Magic Is Might
As August went on, the square of unkempt grass in the middle of Grimmauld Place shrivelled under the sun until it was brittle and brown.
The inhabitants of number twelve were never seen by anyone in the surrounding houses, nor was number twelve itself.
All of the Muggles that lived in Grimmauld Place had long believed that it was a mistake when constructing and have found it amusing that the numbering caused number eleven to be beside number thirteen.
Yet the square now attracted a trickle of visitors that found this anomaly very intriguing. Barely a day had passed without one or two people arriving with no other purpose, so it seemed, than to just lean against the railings facing numbers eleven and thirteen, watching the join between the two houses.
These lurkers were never the same two days running, though they all shared a collective dislike for normal clothing. Most of the Londoners that passed them were used to eccentric dressers, so they took little notice of them, though occasionally one would glance back, wondering why anyone would wear such long cloaks in the heat.
These watchers had little satisfaction from their vigil. Occasionally, one of them would start forwards excitedly, like they saw something interesting finally, but they'd fall back looking pretty disappointed.
On the first day of September, there were now more people lurking in the square. Half a dozen men in long cloaks stood silently and watchful, gazing at houses eleven and thirteen, but the thing they were waiting for was still elusive.
As evening drew on, bringing an unexpected gust of chilly rain for the first time in weeks, there did seem to be something interesting. The man with the twisted face pointed and his closest companion, a podgy, pallid man, started forwards, but they soon relaxed into their usual state of inactivity, looking not just disappointed, but also frustrated.
Meanwhile, inside of number twelve, Arthur had just entered the hall. He nearly lost his balance when he Apparated onto the top step just outside the front door, hoping that the Death Eaters only got the smallest of glimpses of his momentarily exposed elbow.
He shut the front door behind him carefully before he pulled off his Invisibility Cloak, draping it over his arm and hurrying along the gloomy hallway to the door that led to the kitchen, a stolen copy of the Daily Prophet in his hand.
The usual low whisper of "Severus Snape?" greeted him, followed by the chill wind that swept him and his tongue rolled up for a moment.
"I didn't kill you." Arthur said, once his tongue unrolled, holding his breath as the dusty jinx figure exploded.
He waited until he was halfway down the stairs to the kitchen, out of earshot from Mrs Black and clear of the dust cloud before he called out "I got some news. And it isn't good."
The kitchen was nearly unrecognisable. Every surface shined now. Copper pots and pans were burnished to a rosy glow, the wooden table gleamed, the goblets and plates already laid for dinner glinted in the light from a blazing fire, where a cauldron was simmering.
But the most dramatic change and difference came from Kreacher, who hurried towards Arthur, dressed in a snowy white towel, his ear hair clean and fluffy like cotton wool and Regulus' locket bouncing on his thin chest.
"Shoes off, if you please, Master Arthur, and hands washed before dinner." Kreacher croaked, seizing the Invisibility Cloak and slouching off to hang it on a hook on the wall, beside some old fashioned robes that were freshly laundered.
"What happened?" Mike asked with dread in his voice. He, David and Chrys pored over a sheaf of scribbled notes and hand drawn maps that littered the end of the long kitchen table. But they now watched Arthur striding to them, throwing down the newspaper on top of their scattered parchment.
"This happened." He told them, pointing at a large picture of a familiar hook nosed, black haired man staring up at them beneath a headline that read:
SEVERUS SNAPE CONFIRMED AS HOGWARTS HEADMASTER
"NO!" The three shouted loudly.
Mike was the quickest as he snatched the paper and read the story aloud.
"'Severus Snape, long standing Potions master at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, was today appointed Headmaster in the most important of several staffing changes at the ancient school. Following the resignation of the previous Muggle Studies teacher, Alecto Carrow will take over the post while her brother, Amycus, fills the position of Defence Against the Dark Arts professor. 'I welcome the opportunity to uphold our finest wizarding traditions and values -'' More like committing murder and cutting off people's ears, you bastard!" Mike raged, throwing the paper away and stormed out of the room.
"Snape, Headmaster! In Dumbledore's study! Such troll dung!" Chrys shrieked, following after Mike, but stopped for a second before saying "Of course!" And then continued on.
Both Arthur and David were left a bit speechless for a moment before David grabbed the paper and looked through the article.
