A Different Kind of Darkness

Chapter Six: Good News and Bad News

Ron slumped tiredly in his chair, running his fingers through his limp hair. He glanced over the piles of creased parchment spread over the table before him, each piece filled with various tactics and ideas he had come up with during the last few zeal-fueled hours. Returning to the parchment in his hand, he tried to make sense of the words, but they swam before his red-rimmed eyes. Only ten hours before, he had been on his knees before the so-called Lightning Prince, bracing himself for a painful, untimely death. Since then, he had lost his beloved fiancée to his worst enemy, arranged the evacuation of the main bases of the rebel group he headed, and nursed his grumpy niece several times. He'd also had a quick meeting with the Resistance's primary leadership team, made up of Lee Jordan, the twins, Angelina and Maggie Cahill, an older witch in charge of the Resistance informant network. The discussion had predoinantly been to bring Maggie and Lee up to speed on the morning's events, and had resulted in critical actions. George and Lee had immediately left to check in with McGonagall and Team Boggart, while Maggie had volunteered to alert covert Resistance supporters of their possible danger.

Ron sighed, tossing the parchment aside and stretching, trying to ease the gnawing ache in his back, before collapsing forward on the desk once more. He was bone-tired, and it didn't look like he would be getting any sort of rest soon.

'Ron?' Hannah asked, touching his shoulder tentatively. Ron grunted incoherently, propping his chin up with his hand. Hannah hesitated a moment before deciding it was probably an affirmative response, and continued. 'Good news. I've arranged the meeting - same place as last time.'

Ron started, suddenly feeling wide awake. 'Last time? As in two years ago? When?' he asked hurriedly. Hannah looked mildly amused at his sudden change in demeanor.

'Yes, as in two years ago. Meeting's set for ten o'clock. You have,' she glanced at her watch, 'two hours.'

'That was quick,' he commented, his mind spinning. He couldn't afford to be anything but fully alert now.

'I'm good at what I do,' Hannah said wryly. 'I really do deserve a bonus of some sort.' She paused. 'That was a hint, by the way,' she added.

'You're about as subtle as a brick,' Ron replied, his brow creased in a frown as creeping apprehension slinked across his body. It seemed like only moments ago that, after much silent contemplation, he had made a decision which would affect everyone involved in the Resistance and, quite possibly, the entire Wizarding World. This decision had led to a quiet conversation with Hannah once she had returned with Angelina.

'Hannah,' he said, hearing her enter the room, but not looking up from some sort of chart, 'can you set up a meeting for me?'

'Of course,' she replied, setting a cup of tea down beside him. 'Who, when and any preferences as to where?'

He looked up at her. 'Neville Longbottom,' he stated matter-of-factly, ignoring her surprised reaction and returning to his hurried scribbling. 'And as soon as possible. Today, if you can swing it.'

Shock melted into disbelief. 'Uh huh. Sure, Ron. Why don't I organise a field trip to the moon, while I'm at it? I could invite the Elite Guard,' she added in a falsely bright tone, hands planted firmly on her hips. However, she mellowed upon seeing the tight expression on Ron's face.

'I'll arrange it,' she said briskly, moving off.

Even so, he had never truly believed that even Hannah would be able to get the meeting arranged for today. She was amazing; there was no other word for it. He refocused his thoughts, belatedly realising that she was speaking to him.

'... in the south of ...' She paused, noticing his bleary-eyed gaze. 'You're not listening to a word I'm saying, are you?' she asked, slightly annoyed. He shook his head tiredly and her impatience was quickly replaced with concern. 'Go and get some sleep, Ron. I'll wake you when it's time.'

Ron shook his head again. 'I've got to wait for George, Maggie and Lee. I need to make sure all our supporters have been warned, and I want to know what's happening out there, especially -' he frowned darkly '- what the hell happened with McGonagall.' He tilted his head, glancing towards the doorway as he heard murmurs in the room next door. 'How's Angelina?' Angelina herself had assured him that she was fine, but then again, she'd walk on broken legs if she felt she had to.

