Chapter Seven
No one in Hogsmeade could tell them anything else about the man from Godric's Hollow, which was disappointing: Alice thought someone in the magical village would have recognized him and been willing to speak to them. Then again, Godric's Hollow was clear on the other side of the country, so it was possible the man had not been north for years--that, or his reputation continued to demand silence. Either way, it was a setback. It seemed the only way for them to continue now was to go back to Godric's Hollow, and Robertson didn't want to send them there. He felt it would certainly rouse suspicions if two more Aurors showed up again after what had happened last time, even if they did disguise themselves.
Besides, there were far too many other cases for them to work, and the Head Auror assigned them a constant stream of assignments after they failed to bring up any more leads. There had been some suspicious activity in the area of Hyde Park: the Muggle papers were reporting an increase in crime in the park, mostly loitering and petty vandalism. Robertson wanted to make sure Death Eaters were not involved, so he sent them to investigate the area twice; both times they came back with nothing. If there were Death Eaters in the area, they always made sure to disappear when her and Frank arrived, and left little evidence of their presence.
Robertson also sent them to Wales, where Robards and Dawlish had investigated the death of a dragon keeper several weeks earlier. It seemed the wizard who had been hired to replace the lost trainer had gone missing…with a dragon.
They investigated it as a theft; the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures would be responsible for tracking the animal and bringing it back, unharmed and unseen. There was not much for them to do, because it quickly became clear that the wizard in question had joined the reserve staff for the sole purpose of stealing a dragon, and had disappeared quite thoroughly. Alice wasn't sure what someone would do with a dragon, in terms of feeding it and keeping it. It certainly seemed likely that the dragon had gone missing to Voldemort's forces, just as Frank had thought when Robards and Dawlish had first gone out to Wales.
Their working relationship as they Apparated around the country settled back into their old routine. If Frank hadn't taken her to lunch at the Three Broomsticks, Alice wasn't sure what things would be like between them. Yet he had clearly noticed something different in her behavior, and since she didn't want him to know what she was really thinking, she let him believe that she was shook up from the incident in Godric's Hollow and the attack on John Lupin.
She was, but in some ways she was more shaken by the sudden, unexpected feelings she'd felt that night…and every day since. All of a sudden, every time she looked at him, she thought about what it would be like if he leaned over to touch her face, take her hand, even kiss her. They were not thoughts she should be having: romantic relationships with one's partner were highly discouraged if not outright banned. And they were not thoughts she wanted to be having, because she had never pictured herself with a man like Frank Longbottom.
Then again, he wasn't quite what she had thought he was.
The following week, while investigating the sale of illegal magical creatures to unsuspecting Muggles in Edinburgh, they had gone back to the Three Broomsticks for lunch, and then out of habit they had gone back the week after that. By the fourth week, she was looking forward to it. It was relaxing, and more than anything, she felt like her and Frank weren't just partners as they sat and talked in the pub, well away from London and the Ministry of Magic: they were friends. In the office their interaction had gone back to what it was in the beginning, but in Hogsmeade he seemed to genuinely relax, smile, and look happy, and she enjoyed that more and more, even if she knew it was dangerous to let her feelings grow.
But they needed the brief respite from the constant work, given how busy the Auror office was. Robertson had everyone working overtime to cover for Robards, who was recuperating at home, and Dawlish, who was on desk duty until his partner returned. John did not seem ready to head back into the field anyway: he was quiet and withdrawn, even twitchy. Though Alice had tried to approach him about it, he had rebuffed her every time, remaining aloof and distant. She worried about him, and hoped that once Gawain returned, perhaps John might recover a bit more.
So while she and Frank continued to try and track down the old man from the pub on the side, they were also sent back to Gringotts to reassure the goblins working there that Dark magic was not responsible for the latest attempted break-in, ran down several wizards hexing Muggles for fun in Newcastle, and spent another night in Hyde Park, trying once again to confirm sightings of several suspected Death Eaters in Kensington Gardens.
They also began looking into vague whispers about some sort of 'requiem'. Frank had first heard it in Knockturn Alley; Kingsley Shacklebolt had come across the term while questioning a suspected Death Eater. Frank had told her that Alastor Moody had also had word of it, from some of the listeners and spies in the Order of the Phoenix. Whatever it was, it was important. Frank was convinced it had to do with Voldemort building his forces; Alice couldn't help but wonder if it had anything to do with the old man they were still trying to find and if there were any connection between all three.