"The other teachers won't stand for this." He said. "Mike's mother, Flitwick, Sprout and Slughorn know the truth, they know Snape killed Dumbledore and won't accept him as Headmaster."
"And what makes things worse is that the Carrows are Death Eaters. Their pictures are inside. They were at the top of the Astronomy Tower when Snape killed Dumbledore, so it's chums." Arthur said as he sat down. "This means the other teachers have no choice but to stay. With the Ministry and Riddle behind Snape, it's a choice between staying and teaching or spending time in Azkaban. They'll want to stay and protect the students."
Kreacher came bustling over to the table with a large tureen in his hands, ladling out soup into pristine bowls, whistling between his teeth at the same time.
"Thanks, Kreacher." Arthur said as he flipped over the Prophet to not look at Snape's face any longer. "At least we know where that greasy haired git is."
He started eating the soup. The quality of Kreacher's cooking improved significantly ever since he was given Regulus' locket: today's French onion soup was as good as Arthur had ever tasted.
"There's now a lot more Death Eaters watching the house." He then told David as they ate. "It's like they hope we'll march out with our school trunks and head off for the Hogwarts Express."
David glanced at his watch.
"It left nearly six hours ago. It's very weird to not be on it this year."
Arthur thought of the scarlet steam engine, of Mary, Neville and Luna, probably sitting together right now, wondering where he, Mike, David and Chrys were, or perhaps thinking about how to undermine Snape's regime.
"They nearly saw me coming back in, you know." Arthur told him. "I slipped on the top step and the Cloak slipped."
"I've done that a few times. Here they come." David replied as he saw both Mike and Chrys coming back in the kitchen.
"So why did you say 'of course' before leaving the kitchen?" David asked.
"Because I remembered this." Chrys panted.
She and Mike were carrying a large framed picture that they lowered to the floor before Chrys seized her beaded bag from the kitchen dresser. She opened it and forced the painting inside, which vanished inside within a few seconds.
"Good old Phineas Nigellus." Mike said as Chrys threw the bag onto the kitchen table.
"Of course, Snape would've used him to look inside the house, but he won't now." David grinned triumphantly as both Chrys and Mike resumed their seats.
"Anything else happened, Arthur?" Mike asked as they pulled their soups closer.
"No. I watched the Ministry entrance for seven hours and saw no sign of that toad. I did see Ben, though. He looks fine." Arthur replied.
David sighed with some relief.
They all agreed that it was too dangerous to communicate with Ben and Sam while they walked in and out of the Ministry, mainly because they'd be surrounded by other Ministry workers. But it was reassuring that they had such glimpses, even if Ben, in particular, looked strained and anxious.
"Dad told us that most Ministry people use the Floo Network to get to work." David explained. "So we won't see Umbridge going in that way, she'd never walk, she'd think she's too important."
"And what about that funny old witch, that plump witch accompanying her and that little one in the navy robes?" Chrys asked.
"The one in navy robes works in Magical Maintenance." David answered.
"How do you know that?" Mike asked.
"Dad told me that everyone from Magical Maintenance wears navy blue robes." David explained, pointing out the notes and maps with what he wrote down about such Ministry workers.
"Okay, this will help." Chyrs said after having a spoonful of soup.
"Guys, I think we should infiltrate the Ministry tomorrow." Arthur suddenly said, making all the other three look at him.
"Excuse me? Tomorrow?" Chrys said.
"Yeah. We're already prepared and the longer we put it off, the further away the locket will be. There's a chance Umbridge will have chucked it in another month's time, the thing won't open." Arthur reasoned.
"Unless she found a way to open it and is now possessed." David retorted.
"It wouldn't make a difference. She's already evil as it is." Mike pointed out.
"Fact is, we all know everything important, they've stopped Apparition in and out of the Ministry and we do know that the most senior Ministry members are allowed to connect their homes to the Floo Network, as Mike heard two Unspeakables complaining about it. And we have a rough idea where Umbridge's office is because of that bearded bloke saying to his mate -"
"'I'll be up on Level One, Dolores wants to see me.'" Chrys said immediately.
"Yes. And there's the fact we have to get in with those coins or tokens, whatever they are, because I saw that witch borrow one from her friend -"
"But we don't have any." Chrys pointed out.
