A War of Nerves

CHAPTER 13: The Calm Between the Storms

The day after the rescue, Harry, Ginny, Ron, Morgan, Brigid, and the twins were asked to see Dumbledore for lunch. When Ginny, Harry, and Ron entered, Lily's friends were already waiting in the office. Brigid and Morgan were having a quiet conversation and Katie and Gwen were poking around suspiciously. Morgan caught Harry's eye and she nodded.

"Ah...I wouldn't touch that if I were you, Miss Matson," Dumbledore said amiably. The twins turned around and did their best to look innocent.

"I'm sure we have no idea-"

"-what you are talking about-"

"-Headmaster," they said in their semi-creepy cut up thoughts.

"As I suspected," he said cheerily. "I have news about Miss Lily."

"Is she okay? Tell me!" Brigid said almost hysterically.

Morgan put a hand on Brigid's arm and Brigid seemed to calm down.

"I will say that thankfully, Miss Lily is alright."

A collective sigh was heard in the small room.

"I spoke with Snape earlier today. It seems that though a joint effort, they were able to escape from the Orkneys, essentially unharmed. They are somewhere safe now, and will return when I feel things are secure enough to do so. Until then, it is up to you to round up the Slytherins involved with enough proof to press charges to their parents. Cherry, the headmaster of Salem's, and I spoke, she informed me that you two, Misses Matson were skilled in this area."

The twins nodded solemnly.

"I must ask now, a very important question," he continued, "Who of you know Lily's secret identity? It is okay if you don't, just raise you hand."

Harry looked about the room. No one had their hands raised.

Morgan chuckled a bit, "Lil, never could keep a secret."

"Well this is a bit awkward isn't it?" Brigid said, "Can't imagine how Red reacted when she told him she was his niece," she continued, pointing a thumb at Ron.

"How long have you known?" Morgan asked suspiciously.

"Since October," Ron answered, blushing a bit.

"Since last night," Harry confessed. Then turning to Ron with an almost angry expression, "How come you didn't tell me?"

"She told me not to," Ron said defensively.

"As well she should have," Dumbledore cut in. "In truth, no one should know but me and Cherry, but what's done is done."

"She is mine, isn't she?" Ginny asked guardedly.

"Yes," Dumbledore answered. "She is Lily Potter-Weasley.

Ginny looked smug for reasons Harry couldn't comprehend and she said, "Good," in a slightly intimidating voice.

"But back on topic..." Morgan prompted.

"Very well," Dumbledore continued. "I have a separate mission for you all."

They all nodded their heads.

"Misses Matson, I'm putting you two in charge of information gathering. I believe you'll find everything you need with the Weasley boys, Fred and George."

Harry looked over at Ron questioningly.

"I wasn't suppose to tell," Ron began, "But Fred and George's joke shop is only a cover for their spying headquarters. That is why it is in Hogsmead, close to Hogwarts and seconds away from the Ministry."

Harry snorted, Ron was just full of secrets today.

"Mr. Weasley, I'd like you to take Misses Matson and Kells to Weasley's Wizard Wheezes tomorrow.

"Miss Estellan, I've been informed that you have a large amount of Veritaserum and other truth inducing substances and techniques. I would appreciate it if you would assist me in questioning the Slytherins in suspect. You'll of course, as an informant to MOM, need to fill out sufficient paperwork.

"Miss Weasley, Mr. Potter, I'd like you two to collect Messrs. McNair, Nott, Dolohov, and Goyle and Misses Tate, Parkinson, and Bludstrode after lunch. Then you are free to go to Hogsmead.

"Are there any questions?"

Harry looked around and saw no one looked confused but him. "I'm sorry, Headmaster, I don't understand. What do you mean spies? What kind of school is Salem's anyway?"

"Ah, excellent question Harry! I would expect you would be confused, you and Miss Weasley are the only two who don't know the purpose of Salem's. Very well.

"Salem's was founded by Cornelius Woodsrow around fifty years ago. He was a student of mine, a Gryffindor with a particular dislike and suspicion of a one, Tom Riddle. He always told me that Tom was no good, not to be trusted. I think now that he may have been a clairvoyant. At any rate, when Tom became Voldemort, Cornelius, who was by this time an accomplished auror, he had a talent for knowing when and where attacks were going to occur, started a wizarding school. A school with the soul purpose of defeating Voldemort.

