New Beginnings

Chapter 44

Parchment and scrolls were spread across the table haphazardly, on a wall nearby was the biggest map of Britain available with random pins and strings connecting them.

The Lestranges leant over the table, going through stolen reports and eye witness accounts. Rita Skeeter (who'd taken another oath) had been the one supplying them with information and had just walked through the door with a chest full of more.

Skeeter kept to the hidden parts of the manor for reasons unknown and for now, the Lestranges weren't curious.

Bellatrix had decided to specifically look for random uses of magic, especially in muggles areas and had so far discounted Diagon Alley, Hogwarts and the Ministry of magic for fairly obvious reasons. Unfortunately Godric's Hallow was empty, still preserved and housing only Bathilda Bagshot, Grimmauld Place hadn't seen a visit from the old man in months and Rita had assured them none of the Potter or Black residences were being used.

(It had taken her a while to convince them she was on good terms with the goblins when in reality Harry would've been notified of anyone tried to get access to his properties.)

This was only bad because it meant they hadn't been able to kill Dumbledore yet, but was lucky because the Lestrange men had no idea how Bellatrix would react to the Order in another Black manor. She's barely forgiven Sirius for housing the Order in Grimmauld Place and they hadn't even met face-to-face yet.

Rudolphus had taken on the surveillance part of it all as Bellatrix wasn't subtle enough and Rabastan had a short attention span. He spent many an hour watching various houses or manors for a hint of Order members, though had yet to find anything. Their search so far had been fruitless.

Rabastan was the more academic of the three, focusing mainly deciphering clues they'd found from Order letters, though his attention span meant he ended up switching between things quickly before he got bored.

The only thing they did know was that after Dumbledore's arrest, activities had slowed enough that they appeared disbanded. Mostly considering how the most active members where killed, something they'd look into after. Severus had said how Kingsley had officially left the Order, but not to discount him, the auror was the most competent of the lot and the most dangerous. Vance and Moody were headed to Hogwarts, Mundungus was trying to hide from the authorities and Diggle wasn't doing that much. Seemed to just be living his normal life. 

The Order were searching for something though, something that was definitely at the Ministry. They just didn't know what and Tom had been very forthcoming about everything but one plan. The Dark Lord seemed to be hiding something, they had yet to figure out what though.

None of that particularly mattered. The Lestranges were finding Dumbledore, not bringing down the Order. It seemed someone else had been doing that for months now.

Half way through the teens half term, Severus was shipped back to Hogwarts, scowling the whole way and Harry seemed oddly guilty about it. 

A few hours later Tom called them into his study and found Lucius's narrowed eyes focused on how Harry had curled into Draco's side. The Malfoy Lord was concerned, though he didn't show it.

"Nymphadora Tonks was found dead." Tom started, not bothering to hide the smirk. "That's why Severus was called back. Fudge has insisted that Moody and Vance be stationed at Hogwarts immediately and Rogen considered sending Kinsgley too."