Very Special Author's Note: *Kimmeth puts on her best singing voice and the local seagulls run for cover.* Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear C&I… Yes people, C&I is ONE YEAR OLD today. I cannot believe it. It was meant to be up and finished by 12th July for heaven's sake! Ah well. Here's hoping we won't have to celebrate its second anniversary…

Disclaimer: Dedalus's definition of the word 'coup' is quoted directly from OED online.

Note: I wrote virtually all of this chapter in one sitting, longhand no less. It was a nice day; I looked at my advanced translation skills textbook and thought 'meh, I don't want to read this gibberish, I'll go and write by the river instead'. Two hours later my right arm had seized up and I was frozen stiff, but the chapter was nearly finished. And I still had a load of translation theory to read…

Chapter Forty-Nine

Action and Inaction

Remus looked sadly at the gathered Order members who had congregated in Tonks' parents' living room for this latest meeting. There seemed to be less and less of them each time. It was not due to fading hope and merely giving up that the others did not appear, far from it, it was simply the fact that their numbers were already so limited, and these numbers constituted what appeared to be the entire resistance to You-Know-Who's reign of terror. There was so much to be done, so much to be kept an eye on, that it was miraculous if five of his colleagues managed to come together to report that there was nothing to report. Privately, Remus considered recruiting more members; after all, there was absolutely no chance that the Order and their families were the only people who wanted to see He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named defeated. But by unspoken agreement, their ranks remained very firmly closed. No-one was to be trusted in these dangerous times. The Order had already lost too many of its valuable members in the last few years and they were determined that no-one else would forfeit his or her life as a result of their imprudence in allowing unknowns into their circle.

After a few more minutes of grim contemplation had passed, Andromeda left her place by the window where she had been watching the property boundaries and swiped the antique teapot with her wand to check that it was still hot.

"I don't think anyone else is coming," she said quietly, and she withdrew from the room. Remus felt, in a complete opposite to a wizard's usual opinion of his in-laws, extremely sorry for Andromeda and Ted and the way that their lives had been affected by this bleak new dystopia. Ted had left his job before he was pushed out of it under new legislation that banned muggle-borns from working in any sort of magical capacity. With magicians still disappearing to be thrown into Azkaban for no offence other than their parentage or choice of life partner, both he and his wife were afraid to leave their house, remaining within what little protection the Order could afford them – Tonks had been making nightly visits to make sure that the charms she had put in place still held. In exchange, Andromeda and Ted had offered their home as a permanent headquarters for the Order which had proved most useful. They still switched meeting places regularly but it had taken some of the burden of fear away from Arthur and Molly, knowing that their house was no longer the Order's focal point.

"We may as well get started then," said Kingsley, looking at each of them in turn. Aside from Remus and Tonks, the only other members present were Bill and Dedalus. Everyone else was detained in some capacity.

"Well, there's good news, bad news and good-ish news," began Dedalus, succinctly summing up the reports that had been handed round the Order's various members over the past few days. "The good news is that thanks more to luck than judgement, five of You-Know-Who's six you-know-whats have been consigned to oblivion. The bad news is that Hogwarts has entered the war now and has only just managed to win a full-scale skirmish. The good-ish news is that they did indeed win a full-scale skirmish and they are now ready for a fight should it come to them, or so Minerva assured Kingsley the last time they spoke."

Kingsley nodded.

"What Minerva said, in other words," he continued, "was that although she'll probably require our assistance if they decide to evacuate, Hogwarts can take care of itself for the time being and we should concentrate on not worrying about what might happen there and focus on doing something pro-active.."