Hannah cocked her head slightly, hearing Angelina laugh softly at something Fred had murmured. 'She's ok - refuses to stay in bed, though. She and Fred are just spending some time with Amelia - it's been a while since they've all been together,' she added, her tone hinting at disapproval.

Ron nodded solemnly, ignoring the additional commentary - it was hardly the first time Hannah had remarked on the decision to separate the trio, despite its necessity.

Since the summer before, Fred had spent most of his time running the Warwickshire base with George and Lee, while Angelina had been based in Cornwall, at Ron's specific request. Angelina had agreed to it, notwithstanding the rest of the leadership team's reservations about splitting up the young family. It was the most sensible plan of action - Angelina was the best statistician available, and Ron needed her with him.

Amelia, for the most part, had remained with her mother, and while Apparating allowed frequent visits, clashing, busy schedules had meant that it had been a rare occasion when the three of them spent more than fifteen minutes together.

'Yeah, things like this morning sort of remind you what's important in life,' Ron agreed finally, listening as his niece giggle happily. He grinned suddenly, a wily gleam in his eyes. 'Even so, that girl will surely be the most spoilt child on Earth,' he said raising his voice so Angelina and Fred would be sure to hear him. Hannah smiled, her criticism forgotten, as she moved to the other end of the table, straightening piles of paper as she went. She loved hearing the friendly banter between the Weasleys, something she had never experienced as an only child.

There was a distinct popping sound as Angelina's retort floated back. 'Yeah, mostly because of her doting Uncle Ronnie,' she called amusedly.

'What about doting Uncle George?' asked a weary voice from the doorway between the rooms. George leaned against the doorframe and nodded his head to Ron in greeting. A moment later, Lee Jordan Apparated to the right of the table, nearly bowling Hannah over in the process.

'Whoops! Sorry, Hannah,' Lee apologised as he grabbed her shoulders to steady himself. She pushed him off with a glare that was somewhat spoiled by the smile playing at the corners of her mouth. Stepping around him, she sat next to Ron and pretended to read through various pieces of parchment to make it clear that she was completely oblivious to a grinning Lee. The desired effect, however, was completely undermined by the fact that several of the sheets were upside down.

'What's the word from up north?' Ron asked without preamble, practically throwing down his wilted quill.

George arched his eyebrows. 'Hello to you too, Ron. Yes, we've had a pleasant journey, thanks for asking.'

Ron impatiently waved his brother's remarks away with ink-stained hands. 'I have no manners - we know this,' he reminded him. 'What's the word from Team Boggart?'

'Who comes up with these names?' asked Angelina, coming into the room with Amelia in her arms, followed closely by Fred. 'Ouch!' The baby had grabbed a fistful of her mother's black hair and tugged happily. Wincing, Angelina tried to pull her hair free from Amelia's strong grip as she and Fred sat down together on the worn sofa against the wall.

'Hannah does,' Lee replied, shooting the blonde aide-de-camp a cheeky smirk. Hannah good-humouredly stuck her tongue out at him.

'Hello?' Ron interrupted in a raised voice. 'Please don't think I'm pulling rank or anything, but would everyone please shut up?' Silence ensued and the five of them exchanged bemused glances. Ron turned to George and Lee.

'Well?' he prompted.

The light mood deflated as George sighed heavily, and Lee studied the worn timber of the floor.

'McGonagall's gone, Ron,' George informed him in a dull voice alien to his usual buoyancy.

Everyone in the room became very still.

'Gone?' Fred asked, horrified. Hannah and Angelina stared from George to Lee in wide-eyed disbelief, as if hoping it was all just a joke in very poor-taste.

'What do you mean, "gone"?' Ron asked carefully, his stance rigid as his worst fear was realised.

George bit his lip, clearly unsure how to break the bad news. Lee cut in. 'Exactly what we say, Ron. She -' he gulped, the words sticking in his throat.