"But we will if the plan works, especially because we'll be using Polyjuice Potion to impersonate some Ministry employees." Arthur replied.
The four have spent the past four weeks taking turns to don the Invisibility Cloak and spy on the official entrance to the Ministry, which David, due to Ben, knew since childhood. They tailed various Ministry workers on their way in, eavesdropping on their conversations and learned from careful observation which of them could be relied upon to appear, on their own, at the same time every day, They'd occasionally sneak a Daily Prophet from someone's briefcase. It allowed them to slowly build up the maps and notes they now had in front of them.
Soon, pain started shooting through Arthur's scar. His hand instantly jumped to it.
"I need to go to the bathroom." He said as he stood with his scar growing more and more painful, the other three looking concerned. Kreacher hurried forwards.
"Master has not finished his soup, would Master prefer the savoury stew, or else the treacle tart to which Master is so partial?"
"I'm fine, Kreacher. I just need to go to the bathroom." Arthur assured him.
He hurried up the stairs to the hall and up to the first landing, where he dashed into the bathroom, bolting the door again.
Now grunting in pain, he slumped over the black basin with its taps in the form of open mouthed serpents and closed his eyes.
He found himself gliding along a twilit street, buildings on either side having high timbered gables, making them look like gingerbread houses.
He approached one of them, seeing the whiteness of his own long fingered hand against the door. He knocked and felt a mounting excitement.
The door opened by a laughing woman who stood there. Her face fell upon looking into Arthur's face, all humour gone and now replaced with terror.
"Gregorovitch?" A high, cold voice said.
She shook her head, trying to close the door. But a white hand held it steady, preventing her from shutting him out.
"I want Gregorovitch."
"Er wohnt hier nicht mehr!" The woman cried, shaking her head. "He no live here! He no live here! I know him not!"
Now abandoning attempts at closing the door, she started backing away down the dark hall and Arthur followed, gliding towards her, his long fingered hand drawing his wand.
"Where is he?"
"Das weiβ ich nicht! He move! I know not, I know not!"
He raised his wand, making her scream. Two young children then came out into the hall, making her try to shield them with her arms. There was then a flash of green light -
"ARTHUR!"
He opened his eyes, finding himself sunk to the floor. Mike pounded on the door again.
"Arthur, open up!"
He was shouting. He just knew it.
Arthur got up and unbolted the door. There was Mike, David and Chrys on the other side, all looking worried and unnerved.
"Why were you shouting?" Mike asked.
"It's Riddle. He's still searching for Gregorovitch and he… he killed a woman. And maybe even her whole family." Arthur replied, trying to keep himself from breaking down. "He didn't need to, but he did, because they were just there… like Cedric."
The three were horror-struck by this piece of news.
"I don't want to keep thinking about what I saw, let's just go over the plan for tomorrow." He then said before they returned to the kitchen where Kreacher served them all stew and treacle tart.
They didn't go to bed until late that night, after having spent hours going over their plan again and again until they could recite it with ease. Arthur and Mike were now sleeping in Sirius' room, and they lay in bed with wandlight trained on the old photograph of the Marauders.
When they finally extinguished the light, Arthur wasn't thinking of Polyjuice Potion, Puking Pastilles or the navy blue robes of Magical Maintenance; he was thinking of Gregorovitch the wandmaker, and how long would it be until Voldemort finds him after his determination for answers for finding a way to kill Arthur.
Dawn followed midnight with a rather rude and indecent haste.
"You look awful." Mike said, kissing his cheek as they left the room.
"I won't be for long." He reassured him as he yawned.
They went into the kitchen, where they found David and Chrys. They were served with coffee and hot rolls by Kreacher.
"Robes." Chrys said under her breath as she was poking around in her beaded bag. "Polyjuice Potion… Invisibility Cloak… Decoy Detonators… you guys take a couple each, just in case… Puking Pastilles, Nosebleed Nougat, Extendable Ears…."
Everyone gulped down their breakfast quickly and Arthur decided to give Kreacher a word.
"If a Death Eater shows up in here, the house is compromised. I want you to Apparate immediately to the Hogwarts kitchens and work there if that happens. I don't want you to be tortured for information on us." He said, which made Kreacher bow his head gratefully at him.
