Chapter Nine
September 1st in the Burrow was the usual chaos with Molly trying to make sure that everyone had everything and that we were on time. We were very much not on schedule.
“Anybody poking around in Mad-Eye Moody’s dustbins or anything last night?” I asked Arthur as I tried to shovel breakfast into my mouth as quickly and politely as possible.
“No, why?” Arthur asked.
“No reason in particular,” I said. “I better go bring my trunk downstairs.”
We flooed onto the platform five minutes before it was scheduled to depart. Hermione leaned her head out of a compartment window and waved to us.
“Goodbye, I love you so much, be sure to write often,” Molly said, pulling us all into hugs.
Once we got on the train, Fred and George left to meet up with Lee Jordan and Ginny went to find Luna and Maggie.
“In here. I got here early to get us a compartment,” Hermione said, ushering us into the empty compartment.
“Okay, so highly unexpected but lots of kids want to runaway/defect from their Death Eater families and approached us at the ball. Obviously we’re going to help, but we need to figure out how. Hermione, you’re taking notes?” I asked.
“Yes. So this didn’t happen in the original timeline?” Hermione asked.
“No. This is likely another example of the results of changing things. While we are firmly on Dumbledore’s side, our work promoting inter-house unity, learning politics and my well known soft spot for children has led us to be seen as an approachable option. In the original timeline, these kids likely stayed with their families or tried to run away on their own,” I surmised.
“There is the issue of spies. Surely a Death Eater could have their kid say they want to run away to get more information on what we are doing,” Ron pointed out.
“What about veritaserum?” Harry asked.
“That’s rather extreme and hard to acquire, not to mention illegal. But a lesser truth serum, one that ensures the drinker tells the truth yet does not force them to speak would be better. If both Zo and whoever she is meeting with drink it, that would lead to an increased level of trust,” Hermione said.
“I’ll talk to Mundungus about getting me some,” I said.
“So that still leaves us the issue of what to do,” Hermione said. “Most kids our age come from wealthy families, but their own personal savings consist of pocket money, not enough to live off of. Hence why they are approaching us for help.”
“Maybe, several different options? Some seemed to just want a place to stay over the summer where their families can’t get to them, some wanted to become spies, some wanted to outright join our side,” Ron proposed.
“We’ll need to set a hard age limit. I’m not letting children put their lives in danger. Obviously we will provide sanctuary for younger children, but they won’t be allowed to fight,” I said.
“Seventeen seems too hypocritical given we’re fourteen. And people will want to fight earlier,” Harry said.
“Fifteen? We’ll all be fifteen or almost fifteen by the end of the school year when the war will actually start. And then the Order of the Phoenix will have their own limit of seventeen,” Hermione said.
“That sounds good,” Ron said.
“Fifteen it is. Those is our year will almost all be fifteen by the end of the school year,” Hermione said.
“Now, about providing sanctuary. I have purchased via Gringotts three safehouses which I planned to offer up for Order of the Phoenix business, but this is more important. Combined, they can house around sixty people comfortably, eighty if necessary. We can set the larger two aside for Hogwarts aged children who need somewhere to stay over the summer. The smaller one can work as an Order safehouse,” I said.
“What about under Hogwarts aged children? Those who have older siblings who are our age that are looking out for their little siblings?” Harry asked.
“They can stay at those two larger safehouses during the school year. Maybe there’s some recently graduated Hogwarts students aged 18 to 24 ish who are willing to babysit. A lot of the older kids who approached us said they would be willing to fight. Those who would fight in exchange for sanctuary if necessary but don’t actually want to can be put in charge of babysitting,” I said.
“And if those kids have parents who will try to go through Ministry channels to try to get their kids back and/or pull them from Hogwarts?” Harry asked.
“We’ve spent three years running around Hogwarts secret passages. If we get Professor Dumbledore to give us a heads up, then we can hide kids in the Room of Requirement if their parents come. If parents try to pull their kids from Hogwarts against the child’s wishes, then we can smuggle them out and to one of the safehouses,” I said.
“Alright, now what about those who truly wish to fight and or spy?” Ron asked.
“Well I think we need to clarify what we mean by fight,” Hermione pointed out.
“We form a defense club that could function as a last resort defensive if Hogwarts is attacked. Open to all ages for now and will function as a study group this year. Next year once the war is actively started and we are fifteen, we separate it into a junior group of 14 and under and a senior group of 15 and over with the junior group continuing as a study group and the senior group training people to fight if they wish. After Hogwarts, they can go and join the Order of the Phoenix if they wish,” I said.
“We’ll have to come up with a name,” Harry said.
“Not Dumbledore’s Army, that’s lame. Maybe Hogwarts Army,” I said thoughtfully.
“We can work on that. Now what about those who wish to spy?” Hermione asked.
“They remain outwardly unaffiliated with us. I’ve already figured out a communication system,” I said, pulling a box out of my sidebag and opening it.
“A writing station?” Hermione asked, glancing at the pieces of parchment, quills and ink.
“I have several of these for any spies, all linked to this one, mine. They link up to the owner’s magical signature. You tap the inner lid with your want and it opens up a secret compartment,” I said, tapping my wand. The tray of writing supplies lifted up to reveal a hidden compartment with two empty sections inside.
“The right one is the inbox. The left one is the outbox. It’s inspired by an electronic mailing system in the future. A spy can write something, put it in their outbox, it disappears and it will appear in my inbox. I write something addressed to them, put it in my outbox, and it appears in their inbox,” I said.
“Ingenious. Where did you get them?” Hermione asked, running her fingers over the runes.
“Gringotts. It’s made with goblin runic magic and can’t be detected by wixen magic,” I said.
“So we have three options. Underage kids can stay in the safehouses, they can join the still to be named Hogwarts defense force and stay in the safehouses over the summer if they are a kid or outright join the Order if they are an adult or option three, being a spy for us,” Hermione said.
“There’s also the fortress on the island that I bought. The dwarven construction team say that it will be done by the end of 1996, so halfway through the sixth year. Then the goblins ward it to hell and back and we will be able to use the fortress during our seventh year if the Ministry falls,” I said.
“We should schedule a meeting with Dumbledore to update him on what we are doing. Do you think he’ll have any issues with it?” Ron asked.
“We’re essentially creating a junior Order of the Phoenix that feeds into the adult Order of the Phoenix so he doesn’t have to recruit amongst children himself. And he outright told me to start doing this. Personally, I’m a little suspicious as Dumbledore seems to want to keep me firmly under his thumb, but he might have finally decided to trust me,” I said with a shrug.
“Well then, Fourth Year, here we come,” Hermione said.