Same Disclaimer as Always: Harry Potter, associated characters and setting belong to JK Rowling and whoever she shares the rights with, which does not include me. This is for entertainment purposes only, with no copyright infringement intended, or profit made.
Chapter 11:
Publicity was both a blessing and a curse. After all, part of their plan was that people had to learn of them, in order to be afraid of them. However, if the Death Eaters all found out it was just her in a previously fashionably trendy red cloak, well, then it wouldn't work at all. Luna was in charge of all of their press issues, since she was a little to slow to react in crisis situation. It wasn't that she wasn't smart, it was that she saw too much. She saw everything going on, and hadn't gotten the instincts down on what to ignore and what she needed to do first.
Still, Luna trained with them, on Ron's end, where she wasn't a close part of the chain, but mostly she managed to keep and eye and ear out on what was going on. She'd started talking to Lee and a couple of the others on a new radio channel late at night. Hermione was pretty sure she didn't want to know what all was going on, since Luna had that old crush there, on the commentator, but she was getting rumors and other tidbits from the streets.
Now that their plan was working, the problem was that, other people were listening as well. The Department for Magical Law Enforcement damn well wanted to know what was going on. Some of them were concerned because they were missing their Malfoy based bribes, but most of them just really hated being out of the loop, and felt that anything going on that one couldn't tell Aurors about shouldn't be going on. Which is not to say that Hermione didn't think that some of the Auror's weren't rooting for them. Criminals who got off on technicalities were not at all popular with police, after all. But these Aurors thought, based on all the available evidence, that magical Britain had just introduced another mass murdered into the mix. And she was an apparently powerful one, at that.
It was enough to make any Auror wince, really.
Since Hermione didn't want to be taken down by a squad of Hit-Wizard goons the next time she went out and worked, they were trying to leave hints about that they were really only after their specific people they got. After all, Aurors would be happier with a Death Eater hunter then a random jack the ripper type killer.
Luna was in her element. She was writing letters to the editor, and sending anonymous notes to reporters. She also was trying to work out how exactly one went about planting rumors when one only had 18 year olds to employ.
.o.o.o.
First thing the morning after, Neville organized a delivery to Tonks at St. Mungos. He already know who to owl order to get Honeyduke's finest chocolate and flowers into closed wards. They signed the card from Little Red and Friends, and paid cash.
Hermione added a note promising Hot Chocolate and gossip at the next opportunity, and that until they talked, Tonks knew nothing about anything before the lobby of St. Mungos She looked up a handwriting modification charm for this exact purpose. She did suppose that the Aurors would notice the note, after all, it did seem threatening, but really, they needed Tonks to be quiet about the whole thing. But they weren't about to hex her quiet, and breaking into an injured Auror's room to explain sensitive material was just a bad idea.
Snape included a separate note, giving her the name of the head of a survivors counciling group.
.o.o.o.
Near the site of the old cave-in leading to the chamber, they charmed Hermione to utter unrecognizablity. Ron thought an outdoor photo would be more believable. George pointed out that they were trying to allow for a healthy skepticism, and that it was snowing, again.
Fred did mention that the shadow charm and red would look stunning on the snow, but since the first snow had led to the first snowball fights, they stayed hidden. Snape came to charm Hermione, and promptly went back to poking the dead basilisk. He'd brought a mobile potions kit this time. The students decided this was typical Snape-like behavior, and left him alone. One doesn't sneak up on a spy, and one doesn't disturb the potions master with a new ingredient.
.o.o.o.
Two days after Rita's article denying the red bogeyman went out, Luna published the blurred, yet shockingly clear photos. She'd been waiting patiently for the opportune moment. It showed a female figure, apparently in a cave, wearing a red cloak, and threatening something off the the right with her wand, then turning towards the camera, surprised. The blurring had been done precisely. The blood splatter was clear as day, and yet her wand was a blurred dark line.
The edition sold out three times, with eight times the normal sales in Knockturn Alley. Luna took great delight in explaining this to Hermione, while showing her the picture in the middle of the Great Hall.
Hermione managed to get out of that conversation with most of her composure, and only slightly pink cheeks. Ron and Harry pranked Neville with a Canary Creme so that they could let out their laughter at her situation.
.o.o.o.