"Some of the greatest aurors have come out of that school, including the Longbottoms, though they only went for the eighth year, Moody, and your godfather, though he too only went the eighth year.

"Back to Cornelius though. Cornelius went up against Voldemort a few short months before you were born, he had been raving about the death of the Potters, you parents and Pittigrew killing them. No one believed him, of course, they never do. He was killed, tortured and then hacked to pieces by the Severing Charm.

"His daughter, Cherry Woodsrow took over, eight short years out of her education, and has been Headmaster ever since. She kept up the tradition of training witches and wizards for the sole purpose of defeating Voldemort. Lily was a student in her timeline, and finished in this one, partially at least. Her main reason for coming here was to help with the downfall of Voldemort, who in her time, has taken over most of the world and killed you Harry. In her time, Hogwarts fell, but the teachers and most of the students escaped to Salem's. Voldemort killed you in the battle for Hogwarts Harry, leaving Miss Weasley with your child, Lily. In Miss Lily's time, Hermione and Minerva are the leaders of the rebellion, for I have grown too old."

Harry tried to absorb this. Then he remembered something, "The man, the one with the purple eyes who delivered Lily, Morgan, Brigid, Katie, and Gwen, he was a student of Salem's, he was from the future, wasn't he?"

"Ah, yes, Steven. His full name is Steven Woodsrow, he is Cherry's son," Dumbledore answered.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Morgan interrupted. "Steven is from the future? Baby Steven?"

"Yes, he was sent to the past to help Lily three years before her," Dumbledore confirmed. "You didn't think we'd send her alone, did you?"

"Professor?" Ginny said suddenly. "Purple eyes? Correct me if I'm wrong, but that isn't really *normal*, is it?"

"Good observation, Miss Weasley! The trait of purple eyes is inherent of those with the blood of all four forefathers of Hogwarts: Rowena Ravenclaw, Helga Hufflepuff, Salazar Slytherin, and Godric Gryffindor."

"That must be really rare," she commented.

"Not really," Morgan interjected. "It happens more often than you'd think. There is one every seven years or so at Salem's. They all go to Ether of course..."

"Any more questions?" Dumbledore asked.

No one looked confused.

"Good!" he said. With a clap of his hands a table with enough good for eight.

They ate with a jolly conversation, the worst of everyone's fears dissolving. The twins entertained Dumbledore with their sharp whit and lively conversation. Brigid and Ron talked about quidditch amiably between themselves and Harry and Ginny talked about...stuff. However, it became apparent to Harry that the only one not participating in conversation was Morgan. She appeared to be thinking, for she was twisting her hair around her finger and then snapping the curls back again.

"What is wrong?" he asked after a while.

Morgan stood up quickly, "I need to leave. You can find me in my rooms."

Then she walked out of the door quickly, not saying goodbye or giving any indication of what she was doing.

Harry raised an eyebrow.

"Eh, don't worry about her," Brigid said, "she's just weird."

"I don't want to seem rude," Ginny began, "But what is wrong with her?"

At this point, the twins joined in the conversation, Ron looking attentive too.

"Oh, where to start!"

"Hush, Katie!" Gwen said. "I want to answer their question, seriously."

"Oh, sure steal my thunder why don't you?" Brigid said, rolling her eyes.

Gwen glared at Brigid then began, "The thing you have to understand about Raja is, she is really smart."

"Now, we aren't talking like Mimi smart-"

"They don't know who Mimi is, Kate." Gwen turned to the rest of the group, "Mimi is what we call Hermione."

Ron chuckled.

"Anyway. We aren't talking Mimi smart."

"Mimi has a lot of intelligence, a high level of comprehension, memory, and the like-"

"But Raja is smart in a different way."

"She thinks in strategy, you see."

"You saw the way she figured out a way to save Lil."

"In the future, she was then on who presented Mimi and McGonagall with the idea of sending some one to the past."

"She would have had a bigger part of the planning-"

"-if she hadn't been killed by an unknown assassin, of course."

