The Bribe
Arthur knew that it may take a while for Kreacher to find Mundungus, being a slippery little piece of troll dung.
And that was confirmed by the fact that Kreacher hadn't returned that morning, or later that afternoon. By nightfall, he accepted that it may even take days for the house elf to find the thief.
The following day, Kreacher still didn't return, nor the day after that.
But something did happen: two cloaked men appeared in the square outside of number twelve, remaining there into the night, gazing in the direction of the house they couldn't see.
"Death Eaters." Mike glared as they all watched from the drawing room windows.
"Do you think they know we're here?" David asked Arthur.
"I don't know. Probably not." Arthur replied with a grim expression. "Because Snape would've been sent after us."
"Do you think he's been in here with his tongue tied by Moody's curse?" David then asked.
"For sure." Chrys said. "Otherwise he'd have been able to tell them how to get in. They're most likely watching to see if we turn up. They'd know Arthur owns the house."
"How?" Arthur frowned.
"Wizarding wills get examined by the Ministry, remember?" Chrys reminded him. "They'll know Sirius left you the place."
The presence of the Death Eaters outside made things all the more ominous and grim inside number twelve.
There hasn't been a word from anyone beyond Grimmauld Place since Ben's Patronus and if any of them started to be strained, they didn't show it.
Arthur would cuddle and curl up with Mike, Chrys would study The Tales of Beedle the Bard and David would occasionally play with the Deluminator in various parts of number twelve.
"I'm gonna go check the kitchen." Arthur said, breaking the tense silence on the third evening of Kreacher's absence, pulling out of Mike's arms as he stood and left the drawing room.
He would always check the kitchen every three hours per day to see if Kreacher came back.
Arthur was halfway down the flight of stairs when he froze upon hearing a tap on the front door before metallic clicks and the grinding of the chain.
On edge, Arthur pulled his wand out and moved into the shadows beside the decapitated elf heads and waited.
The door opened and he caught a glimpse of the lamplit square outside, along with a cloaked figure that edged into the hall, closing the door behind him.
The intruder took a step forward and Moody's voice asked "Severus Snape?"
The dust figure then rose from the end of the hall and rushed at him, raising its dead hand.
"It was not I who killed you, Albus." A quiet voice said.
The jinx broke with the dust figure exploding again, now making it impossible to make out the intruder through the dense grey cloud it left behind.
"DON'T MOVE!" Arthur roared as he pointed his wand into the middle of it.
He had forgotten about Mrs Black's portrait, which at the sound of his yell, the curtains hiding her flew open and she started screaming "Mudbloods and filth dishonouring my house -"
Mike, David and Chrys crashed down the stairs behind Arthur, wands pointing like his, at the unknown man that stood with his arms raised in the hall below.
"Hold your fire, it's me, Remus!"
All four of them didn't lower their wands. For all they knew, he was a disguised Death Eater or someone aiding Voldemort.
"Tell us things only Remus Lupin would know!" Arthur demanded of him.
Lupin moved forwards into the lamplight, hands still held high in a gesture of surrender.
"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, Arthur, which takes the form of a lion, just like the Animagus form of you and your father."
Arthur and the others kept their wands pointed at him for a moment before lowering them, having heard enough confirmation that he is indeed Lupin.
"Just had to make sure." He told him.
"Speaking as your ex-Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, I quite agree that you had to check."
They all ran down the stairs to him. He was wrapped in a thick black travelling cloak and looked exhausted, though pleased to see them.
"No sign of Severus, then?" He asked.
"No. What's going on? Is everyone else okay?" Arthur asked back.
"Yes, but we're all being watched. There are a couple of Death Eaters in the square outside -"
" - we know -"
" - 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 stalin out everywhere that's got any connection with you, Arthur. Let's go downstairs, there's a lot to tell you and I want to know what happened after you left Merlon Manor."
They all made their way down into the kitchen, where Chrys pointed her wand at the grate.
A fire sprang to life instantly, giving the illusion of cosiness to the stone walls and glistened off the long wooden table. Lupin then pulled out some Butterbeers from beneath his travelling cloak and they sat down.