The others chorused their agreement and Remus was set to thinking again. That was one thing that kept crossing people's minds during these meetings and that nothing ever seemed to be done about. It was all very well what they were doing at that moment, indeed, the protection details that they had put in place and maintained were invaluable, but they also left them in a state of inaction. Whilst they were expending their time and energies upon the upkeep of these important defences, they were not doing anything that might gain them any sort of advantage when the inevitable cataclysm arrived. Because arrive it would, now that they were so close to destroying the source of You-Know-Who's immortality and by extension, power. It had been mentioned many times that it might be in the Order's interests to attempt to call the shots, to take the fight to their foe rather than waiting for an all-out, well-planned attack to come to them. It was always better in any kind of warfare, not just magical, to charge rather than be charged. However briefly one held the element of surprise, it was a definite advantage to be able to strike when the enemy least expected it, to be able to catch them off their guard before they'd had time to work out a detailed strategy.

"I think the sooner the better," said Bill. "Right now, he's probably feeling pretty damned sure of himself, the loss of the… things notwithstanding. He's succeeded in shaking Hogwarts by the scruff of the neck, even if he hasn't broken it. It seems to me that all his energies will be focussed on trying to destroy the school, which is the only thing that now stands in his way to complete social domination. I think it's safe to say that he might trust other institutions, which have long since been under his control, to take care of themselves."

Remus could see what Bill was suggesting and he smiled. Kingsley had also caught the meaning.

"What are you talking about, for those of us who don't speak fluent Weasley?" asked Dedalus, a touch exasperated.

"A coup." Kingsley grinned.

"A coup as in 'sudden, violent, and illegal seizure of power from a government'?" Dedalus had gone rather pale.

"Well, not quite a coup then," said Kingsley. "A metaphorical coup, if you like. A civil uprising."

"You're suggesting that we attempt to overthrow the Ministry?"

Remus was halfway out of his seat to catch the little man before he fell away in a dead faint, his voice had gone so high-pitched.

"Yes," said Kingsley, although he offered no further explanation. Dedalus hastened to restore his faculties with a cup of tea.

"And how precisely do we go about this?" asked Tonks. "Us versus the Ministry doesn't sound like particularly good odds to me. And in the grand scheme of things, is it even ethical?"

"Tonks, we're in the middle of a war," said Bill. "Nothing's ethical."

"I wasn't meaning like that." She sighed, frustrated. "So by some miracle we overthrow the Ministry and defeat You-Know-Who. What then? The Order can't just start running the country. We're no better qualified than the people in power at the moment. We'll simply be changing one unelected body for another, although ours won't lock up people based on their blood status or kill anyone that gets in our way."

Remus bit his lip. Tonks had raised a good point. They could take the fight to You-Know-Who, but then what?

Bill shook his head.

"No, that's not the problem. The head of the Ministry is under the Imperius curse, that much has been clear since the outset. You-Know-Who is only in control through a proxy and through the lackeys he's put there. If we could release the curse and remove the, erm, obstacles, then the Ministry would be autonomous once more and should You-Know-Who attempt to turn it again, it will be ready and anticipating."

"How do you propose we…" Tonks broke off and stared at Bill. "I keep forgetting you're a cursebreaker," she muttered.

There was silence in the room as the Order considered Bill and Kingsley's proposal.

"Can I just check that I've got my facts right?" asked Dedalus, who was now on his second cup of tea. Remus had half a mind to ask Ted for a drop of Scotch in it. "You two madmen are suggesting that we somehow infiltrate the Ministry, somehow break into the Minister's office, somehow break the no doubt very complicated curse that he is under and somehow, somehow get rid of all the Death Eaters and sympathisers within the institution?"

"Pretty much," said Bill.

Dedalus shook his head and enunciated his next statement very carefully.

"For the love of top hats, HOW?"

"Well we don't have a complete strategy just yet," said Remus. "The plan's only just been laid on the table. But I think that if we start a revolution, then we might just be able to inspire some others to follow our lead."

He thought back to his earlier contemplations and the many potential Order members who were out there, so many individuals who wanted to make a difference but who were prevented from doing so by the sheer strength of numbers that their singular personage faced. All of a sudden, Remus's previous melancholia was slightly lessened. For the first time since Christmas, someone had had an active idea that would not only gain them the greatest advantage of all over their foe but would also bring them the support that they so desperately needed where their own forces were stretched to the limit. If they took the Ministry then You-Know-Who's nefarious plans were partly undone, and if they secured it, it would only be a matter of time before they could topple the wizard himself.