"As I was saying, she thinks on different levels, she sees problems, and then she sees the answer."

"Kind of like Ron and Arithmacy?" Ginny asked eagerly.

The twins looked confused.

"Exactly like Mr. Weasley and Arithmacy," Dumbledore answered for them, "Just on a broader plane. Miss Estellan sees everything like strategy and answers, whereas Mr. Weasley sees it only in Arithmacy."

"At any rate," Gwen began again, "She will randomly see problems, then see the answers."

"She doesn't want to forget everything-"

"-so she writes everything down."

"She is very methodical."

"That is one of the reasons she is a Wind, or Slytherin here."

Ron nodded in understanding, and Ginny and Harry followed.

"We know she comes off strong-"

"-Hell! So do we!-"

"But she is really gifted-"

"-and we respect her."

"And we wish she wouldn't be quite the pre-madonna sometimes."

"We also wish she would wash her socks more often-"

"Use more soap when washing-"

"Have more fun-"

"Not try to get Professor Black in bed every class period-"

"Wear less make-up, we don't hang out with hoochies you know-"

"And-"

"We've got it Matsons!" Brigid growled.

"I didn't think we were done. Were we done, Kate?"

"No, but I suppose we are now. We lost our train of thought."

"Kind of rude of her really."

"Did you say 'get Professor Black in bed'?" Harry almost shouted, blanching severely.

"Oh yes!" Gwen said enthusiastically.

"Sirius Black-"

"She is quite taken with him."

"Oh, I just thought she wanted to take off his pants?"

"No, I think it is infatuation bordering on obsession."

"Really?"

"Ja!"

"Ja?"

"Ja!"

"Shut it, Matsons!" Brigid said testily.

"Sorry," Gwen said apologetically.

"Yeah," Katie continued with a shrug, "Inside joke."

"Now," Brigid said sarcastically, "Where were we before the weirdness which is Matson ensued?"

The next morning, Ron headed off to Hogsmead with the arguing Matson twins and a threatening looking Brigid. He led them though the dark, underground tunnel Harry, Hermione and he used when they needed to go to Hogwarts and not get caught. He wondered what Brigid was trained for at Salem's. She wouldn't be a spy like Katie or Gwen. She wouldn't be an inquisitor like Morgan. He doubted she was a secret agent like Lily. So what did she do? He looked sideways at her. She was roughly six foot, taller than Lily by a good three inches, making her three or four inches shorter than him, really tall for a girl. She was tan of skin, light of hair, and blue of eye, well muscled and toned. She looked like she would be an excellent keeper. They had talked about Quidditch a lot and found she played that position, though he had yet to see her play. He plucked up enough courage to ask her, to tell the truth, he was very intimidated by her.

"So..." he began, lamely even to his ears, "What were you trained for at Salem's?"

She looked at him between slits sideways. "Assassin," she said simply.

Ron blanched and had to cough to hide it. "Really?"

"Ja!"

"Ja?"

"Ja!" the twins mocked from ahead of them, laughing at their own inane, inside joke.

Brigid rolled her eyes and answered, "Sometimes the only way to take get rid of evil it to play by its rules. I just level the playing field a bit. I mean, it they can kill in cold blood, why can't I?"

"Heh," Ron said uncomfortably, "Yeah, why not?"

Finally, they reached the trap door under the store and snuck out of the basement/store room.

Katie sneezed at the dust and Brigid hushed her, "Do you *want* to get caught?" she hissed.

Katie rolled her eyes and Gwen pointed and laughed silently at her.

Ron led them discreetly out of the store and onto the streets of Hogsmead. Despite the cold, it was sunny and pleasant with a thin, muddy looking snow on the ground, kind of like the calm after the storm, if there was such thing. Ron had a feeling it was the calm between storms.

They entered the near deserted Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, it was a Wednesday morning after all. He saw Brigid look around suspiciously at all the odd contraptions and candies in the store. Immediately, Katie and Gwen's eyes went wide and they rushed over to the oddities, intent on touching a particularly suspicious one.

"Don't touch that!" Brigid shouted right before Katie touched a little contraption.

