Ron rubbed his eyes sleepily and bit into a fortifying piece of toast with blackberry jam. He yawned hugely. I wish Hermione could plan her bursts of brilliance with a bit better timing, he thought grumpily, staring out the kitchen window. The sun was just barely peeking over the far hill, staining the indigo horizon with streaks of pink.
All of the teenaged members of the Order of the Phoenix (plus Ginny and minus Neville) were seated sloppily around the kitchen table staring blearily at Hermione, who was pacing the length of the kitchen, trying to untwist the most recent knot in their aborted journey to Godric’s Hollow. Apparently, the time for secrecy had past, and the time to rely on those they trusted most had come.
She looked the way Ron loved her best: hair flying crazily about her head like some demented cloud, chewing on her lower lip, her brow furrowed in concentration and her cheeks full of color.
“Don’t you lot see? That’s why Percy only heard the Minster speaking in the supply closet! Because Mundungus and he were using the mirrors! Sirius’ mirrors!” Ron saw her eyes fly in Harry’s direction, gauging how this new betrayal was affecting their friend. Harry remained stolidly silent, one hand resting lightly on Ginny’s hair, so Hermione continued.
“God only knows how he laid his hands on them “” Hermione was interrupted by Harry. Ron could hear barely contained anger in his mate’s voice.
“Oh, I know alright, Hermione. Don’t you remember? When we literally crashed into Mundungus in Hogsmeade that day? He has all sorts of stuff from Number 12, he was selling it off for a profit. He probably took Sirius’ mirror during one of his forages through the Black family treasures. As for my mirror, the one Sirius gave me…well, Mundungus was on ‘Harry-watching’ duty a lot the past year or so, he could’ve nicked it from me a number of times,” Harry looked disgusted and disappointed.
“You know,” George piped up, speaking in a much quieter voice than Ron was used to hearing from his older brother. “You know, Harry, I have to say “ are we sure about this?” George looked a bit cautiously at Hermione, who, Ron knew, most certainly did not like her theories challenged. She merely pressed her lips together, but said nothing. George took that as a sign to continue. “I mean, Dung isn’t the most honest guy around, but this is irresponsible and underhanded, even for him. Petty thievery, yes…but out and out deception? Betraying the Order, betraying you? I just don’t know…”
“It really is a bit of a stretch,” Ron jumped in to the discussion. He didn’t want to annoy Hermione, but he wasn’t sure about this idea of hers. Wasn’t sure at all, truth be told. “I mean, Dung? Really? He wasn’t the most honest bloke any of us knew, but was he capable of this? He was so loyal to Dumbledore and Sirius and “”
“Loyal enough to nick his stuff after he died, you mean,” Harry spat back at Ron.
“Right,” Ron sighed, shook his head. “I just “ it’s hard for me to believe, is all.” Ron heard a frustrated grunt and turned in Ginny’s direction.
“You boys are missing the point completely. Hermione is not saying that Dung is evil or working for “ for Voldemort or something. Not that the Ministry of Magic is my favorite organization right now or anything, but they aren’t Death Eaters,” Ginny rolled her eyes, continued. “All Hermione is saying is what we all know about Mundungus Fletcher: his main motivation is money. It always has been. And not just money, but easy money. Think about it.” Now Ginny was on her feet as well, and Hermione was grinning at her.
“Think about it,” Ginny started again. “Mundungus had - probably had “ Sirius’ mirror some time last year. Sure, it wasn’t very useful to him without its twin, but he probably knew what it was and was hoping to find the other one. Sirius may have even mentioned he’d given the other one to Harry.”
