Breaking the Silence
The moment Marlene finished relaying what had happened at Hogwarts, the tension in the Potters’ cottage skyrocketed. Dumbledore had been watching her closely, too closely, and the way he had effortlessly interrupted her conversation with McGonagall only confirmed what they already suspected—he was hiding something.
James was the first to speak, his voice tight with frustration. “He knows. Maybe not exactly what we’re up to, but he knows we’re asking the wrong questions.”
Sirius ran a hand through his hair. “Brilliant. The last thing we need is for him to start playing us like his bloody chess pieces.”
Lily, deep in thought, tapped her fingers against the armrest of her chair. “We need to talk to McGonagall. Properly. Away from Hogwarts. Away from Dumbledore.”
Marlene nodded. “She wanted to tell me something—I know she did. She just… couldn’t.”
Remus, ever the strategist, leaned forward. “Then we need to bring her here. Somewhere Dumbledore can’t control the conversation.”
James frowned. “How do we convince her to come?”
Sirius smirked. “Oh, I have a few ideas.”
Marlene rolled her eyes. “We’re not kidnapping her, Black.”
Sirius raised his hands innocently. “I wasn’t suggesting kidnapping. I was merely considering… creative persuasion.”
James sighed. “Let’s hear it.”
Sirius grinned. “Easy. Someone from the Order needs a private meeting with her. Someone she already trusts. She thinks she’s coming to discuss the war, but really, we make sure the conversation turns to her vow.”
Lily nodded. “That could work. But first, we need to know how we can break that vow. Or at least work around it.”
Marlene exhaled. “Right. We need to do some research.”
Researching the Vow of Silence
A few hours later, the table was once again buried beneath stacks of old tomes, each one detailing various forms of magical contracts and vows. Lily had found an entire section on magically binding oaths in The Laws of Ancient Magic, while Remus had dug up Dark Pacts & Magical Contracts.
“The magic behind a vow of silence is similar to an Unbreakable Vow,” Lily explained, flipping through the pages. “Except instead of causing death if broken, it simply prevents the person from speaking the restricted information.”
James frowned. “So, no matter what we ask McGonagall, she physically won’t be able to answer?”
Remus shook his head. “Not exactly. There are loopholes.”
Marlene perked up. “Like?”
Lily pushed her book toward them. “Some magically binding vows don’t restrict gestures, writing, or even answering through indirect means.”
James smirked. “So, we just have to ask the right questions?”
Remus nodded. “And get her in a place where she feels safe enough to try.”
Sirius leaned back. “Then it’s settled. We lure McGonagall here. We figure out how much she can tell us. And we go from there.”
Marlene exhaled. “Let’s hope it works.”
The Journal Glows Again
As if responding to their plan, the journal—sitting forgotten on the corner of the table—began to glow faintly.
Lily was the first to notice. “Look!”
They all leaned in as the pages shimmered, ink shifting and rearranging itself in an eerie, almost sentient way. A new message appeared:
“Answers come from where you least expect. Keep your eyes open, even among those who wear masks.”
James frowned. “That’s… vague.”
Sirius snorted. “Isn’t it always?”
Then, just below the cryptic message, something new appeared in the list of names.
Malfoys were now underlined.
And beside it, written in faint, delicate script:
LM + NBM.
Marlene’s breath caught. “Lucius Malfoy and… Narcissa?”
Sirius stared at the letters, his expression unreadable. He tapped the letters. “NBM. Narcissa Black Malfoy.”
Lily’s eyes widened. “Does this mean… they’re important? Or that we can trust them?”
James scowled. “Lucius Malfoy? I highly doubt we can trust him.”
Remus was thoughtful. “But the journal doesn’t specify trust. It just underlined them. Like it did with McGonagall and Regulus.”
Sirius muttered a curse under his breath. “If Regulus is tangled up in this, it wouldn’t shock me if my dear cousin and her ferret of a husband are too.”
Marlene exhaled. “This means we might have to talk to them. Also, we need to find Regulus.”
James groaned. “Bloody fantastic.”
Lily, still watching the journal, bit her lip. “The journal only gives us information as it becomes relevant. That means the Malfoys are about to become important.”
Marlene sighed. “One thing at a time. First, McGonagall. Then, if we must, we figure out what the Malfoys know and find Regulus.”
Sirius huffed. “Fine, I have no idea where to start in finding my bloody brother. But when we have to talk to Lucius Malfoy, I reserve the right to hex him if he is being an arsehole.”
James smirked. “That seems fair.”
Marlene tapped her fingers on the table. “Alright. We bring McGonagall here. We figure out her vow. We get answers.”
Remus nodded. “And we keep watching the journal. Because whatever’s coming next?” He glanced at the glowing ink. “It’s already in motion.”
The air in the room felt charged.
The pieces were shifting.