Ron heard two disappointed groans from back behind the counter and grinned.

"Do you have any idea how much fun you just spoiled?" George said, poking his head out from behind the counter.

Brigid frowned and said, "I don't CARE, how much fun I just spoiled, I'm here on business."

Fred poked his head out from the counter and licked his lips like he was going to let out a particularly funny joke.

"Shut it Fred," Ron said quickly, "It is business," with a suggestive nod.

"Don't touch that either!" Brigid yelled at the twins. Ron wondered how she knew that the Matson twins were going to touch something again because they were behind her back.

"Damn!" Katie said, withdrawing her hand.

"She's good!" Gwen said, then they turned around.

At the same time both of them frowned at Fred and George, then they looked at themselves, and back at Fred and George.

"Well that is just plain weird," Gwen said.

"Hey! It is weird from over here too," George put in.

Fred nodded sagely.

"And it is stupid from over here," Brigid said coldly. "I hate to break up creepy twin bonding moments, but we have business to do. Weasleys meet Matsons, Katie and Gwen. I'm Brigid Kells, we are friends of Lily. I'll assume Dumbledore's already debriefed you, so let's get on with it."

"Whoa, she really is business like," Fred commented.

"Bossy, too," George said bluntly.

"You have no idea!" the Matson twins said simultaneously.

"Creepy..." Ron murmured.

"Don't you have like a secret room where you discuss business?" Brigid asked, "I mean, anyone could just walk in..."

"Right-O then, ma'am!" George said, saluting.

"Please, follow us!" Fred mimicked.

Ron followed dully and Brigid and the twins took up the rear. They entered a large room, complete with bar, pool table, poker table, and many, many filing cabinets.

"Welcome to our humble abode," Fred called from behind the bar.

Ron watched Brigid look around the room suspiciously, then sit down at the bar.

"What'll it be," Fred said cheerily.

"It's a bit early still," she said guardedly.

"Can we get this over with?" Ron asked, "I mean, I want to be there when Morgan interrogates those Slytherin bastards."

"Ronnikins!"

"If mother could hear you!" the twin exclaimed.

"Bugger off, Fred!" Ron snapped.

"Temper, temper," Fred kidded.

The Matson twins had already set up the pool table and Katie was breaking.

"We have plenty of time," Gwen said off handedly.

"Raja likes to dig out her best when interrogating slime like them-"

"-so she'll be a while."

"She won't start with out us though-"

"-she has to know which direction to go first, you know."

"So she will wait-"

"-you can count on it."

"They are weirder than us, George," Fred commented from behind the bar.

George shrugged and sat next to Brigid.

Brigid reached behind her neck and pulled out a large, very sharp knife. Ron hand no idea where that came from. She tossed it in the air lightly with a dangerous smile on her face, caught it by the hilt, and slammed it into the counter, making the tip stick in the counter. She smiled sweetly and George moved over a seat.

"Matsons! I don't want to be here all day!" she called over her shoulder.

"Whoa!"

"Who died and made you supreme ruler of the universe?" the said back, grinning mercilessly.

After a very uncomfortable half hour in which everyone stayed out of Brigid's way and she glared at everyone with the exception of Ron, the twins got the equipment they were looking for and Brigid was delivered an odd looking package. They left Weasley's Wizard Wheezes the twins convinced everyone to go in to see Madame Rosemerta for a couple of butterbeers.

"So, what did you get, B-chan," Gwen asked eagerly.

Brigid's attitude did another one-eighty and a childish smile broke onto her face.

"I don't know!" she squealed, ripping the packaging off the box and grinned when she saw what it was.

"Oh, no," Katie groaned.

"This is bad," Gwen said.

"Real bad," Katie agreed.

"What?" Ron asked.

"The knife she ordered," the said simultaneously.

"Why is that bad?" he asked.

ZIP! Something flew by Ron's head, clipping his hair. A few strands fell into his butterbeer and a loud thunk was heard on the opposite wall. And then Brigid began laughing uproariously. She was doubled over in laughter and the twins were rolling their eyes.

"She's fucking loony, I'm telling you," Katie said.

"Stark raving mad," Gwen agreed with a shake of her head.

