Two days later, and we hadn't seen or heard from Kreacher. How long could it take to hunt the man down? For that matter, what if he no longer had the locket? Then what? I had questioned Harry about his ability to command Kreacher after the elf had left, and I was told that Sirius had forced Kreacher to accept Harry as a master after he had betrayed Sirius. The elf still had to listen to Sirius, but he had to obey Harry's orders as well now. We had nothing to do while we waited, so we were cleaning the house again, but this time, we didn't throw anything away. George, Ron, and I were in the upstairs bedrooms, cleaning them out, when we heard the door open downstairs. We ran down the steps and into the entry hall, our wands drawn and aimed at the shadowy figure in the doorway. Harry, Fred, and Angelina were already there, their wands drawn and aimed as well.
"Don't move!" Harry snapped. The figure raised its hands in surrender, and a familiar voice issued from it.
"Don't shoot, it is I, Remus." Remus? Really? I lowered my wand quickly and stepped forward, a grin spreading across my lips. I stopped, the smile slipping from my lips when I noticed that Harry, George, Fred, and Angelina hadn't lowered their wands.
"Show yourself!" Harry snapped. "I am Remus John Lupin, werewolf, sometimes known as Moony, one of the four creators of the Marauder's Map, married to Nymphadora, usually known as Tonks, and I taught you how to produce a Patronus, Harry, which takes the form of a stag. Yours" He continued, indicating Fred and George, "Take on the form of foxes, the first time I told you I was a Marauder was summer of 96, the night before the first day of Hogwarts."
"All right," Harry said, lowering his wand with Fred and George. "But we had to make sure."
"Speaking as your ex-Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, I quite agree that you had to check. Ron, Hermione, you shouldn't be so quick to lower your defenses."
"No sign of Severus, then?" he asked. Harry was smiling broadly as he walked up to the ragged werewolf
"No," He said, "What's going on? Is everyone okay? Where's Sirius?"
"Yes," Remus answered "we're all okay, but we're all being watched. There are a couple of Death Eaters in the square outside –"
"We know –" I said, shivering slightly. They had showed up the day after we had arrived, and they had been keeping a watch ever since. I was thinking up ways of getting rid of them without revealing our presences, but hadn't come up with anything concrete yet.
"I had to Apparate very precisely onto the top step outside the front door to be sure that they would not see me. They can't know you're in here or I'm sure they'd have more people out there; they're staking out everywhere that's got any connection with you, Harry. Let's go downstairs, there's a lot to tell you, and I want to know what happened after you left the Burrow." I found it a little odd how he avoided the question about Sirius, but I didn't say anything. We sat down at the kitchen table, all of us eager to hear just what he had to say.
"I'd have been here three days ago but I needed to shake off the Death Eater tailing me," Remus explained, "So, you came straight here after the wedding?"
"No," Harry, George, and Fred said together, Harry continued, "only after we ran into a couple of Death Eaters in a café on Tottenham Court Road."
"What?" Remus gasped, spilling his butterbeer. We quickly explained what had happened, and while he had looked worried before he now looked positively stricken.
"But how did they find you so quickly? It's impossible to track anyone who Apparates, unless you grab hold of them as they disappear."
"We have no idea." I answered honestly, and worriedly.
"And it doesn't seem likely they were just strolling down Tottenham Court Road at the time, does it?" Harry added.
"Could they have put the trace back on him?" George asked, sounding worried. I started at that. The trace? Could that really be?
"Impossible," was Remus's instant reply. "Apart from anything else, they'd know for sure Harry was here if he still had the Trace on him, wouldn't they? But I can't see how they could have tracked you to Tottenham Court Road, that's worrying, really worrying."
"Tell us what happened after we left, we haven't heard a thing since Mr. Weasley told us the family was safe."
"Yeah," Fred piped up, "Are they all alright?"
"Well, Kingsley saved us," said Lupin. "Thanks to his warning most of the wedding guests were able to Disapparate before they arrived."