They argued about it good-naturedly as they made their way to the Three Broomsticks yet again. It was a sunny summer afternoon, and Alice felt blithely happy. It wasn't as if she was walking hand-in-hand with her boyfriend and enjoying a day off. No, she was just walking with a coworker on a rare break from work. She tried not to think of what it would be like to slip her hand into his; instead she glanced around the street, watching for anything suspicious. Hogsmeade was still a tense place.
Her wandering eye caught a man Apparating nearby, then stumbling away as he caught his balance. He appeared frightened, glancing anxiously around the street as if he were afraid of being caught or even seen. Alice tapped Frank on the arm, interrupting him mid-sentence, and motioned toward the suspicious man. He nodded, and they walked over to where he had started up the road toward Hogwarts.
"Is everything all right, sir?" Frank asked, his voice full of authority and respect. Up close, it was clear that the man was in some sort of trouble: his robes were ripped, his face dirty, and a large purple bruise was beginning to show itself on his jaw.
"No…yes," he said, doing a double take as he glanced at their robes and the wands they held by their sides. "Are you Aurors?"
Alice nodded and stepped forward, hoping a show of sympathy would draw him out. "We are. Can we help you?"
The man's shoulders tensed as he shook his head wordlessly. He was not much older than her, though Alice did not remember him from Hogwarts. He was clearly afraid of something as he continued up the road toward the castle, his head ducked down.
"I need to talk to Albus Dumbledore," he mumbled. "Immediately."
Alice glanced at Frank, who frowned and followed the man. They quickly caught up to him, as he was obviously in some distress. "We can help you. What do you need to see Professor Dumbledore about?"
The nervous man just stared at her before shaking his head. "I can't tell an Auror. It could be you."
"What do you mean, it could be us?"
The man shook his head again and hurried up the road, waving his hand over his shoulder. "Never mind. I need to see Dumbledore. It's about the requiem…" He trailed off as he walked away. Once more Alice exchanged a wordless look with her partner, who nodded, and they continued after him, feeling a great sense of urgency.
The man never had a chance: four masked Death Eaters appeared with loud cracks in the middle of the road, wands drawn. Before either she or Frank could cast a spell, the man fell dead to a jet a green light, his body landing hard in the road as nearby villagers screamed in fright and ducked for cover.
Alice immediately ran toward them, vaguely aware that Frank was shouting something from behind her. She cast a Stunner and hit one of the masked attackers before the other three saw her and turned. Frank appeared beside her, wand drawn, and both sides began casting spells at one another and blocking them, parrying them, or throwing up Shield Charms. There were still three Death Eaters, and they were fighting fiercely, yet Alice was reasonably confident that her and Frank could take them.
But it appeared that Death Eaters had accomplished their goal and were determined to escape rather than fight. One of them cast an Incendio charm at a nearby building, setting it on fire. The distraction allowed him to escape with his unconscious comrade, Apparating away before they could be stopped. The other two attackers continued dueling in the street, until without warning they both turned on Frank and blasted apart the pavement at his feet. He was violently thrown backward, and Alice felt her heart stop as she ran toward him.
Unfortunately, she completely forgot all of her Auror training, leaving her back unprotected. Too late she realized her mistake; just as she turned to defend herself, she caught a brutal spell in the stomach that send her crumpling to the ground next to her partner.
The last thing she heard was a vicious cackle and the sound of the last two Death Eaters Apparating away.
* * *
Alice woke slowly, trying to remember where she was and what had happened before she opened her eyes. When she did, she quickly realized that she was at Hogwarts in the hospital wing, and the attack in Hogsmeade came rushing back. She groaned as she tried to sit up. She was sore but otherwise appeared uninjured. Footsteps hurried over to the side of the bed and someone helped her sit. It was Frank.
"What happened?" she asked before realizing what a stupid question it was. She'd turned her back on two Death Eaters and been hit. Frank didn't answer, just stared down at her before leaning over and suddenly taking her face in his hands. He kissed her fiercely, and she was too surprised to do anything but respond automatically and let him. She even closed her eyes, but too soon he pulled back and stepped away.
"Don't ever do that again." He sounded angry and relieved at the same time. Alice felt her mouth fall open.
"Do what?" she asked. "And what the hell was that for?"
"I don't know," he said, sounding ridiculously defensive. "But if you ever get hit like that, I might have to…I might have to do it again." He gave her a challenging look, and she couldn't help but let the corners of her mouth turn up in the beginning of a smile.
