The Marauders - Order of the Phoenix Part Three

Whether You Help Us Or Not

Remus Lupin was the first through the floo into the Hogshead Inn in Hogsmeade - closely followed by Frank Longbottom, Lily Potter, and Peter Pettigrew. He was on the way to the door of the Inn when he heard their names being called and turned about. Dumbledore stood in the doorway that led to the rooms upstairs, beckoning the four of them over. He looked over the motley collection of them, his eyebrows pinching.

"They've taken her! They've got Alice - they --" Frank started but Dumbledore held up his hand to stop Frank talking and shook his head, beckoning for them to follow him.

The bartender was wiping the bar with a dirty old cloth and he glowered darkly at them as they passed, heading up the stairs after Dumbledore.

At the top of the stairs, Dumbledore led them straight down the long hallway that stretched the length of the building, pushed opened a door that was hidden behind a bookshelf, and motioned for them to go inside.

Inside, Mad-Eye Moody stood leaning against a cane, the pale white face of the real Matija Blagojevic staring up at him, his pointed teeth bared, eyes glowing bright red. He was spell-bound to a chair and fiercely angry, hissing like a fierce animal. Mad-Eye seemed unphased by the spittle flying from Matija's mouth as he growled and hissed, and he turned to see the four new comers, his magical eye trained on Blagojevic.

Dumbledore closed the door to the room behind him, the bookcase sliding peacefully back into place, and then turned to join them all. "Mr. Pettigrew... Mr. Lupin -- a surprise to see either of you tonight," Dumbledore said, he looked at Lily and Frank, and again held up his palm before Frank could launch into any angry spurt. "Let me stop you before you start, Mr. Longbottom," he said, "I already know what's happened so we can skip the explanation of why you've come. I am aware that your half of the mission didn't go quite as planned."

"Quite as planned?" Frank spluttered, "My WIFE has been KIDNAPPED, Dumbledore!"

"And we shall get her back!" Dumbledore replied. "In due time."

"In due -- IN DUE TIME?" Frank's voice rose. His eyes narrowed. "You planned this? You planned for it to be Alice that they took?"

"No!" Dumbledore said, shaking his head, "By all means, no! Of course not. But the process of extracting Mrs. Longbottom from our enemy must be done with a delicate hand as the Death Eaters now believe that they have captured a fake Blagojevic and brought the real one with them - when we know that the real one is here, with us!"

Blagojevic hissed all the harder upon hearing himself mentioned. Nervous, Peter side-stepped behind Lily, who glanced at him a moment before turning back to Albus. "Silencio!" Moody grunted and the hissing from Blagojevic stopped with a glottal pop.

Frank was nearly shaking, "Dumbledore, I don't give a damn what sort of grand opportunity this affords your spy OR Severus stinking Snape. It endangers Alice and that's not acceptable!"

"Mr. Longbottom, all that I am saying is that we must be careful because we have two people in place with the Death Eaters now. Our spy is perfectly capable of --"

"She could be being killed right this moment -- or being tortured -- or --"

"She is not!" Dumbledore interrupted.

"How do you know?" Lily demanded, stepping forward. Peter paled as Blagojevic's eyes landed on him, all red and glowing, and he quickly stepped forward, too, staying close to Lily.

"Because, Miss. Evans, our spy has already reported back. Very briefly, but a report none the less. Voldemort is present with them, and as long as he is there the Death Eaters will dare not go against any commands that he gives. At this time, the Dark Lord has commanded that none harm Mrs. Longbottom for the sake of her pureblood - despite the fact that Alice has viciously spoken in defiance to his face."