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[alt_lupin]

Sirius and I are all right. Well, Sirius will be in a bit. We're at Bedford. Thought it better to go somewhere else, I mean, to split the group of us just in case.

Ellie's dead. Threw herself in front of Sirius when Bellatrix cast the killing curse.

She was the one who cast the Dark Mark. To warn people. Anyone who might be coming, to stay away.

Comments

[alt_hermione]

Oh, thank goodness!

By 'she cast the Dark Mark,' do you mean Ellie? Not Bellatrix Lestrange, not to warn others.

What happened? I mean, how did they find you?

[alt_lupin]

Ellie cast it.

How'd they find us --

Sirius probably knows better than me, and he's still a bit indisposed. I haven't entirely pieced it together.

[alt_charlie]

Thank Merlin you're all right.

How did Ellie know how to cast the Dark Mark? And how the hell did you and Sirius get out of there?

[alt_hermione]

Ellie's--Ellie was--always very curious. About everything from before. And the war. And all sorts of things, and every spell she could find out about.

I wouldn't be surprised if she got the incantation out of Mr Snape.

[alt_severus]

She had quite an interest in history, and in how we got where we are. We spoke often.

I did not teach her the spell specifically, but I spoke of it often enough, and it is not difficult to cast. It was designed to take as little effort as possible, after all.

[alt_hermione]

She'd have seen pictures all over, too. In books and signs and all. And she was an artist. I mean, she liked to draw. She could have cast it if you'd ever told her the incantation.

[alt_severus]

I had, yes.

[alt_poppy]

Goodness.

Poor, brave girl.

You must both feel-

I'm sorry. It's terrible.

[alt_lupin]

Oh, we burned the floo. At the shop. After we sent Tonks through.

So they won't be able to see any of you lot using it.

[alt_lupin]

Okay.

We aren't usually open on Sunday evenings but tonight there was a regular wanting to hold a little party for his anniversary with his ladyfriend. Mr Prentiss and Miss Hibbings.

Some Enforcer bloke turned up and wormed his way into the party. This sort of party, about half the people there won't necessarily know the other half, so people didn't realise right away he didn't belong, but Ellie worked it out and let Sirius know. A little after that, he ducked out, and Sirius followed him. Caught him sending a message to MLE -- couldn't keep him from sending part of it off, but stupefied him and took some of his hair and then came back in barking his fool head off to raise the alarm.

Ellie told everyone to run for it and sent up the Dark Mark. We'd -- I mean, she'd never have seen it cast, back in the day, but she'd heard people talk about it a few times, she knew it would scare people off.

But even as people were trying to leave, a LOAD of Aurors showed up. Tonks took the floo, and then we blew it up to make sure no one could trace anything from it -- and then Sirius saw Bellatrix. And she saw him.

If it weren't for Ellie he'd be dead.

He got Bella with something -- don't know what, it wasn't Avada Kedavra, but it took her down for a minute or two. By then, MLE had got their anti-apparation ward in place and I thought we were done for, but Sirius had that Enforcer's hair, so he dropped it in some polyjuice we'd kept for emergencies and then he turned into Jennings and came out with me as his prisoner and we just walked right out. He told everyone we passed it was on Auror Crouch's instructions and they got right out of the way. We made it out of the wards and I side-alonged us both to Bedford, and here we are.

[alt_alice]

Oh Merlin. Thank you for checking in. It's a relief to hear that you two are safe.

I am so sorry to hear about Ellie.

[alt_bill]

That was brilliant of her.

Oh, how I wish Dad could know. Because he helped pick her, for Doughty Conduit. He would have been so bloody proud of her. And of the way you got Sirius out.

Remus, Sirius, Tonks...I'm SO sorry about Ellie.

[alt_gredforge]

Bloody hell.

[alt_molly]

Oh, my...the ledgers! Laszlo's ledgers. MLE will go right for them. Remus, did you manage to grab them? I suppose you couldn't; you were brilliant to save Sirius. But is there anything in those ledgers that could lead to anyone else that we want to warn?

[alt_bill]

Rachel, you said you were heading into work. Who is likely to get the ledgers, if they've been confiscated? Is there any chance you would be assigned to look them over?

[alt_bill]

Bloody hell. And can you glean anything about how long they've been watching the place?

[alt_lupin]

Well, apparently they hadn't noticed yet we were a massive nest of traitors with Sirius Black cleverly concealed as the family dog.

Or they'd have started with Bellatrix, rather than sending for her later.

[alt_rachel]

Remus is right: if they'd had any idea at all, they'd have had the floo reset to send anyone coming through straight to Truncheon before you had any notion of what was happening.

They got loads of leads from that Crimson Company bust, most of them the sort of very dull dead end you want followed up on by someone you keep around for precisely that sort of thing. If it looks interesting, you send for backup, which is precisely what the Enforcer who came tonight did.

Fortunately.

[alt_kingsley]

Fortunate.

Anything you can glean in the next few days which will help us with damage control, we'll be mighty glad to hear it.

Without blowing your own cover, naturally.

[alt_rachel]

I left once I'd heard from Remus. No point in making myself more suspicious than necessary. Especially given how many times I've hung round that beer garden myself.

Probably they'll pass the ledgers on to my boss. I might get the assignment to follow up, but then again, I might not, if they decide I'm in the circle of suspicion on this one. (Rather than merely having been an idiot. Bellatrix had been there too, though, hadn't she? And Narcissa used to shop there. So at least I'm in good company.)

Private message to Rachel

[alt_lupin]

Thank you.

Re: Private message to Rachel

[alt_rachel]

You do realise I wasn't there to try for a rescue.

Re: Private message to Rachel

[alt_lupin]

I do.

I also realise you might not have made it out yourself, after.

So thank you.

Re: Private message to Rachel

[alt_rachel]

You're welcome.

[alt_lupin]

We kept two sets. The ones with the incriminating information are at 12GP.

Won't stop them from harassing some of our suppliers, I'm sure. And that includes Jeremy's parents, there were some items we bought from them, so MLE might be coming around.

Personal message to Remus Lupin

[alt_molly]

Oh, thank goodness!

But your business and oh, your home...all your personal things. Oh, Remus. All of Bea's WORLD. And Ellie...

Please, tell me if there is anything, any supplies you need.

Re: Personal message to Remus Lupin

[alt_molly]

I mean, I know you've been living at 12 Grimmauld Place for awhile now, but oh dear...I just remember all the times watching Bea toddle around the beer garden.

Re: Personal message to Remus Lupin

[alt_lupin]

Most of our things were shifted over to 12GP. There were a few things in the shop -- a picture that had Ellie in it with some of our customers. I might have liked to have that. And this stuffed duck Bea used to carry around the garden, before we had to stop letting her come. She'd lost interest in it anyway, so we kept the duck in the windowsill.

They're just things, though. It doesn't really matter.

Re: Personal message to Remus Lupin

[alt_molly]

You're right, Remus. They're just things.

I'm so glad that you and Sirius and Tonks and Bea are all safe.

[alt_sirius]

I'm all right.

[alt_poppy]

Bless.

I'm very glad that you are.

[alt_alice]

Oh, love.

I'm so very grateful.

[alt_pansy]

Good.

Private Message to Sirius and Mr Lupin

[alt_justin]

Sirius,

But you're all right, aren't you? Both of you?

I'm dashed sorry about Ellie.

-Justin

Re: Private Message to Sirius and Mr Lupin

[alt_sirius]

Yes. We're both fine.

More than I can say for everyone we abandoned back there.

We're all right, kiddo. Stay sharp, okay?