"I'd have been here three days ago but I needed to shake off the Death Eater tailing me." Lupin told them all. "So, you came straight here after the wedding?"
"No." Arthur said. "It was only after we had a run in with Rowle and Dolohov in a cafe on Tottenham Court Road."
Lupin slopped most of his Butterbeer down his front upon hearing this.
"What?"
The four explained to him what happened and when they finished, Lupin looked aghast.
"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 believe they placed the Taboo jinx on their master's name." Arthur replied. "They did appear right after Chrys said his name."
"Of course, only enemies of You Know Who would say his name, so it would be easier to track them down." Lupin said, looking concerned and disturbed all at once.
"Can you tell us what happened after we left?" David asked. "We haven't heard anything since dad told us that my family's safe."
"Well, Kingsley saved us." Lupin replied. "Thanks to his warning, most of the wedding guest were able to Disapparate before they arrived."
"Were they Death Eaters?" Chrys asked.
"A mixture of them and Ministry people, 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, Arthur. Ben heard a rumour that they tried to torture your whereabouts out of Scrimgeour before they killed him; if it's true, he didn't give you away."
Arthur looked at Mike, David and Chrys, all of their expressions reflecting the mingled shock and even gratitude he felt. He may not have liked Scrimgeour, and still didn't like him, but he did have to respect him for trying to protect him in his final act, if what Lupin said was true.
"The Death Eaters searched Merlon Manor from top to bottom." Lupin said. "Fawkes had vanished before they searched and they found the ghoul, but didn't want to get too close - and then they interrogated those of us who remained for hours. They were trying to get information on you, Arthur, but, of course, nobody apart from the Order knew that you had been there. At the same time they were smashing up the wedding, more Death Eaters were forcing their way into every Order connected house in the country. No death…" He added quickly, forestalling the question. "...but they were rough. They burned down Dedalus Diggle's house, but as you know he wasn't there, and they used the Cruciatus Curse on Tonks' family. Again, trying to find out where you went after you visited them. They're alright - shaken, obviously, but otherwise okay."
"The Death Eaters were able to get through the protective charms?" Arthur asked, knowing how effective they were on the night he crashed in Tonks' parents' garden.
"What you've got to realise, Arthur, is that the Death Eaters have got the full might of the Ministry on their side now." Lupin told him. "They've got the power to perform brutal spells without fear of identification or arrest. They managed to penetrate every defensive spell we'd cast against them, and once inside, they were completely open about why they'd come."
"Are they bothering to give an excuse to torture Arthur's whereabouts out of people?" Mike asked, on edge.
"Well." Lupin hesitated before pulling out a folded copy of the Daily Prophet.
"Here…" He said as he pushed it across the table to Arthur. "...you'll know sooner or later anyway. That's their pretext for going after you."
Arthur smoothed the paper out. There was a huge photograph of his face filling the front page with a headline over it that read:
WANTED FOR QUESTIONING ABOUT THE DEATH OF ALBUS DUMBLEDORE
Mike, David and Chrys roared in outrage while Arthur took deep and heavy breaths through his nose with clenched fists so tight that they shook.
He didn't read anymore as he pushed the paper away. He just knew what it would say. No one but those that were on top of the Astronomy Tower when Dumbledore died knew who actually killed him and, as Skeeter told the wizarding world, Arthur was seen running from the place moments after Dumbledore fell.
"I'm sorry, Arthur?" Lupin said.
"So they have now taken over the Daily Prophet?" Chrys asked furiously.
Lupin nodded.
"But don't people realise what's going on?"
"The coup has been smooth and virtually silent." Lupin told her. "The official version of Scrimgeour's murder is that he resigned; he has been replaced by Pius Thicknesse, who is under the Imperius Curse."
"So the Dark Lord is Minister through Thicknesse?" David frowned.
"Exactly. Why should he sit behind a desk at the Ministry? His puppet, Thicknesse, is taking care of everyday business, leaving the You Know Who 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 he 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, You Know Who 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 involves warning the whole wizarding world against me instead of the Dark Lord?" Arthur asked.