"Were they Death Eaters or Ministry people?" I asked.
"A mixture; but to all intents and purposes they're the same thing now, there were about a dozen of them, but they didn't know you were there, Harry. Arthur heard a rumor that they tried to torture your whereabouts out of Scrimgeour before they killed him; if it's true, he didn't give you away."
"Did anybody get hurt?" George asked, still looking worried.
"No," Remus answered. "They searched the Burrow top to bottom, they found the ghoul-which was a clever idea incidentally-and interrogated us, but we didn't tell them anything.
"While they were smashing up the wedding, they were also forcing their way into every Order-connected house in the country. No deaths, but they were rough. They burned down Dedalus Diggle's house, but obviously he wasn't there, and they used the Cruciatus on Tonks's family. They're all alright- shaken, obviously, but otherwise okay. Sirius cleared out the apartment and managed to warn your parent's. Angelina, before the death eaters got to them."
"Thank you." Angelina breathed out, tears welling up in her pretty brown eyes.
"What about our protective charms?" Harry asked, sounding shocked.
"They've got the ministry Harry, those charms wouldn't have been a problem." Fred said, a bitter tone in his usually jovial voice.
"And are they bothering to give an excuse for torturing Harry's whereabouts out of people?" I asked, not masking the rage in my voice.
Remus handed Harry a paper as way of explanation. The head line was bold and vivid, and incredibly wrong. It had Harry's picture on the front, and bore the words:
WANTED FOR QUESTIONING ABOUT THE DEATH OF ALBUS DUMBLEDORE
"I'm sorry, Harry," Remus said quietly.
"So Death Eaters have taken over the Daily Prophet too?" I asked furiously.
"The ministry has always had control of the Prophet." George said, "Remember your fifth year? They had the whole wizarding world convinced that Harry was crazy."
"But surely people realize what's going on?" I said, desparte to believe this couldn't really be happening, I mean, surely someone had realized.
"The coup has been smooth and virtually silent," Remus said as way of explanation. "The official version of Scrimgeour's murder is that he resigned; he has been replaced by Pius Thicknesse, who is under the Imperius Curse."
"Why didn't Voldemort declare himself Minister of Magic?" Ron asked. Remus laughed, not hurtfully, but it was mirthless.
"He doesn't need to, Ron. Effectively, he is the Minister, but why should he sit behind a desk at the Ministry? His puppet, Thicknesse, is taking care of everyday business, leaving Voldemort free to extend his power beyond the Ministry. Naturally many people have deduced what has happened: There has been such a dramatic change in Ministry policy in the last few days, and many are whispering that Voldemort must be behind it. However, that is the point: They whisper. They daren't confide in each other, not knowing whom to trust; they are scared to speak out, in case their suspicions are true and their families are targeted. Yes, Voldemort is playing a very clever game. Declaring himself might have provoked open rebellion: Remaining masked has created confusion, uncertainty, and fear."
"And this dramatic change in Ministry policy," said Harry, "involves warning the Wizarding world against me instead of Voldemort?"
"That's certainly a part of it," said Lupin, "and it is a masterstroke. Now that Dumbledore is dead, you – the Boy Who Lived – were sure to be the symbol and rallying point for any resistance to Voldemort. But by suggesting that you had a hand in the old hat's death, Voldemort has not only set a price upon your head, but sown doubt and fear amongst many who would have defended you."
"But people know what really happened, surely they're not really being duped by this." Fred said, looking surprised.
"They've done a very good job of it, installing little seeds of doubt. They're also all scared, desparte to believe in Harry, but unsure as to whether or not to believe him." He sighed deeply, sounding weary and worn. "Meanwhile, the Ministry has started moving against Muggle-borns." He continued. I tensed in my seat as he pointed at the Prophet.
"Page two," he told Harry. He flipped the page and stopped.