"*Accio* blade!" Brigid cried. The knife zipped back past Ron's ear and Brigid caught it deftly by the blade.

"Let's get out of here," Gwen suggested, grabbing Brigid's hand and pulling her out of the store.

Katie and Ron followed them, "Believe me," Katie said, turning to Ron, "It is for the best. She gets a bit crazy. Stupid assassins..."

All Harry was waiting for now was for Ron, Brigid, and the twins to get back. Morgan had assured him that it was essential for them to be present for this. He just nodded, she knew better than him what the plan was.

"Don't touch that," the voice of Brigid said from behind him as he was about to pick up a sharp looking object. Katie, Gwen, and Ron followed her. He thought her heard her murmur something like, "Surrounded by fucking three year olds..."

"Don't mind her," a Matson said cheerily.

"Yeah," the other agreed, "B-chan's been like that all day."

"Probably shouldn't have taken her knife then, G-dog."

"She was trying to throw it at that nice man's hat, Kate."

"Well you got her all bitchy again."

"Shut it, Matsons!" Brigid called.

Gwen and Katie continued their conversation quietly. Then Morgan walked in with a black box that looked extremely dangerous despite its plainness. She set it down and began rummaging through it. "Now," she began, "Harry, thank you for rounding up the Slytherins, Ginny is in there keeping an eye on them?"

"Yes, with Professors McGonagall and Lupin and Headmaster Dumbledore," Harry answered.

"Good! Katie, Gwen, tell me what did you bring me?" she asked primly.

"Spiffing good news, Raja!"

"Ruddy brilliant!" they joked, making fun of her seriousness.

Morgan pursed her lips and a dark eyebrow shot up.

Katie and Gwen gave identical expressions of amusement and they pulled out the documents that the Weasley boys had supplied them with.

Morgan scanned these, looking over them quickly before saying, "Have you read these?"

"No," they said at the same time.

"Oh."

"You say 'oh' in an amused voice, Raja," Katie said.

"Yes, this 'oh' worries us," Gwen concluded.

Morgan flipped a few pages and showed them to the twins.

"Oh," the said simultaneously.

"What?" Harry asked, very interested now.

"Well, Katie and Gwen are suspected agents of Voldemort according to this list."

"Oh."

"Did we sign up for Death Eater-hood, Gwen?"

"No, but we *did* have that foolish idea about spying on them."

"Right then."

"Let's just interrogate the prisoners and get it over with," Brigid sighed. She had managed to get her knife back and was playing with it.

"Patience, B-chan," Morgan said calmly. She scanned the documents again and then cracked her knuckles. "Alright, I'm ready. Is there anything else I should know?"

"No," Katie said simply.

"No," he sister agreed.

"Other than I'd be happy to slit a few Slytherin throats if you don't need them anymore? Nothing," Brigid said with a blood-thirsty edge in her voice that Harry was really terrified by.

"Thank you, B-chan!" Morgan said with a smile.

"We're going back to those funny Weasley boys again," Katie said, her and Gwen standing up.

"Yeah, I want to check out that joke shop!" Gwen said enthusiastically.

"Want to come, B-chan?" Katie asked.

Brigid shrugged and said, "Sure. Coming, Ron?"

"Sure," he said, not so enthusiastically. "Harry?" he asked hopefully.

"I'm going to watch," Harry said.

"Well let's get going," Katie said impatiently.

Gwen grabbed Ron's hand and dragged him behind her, "I really wanted to see those Canary..." her voice died as she left the Headmaster's office. Brigid followed, still playing with her knife.

Harry chuckled a bit as then left and turned to see Morgan looking at him with a dark face. Her fingers were curling in her hair and she was biting her lip, looking deep in thought.

"What?" Harry asked.

"He talks of you a lot you know," Morgan said mysteriously.

"Who?"

"Mr. Black. I'll assume you know him, he is your godfather," she answered calmly, like it was the most natural thing in the world and not random at all.

"Oh," Harry said, really wondering where this was going.

She shifted in her seat and crossed her legs, staring at him like he was measuring him up.

"I think I may have misjudged you Harry."

"Oh."

