The Potion Princess

Dumbledore Always Brings Bad News

"I don't think you've seen this yet."  Dumbledore hands her a rolled up Daily Prophet, which somehow managed to have a complete report on last night's events despite the fact that it only happened twelve hours ago.  Fred wouldn't let her take a look at it until she had a chance to wake up, which meant choking down the coffee and eggs he fed her, which Audra didn't want, and changing into the clothes that Dumbledore had gotten from Emmeline, which she did.  "Might as well take a look."

Audra did, skimming through all the different articles and reports.  Different lines leapt out at her, but she pushed them away, trying to find something she didn't know.  Ministry break in... death eater involvement... you-know-who on the scene.... Harry Potter escaped once more, telling the truth... two of the six Hogwarts students in critical condition.... Lucius Malfoy arrested.... Sirius Black killed in battle, innocent.... Vance Stanton dead, his mother, a high ranking ministry official, discovered him on the scene...

Audra ripped her eyes away from the paper with some effort.  George took it from her and read it more thoroughly, then looked up at Dumbledore with wide eyes.  "Sirius is dead?"  She could understand the shock.  Sirius, for all his faults, didn't really come across as someone who was capable of dying.  But then again, neither did Vance. 

"Yes."  Dumbledore lowered his head, and when Audra saw the shadows under his eyes, she thought something she had never thought about Dumbledore before- that he was just a tired old man doing the best he could.  She knew what it felt like to have your best not be enough.  "So you see how important it is that we figure out how to proceed."

Audra had asked that the twins had the chance to stay, because she did not want to feel as if she was hiding things from them, but it was so much harder to discuss doing what must be done when Fred was right there beside her and holding onto her hand.  "Severus says that Voldemort will soon ask you to stop the spy work.  He believes that you are laying low at the moment and trying to avoid capture, and finds it dangerous to put one of his best in such a compromising position."

The twins flinched at the sound of his name.  Audra didn't.  "I told you before that I was done."  Audra stood up and paced the length of the room.  She could practically see George's fingers itching for the chance to feed her another calming drought.  "I meant that."

"I know you've been asked far too much."  Dumbledore crossed the room to her with a speed that she felt was unfair, considering his age.  "And you've done beautifully, Audra.  But I fear that I must ask more of you."

It was only the knowledge that he probably hadn't gotten a chance to sleep yet that kept her from moving away from him.  "Haven't I done enough?  Can't it be someone else's turn?"  This was pathetically close to whining, and there was a lump in her throat that made her words come out thick with tears.  "I killed my brother."

"To save young Ginerva Weasley.  I now."  The twins eyes snapped to her.  That had been something she hadn't told them.  "But who will save her the next time?  When someone needs a last desperate hope?"  His voice had become incredibly understanding, and Audra hates that.  She doesn't want anyone to pity her.  "What are you going to do when Snape can't get information to us?  When Emmeline finally hands Clary over?  How could you step back, when you have so many things to fight for?"

It was so out of place, to have Dumbledore here, in this flat, having this conversation.  Audra scrubbed at her eyes with her hands, trying to wake up further.  "Just on the record, we've got a contingency plan for the whole Clary thing."  This doesn't seem to surprise him, if anything, he just seems proud.  "When does this start?"

Dumbledore does look incredibly sad then, sad and alone and weighed down by al the things he has had to ask others to do.  "Almost immediately, I'm afraid."