Luna wrote an anonymous letter to the editor of the Quibbler. She asked Snape and Hermione to read it through during the chocolate biscuits portion of the 'Monday' meeting.
Dear Sirs of the Quibbler,
I'm shocked and appalled that you would suggest this red cloaked figure is in any way related to the stories of the bogeyman, either fictional or currently circulating.
The fictional, mythological stories always suggest a male figure, deeply swathed, with either a hidden face, or a beaked protrusion. The only thing your figure has in common with such a figure is the hidden face, which is hardly an uncommon attribute. As for any resemblance the the Spanish Sack or Bag Man, who steals bad children creeping out of bed, well, her sack is far to small. The coloration of her cloak, indeed, suggests she is more likely to be the positive antipode, the rewarder of good children, although the blood stains do leave much to be desired in that case.
As for her relation to the recent rash of disappearances, it is utterly implausible for a bogeyman. The men who have gone missing have nothing in common, other then a penchant for being out after dark.. Those whose memories are longer then their sense are whispering about how many of the missing were on the lists of the cleared followers of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. This is an utterly preposterous link. The three young men last seen near Tinworth, or the three gone from Diagon Alley are far too young to have accused of such things at the end of the last war. They are just too young to have been falsely accused of insidious involvement, and the older set were cleared by the government, and thus, not involved either.
Let us review the facts. So far, only men have gone missing. Indeed, if one listens closely to the rumors and speculations, the red robed women might even have helped a women into treatment at St. Mungos. While the woman in questions is said to have been bloody and beaten looking, the fact that our mystery figure helped her to the hospital, even if she did so silently and in an imposing fashion, suggests she was not responsible for the wounds. Also, so far, all known disappearances have been at night. This may seem to point to a bogeyman based theory, but it also may simply due to the fact of English winters. Nights are long, and days short.
I, dear Sirs and Readers of the Quibbler, suggest an alternate theory. I think your picture depicts an avenging Erinyes , known to the Romans as Furies. Women of great power said by some to be descended from Night herself, these furies hunted men who had wronged others, or broken oaths. In Aeschylus's Eumenides, they are even given robes of red. Your picture is not clear enough to show any head-wreaths of serpents, or blood dripping from her eyes, but I suspect that if one took the time to get closer, they would be there.
The important thing for your readers to note, in all this, is that Furies are very specific avengers. They Hunt only those who have wronged. If I am right, this certainly explains your unnamed cameraman's ability to escape unharmed. My words of caution to Wizarding Britain, though. Do not brake an oath around her. Furies are legendary... for their fury.
Thanks,
Mr. X. L. P. Winster
PS. It has been shown that the older a myth or legend is, the more likely it is to have basis in true Magical Creatures. The muggle bogeyman myth postdates the Statute of Secrecy. Our mystery lady is therefore most likely of Greek or Roman extraction.
Luna smiled. "I tried to match the more informative of the letters that Daddy gets."
"It seems to prove more then it disproves, despite it's stated claim of implausibility." Snape looked over the letter again, quill hovering.
"There no way to disprove a negative, but trying makes you sound bad." Hermione pondered the letter.
"Do you mind it? I want to keep this all in the eye of the readers." Luna asked. "Also, antipode was a word of the day in Ravenclaw last month,, and I still hadn't gotten to use it."
"That does help our plans of intimidation..."
"It also helps our circulation. The fight on Furies versus Bogeymen could reach the epic proportions of three years ago with Crumpled versus Non-Crumpled "
Hermione looked at Snape hoping for help, but when she saw none, responded simply "it's a good letter."
.o.o.o.
Someone at St. Mungos read the Quibbler. They released a statement that a red cloaked figure had assisted an injured Auror into the hospital. It said all further statements, included the cause of those injuries, would have to be issued by the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.
.o.o.o.
Hermione wrote Tonks another letter, reminding her of the uses of anonymity, even from officials at work and at large. It was delivered along with magical instant hot chocolate. The letter, however, conceded that the presence of a single, red cloaked figure of a helpful but silent sort was allowable.
Tonks, taking advantage of a visit, sent Fred's winter cloak back to him with a note thanking him and Ginny for its loan, and that she wished to schedule a conversation.
.o.o.o.
