The Marauders - Order of the Phoenix Part Three

We Shall Continue This Talk Later

Remus couldn't stop thinking about Ned Veigler. Even as the member of the Order arrived one by one through the hearth at the Urquart home in Hogsmeade, as the talk of the rescue plan started, Remus's mind simply rang and rang with the gut-wrenching sound of his own screaming when he realized that Ned had been taken from him. It was a feeling and a sound - so disconnected from his own perception in the moment - that he knew he would never be able to forget. Though at times the pain of it faded into his subconscious, he heard it in each transformation - a similar disconnected scream echoing from within himself - and sometimes it came screaming into his consciousness with no mercy... like now, as he sat, mentally paralyzed, staring at the thistle-lavender area rug spread upon the Urquart's floor.

Dumbledore had recovered from the surprise of being challenged during Remus's mutiny in the Hog's Head Inn and was now orchestrating the necessary steps to recover Alice.

Thanks to the Prewett twins' connection, they knew the Death Eaters were currently dining at the Dolohov's townhouse on Ovington Square in Knightsbridge. The problem was that the house was protected by charms similar to those placed upon Number 12, Grimmauld Place when Orion had been alive: the townhouse was invisible to muggles, protected by layers of the Fidelus charm, the salvio hexia and the cave inimicum. However, being shared with muggles, the side of the home which facef the private square itself could not be hidden permanently, as the square would have to pinch and so the muggles were forever confused why there was the illusion of one more house from within the square than there was from without it. This, Dumbledore said, would be the most vulnerable angle from which to mount their attack.

The gates would be easy to enter into the square and Urquart would place a cloaking charm on the other houses, blinding their view of the square, which McGonagall would mobilize two grotesque marble gargoyles by the gate to block the gate once they were in, to keep muggles from entering during the battle.

"Alastor will need to prepare his disillusionment team at the Ministry if we're to keep this from Minchum," said Urquart.

"We'll need to send Gideon to engage them once he arrives," Dumbledore said. "Moody is otherwise occupied at the moment."

"Where is Gideon?" asked Urquart.

"He said he was with Mr. Potter and Mr. Black at the Ministry - working out a bit of trouble that came up," Dumbledore said, "Once they are able to get away, they will join you in Ovington Square."

"Join us?" Frank said. "What about you? Aren't you going to help us?"

"Of course, but in this particular battle, I shall be more functional apart from you. As in hunting, I will be on the other side - smoking out your Death Eaters and, I expect, negotiating a contract with our new legilimens," Dumbledore replied rather smoothly.

Lily looked relieved and possibly the slightest bit of excitement at this.

Remus spoke up, "And if You Know Who arrives?"

Dumbledore said, "Then I am a cast patronus away and you, my boy, have held your own against Lord Voldemort more than once - none of us here have fallen to him yet."

Peter twitched when Dumbledore's eyes landed on him.

"The meaning of this is extraction. If we have a way to extract without engagement we shall go that way. I do not plan to fight to the death at this time, and this will hopefully be a simple, anti-climatic event in which we go, get what we want, and depart. We are not trying to win the war here - Knightbridge is hardly the place for such things. There are far too many muggles in the area and it affords Voldemort a far greater bargaining tool than want to hand him."

Urquart, McGonagall, Lily, Remus, Peter, Frank, Marlene and Emma, Florean Fortescue, and Bilius Weasley all nodded. The rest of the Order was either otherwise engaged, on their way, or else uninvited for one reason or another which only Dumbledore was aware of.