"Right," she murmured. "I'll be careful, then." She tried to smooth out her hair and robes, her heart racing, and not from her injury. She could hardly look at Frank. He had just kissed her. What did it mean? Was he just glad she was all right? Had he kissed Gawain like that when he'd woken up in St. Mungo's after the attack at Lupin's house? The thought made her giggle to herself, in part from the sheer ridiculousness of it and in part from giddy happiness. When she glanced up, Frank was pacing beside her bed. She watched him for a moment, until he felt her eyes on him and stopped. "What?" he said.
"Are you all right?" she asked pointedly. "That was some blast you took."
He waved her off. "It didn't hit me, just the pavement. It was a distraction so they could get away. I'm fine." Looking closely, she saw his clothes were dirty and his face scratched from the blast in the street. Other than that, he did appear uninjured, though more agitated than she had ever seen him before.
"How did we get here? How long was I out?" she asked.
"Someone in the village--an Order member--sent a message to Dumbledore, and he came out almost immediately. He let us in and Madam Pomfrey took care of you." Frank stopped and stared down at her, his blue eyes filled with concern. "You've only been unconscious for about an hour, really. I thought it was much worse…" He trailed off, swallowing thickly.
"Well, I'm fine too," she replied. She reached out for his hand and squeezed it reassuringly; he gave her a small smile in return. "But what was that all about? Who was that man?"
Professor Dumbledore appeared behind Frank; she dropped his hand immediately and wondered if the headmaster had seen. "His name was Barden Bagshot. He was a student a few years above you. I have contacted his family to let them know what has happened." He came to stand beside her bed, gazing down at her with a thoughtful look in his eyes. "I am still rather puzzled as to why he was targeted, however."
"He said he needed to see you, sir," Alice said. "He just Apparated into the village and set off toward the castle. He wouldn't talk to us."
"As Frank has explained," Dumbledore replied. "The question is--why would a man in his state not accept the help of two strong Aurors?"
"He thought we might be 'the one'," Frank replied, shaking his head. "Whatever that means."
Dumbledore was silent for a moment. "Perhaps he felt that there was someone in the Auror Department he could not trust, and he was concerned one of you might be that person."
"You mean, like a spy?" asked Alice. She felt a knot of dread in her stomach: it was an increasing problem in the Ministry, wizards being Imperiused to spy for Voldemort, even doing his bidding. There seemed to be little way to protect against it.
"Possibly," replied Dumbledore. "It would of course help to know what he wanted to see me about."
"If he didn't want to tell an Auror, but he did want to tell you, it must have been information for the Order of the Phoenix, don't you think, sir?" Frank said. Alice nodded, because it made sense; she just didn't understand what sort of information might have been meant for only Order members.
"That is precisely what I was thinking." Dumbledore glanced at them over his half-moon spectacles. "Alastor Moody informs me that you have been investigating an incident in Godric's Hollow."
"Yes, sir," Frank replied, looking confused. "But what does that have to do with it?"
"Barden Bagshot was from Godric's Hollow. His entire family lives there."
Alice nodded slowly. "So maybe he had some information about whatever is going on down there." Frank shot her an approving look; she did still wonder why the man could not have told an Auror, seeing as they were the official Ministry representatives in the fight against Voldemort. Then again, if the man had been worried that one of them was a spy, she could understand his reluctance to speak to them.
"Indeed, Ms. Hamilton. If you have no objections, I would like to hear more about your trip to Godric's Hollow last month."
Frank took a deep breath. "We went down there to investigate some strange sights and sounds out on the moors. We didn't come up with much--we never saw it ourselves. We were in the pub on the square when we got into it with two men who were meeting with an older man. They exchanged an envelope before things got a bit dodgy…" He glanced sideways at Alice, who flushed as she remembered her gaffe at the pub.
"I tried to chat up one of them at the bar, but he wouldn't have it. Frank pulled me out, but once we left the pub, they ambushed us in the street along with four others. I got hit in the leg and Frank broke his arm, so we Apparated out--but Frank got the envelope from one of them." She added the last to try and give him the credit he deserved for saving the assignment.
Dumbledore nodded. "I see. And did you recognize any of these men?"
"Borman Wilkes, sir," said Frank. "And I think the other was Amycus Carrow. We've been trying to identify the older man, but we haven't had any luck. Plus Robertson won't let us back down there--he's had us running around the rest of the country since we're still short Robards and Dawlish."
Dumbledore frowned. "John Dawlish has not returned to duty after the incident at the Lupin house?" he asked.
Alice shook her head. "He's on desk duty until Robards comes back. I think he needs a bit more time before he heads back into the field."
"Understandable." Dumbledore gave them both a thoughtful look. "And what was in the envelope?"
"We don't know, sir," Frank replied, and he sounded irritated. "It was a vial with some sort of white powder. I took it to the Potions lab the next day, but they lost it. They didn't even remember me bringing it in."