“He might have known about mine first, actually,” Harry said solemnly, avoiding eye contact with the group, the boys especially. “If the Order was still keeping tabs on me last summer “ and there’s no reason to think they weren’t “ well…” he trailed off, and Ron could tell his friend was struggling with his words. “Well, you know, Sirius - Sirius “ death wasn’t easy for me. That mirror “ he gave me that mirror in the middle of fifth year, so we could stay in touch”. He paused again, and Ron could see how much it took for his friend to say what he did next. “I “ I spent a lot of time after Sirius’ death, looking into that mirror, knowing it was pointless but not being able to help myself. ‘Specially when I had to go back to Privet Drive, and the Dursleys, I’d take it out after they all went to sleep and just “ oh, I don’t know - wait for something “ something “”
“-- magical to happen?” Fred finished for him, his face atypically serious. Harry nodded resignedly. Ginny, who had walked back over to the table, placed a small freckled hand on Harry’s shoulder. Fred continued. “Yeah, I understand that feeling, Harry. But getting back to business, shall we have a show of hands? Percy smelled a rat “ or rather, heard the Minister talking to one. Who thinks the rat is Mundungus Fletcher?” Fred stuck his hand over his head.
Harry, Hermione and Ginny’s hands shot quickly up into the air. George looked as unsure as Ron felt. And, much to Ron’s surprise, Percy’s narrow face expressed doubt as well. Ron was afraid to look at Harry or Hermione, but he did. Hermione’s furious stare was bad, but the disappointment in Harry’s eyes was worse.
“I “ I just don’t know you guys. I mean, wasn’t Mundungus in Azkaban for part of the year? How did he spy on us from prison? Aren’t we making a bit of a leap here?” Ron muttered, feeling his face growing warm, but sticking to his guns anyway. He wasn’t going to accuse a possibly innocent (if somewhat shifty) man based on a dream that Hermione had.
“Well, you’ve just proven my point, Ronald,” Hermione stated icily. “Mundungus got tossed in Azkaban during a robbery, right? For impersonating an Inferius, okay. So, he gets tossed in Azkaban “ who’s heard from him since? Did the Order try and help him out? I mean, loyal to Sirius or not, loyal to Dumbledore or not, he must have been pretty peeved when the Order didn’t try to help him out of there. I bet “ I bet the Minister knew, or found out he was an Order member, and bribed him with the promise of early release “ and, probably, a few Galleons in the bargain as well - if he’d keep an eye on Harry “ and the rest of us,” Hermione finished, staring around the room, waiting for a reaction from the others. She was pointedly not looking in Ron’s direction. He wasn’t looking forward to dealing with her one-on-one after this group conversation.
Ron didn’t know what made him do it, but he just wasn’t convinced of Dung’s guilt. It was all theoretical at the moment. “But how can you prove any of this Hermione? I mean, it sounds good and all, but just because you had some dream about it “ ” gosh, the look on her face was terrifying “ “doesn’t make it real. It doesn’t mean it’s true. At all.”
Before she could answer, Percy spoke up. “Well, we may not know if Hermione’s guess is correct, as of yet,” he paused, and the pompousness that Ron was used to in his brother’s voice returned for the first time since his arrival at the rehearsal dinner what seemed like ages ago. “However, I would like to point out, that if you believe my story, then you do know that the Minister is speaking with someone who has inside information. And I know he’s capable of enlisting spies “ he had me for awhile, I am ashamed to say,” Percy’s snooty tone had dampened a bit, and his ears flamed red, just like Ron’s did when he was upset or embarrassed.
“But you came back to help us, didn’t you, Perce?” Ginny reminded him.
“Yes. Yes I did, though I wasn’t sure if you’d have me,” he gave a sidelong glace towards the twins. Ron couldn’t read his brothers’ expressions. “Anyway, if the Minister has a pet rat, and we think that rat’s name is ‘Mundungus’, we have to hand the Minister some cheese to feed to the rat, don’t you think? Preferably the kind that stinks to high heaven.” He had an uncharacteristically sly grin on his face.
Ron noticed the side of Fred’s mouth twitch into the ghost of smile. “And who’s going to do that, pray tell?”
“Why, I will of course. I’ll serve him the biggest slice of cheese you can imagine,” Percy was full-on smiling now. “And he’ll gobble it down. Now, you lot, listen up, this is what we’re gonna do…”
The Time is Now by Hermione816
Chapter Notes: Hermione's dream cleared up a few things - at least, that's what she thinks. The rest of the gang talks it out, and trys to figure out how to catch a rat...