Escape ↣ Harmione

Chapter Fourteen

Within half an hour a full meeting of the Order was gathered in the Headmaster's office. To expedite matters Rona and Ginny Weasley had also been brought in though not actual Order members. Minerva handed around copies of Miss Granger's letter seeing no point in keeping it secret. The original she had in her office under wards. She wouldn't admit it, but it meant something that Miss Granger had written it to her.

Severus watched Albus read the letter. His face was grave, and he saw the twitch in the corner of his eye. Apparently, some of her blows struck home. The Weasley twins scanned the letter faces solemn with understanding. The postscript made them grin and nudge each other. He saw one of them tear the formula from the bottom of the page, and shove it in his pocket. Miss Weasley read the letter and her eyes filled with tears. A soft "Oh Mione" escaping her lips. Mr Weasley flushed bright red as his temper took over, he opened his mouth to speak.

Minerva cut him off. "Before you speak Mr Weasley be sure it is something pertinent to the situation. Miss Granger is currently a fugitive from the law, this position, if she is caught, will result in a life imprisonment in Azkaban. If you wish to lament how you were left behind and how that affects you personally, save it for the tower."

Kingsley took it well, his finger tapping his bottom lip as he considered the letter, then he sighed and smiled slightly. Alastor Moody looked incensed, then grudgingly impressed which he covered by a scowl. Arthur looked relieved, but it was Molly who decided to say something first. Typical.

"Albus what are we going to do to find them? It's all very well that she has noble ideas, but they are children. They can't run around playing hide and seek when there is a war on."

"If Miss Granger is brought back unmarried she will be arrested and placed in Azkaban. With that in mind, what inducement do you feel they would accept to return?" Albus asked, summoning a twinkle.

No mention of the fact you've got no idea how to find them, old man. Severus thought to himself.

"But she says she would have married if her options had been fair. She's not against it, just that her options had been limited to Severus or Draco Malfoy. Surely we could find someone who would marry her, then they could come back." Molly protested.

"Molly, Miss Granger has made her position clear, she does not intend to return," Minerva said calmly.

"She's a child! How long do you think she can hide, with the Death Eaters and the Order looking for her?" Molly snapped, temper rising.

"We've made discrete enquiries Molly," Kingsley said. "She's hidden pretty effectively, nothing has flagged up at the Ministry for her or Harry. Looking at this it wouldn't have, she's apparently left the country. We have no jurisdiction outside of these shores. There are no extradition agreements between wizarding governments, though I am unsure how she knows that."

"Read it in a book." one of the twins piped up, then subsided under his mother's glare. The point of the matter was, he was probably right.

"She won't come back," Ginny said looking down, not really wanting to draw the attention of the Order or her mother.

"You know for certain Miss Weasley?" Minerva asked softly.

Miss Weasley waved a hand in a so-so gesture. "We talked, sometimes. She used to ask me about the role of women in the magical society, the differences between what girls and boys can expect growing up. She said that the wizarding world was more partic..." she trailed off, unsure of the word.

"Patriarchal, Miss Weasley," Minerva provided gently so not to startle her out of her memories. "A society that values men over women."

"Yeah, she said it was why Mum taught me cleaning spells, but not the boys. But she said that being a woman and muggle born, though she used the word mud blood." Ginny hunched shooting a glance at her parents, waiting for the reprimand. When it didn't come, she carried on. "She said her chances of getting anywhere were small. That the British magical community had nothing to offer, and she'd have to look abroad where things were better." Ginny looked around the room, her eyes wide and sad. "You see, she was always going to leave, this thing with the marriage law just moved up her plans." Ginny sat stroking her fingers over the letter, a lost look on her face.