"That's certainly part of it, and it is a masterstroke. Now that Dumbledore is dead, you - the Boy Who Lived and Heir of Gryffindor - were sure to be the symbol and rallying point for any resistance to You Know Who. But by suggesting that you had a hand in the old hero's death, You Know Who has not only set a price upon your head, but sown doubt and fear amongst many who would have defended you. Meanwhile, the Ministry has started moving against Muggle-Borns."
Lupin pointed at the Daily Prophet.
"Look at page two."
Chrys turned the pages with the same distaste she had when handling Secrets of the Darkest Art.
"'Muggle-Born Register 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.'"
"And people are just letting this happen?" David asked in absolute disgust.
"They are. Muggle-Borns are being rounded up as we speak." Lupin replied.
"But how the hell are they supposed to have 'stolen' magic?" Mike asked in disbelief. "It's just ridiculous. If you can steal magic, then there wouldn't be any Squibs, would there?"
"I know." Lupin 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."
David glanced at Chrys before saying "But what if pure-bloods and half-bloods swear that a Muggle-Born is part of their family? I'll just tell everyone that Chrys is my cousin -"
Chrys grabbed David's hand and squeezed it.
"Thanks, David, but there's no way I could let you -"
"You don't have a choice." David told her fiercely, gripping her hand tightly. "I'll teach you my whole family tree so you can answer questions on it to explain why you don't have silver hair."
This made Chrys make a shaky laugh.
"David, we're on the run with Arthur Pendergast, who is now the most wanted person in the country. It won't matter, unless I was going back to Hogwarts. What does the Dark Lord plan for Hogwarts?" She asked Lupin.
"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, You Know Who 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."
Arthur was so sickened, enraged and in disbelief that excited eleven year old boys and girls would be poring over stacks of newly purchased spell books, totally unaware that they'd never see Hogwarts, maybe never see their families ever again.
"He must pay." He hissed in rage.
"I know." Lupin said quietly before hesitating to speak again. "I'll understand if you can't confirm this, Arthur, but the Order is under the impression that Dumbledore left you a mission."
"Yes." Arthur nodded. "Mike, David and Chrys are coming with me as they're in on it."
Even more so now, not just because of Chrys being a Muggle-Born, but also because of Mike. It's known, at least at Hogwarts, that Mike is Arthur's boyfriend. So if he went to Hogwarts, the Death Eaters would torture, if not kill, to find out where Arthur was.
"Can you confide in me what the mission is?" Lupin asked.
Arthur looked right into Lupin's prematurely lined face, framed in thick yet greying hair, wishing he could return with a different answer.
"No, Lupin. If Dumbledore didn't tell you, then I can't. I'm sorry."
"I thought you'd say that." Lupin said, looking disappointed. "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."
Arthur frowned and narrowed his eyes at him. How could they keep their mission a secret from Lupin if he was with them the whole time. Not to mention….
"But what about Tonks?" Mike asked.
"What about her?" Lupin said.
"You're married!" Mike frowned. How would she feel about you going away with us?"
"Tonks will be perfectly safe." Lupin replied. "She'll be at her parents' house."
Lupin's tone had immediate red flags. It was almost cold. And the idea of Tonks staying hidden at her parents' house was just odd. She was a member of the Order, after all, and Arthur knew she'd want to be in the thick of the action.
"Lupin…" Chrys said tentatively. "...are things between you two alright?"
"Everything is fine, thank you." Lupin said pointedly.
This made Chrys frown at him as well.
There was now an awkward and embarrassed pause before Lupin revealed, with an air of forcing himself to admit something unpleasant "Tonks is going to have a baby."
All four had congratulated him, yet Arthur suspected something was off with Lupin, since he didn't seem pleased.
He even gave an artificial smile that was more like a grimace before he said "So… do you accept my offer? Will four become five? I cannot believe that Dumbledore would have disapproved, he appointed me your Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, after all. And I must tell you that I believe that we are facing magic many of us have never encountered or imagined."
