Fluid Reality

Bad News Comes in Threes

Joan St. Martin was dragged from her perusal of an ancient Roman text on curses by a tapping at the door of her library. She frowned, her wand dropping into her long fingers from her sleeve as she stood, setting the book aside. These days, it was better to be prepared than to be caught without your wand, with Voldemort on the rise. She opened the door to see one of her fellow members of the Order of the Pheonix standing there, Peter Pettigrew's eyes full of fear.

"Peter? What happened?" She had been having a pleasent day, rather glad the Muggles had avoided her house last night in their silly behavior that always accompanied All Hallow's Eve.

"It's the Potters. Sirius betrayed them to Voldemort. James and Lily, they're dead." A thread of ice went down Joan's spine at those words, fear reaching a cold hand to grip her heart, and she hardened her gaze, her dark grey eyes boring into Peter's soft brown ones.

"What else, Peter? What haven't you told me?"

"He's taken Harry."

Joan hissed, slipping out the door, slamming it shut, and sealing the ancient library against anyone but herself and her brother. Blood magic worked for the Light as well as the Dark in this war. She hurried Peter to the front door of the ancient castle that perched near the Muggle town of St. Ives, grabbing her cloak from the house-elf that stood waiting for her. "Find Sebastian, and tell him what you told me. Elizabeth should be with Sebastian, she needs to hide, and soon. With her so close to giving birth, she can't protect herself. I will tell Joshua, and we will meet you at Hogwarts. Go!"

Joan waited until Peter had left on his broom, praying the small man could make it to France without being caught by Voldemort, or a Death Eater, before she left herself, the powerful witch using an old spell to take her where she wanted to go. Or near enough, anyway. She'd been the one to ward the ancient castle against that particular mode of travel, just in case someone else found the spell. After all, if found once, it could be found again.

She hurried up to the main doors, slipping through, and heading up towards Albus's office. Joan knew he'd have heard of the attack already, and he'd be expecting the members of the Order to arrive as quickly as they heard. The noisy room fell silent as she entered, the sound of the door opening cutting across half a dozen conversations as all eyes turned to see who had come in. She raised an eyebrow, a slight smile coming to her face as she hurried to take her own place near Remus and Joshua. There were advantages to the twin bond sometimes.

There wasn't a chance for the babble to start up again before Peter entered, Sebastian Mioneau behind him with a house elf fearfully creeping in as well. Dobby was a familiar face, the only way to keep their spy safely ensconced in his position close to Voldemort. Joan smiled at him, and he hurried over, curling up at her feet as he always did. Sebastian met her eyes, and nodded. Elizabeth was safe - wherever he'd sent her.

"You have all of you heard what occured last night. The spy in our midst finally showed his hand." Albus raised his head, letting his fingers drop from where they had been pressed against his temples, as if to ward off an oncoming headache. His face showed his age, and Joan frowned, concerned. This war was taking its toll on him, as it was on them all. "James and Lily are dead, and young Harry is in the hands of Voldemort."

murmurs of fear and anger began around the room, and Albus raised a hand for silence. He was granted it instantly, still powerful enough to control the diverse personalities gathered. Joan smiled internally at that. He rarely showed his strength, and asset she'd not seen in most former Gryffindors. Particularly those she'd known in school.

~Don't start down that road, Joan, please?~ Joshua's mental plea was plaintive, and Joan was hard pressed not to snicker at the tone. Her brother was always pleading with her not to make fun of his house mates. She controlled the urge at the knowing look from Albus. He could almost sense her thoughts, she was sure.

"I do not need to tell you how important it is to continue to go about your daily routine, to not allow this to disrupt your lives..."

"Disrupt our lives?" Joan recognized the distinctly American accent of Nichole Johnston, and wrinkled her nose. She didn't like the Muggle-born Auror in the least, but she had tolerated her because Albus asked her to. "Hell, Albus, this ain't anything like what he's done before. We're used to him killing, but to kidnap a baby? What in tarnation is going to do with a kid? I, for one, don't really want to know." She stood, her face flushed under her tan. "An' I ain't stickin' around long enough...."

Joan stood quietly, making the taller woman trail off into silence. "Albus, if I may speak?" Her voice was quiet, and the tone conversational, but she saw Joshua shudder out of the corner of her eye, and Remus's brown eyes rested on her warily. She met the older man's blue eyes silently, challenging him to say no.

"Certainly, Miss St. Martin."

"Nichole, you are welcome to leave if you wish. No one here will try to talk you out of it." Joan smiled, her gentle words and tone making the keyed up woman relax. "I do not blame you for wanting to leave - this is a very stressful time, after all. But if you leave, do not fall asleep, do not eat, do not drink, and always watch your back. Because you will not see Death coming until it is too late otherwise." She never changed her tone, the smile never left her face, making her words all the more chilling. Joan sat once more, without saying another word, the American watching her with a frightened expression on her face.

Albus waited until Nichole sat down once more, and Joan prayed there would be no more interruptions as he continued his talk to the Order, waiting impatiently for it to be over. Only when the others had left could she get Dobby to tell them whatever information Lucius had sent with him. They'd made him promise never to tell anyone except her and Joshua and Albus. And getting secrets out of a house-elf was like getting a stone to bleed - bloody near impossible, even with magic.

The house-elf crept out from behind her skirts once the others had left, his huge eyes troubled. Joan set him up on Albus's desk, Joshua drawing close as she met Dobby's eyes with her own. "Tell us, Dobby. Tell us everything."

Dobby nodded, drawing in a shuddering breath. "Master says he cannot get close to the Potter boy. He Who Must Not Be Named has him with a nurse in a secret place, and he does not know where. He Who Must Not Be Named is going to use the Potter boy as his heir."

Joan drew in her breath sharply at that. They had not anticipated this move - all intelligence suggested that Voldemort would try to kill the boy, just as he had killed James and Lily Potter. This turn of events boded ill for the wizarding world. "What else, Dobby? Is there anything else?"

"Sirius Black is at Malfoy Manor."