"Kreacher will do as Master tells him to, if what Master says happens." Kreacher said before he then bowed them all out.
"I do hope what you suggested doesn't happen." David said.
They all made their way to the front step with nothing but caution as they saw a couple of puffy eyed Death Eaters watching the house from across the misty square.
Chrys Disapparated with David first and then Arthur Disapparated with Mike.
After the usual spell of darkness and near suffocation, they found themselves in the tiny alleyway where the first phase of their plan was to take place. It was deserted except for a couple of large bins; the first Ministry workers didn't usually appear until at least eight o'clock.
"Okay." Chrys said as she checked her watch. "They ought to be here in five minutes time. Just need to open the door."
She pointed her wand at the padlocked and heavily graffitied fire door beside them, bursting open with a crash. The dark corridor behind it led, as they knew from their scouting trips, into an empty theatre. Chrys pulled the door back to her, making it look like it was still closed.
"Alright, we now put the Cloak on again." Chrys said, turning back to face the three in the alleyway.
Arthur threw the Cloak over both Mike and Chrys.
Over a minute later, there were a couple of tiny pops and both a little Ministry witch with flyaway, grey hair, as well as another Ministry witch who was plump, tall and with shoulder length brown hair Apparated feet from them, blinking at the sudden brightness as the sun had just come out from behind a cloud.
They barely had time to enjoy the unexpected warmth when both Chrys and Mike shot silent Stunning Spells at their chests, making them topple over.
"Great." David said as he and Arthur emerged from behind a bin beside the theatre. They carried the two witches into the dark passageway that led backstage.
Chrys plucked hairs from the little witch and Mike did the same with the plump witch, each adding them to flasks of muddy Polyjuice Potion that Chrys took from the beaded bag.
Both Arthur and David rummaged through their handbags.
"This one's Mafalda Hopkirk." David said as he read a small card for the little witch. "She works as an assistant in the Improper Use of Magic Office."
"And this one's Imelda Ferris, she too works in the Improper Use of Magic Office." Arthur said about the plump witch.
They passed Mike and Chrys several small golden coins, all of which were embossed with the letters M.O.M., which they took from their purses.
Chrys' Polyjuice was a pleasant heliotrope colour and Mike's was a warm brown and within seconds after drinking them, there stood the doubles of Mafalda Hopkirk and Imelda Ferris. Chrys removed Mafalda's spectacles and put them on as Arthur checked his watch.
"Get going, Magical Maintenance will be here any second." He told them
They all hurried to close the door on the real Mafalda and Imelda; Arthur and David threw the Invisibility Cloak over themselves but Mike and Chrys remained in view, waiting.
Seconds later, there was another pop and a small, ferrety looking wizard appeared before them.
"Oh, hello Mafalda, Imelda."
"Hello." The two said at once, Chrys in a quavery voice, Mike in a deep voice.
"How are you today?" Mike asked.
"Not so good, actually." The little wizard replied, looking very downcast.
As Mike, Chrys and the wizard headed for the main road, Arthur and David crept up behind them.
"Oh, we're so sorry to hear that." Chrys said, though sounding firm over the little wizard. They had to make sure he didn't reach the street. "Here, why don't you have a sweet?"
"Eh? Oh, no thanks -"
"Please, we insist." Mike said sternly, grabbing the bag of pastilles and shook it in his face. Looking alarmed, the wizard took one.
The effect was instant. The moment the pastille touched his tongue, he started vomiting so hard that he didn't notice Chrys yanking a handful of hairs from the top of his head.
"Oh dear!" She and Mike said as he splattered the alley with sick. "You should take a day off!"
"No - no!" The wizard choked and retched, trying to continue on his way, even though he couldn't walk straight. "I must - today - must go -"
"Don't be ridiculous!" Mike said, alarmed. "You can't go to work in the state you're in now. You need to go to St Mungo's and have them sort you out!"
The wizard now collapsed, heaving on all fours, still trying to crawl to the main street.
"You can't go to work like this!" Chrys cried.
He finally had to accept the truth in their words.
Using the repulsed Mike and Chrys to claw his way back to standing position, he turned on the spot and vanished, leaving his bag behind that David snatched from his hand as he went, and some flying chunks of vomit.
