The Ordeal Of Being Known

11

"Protego Totalum. Salvio Hexia. Muffliato."

Ron cast the privacy and protection spells on his office through the bubble over his face. Harry knew the movements and incantations were second-nature to him, still, after their year on the run and even more years of Auror raids and stakeouts. Harry could probably do them wandlessly, at this point.

"How are we going to find the Unspeakables? No one knows who they are or what they look like," Auror Bones asked.

"Look for what your eyes don't want to see," Harry replied. "Unspeakable glamours are like Notice-Me-Nots, but ten times as intense and effective. If you see movement in the corner of your eye that you can't focus on, or if you feel that someone is near you that your eyes won't see, trust your instincts. Use Homenum Revelio often, they'll probably use Disillusionment Charms, too."

The Aurors nodded grimly. Parkinson chimed in from the corner.

"Would they be using Polyjuice, as well?"

"It's possible," Ron said, finally done with his spells. The walls glowed with the strength of his charms. "Aurors, you know each other's identifying questions. Parkinson, you know I can't let you join us on this-you're a civilian, you have no training-"

"You'll have to lock me up, Weasley, if you want me to stay behind, and hope that I don't have my own methods of breaking out, I told you I'm not letting either of you out of my sight, since you're the reason Draco's in danger in the first place-"

"She's with me," Harry interrupted, before she could get into another rant. Ron rolled his eyes at him.

"She's your responsibility then, Harry, and if she slows us down or compromises this in any way, I'm blaming you," Ron said shortly, using his best Head Auror voice. Harry could tell he wasn't happy about the situation, but he knew why Harry was allowing her to join, regardless.

"What about a Fidelius Charm?" Auror Stanley piped up timidly from the corner. Ron furrowed his brows as he turned to face her.

"What about it?"

"Well, if we put the Department of Mysteries under a Fidelius, and made one of us the Secret Keeper, no one else would be able to get in without the Secret Keeper personally giving away its location," she explained. Ron hummed in thought.

"Good idea," he mumbled, "but what about everyone that's already in there?"

"They cannot return after they leave," Kingsley cut in. "Which they will have to, eventually. If they learn we're putting a Fidelius on the Department, they'll hold themselves in there as long as possible-we'd be trapping them, essentially, while banishing the rest. The only thing I know about the Unspeakables is that they are committed to their research, above all else. They won't abandon it easily."

"So we flush them out, and take them down when they try to return for their precious research," Auror Jeffries added, nodding slowly.

"Brilliant," Ron said, "I'll be Secret Keeper, then."

"No," Kingsley interrupted. "I will."

Ron and Harry both raised their eyebrows at him.

"The Unspeakables will surely come after the Secret Keeper, Kingsley," Harry said. "Especially once they're flushed out and on the run. You'll have a target on your back for the rest of your days."

"I already have plenty," Kingsley replied, stone-faced. "Let them come. If we're taking down the Department, then let the burden of it lie with me." He paused for a moment, meeting Harry's eyes intently. "I did take this job for a reason. I will take responsibility for the whole of the Ministry."