Arthur apparated to the outer edges of Hogwart's Grounds, and walked up the path leading to the castle's main entrance. Filch opened the massive doors. "Ello, Mr. Weasley," he said. "What brings you to the castle?" "Just visiting with the Headmistress, Argus," Arthur said. He walked down the corridor to the Gargoyle, which jumped aside to reveal the stairs to Minerva's office. Arthur ascended the stairs, and rapped softly on the office door.
"Come in, Arthur," Minerva said, and gave him a sharp nod as he did. She was standing in front of fireplace hands clasped. She had been doing a lot of pacing but was perfectly still at the moment. "Shut the door, please. I hope Alastor will be here soon, but we can always bring him up to speed once he arrives."
"I'm not sure, Arthur," said Minerva. "I need to ask you something. Is Draco Malfoy the Death Eater who has been feeding you this information about Voldemort's plans?"
"Do you honestly think we can trust that...that boy?" Minerva finished, deciding against harsher language. "He was always very out spoken about his support for Voldemort, purebloods, and dark arts. How do we know he isn't setting us up for something more sinister?"
"I want to trust him, Minerva. So far he has provided useful information. I am, of course, taking care in what I say to him. He isn't asking for information in return, and seems honest in his desire to help the Order." Arthur paused. "I don't want to see him end up like his father. I don't know why, but I want to help him."
"He isn't yet," Minerva said huskily. She forced herself to soften her tone. "You may be right, Arthur. If the boy's had a genuine change of heart, we ought to encourage it."
She turned one of the chairs by the fire so that she was facing Arthur and sat down in it. "Speaking of changes of hearts, I had an interesting discussion with Luca Moonstone, the gypsy boy we've been keeping an eye on. That's why I called you and Alastor here."
Alastor appeared at the edge of the grounds, looking thouroughly bedraggled, and seemed to be in a foul mood. He grumbled a great deal to himself as he limped up the winding road to the castle's main door. Finch opened the door as he was about to knock, looked at Alastor, and saw with distaste that his boots were quite muddy. "Why are you here?" Finch asked, his distaste showing through his voice.
Alastor focused his gaze on the man, and he flinched. It was obvious that Alastor was in no mood for pleasantries or for sass tonight. "I'm here to see Minerva," Alastor said in a monotone.
Gulping, Finch said, "Go right in, Alastor. I think she's expecting you."
Without hesitating, Alastor made his way directly to the Headmaster's office. As the Gargoyle sprang aside, he limped up the stairs, but didn't bother to knock on the door, instead simply opening it and letting himself in.
"Minerva, Arthur," Alastor said in greeting, and took a seat. He adjusted his leg for a moment, then looked to Minerva, expectantly.
Minerva looked up as the door flung open. "Why don't you have a seat, Alastor?" she said summoning a chair over for him. With another flick of her wand, she closed the door behind him and instructed the office to seal itself up. "I was just about Arthur why I called you both up here.
"Luca Moonstone came to my office today in tears. It appears that he received a box from Draco Malfoy, with instructions to give it to Professor Slughorn. I believe it to be the transmitter we were expecting. Luca seemed to have some idea of it's function but thought it might be more dangerous than I would expect.
"He proceed to make a number of other confession, but the first thing that troubles is me is what do we do with this transmitter now that we have it?"
"Draco and I discussed who we should give transmitters to. IT had to appear like they were going to good targets, but nobody too important. Slughorn was a good choise in that he's close enough to Harry and the Order, but it'st still possible to filter what he, and the transmitter, hear."
I believe we can still place the transmitter with Slughorn. We don't want to tell him, no doubt it would cease to be a secret. If we do leave it with him it might be a good idea to place it in his room without his knowledge."
"Horace already knows about the transmitter, Arthur," Minerva said. "I felt it more prudent to prepare him." She paused and looked at Moody. "Yes, let's start at the beginning, Arthur. Was it Malfoy who sent that first transmitter to Neville?"
"Malfoy sent the transmitter, yes. The first time I met with him, he notified me of the transmitter. He told me he was afraid of what it would be like if You-Know-Who won. He didn't want to live in a world ruled by him. Draco wanted to help us, and in return when You-Know-Who was defeated he wanted us to vouch for him, keep him out of Azkaban. I didn't make any promises, but said we might be able to help him out. He returned for a second meeting, where we discussed the transmitters. not allf them have been prepared yet, I don't believe. At least two more should be on their way sooon. We considered Professor Chang, and Seamus Finnigan. Both targets that would appear important enough, but people that we could tell about the tranmitters and be sure that no sensitive information could reach."
Filch opened the massive doors. "Ello, Mr. Weasley," he said. "What brings you to the castle?"
"Just visiting with the Headmistress, Argus," Arthur said. He walked down the corridor to the Gargoyle, which jumped aside to reveal the stairs to Minerva's office. Arthur ascended the stairs, and rapped softly on the office door.
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Arthur paused. "I don't want to see him end up like his father. I don't know why, but I want to help him."
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She turned one of the chairs by the fire so that she was facing Arthur and sat down in it. "Speaking of changes of hearts, I had an interesting discussion with Luca Moonstone, the gypsy boy we've been keeping an eye on. That's why I called you and Alastor here."
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"Why are you here?" Finch asked, his distaste showing through his voice.
Alastor focused his gaze on the man, and he flinched. It was obvious that Alastor was in no mood for pleasantries or for sass tonight. "I'm here to see Minerva," Alastor said in a monotone.
Gulping, Finch said, "Go right in, Alastor. I think she's expecting you."
Without hesitating, Alastor made his way directly to the Headmaster's office. As the Gargoyle sprang aside, he limped up the stairs, but didn't bother to knock on the door, instead simply opening it and letting himself in.
"Minerva, Arthur," Alastor said in greeting, and took a seat. He adjusted his leg for a moment, then looked to Minerva, expectantly.
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"Luca Moonstone came to my office today in tears. It appears that he received a box from Draco Malfoy, with instructions to give it to Professor Slughorn. I believe it to be the transmitter we were expecting. Luca seemed to have some idea of it's function but thought it might be more dangerous than I would expect.
"He proceed to make a number of other confession, but the first thing that troubles is me is what do we do with this transmitter now that we have it?"
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I believe we can still place the transmitter with Slughorn. We don't want to tell him, no doubt it would cease to be a secret. If we do leave it with him it might be a good idea to place it in his room without his knowledge."
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Alastor put his hands to his temples, like he had a headache.
"Yer gonna have to start from the beginning, Arthur. What was you two plan?"
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Draco wanted to help us, and in return when You-Know-Who was defeated he wanted us to vouch for him, keep him out of Azkaban. I didn't make any promises, but said we might be able to help him out. He returned for a second meeting, where we discussed the transmitters. not allf them have been prepared yet, I don't believe. At least two more should be on their way sooon. We considered Professor Chang, and Seamus Finnigan. Both targets that would appear important enough, but people that we could tell about the tranmitters and be sure that no sensitive information could reach."
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