"Disgusting." Mike groaned as he and Chrys held up the skirts of their robes to avoid the puddle of sick. "I think it would've been less messy to Stun him as well."
"I agree." Chrys nodded as both David emerged from under the Cloak with the wizard's bag.
"Though a pile of unconscious bodies would raise too many eyebrows. He did seem keen on his job, though. Give me the hairs and the potion, Chrys."
Within two minutes, David stood before them, now as small and ferrety as the sick wizard, wearing the navy blue robes that were folded in his bag.
"It's odd that he didn't wear his robes today." David frowned. "Anyway, I'm Reg Cattermole, according to this label in the back."
"Okay, wait here." Chrys told Arthur, who still hid under the Invisibility Cloak. "We'll be back with some hairs for you."
Arthur waited for another ten minutes, but they felt like the longest ten minutes he ever experienced as he skulked in the sick splattered alleyway beside the door that concealed the Stunned Mafalda and Imelda.
Eventually, Mike, David and Chrys reappeared.
"We don't know who he was." Chrys said as she passed Arthur several curly black hairs. "But he's gone home with an awful nosebleed! He's pretty tall, as well, so you'll need bigger robes."
She pulled out a set of those old robes Kreacher laundered for them as Arthur took the Polyjuice Potion and changed.
Once the rather uncomfortable transformation ended, he was more than six feet tall and was powerfully built based on his well muscled arms. He also had a beard.
Stowing the Invisibility Cloak inside his new robes, Arthur rejoined the other three.
"Bloody hell, that is scary." David said as he looked up at Arthur, who now towered over them.
"Here, take one of Imelda's tokens." Mike told Arthur.
"Come on, it's nearly nine." Chrys said.
They all stepped out of the alleyway together.
Fifty yards along the crowded pavement, there were spiked black railings that flanked two flights of steps, one labelled Gentlemen, the other, Ladies.
"See you in a moment." Mike said with a cringe face for a second as he and Chrys made their way down the steps to the ladies'.
Arthur and David joined a number of oddly dressed men that descended into what looked like an ordinary underground public toilet, tiled in grimy black and white.
"Morning, Reg!" A wizard in navy blue robes called as he let himself into a cubicle by inserting his golden token into a slot in the door. "Blooming pain in the bum, this, eh? Forcing us all to get to work this way! Who are they expecting to turn up, Arthur Pendergast?"
The wizard roared with laughter at his own wit and David forced a chuckle.
"Yeah, stupid, if you ask me."
Both he and Arthur soon let themselves into adjoining cubicles.
To Arthur's left and right was the sound of flushing. He realised that they have to flush themselves in, which he felt was just bloody disgusting.
And so, feeling a bit foolish, he clambered into the toilet.
It was clear he did the right thing, because despite seeming to stand in water, his shoes, feet and robes were still dry. He then reached up and pulled the chain, resulting in him zooming down a short chute, emerging out of a fireplace and into the Ministry of Magic.
He got up clumsily, mainly because there was more of his body than he was accustomed to. The Atrium was darker than Arthur remembered it.
Previously, a golden fountain filled the end of the hall, casting shimmering spots of light over polished wood on the floor and walls. But now, there was a large statue of black stone. It was rather frightening, the sculpture of a witch and wizard sitting on ornately carved thrones, looking down at the Ministry workers that toppled out of the fireplaces below them.
Engraved in foot high letters at the base of the statue were the words:
MAGIC IS MIGHT
Arthur suddenly received a heavy blow on the back of his legs, which meant another wizard had just flown out of the fireplace behind him.
"Out of the way, can't y- oh, sorry, Runcorn!"
Very frightened, the balding wizard hurried away. It would seem this Runcorn that Arthur was impersonating had an intimidating reputation.
"Psst!" A voice said and he looked round to see Mike, David and Chrys gesturing to him from over beside the statue. Arthur made his way to them.
"You got in alright?" Mike whispered.
"Yeah." Arthur replied with a deep and gravelly voice.
"This statue is horrible. Have you noticed what they're sitting on?" Chrys then asked Arthur.
He looked closely and was disgusted to see that the thrones weren't decoratively carved, instead, they were mounds of carved humans, hundreds and hundreds of naked men, women and children, all with stupid, ugly faces, twisted and pressed together to support the weight of the robed wizard folk.
