he said and she followed him without hesitation.
"Do you have a special mission for me?", she asked, when they entered the adjoining room. "You could call it like that", he said calmly. She became distrustful.
"But first I had to confess you something", he continued. "To confess something?", she wanted to know.
"I followed you that night", he said. "You followed me? Where?", she asked blank-faced.
"I know that you had an affair with Snape", he answered and said those words she was always afraid off. Someone found out her secret.
"Why do you tell me that now?", she wanted to know and decided that she couldn't deny it.
"Because I'm forced to demand something of you - something that is really repulsive", he answered.
"What's your point?" she asked and was guessing it.
"You had to continue your affair with Snape", he came out with it catching her horrified look.
"You can't be serious, Harry! You can't demand that! He will not tell me anything! If that's your point, Harry. I can find out Ginny 's whereabouts elsewhere. Please Harry do not demand that from me!", she stumbled.
"Hermione, please, you know that this is the only solution. Only the closest confidants of Voldemort will know her whereabouts", he persuaded her. "Please Hermione, I know that I ask for the impossible but this is about my wife and my unborn child!"
She hesitate. On the one hand she wanted to rescue Ginny as soon as possible on the other hand she didn't want to come that close to Severus again. Too much happened.
She sighed and made a decision.
"So what is your plan? I can't knock at Hogwarts' doors and ask permission to enter Snape 's private rooms, can I ?", she wanted to know.
He hugged her thankfully. "Hermione, thank you – you are a real angel! If there is something I could do for you, just tell me – I' ll do it!"
"I figured out the following plan: In a few days there will be a masquerade ball in Malfoy Manor. We will infiltrate you and you have to find Snape and flirt with him. As soon as you gain his 'real' attention, keep him in suspense till you gain his trust. Then it's time to interrogate him and to pry around until you find something out what help us to rescue Ginny!"
"Well, let's try it", she said and followed him back to the others to tell them their plan.
Two hours later a tired Hermione apparated home. She lived in a small hunter's cabin offside a muggle village. Nobody knew about that cabin. Also Harry thought she lived by her parents.
As soon as she opened the old oak door a small five-year-old boy jumped into her arms.
"Hi, my sweetheart", she said and kissed the forehead of the black-haired curly-head.
"Where were you, Mummy?", he wanted to know while he followed her into the living-room, where she sat down on the sofa.
"At work, Aden, as usual", she answered tiredly.
"By the way, where is Alice? You should already be in bed!", she asked when her eyes met the clock in the corner.
"She fell asleep. I put some drops of your sleeping potion into her tea", her son told her and his black eyes started to shine.
"By Merlin's beard! How many times did I told you that my bed table is a taboo, Aden Granger?! Off to bed with you!", she scolded and followed him upstairs.