The three looked at Arthur, who still frowned and even glared at Lupin.
"So, just to be clear, you want to leave a pregnant Tonks at her parents' house and come away with us?" He said, accusation creeping in his voice.
"She'll be perfectly safe there, they'll look after her." Lupin replied, speaking with a finality that bordered on indifference, which irked Arthur so much. "Arthur, I'm sure John would have wanted me to stick with you."
"I don't think so." Arthur coolly shook his head. "I'm sure my father would want to know why you're not sticking with your wife and unborn child."
Lupin's face drained of colour. The temperature of the kitchen also seemed to have dropped ten degrees. Mike, David and Chrys all looked at Lupin with accusation.
"You don't understand." Lupin said finally.
"Then explain." Arthur replied, making Lupin swallow.
"I - I made a grave mistake in marrying Tonks. I did it against my better judgement and I have regretted it very much ever since."
"I see, then…" Arthur said, still having a cold tone to his voice. "...you're just dumping her and the baby to run off with us."
Lupin sprang to his feet, his chair having toppled over backwards as he glared at Arthur so fiercely that Arthur saw, for the first time ever, the shadow of a wolf upon his human face.
"Don't you understand what I've done to my wife and my unborn child? I should never have married her, I've made her an outcast!"
He then kicked his chair aside.
"You have only ever seen me amongst the Order, or under Dumbledore's protection at Hogwarts! You don't know how most of the wizarding world sees creatures like me! When they know of my affliction, they can barely talk to me! Don't you see what I've done? Even her own family is disgusted by our marriage, what parents want their only daughter to marry a werewolf? And the child - the child -"
Lupin seized handfuls of his own hair, looking very deranged.
"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!"
"Lupin!" Chrys shouted, clearly wanting to snap him out of his downward spiral. "Don't say that. No child would be ashamed of you!"
"I would if he was my father." Arthur said with so much venom and rage that he too was propelled to his feet.
Lupin looked at him as though Arthur had hit him.
"If this new regime is against Muggle-Borns, what do you think they'll do to a half-werewolf whose father is part of the Order? My father died trying to protect my mother and me. He would not tell you to abandon your child to go off on an adventure with us!"
"How - how dare you?" Lupin said. "This is not about a desire for - for danger or personal glory - how dare you suggest such a -"
"You're probably feeling like a daredevil, trying to fill Sirius' shoes." Arthur spat as he glared right into Lupin's livid face.
"You have done nothing but shown your true colours. YOU'RE A COWARD!"
Lupin drew his wand so fast that Arthur barely had time to reach his; there was a loud bang and he found himself flying backwards as though he was punched. Right as he slammed into the kitchen wall and slid to the floor, he glimpsed the tail of Lupin's cloak disappearing round the door.
A moment later, they all heard the front door slam shut.
"Was it really necessary to go that far?" Chrys asked as Mike helped Arthur up.
"It was." He said, feeling a lump swelling where his head hit the wall, still feeling contempt and anger. "He had it coming. He's been nothing but a coward and an idiot ever since he learned Tonks had feelings for him. And parents shouldn't leave their children unless they have no choice."
He sat back down at the table, his eyes on the fire that Chrys conjured up.
"Let's hope he realises how stupid he's being and goes back to Tonks." David said, shaking his head in disappointment.
The silence in the kitchen was now humming with the shock of the recent scene.
The Daily Prophet that Lupin brought was still lying on the table with Arthur's face staring up at the ceiling from the front page.
Deciding to see what else the paper told, Arthur grabbed it and opened up at random and found Dumbledore's name instantly.
He saw that it accompanied a photograph that showed what looked like a happy family. Beneath it were the words: The Dumbledore family: left to right, Albus, Percival, holding newborn Ariana, Kendra and Aberforth.
Percival was a good looking man with eyes that twinkled even in the faded old photograph. Ariana was barely longer than a loaf of bread and no more distinctive looking. Kendra had jet black hair that was pulled into a high bun. And her face had a carved quality to it. Also, despite the high necked silk gown she wore, Arthur couldn't help but think of Native Americans as he studied her dark eyes, high cheekbones and straight nose. Both Albus and Aberforth wore matching lace collared jackets and had identical, shoulder length hairstyles. Albus definitely looked several years older, but the two did look very much alike, as this was before Albus' nose was broken and before he wore glasses.