"Muggles." Chrys whispered. "In their 'rightful place'. Let's go."
They all joined a stream of witches and wizards that moved towards the golden gates that were also at the end of the hall, looking around as surreptitiously as they could, but there was no sign of Umbridge.
They passed through the gates and into a smaller hall, where queues were forming in front of twenty golden grilles that housed as many lifts.
They barely joined the nearest one when a voice said "Cattermole!"
The four looked.
Arthur's stomach turned as it was one of the Death Eaters that witnessed Dumbledore's death that strode towards them. The Ministry workers beside them all fell silent with their eyes downcast. Arthur felt fear radiating from them. The man's scowling, slightly brutish face was at odds with his rather magnificent, sweeping robes, which were embroidered with much gold thread.
Someone in the crowd around the lifts called sycophantically "Morning, Yaxley!"
Yaxley ignored them.
"I requested somebody from Magical Maintenance to sort out my office, Cattermole. It's still raining in there."
"Have you tried an umbrella?" David replied, making Yaxley's eyes widen.
"You think it's funny, Cattermole, do you?"
"I don't." David said as a pair of witches broke away from the queue for the lift, bustling off.
"You realise that I am on my way downstairs to interrogate your wife, Cattermole? In fact, I'm quite surprised you're not down there holding her hand while she waits. Already given her up as a bad job, have you? Probably wise. Be sure and marry a pure-blood next time."
Chrys had to hold back a squeak of horror.
"I - I -" David stammered.
"But if my wife were accused of being a Mudblood, not that any woman I married would ever be mistaken for such filth - and the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement needed a job doing, I would make it my priority to do that job, Cattermole. Do you understand me?"
"Yes." David whispered.
"Then attend to it, Cattermole, and if my office is not completely dry within an hour, your wife's Blood Status will be in even graver doubt than it is now."
The golden grille behind them clattered open.
With a nod and unpleasant smile to Arthur, no doubt having been expected to appreciate how Cattermole is being treated, Yaxley swept over to another lift.
The four entered theirs, but no one else followed them. It was like they were infectious. The grilles shut with a clang and the lift moved upwards.
"Oh, God, what do I do?" David asked as he looked stricken. "Cattermole's wife -"
"We can come with you -" Arthur began, but David shook his head.
"No, we don't have time. You three need to find Umbridge. I'll sort Yaxley's office out. Any ideas to make it stop raining?"
"Try Finte Incantatem." Chrys said. "That should stop it if it's a hex or curse. But if it doesn't, something's wrong with an Atmospheric Charm, which will be more difficult to fix, so as an interim measure, try Impervius to protect his belongings -"
The lift juddered to a halt at that moment and a disembodied female voice said "Level Four, Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, incorporating Beasts, Being and Spirit Divisions, Goblin Liaison Office and Pest Advisory Bureau."
The grilles slid open, admitting a couple and several pale violet paper aeroplanes that fluttered around the lamp in the ceiling of the lift.
"Morning Albert." A bushily whiskered man said, smiling at Arthur. He glanced over to Mike, David and Chrys as the lift creaked upwards again.
The wizard leaned towards Arthur, leering as he muttered "Dirk Cresswell, eh? From Goblin Liaison? Nice on, Albert. I'm pretty confident I'll get his job now!"
He winked at Arthur, who smiled back, hoping it would suffice. The lift then stopped and the grilles opened again.
"Level Two, Department of Magical Law Enforcement, including the Improper Use of Magic Office, Auror Headquarters and Wizengamot Administration Services." The disembodied voice said.
Arthur saw Mike give David a small push and he hurried out of the lift, followed by other wizards, leaving Arthur, Mike and Chrys alone.
The moment the door closed, Chrys said, very quickly "I wished I went with him. I don't know if he knows what to -"
"Level One, Minister for Magic and Support Staff."
The golden grilles opened again and Chrys held back a gasp with all her might.
There stood four people, two of which were in deep conversation: a long haired wizard wearing magnificent robes of black and gold and a squat, toad-like witch wearing a velvet bow in her short hair and clutching a clipboard to her chest.
The witch Mike is impersonating is named after Imelda Stauton, who played Umbridge in the films, as well as Pam Ferris, who played Aunt Marge.