"Muggle-born Register!" I said, reading over his shoulder. "'The Ministry of Magic is undertaking a survey of so-called "Muggle-borns" 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. Where no proven
Wizarding ancestry exists, therefore, the so-called Muggle-born is likely to have obtained
magical power by theft or force.
"'The Ministry is determined to root out such usurpers of magical power, and to
this end has issued an invitation to every so-called Muggle-born to present themselves for
interview by the newly appointed Muggle-born Registration Commission.'" I finished, feeling horrified and mad. Furious even, how dare they. Not only were they defacing Harry, now they were going after Muggle-Borns it was awful!
"People won't let this happen," Ron said, sounding horrified.
"It is happening, Ron," Remus said gently. "Muggle-borns are being rounded up as we speak."
"What are they doing to them?" George questioned. He scooted closer to me and wrapped a protective arm around my shoulder, pulling me into him and warming me up. I took a breath and forced myself to relax. I'd known something like this would happen, it had only been a matter of time before he went for the 'mudbloods.'
"I'm not sure, but they aren't coming back from the ministry." I gasped involuntarily and shuddered. George tightened his grip and stiffened.
"But how are they supposed to have 'stolen' magic?" Ron said. "It's mental, if you could steal magic there wouldn't be any Squibs, would there?"
"I know," Remus said. "Nevertheless, unless you can prove that you have at least one close Wizarding relative, you are now deemed to have obtained your magical power illegally and must suffer the punishment."
"Isn't anyone standing up to them? Isn't anyone fighting?" George asked, his voice hard.
"They're scared," Remus answered. "Worried they could be next, their children will disappear or their spouse will be carted away."
"What if purebloods or halfbloods swear a muggle-born's part of their family?" Ron asked.
"Yeah, we'd swear she was a member of the Weasley's, we can teach her the family tree." Fred said, laying a hand on my shoulder.
"Doesn't matter," Remus said with a sigh, "They already have your records."
"What about if she marries a Pureblood?" George asked quietly, I took in a shocked breath and held it. I couldn't do that. I loved George, and truly believed I would marry him some day, but I wouldn't have him marry me just to avoid my getting caught.
"I'm afraid it wouldn't matter." Remus said quietly, "It won't change her status."
"Wait," Angelina said, a frown on her face. "What about Hogwarts, what's going on there?"
"Attendance is now compulsory for every young witch and wizard," he replied. "That was announced yesterday. It's a change, because it was never obligatory before. Of course, nearly every witch and wizard in Britain has been educated at Hogwarts, but their parents had the right to teach them at home or send them abroad if they preferred. This way, Voldemort will have the whole Wizarding population under his eye from a young age. And it's also another way of weeding out Muggle-borns, because students must be given Blood Status – meaning that they have proven to the Ministry that they are of Wizard descent – before they are allowed to attend."
Oh my god, those poor children. I could see it all, the little eleven years old buying new books, going over them in excitement, looking at their new supplies, getting ready for a school they would never see. They would probably be locked away, sent to Azkaban. An anger unlike anything I had ever felt before filled me, and I found myself wanting to kill the bastards that thought they could hurt those children. I actually wanted to hurt them, that had never happened to me before. I'd never wanted to kill someone as much as I did right now.
No one said anything, no one could say anything. We were all silenced by the same horror, the same anger.
"I know." Lupin said quietly. He took a deep breath and then continued. "I'll understand if you can't confirm this, Harry, but the Order is under the impression that Dumbledore left you a mission."
"He did," Harry replied, "and Ron, Hermione, Fred, George, and Angelina are in on it and they're coming with me."
"Can you confide in me what the mission is?"
"I can't, Remus, I'm sorry. If Dumbledore didn't tell you I don't think I can."
"I thought you'd say that," Remus said in obvious disapointment. "But I might still be of some use to you. You know what I am and what I can do. I could come with you to provide protection. There would be no need to tell me exactly what you were up to."
"But what about Tonks? And Sirius?" I asked, feeling puzzled. How could he leave them?
"What about them?" Remus asked, a warning note in his voice.