'Go on,' Ron encouraged softly. Lee's gaze swept the room before he continued shakily.

'She was captured by a squad of the Elite Guard about three days ago. Sally Carter survived the attack, but they snapped her wand and she only made it back to the Wardrobe today - Wardrobe is the Boggart's designation for their home base,' he added hastily, before anyone could ask. 'Anyway, Ackerley headed up the evacuation - they're all in Gloucestershire now.' The occupants of the room remained deathly silent.

'We thought it was probably for the best to get them out of there as quickly as possible,' George finished, regaining his voice.

'Yeah,' said Fred coldly, 'or they'd be joining McGonagall in the North Tower.' Each of them shivered at the thought of Minerva McGonagall, formidable though she was, incarcerated in the infamous prison.

Ron absorbed the information wordlessly, a bitter taste filling his mouth. He stood abruptly, the chair legs screeching as they slid across the greying wooden slats, and walked to a side table where a tarnished jug of water and a few chipped glasses had been placed. With trembling hands, he filled a glass with water and gulped it down, spilling some of it down his front. The horrid taste in his mouth persisted as he sat down again, hunching forward with his elbows on the table.

Angelina clutched Amelia to her chest a little more firmly. The infant squirmed in retaliation, but Angelina took no notice. 'That's how the Elite Guard arranged that reception committee for us this morning,' she commented softly. 'At least McGonagall was never involved in the general running of the Resistance - they might not hurt her if she can't tell them anything else,' she added in a tone revealing that this was her hope, not her belief. McGonagall had obviously already been forced to give up the location of their meeting and, as a Resistance figurehead, would be shown no mercy, regardless of her actual role in the organisation.

George, succumbing to his aching tiredness, crossed the room and flopped down in an armchair near the fireplace, pulling halfheartedly at the fastenings of his cloak. Fred placed his arm around Angelina's shoulders.

'What about Pierre DuPont and Heather Tanner?' Hannah asked, apprehension clear in her tone.

George shook his head sadly. 'Dead - the soldiers only wanted McGonagall,' he said heavily. 'According to Sally, they were waiting for them. They knew they were coming - knew she was coming.' He glanced about as each of them took in the implications of this statement. Ron looked sharply to Hannah, who was pale and shaking a little.

'Who knew McGonagall was going to be up there?' he almost snarled. Anger boiled furiously within him, hastily demanding some sort of direction.

Hannah was silent for a moment before releasing a small sigh. 'Well, a lot of people knew.' Ron's expression sharpened. 'She's been planning it for a while, to correspond with her grand-niece's birthday,' she said, shaking her head. 'Too many people to pinpoint the spy for certain.' She spat out the word "spy" as though it was tainted.

Fred's eyes narrowed. 'Could it be the same traitor who gave up Team Baby Red?' he asked grimly of no one in particular. Ron and George stiffened, their gazes fixing on Hannah as she frowned thoughtfully.

'I don't know,' she said a little despairingly. 'Ginny's team was taken over four months ago, and the planning on that assignment wasn't too highly restricted. Any number of people could've leaked out that information. Best case scenario is that it was the same person, otherwise we have more than one mole on our hands,' she added gloomily.

'Some covert organisation we're running!' Ron snapped, upsetting Amelia, who burst into noisy tears. 'How in the bloody hell is information being leaked? And why aren't we doing anything about it?' he demanded, standing abruptly, his face contorted with anger. 'If people kept their bloody mouths shut, we wouldn't have this problem!' The five in front of him held their tongues and didn't retaliate against his ranting fury; they knew he was thinking of Hermione.

Ron turned his back to them, closing his eyes. Taking a few deep breaths, he tried to push down his anger once more, listening as Angelina tried to comfort her wailing daughter. The situation wasn't their fault either, and venting his frustration at them wouldn't help.