The family really did look genuinely happy and normal, all smiling serenely up out of the newspaper. Baby Ariana's arm waved vaguely out of her shawl.
Arthur then noticed the headline above the picture:
EXCLUSIVE EXTRACT FROM THE UPCOMING BIOGRAPHY OF ALBUS DUMBLEDORE
by Rita Skeeter
Arthur started to read, wondering what garbage Skeeter wrote so far:
Proud and haughty, Kendra Dumbledore could not bear to remain in Mould on the Wold after her husband Percival's well publicised arrest and imprisonment in Azkaban. She therefore decided to uproot the family and relocate to Godric's Hollow, the village that was later to gain fame as the scene of Arthur Pendergast's strange escape from You Know Who, and in the birthplace of his ancestor, Godric Gryffindor, of all places.
Like Mould on the Wold, Godric's Hollow was home to a number of wizarding families, but as Kendra knew none of them, she would be spared the curiosity about her husband's crime she had faced in her former village. By reportedly rebuffing the friendly advances of her new wizarding neighbours, she soon ensured that her family were left well alone.
"Slammed the door in my face when I went round to welcome her with a batch of homemade cauldron cakes" says Bathilda Bagshot. "The first year they were there, I only ever saw the two boys. Wouldn't have known there was a daughter if I hadn't been picking Plangentines by moonlight the winter after they moved in, and saw Kendra leading Ariana out into the back garden. Walked her round the lawn once, keeping a firm grip on her than took her back inside. Didn't know what to make of it."
It seems that Kendra thought the move to Godric's Hollow was the perfect opportunity to hide Ariana once and for all, something she had probably been planning for years. The timing was significant. Ariana was barely seven years old when she vanished from sight, and seven is the age by which most experts agree that magic will have revealed itself, if present. Nobody now alive remembers Ariana ever demonstrating even the slightest sign of magical ability. It seems clear, therefore, that Kendra made a decision to hide her daughter's existence rather than suffer the shame of admitting that she had produced a Squib. Moving away from friends and neighbours who knew Ariana would, of course, make imprisoning her all the easier. The tiny number of people who henceforth knew of Ariana's existence could be counted upon to keep the secret, including her two brothers, who deflected awkward questions with the answer their mother had taught them: "My sister is too frail for school."
Next week: Albus Dumbledore at Hogwarts - the prizes and the pretence.
Arthur's contempt for Skeeter just grew even more, which is impressive, since it was already high.
He looked back at the photograph, wondering just how they went from being happy to having a father and husband going to prison and hiding a daughter from the world, moving from one place to another.
Percival didn't seem like someone who would attack Muggles in the photo. The only way he could do something like that, considering his wife is supposed to be a Muggle-Born, is that he was seeking revenge on the Muggles because of something they did, something that must've traumatised their daughter so much she needed to be hidden.
Arthur was about to reveal this and explain his thoughts to the others when a deafening crack echoed around the kitchen.
Arthur instantly got to his feet as he saw a mass of struggling limbs appear out of thin air right beside his chair.
It was Kreacher as he disentangled himself and, bowing low to him, croaked "Kreacher has returned with the thief Mundungus Fletcher, Master."
Mundungus scrambled up and pulled out his wand, but Chrys was too quick for him.
"Expelliarmus!"
His wand soared out of his hand and Chrys caught it.
Now wide eyed, Mundungus dived for the stairs, but both Mike and David rugby tackled him, making the older man hit the stone floor with a muffled crunch as Mike punched him in the side.
"What?" He bellowed, writhing in his attempts to free himself from the grip of the two boys. "Wha've I done? Setting a bleedin' 'ouse elf on me, what are you playing at, wha've I done, lemme go, lemme go, or -"
"You're in no position to make threats, Fungus." Arthur spat as he threw the paper aside, walked right up to him and dropped to his knees beside Mundungus, who stopped struggling with a look of terror. David and Mike got up, panting as Arthur pointed his wand right at Mundungus' nose. He stank of sweat and tobacco and his hair was matted and wore stained robes.