"Good theory," remarked Andromeda as she re-entered the room to refresh the teapot in the wake of Dedalus's attack on it. "But before you get too carried away I've a gaping flaw you missed. As far as I can make out, half of you are wanted by the Ministry. You'll never get near it."

Remus cringed; Andromeda had spoken true. Half-breeds like himself were being hounded, there was no doubt of it, and the rest of the Order who had worked in the Ministry had been so closely monitored that they had, one-by-one, been obliged to leave its employ and either seek work elsewhere or retreat into hiding. Tonks and Kingsley had held on for as long as they could but once it became clear that the Aurors were now being paid to do the opposite of what they had been so fastidiously trained for, they had left on principle before their non-compliance earned them worse reparations.

It was not that the Order were active fugitives, but they would not be welcomed by the Ministry should they unexpectedly arrive in its atrium once again. He thought of Arthur and Molly, forced into hiding, and the trouble that they already faced making ends meet. They had Fred and George helping out on that score though. In the wake of all the previous summer's events, they had been obliged to close their Diagon Alley premises and lead a far more reclusive life, but Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes was by no means out of business. By using the extremely overlooked muggle postage methods, their hastily established mail order service was still doing good trade. Everyone needed something to lighten their bleak days in these increasingly dark times.

Remus was pulled from his reflections by Kingsley's voice.

"We'll think of something, Andromeda," he said. "We all know that this will require quite a bit of planning if it is to be our turning point."

A turning point it was indeed, in the sense that if they did not succeed, they would be undoubtedly slaughtered, and their meagre resistance would cease to exist. Either they paved the way for a new government or they paved the way for You-Know-Who to take complete control. Remus grimaced at the thought; perhaps this wasn't such a good idea after all.

"No pressure then," said Tonks, who seemed to have read his thoughts.

"Have a bit of faith," said Bill. "We'll never get anywhere if we give up before we start. We've all done that enough times in the past and we agreed that it was time to do something."

"I just wish that the something wasn't quite so drastic," murmured Dedalus weakly.

"It's got to be I'm afraid," said Kingsley. "Small efforts here and there are just too easily quashed. If we're going to do something then it will have to be something spectacular in order to get anything done." He paused. "Everyone's up to speed so if no-one's got anything new to report…" here everyone shook their heads "… then I suggest we call it a day. Thank you for your hospitality, Andromeda."

"Any time," she replied. "Dedalus, you look as if you could use another ginger newt before you go."

Dedalus nodded his agreement and sank his teeth into the biscuit gratefully.

"We should make sure that everyone knows about this and as many people come to the next meeting as possible," said Bill. "We're going to need an awful lot of brainpower on this one."

He wasn't kidding, and neither was Kingsley. This was really their only chance – do something big or don't do anything at all – and it would have to be planned down to the last detail with several contingencies in place. What Bill had said earlier also rang true, though. They would have to do this sooner rather than later, whilst You-Know-Who's attention was focussed on the school and not on the supposedly secure Ministry. If they left it any later then they ran the risk of his taking over Hogwarts and cementing his grip, and their task would be impeded tenfold. They had so much to plan, and so very little time in which to plan it.

One by one the others left until only Tonks and Remus remained.

"Hang on a minute, I need a quick word with Mum." Tonks took off in the direction of the kitchen as they were making preparations to leave. Remus shrugged his acceptance and thought once more of the foreboding task that awaited them. Never had the phrase 'do or die' seen a situation more appropriate.

Note2: In case anyone is wondering, no, I am not going to cop out like I did with Gringotts. There will be a raid on the Ministry, and it will have its fair share of death, destruction, Dawlish, Floo powder, inept wizards named Jim, unexpected turns of events and witches wielding chair-legs…