'So,' Fred finally broke in bitterly after an awkward pause, 'for the condensed version of the day's stunning events, two of our key leaders have been captured, we have at least one spy in our midst, and our operations have been effectively shut down for at least a few months.' Ron swivelled around and slouched heavily against the wall, crossing his arms. He glared at Fred, despising the succinctness of his analysis, even while recognising its accuracy.

'Well, it can't get a hell of a lot worse,' Lee pointed out sullenly. Amelia's cries grew louder, despite Angelina's frantic efforts to calm her.

'Give her to me,' Fred said, and Angelina gratefully handed the bawling baby to her father. He lifted her to nuzzle against his chest and murmured soothingly in a low voice, smiling as she quieted.

A moment later, Maggie Cahill Apparated into the room. Glancing around briefly, she immediately announced, 'I have some really bad news.'

Ron sighed heavily. 'Yeah, we know. McGonagall's been captured and is probably in the North Tower as we speak.'

Maggie gasped. 'They've got Minerva?' she asked, her blue eyes wide with horror.

'That wasn't your news?' Ron demanded quickly, pushing off the wall and straightening. She shook her head, visibly stunned. Maggie had been a student at Hogwarts with Hannah's father, and thus had known the remarkable Transfiguration professor since before the others had even been born.

'What's happened, Maggie?' George asked, helping the dark-haired older woman to a chair.

She breathed in deeply before responding. 'There was another terrorist attack this afternoon. In Plymouth - Ment Alley.' Hannah gasped, but Maggie ploughed on. 'Almost identical to the last three: a Muggle-made bomb was set off during the busiest hour of the day, right in front of the Care of Magical Creatures Library, but they were aiming for the Elite Guard post.' She stopped talking, ashen faced.

'The Pureblood Alliance?' George asked quietly, although they all knew the answer.

Maggie nodded abruptly. 'They've already claimed responsibility.'

Fred snorted in disgust. 'Lestrange never had any use for Muggle artifacts. She obviously makes exceptions for weapons that can get in under the Magic Detectors,' he said sourly.

'Just be grateful,' Lee pointed out, 'they haven't got their filthy little hands on any of the bigger types. Imagine what a nuclear weapon, or something like that, could do.' He shuddered at the thought.

Hannah shook her head. 'Lestrange wouldn't go that far,' she said simply. 'Neither would Malfoy,' she added as an afterthought. 'They can't - Muggles track those sorts of weapons too carefully, and the fallout from that sort of attack would be incredibly hard to cover up. Remember, they don't want to risk exposing our world to the Muggles any more than the rest of us. Probably even less so.'

Ron, who had remained silent throughout the interchange, finally spoke. 'Numbers?' he asked in a tight voice.

'Sixteen dead; ten were civilians. None of our people were caught in it this time,' Maggie added. 'A hell of a lot of wounded, though. Too many to say, last I'd heard.' She shook her head. 'And there was a school group up there, heading for one of the museums - about ...' She trailed off, swallowing before finding her voice again, '... about twenty eight-year-olds. At least three were among the dead,' she finished hoarsely.

George swore; Angelina reached out and clutched Fred's shoulder, aghast. Hannah just shut her eyes in horror while Ron bowed his head, shaking.

'Dammit,' he whispered. He had grown somewhat desensitised to bloodshed, but the deliberate taking of innocent lives, especially those of children, was utterly abhorrent to him. To make matters worse, this was what the ordinary wizards and witches saw - random death and destruction, leading them to believe that all rebel groups had absolutely no regard for life. On a day where they had already needed to warn many of their collaborators of possible danger, general support for the Resistance was going to take a serious nosedive.

Ron sighed in frustration, rubbing his eyes - today was going down as the worst day in his life, bar none.

George spoke up, scratching his stubble-covered chin. '"Can't get any worse", hey Lee? You just had to go and issue a challenge to the universe at large, didn't you?' he said wryly.

'This isn't a laughing matter, George!' snapped Angelina.