"So you went to Godric's Hollow to investigate a serious of suspicious events. While there, you observed an older man provide two suspected Death Eaters with a vial of an unknown white powder, which later went missing. You have not been able to identify him or the powder. Today a man from the same village appears with information for me and is murdered for it." He paused and pierced them with his blue eyes. "What do you think is the connection?"
Alice closed her eyes and tried to put it together. She knew there must be one, but it was tenuous, floating around in pieces she couldn't pull together. She still felt a bit weak from whatever spell had hit her, as well as Frank's unexpected kiss, and just wished her mind were clearer so she could be of some help, especially in front of her former headmaster.
Frank was nodding when she opened her eyes. "Barden Bagshot must have seen or heard something in Godric's Hollow he wasn't supposed to, something so important that You-Know-Who sent Death Eaters after Bagshot to kill him before he told anyone."
"That was exactly my conclusion," said Dumbledore approvingly. "And I'll take it one step further: it likely has something to do with your mysterious old man and the vial of white powder. What did this man look like?"
"We sketched a picture of him," said Alice. "It's in the pocket of my robes."
Frank took the drawing from her robes and handed it to Dumbledore, who went very still.
"You said no one has been able to identify him for you?"
"No sir, aside from an apothecary in Knockturn Alley who hinted that the man was dangerous--and that he has been out of the business for a long time," replied Frank.
Dumbledore nodded slowly as he handed back the picture and rubbed his bearded chin. "The apothecary was correct. This man's name is Walcott MacNair. He was an exceptionally talented student here almost forty years ago. He was from Godric's Hollow."
Alice felt the pieces starting to click into place. "And was he good at Potions, sir?" she asked, both dreading and hoping for the answer.
"One of the best," Dumbledore replied. "Unfortunately, after he left school, he got into trouble a number of times and spent ten years in Azkaban. When he was released, he was--as you might expect--a changed man. He became a recluse and has not been seen or heard from since. He is obviously quite a bit older than when I knew him, but I am certain that is him. A white powdery substance, you said?"
Frank nodded. "If he was a talented potioneer, it would seem reasonable to assume that it was some sort of dangerous or illegal ingredient for a potion."
"Or the potion itself."
"A powdered potion?" asked Frank. "Isn't that rare?"
"Any potent tincture can be reduced and then dried to a powdered form," replied Dumbledore. "But yes, it's rare, as we wizards prefer draughts…unless you are planning to kill someone with the need for secrecy. And then I am sure it would be quite useful."
"What?" Alice exclaimed. "Is that what you think it was? A potion meant to kill someone?"
Dumbledore placed his hands behind his back and began pacing. "You went to the West Country to investigate strange lights and sounds out on the moors. That happens to be the best part of the country for growing lunar belladonna."
"I know belladonna, but what's lunar belladonna?" asked Frank.
"It is an exceptionally rare and difficult plant to procure, in part because of its unique growing properties: it can only be sown, tended, and harvested at night, under a moonlit sky. The more moonshine, the stronger it grows."
"And is it as poisonous as belladonna?" Alice asked, still trying to follow where Professor Dumbledore was going with so much information. She knew her poisons and knew nightshade was deadly; she had not heard of lunar belladonna either, though. He nodded grimly.
"Indeed it is, though its toxicity is tied to the waxing and waning of the moon. When mixed with arrowroot and aconite, it forms one of the more deadly and subtle poisons known to man, Moonbane. It is exceptionally Dark magic."
"So Walcott Macnair is trying to poison someone," said Frank. "Or he could be working for You-Know-Who, since he passed it to Carrow and Wilkes. The thing that matters now is figuring out who it was meant for." He shook his head in frustration. "Only we have no way of even beginning to find them!"
"No, there are clues," said Dumbledore. Alice was fascinated by their quick thinking, and sat up straighter, hoping to contribute more.
"You said that you took it to the Potions laboratory, but it was not there when you went back for it the following day. They had no record of it whatsoever?"
"Nothing," said Frank. "The witch didn't even remember me…" He trailed off. "It was stolen."
"That would be my guess as well."
–And she was Obliviated.â€
–Most likely.â€
"By someone in the Ministry," said Alice. "There's no way they could have got into the Ministry so soon, so it had to be someone inside. There weren't that many people who knew about it, after all."
"Who knew you had this vial?" asked Dumbledore, his eyes intense. "You, Ms. Hamilton, Auror Robertson, and the witch in the Potions laboratory. Was there anyone else?"
