The Enemy of my Enemy

The Outburst

"Anyone know a Stan Shunpike?" Judy asked.

"Yeah, he works the Night Bus," said Marlene, biting into a piece of toast and jam. "Why? He's not dead, is he?"

Judy shook her head and lowered her copy of the Daily Prophet so she could see her friends from across the breakfast table. "No, but he's been arrested," she said.

"Arrested? For what?" Marlene asked.

Judy scanned the article, her eyes leaping from one word to the next as she tried to find a reason. "Uh, oh, here we are," she said, pressing a finger to the page. "Suspicion of Death Eater activity."

Marlene burst out laughing.

"What's so funny?" Teddie asked, arriving with Theo, Daphne, and Blaise.

"Stan Shunpike has been arrested on suspicion of Death Eater activity," said Marlene. "I just find it amusing that they they Stan, of all people, is a Death Eater. The guy is as thick as a Broomstick handle."

"And as thin as one, too," said Susan.

Teddie helped herself to some bacon and eggs. "Who's Stan Shunpike?" she asked.

"He's the conductor on the Night Bus," Judy answered. "Twenty-One years old, lives in Clapham. He failed out of Hogwarts after his O. W. Ls which is why his job is so basic."

Teddie looked thoughtful and then shook her head. "Nope. Never heard of him," she said, "Does it say who arrested him?"

"The Auror's, no doubt."

"Which Auror?"

Judy blinked. "Oh, you want to know if Mo Flint is involved?" she asked. "Just a sec." She disappeared behind the paper again, only to emerge minutes later, shaking her head. "No, sorry, Ted, but it doesn't say."

Teddie shrugged. "It's okay," she replied, swallowing her bacon with a gulp of juice.

"If Shunpike was the last person to be a Death Eater, he could've been under the Imperius Curse," said Blaise.

"Doesn't look like it," said Judy. "It says he was arrested after he was overheard talking about the Death Eaters' secret plans in a pub. If he was under the Imperius Curse, he'd hardly stand around gossiping about their plans, would he?"

"Unless that was the plan," said Teddie.

Her friends stared at her.

"Think about it, what better way to get someone off your tail other than to set another person up to take the fall?" Teddie asked. "The Death Eaters' could've put Shunpike under their control, told him to go talk about their presumed plans, and get him arrested while they carry out their actual plans. It takes the pressure off them and puts the Auror's in direct conflict with someone else."

"Is that what you would do?"

Teddie shrugged. "To an extent, yeah," she answered.

"Personally, it sounds like Stan was trying to make out that he knew more than he actually did," said Marlene. "Trust me, I've met him. Like I said, he's not the brightest bulb on the tree."

"I've been saying since the start of term," said Teddie. "People are scared. Robin Ronan's little sister was supposed to start Hogwarts this year, her parents are home-schooling her instead, they also wanted Robin to drop out because they feel no where is safe right now."

"But Hogwarts is the safest place on the planet," said Susan. "We've got half the Auror department stationed around the perimeter, extra protective spells and enchantments, plus we've got Dumbledore."