April 24th, 1996
Library, Hogwarts School
Daphne Greengrass sighed sadly. Almost a year ago, her Harry had vanished. While he had good reason to disappear, it was safe to return now, and she wanted to apologize for... well, she wanted to apologize. The problem was, she couldn't find him! Wherever he had gone, he hid his tracks well. It was almost as if he had dropped off the face of the planet. She knew he was still alive, the contract would have been rendered null and void if he were dead. But there were no signs of him anywhere. Even hiring private investigators turned up no results.
Of course, these private investigators proved useful in other venues as well, as did her new-found contacts in the criminal underground. How else would she have been able to keep tabs on the Death Eaters? Since she had started going outside public records for information, her reports had become much more detailed.
As she leafed through another document, hoping for even a mention of her betrothed, Hermione Granger stepped into the room. For a few moments, Daphne tried to ignore the girl. Eventually, though, she gave in.
"What is it, Granger?" she asked, her voice empty of emotion.
"Have you seen the news?" the other girl asked solemnly.
"Not today, why?"
"Take a look." She produced a newspaper from her bag. Daphne idly noted that it was a special edition paper, only printed a few hours before. She looked at the headline.
Death Eater Raid in Paris! You-Know-Who Now an International Threat!
She paled. This was not good, not good at all. Only a few days ago, Minister of Magic Amelia Bones' campaign to crush Death Eater influence in the Ministry of Magic and the Wizengamot had concluded, and measures to keep them from getting back in were put into place. Now, in apparent retaliation, the Dark Lord ordered his forces to shift their focus to international targets. On the plus side, now they had more time to hunt down those damned horcruxes...
-o-
April 28th, 1996
Great Hall, Hogwarts School
"I hereby call this meeting to order," Alastor Moody declared. "What do you have for us?"
It was Mundungus Fletcher who spoke up first. "I've found more mentions 'f Chimera, I have," he proclaimed.
"Continue," Moody declared after a moment.
"I was on the lookout in a bar in south England, I was, and I 'eard some peoples talkin' 'bout how Chimera was lookin' fer somethin'. I did some digging, I did, and I found that this organization is actually a small group pullin' strings, they are. They look fer information on various things, then, if they find somethin', they get people to act on it."
"What kinds of things do they look for?" Kingsley asked.
"All kinds of fings," Fletcher proclaimed. "Politicians, prison records, historical artifacts, trial transcripts, 'Arry Potter, transaction logs, all kinds of fings."
"Harry Potter? Chimera is looking for my son?" James asked, concerned.
"Seems like," Fletcher declared.
"Why- what do they want with him?" he asked.
"Mayhaps same fing we want 'im for – to kill Voldemort fer us."
-o-
May 4th, 1996
Chamber of Secrets, Hogwarts School
It was chilly in the cavernous hall in which they had decided to meet. The six individuals gathered around a table near the middle of the room, and sat down. With a sigh, the apparent leader of their group declared, "Let this meeting commence. Is there any business not already scheduled for discussion that cannot wait until our next meeting?"
"Yes. One of my contacts reports that one Mundungus Fletcher has been sticking his nose where it does not belong on behalf of the 'Order of the Phoenix.'"
"How much has he found?" One of the six asked, sounding amused.
"Enough to give the Order an accurate idea of how we operate."
There was an uncomfortable silence following that proclamation. If the Order of the Phoenix had found that much, what was to stop them from learning more, like their search agenda, for example, or what characteristics the items they hunted for possessed?
"I think it's time we gave them something else to focus on. Any volunteers to play messenger?"
-o-
Kingsley Shacklebolt shivered in the cold night air. Just a few hours ago, Nathan Potter announced that Voldemort was planning an attack on the magical world's shopping district in Lyons. While he hesitated to take the word of a child, Moody had declared that the risk was too great to ignore the warning, no matter how questionable. Personally, Kingsley thought the man's paranoia was to blame, but here he was anyways.
It was with shock that the Auror witnessed the arrival of several dozen figures in Death Eater robes. Getting over his shock at the Potter boy's information being spot-on, down to the very minute of the start of the attack, he gave the order to start firing.
The battle for England had, for now, been won. The battle for Europe was now underway.