"I think that's it," said Frank, obviously trying to remember back a month past. "I didn't tell anyone else, not even Gawain. I took it in the next day and went straight to the lab."
"I told John Dawlish," said Alice. She met their eyes as they both turned to look at her. "But it wasn't him. He might have mentioned it to someone, but he couldn't have taken it, he was in the hospital…" She trailed off, unsure why she was doubting her friend.
"He was in the office the next day," Frank said, his voice hesitant. "I saw him. And he came in a few times after he got out of St. Mungo's to see Robertson, before he came back to his desk."
"Has he been acting unusual lately?" asked Dumbledore.
Frank glanced at her somewhat helplessly. She glared at him as she answered. "I told you, he was upset about the attack on John Lupin. Of course he hasn’t been himself, no."
"Is there anyone in the office who has been ill or not been looking well?" Dumbledore pressed. "Sick, tired, run-down?"
"You mean, besides half the team?" Frank joked half-heartedly. "We all feel that way with how hard we've been working."
"The effects of this poison would be subtle: fatigue, grey hair, pale skin, headache, irritability and confusion--has anyone in the office been exhibiting those symptoms?" Dumbledore pressed them.
"Robertson is always irritable," Frank muttered.
"He does have more grey hair," said Alice, ignoring Frank and focusing on Dumbledore. She had noticed it, but had not thought much of it: they were all overworked and it seemed only natural that people would start showing signs of the stress they were under. "And terrible bags under his eyes…pale face. I've seem him stumble a few times. Do you think he's being poisoned?"
Dumbledore paused as if thinking, glancing back and forth between them both. "It's very possible, as he is a high profile target. We should see him immediately. He might not have much longer if he is."
"What do you mean?" Frank asked.
"The potion is strongest at the full moon. Few survive the night if they have been dosed several times."
–And tonight is the full moon,†Frank said, sounding grim. They moved toward the door together.
Alice started to stand, determined to go with them, but stopped as she felt a dizzying rush of blood through her body. She straightened her robes before taking a deep breath and trying again.
"Where do you think you're going?" Frank asked sharply as she came up beside him.
"I'm going with you, of course," she snapped back. "I'm not staying here if Robertson is about to be murdered. Especially if you think it's John. You need my help!"
"We can handle it--" he started, but Dumbledore interrupted them.
"Ms. Hamilton may accompany us." He swept from the hospital wing, and they followed him down the corridor, hoping they weren't too late to save Joseph Robertson. But Frank slowed down until Alice turned to him and frowned.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
"Look, I'm sorry about…before…" he started, hands fidgeting nervously as he avoided her eyes. She nodded slowly, enjoying his unusual discomfort in spite of the very tense situation.
"About what again?" she asked, pretending to not know. He met her gaze this time, but instead of giving her that exasperated roll of his eyes that she had really come to enjoy, instead he pleaded silently with her to not play the game. He was obviously upset about it.
"About what I did back there, in the hospital wing," he said quietly, as if he didn't want the words to echo in the empty corridor. "It was wrong of me, it was inappropriate, it was--"
Alice quickly stepped forward, placing her finger to his lips, half wanting to kiss him again. "It was nice," she said. "Don't apologize."
His mouth opened and closed a few times without any words coming out; she almost wanted to laugh. Instead she held it back and simply nodded. "We can talk about it later. Right now we have a job to do."
"Right." He swallowed as he rubbed at his eyes. "Our job. Save Robertson. Let's go."
He started back down the corridor, but she reached out for his arm. "Frank, about John…"
"Look, I know he's your friend," Frank said, rubbing nervously at his hair. "But if he was Imperiused--"
"--then it wasn't his fault," she said, imploring him to understand. "He's had a rough time lately. Just…go easy on him, if you can."
He nodded, eyes bright as he glanced down at her hand on his arm. "I'll try."
"And be careful, whatever happens," she added, dropping it and stepping away even though she wanted to step closer. "Or I might have to do the same thing you did back there."
He glanced sideways at her, but she saw the small smile on his face before they caught up to Professor Dumbledore. Something had shifted between them. She wasn't sure what or where it would go, but she knew their relationship would never be the same.
* * *
Love and Order by Gmariam
Chapter Endnotes: Thank you to my beta, Karaleydargen, once more! I'm sorry to leave you with a cliffhanger like that, but chapter eight may not be posted until after the holidays. Of course, I always say that and it's ready far quicker than I think I do, however, have a Christmas story to post, so I hope you will keep a look out for that. Oh, and see that empty white box? Please let me know what you think if you've read this far. Reviews are love--especially around the holidays. :)