"Kreacher apologises for the delay in bringing the thief, Master." Kreacher croaked. "Fletcher knows how to avoid capture, has many hidey holes and accomplices. Nevertheless, Kreacher cornered the thief in the end."
"You did a great job, Kreacher." Arthur told the elf, who bowed low.
"We have some questions for you." Arthur then growled at Mundungus, who shouted at once.
"I panicked, okay? I never wanted to come along, no offence, mate, but I never volunteered to die for you, an' that was bleedin' You Know Who come flying at me, anyone woulda got outta there, I said all along I didn't wanna do it -"
"None of us Disapparated, you selfish prick." Mike spat.
"Well, you're a bunch of bleedin' 'eroes, then, aren't you, but I never pretended I was up for killing meself -"
"We're not interested in why you ran out on Moody, you filth." Arthur cut him off, moving his wand a bit closer to his baggy, bloodshot eyes. "We already know that you're nothing but an untrustworthy and unreliable piece of disgusting scum."
"Well them, why the 'ell am I being 'unted down by 'ouse elve? Or is this about them goblets again? I ain't got none of 'em left, or you could 'ave 'em -"
"It ain't about them, either, but you are getting warmer." Arthur told him. "Now shut up and listen."
His wand was now so close to the bridge of Mundungus' nose that he was cross eyed trying to keep it in view.
"When you cleaned out this place of anything of value -" Arthur began, but was interrupted by Mundungus.
"Sirius never cared about any of the junk -"
There was a sound of pattering feet, a blaze of shining copper and then an echoing clang followed by a shriek of agony. Kreacher had taken a run at Mundungus, hitting him over the head with a saucepan.
"Call 'im off, call 'im off, 'e should be locked up!" Mundungus screamed as he cowered with Kreacher raising the heavy bottomed pan again.
"Kreacher, stop!" Arthur shouted.
Kreacher's thin arms trembled with the weight of the pan, still held over his head.
"Perhaps just one more, Master Arthur, for luck?"
This made both Mike and David snort.
"We need him awake, Kreacher. But you can do the honours if he ever needs some more persuading." Arthur replied with a smirk.
"Thank you very much, Master." Kreacher said with a bow before retreating a short distance, his great, pale eyes still fixed upon Mundungus with loathing.
"Anyway, when you stripped this house of any and all valuables, you took a bunch of stuff from the kitchen cupboard. Among them was a locket. What did you do with it?"
"Why? Is it valuable?"
"You still got it?" Chrys asked.
"He doesn't." David said shrewdly.
"Yeah, he was probably more concerned with asking more money for it." Mike added.
"More?" Mundungus said. "That wouldn't have been effing difficult bleedin' gave it away, di'n' I? No choice."
"What happened?"
"I was selling in Diagon Alley an' she come up to me an' asks if I've got a licence for trading in magical artefacts. Bleedin' snoop. She was gonna fine me, but she took a fancy to the locket an' told me she'd take it and let me off that time an' to fink meself lucky."
"Who was she?" Arthur asked.
"I dunno, some Ministry hag."
Mundungus considered for a moment before his brow wrinkled.
"Little woman. Bow on top of 'er head."
Arthur's eyebrows narrowed, having a good idea where this was going and he didn't like it.
Mundungus frowned before adding "Looked like a toad."
Arthur roared as he slashed his wand at Mundungus' face, causing red sparks to hit and ignite into his eyebrows.
"Aguamenti!" Chrys shouted, a jet of water shooting from her wand, engulfing, spluttering and choking Mundungus.
Arthur looked up and saw the same look of frustration, shock and anger on Mike, David and Chrys' faces.
It looks like they'll have to deal with Umbridge again.
I love Lupin, but he can be problematic as we've just seen. And I know Arthru may seem too harsh, but if it gets Lupin to realise how idiotic he's been acting, so be it.