"Well," I said, frowning now. "you're married! How does she feel about you going away with us? and I know Sirius, he'll be extremely upset to be left behind."
"Tonks will be perfectly safe," Remus said coldly, deatached. "She'll be at her parents' house. As for Sirius, he will likely be with her." That was extremely unlike Tonks, she loved to be in the thick of action. Sirius as well, neither of them were the type to 'hide out.'
"Remus," I said carefully, nervous "is everything all right . . . you know . . .between you and – "
"Everything is fine, thank you," Remus snapped.
"Tonks is going to have a baby." He continued after a moment. I squealed in delight, all my suspicion forgotten at the wonderful news.
A loud crack sounded down the hall and we all froze, turning slowly in our chair s we withdrew or wands and stood. The door burst open and Sirius stood before us, a frown on his face until he saw us.
"Hi," he said, grinning at Harry and us. He walked up and gave Harry a one armed hug, checking him over for injuries. Satisfied by what he saw he turned to Remus, a frown claiming his lips.
"I hoped I wouldn't find you here." He said, his piercing grey eyes finding Remus's brown eyes. "We agreed to leave them alone." He said quietly, almost accusingly.
"Things have changed." Remus said, avoiding Sirius's eyes. We all grew quiet, feeling painfully aware of the confrontation the two friends were having. What was going on?
"No they haven't." Sirius said, walking over to Remus and sitting in the chair next to him. "She isn't leaving you Remus, she isn't upset. Why have you come here?"
"I shouldn't have done it." Remus whispered, sounding broken. Sirius placed his hand on his friends arm, letting him know he was there. I felt terrible, we were obviously intruding, but we couldn't leave. "I've sentenced her to a life on the run, and the child!" He exclaimed, his face growing pale. "What about it? how could I have let this happen?"
"Remus," Sirius whispered, his voice incredibly calm and caring. It always amazed me how gentle he was with Remus. How he could be so calm and understanding. He wasn't like that with anyone else, only his best friend and godson ever got to see that side of him. No one understood Remus as well as Sirius either, the two of them were truly best friends. "Remus, come back with me. Tonks needs you, the baby needs you."
"No," Remus gasped, looking wounded. "I've come to offer you my help Harry, I'm sure James would have wanted it."
"No," Harry and Sirius said quietly.
"I'm pretty sure my dad would have wondered why you weren't staying with your own kid." Harry said, he looked odd, like he was in pain. I gasped in horror at what he said, and Remus looked livid suddenly.
"You don't understand." He snarled, the shadow of the wolf he could become was showing on his features, I'd never seen it so clearly as now. It actually frightened me. "My kind don't usually breed! It will be like me, I am convinced of it – how can I forgive myself, when I knowingly risked passing on my own condition to an innocent child? And if, by some miracle, it is not like me, then it will be better off, a hundred times so, without a father of whom it must always be ashamed!"
"Remus." Sirius barked, bringing his friend out of his tirade. "Moony," he said again, calmer. "The child will be fine. He needs a father, he needs you." He finished, grabbing Remus's arms and forcing him to look at him. "Remember James, remember when he found out he was going to be a father?" He asked, a slight smile quirking his lips at the memory before it faded. "He sought us out, begged us to take care of him if something happened. He knew your affliction, he didn't care. You're a good man Remus, the child will be fine, but only if you help it." Remus turned his head, not wanting to listen to Sirius.
"What if he is afflicted, Remus?" Sirius asked, changing tactics. "Then he'll need you to show him how to live with it. It's too late to undo what's been done, but it's not too late to help."
"Where is she?" Remus asked, his voice hardly more than a whisper. Sirius almost grinned, but he managed to suppress it somehow.
"She's waiting for you at her parents, go on, she's not mad." Remus nodded his head, looking worried and ashamed, he gripped his wand in his hand and then, he disapparated. Sirius let out a loud, barking laugh, full of relief and happiness.
"So," He said, turning around and smiling at Harry. "What's up?"