'No, it's not,' Ron agreed, looking up as Lee and George reddened shamefully, 'but it's also the least of our worries at the moment. We need to think about the future of the Resistance.' They all nodded, recognising Ron going into strategy-mode. 'Our main problem is that we've been operating defensively for far too long. It's time,' he announced, watching each of their expressions carefully, 'to take the rebellion to them.'

Each member of the leadership team stared at him with cautious interest as he continued. 'I've started to work out a plan that'll remind the Prince that he has to deal with us, one way or another. I don't have all the particulars worked out yet, but I've got the basic outline.' He gestured towards the parchment scattered over the table. 'While we're not operational, we can perfect it, as well as maintain a low profile - especially in light of the Alliance attack,' Ron said firmly. 'But once we get back up and running, we're coming back with a bang.'

'And just how are we going to do that?' Lee asked dubiously.

Ron gave a brief outline of his plan. The others listened intently, varying degrees of skepticism crossing their faces as he explained the more precarious stages of the strategy. Finishing, he looked around expectantly.

Maggie cleared her throat loudly. 'Is it just me, or is the main aim of this plan to really piss Potter off?' she asked blatantly, voicing the question everyone had been contemplating.

Ron nodded shortly. 'That's one of the objectives. He won't act coherently if he's angry.' Maggie cocked her head to the side thoughtfully as George and Angelina nodded in agreement.

'He'll know you're behind this, Ron,' Maggie warned. 'Especially seeing he has Hermione now.' Ron folded his arms obstinately, but Maggie was unperturbed. 'He'll know where it's come from, and he'll come after you personally.'

Ron shrugged, feigning a lack of concern. 'So what else is new?' he asked nonchalantly, trying to push Hermione to the back of his mind.

Angelina stood up from the couch and crossed to the table, looking over Ron's notes and calculating with a critical eye. 'Ron,' she said, 'this is a sound, well thought out plan.' Ron smiled cheerfully, feeling his mood lift. Angelina glanced at him and continued. 'But it's also impossible for us to implement.' The smile dissolved into a frown. 'We just don't have the kind of numbers you're talking about here,' she reasoned with a resigned sigh.

'Oh, that,' he said far too casually.

'Yeah, that,' Angelina echoed, eyeing him suspiciously. 'I've never seen you plan anything using resources we don't have. What are you plotting, Ron?' The others listened intently to the exchange and all turned to face Ron, suspicion in each glance, except Hannah, who picked uneasily at her fingernails.

'Oh, nothing,' he said calmly, bringing the conversation back from the tangent it had sprung onto. 'The real question is, is this feasible if we get the numbers? Because I think it is,' he persisted.

Angelina glanced over the notes and sketches once more, biting her lip thoughtfully. 'I think we could run it,' she said finally, nodding.

Ron turned to the rest of the group.

'I'd love to give it a go, if only for the look on Potter's face when we pull it off,' George said roguishly. Lee grinned mischievously, and Fred nodded his assent, still gently rocking his daughter.

Last of all, Ron faced Maggie. She smiled slightly, pushing an escaped curl off her face.

'Personnel shortage or no, I'd never doubt any plan of yours, Ron,' she said firmly, although she still looked pale.

Ron felt his mood brighten once again. 'Good,' he said simply. He groaned as he stood, pulling his cloak from the back of his chair. 'I have to go somewhere. You should all get some rest or, if you've got too much energy, pick a stage of the plan and plot out some of the finer details. We've only got a couple of months to get it completely workable.'

'But Ron, what's the point?' Angelina demanded. 'Even if we don't leave any sort of support crews, we just don't have the numbers you're talking about.' She gestured exasperatedly towards the parchment.

'Leave that to me,' he declared mysteriously.

'What, you're going on a recruiting drive? "Join the Phoenix Resistance, the dental plan's awful, but if you survive, you can get some brilliant scars!"' she mocked, regarding him with some misgiving. 'What are you planning to do? Where are you going?'

'I said I'd take care of it, Angelina,' he said firmly, grabbing his wand from the table. 'I'll explain when I get back. Or if you really can't wait, hassle Hannah for details. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a meeting to get to.'