"I came to Hogwarts with a sneaking suspicion you were a typical Fire, Gryffindor, whatever. Mr. Black speaks so fondly of you, says the most fantastic things really. I thought you would be one of those do-gooders-with-your-morals-on-display-like-a-true-blue-hero-types. I'm happy to say I'm wrong, Harry."

"Thank you, I guess."

She smiled at him and stood up, grabbing her black box and papers the twins had given her. Harry stood up and grabbed her arm before she went into the adjoining room with the captives.

"Morgan," he said, "I think I misjudged you, too."

She smiled fondly at him, "Thank you, Harry."

Then she turned around and opened the door, a dark smile replacing the other as she entered.

She had been at it for hours. It was crazy the way she worked. Harry watched her the whole time and he couldn't believe it. She was a machine. She would question a person until they had no more information, and then pump the last few facts without even a hint of remorse or feelings whatsoever. Most of the time, she didn't even use Veritaserum. She could convince you, or trick you into telling her things, he didn't even know how. He was sure that he would have put up less of a fight than most of those poor Slytherins. Yes, he now saw them as poor Slytherins.

Harry decided he was very happy he didn't get born into a Slytherin family. They were cold, harsh, unforgiving, not an appropriate environment to raise a child in at all. And he had learned all this from the facts that Morgan managed to pump out of their minds. After the second similar story of growing up in an abusive household with dark hallways and shiny, untouchable objects, he still held onto the hope it was coincidence. Then she began questioning Pansy Parkinson. Harry had always thought of Pansy as the would-have-been-pretty-if-she-wasn't-so-full-of-herself-and-wore-less-make-up-and-didn't-throw-herself-at-Malfoy-all-the-time Slytherin girl. It took all of six sentences for him to feel sorrow for her. She had been the first of two that Morgan had used Veritaserum on. Dumbledore, who had been present and occasionally asked a question, had fought with Morgan for the better part of half an hour before he allowed her to use the serum.

"The first thing I remember my parents telling me when I woke up and the last thing they said to me at night was that they hated me. I got a first taste of that hate when I was thirteen. I had just grown into my body, as my mother put it, and I was a bit show-offy. My father took me to my party, my birthday party, at the Malfoy mansion, and then let his friends rape me. He told me never to have so much pride that men lusted after me. That was the first time I told my parents I hated them back."

Ginny had burst into tears at this. But Morgan continued her merciless interrogations. Harry was glad he had grown up with the Dursleys now, anything was better than living like *that*.

Now, after nine hours of straight interrogation, with no breaks made by Morgan or Dumbledore, though several by Harry, Lupin, McGonagall, and Ginny, Morgan was done, packing up her utensils. Ginny stretched out beside him and yawned. They had had served as witness to the things the Slytherins had said, taking notes most of the time. Now, they were both very tired, and it was nearly ten pm.

"Good job you two," Morgan said tiredly. "To tell the truth, I hadn't expected you to last though it."

"Yes, you both will serve as good witnesses if we need to go to court with this information," Dumbledore concurred. "Thank you Minerva and Remus, you will be valuable as well."

"I don't know how valuable I'll be, Albus," Lupin admitted, "MOM doesn't really trust me. But Minerva will certainly be of help."

"Well I think it is all time for me to go to bed. Today has been educational to say the least," McGonagall said primly, but tiredly.

"Good idea," Dumbledore said, "Harry, Ginny, could you stay a moment.

They nodded their heads.

"I'll be off then," Morgan said. "I have some thinking to do, please don't disturb me unless Lily comes back."

Dumbledore nodded. "And thank you Miss Estellan, you proved to be very useful."

"You're welcome," she said simply, "Good night Headmaster, Ginny, Harry, Professors."

She walked out of the room, a little less tall than Harry saw her walk before, apparently, interrogation took a lot out of you.

"Now, Harry, Ginny, I want you both to know that you were very valuable. But I also want you to know that no one should know outside you two. So naturally when you tell Hermione and Ron, tell them to be discrete. Thank you both, and goodnight, I'll tell you when Miss Lily returns."

Harry nodded and led Ginny out of the room by her waist. He was tired, and could tell she was too. The next few days would be torture, the waiting, but they would get through it, he knew they would.