Always, Astoria

51. The Order vs. Astoria

1997
Grimmauld Place

Alastor "Mad Eye" Moody was walking around the dining room table with a map on the table and Remus Lupin was standing on the opposite side of the table.

"We cannot let this young, power-struck girl to fight in the upcoming war. I fear if she lives until that point, she will be too powerful, I daresay more powerful than him." Remus said hesitantly.

Mad Eye began to nod his head and grunt as he tossed the note across the table. "The girl has been sent to Italy with Bellatrix LeStrange and some other French girl. That snake also went with them. Do you not find that strange that Voldemort sent his pet snake to hide away with his pupil?"

Remus took the note and read it repeatedly. "And this was sent to us from whom exactly?"

Mad Eye's eye began to swirl around until it focused on Remus. "The Eye inside the Malfoy house."

Remus nodded and began to burn the note so it would not end up in distrustful hands. "Why can you not go down to Portofino, execute the girl and come back before you are spotted."

Mad Eye grunted and shook his head. "I cannot do it alone. It is almost impossible to find the girl alone. She is almost always with someone. The Dark Lord make sure his slaves are properly protected."

"Did the Eye mention the exact reason for why the girl was sent to Portofino?" Remus inquired.

Mad Eye shook his head and poured himself and Remus a whiskey. Handing Remus, the glass he spoke softly. "Whatever the reason, it is not good. You do realize who this girl is, don'tcha?"

Remus shook his head and took a sip of whiskey. Mad Eye laughed lowly. "Her name is Astoria Greengrass. She is Thomas' and Eloise's first-born."

Remus' eyes bulged from his head and his expression became stern. "The Dark Lord's pupil is Thomas' daughter?" Mad Eye nodded slowly, and it looked as if Remus was going to either faint or smash his hands to the wall.

"Bloody Merlin. I knew Thomas Greengrass from when we were in school. He always ran with the wrong crowd, but he was a friend! Now I am assisting in the execution of his daughter! No. Absolutely not." Remus began to run for the door when Mad Eye stopped him.

"Are you going to choose to save one murderess' life over the lives of thousands of people? Remus, this war is coming, and it is approaching fast. Potter can only travel so far to find the rest of the Horcrux's. If there is anything the Order can do to weaken Voldemort it must been done. Starting with the Greengrass girl. Even if that means I have to cast the curse myself."

Remus remained silent and poured himself another whiskey and downed it instantly. Mad Eye conjured up some parchment and paper. He wrote out a letter and laid a wax seal upon the envelope.

"Granger! Will you come in here?"

Hermione had been summoned to Grimmauld Place to attend to certain matters of the Order but was often used as a person to do mindless bidding for the higher council members. Ron and Harry were off traveling the globe for the Dark Lord's horcrux's but after a few weeks of research Hermione felt out of place, and just as she was a letter from Mad Eye flew in and she returned to Britain relieved.

"Yes, Moody?" She asked annoyed.

Mad Eye handed her the letter that was intended for Kinglsey and instructed her to send it by owl straight away, she agreed and scurried off.

"Remus, there is another factor that needs to be thought about before this plan is set in stone."

"What might that be?"