Author's notes: I'm awefully sorry for the long delay, you probably hate me, however, I am making up by posting two consecutive chapters, perhaps a third will be out in a day or two. Please review your thoughts and/or any suggestions, criticism or outright flaming. Now with the story
p.s. The events of this fic take place in Harry's sixth year, just wanted to clear it out.
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10th of September, 10:00 a.m., London, The Leaky Cauldron
47 walked into the entrance of the inn known as The Leaky Cauldron, and his senses were attacked by a flood of stimuli. Pungent odors and greenish fume rose from the tips of thick noxious cigars sticking out of many a mouth, the people at the bar were having a loud argument about Quiditch. 47 approached the bar unperturbed by the apprehensive stares directed at him. Even when he was dressed in a set of black robes, he still seemed out of place in this tavern.
"I am looking for Amadeus Crow," drawled 47 in his somewhat sophisticated English accent "I was told he rents a room here"
Tom, the bartender, paused, suspicious of the man.
"Professor Crow is indisposed," replied Tom, eyeing 47 cautiously "I do not believe he would be able to meet you"
"I believe otherwise" said 47, sliding half a dozen galleons on the counter towards the bartender "I am here to assist him on a project concerning…muggle cars and ways in which they operate"
I'd bet my pension that's not why you're here, thought Tom but aloud he said, "Of course, if you'd follow me, I'll take you up to his room"
47 passed a hand casually over his pocket allowing the handful of galleons in there to emit a jingling noise. The message was all too obvious to be missed by the bartender. Tom led the bald man up a flight of stairs and along a hallway, before pausing at one of the doors.
"This is it, Mr.…?"
"Le Blanc," said 47 handing the man more galleons "Allan Le Blanc"
"Very well, Mr. Le Blanc," said Tom pocketing the galleons, without giving them a second look, and giving 47 the fakest toothless grin he could manage "Have a nice day"
47 waited until the man's footsteps down the stairs ceased to be heard before putting his hand on the doorknob.
Meanwhile in Malfoy Manor…
"Are the charms in place?" asked the cold demented voice of Lord Vlodemort.
"Yes, my lord," replied Lucius Malfoy "The charms that would negate the muggle repelling ones laid on Hogwarts have been strengthened seven fold and the shielding charms have been modified to especially target the muggle man, all to be activated once he steps through Crow's door."
"Excellent!" hissed Voldemort, his long fingers drumming a tattoo on his throne-like chairs armrest.
47 twisted the knob and pushed the door back, it creaked audibly. He entered the room carefully, his trusted Silverballer in his iron grip. He felt a warm tingle run down his back the moment he stepped through the door frame. He almost tripped as his shoes collided with a soft object. He looked down to the ground.
"And Crow?" inquired Voldemort, his cold voice echoing off the room's walls.
"At this stage of the disease," said Malfoy "I doubt he could even move"
Voldemort said nothing, he was too busy contemplating to pay attention to Malfoy. He hadn't expected the muggle to come this far.
"Of course," elaborated Malfoy, desperate for praise "It is merely a glamour charm endowed with a slight paralysis and nausea hex and…"
"Silence!" hissed Voldemort, cutting the excited Death Eater off immediately.
"Yes, my lord"
47 saw the body of a stout man lying back down on the ground, his bloated belly pointing upwards erratically, a line of drool ran down from his mouth to his pointed goatee. Dark red dots were spread indiscriminately on his face and hands, quite possibly the rest of his body. 47 knelt down next to the man and felt for pulse. The man was alive, though 47 could tell he lost control of his motor functions for over three hours. 47 extracted a poising syringe from within the folds of his robes and administered the poison to Crow's neck. He exited through the door, carefully shutting the door behind him and made his way out of The Leaky Cauldron, ignoring many of the odd stares he received. He had a letter of application to prepare.
12th of September, 7:00 p.m. Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the Headmaster's Office
Albus Dumbledore sifted through five recommendation letters that were sent by Jonas Akerfeldt, an applicant for the recently open Muggle Studies teaching post. The only applicant, that is. Dumbedore had enough on his plate, four order members turn up dead in a span of a week and now this! Crow's death was uncanny, Albus never heard of such adverse effects of dragon pox, the disease rarely resulted in mortalities. This Akerfeldt person certainly saved Dumbledore much trouble looking for a replacement to Crow. He rubbed his eyes exhaustedly and waved his wand over Akerfeldt's application and the Hogwarts crest appeared at its bottom, the word "Approved" were written below the Latin motto. A gentle rasp on his door sounded and Minerva McGonagall entered the room, followed by Dedalus Diggle, Sturgis Podmore, Emmeline Vance and Hestia Jones. Severus Snape came in a moment later, as if he refused to be associated with the earlier bunch.