The Department of Magical Law Enforcement, unable to pretend that the St. Mungo's press release didn't happen, issued its own. It stated Auror Tonks had been injured when not on duty. It also stated that they were searching for the reasons behind the recent disappearances; Wizarding, Magical Creature, Muggle, or whatever the true explanation may be. They did take the time to list the missing that they considered to be related to the problem. Tonks' rescue had added another thirteen to the twenty one mice already in the Basement mousery. The ministry only had listed twenty eight missing. MacNair and Nott, both ministry employees, were noticeably missing from the official list.
This was generally agreed by readers to be an uninformative press release, if at least acknowledging their curiosity.
.o.o.o.
Luna got a long letter at breakfast, which she started bouncing while reading. Once she had annoyed her bench mates almost to the point of breaking, she left the table, and started reading the note over the radio.
"Isn't it lovely. The Aurors are threatening legal action if Daddy doesn't give up the name of the photographer."
Harry, leaning over as if to whisper to Hermione, asked "That's a good thing?"
"Yes. It means we got everyone's attention."
"But your father..."
"He can prove he got them anonymously. And he can turn over the envelope and note for them to search all they want."
"You made sure there were no clues on it?"
"We planted too many clues in it. The letter was on the same stock of paper we used for Tonks' card, since I'm sure they have that by now. I braided three hairs from Malfoy together with a strand from the cloak, and spellotaped them on. The photo was developed immediately, not from a negative, and that shows up easily if tested. The traces, beyond that, were all wiped with MacNair's wand." Luna laughed "It'll be fun to see them frustrated when they find that one. I almost want a picture of their faces when they get that set of results back."
Snape swept from the hall, then joined the conversation via radio. "So now they'll know the picture is real, and that whoever took it was working with the Hunter. You think that will keep your dad out of trouble?"
"They're welcome to search him for Malfoy's hairs and for the wand. But that letter was sent via owl, and they'll find it was a well fed owl who carried it a long distance, even if he scourgified it clean before he opened it."
Snape paused for a moment. "...I'm glad you are using your powers for good, Miss Lovegood."
"I'm using my powers for awesome."
.o.o.o.
After he got her letter, Fred visited Tonks every day in the hospital, bringing her silly little things to cheer her up. Neither of them had played with a slinky before, but it apparently made Tonks' day. The healers appreciated anything that saved them from bored Aurors trying to sneak out early.
When Tonks told him that she'd be getting out the next day, he promised her one last visit, with hot chocolate. Tonks simply nodded.
For her last get well soon gift, Fred got her hot chocolates, and instructions on how to change the settings on the WWN he'd brought for her the first day. She'd be able to tell Riding Hood a good time and place to meet.
.o.o.o.
Tonks asked for a meeting over Christmas, at a teahouse in Diagon Alley. It specialized in drinking chocolate, which Tonks' mother had been raving about for weeks, ever since Tonks had asked her for a recommendation on the best drinking chocolate location.
Tonks got a note on her bed bed at Order headquarters, agreeing to the time and location. George put the look on her face when she found it into a pensive, so the teens assembled above the WWW store could appreciate it.
Tonks showed up early,ordered a pot of chocolate, and sat. She sat, and sat, and sat. When she finally asked for the bill, there was a note tucked in with the total. "8 aurors, and 5 phoenixes, plus a wolf bodyguard... please look up private in the dictionary. Don't make me regret rescuing you. Keep your mouth shut."
Snape, who had planted the note, and was technically also one of the order members sent here to spy looked hard at the crestfallen look on Tonks' face. He was rather sure none of them would regret rescuing her any time soon, but her was also sure that the kids running about doing Christmas shopping under the watchful eyes of the elder Weasleys were not going to give up their plan just because Tonks failed to keep her mouth shut. He was hoping guilt would work, but he'd looked over memory charms this morning.
.o.o.o.
Tonks apologized to the radio, saying she'd only told two people about the meeting, she didn't know that many would be following her. she got only static. The next day, when she got back to her room, the radio was gone, replaced with a boring old WWN with only one setting.
AN And that was a depressing end, sorry.
Chapter 12 is at 2000 words. Should be up in two days.
I'm working on not being bitter that my other story has almost the same number of reviews as this one. It is, after all, a happy, fluffy romance in a popular 'ship. It is also not an M, nor in progress.