"Please, make yourselves comfortable," said Dumbledore and waved his wand sideways causing a group of rich backed chairs appear in his office "Any further Order meetings will take place here until a safer place could be arranged, now, Severus I believe you said you had some information?"
"Barely," said Snape "The Dark Lord is obviously distancing me away from himself. I fear he has grown to distrust me. Nevertheless, I have managed to gather some information concerning the recent murders"
No one spoke, their lingering eyes pressing Snape to continue.
"I was skeptical at first," said Snape "But seeing the unmistakable pattern in the killings, it appears the Dark Lord has hired an assassin, most likely a…muggle."
"Are you sure?" asked Podmore, scratching his chin nervously.
"I am positive," replied Snape "I had eavesdropped on the many private conversations the Dark Lord has with Malfoy concerning the subject. Last I heard them, they were talking about Amadeus Crow ; the very same night he was found dead in his Leaky Cauldron room"
"But the healers have assured me his death was a result of an extreme development of dragon pox," said Dumbledore, lost in thought "Why would Voldemort want Amadeus dead? He was no Order member, I doubt even Voldemort knew he even existed. If he is responsible for Crow's death…" Dumbledore trailed off.
Snape shrugged indifferently.
"This muggle assassin," wheezed Diggle "Is it not possible for us to know who he is? At least what he looks like?"
Snape snorted "I doubt the Dark Lord has ever met or communicated with the man, it is possible they only communicate through a middleman or perhaps even a chain of middlemen"
"Four members of the order have been killed so far," said Dumbledore "We cannot afford any more losses. Severus, I would require that you…"
He was interrupted, however, as the doors to his office were pushed back and a red faced Mundungus Fletcher burst into the office.
"Kingsley Shacklebolt was just found in a dumpster behind the prime minister's 'eadquarters!" said Fletcher between gasps "e's a under a full-body bind curse. e's in St. Mungo's now"
6th of September, six days ago, a dumpster behind the the Prime Minister's office
Kingsley's vision was failing him, as he felt his neck spitting out blood and knew that in a minute or two he would be dead. Though his mind was shutting down quickly, Kingsley's Auror training took over and he lifted his wand meekly and non-verbally casted a full-body bind curse on himself. He couldn't risk trying a healing when he could pass out before completing the spell. He felt his body become rigid and stiff, the blood spurting from his neck stopped and seemed to solidify in mid air. The full-body bind will keep him alive by stopping the bleeding, but he wasn't sure how much time he could last without the spell decaying. He slipped into soothing nothingness as his consciousness escaped him and he lay there in a dumpster in a dark alley.
12th of September, present day, Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the Headmaster's Office
Already McGonagall, Vance and Diggle were running out of the office, no doubt to the nearest apparition point. Dumbledore was conversing with the portrait of former Headmistress Dylis, upon which the latter promptly disappeared from within her portrait. Podmore cast some floo powder into the fireplace and muttered a location, to which he was immediately spirited off. Snape stood determinedly and whipped out his wand, before realizing he couldn't do anything helpful and resigned to sitting down again. Fletcher eyed him and snorted. Dumbledore returned his attention back to Fletcher.
"Mundungus," he said rubbing his eyes wearily "I believe you still had something else to say?"
"What?" said Fletcher, before he remembered "Ah, yes, well rumor 'as it that You-Know-Who has made dealings with a muggle contract killer and even gave him a list of targets to go after. I 'ave asked 'ere and there and managed to find out that it is very possible your name is on that list"
"Well, that's quite the discovery Mr. Fletcher," sneered Snape "Of course Dumbledore is a target, his name is probably right at the top, he is perhaps …" He paused when he saw Fletcher was looking at him, waiting for the penny to drop.
"You're on that list Severus," said Fletcher softly "more than one source 'ave confirmed that"
Snape turned towards Dumbledore, his face growing paler.
"He must know I am a double," whispered Snape "He must have made some sort of connection"
"I'd rather believe he thought of you," said Dumbledore, he paused then said "as an unnecessary liability"
"Headmaster!" shrieked an edgy feminine voice, and the three occupants of the room turned their heads towards Dylis, who had reappeared in her portrait "Kingsley Shacklebolt has recovered enough to speak, he has trouble remembering anything, but the healers are working on him. He should be as good as ever by this time tomorrow"
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Author's notes: I hope you liked this and didn't think of it as a drag, anywho next chapter should be available, so why don't you click the review button then the arrow-like thing which takes you to the next chapter?